Carries Book Reviews

A Desolate Hour by Mae Clair
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Quentin Marsh was a musician until an accident crushed his hand to where he will never be able to play the same way again. Now working in the family business with his twin sister Quentin finds himself heading to Point Pleasant, West Virginia on the request of his sister to find out more about their family line. Quentin’s sister has just found out she’s pregnant with twins and a psychic has warned her that the twins in her family line have all been cursed and after Quentin’s accident they both can’t just ignore the warning.

Sarah Sherman is the local historian in Point Pleasant so when Quentin arrives he finds himself directed to Sarah to find out more about his family history. While most people would find the talk of family curses a bit strange and think Quentin was just a little on the crazy side Sarah is familiar with the history of Point Pleasant where the town has endured it’s own share of disasters over the years along with the legend of the Mothman, the winged creature said to haunt the woods.

A Desolate Hour is the third book in the Point Pleasant series by Mae Clair. While the series follows more along the lines of what you would find in the romance genre with changing the main characters in each read along with the plot focusing on new things I would still highly suggest reading the entire series in order. Each of the books builds upon the story that came before it and also the previous characters and events still play a huge part so I would think one would be a bit lost not knowing what had come in the previous books.

I absolutely love the story involved in the Point Pleasant series myself. It would be hard to categorize this series as it has so many elements added into each book with always including a bit of romance, a bit of mystery to solve mixed in with the supernatural wonders that surround this town and it’s residents. The story revolves around a real life event that took place in the town but has added it’s own dark twists and turns all along and becomes more and more intense as each read takes place. Definitely one that I’d recommend reading as with each story I’m never quite sure what to expect in Point Pleasant.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

Joy Ride
Cynthia Rayne
Publication date: June 15th 2017
Genres: New Adult, Romance

IAN

As an English professor at an Ivy League university, I’m at the top of my profession, but something’s missing. I gave up my artistic dreams to pursue an academic career. And I’m still haunted by the scars of my past.

I enjoy breaking the rules and doing what I damn well please. And a dangerous infatuation’s blooming—Darcy’s intelligent, innocent, and virginal. I long to be her first, to teach her every wicked thing I know.

There’s just one problem—she’s my student, the ultimate forbidden fruit.

DARCY

I lead a well-ordered life with to-do lists and schedules. I always do the safe thing, make the right choices. I’ve made all my plans—got accepted into a master’s degree program, and I even have a graduate assistantship lined up.

Although, I long to be an author, like my father, but it’s not a stable career. Yet, I can’t stop thinking about seeing my name on a book cover.

To make matters worse, I keep my thinking about my sexy professor—he’s got a British accent, an attitude, and a bad boy streak. I hang on his every word. When we get close, all my barriers and rules break down. He’s encouraging me to throw caution to the wind and chase my dream.

Can I let go? Have the life I want and the man I long for?

Goodreads / Amazon

—

EXCERPT:

Darcy cleared her throat. “Tonight was fun. I’ll see you in class tomorrow.”

“Yes, I had a good time too. I hope you get some rest.”

“You too, Ian.” She’d said her parting line, but neither one of us moved, like we were drawn together.

Darcy was so close—within arm’s reach. Before I knew it, I leaned down to steal a kiss. At the very last moment, I changed course and pressed my mouth to her cheek instead.

Thank God.

She gasped.

Dammit. I’d come so close to crossing that infernal line. When I stood upright, Darcy had a fingertip pressed her to lips, mouth parted as though inviting more intimate contact. Or my imagination was in overdrive.

“Um, good night.” She took a step back.

“Good night.”

Technically, a kiss on the cheek was innocent. Even if my intentions weren’t. Yet I’d breached protocol all the same.

Professors didn’t kiss their students. Period.

Author Bio:

Cynthia Rayne is a USA TODAY bestselling author of the Lone Star Mobster Series, Let it Ride Series, and the Four Horsemen MC Series. While Cynthia was born and raised a damn Yankee in Ohio, her parents hail from Dixie, and she grew up on homemade buttermilk biscuits and southern wisdom. In her spare time, she enjoys shopping, reading way too many romance novels, and drinking a truly obscene amount of coffee.

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Burning September by Melissa Simonson
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Kat and Caroline lost their parents early on in life and with Caroline being the older sister she is pretty much the only mother Kat has ever known. Kat knows her sister gave up a lot taking custody of her when Caroline was only eighteen herself so she’s always worked hard to make something of herself to make Caroline proud.

One day though the police show up at the sisters doorstep looking to arrest Caroline for setting fire to an ex-boyfriend’s house which he happened to be still inside. With only a witness that had claimed to see someone of Caroline’s description and thinking that she had been around all day that day Kat becomes Caroline’s alibi and needs to team up with her lawyer to help with the case.

Burning September is one of those reads that had some things I really liked about the book but some others I didn’t quite enjoy leaving me to rate this one at 3.5 stars. For the likes with this one I enjoyed the question being asked just how far would you go for family or someone you love? Kat seemed to be unsure of her sister’s guilt or innocence herself so it was compelling to see what she would do during the book. Plus I found that Caroline was one of those characters that as the secrets come out in the story just became someone you could sort of love to hate with every twist and turn of her story.

On the other hand however with this book I wasn’t a huge fan of the romantic element being involved. It just seemed to me to be one of those quite far fetched ideas of anything coming about between characters and really could have lived with the story just being focused on the sisters and the case being brought against Caroline. For me the family secrets and the mystery of wondering if Caroline had done the crime and whether she’d be convicted kept my interest a lot more than the romance side.

I received a free copy of this book from the author.

Feral
Laxmi Hariharan
(Many Lives, #1)
Publication date: May 29th 2016
Genres: Adult, Paranormal Romance, Romance, Urban Fantasy

When your destiny stares right at you and you don’t see it…

MAYA

He’s all I ever wanted

but, can I let myself love him?

LUKE

I love her so I let her go

Will she come back to me?

Something about lethal, predatory, shifter Luke calls out me. He’s my fated mate.

It tears me apart, but I must walk away from him to find my blood family.

What I hadn’t counted on was uncovering secrets about my past.

Revelations that change my life forever.

I now face the ultimate test to become Alpha.

If I lose, the future of my pack is at stake.

Can I overcome the challenge, while winning back the only man I want to be with?

A standalone paranormal romance sizzling with love, lust, betrayal and shifters. This is book 1 of 2 in the main Many Lives Series. This duet is complete with Feral and Taken.

Goodreads / Amazon

Grab yours today for only 99¢ (or free in KU)!

—

EXCERPT:

It’s not often that Alpha challenges take place. And this—where I fight a fellow pack mate for the right to be Alpha—is unusual. It’s never happened before in the history of our pack.

Then all thoughts go out of my head as Gabriel beats his chest. Head thrown back, he howls out a challenge. It echoes around the courtyard and then further out into the forest.

Silence.

Then a howl from beyond the complex, then another. It’s the feral shifters.

Lowering his gaze back at me, Gabriel yells across the space, “Hear that, girl, even the wild shifters out there acknowledge me as their leader. You are nothing in comparison.”

I don’t react, don’t even move a muscle. Don’t breathe. Closing my eyes, I focus inwards, reaching out through the bond for Luke. Zoom in on that gleaming silver-gray and amber strand that connects us.

Energy throbs down the mating bond. Pours through me. Filling me with a rush of adrenaline. A churning. A violent influx of hope so intense and powerful that my eyes fly open. I want to run toward him, jump him and kick his legs out from underneath him. But—

Wait! Luke’s voice rings through my head. Clear as a bell.

Wait!

I lock onto Gabriel’s gaze. And wait.

I don’t move.

Stay still.

Bide my time.

The buzz of disquiet from the pack members in the balconies above. The trees bowing their branches, rustling their leaves. The stray roar of a wild tiger in the forest. The faraway hum of vehicles on the road leading to the city…All of it fades. Leaving me in a bubble of silence.

I watch Gabriel tense. His muscles twitch with impatience. The sweat glistens on his face. Then, just as I begin to lose patience, reach the end of my vigil, he gives in.

With a roar of impatience, he rushes toward me.

I still wait, Luke’s strength grounding me, holding me when I would’ve leapt to meet him. In place until the last minute. Then, Go! A pulse rippling down the mating bond pushes me to step aside at the last second.

Gabriel’s body barrels past. So close the breeze in his wake ruffles my clothes. He crashes face down, and before he can recover, I’ve leaped on his back with enough force to hear the satisfying crunch of snapping bone.

A howl from him, and then I raise my hands, fingers clasped, aiming for his forehead. But I underestimate his speed. Gabriel’s a shifter, and his body blurs as he moves. He throws me off with such force that I fly through the air, landing halfway down the courtyard on my back. The breath knocked out of me, my head crashing against the hard ground. Before he can jump on me, I’m up. On my feet and moving aside as he rushes me. And misses.

Again.

This time, he turns fast, his movements almost too agile for his big body. And I don’t have a choice but to meet him face-to-face.

Damn!

Head-on, I don’t stand a chance. He’s bigger, more powerful. He’ll kill me.

Author Bio:

I am a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of Paranormal Romance & Urban Fantasy. Join my newsletter to get my starter library free: Copy paste this in your browser: http://smarturl.it/Laxmi

The Many Lives Universe

In a world full of shifters, vampires and immortals, the Many Lives Series is a fast paced paranormal romance series. Packed with sizzling romance and action scenes that will take your breath away, this series traces the love stories of one woman’s illegitimate descendants; all united by the power of her infamous sword.

Order of reading-

Main Series

Feral (Maya and Luke’s story)

Taken (Jai and Ariana’s story)

The Ascendants

Redemption (Mikhail and Leana’s story)

Broken (Kris & Tara’s story)

Prequel series

Awakened (Ruby and Vik’s story)

Origins (Ruby’s origin story)

Chosen (Vik’s origin story)

Join my newsletter to get my starter library free: Copy paste this in your browser: http://smarturl.it/Laxmi

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Rise
Sierra Cross
(Coven of Fire, #1)
Publication date: June 15th 2017
Genres: New Adult, Urban Fantasy

I closed the door on magic long ago…the day it made me an orphan.

Ten years ago, the Coven of Fire sacrificed their lives—my mother among them—to hold off an overwhelming demonic force. Now it’s back.

As a poorly-paid bartender, how can any of this be my problem? But Callie, another orphan of that battle, swears I’m the key to reviving the coven. And there’s an incredibly sexy guardian stranded on my couch who’s promising to help me stop the demons and keep the veil between the realms standing.

One problem: I’ve never been able to use magic. Our local bad boy warlock assures me I have the talent, but even if I did, we don’t have enough witches to complete a coven. The only way to survive is to pull together this pack of magicborn misfits, who have more secrets than spells, into a makeshift coven.

Can we—three untrained witches, a sarcastic warlock, and an overly intense guardian—take back the city…before the demongate falls and the forces that killed my mother destroy us too?

Goodreads / Amazon

—

EXCERPT:

Startled, I flailed backward. Losing my grip on all six bottles. With a sickening crash they toppled to the stone floor, exploding on impact. The crisp smell of alcohol punctured the dank air.

My heart was still thundering, but I saw no one. “Who’s there?” I demanded.

A figure came into view. Not like he stepped out of the shadows…more like he materialized in front of me. Tall. Powerfully built. With short brown hair and a lean angular face covered in bruises and bloody scrapes. I could have drawn that rugged face, and all its battle scars, from memory.

I forced myself to look into his dark, knowing eyes. The eyes that I’d once allowed to see into my deepest grief. “Matt?” My voice came out higher, younger than I expected. “I didn’t think you were ever coming back.”

“Alexandra…kid, we need to talk.” Matt’s gravelly voice—a voice I hadn’t heard since I was fourteen years old—was low and serious. “I’ve waited over a year for you to come down here. Don’t know how much longer I can hold this form. So listen and don’t interrupt.”

I’d almost forgotten how bossy Matt could be for a ghost. Well, ethereal being anyway. Despite his torn T-shirt and jeans, he had a palpable air of authority, like some kind of rogue commando. The impatient blaze in his eyes would be intimidating, if I didn’t know him. Actually, it still was. But as blown away as I was to see him again, my life had changed since the last time he’d paid me an astral visit. Since then, I’d learned that I had no business interacting with supernatural beings.

“I’m not a kid anymore, Matt,” I said, as firmly as I could. “And I’m not part of your world. Look…you helped me back then, I’ll always be grateful. But I think it would be best if you left now.”

“That’s because you don’t have all the information yet.” He folded his muscular arms, which looked so real and powerful I had to remind myself that they, like the rest of his strapping body, weren’t physically here in the room but in another realm entirely. “Once you’re up to speed on the magical dangers facing our city—”

“Thanks, but I have enough problems to deal with. You know, in the real world.” I couldn’t bring myself to tell Matt that I’d been officially declared magically deficient. Not when he’d always referred to me as “the next coven leader,” after my mother. Instead, I glanced at the shards at my feet and shook my head in despair. Randy was definitely going to make me pay for these broken vodka bottles. Just add it to my tab. “Sorry, but you need to leave me alone, so I can deal with this, okay?”

I started upstairs to get the broom…but didn’t make it past the third step before his form appeared again on the next highest step. Inches between us.

“You have no idea what your real problems are, Alexandra.”

I froze.

Walk right through him, I told myself. You’ve done it before. But Matt’s chiseled face, swathed in desperation, held my full attention. Something had changed there since I last saw him—startling, given that he was incorporeal. In the last ten years, he hadn’t aged one hour. Funny, how I used to think of him as an older guy. Now he looked about my age. The dark purple bruises flowering along his square jaw hadn’t healed. Nor had the bloody gash down his pillowy lower lip—the one part of him that looked incongruously boyish. It was his eyes that had changed.

“I need your help, Alexandra.” His dark eyes, once warm and charming, burned with an urgency that put fear into my heart. “Please.”

Author Bio:

Spells and skyscrapers. Warriors and warlocks. Coven secrets and forbidden romances. Sierra Cross lives for urban fantasy, for modern magic and the bold supernatural beings who stalk our contemporary world. Her Spelldrift universe stars kickass witches and their heroic guardians, as well as vampires, shifters, mages, Fidei, and the dark demonic forces that threaten them all.

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