Reading Recommendations With Daily Featured Books

Here we are again rounding up the books featured on our social media sites this week and putting them all in one place, one list... Just for you.

It's basically been a week of paranormal romance and fantasy.

Hope you enjoy and happy reading!

FIRE BOUND by Christine Feehan

Book 5 - Sea Haven, Sisters of the Heart Series 

Flame-haired Lissa Piner is a skilled glass blower whose delicate gift conceals a burning inner strength that can destroy as exquisitely as it can create. Commissioned to design chandeliers for a string of luxury hotels, her remarkable skills have taken her to Italy. But Lissa’s real mission there is a secret. For her entire life has been a lie, leading to a chance to avenge a terrible wrong.

Enlisted as her bodyguard is Casmir Prakenskii, a trained assassin living off the grid. In Lissa, he sees a kindred spirit—something unexpected and wicked, mysterious and sensual. But more than desire is about to bring them together: because both of their pasts cry out for revenge. And for two people with this many secrets, this much passion, and this many enemies, someone is bound to get burned.

Released this Tuesday, FIRE BOUND takes us back to Sea Haven - filled with magic, mystery and love that's soul deep. Get your copy and fall in love! 

PREY by Chloe Cole

Book 1 – Montana Wolves Series

When a gorgeous stranger rescues her from a vicious wolf attack, curvy nature photographer Amalie Baptista can’t seem to fight the attraction to her savior. What she doesn't know is that giving in to him could mean giving up life as she knows it...
Alpha male Liam Albrecht is breaking every rule for the curvy, captivating Amalie, risking his place within the pack and his own life to protect her. As discord among the clans reaches a fever pitch, he must find a way to save her from the monsters among them.

Enter Cole’s world of wolf-shifters and more in PREY today for FREE!

NATHAN’S HEART by Minx Malone

Book 1 – Brotherhood of Bandits, Mating Fever Series

Nathan Drake cares about only one thing. Money. As a recovery agent (cough thief) he'll take any job that gets him the green. His brothers don't call him Heartless for nothing. But a heart doesn't keep food on the table. Living on the outskirts of dragon shifter society has taught him that. Whether it's drugs, jewels or weapons, he'll recover whatever the client wants, for his cut of the loot of course.
Until the night a storm pushes him off course and he’s forced to take his cargo back to his den. Locked inside fighting the mating fever he discovers the crate isn’t filled with diamonds or jewels at all. Instead it contains the one thing he can’t ignore.
A girl.

In this world where dragon-shifters are known to exist, rumors swirl widely, an unworthy dragon king rules and the rightful heir is almost ready to step up. Discover the Bandits and feel the fevers heat in NATHAN’S HEART today.

IAN’S FALL by Minx Malone

Book 2 – Brotherhood of Bandits, Mating Fever Series

When Ian Drake is shot down after visiting dragon territory, his only thought is to warn his brothers of the coming danger. Attacked with some kind of chemical weapon, he is unable to shift into his dragon form. For the first time in years, the protector finds himself vulnerable and his salvation comes in a form he’d never expect.
A woman.
Morgan Hall is not beautiful or charming but armed with her knowledge of herbs and her healing touch, she’s vital to her small community in the Virginia mountains. She leads a quiet life but one filled with purpose. Nothing exciting ever happens to her and she’s okay with that.
Until a dragon crashes into her backyard.

The Drake brother’s stories continue in IAN’S FALL (picking up right where book 1 of the series finished off)… Get your copy today and have fun with these dragon-shifters.

GAVIN’S CURSE by Minx Malone

Book 3 – Brotherhood of Bandits, Mating Fever Series

Gavin Drake has spent years mourning the mate he lost far too young. After a lifetime of searching he’s finally discovered how to break the mate bond. Despite the risks, he’s determined to test it on himself, figuring nothing could be worse than continuing to live without the other half of his soul. Until he takes the serum and discovers that there is something far worse.
Discovering that his mate is alive and has chosen not to be with him.
Kia Warren has spent her entire life at the mercy of her madman of a father, subject to his experiments and hidden away from the world. Her only solace has been in the imaginary love of her dreams that she is starting to suspect is very real…

The last of the Drake brother’s has his day and we find out how he fares in GAVIN’S CURSE – get your copy today!

Saturdays with Princess

 

THE UNWANTEDS by Lisa McMann

Book 1 – The Unwanteds Series

When Alex finds out he is Unwanted, he expects to die. That is the way of the people of Quill. Each year, all the thirteen-year-olds are labeled as Wanted, Necessary, or Unwanted. Wanteds get more schooling and train to join the Quillitary. Necessaries keep the farms running. Unwanteds are set for elimination.

It’s hard for Alex to leave behind his twin, Aaron, a Wanted, but he makes peace with his fate—until he discovers that instead of a “death farm,” what awaits him is a magical place called Artimé. There, Alex and his fellow Unwanteds are encouraged to cultivate their creative abilities and use them magically. Everything Alex has ever known changes before his eyes, and it’s a wondrous transformation.

But it’s a rare, unique occurrence for twins to be divided between Wanted and Unwanted, and as Alex and Aaron’s bond stretches across their separation, a threat arises for the survival of Artimé that will pit brother against brother in an ultimate magical battle.

Another wonderfully imaginative book that parents, children and teens can share and enjoy together or on their own. Get your own copy of the THE UNWANTEDS today.

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And there we have it. This week's featured books. Please note that the Ups & Downs Shop will be completely updated once this post is live and as always you can find ALL the books that have been featured. But please remember that some of the sales and free books are offered for a limited time only - the books will remain as featured but the initial sales/freebies may have expired.

Next week the books of the day will begin to be shared daily here on the blog - I'm changing this because of the way that FB policies have changed so that I can continue to promote and share books to you all. 

I hope you've had a great weekend... Keep on reading!

Saturday's With Princess - REVIEW

WINTERLING by Sarah Prineas

About the book:

 

Jennifer—

Things here have gotten very bad.

My girl, when you opened the Way, something happened. It has been weeks since you left, and spring has still not come. The rains continue, every day. Winter has been creeping back in. The river through town is flooding, and none of the farmers have been able to put in their crops.

I am afraid that something from that world is spilling over into ours.

You must come home at once. I need you here.

But Fer can't go home yet. Ever since she went through the Way, she's felt an attachment to this new world and its magic, and senses that it is perilously out of balance. The key to healing the land and defeating its powerful ruler lies in Fer's past and the parents she never knew. She must discover who she is and unleash her inner warrior before the worlds on both sides of the Way plunge into a never-ending winter.

You can get own copy of WINTERLING by Sarah Prineas here.

THE REVIEW

In a wonderful tale that twists from our world to another, Winterling, Sarah Prineas portrays a perfect combination of both.

Fer is trying to figure things out about the strange land she arrived in and Rook is trying to figure her out. The Mor, or the lady she poses as is keeping winter around longer than it should with her cursed blood sacrifices. Fer has to find the mysterious Leaf Woman that she saw in the forest when she first arrived, for only she can bring Spring once again.

After reading this book, AND LOVING IT, I’ll definitely be reading more by Sarah Prineas.

Princess recommends this book to other young readers age 8-13. 

YOUR REVIEWER - Princess Z

Princess is an 11-year old ("almost 12") reading fanatic... Just like her Writer Mom. She loves tales of myth and magic, fantasy and the imaginative. Unlike her mother, she's not the greatest fan of writing but she is determined to share her own love of reading with the world. She best loves stories that can make her laugh and cry, and the ones that she can imagine herself a part of.  

She is new to the book reviewing gig (publishing her first review for Winterling in April 2016) but looks forward to the job and to sharing the books she loves. And she hopes that you and, or, your children enjoy the stories just as much as she has!

Here's What We've Been Featuring

Everybody hits a reading slump every once in a while. Whether you can't find a book that really interests you, or you're simply looking for something different than what you've been reading - maybe we've got something here to wet your (reading) appetites... 

As always the Featured Books of the Day are added to our Facebook and other social media pages daily throughout the week and then on the weekend we post the complied list of titles and book info here on the blog. All the books we've featured are also added to the Ups & Downs Shop each week and the store is now up-to-date. 

I hope you'll find something to read from our lists. And as always - enjoy!

Introducing Our New REVIEWER -- PRINCESS Z!!!

I am so incredibly excited to announce that my oldest daughter - PRINCESS Z will be joining the Review Staff of this site in the very near future. She will primarily be reviewing the books that she recreationally reads and loves, BUT if you've got a CHILDRENS, YOUTH or YA novel that you'd like to have reviewed please contact us at apalusalight@gmail.com. (All review requests should include the books genre!)

PRINCESS Z particularly enjoys novels of myth, legend, gods & goddesses and novels that include horses. (Can you tell that she is my daughter???) That does not mean that if your novel falls within another genre or subclass that she won't read and/or review it. Ups, Downs, Ins and Outs will NOT at this time be contracting for these specific genre reviews. Princess Z is only 11 years old and is only just starting her "career" of reviewing books. I will be editing and helping her out but still...

If you submit an YA novel for review, it may occur that both Princess Z and I will review it as we both read and enjoy this genre - both reviews will be submitted on Goodreads and Amazon for the benefit of the author.