We are absolutely thrilled to bring you the Review & Excerpt Tour for Larissa Ione's HADES! HADES is a novella in Larissa's Demonica Series as part of the 1001 Dark Nights Collection and is exclusively available as Amazon Kindle and Paperback. Grab the latest installment in this sexy series!
About HADES:
A fallen angel with a mean streak and a mohawk, Hades has spent thousands of years serving as Jailor of the Underworld. The souls he guards are as evil as they come, but few dare to cross him. All of that changes when a sexy fallen angel infiltrates his prison and unintentionally starts a riot. It’s easy enough to quell an uprising, but for the first time, Hades is torn between delivering justice — or bestowing mercy — on the beautiful female who could be his salvation…or his undoing.
Thanks to her unwitting participation in another angel’s plot to start Armageddon, Cataclysm was kicked out of Heaven and is now a fallen angel in service of Hades’s boss, Azagoth. All she wants is to redeem herself and get back where she belongs. But when she gets trapped in Hades’s prison domain with only the cocky but irresistible Hades to help her, Cat finds that where she belongs might be in the place she least expected…
About Larissa Ione:
Larissa Ione is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author. An Air Force veteran, she traded in a career as a meteorologist to pursue her passion of writing. She now spends her days in pajamas with her computer, strong coffee, and supernatural worlds. She believes in celebrating everything, and would never be caught without a bottle of Champagne chilling in the fridge…just in case. She currently lives in Wisconsin with her U.S. Coast Guard husband, her teenage son, a rescue cat named Vegas, and her very own hellhound, a King Shepherd named Hexe.
The thought of
living one more day the way he’d lived the last five thousand years made him
want to throw up as he prowled the length of his crypt until he swore the soles
of his boots cried out for mercy.
Azagoth had left him
hours ago with all kinds of assurances that Cat wouldn’t be harshly punished
for what she’d done. But Azagoth’s idea of “harsh” was a lot different from
Hades’s. Well, not usually, but for Cat, definitely.
Hades just hoped
Azagoth hadn’t suspected that anything had gone on between them. Technically,
Hades hadn’t gone against Azagoth’s orders, but the Grim Reaper wasn’t a fan of
technicalities. And if he did anything to punish Cat for what Hades had done,
Hades would fight that bastard until he was too dead to fix.
Snarling, Hades
threw his fist into the wall. Never, not in his entire life, had he felt this
way about a female. Hell, he hadn’t felt this way about anything. Oh, he’d
always been passionate about meting out justice, but this was a different kind
of passion. This was an all-consuming desire to be with someone. To be
something better for that someone.
He hadn’t known Cat
for long, but in their brief time together, he’d shared things he’d always kept
private. He’d given comfort and had been comforted. He’d wanted, and he’d been
wanted back.
She wants to go
back to Heaven, idiot.
Yeah, then there was
that. The chances of going back were extremely slim, given that in all of
angelic existence, only a handful of fallen angels had been offered the
opportunity. But just the fact that she wanted to go was troubling.
Oh, he understood.
Who would choose to live in the grim darkness of the underworld when they could
flit around in light and luxury? But dammit, Cat was wanted down here. Could he
make her see that?
Closing his eyes, he
braced his forehead on the cool stone wall he’d just punched. Pain wracked him
and not just because he’d broken bones in his hand and they were knitting
together with agonizing speed. That pain was nothing compared to the ache in
his heart.
He needed to be with
Cat, but how? He supposed he could try reasoning with Azagoth. Sometimes the
guy wasn’t completely unbending. Especially now that he had Lilliana. She’d
leveled him out, had given him a new perspective on life and relationships.
But would it be
enough?
Because one thing
was certain. If Hades couldn’t have Cat in his life, then Azagoth had saved it
for nothing.
*Fans Face*
You know, as a young child, we grow up watching movies where Hades is portrayed as a nasty, decrepid, definitely not a
Cover Art: Sarah Storm, Wilcox Photography,Platinum Imagery and Design
*ARC given directly from the author in exchange for an honest review*
Evil poisons
everyone. Period. Our mouths water when we sink our teeth into what we
have always craved. Surrendering to our desires by biting off delectable
piece of the forbidden fruit is nothing more than a meager confession:
Poison tastes sinfully sweet,”—Confessions of the Big Apple Debutante,
by blogger Miss Snow White.
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I specialize in dark, paranormal romance – think “happy ever after” but with a twisted, dark chocolate center. Real-life romance isn’t only filled with hugs, kisses, unicorns, and rainbows. True-love can be more thoroughly described in times of darkness and tribulation. It’s in those harsh moments where you see what a person is truly capable of – both the good and bad. Sometimes prince-charming isn’t always on time, and the glass slipper is a little snug. However, it doesn’t mean Charming is not Mr. Right, and who says every shoe is the perfect fit?
I have loved the other two Twisted Fairytale novels written by Sarah Pepper. I knew I'd end up loving this one as well because of the synopsis & overall idea of this novel. The cover! Ahh! The cover is amazing just like the other two in this series. So, so eye catching! I was super excited to get my hands on this baby!
But.... This one is definitely my least favorite of the three. :( It started out with a bang, I was loving it, and then it just started to feel like I was walking in circles. It's hard to describe. The characters & overall world built in this novel, the twist on the old fashion 7 dwarfs, was great. It was dark, gritty, and full of action.
The first bit when you're trying to learn who is who was a little difficult. It was a tiny bit hard to keep up with because so many characters were introduced so quickly which jumbled up my mind a little. I loved the Huntsman but would've loved to have seen more of him in the present and not so much in the past. I won't lie... I sort of skipped several flashbacks because I felt like the story wasn't moving in the present fast enough. I wanted to see more of the Huntsman & Snow White together. Just them interacting and not so much back and forth. I truly loved the dwarfs but I won't lie and say that they're easy to keep up with. LOL It's hard to remember and really create their identity within your imagination and hold it there when there are so many other characters bouncing around.
I know of all of that sounds so negative... ack. I don't mean to be a total debbie-downer because at the end, I really did enjoy the novel overall. The pace of the novel picks back up near the last quarter and I didn't want to put it down. It sort of had highs & lows for me. I'll definitely continue to read anything else this author puts out. This one just didn't quite live up to my hype. Maybe that's my fault. I've loved the other two sooooo much that I just expected the same thing from this one. : /
So overall, I liked it, not my favorite, but I did like it.
*ARC obtained directly from the publisher in exchange for an honest review*
Synopsis:
Beauty Tremain had spent her life being thrown into the path
of ogres and noblemen by her title-hungry father, Noble
Tremain (whose name is really Frank.) Escaping the bonds of her
sadistic matchmaker father to work for a dragon-owned temp
agency, Beauty hesitantly takes a mysterious job working for
a butler in an enormous mansion. When the mansion’s owner,
James Hightower, proves to be a seven-foot-tall brooding beast
with the bad habit of hurling statuary from the rooftop, it’s up to Beauty to roll up her sleeves and
argue her way to a paycheck.
When Beauty and James start having feelings for each other, however, they determine their
relationship is the least of their concerns. Beauty’s father re-enters the scene armed with lawsuits
and threats. To add to the chaos, James’s mischievous ex-fiancee shows up to reclaim him.
Beauty and the beast need to somehow control their tempers long enough to return the favors
with schemes of their own.
When you really want to get to know a character, describing
their hair and eyes simply aren't going to cut it. Raven tresses and emerald
eyes tell you nothing about the character's sense of humor, temper, hopes or
dreams.
So, with my new book, "Beast Charming," I've
decided on what I hope is a more effective introduction. I've chosen a passage
from the book that I think gives a pretty good insight into the character's
personality.
Beauty (Yes, that's
really her birth name. She hates it)
From the book:
Three hours later, there was still no sign of him.
Since that time had included a dinner featuring Waverly’s
melt-in-your mouth roast, Beauty took the continued absence as a clear sign
that JamesBeast was an idiot. Of course, since she was the one who’d gotten
herself lost in the middle of the rapidly darkening woods trying to find him,
it was probably a case of the gnome calling the gremlin short.
She muttered insults at both of them as she pushed aside a
low-hanging branch, ducking out of the way before it could snap back and smack
her in the face.She’d had the genius
idea of following the trampled undergrowth, completely ignoring the fact that
she could have been following a very angry bear for the last 20 twenty minutes
who would now have every right to sue her for stalking. That, or she was
walking in an enormous circle, and JamesBeast was hidden somewhere watching and
laughing his head off.
James (a.k.a. Beast,
a.k.a. the most stubborn man on the planet)
From the book:
Hating the guilt he could feel threatening to overtake him,
he dropped the girl and watched while she scrambled into a sitting position.
“Did you get the answer you were looking— Not that farway, you idiot …. . ..”
James Beastcut off the rest of the
threat to reach forward and grab the girl again, stopping her panicked retreat
straight back into the middle of the thorny bush he’d yanked her out of. He
picked her back up, and lookeding for a place he could put her back down without
having to rescue her again. When she started sobbing, he shook her a little.
“Stop it. I’m trying to help you run away without the chance ofyour collapsing
in the woods and dying of blood loss.” He pointed towards the front of the
house, hoping Waverly wasn’t anywhere near a window at the moment. “Do you
think you’re capable of escaping that way without doing any more injury to
yourself?”
Waverly (Like Cher
and Madonna, he's cool enough that he doesn't need a second name)
From the book:
His expression turned rueful. “I’m afraid that my larger
purpose in hiring you isn’t nearly as intricate as James undoubtedly believes
it to be.” He moved closer, smile flickering again. “Though I must admit to
being flattered that he’s overestimated my genius in such a manner.”
“Any chance you could let me in on what that larger purpose
is?” she asked, lifting her hands in a helpless gesture. “If I know where we’re
supposed to be going with this, it might help me restrain the urge to hit the
man with something heavy.”
Waverly raised an eyebrow, the gesture so much more
expressive than when she did it that Beauty was briefly tempted to start
practicing the look in front of the mirror. “If either of you had paid proper
attention in the library, you would realize I’ve already explained the complete
extent of my ‘secret plot’ to both of you.”
Oh my goodness. This author just continues to blow me away. Jenniffer Wardell has this amazing, witty sense of humor that interweaves into her storytelling. Her writing just flows effortlessly for me. Beast Charming was thrilling, refreshing, full of wit, charm, & an amazing bit of humor all mingled together. It brought about new life to an old, classic fairytale! The characters were stunningly crafted! I'm actually having an internal debate about whether or not I loved this version of Beauty & the Beast more so than the original cartoon... Yes... it was THAT good. Reading Jenniffer's guest post above (THANK YOU FOR THAT JW!), you'll immediately get a sense of what I mean when I say that the characters are perfect. Beauty is strong, independent, and oh so smart-mouthed. Hehe. I loved her! It's so nice to see a female lead who isn't afraid to take charge and go after what she wants. She's lived a horrible life thanks to her father pushing her on every prince & single noble man within a million mile radius. Her & her sister... I don't envy them for being the laugh of the ball at times. But they kept their heads high & they finally managed to get away from him to live their own lives. Beast! I really, really loved his character. I liked the strength and the internal debate that he had going on within himself. He was a "beast" of a business man until he literally became, well... a beast. Then he shut himself out of the business world, not wanting people to see him looking more like his nickname. Waverly! Ah! I think he's truly one of my favorite characters in the entire novel. I loved every time he graced the pages. He had this calm sense of all-knowing about him that just hypnotized me. The plot was great! I wasn't expecting some of the twists and turns that Jenniffer took while working through their story! Overall, perfect 2nd novel by Miss Wardell. I can't wait to see what she comes out with next!!!! Overall rating: 5 Stars Cover rating: 5 Stars PLUS! Do you see that cover?!? I'd love to have it framed on my wall! Characters: 4.5 Stars <-- I would've loved to have seen more of Beauty's sister. I really enjoyed her sister but I almost felt, at times, like she fell a little too far into the background here and there when she should've stood out more. But overall, I did love everyone! Plot: 5 Stars Climax: 5 Stars Ending: 5 Huge Stars! So glad to see they got what was coming to them! (And that Beauty went back for the vines hehe - I'm so glad the author added that bit into the ending!!!!!!!)
*Ebook obtained directly from the author in exchange for an honest review*
Ava
has spent her life running from the monsters that lurk in the shadows,
always the prey. She finally thinks she can settle down, have a normal
life, and work on not being so scared of the world around her. That is
until she runs into her worst fear.
He
has finally found the potential family he has always wanted. All he has
to do is make his little bird sing. Will Ava escape with her humanity
intact?
Nikki Rae is a student and
writer who lives in New Jersey. When she is not writing, thinking, or
reading, she is most likely hanging out with her gecko, Neil Gaiman,
drawing in a quiet corner, or drinking tea by the gallon. Sunshine is
her first book.
Animal is quite the intriguing tale. I wasn't sure what to expect with this one because the cover doesn't give much away, nor does the synopsis. The novel starts out pretty slowly so I was a tad worried I wouldn't like this one as much as I liked this author's previous work. But before long, I couldn't put it down. The suspense in this novel is nearly overwhelming within certain moments.
You have your characters - the main female lead being Ava. She seemed drab to me at first but that was because she's so used to hiding and never letting herself be comfortable. She's always looking over her shoulder, fearing what goes bump in the night. She has horrible anxiety & panic attacks. I've had my share of those when I was a teen and the author captures the feeling quite well. She loves animals. Good ones. Ones that are furry or feathery. But she's learned about what really goes bump in the night from her parents. Part of me wonders what would've happened if her parents had never been killed... Or if she never knew about the vampires at all. Would she have gone blissfully into the arms of Michael in the beginning before her cousin swept her away into hiding? Hmm things to think about.
Anyways, then you have Michael. Dark, scary, warped, Michael... He's scary because he's so unstable. I never knew what he would do one moment from the next. I definitely wouldn't have been able to keep my wits about me like Ava does had I been stuck with him. Evan... I loved Evan's character. He was a great balance between the sane and the crazy psycho.
The other supporting characters were great & I would even be up for another story featuring them again.
The plot keeps you on your toes. You think Ava is getting stuck into Stockholm's syndrome, beginning to really have feelings for Michael... but it's all a part of her plan. Keep your enemies close. She does it wayyyy better and more dedicated than I ever could. Bravo to her.
As the reader, you want her to do something and take action against Michael, save herself, but she does the exact opposite of what you really expected her to do. Loved that. It kept me on my toes as the reader.
The climax... which one? It felt like there were moments that left you so high strung that you thought they were the climax, leaving you no where to go but down... But then it keeps going! I really enjoyed the way the story built and built.
Overall, great novel once I became attached to & invested in the characters lives.
Huge 4 star novel for me. This novel was just another reason proving why I love everything this author has published. Nikki Rae has a way of spinning the plot into the exact opposite direction you expect it to go. She leaves you wanting more. She builds and builds onto the story until you think you can't handle anymore... then she throws something else at the characters, leaving you feeling sucker punched. You can't turn the pages fast enough.
"Life is messy. Love is messier." -Catch and Release
Temper For You
For You Series, book #3
By Genna Rulon
"Life is messy. Love is messier." -Catch and Release
Meg
Adeio has led a life of isolation—not by choice, by necessity—until one
act of heroism forces her out of seclusion. Despite a past shrouded in
mystery, Meg is “adopted” by an eclectic group of friends that become
the family she never had. Life was good for the first time in…ever.
Or
it was until Westly Black reappeared on her doorstep. She knew he was
the last man any woman should give her time to—only good for one
thing—yet a temptation no woman could deny. Wes might make her life
messy, but Meg’s eyes were wide open and she had it under control. At
least she thought she did.
When past and present collide, loyalties are tested, forcing Meg to sacrifice her future to protect those she loves.
Temper
For You is a gripping story of regret, deception, and redemption –
filled with raw emotion, sarcastic wit, intrigue, and love’s propensity
to forgive.
• Though Temper For You is a final book of the For You Series, it can be read as a stand-alone
• This story is appropriate for readers 18+
Genna Rulon is an up and coming contemporary romance author.
During
her 15 years in the corporate world, Genna, inspired by her love of
reading, fantasized about penning her own stories. Encouraged by her
favorite authors, many of whom are indie writers and self-published, she
committed to pursuing her aspirations of writing her own novels.
Genna
was raised in Long Island, New York, where she still resides,
surrounded by the most amazing family and friends. Married to a
wonderful man, who patiently tolerates her ramblings about whichever
book she is currently working on, even feigning interest relatively
convincingly! Genna is blessed with two little boys who do their best
to thwart mommy's writing time with their hilarious antics and charming
extrapolations.
You can find Genna online at: www.gennarulon.com Be sure to join the mailing list for updates about future books, as well as giveaways, and other fun facts.
Genna Rulon worked her magic with this third installment of
the series. Even though it's said you can read this one as a standalone, I
wouldn't recommend doing so. The author keeps her previous characters as
supporting characters and continues their story as the series progresses. I
think you'll love the characters and be able to relate with them more if you've
read their own stories too.
This story followed Meg & Wes. I have to admit that this
was probably my favorite plot of the series so far. Meg's life is far, far
darker than we ever imagined. The author does a great job of keeping you
guessing at what exactly IS Meg's history until well into the book. I liked
that about this novel. Now Wes... I have to admit that I didn't like him for
the longest time. I couldn't find the appeal with him until well into the
novel. Normally, it's the guys that keep me reading when it comes to series about
a guy & a girl... this time it was Meg who kept me reading. I was drawn to
her.
This book seemed to miss a little something as compared to
the other two. I'm not quite sure what it was but it was a spark of sorts.
Maybe it's because I wasn't a huge fan of Wes that held me back a bit.
Overall, huge 4 stars for me. I'll continue to read anything
this author puts out!
About HADES: A fallen angel with a mean streak and a mohawk, Hades has spent thousands of years serving as Jailor of the Underworld. The souls he guards are as evil as they come, but few dare to cross him. All of that changes when a sexy fallen angel infiltrates his prison and unintentionally starts a riot. It’s easy enough to quell an uprising, but for the first time, Hades is torn between delivering justice — or bestowing mercy — on the beautiful female who could be his salvation…or his undoing. Thanks to her unwitting participation in another angel’s plot to start Armageddon, Cataclysm was kicked out of Heaven and is now a fallen angel in service of Hades’s boss, Azagoth. All she wants is to redeem herself and get back where she belongs. But when she gets trapped in Hades’s prison domain with only the cocky but irresistible Hades to help her, Cat finds that where she belongs might be in the place she least expected…
About Larissa Ione:
Larissa Ione is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author. An Air Force veteran, she traded in a career as a meteorologist to pursue her passion of writing. She now spends her days in pajamas with her computer, strong coffee, and supernatural worlds. She believes in celebrating everything, and would never be caught without a bottle of Champagne chilling in the fridge…just in case. She currently lives in Wisconsin with her U.S. Coast Guard husband, her teenage son, a rescue cat named Vegas, and her very own hellhound, a King Shepherd named Hexe.
