1/15/16

Lure (The Allure Chronicles #1) by Alyssa Rose Ivy Review!


 
There's danger in the beauty...
Two years, six months, and twenty-five days. That's how long it had been since I'd seen my winged hero— not that I'd been counting. I'd suffered through years of counseling just to convince my friends and family that I wasn't crazy and knew he didn't exist.
But he did. And I was done waiting.
Days after college graduation I headed back down to New Orleans to retrace my steps and find Owen again only to find my life was about to get even crazier... thanks to the most beautiful and dangerous of all paranormal creatures, the Allures.


                Lure really shocked me. I didn't expect to love this book so much, but once I started reading, the plot's intensity rose higher and higher with every chapter. Soon I felt like my heart would explode.
                The book started off with Seduction's Kiss, a Lure novella, to give a little background about Daisy and her first meeting of Owen. I loved reading the novella because I got to see the change in Daisy from Seductions Kiss to Lure. In Seductions Kiss, Daisy is shy, a pushover, and not very confident. However, in Lure, which is set two years after SK, Daisy is a little more open, strong willed, and working on being more confident. I connected with Daisy easily because her personality was so likable. She was both snarky and headstrong, which are characteristics that always make a novel fun to read. Then we have Owen, who is the epitome of tall, dark, and handsome. When Owen first made his appearance I knew I would become as obsessed with him as Daisy was. He was quiet and mysterious at first, but we slowly got to see that he had a huge heart, protected his own, and had a snarky streak like Daisy. They were a match made in heaven. When they interacted in the book it was explosive. I could practically feel the tension between them radiating from the book. It was great. It didn't hurt that the situation they were in made the tension a little worse.
                The plot of Lure was one that slowly built up and once it built up enough, everything beyond it was like a roller coaster ride. Daisy traveled to New Orleans for answers and began her journey to Owen, but she met a mysterious group along the way, who drove me up the wall. This group had the answers Daisy was looking for but they were so secretive that I wanted to scream at the book more than once. I can't tell you how frustrating it was to not get answers all at once and as soon as possible, but sadly, that's not how good books are written! The group did wonders for the plot because it kept me reading and it got my emotions raging. Lure had my irritations levels high most of the time, but it also had a few other emotions running high as well. The romance in the book also had my emotions in a whirl wind. We didn't get much romance until the end, but it was worth the wait. Whew, sparks flew, guys. Daisy and Owen are such an explosive couple, and they just fit together perfectly. I loved that we got two POVs in this book because it was interesting to see what was going on with Daisy and Owen, and what they were both thinking. It made each chapter interesting. However, it also made that ending hurt so much more become I easily got attached to Daisy and Owen. Therefore, when all of the answers came out and I learned what was happening to Daisy, my heart plummeted. I felt like I wanted to cry because I felt the same hopelessness that Daisy felt. After I finished the book, I was begging for the sequel because I needed answers!
                Needless to say, I highly enjoyed this book. It had everything I could ever want in a book, a mission to uncover secrets, adventure, romance, jealousy, paranormal creatures, and a plot that will keep you on the edge of your seat. I highly recommend this book to all NA paranormal book lovers because this would be right up your alley. I also recommend this book to anyone interested in unique paranormal creatures because these are ones that I have never seen writing about before! Lure really surprised me in that aspect. I cannot wait to see what happens to Daisy and Owen in the second book! I give Lure four out of five stars.

1/9/16

The Tsar's Guard Parade: Five Reasons Why I Am Excited About The Crown’s Game!



     
      The Crown’s Game is one of my most anticipated books of 2016 and this post is going to tell you why! I was lucky enough to be asked to join the Tsar’s Guard aka The Crown’s Game street team, and we are participating in the Tsar’s Guard parade, which is celebrating the highly anticipated book by Evelyn Skye! First, I will include the synopsis of The Crown’s Game and then tell you all why I am stocked for this book!
However, that is not all this post will contain! Be sure to read all the way to the bottom of my post to see an awesome giveaway where you might be able to win an ARC of The Crown's Game!
About The Crown's Game:
    Vika Andreyeva can summon the snow and turn ash into gold. Nikolai Karimov can see through walls and conjure bridges out of thin air. They are enchanters—the only two in Russia—and with the Ottoman Empire and the Kazakhs threatening, the Tsar needs a powerful enchanter by his side.

  And so he initiates the Crown’s Game, an ancient duel of magical skill—the greatest test an enchanter will ever know. The victor becomes the Imperial Enchanter and the Tsar’s most respected adviser. The defeated is sentenced to death.
    Raised on tiny Ovchinin Island her whole life, Vika is eager for the chance to show off her talent in the grand capital of Saint Petersburg. But can she kill another enchanter—even when his magic calls to her like nothing else ever has?
    For Nikolai, an orphan, the Crown’s Game is the chance of a lifetime. But his deadly opponent is a force to be reckoned with—beautiful, whip smart, imaginative—and he can’t stop thinking about her.
    And when Pasha, Nikolai’s best friend and heir to the throne, also starts to fall for the mysterious enchantress, Nikolai must defeat the girl they both love . . . or be killed himself.
    As long-buried secrets emerge, threatening the future of the empire, it becomes dangerously clear . . . the Crown’s Game is not one to lose.

Whoa. It sounds amazing right? Now, here are five reasons why I am excited for The Crown’s Game!
 1. Vika Andreyeve can summon snow and can turn ash into gold.
                Vika sounds like a badass waiting to be unleashed. I mean, she is basically the love child of Queen Elsa and King Midas (great mental image, huh). Who wouldn't want to read a book about that?! I know I do. Plus, her name just sounds cool. She also seems like she will be a force to be reckoned with.
 Bonus: This is who I see as Vika, Adelaide Kane!



 2. Nikolai Karimov can see through walls and conjure bridges out of thin air.

                Nikolai is the second reason this book quickly landed on my most anticipated book list for 2016. The fact that he is an orphan breaks my heart and makes me want to love and hug him even more. I can also imagine the trouble he will get in with his powers, especially being able to see through walls, which adds an exciting factor into the mix! Am I the only one who imagines Nikolai spying on Vika with that power? Yes? Well, you all have no idea how hilarious that would be especially if he gets caught. In addition to his powers, I'm half in love with him already just because of his name. #Book Boyfriend Obsessed 
 Bonus: This is who I see as Nikolai, Alexander Ludwig!


 3. Skye has created these two characters who seem to have mismatched powers which I think is very unique, and she is going to make them fight to the death.

                The Crown's Game is a duel created by the Tsar to find the best enchanter in Russia. It just so happens that the only two Enchanters in Russia happen to be Vika and Nikolai. Oh, I can practically feel the drama emanating from this book already. However, that is not all. The losing opponent is sentenced to death. I can feel the possible heart ache their situation might bring, and I AM SO NOT READY.

 4. The possible romance and love triangle has me begging for and ARC of this book because books like this give me life.

                Nikolai is in love and enchanted (pun intended) with Vika by the sound of the synopsis, and I am already shipping them. Too soon? No such thing! I cannot wait to read about their first meeting and if the sparks will fly. THEN, we are introduced to another character who happens to be the crown prince of Russia and Nikolai's best friend, Pasha. They both start falling for Vika, and I am so ready for the drama that will ensue. I'm excited for it, but not prepared.



 5. The plot screams excitement to me, and I just need this book in my life. Here are five reasons why the plot itself excites me:
 #1. We have a new fantasy concept of "Enchanters" in Russia, which is reason enough for me to be excited and read this book.

 #2. We have two main characters who are forced to fight to the death for a place beside the Tsar of Russia as his Imperial Enchanter. Two main characters who seem to have completely different upbringings and polar opposite powers. The sparks will definitely fly.

 #3. We have a possible love triangle involving two very skilled enchanters and a crown prince. Two enchanters who are forced to fight to the death, and the crown prince of the Tsar, who is forcing his best friend and the woman he loves to fight to the death.

 #4. Then we have a hint of mystery that the empire might not be what it seems, and that it has secrets buried deep in it that have the power to destroy everything. Hello? More drama equals a very interested reader.

 #5. The last line of the synopsis is the last reason I'm excited for The Crown's Game. It states, "The Crown's Game is not one to lose" and it gives me cold chills. It has me curious as to how Vika and Nikolai will handle their deadly situation, and just what lies in the empire's secrets that could be so deadly.

***
                THAT is why I'm excited for The Crown’s Game. It had my attention from the very first line of the synopsis, which is rare for me, and I am so ready to get my hands on this beauty. I am telling you, I would sell my soul to get an ARC of this book. Tell me what you are excited to see in The Crown's Game. Are you ready for the action, romance, and/or mystery that is in store for all of us readers?

                Now it is giveaway time! Don't miss out on the chance to win an ARC of the Crown's Game and enter the Rafflecopter below!
a Rafflecopter giveaway


              Don't forget to check out the other stops that will be made on the Tsar's Guard Parade! Find the complete Tsar’s Guard Parade Schedule at Evelyn Skye’s website!


P.S. I made a bookmark for The Crown's Game because I am so excited.



About Evelyn Skye:
Evelyn Skye was once offered a job by the C.I.A., she not-so-secretly wishes she was on "So You Think You Can Dance," and if you challenge her to a pizza-eating contest, she guarantees she will win. When she isn't writing, Evelyn can be found chasing her daughter on the playground or sitting on the couch, immersed in a good book and eating way too many cookies. THE CROWN'S GAME is her first novel. Evelyn can be found online at www.evelynskye.com and on Twitter @EvelynSkyeYA.