Review: Elite (Eagle Elite, #1) by Rachel Van Dyken

Synopsis

When I won the annual Eagle Elite College Scholarship lottery, I was thrilled. After all, my grandma had just died and I wanted to take care of my aging grandpa -- he couldn't be a farmer in Wyoming forever. And graduating from Eagle Elite meant opportunity.

But I wasn't counting on meeting Nixon.

Nor was I counting on the rules of the Elect.

1. Do not touch The Elect.

2. Do not look at The Elect.

3. Do not speak to The Elect.

And worst of all? Don't discover the secret they hide, because in the end, you may just realize... it's about you.

*This is a New Adult Book, blood, violence, cursing, sexual references, and drug use. Not recommended for those under 17.*

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Buy here - Amazon UK | Amazon US

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My Review

4 Elite Stars!!

Okay I am kicking myself for not reading this sooner! A friend of mine had been telling me to read it for a while and I blew it off, just not really giving it much thought and then I realised that I requested this book from NetGalley ages ago and never got round to it. I decided to finally put me foot down and get reading. I remember starting a few pages but I was in a book funk and gave up to try again at a later time. Right now I have my reading mojo back and I was totally ready for it. I actually really enjoyed it and will definitely be reading on.

This is book 1 of Eagle Elite series and its got the whole mafia/criminal family thing going on which I had no idea about. My preconceived idea of this book was that it was some sort of spy/agent book? A school to train people in powers? Okay I can feel you all thinking what the hell? ..I don't even know what to say *shrugs* I guess I should stop assuming things.

"Maybe the world isn't as shiny and fun as you once thought. People are mean. Humanity is a cruel joke, Trace. I'm just trying to prevent them from getting the last laugh."

So the book, lets get back to the book. Trace is starting Eagle Elite College which is basically a college for the rich kids or those that will make the next presidents and so on. Trace is nothing like these people and the only reason she is here is because she won some sort of lottery that the college holds so one lucky winner gets to attend the college with all the rich people and so on.Trace is so out of her depth and it only gets worse when she meets Nixon and his crew who basically own the school and create all the rules. From then on things don't exactly go smoothly.

“—Nope. You’ve already broken a rule. I’m speaking, New Girl.” Chase smirked. “Geez, Nixon, this one’s going to be hard to break in.”

“They always are,” Nixon replied, lifting my chin with his hand. “But I think I’ll enjoy this one.”

Nixon, oh Nixon at the start I was like what the hell? Why are you so mean! But with all assholes you end up loving them in the end. Well actually is went more like me hating him to liking him to feeling lost and losing interest in him and just not knowing how I feel. I liked him as a bad boy or more of the guy in charge. On another note I got this feeling of a love triangle which I thought or was hoping didn't exist but now I'm a little miffed and seriously don't want the next book to be a full n love triangle because they usually really irritate me and someone always gets hurt and i start hating the girl for loving two men. Like please woman, stop being greedy!

Okay I'm going to quit ranting and get onto book 2, lets hope all goes well and it only gets better since I have heard a lot of people love this series. I want to be one of those people! ;)

*Arc provided by NetGalley for an honest review*

Review: Bound by Hatred (Born in Blood Mafia Chronicles #3) by Cora Reilly

FREEBIE- limited time only book 1 in this series is free on amazon

Amazon UK/ Amazon US

Synopsis

When Gianna watched her sister Aria getting married to a man she barely knew, she promised herself she wouldn’t let the same thing happen to her. 

Matteo – The Blade – Vitiello set his eyes on Gianna the moment he saw her on his brother Luca’s wedding, and Rocco Scuderi is more than willing to give his daughter to him, but Gianna has no intention of marrying for any other reason than love. A few months before the wedding, Gianna escapes her bodyguards and runs away. She has enough money to flee to Europe and begin a new life. But staying undetected when the mob is searching for her is a challenge that takes everything, especially as one of their best hunters and assassins is after her: Matteo Vitiello. 

After six months on the run, Gianna finally settles into a tentative routine in Munich, but then Matteo and a couple of her father’s soldiers find her with another man. 

Despite her pleads they kill her boyfriend, and Gianna is forced to marry Matteo. Her emotions alternating between guilt over having dragged an innocent into her world and hatred toward Matteo, Gianna is determined to make life hell for her husband. But Matteo is a master at mind games and their struggle for power soon turns into hate-fueled nights of passion. 

Book three in the Born in Blood Mafia Chronicles. This book can be read as a standalone.

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Add To Goodreads | Amazon UK | Amazon US

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My Review

2.5-3 Stars!

This is book 3 in the Born in Blood series and after reading Dante's book I jumped to this one because I was enjoying this series. This is about Matteo, Luca's brother and Aria's sister.We all know Gianna is adamant that she will not marry and Matteo is determined to marry her at whatever cost. You find out in the previous book in this series that Gianna has ran away and in this one we get a lot more insight. I'm glad we got some of Matteo's point of view in this one or else I would have gone crazy.

Matteo to Luca..

"Stop hovering. People will think you're my sugar daddy."

I was really looking forward to getting more of Matteo but not so excited with the thought of having the book taken over by Gianna, who even though we weren't told a lot on the bits I read made it quite clear how immature and impulsive she was.Her being so against anything Mafia related was one thing but her all out stubbornness, pride and stupid decisions just all out annoyed me. She was loud and said what was on her mind until the moment she was actually supposed to speak up she was quiet!

We arrived at Luca's car. He opened the door for me.

"Don't think I'll put out just because you're being a gentleman;"...

"Don't worry your backdoor is safe."

Haha Matteo was great, I wanted more of his and his pov but with maybe more insight on his past or life in general I felt like I didn't get enough. This was such a quick read for me just like the previous books in the series because I zoomed through them.Even if something the characters did bothered me I could not stop reading and the endings get to me. I fee like they all end abruptly, I need a little bit more and it's like it takes the whole book for things to solve and then boom the end. I still want more and will be carrying on with this series. I'm curious to see how Liliana's story will unravel and I'm looking forward to more action hopefully.

Release Day Blitz/Excerpt/Giveaway: Carter Reed 2 By Tijan

Blurb

Carter bought his way out of the mafia to protect Emma, but when an old ghost returns to the Mauricio Family, a chain of events starts that can harm everyone. While Carter must decide to return to the Mauricio Family or not, a face that is oddly familiar to Emma comes into her life. She’s given the chance to discover more about her family while tensions between the rivaling Mauricio and Bertal Family comes to a head in an explosive way. The truce is officially off, and when the two worlds collide, Carter’s decision is made.

He didn’t start this war, but he will end it.

He will do anything to protect Emma.

More Carter Reed?  Yes, please!   

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1OPrrDg

Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1zVtj6E

Kobo: http://bit.ly/1awCSC8

Nook: http://bit.ly/1JKL0LZ

iBooks: http://apple.co/1ys1cAx

Excerpt

As I held the gun, alone now, some of the old memories came back to me. But they were never very far away.

I had killed two men.

“Jeremy.”

My voice had been soft when I called to him. He’d been raping my roommate, and he was going to kill her. I had no choice. When he turned around and saw the gun in my hand, I shot him. The bullet hit the center of his forehead.

I swallowed now, remembering Mallory as she had watched me, pinned to the wall by his hands. Her eyes had been so lifeless. They were the opposite of Ben’s. He’d been pleading for his life, but minutes earlier he’d been planning to kill Amanda, then me. My stomach churned, remembering that he was going to take me to Franco. He wanted to barter, trade me in for more money, more drugs.

He was the one who killed Mallory, but the Bartel family set all of it in motion.

I drew in a ragged breath, cradling the gun in my hands like a precious baby. This little piece of metal had caused so much havoc in my life, and it was Carter’s weapon of choice. He’d killed plenty with it when he worked for the Mauricio family.

Somehow, I knew this weapon would have a place in our lives again. I didn’t want it to, but I knew it would. And with that last thought, my hand closed over it, and I raised my arms, aiming with my feet apart, my shoulders rolled back. I shot, one after another, until my clip was done.

All except one hit the bullseye. The other one, the outlier, was just outside the inner circle on the target.

I’d have to get better.

A tingle started in the base of my stomach, and it rose up, spreading through my body, warming me as it went, until I was almost salivating for him. When I saw him, I needed to touch him. It had been like this for a year, and I never wanted it to end. I always wanted to thirst for him.

He murmured against my skin, “Why is it that your presence can calm me? Your touch can make me alive, and one little sigh from you makes me want to sleep for days in your embrace?”

I smiled, moving to press a kiss to his ear. “Because you love me.”

Pulling me back into his arms, he nudged my legs farther apart, moving closer, and pressed his lips to the underside of my jaw. He whispered, “Never.” Another kiss to the corner of my lips. “Ever.” A third kiss, his lips resting atop mine and he murmured, “I promise. Nothing will ever happen to you.”

“Because you need to understand. It’s time you know more. You’re mine, Emma. My first allegiance is to you. Things are going to happen now, and I can’t control them. The Mauricio family has always followed me."

Suddenly I realized—he was going back in. A tear formed in my eye, and I ignored it. This was what he was telling me. I swallowed over a lump. “What happens now?”

He didn’t answer at first. Then he let out a soft breath of air and turned, his eyes pained. He said one word: “War.”

I closed my eyes and just felt her. She trailed a hand down my face, tracing my lips. That small touch, so gentle, so loving. That was Emma.

No other woman made me feel like this. It was her, only her. Opening my eyes, I found her watching me and smiling as her chest heaved for air.

"I love you," she murmured.

Goddamn. I kissed her and whispered against her lips, "I love you too."

I closed my eyes and held the man I loved. Resting my forehead to his, I placed my arms on his shoulders as he held my hips. His thumbs rubbed back and forth. This. Right here. He was the most powerful man I knew, and he was all mine.

Series Reading Order

Carter Reed (Book One)

Amazon US:http://amzn.to/1EFOiSj

Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1GvrRN6

Kobo: http://bit.ly/1DNi154

Nook: http://bit.ly/1JHyw78

iBooks: http://apple.co/1GwEZEF

Carter Reed 2 (Book Two)

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1OPrrDg

Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1zVtj6E

Kobo: http://bit.ly/1awCSC8

Nook: http://bit.ly/1JKL0LZ

iBooks: http://apple.co/1ys1cAx

Author Information

I didn't begin writing until after undergraduate college. There'd been storylines and characters in my head all my life, but it came to a boiling point one day and I HAD to get them out of me. So the computer was booted up and I FINALLY felt it click. Writing is what I needed to do. After that, I had to teach myself how to write. I can't blame my teachers for not teaching me all those years in school. It was my fault. I was one of the students that was wishing I was anywhere but at school! So after that day, it took me lots of work until I was able to put together something that resembled a novel. I'm hoping I got it right since someone must be reading this profile! And I hope you keep enjoying my future stories.

Stalk Her: Facebook | Twitter | Website | Goodreads

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$50 Amazon Gift Card

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Cover Reveal: For Adriano (Chicago Syndicate, #3) by Soraya Naomi

Blurb

Adriano Montesi’s life has always revolved around women, his family, and the Chicago Syndicate. As a Capo and Luca DeMiliano’s right hand man, he’s one of the four highest ranking men in the organization, and he’s fought many to maintain his position.

Adriano’s current assignment is locating Camilla Guillermo, the one woman who’s captured his attention beyond a simple fuck. He and Cam have a history together that no one knows about, and now that she’s disappeared, he’s eager to find her and discover her sordid past. What might seem like a routine mission has become an obsession for Adriano.

Italian beauty, Camilla Guillermo, is lost and alone in the world. Running away from a past that haunts her and the man that deceived her. But wherever she goes, Adriano is always with her, always in her thoughts.

Out of money and out of options, Cam has no place to turn but back to the Loop, back to the one place she wants to avoid.

When Adriano finds Camilla, everything between them will change. No matter how much they are drawn to each other, Cam is now off limits by boss’s orders. And in the Chicago Syndicate, you don’t defy the boss’s orders unless you’re prepared to live with the consequences.

A romantic suspense.

From Amazon Bestselling Author of For Fallon and For Luca.

Novel Grounds Semi Annual Literary Awards 2014 winner of Best Breakout Novel For Fallon (Chicago Syndicate, #1).

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About Author Soraya Naomi

I was born in South America in 1984 and raised in Europe where I presently reside with my fiancé.

I read many genres but favor intense, dark, seductive, and provocative novels where the male character loves fiercely, without remorse or boundaries. I also adore forbidden love tales and have an odd fascination with kidnapping romances. No, I don't secretly want to be kidnapped, though!

I have a passionate obsession with the written word and indulge in chocolate pastries much too often.

My debut novel For Fallon (Chicago Syndicate, #1) was released on July 26, 2014. I’m honored that For Fallon won “Best Breakout Novel 2014” in the Novel Grounds Semi Annual Literary Awards.

For more information about the novel and author:

WEBSITE – www.sorayanaomi.wordpress.com

FACEBOOK – www.facebook.com/sorayanaomi.author

TWITTER – www.twitter.com/Soraya_Naomi

INSTAGRAM – www.instagram.com/soraya_naomi

GOOGLE+ – http://tinyurl.com/lac4p5d

TSU - https://www.tsu.co/Soraya_Naomi

AMAZON AUTHOR – http://tinyurl.com/jwadol3

Review: By Any Other Name (Forbidden #1) by J.M. Darhower

Synopsis

A deadly rivalry. 
Two families at war. 
Nobody is safe, not even the innocent. 
Especially the innocent. 
Blood will be spilled. 

Genevieve "Genna" Galante knows a thing or two about causing trouble. After all, it's engrained in her DNA. As the only daughter of Primo Galante, notorious boss of the Galante crime family, her life is dictated by a certain set of rules… rules Genna was never very good at following. 

Matteo "Matty" Barsanti never wanted anything to do with the family business, but as the first-born Barsanti son, certain things are expected of him. It's his duty, according to his father, to help take down the enemy... even if that enemy means something to him. 

A chance encounter on an elevator changes the course of lives, causing the biggest trouble of Genna's young life. The only good Barsanti is a dead Barsanti. She's heard it said time and time again. So what happens when she falls in love with one of them? 

The story of star-crossed lovers caught in the middle of the biggest rivalry New York has ever seen, determined to make it… if only they can survive their parents' feud.

Buy Here -->> Amazon UK | Amazon US

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My Review

4.5 Forbidden Stars!!

Omg. NO! How dare it end there!!!

Come one how could you do this to me J.M.Darhower?

I need the next book right now!

When I started this book it took me a while to get through the first few pages since I was suffering from a book hangover (Thanks L.H.Cosway) but once I got into it, I was soo into it I didn't want to come out.And then it ends like whatt? How could I have read it all so fast. I didn't expect it to turn out like it did and well..Bravo J.M.D you have done it again..blown me away.

When I saw that this was another mafia romance I said to myself do not compare this to sempre. Sempre is one of my all time fav book and well I can't see it getting any better. So I will not be comparing it to Sempre but it did exceed my expectation and I can not wait for more.

The characters, I loved how each character was different and even the evil ones I was intrigued with, I seriously wanted to know what was going through their head most of the time and why they were doing half the stuff they did. Hoping to find out a lot more and I think it would be interesting to drop in more povs, smaller sections of them. I liked how this ended, the switch in pov and a little insight to someone who I felt was just an arsehole.

It's a modern times Romeo and Juliet with a crap load of tragedy, twists, heartbreak and much more.Two big families who used to be the best of friends turned worst enemies over time. Will their children bring them back together or is there only tragedy in store for them?

Go read this book

Go!

*Arc provided in exchange for an honest review*