****Review copy received for an honest review.****

There is something undeniably addicting about Amanda Carlson's writing. Combine that with her new peppy lead, Phoebe Meadows, who is a new born Valkyrie and you've got a hit. Phoebe kind of reminds me of the FRIENDS Phoebe, not just because of the name but they both are quirky gals. Ones that I like. Though admittedly no one can be as quirky as the FRIENDS Phoebe and Phoebe Meadows is brighter.

I will say upfront that Struck reminds me a lot of Full Blooded. The plot, feel, and pacing is the same. Plot wise it's just shadowing, not copy and pasting. The feel is more like the flavor of an author's writing style, because Struck is admittedly more funny and lighthearted. Though there are plenty of dark elements and themes. Pacing is fast and a wild ride that Carlson is well known for.

Phoebe annoyed me at first, but she quickly grew on me. She's a book bestie now. As she ventures through the realms and comes into her powers I couldn't not like her! Phoebe is hilarious, fun, sweet, and genuine. She's not magically a bad ass. She fumbles, learns, and grows. Which, with the books I've been reading lately, is something I greatly appreciate.

The male love interest was pretty awesome. He's alpha and polite. Well most of the time. I had a few issues with some of his ideas about Phoebe and her blade. (Not some kind of pun.) I feel like Carlson didn't over do it. Fen is relatable and you understand what motivates his actions.

Struck, to me, has enough Urban Fantasy and Paranormal Romance elements to please fans of both. I love the quirkiness of the story and humor. Not to mention the mythology of the world is steeped in Norse lore, but has Carlson's own magic touches. Oh, my gosh! The characters. I won't spoil anything but I can't wait to meet other mythological creatures/beings of Norse lore. Finally I have a Valkyrie story to look forward to. For years I've been waiting for someone to write a book/series that I would like with Valkyries as leads. (I was starting to think that Valkyries were cursed/jinxed for me.) I look forward to the rest of the books in the Phoebe Meadows series. Not to mention the twists and turns of the plot! Yeah!

Sexual Content: Yeah, I'd say so. Sexual humor, talk about torture and rape. Nothing too scary.

4/5- Great! Really enjoyed it.

Originally posted at Book Whispers.

Full Review posted at Book Lovin' Mamas

The storyline of Struck is the most interesting part of the story, especially since Amanda is introducing it all to Phoebe and the readers at the same time. Phoebe is going to be one kick-butt character, even though she just got introduced to this new world. There’s no doubt about it Amanda Carlson always writes the most kick-butt and addicting characters ever, which is one of the main reasons why I’ve always enjoyed her books. Urban Fantasy is my first love and this series is definitely going to be one I will definitely enjoy a lot.

I give this book 4 stars and highly recommend it to Urban Fantasy readers out there.

*I received an ARC in exchange for my honest review.*

Amanda Carlson is an author I have previously liked due to her Jessica McClain urban fantasy series. When offered a chance to review her new book about a valkyrie, I was immediately intrigued. Mythology is one of my favorite things, so I didn’t think twice about accepting it. And let me tell you, there’s a reason you should always follow your bookish instincts.

The main character and aforementioned valkyrie was Phoebe. I really liked her, especially as she was completely new to the existence of valkyries and Norse mythology. Her entry into this new world was a bit overwhelming for her, and I was sympathetic right away. What I really liked about Phoebe was that she did her best to stand up for herself and what she believed in. Phoebe did start out the book a bit weak, but as she’d always believed she was just a normal woman, I understood it. I enjoyed watching Phoebe become stronger, though.

The most important side character was Phoebe’s love interest, Fenrir. I was very interested in what kind of character the author would make him, as he’s a wolf and the son of Loki. Well, I needn’t have worried. Being banished for hundreds of years, I felt bad for Fenrir and wanted to see him free. It helped that Fen was a strong fighter, and the relationship between he and Phoebe wasn’t too overly dramatic. It moved a bit fast due to Phoebe’s changing into a valkyrie, but I bought it. Other side characters included Ingrid, Phoebe’s neighbor who happened to be her aunt, much to Phoebe’s surprise. There was also Phoebe’s best friend Sam, who had some interesting developments near the end of the book.

The plot followed Phoebe as she became a valkyrie. She started out the story running away from New York City with Ingrid, as she was being hunted by various creatures. This was because Phoebe was the daughter of Odin and a valkyrie, which was forbidden. However, as she and Ingrid began to leave, Phoebe got kidnapped. Through some pretty intense circumstances, Phoebe ended up in the world Fenrir was banished to, where they worked together to escape. The story was fast-paced and interesting. I definitely had a hard time putting it down. A lot of plot elements were left open, but as this is the first book in a series, I definitely can’t wait to check out the others.

If you like urban fantasy with lots of mythology, definitely check out this book. There was action, a nice romance, and some good friendships. Phoebe was a compelling main character just trying to survive in this new world, while still being herself. All of that combined to make for a really good story, and I’m excited to see where the series goes next.

...and drama.

My review and an extended sample of the audiobook are posted at Hotlistens.com.

I’ve been a fan of Amanda Carlson’s since I read the first Jessica McClain book several years ago. I was really excited to hear that she had a new series coming out and it was based on Norse Mythology. This is a section of paranormal that I’m not extremely familiar with, but I’ve been enjoying the stories that I’ve read based on this mythology.

So here we have Phoebe who has always thought of herself as a pretty normal person. She is fairly new to New York City. She is making her way working in the shoe department of Macy’s. That is until one day she is struck by lightning. Well, she didn’t realize it was lightning at first, because how do you get struck by lightning in the middle of a building. It isn’t until she gets home and finds an extremely large raven in his apartment and her neighbor busts in, wearing really weird clothes and talking about things that couldn’t possibly be real, that things start to really get weird for Phoebe.

Phoebe has a really difficult time dealing with this change in her life. This makes it difficult for the people around her to really save her. She is whisked away to another realm where she continues to meet more people who are going to be a large part of her new life and help her along the way.

I’m having a hard time deciding how I want to rate this story. I liked the characters. The plot was fast paced and exciting, which is something I knew I would get from Amanda Carlson. Her stories are almost too fast paced at times. The romance between Fen and Phoebe was extremely quick and not well developed. I think this series has promise, but felt that this story could’ve used a little more depth. I also felt like somethings just worked out too easily for Phoebe and her friends. There were obstacles, but they were easily solved and moved on to the next one. I would like to see things not be quite so easy for her in the future.

Narration
I enjoyed Emma Wilder’s narration. I had not listened to her before this book, but I would listen to her again. I thought did a good job with males and females. Each character had a distinct voice. I thought her pacing was perfect for this fast paced story. I would try her again.

**I like to thank the author for providing me with a copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

I think I could use a good refresher on mythology. I got so I understood most of what was going on and who the opposing parties were.

Phoebe is just plucked from her life as a shoe salesperson and dropped into a world of mythology that all turns out to be true. Luckily (maybe), she is dropped into one of the Nine Worlds where she found a guide to help her through the madness.

The depth of description of the torture and fighting had me cringing in pain. I don't know if Phoebe's new powers made her torture even worse than it could have been. How she survives what she is put through proves that she is definitely gaining the powers of a Valkrie. I'm getting the shivers just thinking of the torture. The descriptions were so vivid. It made Phoebe's travels even more intense as you don't want to see her go through that kind of pain again.

The characters of STRUCK keep you running at a fast pace. There is not much down time and putting the book down is nearly impossible. You just don't know what the gang is going to run into next and who they are going to meet. The world building was done very quickly so you had to make sure to pick up everything that was going on. I found that a little difficult as the names of things were very hard to get my head around. Another reason I need a mythology update.

The character's acceptance of their new world was a little quick, but you did not get time to dwell on it. I was particularly amazed at Sam's reaction. I do totally love her character and her fascination with Tyr.

I think Amanda Carlson did a great job taking the mythological world and building this fun story around those characters. It will be exciting to move onto the next book in the series now that Phoebe is going to be a little more familiar with her new world.This review was originally posted on Rantings of a Reading Addict

I like the ideas behind this book. The plot could be really cool, and parts of it were pretty good, but the main character (Phoebe) was just the worst. I get that the hero has to be a little shocked/out of sorts when they first discover they're magical or whatever, but this girl was ridiculous. She was SO whiny and illogical, really just downright pathetic most of the time. We go at breakneck speed from one disaster to another with barely any time to develop character growth, relationships, and plot developments and Phoebe is clueless, whiny, and bratty up until the end. I found the supporting characters to be much more interesting. I listened to the Chirp audiobook and the narrator did a good job, but it really highlighted how annoying Phoebe was. It might not be as heavy-hitting when read for yourself.

INITIAL THOUGHTS
I have read quite a lot of books by Amanda Carlson, such as Bks 1,3 & 5 in the Sin City Collectors Series which is co-written with Kristen Painter as well as Bks 0.5 through to Bk 5 in Amanda's Jessica McClain Series which I admit to being totally besotted with since reading Blooded. So I do have high expectations as I approach reading Struck. One of the immediate questions I have is will Phoebe Meadows be as kick butt as Jessica McClain? I'm hoping so. Looking forward to discovering a new character & series. I also haven't read about a Valkyrie before either.

THOUGHTS WHILST READING
15% - I don't normally like reading mythology and Gods but I can feel this book pulling me in already!
34% - Phoebe is quickly learning to kick butt! A great new character from Amanda Carlson.
49% - Ooo my! the hot Fenrir, Loki's son #bookcrush #bookboyfriend and the innocent new to being a Valkyrie Phoebe, Odin's daughter are getting rather steamy!
55% - Should Fenrir and Phoebe be placing so much trust in the snakes?
60% - I am really hating having to put this one down to go to sleep! Lots of action, danger, mythology, gods, demons, monsters, a newbie Valkyrie and a little romance thrown in with Fenrir, the son of Loki."

REVIEW
I was fortunate enough to be offered a free e-arc of Struck in exchange for my honest review.
The cover features a young woman who upon reading the book you find out is Phoebe Meadows. Phoebe seems to be being struck by lightning, yet at the same time she appears to be controlling it too. There is also a large bird on the cover who is an important character from within the book. I love the font and format of the book title, series title and the Authors name appears boldly on the cover but at the same time compliments the cover rather than dominating it. There is also a byline which says "Lightning is about to strike twice. . ." which pertains to things that happen within the book as well as fitting well with the title of of the book too. So would this cover alone make me pick this book up from a book store shelf? Yes, just the cover would have me taking it from the shelf to learn more about it. Of course as an Amanda Carlson fan I would always pick up any book written by her to investigate it further.
The main character in the book is Phoebe Meadows, and we first meet her whilst she is working in her local Macy's shoe department. Phoebe has gone in search of a certain pair of shoes for a customer, then there is some sort of "sonic boom" and she is struck (hence the title) and blacks out amidst a pile of shoes! That is the moment Phoebe's life changes, though she isn't yet aware of it. Phoebe returns to her small apartment, to find a large black bird in it! A woman called Ingrid who Phoebe initially believed was a just a friendly neighbour turns out to be a Shieldmaiden/Valkyrie who is actually quite closely related to Phoebe. Ingrid does try to help Phoebe and reveal's who her real parents are. Phoebe can hardly believe that she is the offspring of a union between a God and a Sheildmaiden. (see I am trying not to reveal too much ere which is difficult when I just want to rave about the book!). Ingrid informs Phoebe that the large bird, called Hugin has been sent by her father to warn that danger is coming! Ingrid explains that other supernatural beings in different realms who wish to harm Phoebe. Ingrid goes on to say they need to travel as quickly as possible to the safety of the Valkyrie stronghold Phoebe learns if she is caught by the Norns they will either send her to one of the Nine Worlds or even kill her. To say it's a lot for Phoebe to take in is an understatement! In fact it takes a mixture coaxing, scaring and bullying to finally make Phoebe agree to go with Ingrid even though at this early stage she is still finding the whole story somewhat unbelievable. The two women set off on what will be a long arduous, possibly dangerous journey to the Valkyrie stronghold. Ingrid hands a knife that she refers to as Gram to Phoebe, informing her that her father sent it for her to defend herself with if attacked.
I have to say that Amanda Carlson really keeps your attention from the first words on the first page to the last words on the last page. There is lots of detail and scene setting throughout the whole book. You can read what may seem to be an insignificant piece of information at first but then later in the book all becomes clear.
This book contains many different supernatural elements, there's the mythology of the Gods and all their disagreements with both each other and the other supernaturals such as other shieldmaidens, valkyries, norns sutyrs, and ettings. Then there's also the shifter element of Loki's son Fenrir, and his powers, and banishment . . I loved how Phoebe's parentage and siblings are revealed to her, and I think her romance with Fenrir is a great part of the book too. I am wondering what will happen when her father finds out about it. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and am eagerly awaiting the next book as I have so many questions and so many possible scenario's spinning around in my head. For the future romantic parts of the book, I'm thinking there may be a promising future romance between Sam and Tyr.. . .then there's the steam and sizzling relationship between Phoebe and Fenrir. After reading the sneak peek of book two that is revealed at the end of this book, I am highly anticipating the training that Phoebe will have to undergo, which I can imagine will be both informative, interesting and humourous to read. I'm looking forward to learning more about and hopefully "meeting" Phoebe's parents and other siblings. Another question that sprung to my mind was I wonder if Phoebe & Jessica will ever cross paths?
So did I enjoy reading Struck? Yes, as I have said in my review I enjoyed reading this book from the first word to the last. Oh and I loved the sneak peek at book two.
Would I recommend reading this book? Yes, if you love mythology, or even if you are like me and don't know much about the subject its a really great read.
Would I want to read another book in the Phoebe Meadows Series? Yes! It was rather cruel and sneaky of Amanda giving a sneak peek of book two. . . and now I'm wanting even more now!
Would I want to read other titles by Amanda Carlson? I already have read other titles by Amanda. I am also looking forward to more of the Jessica McClain Series.

FINAL THOUGHTS
Wow another fantastic kick butt female from Amanda Carlson! In my opinion this book is a promising start to yet another brilliant series by Amanda Carlson. I highly recommend reading this one. When can I read more?

ARC

Struck begins when Phoebe ends up getting "struck" by lightning in a department store. She has no idea how that's possible, or what actually happened but she just wants to go home. However, her neighbor Ingrid decides Phoebe must run away because someone is after, and apparently she is a Valkyrie. Phoebe doesn't know what to do, but once she's kidnapped things get even worse, now she must have Fenrir help her on her journey through this new world.

Struck was a very interesting read. It had a very good plot line, although the end was kind of frustrating. It ties in mythology with some twists and turns along the way. It was a very fast paced book with some romance, and a lot of action.

However, the thing that frustrated me the most was how disbelieving Phoebe was. I really hated how she handed things in the beginning. And I also disliked how there was kind of a little bit of insta love. Other than that this book was very enjoyable and I liked it.

Full Review posted at Book Lovin' Mamas

The storyline of Struck is the most interesting part of the story, especially since Amanda is introducing it all to Phoebe and the readers at the same time. Phoebe is going to be one kick-butt character, even though she just got introduced to this new world. There’s no doubt about it Amanda Carlson always writes the most kick-butt and addicting characters ever, which is one of the main reasons why I’ve always enjoyed her books. Urban Fantasy is my first love and this series is definitely going to be one I will definitely enjoy a lot.

I give this book 4 stars and highly recommend it to Urban Fantasy readers out there.