Teaser Tuesday 7/12

                              

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted MizB at Books and a Beat!

To participate, all you have to do is:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (Make sure what you share doesn't give too much away! You don't want to ruin the book for others!)

Share the title and author, too, so that other TT participants can ad the book to their TBR lists if they like your teasers!

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Maybe I thought I was entrapping him...
Maybe I did think it would hurt him - or kill him.
Maybe I didn't think anything could kill him.

Chapter 34, page 180,

Carry On by Rainbow Rowell

What are you reading this week?

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ARC Review: Life After Juliet by Shannon Lee Alexander

The blurb as seen on Goodreads:
Release Date: July 5, 2016
Publisher: Entangled Teen
304 Pages

Becca Hanson is a reader-a voracious reader. And with all those fictional friends, she never had time for real ones. Plus real ones come with uncontrollable quirks, like constantly filling a room with song, drawing on any available surface, and worst of all, dying. Real friends are more trouble than they're worth. Since her best-and only-real friend Charlotte's death six months before, Becca has returned to a life of books in order to distance herself from heartache and constant loneliness as her junior year at Sandstone High begins.

When a class project forces her into the Drama Club, she attracts the attention of not one, but TWO guys involved in the production, onstage and off. Meanwhile, she's still dealing with the grief of Charlotte's death--the fact that Charlie is away at MIT--and that she finally has to build a life for herself on her own terms. Ultimately she learns more about who she is, what she wants, how she feels--and how to find what she's looking for. (And while she isn't sure what comes next, she's pretty sure there'll be more kissing involved.)

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 “She’s not coming back, and I don’t know what else to do, so I keep turning the pages.”

Becca Hanson is still reeling from the loss of her best friend. For a girl who never really connected well with others, losing the one person who understood her has Becca retreating back into the safe world of books and fictional characters. Then she meets Max, and Max doesn’t necessarily save her, but he helps her realize that maybe the real world has still has some good in it. 

OMG I loved this book.

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When I requested this from Entangled Teen, I didn’t realize that it was a companion novel to Love and Other Unknown Variables. I still have not read that one (but it is now high on my to-read list) so this was my first time meeting these characters. Becca’s pain was palpable. I felt for her immediately. And while I wanted her to get out and experience life again, I could also understand the safety in books. I absolutely loved the way Alexander measured time by how many pages were read in a book. For a girl whose life was consumed by books, measuring time by page count made sense. Then the unthinkable happens. Becca finds herself mixed in with the Drama Club and is forced to reach outside of her safety net. Thankfully, she has Max.

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Can I just say how perfect this boy is? 

“So I can see you. And just like you, I can see Thestrals, too.”

I mean, come on. Thestrals!! He references Harry Potter for Pete’s sakes. He pretty much had me from the beginning. But what Alexander did, and I love her more for it, is construct a boy whose understanding is mirrored by his own pain, yet his view on life is the complete opposite of Becca. While she hides, he faces it head on. Max was encouraging not forceful, understanding not pushy. He took his time with Becca understanding that she wasn’t ready for friendship but he never wavered. 

Aside from Becca and Max there were many other side characters who made this book what it is. No one was a throwaway and everyone served a purpose to make this world colorful and real. I couldn’t stop reading once I started and wanted more once it ended. I will definitely read more from Alexander and will recommend Life After Juliet until my last breath. Just a beautiful story about loss, hope, and learning to live again. 

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I received an e-copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Cover Reveal: Defying Gravity (Finding Perfect #2) by Kendra C Highley

Let us know what you think of the cover for Defying Gravity (Finding Perfect, #2) by Kendra C. Highley!

Defying Gravity releases on July 25, 2016

Before you check out the cover, why not read this swoony excerpt from Parker Madison's perspective:

The crowd at the entrance started doing strange things. For one, it parted like the sea before Moses. For another, guys stopped dead in their tracks…and those who didn’t stop ran into walls or tripped over their own feet. The women and girls around these guys started rolling their eyes, some good-natured, some not so much.

Parker’s heart hammered like a drunk carpenter had taken over his pulse.

Zoey was on the mountain.

She breezed through the crowd in a lime-green ski suit, her snowboard resting against her shoulder. Blond hair streamed out behind her under the hot pink knit cap she’d been wearing since they were kids, and her cheeks were flushed with the cold. Her smile could stop traffic…no, really, it had stopped traffic. The sudden loss of coordination among the men near the entrance was proof.

He could only imagine what her real smile—the one she only gave him—could do.

Wait. No. He didn’t want her smiling at any other guys that way.

She searched the crowd, oblivious as always to the way people stared, and Parker waved. Laughing, she barreled straight at him, tossing her snowboard to the side, before knocking him into a snow drift. They landed in a clatter of boots, boards, and limbs, with her on top.

Her grin lit up the world. “Parker Madison! How the hell are you?”

His entire body went supernova hot. He could feel every inch of her, despite the layers of ski clothes separating them. Jesus. He choked back a groan and tried to think of anything other than how perfectly they fit together. If she felt how his body responded to her…

No, not happening.

He sighed heavily and brushed melting snow from her cheek. “How am I? Well, Miller, I’m bored.” Lie. So much lying. Whole mountains of lie.

“Bored?” She blinked at him. “I’m not that late.”

He pretended to scowl at her, enjoying the close-up look at her baby-blues. Huh, was she wearing mascara? Since when did she wear makeup on the mountain? Not that he was complaining—she looked amazing. “Zoey, two ages of the universe passed by while I’ve been waiting for you. Maybe even three.”

“Is that so?” She smiled again and tugged on his cap. “I missed you.”

There’s the smile he’d been waiting for. His mouth went dry and he had to swallow a few times before he could speak. Maybe he should just kiss her instead. “Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

And now the moment you've been waiting for...

About Defying Gravity:

Disclaimer: This book contains enough sexual tension to melt snow, the hottest near-kiss in the history of near-kisses, and a sexy snowboarder determined to win the heart of the girl he loves. Zoey Miller lives for her holidays in Aspen. Her time up on the mountain with the Madison brothers, Parker and Luke, is everything. But for the first time, it’s not enough. This time, she’s determined to win one of the brothers’ hearts. But the brother she has in mind is a renowned player, with hordes of snow-bunnies following him around Snowmass resort. And the other…well, he’s her best friend and knows she deserves better. Namely him. And he’s going to win her heart.

About Kendra C. Highley:

Kendra C. Highley lives in north Texas with her husband and two children. She also serves as staff to four self-important and high-powered cats. This, according to the cats, is her most important job. She believes in everyday magic, extraordinary love stories, and the restorative powers of dark chocolate.

Want to Read More? Pre-order Defying Gravity Today!

Amazon | B&N | Kobo | iBooks | Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.ca

 

 

Teaser Tuesday 7/5

                              

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted MizB at Books and a Beat!

To participate, all you have to do is:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (Make sure what you share doesn't give too much away! You don't want to ruin the book for others!)

Share the title and author, too, so that other TT participants can ad the book to their TBR lists if they like your teasers!

 ____________________________

"I think I've seen her picture," I said. "A grown woman in little girl's clothes."

Miss Peregrine nodded somberly. "She was never the same after that. Not right in the head."

"What happened to her?"

Chapter 8, page 211,

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

What are you reading this week?

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Blog Tour + Giveaway: Summer of Irreverence - The Rock Star by Cathrine Goldstein

           

Hey guys, I so happy to be part of the YA Bound Book Tours as they host the blog tour for Summer of Irreverence - The Rock Star by Cathrine Goldstein. The adorable cover reeled me in and I just had to be a part of this. Don't forget to check out the awesome giveaway attached to this post as well!

Summer of Irreverence- The Rock Star

By Cathrine Goldstein

The blurb as seen on Goodreads:

Release Date: July 6, 2016

Publisher: The Wild Rose Press

Straight-laced, veterinary surgeon, Summer Wynters is ready to break the rules. And who better to break them with than the most irreverent of all men, mega rock star Malcolm Angel? With one last summer free from work obligations, Summer moves to New York City, and at the coaxing of her friend, pretends to be a model so she can spend one wild night with Malcolm.

Rock star, Malcolm Angel, tortured by a dark past, may be the poet laureate of romance, but he, like science-minded Summer, has never believed in romantic love. How could he? With his history, he doesn’t deserve to be loved.

When Summer’s honesty, kindness, and exuberance for life changes his perspective, the two discover they are in deeper than either dreamed possible. But when Malcolm discovers Summer’s been perpetuating a lie, will he forgive her? Even if forgiveness is possible, can a man immune to love teach someone else to believe in it?

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a Rafflecopter giveaway

 "How did you go through life with that name...?" Malcolm's eyes flashed with happiness. "I mean, if I wrote it, people would crucify me. What were your parents thinking?"

Summer froze.

"I mean, do they love you at all?" Malcolm chuckled.

Summer's feet refused to move, and her arms lay limp at her side.

"Summer?" Malcolm's smile faded. "Sum?"

The sound of her nickname spoken by Malcolm did her in. She desperately fought the mounting tears.

Malcolm stared at her. "It's not you name you're upset about, is it?"

Summer clenched her jaw and shook her head.

"I'm sorry." His voice was low and modulated.

She nodded, looking at Malcolm, and wanting, for the first time ever, to have someone make it all okay. To have him make it all okay.

Malcolm grew quiet. They stood there for whole minutes. "I'm sorry if I touched on a sore subject. Really."

Summer stared at him - this man who had everything except the answer she needed. How could he be so closed off? How could he care so little about the pain of another living creature?

He stepped forward then, as if reading her mind, took her hand gently, and leaned over, speaking quietly in her ear. "It's not that I don't care."

Those few words found a place deep in Summer's soul.

Malcolm stood tall, and Summer's eyes followed him. He reached out and stroked her cheek. "But I've got nothing more to give than today."

______________________________________

So am I the only one who wants to know more about what's going on there? Be sure to grab your copy when it's released on July 6th. And check out other spots on this blog tour for other goodies. You can find the schedule here. Thank you again to YA Bound Book Tours and Cathrine Goldstein for allowing me to take part in this tour!

Book review: A Court of Thorn and Roses (A Court of Thorn and Roses #1) by Sarah J. Maas

The blurb as seen on Goodreads:
Release Date: May 5, 2015
Publisher: Bloomsbury
432 Pages

A thrilling, seductive new series from New York Times bestselling author Sarah J. Maas, blending Beauty and the Beast with faerie lore.

When nineteen-year-old huntress Feyre kills a wolf in the woods, a beast-like creature arrives to demand retribution for it. Dragged to a treacherous magical land she only knows about from legends, Feyre discovers that her captor is not an animal, but Tamlin—one of the lethal, immortal faeries who once ruled their world.

As she dwells on his estate, her feelings for Tamlin transform from icy hostility into a fiery passion that burns through every lie and warning she's been told about the beautiful, dangerous world of the Fae. But an ancient, wicked shadow grows over the faerie lands, and Feyre must find a way to stop it . . . or doom Tamlin—and his world—forever.

Perfect for fans of Kristin Cashore and George R. R. Martin, this first book in a sexy and action-packed new series is impossible to put down!

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 Goodreads.Amazon.Barnes & Noble.

So I was super excited to read start this series based on all of the amazing things that I had heard about it. And also, that cover, just beautiful. But alas, the wise words were true here and I shouldn't judge a book by it's cover. Not that I didn't like it, because I did, but overall it was just kind of meh. Now before you get all pitchforky, let me tell you why.

Meet Feyre, our Belle in this story, even though in the beginning she's more like Katniss with her skills to take care of her family. Anyway, Feyre is the 'breadwinner' of sorts in her family. She's the one who brings the food home, who finds pelts to sell in the market - all so her lazy sisters and weak father don't have to do anything. One day, Feyre makes a mistake in the woods that leaves her bound to our 'Beast', high fey Lord Tamlin. Obviously these two do not get along in the beginning (see portrait below)

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But over time, as the story goes, they come to care for her. And the Beast, aka Tamlin, in his love for Belle, aka Feyre, choses to let her go. But alas! There's a curse on the fairy land that only Feyre can break so she must venture back into Prythian and face darkness she's never known.

What I liked:

- Rhys: Even though we don't get that much of him here. The tease that we see just made me want to know more about him. He has a story to tell, I just know it. 

 

-Lucien: Tamlin's right hand man outshone his own Lord. He kept surprising me with his wit and his actions. I never knew if he was trying to kill Feyre or help her - and it just  made the story all that more interesting. 

 

-The world: One thing that is hard to do is world build. Even though we didn't see much of the fairy lands, mostly just the Spring Court, the visual that Maas created was extremely vivid and alive.

 

-Feyre's love for her family: I don't know how she did it with those three. But her love was never unwavering and the only thing she thought about was their safety - even if they didn't deserve it. 

What I didn't like:

-Pacing: This book was extremely slow moving. From the time Feyre goes to Prythianto the time she returns, nothing really happens except long drawn out sulking and brooding. For a 400+ book, only about half has substance.

 

-Feyre's family: While her father seemed generally upset that he was no longer useful after his accident, her two sisters literally did nothing. Elain, who we are told is just so sweet and gentle,and Neesta, who is a downright bitch, just stayed at home all day while Feyre hunted food for them. Then spent all of the money Feyre would get for pelts on frivolous things because their heads were still stuck in the past when they had money. They infuriated me to no end. You want something? Work for it. Don't just sit and complain about how you lost everything and treat the one sister who actually does something like shit! Sorry, I have a lot of feelings about her family. 

 

-Tamilin himself. Yes, I know. I can hear all the gasping from here. But he just didn't do it for me. He was so...boring. And weak. He was extremely weak. The whole end of the book proved this as he sat by and did nothing. 

 

-The love story: this probably has to do with my dislike of Tamlin, but I just didn't feel it. It went from "he's hot" to "I love him" in the blink of an eye and there was just no base for me to understand their connection. 

 

Overall, I enjoyed most of the book and will definitely check out the next (I've been told there's more Rhys). Just hope it moves away from the Tamlin/Feyre love story cause I just don't buy it...

ARC Review: Into the Blue (Wild Aces #2) by Chanel Cleeton

The blurb as seen on Goodreads:
Release Date: July 5, 2016
Publisher: Berkley
320 Pages

From the author of Fly with Me and the Capital Confessions Novels comes the newest in the sexy Wild Aces Romance series.

Eric Jansen—call sign Thor—loves nothing more than pushing his F-16 to the limit. Returning home to South Carolina after a tragic loss, he hopes to fix the mistake he made long ago, when he chose the Air Force over his fiancée.

Becca Madison isn’t quick to welcome Thor back. She can’t forget how he shattered her heart. But Thor won’t give up once he’s set his sights on what he wants—and he wants Becca.

Thor shows Becca that he’s no longer the impulsive boy he used to be, and Becca finds herself irresistibly drawn to him. But will Thor be able to walk away from his dream of flying the F-16 for their love or does his heart belong to the sky?

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His call sign is Thor - I had to read this book. And I wasn't disappointed. 

Eric and Becca were high school sweethearts with extremely different goals. Eric wanted more than anything to join the Air Force and fly planes. Becca wanted to stay in their small town and practice law. Well, the good news is, they both achieved their goals. The bad news? It cost them their relationship. Ten years later, Eric has lost someone close to him and it's making him question his choices in life. When he decides to go back home to clear his head, he realizes just how much he's been missing. However, Becca isn't willing to just forgive him for leaving all those years ago. 

Into the Blue radiated small town charm. A southern town in South Carolina where everyone knows everyone and your business isn't just your own was a character itself in this book and held different meanings. For Becca, it was home. The one place where she found family and stability. It made her feel safe and secure. For Eric, it was a trap. A dead end with no way out.

This book was interesting in that I sided with each character for different reasons. I understood Eric's desire to want more and to follow that dream wherever it took him. But I also understood Becca's wanting of that close knit family that she had found. Neither were wrong in their desires, however, some decisions could have been better made. For example, Eric leaving Becca. I am totally with her on being pissed and heartbroken with how that was handled. 

A very sweet story on second chances, the difficulties life can bring and how home really is where the heart is. 

I received an e-copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Teaser Tuesday 6/21

                              

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted MizB at Books and a Beat!

To participate, all you have to do is:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (Make sure what you share doesn't give too much away! You don't want to ruin the book for others!)

Share the title and author, too, so that other TT participants can ad the book to their TBR lists if they like your teasers!

 ____________________________

 
One single picture, he thought wryly. Just one photograph of this and the English crown would collapse.

Chapter 5, 52%, ARC

His Royal Secret (His Royal Secret #1) by Lilah Pace

What are you reading this week?

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