In Blood & Ice by Susan Person Review + BLOG TOUR + GIVEAWAY

 

I am thrilled to be hosting a spot on the IN BLOOD & ICE by Susan Person Blog Tour hosted by Rockstar Book Tours. Check out my post and make sure to enter the giveaway!

ABOUT THE BOOK

Title: IN BLOOD & ICE (A Vampire Ice Age Novel - Book 1)

Author: Susan Person

Publication Date: December 27, 2021

Publisher: Person Publishing

Formats: Paperback, eBook

Pages: 408

Find It: Goodreads, Amazon, Kindle, B&N, iBooks, Kobo

Alliances. Betrayals. Poison. For a hundred years, vampires and humans alike have been struggling to survive a brutal ice age.

When blood stores dwindle, Josie is sent on a mission to secure human donors to supplement the failing supply.

But her ex-lover Vin is part of the crew, and after the mission is sabotaged, she finds herself fighting for more than just survival.

When asked to join the expedition to the old compound, Vin didn’t hesitate. Maybe if he can succeed, he’ll win back the love he once lost.

But betrayal at the highest levels will threaten his efforts and shake the very foundations of the vampire race. If they can find a way to reverse the ice age, then they might all survive. But will the long buried secrets they uncover pull Josie and Vin apart?

In Blood & Ice is the first book in the A Vampire Ice Age paranormal romance series by Susan Person. If you like vampire romance, secrets, and a bad-ass heroine leading the way, this book is for you.

Pick up In Blood & Ice to start this dark and powerful series by Susan Person today.

Preorder Book Two, Reclamation in Ice, now!

REVIEW

This review contains spoilers for In Blood & Ice, please read with caution if you have not completed the book. A huge thank you again to Rockstar Book Tours for providing me with a copy of this book and the opportunity to be a part of the In Blood & Ice book tour.

We start off strong with immediate world-building and identifying our main characters and their key personality traits within the first chapter. Josephine, biological daughter and successor of Ezra, the Emperor, is our lead. I love the concept of the world being basically completely covered in ice - it adds a unique setting for vampires that I have yet to see in books or television so far. We also get an immediate dive right into a prospective love triangle with Josephine, Vincent, and Killian, which already brings a great deal of sarcasm and tension right at the beginning of the book. Having both Josephine's and Vincent's POVs really allows you to understand both characters on a deeper level, as well as get a better grasp on their feelings towards each other.

The way that Person introduces the possibility of Vincent's mother and witchcraft into the ongoing tensions between vampires is really well done - we go from fighting scenes to intimacy to new discovery that may help Josephine, Vincent, and Killian, along with the readers as we try to understand why these Rogue vampires are popping up all over the place. The devotion and admiration that Vincent has for Josephine truly comes to life on the pages, and is a constant through the beginning of the book.

Calidora being the vampire that killed Josephine's mother and being Vincent's mother was a great twist placed in the first fourth of the book - it gives a solid push towards the overall plot, as well as makes the reader have to put together a number of pieces of information that we were just exposed to in the last few chapters of the first fourth of the book. The way that Calidora is intwined into the plot also both character development and realization for Vincent, and struggle for Josephine.

Vincent being betrothed to someone within five minutes of meeting Calidora and finding out she is his mother had me cackling - this poor man can't catch a break. And Natasha definitely gives me the same vibes as the Denali tribe vampires from Twilight. Killian and Vincent's little friendship immediately after this whole situation is so humorous and a great addition to the plot - if we can't have a love triangle, I love the idea of having a couple and the friend who cares just as deeply for the girl but in a platonic way.

I was not in the least bit surprised that Ezra had his wife killed - he was not passing the vibe check in the first chapter and the second Josephine mentioned that her mother had opposing views to Ezra, it was inevitable to discover this information. Natasha coming along with the gang is the comedic relief we needed after all of the information we learned from Josephine's experience in the communication room. I absolutely love the dynamic between Killian and Natasha - their instant love and honeymoon stage is so perfectly put together and shows a fun, spontaneous side to a serious plot and mission.

Josephine beginning a revolution against her father is exactly the type of play we needed to see. Plus, these new vampires in the basement remind me of when the Strigoi in Vampire Academy were all hiding out in that cave off the side of the school campus. Livia is over here saying that she is pregnant yet has been running around as Ezra's little puppet and awakening like a million vampires in her path. And now Natasha is pregnant too? Josephine better be including child care in her revolution contracts with her followers.

Vincent proposing - so romantic, I really am rooting for them. And now Josephine is pregnant too? Everyone needs to take a breather and perhaps try not to repopulate the vampires all in one night. They better be able to find Livia's baby so everyone can have little playdates and relax for two seconds without a battle or kidnapping happening - so happy that everyone is mostly alright.

Overall, In Blood & Ice was a fantastic first installment to Person's series, and is perfectly paced to keep the reader on the edge of their seat. I would definitely recommend this series to fans of Blackmoon Beginnings by Kaitlyn Hoyt and Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead.

You can catch up with me and my current reads by friending me on Goodreads and following this blog in order to stay up-to-date with any reviews, blog tours, and more!

ABOUT SUSAN PERSON

Susan Person is a multi-contest finalist in the paranormal and dark paranormal romance categories. A former member of Romance Writers of America, she served on the PRO Steering Committee for several years. Recently, she returned to college to pursue a degree in anthropology and graduated in May 2021. Susan enjoys meeting writers and readers alike at conferences. Her grandmother's love of Harlequin novels was passed on to her, and she was fascinated by paranormal worlds and mythology. The combination of the two led her to the paranormal romance genre. She knew at an early age she wanted to write powerful heroines and fulfills that dream today by writing empowered heroines who take charge in their paranormal worlds.

Susan grew up on a thoroughbred horse farm before moving to the big city of Dallas. She considers herself a Texan but is loyal to her home state of Arkansas. A lover of travel, she has visited several countries with many more to go on her list. She particularly loved dowsing at Stonehenge and seeing the Eiffel Tower light up at night. The outdoors are a place Susan finds inspiration and can often be found in a park, at the lake, or on a road trip. She especially loves the mountains. Furry animals hold a special place in her heart. Dogs tend to seek her out as a friend, and she gladly returns their friendship.

Website | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | TikTok | Amazon | Goodreads | BookBub

GIVEAWAY DETAILS

5 winners will win a finished copy of IN BLOOD & ICE, US only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

TOUR DETAILS

Week One:

2/21/2022	The Reading Devil	Guest Post/IG Post
2/22/2022	Sadie's Spotlight	Guest Post/IG Post
2/23/2022	BookHounds	Guest Post/IG Post
2/24/2022	100 Pages A Day	Review
2/25/2022	boozybook blog	Review/IG Post

 

Week Two:

2/28/2022	thepaperworlds	Review
3/1/2022	@reading.late.into.the.night	Review/IG Post
3/2/2022	The Momma Spot	Review
3/3/2022	Take A Look At My Bookshelf	Review
3/4/2022	Vamplit	Review

Maddie And Mo Get Married by Rachel Abugov RELEASE WEEK BLITZ + GIVEAWAY

 

I am so excited that MADDIE AND MO GET MARRIED by Rachel Abugov is available now and that I get to share the news!

If you haven’t yet heard about this wonderful book, be sure to check out all the details below. 

This blitz also includes a giveaway for a $10 Amazon Gift Card courtesy of Rachel, & Rockstar Book Tours. So if you’d like a chance to win, check out the giveaway info below.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Title: MADDIE AND MO GET MARRIED

Author: Rachel Abugov

Pub. Date: February 22, 2022

Publisher: Rachel's Kissing Books

Formats: Paperback, eBook

Pages: 270

Find it: Goodreads, Amazon, B&N, iBooks, Kobo

In this corner: Madison "Mad Dog" Bennett: Venture capitalist. Runs on instincts and caffeine. Fearless (unless it's love).

In this corner: Maurice "Murderface" Mayfield: Former MMA fighter, Eternal optimist. Has a collection of designer sneakers. Also collects crazy exes.

Sparks fly between Maddie and Mo when she invests in his MMA-themed gyms. But Mo is known for his flavor-of-the-month romances. Maddie thinks she's watching the clock run out on them when Mo's ex drops off a package - the son he never knew he had.

Maddie and Mo's wedding is interrupted, and Maddie thinks she must choose between flight or fight. Fighting is in her comfort zone, but love? Not so much. Working things through? Even less. It won't be an easy trip down the aisle.

EXCERPT

I let Mo draw the faux-fur blanket over us and wrap me in his arms. 

“This is nice,” I said. “Hanging out with you is really nice.” It was the closest I’d gotten to expressing emotions in a long time.

“I could get used to this.” 

“Me too. It’s really nice.” What the hell, Maddie? Didn’t I know any words other than ‘nice’? 

My mouth engaged again, before my brain could search for synonyms. “I’m so lucky to have you in my life,” I gulped. “You saved me from the hell of the funeral. You’ve got so many good qualities – I could go on and on.”

“Please don’t stop on my account,” teased Mo. “You’re off to a good start.”

“Actually, that’s all I got.” I didn’t want to sound like I was at the “I love you, man” stage of drunkenness. We’d seen enough of that earlier. At least, I had.

“Okay.” Mo took a deep breath. “So, let’s discuss the next step. We’re business partners. We’re living together.  There’s only one more thing we can do. Let’s get married.”

“Wait, what?

Had I heard right? Of course I had. It just seemed a little soon.

“I know it seems a little soon,” continued Mo. 

Told you so.

“But when you know, you know. The first time we worked out together, you were a champ. You looked me straight in the eye. You were fierce and you weren’t afraid to show it. You knew all about me and you were okay with it. It’s hard to find that in one person. Believe me, I’ve tried. And if you think I’m gonna let you go, you’re insane.” Mo started rubbing my back exactly how I liked to have my back rubbed. 

This was getting much more difficult. There had to be a way to let him down gently.  I knew the words, but they wouldn’t come out of my mouth.

“You caught me off guard,” is what I said. “But I always trust my instincts. And they’re telling me to be all in. Ride or die.”

“Ride or die,” said Mo. He said other stuff, too. Then, things escalated and before long, I was invoking the Lord’s name. I do that in the heat of the moment. #sorrynotsorry

ABOUT RACHEL ABUGOV

Rachel is a recovering standup comic, former mental health admin, cat lady, foodie and lover of classic rock. She’s lived most of my life in Montreal, which is the Most Romantic City in North America.

She can't remember a time when she wasn't a reader, and therefore, a wannabe writer. Her first attempt at novel-writing was when she was 11, and she restarted in seriousness around four years ago.  

Rachel writes women's contemporary fiction  - snarky but sweet (that means closed-door sex scenes but lots of sarcasm and  tons of schmoopiness) The longer she writes, the more her characters resemble facets of herself and echo her life experiences. She'll let you decide whether that's a Good Thing or not.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads | Amazon 

GIVEAWAY DETAILS

1 Winner will receive a $10 Amazon Gift Card, International.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Hair in All the Wrong Places 2: The Perils of Growing Up Werewolf Review + BLOG TOUR + GIVEAWAY

The Perils of Growing Up Werewolf by Andrew Buckley

I would first like to thank Chapter by Chapter Blog Tours for including me in this blog tour and providing me with a review copy for an honest review, as well as Month9Books for contacting me about reviewing this novel! The first installment of this series, Hair in All the Wrong Places, is a great read that is quick-paced and will have you turning the pages as you follow along the story of a teenage werewolf and the complications that he has to live with in his daily life. I really enjoyed how much character development that Colin went through throughout this book, and I liked how the author involved Becca, Jeremy, and Colin's other friends into his story in Elkwood. This is such a fantastic read if you are looking for something fun and quick, while still having an interesting plot line and characters that are all unique in their own ways. Towards the end of the book, I liked the predicament that Colin was in, as well as Becca, was resolved, and that the fact that their feelings for each other were never put on the line when Colin was in trouble or when he was off fighting some unknown source of evil at that time. I also really liked how the introduction of Colin's new principle was written out - the results were unexpected and truly had me interested in his character development throughout the story. The story picked up right as the first novel ended, and the author did a very good job of staying consistent with details from the first novel as well as adding in new details that allowed the second installment to add onto Colin's story. I highly recommend this series to fans of the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling and fans of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series by Rick Riordan. You can see my review of the first novel, Hair in All the Wrong Places, as well, posted here!

 

The Perils of Growing Up Werewolf (Hair in all the Wrong Places #2)

by Andrew Buckley

Publication Date: October 3, 2017

Publisher: Tantrum Books

Being a werewolf is no picnic. Colin’s constantly hungry, spends a ton of time shaving, and fights to keep his emotions in check to avoid turning into a giant, drooling, hairy, smelly, howling wolf. But Colin's not the only creature hanging around the town of Elkwood. Vampires, zombies, goblins, ogres, and other questionable visitors and their various shenanigans have got everyone on edge.

Colin just wants to live a normal life, date, and get his homework done on time. But the town of Elkwood needs him. So when a secret government organization asks for his help, will he be able to control the animal inside, or will he give in to the perils of growing up werewolf?

Purchase Links:

Google Play | BAM | Chapters | Indies | Amazon | B&N | Kobo | TBD | iBooks

Andrew Buckley attended the Vancouver Film School’s Writing for Film and Television program. After pitching and developing several screenplay projects for film and television, he worked in marketing and public relations, before becoming a professional copy and content writer. During this time Andrew began writing his first adult novel, DEATH, THE DEVIL AND THE GOLDFISH, followed closely by his second novel, STILTSKIN. He works as an editor for Curiosity Quills Press.

Andrew also co-hosts a geek movie podcast, is working on his next novel, and has a stunning amount of other ideas. He now lives happily in the Okanagan Valley, BC with three kids, one cat, one needy dog, one beautiful wife, and a multitude of characters that live comfortably inside of his mind.

Andrew is represented by Mark Gottlieb at the Trident Media Group.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Giveaway Information:

 One (1) winner will receive a Werewolves The Pact Game (INT)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

United by Melissa Landers Release Day Blitz + GIVEAWAY

United, the third installment in the Alienated series by Melissa Landers, is here!

Here's a message from the author:

Hey there, booklovers!

I’m author Melissa Landers, and I’m thrilled to announce the release of UNITED, the final book in the Alienated trilogy. Our star-crossed lovers Aelyx and Cara have overcome some heavy obstacles to be together—riotous mobs, alien hybrids, and worst of all, high school on two planets. Now to stay together they’ll have to unite their people against a common enemy, a threat more deadly than they ever imagined. (NBD, right?) I’ve written an ending to this trilogy that makes my heart happy, and I hope you’ll love the conclusion as much as I do!

What do reviewers have to say about the series?

“The author’s storyline is out of this world.” –VOYA on Alienated

“The unusual plot and world building are ingenious.” –Library Media Connection on Alienated

“If [the third novel] is as entertaining as this tale, it can’t come soon enough.” –Kirkus Reviews on Invaded

“A fun genre-blending series that will only gain traction as it continues.” –Booklist on Invaded

If you love hot aliens, snarky humans, and wild sci-fi adventure, make sure to pick up a copy of UNITED today. It’s now available in stores and online.

Purchase Links:

Amazon: http://amzn.to/25XrSct

iBooks: http://apple.co/1sGfH1Z

Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/1tqvT7u

Book Depository (free international shipping): http://bit.ly/1XpeAjN

Indie Bound: http://bit.ly/1Uc75wb

To celebrate my book birthday, I’m offering one lucky winner a set of all 3 mini-posters in the Alienated series—signed by me! The giveaway is open internationally.

Best of luck, and happy reading!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Melissa Landers is a former teacher who left the classroom to pursue other worlds. A proud sci-fi geek, she isn’t afraid to wear her Princess Leia costume in public—just ask her husband and three kids. She lives outside Cincinnati in the small town of Loveland, “Sweetheart of Ohio.” For more information or just to say hello, visit www.melissa-landers.com.

Hair in All the Wrong Places by Andrew Buckley Review + BOOK TOUR + GIVEAWAY

Hair in All the Wrong Places by Andrew Buckley

Review: I'm so glad to be a part of "Hair in All the Wrong Places" Book Tour! Thank you so much to Chapter by Chapter for sending me a review copy of this novel and having me as a tour host! I really enjoyed the essence of the story  - it is a quick read that is light and fluffy, definitely for someone who enjoys a type of Middle Grade fantasy. The main character is relatable and is easily understood throughout the entire book, and I found myself really enjoying what Colin had to say rather than wanting to skip to the action part of the plot. All of the characters are unique in their own ways and that element really assists the writing style as well, for you can tell when a certain character is talking without needing the extra "so and so said" at the end of each piece of dialogue. This was such a cute read, and I liked the romantic aspect as well, adding it in made the readers be able to root for the character and his love interest all while hoping that everything would turn out okay in the end. The romance did not over power the true nature and plot of the book, and for that I am thankful - we were able to focus at the problems at hand and not have the romance shadow over everything else that was happening throughout the novel. I highly recommend this book to fans of werewolf novels and any Middle Grade fantasy novel as well. I'm really looking forward to reading more of Andrew's writing and seeing more of his characters.

Publication Date: June 7, 2016

Publisher: Month9Books

What has he done?

What’s happening to him?

And what on Earth is that smell?

For Colin Strauss, puberty stinks. Blackouts, hallucinations, and lapses in memory are the perils of growing up werewolf.

Worse than that, Colin worries he might have had something to do with the recent attacks on the townspeople. He may have eaten a person. It doesn’t matter that it’s someone he doesn’t particularly like. What kind of boy goes around eating people?

Foolishly, all Colin can think about is how Becca Emerson finally kissed him for the first time. Yep, hormones are afoot.

Yikes!

But girls will have to wait. Collin better get himself under control before someone else ends up hurt or worse . . . dead.

Link to Goodreads:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25014122-hair- in-all- the-wrong- places

Purchase Links:

Google Play | BAM | Chapters | Indies | Amazon | B&N | Kobo | TBD | iBooks

About the Author: Andrew Buckley attended the Vancouver Film School’s Writing for Film and Television program. After pitching and developing several screenplay projects for film and television, he worked in marketing and public relations, before becoming a professional copy and content writer. During this time Andrew began writing his first adult novel, DEATH, THE DEVIL AND THE GOLDFISH, followed closely by his second novel, STILTSKIN. He works as an editor for Curiosity Quills Press. Andrew also co-hosts a geek movie podcast, is working on his next novel, and has a stunning amount of other ideas. He now lives happily in the Okanagan Valley, BC with three kids, one cat, one needy dog, one beautiful wife, and a multitude of characters that live comfortably inside of his mind. Andrew is represented by Mark Gottlieb at the Trident Media Group.

Giveaway Information: Contest ends June 24, 2016

 One (1) winner will receive a scrabble tile book cover charm (US ONLY)

 Five (5) winners will receive a digital copy of Hair in the Wrong Places by Andrew Buckley (INT)

Rafflecopter Link:

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/c08c9e8e554/?