I hope you've completed Wicked Ride because the latest #3Blogger1Series read-along discussion is now available! Listen to this podcast episode as Casey, Nicola, and I give our unfiltered thoughts on Wicked Ride, the first book in the Realm Enforcers series by Rebecca Zanetti.
Find out if we all loved it or not! Even hear our individual ratings at the end of the episode. Read the next book, Wicked Edge in February, and check out our conversation at the end of the month. If you need to play catch up, go ahead and read both books before the next discussion is published. Learn more about the read-along here! I hope you enjoy the episode! Feel free to comment about it here on this post, or on Twitter using the hashtag #3Bloggers1Series. |
Read-Along Discussion of Wicked Ride (Realm Enforcers #1), by Rebecca Zanetti | #3Bloggers1Series1/31/2018
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Publisher: NAL
Release Date: April 4, 2017 Format: ebook (Kindle) Pages: 544 Source: Amazon Genre: Paranormal Romance, Urban Fantasy Review Date: June 12, 2017 Rating: 3 bookmarks Synopsis: Xcor, leader of the Band of Bastards, convicted of treason against the Blind King, is facing a brutal interrogation and torturous death at the hands of the Black Dagger Brotherhood. Yet after a life marked by cruelty and evil deeds, he accepts his soldier’s fate, his sole regret the loss of a sacred female who was never his: the Chosen Layla. Layla alone knows the truth that will save Xcor’s life. But revealing his sacrifice and his hidden heritage will expose them both and destroy everything Layla holds dear—even her role of mother to her precious young. Torn between love and loyalty, she must summon the courage to stand up against the only family she has for the only man she will ever love. Yet even if Xcor is somehow granted a reprieve, he and Layla would have to confront a graver challenge: bridging the chasm that divides their worlds without paving the way for a future of even greater war, desolation, and death. As a dangerous old enemy returns to Caldwell, and the identity of a new deity is revealed, nothing is certain or safe in the world of the Black Dagger Brotherhood, not even true love . . . or destinies that have long seemed set in stone.
I'm still enjoying this series, despite the three bookmark rating. When I first closed the book, I was at a four, but since then, I've had time to think about it and settle into my thoughts on The Chosen and my issues with the book which decreased my rating to a three.
Not many series can go on for this long and the author still manage to consistently deliver books that the fans love to argue over. Ward has done it. Her BDB fans stay interested and waiting for the next book year after year. The series is still strong and I'm all in. I just wish a few things were different in The Chosen. This story picks up exactly where The Beast ends. This installment centers around Layla and Xcor most, and to be brutally honest, I don't love them together. I don't really even like either of their characters, but I still enjoyed this book because of everyone else in the story. Blay and Qhuinn have a very substantiation part in this book. Not to forget Lassiter, Throe, Torhment, Vishous, and the King. They all have prominent parts in this installment and they added lots to the book. Without them, I fear I would find Layla and Xcor too boring.
I'm happy to be reviewing one of my favorite genres today. If you're a subscriber to my blog, then you know that I love an addictive Urban Fantasy or Paranormal Romance series. Want to see what I thought of the first two books before continuing? Click here to read my review of Seven Years. Click here to read my review of Six Months. Read on to find out why Five Weeks earned a 4 bookmark rating!
Publisher: Dannika Dark | Tantor Audio
Release Date: March 25, 2014 (Audiobook: December 2, 2014) Format: Audio MP3 Pages: ebook: 340 pages | Audio Length: Approx 12 hours Narrator: Nicole Poole Source: Audible Genre: Paranormal Romance, Urban Fantasy Review Date: April 5, 2017 Rating: 4 bookmarks Synopsis: Destiny will find you. Izzy has always loved the freedom and adventure of life on the road, but she’s recently decided to settle down—as much as a rogue wolf can. When her boyfriend gets her a job working at a hot Shifter bar, she runs into the last person on earth she expected to see again. Jericho isn’t the famous rock star he once was, though he still plays in a local band and loves to party. Beautiful women come and go, but music is his only passion—until a sassy redhead named Isabelle Monroe shows up unexpectedly. Fate reunites two former friends living with one foot in the present and the other in the past. But will they have a future when one of them is forced to choose between life and death? Old habits die hard, and sometimes the toughest addictions to shake are the ones that control our hearts.
Izzy Monroe gets a job at a local shifter bar being reunited with the man she could never forget, Jericho. This story is one that I appreciated because they have a history, they are both wolves in the community, and know what and who they are. Which essentially puts them on equal footing.
I'm not one to gravitate towards a story about a musician - but Jericho was fun to read about. Obviously I had to read this since it's a part of the series, but I'm also glad that I did. I like Jericho. He's one of the Cole brothers in the Weston Pack, a former famous rock star, now a local musician that tries to keep things low-key. He's not perfect, but he also shows his strength as he's really changed his life around. He came out of an addictive situation that a lot musicians deal with. Drugs, women, etc. It was all bad for him. At the root of it, he's a good guy and he proves that over and over in this book.
I'm happy to be reviewing one of my favorite genres today. If you're a subscriber to my blog, then you know that I love a addictive Urban Fantasy or Paranormal Romance read. Want to see what I thought of the first bookfirst? Click here to read my review of Seven Years. I really enjoyed it, so I couldn't wait to jump into the second installment of the Seven series by Dannika Dark. Read on to find out why Six Months earned a 4 bookmark rating!
Publisher: Dannika Dark | Tantor Audio
Release Date: March 25, 2014 (Audiobook: December 2, 2014) Format: Audio MP3 Pages: ebook: 340 pages | Audio Length: Approx 12 hours Narrator: Nicole Poole Source: Audible Genre: Paranormal Romance, Urban Fantasy Review Date: January 25, 2017 Rating: 4 bookmarks Synopsis: April Frost is a compassionate young woman with a steady job and ambitious goals. But the harder she runs away from her past, the more it threatens to destroy her. When three strangers enter her life, April is forced to face her demons and it's a battle she may not win. Private investigators in the Breed world are men who take risks, and Reno Cole is no exception. As a Shifter, he's expected to control his inner animal. But lately his wolf has been venturing dangerously close to the city, and he's about to discover why. When Reno is reintroduced to a family friend, the attraction is immediate. April captivates him with her secretive eyes and resilient spirit. She's also in trouble, and despite the fact she's a human, Reno can't turn his back on her. April is caught between two worlds: One that threatens to bury her dreams and another that could fulfill them. Can she trust the wolf at her door and find the courage to overcome her demons?
I’m loving this series more and more with every installment. This book was all about Lexi and Reno. He’s really a protector in the way that most heroes are. While he’s not that Alpha, Austin is (from book 1, Seven Years), he’s still got those protective instincts especially when it comes to April.
Torn was a strong follow up to Wicked. Read on to find out why I recommend A Wicked Saga for Jennifer Armentrout fans. Haven't started the trilogy yet? Click here to read my review of Wicked (book 1) first.
Publisher: Self Published (Amazon)
Release Date: July 19, 2016 Format: Kindle ebook Pages: 299 pages Source: Amazon Genre: Fantasy, Paranormal, Urban Fantasy, New Adult Review Date: January 23, 2017 Rating: 4 bookmarks Synopsis: Torn between duty and survival, nothing can be the same. Everything Ivy Morgan thought she knew has been turned on its head. After being betrayed and then nearly killed by the Prince of the Fae, she’s left bruised and devastated—and with an earth-shattering secret that she must keep at all costs. And if the Order finds out her secret, they’ll kill her. Then there’s Ren Owens, the sexy, tattooed Elite member of the Order who has been sharing Ivy’s bed and claiming her heart. Their chemistry is smoking hot, but Ivy knows that Ren has always valued his duty to the Order above all else—he could never touch her if he knew the truth. That is, if he let her live at all. Yet how can she live with herself if she lies to him? But as the Fae Prince begins to close in, intent on permanently opening the gates to the Otherworld, Ivy is running out of options. If she doesn’t figure out who she can trust—and fast—it’s not only her heart that will be torn apart, but civilization itself.
Even though I thought that Wicked was a good read, I was dragging my feet on reading Torn. Why? I don't know. Maybe fear of the sophomore slump. Thankfully, I was worried for nothing. I enjoyed Torn even more than Wicked. The second installment delivered lots of action and drama for the readers.
The characters, especially Ivy, were more developed. They've grown in maturity and in regards to their relationships to each other. Our leading couple, Ivy and Ren, have a whole new adult relationship blooming. Ren is still just as sexy as ever. but he's chosen a side and now going into book three, his choice will have us on the end of our seats waiting to see what's in store for the pair. Ivy's been through a lot in this book. I have much respect for how she came out of the traumatic situation of being held hostage to the Fae Prince...it's always a traumatizing ordeal in fiction when a crazy Fae Prince wants to force you to have his offspring. Even Tink has grown a lot in this installment, literally and figuratively. While Tink is still the same, a lot has changed about him. I like him even better, even though he's a sneaky character. When it comes to Ivy and Ren, he's the best third wheel they could have.
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Release Date: December 6, 2016 Format: ebook (Kindle) Pages: 459 (Hardcover) Source: Amazon Genre: Paranormal Romance, Urban Fantasy Review Date: December 19, 2016 Rating: 4 bookmarks Synopsis: The Black Dagger Brotherhood continues to train the best of the best to join them in the deadly battle against the Lessening Society. Among the new recruits, Axe proves to be a cunning and vicious fighter—and also a loner isolated because of personal tragedy. When an aristocratic female needs a bodyguard, Axe takes the job, though he’s unprepared for the animal attraction that flares between him and the one he is sworn to protect. For Elise, who lost her first cousin to a grisly murder, Axe’s dangerous appeal is enticing—and possibly a distraction from her grief. But as they delve deeper into her cousin’s death, and their physical connection grows into so much more, Axe fears that the secrets he keeps and his tortured conscience will tear them apart. Rhage, the Brother with the biggest heart, knows all about self-punishing, and he wants to help Axe reach his full potential. But when an unexpected arrival threatens Rhage and Mary’s new family, he finds himself back in the trenches again, fighting against a destiny that will destroy all he holds most dear. As Axe’s past becomes known, and fate seems to be turning against Rhage, both males must reach deep—and pray that love, rather than anger, will be their lantern in the darkness.
Blood Vow was a fun and quick read, very typical of Ward's writing style. There were things that concern me as this series goes forward. I both liked and didn't like that this book seems like another installment of the BDB series. In addition to learning about Axe and Elise, it felt like this was a book dedicated to the continuing Rhage/Mary/Bitty story, probably around 65% of the story. The two series are woven so tightly that they mostly seem like one in the same series.
The only main difference in the two series is that the main romance in the Black Dagger Legacy books center around the trainees. The trainee in this book is Axe and he has tons of issues, he's an ex-drug user, poor, abandoned by his mother, and his father killed was the raids. Not to mention his daddy issues in general. Axe meets Elise and his world changes. Elise is the 100% complete opposite of Axe. Wealthy, Glymera, but she has a slight edge to her. I like them together. They aren't a power couple by any means, but they are cute enough.
Dannika Dark came as a recommendation to me. One of my long time book club members (we have similar reading tastes), said that I must check this author out. I'm very happy that I did and was introduced to this author. You all know that I love paranormal romance and urban fantasy. I also love a strong heroine and a sexy Alpha male. This book fits the bill all around. Read on to find out why Seven Years earned a 4 bookmark rating.
Publisher: Dannika Dark | Tantor Audio
Release Date: November 11, 2014 ( first published October 2013) Format: Audio MP3 Pages: ebook: 332 pages | Audio Length: Approx 11.2 hours Narrator: Nicole Poole Source: Audible Genre: Paranormal Romance, Urban Fantasy Review Date: November 2, 2016 Rating: 4 bookmarks Synopsis: Seven years ago, my world ended. Seven years later, my new life began. It's been seven years since Lexi Knight lost her brother in a tragic accident. On the anniversary of his death, her brother's best friend shows up unexpectedly - a man she hasn't seen since the funeral. He is no longer the boy Lexi once knew, but a dangerous-looking man with tattoos and dark secrets. He broke her trust and abandoned her family, yet what he reveals makes it impossible to stay angry. Lexi has been secretly infatuated with Austin since childhood, so finding out he's a Shifter just makes him sexier. Dammit. Austin Cole has returned to the city where he grew up, and just in time. He's lived a hard life these past seven years, and the shadows of his past are threatening to destroy Lexi's family. It's time that she learned the truth about her brother, but there is a shocking twist that Austin never saw coming. Now he must protect her family when her mother and sister wind up in mortal danger. Will Lexi learn to accept the truth about who he is, and can Austin salvage a relationship from the ruins of their past? Destiny will find you.
Let's talk characters. I loved Lexi Knight's character. She's everything that I appreciate in a Alpha heroine. She's got her own mind, she's not a victim, yet at the same time, she is vulnerable, she'r relate-able and she and her match fit well. She's no damsel, but she's not such an Alpha that her man can't swoop in and save her a time or two.
Austin's character is also well balanced. He's the guy that Lexi has had a crush on since childhood, her deceased brother's best friend. Of course he's got a secret and it's a doozy. Que all the mysterious man qualities. Brooding, strong yet not overbearing, a charismatic personality, and of course a body to write home about. He's even a tad insecure when it comes to Lexi. He likes her, but dare he actually express that he likes her? Of course! |
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