THE NEW AND EXTENDED VERSION BONUS: FREE ROMANCE DOWNLOAD INSIDEIt’s not everyday a teenage girl is singled out for assassination.Crysta has come to accept the fact that she is freakishly different. Her shocking white hair, creepy powers, and weird eating habits have prevented her from fitting in with her various foster families. Now that she is fully emancipated and providing for herself, she … emancipated and providing for herself, she hopes that life will settle down and become something halfway normal.
Her hopes are shattered when a dangerous man with lethal intent breaks into her apartment, but this enticing stranger isn’t what he seems. Is he here to kill her or protect her from others who will?
My Fair Assassin is a romantic love story with elements of paranormal and urban fantasy woven in for an entertaining read. Adults and teens alike will enjoy getting lost in the pages of Crysta’s story as she finally comes to accept who she is…or rather what she is.
Excerpt:
His movements as he studied me and my dingy apartment were stiff and watchful. His expression was that of guarded curiosity, and when my cat, Nala, made a small whining noise from my bedroom down the hall, his stance came to attention and his arm muscles went taut as he withdrew a small dagger from a sheath at his waist.
Honestly, where had this guy come from, and why weren’t we dating?
Oh, yeah. He was here to kill me.
“It’s just my cat,” I said, raising my hands in a placating gesture. “My roommate, Jami, is out of town for the weekend.”
“What?” He lowered his dagger and stared me down.
I didn’t feel threatened by his gaze. I almost felt drawn to it and wondered if he was as curious about me as I was about him.
Stupid! I am so stupid.
Any other recently emancipated seventeen-year-old would have run screaming around her apartment in an attempt to get her worthless, noisy neighbors to call the cops, or at the very least, come to her aid.
Not me, apparently. Nope. I was content to stare at the gorgeous criminal before me with all thoughts of fight or flight escaping my slow-witted mental processes.
Kindle Categories
- Kindle Short Reads 30 min(12-21 pages)Science Fiction and Fantasy
- Fae Romance
- Science Fiction and Fantasy, Anthologies and Short Stories
- Teen and young adult literature and fiction short stories
- Teen and young adult literature and fiction humorous
- Paranormal and Fantasy
- Myths and Legends
- Fairy Tales and Folklore
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It was so good. I even read it in one day. You should read this book because it tells you that even though you think you are a freak, you should still be yourself. Do not change how you are. The first book is free so you can read it without using money.
This is a delightful story. The characters of Crysta and Jareth were very well defined. I loved their banter. I could relate a little with Crysta as she felt her life was pathetic and going nowhere fast. Being an emancipated seventeen year old, she had rent due and needed to find a roommate. She had many life changes that made her feel unloved, unwanted, and freakish. Until Jareth. He was assigned to be her assassinator until he stood right in front of her. There was something about Crysta that caught him off guard. Soon sparks were flying between them. I loved reading each page as I kept flipping through them. And the ending was very unexpected. I recommend this book to all fantasy lovers regardless of age.
A super national intelligence in this series with a weird sense of Chemistry between the two characters. Without any help, things are not go as planned.
OH MY GOSH!!! This book is AWESOME.
I can’t say how much I like this book, this whole SERIES. Wow, it had everything for me. Caught my attention from the very first page.
First of all, I LOVE the main character, Crysta. She is a strong, hilarious person and she had me cracking up MANY times.
Oh! And Jareth!! Whew! Tall, dark, and handsome, completely devoted to Crysta, ALSO pretty funny.
I just, over all, LOVED the characters.
Then the story line was really interesting too. GREAT writing. C. J. Anaya really knows how to snatch up your attention, and how to write characters you’ll fall in love with. I have started reading the rest of the series, and can definitely say, IT ONLY GETS BETTER!!!
All I can really say in the end is, READ this book!! This SERIES. Definitely five stars. Okay, end rant 😉
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I absolutely loved this YA paranormal romance/urban fantasy! It is super cute, romantic and adorable.. The characters are very endearing..
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This was a really good, imaginative story. The eBook cover is what caused me to slow down and read the book information. It was just so beautiful, that I have to mention it. The main characters were good with both being very determined “people”. The world-building was excellent and so was the dangers that they were faced with.
I liked how Crysta showed how difficult things had been for her until this time. She never really fit in and was always just the weird one. Even though the new information she was getting was so hard for her to believe, it also explained a few things too. Things definitely just got weirder for her but then everything that Jareth knew just got upended too.
A surprising confrontation causes a H.E.A. for now ending. But it looks like there are more books to this story if you want to see what else happens for and to this couple next.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from Booksprout. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Originally posted on Tales to Tide You Over: https://margaretmcgaffeyfisk.com/category/reviews/
I chose this fantasy romance because I wanted a quick, easy read. There is more to this story than I expected, however. We get a fun, fated-mates romance with language and goal clashes even as the main characters work toward acceptance of their link, something Crysta struggles with more than Jareth. There’s a mystery in who Crysta is and why Jareth was sent to her, while her history brings up important questions of belonging and conformity.
The story begins with a fae assassin appearing in Crysta’s apartment. Though he announces he’s come to kill her, she fails to react as he expects. She redefines his honorable task as murder and shows no fear. On her side of the picture, she’s thrown by her attraction and his politeness, but hides her confusion behind a tough exterior. Her reactions to Jareth are pointed and immediate, and the opposite to what the situation requires. It’s a good start and a promise the rest of the book fills nicely.
Crysta’s voice is a fun mix of sarcasm and sweetness. She wants only to fit in, to be loved. Still, she’s built up many walls to protect against the hurt she’s come to expect. Her background allows the book to look at issues of consent and abuse through how she reacts and mentions of her history. The foster care system is not favorably described.
She comes across as older than her biological seventeen years at times, a sign of her rough childhood, but her frequent use of slang fits. The slang also provides for an ongoing hilarity between her and Jareth as his understanding of English is literal while slang most definitely is not. Her need to stand on her own makes for an important, and often amusing, conflict with Jareth. He is used to commanding rather than asking. He rarely expects to be rejected while she always expects to. Yet in this circumstance, those positions are reversed.
Jareth is an alpha in presence and skill. In personality, though, he’s much more aware of his whole being and accepting of his emotional drives, be they curiosity or attraction. This could have been a jarring combination, and yet it works. The balance between his abilities and his personality allows him to compromise when appropriate, something crucial around Crysta. He’s not perfect, or idealized, just a well-rounded character who is willing to consider the needs and opinions of others.
The book is written in two simultaneous voices: Crysta’s internal monologue and what’s happening outside of her head. It’s first person point of view, so this isn’t unusual, but it is well done. I could intuit things about the world and what was happening that even Crysta doesn’t recognize, and with no info dumping.
This is a book for the readers who find the main characters’ acceptance of the transition from our world into one filled with magic too easy in a lot of fantasy. While I figured out what was going on before Crysta, I did not question her need to find even extreme rationalizations rather than accepting a truth outside of human existence. Especially with her struggles to belong. It’s a weird place to be where I’m more open to the possibility of the fae than a fictional character, but there you have it. Humans are amazing in our ability to rationalize and come up with even far-fetched reasons for things rather than expand our view of the world or change our minds.
I appreciated the description of Crysta’s differences and how people reacted to her. She shares the experience of someone with a physical or psychological disability when trying to integrate into normal childhood. Her reactions are familiar as well as how she considers herself flawed and expects to be disappointed. That’s not the answer to her circumstances, but it doesn’t change the problems society’s message of conformity brings or soften the cruelty often faced by those who fail to blend in.
This was a delightful read with a mix of deeper issues and humor. It’s a fated-mates story, but they don’t let that truth stop them from getting to know each other before accepting their fate. The key story elements surround choices and sacrifice, and not just from one of them. I had some quibbles with the mystery, but it’s secondary to the love story and to Crysta coming to accept the truth. I enjoyed their interactions and watching them learn to love each other enough that figuring out the first part of the mystery early could not spoil my pleasure. We see their respect for each other maturing on the page. It’s built not just on words, but on actions.
The romance is well written. The contrast between her life and history when measured against what we pick up about the fae world offers a wealth of detail to make their lives intriguing. Both situational humor, and subtle messages about personal value and strength, make the book even more attractive. I picked My Fair Assassin up in a multi-author giveaway some time ago. I’m glad it caught my attention then and now.
This is my second book by the author. The first book had great writing but I wasn’t a huge fan of the love triangle going on. But I still had this in my assortment so I gave the author another go.
This one I liked better than the first book I read. But I guess I’m just not in a YA mood.
This had a bit of a different take on fairies. Maybe once I get into the YA mood I might continue on with the series. As of right now it’s on hold.
I started this book having zero expectations and knowledge of it (only knowing it being about faeries) and I can confidently say that C.J Anaya has surprised me once again, the first time being the second and third book of the Healer series. For being relatively unsung as an author she really do have the necessary talent and imagination to be deserving of the title. Although needing a bit of of polishing, this book proved as much.
I liked how the story started with being thrown in the action straight away. That’s what truly drew me in. I find that most books favor introductions, setting and character descriptions to take center stage in the first chapter. While I get why authors do that I usually find it rather underwhelming and makes the beginning slow paced. C.J Anaya however, knows how to catch the reader’s attention from page one by having the story playing out together with the introduction instead of after. Not only did it get me hooked, it also brought out the main character, Crysta’s, personality and quirks in a very unique way.
I got straight away what kind of character she was with her charming naivety, sarcastic or funny quips that consciously shadowed her insecurities. The fact that she used quips and humor to cushion her painful (albeit not so hidden) past is what really made her realistically complex and relatable. In turn it also complemented and brought out Jareth’s personality as well. I especially enjoyed his struggle of modern English slangs and culture. Together their different personalities played out in the relationship in a very interesting way.
The only complaint I had with them, which honestly wasn’t even that bad, was that Crysta felt a bit too angsty at times. She told Jareth of her insecurities and past for him to understand her, but at some scenes her telling him what she endured came out at random and it felt more like she was seeking for pity rather than understanding. Jareth on the other hand was very understanding and while that was good, it could turn to the point of him being a pushover, bending to her will, which frankly didn’t really work well with his royal title. Crysta was clearly the boss in their relationship and I had rather seen him take more space and opened up more about himself.
One thing I’ve noticed reading C.J Anaya’s books is that she is good at coming up with her own original plot, making her work one of a kind. Sure, there are plenty of YA faerie romance out there, but I have never read anything similar to this. Even though the story was a bit too simplistic, short and rushed which in turn sacrificed the depth, it was on its own a true page turner.
I am voluntarily reviewing a complimentary review copy of this book.