Review: Forsaken (US: Demon Trapper's Daughter) by Jana Oliver

Forsaken (The Demon Trappers #1)

by Jana Oliver 

 Riley Blackthorne just needs a chance to prove herself—and that’s exactly what the demons are counting on...

Seventeen-year-old Riley, the only daughter of legendary Demon Trapper, Paul Blackthorne, has always dreamed of following in her father's footsteps. The good news is, with human society seriously disrupted by economic upheaval and Lucifer increasing the number of demons in all major cities, Atlanta’s local Trappers’ Guild needs all the help they can get—even from a girl. When she’s not keeping up with her homework or trying to manage her growing crush on fellow apprentice, Simon, Riley’s out saving distressed citizens from foul-mouthed little devils – Grade One Hellspawn only, of course, per the strict rules of the Guild. Life’s about as normal as can be for the average demon-trapping teen.

But then a Grade Five Geo-Fiend crashes Riley’s routine assignment at a library, jeopardizing her life and her chosen livelihood. And, as if that wasn’t bad enough, sudden tragedy strikes the Trappers’ Guild, spinning Riley down a more dangerous path than she ever could have imagined. As her whole world crashes down around her, who can Riley trust with her heart—and her life?

UK cover:

I've put the US cover on top because I like the US cover more. It's so bright and she's carrying an orb and I LOVE IT! So much!
















Source: Borrowed

My Thoughts:

This book  really surprised me. I thought it would be just like your average teen romance but it's not! 
The romance is actually not the main focus of this book and I really liked that.

This book is set in the future in which demons roam the earth and the earth is pretty much near ruin.Gas prices are insanely high and schools are in abandoned buildings.Demon trapping is the way people make the much needed cash to sustain themselves.

Riley is the first female demon trapper.She has to take a lot of crap because she's the first girl fortunately she has an awesome father who supports her and is one of the best trappers to roam Atlanta .Unfortunately, Riley's life becomes hell and it's interesting to read whether she will crash and burn or fight to stay on top of life.

I loved the world building in this novel.Jana Oliver introduces us to a world very much like our own with witches ,demons,necromancers,hunters and trappers.Even though I didn't really get to know how and why the world changed I was too engrossed in the world and characters to even care!

The characters in this book were so great too! Riley is such a great,well rounded character.It's easy to connect with her.The guys in this book are HOT! I cannot chose a team.At one point I was Team BOY #1 (no spoilers)  and in the next chapter I was Team BOY #2  and then in the last few chapters I was bending a little bit towards BOY #3 (not sure if he's a love interest yet!) as well! All the guys were such great characters. 

I also loved the chapters from Beck's point of view.They provided an insight into an adult's life in this new world.

I was hooked by the first page itself and couldn't put it down. The only problem I had with this book was the fact that not much happened in it .It felt more like an introduction.The ending of this book seemed more like the beginning of Riley's real story.

I'll definitely be reading book #2  because I want to follow these great characters.

Overall,a great story that kept me hooked and introduced me to great characters and an interesting new world.I want more!

Note: I wasn't sure whether I wanted to give this book a 3 or a 3.5 but after reading the second book I decided to give this a 3.5. What did I think of book #2? You'll just have to wait and see :) 

My Rating:

3.5 /5

Adult Review: The Marriage Trap

This book is classified and is for ADULTS. It is not suitable for younger readers.

The Marriage Trap (Marriage to a Billionaire #2)

by Jennifer Probst

 Blurb:

WIFE WANTED…

Italian billionaire seeks faux fiancée. Willing to agree to anything in return...

In order for his sister to marry, Italian billionaire Michael Conte has to find himself a bride – and fast! When he learns that photographer Maggie Ryan is going to be in Milan, Michael hatches a plan to introduce her to his family as his “fiancée.” Never mind that Maggie is confident, independent, and a control freak. Never mind that she’s everything he doesn’t want in a wife… and everything he wants in his bed!

Convinced that Michael is in love with her married gal pal, Maggie agrees to keep up the ruse if he’ll keep away from her friend. Besides, she’s not attracted to charming, ridiculously hot billionaires who drive her nuts. Once they’re in Italy, however, everything changes – and the sexual tension between Maggie and Michael goes from simmer to naked nuclear meltdown!

But have they found the perfect arrangement… or are they trapped in a make-believe marriage?

Source: Edelweiss (Thanks Simon and Schuster!)

Links: Goodreads

My Thoughts:

Even though this is the second book in the series it can be read as a standalone.

The only thought in my head after I had finished this novel was 
"WHEN?"
Seriously, When does the next book come out?
There's a great sneak peak of book #3 at the end of this novel and I'd love to get my hands on it!

This book was  predictable but what makes this book work is the chemistry between the main characters and the fact that you can connect and  form a bond with the main characters! The author managed to keep me hooked ! What more can you want from a romance novel?

Michael is such a great character .I really like Michael.I love the fact that he gives so much importance to his family.I think family is ignored in a lot of novels and I love reading novels in which the family is central to the main plot..

Maggie was a strong female that could have easily gotten on my nerves but she didn't.I really enjoyed the scenes in which she stood up to Michael and I loved it when she shocked everyone by saying or doing something outrageous .Maggie was a character that I really enjoyed reading about.

The plot is predictable and this novel follows the same pattern as the previous book in the series.Even though this book didn't really surprise or shock me I enjoyed reading this novel and had a great time while reading it.It started dragging a little towards the end but aside from that I have no complaints.If I wanted to I'm pretty sure I could find quite a few things to complain about but I don't want to because I had fun while reading this book and I want to read the sequel too!

Great sexy characters with sizzling chemistry,filled with funny and awkward situations.This book had me begging for more!

.Even though the story is quite predictable and I knew how things were going to end I couldn't wait to read the next page.So,if you're looking for a nice,light,fun read this is the book for you.

My Rating:

3.5-4  /5

Giving this a range between 3.5 and 4!

Guilty Pleasure :)

Have You Heard: Demon Trappers Series

A feature on this blog in which I highlight books that  people may  have never heard of and I love.They could be by Indie authors or just books that were released but didn't leave a mark.They could even be books that are yet to be released.

This time I'm featuring..

A SERIES

That's right! I'm not featuring just one book I'm featuring an entire series! This series is known as The Demon Trappers series by Jana Oliver.

This series has a different name and covers in the US and UK.

US

Order:

1. Demon Trapper's Daughter
2. Soul Thief
3. Forgiven
4. Foretold

UK

Order:

1. Forsaken
2. Forbidden
3. Forgiven
4. Foretold

Foretold is the LAST book in this series. The entire series is already available in UK and some other countries.Foretold comes out in the US in December.

I really enjoyed this series. 

BLURB of Book 1:

Riley Blackthorne just needs a chance to prove herself—and that’s exactly what the demons are counting on...

Seventeen-year-old Riley, the only daughter of legendary Demon Trapper, Paul Blackthorne, has always dreamed of following in her father's footsteps. The good news is, with human society seriously disrupted by economic upheaval and Lucifer increasing the number of demons in all major cities, Atlanta’s local Trappers’ Guild needs all the help they can get—even from a girl. When she’s not keeping up with her homework or trying to manage her growing crush on fellow apprentice, Simon, Riley’s out saving distressed citizens from foul-mouthed little devils – Grade One Hellspawn only, of course, per the strict rules of the Guild. Life’s about as normal as can be for the average demon-trapping teen.

But then a Grade Five Geo-Fiend crashes Riley’s routine assignment at a library, jeopardizing her life and her chosen livelihood. And, as if that wasn’t bad enough, sudden tragedy strikes the Trappers’ Guild, spinning Riley down a more dangerous path than she ever could have imagined. As her whole world crashes down around her, who can Riley trust with her heart—and her life?

ADD TO Goodreads

Links: Amazon,Bookdepository UK,Bookdepository US,BN,Indiaplaza,Flipkart

The kindle and Nook version are available for just $2.99 .It's available for £4.11 in Amazon UK (kindle version) and is available for only Rs.209 in Indiaplaza.

I'm going to write reviews for the entire series ,post teasers and I might even have an author interview on the blog in the coming month or so ! 

Call for Guest Writers/Posts

As always, if you've read this series and would be interested in doing a guest post on this blog regarding how much you love this series or what not.Please don't hesitate to email me or tweet me!

Down To You Excerpt + GIVEAWAY! [18+]

This book is for ADULTS.

Down To You

by M. Leighton

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?

Links: Website,Amazon,Goodreads

EXCERPTS

Excerpt 1

Damn, she’s beautiful!

Between this girl’s black hair, her bright probably-green eyes, her banging little body and the way she seems a tiny bit shy, I’m wishing we were alone in this room together.

Her smile doesn’t leave her lips as she runs her hands around my waist, untucking my shirt.  When it’s free, she starts to pull it up.

But then she pauses.  For a split second, I see her hesitate.  She’s trying not to show that she’s unsure of herself, of what she’s doing.

I stare down into those liquid eyes.  I don’t want her to stop.  I want to feel her hands on my skin.  So I taunt her, hoping to feed the feline that I’d be willing to bet is buried somewhere down deep. 

“Oh, come on.  Is that all you got?” I whisper.

Her eyes bore into mine and I hold my breath, waiting to see which side will win.  In fascination, I watch as the balance of power shifts and the change is reflected in her eyes.  They get a little brighter, a little feistier.  I’ve never actually seen someone muster courage.  Determination.  Something in this girl refuses to give in, to back down.  She’s rising to the challenge.  And it’s hot as hell. 

She keeps her eyes on mine as she starts to pull up my shirt.  She leans in closer and I get a whiff of her perfume.  It’s sweet and a little musky.  Sexy.  Just like her.

She has to plaster her body to mine and stretch up on her tiptoes to get my shirt over my head.  I can feel her breasts pushing against my chest.  I could make the task easier for her.  But I don’t.  I like the feel of her rubbing against me.  There’s no way I’m ruining that.

Once she has my shirt off, she backs up and looks me over. She’s shy about it.  That much is obvious.  It’s like she wants to look, but she’s a little embarrassed to, which actually makes it more of a turn on for some reason.  I’m sure every other eye in the room is watching me, watching us, but hers are the only ones I can feel.  They’re like tongues of fire, licking my skin.  They’re searing and tangible.  Or at least they feel that way to me.

I take a deep breath and her eyes drop to my stomach.  Then they flicker down a little further.  She stares longer than she should, but not nearly as long as I want her to.  I start to get hard. 

Her eyes widen and her lips fall open just enough for her tongue to sneak out and wet them.  I have to grit my teeth to keep from pulling her to me and kissing that lush little mouth of hers.

Then light pours into the room. It’s just enough to break the spell.  

Excerpt 2

“Stop doing that.  Don’t act like there’s nothing going on.”

“I’m not acting. Taryn and I have a history, but that was before she started working for me.  I have few rules, but one is that I don’t get social with my employees.  And now she works for me.  That’s it.  Nothing more.”

“But you kissed her. I saw you.”

“No, you saw her kiss me.  You saw me not cause a scene in the middle of the club.”

“Well, you didn’t look like you hated it.”

“But I did.  The whole time, all I could think about was kissing you instead.”  He starts to bend his head toward mine.

Blood is roaring in my ears.  “But you don’t get social with your employees,” I remind him quietly.

“I’d make an exception for you.”  His face is getting close and closer.  Slowly.  A centimeter at a time.

“But it’s your rule.”

“I’ll break it for you,” he whispers.

“No, don’t do that,” I say breathlessly.

“Fine, then you’re fired,” he says just as his lips meet mine.

They are warm and the pressure is light.  At first.  As much as I want to resist, my resolve goes out the window when I feel his tongue run along the crease of my lips.  Without thinking, I part them.

And that’s all it takes.

The taste of Cash is like a perfectly aged Scotch—rich and delicious. His tongue slides along mine, stroking it, teasing it, as he uses his grip on my hand to pull me tighter to him.  I do the only thing I can.  I melt into him.

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

GIVEAWAY

The author has given me an ecopy of The Wild Ones to giveaway!
YOU NEED TO be atleast 18 years of age to enter.

The Wild Ones

by M. Leighton

**MATURE CONTENT ADVISORY: May not be suitable for younger readers**

Passion as hot as midnight in the South and love as wild as the horses they tame.

Camille “Cami” Hines is the darling daughter of the South’s champion thoroughbred breeder, Jack Hines. She has a pedigree that rivals some of her father’s best horses. Other than feeling a little suffocated at times, Cami thought she was pretty happy with her boyfriend, her life and her future. 

But that was before she met Patrick Henley.

“Trick” blurs the lines between what Cami wants and what is expected of her. He’s considered the “help,” which is forbidden fruit as far as her father is concerned, not to mention that Trick would be fired if he ever laid a hand on her. And Trick needs his job. Desperately. His family depends on him.

The heart wants what the heart wants, though, and Trick and Cami are drawn to each other despite the obstacles. At least the ones they know of.

When Trick stumbles upon a note from his father, it triggers a series of revelations that could ruin what he and Cami have worked so hard to overcome. It turns out there’s more to Trick’s presence at the ranch than either of them knew, secrets that could tear them apart.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review: Wake by Amanda Hocking

Wake (Watersong #1)

by Amanda Hocking

 Fall under the spell of Wake—the first book in an achingly beautiful new series by celebrated author Amanda Hocking—and lose yourself to the Watersong.

Gorgeous. Fearless. Dangerous. They're the kind of girls you envy; the kind of girls you want to hate. Strangers in town for the summer, Penn, Lexi and Thea have caught everyone's attention—but it’s Gemma who’s attracted theirs. She’s the one they’ve chosen to be part of their group.

Gemma seems to have it all—she’s carefree, pretty, and falling in love with Alex, the boy next door. He’s always been just a friend, but this summer they’ve taken their relationship to the next level, and now there’s no going back. Then one night, Gemma’s ordinary life changes forever. She’s taking a late night swim under the stars when she finds Penn, Lexi and Thea partying on the cove. They invite her to join them, and the next morning she wakes up on the beach feeling groggy and sick, knowing something is different.

Suddenly Gemma is stronger, faster, and more beautiful than ever. But her new powers come with a terrifying price. And as she uncovers the truth, she’s is forced to choose between staying with those she loves—or entering a new world brimming with dark hungers and unimaginable secrets.

Source: Publisher (Thanks PanMacmillan!)

My Thoughts:

Let me be blunt I'm not a huge fan of this novel.

I'm going to write a different review for this one because I feel like it ...



The Positives

1. Harper :  I loved Harper! She's Gemma's sister and some chapters are from her point of view. She's a practical and responsible character that I could connect  to easily.My main problem is the fact that she wasn't the main character! Harper had so much more spark than Gemma that I was waiting to read her point of view (POV)
2. Harper and Daniel's relationship: I loved their friendship or should I call it a flirtation? Gemma and Alex's relationship was awkward but Harper and Daniel's relationship had spark and I wanted more!
3. Mythology: In my opinion the mythology was interesting and engaging. I wanted to know more about the history and the mythology.
4. Keeps you interested:There were a lot of times that I was seriously considering just abandoning this book and marking it as  DNF(Did Not Finish) but the author managed to maintain my interest somehow.I'm still surprised I managed to finish this book.

The Negatives


Gemma: I did not like the main character. Gemma irritated me.The fact that she figured out a lot of stuff so quickly really surprised me because I thought she was too dumb .One thing I couldn't get over is the fact that Gemma took a LIFE CHANGING decision after taking advice from her MENTALLY unstable mother.

Image source

Gemma and Alex's relationship: Their relationship was just plain WEIRD. I can think of no better explanation.I felt no spark.The romance was so flat.

They had a conversation which went like this:

Boy:You're pretty
Girl:Did you just call me pretty?
Boy:It kind of slipped out
Girl:...I think you're pretty too!
(*Excuse me for not swooning in delight over the romance *) 

At first I thought that maybe the author is not able to write a proper romance but she is very capable of it. Harper and Daniel barely had a relationship but their friendship/flirtation had spark.I wanted Harper and Daniel to be the main  characters and not Gemma and Alex.

Pace/Story is so slow....: It felt as if for almost 75% of the novel NOTHING was happening and if anything did happen it didn't hold my interest for more than 10 pages..Half the time I was thinking to myself "When will the good part start??" By the time the good part started I was just glad that there was a good part (I hope I'm making sense!)

Voice:I had a little bit of difficulty in understanding whose point of view the story was told from for the first few chapters.I thought it was from Gemma's POV and then there would be two paragraphs from Alex's point of view. Then the next chapter was from Harper's POV and so on. This really confused me.

Overall,I don't think I will be picking up the sequel but if I do pick it up it will be for Harper and Daniel.If you're dying to read this my advice would be to borrow it from the library or a friend.

My Rating:

2/5

Cover Alert!

I'm quite sure(about 99% sure) that  this book is not YA.

Just for Now (Sea Breeze #4)

by Abbi Glines 

The day Preston Drake figured out that wealthy women paid well for a set of tight abs and a pretty face his life turned around.

The run down rat-infested trailer he had shared with his alcoholic mother and three younger siblings was now only a place he visited to pay the bills and stock the pantry with food. 

He no longer worried about his family starving or living without electricity. The money he made entertaining rich older women more than covered his family’s needs and his own. He had it all figured out. Except…

There was this girl.

She was as innocent as he was tainted.

Amanda Hardy wished her knees didn’t get weak when Preston walked into a room. She hated the fact her heart raced when he flashed his smile in her direction. He had a different girl in his bed every night. He was the kind of boy a smart girl ran from. So, why was she coming up with ways to get close to him? Even when it was obvious he wanted to keep her at a distance.

Maybe her heart knew something the world didn’t. Maybe Preston Drake was more than just a pretty face.

Goodreads:  http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15778138-just-for-now

Abbi Glines links: Abbi Glines| Facebook| Twitter

What are your thoughts on the cover? Have you read any book by Abbi Glines?

Adult Book Review: On Dublin Street

This book is ADULT. It is not suitable for younger readers.

On Dublin Street

by Samantha Young

Four years ago, Jocelyn Butler left her tragic past behind in the States and started over in Edinburgh. Burying the grief, ignoring her demons, and forging ahead without any real attachments has worked well for her so far but when Joss moves into a fantastic apartment on Dublin Street, her carefully guarded world is shaken to its core by her new roommate's sexy older brother.

Braden Carmichael is a man who always gets what he wants. And what he wants is Jocelyn in his bed. Knowing how skittish Joss is concerning any kind of relationship, Braden proposes a sexual arrangement that should satisfy the intense attraction between them without it developing into anything 'more'. An intrigued Jocelyn agrees, completely unprepared for the Scotsman and his single-minded determination to strip the stubborn young woman bare... to the very soul.

Contains strong adult content. For readers ages 18+


Source: Author for an honest review!

My Thoughts:
Samantha Young is a great writer.Every time I read a new book from her I get amazed by her writing and storytelling skills and wonder why everyone hasn't heard of her already!

I had been dying to read this novel months before it's release and I was literally stalking this book's website.I had VERY high expectations from this novel and this novel almost lived up to my expectations.

As soon as I read the blurb I immediately thought up the entire story in my head.I was sure the book would be a light and predictable romance.IT WAS NOT.This disappointed me and thrilled me at the same time.It was also the reason that the book did not live upto my expectations because this book was completely and totally different from what I had expected.

The main focus of this story is not friends with benefits.The main focus is the main characters journey of self development and I LOVED THAT. This is not just a meaningless and fun romance.The main characters have depth and the main character,Jocelyn had a solid backstory.I connected to Jocelyn and I could relate to her problems.

Braden *SIGH* I loved this character.He isn't a rich playboy and he isn't a ruthless guy.He's normal flirty guy and he's nice .I love reading about nice guys who actually set the page on fire (There are so few of them around!) .One thing that I was really disappointed about was the fact that there was no chapter from Braden's point of view. (RANT: I WANT ONE ! I WANT ONE! I WANT ONE!!!!! PLEASE Samantha Young I BEG OF YOU!)

The best part about the book was the fact that I couldn't predict what would happen next. I could predict some parts but the author still managed to surprise me a lot!

Jocelyn can also be pretty sarcastic a quality I really admire! She's also a book enthusiast !

This is not a light novel but this book also has some great fun and sexy scenes so it's not very serious either.

Overall,I enjoyed this novel and cannot wait to devour the next Samantha Young novel.

FYI(For your information):It's losing half a star for not having a chapter from Braden's point of view.(If you hadn't noticed already I'm very sad about that fact)

My Rating:

4/5