Review: With All My Soul by Rachel Vincent

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With All My Soul
Series: Soul Screamers #7
Author: Rachel Vincent

SUMMARY
(From Goodreads)

What does it mean when your school is voted the most dangerous in America? It’s time to kick some hellion butt…

After not really surviving her junior year (does “undead” count as survival?), Kaylee Cavanaugh has vowed to take back her school from the hellions causing all the trouble. She’s going to find a way to turn the incarnations of Avarice, Envy and Vanity against one another in order to protect her friends and finish this war, once and forever.

But then she meets Wrath and understands that she’s closer to the edge than she’s ever been. And when one more person close to her is taken, Kaylee realizes she can’t save everyone she loves without risking everything she has….

MY THOUGHTS

It is safe to say that if there is a new book in this series, then I will be reading it.  I am a HUGE Tod fan and I can’t get enough of him. Sure this series is suppose to have Kaylee as the main character, but for me, Tod is the one I zero in on.  This author could write about Tod just sleeping and I would read it several times. I am also in a slight depression upon reading the last page because it is suppose to be the last book in the series.  I hate it when a series I love comes to an end.

Moving on….

Kaylee has grown so much from where she was in the first book.  Even with everything she has been through, I feel that the author made her grow but not waiver from her true self.  Nash use to be my favorite — until Tod really came into focus– and while I don’t agree with some of what he has done in this series, he is still Nash through and through. Sabine is still a girl I want to shoot daggers at with my eyeballs.  She has never ranked high in my opinion but when a plot calls for “her type” we roll with it.  I won’t even start in on how much I loved Tod in this one because there just isn’t enough words to describe it.  I will say that the ending will definitely leave you in tears.

While I can see the same pattern of Kaylee making decisions that wanted me slapping her, we do know by book seven that she does them for the right reason — at least what SHE thinks is the right reasons.  Again, just go with the flow because it works.

I am sad to see this series come to an end. I want more, but every good thing has an ending somewhere.  Where this author left the ending was perfect.  Touching and fitting are just two words that sum it up at the end.  While it was a wild ride full of humor, wit, suspense, romance and drama, I can honestly say it was a ride I am glad I jumped on.

MY RATING

[sc:rate5 ]

AUTHOR WEBSITE / GOODREADS / AMAZON

Review: Seduced in the Dark by C.J. Roberts

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Seduced in the Dark
Series: The Dark Duet #2
Author: C. J. Roberts

SUMMARY
(From Goodreads)

What is the price of redemption?

Rescued from sexual slavery by a mysterious Pakistani officer, Caleb carries the weight of a debt that must be paid in blood.

The road has been long and fraught with uncertainty, but for Caleb and Livvie, it’s all coming to an end.

Can he surrender the woman he loves for the sake of vengeance? 

Or will he make the ultimate sacrifice?

MY THOUGHTS
Seduced in the Dark is the second book in The Dark Duet series by author C. J. Roberts.

“Once upon a time, Caleb held me captive in the dark, now he used it to seduce me.” 

Breathe. Just calm down and breathe.  Yes, that was my thoughts after finishing this book.  My emotions were all over the place.  My heart had been ripped from chest, stomped on, and put back in my chest bruised and battered.  I cried multiple times and I hoped for the best with every turn of the page.  After Captive in the Dark, I really struggled with my feelings involving Caleb.  I honestly thought there was no way the author was going to redeem him in my eyes to where he could be a potential hero. No way for him to be the white knight for Livvie.  I honestly was worried about reading the second book because of this.  I found myself understanding more about Caleb and his past. 
When you start reading Seduced in the Dark, we are brought to the hospital with Livvie dealing with the aftermath of her kidnapping.  She is in pain and heartbroken that her Master has left her.  She is withdrawn and in her own little bubble of despair.  No one can break through to her until Officer Reed starts investigating further and makes a deal with Livvie.  With flashbacks and Livvie retelling what happened after those first days of torment, we learn what has really happened and how Livvie was able to let Caleb into her heart.
The author did an amazing job of redeeming Caleb for me.  While what he did was horrible and hard to forgive, what he does to try and fix it was what did it for me.  

“Live for me, Kitten. Be all those things you’d never be with me. Go to school. Meet a normal boy and fall in love. Forgive me. It’s time for you to go, Kitten. Time for us both, to go.” 

At this point in the book I was an emotional mess.  I couldn’t hardly breathe through the tears that racked my body.  I hurt just as much as Livvie did and I didn’t think I was going to make it to the end of the book.  Then the author gives you a ray of hope.  We learn that there is more to this story and the reader will need this small hope — at least this reader did.  I felt the sunshine upon my face again after all the time in the dark with these two characters.  I can’t wait until the next book comes out so I can read more.  I crave it as much as Livvie craved her Master in those first days of the hospital.  I have my tissues on hand and I am ready for the dark pain again.
MY RATING
Outstanding book that will stay on my bookshelf for rereading!

Review: Captive in the Dark by C.J. Roberts

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Captive in the Dark
Series: The Dark Duet #1
Author: C.J. Roberts

SUMMARY
(From Goodreads)

Caleb is a man with a singular interest in revenge. Kidnapped as a young boy and sold into slavery by a power-hungry mobster, he has thought of nothing but vengeance. For twelve years he has immersed himself in the world of pleasure slaves searching for the one man he holds ultimately responsible. Finally, the architect of his suffering has emerged with a new identity, but not a new nature. If Caleb is to get close enough to strike, he must become the very thing he abhors and kidnap a beautiful girl to train her to be all that he once was.

Eighteen-year-old Olivia Ruiz has just woken up in a strange place. Blindfolded and bound, there is only a calm male voice to welcome her. His name is Caleb, though he demands to be called Master. Olivia is young, beautiful, naïve and willful to a fault. She has a dark sensuality that cannot be hidden or denied, though she tries to accomplish both. Although she is frightened by the strong, sadistic, and arrogant man who holds her prisoner, what keeps Olivia awake in the dark is her unwelcome attraction to him.

WARNING: This book contains very disturbing situations, dubious consent, strong language, and graphic violence.

MY THOUGHTS

Captive in the Dark is the first part in The Dark Duet series by author C.J. Roberts.
This type of read is not for the weak and it has some (most) scenes that will be disturbing to many readers.

Mind. F-ck.  That about sums it up. Sorry to be so blunt, but after reading this there is not really a better way to express it.  When Caleb watches Olivia from afar, I just knew he had picked his target.  Olivia became the tool he would use for revenge.  When he approaches her the first time, she believes he is her knight in shining armor there to protect her from some pervs trying to mess with her.  What she doesn’t know is that her knight is actually the one she should be worried about.

Olivia finds herself kidnapped and thrown into a dark room.  She is blindfolded and scared.  When Caleb enters the room and speaks to her, she knows his voice is familiar but cannot place who it is.  After plenty of struggles, she is finally able to see him when the blindfold is gone. She is shocked at who it is and still frightened.  What Caleb does to Olivia to start her “training” was painful and raw.  You can tell Caleb is not really wanting to hurt her, but he needs to get her to submit to become the slave he needs to get revenge on his enemy.  This not to say that Olivia doesn’t fight back.  Oh no. She is a mean little hellcat and she won’t take half of what Caleb tries to dish out.

“You’re going to pay for that Pet,’ he panted. The right side of his face sported an angry red hand print.
I shook out my hand, ‘I already have. That was my change.” 

Unfortunately, it doesn’t end like Olivia wants it to.  She is whipped, spanked and forced to listen to things she has never experienced before.  Through it all, Olivia ends up feeling like Caleb is still her protector when she needs him.  She sort of gets into the Stockholm Syndrome and I can understand why.

“He was my tormentor and my solace; the creator of the dark and the light within.”

To say that I was getting chills throughout this book is an understatement.  The emotional roller coaster you will go on in this story will shock you.  One minute you will be disgusted by Caleb, then you will be hoping he will be her Knight.  I couldn’t believe I found myself thinking of him as a good guy at some points after everything he has done to Olivia.

“Caleb was a strange person, cruel and inhuman; a monster, and yet, at other times, he seemed so capable of something like caring. He made me cry and scream and shake with fear and nearly a split second later he could make me almost believe he wasn’t responsible for any of it. He could hold me and make me feel safe. How was that possible?” 

Not a lot of people can handle this type of read.  I was hesitant on reading it because I thought it would be a book that was just “too much” for me.  I admit that I was scared and that fear kept me from reading this book for so long.  I finally got up enough nerve after reading so many 5 star reviews of it.  I decided to put everything on the back burner and just finally sit down and read it.  Now, I can’t stop thinking about this book and had to get the review written and posted.  I can’t wait to see what will happen after the way the book ended.  I am overcome with the curiosity to find out how Caleb and Olivia are going to proceed from the ending point of book one.  I crave the answers just as Olivia craves a small glimpse of sunlight.

MY RATING

Outstanding book that will stay on my bookshelf for rereading!

Review: The Buckhorn Legacy by Lori Foster

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The Buckhorn Legacy
Series: Buckhorn Brothers #5
Author: Lori Foster

SUMMARY
(From Goodreads)

Emma Clark is back in Buckhorn. Once she was the girl with too much makeup and a bad reputation—and she tried everything she could to get Casey Hudson into bed. He was the cutest guy in town, and the only one who seemed to really care about her.As a hot-blooded teen it was hard for Casey to resist Emma. Now, eight years later, it’s impossible. But Emma is doing her best to shut him out—and Casey needs to convince her that the attraction that burns between them isn’t just leftover teenage lust, but his real love for a real woman…

MY THOUGHTS

The Buckhorn Legacy is the fifth book in the Buckhorn Brothers series by author Lori Foster.  The main characters featured are Casey Hudson and Emma Clark.

Casey. Oh sweet and sexy Casey.  I have been dying to get to your book in my pile and I finally got to read about you.  I loved the previous books in this series, but Casey’s book was the one I was dying to read.  There was just something about that character that drew me in and kept hold of me up until the last page.  Casey is Sawyer’s son.  He is also the one that had this reader drooling in anticipation.  Emma was considered the town tramp even though she was young.

Fast forward eight years and and Emma has returned after running away at a young age.  Casey always wondered what happened to her, but he never knew.  In The Buckhorn Legacy we find out what happened and read about the chemistry between the two.  In this book we also get to see the true depth of Casey’s heart and feelings.

This was a wonderful conclusion to a great series. I am sad to see it end, but the best certainly came last.  While it is not necessary to read the previous books in the series, I highly recommend that you do to get the full picture of the family dynamics and Casey.

MY RATING

Outstanding book that will stay on my bookshelf for rereading!

Review: Pivot Point by Kasie West

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Pivot Point
Series: Pivot Point #1
Author: Kasie West

SUMMARY
(From Goodreads)

Knowing the outcome doesn’t always make a choice easier . . .

Addison Coleman’s life is one big “What if?” As a Searcher, whenever Addie is faced with a choice, she can look into the future and see both outcomes. It’s the ultimate insurance plan against disaster. Or so she thought. When Addie’s parents ambush her with the news of their divorce, she has to pick who she wants to live with—her father, who is leaving the paranormal compound to live among the “Norms,” or her mother, who is staying in the life Addie has always known. Addie loves her life just as it is, so her answer should be easy. One Search six weeks into the future proves it’s not.

In one potential future, Addie is adjusting to life outside the Compound as the new girl in a Norm high school where she meets Trevor, a cute, sensitive artist who understands her. In the other path, Addie is being pursued by the hottest guy in school—but she never wanted to be a quarterback’s girlfriend. When Addie’s father is asked to consult on a murder in the Compound, she’s unwittingly drawn into a dangerous game that threatens everything she holds dear. With love and loss in both lives, it all comes down to which reality she’s willing to live through . . . and who she can’t live without.

MY THOUGHTS

Pivot Point is the first book in the Pivot Point series by author Kasie West.

When I first saw the cover for this book, it sparked an interest in my mind.  I love that cover and I applaud the cover artist for it.  Then I read the summary and I was definitely interested in reading about Addison.  Then I read the book and can honestly say that I loved it.  I loved the theme, suspense, plot, and characters so much more than I though I would.

Since Addie can see into the future and see which decision she makes will have the outcome she wants.  She is called a Searcher and the name fits the power.  She has to search the outcomes to see which one would be best.  When her parents divorce, she sees one future with her living with her father and one future where she is living with her mother.  In both futures there are love interests and her best friend.  There is also mystery and suspense in each as well.

With each chapter alternating between both outcomes, we get to see the decisions that Addie is going to be forced to make in each one.  The author did a wonderful job of balancing the dialogue and narration without over doing it on either.  The characters were enjoyable and I found myself telling my family ‘just one more chapter’ before doing something for them.

If you are looking for a fresh and new paranormal read in the young adult genre, then Pivot Point should be your starting point.  I can’t wait to see what the author is going to bring us for the second book in the series!

MY RATING

Outstanding book that will stay on my bookshelf for rereading!