Courtney Cole

I enjoyed this one so much, if not for what felt to me like some unnecessary relationship drama, this would absolutely have been a five star read.

Meg already had so much on her plate (that made for an absorbing read), processing grief both old and new, taking on the massive responsibility of a rundown condominium complex filled with senior citizens depending on her to keep them out of nursing homes, plus the desire to keep her fashion designer dreams alive, so I really liked that for a show more large chunk of the novel in balanced contrast to Meg’s problems, the romance came across as low-key, just sweet, easy, comforting, an enviable refuge from the bigger challenges in her life. Maybe had the conflict that materialized in their relationship been something deeper, something not reliant on exes (or at least not reliant on a one-dimensional ex), I might have welcomed it, but as it was, I would have preferred the romance stayed drama free and maybe instead given some of those pages over to more of the stress and labor that would have gone into a design competition of that magnitude.

That detour in the romance aside, there was so much I loved about this book especially the found family aspect with the senior citizens who were fantastic supporting characters and I so admire how the tone of the story smoothly transitioned from humorous to poignant takes on loss and loneliness and back again. An author who can do breezy so well yet also have me teary-eyed on occasion is someone I’m very much eager to read more from. show less

I just love Courtney Cole's books and after reading Pax and Mila's story in If You Stay, I have been dying to get my hands on Madison's story in If You Leave. Madison is Mila's older sister. Ever since her parents died tragically, Madison has taken on their role, running the business, living in the family home, leaving her modeling career behind. She has always tried to take care of Mila and let her live her own life, knowing Mila's passion is art and not wanting to tie her down with the show more family restaurant. Madison has always been rather unlucky in the love department, feeling that she has always chosen the wrong kind of guys, the kind that never stick around. Then she meets Gabriel Vincent when she goes into the city for a "night on the town" with her best friend Jacey. The attraction between them is magnetic. Gabriel is a hot as they come, he's mysterious, cocky, and he is also very, very sexy. He's never wanted a girl for more than sex, especially since he went to Afghanistan, that is until he meets Madison. Gabriel is also an ex-Army Ranger. Something tragic happens that evening that gives Madison a glimpse into another side of Gabriel, one which he doesn't want anyone to see. She goes back home, never expecting to see him again. Needless to say that when he walks into her restaurant the next day she is flabbergasted. It just so happens that Gabriel Vincent is her friend Jacey's older brother, the one she was supposed to meet at the club the previous night, but Jacey thought he never made it. Not only did these two did meet, they already have a "history," but with both of their scarred pasts, is there any hope for a future?

I loved this book. It was so good. It also was very emotionally raw and heartbreaking, causing you to experience the gamut of emotions from one end of the scale to another. Gabriel's experience in Afghanistan has messed him up big time and left him totally screwed up. He is such an awesome, stand-up, honorable guy whose dream has always been to be a soldier, but because of what happened he feels like a failure, is guilt ridden, and feels completely undeserving of ever experiencing love. Madison also has things in her past that we didn't know about, things she has stuffed down for years, things that have left her very emotionally scarred and feeling incapable of ever having a meaningful relationship. They try to help each other heal, and Gabriel is a godsend for Madison, but then the past rares its ugly head and threatens to destroy them. Gabriel has to decide if he is willing to let Madison in, and if he is willing to do what it takes to get the help he needs, but will it be too little too late? The journey these two go on in If You Leave is one you will never forget. There is also some drama that happens with Jacey that provides for some interesting twists and turns in the story. Courtney Cole has again done an outstanding job in writing not only a magnificent contemporary romance that is filled with drama, angst, and passion, but sheds light on an important issue that so many of our soldiers deal with, PTSD and its effects, while also honoring all those individuals who give their all to protect us. This is one story you won't want to miss. Oh, and the romance part is HOT! I am already counting the days until the next book in the series comes out, Before We Fall, which will be Jacey's story. show less

If any of you have not read the three Bloodstone Saga books prior to My Tattered Bonds, then this review will most assuredly contain spoilers.


It is always bittersweet when a great series comes to a close, and that is certainly true for The Bloodstone Saga – an intriguing compilation of Greek myth, historical event, and time-honored legend. Full of spine-tingling romance, epic quests, betrayals, journeys, ancient prophecy, gorgeous goddesses and handsome heroes, this series is an original show more read.


At the conclusion of With My Last Breath, Harmonia has succeeded in rescuing her beloved Cadmus from the clutches of the Keres sisters and has obtained Zeus’s sword. She’s one step closer to fulfilling her destiny as the Chosen One – overturning the devious actions of the Fates and restoring Olympus. And yet, by setting things right in her life as Heleyna, she’s lost one of the most precious things in her life – her daughter Raquel. Still searching for the lost Olympians and frantic to find her young daughter, Harmonia’s quest leads her to the gates of the Underworld and beyond. There she discovers new dangers, new tests of her strength and finds just how much she’s willing to sacrifice to save the people she loves.


Once again, Cole has successfully transported me into her realm of myth and legend. My Tattered Bonds takes place mostly in the Underworld, the whole concept of which fascinates me. The Underworld is a whole subterranean world guarded by Cerberus, inhabited by the dead, and ruled over by Lord Hades. Yet the living can venture there… if they dare. The Underworld of My Tattered Bonds is vivid, beautiful and alluring, but it is also horrifying, vicious and unforgiving. It is this contrast, that also appears throughout the themes in original Greek mythology, that appeals to me. The love of beauty, the power and tragedy of love, the harshness and permanence of consequences, the unyielding set of rules that govern man and god alike, the idea that fate cannot be changed, and man’s never-ending quest to do exactly that. Cole’s mythology also incorporates these ideas and this is perhaps the reason I enjoy this series as much as I do.


Throughout this series, Harmonia has grown on me. Cursed, betrayed, and misused time and time again by the Fates and the Keres, she’s continually maintained a wonderful sense of dignity, decency, strength, determination and a strong moral compass throughout her many ordeals. She’s the goddess of peace and yet her life often doesn’t reflect any kind of serenity as it has been in a state of constant upheaval for lifetimes upon lifetimes. Harmonia is a strong female character, but she also recognizes the value of depending upon others, that she can’t do it alone. She’s also an extremely understanding person whose empathy toward certain characters in the book is refreshing and commendable. She is the goddess of peace after all, but there were certain situations in which her reactions to things took me by surprise, in good ways that made sense for her character, and I just really enjoyed that. All in all, Harmonia’s gigantic reserve of inner strength, her compassion and her genuineness of character made her a lovely protagonist to share adventures with.


Storywise, there are a lot of elements I enjoyed in this novel. Topping the list is probably the character of Hades. Cole’s Hades is seductive, demanding, charismatic, he craves beauty and desperately desires the things he cannot have. He subscribes to his own moral code and his own philosophy of love. As I’ve probably stated before, I love characters that live in the moral gray, because they are just so interesting – their motivations and view of the world just so different from the accepted norms. Other characters that I’d love to know more about are Hecate, Empusa and their tragically strange family situation/relationship. Luckily, I will get that particular wish, because Cole has just released the first book in her new Moonstone Saga which happens to star …. Empusa! One last thing I enjoyed was the quest/journey aspect of My Tattered Bonds. The characters are constantly on the move and in true mythological fashion, undergo trials, complete quests and must fulfill destinies.


I have to admit, this final book did send me on a bit of a Wikipedia rampage. I have, what I consider to be, a decent knowledge of Greek mythology, but I had no idea how many details in the Bloodstone Saga are straight from or are inspired by original myth. Cole has certainly done her research to give her saga a solid foundation and yet she’s successfully molded certain established elements of these ancient stories to fit her own unique vision.


Despite all the things I previously stated that I did like, there are several things I was not so crazy about. The first and foremost that there seemed to be several plot holes, things that seemed a little too convenient, and alternately, things that may have been made overly complicated. Nevertheless, the book still is extremely enjoyable.


Overall, My Tattered Bonds is an exciting, romantic, adventurous and fitting conclusion to this wonderful series. show less

Full review to come as part of the blog tour.

*My sincere thanks to Kismet Book Tours and Courtney Cole for providing a review copy of Dante's Girl*

Book Synopsis: I have spent every summer since I was ten years old with my father in London. Every summer, since I was ten years old, has been uneventful and boring.
Until this year.

And this year, after a freak volcanic eruption strands me far from home, I have learned these things:

1. I can make do with one outfit for three days before I buy new show more clothes.
2. If I hear the phrase, “You’re not in Kansas anymore, Toto,” even one more time, I might become a homicidal maniac.
3. I am horribly and embarrassingly allergic to jellyfish.
4. I am in love with Dante Giliberti, who just happens to be the beautiful, sophisticated son of the Prime Minister of a Mediterranean paradise.
5. See number four above. Because it brings with it a whole slew of problems and I’ve learned something from every one of them.

Let’s start with the fact that Dante’s world is five light-years away from mine. He goes to black-tie functions and knows the Prime Minister of England on a first name basis. I was born and raised on a farm in Kansas and wear cut-off jeans paired with cowboy boots. See the difference?

But hearts don’t care about differences. Hearts want what they want. And mine just wants to be Dante’s girl.

My heart just might be crazy.

Somehow, books come along right exactly when I need them. I was desperately wanting something light, but that would be satisfying. This sounded like it would be just the thing, and it was. Perfectly light and beautifully satisfying. I was certain that I'd enjoy it, but what surprised me was just how much I did.

I found Reece to be captivating and engaging. I liked her Midwestern charm and her down-to-earth personality. I liked that she tried to play it cool with everything, but totally had an inner fangirl going on most of the time. That is SO me.

I liked that she had to put some effort into things. Nothing was just handed to her. Okay, so maybe a plane ride with Mr. Hotness was a gift from Heaven, but the rest wasn't. She actually had to DO things. Also, she wasn't 'the plain girl who never had any friends and all of a sudden is the most beloved person on the entire planet and maybe Mars too'. I can't even tell you how much I liked that bit. She had her friends, she had her enemies, and she had pretty much everyone in-between. That is so much more like real life and since this is a contemp, I feel perfectly justified in expecting bits of reality to creep through far more often than in fantasy.

Dante makes me completely firm in my resolve that I need a foreign boyfriend. I'm telling you, the foreign guys pretty much have an unbreakable lead in how to treat the ladies. (also, for the record, I speak of this through personal experience and not just books) Dante was awesome. If I'd done my book boyfriend post from earlier after I'd finished this book, I'd have included him on it. He's totally there in spirit.

I really liked the story and absolutely ADORED the setting. An island paradise in the Mediterranean? Yes, please. I felt like I was walking the same perfect beaches as Reece and Dante. I seriously could SMELL the ocean breeze! As for the story, it was perfectly paced and beautifully written. It was the perfect combination of light and serious - just exactly what this reader wanted in a story right then.

I'd totally pick this one up again and I'm planning on picking up the finished book when my budget increases. It gets 4 Eiffel Towers! show less