A Review for Shadowhunter's Guide: City of Bones & City of Bones: The Official Illustrated Movie Companion by Mimi O'Connor

Posted by Donna
Release Date: July 9th, 2013
Finished Date: August 17th, 2013

Publishers: Simon & Schuster UK
Source: For Review

Format: Paperback
Pages: 128

Buy: Amazon UK / Amazon US / The Book Depo

Don’t miss The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones, soon to be a major motion picture in theaters August 2013.

Delve deep into the world of the Shadowhunters with this ultimate guide that’s based on The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones movie. 

This comprehensive book features full-color photographic portraits and profiles of the film characters, quotes from the script, detailed information on downworlders, Shadowhunters, the Clave, and more. Fans of the movie won’t want to miss this must-have guide to the realm of the blockbuster City of Bones movie!

The Review: As a huge fan of The Mortal Instruments, I have to admit I was very curious about The Shadowhunter's Guide. I first read City of Bones back in 2011, so I guess you could say by now I'm a little rusty on the introduction of Clary's story, but reading this guide takes me back.

I loved how the guide was broken down into chapters, telling you bits of information without spoiling too much of the story for you. Of course, the first thing I noticed was how the story was slightly changed for the movie, but that's to be expected. It's left me more than excited to watch it on the big screen now. As I said before, the guides broken down into chapters. We see chapters called What to Know, Who to Know, Places to Know, Runes, Weapons and so many more. It was a great insight to the story, especially for me because I was so intrigued to see if I had pictured things like the rune's in my head correct. Not only that, but the introduction is followed up with pictures from the movie and honestly, it's really great. It's great to see this story come to life and so far (baring in mind, I haven't watched the movie yet) I'm really impressed. I loved seeing all the characters come to life - especially Lily as Clary and Godfrey Gao as Magnus. I'm still not 100% convinced with Jamie Campbell Bower as Jace but, I'm hoping I change that opinion once I've watched the movie.

Even though I really enjoyed reading The Shadowhunter's Guide I don't believe it's a must read and honestly, even though I'm a huge fan of this series, I don't think I would ever buy the guide if I hadn't received it for review. Mainly because it didn't tell me anything new and secondly, I think the guide will only be suitable for fans that want to add it to their Mortal Instrument collection. I'd highly recommend you read it if you could borrow it from a library or from a friend, but I'm not sure buying the guide would be beneficial to someone new to the series, hey, but then that's just my thoughts.

Posted by Donna

Release Date: July 9th 2013 

Finished Date: August 19th, 2013

Publishers: Simon & Schuster UK

Source: For Review

Format: Paperback

Pages: 129

Buy: Amazon UK / Amazon US /The Book Depo

Don’t miss The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones, soon to be a major motion picture in theaters August 2013.

Get a behind-the-scenes look at the making of The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones movie with this official companion book. 

This fan favorite features full-color photos from the set, designers’ sketches, interviews with the cast and crew, and more! From the screenwriting process to the casting decisions to the director’s vision, this definitive book is a must-have for fans of the blockbuster film!

The Review: City of Bones: The Official Illustrated Movie Companion is definitely a must read for any fan of this series. This is only my second ever illustrated movie companion - the first being Twilight. I'm one of them people who will watch the commentaries on a DVD and this is very similar to that because of how much insight to everything that happens behind the scenes. 

We see how the film comes together, we get quotes from the cast and even their thoughts on the movie and books. We all see notes from the directors and there's just so much more goodness that comes from this book. It's full of fun and interesting facts, and the pictures are fab too. It will definitely get any fan excited to see the movie after reading this. 

What I loved about this book is how much is looks like the writers, director and actors have worked so hard to deliver us fans a movie that will not let us book fans down.There's so much pressure on these people to create the best movie and I'm really hoping it reflects on screen because, otherwise fans, and probably myself included will be disappointed. And I seriously don't want to be disappointed! 

In all, highly recommended to any fans who wants a glimpse behind the scenes into one of the most anticipated movies of the year. 

A Review for Quick Fix (In a Fix #2) by Linda Grimes

Posted by Melanie
Release Date: August 20th, 2013 
Finished Date: July 31st, 2013

Publishers: Tor Books 
Source: For Review

Format: Paperback
Pages: 354

Buy: Amazon UK / Amazon US / The Book Depo

The second installment of the original urban fantasy series starring human chameleon Ciel Halligan

Ciel Halligan, an aura adaptor with a chameleon-like ability to step into the lives of her clients and fix their problems for them — as them — is working a job at the National Zoo with her boyfriend, Billy, and his ten-year-old sister, Molly. It's supposed to be a quick fix, giving her time to decide if it's wise to pursue the romantic relationship her charming scoundrel of a best friend wants, or if she should give Mark, the CIA spook she's crushed on since hormones first rattled her pubescent brain, a chance to step up to the plate.

Molly has already begun to show signs of being an adaptor herself. She's young for it, but she's always been precocious, so it's not impossible. What is impossible is her taking on the form of the baby orangutan she touches — adaptors can only project human auras. Until now, apparently. Worse, Molly is stuck in ape form. She can't change herself back.

Escaping from the zoo with their new baby orang, Ciel and Billy head for NYC and the only person they know can help: Ciel's brother James, a non-adaptor scientist who's determined to crack the aura adaptor genetic code. But when Billy winds up in jail, accused of attempted murder, Ciel begins to suspect Molly's unusual adapting ability is more than just a fluke. Who's been experimenting on Molly, and what do they hope to gain? And will Ciel survive to find out?

The Review: 4.5 Flowers! 

Quick Fix is the second instalment of the ‘In a Fix’ series and is just as good as the first. Ciel is back and getting into more calamity as an aura adapter who takes on clients and becomes them so they don’t have to deal with intense situations etc. this time around Molly, her 10 year old ‘not really related cousin’ is showing signs of becoming an adapter like Ciel & her brother Billy (who also happens to be Ceil’s maybe boyfriend) and during a quick assignment at a zoo, Molly transforms herself into an orang-utan setting off a strange set of events that leads to chases, attempted murder, laboratories, jail breaks, adapter parties, jealousy, envy, modelling assignments, confessions of the heart & some sexy times all wrapped up in a whole heap of fun.

Needless to say, I loved it! I love Ciels character and I love her humour, she doesn’t half get herself into mischief which makes her such fun too. I’m really into her love life too and like Ceil, I can’t pick my favourite…. I was sort of leaning towards Mark especially with him being her schoolgirl crush but Billy has his merits too but you will see a bad point during this that will give a bit food for thought with him having his reputation that could lead to heartache for Ceil. The storyline is so enjoyable, as you can see above, it isn’t your usual straight forward a to b plot, there are all sorts of things obstructing the path of what’s going on. When you think about it, the fact that most people who Ceil knows can adapt and be anyone…. Who do you trust? So there is always a big amount of subterfuge going on. I appreciated that we got more of an insight into her family life too and we meet the rest of her family, there are some good personalities there and we get some personal revelations from each of the brothers that makes me want to know their own stories. The pacing was great, always something going on to keep my interest and I read this 345 page book in one sitting with a big smile on my face, it was a fun & exciting, romantic & hot, opening up even more of the aura adapter world that I can’t wait to get stuck back into for book 3. 

Book Blast for Wrath (Soul Savers #5) by Kristie Cook

Wrath (Soul Savers #5) 
by Kristie Cook
Release Date: August 16th, 2013
Genre: Paranormal Romance / New Adult

Will a mother’s wrath make her cross the line?

I didn’t want to cry. For once in my life, tears evaded me. Perhaps because I refused to grieve this loss, because it wasn’t a loss in my eyes, in my heart. It was a call for war, yes. But not a loss. I wouldn’t allow it.

Besides, I was too mad to cry, even in my exhaustion, and anger would get me much further.

As I curled my body around Sasha’s, though, I realized the anger within me had changed. I no longer felt irrational and blinding fury that dulled all other emotions. But that was okay. I really didn’t want to be Psycho Alexis. This, what I now felt in every cell of my body down to the core, was better. My anger had condensed and solidified into a cold, hard stone settling within me. Something I could control and hold onto for the long term to keep me going and focused on the goal.

Wrath.

That’s what I felt. And there was nothing worse than the wrath of a pissed-off mother.

Wrath, the fifth volume in the bestselling, award-winning Soul Savers Series, will have you on the edge-of-your-seat-ravenously-devouring-junk-food as you experience the mysteries, magic, betrayals, and passion that you’ve come to expect from Kristie Cook’s writing.

New Adult Paranormal Romance by bestselling author Kristie Cook**Mature Content**Recommended for ages 16+ due to sexual situations and language.

Where to buy Wrath (Soul Savers 5)

Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBooks, Kobo

Other Books by Kristie Cook 

About the Author:

Kristie Cook is a lifelong, award-winning writer in various genres, from marketing communications to fantasy fiction. She continues to write the Soul Savers Series, a New Adult paranormal romance/contemporary fantasy, with the first four books, Promise, Purpose, Devotion and Power available now and the next book coming in June 2013. She’s also written a companion novella, Genesis: A Soul Savers Novella, currently available. Over 200,000 Soul Savers books have been sold, with Promise peaking at #54 on the Amazon Top 100 Paid list and at #1 in the Amazon Fantasy category. The Space Between kicks off her second New Adult paranormal series, The Book of Phoenix.

Besides writing, Kristie enjoys reading, cooking, traveling and riding on the back of a motorcycle. She has lived in ten states, but currently calls Southwest Florida home with her husband, three teenage sons, a beagle and a puggle. She can be found at:

Author's Website & Blog: http://www.KristieCook.com

UK Fan Site: http://www.kristiecookfansite.co.uk

The Book of Phoenix Website: http://www.TheBookofPhoenix.com

Soul Savers Series Website: http://www.SoulSaversSeries.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AuthorKristieCook

Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/kristiecookauth

A Review for Chameleon (Supernaturals #1) by Kelly Oram

Posted by Melanie
Release Date: June 25th, 2013
Finished Date: May 18th, 2013

Publishers: Bluefields
Source: For Review

Format: Kindle
Pages: 356

Buy: Amazon UK / Amazon US 

For small-town rebel Dani Webber magic and monsters are no more real than the Easter Bunny… until the day she accidentally stops time. Dani quickly discovers that not only do supernaturals exist, but she herself is one of them. This is great news for her life-long best friend Russ, who can finally come clean about his own supernatural status and his undying love for her. Before the two can start to enjoy the long overdue relationship, Dani is taken by a powerful council of supernaturals who believe she is the Chosen One destined to save them from extinction. 

As if being kidnapped and expected to save the world isn’t bad enough, an ancient prophecy warns of the Chosen One’s dark nature: “Only the truest love will keep her an agent for good.” The council believes they know who this “true love” is and, unfortunately, that person isn’t Russ. The mysterious, powerful and devastatingly handsome Seer is the last person Dani wants in her life, but when she starts having visions of a horrific future, she has no one else to turn to for help. 

Soon Dani finds herself torn between two very different boys with two very different opinions of whom she can trust. With the visions getting worse and time running out, Dani is forced to put aside her feelings and work with both the Seer and Russ before an ancient evil is unleashed upon the earth.

The Review: WOW, this book is totally amazing and had me hooked from start to finish.

I don’t feel I can add anymore to the synopsis and honestly, the synopsis is reason enough for you to pick up this book. In the beginning of the book Dani is just turning 16 and her best friend Russ is helping fulfil one of her childhood wishes & let her in on a little secret….. apparently, this isn’t an isolated incident and they are constantly pulling pranks & getting into mischief much to the chagrin of the local sheriff. They have a great friendship but you get the feeling that they could be ‘more’, so when Dani agrees to a date with another boy, we find that Russ can’t hide his feelings anymore – the thing is, the timing is so bad because Dani is about to make some other discoveries about herself and she isn’t the only one. There is a prophecy in the supernatural world and Dani is the centre of attention, people want her but she’s not going without a fight. Dani is the kind of character that you can connect with easily, she’s vivacious, she’s funny & she’s mischievous. Her & Russ –her best friend- are like two peas in a pod, always egging each other on. Their relationship was great and within the first 20% of the book, I was hooked on them discovering their feelings for each other, I mean I really felt it. It was so funny when she went on the date and you could tell what Russ was going through & what was happening but Dani was clueless. They made a great pair until the inevitable separation which brought Gabriel into her life. I liked Gabe, he is super sweet and naïve but I don’t know that he was going to be enough for Dani, I wasn’t feeling their relationship as much as the one with her BFF and definitely not the circumstances, I was firmly on team Russ & I thought Dani lost a bit of cred with me for how she accepted certain things and the indecision she went through, I wanted her to kick off more but she is still a great character.

The storyline was brilliant, as I said I was hooked from start to finish and is quite unique in a way, full of secrets, lies & deception. The premise was so good, it came across as two different worlds & rules. Dani had been brought up in our world and then thrust headfirst into the supernatural world without any knowledge of it. Things are so different for her that she struggles to come to terms with the way things are done. I liked all of the supernatural aspects, the different kinds, different powers etc. so I loved Dani’s power because it’s limitless but also a double edged sword – both a hindrance & a help – as you will find out. Of course there’s a big prophecy and yes, I’m a prophecy fan, I liked the way this unfolded and how it was shown throughout the book usually we get one big one at the beginning and then see it play out but this was a fluid prophecy, it kept moving and gave different outcomes which was great for keeping the story unpredictable. The pacing was great, always moving, lots of things going on, lots of theories…. I never knew who to trust, I thought it was one person then another and it kept me on my toes right until the very end which is another reason it never lost my interest. I did like the romance in it, to be honest I wish the characters were slightly older making the book more NA than YA because there were times when it had some steamy potential and that would have drawn me into the relationships even more but that’s just personal preference and didn’t stop my enjoyment of it. Chameleon is a must read for sure, a brilliant start to a series I will definitely be adding to my TBR list & reading any sequel that follows. 

Waiting on Wednesday (#50)

 

"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

Antigoddess (Goddess War #1)
by Kendare Blake 

Release date: September 10th 2013

The Goddess War begins in Antigoddess, the first installment of the new series by acclaimed author of Anna Dressed in Blood, Kendare Blake.

Old Gods never die…

Or so Athena thought. But then the feathers started sprouting beneath her skin, invading her lungs like a strange cancer, and Hermes showed up with a fever eating away his flesh. So much for living a quiet eternity in perpetual health.

Desperately seeking the cause of their slow, miserable deaths, Athena and Hermes travel the world, gathering allies and discovering enemies both new and old. Their search leads them to Cassandra—an ordinary girl who was once an extraordinary prophetess, protected and loved by a god. 

These days, Cassandra doesn’t involve herself in the business of gods—in fact, she doesn’t even know they exist. But she could be the key in a war that is only just beginning. 

Because Hera, the queen of the gods, has aligned herself with other of the ancient Olympians, who are killing off rivals in an attempt to prolong their own lives. But these anti-gods have become corrupted in their desperation to survive, horrific caricatures of their former glory. Athena will need every advantage she can get, because immortals don’t just flicker out. 

Every one of them dies in their own way. Some choke on feathers. Others become monsters. All of them rage against their last breath.

The Goddess War is about to begin.

Jess's thoughts: I really liked Kendare's first novel Anna Dressed In Blood. I think she's a great author and I am really looking forward to reading this. I like Greek mythology and I love it when authors incorporate it into their love stories. Really excited for this :)

Donna's WoW

Misbehaving (Sea Breeze #6)
by Abbi Glines 
Release date: December 18th 2013

An unexpected affair leads to mind-blowing harmony in this Sea Breeze novel from New York Times bestselling author Abbi Glines. 

Jason is sick of living in his rock star brother’s shadow. So when he ships off to Sea Breeze, Alabama, he’s looking for a much deserved escape and a chance to blow off some envious steam. 

Falling for the local bad girl was definitely not the plan. But as the new duo enjoys some naughty fun in the Alabama sun, Jason learns that even though Jax is the musician in the family, he’s not the only brother who can rock someone’s world.

Donna's thoughts: Ms Abbi Glines amazes me and here she back again with Misbehaving. I need it! I want it and did I say I need it? I'm so looking forward to seeing what she has in store for us with Jason. And WHO is that girl?

<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!

Series Review for Cut and Run (Cut & Run #1-7) by Abigail Roux and Madeleine Urban

      

Posted by Jess

Release Date: 2008-2012

Read between: June-August 2013

Publishers: Dreamspinner Press/Riptide Publishing

Source: Bought

Format: Kindle

Pages: 300+ for each

Review: Well. Can I just say I don't even understand why it took my so damn long to pick up these books! Omg. I love M/M romance and this is series is probably the best I've read yet! Yes most definitely.

I've decided to review the series as a whole rather than individually as there are 7 books. I pretty much devoured this entire series from Cut & Run right through until Touch & Geaux. I found them completely intense and just incredibly well written. I instantly fell for Ty and Zane and I rooted for them from book 1, and I couldn't stop. I needed more.

Each book continues on from the previous one, and Ty and Zane always seem to run into some sort of crime that they inevitably must then go undercover and solve. Even if they're on holiday....crimes seem to follow them like little lost sheep. 

Books 1-4 is written by two authors, and you do feel the difference, but Abi and Madeleine worked so well bringing Ty and Zanes stories together that you don't notice it as much. Both know where they want their story to go and they pull this off exceptionally well. Books 5-7, we just have author Abi continuing their story, and it's just fabulous, if anything books 5-7 are even better. This series was just so well written, plenty of plot development, character development (this especially you notice with Ty and Zane as the series continues), plenty of violence, mystery, love, betrayal and hot sex.

I loved every moment of this series, I regret nothing. I have no bad points to include, the whole series was fabulous. I loved seeing all the crimes get resolved, I was on the edge of my seat for the most part of this series. I kept trying to fathom how Ty and Zane were going to get out of all this trouble they find themselves in, but they always did. Their development with regards to their relationship was wonderful, they went from two broken men with bad pasts and tortured souls to healing and fixing each other and ultimately falling in love. Their love is powerful, a very powerful thing and you feel it. You feel every emotion they go through, you get sad, you get hot, you get happy and you feel the anger. Their moments of intimacy and love declaration is amazing and you feel it oh so much more because you'll already be incredibly invested in both of them.

As far as secondary characters go, there are some real characters to be hand. They bring a new dynamic to Ty and Zanes relationship, makes them jealous, makes them happy, makes them sad, and makes them powerful.

As a series overall it's a wonderful one. If you are looking to dip your feet into some male/male romance/erotica then you could start with this series. It's a slow start, but the pay off at the end is incredibly worth it, and each book will just leave you wanting more and more. I am completely mind blown. MIND. BLOWN! 

As I said if you're looking for a great series, and you're willing to step away from your comfort zone, I would recommend the Cut & Run series 100%! I guarantee you won't regret it, and you'll fall instantly in love for Ty and for Zane, because it's incredibly hard not to.

Anyway, Ball & Chain book 8 isn't released until March, so I'm eagerly anticipated this as book 7 ended in a cliffhanger that had me almost in tears and gasping for breath. In the mean time, Shock & Awe which involve some of the secondary characters releases in November, and this will help me get by :)

5 Mind blowing stars for EVERY SINGLE BOOK SO FAR!!

"You're so freaking romantic. I don't know how I keep my pants on"-Ty, Fish & Chips

“Who are you, Zane?" Zane cocked his head. "I'm an artist. I'm a geek." He felt Ty smile. "I am one badass motherfucker on a motorcycle." Ty began to laugh. Zane dipped his head until they were staring into each other's eyes. "And I'm yours.” -Zane and Ty, Touch & Geaux

“Zane was starting to piss him off again. Which was good, he supposed. It meant the urge to lick him all over was passing, at least.” -Ty, Cut & Run

“I love you," Ty said out of the blue, his voice almost sing-song. Zane laughed. "You're drunk." "I loved you before I was drunk.” -Ty and Zane, Stars & Stripes

“Ty is like...a ninja on crack.” - Armed & Dangerous

“First time I saw you, after I got over hating you, I knew,” he said, echoing Ty’s words, “I knew I’d fall in love with you” -Zane, Divide & Conquer

“Hell would be more relaxing than this," Zane muttered as he glared at the water. "And I could get a tan.” -Zane, Stick & Stones

Note: This series is for readers of 18+ ages. Due to extreme violence, sexual content involving two men, and scenes some people may find disturbing.

A Review for Forever My Girl (Beaumont #1) by Heidi McLaughlin

Posted by Jess
Release Date: December 27th, 2012
Finished Date: June 14th, 2013

Publishers: Createspace
Source: Bought

Format: e-book
Pages: 302

Buy: Amazon UK / Amazon US /

I was never supposed to be a rock star. I had my life all planned out for me. Play football in college. Go to the NFL. Marry my high school sweetheart and live happily ever after.

I broke both our hearts that day when I told her I was leaving. I was young. I made the right decision for me, but the wrong decision for us. I've poured my soul into my music, but I've never forgotten her. Her smell, her smile.

And now I'm going back.

After ten years.

I hope I can explain that after all this time.

I still want her to be my forever girl.

The Review: I was on holiday when I read this so I got through it pretty damn quick. It definitely became one of my favourites. 

Forever My Girl starts out on a sad note with old friends reuniting for a friends funeral and encountering one another again. I wasn't really sure what to expect when I started all I know is that I do enjoy the average girl and a rock star falling in love. This was a little different as Liam didn't always start out as a famous rock star, he was just an average Joe before his fame and Josie was his high school sweetheart. They're destined to be together.

The story moved at a good pace for what needed to be told, I loved both Liam and Josie and their reactions to each other after so many years of recovering from the heartbreak of being alone. They fall back into a rhythm that Josie so desperately tries to fight off, but Liam is too strong in her past to be forgotten and eventually they fall head over heels in love like they were.

As her debut novel Heidi did a wonderful job in bringing out the essence of each character and really delving straight into the situations. The thing I love most is that Forever My Girl is told in alternate POV's and I've always thought that New Adult books work better this way because you get a better sense of the story and how each character reacts to the other. Forever My Girl is a wonderful little story that I would most definitely recommend to all New Adult fans.

Overall a lovely story, I didn't feel there were faults with the book and I couldn't pin anything that I disliked from it. It was a satisfying read. So if you enjoy new adult, rock stars, small town girls, love, trust and most of all a second chance at love then I suggest you pick up this book and the ones following on from it. You won't regret it :) 

Showcase Sunday (#40)

It's been a long time since I've done a Showcase, well 3 weeks but whose counting. Lol. 

Anyway, here's some of the goodies I've had over the last few weeks. 

eBooks for Review: 

   

Breaking the Reins by Juliana Haygert | Conflict of Interest by Allyson Lindt | These Broken Stars by Megan Spooner | Switch by Janelle Stalder

Bought eBooks: 

   

Tragic & Manic by J.A. Huss | Rock Chick by Kristen Ashley | Share Me by Olivia Cunning 

For Review: 

  

The 100 by Kass Morgan | Rolling Dice by Beth Reekles | The Iron Traitor by Julie Kagawa| Shadowhunter's Guide: City of Bones by Mimi O'Connor | The Mortal Instruments City of Bones The Official Illustrated Movie Companion by Mimi O'Connor | Hearts in Darkness by Laura Kaye (Bought)  |  Emma Raveling bookmarks and stickers - watch out for a giveaway soon for some of these! 

Briar Rose by Jana Oliver | Fire with Fire by Jenny Han | Twisted Perfection by Abbi Glines | The Anxiety of Kalix the Werewolf by Martin Millar

Thank you to Simon & Schuster, Random House, Hodder, Mira Ink, Macmilliam, Pikatus,  Emma Raveling, Janelle Stalder, Juliana Haygert, Allyson Lindt & NetGalley. 

A Review for Frigid by J. Lynn

Posted by Donna 
Release Date: July 15th, 2013
Finished Date: August 11th, 2013

Publishers: Spencer Hill Contemporary
Source: Bought

Format: Kindle
Pages: 240

Buy: Amazon UK / Amazon US / The Book Depo

For twenty-one-year-old Sydney, being in love with Kyler isn't anything new. They'd been best friends ever since he pushed her down on the playground and she made him eat a mud pie. Somewhere over the years, she fell for him and fell hard. The big problem with that? Kyler puts the 'man' in man-whore. He's never stayed with a girl longer than a few nights, and with it being their last year in college, Syd doesn't want to risk their friendship by declaring her love. 

Kyler has always put Syd on a pedestal that was too high for him to reach. To him, she's perfect and she's everything. But the feelings he has for her, he's always hidden away or focused on any other female. After all, Kyler will always be the poor boy from the wrong side of tracks, and Syd will always be the one girl he can never have. 

But when they're stranded together at a posh ski resort due to a massive Nor'easter, there's nothing stopping their red-hot feelings for each other from coming to the surface. Can their friendship survive the attraction? Better yet, can they survive at all? Because as the snow falls, someone is stalking them, and this ski trip may be a life-changer in more ways than one.

The Review: “Sometimes words weren’t enough— they couldn’t cover the feeling. This was one of those times. So I closed the distance and kissed her, putting everything I felt for her, every promise I made her, into that one kiss.” 

Frigid was one of my most anticipated reads for 2013 because of how much I adore Jen’s work. I love her Tempting the Best Man and Wait for You, so of course I was super excited for Jen to write more new adult, and Frigid was another great story by her.

Kyler and Sydney have grown up together since becoming best friends at a young age. They know everything about each other, however, Sydney does keep one thing from Kyler, and that’s that she’s secretly in love with him. She’s can’t remember not ever loving him and she wishes he’d return her feelings. But because Sydney doesn’t have the nerve to tell Kyler, she has to watch from the side lines as he has sex with every other girl but her. It’s only when they go away on an annual ski trip and gets snowed in that slowly something starts to develop between them. But does Kyler feel the same way about Syd, or will their friendship be forever stuck as just friends?

I loved the theme of this book - the whole Christmas/snow/ski theme. I don’t think I’ve read another book quiet like this and for that, I loved it. I tend to find new adult books follow the same path but Jen really added something new to this with her theme. It opened me up to different settings and different adventures and it’s definitely left me wanting more than just your average story set in college.

Kyler and Sydney were great together. They were interesting and fun and their story is a little heart-breaking. They’re almost like lost characters, plotting around hiding their true feelings to each other and the world. It’s not until the ski trip that things start to change and they realise they want to be different people. Kyler was a fantastic male lead – hot, intense, fun and he plays the guitar, need I say more? Sydney, who was little shy is still a very open minded character. She knows what she wants but she just needed a push in the right direction to go after what she wanted. They were great together, whether that being friends or more than friends. It was really entertaining to watch their relationship play out. It was full of angst and drama – just what I love about a new adult story.

In all, whether Jen writes paranormal, or whether she writes new adult, she manages to nail it every single time, and I’m starting to believe that there’s nothing she can’t write. She’s an amazing writer and I’m so excited to see what’s next in story with her work. 

Blog Tour for Switch (New World) by Janelle Stalder; Review

Posted by Melanie
Release Date: August 27th, 2013 
Finished Date: August 4th, 2013

Publishers: Self - Published 
Source: For Review

Format: Kindle
Pages: 240

All’s fair in love and war. 

Two thirds of the world's population has been wiped out, devastated by the worst war earth has ever seen. Still standing amongst the ruins is a mind reader who finds herself on the wrong side of the war. Everyone does what they must to survive. When the rebels bent on bringing down the New World leader start to rise up, it is her job to make sure they stay down where they belong. That is, until one rebel sneaks past her defences and into her heart. Love will blossom from the ashes, but will it be enough to save them, or will it mean the end of them both?

*This book is for mature audiences due to sexual situations, violence and strong language. NA

 

The Review: 4.5 Flowers! Wow, I loved this book and I devoured it in one sitting. 

 

At 16, Charlotte Hatcher’s life is irrevocably changed starting with her mothers death right in front of her eyes. When her mind reading talent is exposed she is then faced with the option of joining the New World Order as ‘weapon X’ or die, she obviously takes the living option and becomes the greatest weapon in a tyrannical leaders arsenal as he all but destroys the world, decimating humanity with nuclear war & terrorist attacks. 5 years later, Charlotte, now known as Dinah is still doing her thing, no one knows who she is but all fear ‘weapon X’, but as more & more people come to her with ‘walls’ in their minds, built to block her out, her job is becoming increasingly difficult. After a revealing run in with a rebel leaves her in precarious situation her own walls start to crumble – why does he bring out this response in her? Why is he the only one to see past the ‘weapon X’ persona? – leading to her leader sending her undercover to expose the rebellion, find out where they are, what they’re up to and to take them out once and for all. Dinah doesn’t count on falling in love, she also doesn’t know that a lot of things have been kept from her…. Until now. 

So yeah I loved this book, anyone who knows me, knows I don’t usually enjoy dystopian topics as much as my usual reads but this is definitely one of the reasons why I still continue to read them, waiting for a gem like this. I loved everything about it, the characters were great, I connected with all of them especially Charlotte/Dinah – how could you not empathise with her when the first time we meet her she is forced to watch her mother be shot in the head and is forced to make a decision to help the people who did it whilst kneeling in her blood? Then she leads the life of a recluse, never exposed, only a handful of people knowing her true identity and the only friend she has is the one who killed her mother. It was great to see her blossom at the hands of the enemy & their forbidden love, I enjoyed reading of her going through self-doubt about their relationship, questioning everything, analysing everything, the way a teenager would do if not in her situation. It made me smile to see her gain some love, some happiness and experience at living instead of being locked away, hidden from the world. 

 

I absolutely loved the plot, with the New World Order taking over the world, it is really plausible that this could happen and I liked the way it was brought into the story. I liked that there was rebellion and that for as long as the ‘NOW’ has existed so has the resistance, albeit more secretive and I loved the way it tied in with our characters. The plotting and the secrecy where excellent ways of keeping my interest and there is a huge secret that had me turning page after page, waiting for it to come out – I loved it! I really liked the romance between the two lead characters, forbidden romance is always the best with its stolen moments and longing for the ‘next time’, I was even invested in the tentative one between a couple of others, I like how in all of the dreariness that the world now is, that love can shine through and not only show some hope but become a catalyst for change. This is an amazing start to a new series that definitely hits the spot, my review will certainly not do this book justice as there are lots of plot points for you to discover, filled with secrets, lies, twists & turns, that I just ate up and I will be waiting desperately for book two – especially following that cliffhanger! 

Janelle Stalder was born and raised in Brampton, Ontario. At an early age she developed a love for literature. Her debut novel, Eden, was the first book in a series of four, released in September of 2011. The second book, Eden-West, was released in July of 2012, and the third book, Eden-South was released in March of 2013. The fourth book of the Eden Series, Eden-East, will be release at the end of 2013. She is a strong supporter of other independent authors, and loves to interact with her readers. When she's not writing, Janelle is at home with her husband, two children, Aiden and Elora, and her two furry children, Alice and Lily. She now resides in the small town in Ontario in her old, possibly haunted, century home.

Author Contact Information:

Facebook: Janelle Stalder / Twitter: @jmstalder / Website: www.janellestalder.com

Email: jmstalder@gmail.com