Ruby's Books

*Disclaimer: I received an eARC of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. This does not influence my rating or the content of my review in any way.

It seems I have discovered yet another great series to get hooked on. This was my first Felicity Heaton book and let me tell you, I loved it.

There are some really cool things happening in this book, starting with the characters, which are really awesome, not just the main ones, but the secondary ones too, and with the various plots woven together. I loved the description of Hell, so different than what I've read before, and I love the fact that it truly looks like a place no one would willingly go to. I'm curious what other realms are there, besides Heaven, Hell and Earth. I also want to know more about the various creatures in this series, some of which we read about in this book.

I really liked reading about Grey and Lyra. Their stories are very different, yet I liked seeing how well matched they were. Grey is a very special tiger shifter, that unfortunately has been treated like crap by his pride just because he looked differently, which made me really angry. I loved how Lyra addressed that and showed him that he wasn't a freak, that he was beautiful because he was different. I was also sad for Grey, because, judging by what he tells Lyra about himself, you can see how lost he is, now that his sister found her mate, since he no longer needs to be the one in charge of her safety. You can really tell that that's basically why he went to Hell, why he's taking the risks he's taking, because he's lost and doesn't really know what to do with himself. I wanted to hug him most of the time, to be honest.

Lyra was a fantastic heroine. I love the fact that she's as much of a badass as Grey, and that she doesn't play the role of damsel in distress, when she really could and no one would blame her. I also loved the fact that once she learns about Grey's heritage, and understands that he doesn't know how to deal with some of his instincts, she doesn't hold that against him, but actually understands them and accepts the fact that he's not like other males that she's known and heard about, and actually tries to help him.

The major subplot, that I hope will be addressed in the next book, is one involving dragons. DRAGONS! *Allow me a moment to hyperventilate in an excited puppy manner* I really loved that, and I loved what Grey did at the end for one particular dragon, I thought that was really sweet and it showed how honorable he is, and how much his pride is losing for treating him as they did.

The book is really fast paced, I managed to read it pretty quickly, and I loved how the ending was neatly tied for Grey and Lyra, but also left the possibility of seeing them in the future open. I also loved the little hints towards the next book or books. I will admit I felt a little bit lost in the beginning, just because I wished I had more background information that is most definitely in previous books, but that didn't keep me from fully enjoying the story.

Based on this book, I can tell I'll be hooked on this series forever, because it reminded me of the older paranormal series, the ones that I so love and adore. So I'll definitely go back to the beginning and read this series in order, because I don't want to miss any details. So if you love paranormal romance, definitely check this series out if you haven't already.

*Disclaimer: I received an eARC of this book from InkSlinger PR in exchange for an honest review. This does not influence my rating or the content of my review in any way.

It seems that I've been on a roll lately discovering paranormal series that I need to read ASAP and that's making me super happy. I've only read Carrie Ann Ryan's contemporary books, and I am happy that I decided to try out more of her work.

As I said before, I love to see how each author describes the myth of the shifters, and while I don't know the full explanation included in the Redwood Pack/Talon Pack series, I liked what little I got to read about in Destiny Disgraced. The idea that there's an outside force, called the moon goddess, that blesses shifters with the mating and pack bonds was really interesting and new. I liked the fact that just because they received the blessing of the moon goddess didn't mean that they couldn't lose it, although some stuff revealed during the book makes me wonder about the motivation of this moon goddess. I am hoping she'll reveal herself during the next few books.

I also liked the whole mating concept. It wasn't the usual approach I've read time and again, which was really nice, and I loved the idea that Ryan introduced in her book. I'm very curious about how triads work, so I'm really keeping my fingers crossed that I'll read about that once I get to read the earlier books.

Mitchell was an interesting hero. His full story and his reasons for staying away from Dawn are revealed little by little during the story, but once you learn the full story, you can completely understand his struggle with this mating bond. It was tragic to read about, and you can tell that he has the potential of being a much stronger male, but because of his past, because of what he went through, he's truly scarred and hurt. And I found it truly amazing and it made my nerdy side really happy to see that some details from the cover of the book not only are they found in the story itself, but you also learn the why of it. Can't say more than that because of spoilers, but I had to say just that.

Dawn was also a very great heroine. I found that she was a truly strong female, one that had the potential to be something more but because of her Pack's story, she was lacking the opportunities for them. I ached for her because of that, because her true potential wasn't being fully explored due to something her ancestors did. I liked her spirit. I liked that she could be a badass and defend herself and her friends when they needed protection, and at the same time allow herself moments of vulnerability. She and Mitchell are a perfect match, really, and I was truly happy that they found themselves.

The interesting thing about this book, and I can only hope this is something that happens with all books, is that every now and then, you get a chapter told in some different character's POV. I found that intriguing, not just because it teases about the next book's main characters, but it also shows you just a tiny piece of the puzzle, just enough to get my interest piqued.

The story is truly well paced, and I managed to read it in one sitting. I found that although I knew nothing about this world, I was able to read without feeling lost. I felt the need to know more, but not in the sense that I couldn't understand what was happening or that I was confused by the lack of knowledge.

As I said in the beginning, I'm truly happy that I got to read this book and that I've found yet another great paranormal series. I plan on working my way through the Redwood and Talon series, while I'm waiting desperately for the next book in the series.

Disclaimer: I received an eARC of this book from InkSlinger PR in exchange for an honest review. This does not influence my rating or the content of my review in any way.

This series keeps getting better and better with each and every book that comes out and I can't help but fall in love with Sydney Smoke's players.

It was nice to read a book where the roles were flipped, where the woman wanted a no-strings attached fling, while the man is leaning towards a proper relationship, I found that very refreshing. I also loved how Andrews at one point goes to show how comfortable two people can get with each other, that it's only really a matter of perspective, really. Ryder and Juliet have very different perspectives when it comes to how they view their relationship, and it's really interesting to read about that.

I liked Ryder. He was very funny and very sexy, and I liked that he was honest about how he felt about Juliet even though she wanted none of those pesky emotions. I also loved what he did for Tiny. He's such a good man just for taking care of Tiny as if that dog was his. I also liked that he admitted he needed help in managing Tiny, which is not something that most people even think about when getting a dog.

Juliet's story was pretty heartbreaking, really. I do understand why she didn't want a real relationship, although throughout the book it was pretty obvious she was lying to herself the whole time by not giving the proper title to what she and Ryder had. That was the thing I struggled with the most, the fact that ultimately she wasn't being honest with herself and with Ryder. At the same time, I liked that she was open and honest about what she wanted from the start, she didn't lie about her intentions.

Before I finish this review, let me talk a little bit about Tiny. The book starts with Ryder being emotionally conned into taking care of Tiny, and it is incredibly funny to see how he struggled with that dog. On one hand, I laughed like a lunatic, because it is funny, especially when Ryder took Tiny for his first walk and the first morning together. On the other hand, I cringed a little bit, because it was like I was reading about my dog at times (the walking part). I felt super happy to see that Andrews did a fantastic job into working dog training into the situation, which let's be honest, is something that not a lot of people think about when getting a dog. So yay for dog training.

The book was fast paced, it was funny, and it ended almost too fast. I am in love with this series, and I can't wait for book 5, because I am definitely keeping my fingers crossed that there will be a book 5.

Review originally posted at Ruby's Books.

*Disclaimer: I received an e-copy of this book from Netgalley and Setta Jay in exchange for an honest review. This odes not influence my rating or my opinion of the book in any way.

Discovering new authors is such a fantastic feeling, especially in the realm of urban fantasy/paranormal romance. If the stories also happen to have even the smallest tie to mythology and ancient gods, then I'm the happiest reader ever.

I loved the concept of this series. The idea that the Greek Gods were punished due to them being mostly villains is so interesting. I liked reading about how the realms are divided, how the Guardians all have to protect them and make sure that the gods don't wake up. I also liked the story of who the Guardians are. My inner history geek squealed, to be very honest. I also loved the story of how the Gods came to be, or the little part of that story that the readers gets to read about. I am curious to see if the rest of the books in the series also show that and if they explore that aspect more.

I really liked Alexandra. Her backstory is really painful, and it's interesting to see how it still affects her, both physically and mentally. I found that her story was pretty unique, which I loved. Seeing how she had all that power, and yet there were things she couldn't prevent herself from doing or going through was an interesting aspect of her story. I liked her relationship with her brothers. She loves her brothers a lot, and you can really see that, especially with how she's willing to sacrifice herself to save them.

I liked Urian. I liked reading about his struggle to keep from contacting Alexandra, but I also enjoyed the twisted game they seemed to play with each other. It felt almost like a dare, like they were pushing themselves to see who would give in first. Urian is a pretty great Guardian, and I liked how dedicated and how loyal he was to his brothers and sisters. I liked how he helped Alexandra overcome some of her issues, but I would have also enjoyed seeing him teach her how to control what was happening with her.

There's a secondary plot line developing in this book, that I can only hope will be explored in the next books, involving one of Alexandra's brothers. I'm very curious to see what will happen with him in the future. The pace of the book was pretty good, and I am so, so excited to read the next books in the series. The book is also very sexy, which is always nice, and it didn't feel forced or over the top. The physical aspect of Alexandra and Urian's relationship was very interesting and I'm curious to see how that aspect will be explored with the other characters, if it's going to be similar, or if it's going to be very different. Basically I loved this book and I need more. If you're a fan of paranormal romance, you definitely need to read this book.

I won this book in a giveaway on BookLikes.

Oh wow. WOW! I don't even know where to start talking about this book. I so did not see that one coming! Okay... *deep breath* So here's the thing. I was so surprised by this book. The idea of this book was so new to me. I've never read about insomniacs before.

I liked the twists and turns, some of which I did not see coming at all. The pacing was fantastic. The author gives us tiny scenes from the past, to see how it is that Thora and her brother got to be patients at the Clinic. Those scenes were placed so well in the story, making the tension from the present time seem a little bit bigger, since I wanted to get back to Thora and her friends. And I loved the little quotes at the beginning of the chapters, which kind of set the tone for that chapter and gave an additional explanation as to what and why things were happening. 

I loved Thora. She was very sarcastic at times and very funny. She was brave, very brave in some situations where most people would have given up on everything. It was amazing to see how she would gather up whatever energy she had left and keep going, keep trying to find a way to get people to safety. She also knew how to be vulnerable and when to be scared, but also how to not let her fear overwhelm her. I was sad for her, because I kept wondering what the hell were her parents thinking about when they sent her to the Clinic. Why they were acting the way they did when they visited her and her brother. I did get to find the answer to that question at the end of the book, though it was so, so not what I thought it was.

I can't say much without giving the plot away, but the last few chapters were very fast paced. There were a lot of things that happened that were huge and that explained in a way what was happening to the insomniacs and why. The only thing I'm hoping is that a sequel is coming out and that it's coming out soon, because I absolutely adored this world and I'm not ready for it to be over.