Destiny Unchained, Shadows of Destiny #3 by Leia Shaw

Today, Bona Fide Reflections is continuing to celebrate the Release Day of Destiny Unchained by Leia Shaw. At the end of this post, please complete the Rafflecopter to win a $20 gift certificate from Amazon or B&N. 

Happy Release Day!!

Author Bio:

I began my writing journey while I was stranded at the airport waiting for my delayed flight. I browsed the Border’s kiosk and grew frustrated that I couldn’t find the “it factor” — the perfect combination of alpha male-ness, ass-kickery, strong females, magic, and sex.

So I spent the next four hours on an airplane writing my first book on scraps of paper and an airsick bag (which thankfully I didn't need to use).

Now I spend too much time in my head, plotting evil villains and the hot men (and women) who ruthlessly kill them. I think far too much about fae politics, dragon power games, and how fast werewolves can change forms. But writing my paranormal romance series has given me a productive place to express those dark places in my mind.

I live in New England with my husband and two kids. Though I will go to my grave denying it, my husband insists I would be thrilled if he suddenly sprouted fangs.

Leia Shaw can be found here: 

Twitter: @LeiaShaw

Website: http://www.leiashaw.com

Blog: http://leiashaw.blogspot.com

Bona Fide Review:

Book 3

Fantastic Paranormal Romance

Destiny Unchained by Leia Shaw is a jaunty tale of a determined alpha werewolf and a lethal vampiress known as The Huntress who is emotionally aloof. The start of the story is not ideal for Natalia, our vampire huntress; but, she is able to extricate herself from the situation and leaves the situation physically unscathed; but, emotionally she is touched and she soon she finds herself in the arms of one of the creatures she hunts down. Not only emotionally compromised, she find herself in need of his help to hunt down her current mark.

Cristian is the leader of his pack and has been unattached since losing his mate decades ago. However, after meeting Natalia, his wolf and his libido sit up and take notice. As the story progresses, Cristian realizes that his territory and is pack are under attack by the rogue werewolf Natalia is tracking for extermination. In order to be successful at accomplishing their goals, Cristian and Natalia will team up.

This story was such a fun read. I liked the way the male/female role was juxtaposed. Usually in romances the man is the one with the steely unreachable countenance and the woman is usually the one who is able to break down the walls built around his heart. In this paranormal romance, Natalia is the dispassionate one and Cristian is the one who is receptive to his feelings and acts accordingly. Natalia is does not know how to handle her feelings for Cristian and makes some emotionally difficult decisions where she has to re-think her whole way of life.

Destiny Unchained by Leia Shaw was a very delectable read. Cristian is adorable and Natalia is worth the effort it takes to forgive and love. The journey they take together is amusing and austere at times. Ms. Shaw has created a paranormal romance series that is worth reading because her delivery of her mythos, character building and sense of humor are original, charming and  compelling. You need to give this author a chance to regale you with her narratives because you won’t regret it.  Her novels have personality, spice, action, and an HEA.

You can find Destiny Unchained at:
Amazon

Smashwords

Leia Shaw's other books in her Shadows of Destiny Series are (click on the cover to read a Bona Fide Review):

Shadows of Destiny, Book 1

Shadows of Destiny, Book 2

Happy Reading from Bona Fide Reflections!!

To enter giveaway click here

Never Enough by Lauren Dane

Excellent Reading

Never Enough by Lauren Dane is the fourth installment in the Brown Sibling Series. This novel is Adrian’s story and HEA. His female counterpart is Gillian Forrester. She is a complicated heroine who has escaped a nasty past and is ever-hopeful that it will not catch up to her. Adrian is the Brown sibling who we have followed through the series who the successful famous musician who offers sage advice and, despite his fame and career, is the character that has remained consistent throughout the series. It is about time he found his happiness.

I like the way Lauren Dane connected the two main characters through Miles, Gillian and Adrian’s son. Gillian adopted Miles when he was an infant from her sister who wanted nothing to do with him aside from peripheral status due to her selfishness and life style choices. When Gillian’s sister is on her death bed she reveals who the father of Gillian’s child is after keeping this fact a secret from the time Miles was born.

Gillian attempts to do the right thing by Miles and Miles’ father (Adrian) by attempting to contact him with his paternity. However, the news is not received well by Adrian since he has been on the receiving end of a costly and unjust paternity suit in the past, not to mention the many loonies who have tried to get to him and use him because of his star status. However, the sparks between Adrian and Gillian ignite immediately despite or in addition to the situation.

This relationship is full of heat, genuine emotion and the need for acceptance by a partner who is the perfect complement to the other. I absolutely loved this story and the interaction of Adrian’s family dynamics which make this series so addicting. The way Ms. Dane made Gillian’s friends into a surrogate family for her and Miles was equally touching and important to the plot in Never Enough. The only thing that was off-putting was that the advent of the ending occurred too quickly. I am on pins and needles until Ms. Dane’s next book in this series comes out next year. I cannot wait to read about the Brown Siblings and what is going on in their lives. If you are a fan of the Brown Siblings and have followed this series from the beginning, you will not want to miss this installment.


 Happy Reading from Bona Fide Reflections!!

Fifty Shades of Grey by E.L. James

Phenomenal Erotica Reading 

Fifty Shades of Grey, (Fifty Shades #1) by E. L. James is a fantastic debut contemporary erotica romance novel (with some BDSM elements) that I absolutely loved. The magnetism between Christian and Ana is nothing short of phenomenal. Ms. James has a way of engaging the reader and fully investing them in an unforgettable romance that is Mr. Grey & Ms. Steele. They are a perfect foil for each other.

Anastasia Steele must interview Christian Grey who is an entrepreneurial mogul for her school’s paper because her best-friend and roommate, Kate, is stricken with the flu. So, ensues the fateful meeting of Ms. Steele and Mr. Grey. Their attraction to each other is immediate. He is cool and all smooth masculine grace while she is a bit klutzy but proves herself to be smart and competent during their interview even though she does tend to let her inner dialogue filter through to some of the questions which she would like to completely forget once she leaves his office.

He follows up her fateful interview with him by stopping by her place of employment to see her and engage her in more conversational byplay. Their romance is not your plain vanilla variety once it gets started. His predilections in the bedroom go way beyond Ana’s innocence and non-existent sexual experience - to put it mildly. He wants her; but, there are some very interesting strings that will be attached to their relationship if she chooses to participate in an affair with the sexy, enigmatic Christian Grey.

As they get to know each other, there are some serious juxtapositions that occur on a personal level for both of them opens their eyes and their hearts to each other. He is controlling and all kinds of fifty shades of messed up; but, she recognizes the emotional turmoil in Christian and it calls to her on a level she never thought to experience. While, she has no frame of reference on which to guide herself through this tumultuous and challenging relationship, especially when he continues to hold himself at an emotional distance, she is captivated by him. The reader becomes enraptured as much as Ana in the mystery that surrounds Christian and only serves to cause the reader to fall hard for this charismatic, controlling, provocative man.

This story is full of personal growth, heartache, and a lot of capriciousness supplied by Mr. Grey that is constantly giving Ms. Steele emotional whiplash which lays down a gauntlet of emotional challenge. Ana's inner goddess and subconscious play a comedic role in helping her deal with her Fifty Shades of Grey. Her innocence, tenacity, and sense of self is the perfect antithesis to Mr. Grey's overwhelming personality.

Adding to the sweetness and hilarity of the story is the e-mail communication between the hero and heroine that also pulls you in to the enjoyment and magic of the story. Fifty Shades of Grey is the first book in a trilogy that starts an emotional journey and is a profoundly moving and dynamic story. The ending will leave you feeling understandably shocked, yet craving and coveting more of Ana Steele and Christian Grey. This is a prodigious debut novel that I highly recommend to all romance genre readers. The talent that is Ms. E.L. James is not to be missed.

Happy Reading from Bona Fide Reflections!!

AUTUMN HARVEST: FALL BETWEEN THE PAGES BLOG HOP TOUR (Sept 19-26)

Click picture for linky list of participating authors and blogs.

Bona Fide Reflections will be featuring the author E.L. James for the blog hop. Ms. James has written two emotionally poignant contemporary erotica novels. The first book in her trilogy is Fifty Shades of Grey and the second book is Fifty Shades Darker. Her third book will be published some time in 2012.  I will be giving away one copy of each book to one lucky winner. The winner will be announced September 27th. You must be 18 or over to win these books due to the sexually explicit love scenes contained in them.

I have posted reviews of both E.L. James' books below.  For the weekend, I will be posting an interview with Ms. E.L. James. The only thing you need to do to enter the giveaway is complete the  Rafflecopter (at the end of this long post) and leave a comment on this blog post with your name and e-mail so I can contact the lucky winner September 27, 2011. The other options are just that - optional. Thanks for stopping by.

Review of Fifty Shades of Grey:

Phenomenal  Erotica Reading

Fifty Shades of Grey, (Fifty Shades #1) by E. L. James is a fantastic debut contemporary erotica romance novel (with some BDSM elements) that I absolutely loved. The magnetism between Christian and Ana is nothing short of phenomenal. Ms. James has a way of engaging the reader and fully investing them in an unforgettable romance that is Mr. Grey & Ms. Steele. They are a perfect foil for each other.

Anastasia Steele must interview Christian Grey who is an entrepreneurial mogul for her school’s paper because her best-friend and roommate, Kate, is stricken with the flu. So, ensues the fateful meeting of Ms. Steele and Mr. Grey. Their attraction to each other is immediate. He is cool and all smooth masculine grace while she is a bit klutzy but proves herself to be smart and competent during their interview even though she does tend to let her inner dialogue filter through to some of the questions which she would like to completely forget once she leaves his office.

He follows up her fateful interview with him by stopping by her place of employment to see her and engage her in more conversational byplay. Their romance is not your plain vanilla variety once it gets started. His predilections in the bedroom go way beyond Ana’s innocence and non-existent sexual experience - to put it mildly. He wants her; but, there are some very interesting strings that will be attached to their relationship if she chooses to participate in an affair with the sexy, enigmatic Christian Grey.

As they get to know each other, there are some serious juxtapositions that occur on a personal level for both of them opens their eyes and their hearts to each other. He is controlling and all kinds of fifty shades of messed up; but, she recognizes the emotional turmoil in Christian and it calls to her on a level she never thought to experience. While, she has no frame of reference on which to guide herself through this tumultuous and challenging relationship, especially when he continues to hold himself at an emotional distance, she is captivated by him. The reader becomes enraptured as much as Ana in the mystery that surrounds Christian and only serves to cause the reader to fall hard for this charismatic, controlling, provocative man.

This story is full of personal growth, heartache, and a lot of capriciousness supplied by Mr. Grey that is constantly giving Ms. Steele emotional whiplash which lays down a gauntlet of emotional challenge. Ana's inner goddess and subconscious play a comedic role in helping her deal with her Fifty Shades of Grey. Her innocence, tenacity, and sense of self is the perfect antithesis to Mr. Grey's overwhelming personality.

Adding to the sweetness and hilarity of the story is the e-mail communication between the hero and heroine that also pulls you in to the enjoyment and magic of the story. Fifty Shades of Grey is the first book in a trilogy that starts an emotional journey and is a profoundly moving and dynamic story. The ending will leave you feeling understandably shocked, yet craving and coveting more of Ana Steele and Christian Grey. This is a prodigious debut novel that I highly recommend to all romance genre readers. The talent that is Ms. E.L. James is not to be missed.

Review of Fifty Shades Darker:

Amazing Romantica/Erotica Read

Fifty Shades Darker, Fifty Shades #2 by E.L. James is another stunner of an erotic romance book. It starts up where Fifty Shades of Grey ends. Anastasia Steele has broken up with Christian Grey because his demands were too overwhelming for her manage. Even though not much time has passed since their separation, they are both heart sick and make their way back to each other through Mr. Grey’s crafty machinations. Meanwhile, fresh out of college, Ana is trying to establish her career in the publishing industry.

The plot of this book takes Ms. Steele and, especially, Mr. Grey down a much more treacherous impassioned journey when it comes to opening up and laying bare a myriad of feelings compounding the confrontation of deep rooted emotional scars. As layers of Christian’s past are stripped away, Ana and Christian grow exponentially as a couple by learning to meet each others emotional needs, further entwining their already connected hearts.

Reinforcing the plot are two women from Christian’s past who push Ana’s hot buttons forcing the couple to confront the outcome of Christian’s past predilections. Concurrently, Ana is having to contend with issues at work involving her boss and his questionable intentions towards her. The much needed comic relief comes in the form of Ana’s inner goddess and her subconscious that help her through her emotional ups and downs. Adding to the reader’s spectrum of emotion are the emails between Mr. Grey and Ms. Steele that cast poignancy and some additional humor to the story line.

This novel also has Christian and Ana dealing with his past in a very “in -your- face” fashion that will have the reader cringing at moments from the emotional voracity, making the reader’s heart ache, and bring the reader to his/her knees. E.L. James’ ability to rent such feeling from the reader is extraordinary. Fifty Shades Darker is an all together different journey than it’s predecessor; however, it demands no less from the reader’s affections. If anything, it demands more. E.L. James offers readers a story that is unforgettable, stunning, passionate, sexy, needful, cathartic and glorious.


View all my reviews


Happy Reading from Bona Fide Relfections!!

To enter giveaway click here

Destiny Divided (Shadows of Destiny, #1) by Leia Shaw

Excellent Reading

Destiny Divided by Leia Shaw is a gem of a paranormal romance. I absolutely loved the mythos of Ms. Shaw's paranormal world of witches, vampires, and shape-shifters which is original and intriguing.

Sage Peterson has been living in the basement of the university where Professor James Elias teaches. She has lived a hard lonely life where she has to cover up all of strange unexplainable events that occur around her when she gets overly emotional. The frustrating, sexy, authoritative James offers to help Sage who is a powerful half witch/half sorceress by training her in magic while he is secretly planning to use Sage against his enemies. However, as they spend more time together, their feelings deepen into a bond that is irrefutable, even to Professor Elias who has a few secrets he is trying to keep to himself.

Ms. Shaw is able to create a solid connection between the reader and the hero and heroine of this story because she has created two domineering eccentric characters that effectively complement each other. The snarky conversations and one liners between these Sage and James is very amusing and helps to lessen the intensity of the events occurring around them. The sexual tension and relationship that develops between the two main characters is extremely meaningful. In addition, the plot and the originality of novel compounds the reader’s appreciation of the novel. The combination of all these elements creates a paranormal romance that is hard to put down.

(Please note: you can enter to win this book and read an interview with the author, Leia Shaw, by clicking on the 18  & Over Book Blogger Giveaway Hop icon found at the top of the right-hand side column through September 18, 2011 - or click here.)

Happy Reading from Bona Fide Reflections!!

Destiny United (Shadows of Destiny #2) by Leia Shaw

Excellent!

For a limited time you can get this book for
30% off both books through next Monday (September 26th) at smashwords.com

Destiny Divided code: LJ78N
Destiny United code: JJ83C

Destiny United by Leia Shaw is another great book and is the second installment of the Shadows of Destiny series. Ms. Shaw is definitely off to a strong start with this series. The paranormal romance genre can get quite pedestrian when is comes to different ways to tell similar stories. However, Destiny Divided (Book 1 in the Shadows of Destiny Series) and Destiny United are refreshing in their originality. The author is able to construct a world of witches, vampires, and shape-shifters that is original and intriguing.

In Destiny United, Erin Bolton, who is Sage’s (heroine from the first book) foster sister, is uncomfortably shy and phobic of strangers and strange places - so much so, she suffers from debilitating panic attacks. The only thing that helps her cope is alcohol. Marcelo has been given a job by Sage, Queen of the Underworld, to escort Erin to the Underworld to be protected from powers that be who would harm her. To fulfill the request of the Queen, Marcelo must discontinue his 800 year search for his wife and contend with a person whose phobia is disruptive in his plans to get Erin to the Underworld .

This book is unbelievably touching and frustrating. A combination that adds to the appeal of this story because of the personal growth the heroine, Erin, experiences and lends to the legitimacy of the situation. The key role Marcelo plays in Erin’s metamorphosis plunges the two into an emotional relationship that will have you cheering, crying, and sighing. The author creates a solid connection between her audience and the main characters in this story. The relationship and plot coalesce into a story from which you cannot walk away. Ms. Shaw’s aptitude in creating an original paranormal world is outstanding and one you don’t want to miss.

(Please note: you can enter to win this book and read an interview with the author, Leia Shaw, by clicking on the 18  & Over Book Blogger Giveaway Hop icon found at the top of the right-hand side column through September 18, 2011 - or click here)


Happy Reading from Bona Fide Reflections!!