Secrets of the Eternal Rose Series Re-Release

If you love historical fiction, you'll want to pay attention. Today Fiona Paul's phenomenal Venom, the first book in the Secrets of the Eternal Rose series, is being re-released as Venomous Kiss. If you're a fan of historical fiction and haven't yet checked out this series, you need to do so now! It has the perfect mix of romance and intrigue and will keep you on the edge of your seat the whole time you're reading!

Keep reading to find out more about the books in the Secret of the Eternal Rose series and its author, Fiona Paul!

Title: Venomous Kiss (Secrets of the Eternal Rose #1)

Author: Fiona Paul

Publisher: The Studio

Release Date: March 17, 2016

Buy the Book: Amazon / B&N / Indigo

My Review

Cassandra Caravello has everything a girl could desire: elegant gowns, sparkling jewels, and a handsome, wealthy fiancé—yet she longs for something more. Ever since her parents’ death, Cassandra has felt trapped, alone in a city of water, where the dark and labyrinthine canals whisper of escape.

When Cass stumbles upon the body of a murdered woman, she’s drawn into the dangerous and tempting world of secret societies, courtesans, killers, and a mysterious street artist named Falco, who could be the most dangerous temptation of them all.

Soon, she finds herself falling for Falco, but his habit of getting into trouble could destroy the perfect life Cassandra has built. Will she find the murderer before he finds her? And will she stay true to her fiancé or succumb to her uncontrollable feelings for Falco?

Formerly published as Venom, Fiona Paul’s first installment of the Secrets of the Eternal Rose is perfect for fans of Jennifer Donnelly’s These Shallow Graves and Libba Brayès A Great and Terrible Beauty.

About the author

Fiona Paul lives in St. Louis, MO where she managed to pursued fancy universities to award her degrees in psychology and nursing. Between her studies, she traveled around five continents and spent time living in Thailand and South Korea (which is probably why she finds the idea of wearing shoes in the house a little weird).

In additional to writing, Fiona is somewhat obsessive about coffee, music, and adventure sports. Her future goals include swimming with great white sharks and writing a whole slew of novels, not necessarily in that order. For updates about Secrets of the Eternal Rose series, follow Fiona on Twitter @fionawritesYA.

Be sure to check out the free prequel story and be on the lookout for books two and three in April and May!

Title: Disastrous Desire (Secrets of the Eternal Rose #0.5)
Author: Fiona Paul
Publisher: The Studio
Release Date: February 16, 2016
Buy the Book: Amazon / B&N / Indigo

Eighteen-year-old Mariabella has recently elevated herself from the rank of common prostitute to the status of courtesan, a respected high-class escort for those men in Venetian society who can afford one. Mariabella steps out to attend a party on the arm of her powerful new patron, certain that the night will be filled with glamour, secrets, and adventure—but the world she has immersed herself in is more dangerous than she believes.

Donate miss this short story prequel set in the thrilling world of Fiona Paul’s Secrets of the Eternal Rose series. This few story also includes four chapters of Venomous Kiss, the first book in a romantic series tinged with true love and heartbreaking betrayal.

Title: Poisonous Touch (Secrets of the Eternal Rose #2)

Author: Fiona Paul

Publisher: The Studio

Release Date: April 12, 2016

Pre-Order: Amazon / B&N / Chapters

My Review

In the second installment of the Secrets of the Eternal Rose series, Cassandra Caravello is trying to forget Falco, the wild artist who ran off with her heart, as she grows closer to her strong, steady fiancé, Luca. But Luca has his own share of secrets. When he’s arrested by soldiers in the middle of the night, Cass’s life is once again thrown into chaos.

So begins her journey to Florence to prove Luca’s innocence. In the city haunted by whispers of vampirism, secret soirées and clandestine meetings of the Order of the Eternal Rose, Cassandra also finds Falco, who is working for the Oder’s eerily stunning leader, the Belladonna herself.

Nothing is as it seems in this seductive mystery, where the truth may be the deadliest poison of all.

Formerly published as Belladonna, Fiona Paul’s romantic series is perfect for fans of Jennifer Donnelly’s These Shallow Graves and Libba Bray’s A Great and Terrible Beauty.

Title: Dangerous Heart (Secrets of the Eternal Rose #3)

Author: Fiona Paul

Publisher: The Studio

Release Date: May 24, 2016

Pre-Order: Amazon / B&N / Indigo

Cassandra Caravello and Luca are fugitives, on the run from the law and the deadly Order of the Eternal Rose. As they pursue the only evidence that could save them, their worlds—and their romance—are torn apart by spiteful friends and murderous enemies.

When Cass finds herself ensnared in the Order’s twisted plot, Falco emerges once again as her only hope for freedom…but this time, Luca has a shocking scheme of his own.

From ancient mercenaries to sly magicians, clever courtesans and vengeful killers, no one can be trusted. In the breathtaking conclusion to the Secrets of the Eternal Rose trilogy, Cass must confront the Order and decide where her heart lies, once and for all.

Formerly published as Starling, this romantic mystery is perfect for fans of Philippa Gregory’s The Other Boleyn Girl and Jennifer Donnelly’s These Shallow Graves.

Built by Jay Crownover

Title: Built (Saints of Denver #1)

Author: Jay Crownover

Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks

Release Date: January 5, 2016

Source: Purchased

Buy the Book: Amazon / Book Depository / Indigo

The first in the new SAINTS OF DENVER series from NYT bestselling author of the MARKED MEN series, Jay Crownover.

Sometimes you have to tear everything down to build something new…

Sayer Cole is frozen inside. At least, that’s what it’s felt like for as long as she can remember. She’s yet to let anyone past her icy exterior—and the one guy she thinks might melt her heart couldn’t possibly be interested in someone so uptight.

Rough, hard and hot-as-hell, Zeb Fuller has rebuilt his life and his construction business since protecting his family sent him to jail all those years ago. His elegant client, Sayer, makes him feel like a Neanderthal in denim, but despite the many hints that he’s been dropping to get to know her better, she seems oblivious to his charms.

Just as things finally start to heat up, Zeb’s past comes back to haunt him and he needs Sayer’s professional help to right a wrong and to save more than himself. As these opposites dig in for the fight of their lives, fire and ice collide in an unstoppable explosion of steam…

I am a huge Jay Crownover books. Every book of hers I get my hands on I absolutely devour. When I first heard about her new Saints of Denver series I was extremely excited. And Built, the first book, absolutely did not disappoint me. 

Sayer Cole has always been told that she’s cold. That’s how she’s been taught to be. She doesn’t let anyone in and doesn’t show anyone any weakness. But Sayer is tired of always being closed off, of never letting anyone get close to her. But she just doesn’t understand how anyone could be interested in someone as upright as she is. Zeb Fuller wants to get past Sayer’s defences, if only she would let him. But as much as he wants to get close to her, Zeb isn’t sure he’s the right person for someone as elegant and sophisticated as Sayer. Just when he thinks he might be making progress with Sayer, something from Zeb’s past comes back to haunt him and Sayer is the one person who can help him. Even though they’ve put their personal feelings aside while handling everything else happening in their lives, Zeb and Sayer can’t deny that there’s something so much bigger happening between them.

Even though I haven’t reviewed it, I absolutely love Jay Crownover’s MARKED MEN series. (If you’re curious, I haven’t reviewed them because I binge read the entire thing in a week and didn’t really know what to do with myself after I finished.) But the moment I finished Asa, the last book, I immediately needed more and I couldn’t wait to jump in to the SAINTS OF DENVER series. Too bad for me, that wasn’t going to be happening for another four months. But the moment my copy of Built showed up in my mailbox I dropped everything to read it ( and this is where I would like to take a moment to apologize to my family who was visiting me and who I proceeded to ignore that evening in favor of reading Built). And guys, this book. I could go on for days about my love for Built. I loved it so much it might even be my new favourite Jay Crownover book. I don’t even know how to explain why I loved this book so much or what it was about Built that got to me so much. Well that’s not entirely true. There is one particular aspect of the story that gets me every single time it pops up in a book and I guess that totally had a lot to do with my love for Built. But also Sayer and Zeb because you just can’t not love them.

I had been curious about Sayer since I first found out about her while reading Rowdy. Though that books was definitely Rowdy and Salem’s story, Sayer was pretty prominent and I just wanted to find out more about her. But then I started reading Built, and the more I read about her, the more frustrated I got with her and how she constantly kept trying to push Zeb away. Because why in the world would anyone want to push Zeb away. Like, WHY? But the more I thought about it, the more I realized that the reason I was getting so frustrated with Sayer was because I could relate to her so much and I understood why she was doing what she was doing. Once I figured that out, I loved her. And as I’ve already hinted at, I’m basically in love with Zeb. And I didn’t really expect that, to be completely honest. I mean, I love all of Jay Crownover’s boys. In fact they’re some of my favourites when it comes to boys in books. But Zeb was gruff and rough around the edges and completely unexpected in the best way possible. By the end of Built, he had completely stolen my heart. And I feel like I should say something about Hyde but I don’t want to reveal too much and risk spoiling some of the best moments in this book. But I will say this: prepare to have him completely melt your heart.

I love Jay Crownover’s stories, there’s just no way I could ever deny that. And Built? It might just be my favourite one. And if nothing else, it has got me more than excited about what’s to come in the rest of the Saints of Denver series.

He Will Be My Ruin by K.A. Tucker

Title: He Will Be My Ruin

Author: K.A. Tucker

Publisher: Atria Books

Release Date: February 2, 2016

Source: ARC from Publisher

Buy the Book: Amazon / Book Depository / Indigo

On the surface, Celine Gonzalez had everything a twenty-eight-year-old woman could want: a one-bedroom apartment on Manhattan’s Lower East Side, a job that (mostly) paid the bills, and an acceptance letter to the prestigious Hollingsworth Institute of Art, where she would finally live out her dream of becoming na antiques appraiser for a major auction house. All she had worked so hard to achieve was fairly within her reach. So why would she kill herself?

A man who was supposed to be her salvation…

Maggie Sparkes arrives in New York City to pack up what’s left of her best friend’s belongings after a suicide that has left everyone stunned. The police have deemed the evidence conclusive: Celine got into bed, downed a lethal cocktail of pills and vodka, and never woke up. But when Maggie discovers a scandalous photograph in a lock box hidden in Celine’s apartment, she begins asking questions. Questions about the man Celine fell in love with. The man she never told anyone about, not even Maggie. The man Celine would change her life.

Until he became her ruin.

On the hunt for evidence that will force the police to reopen the case, Maggie uncovers more than she bargained for about Celine’s private life—and inadvertently puts herself on the radar of a killer. A killer who will stop at nothing to keep his crimes undiscovered.

Over the last three years, K.A. Tucker has become one of my absolute auto-buy authors. I don’t need to know what the book is about, I will buy it and I will read it. And I can guarantee I will love it every time. Her latest romantic suspense, He Will Be My Ruin, was no different.

If you asked anyone, they would have told you that Celine Gonzalez had everything she wanted. But appearances can be deceiving. Everyone, the police included, believes that Celine killed herself. Everyone except for Maggie Sparkes, her best friend since childhood. Maggie believes there was something more going on with Celine. The friend she knew just wouldn’t kill herself. As she packs up Celine’s apartment, Maggie discovers a lock box containing more questions than answers. In it, she finds a picture of a man Celine was in love with, a man she knew nothing about. Maggie knows something’s not quite right about everything that happened. And the more she digs for answers about her friend’s death, the more she’s putting herself at risk.

I have read and loved all the books in both the Ten Tiny Breaths and the Burying Water series. You might even go so far as to say that K.A. Tucker is one of my all-time favourite authors (spoiler alert: she totally is). So I was definitely excited about He Will Be My Ruin. I pretty much read it the moment I got my hands on it. And I will say this: it’s definitely different from K.A. Tucker’s previous books, but it didn’t stop me from loving it just as much as the ones that came before. Here’s the thing, reading all of K.A. Tucker’s other books, I’ve gotten used to romance and lots of it, so I kept expecting that with He Will Be My Ruin even though it was romantic suspense. Though romance was definitely present in the story (hello sexy rooftop garden with a hammock scene!), it wasn’t the main focus of the story. The focus of the story would have been that whole mystery, thriller part of things. Yeah, that. And to say that He Will Be My Ruin kept me guessing would be a major understatement. I typically pride myself on being able to figure out mysteries before everything is laid out in front of me. I credit that ability to excessive watching of crime shows and police procedurals. But this time, I didn’t see it coming. Like at all. I kept thinking I had what happened to Celine figured out, but then I would be given another piece of information and things just didn’t fit anymore. I literally needed everything laid out in front of me before I finally understood it all. And that’s because there were so many layers to the mystery and it just made the story that much more engaging. So yeah, He Will Be My Ruin may not have had as much romance as I’m used to with K.A. Tucker, but it had one hell of a suspense story.

I loved reading the bulk of this story from Maggie’s perspective because it meant I was finding things out at the same time as she did. Not only that, but her connection to everything made everything that much more intense. She was desperate for answers about what happened to her best friend, and her determination to get answers really spoke to how much she cared about Celine. She just didn’t want to accept that her friend committed suicide and she was ready to do just about anything to prove it, even putting herself in danger. And put herself in danger, she definitely did. Though she didn’t realize it. And that’s because, like me, Maggie was a little confused about who she could trust. And I can’t really blame her because every time I thought I could trust either Grady or Jace, something would happen to make me doubt their trustworthiness. And then I would start trusting them again. And so it went for pretty much the whole book. I’ve said it already, but I honestly couldn’t figure out who the bad guy was supposed to be or if either one of them was even a bad guy to begin with. It drove me absolutely crazy, but in the best way possible.

K.A. Tucker completely blew me away with He Will Be My Ruin. This story had so many layers and kept me guessing until the very end. And even then, I wasn’t sure I had everything right. If you love a good romantic suspense, then you need to get your hands on this books ASAP.

Out of Frame by Megan Erickson

Title: Out of Frame (In Focus #3)

Author: Megan Erickson

Publisher: InterMix

Release Date: March 15, 2016

Source: ARC from Publisher

Buy the Book: Amazon / B&N / Indigo

Romance trades the open road for the high seas in the latest from the author of Focus on Me and Trust the Focus…

Perpetually shy, Quinn Mathers is content to remain in the shadow of his brash best friend Jess Hartman. But before their college graduation, he and Jess have planned one last hurrah: a spring break Caribbean cruise.

And it won’t be just any cruise. On board are members of the reality show Trip League, which follows young twenty-somethings on adventures around the world. Since the show’s beginning, Quinn has been fascinated by J.R. Butler, with his amazing body, warm eyes, and killer grin. Unfortunately, he’s straight--or so the world thinks.

At nineteen, J.R. signed a contract to play straight for the show, and there’s no way to get out of it now. Yet with each passing day, Quinn and J.R. find it harder to keep their hands off each other and to keep out of the camera’s frame. But when the lens finally focuses on them, J.R. must decide if he’s willing to risk his career by admitting his bisexuality, and Quinn must determine if he’s bold enough to stand in the spotlight with the man of his dreams.

If you know me, then you probably know of my love for Megan Erickson and her books. Every single one I’ve read, I’ve absolutely loved. Every time I hear about a new book from this author, my excitement levels sky-rocket. And as excited as I was about Out of Frame, I loved it even more.

Quinn has always been shy and has never been one to take chances, preferring to stay in the shadow of his best friend. That’s until they set sail on a spring break cruise featuring the members of the reality TV show Trip League. Even though he would never admit it to his best friend, Quinn is fascinated by J.R. Butler, one of the cast members. And now is his chance to find out more about him. Too bad for him, J.R. is straight. Or so everyone thinks. J.R. didn’t think it was a big deal when he signed the contract that said he had to play straight. But now he’s tired of hiding half of himself. And when Quinn catches his eye on board the ship, J.R. can’t help but want to explore the side of his sexuality he’s been hiding. With Quinn, J.R. wants see where things could go. But being with Quinn would mean risking his career, and that’s assuming Quinn is willing to stand in the spotlight for the first time in his life.  

I have yet to meet a Megan Erickson book that I haven’t loved, and her In Focus series is one of my absolute favourites. I have loved every single one I’ve read and I start flailing excitedly every time I am able to get my hands on a new one. I just can’t help myself. I mean, Trust the Focus and Focus On Me were some of my favourite books of 2015 and already Out of Frame is close to the top of my list of favourite books I’ve read this year (so far). There’s just something about those Megan Erickson romances. They get me every single time. And it was no different with Out of Frame. Even though it didn’t quite pack the emotional punch as the first two books in this series (at least for me), I still got completely caught up in this story. I would sneak in a few pages on my phone, every time I had a chance while at the same time never wanting this story to end. I wanted to keep reading about Quinn and J.R. and see what kind of trouble they were going to get up to next on the cruise ship. Despite everything that was happening around them, they were just fun to read about. And I loved seeing their relationship develop. It took them both by surprise, but it was sweet and heartwarming and just made me so freaking happy to read about. And like is often the case with Megan Erickson’s books, what made me absolutely love Out of Frame was J.R. and Quinn.

It really should go without saying that I loved J.R. and Quinn. You can’t really love this story without loving them. Quinn was just trying to be comfortable with himself and stop hiding all the time. But at the same time he was struggling with actually doing what he wanted as opposed to what was expected of him or what he thought other people thought he should do. There were so many times while I was reading that I wanted to tell him to just go for it and stop overthinking everything, but at the same time I totally understood where he was coming from because I can be the exact same way. But when he started going for it? I was all in favour of that, especially when it involved going for it with J.R. And I felt for J.R. So much. He just wanted to be himself but he fully believed he couldn’t because of the contract he was under. Seeing the pain this caused him hurt me, too. I was more than happy to see him decide to say screw it and spend time with Quinn. These two boys just needed each other, whether they realized it or not. And seeing them together just made me so freaking happy. And as always, I was more than happy to be getting glimpses of the boys from the other books. I will never tire of reading about this group of guys.

I wasn’t surprised at all when I found myself loving Megan Erickson’s Out of Frame. How could I not? One of my favourite authors writing a book in one of my favourite series. It’s a no brainer, really. If you love romance, in particular m/m romance, and haven’t read any of the books in the In Focus series, you are seriously missing out. 

Flirting with Fame by Samantha Joyce

Title: Flirting with Fame (Flirting with Fame #1)

Author: Samantha Joyce

Publisher: Pocket Star

Release Date: February 29, 2016

Source: ARC from Publisher

Buy the Book: Amazon / B&N / Indigo

Elise Jameson is the secret author behind the bestselling, cult hit Viking Moon series. But when a stranger poses as Elise, the painfully shy, deaf nineteen-year-old starts to see how much she’s missing. Can she really hide in the shadows forever? This clever, coming-of-age debut is for anyone who has ever felt unsure in her own skin.

After a freak childhood accident leaves her deaf and physically scarred, nineteen-year-old Elise Jameson retreats into a world of vibrant characters she creates on her laptop. She is shocked when her coping mechanism turns into a career as a phenomenal bestselling novelist. Fans are obsessed with Elise’s Viking Moon series and its author--a striking girl with zero resemblance to Elise who appears on the back covers. Elise sent the randomly Googled photo to her editor following a minor panic attack. Now, horrified to learn she is expected on set of the television pilot based on her novels, Elise tracks down her anonymous stand-in. To Elise’s surprise, Veronica Wilde has been taking credit for Viking Moon for years. She eagerly agrees to keep up the charade if Elise will pose as her assistant.

It’s hard for Elise to watch a stranger take credit for her work and get all the perks she desires, including admiration from the show’s heartthrob star. Edged onto the sidelines of her own life, Elise reconsiders her choice to stay anonymous. Is she ready to come to terms with her true identity--and with the long-buried secrets that could cost her her career, her fans, and the few precious friendships she’s made?

I love randomly discovering books. It’s not exactly something that happens to me a lot anymore considering how plugged in to the book world I am. So I was really excited when I happened upon Samantha Joyce’s Flirting With Fame and I’m even more excited to say that I loved reading this story.

To the outside world, Elise Jameson is just the shy, deaf girl who has never really felt comfortable in her own skin. But what the outside world doesn’t know is that Elise is also Aubrey Lynch, author of the successful Viking Moon series. Even with three bestsellers under her belt, Elise has stayed out of the public eye. It’s not hard to do when you’ve given your editor the picture of a complete stranger to be put in the book as your author picture. But now that her books are being made into a TV show and that TV show is being filmed in her hometown, Elise is having a full-blown panic attack. The solution she comes to? Finding the girl in the picture she used all those years ago. Lucky for Elise, Veronica Wilde is more than happy to pretend to be her on the TV set. It doesn’t hurt that Veronica has been taking the credit for the books all along. Now Elise is playing assistant to the girl pretending to be her. And it would be great if not for the fact that she’s finally ready to come clean about who she really is. But how can she do that without destroying the few meaningful relationships she has in her life?

Not going to lie. I honestly hadn’t heard of Samantha Joyce’s Flirting With Fame until I came across the book on NetGalley. It kind of feels like that’s been a bit of a theme for books with me lately. But it’s worked out pretty well so far. Anyways. When I first read the description for Flirting With Fame, I was intrigued by the story—the idea that someone would pay someone else to be them because they were afraid to tell the truth about using a fake picture. Plus, I’m a sucker for any kind of story that goes behind the scenes of the TV or movie world. I just can’t seem to get enough of them. So really, Flirting With Fame pretty much had everything I look for in a story. And it was a fun story, but also one that went a little deeper than I initially thought it was going to go. I loved the way the story dealt with Elise’s insecurities, how it tacked the fact that the main character is deaf (which is definitely linked to her insecurities). And the romance was absolutely adorable, and even unexpected in some ways. It was just the kind of story that puts a smile on my face while I read it.

As much as I loved Elise while I was reading, there were so many times when I wanted to smack some sense into the girl. But at the same time I could understand a lot of her insecurities. If I was her, I would definitely be afraid of coming clean after so many years of hiding and basically lying about who I was to the public. And things pretty much spiralled from there. It was like she just couldn’t get herself out of the cycle of lying she found herself in. At the end of the day, all I really wanted for Elise was to be happy with herself and who she was and her life. And if that life happened to include Gavin, then that was just a total bonus. Honestly? Gavin took me by surprise. Even though I had read the synopsis it didn’t really occur to me that he would be Elise’s love interest until it was happening right in front of me. At first I kinda thought that it was going to be about Elise and Clint but in hindsight, I was totally off the mark with that one. Elise and Gavin made much more sense. Which brings me back to Gavin himself. I kind of expected him to be a bit of a jerk or at least come across that way since that seems to e the stereotype when it comes to actors in books. But Gavin was just a genuinely good guy and the more I found out about him, the more I liked him. And he and Elise together were just perfect. They were perfect for each other and I just wanted them to be happy together.

Samantha Joyce’s Flirting With Fame was a fun story that took me completely by surprise. I love discovering new books and this is one that I am happy to have discovered. And I will most definitely be checking out Samantha Joyce’s future books.