Review - Cry Wolf by Patricia Briggs

Series: Alpha and Omega #1

Genre: Urban Fantasy/Paranormal

Age Group: Adult

Mass Market Paperback - 295
Source: Purchased 

Published: 2008 by Ace Books

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Rating: 4/5

TW: Mention of Rape, physical abuse, self harm, suicide attempt.

*I highly recommend reading Alpha and Omega before reading Cry Wolf. The introduction is essential to understanding this book*

Anna never knew werewolves existed, until the night she survived a violent attack... and became one herself. After three years at the bottom of the pack, she'd learned to keep her head down and never, ever trust dominant males. Then Charles Cornick, the enforcer—and son—of the leader of the North American werewolves, came into her life.


Charles insists that not only is Anna his mate, but she is also a rare and valued Omega wolf. And it is Anna's inner strength and calming presence that will prove invaluable as she and Charles go on the hunt in search of a rogue werewolf—a creature bound in magic so dark that it could threaten all of the pack.

As a confirmed Urban Fantasy junkie I had to check out Patricia Briggs second series set in the Mercy Thompson universe. After reading the first short story about Anna and Charles (Alpha and Omega), I immediately needed more story about these two. Their chemistry was fantastic and I loved the introduction to Anna's life and character in that short story. Overall the romance took me by surprise in the novella and in this book. I'm shipping these two really hard.

Anna is a fantastic character who is struggling to overcome a bad situation and adjust to a new life.  She had been through a lot of trauma and abuse before the events of this book. Those events are referenced quite often so if you are sensitive to the topics of sexual assault, physical abuse, self harm or attempted suicide you may want to consider this series carefully. Overall, Anna is written as a strong character who slowly comes out of her shell throughout the book and I loved her just as much as I love Mercy. Obviously the story also focused on Charles, but I was more invested in Anna's story and her growth. Charles is fairly secure in his place and life except for Anna. Their relationship comes across as an evolving partnership and they are still trying to find their balance.

Stepping into the pack atmosphere in Montana was really interesting. Since we hear so much about these characters in Mercy's series, I was excited to learn more about the infamous Bran and his family. The book focuses heavily on Anna and Charles, but there is a lot of broader world building mixed in and more back story on Bran. 

It shows that Briggs has been writing this world for a while and she knows the rules. It makes this first book stronger than the first book in the Mercy Thompson series. I really enjoyed it and plan to read this alongside the other series.

My Last Review ---> His Second Chance by Stephanie Lake

2018 Goals Update #1

It has been an exciting four months of 2018 already. I feel like I've made a lot of progress on my goals for this year even though I lost my list! Making another one really helped me focus in on the ones I know I've been working on and the ones I had totally forgotten about. Are you making headway on your goals for the year or have you given up?

Top Ten Tuesday - Six Books I Loved but Doubt I'll Re-Read

Check out That Artsy Reader Girl for more topics and a full run down of the people who are participating.

This week I only have six books for you. I love to reread books so it takes a lot for me to rule out a book for a reread. These however are books I don't have copies of myself or they were long. In the case of Goldenhand I love that book, but I loved the other books in the series more.

  

  

My Last Top Ten Tuesday --> Books That Take Place in Another Country

Day Trip to Philadelphia - Vlog

Last week I took a train ride to Philadelphia for a work meeting so I vlogged a little bit of my day and what I was reading. Enjoy!

Review - His Second Chance by Stephanie Lake

Series: Second Chances #1

Genre: Historical Romance

Age Group: Adult

Ebook - 96 pgs

Source: Purchased

Published: May 2016 by Loose ID

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Rating: 2/5

The Seventh Viscount of Torring, Randall Blair is more than disgusted with unfaithful lovers. When his last lover announces his engagement to the current reigning belle, Randall decides to suppress his true nature and follow suit. He is determined, once and for all, to forget the dark sailor who slipped in and out of his life five years before.

Lady Prudence Wedgewood has, for a member of the fair sex, unquestioned beauty, and shows a surprising wit, which will entertain Randall, even if her well-proportioned body does not arouse his desires. The marriage should at least be, bearable. The Blair and Wedgewood wedding plans unfold flawlessly, until Lady Prudence’s brother returns.

Lieutenant David Wedgewood has always been beyond discreet with his unnatural attraction to men. An attraction, which years ago, nearly set Randall’s bed aflame for a blissful, torrid week. David returned for only one reason: to save his beloved sister from a marriage destined to bring nothing but pain. He will kill Randall if that’s what it takes to stop the wedding. And he is willing to seduce Randall, to prove that this marriage can only end in disaster and heartbreak.

TW: Vivid description of hanging, flash backs, panic attacks

This novel suffers from a lot of faults.  The concept of the story was good itself and I think the author had all the right elements there. I wanted to like this book and I was excited by the prologue and the first few chapters. Unfortunately things fell apart after that.

The characters are meant to live in 18th Century England, but their dialogue and inner monologue is very modern except for a few words and phrases that are thrown in. The modern words really disrupted my reading and overall the pace was too fast. The pace was fast, which I normally like in a romance, but the breakneck speed was too much. I couldn't connect with the characters. There are so many romance books that I adore and am very attached to the characters. The length and the pace really hurt my connection with this book.

Perhaps the biggest fault is connected to the pace At the end of the story the resolution is forced forward extremely fast without any pause for tension to build. I didn't fear for the characters at all because the person who had leverage over them, had their own secret that the author revealed earlier in the book. Overall, I didn't have time to worry about them and my only reason to worry about them had been neutralized earlier in the book!

Overall, I was really disappointed in this.

My Last Review - Comic Mashup Review

March Wrap Up (pt 2/2)

Once again this month I've had to split my wrap ups into two parts because I read too much for my computer to handle my long winded videos. If I try to edit a video longer than about fifteen minutes, my computer has a fit and doesn't process it. Therefore, I tend to split the videos once they get over ten minutes. I'm glad I'm reading so much, but I wish I didn't need to split these videos.

March Favorites (2018)

Once again I have left a long gap between my favorites posts. I doubt I have enough media and products to do one of these every month, but I think I could make them more often. Hopefully I remember to write them out on a more regular basis. Because it has been so long, I have more than just my March favorite. 

Favorite Books: The Horimiya Series by Hero and The Secret Casebook of Simon Feximal by KJ Charles. I had very strong feeling about both of these this month. Horimiya was an incredibly cute manga that I borrowed from my library. I've only been able to access the first six. I'm just dying for more. This is a contemporary series about two classmates who find they both have a side to themselves they don't show many people.

The Secret Casebook was another animal entirely. I've enjoyed a lot of Charles' books. This book is something special. The characters really touched me. They borrowed themselves under my skin and I had a hard time moving onto the next book because I was so attached to them. This is a M/M historical paranormal fiction about two men who go on incredible adventures and fight all manner of supernatural creatures together and who come back to each other in the darkest moments.

 

Favorite Audiobooks: The Diviners Libba Bray. This was an incredible audiobook. The narrator had so many different characters to voice and she sang several times. She did an amazing job and I'm so excited to listen to the next one.

March Book Haul (2018)

This month I've been good and purchased just a few books. Even so, I need to pick up my own books. I've been borrowing a lot of books from the library and it is hurting my plans to reduce my TBR. Instead, the number of books I own is creeping back up!

Books Mentioned:

Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman 

Bygone Badass Broads by MacKenzie 

The Wicked Deep by by Shea Ernshaw 

Hounded by Kevin Hearne

Queen of Hearts by Colleen Oakes

Obsidio by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

Comic Mash Up Review - Superman & Lumberjanes

In the past year or so I've made an effort to read more comics. I've always been worried about starting in the wrong place with comics. Recently though I've talked to a friend who is a avid comic reader. They suggested to just pick a spot and go. So that's what I've done and they also suggested to try the DC Rebirth Series. So I've done that too. Because my reviews are often short for these, I've combined a few. Look out for more comic mashups soon! 

Superman Vol. 3 - Multiplicity (DC Rebirth)

by Peter J. Tomasi (Writer), Patrick Gleason (Writer, Artist)

Trade Paperback: 144 pgs

Published: August 2017

DC Comics 

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Rating: 3/5

An enjoyable installment in this series. Personally, I liked the issues within this volume about Superman's inner struggle and the ones about his son's adventures. There were issues within the volume about the Multiverse that I didn't find as interesting and no matter how many times I come across the Multiverse I find it confusing. It also interrupted the overall arc of this series in my opinion. I'd rather focus on Clark and his son's struggles and how they parallel one another. 

Lumberjanes Vol. 6

by Shannon Watters, Noelle Stevenson (Creator), Kat Leyh, Grace Ellis (Creator), Carey Pietsch (Illustrations), Maarta Laiho (Colorist), Brooke A. Allen

Ebook Trade - 112pgs

Published: April 2017

BOOM! Box

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Rating: 3.5/5 

After a disappointing volume five I hoped this would blow me out of the water. Unfortunately, though we are once again focused on the mysterious lake, the girls are mediating someone else's problem once again. The sheer number of misunderstandings between the last volume and this one started to wear on me. Everything was a little bit better, but I still want more from this series

March Wrap Up (pt 1/2)

This month I read quite a lot of stuff I read novels and graphic novels. I borrowed a lot of books from my library and didn’t read much off my own shelves. I was really stuck on romance books this month like I have been for the past few months. Hopefully next month I’ll read more from my TBR shelf.

Reviews:

Magic Strikes by Ilona Andrews

Magic Bleeds by Ilona Andrews

Magic Slays by Ilona Andrews

Gunmetal Magic by Ilona Andrews

Waiting on Wednesday (April Edition)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly feature originally created by Breaking the Spine. It has since evolved into Can't-Wait Wednesday and is hosted by Wishful Endings. 

Today I wanted to talk about the releases I am anxiously waiting for in April! Though I've been trying to keep my preorders to a minimum, these two books have been on my radar for a while. I'll be watching to see what others think of them before I pick them up. I hope the reviews are positive!

Dread Nation by Justina Ireland 

 Description:

Jane McKeene was born two days before the dead began to walk the battlefields of Gettysburg and Chancellorsville—derailing the War Between the States and changing America forever. In this new nation, safety for all depends on the work of a few, and laws like the Native and Negro Reeducation Act require certain children attend combat schools to learn to put down the dead. But there are also opportunities—and Jane is studying to become an Attendant, trained in both weaponry and etiquette to protect the well-to-do. It’s a chance for a better life for Negro girls like Jane. After all, not even being the daughter of a wealthy white Southern woman could save her from society’s expectations.

But that’s not a life Jane wants. Almost finished with her education at Miss Preston’s School of Combat in Baltimore, Jane is set on returning to her Kentucky home and doesn’t pay much mind to the politics of the eastern cities, with their talk of returning America to the glory of its days before the dead rose. But when families around Baltimore County begin to go missing, Jane is caught in the middle of a conspiracy, one that finds her in a desperate fight for her life against some powerful enemies. And the restless dead, it would seem, are the least of her problems.

Why I'm Excited: This is a diverse alternate history of the American Civil War. I'm super excited to check it out. All reports have been positive and so many people have been talking about it. Justina has an amazing twitter presence and I'm always finding new authors, books, and stories on her site. It also has zombies. 

Suitors and Sabatage by Cindy Anstey

Description:

Shy aspiring artist Imogene Chively has just had a successful Season in London, complete with a suitor of her father's approval. Imogene is ambivalent about the young gentleman until he comes to visit her at the Chively estate with his younger brother in tow. When her interest is piqued, however, it is for the wrong brother.

Charming Ben Steeple has a secret: despite being an architectural apprentice, he has no drawing aptitude. When Imogene offers to teach him, Ben is soon smitten by the young lady he considers his brother's intended.

But hiding their true feelings becomes the least of their problems when, after a series of "accidents," it becomes apparent that someone means Ben harm. And as their affection for each other grows—despite their efforts to remain just friends—so does the danger. 

Why I'm Excited: I've wanted to read one of Anstey's books for ages. Her covers are always beautiful and the concepts always appeal to me. Hopefully I can pick up at least one, if not this one, in the near future.