Book Review: The Wild Woman's Guide to Traveling the World by Kristin Rockaway

Series:	Standalone
Genre:	Adult, Romance, Contemporary Fiction
Publication Date:	June 6, 2017
Format:	Paperback
Published By:	Center Street
Website:	Kristin Rockaway
	The Wild Woman's Guide to Traveling the World on Goodreads

Where to get:

Fans of Sophie Kinsella and The Devil Wears Prada will love this smart, sexy debut novel of wanderlust.

Objectively, Sophie is a success: she’s got a coveted job at a top consulting firm, a Manhattan apartment, and a passport full of stamps. It isn’t quite what she dreamed of when she was a teenager dog-earing pages in exotic travel guides, but it’s secure. Then her best friend bails just hours after they arrive in Hong Kong for a girls’ trip, and Sophie falls for Carson, a free spirited, globetrotting American artist. He begs her to join him on his haphazard journey, but she chooses responsibility and her five-year plan.

Back in New York, that plan feels less and less appealing. As Sophie recalls the dreams she’s suppressed, the brief international jaunts she sneaks in between business trips no longer feel like enough. Carson isn’t ready to let her go either, but as they try to figure out their relationship, Sophie realizes she may have to pursue her passions with or without him.

“With its spirited yet credible plot and vividly intricate characters, this debut novel shines.” — Library Journal (starred review)

“…a fun, sexy debut perfect for readers who love exotic settings and a great love story. For those wishing to indulge their wanderlust, or who have dreams too big for tidy little boxes, this is an incredibly satisfying read.” — Karma Brown, bestselling author of Come Away With Me

“…brilliantly navigates one woman’s quest to let go of what is practical to pursue her passion and surrender to her inner dreamer.” — Kerry Lonsdale, bestselling author of Everything We Keep

“Can a novel be smart and loads of fun? Kristin Rockaway’s debut is proof that it’s possible. Warm, witty, and completely delightful, this book had my inner escapist itching to hop on the next flight out of town.” — Camille Pagán, bestselling author of Life and Other Near-Death Experiences

“Kristin Rockaway is a wise and fresh new voice in women’s fiction and this book was a delight from start to finish.” — Anita Hughes, author of Christmas in Paris

(Goodreads)

Sophie has everything she has ever wanted in life. She has a great job that lets her travel the world on their dime. She has a great apartment in Manhattan. She has freedom from her loving, but over protective Grandmother. But most of all Sophie has her five year plan on track and she's heading for success. That is until her best friend leaves her in China by herself on their first girls getaway. That's when Sophie's life takes a drastic turn for the better or worse? You decide.

She meets Chase, a sexy, romantic traveler just wandering through China with out a care in the world. He is traveling on his trust fund and is the total opposite of Sophie. He lives for today and definitely doesn't think about tomorrow. He has no five year plan and ends up falling for Sophie fast. Sophie on the other hand feels the same but can't let herself fall for a guy without a plan or can she? 

Sophie is intelligent, adventurous and just an all around likeable protagonist. I fell in love with her quickly, and found myself routing for her all through the story.

Chase is a dreamer, but the reader can tell he's fun, sexy and a great person deep inside.

I really enjoyed this read and was so disappointed when I read the last page. I didn't want it to end!! I want more Sophie and Chase. I think it would be great if there was another book just saying..... This was easily one of my favorite books this year and I would highly recommend this read. An enthusiastic  5 stars from this reader!

About the Author

Kristin Rockaway is a native New Yorker with an insatiable case of wanderlust. After working in the IT industry for far too many years, she finally traded the city for the surf and chased her dreams out to Southern California, where she spends her days happily writing stories instead of software.

Her debut novel, The Wild Woman’s Guide to Traveling the World, was released from Hachette Book Group in June 2017. When she’s not writing, she enjoys spending time with her husband and son, browsing the aisles of her neighborhood bookstores, and planning her next big vacation.

Find out more about Kristin at her website, and connect with her on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Goodreads.

Blog Tour The Secret Lives of Mrs. London by Rebecca Rosenberg (Book review & GIveaway)

Series:	Standalone
Genre:	Adult, Historical Fiction, Romance
Publication Date:	January 30, 2018
Format:	Paperback
Published By:	Lake Union Publishing
Website:	Rebecca Rosenberg
	The Secret Life of Mrs. London on Goodreads
My review copy:	Received from the publisher

Where to get:

San Francisco, 1915. As America teeters on the brink of world war, Charmian and her husband, famed novelist Jack London, wrestle with genius and desire, politics and marital competitiveness. Charmian longs to be viewed as an equal partner who put her own career on hold to support her husband, but Jack doesn’t see it that way…until Charmian is pulled from the audience during a magic show by escape artist Harry Houdini, a man enmeshed in his own complicated marriage. Suddenly, charmed by the attention Houdini pays her and entranced by his sexual magnetism, Charmian’s eyes open to a world of possibilities that could be her escape.

As Charmian grapples with her urge to explore the forbidden, Jack’s increasingly reckless behavior threatens her dedication. Now torn between two of history’s most mysterious and charismatic figures, she must find the courage to forge her own path, even as she fears the loss of everything she holds dear.
(Goodreads)

San Francisco 1915 is the setting of this entrancing novel that Rebecca Rosenberg tells with expert prose and a way of eloquently moving the story along at the perfect pace. 

Charmian London is the second wife of the famous writer Jack London. She put her dreams on hold of being a writer to help her husband forge ahead with his writing career. Charmian is the perfect wife. She types for Jack. She even lets Jack box with her so he can get his creative juices flowing. Honestly, Charmian would do anything for Jack's love. That is until another man pays her notice. Then she starts to wonder if Jack is the amazing man she always thought him to be. 

This story is a definite page turner and I believe many readers will fall in love with Charmian's story. She is not your average hero. In fact, I found myself not liking her very at times because of her devotion to a man that I didn't feel cared as much for her. However, the author makes it work with the story and I still routed for her even if I didn't always agree with her character. 

A richly told historical story with plenty of passion, excitement and page turning to keep you reading. I highly recommend this novel.

Praise for The Secret Life of Mrs. London

“The Secret Life of Mrs. London is a heart-wrenching portrait of a marriage between two people who utterly depend on one another, but ultimately aren’t enough for each other. With skillful precision of language, Rosenberg weaves a narrative that defines the complexities of love, passion, and art. This is a perceptive, deeply moving novel by a great new talent about a couple who has gone unnoticed in historical fiction until now. Anyone who has ever loved another person will want to read this book.” —Victoria Kelly, author of Mrs. Houdini: A Novel

“One of Houdini’s best kept secrets was his affair with Charmian London in 1918. Now Rebecca Rosenberg tells the story using an elegant blend of fact and fiction, creating a Houdini book like no other. The Secret Life of Mrs. London is a true peek behind the curtain and a page-turner.” —John Cox, Wild about Harry
 

About the Author

A California native, Rebecca Rosenberg lives on a lavender farm with her family in Sonoma, the Valley of the Moon, where Jack London wrote from his Beauty Ranch. Rebecca is a long-time student of Jack London’s works and an avid fan of his daring wife, Charmian London. The Secret Life of Mrs. London is her debut novel.

Rebecca and her husband, Gary, own the largest lavender product company in America, selling to 4000 resorts, spas and gift stores. The Rosenbergs believe in giving back to the Sonoma Community, supporting many causes through financial donations and board positions, including Worth Our Weight, an educational culinary program for at-risk children, YWCA shelter for abused women, Luther Burbank Performing Arts Center to provide performances for children, Sonoma Food Bank, Sonoma Boys and Girls Club, and the Valley of the Moon Children's Home.

For more information, please visit Rebecca's website and blog. You can also find her on Facebook and Goodreads. Visit the Facebook page for The Secret Life of Mrs. London.

Blog Tour Schedule

Tuesday, January 30 Review at A Bookaholic Swede 
Wednesday, January 31 Interview & Giveaway at Passages to the Past 
Thursday, February 1 Guest Post at Let Them Read Books Feature at What Is That Book About 
Friday, February 2 Review at View from the Birdhouse Feature at Historical Fiction with Spirit 
Monday, February 5 Review at Creating Herstory 
Tuesday, February 6 Review at Planting Cabbages 
Wednesday, February 7 Review at A Bookish Affair Review at History From a Woman's Perspective 
Thursday, February 8 Interview at Planting Cabbages 
Friday, February 9 Review at Bookish 
Sunday, February 11 Review at Carole's Ramblings 
Monday, February 12 Review at Cup of Sensibility 
Tuesday, February 13 Review & Giveaway at The Maiden's Court 
Wednesday, February 14 Review at Donna's Book Blog 
Thursday, February 15 Review at Jorie Loves a Story  
Friday, February 16 Guest Post at Short Book and Scribes 
Monday, February 19 Review at Reading the Past 
Tuesday, February 20 Review at The Lit Bitch 
Friday, February 23 Review at Pursuing Stacie 
Monday, February 26 Review at Back Porchervations 
Tuesday, February 27 Guest Post at My Reading Corner 
Wednesday, February 28 Review & Giveaway at Suzy Approved Book Reviews  
Thursday, March 1 Review at What Cathy Read Next 
Friday, March 2 Review at Svetlana's Reads and Views 
Monday, March 5 Review at Caryn, the Book Whisperer 
Tuesday, March 6 Review at Bookish Beck

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Book Review + Giveaway: Deadmen Walking by Sherrilyn Kenyon

I am thrilled to be a stop on the book tour for Deadmen Walking by Sherrilyn Kenyon, hosted by JeanBookNerd! I have a review for your reading pleasure, but be sure to check out the tour schedule below, or click the banner above, for more!

Don't forget to enter the giveaway!

Series:	Deadman's Cross Trilogy #1
Genre:	Adult, Fiction, Paranormal, Romance, Historical Fiction
Publication Date:	May 9, 2017
Pages:	384 (Hardcover)
Published By:	Tor Books
Website:	Sherrilyn Kenyon
	Deadmen Walking on Goodreads
My review copy:	Received in exchange for an honest review

Where to get:

Hell On Earth

When the Chthonians brought the primal gods to a truce at the end of their great war, part of the pact they forged was that the worst of the evil the gods had unleashed against each other and mankind would be forever banished.

But forever is a long time. And nothing can contain those determined to find a way back.

To catch evil, it takes evil . . .

While Thorn is able to contain the demons unleashed on the ground, the ones who prey on the innocent sailors and sea faring travelers are beyond his reach.

For the sake of humanity, he makes a shaky alliance with an old foe, Marcelina. In the form of the ship they sail upon, she assembles a team under the command of Captain Devlyn Nathaniel Bane, one of the most notorious and bloodthirsty pirates to ever sail the high seas.

Damned and murdered by his own, Bane is out for revenge. With his own secret agenda, he agrees to take charge of the motley crew of pirates and brigands, and to protect the seas from the preternatural terrors that seek to devour every unwary soul they can take.

Theirs is a sacred and deadly task, as they are hunted by their prey and human authorities alike. If they fail, the world will fall to the ancient gods of chaos, and anarchy will reign. Most of all, the Southern gate, where the greatest, most powerful darkness is imprisoned, will be opened and there will be no stopping it.

It’s yo ho ho and a bottle of high seas stakes where the souls of all humanity are the ultimate prize and bargaining chip.

(Goodreads)

Praise for DEADMEN WALKING: A Deadman's Cross Novel

"Kenyon (Born of Legend) puts the lie to the old adage “Dead men tell no tales” in this jam-packed, appealing first book of her Deadman’s Cross historical fantasy series...this piratical tale is filled with swashbuckling, death, glory." ―Publishers Weekly on Deadmen Walking

“Kenyon’s writing is brisk, ironic and relentless imaginative.” ―Boston Globe

“Arguably the most in-demand and prolific authors in America these days.” ―Publishers Weekly

“[An] engaging read.” ―Entertainment Weekly

I will admit to being a hardcore Sherrilyn Kenyon fan. I will also admit to the fact that my love of her books has waned, slightly, over the last few years. Don't get me wrong. I love her books and I love her writing, but I got bored of the same formula: Tortured guy and (sometimes) tortured girl meet and eventually fall in love, healing the wounds of each other's past.

At the same time, I can't fault her because this works. While her novels follow a similar formula, she has the ability to make each story its own. The backstories are different, the current predicament is different but connected to her overarching story line. These facts, and amazing writing talent, are what keep me coming back again and again.

I can't get enough of her. There's a reason her books are one of the few that I've managed to re-read over the years. The woman knows how to write.

Deadmen Walking, while set in the same universe as her Dark-Hunter novels with familiar characters, is a new and fresh take on this world. Our characters are pirates and the story takes place in 1715 and 1716. I've got a soft spot for pirates (I can thank Johnny Depp and teen-Andrea for this), so I was excited about this new trilogy.

Sherrilyn doesn't introduce us to Deadmen Walking's main characters right away. We first meet Captain Paden Jack in the prologue, followed by his sister Cameron in the first chapter. Unlike her previous novels, she doesn't focus solely on our hero and heroine (Devyl and Marcelina), but allows for additional narratives, which keeps the story flowing.

Devyl and Marcelina have known each other for centuries, always at each other's throats, but unable to escape the other. I'm not going to explain too much about their relationship to avoid spoilers, but I enjoyed watching their relationship change over the course of the novel as we learned more about their pasts.

As always, Sherrilyn doesn't just create a story with her main characters but forms bonds and relationships between the secondary characters. However, these characters are anything but secondary. They all stand on their own with their own personalities, secrets, and stories to tell. While weaving her tale of Devyl and Marcelina, we are getting hints and tidbits as to what is happening with Cameron, Kalder, Thorne (those of you familiar with her Dark-Hunter series will be rather familiar with him), and others.

I'm looking forward to continuing this series with the next installment, Death Doesn't Bargain. 

New York Times and International Bestselling author, Sherrilyn Kenyon, is a regular at the #1 spot. With legions of fans known as Menyons (thousands of whom proudly sport tattoos from her series and who travel from all over the world to attend her appearances), her books are always snatched up as soon as they appear on store shelves. Since 2003, she had placed more than 75 novels on the New York Times list in all formats including manga and graphic novels. Her current series are: Dark-Hunter, Chronicles of Nick, Lords of Avalon and The League, and her books are available in over 100 countries where eager fans impatiently wait for the next release. Her Chronicles of Nick and Dark-Hunter series are soon to be major motion pictures while Dark-Hunter, Lords of Avalon and The League are being developed for television. Join her and her Menyons online at SherrilynKenyon.com and www.facebook.com/AuthorSherrilynKenyon

Website | Twitter | Goodreads | Facebook | Pinterest | YouTube

Three copies of Deadmen Walking: A Deadman’s Cross Novel and poster by Sherrilyn Kenyon

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Tour Schedule

May 9th - JeanBookNerd
May 10th - Reading for the Stars and Moon
May 11th - Wishful Endings
May 12th - Captivated Reading
May 13th - Booklovers For Life

May 14th - Jump Into Books
May 15th - Her Book Thoughts
May 16th - Crossroad Reviews & Sabrina's Paranormal Palace
May 17th - A Dream Within a Dream
May 18th Thursday - Bookish Lifestyle & Movies, Shows, & Books

Book Review: The Fifth Trimester: The Working Mom's Guide to Style, Sanity, and Big Success After Baby

Series:	Standalone
Genre:	Adult, Nonfiction, Parenting
Publication Date:	April 4, 2017
Pages:	352 (Hardcover)
Published By:	Doubleday Books
Website:	Lauren Smith Brody
	The Fifth Trimester on Goodreads
My review copy:	Own

Where to get:

The Fifth Trimester is your new best friend: a brilliant, tells-it-like-it-is guide that helps moms cope with the demands of the real world after the baby arrives.

The first three trimesters (and the fourth--those blurry newborn days) are for the baby, but the Fifth Trimester is when the working mom is born. No matter what the job or how you define work, you're going to have a lot of questions. When will I go back? How should I manage that initial "I want to quit" attack? Flex-time or full-time? How can I achieve 50/50 at home with my partner? What's the best option for childcare? Is it possible to look like I slept for eight hours instead of three? And . . . why is there never a convenient space to pump?

Whether you're in the final stages of pregnancy or hitting the panic button on your last day of leave, The Fifth Trimester is your one-stop shop for the honest, funny, and comforting tips, to-do lists, and take-charge strategies you'll need to embrace your new identity as a working parent and set yourself up for success.

Based on interviews with 700+ candidly speaking moms in wildly varied fields and incredible expert advice, The Fifth Trimester tackles every personal and professional detail with the wit, warmth, and inspiration you need to win when you head back to work. Like What to Expect When You're Expecting and The Happiest Baby on the Block, this is an indispensable guide every new mom needs on her shelf.

(Goodreads)

Since the birth of Teacup Human, my TBR pile has shrunk substantially. Seriously. Check out my Goodreads page and there is a total of 25 books between my "To Read" and "To Read Own" shelves - and only three of those are currently published.

My priorities shifted and while I still read, and enjoy reading, the time to lounge on the couch and just read for hours is a thing of the past. Fair trade off, but that just means I'm picker when it comes to what I read and far more ruthless when it comes to DNFing titles.

I'm not a huge fan of nonfiction titles. I'll read some here and there depending on the topic, but when The Fifth Trimester fell into my lap I knew that as a new mom and a working one at that, I had to give it a read.

The only drawback, for me, is that by the time I got around to reading The Fifth Trimester, I had already been back to work for two months and had found somewhat a groove between Mom-Andrea, Working-Mom-Andrea, and Human-Woman-Andrea. Not an easy balance, but I got a hang of it. For now anyway. ;)

Had I read this prior to coming back to work, it would have been more helpful and insightful as to what I was about to experience. Lauren includes amazing tips, hacks, and stories from fellow mothers.

One of my favorite things Lauren includes, which I have since adopted, is the "sub-sixty-second" plan for the "morning when your baby decides to nurse twice, or poops on your clothes, or just needs to be held during the exact time that you usually reserve for getting ready." Luckily, Teacup Human doesn't have many of these mornings and if she wakes up early I can put her in her bouncer next to my vanity and she entertains herself, but every once in a while all my focus needs to be on her. Or else.

Lauren's writing is like talking to a girlfriend and her antidotes of fellow friends/mothers who have been in the same situation were calming. Sort of in an "I'm not alone" sort of way. One of the things she stresses is that while it's important to take care of your baby, obviously, it's also extremely important to take care of yourself.

I'd definitely recommend this to any mother on the verge of returning to work or just to any new mother in general.

Blog Tour Josh & Anna & Gabe & Claire by Eliza Freed {Book Review & Giveaway}

Josh & Anna and Gabe & Claire
Eliza Freed
Publication date: November 15th 2016
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

No marriage is perfect.
Josh and Anna Montgomery are trying to have a baby. Well, Anna is. Josh is making the minimum contribution necessary, and it’s ruining their relationship.
Gabe Hawkins is trying to survive the wild ride that is life with his wife, Claire. It’s passionate everywhere but in their bedroom.
For these four friends, the difficulties of their marriages are camouflaged by hazy happy hours, extravagant vacations, picturesque weddings, and sleeping in. The possibilities of their youth are wilting in the light of their waning twenties, and on one fateful night, four friends become two. Survivors become lovers. Truths are told, and nothing seems like forever anymore.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo

Two couple. A tragedy. A revelation. A mystery. This book grabs you right from the get go with its raw story, emotionally vulnerable characters and extremely well thought out plot points. 

They were the four musketeers, always going out together, seen at the bars and vacationing whenever possible. Claire coordinated all their plans and the group just went along with her because they always had a good time. Anna was Claire's best friend and confident. The girls shared so much but some things were just too private to discuss, even with each other. Josh wanted a baby. He convinced Anna to try and try and when things got difficult, he just decided he was finished with wanting one. Although this caused disappointment, Anna always supported and stood by her husband Josh. She never let on her hurt. Gabe would have done anything for Claire and he did. He did not deny her anything she wanted.

This is the type of book that is hard to give a concise review of because you don't want to give away any of the plot points. From the beginning there are many different stories happening that can be ruined if I as the reader tell you even a tad bit of the story line. 

What I can say is that these characters will weave their way into your heart in a matter of minutes and you won't know how to go on without finishing this book. I read it in one sitting. It is not a long book but it is definitely all consuming. 

This is my first book by this author but it most certainly won't be my last. I can't wait to see what else she has written. I'm sure from her writing talent, I can find more gems in her novel collection. 

Author Bio:
Eliza Freed graduated from Rutgers University and returned to her hometown in rural South Jersey. Her mother encouraged her to take some time and find herself. After three months of searching, she began to bounce checks and her neighbors began to talk; her mother told her to find a job.
She settled into Corporate America, learning systems and practices and the bureaucracy that slows them. Eliza quickly discovered her creativity and gift for story telling as a corporate trainer and spent years perfecting her presentation skills and studying diversity. It’s during this time she became an avid observer of the characters we meet and the heartaches we endure. Her years of study have taught her laughter is the key to survival, even when it’s completely inappropriate.
She currently lives in New Jersey with her family and a misbehaving beagle named Odin. An avid swimmer, if Eliza is not with her family and friends, she’d rather be underwater. While she enjoys many genres, she has always been a sucker for a love story…the more screwed up the better.

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Book Review: Safe at Last by Maya Banks

Genre:	Adult, Romance, Paranormal
Publication.Date	June 23rd, 2015
Pages:	256
Published By:	Avon
Website	Maya Banks
	Safe at Last on Goodreads
My review copy:	Bought

Where to get:

The third book in the beloved #1 bestselling author’s sexy, romantic suspense Slow Burn series…

They say young love doesn’t last, but a girl from the wrong side of the tracks with unique abilities and the hometown golden boy were determined to defy the odds. For Zack Covington, Anna-Grace—his “Gracie”—was the one. Until one night forever alters the course of their future, when a devastated Gracie disappears without a trace, leaving Zack to agonize over what happened to the girl he loved. As the years pass, his desperate efforts to find her uncovered nothing.

Now working for Devereaux Security, he stumbles across a painting featuring a special place only he and Gracie would know. The image is too perfectly rendered for it to be coincidence. His Gracie must be alive. When he finally tracks her down, he is shocked—and heart-broken—to discover the wounded shell of the girl he once knew and still loves. Her psychic gifts are gone, and worse, she believes he betrayed her all those years ago.

Zack has enemies, and once his weakness is discovered, Gracie becomes a target for revenge. He’ll have to save her before he can earn her trust and her love. And he vows they’ll never be torn apart again.

(Goodreads)

"I could never hate you, Gracie," Zack said against her lips. "Never. I've always loved you. I always will."

"You're still my Gracie," he whispered. "You haven't changed a single bit from that beautiful girl I fell in love with so many years ago. That I still love. Will always love."

I'm a fan of Maya Banks. Her books are great brain candy, and I adore her Colters' Legacy series. I even loved the first two books in this series, Slow Burn. But unfortunately, I didn't like Safe at Last at all. Actually, I kind of hated it.

It stinks to say that after enjoying books 1 and 2 immensely, but Safe at Last wasn't up to par with them in the slightest for a few reasons:

- This book was so repetitive and the writing was weak. We got explanations for the same things multiple times. Like I don't need to hear the story of Zack losing his virginity to someone else more than once. It hurt enough to read the first time. But even beyond that (and my own jealousy), there were many things that were repeated unnecessarily and it got so daunting. Plus, the storytelling was flimsy. Things worked out because of *shrug* plot and there were inconsistencies because of *shrug* plot...except the plot wasn't strong enough to handle all that nonsense and it just made the writing seem weak.

- The romance was forced. This one is a huge bummer because the romance in Maya Banks' books is one of my favorite things, but it was lacking in this one. I think the divide between the main characters was just too big to really mend (for good reason) and when the author took the story in the direction she wanted it to go, the characters were forced on each other. Based on their backstory, they had potential---but with everything that happened in between then and the time of the story threw it all off kilter and it just did not work. At all.

- Zack had more chemistry with Eliza. This one got on my nerves. Often. When there was already such a huge struggle getting Zack and Gracie together, I didn't think making Eliza Zack's close best friend was a good idea. She seemed better for him than Gracie was and that was conflicting to me. I kind of wanted her to be the actual love interest, so the romance would start WORKING, but I also wanted her to go away because I didn't want to pay attention to her quite yet---which I say because her story comes in book 4.

- I was bored. This is the biggest issue. Every other problem I had could be gotten over if it weren't for the fact that I forced myself through this whole thing. Partly because I needed answers and partly because I desperately wanted things to get better. I wanted the romance to become less strained, I wanted the actual story to become compelling. Sadly, none of that happened and I was left so disappointed with this book.

Overall, I still love Maya Banks and will give book 4 in this series a try at some point, but Safe at Last itself was a huge disappointment. If you read this series, I recommend skipping this one since they all can stand alone just fine.