A Review for Dirt by K.F Ridley

Posted by Guest Reviewer Melanie
Release Date: December 25th, 2012

Finished Date: December 3rd, 2012

Publishers: Self-Published
Source: ARC, For Review 

Format: Kindle

Pages: 4203

From another world, they came for her blood.

Up until now, my life has been simple,
uncomplicated, but because of what I am,
everything is about to change.

In fact, things are about to get deadly.

Faeries are real and they want my blood. To make matters worse, I'm falling for one of them.

In a mythical and magical world, I'm about to discover the secrets of my past and the truths of my existence. 

At least, that is, if I can survive.

The Review: 4.5 stars! 

Well, what a surprise this turned out to be…from the cover, I had assumed this book was going to be quite slow and dreary, possibly dystopian but that wasn’t the case at all and to be honest, a new cover would definitely benefit this book although I do get it, it goes hand in hand with the title and a little part of the book but it is so much more than that and I’m afraid the cover does not do the book justice.

Ashe has just entered college and is studying Art, she leads a simple life and has pretty much brought herself up because her oddball father is so dedicated to his scientific research in a lab under their house, where he occasionally resurfaces to dig and bury stuff in the back garden or give her the medicine for her unknown condition. One day, on her way home, she realises she is being followed by a black camero and speeds off, luckily the car turns in a different direction… this time…. But he comes back, again and again and eventually makes contact. Just who is this man ‘Rowen’ and why is he following her around? It’s usually her best friend Taylie who get attention from the boys. That isn’t the only odd thing to happen to Ashe though, but it starts a chain of events that will change Ashe’s life completely, leaving her to wonder just who she is… until Rowen takes her somewhere in the name of protection and she finds out, the thing is, they want her blood……and they want her dead!

As I said, this book really surprised me and I love it when a book does that! The story is not original in one way but in another it is and I loved how it all came together. It started off by giving the impression that Ashe had a stalker and he was the bad guy but that quickly turns into something else. It was hard to categorise at first because there are things going on that make you think that it’s going to have a certain thread but then that isn’t really happening and it leaves you scratching your head - so when things really get going and we discover some things about Ashe, then that’s when the book takes on a fantasy feel. I suppose the first part of the book could be deemed as mysterious, we have a mysterious stalker, her Father’s mysterious experiments, the mystery of why he insists she take her medicine and the mysterious occurrences that follow the appearance of the stalker which then blends in the danger factor as attempts to destroy Ashe’s life start. When we start to get answers it becomes more fantasy like but more with the danger and life threatening situations, leading Ashe to find out who she really is and what that means not only to her but to everyone, for she is rather rare. This brings about an action packed book, full of secrets, twists and turns and a nice helping of romance….the pacing is great, revelation after revelation, jumping from one situation to the next which lead to more than one showdown and it was quite unpredictable as to where it was going next and I loved it! My only grumble is that it felt a bit stilted in some places but it didn’t affect the story and that’s what matters most. To be honest I really don’t think I can do this book justice with my review either, it’s one of those books where you need to read it to appreciate it… so I encourage you to take that chance and let it surprise you the way it did me. 

Merry Christmas, everyone!!!

Wishing you all a Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year. Thank you for all your support for 2012 and heres to an even better 2013!

Love Donna, Jess & Melanie.

xoxoxoxoxox

A Review for Through to You by Emily Hainsworth

Posted by Donna
Release Date: January 5th, 2013

Finished Date: December 1st, 2012

Publishers: Simon & Schuster
Source: For Review 

Format: Paperback 

Pages: 272
Buy: Amazon UK / Amazon US / The Book Depo

Camden Pike has been grief-stricken since his girlfriend, Viv, died. Viv was the last good thing in his life: helping him rebuild his identity after a career-ending football injury, picking up the pieces when his home life shattered, and healing his pain long after the meds wore off. And now, he'd give anything for one more glimpse of her. But when Cam makes a visit to the site of Viv's deadly car accident, he sees some kind of apparition. And it isn't Viv.

The apparition's name is Nina, and she's not a ghost. She's a girl from a parallel world, and in this world, Viv is still alive. Cam can't believe his wildest dreams have come true. All he can focus on is getting his girlfriend back, no matter the cost. But things are different in this other world: Viv and Cam have both made very different choices, things between them have changed in unexpected ways, and Viv isn't the same girl he remembers. Nina is keeping some dangerous secrets, too, and the window between the worlds is shrinking every day. As Cam comes to terms with who this Viv has become and the part Nina played in his parallel story, he's forced to choose—stay with Viv or let her go—before the window closes between them once and for all.

The Review: Through to You is a heart-wrenching story about Cam, a teenage boy who is struggling with the death of his girlfriend, Viv.  Cam believed Viv was the best thing in his life, they were together every minute possible and she gave him the strength he needed to deal with an injury that ended his football career. However, when Viv dies, Cam is a shell of the person he once was. When he visits the site of Viv’s car accident, he meets a girl named Nina that seems to know Cam, but Cam doesn’t know who she is or how she knows him and he’s not prepared for the truth. Nina is from a parallel world – one where she and Cam are friends and Viv is still alive. Can Cam really get his Viv back? Or is she lost forever?

I went into Through to You not really know what to expect because stories that surround parallel world or travelling of any kind have really been a hit or miss with me, however I’m pleased to find that this story was a very enjoyable one – one that I found quite gripping once I got started on. 

What makes this story stand out on its own is that it’s told from a male prospective. I’ve said a number of times that I still don’t think there are enough books told from a male prospective out there, but I believe Emily Hainsworth really captured the good male qualities from the main character, Cam. He was distraught when Viv died and he would have done anything to protect her – if he could, but of course, events like this are out of his hands. It was meant to be. He’s very protective of Viv; he’s very loyal to her – loyal to the point where he starts sacrificing his own happiness to keep Viv’s memory alive. He’s almost like a robot, goes to school, goes to work, sleeps, it’s not until he meets Nina that his life changes. And we start to see a different Cam – even though he’s still convinced he needs Viv in his life, he also see this parallel world as a huge eye opener and it’s for the better. I loved Cam as a character, it was hard to watch him in his depression stage but as the book progresses his character really comes out and it’s a character that starts to believe in love and hope again.

All in all, I really enjoyed Through to You. I think it will appeal to a lot of YA fans because it’s something different and we need more books like this out there. It’s hard to predict the storyline and there are a few good twists in the story that I didn’t expect and once again, I think Emily Hainsworth did a great job with it. 

Thank you to Simon & Schuster UK for giving me the opportunity to review this book.

A Review for Touching Smoke (Touch Series #1) by Airicka Phoenix

Posted by Guest Reviewer Melanie
Release Date: October 25th, 2012

Finished Date: July 31st, 2012

Publishers: Self-Published
Source: For Review

Format: Kindle 

Pages: 320
Buy: Amazon UK / Amazon US 

Secrets... 

Fallon has one. She doesn’t know it, but it will kill her... if she’s caught. 

Love... 

Isaiah. Her soul mate. Made especially for her. Created especially for her. Designed to be everything she would ever need. But loving him will destroy her. 

Betrayal... 

Willing to die for her, kill for her, Isaiah must first save her from the monster chasing them — the man that had created them to annihilate the world. 

What would you risk for love?

The Review: I just loved this, totally loved it… it gripped me from the very beginning and I could not put it down.

Fallon is 16 years old and doesn’t really belong anywhere having always been made to move on with her Mother every few months, so she has no friends, no home and only her mother as family but it’s her life and she knows no different….. but she knows she is different, because she is crippled by an intense hunger, that needs to be kept in check and experiences weird dreams, giving her a window to another girls tragic life. Whilst travelling to a new destination Fallon realises they are being followed by a biker, feeling a mysterious pull to him he waves, she waves back……..and all hell breaks loose! Suddenly her mother turns homicidal, trying to ram him off the road and get away, why? Why does she want to kill him? But most of all why does Fallon’s heart break at the thought of hurting him? But following that strange meeting and escaping, Fallon finds that there are more people hunting her, people who should not exist, people who do unbelievable things and then there’s her rescuer, her biker – Isaiah – whose blood calls to her, who would die to protect her, her soul mate…..will love be enough to save them when they discover that they have been lied to and manipulated all of their lives? Because that’s just the beginning of what evil has in store for them….
So yeah, I loved this book….

I loved the whole set up, it started very much like any other book… teenager moving to a new town, that quickly became a run and chase scenario and I was really liking that. It caught my interest because out of the blue you have this guy following them and making contact with Fallon, she was feeling a pull and then her Mother just went off on one – it was quite alarming how quickly things changed but it really intrigued me – who was this guy? Why is Fallon feeling connected to him? Her mother knows something she doesn’t. Then as she moves onto a school more things start to happen, new enemies emerge and I’m all – what is going on? I thought biker guy is the enemy? Who are these other people? What do they want? Is biker guy now the hero? So in a short space of time my mind set went from dangerous, potential enemy, biker guy to wow! Hero biker guy…… but what is he? Who is he? I felt the pull along with Fallon, I connected with the relationship straight away and I really liked the way it was done, with the not knowing what side he was on –friend/foe – or even what he is and even when we find out we still don’t know much, that comes later…..

The storyline was intriguing and kept me on my toes. It was different and although I have read of this type of thing before it was refreshing because it’s not a common theme in books and I feel in this, that we have only gotten the tip of the iceberg and it has so much more waiting to be discovered. We also only met one side of the conflict, and experience has shown me that the good & bad guys are never totally as defined as they seem to be… so I’ll be curious to meet the ‘good guys’. I totally loved the soul mate angle, as I mentioned above, I really connected with the MC's and their relationship, I loved their characters and feel like they have a ton more to give so I’ll be looking for some good progression from them in future books. I’m also really excited to see where the story goes next. Another thing I loved about this is that I honestly had no clue what was going on for best part of, it was unpredictable and to be honest I think there are still a lot of things up in the air even after reading the book but I know that will make me want to read a sequel even more, plus the pacing was great! As far as first books go, this was a really awesome start, packed full of potential that has me excited for more.

A Review for Breaking Beautiful by Jennifer Shaw Wolf

Posted by Jess
Release Date: April 24th, 2012

Finished Date: November 30th, 2012

Publishers: Walkers Children's
Source: Bought

Format: E-book

Pages: 365

Allie lost everything the night her boyfriend, Trip, died in a horrible car accident—including her memory of the event. As their small town mourns his death, Allie is afraid to remember because doing so means delving into what she’s kept hidden for so long: the horrible reality of their abusive relationship.

<

When the police reopen the investigation, it casts suspicion on Allie and her best friend, Blake, especially as their budding romance raises eyebrows around town. Allie knows she must tell the truth. Can she reach deep enough to remember that night so she can finally break free? Debut writer Jennifer Shaw Wolf takes readers on an emotional ride through the murky waters of love, shame, and, ultimately, forgiveness.

The Review: What a rollercoaster! I'd wanted to read this one for a long time. And I finally got the chance. And it most certainly didn't disappoint at all!

This book is pretty intense, which I expected when going into it. Allie's story is incredibly extraordinary and it touches on so many real life issues, that it's a wonder I managed to hold it together. 

The story itself is well paced, always something happening, naturally it's full of mystery as Allie doesn't remember anything from the night of the car accident. Allie as a character...well she's ok. I found it hard to like her to begin with, I found myself pretty much screaming at her to grow a spine. This may sound harsh considering everything that could happen to one single person, does to Allie, but I'm not a fan of weak heroines, and Allie is one to begin with, which is understandable but I could only go so far before I wanted to shout at her. But maybe that's the reaction the author wanted for her readers, I don't know. In time Allie learnt to deal with the cards she was dealt and grew up, got strong and became a new person.

This story touches on very real situations and Jennifer Shaw handled them all really well. You'll see what I mean when you meet Trip. Jennifer handled the abusive relationship really well, and this is portrayed in all of Allie's inner monologues and flash backs to the days and weeks before the accident that killed Trip (this isn't a spoiler it's in the synopsis). Jennifer Shaw most definitely has a knack for story telling, and this is one of those books that I could not put down, it was a great read. It had plenty of elements you need in a YA book. The whole plot of the story sowed together nicely, and when everything came to light you found yourself saying 'Of course, why didn't I see that?'. 

Breaking Beautiful is an extremely well written book, with interesting and unique characters and a story that will have you guessing until the very end. A read most definitely recommended :)

Blog Tour for All The Broken Pieces by Cindi Madsen; Review

Posted by Jess
Release Date: December 11th, 2012

Finished Date: December 9th, 2012

Publishers: Entangled Teen
Source: For Review

Format: E-Book

Pages: Unknown
Buy: Amazon UK / Amazon US / The Book Depo

What if your life wasn't your own?

<

Liv comes out of a coma with no memory of her past and two distinct, warring voices inside her head. Nothing, not even her reflection, seems familiar. As she stumbles through her junior year, the voices get louder, insisting she please the popular group while simultaneously despising them. But when Liv starts hanging around with Spencer, whose own mysterious past also has him on the fringe, life feels complete for the first time in, well, as long as she can remember.

<

Liv knows the details of the car accident that put her in the coma, but as the voices invade her dreams, and her dreams start feeling like memories, she and Spencer seek out answers. Yet the deeper they dig, the less things make sense. Can Liv rebuild the pieces of her broken past, when it means questioning not just who she is, but what she is?

The Review: Donna asked me to review this for her as she didn't have the time. It's the second memory loss-car accident-YA book that I've read in the past two weeks. This one was pretty good overall. As a story it's pretty gripping from the get go, the pacing wasn't too bad and I was interested all the way through.
<
Liv is a pretty awesome character. She has no memory of the car accident, nothing before it anyway, but she seems to be recovering well apart from the flashes of what she feels are dreams, and what her mother claims is her brain making things up to deal with having no memory. She's a strong character although she finds it hard to deal with social situations now, she gets through it. I pretty much liked Liv from the start and I got pretty involved in everything she did which made the book easier to like and enjoy.
<
I have no major gripes with the book, except for this. It takes an extremely long time for everything to be revealed. Nothing much happens except for Liv starting school, trying to please the popular crowd but hating them too,dealing with Spencer blowing hot and cold. There just didn't seem to be much action involved, and I generally like YA books to be full of it. It's not until around the 84% mark that everything comes to light, even then. Nothing much happens. I just felt that it very much lacked action in places. That however didn't take much away from the enjoyment of the book, but I think I was expecting more. 
<
There's a great element of mystery in this book, and that's great if you enjoy that. I do, most of the time if it's not too heavy on information etc. All The Broken Pieces has enough element of mystery and intrigue to keep the reader entertained, It just lacks action. That's where the star dropped for me slightly. It just lacked the 'shock factor', that's what I'm trying to say.
<
Overall it's not a bad story at all. It's not even a bad book, apart from lacking any action and things being revealed too late in the story I enjoyed it. I believe this is Cindi Madsens second book, so I will pick up another book of hers absolutely. 
<
It's intriguing and mysterious, but lacks oompf! But it's definitely worth a read :)


Thank you to Entangled Publishing for giving me the opportunity to review this book.

 

About Cindi Madsen: Cindi Madsen sits at her computer every chance she gets, plotting revising, and falling in love with her characters. Sometimes it makes her a crazy person. Without it, she’d be even crazier. She has way too many shoes, but can always find a reason to buy a new pretty pair, especially if they’re sparkly, colorful, or super tall. She loves music, dancing, and wishes summer lasted all year long. She lives in Colorado (where summer is most definitely NOT all year long) with her husband and three children.

Cindi’s Links:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/cindimadsen

Website: http://cindimadsen.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CindiMadsenBooks

Blog: http://cindimadsen.blogspot.com/

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13425135-all-the-broken-pieces

A Joint Review for The Boy on Cinnamon Street by Phoebe Stone

The Boy on Cinnamon Street 
by Phoebe Stone
Release Date: February 1st, 2012

Publishers:  Arthur A. Levine Books

Format: Hardcover 

Pages: 265
Buy: Amazon UK / Amazon US/ The Book Depo

 A story about a wounded girl and the boy who won't give up on her.

7th grader Louise should be the captain of her school's gymnastics team - but she isn't. She's fun and cute and should have lots of friends - but she doesn't. And there's a dreamy boy who has a crush on her - but somehow they never connect. Louise has everything going for her - so what is it that's holding her back?

Phoebe Stone tells the winning story of the spring when 7th grader Louise Terrace wakes up, finds the courage to confront the painful family secret she's hiding from - and finally get the boy.

Hey guys, today we have a special guest on the blog today who is taking part in a joint review with me - Jasprit from The Reader's Den.

Before we start with a very special review, I'd like to say THANK YOU to Jasprit for taking the time to read and review this book with me. I  had so much fun and I hope you guys enjoy our review as much as I had writing it. 

What surprised you the most about this book?

Jasprit: Louise’s voice, she is only thirteen years old which I forgot numerous times when I read this book. By the second half of the book she was speaking like a grown adult. I loved watching her grow mentally, it was like she was finally shedding her skin, opening her eyes and seeing her life for what it really was. At first I did find her voice quite immature (I don’t normally pick up books with younger mc’s) but she really grew on me as the book progressed. Her childish observations became a lot more mature, it was interesting watching her grow up.

Donna: I have to admit, I wasn’t expecting so many emotions to come from a girl of just thirteen years old. Honestly, reading this book kind of took me back to when I was a thirteen year old and it had me questioning what I was like at that time. Some things I could agree with and some I couldn’t, however Louise is a very well developed character. She’s young and immature but she grows so much during the book and as a reader, we see her struggle and deal with so many different situations. I believe she handles them as best as any thirteen year old can.

Favourite Scene:

Jasprit: When Louise found a camera in the park, she’s left with these beautiful photos of the clues that were left for her, such as someone drawing a big heart on the cement with a pink chalk and underneath is written “Thinking of You”. These photo’s were so beautiful, and as she continued to flip through the photo’s they definitely left me with an achy feeling in my chest, by the end of it I had a big smile on my face when I realised who they were from.

Donna: I have to agree with Jasprit. I adored the scene with the camera in the park and Louise shouting out her answer to Henderson for anyone listening. It’s touching and really shows you the love between the characters.

What I enjoyed about this book:

Jasprit: I loved the little messages that Louise received; the Thumbelina book, the cute notes. I quickly clicked on who they could be from even though it wasn’t clear to Louise, but it was fun anticipating what Louise’s reaction would be, seeing her stumble around in the dark for a bit and not realising the boy who she was meant to be with was in front of her the whole time.

Donna: I loved the mystery surrounding Louise’s secret admirer – even though to the reader it was pretty clear who is was, to Louise it wasn’t though. To see her recognise her feelings for Henderson was a highlight of the story and I loved seeing her discover who was behind all the secret notes.

Favourite character:

Jasprit: I didn’t mention Henderson in my review because I thought he deserved his own separate paragraph. Henderson was so quirky and funny. He reminded me a bit of Sherlock Holmes (* coughs* Robert Downey Junior) he was super clever; always figuring things out and was also in the process of writing his own book. He was so cool too, some people may have found him as a strange boy for his age; he was always intense about writing his space murder mystery. He also had a funny sense of humour; coming out with random facts and quotes and the fact that he actually loved his name, he thought it sounded like a cool butler’s name in an old fashioned movie. He totally imagined people saying, “That will be all, Henderson”. But what I loved the most was that he didn’t really care what others thought of him, and I like that in a character, one that is so confident in themselves that they just get on with things. Plus he was super sweet, it was as clear as day how he felt, but I think everything that was going on with Benny he decided to hold back, but one of his scenes in the end is my all time favourite, the effort and his consideration he put into it. I wish the guys I knew when I was that age were more like Henderson.

Donna:  I have a few favourite characters – firstly I loved Louise’s grandparents. They were supportive, loving and caring towards Louise. They try to give her everything she needs but then of course, I love Henderson. He’s a geeky love interest that like Jasprit said, he doesn’t care what others think of him. He loves writing stories and he loves getting lost in his own little world but of course, he wants Louise there with him. He’s a very cute character and a little swoon-worthy if I do say so myself.

Favourite quotes

Jasprit: “Everybody has a story, a fairy tale in their heart they adhere to”

“He puts on his dark plaid wool cap that looks like some dog took it and ran with it around the block five times, dropped it in a puddle and then brought it back to grandpa”

“Henderson looks at me, he has a train-expression on his face, the kind of expression people have when they’re holding suitcases and are about to say good-bye and climb aboard”

“So I stand up against the wall, my heart beating inside me like a sorrowful drum all alone in the cave of my being. Will I ever grow up? Will I ever be big and tall? When I go back to the gymnastics team next fall and we do a team photo, will I be the medium height girl smiling in the second row? Will I walk out one day into the world and know is it mine?”

Donna: “I told you growing starts from the inside first, honey, and in that way, you've been growing like wildfire.”

“Thumb, I hope I will not bore you with how totally, totally I adore you. The funny way you have of talking, the cute way you have of walking. Please do not feel that I am stalking you. ”

“Actually everybody has a story, a fairy tale in their heart that they adhere to.”

General thoughts and final rating:

Jasprit: The Boy on Cinnamon Street was a book which took me completely by surprise; I was expecting a super cute and funny book but Stone managed to provide a whole lot more. It was a book with a much deeper meaningful story behind it and really left a great impression on me.

Donna: While reflecting on this story, I tried to put myself into a younger readers mind because in my ‘older mind’ (and while I knew before I read it that it was for a younger audience) I wasn’t actually prepared for how young the story actually was. I did struggle to deal with the immaturity of the characters to start with, and I would have definitely enjoyed this more had it of been for older readers.  However, for a younger reader I can’t knock Phoebe Stone’s work because she has created a perfect read for them. 

PRODIGY - Sequel to LEGEND by Marie Lu; Extract + UK/IRE Giveaway

Prodigy (Legend #2) by Marie Lu
Release Date: January 29th, 2013

Publishers: Penguin UK

Buy: Amazon UK / Amazon US / The Book Depo
 

June and Day arrive in Vegas just as the unthinkable happens: the Elector Primo dies, and his son Anden takes his place. With the Republic edging closer to chaos, the two join a group of Patriot rebels eager to help Day rescue his brother and offer passage to the Colonies. They have only one request—June and Day must assassinate the new Elector.

It’s their chance to change the nation, to give voice to a people silenced for too long. 

But as June realizes this Elector is nothing like his father, she’s haunted by the choice ahead. What if Anden is a new beginning? What if revolution must be more than loss and vengeance, anger and blood—what if the Patriots are wrong?

In this highly-anticipated sequel, Lu delivers a breathtaking thriller with high stakes and cinematic action.

Prodigy First Chapter

You can check out the book trailer below;

As well as the game trailer;

 

And you can win a copy of the PRODIGY too! 

Fill out the rafflecopter form below. 

Ends December 31st, 2012

- UK/IRE only 

Good Luck! 

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Day 5 of the 6 Days of Ondine Quartet Blog Tour

Whirl (Ondie Quartet #1)
by Emma Raveling

Buy : Amazon UK / Amazon US / The Book  Depo

Seventeen-year-old Kendra Irisavie is an ondine, a water elemental caught in the middle of an ancient war with the Aquidae, immortal dark demons who will stop at nothing to destroy the fragile balance of the Elemental world.
Fierce and independent, Kendra has always played by her own rules. Gifted with the powerful magic of Virtue and trained to be a deadly fighter, she has spent her life breaking hearts and getting into trouble.
When her life explodes one violent night in a northern California city, a dark stranger appears, promising answers to her mysterious past. Alone and with no one to trust, she must now navigate through a dangerous new world, face the temptations of a forbidden romance, and remain true to her duty and destiny.
All while the Aquidae continue to hunt her down, in the hopes of eliminating her forever…
An edgy YA urban fantasy/paranormal romance, Whirl is recommended for older teens and mature readers due to strong language and mild sexual situations.

Billow (Ondine Quartet #2) 
by Emma Raveling 
Buy : Amazon UK / Amazon US / The Book Depo 

It has been six months since ondine Kendra Irisavie arrived in Haverleau, the hidden capital of the water elemental world.
Six months since she discovered her destiny as the sondaleur.
Six months since a series of devastating events left behind their mark. 
Now, as she enters the chevalier elite program in her final year at Lumiere Academy, Kendra continues forward on her prophesied journey against the Shadow. Obsessed with what she must do to keep those around her safe, she struggles to balance her powerful magic and the demands of her fate with the challenges of friendship, the complications of romance, and the bonds of family. 
Meanwhile, the threat of the Shadow looms larger. Kendra and her friends investigate a series of puzzling human and elemental disappearances in the city of Lyondale and uncover a horrifying tactic used by the Aquidae in the war.
When danger strikes close to home, Kendra must separate the truths from the lies and choose who and what to believe. 
Even if it means facing what she fears the most.

Chevalier (Ondine Quartet #2.2) 
by Emma Raveling 
Buy: Chevalier will be available 12/21/12

New York poses an unknown challenge to Julian LeVeq and Kendra Irisavie. Determined to help elementals gain traction in the war, they partner in the covert investigation of the elusive Shadow and plunge into the complex depths of the city.

But when the First Lieutenant and sondaleur finally cross paths with the world of Manhattan’s Aquidae, they find more than they bargained for.

Chevalier is a short novelette (approximately 10,000 words) set within the Ondine Quartet world and is from Julian’s point of view. The events in this work take place between Billow (book two) and Crest (book three).

Warrior Prince (Ondie Quartet #2.5)
by Emma Raveling

Buy: Warrior Prince will be available 12/21/12

This is not a short story, novella, or stand alone. It is a collection of scenes from Tristan’s point of view and is meant to be a companion work to the Ondine Quartet series.

Warrior Prince features eighteen scenes from Whirl (book 1) and Billow (book 2). 

Seven of them are extra scenes that do not appear in previous books.

GIVEAWAY 1! 

What you can win? Well, each stop on the 6 Days of Ondine Quartet will be giving away the following:

- All four e-books of the Ondine Quartet series; Whirl, Billow, Warrior Prince, Chevalier

- A set of signed Whirl and Billow bookmarks

- Signed Whirl and Billow posters

EXCITED? 

Well, fill out the rafflecopter form below to be entered! 

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GIVEAWAY 2!

AND, if you're not excited enough, myself (Donna) and Melanie will be giving away a paperback copy of Whirl to two winners and it's international too (providing The Book Depo ships to you) 

Want to enter? Fill out the rafflecopter form below. 

GOOD LUCK! 

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The Love Hurts Blog Tour; Easy by Tammara Webber and Reason to Breathe by Rebecca Donovan.

Penguin UK have two new romantic and gripping novels coming in the New Year  – Easy by Tammara Webber and Reason to Breathe (The Breathing Series #1) by Rebecca Donovan. Today we wanted to show you a little sneak peak at both novels for the first day of The Love Hurts blog tour, so read below for first chapters of both novels. Enjoy! 

Easy by Tammara Webber
Release Date: 3rd January, 2012

Buy : Amazon UK / Amazon US 

Easy is a deeply romantic and utterly gripping novel not to be missed! 

Rescued by a stranger. Haunted by a secret. 
Sometimes, love isn’t easy…
A girl who believes trust can be misplaced, promises are made to be broken, and loyalty is an illusion. A boy who believes truth is relative, lies can mask unbearable pain, and guilt is eternal. Will what they find in each other validate their conclusions, or disprove them all?
When Jacqueline follows her long-term boyfriend to the college of his choice, the last thing she expects is a breakup at the start of their second year. After two weeks in shock she wakes up to her new reality: she’s single, attending a state university instead of a music conservatory, ignored by her former circle of friends, and failing a class for the first time in her life.

Leaving a party alone one night, she is assaulted. Rescued by a stranger who is in the right place at the right time, she wants nothing more than to forget that night. But when her attacker turns stalker she has to make a choice: crumple in defeat or learn to fight back. 

The support of the intriguing man who is tutoring her in Economics, together with the allure of Lucas, who saved her from the assault, convinces her that it’s worth fighting on. Lucas proves understanding and protective, but he’s hiding secrets of his own. Will Jacqueline have to choose between Lucas and her tutor? Suddenly, knowing who to trust is anything but easy.

Easy - First Chapter

Reason to Breathe by Rebecca Donovan
Release Date: January 17th, 2013

Buy : Amazon UK / Amazon US 

A passionate love. A brutal betrayal. Unwavering hope.

An incredible novel that will leave readers breathless
and desperate for more.

In a town where most people worry about what to be seen in and who to be seen with, Emma Thomas would rather not be seen at all. She's more concerned with feigning perfection, pulling down her sleeves to conceal the bruises. Emma doesn't want anyone to know how far from perfect her life truly is. 

When Emma unexpectedly finds love, it challenges her to recognize her own worth - but at the risk of revealing the terrible secret she's desperate to hide.

Reason to Breathe - First Chapter

Showcase Sunday (#26)

Showcase Sunday is a new weekly meme hosted by Vicky @ Books Biscuits and Tea. We will now be taking part in Showcase Sunday instead of In My Mailbox. If you'd like to join see HERE for more details.

Busy week this week!!! I got so many awesome books and I honestly don't know where I'm going to find the time to read them, but I will!! =)

   

The Boys of Summer by C.J Duggan: This book sounds amazing and just look at that cover! And I'm lucky enough to get it for review, so thank you Lesley from My Keeper Shelf.

Tidal by Emily Snow: Another book I can't wait to read seems as I enjoyed this authors Devoured so much. Thank you Emily for giving me the opportunity.

Ten Tiny Breaths by K.A Tucker: I still haven't read any of this authors work so I thought I'd try it with her newest book. 

The S-Word by Chelsea Pitcher: Simon & Schuster USA approached me to review this book and I have to say, I had never heard of it before. Sounds really good though. 

Physical books for review.

Paper Valentine by Brenna Yovanoff: Intrigued with this one and especially since it's a ghost story. I kind of have a love/hate relationship with them, so I guess I'll see. 

Monument 14  by Emmy Laybourne: Not released for a while but I'm excited to start it. 

Wake (Watersong #1) by Amanda Hocking & Lullaby (Watersong #2) by Amanda Hocking: Loved Amanda's Blood Approves series, so can't wait to start this.

Scent of Magic (Healer #2) by Maria V. Synder: I CAN'T WAIT!!! Enough said! lol

Confessions of an Angry Girl (Confessions #1)  For a blog tour in Jan - looking forward to it. I've heard amazing things so far.

Undone by Cat Clarke - sounds intersting. I've only read one other book by this author so I'm eager to see what this on is like.

Requiem (Delirium #3) by Lauren Oliver - I'm already confused about this one because I hated the second book. Guess I'll see what happens but I'll probably ask Jess to review it.

Thank you to Lesley @ My Keeper Shelf, C.J Duggan, Emily Snow, Simon & Schuster (USA & UK) Random House, Hachette UK, Macmilliam, Hodder, Quercus & Mira Ink. 

A Review for The Goddess Inheritance (Goddess Test, #3) by Aimee Carter

Posted by Donna
Release Date: February 28th, 2013

Finished Date: December 3rd, 2012

Publishers: Harlequin Teen
Source: ARC, For Review 

Format: Kindle

Pages: 384
Buy: Amazon UK / Amazon US / The Book Depo

Love or life.
Henry or their child.
The end of her family or the end of the world.
Kate must choose.

During nine months of captivity, Kate Winters has survived a jealous goddess, a vengeful Titan and a pregnancy she never asked for. Now the Queen of the Gods wants her unborn child, and Kate can't stop her--until Cronus offers a deal.

In exchange for her loyalty and devotion, the King of the Titans will spare humanity and let Kate keep her child. Yet even if Kate agrees, he'll destroy Henry, her mother and the rest of the council. And if she refuses, Cronus will tear the world apart until every last god and mortal is dead.

With the fate of everyone she loves resting on her shoulders, Kate must do the impossible: find a way to defeat the most powerful being in existence, even if it costs her everything.

Even if it costs her eternity.

The Review: You all know how much of a fan I am of this series. Both The Goddess Test & Goddess Interrupted I rated 5 stars because I thought they were fantastic but now, here I am rating the third and final book; The Goddess Inheritance, only  3 stars. What is going on? I honestly don’t know but I do know that I just didn’t enjoy it as much as the previous books….and here’s why. 

After the huge cliff-hanger in The Goddess Interrupted, nine months has passed and Kate is being held captive by Cronus – unbeknownst to Henry. Now here lies my first problem. I was excited to pick up right where The Goddess Interrupted ended, however as you can see, its set nine months after and Kate’s just about ready to have the baby. I didn’t enjoy this – I felt as though we missed out on keys parts of the story like Kate being held captive, Kate dealing with being pregnant etc. But instead the story jumped and we’re told what had happened. 

My next problem came with the storyline. For the first time ever, I felt it was predictable. I have never ever thought of this series that way before. It’s one of the things I loved the fact that it was so unpredictable and I honestly didn't think there was many exciting twist and turns and for a third book, I felt it was very slow paced. The characters don’t know how to stop the war so there was a lot of thinking on their part. I wanted action, I wanted excitement and I wanted something epic but, unfortunately The Goddess Inheritance didn’t live up to my expectations. I also wanted more from Kate and Henry – I didn’t want to see the relationship drama like they had to go through throughout the previous books but again, it plays a big role, but this time Cronus is a part of it. The whole Kate/Cronus, Henry/Calliope romance thing bored me. You knew which way it would go despite the all the drama and evilness that was happening. 

And my third problem lay with Kate. I’ve read a ton of reviews previously where people complained about Kate – that she’s whiney etc, which I never understood but again, for the first time ever, I seen it in her this time around. I felt she repeated herself a lot, she constantly questioned everything and it took a while for the Goddess in her to finally come out. Maybe it’s me, maybe I expect too much from final books because this isn’t the first time this happened too, so I am eager to see what everyone else thinks.

Despite my problems with this instalment, I’m still glad to see this series come to a close on such a high note. The ending saved this book for me, it ended perfectly and who knows, maybe one day I’ll try re-reading this series and hopefully change my mind about the last book. 

Thank you NetGalley and Harlequinn Teen for giving me the opportunity to review this book.