Wednesday's What I've Read - Exiled by M.R. Merrick

Title: Exiled (The Protector #1)
Author:  M.R. Merrick (Goodreads Author)
Pub Date:  June 28, 2011
Publisher: M.R. Merrick
Genre: Paranormal/Fantasy
Format: eBook (265 Pages)
Source: Purchased from Amazon


Chase Williams is a demon hunter in the Circle, or at least he was supposed to be. On his fifteenth birthday, Chase stepped up to the altar to claim his elemental power, but it never came. Elemental magic is passed down to a hunter through the bloodline, but on Chase's birthday, the bloodline stopped.

Exiled without the Circle's protection, Chase has spent two years trying to survive a world riddled with half-demons and magic. When he has a run in with a frightened and seemingly innocent demon, he learns the Circle's agenda has changed: the Circle plans to unlock a portal and unleash pure-blood demons into the world. Vowing to stop them, and knowing he can't do it alone, Chase forms a reluctant alliance with Rayna — a sexy witch with an attitude and a secret.

In their attempt to stop them, Chase and Rayna find themselves in the middle of the Circle's plan, leaving one of them to decide what their friendship is worth, and the other's life depending on it.

(Description from Goodreads.com)

My Thoughts:

5 out of 5 paws

This is a hard book to review, not because I didn't like it, far from it. It is hard to review because I am concerned about giving too much away without simply just rewriting the synopsis.

This book captured my attention quickly, and kept it. The characters are well developed, the story line rarely lags, and I truly enjoyed the author's writing style.

There is a little something for just about everyone in this book. You have mystery, adventure, a little history (albeit for a fictitious world), and even maybe a little hint of a romance. The story ends nicely setting up for book 2, Shift, which I will be reading soon.

I would definitely recommend getting to know Chase Williams, so read the book.

Netgalley Review: I Love My Slow Cooker

Title:  I Love My Slow Cooker: More Than 100 of the Best-Ever Recipes - Delicious *Nourishing* Easy to Make
Author: Beverly Leblanc
Pub Date:  October 2, 2012
Publisher: Duncan BAird
Genre:  Cookbook
Format: eBook
Source: I received this book courtesy of NetGalley and the author in exchange for an honest review.

Life is stressful enough without spending hours in the kitchen. Give yourself a well-deserved break and put your slow cooker to work "I Love My Slow Cooker" features more than 100 recipes for hearty soups and starters, tender meat, delicious poultry and fish courses, inspiring vegetarian dishes, and divine desserts. Whether you want to make New England Pot Roast, French Roast Lemon & Thyme Chicken, Cajun Dirty Rice, or an indulgent Almond Creme Caramel, just prepare the ingredients and let this heaven-sent machine do the cooking (Description from Goodreads.com)

My Thoughts:

5 out of 5 paws

My only complaint about this cookbook is the editing. The recipes are easy to follow, and delicious. There are several I have marked as "to try" still, because I couldn't do them all before I published this review!

My favorite recipe that I tried was the Bolognese Sauce. I don't eat pasta, but this was fantastic over zucchini "spaghetti", and it made enough for me to freeze since it is just the two of us.

The recipes are not your same old tired stew, there are tons of different recipes to suit many different pallets! I would definitely recommend this to my friends.

Wednesday's What I've Read - Down to You by M. Leighton

Review of Down To You by M. Leighton

Down to You by M. Leighton
(Goodreads Author)

Genre: Adult Contemporary Romance- Please be advised that this book is NOT YA friendly, not even in a New Adult category!

The scorching tale of one girl, two brothers and a love triangle…that’s not.

Olivia Townsend is nothing special. She’s just a girl working her way through college so she can return home to help her father run his business. She’s determined not to be the second woman in his life to abandon him, even if it means putting her own life on hold. To Olivia, it’s clear what she must do. Plain and simple. Black and white.

But clear becomes complicated when she meets Cash and Nash Davenport. They’re brothers. Twins.
Cash is everything she’s always wanted in a guy. He’s a dangerous, sexy bad boy who wants her in his bed at any cost. He turns her insides to mush and, with just one kiss, makes her forget why he’s no good for her.

Nash is everything she’s ever needed in a guy. He’s successful, responsible and intensely passionate. But he’s taken. Very taken, by none other than Marissa, Liv’s rich, beautiful cousin. That doesn’t stop Olivia from melting every time he looks at her, though. With just one touch, he makes her forget why they can never be together.

Black and white turns to shades of gray when Olivia discovers the boys are hiding something, something that should make her run as far and as fast as she can. But it’s too late to run. Olivia’s already involved. And in love. With both of them.

Both brothers make her heart tremble. Both brothers set her body on fire.

She wants them both.

And they want her.

How will she ever choose between them? (Description from Goodreads.com)

My Thoughts:

5 out of 5 paws

This book is insanely hot! The characters are well written, the story line is one that you just do not see coming, and she ends the story to where you think everything is all wrapped up nicely...then comes the page that says Epilogue. So now I'm waiting for the sequel <sigh>

It is a romance with a mysterious twist. I really cannot say much more about the book without giving too much away, so I will just leave you with READ IT!

Wednesday's What I've Read - Ceaseless by Abbi Glines

Review of Ceaseless by Abbi Glines

Ceaseless (Existence Trilogy #3) by Abbi Glines (Goodreads Author)

Can he make her fall in love with him… again?

When Pagan Moore proved worthy of Death’s devotion, he was given the gift of getting to keep her.

But Dank was never promised that Pagan would keep him.

When a soul is created, so is its mate. In every lifetime those souls find each other. They complete the other’s destiny. It’s time for Pagan’s soul to choose if she truly wants an eternity at Death’s side or if she wants the mate created just for her.

Dank didn’t think he had to worry about her choice. He knew where her heart belonged. Until he realized that every kiss, every touch, every moment of their time together would be washed from her memories. He would have to win her heart all over again and prove to her soul that he was where she belonged. (Description from Goodreads.com)

My Thoughts

5 out of 5 paws

Spoiler Alert - if you have not read Existence or Predestined you will read information found in those books here.

Ceaseless is the third and final book in the Existence Trilogy; it is, IMHO, the best of the series!

What further tests and trials can be expected for Pagan and Dank? I mean she has already gotten through the trials of having the rules broken by Death (that choose to die or Dank goes to Hell event), been put in a mental ward, lost one of her best friends and claimed by a Voo Doo Prince as his eternal mate. You would think that this would be enough to prove that Pagan and Dank belong together. So, you would think that this is the story about beginning their happy ever after, right? Well, Fate is tapping you on the shoulder and saying "Where would the fun be in that?"

Now we have to find out if Pagan's love for Dank is greater than the ties that bind us to our soulmate. Since Dank isn't made for a mate and he doesn't have a soul, can he do it is the big question.

I was thrilled to see one of my favorite characters back, Gee! I absolutely love her, and love the part she plays in this twisted story.

There is a cool bonus link at the end of the book that takes you to some of Dank's music - which made me do the happy dance!!!

Also if you haven't read Leif (2.5 of the Existence trilogy), read it before you get to book 3. It is a few events from Leif's point of view.

This series has put Abbi on my list of favorite authors - a list that is growing these days with all of the talent that is out there. I would also like to point out that Abbi managed to make Death hot, for which I thank her! <3

Today In the World of Grey Wolves

Here is what is happening today in the world of Grey Wolves:

Community:

BTV ARC Review, Interview with QL & a Giveaway!!!   Book Dream Land

Also - BTV has been released, it is available on Barnes & Noble's site and hopefully soon it will be available on Amazon as well. The last update I received was that QL has uploaded the file a second time in hopes to resolve the issue Amazon is having.

Thank you to all of the GWS fans (@shelleycarman, @kaytiebugg & @camelott77) who contacted Amazon to ask them "WTH?!?" Much love and appreciation for doing that!

Also want to say Congratulations to QL for all the new things going on in her world this week!! 

Wednesday's What I've Read - Significance by Shelly Crane

Review of Significance by Shelly Crane

I'm wanting to expand some so that I have more to write about than just my beloved GWS. Wednesdays, being the middle of the week, seem like a good time to do so.

So I'm going to try and review some of the books I've been reading

Significance (Significance #1)
by Shelly Crane (Goodreads Author)

Maggie is a seventeen year old girl who's had a bad year. She was smart and on track but then her mom left, her dad is depressed, she's graduating, barely, and her boyfriend of almost three years dumped her for a college football scholarship. Lately she thinks life is all about hanging on by a thread and is gripping tight with everything she has.

Then she meets Caleb. She saves his life and instantly knows there's something about him that's intriguing but she is supposed to be on her way to a date with his cousin. But things change when they touch, sparks ignite. Literally.

They imprint with each other and she sees their future life together flash before her eyes. She learns that not only is she his soul mate, and can feel his heartbeat in her chest, but there is a whole other world of people with gifts and abilities that she never knew existed. She herself is experiencing supernatural changes unlike anything she's ever felt before and she needs the touch of his skin to survive.

Now, not only has her dad come out of his depression to be a father again, and a pain as well, but Caleb's enemies know he's imprinted and are after Maggie to stop them both from gaining their abilities and take her from him.

Can Caleb save her or will they be forced to live without each other after just finding one another? (description from Goodreads)

My thoughts:

5 out of 5 Paws

This is the first book by Shelly Crane I have read, but it will not be the last. I absolutely love the characters! There are people you fall in love with, and people you love to hate. Caleb isn't human, but he isn't something we've heard of before. Shelly has created an entire race of beings that are unique to our world, yet similar enough to some of our traditional fantasies that they seem like a distant memory of a fairy tell heard long ago.

Imagine walking around minding your own business, only to have your entire life turned upside down and inside out in a matter of seconds! Everything you know about the world around you is now different; as your reality melts away and a new one is created around you.

That is when the story starts and it just builds from there. When you read this, be sure to have book 2, Accordance ready to go, because you will want to move directly into it.

Today In the World of Grey Wolves

Here is what is happening today in the world of Grey Wolves:

Community:

Check out this book review on Blood Rites!

Sated Faery

NONGWS - Review of Meant to Be

Book Review:

Meant to Be by Tiffany King

Ok, so I’ve never actually written a true review on a book before – I mean something other than I really liked it and would recommend this book so be patient with me as I try to figure this process out.

In-between reading QL’s books, I am reading other books – there are some really talented writers out there in the indie world writing some crazy good books. I just haven’t known about them until I started getting more involved with the right people. 

The book I just finished reading is ‘Meant to Be’ by Tiffany King. I was already a fan of Tiffany’s blog Book Love, even though I had not read any of her books.

Over the years I’ve been a huge vampire fan. Read the books, watch the movies, cheer for Team Edward, etc. Then I was introduced to Nicky Charles’ Law of the Lycan series and Quinn Loftis’ The Grey Wolves series and became a serious fan of werewolves. Now, I’m also a fan of celestial beings.

You figure out pretty fast that the main character, Krista, isn’t just your average teenage girl getting ready to graduate from high school. She has quite a bit going on in her life, and though it appears to get a little more complicated with beginning a new school, and meeting Sam, Mark, and Shawn; it is actually then when her life really starts to fall into place.

There is a bit of a mystery around this group of friends. Among the normally day-to-day of being a teenager, the group needs to figure out why they are so connected, why they are drawn to the same area, and a number of other questions that keep coming up. I like the fact that not all of the answers are neatly handed to you in this first book; you are left with a few questions and hope to find the answers in the next book, ‘Forgotten Souls’.

Although this book was probably written with the YA reader in mind, it is suited for anyone who is young at heart. It is a fun read, and definitely one I would recommend!