Nerd Blast for Eternal Starling by Angela Corbett + INT Giveaway

Eternal Starling by Angela Corbett
Publication Date: December 6th, 2011
Genre: YA Paranormal

Buy: Amazon / Amazon US / The Book Depo

A love so strong, even eternity can't separate them. Evie Starling has lived a relatively uneventful life hanging out with friends, gossiping about boys, and driving her 1966 Mustang. 

All of that changes when she moves to Gunnison, Colorado, to start college and meets two mysterious men. For centuries, Alex Night and Emil Stone have yearned for Evie but they each have their own reasons for wanting to be with her. When both men claim to be her soul mate and tell her about an unbelievable past, Evie learns that she s not the person she thought she was. Soon, Evie finds herself in the middle of an age-old battle between the Amaranthine Society the soul protectors, and the Daevos Resistance the soul destroyers. With a past she doesn t understand, and a future rife with danger, Evie has to decide who she can trust. But Alex and Emil aren t the only ones who want Evie, and her soul is about to become the rope in an eternal tug-of-war.

Angela Corbett

As a child, Angela Corbett’s most prized possession was a set of read-along books. She used to follow along with the narrator on the stereo and dream of when she would be able to read by herself. Her childhood reading habit led her to consider her future career. However, after consulting with her parents, she realized she had already exceeded hobbit height and since fairies and dragonslayers were tricky jobs to get, she decided she wanted to create worlds of her own. She started writing poetry in elementary school and worked as a journalist in high school and college, but could never leave her love for writing fiction behind.

She is a graduate of Westminster College where she double majored in communication and sociology. She has worked as a journalist, freelance writer, and director of communications and marketing. She loves classic cars, traveling, and escaping in a good book. She lives in Utah with her incredibly supportive husband and their five-pound Pomeranian, Pippin, whose following of fangirls could rival Justin Bieber’s.

Eternal Starling is her debut novel and the first book in the Emblem of Eternity trilogy.

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Book Blitz for Leap of Faith by Jamie Blair; Excerpt + US only Giveaway

Leap of Faith by Jamie Blair
Publication Date: September 3rd, 2013
Published by: Simon & Schuster BfYR
Genre: Contemporary Romance

Buy: Amazon US / Amazon UK / The Book Depo

Can true love be built on lies? A teen on the run seeks relief and redemption in this gripping, romantic read.Leah Kurtz has finally found a place to call home, a town where she and baby Addy can live in peace, far from the drug-infested place she grew up. Chris is one of the best parts of her new life, the only person who’s ever made her feel safe. And now that she’s found him, there’s no way she can tell the truth:

Her real name is Faith, not Leah. She’s seventeen, not nineteen. And the baby isn’t hers—Faith kidnapped her.

Faith’s history catches up with her when a cop starts asking questions and Chris’s aunt spots her picture in the newspaper. She knows it’s time to run again, but if Faith leaves, she’ll lose Chris. If Chris is in love with a lie, though, did Faith ever really have him in the first place?

Excerpt from Leap of Faith

 

“I’m Chris.”  His eyes are hazel.  They’d be bluer or greener depending on what he wore.  His gray shirt keeps them the in-between shade.  He plays a few more chords and sets his guitar on the couch beside him.  “Well?  What do you think?”

I glance around.  There’s not much to it, but it works.  “How much?”

He rubs his chin.  It’s covered in stubble.  I imagine how it would feel against my cheek, and my face gets hot. 

Addy squirms and lets out a small shriek.  Chris’s eyes dart to her.  This could be the deal breaker.

She squawks again.  “What time is it?” I ask, realizing she’s probably hungry. 

He shrugs.  “Around five or six.  She need to eat?”

“Yeah.  Guess I better go so I can feed her.”  I take a step toward the door.

“Here,” he comes forward, reaching his arms out.  “I’ll hold her.  Go on out and get her a bottle.  You have one with you, don’t you?”

I nod, watching him take Addy out of my arms, place her against his chest, and rub her back.  “Do you have kids?”  It seems like a dumb question, but he’s a natural with Addy.

He laughs.  “No.  Fortunately, I’ve never been in that predicament.”  He looks from Addy to me, and his face falls.  “I mean…” 

Right.  He thinks I got knocked up.  I’m a teen mom.  “It’s okay.  Don’t worry about it.”  I smile, trying to put him at ease.  “I’ll be right back.”

After opening the door to the stairs, I glance over my shoulder.  He’s running his fingers over the top of her head and bouncing her gently.  “Shh, baby, don’t cry.  Mommy will be right back.” 

AUTHOR BIO:

Jamie Blair spent most of her teen years choreographing moves for her dance team routines, kissing boys on the couch after her mom went to bed, and pondering the mood enhancement qualities of Lemon Heads when consumed with Diet Coke. Writing under Kelli Maine, she’s the USA Today bestselling author of Taken. Leap of Faith is her debut New Adult novel.

 

Author links:

Website: http://jamieblairauthor.blogspot.ca/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/JamieMBlair

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5418337.Jamie_Blair

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Jamie-M-Blair/280042602029930

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A Review for Sometimes It Lasts (Sea Breeze #5) by Abbi Glines

Posted by Jess
Release Date: August 27th, 2013 
Finished Date: August 28th, 2013

Publishers: Simon Pulse
Genre: New Adult
Source: Bought

Format: E-Book
Pages: 288

Buy: Amazon UK / Amazon US /

Cage York has to choose between a love of the game and a love of the girl in this sultry Sea Breeze novel from New York Times bestselling author Abbi Glines.

After waiting for his big break, bad boy Cage York is finally called up to prove his worth in the college baseball arena. But when Cage’s girlfriend, Eva, mourns the sudden loss of her father, it’s not Cage’s comforting arms she runs to, but those of her former fiancé’s twin brother, Jeremy.

Torn between his baseball dream and the girl of his dreams, Cage must prove he’s worthy of Eva’s love, or risk losing her to Jeremy forever.

The Review: Whew! Roller coaster of a ride this was! Abbi pretty much makes a comeback (even though she was never really gone) with a another great instalment to the Sea Breeze series. It felt awesome to get back in Sea Breeze with Cage and all the gang. 

When you read While It Lasts, you think, aw way! Happy ending for Cage and Eva...little did we know...Abbi had this little beaut up her gorgeous Alabama sleeve! BOOM out pops Sometimes It Lasts like a little book baby! 

Sometimes It Lasts was a great addition to the Sea Breeze family. With familiar characters, sexy males and kick ass females. We come back to some sad stuff for Cage and Eva, some hard decisions both have to make if they are to have a future. I was pretty hooked from page one as I always am with one of Abbi's books. Sometimes It Lasts was an extreme roller coaster or so many emotions. There is so much love, so much betrayal, so much loss it really cuts you deeply if you're already so invested in this series or just in general Cage and Eva.

I find Abbi always writes wonderfully, and although I did only give this 4 stars, mostly just because I thought it was a little predictable in places, and it didn't feel the same. None the less, as much as I felt it predictable, I also felt it to be a great addition, and it really felt great to be back in the Sea Breeze story with these two. 

If you still haven't picked up any of Abbi's books, I'd recommend starting with the Sea Breeze series first, and then move to her Fallen Too Far (Rosemary Beach) series after that. I never seem to be disappointed with Abbi or her books and Sometimes It Lasts just proves me right. Yay!

Book Blast for Reckless Longing by Gina Robinson; Guest Post + INT Giveaway

Reckless Longing (Reckless #1) 
by Gina Robinson
Publication Date: September 23rd, 2013
Genre: Contemporary, New Adult, Romance

Buy: Amazon 

Ellie Martin hates her beautiful, man-crazy mother. Her mother’s wild and wanton behaviour has left Ellie with a deep longing. To escape. To belong. To know who her real dad is. To really be loved. Her mother finally crosses a line that sends Ellie running, escaping to college with one, focused goal–to find and confront her bio dad, who doesn’t even know she exists. Then she meets Logan. Hot, charming, and troubled. He turns her world upside down and puts all her plans in jeopardy.

Logan Walker is hiding a shameful and painful secret. One that nearly cost him everything. When he meets the beautiful and mysterious Ellie at a Week of Welcome event, something inside him awakens and he finds himself drawn to her.

But the attraction they both feel for each other is as delicate as the web of secrets they each hide behind. And as the truths are revealed, their reckless longing may not survive the fallout.

 The Inspiration for Reckless Longing by Gina Robinson

Reckless Longing is my first new adult romance. I had a blast writing it. I love romance, mystery, and suspense and write historical and contemporary romance as well. But I'm best known for my funny romantic suspense novels about spies. Readers always want to know where I come up with my zany ideas. My husband, who's always my first reader, knows where I get my ideas and recognizes things from our lives when he reads my books. I'll often hear him laughing at something when he's reading one of my manuscripts for the first time. And, of course, he's supposed to be laughing at my funny spy romances, but many times I'll catch him laughing during the serious parts. When I accuse him of this egregious sin, he shrugs it off saying he sees the inspiration behind the scene. To him, it's an inside joke. So the short answer to where I get my ideas is—from everyday life and everywhere. But for Reckless Longing, I have a specific answer.

This spring I did a book signing on campus at the student bookstore at my alma mater during Mom's Weekend. Moms and daughters and moms and sons crowded the campus. Lots of moms and daughters, and a few brave sons humoring their moms, wore matching Mom's Weekend sweatshirts or T-shirts. Most moms looked, for lack of a better word, momly. But as I took a walking tour of campus, I encountered a different kind of mom—the mom who thought she was still a hot college coed herself and was clearly in competition with her own daughter for the guys' attention. An interesting aside—I've heard that more condoms and beer are sold during Mom's Weekend than any other weekend.

I remember clearly standing at the edge of Greek Row. Even though it was April, the temperature was only thirty-nine degrees with a stiff icy wind and blowing snow. I was bundled in a coat, gloves, and sweatshirt. But walking down Greek Row on three-inch stilettos in the middle of the afternoon were a matching mother and daughter pair. They were each wearing skintight black leather skirts, tight white blouses and cropped leather jackets. They had identical hairstyles of flowing brown hair that fell past their shoulders and their makeup was meticulously applied and geared toward clubbing. Both were clearly on the make. And the idea for Ellie and her man-crazy mother was born. A mother who will compete with her daughter for everything and try to hold onto her youth after it has long since slipped away.

So that was the seed, the story germ for the Reckless trilogy which kicks off with Reckless Longing. But there's much, much more to Ellie's story and romance with the hot, mysterious Logan Walker. Her relationship with her mom is only the catalyst that gets the story going. I hope you'll read the series to see where the story goes from there.

I love hearing from readers. You can connect with me on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/GinaRobinsonAuthor

Or Twitter at https://twitter.com/ginamrobinson

If you'd like to know when the second book of the series, Reckless Secrets, will be available, you can sign up for my new release newsletter either on Facebook or on the homepage of my website,

 http://ginarobinson.com.

Happy Reading!

Gina

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A Review for Unattainable by Madeline Sheehan

Posted by Donna
Release Date: September 24th, 2013
Finished Date: September 25th, 2013

Publishers: Self Published
Genre: Adult
Source: Kindle

Format:Bought
Pages: 308

Buy: Amazon UK / Amazon US

Warning: This is not a virtuous and tender love story. It’s chaotic, ruthless, and tragic. This story takes love and kills its innocence, steals away the pure moments, and crushes the hearts of the broken. A story born in childhood, tying one girl to one boy, leads to a destructive path—that hurts more than it doesn’t, that shatters more than it heals—testing the love that binds the two through a lifetime. 

Tegen Matthews is the daughter of Dorothy Kelley, a club whore in the Hell’s Horsemen. A plain little girl, Tegen falls into the gritty world of the motorcycle club. When she meets a sweet, caring boy, she embraces the warmth and affection he shows her. Cage West is the son of the president of the Hell’s Horsemen. Tall and blond with deep brown eyes, as he grows up Cage realizes the power of his dimpled smile and smooth drawl. With one chance encounter, Tegen becomes forever tied to Cage. Following is a wayward journey that is filled with regrets, mistakes, and heartache, pulling at the threads that hold them together. Cage and Tegen fight hard but love harder, and in the end, what matters is where the journey takes one girl and one boy, who have been twined with one another since the beginning. 

This is Tegen and Cage’s story. 

Love doesn’t erase a broken heart, and it sure doesn’t change people. But no matter how old, how flimsy, how frayed the rope of love is, it keeps you tethered to the people you love.

The Review: WARNING: Due to sexual scenes, violence and language, this book is recommended for 17+ years.

"Tegen," he said softly. "Stop lookin' at me like that, babe, or I'm gonna pick you the f**k up and take you straight to my room. I know you don't want to go there, but you keep starin' at me all hungry and s**t, I'm not gonna care what the f**k you want. I'm just gonna take it."

I don't know about you but it wasn't until I came across a gem of a book called Undeniable that I finally discovered Madeline Sheehan's work. And now, three books later, I'm completely in love with her work and Unattainable didn't disappoint one bit. 

This is an author who isn't ashamed to write the dirty, gritty and horrid parts about a love, she isn't afraid to write about people suffering from the wrongs they've came across in life, and she isn't afraid of writing that not everyone's love story is easy but that it takes work, and it's literally blood, sweat and tears. I for one have to applaud Madeline for that. Her work is truly one the rawest and most realist stories I've come across and it's honestly a pleasure to read anything written by her!

In Unattainable we get the long awaited story of Tegen and Cage. I have to say the previous encounters we get with Tegen from the first two books, I wasn't overly impressed with her. All we ever saw was her shouting her mouth off and frankly, it was a tad annoying. So I guess I was going into Unattainable expecting to hate her. As you can see I was wrong. I loved Tegen. Once she started telling her story, I could completely relate to her and see why she acted the way she did. The only way she knew how to handle everything was by shouting, being mean and especially keeping her distance from Cage. 

At sixteen years old, Tegen lost her virginity to Cage - the guy she'd been in love with all her life. However, it definitely wasn't what she hoped it would be. Cage basically shuns her afterwards - baring in mind he was only nineteen years old himself and was just starting to discover what the club life was all about. I'm not agreeing with his choices but I think he acted like any other nineteen year old would that is surrounded by women that throw themselves at him and alcohol at all the time. But of course, Tegen is seriously devastated by this...and then goes into her own shell. Like I said, I can see why Tegen acted the way she did. She was loud, rash and angry - she becomes even more so angry when she's around Cage. I actually found it pretty humorous at times seeing these two together because they have such fiery tempers that every time they were together, it was pretty explosive. But when it's good, it's good. The sex is more than hot! The tense is more than great! And the relationship between these two is definitely not perfect, but it's freaking awesome! However, there was one part of their story I didn't like, and that was ZZ's involvement. I didn't feel it was necessary, nor do I think it was fair to ZZ. I felt for him in Unbeautifully and he's yet again dragged through the ringer this time around. I am however super excited for his story. I think it's going to be dark and dirty and I just can't wait!

Now Dirty and Ellie - Ummmmm.....I had to think hard about this one. Dirty is one f**ked up guy, but for some reason the more I read of his story, the more I started to like him. I don't completely understand his and Ellie's relationship, I can't see how it could work with all his troubles but I do applaud Ellie for being her sweet self and falling in love with a guy with that many issues, and whose willing to try and make things work.

In all, Unattainable comes with many ups and downs, it comes with beautiful moments and some very ugly moments too but, once you start reading you honestly won't be able to put it down! Well done Madeline Sheehan!! You rocked my world yet again! 

Waiting on Wednesday (#55)

 

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating. 

Jess's WoW

Try(The Temptation Trilogy #1))

by Ella Frank 

Release date: November, 2013

Try – verb: to make an attempt or effort to do something or in this case…someone.

Sex. Logan Mitchell loves it, and ever since he realized his raw sexual appeal at a young age, he has had no problem using it to his advantage. Men and women alike fall into his bed—after all, Logan is not one to discriminate. He lives by one motto—if something interests you, why not just take a chance and try?

And he wants to try Tate Morrison.

Just coming out of a four-year marriage with an ex-wife from hell, a relationship is the last thing on Tate’s mind. He’s starting fresh and trying to get back on his feet with a new job at an upscale bar in downtown Chicago.

The only problem is, Tate has caught the unwavering and unwelcome attention of Mr. Logan Mitchell – a regular at the bar and a man who always gets what he wants.

Night after night Tate fends off the persistent advances of the undeniably charismatic man, but after an explosive moment in the bar, all bets are off as he finds his body stirring with a different desire than his mind.

As arrogance, stubbornness and sexual tension sizzles between the two, it threatens to change the very course of their lives.

Logan doesn’t do relationships. Tate doesn’t do men. But what would happen if they both just gave in and…tried?

Jess's thoughts: Yes, well, I'm a fan of M/M and I'm really looking forward to reading this one. The concept is interesting, and I've always enjoyed the straight to gay genre in a male/male romance, so I'm happy to give this one a go :)

Donna's WoW

Ignite Me (Shatter Me #3)
by Tahereh Mafi 
Release date: February 4th, 2014

The heart-stopping conclusion to the New York Times bestselling Shatter Me series, which Ransom Riggs, bestselling author of Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, called "a thrilling, high-stakes saga of self-discovery and forbidden love"

Juliette now knows she may be the only one who can stop the Reestablishment. But to take them down, she'll need the help of the one person she never thought she could trust: Warner. And as they work together, Juliette will discover that everything she thought she knew-about Warner, her abilities, and even Adam-was wrong.

In Shatter Me, Tahereh Mafi created a captivating and original story that combined the best of dystopian and paranormal and was praised by Publishers Weekly as "a gripping read from an author who's not afraid to take risks." The sequel, Unravel Me, blew readers away with heart-racing twists and turns, and New York Times bestselling author Kami Garcia said it was "dangerous, sexy, romantic, and intense." Now this final book brings the series to a shocking and climactic end.

Donna's thoughts: Oh gosh, the wait for this has been killing me!! Killing me!! I NEED more of Tahereh's work!! 

<What's your "waiting on" pick this week?

Want to participate? 
Grab the logo, post your own WoW entry on your blog, and leave your link at Breaking the Spine. 

Happy Reading!

A Review for Descended (Fallen Guardian Saga #1) by Debra Ann Miller

Posted by Melanie
Release Date: October 13th, 2012
Finished Date: September 15th, 2013

Publishers: Self Published 
Genre: YA Paranormal 
Source: For Review

Format: Kindle
Pages: 294

Buy: Amazon UK / Amazon US / The Book Depo

Destiny has two ways of crushing us…by refusing our wishes…and fulfilling them.

Vie had no idea when she descended into the small town of Newcastle, Wyoming that she’d find herself mesmerized by the mysterious and alluring eyes of one Carter Stone. And Carter believed he knew everyone that lived in his rural town until the day he locked eyes with Vivian Thorne. He couldn’t help but wonder what was different about this girl he had known all of his life.

He was right, Vie was the beautiful young Guardian that had been sent to their world looking for Carter and she did so merged in the vessel of the Thorne girl. Their meeting sparks a passionate romance between the two and soon after they embark on their journey to uncover the secrets of a past that they begin to realize they both shared. Their forbidden connection unleashes a war with disapproving parties and the lovers find themselves on a mission to uncover the truth of their not wholly human existence and their unbreakable bond.

Darkness falls as Lucian returns to settle a score with them and their lives take a thrilling and terrifying turn. The only way for Carter to stop Lucian and save the one he holds most dear is to unlock the secrets of his past and unleash the powers within him. What are the chances that two raindrops, flung from the heavens, will merge on a windowpane? Gotta be fate!

Deeply passionate and extraordinarily suspenseful, Descended captures the struggles between doing what is expected of you and unleashing your destiny, between fulfilling prophecies and desires, between loyalty and love.

The Review: 3.5 Flowers! 

Descended was a good start to the Fallen Guardian series. The synopsis is very accurate in its description as we join Violet & Carter on their journey of discovery, discovery of love, of life and of potential, two souls made for each other and needing each other to realise their own destiny. The book was filled with likable characters, especially Vie & Carter, they were made for each other and that was put across quite well. I can’t say that I connected to them emotionally but I did enjoy reading about them and I could appreciate their qualities & what they brought to the book. I also liked Gabriel’s character; he had a best friend role and shared a secret that might have been nice to delve into.

The storyline was good, to be honest it took me a good while -25% of the book- to get into it, I felt the beginning could have been thinned out a bit or maybe just given flash backs throughout the book of what happened because by the time our two main characters had met, I had nearly lost interest in the book and was having to push myself to read it; Saying that, once they met and had their connection, I did enjoy it a whole lot more. I liked the idea surrounding the plot, how Vie came to be in her new body, her mission, it’s not new, it’s been done before but I liked it none the less. I was slightly confused as to their roles, were they guardian angels with wings etc. or were they simply guardians with angel like powers? The Guardians also seemed to have free will and freely felt emotions like love & envy and were also capable of lying & keeping secrets…. So again, are they angels? I always love anything to do with soul mates and I liked the way it was handled in the story, there is a sort of innocence to our main couple, they are very clean cut & perfect and their relationship was super sweet making it easy to see how they connect so well. I also liked the way a couple of belief systems came together because for all we have different beliefs, their message was the same and I always like when American Indian spirituality is brought into a story & I hope the reservation will feature again in the sequel. I liked the main threat to the couple, who doesn’t like a good versus evil scenario? Especially involving heaven & hell and I loved what the main couple were meant to become and am curious to see what will happen next for them. Why is everyone so interested in them? We get a little knowledge but I don’t feel we know the whole scenario yet. So, after a shaky start, this turned out to be an enjoyable read and as I said, I’m curious to see what will happen now for them & there are still answers to be found so I would read the sequel for sure. 

A Review for How to Love by Katie Cotungo

Posted by Donna
Release Date: October 3rd, 2013
Finished Date: September 4th, 2013

Publishers: Quercus 
Genre: YA Contemporary
Source: For Review

Format: Paperback
Pages: 400

Buy: Amazon UK / Amazon US 

This is a love story. But it’s not what you think. This is not a first kiss, or a first date. This is not love at first sight. This is a boy and a girl falling in messy, unpredictable, thrilling love. This is the complicated route to happiness that follows.

This is real. This is life. This is how to love.

BEFORE:

Reena has loved Sawyer LeGrande for as long as she can remember. But he’s never noticed her, until one day… he does. They fall in messy, complicated love. But then Sawyer disappears from their humid Florida town, leaving a devastated – and pregnant – Reena behind.

AFTER:

Three years later and there’s a new love in Reena’s life: her daughter Hannah. But just as swiftly and suddenly as he disappeared, Sawyer turns up again.

After everything that’s happened, can Reena really let herself love Sawyer again?

The Review: "What you looked like was never lost on me," he says, lacing one arm around my shoulder, pulling me down until my head is resting on his chest. "Nothing about you, my dear, has ever been lost on me."

I hadn't heard of How to Love until it arrived on my doorstep, and as soon as I read the blurb, I was pretty intrigued.  I knew it was something I wanted to read but I had my doubts seeing as I'd never heard of the book before. Well, I needn't have worried because How to Love is a heart-breaking and hope-filled story about two teenagers finding love, at the wrong place and wrong time, and dealing with unforgettable consequences.

Reena and Sawyer's story is a difficult one. Reena has loved Sawyer from afar for as long as she can remember. They're families are close but Reena always manages to keep her emotions in check around him. It isn't until one day that Sawyer finally takes notice in Reena, that things really start to change for them. The problem is, Sawyer is a boy that comes with a lot of trouble. Sawyer, in my opinion, really is a like two separate people. As we go back and fourth in the before and after story, we see who Sawyer really is and why he becomes the way he is. However, despite his problems there's still something about him that makes you as a reader like him and even feel for his situation. When Sawyer returns, you see the change in him straight away. He's grown up, not so troubled any more and he's ready to face the future. I liked the before Sawyer (even with his problems) but I loved the after Sawyer. And Reena, even as closed off as she was, I liked her. I could understand her reasoning's for the being the way she was. With her family being religious, she was kind of cast out of the family whenever they spent time together. It was sad! The only real person she had to confined in was her friend. It was hard to watch her come out of her protective shell but then, I was rooting for her at the same time too. I guess a lot of people could relate to Reena - for a girl of her age and for the troubles that she went through, she held up very well.

One thing that stood out to me about this book was how much I enjoyed how the story went from past to present - I think Katie Cotungo did it very well and the story was written great too. While I was reading the book I just kept imagining it playing out as movie. I for one think it would be a great contemporary movie! It has enough suspense, lovable moments and sad moments to keep you entertained, the characters are lovable and I just really enjoyed this book.

Showcase Sunday (#42)

eBooks for Review:

   

Waterfell by Amalie Howard | The Shadow Prince by Bree Despain | Wild Cards by Simone Elkeles | Unchained by J. Lynn

  

Playing Dirty by Jennifer Echols | Alienated by Melissa Landers |Endless Knight by Kresley Cole

Birthday Book from Carly @ Fictional Fascination 

Slated by Teri Terry

Birthday Presents from Misty @ Bookaholic Book Club & from my work collegues 

 

Hopeless by Colleen Hoover

Thank you to Kresley Cole, NetGalley, Carly & Misty.

A Review for Sacrificed in Shadow (Ascension #1) by S.M. Reine

Posted by Melanie 
Release Date: July 18th, 2013
Finished Date: August 29th, 2013

Publishers: Self - Published 
Genre: YA Paranormal 
Source: For Review

Format: eBook
Pages: 328

Buy: Amazon UK / Amazon US /

Lincoln Marshall is a small-town deputy with a very big problem. Six members of his church have been found dead, killed by a rogue werewolf. He'll have to make a deal with the Devil to save victims that have gone missing -- maybe literally.

Elise Kavanagh, preternatural investigator and exorcist, is the expert when it comes to violent deaths at the jaws of evil. She's also the demon known as the Godslayer. Elise jumps at Lincoln's case, and it's not just because of his down-home charm. Someone's laid a trap for her in Northgate, and she wants to find out who.

She'll have to team up with Rylie Gresham, Alpha of the last surviving werewolf pack, to figure out who's trying to blame the murders on werewolves. Only together can they stop the killings -- and uncover the secrets buried in Northgate.

The Review: Sacrificed in Shadow is another awesome book from S.M. Reine featuring the characters from her Descent series & Seasons of the Moon series.

Elise Kavanagh (Descent series) is called in to investigate a possible werewolf serial killer by Lincoln Marshall the towns deputy. What draws her into this is the name of previous client who couldn’t possibly be among the missing victims & assuming it’s a trap for her, she heads to Northgate to see what she can find out. What she finds when she arrives is another thing…. For strange things are afoot in this small town and there are too many coincidences occurring to be dismissed. So, along with the help of the last surviving werewolf pack lead by Rylie Gresham (Seasons of the Moon series) Elise sets out to uncover the truth… but is she prepared for what the truth will bring?

I loved this book, the author just knows how to pull you into her world and keep you there. What I love about her books is that they are a darker paranormal read, the reader isn’t spared from the more grotesque details or the violence but this gives them a gritty realness and I wish they would be picked up for a movie. I have always liked Elise as a character, I can connect to flawed characters on a better level than those that seem too good to be true and Elise is one of those characters that you want to see come through all of her baggage and get some happiness – she isn’t there yet  - but there’s always hope. Her skills are amazing and even better now (than they were in the Descent series) in one way and not in another, so a double edged sword but she is still seriously bad ass and I love that about her! Seeing as this is a crossover book we get the characters from the Seasons of the Moon series too and I liked their introduction and how they were tied to this story. I hadn’t read that series but following this, I want to, I want to get to know the characters considering most of them were in this and Rylie totally gave Elise a run for her money and really surprised me.

The story line was typical of a ‘Descent’ book and seeing as how I loved those, I was always going to love this. We are brought along on an investigation where the usual suspects are usually the least likely to have committed the crime & where everyone is hiding some skeleton. Elise is a huge factor in this and a lot of this is focussed on her and her acquaintances with the wolves being brought in as they become suspects in the discovery of mutilated bodies, there is a big focus on magic, a lot of misdirection with some big surprises along the way. When you’re reading and you think you have it worked out, think again….. but that just adds to the appeal of the book. Its dark, it’s creepy, it’s exciting, it’s kick ass and there’s even a little sexytime which is always welcome. Even though this is a new series incorporating two sets of series characters, I did feel like I was missing bits of information and I wished I had read both of the other series in their entirety so I could understand who everyone was and what they brought to the larger world especially Elise because I hadn’t finished the series and I feel like I have missed a chunk of her development but that didn’t take away my enjoyment of the book because it was simply awesome!

A Review for Resisting Her by Kendall Ryan

Posted by Jess
Release Date: April 15th, 2013
Finished Date: April 20th, 2013

Publishers: Self - Published
Genre: New Adult
Source: Bought

Format: e-book
Pages: 293

Buy: Amazon UK / Amazon US /

Agent Cole Fletcher lives for his job at the FBI, and he’s more than ready for his next assignment—raiding a cult compound and putting their leader behind bars. But he isn’t prepared for Savannah and her knock you on your ass good looks. At nineteen, she’s too old for foster care and too damaged to live on her own. With nowhere else to go, and against his better judgement Cole takes her in.

But helping her out won’t be easy. He comforts her through screaming nightmares and escaping the lingering fears of her past, but that’s the easy part. Her preference to sleep cuddled up next to his warm body, and her desire to please him in every way makes her harder and harder to resist.

The Review: As most of you know I'm a fan of NA books. Sometimes the story can be pretty repetitive and there isn't a lot of change between authors. But that's fine, because if you enjoyed it the first time, you know you'll like it again and again. 

Kendall. I love Kendall and I love her books. This one was a good one, one I enjoyed a lot. I liked the concept of the story, a broken girl, an FBI agent. I liked that Cole let her into his life, into his apartment and then tried to 'resist' her, with little to no success. 

Kendall Ryan really has a way with developing her characters, and the story develops right along with it. I loved the close connection that Cole and Savannah eventually formed after spending days and nights together. Savannah is broken and you feel her emotions through everything, and you can't help but fall in love with Cole.

I thoroughly enjoyed Resisting Her, and although it's been a few months since I read this to writing the review I still remember the awesomeness of it, and Kendall is truly a wonderful storyteller, who never disappoints. She brings life to her characters, and essence of everything into her story. It's hard to not get stuck completely into her stories. 

Highly recommended to anyone that enjoys the damsel in distress/saved by a knight story. With passionate sex :)

Note: Due to sexual scenes, violence and language. This book is recommended for 17+ years.

A Review for Endless Knight (The Arcana Chronicles #2) by Kresley Cole

Posted by Donna
Release Date: October 1st, 2013
Finished Date: September 16th, 2013

Publishers: Simon & Schuster
Genre: YA Dystopian
Source: For review from author

Format: PDF
Pages: 336

Buy: Amazon UK / Amazon US / The Book Depo

In the second book of the Arcana Chronicles Evie has now fully come into her powers as the tarot Empress. And Jackson was there to see it all. In the aftermath of killing Arthur, the tarot Alchemist, Evie realizes that a war is brewing between the other teens that, following the apocalypse, have been given powers and its kill or be killed. 

Things get even more complicated when Evie meets Death, the mysterious, sexy Endless Knight. Somehow the Empress and Death share a romantic history - one that Evie can't remember, but Death can't forget. She is drawn to the Endless Knight, but is in love with Jack. Determined to discover why she's been granted these powers, Evie struggles to accept her place in a prophecy that will either save the world, or completely destroy it.

The Review: "T'es pour moi, Evie. You're mine. Every part of you." He leaned down, took my lips once more. Between kisses, he said, "I told you once and I'll tell you again: there is nothing that can happen to you that we can't get past. Just five me a chance to get to you. Promise me."

You all know how nerve racking it can be to go into a sequel, the whole dreaded second book syndrome? Well, I for one was especially nervous to read Endless Knight because I absolutely loved Poison Princess, and I really didn't want the sequel to fall into that category. Well I can tell you....it doesn't! Endless Knight is just as good as it's predecessor, if not even better! 

In this instalment of the Arcana chronicles, we see Evie - who has now fully come into her full powers - finally take control. She knows who she once was and knows what's expected of her, however, Evie wants no part in the game. When Death's interest in Evie takes a drastic turn, she suddenly finds herself running from more than one bad thing that goes bump in the night, but running from Death himself. 

I love the Arcana Chronicles! Kresley Cole has created such a unique and spell-binding world and I honestly can't recall ever reading another series quiet like this. The way she's incorporated the tarot cards into this haunting dystopian world is so amazing. I'm completely captivated from start to finish and as much as such an enjoyable read, it's slightly heartbreaking too....but in a good way.

Evie has such a hard journey throughout this story. Even though she's come into her powers, she still struggles with so much. She's constantly weighed down by the other Arcana constantly looking to kill her, and the fact that Death's in her mind all the time isn't easy. I loved how Evie tried to take charge, she's very mesmerising when she becomes the Empress, and seeing her powers work is quiet fascinating. 

Death is a character that really grew on me, mainly because he's constantly telling Evie that he's going to kill her. It's clear him and Evie have a past but it's not one that were not fully aware of. While the story progresses it's impossible not to fall for death. He's gorgeous and probably one of the most broody characters I've read about, but he slowly comes out of his shell, leaving you torn who Evie should belong with. 

And Jack....sigh. I feel like I should warn that Chapter 10 and 14 are AMAZING! Talk about HOT! This hot tempted, sizzling and lovable Cajun - and although he's not perfect - he can melt anyone's heart. I absolutely love that he makes mistakes and has a hot temper. I love how devoted he is to Evie it's not until this one moment happens that I truly saw how devoted he really is to her; Jack was tensed against his shackles, muscles tight beneath his shirt. "You hurt her, and I'll kill you!" Blood poured from his wrists. "I swear to Christ, I'll gut you!" He has so many swoon-worthy quotes that I know you're all going to love, like this; "When I saw you that day alone in the school courtyard, in your cheer skirt....." His expression was smouldering. " I wanted to lay you back on that table and take you right there, Evangeline." *sigh*

I love how Kresley doesn't hold back with the sex talk in her books, although it's a YA book, she doesn't try to sugar coat things. It makes me enjoy this series even more. 

Now the love triangle, I know what your thinking, another love triangle....no!! However, hear me when I say, Endless Knight is a the perfect example of a love triangle done well. It did break my heart in parts because of the situations the characters found themselves in, but introducing Death's character, more in the sequel was done very well. The characters journeys are important and put together very cleverly that at no point did it feel forced or feel like a filler. It felt pretty real and I'm actually ashamed to admit that I even thought about switching team's from Jack to Death. No, I know, but it honestly can't be helped. In the end though, I'm a firm believer of true love and I believe that Jack will come out on top. ;)

The cliff-hanger was done so well and it was certainly something I wasn't prepared for. I thought the one to Poison Princess was bad, this is even worse. Prepare yourselves! But not only does the characters, the love triangle and the awesome cliff-hanger make this such a good book, it's the action packed scenes from the start, that leave you constantly gripped all the way through. There's definitely not a dull moment within this cracking sequel!

In all, Endless Knight is a sequel that certainly won't not disappoint you. It's such an emotional roller coaster that will really pull of your heart and really is a very entertaining read. Well done Kresley Cole!