Review: Wild Justice by Kelley Armstrong

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Wild Justice by Kelley Armstrong (UK edition)

Title: Wild Justice (A Nadia Stafford Thriller, 3)
Author: Kelley Armstrong
Genre: Crime, Mystery, Thriller
Publisher:Sphere (26th November 2013)
Blurb:

Wild Justice: the dramatic finale to the Nadia Stafford trilogy

Ex-cop Nadia Stafford has a dark secret. After taking the law into her own hands she was kicked off the force . . . and entered the shadowy world of guns for hire. She has her own strict code – works only for one crime family, only kills the really bad guys. But when a hit goes tragically wrong, Nadia is devastated. Is is time to leave the business for good?

Before she has time to decide, Nadia discovers that her own life is under threat. And worse – that terrifying events from her past may have triggered the attacks. With the help of Jack, her enigmatic mentor, Nadia is forced upon a dark path – towards the truth and towards her final destiny.

Rating: **** (4 stars)
Review:

WILD JUSTICE brings to a conclusion Kelley Armstrong’s brilliant Nadia Stafford trilogy. When a hit goes tragically wrong, Nadia is left adrift and unsure of her future. Wanting to help her, Jack presents her with a case that might very well provide Nadia with the closure she is looking for…

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March Hiatus

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It is with regret that I write this post, to announce that The Flutterby Room will be on hiatus throughout March 2015. Taking a break from blogging during this month was not something I had planned, but events have conspired against me. I have a chronic illness, which flared up towards the end of December 2014, and I have been fighting to keep afloat. There will be one more post from me this month; one that I scheduled a while back. It is a review of WILD JUSTICE by Kelley Armstrong and it will go up on the 5th March.

Taking a deep breath and pausing in March will hopefully allow me to catch up with both my reading and write some new blog posts.

I hope you have a good March.

See you on the other side.

Becki

Review: Wild Things by Chloe Neill

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Book Cover of Wild Things

Wild Things by Chloe Neill

Title: Wild Things (Chicagoland Vampires, 9)
Author: Chloe Neill
Genre: Mystery, Paranormal Romance, Urban Fantasy
Publisher: Gollancz Fiction (20th February 2014)
Blurb:

Since Merit was turned into a vampire, and became the protector of Chicago’s Cadogan House, it’s been a wild ride. She and Master Vampire Ethan Sullivan have helped make Cadogan’s vampires the strongest in North America, and forged ties with paranormal folk of all breeds and creeds.

But now these alliances are about to be tested. A strange and twisted magic has ripped through the North American Central Pack, and Merit’s closest friends are caught in the crosshairs. But who – or what – could possibly be powerful enough to out-magic a shifter?

Merit is about to go toe to toe, and cold steel to cold heart, to find out.

Rating: **** (4 stars)
Review:

WILD THINGS is the ninth addition to Chloe Neill’s brilliant Chicagoland Vampires series. Merit’s story continues with the mayor of Chicago looking for someone to blame for Chicago’s recent paranormal activity, and Ethan Sullivan makes a good target. Merit and Ethan retreat only to find another enemy waiting for them.

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Review: Rock Courtship by Nalini Singh

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Rock Courtship by Nalini Singh

Title: Rock Courtship (A Rock Kiss Novella, 1.5)
Author: Nalini Singh
Genre: Contemporary, Erotic Romance, New Adult
Publisher: TKA Distribution (30th September 2014)
Blurb:

New York Times bestselling author Nalini Singh’s new contemporary romance novella is pure hard rock and scorching heat…

What happens when the Gentleman of Rock decides to play dirty?

A drummer for the hottest rock band on the planet, David has a single, powerful weakness: Thea, the band’s publicist and the woman who steals his breath away with her every move.

Only problem is, Thea doesn’t date clients–or musicians. Emotionally scarred by a cheating ex, she’s not about to risk her heart with a man who has groupies buzzing around him like flies. Even if his sexy smile ties her up in knots.

What she doesn’t know is that David is a one-woman man…and he’s madly in love with her. David’s determined to prove he’s worth the risk, and willing to court her, step by exquisite step. Thea’s about to discover just how long and hard this handsome drummer can play.

Rating: *** (3 stars)
Review:

ROCK COURTSHIP is the first novella in the ROCK KISS series by Nalini Singh. It is a companion story to the first book in the series ROCK ADDICTION (my 4 star review), and it tells the story of Thea and David. David has been interested in Thea for a while, but first she had a boyfriend and wasn’t interested in anyone else and then he broke her heart. David has been patient, but maybe now it’s time for him to make a move.

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Review: Plumdog by Emma Chichester Clark

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Plumdog by Emma Chichester Clark

Title: Plumdog
Author: Emma Chichester Clark
Genre: Graphic Novel
Publisher: Jonathan Cape (2nd October 2014)
Blurb:

Hello. My name is Plum and I’m a whoosell – that’s whippet mixed with Jack Russell and poodle. I especially like swimming, leaping, catching and croissants, and my favourite fragrance is fox poo. I live with Emma, an illustrator, and Rupert. My sister, Liffey, lives nearby.

Over the last year I’ve been keeping a diary. Emma has helped with the pictures, but the words are all mine.

Since 2012 Emma Chichester Clark has been delighting thousands of followers with her blog Plumdog, which records the day-to-day life of Plum, her dog, in Plum’s own words and Emma’s irresistible illustrations. This book collects Plum’s best pages in book form. It will bring cries of delighted recognition from anyone who has ever owned a dog and, dare one say it, charm the pants off even those who strongly prefer cats.

Rating: **** (4 stars)
Review:

PLUMDOG is a graphic novel by Emma Chichester Clark which records a year in the life of her dog Plum. The novel is narrated by Plum and starts on January 1st with a list of New Year resolutions and ends on December 31st. Emma provides beautiful illustrations to accompany Plum’s narrative.

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Review: The Sleeper And The Spindle by Neil Gaiman, Illustrated by Chris Riddell

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The Sleeper And The Spindle by Neil Gaiman, Illustrated by Chris Riddell

Title: The Sleeper And The Spindle
Author: Neil Gaiman
Illustrator: Chris Riddell
Genre: Fairy Tale, Re-Telling, Young Adult
Publisher: Bloomsbury (23rd October 2014)
Blurb:

IT WAS THE CLOSEST KINGDOM TO THE QUEEN’S, AS THE CROW FLIES, BUT NOT EVEN CROWS FLEW IT.

You may think you know this story. There’s a young queen, about to be married. There are some good, brave, hardy dwarfs; a castle, shrouded in thorns; and a princess, cursed by a witch, so rumour has it, to sleep forever.

But no one is waiting for a noble prince to appear on his trusty steed here. This fairy tale is spun with a thread of dark magic, which twists and turns and glints and shines. A queen might just prove herself a hero, if a princess needs rescuing . . .

Rating: **** (4 stars)
Review:

THE SLEEPER AND THE SPINDLE is a beautifully illustrated adaptation of the classic fairy tale Sleeping Beauty. It combines the talents of author Neil Gaiman and illustrator Chris Riddell to create a haunting and beautiful world and story, with Riddell’s illustrations adding an extra dimension to Gaiman’s words. Together, Gaiman and Riddle create a rich and enchanting fairy tale. Beware, there’s no Disneyfication here!

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Review: Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins

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Isla and the Happily Ever After Book Cover

Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins

Title: Isla and the Happily Ever After
Author: Stephanie Perkins
Genre: Contemporary, Romance, Young Adult
Publisher: Usborne (14th August 2014)
Blurb:

The café is boiling. The atmosphere is clouded with bittersweet coffee. Three years of desire rip through my body and burst from my lips: “Josh!” His head jolts up. For a long time, a very long time, he just stares at me. And then…he blinks. “Isla?”

Hopeless romantic Isla has had a crush on brooding artist Josh since their first year at the School of America in Paris. And, after a chance encounter in Manhattan over the summer break, romance might be closer than Isla imagined. But as they begin their senior year back in France, Isla and Josh are forced to face uncertainty about their futures, and the very real possibility of being apart.

Set against the stunning backdrops of New York, Paris and Barcelona, this is a gorgeous, heart-wrenching and irresistible story of true love, and the perfect conclusion to Stephanie Perkins’s beloved series.

Rating: ***** (5 stars)
Review:

ISLA AND THE HAPPILY EVER AFTER brings Stephanie Perkins trilogy of interweaving stories to its conclusion. First we meet Anna in ANNA AND THE FRENCH KISS (review), and then we meet Lola in LOLA AND THE BOY NEXT DOOR (review), and now, finally, we are introduced to Isla in ISLA AND THE HAPPILY EVER AFTER. We have already met Isla briefly in ANNA AND THE FRENCH KISS, but now she gets her own story. Isla has had a crush on Josh for a long time; now in her senior year, after a chance encounter, she might finally have a chance. But will she get her happily-ever-after?

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Review: Night’s Honour by Thea Harrison

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Night’s Honour by Thea Harrison

Title: Night’s Honour (The Elder Races, 7)
Author: Thea Harrison
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Publisher: Piatkus (2nd September 2014)
Blurb:

In the latest Novel of the Elder Races, a woman finds herself in need of protection – and seduced by honour . . .

On the run from her former employer, Tess knows that she’s vulnerable on her own amongst the Elder Races. That’s why she decides to audition to become the human attendant of a powerful Vampyre of the Nightkind demesne. But while her position affords her the safety she seeks, her protector turns out to be more than she bargained for.

The right-hand man of the Nightkind King, Xavier del Torro is both terrifying and alluring. While his true nature frightens Tess, she can’t ignore the appeal of his innate sense of integrity and self-restraint. Thrown into Xavier’s world, Tess must quickly learn to navigate the dangers – both to her life, and to her heart. But the biggest threat comes from her own past . . .

Rating: *** (3 stars)
Review:

NIGHT’S HONOUR is the seventh book in Thea Harrison’s brilliant ELDER RACES series. NIGHT’S HONOUR introduces Tess, who is on the run from her former employer. She decides that her greatest chance of survival lies in becoming a human attendant to a powerful vampire. However, things don’t quite turn out to plan.

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Review: Black Dog by Rachel Neumeier

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Black Dog by Rachel Neumeier

Title: Black Dog
Author: Rachel Neumeier
Genre: Urban Fantasy, Young Adult
Publisher: Strange Chemistry (6th February 2014)
Blurb:

Natividad is Pure, one of the rare girls born able to wield magic and protect humans against the supernatural evils they only half-acknowledge – the blood kin or the black dogs.

Before Natividad’s mother can finish teaching her magic their enemies find them and their entire village in the remote hills of Mexico is slaughtered. Natividad and her brothers must flee across a strange country to the only possible shelter: the infamous black dogs of Dimilioc, who have sworn to protect the Pure.

They must pass the tests of the Dimilioc Master. But, first, they must all survive the looming battle.

Rating: **** (4 stars)
Review:

BLACK DOG tells the story of Natividad, a Pure, and her two brothers – Alejandro and Miguel – as they flee their home after the death of their parents to try and find sanctuary with the Dimilioc. But Dimilioc is not welcoming of strangers, and only desperation and their father’s words drives Natividad and her brothers there. All the while their enemies continue pursuing them.

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Bout of Books 12 – Sign up

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Bout of Books 12 Button

Bout of Books 12

The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda @ On a Book Bender and Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, January 5th and runs through Sunday, January 11th in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure. There are challenges, giveaways, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books 12 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. – From the Bout of Books team

It’s just after Christmas, and I’ve been lax on the reading front so I thought that taking part in the first Bout of Books of 2015 would be a good way to get back into reading.

This year the Bout of Books team have decided to remove the goal aspect of the challenge – which I’m kind of sad about. So although they won’t be “official”, I’m going to set myself some goals I would like to achieve during Bout of Books 12. They aren’t going to be super hard though, because the whole point is to have fun.

During Bout of Books 12 I would like to:

  • Attend a Twitter chat
  • Participate in a challenge
  • Read two books from my TBR shelf

So there they are, and I guess next week we’ll see how they go. Fingers crossed I’ll manage to do all three.

If you are participating in Bout of Books 12 please comment below and let me know – it’s always cool to see how other people are doing. And finally, I hope everyone participating this time has a great time.

See you on the other side.