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Bane by L.J. Shen

by fliplamken

LJSBaneBookCover6x9_MEDIUM

 

Fans of L.J. Shen have been demanding this story about the surfer bad boy, who liked to ride the waves naked. He first appeared in Scandalous as the sometimes high school boyfriend of Edie.  He was sexy, wicked, and yet caring. He was protective of Edie, his former girlfriend. Bane is a beautiful, Russian American demi-god. What was there not to love about him?

Yet the title is almost a tease. Yes, the hero is Bane. Bane is still wicked, he runs several criminal and legitimate enterprises. He is a gigolo, who provides sex for money and favors. In exchange for a large sum of money, he is willing to befriend and take under his wing the damaged stepdaughter of a wealthy man.

However, it is the heroine, Jessica Carter, who dominates the story. After a horrific gang rape,  she has become a recluse. She only leaves her home to see her therapist and the elderly lady living next door. Haunted by nightmares, she tries to run from her demons.

As he earns the trust of the wary Jessica,  Bane is torn by conflicting emotions.  He feels guilt for his deception.  Bane is protective of Jessica. He feels strongly about Jessica and feelings are not a comfortable fit for Bane. Jessica is not torn. Despite the horrors of her past, Jessica’s friendship with Bane awakens her lust for life. As Jessica comes to life, she must face her nightmares.

Without giving away too much, Bane and Jessica are transfigured by the end of the story. While the prince is willing to slay dragons for her, the princess saves herself. Isn’t that the best story?

 

 

 

 

Cover Reveal-Bane by L.J. Shen

by fliplamken

LJSBaneBookCover6x9_MEDIUM

Bane, the highly-anticipated next standalone in the Sinners of Saint Series by L.J. Shen is coming May 10th!

Bane by L.J. Shen
Release Date: May 10th
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Cover Designer: Letitia Hasser at RBA Design
Photographer: Pavel Lepikhin
Model: Vadim Ivanov

Bane
Naked surfer. Habitual pothead. A con, a liar, a thief and a fraud.
Last I heard, he was extorting the rich and screwing their wives for a living.
Which is why I’m more than a little surprised to find him at my threshold, looking for my friendship, my services, and most puzzling of all—looking humbled.
Thing is, I’m on a boycott. Literally—I cut boys from my life. Permanently.
Problem is, Bane is not a boy, he is all man, and I’m falling, crashing, drowning in his sweet, perfect lies.
Jesse Carter
Hot as hell, cold as ice.
I wasn’t aware of her existence until a fat, juicy deal landed in my lap.
She’s a part of it, a little plaything to kill some time.
She is collateral, a means to an end, and a side-bonus for striking a deal with her oil tycoon stepdad.
More than anything, Jesse Carter is a tough nut to crack.
Little does she know, I have the f****** teeth for it.

 

Add to GoodReads: http://bit.ly/2BVlUPy

 

Start the Series of Standalones Today!
Vicious
Amazon US: http://amzn.to/2xdCsQ6
Amazon Universal: http://mybook.to/ViciousLJShen
Add to GoodReads: http://bit.ly/2hUo31f

Ironbound by Mel Sterling

by fliplamken

It is hard for me to resist any story involving the fae. The first book in this series, Trueblood was good. This book was superlative.  It had everything I could want in a  fantasy book. The author creates a colorful world in the fae live in hiding in Portland.  In addition to a rousing, good adventure story, there  is a sexy, satisfying romance.

As with any good story involving the fae, there is a power struggle. The dark, foreboding Hunter has rebelled against the queen of fairies. He has to lead a pack of followers out of the queen’s domain. But he must find shelter and food for his followers.

Hunter finds help from an unexpected source. Dove, a human,  was captured by one of the Unseelie following the Hunter. While Hunter saved her from rape and murder, he still keeps her prisoner. But Dove’s skills as a blacksmith might enable her to win her freedom.

But negotiating with the fae takes skill. Humans seldom succeed.  This was amply demonstrated in the first book in this series, Trueheart. The heroine of Trueheart appears in this story.  Tess is now birch girl. She is in danger of becoming a tree and going into dormancy for the winter. Trying to cling to her humanity, she and her lover, Thomas, also must negotiate with Hunter for a chance to regain their humanity. Hunter plans to use Dove, Thomas, and Tess in his fight against the Unseelie Queen.

But the Unseelie Queen is already hunting them. Her reach is much longer than any of them know. And the queen is not hesitant to attack the most vulnerable, the humans first.

Loved this book. I highly recommend the series.

Ironbound

 

The End Zone Review and Giveaway

by fliplamken

TEZ-AN-IG

This is a smoking hot friends to lovers novella. Unlike far too many romance novellas, this story packs a polished, complete romance in the novella format. The reader will be thoroughly satisfied. Jolie Louis and Sage Poirer are lifelong friends, who continue their friendship in college. They are even roommates.

Sage’s handsome, chiseled body and status as the star quarterback has made it easy for him to manwhore through a never-ending supply of eager females. But despite her deep feelings for her friend, Jolie is not interested in joining his harem.

Sage has never been threatened by Jolie’s boyfriends. They were all wrong for Jolie. But when a fellow teammate and the perfect guy expresses an interest in Jolie, Sage gets angry. Then he realizes that he wants Jolie for himself.

As stated, this book is hot, hot, hot. The sexual attraction is palpable. The sex scenes are blazing. But the reader becomes aware that Sage has a secret, which might just end this romance.

I would highly recommend this novella. L.J. Shen remains one of my guilty pleasure writers. I just can’t get enough of her writing. To celebrate this new release, I am going to give away a free e-book of any L.J. Shen novel to one commentator to this post. Just post a comment on your favorite book read in 2018. I will pick randomly one winner on April 15, 2018.

 

 

Tarnished City by Vic James

by fliplamken

Tarnished City

Last year, the first book in this series, The Gilded Cage, was my favorite book of the year. In a world where all the power and wealth is held by persons with magic and those persons lacking magic were condemned to ten years of slavery, it was a throat-clutching, emotionally gripping thriller of a fantasy novel.  Moreover, it challenged the reader to think about the abuse of power and enslavement.

This second book begins in despair. Luke, one of the heroes of the first novel, is imprisoned by a sadistic torturer for a crime Luke did not knowingly commit. Things do not improve. As in the real world, idealism, nobility, and courage aren’t always enough to fight cruelty, evil, and vast power.  Yet, Abi, Luke, Dina, and others do not surrender. They continue to strive.  They find allies. Sadly, they also see betrayal.

The novel reaches a boiling point. A savage, horrifying public execution of the rebels at the hands of a mob is staged when the author reminds us that heroes can be found in the unlikeliest persons.

This book kept me up late in the night. It was impossible to put down. Unlike The Gilded Cage, this novel reminded me of The Game of Thrones. Like the Game of Thrones, the reader becomes deeply immersed in the survival of the rebellious siblings, Abi and Luke, and their allies. Likewise, the reader keeps hoping for the punishment of evil. So far this hope has been unmet. Then there are the most complex characters, Silyen, Gavar, and the murderous Dog.  Assuredly not good people, but they evoke sympathy. Also, like The Game of Thrones, nothing can be taken for granted. The author is taking the reader on a journey, and the destination is uncertain. Like The Gilded Cage, this will be one of my favorite reads of the year. I highly recommend Tarnished City.

 

Popsugar Reading Challenge

by fliplamken

For fun, I am doing the Ultitmate Popsugar Reading Challenge. Now I am not following the rules strictly. I did not read a Nordic noir in January. But I will read one this year. But I have read several books on the list. In February, I read a figure skating romance, from lukov with love by Mariana Zapata. I have also read several novels published in 2018. Next, on the list, I will read a book involving twins. I love twin stories. Below is the challenge.

January-Nordic Noir
February– A Book About or Involving Sport (Winter Olympics)
March-A Book About Feminism (Women’s History Month)
April-A Book that Involves a Bookstore or Library (National Library Month)
May-A Book About Mental Health (Mental Health Awareness Month)
June-A Book with an LGBTQ+ Protagonist (2018 Pride Month)
July-A Book Set at Sea
August-A Book with Characters who are Twins (National Twins Day is August 3rd)
September-A Book that is also a Stage Play or Musical
October-A Book About or Set on Halloween
November-A Book About Death or Grief
December-A Book that’s Published in 2018

Join the Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge on Goodreads. Here is the link,  https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/152458-ultimate-popsugar-reading-challenge

 

lukov

Beauty is all that matters

by fliplamken

Belles

 

In the archipelago of Orleans, individuals are born without beauty; they have gray skin and hair. Their eyes are red. But the citizens of Orleans worship beauty and they pay vast sums to be beautiful. All beauty comes from the magic of the Belles. The Belles are born beautiful. More importantly, they can create beauty. Camellia is a belle. And now on her sixteen birthday, she is competing with her sisters for the position of being Court belle.

But soon Camellia discovers that the glory and position she coveted for so many years has many perils. Beauty is a commodity. The wealthiest citizens undergo pain and near death to maintain their attractiveness. For some individuals, comeliness is a form of power, and they want to be the most beautiful in the land. Some individuals desire to abuse the power of the Belles to hurt others.

Then there are secrets. Why does Camellia hear crying at night? Who can she trust? Has her entire training been a lie? Soon Camellia discovers her sister Belles are also having difficulties with their new positions.

The Court is not a safe place for anyone. There is intrigue. There are power struggles. Eventually, Camellia must choose between her sense of honor and her duty. But her decision might be costly to everyone Camellia holds dear.

It was hard to put this novel down. The author created a fascinating world. The story begins with a competition. Despite the results, all the belles face perils in their new positions. There are deceptions on many levels. In the midst of this fantasy-mystery novel, there is an exploration of the dangers of beauty as a commodity. This novel both entertained and challenged the reader to consider an important issue regarding our culture and beauty.

The Cruel Prince by Holly Black

by fliplamken

CruelprinceI am suffering a book hangover. The only relief is the promise of two more books in this trilogy. The Cruel Prince is the best Holly Black novel yet. This is no small statement. Black has impressed me with her immense talent from the very first. When I read Tithe, I realized YA didn’t mean kid stuff. While I pre-ordered The Cruel Prince nine months before it published and even though I purchased it as an e-book, print, and audible book so that all the Black fans in my family could enjoy it, I wasn’t prepared for the brilliance of this book. I could discuss various aspects of this novel for hours. At some point, I will listen to the audiobook just to savor the rich language.

The premise of the book is three sisters grow up in the land of faerie; the half-faerie sister wants to return to the human world, one sister wants to assimilate, and the heroine wants to triumph over the faeries. The story begins with the murder of the girls’ parents in the human world by a faerie.

As with all Black novels, the characters are complex, multi-faceted characters with flaws. For example, Jude, the protagonist, is a liar and her greatest desire is to become a killer. There is nothing cliché about her portrayal of the characters. The character development in this novel defies expectations.

This novel is a fantasy novel, but Black writes intelligently about real-world situations, including a love-hate relationship with an abusive family member and classroom bullying. The plot is intricate with twists and turns. Black takes the reader on a journey with no known destination.

The world building is phenomenal. It is a sensory delight as Black engages all the senses with her vivid, vibrant descriptions of the faerie world. The reader can imagine the taste of faerie fruit, the feel, and texture of an outfit composed of velvet and owl feather, and the pain of a knife plunged into a hand. Then there are the denizens of faerie, the horned, mischevious little boy, the green-skinned sprite with black eyes, and the hooved prince to describe a few. With these details, the reader is immersed in the world of faerie.

Due to her beautiful use of language, I tend to read Black novels much more slowly than other novels. But this book ended too soon. I wanted more. It is early in the year, but this may be the best book I read in 2018. I highly recommend it.

Bannerless was a Disappointment

by fliplamken

When I first read Carrie Vaughn’s Kitty Norville novels, I was impressed by her fresh take on the werewolf novel. Her characterizations and plots were skillfully executed. Every novel was an excellent read.

So when I had an opportunity to read her new post-apocalyptic mystery novel, I was thrilled and excited. Then it took me months to finish the novel. First, I blamed myself. I am a reader, who must be in the right mood for a book. But it wasn’t me. It is the book. This is one dull, plodding story. The story is larded with flashbacks to the heroine’s first romance and her trek across the country with musician lover. I have no issues with flashbacks. I have no issues with

The story is larded with flashbacks to the heroine’s first romance and her trek across the country with musician lover. I have no issues with flashbacks. I have no issues with a backstory. I have read and enjoyed books that chapters to get to the main characters. But the flashbacks in this story served no purpose. They just dragged an already slow pace.

The heroine, who is investigator and judge in the agrarian, post industrial world of the novel, is pedantic and judgmental. When the mystery of an outsider’s death is finally revealed, there is no surprise. The mystery was very predictable.

This novel does not work on so many levels. There is nothing unique about the post-apocalyptic world created. The main characters are not particularly interesting.  There is no real mystery. Vaughn is busy writing the sequel to Bannerless. Sadly I won’t be reading it.

Bannerless