Going Down In Flames Series by Chris Cannon

Ok I want to start off by just letting you know how I came to find this book. I was sent the 5th book to review from the publisher through netgalley. I started it thinking maybe I could read it without reading the first four books, well I was wrong, so I went out of my own money bought the other four  AND let me just say that I am so flippin happy I was wrong and that I went ahead ans spent the money because this series was sooooo good. I really hope the author comes out with more than the 5 currently available because I will more than happily read any and all of them!

Just a heads up this post will be a long one.... It features a 5 book series!

BOOK 1: Going Down in Flames

SYNOPSIS:

If her love life is going down in flames, she might as well spark a revolution.

Finding out on your sixteenth birthday you’re a shape-shifting dragon is tough to swallow. Being hauled off to an elite boarding school is enough to choke on.

Since Bryn is the only crossbreed at the Institute for Excellence, all eyes are on her, but it’s a particular black dragon, Zavien, who catches her attention.

Zavien is tired of the Council’s rules. Segregated clans, being told who to love, and close-minded leaders make freedom of choice almost impossible. The new girl with the striped hair is a breath of fresh air, and with Bryn’s help, they may be able to change the rules.

At the Institute, old grudges, new crushes, and death threats are all part of a normal day for Bryn. She’ll need to learn to control her dragon powers if she wants to make it through her first year at school. But even focusing on staying alive is difficult when you’re falling for someone you can't have.

SOOO WHAT DID I THINK OF THIS BOOK?

I freaking loved it! First it is a super fast and fun read, I instantly connected with the characters especially Bryn the main character, she is so sassy and funny. There is love, laughs and legends what more could you possibly ask for! I will say there are a lot of similarities with this book series and the Harry Potter series, but instead of wizards you have shape shifting dragons. When dragons reach their 16th birthday they are able to morph from human to their dragon forms, so they are sent to a special dragon school, kind of like hogwarts, here they learn about their powers, how to use them and their history, again like hogwarts. 

Bryn does not know she is a dragon until a mysterious stranger shows up in her neighborhood and kindly informs her, which has her rushing home to confront her parents. Here not only is she informed that she is in fact a dragon, but a hybrid one. Her father is a red dragon and her mother is a blue dragon, which in dragon society are not supposed to exist, dragons are taught they can only marry and reproduce with their own clan, i.e. color. The mysterious stranger did not just show up to turn Bryn's life upset down but to make it even worse by delivering a letter from the "council", who are the leaders of the dragon world.... think the ministry of magic in harry potter, the letter informs her that she is suppose to report to dragon school that fall.

Once Bryn gets to school is where all the action really starts! Bryn has to learn who she really is, her powers all while trying to survive social exile oh and someone trying to kill her.

I give this book a 5 out of 5, heck I would give is a 7 out of 5. Definite must read! So well written! I can not say enough good things really about this book!!

BOOK 2: Bridges Burned

SYNOPSIS:

Don't just fight the system…burn it.

Since discovering she is a shape-shifting, fire-breathing dragon on her sixteenth birthday (surprise!), Bryn McKenna’s world has been thrown into chaos. Being a “crossbreed”—part Red dragon and part Blue—means Bryn will never fit in. Not with dragon society. Not with the archaic and controlling Directorate. And definitely not when she has striped hair and a not-so-popular affection for rule-breaking…

But sneaking around with her secret boyfriend, Zavien, gets a whole lot harder when he’s betrothed to someone else. Someone who isn't a mixed breed and totally forbidden. And for an added complication, it turns out Bryn’s former archnemesis Jaxon Westgate isn’t quite the evil asshat she thought. Now she’s caught between her desire to fit in and a need to set things on fire. Literally.

Because if Bryn can’t adapt to the status quo…well, then maybe it’s time for her to change it.

WHAT DID I THINK?:

AGAIN I freaking loved it!! It maybe hard to believe from my gushing review over book 1 but I actually like this one more than the first. Bryn starts to come more into herself so her sassiness just get better which just makes the story funnier and flow so well. You also are give even more of the backstory and dragon history. There is also plenty of relationship drama and action scenes. Someone or multiple someones are still trying to off her, she gets betrayed by Zavien, and possible new relationship with her mother's grandparents. So again lots of action and oh so much drama!

Def 5 out of 5 book, highly recommend. I couldn't put it down, super fast read. 

BOOK #: Trial By Fire

SYNOPSIS: 

Bryn’s hopes for a peaceful new semester at school go up in smoke when someone tries to kill her—again. She’s not sure which is scarier, facing the radicals who want to sacrifice her for their cause, or her impending nightmare of a Directorate-arranged marriage to her nemesis, Jaxon.

The one bright spot in her life is Valmont, her smoking-hot knight who is assigned to watch over her twenty-four hours a day. Is what she feels for him real or just a side effect of the dragon-knight bond? At this point, stopping the impending civil war might be easier than figuring out her love life.

She may have to live in their world, but she doesn’t have to play by their rules.

WHAT DID I THINK?

I did like this book, but out of the series I can say it was not my favorite, it took me a little longer to get through than the others did, I did not seem to be drawn back into as easily as the others. There is still plenty of sassiness and humor, plus you have Zavien out and new dude Valmont in, Valmont is a super hot knight there to watch over her and as a bonus his family owns the best Italian restaurant in town and for a girl with a appetite like Bryn that is like winning the lottery. Of course there is still relationship drama since as a dragon she is supposed to marry another dragon not a human even if he is a knight and her family, mostly her grandparents, want her to marry Jaxon, the leader of the council's son. Jaxon and Bryn pretty much hate each other so it is super fun when her grandmother and Jaxon's mom push them together. This book also has action since people are still trying to kill Bryn, but now they are also attacking the school and the council. I give this one a solid 4 out of 5. Good read, but just didn't quite have what the others did....

BOOK 4: Fanning the Flames

SYNOPSIS:

Bryn McKenna has it all, including her smoking-hot knight turned live-in boyfriend, Valmont. Even though she’s a hybrid dragon, she’s finally fitting into the new shape-shifting dragon world that’s become her own. But her grandparents want to ruin everything by making Bryn’s nightmare of an arranged marriage to Jaxon Westgate a reality. It doesn’t help that Jaxon’s father is on a witch hunt for Rebel sympathizers and Bryn finds herself in his line of fire.

If she doesn’t say, “ I do,” she’ll lose everything. Good-bye flying. Good-bye best friends. Good-bye magic. But if she bends to her grandparents’ will and agrees to marry Jaxon, she’ll lose the love of her life—her knight.

The Going Down in Flames series is best enjoyed in order.

WHAT DID I THINK?

I loved it! This one I really loved since you are exposed to even more backstory/dragon history. You are shown that Bryn is not the only hybrid. This one I will warn though will take you on one emotional rollercoaster. I do not want to ruin anything with saying too much, because if you ask my blog partner I am the world's worst at that, if I am excited about a book must like I am with this book I will basically tell you everything that happened.... So I will just say this author is not in the least scared to kill off some beloved characters. So there is a little less sass in this one but it still so well written that you will not want to put it down. 

5 out of 5 highly recommend!!

AND NOW FOR THE BOOK THAT STARTED IT ALL....

BOOK 5: Burning Bright

SYNOPSIS:

Bryn is back for her senior year at the Institute for Excellence, also known as shape-shifting dragon school. She isn’t sure which is scarier, the life-force sucking dragons stalking campus or the fact that she’s officially betrothed to Jaxon, a guy who will never love her. Not that she could ever love him, either… That’s just ridiculous.

Senior year should be fun. Her parents are alive, she’s finally fitting in, and she’s learning how to be a Medic. But what’s with Jaxon giving her strange looks? He runs hot and cold, and he doesn’t even have the excuse of being a hybrid fire-and-ice-breathing dragon like her. One minute they’re having a great time and the next, she wants to blast a fireball at his head. The marriage contract of doom looms over them--unless this match not made in heaven kindles a flame… 

WHAT DID I THINK?

Ummmm this by far was the best one, saying I loved it just is not enough or truly capture my feelings for this book. It was just so so good. Bryn has her parents back, she has let Valmont out of his knighthood and is now on the path that might just be her fate/destiny....

Bryn's sassiness is back in full force in this book, which I just love so much, I love when a book literally has me laughing out loud. This book also like other gives you even more dragon history, only this time it shows the dark side of their history, making Bryn slightly sympathetic of the council and why they exist. Hybrids are out in full force in this book as well, of course trying to determine the peaceful hybrids from the rebels is a challenge and and for those hybrids at school that challenge falls on Bryn and Jaxon to determine.

There is also relationship drama since Bryn has now accepted Jaxon's marriage contract but Jaxon isn't the best mate since he is still bleeding emotionally over the death of Rhianna so she has to snap him out of depression and rage. 

This book has a ton of action scene, some that are really gory and may involve Jaxon basically gutting someone.... so if you felt the other books were lacking in this area you will definitely be happy to read this installment. 

I give this a 10 out of 5, it was by far the best in the series. I will say one thing, and hope and pray I am not spoiling anything for anyone, but the last 20 pages.... umm Chris that was cruel, I had a small panic attack I could not read the pages fast enough to find out if Jaxon was okay, but that ending was so so good and made me literally say "AWWWWWW".... i so hope this is not the end I need more Bryn and Jaxon in my life!!!!

SO over all I loved this series, I loved the characters, the action the sassiness, the laughter and the fantasy of it all. I recommend all to go out now, yes right freaking now and buy all 5 books you will not regret it! If just so happens something in you has died and you did not love this series fire off in the comment section below......

I Will Find Her by Thomas Apostle

 

 

I can not give this book enough praise, this is an amazing work of literature. This book will take you on an emotional rollercoaster. You will fall in love, you will laugh, you will have your heartbroken, and you will want revenge just like Thomas.

 

This is a story told by an 81 year old man, Thomas Benson, in what is suppose to be his last hours on earth, he is on death row for murder and is scheduled to be executed at 6 am the following morning. Thomas decides in his final hours to tell his story, since he states he is not even sure he committed the murder, but he wanted to and he wants to die in order to be reunited with the love of his life. This story may seem not the unique, but I feel it is, not I guess in the plotline but in how it is presented. Thomas tells his story to a mouse that he names Cecil, and I will tell you that by the end of the novel you will want a Cecil. As well as I feel the author did an amazing job at capturing the characters themselves, one prime example would be the fact that the story is told primarily from the point-of-view of an 81 year old man, people of this age many times when telling stories get sidetracked and this happens which to me gives the story even more realness.

 

Truthfully I have to criticism with this book, I feel it was very well written, organized, characters had dimension, and the author placed plot twists in the perfect places so that it made the book not so predictable, but there is a degree of predictability since it is a character retelling his story. Since I did state I had no real criticisms with the book, if I could change anything would I? Maybe, and that would be the ending when it dealt with Thomas' daughter and grandkids. Otherwise no I think all actions had reasons and were presented perfectly.

 

In conclusion, I give this a 5 out of 5! highly highly recommend! this is a book that will stick with you, it will have thinking about morality, death, and religion. I will make you think about what you would have done in his situation, and make you wonder was God present and talking to him, and will make you also question what lies after death.....

SEXUAL POETRY - IT'S JUST WOW! BY SIMPLY MYLOVPOET

 

 

Sexual Poetry: It’s Just – WOW! Is the first book in the set of three books of poetry about romance and sex. I actually read “Erotic Poetry”, which is book two in the series first, and I will say I am glad I did read that book first, reason is that I really did NOT enjoy that book I felt that it had very little if anything at all that was erotic. So I believe if I read this book first and then went to read the second I would have been highly disappointed, more so than I am now. This set of poems were much better and actually lived up to its title. Would I say it is “WOW” like the title? No…. but that is really for nit-picky reasons, such as I felt that the single male point of view in the poems after reading so many became monotonous and boring. I also feel like some of the poems themselves would start of great and have this amazing imagery but then would end with a cheesy one liner that would ruin it all. As well as the author’s use of slang terms for private parts and even the cuss words used took away from the poems themselves, some even made the poems feel humorous when they were supposed to be serious and libido inducing. In the “Erotic Poetry” book I actually commended the use of technology in that it made the poems feel more modern and helped a younger audience connect to the poems. In this book the author also used these technological items, for example he mentions a Samsung S3 specifically in one poem, but this time it did the exact opposite and again made the poem go from creative to cheesy in literally one word.

I will say though that the book is 155 pages which gives you around 70 or more poems and for the eBook copy it was only $3.99, so I do feel it is a good value for the amount of book you are getting. I also did find pretty much all of the poems to be entertaining and also pretty hot too. So to rate this book I would give it a good 3 1/2 out of 5 stars.

Severed Threads by: Kaylin McFarren

 

 

I really enjoyed this book, to me it has a little bit of everything for all readers. It has lies, deceit, romance, treasure hunting, fighting, and of course some good ole lovin hehe. I also have to say the author does an amazing job at capturing the readers attention from the very beginning and keeps it, which is very difficult, but she does it with ease by giving little hints into the mysteries of the novel, and not giving too much away at one time like I have experienced before with many writers. I will say some may not enjoy how the writer ends pretty much every chapter with a very small cliffhanger, making very difficult to stop reading. This book also gives the reader some back stories of legends that also are extremely entertaining and there is also a ghost element that I liked since it did not come off as being cheesy or too farfetched, but I do like the paranormal stuff so forewarning that there is this element since some may not like it.

Ratings wise I would give this a 4 out of 5 stars..... wait what? Didn't I just say I loved the book?!? Why only 4 stars?!? The reason for this is the one negative I have with this novel and that is the ending to me feels rushed and things not fully explained. Like there is a scene where you find out Rachel has a stalker, and that whole situation is ever fully explained, you find out that the dude is married but stalking her and doesn't want his wife to find out.... and this left me like "huh?". Then Allie's miraculous recovery goes unexplained, but the biggest is after the bog ending fight is weird and feels rushed and confusing. As well as I will say the "cliffhangers" I raved about so much at the beginning of the review does muddle some of the ending and does at first cause some confusion that can upset the reader, since you read Chase is pulled from the ocean and is alive, but then a few pages later the author confuses you when Rachel overhears by the police that another captain has been claimed. If the ending was developed more then this would definitely be a 5 out of 5.
Also this is volume 1, so there will (hopefully) be more coming in this series and in the epilogue it does end with the promise of a new exciting adventure, but also note that most things are explained and wrapped by to the point you could read this as a stand alone novel, so for those not into series you can still enjoy this novel too.

I truly can not wait to see what the next volumes bring and to see how each character develops, especially the rekindled romance between Chase and Rachel.

SWEET: BY LISA HAHN

  

 

 

SWEET

 

BY: LISA HAHN

 

 

   I will just start out this review by stating for me this book was neither bad nor good, it was just your average romance novel, but with that being said I will explain the pros and cons I see in this books. So to start on a positive note I will say what I liked about this book. First, this is a short simple read, and when I say it is an easy read I am speaking to the fact that it is not a book you have to pay attention to every single word and line in order to keep up with the story, so you can skip over words here and there as many do and you will still understand what is going on with the story. Second, it is a nice romantic story that leaves you with a happily ever after feeling. Third, from what I can tell even though the title of the book states this is the first book in the series this is a standalone novel, so no cliffhangers.
            Now for the cons. First the story is completely unoriginal, it is your typical love struggle of girl and boy falling for each other, but cannot be together yet in the end somehow they find a way to make their love work and live happily ever after. So on that same note to me this story line did have a lot of potential that could have been explored but the author failed to do so, instead just gave the reader another typical romance. As well the story surrounds a ballet school, but when the main character Catherine or “Cat” gets her starring role, the first opening performance was complete skipped over and truthfully the aspect of dance is really a backburner topic, that I really wish the author had done more research in and really included that since I feel this would have given the storyline more depth and made it slightly less typical. Then the males lead of the story, Dmitri, also has this backstory that I feel could have been explored that also would have given the storyline more depth. For instance, his accident that derailed his career, the reader is never really told what happened, was it his fault? Was he drinking? Did someone purposefully injure him? These are just a few off the top of my head that could have been question the author asked themselves to give and extra story a little extra, so again it would not be so typical. So in conclusion, if you want an easy read that ends in a happy ending with no cliffhangers, this you will love this book, but if you are not into that and want stories with a little more realism and “meat on their bones” then I would skip it. This is the first book of a series so I am hoping as the author writes and gets into the rhythm of her stories they will improve.

The Lord of Desire

The Lord of Desire

By: L.L. Rideau

 

Before starting this book there is one very important factor the reader must take into consideration, and that this book is a prequel to a new series by the author entitled “Breaking a Cycle”. This is important since the book is very short, only 95 pages, which makes it extremely hard to get proper character and story development, but since it is only a prequel or more like an introduction to the characters we will learn more about in upcoming full length novels and to provide some background information, it makes it easier to understand the length. The story itself is an enjoyable read, that gives a big build to a climax and resolution that I would say are not as grand as the buildup. The story is your “harlequin romance” type romance novel, which means it has the “perfect happily ever after” ending where the main character, Massey gets her man and maybe a new addition to the family. So in that aspect the novel is predictable, but for an easy read like this it can be nice. 

                The novel is categorized as an erotic novel, so the next question would be on how does it holds up in that aspect. There are some spicy sex scenes, but very few, the sex scenes do not make an appearance until the book itself its over 60 percent complete, which is a letdown. As well as they are not overly graphic in detail, this is an aspect that again mirrors things typical of harlequin novels. So would I recommend this book? For someone looking for an easy, quick romance to read yes, but if you are someone that really wants to get caught up in the romance and characters, then no , I would just wait for the novels that this is a prequel for to come out.