Book Review – Page 8 – Talk Nerdy Book Blog

July 25, 2019

T

Series: Sands of Arawiya

Release Date: May 14, 2019

Synopsis:

People lived because she killed.
People died because he lived.

Zafira is the Hunter, disguising herself as a man when she braves the cursed forest of the Arz to feed her people. Nasir is the Prince of Death, assassinating those foolish enough to defy his autocratic father, the king. If Zafira was exposed as a girl, all of her achievements would be rejected; if Nasir displayed his compassion, his father would punish him in the most brutal of ways.

Both are legends in the kingdom of Arawiya—but neither wants to be.

War is brewing, and the Arz sweeps closer with each passing day, engulfing the land in shadow. When Zafira embarks on a quest to uncover a lost artifact that can restore magic to her suffering world and stop the Arz, Nasir is sent by the king on a similar mission: retrieve the artifact and kill the Hunter. But an ancient evil stirs as their journey unfolds—and the prize they seek may pose a threat greater than either can imagine.

Set in a richly detailed world inspired by ancient Arabia, We Hunt the Flame is a gripping debut of discovery, conquering fear, and taking identity into your own hands.

Ending

 HFN

Representation

• BIPOC main and supporting characters

Possible Triggers: Yes

• Death
• Violence
• Abuse
• Emotional torture

Mature Themes

• The Hero is dealing with the emotional and psychological torture of having his past love interest punished for loving (and being kind) to him by his father
• The Heroine’s best friend is in love with her, and she’s considering taking it further
• The Heroine is haunted by the death of her father
• See Ending for HEA status.
• See Possible Triggers for Abuse and OTT sad parts.

Format: Hardcover

Rating: 4/5 stars

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Surviving Amber Springs by Siobhan Davis

By Sarah

In 3-stars, Book Review

February 28, 2019

S

Series: Standalone

Release Date: December 26, 2018

Synopsis

Let him who is without sin cast the first stone…

I’m the second-most hated person in Amber Springs.

First place honors go to my twin, Ethan; however, hate isn’t a strong enough word to convey how people feel about him.

Not that I blame anyone—some days, I hate him too. Mostly, I’m just lost and afraid, drowning in a sea of betrayal and guilt, wondering how this happened right under my nose.

There’s no choice but to leave. To move clear across the country in a last-ditch attempt to start over.

Transferring to a new school midway through senior year is hellish for most people. For me, it’s a welcome relief—until someone discovers our secret and now everyone knows.

The pointing, whispering, and scathing looks follow me around again, and I’m back to square one. Except, this time, I’m not alone.

Axel, Skeet, and Heath took me under their wing from the minute I arrived here. I’ve no idea why three of the hottest guys in town took any interest in me or why they continue to have my back, but I’m so grateful to have them in my corner.

Because, right now, they’re the only reason I’m not following my brother into an early grave.

This is an upper YA/NA reverse harem STANDALONE contemporary romance. Due to sensitive content, sexual situations, and possible triggers, this book is recommended to readers aged 18+. Full length novel.

Ending

 HEA

Representation

• Side characters with a disability
• Main character struggles with depression

Possible Triggers: Yes

• Gun violence (School shooting)
• Sexual violence: Gang-rape (Discussed but no flashback)
• Bullying
• Suicidal ideation
• Suicide attempt

Safety Rating: Safe with Exceptions

• No cheating
• No descriptive sex scene with OW/OM
• Does have the Heroine pushing away
• Does have a significant separation (1.5 years) between the Heroine and Heroes (One hero is celibate, and another is also celibate, although he attempted to hook-up with an OW but couldn’t at the last minute. The last hero is NOT celibate, at all.)
• See Ending for HEA status.
• See Possible Triggers for Abuse and OTT sad parts.

Format: Kindle

Rating: 3.75/5 stars

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The Wedding Night by Kati Wilde

By Sarah

In 4-stars, Book Review

February 22, 2019

T

Series: Standalone

Release Date: February 5, 2019

Synopsis

When an opportunity to take everything from the powerful family who destroyed his mother’s life falls into Caleb Moore’s lap, he needs help from the one person with more power and money than they have — business mogul, Audrey Clarke. The trick is getting her attention. So he approaches the infamous ice queen with an unusual proposition: marriage.

The odds of a snowball surviving in hell are better than the chances of a rich, classy lady like Audrey Clarke marrying a mechanic from the wrong side of the tracks. He only hopes that she might consider a business partnership when she’s finished laughing at his marriage proposal.

He never expects her to say yes — or that the ice queen could burn so hot. Because Audrey Clarke isn’t cold at all. And if Caleb’s not careful, the only thing he’ll give her for Christmas…is a broken heart.

Ending

 HEA

Representation

• Main character is on the Aspergers spectrum
No strong representations of the following:
• BIPOC characters
• LGBTQIA+ characters
And doesn’t address fatphobia

Possible Triggers: Yes

• No OTT sad parts
• Heroine was physically abused by her mother when she was a child (off-page, memories)

Safety Rating: Safe

• No cheating
• No descriptive sex scene with OW/OM
• Does have the Hero and Heroine pushing away
• Does Not have a separation between the Hero and Heroine
• See Ending for HEA status.
• See Possible Triggers for Abuse and OTT sad parts.
• See Ending for HEA status.
• See Possible Triggers for Abuse and OTT sad parts.

Format: Kindle

Rating: 4.25/5 stars

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The Gladiator’s Downfall by Kristen Banet

By Sarah

In 5-stars, Book Review

February 13, 2019

T

Series: Age of the Andinna

Release Date: December 14, 2018

Synopsis

Mave knows where she stands in life.

She’s an Andinna. A member of the winged, horned, and tailed warrior race that the Elvasi Empire defeated in the Hundred Year War and then enslaved. She’s a slave, and has been one for a thousand years, the personal property of the Empress of the Elvasi Empire, since the end of the War. She’s a gladiator, thrown onto the sands of the Colosseum to die, though it backfired on those who wanted her dead. She’s the Champion of the Colosseum, and has been for roughly nine hundred years.

All of these things have marked her as an outcast among her own people. Hated, distrusted, and despised, she knows the name of her people, but not much else.

But she knows where she stands. Keeping her head down and her blades sharp has carried her this far, and she refuses to acknowledge the deepest wishes she holds in her heart. Those will only get her killed.

Alone, she’s stood against everything they have ever thrown at her, refusing to give them what they want.

What Mave doesn’t know is that it’s all about to change.

The Gladiator’s Downfall is a 129,000+, full-length novel.
Age of the Andinna is a reverse harem epic fantasy series. The female lead will collect her lovers as the series progresses.
There is triggering content in this series including but not limited to: abuse, violence, mature language, and sexual content. It’s recommended for mature audiences.

Ending

 HFN

Representation

• Gay supporting characters
• Bisexual side characters
• MM side romance

Possible Triggers: Yes

• Violence
• Physical, emotional and psychological abuse
• Slavery
• Allusions to rape (In the Heroine’s past and present. But, in the present, it’s off-page.)

Safety Rating: Safe

• No cheating
• No descriptive sex scene with OW/OM
• Does have the Hero and Heroine pushing away
• Does Not have a separation between the Hero and Heroine
• See Ending for HEA status.
• See Possible Triggers for Abuse and OTT sad parts.

Format: Kindle

Rating: 5/5 stars

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Summer and Smoke by CoraLee June

By Sarah

In 3-stars, ARC, Book Review

December 6, 2018

S

Series: The Bullets

Release Date: December 2, 2018

Synopsis

Summer Bright is just a name on a tombstone. A whispered mystery on the long-forgotten Woodbury Lane. Her ghost teases me with fear and perfection. She knows I’m not strong enough to do what I should’ve done years ago.

The Bullets are united once more, bonded by their demand for blood. There’s a vulnerability in their friendship, though.

Gavriel craves control.
Blaise fears losing me.
Ryker fights his guilt.
Callum’s moral compass will get us killed.

Chesterbrook may be where the old me died, but it’s also where I learned that hell isn’t a place, it’s a person. And if we aren’t careful, our plan for revenge could go up in smoke.

Ending

 Cliffhanger

Representation

• Bisexual side characters

Possible Triggers: Yes

• Violence (including murder)
• Physical abuse (memories)
• Threat to one’s life

Safety Rating: Safe with Exceptions

• No cheating
• No descriptive sex scene with OW/OM
– Blaise and Summer participate in one of Nix’s scenes, as voyeurs.
– During the scene, an OW touches Blaise, and Summer gets jealous and mad. Blaise gets turned on.
– Neither has sex with the OW/OM though.
• Does have the one of the Heroes pushing away
• Does Not have a separation between the Hero and Heroine
• See Ending for HEA status.
• See Possible Triggers for Abuse and OTT sad parts.

Format: eARC

Rating: 3.75/5 stars

Warning: This is a review of the second book in the series; therefore, there will be spoilers from the first book below. Click Here to read my review of the first book in the series.

Note: I received Summer and Smoke through CoraLee June’s team in exchange for an honest review.

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The Legacy by Dylan Allen

By Sarah

In 3-stars, Book Review

November 29, 2018

T

Series: Rivers Wilde*

Release Date: October 28, 2018

Synopsis

He’s the king of all he surveys.
Except her.

Exiled for 15 years, Hayes Rivers has finally assumed his place as head of Houston’s oldest and most powerful family.
Now, they call him King.
A legacy of wealth and prestige are his to claim.

As age-old rivalries, long-buried secrets, and generations of betrayal threaten his birthright, he finds himself in a battle for control of his family’s future.
When he meets Confidence, she’s a sweet distraction.
Everything he shouldn’t want.
But after a weekend of passion and surprising intimacy,
he realizes she’s everything he needs.

He holds the keys to a kingdom,
But he covets the key to her heart.

And he’ll stop at nothing to claim his queen.

Ending

 HEA

Representation

No strong representations of the following:
• BIPOC characters
• LGBTQIA+ characters
• characters with a disability
And doesn’t address fatphobia

Possible Triggers: Yes

• Traumatic past for the Heroine including gun violence
• Heroine (on-page) is held at gunpoint

Safety Rating: Safe

• No cheating
• No descriptive sex scene with OW/OM
• Does have the Hero and Heroine pushing away
• Does have a separation between the Hero and Heroine
• See Ending for HEA status.
• See Possible Triggers for Abuse and OTT sad parts.

Format: Kindle

Rating: 3.25/5 stars

*Each novel in the series is Standalone

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Waking Olivia by Elizabeth O’Roark

By Sarah

In 4-stars, Book Review

November 22, 2018

W

Series: Standalone

Release Date: March 14, 2016

Synopsis

“That girl isn’t just trouble of the not-a-team-player, not-a-reliable-runner variety. She’s trouble of the devious, manipulative, too-f***ing-hot-for-her-own good variety. She’s the kind of girl who causes trouble merely by existing, and then makes sure to cause more.
And the last thing I need right now is more trouble.”

A failing farm.
His father’s debt.
And a struggling college track team.
Will Langstrom has too many responsibilities, and the last thing he needs is Olivia Finnegan, a beautiful but troubled new transfer student.

A smart mouth.
A strong right hook.
And a secret that could destroy her.
Olivia is her own worst enemy, with a past she can’t seem to escape, and the last person she wants help from is a cocky track coach she can never seem to please.
Refusing to be pushed away, Will is determined to save her.
And determined to resist an attraction that could destroy them both.

Ending

 HEA

Representation

No strong representations of the following:
• BIPOC characters
• LGBTQIA+ characters
• characters with a disability
And doesn’t address fatphobia

Possible Triggers: Yes

• Physical abuse (Memories, flashbacks and on-page)
• Significant PTSD
• Attempted rape (Memories, off-page)

Safety Rating: Not Safe

• No cheating
• Does have OW/OM
– The Hero has a longtime girlfriend for a significant portion of the book
– The Heroine flirts and attempts to hook up with an OM but doesn’t follow through
– The Heroine goes on dates with a different OM throughout the novel
• Does have descriptive sex scene with OW/OM
– It’s between the Hero and his girlfriend. There’s only one.
• Does have the Hero and Heroine pushing away
• Does have a brief separation between the Hero and Heroine
• See Ending for HEA status.
• See Possible Triggers for Abuse and OTT sad parts.

Format: Kindle

Rating: 4/5 stars

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A Sorceress of His Own by Dianne Duvall

By Sarah

In 5-stars, Book Review

November 10, 2018

A

Series: The Gifted Ones*

Release Date: June 2, 2015

Synopsis

From the New York Times bestselling author of the acclaimed Immortal Guardians series comes an enchanting new series full of romance, danger, and loyalty: The Gifted Ones

Since the day Lord Dillon earned his spurs, rumors of his savagery on the battlefield have preceded him into every room, stilling tongues and sparking fear. Weary of battle, he wishes only to find a woman he can wed who will approach him not with fear, but with the tenderness that has been absent from his life for so long. Yet only the wisewoman seems invariably at ease in his presence. Perhaps because she garners the same fear in others that he does himself.

For seven years, Alyssa has been by Lord Dillon’s side, counseling him from the shadows, healing him with her hands, and staving off the worst of his loneliness while his fearsome reputation keeps others at bay. Blessed–or cursed–with gifts that label her a sorceress, she is forced to conceal her youth and the love she harbors for him beneath umbral robes that lead Dillon and his people to believe she is the same aged wisewoman who served his father.

All is revealed, however, and passions flare when an enemy threatens Dillon’s life and Alyssa sacrifices everything to save him. When Dillon discovers that the wisewoman is far from elderly, he is instantly entranced. And, as he and Alyssa work together to defeat an enemy bent on destroying them both, Dillon will risk anything–even the wrath of his king–to be with her.

Ending

 HEA

Representation

No strong representations of the following:
• BIPOC characters
• LGBTQIA+ characters
• characters with a disability
And doesn’t address fatphobia

Possible Triggers: Yes

• Emotional and physical abuse
• Discussion of rape (A family member of the Heroine was raped.)

Safety Rating: Safe

• No cheating
• No descriptive sex scene with OW/OM
• Does have the Heroine pushing away
• Does have a brief separation between the Hero and Heroine
• See Ending for HEA status.
• See Possible Triggers for Abuse and OTT sad parts.

Format: Kindle

Rating: 5/5 stars

*Each novel in the series are Standalone

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Chosen by Stacy Jones

By Sarah

In 4-stars, Book Review

November 10, 2018

C

Series: Chosen

Release Date: December 19, 2017

Synopsis

One minute Lily is trying, and failing, to run her grandmother’s farm—her last remaining connection to her family. The next, she wakes to find herself in a cold, sterile cage surrounded by monsters, with no memory of how she got there. Accidentally abducted by alien poachers, unsure if she will live or die, she is dreading the worst. What she doesn’t expect is for her captors to dump her on an alien planet to fend for herself. Now, she must fight to survive the planet… or die trying.

Frrar, Tor, and Arruk have been searching endlessly for a mate to belong to, someone to finally accept them, but they are losing hope. The time of cleansing, when the great waters drown the land, draws near. They are on the verge of abandoning their search and fleeing the forest when they spot a strange, tiny, two-armed female. They are immediately drawn to her, fascinated by her differences, but they must act fast to save her life, and their own, from the coming flood.

Ending

 HFN

Representation

No strong representations of the following:
• BIPOC characters
• LGBTQIA+ characters
• characters with a disability
And doesn’t address fatphobia

Possible Triggers: Yes

• Abduction by alien species
• No abuse
• One of the Hero’s family died tragically

Safety Rating: Safe

• No cheating
• No descriptive sex scene with OW/OM
• No pushing away
• No separation between the Heroes and Heroine
• See Ending for HEA status.
• See Possible Triggers for Abuse and OTT sad parts.

Format: Kindle

Rating: 4.25/5 stars

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Of Ashes and Sin by Ariana Hawkes and K.N. Knight

By Sarah

In 2-stars, Book Review

November 10, 2018

O

Series: Fire Trails

Release Date: July 10, 2018

Synopsis

A world without fire. Three sizzling shifters. One flame-haired hustler. And the elemental bond that could bring fire back to the world, or be the end of them…

The last Phoenix has perished in a huge blaze of flames, extinguishing fire from the earth. Ranger Mason is a nineteen-year-old shifter whose spirit animal has not yet been fixed. An orphan, hustler and part-time exorcist, she scrapes a living in a dangerous, burned-out world, with no idea of the unique power she holds. That is, until a sexy tiger, bear and eagle shifter trio bursts into her life, convinced she’s the key to recreating fire.

What none of them realizes is that she’s no fire elemental, but something even more rare and special…something that will create the strongest possible bond between them, but also threaten to destroy her. Ranger is the only one capable of uniting a dragon with the three water, earth and air elementals, but as the love bond between the four of them ignites, the guys are unwilling to risk her safety—even if it means restoring balance to the world.

But Rael, Zain and Oran are not the only ones who have discovered Ranger’s gifts, and suddenly the decision is torn from their hands. Will she be able to create peace between her three mates, who have vowed to do anything to protect her, and a dragon intent on keeping her in his cave as his personal, flame-haired treasure?

OF ASHES AND SIN is a full-length reverse harem paranormal romance novel of 67,000 words, where the heroine doesn’t have to choose between her love interests. It includes action, drama and intrigue; as well as fully-realized sex scenes and graphic language. It’s intended for mature, 18+ audiences.

Ending

 HFN

Representation

No strong representations of the following:
• BIPOC characters
• LGBTQIA+ characters
• characters with a disability
And doesn’t address fatphobia

Possible Triggers: Yes

• Abduction
• Threat of rape
• Abuse (The heroes beat the heroine in hopes her animal will show itself.)

Safety Rating: Safe

• No cheating
• No descriptive sex scene with OW/OM
• Does have the Hero and Heroine pushing away
• Does Not have a separation between the Hero and Heroine
• See Ending for HEA status.
• See Possible Triggers for Abuse and OTT sad parts.

Format: Kindle

Rating: 2/5 stars

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CategoryBook Review

Thrilling and Introspective: We Hunt the Flame by Hafsah Faizal

Surviving Amber Springs by Siobhan Davis

The Wedding Night by Kati Wilde

The Gladiator’s Downfall by Kristen Banet

Summer and Smoke by CoraLee June

The Legacy by Dylan Allen

Waking Olivia by Elizabeth O’Roark

A Sorceress of His Own by Dianne Duvall

Chosen by Stacy Jones

Of Ashes and Sin by Ariana Hawkes and K.N. Knight

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