Chasing Mrs. Right by Katee Robert

It was only supposed to last one night ...

Roxanne Stokes doesn't believe in love. She does, however, believe in the sexy-as-sin stranger who literally knocks her off her feet in front of a nightclub. The chemistry sparking between them takes her breath away, and she'll do anything to ease the pain in his eyes ... until she realises the handsome stranger is her best friend's older brother who's just come home from war.

Ian Walser had no idea the gorgeous woman he slept with the night of his homecoming party was his little sister's best friend — or that she'd be gone before morning. Roxanne's touch soothes him in a way nothing else can, and he's not ready to walk away from that yet. Not when spending time with her gave Ian a glimpse of everything he's ever wanted.

When his sister unwittingly pushes them together, he sees his chance. But convincing a woman who doesn't believe in love that she's his Mrs. Right might be harder than any mission Ian's undertaken. Good thing this soldier likes a challenge ...

On her way to Elle's brother's homecoming party, Roxanne is knocked off her feet (literally) by a gorgeous stranger ... only he's not a stranger, he's Elle's brother - the very guy who's party she was supposed to be attending. Instead they share awesome orgasms and Roxanne splits - only to be confronted by Ian the next day. They can't deny the attraction between them but both have serious issues.

I kind of related to both Roxanne and Ian. Ian hates being in crowds (as do I, although to be fair he has a better reason than me) and Roxanne has serious problems with the L-word (not lesbian or lesbians) and I feel the same way (again, she has different reasoning from me on this) but because of these two, I could relate to and understand both.

Ian also has a BIG problem with Gabe marrying his sister - but this is only 'cos he thinks Gabe is a tool and will break his sister's heart. But of course, this does cause some friction in family circumstances.

I can't wait to read Nathan's story - which I believe is next.


Buy from Entangled Publishing: Chasing Mrs. Right

Answers and Winner for 300th Blog Post Contest

The winner of the contest is Danielle!

I'll list the answers below and Danielle can send me her top choices so I can get them ordered.

1. I eyeballed the freezer, trying to decide what to cook for dinner that night.

2. "Bronwyn Alessia St.Vincent Clare!"

3. I have to.

4. The moment the door opened I knew an ass-kicking was inevitable.

5. Riley Blackthorne rolled her eyes.

6. "Come on!" Emma whispered from my right, her words floating from her mouth in a thin white cloud.

7. On the day Claire became a member of the Glass house, somebody stole her laundry.

8. Digging graves is hell on a manicure, but I was taught good vampires clean up after every meal.

9. No one knew better than Walter Rice that the only safe place was away from other people.

10. I felt her fear before I heard her screams.

1. Tempest Rising - Jane True series by Nicole Peeler
2. Raised by Wolves - Raised by Wolves series by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
3. Bitten - Women of the Otherworld (or just Otherworld) by Kelley Armstrong
4. Stray - Shifters series by Rachel Vincent
5. Forsaken - Demon Trappers series by Jana Oliver
6. My Soul to Take - Soul Screamers series by Rachel Vincent
7. Glass Houses - Morganville Vampires series by Rachel Caine
8. Red Headed Stepchild - Sabina Kane series by Jaye Wells
9. Cry Wolf - Alpha & Omega series by Patricia Briggs
10. Vampire Academy - Vampire Academy series by Richelle Mead


If you haven't already, I would highly recommend any of these series. 2, 5, 6, 7 and 10 are all YA and the rest are adult.

Clockwork Mafia by Seleste deLaney

Inventor Henrietta Mason is retiring from airships and adventuring to return home to Philadelphia. Determined to erase all trails leading to her late father's duplicity, she dismantles his lab and removes all records of the Badlands gold. While in the city, she can't resist the lure of a charity gala but winds up regretting the whole experience. Well, everything except a heart-racing dance with a certain U.S. Marshal.

His career and vengeance on the line, Carson Alexander must prove a connection between Senator Mason and the mafia. He lucked out happening across Mason's strikingly beautiful daughter, only to have her slip through his fingers. On a desperate hunt to track her down, he never expects his search to take him into the brutal Badlands.

With a mechanically enhanced enforcer after them, only Carson knows the extent of the danger they face. He'll have to win over Henrietta's trust, and her heart, before it's too late ...

Release Date 29th April 2013

Henrietta wants nothing more than to be rid of reminders of her father's betrayals and no-good-ery (it's a word, I swear!) but while she's in Philadelphia finishing stuff up, she meets Carson and feels an attraction towards him ... and him to her. When he discovers who she is, Carson finds her just as she's leaving for the Badlands and stumbles into a mafia raid of the Dark Hawk. Following her to the Badlands, he helps her with her father's things and her mafia trouble and neither one of them can fight the attraction they feel (despite Henri trying to ignore it).

Readers of my blog know that I know Seleste and I like to troll her by telling her her books aren't long enough ... this one is no different - "Hey Sel, it's too short!"

Seriously though, I loved this book. It's weird how reading from another person's POV can change your perspective of another character. In Badlands, I liked Ever's straight to the point talk and no shit attitude - but in this from Henri's POV? I found I really disliked her, and vice versa, I'm pretty sure I disliked Henri in Badlands but I really liked her in this.

It's the whole thing of getting inside someone's head, I think. In Badlands, we were seeing Henri through Ever's eyes and she came across a bit stuck up and up herself. Whereas in this, you get to know that even though she's like that, she doesn't want to be like that and as much as she wants to be herself she feels she has to act the way society expects her to.

I'm glad to say that Carson changed her mind and her choices. Still love this world that Seleste has created and I can't wait to read more ...... there will be more, right?


Amazon UK: Clockwork Mafia
Carina Press: Clockwork Mafia

300th Blog Post Contest

****THIS CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED****

So as it's my 300th blog post, I thought I'd have a contest to celebrate it. But it's not going to be an easy one - oh no, no "comment to win" on here.

Below are some quotes - they are the first lines of the first books in some of my favourite series. Now, I have mentioned these being my favourite series at some point on here. Either in the review of one of the books or even in a specific Favourite Series post.

Let's begin!

1. I eyeballed the freezer, trying to decide what to cook for dinner that night.

2. "Bronwyn Alessia St.Vincent Clare!"

3. I have to.

4. The moment the door opened I knew an ass-kicking was inevitable.

5. Riley Blackthorne rolled her eyes.

6. "Come on!" Emma whispered from my right, her words floating from her mouth in a thin white cloud.

7. On the day Claire became a member of the Glass house, somebody stole her laundry.

8. Digging graves is hell on a manicure, but I was taught good vampires clean up after every meal.

9. No one knew better than Walter Rice that the only safe place was away from other people.

10. I felt her fear before I heard her screams.

And that's your lot. Some of them, I realise, are easier since names and such are mentioned but I feel they make up for the slightly harder ones of the list.

Rather than list the answers in the comments - which makes it too easy to cheat if you don't know the answer - I'd like you to email your answers to thoughtsofascot@gmail.com - I want the book titles, not the series.

The winner will be the person with all answers correct or highest number of correct answers. In the event of more than one winner, I'll randomly select a winner.

Now for the prize! The winner will receive their choice of the books to the value of £15 - open to any country that Book Depository delivers to.

So good luck to all who enter and the contest will run until 28th March.


****THIS CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED****

Frost Burned by Patricia Briggs

Now that she's the mate of Alpha werewolf Adam, Mercy Thompson's life finally seems to be calming down - but not for long. After a traffic accident, Mercy suddenly can't reach Adam or the rest of the pack. All she knows is that Adam is angry and in pain.

If Adam's disappearance has anything to do with the werewolves' fight for public acceptance, it means the entire pack is in serious danger. Outclassed and on her own, Mercy will have to seek help from an unlikely ally - no matter how grave the consequences.

Mercy is out shopping with Jesse when she crashes her car, trying to get a lift she realises that the whole pack are unreachable. She contacts Adam through their mate bond and discovers the entire pack were kidnapped and they kidnappers want Adam to do something that'll change life for werewolves everywhere. As always, people try to kill Mercy - they always underestimate the coyote!

I really enjoyed this book - in fact, it may be one of my favourites. I don't know what it was that made it stand out to me - Mercy having to be stand-in Alpha while Adam is missing? Finding out exactly how strong her and Adam's relationship is? Mercy getting more in touch with her coyote self? Or Ben?

Yes, Ben. I like Ben - gawd help me, but I do. There's something about Ben that always makes me think of Karl Marsten from Kelley Armstrong's Otherworld series - and there is something likeable about Karl, just as there's something likeable about Ben. We get to see more of him come out as the series goes on.

I'll admit, I was getting a bit unimpressed with this series. Don't get me wrong, I still pre-ordered this but I haven't been looking forward to the last couple of books as I used to. I'm very impressed with this book and am glad it's rekindled my feelings for the series. I'm looking forward to the next one and can only hope that Briggs keeps the series on the up.


Book Depository: Frost Burned
Amazon UK: Frost Burned

Duplicity by Nikki Jefford

If Graylee Perez thought sharing a body with her twin sister was bad, dealing with a duplicate of herself is two times worse. Gray the second doesn't seem to get that Lee's boyfriend, Raj McKenna, is off limits. Then there's the problem of Adrian Montez. He expects one of the Grays to be his.

Nearly a year later, the council is onto them for past misdeeds; Lee, along with the rest of the coven, has lost control of her powers; and Gray is being stalked by what looks like the Grim Reaper.

If they work together, they may stand a chance of setting things right and making it out alive.

Lee is anxious as it's coming up to the anniversary of her death, she's looking forward to Valentine's Day with Raj. Little does she know that in France Charlene is really Graylee - this Graylee thinks she's just been purged from Charlene's body. As if trying to deal with that isn't bad enough for everyone, all the witches & warlock's powers are going wonky, and there's Adrian Montez - who has shown up in town again.

This is the sequel to Entangled. This one wasn't as slow to start as the first, maybe 'cos stuff has already happened and we already have the back story so there's no need for the build up.

As much as he's the "bad guy", I like Adrian. He's so cocky - which isn't a thing I go for in guys but I enjoy it in Adrian. I found myself not liking the duplicate Gray, she was a bit whiny - I know, I know, she just realised she's missed months of her life and feels unwanted but still, there's such a thing as too whiny. Thankfully, she finishes up not too bad - which is good since she seems to be the main focus of the next book if the preview at the end is anything to go by.

Another thing that helps this story become better than the first is that this one has no Charlene in it ..... at all. It's great.


Book Depository: Duplicity
Amazon UK: Duplicity

Bloodspell by Amalie Howard

The spell was simple...

Cruentus Protectum (Defend the Blood)

But what do you do if your blood is your enemy?

Victoria Warrick has always known she was different. An outcast at school, she is no stranger to adversity. But when she receives an old journal for her seventeenth birthday, nothing prepares her for the dark secrets it holds - much less one that reveals she's a witch with unimaginable power.

What's more, when she meets the dazzling but enigmatic Christian Devereux, she has no idea how much her life is about to change. Enemies will hunt her. Friends will turn on her. The terrible curse that makes her blood run black will stop at nothing to control her. And Christian has a sinister secret of his own...

Without knowing whom to trust, can Victoria survive her blood's deadly desires? Or will she lose everything, including herself?

Victoria (Tori) does something unbelievable when confronted by a school bully, the event forces her to change schools where she meets Christian and there's (ugh) insta-love! She's a witch, he's a vampire and they're forbidden to be affiliated with one another - which makes the insta-love even worse for them. They have to fight their feelings for one another while Tori also fight her power and what it could mean to let it control her. Oh yeah, and there's also Christian's brother who is a bit of a(n obnoxious) douche and he wants to control Tori's power.

Insta-love in YAs? Hate it, so overused - it's a trope that I would love to see disappear, but it appears to continue to be popular.

Annoying insta-love aside, this book was decent - there were aspects I both liked and disliked. I liked the fact that Tori's magic was blood-based, I liked that it didn't instantly come naturally to her, I liked her familiar. I disliked Christian's cockiness, I disliked the overly done hatred between Christian & Lucian, I disliked the vampire broodiness, I disliked Gabe's stalkerness & obsessiveness. So looking at that list, I seem to like the witch part of the story and dislike the vampire part.

I'm not going to say this was a great book but it was decent and I'll probably give the next book a try before I make a decision about the series.


Book Depository: Bloodspell
Amazon UK: Bloodspell

Gameboard of the Gods by Richelle Mead

In a futuristic world nearly destroyed by religious extremists, Justin March lives in exile after failing in his job as an investigator of religious groups and supernatural claims. But Justin is given a second chance when Mae Koskinen comes to bring him back to the Republic of United North America (RUNA). Raised in an aristocratic caste, Mae is now a member of the military's most elite and terrifying tier, a soldier with enhanced reflexes and skills.

When Justin and Mae are assigned to work together to solve a string of ritualistic murders, they soon realise that their discoveries have exposed them to terrible danger. As their investigation races forward, unknown enemies and powers greater than they can imagine are gathering in the shadows, ready to reclaim the world in which humans are merely game pieces on their board.

Release Date 4th June 2013

Justin is in exile until Mae approaches him and he discovers RUNA want him back for one job, a job which suits his particular talents. The outcome of this job may decide his future - and he only has a month to solve several murders and stop the next one from happening. He also has to fight his attraction to Mae for reasons known to himself (and those who have finished the book - no spoilers!) and look after a 16 year old with talents similar to his - the power of observation.

I liked Mead's Vampire Academy series but not her adult series (the succubus one) so I was both looking forward to and wary of this one - I'm glad to say it was worthy of looking forward to status. I really enjoyed the world she's written in this book and also the characters. Both Mae and Justin are fun (although Justin can be a tad egotistical and obnoxious at times - he kind of has his reasons), but I did like Mae more. I think it's the whole kick-ass woman thing - I can't help it, it's a big seller to me.

Big recommendation to any Mead fans and also to any dystopian & god-based-book fans. It seems to have a place for all gods, not just ones of a particular mythology. Can't wait to read the next one.


Book Depository: Gameboard of the Gods
Amazon UK: Gameboard of the Gods

Shards & Ashes by Various Authors

The world is gone, destroyed by human, ecological or supernatural causes. Survivors dodge chemical warfare and cruel gods; they travel the reaches of space and inhabit underground caverns. Their enemies are disease, corrupt corporations and one another; their resources are few, and their courage is tested.

Powerful, original dystopian tales from nine bestselling authors offer bleak insight, prophetic visions and precious glimmers of light among the shards and ashes of a ruined world.

Hearken by Veronica Roth
Hearkeners can hear life songs or death songs, depending on what colour implant they choose - red or black.
Branded by Kelley Armstrong
People live inside the Fortress for safety - outside are where the branded supernaturals live. They're deemed unfit for society - but some have created their own society.
Necklace of Raindrops by Margaret Stohl
Raindrops are a form of currency, you collect them and you use them - however, once they are used up you have to "drop" to your death .... or do you?
Dogsbody by Rachel Caine
Corporate rules all, they make the decisions - life or death. Xavier works his way up to the man responsible for multiple deaths in his childhood to exact revenge.
Pale Rider by Nancy Holder
Dana can find lost things and it turns out she'd involved in a war between fairies and goblins - she has to find some lost fairies.
Corpse Eaters by Melissa Marr
Nidos are an alien race that have taken over the world by means of a religious cult. Harmony & Chris are in a group that are set to bring the Nidos down.
Burn 3 by Kami Garcia
The sun has destroyed the world, everyone now lives in a dome for protection. But there are people kidnapping kids for their skin.
Love is a Choice by Beth Revis
The Eldest rules all and has an heir to take over when he dies, when that heir starts to question the vitamins he's putting in the water, he has to disappear.
Miasma by Carrie Ryan
A plague kills most of the population. Doctors invent monsters that can smell the plague - sufferers must be killed before it can spread.

I enjoyed nearly all the stories in this book, with the exception of one. My favourites (by no surprise) are also by my favourite authors. Branded, Dogsbody, Hearken & Miasma were my four tops. I'd recommend this to any YA fans.


Book Depository: Shards & Ashes
Amazon UK: Shards & Ashes