Alice in Zombieland by Gena Showalter

Synopsis:
 She won’t rest until she’s sent every walking corpse back to its grave. Forever.

Had anyone told Alice Bell that her entire life would change course between one heartbeat and the next, she would have laughed. From blissful to tragic, innocent to ruined? Please. But that’s all it took. One heartbeat. A blink, a breath, a second, and everything she knew and loved was gone.

Her father was right. The monsters are real….

To avenge her family, Ali must learn to fight the undead. To survive, she must learn to trust the baddest of the bad boys, Cole Holland. But Cole has secrets of his own, and if Ali isn’t careful, those secrets might just prove to be more dangerous than the zombies….


I wish I could go back and do a thousand things differently.
I'd tell my sister no.
I'd never beg my mother to talk to my dad.
I'd zip my lips and swallow those hateful words.
Or, barring all of that, I'd hug my sister, my mom and my dad one last time.
I'd tell them I love them.
I wish... Yeah, I wish
Review:
Where do I start?

Lets see, I guess I could start by taking the time to mention that I haven't read a book by Gena Showalter that I have not enjoyed. She really is a talented writer I am proud to have on my bookshelves to read over and over again.

Alice and Zombieland was a slow starter for the first chapter for me, I thought that it being a new genre for me when it came to Gena Showalter that I wasn't going to be a fan, you know since they have those hit and misses every now and then.

Thankfully that was not the case, I quickly became invested in this book and it is now resting on the favorites shelf.

Don't be fooled, this book is not a zombie take on Alice in Wonderland, there are similarities but I loved that that was it when it came to the story. There is a white rabbit, and parts where Alice's world gets turned upside down but that is about it.

This book is a must read for zombie fans and YA genre lovers everywhere.

Rating:
5 out of 5 Raven's!

The Sweetest Dark by Shana Abe

 Synopsis:

 For fans of Lauren Kate and Libba Bray, The Sweetest Dark is filled with thrilling romance, exciting adventure, and ancient magic. Shana Abé brilliantly captures the drama of post-Victorian England, while unfolding a passionate love story that defies time.
 
“With every fiber of my being, I yearned to be normal. To glide through my days at Iverson without incident. But I’d have to face the fact that my life was about to unfold in a very, very different way than I’d ever envisioned. Normal would become forever out of reach.”
 
Lora Jones has always known that she’s different. On the outside, she appears to be an ordinary sixteen-year-old girl. Yet Lora’s been keeping a heartful of secrets: She hears songs that no one else can hear, dreams vividly of smoke and flight, and lives with a mysterious voice inside her that insists she’s far more than what she seems.

England, 1915. Raised in an orphanage in a rough corner of London, Lora quickly learns to hide her unique abilities and avoid attention. Then, much to her surprise, she is selected as the new charity student at Iverson, an elite boarding school on England’s southern coast. Iverson’s eerie, gothic castle is like nothing Lora has ever seen. And the two boys she meets there will open her eyes and forever change her destiny.

Jesse is the school’s groundskeeper—a beautiful boy who recognizes Lora for who and what she truly is. Armand is a darkly handsome and arrogant aristocrat who harbors a few closely guarded secrets of his own. Both hold the answers to her past. One is the key to her future. And both will aim to win her heart. As danger descends upon Iverson, Lora must harness the powers she’s only just begun to understand, or else lose everything she dearly loves.

Filled with lush atmosphere, thrilling romance, and ancient magic, The Sweetest Dark brilliantly captures a rich historical era while unfolding an enchanting love story that defies time.
Review:
I wasn't sure what to expect when I started this book, to be honest I couldn't even remember what it was going to be about. I was bored and at work, so I took a spin in the document tab for my Kindle, my finger just so happened to land on this book.

It was very unique on it's take with the dragon culture, or at least for me it seemed very unique, I have never really gotten to invested in a dragon series. 

I think my favorite part was where stones made music to their ears only, each stone a different song, I can only imagine the beauty that could come from it, and the annoyance that I could only imagine that came from never getting a moment of peace. 

It was sad to hear how Lora thought she was insane because of everything she had been told from the side effects of having so much dragon blood.

The one part I actually hated about the book and got very upset over was the ending. If Kindle's where cheaper or I had read the book in print I probably would have thrown it across the room. I wanted to scream, it was a great way to end but it left me so frustrated because it was not the ending I wanted.

Rating:
4 Ravens out of 5 Ravens.

Highlander Most Wanted by Maya Banks

Synopsis:
 In Highlander Most Wanted, a reclusive woman content to live in the shadows shows a Highland warrior the true meaning of love.
 
Genevieve McInnes is locked behind the fortified walls of McHugh Keep, captive of a cruel laird who takes great pleasure in ruining her for any other man. Yet when Bowen Montgomery storms the gates on a mission of clan warfare, Genevieve finds that her spirit is bent but not broken. Still, her path toward freedom remains uncertain. Unable to bear the shame of returning to a family that believes her dead or to abandon others at the keep to an imposing new laird, Genevieve opts for the peaceful life of an abbess. But Bowen’s rugged sensuality stirs something deep inside her that longs to be awakened by his patient, gentle caress—something warm, wicked, and tempting.

Bowen seizes his enemy’s keep, unprepared for the brooding and reclusive woman who captures his heart. He’s enchanted by her fierce determination, her unusual beauty, and her quiet, unfailing strength. But wooing her will take more than a seasoned seducer’s skill. For loving Genevieve, he discovers, means giving her back the freedom that was stolen from her—even if it means losing her forever

Review:
This is a book full of sweet romance that will have you sighing as your heart strings are pulled on when you hear the story of young Gwen McInnes's life under the cruel hands of a monster known as Ian McHugh.

I requested this book from netgalley, not knowing it was a second in the series, despite it being the second it is a book that is worth reading as a stand alone. I didn't find myself lost for one minute, it was as if it was just starting out on it's own.  Which for Gwen and Bowen it was.

With steam rolling off of the pages in some of the naughtier scene's, it was not all toe curling pages full of erotic images, it has a great story line that is well thought out and heartbreaking.

It is definitely a book I am glad to have come across and hopefully kept to memory if not gracing my shelves.

Being introduced to a new author is always a thrilling and scary thing since you can never tell how their writing style will fit with your reading style. Thankfully with this book it was worth taking a chance because I am now a fan and look foreword to reading more of her work.

Rating:
5 out of 5 Ravens!