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Saturday, May 9, 2015

✰ Book Reviews ✰ Winters Family Series: books 1 & 2 by Brittany Jo James

~ THE WINTERS FAMILY SERIES ~ 


SECRETS OF WHITESTONE MANOR
Author: Brittany Jo James
Series: The Winters Family Series, Book #1
Genre: Young Adult Romance | Paranormal Romance
~ SYNOPSIS ~
Some secrets are too dark to ever be brought into the light. 

At least mine are.

My name is Orson Winters, and you already know too much for me to let you walk away.

A decade has passed since my parents were killed, forcing my younger siblings and me to move in with our estranged uncle. Whitestone Manor in all its grandeur was overwhelming enough. Then, we learned the family secret. 

There’s darkness in the world no one, besides a handful of fighting families, even knows exists. The Winters family is the most acclaimed of them all. However, power isn’t always pleasurable, especially considering that it’s my responsibility to keep my reckless brothers and sister from jeopardizing us all.

When an old enemy emerges from the shadows, Uncle Sebastian calls in another fighting family to assist. I didn’t need their help. I could independently protect my siblings and the rest of the world from danger. That was, until I met Lilith Shaw. Now I’m not even sure that I can protect myself.

I can’t focus on that, though. 

I’m the last one standing between you and those who wait in the darkness.

If you can keep a secret, I’ll tell you my story.

~ PURCHASE ~ 
On SALE for .99 cents for a limited time!
AMAZON | B&N | iTunes | KOBO


“The trick, as far as I could tell, was to keep our shadow separate from everyone else’s.”

Amazing. Fantastic. Talk about a page-turner!! From the moment I started reading Secrets of Whitestone Manor, I wanted nothing more than to continue reading this book. I needed to know what would happen next. Suffice it to say, I was pleased with every swipe of the page. The plot kept getting better and better, the characters kept developing wonderfully, and the overall events kept surprising me and keeping my interest completely intact. I was fully invested in this book!

Brittany Jo James wrote this installment so well that I had no trouble at all visualizing the events described. The amount of detail during the scenes allowed me to see everything unfold clearly as if I was watching a movie. AMAZING! Loved that very much!!! Also, the pace of this book was in my opinion, perfect! Nothing felt dragged or rushed.  Everything developed as it should have.

This book had a little bit of everything: drama, action, romance, humor (arguments between siblings? Yeah, they were quite funny!), and of course mystery and paranormal qualities. The character interaction was flawless and it flowed naturally. Nothing felt forced with their dialogue and they all connected really well and balanced each other out. Ellison – HA!! Badass chick!!! The typical pain-in-the-butt younger sister, funny and ‘smartassy’! I’m sure she’ll be the cause of Orson’s grey hairs in the near future, LOL!

“Lilith Shaw was meant for me, and without her I would never be whole again.”

Lilith…LOVED her. She was funny, strong, and sassy!! She challenged Orson so much and made him step out of his comfort zone – which he very well needed to do. They were so different and yet so perfect for each other precisely because of how different they were. They were what they each needed to fully live their lives as normally as they possibly could given their circumstances.

“I realized that out of all the things I’ve ever fought for in my life, this is the one that matter the most. You’re worth fight for. We’re worth fighting for.”

The paranormal aspect of this book was a first for me and wow! I was incredibly amazed and beyond intrigued by it. I won’t go into ANY of the specifics regarding this because it’s all part of their secret. But know this: seeing it all unfold kept me turning the pages at what felt like not a fast enough speed. I needed to know more and more; my curiosity was at its highest. Then, of course, leave it to Ms. James to throw in a few surprises to only solidify my love for this book and for what will surely be a phenomenal series!

I LOVE this family and their secret life and am anxiously waiting for book two already! FIVE STARS to Secrets of Whitestone Manor!!



SHADOWS OF WHITESTONE MANOR
Author: Brittany Jo James
Series: The Winters Family Series, Book Two 
Genre: Young Adult Paranormal Romance
~ SYNOPSIS ~
Some shadows are as dark as night.

At least mine are.

My name is Grayson Winters and you’ve already been introduced to my family’s story.

Four months have passed since Lilith moved into Whitestone Manor to be with my brother, Orson. Now they’re getting married and it’s all I can do not to gag when they giggle at each other. Whitestone Manor represents nothing but secrets and darkness to me. Then, light begins to pour into my bleak world.

Prater Hahn has disappeared without a trace. Not that I blamed him or his brethren. I still wasn’t entirely sure Whitestone Manor was where I belonged either. All I knew for certain was that sweet, precious Ava Prescott seduced me with every bat of her eyelashes. Too bad for me, dating her was against the rules.

When a new danger arises to test the residents of Whitestone Manor, it falls on me to eliminate the problem. I thought I didn’t need my family’s help. I thought I could protect the ones I loved. Until I realized, not all who seem harmless truly are.

Loving the seemingly angelic girl I was forbidden to date certainly isn’t innocent.

But perhaps, neither is she?

If you aren’t afraid of what lurks in the shadows, I’ll tell you my story.



~ PURCHASE ~ 
NOW LIVE and on SALE for .99 cents for a limited time!
AMAZON | B&N | KOBO 



Shadows of Whitestone Manor is a MUST READ. There. I will start with that. Go buy it and also grab book 1, Secrets of Whitestone Manor, too! I highly recommend you read them in order, although it’s not totally necessary. Okay – now that we got that out of the way, let’s talk a bit about the amazingness that is this book, because it’s just that – AMAZING. I highlighted so-many-quotes!!!! Heck, I highlighted entire SCENES!

“Life at Whitestone Manor was once again wobbling on the edge of a mountain of change, and my decisions would dictate whether I jumped into the unknown with both feet or climbed down cautiously on the other side. Then again, maybe I would screw that up, as I did practically everything else in my life…”

To be perfectly honesty, I was a bit nervous at first regarding this second installment in The Winters Family Series. You see, I LOVED the first book so much that I wasn’t sure if I was going to be able to enjoy this one just as much. Well…. Brittany Jo James proved that she can very well write a darn fabulous book! Shadows was just as good, if not BETTER, as Secrets. The character dynamic…their chemistry… was on point! You can’t help but connect with ALL the characters in this series. Their interactions were funny and very natural, just like those between real-life siblings. Loved it. 

Book one was Orson’s story and now, in book two, we got Grayson’s. My heart ached for Grayson. He was so lost and lonely….

“The dark shadow following me around wasn’t simply following me. It was me.”

He didn’t think he was worthy of anyone’s love…especially Ava’s. To him, she was special, the one, but he couldn’t have her. Not only did he not deserve her (according to HIM), but it was against the rules. I could NOT help but feel for Grayson.

“Pain was something I was accustomed to. Loss wasn’t a new concept. Missing someone who wasn’t around was my daily life. Hurting was nothing I didn’t understand.”

As the drama started to unfold throughout the plot, my theories started forming – and I LOVE it when books make me wonder what will happen next!!! HUGE plus! I don’t like predictable storylines at all.

“Why is it that every cult makes it their mission to kill the Winters family?

Action, suspense, drama, romance. This book had everything. I honestly enjoyed every detail developed along the way, and I most certainly LOVED the ending! J Do I recommend this book? HECK. YES. I highly suggest you read both installments in this series. I CANNOT wait for book 3!! And the very BEST part of all is…ALL BOOKS WILL BE OUT WITHIN THIS YEAR!!!!!!! How AMAZING is Brittany Jo James????!!!! Wooo!!!!
FIVE I-want-to-be-a-part-of-the-Winters-family stars!!!!!!!!!!







Meet the author: Brittany Jo James 
Brittany Jo James was born and raised in the small town of Idabel, Oklahoma. She is happily married to her high school sweetheart, Conlee, who is currently serving as an airman in the United States Air Force. They share two rowdy sons, Jagger and Jett. Her life revolves around living for God, caring for her family and writing, writing, writing. The James family is currently residing near Anchorage, Alaska until the USAF decides otherwise.

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Tuesday, May 5, 2015

✰ Book Review ✰ LIGHT IN DARKNESS by Brandy L Rivers


LIGHT IN DARKNESS
Author: Brandy L Rivers
Series: Others of Edenton: Book 6
Genre: Adult Paranormal Romance
~ SYNOPSIS ~
Sometimes light comes from the darkest shadows…

Lincoln, having been sheltered his whole life, is finally finding his path after losing his mother. Gaining confidence isn’t easy, but he can’t resist going after the woman he craves.

Victoria believes she is a monster. Her past is full of darkness and pain, horrors she would protect Lincoln from. Pushing him away proves harder than she imagined now that his heart is set on her.

A secret is revealed when a group of Other hunters come searching for Victoria, putting Lincoln in danger.

Will darkness consume Victoria? Or will Lincoln’s light show her the truth?

 

Brandy L Rivers is one of the few authors that I completely trust when writing books. Anything she publishes, I will buy. Anything. Her writing style is just so…captivating, intriguing, AMAZING. I can’t help but get lost in her stories!!! It truly is wonderful. She can write some SEXY scenes like no other and at the same time, she can give you some action-packed scenes that make you feel like you are not turning the pages fast enough!! Gah!! It really feels like an escape from reality when I’m reading one of her books. Light in Darkness was no different.

That prologue!! Gosh! It made my heart MELT and then ACHE. *Sigh!* Suffice it to say, right off the bat, I was hooked. I did not want to put down my book. Nope. I wanted to sit in bed all day and read Lincoln and Victoria’s story.

 “He’s pure light and I’m shadows and evil.”

It was SO refreshing to read a book where the hero was the good guy and the heroine, the “broken” one…sort of. Victoria considered herself to be evil and all kinds of BAD. Her internal battles were very much present. She was extremely hard on herself because of her past, but Lincoln didn’t care about any of that. He was this very sexy gentleman that WANTED Victoria. He loved her for her. He saw past everything.  He saw her.

Loving someone was a new feeling for Victoria and loving Lincoln was kind of tearing her up inside. She knew he was different. He was SPECIAL and she did not want to “ruin” him. She would not allow herself to be that selfish. Thing is, she was NOT a bad person…at all. She just didn’t give herself any credit. Victoria was actually VERY nice and selfless.

“You don’t want to know my darkest secrets, Lincoln. I don’t want you to hate me as much as I hate myself.”
“Then you don’t know me very well. I can’t imagine hating you.”

*Sigh…* When it comes to romance, Brandy L Rivers can sure make her readers swoon…and squirm. ;) But when it comes to drama, action, and suspense, she nails it very well too! In this installment, we saw the Others of Edenton face a new enemy – HARP. Talk about feeling like I was at the edge of my seat!!!!!! Boy oh boy!

This series honestly, keeps getting better and better. Just when I thought the last book I read was the best, Ms. Rivers publishes another masterpiece. If you haven’t yet, one-click this SERIES. While I’ve read them out of order and that has NOT diminished the AMAZINGNESS of each book, I would recommend reading them accordingly. It will make the experience even better. Every book in this series is a MUST read!!! FIVE WONDERFUL STARS.

She looked, then leaned into him with a happy sigh. 
“My Angel.”



~ BOOK EXCERPT ~
Dazed, Lincoln stood in front of Victoria, sure he was dead. All he could see was white light, and her beautiful dark eyes filling with tears as her mouth moved.

Then she shoved him, and the world started to come back into focus, darkness seeping into the white. “Lincoln, are you all right? Are you hurt?” she yelled.

Blinking, he rolled his shoulders and the cocoon of white flexed and unwrapped. The weight of his… Wings?

Wings!

Oh boy, they’re heavy.

His head jerked to the side as his wings stretched, white feathers shimmering in the moonlight. He couldn’t do much more than stare.

Letting go of Victoria, he stumbled back and started to fall, but on instinct his wings flapped and he found himself rising into the air.

His chest heaved in great pants that did nothing to slow his heart or calm him.

Victoria caught his hands and pulled him back to the ground with a peculiar awe-struck look on her face. “Are you hurt?” she asked softly.

“Don’t think so,” he answered lamely, afraid to move and start flying? Again. “I’m not sure what happened.” Reaching up, he felt behind him, finding where the big, powerful wings connected to him. Somehow, his shirt was fine and Lincoln wasn’t sure what to think. “How?”

“Shh,” she uttered, then reached into her car to grab her phone. “Let’s find out what the hell happened. I’ll call Slater.”






~ OTHERS OF EDENTON SERIES ~
- New Beginnings, #0.5: http://amzn.to/19shmii
- In Too Deep, #1: http://amzn.to/1FsGP7j
- Shadows Fall, A Novellete #1.5: http://amzn.to/1Co7mn5
- Shadows of the Past, #2: http://amzn.to/1CmtcFV
- Fated Love, Novella #2.5: http://amzn.to/1EklEjA
- Falling Into Place, #3: http://amzn.to/1AwCzhw
- Breaking Free, #4: http://amzn.to/1MG5W6U
- Mending Scars, #5: http://amzn.to/1BwVB7T
- Light in Darkness, #6: http://amzn.to/1FonVdS

- Others of Edenton BOXSET #1
Includes: New Beginnings, In Too Deep, Shadows Fall, and Shadows of the Past: http://amzn.to/1MFma1L

- Others of Edenton BOXSET #2
Includes: Fate Love, Falling Into Place, Breaking Free, Mending Scars, and Labor of Love: http://amzn.to/1CX1Q7R


Meet the author: Brandy L Rivers
I've always loved books, especially about monsters and magic, so I started writing. I'm working on a prequel and the next few books in the Others of Edenton series, and I have a head full of stories to share.

I'm a stay at home mother with a wonderful husband who lets me write and write to my hearts content.

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