BOOK REVIEW: TAKE by Nashoda Rose + Giveaway

Title: TAKE (Scars of Wraiths, #1)
Author: Nashoda Rose
ASIN: B00TWL8NQG
Reading Level: Adult
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Length: 208 pages
Binding: E-book, Paperback
Published: 21 February 2015
Buy: Amazon, B&N, KOBO

Synopsis:

MAX

Feelings are a luxury I can’t afford. Hidden behind a shield of quiet placidity, I keep my secret safe from those who’d use it against me. Until him—the tatted up, self-centered Scar assassin hired to protect me.

He takes pleasure in tormenting me, chipping away at my defenses as if I’m a toy to be played with. I hate that he continuously reminds me that I’m nothing more than a job. I hate that my body responds to his touch. I hate him.

JASPER

I’m not a good guy and I don’t pretend to be. Condemn me if you want, I don’t give a fuck. You’re nothing to me. No one is … except her—Max. She’s my target. And I was hired to do a hell of a lot more than protect her … I was hired to kill her.

It should’ve been simple, but it was complicated as hell.

Full-length novel. Come meet the Scars.

My Rating:

My Review: I have read just about every book by Nashoda Rose so I was pleasantly surprised when I got offered a chance to read and review her newest novel TAKE. The reason for my surprise? Because TAKE is a paranormal romance and Rose--up to this point--has written only contemporary erotic romance. Paranormal romance used to be one of my top go-to genres. However, it didn't take me long to get tired of stories that lacked any kind of originality. Don't get me wrong, sometimes reading a book with a similar formula can be great when you just want to shut your brain off and enjoy a few hours of mindless entertainment. But when stories from completely different authors start blurring together, that's when you know a break is in order. And this is why I typically buy only from my constants in the paranormal romance genre, like J.R. Ward and Lara Adrian.

However, Nashoda Rose hasn't failed me yet and I'm not going to lie, there is really nothing in the synopsis that gives away this story is a paranormal romance. So I was curious-- what were the paranormal elements that made up this story?

What we have are Scars, immortal warriors that live in the human world but have heightened senses. For example, our hero, Jasper, is known as a Sounder, the ability to hear noises, voices, etc. from miles away. There are also Trackers, Healers, Tasters, Visionaries and the rare Reflectors. Each of these warriors has a tattoo, or what they call an "Ink" that can be called to life.

I absolutely loved the concept of the Scar warriors, especially their "Ink" that they can summon off of their bodies to manifest into...creatures? Monsters? We only get two examples of "Inks" in the book. Jasper's "Ink" is named Groar, a boar-like monster with silver skin covered in tattoos. Totally bad ass. While immortal warriors with heightened senses and tattoos that come to life are not completely original ideas, Nashoda Rose took the concept and made it her own.

Jasper was the ultimate bad boy alpha male. But he is more then just a Scar Sounder. He is a highly respected hired assassin who crosses paths with our heroine Max in the beginning of the story and then meets up with her again 6 months later when her life is threatened. Jasper is crass, a major smart ass, and hides his emotions behind a thick wall to protect himself from growing attachments to anyone because of a tragedy that happened years ago. This is also why he doesn't belong to a Talde, or a group/band of Scar warriors. A complete loner and he likes it that way, well, until Max starts messing with his head and emotions.

Max was an intriguing character and perhaps is one of the only heroines that I can remember in a romance where I walked away liking her more than the hero! Not that I had any issues towards Jasper-- that man was HOT with a capital H and his tragic past was heartbreaking. But Max's back story is horrific and it takes an extremely strong person to endure what she has. Max is a Scar Healer, only she has a unique ability that no other healer can do-- and that is the ability to heal a Scar's "Ink" once it has been destroyed. Max has endured years of imprisonment, torture, rape by the twistedly evil Drake. Once a Scar Tracker, he is even more powerful now that he is a vampire. At first, Drake enslaves Max and keeps her close so that she can constantly heal is failing lungs which started to occur once his "Ink" had died. At this point, he does not know Max's other ability-- and she will take it to her grave before she lets him find out. After years of imprisonment, she is rescued by Xamien, the leader of his own Talde of Scar warriors. He gives her safety, a place to call home. And while she is forever grateful and has a soft spot for this fierce warrior, she can't completely trust him and remains tight lipped about her time with Drake.

And then Jasper enters her life and all the walls she spent years erecting to keep herself safe start to crumble. He constantly baits her, saying outrageously sexual things that stirs a fire in her blood that she thought long dead. Her body riddled with scars from her time with Drake, Max wants to hide them, but Jasper isn't having any of it. He finds her beautiful, scars and all (even though the thought of someone putting them on her makes him want to hunt down the evil bastard responsible). Jasper and Max have off the charts chemistry and couldn't be more perfectly matched. When Jasper's true motives for taking her on as a "job" are revealed towards the end of the book, I felt a twinge in my heart for both characters-- how would Max ever be able to trust Jasper again and get over feeling betrayed? It took almost losing her for Jasper to realize how important she has become in his world-- how will he ever gain her trust? Well, you'll just have to read to find out!

It is really no surprise how much I also enjoyed the introduction to the secondary characters, especially Jasper's brother Holden (a Scar Tracker) and their friend Guise (a Visionary, ability to see very far). If you've read any of Nashoda Rose's previous novels, then you already know she has an amazing ability to create some of the hottest male secondary characters that will leave you panting for more. I know that TAKE was a bit of an experimental book in that reader reaction will play a huge role on whether Nashoda decides to expand on this series. And I am praying to the gods that she does because Holden, Guise, even Xamien need their own books. It totally has to happen!

So what held me back from giving TAKE a perfect 5 star rating? While I absolutely loved the concept of the Scars, the story lacked world building and mythology. At the very beginning of the book, the author gives us a glossary of terms which I found interesting. I thought wow, okay, Nashoda is trying to prepare us for this unique new world. Well...many of the terms in the glossary weren't even mentioned in the story. For a first novel in a series, there definitely lacks a bit of foundation. We really have no mythology, meaning we don't know where or how Scars came into existence. Oh, and how/where do vampires fit into all of this? I also feel like there was a ton of repetition throughout the story, a lot of Jasper and Max repeating themselves, their thoughts over and over which could have been extra pages spent giving us background.

Despite this, TAKE is a refreshing paranormal romance that will make a great new addition in the overly saturated genre. If you like dirty talking alpha males and strong heroines that aren't easily intimidated, then this is a must read.

best wishes,mia

EXCERPT 

How long since you fucked a guy?”

“What?” Her arms moved as if she was about to cross them over her breasts and then decided against it and put them back at her sides. “What does that have to do with anything?” 

“Because when I fuck you, it will be hard. I need to know if you can take it.” I’d expected her to grab her shirt and put it back on. That was what I had intended. To scare her. Instead, she stared at me as she undid her bra and let it fall to the floor. 

Fuck. 

I was a guy. A guy that didn’t give a shit if a woman hated me in the morning, but they never did. I may be a selfish bastard but I never left a woman unsatisfied. And it was more a self-serving reason as I could always get seconds when I wanted. But this was different. Everything about it was different. Max was different. 

And that should’ve scared me enough to walk away. 

But Max … staring at her milky white naked skin … her handful of breasts with nipples erect and waiting for my mouth to be sucking on them. I should’ve walked back into the bathroom, shut the door and jerked myself off in the shower. 

I didn’t.

about the author

Nashoda Rose lives in Toronto with her assortment of pets. She writes contemporary romance with a splash of darkness, or maybe it’s a tidal wave. Her novella "With You" is the first in the Tear Asunder series, followed by the novel "Torn from You" and "Overwhelmed by You". When she isn’t writing, she can be found sitting in a field reading with her dog at her side while her horses graze nearby. She loves interacting with her readers on Facebook and chatting about her addiction—books.

Connect With Nashoda

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

*RELEASE BLITZ* The Fox's Mate by: Elaina M. Roberts + Giveaway

synopsis

Alpha Draike Weatherby has enjoyed many years of peace in his districts. He’s made agreements with the various shifter races as well as the Vampire Lord of London to keep crime down and their existence safe from human knowledge. Until now. A loyal gang of nonhuman runaways are systematically losing members. Rat shifters have grown bold, increasing crime in his area and risking their secret. Then there’s Olivia. Naked, bleeding, and fleeing a trio of unsavory characters, she runs straight into his arms…and stirs his most protective instincts.

As he digs deeper, he discovers an interconnecting web with a single common thread: Olivia. To uncover the truth, he must gain the trust of the terrified woman who entices his fox. But she guards a secret that could destroy or save her.

teaser excerpt

He eased his large frame into Draike’s chair behind the large executive-style desk, propped his feet on the polished mahogany surface, and smiled—showing off a pair of sharp fangs. “You see, I too am a creature of legend. Like most legends and myths, most of what you’ve heard about my kind is false. We’re not bloodthirsty killers preying upon humanity to slake our unnatural thirsts. Although, now I think about it, there is a veritable plethora of solicitors amongst us. Maybe that myth isn’t too far off the mark, hmm?”

“You’re a-a vampire?” Her voice escaped her with a squeak. Olivia gripped the door handle, torn between the urge to remain with the amiable creature or run screaming into the streets. “Like, rising from the dead, turning into a bat, drinking blood and…and, oh my God! That’s not wine, then, is it?”

She stared at the crystal wineglass. The viscous liquid clung to the sides and pooled at the bottom. It stained the vampire’s lips and tinted his fangs. The room seemed to spin as she struggled to breathe. Her pulse pounded in her ears.

“Please, child, calm down before you give yourself a heart attack. I don’t fancy trying to explain that to the old battle-axe. Terrifying woman, prone to violence.” He gave a melodramatic shudder. “And then there’s Draike. When he gets riled, he can be more than a bit frightening. I mean, what if he doesn’t have all of his shots?”

“So, you’re not going to bite me? Drink my blood? Turn me into a vampire?” He shook his head. His smile showed perfectly even, perfectly normal, white teeth. Olivia ran a shaky hand over her face. It was official. She had finally gone insane. “Why not?”

“It’s a long story, but let’s just say human blood is on the restricted list. Besides, even though Draike delights in driving me toward the final death, I’d never betray him that way.” “But it’s daytime! Shouldn’t you be turning into dust or bursting into flames or something?” She inched toward him, curiosity drawing her to the ancient creature who cast no shadow.

“Miriam would never forgive me if I made such a mess.” His easy grin slipped from his face, and he pinned her with a serious look. “Our ability to walk in the sun is not known, Olivia. For our protection, vampires have encouraged that belief. You now hold knowledge that could be very valuable to my enemies, human and nonhuman alike. But even with that, I’m not a danger to you, child. I never will be.”

“Why should I believe you?”

“Because of my stunning good looks and keen wit?” He grinned and Olivia found herself returning it. It was insane, but she did believe him. She crept toward the chair, lowering herself to perch upon the very edge. Maximus’s smile was warm and kind, with a hint of relief. “Thank you. I was getting a kink in my neck looking up at you.”

“Oh. Sorry.”

“None of that, now.” He dismissed her apology with an elegant wave. “As for why you should believe me?” He shrugged. “There’s little reason why you should at the moment. I have my reasons, of course. The main one being I owe Draike a great debt, one I can never repay. Granted, he’d take a stake to me if I hurt a single hair on your lovely head, but it changes nothing. I owe him and I always repay my debts. It’s an added bonus to find you’re a shadow seer. Quite remarkable, really.”

Her mouth dropped open. “Would he really stake you?”

“He’d try. It never ends well. The boy sulks when he loses. Most unbecoming in an alpha if you ask me.” Maximus swirled the liquid in his glass with a sniff. She shook her head in wonder. A silly vampire? Yep, it was time for the huggy coat. “I confess I’m teeming with curiosity about you. I have a million questions, but if I make you uncomfortable or frightened, I’ll go pester Miriam in the kitchen. Draike told me you’ve had a hard time of it lately. I don’t want to add to that.”

“I think,” Olivia began, but had to take a sip of her drink to wet her throat. “I think I’ll be okay. You’re not what I would’ve expected from a v-vampire.”

“Forgive me, my sweet, for being such a crushing disappointment. I fear I left the cheesy cape and fedora at home.” “In your coffin?”

“Where else would it be?” He arched one brow and looked down his nose at her. She grinned despite her lingering fear. “I don’t know. A closet?”

They shared a laugh, and she eased back onto the plush upholstery. Maximus Petreius was as attractive as she would have expected from a vampire, but not nearly as frightening. She knew it was deliberate on his part; he was working hard to calm her fears. He was succeeding too. With his goofy grin and casual slouch in Draike’s chair, he reminded her so much of her father her heart ached.

book info & buy links

Title: The Fox's Mate

Author: Elaina M. Roberts

Genre: Urban Paranormal-Fantasy Romance

Publisher: Taliesin Publishing

Organized by: The Muses Circle

Release Date: 5th June 2014

Buy Links

Amazon | Taliesin Publishing | B&N | Smashwords

about the author

Elaina Roberts grew up in the wilds of Alabama, wearing garments sewn of squirrel hides. She saw her first motorized vehicle at age ten and was amazed and terrified at the giant, iron behemoth that ate and spat out people with impunity. She also makes up a lot of stuff, which propelled her to become an author.

Truthfully, though, Elaina did grow up in a rural area just outside the city limits of a small Alabama town. She spent many long afternoons running through untamed woodlands, even if she doesn’t care for squirrel regardless of how you cook it. As the youngest of four, there were few luxuries purchased by her textile factory parents, but they provided her with something even better: an intense love of reading. Her early loves were the mysteries of Earle Stanley Gardner, the fantastic worlds of Edgar Rice Burroughs, and the action-packed adventures of Don Pendleton. When she discovered romance, she sought books that combined the genres she already loved with this new promise of happily ever after. Not long afterwards, she began her own tentative steps into writing.

Today, she writes Urban Fantasy with a romantic flair, the genre guaranteed to offer her the greatest opportunity of creating fantastic words of action, adventure, and mystery, coupled with romance’s heart-lifting happily ever after.

Connect with Elaina

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Amazon

Giveaway

Enter for a chance to win an e-book copy of The Fox's Mate and a $5 Amazon gift card! Worldwide Giveaway! Ends 6/8.

 a Rafflecopter giveaway

good luck,mia

200 Follower Giveaway: The Hunt ARC Paperback!

Hello, my Muses!

I recently noticed that my blog is only a few shy of reaching 200 followers. What better way to celebrate then to host a quick Giveaway!

Since I've recently read and reviewed The Hunt by Andrew Fukuda, my ARC paperback copy is just sitting on my shelf, collecting dust. Well, not anymore! One of you lucky Muses is going to get a chance to win it! Here is what my copy looks like as well as links to a book blurb and my review:

Book Blurb | My Review

This is a stock photo of what my copy looks like, but don't worry, it's been lightly used, in great condition. Oh, and you will also notice that it features a different cover art then the final artwork they went with, which you can see below! I guess they decided to change it after the ARCs were distributed. So, this ARC copy is also a collectible!

Below is all the information you will need to enter. Giveaway ends at midnight on Saturday, June 2nd (Saturday night into Sunday).

Good Luck!

The Hunt ARC Paperback GIVEAWAY!

The Giveaway is open WORLDWIDE!
1 (ONE) winner will be chosen. The winner will receive my ARC paperback copy of The Hunt!
Please read the following rules/instructions carefully. All responses must be left in MY comment section of this post.

---- ---- ---- ---- ----
RULES/INSTRUCTIONS

1.. Must be a follower of my blog through GFC and/or Networked Blogs and/or Linky Followers (must leave your name/username that you use for any of these in the comment section of this post so I can check you joined)
2. Leave your name and email address in the COMMENT section of this post. (DO NOT leave your mailing address in the comment section. I will contact the winner afer the giveaway has ended for further instructions.)
3. Must answer this question: Why do you want to read The Hunt?
Optional/Bonus: Add/Follow me on Twitter and Facebook! :)
Twitter
Facebook

---- ---- ---- ---- ----

Giveaway ENDS: Saturday, June 2nd (last day to enter, ends at midnight) and the winner will be chosen and contacted by Sunday, June 3rd. The Winner will have 48 hours to respond to my email so that I can get your mailing address. If I don't hear from you, a new winner will be chosen. So please make sure you leave your correct email addresses in the comment section!
For any comments, questions, or concerns about this giveaway, feel free to email me: famulan23@gmail.com
Good Luck!

Book Review: The Hunt

Title: The Hunt
Author: Andrew Fukuda
ISBN: 1250005140
Reading Level: Young Adult
Genre: Horror Paranormal YA
Theme: Vampire, Post-Apocalyptic, Dystopian
Binding: (hardback; my copy was a paperback ARC)
Length: 304 pages
Published: 8 May 2012; St. Martin's Griffin
Buy: amazon.com
My Rating:

Synopsis: Don’t Sweat. Don’t Laugh. Don’t draw attention to yourself. And most of all, whatever you do, do not fall in love with one of them.

Gene is different from everyone else around him. He can’t run with lightning speed, sunlight doesn’t hurt him and he doesn’t have an unquenchable lust for blood. Gene is a human, and he knows the rules. Keep the truth a secret. It’s the only way to stay alive in a world of night—a world where humans are considered a delicacy and hunted for their blood.

When he’s chosen for a once in a lifetime opportunity to hunt the last remaining humans, Gene’s carefully constructed life begins to crumble around him. He’s thrust into the path of a girl who makes him feel things he never thought possible—and into a ruthless pack of hunters whose suspicions about his true nature are growing. Now that Gene has finally found something worth fighting for, his need to survive is stronger than ever—but is it worth the cost of his humanity?

My Review: I was super excited when I won an ARC copy of The Hunt from LibraryThing.com. There had been a lot of buzz before its release, some calling it the male version of The Hunger Games, only with fangs. With so many YA vampire books out there, finding something that stands out in this genre is like searching for a needle in a haystack. I really wanted to love The Hunt, and while it does delivery some chills and some nail biting suspense, the story somehow falls short and is riddled with plot holes.

The Hunt does have an interesting premise. Vampires are now at the top of the food chain and humans, now called "hepers", are obsolete...until the dictator comes on television and announces that there will be a lottery. The lucky winners of this lottery will have the honor to participate in the last "Heper Hunt", and it is revealed that several humans have been raised and groomed specifically for this event. Gene, one of the winners, should be ecstatic that he will get the chance to hunt down the last "hepers", to taste fresh blood and tear through human flesh. But no one realizes that he is actually a human and has spent his whole life pretending he is a vampire. Talk about living in a pit of snakes, right?

I do like that the story was told in a male's point-of-view. There are so many books out, especially in the vampire genre, that are targeted for girls. While the book is girl friendly (there is a romance that develops), I think The Hunt will definitely appeal to boys. The vampires in this book are not romantic nor are they particularly attractive. They have long fingernails, eat raw meat along with the blood drinking, and go into some sort of drooling trance when they either think, see, or smell "hepers". Yeah, they definitely aren't your Twilight or Vampire Diaries bloodsuckers. In fact, they sort of remind me of zombie-vampires since they will devour a whole human, not just drink their blood. I'll come back to that in a minute.

I have to give Fukuda credit where credit is due. The man can build suspense. Gene is a human, living as a vampire. Ever since he could remember, his father taught him that he had to suppress his natural human reactions and urges-- no sweating, no laughing, no shivering, no goosebumps, no squinting, etc. There were quite a few scenes where I felt my heart pounding in fear for Gene. One that comes to mind is when he is in class (at night) and the teacher calls on him to read something off the board. Because they are vampires and have sharper eyesight, they don't need a lot of light. Gene can barely see and he knows if he were to squint his eyes to try to make out what's on the board, his cover would be blown, especially when all his vampire classmates turn to look at him when he doesn't speak up right away. Then he starts to sweat which is another no-no. There are quite a few tension building, nail biting scenes like this, so I can't take that away from the author.

There is a lot of controversy over how Gene acts towards the other humans once he comes face to face with them. Some readers were outraged at his behavior, that he had a superiority complex and was more worried about his own survival than warning or helping his own kind formulate a plan. I actually liked this twist and whether others want to admit it or not, this course of action is quite realistic. Gene has been literally raised with vampires. Other then his father drilling the do's and don'ts of survival in his head, Gene knows no other life. He doesn't even understand what his father meant when he would say, "Never forget who you are." Those words would haunt him even years after the death of his father. He knows more about vampires then he does about humans, and everything that has been taught to him about humans seems distorted. But even he doesn't realize what's true and false about his own kind. After all, books, videos, photographs have all been destroyed. So in my opinion, Gene thinking he is smarter then the humans that were raised in the Dome is not a farfetched idea. And maybe in a way he is in the sense that his survival skills are unmatched since he literally has been living with the enemy without them knowing. But that doesn't mean the humans in the Dome are stupid or without skill. I think one thing they teach Gene is loyalty. I won't say any more for fear of too many spoilers, but hopefully it will help you keep an open-mind while reading.

Here are my issues with The Hunt. The one that drives me crazy the most is their means for transportation. HORSES. Really??!!! Are we living back in the 1800's??? I am not a horse hater; in fact I love horses. But this doesn't make sense. Vampires have taken over the world (well, at least in Gene's world). They have the technology to build the Institute and create the Dome, which has the ability to close once the sun goes down to keep the humans inside and the vampires out (because vampires can't control themselves around humans, which I will get to in a minute). So, they have all this technology and the only reason they don't use cars (as far as I could tell) is because they think it is safer to ride in a carriage being pulled by a bunch of horses than in a car. God forbid if a car should run out of gas or blow a tire and they get stranded as the sun comes up. Umm...ever hear of tinted windows for vampires??! You're telling me with all the technology out there, the best they could come up with is horses??? Oh, I guess they never thought about all the things that could go wrong with a carriage, or the fact that the horses throughout the book seem skittish because they can sense the vampires aren't quite normal. Maybe because they are predators??? Okay, I need to get off this topic before I start throwing something >=(.

My next issue...why is there no backstory in The Hunt? I get it is going to be a series. I don't need everything spelled out for me. A little bit of mystery is good. But freakin' come on! Throw a dog a bone! And this is going to lead me right into my next issue that I sort of alluded to above. We have vampires that are sort of like zombies in that they not only drink blood, but will completely devour a human. When I say devour, I mean they will eat skin, internal organs, bones, EVERYTHING. Remember me saying that they go into this weird, creepy drooling trance when humans are mentioned or seen on television? They are worse if one is in close proximity. They literally lose control, go mad, all thinking ceases to exist. The humans don't have to have a fresh cut in order to set them off; vampires CANNOT control themselves AT ALL if one were to walk in a room. That is why the Dome was created by the vampires, so that if by some chance they lost control, they wouldn't be able to get to them. So...here is my problem with that. If these vampires can't control themselves at all, how did so many people "turn" into vampires without being eaten??? This is why backstory is so vital to a new series with new mythology. I mean, how did these vampires come into existence? Did it start out with a virus? The only thing Gene does mention is his fear of getting scratched or bitten. But considering how vicious and strong these vamps are, I can't see too many humans being able to get away without getting devoured.

Here is my last big issue (I have quite a few more, but those would only cause spoilers). While I loved the premise of the story, and started to realize that Gene might not be the only human pretending he is a vampire in order to survive, I find it a bit unrealistic. The vampires have no inventory of families? So if a whole family is thought to be vampires and say 2 family members disappear--they just stop going to school or don't show up for their job-- you're telling me that the vampire authorities wouldn't get curious? They wouldn't approach the other family members and ask where they are? In the very beginning, a little human girl shows up at school and falls asleep (another no-no). The vampires eat her once they realize she is human. So...they didn't put 2 and 2 together that if a human child was sent to school pretending that she was a vampire that maybe her parents could be human as well? Or that other humans are doing the same thing? Yeah, so many plot holes!

Andrew Fukuda's The Hunt started off strong. It was refreshing to read a vampire book through the eyes of a teen boy and I have no doubt that this will be a book that will even appeal to reluctant readers. It's bloody, gory, and pays homage to the vampires of old while still retaining some originality. Fukuda shows skill at writing suspenseful scenes and more then once I found myself holding my breath in anxiety. But what hurts this story severely is the plot holes. Lack of backstory is the biggest issue. While this may be Fukuda's plan since The Hunt does end on a cliff hanger and book 2 is in the works, I think giving his reader a little more information in book 1 wouldn't have hurt. When I finished reading it, I was so annoyed that my original rating was actually 2 out of 5 stars. But after a few days of reflection as I started making my list of likes and dislikes, I came to realize that I genuinely liked the main character and had no major issues with the writing itself. It was the holes in the story I had issues with. So my final, upgraded 3 out of 5 star rating is because I want to remain optimistic that Fukuda did this on purpose and he has some brilliant plan to fill in the holes in book 2 by giving us some awesome, original backstory. One can hope, right?