ParaWars: Uprising BLOG TOUR: Friday Reads Review!

Hello everyone and welcome to a special edition of Friday Reads! I'm very happy to be part of the Blog Tour for ParaWars: Uprising by Caitlin Greer!

ParaWars: Uprising is Caitlin's NA take on the Urban Fantasy/Paranormal genre that came out on October 15th. I'm quite a fan of UF/Paranormal and when I read the blurb and heard that there were gargoyles here, I knew I wanted to read this one and when I got the chance to be part of the tour I jumped at it!

The Paranormal Uprising brought myth and legend out of the shadows and into real life. The war that followed tore the world apart. Two years after the Uprising, twenty-year-old Kendry is learning the hard way that the battle lines aren’t as clear-cut as human versus para. And the hard way means being hunted down by both human militants and para separatists. Trouble is, she has no idea why. 


On the run with only her mysterious gargoyle guardian, Kendry knows that finding out why she’s on everyone’s most-wanted list will be no easy task. It means charging headlong into a war she’d hoped to avoid, and is woefully unprepared for. So when she realizes that everyone in her life has been lying to her, discovering that she’s somehow the key to ending the war is the last thing she needs. With both sides tearing up the world to find her, it’s decision time for Kendry—keep running, or stand up and fight.


 Author Bio:
Cait writes YA and NA stories that range from sci-fi and fantasy (because she loves making worlds and things up), to contemporary (because she kind of sort of fell into it and discovered she’s not half bad). Her best friends growing up were the combined works of Robin McKinley, Madeline L'Engle, Anne McCaffrey, Andre Norton, and too many others to mention.

She drives a Jeep, loves the outdoors, takes pictures of everything she can, and writes obsessively. A martial artist and a former teacher, Cait is owned by two cats who started out incredibly small, and are now incredibly huge.

She currently live in Utah, but Virginia will always be home.

 Author Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7020757.Cait_Greer
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Cait_Greer
ParaWars: Uprising Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18283667-parawars


My Review:

 I was lucky enough to receive an eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Just by the name of the book you'll probably be guessing that ParaWars: Uprising is part of the urban fantasy/paranormal genre, and you'd be right. I have read quite a bit of UF/paranormal books and although I can't claim to be an expert, I can tell you that ParaWars is a fresh take on the genre.

You would also be wondering what paranormal creatures are the ones we can find in here? Well, all! All? Yep, think of any paranormal creature and it's quite likely that it'll be here! From Gods from any and all mythologies, to minotaurs, to your usual weres, ghosts to even the Jabberwocky (or maybe a Jaberwocky?).

The ParaWars were world-wide wars that started when the paranormals all over the world decided to reveal their existence to humankind and when the humans didn't take that very well and decided that they didn't want to share their world with the paras, even if they had been living together for centuries (unknowingly).

Two years after the start of the Uprising of the ParaWars Kendry, our main character, lives in a small town where paras and humans have found a way to coexist peacefully, hoping that the raging war will not come to their doors. But their luck doesn't hold and an army of human soldiers comes and takes most of the population, paras and humans alike, prisoners. Kendry escapes capture at first cause she had been out running, but in her trying to rescue her mum she's captured again. But Axel, her friend and a gargoyle, does rescue her and a few other prisoners, but the majority of them including Kendry's mum are moved away somewhere else. Kendry wants to try and rescue her mom and after a bit of a debate with some of the humans and paras a rescue party is formed. It's clear from here that there are quite a few things that Kendry doesn't know about what's going on and possibly about herself.

On the beginning ParaWars showed a lot of potential with giving us a fresh perspective on the UF world but also seemed to be close to falling in some of the topics of the genre, but luckily the author managed to avoid the possible pitfalls and we have plenty of interesting characters, a lot of secrets and revelations, a steamy romance that starts as a friendship with a spark (a big one) but with no sign of insta-love.

Kendry is a 20 year old that has given up on the usual dreams since the ParaWars have wrecked how life used to be, but she tries to make the best of her situation, she's headstrong and brave and a bit reckless on occasion. She's got some spunk and she can hold her own since both her mum and dad taught her how to survive in the wild.

Axel is a gargoyle, and that in itself was part of the reason why I wanted to read this book, none of the books in UF I've read so far have had gargoyles! He befriends Kendry and once all the shit starts to hit the fan, he's there trying to protect her and help her as much as he can, which when it comes to revealing information is not enough for Kendry's taste.

The dinamics between these two are fun, even if the hot and cold can border a bit on the "oh kiss already dammit!!" but well, the wait is quite worth it, what a first kiss those two share!

There's plenty of action, some characters you'll fall in love, some unexpected revelations, some despicable villains and plenty of character growth for Kendry.

I'm also very happy to report that the book doesn't end with a cliffhanger, the story is wrapped up but we are left with an opening for the next book and the realization that the game is deeper than we thought!

Great new addition to the UF/Paranormal genre and very well deserved 4 stars!

Friday Reads: Eyre House by Caitlin Greer!

Seems that this week's Friday Reads are all gonna be about Caitlin Greer books! Her first published book was this NA contemporary retelling of a classic, Jane Eyre.


Eyre House by Cait Greer

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Eyre House is the second book by Caitlin Greer that I've read, and I have to say this was a very interesting NA retting of Jane Eyre!

We have a Jane Eyre by name and a Mr Rochester, and we have a disparity of social status, and there's strange happenings and family secrets and talks of ghosts, but Cait takes all this and crafts her own story twisting things differently and offering a very entertaining story that stands on its own even without the references to the original story.

Evan Richardson is an 18 year old orphan that has been living in the system, going from foster home to foster home, but since he's now a legal adult he can try to make his own path. He finds a job working in Eyre House during the summer and what he expects will be a good job to stay out trouble and save some money to figure what to do with his future turns into a very complicated summer.

He has to deal with a house full of ghost stories, the daughter of the owner Ginny Eyre that won't take no for an answer, her father, her ex-boyfriend and all the issues that a difference on social status can bring.

Evan sounds like a very realistic male POV, and the way he deals with the issues he faces given his past is quite realistic. Ginny is not as unbearble and you would have expected given her social status, but her way of dealing with what she doesn't like and how good she is at denial, well it grated a bit on my nerves, but it gave a very good excuse to some well done steamy scenes!

Eyre House a bit of everything, ghost stories, romance of the steamy variety, swoony moments and enough intrigue to have a bit of a thriller to it. There's betrayal, murder, unexpected good fortune and some trepidant action towards the end.

All in all, a very entertaining read, well deserving of 3.5 stars.



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Waiting On Wednesday #12!

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly feature hosted at Breaking The Spine  that spotlights those can't-wait-to-get-my-hands-on-them books that we are eagerly awaiting!

This week my I-can't-wait-to-get-my-hands-on-it book is Altered by Gennifer Albin!

Goodreads summary:

"Life. Possibility. Choice.
All taken from Adelice by the Guild—until she took them back.

But amid the splendid ruins of Earth, Adelice discovers how dangerous freedom can be. Hunted by soulless Remnants sent by Cormac Patton and the Guild, Adelice finds a world that’s far from deserted. Although allies are easy to find on Earth, knowing who to trust isn’t. Because everyone has secrets, especially those Adelice loves most. Secrets they would kill to protect. Secrets that will redefine each of them. Torn between two brothers and two worlds, Adelice must choose what to fight for.

In this thrilling sequel to Crewel, Adelice is about to learn how tangled up her past and future really are. Her parents ran to protect her, but nothing can save her from her destiny, and once she uncovers the truth, it will change everything."


Why am I eagerly awaiting Altered? I loved Crewel, the first book in this series. It had such a fresh voice, with a very enganging narrative and a very unique concept and left me completely flabbergasted with that twist at the end! So I really can't wait to see what will happen now to Adelice!

What are you all (im)patiently waiting to read?

New Cover & New Title: Only You aka The Mephisto Mark by Stephanie Feagan!

Hello everyone! Today I want to share with you all the new cover and new title of a book from I series I love and that I reviewed recently!

The Mephisto Mark, the 3rd book of the Mephisto Covenant series has been renamed and has got a new cover to make it easier to find to its intended target audience: all the romance readers out there!

You wanna see the new pretty?


Here it is! Only You by Stephanie Feagan!

Nothing in the inside of the book has changed, it only has made it easier to find it, cover wise, to those who look for romance novels, cause this is a romance, no doubt about it!

You can check out my review for it, with its old title HERE.

Mark This Book Monday:ARC Review of The Darkness of Shadows by Chris Little!

For the last review of this week's Mark This Book Monday, I have an ARC review of a book requested via NetGalley that was a very pleasant surprise, and that I'm sad to say it hasn't got much word out there.


The Darkness of Shadows by Chris  Little

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I got an ARC of this book on NetGalley in exchange for a honest review.

I wasn't very sure what the book was about, if it was paranormal, urban fantasy and I got a little bit more confused with the beginning of the book. I'd recommend experiencing the book without much knowledge about it too, cause I think it's better to discover things at the same time the main characters does, so in a way my review can have a few spoilers.

Natalie is a woman that had an awful and traumatic childhood, with parents that abused her and threatened her constantly. She was taken in by another family and has worked to try to live with the emotional and physical scars that she has. She built a life and a great baking business, but all is at risk when her father returns to her life, with demands she can't understand but the usual threats to those she care about, the family that took her in. She prepares to run away to protect the Guerreros and, if possible, hide from her father. But her father finds her and after a disturbing and strange demostration leaves her severly injured.

After that beginning you start getting all the paranormal hints popping up here and there. The story is very well built, with a big focus on their personal relationships and deals with abuse and its victims, in the midst of a setting of a paranormal and hidden world. Natalie has to find a way to either get rid of her dad or hide away, and she's trying to protect Mrs Rita Guerrero, the woman that took her in and showed her what a family should be, and Valerie Guerrero, her best friend since childhood. There's so much more to Nat's past than what either she or Val know, and while they try to figure out a plan to get rid of Nat's dad, they end up finding out about the past and the present and a whole hidden world out there that they had no idea about, and also find out they are right in the middle of it!

The paranormal of this world has a few twists on the usual topics of the genre, there are references to vampires, weres, sprites... but everything is slightly different from the usual, the author managing to introduce her own twist to well known creatures, while also building her own different kind of mythology. I don't want to give any details so I won't spoil the discoveries any more!

Despite all the paranormal facets of the book, it really is a story of recovery from abuse, of learning how to trust and accept help from others and how to face the hard truths we sometimes refuse to see.

A very well deserved 4 stars.



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Mark This Book Monday: This Song Will Save Your Life by Leila Sales!!

I'm starting this week's Mark This Book Monday with what has to be one of my fave reads of the month so far! And saying that when the book is a contemporary, is quite saying something for me!


This Song Will Save Your Life by Leila Sales

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


This book is the kind of book that I would recommend to everyone and anyone. It's the kind of book that kept me up till I finished it at 4 am and I finished reading it on my phone's Kindle app when my tablet run out of battery.

I'm not a big fan of contemporary books, but when the book is as good as this one, feels as real as this one, I completely forget about my reservations about the genre.

Elise is a girl that has never been popular, a girl that has always been different and has always been ostracized by her peers. She's tried to be herself and go on through school, middle school to high school but one summer she decides to try and change herself and be popular in the next year of HS. She watches shows, she reads teen magazines... she makes such an effort to try and learn how to fit it, how to change and be like others and not like she is... but it fails and she just doesn't know what else to do. Recovering from her choices that alienate her even more, she stumbles upon a world she didn't know it existed and finds herself making friends with some other very interesting characters like Char, Pippa, Vicky...

Elise is a wonderful character, so full of life, so real and so easy to relate with. You might not agree with some of her choices, but you just can't help but totally understand where she is coming from, and understand how she ends up making the choices that she does. She's intelligent, strong, funny and loves music.

It is such a raw book, all the interactions with the characters, the high school setting, it all feels so real, not just the usual cliches, but situations that feel real enough. The relationships between Elise and her peers, Elise and her two familes and Elise and her new friends and her first romance... it all feels real, it all feels relatable and all the characters have depth, flaws and great qualities. All contribute one way or another to Elise journey in this book, her journey to learn who she is, accept who she is, and find a way to be proud of who she is and accept that she can be loved and have friends and not boycott herself with her own doubts.

It is not a fluffy book, it is a tough book to read on occasions, even more if you, like me, connect with Elise and her journey, but it is a book that despite the hard bits will leave with you a smile, and not just a small smile, but the smile that comes from inside and warms you up. It's not just a song that saves a life, music is almost a character in itself in this book, whenever a song was mention I played it in my head if I knew it and if not, I made a note to look for it later in YouTube... There should be a playlist there with all the fantastic music from this book.

A very well deserved 5 stars!



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Showcase Sunday #14!!

Showcase Sunday is a weekly feature hosted by Vicky of Books, Biscuits, and Tea where all book lovers can share with others what bookish goodness we got this week, be it purchased (physical or eBook), won, gifted or for review!

Purchased (via Amazon.es)

Two by Leigh Ann Kopans

Purchased (via Kindle app)

This Song Will Save Your Life by Leila Sales

Night Witches by L.J. Adlington

For Review (via NetGalley)

Pawn by Aimée Carter

The Rising by Terra Harmony

Not too many books, which given the state of my TBR list is a good thing! But after 3 rejections on Edelweiss and 2 on NetGalley getting approved for Pawn and The Rising did cheer me up!

What all did you guys get this?

Friday Reads: The Distance Between Us by Kasie West!

For the last Friday Reads of the week I have a contemporary book! In case you might not know it, I really am not very keen on contemporaries so I only pick up those that come up very highly recommended from other bloggers and which blurbs don't strike me as "same old, same old". This one came highly recommended from Stacee at Adventures of a Book Junkie, thank you Stacee!


The Distance Between Us by Kasie West

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


A fellow blogger recommended this book (thanks Stacee!) and Kristen from My Friends Are Fiction suggested we'd do a read along for it since neither of us had read the book nor are big contemporary fans.

The Distance Between Us is a quick, fun and very entertaining read! I found myself wanting to continue reading and not stopping at our designated chapters. It's a contemporary I enjoyed even though I didn't connect with it as deeply as with other books.

Caymen and Xander come from very different backgrounds and meet when Xander goes to pick up a porcelain doll from the doll shop that Caymen and her mum run as their only form of income. Caymen is used to make every penny count and has inherited a certain distrust from people with money from her mum. Xander is used to have everything and don't wonder about where or how it came to be. They both have an instant attraction and connect about their common refusal of taking the path their families have marked for them.

I loved how their relationship started from a spark but built up little by little with them hanging out together, trying to figure out what they'd really want to do with their lives and how despite the differences in their worlds they find a common place for themselves.

Caymen is a fun character to read, with her witty sarcastic humour and her loyalty to her mum and their shop despite not liking working there at all. Xander can be a lil cocky and arrogant at first sight, but he's trying to learn how to be his own person. He's got some really swoony moments and as any guy, some moments when you just want to smack him silly!

The ending was what seemed the most cliched bit of the whole book for me, not so much how their relationship progressed but whatever else happened. I'm not gonna say much more cause I want to keep the review spoiler free, but it just seemed too "movie for TV" kinda ending for me.

I really enjoyed the book but the ending left me a bit meh, that's why this book isn't getting a higher rate than 3.5 stars. But for someone that doesn't tend to like contemporaries per se, this was a fun read!



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