Friday, August 29, 2014

Happy Labor Day Weekend!



I don't normally take very much time off on my blog because I really do love being here, reading and replying to comments and of course visiting other blogs but this Labor Day weekend I have decided to take some much needed time off.

I am trying not to panic at being away from the computer for three whole days but...I think my family and I need the break, well, maybe I just need the break. Either way I am closing my laptop and will try my hardest not to return until Tuesday morning. 

I know I am going to feel so behind on visiting blogs but I will do my best to get caught up on Tuesday when the kids go back to school. To keep my work load  lighter I am also going to take a break from posting anything this weekend as well so I wanted to take the time now to wish everyone a very safe and happy Labor Day weekend!

I hope you all get to do those things you love best, be with family, friends, take a much needed nap, whatever it is you like to do and of course, find that perfect book to read over the long break. 

Thank you all so much for visiting every day and all your wonderful comments. I really do love all the friendships I have made since I started my blog and I cherish all of you! You guys can make me smile when I am having a bad day with your love of books. It is so much fun having others to share my passion with that truly understand. 

See you guys on Tuesday!!

Thursday, August 28, 2014

Review: The Dolls by Kiki Sullivan

Title: The Dolls
Author: Kiki Sullivan
Series: Book One in the Dolls Series

Published By: Balzer & Bray (September 2, 2014)
Source: ARC Copy Provided by the Publisher (in exchange for an honest review)
Genre: YA Contemporary
My Rating: 2.5 Stars

Book Description:
Eveny Cheval just moved back to Louisiana after spending her childhood in New York with her aunt Bea. Eveny hasn’t seen her hometown since her mother’s suicide fourteen years ago, and her memories couldn’t have prepared her for what she encounters. Because pristine, perfectly manicured Carrefour has a dark side full of intrigue, betrayal, and lies—and Eveny quickly finds herself at the center of it all.

Enter Peregrine Marceau, Chloe St. Pierre, and their group of rich, sexy friends known as the Dolls. From sipping champagne at lunch to hooking up with the hottest boys, Peregrine and Chloe have everything—including an explanation for what’s going on in Carrefour. And Eveny doesn’t trust them one bit.

But after murder strikes and Eveny discovers that everything she believes about herself, her family, and her life is a lie, she must turn to the Dolls for answers. Something’s wrong in paradise, and it’s up to Eveny, Chloe, and Peregrine to save Carrefour and make it right.









Like a moth to a flame I am drawn to stories about the supernatural and in particular about witches. I have loved them since I was a little girl and I will continue to love them. Sadly, like the moth, I sometimes get burned. Thankfully, this wasn't one of those times.

My intuition paid off and you know what? I really liked this one. It wasn't perfect but it had mystery and intrigue and best of all, magic, the voodoo kind. Okay, not voodoo but zandara which is close enough right?

Okay yes, there are  cliches, awful ones in fact. Popular rich beautiful girls that rule the school, hot guy she has a crush one, cute sweet boy she hardly notices, creepy vibes throughout the town, all that jazz but sometimes those cliches come together and work and for me, this time they did. They won't work for everyone, in fact maybe few but they did for me.

If I had to compare this to another story I would say it comes close to having the same vibe as the Beautiful Creatures series, but not quite, it has that whole down south rich gothic feel to it with a hint of wrongness and magic in the air and of course the huge creepy vibe going on.

Even with all the wrongness, this was still right. Still mysterious and magical and I couldn't help but get wrapped up in the story. This isn’t a great work of literature or even a stand out blow you away read but it was engaging and let me completely forget everything for a few hours and get whisked away to another town and place and I have to give it kudos for that alone. This was intriguing enough that I won't hesitate to pick up the second book and see where the story goes from here because it really was interesting and fun and yes, slightly creepy. 



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

Wednesday, August 27, 2014

WoW Pick of the Week



Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. It is a chance to share those new releases were are super anxious to get our hands on and read.

This week's choice was an easy one, it just sounds so adorable and one of those feel good sweet reads we all need once in awhile to get us out of slumps and put a smile on our faces.
Plus one of my most favorite bloggers designed the cover, which is just amazing. She is so talented!



Release Date: February 2015

Book Description:
Tomboy to the core, Toni Valentine understands guys. She'll take horror movies, monster hunts and burping contests over manicures any day. So Toni is horrified when she's sent to the Winston Academy for Girls, where she has to wear a skirt and learn to be a "lady" while the guys move on without her.

Then Toni meets Emma Elizabeth, a girl at school with boy troubles, and she volunteers one of her friends as a pretend date to make Emma's ex jealous. Soon word spreads of Toni’s connections with boys, and she discovers that her new wealthy female classmates will pay big money for fake dates. Looking for a way to connect her old best friends with her new life at school, Toni and Emma start up Toni Valentine’s Rent-A-Gent Service.


But the business meets a scandal when Toni falls for one of her friends—the same guy who happens to be the most sought-after date. With everything she's built on the line, Toni has to decide if she wants to save the business and her old life, or let go of being one of the guys for a chance at love.




Tuesday, August 26, 2014

Review: Mary: The Summoning by Hillary Monahan

Title: Mary: The Summoning
Author: Hillary Monahan
Series: Book One in the Bloody Mary Series
Published By: Disney-Hyperion (September 2, 2014)
Source: ARC Copy Provided by the Publisher (in exchange for an honest review)
Genre: YA Thriller/Horror
My Rating: 3.5 Stars

Book Description:
There is a right way and a wrong way to summon her. 

Jess had done the research. Success requires precision: a dark room, a mirror, a candle, salt, and four teenage girls. Each of them--Jess, Shauna, Kitty, and Anna--must link hands, follow the rules . . . and never let go. 

A thrilling fear spins around the room the first time Jess calls her name: "Bloody Mary. Bloody Mary. BLOODY MARY." A ripple of terror follows when a shadowy silhouette emerges through the fog, a specter trapped behind the mirror. 

Once is not enough, though--at least not for Jess. Mary is called again. And again. But when their summoning circle is broken, Bloody Mary slips through the glass with a taste for revenge on her lips. As the girls struggle to escape Mary's wrath, loyalties are questioned, friendships are torn apart, and lives are forever altered.

A haunting trail of clues leads Shauna on a desperate search to uncover the legacy of Mary Worth. What she finds will change everything, but will it be enough to stop Mary--and Jess--before it's too late?










Who hasn't heard of Bloody Mary and been frightened as a child of the thought of her coming through the mirror at night and capturing your soul? Who hasn't shuttered at the very thought of going into a dark bathroom and chanting her name three times in the mirror to see what would happen? Who hasn't felt that thrill of excitement and dread all mixed together at all the possibilities of the whatifs?

What if you really called her to you? What if the stories were true and she was a terrible horrible ghost that would not leave you alone? What if there was more to her story than the legends told?

What if Mary was just an ordinary girl like you and I and something horrible happened to her?

What if. What if.

Can I just say for the record that I made a point not to read this one in the dark. Or alone, or in a bathroom. Can you say freaking creepy? Gah! 

Did I mention that while I love these type of reads, and I really do mean that, I am also the worlds biggest chicken and often terrify myself by reading them?

Well, I am and I did freak myself out with this one, or rather the author freaked me out with her great story telling abilities. I might not be able to look into a mirror again at night..ever. 

I can't even tell you much about this other than it is probably as scary as you are thinking it is and just as gross. The description, the detail...ick. I loved every minute of it.

This was such a fast read and was over way before I wanted it to be. I didn't have all my answers, I didn't have a conclusion and I definitely didn't have a happily ever after, not that I was really expecting one in this read but, still...there is a ghost on the lose, and she is out for blood, literally.

Oh I will so be picking up the second book as soon as it is released.








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

Release Day Blast: Dangerous Destiny (Night Sky prequel) by Suzanne Brockmann and Melanie Brockmann

To help celebrate the release of Night Sky in Octoberthe prequel Dangerous Destiny is free on Amazon!

I recently read this and I have to say, I was super intrigued by what the full length novel will hold. There was a lot packed into this little story.



Book Description:
See how it all begins...

In this pulse-pounding prequel to the Night Sky series by New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Suzanne Brockmann and her daughter Melanie Brockmann, Skylar has her first brush with Destiny. She's about to meet a boy who will change her life—and a girl who wants to end it.

I know her.
Know her from inside the dreams. Inside those terrible, murderous, bloody dreams. I've heard her-screaming, her voice mixing in an awful chorus with all those other girls. Little girls.

Please, God. 
That's what one of the little girls keeps saying, in the dream that is not just a dream. Please, God.
But I know better. There's no escaping this fate. This is destiny.
I must kill Skylar.

Skylar Reid is the new girl at school. Her mom just moved them to Florida—aka The Land of the Living Dead where the average age of her new neighbors was seventy-five—to start over. Skylar is not a fan of the change or her total lack of friends. Until she meets Calvin, a funny, sarcastic boy who doesn't let being in a wheelchair stop him from verbally shredding their preppy classmates. Skylar's just about to decide her new school's not a total loss when an odd girl wearing an oversized trench coat in the murderous Southern heat declares, "You're one of us." And then tries to kill her.








Release Date: October 2014
Book Description:
In Night Sky, sixteen-year-old Skylar Reid is thrown into a strange world when she discovers that she has unique telekinetic and telepathic powers. After Sasha, the child she babysits, is kidnapped and believed to be murdered, Sky and her best friend Calvin are approached by Dana, a mysterious girl who has super-abilities similar to Sky’s. With the help of Dana and her sidekick Milo, the four teens — two from the rich part of town, and two living hand-to-mouth on the streets — embark on a quest to discover who killed Sasha, and to bring the killers to justice.

With Dana as Skylar’s surly and life-toughened mentor, Sky attempts to harness her powers to aid them in their quest. Complicating an already complex relationship with the older girl, Sky starts to fall for the dangerously handsome and enigmatic Milo–and begins to suspect that the attraction is mutual. But then Sky realizes that Sasha might still be alive, and the unlikely foursome’s mission becomes one of search and rescue, pitting the heroic teens against a very deadly enemy.

Night Sky is the first book in a YA trilogy set in the same dark future as Suzanne Brockmann’s Born to Darkness, a New York Times bestselling hardcover, published last year as the first installment in her Fighting Destiny series. Night Sky has the same mix of suspense, romance, humor, and the paranormal, and deals with many of the same themes, including society’s relentless exploitation and devaluation of females, and the empowerment that comes when women and girls recognize their strength and intellect, and stand up, fight back, and save the day.




Monday, August 25, 2014

Review: Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas

Title: Heir of Fire
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Series: Book Three in the Throne of Glass Series
Published By: Bloomsbury USA Children's (September 2, 2014)
Source: ARC Copy Provided by the Publisher (in exchange for an honest review)
Genre: YA Fantasy
My Rating: 5 Stars!

Book Description:
Lost and broken, Celaena Sardothien’s only thought is to avenge the savage death of her dearest friend: as the King of Adarlan’s Assassin, she is bound to serve this tyrant, but he will pay for what he did. Any hope Celaena has of destroying the king lies in answers to be found in Wendlyn. Sacrificing his future, Chaol, the Captain of the King’s Guard, has sent Celaena there to protect her, but her darkest demons lay in that same place. If she can overcome them, she will be Adarlan’s biggest threat – and his own toughest enemy. 

While Celaena learns of her true destiny, and the eyes of Erilea are on Wendlyn, a brutal and beastly force is preparing to take to the skies. Will Celaena find the strength not only to win her own battles, but to fight a war that could pit her loyalties to her own people against those she has grown to love?








We all have those series that we love unconditionally. That we build up so much in our minds that by the time the next book is released you start to wonder if anything truly is as great as you remember it to be. If this next book will live up to all the expectations you have built up .

By the time the next book is in your hands,  you can't help but worry that is won't. Doubts start to creep in and you can't help but open those first few pages with just a little bit of anticipation mixed in with a whole lot of nerves.

Is Maas really the master storyteller that I believe her to be? 

And the answer to that of course is, why yes. Yes, she is. 

Once again this is told in multiple point of views with different story arcs, more so than the others ever have been but, once again, Maas pulled it off beautifully. It flowed effortlessly. 

So many new characters to adore and love. Rowan, Marion, Abraxos (don't ask because I couldn't tell you but for some reason the creature wormed his way in too), Aedion, Emrys and yes maybe even Manon (okay maybe not into my heart but in...some how). Too many maybe to name. 

So many angles, so many heirs, so many possibilities.

Did I mention I adore this series? It is by far not only my favorite fantasy series ever but my favorite YA series ever. I think during parts of this, my heart truly broke for Celaena and during others, I was there, cheering her on and smiling at her triumphs and celebrating right along side her. So much happens in this that I wouldn't even know where to begin to explain but I will say this, if you haven't started this series yet, do it. Do it now. You won't regret it at all, not for a moment.

It is one of those fabulous series that hooks you and refuses to let go. One you think about long after the story has been put down and one that will capture your attention, love, and affection how ever it can. 







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

Release Day Event: The Write Stuff by Tiffany King




The

Write

Stuff

TIFFANY KING

Available August 25, 2014

Twenty-two-year-old historical romance writer Nicole Blake, or N.S. Blake to her readers, hasn't taken an official poll, mind you, but she is convinced she may be the only romance author on the planet who is still a card-carrying member of the virgin club.

Not that she hasn't tried to end her membership. Life just keeps finding pesky ways to interfere. With no prospects on the horizon, Nicole begins to feel like the closest she will ever get to experiencing a man is within her own stories.

Opportunity presents itself in the form of hot-as-sin-on-a-lollipop-stick bartender/premed student Alec Petropoulos, who agrees to be the cover model for her upcoming book. Sparks fly instantly between them, and Nicole begins to entertain the possibility that she's finally found the right guy to hand over her tattered V-card. Alec has all the makings for a perfect one-night-stand candidate except, much to Nicole's surprise, he seems to be the only man in existence not interested in bagging a virgin.

Stuck between a rock and a stubborn male, what's a virgin to do? Seduce him, of course. How hard could it be? If it works for the characters in her stories, why wouldn't it work for her?

After all, what happens under the cover…stays under the cover.



About Tiffany King



USA Today Bestselling author Tiffany King is a lifelong reading fanatic who is now living her dream as a writer, weaving Young Adult and New Adult romance tales for others to enjoy. She has a loving husband and two wonderful kids. (Five, if you count her three spoiled cats). Her addictions

include: Her iPhone and iPad, chocolate, Diet Coke, chocolate, Harry Potter, chocolate, zombies and her favorite TV shows. Want to know what they are? Just ask.

For information on any of Author Tiffany's titles, visit her blog at www.authortiffanyjking.blogspot.com

Where to connect with Author Tiffany Twitter- @AuthorTiffany Facebook- AuthorTiffanyKing Pinterest- Tiffany King Blog- authortiffanyjking.blogspot.com Goodreads- Tiffany King

Email- authortiffany@yahoo.com

"Dreams do come true...Dream big."

Sunday, August 24, 2014

Blog Tour Book Review and Giveaway: Taken By Tuesday by Catherine Bybee




I am so excited to be a part of another tour for Catherine's Weekday Bride series. As most of you may know, I adore Catherine's writing and her characters and this series has been such a fun one. they can all be read as stand alone novels but I highly recommend reading them all because they really are fabulous.





TAKEN BY TUESDAY

The Weekday Bride Series, Book Five

Montlake Romance, Contemporary

August 12, 2014, First Edition

Paperback & Kindle

JUDY GARDNER:

College graduate Judy stands ready to conquer the world…if she can find a job. Hoping to transition from aspiring architect to famous architect as quickly as possible, the dark-haired beauty moves to LA, staying in the home of her celebrity brother, Michael Wolfe. But it’s hard for Judy to focus on work when the sexy bodyguard she fell for last summer keeps showing up in her life and leaving her breathless.

RICK EVANS:

With his hard body, green eyes, and easy smile, Rick could have any woman he wants. But the Marine-turned-bodyguard only has eyes for Judy and her spitfire attitude. When a faceless villain attacks Judy, Rick will stop at nothing to protect the woman who opened his heart from the monster hunting her.

PRAISE FOR TAKEN BY TUESDAY

“Readers will fall in love with Rick, who is the ultimate book boyfriend with his good looks and bad-ass attitude.” –RT BOOK REVIEWS, TOP PICK!, 4 ½ STARS

BUY LINKS:

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Taken-Tuesday-Weekday-Brides-Catherine-ebook/dp/B00HST8JT0/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&sr=8-1&qid=1404345773

B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/taken-by-tuesday-catherine-bybee/1118717410?ean=9781477823774

BAM: http://www.booksamillion.com/p/Taken-Tuesday/Catherine-Bybee/9781477823774?id=6026033015017

BOOK DEPOSITORY: http://www.bookdepository.com/Taken-by-Tuesday-Catherine-Bybee/9781477823774

EXCERPT

A throaty laugh made him pause.

He knew that laugh.

The smile on his face suddenly felt more genuine. His gaze slid across the room when she laughed again. Her back was to him, but it was her…Utah. She held her cue stick and pointed at a corner pocket. “Watch ‘em and weep.”

She sunk the eight ball like it was her bitch and the guys around the table groaned. A short-haired blonde lifted her hand and made a grabby motion with her fingers. “Pay up!”

Utah laughed, laid her cue on the table, and grabbed the bottle of beer at her side. All the while Rick just watched the interplay. She wore tight jeans, a tucked in tank that hugged her waist in a mouth-watering way …over the ensemble was a jean jacket that he could easily picture draped over the handlebars of his motorcycle.

“I think we just got hustled,” one of the young college kids said as he shoved his hands in his wallet to pay his debt.

“I tried to warn you.”

Judy’s friend shoved the bills into her pocket faster than the waitress had.

“Anyone else? Twenty buck minimum with a round of drinks.”

This might be fun.

Rick took a step forward and lifted his voice above the crowd. “A hundred bucks.”

Utah froze, but didn’t turn around. He wondered if she recognized his voice. Had she thought about him in the last year? With the exception of her brother’s divorce party, he hadn’t seen her…not outside of a wet dream or two.

The blonde swiveled her head like a snake to prey and her eyes did that sweeping thing that happened to him once in a while. Rick knew he wasn’t hard on the eyes, knew he filled out his shirt like a Marine should. His thick shoulders and neck screamed military or linebacker. He did play a little football in high school.

“Who the hell are you?” the blonde mumbled.

Rick chuckled.

Judy slowly turned and had to tilt her head back to look at him. “Green Eyes.”

“Hey, Utah.”

“You know this guy?” The blonde shoved next to Judy and nudged her arm.

God, she was even more adorable than he remembered. He didn’t let her eyes go, just matched her stare. A blush rose to her cheeks and a few freckles peeked through. Her snarky remark about his presence was a heartbeat away. He’d lay another hundred bucks on the table as a bet that the next words out of her mouth would shock everyone within earshot.

“Did the steroid train stop in town when I wasn’t looking?”

The blonde started to laugh.

Rick stepped even closer so barely an inch separated them. The smile never left

his face. “I hear steroids shrink dicks.”

As if she couldn’t help herself, Judy glanced down and it was Rick’s turn to laugh. He brushed the edge of her body with his and removed the cue from the table. “What do ya say, Utah? I’ll even let you break. Ladies first and all that.”

Rick knew they were drawing a crowd, but the interplay between them matched the sparks that hovered over them like a damn rainbow, and he was powerless to care what anyone thought.

“A hundred bucks is steep, Judy.”

“S’okay, Meg…Rick’s a big talker. Besides, he doesn’t know what I’m capable of.”

Rick shook his head and clicked his tongue. “Now, now…don’t want to show all your cards.”

“She’s really good, dude,” the guy she’d relieved of twenty bucks said from across the table.

Rick lowered his voice. “Will you go easy on me, Babe?”

Judy regained some of her lost composure and pushed away from his personal space. “Not on your life. And I’m not your babe!”


We’ll see about that. He couldn’t stop smiling.


About the Author:




New York Times & USA Today bestselling author Catherine Bybee was raised in Washington State, but after graduating high school, she moved to Southern California in hopes of becoming a movie star. After growing bored with waiting tables, she returned to school and became a registered nurse, spending most of her career in urban emergency rooms. She now writes full-time and has penned the Weekday Brides Series and the Not Quite Series. Bybee lives with her husband and two teenage sons in Southern California.

CONTACT LINKS:

www.catherinebybe.com

catherinebybee@yahoo.com

catherinebybee.blogspot.com

twitter.com/catherinebybee



I just might say this every single time I read a new book by Bybee, by the fact of the matter is, it's the truth, this might very well be the best Bybee book to date and my favorite yet. 

It says a lot about an author that every single time I read one of her novels, I fall more and more in love with her writing. How easily I am drawn right back into the story line and into the lives of the characters. How easy it is to instantly care about them and be invested in their happiness. To root for them like they were old friends or family members you have known forever.

That is exactly how I felt about Judy an Rick.

I already loved the Gardner clan but oh my heck I loved them even more after reading this. Michael (Mike) such a great man and I can't wait for his story (hint hint Bybee, he needs one!).  It was so nice to see Zach and Karen and really all of the characters I have fallen for over the course of the series. Meg was a great addition and yes, I want a story for her as well! 


This series is so darn addicting, I just can't get enough of the swoon worthy men and heart melting romance. These are the summer reads everyone needs in their life.






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





a Rafflecopter giveaway

Friday, August 22, 2014

Review: Six Feet Over It by Jennifer Longo

Title: Six Feet Over It
Author: Jennifer Longo
Series: Stand Alone
Published By: Random House Books For Young Readers (August 26, 2014)
Source: ARC Copy Provided by the Publisher (in exchange for an honest review)
Genre: YA Contemporary
My Rating: 4 Stars! 

 Book Description:
Home is where the bodies are buried.

Darkly humorous and heart-wrenchingly beautiful, Jennifer Longo’s YA debut about a girl stuck living in a cemetery will change the way you look at life, death, and love.

Leigh sells graves for her family-owned cemetery because her father is too lazy to look farther than the dinner table when searching for employees. Working the literal graveyard shift, she meets two kinds of customers:

Pre-Need: They know what’s up. They bought their graves a long time ago, before they needed them.

At Need: They are in shock, mourning a loved one’s unexpected death. Leigh avoids sponging their agony by focusing on things like guessing the headstone choice (mostly granite).

Sarcastic and smart, Leigh should be able to stand up to her family and quit. But her world’s been turned upside down by the sudden loss of her best friend and the appearance of Dario, the slightly-too-old-for-her grave digger. Surrounded by death, can Leigh move on, if moving on means it’s time to get a life?












This book is so very hard for me to review.

It was a hard book to read even, for many reasons mostly because, this isn't a happy go lucky kind of read. It is about a girl that is literally surrounded by death, every single day. But that isn't what makes the story special, or even the girl for that matter. Instead, this is a story about a girl trying to deal with death, not just live with it. 

There is depth to the pages, to the inner monologue and to the conversations around Leigh and sometimes, even more importantly, to what isn't being said or shown but rather what is being felt instead.

I don't think this book will appeal to everyone, but I do think those that get it, that get the messages, are going to love it and cherish it and be thankful that they read it. 

The humor is dark and snarky. No witty banter in this one but rather the musing of a girl so very lost and trying to find her way that it is instead sad at times and heart wrenching. 


This is Longo's debut novel and I must say, she will be one to watch in the future. One that will bring us something outside of the norm for the genre. Those reads that make us really stop and think and most of all, feel.





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

Thursday, August 21, 2014

Review: Storm Siren by Mary Weber

Title: Storm Siren
Author: Mary Weber
Series: Book One in the Storm Siren Series
Published By: Thomas Nelson/Harper Collins (August 19, 2014)
Source: ARC Copy Provided by the Publisher (in exchange for an honest review)
Genre: YA Fantasy
My Rating: 3.5 Stars!

Book Description:
“I raise my chin as the buyers stare. Yes. Look. You don’t want me. Because, eventually, accidentally, I will destroy you.”

In a world at war, a slave girl’s lethal curse could become one kingdom’s weapon of salvation. If the curse—and the girl—can be controlled.

As a slave in the war-weary kingdom of Faelen, seventeen-year-old Nym isn’t merely devoid of rights, her Elemental kind are only born male and always killed at birth — meaning, she shouldn’t even exist.

Standing on the auction block beneath smoke-drenched mountains, Nym faces her fifteenth sell. But when her hood is removed and her storm-summoning killing curse revealed, Nym is snatched up by a court advisor and given a choice: be trained as the weapon Faelen needs to win the war, or be killed.

Choosing the former, Nym is unleashed into a world of politics, bizarre parties, and rumors of an evil more sinister than she’s being prepared to fight . . . not to mention the handsome trainer whose dark secrets lie behind a mysterious ability to calm every lightning strike she summons.

But what if she doesn’t want to be the weapon they’ve all been waiting for?

Set in a beautifully eclectic world of suspicion, super abilities, and monsters, Storm Siren is a story of power. And whoever controls that power will win.






There was no way after seeing all of the glowing reviews for this going around the blogsphere that I was going to say no to it. Add in the fact that this wasn't a mermaid or siren story (something I sadly have a love hate relationship with) and I was completely sold on starting this. I just knew it was going to be more than a pretty cover. After all, how could all those 4 and 5 star reviews be wrong?

Thankfully they weren't wrong, at least not completely. . This was so much fun and I seriously I liked it more than I thought I would in fact. My only real complaint and reason why I wasn't completely in love with it was because of the lack of world building. Things needed to be explained just a bit more. Terms were thrown out at us and names of places but that was the extent of our knowledge about them and sadly our explanation but you know what, in the end it was okay because the rest of the book was so entertaining that I could ignore the lack of other things. 

I enjoyed Nym, Breck, Collin and Eogan so much. Each of their stories came out little by little, nugget by nugget and I really enjoyed knowing more about them.

I loved the world that we did get to see, what was explained about the people and about Nym and Collin's powers and what being an Elemental meant to not only Nym but the others as well.

Overall this was a fun exciting read that was filled with all things magical with just enough hint at a romance to keep you guessing and wanting more.

I do have to warn you though that there is quite the nasty cliffhanger at the end, so be prepared for it, I wasn't and I almost (almost) wish I would have waited to start this one when book two was closer to being released.




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

Wednesday, August 20, 2014

WoW Pick of the Week



Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. It is a chance to share those new releases were are super anxious to get our hands on and read.


I recently (finally!) started this series and it has been every bit as good as it promised to be so of course when I saw a story all about the queen, I couldn't resist choosing it for this week's book pick.



Release Date: January 27, 2014

Book Description:
In this stunning bridge book between Cress and Winter in the bestselling Lunar Chronicles, Queen Levana’s story is finally told.

Mirror, mirror on the wall,
Who is the fairest of them all?

Fans of the Lunar Chronicles know Queen Levana as a ruler who uses her “glamour” to gain power. But long before she crossed paths with Cinder, Scarlet, and Cress, Levana lived a very different story – a story that has never been told . . . until now. 


Marissa Meyer spins yet another unforgettable tale about love and war, deceit and death. This extraordinary book includes full-color art and an excerpt from Winter, the next book in the Lunar Chronicles series.



*Amazon*

Tuesday, August 19, 2014

Clear Your Shelf Giveaway Hop


It has been way too long since I have participated in one of these hops hosted by I Am A Reader Not a Writer and Book Hounds

I have a ton of books that need good homes so for this hop I will be picking two winners (first winner will get first choice and then second will get to pick from what is left)! Sadly do to shipping expenses this giveaway will be open to US residents only. 

I really appreciate all of my followers and all of the comments I get each day. I love reading them and knowing that there are so many wonderful people just like me out there that have a huge love of reading,  so I am keeping this hop simple to enter. Simply be a follower of this blog via Bloglovin' and you will be entered to win.

Here are the books I have to offer up, hopefully you see something you like. 

ARC Paperback Copy of Fire & Flood by Victoria Scott



Hardback Copy of Copperhead by Tina Connolly



ARC Paperback Copy of Independent Study by Joelle Charbonneau



Paperback Copy of Quick Fix by Linda Grimes


ARC Paperback Copy of Face of Death by Kelly Hashway


Hardback Copy of Invisible by James Patterson


Paperback Copy of The Sharp Time by Mary O'Connell



Hopefully you see something you like and good luck to everyone who enters!! And once again, thank you to all of my wonderful followers!!


a Rafflecopter giveaway


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