Secret Book Lover

Goodbye...

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 02 Nov 2013 11:12:00 +0000

Yes, the title is correct. Guys, I'm shutting down the blog.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read my posts over this past year. I had a great time writing for you and got to meet a bunch of great people. Sadly, that time has come to a close and this is going to be my last post.

Wishing you all the best,

The Cutting Room Floor - Book Blast!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 08 Oct 2013 05:17:00 +0000

Today we're going to hear a bit about Dawn Klehr and her new book: The Cutting Room Floor! Make sure you enter the giveaway for the chance to win one of two $25 Amazon giftcards! :)

PREMISE

Behind-the-scenes secrets could turn deadly for Desmond and Riley...

Life in the Heights has never been easy for seventeen-year-old Riley Frost, but when she's publicly dumped and outed at the same time, she becomes an immediate social outcast at her high school. So Riley swears off romance and throws herself into solving the shocking murder of her favorite teacher, Ms. Dunn.

Riley turns to her best friend, budding filmmaker Desmond Brandt, for help. What she doesn't know is that Dez has been secretly directing her life, blackmailing her friends, and hoping his manipulations will make her love him. When his schemes go too far, Dez's web of lies threatens to destroy both of their lives.

About the Author

Dawn Klehr began her career in TV and though she’s been on both sides of the camera, she prefers to lurk behind the lens. Mostly, she loves to get lost in stories –in film, the theatre or on the page – and is a sucker for both the sinister and the sappy. She’s currently channelling her dark side as she works on her next book.

Dawn lives in the Twin Cities with her funny husband, adorable son, and naughty dog. The Cutting Room Floor is her début YA novel!

Here's where you can get it:

Goodreads

Amazon

B&N

Kobo

Giveaway!!!!
Don't worry, it's international! Just make sure you're over 13. ;)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Sisters In Love - Book Blast & Giveaway!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 15 Sep 2013 09:23:00 +0000

Everyone, today we're going to take a look at Sisters In Love by Melissa Foster.

PREMISE

Danica Snow has always been the smart, practical, and appropriate sister. As a therapist, she prides herself on making reasonable, conservative choices, even if a bit boring, and as part of the Big Sister Program, she has little time for anything more in her life.

Blake Carter is a player. He never gets bored of conquering women, and with his sexy good looks and successful lifestyle, he has no trouble finding willing participants. When his friend and business partner dies in a tragic accident, he suddenly, desperately, wants to change his ways. The problem is, he doesn’t know how to stop doing what he does best.

When Blake walks into Danica’s office, the attraction between them is white hot, but Danica isn't the type to give into the heat and risk her career. Danica’s desire sets her on a path of self-discovery, where she begins to question every decision she’s ever made. Just this once, Danica wants to indulge in the pleasures of life she’s been so willingly ignoring, but with her Little Sister in turmoil and her biological sister’s promiscuousness weighing heavily on her heart, she isn’t sure it’s the right time to set her desires free.

Sisters In Love is a light, uplifting work of women's fiction and will resonate with readers who enjoy emotional journeys of the heart with strong heroines and sexy, lovable heroes. Readers of books by Jane Porter and Beth Kendrick will enjoy Danica and Blake's story.

I have to say, this book looks like a really good romance novel. The kind you'd curl up with in the winter when you have a cold, you've made some hot chocolate and you're just looking for a good book to take your mind off everything.

About the author: Melissa Foster

Melissa Foster is the award-winning author of four International bestselling novels. Her books have been recommended by USA Today’s book blog, Hagerstown Magazine, The Patriot, and several other print venues. She is the founder of the Women’s Nest, a social and support community for women, the World Literary Café. When she’s not writing, Melissa helps authors navigate the publishing industry through her author training programs on Fostering Success. Melissa is also a community builder for the Alliance for Independent Authors. She has been published in Calgary’s Child Magazine, the Huffington Post, and Women Business Owners magazine.

Melissa hosts an annual Aspiring Authors contest for children and has painted and donated several murals to The Hospital for Sick Children in Washington, DC. Melissa lives in Maryland with her family.

Visit Melissa on The Women’s Nest, Fostering Success, or World Lit Cafe. Join Melissa and the YaYa Writer Girls at their annual in-person event. Melissa enjoys discussing her books with book clubs and reader groups, and welcomes an invitation to your event.

You can find Melissa at:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Melissa_Foster

Her Website: http://www.melissafoster.com/

Get the book here:

Goodreads

Amazon

B&N

GIVEAWAY!!!!

This giveaway is an amazing chance to name a character in one of Melissa Foster's future books! I wouldn't pass it up for the world.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Indie Summer Tour - Snowed Under by Jen Greyson!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 02 Sep 2013 05:52:00 +0000

Hey guys! Welcome to my spot in the Indie Summer Tour! (Made possible by the folks 'round at Parajunkee.) I'm going to tell you a bit about Jen Greyson and her recently released novel called Snowed Under, before we get to the really great part: giveaways!!!

About the book:

Cassidy has life all figured out. She’s one semester away from finishing her degree and then she’s off to save Mother Earth. But first, she has to stop the planet-murdering Whetman Logging.

Teague Whetman brought MIT home to the family logging business in Alaska. They’re high-tech artesian. But even his advanced technology can’t handle Cassidy’s handcuffs when she chains herself to the main saw.

When a late-Spring storm hammers the little town of Bear Ridge with eighty inches of snow, Teague and Cassidy must put aside their animosity to battle a power outage, grizzly bear, and their own attraction.

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This book is just out and I'll be the first to say that it looks amazing! I love books that deal with the theme of the environment, because it's such a relevant topic nowadays. (Also, a little romance can't hurt.) I'm going to grab this book as soon as I can!

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About the Author:

From the moment she decided on a degree in Equestrian Studies, Jen Greyson’s life has been one unscripted adventure after another. Leaving the cowboy state of Wyoming to train show horses in France, Switzerland, and Germany, she’s lived life without much of a plan, but always a book in her suitcase. Now a wife and mom to two young boys, she relies on her adventurous, passionate characters to be the risk-takers.

You can find her at:

http://jengreyson.com

https://www.facebook.com/thesurvivalmama
@jengreyson

The fabulous Jen Greyson also took the time to answer the question that's been on my mind from the start:

Me: What city inspired your writing?

Jen:

The most random things inspire a new story. For SNOWED UNDER (formerly WOOD) I caught a news article about a tiny Alaskan town (Point Hope, I think) that got hit by a late Spring storm and hammered with ridiculous snow totals–like 108″ in a day–and their shipment of heating oil got delayed. I started thinking about what kind of characters would meet under those circumstances . . . and then the least likely combination of characters that would meet under the same circumstances. Talk about obstacles

After a bit of drifty daydreaming I came up with the unlikely pair that you meet in the book, a logger and a hippie–two people at extreme opposite ends of the spectrum. Aaannnnd Teague’s already made the shift from college to the business world, where Cassidy’s still starry-eyed and taking on the world…so their views on a lot of things are shaded from their perspectives and knowledge pools.

My writing mentor once told me that if you start with setting your characters organically grow from that and the two weave together better than if you start with characters and try to stuff them into a certain place. Now that I’ve been able to try that a few times, I’ve found it’s much easier to see the conflicts from the very beginning.

Plus, it makes my bucket list a pretty interesting mix

*****************************

GIVEAWAY!!!!!

Jen Grayson has been very good to us - there's a copy of Snowed Under up for grabs! Also, there's a KindleFire for some lucky person, so be sure to check that out as well!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

It's A Sad, Sad Day

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 23 Aug 2013 11:45:00 +0000

So, anyone who reads this blog understands that I am a Night Huntress fan - seriously, those books are great. Well, the author of the series, Jeaniene Frost, put up a post the other day that the series will be ending...with the next book.

The series was originally contracted for nine books, which was great for us readers, but we were told in 2011 that it would be cut down to eight. Now, in her latest post, Frost explains that there will be no more Cat and Bones books after Up From The Grave, which is due out next January. You can check that post out here, but the main reason seems to be that she had the series' storyline nicely finished up, and didn't want to write a filler book.
Which, after my last review, I can understand.

So, while I am sad to see the series go, (I wasn't emotionally prepared for this!) I hope that this means that Up From The Grave will be more action-packed and, well, generally awesome than it would have been otherwise. Plus, there is always the chance that Ian will get a book! ;)

Biting "Really" Bad by Chloe Neill

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 19 Aug 2013 11:50:00 +0000

Merit has been a vampire for only a short while, but she’s already seen a lifetime’s worth of trouble. She and her Master, centuries-old Ethan Sullivan, have risked their lives time and again to save the city they love. But not all of Chicago is loving them back.

Anti-vampire riots are erupting all over town, striking vampires where it hurts the most. A splinter group armed with Molotov cocktails and deep-seated hate is intent on clearing the fanged from the Windy City come hell or high water.

Merit and her allies rush to figure out who’s behind the attacks, who will be targeted next, and whether there’s any way to stop the wanton destruction. The battle for Chicago is just beginning, and Merit is running out of time...

**************************************

Guys, I'm really sorry. This book didn't really make me angry, it just made me sad (okay, it made me a little angry). I love Merit, you know I do. This is one of my all-time favourite series and I guess up until now I had this misguided notion that Chloe Neill could do no wrong.

Well, I was wrong.

It started off okay, with all the usual snark and humour. However, it took me forever to get into. There was just no action! Even when something was supposedly happening, no one did anything! There were these riots going on, and they were meant to be the main drama source for the book, but here's the thing: nobody cared. Everyone just sat around making jokes that weren't that funny and having endless meetings that yielded no results.

The lack of action was something that lasted throughout the entire thing. I don't even think there was a climax to this book. And while, yeah, there was a sex scene thrown in there for the hell of things, there was no overall breaking point where I went "Whoa, what's going to happen?". It was like a whole book made out of filler chapters. It was a filler book in the series.

Surprisingly though, that wasn't even the worst thing. Merit seriously let me down in this book. Despite being the heroine of the story, she wasn't very heroic. Remember guys, that she was named Sentinel in the very first book, because even though she was only a two-day old baby vamp, she nearly managed to catch Ethan, Master of the House. Well, in this book she manages to get taken down by a human (one lone human!) at least three times!!! I swear, every time I flip a page, Ethan is saving her from something. And you know, I wouldn't be so put out if this was consistent with her character, but up until now she's been taking down vampires, werewolves and - wait for it - freaking angels!

Wait, there's more. I think Neill was trying to show everyone how bad-ass Ethan has gotten, ever since he came back to life. However, she's showing it by making him do stupid things. Now, Ethan prides himself on not being stupid, but he is constantly rushing off into battle when they have not one, but two teams of guards there (Grey House joined the fun), and his House is on two separate hit lists! Both the GP and the city want to annihilate the House, and he's leaving it practically every second page to go put himself in danger and save Merit's ass. Not cool, Ethan.

I could go on for a while, listing all the things that made this book "Bad", (OH, the puns, the puns) but I think that what I have here is enough to make my point: filler book. To be fair, there were some good things: the banter was great; Ethan and Merit were all lovey-dovey; and we got a great scene with Scott (Master of Grey House) and his human girlfriend Ava. (She had kids and they were adorable!)

Having said all I needed to say, I know this: I still love the overall series, I still think Chloe Neill is a talented author, and though I wouldn't recommend Biting Bad, I will read the next book in this series (and hope that it's better than this.) For me, Biting Bad was:

Two hats. It just didn't cut it for me.

Rave - Magic Rises by Ilona Andrews

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 13 Aug 2013 12:19:00 +0000

Atlanta is a city plagued by magical problems. Kate Daniels will fight to solve them—no matter the cost.

Mercenary Kate Daniels and her mate, Curran, the Beast Lord, are struggling to solve a heartbreaking crisis. Unable to control their beasts, many of the Pack’s shapeshifting children fail to survive to adulthood. While there is a medicine that can help, the secret to its making is closely guarded by the European packs, and there’s little available in Atlanta.

Kate can’t bear to watch innocents suffer, but the solution she and Curran have found threatens to be even more painful. The European shapeshifters who once outmaneuvered the Beast Lord have asked him to arbitrate a dispute—and they’ll pay him in medicine. With the young people’s survival and the Pack’s future at stake, Kate and Curran know they must accept the offer—but they have little doubt that they’re heading straight into a trap…

*************************************************************

If I had to describe Magic Rises in just one word, this would be it: action. From start to finish this book was a rollercoaster ride of action and adventure!

It starts off when Kate and Curran get an invite to Europe (yep, road trip time!) where they have to play bodyguard duty to a shapeshifter princess called Desandra, whose big, bad daddy controls a highly sought after mountain pass. Upside: they get paid in panacea - the medicine they desperately need to stop the Pack children from going loup and dying. Downside: it's an obvious trap and they'll be very far from home when it hits.

So, from the very start we're on edge with planning, politics and emotional angst (sorry guys, no spoilers!). But when they land on the island, whoa do things get interesting! There are three other packs on the island, all of whom want to incite Kate, Curran & Co. into fighting and distrust so they can pick them off, one by one.

This makes for a very tense book. Kate, Curran and the rest of the gang are facing an onslaught of insults and challenges, but they can't get angry of retaliate. Throw in some shocking twists and turns, mysterious murderers, romance, bodyguard duties, politics and angst and you have one hell of a book.

I get the feeling that we also moved along (in the overall story arc) quite a bit with this book. Serious stuff comes up about Roland, Hugh and the rest of Evil Inc. It feels like we're getting closer and closer to that inevitable showdown, and based on this book, I'm not entirely sure that Kate is ready for it yet.

I have to say, this is probably the best book I've read all summer. A definite five out of five.

Five hats! This book made my day. XD

Biting Bad Release Day!!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 06 Aug 2013 05:00:00 +0000

Okay, you guys are probably all aware by now that Chicagoland Vampires is one of my all-time favourite series. That's why I am so excited about this release! Chloe Neill is a machine - a book every six months! I am such a lucky reader, and I'm going to start reading right now! Here's the synopsis:

Merit has been a vampire for only a short while, but she’s already seen a lifetime’s worth of trouble. She and her Master, centuries-old Ethan Sullivan, have risked their lives time and again to save the city they love. But not all of Chicago is loving them back.

Anti-vampire riots are erupting all over town, striking vampires where it hurts the most. A splinter group armed with Molotov cocktails and deep-seated hate is intent on clearing the fanged from the Windy City come hell or high water.

Merit and her allies rush to figure out who’s behind the attacks, who will be targeted next, and whether there’s any way to stop the wanton destruction. The battle for Chicago is just beginning, and Merit is running out of time.

This actually looks amazing, so I'm going to go now and, well, read.

Magic Rises - It's Out!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 01 Aug 2013 11:12:00 +0000

Woo! Magic Rises has hit the shelves! Are you ready for more Kate and Curran mayham? I know I am! Here's the blurb:

Atlanta is a city plagued by magical problems. Kate Daniels will fight to solve them—no matter the cost.

Mercenary Kate Daniels and her mate, Curran, the Beast Lord, are struggling to solve a heartbreaking crisis. Unable to control their beasts, many of the Pack’s shapeshifting children fail to survive to adulthood. While there is a medicine that can help, the secret to its making is closely guarded by the European packs, and there’s little available in Atlanta.

Kate can’t bear to watch innocents suffer, but the solution she and Curran have found threatens to be even more painful. The European shapeshifters who once outmaneuvered the Beast Lord have asked him to arbitrate a dispute—and they’ll pay him in medicine. With the young people’s survival and the Pack’s future at stake, Kate and Curran know they must accept the offer—but they have little doubt that they’re heading straight into a trap…

Oooh, sounds promising. Well, I've got a plane to catch and a book to read! Yep - I'm coming home guys! XD

Rave - Fifth Grave Past The Light by Darynda Jones.

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 24 Jul 2013 21:08:00 +0000

Charley Davidson may not look like your everyday, run-of-the-mill grim reaper, but she has vowed to reap grimness wherever she goes despite this unfortunate fact. Sadly, she gets sidetracked when the sexy, sultry son of Satan, Reyes Farrow, moves in next door. Since he is her main suspect in an arson case, she has vowed to stay away from him until she can find out the truth. But when dead women start appearing in her apartment, one after another, each lost, confused, and terrified beyond reason, Charley has no choice but to ask for his help, especially when it becomes apparent that her own sister Gemma is the serial killer’s next target. With Reyes’s ability to observe incorporeally, surely he can find out who’s responsible. Even if he can’t, arsonist or not, he is the one man alive who could protect Gemma no matter who or what came at her. But he wants something in return. Charley. All of her, body and soul. And to keep her sister safe, it is a price she is willing to pay.

******************************************

Wow. I'm going to tell you guys straight up that this book was brilliant. It was a delicate balance of action, romance, and supernatural intrigue, doused in a healthy dose of Charley's special brand of comedy!

The book starts off great and only gets better from there. Charley has an infestation of crazy dead ladies in her apartment, all featuring the same MO. Naturally, she wants them gone, so, using her usual crazy, hilarious methods she sets out to find the killer. Of course, things are never that simple: she also has a Super Sexy Son of Satan (and various other calamities) to deal with along the way.

It all makes for a very easy and entertaining read, and I think that these books get better and better as they go along. The plot in this book is a lot simpler than it was in Fourth Grave Beneath My Feet, but because of...certain things Charley finds out about herself, it feels like this book is building up to something BIG. And I seriously can't wait to find out more.

Reyes is a H-A-W-T as ever in this book, but he's also strangely sweet. I know, I was freaked out too. It seems he's super committed to Charley now, which is great, because he's slightly less mysterious and more willing to answer all her questions - which I was really excited about. Trouble is, she doesn't ask them, they usually end up having sex instead or something comes up. I get that Darynda wants to keep his secrets, well, secret for as long as possible, but I am thirsting for information here! XD

All in all, I love Charley's antics and this story gets:
Four hats! Absolutely magical!

Fifth Grave Past The Light - It's Out!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 12 Jul 2013 05:15:00 +0000

Fifth Grave Past the Light by the fabulous Darynda Jones is out today!!! Here's the synopsis:

Charley Davidson may not look like your everyday, run-of-the-mill grim reaper, but she has vowed to reap grimness wherever she goes despite this unfortunate fact. Sadly, she gets sidetracked when the sexy, sultry son of Satan, Reyes Farrow, moves in next door. Since he is her main suspect in an arson case, she has vowed to stay away from him until she can find out the truth. But when dead women start appearing in her apartment, one after another, each lost, confused, and terrified beyond reason, Charley has no choice but to ask for his help, especially when it becomes apparent that her own sister Gemma is the serial killer’s next target...

Looks good, huh? Well, I can tell you right now that it isn't good - it's great! I've literally just finished it and I'll have the review up as soon as I find the motivation to type. :)

Review - Divergent by Veronica Roth

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 05 Jul 2013 23:11:00 +0000

In Beatrice Prior's dystopian Chicago, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue—Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is—she can't have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself.

During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles to determine who her friends really are. But Tris also has a secret, one she's kept hidden from everyone because she's been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers a growing conflict that threatens to unravel her seemingly perfect society, she also learns that her secret might help her save those she loves… or it might destroy her...

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Wow. Just, wow. This book had been recommended to me a couple of months ago, and I only got around to reading it now. My only regret is this: I should have read it ages ago!

This is another YA dystopian novel, set in a world where society is divided into five Factions based on personality traits: Abnegation (the selfless), Erudite (the geeks), Candor (the honest), Amity (the peaceful) and Dauntless (the brave). On your sixteenth birthday you have to choose your Faction, which decides where you spend the rest of your life.

Here is where Beatrice comes in. She has grown up in Abnegation, learning to be small, plain and unnoticeable. Abnegation is the type of Faction where selflessness is praised, vanity is scorned and you're not allowed to look in the mirror for more than a couple of seconds every three months - when you're getting your hair cut. Beatrice hates it there, so on the Choosing Day, she transfers to Dauntless.

Dauntless initiation is the hardest one around. Everyday life includes: jumping on/off buildings and moving trains, combat training, target practice, and mastering your fears. That's without taking the less...amicable members into account. Oh, and another thing? If you fail your initiation, you get kicked out and become Factionless, which roughly translates as homeless.

So Beatrice changes her name to Tris and gets her head in the game. She makes some friends (and enemies) along the way, and she just happens to snag the hottest instructor in the series. *sigh*

Tris is a well-rounded character. She is flawed enough to make her three-dimensional, but not so much that you hate her guts. She is relatable and tells a great story, and it's very easy to get caught up in her life. Also, she just happens to be Divergent. I will explain:

Most of the "state exam" thingies and the "official stuff" are done on Simulators. That means that you get injected with this serum and your transported to a dream-like world. Then the people in the control room make up these scenarios (great for the fear mastering!) and measure your reactions. The thing is that, like in most dreams, you don't know you're dreaming....unless you're Divergent. Being Divergent means that you know you're in a Simulation and you can manipulate the scenarios - meaning you can control the "dream".

For some top secret reason, the government are all about eradicating the Divergent, which is dangerous for Tris, and interesting for us readers.

Anyway, I loved this book. It was an effortless read, with just the right amounts of mystery, plot, comedy and romance. I connected with the characters and enjoyed the story - and I can't wait to read the sequel! I give it:

Four hats! It was magical!

Goodbye Dublin, Hello Vancouver!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 02 Jul 2013 13:21:00 +0000

Hey guys! I'm off to Canada tomorrow (yay!) so there won't be many posts over the next three weeks...unless I can find some free internet. I know, I know - what will you do? It's okay guys, I'll be back before you know it, or, well, before August.

Rant - Of Triton by Anna Banks

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 01 Jul 2013 08:30:00 +0000

In this sequel to OF POSEIDON, Emma has just learned that her mother is a long-lost Poseidon princess, and now struggles with an identity crisis: As a Half-Breed, she’s a freak in the human world and an abomination in the Syrena realm below. Syrena law states that all Half- Breeds should be put to death.

As if that’s not bad enough, her mother’s reappearance among the Syrena turns the two kingdoms—Poseidon and Triton—against one another. Which leaves Emma with a decision to make: Should she comply with Galen’s request to keep herself safe and just hope for the best? Or should she risk it all and reveal herself—and her Gift—to save a people she’s never known?

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This book let me down. Of Poseidon had it's issues, but overall it was a good YA novel. The sequel, however: ugghhh.

This book picks up immediately after Of Poseidon ends. Emma's mother has been found out and has, quite frankly, gone off the deep end. Is it possible for an author to write their own characters "out of character"? Because that's what it looked like to me.

Emma's mother - long lost Princess Nalia - suffers a complete personality change. Gone is the somewhat oblivious, caring mother from the first book. She is now replaced with this bratty, selfish woman who puts her own needs before her daughter's, and damn the consequences. Maybe it's but me, but I thought that it's a parent's prerogative to put their child first. After all, they're the one's that had the child. Nalia made her choice when she ran away from her responsibilities and had a baby - mistake or no.

Another things I just couldn't wrap my head around: Nalia's "mating circumstances". Nalia has been living on land for about twenty years now. She is forty years old, because on land, the mermaid people age faster. Now Grom, her One True Love, has been living in the water, so he hasn't aged much at all. Add to that the fact that he is Emma's boyfriend's brother and I get all sorts of disgusted and creeped out. Seriously, on top of everything else, we are now going to add pedophilia to the novel??? If my mother was dating my boyfriend's brother - no, wait, she wouldn't. Because it's weird and freaky!

Also, Emma. I liked her considerably less in this book. While I would be super supportive if she were to, I don't know, hold an Intervention for her mother, or excommunicate her, or even GET ANGRY - she doesn't. All we get is this inner monologue of brattiness and self-hatred. The only thing "bratty" about her is that she's not rejoicing to the heavens that Nalia and Grom have found each other, like everyone else is. And then she hates herself because she's "not being happy for her mother". Seriously.

I guess I just felt very alone reading this book. It was very frustrating and I felt like screaming "Does nobody else find this weird!!!??"

I would give detailed synopsis, but the whole book is pretty much Nalia-related politics. There is some action and revolutionary overhauling, but the plot doesn't make much sense and the characters suck.

This book gets:

One hat. Not even Galen's hotness could save this thing.

Am I right? Wrong? What did you think? Let me know. :)

Sweet Peril by Wendy Higgins - Review

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 25 Jun 2013 08:08:00 +0000

Anna Whitt, the daughter of a guardian angel and a demon, promised herself she’d never do the work of her father—polluting souls. She’d been naive to make such a vow. She’d been naive about a lot of things.
Haunted by demon whisperers, Anna does whatever she can to survive, even if it means embracing her dark side and earning an unwanted reputation as her school’s party girl. Her life has never looked more bleak. And all the while there’s Kaidan Rowe, son of the Duke of Lust, plaguing her heart and mind.

When an unexpected lost message from the angels surfaces, Anna finds herself traveling the globe with Kopano, son of Wrath, in an attempt to gain support of fellow Nephilim and give them hope for the first time. It soon becomes clear that whatever freedoms Anna and the rest of the Neph are hoping to win will not be gained without a fight. Until then, Anna and Kaidan must put aside the issues between them, overcome the steamiest of temptations yet, and face the ultimate question: is loving someone worth risking their life?

**********************************************

I'm just going to dive straight in with this one!

It picks up about six months after Sweet Evil ended. Kai is still AWOL, but now Anna has a reputation as the party girl of the school - meaning she's working. She tries to be good about it, she really does, but in the end all of her pretending kind of becomes the truth. And she hates herself for it. Add to that her missing Kaidan and you get a pretty depressed Anna.

So, when Kaidan comes blowing into town (or near enough) with his band, you can imagine Anna's determination to see him. Kai, of course, acts equal parts hot and infuriating, something we've all come to expect by now! ;)

This is all slowly building up to the moment when we get our first real taste of PLOT! Anna gets visited by the spirit/soul/angel/consciousness-thingy of a certain someone and all gets revealed. (And by all I mean the prophecy that only Anna can fulfill.)

So then, Anna spends the rest of the book gearing up for the big showdown that's going to happen in book three. PLOT kind of takes over here, a symptom of classic Sequel Syndrome (which means no, erm, distracting Kai for about two-hundred pages!). This, however, was not a particularly bad thing, because a lot of development took place over the course of these pages that is essential to the storyline.

We see way more of Kaidan towards the end. I'm going to call this section of the novel the Relationship Progression Stage. Then you have a super tense ending that will lead in perfectly to the third book.

WHAT I LIKED:

Anna is no longer that "sweet little Southern girl", yet she still manages to retain her essence, her sense of self. I liked that character development and it was necessary to strengthen her character.
Kaiden. Seriously, how can you not love Kaidan? He is the bad boy with a heart - and he's in a band.
Okay, just characters in general then. Some surprised me, others (surprisingly) held true to their nature. But they were all relatable and you could understand why they did the things they did.
The Relationship Progression Stage. I liked this part!
I liked the book in general.

WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE SO MUCH:

As I said before, this book had a case of Sequel Syndrome. That's when the author pulls out the cliches of sequels in general: prophecies, super-plot, lets-skim-over-that tactics, more focus on politics than action, the heroine going off to "find herself" or hone her new-found powers, you get the idea. The thing about cliches though, the reason people use them, is this: They work. And they worked for this novel, just like they worked for the last three-hundred, and just like they will work for the next. These cliches were used sparingly and well applied (Go Wendy!) For that, I can ignore the little things.
It didn't hold my attention. I know, I know, there is a 94.281% chance that it was just me, but I got stuck about halfway through for awhile and just wasn't pushed to continue. I made myself though, and once I got past the "lull" in the middle, I found myself fully immersed in Anna's story once more.

This took a lot of consideration, but I'm going to give this book:

Three hats! This is a series worth reading.

Of Poseidon by Anna Banks - Review

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 05 May 2013 19:05:00 +0000

PREMISE

Galen is the prince of the Syrena, sent to land to find a girl he's heard can communicate with fish. Emma is on vacation at the beach. When she runs into Galen — literally, ouch! — both teens sense a connection. But it will take several encounters, including a deadly one with a shark, for Galen to be convinced of Emma's gifts. Now, if he can only convince Emma that she holds the key to his kingdom . . .

Told from both Emma and Galen's points of view, here is a fish-out-of-water story that sparkles with intrigue, humor, and waves of romance.

***********************************************

This book was actually pretty good. It starts when Emma runs (literally) into this handsome guy on the beach and they are both all "Ooh, damn you is hot!". As things turn out, he's the prince of the Syrena (mer-people) and thinks that she is one of his subjects on the run. Of course, she doesn't have a clue about any of this, and it doesn't help matters when said prince keeps getting distracted by her pretty face and the shocking heat they feel when they touch...

In addition to believing she is a secret mermaid, he thinks she has the long lost "Gift of Poseidon". (It let's her talk to the fishies, basically.) This would make her a mermaid princess of his arch enemy and....political scheming ensues. He takes on the responsibility to keep an eye on her (which is no hardship, really. He does think she's hot.) Then PLOT happens and everything goes BAM!

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It was good and well paced, with some romance thrown in for good measure. There was also a surprising amount of plot (in a good way!) and some twists that I, for once, did not see coming. However, it was chock full of grammatical mistakes and it kept alternating points of view. One chapter would be written in Emma's POV and the next in Galen's, but Emma's would be written in the first person and Galen's would be written in the third. After awhile it gave me a headache.

It was, in many ways, a typical YA read: light, romantic, mysterious and fun. It would be a great book to bring to the beach and I enjoyed it enough to read a sequel. I give it:
Three hats. The mermaid's made it magical.

Quick Post - TGIF

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 03 May 2013 06:01:00 +0000

Thank God it's Friday! Also.....it's a long weekend! Wooo! No school on Monday!

Phew. Now that I've gotten the appropriate enthusiasm out of my system, it's time to get down to business.
So, question is this:

WHAT ARE YOU READING THIS WEEKEND?

I'm finishing Sweet Peril, and I'm hoping to make some serious headway on The Fellowship of the Ring.

Anyway, I want to know what you guys are reading. Let me know!

Sweet Peril Release Day!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 20:26:00 +0000

Today is the day! My Kindle is so happy with me because at 12:01, my pre-ordered copy of Sweet Peril arrived!

Sweet Peril (by Wendy Higgins) is the second book the the Sweet Trilogy. After the gut-wrenching ending in the first book - Sweet Evil - I couldn't wait to get my hands on it! I am about halfway through it, but I am tearing myself away from Kai (the sexiest drummer ever) to update you guys on the sitch.

Here's the synopsis. I'll post a review as soon as I finish it, but for now: Go get yourselves a copy!

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Haunted by demon whisperers, Anna does whatever she can to survive, even if it means embracing her dark side and earning an unwanted reputation as her school’s party girl. Her life has never looked more bleak. And all the while there’s Kaidan Rowe, son of the Duke of Lust, plaguing her heart and mind.

When an unexpected lost message from the angels surfaces, Anna finds herself traveling the globe with Kopano, son of Wrath, in an attempt to gain support of fellow Nephilim and give them hope for the first time. It soon becomes clear that whatever freedoms Anna and the rest of the Neph are hoping to win will not be gained without a fight. Until then, Anna and Kaidan must put aside the issues between them, overcome the steamiest of temptations yet, and face the ultimate question: is loving someone worth risking their life?

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Sound's good, right? Clicking the picture brings you to Amazon. *hint hint*

Rant - Wrecked by Shiloh Walker

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 28 Apr 2013 08:45:00 +0000

PREMISE

In the nineties, Abigale Applegate and Zach Barnes were the most beloved sitcom child stars in the world. Then they grew up and left Hollywood behind…

Whatever happened to Abigale Applegate?

She’s been wondering the same thing.

With her Hollywood dreams long gone, Abigale now has a nice, neat, uncomplicated life—until the day her perfect fiancé needs to talk. Dumped, a little more than shattered, and totally confused, Abigale turns to Zach, her best friend since forever, to help her pick up the pieces. He does it with a gift—a copy of Wreck This Journal. She can vent her frustrations, and sketch out a new plan. Zach just hopes he’s part of it. Because he’s been in love with Abigale his entire life.

When the journal falls into Zach’s hands, he discovers Abigale wants a new man. And fast. Nothing more than a hot distraction. Zach has a strategy, too. He’s going to be that man. It’s his last chance. Abigale might be out to shake up her life, but Zach’s out to reinvent it. Now, all he has to do is convince Abigale that life can go as planned.

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Looks good, right? Which is why, even though I'm not one for contemporary romance, I was really looking forward to this. In fact, I got so hyped up about this that I pre-ordered it for my Kindle and got up at 12.01 to read it!

..... and I think I've wasted my time.

Don't get me wrong, it starts out pretty well. The tension between Zach and Abigale is absolutely delicious and it was fun being in Zach's head. However, this book is supposed to be about "getting the girl" after waiting so long for her, right?

Well, they have sex at the beginning of the book - and spend the rest of the book having sex.

Seriously, where did the synopsis go? I must have completely misinterpreted it because I was waiting for this big build up and then a BOOM! at the end, when she discovers that her best friend like likes her and vice versa. Instead, Zach kind of bypasses the whole "friend" thing and head straight to "lover" almost as soon as the book starts. I know that the synopsis says that he wants to be the guy she has an affair with, but they way it was written just didn't ring true. Also, even though they are "Best Friends Forever" who are having sex, he keeps hiding his love for her in case it scares her away. Meanwhile, she tries to figure out:

Whether or not she loves him.
Whether or not he loves her.
~~Why she's so whiny.~~

Oh, wait, sorry. Number three was one of the things I was trying to figure out. Which brings me to my next point: I just didn't like Abigale.

As I mentioned above, she was really whiny. She practically fell apart if she didn't have a "plan" to follow. Now that I'm thinking about it, she actually might have had anxiety issues. If she did, I'd probably be more sympathetic. I think that the author was trying to show the contrast between her and Zach, who is supposed to live life on the edge. Which is funny, because apart from owning a tattoo parlour (oooh! Danger, danger!) he seems like a pretty normal guy.

I don't know. I just didn't feel it. I think it deserved:

Two hats. It was a spell gone wrong.

********************************************************

Thoughts? Have I completely lost my mind? Do you like it, love it or go "Eh."? Let me know!

Top 5 Sundays!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 14 Apr 2013 09:47:00 +0000

Okay, so you guys know the drill: every week I post a Top Five list as part of a weekly meme hosted by Larissa at Larissa's Bookish Life. This week's theme is: FAVOURITE FEMALE TV CHARACTERS! I don't watch that much television, so my choices are a little limited, but I'll try my best. :)

AMY FARRAH FOWLER (Big Bang Theory)
Come on, you just have to love the way she put's up with all the Sheldon-related crap.
I think she's great!

BUFFY SUMMERS (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)
...Do I need to explain this one?

PIPER HALLIWELL (Charmed)
Another kick-ass lady! She really brought the sass. *wistful sigh for long-lost TV series*

PHEOBE BUFFAY (Friends)
Being a blonde myself, I usually object to those stereotypes, but God, Pheobe just made it too funny!

CAROLINE FORBES (Vampire Diaries)
She is blonde and smart - and she kicks-ass. I'm sensing a theme here...

So what are your faves? Let me know!

Rave - Twice Tempted by Jeaniene Frost

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 21:12:00 +0000

PREMISE

Dating the Prince of Darkness has its challenges

Leila’s psychic abilities have been failing her, and now she isn't sure what the future holds. If that weren't enough, her lover Vlad has been acting distant. Though Leila is a mere mortal, she’s also a modern woman who refuses to accept the cold shoulder treatment forever–especially from the darkly handsome vampire who still won’t admit that he loves her . . .

Like choosing between eternal love and a loveless eternity

Soon circumstances send Leila back to the carnival circuit, where tragedy strikes. And when she finds herself in the crosshairs of a killer who may be closer than she realizes, Leila must decide who to trust– the fiery vampire who arouses her passions like no other or the tortured knight who longs to be more than a friend? With danger stalking her every step of the way, all it takes is one wrong move to damn her for eternity . . .

************************************

Okay, so awhile ago I reviewed Once Burned and I wasn't really feeling it. I had hoped that Twice Tempted would re-boot my undying love for all things Jeaniene Frost (and Vlad!)...and it did! Here's what happens:

After so long being told "This far and no further" Leila has finally had enough! She up and leaves Vlad because of his stubbornness and pride when it comes to his feelings. However, more mysterious foes from Vlad's past and deep betrayals cause havoc in Leila's life, forcing them back together for her protection yet again...... (Deja vu anyone?)

As they get closer to finding out who is behind the attacks, Vlad and Leila both realize some things (mainly Vlad though. Our girl has got smarts!) and find there way back to each other. Just in time though. because the waters are about to be tested in ways that will leave even Vlad out of his depth...

*********************************

I loved this book. There, I said it. It was everything I wished it would be - more than I wished for - and completely made up for the angst Ms. Frost put us though in Once Burned. Leila is a strong, brave and smart character who can hold her own against our favourite anti-hero. Granted, she does some stupid things that make me cringe, but she does them because she's in love so it's okay.

Vlad does some stupid, rash things as well but that's okay because he's in love (even if he's being stubborn about it!). He's changed since we last saw him, and Leila's leaving really snapped him out of his own arrogance (okay, not that much but he's a little more tolerable). I feel like if they weren't perfect or ready for each other before, they are now.

Plot-wise, I think that it moved nice and fast. When Leila was apart from Vlad it didn't drag because she had a mystery to solve and assassination attempts to thwart. When she was with him there was a perfect balance between romance, tension and plot - not too much or too little of either. There were some unexpected twists (for me, at least) throughout the novel that made me happy, shocked, angry, sad, e.t.c and some BIG information was revealed at the end that makes me wish for the third book, like, yesterday.

Altogether, I think that it was perfect. I stared at the book for about an hour after I finished it and the only fault I could find was that it ended too soon. Go read it now! This book definitely deserves:

Five hats!!! I was completely spell-bound!

Top Five Sundays!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 07 Apr 2013 12:06:00 +0000

As part of a weekly meme hosed by the fabulous Larissa at Larissa's Bookish Life I'm posting a Top Five list every Sunday! This week's theme is: FAVOURITE BOOK COVER ARTISTS! I'm not too sure who the actual artists are but I'll post my favourite covers anyway and try and find out for you guys. Here we go, in no particular order:

Tom Egner (Night Huntress series)

I'm not sure who did this but the artwork for the Charley Davidson series rocks!

Ted Naifeh (Modern Faerie Tale series)

Giorgetta Bell Mcree (House of Comarre Series)

And last, but not least:

Russell Gordon (Mortal Instruments series)

What are you favourite covers? Let me know!

Happy Easter (!!!!) and Fandom

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 31 Mar 2013 22:29:00 +0000

Happy Easter guys! Did you ungraciously consume your weight in chocolate? I know I did! Anyway, I pretty much spent the day inside catching up on The Vampire Diaries (now that I have a break from school). Does anyone else think that Klaroline is adorable? I ship them so hard, I swear it'll be the end of me.

Seriously, how can you not love this:

Gif time!

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Anyway, sorry for my mindless fandom! Happy Easter!

Feature & Follow Friday

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 29 Mar 2013 18:26:00 +0000

This is a brilliant blog hop hosted by Parajunkee and Alison at Alison Can Read to gain new blog followers and make friends! Every week they both host two different "Features" - two different blogs from the Linky list below.

So drop a line! Say "Hi" and check out some new blogs you've never come across before - you never know, they could be pretty cool!

Here are the RULES:

(Required) Follow the Follow My Book Blog Friday Hosts {Parajunkee & Alison Can Read}
(Required) Follow the Featured Bloggers
Put your Blog name & URL in the Linky thing. You can also grab the code if you would like to insert it into your posts.
Grab the pic up there and place it in a post, this post is for people to find a place to say "hi" in your comments and that they are now following you.
If you are using WordPress or another CMS that doesn't have GFC (Google Friends Connect) state in your posts how you would like to be followed
Follow Follow Follow as many as you can, as many as you want, or just follow a few. The whole point is to make new friends and find new blogs. Also, don't just follow, comment and say hi. Another blogger might not know you are a new follower if you don't say "HI"
If someone comments and says they are following you, be a dear and follow back. Spread the Love...and the followers
If you're new to the follow friday hop, comment and let me know, so I can stop by and check out your blog!

Here are the rest of the blogs, check them out!

Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl - Review

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 29 Mar 2013 12:59:00 +0000

PREMISE

Lena Duchannes is unlike anyone the small Southern town of Gatlin has ever seen, and she's struggling to conceal her power, and a curse that has haunted her family for generations. But even within the overgrown gardens, murky swamps and crumbling graveyards of the forgotten South, a secret cannot stay hidden forever.

Ethan Wate, who has been counting the months until he can escape from Gatlin, is haunted by dreams of a beautiful girl he has never met. When Lena moves into the town's oldest and most infamous plantation, Ethan is inexplicably drawn to her and determined to uncover the connection between them.

In a town with no surprises, one secret could change everything. (Courtesy of Goodreads.)

*******************************************

This is another one of those "I bought the book because I just saw the movie and it was amazing" types of things. The movie was pretty brilliant, but it just left out some things (all movies do, right?) that made me glad I bought the book.

Ethan Wate is striving to get through his last two years of school so he can leave Gatlin, the tiny Southern town he lives in. (Apparently there are only two types of people in Gatlin: "The stupid and the stuck".)

Anyway, every night he has this dream, where he tries to save this girl and fails. Every night, and while he never remembers her face, she smells like lemons and rosemary.

Next thing you know, new girl's in town. The mysterious town shut-in's niece. Guess what she smells like. Uh-huh, lemons and rosemary. Ethan is naturally curious and forms a tentative friendship with the new Lena Duchannes. (He totally has the hots for her!) He knows something's up and eventually get's in on the witchy business. Together they face Southern small-minded prejudice, hostile relatives, ominous prophecies and various other run-of-the-mill teenager stuff. They even manage to sneak some kissing in there. I'm impressed.

See, when Lena turns sixteen she thinks she is going to turn into a witch bitch rather than just a witch. There's a curse on her family that means she's going to be "Claimed" for Light or Dark - and she reckons she's going Dark. However, while she and Ethan are working on trying to break the curse, musty old skeletons are coming out of closets everywhere and some meddling Dark family show up in town...

I really liked this book. It was especially good for a YA, what with all the restrictions placed upon them nowadays. It managed to be dark and a little edgy but kept it cool for the teens. I liked the balance in it because it wasn't all school and popularity games, and there weren't three other "best friends" waiting to get in on it so they could form some sort of hormone-filled, misfit-led, ragtag band of Fantastic Five wannabees. The characters were mature (for the most part) and just cool.

I also thought Ethan was awesome. I liked that there wasn't anything special about him. He had no superpowers, yet he still managed to help and protect Lena. I liked that and thought it made the story more realistic.

This book took me awhile to read though. Okay, it's long but I normally just dive under my covers with a bar of Cadbury's Dairy Milk and don't resurface until a book's finished. There was a bit of a lag in the middle though and I had difficulty getting back into it. However, the end kind of exploded in my face, in twist after twist of "I did not see that coming!", so I think it made up for it. :)

I think I'll give this book:

Four hats! It was enchanting!