REVIEW: "Covet" by Felicity Heaton

Why this book?: I'm a fan of Felicity Heaton on Facebook, and she started talking about this one.. I knew it was going to be a scorcher! So I jumped at the chance to review it.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the author, in exchange for a review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Type: Erotic, Vampires, Series, Forbidden Love

About the Book: They've burned for each other for two years, the forbidden attraction between them growing each night. Now resisting the sinful desires of their hearts is becoming impossible.

Javier knows better than to succumb to his hunger for Lilah. The mortal female belongs to a powerful aristocrat patron of Vampirerotique, the theatre he runs with three other vampires. A single touch is all it would take to break the sacred law of his kind, sentencing himself to death, but his passion for her has become too fierce to ignore and he will risk everything to make Lilah his.

Lilah has fought her desire for Javier since arriving at his theatre as a servant but each glance he has stolen, his eyes promising pleasure that will satisfy her longing for him, has chipped away at her defences and she can no longer deny her need and her forbidden feelings for the powerful vampire male.

When they find themselves alone in a private box during one of the erotic performances, will they surrender to their passion and live out their wildest fantasies in a night of wicked pleasure or will the threat of Lilah's master keep them apart forever?

Adults only--highly erotic vampire romance novella, contains light bondage

Review: I decided to read on my lunch break, which isn't uncommon, and I just picked one of my review books at random. I'm not sure this was the best choice, for two reasons. One, I didn't want to put it down when it was time to return, and two.. it made going back to work pretty awkward. I knew this author wrote some steamy scenes, but I never guessed they would be so hot. Javier and Lilah got me worked up more than a time or two, that's for sure. I've read a fair amount of erotica in my day, and Felicity is definitely one of the better ones - excellent description, never over the top, and it certainly hits the spot.

There is something so sweet about the forbidden fruit - and Lilah is just that. "Covet" is a truly alluring example of the forbidden love story between a vampire and a human owned by another. The characters are very well written, and the story moves with a good pace. Having met the other owners of the Vampire Erotic Theatre, I absolutely cannot wait to read their stories. "Covet" is the start of an excellent new series for this author, and I eagerly anticipate being able to read more from her.

Cover Lovin': Oh my yes. Excellent cover. And it shows up so well on my Kindle, too!

Recommendation: This books is *very* erotic, so definitely for readers 18+! If you love your vampires on the steamy side, this is definitely for you!

Final Rating: FOUR out of FIVE (4/5). Very good, erotic read. There was more than a few times I had to fan myself while reading about Javier and Lilah's uh.. activities.

Coming up in the series:
"Crave" - coming March 10, 2012
"Seduce" - coming June 23rd, 2012
"Enslave" - coming August 4th, 2012

Have you read "Covet" or any other book by Felicity Heaton? Tell me your thoughts in the comments! If not, pick up your copy from Amazon.com today!

Happy Reading!
~!~ Amanda ~!~

WINNER of "A Dry Creek Bed" by Avery Flynn! (And a FREE book announcement!)

It's Friday, which means it's time to announce the winner of my "A Dry Creek Bed" giveaway! Thanks to everyone that entered, and I'm sad I couldn't give you all a copy. But without further ado.. the winner is.. (drumroll, please!)

CONGRATULATIONS GO TO....

****** JUNE M ******

Congrats June! I'll be sending your contact info off to the publishing reps, so be on the lookout. :)

Since I couldn't give everyone a copy of "A Dry Creek Bed" by Avery Flynn, I am lucky enough to announce that Lori Brighton's "Mind Readers" (YA/Teen paranormal fiction) is FREE today (Friday) and tomorrow (Saturday), only on Amazon Kindle! I read and reviewed this book, and it's definitely worth a read. Fire up your Kindles or Kindle for PCs, and go get yourself a copy today! Below I've linked to both "A Dry Creek Bed" and "The Mind Readers" - so click away to your hearts content. =)



Happy Reading!
~!~ Amanda ~!~

CONTEST Reminder!!

Hello everyone! Today is the last day to enter in my contest to win an eBook copy of "A Dry Creek Bed" by Avery Flynn! This is a great author, and an equally great series, so I hope you jump on the chance to win a copy.

Odds are good to get your very own copy. =) Here's how to win.. Go to THIS POST and fill out the entry form. Winners will be posted tomorrow morning!

Good luck, and may the odds be ever in your favor ;)

Happy Reading!
~!~ Amanda ~!~

GIVEAWAY: "A Dry Creek Bed" by Avery Flynn!

Hello everyone! Today I'm giving away an ebook copy of "A Dry Creek Bed" by Avery Flynn! This is book two in the Dry Creek series - I got the chance to review book one, and I loved it!

About the book: Avery Flynn returns to western Nebraska, the setting of her first novel, Up a Dry Creek, to continue the story of the Layton family in her new contemporary romantic suspense novel A DRY CREEK BED, just published as an e-book original by Evernight Publishing.

Flynn was inspired by her former hometown for the setting of the fictional town that has been home to the Laytons for generations.   Siblings Claire, Hank, Sam and Chris Layton were introduced in Up a Dry Creek, the story of Claire and her nemesis-turned-hero, Jake Warrick, as was Claire’s friend, Beth Martinez.

In A DRY CREEK BED, readers discover Beth Martinez still mourning the deaths of the grandparents who raised her after her parents died in a car accident.  Beth has seen her share of tragedy, including having the dream of starting her own family ripped away from her.  Though quietly in love with Hank for years, she knows they’ll never be together.  Hank, now the Sheriff of Dry Creek County and divorced from his first wife who lied to him about her desire to have children, wants a family, something Beth can never have and can’t give him.  Despite their mutual desire for each other and Hank’s determination to pursue her, she manages to keep him at a distance.

All Beth has left of her family is the home built by her grandfather.  So when a mysterious developer makes an offer on the property, she refuses.  Soon she’s receiving threats and can no longer hide what’s happening from Hank.  Forced together by circumstances, it becomes harder and harder for them to rein in their passion.  Suddenly, the stakes go higher. Coercion turns into murder and it’s up to Beth and Hank to uncover who wants the land and why—before they both end up dead.

          In A DRY CREEK BED, Avery Flynn once again brings readers a strong and sexy romantic suspense novel, with plenty of action, engaging characters and an unexpected ending.

About the author:  Romantic suspense novelist Avery Flynn’s first Dry Creek novel, Up a Dry Creek, was published in 2011.  Her latest, A DRY CREEK BED, has just been released by Evernight Publishing.

          Born and raised in western Nebraska, the setting of her fictional town of Dry Creek, she now lives in the Washington, D.C. metro area.  There she continues to write and work at her day job while enjoying her own happily ever after with her husband, three children and two dogs.  She dreams of one day having a floor-to-ceiling library, à la Beauty and the Beast, and is working to perfect the coffee IV drip.  She is delighted to have her first two books published and to be hard at work on High and Dry Creek, her third Dry Creek novel.

RULES and GUIDELINES:
~ Fill out the form below to enter. Comments do not count as an entry.
~ There will be ONE winner.
~ Contest ends Thursday, January 26th at 11:59 PM EST. Winners will be announced Friday, January 27th.
~ Open internationally (ebook giveaway).
~ You must be at least 13 years old to enter.

Extra entries:
+1 for following Novel Addiction



Happy Reading!
~!~ Amanda ~!~

GUEST POST: Avery Flynn, author of "A Dry Creek Bed"!!

Ladies and Gentlemen, please help me give a warm welcome to author Avery Flynn. Avery is promoting her recent release "A Dry Creek Bed," the sequel to "Up A Dry Creek" [Click the title for my review!] So without further ado.. Avery Flynn!

Note: Come back tomorrow for a GIVEAWAY of "A Dry Creek Bed"!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Meaning of Family
By Avery Flynn

With A DRY CREEK BED, I really wanted to explore the idea of family and what the word parent really means.

More than seven million women in the United States have an impaired ability to have children. 

Slightly more than two million married women between the ages of fifteen and forty-four are infertile.

Nearly twelve percent of women between the ages of fifteen and forty-four have received infertility services.

Many women are childless by choice and I say more power to them. However, there are millions of women out there who are unable to conceive despite it being their greatest wish and they report often feeling alone in their struggle. My heart breaks for them. 

I have three rug rats of my own, but spent quite a bit of time researching infertility issues before writing A DRY CREEK BED, the second in my hot and steamy romantic suspense series.

Beth Martinez is the heroine and she’s recently had a hysterectomy because of a fibroid tumor. This has rocked Beth’s world. Her parents died when she was eight, the grandparents who raised her have passed on and now she won’t be able to have children of her own.

To twist the knife even more, she’s been in love with Dry Creek County Sheriff Hank Layton for most of her life. Hank wants Beth, there’s no doubt about it, but he also wants to start a family and Beth’s emotions are so tangled ups she’s not sure if she ever wants to adopt. Not wanting to force Hank to give up his dreams of a family or make him feel obligated to stay with her, Beth keeps her infertility a secret and denies she has any interest in him.
 
Hank can’t stop thinking about Beth to the point where he’s afraid of becoming permanently bowlegged. And even though the sexual tension between them is thick enough to trip over, she runs every time he chases.
But when a mysterious developer forces her neighbors off their land, Beth becomes the one person standing between the scoundrel and millions of dollars. Only Hank can help her uncover the truth. Together they risk their lives exposing decades-old secrets and learn that everything is not as it seems in their rural Nebraska town.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

About Avery Flynn: Romantic suspense novelist Avery Flynn’s first Dry Creek novel, Up a Dry Creek, was published in 2011.  Her latest, A DRY CREEK BED, has just been released by Evernight Publishing.

          Born and raised in western Nebraska, the setting of her fictional town of Dry Creek, she now lives in the Washington, D.C. metro area.  There she continues to write and work at her day job while enjoying her own happily ever after with her husband, three children and two dogs.  She dreams of one day having a floor-to-ceiling library, à la Beauty and the Beast, and is working to perfect the coffee IV drip.  She is delighted to have her first two books published and to be hard at work on High and Dry Creek, her third Dry Creek novel.

Get a copy at Amazon.com - or come back tomorrow (Thursday, 1/19) for a GIVEAWAY of "A Dry Creek Bed"!

Happy Reading!
~!~ Amanda ~!~

REVIEW: "Angelfire" by Courtney Allison Moulton

Why this book?: Well, you all know how I feel about angels. Like I could turn this book down when my library/work purchased a copy? Pft!

Type: Young Adult Fiction, Paranormal, Light Romance, Angels!, Reapers, kick-butt heroines, amnesia (sorta..), Series

About the book: First there are nightmares.

Every night Ellie is haunted by terrifying dreams of monstrous creatures that are hunting her, killing her.

Then come the memories.

When Ellie meets Will, she feels on the verge of remembering something just beyond her grasp. His attention is intense and romantic, and Ellie feels like her soul has known him for centuries. On her seventeenth birthday, on a dark street at midnight, Will awakens Ellie's power, and she knows that she can fight the creatures that stalk her in the grim darkness. Only Will holds the key to Ellie's memories, whole lifetimes of them, and when she looks at him, she can no longer pretend anything was just a dream.

Now she must hunt.

My Review: There were parts of this book that I really, really loved. And I don't know if the rest of the book was just so-so for me, or if what I liked out-shined the rest of it so much that it fell way behind. Ellie was alright for a main character, but I didn't really enjoy her around her friends so much. I liked her better when it was just her and Will, training or just talking. And I loved their relationship. Each time Ellie is reincarnated, even when she gets her memories back, she's a little different, and this time more so. I loved watching Will and Ellie reconnect. They know each other so well in some ways, Will knowing Ellie more since he has all his memories, but at the same time, they are both someone new to the other. And I really felt that, so in that regard, the author did a truly wonderful job.

I also very much enjoyed the Reapers. The idea of the reapers, the mythology between those that fight for heaven and hell.. all of that, was absolutely fantastic. Well thought out and incredibly interesting, I, just like Ellie, kept wanted to ask more and more questions. To learn more about the world Ellie was born into/thrown into. And I can't wait for the second book so I can hopefully get more answers and more experience. By now, my readers will know how I feel about any sort of mythology in my books (for those that don't - I LOVE IT!), and it was refreshing to see Sumerian mythology and history cropping up. I'm not saying Greek mythology is overdone, I'm still a huge fan after all, but seeing Sumerian is new and fresh, something different.

As for the rest of the story, I really didn't care to learn more about Ellie's birthday present (a car), her friends, or any of her actual teenager-y duties. And these are all things that are important to Ellie, so of course they play a large role in the story. I'm not sure if I thought they weren't as well done or as well developed, I just know they sort of gray-ed out in my memory, especially when compared to how truly intriguing the Reapers and Will were. I know Bastian was supposed to be the villain of the story, but I just wanted to learn more about him than anything. The person I truly hated was Ellie's father. I hope we learn he's actually a demon or something in the future books. I really want him to have a reason to be such a complete jerk.

Cover Lovin': I really like this cover. I think it fits the story perfectly, and I was pleased to see the cover model actually resemble what I thought the heroine would look like. And it's great to get a visual of the sword she uses.

Recommendation: Good for teens and adults alike. There is light romance in this book, so probably geared towards those that would enjoy it, but as I said, it is LIGHT... parents need not fear - they do nothing more than kiss. Darn (in my opinion).

Final Rating: FOUR out of FIVE (4/5). I did enjoy this book. It's a quick read, and I didn't want to put it down for long. I loved the relationship between Ellie and Will, and that sense of them knowing each other, but it still being so new and different.

Book two in the Angelfire series, "Wings of the Wicked" will be released this month, January 31st, 2012! Have you read "Angelfire" and/or are looking forward to "Wings of the Wicked"? Share your thoughts in the comments! Want to pick up a copy! Click the titles above to go to Amazon.com! Click HERE for the author's website.

Happy Reading!
~!~ Amanda ~!~

Where I pick my best/favorite books of 2011!!

Hello all! I've been wanting to do this for a few years, so darnit, I'm doing it this year! I'm going to list my top books of this year.. in no particular order. I'll also link to my review on here or on Romance Reviews Today when applicable!

1. "Howl's Moving Castle" by Diana Wynne Jones. LOVED this one. I'm so mad I never thought to pick this one up before this year! Reviewed on my blog, check that out HERE.

2. "The Guardian" by Sherrilyn Kenyon. More than a few of Kenyon's recent Dark-Hunter novels were a little, shall we say.. formulaic. But "The Guardian" blew me away! I absolutely loved it, and it's now my second favorite Dark-Hunter novel! Reviewed on Romance Reviews Today, go HERE for that review!

3. "A Courtesan's Guide to Getting Your Man" by Celeste Bradley and Susan Donovan. One of those books where I very nearly cried at the end.. because I was just so darned happy! Reviewed on my blog, check it out HERE.

4. "Beg for Mercy" by Jami Alden. I was practically shaking the entire time I read this. I'm not usually one for suspense, but this book was FANTASTIC! Reviewed for Romance Reviews Today, but the review hasn't been archived on the new server yet, alas.

5. "The Restorer" by Amanda Stevens. This one was so good, I picked it as my next book club choice for the Positively Paranormal Book Club at my library. I can't wait to hear what our patrons think about it! And darn, this is another one that hasn't been archived. Hopefully soon!

6. "Credo's Hope" by Alison Holt. I'll admit it, I wasn't sure about this book when I agreed to review it. But the author really blew me away. I was lucky to review the sequel to this, "Credo's Legacy," as well, and it was just as good.. but since "Credo's Hope" was the first one, I chose that one to be on the list. Excited for the third in the series, which I hope will release soon! Reviewed on my blog, see my review HERE!

Well, those are my choices for the top books I've read this year. There were tons on my original list.. but I wanted to limit it to 6 or 7. And don't you dare ask me to pick an absolute favorite out of those, I could never! Ha.

So you've heard my choices, what are yours? Comment below with your list, or a link to your list!

Happy Reading!
~!~ Amanda ~!~