The Ariana Trilogy (Rachel Ann Nunes)

I am reading the Ariana Trilogy. It is a combination of the 1st 3 books in the Ariana Series. I am posting the 3 books individually below.
Ariana: The Making of a Queen
First novel in the Ariana series
On a rainy Parisian evening, Ariana de Cotte considers her life. It is her wedding night, but Jacques has gone drinking with his friends, and she is left alone with her thoughts and memories . . . memories of a beloved twin brother, lost to her in a terrible accident; of her estranged parents, who had shut her out when Antoine died; of the loneliness and anger that consume her. She is nineteen, and her life seems beyond hope or repair. Thus begins the story of an extraordinary young woman who, as her life spirals downward, struggles to find meaning and hope in the face of unimaginable suffering. Her bitter refusal to listen to the LDS missionaries doesn't help matters as she blames God for her troubles. Until one dark night, when her life hits rock-bottom and the Spirit begins its whisperings to her heart. As you come to know Ariana, you will weep for her tragedy, smile at her small triumphs, rejoice as she embraces the faith that will sustain her, and feel the love of a good man who has the power to change her life forever. Rachel Nunes has created a powerful and moving novel with characters so real that you will let them into your heart and invite them to stay. Having done so, you life will never be the same. You'll find yourself re-living this exceptional story again and again!
This 1st book is mainly just introducing you to the characters and their pasts. A must read to know what is going on it the next books.


Ariana: A Gift Most Precious
Second novel in the Ariana series
Broken promises, broken dreams, broken hearts . . . Ariana Perrault has seen them all in her short lifetime, but now they seem only distant memories. Having climbed the long pathway from sinner to Latter-day Saint, she has felt the arms of a loving Heavenly Father around her, guiding her to a wonderful life with Jean-Marc and their three beautiful children. Her best friend, Paulette, has also repented, embraced the gospel, and started an eternal family of her own. But who could know that one of life's deepest, darkest tragedies is just around the corner? In this powerful sequel to Ariana: The Making of a Queen, these two women and their families come face to face with the life-and-death consequences of past choices. Will their testimonies give them strength enough to withstand the darkest hours of their lives? The answer, born of both adversity and joy, is A Gift Most Precious.
This book was a roller coaster of emotions. Warning you may want your box of tissues.

Ariana: A New Beginning
Third novel in the Ariana series
Life is good for Ariana and Jean-Marc Perrault and their five children. Active in the Church, prosperous in the banking business, and firmly committed to their family, they are happily moving forward with their lives. Then the bottom drops out. How does Ariana cope with imminent financial ruin, the near-fatal injury of one child and the rebellion of another, and a scheming, determined ex-husband who still wants her? Confronted by life's challenges, Ariana discovers that her reliance on the Lord and her love for Jean-Marc and her children can make the dramatic difference between triumph and tragedy. A rare and compelling story about the power of love and the miracle of new beginnings.

I haven't read all of this one yet, but so far it has made me feel for Ariana ... How can one person go through so much and still be strong. I am loving this Series so far. There are 4 more books in this Series: Twice in a Lifetime, Ties that Bind, This Time Forever, A Glimpse of Eternity.

Hearts in Hiding (Betsy Brannon Green)

Devastation, betrayal, self-pity, anger- none of these words do any justice to the tangle of emotions Kate Singleton is experiencing. Married just over a year, with a baby on the way, Kate learns that her husband, and FBI agent, is dead. To top it off, the same people who murdered her husband have a contract on her head.
With the help of the FBI, Kate flees with little more that the clothes on her back. And in no time at all, they provide her with new clothes, a new home, a new name, and. . . a new husband.
But this is only the beginning of Kate's adventure. Before it's through, there will be a kidnapping, true love, and enough suspense to keep any reader turning pages long after bedtime. Hearts in Hiding is an action-packed, romantic first novel by gifted author Betsy Brannon Green.

Midnight Alley & Feast Of Fools (Rachel Caine)

Claire Danvers's college town may be run by vampires but a truce between the living and the dead made things relatively safe. For a while. Now people are turning up dead, a psycho is stalking her, and an ancient bloodsucker has proposed private mentoring. To what end, Claire will find out. And it's giving night school a whole new meaning.

The wait is over. dig into the feast... In the town of Morganville, vampires and humans live in relative peace. Student Claire Danvers has never been convinced, though—especially with the arrival of Mr. Bishop, an ancient, old-school vampire who cares nothing about harmony. What he wants from the town’s living and its dead is unthinkably sinister. It’s only at a formal ball, attended by vampires and their human dates, that Claire realizes the elaborately evil trap he’s set for Morganville.

I like this series. I'm a little frustrated about how the books leave off at somewhat critical moments though.

Claimed By Shadow (Karen Chance)

A recent legacy made Cassandra Palmer heir to the title of Pythia, the world's chief clairvoyant. It's a position that usually comes with years of training, but Cassie's circumstances are a little...unusual. And now she's stuck with a whopping amount of power that every vamp, Fey, and mage in town wants to either monopolize or eradicate -- and that she herself doesn't dare use.
What's more, she's just discovered that a certain arrogant master vampire has put a geis on her -- a magical claim that warns off any would-be suitors, and might also explain the rather...intense attraction between them. But Cassie's had it with being jerked around, and anyone who tries it from now on is going to find out that she makes a very bad enemy...

It drug a bit in places but left me wanting to immediately start the next one in the series.

Mortal Sins (Eileen Wilks)

FBI agent Lily Yu, is in North Carolina with her lover and mate, Rule Turner, Lu Nuncio of the Nokolai werewolf clan. He is there to take custody of his son from the boy's grandmother. It's a purely personal trip until Rule, in wolf form, finds three bodies in a shallow grave. They carry the stench of death magic, which makes the murders a federal crime. Lily takes charge of the investigation and soon realizes that nothing adds up -- not the motives or the main suspect, who is behind bars when death strikes again.
But murder, however bizarre, is an everyday affair for Lily, who was a homicide cop before being recruited into the FBI's Magical Crimes Division. A more personal shock arrives in the form of Rule's son's mother. Why would she now challenge rule's plan to bring his son to live among the Nokolai? But family matters must take a backseat when the violence escalates, and there's no rhyme or reason for the next strike -- by a killer who may not even be of this world...

I really enjoy this author. She knows how to spin a web so that you really cant predict what is coming next.

Midnight Rising (Lara Adrian)

For journalist Dylan Alexander, it began with the discovery of a hidden tomb, thrusting her into the center of a gathering storm of violence and secrets. But nothing is as dangerous as the scarred, lethally seductive man who rises from the shadows to draw her into his world of dark desire and endless night.
Fueled by pain and rage over a shattering betrayal, the warrior Rio has pledged his life to the war against the Rogues. He will let nothing stand in his way—least of all a mortal woman with the power to expose the entire vampire race. For an ancient evil has been awakened, and a stunning darkness is on the rise. Suddenly Dylan is powerless to resist Rio’s touch, even as she uncovers a shocking link to her own past. And now she must choose: Leave Rio’s midnight realm, or risk it all for the man who has shown her true passion and the infinite pleasures of the heart. . . .
This is the 4th book in the Midnight Breed series. I wanted to read this one because I wanted to hear how Rio recovers from the betrayal of his breedmate.
This book wasnt a bad read. Would have been better without the in detail love scenes.

Ranger's Apprentice Series (John Flanagan)

Ranger's Apprentice: The Ruins Of Gorlan

Meet fifteen year old Will, a foundling who is convinced that his father died a mighty warrior in battle. As choosing day commences, when young men and women become forever bound to a vocation, he hopes against hope to honor his father's legacy and be selected for Battleschool training. Instead, he is inducted into the ranks of the mysterious Ranger Corps. At first a reluctant recruit, Will gradually becomes drawn to the skills and secret ways of the Rangers.

The Burning Bridge

For years, the kingdom of Araluen has prospered, with the evil Morgarath safely behind impassable mountains. But while the people of Araluen have felt secure, Morgarath has not been idle. On a special mission for the Rangers, Will and his friend Horace, an apprentice warrior, travel to a neighboring country of Celtica and discover an unsettling truth. Villages, mines and border posts are deserted. The Celts have disappeared. Will senses the hand of Morgarath behind the sinister mystery. Before long, they discover the king's army is in danger of being destroyed in a treacherous ambush. Only Will, Horace, and a mysterious girl named Evanlyn, stand between them.

The Icebound Land

Kidnapped and taken to a frozen land after the fierce battle with Lord Morgarath, Will and Evanlyn are bound for Skandia as captives aboard a fearsome wolfship. Halt has sworn to rescue his young apprentice, and he will do anything to keep his promise— even defy his King. Expelled from the Rangers he has served so loyally, Halt is joined by Will's friend Horace as he travels toward Skandia. On their way, they are challenged again and again by freelance knights—but Horace knows a thing or two about combat. Soon his skills begin to attract the attention of knights and warlords for miles around. But as Horace earns his reputation, Will and Evanlyn struggle for survival as slaves.

The Battle For Skania

Still far from their homeland after escaping slavery in the icebound land of Skandia, Will and Evanlyn's plans to return to Araluen are spoiled when Evanlyn is taken captive by a Temujai warrior. Though still weakened by the warmweed's toxic effects, Will employs his Ranger training to locate his friend, but an enemy scouting party has him fatally outnumbered. Will is certain death is close at hand, until Halt and Horace make a daring, last-minute rescue. The reunion is cut short, however, when Halt makes a horrifying discovery: Skandia's borders have been breached by the entire Temujai army. And Araluen is next in their sights. If two kingdoms are to be saved, an unlikely union must be made. Will it hold long enough to vanquish a ruthless new enemy? Or will past tensions spell doom for all?

The Sorcerer Of The North

Several years have passed since the apprentice and his master, Will and Halt, first met, and Will is finally a full-fledged Ranger with his own fief to look after. The fief seems sleepy—boring, even—until Lord Syron, master of a castle far in the north, is struck down by a mysterious illness. Joined by his friend Alyss, Will is suddenly thrown headfirst into an extraordinary adventure, investigating fears of sorcery and trying to determine who is loyal to Lord Syron. As Will battles growing hysteria, traitors, and most of all, time, Alyss is taken hostage, and Will is forced to make a desperate choice between his mission and his friend.

The Siege Of Macindaw

After years as a Ranger's apprentice, Will is now the protector of his first fief. Not long into his service, everything that can go wrong does: Keren, a renegade knight, has taken over Castle Macindaw, a strategic gateway to the North—poisoning the royal family in the process—and is holding Will's friend Alyss captive. The situation grows direr when Will uncovers Keren's secret alliance with the Scotti, who have plans to plunder Araluen. Time is of the essence, and Will must recruit a motley crew to rescue Alyss and reclaim Castle Macindaw—before the Scotti can make it their own.

This is a great Youth series. I have enjoyed it. I have only read up to 6 so far. To my knowledge there is a 7th out now and the 8th is soon to be released.

A good addition to you library.