The last thing Chelsea Greene wants is to be rescued, but that's exactly what happens when she's caught wearing nothing but her swimsuit during a midnight emergency evacuation drill. Turns out her 'hero' is a former lifeguard who has no hesitation in offering the kiss of life. So not happening, right? 

But for emotionally chastened Chelsea, one touch changes everything. She discovers a desire to satisfy this arrogant, demanding tease. Unable to express her own fantasies, she finds unspeakable pleasure in serving his.

Xander Lawson exudes easy charm. He likes a woman unafraid to match his appetite for unfettered fun. He doesn't do complicated or emotional. But the raw need emanating from fragile Chelsea compels him closer. He can't resist spinning a sensual fantasy world around them. 
As passion spills outside their carefully selected boundaries, Xander learns Chelsea's stronger than he first thought. But is she strong enough to handle the intensity he's always kept hidden?

City of Saints and Thieves by Natalie C. Anderson is set in Kenya but is the story of refugees from the Congo. The book is at times slow and wraps up too neatly at the end. However, the main character of teenager Tina or Tiny Girl gives this book a young adult feel and creates a character you can cheer for. A promising debut novel.

Read my complete review at Memories From Books - City of Saints & Thieves

Reviewed for Penguin First to Read program

I received a copy from Penguin's FirstoRead.com

The initial premise of this novel is nothing particularly original. Tina’s mother has been murdered, the police haven’t done anything and she’s hell bent on revenge. What gives this book an edge and makes it stand out in the YA mystery genre is its setting. The novel takes place in a city in Kenya and villages in the Congo. It’s raw, it’s violent and scary and incredibly well written.

Tina’s mother is a maid in the house of a very rich man who lives in Sangui City in Kenya. Tina lives there with her baby sister Kiki, and finds herself befriending the rich family’s son, Michael. When Tina’s mother is murdered, Tina runs away. Kiki is safe in a convent school, while Tina is on the streets and becomes part of the city’s most ruthless gang, the Goondas. Her quick thinking and small physique and some other talents make her a great thief and she toughens up, surviving in hard circumstances. The scary leader of the Goondas, a mysterious and very dangerous man, offers Tina the chance at revenge and blood against the man she believes murdered her mother.

As Tina puts her plan in motion, nothing is as it seems as she uncovers secrets and lies, and finds herself working with her old friend Michael – she believes it is his father who is responsible while Michael swears blind it’s not. Michael inserts himself into Tina’s investigation which yields more questions than answers, more danger and thing about Tina’s past and her mother come to light, things of course Tina never knew, which takes Tina, Michael and Tina’s technical whiz friend Boyboy who’s also helping out of Sangui City into the jungles of the unbelievably dangerous Congo.

It’s unflinching and brutal as Tina digs into her mother’s history. She’s smart, tough and wiry and never gives up no matter how hard or seemingly impossible everything looks. She’s just as brutal as the boys and men she has to work with, yet at the same time, she does have some softer moments. Just little things that make her human rather than just hell bent on revenge. Her resolve never really waivers until some really hard truths come to light about the truth of what happened to her mother in the villages in the Congo. There’s war and atrocities going on around them, and people who could be trusted may not be what they seem.

It’s very twisty turny, I never guessed who the killer was. I had several theories and all were wrong. Though in a way when the truth is revealed, you kind of find yourself thinking (or I certainly did) should have seen that one coming! but never did. It’s very harsh and not a comfortable mystery read at all.  But it’s so different in its setting and characters and it’s certainly a very compelling read. It did drag a bit in parts of the plot, and some of the characters weren’t as fleshed out as Tina was, but the slowness of the plot does pick up.

Lots of dark secrets and lots of emotional impact.  Tough, but very good.

Definitely an author I would love to read more from.

City of Saints & Thieves by Natalie C. Anderson is a story about a young girl known as Tiny Girl. Being a refugee from Congo, she learns to live on the streets, and joins a gang known as the Goondas. She's determined to make her mother's killer pay, and attempts to ruin the man she feels is responsible. While trying to find 100% proof of who the killer is, she allows two people she considers to be friends to help. I was pulled into this story from the beginning. It is full of mystery and suspense, and there are a lot of emotions that I felt while reading this story. Natalie's writing style is smooth and seamless. Her character building is superb. These characters are real to life, and you feel for some while disliking others. The descriptions used in the world of Tiny Girl made me feel as though I were right there with her. I could envision the landscapes and the atmosphere throughout the entire story. I highly recommend this book. I received an ARC from G.P. Putnam's Sons, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Title: Fire, Fury, Faith
Author: N. D. Jones
Publisher: N. D. J.
Series: Winged Warriors #1
Reviewed By: Arlena Dean
Rating: Four
Review:

"Fire, Fury, Faith" by N. D. Jones

My Thoughts....

What a fantasy love story this was of Issa [who had been given a second chance at the life of an angel and a tribal chieftain] and Serwa as the reader finds them having come from warring tribes. What will Issa do when a rogue demon attacks and almost kills his wife? How will Serwa help and heal Issa as she is a 'Healer Angel?' Will Serwa finally be able to heal her husband and help him get over his fury?

This will be quite a intensed plot as well as steamy one about these angels. The author really gives the readers quite a journey that will whole your attention as you listen to this story. Yes, this was on audio and very well presented to the reader by this narrator as he gives life to these magical characters. Be ready for a good read with lots of 'emotional ramifications on its victims' along with 'warring tribes, angels and demons, dark and light, bond of love and the terror of hate.' Now to truly understand all that is going on you must pick up this good read to find out just what all is going on in this interesting read. This author really knows how to write and tell an engaging story .
that will definitely keep your attention.

Thanks to the author for a audio of this novel for a fair and unbiased review.