Amber Skyze

Our Review, by LITERAL ADDICTION's Guest Reviewer - Michelle M:
*eARC received from the author via BTS

When Chelle from LITERAL ADDICTION asked me to read The Strix for their 10/12 Promo Event I eagerly agreed. Upon starting the book, however, I was a little confused. I didn't stay that way for too long though.

Once the book got to present day and Arcona was fully introduced, things started coming together.

Arcona goes back to Salem to spend the day with her college friends. After lunch, they go to a Wiccan store where they all dip their hands into a sack and pick out a stone. Arcona picked out red amber. This was where things started happening. She has this weird feeling and ends up back at the shop. After she leaves the store she goes into what she "thinks" is a gentlemen's club. That is where the adventure really begins.

You go on a wild ride from the past Arcona to the present day Arcona, where she has been reincarnated without memory of the past. She does end up remembering though, so that she can 'clean' everything from her past life.

There have been many times were I haven't connected with characters in a book. I feel like I did with a few of these though. Tyr is one that has a great story and comes a long way during the course of the story. At the end you will end up saying "oh I am so glad that happened!"

LITERAL ADDICTION's Guest Reviewer gives The Strix (Bag of Tricks) 3 1/2 Skulls.… (mehr)

For full review including excerpt and dialogue highlight, please visit Reader's Edyn at:
http://bit.ly/LxGzUX

Review:

Holy crap I loved this book! I am still considered a spring chicken in some circles, so you would think I wouldn’t care so much about older women in stories. And I didn’t get the impression that Reese was all that old. But … she has been divorced and single for a while. She secretly fantasizes about the pool boy, Nathan, and has for quite some time. He has worked for her for a few years and the fantasies get more delicious. But Reese is about 10 years older than Nathan and has completely stricken him from her list of possibilities, thinking that he would never be interested in her. Back to stories about older women. Who says there can’t be life after a divorce and that magical guy can’t still appear?

I can appreciate Reese’s feelings because she see’s herself as unavailable to this hot, younger guy. Honestly, I would probably feel the same way if I were in her position; especially if my ex had left me for a child twenty years my junior. So I applaud Ms. Skyze for creating a realistic character with valid concerns and feelings. But, I hate the second-guessing of self and the feelings of inadequacy due to age. Which is why I loved this story so much. Although Reese struggles with these very things, she does eventually open her eyes and say bedamned to everyone else. Except it might be too late by then.

And Nathan … well … Nathan is just about perfect. He adores Reese and has been secretly fantasizing about her for just as long as she has him. But … Nathan is in a similar predicament. He too thinks that Reese would not only have nothing to do with a younger guy, but a pool boy at that. Okay … a bit more than a pool boy, but again, misconception of self. ARGH! The saving grace is that Nathan has a bit more confidence in himself. So, you guessed it, it is pretty much left up to him to make Reese see that they can have a future together if they can get past worrying about what others think. And there may be one more slight issue … Nathan has preferences for a few components to occur in bed and Reese may not warm up to the idea. But he won’t know without giving it a try …

Their first “encounter” together is almost dream-like in the way it all happens with reality crashing in immediately after. I immediately fell in love with Nathan because of his reaction to Reese realizing what had just happened. And my absolute favorite scene is in the “dialogue highlight”. Nathan gets a chance to save face for Reese and wastes no time pouncing on the opportunity. Score! Loved him even more after that!

Reese’s best friend was my only problem with the story … at first. Her name is my own and it was hard to read in the beginning. But it didn’t take me long to become engrossed in the main characters, suddenly ending my issue with the character sharing my name. Kendra’s support toward Reese was fantastic and exactly how a best friend should act. As a supporting character, she was very likeable.

I thoroughly enjoyed my time spent with Ms. Skyze and her characters and look forward to reading more from her. This story is fast, fun, flirty, and entertaining! The characters are both endearing and believable. The reader is likely to fly through this story in no time flat, passing a bit of time in a pleasurable way. And let’s not forget the hot sex scenes. Reese and Nathan are a steamy match. This story is guaranteed to satisfy.

(EBook copy provided by author for review.)… (mehr)