Book Shelf: The Darkest Craving (Lords of The Underworld, #10) by Gena Showater

New York Times bestselling author Gena Showalter is back with a breathtaking Lords of the Underworld tale about a warrior trapped by darkness and the woman determined to save him.

Having endured weeks of torture in the bowels of hell, Kane wants nothing to do with his beautiful rescuer, Josephina Aisling. The half-Fae female threatens to awaken the demon of Disaster inside him—a beast he’s determined to kill, no matter the price.

Josephina is hunted by a brutal enemy—her royal family—and Kane is her only source of protection. He’s also the only male to ever set her aflame, and even he succumbs to the heat. But as they navigate the treacherous world of the Fae, they are forced to make a choice: live apart…or die together.

More info on Goodreads......


Review:

Kicking off the 10th installment in Gena Showalter’s ever incredible Lords of the Underworld series, The Darkest Craving features Kane, one of the demon possessed immortals, a tortured man and keeper of Disaster and the woman who finally manages to worm her way into his heart, finally bringing light into his otherwise difficult existence.

I am a massive Lords of the Underworld fan. Massive! Love, love, love this series. This is easily included in my top two or three PNR series ever. Hands down. Without a doubt. No contest. There’s something so alluring about this world and the characters that inhabit it and Gena Showalter’s talented ability to blend action with sizzling romance and humorous wit and sass never fails to ensnare me. Over the course of this series, I’ve come to care so deeply about the all characters as each of them fall in love and find happiness and the ability to re-visit them with each story only makes me love the series more!

Admittedly, I didn’t love The Darkest Craving as I did the previous book in the series or some of the earlier books, but it was still a fantastic read. Finally telling the keeper of Disaster, Kane’s story, Showalter continues her introduction of new characters to her already suburb lineup and sets the stage for future stories we’ve all been waiting on, including Cameo, Torin and William’s books.

I like Kane, I do. He’s a good guy and he’s been through a lot having helped rescue Legion and he was generally likable and easy to read about in The Darkest Craving. He’ll never be my favorite Lord, that spot is reserved for Torin and Lucian, but he’d still a good character. He’d faded into the background in a lot of the books, but in The Darkest Craving he finally has his moment to shine and shine he does. He’s a typical Lord through and through; fierce, brutal and self sacrificing—gotta love these boys!

I was actually surprised when we first meet Josephina at the beginning of The Darkest Craving. Sneaky Gena had us all thinking that Kane may be paired with a horseman (horsewoman) of the apocalypse, but that isn’t the case we soon discover. Again, I liked Josephina. She’ll never be one of my favorite heroines from this series, but she was still worth reading about. Showalter introduces us to a new side to her world as we meet Josephina’s Fae family and delve into her world. Snappy, sassy and quirky, Josephina is a sweetie.

I was a little bit disappointed with the connection and physical relationship of Kane and his “Tink” in this book. Don’t get me wrong there was nothing wrong with it really, but to me they were lacking the normal spark I’ve come to expect from Showalter couples. There was just something missing and it left me from really sinking my teeth into them as a couple.

What really has me excited are the beginnings Gena Showalter has set up for Torin and Cameo in The Darkest Craving. The prospect of a woman for Torin has me all keyed up and as for Cameo….Lazarus! Never saw that coming but boy am I excited. Can’t wait to see what Gena Showalter has up her sleeve next, but I’d bet my bottom dollar it’s going to be brilliant!

Rating:
Source: I bought
Format: Paperback
Buy it: Bookworld | The Nile | The Book Depository | Amazon
My Recommendation: This is one of the best PNR series out there--a must read!
Cover: It fits in perfectly with the other covers in the series.
Will I read sequel/continue with series: YES! YES! YES!

Book Blitz: Jump Zone: Cleo Falls by Wylie Snow- Exceprt & Giveaway!

Welcome to the Book Blitz for Jump Zone: Cleo Falls by Wylie Snow thanks to Xpresso Book Tours!

Today I have a super fun quiz to share with you as well as two giveaways--one for an e-copy of Jump Zone: Cleo Falls and the other the Tour Wide Giveaway :)

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All Cleo wants, all she’s ever wanted, is the acceptance of her tribe and the love of her family... and she almost dies trying to earn it. But the man who saved her, who found beauty in her flaws and loved her without condition, has cruelly betrayed her, and she’s dying all over again.

Was it all lies? His words, his promises, his kisses? Lost in unfamiliar territory, Cleo will fight the forces that conspire to destroy her homeland, even if she has to do it alone.

Libra longs for freedom—from prison, from pretense, and from his birthright... but he’s caught in a political game where only greed and power can win, and Cleo Rush is the pawn. How much is he willing to sacrifice for liberty? His morals, his principles, the woman he loves? No matter which path he chooses, people will die, their blood on his hands. And it could be hers.

To save themselves and their world, Cleo and Libra must overcome the double tragedy that binds their families in hatred. Together, they might live. Apart, Cleo will fall.

Add on Goodreads!

Purchase:

Amazon Kindle | Amazon Paperback | Kobo | Smashwords

JUMP ZONE SURVIVAL QUIZ

In the book Jump Zone: Cleo Falls, the inhabitants of the Taiga forests struggle to survive daily life in the northern wilds. Take this simple quiz to find out if you’re Taiga material…

Question 1
How many days can you survive without water:
· 1
· 3
· 5
· 7

Question 2
You’re lost in a northern forest and want to travel due south. Which indicator do you look to for help:
· moss
· sun
· anthills
· all of the above

Question 3
You should avoid sleeping on the ground for what reason:
· ouch - you’ll wake up with stiff aching joints
· the cold hard ground will zap your body heat
· avoid snake bites
· forest dirt leaves harsh un-washable stains

Question 4
Your weak from hunger and the insects are looking awfully yummy. Which should you avoid:
· slimy ones
· flying ones
· brightly colored ones
· ugly ones

Question 5
Thunder, lightning! How do you estimate the distance of a storm:
· Count the seconds between the thunderclaps and lightning strikes and divide that number by five to equal the distance in miles.
· When you feel the first raindrop, start counting the seconds until you hear a rumble of thunder, which equals the number of miles away.
· Count the number of lightning strikes in one minute to equal the distance in miles.
· Who cares! Get yourself under the biggest tree you can find and prepare to get wet.

Question 6
Oh no, you’re lost! But you know to implement the S.T.O.P. plan. Gosh… what do those letters stand for again?
· Sing Things Or Pray – when in doubt, hum a hymn
· Stretch Twirl Oscillate Pivot – keep moving, turn this adventure into an exercise plan
· Stop Think Observe Plan – don’t do anything rash, think this situation through
· Solo Time Operating Plan – you’re alone and it’s time to do all those crazy things you saved for when nobody was watching… yeehaw!

Question 7
You’re still lost, and night is falling. It’s time to build a shelter. Choose your spot:
· An open, highly visible area – the search party needs to find you.
· The edge of volcano - best place to keep warm!
· At the bottom of a dry creek bed – no hair-curling dampness to worry about.
· Close to a water source – you might get thirsty in the night.

Question 8
You’re stranded in a forest with only one item from your handbag. What would be the most useful thing? Choose just one:
· Hairbrush
· Nail file
· Lipstick
· Tampon

ANSWERS:
1 - B
The average person needs about 2 quarts of water per day to maintain good health. Going without water for 3 days spells death!

2 - D
All of the above! Though moss will grow on the north side of trees, it will be lusher and greener on the south side. Ants frequently build their nests on the south or southeast side of trees to take advantage of the warmth, and if you walk toward the sun precisely at noon, you’ll be headed due south.

3 - B
You’ll preserve your body heat by piling up a bed of grass, leaves or bows and getting yourself a few inches off the ground.

4 - C
Stop with the ick-face. Insects can be a great source of protein (pound for pound, as much as 3 times as much as beef!), but it’s a good idea to stay away from the bright ones, which could potentially signal poison or toxin. Leave the hairy ones and the smelly ones alone, too.

5 - A
As soon as you hear thunder, start counting – one Mississippi, two Mississippi, three Mississippi, etc… until you see a strike of lightning. Divide by five and that’s roughly how many miles out the storm is. And for heaven’s sake, don’t stand under a tall tree!

6 - C
Stop moving, sit down and relax, Think about your situation, how you got into it, how might you get out of it, Observe your surroundings, your supplies and/or tools, Plan your next move.

7 – A & D
Hopefully, somebody knows you’re missing (you DID tell someone about that wilderness hike, right?) so you should find or build shelter in a spot where the search and rescue team can find you. Though building too close to water can be hazardous (insects, animals coming to drink), it’s a good idea to stay fairly close as you need water to survive.

8 - D
You could probably find uses for all of those items, but surprisingly, a tampon is your best bet. The ‘Tactical Adventure Medical Preparedness Outdoors Necessity’ (see what we did there?), is a handy-dandy multi-purpose tool, summed up best by the good folks at The Art of Manliness (click the link, if only for the pictures of a man with a tampon in his mouth!): http://www.artofmanliness.com/2012/06/05/survival-tampon

Your score:

7-8 correct – you are a survivor!
4-6 correct – you may want to brush up on your outdoor skills before you leave the beaten path.
1-3 correct – Glamping might be more your style.
0 – stay home, lock the doors, you’re not fit to go outside!

Hmmm. I only got 5 right. Guess I need to brush up on my survival skills before I go spend any large amount of time in the great outdoors. Ha! And who knew a tampon could be so useful? Really?

In Her Own Words: Almost every author says they wanted to write from a very early age. Not me. I wanted to be a detective like Nancy Drew, or a wildlife expert like Jim Fowler or an archaeologist like Indiana Jones. Or have my own island resort and make fantasies come true!

I didn't do too badly with any of those...
I married a detective, worked in a zoo, explored ship wrecks instead of old ruins, and spent 18 glorious years living on a sunny island.

As for those fantasies...
I also write erotic romance as Wylie Kinson.
Happy reading!

Visit Wylie:

Website | Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter

For my own personal giveaway as part of the tour, I have 1 (one) ecopy of Jump Zone: Cleo Falls to give away! To enter simply comment with which format you would like and a way to contact you. Easy! Giveaway will run from today (September 15th) until September 29th :)

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Blog Tour: American Girl On Saturn by Nikki Godwin

Welcome to the Book Blitz for American Girl On Saturn by Nikki Godwin presented by YA Bound Book Tours!

****As I was setting up this post, I found myself wanting to read this book more and more, so in the end I had to get myself a copy of American Girl On Saturn. And you know what? I'm so glad. This book was fantastic, so I'm thrilled to be participating in the tour; I have an except and a tour wide giveaway to share!****

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The summer after graduation is supposed to be that first real taste of freedom - but not for eighteen-year-old Chloe Branson. Just as that breeze of freedom is making its way into her galaxy, her secret-service-agent dad drops a meteor-sized bomb of bad news on her and her sisters. An attempt has been made on the lives of Canadian boyband, Spaceships Around Saturn, during their USA tour, and the guys have to go into hiding ASAP. The only problem? In the midst of the crisis and media frenzy, their dad volunteered to hide the guys...in their house.

Six-year-old Emery is as ecstatic as any self-proclaimed Saturnite would be, but Chloe and her seventeen-year-old sister Aralie watch their summer plans crash and burn like a falling star. The SAS guys aren't happy with the situation, either. Bad boy Jules picks fights with Aralie about everything from his Twitter followers to his laundry, and heart-throb Benji can't escape Emery's fangirlisms for more than three minutes.

But after the super-cute Milo kisses Chloe during a game of hide-and-seek, she finally understands what Emery means when she talks about SAS being "out of this world." If this is what Saturn feels like, Chloe doesn't want to come back to Earth.

Add on Goodreads!

He reaches toward the tray and grabs the lone Oreo. “Okay, this is my last one for the night,” he says. “Half it with me?”

Seriously? If I wasn’t the envy of every Saturnite in the world just by sitting across the table from him, I’m definitely the envy of them now because the Milo Grayson wants to half his precious Oreo with me. And the thing that sucks the most is that no one knows about it to be jealous of me!

He holds the cookie up and waits for a response.

“Yeah, we can half it,” I say.

I reach across the table for it, but he jerks his arm back. The sleeve of his T-shirt hugs his bicep tightly, and oh how I wish to be that fabric.

“Not so fast,” he says. “Let’s make it interesting.”

Could this be any more interesting? Hello – you’re gorgeous and famous and sharing cookies with me! Any more ‘interest’ and I might burst like a firework.

“If you get the side with the cream, I’ll give you my honest male opinion about your checkout line drama today,” he says. “But if I get the cream side, you have to tell me, honestly, who you think the best looking guy is in Spaceships Around Saturn.”

Oh God. He’s for real. Does he know? He totally knows. He knows I’m lusting for him from behind this glass of milk and tattoo magazine. He knows that his eyes make me melt and that I clearly watch him on Twitter because I know all about amazzzzzing. Now he wants to make me ‘fess up.

“Deal.” I say it before I can chicken out.

I can always lie and say Benji’s name. He’s the fan favorite anyway. Benji Baccarini is Spaceships Around Saturn for so many girls.

He leans forward, positions himself over the table, and holds up that fated Oreo. I push my glass of milk aside because the last thing I want is to knock it over with my quivering nerves. Then I lean toward him, grip the cookie with my fingers, and inhale every scent of his body wash that I can while I twist my half of the Oreo away from his half.


Does this not make you wanna read more?!? It did me--I know which side she gets ;)

Want more yourself? Purchase American Girl On Saturn:

Amazon | Smashwords | Barnes & Noble | Kobbo

 
 
Nikki Godwin is a Young Adult author from the southern USA. She is a city girl who can't live without Mountain Dew, black eyeliner, Hawthorne Heights, and candles from Bath & Body Works. When not writing, she's not-so-secretly internet-stalking her favorite bands. She is slightly obsessed with rock stars and surfers. She no longer hides her love for One Direction.

Visit Niki:

Blog | Goodreads | Twitter | Facebook

1 signed paperback + swag (US only)

3 e-book copies (INTL)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

Thanks for stopping by for the tour!

 

Blog Tour: By Blood by Tracy E. Banghart- Excerpt & Giveaway!

Welcome to the By Blood tour thanks to Xpresso Book Tours! This tour is for both books in the series by Tracy E. Banghart, By Blood and Moon Child.

Today I have an excerpt from Moon Child to share as well as a tour wide giveaway to share! But first, lets take a look at the books!
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BY BLOOD: For 17-year-old Emma Wong, spending a summer in England should be a dream come true. Gorgeous scenery? Check. Lots of hot guys with accents? Yes, please.

 

Throw in an estranged mom, annoying new stepdad, and drooling baby half-brother, and it’s a disaster even her favorite cherry red leather jacket can’t fix. Even worse, there’s (hot) live-in research assistant Josh to contend with. The only thing more embarrassing than drunk-kissing him hours after they meet? Knowing he’ll be witness to her family’s dysfunction all. summer. long.

But when Emma meets a mysterious girl who happens to be a Druid, her vacation suddenly promises to be far more intriguing than she anticipated. Powerful rituals, new friends, an intoxicating sense of freedom...and Simon, the sexy foreign stranger she was hoping for. It’s all a perfect distraction from dirty diapers and awkward family dinners.

Trouble is, intriguing doesn’t often mean simple. And Emma is about to discover just how not simple her life really is.

By Blood is a novel about the ways that blood can bind us to others – or tear us apart.
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Purchase:
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MOON CHILD: Before Emma's adventures in Oxford, her best friend Diana came face-to-face with a killer...

Diana Calvert is so over high school. Who cares if Olivia hates her? And David needs to forget about having a crush on her STAT. Even Emma’s crazy fashion choices can’t keep Diana entertained. All she can hope for is a dance scholarship to a college as far away as possible from too-small, too-boring, too-nothing-ever-happens New Freedom, PA.

Then Diana meets Nicholas Woodhaven. He’s pale, angry…yet weirdly charming. The more time they spend together, the more she wonders who – or what – he really is. Because he isn’t anything like the other guys she knows. Not with the whole only-going-out-at-night thing. And living with his creepy aunt. And not going to school.

Just when Diana thinks she’s got Nicholas all figured out, people in her small, nothing-ever-happens town start dying. She has to wonder – can she trust him? And even more alarming – could she be next?

A murder mystery with a paranormal twist, Moon Child is best read under the covers with a flashlight...if you dare!

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Purchase:
Amazon | Barnes & Nobles

 

From  Moon Child.....

A strong gust of wind blows down through the cemetery and rattles around in the trees that line the wall. It brings with it the heady scent of wood smoke, and the wild darkness of fall swirls around me. It feels like Halloween; not the candy-coated, silly costume Halloween, but the mysterious, wind-blown, ghosts-are-walking kind. All Hallow’s Eve. If spirits are out there, if they exist, on a night like tonight they’d be restless.

I shove my hands into my jacket pockets and shiver.

The line forms quickly and somehow I end up next to Olivia and Jared, instead of Helen.

Tyler calls out, "Eyes out for the flashlights! When you get past the church, try to stretch back and find us, so we’ve got it all covered."

Olivia grabs Jared’s hand. Beyond them, Esther fades into the darkness.

Away from the spotlight illuminating the front of the building, the night closes in around us. Still, it’s not entirely dark; the nearly full moon has anointed the edges and tops of the marble stones with silver. Goosebumps race up my arms. I move closer to the stone wall. My eyes strain as I search the darkness for the small round cylinder of a flashlight. I try not to think about the bodies moldering beneath my feet.

"Do you guys think it’ll be, like, on a headstone or something?" I call, hating the way my voice shakes, as I carefully pick my way among the graves.

"Shut up, Diana," Olivia hisses. "You’re going to lead David right to us." She breaks the line, drifting closer to Jared. A few beats later, I hear a soft giggle. I want to call out to Esther, see what she thinks, but Olivia’s probably right. Yelling isn’t the best way to conceal our location. Plus, Esther probably wouldn’t answer anyway. Which would only up the creep factor.

The darkness is multi-layered, with the gray corners of headstones losing themselves in the black, skittering shadows of moving tree branches. I walk slowly, hands out, praying I don’t run into anything. Or anyone. Gulp. Every crackle of fallen leaves and hint of movement out of the corner of my eye sets my teeth on edge. Despite the crisp, fresh air on my face, I’m sweating.

Seriously, if David tags me, I might scream.


Relax, Diana. It’s just David. There are no real monsters in this dark.
The mantra plays in my head. I’ve known David forever, just like Helen and Tyler, and he’s as not scary as they come. Though, lately, it seems like things have gotten more complicated between us. Helen thinks he’s got a crush on me. All I know is that he’s really awkward when we’re together now, and I never know what to say either. I wish I liked him back, or knew how to let him down easy, but all I seem able to do when he’s around is leave.

Another soft giggle sweeps along the breeze. I look toward Olivia. We’ve reached the end of the church now and should move to close the space behind the building, but she’s already far away, and really, the cemetery is too large for eight of us to cover. I don’t see any sign of Matthew. Knowing him, he’s skipped the game altogether and gone off to sneak a smoke. Honestly, I kind of hope he has. I’d rather not run into him out here. Like the graveyard, he’s plenty spooky in broad daylight…and downright scary in the dark.

Ever since I caught him drawing bloody torn-off hands in his notebook in seventh grade, I’ve steered clear. He’s the last guy you’d expect to work in a flower shop, but rumor is, it’s the only place in town that would hire him. And Pastor Richardson has a strict rule about his sons working part-time jobs. I guess it’s one of those parent things – builds character or whatever.

My lip twitches at the image of spiky Matthew Richardson arranging flowers, and I keep moving, buoyed for the moment.

A disappointed groan in the distance makes me jump; I guess David’s tagged somebody. I pause, trying to decide whether to go closer to the others or head away from the group towards the graveyard wall.

Another strange noise gets me moving. Alright, that’s it. I aim for the darker line of shadows along the wall. So what if I don’t find the flashlight? If I was on Tyler’s side, with him and Helen, it’d be different. But now, on my own out here…my wussy inclinations are overwhelming. No one’s going to know if I slip over that wall and into the parking lot. I can wait out the game under a streetlight, away from the sighing wind and sleeping corpses.

A sudden burst of wind explodes behind me and I let it push me forward, faster and faster.

Just as I’m about to reach the wall, the toe of my sneaker catches on a low, flat grave marker. I fall forward, arms flailing. Please don’t let me break an ankle. I try to get my hands out. I’ve gotta be able to dance. Panic closes my throat. This can’t be happening. I brace for impact.

Ooomph. Something stops me with a jerk, but it’s not the ground…it’s more like a stick or an arm, pressing against my breasts. I rock back with a thud against someone.

Or some thing?

A sudden, blinding vision of rotting corpse arms embracing me drowns every rational brain cell. I open my mouth to scream my fool head off.

"Ow!" A voice grunts just above my ear.

I swallow the scream. Somehow, that ow brings me back to reality. And a realization.

It’s got to be David. Duh. The stupid game. The Grog. Of course. And he’s not only tagged me but copped a feel while doing it! I push away and look up, ready to give him hell.

The guy’s face glows pale in the light of the moon. Shadows crowd beneath stark cheekbones, exposing the shape of skull beneath the skin.

Oh God. That’s not David.

"Who the hell are you?" I ask, and the wind sucks the words away.

Tracy E. Banghart is a cheesy movie–loving, fantasy football–playing (go Ravens!), globe-trotting Army wife who began “practicing” her craft at the age of five, when she wrote her first story. She loves visiting the international friends she met while pursuing her MA in Publishing and spends a portion of every summer at her family’s cabin in Canada, where she finds inspiration and lots of time to relax on the dock. She lives with her husband, son, two lazy dogs and one ornery cat. When not writing or spending time with her family, she is on a mission to bake the perfect cupcake.

Visit:
Website | Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter

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These books sound fantastic! I for one plan to add them to my TBR list ASAP!  

 

Waiting on Wednesday #47

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking The Spine where you can spotlight an upcoming release that you're eagerly anticipating.

This week I'm waiting on.....

All That Glows by Ryan Graudin
Releases on: February 11th 2014
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Emrys—a fiery, red-headed Fae—always embraced her life in the Highlands, far from the city’s draining technology, until she’s sent to London to rejoin the Faery Guard. But this isn’t any normal assignment—she’s sent to guard Prince Richard: Britain’s notorious, partying bad boy and soon-to-be King. The prince’s careless ways and royal blood make him the irresistible for the dark spirits that feed on mortals. Sweet, disheveled, and alive with adventure—Richard is one charge who will put Emrys’s magic and heart to the test.

When an ancient force begins preying on the monarchy, Emrys must hunt through the London’s magical underworld, facing down Banshees, Black Dogs and Green Women to find the one who threatens Richard’s life. In this chaos of dark magic, palace murders and paparazzi, Emrys finds herself facing an impossible choice. For despite all her powers, Emrys has discovered a force that burns brighter than magic: love.

Thoughts:
I love fae/faerie tales and I'm always looking for a great new one. All That Glows could be it with it's fantastic sounding description and stunning cover! Very excited for this one!

What do you think? Will you be adding All That Glows to your TBR list?

Book Shelf: Body & Soul (The Ghost and the Goth #3) by Stacey Kade

The Ghost
I’ve been trapped in the body of Lily “Ally” Turner for a month now. Talk about a fashion crisis on an epic scale. What worries me more, though, is sometimes I catch Will looking at me like he thinks I’m Lily...or that he wishes I were. Without the good looks of my former self, I don’t know who I am, or if who that is is good enough. I need out of this mess. Now.

Will and I have been looking for a solution, one that would separate me from Lily without killing her. But it’s not going well. Then, when it seems like things couldn’t get any worse, we run into Misty, my former best friend and boyfriend-stealer extraordinaire, who claims she’s being haunted...by me. Seriously?

I’m determined to get to the bottom of who’s pretending to be the spirit of Alona Dare (while I’m pretending to be someone else) and then get the heck out of this body. Or die trying...

The Goth
I’ll admit it. It’s really weird to look at Alona but see Lily. I do know the difference, though, contrary to what Alona might be saying. And Alona is more than a pretty face to me, not that she would believe that.

Our one lead for some help in this messed up situation might be a page torn from the yellow pages-—the “Psychics” section-—I found in my dad’s stuff. One of the “fakes” seems a bit more real-—and odd-—than the others. Before I can investigate further, though, Alona is off and chasing a ghost that’s probably nothing more than a figment of Misty’s guilty imagination. Now Lily’s family is freaking out because she didn’t come home, my mom is ordering me to stay out of it, and something is definitely wrong with the person formerly known as Lily “Ally” Turner....

More info on Goodreads.....


Review:

Body and Soul marks the end of the Ghost and the Goth trilogy and it does not disappoint, going out with an exciting ending; exactly what fans were hoping for!

I thoroughly enjoyed this series! It’s so fun and engaging and the two main characters have such a fantastic dynamic together. Personally, I would have been thrilled to read book after book about Will and Alona’s adventures! Stacey Kade tells such fun stories about these two and the things they get up to and deal with never fail to entertain me; they put a smile on my face constantly and I’m truly sad to see the series end.

Body and Soul picks up not long after the killer ending of Queen of the Dead where ghost Alona finds herself still trapped in the body of Lily “Ally” Turner and living her life. I really liked this plotline and the way it moved along. While a lot of things weren’t outright surprising and were occasionally predictable, the writing and the story still had me hooked. I was addicted every time I picked up a Ghost and Goth novel and this one was no different. Will and Alona have both come such a long way, but they’re still the fantastic characters they’ve always been. The chemistry is still electric and while they’re both so different they’re closer than ever.

I seriously love Alona. And I was really worried I wouldn’t when I first began the series but boy was I wrong! I love this girl—love, love, love her! Alona is one of those characters you’ve can’t help but adore despite their occasionally selfish attitude and their flaws. One thing that was so wonderful was how much Alona grew and the person she became throughout the course of the series. She was always more than what people saw on the outside, but over the course of the three books Alona saw a whole new side of life as she got to know Will more and then found herself becoming “Ally”. Even when she made mistakes or made bad choices, she was always trying to be better and that’s so incredible admirable! Her smart mouth and sarcastic take on things blended so well with her occasionally snotty attitude that her relationship with Will and the way they interacted never failed to make me giddy. They were so cute.

And of course Will is just awesome—I want a Goth boy like him! Will Killian was a great male lead to read about. Stacey Kade wrote his voice so well that it was so incredible easily to slip into his head throughout the course of the duel told series. It was nice to see a male lead that wasn’t so all-star but rather what you’d expect from a typical teenager. Granted he was more than capable of holding his own against Alona verbally despite having his vulnerabilities when it came to ghosts and being a ghost-talker.

The relationship that developed between Alona and Will is one of my favorites! They’re such opposites and seeing them attracted to each other in the way they grow to be is the highlight of the series in my eyes. Naturally, before Alona’s death they’d never really spoken to one another, but with her death Alona has no choice to turn to Will and from then on an unexpected friendship and bond develops. One of the things that make these two such a great couple in my eyes are the sparks they set off. They have their quorums with one another and bicker often, but Stacey writes such a sweetly developing friendship and then romance that it just works. They come to rely on one another so deeply and trust each other more than anyone that it’s impossible not to feel the strength their relationship has and the power of it. It’s not an I-cannot-live-without-you relationship but rather I-really-don’t-want-to. Plus, it develops over time so it’s not too strong or unbelievable.

Blending together high school drama with friendship and the supernatural, Kade tells a fantastic story of love, friendship and the power of life after death with this series! Body and Soul brings about a perfect ending to a narrowly underrated series and leaves all of us fans exceptionally satisfied!


Rating:
Source: I bought
Format: Hardback
Buy it: Bookworld | The Nile | The Book Depository | Amazon
My Recommendation: Read it! If you enjoy fun, sassy ghost tales then this is the series for you!
Cover: Love it! All the covers in this series have been awesome!
Will I read sequel/continue with series: This is the last book in this series, but I can't wait to read what Stacey Kade releases next!

Blog Tour: Gargoyle Addiction by Livia Oltean- Excerpt and Giveaway

Welcome to the Gargoyle Addiction by Livia Oltean blog tour thanks to Xpresso Book Tours!

Today as part of the tour I have an excerpt to share with you as well as an e-copy to give away!

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Summonari don’t trust. Under their command, they summon any number of creatures from the Otherwolds—but never trust them outside of the summoning.

Gargoyles don’t love. Fierce descendants of dragons, they function on power and fear—never love.

Karla isn’t the happily-ever-after type of girl. No territory-hungry guy is going to stick flags all over her unclaimed grounds. Kann’s world is death and betrayal. As Dar Primus of Haus Varis, he’s expected to follow tradition but he’s not your regular gargoyle. In fact, he’s anything but.

One fateful Friday night, Otherworlds collide. Stuck together in one world or another, Karla and Kann face everything from Awakenings and turbulent love to Festnavals and bloodthirsty scorned suitors. If there’s one thing they can’t escape, it’s the addiction to each other. And they’ve got it bad.

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I wasn’t the happily-ever-after girl; I’d known that for a good while. Becoming the adorable housewife or the poster girl for mommy of the month would be someone else’s job, never mine. Considering my family history, I’d most likely die before age thirty-five. I couldn’t have kids thanks to a stupid accident from when I was ten. Sure, men drooled to flag my territory first thing when we met, it was their thing. Mike thought it had to do with my responsible aura and good karma, but my karma sucked if you asked me. I was false advertisement: my grounds were barren and the structures would implode in a couple years. Best-case scenario, the guy would fall for me…and I’d be crushed to give him the ‘good’ news. Worst-case scenario, I’d fall for him and he’d leave well before that particular confession point. Either way, it wasn’t looking like much of a plan.

 

I shook my head. “You know, if you’re that desperate to find him a date we can always put up some ad or something. They have places online for that, too. Plus I’d hate to see how that blonde’s lips would twitch at the news you were trying to hook me up with her sugar daddy.”

 

“Karla…I just want you to be happy. And I would be happy to know my knucklehead of a brother has someone like you to go home to.”

 

My eyes fixed on the moon. “I am happy with things as they are. You’re my best friend and I love you—you know that. But just because you found the perfect guy for you doesn’t mean you’re on this sacred mission to pair off everyone you know.”

 

He snorted, obviously unimpressed with my deflecting skills. Well I just had to bring in the big guns, then.

 

“Is Joseph coming home tonight?”

 

It was a sly counter-attack. Joseph—my boss and his lover—was a renowned workaholic. He was the epic in the all-stars hall of workaholic-ness. I knew—I was Joseph’s personal assistant after all. The man was the type who forgot to eat if you didn’t pester him with breakfast, lunch and dinner. Since my personal leave was starting Monday, I wondered if he’d die of starvation.

 

“He said he’d be home sometime tonight…” Mike muttered.

 

 

Livia lives in Europe where she listens to obscene amounts of music and devours every reading material in sight. When she’s not doing either of the two, she fiddles with anything remotely customizable within reach.

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As previous mentioned, I have 1 (one) ecopy of Gargoyle Addiction to give away! To enter simply comment with which format you would like and a way to contact you. Easy! Giveaway will run from today (September 9th) until September 23rd :)