Happy Raturday!

*Picture courtesy of martymousehouse.com*

*Picture courtesy of Anisah Grace Hanna*

"I helped myself to a little popcorn."

*Picture courtesy of Mary Kirkland*

When my rat, Lucky turned a year old, I made him a cake and a birthday hat and we shared a piece of cake. (2012)

Apartment Life #120

This is a new weekly blog post that I'm calling Apartment Hell  Life. I've mentioned a few times some of the crazy things that go on in and around my apartment complex in the past 20 years that we've lived here and people keep telling me I should write a book. But instead of a book, I've decided to share the crazy things that have happened in and around my apartment complex in the last 20 years here in a weekly blog post.

Ken called me in from the bedroom when he heard shouting outside and I got there in time to get a picture of the police car parked in front of our bedroom window. He said two police officers had got out and ran towards the office courtyard so I took Falcor for a walk and heard a lot of shouting coming from an apartment in that courtyard but when the police came out they were alone and didn't arrest anyone. So I don't know what went on or why the police were called. But they did show up for something. Hey, at least it wasn't my courtyard this time it was one courtyard over but still in my apartment complex. 

Now for something truly funny. I found yet another notice on my door this week but this time our apartment management company is offering people who live here a $200 incentive to get their friends and family to move here. I think it's hilarious that they think anyone who lives here would suggest a place that has the cops here several times a week, drug dealers, homeless and drug addicts walking around causing drama and fights with other residents. If anything, I would tell my friends and family not to move here. lol I just can't make this stuff up. Good grief.

So that's it for this week's Apartment Hell  Life! Be sure to come back next week for more.

Review: Passion Surge by Cynthia Sax

Book Description

This cyborg never expected to become an instant father.

***

Surge is fascinated with newly manufactured offspring. He has studied them extensively, was one of the few medics present when the very first freeborn cyborg entered the universe.

He's currently assigned to a battle station with an all-male crew. The probability of tending to an offspring is a dismal 0.0000 percent.

That changes when an unknown ship ventures into the sector they're protecting.

Nu is an extremely exhausted single mom with a fussy newborn daughter. She has no time or energy for anyone or anything else. That includes a cyborg medic with gentle hands, brilliant blue eyes, and a voice deeper than space.

He claims she's his female, the one being genetically designed for him. She has heard those types of declarations in the past.

Only a warrior without equal--and some much-needed rest--would prompt this universe-weary mom to believe in romantic love again.

***

Passion Surge is a short, light, companion story in the Cyborg Space Exploration series and is meant to be read after Doc's Orders.

It is also a BBW Cyborg SciFi Romance featuring a medic cyborg, an extremely exhausted single mom, and the adorable little reason for her lack of sleep.

My Review

Surge is a medic cyborg working on a ship when his ship comes across another ship about to cross into cyborg territory. The female on the ship was trying to quiet a baby but wasn't having an easy time of it. Surge realizes as soon as he see's her that she is his mate and makes plans to help her. 

She's been lied to by her baby's father so she isn't quick to trust Surge. So Surge goes about showing her that he means to stay with her and not leave her like the last guy and slowly Nu comes to trust him. Surge is happy to have found Nu and her baby because now she is his mate and he has a daughter to care for. The other cyborg's on his ship are looking for their mates but they may never find them. So when a cyborg does find his female, it's a special occasion. 

I loved the other cyborg's, they were so happy for Surge and welcomed Nu and the baby with open arms. It was so touching to see how happy they were around the baby. 

While this was a really quick read, just 72 pages, it was a sweet romance that touched my heart. 

I give this book 4 out of 5 stars. 

Freebie Friday!

Welcome to another edition of Freebie Friday, where I tell you what free samples and full sized products I received in the mail and how you can get them too. Someone asked me why I do a "Freebie Friday" each week, so I'll tell you.

A while back I listed all the free samples and wins that I had received that previous year and so many people didn't believe that I could have gotten so many free things. So I decided to prove it by taking a picture every week and sharing the sites that I found the links to the freebies at. So now you too can get great free samples coming to your mailbox each week.

  You can find links to great samples at Hey It's Free and Freebie Shark.

This week I received:

A $50 Macy's gift card via e-Rewards.

I cashed out my points on e-Rewards and got a Macy's gift card this week. Once all of my products are delivered I'll do a Macy's haul and review. I didn't receive any other freebies or samples this week.

Did you receive any free samples or freebies this week?

Review: The Pain Eater by Courtney Diles

Book Description

Roxie Maeda is a college senior who hears voices in her head. When she first sees the demonic creature haunting her crush, she blows it off as a hallucination, but then it shows up in her Psych class, visible to everyone.

Its appearance triggers a police search of the campus, which reveals a bag of guns right outside the classroom. Someone was planning to shoot up the school. Over time, the creature discloses that he is a pain eater—a cursed, undead human who eats pain demons that arise from injuries, taking the pain into himself.

His selflessness sways her, and she befriends him only to fall in love. Together, they resolve to break his curse and save Prometheus University from its unknown attacker.

My Review

Roxie deals with her mental illness where she hears voices along with other problems. Her father is an alcoholic so he's of no help to her. 

Teddy is Roxie's neighbor and he just came back home after losing a leg in the Marines. No one but Roxie knows about his prosthesis and for now he wants to keep it that way. 

Roxie began seeing a figure all in black, even his head was covered. But he would open his mouth and scream for no reason. She felt like it was a hallucination until everyone in her classroom saw it too. The figure pops up out of no where and started leaving her little messages that he wasn't going to hurt her. He even gave her a letter explaining that he was a pain eater, a thing that eats pain demons who cause humans pain. Essentially the pain eater took away the pain that the pain demons gave them and the dark figure's name was Eli. He went on to tell her that he made himself visible because someone in the classroom had been planning an attack that could still happen. 

Eli becomes her friend after she experiences a tragedy and has no one else to turn to for support. They spend a lot of time together and she finds out a lot about him and the others like him. There are other kinds of creatures too. Some that give you adrenaline, some that take your memories and some that make you hear voices, just to name a few. 

Eli and Roxie are there for each other when bad things keep happening and Eli has to keep eating the pain that others are feeling because of the bad things that happen. At first I thought that Teddy and Roxie were going to be a couple but they just end up being friends while Eli and Roxie get a lot closer and start to have feelings for one another. It was strange to have a human have feelings for what is described several times as a demon or looking like a monster. When Eli does reveal himself to a couple of people, their reaction is enough to make me realize that he must look really terrifying. So to have Roxie fall for him, he must have a really big heart which he does. 

Every time I thought I knew where this story was going, a new twist would be thrown in to show me how wrong I was. That made this book even better and more exciting. I never knew what was going to happen next or who the bad guy was at her school until it was revealed. I was on the edge of my seat with this one. This was a different kind of paranormal romance with characters that I've never read about before which I seriously liked. The characters were original, the romance was sweet and the action and danger was exciting. 

If you've ever read a book that surprised you in a good way and you just want to tell everyone to read it because you can't put into words how good it was, this was one of those books for me.

I give this book 5 out of 5 stars. 

Disclosure: I received an ARC of this book via NetGalley but all thoughts and opinions are my own. 

Review: Molten Dusk by Karissa Laurel

Book Description

While recovering from a devastating betrayal, Solina becomes increasingly drawn to Thorin as he helps her hunt down Skoll, the mythical wolf who vowed to kill her. If she can find and destroy the beast, she’ll bring a swift and brutal end to her enemies’ schemes. But nothing ever goes as planned in Solina’s strange new world.

During her search for Skoll, Solina uncovers a plot to unleash a battalion of legendary soldiers and launch an apocalyptic war. Before she and her allies can locate the fabled army, several ghosts from her past return to haunt her. Solina must fight for life and the fate of the world, or her hopes for love and a peaceful future will go up in flames.

My Review

Solina is still getting over the huge betrayal she was faced with in the last book and everyone seems to be giving her the space she needs, at least for a while. On more than one occasion she and Thorin find themselves in danger and even though Thorin wants her to stay safe, she puts her life on the line for him more than once. Solina is definitely more kick-ass than I gave her credit for in the first book. She's grown a lot and can handle her powers a little better now. 

While she and Thorin are spending more time together, Baldur is trying to spend time with Nina ever since he found her. Nina isn't what I expected her to be at all and I thought she would betray them the first chance she got. I didn't like or trust her. But it must be really weird to have some stranger come and tell you that you're the reincarnation of his dead wife and he's a norse god. 

Throughout this trilogy I've been rooting for Thorin and Solina to finally get together. While reading this third and final book in the series, I found myself thinking about that song, "Kiss The Girl" from The Little Mermaid because Solina and Thorin fought their attraction for each other throughout this series and I just wanted to see them together already. Good grief man, make a move already! lol But it was obvious that both of them had strong feelings for the other since they kept saving each others life over and over again. So it was awesome when they finally let their feelings be known. They do make a great couple though so I was happy they finally let their guards down enough to get to this spot. 

Solina, Thorin and Baldur have to find the bad guys and there never seems to be an end to the people that want them dead. Skyla finally finds out all the secrets surrounding her life and who she is which was truly mind boggling. There were so many secrets floating around in this book, so many twists and turns but that just made this more interesting. 

I almost felt bad for Val, the reason he was so upset because of what had been done to him was truly awful. What he did to get revenge was bad too though so I was conflicted about how I felt about him and what he made Solina do. It was just sad really. 

While I usually read a romance centered book, this one had enough action, twists and exciting storyline that it kept me engaged. If you enjoy norse mythology, you might like this one. 

I give this book 5 out of 5 stars. 

Review: Daily Goodie Box- February

The Daily Goodie Box has been around since about July of 2016. I signed up for an account right after I heard about them. They are 100% free, you don't even have to pay for shipping. And for a free box it's a nice sampler box of products.

What did I get in this box?

Coco Luxe - Hydration-  I love these coconut water packs. I've received this 2 months in a row and love them. If you've ever had the water in a fresh coconut, that's what this is and it's delicious. 

Flathau’s Fine Foods - Cheese Straws- So the package said these were made with a tiny kiss of chipotle... it must have been a french kiss because they are spicy! My poor sensitive tongue could not take the spice. Otherwise they are flavorful. 

Eco Lips - MONGO KISS™ Lip Balm- I received Vanilla Honey and Yumberry and I love both of them. It smells delicious and works well as a lip balm. I have a very large assortment of lip balms. Can you be a lip balm hoarder because I may need a 12 step program. But these are seriously great. 

Nature Nate's - Raw Unfiltered Honey- So here's when my weirdness comes out to play...I don't like honey because it's essentially bee vomit. Think about it. But I'm not a total wimp so I tasted the honey when my husband used it in his coffee and it tastes like honey, If you like honey, then this is honey. Ken said that he liked it. 

Natralia - Anti-Itch Soothing Cream-  I've used this before, I'm almost out of the other tube of this that I had because it does work to sooth itchy skin. I get prickly heat on my neck during the Summers here in Vegas where it can get to 118F. I've used this for quite a while and think it works really well. And I like that it's a good size package that it comes in so I'm not gonna run out for a while. 

Skinny Crisps - Gourmet Crackers-  I received the Chocolate Mint crackers and they are so good. They taste like pieces of crunchy brownie bites. They are so good and chocolaty. 

Pure LYFT - All Natural Caffeine Powder-  Ken tried this because he drinks more caffeine drinks than I do and he said he did feel a slight caffeine kick to them. He said the flavors are pretty good and would be fine instead of a cup of coffee. 

All they ask you to do is try the products and leave reviews for the products you got in order to be eligible for more Free Goodie Boxes. As you guys already know, I'm a fan of all these types of boxes. I love all the different subscription boxes and it's really nice to be able to try new to me products for free. This is a great box to try for.

Oh and one more thing, if you visit their FB Page, they give away Goodie Boxes to people who interact with their posts. So if you've tried before and weren't able to get a Goodie Box, there's even more ways to get one now.

Daily Goodie Box. It's more than just Free Samples!

Have you signed up? Have you received one of these boxes?

I'm a fan of subscription boxes and love trying new products for free so this was a huge hit with me. New products+free box = Fabulous!

Disclosure: I was given and free box in exchange for a review but all opinions are my own.

Happy Raturday!

*Picture courtesy of Anisah Grace Hannah* @RatzFurever

Photographer: " Say cheese!"

                               Rat: "Cheeese...and crackers."

*Picture courtesy of martymousehouse.com*

"By the way, my name is Bean"

*Picture courtesy of martymousehouse.com*

Apartment Life #119

This is a new weekly blog post that I'm calling Apartment Hell  Life. I've mentioned a few times some of the crazy things that go on in and around my apartment complex in the past 20 years that we've lived here and people keep telling me I should write a book. But instead of a book, I've decided to share the crazy things that have happened in and around my apartment complex in the last 20 years here in a weekly blog post.

Last Sunday morning I get up and take the dog outside and there's some guy passed out on the sidewalk at the end of my courtyard. I didn't get close enough to see if I recognize him. He moved a few times and he had taken his shoes off and set them beside him so I knew he was not dead. Either he's homeless, passed out on drugs/drunk, or his girlfriend kicked him out. He got up and walked away a few hours later.

-------

On Tuesday a bunch of motorcycle cops and I'm guessing detectives in big trucks came through my neighborhood, the alley, the Cal Ranch parking lot and the path that I walk. They made all the homeless people come out of their tents, or makeshift tents and had them all in handcuffs for a few minutes while they talked to the group of 15 or so of them. Then they uncuffed them and let them all go. We saw the cops on motorcycles and the guys in the trucks driving around my area for a few hours. I have no idea what that was about but the homeless people are still in the same place. 

The picture of the motorcycle police was taken through my bedroom window so it's not the greatest.

------

On Friday we heard a few gunshots in the area and a few minutes later the police helicopter was circling my apartment building.

After the helicopter was up for a few minutes the police cars started driving by. I don't know if they caught the person shooting off their gun or not. 

So that's it for this week's Apartment Hell  Life! Be sure to come back next week for more.

Scrapbooking With Mary

I don't know if any of my followers scrapbook at all but I thought I would show you what I've been up to this week. I had some pictures printed up just for this and decided to pull out all my scrapbooking supplies and do a few pages. First thing I do is figure out what pictures I want to make pages for. Lay out the embellishments, tools and colored papers. 

Then find the background paper I want to put it all on. I like to put everything on the background paper and see how it will look before I start gluing things down. 

There are kits available with background papers, stickers, cutouts, and everything you'll need to make a few pages. 

And on the back of the kits are ideas of what kinds of pages you can make with the supplies. 

You can even buy magazines filled with ideas for pages. I found this one really helpful. 

It has page after page of different layouts that you can do.

After I've figured out what kind of page I want to make, I lay out the glue, punches, tape and glue dots or whatever I'll be using to stick it all to the background.

Here's a few pages that I had already made to give you an idea of what I've done. This one was a birthday.

And this one was one of Ken's fishing trips. 

The one I decided to do this week was with a couple of pictures my daughter took of her with me and Ken. 

And then I did another of my daughter and grandson. 

I keep all of the supplies that I use the most in a scrapbooking bag with a lot of pockets. This thing is full! It weighs a ton but it zips up and I can keep it in the corner out of the way. 

I also have a box of supplies that are mostly extras or doubles of things that I use all the time. I like to get colored or patterned papers that are in different sizes to use on the pages because it's easier than trying to cut it straight myself. lol 

I could spend hours in places like Michael's or Jo Ann's craft supply because they both carry a lot of scrapbooking supplies and I am always looking for new things I can use. 

Have you ever done any scrapbooking? What crafts do you do?

Freebie Friday!

Welcome to another edition of Freebie Friday, where I tell you what free samples and full sized products I received in the mail and how you can get them too. Someone asked me why I do a "Freebie Friday" each week, so I'll tell you.

A while back I listed all the free samples and wins that I had received that previous year and so many people didn't believe that I could have gotten so many free things. So I decided to prove it by taking a picture every week and sharing the sites that I found the links to the freebies at. So now you too can get great free samples coming to your mailbox each week.

  You can find links to great samples at Hey It's Free and Freebie Shark.

This week I received:

A sample of Bulgari perfume.

It was a slow freebie week for me. How about you. Did you get any freebies this week?

Review: Arctic Dawn by Karissa Laurel

Book Description

Alone and exhausted after her month-long sojourn as a shooting star, Solina Mundy flees to southern California to lie low, recuperate, and plot a survival strategy. The one person she trusts to watch her back is her best friend, Skyla Ramirez. But Skyla has been missing for weeks.

The arrival of a dangerous stranger and the discovery of a legendary weapon of mass destruction force Solina out of hiding and back into the fight for her life. Solina knows she won’t last long on her own. She must find out what happened to Skyla and unite her contentious allies if she hopes to track down this devastating weapon before her enemies use it to burn the world to ash.

My Review

Solina wakes up after what happened to her in the first book with no memory of what happened to her for the past month. She figures everyone thinks she's dead so better to just keep it that way and assumes a fake name, gets a job and keeps to herself. But when danger from her past finds her, she knows she has no other choice but to call Thorin and get his help. He's happy to hear from her but Skyla is still missing. Solina has been trying to find her with no leads at all. 

Val has been out searching for Solina which under normal circumstances would be sweet but Val is overbearing and pushy and I just don't like him much. But Thorin likes Solina, it's obvious but he doesn't act on it. 

Once they rescue Skyla, they're off again trying to stop Helen from succeeding in her plans. Plus Helen still wants Solina dead, so Thorin and Val have to make sure she's safe even though she puts herself in harms way for them several times. They want to tell her what to do but she'll still just do what she wants in the end. 

I really liked the Norse Mythology in this book. Thorin and Val are both Gods and have special powers and even though Solina is the reincarnation of a God, she doesn't have her powers completely figured out and gets tired when she spends too much energy. 

The twists, betrayal, backstabbing and secrets made this so much fun to read. I never knew for sure where this story was going or where it would end up and I love that. The ending was spectacular. There was a huge twist that I couldn't have seen coming and I was just wowed. While I liked the first book ok, this second book really got my attention and kept me hooked. I'm looking forward to the next book.

I give this book 5 out of 5 stars. 

Review: Dragan by D.B. Reynold's

Book Description

The Stone Warriors, Book 4

It was a time when gods walked the earth, when armies fought not for bits of land, but for the very existence of humanity. On such a battlefield, five formidable warriors stood against an evil greater than any the earth had ever seen. But evil is not an honorable foe. Betrayed by someone they trusted, the warriors were cursed, one by one, tossed into the maelstrom of time, imprisoned in stone, their freedom resting on nearly impossible conditions. Until… Dragan Fiachna, heir to the curse of royal blood, a horror hiding behind a beautiful face… you shall remain locked in stone until a maiden, untested and pure, shall find grace in your beast and safety in your nightmare.

Dragan Fiachna, born to a life of loneliness, cast into stone by a sorcerer’s curse and imprisoned forever in darkness. He is freed at last, only to discover his enemy still lives and is plotting the death of millions in his quest to rule this new world.

Maeve Collins, brilliant, courageous, and compassionate enough to believe a stone statue can have a soul. Shocked when her beautiful winged man breaks free, horrified at the torment he’s endured, she dedicates herself to reuniting him with the warriors he calls family.

But she never planned on falling in love.

Racing across half the country in search of the only man who can stop their foe from fulfilling his merciless scheme, Dragan and Maeve discover they’ve unwittingly stolen the one artifact that can defeat their enemy. And he wants it back. Pursued by assassins, they fight their way to Dragan’s brothers, only to discover the war for this world has already begun. . .

My Review

Maeve had taken a job cataloging artifacts and treasures for a very unpleasant man, Mr. Sotiris. But she loved her job and there was a beautiful statue that she talked to all the time, the statue that Dragan had been cursed to live inside for all of eternity until someone could break the curse and release him. Mr. Sotiris was more than he seemed to be and very dangerous but she just thought he was strange for raging at the statue all the time. 

Maeve would sit and talk to the statue of Dragon all the time and Dragon loved the company even though she had no idea he was actually there. When the stone statue cracked and broke and Maeve broke the curse, Dragon was set free. At first Maeve didn't believe he was actually inside the statue but she came to quickly believe Dragan was telling the truth. Knowing the Mr. Sotiris would probably know somehow that the statue had broken, Maeve and Dragon took a few artifacts and left before he could come home. She was really good with computers and had excellent ways to block anyone from tracking her phone or laptop so they were safe on the road for a while. 

The first thing Dragan wanted to do was find Nicodemus or see if he was still alive. Maeve found him online and they set out to go to where he lived, which would take a couple of days by car. On their way to meet up with his old sorcerer friend they find themselves in danger from vampires but Dragan is more than enough of a warrior to take them on and defeat them. But it's obvious that if her old boss finds out where they are, they'll be in real hot water. The danger is real and one mess up will have that danger at their door. 

Maeve and Dragan get a lot closer and their romance was nice, but it didn't move me. I wanted sparks, fireworks or just something more but I just didn't feel it with them. Dragan is a nice guy and Maeve is a smart, nice woman but they didn't seem like they fit together to me. 

This is the 4th books in this series but it's the first book that I've read. I didn't feel lost or feel like I was missing anything and I read this just fine but I might go back and read the other books just to catch up. Dragon's friends are awesome, I really liked them and their mates. The secondary characters are great so I'm looking forward to getting to know them a little better. Sotiris is an evil man hell bent on causing them to suffer but I have a feeling that he's not gonna get his wish as the series goes on. 

I liked this book but didn't love it, but I think I will read the other books in this series. 

I give this book 3 out of 5 stars. 

Disclosure: I was given an ARC or this book via NetGalley but all opinions and thoughts are my own. 

Review: Jake by V. Vaughn

Book Description

Hannah Sullivan takes the life of a flaky artist to an extreme, so it’s no surprise to her friends when she decides to pick her alien life-partner at random. When Jake28 arrives and she discovers he really can cook, Hannah’s personal life seems perfect. But professionally, she’s still paralyzed by her own self-doubt. 

Jake is thrilled to finally come to earth and meet his nearly-perfect match. Especially when he discovers the chemistry between them is beyond what he imagined. As Jake settles into his new life with Hannah, he discovers that more than just her kitchen is in disarray. While he can see Hannah’s true talent below her messy exterior, she can’t. When she pushes him away, he must figure out how to free her muse and claim her heart. 

My Review

When a plague wipes out most of the male population on Earth, aliens from a planet called Erosicia agree to have males from their planet come to Earth and marry the woman who chooses them from the dating agency website. 

When Hannah picks Jake from the list of matches, she didn't think that his profile was really the truth but when he said he likes to cook, he wasn't lying. Hannah doesn't cook, she would much rather order take out or eat snacks so when Jake shows her that he really can cook and it's good, she's impressed. 

They are attracted to each other which is good but they're very much opposites. So each of them are going to have to compromise a bit if this match is going to work. 

I really thought that this was a sweet, short read that didn't take me much time to read. I was in the mood for a quick read and this was exactly what I wanted. The aliens seem very human-like so there weren't a lot of alien type things culturally to get used to which was good. I had a good time with this book. 

I give this book 4 out of 5 stars. 

Happy Raturday!

*Picture courtesy of martymousehouse.com*

*Picture courtesy of martymousehouse.com*

*Picture courtesy of martymousehouse.com*

Apartment Life #118

This is a new weekly blog post that I'm calling Apartment Hell  Life. I've mentioned a few times some of the crazy things that go on in and around my apartment complex in the past 20 years that we've lived here and people keep telling me I should write a book. But instead of a book, I've decided to share the crazy things that have happened in and around my apartment complex in the last 20 years here in a weekly blog post.

On Tuesday at 6am when I took Falcor out for his first walk I spotted this cart and wheelchair by the apartment that has a lot of traffic. I suspect they deal drugs because of all the traffic they have all day and all night. Plus, people come and leave things like this, other items in front of their door to exchange for drugs. I know this for a fact because one of the guys who used to live next door to me, Jose said that he was able to get a small amount of crack for the old vacuum he left by their door. So I know it's true. People are crazy open about how they score their drugs or where they get them. I think if they bring more clients to them they might get some drugs for free but I'm just guessing about that.

So people will leave items or bring items for them to check out when they open their door. Sometimes people will stand there and bang on the door for a while and they won't open it for whatever reason. So they just leave the junk by the door until later.

Whatever the people in that apartment don't want, they just move away from their door and leave it on the sidewalk. This is the cart and the blankets that had been in the wheelchair. They kept the wheelchair. They make a huge mess a lot of times because there's so much stuff left by their door by people all the time. 

_____

On Thursday the fire truck and ambulance showed up for the older guy in my building. His homeless brother who he let's camp out in front of his door at night in a chair got mad again because he wouldn't let him inside his apartment so he punched him in the face and gave him a black eye. 

I took the pictures from my bedroom window so they aren't great but you can see the fire truck and ambulance behind it. The guy that lives in the apartment won't let his brother in his apartment because he's on drugs and has stolen things from him and even smashed his living room window a few months ago. 

So that's it for this week's Apartment Hell  Life! Be sure to come back next week for more.

Review: Midnight Burning by Karissa Laurel

Book Description

Solina Mundy lives a quiet life, running the family bakery in the foothills of North Carolina. But a nightmare of a vicious wolf devouring her twin brother changes everything. When she learns her dream was real, she journeys to her brother's home in Alaska, the Land of the Midnight Sun, to search for answers.

Solina soon suspects her brother’s friends are more than they seem, and they know more than they’re willing to admit. Skyla, an ex-marine, is the only one willing to help. As Skyla and Solina delve into the secrets surrounding her brother’s death, Solina learns her own fate is tied to his friends, his murder, and a dark history of forgotten myths and legends.

Solina also discovers a powerful new ability. She must learn to control it if she’s to keep everyone safe. If she fails, a long-lost dominion will rise, and everything she knows will fall into darkness.

My Review

Solina goes to Alaska after her brother is killed in what can only be described as a crazy animal accident. Once there she looks deeper into his death even though most of his friends tell her to leave it alone. 

This book started out a little slow for me but it quickly picked up speed. Between Solina's weird dreams of her brothers death and the way his friends acted once she got to Alaska, I knew that this was going to turn into a good mystery but I wasn't prepared for the creepiness that flowed from the pages. This story creeped me out. It's like that feeling you get while watching a Horror movie late at night when you're all alone and then become too afraid to go to the bathroom by yourself. Ya know what I mean?

Val and Thorin are two characters that made me laugh more than once in this book. Val was a buddy of Solina's brother, he worked with him and seemed to have a big crush on Solina. Thorin was her brother's boss but he was snarky, secretive and I knew right away that he liked Solina. Even though there are hints of a romance, the romance never got off the ground in this book.

When Skyla decides to help Solina get to the bottom of what's really going on, they end up endangering themselves and Val and Thorin come to their rescue a few times. When we finally get an explanation about what's really going on and who the players are, it ends up making me even more interested. I was totally immersed in this story and the interesting paranormal element that pops up. This book does end on a cliffhanger though and you all already know how I feel about those. This was free on Amazon when I picked it up so I'm glad about that because this was entertaining even if it did end on a cliffhanger.

I give this book 3 out of 5 stars. 

Freebie Friday!

Welcome to another edition of Freebie Friday, where I tell you what free samples and full sized products I received in the mail and how you can get them too. Someone asked me why I do a "Freebie Friday" each week, so I'll tell you.

A while back I listed all the free samples and wins that I had received that previous year and so many people didn't believe that I could have gotten so many free things. So I decided to prove it by taking a picture every week and sharing the sites that I found the links to the freebies at. So now you too can get great free samples coming to your mailbox each week.

  You can find links to great samples at Hey It's Free and Freebie Shark.

This week I received:

3 samples of U Beauty Resurfacing Compound for the face.

It's a cream that goes on your face under moisturizer. I used one packet so far and I haven't seen any difference in my skin.

Did you receive any freebies or samples this week?

Review: Ipsy Glam Bag- January

Ipsy is a monthly subscription box that sends you 5 sample size makeup or beauty products and a makeup bag. You can customize what they send you by filling out the personal surveys. These bags are $13 each.

This month I received: 

Aromatica Tea Tree foaming cleanser.

Hempz herbal body moisturizer.

Brooklyn & Bailey Lash Next Door mascara. 

Ciate London blush. 

PUR4 in 1 pressed mineral makeup powder. 

Makeup bag.

The PUR 4 in 1 pressed powder is neat. It functions as a foundation, concealer and powder. It's light coverage which is fine for those days you just want a little coverage. 

The cleanser and moisturizer works great and smells pretty good. I already like this mascara. I've tried it before and thought it made my lashes longer. The blush is a really pretty color. And the makeup bag is a really nice one. 

I'm pretty happy with everything in this bag. 

Did you get this bag?

Review: Wicked Cowboy Wolf by Kate Ballenger

Book Description

Third in the dark and dangerous Seven Range Shifters series where the sexy cowboys are ranchers by day and wolf shifters by night.

***

To his enemies, he's known as the Rogue. To her, he's her only chance at survival…

Years ago, Grey Wolf Jared Black was cast from the pack for a crime he didn't commit. Now, he's the mysterious criminal wolf known only as the Rogue, a name his former packmates won't soon forget. But when a vampire threat endangers the lives of their entire species, Jared must confront his former packmates again, even if that means betraying the only woman he's ever loved…

Ever since Maeve Gray escaped the pack's bloodsucking enemies, she's been determined to save her species—and fast. Each passing day risks the lives of her friends and family. But when a wicked cowboy wolf shows up on the Grey Wolf ranch, offering everything Maeve's heart desires, her eyes are opened to a whole new world beyond the packlands. For this cowgirl, sleeping with the enemy could prove as desirable as it is deadly…

My Review

Maeve (mae) lost her best friend when she was a teenager and she's never really gotten over what happened. Her uncle was a scumbag and her father was a jerk and now her brother is the packmaster or alpha in charge. He loves her but she knows she'll have to marry an alpha she doesn't love for the good of her pack. 

Rogue is a rogue wolf that takes in other rogue wolves who have no where else to go. He's essentially the leader of the rogue wolves. He has had a rough life because of a choice he made when he was just a kid. 

Rogue saved Mae from the vampires when they kidnapped her to steal her blood to experiment on for nefarious purposes. But he had plans to use Mae to get back what is rightfully his. He doesn't want to hurt her but he doesn't see any way around it. He made a deal with her when he saved her and now he's come to bring her back to his ranch where she'll be safe from the vampires who are looking to kill her. 

Mae doesn't want to do what is expected of her anymore so when Rogue comes and tells her that she can be free and safe from the vampires, she willingly goes with him. But the vampires keep coming after her so they have to track down a scientist who can help then get the serum they need in order to keep her safe. Once they get that the vampires should stop coming after her. But while she's with Rogue, the attraction they feel for each other explodes. Rogue is hurt because she doesn't recognize who he really is and she gets hurt later on when she realizes that he and her brother lied to her. 

This was such a good book. Not only does this book have vampires and wolf shifters but it also has a great romance. My heart broke for Rogue so many times because of what he's gone through. Mae's uncle and father were awful people and even though her brother is not like them he lied to her which hurt her. 

The secondary characters were great, I especially like the kids and Tucker the pig. Imagine a wolf shifter having a piglet as a pet, it was hilarious. This book made me laugh, cry and get mad so many different times. 

I give this book 5 out of 5 stars. 

Disclosure: I was given an ARC of this book via NetGalley but all thoughts and opinions are my own.