A Furious Muse

Author: AJ Nuest
Publication: November 27, 2014
Source: Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

Summary from Goodreads: Since the day of her birth, Princess Faedrah Austiere has been defined by her place within the kingdom. As the single heir to the half-blood gypsy king and his prophesied white queen, she is fiercely protected, shuttered inside an ivory castle and well-trained in the art of war. Yet neither her obligations as future queen nor the black infestation threatening her kingdom fail to hinder the mysterious pull of the antique armoire hidden in her parents’ bedchamber. And stealing the golden key for a leap through time is the only way to confront the dark lord haunting her dreams.
One face. The image of one defiant, relentless woman has been stuck in Rhys McEleod’s head ever since he was old enough paint her luscious curves on the canvas. But the day she walks into his life off the street—sexier than hell and itching for a fight—he’s not convinced she’s the same women he’s envisioned since childhood. That is, not until he spots the golden key around her neck—an object he’d never fully shown in any of his paintings.
Now if he could just persuade his lovely muse he’s not the enemy. Unless the elusive Faedrah Austiere learns to trust him, he’ll never have her in his bed—the one place he’s convinced she belongs.

Rating: êêêê

Review
First, an FYI: The Golden Key Legacy is a spin-off/continuation of The Golden Key Chronicles. You do not have to read the Chronicles to enjoy this book, but I strongly recommend that you do because it will make this story that much better, plus the Chronicles were REALLY good!

OK, so onto the actual review...
I read this novella in two sittings. Faedrah was a likeable character right from the start. I was thrilled that some of my favorites from the Chronicles were present as well. Rhys was a bit difficult at first, however he quickly grew on me.

The plot moved at a decent pace. This is the first novella in a series of 4 and it has set the scene and the tone for the next installments. There is a palpable sexual tension between Faedrah and Rhys and I am really looking forward to the development of their relationship. AJ has an amazing talent for writing swoonworthy men and steamy scenes.

The ending is a bit of a cliffhanger, and it stole my breath away. I am now anxiously awaiting the release of the second book.

Stacking the Shelves #25 (12/14/2014)

Stacking The Shelves is hosted by Tynga's Reviews and is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!

Won in a Giveaway

Silent Circle by Cassandra Larson
Touching Smoke by Airicka Phoenix
Kissing Trouble by Airicka Phoenix and Morgan Phoenix


Gifted


Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead
Made for You by Melissa Marr

Inner Fire

Inner Fire by R.L. Stedman
Release Date: 11/30/14
Source: YA Book Tours in exchange for an honest review

Amazon

Tour Schedule

Summary from Goodreads:
‘‘Maybe it would be better if I started at the beginning.’ Gran watched me carefully. ‘This ability we have; my mother, me. You. We draw heat along our bodies; anger makes us flame.’
When her friend is assaulted, Corrine Peterson can’t help reacting. But she didn’t think and now her hands are burnt, Gran is coming to look after her and, scariest of all, strange men are watching her house. Could they be terrorists? Secret agents?
It seems that Gran’s idea of a solution is to introduce Corrine to Rowan. Okay, sure, maybe eighteen year old Rowan is gorgeous – but he has his own troubles. And right now, Corrine doesn’t need complications in her life.
But in a world of surveillance and secrecy, complexity is inevitable. And as the tension mounts Corrine realizes - maybe Gran can help her, after all.

Rating: êêê

Review

I was really intrigued by the fact the this book centered around a girl who could create fire "in a world of surveillance and secrecy", so I was excited when I received this book in exchange for an honest review.

The beginning was interesting, however I was really confused. The book was fast paced which made it easy to read. The characters were OK, the only one who stood out was Gran. She was the most well developed character in the book. While all of the characters had a clearly developed back story, I think the delivery of those back stories could have been written in a better way. I really wasn't a fan of Rowan and the development of their friendship and relationship.

This book had A LOT of different (underdeveloped) elements/details going on that it all felt a bit mangled to me, which is the primary thing that lowered my star rating. Overall, it was a great concept that moved at a good pace, but it was an OK read.

About the AuthorMy name is Rachel Stedman. I’m a physiotherapist (physical therapist) by background, but now I work as a freelance contractor. I live in the wild and windy place of Dunedin, New Zealand, with my husband and two kids.
I write mostly for children and young adults. In 2012 I won the Tessa Duder Award for an unpublished YA work and my first novel, A Necklace of Souls, was published by HarperCollins in 2013 (available in the United Kingdom and on Book Depository from June 2015). This year, A Necklace of Souls was awarded Best First Book at the 2014 New Zealand Post Book Awards and won a Notable Book Award from Storylines. Inner Fire is my second novel. Website│Goodreads│Twitter│Facebook

GIVEAWAY

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Tour Organized by:

YA Bound Book Tours

Book Blogger Hop #11 (week of December 12)

The Book Blogger Hop is hosted by Ramblings of a Coffee Addicted Writer. Its purpose is to give bloggers a chance to follow other blogs, learn about new blogs, befriend other bloggers, and receive new followers to their own blog.

Each week bloggers answer a different question. This week's question is: How many books do you read in a week? How many hours do you spend reading a day?

SQUEE!! Fun fact: I actually submitted this question!!

Anyways, I don't know how many books I average in a week because sometimes I don't finish any in a week and sometimes I'll finish several in a week.

That being said, I try to read for at least an hour every night.

The Broke and Bookish Secret Santa Reveal

I got my Broke and Bookish Secret Santa gift in the mail today!!

Here's a pic of my awesome goodies!

My Secret Santa didn't tell me who he/she was, so to whoever you are, THANK YOU!!

Play of Light Book Tour

Author: Debra Doxer

Publication: December 8, 2014

Source: Xpresso Book Tours in exchange for an honest review
Tour Schedule
Amazon

Summary from Goodreads: I lived in paradise, and I loved Spencer Pierce.
At fourteen, my life was perfect. The beach was my playground, and the boy who stole my heart lived just around the corner. But perfect never lasts. In one horrifying moment, I lost it all. My family was destroyed, and the boy I believed in turned his back on me. Paradise became a nightmare.
That was five years ago. Everything changed when we moved from our home by the sea. I’ve changed, and I don’t like who I’ve become. I miss the smiling, carefree beach girl who disappeared that terrible night. I want to find her again. I want to face the people we ran from so long ago. Most of all, I have to face Spencer. So I can prove that when he broke my heart, he didn’t break me.
But when I see him again, Spencer Pierce is no longer the boy from my memories. He’s now a man who could devastate me if I let him. He watches me when he thinks I’m not looking. There’s regret written on his face when he’s near. Each time I see him, my heart aches for what might have been, and I think his does too. How can I convince myself I’m over him when I suspect he never got over me?

Rating: êêê

Review

This book took me a little while to get into it. There is quite a bit of heavy material and tragedy in this book.

The pacing of the book was a bit difficult for me. The book jumps between 5 years ago and the present. Once we finally had all of the details from 5 years ago, the book mostly stays in the present and was easier to get into.

I found the tension between Sarah and Spencer to be heart-wrenching and thrilling at the same time. This book is an emotional ride. You can't help but empathize with the characters. I cried at least once. The author did an excellent job of keeping the reader informed and answering questions I didn't know I had.

The romance scenes were well written.

The ending isn't a perfect happily ever after, but it is satisfying.





WARNING: SPOILER-ISH SIDE NOTE
I was very happy to see that the characters do the right thing and that they discuss the need for professional help to deal with the tragedies that they have survived.

AUTHOR BIO
Debra Doxer was born in Boston, and other than a few lost years in the California sunshine, she has always resided in the Boston area. She writes fiction, technical software documents, illegible scribbles on sticky notes, and texts that get mangled by AutoCorrect. She writes for a living, and she writes for fun. When her daughter asks when she’ll run out of words, her response always is, “When I run out of time.”

Connect with Debra. She loves hearing from readers.



Author links:
http://debradoxer.blogspot.ca/
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6876249.Debra_Doxer
https://www.facebook.com/AuthorDebraDoxer
https://twitter.com/DebraDoxer

Giveaway:

Tour-wide giveaway (INTL)

$50 Amazon Gift Card

Signed copy of Play Of Light

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Sisterhood of the World Blogger Tag

I've been tagged by Val @ The Innocent Smiley! Thanks Val!

The Rules:

1. Thank the blogger(s) who nominated you and link back to their awesome blog(s).
2. Post the award's logo on your blog.
3. Answer the ten questions that you've been asked.
4. Nominate ten other bloggers and ask them ten questions!

My Questions from Val

1. Who's your favorite character in the book you are currently reading?

Gran from Inner Fire by RL Stedman

2. Do you have a specific genre that you love to read?

YA Fantasy!

3. Which book got you into the world of reading?

The Giver by Lois Lowry

4. What's you favorite quote from a book? And which book is it from?

"To whatever end" from Heir of Fire by Sarah J Maas this quote literally brought tears to my eyes and I went back and reread the scene two more times because it was so powerful.

5. What is the highest number of books you've read in a month? In a year? 

EEK I don't know! Thankfully the Goodreads Challenge tracks books per year, in 2012 I read 102 books. Too bad I can't figure out how to check most books per month...

6. What is your favorite food to snack on while reading?

I don't really snack while reading. I usually have a glass of water near by tho.

7. Do you have a pet? Give us a picture if you can!

Yes! I have two cats and a dog. 

My other cat is skittish and hides a lot

8. What has been the most stressful book you've ever read?
A Game of Thrones by George RR Martin, it was tedious and I literally had to force myself to read it and I struggled with some of the violence and there were so many details to keep track of.

9. Did you have a favorite picture book when you were younger? (or now?)
Not that I can remember, but my sister's was Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfister

10. RIDDLE TIME: What room has no windows, no ceilings, or no doors?
I totally cheated and googled it: a mushroom

Bloggers I am Tagging
Monique @ Mo Books
Missie @ A Flurry of Ponderings
Kristen @ Pretty Little Pages
Becca @ Pivot Book Reviews
Paige @ Electively Paige
Kayla @ Bibliophilia, Please
Charnell @ Reviews from a Bookworm
Aneta @ Angelic Book Reviews
Katelynn @ Unlucky Primes
Jazmen @ This Girl Reads A Lot

Ten Questions
1. If you could live in any book world, which would it be?
2. If you could spend a day with any fictional character, who would it be?
3. Where do you post your reviews, besides your blog?
4. Do you judge books by their covers?
5. Where do you read book reviews?
6. Who is your all time favorite book boyfriend (or girlfriend)?
7. Do you have any bookish bad habits?
8. Have you read any "banned books"? If so which is your favorite?
9. How do you follow blogs?
10. Do you have any secret skills?