In My Mailbox is a meme hosted by Cassandra Livingston and Ana Carter. The purpose of this meme is to share the books we receive with our readers. These can be ARCs, books we purchased ourselves, books requested for review by authors and publishers, eBooks, free reads we stumbled upon and audiobooks. Posted randomly and sometimes twice a week.
Recent Purchases:
Like this:
Like Loading...
Tags: Ana Carter, Book, books, Cassandra Livingston, E-book, eBook, eBooks, Gmail, IPhone, Mailbox, Meme, recent purchases, Shopping
The Rockin’ Chair by Steven Manchester
Paperback, 272 pages
Expected publication: June 18th 2013 by Story Plant, The (first published June 4th 2013)
ISBN 161188067X (ISBN13: 9781611880670)
Rating: 5/5 Stars
Description:
Memories are the ultimate contradiction. They can warm us on our coldest days or they can freeze a loved one out of our lives forever. The McCarthy family has a trove of warm memories. Of innocent first kisses. Of sumptuous family meals. Of wondrous lessons learned at the foot of a rocking chair. But they also have had their share of icy ones. Of words that can never be unsaid. Of choices that can never be unmade. Of actions that can never be undone.
Following the death of his beloved wife, John McCarthy Grandpa John calls his family back home. It is time for them to face the memories they have made, both warm and cold. Only then can they move beyond them and into the future.
A rich portrait of a family at a crossroad, THE ROCKIN’ CHAIR is Steven Manchester’s most heartfelt and emotionally engaging novel to date. If family matters to you, it is a story you must read.
Review:
**I received an ARC courtesy of Steven Manchester**
This is the second novel that I have read of this author, and WOW, it’s amazing!
The Rockin’ Chair by Steven Manchester is a well written, engaging book that really makes the reader think. It is an emotional story of the McCarthy family.
The characters really draw you in; they make readers sympathize their struggles.
His description is rich in detail, but just the right balance for you to know about Montana without being redundant. He writes with poetic charisma, keeping you enthralled in the story without flashy gimmicks. It’s humble, down-home, and a well-written story you won’t want to miss.
I can only say go read it, you won’t be sorry. You’ll enjoy a wonderful and inspiring story.
-Ana @ SoManyBooksSoLittleTime
Other Novels by this Author:
(Click the covers to connect to Goodreads to view more about the novel)
Like this:
Like Loading...
Tags: Art, Family, Goodreads, Manchester, Montana, Reading, Rockin, Rocking chair, Shopping
In My Mailbox is a meme hosted by Cassandra Livingston and Ana Carter. The purpose of this meme is to share the books we receive with our readers. These can be ARCs, books we purchased ourselves, books requested for review by authors and publishers, eBooks, free reads we stumbled upon and audiobooks. Posted randomly and sometimes twice a week.
Recent Purchases:
- In My Mailbox: (#11) (somanybookssolittletimebookgroup.wordpress.com)
- In My Mailbox: (#10) (somanybookssolittletimebookgroup.wordpress.com)
- In My Mailbox (somanybookssolittletimebookgroup.wordpress.com)
- In My Mailbox: (#3) (somanybookssolittletimebookgroup.wordpress.com)
- In My Mailbox: (#8) (somanybookssolittletimebookgroup.wordpress.com)
- In My Mailbox (#12) (somanybookssolittletimebookgroup.wordpress.com)
- In My Mailbox (56) (talesofbooksandbands.com)
- In My Mailbox #1 (soozsrambunctiousreads.wordpress.com)
Like this:
Like Loading...
Tags: Beautiful Creatures, Book, Cassandra Livingston, E-book, eBooks, Kelley Armstrong, Mailbox, Meme, Shopping, the calling, the firebird, the rising
Waiting on Wednesday. This is aweekly event hosted by Crystal Walker, Ana Carter, Shannon Medeiros, Cassandra Livingston, Chennel Lee, and Sophia Carter that spotlites upcoming new releases that we’re highly anticipating.
This week’s pre-publication “can’t-wait-to-read” selection is:
What are you waiting on?
Link me up!!! 
Like this:
Like Loading...
Tags: Ana Carter, Cassandra Livingston, Chennel Lee, Crystal Walker, Shannon Medeiros, Shopping, Sophia Carter, Wednesday
In My Mailbox is a meme hosted by Cassandra Livingston and Ana Carter. The purpose of this meme is to share the books we receive with our readers. These can be ARCs, books we purchased ourselves, books requested for review by authors and publishers, eBooks, free reads we stumbled upon and audiobooks. Posted randomly and sometimes twice a week.
Purchased:
What did you guys get this week?
Link me up!!!
Like this:
Like Loading...
Tags: Beautiful Creatures, Book, Business, Cassandra Livingston, Drew Houston, Dropbox, E-book, Kami Garcia, Mailbox, Margaret Stohl, Meme, Shopping
Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by Ana Carter, and Cassandra Livingston, atSo Many Books So Little Time. Anyone can do it. All you have to do is: (1): Grab your current read. (2): Open it to a random page. (3): Share 1 or 2 “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page. BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS!! (4): Make sure you also mention the author and title.
#1:
““Everyone seems a bit talkative today,” Lord Randolph said loudly, as the sacrifice approached the top stairs. “I understand I’m causing a bit of confusion by beginning this early, but I figured that since my granddaughter actually turned last night, it would be alright.” The crowd burst into more conversations. Arianna tried to listen to everyone, but the fear growing on the fake Arianna’s face caught her attention. “Since she didn’t finish the transformation last night, I figure we can finish it now.”
The fake Arianna began to back away from Lord Randolph on the platform. “Don’t be scared, dear,” he said kindly, though Arianna could feel the wickedness in his voice.
“Everything has been prepared, just how you asked.” Lord Randolph stepped down to the hooded person and untied the cape around her neck.
At the same moment, as the sacrifice’s face was finally revealed, Arianna finally knew where the scent was from. Breaking from Devin’s grasp, Arianna pushed her way through the crowd to the staircase. Hurrying to her aunt at the top of the stairs, Arianna tried to climb two stairs at a time.“
#2:
““Hey girls,” Chris said, walking over to them.
“Great job,” Mary Ellen added, smiling sweetly at the large guy towering over the three girls.
“Hey, we couldn’t disappoint when we had such cute fans,” Chris responded.
“Who are you calling cute?” Turner asked, hitting Chris up for a high-five.
“The youngest Winter son,” Chris added, smiling at Turner. “Are you hanging around? We could always use another guard.”
“I think we head back in a couple days. Sorry man,” Turner added. “Not technically enrolled here.”
“Too bad. I heard you’re pretty good,” Chris replied and Turner shrugged. “So, is it true?” Turner smiled in response to the vague question. “Man, you royalty always get the good ones.” Arianna turned a brighter shade of red, knowing they were talking about her.
“This is sort of embarrassing, but would you mind coming to meet my parents?” Chris asked, turning to Arianna. “They’re seated up towards the top in the parent’s section.” Arianna looked around the room. Devin was in the corner near the door.“
#3:
““Come here,” Devin said gently to Arianna, who stared at him from across the bed.
“No,” she replied with a pout. “You’re going to be nice to me now, and then later you’ll just be mean again. I’m sick of being confused by all of this. I want to go back home to Aunt Lilly and Uncle Dean where everything is less confusing. Where I can be a normal teenager.”
“I’m sorry,” Devin replied quietly. “I don’t mean to confuse you. I just don’t know how to handle it myself.”
“I can tell Turner is as confused as you are at times, but he’s never mean to me,” Arianna responded. “Why are you?”
“I wasn’t trying to hurt your feelings, but I needed you to get closer to Turner,” Devin replied.“
Like this:
Like Loading...
Tags: Ana Carter, Arianna, Cassandra Livingston, Chris, Goodreads, Lilly, Shopping, So Little Time
Paperback, 304 pages
Published April 19th 2011 by Razorbill (first published March 31st 2011)
Rating: 4/5 stars
Description:
Now that sixteen-year-old Dru’s worst fears have come true and Sergej has kidnapped her best friend Graves, she’ll have to go on a suicidal rescue mission to bring him back in one piece.That is, if she can put all of Christophe’s training to good use, defeat her mother’s traitor, Anna, once and for all, and manage to survive another day…
Review:
Hmmm, what to say, what to say…..
First off, I loved it, and second….I hated it. Well, not really. I didn’t actually hate it, but I was frustrated by it and excited and shocked and angry and well, you get my point. It was both everything I wanted and everything I didn’t want all rolled into one.
I must admit though that I was a tad disappointed that it took so long to really get into the storyline. Considering how the last book ended, I expected things to pick up exactly where it left off, but Dru actually didn’t get to really looking and searching for Graves until about 3 quarters through. While I didn’t necessarily dislike this, I still would have preferred things to have been a bit faster paced and more centred on Dru finding Graves from the beginning.
This series is very descriptive and tends to have a slower pace than a lot of other books I’ve read, and while that’s not usually my sort of thing, for some reason (I can’t say why) I’m actually not bothered by this. I enjoy seeing this evolve slowly for the most part, and when the exciting and important moments happen, I do actually enjoy them and appreciate them a bit more.
I love Dru, simple as that! I find her to be one of the best heroines that I’ve ever come across! There’s nothing about her that really stands out, and while she does tend to make stupid decisions sometimes, I still love her regardless. It’s hard to really explain why I feel this way….She’s such a good, realistic character and every decision she makes seems plausible to me, and yet there’s something about her that just makes me unable to dislike her, even when I want to strangle her. When she does make the wrong choice, whether it is an action she really hasn’t thought through, or believing someone when she shouldn’t, it’s impossible for me to hold it against her as she always has good intentions. It’s often because she is trying to do the right thing or for someone.
Granted, even though I love her, that doesn’t mean that I didn’t want to jump into this book and strangle her when she happened to question a certain blond haired, blue eyed djamphir that I love sooooo much!
I couldn’t believe that Dru actually believed that Christophe could have done what Leon had led her to believe he’d done. Perhaps I’m a bit biased as I’m totally Team Christophe, but I never once thought he’d betrayed Dru. Yes, he keeps things from her, yes he occasionally bends the truth….but he does it because he cares (I think loves is the better word, but I’m holding off for now) for her and wants to protect her. I don’t think he’d ever do anything cruel simply to get Graves out of her life; he wouldn’t want to hurt her in any way. That being said, while I don’t doubt Christophe, I also don’t doubt for a second that he wouldn’t do anything…and I do mean anything to protect her. I think he’d risk anything and anyone, including himself, Graves and every single person within the schola, to protect Dru and make sure she’s not harmed. The way he feels about her, the way he cares so deeply, she means more to him than anything and there’s nothing he’d let stand in his way to protect her.
And it’s because of this that I just can’t help but think that Dru is making a mistake questioning Christophe or even considering being with Graves. Yes, I love the guy, but Graves and Dru just don’t have what Christophe and Dru do. They’re great friends, and under different circumstances there could have been something, but I think what they have is too safe, too boring.
I love the moments between Dru and Christophe. They have such great chemistry and there’s a spark between them that you just can’t deny. There’s no denying that they have something; something electric, which I think is real. Dru may have some kind of feelings for Graves, but it’s Christophe with whom she has a unspeakable connection and if she doesn’t admit that to herself soon, and I mean really, really admit it, not just think it and consider it, not to mention end up with him in the last book, I’m going to riot!
It was sooo great to see Ash change back in this book. I thought it was so cute how he acted. I think there are a few screws loose upstairs for that boy thanks to everything Sergej has done to him, but he’s a real sweetie, in a strange, odd way. Gotta love how protective he is of Dru and how he is on her side no matter what–it’s adorable.
I actually felt a tiny bit bad for Anna in this book. Who’d have thunk it? In the last book I wanted her gone, gone, gone, but in this book she actually stepped up and did something good for a change. Perhaps there is some redeeming her–if she survives that is.
I really want to know what’s going to happen next, now that Dru, Graves and Ash are on the run and now that Dru has bloomed. She’ll never be the same now and I wonder if being a fully bloomed svetocha will change her. She’s certainly beginning to step up a bit and is now more confident, and I look forward to seeing how she handles things now.
I can’t wait for the next book! I’m heart-broken that it’s the last, but I’m still dying to discover how this series ends. Dru better, better end up with Christophe. I need to see her apologize to him and watch them sail of into the sunset together.
Hey, a girl can hope right?
-Shannon @ SoManyBooksSoLittleTime
Like this:
Like Loading...
Tags: books, Defiance, Graves, Lili St. Crow, Lilith, Personal, Razorbill, Shopping
In My Mailbox is a meme hosted by Cassandra Livingston and Ana Carter. The purpose of this meme is to share the books we receive with our readers. These can be ARCs, books we purchased ourselves, books requested for review by authors and publishers, eBooks, free reads we stumbled upon and audiobooks. Posted randomly and sometimes twice a week.
Recent Purchases:
- In My Mailbox: (#11) (somanybookssolittletimebookgroup.wordpress.com)
- In My Mailbox: (#10) (somanybookssolittletimebookgroup.wordpress.com)
-
In My Mailbox (somanybookssolittletimebookgroup.wordpress.com)
- In My Mailbox: (#3) (somanybookssolittletimebookgroup.wordpress.com)
- In My Mailbox: (#8) (somanybookssolittletimebookgroup.wordpress.com)
- In My Mailbox (#12) (somanybookssolittletimebookgroup.wordpress.com)
- In My Mailbox #1 (soozsrambunctiousreads.wordpress.com)
- In My Mailbox (56) (talesofbooksandbands.com)
Like this:
Like Loading...
Tags: Book, Cassandra Livingston, Dropbox, E-book, eBooks, Mailbox, Meme, Shopping
It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? is a weekly meme hosted by Jennifer Johnson, Bridget&Britney Darwin, Ana&Sophia&Stephi Carter, Cassandra Livingston, Crystal&Nicole Walker at So Many Books So Little Time.This is where book bloggers gather to talk about what books they read and/or reviewed last week, what books they’re currently reading and what books they’re planning to read. This is a great way for us to plan our reading week/month, and to take a sneak peek at what others are reading. Usually Posted on Monday’s.
Read/Reviewed Over the Last Few Weeks:
Book Titles are linked to the Book Review:
Honor and Obey (Honor #3) by Teresa Mummert
Honor Thy Teacher (Honor #2) by Teresa Mummert
Honor Student (Honor #1) by Teresa Mummert
Release Me (Stark Trilogy #1) by J. Kenner
A Duke’s Promise: A Forgotten Castles Novel (Forgotten Castles #3) by Jamie Carie
The Reluctant Countess by Wendy Vella
The Righteous and Very Real Housewives of Utah County by Miguel Santana
Betrayals (Strange Angels #2) by Lili St. Crow, Lilith Saintcrow
Season of the Wolf by Jeffrey J. Mariotte
Fire (Graceling Realm #2) by Kristin Cashore
Bitterblue (Graceling Realm #3) by Kristin Cashore
Currently Reading:
Neferet’s Curse by P.C. and Kristen Cast
What Are You Reading?
Like this:
Like Loading...
Tags: Ana, Bed of Roses (novel), Book, Book review, Bride Quartet, Cassandra Livingston, Count, Darwin Northern Territory, Duty and Desire, E-book, Happy Ever After, literature, Meme, Miguel Santana, Nancy Holder, Nicole Walker, Nora Robert, Shopping, Stephen King, Sylvia Day, Thy (district), Under the Dome, Utah County, Vision in White (The Bride Quartet Book 1)
Like this:
Like Loading...
Tags: Beautiful Creatures, Book, Cassandra Livingston, Drew Houston, Dropbox, E-book, Kami Garcia, Mailbox, Margaret Stohl, Meme, Shopping
ebook, 1, 376 pages
Published June 9th 2012 by Teresa Mummert (first published 2012)
Rating: 5/5 Stars
Description:
There are two sides to every story. Emma told of her love for William in Honor Student. Now read things from his dark and twisted perspective.
EROTIC LOVE STORY (✓) STRONG SEXUAL CONTENT (✓) BDSM (✓)
Review:
OK so for the first half of this book, it was exactly as I thought it would be. I kind of got annoyed because William didn’t seem to have much depth or life outside of Emma. She consumed him. There was nothing extra except his internal thoughts to the situations already read in the first book. I was expecting a little more. Well it came. That something more came and blew me away. It was one surprise after another. William had me totally snowed in the first book! Right along with Emma. I can’t believe it. My main question is, did he love her the first time he said it to her. Because I thought he said it more to pacify her and keep her from running. I think it was after she said it back later that he realized maybe he does love her. I think by the end of the book he definitely loves her, but WOW he is twisted!
I SO did not see all those lies coming. I’m just blown away. I loved it. I loved every second of it. I was eating it all up, every word that fell from his mouth after learning just who he really was took on all new meaning. It also shows just how naïve Emma really is too. I can see how her brokenness and destructiveness would bring out his protective side. He always wants control and she just wants someone to care about her. His domineering and controlling ways fills that void in her. She fits his personality so perfectly, these characters were written so perfectly for each other. But I didn’t understand just how perfect until this book. I also liked seeing Emma from Williams point of view. You get a feel for how sad she is in the first book, but you don’t get the whole effect because you don’t see her from an outside perspective. I LOVED that William could see how self destructive she was just by watching her. I loved seeing it from his POV.
In the beginning I kept wondering why he was so hard on himself, because he really did not think he was any good for Emma. I kept thinking there had to be more to the story behind his ex-wife, it just didn’t seem like enough. His opinion of himself seemed too extreme for the explanation. But when it all came out, my mouth literally dropped open. BRILLIANT Teresa Mummert! I just love that I didn’t see any of this coming.
I don’t know whether to like William or hate him. Actually, I take that back. I started hating him part way through the book, when I realized the feelings he was showing Emma were sort of faked. He was such a jerk. But towards the end I started believing him and started worrying with him about what will happen when all his secrets come to light. He got very possessive of her. I loved it every time he thought “Mine.”
Mine. I was addicted to her. To her touch, her smell.
He shot Emma a glare and her gaze dropped to her plate. I wanted to leap across the table and strangle him. Mine.
So when do the next 2 books come out? I can’t freakin’ wait!! Ugh, I should have waited to read these 2 books until the others were already released. I hate waiting. I just didn’t know I was going to be so blown away.
OH there was one thing that the author left out of this book. And I wonder why. After the first night she stays at his house, he takes her back to her car and she is hurt and feeling rejected again he says “I’m just trying to protect you.” Then she says “By hurting me?” He thinks she means physically and explains that she didn’t use her safe word blah blah blah. But she says in the first book, “I’m not talking about then, I’m talking about now.” or something along those lines. But in this book she never says it. I don’t know if he just supposed to be lost in his own thoughts feeling guilty about putting blame on her for the whole safe word thing or what, but I was really interested in his internal reaction to her words. Because up until this point he had not shown very much emotion and in the first book this is one of the first spots where he lets her see his emotions. I thought that was kind of a big moment, because he realizes if he has the power to hurt her than that must mean she cares. But I guess not. 
QUOTE
“I love you, William. I’m not going anywhere. No amount of money in the world could compare to this moment right here.” What about the lies? What if the hands I touch you with have also taken the lives of others? I pulled her against me and kissed her head. If I didn’t do everything in my power to stop it, she was going to leave me. She just didn’t know it yet.
~Emma (and Williams thoughts)
-Ana @ SoManyBooksSoLittleTime
Like this:
Like Loading...
Tags: BDSM, Book, books, Emma, Emma Nelson, Health, Jane Austen, New Age, Religion and Spirituality, Shopping, Teresa Mummert, Thy (district), William
Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by Ana Carter, and Cassandra Livingston, atSo Many Books So Little Time. Anyone can do it. All you have to do is: (1): Grab your current read. (2): Open it to a random page. (3): Share 1 or 2 “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page. BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS!! (4): Make sure you also mention the author and title.
Add This Book On Goodreads:
#1:
” You are told from the moment you enter school that time is constant. It never changes. It is one of those set things in life that you can always rely on…much like death and taxes. There will always be sixty seconds in a minute. There will always be sixty minutes in an hour. And there will always be twenty-four hours in a day.
Time was not fluctuating. It moved on at the same, constant pace at every moment in your life.
And that was the biggest load of crap that I’d ever been taught in school.
Truth was, time did fluctuate. It was easy to lose hours or even days in a blink of an eye. Other times, it was a struggle to get through a mere hour. It ebbed and flowed as relentlessly as the
tides, and just as powerfully too. The moments that you wanted to last forever were the ones that were washed away all too soon. The moments that you wanted to speed up, were slowed down to a snail’s pace.
That was the truth of the matter.”
#2:
“Kellan’s fingers paused on his track pants. Roused from my melancholy thoughts, I glanced up at his face; he was frowning. “Am I making a mistake?” he whispered, over the sound of the shower.
With no frame of reference, I wasn’t sure what he meant by that. Seeing my lost expression, Kellan clarified. “Making an album, going on tour…am I making a mistake?”
The room filled with steam as I hopped off of the counter. Kellan grabbed my hand when I stepped in front of him. “All I want is a quiet life with you. What I just signed up for…isn’t exactly a quiet life.”
Wondering how to comfort him, when I often thought the same thing, I reached up and ran my thumb over his cheek. “Kellan, your life will never be quiet, no matter what you do.” He chuckled at my reference, the confusion on his face lifting. I placed my hand on his chest and looked him square in the eye. “You belong on a stage. It’s what you were born to do.””
Like this:
Like Loading...
Tags: Ana Carter, Book, Cassandra Livingston, Goodreads, Health, Kellan, Philosophy, Shopping
In My Mailbox is a meme hosted by Cassandra Livingston and Ana Carter. The purpose of this meme is to share the books we receive with our readers. These can be ARCs, books we purchased ourselves, books requested for review by authors and publishers, eBooks, free reads we stumbled upon and audiobooks. Posted randomly and sometimes twice a week.
Purchased:
Planning for Love (Aisle Bound Trilogy, #1) by Christi Barth
The Marriage Bargain (Marriage to a Billionaire #1) by Jennifer Probst
What did you guys get this week?
Link me up!!!
Like this:
Like Loading...
Tags: Beautiful Creatures, Book, Business, Cassandra Livingston, Drew Houston, Dropbox, E-book, Kami Garcia, Mailbox, Margaret Stohl, Meme, Shopping
Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by Ana Carter, and Cassandra Livingston, at So Many Books So Little Time. Anyone can do it. All you have to do is: (1): Grab your current read. (2): Open it to a random page. (3): Share 1 or 2 “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page. BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS!! (4): Make sure you also mention the author and title.
Add This Book On Goodreads:
#1:
“” We are having visceral reactions to to one another, Count Montoya. As attractive as you are, I would venture to say that you are accustomed to snaring women’s interest. For my part, I can say with absolute certainty that a similar situation has never happened to me before.”
“I have felt this way about only one other man, and he is lost to me, as your love is to you.”"
#2:
”He was drenched in black, the only relief being his snowy white stockings, cravat, and shirt. And the mask. So plain. Unadorned by paint or feathers. Secured to his head with black satin ribbon. While the other gentlemen in attendance were dressed in an endless range of colors to attract attention, this man’s stark severity seemed designed to blend into the shadows. To make him unremarkable, which he could never be. Beneath the light of hundreds of candles, his dark hair gleamed with vitality and begged a woman to run her fingers through it.
And then there was his mouth…
Amelia inhaled sharply at the sight of it. His mouth was sin incarnate. Sculpted by a master hand, the lips neither full nor thin, but firm. Shamelessly sensual. Framed by a strong chin, chiseled jaw, and swarthy skin. A foreigner, perhaps. She could only imagine how the face would look as a whole. Devastating to a woman’s equanimity, she suspected.
But it was more than his physical attributes that intrigued her. It was the way he moved, like a predator, his gait purposeful and yet seductive, his attention sharply focused. He did not mince his steps or affect the veneer of boredom so esteemed by Society. This man knew what he wanted and lacked the patience to pretend otherwise.
At present it appeared that what he wanted was to follow her. He watched Amelia with a gaze so intensely hot, she felt it move across her body, felt it run through the unpowdered strands of her hair and dance across her bared nape. Felt it glide across her bared shoulders and down the length of her spine. Coveting.
She could not begin to guess how she had attracted his attention. While she knew she was pretty enough, she was not any more attractive than most of the other women here. Her gown, while lovely with its elaborate silver lace underskirts and delicate flowers made of pink and green ribbon, was not the most riveting on display. And she was usually disregarded by those seeking a romantic connection, because her longstanding friendship with the popular Earl of Ware was widely assumed to be leading to the altar. Albeit very slowly.
So what did this man want with her? Why didn’t he approach her?
Amelia canted her body to face him and lowered her mask, staring at him directly so he would not have to wonder if she was looking at him. She left him no doubt, hoping his long legs would resume their deliberate stride and bring him to her. She wanted to experience all the details of him–the sound of his voice, the scent of his cologne, the impact of proximity to his powerful frame.
Then she wished to know what he wanted.”
Like this:
Like Loading...
Tags: Ana Carter, Arts, Book, Cassandra Livingston, Count, Goodreads, Shopping, Wine tasting descriptors
Threads of Desire (Spellcraft #1)
by Eleri Stone
Kindle Edition
Published January 21st 2013 by Carina Press
Rating:5/5 Stars
Description:
Guild-trained weaver Ily is furious her rival Kal, a smug yet wickedly sexy rug merchant, outsells her at every turn. She knows her magically crafted rugs are far superior to anything he can produce, but can’t compete with his charming personality.
When Kal fixes his lusty attentions on Ily, she is reluctantly aroused by his interest. She knows he desires her and against her better judgment, she wants him too. A chance encounter leads her to make him a scandalous offer: her body in exchange for enough money to leave the city. She sees their time together as a temporary erotic adventure…until Kal reveals that what he truly wants from Ily is more personal—and more dangerous—than bed play. And she must choose between taking her chance at a new life or risking it all for a man she never meant to love.
Review:
***This copy was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.***
An interesting world with magic channelled into the arts and ruled by guilds. Lots of tension and heat between the two main characters, Kal, a rich merchant with opaque motives, and Ily, a master weaver who’s outcast from her guild.
This story starts out steamy and ends up wonderful love story. Both Kal and Ily have secrets that they have learned to keep to themselves.. but both must learn how to share those secrets unless they want to destroy the relationship that they have woven between them.
Together they must battle the insidious evil of one who has too much power and has abused those who should have been in his protection. One who holds the lives of the guild members literally in his hands and who wants to exert his power into all walks of life.
This was an excellent secondary story-line actually there were a couple and this book was too short to do all tangents justice. Ms Stone touches on them and teases us with a rich history but fails to delve. That’s not to say that the story lacks.. it just could be so much more.
I loved the story itself but also the wonderful erotic play of words as intricate as the magic in the carpets.
-Ana @SoManyBooksSoLittleTime
Like this:
Like Loading...
Tags: Amazon.com, Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts, Barnes & Noble, Business and Economy, Carina Press, Games, Guild, Guild Wars, Home and Garden, Jacki Weaver, Jennifer Lawrence, Los Angeles, Nephilim, NetGalley, Publishing, Roleplaying, Screen Actors Guild Award, Shopping, Stars (Canadian band), Video Games, Wine tasting descriptors
In My Mailbox is a meme hosted by Cassandra Livingston and Ana Carter. The purpose of this meme is to share the books we receive with our readers. These can be ARCs, books we purchased ourselves, books requested for review by authors and publishers, eBooks, free reads we stumbled upon and audiobooks. Posted randomly and sometimes twice a week.
Recent Purchases:
A Passion for Him by Sylvia Day
Like this:
Like Loading...
Tags: Anna Karenina, ARC, Book, books, Cassandra Livingston, E-book, Enden Bradlet, Forbidden Fruit, Leo Tolstoy, literature, Meme, recent purchases, Samantha Young, Shopping, Sylvia Day
Coveted (Coveted #1)
by Shawntelle Madison
Paperback, 291 pages
Published April 24th 2012 by Ballantine Books
Rating: 5/5 Stars
Description:
SOMETIMES WHAT YOU COVET IS IMPOSSIBLE TO KEEP.
For werewolf Natalya Stravinsky, the supernatural is nothing extraordinary. What does seem strange is that she’s stuck in her hometown of South Toms River, New Jersey, the outcast of her pack, selling antiques to finicky magical creatures. Restless and recovering from her split with gorgeous ex-boyfriend, Thorn, Nat finds comfort in an unusual place: her obsessively collected stash of holiday trinkets. But complications pile up faster than her ornaments when Thorn returns home—and the two discover that the spark between them remains intense.
Before Nat can sort out their relationship, she must face a more immediate and dangerous problem. Her pack is under attack from the savage Long Island werewolves—and Nat is their first target in a turf war. Toss in a handsome wizard vying for her affection, a therapy group for the anxious and enchanted, and the South Toms River pack leader ready to throw her to the wolves, and it’s enough to give anybody a panic attack. With the stakes as high as the full moon, Nat must summon all of her strength to save her pack and, ultimately, herself.
Review:
***This copy was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.***
This book was a really good read. I have never read a book where the main character was OCD but was such a bad ass. Throw in sexy werewolves and other magical creatures and you have a wonderful start to a new series. I can’t wait to see what the next book has in store for Nat and all the others.
Natalya Stravinsky is a werewolf with a broken heart, and who feels broken in a much larger way. She calls herself a collector, but in reality is a hoarder. She is obsessively clean, and has a special love for Christmas ornaments. She was not always like this, but events that broke her heart and brought her to be an outcast of the pack have exasperated her urges, and she is a little out of control. Now complications are starting to pile up faster than the ornaments, as a rival pack brings danger close to home, Nat’s ex boyfriend returns, an old friend comes to stay, and a return to therapy brings new connections and surprises.I really fell into the world of Nat and Coveted. She loves her family, friends, and pack but is often insulted and typically outright mistreated or ignored because of her strange habits. She has found a job that soothes her need to organize and be in control, but the chaos of life often bring on urges to search out new items for her collection. Even those with no mental illness, or lacking a close connection to someone with one, can relate to that need for some level of control when life seems to spin out of control. The explanation of how it feels to have compulsive urges and to face them, is something many readers need to understand simply to understand others they will encounter in life, and Coveted handles it with honesty and compassion.
Oh, and then there is the supernatural component to Coveted. The werewolf hierarchy is not new, readers of paranormal novels will already have an understanding of how it works, and it holds true here. However, I greatly enjoyed the inclusion of other supernatural creatures. I always found it silly to write about one type of supernatural creature with dismissing the idea that if one exists, it is likely that there are even more possibilities out there. The introduction of a wide variety of supernaturals, and the open possibilities of more being out there, makes the world Nat lives in feel even more realistic to me.
I highly recommend Coveted to readers that enjoy a well written paranormal or urban fantasy novel, but are tired of reading ones that all feel the same. Readers with mental illness, or close to someone with one, will have even more to love about Coveted as it gives an honest look at compulsive urges and the true humanity of those so often ignored or shunned by other people
-Ana @SoManyBookSoLittleTime
Like this:
Like Loading...
Tags: Art, Ballantine Books, Fiction, Long Island, NetGalley, Shopping, Werewolf, Zeus
Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by Ana Carter, and Cassandra Livingston, atSo Many Books So Little Time. Anyone can do it. All you have to do is: (1): Grab your current read. (2): Open it to a random page. (3): Share 1 or 2 “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page. BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS!! (4): Make sure you also mention the author and title.
Add This Book On Goodreads:
#1:
” ‘Come with me, Mia Rose.’
How much could it really hurt? Just a simple conversation, some coffee, dessert. They would be in a public place with a table between them.
Don’t do it, Mia.
‘ Alright. I’ll go with you. Just … just for the torte.’
‘Great. I have my car, or we can walk.’
“Let’s walk.’
Not safe to be alone in a car with him. Too dark, too close. Too much like a couple of high school kids going to park somewhere and make out.”
#2:
“The man had great taste.
Her gaze wondered to one end of the loft where a low bed was set beneath a skylight. It was simple, Zen-like, with its charcoal gray duvet and wooden platform. But it was piled with pillows in gray, black and white. Starkly luxurious and masculine, but sexy.”
Like this:
Like Loading...
Tags: Arts, Book, Eden Bradley, Forbidden Fruit, Forbidden Fruit b, Gideon, Goodreads, Jagger James, Kaylee, literature, Mia Rose, Shopping, Sylvia Day
Hardcover, 325 pages
Published October 11th 2011 by Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Rating:4/5 stars
Description:
Thomas knows that Wicked can’t be trusted, but they say the time for lies is over, that they’ve collected all they can from the Trials and now must rely on the Gladers, with full memories restored, to help them with their ultimate mission. It’s up to the Gladers to complete the blueprint for the cure to the Flare with a final voluntary test.
What Wicked doesn’t know is that something’s happened that no Trial or Variable could have foreseen. Thomas has remembered far more than they think. And he knows that he can’t believe a word of what Wicked says.
The time for lies is over. But the truth is more dangerous than Thomas could ever imagine.
Will anyone survive the Death Cure?
Review :
The Death Cure’s end gave us a new hope, didn’t it? A hope for survival. It was plainly obvious to me that WICKED was bad, but in the end, they did (or Chancellor Paige did) one thing good–they transported our Gladers, Group B-ers and the rest of the Munies to the last Paradise on Earth, the last place where they could be free and not ruled by an evil corporation claiming to do good.
I couldn’t help but to smile when I read the last few pages of The Death Cure, though it admittedly was tainted by a frown. The without-a-doubt epic saga concluded with death, and while expecting it to be this way, I did not want it. I did not want a “happy ending” for this story, because after all that Thomas and his friends had been through, there was no possible way for it to end happily. I just wish that the three main characters who died… didn’t have to. Chuck, of course, died during The Maze Runner. He symbolized youth and innocence–2 things that *did* die inside the Gladers by the end of Book One–and it’s hard to smile when youth and innocence die.
Newt and Teresa died in The Death Cure. Newt symbolized friendship and loyalty, even when the whole world went insane. His death did not have me producing tears, for it was a mercy, but he should not have had to die. Shame on WICKED, not on Dashner. Newt wouldn’t have been so Gone had they not made him that way.
Teresa’s death upset me. I couldn’t “see” it coming, but I did feel it coming. I hated her as Thomas did when she betrayed him; loathed her as Thomas did when she tried to convince him that WICKED was good, and that she was sorry. But ultimately, as with Thomas, I forgave her… just in time for her to be crushed by the ceiling of Wicked as the Munies were escaping. Really, though, her death did not quite “surprise” me. Thomas gained closure regarding his previous best friend, and closure is only had in death, be it a metaphorical death or not.
I wanted none of them to die; they did. There is nothing more to say on this count.
The premise of The Death Cure can be defined in three words– death, rebellion, and insanity. Looking at the Flare-ridden world for the first time, it hit home for both Thomas and myself that a cure was needed desperately, but not by WICKED’s means. No “good” company dedicated to the preservation of mankind does everything it had done to the Gladers and Group B.
Besides, I think they were looking for a cure the wrong way (obviously). You can’t torture a cure out of immune kids with memory loss–that just doesn’t work. Really, the way for a cure to be discovered would be to examine the disease, and find a way for it to stop spreading and wreaking the horrific damage.
But on that note, the damage of the Flare confused me. A man-made disease based on controlling population suddenly turns into a pandemic that makes people become crazy zombies? It seems… unlikely.
And based on that hole in the plot, another one sprung out at me–why, exactly, were we readers told that the sun caused the Flare, and then have the information revealed that it was actually mankind? Was this “WICKED telling the kids and Thomas, which is how we know”, or was it just poor writing? I sincerely hope it was the former.
Hey, by-the-by, how exactly did the sun flares fit into all this anyway? Like I just said, everything seemed sun-flare related, and then we were just told that Nope, sorry, we lied. Mankind did it all. Didn’t mean to allude ya.
By the end, I felt like there were numerous plot holes and misgivings, and this was one of them.
Aside from the fact that I don’t like plot holes, nor do I like characters I like dying, I did not like how it was essentially just Thomas in the third book. Minho (who I absolutely adored), Brenda (who I’m kind of mad at, because the epilogue revealed her to be a kind of traitor) and Jorge were there throughout the book, I guess, but it felt like they were moved to the sidelines a bit, you know?
I did not like the fact that Aris was only mentioned, what, four times total in the ‘Cure? I did not like the fact that Group B suddenly vanished from the plot. I did not like Teresa’s explanation for why they left the WICKED compound in the beginning sans Newt, Thomas and Minho–it made no sense. Also–uh, if lots of brain activity make the Flare get worse inside the killzone, then why, exactly, did Newt not go crazy in the first two books? The sun couldn’t really activate it, since Newt had spent two weeks running a hundred miles in the Scorch to get to the safe-zone, and he didn’t go crazy then. So how exactly *DID HE GO CRAZY?!* It was like “Hey, guess what, Newt, you’ve got the Flare”, and only after this announcement, for no real reason, did Newt go crazy. What do you think–Plot hole? Or the doing of WICKED?
But I did like the book as a whole. James Dashner did a fantastically fantastic job of writing. He made me feel every single experience along with the characters, so that I hurt when they hurt, survived when they survived; I literally felt *everything* they felt, throughout all of the series, which made it so fantastic.
Because of the fact that I did not re-read the first two books before reading this one, I cannot say that I would feel towards The Death Cure what a person who did read all three in a row would feel. This was an excellent ending to the series, I think (again, I wanted happy endings for all, but hey, that just wasn’t feasible), but this view could almost certainly be different for that person. I hope that those of you who read the three books in a row will appreciate them the way I do, but I can only hope for this.
Finally, I mention the irony of the title with the ending of the book. The note Chancellor Paige left to the members of WICKED finalizes the fact that yep, the world’s going to hell, and there was no cure, so only the Munies can survive. (Though I am curious–there is bound to be hundreds more Munies left outside the hidden paradise Thomas and crew inhabit at the end of the Death Cure, so what happens to them? Could there possibly be a spin-off series relating somewhat to this, or to the eventual reunion between the Paradise Munies and the Wasteland Munies [because yeah, undoubtedly there'd be a reunion]? Thus, the only cure for the Flare is death. Ha ha ha. Ah, irony, how we so love you.
-Ana @ SoManyBooksSoLittleTime
Like this:
Like Loading...
Tags: Dashner, Glader, Hunger Games, Jame Dashner, Maze Runner, Shopping, Teresa, Thomas
Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by Ana Carter, and Cassandra Livingston, atSo Many Books So Little Time. Anyone can do it. All you have to do is: (1): Grab your current read. (2): Open it to a random page. (3): Share 1 or 2 “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page. BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS!! (4): Make sure you also mention the author and title.
Add This Book On Goodreads:
#1:
” ‘Because I am special.
For the moment that was all she had to say. There would be more, much more, but the four words were like four candles, or the arms of the Crusaders’ cross she wore on her sleeve.
Because I am special.
She shut the book and began to blow out the candle, before changing her mind. She sat back in her chair, and watched it glow.’ ”
#2:
“ “For thousands of years the Cursed Ones hid in the shadows, fooling mankind into thinking they didn’t exist. Then one day they just…stopped. Skeptics turned into believers one fateful dawn. And no one was ever safe again.”
—From the diary of Jenn Leitner, discovered in the ashes
The Cursed Ones have made their presence known, and the world will never be the same.
For the past two years, Jenn has lived and trained at Spain’s Sacred Heart Academy Against the Cursed Ones. She is among the few who have pledged to defend humanity or die trying. But the vampires are gaining power, and the battle has only just begun.
Forced to return home after death takes a member of her family, Jenn discovers that San Francisco is now a vampire stronghold. As a lone hunter apart from her team, Jenn is isolated—and at risk. She craves the company of her fighting partner, Antonio: his protection, his reassurance, his touch. But a relationship with Antonio comes with its own dangers, and the more they share of themselves, the more Jenn stands to lose.
Then Jenn is betrayed by one who was once bound to protect her, causing her to doubt all she has held as true. To survive, Jenn must find the courage to trust herself—and her heart.“
Like this:
Like Loading...
Tags: Ana Carter, Book, Cassandra Livingston, Goodreads, Nancy Holder, San Francisco, Shopping, Sylvia Day
Like this:
Like Loading...
Tags: Anna Karenina, ARC, Book, Cassandra Livingston, E-book, Enden Bradlet, Forbidden Fruit, Leo Tolstoy, Meme, Samantha Young, Shopping, Sylvia Day
Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by Ana Carter, and Cassandra Livingston, atSo Many Books So Little Time. Anyone can do it. All you have to do is: (1): Grab your current read. (2): Open it to a random page. (3): Share 1 or 2 “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page. BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS!! (4): Make sure you also mention the author and title.
Add This Book On Goodreads:
#1:
“Rubbing the slight sting left on his wrist by Lady Winter’s ring, Christopher found himself desirous of the infamous seductress’s company. What a fine piece she was. Fragile in appearance and fierce in temperament. He knew without question, that his life was about to become far more interesting than it had been of late. It was almost depressing that he had to wait a few days before he could tangle with her again.”
#2:
“Christopher turned to the woman who stood tall and proud by the front window. ‘What can I do for you, Mrs…?’
‘Fitzhugh,’ she replied with a lift of her chin. Gray strands of hair curled by the heat and humidity if the kitchen surrounded a face lined with age, but handsome in its features. ‘ ‘e asked me if she was ill or injured. I doona like ‘im, Mr. St. John. ‘e pries.
‘I see. I take it you would prefer he not learn of your lady’s condition.’ She nodded grimly, reddened hands twisting in her apron. ‘er ladyship gave strict orders.’
‘Send him away then.’
‘I canna do that. ‘e settles the accounts.’
Christopher paused, his niggling sense of suspicion flaring into absolute certainty of something amiss. Maria should be settled in her own right, not dependent upon the largesse of her stepfather. He shot a side glance at Philip, who nodded his silent understanding. The matter would be investigated thoroughly.
‘Have you any suggestions?’ Christopher asked, returning his attention to Mrs. Fitzhugh and considering her carefully.
‘I said you were coming to call. Then you were expected and Lady Winter was indisposed.’
‘Hmm… I see. So perhaps I should arrive at the scheduled time, yes?’
‘You wouldna want to be late,’ she agreed.
‘Of course not. Step out in the foyer, Mrs. Fitzhugh, if you would please.
The housekeeper hurried out and Christopher arched a brow at Philip. ‘ Send for Beth. I wish to speak to her this evening.
‘I will see to it.’
Christopher left the room and traversed the short distance to the front parlor, where he entered behind Mrs. Fitzhugh as if he’d only just arrived.”
Like this:
Like Loading...
Tags: Ana Carter, Arts, Book, Cassandra Livingston, Goodreads, little time, Shopping, Sylvia Day
A Shimmer of Angels (Angel Sight #1)
by Lisa M. Basso
Paperback, 321 pages
Expected publication: January 29th 2013 by Month9Books, LLC
Rating: 5/5 Stars
Description:
Sixteen-year-old Rayna sees angels, and has the medication and weekly therapy sessions to prove it. Now, in remission, Rayna starts fresh at a new school, lands a new job, and desperately tries for normalcy. She ignores signs that she may be slipping into the world she has tried so hard to climb out of. But these days, it’s more than just hallucinations that keep Rayna up at night. Students are dying, and she may be the only one who can stop it. Can she keep her job, her sanity, and her friends from dying at the hands of angels she can’t admit to seeing?
Review:
**ARC was provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review**
This is the first book I have read from this author, and I LOVED it!
The cover is what really drew me to request this novel on NetGally. It’s so beautiful!! The colors are absolutely mesmerizing! This has to be one of the best covers I’ve seen. The model is beautiful, too, and the overall package totally gives that… angel vibe.
The novel starts off when main character, Rayna (Ray for short) is released from the SS crazy, also known as the mental hospital she was emitted in for three years because she claimed to see angels. Her doctor, Dr. G, tells her that she is a schizophrenic, and the only way for her to get better is to know that these ‘angels’ that she sees are illusions, and they are not real. She even begins to believe this, but, it turns out she isn’t crazy after all and angels really do exist, and they are just as shocked to know that she can see them as she is to be able to see them.
The mix of characters in this book kept me engaged and interested in what would come next. I loved the characters! Rayna’s a like-able character. You really feel sorry for her being treated like she’s crazy, when technically she’s not. She doesn’t see herself having it as a special gift, but more of a burden, as she doesn’t want to seem like she’s going crazy. Then, you have Camael (Cam for short), the new guy at Ray’s school, whom is also an angel!! He seems very mysterious at first, but soon enough you get to like him when you find out more about him He’s nice, caring and understanding. Ray’s Dad and sister don’t seem to come across as having faith in Rayna. They don’t really believe her in her visions and that they might be real or mean something, so they believe shoving her off to a clinic, thinking it will help her. AND Finally, you have Kade!!! J At first you believe to be a bad guy, when he turns out to be decent, sweet, caring! Can’t get enough of him!! J
I really liked this book!! It was original, entertaining and I can’t wait to read the sequel!! I really enjoyed the storyline, the characters and I would most probably read this book again at some point. I recommend this book to other who, like me, who enjoy books about angels, and those who like originality.
-Ana @SoManyBooksSoLittleTime
Like this:
Like Loading...
Tags: Angel, Angel Sight, ARC, Book, Camael, NetGalley, Rayna, Shimmer of Angels, Shopping
The Stranger (Just One Night #1)
by Kyra Davis
ebook, 128 pages
Expected publication: January 21st 2013 by Pocket Star
Rating: 5/5 Stars
Description:
Kasie knows who she’s supposed to be. But one passionate night with a mysterious stranger will teach her who shewants to be. You should sleep with a stranger, her best friend whispers in her ear as they take to Vegas for one last pre-wedding fling. Despite her best intentions, when Kasie Fitzgerald enters the casino and sees him, a man whose tailored clothes belied a powerful, even dangerous, presence, she loses herself to the moment. Maybe it’s the dress, much shorter than she’d ever normally wear, or the Scotch, but something makes her give herself over to him more completely than she’s ever done with a man before.
It was supposed to be just one night. But right as she’s thinking she wants more, he shows up in her office with an agenda. As the billionaire CEO of a company that’s engaged her PR firm, his demands just became her reality…and he desires so much more than just some attention in the boardroom.
Review:
***This copy was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.***
*spoilers*
Wow! From the minute I started I was hooked! It was a quick read that left me wanting more! Just One Night, Part 1: The Stranger is a great read, and a superb way to start off a series.
The twists and turns keep the reader on edge, while reading the novel. The novel starts off with Kasie, (the main character) and Simone, her best friend, in Vegas for the weekend, before she settles down with her boyfriend of six years. While in Vegas, Simone gives Kasie some bad advice-’sleep with a stranger’. ‘sleep with a stranger she does, from this passionate on night with this stranger (Mr.Dade), to sooo much more, Kasie wasn’t prepared for him in her town, wanting to work with her, however this is exactly what she finds happening. No matter how much she wants to be rid of him, she can’t escape him. The novel ends with Kasie walking away from Robert Dade, because of the text message she had received from her fiancé Dave, who at this point is very angry. In a sense you get this look into Dave and wonder what’s going to happen next. CLIFFHANGER!!! Ugh! L
I really enjoyed this novel, it was well written; I cannot wait until the next installment comes out in March! J
-Ana @SoManyBooksSoLittleTime
Like this:
Like Loading...
Tags: A Man, Arts, Fiction, Just One Night, Kasie, Kyra Davis, Kyra Sedgwick, NetGalley, Online Writing, Part 1: The Stranger, Pocket Books, Public relations, Scotch whisky, Shopping, Simone, Vegas
The Iron Daughter (The Iron Fey #2)
by Julie Kagawa
Paperback, 359 pages
Published August 1st 2010 by Harlequin Teen (first published July 27th 2010)
Rating:5/5 Stars
Description:
Half Summer faery princess, half human, Meghan has never fit in anywhere. Deserted by the Winter prince she thought loved her, she is prisoner to the Winter faery queen. As war looms between Summer and Winter, Meghan knows that the real danger comes from the Iron fey—ironbound faeries that only she and her absent prince have seen. But no one believes her.
Worse, Meghan’s ow
Review:
This book is very good, but it does has one mayor flaw that I found to be annoying.Meghan and Ash. When you think about it… What does she really know about him, besides that he’s gorgeous and ‘icy’? He tried to kill her several times now. I don’t know but that doesn’t exactly scream boyfriend material to me.Don’t get me wrong, I nearly creamed myself when I read he has a silver stud in his ear. Add the billowing coat and I’m sold. But having those kind of feelings for somebody who is still a stranger smells a little too much like Bella & Edward to me.To give you an idea of how bad it was sometimes… I’m into romance and I go aaaawwww and OMG! every time a guy in a book does something even remotely cute/sweet/romantic. But there was a part where I laughed out loud; This was me being very inappropriate. Like laughing at a funeral inappropriate. I won’t give away any details, but there is a scene where Ash is standing there while Meghan and her entourage are running through a door. When Meghan looks back, the door is falling shut and she sees Ash standing there with (I forgot the exact wording) a trace of a single tear frozen to his cheek. I think even Ironhorse would have hidden under the bed when he heard me laughing. It was a little bit too much. I know, I’m horrible. It should have been pretty and amazing and all… To me it was just cheesy, over the top and hilarious. But! *very serious face* The situation was very very grim and I did feel sad about what was happening. But that specific part… Nah. It didn’t work for me.
However, I like Ash a lot and I also liked the way this book ended, even if it was pretty predictable. (yes, I’m a very complicated creature)
I adore Ironhorse. I liked him in The Iron King (when he speaks, his voice booms in my head, I love it) and now he’s one of my favorite characters in The Iron Daughther. Grim still takes the lead though ^^
-Ana @ SoManyBooksSoLittleTime
Like this:
Like Loading...
Tags: faerie, Fairy, Iron Daughter, Iron King, Meghan, Shopping, Summer, Winter
Soundby Shelley Workinger
Paperback, First Edition, 218 pages
Published November 1st 2012
Rating: 5/5 Stars
Description:
Clio Kaid’s had one crazy summer.After learning she was one of a hundred teens who were genetically modified before birth, she and the others departed for “camp” at a classified military site.Besides discovering her own special ability, uncovering a conspiracy, and capturing a killer, she’s also forged new friendships, found love, and managed to lose them both.
With no answers and the end of summer closing in, Clio’s terrified of going home more lost than when she arrived.
Will she finally find everything she’s been looking for?
Find out in this exciting conclusion to the Solid trilogy.
Review:
****I have recently received an ARC courtesy of Shelley Workinger!****
What a perfect conclusion to the Solid series! I’ve been following this book from the beginning, I couldn’t wait to see how it ended. I loved this trilogy, the characters and the plot. I would be hard pressed to decide which book was my favorite. I enjoyed all three books and think all three worked well to make a great trilogy that told the story of Clio and her friends during the summer they deal with finding out what happened to them well.
The characters continue to be wonderful in this book. Clio continues her struggle to balance wanting her alone time and her typical way of dealing with things with how it works to be friends with a group and come to count on others. A lot has happen in the past few months and lots of consequences of the choices she makes are coming back to her. I like Clio, she feels real, like a normal teenaged girl even with her powers that she has secretly without her knowledge been given.There are some minor characters that the reader finally gets more of. Garrett is hysterical with his cockiness and humor. Miranda just being Miranda. Bliss with her sweet naivete. Alexis’ tough exterior but strong desire to fit in with the group. Rae and Xavier’s toughness have really been great addition to the group since the second book. And of course Jack, wonderful, adorable Jack. Each character brings something to the book, and it’s not just their powers, it’s their personalities. That’s what really contributes to the story and had me enjoying every page. The plot is exciting cause of the loose ends the author is trying up. I love that every aspect of Clio’s life is well explained. Clio is not perfect. She makes mistakes and faces what she done. She pushed everything aside and stood up for what is important.
It was a good light suspense tale with the characters still taking the front seat. I enjoyed the plot, and enjoyed seeing where it was going. I was surprised at the ending. I think it was the perfect way for the author to end the series. She left things open enough for a future sequel, but closed enough to give her readers closure. I hope there is a sequel sometime in the future, because I’d love to read more about the Solid characters and spend some more time in their world!
-Nicole @ SoManyBooksSoLittleTime
Like this:
Like Loading...
Tags: Adolescence, Arts, Bliss, books, Clio, Edition (book), Glossary of chess, Jack, literature, Miranda, Shopping, Stars, Story arc, Trilogy
Twelve Months by Steven Manchester
Paperback, 324 pages
Published August 14th 2012 by The Story Plant (first published 2012)
Rating:4/5 Stars
Description:
Don DiMarco has a very good life – a family he loves, a comfortable lifestyle, passions and interests that keep him amused. He also thought he had time, but that turned out not to be the case. Faced with news that might have immediately felled most, Don now wonders if he has time enough. Time enough to show his wife the romance he didn’t always lavish on her. Time enough to live out his most ambitious fantasies. Time enough to close the circle on some of his most aching unresolved relationships. Summoning an inner strength he barely realized he possessed, Don sets off to prove that twelve months is time enough to live a life in full.
A glorious celebration of each and every moment that we’re given here on Earth, as well as the eternal bonds that we all share, TWELVE MONTHS is a stirring testament to the power of the human spirit.
Review:
**I received an ARC courtesy of Steven Manchester**
Twelve Months by Steven Manchester is a novel about living. Don is diagnosed with stage four cancer and is given a year to live. So he lives. The book follows his journey through a bucket list and back to his family’s side. Twelve months is definitely a must read.This is one of those books that I think has something for everyone, and the message is timeless. I’d say it is a story that will bring tears to many of its readers’ eyes, get to their very souls and teach them a life lesson.
When Don Di Marco, a satisfied man with a great life, is diagnosed with cancer and told he has twelve months to live, he decides to live his remaining days to the full, and complete the things he never had a chance to.
Twelve Months is a well written, engaging book that really makes the reader wonder what they would do if they were in the unfortunate position of Don. Don DiMarco’s experiences, endurance, generosity and kindness are displayed throughout the entire book giving it a deep sense of humanity and humbleness that one wouldn’t expect from most people, much less someone who’s about to die. More importantly Don proves that the old saying “Slow and steady wins the race” is truth.
Don DiMarco became a real person for me, I laughed when he did and when he joked. Then cried hard and profusely when he faced sadness, as well as through basically the last 10 pages.
I can only say go read it, you won’t be sorry. You’ll enjoy a wonderful and inspiring story, and you’ll have something to go to whenever you feel like it’s hard to keep fighting and want some encouragement.
-Ana @ SoManyBooksSoLittleTime
Like this:
Like Loading...
Tags: Arts, Book, Don DiMarco, Earth, Justin Cronin, Manchester, read, Shopping, Steven Manchester, Story Plant, Twelve Months, twitter, Warded Man
ebook, 510 pages
Published June 13th 2011 by S.C. Stephens (first published March 15th 2011)
Rating: 5/5 Stars
Description:
A continuation of the novel, Thoughtless…A lot can happen in a year. You grow, you change, you learn from your mistakes. And Kiera had made a lot of mistakes to learn from. But she had learned, and she was determined to never cause a man pain again, especially the amazing man who currently held her heart. But life offers new challenges for every relationship, and when Kiera’s love is put to the ultimate test, will it come out the other side unscathed?Love is easy…trust is hard.
Review:
To sum it up: A lot can happen in a year. You grow, you change, you learn from your mistakes. …And Kiera had made a lot of mistakes to learn from. But she had learned, and she was determined to never cause a man pain again, especially the amazing man who held her heart. But life offers new challenges for every relationship, and when Kiera’s love is put to the ultimate test, will it come out the other side unscathed? Love is easy… but trust is hard.
I
Freaking.
Loved.
This.
Book.…Let me first stop off by saying, that if you haven’t read book one yet, (Thoughtless) I would HIGHLY recommend that you don’t read Effortless until you finish that one- you’ll just ruin all the fun for yourself. Thoughtless is now one of my absolute favorite reads EVER, and it really does help grasp an understanding about the background of all the characters and situations that were involved.If you’ve read Thoughtless, I honestly can’t tell you which book I liked better- they were both seriously two of the best books I’ve ever had the pleasure of reading- and Kellan… *sigh* …he’s just one of my favorite heroes. In this book, both Kellan and Kiera are working on all of their issues, and doing there best to take things nice and slow, considering their foundation isn’t the most solid. But eventually, even though their hearts know each other, their minds are full of doubt, causing a whirl-wind of chaos looming ahead!I will say this… although my irritation with Kiera faded a bit, (everyone knows what I’m talking about here… *rolls eyes*) there were still a few times I wanted to give her a good slap. For goodness sake, the girl certainly has a problem making some not-so-smart decisions. Let’s face it- if my boyfriend was a super hot musician, sported a rock-hard body, fabulous hair, and my name tattooed on his chest, I’d be doing everything in my will-power to keep him fully satisfied, both in the bed and out! 
Kellan and Kiera started out with a betrayal. They both watched each other lie to a loved one. They both watched each other sleep with other people, all the while being in love with one another. Desperately in love. …but watching that sort of betrayal, and being a part of it… it soured you. And that played a huge role when it came to their trust issues, making this book have all the complications, emotions, and drama that we love to read about involved.
This book not only had me chewing on my nails, but was full of laughs too! …we all know how up-tight and shy Keira can be at times, but let’s just say that she was actually able to let go at one point, and be the little confident vixen we all knew she had deep down inside of her… I’ll give you a bit of a hint- her inhibitions certainly flew out, when alcohol flew in… and that’s all I’m giving away!
This has been just as hard of a review to write as Thoughtless, because of a similar problem… I just simply have too much to say. This book was so full of greatness, and definitely didn’t live up to the typical “second book just didn’t compare to the first book” standard. It was perfection all on it’s own- we get to enjoy the relationships that Kiera’s friends have with the other band members, as well as enjoy Griffin and all of his… um… crude… remarks and actions, that I just couldn’t get enough of. As crazy as that man is, he certainly ties in a bit of humor in the story!
…This book caused me some serious anxiety, and I loved every single second of it- I absolutely could not put it down! Effortless just tied up so many lose ends, and was everything I could have hoped for, and more. …S.C. Stephen’s writing is just so descriptive, and pulls you right into every moment. It was truly a brilliant read, and there is absolutely nothing better than being totally absorbed in the Kiera, Kellan, and D-Bag world…
Before concluding this review, I must share a bit of words from Kellan… “…That I’m yours… that you can take me anywhere, anytime, any way… That you own every piece of me.” …Ladies, if that isn’t enough to make you fall head-over-heels in love with that man, I don’t know what is. He’s perfection in every freaking sense of the word…*sigh*
Similar Books:
Point of Retreat by Colleen Hoover 
Love Unscripted by Tina Reber
All The Wrong Reasons by J.L. Paul 
Sheet Music by Ann Lister
Bared to You by Sylvia Day 
Sweet Dreams by Kristen Ashley
-Cassandra @ SoManyBooksSoLittleTime
Like this:
Like Loading...
Tags: Book, Goodreads, Keira, Kellan, Kiera, Learning, Reading (process), S.C. Stephen, S.C. Stephens, Shopping, Smashwords, Stars (Canadian band), Thoughtless
In My Mailbox is a meme hosted by Cassandra Livingston and Ana Carter. The purpose of this meme is to share the books we receive with our readers. These can be ARCs, books we purchased ourselves, books requested for review by authors and publishers, eBooks, free reads we stumbled upon and audiobooks. Posted randomly and sometimes twice a week.
Recently Purchased:
Like this:
Like Loading...
Tags: Book, books, Crossfire, E-book, eBooks, Eva, Gideon Cross, literature, Local Interest, Meme, reflected In You, Shopping, Sylvia Day
In My Mailbox is a meme hosted by Cassandra Livingston and Ana Carter. The purpose of this meme is to share the books we receive with our readers. These can be ARCs, books we purchased ourselves, books requested for review by authors and publishers, eBooks, free reads we stumbled upon and audiobooks. Posted randomly and sometimes twice a week.
Recently Purchased:
Hidden (House of Night #10) by P.C. Cast, Kristin Cast
Like this:
Like Loading...
Tags: Ana Carter, Book, books, Cassandra Livingston, E-book, eBooks, Hidden, House of Night, Kristen Cast, Meme, Nicole Walker, p c cast, PC Casy, Shopping
Waiting on Wednesday
This is a weekly event hosted by Crystal Walker, Ana Carter, Shannon Medeiros, Cassandra Livingston, Chennel Lee, and Sophia Carter that spotlites upcoming new releases that we’re highly anticipating.
This week’s pre-publication “can’t-wait-to-read” selection is:
Hardcover, 544 pages
What are you waiting on?
Link me up!!!
Like this:
Like Loading...
Tags: Arts, Author, Goodreads, literature, Mara Dyer, Michelle Hodkin, Shopping, Simon & Schuster
Hardcover
367 pages
ISBN 1416994084
ISBN13: 9781416994084
Rating:5/5 Stars
Description:
Aura’s life is anything but easy. Her boyfriend, Logan, died, and his slides between ghost and shade have left her reeling. Aura knows he needs her now more than ever. She loves Logan, but she can’t deny her connection with the totally supportive, totally gorgeous Zachary. And she’s not sure that she wants to.Logan and Zachary will fight to be the one by her side, but Aura needs them both to uncover the mystery of her past—the mystery of the Shift.As Aura’s search uncovers new truths, she must decide whom to trust with her secrets…and her heart.Review:
I have been enjoying a really great roll of good books lately… and I have to confess I was a little worried about Shift because it was the second book in the Shade trilogy… and we all know how painful second books can be… but upon closing Shift, I can say that my roll with awesome books continues!
Sure there was LOTS of angst… and maybe I’m getting a thicker skin… but it just worked in this book. Aura is trying to move on with her life (possibly with Zachary), but Logan’s presence continues to hold her back and muddle her feelings for both of them. I totally bought into the angst because Aura was still trying to deal with Logan’s death… and it was made that much harder for her because Logan was still “there” — not wanting to let go of her and his tenuous grasp on the living world. Logan is infuriatingly adorable and lovable. But then a big question was asked of him — one that turned out to be a crucial turning point for him — a point from which he just grew up, and with that, he took a little piece of my heart with him.
I found Shift to be all about discovery. Discovery of Aura’s origins (the secrets from her mother), the mysteries of the Shift, and the three major characters’ discoveries of themselves. They all had their worst moments and their best moments in this installment.
So although I’m still thoroughly “Team Zachary”, I did find myself a little disenchanted with our Scottish heart-throb with a poor error in judgment he made… but at the same time, I did understand why he did what he did even though I didn’t like it. Like all the characters, they’re all going through their “stuff” and Zachary wasn’t any exception. He has been patient with Aura, but as he said once in Shade, “I’m no’ saint” (or something like that).
I think my heart melted on more than one occasion during those special times between Aura & Zachary (as well as Aura & Logan), and I might have reread the scene by the river a couple of times. He-he…
Aura — I still really enjoyed going through her journey with her as well, even though she was being pulled in so many different directions and admittedly not handling some of it very well. Despite some of the content of the book, she’s not an adult — she’s still impulsive and has her insecurities like many teens — but what I always look for in a good protagonist is growth… and there was that in Aura.
I did sort of have ambivalent feelings about the little detour between Aura and Dylan (Logan’s younger 16 yr old brother). I understood their bond, and how they might have confused their feelings for each other with respect to their own losses they experienced with Logan but I might have uttered an audible sigh of relief when they realized what they were about to do.
The ending of Shift was beautifully done … and even though we know there is more to the story, I’m happy with the resolutions that needed to be fulfilled in this installment and I did in fact need some tissues at the end.
I was totally engulfed in this book. It had everything I love in a story and I’ve enjoyed tagging along on this journey so far… unraveling mysteries with lots of sexy romance woven in. I will note, however, that there is some mature content more suitable for older teens.
-Ana @ SoManyBooksSoLittleTime
Like this:
Like Loading...
Tags: Aura, books, International Standard Book Number, Logan, Shopping, Simon & Schuster, Stars (Canadian band), Zachary
It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? is a weekly meme hosted by Jennifer Johnson, Bridget&Britney Darwin, Ana&Sophia&Stephi Carter, Cassandra Livingston, Crystal&Nicole Walker. This is where book bloggers gather to talk about what books they read and/or reviewed last week, what books they’re currently reading and what books they’re planning to read. This is a great way for us to plan our reading week/month, and to take a sneak peek at what others are reading.Usually Posted on Monday’s.
Started Last Week and Currently Reading:
Like this:
Like Loading...
Tags: Art, Cassandra Livingston, E-book, Education, Holly Black, Monday, Nicole Walker, Shopping
In My Mailbox is a meme hosted by Cassandra Livingston and Ana Carter. The purpose of this meme is to share the books we receive with our readers. These can be ARCs, books we purchased ourselves, books requested for review by authors and publishers, eBooks, free reads we stumbled upon and audiobooks. Posted randomly and sometimes twice a week.
Recently Purchased:
Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire
Like this:
Like Loading...
Tags: Ana Carter, arcs, beautiful disaster, Book, books, Cassandra Livingston, E-book, eBooks, Local Interest, Meme, Shopping
In My Mailbox is a meme hosted by Cassandra Livingston and Ana Carter. The purpose of this meme is to share the books we receive with our readers. These can be ARCs, books we purchased ourselves, books requested for review by authors and publishers, eBooks, free reads we stumbled upon and audiobooks. Posted randomly and sometimes twice a week.
Recently Purchased:
Like this:
Like Loading...
Tags: Ana Carter, arcs, Book, Cassandra Livingston, Meme, Shopping
Books we’re currently-reading:
View this group on Goodreads »
Like this:
Like Loading...
Tags: Arts, August 1 2012, Book, Book review, E-book, E-Books, Goodreads, little time, Otis Chandler, p c cast, Shopping
In My Mailbox is a meme hosted by Cassandra Livingston and Ana Carter. The purpose of this meme is to share the books we receive with our readers. These can be ARCs, books we purchased ourselves, books requested for review by authors and publishers, eBooks, free reads we stumbled upon and audiobooks. Posted randomly and sometimes twice a week.
Recently Purchased:
Won:
What did you get in your mailbox this week?
Like this:
Like Loading...
Tags: Arts, Book, books, E-book, Maria, Maria V. Snyder, Meme, Nancy Holder, Sherrilyn Kenyon, Shopping, spy glass, Susan Hubbard
I know it’s a bit early to be thinking of what we’re going to read in October, but let’s compile a list of books, that could potentially be our October BOM.
October’s Reading List:
Let’s Start Collecting!
So Far We Have:
Anastasia Forever – Joy Preble
Angel Fire – LA Weatherly
Bloodlines – Richelle Mead
Bound To You - Christopher Pike
Caged In Darkness – JD Stroube
City of Fallen Angels – Cassandra Clare
Clockwork Angel – Cassandra Clare
Crusade -Nancy Holder & Debbie Viguie
Cryptic Cravings – Ellen Schreiber
Cryer’s Cross – Lisa McMann
Dark Visions – L.J Smith
Dracula – Bram Stoker
Entangled – Cat Clarke
Everlasting – Alyson Noel
Fearscape – Simon Holt
Gad’s Hall by Norah Lofts
The Gathering – Kelly Armstrong
The Haunted – Jessica Verday
Hush, Hush – Becca Fitzpatrick
Invinsible – Sherrilyn Kenyon
Midnight – L.J Smith
My Soul To Keep – Rachel Vincent
Night Walker – Lisa Kessler
Of Poseidon – Anna Banks
One in a Full Moon – Ellen Schreiber
Promises – Amber Garr
Season Of Risks – Susan Hubbard
My Soul To Keep – Rachel Vincent
Spy Glass – Maria V. Snyder
Uglies – Scott Westerfeld
Vanished – Meg Cabot
Automatic Must-Read For October:
Divine By Blood (Partholon, #3) by P.C. Cast
(Comment on which book {please include authors name} you would add to the list, and i’ll add them to the above ^ list)
Goodreads Discussion: http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/9…
We will update this each time a new book is recommended….
Also look for your BOM: Book List Page (Coming Soon)
Like this:
Like Loading...
Tags: Angels, books, Cassandra Clare, City of Fallen Angels, International Standard Book Number, literature, Nancy Holder, October, p c cast, Religion and Spirituality, Shopping, Spiritual Beings, Susan Hubbard, Wicked: Witch & Curse
Entangled by Cat Clarke
Paperback, UK, 372 pages
Published January 6th 2011 by Quercus Publishing Plc
Rating: 5/5 Stars
Description:
What does he want from me?
How could I have let this happen?
Am I going to die?
17-year-old Grace wakes up in a white room, with table, pens and paper—and no clue how she got there.
As Grace pours her tangled life onto the page, she is forced to remember everything she’s tried to forget. There’s falling hopelessly in love with the gorgeous Nat, and the unravelling of her relationship with her best friend Sal. But there’s something missing. As hard as she’s trying to remember, is there something she just can’t see?
Then, in a story full of dangerous revelations, Grace must face the most important question of all: why is she here?
Review:
When Grace wakes up locked in a plain white room she has no idea how she got there. Held captive by the mysterious Ethan the only distraction she has is some pens and paper so she starts writing her story. As she writes about her friendship with Sal and falling in love with her boyfriend Nat we begin to unravel the mystery of how she ended up in the white room.
Entangled is a captivating and powerful debut and one that will take the reader on a roller coaster of emotions from laughter to tears and everything in between. When I sat down to read I was only intending to read a couple of chapters but I became so caught up in Grace’s tale that I finished the entire book in one sitting. This is a dark and uncomfortable read at times but that just makes it even more compelling and it does manage to leave you feeling hopeful by the end. I really admire the fact that Cat Clarke made me laugh out loud despite the difficult topics covered.
I’ve seen several reviewers say that they didn’t find Grace very likable in the beginning but I have to say I didn’t have the same problem with her. I didn’t like some of the things she was doing or her attitude at times but her character really spoke to me on a personal level and in some ways she reminded me a lot of myself as a teenager. Grace is in self destruct mode, she has so many emotions that she just doesn’t know how to deal with and this shows in the way she acts. In many ways she comes across as a normal teen – she seems friendly and outgoing and is doing well at school but this is just a front that she puts on. Underneath it all she is messed up – she uses alcohol to escape from reality, sleeps with boys she has just met and resorts to cutting as a way to feel in control of her life.
Her reasons might be different to mine and her behaviours differ to some degree but at her age I was in a very similar destructive pattern. Grace’s voice was so real to me and made for painful reading as I watched her make similar mistakes to me & I just wanted to reach into the book and be the voice of experience to tell her that things can and will get better. This particular quote has stayed with me for days since reading the story and for me it captures the essence of Grace perfectly:
“It’s when I’m alone that the doubt sets in. It’s been that way for years. As long as there are people around, I can pretend everything’s OK. But I need that audience to pretend for, otherwise it doesn’t work. Alone, I’m not that easy to fool.” Page 214
It is hard to go into too much detail about the rest of the story without giving spoilers, I really do think that this is one of those books that the less you know about before going in the better the reading experience will be. I will say that although I thought I’d figured out the twist at the end (well I had several theories anyway and was sure one of them would be correct) Cat Clarke still managed to surprise me. Entangled is a gripping and powerful read and one that I would thoroughly recommend, I know this is a story that will stay with me and one that I’m looking forward to reading again now I know how it ends.
Like this:
Like Loading...
Tags: Arts, Book, Clarke, God, Grace, laughter to tears, literature, read, Religion and Spirituality, Shopping
Review:
I realized yesterday, (as I sat staring at a blank white screen for an hour,) that sometimes the right words are hard to find. For many of us, our words are confined to the simple (and sometimes idiotic) phrases that fly from our mouths each day, while others of us feel the need to put them on paper, (offer them up to a wider audience if you will,) and it is those words that are judged differently. While normal conversation is free flowing and spontaneous, words written for the specific means of having them read are planned, plotted, written, re-written and then eventually edited to convey EXACTLY what the author meant. Both forms have consequences and significance, but only one of those can be picked apart and overanalyzed to death. The WRITTEN word.
Ok, my point (I assure you I have one.) In the last several books I have read (some I have reviewed others I have not) I have found myself taken aback by the authors need to throw around the “L” word. While the word (sadly) has taken a somewhat “less than meaningful” tone in everyday society, (thank you very much horny teenagers) it’s importance in literature is the exact opposite, (heavily weighted and to be accompanied by sincerity.) Why exactly am I giving you a lesson in word placement instead of telling you about “Turned?” Because this book is a prime example of misplaced affection, and unfortunately…it detracted from the story instead of adding to it.
______________________________________________________________________________________
Now, onto my soapbox I go. I would first like to state that I had some pretty severe reservations about “Turned” by Morgan Rice before I even turned on my Kindle. While the synopsis sounds exciting, (“action packed” if you are going by my first impression) the book in it’s entirety is only 196 pages long. Seems a little condensed for so much going on right? I thought so. Anyways, I was certain that unless Ms. Rice had a magic wand and the best damn thesaurus in town there was no way she was going to pull this off successfully in so few pages. I was both right…and wrong. (Damn I hate it when that happens.)
For starters the first 20% or so was VERY one dimensional, (as in generic YA fluff with no legs) it was not until Rice introduced multi-narration that the story actually (pardon the pun) grew some teeth and became interesting. With the introduction of additional characters we also found ourselves immersed in action, (chase scenes to be exact which…by the way…were expertly penned.) The action led to Caleb, which in turn led to the “series plot” (as apposed to this specific books “sub plot”) and the story took flight. This (“lets save the girl…she is the “One”) moment is also the point where Rice should have slowed her story down. It is obvious in most books who the love interest is going to be, but it is an authors duty to maneuver their relationship in a way that creates an attachment between the reader and the characters in the book, (*cough* this is where the “L” word lesson would have come in handy) Though the “I Love You” in “Turned” came at 86% (which seems late) it was VERY premature. Caleb and Caitlin had known each other for approximately 3 hours and (while yes) there was a “connection” the immediate revelation of “love” dwindled every ounce of anticipation the reader might have had towards their next encounter (this little slip up also makes the next book much less appealing.) If (for example) Rice would have waited until book 2 to declare feelings, the intimacy between the two would have fueled the readers desire to keep going.
“I love you” issues and ”fantastic action sequences” aside, the book was…average. There were a few discrepancies through-out the writing (tenses) and I whole-heartily believe that if given more room to write the book would have felt more complete, but overall it wasn’t that bad of a read. It was quick, it ultimately kept my attention, and it had both evil and nice vampires with is a nice change of pace.
Like this:
Like Loading...
Tags: Amazon Kindle, Anne Rice, Arts, Book, Caitlin, Caleb, Eighteen, Jonah, New York City, Rice, Shopping, Writing
So Shelly by Ty Roth 
Luminous by Dawn Metcalf 
A Touch Mortal by Leah Clifford 
Through Her Eyes by Jennifer Archer 
Warped by Maurissa Guibord 
Blood Magic by Tessa Gratton
