This was my first Baba Yaga novel, but Wickedly Wonderful was a very enjoyable book.  It looks like a typical love story with some supernatural aspects thrown in but was surprisingly about the issues at hand, solving the problem, and saving the people affected.

Beka is a resilient, independent, extraordinarily powerful creature that has amazing responsibilities.  She has a ditzy blond side that drives me crazy, but it adds to her character development.  I like that she didn’t fall all over the Selkie Prince and his charming ways.  There was no fawning or giving up morals and powers to get someone who “cherishes” her like no one ever has.

Of course, my absolute favorite character, Chewie; who doesn’t love a dragon?  Especially one with such snark that naturally comes to his vocabulary.  He takes his job duties very seriously, is extremely loyal, and he brings the expected comedic relief to the book while interjecting some seriously needed common sense.

Marcus is also not your typical Prince Charming.  He is gruff and clumsy in his shows of affection and is not afflicted by “love at first sight” with the skinny, blonde, surfer girl.  He grows to care about her and eventually falls in love.  He wins Beka over by being himself and not changing into a smooth talking Don Juan that poisons her with every bite.  He has his own problems and does not once give in everything for a woman.

I am looking forward to the next book and even looking into going out to find the first book to read more into the Baba Yaga world.

4.5 stars.

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Join Claire and Cole as they embark on the stormy love affair of a lifetime.

(Oh…and for those of you with husbands/boyfriends, please tell them “you’re welcome” from MJ.)

Alicia Williams has been in love with Ben Mitchell since he picked her up out of the mud in elementary school. But baseball-obsessed Ben has dreams to make it to the majors and see the world, and those dreams don’t include the girl next door, no matter how perfect she is. Ben is forced to choose and he leaves Alicia behind – but dreams can change and regrets can grow. When Ben returns back home to the ranch in Colorado Springs, trying to re-discover the man he was meant to be, will the girl he can’t get off his mind still be waiting? 

Join Ben and Alicia in DON’T LET GO as they fall in love and discover that sometimes life’s greatest adventure is the one you find at home. 

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ELECT by Rachel Van Dyken (December 2, 2014; Forever Trade Paperback, $12.00)

Would you die for the one you love?
Nixon Abandonato made his choice. And now he has to pay the price. Tracey is the love of his life, but being with him has made her a target of his family’s enemies. The only way to keep Trace alive is convince the world she means nothing to him.

Trace Rooks has fallen irrevocably in love with the son of her family’s sworn rival, and she knows in her bones nothing can tear them apart. Until Nix suddenly pushes her away and into the arms of his best friend… But Trace isn’t ready to give up on a future with Nix–and if he won’t fight for them, she will.

In the end, a sacrifice must be made. A life for a life. For what better way to cover a multitude of sins than with the blood of a sinner . . .

You can totally read my Review below loved, loved, LOVED this book and am wholeheartedly Team Nixon for Life!

Greed, Power, Money and Love. Add all of that together and what do you get? Elect

There was this

And maybe some of this

  I waited 7 long grueling days for this book and stalked Rachel Van Dyken’s Facebook page for every piece of extra scenes and sneak peeks until I drove myself crazy with want for this book! And can I just say that it did not disappoint. It’s really hard for me not write a spoil-free review because I want to tell you all what parts absolutely slayed me and what parts made me so mad, I contemplated throwing my kindle out a window(I have a 2 year warranty I would have been good) because I was so mad at the direction it was going. But I refrained.  The book picks up right where Elite left off, and if I thought I was blown away by that one, I was not prepared for Elect! Elite, to me was kind of like a Mafia for beginners, easing you into the world of the youngest and biggest Mafia boss and everything that entails. Elect put’s you right in the heart of it all; with more action and/ or gross factors as it is solely told from the men of the series POV’s.

Ahh, the men.

While reading this book I hate to say it but my loyalties shifted just a scotch.  The character’s I loved in the first book, I had a slight aversion to in this one and the same goes with the ones I hated, I found myself sympathizing with them.  Just when you think you know what’s going to happen, BOOM RVD throws the monkey of all monkey wrenches into it and you are left scratching your head going, ‘What just happened?’

She wove such a great and intricate plot twist that I seriously contemplated if Rachel herself didn’t have ties to the Mafia, because things like that could only really happen in the Mafia. I loved  how all the characters seemed so real to me, there was not one that I could not relate to and THAT is a feet for author’s, because you really relate to one, maybe two character’s in a series not all.  I think that Is a bonus for writing in dual POV’s, you get a chance to empathize and connect with the other person, or people in this matter.  This series is going to be my favorite series to look forward to in this coming year, Rachel Van Dyken is an amazing author that has made it to my top ten authors in such a short time.

4 1/2 out of 5 stars

Buy Links:

Amazon

B&N

IndieBound

iBooks

About the Author:

Rachel Van Dyken is the New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author of contemporary romances. When she’s not writing you can find her drinking coffee at Starbucks and plotting her next book while watching The Bachelor. She keeps her home in Idaho with her Husband and their snoring Boxer, Sir Winston Churchill. She loves to hear from readers! You can follow her writing journey at www.rachelvandyken.com

Social Media Links:

Website

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Goodreads

RaffelCoppter

Every woman wants me–except the one I sing for.
Seattle shakes with anticipation: they call it the concert of the year. They say girls are getting pregnant just thinking about my band being in town.
But when you love a girl, you don’t leave her with nothing but a ring and a promise. Any man with half a brain should know.
So what did I expect my girl would do when she saw me again?
Well, for starters, she loathes our music. Particularly the song I wrote about her.
When I sing it, the stadium is in an uproar. Thousands of fans scream my name like I’m a god–but yeah, not her. Crystal clear: the girl’s not happy to see me.
Black hair, black boots, a bad attitude, that’s her — Pandora Stone is a freaking man-eater and she’s out for my blood.
That’s alright.
Let her come at me. Because I’m out for her heart and, this time, there’s no way she can stop me.

My Review

I have been a HUGE Katy Evans fan since REAL, if you followed my blog for that long, than you know I think I posted about it every damn day I was so in love with the story and the writing, It just grabbed me and wouldn’t let go! Well that’s how the last book in the series is, Ripped. I had my qualms that I always get with a series: Is it going to be the same old story with different names and settings and been there read that. But with each of Katy’s books they surprised me and got better and better? Save the best for last really rang true in this case with Ripped.

Let me just state something, I flated(effing hated) Pandora from the moment she was introduced in Real and throughout the whole series. She was so negative and eff men this and eff men that, that I HAD to read what happened to her, and man I’m retracting my statement! Pandora is a Goth, she’s all gothy and hates men, one man in particular and doesn’t believe in love and happiness.

 “Trying wore me out, and it only made it more aware that I didn’t belong.”

Within the first few chapters I was getting out my tissue because Pandora was just so…sad, even though on the outside she was one pissed off chick.

And don’t even get me started on Mackenna, Hot damn, Mackenna is like..

Katy always has the best chemistry between her main MC’s but these were, possibly, maybe a little hotter than Brooke and Remy! (Runs and hides from the angry stares). I know I had to definitely take some chapter breaks from all the hot lovin’ going on! It was nice to see a little more of the couple that started this all, Brook and Rem and what they were up to. I don’t think I can say how much I loved this book and I know that I will pimp this out in the months, years to come and I can’t wait to see when Katy tops this (and she will).

6 out of 5 stars!

BookBesties

Aspiring chef Cade Maxwell is immediately, viscerally attracted to Winter Jacobson. But it’s not her mouthwatering curves he’s drawn to–it’s the strange emptiness in her eyes. When Cade saves her from a drunken customer with grabby hands, he’s shocked at her response…

Winter doesn’t need Cade’s help. After a lifetime of getting by on her own, she’s happy to rely on herself. She’s exactly seventy-six days away from graduating college, and if she can hold it together that long, she’ll finally be able to rise above the crappy hand she was dealt.

But now, every time she turns around, Cade is there, ready to push her, smile at her, distract her from her plans. Winter knows she can’t afford to open up–especially to a man she’s terrified to actually want…

My Review

I have never read anything by this author before but I was intrigued by the Synopsis and thought it would be a good read. I immediately loved Winter, she was just this strong type personality that needed no one and didn’t take any poo from anyone. Cade took me a little longer to warm up too, which is why I paused a few times reading this book. Mostly because it was hard picturing a bad ass looking dude with tat’s and piercing as a chef but then I think hey Guy Fieri and I’m like ya, okay I see it. Totally did not see the turn this book took (in a good way) in terms of the sex. It was pretty hot and explicit, two of the things I love about any book. I really empathized with Winter and the struggle of Ramin noodle and cardboard pizza dinner. I felt what the characters were feeling when they were feeling them and that is a result of good writing. Brighton Walsh tells a story in such a way that is sucks you in and makes you pause and just, feel. Once I did get into the meat of the book though? It was amazing and I loved that it wasn’t a typical HEA and it was more realistic than …he loved me I loved him and we were happy.

Great lead into the next book in the series, I have a feeling Jason is gonna be Dirty in such a good way! Good Job Brighton!

4 out of 5 Stars!

Brighton Walsh spent nearly a decade as a professional photographer before deciding to take her storytelling in a different direction and reconnect with her first love: writing. When she’s not pounding away at the keyboard, she’s probably either reading or shopping–maybe even both at once. She lives in the Midwest with her husband and two children, and, yes, she considers forty degrees to be hoodie weather. Her home is the setting for frequent dance parties, Lego battles, and more laughter than she thought possible. Visit her online at brightonwalsh.com.

Bookbesties

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