Book Review: Rydeville Elite Box Set by Siobhan Davis

Let's review a box set...if you haven't starting reading this series, OH MAN you are in for a treat.  Check it out:

Rydeville Elite Box Set by Siobhan Davis

This box set includes the first three books in the highly addictive Rydeville Elite series from USA Today bestselling author, Siobhan Davis, and is over 1,000 pages of heart-stopping angst, suspenseful twists and turns, and dark, twisted romance. Complete trilogy with HEA.

In the power struggle between two elite groups, one feisty girl will bring them to their knees…
Life is a cruel game where only the most ruthless survive. It’s a truth my mother rebelled against, and she paid for it with her life. Now, I play their game. Publicly accepting the destiny that lies in wait for me when I turn eighteen.

But, behind closed doors, I plot my escape.

Trent, Charlie, and my twin, Drew, rule the hallways of Rydeville High with arrogance and an iron fist. I execute my role perfectly, hating every second, but they never let me forget my place in this world.

Everyone obeys the rules. They have for generations. Because our families have always been in control.

Until Cam, Sawyer, and Jackson show up. Throwing their new money around. Challenging the status quo. Setting hearts racing with their gorgeous faces, hot bodies, and bad boy attitudes.

Battle lines are drawn. Sides are taken. And I’m trapped in the middle, because I made a mistake one fateful night when I gave my V-card to a stranger in a blatant F you to my fiancé.

I thought it was the one thing I owned. A precious memory to carry me through each dark day.

I couldn’t have been more wrong.

Because the stranger was Camden Marshall, leader of the new elite and my perpetual tormenter. He hates me with a passion unrivaled, and he won’t be the only one. Fire will rain down if the truth is revealed, threatening alliances, and the power struggle will turn vicious.

My life will hang in the balance.

But I’ll be ready, and I’m not going down without a fight.

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Book 1- Cruel Intentions:Cruel Intentions it is throughout the book...Abby is my new favorite girl, not because she is a badass who kicks ass and stuff like that, no, it's because this girls goes through hell but still keeps her head high and for that? She deserves praise and much more. She is in a cruel world, a world that I wouldn't want to live in, but she tries her best, she wants out but she knows she can't just run, not she will pay their games until she can finally escape.

But, things take a turn when Cam, Sawyer and Jackson show up, them and their new money. Battles lines are drawn and Abby is in the middle because she gave her virginity to Cam because she wanted to rebel against her family and fiance. She didn't know who he was but it doesn't matter know, he holds that against her, he hates Abby like nothing else and will use that to make her do whatever they want.

If she thought her life was in dangerous before now is 10 times worse but she doesn't care, that means she will fight 10 times more, she doesn't trust anyone, not here father, not her fiance, not the new guys and it seems like not even her twin bother. She will have to just trust herself and fight.

Damn, this book, be ready people there is so much, so much going on that you will be reading int he edge of your seat. Just as Abby doesn't know who to trust, you will not know who to trust either, my heart is divided too. Do I like Cam, yes and at the same time and I want to hurt him too. Drew, ah I want to use my hands and nails on him. Sawyer and Jackson, it's a hate and love relationship too. See where I'm going...my heart is all twisted and this is only the first book. I just want to take Abby and hid her, don't know where, but then I live in MA so I don't think she would be too save with me lol.

But, seriously, I cannot recommend this book enough, I don't want to give spoilers but be ready for a rolercoaster and a half and for scream and crying and laughing and loving and hating Siobhan for this and then hypervatilating for book 2 when you are done reading book 1 because that cliffhanging at the end it's just TOO MUCH!!!!!!!!!!!


Book 2-Twisted Betrayal:We finally found out who kidnapped Abby. Abby is being kept hidden and when she finally wakes up she knows that things are just not the same, she just knows she cannot trust anyone anymore, now more than ever and she just knows they have broken her more than ever but she promises herself to seek revenge to the end more than ever, because NOW there is no coming back, there is no forgiveness for no one.

When help finally arrives for Abby, she has a very hard time to give her trust and to believe that anyone is there to help her. If anyone wants her friendship, forgiveness and even her love back, they are going to work ten times harder this time to win it back. How can she trust anyone? Brother? Friends? Kaiden? Her heart is just way to broken to forget and forgive...

However all the guys in her life don't give up on her and they do work hard to win her back. Kaiden is everything you want in a guy, he is the caveman that we all secretly want (I know I do lol). And he can be rough but at the same time just as gentle with Abby, and they are perfect for each other.

But there is so much more then Abby forgiving her friends and Kai, so much more at risk. Her father is more of a monster than she thought he could ever be and when they thought he couldn't do anything worse he just sucker punches them all again and the hit is even worse than before...I don't know how Abby and Kaiden are going to come through this one and I cannot wait to find out what's going to happen on book 3.

Book 3-Sweet RetributionI don't even know where to start with this book...let me see, I don't want to spoil the many, many things that happen here because come on, you NEED to read the book and be just as surprised as me and love how things developed, right? But I can tell you that Abby and Kai get the revenge they deserve and more, so much more.

Their love is everything, and I mean EVERYTHING. These two have the most amazing love story ever. Well, it's true that their love story is not your typical sweet one, heck no, it started out with hate, revenge, bullying and much more but their love surpassed that and a heck of a lot more. These two were meant to be each others other half from the beginning. Their enemies list just kept pilling up but their small group of friends stuck together and fought through it all and that? That was solid.

Which brings me to my next point of this book, friendships. Heck, even though this trilogy was about Kai and Abby's love story don't be fouled. Siobhan focused on friendship a lot, and I loved it, I loved even more when Kai's best friends because Abby's best friends also. Sawyer and Jackson are freaking hot and every time they were mention we fell in love with them, but not only for their hotness (because heck yes) but also for their loyalty and sometimes for just being there when needed, I want a Sawyer and a Jackson in my life.

In this final book of Abby and Kai's trilogy we see Abby's master mind plan her sweet revenge on bringing down all enemies and damn is this girl doesn't do it. And of course she does it all with the help of her love and her friends and last bit of family she can trust.

The more I read, the more I wanted, the more I read about the side characters, the more I fell in love with them. I want a Drew book after this is all done, I'm literally craving more of him, I'm dying to know what is happening to him and Charlie and Jackson and Sawyer. I mean, I just need more books of all of them. I have no one else of blame but Siobhan, right? lol

This trilogy was brilliant, this story line was hot, action pact, full of amazing characters and left me craving for me.

5 out of 5 stars.

I voluntarily reviewed an advanced complimentary copy of this book.

XOXO,

Nelia

Book Review: Nineteen by Makenzie Campbell

Poetry, how do you feel about it?  I love old poetry but I also have found some new poetry that I have fell in love with.  But, there are times that I come across some that are...well let's get to it.

Nineteen by Makenzie Campbell

By the author of the wildly successful 2am Thoughts, comes Nineteen — titled after the poet's age when she wrote this new book. Nineteen is a collection of poetry that broaches heartbreak, love, loss, war,
peace, and healing.

For every place we go, there is a feeling or memory that’s been painted on the walls. You can paint over it, but it will always be there. Even if you can’t
see it, you know.

You can feel the heartbreak inside the bedroom where you lost a love.

You can feel the hope at the coffee shop where a beginning happened.

You can feel the healing as you sit in the driver’s seat, in charge of your own life. 

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When I read a poetry book I want to get lost inside of it, I want it to touch my soul, I want it to touch my feelings, I want to make me feel things that I didn't even know I had inside of me.  For me that's what a good poetry book does.  

Unfortunately Nineteen fell short on that, it had a good promise.  It has good art inside to go together with the poems, the poems are suppose to reflect on events and that should bring feelings or memories just from certain places.  But I couldn't connect with the poems, the way it was written...

I still liked a couple of the poems inside of them and would love to check out her other work and see how I feel about.

3 out of 5 stars for this one.

I got an ARC from Netgalley.

XOXO,

Nelia

Book Review: The Warrior Queen: Emily R King

Ah...I have FINALLY completed this series and I'm so happy and sad at the same time.  It was...incredible.  Let's get to the review:

The Warrior Queen by Emily R. King

Kalinda has brought peace to the Tarachand Empire, at least for now. Bhutas no longer need to hide their gifts. The last of the rebels have been banished. And Prince Ashwin is set to take over as rajah.

But for Kalinda, this all came at a great loss. Her childhood home. Her best friend. The love of her life.

Deven is still trapped in the Void, although he is able to find his way to Kalinda each night. He has been lucky so far — mortals are not meant to last in the Void for long, and Deven has lasted longer than most. But when he doesn’t visit her one night, Kalinda knows that his luck has run out.

She will do whatever it takes to save the man she loves, even if it means convincing a god to guide her through the Void. Freeing a mortal from the Void is nearly impossible, but Kalinda has never let those odds stop her before… 

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If you haven't started this series yet, please do yourself a favor and go, just go and get the first book The Hundredth Queen and read and then you will hate me because you will not be able to stop there, because from there you will get book 2 and 3 and them 4.  Each book is better then the previous and this book (4) is the final one and man, it did not disappoint me a all, once I was done I was happy and I will admit, I wanted more because bottom will, you will never get tired of reading about Kalinda and Deven and Ashwin.  And that been said...

In the final book, we get to see Kalinda desperately trying to find a way to get Deven back as he is still trapped in the Void.  We also get to see his POV in the Vod and what hells he is going through.  Kalinda does whatever it takes to get her love back, even it is convincing a god to guide her through the Void.  Even if this god has some purpose of his own of helping her.  The odds may be against Kalinda, but nothing and no one will stop her.

In the other hand we have Ashwin busy taking over as rajah and fixing the empire, a task that is not small at all.  Specially since he has allowed Bhutas into the empire, they no longer have to hide their gifts, but some are not taking his decision so well and are causing trouble.  However, Ashwin is not backing down on his decision and he will prove to his people that he is the right rajah and making the right decision.  And did I say that Ashwin has moved on from Kalinda and is engaged to Gemi?  And we get to see their romance evolve in this book?  And have I said that it was my favorite thing EVER.  I loved these two together, Gemi has been one of my favorite characters and Ashwin, I mean Ashwin is Ashwin, he is your one of your favorite book boyfriends and getting to see these two fall in love?  It was AMAZING!  When the book was done, I wanted more.  

Ah, there was so much more happening among all of these, but I will leave it for you guys to read it and fall more in love with this book.

5 out of 5 starts and totally recommend it.

XOXO,

Nelia

Book Review by Just Bill by Barry Knister

A book about doggies and humans on the background? Yeah, it exists lol.  Let's review it.

Just Bill by Barry Knister

When you help someone else…the one you help most is yourself

Residents of the Donegal Golf and Country Club are very attached to their dogs. They depend on them for companionship and love. Dogs aren’t just pets at Donegal, but cherished members of the family.

Bill’s a big, affectionate Labrador retriever mutt who is rescued by his owner after escaping a puppy mill. He’s a bit of an oddity at Donegal, where most dogs are small and cute and professionally bred. Even so, Bill is friends with all the other dogs and owners.

When Ruby, the granddaughter of Bill’s master comes to visit, trouble starts. Ruby is afraid her father will stop loving her because he has a new wife and baby. When this fear leads Ruby to tell a lie, Bill’s master is forced to surrender his dog to an animal shelter. But Bill's love is unconditional—he'll do anything to be reunited with his master.

By story's end, this love will lead others to see a simple truth: when you help someone else—a child, or even a dog—the one you help most is yourself. 

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This book is told by Bill's POV, Bill is the dog, well you will also get the other neighborhood's dogs POV's, but mostly Bill.  

I loved the story line, it was touching, you will get attached to Bill and to Bill's master but because it is told in the dogs' POV I felt like lost sometimes.  There were times I didn't know who's POV I was reading, and why was I reading another dog's POV, what was the point?  I wanted Bill's story, so why was I reading ten other POVs, it felt way too many of them.  

You just can't help but fall in love with Bill and it won't matter if one of the neighborhood's dog is way "smarter" than all the others, you will just want to flip the page back to troublemaker but sweet Bill, especially when his life takes a turn that he never thought it would.

Overall a cute read..

3.75 stars out 5 and I recommend it.

I got an ARC from Netgalley.

XOXO,

Nelia

Book Review: A Convenient Marriage by Jeevani Charika

Let's do this...time for another book review:

A Convenient Marriage by Jeevani Charika

It was the perfect marriage… until they fell in love.

Chaya is a young woman torn between her duty to family and her life in the UK. While her traditional Sri Lankan parents want her to settle down into marriage, what they don’t know is that Chaya has turned away the one true love of her life, Noah, terrified of their disapproval.

Gimhana is hiding his sexuality from his family. It’s easy enough to pretend he’s straight when he lives half a world away in the UK. But it’s getting harder and harder to turn down the potential brides his parents keep finding for him.

When Chaya and Gimhana meet, a marriage of convenience seems like the perfect solution to their problems. Together they have everything - friendship, stability and their parents’ approval. But when both Chaya and Gimhana find themselves falling in love outside of their marriage, they’re left with an impossible decision – risk everything they’ve built together, or finally follow their heart?

Will they choose love, or carry on living a lie?

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This was everything you want to see on a book now a days...even though it keeps you on the edge of your seat because you never know what is going to happen but man it was good.

Chaya has a very traditional Sri Lankan family and even though she has left their home and country to study aboard, they still expect her to settle down into marriage with a Sri Lankan boy.  But what they don't know is that she turned away her one true love, Noah because she doesn't want to disappoint them.  At the end she will do whatever it is that makes them happen even if her heart is broken forever.

Gimhana has been hiding his sexuality from his family since ever.  It's not that hard because he has been living half a world away from them.  But now it's getting harder to find an excuse of not getting married, as his parents expect him to marry a sri Lankan girl as it is tradition.  He is torn of what to do, until an opportunity presents itself.

When Chaya and Gimhana meet, they both find the perfect solution to their problems.  A marriage of convenience.  He can hid his sexuality, she can live the life she has been living until now, married to her job and keep her heart away as it will never love anyone besides Noah.  So, they both go on with their plan.  And things go so well but everything comes crumbling down.

Loved learning about Sri Lankan culture, and every time they were eating I wanted to be there eating with them too lol.  Chaya also suffers from anxiety and it was not sugar coated in this book, Chaya had full on anxiety attacks and the world needs to know more about them and more about mental health. Thumbs up Jeevani Charika. Gimhana was everything you wanted in a friend, he was always there for Chaya and the was the perfect "husband", loved his sexuality was done in this book and how is relationships was shown, Another thumbs up.  

Ah, I really loved reading this book, I was rooting for Chaya and for Gimhana even when their "marriage" was all over the place.  Each of their personality will steal your heart and you will fall for both of them.

Totally recommend...5 out of 5 stars.

I got an ARC from NetGalley.

XOXO,

Nelia

Book Review: The Sweeney Sisters by Lian Dolan

Well...we sure all have more time in our hands so...it's time to catch up one some book reviews; enjoy!

I have some reviews of books that are not out yet and some that are out, so let's start with this one? 

The Sweeney Sisters by Lian Dolan

Maggie, Eliza, and Tricia Sweeney grew up as a happy threesome in the idyllic seaside town of Southport, Connecticut. But their mother’s death from cancer fifteen years ago tarnished their golden-hued memories, and the sisters drifted apart. Their one touchstone is their father, Bill Sweeney, an internationally famous literary lion and college professor universally adored by critics, publishers, and book lovers. When Bill dies unexpectedly one cool June night, his shell-shocked daughters return to their childhood home. They aren’t quite sure what the future holds without their larger-than-life father, but they do know how to throw an Irish wake to honor a man of his stature.

But as guests pay their respects and reminisce, one stranger, emboldened by whiskey, has crashed the party. It turns out that she too is a Sweeney sister.

When Washington, DC based journalist Serena Tucker had her DNA tested on a whim a few weeks earlier, she learned she had a 50% genetic match with a childhood neighbor—Maggie Sweeney of Southport, Connecticut. It seems Serena’s chilly WASP mother, Birdie, had a history with Bill Sweeney—one that has remained totally secret until now.

Once the shock wears off, questions abound. What does this mean for William’s literary legacy? Where is the unfinished memoir he’s stashed away, and what will it reveal? And how will a fourth Sweeney sister—a blond among redheads—fit into their story?

By turns revealing, insightful, and uproarious, The Sweeney Sisters is equal parts cautionary tale and celebration—a festive and heartfelt look at what truly makes a family.

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This book was everything that it promised; sisterhood, family drama, romance, mystery and so much more, and doggies too!!!! 

It all starts when an internationally famous author dies, he is the father of three redhead daughters, time and some circumstances some life came they drifted apart.  When their father passes away, the sisters drop everything they are doing and return to their childhood home to say their last goodbye to their father and also their home.  

But what they didn't expect was finding a strange blonde girl crashing their father's funeral and then later finding out that same stranger to be their sister.  Now, their whole world is turned upside down again and the three of them must stick together and decide what to do with this fourth Sweeney sister and find out why she is here.

I was reading this book and it brought me back to the days I watched Desperate Housewives, who's with me?  So much drama, so much mystery and at the same time I just wanted more, I needed to continue to read to find out how this fourth sister came to be and why she was around.  And when don't think the other sisters' lives are dull because the dram continues on their lives too lol.

Loved every minute of it and totally recommend it. 5 out of 5 stars!

I got and advance eARC from Netgalley.

XOXO,

Nelia