Sunday, March 29, 2015

Manwhore by Katy Evans

                                              Manwhore
Title: Manwhore
 
Author: Katy Evans

Publisher: Gallery Books

Published Date: March 24, 2015

Buy on Amazon: Paperback & Kindle 

Author Website: http://www.katyevans.net/





Synopsis:

Is it possible to expose Chicago's hottest player--without getting played?

This is the story I've been waiting for all my life, and its name is Malcolm Kyle Preston Logan Saint. Don't be fooled by that last name though. There's nothing holy about the man except the hell his parties raise. The hottest entrepreneur Chicago has ever known, he's a man's man with too much money to spend and too many women vying for his attention.

Mysterious. Privileged. Legendary. His entire life he's been surrounded by the press as they dig for tidbits to see if his fairytale life is for real or all mirrors and social media lies. Since he hit the scene, his secrets have been his and his alone to keep. And that's where I come in.

Assigned to investigate Saint and reveal his elusive personality, I'm determined to make him the story that will change my career.

But I never imagined he would change my life. Bit by bit, I start to wonder if I'm the one discovering him...or if he's uncovering me.

What happens when the man they call Saint, makes you want to sin?   


My Thoughts:


Katy Evans' newest book, Manwhore, is sure to be a huge hit with romance enthusiasts. With summer approaching, Manwhore is the perfect tantalizing beach and pool read. Fans of Sylvia Day and Maya Banks will find that Evans' new Manwhore series ranks right up there with their other favorite steamy reads.



Manwhore centers around the life of Rachel, a journalist/reporter who works for a struggling magazine that is on its last leg. Her dream is to write pieces that matter, such as spotlighting Chicago's city violence. However, Rachel knows she must write fluff pieces before she can make a difference with her words and truly leave her mark.



Rachel is thrilled to be given her biggest assignment that should put her magazine on the map and breathe life into its faltering pages. With the weight of saving not only her job, but her magazine, Rachel dives fully into her assignment. Write an expose on Chicago's playboy billionaire bachelor, Malcolm Saint. Rachel can easily research him and his bachelor ways as he is fodder for every gossip magazine and social media site out there. However, she needs more. She needs to find a way to get in close with Saint and tear down his walls.



Saint's public life is out there for everyone to see. There is a different girl on his arm every night. However, much about Saint is private. He surrounds himself with a tight circle of friends. What makes him tick? What made him the man he is today? What happens in Saint's inner circle? These are all questions Rachel sets out to answer. However, she soon realizes that with Saint nothing is easy. As she begins to fall for him she struggles to keep the line between 'assignment' and 'love interest' clear. Saint is nothing she thought him to be and she finds herself drawn to him like a magnet. The more she digs, the harder Rachel falls. Will she be able to write her story without tearing herself apart?



Katy Evans' newest series is sure to leave you begging for more. It ends with a huge cliffhanger that found me groaning and flying to the Internet to find out when the next book will be released. Fear not Saint lover's, Manwhore +1 is set to be released on July 7th. My countdown is on, it yours?
Katy Evans
Katy Evans


The publisher has provided me with a complimentary copy of the book, Manwhore, for the purpose of review.



Friday, March 6, 2015

The Price of Blood by Patricia Bracewell


Title: The Price of Blood
 
Author: Patricia Bracewell

Publisher: Viking Adult

Published Date: February 5, 2015

Buy on Amazon: Paperback & Kindle 

Author Website: http://www.patriciabracewell.com/





Synopsis:

Readers first met Emma of Normandy in Patricia Bracewell’s gripping debut novel, Shadow on the Crown. Unwillingly thrust into marriage to England’s King Æthelred, Emma has given the king a son and heir, but theirs has never been a happy marriage. In The Price of Blood, Bracewell returns to 1006 when a beleaguered Æthelred, still haunted by his brother’s ghost, governs with an iron fist and a royal policy that embraces murder.

As tensions escalate and enmities solidify, Emma forges alliances to protect her young son from ambitious men—even from the man she loves. In the north there is treachery brewing, and when Viking armies ravage England, loyalties are shattered and no one is safe from the sword.
Rich with intrigue, compelling personalities, and fascinating detail about a little-known period in history, The Price of Blood will captivate fans of both historical fiction and fantasy novels such as George R. R. Martin’s Game of Thrones series.


My Thoughts:


The Price of Blood, by Patricia Bracewell, is the second book in The Emma of Normandy Trilogy. The first book, Shadow on the Crown, followed fifteen year old Emma as she left her homeland of Normandy and everything she knew to marry Aethelred, the haunted King of war torn and pillaged England. Viking invasions were blooding the land and causing much internal strife. (My review of Shadow on the Crown can be found at http://endlessdaysofbooks.blogspot.com/2013/07/shadow-on-crown-by-patricia-bracewell.html) The second book picks up in 1006 where Shadow on the Crown leaves off and then ends in 1012. While these books are fiction they are based on real people, actual battles, and true events that have been recorded in history.  Bracewell used many works by Anglo-Saxon scholars to conduct her research.  What resulted is an extraordinary piece of historical fiction that uses rich language, detailed plot lines, and extensive character development. Bracewell is a wonderfully talented writer which is seen in Shadow on the Crown and The Price of Blood.

Queen Emma is an unforgettable heroine that easily captures reader's hearts, as well as the hearts and support of the English Court and commoners. This does not endear her to the King or her stepchildren. They view her and her young son Edward, who was named the rightful heir to the thrown, as threats. She is strong, intelligent, and dialed into the political landscape. Emma also keeps tabs on what is going on inside her family, the Court, and with other nobles.

In Shadow on the Crown, Emma falls in love with her eldest stepson, Athelstan. He returns her feelings but they know nothing can ever come of their dangerous love except heartache. When The Price of Blood begins the King already distrusts and dislikes Emma and he thinks Athelstan is out to steal his crown. If Emma or Athelstan gave the King any reason to think that they had feelings for each other it would lead to their destruction.  This leads to the two battling their desire for each other throughout The Price of Blood.

The Price of Blood does a wonderful job of illustrating just how hard it was to be female during this time. Women practically had no say in their lives and belonged fully to whichever man they were betrothed to. It saddened me to see Emma have no control of her son Edward's life. The King wanted them separated so that Emma would not influence Edward as he grew older, thus he had him sent away. Bracewell also demonstrated how disease heavily plagued the people of that age. Sickness spread like wildfire and there was nothing they could do but pray.

Patricia Bracewell has created an exceptional historical trilogy in Emma of Normandy. The Price of Blood is well written, well researched, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I am eagerly awaiting the final novel in her trilogy to see what becomes of England, Emma, Athelstan, Aethelred, and her children. If you are looking for a pivoting series to read then you definitely need to get The Emma of Normandy trilogy.

 
Patricia Bracewell
The publisher has provided me with a complimentary copy of the book, The Price of Blood, for the purpose of review.