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 really enjoyed the first book in this series and I'm hoping this will be just as good, plus, come on, this cover is fantastic!

Book Description:


My Firstlife is over, but my Everlife is only now beginning.

With her last living breath, Tenley "Ten" Lockwood made her choice and picked her realm in the Everlife. Now, as the war between Troika and Myriad rages, she must face the consequences. 

Because Ten possesses a rare supernatural ability to absorb and share light, the Powers That Be have the highest expectations for her future—and the enemy wants her neutralized. Fighting to save her Secondlife, she must learn about her realm from the ground up while launching her first mission: convincing a select group of humans to join her side before they die. No pressure, right? 


But Ten's competition is Killian, the boy she can't forget—the one who gave up everything for her happiness. He has only one shot at redemption: beating Ten at a game she's never even played. As their throw-downs heat up, so do their undeniable feelings, and soon, Ten will have to make another choice. Love…or victory. 

November Update...I'm Alive, But Exhausted!

So sorry for the unexpected hiatus everyone! Did you miss me? :p

So where in the world have I been? Helping my mom move!

Okay I knew this was going to be a big project and I expected I would need a small break from blogging but I had no idea how big of a job this would be and just how tired at the end of the day I would be, especially since I still had my own house work, cooking, homework help, picking up kids, grocery shopping, laundry....and everything else to do.

I kid you not, the women has more clothes than a boutique store. Try like a huge walk in closet and then two other bedroom closets full (not small closets either). 

My mom decided she needed/wanted to downgrade her house because it really is just too much for one person anymore (with a huge yard on top of a big house) so after twenty plus years of living in the same house, decided a change was due. Which is great expect, my mom, come to find out, is a pack rat...like seriously, in some cases I think it was boarding on hoarding. I mean, really how many pairs of shoes does one person need?

So after a week and a half of working 5 plus hour days just packing her house up, two days of hired moving van help and then another week to help unpack, we are....yes, still only almost done. 

You guys, I'm.So.Tired!

But the end is in sight and everything should be done by the weekend, including putting new furniture together because after all whats a new house without new stuff right? Gah!

So anyways, that is where I have been and what I have been up to. I've tried to blog when I can but honestly, my heart (and body!) just wasn't into it.

I've been thinking a lot about where I want to go with my blog and even if I still want to blog still, to be honest I'm feeling a bit burnt out on everything. Even though I am still reading (well not these past two weeks) books , writing reviews for them is another thing all together. My heart just isn't in it for whatever reason. Maybe it is that 5 year itch thing most bloggers that have been around that long seem to be going through, I don't know. But for now, I will be taking it slow and not posting as much until I feel like I am 100% back in the game. 

With the holidays around the corner and school being out again, I will more than likely not be online much anyways so, maybe once the new year hits I will get more back into the groove of things, or maybe not. I guess time will tell but for now, one day at a time right?

I have missed talking to all of you though! And don't worry, I'm not disappearing, just hanging low for awhile until I get back up to speed on things and catch up with everything at home first. 

Hope you all had a fabulous Thanksgiving! I know it was a day of rest and fun I definitely needed. 

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 admit, I was drawn to this cover first and then the words "standalone" clinched the deal. I'm a sucker lately for standalone novels. As much as I love series and I do love them, I have way too many I still need to finish up so a good book that stands all on its own is a nice change of pace. 

Book Description:


The Girl of Fire and Thorns meets The Queen of the Tearling in this thrilling fantasy standalone about one girl’s unexpected rise to power.

Freya was never meant be queen. Twenty third in line to the throne, she never dreamed of a life in the palace, and would much rather research in her laboratory than participate in the intrigues of court. However, when an extravagant banquet turns deadly and the king and those closest to him are poisoned, Freya suddenly finds herself on the throne.

Freya may have escaped the massacre, but she is far from safe. The nobles don’t respect her, her councillors want to control her, and with the mystery of who killed the king still unsolved, Freya knows that a single mistake could cost her the kingdom – and her life.

Freya is determined to survive, and that means uncovering the murderers herself. Until then, she can’t trust anyone. Not her advisors. Not the king’s dashing and enigmatic illegitimate son. Not even her own father, who always wanted the best for her, but also wanted more power for himself.


As Freya’s enemies close in and her loyalties are tested, she must decide if she is ready to rule and, if so, how far she is willing to go to keep the crown.

Release Day Review: Belle Chasse by Suzanne Johnson

Title: Belle Chasse
Author: Suzanne Johnson
Series: Book Five in the Sentinels of New Orleans
Published By: Tor Books (November 8, 2016)
Source: ARC Copy Provided by the Publisher (in exchange for an honest review)
Genre: Urban Fantasy
My Rating: 4.5 Stars!


Book Description:
With the wizard-elven treaty on the verge of collapse, the preternatural world stands on the brink of war. Unless former wizard sentinel DJ Jaco manages to keep the elven leader, Quince Randolph, focused on peace and not personal matters.

With no one on the throne, Faerie is in chaos, with rival princes battling for power. The still-undead pirate, Jean Lafitte, is building his own army of misfits, and DJ—stripped of her job and hiding in the Beyond to avoid the death sentence handed down by the wizard Council of Elders—can’t get anywhere near her beloved New Orleans or her significant something-or-other, Alex.


It's time to choose sides. Friends will become enemies, enemies will become allies, and not everyone will survive. DJ and her friends will learn a hard lesson: sometimes, even the ultimate sacrifice isn’t enough.

*Amazon*B&N*

I am an urban fantasy junkie, I admit it wholeheartedly, but when it comes to really good, well written, well told UF with characters that I absolutely adore, I become a fan girl and the Sentinels of New Orleans, is one of those series that from book one, has made me a fan.

From the characters to the setting, this book stands out and makes it worth the time to try. With sexy (undead) pirates, alpha shape shifters, wizards, vamps, and almost everything else, it is just one of those series that hooks you from the very first chapter and will refuse to ever let go and with this being the last book, how was I ever expected to say good bye? Are endings ever anything but bittersweet?

In this case, no, they are not. This was bittersweet but in the best way possible. We get all the things that have made us fall in love with the series over the course of the releases and then some.

Johnson’s writing, her characters, the arc in the plot, it all doesn't disappoint. It reminded me all over again why this has been a favorite from the beginning and why it will continue to hold a special place in my top ten favorites of the genre. It truly was bittersweet to say goodbye to these characters. 

**Edited to add that after  writing the review, I was able to speak to the author about her book and she informed me that this is not the last book in the series, which, I have to admit, with the ending, makes so much more sense and so I adjusted my rating because of it. Also she said there  is a possibility for a spin off series as well! I'm super excited about this you guys! So fans of DJ and gang, hang in there, more is yet to come!

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

Discussion Post; Let's Be Honest, When We Comment On Blogs, Do We Expect Something in Return?

So I've been thinking a lot about this lately with the disappearance of blogs and bloggers around the blogsphere and even as I've noticed in myself that I've been more burnt out lately, are we as bloggers getting lacked in our blogging and commenting? And what does this mean as bloggers, commentors, and readers if so?

Let me explain myself a bit more before I go into the discussion part of this post, just so I'm more clear on what exactly I'm asking here.

When we as bloggers visit other blogs and comment do we expect something in return? Whether that be a response to our comment on their blog or a return visit to ours because we commented on theirs?

Let's be brutally honest here, how many of you are willing to spend time visiting other blogs, reading their thoughts and reviews, taking the time to comment and not have said blogger either respond back to your comment or even, let's say, visit your blog in return? Are we expecting too much when this doesn't happen? Is it selfish to think that sometimes we might only comment on other's blog so that they in return will visit and comment on ours?

I'm not saying there is a right or wrong answer here so let's get that out there first but truly, what are our expectations when it comes to visiting other blogs? 

Are we always doing it out of the kindness of our hearts and because we really just think that blog is amazing or do we have ulterior motives?

My brutally honest answer to this is, I think I do both and I don't think I necessarily like that about myself. I didn't start visiting other blogs just so they would visit mine, in fact, I visited them simply because I enjoyed their reviews, recommendations and their opinions about other things that they may have discussed on their blogs. I commented not expecting anything in return because who was I but a lowly commentor after all. But I think somewhere along the way, maybe when I started my own blog, things changed a bit. 

I won't lie, I love when people comment on my blog. It means someone out there is actually reading what I say and cares enough to stop by and say so. It's a great feeling and because I appreciate it, I reply back to them, because I really DO appreciate that they took the time to read what I wrote and say something about it, even if they don't agree with what I had to say, that's okay, they are still reading it and visiting anyways. for me, it's respectful for me to acknowledge that they took the time to stop by and yes, if I see that they too have a blog, I will visit theirs  in return. Why? Because I also believe in paying back their kindness and seeing what they have to say about certain books and things as well. Do I have to do this? No but I do anyways. 

But somewhere along the way of doing this, did I start expecting others to do the same?

Do we as bloggers expect others to do the same as well?

I guess, this is what I want to discuss. If you visit a blog and take the time to read the content and then comment on it, do you expect the blogger to at the very least, respond back to your comment? Do you even care if they do? And if you do comment, do you want them to stop by and visit your blog as well and leave a comment on yours because you did on theirs?

Is it right to expect that? Is it common courtesy or selfishness on our part?

And the biggest question of all is this, if your do visit blogs, comment and then never get a response back from them on your comment or have them visit your blog in return, do you keep visiting them? Do you take the time to comment when it seems like they could care less that you did?

Truly there are no right or wrong answers here, I'm just super curious what your thoughts are about this. What is the protocol? Is there one?

I certainly don't want to cause any hard feelings or negativity of any kind, that isn't what this post is suppose to be about it truly is me, picking your brain here and wanting to know what you think about it too. Have you ever thought about it? Do you have an opinion on it?

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.

Kasie West is one if the few YA contemporary authors I still have on my autobuy list and her latest looks just as fun as her others. I can't wait for it to release. 

Book Description:

In this irresistible story, Kasie West explores the timeless question of what to do when you fall for the person you least expect. Witty and romantic, this paperback original from a fan favorite is perfect for fans of Stephanie Perkins and Morgan Matson.

When Autumn Collins finds herself accidentally locked in the library for an entire weekend, she doesn’t think things could get any worse. But that’s before she realizes that Dax Miller is locked in with her. Autumn doesn’t know much about Dax except that he’s trouble. Between the rumors about the fight he was in (and that brief stint in juvie that followed it) and his reputation as a loner, he’s not exactly the ideal person to be stuck with. Still, she just keeps reminding herself that it is only a matter of time before Jeff, her almost-boyfriend, realizes he left her in the library and comes to rescue her.

Only he doesn’t come. No one does.


Instead it becomes clear that Autumn is going to have to spend the next couple of days living off vending-machine food and making conversation with a boy who clearly wants nothing to do with her. Except there is more to Dax than meets the eye. As he and Autumn first grudgingly, and then not so grudgingly, open up to each other, Autumn is struck by their surprising connection. But can their feelings for each other survive once the weekend is over and Autumn’s old life, and old love interest, threaten to pull her from Dax’s side?

Fall Shows, What To Watch and What I am Watching

I had so much fun with this over the summer, I thought with the new fall TV season under way (for the most part), it would be fun to see what everyone else is watching, trying and recommending plus tell you about those shows I have been a faithful watcher of for years, and those new shows I've actually tried and am really liking.

Fall is always a fun season because not only does it bring cooler weather and gorgeous foliage but it brings back our favorite shows after a couple of month hiatus. And while a lot of shows over the last season have lost my interst (Vampire Diaries I'm looking at you), there are still some I'm completely loyal too. 

 I am an avid Supernatural fan and October is one of my favorite months, not only does it house Halloween, but hello, Sup starts back up! 

For those of you that haven't tried this series yet, seriously do it. Dean and Sam are just, amazing, not to mention so many other characters that make it impossible not to love, even the bad guys. I admit, it took me two season of watching before I was in love but once I was there, I never turned back. 

Another series, along the same line that I have loved since the beginning is Grimm, and while they had to postpone it's start up until January, I can't wait for it to begin and am so sad this will be the last season. I seriously love Monroe, he is by far my favorite character of the whole series. 

I started watching Blindspot last fall on a whim and loved it and with the killer cliffhanger is ended with I could't wait to see how it would start back up and I have to say, I was a little worried but thankfully, I'm still loving it. 

I'm not usually one for 30 minute sitcoms but over the summer I needed something short I could watch while folding laundry and I stumbled upon this on Hulu and oh my heck, it is so funny! I think I watched the whole first season in a matter of weeks. Yep, I seriously need to step away from the TV but at least I was getting housework done at the same time right?

This one, okay I tried to resist I really did and I will be the first to admit that some of the scenes turn my stomach but I can't help it, I still watch it and love it. Yeah, I know, so not my normal thing to watch, like at all but there you have it. Once I started watching, I could't go back and now I'm hooked. 

So that is about it, that's all I watch that has been on for more than one season that is still going strong and still holds my interest.

I have started watching a couple of new shows that so far I'm in love with but I tread lightly since it is so hit and miss with first seasons and you never know if they will be picked back up or not but here are the ones that are "new" that I'm watching.

Okay there has only been like two episodes so far but holy heck, those two episodes were amazing! I love shows that are both realistic and funny as heck and this show is it for me, plus I love that it is only about 20 minutes long (on Hulu) which makes me feel like I'm not watching as much TV. :P

Anybody that knows me knows that I'm a huge history nerd and to get a part of history (of sorts) in a good sci fi show is so much fun and yes again, only a few episodes have aired but I've loved them all so far and can see this being a fun one. 

And last This Is Us. I hadn't planned on watching this but I caught an episode and now I really like it. I have a couple to watch still but I've liked the ones that I have seen so far. 

So what about you, what shows are you watching currently? Do you love fall as much as I do?

Have you tried any of the new shows airing? Tell me about it! I want to know! I always like watching (or okay reading) while I'm working out too (which honestly is where I watch most of my shows) so any recommendations are always welcome. ;) 

Oh and I have to do an honorable mention to the Big Bang Theory, while it sadly isn't on Netflix or Hulu, it is a show that I love to watch whenever I can catch it on TV which is sadly hardly ever.