Okay…first of all, I am going to do my best to not include spoilers.
It’s New Years Eve and Katie is ready for a change…and a kiss. Who would be the lucky guy? She is torn between Ranger and Pete. Who are you rooting for? I am Team Ranger. I love a little bit of the bad boy. Besides, when they fall, the fall hard!
The Academy…everything has good and bad, but I struggle to find the good. Things are not as they seem.
The characters grown and change, developing more depth as they are put into situations that are beyond their control.
Katie is caught in the middle, pulled in opposite directions. She is so young and naive, inexperienced. I love watching her learn life’s lessons and I do feel frustrated with how easily I feel she is being manipulated.
Completely flipped…and…I am very leery and afraid for her. AND…curious about where we will go next. Don’t think you know where we are going is easy, cut and dried, because C J Daly has so many twists, turns and questions that make me want MORE.
I will be up front. I don’t know who will win out in the love department, Ranger or Pete, but I am Team Ranger. There’s something about Pete I don’t like, don’t trust. Is it love, obsession, possession?
I had a good idea how Cap and Gown would end, seeing we have so much more of the story to be told. Warning…once you start you won’t want to quit, so be ready for many hours and thousand of pages, of love, hope, despair, duty….
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Cap and Gown by C J Daly.
4 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
Katie Connelly is nineteen years old but feels like she’s been fighting for survival forever.
When Officer Ranger Nealson offers her a lifeline at The Academy, she snatches it with both hands. But she soon realizes that her lifeline might not be enough to keep her afloat and that her mentor might have ulterior motives. She wouldn’t be willing to compromise her principles if it wasn’t for one small thing–her brother Mikey. Her all-encompassing promise to her mother to protect her brothers causes her to forge forward with Ranger’s master plan. After all, this is likely the best deal she would get at The Academy, and she and Mikey need all the help they can get to survive in this cutthroat world.
But during the course of her training, Kate can’t help but long for a different elite cadet. Where is Pete Davenport? He’s lost in the wind. Will he make an appearance before Kate marches into a destiny she’s not sure she wants? Much less can handle. Somewhere along this fast-forward march, Kate makes a major misstep that costs her biggest ally and forever changes the lives of everyone she’s trying to protect.
ABOUT C J DALY
CJ Daly grew up on the scrabbly plains of Eastern New Mexico. When she was supposed to be helping her six siblings with chores on the family ranch, she was really sneaking behind dusty haystacks to read. And dreaming about becoming a writer.
After graduating high
school, CJ moved to Big D, where she quickly put herself through college
while trying to rid herself of her country accent. She had better luck
with college, graduating magna cum laude with a degree in English
literature. After teaching a few years and pausing to have back-to-back
boys, she began writing in earnest.
A few years later, “The
Academy Saga” was born. It instantly earned a Readers’ Favorite 5-STAR
seal of approval and became an Amazon best seller.
Book Title: The Academy Saga by C.J. Daly Category: Adult Fiction (18 yrs +), 500 pages Genre: Suspense Romance Publisher: BrandyLight Ink Release date: September 2019 Content Rating: PG-13. My book has some adult themes, language, and a few slow-burn romance scenes.
“Unique, intense, and suspenseful. A story with compelling characters that pull you into the author’s world and keep you reading from beginning to end.
Intriguing start to a new series.” –New York Times Best Selling Author Jami Brumfield
“CJ has created an unforgettable story about a young woman caught up in a world of lies and deception. The Academy Saga is a page-turning read with a twist you may not see coming.”—Tony Jones, Executive Producer of My All American
“Wow wow wow! This book has it all. It’s extremely well written, the characters are amazing and the story is so intriguing that it pulls you in from the very first page. There’s tension, mystery chemistry and of course romance. I loved it! I would highly recommend this page turner!” — RATING: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ @abbi_reads_xx
Book Description:
Readers’ Favorite Suspense Romance
Kate Connelly should be careful what she wishes for.
Just seventeen, she already feels like she’s suffocating. Since her mother’s death, her father’s basically checked out, so she’s stuck raising her brothers by herself out in the New Mexico scrub. All Kate wants is a little distraction from the same-ole, same-ole that is her life.
When two mysterious guys show up at the diner where she works, she thinks her wish has come true, until they start giving her a hard time. Like her life isn’t hard enough. Something about them niggles her, but she
brushes it off. She’s never going to see them again anyway . . . right?
Then they appear in an alley one night to either rescue or kidnap her (she’s still not sure which) before disappearing like figments of her imagination.
Kate decides to put the bizarre encounters out of her mind. She has bigger problems to worry about: like that elite
military academy that’s been pursuing her gifted little brother. When one of their cadets shows up at her high school, he creates instant pandemonium. And just happens to be one of those mysterious guys. Coincidence? Mama said there’s no such thing. And to always trust her instinct. But that might be kind of hard, because every time she’s around Cadet Peter Davenport, her gut starts flip-flopping on her. And her heart.
Can Kate keep it together long enough to stop Cadet Davenport’s mission? She’s about to find out. And—once again—how neatly life can be split into before and after.
Book Title: The Academy Saga: Cadet-in-Training by C.J. Daly Category: Adult Fiction (18 yrs +), 441 pages Genre: Suspense Romance Publisher: BrandyLight Ink Content Rating: PG-13. My book has some adult themes, language, and a few slow-burn romance scenes.
MY REVIEW
After reading Book I, I could hardly wait to begin Cadet In Training by C J Daly. which picks up where Academy Saga left off.
They use sweet little Mikey to keep Kate in check, but I have a feeling about her. When or how it will change, I don’t know, but she is the mama grizzly bear when it comes to her family and I don’t see her backing down. She is naive, innocent, too trusting, easily manipulated, headstrong, determined, devoted to Mikey.
The Academy is not like an military academy I have ever heard of, and, like her, I am very suspicious of what they are really up to. Pete has been gone for a some time, and Ranger is her trainer. He is a cruel taskmaster…and there is a story there.
“…when I slowed down to breathe, the air smelled foul.” I feel the same way as Kate.
She is independent and Ranger does everything he can to break her. She fought like a hellcat, but she knew she had to change.
Mikey, I love the way C J writes this character. Her fabulous writing makes me smile. I can hear his words and see his actions.
I love Ranger. He walks that like of bad/good and adds a level of excitement for me that Pete can never do. He is intriguing as I try to figure out who he realllllly is. Would not have a dull moment with him.
The greater good…whenver I hear that I feel someone is about to be sacrificed. A life with purpose…or a slave to whatever the Academy deems. AND IT IS FOR LIFE!
Much of the books deals with school, learning and training, but the second half ramps up, hooking me for Book III
The epilogue…WHAT…WHAT…It blew my mind. I didn’t see that coming…and I am sooooo curious how it will play out.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Cadet In Training by C J Daly.
4 Stars
ABOUT THE BOOK
>“Absolutely ADDICTING! CJ Daly does it again and delivers a story YOU CAN’T PUT DOWN! Edge of your seat GREATNESS! I was completely hooked into this story. I couldn’t turn the
pages fast enough. The Cadet in Training was such a phenomenal escape. With characters that fly off the pages, you become immersed! CJ Daly has stunning story telling skills! I’m still sitting here, like what did I just read and why is it over! Agh! I can’t wait for book 3!!! #theacademysaga is going down as one my absolute favorites! #TeamPete! All the stars! I’m ready to read this one again!” RATING: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ @elizabeth.ness.56
Book Description:
Another Readers’ Favorite 5-STAR Suspense Romance. Begin the journey today.
Kate’s destiny has been determined for her.
Hidden out in the country for most her life, Kate Connelly suddenly wakes up, handcuffed to a hospital bed, in the psyche ward of The Academy. Her crime? Being “gifted.” And it’s Officer “Ranger” Nealson’s job to make her adhere to The Academy’s agenda for her. Even though he’s the one who drugged and dragged her in. Kate’s hate for Ranger, and his academy, is at an all-time high. Ranger has his work cut out for him . . . and Kate does too. She has to fight through the rigors of the Cadet-in-Training program, and quickly. If not, she’ll lose the one privilege she’s been given at The Academy—access to her precious little brother.
And until she graduates from the CIT program, Officer Nealson is banned from Missions. When General Weston finally offers a juicy recon to Ranger, he wants to jump at the chance to prove himself again. After all,
catching bad guys is his thing. Almost all pros for doing it. One con—Cadet Connelly has to ride along.
The hardened officer finds he’s slowly been growing a soft spot for his mentee. But he’s determined not to end up like his father, and former Elite Cadet Pete Davenport—throwing away their career for a girl (not even a woman). And Kate has lingering feelings for Pete, who risked his life to warn her, and conflicting feelings for Ranger. She has to set both aside to focus on completing her first mission.
When the dust settles, old alliances are broken and new ones are formed. But one thing remains the same: Kate’s destiny has been determined for her by The Academy. Ready or not . . . she’s set for Missions. Will one of the former elite cadets step in to help change her fate, or will she be left to fight the
Academy’s agenda alone?
CJ Daly grew up on the scrabbly plains of Eastern New Mexico. When she was supposed to be helping her six siblings with chores on the family ranch, she was really sneaking behind dusty haystacks to read. And dreaming about becoming a writer.
After graduating high school, CJ moved to Big D, where she quickly put herself through college while trying to rid herself of her country accent. She had better luck with college, graduating magna cum laude with a degree in English literature. After teaching a few years and pausing to have back-to-back boys, she began writing in earnest.
A few years later, “The Academy Saga” was born. It instantly earned a Readers’ Favorite 5-STAR seal of approval and became an Amazon best seller.
Book Title: The Academy Saga by C.J. Daly Category: Adult Fiction (18 yrs +), 500 pages Genre: Suspense Romance Publisher: BrandyLight Ink Release date: September 2019 Content Rating: PG-13. My book has some adult themes, language, and a few slow-burn romance scenes.
MY REVIEW
Since her mother’s death, she had become the mother. She had kept them home, isolated and, in her mind, protected. Why did her mother stress the importance of staying under the radar. From what? Or more importantly, who?
She isn”t paranoid…someone is watching them.
Out in the boondocks, short of funds, she does the best she can, picking up a few bucks working weekends at the diner. Her dad…had pretty much left them to their own devices. He doesn’t physically abuse them, but….
The dialogue is lively and at times I found myself cracking up, laughing out loud. Two chapters stand out, Chapter 8 and Chapter 9.
I love the kids: Kate, who is 16, Andrew, who is 8, and Mikey, who is 5. I can hear Mikey’s voice as I read along, filling me with smiles. I think it would be fun to hear a narrator try to match the voice in my head.
Kate has great instincts and is very leery of what is happening since Pete and Ranger have come into their lives. I feel her frustration and her desperate attempt to save her brother, Andrew, from something she sense is evil, something so wrong she will lose him forever.
Tension and anticipation abound as I try to figure out what is Pete’s end goal. Why do they want Andrew so badly. What makes him different? Is he good? Bad?
I love a slow burning romance.
The Academy Saga by C J Daly has fabulous characters, with Kate, Andrew , Mikey and Pete being the stars. The dialogue is wonderful, with Mikey being the standout for me. It is way past adorable.
Lock the doors and disable the phone. Once you start, I feel you won’t want to stop. So much is going on with an underlying current of evil and suspense. Set aside a lot of time. The 500 page paperback left me with sore arms and blurry eyes, because I didn’t want to stop…though I did have to…until the last word was read. The buildup to the end of Book I leaves me eager and happy to know I have Book II ready and waiting to be read.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of The Academy by C J Daly.
4 Stars
ABOUT THE BOOK
“Unique, intense, and suspenseful. A story with compelling characters that pull you into the author’s world and keep you reading from beginning to end. Intriguing start to a new series.” –New York Times Best Selling Author Jami Brumfield
“CJ has created an unforgettable story about a young woman caught up in a world of lies and deception. The Academy Saga is a page-turning read with a twist you may not see coming.”—Tony Jones, Executive Producer of My All American
“Wow wow wow! This book has it all. It’s extremely well written, the characters are amazing and the story is so intriguing that it pulls you in from the very first page. There’s tension, mystery chemistry and of course romance. I loved it! I would highly recommend this page turner!” — RATING: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ @abbi_reads_xx
Book Description:
Readers’ Favorite Suspense Romance
Kate Connelly should be careful what she wishes for.
Just seventeen, she already feels like she’s suffocating. Since her mother’s death, her father’s basically checked out, so she’s stuck raising her brothers by herself out in the New Mexico scrub. All Kate wants is a little distraction from the same-ole, same-ole that is her life.
When two mysterious guys show up at the diner where she works, she thinks her wish has come true, until they start giving her a hard time. Like her life isn’t hard enough. Something about them niggles her, but she brushes it off. She’s never going to see them again anyway . . . right?
Then they appear in an alley one night to either rescue or kidnap her (she’s still not sure which) before disappearing like figments of her imagination.
Kate decides to put the bizarre encounters out of her mind. She has bigger problems to worry about: like that elite military academy that’s been pursuing her gifted little brother. When one of their cadets shows up at her high school, he creates instant pandemonium. And just happens to be one of those mysterious guys. Coincidence? Mama said there’s no such thing. And to always trust her instinct. But that might be kind of hard, because every time she’s around Cadet Peter Davenport, her gut starts flip-flopping on her. And her heart.
Can Kate keep it together long enough to stop Cadet Davenport’s mission? She’s about to find out. And—once again—how neatly life can be split into before and after.
Book Title: The Academy Saga: Cadet-in-Training by C.J. Daly Category: Adult Fiction (18 yrs +), 441 pages Genre: Suspense Romance Publisher: BrandyLight Ink Content Rating: PG-13. My book has some adult themes, language, and a few slow-burn romance scenes.
“Absolutely ADDICTING! CJ Daly does it again and delivers a story YOU CAN’T PUT DOWN! Edge of your seat GREATNESS! I was completely hooked into this story. I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough. The Cadet in Training was such a phenomenal escape. With characters that fly off the pages, you become immersed! CJ Daly has stunning story telling skills! I’m still sitting here, like what did I just read and why is it over! Agh! I can’t wait for book 3!!! #theacademysaga is going down as one my absolute favorites! #TeamPete! All the stars! I’m ready to read this one again!” RATING: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ @elizabeth.ness.56
Book Description:
Another Readers’ Favorite 5-STAR Suspense Romance. Begin the journey today.
Kate’s destiny has been determined for her.
Hidden out in the country for most her life, Kate Connelly suddenly wakes up, handcuffed to a hospital bed, in the psyche ward of The Academy. Her crime? Being “gifted.” And it’s Officer “Ranger” Nealson’s job to make her adhere to The Academy’s agenda for her. Even though he’s the one who drugged and dragged her in. Kate’s hate for Ranger, and his academy, is at an all-time high. Ranger has his work cut out for him . . . and Kate does too. She has to fight through the rigors of the Cadet-in-Training program, and quickly. If not, she’ll lose the one privilege she’s been given at The Academy—access to her precious little brother.
And until she graduates from the CIT program, Officer Nealson is banned from Missions. When General Weston finally offers a juicy recon to Ranger, he wants to jump at the chance to prove himself again. After all, catching bad guys is his thing. Almost all pros for doing it. One con—Cadet Connelly has to ride along.
The hardened officer finds he’s slowly been growing a soft spot for his mentee. But he’s determined not to end up like his father, and former Elite Cadet Pete Davenport—throwing away their career for a girl (not even a woman). And Kate has lingering feelings for Pete, who risked his life to warn her, and conflicting feelings for Ranger. She has to set both aside to focus on completing her first mission.
When the dust settles, old alliances are broken and new ones are formed. But one thing remains the same: Kate’s destiny has been determined for her by The Academy. Ready or not . . . she’s set for Missions. Will one of the former elite cadets step in to help change her fate, or will she be left to fight the Academy’s agenda alone?
CJ Daly grew up on the scrabbly plains of Eastern New Mexico. When she was supposed to be helping her six siblings with chores on the family ranch, she was really sneaking behind dusty haystacks to read. And dreaming about becoming a writer.
After graduating high school, CJ moved to Big D, where she quickly put herself through college while trying to rid herself of her country accent. She had better luck with college, graduating magna cum laude with a degree in English literature. After teaching a few years and pausing to have back-to-back boys, she began writing in earnest.
A few years later, “The Academy Saga” was born. It instantly earned a Readers’ Favorite 5-STAR seal of approval and became an Amazon best seller.
