Blog Tour, Review & Giveaway: Vendetta by Autumn Karr & Sienna

Today Waves is participating in the Blog Tour for Vendetta by Autumn Karr & Sienna Lane.  This tour is hosted by As the Pages Turn.  Thanks for allowing us to participate! For a complete tour schedule click HERE.  Our stop will include my review along with an awesome giveaway provided by the authors! Be sure to scroll down to the bottom for a chance to win!

Vendetta by Autumn Karr & Sienna Lane

Publication Date: December 15th 2013

Purchase Links: Amazon | Amazon UK | Barnes & Noble | iTunes | Kobo

About the book:

Please note: this is not dark romance.

I am not a good man.

I have lied and cheated and stolen. I've decided between life or death, like it was my due. None of it matters, not anymore. These are not my sins.

I see her raise her hands, the dark metal she's clutching reflecting the moonlight. Her finger trembles as she cocks the gun pointed at me. Her eyes are cold, determined, but I know.

I know her.

My name is Devon Andre and I confess my sin. I am not a good man because this is the woman I love.

She pulls the trigger.

* Standalone contemporary romance.
* Mature reader advised due to sexual content and strong language.

My Thoughts:

I had high hopes for Vendetta and I really, really wanted to love this story. The lure of a dangerous romance was too tempting to pass up! Ultimately I ended up liking the overall story, but I had a lot of mixed feelings, as well.

Leighton and Devon are related to rival mob families where the hatred runs long and deep. When Leighton stumbles on a clandestine deal going down she’s kidnapped and held by Devon at his family’s compound.  Leighton knows that Devon hates her family and she has no love for his, but she doesn’t realize the extent of his hatred or the reason behind it.  Still, there is an undeniable chemistry and attraction between these two, but can their feelings brush away Devon’s desire for revenge?  

“I wish you were someone else,” she whispers, and I hear the tears in her voice. My eyes open and I kiss her wrist hovering over my mouth, wiping away the single tear streaking down her cheek with my thumb.

“Me too,” I say, and I’ve never meant anything more than I do those two words.*

It’s hard to write a review without spoiling things, but a big part of the issue I had with this book would have been nonexistent had I known what I did at 51%.  Leighton and Devon’s reactions and behavior would’ve made a lot more sense and packed more of an emotional punch if I had that information up front.  Instead, their behavior came off as illogical and frustrating.  Sometimes, when I hit a twist in a story that surprises me, I think “wow, well played,” in this case it didn’t feel like a well placed revelation, more like a missing piece of crucial information.  Plus, I felt the plot was very slow the first half of the book with not much happening.

With that said, after the 51% mark the book really picked up in action and I really started to connect more with Leighton and Devon.  There were some pretty smoking hot scenes, and these two finally had the chemistry necessary to make their romance believable. I was really rooting for Leighton and Devon as a couple, hoping they’d find a way in spite of their impossible situation. The ending was a little rushed and I didn't really agree with something Leighton did at the last minute, but I was pleased with the conclusion.

I think this a promising debut for Autumn Karr and Sienna Lane, and I have a feeling there are good things to come from these two. I'll be on the lookout for their next book.

*Quote taken from ARC and may change in the final copy.

3 Suns

About Autumn & Sienna: 

Sienna Lane and Autumn Karr are two friends with a joint love of reading, writing, candy, and Disney heroes (and Disney songs, of course.)

When they aren’t scheming against fictional characters, or talking about their favourite books, you can find them ogling tattooed models and trying to figure out how to get them to do a cover shoot for their next book.

Together they wrote VENDETTA, releasing this December, and hopefully many more books to come.They love to hear from readers, so don't hesitate to contact them through their Facebook page (http://on.fb.me/18TGRU9).

Connect with Autumn Karr:

Facebook | Goodreads | Twitter

Connect with Sienna Lane:

Facebook | Goodreads

Joint Sites:

Facebook | Blog

TOUR WIDE GIVEAWAY:

Autumn & Sienna are offering up the following:

(2) Signed copy of Vendetta

(2) $10 Amazon Vouchers

(5) eBook copy of Vendetta

(2) Vendetta swag pack

The tour wide giveaway is open internationally. Giveaway ends at 11:59 PM CST

01/20/2014.

Consumed by Emily Snow Has Released!!!

Today on Waves of Fiction we are excited to participate in the book release blitz for Consumed by Emily Snow!  We have an awesome excerpt to share with you!  Take a look!

Synopsis

Now that Lucas is back in her life, Sienna is sure the drama between them is over. But then he comes to her with a new offer: his band, Your Toxic Sequel, is going on tour and he wants her with him—working in wardrobe and as his girl.

Life on the road is a complete 180 from everything Sienna has ever known. Not only does she have to deal with Lucas’s band members, but she’s also forced to be around Cilla, the lead singer of Wicked Lambs. Still, despite horny band mates and a gorgeous rock goddess determined to sink her talons into Lucas, Sienna stays by his side.

Then the letters start to come—harassing messages from Lucas’s ex-wife, Sam.

At first, Sienna brushes them off, keeping Lucas in the dark because Sam is bad for his music. But after Sam’s contact turns personal and violent, Sienna has no other choice but to confront Lucas. If she’s ever going to understand the twisted pull Sam has on him, she has to know his secret. But when he finally reveals it, will they be able to survive the consequences? Or will it tear them apart, consuming them?

Excerpt

“Nice move, Mr. Wolfe,” I mutter under my breath. Tapping my foot rapidly against the floor, I wait for my suitcase to come around on the carousel. Once I locate it, I lug everything to a row of chairs nearby. It’s too hot for me to wait outside for some driver to arrive.

No sooner than my butt makes contact with the hard seat do I hear snippets of a conversation between two women who are walking in the direction of the taxi exit.

 “ . . . I have all of their CDs. I could spot him from a mile away. It was definitely him, and you— you are stifling me!”

What the hell?

I twist around in time to witness the shorter woman with the black, asymmetrical bob narrow her chocolate brown eyes at the tall, leggy blonde. “And just last night you just said they’re on tour. So which is it, Kate? He’s on tour, or he’s bullshitting around this place?”

“Or maybe,” Kate hisses, “Lucas is catching a flight because of his tour.”

Lucas is already here?

I clamber to my feet, allowing the argument between Kate and her friend to fade into the background as I scan as far as my eyes can see for Lucas. There are couples reuniting all around me, and what appears to be an entire busload of people holding up signs that say “Welcome Home, Gloria,” but no sign of him. I’m about to grab my stuff and go look, but then I see him. Heading directly toward me. His stride a little faster than it normally is, his soft grin entirely too confident, his hazel eyes cocky and yet so full of need.

God, that man and those eyes.

He’s wearing destroyed jeans and an olive green tee shirt that show off the green flecks in his eyes. His muscular arms hang relaxed by his side, but when he comes close enough for me to breathe in the clean, airy scent of his cologne, I notice that he’s worrying something between the thumb and forefinger of his right hand. I squint down at it as the toes of his Converse brush up against my ballet flats.

“Well fuck, Sienna. Looks like you’re more interested in my hands than my face.” But he opens his palm, holding it six inches from my face. My throat constricts when I realize what he’s holding.

It’s a guitar pick.

Holy hell.

“You’re grinding your teeth.” The volume of his voice is barely above a whisper and yet so powerful. “The things I want to do to you for that.”

About the Author

Emily Snow is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the erotic romance series Devoured, which includes Devoured, All Over You, and Consumed, as well as the new adult novel Tidal.  She loves books, sexy bad boys, and really loud rock music, so naturally, she writes stories about all three.

Facebook / Twitter / Website / Goodreads

Series Reading Order
All Over You (Book .5)
Amazon † B&N † iTunes

Devoured (Book 1)
Amazon † B&N † iTunes

Absorbed (Book 1.5)
Amazon † B&N † Kobo

Consumed (Book 2)
 Emily Snow Website

Spin Off Book – Savor You (Kylie Wolfe’s Book)
Amazon † B&N

Reviews: Otherwise Occupied & Otherwise Unharmed (Evan Arden Trilogy #2 & #3) by Shay Savage

Otherwise Occupied (Evan Arden Trilogy #2) by Shay Savage

Publication Date: June 17th 2013

Purchase Link: Amazon 

About the Book:

Evan Arden is a hit man for a Chicago mob boss. He lives his life day to day with the company of his dog, Odin. He has to work hard to get back into his boss’s good graces, but the target proves to be difficult. As demons of his past begin to haunt him, he seeks the comfort of sleep from an unlikely candidate, but will confiding in her be his undoing?​

​He’s struggling to forget his past, and keep himself Otherwise Occupied.

My Thoughts:
I read Otherwise Alone (book #1) back in October which is basically a novella (56 pages, my review) but an absolute must before picking up the next in the series. It was HOT!! And I completely fell for Evan and Lia as a couple.

*****Spoilers if you haven't read the Otherwise Alone*****

Otherwise Occupied was gritty, and in parts completely mortifying, but extremely addictive.

Evan is back from his exile from in the Arizona desert and working again for his Chicago crime boss, Rinaldo. Still, memories of his short time with Lia cloud his mind, but he believes that can never be. Instead he tries to put her out of his mind and focus on getting back into the good graces of Rinaldo. His boss quickly assigns him a difficult task, but in the meantime Evan’s stability is deteriorating. His PTSD from his time in the military is back in full force causing him to lose sleep and mental calm.

“You endured most than men ever will,” Rinaldo said quietly. “You’ve had it worse than anyone you ever killed. They died quick and easy. You’ve been dying since they brought you home.”

Evan seeks distraction in the arms of Bridgett a hooker who looks very similar to Lia, and you just know things will not end well.

I have to say I was equal parts fascinated and horrified reading about Evan’s life. You understand why his the way his is being raised without much love in a convent and then experiencing the nightmare with he was a POW during his time in the military, but still, his attitude at times was shocking. I do think that some of it was a shield he didn’t know he put up for protection, an unconscious survival choice. That, IMO, becomes very evident by the end.

I was disappointed we didn’t get Lia for the majority of the book; really it’s their relationship that drew me to this series in the first place, so to have her absent did not make me happy. To rub that in even more was his interactions with Bridgett. Every time they were together I kept my guard up, not wanting to fall for her or them as a couple because I was rooting for Lia and Evan to be reunited. I was torn about how Evan treated her, because I didn’t want him to get attached to her but at the same time I couldn’t help but feel so very sorry for Bridgett and everything that happened to her. Evan bears a lot of responsibility for that situation.

There was a complete shakeup by the end and I’m so happy I had the next book on deck to dive into immediately. I needed to find out how this all played out!

4 Suns

Otherwise Unharmed (Evan Arden Trilogy #3) by Shay Savage

Publication Date: December 5th 2013th

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble 

About the Book:

After Evan Arden was imprisoned by the enemy for a year and a half, he returned from the desert as a military hero. He’d suffered some minor injuries during his captivity, was discharged from the Marines with just a touch of shellshock, but was considered otherwise unharmed. Now he wonders how he ended up where he is now – incarcerated in Chicago’s Metropolitan Correctional Center for using his sharpshooting expertise to take out the neighborhood park with a high-powered sniper rifle and multiple rounds of ammunition.

Lia Antonio, the woman he rescued from the desert heat the previous year, is the only person who can bring him out of his sleep-deprived psychosis and mounting PTSD. When she does, Evan knows he can’t just let her go again. He’s never considered leaving the business before – who retires from the mafia? – but he’s determined to get both Lia and himself out of harm’s way.

Evan faces forces from multiple directions as a deal to get him out of jail turns more deadly and dangerous than he ever could have imagined. With a three-way mob war on the horizon and the feds holding evidence over his head, Evan has no choice but to throw himself into the middle of another war-zone.

In his efforts to make things right in his own mind, Evan crosses the wrong man and finds himself on the business end of the cross-hairs. With his observation skills and intelligence, he tries to keep a step ahead of his former co-workers, but this time, it isn’t just his own life on the line – he’s got to protect Lia from the man who once called him son.

My Thoughts:
Otherwise Unharmed was an amazing, and exciting conclusion to the trilogy, really, I couldn’t have asked for a better one!

*****Spoilers ahead if you haven’t read the previous books*****

The story picks up immediately where Otherwise Occupied left off with Evan having breakdown after the betrayal of Bridgette and subsequent events, buying him a trip to prison. I wondered how things would all work out! Of course, this is the moment Lia finally finds him, but no worries, not much can keep Evan down!

Lia is like a life-line and a calming force in Evan’s life and with her presence he can finally get some much needed sleep and focus on getting his life back together.

Her fingers tugged gently through the strands of hair just behind my right ear, and it was as if each stroke over my scalp was removing pieces of the pain, the guilt, and the damage inside my brain.*

Good thing because while Evan’s in prison he approached by other parties that lay on the pressure to come up with evidence against his crime boss Rinaldo, or else. With Lia being in the picture, that “or else” is a real and damaging threat. Evan’s not about to lose her now that she’s back in his life again, and he’ll do just about whatever it takes to keep her safe while figuring out a way for them to be together permanently. Evan hopes that once Lia finds out the truth of his life, she’ll want permanent with him.

This was an action packed, and nail biting conclusion! Not a dull moment, I tell you! Being inside Evan’s head is fascinating, and I couldn’t help but fall for him completely in this final book. He is the complete anti-hero, doing things that no one could condone, shocking things. Especially in the last book, but after knowing everything he went through, for his country no less, and even before that, I couldn’t hold it against him!

As for Lia and Evan, I was in complete heaven that they were back together! Her reactions to Evan’s truths are believable and she wasn’t a pushover just because of her strong feelings for him. Yet, she was able to see the big picture and the good man deep down.

“You’re warm,” she said as her body pressed against mine, “and you’re so smart. You’re gentle, and strong, and handsome. You’re compassionate and self-sacrificing.” -----*

“You are perceptive,” she continued. “You always know exactly what I want and need. You’re loyal and brave. You have endured so much—far more than any one person should ever have to face—but you kept going.”*

I loved this riveting series! Evan Arden was a complex, imperfect, and yet magnetic character and I’m sorry to say goodbye. At this point, anything Shay Savage writes will be on my automatic buy list!

4.5 Suns

A copy was provided by the author via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!

*Quotes taken from an uncorrected proof and may have changed in the final copy.

Connect with Shay:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Waves of Sunday #57

Welcome to our weekly edition of Waves of Sunday where each Sunday we spotlight a book that has been making waves in the book scene or has simply caught our attention causing a riptide on our TBR.

Today we are spotlighting:

Fighting Redemption by Kate McCarthy
Published December 2nd 2013

Ryan Kendall is broken. He understands pain. He knows the hand of violence and the ache of loss. He knows what it means to fail those who need you. Being broken doesn’t stop him wanting the one thing he can’t have; Finlay Tanner. Her smile is sweet and her future bright. She’s the girl he grew up with, the girl he loves, the girl he protects from the world, and from himself.

At nineteen, Ryan leaves to join the Australian Army. After years of training he becomes an elite SAS soldier and deploys to the Afghanistan war. His patrol undertakes the most dangerous missions a soldier can face. But no matter how far he runs, or how hard he fights, his need for Finlay won’t let go.

Returning home after six years, one look is all it takes to know he can’t live without her. But sometimes love isn’t enough to heal what hurts. Sometimes people like him can’t be fixed, and sometimes people like Finlay deserve more than what’s left.

This is a story about war and the cost of sacrifice. Where bonds are formed, and friendships found. Where those who are strong, fall hard. Where love is let go, heartache is born, and heroes are made. Where one man learns that the hardest fight of all, is the fight to save himself.

Arlene's Thoughts:
I've been seeing some extremely positive feedback about this book lately! There seems to be five stars all over the place. Then I find out that it's a war story about love and redemption AND that it's written by an Australian author... Well... it doesn't get better than that. Fighting Redemption has recently shot up to the top of my TBR. I can't wait to fall into this story that's sure to be emotionally charged!

Rachel’s Thoughts:
Can I just say that I already want to wrap my arms around Ryan and give him a big hug? It seems like he’s been through a lot and doesn’t feel worthy of Finlay, but I can only hope she doesn’t feel the same way. This boy needs some loving! I’m sensing a box of tissue (yes, I’m a book crier!) would be handy with this read. My ears automatically perk up when I see “Australian author” which usually equates to pure awesomeness. Sign me up!

Brandie's Thoughts:
This book sounds so good and with all of the recommendations I'm getting to read it - I bumped it up on my reading list, too! I can't pass up a book that's getting so many good reviews!

Review: Always You by Missy Johnson

Always You by Missy Johnson 

Published December 19th 2013

I was thrilled when I was offered a graduate teaching position at the prestigious Tennerson Girls Academy. At twenty-three, this would be my first ‘real’ teaching assignment. Working at the elite boarding school, home to the daughters of some of the wealthiest people in the world, was a great opportunity that I would’ve been stupid to pass up.

One week into my new job, and I suddenly had no idea why I chose high school…I was a seventeen year old boy once, I knew how teenage girls behaved.

You can’t even imagine the hell of trying to teach thirty, hormonal driven seventeen year olds who have been cooped up, away from any male contact.

I could handle the whispers every time I entered the room. I could even handle the obvious attempts at gaining my attention. What I couldn’t handle was her…

Rich bitches and way too many rules. Was it any wonder that I hated school?

Add to that the lack of male contact, and I was going insane. Like literally. I wasn’t used to this. A year ago I was normal. I had a boyfriend, friends and a loving family. There is nothing normal about me anymore, and nobody here lets me forget that.

My name is Wrenn, and I’m only here because my aunt took me in after what happened, but my aunt also happens to be the headmistress of this academy…Can you see my problem?

I’m hated for my lack of money, and I’m hated for who my Aunt is.

Then he arrived. Dalton Reed. My new history teacher.

Slowly, he helped me see that even in the worst situations, there is always hope.

My Thoughts

Liked it much! Heartfelt story with perfect characters that were easy to fall for.

After a tragic accident that leads Wrenn to live with her aunt, the headmistress of Tennerson Girls Academy, she’s forced to adjust to a completely new life style, make new friends, and hope to survive a semester at the academy. Entering as a senior with only eight weeks of course work left before starting college, the girls at Tennerson find every opportunity to make Wrenn’s transition a difficult one. She’s kept her heartbreak that led her to live with her aunt a secret, but when the new teacher begins his assignment at the school, all of Wrenn’s well laid plans and carefully guarded secrets are about to be exposed.

Dalton is commissioned to teach at the same academy for eight weeks, which turns out to be a living hell having to deal with hormonal teenage girls that quickly devise plots and rumors that just might damage his career. Meeting Wrenn and establishing a strong connection with his student doesn’t help his cause either and they soon find themselves with a difficult choice.

Overall, I really liked Always You! The characters blended well and the alternating perspectives allowed a deeper insight into Dalton and Wrenn’s feelings and frustrations. Where there were a few predictable moments, it was gracefully balanced with a plot that masterfully weaved the past and present into a solid storyline, and carried a few surprises and twists along the way. I liked how Dalton’s backstory was gradually unveiled and how it played a significant part in the end.

As much as it would have made a TON of sense for Wrenn and Dalton to hold off on their heated romance until after he finished his assignment and she graduated… we’re talking a mere six weeks total… I still enjoyed their stumbles and falls that ultimately proved they were meant to be. And plus, where’s the fun when all the players follow the rules? I like flawed choices with realistic consequences thank you very much!

For readers that might be put off by a student/teacher relationship, I will tell you now that the age difference was narrow. She’s eighteen and he’s twenty-three, but most importantly there's a past connection between these two that unveils and helps it all come together. This is by no means a spoiler, since it's carefully presented in the prologue. Also, I know I tend to harbor feelings for characters that push the envelope, but I assure you that Dalton and Wrenn are the least controversial couple I’ve come across in this category. :)

Lastly, I have to applaud Missy Johnson on forgoing the ultimate Happily Ever After with one of her final character choices. It felt real, slightly tragic but ultimately hopeful. Johnson proved that not every story should be tied with a pretty ribbon and can still end right. Well done!

4 Suns

Review: Jagged (Colorado Mountain #5) by Kristen Ashley

Jagged (Colorado Mountain #5) by Kristen Ashley

Publication Date: November 5th 2013 by Forever

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

About the book:

An old flame rekindled . . .

Zara Cinders always knew Ham Reece was the one, but he wasn't interested in settling down. When she found someone who was, Ham walked out of her life. Three years later, Zara's lost her business, her marriage, and she's barely getting by in a tiny apartment on the wrong side of the tracks. As soon as Ham hears about Zara's plight, he's on her doorstep offering her a lifeline. Now, it will take every ounce of will power she possesses to resist all that he offers.

Ham was always a traveling man, never one to settle down in one town, with one woman, for more time than absolutely necessary. But Ham's faced his own demons, and he's learned a lot. About himself, and about the life he knows he's meant to live. So when he hears that Zara's having a rough time, he wants to be the one to help. In fact, he wants to do more than that for Zara. A lot more. But first, he must prove to Zara that he's a changed man.

My Thoughts:

I always have fun when I pick up a Kristen Ashley book and Jagged was no exception. Like a most of KA reads, Jagged has a winning heroine and a gruff diamond-in-the-ruff man. 

I met Graham Reece in ForYou.  He was a man who shared time with different woman with the understanding of “no-strings attached”. Reece ended up almost losing his life when a deranged killer targeted him and so he has taken a serious look at his life and decided he needed a change.

Zara is one of Ham’s (“Ham,” which is short for Graham, worst KA male name, in my opinion, to date!) ladies that he “visited” over the years; meaning his hookup when he’d blow through town or had time off to meet up. They didn’t start out that way though, they actually dated for a time nine years earlier before Ham felt the need to move on, but Zara kept saying yes to his visits even though he broke her heart when he left. 

Things change for Zara though when she meets Greg and although he isn’t what Ham is to her, he offers the hope of something Ham doesn’t: marriage, security, and a family.  Zara doesn’t want to waste anymore time waiting for Ham to get his act together so the next time he calls Zara tells him they can’t meet anymore. 

Three years pass, Zara and Greg get a divorce, and Zara falls on hard times financially.  This is when Ham comes back into Zara’s life to help, but Zara’s been kicked around emotionally, and isn’t quick to forget how Ham just came and went as his pleased all these years. She doesn’t trust him at first and rightly so, in my opinion!  Zara VERY reluctantly accepts Ham’s only because he gives her no choice.  She thinks he’s still going to leave at some point, but Ham has bigger plans in mind.

Ham is a changed man.  Almost losing his life shakes him up and forces him to take evaluate his direction. He’s back in Gnaw Bone after all of that with a purpose, and that purpose is Zara.

I have to say, KA writes some of the best heroes: strong, gruff, alpha men who once they’ve figured out who their woman is are fiercely protective, hotly possessive and extremely loyal. There’s not one that I haven’t come to love and swooned over. With that being said, Ham was my least favorite of KA’s heroes.  The knowledge that he kept walking away from Zara for nine years when she clearly wanted more bugged me.  He had his reasons, but still, I didn’t like it.  Thankfully, the majority of the story focuses on Ham making up for the past and patiently waiting for Zara to figure out he’s there to stay. 

“I also always knew, from the first time I said good-bye to you, that I was a special kind of fuckwit for doin’ it because I was drivin’ away from the best woman I’d ever known. And years have passes, Zara, and you’re still that woman. It’s just that now, I’m never gonna drive away. I’m never gonna leave you and I’m not gonna let you leave me.”

Of course, this wouldn’t be a KA story without some outside danger and drama and this is provided through Zara’s father and family.  He’s a horrible man and her mother is not much better.  Ham is with her, supporting her the entire time making me forget his prior idiocy. 

It was fun catching up with Nina and Max, Cotton, and Arlene in this installment.  We don’t really see much of any of them in the other Colorado Mountain series because they’re in Gnaw Bone whereas the rest of the stories are have been set in Carnal.

4 Suns

A copy was provided by Forever through Netalley in exchange for an honest review.  Thank you!

Review: Reviving Izabel (In the Company of Killers #2) by J.A. Redmerski

Reviving Izabel (In the Company of Killers #2) by J.A. Redmerski
Published December 6th 2013

Determined to live a dark life in the company of the assassin who freed her from bondage, Sarai sets out on her own to settle a score with an evil sadist. Unskilled and untrained in the art of killing, the events that unfold leave her hanging precariously on the edge of death when nothing goes as planned.

Sarai’s reckless choices send her on a path she knows she can never turn back from and so she presents Victor with an ultimatum: help her become more like him and give her a fighting chance, or she’ll do it alone no matter the consequences. Knowing that Sarai cannot become what she wants to be overnight, Victor begins to train her and inevitably their complicated relationship heats up.

As Arthur Hamburg’s right-hand man, Willem Stephens, closes in on his crusade to destroy Sarai, she is left with the crushing realization that she may have bitten off more than she can chew. But Sarai, taking on the new and improved role of Izabel Seyfried, still has a set of deadly skills of her own that will prove to be all she needs to secure her place beside Victor.

But there is one test that Izabel must face that has the potential to destroy everything she is working so hard to achieve. One final test that will not only make her question her decision to want this dangerous life, but will make her question everything she has come to trust about Victor Faust.

My Thoughts

Wow! Where do I start???

Well, first off… THAT WAS TWISTED AND SEXY WICKED!!

Reviving Izabel takes place about 8 months after Killing Sarai when Victor leaves Sarai in Arizona in the hopes of starting a new and normal life. However, a normal anything just doesn’t quite fit into Sarai’s agenda especially when she has a score to settle with Hamburg back in Los Angeles. So she packs her weapons bags and puts her reckless plan into motion.

What made this novel especially captivating was that we didn’t have to wait too long for Sarai to make some deadly mistakes before Victor shows up and saves her from Hamburg’s lynch men. From the moment he enters the scene the chemistry, action and adventure are turned up to full momentum! I loved the different side of Victor that we got to see in this installment. However, there’s an event that occurs at the final hours of the book that really threw me off. I don’t quite know if I’ve forgiven all the parties involved, but that didn’t take away from how I already fell hard for Victor.

As Victor trains Sarai to be a killer and he makes promises to help her execute her revenge, we come face to face with some of Victor’s buddies. I loved meeting Fredrik! He was twisted and morbid and despite not being able to read his torture scenes and never EVER being able to look at a dentist chair the same way again, I was captivated by this dark and mysterious character. I could definitely read a whole book on Fredrick! Great addition to the cast!

I still wasn’t quite sold on Niklas, especially considering his part at the end of the novel. Despite the valid yet questionable reasons for what he did, I still wanted to knock him out! The way the ending unfolded was a real punch in the gut. No recovering from that one!

Overall, the pacing of the novel is fast and furious with kicks and bullets flying in from all angles. Riveting story that makes J.A. Redmerski’s other stories feel like Disney novels! Loved it!

4 Suns