Carries Book Reviews

Between Two Fires: A Novel by Mark Noce
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Lady Branwen’s father has promised her hand in marriage to the Hammer King to unite their divided kingdoms. However, after Lady Branwen meets her new King and leaves her home with him she immediately finds herself the target of multiple assassination attempts.

Lady Branwen is not one to sit by and become the property of a man and with her life in danger she takes her safety into her own hands and decides to leave the Hammer King. Not knowing who to trust Lady Branwen finds herself teaming up with a knight named Artagan and finds herself not only trying to save herself but her people before Saxon invaders and a mysterious traitor try to destroy her.

Between Two Fires is another novel I was a bit torn on how to rate when I was finished reading. It’s not a bad read exactly but I found it really failed on what I was led on to believe the book should be. The synopsis to this one promised a historical romance and I think it fell really short of the romance side of things.

Taking place in 597 A.D. in medieval Wales this one stands out for being something a bit out of the normal in historical romances. It’s a time when there are constant battles and wars and women were basically property. The setting was great in this one and made it stand out in my mind and along with an action packed plot I’m sure some will love that part of this historical read.

However, when it comes to the romance in this book I just found it extremely lacking. Lady Branwen is a strong female that wants to make her own decisions and stand alongside the men during the wars but I never gained an emotional attachment to her, she very well could have been a male telling the story most of the time. I kind of questioned maybe if it weren’t the fact this one comes from a male author it just simply lost the romantic sparks that I was expecting and became an historical action read instead.

Overall, the setting and plot are great but I found the romance lacking, not enough depth to the characters personalities and emotions.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Midnight Sky
Amy Braun
(Dark Sky #2)
Publication date: August 2nd 2016
Genres: Dystopian, Fantasy, Young Adult

There are secrets, there are betrayals, and there are sacrifices…

The Behemoth has been destroyed, and the bloodthirsty Hellions seem to have left Westraven. But Claire Abernathy’s mind is not at ease. A terrible disease plagues her sister, appearing to have been brought on the Vesper, the leader of the Hellions beyond the tear between worlds– the Breach.

To save Abby and stop the Hellions for good, Claire must find the machine her parents built before the attacks, and fix it before the monsters return. To do so, she needs the help of her crew, and must ignore the secrets and rivalries between her captain and the man she saved.

Because the Hellions are not the only dangers following Claire. Twisted humans and old enemies surface to stop her and destroy all she loves. While she is determined to endure the trials, a single betrayal could shatter the hope of a better world, and force Claire to make a choice that will cost her dearly…

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Author Bio:

Amy is a Canadian urban fantasy and horror author. Her work revolves around monsters, magic, mythology, and mayhem. She started writing in her early teens, and never stopped. She loves building unique worlds filled with fun characters and intense action. She is the recipient of April Moon Books Editor Award for “author voice, world-building and general bad-assery,” and the One Book Two Standout Award in 2015 for her Cursed trilogy. She has been featured on various author blogs and publishing websites, and is an active member of the Writing GIAM and Weekend Writing Warrior communities. When she isn’t writing, she’s reading, watching movies, taking photos, gaming, and struggling with chocoholism and ice cream addiction.

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Up in the Treehouse
K.K. Allen
Publication date: July 19th 2016
Genres: Contemporary, New Adult, Romance

I wanted to tell him all my secrets, but he became one of them instead.

Chloe Rivers never thought she would keep secrets from her best friend. Then again, she never imagined she would fall in love with him either. When she finally reveals her feelings, rejection shatters her, rendering her vulnerable and sending her straight into the destructive arms of the wrong guy.

Gavin Rhodes never saw the betrayal coming. It crushes him. Chloe has always been his forbidden fantasy–sweet, tempting, and beautiful. But when the opportunity finally presents itself, he makes the biggest mistake of all and denies her.

Now it’s too late . . .

Four years after a devastating tragedy, Chloe and Gavin’s world’s collide and they find their lives entangling once again. Haunted by the past, they are forced to come to terms with all that has transpired to find the peace they deserve. Except they can’t seem to get near each other without combatting an intense emotional connection that brings them right back to where it all started . . . their childhood treehouse.

Chloe still holds her secrets close, but this time she isn’t the only one with something to hide. Can their deep-rooted connection survive the destruction of innocence?

* * Some sexy time and light swearing * *

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EXCERPT:

My entire body ached the moment I tried to move, so I stopped trying. I groaned and peeled an eye open, trying to understand why this morning felt so different from all the others.

When I saw the matching sets of green eyeballs peering over the ladder, one glaring and one questioning, I wanted to scream, but the air in my throat went the other direction. I gasped and propelled myself backward into the furthest corner of the alcove.

“Do you think she’s homeless?” asked Eyeballs Number One.

Eyeballs Number Two shook his head as he scanned my body. “Maybe she ran away from home.”

“Yeah, or maybe she’s a troll that lives in the woods. Are we supposed to feed her?”

“I didn’t bring any food. Did you?”

One of the boys threw his eyes around the room, as if afraid to look away from me for long. “No. We should tell dad we need a fridge.”

“And how will we keep it cold, moron?”

“Hey! I’m not a moron!”

While the boys fought, I managed to creep forward until I gripped the edge of the bed with every intention to slip down undetected.

But Eyeballs Number One saw me and placed an arm out across the other boy’s body. “Shh. She’s moving.”

My grogginess cleared, replaced by a rush of adrenaline as I stared back at the twin boys—the boys whose treehouse I’d snuck into the night before. At this realization, I straightened with a jolt. “I-I have to get home.” Panic seized my chest knowing my parents would be frantic looking for me.

Eyeballs Number Two nudged the other. “She has a home, bro.”

I bit my lip to hide my smile, happy they no longer considered me a possible troll. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to—” I didn’t know why I was about to lie, so I stopped myself. I totally meant to fall asleep there. I just didn’t mean to get caught.

“Wait!” one of them called as I headed for the ladder. I turned to see the curious one staring back at me with a sincere expression. “Are you okay?”

All I could do was nod. How could I tell two boys I didn’t know the reason for invading their sanctuary—that I had been watching them for weeks, envious of their home in the woods? Instead of saying another word, I found the ladder and moved down it, missing the last few steps in my haste. The moment I hit the ground, I accepted the impact with a grimace and took off at a sprint through the woods and toward my bedroom window. I climbed inside just as I heard my mom calling me for breakfast.

Author Bio:

Hi all! I’m K.K. Allen, Contemporary Fantasy & New Adult Romance author of the Summer Solstice series (Enchanted, the Equinox, and the Descendants), as well as the short story, Soaring. Look for my upcoming New Adult Romance, Up in the Treehouse, OUT NOW!!

I currently live in Florida with my ridiculously handsome son, Jagger. I’ve always had a passion for reading and writing, so sharing my work with you all is beyond exciting. Thank you all for checking out my page. I hope you’ll give my books a shot, and definitely look out for more from me. This train ain’t stoppin’. 😉

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A Soldier for Bella
Alison Mello
(Love Conquers Life #4)
Published by: Limitless Publishing
Publication date: August 30th 2016
Genres: New Adult, Romance, Young Adult

Bella Campbell has a budding modeling career, a terrific boyfriend—and a stalker…

Everything in Bella’s life seems to be working out. She’s landed the guy of her dreams in former soldier Derek Thompson, and now she’s attained the contract of a lifetime—centerfold model for a famous swimsuit magazine issue. The only problem is she has a stalker. He keeps leaving her notes, roses, and now he’s taken to cyberstalking.

If dealing with Bella’s unwanted admirer wasn’t trouble enough, Derek has his own problems…

One of the rehabilitation facilities Derek oversees fails inspection, while another needs new equipment for the returning troops staying at the home. But Derek isn’t about to let the constant flow of bad news interfere with protecting Bella. He decides to take matters into his own hands and lure her unwanted shadow out of hiding, so he can take care of it once and for all.

But Derek isn’t the only one with a plan to end this feud over Bella…

Derek knows Bella’s stalker believes he is simply a complication that can be removed with force, but this soldier is ready for a fight. Bella is everything Derek has ever wanted, and nothing, not even death threats, is going to keep them apart.

Can Derek use his skills to put an end to Bella’s stalker? Or will this unknown villain finally succeed in capturing Bella for his own and take Derek out of the picture?

There isn’t a price Derek won’t pay to make sure there will always be…

A Soldier for Bella.

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**Cover designed by Deranged Doctor Design**

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Previous books in the series:

Author Bio:

Alison Mello is a wife and stay at home mom to a wonderful little boy. She lives with her amazing family in Massachusetts. She loves playing soccer, basketball and football with her son.

After having her son, Alison started reading again and fell in love with Contemporary Romance. Reading made her happy and gave her something to do when she had downtime. As she started to read more, she started to noticed things she really enjoyed in a book and things she didn’t. She began to have ideas for writing one of her own. One day she literally woke up and started writing. She realized that if there was ever a time for her to write, it was now. She had a part time job to give her something to do. The hours at work were slow and she was bored with what she was doing, so while her son was off enjoying his friends over summer vacation she got started.

Alison finished the first book in two weeks and decided that she really enjoyed writing, so she kept going. She already had ideas in mind for books two and three, so she kept writing. That is how the Learning to Love Series was born. Somewhere along the line, one of my Beta readers convinced me that Michael, a character from Finding Love, needed his own story. That is when Alison added the fourth and final book. Alison hopes you enjoy her books as much as she enjoyed writing them.

She’s so glad she started this writing journey and hopes you will stay with her for the ride. Chasing Dreams is scheduled to release in April and the first two books of the Love Conquers Life series will be out this summer!

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Trent
Anna Scott
Publication date: August 9th 2016
Genres: Adult, Romance

She pushed him away so he’ll have a future. He’s back to show her she’s all he wants.

Trent Harris, Texas lawman, is a strong man who’ll protect and serve the people of Allen County, TX with his life. The deputy chases down wrong-doers and puts them behind bars. But when the love of his life pushes Trent away, his own hands are tied by Amber’s pain. He can do little except remain true from a distance.

Amber Moore tries her best to stay away from Trent, no matter how much she still loves him. He deserves a clear shot at happiness with another woman, one who can give him a family. But it’s hard when they have a hometown, friends and so much else in common. Especially when he keeps finding ways to be close to her.

When someone from Trent’s past threatens Amber, he’ll move heaven and Texas to save her. But even then, can he make her see that their lives would be so much richer together, even if the future’s not picture-perfect?

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Author Bio:

Anna Scott is an author of erotic and romantic books and novellas. The books Anna loves to write are erotic in nature. They swirl around an underlying theme of love, challenge, imminent heartbreak and always end with at least the possibility of a Happily Ever After.

In her youth, Anna would frequently stay awake into the early hours of the morning, typing on an old typewriter. Horrific stories of blood, murder and suicide plagued her young mind until they had to be released onto the page. Her love of writing started at this early age, but over the years, her work has moved from the twisted and morbid to the more lascivious and pleasurable.

Anna attended college in Northern California, after growing up in the Midwest. She worked as an executive in the Finance Industry, until eventually abandoning the suits for a cup of coffee and her laptop.

Today, Anna can be found in her comfortable, red armchair, coffee in hand, staring out at the surrounding fields, dreaming up new and decadent stories. Her love of reading, nature and history has her mind in constant motion, conjuring up new ideas.

That love of reading romantic and erotic books, certainly stemmed from two amazing women. Anna’s great-grandmothers one on each side of her family. They were both extremely strong women, with a hidden penchant for sexy romance novels. One of these old books has survived, and was handed down to Anna.

She shares her life with an alpha male of her own, a family and many animals. Anna is known to stop everything at the drop of a hat to rescue an animal. Often driving long distances, she will gather, protect and love them back to enjoying a wonderful life.

Anna began to publish her books, thanks to the encouragement of a dear friend. This special person is always a support, encouraging Anna at every turn. She helps to focus Anna’s mind when the many facets of writing get to be too much.

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