Review: The Song of David by Amy Harmon

01 song “The most intimate thing we can do is to allow the people we love most to see us at our worst.”

My heart is full and happy. The Song of David was so beautifully written, I can’t seem to wrap my head around any coherent words that will make this review even a hint of what it should be. I can’t see through my tears, even if I could think well enough to do that. Amy Harmon’s stories are perfect. The characters are real. The problems are real. The hurt is real. She is the master creator of stories that will change you and heal you.

SYNOPSIS
I won my first fight when I was eleven years old, and I’ve been throwing punches ever since. Fighting is the purest, truest, most elemental thing there is. Some people describe heaven as a sea of unending white. Where choirs sing and loved ones await. But for me, heaven was something else. It sounded like the bell at the beginning of a round, it tasted like adrenaline, it burned like sweat in my eyes and fire in my belly. It looked like the blur of screaming crowds and an opponent who wanted my blood.

For me, heaven was the octagon.

Until I met Millie, and heaven became something different. I became something different. I knew I loved her when I watched her stand perfectly still in the middle of a crowded room, people swarming, buzzing, slipping around her, her straight dancer’s posture unyielding, her chin high, her hands loose at her sides. No one seemed to see her at all, except for the few who squeezed past her, tossing exasperated looks at her unsmiling face. When they realized she wasn’t normal, they hurried away. Why was it that no one saw her, yet she was the first thing I saw?

If heaven was the octagon, then she was my angel at the center of it all, the girl with the power to take me down and lift me up again. The girl I wanted to fight for, the girl I wanted to claim. The girl who taught me that sometimes the biggest heroes go unsung and the most important battles are the ones we don’t think we can win.

No one fights alone.

David “Tag” Taggert has been a fighter for most his life. He will fight for those he loves and cares about, until he can no longer swing. We met Tag in The Law of Moses and I’m so glad we get to see more of him. He hasn’t had the easiest of times, since the death of his sister, but he puts on an act and carries on. On the outside he seems like the most confident and happy go lucky kind of guy, but there’s a secret that he’s keeping from those who love him most.

I adored Millie!!! She was the best girl for Tag. She’s a fighter and a mighty protector. She lays it out there and tells him what he needs to hear, not what he wants to hear. No matter how much he wants to protect her from the ugly side of life, she forces him let her in and be there for him.

“When you’re with me, I feel like I glimpse a David nobody else knows is there. It’s a Song of David, and nobody else can hear it but me.”

This book struck a chord with me. So many parts of this story I could relate to, and it made me connect and feel it, even more than I normally would. There is a connection between David and Goliath that everyone faces at some point in their lives. They must fight their giants, and keep fighting til they’re taken down and destroyed. Never stop fighting. No matter what.

“You hold onto me. You trust me. You lean on me. You rely on me. You let me shelter you. You let me love you. All of you.”

~Melpomene

While you can read this as a standalone, to avoid spoilers and get the full experience, read The Law of Moses
first. You can thank me later.

Buy The Song of David

Review: The Consequence of Revenge by Rachel Van Dyken

01 cons OH MY GOSH!!!!! MAX!!!!! I love Max. I mean, if you read Consequence #1, you met Max. He was the metrosexual best friend of Milo and would do anything for her. Even pretending to be her fiance, so she could get the man she loves. He went above and beyond the call of duty. However, after all he did, he was left alone, without a best friend anymore. And his friends were sick of his moping, so they decided to get him out of his funk.

However their way of helping is not his way. But really, who wouldn’t wanna be on a deserted island with 25 other single women?? Well…..Max. So he’s stuck on an island with the girl who turned him down, a goat, a gecko, and plenty of other women who make his insane personality almost seem normal.

This book was another hilarious installation in the Consequence series. I was cracking up. I loved how the other characters found their way to creep in the story and add to the madness.

I did feel bad for Max being surrounded by all these crazy people. However love manages to sneak in and we get to see the softer and sexier side to him. He was downright swoon worthy.

If you like romance books with plenty of laughter mixed in, and a dash or two of sexiness, then this is your book. Heck, this is your series!!

~Melpomene

Be sure to grab The Consequence of Loving Colton so you can see what happens to Max and understand why his friends did this to him. You won’t be disappointed.

Then grab The Consequence of Revenge

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Review and Giveaway:Trusting Liam by Molly McAdams

01 tru You know how books have short epilogues, that just give you a small glimpse into their futures? Well, this book was like the most epic of epilogues. For those who don’t know, Liam is the son of Chase and Harper, from Taking Chances and Stealing Harper. I’ll admit, when I hear Liam was getting a book, I said a little prayer to the book gods that I was going to be able to handle it. Taking Chances was my first book ugly cry, and Stealing Harper about killed me. Molly pretty much destroyed me and everyone else, with those books. So you can understand my nervousness.

SYNOPSIS
When Kennedy Ryan moves to California, she never expects to come face-to-face with Liam Taylor—the intriguing man who has haunted her thoughts for a year. A man who led her to breaking every one of her rules for a single night of passion that ended up meaning more than it was ever supposed to. Accustomed to disastrous experiences with men, Kennedy shields herself before he can break down more of the carefully built control she’s clung to for the last four years. But every time she sees Liam, she feels her resolve weakening.

Liam Taylor has been asked to help socialize his boss’s nieces. But what he thinks sounds more like a babysitting job ends up leading him to the only girl who ever slipped away before morning—a girl he thought he’d never find again. And now that she’s within reach, Liam’s determined to never let her go.

But when a secret from her past tests their relationship, will they be able to cling to the trust Liam has worked so hard to build?

I adored Liam!! He’s had some big shoes to fill. His dad was loved by a lot of people and sometimes that can be overwhelming for him, since he never met him. Many times throughout this story I found myself tearing up as they reminisce about the past. My heart would splinter a little bit, when they talked about Chase. I know the book is about Liam, but Chase played a huge part in this entire series, so it’s really hard to forget about him.

Kennedy was a tough nut to crack. I kept yelling at her to loosen up, but she never listened to me. But then, I found out why she was the way she was. Then it all made sense. The past few years have been rough on her.I can see why she had such apprehension, when it came to Liam. But he wasn’t going to give up. He’s much like his dad in that sense. If he wants something, he will fight for it.

I was so happy to see all the past characters, especially the side ones like Brian. He was a funny, and very loving guy. Comments like dude number one and dude number two, when he was talking to Kennedy and her sister, made me snort a bit. When he would speak about Chase, with such love, tears were forming in my eyes. He loves Liam just as much as his father. And let’s not talk about the name Little Chachi, unless you have a tissues nearby.

All in all, I am very happy with this ending. It’s not a happily ever after, because life isn’t always happy, but it’s about as happy as you can get with what life’s dealt you. Well done, Molly!

~Melpomene

Trust me when I say that you should read Taking Chances and Stealing Harper before you read this. You will benefit more from it. And then when your tears have dried up, you can start on Liam.

Don’t forget to enter the Rafflecopter giveaway

Release Date: June 9, 2015

Buy Taking Chances (Taking Chances and Forgiving Lies Book 1)

Buy Stealing Harper (Taking Chances and Forgiving Lies Book 2)

Then buy Trusting Liam: A Taking Chances and Forgiving Lies Novel

TrustingLiam

Review: Nowhere But Here by Katie McGarry

01 nowhere “The only way to break free is to understand the past so you don’t continue to follow in their footsteps.”

Oh my gosh!! Katie McGarry has done it again! I love MC series and Katie’s books. So when you combine them, this is a match in my book nerd heaven.

SYNPOSIS
Seventeen-year-old Emily likes her life the way it is: doting parents, good friends, good school in a safe neighborhood. Sure, she’s curious about her biological father—the one who chose life in a motorcycle club, the Reign of Terror, over being a parent—but that doesn’t mean she wants to be a part of his world. But when a reluctant visit turns to an extended summer vacation among relatives she never knew she had, one thing becomes clear: nothing is what it seems. Not the club, not her secret-keeping father and not Oz, a guy with suck-me-in blue eyes who can help her understand them both.

Oz wants one thing: to join the Reign of Terror. They’re the good guys. They protect people. They’re…family. And while Emily—the gorgeous and sheltered daughter of the club’s most respected member—is in town, he’s gonna prove it to her. So when her father asks him to keep her safe from a rival club with a score to settle, Oz knows it’s his shot at his dream. What he doesn’t count on is that Emily just might turn that dream upside down.

No one wants them to be together. But sometimes the right person is the one you least expect, and the road you fear the most is the one that leads you home.

This is a story about being proud of where you come from. It’s about love and forgiveness and being true to yourself. Emily has been told ties all her life, but she never knew it, until she came back and was thrust into her biological father’s world. Now she is slowly unraveling the lies and falling more in love this life and these people who she’s been told to fear.

Oz made a mistake and has been put a babysitting duty, of the leader’s daughter. He knows she’s bad news and wants her to go home as soon as possible. But the longer he stays near her, she brings out feelings that he has no right to feel. But no matter how hard he tries, he can’t deny that this MC princess is going to be his downfall, if he doesn’t get a hold of himself.

In true Katie McGarry form, this book is perfect for mid teens. There is no over the top sexiness. There was a fair amount of tension, but nothing explicit. Oz and Emily try and fight their attraction, but sometimes the heart doesn’t work with what we want.

“I thought your job was to prevent me from learning the truth…”

“No. My job is to love you.”

This book was full of excitement and had an emotional story line that will tug at your heartstrings a bit. I found myself even tearing up a bit at the end. You fall in love with these characters and don’t want any harm to befall them. But sometimes life isn’t perfect. So if you find people who love you, except their love and hold on tight.

~Melpomene

BuyNowhere but Here (Thunder Road)

Review: GUS by Kim Holden

01aaaa How do you go back to doing what you did before, when half of you is gone forever?

This book….This book is about so many things. This is about healing, moving on, forgiveness, love, just to name a few. This book will make you cry, and at the same time those tears will bring you healing. Your heart will be overflowing with so many emotions, the release will make you complete.

When I read Bright Side, I fell in love with Gus. I know the book wasn’t all about Gus, but I knew, I knew Gus was going to need someone very special after that. There is no way you can recover from that alone. But my heart was in no way prepared for what Gus would go through. His world was shattered. His heart was shattered. He was merely alive, but in no way living. It was going to take more than just him mom and band mates to bring him back.

On the outside, Gus is this hot rocker that likes to party all the time. He gets mixed up in all kinds of vices that are slowly tearing him apart, but he doesn’t care. His life is no longer bright, so he has lost the will to do anything anymore. Watching him self destruct was one the most painful things I’ve ever experienced. He was wrecked. There is nothing left, but a shell of a man in search of anything to fill him up.

Cue, Scout. Scout is hired on to be his keeper. Little does she know that in watching him, she is healing him. And in doing that, he is healing her as well. I loved Scout. I loved the fact that she wasn’t perfect. I loved the way that Gus brings her out of her shell. Her life was so far from ideal, that she wished for something better. I enjoyed watching her grow to realize that no matter how mismatched a family is, as long as their is love, that’s all that matters.

It cracked me up watching Gus try and figure her out. She had secrets that prevented her from living life to the fullest. But after a few rough patches, he found that making her smile was his new goal. That’s when the book became a little more funny. But don’t let that fool you. While this book had a nice dose of silliness and teasing, it had a hefty dose of reality. And sometimes reality sucks. It suck hard. But like I said before, this book will bring you healing. Just hold on tight, and perhaps grab a box of tissues before you start.

I was so thankful for a glimpse into the Bright Side characters. I needed to know that they were ok. I have to believe that even through something so devastating, with the right amount of time and love, healing can happen.

“Some people wear their scars on the outside. Others wear them on the inside.”

~Melpomene

Buy Gus

To fully understand where Gus is coming from, you must read Bright Side
You can thank me later.

Cover reveal and giveaway: The Song of David by Amy Harmon

For those who know me, know I love Amy Harmon. She is the one author that I cried over, when I met her. Yep, I hugged her and burst into tears. Real mature, I know. But this lady is the sweetest person and she write books that seep into my soul. Her words are magical. If you haven’t read one, you should. With that being said, here is the cover for her newest book The Song of David. I am so excited to read Tag’s story!! We meet Tag in The Law of Moses and he was a fabulous character! I know that is going to be another winner.

TSOD KINDLE

The Song of David
5/18/15

By: Amy Harmon
Available: June 15, 2015
Cover by: Hang Le

Synopsis:
She said I was like a song. Her favorite song. A song isn’t something you can see. It’s something you feel, something you move to, something that disappears after the last note is played.

I won my first fight when I was eleven years old, and I’ve been throwing punches ever since. Fighting is the purest, truest, most elemental thing there is. Some people describe heaven as a sea of unending white. Where choirs sing and loved ones await. But for me, heaven was something else. It sounded like the bell at the beginning of a round, it tasted like adrenaline, it burned like sweat in my eyes and fire in my belly. It looked like the blur of screaming crowds and an opponent who wanted my blood. 

For me, heaven was the octagon.

Until I met Millie, and heaven became something different. I became something different. I knew I loved her when I watched her stand perfectly still in the middle of a crowded room, people swarming, buzzing, slipping around her, her straight dancer’s posture unyielding, her chin high, her hands loose at her sides. No one seemed to see her at all, except for the few who squeezed past her, tossing exasperated looks at her unsmiling face. When they realized she wasn’t normal, they hurried away. Why was it that no one saw her, yet she was the first thing I saw?

If heaven was the octagon, then she was my angel at the center of it all, the girl with the power to take me down and lift me up again. The girl I wanted to fight for, the girl I wanted to claim. The girl who taught me that sometimes the biggest heroes go unsung and the most important battles are the ones we don’t think we can win.

OH MY GOSH!!!! I can’t wait!!!!

~Melpomene

Be sure to enter the giveaway HERE

Pre order The Song of David
AMAZON
SMASHWORDS

Add The Song of David to your Goodreads.

Review: Deacon by Kristen Ashley

01 a0 How does Kristen Ashley manage to write about the most sexy men on the planet?? They may not be perfect men, but they are perfect to the women that claim them. And Deacon is most definitely that man. He hasn’t made the best choices in his life, but when he meets Cassie, he realizes that he can’t keep doing what he’s doing if he wants a girl like her.

SYNOPSIS
Deacon has an ugly history, a history that broke him, leaving him a ghost of a man. Out of necessity, he left the normal world to descend into the criminal world and found he fit. So he stayed. Cold as ice and living off the grid, Deacon has no intention to connect, not with anyone.

Then he returns to some remote cabins in the Colorado Mountains and finds they have new owners. One of them is Cassidy Swallow, a young woman willing to work hard to live her quiet dream in a house by a river surrounded by aspen and pine.

Suddenly, Deacon finds he’s at war. Cassidy’s pull for him to connect is strong. He fights it, but he loses, always coming back for more. But when he does, he gives her nothing.

From the first time she sees him, Cassidy knows Deacon is dead inside. She knows he’s the kind of man who could destroy a woman. But one night when Deacon’s control slips, Cassidy takes a chance.

He might break her. He also might be her dream come true.

Cassie knows he’s dangerous. She knows she should stay away. But there’s this pull that can’t be explained, and all it takes is one little slip and she’ll be lost in him forever.

I loved Deacon’s mysterious side. He kept coming back year after year. He barely ever spoke to her, but that didn’t change the fact that they were drawn to each other.

This book was so hot. I mean, whoa. I was rereading and taking notes. Their connection was off the charts. One minute they were sweet, and the next there was no stopping them. The was Deacon spoke to Cassie was so sweet and saucy, I was swooning.

Another 5 star K.A. book. In all reality, you can’t go wrong with a K.A. book. She write about real women and real situations. No cookie cutter books. Perfection.

~Melpomene

Buy Deacon (The Unfinished Heroes Series Book 4)

Review: Fury by Fisher Amelie

01 a1 WOW!!! I am speechless and crying. This book….How does Fisher do this to me in every book she writes?! This book will make you feel. This book will change your life. This book will bring to light, that the world has some very bad and scary parts to it. And the further you get sucked in, the more fury will take hold and pull you in deeper.

SYNOPSIS
Revenge is an euphoric thing. Trust me on this. Nothing compares to the release you get when you ruin someone’s life. When they’ve stolen important things. Things that didn’t belong to them. Things I revel in making them pay for.

What? Have I offended you? I’m not here to appeal to your delicate senses. I have no intention of placating your wishes or living within your personal belief system nor do I care if you hate me. And you will hate me. Because I’m a brutal, savage, cold-blooded murderer and I’m here for my revenge.

I’m Ethan Moonsong…And this is the story about how I went from the world’s most sacrificing man to the most feared and why I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world.

Ethan is angry. After all we went through for his ex girlfriend. He wanted to be forever with her, but she changed and now he can’t stand these feelings anymore. Until one day, he stumbles upon and old friend from high school, and his life slowly turns around.

She made me forget my night. Just like that. Finley was the calm after the storm.

Finley doesn’t realize that she may just save Ethan from making a decision that would change his life. And in doing so, Ethan turns around and chances her life.

Their story is very sad, but it’s also very beautiful. It brings to light a very sad and scary part of this world, that many turn a blind eye to. I was moved to tears many times. My heart was breaking. I was a wreck.

If you can find your way to push anger out of your heart, you can find a way to be happy. But no one said it would be easy.

~Melpomene

Buy FURY: The Seven Deadly Series Standalone #3 during release week, for only $1.99!!

While Fury can be read as a standalone, I highly recommend reading the first two books in the Seven Deadly Series.
VAIN: Series Standalone 1
GREED: Series Standalone 2

Review: All Played Out by Cora Carmack

01all In science, every action might have an equal and opposite reaction, but not in life. Life is unbalanced. Life is complicated.

This series keeps getting better and better. The football aspect is even starting to grow on me. These books have just the right amount of emotion and heart. Nothing too sappy, but the perfect amount of realness. And Mateo’s story is just that. It made me want to crawl in and join that group of friends.

SYNOPSIS
First person in her family to go to college? CHECK.
Straight A’s? CHECK.
On track to graduate early? CHECK.
Social life? …..yeah, about that….

With just a few weeks until she graduates, Antonella DeLuca’s beginning to worry that maybe she hasn’t had the full college experience. (Okay… Scratch that. She knows she hasn’t had the full college experience).

So Nell does what a smart, dedicated girl like herself does best. She makes a “to do” list of normal college activities.

Item #1? Hook up with a jock.

Rusk University wide receiver Mateo Torres practically wrote the playbook for normal college living. When he’s not on the field, he excels at partying, girls, and more partying. As long as he keeps things light and easy, it’s impossible to get hurt… again. But something about the quiet, shy, sexy-as-hell Nell gets under his skin, and when he learns about her list, he makes it his mission to help her complete it.

Torres is the definition of confident (And sexy. And wild), and he opens up a side of Nell that she’s never known. But as they begin to check off each crazy, exciting, normal item, Nell finds that her frivolous list leads to something more serious than she bargained for. And while Torres is used to taking risks on the field, he has to decide if he’s willing to take the chance when it’s more than just a game.

Together they will have to decide if what they have is just part of the experiment or a chance at something real.

I totally connected with this story, since I was a very sheltered and school driven myself. I never really experienced the “usual college activities.” So I enjoyed Nell’s list making and the checking off of the items. I wish I did that, when I was younger. Work is important, yes, but if that’s all you have, you’re going to live a half life. So, I was glad to see Nell attempt to take control and change it for the better.

Mateo was the best kind of guy. No, scratch that. He was the best kind of guy, for Nell. His joking and flirting, around his friends, hid his true feelings. But Nell saw right through those and was able to help him move past them. He was the comic relief that was needed. Everyone group of friends need a Mateo.

I also enjoyed their smoking chemistry. To have that kind of instant attraction, is the best, when it is well written and not over the top insta-lust. And that is exactly what this was. The perfect balance.

Somewhere between my chest and my stomach there’s a knot that twists every time I see her. And I’m starting to enjoy it, the strange pleasure pain of wanting her.

I enjoyed seeing the other characters, and how they’re slowly dropping in the coupledom. We also see a glimpse of what’s to come in the next book. I’ve been waiting for that one. I’m very excited.

~Melpomene

Buy All Played Out: A Rusk University Novel

Cover reveal: The Forbidden Mountain by Heather Lyons

We are so excited to bring you the Cover Reveal for Heather Lyons’ THE FORGOTTEN MOUNTAIN! THE FORGOTTEN MOUNTAIN is an Adult Fantasy and the third book in Heather’s The Collector’s Society Series!

Heather Lyons is known for writing epic, heartfelt love stories often with a fantastical twist. From Young Adult to New Adult to Adult novels — one commonality in all her books is the touching, and sometimes heartwrenching, romance. And this book is absolutely no different! The Collectors’ Society’s adventures continue in ways you would have never imagined on June 25th! Join them as you step into this adult fairytale with some of your favorite characters.

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 Heather worked with Victoria Faye from Whit and Ware for the design of this fabulous cover!

Add THE FORGOTTEN MOUNTAIN on Goodreads!!

 

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About THE FORGOTTEN MOUNTAIN:

After years spent in Wonderland, Alice Reeve learned the impossible was quite possible after all. She thought she left such fantastical realities behind when she finally returned to England.

Now Alice has become a member of the clandestine Collectors’ Society, and the impossible has found her again in the form of an elusive villain set on erasing entire worlds. As she and the rest of the Society race to bring this mysterious murderer to justice, the fight becomes painfully personal.

Lives are being lost. Loved ones are shattered or irrevocably altered. Each step closer Alice gets to the shadowy man she hunts, the more secrets she unravels, only to reveal chilling truths. If she wants to win this war and save millions of lives, Alice must once more embrace the impossible and make the unimaginable, imaginable.

Sometimes, the rabbit hole leads to terrifying places.

 

Don’t miss the first books in this The Collectors’ Society Series!

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THE COLLECTORS’ SOCIETY

Amazon ** Barnes and Noble ** iBooks ** Kobo

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THE HIDDEN LIBRARY

Amazon ** Amazon UK ** Barnes and Noble ** iBooks ** Kobo

Author PhotoAbout Heather Lyons:

Heather Lyons writes epic, heartfelt love stories and has always had a thing for words. In addition to writing, she’s also been an archaeologist and a teacher. She and her husband and children live in sunny Southern California and are currently working their way through every cupcakery she can find.

 

 

 

 

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