Tag: Toni De Palma

Guest Review: The Devil’s Temptation by Toni De Palma

Posted April 17, 2014 by Tracy in Reviews | 2 Comments

Guest Review: The Devil’s Temptation by Toni De PalmaReviewer: Tracy
The Devil's Temptation by Toni de Palma
Series: The Devil's Triangle #2
Also in this series: The Devil's Triangle (The Devil's Triangle, #1)
Publisher: Crescent Moon Press
Publication Date: March 14th 2014
Genres: Thriller, Young Adult
Add It: Goodreads
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Ripped Bodice | Google Play Books
three-half-stars
Series Rating: four-stars

Fighting the Devil brought Cooper and Grace together. But without a little evil to spice things up, the everyday life of a normal teenager is pretty dull. A summer job crewing on a billionaire’s yacht in sunny Italy might be just the ticket to rekindle passion. While the setting is perfect, the winding, sinister back streets of Naples are also the perfect playground for a scorned Lucifer to wreak havoc. And if evil doesn’t rip them apart, the sultry billionaire’s daughter and the sexy First Officer might be what it takes to finally destroy Cooper and Grace’s love forever.

 

Tracy’s review of The Devil’s Temptation (The Devil’s Triangle #2) by Toni De Palma

It’s been six months since Cooper and Grace had to fight the devil. They thought they won and life has been pretty normal. Grace, however, wants to do something fun for the summer and through her uncle has arranged for both her and Cooper to work on the yacht of a millionaire – in Italy. Cooper isn’t thrilled with it all but he loves Grace and if this is what makes her happy he’ll go along with it.

When they arrive, however, things start to go wrong. They supposedly didn’t know Cooper was coming, he’s given shit accommodations on the yacht, he’s treated horribly on the job and left to bake in Mediterranean sun, it’s just not a lot of fun for Cooper. Meanwhile Grace is enjoying doing maids work in the cool rooms and shown LOTS of attention by a steward by the name of Marcello. Cooper isn’t too proud to say he’s jealous and this sparks arguments between him and Grace.

Cooper then meets the millionaire’s daughter, Stefania, and he is now at her beck and call. He’s not thrilled with the job but she’s beautiful and he’s happy to be able to get out of the boiler room which is about where his room was.

The story goes on to have incident after incident happen to Cooper which spark more arguments between him and Grace. Cooper starts to think that maybe she doesn’t love him any longer. Things come to a head when Cooper is accused of murder. He doesn’t know what to do and ends up finding help from the least likely good Samaritan.

It’s hard to give you a really good synopsis of the book without giving too much away. The story unfolds with one thing after another happening and as a reader I wasn’t sure what to expect next. Unfortunately this book didn’t have quite the same intrigue and suspense that book one was full of.

Cooper, imho, is a typical high school guy. Yes, he loves Grace but he’s not blind and finding Stefania attractive isn’t the end of the world. Does he want to find her attractive, no, but he does. Grace is highly jealous even though she’s constantly with Marcello. Cooper starts to have doubts about their relationship, which again, is very high school typical. Unfortunately when you’d dealing with the devil things start to go more wrong then just average every day things.

In this case Cooper got the short end of the stick throughout the entire book. That boy was pretty much crapped on the whole book. On top of that he was constantly unconscious! I don’t think I’ve ever read a book where the hero was unconscious that much. I didn’t exactly count the number of times but off the top of my head I’d say at least 3. That’s a lot for a book that’s less than 200 pages long!

Grace was…different in this book. I felt that she took Cooper for granted and didn’t treat him all that well. I know she loved him but it was just off. I’m saying that and I know that’s what we were supposed to feel but it was even more than I think the story intended. IDK, I wasn’t digging on her throughout the book.

Overall the story was good but a little on the more fantastical side. Yes, in book 1 they were battling the devil but it just seemed more realistic. This was good but definitely felt more contrived. Despite that I’m hoping that there’ll be a book 3 so that we can see where Cooper and Grace go from where this book ended.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

The Series:
Book Cover Book Cover

You can read more from Tracy at Tracy’s Place

This title is available from Crescent Moon Press. You can buy it here in e-book format. This book was provided by author in exchange for an honest review.

three-half-stars

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What I Read Last Week

Posted April 15, 2014 by Tracy in Features | 0 Comments

Hello folks!

How the heck are ya?

I’m doing well. It’s Holy Week and since I work at a church that means that I’m working my tail off to get everything done in time. Because of that I’m going to be VERY brief in my post today and basically tell you what I read and their ratings. 

The Devil’s Triangle (re-read) by Toni De Palma.   I started off the week with a re-read. This is a YA book that I read for The Book Binge a year or so ago, I think, and it was just as good the second time around.  The story is about The story is about a guy who dies and is sent back to earth to help a girl named Grace. He’s given a month but he’s not sure what he’s supposed to do about Grace because he’s given no information. The story has heaven, the devil, his minions and romance all wrapped in one story.  Really good.  You can read my original review here on Book Binge. 4.5 out of 5

The Devil’s Temptation by Toni De Palma. This story is a continuation of the previous book.  We have Grace and Cooper (who is now alive and well) about 8 months after the last book ended.  This one didn’t work for me as well as it had the devil working against the couple (again) and they weren’t really coing out on top.  You can read my full review here on Book Binge. 3.5 out of 5 

Always on My Mind by Bella Andre was Lori’s story.  She’s disillusioned after a break up and is wondering why she dances in the first place.  She drives randomly and ends up taking a job as a ranch hand (with no experience). The guy does everything in his power to get her to leave but she’s stubborn.  Of course they fall in love but the getting there was oh, so good. 🙂  You can read my review here. 4 out of 5

The Affair by Lily Maxton is about a widow who is finally out of mourning and is feeling a bit free only her parents treat her like she’s a walking scandal.  She meets a bookstore owner and they have an affair but he doesn’t believe that he’s good enough for her.  The story was pretty darned good and I enjoyed it.  3.75 out of 5 (read for Book Binge)

The Eternal Highlander by Hannah Howell & Lynsay Sands.  Cathal McNachton and Connal MacAdie are highlanders but also vampires.  Cathal decides that they need to seek human brides so that they can try to dilute the vamp blood.  Not everyone is thrilled with this idea – especially the pureblood vamps.  The stories are Cathal’s and how he meets his bride and how Connall meets his. Both stories were good and I really enjoyed them.  4 out of 5

Grimm Consequences by Kate SeRine is a novella in the Transplanted Tales series.  The story takes place early in Nate and Red’s relationship and has to do with Nate staying with Red.  It was a good one.  You can read my review here. 4 out of 5

All I Want by Lynsay Sands. The story is about a girl, Prudence, and she’s out to save her family.  All her mother wants for Christmas is for her father to stop gambling and drinking before he puts them in the poor house and debtors prison.  Prudence sets out to keep him away from the club he gambles at and ends up falling for the owner of the club.  Prudence was a bit of a crazy woman and ends up doing some pretty stupid things but it was a cute story nonetheless.  3.5 out of 5

Prisoner 374215 by Angel Martinez.  This is a free story that was written for the m/m Goodreads group and is all based on a picture. Prisoner 374215 is constantly tortured and treated horribly in prison. He’s a shell of what he used to be.  He does have one guard that he’s not afraid of and eventually he learns more about him.  I wasn’t sure what to expect when I started this short story but it was really good and I’m so glad I read it. 4 out of 5

Island Peril by Jill Sorenson is a novella in the Aftershock series.  The story has Ella and Paul on the run from drug runners when they were just out for a day of exploration in the Channel Islands.  Another good one from Sorenson!  I’ll post my review soon. 3.75 out of 5

The Duke’s Shotgun Wedding by Stacy Reid.  An unexpected pleasure. This had a girl holding a duke at gunpoint insisting that he allow her to marry her brother who supposedly seduced her.  He refuses as the brother’s already married now but he marries her and tension and pleasure commence.  Though I wanted to slap both main characters at some point in the story I really liked it. lol  4 out of 5 (read for Book Binge)

All Roar and No Bite by Celia Kyle is the second book in the Grayslake series.  Lauren is trying to help her best friend who is married to the mayor but he’s an abusive asshole.  She meets Van who is a werebear but also a sheriff.  He wants her but she’s not sure she’s ok with the whole bear shifter thing as it freaks her out.  I liked both Van and Lauren in this book.  I was so happy that we finally got a heroine who wasn’t all gung ho to jump in bed after she found out the man she lusted after was a shapeshifter!  It’s about time! lol  It all worked out and it was a fun getting there. 🙂 3.5 out of 5



My Book Binge reviews that posted last week:
Betting the Rainbow by Jodi Thomas
Can’t Stop Believing by Jodi Thomas
Between the Devil and Ian Eversea by Julie Anne Long
Stranded with a Hero by Karen Erickson, Coleen Kwan, Cindi Madsen and Roxanne Snopek

Happy Reading!

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Guest Review: The Devil’s Triangle by Toni De Palma

Posted February 20, 2013 by Tracy in Reviews | 3 Comments

Guest Review: The Devil’s Triangle by Toni De PalmaReviewer: Tracy
The Devil's Triangle (The Devil's Triangle, #1) by Toni de Palma
Series: The Devil's Triangle #1
Also in this series: The Devil's Temptation
Publisher: Crescent Moon Press
Publication Date: February 10th 2013
Genres: Young Adult
Pages: 216
Add It: Goodreads
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Ripped Bodice | Google Play Books
four-half-stars
Series Rating: four-stars

When 17 year old Cooper dies in an attempt to burn down his school, he finds himself in the afterlife. Lucy, the Devil's sister who has crossed party lines, decides to give Cooper another shot at heaven. The deal? Cooper returns to Earth and has to find a girl named Grace. The rest is up to him.

While Cooper figures out his mission, he's thrown into the life he's always wanted. Great parents, a spot on the Varsity football team and a real future are all within reach. But what he really wants is Grace, a feisty girl with an abusive boyfriend that can pound Cooper into pulp if he doesn't watch out.

While Lucy plays demonic-puppeteer, clues to an unknown past between Cooper and Grace start to unravel. Cooper discovers that what's keeping he and Grace apart is far more sinister than anything this bad boy could have ever imagined.

We start off the story in Heaven. Cooper is in front of a panel of judges, more or less, which includes St. Peter, a guy who likes to nod off constantly and Cooper can’t figure out who he is, and Lucy – the devil’s sister who has switched sides.

Cooper was in foster homes and was pretty much a juvenile delinquent. He ends up killing himself when he’s setting a school on fire and now he’s in heaven. Before judgment is made Lucy talks St. Peter into sending Cooper back to see if he can redeem himself. Lucy sends him to Grace in New Jersey saying that he has a month. A month to what? He’s not sure but he plays along cuz he doesn’t want to end up in hell.

What he finds when he gets there is Grace, who is a punked out girl with pink hair and lots of piercings who is dating Cooper’s best friend, Blake. Cooper’s pretty amazed that Lucy has set this whole life up for him and he’s in awe of the things he’s accomplished. He’s trying really hard to fit in and not let on that he’s not the “real” Cooper but it’s difficult. Grace will hardly talk to him even though by his family’s photo albums it shows that Cooper and Grace were best friends up until a few years before.

What Cooper discovers is that he’s part of a devil’s triangle. Lucy had saved Cooper’s life in a deal with the devil but that came with some pretty harsh agreements and punishments if not followed – for both Grace and Cooper. Blake is kind of the devil’s lackey and cruel and abusive to Grace. Cooper also discovers that because of the devil’s deal he has been leading two different lives. It’s crazy but it all come to make sense to him and he’s determined to break himself and Grace out of the deal.

When the book first started and Cooper was in front of St. Peter and Lucy I have to admit to rolling my eyes. IDK, I saw every teeny bopper movie that my fifteen year old has watched flash before my eyes. I carried on though because I wanted to see what happened. I’m SO glad I did.

This story is so touching and heartfelt and intricate that I don’t think I can say enough about it. It caught me by surprise with the emotions I felt for Cooper and his struggle with his new reality. He was so confused and didn’t know what to do and being a lost soul in his previous life didn’t help much. He had anger issues before his death but when the story goes on and you find out what happened it’s almost understandable (not his actions, just his feelings).

Cooper’s desire to be with Grace was the motivation behind all of Cooper’s actions. He figured out what was happening and did his best to right the situation that had gone terribly wrong. While we didn’t get ALL the answers in this book we got a great story and a wonderful introduction to Cooper’s world.

The book was compelling in a way I almost can’t describe. I was completely invested in the story even though there was a time or two when things got confusing. I have to say that this is a great start to a great series and I can’t wait to see what happens next.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

You can read more from Tracy at Tracy’s Place.

This book is available from Crescent Moon Press. You can buy it here in e-format. This book was provided by the publisher for an honest review.

four-half-stars

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What I Read Last Week

Posted February 18, 2013 by Tracy in Features | 3 Comments

Happy President’s Day to you all! It’s George Washington’s birthday and while I’m happy to celebrate I like this day more because I’ve got the day off. Woohoo! Lol I know, it’s all about me, right? 

Sorry that I’ve neglected the blog this past week. I mentioned last week that my youngest was sick and it continued throughout the week. She was find Tuesday and Wednesday and then got sick again Wednesday night (all night) and then on Thursday and Friday too. The rest of the weekend has been recovery…for all of us. Wow – I’ve never seen anything like that in the years I’ve been a mom. Crazy. She’s better now though so…yay! 

Reading: between doctor and bathroom visits I managed to read. I was a little disappointed this week in some of the books that I read that I liked but yet expected to be better. I hate it when that happens!

I started off the week with The Devil’s Triangle by Toni De Palma. This is a YA book that I read for The Book Binge and frankly while it sounded good I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. It’s not that long of a read so I was skeptical. OMG was I wrong. This is the start of a series and I honestly can’t wait to read the next book. The story is about a guy who dies and is sent back to earth for a girl named Grace. He’s given a month but he’s not sure what he’s supposed to do about Grace. What he finds in this town in New Jersey is so much more than he expected. He found…another life he’d been living and a girl he loves but was torn from by the Devil. It’s just this totally crazy, far-fetched story and it worked really well. My review will post over there on Wednesday if you want more info. 🙂 4.5 out of 5 

Next up was a re-read – Almost Like Being in Love by Steve Kluger. I had lent this to my mom to read and when she gave me a bag of books back before she left this one was in there. I just kept looking at it as it was calling me to read it again. Lol It was just as good the second time as it was the first. If you haven’t read this wonderful story you really should. It’s about 2 guys, Travis and Craig, falling in love in high school and then 20 years later Travis decides he NEEDS to find Craig because he’s the only man he’ll ever love. There are some issues though (like Craig having a long term boyfriend) but I thought Kluger did a great job of working it all out. 5 out of 5 

Next up was What Happens in Scotland by Jennifer McQuiston. The first novel by this author and it was good. The story is about a couple who wakes up next to each other, supposedly married, and have to piece the previous night together to figure out many things – mainly if they truly are married. It’s a cute tale and I’m looking forward to reading more from McQuiston in the future. 3.75 out of 5 

Immortal Ever After by Lynsay Sands is book 18 in the Argeneau series. The story centers around Anders and his life mate Valerie, who was kidnapped by a vampire and used for blood. She obviously thinks the kidnapper was a nutjob so Anders isn’t quite sure how he’ll tell her that he’s an Immortal and yes, has to drink blood to live. The story was good but not as exciting as past books have been. I really liked Anders and Valerie together which was good and we got to see some characters from previous books. 3.5 out of 5 

I know, I know, Love Irresistibly by Julie James doesn’t come out until April but I couldn’t resist diving into the story as I love her books so much. Unfortunately while a liked this one I just couldn’t get into these characters as much as I have the others in previous books. I still laughed many times and parts were quite touching so that was a good thing. I’ll post my review when it gets closer to the release date. 3.5 out of 5 

The Duke Diaries by Sophia Nash was my last read for the week. This is book 3 in the Royal Entourage series. I didn’t read the first two books but that wasn’t a problem. This pretty much stood alone. The story is about Verity who is the sister of one of the Duke’s in the Royal Entourage. She has listened at doors and such since she was 13 and has written all the stories down. Someone steals a couple of those diaries and starts to publish them in the paper. Then there’s Rory who is one of the Duke’s and after a night of escapades wakes to find himself in bed with Verity. They must marry and Rory does his best to convince her but Verity is absolute in her belief that she will not marry – as well as the thought that Rory will not WANT to marry her after she tells everyone she’s the author of the diaries. The story is good and I really liked Rory a lot but Verity was a hard sell for me. She was strong but did everything for everyone else and never herself. She pretty much turned martyr toward the end of the book never sits well with me. I’ll post more in my review later. 3 out of 5 

My Book Binge reviews that posted last week: 
Big Bad Bite by Jessie Lane 
The Dark Lady by Maire Claremont 


Happy Reading!

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