jbronderbookreviews

Genesis (The Evolutioneers – 1) by Anna Alexander

People suck, at least according to reclusive inventor Max Madden—except for his friend and mentor, Anthony. But now Anthony is dead after uncovering evidence that an avaricious financier caused the current economic crisis and is out for world domination, a man Max knows has the money, resources, and charm to succeed—his own father. Now Max is out for vengeance and he doesn’t need a distraction like Crystal Evans tagging along.

The provocative psychic may have soft lips, curves like a Ferrari, and a scent like vanilla sugar, but she also has a thirst for redemption that will never be quenched. Max can’t help but admire her tenacity, and when she leads him to others who also have superhuman powers, he agrees to lead this team of crime-fighting supers if they all agree that he will be the one to take his father down.

But fate and circumstance has a way of bitch-slapping a man to awareness, and emotional hungers Max once detested have become what he now craves. When Crystal becomes the key to Madden Sr.’s downfall, Max must choose: Can he send the woman he’s come to love on the mission, a mission during which she has seen her death in a vision, or have his revenge?

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About the Author

Award winning author Anna Alexander is the author of the Heroes of Saturn and the Sprawling A Ranch series. With Hugh Jackman’s abs and Christopher Reeve’s blue eyes as inspiration, she loves spinning tales of superheroes finding love. Anna also loves to give back and has served on the board for the Greater Seattle Romance Writers of America as chapter president and on the committee for the Emerald City Writers Conference.

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My Review

4 Stars

Max Madden hates all people except his friend Anthony. Anthony discovered that Max’s father is responsible for the current economic crisis and ends up dead. Max is determined to avenge Anthony’s death. Crystal Evans is a psychic and is drawn to Max, even if he tries his best to stay away from her. She introduces him to a small group of people with superhuman powers that want to right the wrongs. Reluctantly Max agrees to lead the team mainly to stop his father.

Max is a hermit to the tenth degree and wants nothing to do with people, especially Crystal. I love their interactions and it is so clear that he is falling for her even though he tries his best not to. Crystal is such a strong person and a great character. Like Max I was entranced with her abilities.

This is a great start to a superhero series. I loved all the characters and their abilities and I think they are a great team, once they get a lot of organization. If you like a super hero romance, look no further, you need to get this book. I’m excited to see what happens in book 2 – Instinct.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. I voluntarily chose to read and post an honest review.

I would like to thank Ari at Candid Book Reviews for the opportunity to read and share this book.

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Hazel & Holly by Sara C. Snider

Nestled within an enchanted forest is the Grove, a community where witches and warlocks practice elemental magic, brew mystical potions, and lock their cellars against beer thieving gnomes. Life is quiet and uneventful. Well, except when Hazel’s long-lost father uses necromancy to trap her dead mother’s soul.

That simply won’t do. Necromancy is forbidden in the Grove, and for good reason too. Nobody wants filthy corpses shambling around, mussing up one’s garden. Hazel is determined to find her father and undo his treachery.

But despite Hazel’s plans of becoming a one-woman army, she can’t do everything alone. It’s not until wild sister Holly convinces her to leave the house for once and go to a party that Hazel finds a pair of unlikely allies in two bickering warlock brothers.

Together, the four of them go on a journey that takes them out of the Grove and into a world where necromancy reigns and the dead won’t respectfully stay in the grave. Hazel will do whatever it takes to stop her father and save her mother’s soul. Even if it means turning to necromancy. Even if it means losing her friends. Because they would never help a necromancer. Would they?

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About the Author

Sara C. Snider was born and raised in northern California, but now lives in Sweden with her partner and two beastly cats. She has a bachelor’s degree in Archives and Information Science that is currently sitting on a shelf, collecting dust, as she pursues her literary dreams.

When not reading or writing, Sara enjoys wandering in the woods, playing computer games, and eating dumplings as often as possible. She loves all things faerie, and has grown to accept she will always be covered in cat hair.

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My Review

3 Stars

Hazel and Holly are sister witches that live in the Grove with their mother Willow. But then Willow gets sick and dies and the girls find that her father has trapped her soul. With the different kinds of magic in the Grove, necromancy is not acceptable and that is what the girl’s father has used to trap Willow’s soul. But Hazel is desperate to free her mother’s soul and goes on a quest with Holly, two wizards, and a cellar gnome.

The first think I have noticed is that the pacing of the book is off. I loved the beginning but then something happened and I didn’t know what. I come to learn that this was a story that was released over a period of time on a blog. With that in mind the story started to make more sense as I followed the little group.

From there you have Hazel, the older sister, who has essentially raised Holly and been a mother to Willow. She is focused on her own thing and finds herself drawn to necromancy. But she is torn since necromancy is supposed to be bad. This is more Hazel’s quest since Holly has her magic and her own thing going but she does follow along and warm to the quest.

This is a tough book to rate for me. I really though the sisters were younger because of their actions, more of a midgrade reader or young adult, not new adult. There are times in the story that the plot circles and circles itself. There is no growth and did get frustrating. Also the ending had a big twist but by then I just wanted to me done.

This is one of those books that I say check out. It might be something that you love but for me it just wasn’t a fit, which is sad because I just loved the premise.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. I voluntarily chose to read and post an honest review

I would like to thank Smith Publicity for the opportunity to read and share this book.

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