Review: "Edge of the Falls" (After the Fall #1) by Nazarea Andrews+Bookish News!

Edge of the Falls (After the Fall, #1)Edge of the Falls by Nazarea Andrews
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Summary from GoodReads

In a world torn apart by science and war, an outcast finds love with a beast.
Sabah has lived outside the Commission’s control her entire life. But as she approaches the age of Majority, her guardian pushes her to make a choice: life in the wild with a boy she barely knows, or a place in the nearby City with Berg, the boy she’s known since childhood.
But when Arjun, a monster created by scientists, saves her life, everything Sabah knows begins to change. Hidden away from her life and family, Sabah finds herself trusting the beast when he tells her secrets and more—falling in love with a creature she’s spent a lifetime fearing.
But in a world where control is everything, and life is something you fight for—can a love that defies society survive?



 BUY ON AMAZON (click the cover)




REVIEW

When I first discovered that this author had written a sci-fi retelling of "Beauty and the Beast" I didn't bother with the summary! I dove straight into the story.

Here's what I discovered. After a nuclear destruction, the world has changed so drastically in way which reminded me the "Under the Never Sky" series. Sabah and Berg live inside the mansion of the Mistress, a woman with secrets who rules over their lives as also the lives of other smaller children.
Their world is also plagued by ban-wolves, fire lizards and creatures which seem to look like dragons.


When Sabah finds out that one of the ban-wolves, Arjun, is more than the beast the rulers, the Commission, believe, she will become torn between her life and the possibilities od being free.

Nazarea Andrews creates a dangerous, yet beautiful world with pieces of information being revealed over the story. We see everything from Sabah's point of view which also was the main reason I didn't gave my ultimate 5 stars. Sabah has many responsibilities and always feels torn between her duties and her feelings. Many times she questions herself to the point of being tiring as a character.


She quickly becomes a bargaining way for the wolves but her desicions especially towards the end of the book were too drastic for my liking. Of course she made me happy as a reader in the end.

I really liked Arjun. He is the definition of a "Beast" who has a gentle heart, is caring for his pack and for Sabah to the point of pushing her away for her own good. The story doesn't offers much from his point of view and I would love to 'hear' his voice in the next books.

There are more to tell, I am sure. For Nazarea Andrews, I don't believe it will be something she won't overcome. I only hope that she will make Sabah stronger in the sequel both as a girl and as a character.




About the author:


Nazarea Andrews is an avid reader and tends to write the stories she wants to read. She loves chocolate and coffee almost as much as she loves books, but not quite as much as she loves her kids. She lives in south Georgia with her husband, daughters, and overgrown dog.


I add all the books I read--I'm a little obsessive. I don't, however, rate or review all of them. I love talking about books, so feel free to say hi! :) 







                                                 OH AND ONE MORE THING!



I didn't realise that the second book from "A Darker Shade of Magic" series was revealed! I had a hard time writing a review for this amazing book but AFTER reading the new summary I am hoping for time to pass QUICKLY! The book will be published on 2016 but until then here's the book and the summary from GoodReads.








 .  


 Four months have passed since the shadow stone fell into Kell’s possession. Four months since his path crossed with Delilah Bard. Four months since Rhy was wounded and the Dane twins fell, and the stone was cast with Holland’s dying body through the rift, and into Black London.

In many ways, things have almost returned to normal, though Rhy is more sober, and Kell is now plagued by his guilt. Restless, and having given up smuggling, Kell is visited by dreams of ominous magical events, waking only to think of Lila, who disappeared from the docks like she always meant to do. As Red London finalizes preparations for the Element Games—an extravagant international competition of magic, meant to entertain and keep healthy the ties between neighboring countries—a certain pirate ship draws closer, carrying old friends back into port.

But while Red London is caught up in the pageantry and thrills of the Games, another London is coming back to life, and those who were thought to be forever gone have returned. After all, a shadow that was gone in the night reappears in the morning, and so it seems Black London has risen again—meaning that another London must fall




OH MY GOD! Look at the covers!!! I can't wait for more KELL/LILA moments!!! 

 






Release Day Blitz: "OFF BOOK" by Jessica Dall



Welcome to the release day blitz of OFF BOOK by Jessica Dall! We are introduced into a different kind of story which I hope will spark your interest just like it did with me!



About OFF BOOK: 
Twenty-year-old Eloise has learned all she can from the School, where characters live until joining their novels. No one knows genre and plot structure better than her, but despite her knowledge, she’s yet to be assigned to her own story. All her friends are off starting their lives with their authors—and if Eloise doesn’t get assigned soon, she’ll fade away, forgotten by all.

When she is suddenly offered a job at the Recording Office, she takes the chance to write her own future. Suddenly living among the post-storied, Eloise meets Barnaby Fitzwilliam, a former romance novel hero who hasn’t lost any of his in-story charm. But just as their relationship begins to get serious, everything Eloise has been taught gets turned upside down when she’s sucked into a novel she was never meant to be part of.

Now, caught where the only rules are made by the authors and truly anything is possible, Eloise must find her way back home—or else her life might end before she ever gets the chance to live it. Set in a world dictated by Authors, OFF BOOK explores the story beneath the stories we all know and love, taking readers and characters alike on an adventure just waiting to be written.

Start reading today! Find the book on AMAZON!


Release Day Trailer:





About The Author:

Jessica Dall finished her first novel at age 15 and been writing ever since. She is the author of such novels as Grey Areas and The Bleeding Crowd, the Broken Line Series, and a number of short stories which have appeared in both literary magazines and anthologies.

When not writing, she works as a freelance editor and creative writing teacher in Washington, DC.

 Find Jessica Dall on twitter, facebook, and goodreads.




So what do you think? What do you like most?

 

Release Day Blitz+Giveaway: "An Ember in the Ashes" by Sabaa Tahir


I am so excited that AN EMBER IN THE ASHES by Sabaa Tahir releases today and that I get to share the news, along with a special introduction from Sabaa herself!

If you haven’t yet heard about this wonderful book by Author Sabaa Tahir, be sure to check out all the details below.
This blitz also includes a giveaway for a signed copies of the book and some of those awesome sword letter openers we’ve seen around courtesy of Sabaa, Penguin Teen, and Rockstar Book Tours. So if you’d like a chance to win, enter in the Rafflecopter at the bottom of this post.


A letter from Sabaa Tahir.


Dear Readers,

Today, my “baby” AN EMBER IN THE ASHES is finally out in the world! From inception to pub date, this journey took eight years. And what a journey it was: writing, rewriting, revising, editing, querying, submitting; Meeting other debuts, bloggers, booksellers and librarians, and hearing their thoughts on EMBER. There aren’t enough superlatives to describe the radness.

And now, the book is here! I am so excited to see it in the hands of readers. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. To celebrate release day, I’m giving away two signed, first-edition hardcovers of the book. Details below!

All my best,


Sabaa

Title: AN EMBER IN THE ASHES
Author: Sabaa Tahir
Pub. Date: April 28, 2015
Publisher: Razorbill
Pages: 464
Set in a terrifyingly brutal Rome-like world, An Ember in the Ashes is an epic fantasy debut about an orphan fighting for her family and a soldier fighting for his freedom. It’s a story that’s literally burning to be told.

LAIA is a Scholar living under the iron-fisted rule of the Martial Empire. When her brother is arrested for treason, Laia goes undercover as a slave at the empire’s greatest military academy in exchange for assistance from rebel Scholars who claim that they will help to save her brother from execution.

ELIAS is the academy’s finest soldier—and secretly, its most unwilling. Elias is considering deserting the military, but before he can, he’s ordered to participate in a ruthless contest to choose the next Martial emperor.

When Laia and Elias’s paths cross at the academy, they find that their destinies are more intertwined than either could have imagined and that their choices will change the future of the empire itself.


Check out the book trailer!

About Sabaa:
Sabaa Tahir grew up in California’s Mojave Desert at her family’s 18-room motel. There, she spent her time devouring fantasy novels, raiding her brother’s comic book stash and playing guitar badly. She began writing An Ember in the Ashes while working nights as a newspaper editor. She likes thunderous indie rock, garish socks and all things nerd. Sabaa currently lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her family.








Giveaway Details:

2 winners will receive a signed hardcover of AN EMBER IN THE ASHES. US Only.

3 winners will receive a hardcover of AN EMBER IN THE ASHES and a Sword Letter Opener! US Only.

Ends on May 9th at Midnight EST!




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Release Day: "Compulsion" (The Heirs of Watson Island #1) Audiobook by Martina Boone





Release Date: 10/28/14
Narrated by: Joell A. Jacob
Length: 11 hrs and 29 mins 
Simon Pulse/Tantor Audio
448 pages

Summary from Goodreads:
Three plantations. Two wishes. One ancient curse.

All her life, Barrie Watson has been a virtual prisoner in the house where she lives with her shut-in mother. When her mother dies, Barrie promises to put some mileage on her stiletto heels. But she finds a new kind of prison at her aunt’s South Carolina plantation instead--a prison guarded by an ancient spirit who long ago cursed one of the three founding families of Watson Island and gave the others magical gifts that became compulsions.

Stuck with the ghosts of a generations-old feud and hunted by forces she cannot see, Barrie must find a way to break free of the family legacy. With the help of sun-kissed Eight Beaufort, who knows what Barrie wants before she knows herself, the last Watson heir starts to unravel her family's twisted secrets. What she finds is dangerous: a love she never expected, a river that turns to fire at midnight, a gorgeous cousin who isn’t what she seems, and very real enemies who want both Eight and Barrie dead.

Buy Links:

Listen to an audiobook sample:

Praise for Compulsion:
"Skillfully blends rich magic and folklore with adventure, sweeping romance, and hidden treasure . . . An impressive start to the Heirs of Watson Island series." —Publishers Weekly
     
"Eight Beaufort is so swoon-worthy that it's ridiculous. Move over Four, Eight is here to stay!"  —RT Book Reviews, RT Editors Best Books of 2014

"Darkly romantic and steeped in Southern Gothic charm, you'll be compelled to get lost in the Heirs of Watson Island series." —JENNIFER L. ARMENTROUT, #1 New York Times bestselling author

"A fresh twist on the Southern Gothic -- haunting, atmospheric, and absorbing." —CLAUDIA GRAYNew York Timesbestselling author of A Thousand Pieces of You and the Evernight and Spellcaster series 
    
"A stunningly magical debut with a delicious slow burn to be savored. I want to live in this story world!" —WENDY HIGGINSUSA Today and New York Times bestselling author of the Sweet Evil trilogy


"Beautifully written, with vivid characters, a generations-old feud, and romance that leaps off the page, this Southern ghost story left me lingering over every word, and yet wanting to race to the compelling finish. Compulsion is not to be missed." —MEGAN SHEPHERD, author of The Madman's Daughter

Book Two:
PERSUASION (HEIRS OF WATSON ISLAND, BOOK 2) 
Beautiful Creatures meets Gone With the Wind
As reporters chasing rumors of a stolen shipment of Civil War gold descend on Watson Island, Barrie Watson discovers more is buried at Colesworth Place than treasure. A mysterious, magical man claims the key to the Watson and Beaufort gifts and the Colesworth curse also lies beneath the mansion, and Barrie has no option but to help him find it. While she and Eight Beaufort struggle to make sense of the escalating danger and their growing feelings for each other, Barrie must decide not only whom to trust, but which gift is more reliable—Eights or her own. With the fate of the founding families at stake, she has to choose between what she feels deep in her heart and what will keep her loved ones safe.

Pre-Order Links:
IndieBound | Barnes & Noble | Amazon |  Book Depository | Goodreads

About the Author
Martina Boone was born in Prague and spoke several languages before learning English. She fell in love with words and never stopped delighting in them.

She’s the founder of AdventuresInYAPublishing.com, a Writer’s Digest 101 Best Websites for Writers site, and YASeriesInsiders.com, a site devoted to encouraging literacy and all this YA Series.
From her home in Virginia, where she lives with her husband, children, and Auggie the wonder dog, she enjoys writing contemporary fantasy set in the kinds of magical places she’d love to visit. When she isn’t writing, she’s addicted to travel, horses, skiing, chocolate flavored tea, and anything with Nutella on it.

Author Links:




Book Blitz Organized by:

Cover Reveal+Giveaway: "Eternal Sacrifice" (Mortal Enchantment #3) by Stacey O'Neale

If you're new to the series, this is the BEST TIME to check it out!!!


Stacey O'Neale closes her amazing series with the final book of "Mortal Enchantment"!
Follow below the cover reveal!!



THE SHADOW PRINCE & MORTAL ENCHANTMENT are currently available for FREE on Amazon from April 24th through April 28th. I promise, this the ONE AND ONLY TIME I will do this, so pick up your copies NOW!!!


And now, here is the cover of the last book in the series, ETERNAL SACRIFICE!!!
Drum roll, please...



EternalSacrifice.v2-Final.v2




 About the other books of the series 


This prequel novella is FREE and available on Goodreads, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble!

Every sacrifice has consequences.

Sixteen-year-old Rowan has spent most of his life living among the mortals—learning to control the element of fire, impatiently awaiting the day his vengeful mother, Queen Prisma, will abdicate her throne. When he finally returns to Avalon for his coronation, his mother insists he must first prove his loyalty to the court by completing a secret mission:

Kill Kalin, the half-human, half-elemental daughter of the air court king.

Willing to do anything to remove his mother from power, he agrees to sacrifice the halfling. He returns to the mortal world with his best friend, Marcus, determined to kill the princess. But as he devises a plan, he starts to question whether or not he's capable of completing such a heinous task. And what price he will pay if he refuses?
 





 “Mortal Enchantment spins a unique twist on elemental mythology. This series is not to be missed.”
Jennifer L. Armentrout, #1 New York Times Bestselling Author


In Kalin Matthew's world, elementals control the forces of nature. They are divided into four courts: air, woodland, fire, and water. At sixteen she will leave the life she's built with her mortal mother. Kalin will move to Avalon to rule with her father—the elemental king of the air court. Along the way, she's attacked by a fire court assassin and saved by Rowan, a swoon-worthy elemental with a questionable past.

Worst of all, she learns her father is missing.

To rescue him, Kalin will have to work with a judgmental council and a system of courts too busy accusing each other of deceit to actually be able to help her. But, they aren’t her biggest challenge. With the Midwinter’s Ball only five days away, Kalin must take over her father’s duties, which includes shifting control of the elements—power Kalin has yet to realize.

As Rowan attempts to train her, a war looms between the four courts. If Kalin fails, her father will die and the courts will fall, but the betrayal she’s about to uncover may cost her even more...





 It’s been a week since all hell broke loose…

Rumors of King Taron’s weakened powers have left the air court vulnerable. Kalin is desperate to awaken her akasha powers, except she doesn’t know how. Tension within the court is at an all-time high. Pressure is mounting for her to ascend to the throne, but a halfling has never ruled over any court. To solidify her position, the council has advised her to marry Sebastian—a high ranking air elemental she’s never met and her betrothed.

Will Kalin sacrifice her relationship with Rowan to strengthen her court?

Rowan and Marcus return to a fire court in turmoil. Liana’s death has fueled the fire elementals’ distrust against the air and woodland courts. The unbalanced elements have set off natural disasters all over the mortal world. Rowan takes the throne to restore balance, promising to unite the fire court. But not all elementals are happy with his leadership. Many are secretly loyal to Valac, which means Rowan needs to find allies for his cause.

Can Rowan unify the court of fire before the elements destroy the world?



About the author:


Award-winning author, Stacey O'Neale, lives in Annapolis, Maryland. When she's not writing, she spends her time fangirling over books, blogging, watching fantasy television shows, cheering for the Baltimore Ravens, and hanging out with her husband and daughter.

Her career in publishing started as a blogger-turned-publicist for two successful small publishers. Stacey writes young adult paranormal romance and adult science fiction romance. Her books always include swoon-worthy heroes, snarky heroines, and lots of kissing.

Stacey loves hearing from readers. Follow her on Twitter @StaceyONeale, look for her on Facebook, Pinterest, and Goodreads. You can also visit her blog at http://staceyoneale.com/.



As promised, here is the Gift Card CONTEST!!!



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Feature and Follow #250

Welcome to the Feature & Follow


Gain new followers and make new friends with the Book Blogger Feature & Follow! If this is your first time here, welcome! You are about to make some new friends and gain new followers -- but you have to know -- the point of this hop is to follow other bloggers also. I follow you, you follow me.

The Feature & Follow is hosted by TWO hosts, Parajunkee of Parajunkee's View and Alison of Alison Can Read. Each host will have their own Feature Blog and this way it'll allow me and them to show off more new blogs!

How does this work? First you leave your name here on this post, (using the linky tools -- keep scrolling!) then you create a post on your own blog that links back to this post (easiest way is to just grab the code at the host blogs and put it in your post) and then you visit as many blogs as you can and tell them "hi" in their comments (on the post that has the #FF image). You follow them, they follow you. Win. Win. Just make sure to follow back if someone follows you!


                              Question of the Week: 

How did you come up with your blog title and address? Does it have a special meaning for you? - Suggested by The Paperback Princess

 

                                                        My answer:

 

When I was little, I always loved the starry nights. When I grew up anf found out that there are more out there than what we see at night, I was amazed and mesmerized. 

 

Just like when I see the the displays on a book store! So "Milky Way" for my love of the universe and "Books" for my never-dying love for the written word!

 

 

 

Now for the Follow Fun!


                                                 FOLLOW ME ON GFC ON YOUR LEFT!!

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Alison Can Read

HAPPY FRIDAY!

Review: "Winterspell" by Claire Legrand

WinterspellWinterspell by Claire Legrand
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Summary from GoodReads

The clock chimes midnight, a curse breaks, and a girl meets a prince . . . but what follows is not all sweetness and sugarplums.

New York City, 1899. Clara Stole, the mayor's ever-proper daughter, leads a double life. Since her mother's murder, she has secretly trained in self-defense with the mysterious Drosselmeyer.

Then, on Christmas Eve, disaster strikes.

Her home is destroyed, her father abducted--by beings distinctly not human. To find him, Clara journeys to the war-ravaged land of Cane. Her only companion is the dethroned prince Nicholas, bound by a wicked curse. If they're to survive, Clara has no choice but to trust him, but his haunted eyes burn with secrets--and a need she can't define. With the dangerous, seductive faery queen Anise hunting them, Clara soon realizes she won't leave Cane unscathed--if she leaves at all.

Inspired by The Nutcracker, Winterspell is a dark, timeless fairy tale about love and war, longing and loneliness, and a girl who must learn to live without fear.



 BUY ON AMAZON (click the cover for the affiliate link)



    

REVIEW

 I had great expectations for this book. Since December 2014 when I first looked upon the book I was ready to grab it and lose myself in it. It is after all, a retelling of "Nutcracker".

When I began reading the book, I got to know Clara a young girl or eighteen, who lived in a mafia-running New York. Since the society status was similar to that of 19th century. I put apart my need to smack Clara for letting the people around her abuse her both physically and emotionaly. On the other hand, she got to train with Godfather who also happened to harbor feelings for her, which were bordering fatherly love and lust.

At the same time Clara felt attracted to the statue which was also something strange even if later was revealed that the statue was an actual boy.

The rest of the book was an emotional turmoil, full of a weak minded Clara who liked to treat herself as weak, to the point of not having any confidence for herself, as also feeling sympathetic to the villain of the book (and that was really awkard).

Nicholas on the other hand wasn't as princely as he looked. Despite his courage and need to save his kingdom he was also too easily consumed by hatred which also caused a major fall to the plot at some point.

BUT, the most amazing part of the book was the world-building. The book was saved because of the descriptions, the quick escalating of the plot towards the end and of course the ending of the book. Also the author has offred a continuation to the epilogue of the book which can be found on her site.

Overall, I would probably rate the book on 3.5/5 stars. Good, but I believe it needed stronger characters.



About the author:

Claire Legrand used to be a musician until she realized she couldn't stop thinking about the stories in her head. Now a writer, Ms. Legrand can often be found typing with purpose at her keyboard, losing herself in the stacks at her local library, or embarking upon spontaneous adventures to lands unknown. Her first novel is THE CAVENDISH HOME FOR BOYS AND GIRLS, a New York Public Library Best Book for Children in 2012.

 Her second novel, THE YEAR OF SHADOWS, a ghost story for middle grade readers, is available now. Her third novel, WINTERSPELL, will follow on September 30, 2014, with its prequel e-novella, SUMMERFALL, releasing August 26, 2014.

 She is one of the four authors behind THE CABINET OF CURIOSITIES, an anthology of dark middle grade fiction due out May 27, 2014 from Greenwillow Books/HarperCollins. Claire lives in New Jersey with a dragon and two cats. Visit her at claire-legrand.com and at enterthecabinet.com.

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Blog Tour+Giveaway: "Golden" by Melinda Michaels




Welcome to my stop on the Blog Tour for "Golden" by Melinda Michaels! We are having today the review of the book as also a giveaway!




About Golden: 

High school senior Hanna Loch just suffered a blackout in front of her entire homeroom class. She hasn’t had one in over ten years, and she’s terrified—the last time she blacked out, she woke up with no memory of her life before. To make matters worse, no one can explain why it happens. For Hanna, bad things tend to come in threes.
And that doesn’t even begin to cover it . . .
When she learns she could be a descendant of someone who lived once upon a time, Hanna must put her trust in William Vann, a descendant of one of the most hated villains ever known. Their histories are intertwined in more ways than she expected, and he has answers about her past, answers even her family won’t share.
But is it safe to put her trust in someone who appears to be danger reincarnate, while trying to escape the darkness that tried to kill her ten years ago?

A loose fairytale retelling, GOLDEN is a story that’s just right, weaving together lost secrets, vengeful enemies, and what happens when fiction becomes reality.


FIND GOLDEN ON AMAZON

BOOK TRAILER






REVIEW

I received an eARC from REUTS Publications in exchange for an honest review.

Fairytale retellings always was one of my favorite genres. Take Marissa Meyer and her Cinder series for example.
GOLDEN is loosely based on Goldilocks but in a more suspensful way. Hanna suffers from special 'fainting attacks' which result in a not so usual life. Afraid and worried for her situation, it doesn't take long for more foreboding people to enter her life and bring forth secrets well hidden.

Although Hanna was intriguing, I like William most. As a villain, or we think he is, tends to be more misunderstood as he tries to earn Hanna's trust. And with danger lurking around for both of them, they are going to need it. :)





About Melinda Michaels: 

Melinda Michaels is the author of Golden and currently lives in Milford, Pennsylvania. A self-proclaimed historian with a rare sense of humor, Melinda finds an immense amount of joy in knowing useless facts, exploring historical places and drinking copious amounts of coffee. When she’s not writing she can be found researching obscured time periods for her own amusement or refurbishing old furniture.
Melinda loves Philadelphia and visits often to enjoy the city with her husband Andrew. Together they have three rambunctious pets. Archie the Beagle, Winston the Boston Terrier and Beatrice the cat.
Golden is the first in a Young Adult magic realism series. Find Melinda Michaels on facebook, twitter, or her website.


GIVEAWAY




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Release Day Launch+Giveaway: "Asa" (Marked Men #6) by Jay Crownover



Asa RDL Banner  

 

 

Holy smokes!! We are so excited to bring you the Release Week Blitz for Jay Crownover's ASA! ASA is a New Adult Contemporary Romance novel being published by HarperCollins, and it is the 6th book in The Marked Men Series. We sure hope you're ready for this amazing book!

 

 

ASA
 

Amazon ** Barnes & Noble ** iBooks ** Kobo ** IndieBound ** Other

About ASA:

Jay Crownover’s New York TimesandUSA Today bestselling Marked Men series continues with the much anticipated story of southern charmer and certified criminal Asa Cross.

Starting over in Denver with a whole new circle of friends and family, Asa Cross struggles with being the man he knows everyone wants him to be and the man he knows he really is. A leopard doesn’t it change its spots and Asa has always been a predator. He doesn’t want to hurt those who love and rely on him, especially one luscious arresting cop who suddenly seems to be interested in him for far more than his penchant for breaking the law. But letting go of old habits is hard, and it’s easy to hit bottom when it’s the place you know best. Royal Hastings is quickly learning what the bottom looks like after a tragic situation at work threatens not only her career but her partner’s life.

As a woman who has only ever had a few real friends she’s trying to muddle through her confusion and devastation all alone. Except she can’t stop thinking about the sexy southern bartender she locked up. Crushing on Asa is the last thing she needs but his allure is too strong to resist. His long criminal record can only hurt her already shaky career and chasing after a guy who has no respect for the law or himself can only end in heartbreak. A longtime criminal and a cop together just seems so wrong . . . but for Asa and Royal, being wrong together is the only right choice to make.

Asa Teaser 2
     





                                                           EXCERPT:
 I pulled the Nova to a stop in front of a duplex that had clearly seen better days. It wasn’t a rusted-out trailer in Kentucky, but it might as well have been. I turned off the ignition and sat back in the seat so I could turn to look at Ayden. She was watching me carefully and I could see how frustrated she was with the entire conversation in the way her shoulders were tensed up and the way her hands had curled into tight balls on her lap. It was the way she used to look whenever I got into trouble and she had to do something desperate and drastic to get me out of it. I reached out a hand and put it on top of her fists.

“I died in that hospital, Ayd. There were no angels playing harps. There was no redemption and repentance. I died and it was very clear that I was going to get exactly the kind of fate I had been courting with all the messed-up shit I had been doing to other people. All I could see was every wrong I had ever committed and every bad decision I had ever made exploding all around me. For once I could see how all of that affected you. I was dying, and I knew what was waiting for me on the other side, yet I couldn’t go knowing that was all you were going to have to remember me by. I had to come back and give you something else to hold on to, some kind of good memory to go with the endless miles of bad I laid at your feet. I wanted to have the chance to show you I could be the kind of brother you deserved all along, so no, I didn’t save myself—you saved me. Just like you’ve always done for my entire life.”

I saw her bottom lip tremble until she snapped her teeth around it to keep it still. Her fists unclenched below my palm and she curled her shaking fingers around my hand and her already husky voice rasped with even more emotion when she told me what I think I had needed to hear from her all along.

“I have always been proud that you’re my brother, Asa. Yes, there have been times in the past I would have gladly fed you to the wolves, and it’s no secret that I had to leave home because I didn’t know what to do to help you anymore, but we both made it out alive and are better people for it. I know you’re sorry for the way things went down when we were younger, but I need you to open your eyes and take some credit for the way you have turned it around to make things the way they are now. I’ve long since come to terms with the Asa from my childhood. What I want to do is love the Asa that’s here with me now. You need to let go of those boulders weighted with all the bad things from past that are dragging you down before you get crushed under them.”

 It was eerily similar to what Royal had been telling me the deeper and deeper I sank in with her. I don’t think I was ready to let any part of those stones go just yet, but a sexy redhead was slowly and surely eroding bits and pieces of the rock the more and more time I spent with her. By the time she was done, maybe she would be able to carve out something that was worthwhile, something that didn’t eviscerate me to look at.

I leaned over enough that I could kiss Ayden right on the center of her forehead between her midnight eyebrows and I felt her let out a shuddering sigh. “I’m never going to let you down again, Ayd. That is the one and only thing in the entire world that I can promise and know it’s a promise I will keep.” We stared at each other for a long and silent moment. The seriousness of the words I had said to her and the fact that I could see that she understood that I really, truly meant them finally worked to absolve me of some of the guilt that seemed to suffocate me whenever I thought about the things she had done to keep me safe.

Passionate lovers are having sex in the bathroom
    


REVIEW

I received an eARC in exchange for an honest opinion.

Asa's story was one to be expected and I believe the best one to conclude this amazing series! As Asa tries to kive every day with the sins of his past, Royal, the police officer who had arrested him on the previous book becomes more and more intoxicated by him.

Their story has much more heartache and serious scenes than the previous books. Also we get to see how the rest of the characters are doing, since it seems that there is "baby boom" all over the story! Moreover, as the story progress, if you can notice that two characters appear: Zeb and Sayer. There is a special surprise at the end of the book for those two!

Asa and Royal are tortured but in the end love, trust and family becomes more for them than their own secrets. They save each other and that is I belive the most important message of this final book.


And don’t miss the previous books in The Marked Men Series!

 
Rule

RULE

 
Jet

JET

 
Rome

ROME

 
Nash

NASH

 
Rowdy

ROWDY

 

 

Jay Crownover  About Jay Crownover: Jay Crownover is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Marked Men series. She will also be introducing the dark and sexy world of The Point in a new series this summer starting with Better When He’s Bad. Like her characters, she is a big fan of tattoos. She loves music and wishes she could be a rock star, but since she has no aptitude for singing or instrument playing, she'll settle for writing stories with interesting characters that make the reader feel something. She lives in Colorado with her three dogs.      

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