Life Update

I need to make this post because some people have sent me books to read and I have not yet reviewed them.  And I swear I will, but something came up and I just haven't had the time to read and review your books.

So my grandma had a major cardiac arrest and was in ICU for a week, she had less than 5% chance of survival.  She lived and went to live in a nursing facility.  She wasn't really getting better, and about a week she had a major stroke.  My family and I have been busy trying to take care of her, and I've been helping my mom with her work on top of it because she has so much to do and never has the time.

Also my tablet broke, and if you have sent me a kindle version of your book then that is another reason why.  Both of these happened around the same time, so it's been a pretty bad month and a half for me.

I will try and review everything soon.  And I am so sorry for the delay.

~~~AJ

Guardian of Paradise by W.E. Lawrence

In 1888, Kira Wall, surviving daughter of missionaries swept away in a tsunami, lives a primitive, but enjoyable life with natives on an isolated island in the South Pacific. But her serene world is turned upside down when an Australian merchant ship, commanded by the sinister Captain Darcy Coleman, arrives with an overabundance of modern and lavish goods. Kira suspects ill intent. Chief Ariki refuses to listen to Kira’s warning, forcing her to uncover the real plan of the captain on her own. Unfortunately, she has a distraction. A six-foot tall, blond, and handsome distraction. Trevor Marshall, doctor and botanist, hopes to find exotic plants on the island to research new cures and medicines. He is dedicated to science, but when meeting the strong-willed, beautiful Kira Wall, he’d prefer to spend time researching her—all night. 

The captain thwarts Kira’s attempts to call him out at every step, turning the village chief against her. With only Trevor and her best friend Malana by her side, she stalks the captain and his officers through the dense, predator infested jungle, toward the island’s inactive volcano. Frustrated by her failure to reveal the captain’s true intentions, Kira begins to think maybe she’s wrong about everything. Then an explosion and earthquake bigger than anyone on the island has ever seen renews her resolve. Was the blast natural or man-made? She is determined to prove it was the captain’s doing. Kira races against time and the island people’s naivety to stop the captain from destroying her home and killing everyone she loves.
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****I received this in exchange for an honest review****

As I have said in a previous review I love historical fiction.  I love being transported to another time and place.  After reading Chakana I was thrilled to read Guardian Of Paradise, and I wasn't let down.  This was just as good as Chakana, and I enjoyed every second of it.  W.E. Lawrence really knows how to transport you back in time and take you on crazy adventures with his characters.

Kira, much like Kate, was a strong female character that cares about the people that live on the island with her.  She's wary when Captain Darcy Coleman and his crew arrive on the island.  The natives don't think anything is wrong, but Kira knows better.  She has a bad feeling about them and she knows that these new strangers are going to use the people she holds dear.  And she was right.

Enter Trevor, the handsome young man who Kira falls for, and who falls for her.  He wants to help her keep the people of her island safe.  He cares for her and while she doesn't want to see her hurt.  It takes Kira a while to warm up to him, but in the end Kira falls for him and he helps her and her friend in saving their people.

I highly recommend this book.  If you love history, tropical islands, hot guys, adventure, and action.  This book will keep you on the edge of your seat and wanting more until the very end.  

Overall rating: 5 Stars

~~AJ

Chakana by W. E. Lawrence

W. E. Lawrence’s latest historical romance novel Chakana is a James Bond meets Indiana Jones action/adventure story. It is set in Peru, just before the start of World War II. The basis of the tale is a race between good and evil to find an ancient treasure that could affect the outcome of the war before it even begins.  It’s filled with danger, suspense, some humor, and even a torrid romance. 

Synopsis:

In 1940, before the start of World War II, James Fleming, the original British secret agent, races on a high-stakes chase to track down the ancient lost treasure of King Huascar of the Incas. He must recover it before the Nazis do or the whole world will be in imminent danger.

Fleming joins forces in the remote ruins of Peru, South America with Kate Rhodes, a policewoman on leave from the United States, her archaeologist brother, Nick, and their college professor, Dr. Charlie. Together, they must decode and interpret the clues, and face the challenges of the Chakana on their hunt for the treasure.

The group is hounded throughout their search of the ancient Sacred Valley by international artifact smugglers, familiar with the Chakana and working with the Nazis, who are determined to acquire the treasure to help finance their war effort.  Intrigue, danger, suspense, action, adventure, and even romance abound in this brave band’s quest to save the free world. 

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***I received this in exchange for an honest review***I was so excited to read this book I am a history buff and World War II has always interested me.  Add in the fact that it is similar to James Bond and Indiana Jones and I was sold.  When I received it in the mail I started to read it immediately.  I could not put it down.  It was just as good as I thought it was going to be if not better.  I was really happy about that because sometimes you get a book and you think it's going to be great and then it isn't, well that wasn't the case with Chakana.

I really liked the character of Kate, she was a strong female and I liked how she would do anything for her family.  She's a policewoman who goes to Peru to help her brother with a mystery, but ultimately finds that he's missing.  Her and Dr. Charlie are trying to solve the mystery of the box that her brother sent her before he went missing.  

Enter James Fleming a British secret agent who has met Kate before.  She saved his life and then he saved her from artifact smugglers.  They grow closer over the course of the events that happen.  They make a good team, and they were quite cute together.

I highly enjoyed this book and I would recommend it to anyone who likes World War II era novels, Indiana Jones, James Bond, or action packed novels.  W. E. Lawrence crafted a lovely story that had me on the edge of my seat.

Overall: 5 Stars

Praise:

“Chakana by W.E. Lawrence is a romantic historical adventure that is impossible to put down. Chakana has all the adventure and excitement that will keep you on the edge of your chair and reading late into the night. W.E. Lawrence knows how to keep the suspense, romance, adventure and mystery alive on every page. If you like Indiana Jones, you will love Chakana. I don't think anyone will be disappointed when reading this book - it is a five star plus winner.” - Reviewed by Trudi LoPreto for Readers' Favorite

“Chakana is written for modern audiences looking for a slap-bang adventure brimming with intrigue and romantic tension. In this regard, Lawrence’s novel excels splendidly. Its simplistic style of narration makes it an easy read and highly accessible for a wide variety of audiences… the book offers a drama that most people will heartily devour and which will have those people wondering where the time has gone after they’ve done so.” - Reviewed by Red City Review

About the Author:

W. E. Lawrence graduated in 1978 from the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill with a BS in business administration. He has run a successful home health care supplies distributorship for the past twenty-three years.

Sword of Deaths by Christopher Mannino

THE SCYTHE WIELDER'S SECRET CONTINUES

Susan Sarnio made a choice, and will spend the rest of her life as the only female Death. Last year she was bullied and ostracized. Now, to her complete bewilderment, four Deaths vie for her affection. Yet, something is terribly wrong at the College of Deaths. When a ship carrying scythe metal is attacked, many blame the newly-freed Elementals, but Susan knows the Elementals are innocent. 

Shadows from the distant past come to light. Dragons circle the horizon, blood spills, and nothing is what it seems. Susan and her friends struggle to stop a war. They search for the fabled First Scythe, hoping to sway the balance, but who is the true enemy?

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***I received this in exchange for an honest review***

I definitely enjoyed the second book more than the first. I feel like Susan has accepted the fact that she is now a Death and will probably never see her family again. And in an attempt to become more grown up her and Billy stop using their nicknames and start going by Susan and Will. The relationship between Will and Susan changes from the first book, they start dating. I saw this coming, Susan was starting to have feelings for Will at the end of the first book, and you can tell Will has feelings for her even before you get to the second book and start reading the chapters from his perspective. There were many twists and turns throughout the book, and each character starts to realize something about themselves. Susan is still struggling being the only girl among an all male race of Deaths, but she is tired of the way they treat her and starts to defend herself. Frank is coming to terms with his powers and what they are costing him. And Will is learning more about himself. I have liked watching Susan grow into the person she is now, and I think she is a really strong character that anyone could look up to.
Overall it was a really enjoyable read that had my interest from start to finish. And that cliffhanger! It makes me want to read the final installment even more now. I would highly recommend this series because it is different and highly entertaining.
Stars: Five

~AJ

Lucky Strike by Emma Graham

What happens when you throw a girl into the world of Weather and Natural Disaster Controllers? She thinks she's gone absolutely mad. For eighteen year old Tessa Sinclair life was pretty average, until her best friend took her to a world where people could control the weather. She thinks that she's dreaming, that this is one of her crazy nightmares, but it's not. She learns that she has the power to control a piece of weather and is the princess. Now on top of all that, the man that murdered her parents is after her... and she learns this all within the first hour of being there. So now Tessa has to deal with the fact that she's a Weather Controller, a princess, and that there's a mad man running around after her all the while keeping all this a secret from literally everyone.

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So I have so amazing news!  A very close friend of mine just published her book!!  ------>
That one right there! 
And let me tell you I thought it was good, so if you want to go check it out on Amazon! (I'll post a link below)  
Her name is Emma Graham and this is her first book.  This has been a dream of hers for a while now and I can't even begin to tell you how proud I am of her.  So go check it out and review it for her!

Amazon (Paperback):  http://www.amazon.com/Lucky-Strike-Wonderland-Emma-Graham/dp/1523737182/ref=sr_1_sc_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1457891395&sr=8-1-spell&keywords=Lucky+Strike+Emma+Grhaam
Amazon (Kindle): http://www.amazon.com/Lucky-Strike-Wonderland-Book-1-ebook/dp/B01CRASYEO/ref=sr_1_sc_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1457891395&sr=8-2-spell&keywords=Lucky+Strike+Emma+Grhaam

Social Media:
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4748665.Emma_Graham
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/greekfreak71/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorEmmaG/?ref=aymt_homepage_panel
Twitter: @AuthorEmmaG
Tumblr: http://authoremmag.tumblr.com/

You can message her on any of these platforms and ask her questions about her book, she won't mind at all!

~AJ

Tiger's Destiny by Colleen Houck

With three of the goddess Durga's quests behind them, only one prophecy now stands in the way of Kelsey, Ren, and Kishan breaking the tiger's curse. But the trio's greatest challenge awaits them: A life-endangering pursuit in search of Durga's final gift, the Rope of Fire, on the Andaman Islands in the Bay of Bengal.  It's a race against time--and the evil sorcerer Lokesh--in this eagerly anticipated fourth volume in the bestselling Tiger's Curse series, which pits good against evil, tests the bonds of love and loyalty, and finally reveals the tigers' true destinies once and for all. A smart  phone tag code on the back cover links readers to the series website.
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This is the fourth book in the Tiger's series.  And it was FREAKING AMAZING.
I cried at the end.  It was so emotional and heart breaking, but totally worth it.  It was the best thing ever.
I need the fifth book right freaking now!

I don't see how it needs a fifth book, because it seemed pretty wrapped up to me, but I still want a fifth book because I am not ready to give these characters up yet.

Kelsey has been through so much shit in these books.  I mean she gets attacked by a kraken, bitten by a shark, trapped by a dragon, clawed by a bear, and God knows what else.  Now she has to deal with even more heart wrenching shit.  She is one bad ass character.  I don't get why people rag on her.  Yeah she's emotional, but you would be to if you went through this.  Hell I'm surprised that she doesn't need therapy after the stuff she's been through.

I am just so emotional over this series.  As I got to the final pages I swear I started sobbing so hard I had to take a moment to compose myself before continuing on.

I swear I do this a lot when I finish a series.  I recently just reread an all time favorite of mine and I was crying over it for like an hour.  No I'm not even kidding about that. 

Kelsey as I said is a strong character who was put through an emotional ordeal, and I applaud her for doing what she did.  She started helping a stranger break a curse so that he could be a man again, fell in love with him, left him, he followed her and got back together, lost him, got him back without his memories of her, fell for his brother, he got his memories back, and yeah see why I said she's going to need therapy.

Kishan was just as beautiful as ever.  Like Kelsey if you don't want him hook a sister up.

I'm still a Ren + Kelsey shipper, like I think her and Kishan are cute together and all, but like no her and Ren are meant for one another.  There is not question about that.

I enjoyed this series so much, from the moment I started reading the first book I knew this was the series for me.  It was love at first page.  I even got my mother to fall in love with it.  I read this series to her every night as she was going to bed, and I butchered the Indian accents, one time they sounded like Indian British instead of just straight Indian.  And if you wonder why I read to her it was a stress reliever for me, I suffer from panic attacks and this helps me.

I would totally recommend this series if you love India, hot book men, and a girl that you can relate too.

Favorite Quotes:

“Yours in life, Kishan."
"Yours in death, Dhiren”

“Can I kiss you now?" he asked. 
"I think you'd better, tiger," I replied.” 

“If I were a Jedi, I had definitely turned to the dark side of the Force.” 

“Destiny chose me to befriend him, to save him, to love him.” 

I need to stop going through the quotes on GoodReads or I'm going to cry again omg.

Rating:  Five Stars

~AJ

School of Deaths by Christopher Mannino

Thrust into a world of men, can a timid girl find bravery as the first female Death?

Thirteen-year-old Suzie Sarnio always believed the Grim Reaper was a fairy tale image of a skeleton with a scythe. Now, forced to enter the College of Deaths, she finds herself training to bring souls from the Living World to the Hereafter. The task is demanding enough, but as the only female in the all-male College, she quickly becomes a target. Attacked by both classmates and strangers, Suzie is alone in a world where even her teachers want her to fail. 

Scythes hungry for souls, Deaths who subjugate a race of mysterious magicians, and echoes of an ancient war with Dragons.

As her year progresses, Suzie suspects her presence isn't an accident. She uncovers a plot to overthrow the World of Deaths. Now she must also discover the reason she's been brought there: the first female Death in a million years.
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Thank you Kelsey McBride for sending me this.  I received this for an honest review.
When the book first started I wasn't sure how I was going to like it.  The blurb had me hooked, but in the beginning I wasn't sure how I felt about Suzie.  I felt bad for her, she was taken away from her family to this strange world to become a Death, and here's the kicker: there are no other girls.  How would you like to be surrounded by boys all the time?  I know I would hate it.  And they don't like Suzie too much either.
Now I know I said I started out not liking Suzie too much, I didn't quite know how I felt about her, but once we got to the world filled with Deaths she grew on me.  I felt like this was so unfair for her to be dragged to a world where there are no other girls, and she can't visit her family.  It doesn't seem fun.  I also liked Jason and Billy who were her roommates, yes she has to room with boys.  They were cool, and I loved Jason from the moment that I met him, he was adorable.  
At this point you're probably wondering why this world is just filled with boys right?  Why is she rooming with boys?  Why aren't there other girls?  It is because girls are not allowed to be Deaths.  The last time a girl was a Death let's just say it didn't end well.  So the guys aren't too trusting of Suzie and treat her kind of poorly, all except Jason and Billy.
It was interesting to follow along with Suzie's journey and how she handled things.  For so long she wanted to go home, but at the end of the book she feels differently, she feels at home and she finally accepts her role as a Death.
I would recommend this book, it is different from anything else that I have read.  If you start out like I did and don't know how you feel about this book just stick around.  Get passed the first chapter and deeper into the world of the Deaths and you may feel differently.
I hope that you enjoy this book as much as I did.
Rating: Five Stars
~AJ