Ghost House

Ghost House (The Ghost House Saga #1) by Alexandra Adornetto

Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Release Date: August 26th/2014
Pages: 320
Type: ARC
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What It's About!

After the loss of her mother, Chloe Kennedy starts seeing the ghosts that haunted her as a young girl again. Spending time at her grandmother's country estate in the south of England is her chance to get away from her grief and the spirits that haunt her. Until she meets a mysterious stranger…

Alexander Reade is 157 years dead, with secrets darker than the lake surrounding Grange Hall and a lifelike presence that draws Chloe more strongly than any ghost before. But the bond between them awakens the vengeful spirit of Alexander's past love, Isobel. And she will stop at nothing to destroy anyone who threatens to take him from her.

To stop Isobel, Chloe must push her developing abilities to their most dangerous limits, even if it means losing Alex forever… and giving the hungry dead a chance to claim her for their own.

Review

I honestly don't even really know how to start this review. I liked it, and I WILL read the second one (there better be a second one from the way this one ended!), buuut..the writing. It was readable, but felt like a 10 yr old wrote it. If it wasn't for the fact it was a ghost story, I probably would have never bothered reading after the first chapter or two.

Ghost House was okay-good. It had a lot of potential. I really loved the idea of the story. The author could have done SO much better with this book. I actually kind of wish another author had wrote it...

Maybe if your 15, you'll love this book. I'm a huge ghost story lover and I could have liked it a lot more than I did. The characters were pretty flat, they did have their moments throughout the book though. Also, the "chemistry" between Chloe, the main character, and the ghost, Alex, was practically non-existent, yet they're supposed to have had this whole romanitcal commitment or something...still not sure on that.

Then there's Joe, who I guess is supposed to be "the other guy" and suddenly she seems like she can't choose between either guy but none of them have built up any chemistry and it was all so bland and flat. Like, I don't understand how you can have this undying love for this ghost you just met and know nothing about, haven't spent barely any time with, and then start to become friends with Joe and he's got this some-kind-of-love thing for Chloe--When did this happen again?

Another thing I didn't really get was the ghosts in the beginning, what did anything have to do with them? I thought at least by the end of the book we would get some kind of explanation, but nada.

The only reason I gave it 3 stars was because it was a good effort trying to write this book and I love ghost stories.

Secondly, the only reason I'm even going to read the second one is because                                                     **SPOILER ALERT BELOW**

 

Chloe moves back home and goes back to school and somehow Alex the ghost shows up as an actual boy at her school. ? ?! ???!!! 

Rating

Book Blitz: The Summer We Fell

Release Day Blitz!

Adam Stewart is every girl’s fantasy – captain of the football team, smart, funny, hot. I’ve had a crush on him for years but he never noticed me. Until now.

Dating Adam is a dream come true. I should be happy about it, but it’s hard because my best friend Cruz is acting strange. Almost like he’s jealous. But that can’t be. Can it?

Cruz and I have been inseparable since we were kids. He’s always been like a brother to me. But lately things have changed. He’s different, and I’m starting to see him in a new light. Our relationship is evolving in a way I never thought possible. I don’t want to lose him, but am I willing to give up Adam for him?

 

Purchase on Amazon: http://amzn.com/B00MUESU74

~*~About The Author~*~

Amber Garza is the author of the Delaney's Gift Series and many contemporary romance titles, including Star Struck, Tripping Me Up and Break Free. She has had a passion for the written word since she was a child making books out of notebook paper and staples. Her hobbies include reading and singing. Tea and wine are her drinks of choice (not necessarily in that order). She writes while blaring music, and talks about her characters like they're real people. She currently lives in California with her amazing husband, and two hilarious children who provide her with enough material to keep her writing for years.

Feature Friday: Ugly Love

Ugly Love by Colleen Hoover

Publisher: Atria Books
Release Date: August 5th/2014
Pages: 320
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What It's About!

When Tate Collins meets airline pilot Miles Archer, she knows it isn’t love at first sight. They wouldn’t even go so far as to consider themselves friends. The only thing Tate and Miles have in common is an undeniable mutual attraction. Once their desires are out in the open, they realize they have the perfect set-up. He doesn’t want love, she doesn’t have time for love, so that just leaves the sex. Their arrangement could be surprisingly seamless, as long as Tate can stick to the only two rules Miles has for her.

Never ask about the past.
Don’t expect a future.

They think they can handle it, but realize almost immediately they can’t handle it at all.                                                            Hearts get infiltrated.
                                                             Promises get broken.
                                                              Rules get shattered.
                                                                  Love gets ugly.

Played

Played (Hooked #2) by Liz Fichera

Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Release Date: May 27th/2014
Pages: 352
Type: ARC
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What It's About!

This Game Is Getting All Too Real

He said: I like to keep under the radar and mostly hang out with my friends from the rez. But when I saved Riley Berenger from falling off a mountain, that rich suburban princess decided to try to save me.

She said: If I can help Sam Tracy win the heart of the girl he can't get over, I'll pay him back for helping me. I promised him I would, no matter what it takes.

Review

Played turned out to be a pretty good book. The pov switched between the two main characters, Sam (guy) and Riley (girl). It was kind of your typical spoiled rich girl, meets wholesome, down-to-earth guy, but it worked for this story.

For the first good half of the book, Riley really got on my nerves. I swear the only reason I even kept reading was because I liked Sam, and was curious as to how his half of the story would turn out. Riley was a spoiled brat with no brains that couldn't figure out the simplest of things, because she gets life handed to her on a silver platter.

Sam on the other hand, being a native, grew up on the rez and had to work for everything he got, which was probably a good part of why I liked his character so much.

Of course at first, the two main characters couldn't get along very well because they were from opposite ends of reality, but eventually they came together. It only took THE WHOLE DAMN BOOK for them to get over themselves and their differences and freakin end up together.

Overall the book was good, I feel that Riley could have grown more as a person throughout the book, and the storyline could have had a little more...something..to it (for lack of better words), but I definitely enjoyed it as a good, easy, summer read. 

Rating

Illusions of Fate

Illusions of Fate by Kiersten White

Publisher: HarperTeen
Release Date: September 9th/2014
Pages: 288
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What It's About!

Coming soon! 

 

♥Cover Candie of the Month♥

On The Fence by Kasie West

Publisher: HarperTeen
Release Date: July 1rst/2014
Pages: 320
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What It's About!

She's a tomboy. He's the boy next door…

Charlie Reynolds can outrun, outscore, and outwit every boy she knows. But when it comes to being a girl, Charlie doesn't know the first thing about anything. So when she starts working at a chichi boutique to pay off a speeding ticket, she finds herself in a strange new world. To cope with the stress of her new reality, Charlie takes to spending nights chatting with her neighbor Braden through the fence between their yards. As she grows to depend on their nightly Fence Chats, she realizes she's got a bigger problem than speeding tickets-she's falling for Braden. She knows what it means to go for the win, but if spilling her secret means losing him for good, the stakes just got too high.

 

Split Second

Split Second (Pivot Point #1) by Kasie West

Publisher: HarperTeen
Release Date: February 11th/2014
Pages: 360
Type: ARC
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What It's About!

Life can change in a split second.

Addie hardly recognizes her life since her parents divorced. Her boyfriend used her. Her best friend betrayed her. She can’t believe this is the future she chose. On top of that, her ability is acting up. She’s always been able to Search the future when presented with a choice. Now she can manipulate and slow down time, too . . . but not without a price.

When Addie’s dad invites her to spend her winter break with him, she jumps at the chance to escape into the Norm world of Dallas, Texas. There she meets the handsome and achingly familiar Trevor. He’s a virtual stranger to her, so why does her heart do a funny flip every time she sees him? But after witnessing secrets that were supposed to stay hidden, Trevor quickly seems more suspicious of Addie than interested in her. And she has an inexplicable desire to change that.

Meanwhile, her best friend, Laila, has a secret of her own: she can restore Addie’s memories . . . once she learns how. But there are powerful people who don’t want to see this happen. Desperate, Laila tries to manipulate Connor, a brooding bad boy from school—but he seems to be the only boy in the Compound immune to her charms. And the only one who can help her.

As Addie and Laila frantically attempt to retrieve the lost memories, Addie must piece together a world she thought she knew before she loses the love she nearly forgot . . . and a future that could change everything.

Review

I loved the first book, Pivot Point so much that I was barely done reading it before I started reading Split Second.

In this sequel to Pivot Point, we once again see from the point of view from Addie, like the first book, only we ALSO get Laila's point of view this time also. At first I wasn't too sure how I felt about it, since Laila seemed like a really shallow character in the first book, but once I got to know her, I really liked her and could understand why her and Addie were such good friends. It also made it more interesting, going from one point of view in the first book, to two people's points of view in the second.

I loved how Split Second had just as many, if not more plot twists than the first book. It took me a little longer to get into it, because it was a little slow in the beginning, but picked up really fast. Some things, I kind of saw coming, and/or expected, but I did NOT see the ending at all! It made the book that much better.

Another thing I really loved was how all the characters grew. Especially Laila. She went from acting like a spoiled brat, to someone who actually cared for someone other than herself and her younger brothers. We also got more of Trevor in this book, who's character also grew a little bit, but also stayed the same at the same time.

I just LOVE these books, and Kasie West :) I'm REAAALLLYY hoping there's going to be a third book in the Pivot Point series! 

Rating 

 

Pivot Point

Pivot Point (Pivot Point #1) by Kasie West

Publisher: HarperTeen
Release Date: February 12th/2013
Pages: 343
Type: Hardcover
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What It's About!

Knowing the outcome doesn’t always make a choice easier . . .

Addison Coleman’s life is one big “What if?” As a Searcher, whenever Addie is faced with a choice, she can look into the future and see both outcomes. It’s the ultimate insurance plan against disaster. Or so she thought. When Addie’s parents ambush her with the news of their divorce, she has to pick who she wants to live with—her father, who is leaving the paranormal compound to live among the “Norms,” or her mother, who is staying in the life Addie has always known. Addie loves her life just as it is, so her answer should be easy. One Search six weeks into the future proves it’s not.

In one potential future, Addie is adjusting to life outside the Compound as the new girl in a Norm high school where she meets Trevor, a cute, sensitive artist who understands her. In the other path, Addie is being pursued by the hottest guy in school—but she never wanted to be a quarterback’s girlfriend. When Addie’s father is asked to consult on a murder in the Compound, she’s unwittingly drawn into a dangerous game that threatens everything she holds dear. With love and loss in both lives, it all comes down to which reality she’s willing to live through . . . and who she can’t live without.

Review

As soon as I seen this book, I knew I had to get my hands on it. However, it sat on my shelf for far too long...

I actually decided to read it when I got an ARC in the mail of the second book. Once I started reading it though, I was like WHY DID IT TAKE ME SO FLIPPIN' LONG TO READ THIS?! It was SO good! I was familiar with Kasie West, but had never read anything by her, so I wasn't sure what to expect with Pivot Point. It's now safe to say I love Kasie West and her writing style is amazing and easy to read. I really felt like I got into the mind of Addison, the main character.

In Pivot Point, Addie has the ability to see two futures based on choices she is given. Kasie West did an AMAZING job in this novel! We get to see BOTH visions of both paths of her future. Each chapter took turns telling what happened in one path and then the other. It all flowed so well, that after a couple chapters I didn't even think about it anymore.

I've never read a novel that had done this before. It made it that much more amazing. I loved Addie, she wasn't one of those characters that asks or thinks a bunch of stupid questions even though the answer is right in front of them. She wasn't one of those type of characters that would go into a basement knowing full well she shouldn't be going into the basement because you KNOW there's something down there. Know what I mean?

She knew how to think for herself, and was able to figure things out like a normal person, which I really liked. I'd be reading and be like "why wouldn't you think of this?" or something, and she WOULD! *Mind Blown*! Finally a character who isn't totally or partially stupid, who actually has some brains!

I also really liked Trevor, one of Addie's love interests :") Yuummmmmm..He was the perfect mix of brains, hot and sweetness and totally perfect for Addie.

I was pretty sure I was going to like this book, but I had no idea HOW much I was going to LOVE IT :)

Rating

Keep Your Enemies Close

Keep Your Enemies Close by H.S. Stone 

Release Date: January 1rst/2014
Pages: 282
Goodreads
Purchase: Amazon|Smashwords

The author is running a promotion, that if you buy Keep Your Enemies Close, you can get a FREE DOWNLOAD of any of his other books! All you have to do is email him at
hsstonewriting@yahoo.com with a proof of purchase (a receipt, pic of the book on your eReader, etc.). Offer ends January 18th, 2014.

What It's About!

First, the probes arrived. Then the mother ship landed. Then Lia’s world changed forever.

With the alien invaders’ arrival, Lia and her best friend, Bryn, sign up for military duty to protect their town. When the aliens attack, however, Lia and her comrades are helpless to stop them. Worse, after the attack, she discovers that several of the townspeople, including her family, were abducted. Despite Lia’s pleading, no one wants to save those taken by the aliens.

Desperate to rescue her parents and her little sister, Lia turns to the only source of help she can find… a captured alien invader.

Cover Reveal + Giveaway

(Available May 29th/2014)

 Enter to win one of 10 eBook copies of the first book, UNEXPECTED METAMORPHOSIS below:

Unexpected Metamorphosis (Alissia Roswell: Book One) 

Publisher: Canton Walk Publishing 
Release Date: July 24th/2013
Pages: 324
Goodreads 

What It's About!

Alissia Roswell had worked hard to overcome her past, and she took immense pride in her independence. Just when she thought she was truly satisfied with her life, she wakes up to find herself in another reality. As she searches for answers, her body begins to change in mysterious ways, and for the first time in her life, she is forced to rely upon others. As everything spins out of her control and danger lurks around every corner, her heart begins to betray her, and her mind haunts her with memories of her past.

To enter, you MUST be a follower of this blog, via the GFC on the sidebar, 'Like' Tianna Holley's facebook page, and leave a comment below. I WILL be checking to make sure your actually following both the blog and the author's page! Contest ends January 19th, 2014.

Also, you can sign up for Tianna's newsletter and win ARCs of the second book, Unexpected Entrapment.

About the Author:

Tianna Holley lives outside of Atlanta with her husband and children and has always been an avid reader of fantasy novels. She began writing poetry and short stories in her youth but did not pursue her passion for writing until later in life.

Although her writing tends to have strong violence and romance, she considers herself a PG-13 writer. Her novels do not contain curse words, and her sexual content is limited to heated kissing. You can learn more about her writing style in one of her blog posts at http://tiannaholley.com/being-a-pg-13....

She enjoys talking to her readers and offers free Skype chats to book clubs that have read her writing.

When she's not typing on her laptop or running after her children, she can usually be found in her kitchen baking and teaching others how to cook with healthy and natural ingredients.

You can learn more about Tianna and sign up for her monthly newsletter to receive exclusive insights into her current work in progress by going to http://www.tiannaholley.com.

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