Review: Deep Cover (Love Over Duty #3) by Scarlett Cole

Deep Cover

Author: Scarlett Cole

Series: Love Over Duty #3

Publisher: St Martins Press

Pages: 336

Release date: 31^st July 2018

Genre: Romantic Suspense

Amazon

Synopsis (Goodreads): Ex-Navy SEAL Cabe Moss always comes when called to duty―at all costs. Even though the death of his fiancée nearly destroyed him, Cabe won’t let his past interfere with any work that has to get done. When his latest task pushes him to team up with FBI Agent Amy Murray, a fierce beauty with the undercover skills to match, Cabe must admit that, for the first time in years, he wants to do more than just complete their mission together…

Amy was born ready for this assignment, but working side-by-side with the the strong, silent, and frustratingly professional Cabe seems to be the biggest challenge of all. But when the sparks begin to fly―and the stakes rise to dangerous heights―the only thing Amy is left worrying about is how she can resist him. Their lives may be in danger, but their hearts hold the biggest risk of all…

Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Deep Cover is the first book that I have read in the  Love Over Duty series, it is the third book in this series and I didn’t at any time feel lost or confused, more intrigued about the other characters that we get to meet, their partners and what had happened previously.

Cabe Moss is a Former Navy SEAL and is protective of those closest to him; he lost his fiancée to a roadside bombing in Afghanistan and is still grieving from his loss. Cabe was a complex, loyal and determined character that I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know, he was quite the alpha male.

Cabe and his team have been approached to work alongside the FBI to catch individuals in money laundering, it is during this assignment that he meets FBI agent Amy Murray, who is looking into the trafficking of missing women.

Amy was such a strong, intelligent and likeable character with a great skillset which was perfect in the undercover role that she was about to undertake, she had also suffered loss and was extremely passionate about this case. Seeing her form a connection with Cabe despite their initial meeting was great; they had amazing chemistry and worked well together.

It was also great getting to know Mac and Six who are the other team members of Eagle Securities; I am keen to read their books to learn more about them and their partners.

With a wonderful slow to build romance, suspense and a storyline that kept me riveted, Deep Cover was an entertaining read and I am eager to read more books by Scarlett Cole.

I received this ARC from NetGalley for my honest review.

Review: Lies that Bind (Anastasia Phoenix #2) by Diana Rodriguez Wallach

Lies that Bind

Author: Diana Rodriguez Wallach

Series: Anastasia Phoenix #2

Publisher: Entangled Teen

Pages: 300

Release date: 6^th March 2018

Genre: Young adult Contemporary
Amazon

My review of Proof of Lies

Synopsis (Goodreads): The Italian Job meets Bourne Identity meets Spy Kids in this sequel to Proof of Lies.

What if saving yourself meant destroying everyone you love?

Still reeling from everything she learned while searching for her sister in Italy, Anastasia Phoenix is ready to call it quits with spies. Then she and her friends learn that Marcus’s—her kinda boyfriend—brother, Antonio, has also gone missing. Luckily, they track down Antonio in a fiery festival in England, only to learn he has been working for the enemy, Department D, the whole time. But Antonio wants out. And so does Anastasia.

But before any of them can leave espionage and their parents’ crimes behind them, a close friend turns up dead. No one is safe, not while Department D still exists. So Anastasia and her friends embark on a dangerous plan to bring down an entire criminal empire, using every Dresden Kid they can find.

As their world becomes surrounded by spies, and the children of spies, Anastasia starts to question who she can really trust. Including her best friends…

Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Contains possible spoilers from the first book

Lies that Bind is the second book in the Anastasia Phoenix series, I thoroughly enjoyed the excitement of the first book Proof of Lies so I was most eager to start on this.

This is a series that really should be read in order to fully understand the events that have already taken place, enough of a recap is given but it may still be quite confusing.

After trekking all over the place in the first book in search of Anastasia’s sister Keira and having a danger-filled and thrilling adventure; Anastasia is now staying in London with friends when they find out Marcus’s brother Antonio has gone missing. Now determined to take down Department D and locate other Dresden kids, they set out to collect enough evidence to shut them down once and for all.

I was impressed by the world-building and the intense plot is fast paced and full of non-stop action although it did very much mimic the first book; as with Proof of Lies I couldn’t quite guess who could and couldn’t be trusted! It really was a search for the truth throughout the whole book and many secrets were exposed.

Lies that Bind was an exciting sequel! It was mysterious, filled with wonderful characters that progressed throughout the book and the ending that leaves you satisfied but also wanting more. This book seemed to have more angst and drama than the first book which made me quite edgy.

What frustrated me in the first book was the hot and cold relationship between Marcus and Anastasia so I am pleased to see some progression. They worked well together and I thoroughly enjoyed their interactions.

I found Diana Rodriguez Wallach’s writing to be engaging and the storyline was exciting; I am definitely eager to read more books by this author.

Thank you to Entangled Teen via Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review Lies that Bind.

About the author: Diana Rodriguez Wallach is the author of the Anastasia Phoenix series, three YA spy thrillers set to debut beginning in March 2017 (Entangled Publishing). She is also the author of three award-winning young adult novels: Amor and Summer Secrets, Amigas and School Scandals, and Adios to All The Drama (Kensington Books); as well as a YA short-story collection based on the Narcissus myth, entitled Mirror, Mirror (Buzz Books, 2013).

In 2011, she published a highly regarded essay in Dear Bully: 70 Authors Tell Their Stories (HarperCollins). It was the only essay chosen from the anthology by Scholastic to be used in its classroom materials. Diana is featured in the anthology, Latina Authors and Their Muses (Twilight Times Books, 2015), and she is currently on staff as a featured blogger for Quirk Books.

In 2010 Diana was named one of the Top Ten New Latino Authors to Watch by LatinoStories.com, and she placed second in the International Latino Book Awards. She is an advisory board member for the Philly Spells Writing Center, and is an active advocate for inner-city public schools. She holds a B.S. in Journalism from Boston University, and currently lives in Philadelphia.

Visit Diana's website to learn all about her: dianarodriguezwallach.com

Diana is represented by Taylor Martindale Kean of Full Circle Literary.

 

Review: Breaking the Ice (Juniper Falls #2) by Julie Cross

Breaking the Ice

Author: Julie Cross

Series: Juniper Falls

Pages: 300

Publisher: Entangled Teen

Release date: 26^th December 2017

Links

Pre-order Breaking the Ice

Add Breaking the Ice to your Goodreads TBR

Synopsis:

Haley Stevenson seems like she's got it all together: cheer captain, "Princess" of Juniper Falls, and voted Most Likely to Get Things Done. But below the surface, she's struggling with a less-than-stellar GPA and still reeling from the loss of her first love. Repeating her Civics class during summer school is her chance to Get Things Done, not angst over boys. In fact, she's sworn them off completely until college.

Fletcher Scott is happy to keep a low profile around Juniper Falls. He's always been the invisible guy, warming the bench on the hockey team and moonlighting at a job that would make his grandma blush. Suddenly, though, he's finding he wants more: more time on the ice, and more time with his infuriatingly perfect summer-school study partner.

But leave it to a girl who requires perfection to shake up a boy who's ready to break all the rules.

Each book in the Juniper Falls series is STANDALONE:
* Off the Ice
* Breaking the Ice

Review: 3 1/2 out of 5 stars

Breaking the Ice is a light-hearted read by Julie Cross and is a part of the Juniper Falls series.

Our MC’s are Haley Stevenson and Fletcher Scott, both great characters but they couldn’t be any more different.

Haley is the Princess of Juniper Falls and is involved in everything, she is a sweetheart but also quite a sticky beak. Fletcher has quite a few secrets, he’s reserved, nerdy and doesn’t like anyone to know his business; they complimented each other well but their interactions at times did drive me completely crazy!

The plot is quite predictable; Haley is struggling academically so she takes her civics class during summer school, this is where she learns more about Fletcher and inserts herself into his life to improve her GPA. Fletcher loves hockey and yearns for less bench time and more time on the ice but with his health issues it hasn’t been a possibility. This book was entertaining and was without all the unnecessary YA angst.

The romance was done well but there was a lot of push and pull and no clearly defined relationship between them but Haley knew upfront that Fletcher wasn't a committed sort of guy; they complimented each other well and communicated in a way which didn't leave room for miscommunication which I liked but I would have liked a few more mushy, romantic scenes between them, I felt like the ending was very rushed for them.

All of the side characters were wonderful! I do hope we see more of them in the next books, especially Jamie.

Julie Cross’s writing is great and there quite a few laugh out loud moments but I did also find that there were parts of the book where I found myself skimming. Breaking the Ice is also the second book in the series but it can most definitely be read as a stand-alone, I never at all felt lost.

Thank you to Entangled Teen via Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review Breaking the Ice.

About the author: Julie Cross is a NYT and USA Today bestselling author of New Adult and Young Adult fiction, including the Tempest series, a young adult science fiction trilogy which includes Tempest, Vortex, Timestorm (St. Martin's Press). She's also the author of Letters to Nowhere series, Whatever Life Throws at You, Third Degree, Halfway Perfect, and many more to come!

Julie lives in Central Illinois with her husband and three children. She's a former gymnast, longtime gymnastics fan, coach and former Gymnastics Program Director with the YMCA. Shes a lover of books, devouring several novels a week, especially in the young adult and new adult genres.

Outside of her reading and writing credibility's, Julie Cross is a committed--but not talented--long distance runner, creator of imaginary beach vacations, Midwest bipolar weather survivor, expired CPR certification card holder, as well as a ponytail and gym shoe addict.

Review: Omega (The Infinity Division #2) by Jus Accardo

OMEGA

Author: Jus Accardo

Publisher: Entangled Teen

Genre: Young Adult / Sci-Fi

Pages: 320

Release date: 1^st August 2017

Synopsis: The second book in the Infinity time travel series is full of action, romance, and an intricately designed roller coaster plot.

One mistake can change everything. Ashlyn Calvert finds that out the hard way when a bad decision leads to the death of her best friend, Noah Anderson.

Only Noah isn’t really gone. Thanks to his parents’ company, the Infinity Division, there is a version of him skipping from one dimension to another, set on revenge for the death of his sister, Kori. When a chance encounter brings him face-to-face with Ash, he’s determined to resist the magnetic pull he’s felt for her time and time again. Because falling for Ash puts his mission in danger.

But there’s more going on in Ash’s alternate universe than either of them knows: a mysterious project called Omega. A conspiracy spanning multiple Earths and revolving around none other than Ash. Its creators would do anything to keep Omega secret…

Anything.

Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars

I am such a huge fan of Jus Accardo and despite having a few issues with Infinity, the first book in The Infinity Division series I was still quite eager to read the sequel, Omega and see how this creative world would develop.

The first instalment, Infinity followed Kori Anderson and Cade Granger; they make regular appearances throughout this book but it was told in the POV’s of Noah Anderson and Ashlyn ‘Ash’ Calvert who I thought were more interesting narrators.

The time travelling plot was fast paced as we see the characters still following villain Dylan Granger in his quest to kill every Kori in every world they stop at, the trio eventually land in a technology advanced world where the criminals are transported to another dimension.

I adored Ash, she was feisty and fantastic and her back story was quite sad, we didn’t learn much about her in the first book so it was nice to meet her; Noah is stubborn, loyal and an all-round decent guy! I loved his interactions with Ash as well as his friendship with Cade; his relationship with Kori still seemed tense but you can see the growing respect that they have for one another.

We meet a few more characters, Ava/Sera and G and I’m unsure of their purpose as yet and the effect that they will have in the future. 

Omega is a nice continuation to the series, and despite the plot not changing much from the first book it was an adventure and entertaining none the less and the world building was more in-depth in this book. It was fast paced, action packed and leaves you wanting more. This book was a big improvement on Infinity for me.

Thank you to Entangled Teen via Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book.

About the author: JUS ACCARDO spent her childhood reading and learning to cook. Determined to follow in her grandfather’s footsteps as a chef, she applied and was accepted to the Culinary Institute of America. But at the last minute, she realized her true path lay with fiction, not food.

Jus is the bestselling author of the popular Denazen series from Entangled publishing, as well as the Darker Agency series, and the New Adult series, The Eternal Balance. A native New Yorker, she lives in the middle of nowhere with her husband, three dogs, and sometimes guard bear, Oswald.

Review: Boundary Crossed by Melissa F. Olson

Boundary Crossed

Author: Melissa F. Olson

Series: Boundary Magic #1

Publisher: 47 North

Genre: Paranormal

Pages: 302

Release date: 1^st May 2015

Synopsis (Goodreads): After her twin sister’s brutal murder, former US Army Sergeant Allison “Lex” Luther vowed to protect her niece, Charlie. So when two vampires try to kidnap the baby, it quickly turns into a fight to the death—Lex’s death, that is.

She wakes up to two shocking discoveries: she has miraculously survived the fight, and baby Charlie is a “null,” gifted with the ability to weaken supernatural forces...and a target for creatures who want to control that power. Determined to guarantee her niece’s safety, Lex makes a deal with the local vampires. She sets out with the mysterious—and undead—“fixer” Quinn to track down whoever’s responsible for the kidnapping, sharpening her newfound magic skills along the way. But the closer she gets to the truth, the more dangerous her powers become.

Boundary Crossed is a dark, thrilling journey into a world where the line between living and dead isn’t nearly as solid as it appears...

Review: 3 ½ out of 5 stars

Former US Army Sergeant Allison “Lex” Luther is content to work at the local depot, babysit her niece weekly, grieve the death of her twin sister Sam and look after her numerous rescue pets so when a kidnapping attempt is made on her niece Charlie her life is forever changed; she not only finds out that she should have died in her rescue attempt from multiple stab wounds but there is a supernatural world of witches, vampires and werewolves that she is a part of!

Lex finds out that she is a Boundary witch, meaning she has the power over life and death hence the reason she ages slowly and has been unable to die; she is extremely dangerous but has never received formal training.

The plot is fast paced and thrilling as Lex learns the ways of the supernatural world whilst trying to keep her niece safe so she makes a deal with the undead leaders to keep Charlie protected while she works with a mysterious vampire named Quinn to find out who is after her. The world that Olson has created was imaginative and entertaining, I liked the way Lex dealt with everything that was thrown her way.

I was eager to learn where Lex fit into the Old World and her background story; there are still so many questions to be answered. All of the side characters were interesting but I do look forward to finding out more about them in the next instalment, I enjoyed Lex’s growing friendship with Simon and Lily as well as her relationship with her family.

There is a smidgeon of romance but nothing that truly wowed me unfortunately; I hope that this is developed further in the next book.

Overall, Boundary Crossed is a nice start to the series and I look forward to reading the next book, Boundary Lines.

About the author: Melissa Olson was born and raised in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, and studied film and literature at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. After graduation, and a brief stint bouncing around the Hollywood studio system, Melissa landed in Madison, WI, where she eventually acquired a master's degree from UW-Milwaukee, a husband, a mortgage, a teaching gig, two kids, and two comically oversized dogs, not at all in that order. She loves Madison, but still dreams of the food in LA. Literally. There are dreams. Learn more about Melissa, her work, and her dog at www.MelissaFOlson.com

Review: Summoner by S.D. Grimm

Summoner

Author: S.D. Grimm

Publisher / Source: Entangled Teen

Release date: 4^th September 2017

Genre: Young Adult

Synopsis: When Allie’s best friend dares their group to play a game in a cemetery—something she calls “witching”—Allie never expects what it might mean for her. When she plays, she doesn’t just find bodies, she summons their souls. But one soul wants more than Allie is willing to give.

And the boy next door could be the key to saving her.

Cody Burkhart. Straight from Montana, cowboy hat wearing, and smoking hot, he’s just the thing to help Allie become “normal” again after the death of her mother. And as her newly appointed Guardian, he’s also just the thing to help Allie ward off the vengeful spirit who’s after her soul. Except Cody has his own demons to slay that keep him closed off. But as the full moon approaches, so does their only chance to break the curse, and Cody will have to make the biggest sacrifice of all.

Review: 3 ½ out of 5 stars

Our MC is Allie Billings who has avoided her closest friends since the death of her mother, trying to reconnect she joins them on a dare to the local cemetery for a night of witching. Allie doesn’t believe in witching but after this night her opinion changes when she becomes bonded to a evil spirit by summoning her soul.

The plot was engaging as we see Allie do everything she possibly can to learn more about what is happening but she soon finds out her only hope could be from her new neighbour Cody Burkhart, her guardian who is also needing to work out his role between Allie and the spirit, Katerina that has bonded to her. They both end up working against a full moon deadline which could mean a sacrifice by the end of it.

I really liked Allie and Cody as characters, they have both felt loss and were able to bond over this and their slow building romance didn’t feel forced but came naturally which I enjoyed; it also wasn’t at the forefront of the story. The side characters were each written well, the freaky souls included.

I don’t tend to read ghost books, I’ve never enjoyed them but I liked S.D Grimm’s writing style and her entertaining and at time freaky storyline. It was a fast paced read with a few twists that kept things enjoyable.

Overall, Summoner kept me riveted from the beginning and I couldn’t wait to see what would happen; the characters were written well and the plot was intriguing. I will definitely read more books by this author.

Thank you to Entangled Teen via Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review Summoner.

About the author: S. D. Grimm’s first love in writing is young adult fantasy and science fiction, which is to be expected from someone who looks up to heroes like Captain America and Wonder Woman, has been sorted into Gryffindor, identifies as rebel scum, and loves elevensies as much as afternoon tea. Her patronus is a red Voltron lion, her spirit animal is Toothless, and she totally has a superpower. She is represented by Julie Gwinn of the Seymour Agency, her office is anywhere she can curl up with her laptop and at least one large-sized dog, and you can learn more about her upcoming novels at www.sdgrimm.com

Review: Undercurrent by Paula Weston

Undercurrent

Author: Paula Weston

Publisher: Text Publishing

Genre: Young Adult

Pages: 383

Release date: 31^st July 2017

Synopsis (Goodreads): Eighteen-year-old Julianne De Marchi is different. As in: she has an electrical undercurrent beneath her skin that stings and surges like a live wire. She can use it—to spark a fire, maybe even end a life—but she doesn’t understand what it is. And she can barely control it, especially when she’s anxious.

Ryan Walsh was on track for a stellar football career when his knee blew out. Now he’s a soldier—part of an experimental privatised military unit that has identified Jules De Marchi as a threat. Is it because of the weird undercurrent she’s tried so hard to hide? Or because of her mother Angie’s history as an activist against bio-engineering and big business?

It’s no coincidence that Ryan and Jules are in the same place at the same time—he’s under orders to follow her, after all. But then an explosive attack on a city building by an unknown enemy throws them together in the most violent and unexpected way.

Paula Weston, author of the much-admired Rephaim series, returns with a standalone work: a futuristic thriller that is only slightly futuristic—but utterly and undeniably thrilling. Great writing, heart-burning characters, probing questions about where technology is taking us—and a plot that zips and zings like an electrical current itself. This is a great young-adult writer at the peak of her powers. 

Review: 3 ½ out of 5 stars

Paula Weston’s Rephaim series is one of my all-time favourite YA series! So I was extremely excited to receive a review copy of Undercurrent from Text Publishing. Even more excited to see that I had been quoted on the back of the book (happy dance!).

One thing about this book that shocked me is how realistic it actually was! I can see everything happening in this book actually coming to fruition in the not too distant future which is really alarming.

Undercurrent is a book about eighteen year-old Julianne De Marchi who was born with an electrical current beneath her skin; she struggles to control it and has no idea why she is so different; after an incident at her school she has been watched, monitored and threatened but when an opportunity for work arises with a company that put her activist mother out of work she is eager to go for an interview not knowing her life that day could be at risk.

Ryan Walsh is part of a privatised military group and has orders to watch over Julianne, not aware of her capabilities he is shocked (literally) by his orders and her abilities; he is also surprised by his attraction towards her.

The plot was fast paced and I was never quite sure who could and couldn’t be trusted; we have large corporations, activists against bio-engineering, the military and big business all wanting to use Julianne for one reason or another. The reasoning behind her ability was explained well and I liked the futuristic spin on it all.

I enjoyed Paula Weston’s writing style, there was a lot of Australian lingo in this book which may/may not be confusing. It is a fast-paced thrill ride filled with mystery, action and a frightening look at our future with advanced technology, human experimentation and large corporations changing the way in which we live; extremely scary in this day and age.

I liked the initial interactions between Julianne and Ryan but my interest between them tapered off when he was returned to his family farm to keep her safe. The romance wasn’t at the forefront of the story thankfully because it wasn’t a romance that I fully appreciated. I also didn’t really like the inclusion of Ryan’s family drama, I didn’t feel it was necessary to the story-line at all.

If you go into this book expecting it to be anything like the Rephaim series then you will be sorely disappointed because there are no similarities at all; even the writing style feels completely different.

Overall, Undercurrent is action-packed and thrilling! There is romance, family drama and mystery that all blended well to keep the pace flowing and the plot moving.

Thank you to Text Publishing for the opportunity to read and review Undercurrent by Paula Weston.

About the author: Paula Weston is the author of the Rephaim series (Shadows, Haze, Shimmer and Burn). The Undercurrent, a stand-alone speculative thriller set in near-future Australia, will be released by Text Publishing in August 2017.

Paula worked as a print journalist for many years before becoming a government media and communication specialist. Today she also co-owns a two-woman communication and design agency.

She grew up in regional South Australia and now lives in Brisbane, Queensland, with her husband.