ARC Review ~ Taste the Heat by Rachel Harris

Taste the Heat (Love and Games #1)
by Rachel Harris
Romance (Adult)
Expected Publication Date: July 8th 2013
Goodreads Link

Blurb:

One sexy fire captain. One Cajun chef, One combustible kitchen...

When chef Colby Robicheaux returned home to New Orleans to save her family restaurant, the last person she expected to reconnect with was her brother's best friend and her childhood crush. As tempting as a sugar-coated beignet, Jason is one dish she doesn't want to taste. Colby is counting down the days till she can leave the place where her distrust of love and commitment originated and go back to Vegas.

Fire captain Jason Landry isn't looking for love, either. He knows he should focus on finding the perfect mother for his daughter, but when he first sees Colby, all grown up and gorgeous, he can't help but be drawn to her. And when she suggests a no-strings-attached fling, Jason doesn't want to say no.

As their relationship grows more intense, Colby finds that Jason isn't as easy to leave behind as she thought. Could turning up the heat on something real be worth the possibility of getting burned?

My Review: 

**4 Stars**

I received a copy of this book from the author for an honest review. 

So, as some of you can probably tell from past reviews, I am not a romance genre person. HOWEVER, I loved Rachel Harris' teen book (My Super Sweet Sixteenth Century), so I wanted to give Taste the Heat a shot. I was pleasantly surprised!

I am not a big fan of all the sex in most adult romances, which is why I shy away from them. Taste the Heat, while it had a lot of sexual tension, didn't have much actual sex. And what there was, wasn't described in detail. (Huge plus for me!)

I really liked the story line and how HE had the child and how they both had closed off their hearts. I also like how we see through both Colby and Jason's eyes. I actually almost wish for a novella of Sherry.

Really good read, even if you aren't a romance fan. I look forward to reading the next one.

Review ~ The Witch of Duva by Leigh Bardugo

The Witch of Duva (The Grisha #0.5)
by Leigh Bardugo
YA Fantasy (Fairytale)
Published: June 5th 2012
Goodreads Link

Blurb: 

There was a time when the woods near Duva ate girls... or so the story goes. But it's just possible that the danger may be a little bit closer to home. This story is a companion folk tale to Leigh Bardugo's debut novel, Shadow and Bone.

My Review: 

**4 Stars**

Talk about "Creepy!!!" Wow. At first I thought it was going to be like Hansel and Gretel, only without Hansel. But it wasn't. It is definitely on the lines of a Fairytale. This isn't a short fantasy store. No, it is a true Fairytale.

Leigh Bardugo did a fantastic job with The Witch of Duva. I honestly had not idea what the outcome would be until it was happening. And again - creepy! Oh, and when I say Fairytale - I'm not taling one that you read to your kids at night. Nope, I am talking one of the true old style Fairytales where it gets gruesome and dark.

The only thing I don't get is why this is considered part of the Grisha series. I know it takes place in the same country, but it has nothing to do with the series and is written in a different style as well.

Great read. Highly recommended.

Review ~ The Tailor by Leigh Bardugo

The Tailor (The Grisha #1.5)
by Leigh Bardugo
YA Fantasy
Published: May 23rd 2013
Goodreads Link

Blurb: 

New scene from Shadow and Bone told from Genya's point of view. Exclusively on Facebook. (Link)

My Review: 

**4.5 Stars**

So, it wasn't enough that we weren't really sure how to feel about Genya at the end of Shadow and Bone and through most of Siege and Storm. Nope, Leigh Bardugo had to go and write a scene from Genya's perspective. Now I really don't know how to feel about her.

I do like how we got to see a little peek into how Genya was treated when she originally was sent to the Queen. She was a prize to be shown off. Then she grew older and caught the eye of the King, like many others in the palace.

Do I like Genya? No. Do I hate her? No. I feel for her. I feel for everything she was put through and given the same opportunities would I do the same thing? I don't know. She was trying to save her own hide - even if it cost others.

Review ~ Scarlet by Marissa Meyer

Scarlet (Lunar Chronicles #2)
by Marissa Meyer
YA Fantasy
Published: February 5th 2013
Goodreads Link

Blurb: 

The fates of Cinder and Scarlet collide as a Lunar threat spreads across the Earth...

Cinder, the cyborg mechanic, returns in the second thrilling installment of the bestselling Lunar Chronicles. She's trying to break out of prison-even though if she succeeds, she'll be the Commonwealth's most wanted fugitive.

Halfway around the world, Scarlet Benoit's grandmother is missing. It turns out there are many things Scarlet doesn't know about her grandmother or the grave danger she has lived in her whole life. When Scarlet encounters Wolf, a street fighter who may have information as to her grandmother's whereabouts, she is loath to trust this stranger, but is inexplicably drawn to him, and he to her. As Scarlet and Wolf unravel one mystery, they encounter another when they meet Cinder. Now, all of them must stay one step ahead of the vicious Lunar Queen Levana, who will do anything for the handsome Prince Kai to become her husband, her king, her prisoner.

My Review: 

**4.5 Stars**

Oh wow. Scarlet was great! I think I actually liked it better than Cinder. I love the new characters that were introduced and how Cinder fit in with all of them. There wasn't too much of Kai, but I honestly didn't mind that. IKO!!!! She's ok! Well, sort of. I am so glad she was apart of this book. I love her.

I hope that we see a little bit more of Scarlet's heritage in the next book (trying not to give anything away) and how it possibly effects her. She and Wolf created such a great bond. They were written perfectly for each other and I look forward to seeing their relationship grow in the next book.

I would highly recommend this book, even if you weren't a huge fan of Cinder. (I know - horrible to say right? Someone didn't like Cinder?) I don't know what more to say. I think I am still overwhelmed by the awesomeness of this book.