Leanne Crabtree's Blog, page 6
February 27, 2014
Booklikes
So I joined booklikes today. As far as I can tell it’s a lot like Goodreads, only more of a blog format. If I’m wrong, I’m sorry. Newbie to the site.
If anyone else is on there feel free to add me: http://lcrabtree.booklikes.com/


February 19, 2014
Michelle O’ Leary
As you may know, every so often I like to do a sort of spotlight on author’s that I’ve read and really liked that aren’t as well known as I believe they should be. So far I’ve done Rachel Higginson and Lindsay Buroker.
Today it’s the turn of Michelle O’ Leary.
She’s an author of science fiction romance. I’ve read two of her books so far, The Huntress and Light of Kaska, and really enjoyed both, with No Such Thing still to read.
I’m not the biggest fan of Sci-fi books, I’ll admit. If I do happen to read one, I’m looking for a good romance sub-plot and Michelle’s books have just that. She weaves stories that draw you in and the world building is really detailed. I grew to really care about her characters plights and were happy when things turned out good for them in the end.
If you like sci-fi romances and are looking for a new name in the genre then I suggest you give Michelle O’ Leary a try. I’m certainly looking forward to reading more from the author in the future.


February 13, 2014
Book Review – Undertow
Name: Undertow (The UnderCity Chronicles, #1)
Author: S.M. Stelmack
Genre(s): Contemporary Romance, Mystery/Intrigue, (slight) Horror
Release Date: 29th April 2013
Rating: 3½ out of 5 stars
I received this copy in exchange for an honest review.
Lindsay Sterling’s niece has gone missing in the New York underground and the cops do nothing except pass along a name. Jack Cole. Twenty years ago they were good buddies but horrors have changed them both. Lindsay lost her entire family except for her niece in a car accident, and Jack was held captive in New York’s underbelly for nearly two years by demented sub-humans. It was a soul-sucking experience that’s left him a shell of a man. He refuses to descend into that hell again, especially for a girl who’s probably dead anyway. But when Lindsay is nearly killed there after going it alone, Jack feels compelled to save her skin. Jack navigates Lindsay through a strange territory, populated with the eccentric, the insane and the desperate. Each encounter takes them closer to Lindsay’s niece but also closer into the clutches of the mad creatures that will enslave them.
The cover grabbed my attention straight away; it looks dark and kinda scary. I like to read a bit of everything as long as it has some romance to it, so.
The prologue definitely grabbed my attention and left me wondering what was down there in the tunnels under New York City.
Fast forward eighteen years, Lindsay and Jack now are thirty-three, and she needs his help. When she finally manages to get him to agree, they head underground and I was amazed at the detailed description of the communities they come across, and the variety. Some seemed rather crazy while others were pretty laid back. It was interesting.
We see from both Lindsay and Jack’s POV, which turns out to be very interesting. He tries to act like he doesn’t care about her (in Lindsay’s POV), I think in an attempt to keep himself removed from the rest of the world after what he went through at the hands of the Moles. Then seeing from his own POV that he does care and that he does want to help her. I like him: a LOT.
Seeing the occasional flashback of Jack’s time being held underground by the Moles was kinda creepy. What they did to him… *shudders*
It’s hard to go into too much detail about this book without giving some stuff away but I was drawn into the book easily. Maybe it was the romance aspect that was present from early on or maybe it was the mystery about what was down in the Undercity. Whatever it was, I liked it.
Next review: Turned


February 12, 2014
Since it’s my birthday…
…I’m going to post Chapter 2 of Charlotte & Sebastian for you to read. Chapter 1 can be found here if you haven’t read it yet.
Chapter Two
Charlotte stared at the place he’d been sat not two seconds before and sighed. Damn him for confusing the hell out of her! One minute he was winding her up and the next he was gentle and not wanting her to get hurt. Talk about split personality!
Climbing out of the car she shut the door as quietly as possible and locked it before walking on silent feet toward warehouse six, where they had been reliably informed the werewolves were holed up.
Werewolves’ hearing was almost as good as vampires so they’d be able to hear her breathing and heartbeat if she got any closer. Taking note of Sebastian’s advice she crouched in the shadows near the entrance gate and retrieved her guns from the holsters at her thighs and turned off the safeties.
She kept her gaze locked on the warehouse waiting for whatever Sebastian had planned to go down, her guns ready at her sides.
Suddenly she heard shouts from inside and her body tensed for battle. Lifting her guns she aimed at the warehouse, waiting. Seconds later she saw a blur as Sebastian whipped out of the building followed by three large men. They were shouting and growling, their faces masks of fury, as they chased the vampire.
Taking aim she pulled the triggers and both bullets hit their targets but the wolves did little more than slow down. The third turned in her direction and locked gazes with her. A shiver raced down her spine as he began stalking towards her.
Charlotte swallowed noisily and bided her time, waiting for the perfect time to shoot. The man bared bloody teeth and her stomach rolled.
When he was about ten feet away she pulled the triggers. She watched the bullets hit him but he didn’t slow, only flinched, as she emptied the cartridges into him. The gun’s clicked telling her she was out and she swore as he came closer, reaching behind her for new clips.
“Fresh meat,” he growled and ran his tongue over his teeth. “Pretty girls always taste better.”
She fumbled getting the clip out of her pocket and began backing away. She wasn’t fast enough doing either and received a hard back handed slap to the cheek, which sent her flying to the floor.
A dark shape flew past her and into the shifter knocking him to the floor. The shape turned out to be Sebastian, his fists a blur as he pummelled the shifter. The wolf let out a howl and Sebastian stepped back, offering her a hand, as the man before them began to shift to his wolf form.
To Charlotte it looked extremely painful as the man’s bones stretched and changed, fur sprouting from his pores and claws extending from the tips of his fingers. It took a mere few seconds and then they were faced with an angry looking wolf the size of the average pony.
“Stay back,” Sebastian warned, then launched himself at the wolf.
It lifted a large paw and took a swipe at the vampire but thanks to Sebastian’s enhanced speed he avoided it easily. Then he aimed a swift kick at its other front leg and the animal fell to the floor with a crash that didn’t help its mood one bit.
It howled and then jumped at Sebastian, who evaded it easily, before turning its attention back to Charlotte.
Fear poured through her and she stood there immobile as it lifted a giant paw and swiped at her. In the last second she was pushed out of the way and fell heavily to her knees, a sound of pain and anger splitting the air as Sebastian took the hit instead; four large, deep, slices to his torso that began to bleed profusely.
There was no way she could have survived such an attack.
His eyes flared icy blue and his head whipped around to stare at the werewolf. “You really shouldn’t have done that.” With a snarl he launched himself high over the animal, landing on its back. He gripped either side of its large head and twisted sharply. There was a loud snap and the wolf dropped to the ground, its neck broken.
Seb was breathing hard as he dropped to the ground and pulled a large knife from the inside of his long black coat. With one swift move he’d slashed through the beasts’ neck and Charlotte pressed a hand to her mouth to try and stop her nausea.
“There are three women in the warehouse. Two are still alive; very shaken after seeing what happened to the third,” Sebastian said softly.
She nodded, grateful for the distraction. “Are the other two shifters dead?”
He cast her a dark look, his blue eyes blazing, and she took a step back, her palms up. She got the message.
With one last glance, she jogged over to the warehouse door and stepped inside. Her eyes were drawn to the corpse in the middle of the floor and she gagged at the sight of the mutilated young woman.
Her eyes were open and staring blankly in Charlotte’s direction, one of her arms had been pulled off and lay off to the side, flesh hanging off as if the wolves had been in mid-meal when Sebastian had caught their attention.
A low crying sound caught her attention and she turned away from the body, looking for the source of the noise. “You can come out now. I’m here to help you.”
A dark head peered around a large crate, her eyes red from crying. “Are they gone?”
“Yes. I’m sorry about your friend but we need to get you out of here.”
The girl came from around the crate, tugging her lighter haired friend with her. The other girl’s eyes landed on her dead friend and she let out a moan of pain. “Come on, Mel, we can’t help her now. We need to go with this woman.”
Charlotte herded them outside and directed them to the car, the ground now free of corpses. She caught sight of Sebastian at the rear of the car, just shutting the boot, and urged the girls to move quicker.
The vampire stayed in the shadows, knowing his eyes would scare them with their unnatural brightness, as Charlotte helped them into the car.
“I’ll be right back; I just need to help my partner.”
Walking around the back of the car, she headed over to Sebastian and grabbed his arm but he shrugged her off.
Seb held his bleeding chest, a hiss escaping him with every step. His eyes were icy blue, the more feral side of him taking over as survival took precedence over civility.
Charlotte grabbed his arm to stop him and offered him her wrist. “Take what you need.” He shook his head and pushed past her again. “Look, Seb, I need your help to bring those girls in, so drink. Take what you need so we can calm them down and get them back home.”
She could see he was tempted as his blue eyes watched the pulse beating in her throat. She offered him her wrist again and as he reached out for her hand, her pulse pounding even more erratically than it had from the run.
Suddenly he yanked on her wrist and she crashed into his chest. Charlotte tilted her head back to look at him but he’d buried his face in her throat, his tongue running over the pulse.
“Seb?” She asked nervously.
“This way will be quicker,” he murmured quietly, “less painful, too.”
She nodded slowly and felt him lightly draw his teeth over her throat, eliciting a shiver from her. His tongue joined in the play and she gasped softly.
“I won’t hurt you, Charlotte,” he promised. Then his teeth sunk through her flesh and she gasped again, this time in pain. Her fingers fisted in the material of his black shirt as she fought not to pull away and risk her neck being ripped open. So much for not hurting her! But the pain quickly faded and a pleasant buzz rushed through her.
He let her go a minute later, his lips lightly brushing the incision, and she stumbled back.
Her gaze flew to his and she watched as the icy blue faded from his eyes returning to their original sapphire colour. They locked with hers and she forgot to breathe for a second.
“Thank you, Charlotte,” he said quietly.
Swallowing hard, she nodded, her eyes dropping to the slices in his shirt to see healing flesh beneath, and turned to climb in the driver’s side door. Sebastian did the same at human speed and she was grateful for his thoughtfulness so as not to scare the girls some more.
“What about our friend?” The dark haired one asked.
Charlotte glanced over her shoulder at them, “We’ll have to ask someone else to come out and collect the body and she’ll be taken to a funeral home ready for a funeral.”
The fairer haired one burst into a fresh round of tears and the other one consoled her.
Turning back to the front, she started the car and set off.
An hour later they arrived back at the Agency and Charlotte helped the girls from the car and inside the building where they’d get help for what they’d seen and been through tonight.
She only wished she could forget it too.
Copyright 2014. Leanne Crabtree.
Book can be found on Goodreads here: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20468733-charlotte-sebastian and is set for release in April, though this may change.


February 10, 2014
Book Review – Stolen Songbird
Name: Stolen Songbird (The Malediction Trilogy, #1)
Author: Danielle L. Jensen
Genre(s): Fantasy, Romance, Young Adult
Release Date: 1st April 2014
Rating: 4½ out of 5 stars
I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
For five centuries, a witch’s curse has bound the trolls to their city beneath the ruins of Forsaken Mountain. Time enough for their dark and nefarious magic to fade from human memory and into myth. But a prophesy has been spoken of a union with the power to set the trolls free, and when Cécile de Troyes is kidnapped and taken beneath the mountain, she learns there is far more to the myth of the trolls than she could have imagined.
Cécile has only one thing on her mind after she is brought to Trollus: escape. Only the trolls are clever, fast, and inhumanly strong. She will have to bide her time, wait for the perfect opportunity.
But something unexpected happens while she’s waiting – she begins to fall for the enigmatic troll prince to whom she has been bonded and married. She begins to make friends. And she begins to see that she may be the only hope for the half-bloods – part troll, part human creatures who are slaves to the full-blooded trolls. There is a rebellion brewing. And her prince, Tristan, the future king, is its secret leader.
As Cécile becomes involved in the intricate political games of Trollus, she becomes more than a farmer’s daughter. She becomes a princess, the hope of a people, and a witch with magic powerful enough to change Trollus forever.
l love the cover of this; it’s vey eye catching. I’ll admit that covers attract me to books and this drew my attention straight away. Then I saw the name and I said to myself, “I have to read this.” But then there’s the fact that I’m rather picky with my fantasy books (loving the Throne of Glass series but not liking Daughter of Smoke and Bone). Nevertheless I jumped straight into the book.
This is only my second ever troll book but considering the other was just a short story, I was looking forward to learning more about them. And I wasn’t disappointed. They sound equally enchanting and terrifying depending on who you meet. And I like the thought of there being handsome troll princes very much
Cécile is quite a tough girl. She doesn’t mind giving as good as she gets verbally which I like about her. As for Prince Tristan, I liked his sarcasm at the start, even if it was directed at Cécile. And then I just sort of grew to like him. Some of the secondary characters were just as likeable, such as Marc and the twins.
There was an interesting storyline to this; almost a good versus evil plot but much more complicated. It was all very political and about who should rule Trollus and how. I wish I could go into detail but that would ruin the plot.
Then comes the romance aspect. I loved the progression of Cécile and Tristan’s relationship. They might not have liked each other in the beginning but as they got to know each other better it was very sweet reading and I was cheering them on from fairly early in the book.
To go back to my pickiness with fantasy. I have to say I loved a lot of what this book had going for it. The lights that are created by magic (especially Cécile’s own) are genius and the Glass Garden sounded amazing. I bet it looks lovely lit up!
I laughed, I ranted, I cried twice. It was a bit of an emotional rollercoaster for me but I thoroughly enjoyed it and look forward to reading the next book in the trilogy.
Next review: Turned or Undertow


February 7, 2014
Book Review – Sempre
Name: Sempre
Author: J.M. Darhower
Genre: Young Adult, Romance, Mafia
Release Date: 25th November 2013
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
A sexy novel about two seventeen-year-olds—one a victim of human trafficking; the other the son of the man who enslaved her—who fall in love and question everything they ever believed…
Haven Antonelli and Carmine DeMarco grew up under vastly different circumstances. Haven, a second-generation slave, was isolated in the middle of the desert, her days full of hard work and terrifying abuse. Carmine, born into a wealthy Mafia family, lived a life of privilege and excess.
Now, a twist of fate causes their worlds to collide. Entangled in a web of secrets and lies, they learn that while different on the surface, they have more in common than anyone would think.
In a world full of chaos, where money and power rule, Haven and Carmine yearn to break free, but a string of events that began before either of them were born threatens to destroy them instead. Murder and betrayal are a way of life, and nothing comes without a price—especially not freedom. But how much will they have to sacrifice? Can they escape their pasts? And, most of all, what does it mean to be free?
I’ve been looking at this story for a long time, undecided on whether to read it or not. Truthfully, it sounded a bit like C.J. Roberts’ Captive in the Dark series only with slightly younger characters but I was wrong.
At the start I was a little confused. Was she dreaming or had it really happened? But in the end it didn’t really matter much as the story quickly progressed.
I felt sorry for Haven a lot, being a second generation slave and having no idea what certain things are and what some words mean must have been hard for her and gave her an innocence that I wasn’t expecting considering the life she’d had. I have to admit sometimes it made me smile, if not laugh, like the cherry coke scene. Creative thinking!
The gradual change in Haven and Carmine’s relationship grabbed me immediately and I cared what happened to them, both individually and as a couple. If a book can make me care about the characters, then I’m hooked. And I was. They were such a sweet couple with Carmine having to learn how to love someone at the same time that Haven was.
It’s like there are two parts to the story. One with Haven and Carmine away from the Mafia. And one following Vincent, Carmine’s dad, as he goes back and forth between his family and his other family: the Mafia.
Then there was the mystery surrounding him. Has he taken Haven to rescue her? Or for some darker reason? It was all very intriguing.
I just HAVE to mention Dominic. He was awesome and I really liked the way he treated Haven from the moment she arrived at the house.
This drew me in completely and I couldn’t stop thinking about it when I put it down and would quickly pick it back up again. It was long–500+ pages–but it was completely captivating and I cant wait to read the second book, Sempre: Redemption.
Next review: Stolen Songbird


February 5, 2014
Requested a few ARC’s
These are the two latest ARC’s I’ve been accepted for and will be reviewing shortly:
Stolen Songbird:
For five centuries, a witch’s curse has bound the trolls to their city beneath the ruins of Forsaken Mountain. Time enough for their dark and nefarious magic to fade from human memory and into myth. But a prophesy has been spoken of a union with the power to set the trolls free, and when Cécile de Troyes is kidnapped and taken beneath the mountain, she learns there is far more to the myth of the trolls than she could have imagined.
Cécile has only one thing on her mind after she is brought to Trollus: escape. Only the trolls are clever, fast, and inhumanly strong. She will have to bide her time, wait for the perfect opportunity.
But something unexpected happens while she’s waiting – she begins to fall for the enigmatic troll prince to whom she has been bonded and married. She begins to make friends. And she begins to see that she may be the only hope for the half-bloods – part troll, part human creatures who are slaves to the full-blooded trolls. There is a rebellion brewing. And her prince, Tristan, the future king, is its secret leader.
As Cécile becomes involved in the intricate political games of Trollus, she becomes more than a farmer’s daughter. She becomes a princess, the hope of a people, and a witch with magic powerful enough to change Trollus forever.
Sempre:
A sexy novel about two seventeen-year-olds—one a victim of human trafficking; the other the son of the man who enslaved her—who fall in love and question everything they ever believed…
Haven Antonelli and Carmine DeMarco grew up under vastly different circumstances. Haven, a second-generation slave, was isolated in the middle of the desert, her days full of hard work and terrifying abuse. Carmine, born into a wealthy Mafia family, lived a life of privilege and excess.
Now, a twist of fate causes their worlds to collide. Entangled in a web of secrets and lies, they learn that while different on the surface, they have more in common than anyone would think.
In a world full of chaos, where money and power rule, Haven and Carmine yearn to break free, but a string of events that began before either of them were born threatens to destroy them instead. Murder and betrayal are a way of life, and nothing comes without a price—especially not freedom. But how much will they have to sacrifice? Can they escape their pasts? And, most of all, what does it mean to be free?


February 4, 2014
Book Review – A Vampire’s Salvation
Name: A Vampire’s Salvation (Beyond Human Novellas, #1)
Author: Virna DePaul
Genre(s): Paranormal Romance, Erotica, Romantic Suspense
Release Date: 22nd April 2013
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
I received this copy via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Francesca Marie Stewart has never wanted any man as much as she wants Jake Rios. His chiseled body and dark, intensely masculine energy draw her like a moth to a flame. But Frankie has been burned before, and now a mysterious figure from her troubled past has resurfaced with a terrifying new threat. Can she trust Jake not only with her heart but with her very life?
Jake’s hunger to possess this beautiful redhead goes beyond searing desire. He’s a vampire, and his very existence depends on bonding with a mate. He aches to ravish Frankie, but he must take it slow—for what he will ask of her will require profound sacrifice even as it gives her unimaginable pleasure. And once he has claimed her—body and soul—Jake will go to any lengths to protect her.
This is my second book by the author, the first Arrested by Love was also reviewed on my blog and can be found here.
I could tell this was going to be a hot read from the first chapter when Frankie was fantasising about Jake–Steamy!–and I wasn’t wrong.
You get to see from both Frankie’s and Jake’s POV, which is an advantage when Jake is described as being a serious, moody guy by Frankie. But then seeing from Jake’s POV just why he’s behaving like that balances it out and it switches between every so often.
The first sex scene between the pair took up a fair bit of the book but it also contains an intriguing plotline. Who was Frankie’s stalker and why were they stalking her? Unfortunately we don’t find out in this one but I hope the author is well on her way to finishing a second book in the series so we can.
I liked it but I also feel slightly cheated since we didn’t find out who was behind the attacks against Frankie. I’m left with more questions than answer but at the same time I’m happy that Jake and Frankie got a happy ending as they are both really likeable characters and deserve some happiness after what they’ve both been through.
Short and sweet. I will certainly read the next in the series when it comes out.


January 31, 2014
Cover Reveal and Giveaway – Before You
Name: Before You
Author: Amber Hart
Genre: Young Adult Romance
Release Date: July 29th 2014
Synopsis:
Some say love is deadly. Some say love is beautiful. I say it is both.
Faith Watters spent her junior year traveling the world, studying in exquisite places, before returning to Oviedo High School. From the outside her life is picture-perfect. Captain of the dance team. Popular. Happy. Too bad it’s all a lie
It will haunt me. It will claim me. It will shatter me. And I don’t care.
Eighteen-year-old Diego Alvarez hates his new life in the States, but staying in Cuba is not an option. Covered in tattoos and scars, Diego doesn’t stand a chance of fitting in. Nor does he want to. His only concern is staying hidden from his past—a past, which if it were to surface, would cost him everything. Including his life.
At Oviedo High School, it seems that Faith Watters and Diego Alvarez do not belong together. But fate is as tricky as it is lovely. Freedom with no restraint is what they long for. What they get is something different entirely.
Love—it will ruin you and save you, both.
Giveaway:
About the Author:
Amber Hart grew up in Orlando, Florida and Atlanta, Georgia. She now resides on the Florida coastline with family and animals including, but not limited to, bulldogs, a cat, and dragons. When unable to find a book, she can be found writing, daydreaming, or with her toes in the sand. She’s the author of BEFORE YOU, AFTER US, ECHOES, and ECHOES’ sequel (untitled as of yet). Rep’d by Beth Miller of Writers House.
Links:
Website: www.amberhartbooks.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/AuthorAmberHart
Twitter: www.twitter.com/AmberHartBooks
Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/AmbersShelf
Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/AmberHart
Amazon: www.amazon.com/author/AmberHart
This post is courtesy of :


January 30, 2014
Charlotte & Sebastian update
Well, after getting stuck on Chapter Nine, a sex scene no less, I took a bit of time off from writing and watched a few episodes of Hart of Dixie, which weren’t romantic per se or have any sex in them but they did help me see what a relationship was like–not always perfect–and it managed to help me finish the scene.
I’m now just starting Chapter Twelve and feel like I still have a lot to write about and explain in relation to Sebastian and his past, which Charlotte has no idea about. Hopefully all will go well and I’ll get it finished for it’s release date: April 21st currently. It seems so far away but I have a feeling it will be here before I know it.
You can find the book on Goodreads here: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20468733-charlotte-sebastian
And read the entire first chapter on Goodreads here: https://www.goodreads.com/story/show/353589-charlotte-sebastian?chapter=0

