young adult romance

Book Review & Giveaway: The Reclaimed Kingdom by Dana Claire

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The Reclaimed Kingdom by Dana Claire

Publisher:  Chamberlain Publishing House (February 14, 2021)
Category: Young Adult, Fantasy/Romance
ISBN: 978-1792361357
Available in Print and ebook, 310 pages

The Legend is true. The Fear is real.

Under the cruel ministrations of its Queen, the Kingdom of D’Land is in peril. With King Harrison away in foreign lands and neighboring Kingdoms unwilling to intervene, there is no one to protect the people from poverty, harsh punishment, and unreasonable rules of law – except for the Band of Brothers. Struggling with the death of her mother and the legendary Syphon powers she inherited, seventeen year old Dru wants nothing more than to escape her old life and join the motley crew of ruffians, pilfering from the rich to feed the poor and pay their taxes.

She’s able to do just that disguised as a lad, and even when her nature is discovered, nothing changes – except for the way her friend Hawkin treats her. But Dru’s new world is overturned when she and the Brothers seize the treasures of a Prince who threatens to reveal her identity. Together, Dru and her chosen family must find a way to reclaim her destiny and bring balance to the Kingdom. If not, there may be no hope left for anyone.

Amazon
IndieBound

Guest Review by Sal

The fabulous first book in a series about a young girl reclaiming her birthright and a long-forgotten secret. ‘The Reclaimed Kingdom,’ by Dana Claire has everything you could possibly want from a thrilling YA story: adventure, romance, legendary fights and evil queens.

The main character, Dru, has a few secrets up her sleeve, one of the biggest being that she is a Syphon. Or, a person with the supernatural ability to syphon off of other people’s emotions and moods. This is a power that has been passed down to her genetically and that Dru has been instructed to keep hidden lest it be used against her.

In the beginning of the book, Dru has fallen in with the Band of Brothers, a group of rowdy but ultimately kind men who, in the tradition of Robin Hood, steal from the rich and give to the poor. The gang live in the fictional realm of D’Land, where an evil queen named Ebbigal rules over everyone with an iron fist. Dru hates Ebbigal for reasons that become clear as the story progresses, and those reasons are far closer to home than any of the evil queen’s other subjects can claim.

Dru is fun, plucky and clever enough to banter with the best of them, including the young, dashing Prince Edward (affectionately known as ‘Dodge’). Their dialogue made for some of my favorite parts in the book and really added to the atmosphere of the story. The atmosphere was perfectly done! The setting was fictional, but a take on Medieval life and one that was done beautifully. I don’t think I’ve ever read a modern book with such an accurate Medieval setting.

Dana Claire has really set up something special with this series and I can’t wait to see how it is going to play out in the next books!

Praise for The Reclaimed Kingdom

“Ms. Claire has such a talent for imaginative magic systems. The Syphon in this series has abilities I have not encountered before. The ability to take emotions and how she deals with them are quite intriguing. In this story, Dru makes an interesting heroine with her contrasts of her life as a brigand and thief with her previous life. She is very much a Robin Hood character without falling into the tired tropes that can come with that. The male main characters are so different. Hawkin is intense and unrefined. Dodge is softer and somewhat of a dreamer. They are both fiercely loyal and capable. The progression of their relationships with each other and Dru has made this a fabulous and compelling story.”- Aizlynne, Goodreads

“Well Dana Claire did it again. Another captivating book in her new series that kept me up later than I should because I didn’t want to stop reading. I would tell myself “just one more chapter” before I knew it, I read 3 or 4 more. Dana Claire has a way of bringing her characters to life and the action and suspense adds to the magnetic pull of not wanting to put the book down. Hoping I won’t have to wait too long for the second book of “The Syphon Series” and looking forward to the second book in “The Blood-Light Trilogy”.
I truly enjoy reading these books and submersing myself into the action pack plots with the spice of romance. Thank you Dana Claire for both of your terrific series. Thank you for introducing these characters to me and allowing me to follow their adventures and lives.”-D, Berry, Amazon

“This was such a great book! Dana Claire did a wonderful job developing the characters in this story. The backstory paints such a great visual of the time period and the land where Dru and her Band of Brothers are living. You root for Dru right from the beginning and I looked forward to every twist along the way. I couldn’t wait to finish it. So far, Dana Claire’s books are knocking it out of the park for me…2 for 2!”- Craig Andrews, Amazon

About the Author


Author, Dana Claire, believes that a good story is made through strong character development. When readers become attached to the characters’ emotional state and are invested in their objectives, the readers are there for the long haul backing the characters and their emotions. How cool is it to read a book and think about the characters long after you’ve read the last page? She believes that the beauty of reading is that one can live a hundred lives within the stories of books.

If you’ve ever wondered what it would be like to be a vampire, slay a dragon, or use a time machine, there’s a book for that.

Website: https://danaclairebooks.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/danaclaire143
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DanaClaireBooks/

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Book Review: Who She Was by Stormy Smith

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Available May 4th

Trevor Adler loathes the music he used to love, but it’s the key to his full-ride scholarship and the ticket away from his dysfunctional parents. To kick off their freshman year, Trevor’s roommate drags him to a frat party, where he ends up face-to-face with his childhood best friend and finds himself entrenched in memories he’d rather forget.

Unable to let Charlie go again without understanding the truth of why she disappeared from his life and chose to become the type of person they always hated, Trevor is relentless in his pursuit of the girl he once knew.

Charlotte (Charlie) Logan is broken. Under her perfectly-crafted exterior are the shards of a shattered heart. A handful of angry words changed her life completely and Charlie’s never been able to forgive herself for the truth she’s hidden from everyone.

While Trevor pushes Charlie to remember the music that lit her soul and the laughter they shared, they find themselves reverting to a banter-filled rhythm that feels all too familiar, yet different now. When Trevor’s own secrets come to light, it becomes clear he and Charlie both must face their tragic pasts if they have any hope at a future together.

Available on Amazon.

 

My Review

I chose to read this book after receiving a free copy from the author. All opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased.

I had read the Bound series by Stormy Smith and I like her writing so I was happy to read Who She Was. The problem is that I was not prepared for all of the emotions it caused. I ended up with a headache from crying: happy crying and sad crying.

Trevor and Charlie are survivors. They were best friends until they were 13 years old and Trevor’s family moved away. Even though they both tried to keep in touch, they lost touch, each one thinking the other one had abandoned them. Now, four years later, they’re both at the same college and both are broken. They’re happy to be together again but they each have secrets. Can they learn to share and face their secrets or is it impossible for them to have a relationship with so much shared past and so much lost time?

Even though Who She Was is a young adult novel, it will pull on the heartstrings of adults as well.

 

 

About the Author

Stormy Smith is the author of the number one bestselling Bound series. She calls Iowa’s capital home now, but was raised in a tiny town in the Southeast corner of the state. She grew to love books honestly, having a mom that read voraciously and instilled that same love in her. She knew quickly stories of fantasy were her favorite, and even as an adult gravitates toward paranormal stories in any form.

Writing a book had never been an aspiration, but suddenly the story was there and couldn’t be stopped. When she isn’t working on, or thinking about, her books, Stormy’s favorite places include bar patios, live music shows, her yoga mat or anywhere she can relax with her husband or girlfriends.

Stormysmith.com

 

The Amazon purchase link in this post is an affiliate link. Purchasing through it helps sustain Bound 4 Escape.

 

 

 

Book Review: Prove Me Wrong by Tessa Marie

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A single secret changes everything.

With no college ambition—or desire to care—Luke Hannon’s ready to bail on school before senior year even begins. But when he spots the hot new girl reading an upside down map, he changes his mind.

Hailey Saldino desperately wants to start fresh at a school where she’s free of the snide remarks and hurtful stares. A place where no one knows her past…or her son, Brady.

Luke wants a no strings attached, physical relationship, until Hailey becomes more than a cute girl in a skirt. Usually his bad boy reputation hooks the ladies but it won’t be enough to land a girl like Hailey. Needing a lasting approach, Luke decides to be honest. No lies. No BS. As the connection between them deepens, Luke shares all his shameful secrets. 

Afraid to lose one of the few people who’s ever looked at her as something other than a slut, Hailey buries herself in compounding lies. And when Hailey’s purposeful deceit blindsides Luke, he must decide if he’ll walk away, or accept Hailey and the little man she already loves.

Available on Amazon.

 

My Review

I received a free copy of the audiobook for an honest review.

Prove Me Wrong is a sweet romance about two high school seniors. Hailey is new in town. Her mom moved her here because Hailey had a baby and her mom wanted her to be able to experience being a “normal” teen without the stigma of being a teenage mom. The problem is that that means Hailey is lying to everyone she meets.

Luke is the typical good looking love ’em and leave ’em kind of guy. When he meets Hailey he falls head over heels. He is suddenly interested in only Hailey and making her happy. He doesn’t even try to get her into bed, wanting to take it slow. It’s hard to believe that a player could make such a complete change in such a short time but we can always dream.

Julia Farmer did a good job narrating. I was able to always tell who was talking and she had good timing.

I recommend Prove Me Wrong for anyone who enjoys sweet young adult romances.