REVIEW The Conduit (Gryphon #1) by Stacey Rourke

THE CONDUIT (GRYPHON #1) BY STACEY ROURKE

All 18-year-old Celeste Garrett wants is to head off to college and make those fun, yet ill-advised, choices college kids are known for. And maybe to spend some time with the hot cameraman she just met. Instead, because of a pact her ancestors made in the 17th century with a mythical creature, she has to save the world.

While normal kids are slamming energy drinks and cramming for exams, Celeste will get her adrenaline rush fighting a fire breathing dragon. She wants to meet friends in the quad to exchange lecture notes, but first she must exchange blows with a shapeshifting demon on the rooftop. Life isn’t always fair for a superhero, but at least she doesn’t have to do it alone. With her brother and sister as sidekicks, they alternate between saving lives and getting on each others’ nerves. Together the trio encounters unspeakable odds, mystical forces and comes face-to-face with an image that will haunt them forever—their grandmother in a leopard print bikini.

HERE'S WHAT I THOUGHT

As always, let's start with the cover. The cover intrigued me as it's very different from covers I am used to seeing with a photograph of a person in them. This one has a drawing on some type of parchment! And a spooky drawing  of a shadow person, at that! I wanted to know who this creepy shadow-y person/creature was! 

The characters right away touched my heart. Celeste, Gabe, and Kendall are siblings who are forced to move in with their grandma in a different state due to the declining safety in their hometown. I immediately enjoyed the ease of which their family was. All three of them were fun, quirky, all around loving siblings. 

Celeste, from the start, seems to be the glue that holds everyone together, and she definitely proves that role to be true throughout the entire book. She's a quiet observer though, only  laying down the law when necessary. That all changes when she becomes somewhat of a superwomen when her and her siblings come into magical powers so-to-speak. You watch her transform from wallflower to kick-butt hero! I loved that about her. I'm a sucker for strong female characters, what can I say?

The plot and action were very easy to follow but wasn't lacking in the interest department. I always wanted to know more about the magical world that they were kicking butt to save. It was a breath of fresh air reading this light hearted, funny, but action packed story! Stacey Rourke has a way with words that makes everything flow together easily and sucks you into the story. I can't wait to read Embrace (Gryphon #2) next! 

I GAVE THE CONDUIT

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I RECEIVED A COPY OF THIS BOOK IN EXCHANGE FOR MY HONEST OPINION.

REVIEW Stained by Ella James

STAINED BY ELLA JAMES

Seventeen-year-old Julia is finally living the good life. She's traded a hard cot in a Memphis orphanage for her very own room in a perfect little house, on a perfect little street, with a perfect set of parents who picked her to be their daughter.

But Julia is hiding a secret - and one fall night, she returns home from a friend's house to find that her secret has found her. Her 'forever home' is ashes. Her parents are dead. And, in the sky above the flames, a winged creature hunts her.

The Nephilim King, Samyaza, has taken everything from Cayne. After struggling in the darkness for years to piece together his shattered life, Cayne is finally ready to confront his past and avenge the loss of everything he loved. He tracks Samyaza to a Memphis warehouse, where he winds up flat on his back, in the healing hands of a beautiful, dark-haired girl he doesn't need to know.

Unbeknownst to either of them, they are already bound. Cayne's past holds the answers to Julia's future. But what will pose the greatest threat to her? The bounty placed on her head by the leaders of two Celestial realms, or giving her heart to a man who is bound, by birth, to break it?

HERE'S WHAT I THOUGHT

Lets talk about the cover first, since I'm a total visual person. I was really drawn to this cover. The girl in the front, who I assumed would be Julia, has a very angelic glow along with the creepy pyramid in the back. I wanted to know more about the girl and the pyramid right away! So much in fact I almost overlooked the star-like mark on the girls shoulder! Definitely loved this cover!

Once I started reading, I'm not going to lie. The first thing that had me super excited was the fact that this all took place around Memphis. I just kept thinking, I've been there! I live three hours away. I know Beale street! I know the Peabody Hotel! That was so very awesome for me.

Julia won me over almost immediately with her broken past and pink chucks. When she is forced to run away, I could feel how scared and alone she was. Then comes Cayne and her world changes. Julia is instantly drawn to help him, which I think is just a part of who she is. She seems to always try and find the best in people and try to push out an bad feelings she may have. She's too trusting, maybe? A curse and a blessing!

Cayne is stoic and doesn't show any feelings, which drives Julia crazy. She wants to know more about him and he just keeps pushing her away, or so, he pushes her away with his words but when things get tough physically when Samyaza threatens to harm Julia, he shows a different side of him with his actions. This was my favorite part of Julia and Cayne's chemistry. The push and pull of their affection with each other is overwhelming -in a good way. There were times I wanted to yell at both of them and reach through my Kindle and shove them together so they would finally kiss! I loved this about them though, because it made it seem as though you never knew what the future was going to be like for these two.

Ella James writes a great introduction to this new adventure and life for Julia and Cayne. Both seek revenge and they seem to be stronger together. I can't wait to find out more answers about Julia and Cayne's fate!

I GAVE STAINED BY ELLA JAMES

FOUR CUPCAKES

YOU CAN CHECK OUT STAINED FOR YOURSELF ON AMAZON AND GOODREADS!

Musings with Mom - Inescapable by Amy Bartol

Everybody, meet my mom, Patti . Mom, meet everybody! I am one of those lucky people in the world. You know, where your mom is one of your best friends.Yeah, that's my mom. We've been through our fair share of difficult times, but one thing is for sure, she's always there to cheer me on from the sidelines and it's something I truly cherish. And this time is no different.

Mom got to play around with my Kindle when I went home to visit in November and pretty much decided she had to have one. So we picked out the Kindle Fire HD. So naturally, I had to give her book suggestions to read. She kind of already knew which ones she wanted to since on Facebook, I pretty much gush about every new book I read.

I got her reading Inescapable by Amy Bartol, first. She would send me text messages along the way while she was reading. It was so much fun to be able to share this passionate part of me, reading. Then I had a brilliant idea when we started talking about the book. I should record it and include her in this here blog! Well lucky her, she gets her very own little section on here now. I'm not sure whether she knew I was recording her or not. If you don't hear from me in a few days, she didn't know and she killed me! Just kidding! She'll probably just yell at me later. Just kidding again. Kind of.

Want to know what my mom and I thought of Inescapable? We start off talking about the where she left off after we talked last. What did she think of the ending? Who were her favorite characters? Is she Team Reed or Team Russell? (Just and FYI, she calls Russell a country bumpkin!!) She even gets crafty and turns the tables on me and starts asking me questions!

WARNING. CONTAINS SPOILERS.

CHECK OUT AMY BARTOL!