The Blurb -

Just when you think you have it all figured out, life belts you to the ground. And when Caillen discovers a truth he'd never suspected about himself, everything in his life is turned on its head.

Desideria has a secret of her own- one that could end her life if anyone ever learns it. The last thing she expects is to meet a criminal in her sheltered world never mind find herself marooned on a hostile colony with him while his enemies try to kill them both.

And as they struggle to survive, her father's favorite curse resonates. "May you get exactly what you want and live long enough to regret it."

My Review -

Sherrilyn Kenyon is one of the authors who first introduced me to the Paranormal Romance genre with her famous Dark-Hunter series. When I was asked to read and review her League books a while back I was a little sceptical. However I enjoyed them and wondered if there would ever be more. I was delighted to see #4 in the series appear. Born of Shadows takes us back to the League series and does it in style.

Think of the Dark-Hunters in space travelling from world to world with different species and new rules. That is the League series and it is as thrilling as all the books Sherrilyn has written. You fall in love with the characters and find yourself interested in the outcome. The plot always thickens, twists and turns but you always know what to expect from a Kenyon book. Everything always comes together in the end and along the way you enjoy the ride.

If Sherrilyn writes more League books I would certainly read them. Any fan of the author should at least try one of these books. The story from each book in the series does interlink in some ways and like the Dark-Hunter world all the characters seem to know each other. That said you don't you really don't need to read these books in order. They stand alone and are strong enough by themselves.

Well worth reading and definitely enjoyable. I hope the League come back sometime soon. I am not a huge Sci-fi reader but this series is just too cool to miss out on.

Labels: ARC, Book Read, New Releases, Sherrilyn Kenyon

The Blurb -

In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV.

Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives alone with her mother and younger sister, regards it as a death sentence when she steps forward to take her sister's place in the Games. But Katniss has been close to dead before—and survival, for her, is second nature. Without really meaning to, she becomes a contender. But if she is to win, she will have to start making choices that will weigh survival against humanity and life against love.

My Thoughts -

This is a book and trilogy that I have seen others rave about but for some reason never picked up myself. When I came across The Hunger Games in an Audible sale I decided to take the plunge and see what all the fuss was about. Now I wish I had read this book sooner rather than later.

It was action packed, unique and inspiring! Everything that happens in this book makes you think 'What would I do in this situation?'. Despite the fact that The Hunger Games are unfair and cruel you can only hope that Katniss survives and wins. All the time you wonder what will happen next to help or hinder the progress of the amazing young woman.

I don't think I can express how good this book is. All I can tell you is that I downloaded the other two books in the series when I was about halfway through The Hunger Games. I had to have the next books ready in my library and I will start listening to Catching Fire, book #2, as soon as possible. I have to know what happens next!

If you are a fan of The Crow books by Jeri Smith-Ready or Maria V. Snyder's Study series then you will love this book. Set in a fantasy world that is so much like our own but also so different, this book shows what could be the future for us. While this may be Young Adult based this book is perfect for adults as well. I can also recommend listening to the audiobook as the narrator did a great job.

Labels: Audiobooks, Book Read, Suzanne Collins, Young Adult

The Blurb -

Buried in the Heartland is a town that no one enters or leaves. Graf McDonald somehow becomes its first visitor in more than five years…and he was only looking for a good party. Unfortunately, Penance, Ohio, is not that place. And after having been isolated for so long, they do not like strangers at all.

Jessa's the only one to even remotely trust him, and she's desperate for the kind of protection that only a vampire like Graf can provide. Supplies are low, the locals are ornery for a sacrifice and there's a monster more powerful than Graf lurking in the woods. New men are hard to come by in this lonesome town, and this handsome stranger might be Jessa's only hope for salvation.

Even if she has to die first…

My Review -

I really enjoyed Jennifer Armintrout's Blood Ties series and I have been eagerly awaiting something new from her. Yes I know she had a Fae series out but Fae just aren't my cup of tea. I want vampires, weres, demons or ghosts and in American Vampire I hoped my wait had ended. It had but not in the way I expected. I have to admit that I didn't really read the blurb and had no idea what to expect from this new release. I read this purely because of the name and title on the cover. It wasn't a bad thing but it just wasn't what I thought this book was going to be like. I am still not sure why the book is called American Vampire and I can't decide what the title has to do with the actual story.

However all that aside this was a good read. Most likely because Jennifer Armintrout is a good strong writer with a nice style. Her idea for this book wasn't totally off either. Getting a vampire stuck in a town filled with humans who haven't been able to leave said town for five years is actually quite interesting. Kind of like Lost mixed up with Jericho this certainly had a suspense factor and I was definitely reading to the end to see how things worked out for all involved.

I enjoyed seeing how the relationship between Jessa and Graf evolved and it was very gripping to find out what the monster plaguing the town really was and why it was there. The constant question of 'Will anyone make it out of the town?' really was enough to keep me reading to the end. I wondered if this would turn into a series with the author keeping everyone prisoner and leaving Graf to find some way to survive. However the story ended nicely with everything cleared up. It seems this is just a one off.

Any fans of Armintrout's work will certainly enjoy this new release. It is a little different to her previous books but it is nice to see that she can mix things up a bit and not keep to the same old stuff. While reading this I was often reminded of Stephen King's work. Maybe it was the atmosphere the author created or it may just be the monster being called 'It'. Whichever it was the story definitely had a goosebump thriller feel to it like King's early books.

I am excited to see what she what this author comes up with next. Jennifer really does have a good imagination and I am going to be checking out what she comes up with next. Keep me on my toes!

Labels: ARC, Book Read, Jennifer Armintrout, New Releases

The Blurb - Alison and her resident gumshoe ghost are on their next case when the deceased Scott MacFarlane floats in worried that he accidentally killed a prominent local woman. Turns out she's still alive...that is, of course, until she's murdered-in Alison's house. Now, between the demands of her guests and the arrival of a reality television crew, Alison must find the killer before she sees reality from the other side.

My Thoughts -

An Uninvited Ghost is the second book in the Haunted Guesthouse series by E.J. Copperman. I was really impressed by the first book, Night of the Living Deed, so I had to pre-order this one and couldn't wait to read it. As most second books in the series it doesn't come up to par with the first book. However it was still an amazing read and it did confirm my hopes that this will be a new cool cozy mystery series.

I think the main attraction in this series is the ghost aspect. It is nice to have a little paranormal mixed up with some cozy mystery. I can't read the hardcore stuff all the time and it is nice to have a little break and read something with a little less blood and action. The nice setting and interesting characters make this an even better read. I love the concept and look forward to seeing where the author takes it next.

This time around the plot was a little complicated. There were way too many angles but in the end it all came together and I have to say there was a nice twist that I didn't see coming. The author certainly knows how to write a good mystery and I am eager for book three to come out. I have found another paranormal cozy to rave about.

Labels: Book Read, Cozy Mystery, E.J. Copperman, Kindle, New Releases

My author guest last week was Linda Wisdom! Now the contest ended on Sunday but I have been away over Easter and didn't have much internet access! So I apologise for not getting the winner announced sooner!

So with no further delay I will say congrats to :


Mariee!!



Find out how to claim your prize below!

Didn't win this time? Then keep trying! There are two author contests still open for entries!

Jenna Black is giving away a copy of her latest release!

Also Jennifer Estep is giving away a copy of her new Elemental Assassins book!

Want to try Linda's books? Order a copy using the links to Amazon or Bookdepository!



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How to claim your prize!

Please contact me via email - Amberkatzes_book_blog at gmx dot eu within the next 7 days to claim your prize. Your claim will go quicker if you send me your address. If you won a contest where you can choose your prize, then please make sure you state in your email which book you would like. This will help things go alot quicker!

If you email me and don't get a reply within 48 hours please post on the blog letting me know. Some email gets eaten by my spam filter. However please don't send me more than one email unless you really don't get an answer within 3 days. I am not online 24/7 ;) Sometimes it takes a little longer to reply.

If a prize isn't claimed after 7 days I will, if the author agrees, pick another winner.

Please also note that I can not be held responsible for prizes that come direct from authors. I will check with them for you if you haven't received your prize but I can not hunt down your mail! Any prizes that come from myself could come from a 3rd party eg. Amazon or Bookdepository. If I am sending a prize myself please be aware that it could take a few weeks to reach you as it is coming from Europe.

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Labels: Contests, Jenna Black, Jennifer Estep, Linda Wisdom, Winners

I have two author guests this week!

Jenna Black is here talking about her new release and giving away a copy!

(comments can now be made! Sorry about that!)

Also Jennifer Estep is here talking about her new release and her upcoming YA series! She is also giving away a copy of her newest book!

Both contests are open till Sunday! So make sure you enter!

Also apologies for my lack of reviews etc...I am on holiday and don't have much internet access! All will back to normal on Thursday and you will also finally find out who won the last contest as well as a new monthly giveaway!

Labels: Contests, Jenna Black, Jennifer Estep

Review coming when I am back from my Easter Holidays!

Labels: ARC, Jennifer Armintrout, Kindle, New Releases