"A Million Little Snowflakes" by Logan Byrne! *Review & Spotlight*

Happy December! =D I had to post this review for our #TBT Review! Perfect for winter, it's a YA realistic fiction, filled with angst and humor. Check it out!

~Published: September 14th, 2013

~Length: 206

~Genres: Young Adult, Romance, Realistic Fiction

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Oliver Hurst has always been abnormally normal.

His grades are horrible, his best friend just left for Utah, and he's depressed. His overly religious parents don’t help, especially since they control every facet of his life. One stupid sentence said in desperation gets Oliver tossed in an adolescent psych ward, where his depression and fears become even more of a reality.

When Oliver meets snide, tough girl Lacey Waters he doesn't think his life could get any better, that is, until she becomes the ray of sunshine he has desperately needed on his cloudiest of days.

"A Tale of Red Riding" by Neo Edmund! *Review & Spotlight*

*Images and information courtesy of Goodreads; review owned by Desert Rose Reviews.

**Originally published on September 5th 2013; re-posted for our TBT Review!

Hey everyone!  Today I've got a review post for ya.  This is one I signed up to review via a R4R opportunity in a Goodreads group.  I really thought I'd enjoy this book more than I did, and while I was disappointed, I still like to post all the books I read and review.  So, fair warning: I didn't like this book.  If you don't like reading reviews of books the reader didn't like, you may want to move along.  Otherwise, here we go!

A Tale of Red Riding: Rise Of The Alpha Huntress

~Released: September 12, 2012

~Length: 300 Pages 

~Genres: Young Adult, Paranormal, Fantasy, Fairytale Re-telling 

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In this action-packed twist on the beloved Grimm Fairytale, Red Riding will not only face dangerous wolves; she will have to face the wolf within herself. Gifted with the power to transform into a werewolf, she will rise to become a legendary warrior known as the Alpha Werewolf Huntress. Accompanied by bad-boy heartthrob Wolfgang Helheim, Red will lead a tribe of loyal followers armed with mystical powers of their own against a vile lunar deity, who plans to thrust Wayward Woods into eternal night.

"Star Path" by Joshua Tate! *Review & Spotlight*

*Materials & images courtesy of Goodreads; review owned by Desert Rose Reviews.
Originally published May 11th, 2013; re-posted for our TBT Review.

~Published: February 18th, 2013

~Length: 135 Pages

~Genres: Young Adult, Sci-Fi

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Dren Samuel has never left his planet before and is on his way to Draden, a boarding school for geniuses. His world is turned upside down when he and his three new friends are kidnapped for their minds’ potential.

After their transport vessel crashes, the teens struggle to stay alive and figure out why they’re so important to the men that desperately pursue them.

The journey home takes them to far away planets battling monstrous creatures and ruthless men who will stop at nothing to get what they want – a chance to own the future.

*Review* "Blood Roses" by Jason T. Graves!

*Materials & images courtesy of Goodreads; Review owned by Desert Rose Reviews.

**First published on May 17th, 2013.  Re-posted for our TBT Review.

Hiya everyone, how are you all doing?  Hopefully great!

I've got a review for you guys today.  This book is all vampires, mystery, suspense, and awesomeness!  It's unique, smart, and a super interesting read.  Without further ado, here we go!

Blood Roses

(The Noctivagas Chronicle, #1)

~Published: November 24th, 2012

~Length: 324 Pages

~Genres: Young Adult, Paranormal, Fantasy

Goodreads ~ Amazon

Vampires aren’t real… right? If they were, Madeline and Marissa Owen would certainly be suspects: bone-white and night-loving—with a proclivity for super-rare steaks—the identical twins are poster-girls for the undead.

As if looking like teen-aged vampires didn’t cause enough drama, trouble erupts into their lives following a disastrous street fight and a brush with the law by Madeline's sister. The girls are forced to move from the diverse city of Austin, Texas to the quaint township of Tobyhanna, Pennsylvania—a move clearly designed to bore the aggressive, MMA-fighter Marissa into an early grave.

However, their new lives prove to be anything but boring, as a series of shocking upheavals, unearthed lies, and outright dangers keep them thinking... and running for their lives. Ancient books, coded manuscripts, and evil enemies emerge, challenging the unique skills and inner-strengths of the girls—but can even all of this chaos prepare them for the arrival of real vampires?

Facing threats from multiple quarters, the girls must rely on each other to keep ahead of the rising storm … or be swept away by it.

"Morning Stars" by Jason T. Graves! *Review & Spotlight*

*Images & information materials courtesy of Goodreads; Review owned by Desert Rose Reviews.

*Originally published on September 4th, 2013; re-posted for our TBT Review!

Hello everybody, how are you all doing today?  Hopefully awesome :)

Today I'm posting a review, and it's for a book I really really really liked.  Really!  It is a sequel, so this post may have unintentional spoilers for those who haven't read the first book yet.  If you need/want to, you can check out my post for the first book, and get all caught up.

Otherwise, here we go!

Morning Stars

(The Noctivagas Chronicle, #2) 

~Released: September 17th, 2013

~Length: 228 Pages

~Parent's Guide: PG-17

~Genres: Young Adult, Paranormal, Fantasy

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Vampires are real, as Marissa is delighted to discover, until she finds that drinking blood isn't all it's cracked up to be. And so it goes… Madeline uncovers new mysteries and makes new friends, while Marissa makes a mess of her life and doesn't stop to wonder what's going wrong.

In the Morgensterns’ world, Marlena appears to have recovered from her madness, but Madeline is skeptical. Wilhelm’s seeming need to manage every crisis is increasingly tested by Marissa's antics and difficulties, a trusted friend's spectacular act of betrayal, and the return of Corelis. And, to make matters worse, in the shadows, a darker foe is watching… and waiting.

The twins want to be normal teenagers, but strange events and people of indeterminable intent increasingly hem in their reality. And while Madeline and Marissa wonder if they can just live normal lives, the better question is: can they even survive the lives they're living?

*Review* "Breed of Innocence" by Lanie Jordan!

*Materials & images courtesy of Goodreads; review owned by Desert Rose Reviews.

**Originally posted on May 16th, 2013.  Re-posted for TBT review post.

Hiya!  Today's post is a review.  This is one I signed up to review via a group on Goodreads, and I'm glad I did!  It's super interesting, if you like adventure stories filled with demons and danger.  If so, keep reading, cuz you'll love this book!

The Breed Chronicles #1

~Published: June 4th, 2012

~Length: 286 Pages

~Genres: Young Adult, Paranormal, Urban Fantasy, Romance, Sci-Fi

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One goal: Hunt the demon that killed my family. Make that two goals: Survive.

Six hours ago, men in dark suits and sunglasses came looking for me.
Four hours ago, they offered me training to hunt the things that killed my family: demons.
Two hours ago, I joined their secret organization--the CGE.
Now... All I have to do is survive demon-hunting school.

The classes won't kill me, but the finals might.

Warning: This book contains kick-ass (literally) demon-hunters in training, vampires (not the cuddly, marrying type), and sarcastic (and sometimes snarky) attitudes. No humans were eaten during the writing of this book. Bitten doesn't count...right?

"Crimson Sunrise" by Renee Rearden! *Review & Spotlight*

*Materials & images courtesy of Goodreads; review owned by Desert Rose Reviews.
**Originally published September, 2013; re-posted for our TBT Review.

Tueri Fated Souls, #2

~Published: April, 2012

~Pages: 265

~Genres: Paranormal Romance, Urban Fantasy, Adult Fiction

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Saari Mitchell attends a Tueri conference in Las Vegas, Nevada to strengthen her bonds with Dhelis Guidry and Brogan Vincent-and see if they can make their three-sided relationship work. But when Saari and her vampire brother Mag's lives are threatened, her trip to paradise soon becomes a surreal fight for survival. Dhelis and Brogan's psychic abilities are no help in finding Saari. Desperate to save their mate, they call in favors from the psychic and preternatural community, but the information leads only to more questions. Is the threat against Saari personal or part of a larger plan that threatens every human and Tueri's existence?

*Review* "Into the Night" by Jade Fowler!

Into the Night

(Into the Night, #1)

~By: Jade Fowler

~Published: June 2nd, 2012

~Length: 380 Pages

~Genres: Young Adult, Paranormal, Suspense, Action, Fantasy, Romance

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Fantastic employment opportunity.

No experience necessary.
Training provided to successful applicant.
Free food and board also provided.
If you are looking for a challenge in an exciting and active position, please phone...

It sounds like the perfect job, but for Logan any job will do, because he needs one desperately. Told he will be helping to display a unique collection, it isn’t until Logan gets the job that he finds out exactly what he has signed up for. The unique collection is actually a group of supernatural creatures. And to display them, he will have to fight them in an arena for the entertainment of the rich.

Logan thinks it must be a hoax, but when he reaches the estate where he is to work and live, he finds out all he was told is true. Werewolves, vampires and zombies exist, and one day he will have to fight them.

Penny seems to have it all. Not only is she the adopted daughter of Logan’s billionaire employer, but she also has the ability to read minds and see the future. Logan and Penny quickly form a friendship, but they have obstacles to overcome to make it work. Like the fact that Penny knows everything Logan’s thinking.

But Logan’s thoughts aren’t the only thing Penny knows.

Into the Night is a young adult paranormal fantasy novel, suitable for readers 16+. It is the first in a series.

"Sea God's Siren" by Tessa Stockton! *Review & Spotlight*

*Materials & images courtesy of Goodreads; review owned by Desert Rose Reviews.

Originally published July 30th, 2013; re-posted for our TBT Review.

The Brother's Keep #2

~Published: April 9th, 2013

~Length: 86 Pages

~Parent's Guide: PG-17

~Genres: New Adult, Young Adult, Paranormal, Mythology, Fantasy

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An accident left Syrena blind and only the sea god Dagon can bring her healing. But the cost of abiding in his aquatic prison in exchange for sight proves more than she bargained for.

"Lost Shadows" by Julie Elizabeth Powell! *Review & Spotlight*

*Materials & images courtesy of Goodreads; review owned by Desert Rose Reviews.

*Originally published on September 14th, 2013; re-posted for our TBT Review.

~Published: August 7th, 2012

~Pages: 276 

~Parent's Guide: PG

~Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy, Thriller

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Not only had Adam lost his parents in a car crash, but he’d also forgotten who he was. Pamela is haunted by the patient who was murdered by her father. Barbara and Mike have mysterious secrets. Harry seeks solace at the bottom of a glass. And why is Mildred so afraid? While Helen’s mind gathers dust, Lizzie mourns the loss of her, and her husband. Both Penny and Jane are frantic to find their daughters, if in different ways. Rick wonders what to do about his family. And who is William?

Most are strangers, all are haunted by darkness – does this unite them, or is it something they must do that will free them?

Will they find what is lost?

"Wampus Springs - Mark of the Wolf" by Wade Faubert! *Review & Spotlight*

*Materials & images courtesy of Goodreads; review owned by Desert Rose Reviews.
*Originally published on September 16th, 2013; re-posted for our TBT Review.

~Released: February 25th, 2012

~Length: 284 Pages

~Genres: Young Adult, Horror, Thriller, Paranormal, Suspense 

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At sixteen years old, Lori Foster has seen a lifetime of pain and suffering. Four years earlier, she watched as her best friends were savagely mauled to death by a rogue wolf, then barely escaped with her own life. The scar on her neck is a constant reminder of just how lucky she was that stormy day in Wampus Springs.

Four years and hundreds of miles from the attack, Lori still searches every shadow for the return of her tormentor. She finds ordinary life to be a struggle, but when she meets Josh Hughes, things appear to get on track. With her best friend Jessica Tanner and her new love in her life, Lori lets her guard down, but it may be premature. When her menstruation begins, her nights are ravaged with nightmares of the attack. The nightmares seem to be more than a coincidence, they seem to hint at an inevitable confrontation between Lori and the wolf that mauled her four years earlier.

"Element" by C.M. Doporto! *Review & Spotlight*

*Materials & images courtesy of Goodreads; review owned by Desert Rose Reviews.
Originally published May 17th, 2013; re-posted for our TBT Review.

The Natalie Vega Saga #1

~Released: March 29th, 2013

~Length: 272 Pages

~Genres: Young Adult, New Adult, Paranormal, Contemporary, Romance, Urban Fantasy, Sci-Fi

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College freshman, Natalie Vega, offers to be a test patient for several vitamins and supplements created by Kronberg Laboratories, a large pharmaceutical company where she interns. Immediately her body starts going through physical changes but when she runs into her former high school crush, Ryan Garrett, she is unaware of the life altering affects he will have on her.

"Moonlight Bleu" by Renee Rearden! *Review & Spotlight*

*Materials & images courtesy of Goodreads; review owned by Desert Rose Reviews.

**Originally published on September 22nd, 2013; re-posted for our TBT Review.

Tueri Fated Souls #1

~Published: August 2nd, 2010

~Pages: 314

~Genre: Urban Fantasy, Paranormal Romance, Adult Fiction

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Saari Mitchell sees a psychologist in order to understand why-500 years later-she's still dreaming of her dead lover. Her shrink isn't helping, the nightmares come every time she closes her eyes, and the lack of sleep is interfering with her job at Sacred Heart Hospital. With her psychic ability to heal the human spirit on the fritz, her auric radar becomes as reliable as her spotty cell phone service. By day, Dhelis Guidry works as a detective for the new Angeles Police Department investigating the missing or murdered women in the Full-Moon Killer case. In his spare time he hunts rogue vampires as a Tueri executioner. Brogan Vincent is a Tueri healer. Though he could offer his miraculous talents to the rich and powerful, he has chosen anonymity and peace by only using his psychic abilities among the Tueri. One look into Saari's tri-colored eyes and both men realize she is Tueri. One touch tells them each she's their soul mate. But can either of them protect her from the Full-Moon Killer?

"Crossed" by Ally Condie! *Review & Spotlight*

*Materials & images courtesy of Goodreads; review owned by Desert Rose Reviews.

**Originally published September 17th, 2013; re-posted for our TBT Review.

Matched #2

~Published: November 1st, 2011

~Pages: 367

~Parent's Guide: PG-13

~Genres: Young Adult, Dystopian, Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Romance

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The Society chooses everything. 

The books you read. 
The music you listen to. 
The person you love. 

Yet for Cassia the rules have changed. Ky has been taken and she will sacrifice everything to find him. 

And when Cassia discovers Ky has escaped to the wild frontiers beyond the Society there is hope.

But on the edge of society nothing is as it seems...

A rebellion is rising.

And a tangled web of lies and double-crosses could destroy everything.

"Holding On and Letting Go" by Lucy Kelly! *Review & Spotlight*

*Materials & images courtesy of Goodreads; review owned by Desert Rose Reviews.

**Originally published September 17th, 2013; re-posted for our TBT Review.

The Ties That Bind Us #1

~By: K.A. Coleman (Pen Name was Lucy Kelly)

~Published: March 10th, 2013

~Pages: 186

~Parent's Guide: PG-13

~Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary Romance, Realistic Fiction

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Is there a way to describe the ties that bind us together? What happens when one of those ties is unexpectedly severed? Can everything else remain the same? Will the other ties hold strong?

 Two years after her little brother's death, sixteen year old Emerson Caulfield returns to a home that she spent the last two years missing. In theory, everything should be the same. Her best friend, Matt, still lives next door. Her house is in the exact same condition as they left it. The scenery and hallways haven't changed, yet for Emerson, everything is completely different. The place may be the same, but Emerson is most certainly not. She returns home hurt, angry, and miles away from the girl she once was.

 The 60,000 word novel alternates between the perspectives of Emerson, who is struggling to keep breathing on a daily basis, and Matt, who wants to have his old best friend back so badly that he is willing to overlook the fact that she has completely changed. Though their friendship and relationship is a major part of the story, it takes backseat to the unique bonds between siblings, what happens when your worst enemy is in fact yourself, and the hardships that come with growing up and changing.

"Captured" by Erica Stevens! *Review*

*Originally published on July 16th, 2013; re-posted for our TBT Review.  Materials from Goodreads; review owned by Desert Rose Reviews.

The Captive #1

~Released: June 6th, 2012

~Length: 168 Pages

~Parent's Guide:  PG-17

~Genres: Young Adult, New Adult, Paranormal Romance, Urban Fantasy, Dystopian, Sci-fi

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Blood Slave.

Captured, taken from her beloved family and woods, Aria’s biggest fear is not the imminent death facing her, but that she will be chosen as a blood slave for a member of the ruling vampire race. No matter what becomes of her though, Aria knows that she must keep her identity hidden from the monsters imprisoning her. She has already been branded a member of the rebellion, but the vampires do not know the true depth of her involvement with it, and they must never know.

Though hoping for death, Aria’s world is turned upside down when a vampire named Braith steps forward to claim her. He delays her execution, but Aria knows it’s only a matter of time before he drains her, and destroys her. Especially once she learns his true identity as a prince within the royal family; the same royal family that started the war that ultimately brought down humankind, reducing them to nothing more than servants and slaves.

Aria is determined to hate the prince, determined not to give into him in any way, but his strange kindness, and surprising gentleness astonish her. Torn between her loyalties to the rebellion, and her growing love for her greatest enemy, Aria struggles to decide between everything she has ever known, and a love she never dreamed of finding.

*Review* "Brightest Kind of Darkness" by P.T. Michelle!

Brightest Kind of Darkness

(Brightest Kind of Darkness #1)

~By: P.T. Michelle

~Released: June 27th, 2011

~Length: 357 Pages

~Genres: Young Adult, Paranormal, Fantasy, Romance

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Nara Collins is an average sixteen-year-old, with one exception: every night she dreams the events of the following day. Due to an incident in her past, Nara avoids using her special gift to change fate…until she dreams a future she can’t ignore.

After Nara prevents a bombing at Blue Ridge High, her ability to see the future starts to fade, while people at school are suddenly being injured at an unusually high rate.

Grappling with her diminishing powers and the need to prevent another disaster, Nara meets Ethan Harris, a mysterious loner who seems to understand her better than anyone. Ethan and Nara forge an irresistible connection, but as their relationship heats up, so do her questions about his dark past.

"Untethered" by Katie Hayoz! *Review & Spotlight*

*Materials & images courtesy of Goodreads; review owned by Desert Rose Reviews.

Originally posted on July 24th, 2013; re-published for our TBT Review!  

~Released: April 3rd, 2013

~Pages: 352

~Parent's Guide: PG-13

~Genres: Young Adult, Paranormal, Fantasy, Mystery

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Sylvie isn’t comfortable in her own skin. In fact, there are times she can’t even manage to stay inside it. But if there is one thing she’s sure of, it’s her love for Kevin Phillips. She’s willing to stake everything on it –her family, her friends, and possibly her soul.

Sixteen-year-old Sylvie has been best friends with Cassie forever. But everything is turned around when the boy Sylvie’s loved since fifth grade falls for Cassie. Devastated, Sylvie intends to get Kevin by any means possible, even if it involves treachery, deceit, and the dark side of astral projection. She is positive her plans will give her what she wants, but she doesn’t count on it all spiraling out of control.

Untethered explores the intoxicating and dangerous world of jealousy and obsession when coupled with paranormal ability.

"Ancient Blood" by Brian Patrick McKinley! *Review*

*Originally published on August 5th, 2013.

Materials & images provided by Goodreads.com; review owned by Desert Rose Reviews.

Just in time for Halloween, a wonderful book for this time of year!!  This week's #ThrowbackThursdayReview :

Ancient Blood: A Novel of the Hegemony 
(The Order Saga, Vol. 1)

~Published: September 22nd, 2012

~Publisher: Mystical Press

~Length: 294 Pages

~Genres: Adult Fiction, Paranormal, Fantasy, Thriller

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Avery Doyle loves vampires; he's read every novel, seen all the movies, and researched the folklore. When his first one-night-stand, Caroline, turns out to be a true vampire on the run, he jumps at the chance to leave his ordinary life and join her as a "child of the night." The honeymoon ends, however, when Caroline's brutal Creator Sebastian enslaves them on his island estate and Avery must confront the dehumanizing reality behind his dreams. In order to survive, Caroline and Avery take their place as servants in Sebastian's household during a gathering of the most powerful vampires on Earth, the Hegemony, and soon find themselves involved in the myriad schemes, plots, and revenges that form the night-to-night existence of The Order. A society of wealth, power, and inhuman decadence whose existence is protected by human complicity and disbelief, The Order is the immortal aristocracy hidden behind the giant corporations and political leaders of the world. Sebastian, however, has a plan that will change The Order forever and shatter human civilization. A fast-paced thriller that both re-imagines and pays tribute to the traditional vampire, Ancient Blood is a story of love, ambition, sacrifice, and betrayal that is frighteningly human.

*Review* "Shredded" by Karen Avivi!

Shredded

~By: Karen Avivi

~Published: January 15th, 2013

~Length: 314 Pages

~Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary, Sports, Coming-of-Age

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Drop into the world of girls’ freestyle BMX for an action-packed summer road trip adventure.

Shredded by Karen Avivi is more than a teen girls’ sports book or a BMX biking book; it’s a motivating push-your-limits story for anyone who refuses to overlooked.

Josie Peters thinks she’ll do anything to qualify for the Ultimate BMX freestyle event the summer before her senior year so she and her friends take off on a summer road trip to hit the qualifying events in the Midwest. Late-night parties, an intimidating mega ramp, and the lure of sponsorships spark friction between the girls. When Josie’s best chance for success depends on her relationship with flashy rider R.T. Torres, she has to decide what she’s trying to win and how much she’ll sacrifice.

Shredded is a fast-paced, fun read that tackles feminism, friendship, sexism, and sibling rivalry. Even readers unfamiliar with BMX or extreme sports will be caught up in the adrenaline rush of Josie’s tricks, wipeouts, and wins. Hints of romance provide extra conflict without overtaking the main story.

Ideal for fans of realistic young adult fiction, Shredded features a strong female lead character who goes after what she wants by taking action.

Experience the rivalries, rejections, and triumphs of rule-breaking, gravity-defying girls who shred.