Understanding Shae's Story

Blog Tour: Giveaway + Review of Sia by Josh Grayson

2013-11-29T12:59:00.000-05:00

When seventeen-year-old Sia wakes up on a park bench, she has no idea who or where she is. Yet after a week of being homeless, she’s reunited with her family. At school, she’s powerful and popular. At home, she’s wealthy beyond her dreams. But she quickly realizes her perfect life is a lie. Her family is falling apart and her friends are snobby, cruel and plastic. Worse yet, she discovers she was the cruelest one. Mortified by her past, she embarks on a journey of redemption and falls for Kyle, the “geek” she once tormented. Yet all the time she wonders if, when her memories return, she’ll become the bully she was before…and if she’ll lose Kyle.

First off, I absolutely adore the cover of this novel. It's exquisite and pristine-looking, without being boring.

Sia is centered around a 17-year old girl from Beverley Hills, California named Sia Holloway. Since she was born, Sia has had an extremely lavish upbringing, seeing as her father is a famous Hollywood director, and her mother is a former supermodel. Thus, she has never struggled when it came to obtaining the things that she wanted in life.

Unfortunately though, she is not a nice girl. In the past, she has found sick pleasure in torturing other, less popular, students from her school and is venomous to everyone that she sees as being beneath her. Her social circle is much the same way - her best friends are both mean cheerleaders who turns their noses up at almost anything, and her boyfriend, Duke, is a football player with an eye for bullying as well.

When Sia wakes up in a random park, having no recollection of who she is and how she got there, her entire world turns upside down when she realizes how evil of a person she was in her previous life. Energized with a completely new purpose, Sia becomes obsessed with righting the wrongs that she has done to other people, including a certain, dorky boy that she used to pick on and now has a crush on.

I found this book to be quick and brief yet still entertaining to read. I liked that by the end of the novel, Sia was able to convince her two best friends, Amber and Stacy (both of whom used to be just as evil as she was) to be nicer and less self-involved.

However, the main thing that I didn't like about this novel is that it seemed a bit 2-dimensional. I felt like I was simply viewing Sia's story from the outside, instead of being thoroughly affected or touched by it. It's important for the reader to feel a connection with the story and the characters because then it's more unforgettable and meaningful to them. But with Sia, I felt like I was just seeing Sia's story as oppose to being inside her mind and being in the story.

Buy Links:

Amazon I Barnes and Noble I Kobo

About the Author:

Josh Grayson was born in Mexico, raised in Massachusetts, and now lives in Martinsville, Virginia. It was his move to the South that stirred his imagination and gave him the courage to start writing. During his free time, Josh enjoys reading, jogging, swimming, and watching YouTube videos.Josh currently works as a medical driver, shuttling people all over Virginia and North Carolina. He has also worked as a machinist, film sales rep, administrative assistant, and telemarketer (he apologizes if he called you). Sia is his debut YA novel.

Website I Goodreads I Twitter I Facebook

Giveaway:

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Review: Torn by K.A. Robinson

2013-11-26T16:50:00.000-05:00

Chloe hasn't had the best life. With a mother who is gone more often than not, she has had to raise herself. After graduating high school, she leaves to start a new life away at West Virginia University with her best friends Amber and Logan, determined to leave her demons in the past.

On her first day, she meets a stranger who takes her breath away at first sight. Until she met Drake, no one had ever sparked her interest. Now this tattooed and pierced bad boy is all she can think about, no matter how hard she fights it.

Falling for Drake was never part of her plans, but when it happens, things seem to do anything but fall into place.

Dealing with a tragic past, Drake has never cared about anyone else but himself and his band. But when Chloe takes the empty seat next to him in class, things start to change. Instantly drawn to her, he begins to wonder if one girl can take a cold hearted womanizer and change every part of him?

This book took me less than 24 hours to finish, and I read all of it in one sitting.

Torn revolves around West Virginia University freshman Chloe, who's just beginning a fresh start with her two best friends, Logan and Amber. She traveled far away from her old home for the sole purpose of escaping her old life, which consisted of an abusive and neglectful mother who left Chloe with more than just physical scars but also psychological ones.

With her waist-length hair, tough black yet laid-back clothing, and no-makeup preferences, Chloe is a natural beauty all her own without trying too hard to impress anyone. This doesn't stop the bad boy on campus, Drake Allen - lead singer of a rock band titled Breaking the Hunger - from noticing her and becoming transfixed on her beauty. Because he sports tattoos, long dark hair, and piercings, every girl on campus is attracted to him, and he notices. Drake is the ultimate womanizer. Now, this isn't to say that he's a terrible person with a bad personality; he just really appreciates women and has never had an interest in staying tied down to just one lady.

Once befriending the beautiful rocker chick, Chloe, he begins to think that his whorish ways can be altered a bit. Chloe, on the other hand, is absolutely attracted to Drake as well, but then also finds out that her best friend of several years, Logan, has loved her for many of those years.

After a series of misguided actions and selfish affairs, Chloe finds herself in the midst of having two extremely attractive boys loving her dearly.

This book pissed me off so much! This isn't to say that it wasn't entertaining, or that I didn't enjoy reading it. I was just frustrated by Chloe more than I'd like to admit. She was a whore, to put it simply. She would sleep with Drake one day and then two weeks later she would sleep with Logan. Afterwards, she would retreat to her dorm room and cry about how terrible of a person she was. You knew you were being terrible while you were doing the horizontal tangle, why didn't you just stop?!?!

I did, however, really like Drake and Logan separately for different reasons. Drake was a womanizer, yes, but at least he was always straight up with his affairs. He never led people on (*cough* unlike Chloe); he never played with people's affections, and most importantly, he was just honest with everyone. Logan, conversely, was the complete opposite. He was never a selfish human being (*cough* unlike Chloe); he was especially kind, and he was always truthful in his feelings.

These boys were great, and I personally thought that neither deserved to be with someone like Chloe - I thought they deserved way better. Now, here is where I contradict myself completely... Even though, I have ragged on Chloe all throughout this review, I am still probably going to read Twisted, the next installment in this series, just to see what stupid mistakes she'll make next. This book is almost exactly like a soap opera - you feel disgraceful and despicable for being entertained by it, but you can't make yourself look away.

3.5 TARGETS!

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an ebook version of this book to read and review!

Review: Lover Enshrined (BDB, #6) by J.R. Ward

2013-11-24T19:23:00.000-05:00

Fiercely loyal to the Black Dagger Brotherhood, Phury has sacrificed himself for the good of the race, becoming the male responsible for keeping the Brotherhood's bloodlines alive. As Primale of the Chosen, he is obligated to father the sons and daughters who will ensure that the traditions of the race survive, and that there are warriors to fight those who want all vampires extinguished.

As his first mate, the Chosen Cormia wants to win not only his body, but his heart for herself. She is drawn to the noble responsibility behind the emotionally scarred male. But Phury has never allowed himself to know pleasure or joy. As the war with the Lessening Society grows grim, tragedy looms over the Brotherhood's mansion, and Phury must decide between duty and love....

After finishing the 6th installment, I really feel as though I'm apart of the Black Dagger Brotherhood world! Like... it's completely engulfed me! Lover Enshrined is mostly about Phury, who is Zsadist's twin brother except he possesses a savior's complex. He feels as though it's his responsibility to save and give a helping hand to everyone else, except for himself. Cormia, his love interest, describes him as:

"With his mane of multicolored hair, and his yellow eyes, and his silky, low voice, he was a spectacular male in his mating prime. But that wasn't what really compelled her. He was the epitome of all that she knew to be of worth: He was focused always on others, never on himself. At the dinner table, he was the one who inquired after each and every person, following up about injuries and stomach upsets and anxieties large and small. He never demanded any attention for himself. Never drew the conversation to something of his. Was endlessly supportive."

Initially, we learn about his willingness to help others in Lover Revealed, which was Zsadist's story. Readers learn about how Phury lost his right leg to save his twin brother, and all the other sacrifices he's made for the people he cares for. Skip forward to this installment, Lover Enshrined, Phury has just volunteered to take Vishous' position as the Primale after he falls in love with his shellan, Jane.

As Primale, it's Phury's duty and sole responsibility to mate with countless Chosen to propagate the species:

Chosen (n.) Female vampires who have been bred to serve the Scribe Virgin. They have little or no interaction with males, but can be mated to Brothers at the Scribe Virgin's direction to propagate their class.

Because the Lessening Society has assassinated most of the Black Dagger Brotherhood members, leaving them down to single numbers, the race is in danger of becoming extinct and succumbing to the Lessers. This is where Cormia comes in. She is to serve as Phury's First Mate, which ultimately means that he will have to mate with her, impregnate her; she must produce a child, and the cycle continues on with another Chosen. But what the pair didn't count on is falling in love with one another.

Serving as a sub-plot in this installment is Phury's drug addiction. Because he's always there for others, he's constantly neglecting the needs of his own physical body and spiritual mind. He's never there for himself, and so he turns to abusing drugs and alcohol. This little addiction ends up spiraling out of control and causes him to jeopardize not only the longevity of his life, but also his job as a Brother, his relationship WITH his brothers, and his connection with Cormia!

So... a lot happens in this novel. J.R. Ward delves into Rehvenge's story a bit; Qhuinn, John, and Blaylock's story; and it's also revealed about the knowledge of the Omega's son and how he came into power as the Lessening Society's ruler!

The only reason this is 4.5 targets and not 5 is because I felt like because there were SO MANY SUB-PLOTS it took away from the MAIN PLOT, which should have been Phury and Cormia's story.

4.5 TARGETS!

Review: Native Son by Richard Wright

2013-10-31T01:14:00.001-04:00

Right from the start, Bigger Thomas had been headed for jail. It could have been for assault or petty larceny; by chance, it was for murder and rape. Native Son tells the story of this young black man caught in a downward spiral after he kills a young white woman in a brief moment of panic. Set in Chicago in the 1930s, Wright's powerful novel is an unsparing reflection on the poverty and feelings of hopelessness experienced by people in inner cities across the country and of what it means to be black in America.

Native Son revolves around a 19-year-old African American man named Bigger Thomas, who lives with his family in a one-bedroom apartment in the south side of Chicago in the 1930s. As the novel begins, Bigger is pressured by his mother to obtain a job to help financially support the family. The Daltons, a friendly, wealthy Caucasian family, decide to hire Bigger as a paid employee. His first responsibility is to chauffeur around the daughter, Mary Dalton, to her university. She forces Bigger to make a detour to pick up her boyfriend, Jan Erlone, who is a communist. When the pair return home, Mary is completely intoxicated after drinking with Jan. But by the end of the night, Bigger has accidentally murdered Mary Dalton by smothering her to death and puts her corpse in the home furnace, decapitating her in the process.

The entire novel was centered around the superficial fact that Bigger’s skin color determined everything in his life and future. Wright capitalized on the ways in which white’s supremacy over blacks had a negative effect on them and their behavioral tendencies. In Bigger’s case, because he was treated with suspicion and mistrust all his life, he ultimately ended up morphing into the character who fit the stereotype.

The mood of the novel was very sympathetic because Wright portrays Bigger as a victim of society. Although he violently murdered two women, the author attempts to force the reader to understand the situation from Bigger’s perspective, seeing that it is the only way he knew how to react.

I thought the novel was pretty good, despite the fact that I refused to feel any sympathy towards Bigger or his actions. Most of the scenes (even the murder scenes, which were gruesomely realistic and descriptive) had meaning and kept my interest. Therefore, although I liked the novel, I did not like Bigger.

3 TARGETS!

Blog Tour: Review of Stripped by Brenda Rothert

2013-10-11T04:35:00.000-04:00

Click for blog tour schedule

Abby Gillis is used to being called a promiscuous, uneducated whore. It’s all in a day’s work when you’re a stripper. Since her job allows her to support her siblings, 24-year-old Abby takes it all off in stride. She’s never had trouble keeping men at arm’s length – until she meets ER physician Chris Reneau, who is sexy, sweet and interested in more than what’s beneath her clothes. As their relationship unfolds, Abby becomes increasingly aware of the desire building in her for the first time, and of her yearning to be wanted by the one man who truly sees all of her.

Commitment-averse Chris finds himself in uncharted territory. He wants Abby, that’s clear, but he can’t accept not having all of her. As the distance between them erodes, he tries to convince Abby to give up stripping for a chance at something real.

As the two of them get closer, Abby realizes that truly baring it all has nothing to do with her body. Chris makes her feel more exposed than she ever has, and she has to grapple with what’s left when her notions about herself and those around her are stripped away, leaving only the naked truth.

Stripped has a pretty unique story line, which was initially what made me fascinated by the book. It seemed like a pretty easy yet romantic novel to read, and it was.

Stripped revolves around 24-year-old Abby Gillis, who is a part-time stripper. The reason she "dances" for a living is because she is the main provider in her family, which consists of two younger sisters, a younger brother, and a sick, recovering drug addict of a mother. So... she has a good reason for doing what she does. Then, one day in the club, she stumbles across a guy who she nicknames "Greek God."

This man is 32-year-old Chris Reneau, who not only has the face of an angel but also - a respectable job. He's a doctor. As you can imagine, it's difficult for Abby to believe that Chris wants anything other than sex from her, so she becomes guarded and wary around him. Despite her job occupation, Abby is quite shy with the opposite sex, probably because she's used to seeing... well, let's just say, less than respectable men at the club that she dances at. Over time though, she realizes that he is very different than any guy she's every met.

Stripped was an easy book to get absorbed in. The plot starts right at page 1, which is necessary for someone who has a similar attention span to me, or lack thereof I should say. The only thing I didn't like was the limited amount of description that was used in the novel. Certain events, physical appearances, emotional feelings - all of these things need to be discussed in detail. If they aren't, I - as a reader - will sort of feel like they didn't happen, or they aren't important.

3 TARGETS!

Cover Reveal: Push (The Game #2) by Eve Silver

2013-10-08T10:20:00.000-04:00

Push (The Game #2)

by Eve Silver

Release Date: 2014

Harper Teen

Book Summary:

It’s either break the rules or die.

Miki Jones lives her life by her own strict set of rules, to keep control, to keep the gray fog of grief at bay. Then she’s pulled into the Game, where she—and her team—will die unless she follows a new set of rules: those set by the mysterious Committee.

But rules don’t mean answers, and without answers, it’s hard to trust. People are dying. The rules are unraveling. And Miki knows she’s being watched, uncertain if it’s the Drau or someone—something—else. Forced to make impossible choices and battling to save those she loves, Miki begins to see the Committee in a glaring new light.

And then the Game crosses a new boundary, pushes harder into Miki’s and her friends’ lives, and there’s nothing in the rules that can save them now.

Push is the sequel Rush fans will be screaming for.

Pre-Order from:

Book One:

(linked to Goodreads)

Available from:

About the Author
Eve Silver lives with her gamer husband and sons, sometimes in Canada, but often in worlds she dreams up. She loves kayaking and sunshine, dogs and desserts, and books, lots and lots of books. Watch for the first book in Eve’s new teen series, THE GAME: RUSH, coming from Katherine Tegen Books, June 2013. She also writes books for adults.

Author Links:

GIVEAWAY:

Harper Teen is offering an ARC of PUSH as the prize, which will be mailed to the winner early 2014, as soon as ARCs become available. (US and Canada only)

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Cover Reveal Organized by:

Follow Friday #19

2013-09-20T01:29:00.001-04:00

Feature & Follow is a weekly meme hosted by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read.

Q: What were some of your favorite picture books as a kid? If you have kids, what are your favorites to read to them?

When I was a child, I didn't enjoy reading at all. I thought it was the most boring activity to do in the entire world! Therefore, my list is extremely limited.

This book was everything I wanted my school to be like... wait, never mind! If I remember correctly, these kids were turned into apples by evil teachers!

Come on, who DIDN'T read Junie B. Jones as a kid?!

This was probably my favorite book as a child, which is not a good thing seeing as how twisted and abnormal it is.

Hehe this probably doesn't even count, but Pokemon was my all-time favorite show when I was younger. I still have my collection of pokemon cards to this day. I also still have all the books I collected pertaining to this show!

This is a classic in my opinion. It's an interesting tale of how a man was bullied my monkeys :)

That's all from me, folks. Leave a link to your post in the comments section and I'll stop by with a follow back!

Review: Lover Unbound (BDB, #5) by J.R. Ward [Such a bewitchingly tough love story!]

2013-09-15T15:31:00.003-04:00

Ruthless and brilliant, Vishous, son of the Bloodletter, possesses a destructive curse and a frightening ability to see the future. As a pretrans growing up in his father's war camp he was tormented and abused. As a member of the Brotherhood, he has no interest in love or emotion, only the battle with the Lessening Society. But when a mortal injury puts him in the care of human surgeon, Dr. Jane Whitcomb compels him to reveal his inner pain and taste true pleasure for the first time-until a destiny he didn't choose takes him into a future that cannot include her...

This series is just so ravishing!

Lover Unbound is all about Vishous, who is the most intellectual, technology savvy member of the Black Dagger Brotherhood. His damning quality is his right hand, which is completely covered with tattoos and obliterates/destroys anything and everything it comes into contact with; as well as his vision - Vishous has the ability to read people's minds and see into the future. This also means that he knows how he and his brothers will die; he just doesn't know the "When?" How horrific, right?

At six-feet-six, and descended of the great warrior known only as the Bloodletter, V was a massive male. With his blue-rimmed ice white irises, his jet-black hair, and his angular, cunning face, he might have been considered beautiful. But the goatee and the warning tattoos at his temple made him look evil.

His romantic partner goes by the title of Dr. Jane Whitcomb. That's right, folks! Vishous falls for an intelligent yet sexy doctor!

Turning his head, he saw a tall human woman with a short cap of blond hair. She wore rimless glasses, no makeup, no earrings. Her white coat read, JANE WHITCOMB, MD, CHIEF OF TRAUMA DIVISION in black cursive letters.

Since she is the chief of trauma, you can pretty much guess how the two love birds meet.

Jane is a hard-as-nails type of girl. She likes being the leader or the boss, and she's not afraid of confrontation - she thrives on it! Therefore, it makes sense that she is the only female in the world who is strong enough to stand up to a hardass like Vishous!

In this installment, we learn a lot of surprising things about V, both in his personality as well as in his past. We learn about his family (which will SHOCK the crap out of you!), we learn about his sexual preferences, as well as his sexual orientations.

Yes, that means the topic of bisexuality does come up, so if you don't like it, don't read this novel. It is very light, nothing overpowering. I thought that it was an amazing and realistic attribute to the novel, so I loved it!

In Lover Unbound, readers learn about V's childhood and how heartbreaking it is! He never knew his mother as a child and his father ("Bloodletter") abused him in more ways than one. Ultimately, this has caused Vishous to become the defensive, angry, stoic version of himself that he is today.

But the moment he meets Jane, his leelan, everything is forever altered! This was an extraordinary love story that throws surprises at you that I KNOW you will never have expected. It's provoking; it's emotional; it's wholehearted.... JUST READ IT!

Swoon-worthy quotes:

"Every night when you get home I'm going to be here. Every early morning before I have to go back to the compound, I'm going to be here. Every night I'm off, I'm going to be here. We're going to steal the time when and where we can, and we're going to stay in touch on the phone when we're not together."

5 TARGETS!

Blog Tour: Review of Stay With Me by Elyssa Patrick

2013-08-31T09:59:00.002-04:00

Click for blog tour schedule!

I’ve been famous since I can remember. Singing, acting, dancing—I've done it all. The tabloids cover my every move, but I don’t want that anymore. I want to be normal, whatever that is.

When I leave Hollywood for college in Vermont, I’m on my own for the first time in my life. This is my chance to figure out who I am and what I want in life.

But it’s a lot harder than I expected. I can’t escape my image. Classes are difficult, and I’m struggling. And then there’s Caleb Fox.

Sexy, intriguing Caleb Fox.

Caleb is the one man who doesn't want to use me. He breaks down my walls. He challenges me. He wants me. And I just don’t know if I can give him the same—or if he’ll stick around when he finds out my shameful secret that the tabloids haven’t managed to uncover.

Dating him is risky enough, but loving him could break me.

Stay With Me was a quick and easy read! The plot really begins the second you start reading it and beyond. There were no fillers and/or slow parts.

It centers around a 17 year old girl named Hailey Bloom who has spent her entire life in the spotlight, having people fawn all over her simply because of the backlash of attention they'd receive themselves by being near her. Therefore, it's caused Hailey to become protective of herself and her assets and defensive to all of those around, including her own mother.

When she meets Caleb Fox, it's no different. Her first natural instinct is to protect herself, believing that everyone is only looking out for their own greed and not her well-being. But something in the way he looks at her... Well, let's just say: Hook, line, and sinker!

Oddly enough, I haven't yet read a book with a premise like this one before, and I can definitely see the appeal. The entire idea (Famous girl, wishing for a normal life, goes to a small-town college, and falls in love with a local boy) is extremely delicious, and this book delivered it well.

Downsides: There was insta-love in this novel. Hailey and Caleb meet on the first page, and there is this burning, split-second, otherworldly attraction between the two.

Although I will say, this fast chemistry does sort of go with the pacing of the novel. Like I say before, this is a quick book so it makes sense that their relationship is also jump-started in a hurried way.

But if you're looking for a fast romance novel that has some hot and steamy moments, then definitely pick up Stay With Me!

Cute quote:

He steps closer to me, a glint in his eyes. "I'm a distraction?"
"A huge one."
"Good." He's so close to me that his breath whispers over my hair. His lips are almost touching my ear. "Because you're definitely distracting, too."
I put my hand against his chest and feel his muscles tighten in response. "Well, then we're in perfect agreement."
"And what's that?"
"Distractions"—I jump when I feel his mouth skate over my earlobe—"are not needed, and that w-we sh-should..."
His lips enclose on my lobe, tugging it gently. "You were saying?"

3 TARGETS!

Follow Friday #18

2013-08-30T21:40:00.000-04:00

Feature & Follow is a weekly meme hosted by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read.

Q: If you could only have ONE - one book - for the rest of your life. Don't cheat... what would it be?

I think it's pretty safe to say that this is probably the most UNANSWERABLE question for any and all book fanatics. I feel like I'm abandoning all my other babies! If I had to choose... maybe Dark Lover by J.R. Ward - any book from J.R. Ward actually. And I'm probably saying this because I'm currently re-reading the Black Dagger Brotherhood series (Currently on #6, Lover Enshrined), and therefore, my mind is completely wrapped around this series/world at the moment. But I forgot how OBSESSED and ADDICTING this series is! So... yea, Dark Lover is one of my all-time favs! I can always go back to it, when I'm desperately searching for an awesome book to read.

I will now go hug my other babies because they're all giving me the glare right now (ー_ー) -- Mommy loves you, don't turn away from me!

Leave a link in the comments section and I'll stop by and follow!

Review: Lover Revealed (BDB, #4) by J.R. Ward [Least favorite so far, but still so good!]

2013-08-25T17:38:00.002-04:00

Butch O'Neal is a fighter by nature. A hard-living ex-homicide cop, he's the only human ever to be allowed in the inner circle of the Black Dagger Brotherhood. And he wants to go even deeper into the vampire world-to engage in the turf war with the lessers. His heart belongs to a female vampire, Marissa, an aristocratic beauty who's way out of his league. And if he can't have her, then at least he can fight side by side with the Brothers.

But fate curses him with the very thing he wants. When Butch sacrifices himself to save a civilian vampire from the slayers, he falls prey to the darkest force in the war. Left for dead, he's found by a miracle, and the Brotherhood calls on Marissa to bring him back, though even her love may not be enough to save him.

And J.R. Ward has another hit on her hands!

Lover Revealed is all about Brian "Butch" O'Neal, who is the only human in the Black Dagger Brotherhood circle. We met Butch in the first installment (Dark Lover) as a homicide detective and friend of Beth Randall, who becomes Wrath's shellan. When Butch learns too much about the Brotherhood, it becomes a question of letting him stay or killing him effective immediately. But through his close friendship with the brotherhood members, especially Vishous, they decide to keep him.

Unfortunately, all throughout his life and even currently while he's been living with the brothers, Butch has always felt like an outsider; like he's perpetually been coasting on the outside of life and has never really felt like he truly belongs anywhere. Now, living with these other ultra-powerful, strong, attractive, all-knowing vampires; he feels even more like a misfit.

So, how does he cope, you may ask? One answer: Scotch.

Night after night, Butch downsizes his problems and insecurities with alcohol and various one night stands. Of course, he's happy to have the close friendships he possesses with the other brothers, but he feels like a kept pet, who's just... there, serving no purpose whatsoever.

Then he runs into a creature so otherworldly beautiful, she makes Butch forget all about his problems. She is a vampire named Marissa.

Her reflection was of utter female flawlessness, an improbable beauty that seemed sculpted, not born. Tall and thin, her body was made up of delicate angles, and her face was absolutely sublime, a perfect combination of lips and eyes and cheeks and nose. The skin over it all was alabaster. The eyes were silver blue. The blood in her veins was among the very purest in the species.

Now, Marissa has had her own share of insecurities as well. If you remember, Marissa use to feed Brotherhood member Wrath, but then he met his shellan Beth, and she was cast aside. All of her life, Marissa has never felt good enough, despite her otherworldly beauty. She's a docile, timid, follower who has constantly been told what do to, how to act, when to speak, etc.

Then, she meets the outspoken, crass, ill-mannered human named Butch who is completely fixated on her, and she's not use to the attention, but she likes it... and him.

This was a great love story. It did start out a bit slow, but it definitely picks up the pace in the middle. Butch goes through various transformations (mentally, emotionally, physically, ...species-wise, you'll get what I mean when you read it ^_^), and Marissa also changes a lot during this book. She learns to use that backbone of hers and she begins to stand up for herself more!

In the end, I definitely recommend this book, but then again, I've been recommending this entire SERIES since the beginning of time, so... why haven't you read it yet, if you haven't?! You are missing out! Read it!

Cute quotes:

Closing his eyes, he floated away on the pain in his body. And from out of the swill of agony, he had a vision of Marissa from the first night he'd met her. The image was so vivid, he could almost smell the ocean scent of her and he saw exactly what had been: the filmy yellow gown she'd had on… the way her hair had looked, down over her shoulders… the lemon-colored sitting room they'd been in together.

To him, she was the unforgettable woman, the one he'd never had and never would but who nonetheless reached into the core of him.

4.5 TARGETS!

Review: Lover Awakened (BDB, #3) by J.R. Ward [Get out your tissues, folks! It's so good!]

2013-08-21T00:52:00.000-04:00

A former blood slave, the vampire Zsadist still bears the scars from a past filled with suffering and humiliation. Renowned for his unquenchable fury and sinister deeds, he is a savage feared by humans and vampires alike. Anger is his only companion, and terror is his only passion—until he rescues a beautiful aristocrat from the evil Lessening Society.

Bella is instantly entranced by the seething power Zsadist possesses. But even as their desire for one another begins to overtake them both, Zsadist’s thirst for vengeance against Bella’s tormentors drives him to the brink of madness. Now, Bella must help her lover overcome the wounds of his tortured past, and find a future with her…

Such a beautifully tragic love story...

Lover Awakened centers around a vampire woman named Bella (close friend / former neighbor to Mary, Rhage's mate), who finds herself oddly yet THOROUGHLY attracted to a certain Black Dagger Brotherhood member Zsadist, a former blood and sex slave with the telltale markings to prove it, which consist of black bondage tattoos marring his gaunt skin.

She saw his savage black eyes. The scar that ran down his face and distorted his upper lip. The tattooed blood-slave bands around his throat and wrists. She remembered the whip marks on his back. And the piercings that hung from his nipples. And his muscled, too-lean body.

She thought of his vicious, uncompromising will and all of his high-test hatred. He was terrifying, a horror of her species.

This is the typical "opposites attract" love story, in a way. The aristocratic, high society girl (Bella) falls madly in love with the damaged, malevolent, scarred bad boy (Zsadist), who is too physically and emotionally damaged to understand what real love and adoration is.

Now although the plot line has been done before, please believe that the execution was absolutely unique and spectacular, which is what J.R. Ward does best! This story was so dynamic, so emotionally affecting (Warning: Snot-crying will become a real problem, while reading this book!), so gut-wrenching! It's very special, is what I'm trying to say.

Bella was raised in a high-class, refined family; known as the well-born of their species. All her life she has been forced to only answer to her protective and strict older brother, Rehvenge, who became the head of the household ever since their father passed away.

So imagine this noble, elegant, soft young woman with a mean-spirited Zsadist, who's own brothers wouldn't leave their backs unattended around him because he's THAT dangerous, THAT deadly, THAT unstable!

At first, Zsadist treats Bella with the same hateful, repugnant behavior he treats everyone else. But after a while he finds that he cannot get the brown-haired beauty out of his highly disturbed mind... how sweet :)

He put his hands up to her shoulders, hovering just above her skin. "Yeah, ah, Bella... I've got to go."

"Why?" Closer. She came closer. Her hips moved against his, and he gritted his teeth as their lower bodies made full contact.

Shit, she had to be feeling that thing between his legs. How could she miss it? The stiff was pushing into her belly, and it wasn't like the flipping shorts could hide the bastard.

"Why do you have to go?" she whispered, her breath brushing over his pecs.

"Because..."

When he let the word drift, she murmured, "You know, I like these."

"Like what?"

She touched one of his nipple rings. "These."

He coughed a little. "I, ah... I did them myself."

"They're beautiful on you." She stepped back and dropped the towel.

Z swayed. She was so damned beautiful.

This really was a magnificent love story. It was extremely sad, but had the happily ever after so I could smile at the end. Then, when you close the book (metaphorically, seeing as I read the ebook version) you find yourself thinking: "Bella and Zsadist... they have come full circle." With this wistful grin on your face. *Sighs dreamily* JUST READ IT! IT'S AMAZING!

5 TARGETS!

Follow Friday #17

2013-08-09T05:34:00.001-04:00

Feature & Follow is a weekly meme hosted by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read!

Q: Back to School. Create a reading list for the imaginary English Lit. class you'll be teaching this semester.

Oh, how I dread this question, mostly because I begin school on Monday... NOOOO!!! Back to my old socially awkward, bury-my-head-inside-of-a-book ways. Great... *cries silently*

The one class I always excelled in was literature class (for obvious reasons), and I thoroughly enjoy it. My class would be reading a mixture of the standard classics, and also some contemporary novels.

Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Rabbit

I read this in the 6th grade, and it was the first book I didn't have to FORCE myself to read because it thoroughly consumed me. Also, it made me begin thinking about deeper topics like: What if we could live an immortal life? What if humans had that choice? Would I choose a life like that?

Romeo and Juliet by Shakespeare

Such a beautiful play. I was in the 9th grade when I first read this, and although I needed my teacher's help in translating it (don't judge me -_-), I was still thoroughly moved... and pissed off. If Romeo had just waited, like, 2 minutes before killing himself.. ugh!

Girl, Interrupted by Susanna Kayson

Now, I don't know if this would be that appropriate because of how openly it talks about mental issues, overdosing, suicide, etc. But I think it's really important that kids today be talked to about topics like this because maybe it'll help them get a sort of release or exhale.

Perk of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

When I first saw the movie, I was speechless, especially at the last scene (And I swear in this moment, we are infinite...) But when I read the book, it affected me even more. It helped me drastically because I, like a lot of people, am not the most outgoing person. Therefore, it helped to hear the thoughts of other misfits and outsiders because then I know that I'm not alone in this feeling.

Leave your links in the comments section, and I'll make sure to stop by and follow!

Review: Lover Eternal (BDB, #2) by J.R. Ward [ABSOLUTELY PHENOMENAL!]

2013-08-08T16:05:00.000-04:00

Within the brotherhood, Rhage is the vampire with the strongest appetites. He's the best fighter, the quickest to act on his impulses, and the most voracious lover-for inside him burns ferocious curse cast by the Scribe Virgin. Owned by this dark side, Rhage fears the time when his inner dragon is unleashed, making him a danger to everyone around him.

Mary Luce, a survivor of many hardships is unwittingly thrown into the vampire world and reliant to Rhage's protection. With a life-threatening curse of her own, Mary is not looking for love. She lost her faith in miracles years ago. But when Rhage's intense animal attraction turns into something more emotional, he knows that he must make Mary his alone. And while their enemies close in, Mary fights desperately to gain life eternal with the one she loves...

Oh, where to begin?!?

Lover Eternal was just as absorbing, and all-encompassing, and awe-inspiring as Dark Lover was. This installment had more emotional and sad moments though, which simply made it even more heart felt.

This book centers around Black Dagger Brotherhood member Rhage, who's nicknamed "Hollywood" because of his amazingly attractive facial features, consisting of his deep blue eyes; long, unruly hair; and strong, masculine jaw. Added on with his panty-dropping hard body, and entertaining personality and you've got every woman's fantasy in one perfect being :) *Wipes drools off chin*

The son of a bitch actually bent the laws of physics, he was so attractive. Blond hair was cut short in the back and left longer in the front. Teal-blue eyes were the color of Bahamas seawater. And that face made Brad Pitt look like a candidate for The Swan.

But he was no mama's boy, in spite of being a charmer. Something dark and lethal seethed behind the flashy exterior, and you knew it the minute you saw him. He gave off the vibe of a guy who'd smile while he set the record straight with his fists, even if he was spitting his own teeth out while he took care of business.

Then enters 31 year old human Mary Luce... In her current life, she spends her time as an executive assistant in a law firm, regularly volunteering at a suicide hotline, and (*This is where it pulls at your heartstring, folks*) visiting the doctor's office for frequent check-ups. The reason being: Mary has leukemia.

As Rhage, the former sex-symbol womanizer, and Beth, the "average-looking" saint, begin to fall in love with one another, several fate-sealing issues begin blocking their path to their happily ever after....

Another thing I loved in this novel is that they introduced the next love birds... Zsadist and Bella! I don't want to talk too much about them because well, this isn't their book! But... I like them together :)

Anywho, Rhage and Mary are complete and total opposites but that is exactly why I was obsessed with them!

"I'm looking for Mary Luce."

Oh... shit.

Mary cleared her throat, wishing she were anywhere else, anyone else. "I'm... ah, I'm Mary."

The man turned around. As vivid, teal blue eyes bored into her, his big body stiffened.

Mary looked down quickly, jabbing the straw into her water.

Not what you were expecting, am I? She thought.

As silence stretched out clearly he was searching for a socially acceptable excuse to cut and run.

Rhage stopped breathing and just took the human in. Oh, she was lovely. Nothing he'd expected, but lovely nonetheless.

See?! Mary was so shy, and insecure, whereas, Rhage was just... obsessed with her from the beginning :)

Please read this novel - well... SERIES! - because it's one of the best romance/actions novels I have ever read!

5 TARGETS!

Review: Dark Lover (BDB, #1) by J.R. Ward [I'm totally OBSESSED!]

2013-08-05T04:56:00.001-04:00

In the shadows of the night in Caldwell, New York, there's a deadly turf war going on between vampires and their slayers. There exists a secret band of brothers like no other-six vampire warriors, defenders of their race. Yet none of them relishes killing more than Wrath, the leader of The Black Dagger Brotherhood.
The only purebred vampire left on earth, Wrath has a score to settle with the slayers who murdered his parents centuries ago. But, when one of his most trusted fighters is killed-leaving his half-breed daughter unaware of his existence or her fate-Wrath must usher her into the world of the undead- a world of sensuality beyond her wildest dreams.

ONE OF MY FAVORITE SERIES OF ALL TIME!!!
(P.S. I've read this book like 4 times now, but this is the first time I'm reviewing it. My name is: #1 PROCRASTINATOR!)

Dark Lover - scratch that - the ENTIRE Black Dagger Brotherhood series is phenomenal! But in this first installment you meet a stoic, apathetic, tough vampire who goes by the simple yet debonair name of Wrath! *swoons* He is the leader of the Black Dagger Brotherhood, which is an elite clan of vampire warriors, whose sole purpose is to protect the entire vampire race.

Wrath was six feet, six inches of pure terror dressed in leather. His hair was long and black, falling straight from a widow's peak. Wraparound sunglasses hid eyes that no one had ever seen revealed. Shoulders were twice the size of most males'.

Well, alright ;)

In this vampire world, you are either born with the genes of vampirism or you're not. If you have the DNA, then you must survive this horrendously-painful experience called the transition:

transition(n.) Critical moment in a vampire's life when he or she transforms into an adult.

When it becomes one of the brother's dying wish to have Wrath help his only surviving child, 25-year-old Beth Randall, through the transition and into adulthood, Wrath must oblige.

THIS IS WHERE THINGS GET INTERESTING, LADIES AND GENTS!

Beth and Wrath... PURE MAGIC TOGETHER! Wrath is such a hard ass (i.e. never smiles, always series, super-comfortable w/ death, kills people for a living) and Beth is just a normal half-human, half-vampire, who had never even KNOWN her father all her life. Ergo, she didn't even know vampires existed!

But Mr. Grumpypants and Beth fall in love, in a believable, dynamic, heartfelt way! (No INSTA-LOVE! You go, J.R. Ward!)

And boy, oh boy was their relationship steamy, and passionate, and just plain swoon-worthy!

"Let me feed you," he murmured. "Please."

Beth tilted forward in her chair, opened her mouth, and put her lips around the strawberry, taking it whole. Wrath's nostrils flared as he watched her bite down. When some of the sweet juice escaped and dripped onto her chin, he hissed.

"I want to lick that off," he muttered under his breath. He reached forward and took hold of her jaw. Lifted his napkin.

She put her hand on his. "Use your mouth."

A low sound, from deep inside his chest, cut through the room.

Yes. Yes, you can. And it's the best, ain't it!!??! (Too far?)

Anyway, I highly recommend this series. I know the whole vampire phenomenon has calm down drastically since the end of Twilight, but I still enjoy them! And this series is epic, whether you are a fan of vamps or not!

5 TARGETS!

Book Blitz: Breaking Glass by Lisa Amowitz (+ Giveaway!)

2013-07-12T15:48:00.002-04:00

Breaking Glass
by Lisa Amowitz
Release Date: 07/09/13
Publisher: Spencer Hill Press

Summary from Goodreads:
On the night seventeen-year-old Jeremy Glass winds up in the hospital with a broken leg and a blood alcohol level well above the legal limit, his secret crush, Susannah, disappears. When he begins receiving messages from her from beyond the grave, he's not sure whether they're real or if he's losing his grip on reality. Clue by clue, he gets closer to unraveling the mystery, and soon realizes he must discover the truth or become the next victim himself.

Available from:

***Excerpt***

“So where is he?” She cranes her neck, trying to spot Ryan in the crowd.

Heart pounding, my mind hiccups through its storehouse of facts. I reposition myself to block her view. There’s no time to try texting Ryan a warning.

I could tell Susannah. Tell her how Ryan has been sneaking around behind her back for over a year, even hooking up with two college juniors in a motel room during one of our out of town meets. But defying the Morgan machine by pointing this out takes too much energy. Instead I blurt, “Did you realize the Watch Hill carousel was once part of a traveling carnival?”

She laughs and shakes her head. “What? Jeremy, sometimes you can be such a--”

But her voice trails off as her gaze wanders past mine, her smile crumpling like a paper bag. I follow her line of sight and I know this is it. The crowd has thinned around Ryan, enough for her to see him with his mouth smashed against Claudia’s.

“Oh, man,” I gasp. I turn to comfort Susannah, but she is already gone.

I stand, dithering; wanting to run after her and apologize for letting her walk into this ambush.

But, no. This is something Ryan needs to take care of. I might have signed on to sweep his mess under the rug, but I’ll be damned if I’m going to clean up after him. I push through the crowd to get to him.

“What? She what? Did you know she was coming back early?”

I feel my face heat. “No.”

Ryan pushes Claudia off of him, his stage makeup still glistening and thick, traces of Claudia’s lipstick smeared on his lips. “Good job, Jeremy. You could have at least texted me.”

My hand curls into a fist. I stuff it in my jacket pocket. “She ran out,” I say. “Maybe you can catch her.”

Ryan shrugs, and without a coat, stalks out of the theater into the night. I wait a few minutes then follow. Susannah’s car is gone, and so is Ryan’s. I try to call Susannah, but she doesn’t pick up.

I get in my car and focus on resisting the water bottle’s siren call, panicked glimpses of my waking nightmare crashing through the floodgates, the terrifying memories swept through with it. The rain and the torrents of water sweeping past, draining into the Gorge, forcing me to remember. To relive it. No. Not now. I need to stay clear.

Since eighth grade, when I discovered that liquor dulls my terrors, I have been a master thief and spy.

Not even Ryan knows.

Just a sip to calm my shaky nerves. One tiny sip to beat back the rising waters that threaten to drown me. I can do it. I pride myself on my steely self-control. My ability to remain stone-cold sober even when the track team holds a victory keg party. They call me Jeremy the Teetotaler. Jeremy, the History Nerd who never partakes.

I snap open the glove compartment. The innocuous silver bottle is shoved behind the owner’s manual, gas receipts and a collection of power bar wrappers. I raise it to my lips and gulp once, twice, three times; the cold liquid igniting as it hits my throat. It takes two, three more gulps to slow my heart to normal speed. The bottle is nearly empty. I cap it and return it to the compartment, warmth flowing to my cold fingers. I’d need to drink three times as much as that to lose focus.

Swerving the deserted black roads slick with rain over ice, I follow my usual running circuit. This is familiar turf. My backyard, practically.

Yes. I can do this. Susannah knows my route so I hope she’s come this way and parked, knowing I’d find her. She wants me to find her. To comfort her. I’ll tell her everything. How I’m sorry for lying to her. For letting Ryan hurt her. And maybe at last she’ll accept that it’s not Ryan she wants, but me.

But there’s no sign of her.

After driving and searching fruitlessly, my mind churning with outcomes, the now driving rain blurring my windshield, I can’t stand it anymore. My heart is racing. Just one last sip to fortify myself is all I need.

When I round the next hairpin curve, my headlights flash on Ryan’s car parked behind Susannah’s, engines running. I squint through the rain and mist and spot them behind the guardrail, illuminated in the headlamps’ cone of light. There’s no shoulder on this side of the road, so I pull over when I can, about twenty yards past them.

When I finally get out of the car I can hear her shouts over the racket the rain makes. My head is buzzing, but my thoughts are clear.

In fact, they’ve never been clearer, as the roots that entangle me fall away.

The damp air smells like freedom.

Susannah screams, and pounds at Ryan’s chest with her fists. He shoves her hard and she falls backward. I don’t see her get up again. Raucous arguments were nothing new between Susannah and Ryan, but I’d never seen him hit her before.

There’s a steep decline into the woods where they’ve chosen to have their argument and I worry Susannah could have gotten hurt. Ryan disappears now, too. What the hell are they doing?

I begin to run at full tilt. I still have some distance to cover, but that’s no problem for me, even with the Absolut pumping heat through my veins. But my boot heel catches on a wet leaf then slides out from under me.

I’m flying, but I land softly.

About the Author

Lisa has been a professor of Graphic Design at her beloved Bronx Community College where she has been tormenting and cajoling students for nearly seventeen years. She started writing eight years ago because she wanted something to illustrate, but somehow, instead ended up writing YA. Probably because her mind is too dark and twisted for small children.

BREAKING GLASS which will be released in July, 2013 from Spencer Hill Press, is her first published work. VISION, the first of the Finder series will be released in 2014, along with an unnamed sequel in the following year. LIFE AND BETH will also be released in the near future, along with graphic novel style art.

Website│Twitter│Goodreads

***GIVEAWAY***

1-custom pendant like the one pictured on the book cover

2-signed ARCS

1-original work of Breaking Glass related art created and signed by the author.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Blitz: Rush by Eve Silver (+ Giveaway)

2013-07-09T21:36:00.000-04:00

Rush (The Game #1)

by Eve Silver

Release Date: June 11, 2013

Publisher: Harper Teen

Summary from Goodreads:

So what’s the game now? This, or the life I used to know?

When Miki Jones is pulled from her life, pulled through time and space into some kind of game—her carefully controlled life spirals into chaos. In the game, she and a team of other teens are sent on missions to eliminate the Drau, terrifying and beautiful alien creatures. There are no practice runs, no training, and no way out. Miki has only the guidance of secretive but maddeningly attractive team leader Jackson Tate, who says the game isn’t really a game, that what Miki and her new teammates do now determines their survival, and the survival of every other person on this planet. She laughs. He doesn’t. And then the game takes a deadly and terrifying turn.

Available from:

***Excerpt***

There’s a flash of light, blindingly bright. Colored haloes obscure my vision. They dance and flicker and then disappear, leaving only a rectangle of light boxed in by the dark doorframe.

I see then that the door’s gone and in front of me are people. No…they aren’t people. They have limbs, hair, faces, but they aren’t human. After the first glance, they don’t look even remotely human. They’re pure, painful white, so bright they throw off a glare. They look like they’ve been dipped in glass, smooth and polished, but fluid. And their eyes…they’re a silvery color, like the mercury in the antique thermometer that my mom used to have at the side of the front porch.

When I was ten, I knocked that thermometer off with my wooden kendo sword, shattering the glass. The little blobs of mercury went all over the porch. I was a kid. I didn’t know better. I touched them, prodding the little balls until they joined the bigger blob. My mom swooped down on me and snatched me away, telling me it was poison. It could kill me.

I stare at the things in front of me: the Drau. I can’t look away.

Somewhere in the back of my mind, I remember Jackson talking about Medusa.

Don’t look at their eyes.

Their mercury eyes.

They’re poison.

They will kill me.

Author Links:

***GIVEAWAY***

Signed copy of Rush, US and Canada only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Hosted by:

Follow Friday #16

2013-06-28T00:21:00.004-04:00

Feature & Follow is a weekly meme hosted by Parajunkee's View and Alison Can Read!

Q: What is your preferred reading format? Hardbook, eBooks, or paperback?

Hardback and paperback books will always have my heart. Ebooks are extremely convenient and I read a lot of them, but nothing will ever compared to holding an actual book in my hands. The smell, the feel of the pages, the tear stains (don't judge me...), the dog-eared corners, and then that satisfying feeling you get when your turn that last page of a MONSTROUS book and you feel uber-accomplished!

Not to mention the fact that our (EPIC!) libraries would cease to exist without the help of hardback & paperback books. So then we wouldn't get "flabbergasted" when books would begin to pile up and we'd have "no clue how it happened" *double side eye...*

Leave a link to your post in the comments and I'll be sure to stop by and follow!

Review: Bared to You by Sylvia Day [Sadly... BARF!]

2013-06-24T04:40:00.002-04:00

Gideon Cross came into my life like lightning in the darkness…
He was beautiful and brilliant, jagged and white-hot. I was drawn to him as I’d never been to anything or anyone in my life. I craved his touch like a drug, even knowing it would weaken me. I was flawed and damaged, and he opened those cracks in me so easily…

Gideon knew. He had demons of his own. And we would become the mirrors that reflected each other’s most private wounds…and desires.The bonds of his love transformed me, even as i prayed that the torment of our pasts didn't tear us apart...

Bared to You was not an enjoyable read, to be honest. I'm actually surprised that I didn't like it because I have read countless reviews on this novel - most of which were positive, or praising it for some reason. In a way, I feel like I missed out on something huge because I wasn't impressed with this novel.

This book was like a cheap knockoff version of the Fifty Shades of Grey trilogy (which I enjoyed). The two main characters, Gideon and Eva are both damaged characters with traumatic pasts (like Christian and Ana). When they meet, they are instantly attracted to one another, and Gideon begins to pursue Eva. The couple start seeing each other regularly (a.k.a having sex regularly), and after a span of EXACTLY 3 WEEKS, they are irreversibly and irrevocably in love with each other.

Come on! 3 weeks and you already know that you are super in love with this person! That's not believable!

Another thing I had a problem with was:

"The intense magnetism he exuded grew in strength, becoming a near tangible impression of vibrant and unrelenting power."

Ughhh I appreciate the fact that the author tried using various words to describe Gideon's (apparently AMAZING!) charm... but come on! Stop with all the extra/unneeded words!

You're using a billion words to describe something so simple. Why, oh why, must you do this to me?

Bared to You addressed serious issues like sexual violence, rape, and the like. Once again, I couldn't find myself to care. The moment something climactic and big was revealed (like Eva's traumatic past)... they would switch the conversation to something else, as if that DIDN'T just happen!

ELABORATE ON IT! STAY ON THAT SERIOUS TOPIC! DON'T JUST RANDOMLY START TALKING ABOUT SOMETHING ELSE!

The only good thing that I found in this book was that it was sort of mindless entertainment. If you're bored and you have nothing else to do, then pick this book up. It might infuriate you, but at least you'll be entertained -_-.

OH! Btw, I can sum up the whole plot really easily:

They're HAPPY, then they ARGUE, then have SEX, then LOVE each other again. Over and over....

2/5 TARGETS!

Follow Friday #15

2013-06-21T01:37:00.002-04:00

Feature & Follow is a weekly meme hosted by Parajunkee's View and Alison Can Read!

Q: Activity: Favorite Literary Quote

These are just a few of my favorite quotes... the ultimate one being the Perks of Being a Wallflower... that one just killed me when I read it! Leave a link to your post and I'll stop by :)

{Book Blitz!} Giveaway + Excerpt: Triangles by Kimberly Ann Miller

2013-06-19T05:21:00.000-04:00

Triangles
by Kimberly Ann Miller
Release Date: 06/18/13
Publisher: Spencer Hill Press

Summary from Goodreads:

A cruise ship. A beautiful island. Two sexy guys. What could possibly go wrong?

In the Bermuda Triangle—a lot.

Hoping to leave behind the reminders of her crappy life--her father's death years ago, her mother's medical problems, and the loser who’s practically stalking her--seventeen-year-old Autumn Taylor hops on a ship with her sister for a little distraction. When she wakes up in the Bermuda Triangle, she fears she's gone nuts for more than one reason: that loser’s suddenly claiming they're a happy couple... a hot guy is wrapping his arms around her and saying "Happy Anniversary"... and suddenly, she’s full of bruises, losing her hair, and getting IV medication. Autumn visits the ship's doctor, hoping for a pill or a shot to make the craziness go away. Instead, she's warned that these "alternate realities" could become permanent.

She just has to ask herself one question—how the hell is she going to get out of this mess?

***Excerpt***

“Are you all right, honey?”

I opened my eyes. An attractive young woman with red hair and brilliant

green eyes was looking at me. What I thought was salt water from the

ocean must have been tears because my face was the only one nearby that

was wet. I glanced at her concerned expression and smiled. “Yes, thank

you. I’m fine.” I swiped away a tear with my finger. “Just…everything’s

fine.”

She stepped closer and lowered her voice. “This cruise will change

your life. Nothing will be the same when it’s over, but it will be worth it.

You’ll see.” Her emerald eyes twinkled, and she nodded her head once.

I forced a laugh to be polite. “Thanks. Enjoy your cruise.”

What a weirdo. What did that even mean? How could a cruise change

my life? I moved from my spot to avoid more weirdness from her and

found a less populated area at the back of the ship. New York and New

Jersey disappeared behind us as we charged toward Bermuda and away

from the mess my life had become.

A cloud covered the retreating sun, sending shivers through me. A

white-haired lady dropped her purse and lots of change tumbled out. A

penny hit my foot and landed on tails.

My cell phone buzzed. I pulled it from my pocket. I had thirteen

messages and thirteen texts. How would Nisha survive the next five days

without hearing from me? I took care of the messages and told her I’d call

her when we got back to Jersey.

Even though I was not very superstitious, a bad feeling crawled into

the pit of my stomach and took up residence.

I knew what I was leaving behind, but what was I floating toward?

Kimberly Miller received Bachelor's degrees from Georgian Court University and Rutgers University and a Master's degree from The University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey. She is an avid reader and particularly enjoys true crime and young adult novels. She grew up in New Jersey and currently resides in Monmouth County with her husband and three cats. When she’s not writing, she loves to travel to sunny islands where she snorkels by day and stargazes by night. She always takes her Nook with her.

Website│Twitter│Goodreads│Facebook│Tumblr

***GIVEAWAY***

(2) $10 gift card to Amazon or Barnes and Noble
Spencer Hill Press is also doing a giveaway for a cruise! Click HEREto enter to win!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I've hopped on the bloglovin' bandwagon!!!

2013-06-17T06:30:00.000-04:00

I heard from fellow blogger, Becky, over at Stories and Sweeties that google reader was going away soon and I suppose it's time I stopped living under a rock and got myself an updated way to follow blogs, so I would really appreciate it if you all followed me over at Bloglovin'.

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

~ Shae C.

Stacking the Shelves #5

2013-06-15T00:25:00.001-04:00

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews. Every week you are to share the book(s) you've added to your collection.

Netgalley:

True by Erin McCarthy

I received this awhile ago from Netgalley. I've already read it; it was okay. Review to come soon!

Bought:

Web of Lies (Elemental Assassin, #2) by Jennifer Estep

This is a phenomenal action series with romance and twists and adventure! I highly recommend it! Review on this has already been posted: HERE.

Won:

Glitch by Heather Anastasiu

I won this beauty from Lisa at A Life Bound by Books, so thank you to her and to the amazing Heather Anastasiu for autographing it and sending it to me. I'll be reading this soon!

What's Left of Me by Kat Zhang

I won this a really long time ago from Epic Reads. I hope to be able to read this one soon because I've heard great reviews on this.

Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson

Won this from Kim at YA Asylum; thank you so much! I watched the movie version a long time ago and really enjoyed it. I've already started reading this one.

Whispers in the Woods: The Complete Collection by T.J. Dell

Won this from Stephanie over at My World. Thank you to her and to T.J. Dell for signing it!

Review:

Bone Dressing by Michelle I. Brooks

Sounds very dark and eerie and haunting; hopefully, I will be able to read this soon.

Tarnished (Silver, #2) by Rhiannon Held

It's been a minute since I've read a werewolf story, so I'll have to give this one a shot. Thank you to Tor Books Publishing for sending me a copy!

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Review + Excerpt: Web of Lies by Jennifer Estep

2013-06-12T08:50:00.001-04:00

Curiosity is definitely going to get me dead one of these days. Probably real soon.

I'm Gin Blanco.

You might know me as the Spider, the most feared assassin in the South. I’m retired now, but trouble still has a way of finding me. Like the other day when two punks tried to rob my popular barbecue joint, the Pork Pit. Then there was the barrage of gunfire on the restaurant. Only, for once, those kill shots weren't aimed at me. They were meant for Violet Fox. Ever since I agreed to help Violet and her grandfather protect their property from an evil coal-mining tycoon, I’m beginning to wonder if I’m really retired. So is Detective Donovan Caine. The only honest cop in Ashland is having a real hard time reconciling his attraction to me with his Boy Scout mentality. And I can barely keep my hands off his sexy body. What can I say? I’m a Stone elemental with a little Ice magic thrown in, but my heart isn't made of solid rock. Luckily, Gin Blanco always gets her man . . . dead or alive.

Overall Thoughts:

After reading this novel, I felt mentally and emotionally drained! Have you ever felt personally tired after reading about some kind of excited, action-packed adventure, as if it happened to you in real life? Well, this book does just that!

Web of Lies takes place a few months after Spider's Bite, where the main protagonist, Gin Blanco, is now a newly retired assassin. She spends her days doing mundane activities like: working at the Pork Pit, attending various community college courses, and reading classic novels. Blanco finds herself missing the excitement and fast-paced lifestyle of her former spy days. That is, until a college student named Violet Fox walks into the Pork Pit one day looking for the "Tin Man," Gin's now-deceased former handler, who was a renowned assassin as well. Minutes later, Gin and Violet find themselves face down on the floor of the Pork Pit after someone tries to brutally murder Violet, for some unknown reason.

Turns out, Violet Fox and her grandfather, Warren T. Fox, are in imperious danger when Tobias Dawson, a wealthy collier, is looking to buy their land in order to expand his company and will stop at nothing to obtain it - even if it means murdering two innocent people. For some reason, Gin finds herself wanting to help these two because it reminds her of the relationship she once shared with the "Tin Man," otherwise known as Fletcher Lane.

To top it all off, as Gin is struggling to find and end the very Tobias Dawson, all while keeping the Fox's safe, she has to deal with the ardent feelings she has for a certain detective, who goes by the name of Donovan Caine - the very same man who had previously rejected Gin because of her wanton profession.

What I liked about this book:

Truly, I believe Jennifer Estep has a gift for action novels. She is phenomenal when it comes to setting up the story in a clear, concise manner; then, making the reader feel as though they've journeyed with these beloved characters; and finally, delivering a final blow in the plot with a dash of fanfare in a dynamic and suspenseful way!

What I disliked about this book:

I do feel like this book had a few fillers - not many - but enough to be noticeable. They were a bit superfluous, and took away from the story and the action.

Verdict:

If you are into spy novels or thrilling action stories with driven characters, I highly recommend this series!

The next book in this series is Venom (Elemental Assassin, #3), and it's already out!

4 TARGETS!

Excerpt:

"Gin."

"Detective."

We stood there, staring at each other. An invisible electric current hummed between us, firing off sparks of hot desire in every direction. I breathed in. The detective's clean, soapy scent filled my nose, overpowering the cumin, red pepper, and other spices in the air. Donovan looked away and cleared his throat.

"You want to tell me what happened?" He asked in a low voice.

"You want to tell me why you're here?" I countered.
Pages: 26-27

Follow Friday #14

2013-05-10T01:30:00.001-04:00

Feature & Follow is a weekly meme hosted by Parajunkee's View and Alison Can Read!

Q: Happy Mother's Day! Who is your favorite mom from fiction?

My favorite mom from fiction would be Natalie Prior from Divergent. She is the mother of Beatrice "Tris" and Caleb, and has lived a double life in a way. The way she went out in Divergent was so epic and inspiring and strong! She would be my choice because I didn't expect that from her; I believed her to be a very docile, soft-spoken wife but in actuality, she can shoot guns and go undercover with the best of them!

Also, like everyone else in the blogosphere, I really agree that Mrs. Weasley from Harry Potter is a pretty sweet mom. She is sort of what I'd imagine as an ideal mom - kind, caring, forgiving, and tolerant (I mean, she does have Fred and George as kids after all, so that's a must for her lol) Also, the way she takes Harry in as her own child - without a care in the world about his past history - speaks volumes about the type of person she is :)

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