Some Books Ago: Hex Hall (Hex Hall #1) by Rachel Hawkins

Some Books Ago is a shout out to all those books published some years ago. I don't want you to forget them!

I still find it weird when I see I gave one book 5 stars and then I didn't read the rest of the series. That's what happened with Hex Hall, according to my mini-review, I loved it. I thought it was funny and refreshing and cute. But I didn't read the sequel and I don't even remember why. 

Anyway, have you read Hex Hall? If you're a fan of Rebel Belle and haven't read this series, YOU SHOULD. From what I remember both are really good.

It was published on March 2nd 2010 by Hyperion Book

 

GoodReads/ Amazon/ TBD

Summary:

Three years ago, Sophie Mercer discovered that she was a witch. It's gotten her into a few scrapes. Her non-gifted mother has been as supportive as possible, consulting Sophie's estranged father—an elusive European warlock—only when necessary. But when Sophie attracts too much human attention for a prom-night spell gone horribly wrong, it's her dad who decides her punishment: exile to Hex Hall, an isolated reform school for wayward Prodigium, a.k.a. witches, faeries, and shapeshifters. 

 

By the end of her first day among fellow freak-teens, Sophie has quite a scorecard: three powerful enemies who look like supermodels, a futile crush on a gorgeous warlock, a creepy tag-along ghost, and a new roommate who happens to be the most hated person and only vampire student on campus. Worse, Sophie soon learns that a mysterious predator has been attacking students, and her only friend is the number-one suspect.

As a series of blood-curdling mysteries starts to converge, Sophie prepares for the biggest threat of all: an ancient secret society determined to destroy all Prodigium, especially her.

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What's New? Black Bird of the Gallows by Meg Kassel

 

Hi there! I hope your having a great week and happy holidays if you celebrate it! 

I've been off-line the last few weeks because of my eye surgery. I feel ok, but my treatment doesn't let me read or watch the computer or my phone for more than a few seconds. *Sighs*

But I'm reading again (slowly, but reading!) and looking at goodreads I found Black Bird of the Gallows. It's been a while since I read paranormal romance, but I love this cover and I found the synopsis very interesting, so I hope I can read it. Did you know about it?

Check it out!

Expected publication: September 5th 2017 by Entangled Publishing

 

 

Her love breaks his curse. But his love spells her death.

A simple but forgotten truth: Where harbingers of death appear, the morgues will soon be full.

Angie Dovage can tell the mysterious new boy next door is more than he appears, but she can’t imagine his presence signals a tragedy that will devastate her small town. But when a grotesque, otherworldly man tries to attack her and Reece comes to her rescue, everything changes.

Any minute, chaos could rain down on her town, on her family, on everyone she cares about. But that’s only half as dangerous as falling in love with a harbinger of death.

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As I Descended by Robin Talley *Blog Tour and Review*

Hello everyone! Today's my stop in the UK Blog Tour for As I Descended by Robin Talley. I loved this book, so make sure to read my 4.5 stars review bellow. And if you haven't added it to your TBR, make sure to do it soon!

GoodReads/ Amazon/ TBD

Synopsis.

Maria Lyon and Lily Boiten are their school’s ultimate power couple—even if no one knows it but them.

Only one thing stands between them and their perfect future: campus superstar Delilah Dufrey.

Golden child Delilah is a legend at the exclusive Acheron Academy, and the presumptive winner of the distinguished Cawdor Kingsley Prize. She runs the school, and if she chose, she could blow up Maria and Lily’s whole world with a pointed look, or a carefully placed word.

But what Delilah doesn’t know is that Lily and Maria are willing to do anything—absolutely anything—to make their dreams come true. And the first step is unseating Delilah for the Kingsley Prize. The full scholarship, awarded to Maria, will lock in her attendance at Stanford―and four more years in a shared dorm room with Lily.

Maria and Lily will stop at nothing to ensure their victory—including harnessing the dark power long rumored to be present on the former plantation that houses their school.

But when feuds turn to fatalities, and madness begins to blur the distinction between what’s real and what is imagined, the girls must decide where they draw the line.

From acclaimed author Robin Talley comes a Shakespeare-inspired story of revenge and redemption, where fair is foul, and foul is fair.

MY REVIEW

 eARC provided for review. Thank you!

****

I am in awe. I was not expecting to like this book so much. As I Descended has been called a “lesbian Macbeth retelling” Of course I read Macbeth, but I don’t remember much about it, so it was really amazing to dive into this book without a clue about what would happen. 

For starters, the synopsis of this book makes it sound like it’s a “mean girls” kind of story, but it’s more than that. As I Descended is creepy and dark, it’s such a fast paced read!

It has a great cast of diverse characters and some Hispanic legends I was not expecting. It's not very often that I find Hispanic beliefs so well portrayed and that makes me happy. Seriously, I understand the fear of some characters because it’s something I’ve felt. The author did a great job creating realistic characters in a world of madness.

The plot is twisted and full of twists and turns. There were so many things I didn’t see coming. It had me on the edge of my seat every time I read. Whoa! I’m not sure how much of Macbeth it has, but this book was addictive. Even though there’s not much romance, As I Descended has some great couples I loved, and some I didn’t trust since the beginning.

As I Descended by Robin Talley is an emotional roller coaster. It has multiples POVs, which make the reader understand a little more about each character and that makes you come to your own predictions. It has some great betrayals, pain and many scary scenes. As I Descended is a must read!

PS: The only reason I don't give this book 5 stars is because even though Maria, the main character is hispanic, she never looked proud of it or even said something good about her blood. She's an anti heroe, so I understand this, but still...

               

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Robin Talley grew up in Roanoke, Virginia, writing terrible teen poetry and riding a desegregation bus to the school across town. Robin lives in Washington, D.C., with her fiancée, plus an antisocial cat and a goofy hound dog. When Robin’s not writing, she’s often planning communication strategies at organizations fighting for equal rights and social justice. You can find her on the web at www.robintalley.com or on Twitter at @robin_talley

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Some Books Ago: Poison Princess (The Arcana Chronicles #1) by Kresley Cole

Some Books Ago is a shout out to all those books published some years ago. I don't want you to forget them!

GUYS! This book is so freaking awesome! I don't understand why I didn't read the second book because I loved Poison Princess so much! It was dark and sexy and creepy! I wrote in my mini-review that it was like Mara Dyer and Angenfall... though I don't remember now. I just bough the Endless Knight and I hope I can read it soon.

Poison Princess was published on October 2nd 2012 by Simon & Schuster

 

GoodReads/ Amazon/ TBD

Summary:

She could save the world—or destroy it.

Sixteen-year-old Evangeline "Evie" Greene leads a charmed life, until she begins experiencing horrifying hallucinations. When an apocalyptic event decimates her Louisiana hometown, Evie realizes her hallucinations were actually visions of the future—and they're still happening. Fighting for her life and desperate for answers, she must turn to her wrong-side-of-the-bayou classmate: Jack Deveaux.

But she can't do either alone.

With his mile-long rap sheet, wicked grin, and bad attitude, Jack is like no boy Evie has ever known. Even though he once scorned her and everything she represented, he agrees to protect Evie on her quest. She knows she can't totally depend on Jack. If he ever cast that wicked grin her way, could she possibly resist him?

Who can Evie trust?

As Jack and Evie race to find the source of her visions, they meet others who have gotten the same call. An ancient prophesy is being played out, and Evie is not the only one with special powers. A group of twenty-two teens has been chosen to reenact the ultimate battle between good and evil. But it's not always clear who is on which side.

 

*And yes, that's the old cover because I love it. Here's the new one.

 

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The Walls Around Us by Nova Ren Suma

THE WALLS AROUND US.

Author: Nova Ren Suma

My Rating: 5 stars

GoodReads/ Amazon/ TBD

Summary:

On the outside, there's Violet, an eighteen-year-old dancer days away from the life of her dreams when something threatens to expose the shocking truth of her achievement.
On the inside, within the walls of the Aurora Hills juvenile detention center, there's Amber, locked up for so long she can't imagine freedom.
Tying their two worlds together is Orianna, who holds the key to unlocking all the girls' darkest mysteries…
What really happened on the night Orianna stepped between Violet and her tormentors? What really happened on two strange nights at Aurora Hills? Will Amber and Violet and Orianna ever get the justice they deserve—in this life or in another one?

*****

This is the weirdest, most messed up book I’ve read in my life.

I was warned this book was singular. I read the synopsis a while ago, when I first knew about it. By the time I started reading it the only thing I remembered was: Ori’s dead because of…

Well, it was confusing at first. So confusing I had to read slower and put more attention.

And when I started to understand it was brilliant, fantastic, I was stunned and surprised and I was dying to read more about the story of Ori narrated by two different characters.

I’m glad I didn’t remember the synopsis, even if I was confused at first.

Nova Ren Suma’s writing is hauntingly beautiful.

While I adored Amber’s “plural” POV, I hated Vee, I hated her even when her POV was as good as Amber’s.

This is such a thought-provoking read. The feelings in this book are so deep. You can taste the rage, the envy, the sadness, the sympathy.

Even if the plot wasn’t completely unexpected, some things were. The final twist was mind-blowing. I could help but read it once, twice, three times. It was extremely satisfying, at least for me.

Everything about this book felt gothic and dark. It had something magical that makes you keep reading to dying to read more.

Times moves different when you read it, it keeps you on the edge of your seat.

So, if you want a haunting story, a different story, a thriller and two unreliable narrators, then you have to read The Walls Around Us.

Soon!

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Cover Reveal: Every Last Breath by Jennifer L. Armentrout

We are so excited to bring you the Cover Reveal for EVERY LAST BREATH, the hotly anticipated conclusion to the Dark Elements trilogy from #1 New York Times bestselling author Jennifer L. Armentrout!! EVERY LAST BREATH is a Young Adult Paranormal being published by Harlequin Teen and is a part of Jennifer L. Armentrout’s The Dark Elements Series. It is being released on July 28^th, 2015. Pre-order EVERY LAST BREATH and then be sure to read the first books in this amazing series before its release!

 

CHECK

IT 

OUT!

Amazon ** Barnes and Noble ** iBooks ** IndieBound ** Kobo ** BAM

  EVERY LAST BREATH Synopsis:  

Some loves will last 'til your dying breath 

 Every choice has consequences—but seventeen-year-old Layla faces tougher choices than most. Light or darkness. Wickedly sexy demon prince Roth, or Zayne, the gorgeous, protective Warden she never thought could be hers. Hardest of all, Layla has to decide which side of herself to trust. Layla has a new problem, too. A Lilin—the deadliest of demons—has been unleashed, wreaking havoc on those around her…including her best friend. To keep Sam from a fate much, much worse than death, Layla must strike a deal with the enemy while saving her city—and her race—from destruction. Torn between two worlds and two different boys, Layla has no certainties, least of all survival, especially when an old bargain comes back to haunt them all. But sometimes, when secrets are everywhere and the truth seems unknowable, you have to listen to your heart, pick a side—and then fight like hell…  

“Armentrout is a major talent…I just can’t stop reading!” --New York Times bestselling author Gena Showalter “Armentrout works her magic with swoon-worthy guys and a twist you never see coming.” --#1 New York Times bestselling author Abbi Glines on White Hot Kiss

And we have a surprise for you! The first books in the series have been given a new look too!!

Don't miss the previous titles in The Dark Elements Series-now with new covers! Readers interested in downloading the new cover jackets for their previously purchased Dark Elements Series titles, can download them HERE!

For best results when downloading the new cover jackets:

• Print on 8.5x14" (Legal paper)
• Use landscape or horizontal setting = 8.5" tall x 14" wide
• Print at 100% scale or "actual size"
• Print with the image centered on page
• Fold and trim to fit 

Amazon ** Barnes and Noble ** BAM ** iBooks ** IndieBound ** Kobo ** Walmart

  WHITE HOT KISS synopsis:  One kiss could be the last.  

Seventeen-year-old Layla just wants to be normal. But with a kiss that kills anything with a soul, she's anything but normal. Half demon, half gargoyle, Layla has abilities no one else possesses. Raised among the Wardens—a race of gargoyles tasked with hunting demons and keeping humanity safe—Layla tries to fit in, but that means hiding her own dark side from those she loves the most. Especially Zayne, the swoon-worthy, incredibly gorgeous and completely off-limits Warden she's crushed on since forever. Then she meets Roth—a tattooed, sinfully hot demon who claims to know all her secrets. Layla knows she should stay away, but she's not sure she wants to—especially when that whole no-kissing thing isn't an issue, considering Roth has no soul. But when Layla discovers she's the reason for the violent demon uprising, trusting Roth could not only ruin her chances with Zayne…it could brand her a traitor to her family. Worse yet, it could become a one-way ticket to the end of the world.

 

Amazon ** Barnes and Noble ** iBooks ** IndieBound ** Kobo ** BAM

  STONE COLD TOUCH Synopsis: 

 Every touch has its price 

 Layla Shaw is trying to pick up the pieces of her shattered life—no easy task for a seventeen-year-old who’s pretty sure things can’t get worse. Her impossibly gorgeous best friend, Zayne, is forever off-limits thanks to the mysterious powers of her soul-stealing kiss. The Warden clan that has always protected her is suddenly keeping dangerous secrets. And she can barely think about Roth, the wickedly hot demon prince who understood her in ways no one else could. But sometimes rock bottom is only the beginning. Because suddenly Layla’s powers begin to evolve, and she’s offered a tantalizing taste of what has always been forbidden. Then, when she least expects it, Roth returns, bringing news that could change her world forever. She’s finally getting what she always wanted, but with hell literally breaking loose and the body count adding up, the price may be higher than Layla is willing to pay…  

"Constantly entertaining...the narrative sizzles with as much tension as romance." —Kirkus Reviews on White Hot Kiss

And the Prequel Novella, BITTER SWEET LOVE...

 

Amazon ** Barnes and Noble ** iBooks ** BAM ** Kobo

  BITTER SWEET LOVE Synopsis: In a sizzling prequel novella to her new series The Dark Elements, #1 New York Times bestselling author Jennifer L. Armentrout draws readers into the extraordinary, irresistible world of Wardens and demons. 

Dez wasn't just Jasmine's crush. A gargoyle Warden like Jas, he helped her come to terms with her destiny—fending off demons and maintaining the balance between good and evil. He was her everything…right until the moment he disappeared without a trace. It didn't help that Jas's father had just announced that she and Dez would one day be mated. Hard not to take that personally. And now he's back, three years older, ten times hotter, ready to pick up exactly where they left off. But Jas isn't taking that risk again. Dez has seven days to meet all her conditions and earn back her trust. Seven days filled with terrifying danger and sweet temptation. Seven days to win her heart—or shatter it all over again…  

"With her signature flare for combining humor, romance and action, Armentrout weaves a fast-paced read that will have readers' hearts racing in more ways than one. Like Armentrout's previous heroines, Jasmine is fun and full of attitude, while Dez is as snarky as he is sexy. This is a must read for new and old fans alike!" -RT Book Reviews

    Jennifer L. Armentrout/J.Lynn Bio: # 1 NEW YORK TIMES and USA TODAY Bestselling author Jennifer lives in Martinsburg, West Virginia. All the rumors you’ve heard about her state aren’t true. When she’s not hard at work writing. she spends her time reading, working out, watching really bad zombie movies, pretending to write, and hanging out with her husband and her Jack Russell Loki. Her dreams of becoming an author started in algebra class, where she spent most of her time writing short stories….which explains her dismal grades in math. Jennifer writes young adult paranormal, science fiction, fantasy, and contemporary romance. She is published with Spencer Hill Press, Entangled Teen and Brazen, Disney/Hyperion and Harlequin Teen. Her book Obsidian has been optioned for a major motion picture and her Covenant Series has been optioned for TV. She also writes adult and New Adult romance under the name J. Lynn. She is published by Entangled Brazen and HarperCollins.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Jennifer L. Armentrout Goodreads | EVERY LAST BREATH Goodreads | STONE COLD TOUCH Goodreads | WHITE HOT KISS Goodreads | BITTER SWEET LOVE Goodreads

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Book Review: Endlessly by Kiersten White

Endlessly (Paranormalcy #3)

Author: Kiersten White

GoodReads/ Amazon/ TBD

Summary:

Kiersten White’s New York Times bestselling Paranormalcy trilogy comes to a breathless conclusion with a signature mix of wit, romance, paranormal creatures, and a truly original heroine.

In Endlessly, pink-loving, butt-kicking Evie has way too much on her to-do list. Paranormals are begging her to open a faerie gate so they can leave the human world, something Evie’s not sure she has the power to do. The Dark Queen is torturing humans and must be destroyed.

On top of all that, Evie’s prom is coming up. She’s not sure what to wear, and, oh, yeah, her shape-shifting boyfriend, Lend, has been cursed so that he falls into an enchanted sleep whenever he and Evie are in the same room…and even Evie’s ex-boyfriend, the faerie Reth, can’t reverse the dark magic.

An epic battle is looming, and the choices Evie makes will determine the fate of whole paranormal world—and her own life.

 

 

Endlessly is the last book in the Paranormalcy series, one of the first series I read and that I enjoyed madly.

It’s been a long, long time since I read the first two books of this series. Maybe that’s the reason I couldn’t connect with the characters, I don’t know.
I loved Paranormalcy and I liked Supernaturally (I adore the covers). But I expected to “love” Endlessly, sadly, I just liked it.
I think that’s my fault because it takes me too much to say goodbye to my favorite series, and then my taste in books change. My main problem with Endlessly was that I found Evie’s voice too juvenile.
Sometimes I think it was childish and I couldn’t enjoy some parts because of it.

The characters are still great and I love them.  Mostly Reth, who’s my favorite.
The romance was sweet and cute but also a little boring. Or maybe that was because it felt like a love triangle (is not) and I liked better the wrong boy). I really liked Lend in this book but I didn't find him swoon-worthy like in the first one. 

But don’t get me wrong, the plot wasn’t boring, it was fast paced and mind-blowing.
Endlessly was a great ending for this series. If I ignore the fact that I got older and stopped loving Evie’s kind of voice, Endlessly was a great final installment for this series.

“We linked hands—my ex-boyfriend, my boyfriend, and my former friend-then-enemy-then friend and I—and walked through a door to see if maybe empty carbs were good for something after all.” 

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Book Review: Finale by Becca Fitzpatrick

 

Finale (Hush Hush #4)

Author: Becca Fitzpatrick

Pages:

Buying links: Amazon/ B&N/ TBD

My rating: 3 stars

Synopsis:

Will love conquer all?  

Nora and Patch thought their troubles were behind them. Hank is gone and they should be able to put his ugly vendetta to rest. But in Hank's absence, Nora has become the unwitting head of the Nephilim and must finish what Hank began. Which ultimately means destroying the fallen angels - destroying Patch. Nora will never let that happen, so she and Patch make a plan: lead everyone to believe they have broken up, and work the system from the inside. Nora will convince the Nephilim that they are making a mistake in fighting the fallen angels, and Patch will find out everything he can from the opposing side. They will end this war before it can even begin.  But the best-laid plans often go awry. Nora is put through the paces in her new role and finds herself drawn to an addictive power she never anticipated. As the battle lines are drawn, Nora and Patch must confront the differences that have always been between them and either choose to ignore them or let them destroy the love they have always fought for.

 

 

 

I’m really sad I landed once again in another disappointing ending.
But don’t get me wrong, I didn’t hate Finale, I didn’t love it either. I keep telling myself that maybe my taste in books changed too much since I started the series, and now I don’t like the same things.
It’s just that… well, I finally see Nora as the annoying character my friends kept telling me about since they started the series, I didn’t see it before, but in Finale it was so obvious. Nora lied, Nora had secrets, Nora did the wrong the most stupid things in the world and nothing really bad happened to her. Even Patch seemed blinded and like a puppy with her.
And talking about Patch… I loved him in the previous books, he was sexy, swoon-worthy, strong and smart, a badass, but in Finale Patch was like a lion turned into a cat. Too soft, too… sweet.
I am really, really sad it turned like that. I still think my favorite characters are Vee and Scott, but Becca Fitzpatrick ruined them in the end as well. It makes me want to cry and scream at the same time.

Anyway, aside from the annoying characters and the weak relationship among them, I enjoyed the story line and how the plot developed. There were unexpected twist and turns that I appreciated.
The writing was as addictive as in the other books, fast passed, and the descriptions were really good.
The things ended in an easy way, but it was good.
However, I think the ending was a little rushed and I felt like something was missing there, add to that the cheesiest scene in the world where “they” even forget they were in the middle of a lot of people dead.
This leads me to the worst Epilogue in the world.

Once again, I’m so, SO disappointed. But like I said, I also liked it. I think this is some case of love/hate relationship. It wasn’t as amazing as I hoped but I think some people will be happy with the way the story of Nora and Patch ended.
I, personally didn’t feel a thing. No happy tears, no sad tears, nothing.

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Unchosen by Michele Vail *Blog Tour*

Hello there! 

Welcome to my stop in the Unchosen by Michele Vail blog tour!

Today I have my review and favorite quote to share with you, but if you want to check some interviews, guest posts and more reviews, you have to check out Itching for books to see the full schedule!

 

Unchosen
Author: Michele Vail
Source: ARC provided for review
Amazon
Goodreads
Summary:

I thought the worst of my reaper training was behind me… turns out I was wrong. Dead wrong.
Molly Bartolucci has done a lot of growing up but after being accused of using illegal magic at her school for necromancers, reaper-in-training Molly is treading lightly. As the destined leader of Anubis’s Chosen, she needs to study hard, train harder, and stay out of trouble.
Uh, right.
It doesn’t help that she’s feeling more than academic about her melt-your-bones hot reaping instructor, Rath. And if her relationship drama isn’t enough to drive her over the edge, she has to deal with mother issues, nosy little sisters, suspicious friends, and an unnamed force stalking her at school.
Then her family is attacked, and her bio-dad ends up comatose in the hospital. Now, Molly has to uncover who’s trying to hurt her loved ones—and all without the help of Anubis.

 

My thoughts.

Unchosen is the second book in the Reaper Diaries by Michele Vail. It follows the story of Molly, a reaper in training that is also the chosen of Anubis to save the world.
This book is based on Egyptian myths with a lot of awesome creatures like zombies and ghouls… and of course, reapers!

I was happy to read about Molly again, especially since I had a love-hate relationship with Undeadly last year. You see, I loved the magical world of The Reaper Diaries, I loved the story-line and the plot, but I had a huge problem with Molly and her POV… somehow she was too immature and I couldn’t connect with her. BUT Unchosen is much better than the first book, I LOVED Molly in this one, she grew up, she had a better view of the things around her and she became the hero I wanted her to be.

In this amazing sequel Molly has to become the Kebuchet (something like Anubis’s champion) and uncover the way to save her aunt’s soul, everything with the help of the hottie-dead-reaper Rath.
This is a page turner that will have you dying to know how it will ends. And one of my most favorite part of this series is that Molly’s story doesn’t follow the cliché of the evil father whom want to conquer the world… guess what? The evil one is her mother! (And I’m not saying she wants to conquer the world, just that she’s evil!)
Well, the characters are better that they were before, especially Molly’s sister and Barbie (that’s her name, I don’t love it but…) they were phenomenal characters and I loved knowing more about them. And Molly’s friends.

Rath, on the other side, he was strong and… yes, when you meet him “death never looked so good”
There’s a little more of romance in this book, the story doesn’t focus in love-drama, which I appreciate,  a lot. But finally Rath and Molly have their cute moments.
And the ending was amazing! I never expect for it to happen… And that’s when the title finally makes sense.

If you have read Undeadly but didn’t loved it, don’t worry, you should try this one, it worth the chance.
And if you haven’t read Undeadly, you must do it right now, so you can see how awesome Unchosen was.
Unchosen by Michele Vail is a light, fresh and –sometimes– funny read. You have to read it!

My favorite quote.

“Evil does not always come in supernatural forms. Human are often capable of deeds darker that even the gods can't image”

THE AUTHOR.

Michele Vail is the author of The Reaper Diaries, a young adult paranormal series set in the modern world with a zombie twist. The stories center on 16-year-old Molly Bartolucci, a reaper-in-training who's learning to deal with love, destiny, and death.
Michele Vail is the pen name of national bestselling paranormal romance author Michele Bardsley (who also writes thriller mysteries under Michele Freeman). The Reaper Diaries consist of three books: Undeadly, Unchosen, and Unbroken.
Find her: Website/ The Reaper Diaries page

THE GIVEAWAY

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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