Review: Decide (Declan Reede: The Untold Story #0.5) by Michelle Irwin

DECIDE

Declan Reede: The Untold Story

Strap in, get ready to start your engines and see where it all began.

From an early age, Declan Reede’s only goal was to race in the ProV8 Championship Series. One thing he couldn’t anticipate was that a blistering kiss shared with his best friend, Alyssa Dawson, might derail his plans.

While he knows things between them will never be the same, it’s impossible to predict just where the road will take them, or how rocky it might get.

Will he decide to fight for love or follow his dreams?

Genre: New Adult Contemporary Romance
Release Date: 27th August 2015
Cover Artist: Soxsationalcoverart
Principal photography by: NSP Studios 
Cover models: Ashleigh Johnson and Jarah Armstrong.

Pre-order the introduction novella now for the special price of 99c 

Just 99c until 31st August. 

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Add to your Goodreads want to read list here: 

TEASERS

  

EXCERPT

Once we were alone on our way to school, she glanced down at our joined hands and then back up at me. Her wide smile and bright eyes told me she was feeling the same warm feelings I was.

“Hey, boyfriend,” she said as she gave my hand a squeeze.

The shit-eating grin lifted my cheeks again. “Hi yourself, girlfriend.”

“We probably shouldn’t play hooky today, should we?” Without releasing my hand, she sped up a little before turning to walk backwards so that she could meet my eyes.

I thought about the day we could have if we did and ached to say yes. “We probably shouldn’t. It’s probably a better idea to prove we’re going to be responsible even if we’re a couple.”

“Hmm, couple. I like the sound of it.” She turned around again, resting her head against my arm as we walked.

I dropped her hand and wrapped my arm around her shoulders.

“Maybe we can still be responsible if we’re a little late though?” she asked.

“Maybe. Why? What do you have in mind?”

She dragged me in the direction of the park where we’d played cards the day before—the park which had been “ours” for as long as I could remember and where everything had changed.

“Well, our first date was cut a little short, don’t you think?”

The ghost of her lips tracing over mine filled my mind, together with the memory of her tongue tangling with my own.

“Definitely,” I said, unable to keep the lust and desire from my voice.

We walked in silence until we arrived at our park. Without any verbal agreement, we made our way toward the table we’d claimed as our spot years earlier.

Alyssa sat on the bench and I took my usual place perched behind her on the table. I placed my legs on either side of her body and leaned my chin on the top of her head. It was a position we’d sat in hundreds of times before as we chatted about anything and everything. Only, this time it was different. Neither of us spoke, which had never really happened before. The silence around us was almost maddening; the only sound, our matching breaths.

“So—” we both said at the same time, before stopping at the same time.

“You go—” Again our voices were almost perfectly in sync.

I chuckled as she turned around and knelt on the bench to look at me. I helped her up onto the table beside me and just looked at her for a moment. Her lips called to me, and I wanted to kiss her, longed to with every part of me, but I didn’t know if I should. I didn’t want kissing to be the only thing we had. There was so much more that I liked about her and none of those things had changed. Yet it was still different. Everything was different.

“Don’t hate me for asking, but is this weird as hell for you too?” she asked.

My relief that I wasn’t the only one who was feeling the new, odd atmosphere surrounding us escaped in a quiet laugh. “So weird.”

“It shouldn’t be though, should it?”

“No. I mean, we’re still us, right?”

She practically leapt in place. “Right!”

“We’re still friends,” I added. “We always will be.”

“Exactly. We’re just friends that kiss now.”

As she said the words, my gaze was drawn to her bright pink lip gloss. I licked my lips. “Friends that kiss a lot?”

“If you’re lucky.”

I trailed my hands into her hair, drawing her face slowly closer to mine. “Am I?”

“I don’t know,” she whispered. Her lips were so close to mine that I could feel her breath on my skin. “I’m starting to think that maybe I’m the lucky one.”

REVIEW

Holy good book, Batman!  I was actually craving a racing romance when I got an email about this series from the author.  Of course, I snapped up the opportunity and I was super glad I did.  Wow.

The Good

This was an amazing prologue to the main series!  Everything was very well-written and I was entertained from start to finish.  I LOVED Declan.  Seriously adored him.

I was also seriously reminded of the seriously embarrassing teenage romance BS we all go through with breakups and makeups and crap.  Wow, I could have probably gone without remembering that but it was seriously realistic.

The Bad

Not much except I wanted to smack Alyssa throughout most of this story.  However, I’m giving her a break because teenage romance crap makes us all act like selfish idiots.  Alyssa is the only reason this novella isn’t a 5 star.  I just didn’t enjoy her, but the author is good enough to make me feel that anger at her and I seriously wished I could smack her.  Which then reminded me there are a lot of instances I pulled crap as a teenager that I am horrified to remember now.  So I held off on throwing my kindle.

Overall, I am seriously recommending this series for any sports romance fanatic, especially fans of racers!  Cuz the young Declan Reede will melt your heart.

4 Amazing Stars!

GIVEAWAY AND PARTY

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AUTHOR BIO

Michelle Irwin has been many things in her life: a hobbit taking a precious item to a fiery mountain; a young child stepping through the back of a wardrobe into another land; the last human stranded not-quite-alone in space three million years in the future; a young girl willing to fight for the love of a vampire; and a time-travelling madman in a box. She achieved all of these feats and many more through her voracious reading habit. Eventually, so much reading had to have an effect and the cast of characters inside her mind took over and spilled out onto the page.

Michelle lives in sunny Queensland in the land down under with her surprisingly patient husband and ever-intriguing daughter, carving out precious moments of writing and reading time around her accounts-based day job. A lover of love and overcoming the odds, she primarily writes paranormal and fantasy romance.

You can find Michelle here: 

Reviews: The Guild Hunter Series by Nalini Singh (Part 3)

The last part in my three-part Guild Hunter Series reviews!

Knives and Sheaths (Guild Hunter #5.5)

Free short story in Nalini Singh's Newsletter.

"The original version of this short story was meant to be a scene in ARCHANGEL’S STORM, but I deleted it in an earlier draft and the information shared here about Lijuan eventually became part of chapter 8 in the book.

However, I thought the scene offered a nice glimpse of Elena and Raphael’s relationship, so I decided to edit and extend it into a short story. I hope you enjoy!"

Find it on the author’s website here!

Review - 4 stars!

Super short, super sweet insight into Elena and Raphael’s relationship.  Nothing earth-shattering but a sweet read nonetheless.  Not much to it though, so not much to criticize.  I’ll just leave it at that!

Archangel’s Legion (Guild Hunter #6)

Nalini Singh, the New York Times bestselling “alpha author of paranormal romance” (Booklist) returns to an immortal world of violent passion and lethal power…on the brink of a deadly archangelic war.

Angels are falling from the sky in New York, struck down by a vicious, unknown force.

Vampires are dying impossibly of disease.

Guild hunter Elena Deveraux and the Archangel Raphael must discover the source of the wave of death before it engulfs their city and their people, leaving New York a ruin and Raphael’s Tower under siege by enemy archangels.

Yet even as they fight desperately to save the city, an even darker force is stirring, its chill eyes trained on New York…and on Raphael. Rivers of crimson and nightmares given flesh, the world will never again be the same…

Buy:  Amazon

Review - 5 stars!

Woo hoo!  Another book that brings us back to Raphael and Elena.  I was seriously stoked about this installment and I am pretty sure I devoured it in two sittings.  

The Good:

It’s about Raphael and Elena!  More emotional scenes about their devotion to each other as well as their people and more upon more about the world of the Cadre, angels, vampires and Guild Hunters.  

Every single book so far has enhanced this amazing world and it’s a testament to Nalini Singh’s talent that I keep craving more!

Of course, the very best part was the growth and flaws in the relationship with Raphael and Elena that make it much more real to the reader.

The Bad:

Honestly, I want more.  I want to know more about Raphael and Elena.  The fact that he is so old and powerful and the world is on the eve of destruction half the time leads one to want more, demand more, and I don’t know a single reader who wants to wait for the next book!

5 stars!

Zoe’s Workshop (Guild Hunter #6.5)

Short Story released by the author in the February Newsletter.

Find it on the author’s website here!

Review - 5 stars!

For such a short read, I fell in love with this one.  You see the beginning of Deacon and Sara’s relationship in Angels’ Judgment, and glimpses during the main series, but these scene had me making awwwww sounds aloud.  I got weird looks.  It’s even harder for me to find a short story worth 5 stars, let alone a free read the author flits together.  It is amazing and nicely done!

A Sip of Eternity (Guild Hunter #6.9)

This short story began life as a scene in an early draft of Archangel’s Shadows. It focuses on Dmitri & Honor, so there are no spoilers for the Archangel’s Shadows storyline (however, if you haven’t yet read Archangel’s Blade (Honor and Dmitri’s story), then save this to read later). I hope you enjoy!

Find it on the author’s website here!

Review - 4 stars!

So sweet you might get a toothache!  Also one of the rare times you glimpse Honor and Dmitri together after their novel.  I loved it!  So, so sweet our Dmitri is when he’s not being a butt to Elena.

Archangel’s Shadows (Guild Hunter #7)

Return to New York Times bestselling author Nalini Singh’s sensual and painfully beautiful Guild Hunter world in her new novel of sacrifice, loyalty, and the choices of love that can shatter the heart.

In the wake of a brutal war, the archangel Raphael and his hunter consort, Elena, are dealing with the treacherously shifting tides of archangelic politics and the people of a battered but not broken city. The last thing their city needs is more death, especially a death that bears the eerie signature of an insane enemy archangel who cannot— should not—be walking the streets.

This hunt must be undertaken with stealth and without alerting their people. It must be handled by those who can become shadows themselves…

Ash is a gifted tracker and a woman cursed with the ability to sense the secrets of anyone she touches. But there’s one man she knows all too well without a single instant of skin contact: Janvier, the dangerously sexy Cajun vampire who has fascinated and infuriated her for years. Now, as they track down a merciless killer, their cat-and-mouse game of flirtation and provocation has turned into a profound one of the heart. And this time, it is Ash’s secret, dark and terrible, that threatens to destroy them both.

Buy:  Amazon

Review - 4.5 Stars!

I didn’t know much about Ash or Janvier except that they were chasing each other.  A lot.  Which was humorous and the few scenes with either one of them were funny or made me like them as one set of my favorite secondary characters.

The Good:

The sweetness and the sadness!  The romance!!  Lastly, the mystery of what was going on!  Lots of story in this with romance of the two longest running courting couple in the series!  As always, well-written and entertaining!

The Bad:

The only downside was that this seemed more of an aside from the main storyline.  Though not too far as it was more like a break from war-mongering angels; after all, the main one needs to gather her strength again!  Or a bit of picking up the pieces after the major battle. Plus not as much Raphael and Elena as I want in the story.

What makes me really sad is no more main books to read and the next one, which is partly why I started this series finally, isn’t about Raphael and Elena either!  However, I’ve been dying to know about Naasir anyway….

So, 4.5 stars!

A Walk on the Cliffs (Guild Hunter #7.1)

This vignette stands alone, so you can read even if you’ve never read the Guild Hunter series.

For series readers, A Walk on the Cliffs fits into chapter 6 of Archangel’s Shadows. It shows a hidden moment between two characters who help run the household of the Archangel Raphael: Sivya, the angelic chef who runs the kitchen, and Montgomery, the vampire who is Raphael’s butler and who ensures the rest of the staff work together as a seamless unit.

Find it on the author’s website here!

Review - 4.5 stars!

Two minor characters and the servants of Raphael’s home get together and I couldn’t see it at first, to be honest.  I mean, mentioned in passing in book seven, sure.  But reading a snippet about it?  I was a little doubtful.  However, this was oddly perfect!  So composed and yet so sweet.  Wow!  Nice little scene!

Archangel’s Enigma (Guild Hunter #8)

New York Times bestselling author Nalini Singh returns to her world of dark passion and immortal power - and to one of the most seductive and impenetrable heroes ever to stalk the Guild Hunter landscape...

"Oh, Naasir. So weird, so bloodthirsty, so unique and wonderful...I have fallen for him..." - Fiction Vixen

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…

Coming September 1, 2015!!

Pre-order:  Amazon

About the Author (via website)

I was born in Fiji and raised in New Zealand. I also spent three years living and working in Japan, during which time I took the chance to travel around Asia. I’m back in New Zealand now, but I’m always plotting new trips. If you’d like to see some of my travel snapshots, have a look at the Travel Diary page (updated frequently).

So far, I’ve worked as a lawyer, a librarian, a candy factory general hand, a bank temp and an English teacher and not necessarily in that order. Some might call that inconsistency but I call it grist for the writer’s mill.

I’ve been writing as long as I can remember and all of my stories always held a thread of romance (even when I was writing about a prince who could shoot lasers out of his eyes). I love creating unique characters, love giving them happy endings and I even love the voices in my head. There’s no other job I would rather be doing. In September 2002, when I got the call that Silhouette Desire wanted to buy my first book, Desert Warrior, it was a dream come true. I hope to continue living the dream until I keel over of old age on my keyboard.

Stalker Links:

Website:  http://nalinisingh.com/

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/AuthorNaliniSingh

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/NaliniSingh

Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/71688.Nalini_Singh

Amazon:  http://www.amazon.com/Nalini-Singh/e/B001IXPTMW

Reviews: The Guild Hunter Series by Nalini Singh (Part One)

I am so incredibly slow sometimes.  I wanted a good romance about angels and I got a ton of recommendations for this one.  What's kind of funny about that is I kept meaning to read this series, but I kept forgetting about it and never got around to it.

Until now.

All reviews of the novels/novellas/short stories are in chronological reading order!  Keep in mind I write shorter than usual reviews when I do the entire series at once.

With just a few days to spare for the next book release on September 1st!


Angels’ Dance (Guild Hunter #0.4)

The gentle teacher of angelic young, and the keeper of her people's histories, Jessamy is respected and admired by everyone who knows her. Yet, born unable to soar into flight, she has spent thousands of years trapped in the mountain stronghold of the Refuge, her heart encased in painful loneliness...until the arrival of Galen, warrior angel from a martial court.

Rough-edged and blunt, Galen is a weapons-master at home with violence, a stranger to the sweet words it takes to woo a woman--but he is also a man determined to claim Jessamy for his own, to dance with her through the skies denied her for so very long...even if their exhilarating passion proves as dangerous as the landscape of war and unrest that lies before them.

Buy as part of the Angels' Flight collection:  Amazon

Review - 4.5 stars!

I really, really liked this one despite not usually being a gigantic fan of secondary couples.  However, Jessamy and Galen, both teachers at opposite ends of the spectrum, and both such awesome people separately, are absolutely mind-bogglingly awesome together!

The Good:

The writing and the story behind it were both an amazing addiction to the Guild Hunter series.  The heat between these two and the perfect flaws each exhibit…  I was enthralled with this story!

The Bad:

I only wonder what took Galen so long in the middle of the story!  Gah!  Pig-headed males!  But we love them!

4.5 stars!

Angels’ Judgement (Guild Hunter #0.6)

Warrior angels, vampire hunters, and angels gone bad heat up this altogether sizzling paranormal alternate universe, from the bestselling author Nalini Singh.

Angels' Judgement is the compelling story of passion, love and danger in the Guild Hunter world. Sara and Deacon are Guild Hunters, their life's work is catching and capturing - or killing - rogue angels. It's dangerous work and sometimes life or death decisions must be made in a moment. And when a judgement has to be made, should love be allowed to get in the way . . . ?

This is a compelling, sexy addition to the Guild Hunter universe.

Buy as part of the Angels' Flight collection:  Amazon

OR

Buy as part of the Must Love Hellhounds anthology:  Amazon

Review - 5 stars!

OMG!  I adored Deacon!  

That’s pretty much that needs to be said, honestly.  It’s not often I rate a short story or novella 5 stars but wow…

The Good:  

Deacon.  Sara is awesome too, but the good of this entire story was Deacon.  I just loved the gay bar scene.  There is some off-the-wall stuff in this story that details Deacon and Sara's meeting. A must-read for anyone who loves the Guild Hunter series!

The Bad:

Not enough Deacon!

5 stars!

Angels’ Pawn (Guild Hunter #0.7)

Angels’ Pawn is a stand-alone novella set in the Guild Hunter world. It features the guild hunter, Ashwini, and the vampire, Janvier.

Buy as part of the Angels' Flight collection:  Amazon

Review - 4.5 stars!

I love the interaction between Ashwini and Janvier, although they aren’t my favorite couple, they are the most humorous.

The Good:

This was an excellent view into one of the early meetings between Ashwini and Janvier.  I loved the insight and I loved every word of this story.

The Bad:

I am simply not quite as gushy about this one as every other installment.  I love these two and I loved this story, which was the perfect length for this little gem.  Nothing overtly bad about it, just not as interested in this couple as some of the others.

4.5 stars!

Angels' Blood (Guild Hunter #1)

Nalini Singh introduces readers to a world of beauty and bloodlust, where angels hold sway over vampires.

Vampire hunter Elena Deveraux is hired by the dangerously beautiful Archangel Raphael. But this time, it’s not a wayward vamp she has to track. It’s an archangel gone bad.

The job will put Elena in the midst of a killing spree like no other—and pull her to the razor’s edge of passion. Even if the hunt doesn’t destroy her, succumbing to Raphael’s seductive touch just may. For when archangels play, mortals break.

Buy:  Amazon

Review - 5 stars!!

Wow.

Wow.

Why the freaking hell haven’t I bothered to read Nalini Singh before now?  I had heard of her, I figured she was good, but it wasn’t until I wanted to read an angel romance and asked for recommendations from one of my groups and this one was mentioned that I actually got my rear in gear.

Super glad I did!

The Good:

This was an awesome story that compelled me to keep reading even when I meant to put it down.  Everything was awesome.  The read was effortless and engaging.  Most definitely an awesome story!

The Bad:

I wished for a tad more chemistry between the arrogant archangel and the stubborn, willful guild hunter.  I’m not sure if the story continues in book two or if we get another angel and couple, but I hope it continues….  I want it to continue because I feel the need to feel more emotion and tension and sexual awareness between Raphael and Elena.  So good….

5 stars!!  

Archangel’s Kiss (Guild Hunter #2)

New York Times bestselling author Nalini Singh returns to her world of angelic rulers, vampiric servants, and the woman thrust into their darkly seductive world...

Vampire hunter Elena Deveraux wakes from a year-long coma to find herself changed—an angel with wings the colors of midnight and dawn—but her fragile body needs time to heal before she can take flight. Her lover, the stunningly dangerous archangel, Raphael, is used to being in control—especially when it comes to the woman he considers his own. But Elena has never done well with authority.

They've barely begun to understand each other when Raphael receives an invitation to a ball from the archangel, Lijuan. To refuse would be a sign of fatal weakness, so Raphael must ready Elena for the flight to Beijing—and to the nightmare that awaits them there. Ancient and without conscience, Lijuan holds a power that lies with the dead. And she has organized the most perfect and most vicious of welcomes for Elena.

Buy:  Amazon

Review - 5 stars!

I am soooooooo thrilled Nalini Singh decided to continue on with Raphael and Elena’s story.  Absolutely overjoyed.  I think I squeed aloud.  My new current favorite is Raphael.  I love him.  I want to roll around with him and his wings and angel dust.  Seriously.

The Good:

The world-building that Nalini Singh does is abso-freaking-lutely amazing.  I mean hands down one of my favorites now!

Plus the chemistry between Elena and Raphael makes one seriously hot.  It whets your appetite and leaves you hungry for more.  The love between these two, an archangel of imaginable power and a once-mortal newly born angel is one of the more beautiful I’ve read in my urban fantasy novels.

I am just in awe of these two and want so much more.

The Bad:

You want more!  Sooo, soo much more!

5 stars!  Or more!

Lastly: Part Two Coming Soon!