When it comes to audiobooks, the first thing I really look for is a good narrator. The narrator is pretty much everything to me, because even if the story is amazing, an annoying narrator can completely make the reader uninterested. However, in Legally Undercover I did not have to worry about that. Crystal Sershen did a phenomenal job. AND she did voices. YAY! I LOVE VOICES! Sad, but true.

Alex Popov is very good at her job. So good that when she is given reign on a very hush-hush account, she does everything in her power to make the client happy so as not to jeopardize her own position at her firm. But things could get a bit heated on that regard when a new attorney shows up. You see, Alex can just feel it in her bones that something is not right. Whether he is there to compete for the higher position she herself wants, or whether it is just something about his character, she just does not like him.

However, the truth will come out, and secrets her new client is keeping will cause her and this new attorney to work together in an intimate environment that is uncomfortable for Alex yet absolutely necessary to bring evidence and a possible terrorist plot to light.

Alex will face a past she has not forgotten about in ten years. She will also fall for a man who is a pawn in a game bigger than himself. And she will discover a betrayal that could possibly mean her death.

This book was interesting and full of action and intrigue. I actually wanted to tear my hair out a few times because of the main character Alex, because I thought she was naive. But I was gladly mistaken. She is just one of the good guys trying to make sure the bad guy gets caught. Her naivete is not really naivete at all, but a sense of wanting to see justice done and knowing who to trust. Will definitely be checking out more of Kall's works in the future.

This book was interesting and full of action and intrigue. I actually wanted to tear my hair out a few times because of the main character Alex, because I thought she was naive. But I was gladly mistaken. She is just one of the good guys trying to make sure the bad guy gets caught. Her naivete is not really naivete at all, but a sense of wanting to see justice done and knowing who to trust. Will definitely be checking out more of Kall's works in the future.

Rachel Kall writes romantic suspense. She enjoys writing spicy and suspenseful stories to keep readers guessing. Rachel also loves to read every day while doing cardio. Her favorite genres are romantic suspense and contemporary romance, but she's always open to an amazing story in any genre. Rachel is a member of Romance Writers of America, KOD, and Georgia Romance Writers. She loves animals and is active in animal rescue. She enjoys adding loveable pets to her stories. She lives in Georgia with her husband and five furkids--two dogs and three cats. She is represented by Sarah Younger at Nancy Yost Literary Agency.

Seventeen-year-old Olivia Black has a rare birth defect known as Psyche
Sans Soma, or PSS. Instead of a right hand made of flesh and blood, she was
born with a hand made of ethereal energy.

How does Olivia handle being the girl with the ghost hand? Well, she's a
little bit morbid and a whole lot snarky.

Her mother thinks her obsession with death, black clothing, and the local
cemetery is a bid for attention. But when Marcus, the new guy in Olivia's
calculus class, stares at her like she's a freak, Olivia doesn't like it.
And when her hand goes rogue, doing things she never imagined possible,
Olivia finds herself running for her life with Marcus from a group of men
bent on taking the power of her hand for their own nefarious purposes.

*Ghost Hand was selected as a semi-finalist for The Kindle Book
Review 2013 Best Indie Book Award in the YA category.

**Ghost Hand was just nominated for the 2013 Cybil Awards in the Speculative Fiction YA category.

Olivia Black's life is pretty much as normal as it is going to get. The fact that she has a ghost hand does cause quite a few stares and disbelieving glance, but since she has dealt with it since she was born, it is really nothing new to her. So when her hand suddenly starts to act seemingly on its own, even she is quite freaked out.

But a strange boy who is new to town doesn't seem at all surprised or disturbed by her hand's sudden actions. In fact, he doesn't seem disturbed by her hand at all and the fact that you can see right through it and it glows blue. BLUE!!! Normal hands do not do that. So why isn't he running in the opposite direction?

These are the very thoughts that I imagine running through Olivia's mind in the beginning of this book. How can a person so new to town be so calm around something so unexplainable and rare? As the pages turn and the plot unravels, Olivia finds that he knows more about her condition than he lets on. In fact, he may know enough to save her from a fate worse than death in her supposedly safe little town.

I absolutely devoured this book. The story is one that I have never read before, and I could not get through each chapter fast enough. All in all, it was a phenomenal read and I am definitely going to have to check out the second in the series, Ghost Hold, really soon.

Ripley Patton lives in Portland, Oregon with one cat, two teenagers, and a man who wants to live on a boat. She is an award-winning short story writer and author of The PSS Chronicles, a YA paranormal thriller series.

Model Citizens is the wild, illegitimate, daughter of Melrose Place. This erotic thriller unfolds during one dramatic week in the exciting world of the Super Model.

When Angela Durand and Joanne Hart use sexual blackmail to win the world's most prestigious modelling competition, they become instant Super Models and overnight celebrities.

The glamorous Los Angeles high life is at their fingertips. Multi-million dollar modelling contracts. Rich and famous boyfriends. Private jet travel. The best manager in the business.

What could possibly go wrong?

Plenty, including a boyfriend who is the greatest NFL footballer in American history and a psychopath. As Brett's life runs off the rails, his dark and perverted behaviour threatens to destroy Joanne and Angela's careers, ruin their lives and steal their sanity.

Packed with sexual indulgence, larger than life personalities, fast-paced drama and glamorous frocks, Model Citizens is a gripping reminder that, when it comes to the business of fashion, even the most powerful women in the world can still be reduced to living like candles in the wind.

Only love can save Angela and Joanne from being destroyed by the dark side of LA.

Angela Durand and Joanne Hart are two very different personalities drawn to one another in this glamorously intimate novel of fashion, fame, and the pride that cometh before the fall. Angela is more the shy and down-to-earth girl from France, while Joanne, a California girl at heart, is more headstrong and confident. But however different they may seem on the outside, on the inside they want the same thing. To be Super Models. And with a bit of blackmail, they succeed at this high-in-the-clouds aspiration. But their success may also be their undoing.

Now Angela seems like a sweet girl throughout this entire book. She is very open-hearted and wants what is best for her best friend/lover Joanne. But Joanne, however, seems very conflicted. She has achieved the fame and fortune, but there is a sliver of a chance that she could lose it all. And that sliver's name is Brett.

Brett is Joanne's on-again-off-again boyfriend who plays for the NFL. Cool, right? Well...it would be if he wasn't a psychopath. Yeah...that is a definite cause for concern. And everybody but Joanne has pretty much realized this concern. She is pretty much stuck in the whole denial stage of their whole relationship. In fact, sometimes it seems that she loves who he is and what he does to her, even though what he does and makes her do is not normal. Not normal at all. But as Angela points out many times in the story, if she doesn't accept that his actions are wrong and leaves him, Joanne can just forget about modelling any more, because he could be the death of her.

Brett might go just a bit too far to keep Joanne in his clutches, and the sad part is, Joanne might not try to stop him.

This book has many wonderful attributes to it - the storyline, the characters, the ending...especially the ending - but I think my favourite has to be the cover. It screams elegant old Hollywood to me. It is eye-catching, and breath-taking, and the black and white just works.

Model Citizens was a great read. It showed us the glamorous side of fashion, a behind-the-scenes look at what fame sometimes costs, and a bit of how karma is a fickle mistress. I absolutely loved every single minute of it.

Henry Pepper is a writer, screenwriter, broadcaster, advertising scoundrel, and descendant of Sir Walter Scott.

Model Citizens is his debut novel and according to Mr. Pepper was based on true stories. He explains, "While researching the book, I met a number of famous models in London, New York and Paris who were kind enough to tell me about what really goes on behind the scenes."

College sophomore Emily Dilbert has been best friends with Dylan Chamberlain since they were kids. All she wants if for him to be happy and she knows him better than anyone. That's why when she finds an engagement ring in his backpack she has to stop him from marrying the wrong girl.

Dylan Chamberlain has been in love with his brother's girlfriend, Emily, since the second grade. When his brother asks for help planning a surprise proposal, Dylan knows it's time to bury his feelings and finally let Emily go. Too bad his heart refuses to cooperate.

All of Emily's attempts to lure Dylan away from his girlfriend fail, forcing her to turn up the heat on their friendship. Will Dylan reveal his long-buried secret and tell Emily how he feels? Or will Emily be forced to use any means necessary to show him the error of his ways?

Kayla's Thoughts:

Emily and Dylan...what can I say? Well, for one thing, Dylan is a sweetheart. He is totally willing to disregard the feelings he has had for Emily since they were children in order to give her the happiness he so believes that she wants to be a part of. But, seriously dude, family is family and love is love, and sometimes family is just not enough when you truly love someone. I felt so sad for him throughout some of this book. He truly is conflicted. He does not want to hurt anyone, but yet everyone could be hurt if he decides to follow his heart. But the person he truly loves could be the most hurt if he just decides to back off and let her be. Poor guy cannot win either way.

Emily, I believe, is a girl lost in the comfort and familiarity of her current relationship with Dylan's brother. So lost, in fact, that she cannot see the truth that is right in front of her. That fact that Dylan is her confidante, her heart, her shoulder to cry on. He is her rock, whereas in contrast, she has yet to truly confide in her current boyfriend. Love sometimes takes a while to hit us, and in Emily's case, it has definitely taken a while.

The Three Amigos: Shelby, Kayla, and Reagan. I loved these girls to death. They were witty, supportive, sarcastic when the need arose, and even plotting little minxes when the occasion called for it. They are the delicious filling in this word-filled cake, and I adored every moment they hit the page. They each reminded me of me in some way, and I just could not get enough of them. Every woman has a friend, or two or three, that resemble at least one or even all of these girls, and what would we do without 'em?

Now, I guess I had better talk a little bit about the boyfriend in the middle of all this mess. Dylan's brother, Zach. Throughout this book, Zach seemed to me to be a bit in the same predicament as Emily. He is blinded by the comfort and familiarity of his and Emily's relationship. I think that might be the initial reason why he decides to propose in the first place. I won't dare to call him inconsiderate or an air-head, but I will say that this book does not really shed him a good light. It's not a bad light, but I was put in a position to dislike this character. Or at least root for Emily and Dylan more. I cannot wait for Book 2 when Zach's point of view will be shown. Who knows, the roles might be reversed. I might begin to like Zach more and see his way of thinking. I just know that I have vowed not to be biased until his story is released.

I loved this book. It was a very entertaining read and had me glued to each page in anticipation of what was going to happen next. 

Links for Book:

Amazon / iTunes / Barnes and Noble / Smashwords / Kobo / Goodreads

Christy Hayes lives outside Atlanta, Georgia, with her husband, their two children and two dogs. She has a journalism degree from the University of Georgia and is a member of Romance Writers of America and the Women's Fiction Chapter of Romance Writers of America. She's been writing seriously since 2004 and made the decision to indie publish in 2011.

Christy writes romance and romantic women's fiction from her little basement office in the South. She's cooked up all kinds of trouble for her flawed characters when she's not driving her kids to one sporting event or another or walking her pesky rescue mutts through the neighborhood.

Author's links:

Website / Twitter / Facebook / WordPress

Book Blurb:

Book Excerpt:

Buy Here:

About the Author:

If you have the chance to go back in time, which era would want to be in and who would you want to meet?

Buy Sparks on Amazon for $3.99:

         "...fantastic characters..."

                        "...imaginative and creative..."

Check out the other Blogs who are Hosting/Promoting today!

Anastacia Reviews

Awesome Assessment

Bearded Scribe
Bibliobelles
Book Briefs
Book Chick

Don't Judge A Book By Its Movie...

Electively Paige
Indie Book Reviewer

Katie's Corner
Kimberly Faye Reads
Limelight
Love Bites and Silk

Michael Sci Fan

Pure Textuality
Red Headed Bookworm
Total Book Addict
Trulee V's Spot

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Win a Kindle Fire HDX, Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash ($229 value)   This is a joint AUTHOR & BLOGGER GIVEAWAY EVENT! Bloggers & Authors have joined together and each chipped in a little money towards a Kindle Fire HDX 7".

The winner will have the option of receiving a 7" Kindle Fire HDX (US Only - $229 Value)
  Or $229 Amazon.com Gift Card (International)
  Or $229 in Paypal Cash (International)

1. I Am A Reader, Not A Writer
2. Feed Your Reader
3. Darker Passions
4. Author Talia Jager
5. The (Mis)Adventures of a Twenty-Something Year Old Girl
6. Kelly P's Blog
7. Kelly's Lucky You
8. LeahSay's Views
9. Author Bella Street
10. Author Bonnie Blythe
11. Feed Your Fiction Addiction
12. Blogging the Beloved
13. Fae Books
14. Author Kelli Beck
15. Barb's Wire - eBooks & More
16. MumbleBee Inc.
17. MyLadyWeb: Women's History and Women Authors
18. I Know That Book!
19. NESSAROX
20. The Reporter and the Girl
21. My Story That I Like Best
22. Jessica Loves Book
23. Author Jennie Sherwin
24. Candace's Book Blog
25. Attack of the Books!
26. Author Elizabeth Seckman
27. Author Rosanne Rivers
28. Author Carole Lanham
29. Author Jennifer L. Weil
30. The Real Bookshelves of Room 918
31. Author David Pandolfe
32. Author Georgina Young-Ellis
33. Author C.J. Burright
34. Author Derek Rempfer
35. Book Crushin
36. Laloba Press
37. Author Louise Caiola
38. Author Becky Monson
39. Write Story Editing
40. Bookworm Lisa
41. Author John D. Mimms
42. Author Heidi Garrett
43. Stanley and Katrina Pet Authors
44. Author Carol Davis Luce
45. Author A. Wrighton
46. The Late Bloomer's Book Blog
47. Immortal Ink Publishing
48. Circus of Lost Souls
49. Author Inger Iversen
50. Author Tracy Jorgensen
51. Author Christy Hayes
52. Author Lisa C. Temple

Sign up to sponsor the next Kindle Fire Giveaway: http://www.iamareader.com/category/kindle-giveaway-sign-ups   

Giveaway Details: 1 winner will receive their choice of an all new Kindle Fire 7" HDX (US Only - $229 value), $229 Amazon Gift Card or $229 in Paypal Cash (International). There is a second separate giveaway for bloggers who post this giveaway on their blog. See details in the rafflecopter on how to enter to win the 2nd Kindle Fire HDX 7".
Ends 1/1/14 
Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash.

Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer and sponsored by the participating authors & bloggers.


a Rafflecopter giveaway

What is this giveaway all about? Getting you -- the readers -- into the holiday spirit! Each day there will be a new prize pack being given away, loaded with awesome authors all united by the fantastic YA/NA Convention, UtopYA! We hope you'll love our prize packs, but that's not all that's being given away. To top off the holiday spirit, we're giving away TWO, that's right, TWO fully loaded Kindle HDs! Two lucky winners will receive Kindle HDs, loaded with EVERY book being given away in the giveaway prize packs! So what are you waiting for? Check out today's prize pack, and enter to win one of twenty-seven fantastic prizes! HAPPY HOLIDAYS! :)

Without further ado, here are the amazing books in the Day 5 Prize Pack after the jump!

Welcome one and all to Journey with Books. Kayla here with a review of the book Deep Blue Secret by Christie Anderson, Book 1 in the Water Keepers series.

Title: Deep Blue Secret
Author: Christie Anderson
Release Date: July 29, 2011; 2nd edition (April 14, 2012)
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
Genre: Paranormal Fantasy Romance

Book Blurb:

California teen Sadie James thinks her life couldn't get any better. She has great friends, an energetic mother she adores, and the beach practically in her own backyard. But her carefree life is turned upside down when she's rescued by a mysterious and strangely familiar boy who won't even tell her his name. Each time the boy appears, Sadie's unexplainable attraction to him deepens along with her need to unravel his secrets. The boy is there to protect her, but as wonderful and exciting as it might be to have an irresistible boy with crystal green eyes protecting her every move, every minute of the day...why does Sadie need one? As Sadie finds answers, she realizes her life isn't as perfect as she thought. Not only is she caught in a world of dangerous secret agents she never knew existed, but it turns out her true identity may be the greatest secret of all.

Kayla's Thoughts:

Sadie is a girl who has a wonderful life. Boys love her, she has a best friend who would do anything for her, and her and her mother are immensely close. So if this is indeed the case, why isn't she happier? Sadie has been having bouts of depression and sadness. At first, they occurred quite a ways apart, but lately they have been getting closer and closer together with less and less time of true happiness in between. What could possibly be wrong with her? An encounter with a strange boy with sparkling green eyes could be the answer.

Rayne was assigned to keep Sadie safe. And he does just that when he saves her from drowning. She is only a job for him. Like any other assignment, he must keep a professional attitude towards her. But that becomes hard when they seem to forge a bond together. A bond that, in Rayne's eyes, is just the effect of his saving her. It is nothing to worry about, so long as he keeps his distance, which becomes harder and harder to do.

When a criminal of Rayne's world finds out about Sadie and threatens her life, Rayne will do anything to protect her. And in the process, he might just find how deep this bond really goes.

Verdict:

I absolutely loved this book. The descriptions of Rayne's eyes (which are very important to the story, by the way) and even Sadie's (again, important) are so vivid and beautiful. The characters are very realistic. The places and situations are described to the point where I feel like I am actually there. This author did an amazing job writing this, and I cannot wait to check out the other installments of this series.

Author Bio:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Blurb:

Enhanced is a a well written Dystopian novel which makes a reader really think about social and moral issues without deviating from the teenage angst which makes the book entertaining.

Enhanced turned out to be an okay read for me. The plot was really good but I think it could have been delivered much better if it didn't jumped from scene to scene. It felt a bit rushed. There were times when I was enjoying one scene from the book but it suddenly ended without proper closure and that makes it a bit confusing. The transition and pacing of those scenes wasn't smooth at all.

The characters are interesting. Reading from their point of views was fun. Michelle is really an interesting character. She's trapped inside a world where she had to be really careful with what she says and do. I loved her strength and her courage. She's scared but shes faces her fears head on for the people she cares about. She has loyalty and that makes here quite endearing to me.

The romance part of this book is okay too but there were times when I couldn't connect to the characters' feelings. Maybe it's because of how the scenes jump from one after another that I couldn't truly connect with the feelings of romance that this book was trying to convey. The romance felt rushed and forced although it got better at the end, it could have been much better with more feelings and time.

I think one great parts of this book was the action and sci-fi. I think it was well done and well though of. It was fun and thrilling to read.

Verdict:

Overall, Enhanced by Courtney Farrell was still an enjoyable read despite its setbacks. It had a lot of potential for greatness but it fell short in a few areas but other than that the book is still entertaining and enjoyable. It's the kind of book that makes a reader think because it has a lot social and moral issues and it surprises a reader quite well because its unique plot. I recommend this book to all Dystopian and Sci-Fi fans. I think you'll appreciate the thrill, action and suspense this book offers a reader.

Book Excerpt:

 The little redheads shifted uncomfortably. Finally, one looked up at the teens. "Don't tell," she pleaded. "We just come here sometimes to look for-"

"They were both here too," interrupted her sister, elbowing her. "And there's no rule-"

"Shhh!" Sylvia cut them off. "Look."

Far away, men appeared in the alley. They moved slowly, keeping to cover when they could, like predators. Rosa walked along the top of a pipe with her baby on her hip. She climbed down and looked inside it, then nervously checked the dark mouths of other pipes.

"Euuw," Michelle murmured, as Rosa crawled inside one of the dark holes. "There've got to be spiders in there. Why would anyone….”

But then they saw why. As Rosa backed out of the hole, careful not to bump her baby's head on the rim, she dragged a large black duffel bag from its hiding place. She slung the long strap over one narrow shoulder. It looked heavy. With the baby on one hip and the bag on the other, the girl used the rim of the pipe to pull herself up. She moved off slowly, away from the oncoming men.

"She doesn't see them," said one triplet.

"She's baiting a trap, just like last time," said another.

"No, she's alone. Plus she brought the baby, and she didn't last time. She wouldn't use her baby as bait."

"A trap?" asked Sylvia, sounding concerned. "For who?"

"For the tattooed men," Sara answered. "The mean ones who…"

An awkward silence fell. The little girl tried again. "They…they catch women, even little girls sometimes, and…"

"Rape," Jennie said bluntly. "That's the word for it. Rape."

"Oh my God," Michelle said, meeting Sylvia's eyes.  They both automatically looked out the window. Rosa hadn't made it very far.

The little redheads looked stricken. Two of them stared down their sister. "I know, I found it in a book," Jennie said defensively. She glared like it was all her sisters’ fault. "They'll get those men, those girls will, just like last time."

"Jennie, she's alone, take a look for yourself," exclaimed Susan. "Don't be daft!"

"What?" Sylvia asked. "They got the men how?"

"They sent one girl in alone," Sara said. "But they hid all around her. She limped."

"Faking," a sister interjected. Sara nodded.

"Then when the men attacked, they shot them, from their hiding places."

"With arrows, and they threw big rocks," Jennie finished.

"There was blood everywhere and one girl…"

"Died."

There was a long pause.

"And lots of the men were hurt too, and three or four of them didn't get up when the others ran away," Sara said. “They were dead."

"Dead." Jennie echoed. "Definitely dead. Served them right.”

In the alley below, the men were coming closer. The little mother worked hard, boosting the bag over pipes and clambering after it with her baby. After a while she took to setting the boy down and tossing the bag over each pipe, then carrying him over. The men spread out and began to move faster.

"They're coming! Go! Go now!" shrieked Jennie out the window. Rosa looked up in surprise and spotted the girls at the window. The she whipped her head around and saw the men. They were far away, but closing, moving a lot faster than she could over the obstacles. Rosa dumped the bag in the mouth of the nearest pipe, grabbed her baby, and took off as fast as she could.

"Shut up, Jennie!" Sara screamed, punching her sister’s shoulder. She was hysterical and making a lot of noise herself. "The guards will hear you, they'll come, and then what? The gate, the gate, just like our-"

Susan grabbed Sara’s wrists. "Shut up, please, please!"

Michelle and Sylvia just stared, not sure what they were talking about. Outside, Rosa was about even with the window and losing ground fast. The baby slowed her down and she wouldn’t leave him. The men encircled her, cut off her escape. She looked up, searching for a way up the wall, and found none. Rosa bent down, whispered in her baby's ear, and dropped him at the entrance to a pipe. He was afraid and wouldn't go in alone. She pushed him in, but he crawled back out. His cries echoed weirdly off the tall metal wall.

The men came closer. Against thirteen of them, Rosa had no chance. She yanked a metal pole out of the rubble and brandished it, swinging it at whoever came closest. A short, powerfully built man closed in and grabbed for the pipe. She faked high, and then slammed him in the knee. Screaming, he went down. The others tightened their circle around her, blocking her escape. The baby crawled underfoot, getting in the way while his mother tried to defend him. Rosa caught one more with the pole, right in the head, but then the others swarmed her, grabbing arms and legs and throwing her down on her back. Michelle screamed, forgetting the guards, forgetting everything except the horror in the shadows.

Sylvia ran across the room and slammed her hand on a red button that Michelle hadn’t noticed before.

"What the hell," Michelle started to say, but then a computer panel slid open, lit with a yellow glow.

"Ramirez, Sylvia Eve," Sylvia screamed into the screen. A red dot appeared. Sylvia leaned in, pressing her eye to the retinal scanner.

"Condition?" The computer voice sounded utterly calm.

"Emergency! Open panel!" Sylvia cried.

"Authorized, Ramirez, Sylvia, emergency intrusion alert," the computer responded coolly. A panel slid back, exposing an array of sleek weapons on the wall. Sylvia grabbed a long rifle and thrust it into Michelle's hands, then took another for herself.

Sylvia clicked over a little red button on Michelle's rifle. "Safety's off now. It's loaded. Put the laser dot where you want the bullet, pull the trigger. It'll recoil. Make short bursts."

"Are you out of your mind?" Michelle had never even seen a real gun before, let alone used one.

Sylvia got right in Michelle's face. "Look. Outside. Now."

Buy Here: 

About the Author:

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Amazon | Crescent Moon Press