Blog Tour: Incandescently

About the Book:
Title: Incandescently
Author: Sylvie Parizeau
Publication date: October 22, 2016
Genres: New Adult, Romance

Synopsis:

LIAM O’SHEA, bestseller author of the SciFi saga, Eiloe.
All I knew was pain – a childhood filled with cruelty and villains who used and abused.
Until Éolie.
I first heard her sweet, angelical voice in the dark of night, when I lay bathed in my own impending death. Seventeen years later, it’s not the nightmare she pulled me out of that haunts me, but the glimpse of Happily Ever After she revealed just before disappearing.
They said she was a figment of my boundless imagination. A wish. A dream. Until I had no choice but to believe them, cherishing my imaginary savior the only way I knew how – in fiction and lore.
But fantasy has a way of transforming reality. When I finally tire of being a citizen of the world, I take an impromptu sabbatical as a professor at a small college on the coast of Maine. And there I see her, the girl with the sea-green eyes and angelic voice.
My world turns upside down. Turns out my girl is for real, and the pull between us is anything but imaginary.
Happily Ever After has a story … and this one is mine.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo / iBooks

Author Bio:

A paralegal by day and incurable romantic by night, Sylvie is a cross-genre, and she takes Happily Ever After very seriously. The End just isn’t in her vocabulary.
An incorrigible daydreamer, she now feeds her obsession with epilogues by concocting stories in which heroes deal with the happy from the get-go. Ready, or not. And she confesses under oath to loving every minute of it.
Sylvie lives her own Happily Ever After in the beautiful mountains of Les Laurentides in Northern Quebec, alongside her whole set of characters.
In between treks in their backyard wilderness, you can find them hanging out at www.sylvieparizeau.com

Website / Facebook / Twitter

Review:

Incandescently is a heart-warming story that is an all around feel good romance. This debut novel from author Sylvie Parizeau is all about how to overcome seemingly insurmountable odds to find that person that you never thought you would have in your life and cultivating a truly wonderful romance out of it. Ms. Parizeau's writing is beautiful, and the pacing was fantastic. The story moved along at a nice pace, one that was never boring or made the story feel like it was dragging. There were a couple things that prevented me from giving this 5 stars, but overall I genuinely liked that story, and want to find out what happens next for all of the characters featured in this book.

You could tell the characters that Ms. Parizeau created were straight from her heart. They were bursting with love and were mostly well developed. The story is told from 2 POVs: Eolie and Liam. There were some aspects of the characters that I wish were explored a little more...for example Eolie and her abilities (I'm being vague on purpose here so as to not spoil anything). I really wanted to know more about this aspect of her character, but I felt that it was never really touched upon, not really serving any purpose. Perhaps in future books, this will come into play more, but I wish that this part of her character was delved into more as it could have added some extra excitement to the book (and her character). However, this being said, Eolie was a lovely character and I enjoyed reading from her perspective. The love she and Liam had for each other was palpable and I loved their romance. Their love is the type of love that makes you believe in soulmates and true love all over again, and it's a perfect thing to read during the holidays. Liam was also a great character as well, and let me tell you...he's very swoonworthy. Ladies, you'll fall in love with him right away, and his dedication to Eolie makes you fall even harder for him. There was a certain scene towards the end where I was left with such a goofy smile on my face because of his actions, and it made my heart melt. The side characters livened the story up, and I can't wait to read each of their stories. They should have some interesting stories to tell for sure!!

If anything, this book definitely made me want to travel to Maine and Canada even more now to visit the picturesque places that Liam and Eolie visited/lived. Ms. Parizeau describes the settings in such detail, I felt that I was there with them in these gorgeous places, and it made me long to actually be there with Liam and Eolie in their quaint, charming towns. And as a side note, I would really like to read Liam's novel!! It sounds amazing and could make an interesting novella.

The ending was a little too abrupt for me, but overall I greatly enjoyed the story. I do wish that there were some aspects of the story that were more flushed out or expounded upon, but as I said, these things could be remedied in future books since I'm sure Liam and Eolie will show up again! However, I think this is a great start to a potentially amazing series. 

Happy reading :)

GIVEAWAY!
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~Cassie

ARC Review: The Edge of Everything

About The Book:

  Title: The Edge of Everything 

  Author: Jeff Giles  
  Pub. Date: January 31st, 2017 
  Publisher: Bloomsbury USA 
  Pages: 368 

  Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult, Paranormal 

  Rate: 3.5/5 stars 

Synopsis :

It's been a shattering year for seventeen-year-old Zoe, who's still reeling from her father's shockingly sudden death in a caving accident and her neighbors' mysterious disappearance from their own home. Then on a terrifying sub-zero, blizzardy night in Montana, she and her brother are brutally attacked in a cabin in the woods--only to be rescued by a mysterious bounty hunter they call X.

X is no ordinary bounty hunter. He is from a hell called the Lowlands, sent to claim the soul of Zoe's evil attacker and others like him. Forbidden to reveal himself to anyone other than his victims, X casts aside the Lowlands' rules for Zoe. As X and Zoe learn more about their different worlds, they begin to question the past, their fate, and their future. But escaping the Lowlands and the ties that bind X might mean the ultimate sacrifice for both of them.

Review:

This book initially drew me to it not because of the stunning cover, which I know attracted a lot of my blogging friends, but because of the description. Any type of fiction involving hell interests me to no end so I really wanted to dive in and see what The Edge of Everything was all about. While there were some parts I didn't care for, as a debuting YA author, I am impressed with Mr. Giles ability to craft a beautiful paranormal world with some characters that I absolutely loved.

I'm going to start with my favorite thing - the characters. I loved the characters more than just about anything in the book. X was so unique (and hot) and I really felt for him and what he going through throughout this entire book. He also had fabulously flawed friends who live in the Lowlands with him - Ripper and Banger who would do anything for him. I quickly became obsessed with them and I know you will too. They have tragic backstories and sad futures but they really make The Edge of Everything so much better.

Now, I didn't really like the main character, Zoe. She was constantly walking this line between being brave and making really dumb decisions. It turns out that most of the time she would jump over to the dumb decision side when it really mattered. Besides that, she also lacked common sense. And don't get me wrong, I don't need a main character to be so perfect that they are insufferably unrealistic. But Zoe would just get on my nerves so much because she was SO annoying. She had no regard for people around her and didn't care if they got hurt. Then when they did she acted like it was the end of the world, like what did you expect?? Zoe's brother, Jonah, was the exact opposite of her. He cared about everyone and he was the cutest thing ever. Definitely on my list of favorite literary siblings.

“I did not know, when I laced it up on that last morning, that I was dressing for eternity."

The setting takes place in Montana and in the Lowlands. When it was in Montana, it was ok but I was in LOVE with the book when it took place in the Lowlands. The entire mood of the book seemed like it shifted when the setting moved there - it was darker, scarier, and I was more interested in what was happening. I also felt like the writing was much richer. Regrettably, I tended to be bored with the book when it wasn't in the Lowlands or when X wasn't involved.

The romance between Zoe and X was pretty decent. But, it wasn't my favorite thing about The Edge of Everything. I think that Mr. Giles did a better job of perfecting amazing friendships than making a relationship. The dynamic between X, Ripper, and Banger is utterly mesmerizing and I can't wait to learn more about their life there.

“Who cares about odds?" he said. 

"What were the odds that he'd ever meet somebody like you?"

So I ended up enjoying the majority of The Edge of Everything but I didn't love it. This apparently is a series - which I didn't know initially. It didn't really note that on the ARC or on Goodreads. I'm pretty happy that it is, though. Maybe the relationship between X and Zoe will flourish more than it did in this book. In The Edge of Everything, Mr. Giles crafted a dramatic storyline that will always have you wondering what is happening in the Lowlands. Are you excited for The Edge of Everything? Is this a book that you might put on your Christmas list?

- Jocelyn

Cover Reveal: Salvaged (Saints of Denver #4)

Novels & Necklaces is super excited to take part in the cover reveal for the next Saints of Denver Novel, Salvaged by Jay Crownover!! I seriously can't wait to get my hands on this book, and knowing this is Wheeler and Poppy's story makes me want it yesterday! So without further ado...here's the beautiful cover :)

About SALVAGED

Hudson Wheeler is a nice guy. Everyone knows it, including his fiancée who left him with a canceled wedding and a baby on the way. He’s tired of finishing last and is ready to start living in the moment with nights soaked in whiskey, fast cars, and even faster girls. He’s set to start living on the edge, but when he meets Poppy Cruz, her sad eyes in the most gorgeous face he’s ever seen hook him in right away. Wheeler can see Poppy’s pain and all he wants to do is take care of her and make her smile, whatever it takes.

Poppy can’t remember a time when she didn’t see strangers as the enemy. After a lifetime of being hurt from the men who swore to protect her, Poppy’s determined to keep herself safe by keeping everyone else at arm’s length. Wheeler’s sexy grin and rough hands from hours restoring classic cars shouldn’t captivate her, but every time she’s with him, she can’t help being pulled closer to him. Though she’s terrified to trust again, Poppy soon realizes it might hurt even more to shut Wheeler out—and the intense feelings pulsing through her are making it near impossible to resist him.

The only thing Poppy is sure of is that her heart is in need of some serious repair, and the more time she spends with Wheeler, the more she’s convinced he’s the only man with the tools to fix it.

About Jay Crownover

Jay Crownover is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Marked Men, Welcome to the Point, and Saints of Denver series. Like her characters, she is a big fan of tattoos. She loves music and wishes she could be a rock star, but since she has no aptitude for singing or instrument playing, she’ll settle for writing stories with interesting characters and make the reader feel something.

~Cassie

Waiting on Wednesday #76

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event that is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine and spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating.

Jocelyn's Waiting On: 

Frostblood (Frostblood Saga, #1) by Elly blake
Publication Date: January 17th, 2017

Synopsis: 

Seventeen-year-old Ruby is a fireblood who must hide her powers of heat and flame from the cruel frostblood ruling class that wants to destroy all that are left of her kind. So when her mother is killed for protecting her and rebel frostbloods demand her help to kill their rampaging king, she agrees. But Ruby's powers are unpredictable, and she's not sure she's willing to let the rebels and an infuriating (yet irresistible) young man called Arcus use her as their weapon. All she wants is revenge, but before they can take action, Ruby is captured and forced to take part in the king's tournaments that pit fireblood prisoners against frostblood champions. Now she has only one chance to destroy the maniacal ruler who has taken everything from her and from the icy young man she has come to love.

Fast-paced and compelling, Frostblood is the first in a page-turning new young adult three-book series about a world where flame and ice are mortal enemies—but together create a power that could change everything.

I actually first heard about this book at BEA this past year, and when I read the description I was completely hooked. I will admit that it seems a tad like Red Queen, however I want to give it a chance because you never really know - it could just be the description. Also, how awesome is that cover? WOW! 

Cassie's Waiting On: 

Dawn Study (Soulfinders #3) by Maria V. Snyder 

Publication Date: January 31, 2017

Synopsis:

Despite the odds, Yelena and Valek have forged an irrevocable bond and a family that transcends borders. Now, when their two homelands stand on the brink of war, they must fight with magic and cunning to thwart an Ixian plot to invade Sitia.

Yelena seeks to break the hold of the insidious Theobroma that destroys a person's resistance to magical persuasion. But the Cartel is determined to keep influential citizens and Sitian diplomats in thrall and Yelena at bay. With every bounty hunter after her, Yelena is forced to make a dangerous deal.

With might and magic, Valek peels back the layers of betrayal surrounding the Commander. At its rotten core lies a powerful magician and his latest discovery. The fate of all rests upon two unlikely weapons. One may turn the tide. The other could spell the end of everything." 

I am so sad that this amazing series is ending! I don't want to say goodbye to Valek, Yalena, and the rest of the gang.  But all good things must come to an end (and after the ending of the last book, I want this book as soon as possible), and I know that Maria Snyder is going deliver a thrilling finale that will please all fans of the series!

Book Review: Under the Lights (The Field Party #2)

About the Book:
Title: Under the Lights (The Field Party #2)
Author: Abbi Glines
Pub. Date: Aug. 23, 2016
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Pages: 336
Rating: 4/5 stars

Synopsis:

In the follow-up to Abbi Glines’s #1 New York Times bestseller Until Friday Night—three teens from a small southern town are stuck in a dramatic love triangle.

Willa can’t erase the bad decisions of her past that led her down the path she’s on now. But she can fight for forgiveness from her family. And she can protect herself by refusing to let anyone else get close to her.

High school quarterback and town golden boy Brady used to be the best of friends with Willa—she even had a crush on him when they were kids. But that’s all changed now: her life choices have made her a different person from the girl he used to know.

Gunner used to be friends with Willa and Brady, too. He too is larger than life and a high school football star—not to mention that his family basically owns the town of Lawton. He loves his life, and doesn’t care about anyone except himself. But Willa is the exception—and he understands the girl she’s become in a way no one else can.

As secrets come to light and hearts are broken, these former childhood friends must face the truth about growing up and falling in love…even if it means losing each other forever.

Review:

"I can't be happy without you. You are my happy." 

I'm going to admit that I was a bit hesitant to read this new installment in The Field Party series (even though I adored the first one) purely because of the impending love triangle. Everyone who knows me knows that I can't stand love triangles (with the exception of a few) because they get messy and often times aren't that well written. However, I'm glad that I did decide to read this one because it was fantastic! Abbi Glines did an impeccable job at incorporating and writing the love triangle into the story, and it just made sense with the plot. Even though I thought it would bother me a lot (since it's clear from almost the very first page that the entire book will consist of the love triangle), it didn't bother me that much at all. It fit with the story and the characters, and in many ways I couldn't imagine the story without the love triangle. 

"In life you face obstacles, and you have to fight through them. If you're lucky enough, you find someone to fight for you, too." 

Did I love this one as much as the first in the series, no. But this was still a great addition to the series, and I'm excited to see where the story goes (even though it's not continuation of these specific characters) as Ms. Glines set up what seems to be an interesting plot for After the Game by the end of this book. There is definitely drama and angst in this one (not as much as I expected though given the actual plot line), but it was all brilliantly written in the way only Abbi Glines can write. I know that every time I pick up one of her books it'll be an enjoyable, quick read that's exactly what I need at the time. 

“I want more than that. I want you. I want to be able to kiss you anytime I want. I want to hold your hand in the halls. Hell, I want to be made fun of by the guys for wanting to be near you all the time.” 

Every character in this story handled things so maturely and made me love them that much more. While some might say it was a bit unrealistic how these characters acted, I didn't find it all that unrealistic. Not all teens are immature, and immaturity wouldn't have fit with these characters' stories in any way. Willa has endured things that no teenager should have to endure at her age. However, she recognized that she needed to change and went about doing just that. Honestly, the way she handled herself made me easily fall in love with her character right away. She struggled a lot during the book, but her development over the course of the story was perfect and incredibly realistic. Gunnar has faced tough times too, and even though we met him in Until Friday Night, we didn't truly understand what was going on with his character. He is a man of many masks--the mask he puts on at school in front of his friends/classmates, the mask he wears at home with his family, and the person he truly is himself around which is Willa. I loved being able to see the different sides of him, and it made me feel for his character. Brady, who we also met in Until Friday Nightremained consistent with his character from the previous book, but there were a few things that I didn't expect with his character. So it was nice to be able to read from his perspective and get more of an inside look into his character and his mindset. 

The couple things that I didn't totally love about the book that made me give this one 4 stars instead of 4.5 or 5 stars was that it was pretty clear (at least to me) who Willa was going to choose right from the get go. Even throughout the book I felt it was kind of obvious, and I wish there would have actually been a little bit more back and forth (who would have thought I ever would say that about a love triangle haha). Also, the ending wasn't as big as I wanted it to be. There's absolutely nothing wrong with the ending in any way, but I guess I just was expecting a little something more given the characters. Regardless, neither of these things were a huge deal, and weren't make-it-or-break-it for me. I highly recommend reading this if you are a fan of Abbi Glines and this series. I can't wait to see what she comes up with next!

Happy reading :)

~Cassie

Cover Reveal: Seraphina's Initiation

About the Book:
Title: Seraphina’s Initiation (Seraphina, #2) 
Author: Sheena Hutchinson
Publication date: February 2017
Genres: New Adult, Paranormal, Romance

Seraphina Cross is unexpectedly thrown into this crazy, spiritual world of Angels versus Demons.

Never did she expect to meet Nate who was just a figment of her imagination. Now she finds herself moving in with him because of her innate responsibility to protect her loved ones from harm.
Finally beginning to feel at home in her new house and with her new relationship. Nate begins training Sera in all that she can do, surprising even himself at times.Just when she is starting to feel safe and powerful, Lucifer finds a new way to attack her at her most vulnerable.
When her dreams are no longer a gift, can Sera control the powers needed to defeat what’s coming before Lucifer fulfills his promise to her?

Add to Goodreads

Author Bio:

Sheena is a born and raised New Yorker, even her writing can't seem to hide her hard sarcasm. She claims destiny has lead her back to her true passion for writing.
She constantly strives to be a positive role model and writes stories that empower and inspire. Sheena always roots for the underdog, believes in love at first sight, and that everyone should have their happily ever after.
While God is currently still writing her love story, she continues to put all her effort into her writing as she is constantly getting new inspiration.
For more info, updates, and fun facts visit her website at www.SheenaHutchinson.com

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

~Cassie

GenreCRAVE Event

Welcome to the Urban Fantasy, Paranormal Romance, and Dystopian Reader Appreciation Giveaway!

We’re so glad you stopped by! In this giveaway, EVERYONE who enters will win TWENTY FREE – EXCLUSIVE – ebooks by the sponsoring authors (to be delivered at the conclusion of the giveaway), and one GRAND PRIZE winner will also receive a $1000 Amazon Gift Card! The Winner will be announced on February 1st at our Facebook Event. The winner will also receive an email directly.

There will ALSO be other prizes and giveaways happening at that event between now and our Grand Prize announcement! So make sure you mark yourself as attending so you don’t miss those great opportunities to win more prizes and snag more freebies!

VIEW BOOKS FROM THE SPONSORS HERE!

—

Here are a couple of sneak peeks!

ETERNAL NIGHT, by Jade Kerrion

Synopsis:

Alone for a millennium, since a human murdered her beloved consort, Ashra, the immortal icrathari queen, rules over Aeternae Noctis, the domed city of eternal night. Her loneliness appears to be at an end when her consort's soul is reborn in a human, Jaden Hunter, but their reunion will not be easy. Icrathari are born, not made. If Ashra infuses Jaden with her immortal blood, he will be a vampire, a lesser creature of the night, a blood-drinker rather than a soul-drinker. Furthermore, Jaden is sworn to protect his half-sister, five-year-old Khiarra. She is the child of prophecy, destined to end the eternal night and the dominion of the Night Terrors-the icrathari and the vampires. As Ashra struggles to sustain her crumbling kingdom in the face of enemies without and treachery within, Jaden fights to defend his sister and unravel a greater mystery: what is the city of eternal night, and how did it come to be?

Ashra’s hand trailed across Jaden’s muscled torso. He made it easy for her to be gentle. His body trembled as if he longed for her. His mouth was hungry for her kiss. He arched up against her, as if craving more. His need was like a living creature, wild and aching for her touch.

Eyes closed, Ashra shivered. Only one other person had desired her as much.

And he was dead.

She forced her way through the memories of pale bodies tangled upon cool silk sheets. When her soul-sucking power leeched out, it found no opposition. Images of the human’s life rewound in a blaze of vivid sights, sounds, and sensations.

Ashra looked up at Tera, her smile little more than a barely perceptible curve of her lips. “He fancies himself the protector of the child of prophecy. Was she among those taken tonight?”

Tera nodded.

Ashra chuckled, the sound without humor. “It’s a pity her genetic heritage wasn’t sufficiently superior to prevent her from being culled.”

“There’s more. Go deep.”

She pushed past the blackness at the start of his memories, expecting deeper darkness. Instead, the colors shifted into shades of ochre and gray. Memories, older than his body, resided in his soul; memories of an Earth long since lost to them—a planet surrounded and nourished by water; images of tall buildings glistening beneath a benevolent sun, and of thriving cities filled with the bustle of humans; memories of quiet and intimate conversations beneath a silver moon, the same silver moon that now graced Malum Turris with its light, though a thousand years older and viewed only from beneath the protection of the dome.

She saw herself as he must have seen her, a much-younger icrathari, still hopeful for the future, never realizing that the Earth they had all known and loved was irretrievably lost. Had she ever looked that vulnerable? Had her smile ever been so beautiful, so filled with love as she looked upon—

“Rohkeus?” Oh, blessed Creator, was that stricken whisper her voice?

Ashra pulled back and stared at the human. Her mouth dropped open. Her heart pounded in her chest, its beat erratic. It couldn’t be. It simply couldn’t be—

She looked up at Tera. The other icrathari nodded.

Rohkeus’s soul reborn…in a human.

Ashra threw her head back and laughed, a despairing sound. Her prince, her love, reduced to a human? Her slender fingers coiled into fists. Her golden eyes glittering, she pushed away from him, though her body trembled from the loss of his warmth. No, the human was not Rohkeus; he could never be Rohkeus.

Steeling herself against the gasp of pain that escaped from his lips as the anesthetizing effect of her kiss faded, Ashra rose to her feet with sinuous grace. “He is not one of us. Not anymore.” Nothing had been more devastating than losing Rohkeus to a human assassin. To see his soul reborn in that contemptible and weak race was an insult to the person Rohkeus had been.

“Should we turn him into a vampire?” Tera asked.

“Kill him. Set Rohkeus’s soul free.”

—

A Cross to Bear: A Gabriella Cross Paranormal Romance Book 1

Synopsis:

Gabriella Cross, a magazine reporter living outside of Chicago, is devastated when her sister is found dead. Intent on finding the killer, she follows the trail to billionaire playboy Michael Steele. When she finally confronts the mysterious man, Gabby is plunged into an ancient war between werewolves and vampires. Dark secrets are revealed, and she discovers that she has a unique power, one that has made her a target. Can Gabby embrace her power and bring justice to her sister's killer? 

All around her, the sounds of baying wolves echoed in the night. Trees slapped her face as she ran, and she tripped more than once. She was crying now and mumbling to herself, terrified. She dared not look back, knowing that the wolves were pursuing her. She came out of the woods into a clearing leading to a tall hill. The howls came from all directions. Shadows flew through the woods in her peripheral vision, and Gabby cried out. She fell again, skinning her knee badly on a jagged rock. In her terrified state, she felt no pain, but continued as fast as she could and ran up the hill.

A snarl came from directly behind her, and she instinctively turned and cried out. A wolf was bearing down on her fast. She turned and raised a hand as the beast leapt at her with gleaming claws leading the way.

“NO!” Gabby cried.

To her amazement, the wolf changed form in mid-flight and turned into a naked man. He landed at her feet on all fours and snarled at her.

“Get away from me!” she screamed.

The naked man backed away from her warily, glancing down at his human hands with a look of confusion and shock. More wolves were coming out of the woods. They stopped when they saw the one who had turned into a human in the light of the full moon.

Gabby wasted no time considering her luck and ran as fast as she could up the hill.

“Gabriella Cross, stop!” Michael’s voice rose up over the howls.

Gabby could hardly see through her tears. She didn’t dare look back, knowing that she would find death closing in on her. She reached the top of the hill and ran across the flat expanse of rocky earth.

“Gabriella!” came the voice again.

The wolves were gaining on her.

She darted between two pines blocking her way, receiving many scrapes on her face and arms. Half blinded by tears and slapping branches, she stumbled out from between the trees and suddenly came to a steep cliff. She tried to stop, but her momentum was too great. With a terrified cry she fell forward over the cliff.

She frantically thrashed her arms as she fell to her death. Above, on the ledge, a mournful wolf cried out. The ground was coming up fast to crush her, and Gabby closed her eyes, not wanting to see her death.

Then. Suddenly. Gabriella was weightless.

Strong arms held her firmly. She opened her eyes to find a winged beast staring back at her.

Gabby passed out.

ENTER THE GIVEAWAY HERE!

~Cassie