Courage by Carrie Butler Blog Tour Stop and Review

Title: Courage
Author: Carrie Butler
Series: Mark of Nexus #2
Expected publication: October 15th, 2013
Category: New Adult (NA)
Genre: Paranormal Romance (PNR)

• Short description:
Rena Collins never thought she’d long for the past—back when affection from Wallace, her freakishly strong boyfriend, was the most dangerous aspect of her life. But now that the human-altering organization known as ERA has gone on the offensive, nothing is safe. Her bloodline is exposed, her relationships torn apart, and just when it seems like things can’t get any worse, ERA ups the ante. To save mankind from forced evolution, Rena will have to mend her broken ties and form a resistance... hand-in-hand with the one she hurt most.

• Long description:
Making a deal with the bad guys wasn’t the highlight of Rena Collins’ semester, but, hey, it saved her boyfriend. Now, in order to appease the human-altering organization known as ERA, she’ll crawl under their microscope while they study the Mark of Nexus and plot their eye-glazed version of the future—until she realizes that’s not all they’re plotting.

Wallace Blake has always known his girlfriend is unlike most girls. But now that information has surfaced regarding the two bloodlines that balance his supernatural race, he finally understands why. Rena belongs to one of them. She’s been augmenting his power, all along...

Enter: Corynn Catley. Brought into the country under the guise of an internship, she’s intended to become ERA’s secret weapon. Kind of. Her abilities cancel out Wallace’s, rendering him powerless, but that’s exactly what he’s always wanted. Too bad it only works when his girlfriend’s not around.

All the while, Rena fails to notice the crush her geeky best friend, Aiden Ross, is nursing. He’d give anything for her to see him in a new light—even reinvent himself through questionable means--but there’s a reason people are told to be careful what they wish for. Finding the courage to tell her could put everyone’s lives in danger.

***
Courage (Mark of Nexus #2) is a New Adult paranormal romance that features four unique points-of-view. While the novel stands alone, it is best enjoyed after Strength (Mark of Nexus #1).

LINKS
Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CzcKCPiFXgg
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18164093-courage

Title: Strength
Author: Carrie Butler
Series: Mark of Nexus #1
Publication: August 16th, 2013 (First publication: March 7th, 2013 by Sapphire Star Publishing)
Category: New Adult (NA)
Genre: Paranormal Romance (PNR)

• Short description:
When college student Rena Collins finds herself nose-to-chest with the campus outcast, she’s stunned. Wallace Blake is everything she’s ever wanted in a man—except he can’t touch her. His uncontrollable strength, a so-called gift from his bloodline, makes every interaction dangerous. And with a secret, supernatural war brewing among his kind, there’s no time to work it out. To keep Wallace in her life, Rena will have to risk a whole lot more than her heart.

• Long description:
When college student Rena Collins finds herself nose-to-chest with the campus outcast, her rumor-laced notions are shattered. Handsome, considerate, and seemingly sane, Wallace Blake doesn’t look like he spends his nights alone, screaming and banging on the walls of his dorm room. Hell, he doesn’t look like he spends his nights alone, period.

Too curious for her own good, Rena vows to uncover the truth behind Wallace’s madman reputation—and how two seconds of contact had left her with bruises. Of course, there are a few setbacks along the way: guilt, admiration, feelings of the warm and fuzzy variety…

Not to mention the unwanted attention of Wallace's powerful, supernaturally-gifted family.

They’re a bloodline divided by opposing ideals, two soon-to-be warring factions that live in secret among us. When Rena ends up caught in their crossfire, Wallace has no choice but to save her by using his powers. Now they’re really in trouble. With war on the horizon and Rena’s life in the balance, he needs to put some distance between them. But Rena won’t let go. If fighting is what it takes to prove her own strength and keep Wallace in her life, then that’s what she’ll do—even if it means risking a whole lot more than her heart.


LINKS
Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G6Ym7sk3zjo
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18310859-strength

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1938404351/
*** To celebrate the release of Courage (Mark of Nexus #2), Strength (Mark of Nexus #1) is FREE October 15th–18th! ***
(promo graphic below)

Author bio:
Carrie Butler daydreamed her way through college—until they thrust a marketing degree into her hands, slapped a summa cum laude seal on the corner, and booted her out into a less-than-stellar job market. Instead of panicking at the prospect of unemployment, she used her Midwestern logic to steer into the skid and point her life in the direction she really wanted to go: writing out those daydreams.

Her passion for New Adult fiction led her to co-found NA Alley—a widely recognized informational hub for the category. She is the author of STRENGTH (Mark of Nexus #1) and COURAGE (Mark of Nexus #2).


LINKS

Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Google + | Pinterest | YouTube | Goodreads
Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Google+ | Pinterest | YouTube | Goodreads

Visit the Courage tour schedule

My Review:

Courage was a fantastic sequel! I really enjoyed seeing Wallace and Rena back and the continuation of both their relationship story and their fight against ERA. I really love the author’s writing style and would definitely read more from her.

Courage picks up after the events of Strength. To be honest, it took me a bit to remember who each character was and although the blurb suggests it can be read as a standalone, I would not recommend it. However, once I had a clearer picture of who the bad guys and good guys were, I was hooked on the story again.

Wallace and Rena faced a lot of the same challenges as the previous book, namely dealing with her augmenting his strength and potentially killing one another. I love them as a couple and I was glad to see them work through their issues as a team. They hit some bumps on the road and Rena was driving me crazy with her stubbornness. Wallace continued his awesomeness in this book and his brother Cole even grew on me.

The book is told in four POVs and I kind of wished the author had just featured Rena and Wallace’s stories. Aiden’s POV especially irked me and I felt like the crush storyline was a little unnecessary. Corynn’s part in the story was interesting and I worried about her tearing apart Rena and Wallace.

I highly recommend this series. It’s very original and the characters feel very realistic despite the supernatural aspects. The dialogue is fun and witty and the pacing is terrific.

Rating: 4/5 Stars

I received this book as part of the Courage blog tour.

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