THE IRON DAUGHTER
The Iron Fey #2
Author: Julie Kagawa
Source: Personal Purchase

Reading level: Young Adult
Paperback: 304 pages
Publisher: Harlequin; Original edition (August 1, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0373210132
ISBN-13: 978-0373210138

SUMMARY:

Half Summer faery princess, half human, Meghan has never fit in anywhere. Deserted by the Winter prince she thought loved her, she is prisoner to the Winter faery queen. As war looms between Summer and Winter, Meghan knows that the real danger comes from the Iron fey—ironbound faeries that only she and her absent prince have seen. But no one believes her.

Worse, Meghan’s own fey powers have been cut off. She’s stuck in Faery with only her wits for help. Trusting anyone would be foolish. Trusting a seeming traitor could be deadly. But even as she grows a backbone of iron, Meghan can’t help but hear the whispers of longing in her all-too-human heart.

MY THOUGHTS:

Can I start off by asking the author how she sleeps at night knowing she is breaking the hearts of the readers??!!  After the first book, I was on the fence trying to decide if I should join Team Puck or Team Ash.  After finishing this book in the series though,  I have taken my stand as Team Ash and the author made it such a hard decision.  My heart at first wanted Team Puck.  Who wants to resist a man –or fae– that can make you laugh even in the worst of times.  Although Puck had me laughing out loud at times,  Ash was the one who captured my heart with his love for Meghan.

In this book, we see hard to believe allies, romance that is tortured and conflicting, wars, and new characters that will capture the readers interest.  I loved the path the author took with Ironhorse in this book. I also loved meeting the Queen of Exile.  She was a blast who knew that shopping was a great emotional outlet! Grim, the cat, is also back in the second installment with his habit of hiding things but keeping you on your toes.

All I can say is that this book surpassed the previous book in action, writing and overall enjoyment.  The author definitely has grown from the first book and weaved a tale to keep me interested in the entire series.  The ending will leave you with your jaw opened and wondering what the heck is going to happen next?!  Thank goodness, I have the next book to devour just as quickly as the first two!  I now want to be trapped in one of the courts and find a Prince or a Puck of my own!

MY RATING:

Outstanding Book That Will Stay On My Bookshelf
For Rereading! 5 STARS

THE IRON KING
The Iron Fey #1
Author: Julie Kagawa
Source: Personal Purchase

Reading level: Young Adult
Paperback: 368 pages
Publisher: Harlequin; Original edition (February 1, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0373210086
ISBN-13: 978-0373210084

SUMMARY:

Meghan Chase has a secret destiny—one she could never have imagined…

Something has always felt slightly off in Meghan’s life, ever since her father disappeared before her eyes when she was six. She has never quite fit in at school…or at home.

When a dark stranger begins watching her from afar, and her prankster best friend becomes strangely protective of her, Meghan senses that everything she’s known is about to change.

But she could never have guessed the truth—that she is the daughter of a mythical faery king and is a pawn in a deadly war. Now Meghan will learn just how far she’ll go to save someone she cares about, to stop a mysterious evil no faery creature dare face…and to find love with a young prince who might rather see her dead than let her touch his icy heart.

MY THOUGHTS:

When this series first started back in 2010, I heard the hype around it.  Everyone was raving about this series by this new author and I had no idea what they were talking about at first.  After reading countless reviews on it, I finally broke down and purchased the first book in the series. Yes, I finally caved to the peer pressure from fellow blogger’s.  While I am not a huge fan of Fae and fantasy, I am a huge fan of paranormal and romance.  I saw the countless badges displayed across the blogs for Team Puck and Team Ash.  I heard about the romance and adventure, but I was still skeptical on being able to enjoy  it.

When I first started reading it,  I let my feelings for this specific sub genre surface and tried not to like it.  Yet, after just a few chapters of reading about Meghan and her sweet brother,  Puck and his witty attitude, and even the mystery of the man on the horse, I f finally was sucked  into the land of fantasy!  I absolutely adored Puck for the first part of the book.  While I wasn’t a fan of how he abandoned Meghan a few times,  I still liked his humor and his carefree personality.  Meghan was a great character as well.  At first she had a hard time accepting the whimsical and out of the ordinary creatures, but she knew she had to face them if she had any chance of rescuing her younger brother from the evil that took him.

Ash was also a wonderful character in the book.  While he could come across as cold and heartless at times,  he grew on me pretty quickly.  You could guess that he was hurt in the past and he was guarding a part of himself from Meghan.  The sparks between the two were slow growing at first, but once they start to reach their destination, you could see that they were perfect for each other.

I still have the “human” part of me thinking that their are no such things as Fae and such, but now that I have read the first book in the series, I am starting to like the “mythical” part of my subconscious that is struggling to emerge now.  I personally can’t wait to start the next book in the series titled, The Iron Daughter, and find out what is to come after the ending the author left me with!

MY RATING:

Very Good! I would recommend this book! 4 STARS

ANY MAN OF MINE
Author: Rachel Gibson
Source: Publisher
*I received this book free of charge in exchange for an honest review*

Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages
Publisher: Avon (April 26, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0061579114
ISBN-13: 978-0061579110

SUMMARY:

What happens in Vegas . . . doesn’t always stay there. 

Autumn Haven’s Las Vegas “to-do” list said to catch a show and play the slots—not wake up married to a sexy jerk like Sam LeClaire. The first moment she saw him eyeing her like a luscious piece of the dessert buffet, her usually responsible self told her to run. And she did—right into the wildest fantasy weekend of her life. But Monday morning jolted her back to reality, and before she could say “pass the coffee,” Sam was gone.

Now a successful wedding planner, Autumn hasn’t clapped eyes on the heartbreaking hockey superstar for over two years . . . until she organizes his teammate’s “Special Day,” where Sam makes a big play to pick up where he left off! But she has vowed any man of hers plays for keeps. Is Sam the man for her or does she banish him to the sin bin forever?

MY THOUGHTS:

I haven’t read any books by author Rachel Gibson even though I do own many of her books.  So when the publisher sent me Any Man of Mine, I really didn’t know what to expect with the writing by this author.  I was also worried since it is book six in a series, but I dove into the story anyway in hopes of not needing to read the previous books.

While it wasn’t the best romance I have read, it certainly wasn’t a disappoint me either.  I liked the writing style and the fun characters that the author created.  Even though Sam was a little full of himself at times and could be well deserving of a smack upside his head, I thought that Autumn handled him well enough and could feel a spark between the two.  I like how Sam slowly warmed up to the idea of taking over his role of Father to their child even if he was a little late in getting there.  Then after reading a few chapters, I noticed that the little opening at each chapter was a glimpse into what the character was suppose to learn in each of those chapters.

Even though this is book six in the Chinooks Hockey Team Series, I didn’t feel lost or confused like you would normally feel when coming into a series late.  I felt it held its own as a stand alone and it captured my interest in reading more of this authors work.  Why did it take me so long to realize that I need to read more of this author?  Thank goodness I already own more of her work because now I am hooked on her writing.  Since I don’t have prior reading experience of her other works, I can’t say if this is better or worse than previous novels.  All I can say is that I am desperately wanting to find the time to read more of her work!

MY RATING:

Very Good! I would recommend this book! 4 STARS