Review: Outside In - Maria V. Snyder

There's something outside.
It wants in.

I'm Trella, I used to be a scrub, cleaning the pipes and corridors of INSIDE. Then I found a whole world beyond the cube we live in and accidentally led a revolution against the Uppers. Now everyone is trying to figure out what happens next.

Except me. The fight's over and I want my life back. I need to explore the new world I've found and work out exactly what's going on with Riley, the Upper who helped me win the war.

But there's something OUTSIDE. And I need to step up. Because once a leader always a leader.

It's coming.
Am I strong enough to stop it?

Insiders Series:
Inside Out
Outside In

Visit Maria V. Snyder's website for more information

Review:
I loved Inside Out so I was glad I didn't have to wait to find out how Trella's story continued and I dove straight into Outside In which I think I ended up enjoying even more. I'm going to assume that anyone reading this review has already read the first book so please be aware there may be spoilers ahead if you haven't.

The rebellion Trella lead has turned life on the Inside upside down and now the Uppers and the scrubs are trying to figure out what happens next. The scrubs are expecting an immediate change in their circumstances but the dirty jobs still need doing and now nobody is willing to do them. The Uppers know that changes need to be made but are reluctant to give up their living quarters and the scrubs aren't trained to do most of the Upper jobs even if they wanted to. Basically it's all a mess and everyone is looking to Trella to fix it. All Trella really wants is to go back to her old life, she never wanted to be in the spotlight and she never wanted to be a leader but she's starting to realise that she doesn't have a choice in the matter. She set things in motion and now it's up to her to find a solution. As if the internal politics wasn't enough for her to deal with Trella makes a startling discovery - there are people on the Outside. People who want in and who may not have the best intentions. Can Trella unite the Insiders and help them work together to keep their world safe?

Trella has a lot of growing up to do in this book, she is young and doesn't want the responsibility of being in charge of the Inside which was completely understandable but things are falling apart without her input and people are looking to her for guidance. There were times when I felt a little frustrated with her because she kept trying to walk away from it all but she does pull herself together when it counts and once she sets her mind to something she gives it her all. I have to admit I missed seeing her and Riley together, he is around and taking part in what's going on here but they don't get to spend as much time together as they did before and I missed the interactions between them. We do get to see some of the other characters shine though, each of the members of the Force of Sheep has a role to play and there were some really surprising twists and turns along the way.

Outside In was a really fast paced story and I quickly devoured it. Maria V. Snyder did a great job of answering the questions we were left with at the end of the first book and I think she wrapped up the duology really nicely. Having said that I would still happily read more books set in this world if she ever decides to revisit it in the future.

Source: Received from Mira Ink in exchange for an honest review

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Review: Changing His Game - Megan Erickson

He controls the game, but she’s rewriting all the rules . . .

Marley Lake is no stranger to awkwardness, but getting caught watching a dirty GIF by the company’s hot new IT guy exceeds even her standards. That is, until she realizes he's as turned on by it as she is. But with a big promotion on the line, she refuses to let her current dry spell be her downfall. Maybe.

Austin Rivers has no business lusting after the irresistible editor of Gamers Magazine. He's a secret partner in the business—and technically Marley’s boss. One look at that GIF, though, and he’s ready to install a whole lot more than just software…as long as she never finds out who he really is.

But reality’s not as virtual as it seems, and when Austin’s identity jeopardizes Marley’s promotion, he has to change his game or risk losing the only woman with the cheat code to his heart.

Gamers Series:
Changing His Game
Playing for Her Heart
Tied to Trouble

Visit Megan Erickson's website for more information.

Review:
Marley loves her job working as an editor for Gamers Magazine but she's had to work hard to earn the respect of her mainly male colleagues. When she gets caught watching porn gifs on Tumblr by the hot new IT guy there is no denying the look of interest in his eyes but the last thing she should be thinking about is getting involved with someone she works with - especially when she's about to interview for the promotion of her dreams. Austin knows he shouldn't make a move on Marley, especially since he's not really a member of the IT department and is in fact one of the owners of the magazine and technically her boss, but there is no way he can resist acting on the attraction he feels for her. Austin is sure he can get her out of his system by fulfilling one of their mutual fantasies but the more time he spends with Marley the more he realises he wants her to be a permanent part of his life. That might not be possible if Marley discovers the truth about his identity though and now he's desperate to figure out a way to fix things before his secret is discovered.

I'm a sucker for Brazen romances, they're always super hot and fun to read and I can't get enough of them. Megan Erickson is a new author for me but as soon as I read the blurb for Changing His Game I knew I wanted to get my hands on a copy - a nerdy hero and a gamer girl? Sign me up! I'm so glad I had the chance to read this early because it was even better than I expected. Austin is that perfect kind of hero, he's definitely a geek and a bit of a loner but he's also really sweet, very dominant and a great dirty talker. He knows exactly how to take control and how to make a girl week at the knees and he is the perfect guy for Marley who is desperate to let someone else take charge in the bedroom since she spends so much of her time being the one in control at work. These two have fantastic chemistry and oh boy the sex scenes are HOT as hell - I'm talking melt your kindle hot!

I don't really want to say too much about the story but the fact that it starts with them both looking at porn on the internet, escalates to more than a little hot and heavy action in surprising public places and ends with them cosplaying at Comic-Con I think it's obvious you're in for a real treat. I can't find any details on the rest of the series yet but I'm desperately keeping my fingers crossed that Austin's best friend Grant and Marley's brother Chad are both going to get their own books. No matter what any future books in this series are going straight to the top of my wish list and in the meantime I'll be checking out some of Megan Erickson's other books.

Source: Received from publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

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Review: Bayou Moon - Ilona Andrews

The Edge lies between worlds, on the border between the Broken, where people shop at Wal-Mart and magic is a fairy tale - and the Weird, where blueblood aristocrats rule, changelings roam, and the strength of your magic can change your destiny . . .

Cerise Mar and her unruly clan are cash poor but land rich, claiming a large swath of the Mire, the Edge swamplands between the state of Louisiana and the Weird. When her parents vanish, her clan's long-time rivals are suspect number one.

But all is not as it seems. Two nations of the Weird are waging a cold war fought by feint and espionage, and their conflict is about to spill over into the Edge - and Cerise's life. William, a changeling soldier who'd left behind the politics of the Weird, has been forced back into service to track down a rival nation's spymaster.

When William's and Cerise's missions lead them to cross paths, sparks fly - but they'll have to work together if they want to succeed . . . and survive.

The Edge Series:
On the Edge
Bayou Moon
Fate's Edge
Steel's Edge

Inkeeper Chronicles:
(These two series are set in the same world and characters from The Edge make an appearance in the Innkeeper Chronicles)
Clean Sweep
Sweep in Peace
One Fell Sweep
Innkeeper Chronicles Volume 1 (Signed, Limited Edition, Illustrated Hardback containing books 1-3)
Sweep of the Blade

Visit Ilona Andrews' website for more information

Review:
I'm a total Kate Daniels fan girl but for some reason it's taken me a long time to get around to reading Ilona & Gordon Andrews' Edge series. I have no excuses for why that is and the only reason I'm glad I waited is that the entire series is already in my hands just waiting for me to finish devouring it. I expect this review is going to turn into gushing fan girl praise of this couple and their writing, they always create such brilliant and interesting worlds and they populate them with the best characters too. They excel at writing strong female heroines who are capable of kicking arse and standing on their own two feet, and I don't think I've come across one of their heroes who hasn't made me swoon.

We were introduced to William in On the Edge so I was already half in love with his character, he's just such a sweet guy and learning about his upbringing was heartbreaking. He's never had a family of his own or much of a childhood even and it wasn't until he met Rose and her brothers that he realised what he had been missing. William dreams of having a family but he doesn't feel it is something he deserves or that he'll ever be able to have so he tries to put a brave face on things and lock that dream away. William meets Cerise when he is sent on a mission for the Mirror, he is on the hunt for an old enemy and determined to make him pay for the crimes he has committed but it looks like Cerise and her family may hold the key to finding him.

Cerise and her family are just trying to survive, we've already seen how difficult life is in the Edge but for the Mars it is worse than normal. They come from an old Edge family and have a large amount of land but they have a lot of mouths to feed and very little in the way of income. Cerise has taken on the burden of trying to look after her family since her parents disappeared but it isn't easy and things are made even harder by an ongoing feud they have with another local family. Cerise is struggling to keep their heads above water but she's determined and there is no way she's going to give up without a fight so her enemies better watch out.

I loved the romance between Cerise and William, this series is far more focused on the action and the world building than the romance which is something I love about it but I still enjoyed the slow burn between them and the way they gradually come to trust in each other. Both have reasons to be wary but their temporary alliance soon becomes something much more important. I can't believe I haven't even mentioned Cerise's family yet! Another thing the Andrews' excel at is creating eccentric family members and really strong family dynamics. We are introduced to some great secondary characters here and I wanted to spend more time with all of them which just shows how much fun they are.

Bayou Moon is full of action, we get to learn a lot more about the world than we did in the first book and we find out more about the Weird politics and how that effects the Edgers. I was hoping that Rose and Declan would make more of an appearance in this story but we do get to catch up with them towards the end and it was nice to see how they, along with Jack and George, are getting on. This series is fast becoming another favourite of mine and I can't wait to see what happens in Kaldar's story.

Source: Purchased

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Review: The Deepest Poison - Beth Cato

Octavia Leander, a young healer with incredible powers, has found her place among Miss Percival's medicians-in-training. Called to the frontlines of a never-ending war between Caskentia and the immoral Wasters, the two women must uncover the source of a devastating illness that is killing thousands of soldiers. But when Octavia's natural talents far outshine her teacher's, jealousy threatens to destroy their relationship—as time runs out to save the encampment.

Fans of Beth Cato's debut, The Clockwork Dagger, will love this journey into Octavia's past—as well as an exclusive excerpt from the sequel, The Clockwork Crown!

Clockwork Dagger Duology:
The Deepest Poison (Short Story)
The Clockwork Dagger
The Clockwork Crown

Visit Beth Cato's website for more information

Review:
The Deepest Poison is a short story set before beginning of The Clockwork Dagger. Technically it's a prequel so it can be read before either of the full length novels (which is what I did) but I do think you'll probably enjoy it more if you read it after the first book. The story is very short, less than 50 pages, and for me I didn't feel the author had enough time to introduce a whole new world and new characters in a way that made me feel invested in them.

There isn't really too much I can say about The Deepest Poison because not a great deal happens and I didn't really understand where it fits into the series as a whole. The story is set in an army camp and a mysterious illness is killing thousands of soldiers. Two healers, Octavia and Miss Percival, are trying to uncover what is causing the sickness and searching for a cure but there seems to be a rift forming between them as the younger woman's healing abilities start to far outreach those of her mentor. I believe that Octavia is the main character in the next two books and I'll be interested to see things from her point of view rather than Miss Percival's.

Although I found myself a bit lost when reading The Deepest Poison it was definitely enough to intrigue me and make me want to read The Clockwork Dagger though so it's achieved it's goal there and I may even come back and reread this after I've read the next book to see if it makes more sense to me. Personally, although this is technically a prequel, I wouldn't recommend starting the series here but I'll come back and update this review if my opinion changes after reading the next story.

Source: Received from the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review

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Review: Valentine - Samantha Young

Joss & Braden. Ellie & Adam. Jo & Cam. Olivia & Nate. Hannah & Marco. Shanon & Cole. And one Valentine’s Day they’ll never forget.

It’s Valentine’s Day! How do Joss & Braden, Ellie & Adam, Jo & Cam, Olivia & Nate, Hannah & Marco and Shannon & Cole keep the fire burning in their relationships while trying to juggle busy careers and the joyful chaos of parenthood? Find out in VALENTINE, six sexy and emotional short stories, one for each couple in the On Dublin Street series so far, making up a short novella about one very special day.

VALENTINE: An On Dublin Street Novella is a special gift to fans of the series in thanks for supporting HERO, her first standalone contemporary romance.

On Dublin Street Series:
On Dublin Street
Until Fountain Bridge (Novella)
Down London Road
Castle Hill (Novella)
Before Jamaica Lane
Fall from India Place
Echoes of Scotland Street
Valentine (Novella)
Moonlight on Nightingale Way
One King's Way (Novella)
Stars Over Castle Hill (Novella)

Visit Samantha Young's website or the On Dublin Street website for more information

Review:
I'm a huge fan of Samantha Young's On Dublin Street series and I absolutely love it when author's revisit favourite couples and give us a glimpse of how they're getting on after we've read about their HEA. I especially love it when authors give their fans these little snippets for free as a thank you for supporting their work and that's exactly what Samantha Young has done with Valentine.

This novella contains 6 short stories, one about each of the previous couples in the series and shows them celebrating valentine's day together. Some of them are home babysitting, others are getting a rare night away from the kids and normal day to day responsibilities while the younger couples are just wanting to do something special with the ones they love. Some of the couples are stronger than ever where others are going through a rough patch and need to reconnect. Each of these stories offers something different, some are super romantic, others tug at your heart strings but they all include a little spice and they're all very realistic for the couple they feature.

This is a fab little collection and I thoroughly enjoyed catching up with everyone and seeing how they're getting on. Of course we all have our favourite couples and I'm sure you'll love some stories more than others but they're all great little slices of life and this is well worth a read if you're a fan of the series.

Source: Free read from the author (downloaded from Amazon)

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Review: Reckoning - S.J. Harper

Join Agents Emma Monroe and Zack Armstrong.
She’s sacrificed. He’s suffered. They’ve both been betrayed.
Now it’s time for a reckoning.

Special Agent Emma Monroe has a secret. She’s a Fallen Siren, cursed by the gods and banished to Earth for her failure to prevent the kidnapping of Persephone. As an FBI agent she saves the lives of others believing redemption could be one rescue away.

Her partner Zack is a werewolf and former Black Ops sniper who once carried out a string of questionable assignments. Now he’s determined to atone for his past. Ironically, there’s a portion of his past Zack doesn’t remember—an affair with Emma. Giving into their attraction for one another almost led to their undoing. Now it’s back to business as usual.

While trying to unravel the mystery behind a series of kidnappings in Southern California, Emma and Zack become entangled with political tensions in the vampire and Were worlds. Not to mention the struggles they face in their relationship with one another. With so much uncertainty, they come to realize the only thing they can really count on is one another…or can they?

Fallen Siren Series:
Captured (Novella)
Cursed
Reckoning
Forsaken (Novella)

Visit S.J. Harper's website for more information

Review:
Emma is a siren who was cursed thousands of years ago by the goddess Demeter for not preventing Hades from kidnapping her daughter Persephone. Emma and her sisters have spent their whole lives trying to atone for their mistake in the hope that they will achieve redemption and be allowed to return to their home. As part of their punishment they are forbidden from falling in love, if they do their partner will suffer Demeter's wrath. Emma is working as an FBI agent and has a strong bond with her werewolf partner Zack but to protect him and save his life she had to wipe his memory of the intimate part of their relationship. It's the worst kind of torture for Emma, she gets to spend her days with the man she loves knowing that they can never have any kind of personal relationship. Zack may not remember the time they spent together but that doesn't mean he has lost his feelings for her and he doesn't understand what has Emma running so scared when he knows she is attracted to him.

This series is going to break my heart, I can't even tell you how much I love Zack and want him and Emma to find a way to be together but everything is against them and has been from the very beginning. The opening few pages of this book almost had me jumping for joy but even though I knew deep down that things couldn't possibly be what I thought they were I still found myself incredibly disappointed when I realised that Emma has started a relationship with someone else. The only reason she is with the vampire Kallistos is because she knows there is no chance she will fall in love with him and that's a pretty sad kind of relationship if you ask me. She is with him because she wants a connection with someone but he will never be that equal partner she has in Zack. I hate to say it but I'm really not a fan of Kallistos, I wouldn't trust him as far as I could throw him and I don't think he has Emma's best interests at heart. Unlike Zack I can't imagine Kallistos risking anything to protect her unless he has something else to get out of it. Kallistos lies to her, he treats her like his property and I don't think he has any respect for her.

Seeing Emma with Kallistos was enough to drive me crazy, it was just so obvious that they're wrong for each other and I really wanted to climb into the book and shake some sense into her. I can understand why she is afraid to be with Zack and she's doing it to protect him but that's no reason to be with someone else. I know she's a siren but women can be single and happy for crying out loud! We do get a bit of light at the end of the tunnel as far as Emma and Zack goes later on in the book but they aren't out of the woods yet and it's quite obvious that Demeter has a few more tricks up her sleeves when it comes to the two of them. I really do want to see them work things out though because they're obviously meant to be together.

I know I've spent a lot of time talking about the romance but that isn't all that this series is about and just like with the previous stories there is plenty of action and mystery going on as Emma and Zack investigate another missing persons case. This time they are looking into the disappearance of three teenage girls, girls from poor families that have received no ransom demands. Emma is determined to find them and bring them home but as they dig deeper they find more questions than answers. Can they find the girls in time or have they already lost their lives?

This series is going from strength to strength and I really hope we don't have to wait too much longer for the next instalment!

Source: Received from publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

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Review: Froi of the Exiles - Melina Marchetta

Blood sings to blood . . .
Those born last will make the first . . .
For Charyn will be barren no more.

The curse on Lumatere has been broken, and Froi, wild as he is, has finally found somewhere he feels he belongs: bythe side of Finnikin and the queen. However, he must channel his savage side when he is sent on a mission to a rival kingdom. With a frenzied princess roaming the palace, and danger lurking in every corner, Froi needs to discover the truth before it's too late.

Lumatere Chronicles:
Finnikin of the Rock
Froi of the Exiles
Ferragost (Novella)
Quintana of Charyn
Lady Celie (Novella) (2015)

Visit Melina Marchetta's website for more information

Review:
I absolutely loved Finnikin of the Rock when I read it last year but I have to admit I was nervous when I realised that Froi was the main character of the sequel. After one particular scene with him in the first book I was absolutely convinced that I would never be able to like his character and had nearly made up my mind not to continue with the series but then by the time I finished reading Finnikin Melina Marchetta had already gone some way towards showing a nicer side to Froi so I decided to give it a chance. I'm glad I did because this series really is fantastic, it's dark and some of the characters go through some pretty horrific things but I'm totally invested in what happens to them and desperate to see how the series finishes.

If you read the first book (and I really don't recommend continuing with this review if you haven't!) then you'll know exactly what scene with Froi I'm talking about and I'm sure I'm not the only one who was horrified by his actions. I still haven't forgiven him for what he tried to do to Isaboe and to be honest I don't think I ever will but I still ended up growing to really care about his characters and that just proves what a fantastic writer Melina Marchetta is. Froi is a messed up guy, he had a terrible upbringing and saw a lot of horrific things when he was living on the streets. I'm not trying to excuse his actions, there really is NO excuse for what he did, but it does make his thought processes easier to understand. His whole life has been about pain and he learned at a very young age that if you're not the one dishing it out then you're the one who is being made to suffer. Like I said that's no excuse but Froi never once tried to excuse his actions. It is obvious that he regrets what he did and he tries every single day to make up for it but he doesn't ask for, or expect, forgiveness. I couldn't have come to like him if I didn't feel like he regretted his actions and was trying to atone for his past mistakes and he totally won me around.

Froi of the Exiles is a huge book (just over 700 pages) but it's one I absolutely devoured and didn't want to put down for a minute. It's set three years after the first book and although this is mainly Froi's story we also get to catch up with all our favourite characters and see how they're getting on now. There have been big improvements for some of them and life in Lumatere is finally starting to settle down now that all of the refugees have been able to return home but there is still a lot of resentment and confusion between those who were left behind and those who were on the outside. Finnikin and Isaboe are trying to bring their people back together but it isn't easy and everyone is desperate for revenge against the king of Charyn, the person who cursed them in the first place. When they have the opportunity to get close to the king Froi is sent undercover but what he discovers when he reaches Charyn is completely unexpected. In fact, the people there are suffering just as much as the people of Lumatere have and Froi has some very difficult decisions to make, especially when it comes to Charyn's princes Quintana.

I absolutely loved Quintana, she is completely crazy but utterly brilliant and she's one of the most complex characters I've come across in a long time. I don't really want to tell you much about her because it's much better for you to discover her for yourself but she has been put in such an impossible situation that she's pretty much split her mind in two to protect herself. She definitely has multiple personalities and it was completely heartbreaking to see how much she has suffered for her people. She's so funny though, at one moment she'll be completely innocent and naive but the next she's like a wild cat spitting and fighting to defend herself. I loved how Froi was able to see through her sharp edges and understand how vulnerable she was and seeing the two of them together was adorable.

I honestly don't have the words for how much I loved this book. Melina Marchetta turned me into an emotional wreck, she ripped my heart into shreds and then set fire to the remains one minute but then had me laughing out loud the next. This is a book of heartbreaking tragedies and incredible injustices but also of characters with huge amounts of inner strength and hearts of gold. There are epic love stories and wonderful friendships as well as deep betrayals and surprising family connections. The plot is so complex that it's impossible to guess what will happen next and there were times when I was so shocked I nearly fell out of my chair. I will warn you now that it ends on a killer cliffhanger - seriously if you thought the ending of Finnikin of the Rock was bad you've not seen anything yet! - so you're going to want to get your hands on a copy of Quintana of Charyn ready for as soon as you finish this book. I have so much love for this series and I really do think it's one that everyone should read. It may be set in a fantasy setting but there are so many things about it that make it feel relevant to today, the characters are incredibly easy to relate to and I don't think many people would be able to read these books without getting some kind of strong emotional reaction to what happens.

Source: Received from Walker in exchange for an honest review

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