Pawned by Laura Bickle

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Author Laura Bickle

Title Pawned

Genre YA, fantasy

Number of pages 345 pages

Published September 13, 2018 by Syrenka Publishing LLC

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Received from Bewitching Book Tours

 Synopsis

You can hock almost anything at my family’s pawn shop…even your own soul.

You think running a pawn shop full of cursed objects with your dad and grandpops is cool? Try it for a week and get back to me. Now try picking up any random object and seeing its creeptastic history play out right before your eyes — yup, that’s my little “gift.” It’s my job to sort out what’s haunted and hexed from what’s not, and do my best to keep all of us — including Bert, our ice-cream-truck-driving-lizard demon — employed.

So it wasn’t all sunshine, roses, and possessed samurai swords even before grandpops’ heart attack — but now things are garden-gnome levels of bad. Dad made a deal with the wrong end of the dark side to save grandpops’ life, putting my whole family smack dab between the forces of evil and our friendly local blow-your-pawn-shop-to-smithereens mobsters. And Lily next door…I shouldn’t even be thinking about Lily.

All I ever wanted was to get out of this crap town and away from my messed-up family, and instead it looks like I’m gonna have to use every scrap of magic in this joint or there won’t be any family left to leave behind…

Review

Pawned tells very unique story and I loved reading every page of it. In Pawned we follow and his family, who own pawn shop. It's not just ordinary story, males in the family have special gift, they can tell objects history just by touching it - they call it bunko (love the name:)). The gift disappears, once the lose virginity. The gift comes in handy, lots of things in store are magical or cursed and his family dabs into supernatural quite a lot. 

It's such a deep story and lots of fun at the same time. We see him navigate trough difficult family issues, dealing with death, abandonment, love and so much more. There are many elements intertwining into one amazing story.

Highly recommend to anyone who love unique stories. :)

Happy reading,

Anie

Superhero High by T.H. Hernandez

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Author T.H. Hernandez

Title Superhero High 

Published July 5th by Soul Mate Publishing 

Genre sci-fi, ya

Number of pages 185

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Received from Xpresso Book Tours

Synopsis

Sixteen-year-old Annarenee Stevens is the sole member of her family without a super power. The only time she feels powerful is in the pool. With her sights set on swimming for U.C. Berkeley, she’s ready to win it all at the State championship and secure her future. 

When the government unexpectedly ends the secret Genetically Enhanced Asset (GEA) program, Annarenee is uprooted from Dayton, the only home she’s ever known, and relocated to San Diego with all of the other GEA families. Queen of her public school, Annarenee is just another zero at Superhero High, a school without any sports teams. 

With the end of the program, her hero older brother now needs a college education, too, meaning the only way Annarenee is getting into Berkeley is on a scholarship. Her dream is slipping through her fingers, no matter how tightly she clings to it. To make matters worse, super hot superhero, Ren Gonzalez, is paying too much attention to her. The kind of attention that has Ren’s ex-girlfriend intent on making Annarenee’s life even more miserable. 

But when heroes begin disappearing, zeros and heroes will be forced to team up in order to solve the mystery. If they don’t kill each other first.

Review

Superhero high has all of the things I love in superhero books: amazing superpowers, superheroes secretly working for the government, special schools and one thing I didn’t know I liked, a girl in the world of amazing powers, without any. :)

Story reminded me a bit on Sky High (one of my all time favorites), with totally different spin.

Whilst I enjoyed the setting and powers and all that very much, I had trouble connecting to the main character.

In the end, it’s very enjoyable story with face paced plot and few surprises along the way.

Happy reading,

Anie

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Jaclyn and the Beanstalk by Mary Ting || Excerpt

Author Mary Ting
Title Jaclyn and the Beanstalk
Published September 4th 2018 by Vesuvian Books
Genre fantasy, ya

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Synopsis

What fate awaits a girl who hears monsters at night…

Sixteen-year-old Jaclyn looks up to her father. An honest man who once fought for the king, he now teaches Jaclyn how to use her wits—and her sword. But he has a secret. And his secret may have a connection to the one thing Jaclyn is hiding from him. Upon hearing “monsters” are terrorizing the small villages around Black Mountain, Jaclyn’s father and his friends head out to hunt them … but they don’t return. Armed only with her sword and three magic beans—a gift from a mysterious old woman—Jaclyn sets out for Black Mountain to save her father. 
On her climb, one bean drops and grows into a beanstalk, catching her when she falls. She isn’t the only one that takes the ride. Jack, her childhood friend and secret crush, is following her. Together, Jaclyn and Jack must battle to save not only their fathers, but the townspeople the beasts plan to lay waste to before it’s too late.

Excerpt 

 I reached out, and just before I touched the brush, the old woman grabbed my wrist. Her probing fingers seemed to be seeking something. I gasped and jerked away from her sharp nails and the coldness of her touch.

         “I apologize.” I tugged at my sleeve, even though it was already down, for fear she had seen my birthmark.

Her hood shifted and her dark, snapping eyes assured me she had. But when she peered up at me with a small smile, she eased my mind.

         “Have a care, please.”

Her raspy voice stunned me, as she continued to stare, examining me like I was some kind of novelty.

“I’m sorry,” I apologized again. “I want to buy the set for my mother. I have a silver coin.”

I showed it to her. Perhaps she thought me a thief like the hat seller.

         “Which one suits your fancy?”

She reached underneath her cloak for something—a dagger maybe?

My pulse raced. My mind became unsteady. Defeating an old woman would be easy, unless she was a witch. I had heard tales of witches in my younger days, but I’d never paid attention. I wished I had.

         I pointed. “That one, please.”

         She handed me the brush first and then the mirror. I ran my finger across the vine from the bottom, feeling the curves and indentations and the fine texture of the smooth wood. Admiring its beauty, I knew Mother would be pleased.

The old woman’s eyes stayed on my covered wrists. No fear showed through them, only recognition or something else unexplainable. Before she could ask me a question, I placed the silver coin in front of her and turned to leave.

         “Stop,” she said.

         I gulped fear down my throat.

Have I done something wrong? What will she ask of me?

All my life, no one had asked me about my birthmarks. I hid them well.

         “Yes?” I turned to her, smiling.

         “Here, I have a gift for you.”

         I was foolish enough to think she would give me a silver back, so I opened my hand to her. She dropped three beans in it and closed my fist. When her hand touched mine, she gasped sharply, and her eyes rolled back.

I shuddered at her expression. I wanted to run far from her, but I remained calm when no trickery played from her. But why beans? Not a bag of beans, but three shriveled, gray, speckled beans.

         “Nay, thank you.”

I tried to open my hand to return them to her, but she held steady onto me. The old fool giving me beans—she must be mad. And I needed to head back to Father.

         “You look like your mother. Have ’em.” Her eyes bored into mine, and then finally let go. “You’d be wise to hold these fast. A time will come when you are in need. Use them wisely.”

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Gallowglass by Jennifer Allis Provost

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Author Jennifer Allis Provost
Title Gallowglass
Series Gallowglass
Genre fae, urban fantasy, paranormal, romance
Number of pages 273
Published June 6th 2017 by Bellatrix Press
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Received from Bewitching Book Tours

Synopsis

Karina didn’t set out to free the Seelie Queen’s gallowglass. Now she’ll do anything to keep him.

After Karina and her brother, Chris’s, lives fall apart in separate yet equally spectacular ways, they leave New York behind and head to the UK. Karina buries herself in research for her doctoral thesis, all the while studiously not thinking about the man who broke her heart, while Chris—who’d been a best-selling author before his ex-fiancée sued him for plagiarism—drinks his way across the British Isles.

In Scotland, they visit the grave of Robert Kirk, a seventeenth- century minister who was kidnapped by fairies. No one is more shocked than Karina when a handsome man with a Scottish brogue appears, claiming to be the Robert Kirk of legend. What’s more, he says he spent the last few hundred years as the Gallowglass, the Seelie Queen’s personal assassin. When they’re attacked by demons, Karina understands how dearly the queen wants him back.

As Karina and Robert grow closer, Chris’s attempts to drown his sorrows lead him to a pub, and a woman called Sorcha. Chris is instantly smitten with her, so much so he spends days with Sorcha and lies to his sister about his whereabouts. When Chris comes home covered in fey kisses, Karina realizes that the Seelie Queen isn’t just after Robert.

Can Karina outsmart the Seelie Queen, or is Robert doomed to forever be the Gallowglass?

Review

Karina is a geologist and receives amazing grant out of the blue, to go research rocks in the Scotland. She just got her hearth broken, so it’s a perfect time to go away. Her brother’s life get really messes up, so she invites to go with her.

In one of her stops in Scotland she accidentally rescues Robert from the tree. He is was trapped in there for over 300 years and was forced to work as Seelies’s queen Gallowglass-her assassin. Robert stick around, helps her with research and they slowly grow closer and closer. Meanwhile her brother is drinking his troubles away, until he meets amazing woman. Chris’s and Karina’s problem are not so different after all and there might be a common link to it.

Whilst the story line is very interesting and romantic AF :), I was not the biggest fan of pacing. It was a bit off and was loosing interest though the book.

Happy reading,

Anie

The Norse Chronicles by Karissa Laurel

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Author Karissa Laurel

Title The Norse Chronicles 

Number of pages 824

Genre magic, Norse gods, paranormal, fantasy

Published March 6th 2018 by Red Adept Publishing, LLC

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The Norse Chronicle is an Omnibus edition of three books. Although it’s long, the story is so captivating that I didn’t even notice it. :) It's perfect mixture of modern world with mythical world of Norse Gods. 

Ragnarok already accured and killed most of the Aesir, ones that are left are living more or less peacefully with humans. After decades of peace, there is  threat of new Ragnarok. There is mystery to be solved, different creatures and Gods, amazing friendship, romance and alliances forming. 

Loved:

Thorin. He came across such a creep in the beginning of the story. As we got to know him bit by bit, I started to like him and respect him. Not only is he one of the most powerful being in the story, he is such a rock for Solina. 

Solina. My favourite part about her, was her development. She wasn’t bad-ass, or strong from the start. She was scared and confused and not very sure about her self. As the story continues, we could see her growing into herself, gaining confidence, developing her powers, redeeming past mistakes and becoming on the strongest characters…ever. :) 

Mythology. Usually, I hate stories that go to far from original mythology, but this take on Norse gods, was just … perfect. The author brought modern times and sense of realism into mythology and made it her own. And I loved reading about the world(s) created. 

Val. Not to give too much away, but he was one of my favourite characters in the story. I like him in the beginning, hate him in the middle and absolutely loved him in the end. HE is just something else. :))

Didn’t like:

All father. He was to wimpy for my taste and not to all-fathery. However I did love the romance of his reincarnating wife

Valkyries. Just no. (not hating all, just select few :))

It’s such a complex story. Highly recommend to anyone who loves mythology. :)

Happy reading,

Anie

Captivating Melody by Katherine McIntyre

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Author  Katherine McIntyre
Title Captivating Melody
Series Discord's Desire
Genre paranormal, romance, Fae
Number of pages 238
Published June 23rd 2018 by Evernight Publishing
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My summer started with the biggest reading slump, like ... ever. There was no book that could hold my attention, no stories that would pull me in, no book magic going on, whatsoever. One day I picked up Captivating Melody. Not only I was totally into the story, as I kept reading, I slowly rediscovered my love for reading... so this one has a special place in my heart. 

The writing is amazing, I was totally “in” the story from the very start and I could blink until the end. I love the witty dialog between main and side characters. It’s just such a good story.

So, Liz find her home managing and touring with Discord’s Desire. Not only are they good at working together, they are true friends. And my favourite part, all members of the band are Fae, all different kind and all outcasts. Liz keeps them all in line, but she has the most impact on Kieran. I love the way they talk to each other. :)Liz is my favourite, she is tough, with lots of faults, that just make her more lovable and… she is not all that human after all. :)

There is trouble brewing in Fae world. Even tough band members are determined to stay out of that world, that all changes when someone tries to kill Kieren. Every band member is special in their own way, different kind of Fae, different backgrounds and very different personalities. 

It’s such a good book, highly recommend it! :)

Happy reading,

Anie

Hot Pursuit by Kay Marie

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Author Kay Marie
Title Hot Pursuit
Series To Catch a Thief #1
Published August 27th 2018
Genre adult, romance, crimi
Number of pages 214
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Received from Xpresso Book Tours

Synopsis

How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days meets White Collar in this sassy and sweet romantic comedy, new from bestselling author Kaitlyn Davis, writing as Kay Marie.

All Jolene Carter has ever wanted is a bakery of her own. There’s only one problem. Her father, Robert Carter, is a world-renowned art thief and she’s, well, sort of his protégé. But he’s promised her this next job in New York will be their last, and she won’t let anyone get in the way of her dreams…especially not the distractingly delicious FBI agent hot on her tail.

Agent Nate Parker has been on the Robert Carter case for years, and if rumors of the aging criminal’s retirement are true, this might be his last chance to nail him. With the legacy of his late father in the back of his mind, the stakes are more personal than anyone realizes. He won’t let anything stand in the way of justice…especially not the red-headed vixen who keeps giving him the slip.
He’s a cop who’d never bend. She’s a con who’ll never break. But all’s fair in love and larceny…

Review

Great spy book, that kept me glued to pages late at night. The writing is amazing, I couldn’t stop reading, the characters, the happenings, it all just jumps from the pages. :) Everything was so vivid in my mind, There is a lot of humour in the story, the pace is fast, there is action non-stop and I just loved it. :)

Master thief's last job and last chance for FBI to catch him in action. Just one problem. Jo.
Jo works with her father and best friend on… jobs. :) She is master hacker, dreaming of becoming a baker, after her father retires. She was trusted into the world of crime as a child and went along with it, because of family.

Nate is son of former agent, now agent himself, he is dedicated to job, biding to the law and always working by the rules. His life is shaken to the core, when he meets Jo, irresistible daughter of the man he is suppose to catch. Clash of two world is inevitable and very entertaining. :)

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Happy reading,

Anie