Forever Fae by L.P. Dover
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

He leans down, lips parted, and then our lips connect……….We didn’t know that this one kiss has FOREVER changed the Land of the Fae.
According to the Prophecy proclaimed many years ago, Princess Calista of the Summer Court is destined to change the Land of the Fae from the evil determined to destroy it. Her powers are phenomenal, and she secretly trains for battle with her handsome warrior friend, Merrick, who unbeknownst to her protects her heart as well, in hopes of keeping it for himself. At least, until the seductive Prince Ryder attends the Guardian Ceremony and instantly sends a fire burning through her veins and a connection so deep they both discover a love above anything imaginable.
No one knows how Calista is destined to change the kingdoms, but there is one that does. He not only craves Calista’s power, but her body as well, and his goal is to steal her power, make her his Dark Queen, and take over the Land of the Fae.
Will the evil succeed in claiming Calista’s soul? Or will the two men that fight for her heart save her from despair, and help her fulfill her destiny to become what she was meant to be.

***Warning: this book contains graphic language, sex, and violence. Mature readers only. Not intended for young adult readers.***

I really enjoyed the plot development, it was new and intriguing. Most of us have heard of the Winter and Summer courts, but this novella introduces the concept of possible Spring and Fall courts as well. There is a prophecy that four will emerge from a new generation and make these changes possible. Calista, being one of the oldest, is believed to be one of the four to kick off the beginning. But with her plate already full with her Guardian ceremony (which she’s sure will probably end up being her best friend Merrick) and the introduction of Ryder, she’s not sure how that’s going to be possible or if she’s even ready.

The dynamic between Ryder and Merrick was fun to say the least, and it was interesting to hear cussing and see modern fashion enter the world of Fae. I especially loved that even though Calista was a Fae princess, she still trained as a warrior in secret, wore jeans and a t-shirt, and enjoyed reading Pride & Prejudice in her room. Between the three of them, the story was definitely never dull.

Unfortunately my problem was the passage of time, or rather lack thereof. I understand that even the author addresses how quickly events unfold, through character dialogue, as well as the speed in which Calista and Ryder start to fall for each other, but it was still a little much for me. Everything is supposed to take place over the course of one week. It was just really hard to feel the authenticity of some of the relationships.

The book was still well paced and the main characters were well developed. It was certainly interesting to see things from the antagonist’s point of view every now and then. Interesting and disturbing, but then that’s how he’s meant to be portrayed. I also liked getting to see things through both Ryder’s and Calista’s eyes. I love it when authors give this perspective, as I think it really allows the reader to see things from all angles and enhances the experience. I wish they did it more often. I wanted to learn more about the siblings of both Ryder and Calista, but I have a feeling we’re meant to learn more in the installments to follow. ;)

All in all it was a really cute novella and is great for a quick read.

I thank the author for giving me a copy for an honest review.


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The Prince with Amnesia by Emily Evans
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Violet’s sure of three things:
• Its senior year and its time to date
• She’ll have to lie to do it
• She wants to date the hot new guy – Kai
Kai’s sure of three things:
• He has amnesia
• He’s recuperating in secret in America
• He wants to date Violet
Ever dated a hot guy with amnesia who turns out to be a prince in disguise?
- Welcome to Violet’s senior year.

This is a really cute novella. What I love is how realistic it is. Ok, so the situation may not be, but the way the characters react to their circumstances and the emotions they go through, are. I thought Evans did a wonderful job shining some light on the dimly lit side of royalty, or any public figure really, that’s subject to the public eye. Everything is about perception.

Unfortunately, it is perception that rules Kai’s life. Who he can hang out with, what he can do, who he can date or possibly even marry? The list goes on and on. All these things have been chosen for him, up until his accident. A blessing in disguise, that he doesn’t even know he has, Kai now has a chance to see what it’s like to be in control of his own destiny. Recuperating in Texas, Kai doesn’t remember any of his life as a prince. Finally free to make his own choices, he wants the one thing he can’t have; Violet, no matter how much Violet may want him in return.

I’m always a sucker for forbidden love, and this story certainly delivered. It’s wonderfully written and is a fun, light read. You can really feel the pull and tug between these two, and it's interesting to watch how they mature by the end of the novella. It's romantic, sweet, and it's heartwarming. A definite recommend.


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Dreamwalker by Andrea Heltsley
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Noel Kennedy lost her boyfriend, her job and her dignity all in one week. Then something happened and she began to dream of this stranger she had never met. She couldn’t resist the man of her dreams, named Jared, especially when she met him in real life. Entranced, she slowly unravels a world she was meant to stay out of. Her life was not what she thought it was, not once sexy Boone steps into the mix and shakes things up. Can she escape a life of servitude or immortality for a chance at love?

I have conflicting emotions about this book. On one hand I love the interaction between the characters, on the other hand, the plot development I found a little lacking.

As you already know from the premise, there is a love triangle here. They are not usually something I gravitate towards, but I found myself rooting for both sides equally in this story. By the end of the book, it is easy to accurately predict which one Noel will choose, but I have to say; given the same choice myself, I don’t know which way I would swing. They are both too great to let either one go! (yum!)

For me, the triangle actually stole the show. I found myself dying to know what the next development would be, rather than caring about where the rest of the story was taking the characters. As it turns out, this is probably a good thing since I didn’t much care for the pace of the second half.

At first, the pace is slow but steady as Noel begins to unravel secrets about herself, what she is and what she can do, and her past. Her reactions are pretty realistic, and it was nice to see things from a more adult point of view, rather than the teenage/adolescent one that is more common. Noel is in her late 20’s and lives on her own in her own apartment. Another good thing about a more adult view is, well let’s just say the intimacy scenes are more adult as well ;) I was actually impressed with how these scenes were written. Not too racy, but not innocent either.

Moving on to the second half, my main problem here is the change in gears regarding pace. It’s so radically different from the first half you kind of wonder WTH just happened?! At one point, Noel goes from complete ignorance of what’s going on, to waking from a dream, and preceding to have all sorts of knowledge regarding events from the night before based off complete assumptions, and regards them as fact to explain a key plot element. Then later in the story line, in a matter of a couple paragraphs we travel around the world and even realms. It just got to be a little discombobulating. The only thing that felt like it was holding the whole thing together was the culmination of the triangle.

I think if the flow of the second half, and the plot revelations, moved more similarly to the first half, this would have gotten four stars. The characters are awesome and I can’t wait to see how things develop with the key protagonists in the next installment.

I thank the author for letting me have a copy for an honest review.



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Glitter Kiss by Adrianne Ambrose
My rating: 3 of 5 stars


One kiss from Tinka's sparkling lips leads to some unexpected consequences for the callous boys of Portage High School. After a secret romance goes up in flames, she looks to a fortune teller for answers on finding true love, which leads to the summoning of some accidental--but hilarious-magic. But in the end, Tinka has to learn to take responsibility for her own decisions, with or without the aid of magic.

I really liked this story! I've never read any graphic novels besides manga before so I didn't know what to expect (not going to lie, I definitely felt like a dork since it took me so long to get used to reading from left to right, instead of right to left as in manga).

It is a cute short story that follows Tinka on her torturous path towards finding real love. She keeps falling for jerks and just doesn't know how to tell if I guy is being sincere with her or not. Enters an amateur fortune teller, to share with her that she will soon stumble upon a way to tell when a guy is really interested. This is where the fun really begins.

I certainly found myself laughing at the strange predicaments that the characters wound up getting themselves into. If this were a manga, it would fall into the category of ‘gender bender’. It forces you to see things from a different perspective. Despite its light-hearted tone, it really has some valuable lessons it’s trying to portray. I liken it to something akin to Aesop’s fables. It’s short and sweet, and in the end there is a moral to the story.

If you are looking for a quick and funny read (at a little over 150 pgs. I think I read it in just over an hour) then Glitter Kiss is a great stop for you. Look for it when it comes out in December 2012.

I received this copy as an ARC from the author for an honest review.


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Rua by Miranda Kavi
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

A girl with an unknown destiny.

A boy from a hidden world.

When Celeste starts at a new school in a small, Kansas town, she hears whispering voices, has vivid nightmares, and swarms of blackbirds follow her every move. She is oddly drawn to aloof Rylan, the other new student who has his own secrets.

The exact moment she turns seventeen, she wakes to a bedroom full of strange creatures, purple light emanating from her hands, and Rylan breaking in through her bedroom window.

He knows what she is . . .

This book was effortless for me to fall into. Kavi’s style of writing is easy to follow, steady paced, and I found myself falling in love with the setting. I enjoyed the introduction of Gaelic lore. I love the culture and it’s a beautiful language. I only wish I knew more of it myself.

Now I wouldn’t exactly say this book was extremely amazing, but it was definitely a light and pleasant read. The characters are easy to fall in love with, especially the two handsome guys, Rylan and Tink. Who wouldn’t want to be surrounded by two guys all the time? Worry not; there isn’t any love triangle here, Tink happens to be the awesome bestie, while Rylan is the mystery we still can’t figure out. Although we happen to find out what he is, I don’t believe we have truly figured out who he is. This is hopefully something we get to learn about further in the second installment.

The only thing I wasn’t fond of was the passage of time in the first half of the book, or rather lack thereof. It seemed the characters’ relationships advanced a little too fast for just one week. The relationships themselves felt fine, but I think if there could have been just a little more time that transpired in between some of the dialogue it may have helped them have more depth and feel more realistic in the beginning.

All in all, I think this is a job well done for Kavi’s debut. If you are looking for a quick and pleasant read, look no further; Rua is it. I look forward to the next installment and can’t wait to see the cover release (this one was gorgeous!).

I am thankful the author gave me a copy for an honest review.


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