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December 12, 2017

Sins of the Heart (Otherkin #1) by Eve Silver ~ #bookreview @NetGalley @Eve_Silver

December 12, 2017



Title: Sins of the Heart
Series: Otherkin #1
Author: Eve Silver
Publication Date: March 4, 2017
Publisher: Romance Beckons  
Source: Publisher via NetGalley

Purchase: Amazon | B&N



My Rating:  







Synopsis


Dagan Krayl, the Underworld's most powerful soul reaper, is the demigod son of the evil god Sutekh. He's on a mission to find his murdered brother's remains and resurrect him, but resurrection means that the secrets carried into death would be released and, with them, a war that could end gods and mankind alike.

Roxy Tam is searching for the same thing, but for completely different reasons. She means to make certain that the remains don’t fall into Sutekh’s hands, and that the soul reapers do not reanimate their fallen comrade. As a Daughter of Aset, Roxy is tasked with the protection of the human race, and if that means thwarting an all powerful soul reaper and making certain his dead brother stays dead, so be it. But when Roxy sees Dagan face-to-face, she realizes that she has met him once before—a meeting that changed her life forever.

Neither Dagan nor Roxy expects to join forces for the sake of mankind. Or to have their loyalties tested as they struggle against treachery, betrayal and the potent desire that threatens to consume them both.




Sins of the Heart kicks off an awesome series about soul reapers, demigods, and gods. Roxy and Dagan had a back-and-forth thing that had me reeling and rooting for them at the same time.    

While I wasn't drawn into the story immediately, I eventually did get into it and think I might have been preoccupied. I'm not sure why I wasn't into it immediately - the beginning might have moved a little slowly for me. Some scenes were a bit lengthy.  

As it went on, I ended up liking it more. The characters are interesting, especially Roxy and Dagan. They are HOT together! Their love is forbidden, which just makes them even hotter and fun to read about. They also have opposite goals which was what brought them into orbit in the first place, and that makes their situation even more complicated. I thought it was genius to have their goals pitted against one another to up the ante.  

After finishing Sins of the Heart, I immediately bought Sins of the Daughter and am looking forward to reading the rest of this series! Plus, Eve Silver has written other series I'm ready to dive into.   

December 11, 2017

#CoverReveal : Alien Minds by Christina Bauer ~ #Giveaway

December 11, 2017



Alien Minds
Christina Bauer
(Dimension Drift, #1)
Published by: Monster House Books
Publication date: November 27th 2018
Genres: Science Fiction, Young Adult

Meimi Archer is living the perfect life. Too bad it isn’t hers.

On my seventeenth birthday, I wake up in the hospital to find I just survived a sketchy but terrible accident. My parents stand by my bedside—both are beautiful, wealthy, and super-nice. They tell me that once I leave the hospital, I’ll attend the prestigious ECHO Academy, where I’ll churn out equations for the government along with my mega-smart peers.

So, I’m living the perfect life.

Then why does everything feel all wrong?

My parents, my house and even ECHO Academy…none of it fits. Plus, what’s up with Thorne, my brooding yet yummy classmate who keeps telling me I need to remember my true past, which seems to have included a lot of us kissing? That’s one thing I’d really like to remember, except for the fact that I’m pretty sure Thorne is hiding a ton of nasty secrets of his own, including the fact that he may not be from this world. But considering how my own past seems alien to me, it’s not like I can judge. Plus, Thorne has dimples. That’s a problem.

And worst of all, why does it feel so yucky to work on these calculations for the government? It’s all supposed to be part of ECHO, but my heart tells me that I’m helping something truly terrible come to pass. Thorne seems to think that kissing him again will release my real memories.

Maybe it’s time to pucker up.




Author Bio:

Christina Bauer knows how to tell stories about kick-ass women. In her best selling Angelbound series, the heroine is a part-demon girl who loves to fight in Purgatory’s Arena and falls in love with a part-angel prince. This young adult best seller has driven more than 500,000 ebook downloads and 9,000 reviews on Goodreads and retailers.


Bauer has also told the story of the Women’s March on Washington by leading PR efforts for the Massachusetts Chapter. Her pre-event press release—the only one sent out on a major wire service—resulted in more than 19,000 global impressions and redistribution by over 350 different media entities including the Associated Press.


Christina graduated from Syracuse University’s Newhouse School with BA’s in English along with Television, Radio, and Film Production. She lives in Newton, MA with her husband, son, and semi-insane golden retriever, Ruby.

Stalk Christina on Social Media – She Loves It!


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December 1, 2017

The Chaos of Standing Still by Jessica Brody ~ #BlogTour #review & #giveaway

December 1, 2017



Hey guys! Welcome to my stop on the Chaos of Standing Still Blog Tour organized by the Fantastic Flying Book Club Tours. I have a review and giveaway for you, so stay tuned!  



Title: The Chaos of Standing Still
Author: Jessica Brody
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Release Date: November 28th 2017
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary
Source: Copy for review 

Purchase: Amazon | B&N | Book Depository | iTunes | Kobo | IndieBound  


Synopsis


Over the course of one chaotic night stranded at the Denver airport, Ryn confronts her shattered past thanks to the charm of romance, the uniqueness of strangers, and the magic of ordinary places in this stunning novel from the author of Boys of Summer.

Ryn has one unread text message on her phone. And it’s been there for almost a year.

She hasn’t tried to read it. She can’t. She won’t. Because that one message is the last thing her best friend ever said to her before she died.

But as Ryn finds herself trapped in the Denver International Airport on New Year’s Eve thanks to a never-ending blizzard on the one-year anniversary of her best friend’s death, fate literally runs into her.

And his name is Xander.

When the two accidentally swap phones, Ryn and Xander are thrust into the chaos of an unforgettable all-night adventure, filled with charming and mysterious strangers, a secret New Year’s Eve bash, and a possible Illuminati conspiracy hidden within the Denver airport. But as the bizarre night continues, all Ryn can think about is that one unread text message. It follows her wherever she goes, because Ryn can’t get her brialliantly wild and free-spirited best friend out of her head.

Ryn can’t move on.

But tonight, for the first time ever, she’s trying. And maybe that’s a start.

As moving as it is funny, The Chaos of Standing Still is a heartwarming story about the earth-shattering challenges life throws at us—and the unexpected strangers who help us along the way.



The Chaos of Standing Still was amazing! Jessica Brody took the topics of grief and survivor's guilt and hit the nail on the head with them. I was brought into the story quickly and flew through the pages. Ryn was an easy character for me to identify with as I deal with these heavy issues as well.  

Ryn's anxiety and depression stemming from the intense grief and guilt she's dealing with hit me like a punch to the gut. I felt the suffocation she felt, I felt the desperation to know why some people live while others die, and I felt the emptiness a death leaves behind. These things jumped off the page and landed in my head and my heart, and they were emotions I strongly shared with Ryn. 

Airports have always fascinated me and have been a source of inspiration for me. I love wondering where people have come from and where they're going next. This was the perfect setting for a book that takes place within 24 hours, and it also allowed for interesting characters for the reader to meet. 
  
Sometimes it's as though the stars align and you meet someone by chance who is cool and funny and good for you to be around, especially when you're in a crappy situation like Ryn was being stranded at an airport in a blizzard. So I really liked Xander, and the conversations between them made me laugh quite a bit. They're realistic together, and Xander is just a funny cool guy. 

I wasn't too sold on Ryn's best friend, Lottie, but the character didn't take away from my enjoyment of this story.

The Chaos of Standing Still is the first book I've read by Jessica Brody, and I'm looking forward to reading her other books. She's gained a new fan! 

My Rating 




About the Author




Jessica Brody knew from a young age that she wanted to be a writer. She started self “publishing” her own books when she was seven years old, binding the pages together with cardboard, wallpaper samples, and electrical tape.

After graduating from Smith College in 2001 where she double majored in Economics and French and minored in Japanese, Jessica later went on to work for MGM Studios as a Manager of Acquisitions and Business Development. In May of 2005, Jessica quit her job to follow her dream of becoming a published author.

Since then, Jessica has sold over twelve novels for teens, tweens, and adults including 52 Reasons to Hate My Father, The Karma Club, My Life Undecided, and the three books in the Unremembered trilogy, the first of which is currently in development as a major motion picture by the producers of The Vampire Academy, Zero Dark Thirty, Life of Pi, and Slumdog Millionaire. In 2016, she will release two new contemporary novels, A Week of Mondays (August) and Boys of Summer (April), and in 2017, her debut middle grade novel entitled, Addie Bell’s Shortcut to Growing Up, will hit bookstore shelves.

Jessica also writes books for the Descendants: “School of Secrets” series, based on the hit Disney Channel Original movie, Descendants!

Jessica’s books are published and translated in over twenty foreign countries. (Click here for a full list of foreign sales and publishers.) She currently splits her time between California and Colorado.

Author Links









November 17, 2017

Wolves and Roses by Christina Bauer ~ Blog Tour: #bookreview #giveaway @CB_Bauer

November 17, 2017



Hey there and welcome to my stop on the Wolves and Roses Blog Tour hosted by YA Bound Book Tours. I have a review and giveaway for you, so read on! 



Title: Wolves and Roses
Genre: YA Paranormal 
Release Date: October 31st 2017
Publisher: Monster House Books
Format: Audiobook 

Purchase: Amazon | Audible | B&N | Kobo | iBooks


My Rating:     








Synopsis

Seventeen-year-old Bryar Rose has a problem. She’s descended from one of the three magical races—shifters, fairies, or witches. That makes her one of the Magicorum, and Magicorum always follow a fairy tale life template. In Bryar’s case, that template should be Sleeping Beauty.

“Should” being the key word.

Trouble is, Bryar is nowhere near the sleeping beauty life template. Not even close. She doesn’t like birds or woodland creatures. She can’t sing. And she certainly can’t stand Prince Philpot, the so-called “His Highness of Hedge Funds” that her aunties want her to marry. Even worse, Bryar’s having recurring dreams of a bad boy hottie and is obsessed with finding papyri from ancient Egypt. What’s up with that? 

All Bryar wants is to attend a regular high school with normal humans and forget all about shifters, fairies, witches, and the curse that Colonel Mallory the Magnificent placed on her. And she might be able to do just that--if only she can just keep her head down until her eighteenth birthday when the spell that’s ruined her life goes buh-bye.

But that plan gets turned upside down when Bryar Rose meets Knox, the bad boy who’s literally from her dreams.
Knox is a powerful werewolf, and his presence in her life changes everything, and not just because he makes her knees turn into Jell-O. If Bryar can’t figure out who—or what—she really is, it might cost both her and Knox their lives… as well as jeopardize the very nature of magic itself.



Wolves and Roses is a well plotted read, and one I enjoyed for the most part. I really liked the set up with Bryar Rose being unhappy with her fairy tale template as Sleeping Beauty and the close friendship she has with Ella, whose template is Cinderella. The rebel in Bryar is fitting since who would want to be told how to live her life? I understood where she was coming from. 

I thought this take on fairy tales was brilliant and enjoyed Bryar's snark. It was interesting to see how Bryar Rose could have a different perspective than she does in the traditional Sleeping Beauty stories. It was also interesting that these three particular magical races - fairies, shifters and witches - were included. I haven't read too many books with just these three supernatural races; many books include other races like vampires and zombies.   

The situations and narrow escapes Bryar and Ella get themselves into were entertaining. It's also great to see a strong friendship between two teenage girls. They had a great back and forth between their characters that often had me laughing.   

I wasn't a huge fan of Knox. The biggest reason I didn't like him was his constant and repeated references to "his inner wolf." It was distracting and unnecessary.   

The narrator is also the author of this book, and unfortunately it didn't work for me in this case. I think I would have been able to give the story at least another star if I had read the eBook version. There were difficulties with knowing which character was speaking at times because the voices weren't different enough. There were also moments that the reading felt bland. 

That being said, the story is good, and I'd read the next installment although in the eBook format rather than the audiobook format. 


About the Author 



Christina Bauer knows how to tell stories about kick-ass women. In her best selling Angelbound series, the heroine is a part-demon girl who loves to fight in Purgatory’s Arena and falls in love with a part-angel prince. This young adult best seller has driven more than 500,000 ebook downloads and 9,000 reviews on Goodreads and retailers. It is now available as an audiobook on Audible and iTunes.

Bauer has also told the story of the Women’s March on Washington by leading PR efforts for the Massachusetts Chapter. Her pre-event press release—the only one sent out on a major wire service—resulted in more than 19,000 global impressions and redistribution by over 350 different media entities including the Associated Press. 

Christina graduated from Syracuse University’s Newhouse School with BA’s in English along with Television, Radio, and Film Production. She lives in Newton, MA with her husband, son, and semi-insane golden retriever, Ruby.

Be the first to know about new releases from Christina by signing up for her newsletter: http://tinyurl.com/CBupdates

Author Links



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October 14, 2017

Girl Without a Face by Medeia Sharif ~ #bookreview @NetGalley

October 14, 2017



Title: Girl Without a Face
Author: Medeia Sharif
Publication Date: March 3, 2017
Publisher: Evernight Teen
Source: Publisher via NetGalley

Purchase: Amazon | B&N



My Rating:





Synopsis


Destiny awakes with amnesia. She'd been driving on a wet road, about to leave flowers at a memorial marker of a deceased classmate, when she almost met that same fate.

Her mother, Mildred, is beyond restrictive, and she doesn’t want Destiny to have her cellphone back. A nurse sneaks it into her room, but it’s useless without the passcode. After her hospital stay, her mother becomes physically abusive.

Destiny and the boy she’s developing feelings for decide to drive around to spark her memory. She’s positive she crashed near a memorial marker. When they find the place in question, and when Destiny remembers her phone’s passcode, nothing is as it seems—and Mildred is crazier than she first thought.



I'm torn on this one because while Girl Without a Face's plot was so very good, the way it was delivered wasn't. 

What killed the book for me was when much of the story was given away in the beginning, and at that point I was disappointed the suspense had disappeared. The story could have been very creepy and had me on the edge of my seat had this not happened.  

The dialogue between characters and Destiny's thoughts were written woodenly without emotion. I get that she has amnesia, but her thoughts repeated themselves endlessly. She also trusted the neighbor boy, Gabriel, way too much too soon for someone who can't remember who she is or anything from her past, not to mention the complete lack of chemistry between them. 

The ending was too over-the-top unbelievable with a cartoonish antagonist. Plus things just worked out a little too neatly at the end. 

Overall, Girl Without a Face is a quick read that could have been spectacular had it been completely fleshed out. I look forward to Medeia Sharif growing as a writer and will try out more of her work in the future.  

October 3, 2017

13 Minutes by Sarah Pinborough ~ Blog Tour: #BookReview & #Giveaway

October 3, 2017



Hey guys! Welcome to my stop on the 13 Minutes Blog Tour hosted by the FFBC. I have a review and giveaway for an ARC (US only) so check it out! 



Title: 13 Minutes 
Author: Sarah Pinborough
Release Date: October 3rd 2017 
Publisher: Flatiron Books
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Thriller, Crime, Mystery, Fiction


Buy the Book: Amazon | B&N | Book Depository | iBooks | Kobo | Indiebound  





 Synopsis 


"Mean Girls for the Instagram age." --The Times (London)
The New York Times bestselling author known for her thrilling twists is back: 

They say you should keep your friends close and your enemies closer, but when you're a teenage girl, it's hard to tell them apart.

Natasha doesn't remember how she ended up in the icy water that night, but she does know this--it wasn't an accident, and she wasn't suicidal. Her two closest friends are acting strangely, and Natasha turns to Becca, the best friend she dumped years before when she got popular, to help her figure out what happened.

Natasha's sure that her friends love her. But does that mean they didn't try to kill her?

13 Minutes is a psychological thriller with a killer twist from the #1 internationally bestselling author Sarah Pinborough.




First of all, let me just say my teenage years were spent in the 90's, and thank God there was no such thing as social media. I can't imagine how much worse high school could have been with Facebook and Twitter. The girls in 13 Minutes, however, don't have the luxury of the absence of social media.   

I love YA SO MUCH and really enjoy mystery/thriller books, so this was the perfect combination for me and very well written. I was hooked from page one, and as the layers of the characters and events began unfolding, I realized there was so much more to this story than meets the eye. 

The way 13 Minutes is told is different from most books I've read, and I appreciated this because of the unique way it allowed the reader to be taken along with the characters in figuring out what happened to Natasha, the girl who was found in an icy river which kicked off the novel. 

I highly recommend 13 Minutes and am looking forward to reading more from this author. If I could give it ten stars, I would! 

My Rating: 

 



 ABOUT THE AUTHOR

                  

Sarah Pinborough is a critically acclaimed adult and YA author based in London. 

Sarah was the 2009 winner of the British Fantasy Award for Best Short Story and also the 2010 and 2014 winner of the British Fantasy Award for Best Novella, and she has four times been short-listed for Best Novel. She is also a screenwriter who has written for the BBC and has several original television projects in development.

Her next novel, Behind Her Eyes, coming for HarperFiction in the UK and Flatiron in the US (January 2017) has sold in nearly 20 territories worldwide and is a dark thriller about relationships with a kicker of a twist.

 You can follow her on Twitter @sarahpinborough






1 ARC of 13 MINUTES by Sarah Pinborough
US Only