Book Spotlight: The Lost & Found Series by J.L. Berg

Book 1: Forgetting August (Forever, April 2016)

Some days, Everly still thinks she sees him. In the food court at the mall, or in a car speeding past as the light changes. It only lasts a second, but when it happens, she slips back to a time when she was ruled-and nearly ruined-by August Kincaid. And it doesn't matter that she's moved on, that she's about to marry another man. In those moments the only thing she can do to regain control is take a deep breath and remind herself that August can't hurt her-because he's in a coma. Except that he's not anymore.

August is awake. With no memories, he sets out to solve the mystery of his lost life. He unearths a photograph of a beautiful redhead named Everly and knows instinctively that she's the key. But when he finds her, the August she describes is more monster than man. 

Tortured by the thought of having hurt her, August wants only to become the man Everly deserves. As the new August emerges, Everly glimpses the person she first fell in love with. But can she trust that this August is real? When the final secret of their shared past is revealed, one of them will make a choice that changes their future forever . . .

Book 2: Remembering Everly (Forever, April 2016)


After two years in a coma, August Kinkaid has forgotten the darkness in his past. But his past hasn't forgotten him. His beautiful former fiancée, Everly, remembers every tumultuous moment of their stormy relationship. The sizzling passion. The web of lies. And the terrible secret Everly's been hiding since her last fateful night with August.

Now the truth is out and August remembers everything. As his long-buried memories come flooding back, he begins to understand why Everly would want to move on with her life. Why she would give her heart to another man. And why August should try to forget her once and for all.

But he can't give up on the only woman he's ever loved. Even if he has to reopen old wounds--and face the darkest demons of his past--August will do whatever it takes for a second chance with Everly. He let her slip away once. He's not about to spend the rest of his life remembering Everly when he could be holding her in his arms forever . . .

Purchase Links

Amazon (Kindle) B&N Nook Kobo iBooks Google Play

About the author: 

Author J.L. Berg is a California native living in the South. She is the author of the self-pubbed Ready series. When she's not writing, you can find her with her nose stuck in a romance book, in a yoga studio, or devouring anything chocolate.

Website Goodreads Author Page Amazon Author Page Facebook Twitter

The Prey by Thomas Isbell

by:  Thomas Isbell
published by:  HarperTeen
publish date:  January 20, 2016

After the Omega (the end of the end), 16 year old guys known as LTs discover their overseers are raising them not to be soldiers (lieutenants) as promised, but to be sold as bait because of their Less Than status and hunted for sport. They escape and join forces with a girls’ camp, the Sisters, who have been imprisoned and experimented on for the "good of the Republic," by a government eager to use twins in their dark research. In their plight for freedom, these heroes must find the best in themselves to fight against the worst in their enemies.

I've had this book on my To Read list for quite awhile.  It finally hit my library's audiobooks and I went ahead and snapped it up.  So, of course, this is the start to a trilogy.  It's YA, of course it is...will this trend EVER STOP??  Anyway...

So, there's been some kind of "event", nuclear in nature, because many of the kids have birth defects.  They are forced to live in camps.  The camps are ranked based on the abilities of the kids.  The kids that are living in Camps Freedom/Liberty are being used for bait and medical experiments.  These are the kids that have birth defects, the orphans, the children of political dissidents, and twins.   Eventually, they figure out what their fate is and decide to escape.   However, their escape is far more difficult than expected in a post-apocalyptic landscape.  

I ended up quite liking this book.  I really enjoyed the characters.  I also really liked the fact that even though there was chemistry between the two main characters, and you knew they would end up together eventually, there was no insta-love.  While, there was a bit of jealousy between two boys, it wasn't really a love triangle either.  It was kinda like normal teenage stuff.    

I would recommend this one for the post-apocalyptic fans and the action/adventure readers.  

The Obsession by Nora Roberts

Author: Nora Roberts
Publisher: Berkeley
Date of publication: April 2016

Naomi Bowes lost her innocence the night she followed her father into the woods. In freeing the girl trapped in the root cellar, Naomi revealed the horrible extent of her father’s crimes and made him infamous.

Now a successful photographer living under the name Naomi Carson, she has found a place that calls to her, thousands of miles away from everything she’s ever known. Naomi wants to embrace the solitude, but the residents of Sunrise Cove keep forcing her to open up—especially the determined Xander Keaton.

Naomi can feel her defenses failing, and knows that the connection her new life offers is something she’s always secretly craved. But as she’s learned time and again, her past is never more than a nightmare away.

After loving last couple of stand-alones by this author, I was looking forward to The Obsession.  For the most part, I enjoyed it.  It involves Naomi who years before discovered her father was a serial killer and saved a life in the process.  She misdoes to the small town of Sunset Cove and buys a house.  There she meets Xander who makes her want to settle down maybe.  Soon local murders are discovered to be tied to her past.

While I didn't love this one as much as I wanted to, I still enjoyed it.  The biggest problem for me was that I felt like the book wasn't sure what it wanted to be. Normally, Ms. Roberts books have a great balance of romance and suspense, but not in this one.  It felt unbalanced.  There was too much background that could have been done in flash backs or could have been summed up in a couple of paragraphs.  For me, it took away from the amount of suspense that could have been built up for the mystery.  In that regard, it was kind of lacking and the ending was pretty rushed.  I also figured out the killer early on.


What I did like was the romance part.  I love Xander.  He now has a place on my book boyfriend list.  Who doesn't love a hot alpha who loves to read?  His library probably rivals mine.  That alone would make me fall for him.  I like how he pushed through Naomi's defenses and made her realize she should stick and not run as usual.

I think fans of this author will enjoy this one, so I do recommend picking it up.  I look forward to her next one.

Blog Tour: Welcome Home Cowboy by Annie Rains

Author:Annie Rains
Publisher: Loveswept (Random House)
Date of publication: April 2016

With its thriving military base, Seaside, North Carolina, is teeming with heroes of all stripes. But, as the Hero’s Welcome series from Annie Rains continues, it takes a cowboy to rescue the town’s newest resident from heartache.

After a bad breakup leaves Julie Chandler completely devastated, she comes to Seaside seeking a fresh start. A talented, compassionate yoga teacher, she has developed a program to help alleviate the effects of PTSD, but getting a bunch of bullheaded Marines into downward facing dog might be impossible. So Julie’s shocked when one of her first students dives in headfirst—and almost tempts her to take down her walls with his easy smile and electrifying touch.

Ever since Texas cowboy turned Marine pilot Lawson Phillips lost a crew member in a helicopter accident, he hasn’t been able to fly. When a psychologist orders him to attend, of all things, a yoga class, Lawson’s outraged—until he finds out Julie is the instructor. She’s beautiful, graceful, and completely guarded when it comes to his advances, but he’s determined to find out what makes her tick. Because underneath Julie’s hard shell is a woman Lawson knows he could fall for—and he’s not ready for the ride to end.

Welcome Home, Cowboy is the second book in the Hero's Welcome series.  I enjoyed the first one and I can honestly say I liked this one even more.  This is Julie and Lawson's story.  Julie is Kat's sister from the first book.  She has returned home after ending an abusive relationship and is trying to focus on finding a job and new life.  Lawson is fighting his PTSD that prevents him from getting back into a helicopter after a devastating accident during the war.  

I really loved this couple together.  I liked how they started out as friends and it slowly built into love. Both of them were struggling, but gave each other the strength to go after what they wanted.  I wanted to drop kick Lawson at one point because he was so blind, but he redeemed himself nicely!

I have never been a fan of yoga the couple of times I tried it, but after reading this book, I am wondering if I should give it another try.  Maybe it will eventually help me with stress reduction.  Just like Lawson, I can have my mind changed.  

This was a great addition to the series. I look forward to Val and Griffin's story coming up later in the summer!

Excerpt

“Come ride with me anytime,” he said, helping her dismount from the horse when they were back at the barn. He didn’t place his hands on her ass this time, which was both regrettable and a relief. Instead, he steadied her waist with his hands. She turned to face him after he helped her to the ground, and was surprised to find how close they were standing. Close enough that the brim of his hat on her head nearly touched his chin.

“This belongs to you.” She took off the hat and went up on her tiptoes to put it back where it belonged. Their eyes locked as the movement brought them even closer together. Her heart bucked again, like a wild horse ready to bolt.

Returning to flat feet, she started to step away. Needed to step away. Too bad Bon-Bon was still behind her, blocking her escape.

“Julie?” he said, making her feet pause and her heart stutter. She liked the sound of her name on his lips. Low, deep.
​
“Yes?” she asked breathlessly.

He reached out his hand to tame a strand of her hair brushing against her cheek. “You have what I call hat-hair.” He took his time smoothing the hair around her ear, awakening every nerve in her body. Then he slowly dipped, keeping his blue-as-the-ocean eyes on hers, and kissed her.

She melted into him instead of stepping away. The side of his cheek on hers was warm and inviting, intoxicating. His tongue tapped softly against hers, just once, as he swept his hand behind her neck, pulling her gently toward him.

A soft moan escaped her throat, betraying her. She parted her lips for him, inviting him in, begging him to stay, which he did for just a moment longer. Then he broke it off, keeping it sweet. The kiss had threatened to be more, though. It had threatened to take her inside that barn, lay her down on a blanket of hay, and be a whole hell of a lot more.

“See you later, Lawson,” she said, forcing herself to step away from him, away from the horse and the barn. She turned toward her car and didn’t look back. Otherwise, her hormones were going to win and drag this cowboy into the barn and slam the stall doors behind them.

“See you later, Julie,” he called after her.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Author Info

Annie Rains is a contemporary romance author who writes small town love stories set in fictional towns on the coast of North Carolina. Raised in one of America’s largest military communities, Annie often features heroes who fight for their countries, while also fighting for a place to call home and a good woman to love. When Annie isn’t writing, she’s spending time with her husband and 3 children, or reading a book by one of her favorite authors.

Author Links:  Website | FB | Twitter | GR

Link to Follow Tour:  http://www.tastybooktours.com/2015/11/welcome-to-forever-heros-welcome-1-by.html

Goodreads

Buy Links:   Amazon | B & N | iTunes | Kobo

Throwback Thursday: Black Mass:The True Story of an Unholy Alliance Between the FBI and the Irish Mob by Dick Lehr and Gerard O'Neill

Authors: Dick Lehr and Gerard O'Neill
First published in 2000 by Harper Perennial

John Connolly and James "Whitey" Bulger grew up together on the streets of South Boston. Decades later, in the mid-1970s, they would meet again. By then, Connolly was a major figure in the FBI's Boston office and Whitey had become godfather of the Irish Mob. What happened next -- a dirty deal to bring down the Italian mob in exchange for protection for Bulger -- would spiral out of control, leading to murders, drug dealing, racketeering indictments and, ultimately, the biggest informant scandal in the history of the FBI.Compellingly told by two Boston Globe reporters who were on the case from the beginning, Black Mass is at once a riveting crime story, a cautionary tale about the abuse of power, and a penetrating look at Boston and its Irish population.

With the release of the movie Black Mass late last year, I thought I would give this book a try.  I have watched and read a lot of things about Whitey Bulger in the past.  Living in Massachusetts, one cannot avoid the hearing the name of the infamous gangster.  But, I had never really followed how the FBI was involved in this whole shebang.

Black Mass is the telling of how a corrupt FBI agent who actually grew up with Whitey, gave him carte blanche to the criminal world in return for being an "Informant".  I use the term loosely, because I'm not convinced much of what Whitey gave the FBI as information actually did any good.  I am amazed and equally disgusted at how much Bulger and his fellow mobster, Stephen Flemy got away with.  People died because the FBI failed to inform them they were being targeted.  The corruption within the Boston branch of the federal agency is astounding.

I do recommend reading this one. While it is slow in parts, I felt like the writers gave us a through accounting of what happened.  The audio version that I listened to has an updated epilogue and notes from the authors that tells of Whitey's capture and subsequent conviction.

Blog Tour: The Summer of Me by Angela Benson

Author: Angela Benson

Publisher: William Morrow

Date of publication: April 2016

The national bestselling author of Delilah’s Daughters and The Amen Sisters returns with a moving story about a single mother who, in one unforgettable summer, discovers the woman she can become.

As a single mother, Destiny makes sacrifices for her children—including saying good-bye for the summer so they can spend time with their father and stepmother. Though she’ll miss them with all her heart, the time alone gives her an opportunity to address her own needs, like finishing her college degree. But Destiny’s friends think her summer should include some romance.

Destiny doesn’t want to be set up . . . until she meets Daniel. The handsome, warm, and charming pastor soon sweeps her off her feet. But is romance what she really wants? Or needs?

As the days pass, Destiny will make new discoveries—about herself, the man she’s fallen for, and the people around her. And she’ll face challenging choices too. But most of all, she’ll grow in ways she never imagined, learning unexpected lessons about trust, forgiveness, and the price of motherhood . . . and becoming the woman she truly wants to be.

I was really looking forward to The Summer of Me.  I grew up with a single mom and I know she didn't have it easy.  In the end, the book was just an OK read for me.  I had a hard time connecting with Destiny.  I find when I can't connect, I have a hard time buying into the story. It's a quick read, so I kept reading hoping I would like it more, but I just never really did.

There were a few things that bothered me about the book.  This may get a bit spoilery, so skip it if you aren't a fan of spoilers...

First, when there are kids in a story, I like them to act their age.  What six-year old has a phone and Facebook page? You aren't allowed to even have a Facebook page until you are 13. Unless your parents lie about your age. The conversations the kids had in the book made them seem more like teenagers than in going first graders.  My kids are not far from having been in first grade and they never sounded or acted like these two.

The other thing that bothered me was Destiny herself.  I couldn't get behind her choices. While it was admirable that she wanted to return to college, she went about it the wrong way.  She had an affair with a man who was a total jerk and got pregnant.  She didn't take him to court to get child support and custody agreement. Then gets upset when he doesn't want to send her his payments while they are living with him for the entire summer.  He shouldn't have to in my opinion. Also, she probably would have gotten more child support had she gone to court in the first place. Her second job idea was clearly very sketchy and probably illegal from the start.  Yet, she is surprised when she is arrested for money laundering and identity theft. After Bertrice said to her, "We aren't doing anything illegal, well not really.", she shouldn't have been surprised. The whole thing wrapped up too neatly and unrealistically for me.  Don't get me started on Daniel who let it all play out, helping to potentially ruin this woman's life.

I could go on.  The book does have some nice uplifting messages, and it is a clean romance, so there is that. Maybe this just wasn't the story for me.

About Angela Benson

Angela Benson is a graduate of Spelman College and the author of fourteen novels, including the Christy Award–nominated Awakening Mercy, the Essence bestsellerThe Amen Sisters, Up Pops the Devil, and Sins of the Father. She is an associate professor at the University of Alabama and lives in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.

Find out more about Angela at her website and connect with her on Facebook.

Angela’s Tour Stops

Tuesday, April 19th: Raven Haired Girl

Wednesday, April 20th: Comfy Reading

Thursday, April 21st: Becklist

Friday, April 22nd: Kritters Ramblings

Monday, April 25th: A Soccer Mom’s Book Blog

Wednesday, April 27th: Thoughts On This ‘n That

Thursday, April 28th: Bibliotica

Friday, April 29th: As I turn the pages

Monday, May 2nd: Reading is My Super Power

Tuesday, May 3rd: Sara’s Organized Chaos

Wednesday, May 4th: From the TBR Pile

Thursday, May 5th: 5 Minutes For Books

TBD: I’m Shelf-ish

Blog Tour: Out Rider by Lindsay McKenna

Author: Lindsay McKenna

Publisher: Harlequin

Date of publication: April 2016

With her return to Jackson Hole, Wyoming, New York Times bestselling author Lindsay McKenna shows how love can find a way out of the darkness… 

A fresh start—that’s all Devorah McGuire wants. As a former Marine and current Ranger with the US Forest Service, she’s grown accustomed to keeping others safe. But when the unthinkable happens, she can only hope that a transfer to Jackson Hole, Wyoming, will allow her to put the past behind her for good.

Dev’s mentor at Grand Tetons National Park is fellow canine handler and horseman Sloan Rankin. He shows Dev the spectacular trails, never knowing the terror that stalks her every move. Despite her lingering fear, Dev feels an attraction for Sloan as wild as their surroundings. With Sloan, Dev can envision a new life—a real home. Unless a vengeful man fresh out of prison succeeds in finishing what he started…

Out Rider is the eleventh book in the Jackson Hole Series.  The thing that I do like about this series is that the stories can all be read as stand alone books.  While other characters in the series show up, I have never felt like I was missing out. In Out Rider, Dev has transferred to Wyoming to work at the ranger station there.  She is fleeing her stalker/attacker and trying to make a new life.  A chance meeting with Sloan, a fellow ranger, makes her see that life might be better in the mountains after all.  

I did enjoy this one.  It's a really quick read and was entertaining.  I liked the attraction between Sloan and Dev and that they both were cautious to jump into anything at first.  I also loved Mouse and Bella.  It's fun when dogs play a big role in a story and have personalities of their own.  The "suspense" part of the story was kind of so-so as you get her stalker's perspective throughout the book so you know what's coming.  But the last part of the book is definitely thrilling and had me on the edge of my seat.

There is one negative thing about the book, though. I did find the story a bit repetitive at times.  I read an ARC, so maybe this issue is tightened up in the final edit.  The reader is given the same information several times, often in the same chapter.  For instance, how many times do I need to be reminded that bears and other animals in the wild view dogs as wolves?  After reading that several times, I was waiting for one of the dogs to be attacked by a bear.  It never happened, so why keep reminding me?  There are others, but you get the idea.

Despite that one issue, I do recommend this one.  It's a sweet romance with a bit of action in the mix. Pick it up and enjoy the story!

About Lindsay McKenna

A U.S. Navy veteran, she was a meteorologist while serving her country. She pioneered the military romance in 1993 with Captive of Fate, Silhouette Special edition.  Her heart and focus is on honoring and showing our military men and women.  Creator of the Wyoming Series and Shadow Warriors series for HQN, she writes emotionally and romantically intense suspense stories.

Connect with Lindsay

Website | Facebook | Twitter

Purchase Links

Amazon | Books-A-Million | Barnes & Noble

Lindsay McKenna’s TLC Book Tours TOUR STOPS:

Monday, April 25th: Bewitched Bookworms

Wednesday, April 27th: The Sassy Bookster

Friday, April 29th: Bookaholics Not-So-Anonymous

Monday, May 2nd: Read Love Blog

Tuesday, May 3rd: From the TBR Pile

Wednesday, May 4th: Booked on a Feeling

Thursday, May 5th: Reading Reality

Friday, May 6th: Book Reviews & More by Kathy – guest post

Monday, May 9th: Books a la Mode – guest post

Wednesday, May 11th: Palmer’s Page Turners – guest post

Monday, May 16th: Bibliotica

Wednesday, May 18th: Stranded in Chaos

Thursday, May 19th: The Reading Cove Book Club

Friday, May 20th: What I’m Reading

Monday, May 23rd: A Chick Who Reads

Wednesday, May 25th: Sharon’s Garden of Book Reviews

TBD: Written Love Reviews – guest post

Monsterland by Michael Phillip Cash

Author:Michael Phillip Cash
Publisher: CreateSpace
Date of publication: October 2015

Welcome to Monsterland – the scariest place on Earth. All guests can interact with real vampires in Vampire Village, be chased by an actual werewolf on the River Run, and walk among the dead in Zombieville.

Wyatt Baldwin, a high school student and life-long movie buff is staring bleakly at a future of flipping burgers. Due to a fortuitous circumstance, Wyatt and his friends are invited to the star-studded opening of Monsterland. In a theme park full of real vampires, werewolves and zombies, what could possibly go wrong?

I have a secret love and it's cheesy horror and sci-fi movies like those on the SyFy network.  I think I have seen every cheesy horror film on Netflix streaming.  Monsterland reminded me of one of those films.  While it wasn't the best horror book I have ever read, it was entertaining.  It's kind of like a Jurassic Park for monsters.  Vampires, Zombies and Werewolves are real and one man has decided to contain them in parks around the world that would give people a chance to view them and have fun at the same time.  We all know how well that worked out for Jurassic Park, right?

As I said, I thought this was an entertaining read.  The characters were very stereotypical, but every good teen horror story needs them.  You have the bully jock, the pretty cheerleader, the nerd, the misfit, and the quiet unlikely hero who is pining for the cheerleader.  They were all fun and fit right into their niches. Not all is what it seems when they get to the park though.  There are a couple of twists just to keep things interesting.  

I do think it is worth taking a peek.  It was a good way to spend a rainy afternoon.  It is a bit gory in places, so I'd keep it to the over 16 crowd.  

Nightfall by Jake Halpern & Peter Kujawinski

Authors: Jake Halpern & Peter Kujawinski
Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers
Date of publication: September 2015

On Marin’s island, sunrise doesn’t come every twenty-four hours—it comes every twenty-eight years. Now the sun is just a sliver of light on the horizon. The weather is turning cold and the shadows are growing long.

Because sunset triggers the tide to roll out hundreds of miles, the islanders are frantically preparing to sail south, where they will wait out the long Night.

Marin and her twin brother, Kana, help their anxious parents ready the house for departure. Locks must be taken off doors. Furniture must be arranged. Tables must be set. The rituals are puzzling—bizarre, even—but none of the adults in town will discuss why it has to be done this way.

Just as the ships are about to sail, a teenage boy goes missing—the twins’ friend Line. Marin and  Kana are the only ones who know the truth about where Line’s gone, and the only way to rescue him is by doing it themselves. But Night is falling. Their island is changing.

And it may already be too late

Nightfall was an interesting story that I ended up wanting more from in the end.  The people of the village on this small island live through 14 years of daylight and have to leave the island for 14 years once nightfall comes.  Marin, her brother Kana and their friend Lock are accidentally left on the island when everyone leaves.

I did enjoy the characters.  The friendship between Lock and Marin and their dedication to one another was something that kept me reading.  There was also a good creepy vibe going throughout the book.  It was enough to keep me on the edge of my seat. But, it wasn't overly scary and would be good for any middle grade reader.

As I said, this was an interesting idea, but I felt like the world building was lacking a bit.  Once the kids are in their main part of the adventure, I still didn't have a sense of the reason for the 14 years  day/night and what really lurked in the darkness.  I was left in the end with more questions that I was happy with. I would almost love to have a sequel in order to get more explanation because the epilogue was kind of disappointing.  

I think this is a book that middle graders would like.  It's pretty clean and not too scary.

April Mini Musings

Into the Fury: This ended up being just an OK read for me.   I did like the Ethan and Val.  I thought they were good for each other. I also liked Ethan's scenes with his daughter. Despite all of that, I was bothered by the amount of time that was spent on reminding us that if any of the bodyguards had a relationship with the models they would be fired.  Yet, when Ethan and Val and later Meg and Dirk hook up nothing happens to them.  I mean why the constant reminders if nothing is going to happen?  What makes them so special? It was also a bit repetitive for me.  Anyway, I'll probably read the next one, Into the Whirlwind, because I want to see Dirk and Meg get back together.

Hard as Steel is another novella from the Hard Ink series.  This actually takes place at the during the same time frame of the last book, Hard to Let Go.  I thought it was a cute story.  Not really necessary to the overall story arc, but it does give you a glimpse into what happened to Jessica after Ike takes her away for her own protection.

The Doll's House:  I have really enjoyed this series by M.J. Arlidge.  They're dark and twisty mystery novels.  If you like that kind of book and you haven't started this series, I would highly recommend them.  Another great thing about
this series, is that they've been coming out very quickly.  No waiting like a year for the next book...it seems like it's been only a matter of several months before the next book comes out.

The Wild Inside:  This was a really good wilderness mystery.   A young boy witnesses his father being attacked and killed by a bear.  He grows up to be a Special Agent for the Department of the Interior...like an agent for Wildlife and Fisheries.  He gets called to investigate a mysterious death by bear mauling.   If you're a fan of CJ Box, Navada Barr, or Paul Doiron, I think you'd really like this book as well.

Books We Didn't Finish - April Edition

Wildest Dreams: I guess you could call this a DNF  since I didn't read word for word.  I have loved this series since the start, but this one was boring as heck.  I found myself skimming just to catch up on the other characters in the town. The main couple had zero chemistry.  Ugh.

Black Rabbit Hall: I was really looking for a good
gothic mystery about a mysterious house.  But, instead, I got a snooze fest.  The story was told in alternating time lines, neither of which were particularly interesting.  About halfway through, I was so bored, I really didn't care to find out the twist or reveal in the end.

Kiss of Deception: Two words...Love triangle  Enough said!

Six of Crows: I was a fool and bought into the hype over this book.  I have seen rave reviews everywhere.  I also have read in numerous places that you did not need to read the Grisha Trilogy by this author to read this one.  That is not true.  From the start, you are thrown right into this world with NO background on the world or on the different factions.  There isn't even a little bit of an overview.   I got halfway through and while I could kind of figure out what was going on, I found I didn't care about any of the characters.  IF you are going to market a book as a stand alone, then help your new readers out and make it a stand alone.

Daughter-I found this book to be very confusing.  I had trouble keeping up with the back and forth in time.  Keeping the characters straight was hard too.  I would never recommend having 2 characters named Ted and Ed.