Olivia Boothe

Author of Deep and Sexy Romance

Book Reviews

Book Review: Death Wish

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GET IT HERE

Death Wish is the first book in the Reaper Reborn urban fantasy series by Harper A. Brooks. I was deeply entertained by this fun, action packed adventure. Jade Blackwell is a paranormal reaper who helps supernatural beings cross over after death. But we soon discover there is something more to who Jade is—or was before becoming a reaper. 

As she goes about reaping souls, she is snared in a web of intrigue and betrayal. Hoping to cure her best friend from a deadly demon pregnancy, she teams up with a group of unlikely allies, including the sexy and arrogant, Cole Masters, a dangerous demon halfling with his own personal agenda. But as secrets are unraveled, Jade discovers she is a pawn in a much deeper scheme. Those closest to her might be her biggest threat. 

Harper A. Brooks is a new-to-me author who has quickly become a favorite. Her writing is crisp and witty. Jade is a spunky and kick-ass heroine readers will connect to. The tension between Jade and Cole is electric, and the fast-paced action will keep you turning pages through the night. 

I did a read/listen combo and loved both the ebook and audiobook. Eugenie Danglar did a phenomenal job narrating as Jade. She brought forth her humor and sassiness. I would highly recommend the audiobook. 

While this book is part of a series, it does not end on a cliffhanger which is a plus for a lot of readers. However, the author does a great job at planting Easter eggs throughout the entire story, clearly paving the road for the rest of the books in the series. I’m definitely looking forward to the next installment, Death Trap, releasing August 2nd.

PRE-ORDER IT HERE

OUT OF THE READING SLUMP

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It’s been a while since I posted about books I’m reading. That’s partly because I’ve been busy working on the sequel to Wicked Dance … AND because I’ve been picking up books and not finishing them. I know, I hate DNFing books, but I just don’t have the time to put myself through the torture of reading through something I can’t connect with. I need the “feels” or it’s just not worth it. I also don’t think it’s fair to name those books. I don’t believe in giving a bad a review, so let’s just leave it at that.

Thankfully, I’ve finally found the book to get me out of my reading slump. KG Fletcher’s Georgia Clay is everything I’d been hoping for. I just started the book two days ago and so far I’ve struggled to put it down. This is the first book in her standalone Southern Promises series, and it’s positively beautiful. Katie and Clay reacquaint at their ten year high school reunion and sparks begin to fly. It’s such a relatable book and the characters are so well written it’s easy to fall in love with them. I can’t wait for her second book in the series, Georgia On My Mind, releasing June 11th!  Go check her out!

http://www.kgfletcherauthor.com

First rule in business – never let them see you with your pants down. Hartford Parker is a disgraced real estate broker hiding out in his sister’s condo in suburban Atlanta. Swearing off women after an embarrassing indiscretion at a black-tie event, Hart now indulges in drinking and working out as he tries to come to terms with his unexpected firing at a prestigious DC firm. Across town in a run-down and forgotten part of the city, Gia Bates is struggling to make ends meet at her failing dance studio. Secretly working part-time as a Marilyn Monroe impersonator for a seedy entertainment company has Gia feeling trapped in her debt while slowly chipping away at her passion and solace in dance. The handsome playboy and the dancer with legs-for-days find themselves at the same party and end up on an uncertain path full of sex, secrets, and shame. As they move forward in a spicy tango, can the two of them ever dance in sync? Will they fight for their own happily ever after or will Hart be left with nothing more than Georgia on his mind?

Everyone in Nashville knows Georgia Clay.
He’s the handsome, award-winning Nashville songwriter rubbing elbows with the elite stars of country music. An incredible talent in his own right, Clay has always hesitated to step into the spotlight on his own for fear his debilitating childhood secret will rear its ugly head.
Katie Parker is a workaholic Southern beauty who’s first love is her career. It’s not just her knowledge of the cut-throat insurance business she has skillfully navigated over the years, but her tenacity and gumption in climbing the corporate ladder.
The musician and career woman run into each other in the heat of the Atlanta summer at their ten-year high school reunion and unexpectedly end up in the bed of his pickup truck talking till dawn. As they forge ahead in a passionate long-distance relationship, can Clay admit to Katie she had his heart a long, long time ago? Will her drive and encouragement finally be the reason Georgia Clay takes a chance on his career…and love?

 

ACOFAS is finally here!!!

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I’ve been so busy lately, I was worried I would not have the time to read Sarah J. Maas’s new installment in her ACOTAR series, but … Audible to the rescue!

I can’t begin to explain how happy I am to have discovered my love of audiobooks about a year ago. It’s become a life saver in terms of helping me get through my TBR list. I get to listen to my favorite books on my commute to and from work. Traffic has become something I look forward to now!

If you haven’t given audiobooks a chance, what are you waiting for?

So far I am on chapter 7, but I will be back to finish my review. Should be fun as I will be in full blown book hangover mode 🙁

Another winner for Sigma Force!

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Finished Demon Crown, the 13th book in the Sigma Force series by James Rollins, and all I can say is WOW. Simply bone-chilling. Possibly one of the best in the series. What I love about this series is that James always finds a way to keep the story fresh and entertaining, even after more than 10 books. The science and history that he weaves into each book is unlike anything I’ve ever read. Fascinating. Add the element of suspense and adventure and what you have is an epic thriller that takes you on the roller coaster ride of your life. Beware: If you’ve got some type of insect phobia, this book might give you nightmares. My skin is still prickly with goosebumps.

Off the coast of Brazil, a team of scientists discovers a horror like no other, an island where all life has been eradicated, consumed and possessed by a species beyond imagination. Before they can report their discovery, a mysterious agency attacks the group, killing them all, save one, an entomologist, an expert on venomous creatures, Professor Ken Matsui from Cornell University.
Strangest of all, this inexplicable threat traces back to a terrifying secret buried a century ago beneath the National Mall: a cache of bones preserved in amber. The artifact was hidden away by a cabal of scientists—led by Alexander Graham Bell—to protect humankind. But they dared not destroy it, for the object also holds an astonishing promise for the future: the very secret of life after death.
Yet, nothing stays buried forever. An ancient horror—dormant in the marrow of those preserved bones—is free once more, nursed and developed into a weapon of incalculable strength and malignancy, ready to wreak havoc on an unsuspecting world.
To stop its spread, Commander Grayson Pierce of Sigma Force must survive a direct attack on the island of Maui. To be there first has always been the core mission of Sigma Force, a covert team forged to be America’s front line against emerging threats. But this time, even Sigma may not be able to decipher this deadly mystery, one that traces back to the founding of the Smithsonian Institution.
With each new discovery, the menace they hunt is changing, growing, spreading—adapting and surviving every attempt to stop it from reconquering a world it once ruled. And each transformation makes it stronger . . . and smarter.
Running out of time and options, Commander Grayson Pierce will be forced to make an impossible choice. To eradicate this extinction-level threat and expose those involved, he will have to join forces with Sigma’s greatest enemy—the newly resurrected Guild—even it if means sacrificing one of his own

I survived Iron Gold

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They call him father, liberator, warlord, Reaper. But he feels a boy as he falls toward the pale blue planet, his armor red, his army vast, his heart heavy. It is the tenth year of war and the thirty-second of his life.
A decade ago, Darrow was the hero of the revolution he believed would break the chains of the Society. But the Rising has shattered everything: Instead of peace and freedom, it has brought endless war. Now he must risk everything he has fought for on one last desperate mission. Darrow still believes he can save everyone, but can he save himself?
And throughout the worlds, other destinies entwine with Darrow’s to change his fate forever:
A young Red girl flees tragedy in her refugee camp and achieves for herself a new life she could never have imagined.
An ex-soldier broken by grief is forced to steal the most valuable thing in the galaxy—or pay with his life.
And Lysander au Lune, the heir in exile to the sovereign, wanders the stars with his mentor, Cassius, haunted by the loss of the world that Darrow transformed, and dreaming of what will rise from its ashes.
Red Rising was the story of the end of one universe, and Iron Gold is the story of the creation of a new one. Witness the beginning of a stunning new saga of tragedy and triumph from masterly New York Times bestselling author Pierce Brown.

Outstanding! Pierce Brown has done it again! Five Stars for Iron Gold— the much anticipated first book of a new trilogy which continues the story of his Red Rising series. Iron Gold picks up ten years after the events of Morning Star, with Darrow “The Reaper” of Lykos and Virginia “Mustang” au Augustus leading the new Solar Republic.

I was one of the lucky fans who received an ARC of his latest novel and I couldn’t be more thrilled at the opportunity to be one of the first readers to set eyes on these pages.

For those us who are still reeling from the high octane, action packed rollercoaster ride of Morning Star, the start of Iron Gold will feel like a much needed relief from all the adrenaline. While for fans it has only been a couple of years since the conclusion of Morning Star, for our heroes it has been ten years since their victory over the Society. A lot has happened, and the author is patient in reintroducing us to this world and the events that transpired.

In addition to reacquainting us with some of our favorite Howlers, Peirce presents us with a whole new slew of characters to love … and others you will love to hate. We are also now seeing this world through three more set of eyes—those of Lyria, Ephraim, and Lysander. It’s a fresh perspective to this universe that until now we’ve only experienced through the eyes of Darrow.

The added point of views allow us to appreciate the Red Rising world in a way that expands our view of both the Society and the Republic. They say history is written by the victors, so what if you could see the world through the eyes of those who lost? Even more, what if you could see the world through those who were part of the collateral damage? I found myself conflicted at times, wondering if I had been too caught up in the Reaper’s glory to see the flaws and potential repercussions of his actions. Too enamored by my favorite character (Yes…Sevro) and too high on my personal vendetta against the villains in the story to think back on all the other lives that were also lost but never mentioned.

Then I wondered, aren’t the best heroes those who are flawed, those who have to battle their demons and make the sacrifices that many of us wouldn’t be ready to make? And, shouldn’t that be enough for redemption? Or should the heroes be held accountable for their mistakes, regardless of the price they’ve already paid? Regardless of our love for them?

Walking in Lyria’s, Ephraim’s, and Lysander’s shoes made me contemplate the reality of war. It is not just about destroying a villain and tearing down a corrupt institution, it’s about healing and rebuilding. It’s about leaving a place better than we found it. But what if that’s not enough for someone who lost everything in the name of the greater good? What if your ghosts literally come back to haunt you?

*Potential spoiler-esque comments below.

Well, don’t get too comfortable in your chair because before you are done philosophizing about this incredible universe, in the words of Sevro au Barca, “S*it escalates” and very quickly. Core to Rim, you’ll fall in an Iron Rain, experience genocide, get captured, take part in an Ocean’s Eleven type heist, participate in a nerve wracking prison break, and go on a potential suicide mission that will leave you breathless. Darrow’s motley crew of Howlers will have you jumping into a StarShell, diving into oceans, and traveling to different planets, and pretty much partaking in their usual death defying antics before you can finish your burner.

Everything you’ve loved about Pierce Brown and his masterful storytelling comes together in a novel that will have you sitting at the edge of your seat, reading until the late hours of the night and into the dawn. Your gut will wrench, your heart will break, and your mind will be blown.

Get your razors ready, Howlers! This ride is just beginning.

Howler Mania

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For quite some time I’ve been ranting and raving about my love for the Red Rising trilogy by Pierce Brown. I think everyone who knows me is probably tired of me trying to shove the series down their throat. Can you blame me? It’s only the bloodydamn awesomest sci-fi book series out there. I know. That’s a pretty broad statement, but my fellow Howlers would agree. Pierce Brown has weaved an epic space opera which many (me) would compare to the love child of a Star Wars and Game of Thrones marriage.

Don’t love Star Wars or Game of Thrones? Then we need to talk. Later.

Moving on.

Some friends have opted for the blue pill (Damn Pixies!), but those who took the red pill have been forever changed. Once you go helldiving deep into the tunnel colonies of Mars, you come back carved into a different breed of human—a Howler.

What’s a Howler you say? Well, I guess you’re gonna have to read the gorydamn books!

All joking aside, Pierce Brown is a brilliant author who has captured the heart of thousands upon thousands of fans who have self-proclaimed themselves Howlers, Pierce’s own band of wolf-cloaked crazed followers who are deeply in love with the rich story and unforgettable characters—from villains to heroes, there’s’ no shortage of action packed scenes and gut wrenching emotion. This series will leave you twisted and in need of serious therapy. Talk about book hangover. You’re gonna need rehab after Morning Star, the third book in the trilogy. I still experience tremors when I think about “that” scene.

Prepare to roar into battle only to ugly cry by the next chapter. This series is the mother of all rollers coasters.  Red Rising is a story about love, friendship, loyalty, honor, hate, greed. What it means to be human.  It’s a philosophical and psychological mind twist, a story that stays with you long after you’ve finished the last book.  Once it has claw-drilled itself into our flesh, it never lets go.

Thankfully, we have a special group for that. Once you are done reading all three books, join us over at the Fecebook group Hic Sunt Leones where we will nurse your wounds, and where, short of handing you the next installment of the series, satiate your hunger for all things Red Rising.

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Red Rising thrilled readers and announced the presence of a talented new author. Golden Son changed the game and took the story of Darrow to the next level. Now comes the exhilarating conclusion to the Red Rising Trilogy: Morning Star.
Darrow would have lived in peace, but his enemies brought him war. The Gold overlords demanded his obedience, hanged his wife, and enslaved his people. But Darrow is determined to fight back. Risking everything to transform himself and breach Gold society, Darrow has battled to survive the cutthroat rivalries that breed Society’s mightiest warriors, climbed the ranks, and waited patiently to unleash the revolution that will tear the hierarchy apart from within.
Finally, the time has come.
But devotion to honor and hunger for vengeance run deep on both sides. Darrow and his comrades-in-arms face powerful enemies without scruple or mercy. Among them are some Darrow once considered friends. To win, Darrow will need to inspire those shackled in darkness to break their chains, unmake the world their cruel masters have built, and claim a destiny too long denied—and too glorious to surrender.

As a Red, Darrow grew up working the mines deep beneath the surface of Mars, enduring backbreaking labor while dreaming of the better future he was building for his descendants. But the Society he faithfully served was built on lies. Darrow’s kind have been betrayed and denied by their elitist masters, the Golds—and their only path to liberation is revolution. And so Darrow sacrifices himself in the name of the greater good for which Eo, his true love and inspiration, laid down her own life. He becomes a Gold, infiltrating their privileged realm so that he can destroy it from within.
A lamb among wolves in a cruel world, Darrow finds friendship, respect, and even love—but also the wrath of powerful rivals. To wage and win the war that will change humankind’s destiny, Darrow must confront the treachery arrayed against him, overcome his all-too-human desire for retribution—and strive not for violent revolt but a hopeful rebirth. Though the road ahead is fraught with danger and deceit, Darrow must choose to follow Eo’s principles of love and justice to free his people.
He must live for more

Darrow is a Red, a member of the lowest caste in the color-coded society of the future. Like his fellow Reds, he works all day, believing that he and his people are making the surface of Mars livable for future generations. Yet he spends his life willingly, knowing that his blood and sweat will one day result in a better world for his children. But Darrow and his kind have been betrayed. Soon he discovers that humanity already reached the surface generations ago. Vast cities and sprawling parks spread across the planet. Darrow—and Reds like him—are nothing more than slaves to a decadent ruling class. Inspired by a longing for justice, and driven by the memory of lost love, Darrow sacrifices everything to infiltrate the legendary Institute, a proving ground for the dominant Gold caste, where the next generation of humanity’s overlords struggle for power. He will be forced to compete for his life and the very future of civilization against the best and most brutal of Society’s ruling class. There, he will stop at nothing to bring down his enemies… even if it means he has to become one of them to do so.

 

ICE

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After escaping from the button-down life he never wanted, Caden Jackson is finally free. But freedom comes with a price, and the price Caden paid was the woman he loved.
Emma Baylee has loved Caden all her life, but his choices have left her vulnerable and alone. Now, desperate for help finding her missing friend, Emma must suppress her feelings and return to the man she’s always loved.
Betrayals are exposed as truths come to light. Will Caden and Emma be able to rekindle their relationship? Or, in the end, will Caden’s choices separate them forever?

I discovered Amy Cecil via the Facebook readers group Wicked Dirty Girls 2.o https://www.facebook.com/groups/1717824691570104/ Let’s start by saying that WDG is your source for sexy romance by fresh new writers. Check them out and also check out their blog https://www.facebook.com/maureenkathiread/

Via WDG, I participated in one of their author read-alongs where interested readers get to join a weekend private chat with the author to discuss the book as they read. It was a new experience for me. Very interesting. I loved it.

Ice by Amy Cecil was a fun and entertaining read. There was drama, suspense, humor, and steamy sex! This story takes you for a spin with all its twists and turns. The last few chapters will keep you at the edge of your seat and the mini cliffhanger will leave you coming back for more. Thank goodness book 2 is out! For fans of MC romance, this is the book for you.

An Unexpected Discovery

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A few months back, I was doing some research on a literary contest I was looking to enter.  It was my first writing contest and I was a bit hesitant, but I was curious to see how the first 5000 words of my urban fantasy WIP would be received by a group of judges. It is scary to send your baby out there, especially before it is complete. Heck, it’s scary even once it’s complete and ready to be sold.

The point is, I wondered who the winners were for the previous year and whether or not they’d published those stories.  I looked up the three finalists in the Paranormal/UF/SFR/FR category. Out of all three, only one really caught my attention: E J Frost. As I read through her blog and learned about her books, I felt compelled to pick up one of her novels. What drew me to Snowburn was the fact that it was a sci-fi romance. I’d never actually read that subgenre of romance, but I knew I liked sci-fi in general. Plus, I’d recently finished reading Morning Star by Pierce Brown, the 3rd book in his sci-fi Red Rising series and was on a serious book hangover. (I need a whole new post dedicated just to the Red Rising saga. We’ll go back to that at some point.)

Anyway, I was thrilled to have found a mashup between two of my favorite genres, so I set out on my quest to discover this new author and purchased the book.

Snowburn begins a far-future, sci-fi/romance series set on the Deep Frontier.

Blurb

I’m the biggest monster on the planet.

Hale Hauser is a Company killer. Perfectly engineered, highly trained, superbly effective. But when ordered to assassinate his own kind, Hale rebels, and the Company buries him in a hole so deep that no one has ever escaped.

After escaping, Hale hides on Kuseros, a backwater Colony on the Deep Frontier. He begins a new life as Sandringham Snow, pilot and smuggler. Hired by Kez, a local runner, to retrieve a box of black-market glands, Hale follows her through the maze of strange loyalties and twisted customs of Kuseros’ underground gangs. In payment, he takes the one thing only a woman can give him, and discovers the one thing his new life is missing.

But Kez has a secret, which will threaten them both. To protect her, Hale must unleash the monster. Can he control the killer inside long enough to discover the truth before it destroys them? Or will he lose everything just as he’s found it?

—

I loved Snowburn from beginning to end. It was fascinating on many different levels. First, most romances I’ve read have been from the female point of view. This was told strictly from Hale’s point of view, and what was most interesting was that while some authors might struggle writing first person from the opposite sex, Ms. Frost expertly teased out Hale’s personality and flawlessly brought forth his voice.

The writing was edgy and dark. This is not your typical roses and champagne type of romance. Nope. This was gritty and dirty, extremely sexy and scorching hot. While romance was at the core, there was so much story, you could easily forget you were reading a romance novel. The book is replete with expansive world building, tons of awesome geeky talk, and loads of interesting characters.

Unfortunately, the sequel to Snowburn is not out yet, but thankfully E J Frost had another book out to hold me over. Neon Blue is the first book in her fantasy series.

Blurb

 My name is Tsara Elizabeth Faa, and I have a demon problem. A very serious demon problem. My ex-best friend has summoned an incubus, and left me to deal with him. Now he’s after my soul.

Thing is, the more time I spend with him, the more I want to give it to him.

—

I love a well-crafted supernatural romance and this one had me reading until the wee hours of the night. It is a serious page-turner. I’ve read the typical vampire, werewolf, and fae romance books, but this was something completely different. Reading about a sexy demon had me feeling a bit naughty, all while still having fun laughs. Tsara and Jou are crazy entertaining, endearing at times (yes, even demons have a sweet side it seems) and oh boy, the sex is wicked hot. I’m dying for the second book Blood Yellow, but that one is not yet released—which is a real bummer 🙁 I need answers!

I’ve enjoyed getting to know E J Frost, her books, and her writing style. I can’t rave enough about it. I am so happy I stumbled upon her work and am anxiously waiting for the sequels to her books.

If you’re interested in learning more about this author and her work, visit her website and follow her on social media.

Website:  http://www.ejfrost.co.uk/
Blog:  http://ejfrostuk.livejournal.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ejfrostuk

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ejfrostuk