{Review} The Reluctant Sacrifice by Kerr-Ann Dempster

Posted by Melanie
Release Date: August 7th, 2015
Finished Date: December 27th, 2015

Publishers: Self-Published
Genre: YA, Paranormal, Fantasy
Source: For Review
Format: eBook

Pages: 263
Buy: Amazon UK / Amazon US 

 

Centuries ago, sibling rivalry tore Aramith apart. As punishment, the losers were stripped of their immortal birthright and banished to Earth. There, they wasted away from old age and diseases. However, there is hope…

If a Shaw child, born on the 12th day of the 12th month offers her soul in a public sacrifice, then the exiles will be forgiven and welcomed home to Aramith.

Aubrey Shaw is that child, but dying for the exiles is not on her to-do list. Using her gift as a Jumper, Aubrey leaps between bodies to escape relentless shape-shifting hunters. Only, shedding her skin is not enough. Not when Joshua, her best-friend-turned-hunter, is hell-bent on dragging her to the altar.

Will Aubrey’s love for Joshua change his mind?

Or, will she have to trust the scarred stranger who shows up out of the blue cloaked in lies and secrets? Doing so means giving up on Joshua. But betting on Joshua's love could do more than break her heart.

It could kill her.

The Review: I am so glad that I took a chance on reviewing this book because it was fab!

As the synopsis states; Aubrey Shaw is meant to sacrifice her life for her people so that they can become immortal once more and return to the place of their ancestors. Aubrey's mother knew that something was up and ran with her daughter, which they have been doing ever since. When Aubrey and her mother ran, they left behind a husband/father, a daughter/sister and Aubrey's best friend/love of her life – all of whom are hunting her with a passion especially when it's revealed that Aubrey and her mother are 'jumpers' who have the ability to jump between bodies and assume the identity of the person into whose body they have jumped into. This is a pretty cool power if you ask me – apart from the fact that you start to lose sense of who you really are the more times you jump, so I took that as a sort of insanity.

It's quite close to the sacrifice date and the pursuit hots up for Aubrey with Joshua leading the way and when things seem dire, they receive help from an unexpected source but this particular time will have far reaching effects for Aubrey. It also introduces us to tall, dark and scarred hottie by the name of Coy – a hunter like Joshua – with his own agenda. I really liked the connection that Aubrey and Coy have, he helped her in her time of need and when he comes back.... there's some chemistry but Aubrey is still hung up on Joshua. I was always left feeling like I didnt know whether to trust Coy, I preffered him in the love triangle but it always seemed like he could turn on her whereas Joshua didnt hide what he was up to. Never the less, I liked how the relationships played out and as the story goes on it became clear where Aubrey's heart lay.

As the wait to the sacrifice date grows nearer we follow all of the characters as they deal with what is on the horizon. Aubrey tries to remain as normal as possible but the guys start to branch out into doing their own thing which wont always be in Aubrey's best interests. There are a lot of secrets to uncover and things that Aubrey must deal with in the run up to her doom.....but there will be a plan – the questions is.... will it work?

Another thing that I liked about this book is that it was different, this is the second book I have read by this author and both have been unique and unusual, they are also suspenseful, really get you thinking and also becoming so engrossed in the story that it's so hard to put it down. I thought it was well written, well thought out, flowed well and I thoroughly enjoyed it – give it a go!

Thank you to Kerr-Ann Dempster for giving me the opportunity to review this book in exchange for an honest review. 

{Feature} Waiting on Wednesday (#133)

 

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

Donna's WoW

Firstlife (An Everlife Novel #1)
by Gena Showalter 
Release Date: February 23rd, 2016

ONE CHOICE.

TWO REALMS.

NO SECOND CHANCE.

Tenley “Ten” Lockwood is an average seventeen-year-old girl…who has spent the past thirteen months locked inside the Prynne Asylum. The reason? Not her obsession with numbers, but her refusal to let her parents choose where she’ll live—after she dies.

There is an eternal truth most of the world has come to accept: Firstlife is merely a dress rehearsal, and real life begins after death.

In the Everlife, two realms are in power: Troika and Myriad, longtime enemies and deadly rivals. Both will do anything to recruit Ten, including sending their top Laborers to lure her to their side. Soon, Ten finds herself on the run, caught in a wild tug-of-war between the two realms who will do anything to win the right to her soul. Who can she trust? And what if the realm she’s drawn to isn’t home to the boy she’s falling for? She just has to stay alive long enough to make a decision…

  Donna's thoughts: I have mixed thoughts about this so far. I love Gena's work but I'm not keen on alternate worlds. Hopefully I'll enjoy it! 

Melanie's WoW

Reign of Shadows
by Sophie Jordan 
Release Date: February 9th, 2016

Seventeen years ago, an eclipse cloaked the kingdom of Relhok in perpetual darkness. In the chaos, an evil chancellor murdered the king and queen and seized their throne. Luna, Relhok’s lost princess, has been hiding in a tower ever since. Luna’s survival depends on the world believing she is dead.

But that doesn’t stop Luna from wanting more. When she meets Fowler, a mysterious archer braving the woods outside her tower, Luna is drawn to him despite the risk. When the tower is attacked, Luna and Fowler escape together. But this world of darkness is more treacherous than Luna ever realized.

With every threat stacked against them, Luna and Fowler find solace in each other. But with secrets still unspoken between them, falling in love might be their most dangerous journey yet.

With lush writing and a star–crossed romance, Reign of Shadows is Sophie Jordan at her best.

Melanie's thoughts: This sounds good, I've only read a couple of fairytale  retellings so hopefully this will live up to expectations.

<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!

{Review} Wicked Edge (Realm Enforcers #2) by Rebecca Zanetti

Posted by Melanie
Release Date: November 10th, 2015
Finished Date: December 27th, 2015

Publishers: Lyrical Press
Genre: Adult, Paranormal, Romance
Source: For Review
Format: eARC

Pages: 276
Buy: Amazon UK / Amazon US / Book Depo 

 

“Zanetti gives paranormal a sexy MC twist!”—New York Times bestselling author Joanna Wylde

If you love the Dark Protectors, these wicked hot Realm Enforcers are for you!

Daire Dunne is more than ready to take a quick break from his duties as a Coven Nine Enforcer. When he spots a sexy blonde across a Titan’s of Fire party, it’s not long before she’s on the back of his Harley on the fast track to his apartment. Unfortunately, one overheated kiss in, the woman drugs Daire and steals valuable files that can’t fall into enemy hands. The second he comes to, the hunt is on...

Now that Cee Cee has the information to take down an enemy that destroyed her family, she can implement her perfect plan for revenge. Nothing will stop her, not even a shockingly sexy enforcer barging into her life. Not even the spectacular, fire-branding sex engulfing them. But if Daire ever figures out who her family really is, all bets are off...

The Review: Wicked Edge is the second book in the Realm Enforcers series and just as good as the first!

Daire was awesome as the leading man, all alpha and protective but he definitely had his work cut out for him with Cee Cee. From the get go Cee Cee was scheming, she has a plan and that plan is very intricate but to start it all off she needs something that only Daire has..... and so begins the games. I have to say that this brought about some really funny situations especially when Cee Cee continuously tried to drug him. You would think a man would give up the chase when that happens and also when the woman you're chasing is constantly trying to escape you.... but not Daire – he is persistent! And believe me he is in for way more shocks when it comes to Cee Cee. They had great chemistry which is felt in lots of ways and they sure know how to get their sexy on.

The storyline was fab! I thought the relationship drama was fun, as I mentioned – there are a lot of moments where Cee Cee tries to go her own way and Daire won't allow it – you will not believe the ways in which she tries to leave, they are hilarious but also make you wonder why he keeps bothering.... especially when he finds out who she really is. The bad guy in this is tied to the story in a couple of ways but the connection to Cee Cee is the one that I became most invested in, he became relentless in his pursuit of her – good job she has a bad ass enforcer at her back. The storyline was also full of action which added danger and excitement to the plot; when they weren't fighting off bears, they were crashing into the freezing ocean; when Daire wasn't chasing Cee Cee he was entering enemy territory to find out what is going on; When Cee Cee wasn't trying to escape Daire, she was blowing sh*t up! and when Cee Cee lands in the hands of evil, Daire is assembling the ultimate rescue squad. Needless to say, this was a thrill ride of a book with just the right amount of drama, action and sexytime when one woman's quest for revenge will not only close a chapter of her life but bring the downfall of many.... and finding love in the process. 

Thank you to Lyrical Press for giving me the opportunity to review this book in exchange for an honest review. 

{Review} The Warrior Vampire (Last True Vampire #2) by Kate Baxter

Posted by Melanie
Release Date: December 1st, 2015
Finished Date: December 27th, 2015

Publishers: Headline
Genre: Adult, Paranormal, Romance
Source: For Review
Format: ARC

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

 

The vampire was built for sin, every inch of him tight and bulky with corded muscle. A killer, that much was apparent, and she couldn't help but wonder if his appetite for violence would rival his appetites for other...things.

A WOMAN SEDUCED

Naya Morales is no ordinary mortal. Born with a shaman's power, she has devoted her life to tracking down stolen magic—and punishing those who take it. But one fateful night, she follows the alluring call of a sensual magic that is too glorious to be true—and finds herself face to face with a stunningly handsome thief who is too magnificent to resist...

A VAMPIRE ENSLAVED

From the moment he sees her, Ronan knows Naya is his mate. Driven by a deep, almost mystical connection, he aches for her body, hungers for her blood, and swears their souls are anchored together. Naya refuses to believe the words of a vampire—or risk the wrath of her tribe. But when she tries to make Ronan her prisoner, neither chains of silver nor fires of hell can help her escape the truth: she is the one who's been captured...

The Review: The Warrior Vampire is the second book in the Last True Vampire series and just as good as the first.
We have already met the leading man -Ronan- in book one when he made a sacrifice for his sire Marcus in which he entered a blood troth to the queen of the Dhampirs to be hers..... but when Ronan meets Naya, he knows straight away that she is his because his soul has been returned and only his true mate can do that. The thing is, Ronan is bleeding corrupted magic all over which brings him to the attention of Naya who hunts down those who steal magic and allow it to corrupt them...... but he also emits a tune that sings to her soul, a tune so perfect that it confuses her as to why this chaos surrounds him.
Naya didn't know that vampires still exist but takes him captive anyway- even if just to work out how he knows her name. Naya's home isn't like others too, they are a community with magic and Naya's is the rarest meaning that it must be kept pure... which leads to a forced engagement and one very territorial vampire who is not happy to hear that his mate is promised to someone else. That's not even the half of it because that stolen magic is just popping up all over the place and Naya's foes are getting harder to beat... just what is going on and why has so much evil come to town?
I really enjoyed this book, if you liked the first then you will definitely enjoy this. I liked Ronan in book one and thought it was selfless how he bound himself to the Dhampir queen to save his race – it showed what kind of man he was. Obviously that troth is going to become a problem here because he meets his mate and she is not a Dhampir but a Shaman who can hear magic, locate corrupt magic and take it away from the person by killing them. This will not be good news for Ronan especially when he finds himself tied to her bed by silver chains. This also signals the start of a bumpy relationship as they clash straight away with Ronan knowing that Naya is his mate and Naya refusing to accept it and bound to her duty to the community. It was a fun ride, lots of back and forth bickering, possessive caveman growliness but eventually some very satisfying sexytime.
The storyline was really good – Naya's community has seen an increase in stolen magic that turns the users into demons and she is the one to retrieve the magic but kills the person in the process. Naya wants to know where this is coming from because it is very unusual and seeing as how Ronan is tainted by the bad magic... she needs to find out how to extract it safely. There is a lot of things going on behind the scenes in this plot so don't expect any answers until the end but the getting there is the joy of a book plus when you add in that Ronan has some memory loss up until he meets Naya, he has a sister who is missing and the reason he is there in the first place and of course the other woman's claim on Ronan and also a man's claim on Naya...... you are in for some fun! Let's just say you will not be disappointed.

4.5 stars!  

Thank you to Headline Eternal for giving me the opportunity to review this book in exchange for an honest review. 

 

{Review} My Secret to Tell by Natalie D. Richards

Posted by Donna
Release Date: October 6th, 2015
Finished Date: December 13th, 2015

Publishers: Sourcebooks Fire
Genre: YA, Contemporary, Thriller
Source: For Review
Format: eARC

Pages: 320
Buy: Amazon UK / Amazon US / Book Depo 

 

There was blood on his hands. Where was the guilt in his eyes?

Emmie's had a crush on her best friend's brother forever. Deacon is the town bad boy who's always in trouble, but she sees his soft side when he volunteers with her at the local animal shelter. She doesn't think he's dangerous…until he shows up in her bedroom with blood on his hands.

Deacon's father has been violently assaulted and Deacon is suspect number one. Emmie's smart enough to know how this looks, but she also knows Deacon's biggest secret—he's paralyzed by the sight of blood. She's sure he didn't do this. Or did he? Because even Deacon's own sister thinks he's guilty…

The Review: My Secret to Tell was the first book I’d read by author Natalie D. Richards. It’s not often I find myself reaching for a YA thriller but sometimes I need to try something different and My Secret to Tell sounded like an interesting read so I thought why not.

The story is about a girl called Emmie who has always had a crush on her best friend’s brother. Trouble is Deacon is trouble. He’s been in trouble with the police a number of times and everyone always seems to see the bad side of him especially his father who he doesn’t get along with but, not Emmie. She sees the good side. The side that he hides from everyone else. But when Deacon turns up at Emmie’s house one night covered in blood that belongs to his father, Emmie doesn’t know what to believe. Does she believe that Deacon hurt his father like everyone else in town or does she know the real Deacon, the one that would never hurt someone?

With My Secret to Tell being a mystery/thriller it had a lot of twists to the story. I wasn’t expecting it to be so dangerous and Emmie and Deacon’s story really was. Deacon is basically framed for hurting his Dad which was properly the easiest part of the story to work out, however, the why’s and when’s and all the other questions that come with this book weren’t very easily predicted and I enjoyed discovering the answers along with the characters. I really liked Emmie and Deacon. I thought they were good characters and they easily held my attention. Some of the other characters weren’t as likable but I guess that’s a given with the nature of the story. I didn’t go into it with a lot of expectations and I think this helped because while the story didn’t blow me away it was one I certainly liked and even so made me go an buy the author’s debut novel Six Months Later.

Thank you to Sourcebooks Fire for giving me the opportunity to review this book in exchange for an honest review. 

{Review + Christmas Special} All Wrapped Up (Geek Girl #1.5) by Holly Smale

Posted by Donna
Release Date: November 5th, 2015
Finished Date: December 6th, 2015

Publishers: HarperCollins Children's Books
Genre: YA, Contemporary
Source: For Review
Format: Hardcover

Pages: 220
Buy: Amazon UK / Amazon US / Book Depo 

 

All I want for Christmas is… a new GEEK GIRL story!

Harriet Manners knows a lot about Christmas.

She knows that every year Santa climbs down 91.8 million chimneys.

She knows that Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer was almost definitely a girl.

She knows that the first artificial Christmas trees were made out of goose feathers.

But this Christmas is extra special for Harriet, because four days ago she had her First Ever Kiss.

Now she just needs to work out what's supposed to happen next…

A romantic festive treat from the internationally bestselling award-winning author of the GEEK GIRL series. Also includes a BONUS previously unpublished GEEK GIRL short story TEAM GEEK!

The Review: All Wrapped Up is the perfect holiday novella to get you in the festive mood and it's also an added bonus for all of the Geek Girl fans!

Could we love Harriet and Nick any more? Well this special novella gives some special insight to the their first ever date along with their first kiss. I did wonder why we missed it in between Geek Girl ending and Model Misfit starting but this was a fab way to flash back in time, but also if you're all up to date with the series and are Team Lion Boy then this could be a little bit heart-breaking too. 

All Wrapped Up has a little bit of everything for the festive holidays and it's full of swoon-worthy moments and not only that, it felt real. Harriet's personality shone throughout this novella more than ever and it just made me love her even more. If you're a fan of this beautiful couple then it's definitely a must-read this year.

Thank you to HarperCollins for giving me the opportunity to review this book in exchange for an honest review. 

 

 THE GEEK GIRL GUIDE TO CHRISTMAS
by Harriet Manners  
 

The word mistletoe comes from the Old English word mistletan, which means poo twig, because it spreads itself through seeds in bird droppings that land on tree branches
 

The biggest Christmas tree in the world is in Rio de Janeiro – it is 278 feet tall, and floats on the Rodrigo de Freitas Lagoon
 

In the Ukraine, Christmas trees are decorated with spider’s webs
 

In Scandinavia, they leave porridge out for Santa instead of cookies
 

The First Ever Christmas stamp was issued in 1962 and featured a wreath and two candles
 

The First Ever Christmas card was sold in 1843 and depicted a family drinking wine
 

The First Ever Christmas song sung in space was Jingle Bells
 

Ice skating is the oldest human-powered means of transportation on earth, invented 3,000 years ago in Finland where skates were made from animal bones and leather
 

The most romantic Christmas fact ever - in 1913, a couple were fined fifteen dollars for kissing in the streets of New York City on Christmas Day
 
All the gifts in the Twelve Days of Christmas would equal 364 separate presents 
 

The World’s biggest stocking is 106 feet and nine inches long and holds a thousand presents 
 

Approximately three billion Christmas cards are sent every year in the US alone
 

The average age of a Christmas tree is fifteen years old 
 

For more Festive Geek Girl facts, check out All Wrapped Up by Holly Smale, published by HarperCollins Children’s £9.99,  out now

Displaying Geek Girl Xmas facts.pdf.

{Review} The Magical Snow Garden by Tracey Corderoy, Jane Chapman

Posted by Donna
Release Date: September 1st, 2015
Finished Date: November 29th, 2015

Publishers: Little Tiger Press
Genre: Children's Picture Book 
Ages: 3 - 5 years old
Source: For Review
Format: Paperback

Pages: 32

Buy: Amazon UK / Amazon US / The Book Depo

Far away, where snowflakes twinkle like stars, Wellington penguin dreams of growing a garden. "Impossible!" say his friends. "You can't grow a garden in the snow." But Wellington is determined to create something truly magical...Snuggle up and share this heart-warming picture book about refusing to give up on a dream. Written by Tracey Corderoy (Shifty McGifty and Slippery Sam) and with enchanting illustrations from Jane Chapman (The Little White Owl), The Magical Snow Garden is a must for any child's Christmas stocking.

The Review: This story follows Wellington the penguin who has dreams of growing a garden. The problem is he lives where it snows so it's impossible to grow plants and flowers. However, Wellington has another idea. He thinks he can create a garden from recycling old pieces of material, buttons, sea shells and many other objects. And he's set to prove everyone who told him he couldn't wrong. It's a story about determination and always believing you can create anything you want. And Wellington's personality really shines through out the story and his big ideas are definitely something to marvel at. 

This book went down a right treat with my Daughter. As soon as the pile of books arrived The Magical Snow Garden was the first story my Daughter picked to read. With it's beautiful illustrations and it's touching and magical story this was definitely a perfect story to read around the holidays. And as a parent it was so much reading a story that was so perfectly well put together.

In all, The Magical Snow Garden is a fantastic story with even better pictures that will definitely capture any child's attention.   

Thank you to Little Tiger Press for giving me the opportunity to review this book in exchange for an honest review.

{Review} All that Glitters (Geek Girl #4) by Holly Smale

Posted by Donna
Release Date: February 26th, 2015
Finished Date: December 6th, 2015

Publishers: HarperCollins Children's Books
Genre: YA, Contemporary
Source: For Review
Format: Paperback 

Pages: 400
Buy: Amazon UK / Amazon US / Book Depo 

 

“My name is Harriet Manners, and I have always been a geek.”

The fourth book in the award-winning GEEK GIRL series.

Harriet Manners knows many things.

She knows that toilet roll was invented by the Chinese in 600 AD.

She knows that a comet’s tail always points away from the sun.

And she knows that the average healthy heart beats 70 times per minute. Even when it’s broken.

But she knows nothing about making new friends at Sixth Form. Or why even her old friends seem to be avoiding her. And she knows even less about being a glittering supermodel success. Which she now is – apparently.

Has Harriet’s time to shine like a star finally arrived, or is she about to crash and burn?

The Review: **Possible spoilers from the first three books** 

As soon as I finished Picture Perfect I started All that Glitters straight away. How could I not? With that ending I needed to read more but was it me or was this one just not as good as the other books? I’m still rating it 4 stars though because I still love Harriet but I just didn’t enjoy the plot of this story as much. It might be the fact that I’m still trying to deal with the fact that Harriet and Lion Boy are no more. I’m absolutely devastated. I was still clinging onto hope when I started this book but by the end I was left in ruins and screaming at Harriet for her choices. 

With Harriet starting at Sixth Form we don’t see much of Nat but more surprisingly Toby didn’t have much time either. They’re trying to give Harriet room to branch out and make new friends but if anything it just confuses Harriet and makes her feel lonely. I felt sorry for her. Especially when it seems hard for her to make new friends and with Alexa breathing down her neck but I was pleased for the arrival of India’s character and I’m hoping we will get to see more of her through the series. I wasn’t overly keen on any of the new people Harriet chose to hang around with other than India but then I loved seeing what Harriet got up to because this girl is a walking disaster most of the time but it’s just so lovable and entertaining that you can’t help but love her. Even though we see Harriet struggle with the type of person she should but, once again she realises that she needs to be happy with who she is and the old Harriet is back. 

And do I smell a new potential romance blossoming with new boy Jasper? I don’t know how I feel about this right now. I’m still #TeamLionBoy and I believe that he and Harriet should be together – even though their ending felt pretty final I’m still holding out hope. I’m invested in them too much as this stage to give up. 

I’m excited to see what Head over Heels will bring though. As much as I’m scared that I won’t get the ending I want for Harriett I’m looking forward to reading more and hopefully the series doesn’t end with book five. 

Thank you to HarperCollins Children's Books for giving me the opportunity to review this book in exchange for an honest review. 

{Review} Dark Heart of Magic (Black Blade #2) by Jennifer Estep

Posted by Melanie
Release Date: October 27th, 2015
Finished Date: December 4th, 2015

Publishers: K-Teen
Genre: YA, Fantasy, Paranormal, Romance
Source: For Review
Format: eARC

Pages: 368
Buy: Amazon UK / Amazon US / The Book Depo

There Be Monsters Here. . .

It's not as great as you'd think, living in a tourist town that's known as "the most magical place in America." Same boring high school, just twice as many monsters under the bridges and rival Families killing each other for power. 

I try to keep out of it. I've got my mom's bloodiron sword and my slightly illegal home in the basement of the municipal library. And a couple of Talents I try to keep quiet, including very light fingers and a way with a lock pick. 

But then some nasty characters bring their Family feud into my friend's pawn shop, and I have to make a call--get involved, or watch a cute guy die because I didn't. I guess I made the wrong choice, because now I'm stuck putting everything on the line for Devon Sinclair. My mom was murdered because of the Families, and it looks like I'm going to end up just like her. . .

The Review: I really enjoyed the second book in the Black Blade series, even more than the first!

Now that we know a little more about this world, it was very easy to slip right into it again and pick up where we left off. Lila has officially become part of the Sinclair family and has learned a good few things about herself and her parentage. She is still honing her abilities whilst trying to keep them secret which could become problematic when her boss chooses her to compete in the Tournament of Blades. In the tournament she will be pitted against not only her enemies but also her friends and that includes Devon whom she is still having mixed feelings about.

Weird things are beginning to happen around town though, demons are being forced out of their homes and into the city or worse! Murdered! Then once the tournament is underway – people start turning up dead, drained of blood…. Lila must get to the bottom of it all whilst keeping an eye on her charges, keeping an eye on herself and keeping an eye on Victor Draconi who has a few plots and plans up his sleeve that need to be revealed.

Lila became more self assured throughout this book and more mature, she seemed to weigh everything up, considered the outcomes and made decisions, which is unlike many characters we read about in this age range. For all she had made a connection with Devon in book one, I was glad that they didn’t just dive bomb into a relationship because I enjoy the simmer, the little moments where attraction and chemistry comes to the forefront of their minds and gives those special scenes that really get your heart invested in them. I do like them together, as I said, they have great chemistry, she seems to be on a very equal footing with him in her capabilities and that it nice to see – they complement each other rather than being dependant on each other.

I thought this was a fab sequel in the series and I loved the tournament storyline which gave it a very fantasy like feel. I like the mysteries that arose throughout the story, first off we have the dead demons that need seeing to – it may feel like this is not much of a story but just wait for the tie in. Then we have super spy/thief Lila in action as she goes in search of information and to see what certain people are up to…. What she discovers will be quite the eye opener and I really liked who we met because of that. We also have the tournament which would be awesome in its self, seeing the characters wield their powers in a combatant way and finding out who is the best amongst them but when you add to that someone sabotaging the challenge, contestants turning up dead…. It became excellent! and! To top it all off, Lila will learn some huge secrets about herself and her family which makes me really excited for the next book. Loved this! 

4.5 Flowers! 

Thank you to K-Teen for giving me the opportunity to review this book in exchange for an honest review. 

{Feature} Waiting on Wednesday (#132)

 

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

Donna's WoW

Head over Heels (Geek Girl #5) 
by Holly Smale
Release Date: February 25th, 2015

“My name is Harriet Manners, and I will always be a geek.”

The fifth book in the bestselling, award-winning GEEK GIRL series.

Harriet Manners knows almost every fact there is.

She knows duck-billed platypuses don’t have stomachs.
She knows that fourteen squirrels were once detained as spies.
She knows only one flag in the world features a building.

And for once, Harriet knows exactly how her life should go. She’s got it ALL planned out. So when love is in the air, Harriet is determined to Make Things Happen!
If only everyone else would stick to the script…

Has GEEK GIRL overstepped the mark, and is following the rules going to break hearts all over again?

  Donna's thoughts: I adore this series and I'm so excited that I don't have to wait much longer for the fifth book!

Melanie's WoW

Sword and Verse 
by Kathy MacMillan
Release Date: January 19th, 2016

Raisa was just a child when she was sold to work as a slave in the kingdom of Qilara. Despite her young age, her father was teaching her to read and write, grooming her to take his place as a Learned One. In Qilara, the Arnathim, like Raisa, are the lowest class, and literacy is a capital offense. What’s more, only the king, prince, tutor, and tutor-in-training are allowed to learn the very highest order language, the language of the gods. So when the tutor-in-training is executed for teaching slaves this sacred language, and Raisa is selected to replace her, Raisa knows any slipup on her part could mean death.

Keeping her secret is hard enough, but the romance that’s been growing between her and Prince Mati isn’t helping matters. Then Raisa is approached by the Resistance—an underground army of slave rebels—to help liberate Arnath slaves. She wants to free her people, but that would mean aiding a war against Mati. As Raisa struggles with what to do, she discovers a secret that the Qilarites have been hiding for centuries—one that, if uncovered, could bring the kingdom to its knees.
Melanie's thoughts: Sounds really good and I love a good fantasy book.

<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!

{Review} Spiral of Need (The Mercury Pack #1) by Suzanne Wright

Posted by Melanie
Release Date: September 29th, 2015
Finished Date: December 4th, 2015

Publishers: Montlake Romance
Genre: NA, Contemporary, Romance
Source: For Review
Format: eBook

Pages: 322
Buy: Amazon UK / Amazon US / The Book Depo

Ally Marshall isn’t just a wolf shifter — she’s a Seer.

But a girl doesn’t exactly need special powers to know that Derren Hudson despises her entire kind. Disdain practically rolls off the Beta of the Mercury Pack . . . disdain mixed with a healthy dose of desire. And no matter how much the ruggedly handsome male appeals to her, this is one call of the wild she’s determined to ignore.

After one betrayal too many, Derren doesn’t have much use for Seers — except for Ally.

Forced into acting as her protector, he finds himself intensely and passionately drawn to the woman who incites his primal instinct to claim.

And when enemies target the pack, Ally’s gift may be just what the Mercury Pack needs.

Can he put his distrust aside, or will he force himself to turn his back on the one woman who makes his inner beast howl?

The Review: If you’re reading this series then you’re probably aware of the author’s Phoenix Pack series and that is where you will have met most of these characters and whilst it’s not important to have read that series, it helps to know who everyone is and the dynamics of the two packs and what had caused it…. Needless to say, this was just as awesome an opener to the series as the previous series. I really liked the characters in this and thought Ally was a very capable heroine, her circumstances weren’t great and I really felt for her situation – her boyfriend found his true mate and that mate was alienating Ally from her whole pack – she was really stubborn and determined and I liked that about her. We all love a good hate to love scenario and that is what we get here because with Ally being a seer, Derren being prejudiced against seers – someone is going to have to work on their preconceptions. To be fair, it isn’t just Derren that hates seers, it’s the whole pack…. So Ally has some hard work cut out for her in changing their minds and the only reason Derren took her to his pack is because he owes a favour to someone. It was fun to read about them both fighting their attraction, with Ally being a seer, she is very empathic and actually feels the emotions of those around her so it can’t have been easy in the beginning when all she felt was distrust and animosity. Obviously they get down and dirty with each other and they certainly steam up those pages both believing that they aren’t forever but as always…. Fate has other plans.

I really enjoyed the story line in this, it was exciting and dangerous with multiple attacks on the Mercury pack that brought some action and violence to the plot. We know the problem the pack has had with seers so Ally is there to remedy that and make them see that they aren’t all self serving, it was good of her to challenge their misconceptions and I liked how it was handled. The reason she ends up with the Mercury pack was really good and totally set the tone of the book so that we don’t exactly know if it’s the pack or Ally that is being targeted because the attacks come strong and fast. Ally has a protector who more or less ordered Derren to take her in until he was able and what a great addition he was to the plot – I would LOVE his book and his brothers! There are a lot of shifting dynamics between neighboring packs plus Ally’s old pack as the Mercury pack really go all out and make an impact. It was great to see some healthy sized cameos from the Phoenix pack and I loved what they injected into the story too. I’m just as excited about this series as I was about the other so it promises to be more good stuff!


Thank you to Montlake Romance for giving me the opportunity to review this book in exchange for an honest review.

 

{Review} Picture Perfect (Geek Girl #3) by Holly Smale

Posted by Donna
Release Date: June 14th, 2014
Finished Date: December 4th, 2015

Publishers: HarperCollins Children's Books
Genre: YA, Contemporary
Source: For Review
Format: Paperback 

Pages: 400
Buy: Amazon UK / Amazon US / Book Depo 

 

"My name is Harriet Manners, and I'll always be a geek."

It's the hilarious third book in the No.1 bestselling, award winning GEEK GIRL series!

Harriet Manners knows more facts than most. She knows that New York is the most populous city in the United States. She knows that its official motto is "Ever Upward". She knows that 28% of Americans believe we never landed on the moon.

But she knows nothing about modelling in the Big Apple, and how her family will cope with life stateside. Or how to "become a brand", as the models in New York put it. And, even more importantly, what to do when the big romantic gestures aren't coming from your boyfriend...

Does geek girl go too far this time?

The laugh out loud follow-up to award winning GEEK GIRL and MODEL MISFIT will have you in stitches.

The Review: Picture Perfect is book three in Holly Smale’s Geek Girl series and after reading the previous two book within a matter of days, I just knew I couldn’t stop there. I knew I needed to read the remaining books because so far these books have gotten better and better and I was excited to find out what happens next. 

This time around we see Harriett head to New York but it’s not just for modelling. This time it’s because her father had been offered a new job and their family needed the money – especially with a new baby in the family. Harriett has a bit of a rough time during this book. Moving away from her house and everyone she knows really hits her hard and I did feel sorry for her. But then I also felt she made certain situation worse for herself. This book was definitely Harriett’s rebellious stage – she gets grounded and just makes everything worse for herself by sneaking out the house and running away to New York and she takes advice from the wrong people and jeopardises her relationship with Nick with serious consequences. Harriett just did not have a good time during this book. But the good thing was I also found she grew a lot. By her making mistakes she learnt from them and her journey throughout this book was still entertaining but it also pulls on your heart.

With Harriett in the USA for most of the book we don’t see much of our favourite secondary characters like Nat and Toby but we do see Wilbur and Nick with them being at New York Fashion Show. I love Wilbur. He makes Harriet’s story so fun. And Nick. I just love him *sobs* - I’m praying for him to be in the next book. 

In all, Picture Perfect was a pretty great read. I did enjoy Model Misfit more but this was still a fab instalment. I can’t wait to see what comes next! 

Thank you to HarperCollins for giving me the opportunity to review this book in exchange for an honest review.