"Storm Glass" by Maria V. Snyder [4]

As a glassmaker and a magician-in-training, Opal Cowan understands trials by fire.

Now it's time to test her mettle. Someone has sabotaged the Stormdancer clan's glass orbs,

killing their most powerful magicians. The Stormdancers - particularly the mysterious and mercurial Kade - require Opal's unique talents to prevent it happening again. But when the mission goes awry, Opal must tap into a new kind of magic as stunningly potent as it is frightening. And the further she delves into the intrigue behind the glass and magic, the more distorted things appear. With lives hanging in the balance - including her own - Opal must control powers she hasn't known she possessed...powers that might lead to disaster beyond anything she's ever known.

This book is a spin off from the 'Poison Study' series.

While I enjoyed reading this book, I did find that I seemed to be reading the same type of story again, so I did find it a little monotonous. The main characters are new but we were introduced to Opal from the last series. Her character seems to be a tortured soul in the sense she feels responsible for the death of her sister and she doesn't feel she deserves to be at the magic school.

Opal soon discovers that she has more magical abilities than she realizes and her life is in danger because of it.

Well written...full of adventure... lots of magic...and a little romance thrown in.

A good teen read, especially if you enjoyed the first series.

I rate this book 4 stars.

"Bed of Roses" by Nora Roberts [5]

Since she was a little girl, Emmaline Grant has always loved romance. So it's really no surprise that she has found her calling as a wedding florist, working with her childhood friends Mackensie, Parker and Laurel. She couldn't ask for a better job.

And on the surface, Emma's love life seems to be thriving. Slim and sultry, she brings colour into every room she enters, just like the arrangements she creates. But while men swarm around her, she still hasn't found Mr Right - and the last place she's looking is under her nose.

But that's just where Jack Cooke is. he's been best friends with Parker's brother for years, which makes him practically family. Now the architect has begun to admit to himself that his feelings for Emma have developed into much more than friendship, and when Emma returns his passion - kiss for blistering kiss - things start to get complicated.

Second book in the Bride Quartet series....

I am absolutely loving this series and it totally sucks that I have to wait between books...

Emma is the romantic out of the four girls and she has always dreamed of meeting and falling in love with a man just like her mother did with her father.

Emma and Jack have known each other for quite a few years and it's always been a brother/sister type relationship....

that is until Jack kisses her, and everything changes...

While Emma yearns for the life-long love affair, Jack has never been one for commitment!

Will these two trust one another enough to find common ground?

Each of these girls has a beautifully told story about how they find their true love and happiness.

These books are just wonderful...

I love the friendship between each of the girls...

I love the way that they protect each other...

treasure they're unique gifts and talents they bring into their business.

The men in these books are handsome and hard working and willing to cherish the women they fall in love with...

Turning into my favourite series very quickly...

Definitely 5 stars.

Books in Series.

1. Vision in White

2. Bed of Roses.

3. Savour the Moment. [out May 2010]

4.

Fragile Eternity by Melissa Marr (41/2)

“Seth never expected he would want to settle down with anyone—but that was before Aislinn. She is everything he'd ever dreamed of, and he wants to be with her forever. Forever takes on new meaning, though, when your girlfriend is an immortal faery queen.

Aislinn never expected to rule the very creatures who'd always terrified her—but that was before Keenan. He stole her mortality to make her a monarch, and now she faces challenges and enticements beyond any she'd ever imagined.

In Melissa Marr's third mesmerizing tale of Faerie, Seth and Aislinn struggle to stay true to themselves and each other in a milieu of shadowy rules and shifting allegiances, where old friends become new enemies and one wrong move could plunge the Earth into chaos.”

The third book in the series and it has to be one of my favourites !!!!!!!! ......... Melissa definitely has to write a fourth book ...... Please ........ You cannot keep us hanging to find out what happens next !!!!!!

The story line continues with Keenan, Aislinn and Seth the love Triangle ........ Now that Aislinn is Faerie and no longer mortal will her relationship with Seth still continue ...... Or will her strong pull toward her King Keenan draw her into his arms ......... Seth has made some powerful allies in the faeirie kingdom considering he is mortal but will it be enough to hold onto Aislinn ......

Love it ...... New characters being introduced and your old faithful characters that you will love ... This is such an easy book to read my only complaint is that it ended and I wanted more !!!! :( .....

A great book on relationships and trying to juggle them to make everyone happy ....... If you love your fantasy and Faeries you will eat this book up !!!!!!!

I rate this book 41/2 ****

Books in order of series

Wicked Lovely

Ink Exchange

Fragile Eternity

P.S Did I mention that I love the covers to this series ......... I would buy them just on that alone :) ...

Ink Exchange by Melissa Marr (4)

"Unbeknownst to mortals, a power struggle is unfolding in a world of shadows and danger. After centuries of stability, the balance between the Faerie Courts has altered, and Irial, ruler of the Dark Court, is battling to hold his rebellious and newly-vulnerable fey together. If he fails, bloodshed and brutality will follow.

17-year-old Leslie knows nothing of faeries or their intrigues. When she is attracted to an eerily beautiful tattoo of eyes and wings, all she knows is that she has to have it, convinced it is a tangible symbol of changes she desperately craves for her own life.

The tattoo does bring changes—not the kind that Leslie had dreamed of, but sinister, compelling changes that are more than symbolic. Those changes will bind Leslie and Irial together, drawing Leslie deeper and deeper into the faerie world, unable to resist its allures, and helpless to withstand its perils.

Melissa Marr continues her tales of Faerie in a dark, ravishing story of temptation and consequences, and of heroism when least expected. "

Even though this is the second book in the series it follows the story of Leslie a moral who finds herself strangely drawn to Irial one of the Faerie Kings ..... I would advise to read this book 2nd as it does continue the story with Aislinn and Keenan but only in tiny snippets ....

Melissa has a great way of writing the male characters especially when one minute you really love them and then the next you dislike them .... It is a love/hate relationship .... Brilliant ......

Leslie the main character is getting drawn into a world that no one else can see ...... Those closest to her try to protect her but will not telling her about the other world do her more harm than good? ........

There is abit more violence and graphic descriptions in this book than in the first but you are talking about the Dark Faerie King here not a nice grant your wishes faerie .......

I felt it wasn't as good as the first book but still a really good read .....

I rate this book 4 ****

Books in the series in order

Wicked Lovely

Ink Exchange

Fragile Eternity

Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr (41/2)

Rule #3: Don’t stare at invisible faeries. Aiislinn has always seen faeries. Powerful and dangerous, they walk hidden in the mortal world. Aislinn fears their cruelty—especially if they learn of her Sight—and wishes she were as blind to their presence as other teens.

Rule #2: Don’t speak to invisible faeries. Now faeries are stalking her. One of them, Keenan, who is equal parts terrifying and alluring, is trying to talk to her, asking questions Aislinn is afraid to answer.

Rule #1: Don’t ever attract their attention. But it’s too late. Keenan is the Summer King who has sought his queen for nine centuries. Without her, summer itself will perish. He is determined that Aislinn will become the Summer Queen at any cost—regardless of her plans or desires.

Suddenly none of the rules that have kept Aislinn safe are working anymore, and everything is on the line: her freedom; her best friend, Seth; her life; everything. Faery intrigue, mortal love, and the clash of ancient rules and modern expectations swirl together in this 21st century faery tale.

The first installment of a new series and I loved it ........ Rumours are that it is getting made into a movie as well which is exciting ......

Well seems to be the fad at the moment with the number of Faery books that are floating around at the moment .... And I have to say that this one would be right up there ... I love the characters and especially love Keenan ..... He is one of those characters that you love one moment and dislike the next ........

The story is great with Aislinn suddenly finding herself with some unwanted Royal Faery attention !!!!!!! ......... Will she be able to stay mortal to stay with Seth or will the devilishly handsome Keenan win her over !!!!!!!!!

This book has abit of everything in it with fighting, Fantasy and Romance ....... Looking forward to reading the rest of the series ......

I rate this book 41/2 ****

Books in the series

Wicked Lovely

Ink Exchange

Fragile Eternity

WINNER

The winner of the new Sophie Kinsella book is.......

Elisa Hutchings.

She wrote:

"The Twilight series by Stephanie Meyer is so awesome. You have leading men that can both take your breath away...who could choose?"

Congralutions Elisa. Please email us at exclusivelybooks@hotmail.com and provide us with your mailing address so that we can post the book out to you.

Thank you all for participating. Keep dropping pass, there are ALWAYS new books being reviewed and you never know when we'll run another competition.

Happy Reading

"The Five Greatest Warriors" by Matthew Reilly [5]

Jack West Jr and his loyal team are in desperate disarray: they've been separated, their mission is in tatters, and Jack was last seen plummeting down a fathomless abyss.

IT FINISHES HERE.

After surviving his deadly fall, Jack must now race against his many enemies to locate

and set in place the remaining pieces of The Machine before the coming Armageddon.

WHO ARE THE FIVE WARRIORS?

As the world teeters on the brink of destruction, Jack will learn of the Five Warriors,

the individuals who throughout history have been most intimately connected to his quest.

OCEANS WILL RISE, CITIES WILL FALL.

Scores will be settled, fathers will fight sons, brothers will battle brothers, and Jack and his

friends will soon find out exactly what the end of the world looks like...

If our rating system would go any higher I would give this 10 stars...

For those of you that like action, adventure and a little science fiction in your novels then this series by Matthew Reilly is a must read. From the moment you open to the first page you will not be able to put it down until you have finished the whole novel...

These are not short stories either... each book is around 450 pages.

These are not girly books, so some of you might not enjoy them, but before you dismiss them too quickly I'd give the first in the series a go!

I don't want to give the story line away to much, but it's about saving the human race from the brink of destruction using ancient devices, hieroglyphics, and brute force...

This book is the third in the series with the character of Jack west Jr.

Fantastic read and totally recommend...

I rate this book 5 stars.

In the series...

1. Seven Ancient Wonders.

2. Six Sacred Stones.

3. The Five Greatest warriors.

"A Touch of Dead" by Charlaine Harris [4]

Sookie Stackhouse is everybody's favourite cocktail waitress:

a cute, bubbly blonde... who can read minds. But Sookie's far from being the only person

in Bon Temps, Louisiana with a handicap, what with the local vampire population demanding

their unhuman rights and weres fighting for territory...

In fact, Bon Temps is a pretty lively place these days!

A Touch of dead collects together all the Sookie Stackhouse short stories in one volume.

Absolutely love the Sookie series and thought this was the next in the series...

so I was a little disappointed to find out that it wasn't.

This novel ties up some loose ends if you like... it is a series of short stories that

interweave themselves between some of the original books.

Most of the characters are people you already know and I guess the author felt like that

some of the stories needed more detail to them. Clever idea!

In all there are five short stories.

Well written, and short enough that you could easily finish this novel in a sitting.

Really looking forward to the next book in the series.

For all the Sookie fans you'll enjoy this one...

I rate this book 4 stars.

"The Silver Blade" by Sally Gardner [4 1/2]

The blade of the guillotine falls on the neck of the King himself, and the spirit of the French Revolution lies in tatters. The reign of Terror has begun.

Yann Margoza, the mysterious young man known as the magician, is helping desperate people to escape to England, where Sido, the girl he loves, waits to hear from him.

But Yann's past haunts him. He is in grave danger, and so is Sido. For under the streets of Paris, in the catacombs, the howl of a great beast can be heard. And a boy with angelic looks and an evil heart is ready to do the bidding of a man who has made a pact with the devil.

An enjoyable second novel.

When we left Yann at the end of the first novel he had rescued Sido and taken her to England to live with her aunt and Uncle. Yann decides to return to Paris to help evacuate those that are innocently being sent to the guillotine. Things don't go as smoothly as they hope and soon Yann and his friends lives are in risk.

Sally Gardner did a good job finishing the story off from the first novel.

Just like her first it is full of murder, magic, secrets and passion and you are swept away into a time of utter terror, where just a wrong look at your neighbour could send you to the guillotine.

Wonderfully written and easily read you will be totally lost inside the story.

Well worth a read.

I rate this book 4 1/2 stars.

GIVEAWAY - it's our first (competition now closed)

Over here at Exclusively Books we love a freebie just as much as anyone.

And for no other reason than just because, we thought we would run our very first giveaway.

We are giving away 1 copy of Sophie Kinsella's new book, Twenties Girl.

It's our bookclub read for November so join us.

To enter, leave a comment and let us know what your favourite chick lit book or author is. Or if you don't like chick lit just leave a nice comment saying so.

One entry per person and the competition closes 9pm central daylight savings time on Sunday, 25th November 2009.

We'll announce the winner on Monday.

Good luck and happy reading.

"The Red necklace" by Sally Gardner [5]

Paris 1789

While the aristocracy dine, dance, gossip, and

gamble their way to disaster, the poor and starving

dream of revolution.

Enter the boy Yann Margoza, destined to be a hero;

Tetu the dwarf, his friend and mentor;

Sido, unloved daughter of the foolish Marquis de Villeduval;

and the sinister Count Kalliovski, who holds

half the aristocracy in thrall to him.

The drama moves from Paris to London and back,

as the Revolution gathers momentum, and the hope of liberty

and the dream of equality are crushed

beneath the wheel of terror.

This is a story that has everything, murder, mystery, passion and even a little magic.

Beautifully written... you will breeze through this novel before you even realize that you have finished.

From the very start to the finish you are transported into the terrifying world of the French Revolution...

Her characters are people that you identify with straight away...

You eagerly encourage Yann to fulfill his destiny...

Your heart breaks for Sido, all she wants is to be loved by her cruel father...

You cringe when the evil Count Kalliovski comes calling at Sido's home to make her father an offer...

Laugh at the antics of Tetu and his friends...

This book leaves you wanting more...literally...

Her story continues with "The Sliver Blade"

For me it is a must read, totally captivating.

I rate this book 5 stars.

"Blackthorn's Betrayal' by Elizabeth Pulford [4]

Blackthorn's greatest desire -

to become a Trahern warrior -

is dangling within her reach.

Blackthorn must embark on a treacherous mission,

travelling deep into enemy territory, to infiltrate the Doane camp.

But the stakes are higher than she could ever imagine.

As the mission takes a sinister twist, her instincts are put to the ultimate test.

Second book in this young teen series.

It has been a few years since Blackthorn has gone to live in the forest

and she has learnt a great deal. Still her one wish, to be recognized as a Trahern warrior

is still not fulfilled. When a man named Esil comes with a certain mission for her, she feels it is the only way she can show that she is worthy of being a Trahern warrior.

Blackthorn still has much to learn and this mission will teach her that.

Another fast-paced adventure that the younger readers will enjoy.

Elizabeth Pulford writes with poetic flare... the story comes to life as you emerge yourself into it.

Plenty of action as well as lessons to be learn.

Great read.

I rated this book 4 stars.

In this series

1. Blackthorn

2. Blackthorn's Betrayal

"Blackthorn" by Elizabeth Pulford [4]

Following the death of her father,

a great Trahern warrior, Alyana is determined

to stay true to her heart and follow in his footsteps.

She flees the confines of her Uncle's

family to make a life for herself in

her beloved forest.

There, she becomes Blackthorn,

the warrior.

But life in the forest is tough

- it's a struggle just to survive.

What a great adventure novel for the young teens. This is a series of novels by this author.

With just over 200 pages I got through this book in a couple of hours, so it isn't too taxing for the kids to read.

As a young girl Alyana has always dreamed of being a warrior just like her father.

With his death she makes the decision to finally achieve this dream.

What she doesn't seem to count on is all the pitfall's that this brings.

For every young boy or girl who has dreamed of being a warrior this series is for them.

It is full of adventure ...

You have to believe in yourself...

and dare to dream...

I rate this book 4 stars.