Juliana Haygert

I just loved this novel, but I could never understand why Hannah put up with Eric's controlling ways, and finally his physical abuse. I loved the way that she never gave up on a beaten and scarred horse and I cried for the abused horse! I did not like Hannah's boyfriend at all and I could see him getting his way by marrying her and taking control of the Taylor's assets like he was not wealthy enough! I adored Leo Fernandes sexy strut, the way he looked at Hannah, and his desire to help an show more abused horse just melted my heart. show less

My Review:

This book I was triggered to pick up as a prompt for the Romanceopoly Reading Challenge. It was for the Frostbitten Trials Event: Match 2-Shimmer Clash.

I have been wanting to read this one for a couple of years though. I loved the winter theme that is in the story. This was a portal fantasy theme. The heroine is grabbed from our world into a fantastical world and her life is meant to be sacrificed to save a kingdom from a curse. From the beginning there is chemistry between Cade show more and Amber. But Cade is deceiving Amber because she doens't the truth of his intentions and that her life will be needed to be sacrificed. But there is a love building between them that Cade is trying to ignore but eventually he will have to face the truth.

I had a good time with this one. Its not a super deep read or anything but a fun epic fantasy that really worked for me especially in the world building. show less

I read Witch Switch by Louisa Bacio in this anthology.
This book was intriguing. Love, mystery, revenge…toss in hidden powers, unknown siblings and losing yourself and having to refind yourself, you have the makings of a good tale. This is a novella but the author didn’t quite leave us hanging. It is the start of a series. HOORAY! I can’t wait to read more. This was like a bad fairytale that you can root for good to win. Rafe, Cheyenne, and Jupiter can kick butt with the best of them. I show more loved the fact that Cheyenne and Jupiter are strong and can basically do things on their own (together-sister power), there’s another sister later in the story. The characters have strong personalities. Meredith may have evil powers yet she’s pretty much a spoiled brat not getting her way. The plot had a really good flow. The story wasn’t choppy. My favorite part was the scene in the forest. The whole tone of the story kept you on the edge of your seat. It’s a very romantic tale with some spice scattered throughout so there’s a little of everything for everyone (if you love romance). I think you need to buy this book and check it out. It’s a new favorite for me. show less

This was a great read, one that totally enveloped me until the last word. Here are five reasons why I liked this book:

1. It was a total surprise. When I read the synopsis, I was pretty hesitant.. I don't like reading about spoiled rich girls, and then add horses, abuse, and Polo on the top of that, I was just unsure. But after the first chapter, I knew my preconceived notions about this was wrong. The story isn't just a romance, it's a story about healing, finding strength, and surviving.

2. show more Hannah was a great character. She wasn't really spoiled. There were no moments where I found myself ready to throttle her. She was smart and cared with her whole heart. Just an all around good person. I also liked that despite her relationship status with Eric and the heat she felt for Leo, she didn't cheat on him.

I also really LOVED Leo. I loved his character, family, and patience. I like how he seemed human. He was also not your typical book boyfriend. His family was from South America. He had the right amount of swagger and confidence!

3. Haygert is a great writer. She managed to take quite a few topics I wouldn't normally want to read about and put them in a story. She made it interesting, exciting, swoony, and sad all at once. There weren't too much background explanations, everything just seemed to evolve naturally.

4. I am an animal person, and I love the bond that we develop with Argus as the reader. It is truly touching! If I had more time/space/money I'd want to rehabilitate horses too!

5. The NA genre is full of books that are more Erotica than actual NA. I read all genres, but you have to think of your audience, this bridges the gap between YA and Adult.. should there be steam/sex scenes? YES! Should every chapter have sex in it? NO! There are going to be young adults that pick these books up too.. (that's not to say that they aren't participating in those types of activities), I think the author needs to hold that in account. My point in saying this is.. Juliana did a wonderful job of balancing the sexual part of the book with the actual content (plot) of the book!

So overall, my only complaint would be this.. Leo's foreign and often incorporates that when he's speaking English. There's a glossary in the front of the book to explain what the words mean. Which is cool. BUT when you have to refer to the front of the book for every conversation then it gets a little frustrating. I just gave up and made some meaning up in my head; 5-7 new terms are fine, but not much more than that. Other than that, I would highly encourage everyone to give this book a chance! show less