Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Dystopian Giveaway Hop

Welcome to the Dystopian Giveaway Hop
Hosted by I Am A Reader, Not A Writer & My Shelf Confessions

November 1st to 7th

I am giving away ONE of the following Dystopian books to ONE winner! INT.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Waiting on Wednesday #9: This Is What Happy Looks Like by Jennifer E. Smith

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill @ Breaking The Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we are eagerly anticipating.

This Is What Happy Looks Like

by Jennifer E. Smith

Release Date: April 2nd 2013

If fate sent you an email, would you answer?
In This is What Happy Looks Like, Jennifer E. Smith's new YA novel, perfect strangers Graham Larkin and Ellie O'Neill meet—albeit virtually—when Graham accidentally sends Ellie an email about his pet pig, Wilbur. In the tradition of romantic movies like "You've Got Mail" and "Sleepless in Seattle," the two 17-year-olds strike up an email relationship, even though they live on opposite sides of the country and don't even know each other's first names.
Through a series of funny and poignant messages, Graham and Ellie make a true connection, sharing intimate details about their lives, hopes and fears. But they don't tell each other everything; Graham doesn't know the major secret hidden in Ellie's family tree, and Ellie is innocently unaware that Graham is actually a world-famous teen actor living in Los Angeles.
When the location for the shoot of Graham's new film falls through, he sees an opportunity to take their relationship from online to in-person, managing to get the production relocated to picturesque Henley, Maine, where Ellie lives. But can a star as famous as Graham have a real relationship with an ordinary girl like Ellie? And why does Ellie's mom want her to avoid the media's spotlight at all costs?

I'm really excited for this book! You've Got Mail and Sleepless in Seattle are one of my favorite movies, so I'm looking forward to seeing what this book is all about!

Monday, October 29, 2012

Review: On Dublin Street by Samantha Young

On Dublin Street

by Samantha Young

Jocelyn Butler has been hiding from her past for years. But all her secrets are about to be laid bare…Four years ago, Jocelyn left her tragic past behind in the States and started over in Scotland, burying her grief, ignoring her demons, and forging ahead without attachments. Her solitary life is working well—until she moves into a new apartment on Dublin Street where she meets a man who shakes her carefully guarded world to its core.
Braden Carmichael is used to getting what he wants, and he’s determined to get Jocelyn into his bed. Knowing how skittish she is about entering a relationship, Braden proposes an arrangement that will satisfy their intense attraction without any strings attached.
But after an intrigued Jocelyn accepts, she realizes that Braden won’t be satisfied with just mind-blowing passion. The stubborn Scotsman is intent on truly knowing her… down to the very soul.

"I know you love me, Jocelyn, because there’s no fucking way I can be this much in love with you, and not have you feel the same way. It’s not possible."

I really enjoyed this book, it was a light read. It was a little over 400 pages, but it felt a lot shorter. I read it in one day. This book for me, even though I did enjoy it, was missing something.

The romance was nice, I loved it. Jocelyn and Braden's back and forth banter, is something I love reading about. I did like Branden, however, there was this one scene where he pissed me off. I was just like, WTF? Why would you do that? But overall the romance was my favorite part of the book.

I did also like Jocelyn, but for me she was to stubborn. I understand she lost her family, but I would have like to see her overcome that, at least a little through out the book. Or just open up a little more to at least one person. But that didn't happen. I'm not sure if there was any character development in On Dublin Street but it was still a nice read, and if you're looking for something with a bit of humor and a spicy romance this book is for you!

"I miss someone who gets me. I called a woman on my research team a bitch – you know in a friendly way – and she told me to go to hell. And I think she really meant it."

Thursday, October 25, 2012

Cover reveal: Sweet Peril by Wendy Higgins

Sweet Peril
by Wendy Higgins
Release Date: April 30th 2013

Anna Whitt, daughter of a guardian angel and a demon, promised herself she’d never do the work of her father—polluting souls. She’d been naive to make such a claim. She’d been naive about a lot of things.
Haunted by demon whisperers, Anna does whatever she can to survive, even if it means embracing her dark side and earning an unwanted reputation as her school’s party girl. Her life has never looked more bleak. And all the while there’s Kaidan Rowe, son of the Duke of Lust, plaguing her heart and mind.
When an unexpected lost message from the angels surfaces, Anna finds herself traveling the globe with Kopano, son of Wrath, in an attempt to gain support of fellow Nephilim and give them hope for the first time. It soon becomes clear that whatever freedoms Anna and the rest of the Neph are hoping to win will not be gained without a fight. Until then, Anna and Kaidan must put aside the issues between them, overcome the steamiest of temptations yet, and face the ultimate question: is loving someone worth risking their life?

Wendy Higgins was born in Alaska, grew up an Army brat, and lived all over the United States before settling in the Washington, DC area. She attended George Mason University for her undergrad degree in creative writing, and Radford University for her masters in curriculum and instruction. Wendy taught 9th and 12th grade English in a rural school before becoming a mother and author. She now lives in Northern Virginia with her husband, daughter, and son. Sweet Peril is her second novel.

Pre-order:

Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository | Amazon

Links:

Goodreads | Facebook | Kaidan Rowe's Twitter

Sooo excited for the second book in The Sweet Trilogy! The cover is beautiful!

Promo: Forbidden Forest by Tenaya Jayne

Forbidden Forest
by Tenaya Jayne

Born in shame. Cast from society. Shape Shifter/Elf hybrid, Forest must fight for any respect she can get. Targeted in her youth by a vampire noble who placed an illegal slave mark on her, she is forced to obey him, no matter what.
Slipping the grip of her master and abandoning the prejudice of Regia, her native world, Forest takes a job on Earth, guarding the portal, using her skills as a warrior to enforce Regia's laws. Now, called home for a black ops mission, Forest must put aside her own prejudice to transport the vampire prince, Syrus, through enemy territory in a time of war.
Prince Syrus, mage and master of the Blood Kata, wants Forest more than he's ever wanted anything. In spite of their mutual mistrust, their attraction cannot be denied. Through the danger of their mission, and the secrets they both keep, it doesn't matter what they feel. Forest is forbidden.

Excerpt

Forest pressed her back against the cool concrete wall, wanting to remain aloof from the entity of the crowd. She chose her position in the shadows, out of the paths of the roving, multi-colored spotlights. She closed her eyes and enjoyed the feeling of the undulating human pheromones flying around on the air. At the beginning of every shift, she allowed herself a few minutes of this alien/human experience, though she didn't fully comprehend the combination of dancing, drinking, and ear-breaking sound waves. They loved it, however, and never seemed to deviate from the recipe.

These were the people she was sworn to protect. She had developed a light affection for the human race and considered them a benign, if not slightly silly, bunch of creatures. Her religious passion for her job was rooted in hatred of that which harmed the humans, not a superhero tendency to protect the weak.

Forest opened her eyes and focused all her senses to sniff out the illegal suckers that tried to sneak through the portal. She was in the zone tonight, and not for the first time did she feel that hers was the best job in existence. It was a shame she couldn’t legally kill suckers in her native world.

Over the next two hours, Forest didn’t move from the wall. She monitored the light traffic through the portal: two shifters and one elf, each of which nodded to her respectfully as they passed. Yawn. The shifters left the club to enjoy the delights of Austin’s nightlife elsewhere.

The elf would have been breaking Regia’s law had he left the club, but he dutifully seated himself at the bar and ordered a fuzzy navel. He wore a plaid, porkpie hat, pulled down over the tops of his pointed ears. Forest didn’t know him personally, but she had seen him in here before. The bartender surveyed him with narrowed eyes as the elf nervously tugged his hat down further and ordered a few more girly cocktails.

Intent on making sure that not one sucker was able to sneak past her, Forest was blindsided by the drunk bubba who had been trying to catch her eye for the last twenty minutes. He had finally decided to stagger over to hit on her.

“Hey babe, you’re too beautiful to look so lonely. How’s ‘bout I buy you a drink?”

“How’s ‘bout I call you a cab instead?” Forest mimicked his drawl.

“Only if you share it with me, Darlin.” He leaned in closer, and Forest’s throat began to sting from the noxious fume of booze mixed with his natural musk.

“While I appreciate the offer, Jethro, It seems only right to inform you that I’m not actually attractive at all. If you leaned in a little closer, you’d see that you’ve fallen victim to the effect of beer goggles. A hag like me can’t take advantage of a stud like you.”

As he leaned in, Forest instantly enlarged her nose, pockmarked her skin, evaporated her front teeth, and added a large black mole with a long hair sprouting from it for good measure.

“You’re no hag, baby! You’re the sexiest little thing in…I…uh… ” He stumbled backward. “Good grief! Sorry, sorry…” he stammered, retreating. “I’ve gotta quit drinking,” he mumbled as he turned away.

Forest chuckled to herself once he absorbed back into the crowd. Being a shape shifter sometimes had unusual perks.

About Tenaya Jayne

Hello. My name's Tenaya and I'm an addict. I mean author. When I was growing up, writing was just something I played at from time to time. I knew I wanted to be a writer, but I was one of those people who could never finish anything. When my eldest son was diagnosed with Autism, I began to write seriously. Writing became a necessity for me in the midst of my heartbreak. It was either that or take up drinking. I 'm thankful I chose writing as my escape because I discovered it truly is my thing. I want to be swept away when I read. That's what I want my books to do for you.The main goal of my writing is to entertain you. I want to help you escape everyday life for a little while. I hope you enjoy my stories as much as I enjoy sharing them with you!
I have a wonderful husband and two beautiful sons. I'm an advocate for Autism awareness, and women trapped in abusive relationships. I try to always look on the bright side and help others do so too. I've lived many places but I currently reside in Missouri. I love reading, indie and foreign films, gardening, and moody music.

Author Links

Purchase on Amazon

Website

Book Trailer

Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Review: My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick

My Life Next Door

by Huntley Fitzpatrick

A gorgeous debut about family, friendship, first romance, and how to be true to one person you love without betraying another
“One thing my mother never knew, and would disapprove of most of all, was that I watched the Garretts. All the time.”
The Garretts are everything the Reeds are not. Loud, numerous, messy, affectionate. And every day from her balcony perch, seventeen-year-old Samantha Reed wishes she was one of them . . . until one summer evening, Jase Garrett climbs her terrace and changes everything. As the two fall fiercely in love, Jase's family makes Samantha one of their own. Then in an instant, the bottom drops out of her world and she is suddenly faced with an impossible decision. Which perfect family will save her? Or is it time she saved herself? A dreamy summer read, full of characters who stay with you long after the story is over.

"One thing my mother never knew, and would disapprove of most of all, was that I watched the Garretts. All the time."

I loved this book! While there were a few very annoying characters, not a surprise in YA books, most of them I really loved! I loved the Garretts. As much as I loved Jace, George is my favorite Garrett, I want him for myself. He is just to adorable! Samantha can have Jace. I want Tim. I didn't like him at first, but by the middle of the book, I was in love!

While I wasn't a huge fan of where the story was going, I still enjoyed My Life Next Door because of the amazing characters. Since there are so many Garrets, plus Samantha's family, there were quite a few
characters in this book, and the author did an amazing job giving them all different personalities that made them all feel real.

I'll definitely be looking forward to another book by Huntley Fitzpatrick.

Sunday Showdown: Sweet Evil VS. Unraveling

Sunday Showdown is a monthly meme I created. Every month, on the last Sunday, this post will go up. What I do is take two books I read in that month that has the same rating (both 3 stars or both 4 stars, ect.) and do a comparison of the two. Then I will choose the book I prefer overall.

Unraveling by Elizabeth Norris {MY REVIEW}{GOODREADS}

Sweet Evil by Wendy Higgins {MY REVIEW}{GOODREADS}

PLOT: I will have to go with Unraveling. I loved the plot, it was intriguing and kept me wondering through the entire book. I loved the countdown for each chapter! It was amazing.

SHOCK FACTOR: Once again, I'm going to go with Unraveling. I didn't know where this book was going for the majority of the book. Twist and turns in every chapter.

CHARACTERS: While I did love the characters in Unraveling. I'm going with Sweet Evil for this one.

Kopano, Jay, Kaidan and Anna, I loved all of them!

ROMANCE: I do love the nice guys, Which Ben is, in Unraveling. But I'm going with Sweet Evil, it was just more interesting to read about them together and lots of spiciness, which I love!

ENDING: While neither of these endings were the best, since they were left open to continue in the next book. I'm going to go with Sweet Evil. Both books had a some-what similar ending. So it is hard to choose. But I really disliked the ending in Unraveling.

OVERALL: I really loved both of these books. They both had amazing main characters, and a great story. It was hard to choose between these two books, but in the end I'm going with Sweet Evil. It was just more fun. Kaidan & Anna go on a road trip, which I love to read about two characters with so much ~~sexual~~ chemistry, stuck in a car together! I mean it just don't get any better!

I will be doing more of these types of posts. Hopefully I will improve on what to write! :)

Credit: Idea from MaxieMagyx

Waiting on Wednesday #8: Chantress by Amy Butler Greenfield

Chantress
by Amy Butler Greenfield
Release Date: May 7th 2013

Sing and the darkness will find you.
Shipwrecked on an island seven years ago, Lucy has been warned she must never sing, or disaster will strike. But on All Hallows Eve, Lucy hears tantalizing music in the air. When she sings it, she unlocks a terrible secret: She is a Chantress, a spell-singer, brought to the island not by shipwreck but by a desperate enchantment gone wrong.
Her song lands her back in England — and in mortal peril, for the kingdom lies in the cruel grasp of a powerful Lord Protector and his mind-reading hunters, the Shadowgrims. The Protector has killed all Chantresses, for they alone can destroy the Shadowgrims. Only Lucy has survived.
In terrible danger, Lucy takes shelter with Nat, a spy who turns her heart upside-down. Nat has been working with his fellow scholars of the Invisible College to overthrow the Lord Protector, and they have long hoped to find a living Chantress to help them. But Lucy is completely untrained, and Nat deeply distrusts her magic. If Lucy cannot master the songspells, how long can she even stay alive?
Beguiling and lyrical, dangerous and romantic, Chantress will capture readers in a spell they won’t want to break. {GOODREADS}

I do love witches!

Monday, October 22, 2012

Spooktacular Giveaway Hop

Welcome to the Spooktacular Giveaway Hop! Hosted by I Am a Reader, Not a Writer and The Diary of a Bookworm.

October 24th - 31st

I am giving away a $25 amazon gift card OR $25 worth of purchases from Book Depository! You choose! Open Internationally.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Brother HL-2270DW Compact Wireless Laser Printer with Duplex Printing (Google Affiliate Ad)

Sunday, October 21, 2012

Stacking the Shelves: #4

Stacking the Shelves is a meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews in which we feature all the book goodness that we received, borrowed or purchased during the previous week.

Books won from: devonashleywrites & readeroffictions

The Lost Girl by Sangu Mandanna

The Luxe by Anna Godbersen

Won on goodreads.

Falling Together by Marisa de los Santos

Friday, October 19, 2012

October 23 & 30, 2012 Book Releases

I'm most looking forward to:

Venom
by Fiona Paul
Release date: October 30th 2012

Cassandra Caravello is one of Renaissance Venice’s lucky elite: with elegant gowns, sparkling jewels, her own lady’s maid, and a wealthy fiancé, she has everything a girl could desire. Yet ever since her parents’ death, Cassandra has felt trapped, alone in a city of water, where the dark and labyrinthine canals whisper of escape.
When Cass stumbles upon a murdered woman—practically in her own backyard—she’s drawn into a dangerous world of courtesans, killers, and secret societies. Soon, she finds herself falling for Falco, a mysterious artist with a mischievous grin... and a spectacular skill for trouble. Can Cassandra find the murderer, before he finds her? And will she stay true to her fiancé, or succumb to her uncontrollable feelings for Falco?
Beauty, love, romance, and mystery weave together in a stunning novel that’s as seductive and surprising as the city of Venice itself. {GOODREADS}

October 23rd Releases:

Dark Star by Bethany Frenette {GOODREADS}

The Lost Prince by Julie Kagawa {GOODREADS}

Blind Spot by Laura Ellen {GOODREADS}

Beautiful Redemption by Kami Garcia {GOODREADS}

Finale by Becca Fitzpatrick {GOODREADS}

The Evolution of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin {GOODREADS}

October 30th Releases:

Touching the Surface by Kimberly Sabatini {GOODREADS}

Rebel Heart by Moira Young {GOODREADS}

Gravity by Melissa West {GOODREADS}

Midnight City by J. Barton Mitchell {GOODREADS}

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

Review: Losing It by Cora Carmack

Losing It
by Cora Carmack

Virginity.
Bliss Edwards is about to graduate from college and still has hers. Sick of being the only virgin among her friends, she decides the best way to deal with the problem is to lose it as quickly and simply as possible-- a one-night stand. But her plan turns out to be anything but simple when she freaks out and leaves a gorgeous guy alone and naked in her bed with an excuse that no one with half-a-brain would ever believe. And as if if that weren't embarrassing enough, when she arrives for her first class of her last college semester, she recognizes her new theatre professor. She'd left him naked in her bed about 8 hours earlier.

I really enjoyed this book. It was a light fun read. And I loved the characters! I've been in a reading slump lately and this is exactly what I needed. It was short and sweet!

Bliss is a twenty-two year old virgin and she's looking to lose her virginity. So her and her friend go to a bar and that's where she meets Garrick.

I have to admit that it was cheesy, but it really worked for me. It was such a cute book. It made me smile and laugh.

"I leaned my face into the pillow and sniffed like girls in books and movies always do to see if I could still catch his scent.

I couldn't. And I felt super creepy."

"You burned your leg with your straightener? How long is your leg hair?"

"I swear my heartbeat sounded like stu-pid, stu-pid, stu-pid as it pounded in my ears."

If you're looking for a short, enjoyable read. Definitely read this! You won't regret it.

Waiting on Wednesday #7: Unremembered by Jessica Brody

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill @ Breaking The Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we are eagerly anticipating.

Unremembered (Unremembered #1)

by Jessica Brody
Publication date: March 5th 2013

The only thing worse than forgetting her past... is remembering it.
When Freedom Airlines flight 121 went down over the Pacific Ocean, no one ever expected to find survivors. Which is why the sixteen-year-old girl discovered floating among the wreckage—alive—is making headlines across the globe.
Even more strange is that her body is miraculously unharmed and she has no memories of boarding the plane. She has no memories of her life before the crash. She has no memories period. No one knows how she survived. No one knows why she wasn’t on the passenger manifest. And no one can explain why her DNA and fingerprints can’t be found in a single database in the world.
Crippled by a world she doesn’t know, plagued by abilities she doesn’t understand, and haunted by a looming threat she can’t remember, Seraphina struggles to piece together her forgotten past and discover who she really is. But with every clue only comes more questions. And she’s running out of time to answer them.
Her only hope is a strangely alluring boy who claims to know her from before the crash. Who claims they were in love. But can she really trust him? And will he be able to protect her from the people who have been making her forget?
From popular young adult author, Jessica Brody comes a mesmerizing and suspenseful new series, set in a world where science knows no boundaries, memories are manipulated, and true love can never be forgotten. {GOODREADS}

This book sound mysterious, and intriguing. And the cover is just STUNNING! Can't wait to read this!

Tuesday, October 16, 2012

Top Ten Tuesday #3: Top Ten Favorite Contemporary Authors

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

{1) Lisa Kleypas - Author of the Travises series & Friday Harbor series. Huge fan of her writing. She also writes a lot of Historical fiction, and even though I'm not a huge fan of that genre, I'm tempted to read her Historical fiction books.
{2) Jennifer Echols - Author of Going Too Far & Such a Rush.
{3} Stephanie Perkins - Author of Anna and the French Kiss & Lola and the Boy Next Door. {4} John Green - Author of The Fault in Our Stars & Looking for Alaska.
{5} Jill Shalvis - Author of Lucky Harbor series & Animal Magnetism series.
{6} Kody Keplinger - Author of The Duff & A Midsummer's Nightmare.
{7} Simone Elkeles - Author of Perfect Chemistry & Rules of Attraction.
{8} Jenny Downham - Author of Before I Die & You Against Me.