Melpomene

Review: Bounty by Kristen Ashley

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01 bounty There’s just something about a Kristen Ashley book that brings a smile to my face. Not sure if it’s the stories themselves or the many parts of them, but whatever it is, I fall a little bit in love with each of them. Between the scenery, romance, the emotional tone, and even the characters themselves, I am swiftly caught up in all the action and swept away on a happy cloud and left feeling emotionally full and content.

Justice is recovering from a loss and has chosen to do that in a fixer upper, in the Colorado Mountains. She plans on making this her happy place away from the rest of the world. She just wants to be her and not the Justice Lonesome, that the rest of the world knows. She’s done with that life and wants to find her “more.” She’s hoping the simpleness of Colorado will hold that in store for her.

Deke is a simple man. What can I say about him? I love him. We’ve read about him before. He’s proven he’s a good friend and strong man to have on your side. He doesn’t take crap from anybody. He’s always wanted more, but knew that he’d never get it. When he accepts a job to fix up Jus’ house, he had no idea that this woman was going to be the key to his “more.”

I think I felt a connection to this story due to the musical undertones. Something about the lyrics drew me in. I sit back and listen to the songs, that are named, and cry sometimes. I feel it deep down in my gut. I can’t put in words what this does to me. But what I can say that it adds an extra something something to it. Can’t place my finger on it, but it’s there.

In true Kristen Ashley form, Bounty was is beautiful love story filled with a pleasant slow burn that transformed into a hot and saucy romance. And of course it has a bit of confrontation and a hefty dose of family and friends. It makes me wish I lived in the mountains.

“I’m a lucky girl. Blessed. Given so much bounty, it’s almost embarrassing how much God likes me. But he really must like me because I have all I have and He also gave me you.”

~Melpomene

Release Date: 4-18-16
Preorder Bounty (Colorado Mountain Series Book 7)

You NEED to read the first six books in this series. Trust me. Your heart will thank you for it.
The Gamble (Colorado Mountain Series Book 1)
Sweet Dreams (Colorado Mountain Series Book 2)
Lady Luck (Colorado Mountain Series Book 3)
Breathe (Colorado Mountain Series Book 4)
Jagged (Colorado Mountain Series Book 5)
Kaleidoscope (Colorado Mountain Series Book 6)

Review and Giveaway: Listen to Me by Kristen Proby

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01 lis What a great way to start this new series!

Addison has been hurt a time or two, by musicians, so she has sworn them off. Never again shall she fall for one. HA! Yeah right. As soon as she makes this statement, it’s like the rock gods look down and laugh at her. She just wants to run her restaurant, with her friends, and just be her. But when Jake Keller steps up on stage and sing his heart out, she get knocked for a loop.

Jake walked away from from his rock life, five years ago. He always though he’d be happy without it, but in truth, he misses the singing. So when he’s offered a chance to get up on a stage and just do that, he goes for it, and it’s like all is well in his world. Plus it has the added benefit of seeing super sexy Addison when she’s working.

Addison is determined to remain closed off to Jake, but he slowly works his way into her heart. She is so afraid to open herself up again. But there’s something about Jake she can’t deny. The fun banter these two have makes the seduction all the more sweeter and creates quite a sizzle. But love doesn’t come easy for these two, that’s why I like it.

This book wasn’t just about the romance, it was about friendship. Jake and Addie have a great support system of friends that had me wishing I was sitting right there with them. It’s such a diverse group of friends and I can’t wait to continue with this series!

~Melpomene

Buy Listen to Me.

Enter giveaway HERE

LtM Teaser 5

Author Pic_Montana About Kristen Proby:

New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author Kristen Proby is the author of the bestselling With Me In Seattle and Love Under the Big Sky series. She has a passion for a good love story and strong, humorous characters with a strong sense of loyalty and family. Her men are the alpha type; fiercely protective and a bit bossy, and her ladies are fun, strong, and not afraid to stand up for themselves.
Kristen lives in Montana, where she enjoys coffee, chocolate and sunshine. And naps.

Review: Smoke and Fire by Donna Grant

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01 dark I love this series. Plain and simple. Dragons are my weakness and I can’t hold myself back when I see books with them in it. And when you combine dragons with the fae, you have a recipe for Melpomene’s happiness.

Kinsey and Ryder were in love, or so she thought. Then her broke her heart and she never saw him again. That is until during the battle, in Glasgow, when he changed right before her eyes, and she was faced with more than your every day secret. This was a life shattering secret. She was devastated and was determined to never set her eyes on him again. Little did she know that her work was sending her straight into her worst nightmare.

Ryder has loved Kinsey for years. He never forgot about her. And when he was sent to Glasgow to stop the dark from killing every mortal, he had no idea that he would be revealing himself to the one person he vowed to keep in the dark.

This story was different than the rest, in the sense that they already have a history. They’re in love, even if they won’t admit it to themselves. I was actually quite happy with that aspect, since there was so much happening in the background already. If we had to wait for them to find each other and fall in love, it would take away from the dynamic of the entire story. Without saying any spoilers, let’s just say that history almost repeated itself, and in the worst way possible.

Now for the side characters, Ulrik is keeping some very HUGE secrets from everyone. And I mean H.U.G.E. This is a game changer no one even knows yet. Part of me hopes that reconciliation can happen, with Con and the rest of the Kings, but I’m not holding my breath.

Rhi wants to stay with Balladyn, but I’m not so sure that’s a good idea. While being with Rhi makes him more light than dark, his normal side is dark and I fear this isn’t good for her. I have my suspicions as to who her King is, and if I’m right, I’d rather they both get their heads out of their butts and realize it and get back together. After her captivity, she can’t afford anymore dark in her life.

There are many more questions that still need to be answered and I am anxiously waiting for them. Until then, I’ll keep on reading and hope I can draw some correct conclusions and discover answers for myself. #Dragons4Ever

~Melpomene

Buy Smoke and Fire: A Dark Kings Novel

Start from the beginning and fall in love with all the Kings:
Darkest Flame (Dark Kings)
Fire Rising (Dark Kings)
Burning Desire (Dark Kings)
Hot Blooded (Dark Kings)
Night’s Blaze (Dark Kings)
Soul Scorched: A Dark Kings Novel
Passion Ignites (Dark Kings)
Smoldering Hunger: A Dark Kings Novel

Review: A Lady’s Favor by Josi S. Kilpack

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01 alady I just finished this sweet romance and my heart is so very content and happy. A Lady’s Favor is short novella that will have you swooning and smiling all over the place.

Bianca is under the constant attention of a very pompous, Lord Strapshire. No matter what she does, she can’t sway him away. Even though she hasn’t spoken to Mathew, since the embarrassing “incident” a few years ago, she has asked for his help, in trying to persuade Lord Strapshire to move along.

Mathew is still quite embarrassed from causing Bianca such comfortableness, years ago, but he is thrilled to be asked for his help, even if it’s only to repay his debt to her. But soon he quickly realizes that he isn’t playing a game and he doesn’t want her to think that anymore.

I loved Mathew. He was a great friend to her and I liked being in his head. Watching him go from acquaintance to friend to more, was so much fun. He may have done foolish things, but when it counted he stepped up and helped her out.

If you like sweet romances, I highly recommend A Proper Romance titles. They will make your romantic heart happy.

~Melpomene

Buy A Lady’s Favor.

Review: Denial by Lisa Renee Jones

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01 den IT’S ELLA’S BOOK!!!!!!

Talk about adrenaline pumping!! I had a hunch that Ella wasn’t in for a simple trip overseas. And boy was I right!!

Ella wakes up in a hospital, in Italy, knowing nothing. She doesn’t even remember her own name! All she knows is that there’s a beautiful man watching her and wanting to help her. I can’t even imagine waking up and not knowing who I was or why I’m in a foreign country. But seeing as she’s all alone, Ella has no other choice but to trust him.

With Kayden’s help, bits and pieces of her memory slowly start to come back. But with these memories comes the realization that she has made some very bad choices and befriended some very evil people. The crazy thing is that she feels this insane attraction to Kayden and wants to trust him to help her, but what if he’s one of those people?

My word, just when you think you know what’s going to happen, the rug gets pulled out from under you. Every time Ella had a flashback I was hoping for a some answers, but all we got were more questions. This is a fantastic start to another thrilling and exciting series for Lisa Renee Jones.

Denial can be read without reading the Inside Out series, but I highly recommend you read that series as well. It was also get your blood pumping and your heart racing.

~Melpomene

Read Denial before Demand comes out, in May.

Review: Fairytale Come Alive by Kristen Ashley

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01 fairy I believe in fairytales and happily ever afters. When the characters have to fight tooth and nail for those HEAs, I love them even more.

I’m not normally a fan of “ghost” books, but this book was so much more!!

This is book 4 in the Ghosts and Reincarnation series. I haven’t read book 3 yet, but I will say that this one is the first one that had more “ghostly” feel to it, compared to the first two books. The others were more light on the haunted undertones. Don’t let that turn you away. I wish I knew about this book sooner. Heck, I wish more people knew about it. If you like second chance romances, this is one you’ll wanna add to you TBR.

SYNOPSIS
In Isabella Austin Evangelista’s life miracles never happen… she knows she’s destined to be the princess who’s stuck in the middle of a fairytale where there will be no happily ever after.

Once upon a time, Prentice Cameron loved Isabella Austin until he discovered she was a spoiled, rich girl who spent her summers toying with his heart.

Life led Prentice to his own fairytale, the love of the full-of-life Fiona Sawyer. That being so, that fairytale was torn away when Fiona died of a brain tumor leaving Prentice with a house to keep clean, piles of laundry to be done, a business to run and two children who were getting tired of takeaway.

But Isabella comes back to Prentice’s tiny fishing town and she sweeps into his children’s lives like a beautiful, well-dressed fairy godmother who bakes exquisite chocolate cakes and gives the perfect manicure to six year old girls. Then Prentice finds out Isabella’s soul destroying secrets, secrets that explain why she left him so many years ago.

Fiona, stuck in her village and forced to haunt her family and watch Prentice and Isabella’s crazy dance, finds the impossible happening. She’s cheering for Bella and Prentice to rekindle their love. Then she finds out why she’s caught in her heartbreaking haunting and discovers she must embrace her magic and keep Bella safe or Bella’s fairytale will never come true.

20 years is a long time, and yet sometimes it’s not long enough. When we see Isabella and Prentice reconnect, I knew it wasn’t going to be smooth sailing, and this time, I was right. Hearts were broken again and again. Isabella knew how much pain she caused, the last time she was in town, but she really had no idea being back would cause even more. But with pain also comes healing. And being with Prentice may just be the one person who can heal her.

Besides Prentice and Isabella, there were so many side characters that made this story even more beautiful. Some brought a spot of laughter when it was needed while others added a new dimension to the healing process. On a side note, when we see Bella interact with Pren’s kids, I melted. Completely melted. It was insta-love. She was the best person to help them while they helped their dad heal her.

I like to cry and feel when I read, as you know. But as I said above, this isn’t usually my type of story. I thought “ghost” books wouldn’t bring the feels out, but I was so very wrong about this one. I swear to you, I spent the first 25% in perpetual tears and heartache. I was quite unprepared for this. No joke.

And that epilogue?? Hand me a tissue and I’ll tell you all about it. How does Kristen Ashley always write books that leave me in a pile of mush? I swear, she is a master word wizard of emotions.

~Melpomene

Buy Fairytale Come Alive.

Review: Walk the Edge by Katie McGarry

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01 aa This is another book that I can’t wait til my daughter can read it. This story is filled with a very real problem, cyber bullying. It’s a real issue and it happens more than we know. I swear to you, I never read the blurb, so I had nothing to go on. So when I realized what was happening, I was just sick. In my head, I kept trying to figure out a way to help her. I realize this story is fiction, but to many, it isn’t.

SYNOPSIS
One moment of recklessness will change their worlds

Smart. Responsible. That’s seventeen-year-old Breanna’s role in her large family, and heaven forbid she put a toe out of line. Until one night of shockingly un-Breanna-like behavior puts her into a vicious cyber-bully’s line of fire—and brings fellow senior Thomas “Razor” Turner into her life.

Razor lives for the Reign of Terror motorcycle club, and good girls like Breanna just don’t belong. But when he learns she’s being blackmailed over a compromising picture of the two of them—a picture that turns one unexpected and beautiful moment into ugliness—he knows it’s time to step outside the rules.

And so they make a pact: he’ll help her track down her blackmailer, and in return she’ll help him seek answers to the mystery that’s haunted him—one that not even his club brothers have been willing to discuss. But the more time they spend together, the more their feelings grow. And suddenly they’re both walking the edge of discovering who they really are, what they want, and where they’re going from here.

Razor!!! Oh, how I really like him. I had no idea this boy, we met in Nowhere But Here, had so much going on in his head. He’s been floundering for a few years. Struggling to come to terms with something that happened in his past. But it all changes when he meets Breanna. Something clicks. And now he knows what he wants, and he knows how he’s going to get it, even if it costs him his family.

I must admit, my stomach was twisting all over the place, with Breanna. My heart broke for her. She has been struggling with who she is as a person, a daughter, a sister and a friend. No one understands her. She is wired differently than most. Sad to say, but people don’t seem to accept differences, especially teens. The tipping point, for her, is now dealing with a bully. She wants help but she doesn’t know who to ask or how to ask.

It’s so hard being a teenager in this world. On a personal note, I’ve had to deal with this as a teenager and I will say, it SUCKED. You’re afraid to tell anyone, at the risk of making it worse. But cyber-bullying is a whole new thing. It’s 10 times worse.

This is another fabulous installment of Thunder Road series that dealt with real life problems. This book had me on the edge of my seat quite a few times. My heart was hammering in my chest and my nerves were wrecked. Razor and Breanna both had serious issues that required help from others, but neither wanted to go and ask. They thought they could do it alone but you need family to help sometimes. And this book is all about family.

~Melpomene

Buy Walk the Edge (Thunder Road)

Meet Razor and all the gang in Nowhere but Here (Thunder Road)

Review: Love, Lies & Spies by Cindy Anstey

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01 love A sweet romance filled with intrigue and early 19th century charm.

I was completely taken in by the cover. It looked like something I would enjoy and I was right. So cute!!

SYNOPSIS
Juliana Telford is not your average nineteenth-century young lady. She’s much more interested in researching ladybugs than marriage, fashionable dresses, or dances. So when her father sends her to London for a season, she’s determined not to form any attachments. Instead, she plans to secretly publish their research.

Spencer Northam is not the average young gentleman of leisure he appears. He is actually a spy for the War Office, and is more focused on acing his first mission than meeting eligible ladies. Fortunately, Juliana feels the same, and they agree to pretend to fall for each other. Spencer can finally focus, until he is tasked with observing Juliana’s traveling companions . . . and Juliana herself.

From the very first chapter title and sentence, I was hooked. In fact, I read the first page to my kids, while they were eating lunch, and my daughter said she wants to read it. THAT right there is a good sign.

I was totally taken in by Juliana’s quirks. She seemed to get into trouble, without even trying. All she wants to do is stay out of the limelight and avoid any suitors, but the more she tries to be invisible the more she’s noticed, and sometimes not by the best people.

Spencer has a mission to do, and it doesn’t include falling in love. Actually, that’s the farthest thing from his mind. That is until he sets his eyes on a bewitching young lady with a talent for trouble.

There’s something to be said for the friends to lovers stories. Those are the some of the best. The heart wants what the heart wants and even if you, or anyone else, try and stop it, it always wins in the end.

“There are not enough superlatives in the English language to capture even a tenth of my emotions.”

~Melpomene

Release date: April 19th
Preorder Love, Lies and Spies

Review: The Wrath and the Dawn by Renee Ahdieh

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01 wra “She was a dangerous, dangerous girl. A plague. A Mountain of Adamant who tore the iron from ships, sinking them to their watery graves without a second thought. With a mere smile and a wrinkle of her nose.”

This is one of the most epic and beautiful stories I have ever read. The backdrop was so rich in details I felt like I was there. The romance was a slow burn that had my heart twisting. The story itself had me neglecting my family, just so I could read faster. I was completely drawn into the story so much, that I never wanted to put it down. The words…oh, sweet heaven, the words…so romantic.

SYNOPSIS
In a land ruled by a murderous boy-king, each dawn brings heartache to a new family. Khalid, the eighteen-year-old Caliph of Khorasan, is a monster. Each night he takes a new bride only to have a silk cord wrapped around her throat come morning. When sixteen-year-old Shahrzad’s dearest friend falls victim to Khalid, Shahrzad vows vengeance and volunteers to be his next bride. Shahrzad is determined not only to stay alive, but to end the caliph’s reign of terror once and for all.

Night after night, Shahrzad beguiles Khalid, weaving stories that enchant, ensuring her survival, though she knows each dawn could be her last. But something she never expected begins to happen: Khalid is nothing like what she’d imagined him to be. This monster is a boy with a tormented heart. Incredibly, Shahrzad finds herself falling in love. How is this possible? It’s an unforgivable betrayal. Still, Shahrzad has come to understand all is not as it seems in this palace of marble and stone. She resolves to uncover whatever secrets lurk and, despite her love, be ready to take Khalid’s life as retribution for the many lives he’s stolen. Can their love survive this world of stories and secrets?

I’ll admit, at first, I never saw this turning into a romance, even though everyone said it was. I just couldn’t see how anyone could love a boy who had his wives murdered each night. I thought that there was no way he could ever be loved. I was so very wrong!

“What are you doing to me, you plague of a girl?” he whispered.
“If I’m a plague, then you should keep your distance, unless you plan on being destroyed.” The weapons still in her grasp, she shoved against his chest.
“No.” His hands dropped to her waist. “Destroy me.”

Shazi is a good wife. She will do her duties to the king, even though she is terrified. She has more determination to stay alive and find out why all of the wives are found dead each morning, and to not become one of them. She is different than Khalid’s past wives and he finds himself intrigued with her.

The more I read, I knew there was more going on with Khalid!! I just knew it! Heck, I even fell in love with him. This murdering boy-king stole my heart.

“This dangerous girl. This captivating beauty.
This destroyer of worlds and creator of wonder.”

I read this book back in December but I could never review it fully, due to the fact that my simple words could never convey exactly how much I love this story. Now as I prepare for my reread, in anticipation for The Rose and the Dagger, I felt I needed to try. I highly recommend this story to those who are in the mood for a rich romance set in the beautiful Arabian nights backdrop. Your heart will thank you. If you are unsure as to how much I loved this book, look at this picture and notice the amount of tabs I used. So many beautiful words. I wish I could use them all in my review.
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~Melpomene

Buy The Wrath and the Dawn

Be sure and check out the short story,The Moth and the Flame: A Wrath & the Dawn Short Story, which, even though it’s only a few pages, will make you fall in love with Khalid all over again and have you wanting more from his point of view.

Preorder The Rose and the Dagger before it release April 26th.

Review: Never Never by Brianna Shrum

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01 ner
I’ve been hooked on fairy tale retellings and books based on fairy tales. Since I’ve never read them, as a child, I think that’s why I like them now. So when I was gifted Never Never, I was super excited to start it. Now that ABF is over, I was finally able to do just that.

SYNOPSIS
James Hook is a child who only wants to grow up.

When he meets Peter Pan, a boy who loves to pretend and is intent on never becoming a man, James decides he could try being a child – at least briefly. James joins Peter Pan on a holiday to Neverland, a place of adventure created by children’s dreams, but Neverland is not for the faint of heart. Soon James finds himself longing for home, determined that he is destined to be a man. But Peter refuses to take him back, leaving James trapped in a world just beyond the one he loves. A world where children are to never grow up.

But grow up he does.

And thus begins the epic adventure of a Lost Boy and a Pirate.

This story isn’t about Peter Pan; it’s about the boy whose life he stole. It’s about a man in a world that hates men. It’s about the feared Captain James Hook and his passionate quest to kill the Pan, an impossible feat in a magical land where everyone loves Peter Pan.

Except one.

Since I’ve never read the Peter Pan story, so I really have no idea how it goes. But when I finished this book, I had tears forming in my eyes. I have no idea what to do now. James Hook had my heart. I wanted him to be good. I really did. I wanted him to find peace and a home and to find love. But I never expected this. I’m a bit shocked, but yet, not really. He is a pirate after all. He does the usually pirate things, but I knew it was for a reason. There just had to be!!

One part of this story made my romantic heart very happy and, at the same time, broke it into a million pieces. I wanted such good things for James. He deserved it, after what Peter did to him. My heart really wanted the happily ever after. But sadly, life, or in this case, fairy tales don’t always work like that.

“I grew up for you.”

And that Peter Pan…..I was a bit mad at him. I don’t wanna talk about him. I understand he was a boy, but there’s a side to him that smashed the Disney version to pieces. SHATTERED.

If you like retellings, you will enjoy Never Never.

~Melpomene

Grab NEVER NEVER while it’s on sale!! Only $1.99!!!