Book Review: Runners & Riders (Treasure Chronicles Book 2.5) by Jordan Elizabeth

Title: Runners & Riders
Author: Jordan Elizabeth
Series: Treasure Chronicles #2.5
Pages: 258
My Rating: ❤❤❤❤❤

Juliet loved growing up at the seaside, although it meant lonely hours chasing after the other beach rats while her mother worked as a seamstress. Juliet never expected her seaman father to inherit a fortune and move the family to New Addison City. Suddenly her mother is a socialite and Juliet is best friends with a strong-willed girl who actually likes her. When Juliet’s new friend welcomes her to the Runners, a gang that has plagued the East Coast for years, Juliet sees it as the opportunity to fit in, learn tricks, and make eyes at one of the hottest members. What the gang does isn’t really wrong…right? She’s used to being a pawn for the Runners, but she starts to question what she sees as harmless fun when the gang uses her to attack a young officer.

Jonathan Montgomery vowed to end the Runners after they murdered his family. He joined the Riders, an elite police force dedicated to stopping the Runners’ crime spree. They have put him in New Addison City, but rookie mistakes follow Jonathan as he struggles to accomplish his goal, until a young woman feeds him inside information to bring down the Runners.

Between murders and secrets, Juliet will need to find her strength to help Jonathan, before the founder of the Runners crawls up from the sewers amongst her inventions to burn down the city.

* I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review *

Runners & Riders is considered to be book 2.5 in Jordan Elizabeth's Treasure Chronicles series. However, it can be read as a stand alone, although, after reading Runners & Riders you may want to pick up the rest of the series!

This was my first steampunk book and I absolutely loved it! It had all the bells and whistles that you associate with steampunk, kind of similar to Will Smith's Wild Wild West film. Be aware, that comparison is just the first one that I could come up with, because Jordan takes steampunk to a different level that makes it seem not as fanciful as it was in Wild Wild West. The plot and situations seemed entirely believable and surreal at the same time. I know that I'm not giving the idea justice, so you'll just have to read it to see what I mean!

In addition to the world that Jordan creates, the characters and plot are amazing! I think everyone could identify with Juliet. She is just a girl who wanted a friend, so when a rich girl shows her attention, then Juliet does anything to impress her. Haven't we all done this at one point in our lives?

Juliet finds herself sucked into this girl's world that is full of thievery and deception. This then begs the question, is this new girl a true friend to Juliet? I mean, that's all that Juliet has ever wanted, a true friend. She later finds what she has always wanted in a Rider (think member of an elite police force), who's sole purpose is to bring down the world of thievery and deception that she is a part of...

So, if you love books that have romance, crime, twists, turns, and a touch of clever innovation, then you definitely need to check out Jordan Elizabeth's Runners & Riders!

"She reminded Juliet of the parrot the shopkeeper owned. Both the woman and bird belonged in cages, preferably the same cage, so the bird could poop on all that velvet and lace."

"Juliet wondered if the woman even knew what a Rider was. She made loud noises and loved jewelry. Other than that, Juliet couldn't think of a way to describe her."

"Never let people tell you what to believe in. No one knows everything."

"Her plan seemed somewhat delusional, unreal, and utterly delicious." 

"...they left a scar that would fade but never vanish."

Book Review: Burden (Bayou Bear Chronicles Book 1) by Lila Felix

Title: Burden
Author: Lila Felix
Series: Bayou Bear Chronicles #1
Pages: 296
My Rating: ❤❤❤

In the depths of the Louisiana swamps, clans of bear shifters roam freely. Hawke Turnclaw, the Alpha over all of his kind, is drowning in the legacy left to him by the Alpha before him, his own father. When he goes on a rescue mission to save a rogue Black bear from the clutches of a Grizzly clan, he finds more than just a Black bear, he finds his mate.

Echo has always been told she's an anomaly, a fluke. She's the only bear of her kind and that makes her a hindrance to her clan. She's tried to run away, but they keep her tethered through guilt and a shock collar around her neck.

And then someone shows up claiming he's her mate. Now belonging to a new clan, will she ever be able to understand that she's so much more than just a burden?

Hawke is in way over his head. After his father's death, he is forced to become alpha of his black bear shifter clan. His dad wasn't the best of alphas and, needless to say, the clan was left in financial turmoil. Also, kids are skipping school and a lone black bear has been spotted in grizzly shifter territory. Hawke just can't seem to catch a break.

The lone black bear turns out to be his one and only true mate, Echo. She however, doesn't really know about the whole mate thing, actually she doesn't know about any black bear traditions or history. The Grizzly clan she has been living with since she was a baby constantly berates her and treats her as an outsider. That doesn't stop them from making her cook, clean, keep inventory, do laundry, deal with finances, and guard the perimeter. Her life is miserable, but she can't escape due to the large metal shock collar around her neck, that is until she meets Hawke.

Echo is so thankful that Hawke rescued her, but she starts to feel like a burden. That's all she has ever been told that she was. A burden. Their actual relationship (I mean they are mates...) develops rather slowly. It is pretty adorable, yet awkward at the same time. You have to remember, Echo is completely unfamiliar with black bear customs and is learning about all of their mating rituals for the first time. As you can guess, there is a whole lot of blushing!

My only real problem with Burden was how things were worded. Some of the dialogue just didn't seem all that natural. I just wanted a bit more, especially some lingo from the bayou! That would have been REALLY fun to read! But, other than that, Burden was a cute story. I really loved the plot and thought that Echo and Hawke were really great for each other. Both of them were extremely thoughtful and caring.

Also, I absolutely loved the character of Martha. She was completely relatable and super sweet!

"It wasn't like there was a dating and mating website for bear shifters. If there had been, its mascot would have been that yellow Care Bear with the heart on its stomach."

"This was more than the mate-claim. It was more than love. More than a fluttering of our hearts, or a tingle when she entered a room."

"She paced back and forth while I rinsed and decided to face the music - or the Echo." 

Book Review: The Billionaire's Counterfeit Girlfriend (The Pryce Family Book 1) by Nadia Lee

Title: The Billionaire's Counterfeit Girlfriend
Author: Nadia Lee
Series: Pryce Family #1
Pages: 302
My Rating: ❤❤❤

Curvaceous beauty Hilary Rosenberg doesn't believe in love. She only goes out with nice guys who won't expect passionate romance--until a notorious womanizer demands she repay a favor with four weeks of counterfeit dates.

Billionaire playboy Mark Pryce doesn't do relationships. In fact, he's never been with the same woman for more than three months. But when his matchmaking mother tries to sabotage his bachelorhood, he needs a stand-in girlfriend. Luckily, Hilary owes him big time. But as they start to spend more time together, he finds himself wanting to break his first rule: never get too close...

The Billionaire's Counterfeit Girlfriend was a cute fluffy read. At times, it did delve into some hard topics, but didn't really flesh them out. One of my favorite parts was how Hilary was no stick. She seemed to be secure with her body type though, until people would make fun of her and talk bad about her. I will never understand what possesses people to do that. Some individuals are just mean.

Both Hilary and Mark have a lot of baggage, and I mean a LOT of baggage. They are so hung up on their past for the majority of the story. For them, the past pretty much dictates their future, and is the reason behind many of their decisions. For Mark, his parents' relationship is not loving. Instead, his mom is supposedly trapped in this marriage, while his dad cheats on her with just about every woman he happens across. As for Hilary, I won't get into too many details, but her family is Jerry Springer worthy. Let's just say her aunt and her mom have similar taste...

I think the author meant for Hilary to be in her late 30s, but the Hilary that I came to know in the book was not in her late 30s. Instead, I pictured Hilary to be in her late 20s, maybe early 30s. That just made way more sense to me. I know it's probably not what the author intended, but I'm just stubborn that way.

"Surviving is what any animal would do. It's making something of yourself that earns the badge. Nobody can choose how they were born and raised, but everyone can choose how they're going to live."

"Nothing's ever simple. I just don't want you to ignore possibilities out of fear. Sometimes you have to take a leap of faith, believing that somebody's going to catch you."

Book Review: The Phoenix (Daughters of Destiny Book 4) by K.R. Grace

Title: The Phoenix
Author: K.R. Grace
Series: Daughters of Destiny #4
My Rating: ❤❤❤❤❤

Star Allistar:

I always felt out of step with everyone else. I never dreamt it was because I was some sort of mythological freak.

My whole world has been flipped around with Drake’s return, Brighton’s aloofness, and my Phoenix-thing going on, but instead of having time to adjust to the latest developments in what has become the saga that is my life…I have to save the world once again.

Only this time, I have to save it from me.

K.R. Grace, you are an absolute rockstar! I am so glad I came across The Loner, because it introduced me to a world I absolutely love. The entire concept behind Star's story was amazing, I mean coming up with the idea of having a book dedicated to each suitor was pure genius! This series is definitely in my top ten!

The Phoenix was so much more than I hoped it would be, and that's saying a lot, because I had super high expectations. The pace of the story was absolutely perfect! Things were happening quickly, yet slowly at the same time, which made for some extreme anticipation building. At one point I just decided I couldn't stop until I finished the book, I was that into it!

The built up anticipation and suspense really got to me. There were so many twists that I think my face may have froze in a position of shock for a while. Don't worry, it wasn't permanent. Eventually my expression changed from one of shock to one of pure happiness.

Even with all the shock-worthy moments and constant action, the story did manage to wrap itself up in a perfect package, complete with the perky bow and all. The ending had me grinning from ear to ear. I probably looked like the cheshire cat, but who cares! The story was just perfect. It's as simple as that. Perfect.

If you haven't read this series yet, do yourself a favor...READ IT!

"...and yes that was meant to be interpreted in a sarcastic bubblegum tone complete with clapping and jazz hands."

"Babe, I hate to break it to you, but you're one messed up mess."
"I know!" I exclaimed before breaking off into a fit of laughter. "I ought to be admitted or put on some serious medication or something."

"I invited Onyx to be my plus one. Of course she was all in when I added that Grandma A had a massive swimming pool and was within a short driving distance to a two-story bookstore."

"Seriously, why was it tradition to stand when the bride came in? It blocked her from seeing her groom, who was the only reason she was there in the first place."

Book Review: Escape from Witchwood Hollow by Jordan Elizabeth

Title: Escape from Witchwood Hollow
Author: Jordan Elizabeth
Pages: 178
My Rating: ❤❤❤❤

Everyone in Arnn - a small farming town with more legends than residents - knows the story of Witchwood Hollow: if you venture into the whispering forest, the witch will trap your soul among the shadowed trees.

After losing her parents in a horrific terrorist attack on the Twin Towers, fifteen-year-old Honoria and her older brother escape New York City to Arnn. In the lure of that perpetual darkness, Honoria finds hope, when she should be afraid.

Perhaps the witch can reunite her with her lost parents. Awakening the witch, however, brings more than salvation from mourning, for Honoria discovers a past of missing children and broken promises.

To save the citizens of Arnn from becoming the witch’s next victims, she must find the truth behind the woman’s madness.

How deep into Witchwood Hollow does Honoria dare venture?

I was asked to read Escape from Witchwood Hollow in exchange for an honest review. I read the description and knew it was different from my typical fluffy, angsty paranormal reads. But, I thought "Hey, why not?" and ended up giving it a shot. And yeah, this was different from my usual reads, but I actually really enjoyed it!

Going into this book, I didn't know that there is actually some switching between points of view. This absolutely made the story that much better! It reads like an awesome mystery, where you get random pieces, but finally towards the end, everything starts to click into place and make sense.

I absolutely loved how everything came together and clicked! This book definitely gave me one of those lightbulb moments where I just had to stop and think "Wow, so that's how all of this works!" And as for how exactly everything does work out, I've got one word for you...WOW! I don't know if there is any other possible way the book could have wrapped itself up. It was just meant to happen that way.

Elizabeth truly managed to weave together a young adult story not about angst, but about grief. There was no whiny teenage girl, but instead one that is broken and completely relatable. Escape from Witchwood Hollow shows just how important and what individuals will go through for family and a sense of belonging.

"The school should teach a class on deciphering obscure images in bad photography. Amanda's photos could make up the textbooks."

"The darkness became an envelope and she the letter, seeking a destination she couldn't foresee."