The Forgotten Mountain by Heather Lyons

"Madness - that old, dear friend of mine - has come home for a visit. And I welcome its return with open arms."

That is exactly how I felt when I finished this book. I don't even know where to begin.

This book here, The Forgotten Mountain is the reason why I started this series. I came across the book cover and immediately fell in love with it. I was completely mesmerized by it. Then I read the premise for the Collector's Society and I couldn't help myself. I read and read until I couldn't stop. I fell in love with it all.

The book picks up right where The Hidden Library left off. And for that, I am thankful. Like the previous books, this one does not disappoint. There is definitely action from the very beginning. 

I’ve had a flutter of butterflies that have taken residence within me since I started reading this book. The more I read, the more intense they felt. There were times when I felt like I was going to burst because of the intensity or suspense of the book. And that there is exactly what I look for in a book. Something that I can lose myself in. Something that can bring me to the edge of my seat and keep me wondering and hoping. 

I have to say, Heather has a gift; to tell a tale and twist many into one and still have a good outcome. I loved that we got to know the A.D. A LOT more! There is more to him than just being a Master Thief. There are more sides to him that Alice certainly noticed, although she didn’t admit to anyone. But she noticed, and coming from The Queen of Diamonds, that’s a lot to say. 

I absolutely loved Alice. Her attitude and the drive that she had to overcome the trials that they were presented with. I loved that she was able to develop and cultivate her relationship with Mary. I loved that they were both there for each other, and that they never gave up. They were both strong female characters that wouldn’t take no for an answer. 

The relationship between Alice and Finn was as good as or even better than the previous books. They both knew what they wanted and were willing to do anything for the other.

"Hold on, love. Even if it requires me moving heaven and earth, I will find a way to fix this. All I ask of you is to hold on."

There were moments that I wanted to cry because of what they were enduring as a couple. They had already been through so much, how either of them could handle more was beyond me. But they did. Because they had something that not many experience in their lives…

"True love encourages you to live."

 I do have to say, that the last chapter in this book gave me severe anxiety. So much so that I was in tears. I felt like I couldn’t breathe because of what was going on. I thought I was going mad/insane. I wanted to reach right into my iPad and pluck her out and set her straight. 

I enjoyed every bit of this book. From the main characters, to the minor ones. And the turn of events with everything that was going on and the attacks on the society. I seriously can’t wait for the next book to be released. This has turned out to be one of my favorite series. Thank you Heather for your gift, and for your willingness to share with us - your readers. 

The Song of David by Amy Harmon

I contemplated reading this book. Not because I didn’t like it or the author. But because I knew with absolute certainty that it would gut me. And gut me it did. 

I’ve always been a huge Amy Harmon fan. My very first read by her was Making Faces. I was completely amazed by how beautiful that story was. 

So needless to say, I got my hands on any other book I could get of hers and completely immersed myself in the worlds that she offered us. 

She released a book – The Law of Moses not that long ago. I couldn’t put it down. I fell in love with everything in that book. It was there that we meet Tag. He’s a friend, brother, partner and companion to Moses. 

“We’d run away together as lost boys looking for Neverland…”

And I can totally see why the author would decide to give him his own story, or allow us, her readers to meet him – and get to know him better. 

We first meet him in a psych ward because he’s been trying to kill himself since he was about 18 years old. He meets Moses, and together they help each other fight their demons. I was very surprised with the friendship that they developed. It was beautiful. 

The story takes place about 1-1/2” years after The Law of Moses. 

I love the way in which Amy wrote this story. Absolutely Fantastic. Her character development is beyond anything that you could expect. She has such a way with words, where it takes a hold of you, and doesn’t let go. 

I kept wondering where she was taking us, not really sure what to expect, what with his history and all. Once I realized what was happening, my heart started breaking a little bit. 

You definitely get some pretty interesting characters, especially ones that tug at your heart. One of those is Henry, Amelie’s younger brother. I couldn’t help but like that kid. Amelie. I definitely wasn’t expecting what we got from her. She definitely took me by surprise in every possible way. I loved her. She was great.

The friendship and relationship between Tag and Amelie was fascinating. Everything just made you fall in love with him even more. 

“I felt like a man of a bygone era, a time when men would escort women, not because women couldn’t walk alone, but because men respected them more, because a woman is something to be cared for, to be careful with.”

Deep down, that big rugged muscle fighting man had a beautiful soul. 

The journey that we traveled was one of sorrow, pain, beauty – but they all lead to happiness. 

“You can’t see a song. You fell a song, you hear a song, you move to it. Just like I can’t see you, but I fell you, and I move toward you. When you’re with me, I feel like I glimpse a David nobody else knows is there. It’s the Song of David, and nobody else can hear it but me.”

I was completely and thoroughly pleased with this read. I really tried not to read it in one sitting but couldn’t help it. I wanted to savor it. I couldn’t stop or give up. It sucked me right in. 

I definitely like the way the book read – or more like the POV’s for this one. I won’t spoil it for you. 

It’s a definite must. Thank you Amy for another great book!

Here is the link for my review of The Law of Moses: http://roxysreadingcorner.blogspot.com/2014/12/the-law-of-moses.html

Never Let You Go by Katy Regnery

This book was introduced as a modern day retelling of “Hansel and Gretel:. I was immediately intrigued, so I decided to start it. 

You’re immediately thrown into a very scary situation in this book. I was terrified for Holden & Griselda. What made it worse was that they were 13 years old and were going through such a horrible thing. I wanted to cry. I wanted to reach into my book and hold them and comfort them. 

I like that for the first handful of chapters you/we alternate between the present and 10 years ago. The 10 years ago was such a bitter reading. Full of pain, sorrow and sadness. I had so much anger toward certain people. So much hate. 

I was very proud of Griselda for being courageous and being willing to keep going. I was also mad and pissed at her for thinking the way that she does and putting herself under those circumstances. I wanted to punch someone several times. 

I loved seeing Holden and Griselda and their sweet reunion. The history between them was sweet but painful. They went through a lot together and apart. Their trials were many and arduous, but the beauty in the story was that they went through and fought their battles together. As a team.

All in all, I absolutely loved this book. I loved the story-line and the characters. 

House of Royals by Keary Taylor

I had the pleasure of receiving an ARC, in exchange for an honest review. 

I have read every single one of Keary Taylor’s books, and I can honestly say that I absolutely LOVE her work. I love her writing style and her character development. 

We immediately meet Alivia Ryan as she’s had to move her entire life to the small town of Silent Bend, Mississippi. She’s introduced to a whole new world where nothing is at it seems. What she does know is that the town is creepy and eerie and no one likes her, but that’s because of her families’ history in that town. 

We also meet Ian Ward, who happens to try and kill Alivia the very first time that they meet. The circumstances under which they meet are very interesting and scary. He’s young and handsome, and did I mention single? 

The chemistry between Alivia and Ian is beautiful and what they develop is even better. It’s such a sweet bitter moment/relationship for them because of who they are and what they will be, especially to each other in the near future. The time and moments that they do have together are amazing and I love that they are both willing to set aside everything else to have each other, for the time being. 

She does a great job of describing and giving us the story line, enough that I was able to picture everything that Alivia was experiencing. I think that she does a great job at giving us a paranormal story. And the fact that it deals with Vampires, um yes please. I enjoyed the twists that were laid out for us while reading this. 

We get to meet some other interesting characters, like Rath, her late fathers’ loyal servant. I’m still trying to figure out what the deal is with him. Hopefully we’ll be able to learn more about him in the next book. But the main ones and probably more important, other than Alivia and Ian are the Vamps that live in the House of Royals. 

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and am definitely looking forward to reading the next book in the series. I do have to say that the ending was something that I did NOT expect. My brain was trying to come up with things to make this right, hopefully I’m not too far off.  

Thank you Keary for the opportunity of reading this story! You’ve done it again!

King by T.M. Frazier

I was on social media (possibly FB) when I came upon the link for King on a bloggers page. I was intrigued by the description and then realized that it was by an author that I enjoy, a lot. So I decided to purchase the book. 

I have to say that the last book I read by this author was The Dark Light of Day. I was completely astounded by her writing style and her character development. She was able to snatch me right up and tangle me within her story. And to be honest with you, I love that about an author. I love when they have the confidence in themselves that do as they please because they know that they’ll bring to us the readers, some kind of pleasure.

T.M. Frazier does not disappoint with this book. It’s a dark gritty tale that confused the hell out of me, but at the same time, I couldn’t stop reading it. Don’t get me wrong, it was enjoyable. It was confusing in the sense that I didn’t know what to expect, what was going to happen, or how it was going to play out.

The chemistry between the characters is exactly what I look for in a book. The pull that they have towards each other is sick in a way, but the sick that makes you want to keep reading. 

I was enthralled by King and his personality. He’s a force to be reckoned with, and we learn that when he’s about 12 years old. We immediately learn what, or who makes him what he is. He grew up under such crappy circumstances and had closed himself up, until Preppy came along. 

Boy did I enjoy Preppy and his out of this world personality. I loved who he was to King and what he did for him. I was kind of thrown off by his clothing attire choices (which explained the nickname that he got – Preppy). I loved his personality, and I loved how willing he was to befriend Doe and be there for her. I mean, he scared the crap out of her but he was honest with her. I enjoyed the friendship that they developed and how calm or good they were together. 

What to say about Doe without giving it away? Other than the fact that she has no memory of who she is or where she comes from? I feel bad for her. Her situation was a messed up one, but she tried her best. Granted, she didn’t make the smartest choices/decisions, but she tried. And you have to give her credit for that. 

The connection that King and Doe had was something else for me. She was terrified of him, and of what he could do, but she couldn’t help falling for him. And boy did she fall hard and fast. 

Like I said at the beginning, I was enthralled by this storyline. I couldn’t help but feel ecstatic every time that something was revealed because that lead us to learn more about Doe and where she came from. I was literally on the edge of my seat while I read this. I read the book in half a day, which is common for me, only if a book is REALLY good. I couldn’t put it down or walk away from it. Yes, it was dark and gritty and pretty wicked in some ways, but they were all good. 

I do have to say that this book leaves you with a cliffhanger. I felt like my stomach dropped, and I still feel that way. I went to bed wondering about the characters and how everything was going to play out. I had more questions than I had answers, but surprisingly enough, that didn’t piss me off. I was okay with it. Hopefully we can have the next book by mid-August.

Thank you Tracey for such a great and awesome read. You’ve done it again, and you left me speechless, literally after I finished this book. 

Trusting Liam by Molly McAdams

I started this book because I was curious. Curious at what Molly had brought to life with these characters. Then I realized who they were and where they came from, and I was freaking ecstatic. I was beyond thrilled that those beautiful people (children) would get their own story. 

So needless to say that I delve right in and didn’t stop reading until I was done. It was that good. 

I have to be honest. I crazy sobbed when I first read Taking Chances. Like cried so bad that my husband was scared for me. I was completely heart-broken, and if you’ve read the book then you know what I mean. I was so mad at that ending, I didn’t want to understand and refused to believe what I had read. I decided that I would boycott Molly because how could she do that to someone? But then I saw the next book that she released and couldn’t help myself (because she is awesome at what she does). 

Anyways. I was beyond thrilled to know that we would get more, not Chase, but a part of him. And that was through Liam. Oh what a beautiful man that is. I mean, sure, he had his issues. But he was a great character. 

I really enjoyed Kennedy’s character as well. She was such an awesome tough girl. I love that she didn’t take crap from anyone. 

I think part of the beauty of this book is that it tied in (2) of her series. She did a really good job with that. 

The story definitely had an interesting twist, and if you want to know about it, then you’ll have to read it. Just know that it was worth the wait. It almost felt like closure. 

Thank you Molly for writing such a beautiful story and sharing it with us!

The Hidden Library by Heather Lyons

After being captured by Heather Lyons in The Collectors Society, I couldn't wait to start The Hidden Library. It picks up right where it left off, which I absolutely appreciated. 

The one thing that I absolutely loved about this book is that we got to know more about Finn, and we got his POV which was awesome! 

"The past makes us who we are."

"It lets us mold the future. I would not be the same man sitting before you, had I not been who I was in my youth."

I was intrigued by him from the beginning. I mean, come on, it's Huckleberry Finn for goodness sakes!!! But grown up obviously. 

The romance between Alice and Finn is on point! I mean, it's everything that I could dream of and more. 

"This man here? He enchants me more. He kisses me, because he knows. He know me. He knows my heart. He has become part of my heart. My gravity pulls at his. His pulls at mine. We orbit one another, me and my north star, and I will be damned if anyone will ever tear us apart."

The distances that he went for her, literally, amazed me. The love, compassion, understanding, were beyond beautiful!!! 

The relationship/friendship that he developed with the White King was something else. 

"You must understand that my heart will always desire the Queen of Diamonds. Always."

I mean, they both loved her unconditionally, but only one could be with her. Obviously, the White King was man enough to step aside because he knew that the shared path that they had ended. She went one way, while he went another. And no, it wasn't like Finn was a second choice, because that was not the case. 

Of course there's also the whole society business that they have going on. Like always, the action in this book is awesome! 

I can't wait to get my hands on the Forgotten Mountain!!! 

"True love does not have limits or restrictions. True love allows a person to love deeply and unconditionally. True love does not ask you to let go of life. True love encourages you to love even more, Princess. True love encourages you to live."

Beautiful Redemption by Jamie McGuire

Read 6/2/15-6/4/15

We briefly meet Thomas "Tommy" Maddox in Beautiful Disaster and Walking Disaster. But then, Beautiful Oblivion comes along, and... I don't even know what to say or think. He's also known as T.J.

I want to hate him for what he's done in the past, but he redeems himself in more ways than one. I feel bad for him because sometimes you can't help who you fall in love with, and I totally get it.

So needless to say, he has won my forgiveness (not that it matters). 

I enjoyed this book and the characters, especially Liis. She was freaking awesome. I absolutely love her character. 

I think that this book definitely tied in a lot of things that we left unanswered with some of the other Maddox brothers, which is definitely good. There is a lot that can be said about this Maddox, but what was "it" for me was how overprotective he was of his family, because he was the youngest when his mom dies, and was left with such a huge responsibility at such an age. Granted, he made mistakes, some of them huge; but he's human after all. 

Definitely enjoyed. Can't complain about the chemistry - among other things! Jamie didn't disappoint me as a reader.