Release Blitz + 5 Star Review + Giveaway : King by T. M. Frazier

Posted on 06/15/2015 by shellbellereads

The King

Release Date: June 15, 2015

By T. M. Frazier

Buy : Amazon / Amazon UK / B & N / ITunes

Synopsis

Homeless. Hungry. Desperate.

Doe has no memories of who she is or where she comes from.

A notorious career criminal just released from prison, King is someone you don’t want to cross unless you’re prepared to pay him back in blood, sweat, sex or a combination of all three.

King’s future hangs in the balance. Doe’s is written in her past. When they come crashing together, they will have to learn that sometimes in order to hold on, you have to first let go.

King is the first book in a two part series. Tyrant is the name of the second book due out August 2015.

Buy: Amazon / Amazon UK / B & N / ITunes

Excerpt

“Hey there,” a deep voice rumbled against my ear.
When I turned around, I was eye level with a wall of leather with white patches sewn into it. One read VICE PRESIDENT and the other, BEACH BASTARDS. The man wearing the vest had long blonde hair that draped over to one side of his head, revealing the shaved area beneath. He had a beard, not stubble, a full-on beard that was a few inches long and very well groomed. He stood well over six feet, his frame lean yet very cut and muscular. I couldn’t tell what color his eyes were because his lids hung heavy and were slightly reddened. His entire neck was covered with colorful tattoos and when he went to light a cigarette I noticed that the backs of both of his hands and were covered in ink as well.
“Hey,” I answered back, trying to assert my newly found false confidence.
He was beyond attractive. He was gorgeous. If I had to end up in someone’s bed, I imagined that being in his wouldn’t be half-bad. He sniffled, drawing attention to the light dusting of white powder trapped in his nostrils.
“They call me Bear. You belong to anyone?” he asked seductively, leaning in toward me.
“Maybe…you?” I winced at my choice of words. Of all the fucking things I could have said, THAT was what came to mind? Stupid fucking mouth. Nikki was right. I spoke first and thought second.
Bear chuckled. “I’d love that, beautiful, but I got something else in mind.”
“Oh, yeah? What would that be?” I asked, trying to keep my tone light although my mind and heart were racing.
“This party? It’s for my buddy. And he was down here for a total of thirty minutes before he hightailed it upstairs to drown himself in a bottle of Jack. He’s like a cat in a tree, can’t seem to talk him down. It’s understandable, seeing as he’s been away a while, but I figure you can help me out.”
He hooked his finger into the front of my skirt and slowly dragged me toward him until my nipples were flush up against his chest. He pressed his fingers into the skin right above my public bone and I resisted the urge to jump back by biting down on my bottom lip.
“The BBB’s have never really been his thing.” He paused when he saw the confused look on my face at his abbreviation. “Beach Bastard Bitches.” He explained. “But you? You’re new. You’re different. You’ve got this cute little innocent thing going on, but I know you’re not or you wouldn’t be at this kind of party if that was your deal. I’m thinking he’ll like you.” Bear brushed his lips against the side of my neck. “So maybe you go up there. Make him happy for me. Make little him happy by wrapping those gorgeous lips around his cock for a while. Then when you’re done, bring him back down here to civilization. And maybe later, if you’re a good girl and do what you’re told, we can go back to the clubhouse and have some real fun.” He grazed his teeth along my earlobe. “Think you can you do that for me?”
“Yeah, yeah I can do that,” I said. My skin prickling from his touch. And I could do it.
I think.
“What’s your name anyway?” Bear’s hand slowly traveled up the back of my leg, pushing up my skirt, it came to rest on my ass cheek, which was then exposed to anyone who might have been looking in our direction.
“Doe. My name is Doe,” I breathed.
“Fitting.” He said with a chuckle. “Well, my innocent looking little Doe.” Bear leaned in close and surprised me by planting a soft kiss on the corner of my mouth. His lips were soft, and he smelled like laundry detergent mixed with liquor and cigarettes. I was just beginning to think that the kiss meant that he’d changed his mind and didn’t want me to send me away to his friend, but no such luck. He pulled away abruptly and turned me around by my shoulders so that I was facing the stairs. He swatted me on my ass, propelling me forward. “Up the stairs you go, sweetheart. Last room at the end of the hallway. Be good to my boy, and me and you will get to play later.” He sealed his words with a wink and as I made my way up the stairs I turned back and flashed him a fake smile. I hoped the guy at the end of the hallway was like Bear, because then maybe it wouldn’t be so bad.
Then a thought hit me that had me fighting back the tears that sprung from my eyes with a sudden force that almost took me to my knees.
I’d officially sold myself, and the price was far more than any dollar amount.

Michel’s Review

It’s no secret that my absolute favorite kind of book is the dark erotic thriller. I truly love twisted, dark, and deeply flawed characters that have a real criminal element. I don’t care if they are redeemed. I don’t care that they have a touch of evil. I don’t care that they possess dark and cruel natures. I want their story in all the crude and raw truths. I want to know what drives their souls. How they became twisted. I want to know their vulnerabilities as well as strengths.

When the blog tour for King came across my desk and I read the synopsis I was completely intrigued. I have never read any books by this author but heard that she was really good. I decided to take a chance. I have been hungry for a dark twisted thriller. I can honestly say that I am so happy I decided to take a chance on King. It was everything I hoped for and more! I could not put this book down. When the book ended with a hair raising cliffhanger, not only was I shocked, I was screaming for the sequel, Tyrant. It’s a good thing that I won’t have to wait months upon months for the sequel to release. Tyrant will release on August 17, 2015. I can hold on… I hope… without getting too frustrated.

Without a doubt, King by T. M. Frazier is a five star dark thriller. This book kept me captivated from the very first paragraph to the very last word. The characters were complex and multi layered. Their story was anything but predictable. Their very dark world came to life and I could easily visualize each and every scene in living color. This book caused me to have many different emotional reactions. One moment my toes would be curling and the next I would be swooning. I would go from being wary to laughing, from laughing to crying, from crying to hating, from hating to loving. Each of these characters , whether being the leading characters or secondary characters, held my attention and played with my emotions. Their story enslaved me.

This story starts when King is a twelve year old boy. The reader gets a true sense of the world he was born into and forced to survive. The only option he ever had was the life that he chose. It doesn’t make him evil, it just proves that he is a survivor. How his life plays out to the moment he meets Doe is in all reality the only way it could have. He was smart enough to take control of the world he was born into and make it completely his.

When he meets Doe, a girl with no memory, his world is turned on it’s axis. Everything is off kilter. She is a threat to his goals. She could be the one person that completely destroys his world. She is the one person that has the power to take everything he holds dear. Even though Doe is everything that could destroy his world, she is also everything that is pure and right in his world. She has no clue to the power she holds over him. He will have to take control of that power and make it work in his favor. It may destroy him. It may destroy Doe. No matter what happens, their forbidden love is on a collision course. It’s a course they both may not survive.

This book ended on a grueling cliffhanger that had me biting my nails and ripping out my hair. I was completely shocked. Usually I can foresee or predict the direction a book is heading. King took me by complete surprise!

Read King by T. M. Frazier. It is a thrilling story that you don’t want to miss.

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Tyrant

King Series – Book 2

Conclusion to King

Release Date : August 17, 2015

By T. M. Frazier

Synopsi

I.Remember. Everything.

Only now I wish I didn’t.

When the fog is sucked away from my mind like smoke through a vacuum, the truth that has been beyond my reach for months finally reveals itself.

But the relief I thought I would feel never comes, and I’m more afraid now than I was the morning I woke up handcuffed in King’s bed.

Because with the truth comes dark secrets I was never meant to know.

I will put the lives of those I love most at risk if I let on that my memory has returned, or if I seek help from the heavily tattooed felon who owns me body and soul.

I don’t know if I’m strong enough to resist the magnetic pull toward King that grows stronger every day.

He’s already saved me in more ways than one. Now it’s my turn to do whatever it takes to save him.

Even if that means marrying someone else…

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Author Bio:

T.M. (Tracey Marie) Frazier resides in sunny Southwest Florida with her husband and three feisty fur kids.

She attended Florida Gulf Coast University where she specialized in public speaking. After years working in real estate and new home construction, she decided it was finally time to stop pushing her dreams to the back burner and pursue writing seriously.

In the third grade she wrote her very first story about a lost hamster. It earned rave reviews from both her teacher and her parents.

It only took her twenty years to start the next one.

It will not be about hamsters.

Stalk Her: Website, Facebook, Twitter, Amazon, and Goodreads.

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Review: Amber To Ashes by Gail McHugh – Torn Hearts Series – Book 1

Posted on 06/11/2015 by shellbellereads

Amber To Ashes

Torn Hearts Series – Book 1

Release Date: June 9, 2015

By Gail McHugh

Pre-Order: Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo

Synopsis

From the New York Times bestselling author of Collide and Pulse comes a gritty new novel about a shattered young woman who unexpectedly falls for two best friends.

They were a storm I never saw coming, an unforeseen heartbreak on the edge of a dangerous cliff.

Amber Moretti’s life changes in the span of minutes. An orphaned outsider, she is desperate to start fresh the moment she walks onto campus. In the time it takes to cross the university’s dining hall, she meets two men who bring color, air, and light to her darkened world.

They became my addiction, each a needle to my next hit, my high.

Brock Cunningham’s appeal is dizzying, a potent force Amber can’t deny. A green-eyed smooth talker, he instantly attracts Amber. It doesn’t take long for him to consume her every thought, her every breath.

Ryder Ashcroft, a blue-eyed, tattooed, and pierced bad boy, turns Amber off immediately—that is, until he kisses her, stealing a piece of her heart, her soul.

They were as opposite as fire and ice, yet I ached for them equally.

Never knowing she could be broken down in so many unexpectedly beautiful yet petrifying ways, Amber finds herself falling for both men.

Immoral? Maybe. I say undeniable. Uncontained.

But one devastating event changes everything, shattering each of their lives…and Amber isn’t sure she can recover from it.

Buy: Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo

Excerpt

“What are you, Casey?” Ryder asks over his shoulder as he scrubs his hands with antibacterial soap.

“Your little cancer warrior,” she answers with a small smile.

“That’s right.” He dries his hands and turns, a proud grin cracking his mouth. “The bravest one ever.”

I grab Casey’s hand and hold it tight, knowing nothing I’ve ever seen, heard, or felt compares to what she’s facing. This child’s living with a fear I can’t comprehend. One that’d slay all of my fears put together.

“Ready?” Ryder asks, his tone soft and caring, everything it should be.

Casey nods, clenching my hand. My heart swells, anxiety building thick in my throat as Ryder slips on a pair of medical gloves and cleans the area around her port with Betadine swabs.

Casey looks at me, the cool blue of her eyes misting over. “Are you scared of needles?”

“No,” I say, running my free hand along the back of her neck. “Are you?”

“I used to be.” She sighs, a single tear slipping down her face. “But not so much anymore.”

It takes everything in me not to drag her little body off the table and run out of the apartment with her. I wipe the tear from her cheek, my need to hide her away, sheltering her from the sinister storm she’s in the middle of, growing with each unsteady breath.

“A little cold,” Ryder warns before spraying the anesthetic on her skin.

“Hurry, Ry,” Casey pleads, her voice weak yet panicked. “It doesn’t last that long.”

“I have to make sure you’re numb, Case.” Ryder ducks his head and stares into her eyes, trying to keep her focused on the silly faces he’s making.

His tactic works.

Casey’s tiny giggles bounce around the kitchen, their musical notes blocking out the sound of Ryder popping the cap off a weird-looking needle. With a small, clear tube like a tail—and plastic wings stretched out on either side—it reminds me of a dragonfly. Ryder presses his gloved finger against Casey’s port a few times, his attention honed in on her face as he says, “Knock, knock.”

“Who’s there?” Casey smiles at me, completely unaware that Ryder’s pricked her skin with the needle.

“Aardvark.” Ryder pushes the medicine through the syringe, his attention cutting between Casey’s face and the needle.

“Aardvark who?” she manages, a thin sheen of sweat dotting her upper lip.

“Aardvark a hundred miles for one of your pretty smiles.” Ryder pulls the needle from her chest, and before she can blink, he rests his lips against her forehead, kissing away her remaining fear.

Close to immobile, my heart tugs, the magnitude of what this man means to this little girl—what they mean to each other—scraping tears up my dry throat. I swallow the sound before it can leave me, warmth pinching my stomach into a beautiful knot as I observe them.

“It’s over?” Casey asks, uncertainty flashing in her eyes.

“Yeah, kiddo. It’s over,” Ryder answers, his voice heavy with relief as he applies a small piece of gauze over her port. “You’re all set, warrior. Go get cleaned up, and we’ll get ready to leave.”

With Ryder’s aid, Casey slides off the table and heads for the bathroom, the bounce in her step less tangible as she slips around the corner. Quiet reigns, the events from the last few minutes whispering across my mind as Ryder looks at me with exhausted eyes. Stress lines cut across his forehead, wariness drowning his beautiful features. Overcome, I watch him swipe a tired hand over his face and turn, resting his palms against the counter. As though having no control over my body—a magnet pulling in my gut—I stand and move toward him, each tentative step I take carried out with shallow, quick breaths. I come up behind him, lift a shaky hand and tap his shoulder, my pulse lurching as he turns and meets my gaze. Our connection strikes, a bolt of emotions paralyzing us as we stare at each other.

I touch my fingers to his stubbled cheek, my conscience crying out that my actions are wrong, so very wrong, but my heart mutes the warning as I move my palm to the back of his neck.

His muscles go taut, restraint lighting the fiery blue of his eyes. “Amber, don’t.” The words come out not as a rough warning but a soft plea. “Don’t do this.”

“I have to,” I whisper, trembling. “You’re . . . amazing, Ryder. What you did for her, everything you do for her . . . I just . . .” I drop my eyes to his chest, my heart galloping as I register his hands gripping my waist. Their heat sears through me, a thrill jumping from cell to cell. “You’re tender, cocky, gentle, and an asshole all at the same time. You’re kind, giving, nurturing. You’re . . . everything.”

My lips find his, testing, teasing, barely touching. Our breathing comes faster, harder as I pull him down, our foreheads pressed together as we stare into each other’s eyes. “Please . . . I just . . . Just once more. That’s all I need.”

I think . . . hope.

With hunger demolishing all traces of restraint from his gaze, Ryder buries his hands in my wavy curls and looks at me a beat before capturing my lips in a slow, passionate kiss. I sigh into his mouth, my senses drowning in his familiar flavor as I fall in step with his calculated strokes. On a deep groan, he draws me closer, his tongue dipping in and out, out and in. Still, nothing about his touch is rough, yet everything in it screams that he needs me in this moment.

In this wicked space and time of his life.

Every lick and nip is a soft caress, like he’s trying to burn the sensation of my lips into his memory. My pulse hammers in staccato mode as I melt the full weight of my body into his. With my blood swimming through my veins, and sinking further into everything that is Ryder, I feel the emptiness of his soul slice through me. A dull ache pinches my heart, spreading its misery through my muscles as he cups my cheeks and deepens the kiss with a gentleness I never knew he possessed. My breath catches, wiped from my lungs as he glides his lips along my jaw, down the base of my throat. The cadence of his exotic growl slips through my ears, dizzying my head in the sweetest way.

“Christ, I fucking want you so bad,” Ryder whispers hoarsely. He drags his lips back to mine, his kiss urgent, greedy. However, he brings it down a notch, his movements revisiting slow, sensual, worshipping this moment for everything it is. Worshipping me for all I am. “So badly, peach. More than I’ve ever wanted anything or anyone. You drive me crazy. Your smell, skin, eyes.” He sucks my lip between his teeth, a groan punching from his chest as he runs his fingertips along my bare arms.

Goose bumps pop, deliciously pricking my skin as I tighten my grip in his hair.

“Your little giggles, pouts, personality. Every single fucked-up scar you own in and out. All of it. All of you.” He licks into my mouth, his tongue exploring mine with precision as his hands find my nape, their hold possessive. “Fuck. It should’ve been me. Not him. Me.”

And just like that, our moral compasses spring due north, Brock the center of its attention—our attention. We slowly break the kiss, our breathing choppy from the loss.

Michel’s Review

Wow… what a great book for Summer 2015. Amber To Ashes by Gail McHugh is the first book in the Torn Heart Series. This book has all the right ingredients to make your reading experience wickedly scorching. This book is not your ordinary love triangle. It is more of a dark erotic thriller. When you reach the end of this book you will be left with chills. The suspense will leave you hanging on the edge of your seat. You will begin to formulate many different scenarios and theories on what is going to happen next and how the story is going to finally play out.

Gail McHugh crafted a very complex story. The characters are not what they seem to be. At the beginning of the story you get very distinct impressions on both Brock and Ryder’s personalities. As the story unfolds the reader begins to see subtle changes and by the end of the book both guys are completely different from the early impressions. Neither one is really good or really bad. The one thing they both have in common is their feelings for Amber. Both are at the point that they will do anything to make her completely theirs. The choice may be taken out of all of their hands. Brock and Ryder’s illegal activities may cost them all their lives.

Amber is a very damaged girl. Her childhood experiences have left her scarred and emotionally damaged. She has never had a successful relationship whether it be romantic or platonic. She has kept herself emotionally closed off. Now that she has met both Brock and Ryder, she is wanting more out of life. The problem is that she doesn’t know what or who she wants.

Like I said this love triangle is unusual. It does not have the predictable angst like readers have experienced in other New Adult books. The interactions between the these three characters has an unusual element that keeps the readers bouncing back and forth.

The dark elements in this story come from outside the love triangle relationship. Brock and Ryder have been living a duel life that is catching up to them. This duel life is deadly. This element is what really fuels this book more so than the love triangle.

Both Brock and Ryder wanted Amber to be completely happy. I think one wanted to be the one to fix her. I got the impression that the other one wanted Amber to fix herself by giving her love and support.

It’s hard to say whether I am team Brock or team Ryder. Both guys were easy to love. They were both good and bad. They both had redeeming qualities. I wouldn’t want to be in Amber’s shoes.

I would love to give this book 5 Stars but there were a few things that kept me from giving that rating.

*** Brock’s motivations were never very clear. We were told why but the explanation was so brief that it really didn’t convince me.

***Brock and Ryder were supposedly best friends since childhood. I never felt that deep bond that they supposedly had. The book lacked interaction between Brock and Ryder that would convince the reader of this friendship. There were very few interactions with the two of them together. The friendship was more of a suggestion from each character when dealing with Amber.

*** Amber’s problems with Hailey kind of popped out of the blue. When I reached the scene where Amber and Hailey have a confrontation in Starbuck’s I was totally confused. I went back several chapters to see if I missed something, which I did not.

*** Lastly, I found it hard to connect with Amber’s character completely. We only got to see one facet of Amber’s true personality. We only saw what damaged her and left her emotionally scarred. Every once in a while we would get a glimpse of something else like her love for writing. Most of the time her personality came off as an insecure girl rather than a young woman that was strong enough to survive the crap hand life dealt her.

Overall Amber To Ashes was a fantastic book and I cannot wait for the sequel!

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A self-proclaimed chocoholic, married mother of three, and a lover of writing for as far back as she can remember, Gail McHugh is the author of two New York Times bestselling novels. The COLLIDE series (which includes COLLIDE and PULSE), was acquired by Atria Books on September 17th, 2013.

“The first of two sexy contemporary romances about a woman torn between her seemingly perfect boyfriend and a dark, mysterious stranger who will stop at nothing to have her.” – Publishers Weekly on COLLIDE, a Top 10 Romance pick!

You can follow Gail on the below social media sites:

Stalk Her: Website, Facebook, Twitter, Amazon, and Goodreads.

5 Star Review: Ultraviolet : Season 1 – Episode 1 by Jessica Sorensen

Posted on 06/04/2015 by shellbellereads

Ultraviolet

Season 1 – Episode 1

By Jessica Sorensen

Hidden in the Red Hill Mountains is the quiet town of Hollows Grove.

In that town, there is a field where a secret is buried deep beneath the ground.

And in that field is where Mila was found abandoned with no memory of her past and haunted by visions of the future.

Nine years later, Mila’s life is almost as normal as any other eighteen-year-old. That is until she starts foreseeing the murder of Nyjah Bradley, a guy she’s never met before, but whose face is branded into her mind.

Constantly plagued by the vision, Mila decides to track Nyjah down and warn him of his impending death. But when the search leads her back to Hollows Grove, she learns there’s more to the sleepy town than meets the eye.

Buy: Amazon / B & N / Kobo

Goosebumps dot my arms as I become highly aware that there’s not a single drop of noise within earshot. Not even our shoes hitting the dirt make a sound. I want to ask Novela if she notices it, but I don’t want to risk upsetting her more than she is. I try to keep it to myself but then I hear the soft pitter-patter of light footsteps rushing up behind us.

Do you hear us? Do you hear us?

Welcome back. Welcome back.

We’ve been waiting for you, Mila.

Our gazes lock and without looking back, Novela and I take off in a mad sprint down the road

“Oh my God, we’re going to die,” she pants as she struggles desperately to keep up with me.

“We’re not going to die.” I gasp for air as I push my legs harder than I ever have before.

I don’t know what’s behind us. If it’s following us. What it wants. But as we near the edge of town, I dare look back over my shoulder and instantly wish I wouldn’t have. Because standing in the darkness of the road, watching us from a distance, is a lofty figure.

Michel’s Review

Jessica Sorensen never ceases to amaze me with her creative stories. I was apprehensive about reading Ultraviolet because it had a paranormal theme. I was expecting the predictable type of paranormal story and Jessica delivered something altogether different. I don’t know if a paranormal is the right genre to classify this series in. It could easily fall under the horror genre.

Ultraviolet : Season 1 -Episode 1 is a fast read. The reader can easily read this story on their lunch break. It is gives a strong introduction to leading character, Mila. Mila has an interesting background. She has no memory of her life before she was nine years old. She was abandoned in a small town in the mountains at the age of nine. She was adopted into a loving family and has had a happy life. The one thing that Mila has that is odd is her visions. She can foresee events in the future. She keeps her visions a secret from her family. Her best friend is the only one she has confided in about her visions.

Nine years later Mila is eighteen and has recently graduated from high school. She is planning a summer road trip with her best friend. Right before they are about to embark on their road trip Mila begins having visions. These visions are unlike any of the other visions she has had. They are coming to her in dreams as well as her conscience time. In these visions she witnesses a young man getting murdered. The vision is quite clear that she is the only one that can save him.

The road trip leads to an impromptu stop in the town where she was found deep in the mountains. What happens once she enters the town limits will frighten even the bravest soul.

Ultraviolet ends on a major cliffhanger that leaves the reader biting their nails and chills down their spine. I had goosebumps reading this book. In a lot of ways it reminded of the television show American Horror Story. It wasn’t the story itself that reminded me of it but the format and delivery of the story. Jessica Sorensen has mastered writing a chilling story that will leave the reader frightened and wanting more.

Jessica Sorensen is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author from the snowy mountains of Wyoming. When she’s not writing, she spends her time reading and hanging out with her family.

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2015 Favorite…. 6 + Reviews: Never Never 2 by Colleen Hoover and Tarryn Fisher

Posted on 05/22/2015 by shellbellereads

Never Never Part Two

Never Never Trilogy – Book 2

By Colleen Hoover and Tarryn Fisher

Synopsis

*Part two of the Never, Never novella series.

New York Times bestselling authors Colleen Hoover and Tarryn Fisher are back with the much-anticipated, nail-biting sequel to the New York Times bestseller, Never, Never.

“Never forget that I was your first real kiss. Never forget that you’ll be my last.

And never stop loving me between all of them.

Never stop, Charlie.

Never forget.”

Silas races against time as more truths unravel, while others twist tighter together. And now, the stakes are higher as Silas’ control slips and others begin to point fingers. Charlie is in trouble and he must be the one to bridge the chasm between their past and their present. Because somewhere between I love yous and Never Nevers and Never Agains, a truth they can’t imagine, beckons to be found.

“Where are you, Charlie?”

Buy: Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo / Smashwords

beautiful young couple in the sunlight

Michel’s Review

I have been counting down the months, days , and minutes for Never Never 2 by Colleen Hoover and Tarryn Fisher to release. The moment it released I devoured this book. I am so invested in Silas and Charlie’s story.

Never Never 2 picks up where Never Never left off. Silas and Charlie have gone through another reset. Silas is in his car. Charlie is missing. Once again Silas has to figure out who he is, what his past is, and what is going on in his present. Luckily he had the letter and clues that he left himself to unravel the mystery.

Meanwhile Charlie is in a very strange place after the reset. She doesn’t have any clues as to who she is and how she came to be where she is. She has to rely on her wits to survive. She is piecing some of her past together through her dreams.

Silas is on the search for Charlie and time is running out. Charlie is trying to escape but has no idea where to go once she does.

Never Never 2 progresses the story of Charlie and Silas along. The reader is given a glimpse of what might have led to the dilemma they are in. There are revelations about both of their families, friends, and their relationship. There are revelations as to why they may be in the predicament they are in.

Both Silas and Charlie are smart. They have the intelligence to reason through their predicament. They have the inner strength to survive where their lives are at. They have their love to get them to the place they need to be. They need to find each other.

Once again Colleen and Tarryn kept the readers captivated with Silas and Charlie’s story. This installment to the story gave readers a lot of information and hidden clues. It also contained enough information to give the readers hope. In the end the reader is left puzzling over their dilemma but not torn to shreds about it. It left the readers with faith in Silas and Charlie. It also left the readers with some solid clues that they could formulate into solid theories.

I can’t wait for the final book. I have my theories!

one sad woman sitting on the floor near a wall and holding her head in her hands

Robin’s Review

Colleen Hoover and Tarryn Fisher ended Never Never with a killer cliffhanger that left thousands of readers desperate for more of Charlie and Silas. If you are anything like me, you’ve probably been wondering, “Where is Charlie?” Never Never: Part 2 is very satisfying, and although it’s not the conclusion to the series, I’m delighted to share it completely surpassed my expectations!

Once again, we find Colleen Hoover writing the chapters for Silas Nash. Sigh. Out of all of her male characters, Silas Nash is my favorite. I love his passion. His intensity and determination. His fierce love for Charlie. “Never forget that I was your first real kiss. Never forget that you’ll be my last. And never stop loving me between all of them. Never stop, Charlie. Never forget.” Silas is a young man who will not be deterred. He’s smart. Determined to find Charlie. Determined to find out why he and Charlie continue to lose their memory.

Tarryn Fisher continues to be the voice of Charlie Wynwood. Even with no memories, Charlie is a very perceptive young lady. She’s a strong protagonist who – underneath all of her bravado – can also be a little vulnerable. Readers, like myself, who are somewhat familiar with Tarryn Fisher? I think we all see a little bit of Tarryn in Charlie. Just like Silas, we were all left scratching our head, wondering what could have happened to Charlie at the end of Never Never. Since we begin Part 2 with a reset, Charlie has no real answers. It was a brilliant way to keep the mystery of “Where is Charlie?” alive.

Plain and simple – I absolutely loved Never Never: Part 2. This story is everything I had hoped for. Everything I had been anticipating. More often than not, the second novel of a trilogy is the weakest installment. Not with Never Never: Part 2. It’s honestly one of the best middle books that I have ever read. It appears to be well thought out. It’s full of classic writing from Hoover and Fisher. Really – anytime you read a story written by either of these authors, you can expect the writing to be exemplary, but it’s also seamless. The story is narrated by Silas and Charlie, the authors choosing to alternate points of view by chapter. The difference in writing styles feels completely natural because each protagonist has a unique personality.

My emotions were all over the place while I was reading Never Never: Part 2. It was thrilling. I was anxious and confused. It even had me in tears. From beginning to end, the story is creative and dramatic. Mysterious. Intriguing. Romantic. Part 1 of Never Never left my mind in a whirlwind – I had questions on top of questions after I finished reading. Have you ever been subjected to information overload? We are given a boatload of information in Never Never: Part 2. Theories are laid to rest. Questions are answered. Never Never: Part 2 has a satisfying conclusion that left my mind at ease, and I am nothing but hopeful for Silas and Charlie in the final book of the trilogy.

Lots of novels receive a 5-star rating. When I review a novel, I sometimes do something a little more. If a 5-star novel deserves more than that rating, if I feel it has something extra-special, I give it a bonus star. Never Never: Part 2 falls directly into this category. 6 stars for Colleen Hoover and Tarryn Fisher!

gentle embrace of beautiful young lovers in the sunlight

About The Authors

Colleen’s Bio

Colleen Hoover is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Slammed, Point of Retreat, This Girl, Hopeless, Losing Hope, Maybe Someday, Finding Cinderella, and Ugly Love. She lives in Texas with her husband and their three boys.

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads

Tarryn’s Bio

Tarryn Fisher is the New York Times bestselling author of Mud Vein. She was born in South Africa, and lived there for most of her childhood. She moved to Seattle just for the rain. She reads and writes more than she sleep. She spends way too much time on Facebook and Instagram and drinks sick amounts of Starbucks.

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads

It’s Live! Echo by E.K. Blair – Black Lotus Series – Book 2

Posted on 05/13/2015 by shellbellereads

Echo

The Black Lotus Series – Book 2

By e.k. blair

Release Date: May 12, 2015

Synopsis

It’s been said the longest echo ever measured lasted 75 seconds, but I can assure you, this will last much longer. The bang deafened the world around me, muting everything into nullity, allowing the reflection of its destruction to live far beyond its intended life.

It will follow me forever, destroying me—destroying you.

You want answers?

So do I.

Buy: Amazon / B & N / ITunes

The Black Lotus Series

Bang – Book 1

“BANG is one of the most talked about books of 2014, quickly earning E.K. Blair acclaim for her ability to weave a dark, twisted tale of revenge that will keep you on the edge of your seat till the last word.”

They say when you take revenge against another you lose a part of your innocence.
But I’m not innocent.
I haven’t been for a very long time.
My innocence was stolen from me. Taken was the life I was supposed to have. The soul I was born with. The ruby heart embedded in a life full of hopes and dreams.

Gone.
Vanished.

I never even had a choice.
I mourn that life. Mourn the what-ifs.
Until now.
I’m ready to take back what was always meant to be mine.

But every plan has a fatal flaw. Sometimes it’s the heart.

**Due to the dark and explicit nature of this book, it is recommended for mature audiences only.*

Buy: Amazon / B & N / ITunes

About E.K. Blair

New York Times, USA Today, and International bestselling author, E.K. Blair, takes her readers on an emotional roller coaster with her books. A former first grade teacher with an imagination that runs wild. Daydreaming and zoning out is how she was often found in high school. Blair tends to drift towards everything dark and moody and has been noted as ‘The Queen of Dark and Twisted’. Give her a character and she will take pleasure in breaking them down, digging into their core to find what lies underneath.

Aside from writing, E.K. Blair finds pleasure in music, drinking her Starbucks in peace, and spending time with her friends. She’s a thinker, an artist, a wife, a mom, and everything in between.

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads

Free for limited time….Consequences by Aleatha Romig

Posted on 05/05/2015 by shellbellereads

Book #1 of the Bestselling Consequences series:

From New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Aleatha Romig comes a suspenseful thriller about secrets and deception, passion and love, choices and consequences.

Every action has consequences.

Waking in an unfamiliar bedroom in a luxurious mansion, Claire Nichols is terrified to discover that a chance encounter led her into the cruel hands of her abductor, Anthony Rawlings. Claire has no understanding of why she’s there, but it’s been made abundantly clear—she is now his acquisition and every action has consequences.

Learn the rules to survive.

Facing incomprehensible circumstances, Claire must learn to survive her new reality—every aspect of her livelihood depends upon the tall, dark-eyed tycoon who is a true master of deception. Driven by unknown demons, he has no tolerance for imperfection, in any aspect of his life, including his recent acquisition. Anthony may appear to the world as a handsome, benevolent businessman, but in reality Claire knows firsthand that he’s a menacing, controlling captor with very strict rules: do as you’re told, public failure is not an option, and appearances are of the utmost importance.

Captivate the captor.

To fit together the pieces of the puzzle, Claire must follow his rules. Will her plan work, or will Anthony become enthralled by Claire’s beauty, resilience, and determination, changing the game forever? If that happens, will either of them survive the consequences?

Nobody ever did or ever will escape the consequences of his choices.—Alfred A. Montaper

AMAZON / B&N / iBooks / Kobo / Print

While still in the bathroom, her heart rate increased when she heard the faint beep again.

He didn’t knock. He just opened the door and entered. Claire imagined him surveying the empty suite. If she stayed in the bathroom, would he eventually come for her? Or leave? While she debated, he waited silently in the bedroom. It took a minute or two, but slowly, Claire opened the bathroom door and entered the suite.

She used all her strength to suppress the fears that screamed to get out, determined to meet him head-on at his mind game. The first things she saw as she entered the suite were his eyes—his dark black eyes—resembling voids or black holes. His lips were moving. He was talking, yet Claire could only hear the memories of the previous night. She walked to the bookcase at the far end of the suite, feigning strength.

The fake resolve melted as she turned to see the eyes staring directly at her. Then almost instantaneously, he was there, right in front of her. His proximity caused her stomach to wrench, bringing back the nasty bile from earlier.

His large hand captured her chin, pulling her eyes and face toward the dark voids. His strong voice was deep, slow, and authoritative, “Shall we try this once more.” It wasn’t a question but a statement. “It is customary for one person to respond to the greeting of another. I said good evening.”

Claire’s knees went weak at his touch. She wanted to yell, to run, but she couldn’t let herself. If she couldn’t be strong, she could at least avoid fainting. “I’m sorry. I don’t believe I’m feeling well.” With his grip still upon her chin, she knew he could feel her body tremble.

He repeated, “Good evening, Claire.” This time, it was more drawn-out. His eyes were so cold. Claire couldn’t distinguish what they said, only see the depth of their infinite darkness

Aleatha Romig is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling
author who lives in Indiana. She grew up in Mishawaka, graduated from Indiana
University, and is currently living south of Indianapolis. Together with her
high-school sweetheart and husband of twenty-eight years, they’ve raised three
children. Before she became a full-time author, she worked days as a dental
hygienist and spent her nights writing. Now, when she’s not imagining
mind-blowing twists and turns, she likes to spend her time with her family and
friends. Her pastimes include reading and creating heroes/anti-heroes who haunt
your dreams!

NEWSLETTER ~ WEBSITE ~ FACEBOOK ~ AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE ~GOODREADS INSTAGRAM ~ TWITTER ~TSU ~PINTEREST

Happy Release: Last Kiss by Jessica Clare and Jen Frederick – The Hitman Series – Book 3

Posted on 05/05/2015 by shellbellereads

Last Kiss

The Hitman Series – Book 3

By Jessica Clare and Jen Frederick

Synopsis

From the bestselling authors of Last Hit and Last Breath comes the next dark and sensual tale in the Hitman series that crosses the line between danger and desire…

Naomi: When I was kidnapped I thought only of survival. I don’t thrive well in chaos. That’s why I gave my captors exactly what they wanted: my skill with computers. Making millions for a crime lord who kept me imprisoned in his basement compound kept my family safe. When he was taken out, I thought my ticket to freedom had arrived. Wrong. I traded one keeper for another. This time I’m in the hands of a scarred, dark, demanding Russian who happens to be the head of the Bratva, a Russian crime organization. He wants my brain and my body. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t intrigued, but I can’t be a prisoner forever…no matter how good he makes me feel.

Vasily: At a young age, I was taught that a man without power is a puppet for all. I’ve clawed—and killed—my way to the top so that it is my heel on their necks. But to unify the fractured organization into an undefeatable machine, I need a technological genius to help me steal one particular artifact. That she is breathtaking, determined, and vulnerable is making her more dangerous than all of my enemies combined. But only I can keep her safe from the world that she now inhabits. Soon, I must choose between Naomi and Bratva law. But with every day that passes, this becomes a more impossible choice.

Buy: Amazon / Barnes and Noble / IBooks / Kobo

Last Hit

Book 1

From two bestselling authors—the first in a deliciously bold new series that takes readers to the most dangerous edge of desire . . .

Nikolai: I have been a contract killer since I was a boy. For years I savored the fear caused by my name, the trembling at the sight of my tattoos. The stars on my knees, the marks on my fingers, the dagger in my neck, all spoke of danger. If you saw my eyes, it was the last vision you’d have. I have ever been the hunter, never the prey. With her, I am the mark and I am ready to lie down and let her capture me. Opening my small, scarred heart to her brings out my enemies. I will carry out one last hit, but if they hurt her, I will bring the world down around their ears.

Daisy: I’ve been sheltered from the outside world all my life. Home-schooled and farm-raised, I’m so naive that my best friend calls me Pollyanna. I like to believe the best about people. Nikolai is part of this new life, and he’s terrifying to me. Not because his eyes are cold or my friend warns me away from him, but because he’s the only man who has ever seen the real me beneath the awkwardness. With him, my heart is at risk . . . and also, my life.

Buy: Amazon / Barnes and Noble / IBooks

Last Breath

Book 2

From the bestselling authors of Last Hit comes the next in the steamy series that explores the exquisite power of our darkest passions . . .

Regan: I never really knew what misery was until the day I was kidnapped and sold for being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Two months later, I’m at a brothel in Rio when I meet Daniel Hays. He says he’s here to save me, but can I trust him? All I know of him are his sarcastic retorts and his tendency to solve every dispute with his gun. He’s also the only safe thing in my world, and I know it’s wrong to fall in love with him, but I can’t seem to help myself. He says he’ll protect me until his last breath, but I don’t know if I should believe him or even if I can.

Daniel: For the last eighteen months, one goal has dictated every action I’ve taken. I’ve left the Army, turned paid hit man, and befriended criminals all across the globe to find my kidnapped sister. In every brothel I raid and every human trafficking truck I stop, I hope the next face I find is my sister’s. In a hidden brothel in Rio, I find Regan Porter, bruised but not broken, and still sane despite her weeks in captivity. I should leave her behind or send her home, because the last thing either of us needs right now is to get involved. But with every passing minute, I find I’m less able to let her go.

MATURE AUDIENCE

Buy: Amazon / Barnes and Noble / IBooks

Last Hit Reloaded

A Hitman Novella

Release Date: January 20, 2015

With their explosively sexy novels, the bestselling authors of Last Breath, Last Kiss, and Last Hit have proven themselves “a force to be reckoned with.”* Now comes an all-new to-die-for novella in their acclaimed Hitman series…
There was a time when Nick loved the fear he instilled in his enemies. His tattoos alone promised danger, but it was the look in his eyes that delivered on it. A contract killer since he was just a boy, Nick has now forged a new life—and a new identity—with the woman who followed him, captured him, and changed him.
He terrified Daisy. Once. But she couldn’t resist, and she ignored every warning. It paid off. Now she’s part of a new beginning, a fresh start in America helping him to leave behind a reckless and violent past as a professional killer. But the past is never easy to outrun, especially when so much of it thrives on revenge.
A new threat has emerged from the shadows, and now Nick and Daisy have no choice but to rely on Nick’s killer skills to protect them from everything they’ve tried so hard to escape.

Includes a bonus excerpt from Last Kiss.

Buy: Amazon / Barnes and Noble / ITunes

Last Kiss

Book 3

Release Date: May 5, 2015

From the bestselling authors of Last Hit and Last Breath comes the next dark and sensual tale in the Hitman series that crosses the line between danger and desire…

Buy: Amazon / Barnes and Noble / IBooks / Kobo

_____________________________________________________________

About The Authors

Jessica Clare is a New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author who writes under three different names. As Jill Myles, she writes a little bit of everything, from sexy, comedic urban fantasy to zombie fairy tales. As Jessica Clare, she writes erotic contemporary romance.

She also has a third pen name (because why stop at two?). As Jessica Sims, she writes fun, sexy shifter paranormals. She lives in Texas with her husband, cats, and too many dust-bunnies. Jill spends her time writing, reading, writing, playing video games, and doing even more writing.

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Pinterest
Jen Frederick lives with her husband, child, and one rambunctious dog. She’s been reading stories all her life but never imagined writing one of her own. Jen loves to hear from readers so drop her a line at jensfrederick@gmail.com

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads

One Week To Go…. Coming Soon … Echo by E.K. Blair – The Black Lotus Series – Book 2

Posted on 05/04/2015 by shellbellereads

Echo

The Black Lotus Series – Book 2

By e.k. blair

Release Date: May 12, 2015

Synopsis

It will follow me forever, destroying me—destroying you.

You want answers?

So do I.

The Black Lotus Series

Bang – Book 1

Gone.
Vanished.

I never even had a choice.
I mourn that life. Mourn the what-ifs.
Until now.
I’m ready to take back what was always meant to be mine.

But every plan has a fatal flaw. Sometimes it’s the heart.

**Due to the dark and explicit nature of this book, it is recommended for mature audiences only.*

Buy: Amazon / B & N / ITunes

About E.K. Blair

Aside from writing, E.K. Blair finds pleasure in music, drinking her Starbucks in peace, and spending time with her friends. She’s a thinker, an artist, a wife, a mom, and everything in between.

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads

Cover Reveal + Sneak Peek…. Fourth Debt by Pepper Winters – Indebted Series – Book 5

Posted on 05/04/2015 by shellbellereads

Fourth Debt – Indebted # 5

Indebted Series – Book 5

Release Date- August 11, 2015

By Pepper Winters

Buy: Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo / Google Play

Synopsis

“We’d won. We’d cut through the lies and treachery and promised an alliance that would free us both. But even as we won, we lost. We didn’t see what was coming. We didn’t know we had to plan a resurrection.”

Nila Weaver fell in love. She gifted her entire soul to a man she believed was worthy. And in the process, she destroyed herself. Three debts paid, the fourth only days away. The Debt Inheritance has almost claimed another victim.

Jethro Hawk fell in love. He let down his walls to a woman he believed was his cure. For a moment, he was free. But then he paid the ultimate price.

There is no more love. Only war. Hope is dead. Now, there is only death all around them.

Buy: Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo / Google Play

PROLOGUE

Vaughn

FUNNY HOW LIFE plays practical jokes.

The past few days—that had to be a fucking joke, right?

There was no logical answer that would make sense to what I’d seen, heard, and lived the past seventy-two hours.

My sister.

My best-friend and twin.

This was what she’d been living with? This was how she’d been treated?

This was what she wanted to return to?

Motherfucking why? Why would she ever want to return to this insanity?

We’d been raised in a broken home, chained to an empire that absorbed us right from birth. But we were kept safe, warm, and loved. We grew up together. We shared everything.

But now…I had no fucking clue who my sister was.

But then she came to me.

A woman I never knew existed.

The most stunning creature I’d ever seen.

Only she didn’t come to me on feet or wings of an angel. She rolled into my life and demanded my help.

And for better or for worse.

I helped her.

CHAPTER ONE

Nila

“LET ME GO!”

Daniel cackled like a mad hyena, his fingers stabbing into my bicep. Without breaking his stride, he stole me further away from the parlour and into the bowels of the house.

I didn’t want to go. I didn’t want to go anywhere with him.

“Take me back!” I squirmed, doing my best to return to Jethro.

He can’t be dead!

Just because he lay unmoving and bloody didn’t mean he’d left me behind.

That’s exactly what it means.

I shook my head, dislodging those awful thoughts. He’s alive. He had to be.

I couldn’t tolerate any other answer. I refused to live in a world where evil triumphed over good. That wasn’t right—life couldn’t be that cruel.

It’s always been that way.

My mind filled with images of my mother. My father’s desolation. My broken childhood. Evil had puppeteered us from day one. Why should now be any different?

He’s not dead!

I swallowed a sob.

Please don’t be dead…

I fought harder. “Let me see him. You can’t do this!”

Daniel cackled louder. “Keep begging, Weaver. Won’t do you any good.”

Indebted

Indebted Series

By Pepper Winters

Synopsis

“I own you. I have the piece of paper to prove it. It’s undeniable and unbreakable. You belong to me until you’ve paid off your debts.”

Nila Weaver’s family is indebted. Being the first born daughter, her life is forfeit to the first born son of the Hawks to pay for sins of ancestors past. The dark ages might have come and gone, but debts never leave. She has no choice in the matter.

She is no longer free.

Jethro Hawk receives Nila as an inheritance present on his twenty-ninth birthday. Her life is his until she’s paid off a debt that’s centuries old. He can do what he likes with her—nothing is out of bounds—she has to obey.

There are no rules. Only payments.

A modern day Dark Erotic Romance

Buy: Amazon / Barnes and Noble / ITunes

First Debt

Indebted #2

Series: Indebted

By Pepper Winters

Synopsis

“You say I’ll never own you. If I win—you willingly give me that right. You sign not only the debt agreement, but another—one that makes me your master until your last breath is taken. You do that, and I’ll give you this.”

Nila Weaver’s family is indebted. Stolen, taken, and bound not by monsters but by an agreement written over six hundred years ago, she has no way out.

She belongs to Jethro as much as she denies it.

Jethro Hawk’s patience is running out. His inheritance gift tests, challenges, and surprises him—and not in good ways. He hasn’t leashed her but he thinks he might’ve found a way to bind her forever.

Debts are mounting. Payment waiting.

Buy: Amazon / Barnes and Noble / ITunes

Second Debt

Indebted Series – Book 3

By Pepper Winters

Release Date: January 26, 2015

Buy: Amazon / Barnes and Noble / IBooks / Kobo

Synopsis

“I tried to play a game. I tried to wield deceit as perfectly as the Hawks. But when I thought I was winning, I wasn’t. Jethro isn’t what he seems—he’s the master of duplicity. However, I refuse to let him annihilate me further.”

Nila Weaver has grown from naïve seamstress to full-blown fighter. Every humdrum object is her arsenal, and sex…sex is her greatest weapon of all.

She’s paid the First Debt. She’ll probably pay more.

But she has no intention of letting the Hawks win.

Jethro Hawk has found more than a worthy adversary in Nila—he’s found the woman who could destroy him. There’s a fine line between hatred and love, and an even finer path between fear and respect.

The fate of his house rests on his shoulders, but no matter how much ice lives inside his heart, Nila flames too bright to be extinguished.

Third Debt – Indebted # 4

Indebted Series – Book 4

By Pepper Winters

Buy: Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo / Google Play

Synopsis

Fourth Book in the New York Times Bestselling Indebted Series.

“She healed me. She broke me. I set her free. But we are in this together. We will end this together. The rules of this ancient game can’t be broken.”

Nila Weaver no longer recognises herself. She’s left her lover, her courage, and her promise. Two debts down. Too many to go.

Jethro Hawk no longer recognises himself. He’s embraced what he always ran from, and now faces punishment far greater than he feared.

It’s almost time. It’s demanding to be paid.

The Third Debt will be the ultimate test…

Fourth Debt – Indebted # 5

Indebted Series – Book 5

Release Date- August 11, 2015

By Pepper Winters

Buy: Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo / Google Play

Synopsis

Jethro Hawk fell in love. He let down his walls to a woman he believed was his cure. For a moment, he was free. But then he paid the ultimate price.

There is no more love. Only war. Hope is dead. Now, there is only death all around them.

Buy: Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo / Google Play

—–

Pepper Winters wears many roles. Some of them include writer, reader, sometimes wife. She loves dark, taboo stories that twist with your head. The more tortured the hero, the better, and she constantly thinks up ways to break and fix her characters. Oh, and sex… her books have sex.

She loves to travel and has an amazing, fabulous hubby who puts up with her love affair with her book boyfriends.

Blog Tour + Review + Giveaway: Marrow by Tarryn Fisher

Posted on 05/01/2015 by shellbellereads

Happy Release Day to Marrow by Tarryn Fisher! We are so excited to be sharing the release of another much anticipated book from this amazing author!!

♥ BUY THE BOOK ♥

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Smashwords

In the Bone there is a house.

In the house there is a girl.

In the girl there is a darkness.

Margo is not like other girls. She lives in a derelict neighborhood called the Bone, in a cursed house, with her cursed mother, who hasn’t spoken to her in over two years. She lives her days feeling invisible. It’s not until she develops a friendship with her wheelchair-bound neighbor, Judah Grant, that things begin to change. When neighborhood girl, seven-year-old Nevaeh Anthony, goes missing, Judah sets out to help Margo uncover what happened to her.

What Margo finds changes her, and with a new perspective on life, she’s determined to find evil and punish it–targeting rapists and child molesters, one by one.

But hunting evil is dangerous, and Margo risks losing everything, including her own soul.

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♥ BUY THE BOOK ♥

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Smashwords

Robin’s Review

In her new psychological thriller, Tarryn Fisher writes about an imaginary town in Washington State named Bone Harbor. The inhabitants of The Bone are impoverished. There is little hope for a better life. As the children of The Bone grow older, their life force is drained. Faith is missing. Depression is commonplace. People are undereducated, desperate, mentally incapable and abused. Criminal activity is widespread. Folks numb themselves with alcohol. Malnourishment is prevalent. If you are raised in The Bone, in The Bone you will remain.

What was the inspiration behind writing Marrow? Children suffering for the sins of their parents. People hurting each other. Individuals crying out for help. The lack of a voice for those who are persecuted. Fisher wrote a letter to readers that can be found at the end of her novel. Marrow was borne as a way for her to cope with feelings of hopelessness for people who suffer. If Tarryn Fisher could not take vengeance on behalf of a suffering child, she decided Margo Moon would do it for her.

Margo narrates her own story. We first meet her at the age of thirteen. She lives with her prostitute mother in the “eating house” on Wessex Street. Margo gradually paints a picture of decline in the relationship with her mother after the early years of her life. She befriends Judah Grant, a handsome boy who is confined to a wheelchair. Judah lives just a few houses down the street from Margo, and he is her only friend. Judah becomes a source of encouragement and support for Margo, even when life in The Bone continues to be oppressive. When a young girl from their neighborhood goes missing, Margo and Judah join the search to find her. Margo is observant. Her eyes are slowly opening, and the truth that she sees sparks an anger that irrevocably changes her life.

Why choose the name Marrow? Marrow is a metaphor for the essential self. It’s your very essence. Marrow is a psychological thriller, but it’s also a character study of Margo Moon. Fisher’s background in psychology was beneficial in crafting this novel. Margo undergoes a dramatic transformation during her teenage years. She’s determined to find a way to leave The Bone. She is incredibly angry at the injustice she sees. She is no longer meek. Margo wants vengeance for all of the innocents. She follows her own moral code and delivers her own form of justice. Fisher calls it “poetic vengeance.”

Marrow is like nothing I have ever read. Tarryn Fisher’s writing style is creative, poetic and brilliant – it always has been – but she really steps up her game with Marrow. It’s a very intelligent story from both a societal and psychological perspective. Getting inside of Margo’s head was both dark and disturbing. Flashes of Fisher’s witty sense of humor are peppered throughout the story to help temper the darkness. It was fascinating for me to follow the slow deterioration of Margo’s reasoning – her descent into becoming a sociopath. Although there are places where the story was slow, I do feel much of Margo’s inner dialogue is necessary to see the gradual changes to her personality. When Marrow begins to feel like a psychological thriller? That’s when you really find out what’s in Margo’s marrow!

If you are interested in Marrow, you should consider reading Mud Vein (also written by Tarryn Fisher) first. Although Mud Vein and Marrow are meant to stand alone, the plots of both novels are loosely tied together. In my opinion, reading Mud Vein before Marrow will significantly improve your reading experience. If you love reading dark thrillers, I highly recommend 4.5 star Marrow!

Tarryn Fisher is the New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author of six novels. Her newest novel, Marrow, just released in April 2015 and she is currently working on the second installment of Never Never. She is the co-founder of Clothed Caption, a fashion blog she runs with her friend, Madison Seidler. Tarryn resides in the Seattle area with her family. She loves rainy days, Coke, and thinks Instagram is the new Facebook. Tarryn is represented by Amy Tannenbaum of the Jane Rotrosen Agency.

Facebook | Twitter | Website | Instagram | Goodreads

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Kindle Copies of Marrow

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Category Archives: Dark Thriller

Release Blitz + 5 Star Review + Giveaway : King by T. M. Frazier

Review: Amber To Ashes by Gail McHugh – Torn Hearts Series – Book 1

5 Star Review: Ultraviolet : Season 1 – Episode 1 by Jessica Sorensen

2015 Favorite…. 6 + Reviews: Never Never 2 by Colleen Hoover and Tarryn Fisher

It’s Live! Echo by E.K. Blair – Black Lotus Series – Book 2

Happy Release: Last Kiss by Jessica Clare and Jen Frederick – The Hitman Series – Book 3

Cover Reveal + Sneak Peek…. Fourth Debt by Pepper Winters – Indebted Series – Book 5

Blog Tour + Review + Giveaway: Marrow by Tarryn Fisher

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