REVIEW: In Spades by K. Pinson

Title: In Spades
Author: K. Pinson
Genre: Romance


Blurb:

Avalynn has been running from her past for a couple of years now....never very far but always extremely fast. With an alcoholic father, a void of a mother and a town full of gossip, she struggles to find her place in the world.The only thing that saved her on her path of self destruction is her beautiful little sister, her miracle. Desperately trying to save Abby from a life that Avalynn has been trying so hard to escape from, she plots to take Abby away.The plan going dangerously astray, leaving Avalynn beaten and broken in what once was the hallway mirror in her childhood home. Avalynn finally comes to in the hospital after nearly being beaten to death. Father-Dead, Mother-Missing, Abby-In foster care--Everything changing in the blink of an eye.

Avalynn immediately sets to work to get her life in order , receive custody of precious Abby and focusing every ounce of attention, giving Abby the the life she deserves. Avalynn, now a 22 year old Elementary School Teacher and New Mommy, struggling to raise a beautiful and feisty five year old whom was just diagnosed with Mild Autism Disorder. Lots of challenges for her to face in the midst. Avalynn is ready to go at them all head on if it means Abby is raised in a happy and healthy home. Abby is the only thing she cares about...not even caring about herself or her life...that is...until she meets him. The man that can shatter her entire world with one glance. Their relationship a roller coaster ride from start to finish. One that Avalynn never wants to get off of..but she may not have a choice. Her happily ever after coming to a screeching halt yet again. Heartbreak, love, loss and hope--This story has it all, In Spades.

***18&Up due to Adult Situations and Language

Review:

I am going to start by saying that this is one of the best books I had read this year. It was very nicely written and held to the point of the story by not straying too far from the topic.


The story is about a woman, Avalynn, that has a harsh childhood growing up. The story opens with the most grotesque, terrifying, and bloodiest beating she had endured as of yet. She survives and in turn her father (who was the one who beat her almost to death) kills himself and her mother. So, her baby sister ends up in foster care where she stays until Ava wins custody of her.


Even though Ava has been strong, she finds out her baby sister (who calls her "Mom") has autism. So, she struggles day in and day out with that difficulty. She doesn't care though because she loves her baby girl so much.
She then meets the handsome stranger, Daxton, who turns her whole world upside down, for the better. There are some things in his past as well that you find out later in the book.


The story progresses pretty quickly but doesn't leave you behind. There are a few twists and turns as she fights him off and then accepts that she can't love anyone more than him. The end will take your breath away. I won't tell you anymore as it will give it away.


I have to say that I laughed, I cried, and I sulked right along with the characters. There were quite a few times I had to dry my eyes before I could continue. KP did a very good job of making you feel what her characters felt; what she felt as she was writing the book.


I was also put off by one thing; there were quite a few grammatical errors. Where that may not matter to most people, I almost couldn't look past it. I spent a lot of time writing notes on my reader for words that were or weren't supposed to be capitalized, punctuation that was incorrect, and words and sentences that either weren't finished or too long. What can I say? I was an English geek :)


But all in all, I would highly recommend this book to everyone I can scream it to from the rooftops! I simply cannot wait for the follow-up. Wait....there is a follow-up...right?

NOOK Update to Include Google Play Apps :)

I am pretty excited.  I got a new update for my Nook which included Google Play. Where this may not be a big deal for anyone else, I found this to be the best thing ever.  I got to download the kindle application to my nook!! So, now I don't have to go buy a kindle!!! Too excited for words :)

REVIEW: Control by M.S. Willis

• Name: Control
• Author: M.S. Willis
• Genre: Romance
• # of Stars: *****

This book has yet to be released. The release date is coming soon. This is a review of an ARC.

                                   *Excerpt*

Paige Stone lived anything but a normal childhood. Having been raised around an abused women's shelter operated by her parents, Paige was a constant witness to the tragedy and heartache suffered by women at the hands of the men they trusted. Out of refusal to ever allow that to happen to her,... Paige built walls around her heart at a young age. Those walls were only fortified when tragedy struck on her sixth birthday and took from her the only friend and love she knew. Now at 22 years old, and working as a private investigator, Paige is driven by a deep need for strength, independence and a stubborn refusal to accept help from another person. Surrounding herself with her three best friends, Paige never assumed that the autonomy she had worked so hard to build could be challenged.

That was, until Paige met Daemon Pierce.

Mysterious, strong-willed, and breathtakingly beautiful, Daemon seemed to instantly know Paige better than she knew herself. Paige is disgusted by Daemon's reputation as a womanizer, but becomes intrigued when she is unable to discover his background. Paige's curiosity about Daemon proves to be her downfall as she is swept up in his charming and arrogant pursuit to possess her in every possible way.

For the first time in her life, Paige will struggle for control while Daemon slowly dismantles the walls she has built around herself. Only time will tell who will be victorious in their battle of wills as Daemon teaches Paige the weaknesses within herself that she never knew existed. Paige stays one step ahead in her struggle against Daemon's controlling ways, but when tragedy strikes her life a second time, she has to choose; will she put her life in danger, or will she finally accept a helping hand?

***Content Warning - This is a new adult fiction with mature themes. It contains graphic sexual situations, mature language and explicit description of sexual violence.***

**********************************************************************************************************************************

                                                      *My Personal Review*

Let me be the first to say...WOW!!! There is so much more to this story than what the excerpt is saying. 
The story is about a girl names Paige. She spent her life growing up in a shelter for abused families that her parents run. As a young girl, she experienced loss when her best friend and first love, Buddy, was taken from her. 

Paige works as a professional private investigator. She has two roommates, David and Annie, and an friend "with benefits" names Alex.

The story follows the day-to-day workings between the four of them. I really love David in this. He is the gay best friend I never had in my life and I wish I had a friend like him. Annie suffers from "can't find the right guy because she keeps picking the wrong one" syndrome and I feel sorry for her. But at the same time, it's her own fault as she won't look past her description of "the guy for her". Then there is Alex. he gets sucked into this web because he is in love with Paige and will accept whatever line she releases for him. This sounds really selfish and it is. 

The story goes back and forth between real time and dreams that she has of times with Buddy. I am really glad that the dreams font is italicized so you can tell the difference between the two. The dreams open a little bit into Paige's past so you can get a sneak peak of the relationship between the two. You also get to find out what happened on that fateful day.

I like Paige's character in this story. She is strong and independent. But, I think this is taken too far at times. Where I like her strong personality (which helps later in the story), I think there are times in the book where she goes overboard. For example, when Daemon wants to help her off the speaker. There are times to be strong-willed and there are times when being strong-willed is taken completely out of context. This is one of those times. There are more examples of this as you go through the book. I think her "nature" gets her in a lot of trouble later on and could have been avoided if she would have just accepted the helping hand. But, don't get me wrong, it doesn't take away from the story and doesn't affect my 5 star rating of this book. I do want to say that in the next book, I hope Willis lets off of that some so she can be a more relateable character. 

This book is very descriptive, The scenery and events going on around you are very well written so you think you are actually there. Willis did a very good job of "putting you there" in the way she describes what is going on. 
         
  "I had chosen a plain black tank top and my favorite pair of distressed dark blue jeans. At 5'10 and with a             skinny frame, finding a pair of jeans that accented my butt and were long enough was a difficult task. When I found these, I bought two other pairs just like them because they fit so well. I pulled on my black knee high, lace-up riding boots and walked back into my bathroom to dry my hair. I left my long blond locks hanging loose down my back and applied some light mascara and lip gloss. After spritzing on some of my favorite perfume, I felt ready to go."

The rest of the book plays the same way. I like things to be descriptive so that I can really see and feel what is happening. 

I do have to say the book starts very slowly. I want to say the idea was to get to know the characters and what happened in their day to day life but I'm not really sure. It takes a while to get to the plot of the story and when you get there, it falls a little short. I think there was more that could have been done with it and I hope it opens more in the second book. Then again, I wasn't looking at this like a mystery/thriller so I was a little taken back. 

Then there is Daemon. Wait a minute....one more second....OMG!!!!!!!!!!! Can I get a little slice of that heaven every day?!?! I have to say I am in love with his character. Not only is he this masculine, controlling, male hard-on, but he is caring and sweet and so into Paige that you wish you were her. WOW. I'm really intrigued to find out some things about him that you learn throughout the story. And if it is what I think it is...I'm going to cyber-slap him!!! LOL...

All in all, I recommend everyone to read this. When it comes out I will post a link to buy it. You will not be sorry and you will not put it down until you are finished. I can promise you that.

Rebekkah Ford-LOVE

Hello again. When everyone gets a chance, put down the book you are reading, and get to Amazon and get this book!! You will not be sorry!

Beyond the Eyes (Volume 1)

By Rebekkah Ford

“A thrilling, wholly satisfying first book to a new young adult series. It will keep you wanting more.” –Valentina Cano, Carabosse’s Library “Beyond the Eyes is haunting yet passionate. This breakout novel is quick and hip, a saucy must-read.”–Charles Land, Judas Pistol Paige knows evil exists in this world, but she never imagined it would want something from her. After a ghostly voice whispers a haunting message to seventeen-year-old Paige Reed, Paige’s life takes a nightmarish turn. Unwilling to tell her friends about the supernatural occurrences happening in her life, Paige feels more alone than ever–until she meets Nathan Caswell. Nathan is not only hot, but seems to peer into Paige’s soul, evoking a magnetic energy between them that cannot be denied. But he’s no ordinary guy. He tracks dark spirits, and becomes alarmed when they set their sights on Paige. And then there are the two power-hungry dark spirits who believe Paige can find King Solomon’s magical ring for them, because when her father was alive, he was close to finding it. If Paige doesn’t comply with their demands, they’ll kill her. Paige is forced to dig deep into her father’s past and unearths shocking secrets about him and his bloodline. With the past and present colliding, Paige is only sure about two things in her life: she needs to outwit the dark spirits to stay alive, and she’s completely and helplessly in love with Nathan.

http://astore.amazon.com/httpburiedund-20/detail/0615652581

About the Author 

Rebekkah Ford grew up in a family that dealt with the paranormal. Her parents’ Charles and Geri Wilhelm were the Directors of the UFO Investigators League in Fairfield, Ohio, back in the 1970s. They also investigated ghost hauntings and Bigfoot sightings in addition to UFO’s. Growing up in this type of environment and having the passion for writing is what drove Rebekkah at an early age to write stories dealing with the paranormal. At one point in her life, she thought she wanted to be a journalist, and although she enjoyed writing articles, she quickly discovered her real passion was writing fiction. Her fascination with the paranormal is what led her to write the ‘Beyond the Eyes’ series. Visit her online and read her blog at http://themusingwriter.blogspot.com

Felicia Tatum----LOVE

These books are fantastic!! When you get a chance, get to Amazon and get them. When you are done with them, don't forget to rate them. They don't have to be be good reviews. The authors want you to be honest. This is how they grow as writers. Also, don't forget to check out other books by the author. 

The Vessel (The White Aura Series) (Volume 1)

By Felicia Tatum

Scott and Olivia survived the dreaded dance, only to be faced with the aftermath of their meeting. Now, they are on the hunt for the descendant of Devlin Hart, the sorcerer who originally cast the curse on the Tabors family, while making the best of every moment they have together. With everything that's happening, will their love be able to make it? Olivia’s happiness with Scott is cut short. When unexpected events thrust her in an interesting situation, she must make the best of what she has, while trying to save herself. She loves Scott, but can’t shake the uneasiness of what’s happening. When her parents are taken, her brother comes back to town, and mysterious men start following her, Olivia must reach deep inside to find her true self. Scott is on the mission to break the curse on his beloved family, but will he also have to fight for Olivia's heart? When an interesting situation is thrown into their relationship, he must fight his jealousy and continue to woo the woman he loves. With the stress of the descendant and The Crimson Calamitous, will Scott be able to show Olivia just how much he cares for her before he loses her forever?


http://astore.amazon.com/httpburiedund-20/detail/1484056345

The White Aura

By Felicia Tatum

How do you live with the gut clenching truth that the one you love will die if you meet them? Twenty year old sorcerer Scott Tabors is learning how. After seeing seventeen year old Olivia Whitehead outside of a coffee shop, his heart will never be the same. He longs for her, he wants her, and he knows she will be his. They are heart mates. …but due to a curse on his family, he can’t meet her. Not yet. So for now, he visits her in her dreams. Her dreams where he can tell her everything but his name. Olivia Whitehead is a typical junior in high school. She and her best friend are having the time of their lives, but she can’t help but notice the changes happening to her. Especially the changes in her heart after she begins dreaming about a mysterious dark haired young man. But what will happen when the school heartthrob decides he wants Olivia? Will she realize the dream man is real or will she move on?

http://astore.amazon.com/httpburiedund-20/detail/1481023012



About the Author 

Felicia Tatum was born and raised in Tennessee. She began writing at a young age, and finally pursued her passion this past year. The White Aura is her first published novel. She is the mommy to a daughter and a kitty. She enjoys reading and crafting in her free time.

Once I get both of these books completely read, I will post reviews on here for everyone to read. But, please, don't wait on me. GET ON THIS!!! Don't pass up this opportunity because I'm slow!!!