Review: Frosted Over by Amy Rachiele

I received a copy from the author in exchange for an honest review.

I am a huge fan of Amy Rachiele from her Mobster series, and was excited to get a copy of Frosted Over for review. It was a very enjoyable novella, and my only complaint is that it could have been longer with some more details on the falling in love side.

Frosted Over is the story of three friends taking a weekend vacation to Mount Carter for a cross country ski trip. Libby, Cassie, and Jill have no idea what is really in store for them. A freak snow storm and an avalanche may not be their worst nightmares.

But there is a good side, too. They meet three guys, Kyle, Randy, and Alex, that might be their only salvation through the nightmare. This was a little too instant love for me, which is why I wish the story was extended a little to more of after escaping the storm, but it was still very sweet. The boys were definitely swoon worthy and doting.

This was a great quick story to read, and I look forward to future books by Amy.

Review of Elite by Rachel Van Dyken

Elite by Rachel Van Dyken

Genre: New Adult, Romance, Suspense

Published July 9, 2013 by Forever

Received a copy for review through NetGalley

 

 

 

My thoughts:
I received this book through NetGalley for an honest review.

I found Elite to be an entertaining page turner. When I think about it I think some of it is a little ridiculous, but it was well written ridiculousness that left me wanting more. Trace has won a scholarship to attend a school for the rich and sometimes famous. When she arrives she is right away tormented by the schools Elect that tell her a bunch of rules she needs to follow. And this Elect is ruled by the class president, Nixon. Nixon comes off as the biggest jerk ever, but he keeps playing hot and cold. And before you know it they are in love.

But it is not all fun and games, and people will get hurt. It is an emotional roller coaster of a journey for Trace as she tries to deal with the prejudices of school and finding out she may not be who she thinks she is. And no one else is either. This came with many surprises that keep you guessing throughout the story.

The one thing I found really irritating was the triangle that came up near the end. I love a good triangle, but this one hit a nerve for me. It will be interesting to see where it goes in the sequel, and I will definitely be reading the sequel. I recommend this to the New Adult lovers out there.

Review: Losing Hope by Collee Hoover

Losing Hope by Colleen Hoover

New Adult Contemporary Romance

Received an ARC from Atria Books through NetGalley

Published July 8, 2013

 

 

I was so excited to get my hands on Losing Hope since it was one of my most anticipated sequels this year. Colleen Hoover is such an amazing writer that invokes such strong feelings in her books. And I was not disappointed with this one.

 

Dean Holder is the voice of Losing Hope. His story is a little rougher on the language and behavior since he is a guy, but I loved his story. We get to hear his side and Colleen did an amazing job at getting us into his head and feeling his emotions. We learn what he has been going through since losing Hope so many years before and then how he battled with losing his sister, Les. One of my favorite parts was reading the journal entries he was writing to his sister in the empty notebook. That probably gave the most insight into what he was going through.

 

A lot of the stuff that happens after he meets Sky was a little repetitive, but since we get to know what is in his head and a little of how he feels about her it makes it seem not so much. It was hard to read about what he was feeling about hoping Sky and Hope were not the same person, because I could just feel how hard this was going to be on him to let her know.

 

Wonderful book written in a male perspective, and I would recommend Colleen's books to 18+ readers. Contains moderate language and bedroom scenes.

 

My Rating: 5 stars



Blog Tour: Love Exactly by Cassandra Giovanni

Today I am excited to be participating in the blog tour for Cassandra Giovanni's new book Love Exactly. There's a great giveaway as a part of the tour! Don't forget to hit each blog each day for extra entries by searching for the bold term and entering it in the rafflecopter!

Book Description:

Emma Walker was a writer who'd lost herself to someone else's anger--who had given up on ever feeling like herself again.

Evan Levesque was a rock-god--the one all the woman wanted, but he'd never gotten used to the loneliness between the stage and real life.
With just one cup of coffee they'll begin a journey of self-discovery at each others sides, but can Emma handle Evan's fame while dealing with her own demons? Emma's checkered personal past, a bad relationship that haunts the edges of her memories, threatens to make everything implode on them when Evan takes matters into his own hands.
Sticks and stones may break my bones, but your words...they'll destroy my soul--Can Emma handle being put back together and facing who she's become because of it?

GENRE: New Adult and Contemporary Romance

Mild to moderate sexual content



Excerpt from Chapter 1:

Evan shrugged as he grabbed our drinks and headed in the direction of the lounge area. He sat down in a love seat and nodded for me to join him before handing me my coffee.

"Welcome to Heaven on Earth," he toasted before taking a sip.
I took a sip before pulling my knees up to my chest and turning so I was facing him.There was a crooked grin as he looked over the top of his coffee at me. “So what’s it like being Lois Lane?”I looked down at my own cup as a smile I couldn’t prevent spread across my lips. I glanced back up at him as I answered, “I don’t get to work with Superman, but I get to cover stuff like Mister Whiskers being stuck in a tree, the newest cookie flavor at Betty’s Baker, and of course, the basketball games.”
"What did you really want to be?" he asked as he leaned back in the chair with his eyes searching mine. It felt like he really cared even though every part of me cried out for me to believe otherwise because of who he was.
"I wanted to write young adult novels—I wanted to be the next Stephanie Meyer...a best seller over night and rich as all hell—to just do what I loved."
"Meyer is a lot older than you. You still have a shot at that."
"Yeah..."
"Besides being rich as hell isn't all it's cracked up to be...it's hard to make real friends that way."
"I could understand that."
"So who stomped on your hopes and dreams? Some big shot agent?"
I shrugged. "Let's put it this way, I spent forty grand on a school loan that amounted to nothing...I used to be afraid to say that my degree was useless...because then I would be saying it didn't teach me how to write—""It didn't though; it’s just like no one could teach me how to really write music."
"So you had no formal training?”
“I had a little—just like you, but it never seemed to matter… either I was a musician or I
wasn’t—simple.”
“I wish it was that easy with writing,” I said with a sigh, my fingers tapping the top of my coffee.
“Why isn’t it?”
“The publishers didn’t give a crap about my degree, but they wouldn’t listen to me without it.” I shook my head. “I read an article once that said to be a best seller you need to sleep with a publisher. That didn’t really appeal to me, though.”"I can’t even tell you how many people have asked me who I slept with to get where I am. I was freaking  sixteen—I’d never even touched a bra before!”
As I started to laugh my cell phone began to ring out one of his songs. I gritted my teeth together as the blush rushed up my chest and to my face. "Oh, this is embarrassing," I muttered as I fumbled to shut it off.
When I looked up our eyes met; his were narrowed over the top of his coffee, paused in halfway
to his mouth.
"You know who I am then?" he asked, lowering the cup.
I nodded in response, trying to gauge his reaction—did he really believe I didn't know who he was? Maybe that was why the shock and awe he instilled in the barista agitated him."Why did you act normal and not squeal and stop breathing?"
I let out the breath I had been holding and laughed. "Seriously? I don’t do that. You're still a human
being—God of poprock or not."
"I wouldn’t refer to myself as a god," he retorted, rolling his eyes.
I took a sip of my coffee and nodded towards the girl still trembling behind the counter. She was holding her permanent marker as if she wanted to ask but knew she shouldn't.
"I think she’d disagree," I teased.
"Ugghh..." was his deflated answer.

Novel Playlist:

1. Never Gonna Leave This Bed-Maroon 5

2.  One More Night-Maroon 5

3.  Payphone-Maroon 5

4.  Use Somebody-Kings of Leon

5.  Sweetest Goodbye-Maroon 5

6.  Mirrors-Justin Timberlake

7.  Make This Go On Forever-Snow Patrol

8.  Daylight-Maroon 5

9.  Secret-Maroon 5

10. If You Could Only See-Tonic

11. Inside Out-Eve 6

12. Smoke and Mirrors-The Audition

13. The Way You Move-The Audition

14.Southern Girl-Incubus

15.Eyes-Kascade (Ice Mix)

16. Love Somebody-Maroon 5

17. Just a Feeling-Maroon 5

18. Sunday Morning-Maroon 5

Spotify:

Love Exactly Playlist

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	Anyone who has the link can access. No sign-in required.

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Book Links:

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Author Biography:  Cassandra doesn't remember a time when she wasn't writing. In fact, the first time she was published was when she was seven years old and won a contest to be published in an American Girl Doll novel. Since then Cassandra has written more novels than she can count and put just as many in the circular bin. Her personal goal with her writing is to show the reader the character's stories through their dialogue and actions instead of just telling the reader what is happening. In 2012 she became a published Young Adult author, releasing In Between Seasons (The Fall, #1) and Walking in the Shadows. In 2013 she branched out by using her artistic illustrating talents to publish her first Children's novel, The Adventures of Skippy Von Flippy: Tales of Friendship (Skippy Tales, #1). Cassandra will also release her first New Adult novel, Just One Cup, in the Spring of 2013.

Cassandra is a freelance professional photographer known for her automotive, nature and architectural shots. She is the owner of Gio Design Studios, a photography and publication marketing company that designs covers and marketing materials for authors utilizing the company's photography. She is currently studying to receive a degree in Marketing. Cassandra is happily married to the man of her dreams and they live in the rolling hills of New England with the other loves of her life their dogs, Bubski and Kanga.

Author Links

www.cgiovanni.com  Blog  FaceBook
Goodreads

Rafflecopter Giveaway:

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Review: Georgetown Academy: Season One

Georgetown Academy: Season One by Alyssa Embree Schwartz and Jessica Koosed Etting

Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary

Received a copy from the author for an honest review

 

 

Georgetown Academy is a high school story about teenagers whose parents are into politics i.e. the senate, congress, or even political ties. It is the story of all the drama and politics that go on in their own lives. The book follows the lives of Ellie, Brinley, Evan, Taryn, Hunter, Gabe, and Brooks.

 

This Academy had enough love triangle going on to make my head spin. Everyone wanted to be with someone that was taken, or was with someone they didn't want to be with. It was annoying. And the politics drove me crazy. I researched the book before agreeing to read it for review, but I should know better than to sign up for a book involving politics.

 

I found most of the characters hard to like. Everyone was playing a game to get ahead. The last season brought me some peace, as some of the relationships finally turned for the better. There was so much drama with Gabe and Ellie that wanted to be together but couldn't since their parents were enemies. I think I liked Brooks the best. He seemed the most honest out of all of them. Taryn wanted to do right but her attitude annoyed me. And Evan worked with news and usually made the right choice, but I was afraid she wouldn't all the time. I don't like it when people dig low to find dirt on others to ruin them.

 

If you love politics, high school drama, and finding out all the details of what the rich are wearing then this book is for you. I found it to be well written, it just wasn't for me.

 

My rating: 3 Stars

Review: Runes

Runes by Ednah Walters

Young adult, mythology, fantasy

Published May 20, 2013

Received an eARC from Firetrail Publishing through Netgalley for an honest review

This was an interesting spin on mythology that reminded me of Thor as I read it. It's funny because I just barely watched the movie Thor a few days ago and then I read this book and recognized a bunch of the mythology.

Runes is about a girl named Raine whose dad has been missing and never recovered from a plane crash, and she thinks she is in love with her best friend, Eirick. A stranger moves in next door named Torin St. James and she finds herself strangely drawn to him. He is mysterious and hot as all get out with blue eyes that she has a hard time resisting. Torin may not be all human, and she struggles to discover what he is and what he and his mysterious friends are hiding. And why all of a sudden she sees runes all over the place. And a bad case of the Norns are there to screw things up a bit, and add to the fun.

I almost found Torin as the only thing likeable about the story. The tension between him and Raine was delightful, exciting, and flutter inducing. But the triangles that seemed to be going on all over the place irritated me. I love a good triangle, but it was like everyone had a crush on someone else and nobody wanted to admit their true feelings. Except maybe Torin, but even he had a game he was playing.

The end revealed many surprises, and a few I did not expect. I was kind of mad about a big one between Raine and Torin, so it will be interesting to see how it plays out in the sequel.

I enjoyed that this book was different than any other I have read and was a new surprise on mythology. It was a good start to a series that I may continue.

My rating: 3 stars

Buy Runes at:
Amazon
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Review: The Human

The Human by Keary Taylor

Genre: Dystopia, Sci-Fi

eARC received from the author for an honest review.

 

 

 

Synopsis:

 

The city of New Eden is cleared, but it won’t stay that way forever. The Bane continue to advance in horrific ways that will wipe humanity from the face of the Earth. A storm is coming, one none of them could have dared imagine.

When a group of outsiders come to the city, everyone is on edge. They have too many questions and not enough answers about where they are from or what they want. Just because they are human doesn’t mean they can be trusted.

Eve made a choice–one that could have deadly repercussions. Desperate hearts bring about desperate actions. Now she must make another decision as her world continues to crumble: come to terms with who she really is, or risk her sanity. She thought she had unlocked all the secrets from her past, but there are truths still buried that leave her questioning what is real and what is not.

 

My Review:

 

I loved this sequel. It had a lot more action than The Bane. My complaint is that it ended with such a cliffhanger! And I have to wait until next year for the next book. I enjoyed the end, and it didn't leave me screaming, I just need to know what is going to happen now.

 

New Eden is cleaning up the city after they let off the Pulse in book one to destroy the Bane. Eve feels out of place and like she has nothing to do, and no use in the city. She yearns to be back in the outdoors. But then new humans come to the city and they are suspicious as all get out. They are ruled by Margaret. I hate Margaret. She never improved and only earned more hate as the story progressed. She is up to know good and is ruled by revenge and desperation.

 

West has recovered the best he could from his infection, but desperation causes him to make some unwise decisions that harm more than himself. And Avian is just as wonderful as before. He is not perfect, but he is perfect for Eve.

 

The Human was full of action and was hard to put down once I started. I took 2 days to finish since my eyes insisted on closing for bed. I love the dystopian future that Keary Taylor has created and can't wait until the third book is released in hopefully January.

 

My Rating: 5 stars

 

About the author:

 

Keary Taylor grew up along the foothills of the Rocky Mountains where she started creating imaginary worlds and daring characters who always fell in love. She now resides on a tiny island in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and their two young children. She continues to have an overactive imagination that frequently keeps her up at night. She is the author of the Fall of Angels trilogy, Eden, and What I Didn't Say. To learn more about Keary and her writing process, please visit www.KearyTaylor.com

 

Purchase The Human:

Barnes and Noble

Amazon

 





Review: This Girl by Colleen Hoover

This Girl by Colleen Hoover

New Adult Contemporary Romance

Published April 30, 2013 by Atria Books

 

 

I received an e-copy from Atria Books through NetGalley for an honest review.

 

 

This is a sequel I was most excited to get my hands on. It was one of my most highly anticipated books of 2013. I read Slammed and Point of Retreat over a year ago, and it was a long wait to finally get ahold of this third and final book. This Girl is in Will Cooper's point of view and it takes place during Will and Lake's honeymoon. We get a little story of honeymoon fun, and we get a big story as Will reminisces about how he fell in love with Layken.

 

Will Cooper will forever be one of my favorite, most loved, book boyfriends. As he told Lake about how he felt and how he realized he loved her, and how he struggled to stay away from her, I fell in love with him even more. It wasn't all happy moments, it was mostly sad, but it was beautiful. I especially loved the slam poetry that was a reminder of what I loved from Slammed, but also a few new ones to love. Will made me angry a little bit more in this one with how he kept breaking Lake's heart before they were dating, but I still love him.

 

I am sad to see this series finished and done with, but I am so happy to own it and be able to visit it often. This Girl is for mature older teens and adults as it has a few more adult themes than its predecessors. They are at a honeymoon after all, but it was kept pretty clean and tasteful. I will forever read everything Colleen Hoover writes!

 

 

My rating: 5 Stars

 

Available in ebook now for purchase and paperback preorder for August 13, 2013:

 

Amazon

 

Barnes and Noble

 



 

 



Review: Taking Back Forever

Taking Back Forever by Karen Amanda Hooper

Publisher: Starry Sky Publishing

Published May 31, 2013

I received this book from Starry Sky Publishing through NetGalley for an honest review.

Description from Goodreads:



Forever is worth the fight.

Maryah erased all memory of her past lives, but she couldn’t erase her soul mate Nathan, or his undying love. Now, Maryah and Nathan have a second chance at a future together, but first Maryah must remember the person she used to be and embrace her supernatural gifts—more than one kindrily member’s life depends on it.

Maryah’s power is Harmony’s best hope of finding her kidnapped soul mate, Gregory. But Harmony isn’t big on asking anyone for help, and she’s tired of waiting, so she’s taking matters into her own hands. Heaven help anyone who stands in her way.

My thoughts:

I loved Taking Back Forever! It was a great follow up to Grasping at Eternity, and maybe even better. The romance stepped up a level, there was some surprising action, and Nathaniel was to die for. Previously I thought he didn't try hard enough to win Maryah, but in this he stepped up his game and was amazing and swoon worthy. Now if we could just have a wedding.

This is told from Maryah and Harmony's point of views. Maryah was frustrating at times with what I felt was not trying hard enough or getting to distracted, but who could blame her when Nathan was such a distraction. My favorite parts had to do with a transversing catastrophe, and a table covered with chocolate.

Harmony I didn't like so much. About 80% of the story I thought she was very selfish and on my nerves. But the last 20% she might have proved herself worthy of liking. I will have to see what happens in the next book to tell.

This was a great sequel with action, plenty of tense romance, and some big reveals about past lives. Recommend to mature YA lovers and adults.

My rating: 5 stars

Purchase at:

Amazon

Barnes & Noble



Review: The Forever of Ella and Micha

The Forever of Ella and Micha by Jessica Sorensen

Genre: New Adult Romance

Published May 28, 2013

 

 

I received this ebook from Hachette Book Group through NetGalley for an honest review.

 

I absolutely loved The Secret of Ella and Micha so I jumped at the chance to get my hands on this sequel. And it was just as good as I hoped it would be. This begins about where the first book left off and Ella is back in school in Las Vegas. Micha is on tour with a band and they do not get to see each other often. After he gets offered a month long gig in New York things start to get a little rough. Ella is battling her own demons and trying to deal with her past and struggles she has with possible depression and anxiety. Together they must learn to work through their doubts so that they can finally be together.

 

I am a huge fan of Jessica Sorensen and have been reading her books since she was in the middle of writing the Fallen Star series. Her writing has just gotten better and better, and she has a way of writing that allows you to feel the characters emotions and sucks you in to the story with them. I found myself holding my breath throughout Ella and Micha's struggles and almost biting my knuckles in fear of things not working out. There were a lot of little twists that had me saying 'Don't you dare' and then the next minute letting out a sigh of relief. And in the end I got my happily ever after and now have a smile on my face.

 

I recommend this series to New Adult readers and 18+

 

My Rating: 5 stars

 

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

 

 

 

 



Review: Evan Burl and the Falling

Evan Burl and the Falling by Justin Blaney

Genre: YA Fantasy

Paperback received from the author for an honest review

 

 

 

 

Description from Goodreads:

 

My father abandoned me when I was an infant.
My friends have turned against me.
My uncle beats me.
The most powerful people in the world want me dead.
They all have one thing in common.
They think I’m turning into a monster.

I’m starting to worry they’re right.

 

My review:

I started this book with the paperback version, but finished it off with the newly edited ebook version that had a different ending.

 

When Justin Blaney asked me if I would be interested in reviewing his book Evan Burl and the Falling I went and read the blurb to see if I would be interested. And after reading the above description I was really intrigued and anxiously said yes. Once I read the first chapter I was hooked. Justin Blaney has a way of writing that keeps you turning pages to try and unravel the mystery. And this book had a lot of mystery. Just when I thought I had one thing figured out I would turn a few pages and find things had changed, and things were not always as they seemed. The mystery and thrilling ride was kept going until the very end when everything finally came together, yet it left a little mystery for a sequel but not enough to have me screaming "WHAT!"

 

Evan Burl has been living as a sort of orphan at Daemanhur castle with his uncle Mazol. There are orphans called the fallings that fall from the sky in chests that open magically with a key that was sent with the chest before it. And there are machines that run as if by magic that all the orphans are forced to work on even though they have no idea what they are making. This is all part of a much bigger thrilling story of sapience and those that would do anything to control it and use it for their own power and gain. Evan discovers he is in the middle of it as he begins to uncover his own powers and the delusions that come with it. Evan just wants to do what was right and save his family from Mazol and his henchmen but even he can't predict where the story will go.

 

One of my favorite characters was Cevo. Cevo was pure evil. This character is severely warped. Here is one of my favorite thoughts of his:

 

"The problem was, every time I killed someone I created a whole lot of work for myself."

 

And Anastasia with her alternate persona Terisma was also a whole nuther ball game of trouble:

 

"Terisma looked like a nightmare pretending to be a candy cane."

 

I found this to be a fantastic story with everything you could want to hold your attention: Fabulous evil villians, a boy that just wants to do what's right, magic, a mystery to solve, and a thrilling journey.

 

And I love this quote about Evan:

 

"Maybe it doesn't matter what my father thinks about me. What the letters say I'll become. Maybe I don't have to become a monster. maybe I can choose my own path."

 

 

I loved the writing style. I loved the imagery. I highly recommend this to young and old adults:)

My Rating: 5 Falling Stars

 

Purchase at:

Amazon

 





Review: Darkness of Light

Darkness of Light by Stacey Marie Brown

Genre: Mature YA, paranormal, fantasy, romance

I purchased this ebook for Nook

 

I found Darkness of Light to be very entertaining and almost unputdownable. It had been awhile since I had read the book description, so I had forgotten what it was about and why I was excited to read it. So as I read I was totally surprised by all the twists and big reveals that took place. This is the story about Ember Brycin Discovering who she is and that she may not be human after all. She is a senior in high school near graduating when a few misunderstood catastrophes and encounters with Officer Weiss land her in a school for delinquents. Here she meets Eli Dragen, and now her life will never be the same. She slowly begins to realize there may be more to her than she thought, and not everyone is on her side.

This novel was full of sexual tension between Eli and Ember. Nothing more happened than a few passionate kisses, but there was more than enough banter back and forth to keep the excitement alive. And then there was Torin that would appear to her in her dreams and in odd places to confuse her and the reader even more. Events in the end help explain his place in the story, but until then it is just a guessing game.

I really enjoyed this story and found it to be a great page turner. The end is a little, or a lot, devastating, and I hope the author is hustling to write the sequel:) There are still many many things that need to be cleared up, and I would love to see more of Eli and Torin.

I recommend this to mature young adults and older. Does contain swearing.

My rating: 4 stars

You can purchase:

Barnes and Noble

Amazon

Review of Blue Hearts of Mars

I feel like I have been away for so long! Life sometimes does that to you. It has been a busy month. But I am back for now:) Here is a book I recently read.

Blue Hearts of Mars by Nicole Grotepas

I was given a digital copy by the author in exchange for an honest review.

 

This story is about the future and humans are now living on Mars. Androids live among us, they look like gorgeous humans, and are rumored to have Blue Hearts. But the humans and the blue hearts are not allowed to fall in love or marry or date. But as soon as Retta meets Hemingway she is a goner. She falls for him right away, and he her. But there is more going on. There is a sort of revolution going on for equal right for these androids, and Retta and Hemingway find themselves having to run and fight to be together.

This story had some interesting things going on, but a lot bothered me. I think the story was full of too much information. I felt a lot was unneeded and found myself skimming a lot. Also the love was too instalove for me. They fell in love after one day of talking, and then after maybe two weeks, or less, together they were getting married. It was way to fast and unrealistic. I did like the vows they told each other. Very sweet.

This is story about equal rights, young love, and putting aside prejudices to do what's right. And some sweet instalove. Good book for fans of sci-fi and futuristic novels.

 

 

My Rating: 3 stars

 

Purchase at Amazon

Review: A Shade of Vampire

A Shade of Vampire by Bella Forrest

Genre: YA Paranormal Romance

Purchased on Amazon for Kindle

 

 

 

Book Blurb:



On the evening of Sofia Claremont's seventeenth birthday, she is sucked into a nightmare from which she cannot wake. 
A quiet evening walk along a beach brings her face to face with a dangerous pale creature that craves much more than her blood. 
She is kidnapped to an island where the sun is eternally forbidden to shine.  An island uncharted by any map and ruled by the most powerful vampire coven on the planet. She wakes here as a slave, a captive in chains.
Sofia's life takes a thrilling and terrifying turn when she is the one selected out of hundreds of girls to join the harem of Derek Novak, the dark royal Prince. 
Despite his addiction to power and obsessive thirst for her blood, Sofia soon realizes that the safest place on the island is within his quarters, and she must do all within her power to win him over if she is to survive even one more night.
Will she succeed? ...or is she destined to the same fate that all other girls have met at the hands of the Novaks?

Excerpt:
I’d been meandering along the shore for about an hour when I suddenly sensed that I wasn’t alone. Someone was approaching me from behind. My heart leapt. I was so sure it was Ben, that when a stranger showed up beside me, I couldn’t hide my disappointment.

He must have noticed, because a smirk formed on his lips. “Were you expecting someone else, love?” 

I eyed him suspiciously, remembering how many times my father had told me not to talk to strangers. I looked him over, taking in his appearance. My eyes widened. I couldn’t find words to describe how fine a man he was. He was almost beautiful. The first thing I took notice of was how his blue eyes were about three shades brighter than any I’d ever seen before. It was such a stark contrast to his pale – almost white – skin and dark hair. Standing beside me, he was easily more than half a foot taller. His height, broad shoulders and lean build reminded me of Ben, but he had a presence that was far more imposing than my best friend’s.
 
My gaze settled on his face. 

I realized that he was inspecting me just as closely as I was him. His eyes on me suddenly made me feel uncomfortably vulnerable. I gave my father’s advice a second thought, but quickly canceled out all notions of heeding to his counsel when I reminded myself that he stopped caring a long time ago. 

I straightened to my full height and mustered all the courage I had to keep myself from running away from this stranger. 

Big mistake. 

The confident smirk didn’t leave his face for even a moment.

“Like what you see?”

“A bit full of yourself, aren’t you?” I scoffed, annoyed by his audacity.

He stepped forward, closer to me, and leaned his head toward mine.

“Don’t I have the right to be?”

He knew he looked good and wasn’t about to act like he didn’t. 

“Whatever,” was my oh-so-brilliant comeback. 

My shoulders sagged with defeat as I took a step back, unsettled by how close he was now. I rolled my eyes and did a one-eighty, not quite in the mood to play whatever game this stranger was proposing. 

I would soon realize that I was about to play his game whether I liked it or not. 

He grabbed my arm and turned my body to face him. This motion alone made every single internal alarm I had within me go off in a frenzy. 

This man was danger and I knew it. I tried to wriggle away from his touch, but I was no match for his strength. 

“Tell me your name,” he commanded.

I was about to refuse, but was horrified to find myself blurting out my name in response. 

“Sofia Claremont.”

As soon as I revealed my name, his eyes lit up with a kind of sinister approval. Then he reached for my face and traced his thumb over my jaw line. 

“Hello, Sofia Claremont. You’re one stupid girl for taking a walk alone at this time of night. You never know what kind of evil a pretty little thing like you could happen to come by.” 

I found myself wondering exactly what kind of evil he was. But I was suddenly overcome by the sensations that were surrounding me. My senses took in everything at once. I heard the waves, felt the sand, smelled the ocean salt, tasted the flavor of cherry and saw the stranger’s manic appearance as he stuck a needle to my neck. The effect was instant. I was barely able to gasp, much less scream. I went from sensing everything to sensing absolutely nothing.

My last conscious thought was that I may never see Ben again.



My review and thoughts:

I just finished A Shade of Vampire and I found it to be a lovely addition to my favorite vampire books. This was a quick read and a great start to a series. And lucky for me I own the next book so I can start it right away.

This story is about a seventeen year old girl named Sofia that is drugged and taken an the night of her birthday while out walking on the beach. When she wakes she finds she is in a whole new world she never imagined could be real. She finds herself trapped on an island of vampires called The Shade, and she is being saved for Prince Derek when he wakes. She is to be one of five slaves to him, like a little present for him to do as he pleases with. Luckily she is able to surprise Derek with her insight, and she is now His. But he treats her with respect and love. She comes to truly trust him, and he loses his heart to her.

I completely fell for Derek. I could have used more of Derek. Please give me more Derek.

And his brother Lucas. Not sure if I love Lucas. He is definitely on the dark side, full of danger. I definitely need more of him, too, because I feel like his story was not told enough. I feel he is holding back some secret. I could be wrong, though. Can't wait to find out.

And then there is Ben, Sofia's best friend. He kind of annoys me. I felt he kind of got in the way. I guess someone needs to get in the way to stir things up.

That is all I better say, and I think I kept the twists to myself. I really enjoyed that this was a quick book to read. Sometimes  I just want a quick read!

My rating: 4 stars

Buy A Shade of Vampire from Amazon:
USA, paperback:
http://www.amazon.com/Shade-Of-Vampire-Bella-Forrest/dp/1481280767
USA, eBook:
http://www.amazon.com/A-Shade-Of-Vampire-ebook/dp/B00AOHDMFE

UK, paperback:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Shade-Of-Vampire-Bella-Forrest/dp/1481280767
UK, eBook:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/A-Shade-Of-Vampire-ebook/dp/B00AOHDMFE

Add A Shade of Vampire to your Goodreads shelf:
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17255435-a-shade-of-vampire


--
A Shade of Vampire: #1 Christmas Bestseller in Vampire Romance,
Paranormal & Fantasy:
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Cover Reveal: Just One Cup

Today I have the pleasure of participating in the cover reveal for Just One Cup by Cassandra Giovanni, which will be released on June 20, 2013. This is one I cannot wait to read. Keep reading to find a delicious sounding excerpt and description:)

And here is the cover!

Book Description:

Emma Walker was a writer who'd lost herself to someone else's anger--who had given up on ever feeling like herself again.
Evan Levesque was a rock god--the one all the women wanted, but he'd never gotten used to the loneliness between the stage and real life.
With just one cup of coffee they'll begin a journey of self-discovery at each others sides, but can Emma handle Evan's fame while dealing with her own demons? Emma's checkered personal past, a bad relationship that haunts the edges of her memories, threatens to make everything implode on them when Evan takes matters into his own hands.
Sticks and stones may break my bones, but your words...they'll destroy my soul--Can Emma handle being put back together and facing who she's become because of it?

Genre: New Adult Contemporary Romance

Excerpt:

     When he came off the plane he was wearing aviators, a black button-up, dark wash jeans and those Converse shoes that I hated on anyone but him. He lifted he sunglasses and broke into a smile as I ran into his arms. He dropped his bag and spun me around as soon as I was in his arms.

     "How did you know?" he asked as he set me on the ground, his hands tangled in my hair.

     "You told me what flight you were on."

     He shook his head and held my chin in his hand. "I've always wanted to have someone to wait for me--to spin them around and then do this."

     He pulled my chin up and tilted it until our lips touched--soft at first and then the reminder that we hadn't kissed in two months came over us. The only thing that could pull us apart was the whistle that echoed through the terminal and then the incessant flash of cameras.

     "Crap," Evan hissed, his forehead pressed to mine with his hands on either side of my face so they couldn't get a good picture of me. "You don't want them to know who you are yet, do you?"

     I shook my head but said with my voice shaking, "I knew the risk."

     He swallowed and then smiled. "Tilt your head down so that your hair covers your face from view."

     I did what he said and then felt his hands slip the glasses over my eyes. As I looked up his cocky half-smile made me laugh.

     "They look a hell of a lot hotter on you," he teased, throwing his duffle bag over his shoulder and wrapping his arm around my waist so that his fingers were in the front pocket of my jeans.

     "I don't think that's possible," I replied, breathless from the feel of his touch as my t-shirt rose, exposing the flesh of my hip to his warmth.

     "It's very possible with you," he whispered into my ear as we made our way past the flashing cameras. "I can't wait to see the tabloids on this one."

     "It would be much better if we did something dangerous, like locked ourselves in a public restroom."

     He looked down at me through his eyebrows. "Really? That's not all that clean."

     "I haven't seen you in two months," I said, turning and stopping in front of him. "I've thought about you every single day. Do you know what that does to a girl? Especially when pictures of you half-naked are strewn across the internet."

     "I see you found those." His voice was edged with amusement, but his face was red in embarrassment.

     I pulled on the collar of his shirt before leaning up on my toes and whispering into his ear, "I need some real ones."

     "What do you need pictures of when I'm here?" he answered, his breath hot on my chin, voice seductive.

     "I need you to burn the images into my mind then," I said before gently biting his ear.

     His free hand drifted down the small of my back to my rear pocket. "I thought I already had."

     "Mhmm...I need more."

     "I have to admit I kind of enjoy this." He smirked down at me. "But teasing me like this is just cruel."

     "Does the rental car have blacked out windows?" I asked over my shoulder as I turned.

     I watched his Evan's Adam's apple rise and fall. "I sure hope so."


Author Biography:

Cassandra doesn't remember a time when she wasn't writing. In fact, the first time she was published was when she was seven years old and won a contest to be published in an American Girl Doll novel. Since then Cassandra has written more novels than she can count and put just as many in the circular bin. Her personal goal with her writing is to show the reader the character's stories through their dialogue and actions instead of just telling the reader what is happening. In 2012 she became a published Young Adult author, releasing In Between Seasons (The Fall, #1) and Walking in the Shadows. In 2013 she branched out by using her artistic illustrating talents to publish her first Children's novel, The Adventures of Skippy Von Flippy: Tales of Friendship (Skippy Tales, #1). Cassandra will also release her first New Adult novel, Just One Cup, in the Spring of 2013.

Cassandra is a freelance professional photographer known for her automotive, nature and architectural shots. She is the owner of Gio Design Studios, a photography and publication marketing company that designs covers and marketing materials for authors utilizing the company's photography. She is currently studying to receive her associates degree in marketing. Cassandra is happily married to the man of her dreams and they live in the rolling hills of New England with the other loves of her life their dogs, Bubski and Kanga.

Follow me at:www.cgiovanniwrites.wordpress.com
"Like" me at:http://www.facebook.com/pages/Cassandra-Giovanni/137027576457969?ref=stream
Click here to add Just One Cup to Goodreads

Review: True

True by Erin McCarthy

Genre: New Adult Contemporary Romance

Expected Publication: May 7, 2013

Received ARC from the Penguin Group through Net Galley

for an honest review.

 

 

 

Description from NetGalley:

 

A captivating New Adult novel from New York Times bestselling author Erin McCarthy.
When Rory Macintosh’s roommates find out that their studious and shy friend has never been with a guy, they decide that, as an act of kindness they’ll help her lose her virginity by hiring confident, tattooed bad boy Tyler Mann to do the job…unbeknownst to Rory.

Tyler knows he’s not good enough for Rory. She’s smart, doctor smart, while he’s barely scraping by at his EMT program, hoping to pull his younger brothers out of the hell their druggy mother has left them in. But he can’t resist taking up her roommates on an opportunity to get to know her better. There’s something about her honesty that keeps him coming back when he knows he shouldn’t…

Torn between common sense and desire, the two find themselves caught up in a passionate relationship. But when Tyler’s broken family threatens to destroy his future, and hers, Rory will need to decide whether to cut her ties to his risky world or follow her heart, no matter what the cost…

 

 

My Thoughts:

 

I had mixed feeling about this story. When I first started reading it, I was worried it would be all about Rory losing her virginity. Thank goodness it was much more than that. It is about a romance that started out as intrigue, then friendship, then more attraction, and finally love.

 

Rory hasn't had much, if any, experience with boys. She is a book smart girl. But one night out at a friends' house with her roommates, she is rescued from a dirty scoundrel by Tyler. He offers to get her home safely, especially since she had a little too much to drink, and from there he knew he wanted to know more about this girl that was inexperienced, yet smart. He semi-slowly gets to know Rory, and they realize there is more to their now friendship, and that they both would like more out of the relationship.

 

Tyler warns Rory in the beginning that she will regret the relationship, but Rory is adamant that he let her decide for herself. Even after she meets his dysfunctional family, it only makes her love him more, seeing how he cares for his brothers, Jayden and Easton, and how he handles his drug dependent mother. But of course like any great story these days, there had to be obstacles in the way and trials to come between them.

 

Some things I enjoyed were how they fell in love. The relationship felt real, and I loved how they didn't have instant love. At first Rory couldn't even understand why Tyler was paying her any attention. She was funny, and always looked to the logical side of everything. But she learned love isn't logical and passion can not always be understood. It just is.

 

I also loved the meaning behind the book title, True. I am not going to give it away, except to say it has to do with family. I love when stories have simple things like this to bring more meaning to the story.

 

What I didn't like was what Tyler had happen to him near the end. I did not think it was necessary to take the obstacle in the story in that direction. It actually makes me a little angry, and I don't feel like it came to a conclusion to bring me peace over it. I am not going to spoil it, but I really think it could have been something else that didn't feel like it ruined a hopeful future.

 

The end rounded up nicely for Rory and Tyler, and maybe sometime there will be a sequel written to help make a more happy future. If that is the case, I will read it, and if not I will probably skip a future book.

 

This story does contain some strong language and bedroom scenes.

 

My Rating: 3 stars 





Review: The Girl Guide: Finding Your Place in a Mixed-Up World

The Girl Guide: Finding Your Place in a Mixed-Up World

by Christine Fonseca

Genre: Children's Nonfiction, Teens and YA

Release date: May 1, 2013

 

A big Thank You to Prufrock Press and NetGalley for giving me an ARC for a completely honest review.

When I heard about this new book by Christine Fonseca I was right away intrigued. Being a mother of 3 girls, and one of them just turning 12, had me wanting to find out more. As a mother it is important to me to help my daughters feel important, and to try to give them the tools that can help them become better women in the future, and to grow up making wise choices. And as a mom sometimes I need help with this teaching business. After reading the description I decided to request an ARC to see if it was right for my girls, and could also be a tool to help me. And what I discovered is a great guideline that Christine has written for growing girls, and a help to parents.

The Girl Guide offers advice, guides, quizzes, exercises, worksheets, and goals to work on the help young girls make wise choices. There is help and advice for working out problems with friends and school. There are exercises and charts to fill out and make  to help realize goals in life and what you can do to make them come true. It is a great book on helping teen girls find their own voice. And it has great quotes of wisdom spread throughout.

Some of my favorite things were when it explains how to make a Dream Poster. I think this is a great idea for everyone. Writing out your dreams and posting up pictures can help kids stay on track. And it is great idea to have it displayed as a reminder everyday. Another topic I loved was the explanation of rules. I have found it hard to get my pre-teen to understand that a lot of rules are for her safety, and this was explained very well for younger people to hopefully understand.

My most favorite idea in the book was keeping a gratitude journal. In a world that is becoming so negative and hard to survive in, I believe this is a great idea for everybody. I plan on getting all of my children a little notebook just for this that they can write a few things they are grateful for in it everyday. Hopefully this will make my family's lives more positive.

I found this book a great tool and plan on buying it for my daughter as soon as it is published.

My Rating: 5 stars

You can preorder:

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

Check out Christine Fonseca on Goodreads



An Acrostic Poem

In the YA Buddy Readers' Corner group on Goodreads, they had a challenge this month to write an acrostic poem using the title of a book we have read with a minimum of 12 letters. What is an acrostic poem? you may ask. I will try and tell you:) It is a poem written about any subject, and you put the subject down the side of the page to use those letters as the first word of that line of your poem. So I decided to write mine on one of my favorite books that I have mentioned before. I chose The Sea of Tranquility by Katja Millay, and here it what I wrote:

Taken away
Hurt
Everything SHATTERED. Now
Silence. An
End to music.

A Boy with no
One left.

Fragile. He may be
The hope I need while
Running from my past.

A chair.
Now Belonging.
Quiet Acceptance.
Until the past returns.

I wanted revenge.
Let go instead.
I forgave.
Then I finally healed.

You gave me a better story.


The Sea of Tranquility is a mature YA contemporary. You can check it out here.

 

Review: The Bane by Keary Taylor

The Bane

by Keary Taylor

Publisher: Keary Taylor Books

Genre:  YA, Sci-fi, Dystopia

 

 

 

I received an ARC of The Bane from Keary Taylor through NetGalley, and this is a completely honest review.

 

This is one of those books that I have debated on reading for awhile now. It was previously published as Eden, before it got revamped and republished. I must admit what held me back was the old cover. It just looked so alien:) So when I saw this new cover I reread the blurb and decided I better request it while I had the chance. And I am glad that I did. Dystopia is a genre that I have really come to enjoy and love.

 

Here is the description from NetGalley:

 

Before the Evolution there was TorBane: technology that infused human DNA with cybernetic matter.  It had the ability to grow new organs and limbs, to heal the world.  Until it evolved out of control and spread like the common cold.  The machine took over, the soul vanished, and the Bane were born.  The Bane won't stop until every last person has been infected. With less than two percent of the human population left, mankind is on the brink of extinction.

 

Eve knows the stories of the Evolution, the time before she wandered into the colony of Eden, unable to recall anything but her name.  But she doesn't need memories to know this world is her reality.  This is a world that is quickly losing its humanity, one Bane at a time.

 

Fighting to keep one of the last remaining human colonies alive, Eve finds herself torn between her dedication to the colony, and the discovery of love.  There is Avian and West – one a soldier, one a keeper of secrets.  And in the end, Eve will make a choice that will change the future of mankind.

 

The Bane is The Terminator meets The Walking Dead with a heart-twisting romance.

 

My Thoughts:

 

I found this story quite enjoyable. The idea of cybernetics taking over and turning humans into a sort of robot is very fascinating and made for an exciting story. The way the "infection" was spread made for some exciting fights and action. It was sad how everything had been taken over so quickly with so few survivors that had to live in hiding and on the run.

 

Eve was a great character. She was found wandering around and was taken in by a human colony named Eden. Here she becomes family, especially to Avian and Sarah. Her days were filled with helping with the garden that keeps them all alive, and being on watch for the lookout of Bane that may wander out and find them. She is a kick butt character that always headed out on missions to sneak into the city for more supplies that may be needed. And then one day what she thought she knew about herself all changed when she discovered a group of three humans that had been on the run in the woods. One of them is West, and he will change everything she thought she knew. He knows the secret to her past that she has not been able to remember. And it is a big one.

 

I really enjoyed Eve, Avian, and West. Their relationship was an awkward triangle. Awkward because Eve was just discovering what feelings were, and trying to figure them out. This was a great story with a million trials, a bunch of heartbreak and sadness, and a big blast of an ending. I was happy with the choices Eve made, and how things have turned out so far. The ending did not work out perfectly, so I look forward to a sequel to see where Keary takes everything next. There were a few parts that seemed to slow down, but overall I really enjoyed it:-)

 

My Rating: 4 stars

 

You can purchase The Bane:

Barnes and Noble

Amazon