Review: Broken Dove by Kristen Ashley

Title:  Broken Dove
Author:  Kristen Ashley
Series:  Fantasyland, #4
Publisher:  N/A
Release Date:  December 27, 2013
Pages:  kindle edition, 396
Rating:  

Far too young, Apollo Ulfr lost Ilsa, his wife, the love of his life and the mother of his two children. The grief of her loss does not settle in his soul, it solders to it. But when he discovers there is a parallel universe where his wife may have a twin, he feels there's hope and sets about bringing her to his world so he can have her back.

But Ilsa Ulfr of our world is married to the parallel universe's twin, Pol, who is not a good man. Not in any way. She's on the run from him and the last thing she wants is to be transported to a fantastical world and be forced to take his side as his wife, even if he is not Pol. And Apollo finds the broken, bitter Ilsa nothing like his beloved and he further wants nothing to do with her.

But darkness is looming and evil is amassing. Apollo must protect his land and keep his family safe, including the new Ilsa

I may attempt to cry. I'm just kidding, no really! I know that all Kristen Ashley's books don't work out for me. I guess it's just the luck of the draw. My issue's with BROKEN DOVE was that it was so incredibly boring and dull. And I have to add that the character connection was so not happening. There was no magic romance connection happening here. Zilch. Nada. None.

The beginning of this book started out wonderfully, but as soon as I got a third into it, it started dragging and I lost interest in a blink of an eye. I felt like nothing really happened. As far as the characters, I was not down with the way that Apollo decided to bring Ilsa back and then after a day or night, he completely abandoned her, because she is nothing like his Ilsa of his world. That really pissed me off. I can go on and on about how messed up that was, but I won't.

Oh, wait! And then his Second-in-Command shows an interest in Ilsa or Maddie as they call her, and suddenly Apollo decides to fight for her and make her his. Like Back off, she's mine. That only sent the message that, since another man showed interest in her he decides he needs to make her his. It was so jackass-like. Apollo did have his moments, but he has nothing on Dax Lahn and Prince Tor. Apollo didn't make me swoon with his utter romantic-ness in this book as much as the other two did in their books.

I do love Kristen Ashley and her books, but some of them just don't end up working out for me. I think some of the books that don't work out for me is because they drag on too much. Hopefully the next one ends up being better.

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Review: Fantastical by Kristen Ashley

Title:  Fantastical
Author:  Kristen Ashley
Series:  Fantasyland, #3
Publisher:  N/A
Release Date:  November 1, 2011
Pages:  kindle edition, 338
Rating:  

Cora Goode has woken up in a fairytale world where she can understand what birds are saying to her, men ride horses and have fluffy feathers in their hats and furniture zigs, zags and whirls in miracles of construction.

The problem is, she thinks she’s in a dream but she’s actually taken the place of the parallel universe Cora and without realizing it, our Cora does something that starts a centuries old curse that will sweep the land if she gets captured by the evil Minerva.

At this point, her dream world becomes a nightmare.

Luckily, hot guy, fantasyland Noctorno is there to save her from the clutches of the grotesque vickrants sent by Minerva to capture her. Unfortunately, hot guy, fantasyland Noctorno doesn’t like the Cora of his world all that much (to say the least) and he thinks our Cora is her. And no matter what our Cora says or does to try to convince him, he won’t be convinced.

But Cora needs Tor to keep her safe and guide her through this fantastical world as she hopes one day to wake up in her not-so-great apartment in her not-so-great life in her world. The problem is, the more time she spends with the gorgeous warrior Tor, the faster she falls in love with him.

“Quiet,” he repeated on a growl, “I’m about to fuck my wife and the only words I want her saying when I do it are ‘yes’, ‘Tor’, ‘my prince’, ‘baby’ and ‘oh my God’.”

FANTASTICAL wasn't all that great. Didn't dig the plot all that much. And I think that is because I had such high expectations due to how amazing the last book was. I mean, it could've been better than it was. But make no mistake, it was still very enjoyable. I am loving Kristen Ashley's Mega Swoon-Worthy Alpha Male Heros! They turn me on so bad!

Yet again, our heroine is thrown into an alternate universe world, and oh, man I am loving that plot! I always loved the time travel type books! So wickedly awesome! Anyway, The world/land this time is very fairytale like. Our heroine, Cora, can talk to birds, there are horses and hot princes. The Cora of this fairytale world is now in Cora's human/earth world. Cora learns that the Cora of the fairytale world is a bitch, so Cora has some work cut out for her because a lot of people hate her.

“Do you have to have the last word?” I snapped. “Yes,” he returned. “Jerk,” I gritted out. “Cow,” he returned. Oh my God! He just called me a cow! “I hate you,” I spat. “That feeling, my love, is mutual,” he returned.”

We have Prince Noctorno, who we just call Tor. And he doesn't like Cora of his world very much, so him and Cory butt heads a lot. And he doesn't believe her crazy story. They eventually begin falling for each other HARD. I think Cora and Tor are so adorable together. But man, these princes/kings in this Fantasyland series are so possessive. I get it, but man, oh man! We do have another act that I find somewhat unforgivable and cruel that our Prince does. I was totally hating on him a lot for some time.

So FANTASTICAL did have its moments, but like I said, I didn't dig the plot all that much, and I just didn't connect with it all that much, like I did with the previous book. And I did have major annoyances from our main characters a lot, with things they did and said. I did enjoy the ending a great deal! I think that was my favorite part of the book! But that being said, I can't wait for the next book! Awesome stuff is in the works.

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Review: The Golden Dynasty by Kristen Ashley

Title:  The Golden Dynasty
Author:  Kristen Ashley
Series:  Fantasyland, #2
Publisher:  N/A
Release Date:  August 22, 2011
Pages:  kindle edition, 421
Rating:  

Circe Quinn goes to sleep at home and wakes up in a corral filled with women wearing sacrificial virgin attire - and she is one of them. She soon finds out that she’s not having a wild dream, she’s living a frightening nightmare where she’s been transported to a barren land populated by a primitive people and in short order, she’s installed very unwillingly on her white throne of horns as their Queen.

Dax Lahn is the king of Suh Tunak, The Horde of the nation of Korwahk and with one look at Circe, he knows she will be his bride and together they will start The Golden Dynasty of legend.

Circe and Lahn are separated by language, culture and the small fact she’s from a parallel universe and has no idea how she got there or how to get home. But facing challenge after challenge, Circe finds her footing as Queen of the brutal Korwahk Horde and wife to its King, then she makes friends then she finds herself falling in love with this primitive land, its people and especially their savage leader.

“Circe,” he called and my eyes slid back. Then he shared gently, “There has been only one moment in my life when I have been happier than I am in this one and that was sharing the beauty your magic created while you told me you loved me.”

Drumroll to my first five star read of the year! And it was fucking fantastic! This would be my second Kristen Ashley book and I must say my first experience with her wasn't very good, but I had stumbled upon this book in the Goodreads Listotopia Lists and the synopsis sounded amazing, something that I would greatly enjoy, I read reviews and was pre-warned about the world inside this book and how it could upset me, so I went in open-minded and came out pleased!


“I could not dream a better you.” Oh my God. Oh… my… God. Did he just say that? I stared into his warm eyes. He just said that. And that was so sweet, so unexpected but so welcome, my breath arrested and all I could do was continue staring at him. He wasn’t done. “A better wife, a better queen. Not even in a dream could I create better than you.”

THE GOLDEN DYNASTY hit me with many emotions that wounded my heart as well as brought it back to life! Circe wakes up to find herself in another world where she is in a middle of the Wife Hunt waiting to begin. The Wife Hunt's purpose is for warrior's to find a wife. The women are let loose and the warrior's hunt them and they are claimed aka. raped by the warrior then and become their wife.

There are many aspects in this book that turn me off, but it is something that is the way their world is. Like, The WIfe Hunt, slaves, men being is control is normal. So like I said, I am being open-minded. Anyways, Circe catches the eye of King Dax Lahn, and Lahn is one sexy son of a bitch! He is all alpha, which I love in my men and he was sweet and all swoon worthy and he was a man's man, an honorable one. Circe was a freaking warrior princess! She is kind, sweet, strong-willed and determined. They were the perfect match!


"Then I whispered, "I love you, my Lahn," and heard the swift hiss of his intake of breath. Then he buried his face in my neck and whispered back, "Loot kay hansahnalay na, my Circe." And I love you, my Circe."

At the beginning, I did not like that Lahn and Circe could not understand each other. I felt like Circe, clueless most of the time. The translation was at the end of the chapter, but I had lost interest by then. I wish it was there in italics on the same page or something. Anyway, like I said, I didn't like it in the beginning, but as I read and read some more, their little interactions with each other were so adorable. And Lahn was determined to win Circe's heart. It was a challenge, but he was up to the challenge and planning to win!


“But what you did just now, taking your anger out on me when I did something in all innocence, I cannot and will not forgive. You do not know your own strength but it is formidable, so formidable it cows men but I am no man. I am a woman, your woman and you used all of it in violence against me and that, kah Dax, is unforgivable.”

Lahn does a few unforgivable things to Circe. Yes, the rape, claiming her. But the two more things that I was in a fit of rage in and I immediately go into RANT MODE! That's how attached I had become to this book, I"m so emotionally attached the characters, even a few side characters and this amazing world! Oh, god, how beautiful it all is! But I love how he compromises with Circe. That's another reason I have fallen so madly for him! Okay, you get it! I loved THE GOLDEN DYNASTY and I can't wait to read more from Kristen Ashley now!

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Review: Never Seduce a Scot by Maya Banks

Title:  Never Seduce a Scot
Author:  Maya Banks
Series:  Montgomerys & Armstrongs, #1
Publisher:  Ballantine Books
Release Date:  September 25, 2012
Pages:  372
Rating:  

Eveline Armstrong is fiercely loved and protected by her powerful clan, but outsiders consider her “touched.” Beautiful, fey, with a level, intent gaze, she doesn’t speak. No one, not even her family, knows that she cannot hear. Content with her life of seclusion, Eveline has taught herself to read lips and allows the outside world to view her as daft. But when an arranged marriage into a rival clan makes Graeme Montgomery her husband, Eveline accepts her duty—unprepared for the delights to come. Graeme is a rugged warrior with a voice so deep and powerful that his new bride can hear it, and hands and kisses so tender and skilled that he stirs her deepest passions.

Graeme is intrigued by the mysterious Eveline, whose silent lips are ripe with temptation and whose bright, intelligent eyes can see into his soul. As intimacy deepens, he learns her secret. But when clan rivalries and dark deeds threaten the wife he has only begun to cherish, the Scottish warrior will move heaven and earth to save the woman who has awakened his heart to the beautiful song of a rare and magical love.

"I love you, Eveline," he whispered, though he knew she could not hear him. "Somehow, I'll make you hear me and you'll know that I love you as fiercely as it's possible for a man to love a woman."

This was my first Maya Banks book and I have been avoiding this author a lot, I don't know why! But finally I have read one of her books and Holy Hell! I am in love! NEVER SEDUCE A SCOT was one of the best Historical Romances I have ever read! Maya Banks has become an immediate favorite and I will definitely be checking out more of her books! But I gotta say it again, I am in love!

The Montgomerys and The Armstrongs have been at war with each other for a long time. King Alexander II is sick of having two of his allies at war with each other so he declares that Graeme Montgomery and Eveline Armstrong will marry and hopes this marriage between the two will slowly bring peace between the two clans. Let just say everything starts as hell in the beginning, but eventually by the end peace definitely happens!

Then she turned her gaze on Graeme. "I know not whether she's afflicted or daft or whatever it is that's said about her. I only know that she's courageous. And whether she speaks or doesn't has little to do with the fact that she can communicate because she made it very clear what she wanted --- nay, demanded ---from me."

Eveline Armstrong is our lovely heroine of the story and she is such a beautiful heroine on the inside and outside. Eveline is loved, cherished and protected by her family. There is rumor going around that she is touched and defective by outsiders. She has not uttered a single word either since her accident. But the truth is that she just cannot hear. She is able to read lips. She accepts her marriage to Graeme. Eveline becomes attached to Graeme quite quickly and she becomes loyal to her.

He hadn't expected such a thing. Never would he have imagined feeling this way about the bride who had been forced upon him. As he glanced down at her golden head, he couldn't imagine it any other way. He didn't wait to imagine being without her.

Graeme Montgomery is our sexy hero of the story and Man, oh man! I couldn't ask for someone better! Graeme is definitely intrigued by his wife. He is gentle and kind with her and treats her like a treasure and desires her as a man should a woman. He is perfect and by the end, he loves Eveline so much that he won't let his hatred for the Armstrongs ruin what he has with Eveline. He loves her too much! Definitely my kind of highland hero!

She smiled. "I quite like you, husband." He blinked in surprise at her pronouncement. Then he laughed. "I like you, too, Eveline." Then he realized the one word she hadn't said and he was suddenly filled with impatience, wanting to hear it from her lips.

One thing I didn't like is the way that The Montgomerys treat Eveline. I mean, even after Graeme makes it known how she should be treated. It takes Graeme threatening to throw his people out of the clan for them to finally get it. I feel that Graeme should have pushed the threatening speech a bit sooner, but that is just me. But it was a fun ride for the hate to peace thing develop! Eveline gained respect from the Montgomerys by the end, so all is good! NEVER SEDUCE A SCOT was definitely a page turner! As soon as I picked up the book I could not put it down until I finished reading it! I am so very excited for the next book in this amazing series and hopefully release date gets her quickly!

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Review: Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake by Sarah MacLean

Title: Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake
Author: Sarah MacLean
Series: Love by Numbers, #1
Publisher: Avon
Release Date: March 30, 2010
Pages: 422
Rating:

A lady does not smoke cheroot. She does not ride astride. She does not fence or attend duels. She does not fire a pistol, and she never gambles at a gentlemen's club. 

Lady Calpurnia Hartwell has always followed the rules, rules that have left her unmarried—and more than a little unsatisfied. And so she's vowed to break the rules and live the life of pleasure she's been missing. 

But to dance every dance, to steal a midnight kiss—to do those things, Callie will need a willing partner. Someone who knows everything about rule-breaking. Someone like Gabriel St. John, the Marquess of Ralston—charming and devastatingly handsome, his wicked reputation matched only by his sinful smile. 

If she's not careful, she'll break the most important rule of all—the one that says that pleasure-seekers should never fall hopelessly, desperately in love.

NINE RULES TO BREAK WHEN ROMANCING A RAKE was quite an entertaining book and I enjoyed it immensely, but just not as much as some other romance books I have read. It didn't jump out at me or surprise me in anyway, but still, it was a good read.

I thought everything in this book was well written and was very funny and entertaining, especially the characters. I liked Callie and Gabriel as a couple, even though sometimes I got a little frusterated with them. But they just didn't work for me. I mean by the end of the book. I didn't 100% care for them all that much. I just felt like there was nothing memorable and unqiue about them.

I didn't see a real connection towards Callie's and Gabriel's relationship. I felt like he was attracted to Callie's innocence and with Callie it was that she had always had a thing for him and I don't know. It just didn't work out for me. The beginning started out wonderfully but the more I had, the more I got a little annoyed with the characters. But, the love scenes were lovely though and made your heart beat like crazy. All and all, I still liked NINE RULES TO BREAK WHEN ROMANCING A RAKE to some extent. It was still a good read.

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