Friday Reads: A Promise of Fire by Amanda Bouchet

Happy Friday, everyone! I've got something a little different for you today. I don't think I've recommended a fantasy/paranormal type romance in a LONG time--mainly, because I burned myself out on them when they were THE thing a few years ago. 

However, this week I picked up A Promise of Fire by Amanda Bouchet. I got a copy at RWA last year and have been hearing a ton of buzz about it (it made a bunch of Best Of lists). Plus, this book was edited by my new editor at Sourcebooks, so I figured I'd give it a shot. Boy, am I glad I did!

If you've followed me for a long time, you may remember that one of my favorite YA series a few years ago was the Vampire Academy series. I loved, loved that series for three reasons:

• Fantastic world-building
• A badass, lethal heroine
• An epic romance

And guess what. That is EXACTLY what A Promise of Fire delivers but in adult form instead of of YA.

I'm not going to go too deeply into the plot because it's intricate and you have to read to understand the world. But there are gods, royalty, magic, dragons, sexy warriors, sexy times (though it's slow-burning and she makes you work for the payoff, lol), and lots of intrigue. This is a series, so the story will continue in Breath of Fire which released this month, but this first book does wrap up to a satisfying point and isn't a throw-your-book-against-the-wall cliffhanger.

So even if this isn't your typical fare (it's not mine), I think you should give this one a shot. It's fast-moving and full of excitement. Also, the heroine has to save the hero at times (a favorite trope of mine). 

Here's the back cover copy:

Catalia "Cat" Fisa is a powerful clairvoyant known as the Kingmaker. This smart-mouthed soothsayer has no interest in her powers and would much rather fly under the radar, far from the clutches of her homicidal mother. But when an ambitious warlord captures her, she may not have a choice…

Griffin is intent on bringing peace to his newly conquered realm in the magic-deprived south. When he discovers Cat is the Kingmaker, he abducts her. But Cat will do everything in her power to avoid her dangerous destiny and battle her captor at every turn. Although up for the battle, Griffin would prefer for Cat to help his people willingly, and he's ready to do whatever it takes to coax her…even if that means falling in love with her.

Buy the book: Amazon | B&N | Indiebound

What are you reading this weekend? And if you missed the recommendations for this month's Read & Watch Challenge, check them out! :) 

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Blog Flashback:

One Year Ago - Digital Detox: 3 Things I'm Doing to Tame the Social Media Habit & Reclaim Focus

The June Invitation to Eden Releases are here!

Are you following along with the Invitation to Eden series? If not, get to it because you're missing out. : )  My installment will be in August (check out the first chapter), but each month we have three authors with new releases in the series.

You don't have to read them in order. Each book can standalone, and the common thread is that some part of each book happens on the mysterious Island of Eden where fantasies come true. (Think LOST with more sex, lol.)

And this month, we have three fantastic authors on the block.

Breaking Free by Cathryn Fox
Spring Break at college is  supposed to be a time of fun and parties, but Alaska Rossi, AKA Jane Smith, is on lockdown thanks to her father’s mafia dealings. She wants only to  party down with the  rest of her classmates.  At least her hot, darkly mysterious bodyguard— deep undercover as her dorm’s resident  assistant—gives her something to fantasize about during her boring nights in  confinement. When she wins a campus radio contest, and is gifted with  a special invitation to an exclusive island, she knows it’s her  chance to break free. After all, it’s a place where no one knows her name, so  what danger could  possible come to her? But when danger appears in the form of a masked man who takes control  of all her pleasures, tapping into her darkest fantasies, she begins to wonder  if her undercover lover, and the mysterious bodyguard who’s deep undercover, are one in the  same…

Kindle Nook Kobo iTunes

Hold Me Close by Eliza Gayle (Purgatory Club, Book 6)
Sometimes you need to cut and run and sometimes the ties run too deep to abandon. Bonnie’s job at Purgatory keeps her on edge in more ways than one. Every day the pain of her grief over losing her Dom threatens to consume her. Her only escape comes at the hands of the resident tattooed  bad boy who likes to keep things light and loose with a variety of women. He may not be the Dom of her dreams, but he chases away the darkness if only for one night… Dex is used to unattached submissives coming to him for a chance to feel the kiss of his flogger or the sting of his whip until they find their own Doms. With his busy life of ink and kink he likes keeping his women at arm’s length. Except one night a month when Bonnie shreds him every time she asks him to hold her close.
When a secret invitation to an island resort arrives, is it the answer to their problems? Or their worst nightmare?

Kindle 

Queen’s Knight by Sara Fawkes (a story set in the Anything He Wants world)
A man for whom Dominance is a way of life. A woman who refuses to yield control.
Dany McQueen was good at her job, and she knew it. Being the PA to one of New York’s most respected professional Doms had it’s unique challenges, but she could handle anything thrown her way…except the invitation to participate. Giving up control scared her, even when the offer was tempting beyond belief. When an invitation turns up at her door, however, that may give her a chance to live out her deepest fantasy, she’s ready to give it a shot. Gabriel Knight was getting old, and he felt every year. With his latest sub ending their partnership to pursue a vanilla relationship and family, he’s suddenly loathe to take on any more trainees. When his long-time personal assistant requests a vacation, he’s more than willing to grant it…until he realized exactly where she is going. Dany thought Eden would be somewhere she could enjoy her fantasies, safe from the pressure of her real life. She never expected for her boss to follow her, nor that his relentless pursuit would awaken a desire inside her she’d refused to allow herself before. Now that she’s had a taste of her Knight, Dany is desperate for more, but can a relationship so long suppressed work outside of their own private fantasy island?

Kindle  Nook  Kobo