Title: Rebel by Beverly Jenkins
Series: Women Who Dare, Book 1
Narrated By: Kim Staunton
Release Date: May 28th 2019 by Avon
Format: Audiobook (8 hrs and 38 mins)
Genre: Historical Romance, Historical Fiction
Blurb: The first novel in USA Today Bestselling Author Beverly Jenkins’ compelling new series follows a Northern woman south in the chaotic aftermath of the Civil War…

Valinda Lacey’s mission in the steamy heart of New Orleans is to help the newly emancipated community survive and flourish. But soon she discovers that here, freedom can also mean danger. When thugs destroy the school she has set up and then target her, Valinda runs for her life—and straight into the arms of Captain Drake LeVeq.

As an architect from an old New Orleans family, Drake has a deeply personal interest in rebuilding the city. Raised by strong women, he recognizes Valinda’s determination. And he can’t stop admiring—or wanting—her. But when Valinda’s father demands she return home to marry a man she doesn’t love, her daring rebellion draws Drake into an irresistible intrigue.

I loved this book. What a brilliantly written story full of everything I love in a novel: romance, love, danger, tension, character growth, history and family/community.

Beverly Jenkins is one of my favorite authors because she doesn’t just tell a story, she educates the reader. It is so apparent that she really researches the era and crafts the story in a way that the reader will leave knowing a few more things about our American History. This story moved a fast pace, had drama and that familial ties that embraced all people especially those who don’t have loved ones around.

In this new series set in the 1860’s, Valinda Lacey moved to New Orleans to work with Nuns to educate newly empanciated slaves. She was met with some resistance from one of the nuns as well as some white supremacists who attacked her carriage. Luckily, Captain Drake LeVeq and his sister in law were on the road and rescued Valinda. It eventually led to Drake’s mother to offer Valinda a place to stay and a job. Valinda was compassionate and was clear as to she wanted to spend her life as an educator. Drake was a contractor who also volunteered at the Freedmen’s Bureau. Drake and Valinda had qualities that the other admired but there was hinderance–a prior engagement.
Valinda was engaged to be married to a man, who was a friend from her hometown, but she didn’t love him. The marriage was important to Valinda because it guaranteed her freedom from her father and the protection of her fiance’s name. Drake had his work cut out for him to show Valinda that she could have it all: freedom, family protection as well as passionate love.

I expected a well written story and I wasn’t disappointed. I listened to this story and I smiled, laughed, felt sympathy, anger and hope. These characters were resilient in spirit despite the financial or societal circumstances. This author clearly values family because the LeVeq family has been a pillar in the community for several of her books. Another thing that amazed me was the way she wrote passionate sex scenes. They weren’t crass and overly descriptive, just enough to make you feel butterflies in your belly but not look over your shoulder in embarrassment for your Pastor. Bravo!!!

I am excited for this new series Women Who Dare and I can’t wait for the next installment.

View all my reviews

Audiobook, Contemporary Romance, Giveaway, LGBTQ, Review Books, Romantic Suspense

Review Tour & Giveaway – A.E. Via – Embracing His Syn (Nothing Special Series Book #2)

June 28, 2019July 5, 2019 EziChi

Buy Links: Audible US | Audible UK | Amazon US | Amazon UK

Narrated By: Aiden Snow

Length: 11hrs 14mins

Nothing Special Series

Book #1 – Nothing Special – Audible US | Audible UK | Amazon US | Amazon UK

Book #3 – Here Comes Trouble – OUT JULY 2

Book #4 – Don’t Judge – OUT JULY 24

Blurb

Sergeant Corbin “Syn” Sydney had dedicated his life to becoming the best detective. So when he heard there was an opening on the notorious Atlanta Narcotics Task Force, he jumped at the chance. But, what he wasn’t ready for was realizing just how lonely he’d made himself, when he observed the loving and dedicated relationship between the two men he served under: Lieutenant Cashel “God” Godfrey and Lieutenant Leonidis Day.

Syn prepared himself to accept his lonely fate until he walked into a small pub and met the long-haired, tattooed bartender, Furious Barkley. Before Syn can even understand why, he’s overcome with feelings he barely recognizes: passion, yearning, craving. And if the dark, lustful gazes are anything to go by, Furious might be feeling the same things for him.

Just two thing needs to happen before Syn and Furi can give each other what’s been missing from their lives for so long…Syn needs to find the evidence that proves Furi’s innocence of murder, as well as protect him from a past that refuses to let go.
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I enjoyed this book as much as the first installment of this series. Aiden Snow has this sexy timbre to his voice that is perfect for these characters. As the narrator, he was able to convey the various emotions in this angst-filled story.

In this book 2, a new detective Sergeant Corbin “Syn” Sydney moved from Atlanta to Philly to join Detectives Cashel Godfrey and Leonidas Day’s unorthodox yet highly effective law enforcement team. While working Syn met a skittish bartender Furious Barkley whom he found intriguing in a way he hadn’t allowed himself to consider a man in a long time. This created a tension between Sun and Furi because Furi was very comfortable with his sexuality and had been out of the closet for a long time. Then add in the fact that Furi was on the run and hiding from an abusive husband for the past couple of years. Syn and Furi had quite the obstacles to their new romance, and it gave this novel some angst.

The mystery and suspense in this novel dealing with Furi’s murdered co-workers wasn’t difficult to figure out. It got the whole task force gang involved and added danger to this story. Syn and Furi were sweet, hot and entertaining together. I really look forward to the next installment of this series.

A.E. Via has been a best-selling author in the beautiful gay romance genre for five years now, but she’s no stranger to MM. She’s been an avid reader of gay lit for over fifteen years before she picked up her laptop to place her own kiss on this genre. She’s also the founder and owner of Via Star Wings Books, having published a couple great new up and coming MM authors.

A.E. has a Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice from Virginia Wesleyan College that she used to start her own paralegal firm after she graduated in 2008. She spent five years preparing and filing bankruptcy petitions for struggling blue collar workers who couldn’t afford to file with a lawyer. It was a rewarding and satisfying career… but another path called to her. Writing.

A.E.’s writing embodies everything from hopelessly romantic to adventure, to scandalous. Her stories often include intriguing edges and twists that take readers to new, thought-provoking depths.

Now that she’s gotten over her 10 books published hump, she’s kind of known now for her hardcore, play rough and love hard, bad boy, alphas. However, she does like to push herself to step out of her comfort zone, exploring different tropes, but she won’t push herself into a whole other genre. She’s head over heels for gay romance and she has tons of more hot stories to tell.

Be sure to visit Adrienne on her social media pages and subscribe to her newsletter to never miss another release date! Go to A.E. Via’s official website http://authoraevia.com for more detailed information on how to contact her, follow her, or a sneak peak at upcoming work, free reads, VSWB submissions, and where she’ll appear next.

Amazon | Goodreads | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter

Blogger Themes

Audiobook tag

June 24, 2019June 24, 2019 EziChi

I discovered this tag at Blue Mood Cafe and thought it would be fun to do for this month’s celebration of audiobooks. I have been chatting books with Jonetta for years on goodreads so let’s do it!

Have you always listened to audiobooks or when did you begin?

My husband encouraged me to try audiobooks a few years ago when I would ride the train an hour each way to work. My first book was Guilty Pleasures by Laurel K. Hamilton (Book 1, Anita Blake). The narrator Kimberly Alexis was amazing and I was hooked. I tried a couple of other book before I realized that a narrator could make or break my enjoyment.

What is your favorite audiobook?

That’s impossible so I will pick my top five in no particular order..
1. Lothaire by Kresley Cole (Robert Petkoff, narrator)
2. From Lukov with Love by Mariana Zapata (Callie Dalton, Narrato)
3. The Witness by Nora Robert (Julia Whelan, narrator)
4. Devil in Winter by Lisa Kleypas (Rosalyn Landor)
5. Sempre by J.M. Darhower (Carla Mercer-Meyer)

What is my least favorite thing about audiobooks?

A Monotoned narrator can really bore me and make me lose interest. Some make narrators have terrible female voices too.

What do you think is the difference in experience between physically reading a book and listening to it?

The difference to me is that I get someone who knows how to properly pronounce words (I hope) and the cadence of the reading is different from my own. Some narrators do a great job conveying humor, sadness etc. I feel like a kid being read a bedtime story to. Also if its a smutty book, I feel like someone is whispering something naughty in my ear. hehehe.

How and when do you listen?

I listen on my phone, in my car, sometimes on my tv via the audible app while I’m doing mindless household chores, grocery shopping and laundry. I listen while I am in bed, exercising, pretending to pay attention at work etc. I listen all day.

What style/genre do you prefer?

I don’t have a genre I prefer since I mostly read romance. I pretty much listen to all my reading selections if they are on audio. I do have narrator that I avoid like the plague. If I see their name, I opt for the e-book instead.

What are some audiobook/narrator recommendations?

I highly recommend with a male and female narrator. Top five favorites are Rosalyn Landor, Julia Whelan, Therese Plummer, Lauren Fortgang and Jeffrey Kafer. I do have honorable mentions like Bahni Turipin, Callie Dalton, Robert Petkoff, Shane East and Tristan James

What are your thoughts about audiobooks?

Feel free to do your own version of this tag!

Blogger Themes

Tag: The Liebster Award

June 18, 2019June 19, 2019 EziChi

This is the first time I’ve been tagged so I’m excited to post a few answers even though, it took forever for me to publish this post. Better later than never… right? I was nominated by Literary Everything. Thank you, Lady B!

THE LIEBSTER AWARD RULES

Acknowledge the blog that gave it to you and display the award
Answer 11 questions that the blogger gives you
Give 11 random facts about yourself
Nominate 11 blogs and notify them of their nomination
Give these blogs 11 questions to answer

11 Questions From Lady B:

What’s the worst book you’ve ever read?

Twist Me by Anna Zaires and Beast by A. Zavarelli are among ten books that I rated 1-star rating on goodreads. Both area popular dark romances, complete with kidnapping and rape etc. They were disturbing and I didn’t enjoy anything about them, not the writing, the characters or the journey. Nothing!

What’s the one thing you can’t live without?
My family and a book to read.

Do you have a best friend or have you ever had one?
Yes. my best friend Dee and I have been friends since 1997. We are opposites. It’s interesting because she is the carbon copy of my husband. Conversely, I am the carbon copy of her husband. I guess opposites really do attract.

Excitement or routine?
Excitement. I like variety. I prefer to eat at a different restaurant every time because I like to try new things. There are a few things I like to remain routine like Thankgiving. No new recipes like Karen’s Macaroni and Cheese. However Christmas every year, we try a different cuisine. Last year for Christmas we did a Barbecue theme, the year before Italian and this year will probably be Thai food. Thanksgiving is sacred though, turkey and the fixings, my mother and I also cook a lot of Nigerian food, then we watch football.

What’s your favourite genre?
Romance! It used to be Historical Romance, then Paranormal Romance, but now, it is Contemporary Romance. Those are all still subgenres of Romance.

How many languages can you speak?
Three: Igbo, English and Spanish.

Which music do you listen to?
Pop music, R&B, some Hip-Hop. I am the biggest Celine Dion and Whitney Houston fan. I love music that tells a story and makes me feel it. Current music that talks of nothing annoys me to no end!

If you wrote an autobiography of yourself, what would the title be?
“Always Hopeful.” I am a girl that believes that the Glass is always half full. I am an optimistic to the hilt. So if there is the slimmest possibility, I am going to hold on to that hope and I support underdogs.

If you could visit only one country in the world, which would you choose?
Italy. So much history especially of oppression and violence. I want to the see the beautiful and also examine the pain the Romans inflicted on all. I was the biggest fan of Spartacus, which came on Starz. I loved that series.

What skill would you like to master?
Sewing. My mother and mother in law are seamstresses. I can put on a button. I wish I would know how to use their sewing machines. They make their own nigerian attire too. I am so jealous but clearly too lazy to ask them to teach me.

Music. I also wished that I had continued with piano and the viola. When my parents were paying for it, I saw it as a chore and that I was being forced. Now that I have to pay for it myself, I keep thinking “Damnnnn, that ish is expensive.”

What’s the best thing about getting older?
I feel less stressed about thing. Less concerned about what people think. More urgency to do things that I have been putting off. I am less judgmental. I also think sex is better now and maybe because I have less fear about propriety 😀

11 Random Facts About Me:

1. I am a HUGE sports fan and enjoy most sports. I watch more sports than my husband.

2. I still watch Soap Operas. I watch General Hospital, Days of Our Lives, The Young and the Restless and The Bold and the Beautiful.

3. I don’t sleep more than 3-4 hours a night (for the past ten years). It’s getting harder now that I am older and I feel tired all the time, but after 10 oclock when my kids go to bed is when I can have some quiet time to myself and relax. I end up bingeing tv until 2am-ish and have to wake up around 6am.

4. I am chronically late to work and events, and I am not a great rule follower. I like to live in the grey areas and push boundaries.

5. I have to eat breakfast everyday, even if it at night. But I can’t eat lunch or dinner food in the morning. For instance, I can’t eat pizza or a sandwich in the morning, but I can eat french toast or omelet at night.

6. I have 981 audiobooks on audible. It is crazy since you can’t even loan those books out. Once you read them, they just sit there. I think in 2020, I will go back to buying books. At least I can share them with people…well, I won’t loan out books that I like since my friends don’t return them.

7. I love period piece shows: Spartacus, Downton Abbey, Shaka Zulu, The Last Kingdom, Vikings, Reign, Dances with Wolves, Game of Thrones (Seasons 1-5 before HBO was left to their own devices), Braveheart.

8. I love Boy Bands. I have seen Boyz II Men four times in Concert. I went to see New Kids on the Block last Spring. I hope to see New Edition when they return to Dallas. I have plans to see Backstreet Boys in Dallas.

9. I walk around my house naked all the time so people better knock before coming into my home. They will be boob-flashed because the first thing I do when I come home is remove my Bra and free myself.

10. I prefer to see the movie before I watch a film. It allows me to give the characters mannerisms and a face other than what I would imagine. Also, it feels like getting an outline or cliff notes version and the book adds detail and shade to the movie version. It is very rare that a movie is on par with the book so I hate that feeling of disappointment. For instance, The Host by Stephenie Meyer was a great book and a terrible movie. Same with The Darkest Mind by Alexandra Bracken or Divergent by Veronica Roth.

I saw the Color Purple before I read it. Same with Twilight, Five Feet Apart and I enjoyed the books much more AFTER the movie.

My 11 Nominations are:
Jonetta at Blue Mood Cafe
Lara at Naija Book Bae
Carla at Carla Loves to Read
Jennifer at Tar Heel Reader
Nickimags at Secret Library Book Blog
Sophie at Beware of the Reader
Melanie at Meltotheany
Nick at Book Bastion
Jessica at Jessica’s Reading Room
Susan at Susan loves Books
Zuky at Bookbum

My Questions For You:

Does your name have a special meaning?

Do you have a hobby, craft or talent?

Who is your favorite musician? Favorite song?

What was your first job?

What is the best book you have read in 2019?

Have you been to an author book signing?

Your top five favorite authors or top five favorite books

What meal could you eat everyday?

Who is your favorite actor and actress?

What is the best new tv show (and movie) you discovered in 2019? This must be something new to you.

What do you wish you could tell your 18 year old self? (An advise or admonishment you wish you had known at age 18)

Review Books

Bookish Tag: International Blogger Tag

June 15, 2019June 19, 2019 EziChi

My people & fellow readers, I am participating in this bookish tag thanks to Alys in Bookland. It was originally introduced at Chelle’s Book Ramblings. Michelle said that she makes a little tweak on this tag that was created by Daniela in Prague.

Thank you Alys!

QUESTIONS:

1) Where are you from, and what is your native language or languages?

I am Nigerian American. My native languages are English and Igbo.

2) In what languages do you read books?

I read books written in English.

3) Are there Book Blogs, Booktubers, Bookstagrammers in your native language and if so, what is the community like?

I have never watched a book blogger who narrated in Igbo, but I bet there are some. I only know of English speaking bloggers, youtubers, bookstagrammers etc.

4) If there is a Blogging Community in your native language, why did you decide to join the international one?

I prefer to cast a wider net so I don’t want to just experience Nigerian bloogers. I want to meet and hear about books from all over the world.

5) Are there any struggles or challenges for you as a non-native English speaker?

No. Since I live in Dallas, Texas, there aren’t any issues for me.

6) How do you get hold of English books?

Amazon, Audible, my local library etc

7) What is the best thing about being part of the international community?

I love communicating and talk to other readers from all over the world. I have head of books, authors and even music that I would have never even tried. I owe that to this community.

8) Do you follow or watch other international Booktube channels or Blogs?

I do follow book blogs because I want to see what the other readers are into. I’m not into following a booktube channels but I do want to try podcast next.

Arrow Divider

Finished it.

If you were not tagged, and if you feel doing this, do so and tag me so I could read your answers too!

Thanks for reading! Have a wonderful day!

Audiobook, Contemporary Romance, Fiction, Review Books

My Favorite Half-Night Stand by Christina Lauren

June 5, 2019June 4, 2019 EziChi

Publisher: Gallery, Threshold, Pocket Books – Gallery Books
Genres: General Fiction (Adult); Contemporary Romance
Pub Date: December 4, 2018

BLURB: Millie Morris has always been one of the guys. A UC Santa Barbara professor, she’s a female-serial-killer expert who’s quick with a deflection joke and terrible at getting personal. And she, just like her four best guy friends and fellow professors, is perma-single.

So when a routine university function turns into a black tie gala, Mille and her circle make a pact that they’ll join an online dating service to find plus-ones for the event. There’s only one hitch: after making the pact, Millie and one of the guys, Reid Campbell, secretly spend the sexiest half-night of their lives together, but mutually decide the friendship would be better off strictly platonic.

But online dating isn’t for the faint of heart. While the guys are inundated with quality matches and potential dates, Millie’s first profile attempt garners nothing but dick pics and creepers. Enter “Catherine”—Millie’s fictional profile persona, in whose make-believe shoes she can be more vulnerable than she’s ever been in person. Soon “Catherine” and Reid strike up a digital pen-pal-ship…but Millie can’t resist temptation in real life, either. Soon, Millie will have to face her worst fear—intimacy—or risk losing her best friend, forever.

I thought this story was a cute and fluffy story. Millie and her four friends decided to sign up on a dating website to get dates for their work social event. When Millie uses an alias Catherine, she connects with a date and they hit it off online.
Some specific phrases that her online guy used led Millie to deduce that her online mystery man was in fact her best friend Reid. Millie had found Reid physically attractive but they had never connected in this way before. Millie is torn on whether to continue the charade or tell Reid that she is Catherine. Meanwhile, the online couple gets closer and closer, prompting Reid to want to meet face to face.

The group of friends was my favorite part of the group. They were funny, they teased each other but they were supportive as well. The writing was entertaining and flow was pretty consistent. I loved Reid and Millie together and wondered why they didn’t put all their cards on the table sooner. There was a part of them that saw the other, they just didn’t communicate honestly and allow themselves to be vulnerable. It was angst enough to give the story an emotional kick. I love how Millie redeemed herself and the role the friends played in it all. Overall, an enjoyable and fun read for those who enjoy romantic comedy or contemporary romances.

Audiobook, Blogger Themes, LGBTQ, Paranormal Romance, Review Books, Urban Fantasy, Werewolf shifters

Prophesy (The King & Alpha Series #1) by A.E. Via

June 1, 2019June 1, 2019 EziChi

Buy Links: Audible US | Audible UK | Amazon US | Amazon UK

Narrated By: Nathaniel Black

Length: 6hrs 50mins

Blurb: Justice Volkov is the youngest Alpha Zenith to ever lead the wolf shifters. Following in his father’s large paw prints was a responsibility he met head on. Now at age 33, he is alpha of the alphas. As a direct descendant of the original Siberian pack, his wolf is bigger and stronger than Justice himself is sometimes able to control. His wolf howled long and hard, but Justice kept it inside. It felt like a bass drum beating against his rib cage. The harsh breaths, angry snarls, and the determined pacing inside him were overtaking him. Justice takes his role of leadership and his legacy very seriously. He has little time for romance, not to mention a true mate. His packs are his priority. With a human government trying to regulate them, an uprising of rogue shifters, and a violent team of scientists trying to experiment on them, Justice has his hands way too full.

Chadwick “Wick” Bentley is not enthusiastic when the captain of his escort tells him he has to leave his comfortable London home and go back to the States. As the Vampire King, he has no choice but to get his species back in line before they cause anymore chaos. At over 100 years old, Wick is no one to trifle with, but his smooth, charismatic manner makes him quite unique, despite the negative reputation vampires have. Wick has had nothing but time up to this point. He doesn’t feel the need to make issues pressing. Nothing is urgent in his life. Until he meets Justice. His beloved.

“Natural enemies can’t be mates.” Or so Justice thought. He knows his skepticism and rejection is hurting his mate, so while he fights their connection, Wick gets help from a source very close to Justice to help him win his beloved’s heart. Wick is a force all on his own, but when he’s blessed with a special gift from the Mother herself, not even Justice’s powerful wolf can prevent the prophesy from being fulfilled.

My two favorite supernaturals were at war and eventually came to a truce: Werewolves and Vampires: Chadwick and Justice were a great match and I love how their names connected. I have never read this author and I also enjoyed the narrator. A very different take on werewolf and vampire lore. In this story, vampires and shapeshifters exist out in the open, known to humans. The humans don’t know everything, but there is enough knowledge that the various species co-exist together. But we see that the species have a duality to their supernatural side and it was all created by their deity in order to ensure their survival.

I enjoyed their interaction together. It was sweet, charming and sexy at times. I love that they didn’t hide their feelings and it was widely accepted. I would have loved more development of both the plot and the characters but I am hoping that book 2 will fill in more details to this new inter-species mating.

A.E. Via has been a best-selling author in the beautiful gay romance genre for five years now, but she’s no stranger to MM. She’s been an avid reader of gay lit for over fifteen years before she picked up her laptop to place her own kiss on this genre. She’s also the founder and owner of Via Star Wings Books, having published a couple great new up and coming MM authors.

A.E. has a Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice from Virginia Wesleyan College that she used to start her own paralegal firm after she graduated in 2008. She spent five years preparing and filing bankruptcy petitions for struggling blue collar workers who couldn’t afford to file with a lawyer. It was a rewarding and satisfying career… but another path called to her. Writing.

A.E.’s writing embodies everything from hopelessly romantic to adventure, to scandalous. Her stories often include intriguing edges and twists that take readers to new, thought-provoking depths.

Now that she’s gotten over her 10 books published hump, she’s kind of known now for her hardcore, play rough and love hard, bad boy, alphas. However, she does like to push herself to step out of her comfort zone, exploring different tropes, but she won’t push herself into a whole other genre. She’s head over heels for gay romance and she has tons of more hot stories to tell.

Be sure to visit Adrienne on her social media pages and subscribe to her newsletter to never miss another release date! Go to A.E. Via’s official website http://authoraevia.com for more detailed information on how to contact her, follow her, or a sneak peak at upcoming work, free reads, VSWB submissions, and where she’ll appear next.