Nectar of the Gods (Beyond the Gods – 1) by Mary Bernsen

Passion doesn’t always follow the rules of fate…

Ambrosia has spent her life preparing for the day she would avenge her mother’s death. Working undercover as a prostitute, she draws in the man who took her mother’s life. Not realizing who Ambrosia is, the man admits to her that her mother is still alive – and he’s on a quest to finish what he started twenty-three years ago. Desperate to find the mother she’s never met, Ambrosia convinces him to let her help. It’s a partnership of necessity, and founded in deception – but slowly Ambrosia is faced with an uncomfortable truth: this man is not the monster Ambrosia has always envisioned him to be – and worse yet, and she finds herself drawn to him…craving his touch. How can she reconcile these intense feelings for the man who has shattered her life?

The first novel in the exciting new Beyond the Gods series from author Mary Bernsen, Nectar of the Gods is a fantasy romance steeped in Greek Mythology; full of passion that will leave you breathless.

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Author’s Bio

Mary Bernsen is a southwest Florida native currently living in North Port with her two beautiful children and a third, much larger child that she affectionately calls husband. She is the Amazon Best Selling Author of Healing The Bayou, The Ganga Shift, and Beyond the Gods series.

She also writes young adult romances under her pseudonym, M.E. Rhines.

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My Review

5 stars

Ambrosia is determined to the find the man that killed her mother and kill him. She spends her time as a prostitute as she hunts. Then she finds him and learns that he mother may not really be dead. Ambrosia decides to partner up with Perseus as he hunts down her mother down. Ambrosia is waiting for the best time to exact her revenge when she realizes that she is starting to fall in love with Perseus.

I love stories with mythological characters in present day. It’s always fascinating to see where authors picture the gods and demigods in modern jobs. Ambrosia is determined to get even for the death of her mother but ends up learning so much more. Perseus is not as bad as she thought he was. It also worries her that for someone that likes to be alone how she craves his touch.

This is a great story and the first in a series. I love the retelling of Greek mythology and I can’t wait to see what is in store for book two.

I received Nectar of the Gods from the author for free. This has in no way influenced my opinion of this book.

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Forget Her Name

Rachel’s dead and she’s never coming back. Or is she?

As she prepares for her wedding to Dominic, Catherine has never been happier or more excited about her future. But when she receives an anonymous package—a familiar snow globe with a very grisly addition—that happiness is abruptly threatened by secrets from her past.

Her older sister, Rachel, died on a skiing holiday as a child. But Rachel was no angel: she was vicious and highly disturbed, and she made Catherine’s life a misery. Catherine has spent years trying to forget her dead sister’s cruel tricks. Now someone has sent her Rachel’s snow globe—the first in a series of ominous messages…

While Catherine struggles to focus on her new life with Dominic, someone out there seems intent on tormenting her. But who? And why now? The only alternative is what she fears most.

Is Rachel still alive?

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About The Author

Jane Holland is a Gregory Award–winning poet and novelist who also writes commercial fiction under the pseudonyms Victoria Lamb, Elizabeth Moss, Beth Good and Hannah Coates. Her debut thriller, Girl Number One, hit #1 in the UK Kindle Store in December 2015. Jane lives with her husband and young family near the North Cornwall/Devon border. A homeschooler, her hobbies include photography and growing her own vegetables.

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My Review

5 stars

Catherine, Cat, is getting ready for her wedding to Dominic. But when she receives her sister’s snow globe with an eye floating in it things take a turn for the worse. Rachel was a trouble maker when they were little with Cat getting the brunt of her torment. But Cat was told that her sister died on a skiing holiday years ago. How can she be dead with the things happening to Cat are a lot like what she went through as a kid. If not Rachel, then who is out to get Cat?

Oh my goodness, what did I just read??? At first this seems like someone is just terrorizing Cat before her wedding. But the more you read, the more comes to light. But the more I learned of Cat then less I trusted her ideas and when you see how others are treating her it makes you wonder what is happening beyond the initial story.

This story is going to keep you twisted up, down, and around not knowing what is going to happen next. And just when you “think” you might know, surprise, something in the opposite direction comes to play.

This is a killer story that will leave you guessing up until the end. This is my first book from Jane Holland but it will definitely NOT be my last.

I received Forget Her Name from Rachel’s Random Resources and Netgalley for free. This has in no way influenced my opinion of this book.

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Legacy Series by Ellery Kane

Legacy (Book 1)

How do you want to feel today?

In 2041, the choice is yours.

San Francisco is deserted, the Bay Bridge bombed, and the BART subway trains grounded. The Guardians, members of an elite and mysterious government-appointed military police force, are maintaining order at all costs—thanks to emotion-altering drugs like Emovere that suppress fear and anxiety. Lex Knightley, daughter of a prominent forensic psychiatrist, risks entering the devastated city to partner with the Resistance, a group of rebels intent upon exposing the dangers of Emovere. Lex discovers an ally in Quin McAllister, a magnetic Guardian Force recruit with a haunting past that binds them together. As she uncovers the secrets of the Guardian Force and confronts the truth about her family, Lex begins to realize that even those closest to her are not quite who they seem.

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My Review

4 stars

The society that we know if gone in 2041. Drugs that alter your emotions are rampant along with those that abuse them. Alexandra “Lex” Knightley is that daughter to the woman that has created these drugs. Although eighteen and scared she is determined to connect with the group Resistance, who is trying to stop these drugs. Along the way she meets Quin McAllister, a recruit from the Guardian Force. We learn how the Guardian Force uses these drugs to make a super soldier.

Can you imagine living in a world where you can take a pill and stay calm and relaxed? Of course, you are going to have those that abuse this drug, like the Guardian Force and the super soldiers they are trying to make. Lex knows this and also sees how this is destroying what is left of this world. And she should know what there drugs can do, her mother is the one that created them. Although scared, Lex is determined to stop this mess.

Quin was bipolar and the love interest for Lex. I love how they had that love where there are there for each other even though they each are going through some crap. I admit that I lost my patience with Quin several times.

Overall I enjoyed this story and thought it was a great start to a new dystopian story. I’m curious to see where Ellery Kane is going to go from here.

Prophecy (Legacy Book 2)

Over a year has passed since Lex Knightley journeyed alone into desolate San Francisco. The Guardian Force is disbanded, emotion-altering drugs banned, and citizens allowed to return to the seemingly resurrected city.

For Lex, life is almost normal, but normal is precarious. Normal has a way of falling apart.

One rainy night changes everything. Out on parole, Quin McAllister’s father is arrested for the brutal murder of his new wife. As the Resistance resurges, claiming a conspiracy, Lex doesn’t know what—or who—to believe. When old enemies resurface in new disguises and trusted friends start keeping secrets, normal splits right down the middle, leaving Lex and Quin on opposite sides.

Prophecy—the second novel of Ellery Kane’s Legacy trilogy—continues the story of Lex and Quin, testing the strength of friendship, forgiveness, and love.

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My Review

5 stars

It is one year after Legacy. It seems everything is almost back to what can be considered normal. Then it all shatters. Quin’s father is out on parole but then he is arrested for the murder of his new wife. Quin believes that George is innocent even though Lex thinks he is not. But then there is a divide between Quin greater than just his father. It seems that the pills have a serious side effect to some people and Quin maybe one of those people. To keep Lex safe he distances himself from her.

Lex is having a hard time without her mother. She does have her father but there is some tension there. Everything else seems to be going well. Quin even seemed to be acting more normal until his father is arrested again. Then comes the breakup. I understand what Quin is thinking but that doesn’t make the whole situation any better. Especially when other girls are trying to step into Lex’s place.

If that was not tough enough to go through, then Lex is kidnapped by Augustus and is sent on a mission while high on Emovere. Of course Quin takes the kidnapping and killing badly since he was not there to protect her.

And get ready for one heck of a cliffhanger. I can’t wait to see how this series ends.

Revelation (Book 3)

Lex Knightley is keeping count. It’s been seventy-five days since Quin left for Los Angeles. Seventy-five days without one word from him. Sixty-one since she made a deal with a devil. A deal she already regrets. And exactly thirty-nine days since Onyx-the deadliest emotion-altering medication yet-hit the streets, leaving an escalating body count in its wake.

With Zenigenic promising a new drug-an anti-Onyx to make the world a little kinder and a lot more compliant-it seems Xander Steele will stop at nothing to satisfy his desire for power and control. Quin’s dramatic return brings more questions than answers. Lex suddenly finds herself right in the middle of it all . . . on a run for her life.

It’s a race against the clock to uncover Steele’s diabolical plan as the fate of San Francisco hangs in the balance. Can Lex finally fulfill her mother’s ambition to expose Zenigenic-or is it already too late?

Caution: Emotion-altering medications are in the air. Find a mask. Hold your breath. Get ready for Revelation, the page-turning conclusion to the Legacy trilogy.

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My Review

5 stars

It has come down to the end of the line for Lex and her friends and family. They have to prove that Zenigenic and Steele Founder have nefarious plans for the drugs. But Lex has to do it without Quin. She misses him greatly but is still trying to prove his father’s innocence. But is everyone really trying to stop Xander? Not everyone’s motives are as clear as Lex first thought.

This has been one heck of a ride since the first book. Lex is such a strong woman and has some great friends and family to help her out in this final battle. She is heartbroken from the loss of Quin and I hoped and prayed that he would be back. The final battle with Xander is amazing and action packed.

I have loved this series from the start and enjoyed the ending. I am sad to see it come to an end but everything was all wrapped up and was perfect. This is an amazing series. I strongly recommend it to anyone that likes dystopian thrillers. Even if you don’t, check it out, you may find a new genera.

Legacy Series Box Set

Available together for the first time—all three books in the award-winning Legacy Trilogy. Perfect for established fans who want to own the entire Legacy collection or readers new to the series. This e-book bundle contains Legacy, Prophecy, and Revelation, and AWOL, the never-before-released prequel to the series.

Imagine a world where your emotions are entirely within your control. How do you want to feel today? Want to be fearless? Bold? Exhilarated? Blissfully happy? In 2041, the choice is yours. Changing your emotions is as easy as popping a pill. But, choose wisely. A quick fix always comes at a price.

Eighteen-year-old Lex Knightley ventures alone into deserted San Francisco not at all prepared for what or who she will find. A magnetic soldier with a haunting past and his loyal pup; a cold-blooded conman; a general with a heart of stone; a spiky-haired jokester; and a medicated army of super soldiers incapable of fear. As she uncovers the city’s secrets, Lex begins to realize no one can be trusted, not even those closest to her. The mysteries of this emotionally-engineered world begin to multiply, sending Lex on a race for her life. Can she unravel the clues before it’s too late?
Embark on a stirring, edge-of-your-seat adventure with the Legacy Trilogy. Then, journey back to the beginning with AWOL, the prequel novella, told from the perspective of Quin McAllister. Long before Lex Knightley crosses the Golden Gate Bridge into a deserted San Francisco, Quin makes a run for it, leaving the Guardian Force, General Ryker, and an army of medicated super soldiers behind him. But if there’s one thing Quin knows, it’s that you can’t outrun the past. And his past—foster kid, screw-up, delinquent, hopeless case, soldier, wanted man—is coming for him. AWOL includes thirteen scenes which offer a glimpse into the heart of an anti-hero and set the stage for the epic adventure that is the Legacy trilogy.

I received all three books in this series form Ari at Candid Book Reviews for free. This has in no way influenced my opinion of these books.

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Author’s Bio

Forensic psychologist by day, novelist by night, Ellery Kane has been writing–professionally and creatively–for as long as she can remember. Just like many of her main characters, Ellery loves to ask why, which is the reason she became a psychologist in the first place. Real life really is stranger than fiction, and Ellery’s writing is often inspired by her day job. Evaluating violent criminals and treating trauma victims, she has gained a unique perspective on the past and its indelible influence on the individual. And she’s heard her fair share of real life thrillers. An avid short story writer as a teenager, Ellery recently began writing for enjoyment again, and she hasn’t stopped since.

Ellery’s debut novel, Legacy, has received several awards, including winning the Gold Medal in the Independent Publisher Book Awards, young adult, e-book category, and the Gold Medal in the 2017 Wishing Shelf Independent Book Awards, teenage category. In 2016, Ellery was selected as one of ten semifinalists in the MasterClass James Patterson Co-Author Competition.

If you’d like to receive a notification when new books are released, please sign up for Ellery Kane’s newsletter at ellerykane.com. Ellery also signs e-books on authorgraph.com.

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The Charitable Bastard (Bastards of Corruption – 1) by Jessica McCrory

Norah McNamara thought she had found the perfect man. Sure, he had his anger issues, but given his charity work, she belived Clayton Matthews’s good qualities far outweighed the bad. What she didn’t count on however, was the secret life he lived behind the scenes of his generous organization.​

Harley Andrews is damn good at his job. An ex-cop turned private enforcer, Harley is brought in to investigate Clayton Matthews. ​​Instead, Harley finds himself putting everything on the line to protect the bastards beautiful fiance.

After an unforseen attack during one of Clayton’s charity banquets, Harley throws himself into a spray of bullets to protect Norah. And as Norah finds herself thrown into Clayton’s dark world, she discovers she has only one man to count on, and it’s not her fiance.

Because as it turns out, Clayton Matthews was quite The Charitable Bastard.

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Author’s Bio

Hi everyone!!!My name is Jessica and I started writing when I was a teenager. I have always had a love of reading and that influenced me to write my own stories!! I am married to a wonderfully supportive man and we have two beautiful kiddos together! I spent seven years in the Texas Army National Guard and after I got out, I started putting more time into my writing! My absolute favorite genre is fantasy romance or anything that is considered paranormal. The different worlds you can visit through those types of books absolutely fascinate me!
I love red wine (its my end of the day treat to myself) and I am a sucker for sappy love stories, but who isn’t right?

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My Review

5 stars

Norah McNamara had a rough start in life after being abandoned by her parents and having to grow up in homeless shelters. But now that she is older she tries to give back to those that need the help. She meets Clayton Matthews and thinks she has found a keeper since he is into charities and such. But Clayton has a dark side and a secret. Enter Harley Andrews, former cop and on the hunt for a killer that disguises himself as a charitable person. Harley blows his cover to keep Norah safe. He then needs to find out what Norah knows about Clayton.

I loved this story. Norah has come so far from being abandoned. I can’t help but love how she has turned out and wants to help those less fortunate. Unfortunately she falls for Clayton. He is charming and seems perfect but he truly is a bastard. And then there is Harley, oh my. Talk about a hero to the rescue. I couldn’t help but cheer him on in his hunt for the killer.

This books has a little bit of everything in it. It is a great story and the first in a new series from Jessica McCrory. I can’t wait to see what she has planned for in The Runner’s Daughter.

I received the Charitable Bastard from the author for free. This has in no way influenced my opinion of this book.

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Horror

 

My Review

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No Ordinary Girl by Cheryl Elaine

What started out as a night of celebration for Aimee soon turned into a nightmare. Snatched by cruel, sadistic monsters – the worst creatures mankind has ever produced – she’s thrown into a metal container, among other victims too frightened to make a single sound.

The game-keepers force everyone to play. They deliver torment and pain in equal measure. Every hunter has their own agenda and reasons to maim and torture.

Detective Johnson is one step away from catching the killers. Wrestling with his instincts as a father to serve justice his own way, this is no ordinary case for him. Can he stop the vile sadists before they damage more young girls, as well as his own daughter?

Aimee’s ordeal within the compound brings her to the conclusion that she’s no ordinary girl. But can she hang onto her sanity long enough to escape? And will she find a different way to play?

This crime thriller will keep you riveted. It’s no ordinary story.

Please note: contains graphic content.

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Author Bio 

Cheryl Elaine was born in Germany but moved to Northern Ireland as a young child. She then moved to Yorkshire where she spent most of her childhood and this is where she currently resides with her husband and 3 daughters.

Cheryl Elaine is an avid reader and enjoys watching horror movies – the more gruesome the better! She enjoys travelling and socialising but also loves spending time at home with her family and her ever expanding menagerie which currently includes 2 dogs, a budgie, 2 fish and a rat called Rocky!

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My Review

5 stars

Aimee goes out to party, meets some guys, and then wakes up in a cage with other people that have been kidnapped. But that is the start of the horrors about to happen. All of the captives are going to be used, hurt, and so much more for the pleasure of some really sick people. Aimee learns that she is not an ordinary person with all that she going through. But she might not be strong enough to survive. Detective Johnson is on a race against time to stop these killers. But it is personal for him since one of the victims is his daughter.

This is a dark thriller full of abuse, rape, and so much more. It does remind me of the movie Hostel. But I got sucked into the story and was hoping and praying for Aimee to survive this torture and for Johnson to stop them. I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough. And what thriller would you have if a twist didn’t derail your whole idea of what is going on.

This is a very dark book and I don’t recommend reading this if things like this bother you. As for me I love the dark and dirty thrillers. They are hard to read but you know things like this and worse happen in the world every day. Oh, and for being a first book from Cheryl Elaine, I was blown away and can’t wait for more.

I received No Ordinary Girl from Rachel’s Random Resources for free. This has in no way influenced my opinion of this book.Giveaway – Win 1 of 3 x Signed copies of No Ordinary Girl (Open International)

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