THIEF BY C.L STONE

THE SCARAB BEETLE VOL 1

Synopsis
Kayli Winchester is a dirt-poor girl living out of a hotel, forced to be the parent for a drunken father and teenage brother who she’s desperate to keep in school. The only way she scrapes by is to utilize her one skill: pickpocketing. But even though she’s a thief she has a moral code: no kids or old ladies, only targets who can defend themselves. Not that they see her coming…

Thinking she’s been working under the radar, Kayli has no idea The Academy has been watching and taking notice. Now a team that needs her skill has offered her a way out of her predicament and it’s her last chance: work with them, or face jail time. Kayli resists at first, but slowly the boys reveal they can be trusted. With Marc, the straight man, Raven, the bad-boy Russian, Corey and Brandon the twins as different as night and day, and Axel their stoic leader, there’s a lot Kayli can learn from these Academy guys about living on the edge of the law. If only she can stay on the good side instead of the bad.

Especially when the job they offer her is more than any of them bargained for. After it’s done, the hunters have become the hunted and their target is now after Kayli. The Academy boys do their best to keep her hidden, but a thief like Kayli will never sit still for long.

Meet an all-new Academy team in Thief, the beginning of the Scarab Beetle series.

Warning: This is a new adult series. Readers of the other Academy series may need some caution as this series will contain mature sexual and violent situations and themes.

Reactions
I really was surprised by "The Ghost Bird Series", a touching, innocent and original story. So, I eagerly plunged into the adventures of Kayli. I was excited to go back to the adventures of the Academy even if it is of novels for teens.

To be honest, I have not been seduced by the main character. The group intrigued me and the guys are endearing and charming but Kayli puzzled me. 

I haven't been able to attach myself. 
Less loyal than Sang, more sexual and more independent, her difficulty to trust and her need to fly bothered me.
So it was not love at first side, but she had picked my interest along the way.

It's the agreable and original writing of the author that charmed me once again. I let myself be taken by the plot and I began to appreciate this new team. 
And I really had a great time.

More mature with more action, this first volume does not allow the reader to be bored. Endearing characters, secrets and explosions... At the end of my reading, I was excited to put my hands on the sequel...

THE SCARAB BEETLE SERIE 
BY C.L. STONE
THE THIEF VOL 1

Synopsis

Kayli Winchester est une fille extrêmement pauvre vivant dans ​​un hôtel, forcée d'être le parent d'un père alcoolique et de veiller sur son frère, un  adolescent qu' elle est désespérée de garder à l'école. La seule façon dont elle y parvient est en utilisant sa seule compétence: le vol à la tire. Mais, même si elle est un voleur, elle a un code moral: pas les enfants ou les vieilles dames. Ses seules cibles: ceux qui peuvent se défendre. Non pas qu'ils la voient venir…

Pensant qu'elle travaillait sans avoir été repérée, Kayli n'a aucune idée que l'Académie la surveillait et l'avait remarqué. Maintenant, une équipe qui avait besoin de son talent lui a offert un moyen de sortir de sa situation difficile et c'est sa dernière chance: travailler avec eux ou aller en prison.
Kayli résiste au début, mais peu à peu les garçons révèlent qu'on peut leur faire confiance. Avec Marc, l'homme droit, Raven, le mauvais garçon russe, Corey et Brandon les jumeaux aussi différents que le jour et la nuit et Axel leur stoïque leader, Kayli peut beaucoup apprendre de ces gars de l'Académie notamment à vivre sur le fil de la loi. Si seulement elle pouvait rester du bon côté au lieu du mauvais.

Surtout quand le travail qu'ils lui offrent devient plus qu'ils n'avaient esperé. Après que ce soit fait, les chasseurs sont devenus les proies et leur cible est maintenant après Kayli. Les garçons de l'Académie font de leur mieux pour la garder cachée, mais un voleur comme Kayli ne reste jamais assis longtemps.

Rencontrez une toute nouvelle équipe de l'Académie dans "Thief", le début de la série Scarab Beetle.

Attention: Ceci est une nouvelle série pour adultes. Les lecteurs de l'autre série de l'Académie devront faire preuve d'une certaine prudence. Cette série contient des situations et des thèmes sexuels et violents plus matures.

Impressions
J'avais vraiment été surprise par la série "The Ghost Bird Series", touchante, innocente et originale. J'ai donc plongé avec avidité dans les aventures de Kayli. J'étais excitée à l'idée de repartir dans des aventures de l'Académie même s'il s'agit de romans pour ados.

Pour être honnête, je n'ai pas été séduite par le personnage principal. Le groupe m'a intrigué et les mecs sont attachants et charmants mais Kayli m'a laissé perplexe.
J'éprouvais des difficultés à m'attacher à elle.
Moins loyale que Sang, plus sexuelle et plus indépendante, son côté girouette et son besoin de fuir m'a moins emballé.

C'est l'écriture agréable et originale de l'auteur qui m'a charmé. Je me suis laissée emmener dans l'histoire et j'ai commencé à apprécier cette nouvelle équipe.
Donc moins le coup de foudre mais toujours un bon moment.

Plus mature avec plus d'actions, ce premier tome ne laisse pas le temps au lecteur de s'ennuyer. Les personnages sont attachants, les secrets toujours présents et des explosions sont au rendez-vous.
Bref, à la fin de ma lecture, j'avais envie de connaître la suite...

Source
*Arc provided by Netgalley.
I received this book in exchange of a fair and honest review.

Knocked Out by Ty Langston

Synopsis
Fresh out of Grad School, Hayley Monroe gets the chance of a lifetime when her boss gives her the opportunity to produce and host a reality series on finding MMA’s “Next Great Hope”. Enter former MMA contender Evan Bates. 

His sudden re-appearance into the sport after a mysterious five year absence not only raises eyebrows, but also temps both in and out of the Octagon. Can Hayley keep everything in check? Or will she be Knocked Out?

Reactions
A short story that was an easy read. I've finished it in an evening.
There is a good potential to develop into something great and be a page turner but I've been expecting more... 

The plot is promising but the author was too superficial in her story.
The characters are interesting. Sad that you don't really have time to get to know them. Evans was well written, with some depth and a complicated background story. But Hayley was lacking of substance.
If think she could have delivered and added much more to the plot.
Their romance (or lust attack) is rushed and not very romantic.

Don't get me wrong, you spend a nice moment. But after reading other books about MMA fighters, I'm missing some adrenaline rush about fights and sensuality in the romance part.


Source
*Arc provided by Netgalley.
I received this book in exchange of a fair and honest review.

THE ART OF HAPPINESS BY DALAI LAMA AND HOWARD C. CUTLER

Synopsis
Nearly every time you see him, he's laughing, or at least smiling. And he makes everyone else around him feel like smiling. He's the Dalai Lama, the spiritual and temporal leader of Tibet, a Nobel Prize winner, and an increasingly popular speaker and statesman. What's more, he'll tell you that happiness is the purpose of life, and that "the very motion of our life is towards happiness." 

How to get there has always been the question. He's tried to answer it before, but he's never had the help of a psychiatrist to get the message across in a context we can easily understand. Through conversations, stories, and meditations, the Dalai Lama shows us how to defeat day-to-day anxiety, insecurity, anger, and discouragement. 

Together with Dr. Cutler, he explores many facets of everyday life, including relationships, loss, and the pursuit of wealth, to illustrate how to ride through life's obstacles on a deep and abiding source of inner peace.

Reactions
An awesome book! 

I'm used to read fairly quickly, for once I took my time listening to the stories told between the Dalai Lama and the American psychiatrist Howard C. Cutler. 

Absolutely brilliant, this book is appreciated for its anecdotes about his holiness as well as for its explanations about happiness, suffering, pain, compassion that the Dalai Lama teaches to the reader. 

Very modern, the dialogues are alive and made you think. 
You wonder, you try to open yourself to views sometimes opposing to yours. 

I really enjoyed having the Eastern views of Western practices. I also enjoyed the lack of judgment and the curiosity of this holy man. I like Howard C. Cutler's questions. He brings his professional expertise and practical ideas to try to understand the concepts of the Tibetan spiritual leader and to put them into practice. 

Very curious about Buddhism lately, this book enlightened me and has especially given me a form of joy, good humor and hope.

A book that will stay with me for a long time and I will open it again, happily,  when I will have the need of a kick in the ass! :-)
Wonderful trip!

L'ART DU BONHEUR PAR 
LE DALAI LAMA ET HOWARD C. CUTLER
Sagesse et sérénité au quotidien

Synopsis
Demandez au Dalaï-Lama s'il est heureux, il vous répondra « oui » sans hésiter, car le bonheur est selon lui le but de toute notre existence. C'est ce qu'il explique dans cet Art du bonheur, mélange surprenant de sagesse plusieurs fois millénaire, de bon sens, de réflexions et de conseils concrets, que nous pouvons tous appliquer. 

Tout au long de ces conversations, le Dalaï-Lama nous montre comment vaincre l'anxiété, l'insécurité, la colère et le découragement, et il explore notre vie quotidienne pour nous apprendre à surmonter les obstacles de l'existence en puisant dans notre source de paix intérieure.

Impressions
Un livre impressionnant!

Habituée à lire de manière assez rapide, j'ai pour une fois pris mon temps en écoutant les récits entre le Dalaï Lama et le psychiatre américain Howard C. Cutler.

Absolument génial, ce livre s'apprécie pour les anecdotes racontées sur sa sainteté autant que pour les explications données sur le bonheur, la souffrance, la douleur, la compassion par le Dalaï Lama. 

Très moderne, les échanges sont vivants et poussent à la réflexion. Vous vous interrogez, vous tentez de vous ouvrir à des vues parfois opposées aux vôtres. 

J'ai vraiment apprécié d'avoir le regard orientale sur les pratiques occidentales; J'ai apprécié aussi l'absence de jugement et la curiosité de ce saint homme. Au même titre que les questionnements de Howard C. Cutler qui apporte son questionnement, son regard de professionnel ainsi qu'un aspect pratique aux idées du chef spirituel tibétain.

Très curieuse sur le Bouddhisme, cet ouvrage m'a éclairé et surtout donné une forme de joie, de bonne humeur et d'espoir. 

Un livre qui va rester à mes côtés pendant un long moment et que je rouvrirai avec plaisir dès que j'aurai besoin d'un coup de pied au cul! :-)

Citations

"Même un physique sans défaut ou une épouse idéale ne sont pas des nécessités. Nous possédons un esprit ? C'est là tout l'équipement dont nous avons besoin pour vivre un complet bonheur."

"Tendre la main aux autres pourrait être un trait tout aussi fondamental de notre nature que le besoin de communiquer."

"Chaque instant et précieux et nous devons en user au mieux."

"Le seul refuge, la seule protection contres ces effets destructeurs de la colère et de la haine, c'est la pratique de la tolérance et de la patience."

"S'il y a une solution, cela ne sert à rien de s'inquiéter. S'il n'y a pas de solution, s'inquiéter est tout aussi inutile."

Little Dark Pieces by Maria McCartan - Review

Synopsis 

Fall under the spell of Maria McCartan in her tantalising debut Little Dark Pieces, the first volume of the Dark Pieces vampire series. Provocatively sensual, edgy and compelling, Little Dark Pieces is a vampire romance with a difference. Down on her luck Londoner Carly Singleton works as a receptionist for a West End media company. Pretty and affable, she brings a ray of sunshine to the office every day and is well liked by both friends and colleagues. Behind her cheerful exterior however, lurks a deeply troubled woman with a complicated past and a yearning to find her Mr Right.

Determined to quit smoking, Carly seeks help at a Harley Street medical practice where she meets the renowned hypnotherapist Dr Nick Craven. Charming and charismatic, Nick is all that Carly has ever wanted and she can’t control the overwhelming desire he stirs in her. She is certain she’s found her fairytale prince, but Nick Craven has secrets—shocking secrets that threaten to destroy all that Carly holds dear.

Little Dark Pieces is an intensely erotic romance about the price of passion and an all consuming love that tips one woman to the brink. It is a tale that will consume you, obsess you and stay with you long after you have turned the final page.

Reactions
Don't know what to think of this first opus of Maria Mc Cartan story. There are some pleasant and fun parts as well as some ones that made me grind my teeth...

I've been rolling my eyes at Nick sexual prowess in bed. Of course, he is exceptional! But, in one particular scene, I've almost spilled my coffee on my screen… Gross! Then I realize it was following the vampire road…Jeez! A warning would have been nice...

I've been sighing a lot too. Carly needy affective behavior is a little bit too extreme… Honestly, who will call a guy a hundred time after just one night? If I was a guy I would have run away... 

And Nick is a jerk. Not his vampire side…just in his way of dealing with his feelings in this relationship…

Being a fantasy fan, I would have loved more vampire actions or explanations. At the same time, if I'm honest, it was different than the "Twilight" love story…A really good point for a vampire romance.

Finally, they were some interesting twists in the action. Like the ending. Really enjoy the last part of the story when Carly is starting to get suspicious. 

The read is pleasant and I have the feeling that the author can surprise us in the sequel. 

Sentence

"But I need to look at you. I need to memorize your face so that when we're apart, I can recall your image in perfect detail."

Author Bio

Since the age of five, Maria McCartan has been making up weird and wonderful stories. Now an adult, she consumes at least two books a week, along with a healthy supply of diet Coke and Galaxy chocolate. She lives in London with her boyfriend.

Social Links: 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Maria-McCartan/158710740966183?fref=ts 

Web: http://www.mccartanbooks.com/ 

Buy Links: 

Amazon.com - http://amzn.to/Y7wBrb 

Amazon.co.uk - http://amzn.to/1p975LJ 

B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/little-dark-pieces-maria-mccartan/1120113212?ean=2940150761735 

Kobo: http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/little-dark-pieces 

LITTLE DARK PIECES BY MARIA MCCARTAN - PROMO

Book: Little Dark Pieces

Author: Maria McCartan

Genre: Erotic Paranormal

THE 10TH SEPTEMBER

New Books on my Shelves will post a review and you will be able to try your luck at the Giveaway!

Synopsis

Fall under the spell of Maria McCartan in her tantalising debut Little Dark Pieces, the first volume of the Dark Pieces vampire series. Provocatively sensual, edgy and compelling, Little Dark Pieces is a vampire romance with a difference.

Down on her luck Londoner Carly Singleton works as a receptionist for a West End media company. Pretty and affable, she brings a ray of sunshine to the office every day and is well liked by both friends and colleagues. Behind her cheerful exterior however, lurks a deeply troubled woman with a complicated past and a yearning to find her Mr Right.

Determined to quit smoking, Carly seeks help at a Harley Street medical practice where she meets the renowned hypnotherapist Dr Nick Craven. Charming and charismatic, Nick is all that Carly has ever wanted and she can’t control the overwhelming desire he stirs in her. She is certain she’s found her fairytale prince, but Nick Craven has secrets—shocking secrets that threaten to destroy all that Carly holds dear.

Little Dark Pieces is an intensely erotic romance about the price of passion and an all consuming love that tips one woman to the brink. It is a tale that will consume you, obsess you and stay with you long after you have turned the final page.

Trailer

Excerpt

"Our suite is on the second floor of the hotel. As soon as we get inside, Nick switches on the lights, and I feel a flutter of apprehension. My legs are weak and it’s a struggle to put one foot in front of the other. I can’t believe I’m about to do something I’ve dreamed of constantly since the first day we met. And yet, a part of me is petrified I’ll end up disappointing him. It’s been so long, and I’m so out of practice. What if this is all a big mistake?

Folding my arms across my chest, I step into the bedroom area of our suite. It’s breathtaking, with a king-size bed, leather-panelled walls, a plasma-screen TV and a balcony with a panoramic view of the River Thames. By the window is a large cocktail cabinet, a gas fire and an ornately carved walk-in wardrobe. To my right, a glass partition slides back to reveal a spectacular bathroom with marbled walls, a huge stone bath and a gold-plated shower.

Suddenly, I start to panic; things are moving too fast.

“I’m sorry. I don’t think I can do this.” I turn to go, but before I reach the door, Nick’s in front of me, barring my exit.

“Please don’t go,” he begs, slipping his finger under my chin so he can see my eyes. “Nothing’s going to happen if you don’t want it to. We can just sit here and talk, or watch a movie. I don’t want this night to be over. Please, stay. Is that too much to ask?” I stare up at him and for the first time, I see a desperation that almost matches my own. “Nothing’s going to happen,” he repeats. “Scout’s honour, I promise to be on my best behaviour. I just want to spend some time with you, Carly.”

My head is screaming for me to get out of there, but his eyes hold me entranced and my body is refusing to take instruction.

At last, I let out a sigh. “All right, I’ll stay.”

Bowing my head, I allow him to lead me over to the bed, and for what seems like forever, the two of us sit side by side, looking away from each other, the air thick with unspoken tension. My arms are still folded across my chest, putting up an invisible barrier between us. The screeching silence pulsates through the room like an electric current.

I start getting heart palpitations; Nick’s giving me long, lingering looks that make my body tingle. He’s probing me deep, reading my face like my features are hieroglyphics.

Suddenly, he leans forward and whispers, “You’re so beautiful. Can I touch you?”

I catch my breath then nod slowly.

Cautiously, he reaches out and tenderly caresses my cheek with the back of his hand. Then he gently strokes my hair and the dip and hollow of my ears, his fingers warm and slightly shaky. With a shock, I realise he’s just as scared as I am, and this knowledge makes me feel a little less insecure.

Slowly, his hand travels down the side of my face, then down to my neck, and lightly caresses the sculpted base of my throat. As he works his way back up, tracing the outline of my veins, I marvel at the silky softness of his fingers.

“Shall I take off your jacket?” he breathes.

I swallow hard. “Y-yes.”

With deliberate slowness, Nick eases off my coat and drops it to the floor. Then he takes off his own and I find myself becoming aroused as he fixes me with an expression so hungry, it’s like he’s got me paralysed. Desire spreads under my skin and burns me all over as he sits back down next to me. His sweet cologne is making my head spin.

“You’re trembling,” he observes.

I drop my hands into my lap. Damn. He wasn’t supposed to see that.

“Don’t be afraid …” He reaches out again and delicately touches my lips, my nose, my eyelids. I arch my back and moan softly as his strong hands slither down to my waist and pull me closer to him.

“Can I kiss you?”

I nod mutely.

Tentatively, Nick presses his lips against my cheek and breathes in my scent. Lightly, he kisses his way from the corner of my mouth to my neck and runs his hot tongue in and out of my ear hole. The heat from his breath makes me crazy and I utter a low groan of pleasure.

Goaded by my desire, he gently but firmly tilts my face toward him. His lips brush the periphery of my cupid’s bow, teasing me into a frenzy that shoots straight to my crotch. With trembling hands, he cups my cheeks and takes my mouth in his, pulling on my lower lip with his teeth. I whimper as he kisses me hard and deep, his long, agile tongue plunging down my throat with reckless abandon, igniting an inferno of longing inside me. The force of his need leaves me breathless, his soft lips eating me out like he wants to consume every piece of me. No one has ever kissed me this way before, and the depth of his passion tips me to the brink of insanity.

For what seems forever, our tongues glide together in a flurry of unrelenting lust. Finally we pause for air, and the room is quiet except for the sound of our heavy breathing. Nick stares down at me, his body shuddering in a way that indicates he’s trying mighty hard not to act on a violent impulse.

Instinctively, I raise my fingers to my lips; they feel all puckered and bruised.

“It’s been so long,” he murmurs. “So very long …” His hand snakes around my back and starts to lower the zipper of my dress. I moan as he brings his face level with mine and whispers, “I promise I won’t go too crazy.” "

Meet the Author

Since the age of five, Maria McCartan has been making up weird and wonderful stories. Now an adult, she consumes at least two books a week, along with a healthy supply of diet Coke and Galaxy chocolate. She lives in London with her boyfriend.

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