Untouched by Sara Humphreys

Untouched by Sara Humphreys
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

3 Stars! First of all, let me just say what a gorgeous cover this book has! All he needs is some hair:-)

Untouched is really a sweet romance/thriller story about discovery with a strong paranormal element. Dante is hired to be Kerry’s bodyguard, and he is one hot male:-) They head to New Orleans for a photoshoot. She is a plus-sized model. While in New Orleans, romance blooms between Kerry and Dante. And it is a sweet, very romantic unfolding. In the meantime, there is a villain conspiring against Kerry, leaving threatening notes about her imminent death. Protecting Kerry absolutely becomes Dante's life. Attempting to uncover the mystery of who the villain is proves to be difficult, with nearly everyone they know becoming a possible traitor.

Untouched was an interesting story, yet flawed. I enjoyed it, but.....

Some issues:

Dante, a very sexy, big, strong, yummy man, had a very strange animal chose for his shifter character. I had trouble time and time again getting over that. I love shifter stories, however, I usually like the animal to be, let me say, bigger??

The writing style was not fabulous. Some issues and thoughts were pointed out redundantly to the reader again and again. Yes, I get it already!

The Punisher was the evil villain of Untouched. The Punisher? Really? Need I say more?

They spoke a language to invoke their magic and it was called The Ancient Language. I just didn't find that very original.

Some parts I loved:

The sweet romance between Dante and Kerry. Kerry had never been able to touch people before and to be able to touch Dante without feeling pain was wonderful. And Dante took their relationship fairly slow at the beginning, giving Kerry the time she needed to adjust to this new feeling. He was such a big sweetie with her!

Dante had a few friends in this story whom I found hilarious. I am sure we will see more of them in the future. I’m hoping for some more of ne in particular, but will not say as it could be a spoiler.

Untouched really came full circle in a somewhat predictable, yet imaginative way. I did shed a tear or two at the end, and it was worth it! The ending was beautifully done.

My favorite part of this story is that Kerry is a model. Not your skinny model, a gorgeous plus size model. Well done, Ms. Humphreys!!!

Overall:

Since I did not read the first book in this series, I am left wondering if I would have enjoyed Untouched better if I had. I liked the story. I liked the premise. I wanted to like it more, though. I will probably read the next book, due to my liking of the side characters. Basically it was an enjoyable read, yet the execution had its flaws. Thank goodness Dante’s human form was so delicious!;-)

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Desert Blade by Ella Drake

Desert Blade by Ella Drake
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Ms. Drake sure has a way of packing a ton of story into a short word count. When I heard that she was going to be writing a post-apocalyptic story, a favorite sub-genre of mine, I knew I had to get my hands on it. And of course, this very talented and creative author did not disappoint!

Desert Blade opens up amidst disaster and tragedy. Derek, a guardsmen, loses his arm in an attack, leading him to a hospital where he meets Dr. Lydia. A team of doctors including Lydia fit him with a unique prosthetic arm that comes with a blade! During the time of healing, Derek and Lydia spend a great deal of time together, and form a bond of sorts. However, the unsafe circumstances of the land call Lydia to leave town and Derek to stay behind.

Ten years later, Lydia still pines for the guardsmen she only knew briefly. Derek cannot forget her kindness or her touch. And a small boy needs a doctor. Derek shows up where Lydia resides and she agrees to help even though the trip will be dangerous with gangs running amok. And Lydia being a rare woman left in this post-apocalyptic world, puts her in an even more dangerous situation for travel. So the guardsman and the doctor set sail in a land sail. Their earlier bond rears up and sparks fly. Yummy, indeed!

I am always so thoroughly impressed with Drakes thoughtfulness to detail without bogging down the story. One can only hope she revisits this landscape in a future story. There seems to be a lot more to explore. Very highly recommended!

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Cuffing Kate by Allison Tyler (Audible version)

Cuffing Kate by Allison Tyler
My rating: 3 of 5 stars



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Resuscitation by D.M. Annechino

Resuscitation by D.M. Annechino
My rating: 4 of 5 stars



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Goddess Interrupted by Aimee Carter

Goddess Interrupted by Aimee Carter
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

3 1/2 Stars! Well, I really DID like Goddess Interrupted. It was creative and fast paced. I did, however, have a few issues with it.

*This review does have some minor spoilers for the previous book in the series, The Goddess Test*

First issue I had was Henry, aka Hades. He was hardly in the book at all, and when he was, he seemed wimpy. Seriously, a God for thousands of years I would expect to behave maturely. And the way Kate was able to dismiss his behavior repeatedly drove me nuts!

Second issue was with all the Gods and Goddesses in regards to their dialogue and speech. I know this is a YA, but the they all talked as if they were young adults. Again, these are entities that have lived for thousands of years. So perspective wise it didn’t work. With the first book in the series, The Goddess Test, I was able to put aside the way they acted because the premise of the story was much different. They were acting to give Kate her tests, so it seemed like viable dialogue. Not so in this one.

After I was able to put these issues aside, I thoroughly enjoyed the book. It read just as quickly as the first installment, perhaps even quicker as I am already absorbed in the storyline. I also really liked getting to know the underworld better. Carter managed to give excellent visual descriptions without bogging the story down.

Persephone was definitely a very enjoyable twist to add to Kate’s journey. Overall, a fun and exciting read. I am looking forward to seeing where Aimee Carter takes Kate’s journey next. The ending is a lead into the third book, and it promises to be even more exciting!

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Gate to Kandrith by Nicole Luiken

Gate to Kandrith by Nicole Luiken
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Gate to Kandrith is truly a gate to an imaginative world that left wanting more, much more! The story was not what I expected at all. Luiken wove a great deal of twists and a turns, with an ending so explosive I am unable to stop thinking about it. I seriously NEED the next book in this series now!

Gate to Kandrith starts off with political intrigue, and a ton of world building. Our heroine, Sara, is tasked with finding out the secret of Slave Magic. She is to journey to Slaveland, accompanied by Lance, whom is a Kandrithian. Along the way, as with any solid fantasy, there are many mishaps, and many friends and foes discovered. I was shocked to my bones on most of these revelations!!

There were times when the fantasy and lore of this land became confusing. There was certainly a lot the author had to introduce. But Luiken always managed to clear any confusion later. And I also think it added to the suspense of the plot:-)

As the blurb for this book implies, Sara is betrayed in a most gut-wrenching way. She is forced to make a series of harsh decisions based on this knowledge to save the people of both lands. And the secret of slave magic?? Worth the read!;-)

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Hissers by Ryan C. Thomas

Hissers by Ryan C. Thomas
My rating: 3 of 5 stars



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Gone by Michael Grant

Gone by Michael Grant
My rating: 5 of 5 stars



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