Review: "Eternal Sacrifice" (Mortal Enchantment #4) by Stacey O'Neale


Eternal Sacrifice by Stacey O'Neale
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Summary from GoodReads

The explosive conclusion to Stacey O’Neale’s award-winning Mortal Enchantment series reveals the secrets of the fantasy world!

Valac has stolen two of the sacred objects. In a bid to rule all four courts, he has threatened to use Excalibur to cut the mist that protects Avalon—ultimately ending the lives of thousands of elementals. As the Akasha, Kalin has the power to stop him. And she refuses to lose anyone else she loves.

Will she have to sacrifice herself to save them?

Desperate to save Kalin’s life, Rowan searches for the long-lost creator of the mist. But what he finds is the very last thing he expected. Everything he thought he knew about his past is turned upside down, and he questions whether he’s meant to be the savior or the elemental that destroys them all.

Told from Kalin, Rowan, and Marcus’s perspective, the final installment to the series follows their journey of courage, duty, sacrifice, and love.



BUY ON



REVIEW

I received an e-copy from the author in exchange for an honest review. 

The final book of this series was as amazing as it should be. After the cliffhanger from the third book and the long wait I had to endure before the release of this one, I was glad to see that many questions were answered, new allies were made and secrets were revealed.

Kalin and Rowan are fighting to save the courts as the world is heading straight towards an enviromental Apocalypse. I had my suspicions about the ending, since I didn't know what would happen, yet despite the gloomy atmosphere of the book, I liked the snarky comments between Rowan and Marcus.

My small complain is the death of a certain character which I found unfair. Yet again when you are in the middle of a civil war, you can't have everything...

The book was a great conclusion to this series and I hope that Stacey will always write amazing stories and funny, strong characters! If you like the Covenant series by Jennifer Armetnrout but with an Arthurian twist, then this series is for you!



And don't miss the rest books of thise series!




                                                AMAZON | BOOK DEPOSITORY



                                                  AMAZON | BOOK DEPOSITORY



                                                 AMAZON | BOOK DEPOSITORY




About the author:

Award-winning author, Stacey O'Neale, lives in Annapolis, Maryland. When she's not writing, she spends her time fangirling over books, blogging, watching fantasy television shows, cheering for the Baltimore Ravens, and hanging out with her husband and daughter.

Her career in publishing started as a blogger-turned-publicist for two successful small publishers. Stacey writes young adult fantasy and adult science fiction romance. Her books always include swoon-worthy heroes, snarky heroines, and lots of kissing.

Stacey loves hearing from readers. Follow her on Twitter @StaceyONeale, look for her on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Tumblr. You can also visit her blog at staceyoneale.com/.

Blog Tour Review+Excerpt: "The Debt" by Karina Halle

                                




                                             The Debt AMAZON

Her life changed in an instant. And he's the only one who could have prevented it. 

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Pact and The Lie comes a new standalone contemporary romance about those McGregor men. 

Jessica Charles shouldn't have even been in London when the unthinkable happened. She should have been back at home in Edinburgh, perhaps hanging with her boyfriend, having drinks with her sister or doing yoga with her group of friends. She should have been going on in her normal, dependable life as always. But on that fateful day in August, when a mentally-ill ex-soldier opened fire in public, Jessica's world changed forever.

Now single and crippled from the gunshot wounds, Jessica finds herself scared and alone, losing faith in herself and humanity with each agonizing moment that passes. That is until a stranger enters her life. A stranger who makes her live again. Keir McGregor has always been the strong, silent type. Throw in tall, dark, and handsome and you've got pretty much the perfect Scotsman. Except Keir is anything but perfect. He's got a past he's running away from and a guilty conscience he can't seem to shed.

But the more time he spends with Jessica, the more he falls in love with her. And the more his secret threatens to tear them apart. He may have been a stranger to her. But she’s never been a stranger to him.

iBooks | Kindle | Kobo | Nook

      “You’re not going anywhere,” he says.
“Sit. I’ll get you another drink.”
“It’s getting late,” I say feebly but I sit down anyway, my leg giving a protest of pain.
“You need something for that?” he says, noticing my wince.
“The scotch will do fine,” I tell him quickly, not wanting him to make a fuss.
“But really, I should go.”
“Why?” he asks from the kitchen. I hear the top pop off the bottle, the slosh of liquid in the glass. “Where do you have to be?”
 I have to think about that for a moment. He comes over and holds out the glass. “I won’t keep you here if you don’t want to be here. But if you do want to be here, you don’t need to make any excuses.”   I take the glass from him, holding it delicately in my fingers. He stands over me, a massive wall, waiting for some kind of response.
“I just…” I begin. “I…” I take a sip for bravery. Swallow. “I’m not very good at this.”
“Good at what?”   “At…this. Being with a man.”
When he doesn’t say anything to that, I look up at him. He’s got a peculiar smile on his face, his brows raised. “You call this being with a man?”
I clear my throat, feeling my cheeks grow hot. “I mean. I’ve told you before –”
“Yes, how you don’t do relationships, how you don’t do sex.”
“I never said I don’t do sex,” I remind him quickly.
His eyes never stop searching my face. “Then what is it? What are you afraid to say?”
I have the sudden urge to flee and I know it must show because he suddenly points at me and says, “Don’t you dare say you have to go again. I want you to go back to what you said, that you’re not good at this. What is this? Us? You and me? There’s nothing mystifying about you and me, Jessica. You know quite well how I feel.”
 I stare at him in shock. I do? “How?”   He looks off with an air of impatience.
“I invited you to dinner, you turned me down.”
 “But then you said just as friends.”
 “And I meant it. But there are different types of friends. It’s up to you to decide what kind we are.”   I put my drink down with a clunk.
“Holy pressure.” And now it’s not just my face going hot but my entire body, flushed from head to toe.
“You’re on fire, little red,” he says, his gaze skirting over my limbs in such a hungry way I can almost feel them on my skin.
“I have to say, I like this look on you. Hot and bothered.”
 “Back with the innuendos again,” I comment but my voice is weak.
“No, no innuendos this time. You came looking for me tonight not because you wanted to confess but because you want something from me. What is it? What do you want from me? What do you think I can give you?”
Jesus. This is so utterly unnerving. His words slice right through me, his eyes still peeling under the layers, trying to get at something I’m not even sure of myself.   If I lie, he’ll know. I can only be honest with him.
 “I want…” I take in a deep breath, my eyes breaking away. “I want…company.”
 “Company?” He sounds surprised.
I nod. “That’s the truth. I’m lonely. And I’m afraid. And I’m tired of being both those things. I want to be with someone who makes me forget who I am. You make me feel fearless in a way I didn’t think possible.”
There. That’s the truth. Most of it. It hangs in the air, thickening the tension like flour to stock.   He sits down next to me, has a mouthful of Scotch.
“Wow,” he says, running his hand over the beard on his jaw. “And here I was thinking you wanted my cock.”
I burst out laughing. So does he, a big wonderful bellow. The tension in the room eases up a notch.   “Sorry,” I tell him when I catch my breath. “I guess they can both mean the same thing.”
He sucks in his lip briefly, his eyes taking a lustful turn. “If you want it to.” We stare at each other for a few heavy beats. Then his focus trails back to my gaze and he says,
“Why don’t you stay over?”   And there I have it. The chance to know what those full lips would feel like on mine, what his skin would taste like.
I swallow hard.    



REVIEW

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review. 5 of 5 stars!


The Debt could be summarized in few sentences with ununderstandable words and lots of tears and some smiles.

As one of the stand-alone stories from the Pact series, this beauty is also one of the most emotional, strongest books I've ever read by Karina Halle. Keir and Jessica both fight their own demons, he from his memories in Afganistan and she from the horrible incident which left her crippled.

And both try to find solace in each other, which leads them to gradually fall in love. But the point with this book is not just the swoon-worthy hero who looks a lot like Gerald Butler, nor the Scottish landscapes which are a challenge themselves.



Is the way Karina represents issues like PTSD, the survivor's guilt and how difficult relationships can be when two people don't know what they want from each other. It tore me to see Jessica try to come to terms with her situations and how Keir's horrible nightmares made him feel like he sometimes didn't deserve to be alive.

But I also loved how both, in the end, wanted to continue living to battle their demons and survive. This book was strong, a true gem in setting representation to issues many people deal with every day and they fear to speak to their loved ones.

I hope Karina Halle will always be one of the authors who will write not only about sexy heroes and heroines but also represent issues of this society and how these people can overcome them.

Truly recommended! ;)




                                   The Debt 2



        Karina Halle is a former travel writer and music journalist and The New York Times, Wall Street Journal and USA Today Bestselling author of The Pact, Racing the Sun, Sins & Needles and over 25 other wild and romantic reads. She lives on an island off the coast of British Columbia with her husband and her rescue pup, where she drinks a lot of wine, hikes a lot of trails and devours a lot of books. Halle is represented by the Waxman Leavell Agency and is both self-published and published by Simon & Schuster and Hachette in North America and in the UK. Hit her up on Instagram at @authorHalle, on Twitter at @MetalBlonde and on Facebook. You can also visit www.authorkarinahalle.com and sign up for the newsletter for news, excerpts, previews, private book signing sales and more.

  FACEBOOK TWITTER GOODREADS AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE

Blog Tour+Excerpt+Giveaway: "Pirate" (Space Gypsy Chronicles) by Eve Langlais

Today we have the blog tour for Pirate by Eve Langlais! Grab your copy of this new scifi today!  Pirate BT Ban  




PirateAbout Pirate: A Galactic Adventure – with a sassy ship – and aliens!   Earth: a space pirate’s dream when it comes to booty, but not a good place to Earth: a space pirate’s dream when it comes to booty, but not a good place to hide when bounty hunters come looking.


Pulling up stakes means Rafe must leave his vintage trailer behind, but in the process, he acquires a passenger, a mouthy female who seems to think she’s calling the shots. She’ll soon learn who’s the captain. And it isn’t Annabelle, his bossy ship. Travel the galaxy with this gypsy pirate as he looks for treasure–and finds trouble instead. The universe might be out to get him, but he’s not giving in without a fight.  



Get Your Copy! Eve Langlais's Page | Kobo | iBooks | B&N | Amazon.com    





EXCERPT


Zing. The mini laser bullets peppered the ground in front of her, short of their target but showing their wicked intent with the puffs of dust they raised.
“They shot at me!” she squeaked.
“It’s what you get for associating with a known criminal. They now consider you my accomplice.” He smiled. “Welcome to my world.”
“This is your fault!” She yelled the accusation as she ducked behind him, moments before more laser bullets hit the ground where she’d stood.
Of course this was his fault. Way to state the obvious. Even more obvious was the fact that they’d end up as particles of ash if they didn’t get to safety.




About Eve Langlais:

New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author Hello, my name is Eve and I am a Canadian author who loves to write hot romance, usually with hot shifters, cyborgs or aliens. I should warn you that I possess a twisted imagination and a sarcastic sense of humor something I like to let loose in my writing. I love to write, and while I don't always know what my mind is going to come up with next, I can promise it will be fun, probably humorous and most of all romantic, because I love a happily ever after. Thanks so much for coming by and checking me out. If you'd like to know more, read some excerpts or find out what's coming next, then please visit me at http://www.EveLanglais.com

Or sign up for my new release email list at http://www.evelanglais.com/newrelease

Happy reading! Eve Langlais  

Connect with Eve: Website | Facebook | Fan Group | Twitter | Goodreads | Amazon | Newsletter      


Enter Eve's Giveaway:


 a Rafflecopter giveaway









Blog Tour Schedule:
August 26th
August 27th
I Smell Sheep Guest Post
August 28th
Aria Kane Excerpt
AReCafe Playlist
Rabid Reads Excerpt
August 29th
August 30th
The Book Tree Excerpt
August 31st
September 1st
Booklover Sue Dreamcast
Books 2 Blog Excerpt

Feature & Follow #24



THE FUTURE & FOLLOW IS HOSTED BY TWO HOSTS, PARAJUNKEE OF PARAJUNKEE'S VIEW AND ALISON OF ALISON CAN READ. EACH HOST WILL HAVE THEIR OWN FEATURE BLOG AND THIS WAY IT’LL ALLOW US TO SHOW OFF MORE NEW BLOGS.


HOW DOES THE #FF WORK?




  • The goal is to increase blog followers, make friends and have something to post.
  • If someone comments and says they are following you, be a dear and follow back. Spread the Love…and the followersYou create your own post using the post prompt. You leave your link and thumbnail in the linky list that links back to your post prompt. Once you have your post up and linked, visit other posts and tell them hi. The point is to FOLLOW them not just comment. If you see a post that just hit it to the moon, or just want to show appreciation to a fellow blogger friend, like their name on the linky list to show some appreciation. The person with the most likes gets chosen as the next Feature (you can be chosen every 90 days unless we are in need of features) It is required that if you participate that you have to follow the FEATURE. It is a big no-no to participate and ignore the feature. They are the special snowflake in this little blizzard. As a participant it is up to your discretion on how you want people to follow. Please post RSS, GFC etc if you have a follow of choice.

    Specific RULES
    Put your Blog name & URL in the Linky thing. You can also grab the code if you would like to insert it into your posts.

    Grab the button up there and place it in a post, this post is for people to find a place to say “hi” in your comments and that they are now following you.

    If you are using WordPress or another CMS that doesn’t have GFC (Google Friends Connect) state in your posts how you would like to be followedFollow Follow Follow as many as you can, as many as you want, or just follow a few. The whole point is to make new friends and find new blogs. Also, don’t just follow, comment and say hi. Another blogger might not know you are a new follower if you don’t say “HI”

    Follow Follow Follow as many as you can, as many as you want, or just follow a few. The whole point is to make new friends and find new blogs. Also, don’t just follow, comment and say hi. Another blogger might not know you are a new follower if you don’t say “HI”


    THE POST PROMPT: 

    Top 5 Favorite Book Boy Friends


    MY ANSWER:


    This is actually one of the easiest questions, yet I had a hard time picking just five! So I'll go with a mix of characters I read about this year and the previous ones.

    1) Rhysand, High Lord of the Night Court. He was our surprise this year and I believe that I was one of the millions of readers who were blown away by his past, actions and his love. Though he was a girlfriend *cough*mate*cough*, he is still one of the best ones!

    If night flights, gowns, tattoos and fights are your thing, then this is the boyfriend for you!

    Some fanart. (which I am sure will not stop until the release of the final book! All credits go to the artists.)
















    2) Kell from "A Shade of Magic" series! The sorcerer with the neat coat has to deal with more than he can. Also he has a sneaky thief who likes blades wayy to much! He is loyal and kind and has a kink for hoarding treasures!

    If multi-dimensional travel through London(s) and blade fighting is your thing then Kell is your guy!






    3) Lord Hector from "A Girl of Fire and Thorns" series. You may not remember this guy but he is one of the bravest commanders I know in a fantasy trilogy. His love and loyalty are beyond comparison. Not to mention, he knows how to wear a mustache!

    If warriors with heart of gold are your favs then he is the one for you!


     4) Zeke from Immortal Rules series! Such a sweet boy with a world turned against him! Thank God smeone is looking out for him! ;)

    If you want to fight along strong warriors in a vampire infested world then he is for you!


     
                                                              (art by PhantomRin)


    5) All the guys from ALL the books by Leigh Bardugo. I really don't know from whom to begin. Mal? Nikolai? THE DARKLING? Or maybe Kaz, Jesper Waylan and Mattias?

    *brain failure*

    I'll leave it to you to decide! (art by PhantomRin)


                                 
                                                                   The Darkling


                                               
                                                                         Nikolai



                                                                         Mal


     
                                                                      Jesper


                                                                    Wylan





                                                                      Kaz

                                                                       Mattias









    I know that I should metion also other amazing book boyfriends but I had to narrow it down.
    Have a great weekend!







    FOLLOW ME IN ANY WAY TO YOUR LEFT

    Double Cover Reveal: "Full Package" & "Joy Stick" by Lauren Blakely

    From the NYT Bestselling author of BIG ROCK and MISTER O, comes two brand new, hot and hilarious standalone romantic comedies…

    FULL PACKAGE and JOY STICK!

     
    FPANDJSCOVERREVEAL

    Readers will find witty dialogue, smoking hot sex scenes, and heartfelt moments in these side-splitting romantic comedies, mixed with the dirty-talking, gifted heroes we’ve come to love from Lauren Blakely! FULL PACKAGE is set to release on January 9, 2017, and JOY STICK is coming your way in May 2017! Check out these fantastic covers designed by Helen Williams with photography by Rob Lang.

     
    Pageflex Persona [document: PRS0000026_00023]

    From the New York Times Bestselling author of MISTER O and BIG ROCK, comes a hot & hilarious new standalone romantic comedy…

    I’ve been told I have quite a gift.

    Hey, I don’t just mean in my pants. I’ve got a big brain too, and a huge heart of gold. And I like to use all my gifts to the fullest, the package included. Life is smooth sailing....

    Until I find myself stuck between a rock and a sexy roommate, which makes for one very hard…place.

    Because scoring an apartment in this city is harder than finding true love. So even if I have to shack up with my buddy’s smoking hot and incredibly amazing little sister, a man’s got to do what a man’s got to do.

    I can resist Josie. I’m disciplined, I’m focused, and I keep my hands to myself, even in the mere five-hundred square feet we share. Until the one night she insists on sliding under the covers with me. It’ll help her sleep after what happened that day, she says.

    Surprise—neither one of us sleeps.

    And even though we agree to return to roomies-without-benefits, I quickly realize I want more than someone to split the utilities with. Now all I want is to spend every night—and every day—with my gorgeous roommate.

    Did I mention she’s also one of my best friends? That she’s brilliant, beautiful and a total firecracker? Guess that makes her the full package too.

    What’s a man stuck in a hard place to do?

     
    FINALFULLPACKAGEJACKETSMALLER

    Pre-Order FULL PACKAGE (Releasing January 9, 2016)

    iBooks http://tinyurl.com/FullPackageLB

    Barnes and Noble http://bit.ly/2b7fWxj

    Amazon Paperback http://amzn.to/2avft4u

    Kobo http://bit.ly/2aA43gp

    GooglePlay https://goo.gl/U5ND2B

    Goodreads http://bit.ly/2alCbfM

     
    Pageflex Persona [document: PRS0000026_00023]

    Let’s be honest, ladies. A good man is a lot like the perfect car. You want a hot body, an engine that purrs, and superior performance under the hood. You probably also crave a ride that can go all night long.

    I’m at your service. Come and ride on my Joy Stick…

    That's what I like to say to the ladies. Or I would if I were total pig. It's far too easy in this world to strut around like a peacock when you’ve got all these other features in your favor. But just like the custom cars I build with class and sophistication, that’s how I treat my women.

    Don’t worry. I absolutely do my best work dirty…both in the shop, and between the sheets. Work and play — that’s what my life has been, and I f&*king love it. I’m completely, 100% driven. Until one woman comes along and throws a wrench in my plans. The one woman I should absolutely, positively never take for a joy ride.

    Now that's all I want to do with her…she’s so far off-limits, but that’s exactly where I want to go with her.

    Get ready for a wild ride…

     
    JOYSTICKbyLaurenBlakelyJacket

    Pre-Order JOY STICK (Coming May 2017)

    Exclusive iBooks Pre-Order http://tinyurl.com/JoyStickLB

    Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30640850-joy-stick

     
    MENOFROMCOM

    Don’t Miss All of Lauren’s Romantic Comedies written from the Male POV!

    BIG ROCK (Now Available)

    MISTER O (Now Available)

    WELL HUNG (Releasing September 12, 2016)

     

    KindleFiregiveaway
     

    Lauren Blakely’s Romantic Comedy Celebration!

    August 24-September 1, 2016*

    Win a Kindle Fire loaded with Lauren Blakely’s complete collection* of currently released titles, as well as some of Lauren’s favorite romantic comedies!

    *Does not include WELL HUNG, FULL PACKAGE or JOY STICK, Winner will be announced first week of September.

    To enter to win, simply subscribe to Lauren’s newsletter here:

    http://www.subscribepage.com/LaurenBlakely

     

     

    DaisyWhitneyLaurenBlakelyheadshot_small  About Lauren Blakely: Since self-publishing her debut romance novel CAUGHT UP IN US three years ago, Lauren Blakely has sold more than 1 million books. She is known for her sexy contemporary romance style that's full of heat, heart and humor. A devout fan of cake and canines, Lauren has plotted entire novels while walking her four-legged friends. She lives in California with her family. With ten New York Times bestsellers, her titles have appeared on the New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal Bestseller Lists more than fifty times. Her bestselling series include Sinful Nights, Seductive Nights, No Regrets, Caught Up in Love, and Fighting Fire as well as standalone romantic comedies like BIG ROCK and MISTER O, which were both instant New York Times Bestsellers. In the fall she'll release WELL HUNG, another romantic comedy.

    To receive an email when Lauren releases a new book, sign up for her newsletter: laurenblakely.com/newsletter.  

    Links: Website: http://www.laurenblakely.com/
    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LaurenBlakelyBooks
    Twitter: https://twitter.com/LaurenBlakely3
    Newsletter: http://laurenblakely.com/newsletter/
    FULL PACKAGE Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30283662-full-package
    JOY STICK Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30640850-joy-stick
    Lauren Blakely Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6860216.Lauren_Blakely



    InkSlinger Blogger Final

    Review: "The Beauty of Darkness" (The Remnant Chronicles #3) by Mary E. Pearson


    The Beauty of Darkness by Mary E. Pearson
    My rating: 5 of 5 stars

    Summary from GoodReads

    Lia and Rafe have escaped Venda and the path before them is winding and dangerous - what will happen now? This third and final book in The Remnant Chronicles is not to be missed.

    Bestselling author Mary E. Pearson's combination of intrigue, suspense, romance and action make this a riveting page turner for teens.









     BUY ON



    REVIEW

    This book had one of the most explosive endings I've ever seen! Action, battles, secrets, conspiracies and romance!

    After their close escape from the Komizar, Lia and Rafe race against time in order to warn the kingdoms of the coming threat. With a song in her ears and the determination she has, Lia becomes in this book one of the strongest characters I've ever seen. Some would say that she looks like Aelin/ Celaena but I disagree.
    While my fire-breathing queen was trained as an assassin, Lia begins as a princess who in the course of the trilogy becomes stronger, trains in order to protect herself and at the same time she is a scholar. I loved every part of her in this book; from her courage and her ability to even make hard desicions to her stuborn behavior. How everyone expected her to be just a weak princess and she proved them ALL WRONG!



    Now, Rafe was also a major factor in the story. Despite his love for Lia, we also see here a bad side, which is born from fear mostly. His relationship with Lia had its ups and downs and it made my heart ache every time I had to read through both their POVs.

    And Kaden; he also goes under a major character development here even if he gets his happy ending in a rushed way. Also the supposed love triangle here is resolved in a very smooth way and early in the book too! The plot is not driven by the love triangle but instead from the hard desicions everyone in this story had to make.

    The ending was hard for me. Until the last page I didn't know what would happen between Lia and Rafe, but when THAT scene was shown it was one of the sweetest moments I've ever read!

    I will miss this trilogy. It was one of the best ones I've completed and I hope Mary E. Pearson will continue to write such amazing stories! ;)








    And don't miss the rest books of the series!









    AMAZON | BOOK DEPOSITORY




     About the author:

    Mary E. Pearson is the New York Times bestselling and award-winning author of ten novels.  Her works include her latest trilogy, The Kiss of Deception, The Heart of Betrayal, and the forthcoming The Beauty of Darkness which will be published in August.  
    The Adoration of Jenna Fox, and the other books in the series have been optioned for film, and A Room on Lorelei Street was a Golden Kite Award Winner. She writes full-time from her home office in California where she lives with her husband.




    Website