Release Day Review + Excerpt: Archangel’s Prophecy by Nalini Singh

Posted in 4 hearts, Reviews by Lacey

Archangel’s Prophecy by Nalini Singh
Series: Guild Hunter #11 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: October 30th 2018
Links: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Return to New York Times bestselling author Nalini Singh’s darkly passionate Guild Hunter world, where human-turned-angel Elena Deveraux, consort to Archangel Raphael, is thrust center stage into an eons-old prophecy…

Midnight and dawn, Elena’s wings are unique among angelkind—and now they are failing. The first mortal to be turned into an immortal in angelic memory, she’s regressing. Becoming more and more human. Easier to hurt. Easier to kill.

Elena and Raphael must unearth the reason for the regression before Elena falls out of the sky. Yet even as they fight a furious battle for Elena’s very survival, violent forces are gathering across the world. In China, the Archangel Favashi is showing the first signs of madness. In New York, a mysterious sinkhole filled with lava swallows a man whole. In Africa, torrential monsoon rains flood rolling deserts. And in Elena’s mind whispers a haunting voice that isn’t her own.

This time, survival may not be possible…not even for the consort of an archangel.

“I will undo the universe for you.” Tear it to pieces, leave it as broken as his heart would be if he didn’t have Elena.

OMG. What an ending!!! I don’t remember the last time Nalini Singh left us readers in such suspense in the Guild Hunter series since maaaybe book one, but boy do I need the next book asap!

In Archangel’s Prophecy, we’re back to my favorite couple of the series, Elena and Raphael. Change has been building up over the course of previous books, and no one knows the outcome of the next Cascade, which is nearing every day. Elena, a mortal turned angel, has started losing the feathers of her wings bit by bit. What does the world have in store for this once-mortal and her beloved archangel and friends?

The Guild Hunter series is one of my favorite urban fantasy worlds to get lost in. Nalini Singh breathes life into every one of her books, and this latest installment is no different. I loved being back with Elena and the gang, despite so many disasters striking. Elena is as badass with a heart of gold as ever. She fights with strength and love against the struggles she faces as her wings fail her in this book. I fall in love with Raphael over and over again with every GH novel – there’s something about an all-powerful being who is cold as ice but only tender and romantic to the woman he loves that gets to me. And he’s never been so vulnerable as when the love of his immortal life seems to be losing her immortality. The plot had me on the edge of my seat the entire time I was reading, and right now, I’m absolutely dying for the next book in the series. I honestly have no idea what’s in store for the Guild Hunter world, but I have no doubt Nalini Singh will make it epic.

lacey

Now here’s an excerpt from Archangel’s Prophecy! ❤

Illium turned in a direction that would take them to the Catskills if they kept on going.

Sweeping closer to him, she said, “You just want to fly?”

Hair rippling in the quiet but cutting wind, he twisted down in a complicated fall before flying back up to her side. She laughed at his showing off. That was Illium. An angel of violent power who had a heart that might almost be mortal. And, these days, she could appreciate his tricks again. Not a single angel in the city had been ready to witness his acrobatics in the immediate aftermath of the day he’d crashed out of the sky.

Elena would never forget her screaming fear.

To his credit, Illium had flown with absolute discretion for months, letting the memory dull and fade.

When he returned to her side today, his face was flushed, the gold of his eyes rich. “Sky’s too beautiful to shut ourselves away in a club.”

“Just don’t forget I’m not as fast as you. Also, I’m currently lame.”

Illium lifted one cupped hand close to his shoulder, the other moving back and forth . . . and she realized he was playing a tiny violin in response to her morose tone.

“Crossbow, Bluebell.” Narrowed eyes. “Remember the crossbow.”

He dived, his wicked laughter floating up on the night air. Lips twitching, Elena continued to glide, letting the air currents sweep her along with cold but gentle hands. Illium, meanwhile, flew circles around her—but he never went far, always close enough to halt her descent should she tumble.

She landed a number of times to rest her wings, once in an isolated park whispering and dark. A luminescent insect appeared then disappeared from sight before she could truly see it, an earthbound star. The ghostly owl sitting on a tree branch watched her with eyes even more luminous.

A sigh deep in her mind, an old, old presence restless in Sleep.

The hairs rose on her arms.

Then Illium shot them both up into the sky again, and together, they flew far beyond the diamond-bright skyline of the city and over the sleeping homes of ordinary people who lived in a world of vampires and angels, blood and immortality.

Another rest stop for Elena.

Another throb of pain from the cut on her forearm.

Another watchful owl, this one landing on Illium’s shoulder without his knowledge. Ashwini had told her not to be afraid of the owls, so Elena ignored the goose bumps and said, Hello, with her mind. A good night to fly.

A vein began to throb at her temple.

The answer came a long time later, after they were in the air again, the glow of the sinkhole visible from the distance.

It has been an eon since I flew.

Reading Order: Guild Hunter series

#1 ~ Angels’ Blood: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ Archangel’s Kiss: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#3 ~ Archangel’s Consort: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#4 ~ Archangel’s Blade: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#5 ~ Archangel’s Storm: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#6 ~ Archangel’s Legion: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#7 ~ Archangel’s Shadows: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#8 ~ Archangel’s Enigma: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#9 ~ Archangel’s Heart: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#10 ~ Archangel’s Viper: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#11 ~ Archangel’s Prophecy: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#0.4, #0.5, #0.6, #3.5 ~ Angels’ Flight: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads

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28Dec2015

Best Books of 2015 + Giveaway!

Posted in Giveaways, Spotlight by Lacey

Can you believe it’s already the end of 2015!? It went by SO fast, and yet it’s been an amazing year filled with so many incredible books. I read over 300 books this year (what!?) and I STILL have a never-ending TBR, which I’m sure will last me my lifetime. So to celebrate the end of the year, I’ve compiled my list of my top 15 books of the year, PLUS a fantastic giveaway to win one of the books below and a $15 gift card! It was so hard to narrow down to 15, but I really tried. So here they are alphabetical order (except for one)! Let me know in the comments what your favorite books of 2015 are!

1. Kulti by Mariana Zapata

My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads

KULTI!!!!! Hands down, Kulti is my absolute FAVORITE book of the year!!! This book is the only one out of order because it’s seriously the BEST book I’ve read this year. It was just so easy to choose my all-time favorite, because Kulti is that amazing and more. This was my first read from Mariana Zapata, but I know it won’t be my last. I adored EVERY single word of Kulti – the hilarious, sassy heroine, the moody, sexy hero, the friends to lovers romance between them, even soccer. This is simply romance at its finest.

“Every single thing that has ever happened in my life has led me here, Sal. Destiny is a ladder, a series of steps that takes you where you’re supposed to go. I am the man that I am, and I have done the things that I’ve done, to get me to you.”

2. Risking it All by Tessa Bailey

Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads

I went on a Tessa Bailey reading marathon this year and literally read every single one of her books, and Risking it All is seriously my FAVORITE of them all! BOWEN!!!! I’m obsessed with this alpha bad boy. The love he has for his heroine, the way he’ll do anything for her and to protect her, his dirty mouth… it takes my breath away. Risking it All was the perfect bad boy-good girl read!

“Ah, sweetheart, I don’t fuck around with virgins.” His head dipped, teeth closing around her ear and tugging. “But I’ll get down on my knees and eat that untouched pussy like a motherfucker.”

3. Zack by Sawyer Bennett

My Review • Ebook • Audible • Goodreads

Zack is my faaavorite Sawyer Bennett book to date! This was the perfect forbidden love story between a widowed single father and his son’s babysitter. It was sweet, charming, emotional, surprisingly funny, and seriously hot as hell. It’s also a hockey romance (who doesn’t love those!?), so for fans of sports romances, you definitely need to read this book (and series). Each of the books in the Cold Fury Hockey series can be read as a standalone, but I highly recommend read them in order.

“You were what has been missing all my life.”

4. The Friend Zone by Kristen Callihan

My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads

I still cannot get over how freaking HOT that cover is. Just look. at. it. I adore every one of the books in the Game On series, but The Friend Zone is without a doubt my favorite of the series so far. It’s a friends to lovers book, which is my all-time favorite trope, so how could I not love it!? It’s a fantastic NA sports romance with hilarious characters and the sweetest, most heart-warming romance there is. Gray just makes me SWOON!

“The fact is, Ivy, for me, there is one absolute truth. The sum of my existence equals you.”

5. The Master by Kresley Cole

Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads

I have to admit, I’ve already reread The Master at least five times over the course of the year. I wasn’t a big fan of the first book in The Game Maker series, but when I read this second one, it blew me away. I was seriously addicted to Cat and Maksim’s story! Cat is one of my favorite heroines ever, because she’s just so hilarious and sassy and doesn’t hold back from Maksim. And holy god, Maksim!!! He is sex on a stick. If you’re looking for a fantastic erotic romance, you absolutely NEED to read The Master!

“You aren’t done with me yet?” He pinned my gaze with his own. With a surprisingly smooth accent, he told me, “Nunca voy a terminar contigo.” I’ll never be done with you.”

6. Aflame and Corrupt by Penelope Douglas

Aflame: My Review • Ebook • Audible • Goodreads
Corrupt: Character Q&A • Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads

I’m cheating here a little, including two Penelope Douglas books, but I had to! Aflame and Corrupt are my two favorite reads from Penelope this year. First off, I am so, so happy she decided to write Aflame. Even though I was hesitant to read it, it really did feel like the right direction for Tate and Jared, and I couldn’t be happier with the way their story continued in Aflame. This book is the perfect ending to one of my all-time favorite couples, but mainly, I just LOVED reading about Tate and Jared again.

“For better or worse, you’ve been my other half since I was ten years old, and I can’t imagine a future I’d want without you in it. You’re the love of my life.”

As for Corrupt, this book totally messed with my mind. It left me speechless in the best way possible – I had such high expectations since the second this book was announced, and I wasn’t disappointed. Rika and Michael’s story consumed me, and I honestly still can’t get it out of my mind. It’s an unforgettable, gritty, thrilling read, and if you like dark erotic romances, you absolutely MUST read this book.

“Our scrapes and bruises, tattoos, scars, smiles, and wrinkles told our stories, and I didn’t want a pristine piece of wallpaper. I wanted her and everything she was.”

7. Manwhore series by Katy Evans

#1 ~ Manwhore: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ Manwhore +1: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2.5 ~ Ms. Manwhore: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads

Malcolm. Freaking. Saint!!! AHHH!!! This gorgeous billionaire stole my heart and took my breath away! Katy Evans knows how to write alpha-males, and she hit it out of the ball park with Malcolm Saint. If you love heroes who will sweep you away, you absolutely must read the Manwhore series. I am obsessed with this series!!

“Do you know what I’d do for you?” A huskiness enters his voice as he circles my chin with his thumb. “You’re the only heaven I will ever know, Rachel”–He looks into my eyes–“and if you were a hell, I’d sin my whole life just to stay with you.”

8. Bad Habits series by Staci Hart

#1 ~ With a Twist: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ Chaser: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads

I’m so happy to have discovered Staci Hart this year. She’s a new-to-me author and I LOVED her Bad Habits series. Each of the books in the series can be read as a standalone, but I highly recommend reading them in order, because each is very closely connected to each other. With a Twist is a charming friends to lover romance and Chase is the sexy older brother’s best friend trope. All of the characters in the series are written so well that they felt real to me, and I can’t wait for the third and final book!

“I’ve been around the world, and I thought I’d seen everything it had to offer until that night, until I saw you. In all my life, I’ve never seen anything so beautiful, not standing in the Blue Mosque or the Taj Mahal. Not in the streets of rome or canals of Venice. Making you smile gives me life. Making you laugh gives me hope. Making you happy is all I want, other than to keep you.”

9. November 9 by Colleen Hoover

My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads

What’s a top favorite list on Booklovers For Life without Colleen freaking Hoover!? And it just so happens that November 9 is #9 on my list! You guys, I loved this book. It was such a unique, addicting read. CoHo’s writing is flawless as always, and the fascinating storyline (the main characters meet once a year) kept me riveted to the pages. If you haven’t read Colleen Hoover’s books yet, you really need to get on that. Her books are NA at its finest!

It took four years for me to fall in love with him.
It only took four pages to stop.

10. Off-Campus series by Elle Kennedy

#1 ~ The Deal: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ The Mistake: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads

The Off-Campus series just might be my favorite sports romance series of the year. I LOVED The Deal – this is a must-read NA book. I didn’t think Elle Kennedy could top it, but I was so wrong. The Mistake, Logan’s story, is definitely my favorite of the series so far. Logan is hilarious and so adorable, and the way he makes his mistake up to Grace makes for an incredibly entertaining read. This book – and series – is well-written, funny, heartwarming, so freaking sweet… You absolutely need to read it if you haven’t already. (And btw, The Score is SOOOO GOOD!)

“I need you. I can’t stand the thought of being without you.” He releases a shaky breath. “You’re the last person I think about before I go to sleep, and the first person I think about when I open my eyes in the morning. You’re it for me, baby.”

11. Elements of Chemistry series by Penny Reid

#1 ~ Attraction: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ Heat: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#3 ~ Capture: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#1-3 ~ Elements of Chemistry Bundle: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads

I’m so ashamed to say that I only started reading Penny Reid this year. I have seriously been missing out! She writes the best, SMART romances with witty characters and fantastic stories. The Elements of Chemistry series is my favorite of hers yet – I loved Katy and Martin’s journey of a romance. I loved the way their characters developed and grew over the course of the series. Their story is funny, sweet, addicting, and so much fun to read.

“Why do people care about each other? What is attraction? I can’t give you a list of reasons why I react to you like I do. This isn’t an equation to balance. You’re the one I’m always thinking about. It’s you. It just is.”

12. Fuel the Fire by Krista & Becca Ritchie

My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads

Rose and Connor make up my all-time favorite power couple!!! I adored them in Kiss the Sky and fell in love with them even more in Fuel the Fire. This book was… phenomenal. I’m so glad Rose and Connor got a second book, but I’m going to miss them so much! They are unique and endlessly fascinating and I could honestly read about them forever. And just for the record, the Addicted/Calloway Sisters series is my FAVORITE NA series of all time, so if you haven’t started it yet, I can’t recommend it enough!

There are rare people who will fuel the fire inside of you, who will awaken a dormant passion, who will challenge you, who will push you and better you. She alone is my rarity.

13. The Hotter You Burn by Gena Showalter

My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads

I had no idea what I was in for when I started The Hotter You Burn – I found myself utterly charmed by this book. Gena Showalter has written an absolutely delightful, feel-good, heartwarming romance that I can’t recommend enough! It’s equal parts wickedly sexy and heartwarmingly sweet. The humor in this book had me giggling so hard, and it was just so easy to fall in love with the characters and story. I can’t wait to read the other books in The Original Heartbreakers series after reading this gem of a novel!

“There is nothing I won’t do for you, and nothing I won’t do to keep you. You’re it for me. My one. My only.”

14. Archangel’s Enigma by Nalini Singh

My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads

Naasir’s book was a long time coming, and Nalini Singh did NOT disappoint. This book was captivating, sensual, heart-pounding, and unputdownable. I don’t read paranormal romances much these days, but reading Archangel’s Enigma reminded me of all the reasons why I love that genre. Naasir stole my heart and I was swept away by his and Andromeda’s romance. The romance is truly one of the best I’ve read from Nalini Singh, which is saying something, because her romances are top-notch.

“If you’re mine, you’re mine. And I’m yours. Today, tomorrow, always.”

15. Untamed by S.C. Stephens

My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads

Untamed is the book that surprised me the most this year. I didn’t like Kiera and Kellan in Thoughtless, and I honestly thought I’d never pick up another book in that series again. But Untamed had me curious since it was Griffin’s story… and it simply blew me away. It took me a while to get into it, since Griffin is just so crass, but by the end of it, I nearly wanted to cry, I was so emotional. This book was surprisingly so much more meaningful and heart-wrenching than I’d expected, and I applaud S.C. Stephens for the incredible way she wrote Griffin’s character development. I’ve never felt more proud of a character than I had when I with Griffin when I finished his story.

I’d been handed fame on a platter and hadn’t appreciated it until it was too late.

2 winners (open internationally):
Your choice of TWO of the listed favorite books (paperback or ebook) + $15 GC!
Your choice of ONE of the listed favorite books (paperback or ebook) + $15 GC!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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3Sep2015

Review: Archangel’s Enigma by Nalini Singh

Posted in 5 hearts, Reviews by Lacey

Archangel’s Enigma by Nalini Singh
Series: Guild Hunter #8 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: September 1st 2015
Links: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads

Naasir is the most feral of the powerful group of vampires and angels known as the Seven, his loyalty pledged to the Archangel Raphael. When rumors surface of a plot to murder the former Archangel of Persia, now lost in the Sleep of the Ancients, Naasir is dispatched to find him. For only he possesses the tracking skills required—those more common to predatory animals than to man.

Enlisted to accompany Naasir, Andromeda, a young angelic scholar with dangerous secrets, is fascinated by his nature—at once playful and brilliant, sensual and brutal. As they race to find the Sleeping archangel before it’s too late, Naasir will force her to question all she knows…and tempt her to walk into the magnificent, feral darkness of his world. But first they must survive an enemy vicious enough to shatter the greatest taboo of the angelic race and plunge the world into a screaming nightmare…

Oh. My. God. I loved Archangel’s Enigma. I simply loved it. Nalini Singh completely blew me away with Naasir and Andromeda’s book – I had high expectations, of course, since I adore the Guild Hunter series, but I got so much more than I hoped with this book. Archangel’s Enigma is a captivating, sensual, heart-pounding, unputdownable read that fans of the series do NOT want to miss.

There’s a reason why I will always drop everything I’m doing in order to read a new Nalini Singh book the day it releases. She’s one of the BEST authors I’ve ever read, able to create such rich paranormal worlds full of depth and emotion. I FEEL so much when I read her books, and that’s why, even at book eight, I have yet to put down the Guild Hunter series (you don’t even want to get me started on the Psy-Changeling series and my love for it). After reading the previous book, I had SUCH high expectations for Naasir’s book, and Nalini Singh didn’t let me down – it’s now become my favorite of the series so far.

Seven months Naasir had been hunting. Seven months since he’d told Ashwini he was ready to find a mate. Seven months and still his mate hadn’t made herself known to him. Didn’t she know he was looking for her?

Naasir is on the hunt for his mate – he’s seen some of the other members of Raphael’s Seven fall, and now he’s ready to find the woman who’ll love him, accept him for what he is, and stand by his side forever. I loved how determined Naasir was to find his mate – my heart could not stop SWOONING at the amount of effort he made to find her, and to keep her. I was also wonderfully and pleasantly surprised by how sweet and adorable Naasir was… I never thought I’d love a character as much as I do Kaleb from Heart of Obsidian but… I think Naasir might give Kaleb a run for his money. Like, WOW, right!? That’s how amazing Naasir is.

One of my favorite quotes that shows how wonderful Naasir is:

He hoped his mate wasn’t someone who liked the cold and wanted to live in snow without heat to offset the natural temperature. That would be terrible. He’d have to persuade her to move to an in-between climate that was cold but not subzero, but if she didn’t want to come, he’d stay. Of course he’d stay.
If he could ever find her.

Andromeda is an angelic scholar who’s been tasked with finding the place where an Ancient archangel, Alexander, Sleeps. Of course, she’s partnered up with none other than the wild, sensual, beautiful Naasir, who threatens her vow of celibacy like no other. I loved Andromeda as much as I loved Naasir. She’s an incredible heroine with a huge heart, but can be tough when she needs to be. She’s a highly intelligent scholar, but she’s also a fierce warrior who’s learned to protect herself. Her character amazed me, and I kind of fell a little in love with her too.

As these two characters race to find their way to Alexander before the enemy gets to him, Naasir navigates the ways of courtship with Andromeda. Women have always flocked to him, but now Naasir is determined to win the heart of his mate who will finally see him and accept him for all that he is. I love Naasir and Andromeda independently, but together, they are something extraordinary. We get to see them together a LOT, which made my heart so happy I couldn’t stop smiling.

“If you’re mine, you’re mine. And I’m yours. Today, tomorrow, always.”

MY HEAARRRTT.

This is without a doubt my absolute FAVORITE Guild Hunter book so far. It’s a phenomenal book that truly took my breath away. The romance is one of the best I’ve read from Nalini Singh, and the action was written well enough to be heart-pounding without overshadowing Naasir and Andromeda. I loved this book from beginning to end, and I can’t wait for more from this series.