Review: Black Mark's Secrets (Black Mark Series #2)

'' ''Ignore everyone else and trust your heart.'' ''

★★★☆☆

From Goodreads:

Mora Ellis has drawn the line. No more crossing the professional boundary with her boss, the glorious and powerful Mr. Rafal. But despite her best efforts, she can’t resist his familiar pull, and this time it’s more than just lust, it’s a need to be wanted. Darius has woken something inside of Mora she thought she’d buried long ago. She wanted him to love her.

With high walls built around her heart, can Darius convince Mora to risk everything to be with him? Or will the secrets she is keeping from those around her be the undoing of her own happiness?

Will they find their own happily ever after or will they drift apart? The second instalment in the Black Mark Series really gets into the background of the characters, explaining some of the reasons behind their actions.

Since this is the second book in the series, the review might contain some light SPOILERS from now on. I try to keep it as spoiler-free as possible.

Review: Swan Song

'' The plan was to come to London, connect sufficiently with my mother to move past the grief that's been choking me, and then say a final farewell to London and go home -strong, centred, focused on a life beyond dance. ''

★★★★☆

From Goodreads:

LOVE AND LONGING IN THE BRIGHT LIGHTS OF LONDON
When iconic ballerina Beatrice Duvall died, a nation mourned – and a legacy was born. Sixteen years later, her daughter Ava comes to London to take part in a high-profile tribute to Beatrice, and to learn about the mother she never knew.
There’s just one snag: the tribute is a ballet, Swan Lake. Which is infinitely painful for Ava, because she can’t dance. Won’t dance. Not since she quit the Royal Ballet School last year and walked away from everything that defined her.
But this is London, colourful and crazy, and with actor Seb at her side, there’s so much to discover. Like Theatreland razzmatazz and rooftop picnics and flamingo parties. And a whole load of truths Ava never knew about her mother – and herself.
When the time comes to take the stage, will Ava step out of the shadow cast by her mother’s pedestal? And who will be waiting for her there, in the bright lights? A coming-of-age novel about family and first love, in the city of hopes and dreams.  

The classic problem: Will the child of a famous dancer live up to her parents? Ava doesn't want to. She didn't get to know her mother before she died. She refuses to dance anymore, and now she is invited back to take part in the tribute the Ballet company is paying for her mother's memory.

Review: Like Broken China

'' It often felt as though I was holding together a broken teacup with my bare hands. An unsteady piece of china riddled with cracks that no glue in the world could repair. When a chip fell I would lunge to retrieve it, doing my best not to get cut in the process. ''

★★★☆☆

From Goodreads:

Is love enough to repair the pieces of a shattered life?

This is the question plaguing Courtney Cook’s mind as she packs what feels like her whole existence into a 20ft moving van. When she encountered Matt for the first time in a coffee shop ten years prior, she was immediately transfixed. Dark, adventurous and wildly untamed, Matt was everything Courtney didn’t know she wanted. One night of uninhibited abandon is all it took for her to be completely enthralled by the boy without limits. Now with two children, a sky-high mortgage and a marriage crippled by addiction, Courtney finds her world is riddled with cracks that no amount of love can repair.

Powerful and provoking with humor woven throughout the raw sting of heartbreak, Like Broken China offers an honest take on the decisions two people make and the aftermath that can destroy an entire decade because of them.

 What do you do when the reality you kept on wanting to believe finally comes crashing down? And there's nothing you can't do to save it.

Review: Timeless (Satan's Sons Monarchy Series #2)

'' ''Let me put you back together again.'' ''

★★★★☆

From Goodreads:
A lot can change in six years. Jax’s sentence is coming to an end, and Amber has been a ghost since the day she walked off the prison grounds. With Jax on the outside, and their son becoming more like his father every day, will Amber be able to stay away?
Amber:
When I left Jax behind bars I made a promise to myself. I would never let him near my child, or my life, ever again. I’ve kept that promise, leaving behind the biker life and staying hidden from my brothers and most importantly from the man who ripped out my heart. But hiding and moving on are two very different things. How am I supposed to get over someone whose eyes I stare into every day in the form of my son...my Jack...who is his spitting image? Do I see Jax again? Do I tell him about his boy? With his release just around the corner, I better figure it out pretty damn quick.
Jax:
I told her to leave. That was always the deal; if I went away, Amber and I were finished. But a man’s got a lot of time to think in here, and the past years without my girl have been the hardest of my life. Do you know how many days are in 6 years? I do. Because for every single one of those days I’ve had my club searching for the woman I love. The woman I asked to marry me. The woman I kicked out of my life. As soon as these prison gates open, there is only one thing I care about and that is finding my girl, and getting things back to the way things were, just the two of us, no distractions.
Being together might be dangerous, but outlaws are meant to break the rules.

The second instalment which I waited impatiently to read a few weeks. Now that I am finished with it, the feelings are the same as with the first book Tattooed Love, I can't wait to read the next one. Luckily I have a few more MC books coming from Simone Elise's pen so the wait doesn't feel as long as it would without.

Review: Of Poseidon (The Syrena Legacy #1)

'' Well, I might be his student, but I'm about to school him on a few things. The first lesson of the day is Silent Treatment I0I. ''

★★★★★

From Goodreads:

Galen is the prince of the Syrena, sent to land to find a girl he's heard can communicate with fish. Emma is on vacation at the beach. When she runs into Galen—literally, ouch!—both teens sense a connection. But it will take several encounters, including a deadly one with a shark, for Galen to be convinced of Emma's gifts. Now, if he can only convince Emma that she holds the key to his kingdom...

Told from both Emma and Galen's points of view, here is a fish-out-of-water story that sparkles with intrigue, humor, and waves of romance.

This darling has been sitting on my bookshelf for far too long now. Then all my reading devices batteries died and I had no charger in the house. I picked this up, and now I can't wait for the next one!

Review: So Near the Horizon (The Danny Trilogy #1)

'' ''How long you live isn't what decides whether your life is worth something or not. You've probably lived more intensely than thousands of people who've died of old age.'' ''

★★★★★

From Goodreads:

From the moment she crosses paths with Danny, Jessica is fascinated. The dashing, confident twenty-year-old has everything she dreams of—looks, success, independence, money—and his kind, infinitely cheerful nature is spellbinding.
Yet Jessica sees something else lingering underneath Danny’s perfect facade. Bit by bit, she manages to pick it apart, unveiling harrowing truths about a deeply traumatic childhood that has left more than just emotional scars. Now, far away from his home and family, he is fighting to build a normal life for himself—even though he may be destined for a future as dark as his past.
Despite all adversity and against all reason, a deep and intimate love develops between Danny and Jessica. But soon they find themselves confronting the harsh realities of a superficial world, battling against prejudice and exclusion at every turn… and, worst of all, racing against time…

Based on a true story, lived by the author, this book will destroy you emotionally. Happy reading!

Review: The Secrets of Islayne

'' Why would he want to use his hands to shelve books when he could use his mind to give someone back a restored piece of the forgotten past? ''

★★★☆☆

From Goodreads:

A powerful island. A dangerous mystery. An impossible choice.
For centuries, the island of Islayne has given certain residents the ability to revive other people’s memories. These gifted individuals are known as luminators, and sixteen-year-old Ronan Saunders desperately desires to join their illustrious ranks. As he struggles against the prejudice of the old, powerful families who have an iron grip on the trade, Ronan falls under the tutelage of a reclusive luminator, rumored to be insane.
Just when his long-desired future is within reach, Ronan and his three friends discover a deadly secret on the island. As they delve deeper into the mystery, what they find forces them to question their loyalties, doubt long-held beliefs, and wrestle with the dire consequences of revealing the truth. Ronan finds himself torn between everything he loves and the only future he’s ever wanted. The entire fate of the lumination trade hangs in the balance of his decision.

Which memory would you bring back to life if someone offered to revive it? Or do you believe that we forget certain things for a reason? For Ronan Memories are sacred and for that reason, he wants to help people remember, but what if there's much more to the Lumination trade that they teach in school. 

Review: The Claimant (The Inherited Series #2)

''  ''Love is what makes life worth living. Pain is what makes it easy to let go. He is sorry and wants you to know that you should do whatever it takes, to do what is best for you and Leopold, even if it is painful.'' ''

★★★★☆

From Goodreads:

Cat has made the decision to stay with Leopold in Solis, leaving behind any chance of life as an average teenager. With the help of Governor Richard, she has found herself next in line for the throne of Arcadis, which is to be liberated from French control upon her ascension.
But when ancient artifacts rumored to be lost centuries ago start to turn up, and Leopold is victim to a tragic and mysterious accident, Cat must step up and rule her people without his direction. With Antoine lurking around every corner, Cat may have to start plotting who will wear the crown of both countries if Leopold doesn’t recover.
Can truth and love survive when the path to the throne and crown is riddled with deception and daggers? 

Compared to the first book in the series, The Inherited, this is so much shorter. You know shorter means, it's over much faster. This book left me craving for more, and the cliffhanger (yep, there was a big one) only increased the feeling. I really, really can't wait to get my hands on the third book!

Oh, and there might be some slight spoilers IF you haven't read the FIRST book.

Review: Suitors

★☆☆☆☆

From Goodreads:

CORRUPTION HAS MANY FACES
And in a city like New York you can be anyone; Kasey Matthews knows this. A freshman at NYU, she is struggling to adjust to college life while hiding her deeply troubled past.
Why did she run away from her small home town?
As Kasey rebuilds her life, a serial killer is striking at the core of The Big Apple, terrifying citizens of the city that never sleeps.
Who is killing all the suited-up men?
Detective Vincent Gunn has landed the biggest case of his career. Catching the killer is not an option; it’s a matter of life or death.
Can the NYPD and FBI bring this brutal murderer to justice?
New friends, new job, new life, new love… old nightmares. Can Kasey survive this, or will her new world in New York implode?

You read the blurb and think that this is going to be awesome. You open it on your Kindle and begin and, yeah. Not what you expected.

Review: The Magician's Workshop, Volume One

★★★☆☆

From Goodreads:

Everyone in the islands of O’Ceea has a magical ability: whatever they imagine can be brought into existence. Whoever becomes a master over these powers is awarded the title of magician and given fame, power, riches, and glory. Journey with a group of kids as they strive to rise to the top and become members of the Magician’s Workshop.
Layauna desperately wants to create beautiful things with her magical powers, but all she can seem to do is make horrible, savage monsters. For years she has tried to hide her creations, but when her power is at last discovered by a great magician, she realizes that what she’s tried to hide might actually be of tremendous value.
Kai just wants to use his powers to have fun and play with his friends. Unfortunately, nearly everyone on his island sees him as a bad influence, so he’s forced to meet them in secret. When one of the creatures they create gets out of control and starts flinging fireballs at their town, Kai is tempted to believe that he is as nefarious as people say. However, his prospects change when two mysterious visitors arrive, praising his ability and making extraordinary promises about his future.

This is the Volume One, so expect it to end suddenly, without an actual ending. Suddenly, you just are on the last page and that's it, if you want to know more, find the Volume Two (which I recommend to have nearby since the Volume One was over really fast).