Feature Friday #3

                                                               

Fragile Spirits (Souls #2) by Mary Lindsey

Publisher: Philomel

Release Date: January 23rd/2014

Pages: 311

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What It's About!

Paul has always known he was a Protector, fated to serve a Speaker who could hear the voices of spirits lingering after death and help those souls find peace.

Vivienne ignores the voices of the dead.

Paul has always followed the Protector’s rule book, preparing diligently for the day when he’d be matched with his Speaker and fulfill his destiny.

Vivienne never does what she’s told.

So when Paul is matched with Vivienne, they both find the pairing less than satisfactory. But a kidnapping, a malevolent spirit and power stronger than both of them may just prove that they are two halves of the same whole.

 

Crash Into You

Crash Into You (Pushing the Limits #3) by Katie McGarry

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

Release Date: Novemeber 26th/2013

Pages: 474

Type: ARC

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What It's About!

The girl with straight As, designer clothes and the perfect life-that's who people expect Rachel Young to be. So the private-school junior keeps secrets from her wealthy parents and overbearing brothers...and she's just added two more to the list. One involves racing strangers down dark country roads in her Mustang GT. The other? Seventeen-year-old Isaiah Walker-a guy she has no business even talking to. But when the foster kid with the tattoos and intense gray eyes comes to her rescue, she can't get him out of her mind.

Isaiah has secrets, too. About where he lives, and how he really feels about Rachel. The last thing he needs is to get tangled up with a rich girl who wants to slum it on the south side for kicks-no matter how angelic she might look.

But when their shared love of street racing puts both their lives in jeopardy, they have six weeks to come up with a way out. Six weeks to discover just how far they'll go to save each other.

Review

Each Pushing the Limits book that comes out, I love, get a book hangover, and curl up in a corner rocking back and forth like a crazy person until the next one comes out.

To say I loved this book, would not be enough. I loved this book times a trillion! This one was by far my favorite, which is really saying something, considering how much I freaking love the other 2 books in the series! I just LOVE how in each book we get to see the view of an old character from the previous books, and they all live in the same world but each book is so different. I'm not even really sure how to explain it, but I'm sure if you've read the books then you know exactly what I'm talking about. If not, YOU MUST READ THESE BOOKS, YOU WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED.

This time around, we got to see Isaiah's and Rachel's point of view. I was ssssooo excited to read about Isaiah, since we had met him in a previous book (Dare You To, I believe?). Man, their chemistry was SO INTENSE but with such a simple and realness to it. I got so swept up into Rachel and Isaiah's world, I felt like I knew them as real people. Both of them grew, conquered and came together to conquer some more. They each had their own set of problems and love of cars, which made for such an exciting book. Rachel learned to ask for help and deal with her illness, and Isaiah came to finally realize he can trust people, and so on.

There was SO MUCH packed into this 3rd installment in the Pushing The Limits series, so I'm not sure what else to say without totally giving everything away to those of you who haven't read it. 

Rating

Book Feature: Forest's Heir

About the Book

Forest's Heir was self-published by the author, Ley Hayley, and is currently available for purchase on Amazon.

 Seventeen year old Rosalind Rowan was born a princess, the apple of her father’s eye. She loves the thick forests and lush meadows of the Forested Land. She is sometimes selfish and reckless, but she is also kind and loves fearlessly. Rosalind—who is known to everyone but the Queen as Rose—is desperately in love with Gavin Ashford, the dashing and intriguing son of an important lord. She wants nothing more than to marry Gavin and live in a country manor, far away from court. Because once her older sister marries, Rosalind must take up the position of Regent of the Forested Land.

            Rosalind discovers—in front of the King and his entire court—that she’s capable of powerful earth magic that only the rightful heir can do. Terrified and confused, Rosalind watches her relationship with her sister fall apart as whispers of what happened find their way out of the castle. As the time for her sister’s wedding draws closer, rumors of rebellion seep through the kingdom like a mist. When her older sister dies suddenly in her sleep, Rosalind is forced to take on a crown she never wanted. She sees her dreams of a quiet country life fall apart, but her love for Gavin never wavers.

Andrew Rivers, King of the nearby River Realm and the betrothed of Rosalind’s dead sister, comes to pay his respects to the dead princess. From the first time she sees him, Rosalind is strangely drawn to his charm and kindness. He quickly becomes a close friend to her, although his gaze hinted at more than friendship. Rosalind learns that her engagement to Gavin Ashford has been broken, and that she’s to marry Andrew Rivers instead. Heartbroken by the news and the feeling that Gavin has given up on her, Rosalind throws herself into learning how to run a kingdom. Her only support is Andrew Rivers, who shows her friendship and companionship as her world turns upside down. It’s against her will that she begins to love him.

When rumors turn into reality, Rosalind finds herself in the middle of a kingdom torn apart. In fear for her life, she must find someone to help her take back what is hers. In the end it all comes down to a single question: When the world falls apart, where do you find your strength?

 

Feature Friday #2

Sisters' Fate (The Cahill Witch Chronicles) by Jessica Spotswood

Publisher: Putnam Juvenile 
Release Date:  August 14th/2014
Pages: 348
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What It's About!

A fever ravages New London, but with the Brotherhood sending suspected witches straight to the gallows, the Sisters are powerless against the disease. They can’t help without revealing their powers—as Cate learns when a potent display of magic turns her into the most wanted witch in all of New England.

To make matters worse, Cate has been erased from the memory of her beloved Finn. While she’s torn between protecting him from further attacks and encouraging him to fall for her all over again, she’s certain she can never forgive Maura’s betrayal. And now that Tess’s visions have taken a deadly turn, the prophecy that one Cahill sister will murder another looms ever closer to its fulfillment.

~So far I've only read the first book in this series, Born Wicked, but I'm still really looking forward to this one! I love the characters and the story line, it really grabs you and sucks you in.

 

♥Cover Candie of the Month♥

 

Empower (The violet Eden Chapters #5) by Jessica Shirvington

Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire 

Release Date: May 6th/2014

Pages: 486

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What It's About!

It has been two years since Violet Eden walked away from the city, her friends, her future and - most importantly - her soulmate, Lincoln. Part angel, part human, Violet is determined to stand by the promises she made to save the one she loves.

Living in the perpetual coldness of a broken soul she survives day to day as a Rogue Grigori in London.

But when an unexpected visitor shows up at her door, the news he bears about someone she swore to protect leaves Violet with no choice.

Even worse, she fears that this might all lead back to the night she tries hardest to forget. And what was taken without her permission.

Violet is going back to New York ... and she knows exactly who is going to be there.

With Phoenix in her dreams and Lincoln in her heart she knows it is only a matter of time before the final choice must be made.

 

Guest Post: Tim Mettey

About The Series:

The series starts out with Secrets in which the Midwest lies in complete ruins after a catastrophic disaster kills tens of thousands and leaves hundreds of thousands injured. Nicholas Keller emerges out of the devastation as a shining light of hope for all. But his newfound fame comes with a price that his aunt will not let him pay. They flee into the shadows in order to protect his secret. As Nicholas begins his sophomore year at his fifth school in five years, strange and unexpected things begin to happen. He soon tumbles into a web of doomed love, extraordinary talents and a secret past, which threatens the lives of everyone he cares about. It's up to Nicholas to confront the truth, even if it means his own death.

Continue the story of Nicholas Keller in Trust as he comes to terms with his Thusian heritage and has finally achieved some normalcy in his life. But when new neighbors move in next door at the beginning of his junior year, everything changes. He is launched into an impossible search, uncertain of who to trust, and this time it’s not just his own life that hangs in the balance—it’s the lives of countless others and everyone he loves.

***

Both books are currently available on Amazon, download the books today!

Stay tuned for the release of book 3 in The Hero Chronicles on October 10, 2014!

All proceeds from the sale of The Hero Chronicles will go towards the ongoing work and programs of Matthew 25: Ministries, serving the poorest of the poor throughout the world. Please visit www.m25m.org for more information on Matthew 25: Ministries' humanitarian aid and disaster relief work.

 

 About The Author:

Tim Mettey serves as CEO and Disaster Relief Coordinator at Matthew 25: Ministries, an international humanitarian and disaster relief organization. Tim uses his many experiences and expertise in responding to disasters around the world to set the background for his The Hero Chronicle series. Tim struggles with and has overcome his learning disabilities with reading and writing to create this series, and hopes his journey can be an inspiration to others. He says, “Our disabilities do not define who we are, they make us stronger.”

 

Deception

Deception (Defiance #2) by C.J. Redwine

Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Release Date: August 27th/2013
Pages: 480
Type: Paperback
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What It's About!

Baalboden has been ravaged. The brutal Commander's whereabouts are unknown. And Rachel, grief stricken over her father's death, needs Logan more than ever. With their ragged group of survivors struggling to forge a future, it's up to Logan to become the leader they need—with Rachel by his side. Under constant threat from rival Carrington's army, who is after the device that controls the Cursed One, the group decides to abandon the ruins of their home and take their chances in the Wasteland.



But soon their problems intensify tenfold: someone—possibly inside their ranks—is sabotaging the survivors, picking them off one by one. The chaos and uncertainty of each day puts unbearable strain on Rachel and Logan, and it isn't long before they feel their love splintering. Even worse, as it becomes clear that the Commander will stop at nothing to destroy them, the band of survivors begins to question whether the price of freedom may be too great—and whether, hunted by their enemies and the murderous traitor in their midst, they can make it out of the Wasteland alive.

In this daring sequel to Defiance, with the world they once loved forever destroyed, Rachel and Logan must decide between a life on the run and standing their ground to fight.

Review

I enjoyed Deception a lot more than Defiance. I thought I had loved the first book, but it was no match for this second installment in the Defiance series!

Deception was rich with events, action, lying, betrayal, and many other things. SO much was packed into this book. Once again, we didn't quite see the defeat of a certain character, but DID see the defeat of some. We also lost some very beloved characters that leave Rachel torn to shreds..and me too. There was so much going on throughout the book, and so many characters, that it was hard to keep up with sometimes, but the author did a really good job of rotating the time to show each character here and there so that they weren't totally forgotten about.

This book was really fast-paced for the most part. One thing I was really craving to see in this one, was more of Rachel and Logan. It pretty much felt the same way as the first book, only in this one they know they love each other. I was kind of disappointed in that aspect, though it really made the book better I think.

I'm really hoping in the next book, which comes out next year in 2014, that we see more of Rachel and Logan, otherwise the rest of the book was AWESOME and I can't wait for the third one to come out! 

Rating 

 

Feature Friday #1

Tandem (Many-Worlds #1) by Anna Jarzab

Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers 
Release Date: October 8th/2013
Pages: 428
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What It's About!

Everything repeats.
You. Your best friend. Every person you know.
Many worlds. Many lives--infinite possibilities.
Welcome to the multiverse.

Sixteen-year-old Sasha Lawson has only ever known one small, ordinary life. When she was young, she loved her grandfather's stories of parallel worlds inhabited by girls who looked like her but led totally different lives. Sasha never believed such worlds were real--until now, when she finds herself thrust into one against her will.

To prevent imminent war, Sasha must slip into the life of an alternate version of herself, a princess who has vanished on the eve of her arranged marriage. If Sasha succeeds in fooling everyone, she will be returned home; if she fails, she'll be trapped in another girl's life forever. As time runs out, Sasha finds herself torn between two worlds, two lives, and two young men vying for her love--one who knows her secret, and one who thinks she's someone she's not.

The first book in the Many-Worlds Trilogy, Tandem is a riveting saga of love and betrayal set in parallel universes in which nothing--and no one--is what it seems.

 

December 2013 Releases

Hey guys! So, I know it's been a while since I've posted anything, but I'm back and going to start blogging regularly again. I've got some GREAT and exciting stuff coming your way in the next month or two, so keep your eyes peeled! I thought I'd start off by posting a few of the books that are coming out next month. Just in case, you know, you maybe might wanna buy that BookLover in your life the perfect gift for Christmas! ;) I've provided a link below to the BookDepository, they've got amazingly cheap prices, FREE shipping worldwide, AND even often have sales on their already-cheap priced books :) Any money I make goes back into the blog for giveaways, etc. 


   I have to admit, I'm kinda hoping for some of these under MY Christmas tree, (I know, some of them aren't out until AFTER Christmas, but that's what pre-ordering and IOUs are for, right? ;) I am SUPER EXCITED for Taste of Darkness by Maria V. Snyder, and really, who isn't  dying for Andrea Cremer's Snakeroot novel to come out?! 
What books are you most excited for next month? Feel free to sound off in the comments! :)

Exciting New Stuff!

Hi guys! As you may, or may not have noticed, I haven't really been blogging much in the last few months. I just wanted to let everyone know what I've been up to!

I bought a new camera this summer, and I totally LOVE IT. And I've always loved taking pictures of everything, they're like a memory in a snapshot! So anyway, after seeing all the things my new camera can do that my old one didn't, I really started to get into picture-taking again.  Only, it's been more actual photography then just random photos :)

I have also discovered I love taking photos of animals more than people, so I'm thinking of going more into wildlife/animal photography, hopefully professionally someday! I've made a facebook page for my photography, so if you guys could visit and check it out, that would be so awesome. Here are a couple of my photos just to give you a taste :) Click HERE to view (and maybe 'Like'?) my page, or click on the photos!

The Iron King

The Iron King (The Iron Fey #1) by Julie Kagawa

Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Release Date: February 1st/2010
Pages: 363
Type: eBook
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What It's About!

Meghan Chase has a secret destiny; one she could never have imagined.

Something has always felt slightly off in Meghan's life, ever since her father disappeared before her eyes when she was six. She has never quite fit in at school or at home.

When a dark stranger begins watching her from afar, and her prankster best friend becomes strangely protective of her, Meghan senses that everything she's known is about to change.

But she could never have guessed the truth - that she is the daughter of a mythical faery king and is a pawn in a deadly war. Now Meghan will learn just how far she'll go to save someone she cares about, to stop a mysterious evil, no faery creature dare face; and to find love with a young prince who might rather see her dead than let her touch his icy heart.

Review

 

I can now say I know why everyone has buzzed about these books so much! Right away I got pulled into the world of the fey, and I'm not a huge fan of faery books. 

The Iron King, however, is way different than any other faery books I've ever read in the past. This book had really good world building, and the characters in it felt very realistic. One of the things I liked the most, was that Meghan was actually able to tell her mom of the faery world, and not have her think Meghan was completely crazy. Most books, the main character has to keep everything secret from their parents, so it was a nice change to see this in a YA book.

The story progressed very well, from the very beginning of the book, there was a slow build-up of story and characters that all slowly came together in a tidal wave and crashed into what was the end of the story. The end was a very good conclusion to tie up the story, while still leaving it open for the second book.

The Iron King was so full of interesting events and had so much action but also normal-ness to it, it really kept me interested for the whole book. 

Rating 

Defiance

Defiance (Defiance #1) by C.J. Redwine

Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Release Date: August 28th/2012
Pages: 403
Type: Paperback
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What It's About!

While the other girls in the walled city-state of Baalboden learn to sew and dance, Rachel Adams learns to track and hunt. While they bend like reeds to the will of their male Protectors, she uses hers for sparring practice.

When Rachel's father fails to return from a courier mission and is declared dead, the city's brutal Commander assigns Rachel a new Protector: her father's apprentice, Logan—the boy she declared her love to and who turned her down two years before. Left with nothing but fierce belief in her father's survival, Rachel decides to escape and find him herself.

 As Rachel and Logan battle their way through the Wasteland, stalked by a monster that can't be killed and an army of assassins out for blood, they discover romance, heartbreak, and a truth that will incite a war decades in the making.

Review

Defiance was a really good, action-packed read. It took me a few chapters to really get into the book, mostly because of the switching of views between Logan and Rachel, but once I did, I could not put it down.

I fell in love with both Rachel and Logan right away. Rachel is a strong, lead female character with kick-ass skills and an attitude to go with it, which most other girls in the book don't have because they're not raised to be. Rachel's father, however, was very smart in teaching his daughter how to fight instead of how to act at a tea-party. Logan is also a very strong character. LOVED him! He's gentle and caring but can still kick serious ass when he has to. He's like the guy version of Rachel, they're the perfect match! (Or so they seem to be, maybe this will change in the next book?).

I really liked this book, from the very beginning it was a slow but sure build-up to the ending, which was an explosion of action and events. Very very well done. The ending was not what I was expecting. I thought for sure it was going to be the end of a certain character, but this wasn't the case. I'm guessing this will lead to the start of the second book, which I think would be really good building blocks for the second book and hopefully we will see some things I hoped to have seen in this book. 

Rating 

♥Cover Candie of the Month♥

Endless by Amanda Gray

Release Date: October 8th/2013
Publisher: Month9Books, LLC
Pages: 384
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What It's About!

Jenny Kramer knows she isn’t normal. After all, not everybody can see the past lives of people around them. When she befriends Ben Daulton, resident new boy, the pair stumble on an old music box with instructions for “mesmerization” and discover they may have more in common than they thought. Like a past life. Using the instructions in the music box, Ben and Jenny share a dream that transports them to Romanov Russia and leads them to believe they have been there together before. 
  
But they weren’t alone. Nikolai, the mysterious young man Jenny has been seeing in her own dreams was there, too. When Nikolai appears next door, Jenny is forced to acknowledge that he has traveled through time and space to find her. Doing so means he has defied the laws of time, and the Order, an ominous organization tasked with keeping people in the correct time, is determined to send him back. While Ben, Jenny and Nikolai race against the clock -- and the Order -- Jenny and Nikolai discover a link that joins them in life -- and beyond death.

 

Book Release

Perfection Challenged, the thrilling conclusion to Jade Kerrion's multiple award-winning, bestselling DOUBLE HELIX series, will be released on September 17th and will be available in paperback and all electronic formats. Beta readers have declared Perfection Challenged "the best of the four books...the perfect ending to an amazing series." If you've never picked up the DOUBLE HELIX series, keep on reading for a special offer on Perfection Unleashed, the book that launched the DOUBLE HELIX series. 

PERFECTION CHALLENGED

An alpha empath, Danyael Sabre has survived abominations and super soldiers, terrorists and assassins, but he cannot survive his failing body. He wants only to live out his final days in peace, but life and the woman he loves, the assassin Zara Itani, have other plans for him. Galahad, the perfect human being created by Pioneer Labs, is branded an international threat, and Danyael is appointed his jury, judge, and executioner. Danyael alone believes that Galahad can be the salvation that the world needs, but is the empath blinded by the fact that Galahad shares his genes, and the hope that there is something of him in Galahad? In a desperate race against time and his own dying body, Danyael struggles to find fragments of good in the perfect human being, and comes to the wrenching realization that his greatest battle will be a battle for the heart of the man who hates him. 

PERFECTION UNLEASHED

Recipient of six literary awards, including first place in Science Fiction, Reader Views Literary Awards 2012 and Gold medal winner in Science Fiction, Readers Favorites 2013. "Higher octane than Heroes. More heart than X-Men." 

 Danyael Sabre spent sixteen years clawing out of the ruins of his childhood and finally has everything he wanted—a career, a home, and a trusted friend. To hold on to them, he keeps his head down and plays by the rules. An alpha empath, he is powerful in a world transformed by the Genetic Revolution, yet his experience has taught him to avoid attention. When the perfect human being, Galahad, escapes from Pioneer Laboratories, the illusory peace between humans and their derivatives—the in vitros, clones, and mutants— collapses into social upheaval. The abominations, deformed and distorted mirrors of humanity, created unintentionally in Pioneer Lab’s search for perfection, descend upon Washington D.C. The first era of the Genetic Revolution was peaceful. The second is headed for open war. Although the genetic future of the human race pivots on Galahad, Danyael does not feel compelled to get involved and risk his cover of anonymity, until he finds out that the perfect human being looks just like him.  

FOR A LIMITED TIME, E-BOOKS AVAILABLE FOR JUST $0.99 (Discounted from $2.99) E-books available at Amazon / Amazon UK / Apple / Barnes & Noble / Kobo / Smashwords Paperbacks available at Amazon / Amazon UK / Barnes & Noble / Book Depository To be the first to receive news of Jade Kerrion's latest book releases, sign up for her New Release Mailing List. If Perfection Challenge makes it to the bookstores before September 17th, you'll be among the first to know. Connect with Jade Kerrion: Website / Facebook / Twitter

The Rules of You and Me

The Rules of You and Me by Shana Norris

Publisher: N/A
Release Date: June 24th/2013
Pages: 191
Type: ARC
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What It's About!

Hannah Cohen has always lived her life by a set of carefully constructed rules to maintain the image of perfection. But now, the rules aren’t helping control the chaos that is quickly taking over.

Opting out of spending the summer in Paris with her mom, Hannah instead heads to the mountains of North Carolina to stay with her aunt. The Blue Ridge Mountains provide a barrier between Hannah and the rest of the world, a safe haven where her secrets can be forgotten.

When Hannah crosses paths with Jude Westmore, a guy who hangs a different shirt from the tree in his front yard every day, she finds herself breaking out of the comfort of her rules and doing things she had never dared before. As the summer passes, Hannah and Jude grow closer and make up their own rules for dealing with life.

But when the secret Hannah has tried to forget is finally revealed, even the new rules can’t save her from possibly losing everything–including Jude.

Review

The Rules of You and Me was a really light, quick read but I really enjoyed it. It was very simple yet it still got me wrapped up in the characters and their stories. Even though I haven't read The Boyfriend Thief yet and wasn't familiar with the characters, I didn't feel like I missed anything by not reading the other book. The Rules of You and Me is actually a spin-off type sequel though, just like Katie McGarry's books.

Hannah started out as an uptight, never-break-the-rules kind of girl, but by the end, she had grown a lot as a person. Especially after meeting Jude, who lost his brother in the Army. Hannah had all these rules her mother drilled into her ever since she can remember, to try and mold Hannah into the exact person she wanted. Hannah pretty much let this happen because she didn't know any different. That is, until she visited her Aunt for the summer and everything slowly changed.

Jude also came out of his shell a lot and grew as a person. I love how both characters seemed to kind of grow together also, and it was so gradual that it was very believable. Some parts of the book were sad, others were heartwarming and there was one or two parts near the end that were totally heart-wrenching!

Rating