The Battle for Arcanon Major by Alexandra May

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The Battle for Arcanon Major “As daughter of our ruler I grew up in the crossfire of an ongoing war... All I’d ever wanted to be was a great warrior and ultimately lead my people into victorious battles." With only a small army at her command Halíka Dacomé, a skilled warrior and daughter of the Elemental King, is ready to lead one final battle to save her planet. A battle against the savage, bloodthirsty Primords who want to extinguish the diminished race of Elementals once and for all. But before battle commences her father is given an ultimatum from the enemy leader, Arfron Uhnok. If the king agrees, Halíka Dacomé must marry Arfron Uhnok to prevent further bloodshed. If the king disagrees they, as a race, will all perish. Horrified by her fathers decision Halíka Dacomé leads her army onward regardless of the consequences. Because her heart belongs to another. A love that blossomed many years ago. A love that her father has forbidden. Halíka faces her toughest battle yet and learns that not all battles are those fought with a sword... The Battle for Arcanon Major is an epic love story set against the backdrop of war and is the first Prequel to Elemental: The First.
Praise: "Excellent story. Plot line is great, definitely 2 thumbs up. Couldn't put it down, easy read, excellent prequel to the elemental. Would definitely recommend Alexandra May!!" "Amazing story had my attention the entire story it is hard to find a book like this, I definitely give it 5 stars." "Excellent short story. Plot line is great, definitely 2 thumbs up. Couldn't put it down, an easy read. Would definitely recommend Alexandra May!!"   Alexandra May

Alexandra May is an English author of three books, bringing together the epic saga of Halíka Dacomé and her modern day equivalent, Rose Frost. Elemental: The First, Elemental: Origin and The Battle for Arcanon Major draw in Alexandra's love of strong women characters, sci-fi, history, romance and a little warmongering on the side!  
  Blog Tour Giveaway $25 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash Ends 11/13/13
Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer http://iamareader.com and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.
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United We Spy by Ally Carter

Cammie Morgan has lost her father and her memory, but in the heart-pounding conclusion to the best-selling Gallagher Girls series, she finds her greatest mission yet. Cammie and her friends finally know why the terrorist organization called the Circle of Cavan has been hunting her. Now the spy girls and Zach must track down the Circle’s elite members to stop them before they implement a master plan that will change Cammie—and her country—forever. (taken from goodreads)                    

 

Christina's Review: I am a big fan of Ally Carter and of her Gallagher Girls series. I am sad to see the series end! I started on the road with Cammie in book one where she was starting her first semester of  her sophomore year. Each book is a semester of her training at spy school. I loved it. I loved the whole series. It is a Young Adult book but I have recommended it to all of my friends whether they are young women or adult women. When asked about a series to read this is the first one I recommend. Some series get can get really old by the time you get to the last book but not this one. This series has you hooked from page one of book one. You will want to read all 6 to follow the Gallagher girls through their spy school training. It is clean and captivating. There is never a dull moment. It is a real page turner.

Ally Carter ties up everything nicely to finish it all off. Fabulous read!

 

I won't give any spoilers because this is a brand new release but it was excellent!

 

 

 

For What It's Worth by Karey White

Twenty-four year-old, Abby Benson has dreams of owning her own wedding cake shop. An inheritance from her aunt gives her the ability to make those dreams come true. She hires Dane, a handsome contractor, to help her get the bakery up and running and soon they’re moving toward their own happy ending.

Unsure what to charge for her cakes, Abby has a crazy idea to let the customers decide what they think their cake is worth. This plan has its ups and downs, but the novelty of the idea makes her a local celebrity. When she is interviewed on television about the unusual idea, business booms and Abby has cake adventures she never dreamed possible. But as her fame grows, Abby is swept up in a whirlwind that threatens everything she values. With the challenges that face her, will she be able to determine what is worth the most?


Christina's Review: I thought this story was so cute! I loved the storyline. I love the idea of letting her customers decide what the cake is worth. I loved  the characters. Abby's philosophy is unique and brings a lot of business to her shop. She has to figure out how to manage her time between cakes and Dane. It is a really cute story. I am a fan of Karey White!!!

My Own Mr. Darcy by Karey White

After being dragged to the 2005 movie Pride and Prejudice by her mother, sixteen-year-old Elizabeth’s life changes when Matthew Macfadyen’s Mr. Darcy appears on the screen. Lizzie falls hard and makes a promise to herself that she will settle for nothing less than her own Mr. Darcy. This ill-advised pledge threatens to ruin any chance of finding true love. During the six intervening years, she has refused to give any interested suitors a chance. They weren’t Mr. Darcy enough. Coerced by her roommate, Elizabeth agrees to give the next interested guy ten dates before she dumps him. That guy is Chad, a kind and thoughtful science teacher and swim coach. While she’s dating Chad, her dream comes true in the form of a wealthy bookstore owner named Matt Dawson, who looks and acts like her Mr. Darcy. Of course she has to follow her dream. But as Elizabeth simultaneously dates a regular guy and the dazzling Mr. Dawson, she’s forced to re-evaluate what it was she loved about Mr. Darcy in the first place.

Christina's Review: I thought this was a really cute story. I have read it a few times now. Elizabeth is obsessed with the idea of marrying a Mr. Darcy type. Her mind is made up but her heart is saying something else. The characters are great. The storyline is good. I started reading it and didn't want to stop. I think it is a wonderful story and I recommend it!

And My Beloved is Mine by Kate Nash

Kaycee, thinks she's got everything figured out. Graduate from high school, get out of the small town that she's from, get into Art School, and move to New York with her best friend. She has plans.

Logan didn't even want to move to the tiny town with his family. He has his own plans for his life, plans that don't include a brown eyed girl in a small town.

Can Kaycee come to understand and accept the kind of love that Logan offers? Will their different plans tear both of them apart? Will they find the kind of love that so many spend their entire lives searching for, and so few find?

Christina's Review: After reviewing Fight For You on amazon I was approached by this author to read and review her book, And My Beloved is Mine. I am not the type of reader/reviewer that looks at a book and critiques writing style or technique. I want to read a book that is entertaining and clean. If a book doesn't catch me from the first few pages then I don't want to keep reading. This book had me hooked from page one. I did not want to stop reading. In fact I read it in one day! There were some editing errors but my eyes just catch those. The errors did not deter from the story and the few errors didn't keep me from reading on. The love story was sweet and sappy and clean. . . reading it was just like watching a happy chick flick. I love books like that. A happy love story. An escape from the stresses we face in reality. The characters were good and the storyline was cute and entertaining. The Williams family was really sweet and loving. It would have been easier to endure high school with a sweet handsome boy like Logan. It is a good book and one that I would recommend. I look forward to reading more by Kate Nash!

My Sweetheart (Love and Dessert #3) by Shannon Guymon

Loved it! Strong finish to the trilogy. Loved Jane's story. Great to see all the story lines tied up. Shannon Guymon is a great writer! She has a way of pulling you into her story, into her character's life. There were moments in the story that my eyes got a little misty :) I loved the trilogy. Each book was fabulous! Loved the Kendall sisters and their special bond . I recommend this book -- after you read the first two of course!! And I am already looking forward to whatever Shannon writes nex...more Jane Kendall loves her new life. She loves baking. She loves working with her sisters. And oh yeah, she loves Tate Matafeo most of all. Which would be great if he loved her back. Jane refuses to let heartbreak rule her life though, so she turns to Google and finds 10 easy steps on How To Fall Out Of Love. As helpful as Google is, Tate Matafeo is a hard habit to break especially when her new friend Meredith insists she come to a Rugby game and Tate happens to be on the team. Alex Foster is one man willing to take her mind off of Tate, but Jane knows trouble when she sees it and ends up getting a restraining order. Between Kit’s wedding, Tate’s mixed signals, Alex’s obsession and her father’s rehab, Jane wonders if she’ll ever get her happy ending Christina's Review: Loved it! Strong finish to the trilogy. Loved Jane's story. Great to see all the story lines tied up. Shannon Guymon is a great writer! She has a way of pulling you into her story, into her character's life. There were moments in the story that my eyes got a little misty :) I loved the trilogy. Each book was fabulous! Loved the Kendall sisters and their special bond . I recommend this book -- after you read the first two of course!! And I am already looking forward to whatever Shannon writes next.

Stolen Kiss by Cindy M Hogan

Episode #2 of Confessions of a 16-Year-Old Virgin Lips

With my VL card gone, my flickering light of hope lay with Ryker, someone else who'd caught my eye. Only he could erase the memory of Luke, the boy who lip-raped me. Unfortunately, Luke was determined to keep me, or at the very least, ruin me.

Christina's Review: Episode 2 was just as good and entertaining and the first one. I was stuck from page one. I couldn't stop. I wanted to continue Brooklyn's story. It ended too fast. I immediately went searching to see if #3 had been released yet. These are cute episodes. I hope Cindy M Hogan keeps them coming!

First Kiss by Cindy Hogan

VL. Virgin Lips. You may not have heard of it, but where I live, it's a thing with a card, even if it is a figurative card. I was Brooklyn Hamlin, certified virgin lips, and I planned on clinging to that figurative card with all I had--while dating as many of the hottest guys at school as I could.
Maybe that's a bit strange. I mean, what teenage girl isn't interested in kissing? Locking lips definitely interested me, but the drama that came with it didn't. No kissing, no drama. Simple.
But on my sixteenth birthday, on my first real date even, the drama found me. His name was Luke Graham--cute, funny, and bad news for the whole female race.

Christina's Review: I thought this book was hilarious. It reminded me of being young and becoming of age to date. It was cute, entertaining and fun to read. It was a quick read but it had me smiling and laughing throughout the story. I look forward to more episodes being published.

I Belong With You (Love and Dessert #2) by Shannon Guymon

Kit Kendall moved to Fircrest with her sisters, Layla and Jane in the hopes of starting over. Baking bread instead of painting is quite the transition but she's never been happier in her life. Too bad life has a habit of throwing her curve balls and Rob Downing, the owner of the Iron Skillet might just be too much to handle. She's not sure whether or not she should catch him or throw in her mitt. Especially when Hunter shows up and decides she's the woman for him. As Kit tries to figure out what her heart has been telling her all along, the bakery comes under attack from a saboteur intent on ruining Belinda's Bakery. With Layla and Michael's wedding only weeks away, they're determined to find the culprit because no one's getting in the way of this happy ending.

Christina's Review: I Belong With You is a cute love story. Shannon Guymon has delivered once again another great story! I loved the first one and was so excited to read the second book in the series. It continues following the Kendall sisters' lives and relationships. There is a happy mix of new and old characters. This one follows Kit's search for a happy ending. Will she find it? Shannon writes so well. The characters have you smiling along with them. When they face heartache you feel for them. It is fun to read about sisters who share such a strong bond!! I definitely recommend this series and I am already excited for book 3!

You Belong With Me (Love and Dessert#1) by Shannon Guymon

 

Layla Kendall is the oldest of three sisters. She's a burned out social worker one step away from a major depression and she needs a fresh start. When she and her sisters Kit and Jane inherit their grandmother's bakery, she doesn't know if she can trust her good fortune or not. Life has taught her that happiness is just an illusion. But the chance to be with her sisters and get away from the heart ache and pain she's faced day in and day out is a chance she's going to take. The fact that they don't know anything about running a bakery won't stop them. With Layla's new life, come new connections and friendships including Michael Bender, a single dad and someone who wouldn't mind getting to know Layla better. She doesn't trust men and she doesn't want to change her mind but Michael's little girl Stella grabs her by the heart and won't let go. When Layla and her sisters realize that there are people who want to see them fail, it will take a lot of heart and courage to keep going. Layla will have to let go of the past in order to grab onto the future if she'll ever find the love she needs.



Christina's Review: I have always been a fan of Shannon Guymon. I was sad when her Alpine series finished. I was happy to hear she was starting a new series, the Love and Dessert trilogy. You Belong With Me is the first book in the trilogy. It is a really good story. The series is about three sisters: Layla, Kit, and Jane. You Belong with Me is Layla's story. Layla is a strong woman. The oldest sister who feels like she needs to watch over and protect her younger sisters. I could really relate to her because I am the oldest and I feel that same way. This book is so touching as you read about the three sisters. You can truly feel their love for each other. It is a great book and a great start to the trilogy. You'll be hooked just like I was and will want to continue with book 2!! Loved it! Highly recommend this book!!! Go read it!!

Emerine's Nightmare by Anna Del C. Dye

From the cover:

What would you do if one night, life as you know it changes and you are left alone in despair? That is how Emerine’s nightmare starts and now all he does is run.
His family lived at the edge of the forest until dark shadows killed them all.

Now they want him, and so does a magic tree. He has never seen dark shadows or enchanted trees before. Emerine has to get to the heart of Red Forest, to the fairy people. Only then he will be safe. Safe? He has never heard of fairies before and once he gets there what?

From Misty:

Emerine's Nightmare is a great read to illustrate the battle between good and evil, light and dark. It is short, around fifty pages, so it's a pretty quick read.

When Emerine's parents are killed, Emerine has to find  his way to the only safe place for him on his own, a place his father called the Red Forest. To do this, he has to overcome a number of supernatural obstacles that confuse and surprise him, the most prominent being the dark shadows that are trying to destroy him.

I love to see characters overcoming obstacles. I'd really like to give this to my ten year old to see how he likes the writing style and subject matter. I have to tell you that middle grade is just not a genre I understand that well, and I'd really like to compare opinions with him. I thought this book was maybe geared to a little bit older reader, maybe sixth or seventh grade.

This book is clean, has a moral, and I could safely recommend it to any reader who likes elves, fairies, and other such fantasy stories.