Review: An Original Sin by Nina Bangs

An Original Sin (Wink and a Kiss #3) 
by Nina Bangs

Release Date: July 1, 1999
Genre: Adult, Romance, Time Travel
Pages: 394
Format: Paperback
Source: Purchased by Reviewer
Goodreads • Amazon



Fortune MacDonald listened to women’s fantasies on a daily basis as she took their orders for customized me. In a time when the male species was extinct, she was a valued manmaker. She had created some of the best prototypes around—from Stud-Muffin-Stuart to the ever popular Hunka-Hunka-Burning-Love-Leroy model.

So when she awoke to find herself sharing a bed with the most lifelike, virile man she had ever laid eyes or hands on, she let her gaze inventory his assets. From his long dark hair, to his knife-edged cheekbones, to his broad shoulders, to his jutting—well, all in the name of research, right?—it didn’t take an expert any time at all to realize that he was the genuine article, a bona fide man. And when Leith Campbell took her in his arms, she knew real passion for the first time…but had she found true love?

WARNING: Spoilers lie ahead for those of ye who wish to look upon this book. Continue with caution!

I laughed. I cried. I peed a little.

As I was wandering through a local bookstore, I caught sight of an interesting read: An Original Sin. I was absolutely thrilled to find this novel, with a bare-chested, kilted man offering me an apple with a mischievous wink on the cover. After all, I really did need to brush up on my knowledge of Genisis.

I mean, we all know that the guy on the cover had to be Adam, right? Because, y’know, Adam totally would've worn a kilt…and he probably would've winked.

Well, my dear friends, I am here to inform you, much to my dismay and yours (I’m sure), that we were wrong! The fact that it was located in the Romance section of the bookstore did not deter me, because I logically assumed that a nice novel about Adam and Eve and their fall from Grace would be one of love. However, in retrospect, I see the flawed logic.  And come to think of it, I strongly suspect that Nina Bangs is hardly her real name. Well played, Bangs, well played. You got me this time!

No wonder the check-out-guy smirked at me….

Nonetheless, I read this three hundred ninety-four paged account of a love that transcends time. Oh, yes! There is time travel involved! Two opposites, a Scottish Warrior from 1700 and a woman from 2300, where there are no men, are brought together in Houston, Texas in the year 2000 by the forces of a demonic cat. What is the result? About 150 pages of will-they-won’t-they tension, followed by two pages of apparently tearinducing (because it was that good?) sex and then followed by another 100 pages of will-they-won’t-they do it again and concluding with a happy ending where Fortune leaves her time and the year 2000 to stay in the 1700 with her sex-warrior-dude. Good for her.

I feel the need to add a disclaimer here. The reason I gave this three-out-of-five stars is because of the sheer entertainment value. The story was hilarious, but I felt like I was reading something out of a fanfiction that a 13 year-old wrote. The characters were terribly inconsistent, but that only added to my glee while reading.

Even with the major holes in logic (which spring just as often from the ever-logical Fortune as they do from the hotheaded Leith) it was an entertaining read. No, really! Someone gets pummeled with a phone. Leith decides to join a biker gang within the first 100 pages. They’re stalked all over Houston by an ice-cream-man sent from heaven. And apparently nobody notices that a cat wanders around a mall, grocery store and movie theater with the two, out-of-joint lovers!

Speaking of Ganymede, the demon-cat, he was a hilarious narrator! I really connected with him. He truly stole the show and brings trolling to a whole new level. It’s quite refreshing to read about such a devious character with poor diction mess with the lives of two people. I only wish he received a spin-off novel, narrating his adventures.... I would totally read them for a good laugh.

Cover Reveal: Wings of Memory by Anna Kyss

Wings of Memory (The Underground Trilogy #2)
by Anna Kyss

Release Date: September 2013
Genre: Young Adult, Urban Fantasy
Goodreads

Kiernan leaves his homeland, hoping to unlock the secrets that could save his people from extinction. But the path to answers is fraught with danger. He never imagines what lay hidden in the Costa Rican rainforest.

Shortly after arriving, Kiernan encounters the human girl that he spent months yearning for. Kiernan must decide between his love for Meghan and his budding loyalty to his brother, Avery. He tries to place his brother first, until faced with an impossible decision.

Kiernan must tap into magic to save his people. The only problem: unleashing his magic involves breaking his vow to his brother. What if the only way to help Avery is to choose Meghan?

Wings of Memory is a young adult, urban fantasy that weaves together supernatural lore, romance, magic, and an interesting take on Mesoamerican history. It is the second novel in The Underground Trilogy.

Cover Reveal: Finding Forever by Melisa M. Hamling

Finding Forever by Melisa M. Hamling

Release Date: August 2013
Genre: New Adult, Contemporary
Goodreads

Through the splinters of glass, I see his face, the one who has this hold on me, on my soul, and I know he holds the key to something I have yet to learn.

Be careful what you wish for, you may just get it. Morgan Master’s is about to find out that what you wish for doesn’t come in a perfect little package.

Plummeting off the side of the mountain wasn’t the escape Morgan had planned. Or was it? Disconnected from who she was, where she came from, Morgan knows she’s in a hot mess when the lines blur between two worlds. What is real and what is imagined? Her inner struggle to find herself and to learn the truth, leads her into the arms of Ben, the perfect little package she once wished for, but doesn’t remember it.

Ben is Morgan’s solace, her guide through her state of confusion, offering comfort and love to degrees she is certain she has never known before. Longing to stay in the heavenly bliss, something keeps pulling her back, a little at a time.

When Morgan’s world crumbles, she endures weeks of heartbreak. She must decide between this life, or go in search of the unknown, in search of reestablishing the love she had for the man who helped her survive. What must she sacrifice to find him? Does he really exist? What will she uncover when she goes in search of Finding Forever?

About the Author

I grew up in Colorado and moved to Nebraska in the latter half of my teen years, where I've remained. I have a great family and my father is James Dean. Yep! The James Dean. Okay in name only, but I still love to say it. I have the best husband ever! He's not afraid to do the laundry, or the dishes, and dang. He's had to survive four females and a whole lot of hormones. Poor guy! We have three beautiful daughters, and our only sons, Robby and Bentley, are of course, cats. They refuse to acknowledge their furry background, and so continue to live as humanly as possible.

Most of my work experience has been in healthcare giving me the opportunity to work with a variety of people, ranging from newborn to elderly. My true passion is writing. I'm captivated by stories that delve into facets of the human behavior: affliction, fidelity, passion, betrayal, and redemption. I prefer to take my characters through a physical journey where they learn something about themselves or take them to new and exciting places, but there is always romance involved.

Website   •   Goodreads   •   Twitter

Review: Falling for the Good Guy by Violet Duke

Falling for the Good Guy (Nice Girl to Love #2) by Violet Duke

Release Date: June 30, 2013
Genre: New Adult, Romance
Pages: 124
Format: eBook
Source: Review Copy from Author
Goodreads • Amazon

***Warning: if you have not read Resisting the Bad Boy, there will be spoilers.***

Abby Bartlett is well aware that everyone thinks she's in love with her best friend Brian. He is, after all, the type of man a nice girl should be with--the polar opposite of the bad boy--the kind of guy who didn't let his wife's decade-long illness stop him from showering her with a lifetime of love every second until her dying day. Yes, Brian has been the yardstick against which Abby has measured all other men. But everyone's wrong; she couldn't possibly be in love with him.

Because she's never once allowed herself that option.

It's taken a while but Brian Sullivan has finally come to terms with being a widower at the age of thirty, surviving the woman he spent half his life loving, a third of it losing. Truth is though, he wouldn't have 'survived' any of it really had it not been for Abby--sweet, incredible Abby--the woman he's never once had to picture his life without, never realized he couldn't truly live without. Until now. Now that he's finally able to love her the way she deserves, the way he knows she wants to be loved...by his brother.

Who's giving him exactly one chance to speak now or forever hold his peace.


We last left Abby at the end of her one month with Connor - a month that ended, just as he'd promised, despite everything they felt for each other. In her struggle to mend her broken heart, Abby returns to her life and her best friend, Brian, and his family. But on New Year's, everything may just change for Abby. That is, if Brian has anything to say about it.

I. Love. Brian. He is the best kind of guy: sweet, loving, and kind. And, probably most importantly for Abby, emotionally available. He's also not willing to let Abby go without taking a shot and trying to take them past being 'just friends'. A shot that really packs a whammy, if you ask me.

There was a whole new level of sweetness in this book that hadn't been there for me in Resisting the Bad Boy, because of the obvious differences between the brothers. The only thing they had in common, really, was both Connor and Brian had a tumultuous past - but they really couldn't have manifested any differently. Learning the extent of everything Brian went through with his late wife was heart-wrenching and even hard to read at times. This is a man that loves fiercely and with nothing held back - evident in the stories of his wife, his relationship with his daughter, and his feelings for Abby. There is no one more deserving of a second chance at love than him.

Overall, a great continuation of the series, with another ending that will leave you wanting!

Cover Reveal: Death is but a Dream by Erin Hayes

Death is but a Dream by Erin Hayes

Release Date: Fall 2013
Genre: Adult, Fantasy
Goodreads

Caught between life and death, all Callie wants is to live again.

Homicide detective Callie Saunders knows that death isn’t all pearly gates and angels. After being hit by a bus, she finds that it's the ancient gods and goddesses of Greek mythology who are in charge of everything.

So when Hades offers her a deal, she accepts. If she wants to be brought back to life, she’ll have to figure out who is trying to kill his son. But if she fails, both her soul and the world will be destroyed.

With the odds mounting against her, it’ll take everything she has within her to wake up from death. But the rules are constantly changing. And someone wants her to stay dead.

About the Author

Erin Gulyas is an advertising copywriter. Erin Hayes is her alter ego that writes book in her spare time. This is the blog of Erin Hayes.

Website   •   Twitter   •   Goodreads

Review: Resisting the Bad Boy by Violet Duke

Resisting the Bad Boy (Nice Girl to Love #1) 
by Violet Duke

Release Date: March 28, 2013
Genre: New Adult, Romance
Pages: 145
Format: eBook
Source: Review Copy from Author
Amazon • Goodreads

***Warning: This book contains adult content and may not be suitable for younger readers. This review will not contain any such material.***

Abby Bartlett is the quintessential nice girl. Between teaching, volunteering, completing her PhD, and helping her best friend raise his daughter, Abby never gets the chance to be anything but nice. That is, until the all-wrong-for-her man she's only ever known from afar starts daring her to simply take that chance for herself. His sage advice? Try something wild and fast.

Preferably him.

An unbridled, hotshot attorney with a not-so-little black book, Connor Sullivan has earned himself quite the bad boy reputation. But in his defense, he's a very conscientious one. He knows far too well that sometimes in life, love isn't enough...or worse, not even a factor at all. To avoid that misery--and repel the drama--Connor always makes his one and only rule crystal clear right from the start. Absolutely nothing more than a month.

Turns out, a whole lot can happen in one month.



Abby Bartlett is an every-girl: she works hard, takes care of those close to her, and has a certain soft spot for bad boys. Connor Sullivan is just one such boy, which hasn't escaped Abby's notice. The fact that Abby's best friend, Brian, also happens to be Connor's brother, means that they've been thrown together quite a bit over the years. Then one day it's not just Abby noticing Connor. He may be just as interested. And suddenly, the good girl might want to get a little bad...

Resisting the Bad Boy was a fun, quick read with a solid romance and some really likable characters. It won't be hard for a lot of readers to relate to Abby, and Connor, of course, will be revealed to have a heart of gold. Their courtship is a steamy whirlwind (because one month really isn't a whole lot of time) and you'll find yourselves routing for them to clamber past their hang-ups and just be together, as so often happens in the genre.

Probably my favorite part of the story was the glimpse into Abby's life - especially the parts with Brian and his daughter. The back story there is heartbreaking but beautiful, and I loved their interactions. There's a lot of love there and it's really apparent how big a part of Abby's life they are.

For me, Connor lacked a little something. Don't get me wrong, he's plenty swoon-worthy, but I felt like he wasn't given quite as robust a back story and didn't come off as a as well-rounded character in comparison. It rests a little to heavily on the bad-boy-with-a-good-heart laurels and doesn't show us how that really came about.

Overall, it was a great pleasure read! A really solid New Adult read that will have you itching for the next in the series (because, oh, goodness, cliffhanger). The Kindle format is also currently free on Amazon, so there's no reason not to check it out!

Review: Nomad by J.L. Bryan

Nomad by J.L. Bryan

Publisher: JLBryanbooks.com
Release Date: July 21, 2013
Genre: New Adult, Dystopian, Time Travel
Pages: 204
Format: eBook
Source: Review Copy from Author
Amazon • Goodreads

***Warning: This book contains adult content and may not be suitable for younger readers. This review will not contain any such material.***

They took everything: her family, her home, her childhood.

By the age of nineteen, Raven has spent most of her life in the sprawling slums of America, fighting as a rebel against the dictatorship. When the rebellion steals an experimental time-travel device, she travels back five decades to the year 2013. Her plan: assassinate the future dictator when he is still young and vulnerable, long before he comes to power. She must move fast to reshape history, because agents from her own time are on her trail, ready to execute her on sight.



Time travel is one of those subjects that has the ability to completely span the quality spectrum.When well-executed, it can be truly incredible, enthralling and really make the reader think about the way the concept plays out. But time travel also has some of the greatest headache potential of almost any subject matter. Nomad did a great job of handling the difficulty of semantics involved while not over-complicating the plot progression or allowing the circumstances to become nonsensical. And the way J.L. Bryan dealt with a change in timeline was unique in the selection I've read and really added a new gravity to the choice time travelers are making.

The novel opens with a literal bang as Raven, our token rebel time-traveler, is dropped in the middle of a highway 50 years in the past (complete with a case of amnesia) and narrowly avoids being hit by a truck. It doesn't take long to learn she's not the only one that made the jump, as members of her targets security force attempt to interfere with her mission.

I really loved the descriptions of Raven's future world - it was the kind of future we all fear, possibly because it seems so in-reach. This was further emphasized when we meet Raven's world's future dictator, who is just so ordinary, given what we've learned about what he'll become. It also has just a touch of the time travel Butterfly Effect as Raven assimilates to the modern world and attempts to save the future.

This is definitely something I would recommend to fans of dystopian and time travel novels. It's well-paced, with a great dose of action and a lot of consideration of what choices and events help determine who we'll become. If you're looking for an entertaining read along these lines, look no further!