Thursday, August 27, 2015

Thursday: On My Wish List




Author: Cassandra Clare
Title: Lady Midnight
Coming out on March 8, 2016
Book 1 in the The Dark Artifices series

Summary
(from goodreads)



Los Angeles. It’s been five years since the events of the Mortal Instruments when Nephilim stood poised on the brink of oblivion and Shadowhunter Emma Carstairs lost her parents. After the blood and violence she witnessed as a child, Emma has dedicated her life to to discovering exactly what it was that killed her parents and getting her revenge.

Raised in the Los Angeles Institute with the Blackthorn family, Emma is paired as a parabatai with her best friend, Julian Blackthorn. A series of murders in the city catch her attention — they seem to have the same characteristics as the deaths of her parents. Could the murderer be the same person? And her attention isn’t the only one caught: someone has been murdering Downworlders as well. The Fair Folk make a deal with the Institute: if the Blackthorns and Emma will investigate the killings, they’ll return Mark Blackthorn to his home. The catch: they have only two weeks to find the killers. Otherwise it’s open war between faeries and Nephilim.

The Shadowhunters of the Institute must race against time to catch the killers, even as they begin to suspect the involvement of those closest to them. At the same time, Emma is falling in love with the one person in the world she’s absolutely forbidden by Shadowhunter Law to love. Set against the glittering backdrop of present-day Los Angeles, Emma must learn to trust her head and her heart as she investigates a demonic plot that stretches from the warlock-run nightclubs of the Sunset Strip to the enchanted sea that pounds the beaches of Santa Monica.

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About the author


Cassandra Clare was born to American parents in Teheran, Iran and spent much of her childhood travelling the world with her family, including one trek through the Himalayas as a toddler where she spent a month living in her father’s backpack. She lived in France, England and Switzerland before she was ten years old.

Since her family moved around so much she found familiarity in books and went everywhere with a book under her arm. She spent her high school years in Los Angeles where she used to write stories to amuse her classmates, including an epic novel called “The Beautiful Cassandra” based on a Jane Austen short story of the same name (and  which later inspired her current pen name).

After college, Cassie lived in Los Angeles and New York where she worked at various entertainment magazines and even some rather suspect tabloids where she reported on Brad and Angelina’s world travels and Britney Spears’ wardrobe malfunctions. She started working on her YA novel, City of Bones, in 2004, inspired by the urban landscape of Manhattan, her favourite city. She turned to writing fantasy fiction full time in 2006 and hopes never to have to write about Paris Hilton again.

Cassie’s first professional writing sale was a short story called “The Girl’s Guide to Defeating the Dark Lord” in a Baen anthology of humor fantasy. Cassie hates working at home alone because she always gets distracted by reality TV shows and the antics of her two cats, so she usually sets out to write in local coffee shops and restaurants. She likes to work in the company of her friends, who see that she sticks to her deadlines.

Sunday, August 23, 2015

I was sort of AWOL on my blog

Yea, sorry about that. I was busy for the past few weeks and I wasn't really much on here but I hope to get back on writing reviews, posts books, etc. starting this week. I really want to make this blog work so let's cross fingers that I will succeed :)

I'm back at work tomorrow so I might get to be on more often and work on my reviews. Well, most likely started Wednesday but I hope to show you my new book haul tomorrow because I have a lot of new books added to my bookshelves :)

Tuesday, August 11, 2015

Release of the Day: Better When He's Brave by Jay Crownover (Welcome to the Point, #3)



BWHB
Author: Jay Crownover
Out TODAY!


Book 3 in the Welcome to the Point series



Summary

(from goodreads)

In New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Jay Crownover’s third novel in her sexy, thrilling Welcome to the Point series, a woman’s search for repentance leads her to the one man from her past she can’t forget as they join forces to save their city—and the explosive love neither can live without.

Titus King has always seen his world in black and white. There is a firm right and wrong in his mind, which is why as a teenager he left behind the only family he’d ever known to make a better life for himself. Now a police detective in one of the worst cities in the country, he can’t deny his life has turned into a million different shades of gray.

The new criminal element in The Point has brought vengeance and destruction right to Titus’s front door, and walking the straight and narrow seems far less important now. The difference between right and wrong is nothing compared to keeping those he loves alive. To add to his already strained moral compass, the beautiful and mysterious Reeve Black has made her way back to town. This girl might be as dangerous to Titus as the guy trying to destroy the Point but he can’t walk away because he needs her—in more ways than one.

Reeve knows all about the threat trying to destroy The Point. She knows how ruthless, how vicious, and how cruel this new danger can be… and instead of running away, she wants to help. Reeve knows that she has a lot to repent for and saving the city, plus the hot cop that she hasn’t been able to forget might just be the only way she can finally find some inner peace.

With an entire city poised on the brink of war, Titus and Reeve stand in the crossfire—and it will take two brave souls to fight for the ultimate love.

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CANADA

Amazon.ca

Chapters/Indigo

USA

Amazon.com

Barnes & Noble

UK

Amazon.co.uk

OTHER

Book Depository

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About the author
[website] [goodreads] [facebook] [twitter]


JAY CROWNOVER   Being native Coloradan is a source of pride if you ask Jay.  She loves all the things her home has to offer, and that is why she set her books in this familiar place. Writing about what she knows is why her stories feature plenty of rock and roll and body modification.

Jay has been a bartender since she was in college, spending over forty hours a week watching interactions between men and women.  This 9 to 5 job offered great insights into relationships - how they start and how they evolve in a social setting.

This cutting-edge author likes to write New Adult novels because she remembers being in her early twenties and thinking she had it all figured out, only to be proven wrong time and time again.  When she looks back, she see's that those years defined who she is today, and, good or bad, those decisions ultimately set her current path.


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As I am waiting patiently to receive my copy of this book, I am currently reading the ARC I received by Jay Crownover and Melissa Shank. I plan on finishing it today, so hopefully, my review will added to my blog tonight :)

Also, check out her facebook page today. Giveaways and fun are announced :)

Still not sure if you ought to read this? Check this entry that I made over the past few weeks :)

Friday, August 7, 2015

Review: Beautiful Beloved by Christina Lauren (Beautiful Bastard, #3.6)




Summary

(from goodreads)


The seventh work in the New York Times and #1 internationally bestselling series that started with the Beautiful Bastard, Beautiful Stranger, and Beautiful Player novels. Featuring all the Beautiful characters...plus one tiny new addition to the group.

In Beautiful Stranger , finance whiz Sara Dillon met the irresistibly sexy Brit, Max Stella, at a New York City club. Through the series we’ve watched them learn to balance commitment with their less than private brand of playfulness. In Beautiful Beloved, Max and Sara take it to the next step. But the question is: Will they be able to find a balance between the wild sexcapades they aren’t ready to retire, and the demands of parenthood that come along with their new Beautiful bundle of joy? Parenthood: it’s not for the weak of heart. 




Read on: August 6, 2015
Read on: Ereader


Review:



This was really a quick read. I was happy that it was about Sarah and Max, but once again, I was sort of disappointed init. I felt like it was like Chloe and Bennett and it always the same old story. I can understand the struggle they had to come back to what they love juggling with having to take care of their daughter, Anna, but sometimes, I was like... It's too much. 

What saved this book? There are four reasons. 

First one, George. He got me laughing with all of his remarks and him with Anna was hilarious. I really enjoyed it whenever he came into the story.

Second one and third one, Will and Hanna. These two are just cracking me up. I really enjoyed how they try to explain things and when they babysit little Anna, you have to wonder how these two might survive parenthood one day. Okay, it wasn't that bad, but let's say, Will still needs to do some practice.

And fourth one, Niall. Niall is Max's brother who came to visit him. He's not there much at the beginning, but seriously, this guy is simply a genius with babies and Anna simply adores him. I liked that we had a bit of his backstory before the next book which is about him. Maybe Niall's book will become my favourite, who knows.

But overall, I really thank god for the other characters because the main characters just didn't do it for me. I still like them, but I felt like something was missing in this book.

Thursday, August 6, 2015

Review: Beautiful Beginning by Christina Lauren (Beautiful Bastard, #3.5)




Summary
(from goodreads)



The Beautiful Bastard series continues in this new novella back when not being able to stand each other also meant not being able to keep their hands of each other, neither Bennett nor Chloe could have seen this day coming.

An exasperated bride who just wants to elope. A determined groom whose only focus is getting to the wedding night. And of course a whole lot of name calling. 









Read on: August 6, 2015
Read on: Ereader


Review:



This novella was interesting, but seriously, some of the things in there were just getting old. I wanted to read about Bennett and Chloe's wedding, but as I started to read this, I just wanted to arrive to the end because both of them were getting on my nerves.

I thank God for their friends and families who kept me entertained when these two were just making me want to slap them a few times.

I'm still glad these two had each other because they do fit together, but really, at some point, I was like... Fine, we get it, you like to yell at each other as foreplay, but really, this is getting old.

Also, everything that seemed that could go wrong, did go wrong and I was like... Is that even possible that so many things could go wrong for only one wedding? It was entertaining, but I wasn't feeling like it seemed realistic.

So I gave a lot of negative, but really, towards the end, I was smiling genuinely as things started to settle down a little and the end is really Bennett/Chloe worthy hahaha.


So that's why only 3 stars, but I still think that you need to read this just to have the full effect of the Bastard Series and see some updates from all our Beautiful People :)

Thursday: On My Wish List




Author: Rachel Caine
Coming out on March 1st, 2016
Collection of novellas in the The Morganville Vampire series

Summary
(from goodreads)



New York Times bestselling author Rachel Caine presents a collection of stories—including six new tales—featuring the little Texas town that’s overrun by the undead. 

WELCOME TO MORGANVILLE.
YOU’LL NEVER WANT TO LEAVE.
  
By day, Morganville, Texas, is just a typical college town. By night, the vampires emerge and take control.... 

In a town where it’s not safe to be out after dark, student Claire Danvers and her friends have had their fair share of thrills. But Morganville still has a few secrets left to tell.

Now, in this collection, you can venture down the town’s strange streets, revisit all the tales you’ve come to love, and experience six new stories featuring your favorite Morganville residents—both human and vampire...

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About the author


Rachel Caine is the New York Times bestselling author of more than 45 novels to date, and many short stories, including fantasy, urban fantasy, science fiction, young adult fiction, mystery, thriller, and horror. Her notable series include The Morganville Vampires, Weather Warden, Revivalist, Red Letter Days, and Outcast Season novels. She graduated from Socorro High School in El Paso, Texas, and earned a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas. Her first short story was published in 1990, and her first novel in 1991. 

After a long career in business (including working as an office manager, payroll manager, insurance investigator, web designer, graphic designer, and corporate communications executive) she began writing full time in 2009.

She and her husband, artist R. Cat Conrad, live and work in Fort Worth, Texas.

Review: Beautiful Player by Christina Lauren (Beautiful Bastard, #3)



Summary
(from goodreads)


A bombshell bookworm. A chronic Casanova. And a lesson in chemistry too scandalous for school.

When Hanna Bergstrom receives a lecture from her overprotective brother about neglecting her social life and burying herself in grad school, she’s determined to tackle his implied assignment: get out, make friends, start dating. And who better to turn her into the sultry siren every man wants than her brother’s gorgeous best friend, Will Sumner, venture capitalist and unapologetic playboy?

Will takes risks for a living, but he’s skeptical about this challenge of Hanna’s…until the wild night his innocently seductive pupil tempts him into bed- and teaches him a thing or two about being with a woman he can’t forget. Now that Hanna’s discovered the power of her own sex appeal, it’s up to Will to prove he’s the only man she’ll ever need.



Read from: August 5 to August 6, 2015
Read on: Ereader


Review:



Okay, I have a new favourite book in this series and it's this one. Will and Hanna are such refreshing characters. Will might be your typical male character who loves sex and women but with Hanna, his character is just so much fun to read. We met Will in the second book and you had to love the way he was always carefree and in teasing mood and I already loved his character. I was really happy that this book would be about him.

Learning about what Will's thoughts really consisted of was something I wasn't expecting. I don't know how to explain this really, but let's say that perhaps Max and Bennett weren't the only ones who thought about being with the right woman for them. Will might have teased them, but though he hadn't found that one woman for him, he wasn't totally against the idea of commitment as strongly as he tried to make others believe. 

So enters Hanna....

Hanna always says what's on her mind most of the time. Having a filter isn't something she is used to. I love her character because she was innocent when it comes to relationships yet not so much regarding her job, her studies, etc. Hearing her theories about things that I would have never believed to be heard in a friendly conversation just made me laugh. She isn't afraid to ask questions about things she doesn't understand; she wants to learn to be more social, sexy and appealing and she's taking it really seriously.

When her and Will meet up again after not seeing each other in a while, it might be somewhat a bit weird, but they quickly fall into a routine where both of them interact with easiness and honesty. Will enjoys her blunt remarks and she likes that she can talk so freely around him.

When these two get together though, it's powerful and it made me want to have my own Will. He might have been the teacher, but he's learning a lot through this relationship that isn't a relationship.

But characters learn a lot through this whole book and I really enjoyed reading about them. I could read a few other books about them for sure.

Wednesday, August 5, 2015

Cover Reveal: Paradise Road by C.J. Duggan (Paradise series, #2)




Author: C.J. Duggan

Summary
(from goodreads)



The Road to Paradise is never easy

After a year on the coast, Lexie Atkinson can't settle back into country life. She’s missing the glitzy, gritty nightlife of the big city and the group of misfit friends she’d loved to hate. She knows to move forward she has to go back – back to face the guy who stole her heart.

But when Lexie arrives in Paradise City to work out if her future includes bad-boy surfer, Luke Ballantine, he is nowhere to be found.

With no home, no money and no Luke, Lexie gets a job slinging drinks at the wild Wipe Out Bar. Soon her heartache is eased when broody bar owner, Dean Saville, starts taking an interest and stirs more than just her drinks. But nothing is ever as it seems in Paradise City and when Luke barrels back into town, Lexie has a choice to make. But who will end up with the broken heart: Luke, Dean … or Lexie?


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Check out where it all began...


Summary
(from goodreads)

There’s trouble waiting in Paradise

Quiet country-girl Lexie Atkinson is about to get an education she’ll never forget. Sent from her family’s remote rural property to live in the glittering beachside Paradise City for her final school year, she is plunged into a place where looks can kill and vicious rumours can make or break you. Lexie just wants to fly under the radar … until she meets Luke Ballantine.

Impulsive and charming, one thing is clear: Luke is sexier than any guy she has ever known.

Suddenly good girl Lexie is breaking all the rules –getting detention, sneaking out to late-night parties, hanging out with boys – and then rumours start swirling … about her! Everything changes fast and Lexie will soon find out if Luke Ballantine is going to be good for her . . . or very, very bad?


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About the author


C.J Duggan is a number one internationally bestselling Australian author of seven independent titles of her popular New Adult Summer series. In addition to her chart-topping indie novels, C.J is set to publish two titles with Hachette, Australia with her brand-new Paradise Series in 2015 (Paradise City and Paradise Road).

C.J lives with her husband in a rural border town of New South Wales, Australia. When she isn't writing books about swoony boys and 90s pop culture you will find her renovating her hundred-year-old Victorian homestead or annoying her local travel agent for a quote to escape the chaos.