Day: May 30, 2015

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Kick at the Darkness by Keira Andrews

KA Books Presents http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00YD5XLP4/ref=cm_cr_ryp_prd_ttl_sol_0

Pageflex Persona [document: PRS0000038_00067]Blurb

College freshman Parker Osborne is having the worst day ever. He humiliates himself trying to pick up a cute guy, he hasn’t made any friends at school, and his stupidly hot jerk of a TA gave him a crappy grade on his paper. He’s going to drop Adam Hawkins’ film class and start fresh tomorrow after he’s had a good sulk.

But Parker’s about to find out what a bad day really looks like—if he can survive the night.

A virus is unleashed, transforming infected people into zombie-like killers. After these quick and deadly creepers swarm campus, Parker only escapes thanks to Adam swooping him onto the back of his trusty motorcycle. Now they’re on the run—and stuck with each other.

When they’re not bickering, they’re fighting off the infected in a bloody battle for survival. Their only hope is to head east to Parker’s family, but orphaned Adam has a secret he’s not sure Parker will accept: he’s a werewolf. Can they trust each other enough to find some light in these dark days?

Review

When I read the blurb I said – what? Keira Andrews? Yes! Zombies? Heck Yes! Werewolves? Eff Yes!

(I used a different word than heck and eff but…)

I was NOT disappointed.

This story captures your attention right from the beginning.

Parker is an uptight, insecure freshman at Stanford. He’s used to being the big fish in a small pond and now he’s … not.

He meets his TA Adam over a bad grade in what is supposed to be a super easy class. Adam, of course, thinks the course is important and not just “filler” so he’s offended by Parker’s disdain.

It isn’t too long before the two accidentally meet in the quad on the day the “creepers” (zombies) take over the university. In a move that changes both their lives, Adam rescues Parker on the back of his bike and rides off with him to safety.

In the beginning there is a lot of sexual tension – Parker thinks Adam has a girlfriend. Adam has a secret he’s trying to keep from Parker. But both are really attracted to one another.

Of course at every turn they are also battling this unknown element – the virally infected hordes who mindlessly try to eat you if you get in their way.

Over the course of days and weeks they head cross country, trying to reach Parker’s family on the East Coast, and stay alive through both creeper invasions and vigilante challenges.

When Adam gets bitten it looks like their time together may be over or at least changed, since nobody knows how the disease is transferred. Luckily they meet someone who can help with that information.

The ending is… well… appropriate. I’m not sure if she’s setting us up for a sequel (Please, please, please!) or if a Zombie Apocalypse only has so many endings… but … it’s a definite HFN for their survival and HEA for their love.

**

What I loved about this book was the many different layers. Both Parker and Adam have felt marginalized in their lives – for different reasons. The fear of the unknown pushes them together faster than normal, but it still feels very organic and real. The human nature shown by the mobs of scared people felt real and the reaction to a possible cure brought up some real moral questions that struck a cord.

I loved Keira’s Rumspringa series and was so happy to see that her writing chops are well prepared to cover this entirely different genre.

In fact – maybe even better?

I highly recommend this book and give it 6 of 5 hearts!

*More more more!!!

amazing

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Then The Stars Fall Audiobook by Brandon Witt Narrated by Andrew McFarrin

Dreamspinner Presents http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=6437

ThenTheStarsFallAUDMEDBlurb

The death of his wife four years earlier left Travis Bennett a shell of the man he used to be. With his dog by his side, Travis raises his three children, manages his business, and works as a ranch hand. But every day, every minute, is an aching emptiness.
Wesley Ryan has fond memories of the small Ozark town of El Dorado Springs. Seeing it as a safe place to put his failed relationships behind him, Wesley moves into his grandparents’ old home and takes over the local veterinary clinic. An early morning visit from Travis and his dog stirs feelings that Wesley seeks to push away – the last thing he needs is to fall for a man with baggage and three kids as part of the package.
Life, it seems, has other plans.

Book Review (Previously posted on this site.)

Wesley moves back to the small town of El Dorado after a break up, but there is no hiding he’s a city boy. He drives a yellow Miata convertible with a rainbow dog sticker and everyone in town knows just what that means. He is faced with prejudice and sometimes violence, but he stays in town to be close to a family that was once good to him.

Travis is heart broken, he just lost his wife to cancer, his dog is sick and he has 3 kids to raise. He doesn’t want to be attracted to the “swishy” Wesley, so he’s a jerk at first, but later, he begins to think Wesley might just be exactly what he needs to heal.

The town finds out about their romance and makes life rough for both the couple and their family. Prejudice like this just doesn’t die an easy death and they drive a wedge between Wesley and Travis that has to be overcome before they can really be together.

The kids in this story are great, and (blessedly) easy going about a new love interest for dad, even though it’s a man. Wendy, Travis’ sister is also amazing, and helps to keep things running smoothly when times get rough.

There is an amazingly happy ending after a lot of hard work and some devastation, and our pair finally settles in to life HEA.

**

This is an amazing book. It is sad, realistic, funny, sweet, tender and somewhat sexy. The love scenes are fade to black, and that may turn some people off, but the emotion is there and the love story is incredible.

I loved the setting and the pragmatism shown by the “country folk” and really appreciated the truly bi-sexual nature of Travis. He absolutely loved his wife and mourns her deeply. But… he is absolutely attracted to (and later in love with) Wesley and that is also part of who he is.

I highly recommend this book for the romance and the writing.

Audio
Andrew McFarrin really did an amazing job with this amazing story. He handles the emotion well, I loved the difference between Travis and Wesley – striking and perfect! – he handles the female and children’s voices well and overall really impressed me.

Overall 5 of 5 hearts

5

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