{Review} Blood Rule by Heather Hildenbrand

Blood Rule
by Heather Hildenbrand
Series: Dirty Blood (#4)
Source: Provided by Author
Available as of August 6, 2013
Amazon

Forty-six.
That’s how many hybrids survived the Hunter attack in the woods after I revived them with an injection of my blood. That’s how many followed me home to Frederick Falls. And that’s how many were now mentally linked to me through a blood bond.

Two days. Three valium. Fourteen hours of sleep.
That’s what it took to realize I wasn’t losing my mind as a result of the noise in my own head.

Sixteen.
That’s how many days have passed since I almost killed Alex. That’s how many days I’ve sat by his bedside, waiting for him to wake up. To ease the guilt, to understand his betrayal, to remember the exact shade of brown in his eyes.

Zero.
That’s my chances of skating by with Gordon Steppe and the Hunter Council. They want me for questioning. I’m afraid what’ll happen if I give them answers.

Overall Rating

 

 

Note:

This review may contain spoilers if you haven't read...

Dirty Blood

Cold Blood

Blood Bond

Review

It has been some time since I posted a Dirty Blood review.... or any review for that matter. Since my training is finally slowing down I sent a message to Heather Hildenbrand asking if she needed more reviews for her Dirty Blood Series. Getting back into the story line wasn't difficult and I quickly found my way back into some of my favorite characters lives.

Alex is in a coma and Tara is anxiously awaiting his wake-up. Too bad Steepe is getting closer to having his way and she may not be able to stick around long enough to see him wake and ease her guilt. Little does she know that her world is about to tip on its axis.

As I stated before, it didn't take me long to get back into the story line, maybe a chapter or two. Remembering who the characters were and what role they played came back to me quickly even after a two year break from this series. Being able to fall right back into a storyline after so long away from it is a feat and I applaud Heather and her ease of doing this without repeating all the big detail or giving a brief summary of what happened in the prior book(s).

To say that I love Tara is an understatement because it is rare to find a strong female lead. She is the female who wants to jump right into the fight regardless of who is standing with her. Some may call this reckless (and it kinda is...), but at least she can be reasoned with. Wes, per usual, is willing to do anything for Tara. He's still insecure, but he wouldn't let her go anywhere without him regardless of what consequence he could face.

I think what I love most about this series is the camaraderie within Tara's pack/group of friends. Even when they don't always agree they still find a way to get from point a to point b. I love that Tara is finally realizing that she can do great things and that she needs her pack to succeed. In the prior books, she didn't want to hear her pack in her head, but now she is coming to terms with how her pack shapes her.

Overall, I'm extremely grateful for the time I found in my training schedule to get back to Heather's amazing werewolf series. Don't get lost in the sauce by reading this first. Go back to Dirty Blood and start from square one. If you enjoy paranormal werewolf storylines you'll most likely enjoy this series. After years of reading paranormal and getting burnt out on it I still look forward to the next book in this series.

FTC disclosure: I received a copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. I was not monetarily compensated for my opinion.

{Review} The Commitment Test by Amanda Aksel

The Commitment Test
by Amanda Aksel
Series: The Marin Test (#2)
Source: Provided by Author
Available as of February 4, 2015
Amazon

When a Valentine’s Day proposal doesn’t come with an engagement ring, Marin Johns begins to wonder if she and James will ever get married. As her closest friends begin to move forward with their lives, she refuses to be left behind.

Hope is restored as she devises a plan to get James down on one knee by becoming the ideal mate. Everything seems to fall into place until her college boyfriend resurfaces after a decade with his own ideas about their future. Will Marin be forced to choose between the man of her dreams and the diamond ring she’s always dreamed of?

Overall Rating

Review

Last year I received an email from my friend Heather Hildenbrand asking if I'd be interested in reading a book by one of her friends. I said sure. The book I read was amazing and you can find my review for The Man Test by Amanda Aksel here. Over the holidays I was home on leave and got an email from that same author asking how Army life was and if I had time to read and review her latest book, The Commitment Test. I couldn't say no and I'm so glad I found time to read it....

Every woman is looking for a guy that makes them forget anyone else exists. Marin Johns found that guy when she was out to prove that all men cheat. All that's on her mind now is getting a rock on her finger. The only problem is he isn't asking.

Just like in The Man Test, Marin takes things into her own hands to get what she wants. First she was out to prove that all men cheat, even found a book on it. Now, she's on a mission to get her man to propose, and of course there is a book on how to do that too. The Commitment Test was just like The Man Test in respect to Marin finding a book and playing out what it says to do and of course the humor in the shenanigans she gets into when going about getting what she wants. It's the same group of friends we grew to love and the same crazy therapist who wants to walk down the aisle.

To say that I loved everything about this book isn't a lie, but it doesn't help the reader determine if they'd be interested. Specifically I loved that Marin still has her own therapist who helps her indirectly. I loved that we still have that "OMG...are you seriously going to do that." reaction when we know that Marin will do anything to get things to go the way she wants. Also, I love that I knew how the book would end, because come on who wouldn't want Marin to get what she wants, but the way it happened made me love it.

Unlike in The Man Test, I didn't feel like I lost faith in men...quite the opposite actually. However, I can tell you that I did feel like this is a great example of how men are in general. They aren't as perceptive to a females wants/wishes/needs as we'd like them to be. This is something I can deal with.

Overall, I highly recommend The Commitment Test to anyone who has read The Man Test. If you haven't read the first book yet you are missing out. I am in love with these characters and look forward to more from Amanda Aksel in the future!

About the Author

Amanda Aksel is an author with an affinity for love. Becoming a couple’s therapist was her “backup” career, and after completing her BA in Psychology she was on her way to solving love's most complicated quandaries one couple at a time. The Man Test is Amanda’s debut novel, and now she plans to solve love's most complicated quandaries one novel at a time.

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On Hiatus

Over the last handful of months I have been busy getting ready for my departure for the U.S. Army. The time I could devote to this blog was limited and I wasn't been able to keep up with it the way I would have liked. So, I am sadly putting Bookish Diversion on an indefinite hiatus because, for the foreseeable future (7-10 months), I will not have any time to devote to reading. I'm hoping to get back into blogging and sharing my love of books when time permits. 

Elaphantine Publishing Press Release!

While sharing marketing tips and discussing cover art, independent authors Amanda Aksel, Heather Hildenbrand, and Sara Panek all came to the same conclusion; wouldn’t it be great if there was a publishing house that offered all the resources of traditional publishing, while still allowing the creative freedom of independent publishing? They set out to create their vision, and Elephantine Publishing was born.

Elephantine is a collaborative publisher. Their goal is to partner with authors to turn a love of writing into a successful career for years to come. They work side by side with authors through every step of the publishing process to create a unique and professional title to share with the world. Using strategic marketing, Elephantine provides their authors with industry tools and resources to build readership and grow sales.

Elephantine’s aim is simple: To provide access to all stories worth telling, whether or not the words fit into a neatly labeled box. Words that resonate in your bones. Stories you’ll never forget.

Become a part of the herd!
Read the guidelines and submit your query.