Captive (The Bliss King, #1) by AA Paton

Captive by AA Paton

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Goodreads Synopsis:

“The irony of my scarred, tattooed, gun toting, global drug empire running kidnapper, who goes by the nickname Lord Ruin, the Bliss King, telling me I’m safe is not lost on me.”

When ghostwriter Greer Gibson woke wearing silk pyjamas, in a room she didn’t recognise, she figured she’d done it again. Picked up a stranger in a local bar and gone to a city hotel with him.

Except she had no memory of doing that, the room was an expansive suite on a tropical island, she didn’t own silk pyjamas, and she was locked in.

Lek Hetherington needs a talented writer. But the best in the business, Greer Gibson, is booked out for years. That’s just a shoulder shrug for an underworld figure who rules over a global drug empire from his island hideaway.

Lek gets what he wants, even if he has to take it by force.

Captive is book 1 of 4 in The Bliss King.

My Review:

I received a free copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.



This book was seriously hot.



To be honest, this isn't my normal genre. I get slightly uncomfortable reading tons of naughty scenes, like I'm the one doing naughty things in public (even though I'm just reading about naughty things in public). This book was intended to be naughty, but it didn't really get down to the nitty/gritty till the end. There was definitely a lot teasing, steamy and sexual tension, and just when you thought "now it's on!" they break apart and almost leave you wanting more. At times, I found myself frustrated, I could only imagine the characters. If that is what AA Paton was trying to accomplish, well done!

As far as the story goes, it was interesting learning about the background of characters, the drug empire, their lives leading up to the present, their current surroundings, etc. I would like to use the phrase, it was written beautifully but it wasn't. Although well written, it was an ugly place to be, and it was perfectly executed.

Greer, the main female MC, was one tough cookie. Somewhat insecure in certain aspects, but very confident in others. I liked her most of the time, but there was a moment when I could just imagine her as a spoiled rotten little tween, throwing a temper tantrum because she didn't get her way. In a sense, she has redeemed herself since then.

Lek, her love interest, was an interesting character. You could tell he was haunted by his past, present, and future. It was nice to see he had a chance at a silver lining. Considering he was a criminal to the core, I respected him in a way. I don't think there really was a point that I didn't like him.

As for the supporting characters of Tasanee and Aran, I really enjoyed them both, each in their own way. I feel they really tied the storyline together.

I will recommend this book if someone is looking for something along these lines. I cannot say just yet if I will continue on in the series, but holy hell - with that cliffhanger, I'm not sure I can stay away.

Since this is an advanced reading copy, I would definitely suggest it is proofread prior to official production.

Read from April 23 to May 06, 2015
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My ratings system
5 stars - I absolutely loved it
4 stars - Good book and would recommend
3 stars - Decent book, but wasn't spectacular
2 stars - Not good, but was able to finish it
1 stars - Did not finish (DNF) and I don't usually rate a book I haven't finished (just to be fair to the author)

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Horns by Joe Hill

Horns by Joe Hill

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Goodreads Synopsis:

At first Ig thought the horns were a hallucination, the product of a mind damaged by rage and grief. He had spent the last year in a lonely, private purgatory, following the death of his beloved, Merrin Williams, who was raped and murdered under inexplicable circumstances. A mental breakdown would have been the most natural thing in the world. But there was nothing natural about the horns, which were all too real.

Once the righteous Ig had enjoyed the life of the blessed: born into privilege, the second son of a renowned musician and younger brother of a rising late-night TV star, he had security, wealth, and a place in his community. Ig had it all, and more—he had Merrin and a love founded on shared daydreams, mutual daring, and unlikely midsummer magic.

But Merrin’s death damned all that. The only suspect in the crime, Ig was never charged or tried. And he was never cleared. In the court of public opinion in Gideon, New Hampshire, Ig is and always will be guilty because his rich and connected parents pulled strings to make the investigation go away. Nothing Ig can do, nothing he can say, matters. Everyone, it seems, including God, has abandoned him. Everyone, that is, but the devil inside. . . .

Now Ig is possessed of a terrible new power to go with his terrible new look—a macabre talent he intends to use to find the monster who killed Merrin and destroyed his life. Being good and praying for the best got him nowhere. It’s time for a little revenge. . . . It’s time the devil had his due. . . .

My Review:

First, a quick summary of my thoughts throughout the story . . .







I suppose you can tell I enjoyed myself. Joe Hill managed to keep me in suspense. He made me feel empathy for a creature I would never have before, kept me guessing everyone's intentions/involvement, long for the next chapter, and hope for justice in a more perverse way than usual.

This story started in the present, but then used flashbacks to fill in the blanks. Although this technique was strategic and well executed, I still preferred the current storyline the most (it's not like I didn't enjoy the flashbacks though). I liked Ig and his brother, I waffled on my feelings for Merrin, and I never trusted Lee. The self-righteous have always bothered me in books, they seem to be wearing that persona as a mask to hide a bigger and darker secret.

I'd definitely recommend this book, and have already.

Favorite Quote:

“You think you know someone. But mostly you just know what you want to know.”

Read from April 28 to May 04, 2015

Top 5 Genres*: Horror, Fiction, Fantasy, Thriller, Mystery
*According to Goodreads
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My ratings system
5 stars - I absolutely loved it
4 stars - Good book and would recommend
3 stars - Decent book, but wasn't spectacular
2 stars - Not good, but was able to finish it
1 stars - Did not finish (DNF) and I don't usually rate a book I haven't finished (just to be fair to the author)

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Beastly by Alex Flinn

Beastly by Alex Flinn

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Goodreads Synopsis:

A beast. Not quite wolf or bear, gorilla or dog but a horrible new creature who walks upright — a creature with fangs and claws and hair springing from every pore. I am a monster.
You think I’m talking fairy tales? No way. The place is New York City. The time is now. It’s no deformity, no disease. And I’ll stay this way forever — ruined — unless I can break the spell.
Yes, the spell, the one the witch in my English class cast on me. Why did she turn me into a beast who hides by day and prowls by night? I’ll tell you. I’ll tell you how I used to be Kyle Kingsbury, the guy you wished you were, with money, perfect looks, and the perfect life. And then, I’ll tell you how I became perfectly . . . beastly.

My Review:

I'm not going to lie, I really liked this.



I immediately did not like Kyle. I was already picking up my pitchfork and torch.



Ok, that might be a little too dramatic. I especially hated the way he felt he was entitled to anything and everything because of his good looks. I didn't like the way he treated Magda either. I disliked him so much that I couldn't even find sympathy for the lack of a relationship between him and his father (or mother for that matter).

Then he changed into a beast. I was happy, he had finally got what he deserved.



Although good, and this being the retelling of Beauty and the Beast, the story got infinitely better from this point on. You could clearly see Kyle go through the stages of grief. You could see and feel his growth towards a better man. By the time the story was over, Kyle was no longer Kyle but Adrian, and you couldn't help but love him (although he was a little cheesy in the romantic department). I was so touched by his transformation, I may have had a tear come to my eye (which is super rare).



I don't have much to say about Lindy, you know she was going to be sweet and caring from the beginning, so she didn't have much of an impact on me. Magda was the motherly figure Kyle/Adrian craved. Now Will, he was awesome. I loved his character. He wasn't smug, he wasn't afraid to take advantage of the situation, but always knew right from wrong. I had seen the movie Beastly some years ago. I feel that the role of Will was cast so perfectly with Neil Patrick Harris. I just couldn't imagine anyone else but him while reading. It was like it was written just for him.

On that note, I'd say read this if you like retellings or want something a little more innocent. I enjoyed this and may very well pick up another book from Alex Flinn

Favorite Quotes:

“Just because something is beautiful doesn´t mean it´s good.”

“A beautiful thing is precious, no matter the price. Those who do not know how to see the precious things in life will never be happy...”

“Maybe we judge people too much by their looks because it's easier than seeing what's really important.”

“Sometimes it also helps to have a bit less pride.”

Read from April 22 to May 01, 2015

Top 5 Genres*: Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance, Fantasy/Fairytales, Fantasy/Paranormal
*According to Goodreads
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My ratings system
5 stars - I absolutely loved it
4 stars - Good book and would recommend
3 stars - Decent book, but wasn't spectacular
2 stars - Not good, but was able to finish it
1 stars - Did not finish (DNF) and I don't usually rate a book I haven't finished (just to be fair to the author)

View all my reviews