Leea's Kindle & Coffee Blog

The Invention of Wings is the story of two smart, stubborn and beautiful woman born ahead of their time. Held back by men and laws that long ago conformed to the idea that they were inferior. 

I couldn’t have explained then how the oak tree lives inside the acorn or how I suddenly realized that in the same enigmatic way something lived inside of me—the woman I would become—but it seemed I knew at once who she was.

How can something so amazing break your heart? I found it hard at times to look at my countries past straight on without feeling the uttermost shame in it's acts. At the same time, there was a bubbling of pride in both Hetty and Sarah. Two woman born in two different situations that found themselves allies and sisters of the heart. Set in Charleston, South Carolina in start of 1807 we meet Sarah Grimké the daughter of a high class Charleston family, is given for her eleventh birthday a slave to own. Hetty is 10 at the time and when she finds herself now sleeping at Sarah's door to be her handmaid this starts something between them that lasts 30 years and many unimaginable moments. 

She laid the book down and came where I was standing by the chimney place and put her arms round me. It was hard to know where things stood. People say love gets fouled by a difference big as ours. I didn’t know for sure whether Miss Sarah’s feelings came from love or guilt. I didn’t know whether mine came from love or a need to be safe. She loved me and pitied me. And I loved her and used her. It never was a simple thing. That day, our hearts were pure as they ever would get

I should say that as I found my heart breaking at times, I found these woman in history so inspiring. I live in a world where my words, beliefs and views can be voiced without me finding myself shunned or in jail. Sarah finds herself to be smart with a mind for learning but she's born into a family and time that doesn't believe she capable of a life outside of wife and mother. Her journey is the main focus of The Invention of Wings. With alternating POV's with Hetty and her life as a slave in her families home. Hetty journey is some ways mirrors Sarah's, she doesn't marry or have children. Hetty endures some unimaginable heartbreak her prison is her body while Sarah's is her mind. Through the book we see each change and although time is spent apart there is a kinship between them that was forged at the age of 11.

In conclusion, The Invention of Wings is beautifully written and painstakingly researched. It was a privilege to get an advanced copy of this book and I found myself immersed into this story until the very end. So much happens within these pages, love, pain, happiness and heartache. You cannot help but find a connection to Sarah and Hetty, I know that I did. This is was my second book my Miss Kidd and it may be my favorite!

This ain’t the same Sarah who left here. She had a firm look in her eye and her voice didn’t dither and hesitate like it used to. She’d been boiled down to a good, strong broth. Her hair was loose, dangling along the sides of her neck like silk vines, like the red threads I used to tie round the spirit tree, and I saw it then, the strange thing between us. Not love, is it? What is it? It was always there, a roundness in my chest, a pin cushion. It pricked and fastened. Those girls on the roof with the tea gone cold in the cup. She brought the lid down on the trunk.

ARC courtesy of PENGUIN GROUP via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All quotes were taken from the pre-published copy and should be viewed so.

I've read countless Kristen Ashley books and a running theme between them all are these over-the-to alpha males who can summarize a whole sentence or action with just one word, "babe." This book does not deviate from that norm. Kaleidoscopeis the sixth book in the Colorado Mountain Series by Kristen Ashley. 

This book is about Jacob "Deck" Decker and Emme. They've know each other for 14 years and both have a past that's not simple or neat. But there is something between them, something that hasn't gone away in the last 9 years and something Deck and Emme will fight for. The first half of Kaleidoscope blew me away. It was sweet and beautiful with moments of pure joy and happiness. 

Somewhere around the middle things started to turn in the typical Kristen Ashley way. Jacob started to pull his "i'm the man" card and boss Emme around or insist that she not spend one night away from him. Now sometimes that's sweet but it became repetitive and in the end it's one of the main reasons I gave this book a lower rating. That and the ending that seemed to well just end. Although, this book is around 400 pages, the story didn't feel like it has concluded and the Epilogue come out of nowhere. Then we started jumping large chunks of time, I liked seeing where Jacob and Emme ended up I just wanted more of a story surrounding that. 

In conclusion, this is a solid continuation of the characters and stories we've read the past Colorado Mountain Series. We get a snapshot of how all the other characters are doing and now we add Emme and Deck to that happy family. Unfortunately there isn't anything that wow'ed me, but it was a fast engaging story at that. 

ARC courtesy of Forever (Grand Central Publishing) via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

This is going to be short... It's new years eve and i've already tapped into the bubbly, just keep that in mind. ha!

To Tempt a Viking is the second book in the Forbidden Viking series by Michelle Willingham. I'll admit that having loved the Vikings Series on TV has spurred me to want to read more about this time period and so far this series has been great (don't let the covers fool you). The writing is deep and layered. The characters are interwoven in a way that you want to know more about then but you don't feel pushed in that direction. 

What I loved about this book was how Miss Willingham was able to make me fall for Elena when in the first book, To Sin with a Viking she made me despise her. Now for me that's just good storytelling. I loved Ragnar from the first book but I enjoyed being inside his head, feeling the lust and long he felt for Elena for years. Since he was a boy and never acting on it was almost painful to read. I was beyond trilled with how Miss Willingham wrote Elena's inability to become pregnant into something positive and not a simple solution. It really filled out the story for me.

So why 3 stars... Well first off for me a 3 star book is a solid book. That's what To Tempt a Viking was for me, a good book. But I wasn't wowed by it in any way. Personally I liked the first book better but that doesn't make me not want to read the next book in this series. I have a small hope that it's Brennon's because i'm still wondering what happened to him.

ARC courtesy of Harlequin via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Naked Werewolf series is just fun! They're funny take you away from a dull day sexy. It's one of the reasons Miss Harper is several of my friends favorite funny sexy romance writer. I'm going to start adding myself to the list.

In How to Run with a Naked Werewolf we meet up with Anna Moder (you remember her as the pack doctor) she's on the run and like many of Miss Harpers female characters she finds herself in a dangerous situation. Anna is smart and funny but she's had to survive running from an abusive husband and that has caused her to not share any part of herself so such a long time. She saves Caleb Graham on night and what happens next is just pure fun and a joy ride across Alaska.

What I enjoyed about this story was how Anna didn't play the victim. Having been on the run for so long taught her to follow her instincts and she's written as such a strong woman who still cannot understand how she landed in an abusive marriage. How her controlling husband turned her world upside down. When she finds herself attracted to Caleb she doesn't fight those instincts, well sort of. She just knows she can trust him. I also enjoyed how the story progressed across the state of Alaska, how the beautiful mountains and endless show was described. How time and time again Caleb didn't try to force Anna (aka Tina) into doing anything she didn't want to do. Her understood how frightened she was. 

In conclusion, I found How to Run with a Naked Werewolf to be a quick, fast and sexy read. These werewolf are just so devilish and fun. I'm so interested in finding out who the next book will be about and how the pack grows and changes.

ARC courtesy of Gallery, Threshold, Pocket Books via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Laney grinned. “Zero stars. And that’s final.” He watched her. He couldn’t believe the miracle of her, or how beautiful and brave she was. But that wasn’t the phrase, not precisely. She felt good and endless, and he wanted to never stop discovering her.

This is the second book in Carolyn Crane Associates Series, a fast paced series set around a group of spies with brains called the Associates. Although this is a series, Off the Edge could be read as a stand alone. The world is outlined in each book but i've enjoyed reading this series from the beginning. Off the Edge just feels more polished and developed or maybe it's just that I fell so hard for this story and once Macmillan and his white shirt graced the page, I was simply lost.

I wish I could find the right words to describe how much I enjoyed every aspect of this book. But wow, I just loved this book. In many ways it reminded me of my favorite suspense series,Suzanne Brockmann, Troubleshooter series but without all the side stories. First off I should say i'm not a huge suspense fan so i'm not an expert on how they should be done and for me Off the Edge moved past being put in a box with its moving story, descriptive nuances and characters you could connect with. 

Something happens the moment that Peter "Maxwell" Macmillan sees Laney singing on stage. The songs she wrote from the heart seem to float over everyone else but they're a bullseye for Peter. He's lost in her descriptions and in that moment he must know more about Laney. 

Maxwell listened. He saw her. He soaked her in, seemed almost to enjoy her, with a kind of sparkle in his eye that seemed just for her. It made her feel happy, bold. And it was mercilessly sexy.

Then theres Macmillan... Peter the man he once was is drawn so desperately to Laney that he torn like never before between his mission with the Association and his desire to be near Laney. You see he's a linguistic specialist with brawn in fact Laney described Maxwell as an academic Indiana Jones and I loved that!

“A linguist secret agent. Did you grow up thinking, I want to be so goddamn cool someday?”

The mission of finding this super weapon was fun and it intrigued me. There was a lot of running, guns and fighting and I thought that was written very realistic. I found myself at the edge of my seat many times as Macmillan was in danger and asking Laney to leave him. 

Maybe his efforts to save Laney had unbalanced the mission and set countless arms dealers after her. Well, he’d save her from them, too. He’d save the whole goddamn world, because just watching her twirl a twisty tie made him feel hopeful. And every one of her crazy words filled him with unspeakable joy. And the way she held her lips when she was angry made him happy, and so did her filthy mouth, and all that energetic red hair she hid under that brown dye. There was even something about those songs of hers, much as they nettled him. No, it was more that they pierced him…pummeled him.

In conclusion, I found Off the Edge to be an engaging not your traditional romantic suspense novel. Character that you wanted to get to know better and writing that blew me away. Plus this book is sexy, I mean SEXY (yes, in all caps). I heard that Miss Crane took her time writing this book and it simply shows. If you haven't guessed, I loved Off the Edge and now I get to wait for the third book in the series... I can't wait!!

ARC courtesy of CrushStar Multimedia LLC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All quotes were taken from the pre-released ARC and should be viewed accordingly.

Well the Elemental Series does not fail to surprise me. In factSecret is almost like two stories that converge into one. To me Miss Kemmerer writes YA like it should be. Filled with real life issues that are not downplayed because of people misconceptions about young adults. She also doesn't write her series to exclude "adults" and the Merrick brothers are this amazing mix of ages that just feels right and true.

Okay the story...

This is Nicks journey with and heavy dose of Quinn and I loved it! The mix between these two, Nick using Quinn as his girlfriend and Quinn falling for her old ways and letting Nick use her because she doesn't feel worthy (see... YA themes that need to be touched on). Nick is hiding his true self from the people who can understand him most and her pushes Quinn into the arms of the Merrick brothers enemy... or is he?

I'm about to get on my soap box...

I love lessons in books. I just do. For example, Quinn's home life is a wreck or more it a nightmare and she's holding on by a thread. Part of me wonders how she hid it this long and if the person who helps her just understood her pain. Some YA books have gotten some slack for graphic language or sex. Now there is not actual "sex" in this book, it's alluded to. For me the these touched on in Secret, coming out to your family and domestic abuse are issues that young adults deal with all the time. These issues were delt with is such a positive matter that I hope people can accept them for being positive.

What I loved about Secret...

Umm everything! The pace - non-stop action but with some real life Merrick dating drama mixed in. This book is all Nick but with a good dose of Quinn and I finally understood her and I loved her even more after reading this book. Now Tyler was someone we were lead to hate but in Secret you may change your mind about him. I know I did. I couldn't put this book down and I didn't want to because I kept wanting to know what was on the next page. This is book 4 in the Elemental Series, we have a clear picture of the Merrick men, but somehow each book reveals more. More importantly this series is just fun to read and never fails to be a great read. So if you haven't picked up and book by Miss Kemmerer, then your in for a treat. She's a hidden gem in the writing world. 

ARC courtesy of Kensington Books via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I don't know what to say, i'm still reeling for all the fantasticness that is Too Stupid to Live. This is not my first M/M book, nor will it be my last but there are times when this genre lacks emotional connections in their books. I try very hard to research before I read, like many of my friends do but this time I wen't will my friend Wendy's gut and it did not steer us wrong. 

The Story:

Sam has always know he was gay. His family has always known because he's only been, well who is. He's lanky, tall, skinny most would call him. With blue eyes and sandy hair, he doesn't think he's attractive and past relationships have made Sam down on himself. Sam's a writer, he reads romance novels you know the ones with the heaving bosom on the front? He loves them and at times he finds himself inside his head imagining if those hero or heroines came to life. Then one day he runs into Ian and life changes for Sam...

What I LOVED:

Ohhh theres a lot to love about Too Stupid to Live. What had me laughing and falling head over heels in love with Sam was the ingenious way he was written. Not so sure of himself, a little down of his love life or lack there of but also totally just himself.  I loved how Sam played his life out with the plot lines of a romance novel. It was just always in the back of his mind and it made this book so fun to read. I've done that before, imagined what my favorite book hero would do in a situation. It was just so refreshing to read. This is why I love Sam:

"And that’s when it hit Sam. If Ian was a TGH, that made Sam . . . Too Stupid to Live. Sam closed his eyes in resignation. He was TSTL. Stupid enough to investigate the locked fourth story of the manor house, where the human screams originated; stupid enough to run out onto the moors at night to find the howling wolves. Stupid enough to want to suck Ian’s cock again. And the whole time, he’d be thinking he could somehow further the plot via his stupidity."

Then comes Ian, he's a mans man or at least that's how he comes off at first. You think he's at home watching ESPN with a beer in his hand... but really he's

Ian smirked. “I like beer and gymnastics, but I’m hoping the men’s team is competing."

He's complicated in more ways than one. To watch Ian grow into the man he is at the end of this book is one of the most fantastic things i've read this year. Honestly! This is not just about sex, let me tell you there is some smoking hot sex in this book. This is about a emotional connection between two men that surpass the external appearance of a man and dive into his soul. How this plays out it nothing but pure genius. You just have to read this book to experience the magic. 

In conclusion, if you're looking for an outstanding M/M romance book that takes it's reading on a fun and emotional ride. Then Too Stupid to Live is just the book for you. I know it's one of my favorite M/M book i've read and It's going down as one of my favorite book of 2013. This being my first book by Anne Tenino, so I cannot compare this to her other books. I can tell you after i'm done writing this review, i'm off to research her other books. 

Side note: I want to thank Wendy for always reading with me and allowing me to text her all the time with my little thoughts about our buddy reads. It's something that has taken my reading to the next level. To be able to share my thoughts with someone who's reading the same book as I am is just pure bliss. Thanks Wendy! 

2 stars…

I wish that I could write that I loved Carolina Gold and in some ways the story moved me. But in the end nothing seemed to happen. I was looking for the mystery that was promised in the synopsis but again; there really wasn’t much to it at all.

I found the descriptions of the South Carolina rice plantation to be fascinating, taking me into a time and place that is so foreign to me. Carolina Gold takes place after the Civil War when our country is broken and trying to go on with a new kind of life. So much has changed for Charlotte; she’s written in such a way that you believe that this one woman is going to somehow single handedly save her families plantation. Although, this idea is beyond far fetched, I enjoyed reading the process. Simple details of farm life, social norms and even the way that the rolls of woman were changing were very interesting. Carolina Gold simply lacked that passion to pull a reader into a story and get lost in it. Not sexual passion, but a feeling of the character having to accomplish this feet. 

Having been my first book by, Dorthy Love I didn’t have any expectations. I wasn’t completely let down but in the end I felt that the storyline really didn’t give me the range of emotions I’m normally looking for in a Historical read. 

ARC courtesy of Thomas Nelson – Fiction via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars...

“Oh god,” I gasped as the door closed with a groan, sealing us inside the tunnel.

Once again Halle makes me want to run and hide under the covers because this book is the scariest of all the Experiment in Terror books.

For me Ashes to Ashes was a turning point for both Perry & Dex along with the Experiment in Terror TV show... You'll have to read the book to find it all out :) I will say that this is a good turning point and I now can see how this series will come to a close. Or I have a few thoughts on that. What I can say about Ashes to Ashes is that it took Perry and cranked her up a bit. She's more the focus of this book, in the past we've had alternating POV's but this book is Perry all the way. But i'm missing Dex. What we get in Ashes to Ashes is crude sex starved Dex and I love that about him but there is also so much more to him. I felt like part of him that makes him such a well rounded character was missing. It truly affected my rating of Ashes to Ashes. I just have some mixed feelings about a lot of what happened. How some of the sex scenes were played out, yes they were hot but also just felt put there for the fans. I'm not bashing on this book, this is one of my favorite series. I love so much about Dex & Perry. I just have to be honest and I know i'm in the minority here. 

Ashes to Ashes had several revelations that really shocked me. So much of this book was predictable but not those revelations and that was just so fun! This book ends in a cliff hanger and i'm still a little peeved about that. Mainly because i'm not a patient girl when it comes to her favorite fiction couples. So I get to wait to see what happens next... It looks like we have 2 more books till the end of the series. Halle has done a terrific job at not making this world feel old, Dex & Perry have been through so much and i'm excited about what's next. 

My favorite quote from Dex: 

“Baby,” he murmured roughly, staring at me fixedly with half-closed eyes, “I try and put myself in your damn shoes every single day. Because you’re my girl. You’re my woman. You’re my partner. You’re my lover. And if I can’t try and fucking understand you and that complex, crazy head of yours, then I’m not doing my job. Then I’m not worthy of you. I want to be worthy of you, baby. I want to know how you work, how you function, how you think. I want to know you so I can be there for you and be there with you. There’s not a day that I’m not trying to discover another one of your beautiful layers. So don’t say that I’m not in your shoes. I’ve been wearing them more than you think.”

This is just what I needed... I love the MacKinnon Rangers series and this was a fantastic addition.

If you were wondering what next for the Rangers and William then Upon a Winter's Night will answer all those question and in the end leave you with the desire to read Williams book. This series is deeply layered, grounded in American History and incredibly moving. I found myself once again wanting to be Amalie, Sarah or Annie. Because hearth and home is whats important to Ian, Connor and Morgan. 

A must read for Ranger Fans... I suggest pairing this with some warm cider right by the fire.

I might be crazy, but I was very rarely wrong, and I had a strong feeling that life in the suburbs of Red Deer, Texas, had just gotten a lot more complicated.

Another solid start to what I'm sure will be a fantastic series by one of my favorite authors, Ilona Andrews. 

Clean Sweep is about an innkeeper who's trying to get her inn, The Gertrude Hunt Bed-and-Breakfast back to its former glory. Dina parents were innkeepers but one day they just vanished. She's been looking for them for years with no luck. Now her small sleepy Texas neighborhood is under attack, someone is killing dogs in a gruesome way. Dina cannot have this kind of attention, she needs to keep a low profile. Next thing you know she runs into a werewolf and later a vampire - nope this is no joke. 

What I liked most about Clean Sweep is how we jump right into the story. The backstory and set up follow the characters and this was it doesn't feel like such an information dump. I enjoyed the creative way that Dina's inn interacts with her, how it protects and shields her from harm. Her broom is not your traditional dust buster, this one changes and forms to what Dina needs. The whole concept is just cool! 

When we first meet Sean, I liked him right away. I hope as the series processes that doesn't change. I did have a moment when Sean and Arland were sitting at Dina's dinner table, I thought of Sookie. These series are vastly different but already the set up for a love triangle is there. 

"What are you intentions toward Dina?" Arland asked on the screen. 
"My intentions are my business," Sean said. 
"Mhm," Arland said. "I have spent my spare time studying literature popular with young women of this planet. One should always study the battlefield." Sean glanced at him. "And?" 
"I suggest you give up now. According to my research, in a vampire-werewolf love triangle, the vampire always get the girl." 
"Is that so?" Sean asked. "It is." 
"In that case, may the best man win."

Now I wait for the next book in the Innkeeper Chronicles...

Ohhh Kate and Curran have I missed you!

This is my first book by Rhyannon Byrd and it wont be my last. I found the cast of characters and story to be good, not great but what stood out above all the rest was the passion between Elise and Wyatt.

Elise is a dark wolf, she's has the purist bloodlines and will change into her dark wolf with her true mate. So when she's attacked and beaten, damaged and can't remember what happened. Her whole worlds just stops. Three years later, at her brothers wedding, Elise finds herself being attacked again but this time Wyatt Pallaton defending her. What Elise doesn't know is that Wyatt has been watching her, he's been attracted to her for awhile now and this turn of events mades Wyatt unable to leave Elise alone. 

So, I picked up Dark Wolf Running no knowing it was the fifth book in the Bloodrunners seres but I wasn't lost at all. More so it made me want to go back and read the first 4 books so I could catch up. Like many PNR books or Shifter books there is a lot of sexual tension and in this book it just explodes off the page. Making the major plot line of finding Elise's attackers fade into the background. I was transfixed by the way that Wyatt was written. He's just as damaged as Elise but he's so patient and gentle with her. He's also honest about his feelings. All that adds up to some pulse raising scenes. I mean, wow!!

Why 3 stars? Well the sex and romance was 4.5 but the storyline was a 2 at best, so I wen't with 3 stars. Having said that, I cannot wait to read another book my Miss Byrd.

ARC courtesy of Harlequin Nocturne via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I'm almost at a loss with how to review this book. It was an experience, like I was Penryn and this book happened to me. Because once I was able to sit and dive into it, I couldn't stop. I know I sound like one of those crazy book ladies. but I also feel like i'm here with my people... 

World After has everything you want in an Urban Fantasy book: Heart stopping fight scenes, touching family moments, and a forbidden growing romance.

World Afterstarts right where Angelfall ends. Penryn and her Mom are in the back of the resistance truck leaving the city with the fallen aerie in the background. From that moment we are gifted with non stop action when Penryn joins the resistance and is still protecting Paige. She's also having visions brought on by Raffe's sword. These visions show us the reader Raffes POV. How he feels during key moments in Angelfall. The first part of the book was good but the last part of World After blew me away!

I'm a Northern California native, i've lived here my whole life, my family has been in California for 8 generations. So as you can imagine, i've walked the streets of San Francisco and lunched at Pier 39. I was even married in Half Moon Bay. To read a book about the world falling apart in your city, just adds this real effect. 

The new aerie is a posh hotel that used to sit on the bluffs overlooking the ocean. Now it sits on a piece of the land that miraculously didn’t get washed away with the rest of the cliffs surrounding it. A narrow land bridge connects what’s left of the bay with the hotel island, making the whole place look like a keyhole.

I couldn't help but think of the Ritz Carlton, Half Moon Bay...



In the end I was mesmerized by Miss Ee's ability to take such tender innocent moments between Raffe and Penryn and turn the heat way up. I don't know what's going to happen at the end of this series but I have some high hopes for this romance to somehow work out. 

He pulls me into his arms and holds me tight. He is the one pocket of warmth in a sea of ice. Being in his arms feels like the home I never had. He’s still panting his laugh that rumbles through his chest. My chest moves with his, making me smile

As if I couldn't love Terrible more. This short that is not all that short, which was nice is set during a time when Terrible and Chess are still working out what their feelings are for each other. We get Wrong Ways Down in Terrible's point of view and it's very fun to be in his head. To see Chess through his eyes and how much love and respect he has for her. Yes this book is about Terrible solving the mystery of who is going around hurting Bumps prostitutes but that story came second fiddle for me when It came to the moments where Chess and Terrible were on the page. Magnetic, fueled with passion and never ending attraction and people nothing happened but small touches and long looks. 

Having finished Wrong Ways Down, I feel the need for a reread of Downside Ghosts, one of my favorite Urban Fantasy Series. If you haven't picked up this series for any number of reasons then today is your day. Grab it and fall in love with these real, damaged, amazing characters.

Now i'm off to dive into Close to You... Can't wait!!

What a fun snippet into Chess and Terrible during the holidays... it's not what you expect and you get a little bit of Chessibomb and Terrible being in love and together. It was fantastic!