The Miranda Contract by Ben Langdon

Blurb: Dan has been running away from his past his whole life but people do not forget a young super villain that easily and they definitely do not forgive. He finally finds some semblance of normality when he finds out his grand father, a supervillain has returned. Dan now must fight his own blood for his freedom because this time he does not have the option to run away. The Mad Russian is threatening everything he has spent years building, a normal life where most people do not care about who he is. His grand father wants Dan to accept his birth right and embrace his power. He will go to any lengths to achieve that goal even make his grandson fall in love with a reigning  pop star and then use her as a leverage against him.
Synopsis: Dan lives in a world where people with special powers exist, where super-villains make peoples lives miserable and super heroes fight them. Unfortunately, Dan used to belong to the former category. His grand father is The Mad Russian, the leader of all super-villains. His grand father was the only one Dan ever looked up to but the Mad Russian manipulated him and ended up losing him forever. Dan now leads a seemingly ordinary life but those close to him know he is far from ordinary. He has the ability to control electric energy around him but he wants to stay hidden far from worlds attention. Even though he has separated him self from everything evil he is still being judged for who he was but everything changes when the Mad Russian comes back and this time he wants Dan to become his heir.
Miranda is a super star who has come very far from her origins, so far that she does not even know who she is any more, she is on a world tour when her path intervenes with Dan's. she is caught in the crossfire between Dan and The Mad Russian.
As Dan and Miranda survive the Mad Russians attacks one at a time they find unexpected allies in each other. They work as a team in their journey to defeat Dan's grandfather and come across many foes and friends. But sometimes it is very hard to distinguish between the two. Will Dan be able to let go of his past and come forward as hero from this battle of wills?
Review:
*I was given a free copy of the book for an honest review*
The Miranda Contract is a book I fully expected to enjoy. To make reviewing easier I have decided to divide the book in to two parts:
The first half left me dizzy and confused as to what was actually going on. Somewhere near 25% of the book I realized the author was writing in a comic book style. The thing is comic books have drawings to help readers visualize the scenes and characters when you are writing about such characters you have to give a bit more info as to where they are coming from. The Mad Russian who is supposed to be a super-villain does not speak proper English. I get that he is a Russian but his English did not need to be so poor, he is a very old experienced mastermind after all. So why did I not stop? I am a huge sucker for super heroes and a good story line, that's why.
The second half was the saving grace of the book. The characters became more real and things start to make sense. The pace got faster and action a lot better. I just wish it had not taken 100 or more pages to get there. The detachment I felt in the beginning was gone by the end and I became invested in characters.
I really enjoyed Dan and Miranda's chemistry though there was scene where they were supposed to be fighting on street. I never found out what they were fighting over. I would have enjoyed more scenes between them where they snap at each other.
All in all its a book with great potential and with good editing it can become a lot better.Best of luck to Ben Langdon!
 Recommended  comic book and super hero fans.
                                                                Yours sincerely,
                                                                        Ashi

The Friend Zone by Tabetha Thompson

The Friend Zone Release Day Event- Giveaways!!!!

Title: The Friend Zone           

Author:  Tabetha Thompson

Published:  March 24, 2014
Genre:  Contemporary Romance

Book Synopsis :

Tormented by a past relationship that she can’t seem to escape, Chloe feels like her only option is to swear off men completely. Two years later, the self-imposed “man-ban” is still going strong, but then Skye walks back into her life. Skye left Bartow thirteen years ago an awkward, pimple-faced boy who didn’t quite fit in, but the man that returns evokes a white-hot fire of desire in her. 

Chloe is the only woman Skye has ever loved and he’s not about to let her slip through his fingers again. She may want to put him in the friend zone, but he knows her desire for him is simmering just below the surface. Just when Skye thinks he’s finally broken down the walls of stone around Chloe’s heart, something happens that will leave them both devastated and broken. Are they strong enough to survive?

Book Links:

Goodreads: The Friend Zone

Smashwords: The Friend Zone

Amazon - The Friend Zone

B&N - The Friend Zone

Author Bio:

About me? Huh well what can I say. I'm a twenty-eight-year-old high stay at home mother of two beautiful girls.

My children are amazing. There isn’t a day that goes by that they don’t challenge my husband and I or make us laugh and feel loved. Growing up the way I did, I never wanted kids, but they’re here and I wouldn’t trade them for anything in the world for. God has truly blessed my family and me.

                                                                                                            

My husband Bill is the levelheaded one; he’s always so calm and logical, whereas I'm the loud-mouthed spaz that doesn’t know when to shut up. He was my saving grace in a time when I really needed one. I honestly believe he is my gift from God. He’s everything I've ever wanted: smart, kind, loving, PATIENT, (lord knows he needs it living with me) and so very supportive!

I'm a firm believer in going through life’s tragedies and blessings so that you can become the person you were meant to be. Writing has always been a hidden passion of mine and I am so thankful that I finally have the opportunity to share my stories with you.

Links:

Goodreads: Tabetha Thompson

Facebook: Tabetha Thompson

Twitter: Tabetha Thompson

Google+: Tabetha Thompson

Blog: Tabetha Thompson

                                                                                                            

 www.imrblogtours.com

Giveaway Information:

• 2 $10 Gift Cards – Winners choice of Amazon or B&N
• 2 eCopies of The Friend Zone

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Woman of Honor by Nicole Zaltack.

Blurb:Aislinn wants to be a knight but their Kingdom has never had a Lady Knight before. As she goes to the king with her request she is granted two probationary years after which it will be decided whether she has what it takes to be a knight. Thus begins a long journey towards the knighthood during which she will have to prove her worth time and time again. When the time comes will she be deemed worthy of carrying the honorable title of knighthood?
Synopsis: Woman of honor is all about Aislinn, a girl who wants to be a knight to carry on her family's tradition after her brothers tragic death. She goes to the King who accepts her request but on condition that she will have to go through two years of probation after which it will be decided if she is worthy of knighthood or not. During those two years she makes an ally out of the prince, whom she hates for having luxuries she does not have. She finds a friend in a young page, George and an enemy of sorts in, Adamina. Adamina is a street rat who also decided to become a knight when she heard of Aislinn. Aislinn works very hard to prove her worth and gains her peers respect along the way. Along the way she has to prove her self again and again just for being a female. A time will come when she will have to let go of the prince she has come to love...Will she be able to make that sacrifice?
Review:
Music: Tarantarmoricana
*I was given a free copy by the author for my honest review*
 I am a firm believer in hard work and I liked the way Aislinn worked for her knighthood. What ever her problems be she really was determined to be a knight and that beyond anything made me admire her. She also stood up for what she believed in and was stubborn enough to survive the bullying and constant fear of failing. Initially she is arrogant and I liked how she grew out of it with age but I would have liked it if it had not been at Adamina's death. I actually liked Adamina despite her attitude problem as she had much more to face then Aislinn. I would have liked to see her alive and to find how it all turned out for her.
Woman of honor is an interesting read with many interesting characters but leaves much to be desired. To start with when does a seven year old start thinking like a fourteen year old? Is it because of the era? Younger Aislinns thoughts left me bewildered for the first 20% of the book. The book also lacked depth initially and felt two dimensional. Then there is Aislinn her self. Aislinn is simply used to having what she wants and it surprises me how she got through some of the troubles through sheer luck. There is also how anyone who hated her either died or was kicked out of the program. I get the author wanted a happy ending but something tragic needs to happen and fast to save the story from becoming too predictable. Aislinn and Cealans love story also needed to be a bit more complicated, some times I felt like I was watching a Disney movie.
Despite all the above I actually enjoyed reading Woman of honor and got invested in the characters. I wish to find out how it all ends. Best of luck to Nicole for her future endeavors.
                                                                     Yours sincerely,
                                                                            Ashi.

Crown of Midnight (Throne of Glass # 2) by Sarah J. Maas

Blurb: Celaena Sardothien is finally free. She is also the Kings Champion. She has to eliminate any threat to the King Havilliard, the king who destroyed everything she held dear, the king she despises beyond any anything, the king who would kill her the moment he found out her true identity. And he will expect his Captain of the Guard, Choal, to do it. Choal, the man who saved her life and some one she had grown to care and...love. As Choal and Celaena toe the line that should never be crossed they endanger not just their loved ones but the very purpose they live for. Can they remain true to their purpose and themselves or will they throw it all away and find a new purpose to live? With the ancient forces at work they have to make that decision fast or it will be made for them and they might not like the consequences it wrought's.
Review:
Song: Poisoned with love
I loved crown of midnight. Everything was beyond awesome. Celaena is back to her assassin ways and this time she has people who truly care for her. Chaol and Celaena are closer than ever. Captain of the Guard has grown to care and love Celaena for who she really is but if he crosses the line he will not only betray the king but the friend he really cares for, Dorian. He helps her find the new rebellions who threaten the king but what he does not realize is that Celaena means to help them not destroy them. Dorian decides to move on halfway through the book and realizes something about himself that will destroy everything he believes in.
Choal and Celaena finally end up together and find happiness a midst kings cruelty.But that happiness is short lived as Celaena loses the only true friend in the whole glass castle, Nehemia and she thinks Chaol is to blame. This is enough to snap Celaena and she decides she had had enough. She is determined to find the reason behind kings power and sudden disappearance of magic. While Celaena is busy roaming the dark labyrinth beneath the glass castle Chaol is searching for Celaena's true identity and what he finds has him scared. He is not scared of her but scared for her and he will do anything to keep her safe even go back to the family that threw him out many years ago.
In this second book in Throne of Glass series Sarah gives you everything, a good story line, lovable characters, enviable relationships and darker villains. Crown of midnight leaves the reading craving more and I for one can not wait for Heir of Fire to come out this September!
(Review of Throne of Glass (Book 1 of series): Throne Of Glass )

                                                         Yours sincerely,
                                                                Ashi.

Eric is awake by Dom Shaw

*I was given a free copy by the author for an honest review*
Eric is awake is basically POV of Eric Arthur Blair AKA George Orwell in a dystopian society. Eric died in his bed in 1950 only to wake up and find himself not just in a in a different era but a different body Somewhere in 21st century UK citizens are under government scrutiny 24/7 via MC devices.Fortunately he finds a good doctor and slowly comes in terms with the new world. I got as far as 100 pages before I decided this book was not for me. The book is actually good sadly it was not my type ( I could not make myself care). Recommended for history and philosophy buffs and of course the George Orwell fans.
                                                                       Yours sincerely,
                                                                              Ashi.

Liebster Award

I have been nominated for the Liebster Award by Mary Collins of inspiredbooksguide. Rules are explained well here: Liebster Award.

11 Facts about me:

• I am a Castle fan.
• I studied one year in med school (one of the best in my country) before dropping out.
• I love cats but can not get one because my mom does not like them.
• I like to paint.
• My first book was a Mary-Kate and Ashley mystery.
• I fell on a glass table when I was in grade 3 and got 5 stitches.
• I have 4 best friends who know absolutely everything about me.
• I never liked clown always thought they were creepy.
• I hate to miss out stuff.
• I watch a lot of tv and read a lot of books and am easily distracted.
• Despite all that I was always a good student and got a gold medal fro my O'level school upon graduation.

Questions from Mary

1. What made you decide to write a blog?
2. Which social media tool do you enjoy using the most and why, Facebook or Twitter?
3. What is your favorite animal as a pet and why?
4. Do you prefer getting together with friends at a restaurant or entertaining at home and why?
5. If you were asked to work in a theatrical production, would you prefer being an actor or working backstage and why?
6. What is your favorite genre of movies and why?
7. If you could interview anyone in the world, who would it be?
8. Do you enjoy reading magazines and if so, what type?
9. Do you prefer going to the beach or to the mountains?
10. What kind of music do you like?
11. If you could be the leader of any country in the world, which one would you choose and why?

My Answers:

• I wanted to meet people who love books as much as I do and to discuss what I books I have read.
• Facebook because all my friends are on FB.
• Cat cause they soft and cute and have attitude like me. :p
• At home I feel more relaxed there.
• Work backstage, I will mostly likely be the director, I am a control freak.
• Action, because of hot guys and one liners. :P
• Angelina Jolie, I am a huge fan!
• Yeah i do the scientific ones I like being up to date with new research.
• Both but I like mountains better.
• All kind my taste varies.
• My country Pakistan, it seriously needs help.

My questions:

1. What is your favorite food?
2. Who's your role model?
3. If you are given 3 wishes what would they be?
4. Who do you love the most in you life and why?
5. Which city is your favorite?
6. What kind of sports do you enjoy and why?
7. If you could kill some one who would that be and why?
8. What is nicest thing someone said to you?
9. Do you watch Supernatural?Explain.
10. Who do you think is the hottest person alive?
11. Which festival do you enjoy the most?

Blogs I have nominated:

http://www.lifesopenpages.blogspot.co.uk/

http://theyabookbutterfly.blogspot.com/

http://jaffareadstoo.blogspot.co.uk/

http://www.girlwithherheadinabook.blogspot.co.uk/

http://bookbanter.wordpress.com/

                                                                           Yours sincerely,

                                                                                  Ashi.

Binge-watching......

Hi! its been few days since I last posted something as I was down with flu and started watching Veronica Mars. Now I am seriously hooked and am completely useless until I am done with it.I liked season one and season two is okay, basically this is my situation right now:

Does that happen to you too? 

Can you stop your self or do you keep on watching even though your eyes start to water??

If so which show were you following??

I just have to know who Veronica ends up with, Logan or Duncan..... so as soon as I am done binge-watching I will finish Eric is Awake.

                                                                    Yours sincerely,

                                                                             Ashi.

Mark of the Demon by Dianna Rowland

Blurb: Kara Gillian leads two lives, one as summoner and second as a BPD Detective. As a summoner she summons demons at night and as a cop she handles homicides and up till now she has been able to keep those two lives apart. Suddenly they collide when Symbol Man, a serial killer, starts killing again after a three year break and leaves traces of arcane behind. On top of that Kara accidentally summons a Demon lord, Rhyzkahl, who instead of killing her seduces her. Why?
Kara is determined to catch the the Symbol Man and she has the help the charming FBI Agent Ryan. As she gets closer to the killer she can't help but realize that its some one closer to her and as the number of killings increases so does her distrust of every one around her. Is every one trying to use her for their own means? Can she trust Ryan? Or should she trust Rhyzkahl?

Review: Mark of the Demon is the first book in Kara Gillian series by Dianna Rowland.
Dianna has created a world where there a some people with the gift of summoning. This gift is genetic in nature and can only be inherited.These people can summon demons in to this world and exchange favors. Demons in Kara's world are not of satanic origin instead they are a different specie from another planar. They are strong and divided into many levels according to their power and knowledge. 
Kara: Kara is a strong character with a bad-ass attitude and some great summoning skills. She  has finally graduated because she was able to summon a twelfth level demon. Though her character was strong and the author has done everything right Kara still left no impression on me. She was everything I expected and sometimes I wished she was not because it made her predictable.
As for her love interest both were almost unremarkable. Rhyzkahl was beautiful but a bit useless I think because he did not really help her out except when she was almost dying. Ryan was a bit better and liked him for most parts except for his weird mood swings that I did not get at all. May be the author was confused about what kind of personality she wanted him to have or may be its just me. I do not know. 
The case of Symbol Man was very interesting and the suspense was awesome. I could not deduce who the Symbol Man was until just before he was revealed. 
I think it has great potential and I want to check out the next book just to see where the author  leads it.
                                                                                                Yours sincerely,
                                                                                                          Ashi.

Bittersweet rescue by Coleen Kwan

Three seconds can change a man's life.
Blurb: Bittersweet rescue is the story of two people, Ellie and Drake. Ellie has been living in a state of limbo since her sisters death. She works for Drake as his PA. A horrific road accident snaps Ellie awake and she ends up saving Drakes life. Now that Ellie is awake she is more attuned to her surroundings especially to her boss. Reluctantly, they both acknowledge the attraction and Drake offers to ' scratch the itch' while they are on leave. Drake wants to keep things strictly physical. Though he can not help but be fascinated by his little secretary as she lets down her reservations little by little. As they spend more time together its not strictly physical anymore. But Ellie can not be with someone whose entire life has been spent seeking revenge... When the time comes will Drake acknowledge his feelings for her or will he let her go? 
Review:
I got a free copy of Bittersweet rescue by Coleen Kwan for my honest review. 
I really enjoyed reading about Drake and Ellie coming to terms with their past. The pace was just right and the story was beautifully written. The characters were strong and their chemistry was almost palpable. There were few times I laugh out loud at Ellie's horror when she would just blurt out whatever she was thinking.
The author has done a good job of letting her characters accept their emotions without too much of melodrama. I will be adding her books on my to-read list.
Recommended to those who need to read a sweet short love story with a happy ending.
                                                                           Yours sincerely,
                                                                                Ashi.

Entangled Moments by Dori Lavelle

Blurb: Carlene has been through a tragic accident and she lost everything she held dear; her boyfriend, her career and her apartment....
She finally finds refuge in Oasis and has been hiding there since. But a brief meeting with a stranger, Nick, convinces her that its time to face the world. What she did not anticipate was how a single good deed was going to turn her life around. Suddenly she has a solid job and a nice apartment and shes the face of a new line, Diamond Dreams. 
Carlene can not stop thinking about Nick even when she knows its never going to work out. Nick is not only a billionaire but he is also engaged. How will Carlene manage when the very person who inspired her to face the world again is completely out of her reach? What she does not realize is that their lives were intertw
ined even before they met! Will their feelings for each other be able to survive the storm that awaits them or will Carlene be shattered just like before?
Review: I received a copy entangled moments from author Dori Lavelle via goodreads for my review. Entangled moments is a short book hence the pace is fast and less detailed. I liked reading about Carlene facing the world and her optimism was refreshing. There were two things I felt were a bit weak:
1. development of Nick and Carlene's relation
2. Nicks character, I found him to be a bit selfish and dull. I mean he spent few years with a women and figured out she was after his money only after meeting Carlene? Even when his fiance did not even really try to hide it? 
Dori leaves a lot of question unanswered. I realize that she needs to leave some content hidden for the second book but some details of the 'tragic accident' should have been told. Due to this the reader is left a bit lost and confused as to the point of the book. This book was more of introduction then a story, where the author set the ground for further books. 
Entangled moments makes for an interesting read and has a lot of potential. Best of luck to Dori for her future endeavors.
                                                                     Yours sincerely,
                                                                            Ashi.

Silent in the grave by Deanna Raybourn

To say that I met Nicholas Brisbane over my husband’s dead body is not entirely accurate. Edward, it should be noted, was still twitching upon the floor.

Blurb: Lady Julia is the recently widowed daughter of Lord March. Late Lord Edward had a weak heart and his condition had been worsening when one evening he collapsed, his heart simply unable to handle the stress of living anymore. It was then Lady Julia met Nicholas Brisbane, a private detective of sorts. Nicholas was employed by Lord Edward when he got some threatening mail. Lady Julia refuses to accept the possibility that her husband might have been murdered. Why would someone try to kill an already dying man?It is almost after one year of mourning that she finds one of the threatening mail. She then quickly realizes her mistake and consults Nicholas, together they work to uncover the mystery that Lord Edward was. But is Lady Julia really ready to face the truth? When the time comes will she be able to face the murderer who could be someone she really holds dear?
Review: Silent in the grave is the first book in Lady Julia series by Deanna Raybourn. As it is the first book most of it was spent setting a background for upcoming series. There was little chemistry and mystery was only mildly arresting. I liked the character development more. Though little was revealed about Nicholas he might make an interesting character to read about later in series.  The characters were too forward minded for that particular era I was willing to ignore that to find out how it all ended. I am curious to see how things work out between Julia and Nicholas. Though the characters seem a bit detached at times I can only hope the author works on the almost non-existent chemistry between them. I like books that have slight erratic family members associated with them perhaps because I have some of my own therefore I enjoyed reading about the Marches. If you are done with Julia Quinn, Julie Garwood and Jude Deveraux I suggest you start with Deanna Raybourn. But do not make the mistake of comparing Deanna with the above three you might feel slightly disappointed.
                                                                      Yours sincerely,
                                                                               Ashi

The Duke and I by Julia Quinn

“Men are sheep. Where one goes, the rest will soon follow.

-Lady Whistledown” 
Blurb:Daphne has been looking for the right man all her life but if shes not careful she will be left on-the-shelf permanently. Daphne almost gives up when Simon her brothers best friend proposes a deal to her. For Simon Daphne is the only way he can avoid the mad pursuits of women of the society. When Daphne agrees in hope that many will follow the path of the Duke she never thought she will end up falling for the Duke himself. The Duke never wanted to marry for love but will he be able to give up Daphne when its time to let her go?
Review:
This book is the first book from one of my favorite series of all time!! I love Julia's work and her characters are adorable especially the girls and the guys are just hot. I read it in 2008 and have been following her work since. The Bridgerton family is a chaos reigned family which will remind you of your own. I really like the way this series was based on siblings whose initials go according to the alphabet. Sadly Bridgertons only got as far as H before Lord Bridgerton died and left us longing for more amusing novels.
Daphne and Simon are my all time favorite characters.And the rest of the books in Bridgerton are just as good as Duke and I if not better.
One of the best works of Julia, the riveting plot will make you laugh and fall in love like never before. If you haven't tried her out let me tell you you are missing out on one of the best historical fiction.
                                                           Yours sincerely,
                                                                     Ashi.

Best kind of broken by Chelsea Fine

Blurb: Pixie and Levi used to be best of friends before a tragic accident. The accident left permanent scars and they have been avoiding each other since. Suddenly they find themselves living in an inn in the middle of nowhere. They try (unsuccessfully) to avoid each other but that does not work out well when Levi uses all the hot water and Pixie keeps blowing the fuse.  How can they avoid each other when they can hardly keep their hands of each other?Will they both runaway from the past or will they face the demons together? 

 Review : Best kind of broken by Chelsea Fine is overall an okay book. The characters, Pixie and Levi, were strong and so was their chemistry. But scenes that should have made me cry left me unmoved. The author needs to slow down the pace a little during those scenes so that the reader can get a feel of the characters emotion. I liked that the book was written from POV of both Levi and Pixie.

Note:  Read this book when you are busy or travelling so you will not feel bad or lost when you take a break.

                                                                                        Yours sincerely,

                                                                                                    Ashi.

Throne of glass by Sarah J. Maas

Blurb: Celaena is an eighteen year old assassin serving her time in Endoviers salt mines. But she is not just any assassin she is Adarlans best assassin. She is given a chance to be free again but she will have to enter and win the contest to become the King Champion. The same King who ruined her life and everything she holds dear. She decides to take the chance. Chaol, the Captain of the guard is not really happy with the situation and helping an assassin sharpen her skills does not make it better. He becomes concerned as her sponsor, the prince seems to falling hard for the tough as nails assassin. 
When someone seems to be killing the competition, Celaena begins to wonder if the cost of freedom was too high.

I will not be afraid.

Chanting that had enabled her to survive the mines but will it be enough when she faces her opponents, some of the deadliest criminals in the land?

Review:
I think I just found my new favorite series. I absolutely love Celaena, she is now my favourite heroin after Dante (Dante Valentine series) and Kate (Kate Daniels series). She is tough and her wit is to die for. Though she is a bit more girly than Dante and Kate, she loves to dress up :)  I really like her chemistry with Chaol as he seems to really see her and not just a soft version of her like Dorian, the prince. Though Dorian is pretty hot too but he needs to mature. I hope he decides to take a more firm stance against his father, the king, later in the series. Sarah J.Maas has done an awesome job at world building and I enjoyed her style. I liked the way she provided different POVS through the book though it was mostly from Celaena POV.  I will be starting Crown of midnight soon. I hope its as awesome as Throne of glass.
                                                             Yours sincerely,
                                                                    Ashi.