Review ~ Gravity ~ Dannika Dark #ShelfLove #TravelingtotheTerminus

Gravity by Dannika Dark
Mageri Series #4
Release Date: June 12, 2013
Genre: Adult, Urban Fantasy, Paranormal Romance
Source: Purchased paperback
Rating: 4.5 Bookworms
Challenges: #ShelfLove, #TravelingtotheTerminus
Goodreads

Synopsis
When a choice is made, it will forever alter the course of our destiny. It cannot be undone, for fate is a river changing direction and carving away the bed of our hearts like everlasting fractures.

A turbulent past has left Silver a broken woman, but she is learning to trust again through Logan Cross, a Chitah who has convinced her that a dangerous man can change. Their bond will be put to the ultimate test when an old nemesis reappears and flips her world upside down. Will Logan be able to tame the animal within, or will he succumb to his impulsive nature?

The ongoing investigation into Breed experiments unveils a shocking secret about Silver's past. Standing at a fork in the road, Silver is forced to make a decision. Each comes with a consequence, and there is no turning back.

"My eyes may not know all of you, but my heart does. I loved you before I was born, and I will love you long after I pass from this earth."

Gravity contains romance, passion, twists, and nail-biting drama.

Hooboy! This is getting interesting!

First, I want to reiterate how much I admire Dark for taking on topics like equality for women and racism and bigotry, using the context of the Breed. It's well done and an added complexity to the story.

In Gravity - which is an excellent title considering how this installment explores the gravity of decision making where the characters are concerned - we see Silver blossoming into her new life and as a person of note. There are revelations made about who and what she is and she makes tough decisions - decisions that enable her to protect the ones she loves though they'll never know about it. Gravity also allows us to become better acquainted with Justus. He's an honorable man, which was demonstrated when he took Silver in as his Learner. But we get to see a completely different side of him here - a more tender side. And it was incredible.

Gravity trades in some of the white-knuckle action for gut-wrenching emotion. I was shredded over some of the things that happened here. Logan, though, he ensured my love and loyalty towards him despite one thing he did. He proved his worthiness - well he and Silver proved their worthiness of each other.

As with all the books in this series, the supporting cast is stellar and invaluable. Spending time with them all is a treat. And although I hate to see the series end, I'm also anxious to see how everything shakes out.

My TBR List ~ January ~ Polling is Open!

My To-Be Read List is a meme hosted by Michelle @Because Reading. I think it's a fabulous idea because it gets y'all in the game and it helps me knock off some of the many, many books on my TBR list. You're more than welcome to join in the fun! I've included the basic rules below but you can click on the graphic above to hop over to Michelle's site where you can find all the details. 

Here's how it works:
On the first Saturday of each month, I will make a post with three books from my TBR List (these books can be already on your ereader or bookshelf OR books you might want to purchase) and add your link on the linky that will be provided on Michelle's post. Y'ALL will help me choose which book I will read next. The following Saturday, I will announce which book won. Then the last Saturday of the month, I'll post my review.

Fun, right?!?

***

In 2018, I'm once again working at catching up on series and y'all get to decide which series I'm going to read each month! :D

PLEASE NOTE: I didn't get my survey done before SurveyMonkey went down for maintenance and they're down today and I'm traveling home from Texas anyway. So, please, please, pretty please, let me know your vote in the comments. Just this once. =) Thanks so much and I'm sorry for the inconvenience. 


Your Choices Are:


Beautifully Done
Beautifully Awake #2

Synopsis
Diagnosis: Borrowed time
Treatment: Trust
Prognosis: Beautifully Done

Asher Craig drives fast, flies high, and screws hard. But make no mistake, he's a gentleman.

He learned way too young that we're all on borrowed time. Fair or unfair, you only get one ride. He vows to live for the moment because it's the only time he owns. The past is beyond his control and the future may not exist. With his only loyalties being his family, he thrives for that edge where plunging over is always in the realm of possibility.

When a beautiful familiar face tilts his axis, he re-examines everything and realizes that second chances are overrated and a lifetime of first are irreplaceable. In the end, it's not her medical degree but his trust that needs to prove that the ride together is worth it ... until it's Beautifully Done.



Once Bitten, Twice Shy
Bitten #2

Synopsis
I used to think my life was boring. I resigned myself to the rut I was stuck in. Then my entire existence was turned upside down.

In the last six months, I've learned things that would get me committed to an asylum if I repeated them. First, I was kidnapped by vampires. Yes, vampires. Sounds crazy, right? My best friend, Donna, became one of the fanged after that little adventure and hooked up with a hot, Scottish vampire named Conner. They're even planning a wedding.

Secondly, I learned not all vampires are evil. In fact, some of them are downright sexy.

Alexander Dimitriades has it all. He's tall, dark, and handsome and manages to give me tingles in all the right places and also make me laugh. Unfortunately, to be with him, I would have to give up my humanity and I like being human. Then, there's the fact that the whole drinking blood thing gives me the heebie jeebies.

To make matters worse, there are plans in motion to change the place vampires hold in the human world. And I'm caught in the middle, between the vampire I'm falling in love with and a group that wants to create a vampire dictatorship, with humans as slaves.

Now, all I want is my calm, normal life back. As my friend, Ricki, likes to say, "Be careful what you wish for because it might come and bite you on the ass." I hate it when she's right.

*This work contains BDSM elements/themes, spanking, bondage, anal play, and a bossy, persistent Greek vampire.




Steal the Day
Thieves #2

Synopsis
When a member of her crew is dragged to Hell by a demon, ZOey plans the most dangerous heist of her career. With her team at her side, Zoey intends to sneak onto the Hell plane and steal Sarah back.

The job seems impossible until a new client makes them an offer too good to refuse. If she can find an ancient artifact called The Revelation, she can use it to locate an angel who holds Sarah's redemption in his hands.

Surrounded by warring angels and demons, the greatest threat may come from one of her own. Torn between her Fae lover and the vampire who has always held her heart, Zoey finds that she and Dev are trapped in Daniel's web of secrets and it may be Zoey who has to pay the ultimate price.



Okay, now vote! And thanks! :D

And in case you missed it above, I didn't get my survey done before Survey Monkey went down for maintenance. If you could please let me know your vote in the comments this one time, I'd be mighty grateful!

#COYER Review ~ Caged ~ Amber Lynn Natusch

Caged by Amber Lynn Natusch
Caged #1
Release Date: December 15, 2011
Genre: Adult, Paranormal Romance, Urban Fantasy
Source: Freebie on Nook
Rating: 3.5 Bookworms
Challenges: #COYER, #ShelfLove
Goodreads

Synopsis
"I stood in the middle of the room, unmoving - I barely breathed. My life had just become surreal, impossible, and one enormous lie. I needed to go, to run somewhere, anywhere to beat back the reality that was rapidly closing in around me. The image of him was burned into my retina, flashing over and over again like a warning. He was trapped somewhere between human and decidedly not, and I realized that was my new reality. I was too."

After the death of her parents, Ruby awakens from a lifetime of shadows and finds herself alone, thrust into a world of lies, deceit, betrayal and the supernatural.

As her quest for truth continues to come up short, she realizes that maybe some questions really are best left unanswered.

When her true identity is finally unveiled, she is forced to choose between two of the mysterious men who continually seem to crop up in her life.

She chooses poorly.

Now abandoned, Ruby must learn to call on the darkness within to survive, or spend a hellish eternity imprisoned because of it.

Caged came as a recommendation from Lorna @RabidReads so it came as no surprise that I was immediately captivated. The prologue teased me just enough to have my curiosity piqued. There were some freaky things that Ruby endured and she was equally as in the dark, so to speak, as to what was going on as I was.

The story picks up ~9 months after the prologue and Ruby is settling into her life "after". I enjoyed getting to know her - seeing her creativity and her love for dance as well as the way she's embracing her newfound, if undesired, freedom juxtaposed with the images of her childhood. Natusch did well developing Ruby's character in this way, showing us how she'd been and how recent events had affected her and were shaping who she was becoming. This was the first time she was really able to figure out who she is, define herself, etc. She has a fun sense of humor and is intelligent.

Sean is this enigmatic character who keeps showing up when Ruby most needs him. I didn't feel like I got to know him well enough to have a real connection with him - which might be purposeful - but for whatever reason, I felt he always had Ruby's best interests at heart. Eric, on the other hand, always felt slimy to me. I didn't get that acquainted with him either but I still felt like he showed his true colors and they didn't color him trustworthy.

Without being spoilery, I'll just say that Natusch developed an intriguing mythology of her own and despite this being the introduction to the series, it wasn't an info dump in world building. However, we really only know the bones right now so I'm anxious to learn more.

My issues with Caged were in the details about Ruby. I understand why she was the way she was but I felt that at times she was too trusting and she behaved immaturely. She also had an interesting fascination with fashion considering where she was 9 months ago. One other tiny complaint is that Sean was so enigmatic. I felt some things he said were confusing - so Ruby was also understandably confused by him.

Overall though, Caged held my interest and has my curiosity piqued enough that I'm looking forward to continuing the series, seeing how Ruby continues to mature and learn more about this all-new world she's found herself in.

That's What HE Said #78 ~ Thirsty Thursday & Hungry Hearts #72 ~ Shine ~ Dannika Dark

That's What He Said is a weekly meme hosted by the lovely ladies @Chapter Break. Here's the deal: every Thursday, post a line from your book boyfriend to his heroine. Keep in mind, these are direct quotes from dialog in the books. The quote doesn't have to be romantic - just something our hunky hero said to his lucky lady. Be sure to link up over at Chapter Break as well.

Thirsty Thursday & Hungry Hearts is a weekly meme hosted by my blogger wife, Lexxie, @(un)Conventional Bookviews. It's a way to highlight a book using quotes that revolve around food or drinks. Every Thursday, post a line or two...or heck, a whole paragraph, that spoke to you in some way using food or drinks. *wink* 

My pick this week for That's What He Said AND Thirsty Thursday & Hungry Hearts is from:

Shine by Dannika Dark

I cannot explain to you how much I adore Logan Cross. He's a total alpha male and so absolutely far from being an alpha-hole. If you haven't met him, you *MUST* rectify this immediately. Then come tell me how much you love him. *big grin*

***

"I will never let you go if you keep me in your heart, Little Raven. I will never leave you as long as you hear my voice whispering in your ear. No one lives forever. It's not what you take from this life--it's what you give. When it's my time--whenever that may be--I want to know that I left you with hope. You gave me that gift on the night we met, when I watched hum a song in the kitchen while heating up enchiladas for a stranger at your table. Pass it on someday to someone who needs it more than you."

Audio Review ~ Tougher in Texas ~ Kari Lynn Dell (@kidell) #AudioChallenge

Tougher in Texas by Kari Lynn Dell
Texas Rodeo #3
Narrated by: Johanna Parker
Release Date: August 1, 2017
Genre: Adult, Contemporary Romance
Source: I received a complimentary copy from Tantor Audio. This did not affect my rating and my review is voluntarily provided. 
Rating: 4.5 Bookworms
Challenges: #2017NewRelease, #AudioChallenge
Goodreads

Synopsis
Rodeo producer Cole Jacobs has his hands full running Jacobs Livestock. He can't afford to lose a single cowboy, so when Cousin Violet offers to send along a more-than-capable replacement, he's got no choice but to accept. He expects a grizzled Texas good ol' boy. He gets Shawnee Pickett. Wild and outspoken, ruthlessly self-reliant, Shawnee's not looking for anything but a good time. It doesn't matter how quickly the tall, dark and intense cowboy gets under her skin - Cole deserves something real, and Shawnee can't promise him forever. Life's got a way of kicking her in the teeth, and she's got her bags packed before tragedy can knock her down. Too bad Cole's not the type to give up when the going gets tough...

Hooboy! This series continues to get better and better! I've so enjoyed geting to listen back-to-back and now - I'm a little bummed I have to wait until April for #4. One the brightside, since the stories keep getting more entertaining, I *know* it'll be worth the wait. *wink*

Highlights:

• Characters
  Dell expertly brings her characters to life. I feel as though they're my friends and I adore them all for their little quirks. In Shawnee, I got a girl with a personality as big as Texas. She's always up for a good time and has many. But she's also a loyal friend, looking out for those she cares about even if she won't let herself admit it or really let anyone close. See, Shawnee experienced a few spectacularly tragic events when she was younger that keep her from looking or expecting deeper. She lives her life to the fullest on a superficial level believing the other shoe is definitely gonna drop. Cole is this big mountain of a cowboy. He's everything you'd want in a friend, co-worker, and yes, man. He's autistic so he has a few things that make him even more interesting as well as endearing. He also suffered a tragedy when he was young and that gives him another commonality with Shawnee - on top of rodeo-ing and being from West Texas. Cole - well, he just might be my favorite cowboy in this series so far with his lists and trouble getting words out... *sigh* He trips my trigger.
• Genuine, realistic settings
  As I said in at least one of my previous reviews of this series, Dell captures life in West Texas well. She also vividly brings to life the rodeo and all that entails. From the sounds, smells, and excitement in the arena and the chutes, as well as the drone of the road when traveling to the next locale, and lastly the gut-wrenching fear over cowboys and horses being in danger, Dell conveys it all with heart, emotion, and a genuineness that is indicative of someone who's lived it.
• Thought-provoking content
  The Texas rodeo series is romance but the romance is secondary to the story, in my opinion. After finishing Tougher in Texas, I realized Dell had made me consider a lot of things over the course of this series. Making mistakes and how we learn from them, letting go of a dream that's an impossibility to embrace a new and better one, not living a life dictated by how others see us - Tougher in Texas made me think about embracing life EVERY DAY. None of us know what tomorrow will bring so we shouldn't live guarded. Like the song says, we should live like we're dying - do it, experience it all. And never, ever deny yourself love.

Although Parker stumbled a few times with keeping her voices consistent and she also mispronounced a few Texas towns (something you wouldn't know unless you're from Texas), I'm still so enjoying her narration. For the most part, her voices are great and her delivery and pacing keep me engaged. So of course, I'm looking forward to the next installment!

2017 End-of-Year Challenge Updates ~ All My 2018 Challenge Sign Ups

I dedicated these last two months of 2017 to finishing up series I was behind in by 1 or 2 books - #TravelingtotheTerminus. 

I managed to complete the following series:

Crossfire Series by Sylvia Day

Games Series by Nyrae Dawn

New Camelot Series by Sierra Simone

Tempest Series by Michelle Mankin

I almost completed these series:

The Mageri Series by Dannika Dark

Blackcreek Series by Riley Hart

Pushing the Limits Series by Katie McGarry

That's not very many considering the list is like 42 series long but I did a re-read of the first two in Day's Crossfire series so that put me behind. At any rate, I'll be working at this goal again in 2018.

***2017 Challenges End-of-Year Updates***

#2017 Bookish Resolutions
Y'all can click here for a list of my resolutions for 2017 but in the end, I still managed to accomplish some and fail at others. Again, I looked at these resolutions as goals which means I didn't really fail. *grins* Laura and Michelle are hosting this challenge again in 2018 but I haven't decided yet whether I'm going to participate...

#2017HW Report Card for Quarter One

My goal was to read 1 book a month. Again, I read 3 books in the first and second quarters of 2017 so that means I got A's!!! However, I received an F in the third and fourth quarters because I only read ONE single book from my list read. Hopefully next year will go better. :)

#2017NewRelease - 46 books
I totally hit my goal of New Release Pro this year - 31-60 books - so I'm happy with that. Lexxie is once again hosting the New Release Challenge and I plan to participate.

#Audiobook Challenge - 26 listens 
I didn't quite make my goal of 30 books but I'm proud of what I accomplished. I plan to join in this challenge again in 2018.

#authorluv - 1 book
Yep, kinda failed at showing CoHo some love. But I *DO* love her so and I plan to get more read in 2018.

#BloggerShame - 10 books
I failed to reach my goal of 20 books but 10 is better than none so I'm considering that a win. :) I'll work at it more in 2018.

Read All the Books - 11 books
I still have quite a bit of Sabrina Jeffries' backlist to tackle but I'll get there. This is an ongoing challenge so I'll be working at it again in 2018.

#ShelfLove - 85 books 
I *nailed* this challenge goal of 51+ books! Woohoo! I might be most proud of having made this goal because that was my aim - to read more of the books I own! Even though the lovely ladies at Chapter Break and Second Run Reviews aren't hosting this challenge in 2018, I plan to continue showing my shelves lots of love.

***CHALLENGES FOR 2018***

I've decided to cut down on the number of challenges I'm doing in 2018. I'm having issues keeping up with all of them all! ;) 

I'm once again participating in the Audiobook Challenge hosted by Caffeinated Reviewer and Hot Listens. My goal for 2018 is Binge Listener or 20-30 books. :)

I'm once again joining in the Blogger Shame Challenge hosted by Herding Cats & Burning Soup. (click the button for all the details) I really am working at reading all those ARCs I requested from Netgalley. *winks* I'm aiming to read 20 books. That ought to help my rating. :)

I'm once again participating in the New Release Challenge hosted by Lexxie @(un)ConventionalBookViews. You can click the button above for all the details but I'm challenging myself to New Release Pro level again in 2018 because I *still* want to read books I already own. :) So that means I'll aim for 31-60 new releases.

Sabrina Jeffries is my author of choice for this challenge. So far, I've finished 11 of her books. :) If you want in on this challenge, click the button for details.

I'm once again participating in the Reading Assignment Challenge hosted by Berls & Michelle @BecauseReading. I'm committing to reading 1 book a month. You can click the button above for details on the challenge. One of the *big* changes they made to the challenge this year is that you only have to create a list for January to June and then in June, create a list for July to December. Yay! Hopefully this will help me stick to my list. My first half of 2018 Reading List is:

Favorites of 2017 ~ Books & Audiobooks

I enjoyed doing a "look back at the year" in 2016 so I figured it'd once again be fun to bring 2017 to a close by listing some of favorites. I hope you enjoy reading about some of my favorites and I'd be happy to hear about any of yours!

*~*Books & Audiobooks*~*

• How the Duke Was Won - I chose this book solely because it was narrated by Beverley A. Crick but I found a new favorite author in Lenora Bell
• The Nightingale - a powerful read about how war affected women during WWII from Kristin Hannah
• Red Rising - so realistic in nature and well written, so many parallels to our world today
• Rock F*ck Club - a female anthem, if you will, for equality - especially in our sexuality
• Outlander - omigosh! I adore Jamie and Claire!
• And I Darken - I'm only waiting til 2018 to read the next installment - and honestly, I'm so anxious over it - because the final installment releases in June of 2018. Sometimes I hate the wait.
• Texas Rodeo series - an incredible series revolving around small town West Texas and the rodeo circuit - great writing and narration (Kari Lynn Dell & Johanna Parker)
• New Camelot Trilogy - I listened to the first two - excellent narration - and read the final installment because I was too anxious to wait for the audio! I adored this trilogy!
• The Angel - such a unique story and so very well conveyed
• Steal the Light - it's making the list because IT. HAS. IT. ALL!

Honestly, this list was hard to compile. I mean, I read 160 books this year so it's hard to narrow it down to ~10. In the end, I realized it was just a good reading year. *grins*

My TBR List Review ~ December ~ Reapers Legacy ~ Joanna Wylde #MyTBRList #ShelfLove

My To-Be Read List is a meme hosted by Michelle @Because Reading. 



Reaper's Legacy by Joanna Wylde
Reaper's Motorcycle Club #2
Release Date: January 28, 2014
Genre: Adult, Contemporary Romance, MC Romance
Source: Purchased paperback
Rating: 4.5 Bookworms
Challenges: #MyTBRList, #ShelfLove
Goodreads

Synopsis
Eight years ago, Sophie gave her heart - and her virginity - to Zach Barrett on a night that couldn't have been less romantic or more embarrassing. Zach's step-brother, a steely-muscled, tattooed biker named Ruger, caught them in the act, getting a peep show of Sophie he's never forgotten.

She may have lost her dignity that fateful night, but Sophie also gained something precious - her son, Noah. Unfortunately, Zach's a deadbeat dad, leaving Ruger to be Noah's only male role model. When he discovers Sophie and his nephew living near poverty, Ruger takes matters into his own hands - with the help of the Reapers Motorcycle Club - to give them a better life.

Living with outlaw bikers wasn't Sophie's plan for her son, but Ruger isn't giving her a choice. He'll be there for Noah, whether she wants him or not. But Sophie does want him, has always wanted him. Now she'll learn that taking a biker to bed can get a girl dirty in every way...

I read the first two chapters of Reapers Legacy before it released and I was so upset I couldn't immediately go to buy it and finish it. Yep, it was that good. So it's hard to believe I've had it since right after its release without reading it. The good news? It was worth the wait. *grins*

Reapers Legacy made me think about things like family and loyalty. It incorporated elements I love about the MC genre like the brotherhood of the club and the dynamics between the guys and their women...and children. And where Reapers Property, the first book in the series, had more humor, violence, and grittiness, Reapers Legacy had more emotion. All this made for a satisfying read.

Sophie, bless her heart...she got pregnant at 17. Her family disowned her for wanting to keep the baby and her baby daddy - well, he was far from being a decent human being so he certainly wasn't into being a dad. The only person who's been there for her throughout is Ruger - baby daddy's step brother. Sophie's done an excellent job as a mom to Noah, always putting him first. But in a moment of desperation, Noah is endangered and Ruger comes to the rescue.

Ruger's never understood how his step-brother scored Sophie or what she could have possibly seen in Zack. He's done all in his power to protect and provide for her and Noah. When he finds the condition they're living in he resolves to move them in with him where he can ensure their safety and maybe, their happiness. Naturally though, Sophie took exception to Ruger making decisions for her despite her knowing it was needed. This led to some saucy interactions between her and Ruger.

The chemistry between Sophie and Ruger is explosive. It's a wonder it hadn't combusted sooner - burning them both. But Noah was always their first concern. Watching them try to navigate figuring out how they can get what they each want - and getting to where that's the same thing - without negatively affecting Noah was impressive. And then there was the danger posed by a rival club - something Sophie vehemently did not want touching her or her son. 

Reapers Legacy, of course, has a large supporting cast since the story revolves around a motorcycle club. Wylde brilliantly weaves these characters in, adding depth to the story as well as ensuring I continue the series *wink* because I must know everyone's story.

Reapers Legacy was an awesome read and I'm eager to move ahead in this series.