Book Passion for Life

A Review Black Moon (Silver Moon #2) by Rebecca A.Rogers

2012-02-25T11:47:00.000Z

Posted by Donna
Published Date: January 13th, 2012
Finished Date: February 23rd, 2012
Source: For Review
Format: Paperback
Pages: 224
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The Blurb from Goodreads: As the rise in supernatural disturbances continually expands to more obvious locations, Candra’s family and friends are on a never-ending hunt to remove the region’s dark magic. Greater forces are at work, though, as an accidental link is formed between Candra and Ben, “marking” their souls and coupling them forever. They can now see each other’s thoughts and speak to one another telepathically—bad news for sworn enemies. Occults spreading across Hartford, along with Candra and Ben’s mishap, are part of a bigger plan, one that neither the Lowells nor the Conways ever saw coming. There is more than one Ancient in their midst, and these primordial beings are lying in wait until Candra inherits her power. A power which hasn’t been seen in over five hundred years. A power which balances one of her enemy’s. These two powers combined can change the course of history. In order to survive a battle with the Ancients and protect their abilities, the Lowell’s and Conway’s will have to work together. Can they rise above their feud, or will they lose everything?

The Review: Rebecca A.Rogers has really out done herself with Black Moon. I thought Silver Moon was good but boy-she sure does take this book to a new level and totally raises the bar for the final book, Blood Moon.

Black Moon starts one week prior to Candra’s eighteenth birthday. While her family and friend prepare for the inventible night Candra is trying to keep away from Ben. But as a result of her family keeping her in the dark, she and Ben accidently become marked to on another, making Ben to seal the deal by kissing Candra. Now joined as one, Candra and Ben take on the mission to try and save everyone from Alaric but as more secrets are revealed an alliance with the enemy is the only way to win this war. But can their really be peace?

Black Moon was a great sequel to Silver Moon and although the story is a little shorter than the previous book, it’s still awesome nonetheless. It was action packed from start to finish and of course, this time around we see more ROMANCE! Ben and Candra really come together in this book and it was nice to finally see them together. I loved how protective Ben is of Candra, even to his family he really stands up for her and I loved seeing him do it. Now, Candra was more head strong is this book. With the fate of her family and friends on her shoulders, she really takes control and stands up to her family. They are trying to protect her but if anything, there just putting her in more danger and I can understand why they are trying to do it, but if anything–it annoyed me, so I’m glad that Candra stands up for herself….finally.

I also loved that we got to explore the more magical side to the werewolves this time around. We find out more about their powers, what each person can do and also what the enemy can do. I loved this added extra into this story and it makes it even more unique than ever.

Now the big bad aka Alaric is more evil than ever. With his evil plans to take everything away from everyone for himself, things are really looking bleak so I’m dying to find out what happens in Blood Moon. I really expect big things from the next book and I have a sneaky feeling that the author has some mind-blowing events that won’t leave us disappointed!

So……to 2013…..bring on Blood Moon!

A Review for The Vincent Boys (The Vincent Boys #1) by Abbi Glines

2012-02-24T15:21:00.003Z

Posted by Donna
Published Date: October 17th, 2011
Finished Date: February 24th, 2012
Source: Freebie off of Amazon - 2012 TBR Reading Challenge
Format: Kindle
Pages: 174
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The Blurb from Goodreads: Being the good girl isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Ashton Gray has grown weary of playing the part to please her parents, and to be worthy of the town’s prince charming, Sawyer Vincent. Maybe That’s why she’s found herself spending time with Sawyer’s cousin, Beau, while he’s away for the summer camping with his family. Beau is nothing like her perfect boyfriend. He’s the sexiest guy she’s ever seen, dangerous in ways she’s only day dreamed about, and the one guy she should stay away from.
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Beau never envied Sawyer his loving parents, his big nice home, or his position as quarterback. He loves him like a brother. Which is why he's tried everything in his power to keep his distance from Sawyer’s girlfriend. Even if he has loved her since the age of five, Ashton is Sawyer’s girl, so therefore she’s off limits. But when Sawyer leaves for the summer, Ashton, the one girl Beau would move Heaven and Earth for, decides she wants to get into trouble. Stabbing the one person who’s always accepted him and stood by him in the back, is the cost of finally holding Ashton Gray in his arms. Is she worth losing his cousin over?.... Hell Yeah.

The Review: Can you believe I got this book for free off of Amazon UK? Honestly, this is why I love Amazon/Authors when they put up free kindle books because it gives me the opportunity to read books that I probably wouldn't have bought right away - due to my ever growing to-be-read pile. And yes, I'm seriously kicking myself for not having bought this book before because honestly....it is pretty amazing and I'm dying to read what's next.

Since Ashton was a young girl, she has always had two best friends - Sawyer and Beau who are cousins. Beau and Ashton used to cause all the trouble and Sawyer used to get them out of trouble. The three of them together were always so close but when Ashton starts dating Sawyer that all changes and for some reason her and Beau no longer speak. As the years pass Ashton finds herself changing to be a good girl - acting how she should and always doing the right thing to please Sawyer but when Sawyer goes on vacation during the summer, Ashton soon finds herself re-kindly her friendship with Beau but is it becoming something more? And can they fight off their feelings for one another so they don't hurt Sawyer?

Wow, The Vincent Boys is a heart-pounding story - one that is about first love, betrayal, loss and hidden secrets. From start to finish Abbi Glines captivated me with her easy writing and her fun loving storyline that I'm left dying to try more of her work. I'll I have heard is how good her writing is and honestly, I'm glad I'm not disappointed!

Abbi has created some fantastic characters with Ashton and Sawyer but there was one that is a total stand out and of course that's Beau. Sigh! He's the bad boy of the town; he lives in a trailer, his mother works in a bar, he drinks and he gets into fights and most of all he has a slutty girlfriend but despite all this, you still want him. He's portrayed as a bad boy but appearances aren't everything. Deep down he's such a lovable guy and I'm questioning how the hell do authors come up with characters that are like Beau? He's adorable, hot and sexy and I need a Beau! I adored his relationship with Ashton and mainly I loved finding out how they were friends when they were young children. They were thick as thieves back then - always the two getting into trouble but through-out every Beau always protects Ashton and I loved it!

Now most importantly....there's a book two...yay! I am so not ready to leave these characters behind. When I found out there is going to be another book I was uber excited so I'm seriously happy about that and June 2012 cannot come quick enough!

Highly recommended for a contemporary romance fan!

A Review for Shatter Me (Shatter Me #1) by Taherah Mafi

2012-02-23T16:07:00.005Z

Posted by Donna
Published Date: November 15th, 2011
Finished Date: January 8th, 2012
Publishers: HarperCollins
Source: Gifted - 2012 TBR Reading Challenge
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 338
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The Blurb from Goodreads: Juliette hasn't touched anyone in exactly 264 days.The last time she did, it was an accident, but The Reestablishment locked her up for murder. No one knows why Juliette's touch is fatal. As long as she doesn't hurt anyone else, no one really cares. The world is too busy crumbling to pieces to pay attention to a 17-year-old girl. Diseases are destroying the population, food is hard to find, birds don't fly anymore, and the clouds are the wrong color.

The Reestablishment said their way was the only way to fix things, so they threw Juliette in a cell. Now so many people are dead that the survivors are whispering war-- and The Reestablishment has changed its mind. Maybe Juliette is more than a tortured soul stuffed into a poisonous body. Maybe she's exactly what they need right now. Juliette has to make a choice: Be a weapon. Or be a warrior.
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The Review: “Hope is hugging me, holding me in its arms, wiping away my tears and telling me that today and tomorrow and two days from now I will be just fine and I'm so delirious I actually dare to believe it.” - Juliette

Shatter Me was one of the first books I read at the start of the year and even though it’s 2 months later and I’m only just writing this review now, this book is still in my head because it was just absolutely amazing!

I know you all know what this book is about so I won’t go into details about the plot but I have to admit, I really struggled with the first 50 pages. The writing style was hard to get into and although I enjoyed reading it because it was something completely different, I was just waiting for when something happened. I wanted Juliette to get out of the cell she was sharing with Adam. But once that happened…..wow! The story went from okay to BRILLIANT and I even went and re-read the first few pages and found I enjoyed it all the more the second time around. As the story progresses the writing style gets better and better and it’s really about Juliette coming out of her shell and trying to face the world. It’s really is a beautiful journey to read about.

Adam really stole the show for me during this book and without him, it just wouldn’t have been the same. He’s a mystery and as the story unravels - the more things he reveals about his life. I loved the fact that he’s done everything to get to Juliette…..his journey was all for her and it really shows how much he cares and loves her.

The story itself was action packed, exciting and dangerous. It’s full of heart-breaking and emotional scenes and the whole story was captivating and completely compels you until the very end.

A must read for 2012 and I cannot wait to read more with Unravel Me in 2013.

Favourite Quotes:

“He whispers, "You have no idea how much I've thought about you. How many times I've dreamt"-he takes a tight breath- "how many times I've dreamt about being this close to you." He moves to run a hand through his hair before he changes his mind. Looks down. Looks up. "God, Juliette, I'd follow you anywhere. Your the only good thing left in this world.” – Adam
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"My face is in his hands and my lips are at his lips and he's kissing me and I'm oxygen and he's dying to breathe." - Juliette

A Review for The Alchemy of Forever (Incarnation #1) by Avery Williams

2012-02-23T10:25:00.004Z

Posted by Donna
Expected Published Date: April 26th, 2012
Finished Date: February 6th, 2012
Publishers: Simon & Schuster
Source: For Review
Format: Paperback
Pages: 256
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The Blurb from Goodreads: After spending six hundred years on Earth, Seraphina Ames has seen it all. Eternal life provides her with the world's riches but at a very high price: innocent lives. Centuries ago, her boyfriend, Cyrus, discovered a method of alchemy that allows them to take the bodies of other humans from jumping from one vessel to the next, ending the human's life in the process. No longer able to bear the guilt of what she's done, Sera escapes from Cyrus and vows to never kill again. Then sixteen-year old Kailey Morgan gets into a horrific car accident right in front of her, and Sera accidentally takes over her body while trying to save her. For the first time, Sera finds herself enjoying the life of the person she's inhabiting--and falling in love with the boy who lives next door. But Cyrus will stop at nothing until she's his again, and every moment she stays, she's putting herself and the people she's grown to care about in danger. Will Sera have to give up the one thing that's eluded her for centuries: true love?
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The Review: Firstly, how gorgeous is the UK cover for this book? So, so pretty!
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I was really excited to start this book when I received it for review because I had heard so many good things about it and overall, it was a very enjoyable read.

Seraphina has spent the last six hundred years on Earth after drinking an elixir that gave her eternal life. Every few years she needs to jump into a new body but in doing so, it means taking the life of an innocent. Not being able to bare the guilt any longer Seraphina vows to make her current body her last - with the intention of killing herself. But when Kailey Morgan is seriously injured in a car accident, Seraphina accidently takes over her body – while trying to save her. Soon Seraphina finds herself posing as Kailey but more shockingly enjoying it because she soon starts to fall in love with Noah; the boy next door. But with Cyrus stopping at nothing to find Seraphina, can she really risk all the people she is growing to love? Or should she do the right thing and leave?
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The Alchemy of Forever is a fast paced and enjoyable novel – one that I really liked. I felt the back story to Seraphina and Cyrus was explained very well and I found myself enthralled by the Alchemy history. However, I have to admit I didn’t enjoy the general story as much as I was hoping...there wasn't much excitement to the story but it was still good nonetheless.
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Sera is an amazing character – one that I instantly liked. She’s head strong, determined and loveable. Even through out all her struggles to try and do the right thing, she remains herself and if anything, grows as a character. Her past is her past but she really does try to make up for it. But what I really loved about Sera was that she ended up loving Kailey’s life and caring about the people Kailey loved - it was sweet. Maybe that’s what she needed all along, people to genuinely care about her….not like Cyrus trying to control her. And then of course we have Noah, I loved him! He’s such a sweet character and what touched me more than anything is, he knows deep down that something isn’t right with Kailey/Sera…he realises that Kailey is a different person and I can’t wait for him to find out the truth.

Now the ending, be prepared for one hell of a cliff-hanger. Talk about evil! Avery Williams definitely knows how to keep us readers in suspense and I’m praying that everything works out as I hope.

Overall, The Alchemy of Forever was a good debut novel and one I look forward to continuing with the next book. I would highly recommend this book to fans of Immortal Beloved by Cate Tiernan and Mercy by Rebecca Lim.

A huge thank you to Simon and Schuster UK for providing me with a copy for review.

A Review for Fifty Shades Freed (Fifty Shades #3) by E.L. James

2012-02-22T21:21:00.001Z

Posted by Jess
Published Date: January 17th, 2012
Finished Date: February 20th, 2012
Publishers: The Writer's Coffee Shop Publishing House
Source: Bought
Format: Kindle

The Blurb from Goodreads: When unworldly student Ana Steele first encountered the driven, damaged young entrepreneur Christian Grey it sparked a sensual affair that changed both their lives irrevocably. Shocked, intrigued, and ultimately repelled by Christian’s singular sexual tastes, Ana demanded a deeper commitment; determined to keep her, Christian agreed.

Now, together, they have more – love, passion, intimacy, and a world of infinite possibilities. But Ana always knew that loving her Fifty Shades would not be easy, and being together poses challenges neither of them ever anticipated. Ana must somehow learn to share Christian’s opulent lifestyle without sacrificing her own integrity, identity or independence; Christian must somehow overcome his compulsion to control, and lay to rest the horrors that blighted his past and haunt his present.

Just when it seems that together their love can conquer any obstacle, misfortune, malice and fate combine to make Ana’s worst nightmares come true. Alone and desperate, she must face down the poisoned legacy of Christian’s past.

The Review: "Christian, you are the state lottery, the cure for cancer, and the three wishes from Aladdin's lamp all rolled into one"

To: Ms. E. L James

CC: Christian Grey

Subject: A Review for Fifty Shades Darker

Date: 22nd February, 2012, 21.21
From: Jessica co Blogger at Book Passion for Life

Dear Ms. James,

I'm going to keep this short. This was a fantastic end to a fantastic trilogy, and to be honest, I'm sad that it ended. I'm sad that they'll be no more Christian Grey. This series has truly been wonderful to read, I'll forever keep these books as some of the best reads of all time.

Everything about Fifty Shades Freed was beautifully written, and written well continuing the story of Christian and Ana. Continuing their journey, discovering their feelings, discovering their demons, learning to accept one another, they both truly came together in this one.

You, Ms. James, have created a wonderful trilogy that should be adored and wanted all over the world. As I said in my last review for Darker these books should be read and recommended. The ending was truly perfect, and the epilogue was beautiful, if not, a little longer than needed. None the less. The ending was perfect and I will forever love this series, and Christian Grey, who is by far the hardest man to forget about. It seems all men now become inadequate.

I thank you once again, Ms. James.

Beguiled Fifty Shades reader Jessica co Blogger at Book Passion for Life

Waiting on Wednesday (#8)

2012-02-22T15:01:00.001Z

"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

Hidden (Firelight #3) by Sophie Jordan
Release date: September 11th, 2012

Jacinda was supposed to bond with Cassian, the "prince" of their pride. But she resisted long before she fell in love with Will—a human and, worse, a hunter. When she ran away with Will, it ended in disaster, with Cassian's sister, Miram, captured. Weighed down by guilt, Jacinda knows she must rescue her to set things right. Yet to do so she will have to venture deep into the heart of enemy territory.

The only way Jacinda can reach Miram is by posing as a prisoner herself, though once she assumes that disguise, things quickly spiral out of her control. As she learns more about her captors, she realizes that even if Will and Cassian can carry out their part of the plan, there's no guarantee they'll all make it out alive. But what Jacinda never could have foreseen is that escaping would be only the beginning....

Loyalties are tested and sacrifices made in the explosive conclusion to Sophie Jordan's Firelight trilogy.

Jess's thoughts: VERY excited about this! I loved books 1 and 2, and I believe this is the final book, and I'm still so torn between Will and Cassian. *sigh*. We'll see!

Donna's WoW

Flirting in Italian by Lauren Henderson
Release date: June 12th, 2012

Four girls. One magical, and possibly dangerous Italian summer. Family mysteries, ancient castles, long hot nights of dancing under the stars . . . and, of course, plenty of gorgeous Italian boys!

Donna's thoughts: This book sounds so awesome and I honestly hadn't even heard about it until I saw it on Jess's wishlist. Italian men?? What's not to like. And the fact there will be four books too....Yum! I can't wait to get it!

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!

Glory (The Legend of Glory #1) by Devin O'Branagan

2012-02-22T06:21:00.000Z

Posted by Guest Reviewer Melanie
Published Date: May 22nd, 2011
Finished Date: February 2nd, 2012
Source: For Review
Format: Kindle
Pages: 220

The Blurb from Goodreads: Seventeen-year-old Glory Templeton's blood holds the cure for a deadly pandemic-plague, and she embarks on a quest to save humanity. When evil forces conspire to stop her, three supernatural beings are assigned to be her guardians. Forbidden love, ancient secret societies, mysterious astronomical monuments, witches, angels, vampires, and demons all contribute to the high adventure that tests the character of this remarkable young woman. The legend of Glory begins. . .

The Review: We join Glory on her journey as she becomes the only person able to cure the Pan-plague sweeping through the world. An immense number of people are dying through the infection and it is of vital importance that Glory finds the scientists that have gone into hiding after the death of a colleague and the kidnapping of another who happens to be Glory’s mother Kate. Her only clue is to seek out Father Michael at a local church who then informs her that there is more to the world than she thinks. Because of the severity of the situation and that she is being hunted by the corporation her mother works for, she is assigned bodyguards/protectors by the powers that be, Kaia, Zane and Dominic form the unlikely gang, along with Glory and her dog- Hallie – they set off on their mission to save humanity. Not only are they up against the corporation and evil, they all have a serious amount of baggage and issues that they need to deal with. It leads Glory to wonder if the powers that be are nuts to have put the hope of human kind in the hands of four angst ridden teens and a dog.

Hopefully I won’t give too much away about the characters here because that was part of the allure, getting to know them and finding out what makes them tick. Glory is your average 17 year old girl, living in a farming town, easy life etc. when events that are out of her control turn her life upside down, she turns out to be man-kinds only hope. She doesn’t want to do this, she’d rather dwell on her grief and pain but instead ‘pulls on her big girl panties’ and gets on with it. She is really quite admirable in her attitude to her predicament, with her determination and thinking she deals with things incredibly well considering her situation and I would like to think that if I were in her shoes that I would be the same. It’s a shame that the same can’t be said for her rationality regarding men which leads us onto the brooding men, Zane- the Cowboy and Dominic- the reluctant hero who would give any emo a run for their money. She is drawn to both in totally different ways and that leads them all to places they do & don’t want to go. Last but not least is Kaia, I really liked her too, she is a great character, best friend material and just pretty awesome. All of the characters are great, even the dog and you will empathise with them all as they go through this journey and their own personal journeys. They are well written, the dialogue and the relationships between them are good. Just, all round likeable characters that even though we have only just gotten to know them are still capable of making you feel like they have so much more to give.

So, this was a really good read. I liked the storyline and how the paranormal element was brought in and mixed with a touch of religion so that what you thought was going to be a cut and dried ‘run & chase’ book, turned into something different. I also liked how the plot wasn’t all about Glory, yes it centred on her but each of the characters had their own part and their own personal issues to deal with too, it really makes you have some deep thoughts about your own place in the world and what you would do in Glory’s position. Some real life touches were brought into the mix too, personally I had never heard of the ‘monument’ so when I finished the book, I looked it up and it is in fact real –quite bizarre & mysterious- but real and now it has me curious and I need to know more about it (yes, I know I’m being cryptic but I’m trying not to give anything away and you will understand when you read it) I loved how its message and the organisation it supposedly represents were weaved into the plot. The thing that got me thinking also is that the main scenario could very well happen and the way corporations are these days, would we put it past them to do something like this in the name of ‘humanity’? This was a really good enjoyable, thought provoking book that has still got me thinking about it as I write this, the day after reading and I will definitely be continuing to read the next books as they come out.

Dusty Reads (#7)

2012-02-21T10:34:00.002Z

Dusty Reads is a weekly meme, hosted by Xpresso Reads featuring a book that has been sitting unread on our shelves for some time. To participate and more information, click here.

Jess's Dusty Read

The Replacement
by Brenna Yovanoff

Though he lives in the small town of Gentry, Mackie comes from a world of tunnels and black, murky water, a world of living dead girls ruled by a little tattoed princess. He is a replacement - left in the crib of a human baby sixteen years ago when it was stolen away by the fey. Now, because of fatal allergies to iron, blood and consecrated ground, Mackie is slowly dying in the human world. Mackie would give anything just to be normal, to live quietly amongst humans, practice his bass guitar and spend time with his crush, Tate. But when Tate's baby sister goes missing, Mackie is drawn irrevocably into the underworld of Gentry, known as Mayhem, where he must face down the dark creatures and find his rightful place - in our world, or theirs.

Jess's thoughts: I've had this on my shelf for so long. I bought it over a year ago and I still haven't picked it up. I was mostly attracted to the cover and I love anything Fae. I'll get to it one day. Hopefully.

Donna's Dusty Read

Overprotected

by Jennifer Laurens

Ashlyn:A lonely society princess living in New York City.

Daddy hired you to be my bodyguard.

Colin: Childhood enemy, now her protector.

Daddy thought I’d be safe. He thought I’d never fall in love. He thought he could keep me forever.

Charles: obsessed with keeping her safe, keeping her his, he hires the one person he knows she could never fall in love with: Colin.

Daddy was wrong.

Donna's thoughts: Ever since I read Jennifer's 'Nailed' I've been dying to read this but I just haven't had time. I've heard so many great things about it too so I MUST try and read this book, this year.

So that's our Dusty Read's for this week! Don't forget to leave us your thoughts below.

Happy Reading!

A Review for Fifty Shades Freed (Fifty Shades #3) by E.L James

2012-02-20T18:01:00.000Z

Posted by Donna
Published Date: January 17th, 2012
Finished Date: February 20th, 2012
Publishers: The Writer's Coffee Shop Publishing House
Source: Bought
Format: Kindle
Pages: 507
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The Blurb from Goodreads: When unworldly student Ana Steele first encountered the driven, damaged young entrepreneur Christian Grey it sparked a sensual affair that changed both their lives irrevocably. Shocked, intrigued, and ultimately repelled by Christian’s singular sexual tastes, Ana demanded a deeper commitment; determined to keep her, Christian agreed.

The Review: I’m going to keep this review short and sweet because honestly, I think you already know how much I adore this series and Fifty Shades Freed was a perfect ending to an emotional and loving story – one that I’m grateful for reading.

Ana and Christian have truly been wonderful characters from the start and honestly, it wasn’t an easy journey. They each overcome their own personal demons and fears but by doing that, it brings them closer together. This book see’s their patience and love tested beyond belief and how they manage to stay strong through-out proves just how much they love one another. No one said these characters are perfect and they do make mistakes – but that’s life! And I love them all the more for it.

E.L James has created a truly fantastic series with fantastic character and ended the story on such a high note that truly touches your heart. It’s safe to say closure is the best ending for a book and boy does E.L James deliver.

Life is never going to be boring with Christian, and I’m in this for the long haul. I love this man: my husband, my lover, father of my child, my sometimes Dominant……my Fifty Shades. – Ana

A Review for Fifty Shades Darker (Fifty Shades #2) by E.L. James

2012-02-20T08:59:00.003Z

Posted by Jess
Published Date: September 15th, 2011
Finished Date: February 18th, 2012
Publishers: The Writer's Coffee Shop Publishing House
Source: Bought
Format: Kindle

The Blurb from Goodreads: Daunted by the singular sexual tastes and dark secrets of the beautiful, tormented young entrepreneur Christian Grey, Anastasia Steele has broken off their relationship to start a new career with a Seattle publishing house.

But desire for Christian still dominates her every waking thought, and when he proposes a new arrangement, Anastasia cannot resist. They rekindle their searing sensual affair, and Anastasia learns more about the harrowing past of her damaged, driven and demanding Fifty Shades.

While Christian wrestles with his inner demons, Anastasia must confront the anger and envy of the women who came before her, and make the most important decision of her life.

The Review: “This is me, Ana. All of me...and I'm all yours. What do I have to do to make you realize that? To make you see that I want you any way I can get you. That I love you.” – Christian

To: Ms. E. L. James

Subject: Review for Fifty Shades Darker

Date: February 20th, 2012, 08.42

From: Jessica at Book Passion for Life

Dear Ms, James,

Firstly, I'd like to thank you for bringing Christian Grey into my life. It seems now after reading Fifty Shades Darker and almost finishing Fifty Shades Freed, I can't seem to get Mr. Grey out of my head. He beguiles me, Ms. James. Plain and simple. I have come to the conclusion that Mr. Grey, is a man worth loving and as his and Ana's story continued in book 2, I became infatuated with them both. Fifty Shades Darker is by far better than Fifty Shades of Grey. I can tell you that although I loved Christian in book one, I love him more now, because it's this book that we're introduced to a new Christian. A playful Christian, a hotter Christian, a sweet Christian. Let me make mention to Ana, she's stronger in this book, Ms. James. I like her strength, her will to handle Christian and all his mood swings. Do I believe she's sometimes the cause to his mood swings? Absolutely. She seems to antagonise him a little, leading to angry Christian. But that's OK. Although their relationship is one of pure love, and ultimately lust, I don't think I've read about any two characters more meant for each other than these two.

I'm in awe of you Ms. James. In awe of how you've managed to create a story worth telling. How you've managed to create memorable characters. You, Ms. James are how other erotic writers should be. They should learn from you and create plot lines. You have a plot in your book Ms. James, I realise this should be a review for Darker but I'd mention that all your books have plots, they aren't just about the kinky f*ckery, oh no, you have a story to tell, and you tell it well. Extremely well, and I begrudge anyone who wishes to disagree with me. Because, frankly, Ms. James, this story, these characters, this setting its in a whole league of its own. And a story that should be read and recommended to each and every person (providing they're ages 18+, of course). Fifty Shades Darker has so much more than what Fifty Shades of Grey had, I especially enjoyed the charity event, the boat, and the club. It felt right to get out of Christian's apartment (sometimes ;)), out of his playroom and just see him becoming the 26 year old that he should be not the overly controlling CEO that we fell in love with to begin with. The ending to Fifty Shades Darker was perfect. So perfect.

I'm sorry to ramble on Ms. James. But I had to make my sentiments known. I'd like to just say that if anyone who hasn't read your book they really should pick them all up. Right now.

Thank you Ms. James.

Irrevocably in love with Christian Grey- Jessica co blogger at Book Passion for Life

Cover Reveal & Excerpt for Inbetween by Tara Fuller

2012-02-20T06:17:00.003Z

The lovely people at Entangled Publishings have asked us to take part in the cover reveal for Tara Fuller's new novel 'Inbetween'. And not only that, but we have an excerpt for you too - to get you all excited about the release. Awesome huh?

*Drumroll please*

Chapter 1

Finn

Sometimes Emma made me feel so alive, I almost forgot I was dead. Almost.

I sank down onto the side of her bed, amazed by the blazing wildfire that swept through me whenever Emma was near enough to touch. I took a deep, unneeded breath, and settled down on my side next to her. The mattress didn’t sink. The springs didn’t groan with the weight of an extra body. The distance between us was an impossible void. Inches that might as well have been miles. Miles that left me wanting in so many ways that I ached.

Even the sun couldn’t resist her. Its glowing rays caressed her skin, and stained her hair the satiny color of summer wheat. Before I knew what was happening, my hand followed their lead. Cells ignited. My skin burned, screaming with the agonizing need to touch—

“What do you think you’re doing?”

I jerked my hand away just as Easton melted up from the polished hardwood floor beneath the window. Like an oil slick coming to life, he unfolded his long, shadowy legs until he was just an ink blot against the square of tangerine sunrise behind him. His violet eyes pinned me like a kid caught with his hand in the cookie jar.

Which, I kind of was.

“Nothing,” I lied.

“Yeah, looked like nothing.” He strolled across the room accompanied by a wave of sulfur and smoke, the black serpent tattoo on his neck glinting. “What were you planning to do, recite her poem? I swear to God, if you were still alive I’d confiscate your man card.”

I ignored the barb and scrunched up my nose. “Jesus, Easton. Don’t they have a shower somewhere between here and the afterlife?”

“Screw you. You didn’t just have to tow somebody’s grandpa to Hell.” He brushed something chalky and grey off of his cloak and a shudder worked its way down my spine. God only knows who or what it belonged to. “Besides I wasn’t the one about to feel up a sleeping human.”

“I wasn’t—”

“Save it.” He waved his hand. “We have work to do. I don’t have time for your useless obsession with the human today.”

“Will you please stop calling her that?”

“What?” Easton glanced up from Emma’s vanity, where he’d been inspecting the various lotions and bottles like he was on some alien planet. Then again, Easton had been dead for something like four hundred years, so all of her stuff probably was sort of alien to him.

“The human. You make me sound like a freak. It’s not like we’re a different species for God’s sake. We were humans, too, or don’t you remember that far back?”

“Were. Past tense.”

We could have gone back and forth like that for hours, but the call came. It always did. It started in my bones—a cold so cutting that it sliced through me like a machete. When I looked up, Easton’s jaw was clenched, his muscles taut and ready. He slowly closed his hand around the handle of his scythe that burned black and softly smoked at his side. I flexed my fingers as the icy ribbons of death worked their way through each one of my limbs.

“Can you take this one for me?” I asked. “You’re already going to be there, and I just got back—”

“No,” Easton said. “Hell no. I have my own job to do. I can’t keep covering for your sorry ass. Besides, you’re already on thin ice with Balthazar. Don’t push your luck, Finn. Just keep your nose down, collect your souls, and thank the Almighty that you don’t have my job. Now let’s go.”

“Yeah, but…” My eyes returned to Emma. Sleeping. Perfect. Safe.

“For the love of God. She’ll be fine, you pansy.” Easton clamped a hand over my shoulder and dragged me from the bed.

“How do you know?”

He shrugged. “I don’t.”

With that he vanished, consumed in a flash by the keening wails of the damned. The screams beckoned. Clawed at me from the inside out.

Rule one as a seeker: Death doesn’t wait for anyone.

And it sure as hell wasn’t waiting for me now.

*********

Wow! I want to read it now!! You better pop this one on your TBR lists guys because it's not one to miss out on.

A Review for Fifty Shades Darker (Fifty Shades #2) by E.L. James

2012-02-18T14:42:00.001Z

Posted by Donna
Published Date: September 15th, 2011
Finished Date: February 18th, 2012
Publishers: The Writer's Coffee Shop Publishing House
Source: Bought - 2012 TBR Reading Challenge
Format: Kindle
Pages: 372
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The Blurb from Goodreads: Daunted by the singular sexual tastes and dark secrets of the beautiful, tormented young entrepreneur Christian Grey, Anastasia Steele has broken off their relationship to start a new career with a Seattle publishing house.

While Christian wrestles with his inner demons, Anastasia must confront the anger and envy of the women who came before her, and make the most important decision of her life.

The Review: Fifty Shades Darker is even BETTER than Fifty Shades of Grey and I’ll warn you, if you read this book be prepared for some very emotional scenes!
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With Fifty Shades of Grey ending on a huge cliff-hanger, naturally I dived straight into the next book and I have to say E.L James does not disappoint. This time around we see Christian and Ana reunite after some time apart and boy have things changed. Even though leaving was the worst thing Ana could have done at the time, it has now become the best thing, because Christian is willing to give Ana everything that she needs. Even if that means giving up the things he once loves.

I adored this book so much more than the first one. We see a whole new Christian and if it’s possible I love him even more. He’s still very possessive and very controlling but seeing how much he really cares for Ana in this book made me just fall apart. He is a young man who has suffered a horrid childhood and even when he becomes a teenager, he is introduced to a world filled with pain believing it is for the best. I loved watching Christian become the person he’s supposed to be, someone a little carefree, happy and most of all loved – and all this is down to Ana. Now Ana, really is a strong character. Never have I read about a girl so willing to take on a man with all his baggage but love him unconditional – it’s truly heart-warming and they really are perfect together despite their flaws.

What I enjoyed most about this book was the fact there were so many more fun times - the charity event, the boat and the club. Not only that but there are dangerous times too and within these events you truly capture the love between Ana and Christian. And most of all the emotional times and there are some heart-breaking scenes. And oh, oh the ending…..was PERFECT! And it was really nice to see Mrs Robinson get what she deserves.

If you haven’t read this series, then I’d highly recommend it! It’s one filled with pain, love, heart-ache and sure is one hell of a ride. I’ll leave you with some of my favourite quotes;

“This is me, Ana. All of me...and I'm all yours. What do I have to do to make you realize that? To make you see that I want you any way I can get you. That I love you.” – Christian

“Are you on your own?"

"No. There are six people staring at me right now wondering who the hell i'm talking to."

shit..."Really?" I gasp, panicked.

"Yes. Really. My girlfriend," he announces away from the phone.

holy cow! "They probably all thought you were gay, you know.” – Ana and Christian

“You wanted hearts and flowers,” he murmurs.

I blink at him, not quite believing what I’m seeing.

“You have my heart.” And he waves toward the room.

“And here are the flowers,” I whisper, completing his sentence. “Christian, it’s lovely.” – Ana and Christian

“I love him. Simple.” - Ana

A Review for Fifty Shade of Grey (Fifty Shades #1) by E.L.James

2012-02-17T16:03:00.001Z

Posted by Donna
Published Date: May 26th, 2011
Finished Date: 16th February, 2012
Publishers: The Writer's Coffee Shop Publishing House
Source: Bought - 2012 TBR Challenge
Format: Kindle
Pages: 356
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The Blurb from Goodreads: When literature student Anastasia Steele is drafted to interview the successful young entrepreneur Christian Grey for her campus magazine, she finds him attractive, enigmatic and intimidating. Convinced their meeting went badly, she tries to put Grey out of her mind - until he happens to turn up at the out-of-town hardware store where she works part-time.

The unworldly, innocent Ana is shocked to realize she wants this man, and when he warns her to keep her distance it only makes her more desperate to get close to him. Unable to resist Ana’s quiet beauty, wit, and independent spirit, Grey admits he wants her - but on his own terms.

Shocked yet thrilled by Grey's singular erotic tastes, Ana hesitates. For all the trappings of success – his multinational businesses, his vast wealth, his loving adoptive family – Grey is man tormented by demons and consumed by the need to control. When the couple embarks on a passionate, physical and daring affair, Ana learns more about her own dark desires, as well as the Christian Grey hidden away from public scrutiny.

Can their relationship transcend physical passion? Will Ana find it in herself to submit to the self-indulgent Master? And if she does, will she still love what she finds?

The Review: Well, hello Mr. Grey! Wow, what a guy!

I have to admit, I seriously didn't want to fall for Christian or this book and I have all my book friends to blame for convincing me to read this book. It's official - I'm addicted and obsessed with Christian Grey!

Now if you don't know what this book is about, let me say; BDSM? Yeah! Shocked the hell out of me too.

When I started reading this book I was hesitant, mainly because I honestly think a BDSM relationship is totally out of my comfort zone but once I started reading, I couldn't stop. I wasn't entirely convinced about my feelings for Christian until about 30% of the book and yes, the emails convinced me. You do see a playful side to him and Ana during the exchange of the emails, it was just what I needed to get emotionally attached to the characters and E.L.James she has created two fantastic characters in Ana and Christian.

Ana is a quiet, smart and well preserved girl - one that has never really ventured out to explore her sexual side, because she's never found Mr Right. When she meets Christian she is instantly attracted to him - she is very cautious but intrigued too. Not only that but Ana is a very head strong woman, she knows what she wants and goes for it and as Christian continues to hide things from her, she continues to push and push until she gets what she wants. And I honestly think she grows as a character through-out this book. Christian, he's a mystery. It's pretty clear he likes to be in control. He likes everything done his way and a certain way. But really deep down, you're left with trying to figure him out. He's hot one minute and then cold the next. He's happy and then sad and all of this is down to is his unhappy childhood. But despite all this, there's just something about him, push aside the control-freakness and you get a gorgeous, intriguing and unpredictable young man. I promise you, you will love him too.

Here's some of my favourite quotes;

“Why don't you like to be touched" Ana whispered, staring up into soft grey eyes.
"Because I'm fifty shades of f***ed-up, Anastasia” - Ana and Christian

“He grabs me suddenly and yanks me up against him, one hand at my back holding me to him and the other fisting in my hair.
"You're one challenging woman," He kisses me, forcing my lips apart with his tongue, taking no prisoners.
"It's taking all my self-control not to f**k you on the hood of this car, just to show you that you're mine, and if I want to buy you a f***ing car, I'll buy you a fucking car," he growls.” - Ana and Christian

E.L James manages to create a perfect blend of romance with hot, sexy and funny scenes - that will make any girl blush. Fifty Shades of Grey is truly an addictive read, one that I'd definitely recommend and I am so glad that this is not just a stand alone book. Only one book would have killed me so I'm thrilled to say.......I'm now moving onto book two!

A Review for Falling Fast by Sophie McKenzie

2012-02-16T09:05:00.003Z

Posted by Donna
Expected Published Date: March 1st, 2012
Finished Date: February 5th, 2012
Publishers: Simon & Schuster
Source: For Review
Format: Paperback
Pages: 247
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The Blurb from Goodreads: When River auditions for a part in an interschool performance of Romeo and Juliet, she finds herself smitten by Flynn, the boy playing Romeo. But Flynn comes from a damaged family—is he even capable of giving River what she wants? The path of true love never did run smooth . . .This is real life, not a rehearsal...
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The Review: Falling Fast is a sweet, loveable and compelling read which is ideal for a lazy Sunday afternoon - especially if you’re looking for a quick and easy read. It follows the story of River and Flynn, who meet by starring in a school production of Romeo and Juliet and head into a whirlwind and emotional relationship.

With this being my first book by author Sophie McKenzie, I didn’t really know what to expect but I’m eager to try some of her other books now because Falling Fast really left me satisfied. From the start I immediately connected with book and the characters and found myself eager to finish it.

River is a really likable character, although a little naïve and doesn’t have much confidence in herself; she’s very sweet and a die hard romantic too. She’s looking for the love of her life and when she meets Flynn, she believes it’s him. Now Flynn, he’s a broody character but also very handsome. He’s sweet, kind and loveable but there is a dark side to him. He’s had a hard life and it reflects in his personality. I really do love him but I have to admit, I’m also worried about him going off the deep end. But Flynn and River together = VERY CUTE!

I'm really excited that this is going to be a series because even though the author finished the book on a good ending, I'm not ready to leave these characters behind. BUT I wish it was sooner than 2013! The wait is going to kill me!

Overall, Falling Fast is a perfect example of a young adult contemporary novel and I cannot wait to read more.

Waiting on Wednesday (#7)

2012-02-15T11:32:00.000Z

"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

The Golden Lily by Richelle Mead

Release date: June 19th, 2012

Sydney Sage is an Alchemist, one of a group of humans who dabble in magic and serve to bridge the worlds of humans and vampires. They protect vampire secrets—and human lives.

Sydney would love to go to college, but instead, she’s been sent into hiding at a posh boarding school in Palm Springs, California–tasked with protecting Moroi princess Jill Dragomir from assassins who want to throw the Moroi court into civil war. Formerly in disgrace, Sydney is now praised for her loyalty and obedience, and held up as the model of an exemplary Alchemist.

But the closer she grows to Jill, Eddie, and especially Adrian, the more she finds herself questioning her age-old Alchemist beliefs, her idea of family, and the sense of what it means to truly belong. Her world becomes even more complicated when magical experiments show Sydney may hold the key to prevent becoming Strigoi—the fiercest vampires, the ones who don’t die. But it’s her fear of being just that—special, magical, powerful—that scares her more than anything. Equally daunting is her new romance with Brayden, a cute, brainy guy who seems to be her match in every way. Yet, as perfect as he seems, Sydney finds herself being drawn to someone else—someone forbidden to her.

When a shocking secret threatens to tear the vampire world apart, Sydney’s loyalties are suddenly tested more than ever before. She wonders how she's supposed to strike a balance between the principles and dogmas she's been taught, and what her instincts are now telling her.

Should she trust the Alchemists—or her heart?

Donna's WoW

Until I Die by Amy Plum
Release Date: May 8th, 2012

Kate and Vincent have overcome the odds and at last they are together in Paris, the city of lights and love.

As their romance deepens there’s one question they can’t ignore: How are they supposed to be together if Vincent can’t resist sacrificing himself to save others? Although Vincent promises that he’ll do whatever it takes to lead a normal life with Kate, will that mean letting innocent people die? When a new and surprising enemy reveals itself, Kate realizes that even more may be at stake—and that Vincent’s immortality is in jeopardy.

In Die for Me, Amy Plum created a captivating paranormal mythology with immortal revenants and a lush Paris setting. Until I Die is poised to thrill readers with more heart-pounding suspense, spellbinding romance, and a cliff-hanger ending that will leave them desperate for the third and final novel in the series.

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!

Devotion (Soul Savers #3) by Kristie Cook

2012-02-15T05:27:00.000Z

Posted by Guest Reviewer Melanie
Published Date: February 10th, 2012
Finished Date: January 30th, 2012
Source: ARC, For Review
Format: Kindle
Pages: 374
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The Blurb from Goodreads: With powerful abilities gained from the Ang’dora and Tristan back by her side, Alexis thinks she’s ready for the next challenge—protecting her son from what appears to be the inevitable. But she has so much to learn about her powers, her new world and the people in it. Nothing is what it seems to be on the surface, including the Amadis. Having believed the secret society to be definitively good and righteous, she discovers she couldn’t have been more wrong. Power-hungry politicians comprise the council and make impossible demands. A traitor lurks among them all, inciting trouble that could destroy the Amadis and, ultimately, humanity. The Daemoni wreak havoc in the human world, with the ultimatum that they’ll continue attacking innocents until Alexis and Tristan are expelled from the Amadis’ protection. The couple’s own society begins to shut them out. But that’s not all. There’s a secret. A big one. And faith and hope in Alexis and Tristan will be restored if she can uncover the truth in time. But the search for answers leads only to the discovery of more betrayals by those closest to Alexis. Her devotion is put to the test—devotion to her husband, to her family, to her people and to her beliefs—leaving her to question whom she’s fighting for and why she should even bother. But if she won’t fight … who will?

The Review: In this book we find Alexis and Tristan re-united properly on the safety of the Amadis Island. They have thwarted the Daemoni on their doorstep and Alexis’ alter ego is dead, giving her the freedom to become the next Amadis daughter now that she has gone through the Ang’dora. Once there however, she discovers that there is trouble in paradise and everything is not as it seems. Rina - her grandmother – has received a message from the angels informing her that there is a traitor in their ranks and she enlists Alexis’ help to root out the person(s) but can Alexis master her powers in time? As they try to do this, she comes across vital information that could save all of the Amadis, but no-one will believe her, not even those around her. With the Daemoni on their doorstep again, causing chaos and attacking innocent people in the hopes of drawing Alexis & Tristan out they are forced to leave, more or less branded traitors and shunned. The Daemoni are tracking their every move and always seem to be one step ahead which makes Alexis think that the traitor might be a lot closer to home and she begins to doubt everyone. Not only that but she discovers that Dorian seems to have an inevitable fate that may come sooner, rather than later. With tensions rising on the Amadis Island and people losing faith in the Matriarch, Alexis begins to wonder whether the Amadis are truly good and is forced to take drastic action to get to the root of the problem.

I LOVE this book! I had questions left over from book 2 and a couple of big ones were addressed straight away, no messing around, just straight into the thick of it again. I’m still really enjoying Alexis, as each book goes by we see a little more of who she is becoming. She is great, so determined to do the right thing even without the support of those around her. She has all of this un-tapped power that she needs to master but would rather not have to use it on moral grounds, truly selfless and always putting others before herself. All she wants is to have a quiet life with her family, be a wife & mother but has to become something else for people who don’t even trust them. Her sense of duty and faith in the Amadis is tested in this book as she is put through some awful ordeals and is left wondering who to trust. Tristan too, continues to grow as a character and we see a different side to him – vulnerable and defeated – it broke my heart and he is involved in some serious revelations that are going to rock all foundations and I wonder what the effects will be. In previous books I never let myself ‘get into’ Owen’s character because he was a threat to Alexis & Tristan’s relationship and I really didn’t want to go down that road but we get to delve into him a bit more in this, get some of his back story, meet his parents and it was nice to see that I may have underestimated him as a character.

Now for my reaction when I finished the book (with a lot of exclamation marks) . . .

HOLY BEEP that was awesome! WOW!!!!
Kristie Cook does it again! Every book in this series has blown me away! I have been sent on an emotional rollercoaster AGAIN!!
To think I bought the first book (Promise) on kindle (my 1^st ever kindle purchase) in May 2011 for a group read on GR and only paid 79p for it! It was so good that I immediately bought the second (Purpose) straight after and that too was just, wow. In January they were featured in my ‘Books that blew me away in 2011’ post because they did just that. I was hooked straight away and to still be feeling that at book three is amazing. They are, this was, effortless to read, I couldn’t put it down, so compelling and I didn’t want it to end. The emotions I went through reading this . . . Anxious, curious, happy, sad, devastated, proud, heart-broken & I don’t know how many WTH moments. . . . I think I covered most things so yeah, emotional rollercoaster covers it. I love a book where you feel like you are going through the ordeals and emotions of a character, to really empathise with them and even think like them, That’s when you know it’s a good book. The flow and the pacing were ‘spot on’, you never got a chance to be bored or think about something else because it was always moving forward, always some danger or something to look into. I even thought to myself, ‘just give them a break’ because they go through so much but where would be the fun in that? I was kept guessing about things all the way through, right up until the reveals – some bits I had partially solved while others I wasn’t even close, totally surprising me. I cannot wait to find out what happens next, the epilogue set up book four which is going straight on my TBR list and with this book the series maintains its position as one of my all-time favourite series. Go read them all . . . .

A Review for Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire

2012-02-14T16:14:00.001Z

Posted by Donna
Published Date: May 26th, 2011
Finished Date: February 13th, 2012
Source: Bought - 2012 TBR Reading Challenge
Format: Kindle
Pages: 454
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The Blurb from Goodreads: The new Abby Abernathy is a good girl. She doesn’t drink or swear, and she has the appropriate percentage of cardigans in her wardrobe. Abby believes she has enough distance between her and the darkness of her past, but when she arrives at college with her best friend America, her path to a new beginning is quickly challenged by Eastern University’s Walking One-Night Stand. Travis Maddox, lean, cut, and covered in tattoos, is exactly what Abby needs—and wants—to avoid. He spends his nights winning money in a floating fight ring, and his days as the charming college co-ed. Intrigued by Abby’s resistance to his charms, Travis tricks her into his daily life with a simple bet. If he loses, he must remain abstinent for a month. If Abby loses, she must live in Travis’ apartment for the same amount of time. Either way, Travis has no idea that he has met his match.

The Review: “I know you deserve better than me. You think I don’t know that? But if there was any woman made for me…it’s you. I’ll do whatever I have to do, Pidge. Do you hear me? I’ll do anything.”

Wow! When I picked up this book yesterday morning, I only meant to read a chapter or two, but 8 hours later I had completely devoured it and let me tell you – Beautiful Disaster is such an addictive read that I couldn't help love it.

When Abby Abernathy starts Eastern University she is trying to put her past behind her, so meeting Travis Maddox; the ultimate bad boy - who fights for fun, drinks, smokes and has the worst reputation, she’s kind of thrown because he definitely wasn’t in her plans. When Travis notices Abby, she’s quick to prove that she won’t be used like any of his other girls. Instead she suggests they become friend and quickly Travis finds a way for Abby to be in his life for longer than they originally planned. What Abby doesn’t realise is that, she’s about to find her match in Travis but how can she be with someone who reminds her of all the things she’s trying to leave behind?

Firstly, I NEED A TRAVIS! And secondly, this book is so frigging awesome. From the first page I was sucked into a compelling and heart-pounding story and I wasn’t released until the very last page and I have to say, I was so disappointed when I finished. Jamie Maguire knows how to write an amazing contemporary romance novel and has really ticked all the right boxes for me. Epic win!

Now, you know I've got to talk about the characters and honestly, they really could compete with Simone Elkeles Perfect Chemistry characters, if anything I like them more.

Abby is a sweet, innocent girl but one that stands up for herself and she really cares what people think about her. When she meets Travis, she knows being friends with him can only be just that and it does take her a while to realise her feelings for him and at that point, she's just too stubborn to admit it. She wants to do the right thing and be with the right guy and honestly she doesn't think Travis can be that for her. But as much as I like Abby, she is a frustrating character. Her stubbornness really gets in her way and clouds her mind. There are so many times that I really wanted to grab her and shake her, but she does redeem herself.

Now Travis he's the ultimate bad boy. Not only does he fight for money, he drinks far too much and he uses girls for sex. He's very rash, stubborn and unpredictable but he's also very loveable and such a sweet guy. Meeting Abby really turns his life around. He changes for her and he becomes the best friend anyone could ever be but once his true feelings start showing, he can't control them and soon the sparks start flying. I really wanted to hate him in parts because he does so many jaw-dropping stupid things, but deep down I couldn't. One thing about him which I had to question was, his temper - he gets so angry sometimes and his feelings for Abby really makes him crazy but again like Abby, he redeems himself. And the fact that he has so many swoon-worthy quotes that seriously makes you melt - you can't help fall for him......like this;

“You know why I want you? I didn’t know I was lost until you found me. I didn’t know what alone was until the first night I spent without you in my bed. You’re the one thing I’ve got right. You’re what I’ve been waiting for, Pigeon.” - Travis

“I know we're f***ed up, all right? I'm impulsive, and hot-tempered, and you get under my skin like no one else. You act like you hate me one minute, and then you need me the next. I never get anything right, and I don't deserve you... but I f***ing love you, Abby. I love you more than I've loved anyone or anything, ever. When you're around, I don't need booze, or money, or the fighting, or the one-night stands... all I need is you. You're all I think about. You're all I dream about. You're all I want.” - Travis

“I feel like any second you're going to figure out what a piece of s**t I am and leave me.” - Travis

“You can’t tell me what to do anymore, Travis! I don’t belong to you!”

In the second it took him to turn and face me, his expression had contorted into anger. He stomped toward me, planting his hands on the bed and leaning into my face.

“WELL I BELONG TO YOU!” The veins in his neck bulged as he shouted, and I met his glare, refusing to even flinch. He looked at my lips, panting. “I belong to you.” - Travis & Abby

And yes Travis Maddox is top on my book boyfriend list. How could he not be? ;) And the epilogue is just P.E.R.F.E.C.T!

All in all, Beautiful Disaster is a beautiful and touching story about two people that are so wrong for each other, but deep down, they are so right for each other. An absolute amazing read and one I highly recommend.

Lauren Kate Exclusive for Valentine's Day

2012-02-14T11:50:00.000Z

To celebrate Valentine's Day and her new novel 'Fallen in Love' - Lauren Kate has given us her Top Ten’s most Romantic Plays. Awww how romantic! ;)

So here are her favourite plays

Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf

Romeo and Juliet

Hamlet

MacBeth

A Streetcar Named Desire

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof

Curse of the Starving Class

Avenue Q

Waiting for Godot

Night of the Iguana

What are your favourite plays?

Love Lauren xoxo

Dusty Reads (#6)

2012-02-14T09:21:00.001Z

Happy Valentine's Day!!!!!

Dusty Reads is a weekly meme, hosted by Xpresso Reads featuring a book that has been sitting unread on our shelves for some time. To participate and more information, click here.

Jess's Dusty Read

Rules of Attraction
By Simone Elkeles

When Carlos Fuentes returns to America after living in Mexico for a year, he doesn’t want any part of the life his older brother, Alex, has laid out for him at a high school in Colorado . Carlos likes living his life on the edge and wants to carve his own path—just like Alex did. Then he meets Kiara Westford. She doesn’t talk much and is completely intimidated by Carlos’ wild ways. As they get to know one another, Carlos assumes Kiara thinks she’s too good for him, and refuses to admit that she might be getting to him. But he soon realizes that being himself is exactly what Kiara needs right now.

Jess's thoughts: Ahh! I have no idea why I haven't read this one yet! I loved Perfect Chemistry and I love the Fuentes brothers so it is beyond me why I haven't read this one yet. Its just been sitting there on my shelf, getting dusty. Sorry Carlos!

Donna's Dusty Read

Stray (Shifters #1)

by Rachel Vincent

There are only eight breeding female werecats left . . .

And I'm one of them.

I look like an all-American grad student. But I am a werecat, a shape-shifter, and I live in two worlds.

Despite reservations from my family and my Pride, I escaped the pressure to continue my species and carved out a normal life for myself. Until the night a Stray attacked.

I'd been warned about Strays -- werecats without a Pride, constantly on the lookout for someone like me: attractive, female, and fertile. I fought him off, but then learned two of my fellow tabbies had disappeared.

This brush with danger was all my Pride needed to summon me back . . . for my own protection. Yeah, right. But I'm no meek kitty. I'll take on whatever -- and whoever -- I have to in order to find my friends. Watch out, Strays -- 'cause I got claws, and I'm not afraid to use them . . .

Donna's thoughts: I've always wanted to read this series but after reading the author's Soul Screamers series, I NEED to read this book! All I've heard is good things about it so I am super excited to start....once I get too it.

So that's our Dusty Read's for this week! Don't forget to leave us your thoughts below.

Happy Reading!

A Review for Kiss of Death (Morganville Vampires #8) by Rachel Caine

2012-02-13T12:43:00.002Z

Posted by Jess
Published Date: May 3rd, 2010
Finished Date: February 10th, 2012
Publishers: Allison and Busby
Source: Bought
Format: Paperback
Pages: 348
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The Blurb from Goodreads: Claire Danvers has a few things on her mind. First of all there is the laundry, which is now an unfortunate shade of pink. Then there is her boyfriend, Shane, who is never too far from her thoughts. Finally there is her best friend Eve’s relationship problems. As if life as a student wasn’t complicated enough, Claire just happens to be studying in Morganville. A town run by vampires. Trouble seems to follow Claire and her friends like a shadow and tonight is no exception to the rule. They must find the most difficult documents for a vampire to acquire; people passes that will allow ‘bad ass’ Morley and his friends to leave Morganville. But it’s proving incredibly difficult, and with the odds seemingly stacked against them, the biggest question of all is…Will they survive?

The Review: “Things that Shane doesn't want on his grave: (1.) I thought it wasn't loaded. (2.) Hand me a match so I can check the gas tank. (3.) Killed over Ice Cream”

Heh. I have two words....ROAD. TRIP! Heh.
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I actually LOVED this one, more than I loved Fade Out. Why you ask? Because this one is all set OUTSIDE of Morganville. Yup. The four end up on a road trip. They head for Dallas so that Michael can go to a recording studio and sing his cute little vampire heart out. Oliver in tow. They don't get there without a hitch. Oh no, that would be too easy...and of course it's the four of them including Oliver. From Morganville. It wouldn't be right if it all went smoothly would it? Nope. Oliver takes them on a little detour to a city called Durram. And all hell breaks loose! I'll say no more, you'll just have to read and find out, but there's lots of fighting, cars burning, sick vampires, Morley and his dudes.
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Anyway, even with the slow start this book got really interesting as soon as they were all in the car and heading for Dallas (with the permission of Amelie...obviously). I'm not even sure how Rachel Caine does it, she just keeps knocking the books out of the park, making them seem like fillers but then turning them into all this excitement and awesomeness that you just can't get enough! And once I got going, I couldn't stop.
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I don't think I'm ever going to get tired of this series. Although I missed Myrnin and his antics in this one, it was really nice to be able to read something that wasn't taking place inside of Morganville. We meet a few new characters who I loved, except for the bullies in the dinner/truck stop. Oliver has since grown on me, and he's not becoming one of my favourite characters, and to be honest I prefer him to Amelie, although Oliver is a complete cynic and doesn't think highly of humans he does come through for Claire and the others when the time is needed.
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Yay for Claire growing up a lot more. She even has a crossbow! How cool is that? It was good to see Claire take charge of some of the situations and it was a nice change to listen to her rather than hear Eve moan and whimper...she did a bit of that, and it got annoying. Shane and Michael and their heroics...nom! The series never disappoints and neither do the books as individuals. Caine implements everything in them...love, humor, action, hate, jealousy, deceit. EVERYTHING!
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As I said, I don't think I'm going to get sick of this series. Ever. And I love it, and I want more. This one keeps you turning, and turning. If you haven't already picked up this series, then you really should!

A Review for Spell Bound (Hex Hall #3) by Rachel Hawkins

2012-02-12T16:00:00.004Z

Posted by Donna
Expected Published Date: March 13th, 2012
Finished Date: February 12th, 2012
Publishers: Simon & Schuster UK
Source: For Review
Format: Paperback
Pages: 327
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The Blurb from Goodreads: Hailed as “impossible to put down,” the Hex Hall series has both critics and teens cheering. With a winning combination of romance, action, magic and humor, this third volume will leave readers enchanted. Just as Sophie Mercer has come to accept her extraordinary magical powers as a demon, the Prodigium Council strips them away. Now Sophie is defenseless, alone, and at the mercy of her sworn enemies—the Brannicks, a family of warrior women who hunt down the Prodigium. Or at least that’s what Sophie thinks, until she makes a surprising discovery. The Brannicks know an epic war is coming, and they believe Sophie is the only one powerful enough to stop the world from ending. But without her magic, Sophie isn’t as confident. Sophie’s bound for one hell of a ride—can she get her powers back before it’s too late?
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The Review: Wow, let me tell you – this series just keeps getting better and better and Spell Bound is by far the BEST book in the Hex Hall Series.
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Following the shocking cliff-hanger in Raising Demons, we see Sophie trying to reach her mother by going to the Brannicks’ family. She has to ask herself, why would her mother be with them when they’re a family who hunt down the Prodigium? While there, Sophie’s world comes tumbling down when she finds out even more secrets about heritage but mainly, the Brannick’s believe Sophie is the only person powerful enough to put an end to the war but that means risking her life - again. And without her magic…….can she really be the hero that she is expected to be?

Rachel Hawkins has done it again! She’s created another fantastic book that I believe – is her best work yet and I have to admit, I’m a little sad that this is the finale book in the series. I believe Rachel’s writing improves with each book and I can only imagine what she could produce if she ever decided to continue writing more books to this series. And I can tell you - that I know they would be even more amazing!

The characters this time around are even stronger than ever. Sophie really goes through the worst, especially as she tries to get her powers back, but she remains her snarky-fun-loving-self through-out and we seriously need more heroines like her. Archer, Cal and Jenna all have key roles in this book too, and are fantastic secondary characters. I see them all as heroines too because they are all just as strong as Sophie and not only that, I love them all just as much.

Ummm….now Archer and Cal - these boys make me melt and I love both of them because they are both completely different from one another and I believe Sophie picked the right guy in the end!

Now the inevitable ending. I’m really happy with how things were concluded but at the same time I’m sad, because there is one major event that I didn’t even see coming until it happened, and it shocked me too my core! BUT, Rachel Hawkins ends the book so great and really left me satisfied that I couldn’t help love the overall book. When you read this book for yourself, you will see why I’m so torn and I’m sure you will all have plenty to say….so until you do read it; I won’t spoil it for you.

All in all, Spell Bound was a great end to a fun series. One filled with dangerous and exciting scenes, one filled with laughs and one filled with romance and I’m sure you won’t be disappointed.

Thank you Simon and Schuster UK for sending me an advanced copy of this book.

In My Mailbox (#41)

2012-02-12T12:51:00.000Z

Hey guys, just me this week. Jess only got a few things this week so she's saving them until next for you! Well, it's been another awesome week full of awesome books! So here's what I got this week!

Donna's In My Mailbox

For Review:

Unravelling by Elizabeth Norris

The Accidental Vampire by Lynsay Sands

Dead Rules by Randy Russells

Article 5 by Kristen Simmons - Read it already and LOVED IT! Amazing! ;)

Pre-ordered Chritsmas Present

Angel Fire by LA Weatherly
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eBooks for Review
(Click the book covers to be taken to Goodreads)

Bought Kindle Books
(Click the book covers to be taken to Goodreads)

*Starcrossed is only 99p on Amazon UK! At that price I couldn't resist buying it even though I've read it. :)

Free eBooks from Amazon UK

(Click the book covers to be taken to Goodreads)

So there you have it. Another awesome week for me and I cannot wait to see what comes next.
Thank you to Entangled Publishing, Quercus, Gollancz & HaperCollins UK

What's in your mailbox this week?

A Review for Chael's Luck (A Knights of Dorathan Novel) by Mireille Chester

2012-02-12T05:25:00.000Z

Posted by Guest Reviewer Melanie
Expected Published Date: April 1st, 2012
Finished Date: February 6th, 2012
Source: ARC, For Review
Format: Kindle
Pages: Unknown
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The Blurb from Goodreads: When you’re named for the god of bad luck, you’re at least a head shorter than everyone else around you, and your horse is the only black one in a world where every horse is a grey, people are bound to talk. Chael has spent the past eighteen years of his life proving to those around him that he’s worthy of his family name; that he’s meant to be a Shadow Knight. Just when things are finally going his way, Chael’s luck strikes again. Now, Chael is in a race against time to find the one who has taken everything from him and who plans on destroying the one thing he’s worked so hard for, the knighthood. As if this weren’t enough, he’ll have to reveal the one thing he’s managed to keep secret for the past eighteen years. With help from some unexpected sources, Chael sets off on a journey that will test his will, his character, and his heart

The Review: This review is going to be sooo hard because there is a secret. . . .

Chael’s luck is the story of Chael McKinney, we read of his birth, we read of his first day at Knight’s training school at 5 years old and we read of his trials to become a Shadow Knight at 18 - when everything falls apart and the very existence of the Shadow Knights is threatened. Chael has always lived life abiding by a Knights code of honour, truth and putting others first. Chael is loyal to everyone and strives to always do what is right, the qualities that make a true Shadow Knight.

It was expected that Chael would follow in the footsteps of all the McKinney men because as long as there has been Shadow Knights, there has been a McKinney Knight and Chael would be no exception. So what if he was named after the ‘god of bad luck’ and was a little shorter and scrawnier than the other guys, that wouldn’t stop Chael – no, that made for more determination and harder work because Chael had a lot to prove and a secret to protect.

Chael is a very positive, admirable character who knows the world will be against him and takes every chance to prove his worth, that’s what the first 18 years of life have been all about. When everything is ripped away from him and his secret is revealed it doesn’t make for less of a person, just one with something extra to prove and a sense of duty. When everything seems to be going downhill will the person that Chael once was have done enough to ensure his past is considered when judged in the future?

For the first 1/3 of the book I thought I was getting a cool coming of age story from Chael and his friends as they take their tests to become Shadow Knights but oh, how wrong was I. During this time there was a secret mentioned, something that would jeopardise Chael’s future as a Shadow Knight and my curiosity sky-rocketed- who doesn’t like a good secret? And when it’s revealed . . . well, I’m still sitting shaking my head with a smile on my face as I write this because believe me, it’s a game changer. The thing is, the secret then changes the rest of the book and influences half of the remaining plot line so it really limits what I can say. Aside from that we are taken on an adventure as all of the Knights are threatened and it’s up to Chael to sort it out. I think anyone who reads this will be in no doubt as to whom the bad guy is but there are twists along the way to keep you on your toes. To be honest, this book would have still been enjoyable had it been the coming of age book I thought it was but when you add the secret, the twists and a few strange dreams, it makes it something special and I loved reading it. So, another awesome fantasy adventure book from Mireille Chester, she does these so well – they are well written and effortless to read and if you haven’t checked out her ‘The Chosen One trilogy’ what are you waiting for? Do it now! The worlds she creates are wonderful and even though we aren’t in Quelondain in this book, it is no less good. I enjoy the characters she creates, not as many different ones in this at the minute – just humans and elves – but who knows what she’s hiding for any sequels. Her heroes/heroines have all been fine people, admirable, selfless, willing to give up everything for the greater good, even their own lives, they are just great characters that a reader can look up to and Chael is no exception. I really want to tell you so much more about this and I feel as if I’m not ‘selling’ it as much as it deserves but just know that apart from everything I have mentioned, this book will also appeal to romance fans too as Chael finds love from someone unexpected. So, give this a go and let it surprise you the way it surprised me. 4.5 out of 5!

A Review for Raising Demons (Hex Hall #2) by Rachel Hawkins

2012-02-11T11:33:00.005Z

Posted by Donna
Published Date: March 13th, 2011
Finished Date: February 9th, 2012
Publishers: Simon & Schuster
Source: Bought - 2012 TBR Reading Challenge
Format: Kindle
Pages: 368
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The Blurb from Goodreads: Sophie Mercer's first term at Hex Hall turned out to be quite eventful. First the ghost of her evil grandmother haunted her every move, then her best friend was accused of murder and of course there was the discovery that Archer Cross, aka the boy of her dreams, was actually an undercover demon hunter - which would probably be something she could have worked on, if she hadn't also discovered that she was actually the demon Archer was hunting…

So, despite their issues, Sophie is actually relieved to be spending the summer in London with her father. But when your father is Head of The Council of Prodigium and your summer is being spent at the headquarters of everything magical, then a quiet holiday isn't really that likely. And, as Sophie struggles to come to terms with her new found demon powers, she finds herself thrust once again into a world of dark magic and conspiracies. The only thing that could possibly make things more complicated would be for Archer Cross to show up again, which of course he wouldn't, would he?

The Review: “This thing with us is the only real thing I've had in a long time. You're the only real thing." He raised our hands and kissed my knuckles. "And I'm done pretending I don't want you.”

I read the first book of this series sometime last year and I was pretty surprised by how much I enjoyed it but I just haven’t been able to find time to read book two. However, when I was offered an advanced copy of the final book Spell Bound, it was a great opportunity because now I finally had an excuse to read Raising Demons and overall, this book seriously kicks ass!

This time around we see Sophie Mercer trying to move on from the shocking events that happened in Hex Hall. She’s trying to get over her former crush Archer, she’s trying to come to terms with her demon heritage and she’s trying to get over the death of a friend. When Sophie’s father offers to take her to London - it is there where she wants her power removed and only the council can grant her wish. But when she starts to learn to use her power, does she really want them removed? And with a deadly war on the verge of starting, will she need her powers to help them win?

I definitely enjoyed Raising Demons more than Hex Hall so that’s why it gets 3.5 out of 5 for me. It’s definitely a series that is full of laughs with fantastic banter and it’s a very light and intriguing read. One that you can easily read on a quiet afternoon and will keep you gripped through out. I don’t feel it’s an amazing series but definitely an enjoyable and memorable one.

I felt the story this time around was more enjoyable because we’d got past that ‘getting to know the character stage’ so I felt more connected with them and I loved how easy it was to slip back into Sophie’s head. I don’t think I’ve laughed so much in ages from her snarky and funny comments which are very entertaining. Does anyone else think this series would make an awesome TV show? Rachel Hawkins definitely knows how to keep us entertained and if it was ever made into one, I’d watch it! =)

I’m so glad that we got reunited with Archer in this book – *sigh* I love him! Even though I do like Cal and if Archer wasn’t there, maybe just maybe I’d be on his team but it’s hard to not love Archer. So I’m completely and totally 100% TEAM ARCHER! He and Sophie just bounce off one another other, they connect to one another and I really feel they are true soul mates. I really adore their relationship despite the challenges they face. And their banter….wow……..

“It just seems like overkill when you already have a dagger and I have super-powerful magic at my disposal.”

“Super-powerful?” He stood up, a gold chain dangling from his fingers. “Let me remind you of two words, Mercer: Bad. Dog.” – Archer and Sophie

“We could argue in front of our lockers all dramatically," I said. "That's something I saw a lot at human high schools."

He squeezed me in a quick hug. "Yes! Now that sounds like a good time. And then I could come to your house in the middle of the night and play music really loudly under your window until you took me back."

I chuckled. "You watch too many movies. Ooh, we could be lab partners!"

"Isn't that kind of what we were in Defence?"

"Yeah, but in normal high school, there would be more science, less kicking each other in the face."

"Nice.” – Archer and Sophie

Can you see what I mean? Such a comical but loving relationship. I love it!

Overall, Raising Demons was a fun, exciting and easy read and a great sequel to Hex Hall. Now on to Spell Bound.

A Review for Daphne and The Mysterious Girls Secret Bathroom Society by Robert Shields

2012-02-11T06:06:00.001Z

Posted by Guest Reviewer Melanie

Published Date: December 19th, 2011

Finished Date: February 9th, 2012

Source: For Review

Format: Kindle

Pages: Unknown

The Blurb from Goodreads: Following years of persecution at the hands of Vivica Vance, Daphne Downing levels the playing field wielding her No. 2 Ticonderoga pencil as she belatedly enters the world of witchcraft. Daphne becomes part of the Mysterious Girls’ Secret Bathroom Society and finds out that the politics governing witchcraft are daunting and sometimes deadly. She realizes she is aligned with the Charmers in this political battle with the Spiters led by her nemesis, Vivica. Along the way, she discovers that witches do not perform magic or witchcraft but a differentiated form of physics that only some women have mastered. The story deepens as she learns about the long history of witches’ domination and annihilation of wizards.

The Review: In this book we have Daphne – 14 years old, best friend of Lyla and older sister to Amanda. After years of being bullied by her nemesis, Vivica Vance –which was started by a particularly bad princess underwear exposure ordeal – things come to a head and she is thrust into the world of witchcraft. It seems like she is the only one in the dark about it, everyone seems to be a witch. So that’s what Daphne sets out to do. . . . She wants to fight fire with fire. Their feud reaches a head when Vi takes something that doesn’t belong to her and it is brought to the attention of their superiors who make them set up their own society, governed by themselves and most likely to be headed by her nemesis who will then have a power over Daphne like never before. As she tries to fit into her new role she discovers some unsavoury things about the people she is aligned with and the attention of some good and not so good people.

Surprisingly, I really enjoyed this book. I know this is going to sound sexist but I usually don’t do well reading books by male authors in this genre, especially when their main character is female and if there is romance involved so this was a pleasant surprise. It was fun and most definitely mysterious. The main character Daphne has all the traits that I love, she’s sassy, determined, funny & not afraid to stand up for what she believes in – no matter the cost. We see her go through quite a bit and just like any 14 year old we see her get depressed, cry, frustrated, crush on boys, come up with insane plans but basically she just deals. With the support of her friends and her super brainy sister Amanda she starts to blossom and I’m expecting greatness from her in future books. The plot was good, mixing school drama with witch drama, then we have home life drama, boy drama, dubious mothers’ death drama and even more mysterious witches society drama – it never stops and not once did I feel bored with it, in fact it left me wanting more because it was a rather short read. I did get slightly lost with all the quorum, meeting stuff and didn’t think it needed the formalities, I get that by putting it out there in books that readers will come to understand it and become familiar with it but it was kind of hard to follow- I think the physics explanations were easier to grasp. I did love how when more complex words were spoken in conversation that they would stop to define the word or ask what it meant, great way to get some learning into the book especially for younger readers, I even appreciated it. Never the less, this was a great first in what I hope is a series, it was good fun, plenty of things going on, a sweet little crush, plenty of witchcraft and great characters that have so much more to give and lots of potential as a series that anyone would enjoy. 3.5 out of 5.

Author Interview: Suzi Davis + eBook Giveaway

2012-02-09T12:22:00.001Z

Suzi Davis
Author of The Lost Magic Series
Check out her website: HERE
Find here on Facebook: HERE
Purchase her book on Amazon US: HERE
Purchase her book on Amazon UK: HERE
View Melanie's Review: HERE
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About the Author: What should I say about myself?

Amber Frost is my first novel. It is a Young-Adult paranormal which is the genre I am most interested in at the moment. Having said that, I read books in pretty much every genre and welcome recommendations! I love to write and to read, and perhaps because of this I have spent far too much time pursuing my post-secondary education. I have a degree in Fine Arts (Visual Arts major), a certificate in Special Education assistance and am a graduate student working towards my Masters in Educational Psychology. I've also studied American Sign Language for three years and have taken just about every Autism course and workshop that has been available to me. Recently, I have also been completing my DeafBlindness Intervenor Training. I'm also an artist and love to draw, paint, and take photographs.
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1. How did you come up with the idea for the book?

Amber Frost began with the idea for Sebastian’s character. I started thinking about this mysterious boy who strange things would always happen around and the story took off from there. Even though the books are written from Grace’s point-of-view, it all began with Sebastian.

2. How important is the Celtic element going to be in the series?

In a word, very. Celtic patterns and designs play a very strong role in unravelling the mystery of The Lost Magic, like the Celtic designs twisted into Sebastian’s tattoos.

3. Will we be seeing /learning more about it?

The second book in the series, Silver Dew, explores these Celtic elements further. There are flashbacks to the characters past lives in Celtic times, there is a lot of Celtic imagery and lore, and a portion of the book is also set in Ireland (in the present) as the characters return to the country of their complicated pasts.

4. How long did it take to write?

I would say it took me about a year to write Amber Frost and then I worked on it for about another year, editing, rewriting sections and preparing it for submitting to different Publishers. Once Amber Frost was accepted for publication, it was another 8 or 9 months before it was ready to send to the press.

5. How many books are planned for the series?

At this point, it looks like there will be three. I’m deliberately being vague as I’m not quite ready to let these characters go yet but I don’t want to commit myself to too many more books in this series – I have a lot of other stories that are on the backburner that I would like to work on too.

6. Is the sequel finished?

Yes, Silver Dew was published December 1^st, 2011. I was excited to continue Gracelynn and Sebastian’s adventure – especially with the cliff hanger ending of Amber Frost. I’m very happy with how it has been received by readers so far and am looking forward to releasing the third installment in the series some time in the future.

7. What challenged you most writing this book?

This story really flowed for me – it was easy to write and hard to stop. What was most challenging about the process was having other people read and critique my writing. As this is my first published work, I’ve never experienced that before and it is a hard thing to prepare yourself for. I’m definitely getting more used to it now!

8. *spoiler question*Are we going to see Grace come into her powers soon?

Yes. In Silver Dew, Grace realizes the full extent of her powers and struggles to control her ability. She takes on a much stronger role than what was seen of her in Amber Frost as she is forced to face challenges and hardships she never expected. She is left questioning every aspect of her life and her identity.

9. Will we find out who the Others are from the first book? If so have we already met them? (apart from the one named)

All of the Others are introduced in Silver Dew, some more intimately than others. The third book in the series will reveal even more about the Others and their individual stories.

10. Who would you like to see play the main characters in a movie of the book?

I’m not sure. I don’t know that many teen actors but these two have the right “look” (even though they are both a few years out of their teens). Gracelynn – Anna Poppelwell & Sebastian – Oliver James.

Thank you so much for joining us today Suzi!!! And good luck with your books! =)

Giveaway.

Suzi has kindly offered ONE of our lucky followers to win signed eBook copy of Amber Frost.

Want to win?

All you need to do is enter by filling out the Rafflecopter form.

Extra entries are not required but will increase your chances of winning. Ends February 17th.

Good Luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

A Review for Article 5 (Article 5 #1) by Kristen Simmons

2012-02-08T21:30:00.004Z

Posted by Donna
Published Date: January 12, 2012
Finished Date: February 8th, 2012
Publishers: Tor Teen
Source: For Review
Format: Hardback
Pages: 368
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The Blurb from Goodreads: New York, Los Angeles, and Washington, D.C., have been abandoned. The Bill of Rights has been revoked, and replaced with the Moral Statutes. There are no more police—instead, there are soldiers. There are no more fines for bad behavior—instead, there are arrests, trials, and maybe worse. People who get arrested usually don't come back. Seventeen-year-old Ember Miller is old enough to remember that things weren’t always this way. Living with her rebellious single mother, it’s hard for her to forget that people weren’t always arrested for reading the wrong books or staying out after dark. It’s hard to forget that life in the United States used to be different. Ember has perfected the art of keeping a low profile. She knows how to get the things she needs, like food stamps and hand-me-down clothes, and how to pass the random home inspections by the military. Her life is as close to peaceful as circumstances allow. That is, until her mother is arrested for noncompliance with Article 5 of the Moral Statutes. And one of the arresting officers is none other than Chase Jennings…the only boy Ember has ever loved.
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The Review: Wow! Article 5 is undoubtedly one of my favourite reads of 2012 because it had everything I could have wanted from a book and MORE! From page one, I was sucked into the cruel and harsh world that Kristen Simmons has created and was taken on a thrilling and heart-stomping journey – one that only made me want more!
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Ever since the soldiers took over parts of America, Ember Millers life has changed drastically. She now lives in a world where being compliant is mandatory and civilians have to follow the 5 Article rules. When Ember’s mother is arrested for noncompliance of Article 5, she is taken away to trial leaving Ember to be taken into custody. While there, Ember finds her life under rules even harder than she ever imagined - all she knows is she needs to rescue her mother and she cannot do it inside the rehabilitation centre. It’s only when Chase; a boy from Ember’s past comes to her rescue - but once he does, Ember can’t help question if he is the same boy – the one that she once loved or if he is the solider that he has been trained to be?

It’s safe to say Article 5 completely surpassed my expectations! I heard it was good but I didn’t realise it would be this good - that its left’s me longing to be back with the characters already. And now I know, 2013 is going to be an even longer wait because I’m dying to know what happens next.

Kristen Simmons has created a master piece with Article 5 and she has truly been able to capture the intensity of Ember’s world. It’s dangerous, scary and brutal and without the right people there to save her, she is truly doomed. Kristen Simmons has also managed to create the perfect blend of excitement, suspenseful and intense scenes that will keep you on the edge of your seat and let’s not forget the romance. Oh the romance - It will make its way into your heart and leave a trail of butterflies in your stomach. Yeah, it was that good!

My favourite thing from this book was the characters. I adored both Ember and Chase! They were both head-strong, independent and my god stubborn. Their scenes together are so intense that you can honestly feel the sparks fly off the pages and their romance will not leave you disappointed. Not convinced yet? Well here are some amazing quotes that will surely change your mind……………

“He was my anchor in the hurricane, yet at the same time, the hurricane itself, so that I nearly always felt safe and afraid simultaneously. There was nothing in the world as confusing and powerful as being close to him.” – Ember

“Ember, you're the only piece of me I have left. Everything else-my family, my home, my soul- they're all gone. I don't know who the hell I am anymore. If it weren't for you... I don't know.” – Chase

“Don't do that again! Not ever again!" I told him. "I should say the same to you," he said. I could feel his breath, warm on my neck. "Promise me!" I demanded.

"I... I promise." "I can't lose you.” - Ember & Chase

“It was you," I say softly. "It's always you I think about."

The intensity in his gaze took my breath away. I could feel him. Every part of him. His soul was sewn to mine. His heated blood flowed through my veins. I'd thought that I had been close to my mother, and I was, but not like this. Chase and I barely touched- our hands, mouths, knees- but there was no part of me that was not his.” - Ember

Overall, Article 5 is one the best dystopian novels I’ve read by far! If you’re a fan of this genre, then this book is for you and even if your not – I urge you to pick up it up because I’m sure you won’t be disappointed.

A huge huge thank you to Tor Teen for sending me this book in exchange for an honest review.

A Review for Isle of Night (The Watchers #1) by Veronica Wolfe

2012-02-08T17:08:00.005Z

Posted by Donna
Published Date: September 6th, 2011
Finished Date: January 17th, 2012
Publishers: New American Library
Source: Bought - 2012 TBR Reading Challenge
Format: Paperback
Pages: 302
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The Blurb from Goodreads: Is life offering fewer and fewer options? Then join the dead. When Annelise meets dark and seductive Ronan, he promises her a new life-if she has the courage to chance the unknown. Now, she's whisked away to a mysterious island and pitted against other female recruits to become a Watcher-girls who are partnered with vampires and assist them in their missions. To survive and become a Watcher, Annelise has to beat out every other girl, but she's determined to do so, because to fail doesn't mean dishonor-it means death.
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The Review: I bought Isle of Night way back in September and since then I’ve been eagerly awaiting for the right time to finally read it. Before reading it, it was one of my most highly anticipated books but now after reading it, it’s undoubtedly one of the biggest disappointments.

The story follows the life of Annelise, a girl who lives in a small town and cannot wait to get out of it. When her opportunity to enrol in College comes earlier than most kids her ages she jumps at the chance to go. When a mysterious and gorgeous guy named Roman comes into her life before she enrols in College, she suddenly finds herself agreeing to go to a mysterious island with him. Once there, she realises the Island isn’t what she originally thought; she’s actually being forced to join other female’s who are being recruited to become Watchers – girls who are partnered with vampires to assist them in dangerous missions. All Annelise needs to do is survive but she also has to beat every other girl to become number one, because if she fails - is will lead to her death.

Sounds awesome right? Well, after reading I’d have to disagree. I wanted to love this story but I couldn’t and eventually the cons outweighed the pros leading me to rate this book a 1.5 out of 5.

What I didn’t like:

- Annelise as a character; even though she was very smart and brave, she actually very naïve and very unsure of herself, almost to the point were I’d say she insecure of herself. She is always worrying what other people think and that other people will pick on her because she is super smart and she doesn’t think she’s pretty enough. I found it very unrealistic that a girl like Annelise couldn’t be confident in herself while coming across strong as the same time. Maybe I could put this down to her age because after all she’s only 17 but I’m not sure. I also found her to be very whiney and frankly quite annoying. She also contradicts herself so much that it was slightly headachy to read about it. It's a shame - I wanted to like Annelise but I couldn't.

- There were key points in this book that were big events and as a reader, when you finally get to the events, in my opinion they just weren’t long enough. They only happened over a spam of 2 to 4 pages at the most. It was hard to imagine the situation that Annelise was in because it was so short, it almost didn't feel real. I wanted more descriptions, more excitement and more danger but it’s hard to get all that in only a certain amount of pages.

- The storyline itself was interesting but that's about as far as it went for me. I felt it was quite flat and there just wasn't any build up to get you excited. Again, it just felt flat.

- I love a good romance story and not every story needs to have one. This book only very slightly touches on a romance (which is okay) but it was very frustrating. Questions like are they or aren’t they kept popping up and I was dying for something to happen between Annelise and Ronan but nothing does. I’m not even sure something will even happen in the next book, so I was very disappointed with the outcome.

What I liked:

- I liked the premise of this story even as brutal as it was, it was very interesting and this was the main reason I kept reading.

- Ummm......I can't think of anything else I liked???? =(

Overall, Isle of Night was a fantastic idea but it honestly just fell flat for me - so much that I just couldn't enjoy it. I was looking for a new kick ass series that I could really get into but unfortunately this wasn't the one for me.

My Book Boyfriend (#31): Shane Collins

2012-02-08T06:56:00.000Z

My Book Boyfriend is a weekly meme, hosted by Missie at TheUnread Reader. What is My Book Boyfriend you might ask. Well it is a weekly meme where we talk about a literary crush including stats, a picture of what you imagine he looks like and some quotes from him that make you swoon. If you are interested in participating please check out the My BookBoyfriend Introduction Page over at Missie's blog The Unread Reader.

If you've been following us for a while, you'll know that I've started (almost finished) reading The Morganville Vampires Series; and I bet you've been wondering why it's taken me so long to use this guy. I don't even know myself. I think it's because I wanted to get as far into the series as I could so I had an amazing choice of quotes for him. So, I'm in love with him and his best friend but I'm only doing the one today. He would be...Mr. Shane Collins.

Shane Collins

Description: Shane has light brown 'slacker' hair and brown eyes. He's pretty well toned and is reknowed for getting into fights. Before Claire, he was a little bit of a...um...man ho? He lives in the Glass House with his best friend Michael and Goth Eve and his (now) girlfriend Claire.

"God, I needed you," he murmured. "I can't even tell you how many times I thought about this. The funny thing is, I don't need you any less now. I think I need you more."

'He leaned back, eyes half shut, and he was smiling. Shane didn't smile all that much, and it always left her breathless and tingling. There was a secrecy about it like he only ever smiled at her, and it just felt... perfect."Claire, you're being careful right?" He smoothed hair back from her face. "Seriously. You'd tell me if you got into trouble?"

No trouble," She lied, thinking about Monica's not-so veiled threats, and that glimpse of Shane's dad seated across from Oliver in the coffee shop."No trouble at all"

Good" He kissed her again, then moved down her jawline to her neck , and, wow neck nibbles took her breath away. She closed her eyes and buried her fingers in his warm hair, trying to tell him through every touch how much she liked this, like him, loved...

Her eyes came open, fast.

She did not just think about that.

And then, maddeningly, he let go and leaned back, lips damp. He licked them, watching her, and then gave her that slow crazy, sexy smile again.

Go to bed" he said " Before I decide to come with."

"He broke the kiss and leaned against her, breathing hard. "Good morning to you, too. Man, I just can't stay mad when you do that."

Heh. Ain't he cute? Now you see why I love him! I even have a bracelet with his name on it. It took me a while to find the right Shane, I went back and forth between Chase Crawford and Matt Lanter, and I couldn't decide. It was really hard, but after lots of thinking and flipping back and forth I decided that Chase-Although also my Adrian Ivashkov- was more perfect for Shane...only because I ended up agreeing with Donna that Matt Lanter was too beefy for Shane...that's all. If that wasn't the case, I would have mushed them both up and created one big hunky Shane Collins.

So, yeah, Shane Collins...*la swoon*. You're welcome. Took me long enough to use him. Maybe if you're all lucky I'll even give Michael Glass the spotlight for a bit...maybe.

Who's your book boyfriend?

Thank you Missie for hosting a great meme!

A Review for Every Other Day by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

2012-02-07T19:49:00.001Z

Posted by Donna
Published Date: February 2nd, 2012
Finished Date: January 30th, 2012
Source: For Review
Format: Paperback
Pages: 329
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The Blurb from Goodreads: Every other day, Kali D'Angelo is a normal sixteen-year-old girl. She goes to public high school. She attends pep rallies. She's human. And then every day in between . . .She's something else entirely. Though she still looks like herself, every twenty-four hours predatory instincts take over and Kali becomes a feared demon-hunter with the undeniable urge to hunt, trap, and kill zombies, hellhounds, and other supernatural creatures. Kali has no idea why she is the way she is, but she gives in to instinct anyway. Even though the government considers it environmental terrorism. When Kali notices a mark on the lower back of a popular girl at school, she knows instantly that the girl is marked for death by one of these creatures. Kali has twenty-four hours to save her and, unfortunately, she'll have to do it as a human. With the help of a few new friends, Kali takes a risk that her human body might not survive. . .and learns the secrets of her mysterious condition in the process.
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The Review: Every Other Day was my first book by author Jennifer Lynn Barnes and it was right up my street. It was intense, fast paced, exciting and with a kick-ass heroine, trying to overcome a dangerous evil within her home town….what’s not to like?

Kali is a 16 year old high student by day and every 24 hours she turns into a bad ass demon hunter by night. While at school one day she notices a mark on the back of one of the popular girls and realises that the girl has been marked to die. Kali makes it her mission to try and help the girl but instead, she ends up with the mark on herself and is soon on a mission to save herself before her time is up.

I liked the overall premise of this story and it was a really easy read. I really found myself enjoying the characters too. Kali is just the type of heroine we need from young adult books. She’s a very interesting character, one that is strong, stubborn and sarcastic but she’s also loyal, determined and her personality really drives this story forward – it really gets this story kicking off pretty well. Kali wasn’t the only character I liked; Skylar was another favourite of mine. I loved her personality and her bubbly attitude and I loved the banter between her and her brother.

Even though I thoroughly enjoyed Every Other Day, I cannot help feel that something was missing and for me that was romance. There is a slight hint of it between Kali and Zev but it’s such a weird and complex relationship I wasn’t entirely sure I understood it. So I didn’t love it but that’s not to say that the next book will be the same. The ending of this book left me wanting to know what happens next and I especially want to know happens to all our characters and of course, I want more romance.

Overall, Jennifer Lynn Barnes has managed to create an interesting and imaginable world with Every Other Day and I’ve got a feeling that this series will just get better and better.

A Review for Fade Out (Morganville Vampires #7) by Rachel Caine

2012-02-07T11:24:00.001Z

Posted by: Jess

Published Date: November 3rd, 2009

Finished Date: February 5th, 2012

Source: Bought

Format: Paperback

Page: 348

The Blurb from Goodreads: Without the evil vampire Bishop ruling over the town of Morganville, the resident vampires have made major concessions to the human population. With their new found freedoms, Claire Danvers and her friends are almost starting to feel comfortable again... Now Claire can actually concentrate on her studies, and her friend Eve joins the local theatre company. But when one of Eve's castmates goes missing after starting work on a short documentary, Eve suspects the worst. Claire and Eve soon realize that this film project, whose subject is the vampires themselves, is a whole lot bigger-and way more dangerous-than anyone suspected.
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The Review: “As she turned to concentrate on the portal, Eve tugged on Claire's shirt. “What?" "Ask him where he got the boots." "You ask." Personally, Claire wanted the vampire bunny slippers.”
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I slugged through this one a little. Not because it wasn't good. It was. I was just in a little lazy mood and didn't feel like reading overly quick. Fade Out isn't the best of them, but it's still good. Fade Out, starts out quite slow until we meet a new character named Kim. I didn't like Kim at all, I had a bad feeling about her from the start. And my feeling was right. Once Kim entered the picture the story took hold and I couldn't get enough. Although not brilliant, it was still good and I ended up giving it 4 stars. Having Ada as the villain as well was a nice little twist although it seemed weird making a hologram/computer-of sorts-the bad guy seemed a little unrealistic at first, you look past it because it's written so well and eventually Ada, in my head was being pictured as a human and not a computer.
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Can I just mention that I love Claire and Shane. Both of them start out quite young in the first few books, but once they go through all the danger, and come together they really grow into themselves and I don't think there's a better couple in Morganville that deserve a good future with each other.
>
There wasn't a lot of bad about this book, I'll admit that Eve annoyed me a little in this one, because of the way she was reacting to Kim, but then when all was revealed about Kim and her secret filming, I felt bad for Eve for being used in such an awful way. This was a great piece of writing from Caine, allowing us to get annoyed with Eve one moment and then the next feeling sorry for her and wishing you could give her a hug. More with the good stuff, Oliver seems to be becoming one of my favourite characters now, I think I prefer him to Amelie, I'm not sure why, but I believe Oliver is just awesome, taking no crap from nobody. Myrnin, well he's sane now...sort of; but still has hints of craziness and I wouldn't have him any other way.
>
We receive even more humor in this one which helps you chug on through some of the duller parts of the book. Overall, Fade Out, seemed like more of a 'filler' than a continuance of the awesomeness that we've had so far, but, it's still worth the read and even though a few questions are raised, some previous ones are answered. There's enough in Fade Out to keep you wanting to read more.

Dusty Reads (#5)

2012-02-07T08:53:00.000Z

Dusty Reads is a weekly meme, hosted by Xpresso Reads featuring a book that has been sitting unread on our shelves for some time. To participate and more information, click here.

Jess's Dusty Read

Paranormalcy
By Kiersten White

Weird as it is working for the International Paranormal Containment Agency, Evie’s always thought of herself as normal. Sure, her best friend is a mermaid, her ex-boyfriend is a faerie, she's falling for a shape-shifter, and she's the only person who can see through paranormals' glamours, but still. Normal.

Only now paranormals are dying, and Evie's dreams are filled with haunting voices and mysterious prophecies. She soon realizes that there may be a link between her abilities and the sudden rash of deaths. Not only that, but she may very well be at the center of a dark faerie prophecy promising destruction to all paranormal creatures.

So much for normal.

Jess's thoughts: Another one I've had sitting on my shelf for ages. I have the second one at home for review but I obviously can't read it until I read this, so I'll need to get to it at some point in the year. I've heard varied things about this book. Some like it, some don't. It's pretty much got a mix of every creature so it's right up my street! It's just finding the time to get to it.

Donna's Dusty Read

Anna and the French Kiss

by Stephanie Perkins

Anna is looking forward to her senior year in Atlanta, where she has a great job, a loyal best friend, and a crush on the verge of becoming more. Which is why she is less than thrilled about being shipped off to boarding school in Paris - until she meets Etienne St. Clair: perfect, Parisian (and English and American, which makes for a swoon-worthy accent), and utterly irresistible. The only problem is that he's taken, and Anna might be, too, if anything comes of her almost-relationship back home.

As winter melts into spring, will a year of romantic near - misses end with the French kiss Anna - and readers - have long awaited?

Donna's thoughts: I've had this book on my shelf for nearly a year now and still haven't read it. And although many times I've gone to read it, I ended up picking something else. lol. So maybe 2012 will be the year I finally get to read this book? I hope so!

So that's our Dusty Read's for this week! Don't forget to leave us your thoughts below.

Happy Reading!

US vs UK (#38)

2012-02-06T08:21:00.001Z

Welcome to Book Passion for Life's 38th US vs UK book cover battle. We've seen this posted on a few other blogs, and thought we'd jump on the band wagon!

The idea of this battle is once a week we'll post 2 sets of books of our choice, one US cover and one UK cover, and we'll just give our opinion on which one we love the most. Which cover captures the story, which one would catch our eye if we saw it on the shelf in a shop. The US cover will be on the left, and the UK cover will be on the right.

The Scores so far are:

US: 11 UK: 15 Draw: 11

US vs UK Round 38

Chocker by Elizabeth Woods

Jess says: Oooh tough one! I do like both a lot, I'm not sure. I like the way the UK has put 'Choker' around the girls neck to represent the meaning of the word, but I love the design and simplicity of the US. Argh this is hard. I can't choose! So I pick both!

Donna says: Ummmm.....I'm going to pick the US! I love the whole design...I love the colours and the white around as a border. Now I do like the UK cover but just not as much.

The Alchemy of Forever by Avery Williams

Jess says: Another hard one for me. I really like both. But if I had to choose I'd go the UK on this one. There just seems to be more about it.

Donna says: There's no contest for me, the UK wins hands down. I love it. I love all the different colours and how it looks like fog is around the girl standing on the bridge. And I love the lightening peeking through behind her and the girls looks quite pretty too and her dress is gorgeous. Where as the US compared just looks a little bland. So UK for me! :)

Which do you prefer?

__________________

Okay guys, this weeks US vs UK goes to.........UK

Come back next week for more US vs UK! :)

In My Mailbox (#40)

2012-02-05T14:41:00.000Z

It's the first Sunday in February and we had another awesome week with books. My God, where did January go?! Anyway, let's get on with showing you what awesome books we got this week.

Donna's In My Mailbox

For Reivew:

The Alchemy of Forever by Avery Williams
Falling Fast by Sophie McKenzie
Bracelet of Bones by Kevin Crossley-Holland

Swapped:

Here Lies Bridget by Paige Harbinson
Thank you Misty - I cannot wait to read it!
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Bought eBooks
(Click on the book cover to be taken to Goodreads)

Free eBooks off of Amazon UK:
(Click on the book cover to be taken to Goodreads)

I seriously need to stop getting all the free Amazon books but there free so I can't help it!

A huge thank you to Simon and Schusters for sending me so many awesome books this week and thank you Quercus too! =)

Jess's In My Mailbox

eBooks for Review:
(Click on the book cover to be taken to Goodreads)

Really excited about this one! I love anything Greek, and it's a little smutty which as everyone knows...I love.

Books Bought:

Night School by C. J Daugherty
The Catastrophic History of You and Me by Jess Rothenberg

Very excited to read these....eventually. I've heard good things about both, especially Catastrophic, which I'm UBER excited to read!

Books gifted:

Storm Born by Richelle Mead

Thank you to Lindsey :)

Been wanting Storm Born for a very long time. I'm huge Richelle Mead fan so this is her 4th series that I will start reading.

Beautiful Disaster by Jamie Maguire

This was a total shock! I received an email from Amazon telling me that I'd been gifted with this eBook copy (I aim to get the paperback as well). Thank you to Lisa at Lisa's Gadget World

So what's in your mailbox?

Dreams Both Real and Strange I & II by K W McCabe

2012-02-05T05:38:00.000Z

Posted by Guest Reviewer Melanie

Published Date: November 16th, 2011
Finished Date: January 31st, 2012
Source: For Review
Format: Kindle
Page: Unknown
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The Blurb from Amazon: An anthology of short stories. A collection of fantasy, horror, and dark tales.

Choices: A Short Story - The Reaper requires an answer to a question: what choice would you make?

Rebirthed: A Short Story- Dreams of Rebirth

The Lake: A Short Story - A ghost story

Mourning: A Short Story - Mourning and regrets

Wraith: A Short Story - Anne is kidnapped by Wraith, and Lena must rescue her. But all three are wrapped in a web of selfishness, hatred, and cruelty- what will it take to redeem them all?

Melanie's Ratings on Book I:

Choices: Very short but with some potential. I was very curious about the mysterious messenger. 3*s

Rebirthed: Dreams of Rebirth

It was Ok, very imaginative. 2*s

The Lake: A ghost story

A nice, eerie story with an unexpected twist. 3*s

Mourning: Mourning and regrets

Again, very short but thought provoking 3*s

Wraith: This was the best story & the longest of the book and even though it was a ‘to be continued’ I liked it a lot and wanted more. 3*s

Book II - Posted by Guest Reviewer Melanie

Published Date: November 16th, 2011
Finished Date: January 31st, 2012
Source: For Review
Format: Kindle

Page: Unknown

The Blurb from Amazon: An anthology of fantastical tales:

Choices: The reaper must save his daughter from eternal bondage to Death.

Siren: A Short Story

Muse: A Short Story

Mourning: A Son’s Good-bye

Escape: A Short Story

Wraith: Anne, Wraith and Lena must find a way to break the curse before it destroys them all.

Melanie's Rating for Book II:
An anthology of fantastical tales:

Choices: The reaper must save his daughter from eternal bondage to Death.

This is a continuation of the story in the first book and it was quite good, I liked the character a lot and the whole premise. 3.5*s

Siren: This was very short and sweet but likable. 2.5*s

Muse: Unfortunately, I just didn’t get this at all. 1*

Mourning: A Son’s Good-bye. Told from the sons’ POV of the man in book 1, something to think about. 2.5*s

Escape: I Liked it. 3*s

Wraith: Anne, Wraith and Lena must find a way to break the curse before it destroys them all. - Again really good, stood out as one of two best stories and I enjoyed it. 3.5*s

Extra Short Story! Fairy Foibles

A quite funny story about the best intentions turning into the worst possible outcomes. 3*s

The Review: I am reviewing these books together, in my opinion they could have been one book. I enjoyed these short stories, some weren’t more than a page long but always thought provoking. I would say they were easy to read, quite imaginative and a nice way to spend a couple of hours. I think what made these books for me were the longer stories – Choices & Wraith. I would love to see a longer book of them, maybe brought up to date in the modern world. I think they would make a good read by modernising them and maybe introducing a romantic element, it would do wonders for them and I would read it. I only had a problem with Muse, I just didn’t get it at all, but that didn’t affect the rest of the book at all which was good. I didn’t like the way Choices and Wraith were split over the two books either, if it were me and I needed to split them, I would have part one at the beginning of the book and part two at the end, one larger story per book not split and put in separate books, what if a reader couldn’t get hold of book two and was left unsatisfied – I like a conclusion not to be left in the air. All in all though it was a nice read with some good short stories, I liked it.

Stained by Ella James

2012-02-04T18:48:00.000Z

Posted by Guest Reviewer Melanie
Published Date: September 14th, 2011
Finished Date: February 3rd, 2012
Source: For Review
Format: Kindle
Pages: Unknown
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The Blurb from Goodreads: After a fire destroys seventeen-year-old Julia’s home and kills her foster parents, she chases the half-demon responsible across the country and back, determined to avenge her family and discover why a host of celestial baddies want her dead. With Julia is enigmatic hottie - Cayne, who has his own score to settle with the half-demon, and who might be just as dangerous as the creature he and Julia hunt.

The Review: What to say? . . . I always seem to start reviews with I liked it or I really liked it but I can’t help it because I did . . . I really liked it!

We find 17 year old Julia watching her house turn into an inferno with her latest set of foster parents inside and what she believes is ‘the angel of death’ hovering nearby, she doesn’t know what to do, she was meant to be in that house too and there’s no way she’s going back into care so she decides to let them believe she is dead and makes a run for it, it’s not like she has anything left in this life. As she takes refuge in an abandoned warehouse a man literally crashes into her life, he’s in a bad way and she tries to help him but hot on his heals is ‘the angel of death’ who is not happy to see that Julia is still alive. The stranger defends her from this evil man and they come to realise that they have a mutual enemy in common and make it their mission to find him and kill him and find out just why he is hunting Julia.

I loved the two main characters in this, Julia is a bit ‘orphan Annie’ with losing her parents when she was a baby and being put through the foster care system all her life, never truly belonging anywhere and when she does finally gel with one set of foster parents they are cruelly ripped away from her leaving her all alone again. She is determined she isn’t going back into the system so it’s understandable how she clings to her knight in shining armour when he drops in and saves her from the hands of death. Cayne is just as lost as Julia but he seems to prefer being alone and doesn’t really want anything to do with her until he realises he can use her to his own advantage. He has the tall, dark, handsome, brooding hero act down to a T and I enjoyed Julia chipping away at him, trying to find out his hidden depths. He is packed full of secrets that Julia is just dying to discover but then again, so has she and none of them have any answers to their own questions. So this is a journey of self-discovery for them both. I wouldn’t say we see a huge change in Julia, we touch on her background and childhood but that left me with more questions than answers, we do see a lot of change in Cayne however. He sort of unravels throughout the book and we get a look under that tough exterior.

I enjoyed their relationship and how it developed through the book and how the mysteries were revealed. I liked the idea of the Nephellim, which is a slightly different concept to the usual version and these were more sinister and were a very fitting bad guy, you really felt the threat they posed and the brutality they had. The book pretty much centres on a road trip as they try to find the one who is hunting Julia; we have a few stops along the way to show what they’re up against and a lot of self-discovery. The thing I loved about the journey was that it didn’t focus on scenery and describing where they were etc. it was a getting to know you part (which usually drags) but there was tons of dialogue between them. It was like reading a conversation and I love that, the banter, the teasing out of information and the developing relationship as a result of it, it turned it into a really easy read that flowed well. I could read a whole book like that.
Even though main thread is to find out why Julia is being hunted I feel like we only touched on that and I would have liked a bit more but I suppose we are probably going to get more from her as the books go on and she makes her own discoveries. I have to say that the travelling was getting a tad too much towards the end so I was glad when the finale came about because it gave the book a good lift and what a finale it was with that cliff-hanger, I can’t believe we’re left hanging like that until the next book!

So, If you like a good, revenge seeking road trip that stops along the way for some car chases, murders, fights and prophetic dreams and visions all wrapped up with a couple of lost souls trying to find themselves – look no further, this is for you.

A Review for Carpe Corpus (Morganville Vampires #6) by Rachel Caine

2012-02-04T06:07:00.000Z

Posted by Jess
Published Date: October 12, 2008
Finished Date: January 31st, 2012
Source: Bought
Format: Paperback
Pages: 356
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The Blurb from Goodreads: In the small college town of Morganville, vampires and humans lived in (relative) peace - until all the rules got rewritten when the evil vampire Bishop arrived, looking for the lost book of vampire secrets. He's kept a death grip on the town ever since. Now an underground resistance is brewing, and in order to contain it, Bishop must go to even greater lengths.

He vows to obliterate the town and all its inhabitants - the living and the undead. Claire Danvers and her friends are the only ones who stand in his way. But even if they defeat Bishop, will the vampires ever be content to go back to the old rules, after having such a taste of power?

The Review: "God, I needed you," he murmured. "I can't even tell you how many times I thought about this. The funny thing is, I don't need you any less now. I think I need you more."

Well, that was a fun ride. Undoubtedly my favourite so far. So much Shane action...in more ways than one! ;)

This book was just full of excitement and action, and I can't tell you how much I really hate Bishop. He's so many nasty words that I think whenever he did something unbelievably NOT cool, I screamed at him and wanted to jump into the book and just stake him, stake him right through the heart! But I was glad that the Bishop situation was nicely wrapped up in this book but Caine still managed to leave it open for interpretation. I'm glad that Myrnin finally got some sort of cure and is now fairly sane, or as sane may go. It feels good to have old enemies (Oliver) becoming allies to defeat the bad guy, it's a nice way to say "Morganville originals, stick together." After that hell of a cliffy at the end of Lord of Misrule, I was worried that Claire wouldn't be able to come out of Bishop's control, but she does, and she matures because of it. Claire grows up so much through out the series and now that she's no longer "Almost Seventeen" it really does show.

This series is so incredibly addicted, that I just can't stop reading! This book takes you through a rollercoaster of emotions and Rachel Caine still manages to deliver time after time. I was so sad at the end with what happened to Sam, that I had tears in my eyes. This book is the moment I finally felt something towards Amelie and her ways. She feels genuine loss and becomes vulnerable and it's put across to the reader in such a way that you can't but want to help her get passed it. This book is also the moment (finally) that all the Claire and Shane couple fans have been waiting for. Yep, Shane no longer wants to be a prude and he and Claire finally hop on the good foot and do the bad thing...if you catch my drift. This made me squeel. I was so happy, because I'd been waiting like a smutty b*tch for 6 books for them to do it LOL. So yay for them. And it was just all so perfect, and fitted in nicely with the story. It didn't feel out of place at all. It was just...perfect. Love really does conquer all.

The plot just keeps getting thicker and thicker as the series goes on. Somehow Caine manages to just constantly pull it out of the bag. I'm not really sure what else there is to say, everything is just so much bigger, so much better, just so full of awesomeness.

Well, I don't have much else to say. Mostly because I don't want to just gush about how amazing this one was, and just let you find out for yourself.

If you haven't picked up the series. Go do it. Like now!

UK Giveaway for The Accidental Vampire by Lynsay Sands

2012-02-03T18:49:00.000Z

We've got a very exciting giveaway for you lucky UK followers. Courtesy of Gollancz Publishing we have five copies of The Accidental Vampire to giveaway. How exciting? If anyone has read this series then we'd love to hear your thoughts because it sounds amazing! So a huge thank you to Gollancz Publishing for donating these prizes.

Want more details of the book?
Here are the details:

The Accidental Vampire

By Lynsay Sands

Release Date: February 9th, 2012

Ever since an accident turned her into a knockout vamp, Elvi Black's been catching her z's in a coffin, staying out of the sun, and giving up garlic. She knows there's more to being undead than what she saw in Dracula, but she can't very well ask her mortal friends about proper biting etiquette. But when her neighbors placed a personal ad for her in the local paper, she never imagined she'd meet Victor Argeneau, a vampire who could have his pick of any woman, dead or alive. Rich, powerful, and drop—dead gorgeous, Victor's the perfect man for a novice neck—biter like Elvi. He's willing to teach her everything he knows, but he'll have to do it fast. Someone's out to put a stake through her new vamp life, and only Victor can keep her safe and satisfied for all eternity.

Rules

* UK Only

* End Date: 12th February 2012

* Winners prizes will be sent by the publishers NOT Book Passion for Life

* Extra entries are optional (Not required to win)

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UK Blog Tour: A Review for If I Die (Soul Screamers #5) by Rachel Vincent + Author Interview

2012-02-03T08:12:00.003Z

Posted by Donna
Published Date: 3rd February 2012
Finished Date: January 28th, 2012
Publishers: Mira Ink
Source: For Review
Format: Paperback
Pages: 3427
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The Blurb from Goodreads: The entire school's talking about the gorgeous new math teacher, Mr. Beck. Everyone except Kaylee Cavanaugh. After all, Kaylee's no ordinary high-school junior. She's a banshee—she screams when someone dies. But the next scream might be for Kaylee. Yeah—it's a shock to her, too. So to distract herself, Kaylee's going to save every girl in school. Because that hot new teacher is really an incubus who feeds on the desire of unsuspecting students. The only girls immune to his lure are Kaylee and Sabine, her boyfriend's needy ex-girlfriend. Now the unlikely allies have to get rid of Mr. Beck…before he discovers they aren't quite human, either. But Kaylee's borrowed lifeline is nearing its end. And those who care about her will do anything to save her life. Anything.
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The Review: “He shrugged, looking right into my eyes. "Right now, this is all I feel." He held our intertwined hands up for me to see and I wanted to look away, but I couldn't break the hold his gaze had on me, like he could see more than anyone else saw. Things I couldn't see myself."
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If I Die was definitely my favourite book in the Soul Screamers series so far and I cannot wait to see what comes next from this talented author.
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Kaylee Cavanaugh is trying to get back to normal after in the events in My Soul to Steal and she’s even trying to get things back on track with her boyfriend Nash. After all they’ve been through, they finally decide to take things nice and slow but once again Kaylee’s crazy and dangerous life gets in the way. When Kaylee finds out she’s next on the reapers list - to die, she does everything she can to try and take her mind off of her inevitable death. So when a girl at her school becomes pregnant and Kaylee watches her miscarry, she makes it her mission to find who is responsible. But what Kaylee doesn’t realise is that there is an Incubus at her school, one whose out to get want he wants – a baby and Kaylee is in more danger than ever. Can someone save Kaylee before it’s too late? Or is her borrowed life at an end already?

Even re-reading the blurb for this book makes me remember what a fantastic and emotional read it really was. If you thought the last book was good, wait until you read this one because you will be completely blown away. I personally think Rachel Vincent’s work gets better and better and it reminds me, I still need to try her other series' because all I hear is glowing reviews about them.

The storyline to If I Die was one hell of a ride. With Kaylee being the one in danger, we see a completely different side to her - one that is happy to accept her fate but she does try to get in a few things that she has never experienced in before she dies. I liked seeing this side of her, one that was completely reckless but also calm and collected too. What I admire most about Kaylee is that she doesn’t once waver from trying to save someone else’s life and she puts everyone else’s needs before her own. A very admiral trait.

All the other characters play a huge part in this story and they also have an emotional ride too. There is so much going on in this book because they all want to try and save Kaylee but the realisation that they can’t, hits them like a ton of bricks and some more than others.

Now the big question – am I TEAM NASH or TEAM TOD? You know how I feel about Nash but he shocked me to my core in this book. I love Nash 100% but he has seriously lost his way and I want him back. My problem is as much as I love Nash and Kaylee together, I cannot help but question…..are they ever going to get back what they once had? And I'm honestly not sure right now. I really like Tod and if anything I like him even more but with the shocking twists and turns that Kaylee takes as a character, I cannot help think that Tod is right person for Kaylee at this moment in time. So again….am I TEAM NASH or TEAM TOD? Ummmmm…… I’m undecided at this stage but I cannot wait for Before I Wake so I can figure things out.

Overall, another awesome novel by Rachel Vincent! 4.5 out of 5. A must read!

A huge thank you to Mira Ink for giving me the opportunity to review this book.

Rachel Vincent

Author of Soul Screamer Series, Shifters Series & Unbound Series

Check out her Goodreads Page: HERE

Check out her Website: HERE

1. What inspired you to write 'The Soul Screamers' series?

There wasn’t a single, specific inspiration. It was more of a long brainstorming session, during which I decided I wanted to write about bean sidhes, which led to the world building foundation, which, in turn, fed the evolving plotlines.

2. How many books are planned for the series?

Seven novels. Before I Wake (book 6) will be out this summer. There are also currently three online novellas: “My Soul To Lose,” “Reaper,” and “Never To Sleep.” MSTLose is in print in the US Omnibus edition, but the others are only available in electronic format at this time. [Note: I don’t know about the availability of international editions of the online novellas.] Also, I’ve written two short stories set in the Soul Screamers world. “Niederwald” is available in the Enthralled anthology, and “Fearless” can be found in Kiss Me Deadly.

3. What was the hardest book out of the series to write so far?

Before I Wake. Because If I Die was a very difficult act to follow.

4. Whose your favourite character?

Oh, that’s not fair! That’s like asking a mother to choose between her children! I have lots of favorites, each for a different reason. I love Sabine, because she gets to say what everyone else is thinking. I love Nash, because he’s so beautifully complicated and broken. He feels everything very deeply and doesn’t always know the best way to deal with what he’s thinking. Tod…well, everyone else likes him so much it almost seems fair for me to say that I like him too, but I do. He’s my Peter Pan. Frozen in time and wandering, trying not to lose his humanity in an endless march of days. He’s a good guy, with a strong mischievous streak. I love Em for her flawless loyalty. Everyone deserves a friend like Emma.

And Kaylee. I love her because she’s compassionate toward others, yet stands up for herself. She’s stronger than she realizes, but not so strong that she thinks she can take on the world on her own. She’s starting to understand that sometimes the greater good requires sacrifice along the way, and that sometimes you have to do the wrong thing for the right reason. But mostly, I love Kaylee because she’s resilient. She takes everything I can throw at her, learns what she can from it, and moves on.

5. Team Nash or Team Tod?

There is NO WAY I can answer that. So I’ll let you all answer that for yourselves. ;)

Wow! So awesome and thank you so much for joining us today Rachel. I loved If I Die and I cannot wait to see what you come up with next. Also a huge thank you to Mira Ink for asking Book Passion for Life to be apart of Rachel's tour. Next stop tomorrow: Bookaholic Book Club! Click this link!

Day 4 of The Other Life Blog tour – Joshua’s diary

2012-02-02T05:35:00.001Z

Joshua's Diary
1140 days since our other life ended

Tyler went missing today. He didn't come back from his stroll in the vineyard. Sometimes he takes longer than usual so we never worry when he isn't there for dinner. But it got later and later until there was only dark outside. And even though we're far from the city, darkness is the enemy. It brings out many dangerous and ugly things. Not just Weepers but memories and nightmares. And they are the worst. They can be uglier and deadlier than any predator, can tear at you until there's nothing left. Especially if you're Tyler.

Karen wanted me to take Larry or Geoffrey with me. I think she was worried what I’d find in the vineyard, and I don’t mean Weepers. She’s waiting for Tyler to go off the deep end – I can see it in her eyes when she watches him. But Larry would have slowed me down with his limp and Geoffrey’s analytical mind isn’t always the best company. I went alone and they didn’t stop me.

There was only blackness in the paths between the vines. I didn’t take our flashlight with me as the dark can be useful – it makes you focus on your other senses. I knew I wouldn’t find Tyler with my eyes. I heard him long before I saw him. It was a noise you wouldn’t expect a human to make, but I’d heard it before. Whimpers from somewhere deep inside the body where the darkest memories were buried. He crouched on the damp soil, back pressed against the vines, eyes shut tight, rocking back and forth. I sank down beside him without touching, without speaking, just being there, like I always do when he’s like that. The smell of overripe grapes hung over us as I listened to his whimpers going quiet, as I clutched my gun in my cold fingers, wishing I could shoot the moon. The moon with its crooked, crescent smile.

Day 5 of Joshua's Diary going up on Friday at Books 4 Teens: http://www.books4teens.co.uk/

A Review for Slide (Slide #1) by Jill Hathaway

2012-02-01T18:24:00.000Z

Posted by Donna
Expected Published Date: March 1st, 2012
Finished Date: February 1st, 2012
Source: ARC, For Review
Format: Paperback
Pages: 256
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The Blurb from Goodreads: Vee Bell is certain of one irrefutable truth—her sister’s friend Sophie didn’t kill herself. She was murdered. Vee knows this because she was there. Everyone believes Vee is narcoleptic, but she doesn’t actually fall asleep during these episodes: When she passes out, she slides into somebody else’s mind and experiences the world through that person’s eyes. She’s slid into her sister as she cheated on a math test, into a teacher sneaking a drink before class. She learned the worst about a supposed “friend” when she slid into her during a school dance. But nothing could have prepared Vee for what happens one October night when she slides into the mind of someone holding a bloody knife, standing over Sophie’s slashed body.Vee desperately wishes she could share her secret, but who would believe her? It sounds so crazy that she can’t bring herself to tell her best friend, Rollins, let alone the police. Even if she could confide in Rollins, he has been acting off lately, more distant, especially now that she’s been spending more time with Zane. Enmeshed in a terrifying web of secrets, lies, and danger and with no one to turn to, Vee must find a way to unmask the killer before he or she strikes again.

The Review: Slide is an intense, exciting and thrilling novel by debut author Jill Hathaway and overall a really enjoyable read.

This story follows the life of Vee, a young girl who lives with her father and sister after her mother passes away at a young age. Vee appears to be a normal girl but she is nothing of the sorts. When Vee touches anything that has an emotional connection to any other living thing or person, she can slide into the other person’s mind and see what their doing at exactly that same moment in time. Vee hates this gift she has but it’s uncontrollable and when she starts sliding into the mind of a killer, she is soon on a mission to solve who is killing her sister’s friends. While Vee is trying to save people, can she be saved herself?

I really enjoyed this book and it was a very quick read for me. With it only being 253 pages I went through it within a matter of hours and even though it was a quick read, it was a good one too. I believe Jill Hathaway did a great job creating that perfect mix of paranormal and contemporary aspects into the book and even added the thrilling story line too because everything worked so well together. I have to say I was a little bit scared in parts of this book too. Try putting yourself in Vee’s shoes - sliding into the mind of random person. That alone sounds scary enough but try sliding into the mind of a killer and seeing the murder take place….freaky stuff!

A highlight for me during this story was the characters. I really liked them especially Vee & Zane. I loved them as a couple and how their relationship happened so quickly. It didn’t feel forced but it was at a good pace so I was sad with the overall outcome of their relationship in the end. I won’t go into any more details because I don’t want to spoil it for you but I was sad. Now Rollins, I liked him but I didn’t think as a reader I got to know him as much as I could have. I could see the problems between him and Vee and it was quite clear he was in love with her, I just think Zane kind of stole the show and I would have liked more Vee and Rollins time, just to completely understand their relationship. I guess with that twist at the end it automatically clears everything up for the next book and I’m looking forward to seeing what happens next.

Overall, Jill Hathaway has created an enjoyable and thrilling ride with Slide. I didn’t love it but I enjoyed it enough to want to pick up the next book in the series.

Thank you the HarperCollins UK for sending me a copy for review.

Cover Reveal for Lucid by PT Michelle

2012-02-01T06:44:00.000Z

I'm here today as a part of the cover reveal for PT Michelle's new book. Some of you may remember her first book Brightest Kind of Darkness which I adored. Now PT's second book is due to be released over the next few months so we hope you will support this author and go and check out her books!

Now for the cover reveal.......

*Drumroll please*

Lucid is the next book in the series which will continue Nara and Ethan's journey and I can not wait to read it! And here are both Brightest Kind of Darkness and Lucid together and I think they look awesome. It's nice how they both match and Lucid has stuck close to the Brightest Kind of Darkness design. I love it! I'm hoping that PT will surprise us with book three and put Nara and Ethan on the cover??? ;) I need to see Ethan! I <3 him! :)

If you want more information about PT Michelle's books check out her Goodreads pages: HERE and her website: HERE

My Book Boyfriend (#30): John Mitchell

2012-02-01T06:41:00.002Z

Right, this is a very different boy-man-I should say. He doesn't really belong in a book. More from a UK TV show. I did ask Missie if this was ok, and she said it was fine. My guy comes from the UK version of Being Human, he is a 100+ year old vampire name John Mitchell. Mitchell for short.

John Mitchell

Description: John Mitchell is an Irish vampire that was turned during the first world war by his Sire, Herrick. He was a pretty vicious killer after he was turned but has since sworn off blood. He has no mate; but is partial to the odd pretty girl, human or vampire. He lives with his best friend George, a werewolf and Annie, a ghost in a small house in Bristol, England. He works as a hospital porter to try and be 'normal'.

George Sands: "Why now?"

John Mitchell: "I don't know. When in Rome, stop killing the other Romans?"

"George Sands: "So, a house or a flat?

John Mitchell: Whatever we can afford.

George Sands: And if we need to move on again?

John Mitchell: We move on.

George Sands: We share the cleaning.

John Mitchell: We can draw up a roster, I'll buy highlighter pens and everything.

George Sands: What about guests?

John Mitchell: We can't ask them to clean.

George Sands: No. What if one of us wants to have a guest?

John Mitchell: In your last house you clearly had a level of security that I'm not used to. You want a guest. You have a guest. Wait a second, are you talking about a lady shaped guest?"

"I'm not having you turn my nice house into the Playboy mansion."

John Mitchell: "You'd be better in a fight, you're stocky."

George Sands: I'm not stocky.

John Mitchell: Look at you, you're like... you know in a cartoon when a safe falls on someone...?"

"You could be my salvation."

Well there you go. That's John Mitchell...Mitchell for short. If you like the idea of a vampire with an Irish accent living in Bristol, then you can catch him on the UK version of Being Human. The actor that portrays Mitchell is Aidan Turner-also Irish. If you like the look of Aidan, you can soon catch him in The Hobbit movie as Kili.

Thank you Missie for hosting a great meme!

I hope I've introduced somebody you all hope is worth getting to know.