Review: Knight of Sherwood (Outlaw's Legacy, #2) by N.B. Dixon

Robin returns to England after four years fighting in the Holy Land. On arriving at Locksley, he discovers that Guy of Gisborne, his most hated enemy, has been made Sheriff of Nottingham. Forced to flee into Sherwood, Robin sets himself up as champion of the poor.

But Robin has a secret. His feelings for his friend Will Scathelock have deepened, but to acknowledge the truth would mean facing up to his past. Meanwhile, Lady Marian Fitzwalter, heiress to the vast Huntingdon estate, is determined to claim Robin for her own.

""Never underestimate a man with a big stick," Will told him."

I have soooo much love for this book. So. Much. Love. It is my absolute favourite book of the year and I just want to gush and read it again and make everyone read it and tell everyone who disagrees with me that they are utterly wrong and...

I just love this book.

I loved the first one in the series but this just ups the game for me. I have so many words, so many thoughts, I'm not sure where to start.

Okay. The setting.

I love historical novels, especially those set in Britain, and the legend of Robin Hood is a classic tale told, and re-told, for generations, and I love that this is an M/M version of that tale. What I love even more is that it's believably so. It's not written for titillation, it's exploring another way of viewing this classic hero, written sympathetically for the time in which it's set. 

The hardship of life in the 12th century is portrayed so well. The way the lives of the poor were dictated by the whims of the rich. Where women held no power, where the poor held no power, where life was so easily thrown away, even the lives of children. Life was hard. Food was scarce, taxes were numerous (and increasing), and loyalties could have you killed in a second.

NB Dixon depicts this time so well. She makes the reader fall for the characters, understand the deprivations they face and how difficult decisions were. She's very clever though, because she still manages to give us strong female characters, even in this time of oppression of women. 

The story of good versus evil is an old, old tale. What makes this story important to me as a reader is how much I care for the characters. Not just Robin and Will, but all the 'good' guys ... and equally, how much loathing I had for Guy and Prince John and others.  The good guys aren't all honourable in every way, they are human and make mistakes too. Even Robin. Sometimes especially Robin... pride comes before a fall...

This was apparent in how Dixon wrote King Richard the Lionheart. Hailed as a hero in literature, we see his true colours and his love of war. We see how the choice to follow him was the lesser of two evils to many. To Robin especially. This story is about humanity and love-for-humanity. It's about politics. It's about religion. It's about choices and decisions and effect and cause and...

It's about right and wrong.  The black, the white and the grey. 

God, it's about love and trust and caring for others. 

It's about a harshness of life that is scary.  

It's about manipulation and honour.

It's about the harsh reality of life. It's so, so, so, so, so good.

Of course, this story is also about Robin and Will. I love these two. I love the hardness of their love. The trueness of it. For me friendship is the strongest, most important pull in a relationship. A soul deep friendship is more of a turn on than any amount of on-page, descriptive sex. I have to say, if you're looking for pages of sexual fantasy between Robin and another man, well you're in the wrong place. This book has very little on-page sex, and not even that much off the page if I'm honest. I only feel I need to mention it because I know for some readers it is important - for me though, it is not needed. Robin and Will have the slowest of burns and the relationship is primarily of friendship (and love). 

Dixon nearly had me throwing my kindle at the wall at the end, no spoilers but I need the next book. The only problem with falling in love with a review book is knowing that I will have to wait for the next instalment (as opposed to buying and binging on a whole series in one go). 

This is the book I am going to recommend as my 2017 must-read, I loved and adored every single word. I know this book won't be for everyone (though I encourage all to try) but for me it is a complete and utter winner who's destined to be a forever favourite.

A copy of this book was given in exchange for an honest review.

Visit the Knight of Sherwood blog tour HERE!

Guest Review: In Allegiance by Kate Islay

Mathias commands the Cortesian army, but what he most longs for is home. When his king gifts him with a slave from a conquered princedom, Mathias is intrigued—even as he resists the king’s machinations. But Reve soon tests Mathias’s allegiance and his heart.

Once the son of a prince, now a slave in a foreign land, Reve has few allies in his goal to protect his younger brother from the king. He’s forced to navigate the treacherousness of Cortesa and his own conflicted feelings for his captor. Faced with what he most wants, Reve has to make a choice—and Mathias has to make his. An empire stands against them, but Mathias’s loyalty to the king may be too much for Reve to conquer.

Guest Review: Chelsea

Holy mother of all things heart-pounding and nail-biting THAT was a good book. I feel a bit like this after reading it though.

I’m sorry to say it but I put off reading this for ages. I think it was the cover honestly, but I absolutely devoured this book.

This book is set in an alternate universe, but one very closely related to the time and period of the Roman empire. It reminded me a lot of the movie Gladiator, but without the Gladiators, just all the politics, corruption and war.

Mathias is the Commander of the army of Cortesa, which is an empire similar to Rome. We meet him just after his army have successfully conquered the northern kingdoms. Mathias is gifted with a pleasure slave for his victory, one of the northern Prince’s sons, Reve. Reve’s eight year old brother is also taken by the king of Cortesa to be fostered by him to become an eventual successor.

As you can imagine Reve and Mathias have a fairly shaky start as Reve wants to rescue his brother and return home, while Mathias is loyal to his king and empire. I really really loved the way their tentative truce and relationship developed. They both felt just in their respective causes, but developed respect for each other and obviously there was also that undercurrent of attraction sizzling away between them.

Seeing both Reve and Mathias’ POV was what made this book so much more enthralling and complicated. Mathias’ loyalty to his king and country made so much sense and I could see where he was coming from, but at the same time we saw Reve’s hurt and how much the war had affected him and his kin. I had no idea how this would end or what would happen to any of the characters in the meantime.

My nerves slowly but surely increased as the King of Cortesa’s motivations become more dubious and conspiracies started coming from all angles. I was so scared for Reve and his little brother. I ached for Mathias as he started to fall in love with Reve and felt weight of his loyalty starting to divide.

Goodness, this book was brilliantly written. Despite all the different names and places I never felt lost. In a story this intricate and with this many characters, this takes a lot of talent!

The reason this is a 4.5 and not a 5 hearts is that the romance does take a back seat to the story and conspiracies, which is never a preference of mine. The romance is there though, it's just subtle, and yes there are a couple of sex scenes, which I was highly grateful for. The build up of sexual tension was delicious and when it did finally get satisfied.. .. it was satisfied well!!

If you don’t mind sweating a little and you enjoy historical, conspiracy or war stories I would highly HIGHLY recommend this one. Even if you don’t, just try this, I think you will find you’ll get glued to the story!

Check out on Goodreads or Booklikes!

Review: Something Like Stories: Volume One by Jay Bell

Benjamin Bentley and many other beloved characters from the Something Like... series make their triumphant return in this collection of short stories and bonus material. Something Like Yesterday travels to the past where Eric Conroy attempts to find love against a backdrop of intolerance and political upheaval. In Something Like Fall , Ben meets Jace's family and tries to cope with many changes in the years that follow. Allison Cross finally gets her dues in Something Like Tonight , examining the relationships in her life during a girls night out. Something Like Eternity takes the series where it has never gone before as Victor Hemingway seeks out his ultimate destiny. Also included is a character guide and a timeline of key events thus far. Laughter and tears await you in this very special anthology!

Simply wonderful.  

Fans of Jay Bell's Something Like series are in for a TREAT. If you haven't read any of the series yet, I wouldn't suggest you start here. I don't think these stories would pack the same emotional punch without reading all six of the previous books first. And what an emotional ride it was! All four stories brought out The Feels. I had also just finished up listening to Something Like Autumn... so yeah. It was a tear filled day. 

To the stories!

In Something Like Yesterday Eric tells Tim of his past loves and heartbreak. I've always wondered about Eric's past and of his feelings for Tim. And now we know! And from Eric's POV, no less. While parts of his past were heartbreaking, he did have years in a relationship full of love. If anything, this proved his feelings for Tim even more. He wasn't bitter about his breakup with Gabriel, instead he was thankful that everything led to having Tim in his life.  He certainly didn't have the same kind of love for Tim as Gabriel, but there is no doubt that he loved Tim. 

Something Like Fall felt like a series of extra scenes from Ben's POV. It started with him and Jace visiting Jace's hometown, which resulted in Jace opening up about some things from his past he had kept from Ben. Which was great because I wondered how much Ben knew about Victor. Then the story moves forward to Ben saying goodbye to Jace. To say this scene was beautiful would be an understatement. The final section is all about Jason and how Ben and Tim cope with inviting him to live in their home. All the scenes were from very different points in Ben's life, but fit together so perfectly. 

Something Like Tonight was just fun. Of course it was also emotional, because duh. I can't seem to be around any of these characters without feeling all the feels. But it was mostly fun. Allison is worn out and tired. Tired of taking care of everyone else, so her wonderful hubby suggested she take a night out all by herself. Prior to her night out she happens to see Michelle and they decide to have their girl's night together. The drank, got into some shenanigans, and went home to their loving families. I loved seeing this side of Allison.

And then... and then came Something Like Eternity. Like I said earlier, I had just finished listening to Autumn the same day I read this, so there were tears. LOTS OF TEARS. Amazing, happy, hopeful, wonderful tears. Victor is in the afterlife. He's in the same afterlife Jay writes about in Hell's Pawn (another must read). Victor has made a space for himself here that feels like home. It resembles the clearing where he stayed by Jace's house. He starts to feel a pull, like a calling. He knows he's meant to be somewhere else, but can't pinpoint where that somewhere else should be. So he runs into some helpers. I'll let you read the story to find out who those helpers were, but Jay Bell took Victor's story to a place that I never even dreamed it could go. I'm in tears again as I'm thinking about Victor and the feeling of hope his story left me with. 

At the end there's a character guide and timeline, which is a fantastic addition. But now I have to go reread Hell's Pawn! Seems I missed a few things the first time around. 

I went in knowing I would love this and I did. The new POV's, how different all the stories were, revisiting these characters, everything. I loved everything.

A copy was provided in exchange for an honest review.

Find out more info on Goodreads!

Review: The Rascal by Eric Arvin

Lana is a faded movie star who lives alone in a big house on a hill that overlooks the sea. She has lived this way since the death of her daughter and the disappearance of her husband.

Jeff and Chloe are a couple who live in a cabin below the big house. It was Chloe’s idea to strengthen their marriage; but she see’s now that it isn’t working. Jeff has become obsessed with the cabin and the old water well. Chloe only sees strangeness around her.

One night while talking on the computer with Ethan, Jeff’s brother, a feeling of dread comes to the fore. When Ethan sees a figure behind Chloe, he leaves his boyfriend and baby and sets out to save Jeff.

Chloe, Ethan and Lana come together to fight an evil that would destroy Jeff. Will they succeed or will all of them fall to the taste of a young cannibalistic ghost?

If you like being scared silly then this is the book for you! A warning though, it really isn't a romance, so if you're looking for some romance in your reading you aren't going to find it here. What you will find is a beautifully crafted, scary as fuck, story.

I love Eric Arvin's writing - it speaks to my soul. He is a writer who doesn't waste words, but instead uses them to sculpt the perfect story. This one is the perfect example of that. Ghost stories often veer to the side of melancholy, at least the kind I read seem to, this a one though filled me with good old fashioned fear. 

I have no idea how it was going to turn out. I had no idea how I wanted it to turn out - I was just swept along in the words and took each twist and turn with gritted teeth and half shut eyes. You know when you watch a horror film and that creepy music starts playing - you know you're about to be scared witless but you still jump when it happens. somehow Eric Arvin manages to write the screenplay (the story) while also writing the fright into the undertones (the music score). It's a talent I envy.

One of the ways he does this is writing amazing characters. I never knew who I liked. Who I didn't like. Who I felt sorry for or whose side I was on. Not one of our characters was written as a clean cut goodie or baddie. 

Chloe and Jeff, the main couple - well it would seem that they would be the ones to love. But they have their secrets, their own pasts. The marriage they - or at least Chloe - is trying to desperately save should be the focus, should have me rooting for them but...

Gah.

No spoilers. No spoilers. Just - if horror does it for you, then this is a  must read. It is everything I've come to expect from this author and more.

For more information check out Goodreads.

A copy of this book was given in exchange for an honest review.

Review: Kick at the Darkness by Keira Andrews

To live through the zombie apocalypse they have to survive each other first.

College freshman Parker Osborne is having the worst day ever. He humiliated himself trying to pick up a cute guy, he hasn’t made any friends at school, and his stupidly hot jerk of a TA gave him a crappy grade on his paper. He’s going to drop Adam Hawkins’ film class and start fresh tomorrow after he’s had a good sulk.

But Parker’s about to find out what a bad day really looks like—if he can survive the night.

A virus is unleashed, transforming infected people into zombie-like killers. After these quick and deadly creepers swarm campus, Parker only escapes thanks to Adam swooping him onto the back of his trusty motorcycle. Now they're on the run—and stuck with each other.

When they’re not bickering, they’re fighting off the infected in a bloody battle for survival. Their only hope is to head east to Parker's family, but orphaned Adam has a secret he’s not sure Parker will accept: he’s a werewolf. Can they trust each other enough to find some light in these dark days?

Wow. Oh, wow. There is so much I loved about Kick at the Darkness.

I was so hesitant to read this. I don't know why, it's Keira Andrews FFS. Don't worry, I won't have her just sitting there on my kindle, unread, for that long ever again.

It all starts out like any contemp romance. Parker has started college and is having a generally crappy time. It's not like high school and his grades are feeling it. Well, one grade in particular. The TA in his film class gave him a 'C' *gasp* and Parker has a bit of a fit.

He's having a bad day and just trying to get through it all. So he's ignoring all the news stories he's hearing and ignoring phone calls. Until the news stories were brought to his campus in a hungry group of flesh eating zombies. 

While freaking out and trying to escape he runs into the jerkface TA, Adam. He and Adam stick together to get out of the danger zone. The hole up together and watch each other's backs.

The story isn't so much about the virus or the cure. It's more about Adam and Parker. The headed East, towards Parker's family. So much about their journey and expectations rang true to me, well as much as a zombie apocalypse can ring true, I guess. Parker had to check on his family, no matter how unlikely it seemed that they would find them. And he knew this, knew how unlikely it was to find them at all, let alone alive. They used their journey to help them cope. They had a plan, no matter how crazy it was to travel the country at a time like this, at least they had a plan and a purpose. I think this kept them sane.

Neither Parker or Adam came out to each other, so they weren't sure if their attraction was reciprocated. Which led to nervous touches and sly glances and tension. Not only did they have good sexual chemistry, but they formed a strong friendship. Parker really matured from the entitled college student he started out as. Adam and Parker slowly moved forward, realizing that maybe they were both feeling this. Holy shifters, they were sexy. There was dirrrrrrrty talk, mmmm yeeeesssss. Dirty talk and sex in (partially) shifted form and just hotness all around. Damn, they were sexy.

During their survival there were hints that Adam wasn't quite human. Parker noticed these things, but didn't really think on it too much. Well, until Adam went wolf in front of Parker. There was some development of this plot line, but there were a lot of things left open. For me that only solidified that this story was about Parker and Adam. Not the virus, not a cure. But these two guys and their story.

Then the ending. Oh my. The end. The image I was left with on that last page was just beautiful. After a book about flesh eating zombies, I was left with something beautiful that I can still clearly picture in my mind. There's so much hope for Parker and Adam and I couldn't be happier with where they left off. That's not to say I wouldn't love more of them.

Ms. Andrews has shown her talent in two vastly different genres and stories; after loving her Amish series, she has a solid spot on my auto-buy list. 

A copy was provided in exchange for an honest review.

Audiobook Review: Love Lessons (Love Lessons #1) by Heidi Cullinan

Love doesn’t come with a syllabus.

Kelly Davidson has waited what seems like forever to graduate high school and get out of his small-minded, small town. But when he arrives at Hope University, he quickly realizes finding his Prince Charming isn’t so easy. Everyone here is already out. In fact, Kelly could be the only virgin on campus.

Worst of all, he’s landed the charming, handsome, gay campus Casanova as a roommate, whose bed might as well be equipped with a revolving door.

Walter Lucas doesn’t believe in storybook love. Everyone is better off having as much fun as possible with as many people as possible…except his shy, sad little sack of a roommate is seriously screwing up his world view.

As Walter sets out to lure Kelly out of his shell, staying just friends is harder than he anticipated. He discovers love is a crash course in determination. To make the grade, he’ll have to finally show up for class…and overcome his own private fear that love was never meant to last.

Warning: This story contains lingering glances, milder than usual sexual content for this author, and a steamy dance-floor kiss. Story has no dairy or egg content, but may contain almonds.

I had the most ridiculous grin on my face the entire time I listened to this. The. Entire. Time.

My kids were probably wondering how cleaning the house could make me so happy. But I can't be sure... I wasn't listening.

I was busy listening to Iggy Toma's VOICE reading me Heidi Cullinan's WORDS.

Love Lessons has all the things I love about the YA/NA genre.

Two youngins trying to figure out this whole love thing. One is a cynic who prefers things to be short term and the other a hopeless romantic dreaming of Flynn Rider and The One. They were roommates (win!) and quickly became friends (win!), which led to endless tension (win!). It was full of delicious slow burn, with some scorching hot kisses along the way.

Kelly was adorable. He had the cutest quirks and I loved being a part of his journey out into the world. He's finally out of the small town and could be himself without any ridicule. Aw... sweet, naive Kelly... how I wish that were true. Lucky for him, he had Walter there to balance him out. But, no matter how much of a realist Walter tried to be, he couldn't resist all of Kelly's cuteness. Not many people could, I don't think. I loved how Walter was with Kelly. He was so protective and thoughtful. He always put Kelly first, without even trying to. Putting Kelly ahead of himself was just natural to him.

I didn't care much for all the college drama with the professor and such, so those scenes were a bit boring for me. Buuuuuuuuttttt... Kelly and Walter were together, soooooo I wasn't bothered all that much.

They put me in my happy place. I'm sitting here smiling just thinking about them. Kelly was the cutest and Walter was the sweetest. I just want to wrap them up and keep them forever.

I'm 99.973% positive that Love Lessons is fabulous in print, but I really have to recommend the audio version. 

Gah, the voice. Mixed with the words. Iggy Toma was the perfect choice for Love Lessons. He captured all of Walter's cynicism and all of Kelly's naivety and created amazing chemistry between them.

I enjoyed the crap outta this.

A copy was provided in exchange for an honest review.

Find out more info on Goodreads!

Review: The Bridge of Silver Wings (More Heat Than the Sun #3) by John Wiltshire

The third book in the series More Heat Than the Sun

Ben discovers the truth of the old adage 'be careful what you wish for'. Nikolas has exorcised his demons, but when they end up stranded in Russia, the monster inside needs to be let loose. Siberia in winter isn't a place for good men. There is nothing Nikolas won't do to keep Ben alive. Home again, Nikolas then faces an enemy he can't defeat: Ben Rider himself. Discovering a new family, Ben realises he's been living too long in the shadows cast by Nikolas's all-consuming love. For the first time, life apart from Nikolas is possible. Is Nikolas strong enough to let Ben go?

Move over favorites list!

*shoves past Jake & Adrien and Ben & Tim & Jace* (<- yeah, I said that)

*makes room for Ben & Nikolas*
  
Good. Now that they are right where they belong, we can begin.

This series is climbing higher and higher towards the very tip-top of my favorites list. It has it all. Crazy good plot, action, suspense, intense chemistry and a romance to die for.

Right away I was sucked into their romance. For me, it's all in the dialogue. The dialogue. For serious, John Wiltshire can write a conversation. I'm not much of a highlighter, but I have 11 highlights just in chapter one. Their connection is so intense, I feel it in everything they say and do. I'm not even gonna start with the quoting here. I won't be able to stop once I do.

In part 1, Ben and Nikolas are off to Russia. On the way, the plane crashes in a remote area. There are some survivors, but Nik and Ben have to come together in order to get themselves and the survivors to safety. It's not an easy task. They face some pretty horrific things and, oh my, the suspense! My heart may have stopped a few times.

Their relationship thrived in this crazy sitch they found themselves in. Amongst people dying and surviving late fall in Russia, these two are out having sex in the snow. And playing and cuddling and being all swoony and cute. Nikolas? Cute? Yeah, he was. They really made some progress in this love they share.

I thought we were all hunky dory. I was settling in for smooth HEA sailing in Part 2.

Ha! If I thought Part 1 was suspenseful... I really was not prepared for Part 2. Not in the least.

In Part 2, Ben is able to see his newly found house and reconnect with family he never knew he had. Sounds nice and peaceful, right? Yup, it shoulda been. But, as we know, Ben and Nik don't do well with calm. Ugh. This kind of stress is not good for my heart. Ben went a little bonkers. I get that his life was kind of turned upside down, but I really wanted to smack him. Which is weird, because it's usually Nikolas I want to smack.

Some crazy stuffs went down. There were times I gasped out loud or had to just stop, put the kindle down and take a few breaths. It was that intense. But it was so (sosososososo) worth it. Both men proved themselves to each other. The things they did... *sigh* they were so perfect and thoughtful and had so much damn meaning, that I was a blubbering mess.

Their relationship is just breathtaking. 

Here I've gone on and on about them and I've yet to mention how damn sexy they are. Nikolas may be the take-charge kind of guy in their 'everyday' affairs, but in the bedroom he is Ben's. And Ben takes full advantage of that control. Unf.

I feel like I'm not fully conveying my complete adoration of this series. I'm trying really hard not to be like 'OMG!OMG!OMG! It's so totally awesome and I can't get enough of them!' When this is really all I want to say when I talk about this couple. I want you to know that the writing is phenomenal, I love it and I want you to read it and love it, too. Then come tell me about it so we can gush about all the things. I need someone to gush with.

 

A copy of this book was provided in exchange for an honest review.

Find out more info on Goodreads!

Review: The Dogs of Balboa by Rose Christo

Michael Mirez witnesses a sexual assault and does nothing to stop it. Torn apart by guilt, Michael sabotages his own life, until one year later, when Michael unexpectedly crosses paths with the victim again. Michael is determined to make it up to Noah, a painfully shy Native American boy whose only ambition is to travel into space. But Noah doesn't remember Michael; and Michael doesn't have the courage to refresh his memory. And behind Noah's attack lies a disturbing pastime with roots as old as America itself.

Wow, this book...

Recently I had a bit of a binge on Rose Christo's Gives Light series. She was an author previously unheard of by me, but once I started reading them I couldn't stop. Then I won this book and was reminded again of what a beautiful writer this author is.

This book resonated so much with me. It's about ...well life really and those chances and actions we wish we could change. Life is full of choices, options and forks in the road. Some can be given forethought and deliberation, others rely on spontaneity or rapid decision making. As Michael finds out, we can't always predict how we are going to act in a given situation. Fight or flight - most of us know how we would like to respond to any given situation, but in the moment is that the way we do respond? Hindsight, as they say, is a wonderful thing.

This book is about just such a situation, and the thoughts and feelings of the two MC's afterwards. One with a guilty conscience (because guilt doesn't listen to rational thought) and one a victim survivor. It's about how the two MC's interact with each other - how circumstance and situation put actions in motion. Most of all it is a beautiful story of friendship and love.

Rose Christo writes characters that are real. They have quirks, they are human, they are just like you and me. They need to deal with the choices they make and not just so it adds drama to a book, but because that is what we all do every day. There is always a message in her stories and I love her way of thinking. I would highly recommend reading her books to everyone. There is a beauty in her writing that lingers long after the last page has been turned. The characters remain, friends who exist only on the page, but who make you think about your own actions. An author that really, really should be more widely know. A fabulous story.

Group Review: Rock by Anyta Sunday

Igneous.
   When Cooper’s parents divorce, he finds himself landed in Week About—one week with his mum and one week with his dad.
Only, it’s not just his dad he has to live with. There’s Lila, too: The other woman, the one who stole the rock-solid foundation of his life.
And then . . .
There’s Jace. Lila’s son. Lila’s smug, regurgitated-fish-scale-blue eyed son.
All Cooper wants is to have his family back the way it once was, but there’s something about this boy that promises things will never be the same again.


Sedimentary.
   Resisting the realities of his new life, Cooper and Jace get off to a rocky start. But rocky start or not, after hundreds of shared memories together, they forge something new. A close . . . friendship.
Because friendship is all they can have. Although it’s not like they are real brothers. . .
Metamorphic.
   But how does that friendship evolve under the pressures of life?
Under pressures of the heart?

Yep - you've got it. A never before seen, unprecedented 10 stars for this book. We're breaking all our (non-existent) rules.

If you follow the blog, or hang around on Goodreads, it has quite likely come to your attention that I am somewhat of an Anyta Sunday fangirl. There is no dignity in being a fangirl, let me tell you. Despite the fact that I have this book on pre-order, as soon as a request came into the blog to review it I answered straight away with a resounding YES. I may have remembered to add a please, but I quite honestly couldn't tell you. I mean, I had the opportunity to read this longed for book ELEVEN whole days before it was released. Eleven days peeps. I have no shame in telling you that the arc came through pretty quickly and I sat down and read the whole book straight away. As an unashamed fangirl though, I did think it was probably best to get some other unicorns on board because I really do not want my review to be seen as biased. So here they are, the unicorns views on this stunning book.

Jade Jenni Lea
Have you ever been searching for that one story, that one hidden gem, that one perfect read and then after almost giving up in frustration you suddenly find it?

I have.

I’ve been hesitant to write this review because I just don’t know how to put into words what I went through while reading this book.

I was going to say this book destroyed me but though it may have brought me to my knees quite often throughout, in the end I survived and was left with a feeling of hope and happiness.

This isn’t a romance. No, it’s a love story. A love story between a boy and his almost step-brother. A love story between a boy and his family, both the one he was born with and the one he accumulates along the way. A love story between a boy and himself.

It’s a story about rocks. A story about family. About love and hate and betrayal and loyalty and joy and fear and insecurity and laughter and hope and sadness and life and loss.

I’m gonna let you in on a little secret. OK, so it’s not very secret but whatever. I don’t read YA. I can’t stand YA. I may go so far as to say I loathe it. Yet this book made my ‘Best of the Best’ shelf before I even got a quarter of the way through it.

Gah! I don’t even know what I’m saying here. There’s too many emotions that I’m still feeling even a week after I finished reading.

This, I think, is Anyta Sunday’s masterpiece. It is the best book of hers that I have read. It is the best book I have read all year. I can’t even categorize this because it is in a class of it’s own. I have put this book on a pedestal with a giant spotlight on it and there it shall stay for all time.

I want to say this book was superb but that’s not good enough. I want to say it is wonderful, magnificent, amazing, stunning and awe-inspiring but those aren’t good enough either. Is there something better than fabulous, stupendous or incredible? Something that transcends marvelous, remarkable or spectacular? I can think of only one word.

Perfection.

Bloodstone Breann
There’s nothing loud or overstated about rock. The plot unfolded organically and beautifully. There was heartbreak and moments that I didn’t want to go on, but it wasn’t necessarily because of what was happening (although, there were some gut-wrenching moments) but it was mostly because of my affection for Cooper. His character was so completely developed and real that both the smallest and biggest moments of his life brought me to tears.

I don’t want to go over the plot because I really think it needs to be experienced by the reader through the author’s words. Not my mediocre attempt at rehashing them. I’m even hesitant to call this angst, because then I feel like it sounds forced. Nothing was forced. Even thinking back at the events there weren’t any super huge happenings, nothing I’ve never read before at least. For me, it was all about Cooper. I fell so hard for him that his everyday occurrences (although, unfortunate at times) hit me with so much force I was crying (read: sobbing) throughout the last 50%. And why? I was asking myself the same question. I mean, really? That made me sob? Yeah, it did. I’m telling you, the writing is superb. I had no choice but to feel every moment in Cooper’s life.

Cooper and Jace. Gah. How I loved them together. They formed this inseparable bond, one that Cooper wholly believed in. Even though they were in and out of each other’s lives for years, it didn’t lessen what they had created and shared when they were younger. In fact, I think it proved the pure skill in the writing. They were apart, but I felt, (oh lord how I felt!) that they were completely meant to be. There was symbolism and so much meaning behind every moment they shared. Every moment had a purpose. There wasn’t any wasted space in this novel.

Leave the mascara off, grab your tissues and your unicorn stuffie. You’ll need it. But when it’s all said and done you’ll want to go back to page 1 and get to know Cooper all over again. Don't worry, it’ll be so worth it.

Jordanite Justin
How do you write a positive review for a book that absolutely destroyed you? A book that continuously stomped on your heart time and time again? While I was reading Rock, Lori, who’d already read the book, asked me if I was enjoying it. WHAT? HELL NO I was NOT enjoying it. It’s was slowly fucking KILLING ME! I’m an emotional reader anyway, but the characters created here are so real I physically ached for them. I wasn’t sure how I would feel at the end but I couldn’t put the book down. So with Lori cheering us on, me and my battered heart ignored RL (real life) responsibilities and plowed on. 

Back to my original question, how do you write a positive review for a book like this? Well first I’ll tell you that taken as a whole, it was worth every freaking heartbreaking minute! All of the angst, all of the dread, all of the sorrow was worth it when I read the final page and sighed “WOW, what a fucking ride!” Anyta Sunday puts you through a range of emotions in Rock. I laughed, I swooned and I cried. A LOT! But I don’t regret any of those tears and you won’t either. 

I highlighted several things but now I really don’t want to use any of those highlights in my review. They’re personal and I want you to experience them for the first time in the context of the story as a whole. 

There was one scene that felt unnecessary and slightly contrived. No one else in our group has mentioned it so it’s likely my issue alone. Even if you have a similar reaction to the scene, it’s insignificant and it certainly didn’t detract from my love of the story. 

This is one of the most amazing books I’ve ever read. I give a lot of five-star ratings but few books touch me the way this one did. It’s not an easy read but I cannot stress enough how AMAZING this book is. I highly recommend Rock and I happily claim my spot as “Anyta Sunday’s new bitch”.  

Get your copy NOW!

Lorimar Lorix (me)
I cannot begin to express how much love I have for this book - though I am going to attempt to here.

Friends to lovers is my favourite theme in reading, and this book covers this, but really it is so much more. So much more. I'm going to do my best to review this without any kind of spoilers as well.

So, for those of you not familiar with Anyta Sunday I have to tell you that she is  one of the most skillful story tellers I have had the pleasure to read. It is a pure gift. Her stories are a carefully woven fabrication of characterisation, story arc and emotion. This was absolutely no exception, in fact it's one of the best examples I've ever had the pleasure to read.

Characterisation:
Anyta's characters are never, ever two dimensional. Nor are they so quirky as to be ridiculous.Their oddities and quirkiness is part of who they are; not there as audience titillation. They manage to balance this wonderful line so they are human and real and have ticks, but not so they become a parody of a human being. Nor are they ever boring.
I don't know about you but, I've read so many stories where it is hard to tell one character from the next because their thoughts, actions and reactions just blend into one. The skill of this author is being able to tell who you are reading about with no clue other than voice and actions. Even secondary characters are fantastic. I loved Cooper's sister - angry at the world...but able to admit that much of it was her own stubbornness. Lila and even Cooper's dad. They are all amazing characters. It is not a two man show, despite Cooper and Jace being so damn wonderful.

Story Arc:
Feeding a story to a reader, bit by bit, so that even near the end you can't quite be sure of the outcome, is another skill this author possess. She manages to draw you into a story and keep you there, feeding you titbit's as the story unfolds, balancing those wonderful characters with action.
You know those books you can't put down? The ones that have you up til 3am, or burning the dinner, or getting to school/work late or cancelling your party invite because surely a party is not going to be as good as reading this book (come on admit it, it's safe to say it here) - yeah, you know those? This is one. The worst offender IMO. Prepare for a book hangover of highest proportions.
Anyone who thinks the only type of book that is a page turner is a rip-roaring mystery or high action adventure book, really need to read this author. I also need to add a note about the meticulous research the author does. It's rocks in the case of this book - yet we're not dumped with information about rocks, just fed little bits pertinant to the story. Amazing.

Emotion:
Emotion. Oh sweet chocolate bars, the emotion. Anyone who followed our updates on GR will know that not only are tissues required but wine, headache tablets (for the sad induced headache), pepto-bismal, something to cuddle...I'm sure I've forgotten something. Again, this author nails emotion. I NEVER cry when reading - I did in this book. I laughed and I cried and I felt so damn much. Yet, my overriding impression is one of joy and happiness. The sad feels come from being so invested in the characters you want nothing more than their happiness. And in this book, that may come at a price. Please, please don't be put of this by mention of emotion. I'm not an angst fan (honestly JJ, I'm not) but it works so well here. It's not angst for angst's sake. It is just part of the characters' journeys.

I really truly cannot sing high enough praises for this book. I HIGHLY recommend it to everyone. I feel so sad for people who don't get to read this book, who don't get to know the joy of these characters and their story. Please go and read it and then tell your friends about it. Share the love - I know I will be.

This book is available to pre-order now and is released on October 1st. I absolutely and most highly recommend it. A couple of the Unicorn's don't like books with feelz so much - I've challenged them in the CANDYLAND THUNDERDOME to read it though. We'll keep you posted on how that goes down...

To find out more about Anyta Sunday and her books visit Goodreads.

A copy of this story was given to us in exchange for an honest review (though some of us have already ordered our own copies!!)

The Gives Light series by Rose Christo. Books 1-4.

Blurbs:
Gives Light:
"Skylar is my name, tragically."

Sixteen-year-old Skylar is witty, empathetic, sensitive--and mute. Skylar hasn't uttered a single word since his mother died eleven years ago, a senseless tragedy he's grateful he doesn't have to talk about.

When Skylar's father mysteriously vanishes one summer afternoon, Skylar is placed in the temporary custody of his only remaining relative, an estranged grandmother living on an Indian reservation in the middle of arid Arizona.

Adapting to a brand new culture is the least of Skylar's qualms. Because Skylar's mother did not die a peaceful death. Skylar's mother was murdered eleven years ago on the Nettlebush Reserve. And her murderer left behind a son.

And he is like nothing Skylar has ever known.

Looks Over:

"There's nothing wrong with trying to get to know my son's boyfriend."

Skylar knows he's lucky to have an open-minded father. It's not just that Skylar and Rafael are both boys. Between their families exists a dark and turbulent past: Rafael's father was the first serial killer in the history of the Nettlebush Indian Reserve, and Skylar's mother was his last victim.

Skylar is ready to put the past behind him. But Skylar's future is tenuous at best. Skylar is still a ward of the state, and foster care can take him away from the reservation at a moment's notice. Voiceless and powerless, Skylar learns firsthand what it means to be a Native American in the 21st century. And when Skylar stumbles across his father's best-kept, twelve-year-old secret, not even Rafael can shield him from the fallout.

St. Clair:
"I never want to hurt you. You get that, right?"

Skylar knows Rafael wants something very specific from him--and Skylar wants him to have it. Convincing Rafael is going to take some serious innovation. Skylar lost his voice twelve years ago to the Nettlebush Indian Reserve's first and last serial killer. That serial killer was Rafael's father.

Rafael's father, Skylar learns, isn't the problem. Something else happened when Skylar survived that blustery summer night. Something Skylar never thought twice about. Something Rafael can't look past.

The Supreme Court ruling on Kelo v. New London changes the face of US property laws, plunging the reservation into an insidious tug-of-war between the Bureau of Land Management and the Plains Shoshone who have called the soil home for centuries. History, Skylar realizes, is repeating itself. Their parents powerless, the law their enemy, Skylar and his friends are going to have to get creative if they want to keep what's left of their land.

Why the Star Stands Still:
"Your dad's Indian. Your mom's black. Why are you white?"

Skylar St. Clair's been getting questions like these all his life. Skylar's home is the Nettlebush Indian Reserve; his family, the hundreds of Plains Shoshone living there. Skylar can't help it if he better resembles his biological mother, a woman whose untimely death left him with more secrets than memories.

Skylar's father has been in federal prison for the past fifteen years. The summer of his release coincides with familial matters of a different nature: Skylar and his husband are trying to adopt a daughter.

Piecing together a fragmented family is no small task. All the patience in the world cannot contend with thirty-three years of reticence.

But love can.

My first question is...why have I not heard of Rose Christo before? How come this author isn't as well known as JK Rowling? Why is book one not a film. It would make the most amazing independent film. Just WHY??

Okay, so I'm reviewing the first four books of this series together, and then I'll review the fifth one separately. There are a couple of reasons for this. Firstly, I have only just found out about these books and literally read the series, so far, straight through. Secondly, they've been around for a while, but book five was released this month. And thirdly, the first four books are from Skylar's point of view and book five goes back to the beginning from Rafael's viewpoint.

So I'm going to try and leave the break down of each story to the blurbs and talk about what I loved about this series as a whole. And I did love it. I devoured it, have the worst book-hangover and could cry now I've finished with them.

Where to even start though. Okay, the Nettlebush Indian Reservation where the story takes place sounds so perfect, I want to live there and I HATE the heat. I have loved every second of learning about the culture, down to realising that Indian is not a racist term. I know I will be re-reading these and trying to understand more about this culture. I loved the ideals I was learning about and it seems, to me, so much better than the way in which we live here (in England). I love the gift culture. The communal meals. The schooling system....I really loved it all. Even the hunting, which I would hate to do, seems so much better than our way of breeding animals for food. Something about this culture just resonated with me. Would I be able to give up creature comforts I've grown up with? I really don't know, but it's definitely given me food for thought. 

As well as the setting I loved the characters, particularly Skylar and Rafael the MC's. I want to say their voices were so clear...which is odd, seeing as Sky doesn't have a voice. The connection between these two was so electric, it really was as if they were part of each other, that they'd found the rest of themselves when they met. And this is with the fact that Raf's father is the cause of Sky's lack of vocal chords. That Raf's father was the one who killed Sky's mum. The connection between these two was just beautiful. 

All the secondary characters were amazing too...and so real. With the set-up in this Indian reservation and the promotion of this culture through the story, it would have been so easy, so tempting to make the tribe members the good guys and westerners the bad guys, but this does not happen. I mean for a start Raf's dad is a serial killer. There is good and bad in all cultures shown. Everyone is human. It's not just about the characters and their actions, but the consequences of their actions both short and long reaching. It's about how the main characters strive to be better and how love helps them do this. I don't think there is a single character in this who didn't bring something to the story. I loved them all, my heart found a special place for Zeke though. I'd love to know more about him.

So the writing. Rose Christo writes some of the most beautiful sentences I have ever read. Wow, the imagery she uses is powerful, so perfect. The romance between Sky and Raf was gentle and amazing. It was love. Love from the inside out and it was refreshing to read about love without lust being an over-bearing component. So, so refreshing. The visuals Rose Christo painted with her words, of the land, of the history, of the character, of the beliefs, or the love....it was all perfect. I couldn't find a word out of place.

The books go from Skylar being sixteen to when he's an adult. Book four is set several years after the other three. Would I have liked one in the middle, one that showed the journey we know they took to get to the point they're at in book four. Of course I would, but not enough to moan about it or mark it down. The time jump was a shock for the first couple of pages...the story didn't lack for it though.

I've marked them all as five stars, because I read them all as one big book really. If I was nit-picking, one and two were my favourites, by a margin. I'm not marking them at less than perfect though because all the points above re the writing, characters and setting still count. The storyline may have an odd time jump in it, but I really can live with that.

I would recommend these books to everyone. From teens to adults. I know I'll read them again and again. I'm going to get the paperback versions - have you seen the beautiful covers? (St Clair is my favourite cover!!). I just hope you all love them as much as I do. What am I going to read now??

Find out more about Rose Christo and her books on Goodreads.

Review: The Family We Make (Finding Family #2) by Kaje Harper

At seventeen, Rick Albright left his home, his parents and even his old name, rather than pretend to be straight. But being on his own was hard. When his big brother Sam found him, and insisted on giving him a place to stay, he didn't resist too long. Living with Sam is better than fighting just to survive, but it's not easy to find his balance in a simple, small-town life, after his time on the streets.

Travis Brinkerhoff finally managed to come out in college, his second year anyway. It was the one bright side to losing his baseball scholarship and jock status. But without money for tuition, second year came to an abrupt end. He's back in his small Minnesota hometown, and back in the closet. Travis feels like he's trying to fit into a life he's outgrown. If he's going to survive, he has to figure out a way to be his own man, maybe even have his own man, without losing the family he loves.

When he left the Marines, Sam Albright wanted nothing more than to find his missing younger brother. Mission accomplished. Now he's got an independent, possibly traumatized, openly gay young man on his hands, a girlfriend in a war zone overseas, and parents he has to lie to in order to keep the peace. Keeping it all together won't be easy, but Sam has never backed away from a challenge.

A copy of this book was given in exchange for an honest review.

When a request to review Kaje Harper's new book, The Family We Make, came into the clubhouse I barged all the other Unicorns out of the way to get to it first. I may have felt a little guilty, but Kaje Harper is one of my all time favourite authors, so the chance to read and review this for the blog was a privilege. This book is a self-published sequel to her free story, The Family We're Born With, and does indeed also feature the characters from that book.

I never thought I'd find another character I liked as much as Mac from Kaje's Life Lessons series (I seriously LOVE Mac), but in this book I have to admit I totally fell for Rick. He is petty much the complete opposite to Mac, yet I loved every single thing about him. He's seventeen (turns eighteen in the book), a runaway, out and proud, mouthy... and so, so, so amazing. This is a boy who is not afraid of life. He is honourable - he has his beliefs and he will stick by them, no matter what. He is incredibly loyal (okay maybe that is a Mac trait) and, despite his attitude, he has a heart of gold. Except that phrase never makes logical sense to me - he has a heart of love. Fierce, loyal love. This is a boy who has taken the crap that life has chucked his way...and acted like a seventeen year old. But then he starts to grow up. Yep, he grows up, but he doesn't forgo who he is, in order to fit into someone elses (ostensibly his parents') ideal of who he should be. I don't think I can praise Rick enough. He is hard working, but so real. Kind - if you can find it under the layered sarcasm, and witty retorts. And unapologetic about being himself. Good for you Rick, good for you.

Travis is the quiet twenty year old who is the uber-responsible oldest son, in a family full of children and money worries. The family has a younger son who is often ill and they can't afford for Travis to stay in college for the next semester. But Travis doesn't complain, he deals quietly with the pain of having to move back home - even if he does get caught underage drinking by the local law enforcement and made to do some voluntary public service work (where he meets Rick). Travis is gay, but closeted in his home town. Rick is definitely not in the closet and Travis sticks up for him when he is dealing with some bullying. Slowly, the two become friends, then more. Travis's family though will be a different matter altogether, if he ever finds the guts to tell him.

Sam, Rick's older brother and one of the MC's in the first book, features a lot, we also re-meet Jesse and Devin among others. As ever, Kaje has a super mix of characters. They are all very human, none of that black and white, good and bad stuff. The 'goodies' aren't perfect and the 'baddies' aren't pure evil. They are all real. I feel she invites you to try and understand the homophobia from the parents' point of view. Not to agree with it, or condone it, but to understand it. We also meet Dora, the love of Sam's life, and she is a wonderful character - even though her appearances are brief.

Kaje's books always manage to be dramatic without containing an overload of drama for drama's sake. Every action has a reaction, a consequence and the characters deal with them as they come up. They do not overreact in an annoying way, everything is there to back up the story, not to create it. if that makes any sense. I'm not sure I can explain properly just how much I appreciate this quality of her stories. While they are NEVER boring, they are also never melodramatic. I feel almost as if these are real people and I have so much empathy and good will for them. This book is far from easy in places, it deals with some very sad and horrible situations. But these situations are dealt with so well. As much as my heart was breaking at times, it was also holding together because I knew things would be okay. Not ideal, but okay.

I loved this story. I loved Rick and I loved Rick and Travis's love story. Oh lord, I really loved the love story. My Kaje Harper bug has bitten again, I'm going to have to try and find something I've not yet read from her yet to subdue it. Thanks Uni's for letting me have this one!

Find more info on Goodreads and BookLikes!

Review: This is Not a Love Story by Suki Fleet.

"A Harmony Ink Press Young Adult Title "

When fifteen-year-old Romeo's mother leaves one day and doesn't return, he finds himself homeless and trying to survive on the streets. Mute and terrified, his silence makes him vulnerable, and one night he is beaten by a gang of other kids, only to be rescued by a boy who pledges to take care of him.

Julian is barely two years older than Romeo. A runaway from an abusive home, he has had to make some difficult choices and sells himself on the street to survive. Taking care of Romeo changes him, gives him a purpose in life, gives him hope, and he tries to be strong and keep his troubles with drugs behind him. But living as they do is slowly destroying him, and he begins to doubt he can be strong enough.

This is the story of their struggle to find a way off the streets and stay together at all costs. But when events threaten to tear them apart, it is Romeo who must find the strength within himself to help Julian (and not let their love story turn into a Shakespearean tragedy)

Every now and then I read a story that I can't put down and recommend to tons of people and this was definitely one of those books. The strange thing is, it was not an easy, light-hearted book but an angst-filled, herat-breaker - yet I couldn't get enough. Literally, I woke up and started reading it in the middle of the night and read until I got to the end.

Set in England, on the streets of the capital, the realism of life for the homeless hits home hard in this story. Romeo is not only underage and homeless but is mute as well. Just imagine that for a moment - the fact that you can't speak to defend or explain yourself to anyone. You're already living beyond the edge of society, that raggedy, cold boy the commuters and office worker and most of us as we go about our daily lives, don't see. Imagine not being able to make yourself heard either. Yeah, it made me ache in my heart too.

Romeo has one true friend on the streets, Julian. Julian is a couple of years older but looks out for him in this harsh world they inhabit. Julian is the one who puts himself on the line time and again to keep his friend as safe as possible. The thing is, Romeo is in love with Julian and, every time Julian puts himself in danger for his friend, it tears his soul in two.

These two rely very much on each other throughout this story. Despite the title, it is a love story - it is more than a love story. These two need and love each other. Romeo especially - god my heart really ached for him. But I loved him. He had nothing in his life other than Julian, it would have been so easy to give up, to lay down and let the world happen to him - take the drugs, drink the booze, pimp himself out and find a chemically induced oblivion. Stop the pain. But he chose not to. Julian meant too much to him and when the two are separated everything in Romeo's being forces him to search for his friend.

In this story there are good guys and bad guys - I love some of the secondary characters, but this story is ALL about the two MC's. I would recommend this story to everyone. It will take your heart and pulverise it with a sledge hammer - but I promise you'll get it back in the end. It will even more or less be in one piece. Suki Fleet is going straight on my authors to watch list.

READ IT!