Review - Amaretto Flame

Title: Amaretto Flame

Author: Sammie Spencer

Synopsis (Goodreads):

When Olivia Landry screams, people die. No wonder she's been shunned by humans her whole life. When Olivia makes a huge mistake, she's banished for a summer to a human town; forced to live as one of them. She's out for revenge when she discovers the humans are different than she imagined, especially the rugged, sexy guitarist, Jackson Vance.

Pretending to be human isn't as hard as she thought it would be...until the witch hunters attack. Now Olivia must somehow protect herself, her family, and her new human friends. There's a problem with that. When you go around screaming, people are bound to learn your secret. Can love really conquer anything?

My Review:

When you pick up a book, you want to feel connected to it. You want to be absorbed in it. That is exactly how I felt while reading Amaretto Flame. Sammie Spencer does a wonderful job of creating this unique cast of characters. And by the time I was done reading this book I was crying my eyes out...

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You know you've struck gold when you finish a book and you are crying your eyes out! =D

I loved every minute of reading Amaretto Flame. Olivia reminded me of myself in so many ways, it was so easy to connect with her. Her undying loyalty to her family and friends and her strong personality made for a very likable and well developed character. Although a few times during the book I wanted to slap some sense in to her. LOL.

As for the amazingly sexy Jackson??? Can we say RAWR!!! *Sigh....Oh yea. Too Scoops please! ;-D The chemistry between the two of them made a habanero look like a red hot. 

As for the rest of the cast? Each one had their particular moment to shine.

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Seriously though, this book was very well crafted and well written and there was a bit of a twist that I didn't expect. But it really made the story. Here's my quick summary:

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Olivia has been punished and forced into seclusion by one of the only people she's ever trusted. After being sent away to a human town, Liv-vy's stubbornness starts to surface and she takes a job at a local bar. Here she starts to let her guard down a bit, befriends some of her co-workers, and even starts to ignite a romance. But when the Venator attacks one of her coven family members, all bets are off. She must now fight to defend herself, her friends and her coven, while trying to discover what or who the Venator are after.

~*~

 My favorite scenes? Definitely the poker scene in the bar. And the ending of course!!!

I very much hope there is a sequel, because I would love to read more about The Eagleton Coven.

Fantastic Job Sammie.

(and just so you know, I was drinking my coffee with my Amaretto flavored creamer when I finished this book.)

My Rating:

An Amazing Wedding Cake

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Review - Twilight

Title: Twilight

Author: Stephenie Meyer

Synopsis (Goodreads):

Isabella Swan's move to Forks, a small, perpetually rainy town in Washington, could have been the most boring move she ever made. But once she meets the mysterious and alluring Edward Cullen, Bella's life takes a thrilling and terrifying turn. Up until now, Edward has managed to keep his vampire identity a secret in the small community he lives in, but now nobody is safe, especially Bella, the person Edward holds most dear. The lovers find themselves balanced precariously on the point of a knife—between desire and danger. Deeply romantic and extraordinarily suspenseful, Twilight captures the struggle between defying our instincts and satisfying our desires. This is a love story with bite.

My Review:

First, I would just like to say, if you haven't read my previous blog romancing the non-romancer, please read it first. You will then understand, why now, and only now, am I just reading and reviewing Twilight.

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Yesterday I walked into Borders and purchased a copy of Twilight. Here it was, almost 6 years since the book was  first published, and  I still had not read it. Read the previous blog, you'll understand.

I took it home and immediately started to read. I couldn't put it down. The writing was superb, and I found that I was taken in by this little town called Forks and its inhabitants. I read a little over 55% of the book last night and finished it this morning. My final analysis? A very good and fast paced read. I felt that the characters were developed well, as was the plot. The relationship between Bella and Edward was a little frustrating to me. It seemed very hot and cold, as to say that Edward seemed to be a bit bi-polar. I was very thankful that their relationship wasn't sugar coated like I thought it would be. The sexual tension between them did seem to fly off the pages at times. And in the end I did love the loyalty that they had for each other. I do wish there had been more action, I felt that the lack there of, made the last few chapters fall short for me. And there wasn't as much of Jacob as I had expected there to be.

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Coming from the "Joss Whedon" brand of vampire, I do have a new appreciation for Stephenie Meyer's imagination. A vampire who sparkles in the sunlight is actually pretty interesting. It makes him seem less lethal. But you know when he goes hunting that it is the very polar opposite. I am looking forward to continuing my journey with this interesting bunch of characters. So far my favorite's are Alice and Carlisle (I know, I'm such a rebel. I rarely choose main characters. lol). As for my team of choice??? There wasn't enough of Jacob in the story for me to make an honest choice. And Edward, although alluring, was frustrating at times. 

SO...I will have to say, I am...

because, who wouldn't want to play baseball with them. ^_^

Great Story.

My Rating:

A very cute birthday cake

Review - Violet Midnight

Title: Violet Midnight

(The Enchanters #1)

Author: Allie Burke

Synopsis (Goodreads):

"He knew she was gone the second her cool touch withdrew from his arm. He never saw her but had felt her disappear into some cold, dark place. He perceived the black emptiness where she had been summoned, her deep anxiety filling his heart. But he couldn't reach her. He didn't even know her name." 

Elias moved to Hazel Grove, California to get away from the rain, his parents, and everything that was taken from him in Hayward, Washington. But he thinks he may be going crazy when he starts seeing purple glitter in the air, the scent of rosemary is everywhere, and he is hearing a beautiful voice.

Jane is content in her life of solitude in the quiet town of Jasmyn Lake, but when her special magic sends her on a journey to meet the man she has been dreaming about for months, she cannot resist.

Look into the world of The Enchanters, where water has a sense of humor, trees scare people, and love - is destiny.

My Review:

    A fascinating and intriguing read. I've always enjoyed books that dealt with the elements, and this will be another to add to my favorites shelf. 

Jane is an Enchanter. But she's special, she is The Enchanter. One of a kind, with the ability to control all of the elements. 


Elias Lindin is an artist who is mourning the death of his twin brother. 


When the two finally meet......It is just magic. 


*~*~*~*~*~*


Usually I don't read romances. It's just me. But this one was so adorable. I particularly loved that she had been dreaming about him for so long, and that when he finally saw her, he was just awed. Although their relationship does progress rather quickly, I didn't feel that it detracted from the story. And the love scenes...well.... =D *blushes*.... super sexy......
I do wish that some elements of the story had been elaborated more on, i.e. the mob involvement, and why the other Enchanters were after her... but there are two more books, so hopefully those questions will be revealed for me. 
What I loved best about this book were the amazing descriptions Allie gives. Everything is so detailed, I felt like I was right there in Jasmyn Lake. I also loved the fact the Jane's aura was violet, but it changed color when it rained. Super awesome! Great story with steamy love scenes and a few twists that I didn't see coming.

My Rating:
An Amazing Wedding Cake

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~*~*~*~*~

EMERALD DESTINY

(The Enchanters #2)

AVAILABLE NOW @

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Interview and Giveaway...

Check out this Interview and Giveaway: Amanda Stevens Interview and Book Giveaway.


This book sounds so cool! 

The Restorer

My name is Amelia Gray. I'm a cemetery restorer who sees ghosts. In order to protect myself from the parasitic nature of the dead, I've always held fast to the rules passed down from my father. But now a haunted police detective has entered my world and everything is changing, including the rules that have always kept me safe.

It started with the discovery of a young woman's brutalized body in an old Charleston graveyard I've been hired to restore. The clues to the killer—and to his other victims—lie in the headstone symbolism that only I can interpret. Devlin needs my help, but his ghosts shadow his every move, feeding off his warmth, sustaining their presence with his energy. To warn him would be to invite them into my life. I've vowed to keep my distance, but the pull of his magnetism grows ever stronger even as the symbols lead me closer to the killer and to the gossamer veil that separates this world from the next.

Review: Beautiful Sins-Leigha Lowery

Title: 
Beautiful Sins-Leigha Lowery

Author: 
Jennifer Hampton

Synopsis:

The skies of the Dark Coast, the Pacific Coastline of U.S. States has been infected with a strange chemical reaction from a military experiment gone awry. Constant cloud cover rules over the lands. Leigha Lowery, a sixteen year-old popular fiction writer in the local free press is pulled from the only home she knows in Detroit, MI when her mother decides on an impulse to marry a doctor she's been dating over the internet and moves to the small town of Banks, Oregon. As she adjusts to her new life of wealth and power, she begins to realize that the rumors about the Dark Coast aren't even close to what she's witnessed. Prince Alexander Sommers, the son of King Royce, and heir to the throne has taken a fascination to her. He pulls her into a world of vampires, werewolves, witches, and many other creatures of the night that have decided to make the Dark Coast their home.

My Review:

What first attracted me to this was the cover. It is absolutely beautiful (no pun intended.). I give Jennifer Hampton major props for putting together such a gorgeous design. Now for the story. Very clever. Although there are some grammatical errors, (Ms. Hampton states in the beginning, she edited this herself) in my opinion it did not distract me from reading this tale. I feel if Ms. Hampton can acquire an editor, she will be selling books like crazy! 

I was totally in love with Prince Alex (omg!!! he sounded like a total hottie! I kept thinking about Angel from Buffy lol)  and the loved the idea of a Lifemate. (you'll have to read to find out!).  What really surprised me about this story, was that I actually cared about the characters and what happened to them. To many times have I read books where I'm like "ok...so what," but this was NOT the case with Beautiful Sins. This story is full of drama, love, suspense, and not to mention all of the sexy characters. I definitely recommend this book! Great Job Jennifer!

My Rating:

One Amazing Wedding Cake!

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