#TNReads: Real Quick Reviews for Lazy Readers featuring Jasmine Guillory

The land of Imperium is home to four kingdoms, separated by their distinct powers; Wolf shifters, vampires, demons, and elementals, or those with power over of the elements. Kellan, king of the wolves, is in the elemental kingdom of Gwydion to marry his betrothed and cement a political alliance. The forests in his homeland are diseased, and he hopes that an elemental wife will be able to help solve the problem. But he can’t go through with it when he sees his bride’s 15 year old sister Nora and realizes she’s his fated mate. Her father agrees to a sister swap, and Kellan agrees to put off the marriage for 5 years until Lenora is 20. After they marry, Kellan’s quest to woo his new mate is threatened when someone tries to kill her, and it becomes obvious that ominous threat looms over all four kingdoms.

This was a quick, engaging, smutastic self-published read. Kellan was a dreamy, primal alpha, but with a gooey caramel center that just wants his mate to love him. And Nora is his feminist-as-hell bride who brings the wolf king to heel. She is NOT here for any of that domineering alpha business. I devoured it in one morening and can’t wait for the next book. Each book in the Fate of Imperium series will feature a different king and his fated mate, but with a central story that ties them all together so you’ll want to read them in order. And it’s only 99 cents on Amazon right now so there are basically zero reasons not to try it.

Dr. Mye Amor Hart lives the good life with a successful career and loving family, but underneath the fancy clothes and nice cars Mye knows her life is anything but perfect. Mye has a habit of making herself smaller, allowing those around her to use her as a stepping stone to achieve their own desires. Between financing her husband’s affairs, and watching an ungrateful son head towards disaster, Mye has had enough. Can Mye love herself to freedom? There is so much story packed into this little book! I don’t normally buy into the whole self-help thing, but this was plain old good advice encased in a heavily plot driven fictional page-turner, making it easy to swallow. We are all susceptible to getting stuck in a bad situation, no matter how smart or successful we are. The Merge shows us there is a way out. As readers, we witness a boy become a man, a bad husband get his just desserts, two troubled women find forgiveness and love in impossible circumstances, and one very special character find all the power she possesses. We are left imagining the potential of a world where all women learn to love themselves.

Tasha has the picture perfect life. She has the husband, the children, the ability to leave her job and be a stay at home mom, but something is missing. Her husband Charlie is distracted, busy and distant. Cooking and cleaning is getting old and it’s hard to escape for even a night out with the girls. One hasty decision born out of boredom may be the torpedo that destroys everything Tasha loves. This third novel from Georgie Capron explores what happens when couples stop paying attention to their relationship and get caught up in the day to day hassles and routines. Realistic and cautionary, The Distance Between Us may make you think about the pitfalls in your relationship.

When freelance writer, Nikole (with a k) gets blindsided by a public proposal from her kind of boring, but pretty hot boyfriend (who spells her name wrong) at a Dodgers game, Carlos (and his sister) saves the day. After that, the two form a quick friendship that turns into a friends-with-benefits thing. And they’re both clear that’s what it is. And they’re both clear that that’s what they want. Until one of them isn’t so clear anymore…

I’m really loving Jasime Guillory and her casual use of inclusion. This book isn’t necessarily about the race of the main characters, it’s about the love story. Which just happens to be between a black woman and a Mexican man. End of story – or I guess beginning since we know that from the start…

This was a fun read and I enjoyed reading about both Nikole and Carlos. I loved Nik’s complete feminism and her struggle to let go of her baggage. My only complaint is more sex! None of this fade to black nonsense… 🙂