Monday, September 30, 2013

Review: Red Hill by Jamie McGuire

Title: Red Hill
Author: Jamie McGuire
Series: Stand Alone
Published By: Simon and Schuster (October 1, 2013)
Source: ARC Copy Provided by the Publisher (in exchange for an honest review)
Genre: Adult Dystopian/Post Apocalyptic 
My Rating: 4 Stars!


Book Description:
When the world ends, can love survive?

For Scarlet, raising her two daughters alone makes fighting for tomorrow an everyday battle. Nathan has a wife, but can’t remember what it’s like to be in love; only his young daughter Zoe makes coming home worthwhile. Miranda’s biggest concern is whether her new VW Bug is big enough to carry her sister and their boyfriends on a weekend escape from college finals.

When reports of a widespread, deadly “outbreak” begin to surface, these ordinary people face extraordinary circumstances and suddenly their fates are intertwined. Recognizing they can’t outrun the danger, Scarlet, Nathan, and Miranda desperately seek shelter at the same secluded ranch, Red Hill. Emotions run high while old and new relationships are tested in the face of a terrifying enemy—an enemy who no longer remembers what it’s like to be human.

Set against the backdrop of a brilliantly realized apocalyptic world, love somehow finds a way to survive. But what happens when the one you’d die for becomes the one who could destroy you?

Red Hill grabs you from page one and doesn’t let go until its stunning conclusion. This is #1 New York Times bestselling author Jamie McGuire at her unforgettable best.






My Thoughts and Review:
It is no secret that I adore McGuire's work but even though I love her work, it still sometimes makes me nervous when a beloved author goes to a totally different genre. Not only a different genre but also a subject matter that I don't always adore but am inexplicably drawn to, zombies. 

And while I had the utmost faith that she could pull it off and make me fall in love with her work all over again and not only her work but zombies, I was still slightly apprehensive going into this. But I knew that if anyone could do it, it would be her.

This novel is actually told from three main point of views, something I wasn't expecting. Scarlet, Nathan and Miranda. Out of the three, I think I like Scarlet most. As a mother I connected more with her and she searched for her children. I could feel her frustration, her loss, her despair, and her willingness to move on and do what needed to be done. She was a pretty strong protagonist.

Miranda had a slightly different voice, being younger and under different circumstances as the others, she didn't have the same feel but you could feel her fear and desperation just as much as the others. I didn't warm up to her at first but after awhile I really started liking her voice as well and her perspective of what was going on.

Nathan too was a father, in a different situation than Scarlet, he had his daughter with him but it was no less terrifying for him and he tried to protect her and keep her safe from the walking dead around them.

And can we talk about the “shufflers” (or if you prefer, the dead ones, teds, biters, infected) for a minute? The whole concept behind how the virus began and was spread was completely terrifying. Terrifying in the simple fact that I could see it happening. Could picture it, could imagine it.  

The way all their lives intertwined was cleverly done and added an extra depth to the storyline that I really think separates it from every other book in the same genre.

Cooper, Ashley, Bryce, Skeeter, Miranda, Nathan, Zoe, Joey, Scarlet, Joy, Walter, and Elleny were all fabulous characters, in fact I couldn't of asked for better ones. 

Even though the ending felt a little rushed and almost wrapped up too easily, I really enjoyed the story. 

This isn't a happy go lucky read. It is dark, frightening, gruesome and at times sad. But it is also filled with hope. 

I can say with confidence that McGuire pulled it off. The switching of genres, the storyline, the characters, the realness, all of it.











*All thoughts and opinions are my own and were not influenced by the author or publisher. I was not compensated for this review.*

Sunday, September 29, 2013

Blog Tour and Book Review: The Pirate's Curse by E.J. Stevens



Title: The Pirate's Curse
Author: E.J. Stevens
Series: Book Five in the Spirit Guide Series
Published: October 2013
Source: ARC Copy Provided by the Author (in exchange for an honest review)
Genre: YA Fantasy/Paranormal



Book Description:
When Yuki starts smelling salt brine and seaweed, she finds her summer vacation hijacked by pirates...the DEAD kind. 

Will the ghost of Black Sam Bellamy, Prince of Pirates, lead Yuki and her friends to treasure or terror?

A new Spirit Guide adventure you won't want to miss!






About the Author:


E.J. Stevens writes poetry, urban fantasy, and young adult paranormal novels. E.J. is the author of the haunting collection of dark poetry FROM THE SHADOWS, the chilling collection of paranormal poetry SHADOWS OF MYTH AND LEGEND, the young adult paranormal SPIRIT GUIDE series (SHE SMELLS THE DEAD, SPIRIT STORM, LEGEND OF WITCHTROT ROAD, BRUSH WITH DEATH) and the IVY GRANGER urban fantasy series (SHADOW SIGHT, BLOOD AND MISTLETOE, GHOST LIGHT). 

When E.J. isn't at her writing desk she enjoys dancing along seaside cliffs, singing in graveyards, and sleeping in faerie circles. She currently resides in a magical forest on the coast of Maine where she finds daily inspiration for her writing.



My Thoughts and Review:
I can't even begin to tell you how incredibly sad I am that this series is coming to a close, that this is the very last book. I have been with these characters from the very beginning and have grown to care about them like I would any of my friends. It is so bittersweet to know that after this, there won't be any more adventures for Yuki and her friends. Bittersweet but also exciting because you want them to all get their happily ever after and truth be told, I am anxious to see how it will all play out. 

I fell in love with the spunky feisty Yuki after book one. She has such a great personality and she always stays true to herself, even when being different would have made her life ten times easier.
Cal, Emma and even Simon are all there for Yuki and together, they form quite the bond. A lot has happened to them over the course of the series that had solidified their bond and created one heck of a unity between them, even when they don't always get along and agree on the best course of action for the dangers that always seem to lurk around every corner.

I am so happy with the way Ms. Stevens choose to wrap everything up. It all came together so nicely and even though this is paranormal, very realistically as well.

I loved how once again the four friends (and their two side kicks) really came through for one another and shinned. 

It is sad to see this series end but I am completely satisfied with the way it all did. The epilogue was wonderful and exactly what I needed in order to say goodbye to this wonderful group of characters.





*All thoughts and opinions are my own and were not influenced by the author. I was not compensated for this review.*


Saturday, September 28, 2013

Cover Reveal: Grimnirs by Ednah Walters!


Book Title: Grimnirs
Series: A Runes Novel
Author: Ednah Walters
Release Date: December 2nd 2013
Genre: YA Paranormal Romance
Publisher: Firetrail Publishing
Presented by: Twisted Book Tours and More & As You Wish Tours
Banner Made by: Camelia Miron Skiba

 
BLURB

One lost love.
One lost best friend.
One hot soul reaper.

Straight out of the psyche ward, Cora just wants her life to be normal. She doesn’t want to see souls or the reapers collecting them. The love of her life, the guy she’s loved from a distance for years, has moved away without saying goodbye. So yes, she’s nursing a serious heartbreak. It’s no wonder love is the last thing on her mind when Echo storms into her life.

The chemistry between them is mind-blowing. The connection defies logic. It doesn’t help that Echo is the poster boy for everything she hates in a guy—hot, beautiful, and cocky. A general pain-in-the-butt. Being around him makes her feel more alive than she’s ever felt before. But more important, the souls leave her alone when he is around.

Echo is perfect for her. Echo might even be her soul-mate. There is only one problem. Echo is a freaking soul reaper. A Grimnir. The very beings she wants out of her life. Maybe normal is overrated because Cora wants it all. Answers. Love. A life. You see, once you fall for a Grimnir, your life will never be the same again.

AUTHOR BIO
EDNAH WALTERS grew up reading Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys and dreaming of one day writing her own stories. She is a stay-at-home mother of five humans and two American short-hair cats (one of which has ADHD) and a husband. When she is not writing, she’s at the gym doing Zumba or doing things with her family, reading, traveling or online chatting with fans.

Ednah is the author of The Guardian Legacy series, a YA fantasy series about children of the fallen angels, who fight demons and protect mankind. AWAKENED, the prequel was released by Pill Hill Press in September 2010 with rave reviews. BETRAYED, book one in the series was released by her new publisher Spencer Hill Press in June 2012 and HUNTED, the third installment, will be released April 2013. She’s working on the next book in the series, FORGOTTEN. Visit her at www.ednahwalters.com

Ednah also writes YA paranormal romance. RUNES is the first book in her new series. IMMORTALS is book 2. She is presently working on book 3, GRIMNIRS (Release date TBA). Read more about this series and the world she's created here www.runestheseries.com

Under the pseudonym E. B. Walters, Ednah writes contemporary romance. SLOW BURN, the first contemporary romance with suspense, was released in April 2011. It is the first book in the Fitzgerald family series. Since then she has published four more books in this series. She's presently working on book six. You can visit her online at or www.ebwalters.com.


Review: Allure by Lea Nolan

Title: Allure
Author: Lea Nolan
Series: Book Two in the Hoodoo Apprentice Series
Published By: Entangled Teen (October 1, 2013)
Source: ARC Copy Provided by the Publisher (in exchange for an honest review)
Genre: YA Fantasy
My Rating: 4 Stars!

Book Description:
Worst. Summer. Ever.

Emma Guthrie races to learn the hoodoo magic needed to break The Beaumont Curse before her marked boyfriend Cooper's sixteenth birthday. But deep in the South Carolina Lowcountry, dark, mysterious forces encroach, conspiring to separate Emma and Cooper forever. When Cooper starts to change, turning cold and indifferent, Emma discovers that both his heart and body are marked for possession by competing but equally powerful adversaries.


Desperate to save him, Emma and her twin brother, Jack, risk their lives to uncover the source of the black magic that has allured Cooper and holds him in its grip. Face with the horror of a soul-eating boohag, Emma and Jack must fight to resist its fiendish power to free Cooper long enough to join their strengths and face it together, before it destroys them all.





My Thoughts and Review:
Allure picks up right where Conjure left off, with Miss Delia returning home from the hospital and Emma, Jack and Cooper still trying to figure out how to break the curse that plaques Cooper's family. 

To say that I liked this even more than Conjure would be an understatement. I liked Emma, Jack and Cooper in the first book but I really started to fall in love with them after reading Allure.

Nolan amps it up with the hoodoo lore, the mystery, the creep factor and the friendship between all three characters. Not to mention the simple fact that Emma's character grows a ton, both in maturity and also in her strength as a character, friend, sister and apprentice to Miss Delia (who I still adore!). 

The writing was better, the plot thicker and the suspense even more dramatic all while still keeping this a clean fun read that is perfect for any age group. 

It was hard seeing Cooper change as the curse and his birthday drew near and my heart went you to Emma but once again she shows up just how loyal and good she really is. 

 The bad guys are even more terrible than before and things start to get downright hard for Emma and Miss Delia as they try to deal with it all. I really loved the relationship between the feisty Miss D and Emma. It was both enduring and heartwarming to watch them interact with one another and see how close their bond and respect for one another has grown through the books and storyline. 


There were some unexpected turn of events that left me feeling a little sad but also very eager for the next installment. 








*All thoughts and opinions are my own and were not influenced by the author or publisher. I was not compensated for this review.*

Friday, September 27, 2013

Review: Unexpected by Faith Sullivan

Title: Unexpected

Author: Faith Sullivan
Series: Stand Alone
Published: March 24, 2013
Source: Copy Provided by the Author (in exchange for an honest review)
Genre: New Adult Contemporary Romance
My Rating: 3.5 Stars!

Book Description:

One day forever changes the destiny of college overachiever, Michelle Rhodes.

Shattered, confused and alone, no one understands the trauma consuming her until she meets Connor Donnelly.

A native New Yorker, he believes he can aid in getting her life back on track. But what if he's even more broken inside?

Offering her a chance at a fresh start, Connor convinces Michelle to move in with him. Hiring her to waitress at his bar, their mutual attraction only complicates matters.

As more details surrounding Connor's past emerge, Michelle uncovers the full magnitude of the loss he's trying to hide. Refusing to let her feelings for him hinder his recovery, she makes a decision that winds up hurting them both.

By sacrificing her heart, Michelle thinks she is helping Connor come to terms with his grief. Little does she know, Connor is gambling everything for the sake of having a future with her.

What happens is truly unexpected.





My Thoughts and Review:
I became a fan of Ms. Sullivan's after reading her first book and that has changed with each passing novel, if anything my love of her work has only grown.

Most books that contain some kind of loss have a special place in my heart, but loss caused from the tragic event of September 11th even more so. Add in two people that are suffering in their own broken way and you have an emotional read that is sure to break your heart and slowly piece it back together again.

Ms. Sullivan did not disappoint with both Michelle and Connor's stories. They were both struggling for the events of 09/11, both in very different yet similar ways and both, needed the other to help heal and move on.

I really liked how caring Connor was with Michelle, how she helped heal him in the best way possible and I loved that even though he was pretty gruff he was still caring when it came to her and still wanted what was best. Most of all, I love that he loved her enough to move on and move forward with his life.

This really was an endearing story about moving on, letting go and finding what makes you happy in the world and grabbing onto it with both hands tightly. 







*All thoughts and opinions are my own and were not influenced by the author. I was not compensated for this review.*

Thursday, September 26, 2013

Review: Endless by Amanda Gray

Title: Endless
Author: Amanda Gray
Series: Stand Alone (Possible sequel)
Published By: Month9Books (September 20, 2013)
Source: Copy Provided by the Publisher (in exchange for an honest review)
Genre: YA Fantasy

My Rating: 4 Stars!


Book Description:
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.






My Thoughts and Review:
The cover on this is what drew me in first. I know I have said that before in reviews but I have to admit it every now and then, mostly because I know it is shallow but also because sometimes I like to prove that a pretty cover does and can hold a pretty story too. 

This was a great story. I have always been a fan of stories about soulmates and reincarnation. There is just something so magical and romantic about them, something that appeals to my softer side and turns me to mush just thinking about two souls traveling through time over and over again until they meet and fall in love again. 

The fact that the Romanov's play a part in the reincarnation makes the story that much better because it appealed to my inner history nerd as well. Love, historic detail, reincarnation, and a secret Order destined to destroy it all, what more could I ask for?

I could ask for great characters and a fun storyline as well and guess what? I got that too. Really this was a great read that I really loved and ended up devouring. Nikolai, Jenny, Maria, Tiffany, Ben, Morgan, all great characters. 


My only wish was that it would have gone more into Jenny's mom, her life and of course Jenny's gifts. I am only guessing but I would imagine that the next book (seriously hoping there is a next!!) will go into more detail about all of that as well as the the Order and anything else left unanswered. I, for one, know that I will be continuing with the series to find out what happens. I do, after all, have to have my happily ever after. 




*All thoughts and opinions are my own and were not influenced by the author or publisher. I was not compensated for this review.*

Wednesday, September 25, 2013

Review: Goodbye, Rebel Blue by Shelley Coriell

Title: Goodbye, Rebel Blue
Author: Shelley Coriell
Series: Stand Alone
Published By: Amulet Books (October 1, 2013)
Source: ARC Copy Provided by the Publisher (in exchange for an honest review)
Genre: YA Contemporary
My Rating: 4.5 Stars!

Book Description:
Rebecca Blue is a rebel with an attitude whose life is changed by a chance encounter with a soon-to-be dead girl. Rebel (as she’s known) decides to complete the dead girl’s bucket list to prove that choice, not chance, controls her fate. In doing so, she unexpectedly opens her mind and heart to a world she once dismissed—a world of friendships, family, and faith. With a shaken sense of self, she must reevaluate her loner philosophy—particularly when she falls for Nate, the golden boy do-gooder who never looks out for himself. Perfect for fans of Jay Asher’s blockbuster hit Thirteen Reasons Why, Coriell’s second novel features her sharp, engaging voice along with realistic drama and unforgettable characters.





My Thoughts and Review:
Have you ever meet those protagonists that are so snarky, so filled with attitude that for some reason only you can decipher, you instantly fall in love with them just for the plain reason that they feel so real to you that you can't help but like them? 

Enter, Rebel. If her name wasn't a big enough hint as to the type of person she is, then the description above should have been. She is everything I love in a good protagonist. And her story begins in study hall, with an assignment to write out a bucket list and a girl named Kennedy Green who changed everything.

This was such a great story. Rebel is such a great story. Her secret fears, her life, her attitude, her goodness, her heart. If ever I have read a coming of age story that made me fall in love with the main character faster, I can't recall it or the character. 

I read a lot of YA and this one really did stand out. Without sounding too cheesy, it called to me and I could totally relate to Rebel even though we are nothing alike and my heart went out to her. Sometimes self discovery is hard and painful not an easy road but I have to give Rebel credit, she took it like a champ and she stretched and grew and it was beautiful.

Coriell managed to create a character that was strong, determined, feisty, snarky and filled with attitude. But one that was still soft enough to discover the goodness around her and all that she had been missing from hardening her heart from those that cared about her. She learned to be herself but to be a better self without losing anything that made her Rebel and that is such a beautiful message for anyone and one for everyone.


“You don't need anyone to make it in this world, the power to be extraordinary comes from within.” 








*All thoughts and opinions are my own and were not influenced by the author or publisher. I was not compensated for this review.*

Tuesday, September 24, 2013

Review: Made of Stars by Kelley York

Title: Made of Stars
Author: Kelley York
Series: Stand Alone
Published By: Entangled Teen (October 1, 2013)
Source: ARC Copy Provided by the Publisher (in exchange for an honest review)
Genre: Young Adult
My Rating: 4 Stars!


Book Description:
When eighteen-year-old Hunter Jackson and his half sister, Ashlin, return to their dad’s for the first winter in years, they expect everything to be just like the warmer months they’d spent there as kids. And it is—at first. But Chance, the charismatic and adventurous boy who made their summers epic, is harboring deep secrets. Secrets that are quickly spiraling into something else entirely.

The reason they've never met Chance’s parents or seen his home is becoming clearer. And what the siblings used to think of as Chance's quirks—the outrageous stories, his clinginess, his dangerous impulsiveness—are now warning signs that something is seriously off. 


Then Chance's mom turns up with a bullet to the head, and all eyes shift to Chance and his dad. Hunter and Ashlin know Chance is innocent...they just have to prove it. But how can they protect the boy they both love when they can’t trust a word Chance says?





My Thoughts and Review:
This is my first Kelley York book even though I own more than one of her other stories. For some reason, out of all of them, this one just called out the most to me and I knew that it would be one that wouldn't sit in my TBR pile for way too long and be forgotten about, one that needed to be read now and so..I did. 

For some reason going into this I thought it was about two sisters falling in love with the Chance, not a brother and sister so, I have to admit, that really threw me for a loop. I guess I didn't read the description well enough before beginning, which of course it purely my fault. Having said that though, I was slightly disappointed that wasn't what I was getting, that in fact, I was getting an entirely different story all together.

Having said all of that though, the writing was beautifully done, the story was beautifully done. Tragic and sad and completely unexpected. I can see why others rave about the author's ability to suck you into a story and make you think about it for days after and even though this wasn't my cup of tea, I completely appreciate the author's talent and ability to tell a story that doesn't always end wonderfully. That is in fact, heartbreaking and gut wrenching. With lies and deceit and deception around every corner that I honestly didn't see coming, it pretty much blew me away and left me reeling and at a loss as how to process it all.


For that alone I can't rate this anything less than 4 stars simply because the girl can tell a story and tell it well. 






*All thoughts and opinions are my own and were not influenced by the author or publisher. I was not compensated for this review.*

Monday, September 23, 2013

Review: Six Months Later by Natalie Richards

Title: Six Months Later
Author: Natalie Richards
Series: Stand Alone
Published By: Source Fire (October 1, 2013)
Source: ARC Copy Provided by the Publisher (in exchange for an honest review)
Genre: YA Mystery/Thriller
My Rating: 4.5 Stars!

Book Description:
Chloe didn't think about it much when she nodded off in study hall on that sleepy summer day. But when she wakes up, snow is on the ground and she can't remember the last six months of her life. Before, she'd been a mediocre student. Now, she's on track for valedictorian and being recruited by Ivy League schools. Before, she never had a chance with super jock Blake. Now he's her boyfriend. Before, she and Maggie were inseparable. Now her best friend won't speak to her.

What happened to her? 

And why can't she remember?







My Thoughts and Review:
I love a good mystery and I also happen to love the YA genre but sadly there just aren't enough mysteries in this genre for whatever reason. For I don't know how long I have been saying that I wish more writers would branch out of the paranormal and into the mystery, because really, the stretch isn't too bad and thankfully someone out there is listening because this year I have noticed a few YA mysteries popping up more and more and I couldn't be more excited about it. Not only are they popping up but a lot of them, like this one, are popping up with a lot of fuss and noise so of course the mystery lover in me can't ignore them. I have to check them out to see what all the fuss is about and in this case, I am so glad I did.

I am going to admit something that hopefully doesn't sound bad, I am good at solving mysteries in stories. I almost always know whodunit before the story is over, which is okay, it comes with devouring so many great mysteries when I was younger, but every now and then one will come along that will keep me wondering completely until the end and when that happens I absolutely love it because, let's face it, always knowing the ending (so to speak) isn't always fun. And even though I did guess some of the things going on, I didn't guess them all, not even close.

I still wasn't sure if certain people could be trusted or what, if anything, their role was in what was going on. And that is the other thing, what in the world was going on. Because you knew something was, just not all the details. And oh boy, was it a fun journey finding out!

I loved Chloe. She was stubborn and feisty and not one to be pushed around. I loved how determined she was to find and have all the answers, even if that meant getting hurt along the way. 

I don't want to go into too much detail because really this is just one of those reads that you need to experience for yourself without anyone giving anything away.

If you love a good suspense, a good mystery with a dash of romance thrown in, this is a must read. 


Richards made a fan out of me and I know I will be picking up whatever she writes next. 






*All thoughts and opinions are my own and were not influenced by the author or publisher. I was not compensated for this review.*

Sunday, September 22, 2013

Review: Conjure by Lea Nolan

Title: Conjure
Author: Lea Nolan
Series: Book One in the Hoodoo Apprentice Series
Published By: Entangled (October 23, 2012)
Source: Purchased
Genre: YA Fantasy/Paranormal
My Rating: 3.5 Stars!

Book Description:
Be careful what you search for...

Emma Guthrie expects this summer to be like any other in the South Carolina Lowcountry--hot and steamy with plenty of beach time alongside her best friend and secret crush, Cooper Beaumont, and Emma’s ever-present twin brother, Jack. But then a mysterious eighteenth-century message in a bottle surfaces, revealing a hidden pirate bounty. Lured by the adventure, the trio discovers the treasure and unwittingly unleashes an ancient Gullah curse that attacks Jack with the wicked flesh-eating Creep and promises to steal Cooper’s soul on his approaching sixteenth birthday.

When a strange girl appears, bent on revenge; demon dogs become a threat; and Jack turns into a walking skeleton; Emma has no choice but to learn hoodoo magic to undo the hex, all before summer—and her friends--are lost forever.






My Thoughts and Review:
With Halloween just around the corner what better way to start off the season than with a little magic and mayhem? Add in a nice story filled with creepy monsters, hoodoo, hexes and skeletons and you have one heck of a fun story perfect for the spookiest season of them all. 

A small dash of romance doesn't hurt either.

This really was the perfect read to add a little mystery and creepiness into the atmosphere and totally get me in the mood for Halloween. I loved all the detail about the Hoodoo practice and of course the curse behind what starts it all was equally entertaining and somewhat terrifying. 

Miss Delia was probably my favorite character. I loved how gruff and no nonsense she was and of course her knowledge about hoodoo helped set the tone for the whole book and really added that element of danger and scariness that the author needed to pull the whole story off. When I think of the old timers of the south, all the superstitions, white magic, black magic and practices, the image of Miss Delia comes to mind. 

I wasn't sure if I was going to like Emma at first, not because of anything she did but simply because when the story begins, she and Jack (her twin) are only fourteen and I was afraid that the story would end up being too angsty or come across as  to immature. I didn't have anything to worry about. Emma is thrown right into the life of hoodoo and takes it like a champ. And while she does have her moments, for the most part her voice is never too grade school or whiny. They are a lot of things she has to do that she never imagined doing or getting involved in but she does what she has to to save her brother and to help Cooper. 


And while the romance wasn't as developed as I would have liked to see it, overall this was a fun read that I think would be perfect for any age group. 





*All thoughts and opinions are my own and were not influenced by the author or publisher. I was not compensated for this review.*

Saturday, September 21, 2013

Review: Tandem by Anna Jarzab

Title: Tandem
Author: Anna Jarzab
Series: Book One in the Many-Worlds Trilogy
Published By: Delacorte (October 8, 2013)
Source: ARC Copy Provided by the Publisher (in exchange for an honest review)
Genre: YA Sci Fi/Fantasy
My Rating: 3 Stars!

Book Description:
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.





My Thoughts and Review:
Normally I would say that this sort of read just isn't something I pick up willingly. I normally don't gravitate towards sci fi and fantasy reads but lately, lately, that isn't the case at all. In fact, I am pretty sure I can no longer claim to shy away from the two genre as it seems I suddenly have great interest in them and in fact have been loving what I have tried for the most part. 

I don't even know why I shy away from it because some of my favorite shows and stories growing up were in the two blended genres, with anything having to do with time travel high on the list.

And really, how could I resist that cover? You have to admit, it is pretty eye catching and all around great. This also happens to be my first book by Jarzab and I can say without fail or falter that is won't be my last even though I didn't fall in love with  the storyline, I did really enjoy it.

I think the biggest thing is that I loved Thomas and Callum (and yes, sorry girls, there is a bit of a love triangle going on) but sadly, I didn't love Sasha. She seemed to fragile at times and then other times she was strong and took charge but there were way too many fragile moments for my liking. I think it was those weak moments that made her appear more whinny than I am sure the author intended for her to come off as. It is no secret that I like a strong heroine who will take charge and kick butt and Sasha just wasn't her.

The world building was nicely done explaining Earth, Aurora, the Tandem and analogs for the most part and there were lots of twists, especially towards the end so it did keep me entertained. 

Would I continue one with the series? I think I would, it would be nice to see where it went from here but it wouldn't be high on my priority list but again, I would love to try another book from this author because I did enjoy her writing style. 





*All thoughts and opinions are my own and were not influenced by the author or publisher. I was not compensated for this review.*

Thursday, September 19, 2013

Stuck In A Good Book Giveaway Hop!!



Once again I am so happy to be participating in another great hop hosted by I Am A Reader Not A Writer and Stuck in Books.

I have been contemplating which book to offer up as part of this hop and I have to say, I am stuck. I have read so many great ones this year I just didn't even know which ones to offer! 

But I decided to go with a great debut author Ripley Patton and her book Ghost Hand. I have to say, this is a fabulous YA Fantasy series that really did blow me away and the best part about it is that I just finished the sequel (which will be released later this month) and it was even BETTER!

To see my review of Ghost Hand please go HERE
To see my review of Ghost Hold the sequel please go HERE. 

The author has generously offered up 5 e-book copies of Ghost Hand to five lucky winners and I couldn't be more excited!!

Ghost Hand
Book Description:

Seventeen-year-old Olivia Black has a rare birth defect known as Psyche Sans Soma, or PSS. Instead of a right hand made of flesh and blood, she was born with a hand made of ethereal energy.

How does Olivia handle being the girl with the ghost hand? Well, she's a little bit morbid and a whole lot snarky. 


Her mother thinks her obsession with death, black clothing, and the local cemetery is a bid for attention. But when Marcus, the new guy in Olivia's calculus class, stares at her like she's a freak, Olivia doesn't like it. And when her hand goes rogue, doing things she never imagined possible, Olivia finds herself running for her life with Marcus from a group of men bent on taking the power of her hand for their own nefarious purposes.







Giveaway:
This giveaway is open internationally and is being hosted by the author.




a Rafflecopter giveaway



To view a list of all blogs participating please look below: