ARC Review: Contradictions (Woodfalls Girls #3) by Tiffany King

The blurb as seen on Goodreads:
Release Date: January 6, 2015
Publisher: Berkley Trade
304 Pages

When everything starts spinning out of control . . .

Three years into college, Tressa Oliver’s life is a nonstop party. She’s skating by in her classes, and there’s no shortage of drinking, dancing, and general hell-raising. The only aspect that hasn’t been much fun: She can’t shake the toxic jerks that always seem to gravitate toward her.

It will take someone totally wrong . . .

Trent Lawson is the classic anti-bad boy: smart, boring, and way too serious. To a wild girl like Tressa, there’s no way in hell they’re compatible—especially since Trent seems to see straight through her defenses.

To set her right.

When a college prank goes terribly wrong, Tressa starts to suspect that her partying ways are leading nowhere fast. Now she has to turn to the last person she ever thought she’d ask for help—and quickly discovers that there’s more to Trent than meets the eye . . .

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Nerd boy meets party girl in this super sweet love story. Tressa Oliver is your typical college party girl: she goes to classes but only gives enough just to pass , non-stop drinking and partying are always on her social calendar, and there’s definitely no shortage of boys. When that life comes crashing down, Tressa is doused in the reality that either she changes or she’s out of college.

Trent Larson is everything that Tressa isn’t used to. He prefers studying over partying, he’s quiet, and kind of a geek. And he’s also from Tressa’s hometown. Everything she wants to stay away from. When Trent is assigned as her tutor, her first instinct is to run. Something about the way Trent looks at her makes her uncomfortable. And who needs a tutor anyway?

I absolutely adored Trent. Maybe because I’m slightly a geek myself, but everything about him made me want to cuddle (and more!) with him. Even though he came across as quiet, he wasn’t afraid to speak his mind. He was blunt and preferred to get straight to the point of what he was always feeling instead of running in circles and playing games. Tressa has no idea what to do with him, or her budding feelings. But realizing she’s about to lose everything and that she’s disappointed those who believed in her, has her rethinking everything about how she lives. 

Tiffany King’s writing just seems to get better and better within this series. From the first one to this, I see so much growth in storytelling and execution. And the boys just keep getting better. Trent is my favorite thing to come out of Woodfalls and I look forward to reading more from King.

I received a copy of this novel from the publisher in return for an honest review.

Book Review: Jet (Marked Men #2) by Jay Crownover

The blurb as seen on Goodreads:
Release Date: May 28, 2013
Publisher: HarperCollins
416 Pages

With his tight leather pants and a sharp edge that makes him dangerous, Jet Keller is every girl’s rock and roll fantasy. But Ayden Cross is done walking on the wild side with bad boys. She doesn’t want to give in to the heat she sees in Jet’s dark, haunted eyes. She’s afraid of getting burned from the sparks of their spontaneous combustion, even as his touch sets her on fire.

Jet can’t resist the Southern Belle with mile-long legs in cowboy boots who defies his every expectation. Yet the closer he feels to Ayden, the less he seems to know her. While he’s tempted to get under her skin and undo her in every way, he knows firsthand what happens to two people with very different ideas about relationships.

Will the blaze burn into an enduring love. . . or will it consume their dreams and turn them to ashes?

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Jet Keller was all kinds of temptation wrapped up in too-tight pants and with too many personal demons hidden in those dark, golden-rimmed eyes.

These boys are going to be the death of me.

A year ago, Ayden Cross was all ready to have a one-night stand with rocker, Jet Keller. Until he said no. Now, the two of them share a house and pretend every day that there is no attraction between the two of them. Needless to say, they're failing...horribly.

Ayden has her entire life planned out, all right down to what kind of guy she wants: secure and stable. In fact, she seems to have everything  together - to the outside world at least. Inside, she's struggling with the girl she used to be, the one she wants to hide from everyone but who is struggling to come out. And Ayden is terrified of what will happen if she lets that happen, which is why she needs to stay away from Jet.

Jet is the rock star who doesn't want to be famous. Everything about him screams 'rock star' from his tattoos and piercings to his tight pants and brooding attitude, but inside he's thoughtful and determined and wants more than anything to protect those people that he loves. And because he's a musician, the words that come from him *swoon*

She was like music, something I craved, something that I felt deep in my blood and I wasn't sure what to do with it.

As it does with most, their passion comes to head in an explosive confrontation and they both decide to dive right into whatever this thing between them is. Drama, emotions, explosive fights and sexy times fill up this story of two people realizing it's ok to let go of the past, in fact, sometimes embracing it makes you a better person.

Once again, Crownover drew me in with her intricate relationships. Each story is about two specific people, but it's filled with a group of characters so vivid, I just adore them all. Their friendship and sense of loyalty make me want to be a part of this group. And I have a feeling I have yet to read my fave boys book (just a feeling lol).

Book Review: Rule (Marked Men #1) by Jay Crownover

The blurb as seen on Goodreads:
Release Date: May 23, 2013
Publisher: HarperCollins
432 Pages

Opposites in every way . . . except the one that matters

Shaw Landon loved Rule Archer from the moment she laid eyes on him. Rule is everything a straight--A pre-med student like Shaw shouldn’t want--and the only person she’s never tried to please. She isn’t afraid of his scary piercings and tattoos or his wild attitude. Though she knows that Rule is wrong for her, her heart just won’t listen.

To a rebel like Rule Archer, Shaw Landon is a stuck-up, perfect princess-and his dead twin brother’s girl. She lives by other people’s rules; he makes his own. He doesn’t have time for a good girl like Shaw-even if she’s the only one who can see the person he truly is.

But a short skirt, too many birthday cocktails, and spilled secrets lead to a night neither can forget. Now, Shaw and Rule have to figure out how a girl like her and a guy like him are supposed to be together without destroying their love . . . or each other.

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His name was Rule. I mean, seriously, based on that name alone this book should have been ridiculous. But damn it all if that boy didn't own his name and this book. And I loved every second of it.

Rule Archer has a giant chip on his shoulder. Having dealt with the death of his twin brother, Remy, and the subsequent fall out with his parents, he's out to prove that he doesn't need anyone and he lives life his own way. Tattooed, pierced, and with different color hair almost every week, Rule defines 'bad boy'.

Shaw Landon grew up with the Archers and considers them more of a family than her own. Even though everyone assumed it was Remy who had her heart, the secret was that Shaw loved Rule. Having come to terms that he would never see her as an actual girl, Shaw throws caution to the wind and gives in to her feelings in an alcohol induced night.

On the outside, these two were as different as you could get. But once you strip them down to the core of what made them who they were, it's so easy to see how well they fit. Unfortunately, not everyone else saw that. What I loved about this book was how Crownover removed their layers piece by piece. They both struggled with the difference of being who everyone wanted them to be and being who they were inside. It was a slow breakdown of character and I was interested in watching them grow.

And it wasn't just Rule and Shaw's relationship that kept me reading. It was Rule's relationship with his brothers and with his friends. It was Shaw's relationship with the Archers. Every relationship, friend or lover, in this book had life and I enjoyed reading all of the different interactions.

While the premise wasn't really anything new, I found that while Crownover succumbed to some typical cliches, she did with a sort of finesse and made them seem new. The old 'take and idea and make it your own' worked here. I wasn't annoyed with the actions that had me screaming in other books and I believe that was mostly in part to these rich and lively characters that she created. I mean, they all just jumped off of the page at you. In Rule's case, he jumped while screaming the whole way. These characters demanded your attention and I have a feeling that each subsequent book will be the same.

Having met most of the guys that will star in the other books, I cannot wait to dive into each of their stories. The little glimpses of each of them here just left me wanting more. And of course, I'm desperate to know which of these Marked Men will steal my heart the most. 

 

 

Blog Tour: Giveaway & Guest Post: Hellhole by Gina Damico

I am so happy to join Rockstar Book Tours in their blog tour of Hellhole by Gina Damico. Today, the author, Gina, joins us with a guest post!

The blurb as seen on Goodreads:
Release Date: January 6, 2015
Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers
386 Pages

A devil is a bad influence . . . 

There was a time when geeky, squeaky-clean Max Kilgore would never lie or steal or even think about murder. Then he accidentally unearths a devil, and Max’s choices are no longer his own. The big red guy has a penchant for couch surfing and junk food—and you should never underestimate evil on a sugar high. 

With the help of Lore, a former goth girl who knows a thing or two about the dark side, Max is racing against the clock to get rid of the houseguest from hell before time, and all the Flamin’ Hot Cheetos this side of the fiery abyss, run out.

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Tour Schedule:

WEEK ONE:

01/05/2015 - Xpresso Reads - Guest Post

01/05/2015 - Fiction Fare - Spotlight

01/06/2015 - Paranormal Book Club - Guest Post

01/06/2015 - Two Chicks on Books - Spotlight

01/07/2015 - A Dream Within A Dream - Review

01/07/2015 - Book Jems - Guest Post

01/08/2015 - BookHounds YA - Interview

01/08/2015 - YA Midnight Reads - Dual Review

01/09/2015 - Novel Novice - Guest Post

01/09/2015 - Consuming Worlds - Interview

WEEK TWO:

01/12/2015- Once Upon a Twilight - Review

01/12/2015 - Book Sniffers Anonymous - Interview

01/13/2015 - No BS Book Reviews - Interview

01/13/2015 - The Best Books Ever - Review

01/14/2015 - Teen Readers' Diary - Guest Post

01/14/2015 - The Book Bratz - Review

01/15/2015 - Sweet Southern Home - Review

01/15/2015 - Eli to the nth - Review

01/16/2015 - Bad Bird Reads - Guest Post

01/16/2015 - Crossroad Reviews - Review

This tour-wide giveaway offers two winners a copy of Hellhole! It's open wherever The Book Depository ships, and ends January 21, 2015 at 11:59PM PST.

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A Note from Gina: 

Hey there book fans! I'm running a Follow Frenzy giveaway over the course of this blog tour, and the prize is pretty neato: a signed copy of HELLHOLE wherein each chapter will have a little bit of trivia and/or a doodle handwritten by yours truly. (Gina) (Damico) To enter, all you have to do is follow me on one or more of my various social media outlets (Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, Instagram, Youtube), then fill out this adorable little form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1MbfSsZCiALw_I_C7WpI0d71hPNe0b94Ot89sxFesUzM/viewform . That's it! The more things you follow, the more chances you will earn to win. Good luck!

In HELLHOLE, Max commits a tiny little, insignificant-in-the-grand-scope-of-things sin. A sinlet, if you will. Yet even this teensy transgression is big enough to summon a devil, and if this were really the way things worked around Hell, I’ve got news for you: I’d have popped up a satanic being loooong ago.

Specifically, at the age of six.

It was lunchtime. We first-graders were hungry and cranky and jonesing for our milk cartons. But on that fateful fall day, for whatever reason, there was a delay. Rather than lining up outside the cafeteria to buy our lunches as we did every other day, we were brought inside the cafeteria, sat down at our tables (boys at one, girls at the other), and told to wait.

And wait.

And wait.

The children became restless. The children became irritable. The children became outraged. And so the children decided to invoke their constitutional right to organize and protest.

The boys sent one brave rabble-rouser to grab handfuls of plastic cutlery, which he passed out to the rest. They then started to bang them on the table, shouting “WE WANT FOOD! WE WANT FOOD!” Soon, the girls joined in. “WE WANT FOOD! WE WANT FOOD!”

But I, being of moral superiority, sat smugly by and shouted nothing, banged nothing. This was exactly the sort of thing kids would get in trouble for, and little six-year-old Gina DID NOT get in trouble.

As predicted, the boys immediately got into trouble. We were all allowed to eat our lunch, but afterwards we were marched right back to the classroom without recess and the boys got the lecture of a lifetime. They were in deep. They were to write essays about what they had done, and not get recess for the rest of the week.

But I, being of moral superiority, saw the injustice in this. And so I raised my hand and proudly declared:

“The girls were doing it TOO.”

And with those six little vindictive words, I went from conscientious objector to all-out prison snitch, and was accordingly shunned by my peers for the rest of the year. What made me do it? What made me open up my trap and get ALL of us punished, including me?

Obviously: evil.

Thanks for having me!

I have been looking forward to reading Hellhole for what feels like forever, and I know that (as soon as I have money) I'll be headed to my local bookstore to pick up a copy! Thanks so much to Rockstar Book Tours for letting Book Jems host a stop, and to Gina for the hilarious guest post!

ARC Review: Salt & Storm by Kendall Kulper

The blub as seen on Goodreads:

Release Date: September 23, 2014
Publisher: Little, Brown Books
416 Pages

You don't know what you must give up to become a witch.

Avery Roe wants only to claim her birthright as the witch of Prince Island and to make the charms that have kept the island's sailors safe at sea for generations, but instead she is held prisoner by her mother in a magic-free life of proper manners and respectability.

Avery thinks escape is just a matter of time, but when she has a harrowing nightmare, she can see what it means: She will be killed. She will be murdered. And she's never been wrong before.

Desperate to change her future, Avery finds a surprising ally in Tane—a tattooed harpoon boy with magic of his own, who moves her in ways she never expected. But as time runs out to unlock her magic and save herself, Avery discovers that becoming a witch requires unimaginable sacrifice.

Avery walks the knife's edge between choice and destiny in Kendall Kulper's sweeping debut: the story of one girl's fight to survive the rising storm of first love and family secrets.

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So, I know absolutely nothing about whaling, which I assume is like most people, so Salt & Storm opened this whole new world.

I know what my dream means. I will be killed. I will be murdered. And I've never been wrong before.

Avery Roe comes from a long line of Roe witches, women who protect Prince Island and ensure the success of the whalers. Raised by her grandmother since her own mother refuses this life, Avery dreams of the day when she will take her place as the Witch. But before Avery can come into her full powers, her mother shows back up and takes Avery, hoping to raise her away from magic.

Avery is not completely without magic. She possess the ability to read dreams and does this for the sailors without her mother knowing. Every day she plans her escape back to her grandmother to continue her training but then she has the dream. The dream that tells her she will be murdered. With the clock racing, Avery's determination to get back to her grandmother rises and she meets Tane, a tattooed harpoon boy from a whaler's ship docked in their port. Tane also possess magic and promises to help Avery if she helps him and reads his dreams.

This book was nothing as I expected. Avery was very determined but also a little blind. She saw what she wanted to see: a life stolen from her, a mother who didn't love her. Which was believable at her age, why would she question anything else? She was on a journey...one that included first love. Her romance with Tane didn't overpower the book. Instead, it burned slowly throughout. While they both were discovering their fates, they were also discovering each other. While they didn't have me swooning, I loved reading about their times together.

Kulper did a lot of research for this book. One of my favorite parts about this read was the author note at the end where she explained how she went about writing Salt & Storm. A delightful debut novel from Kulper and I look forward to reading more from her.

 

ARC Review: Falling Away (Fall Away #3) by Penelope Douglas

The blurb as seen on Goodreads:
Release Date: January 6, 2015
Publisher: NAL Trade
432 Pages

From the New Adult sensation and New York Times bestselling author of Rival

Jaxon is the guy she’s supposed to avoid. K.C. is the girl he won’t let get away....

K. C. Carter has always followed the rules—until this year, when a mistake leaves her the talk of her college campus and her carefully arranged life comes crashing to a halt. Now she’s stuck in her small hometown for the summer to complete her court-ordered community service, and to make matters worse, trouble is living right next door.

Jaxon Trent is the worst kind of temptation and exactly what K.C. was supposed to stay away from in high school. But he never forgot her. She was the one girl who wouldn’t give him the time of day and the only one to ever say no. Fate has brought K.C. back into his life—except what he thought was a great twist of luck turns out to be too close for comfort. As they grow closer, he discovers that convincing K.C. to get out from her mother’s shadow is hard, but revealing the darkest parts of his soul is nearly impossible.…

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I tend to pick up a lot of New Adult novels either at the second or third in the series. Luckily for me, most NA series can be read as individual books and still be understood. Falling Away was no different. Jaxon and K.C. have a history, not in the way that they have dated, but they went to high school together and they definitely noticed each other. 

Now it's after high school and K.C. has gotten into a bit of trouble. Forced to leave college and serve out her sentence in her hometown, she ends up running into the one boy she thought she had left behind. K.C. tries her hardest to stay away from Jaxon, but Jaxon won't stand for that. Having K.C. this close again is something he won't let slip away.

There were parts of this book that I liked and there were parts that rubbed me the wrong way. Douglas doesn't really touch on anything new in the NA genre, just follows pretty much the same formula of other authors. It's a predictable journey but it's what the author brings to the table that makes or breaks the book. In this case, I kind of stand in the middle. 

I enjoyed K.C.'s spunk. She knew her life was in a rut and she was trying to figure out how to change that. She also knew that Jaxon was probably the worst person for her, yet she couldn't ignore him or their attraction. What I didn't like about K.C. was how she hid behind who everyone thought she was. She came from a pretty messed up family situation (really messed up) and I guess I just wanted her to fight more for independence. And also that it wasn't so much a guy who made her see her worth.

Then there was Jaxon. A troubled kid with a temper. Typical bad boy with a heart, one who rarely shows emotions. Jaxon is now a king of sorts in the town K.C. left behind. Everyone knows him and everyone loves him, but he's hiding the demons of his past and with K.C. around, they just keep threatening to slip out. I honestly still cannot tell you if I liked or disliked Jaxon. But one thing I will say is, I didn't like how he handled his anger or how possessive he was. That is just not attractive.

The part of this story that I liked was the fighting for freedom from the past. Both characters had horrible back story's and I liked reading about them breaking through those walls. Unfortunately, I felt those scenes were too far and in between. They seemed to get weighed down by the heavy drama and the sex. Same goes with the chemistry between K.C. and Jaxon. I didn't feel it. Their attraction seemed to be strictly based on sex and that was all that happened anytime they were within five feet of each other. They were either fighting or having sex.

While this book maybe didn't rub me the right way, I did like Douglas's style of writing and am interested in reading the others in this series. Jaxon just wasn't my swoonworthy guy.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Blog Tour: Falling Away Countdown + Giveaway!

I am so excited to be a part of the FALLING AWAY countdown to release! The third in the Fall Away series that asks about the one that got away. What if you got another shot at an opportunity that you thought had passed you by long ago? 

FALLING AWAY (FALL AWAY #3)

by Penelope Douglas

The blurb as seen on Goodreads:
Release Date: January 6, 2014
Publisher: NAL Trade
432 Pages

Jaxon is the guy she’s supposed to avoid. K.C. is the girl he won’t let get away....

K. C. Carter has always followed the rules—until this year, when a mistake leaves her the talk of her college campus and her carefully arranged life comes crashing to a halt. Now she’s stuck in her small hometown for the summer to complete her court-ordered community service, and to make matters worse, trouble is living right next door.

Jaxon Trent is the worst kind of temptation and exactly what K.C. was supposed to stay away from in high school. But he never forgot her. She was the one girl who wouldn’t give him the time of day and the only one to ever say no. Fate has brought K.C. back into his life—except what he thought was a great twist of luck turns out to be too close for comfort. As they grow closer, he discovers that convincing K.C. to get out from her mother’s shadow is hard, but revealing the darkest parts of his soul is nearly impossible.…

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NAL is offering up 10 sets of FALLING AWAY and RIVAL to 10 lucky winners (2 books each). US residents only, sorry international folks. To enter, simply fill out the Rafflecopter below: 

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     As he made his way back through town, the only sound we could hear was the water on the streets being kicked up under the tires. He’d silenced the radio, we weren’t talking . . . and I felt as if he’d switched off.

     Everything had felt alive when he kissed me. His heart under my palm. His breath in my mouth. His hands roaming over my skin as if they were trying to memorize every inch of me.

     Now he was a bullet. Going from point A to point B without hesitation. 

     Until his flat tone finally filled the car. “Come home with me.” It wasn’t a question, and I couldn’t hear a trace of emotion.

     I turned to him, stunned. “Are you serious?” I asked. “I don’t think I’d be enough for you.”

    “Don’t do that,” he shot back. “Don’t ruin what happened between us. You were fire in my hands, and I want you to remember it, K.C.” 

     I could feel his eyes on me as I clasped the strap of Tate’s messenger bag sitting on the floor. 

     “Clothed, naked, I don’t care . . . ” He trailed off, sounding almost sad. “As long as your lips are on me again.

     I shifted in the seat, trying to buy myself time. What I wanted and what I should do were two different things. I’d fought that battle with Liam, my mother, and hell, the list went on. It was true when I told Jax that I wanted to be a mess. But I didn’t want to get hurt. 

     “Thanks for the lesson,” I said. “And the ride. But I’m not like you, Jax. I don’t just ignore the rules and take what I want.”

     “You don’t know me.” His tone turned defensive. “You know nothing about me.”

     “And what do you know about me?” I threw back. “Other than you wanted me to spread my legs in high school? You want to have fun with me and nothing more, Jax. Find someone else.”

     He jerked the steering wheel to the right, and I grabbed the door handle to keep from vaulting over to his side of the car as he sped up into his driveway. 

     My heart jumped into my throat, and I shot out my hand, grabbing the dash when he skidded to a quick halt in front of his garage. 

    “Jax, Jesus!” I scolded. 

     He shut off the car, yanked the parking brake up, and turned to look at me, leaning his forearm on the steering wheel. “You think I don’t know you?” he challenged.

     I pursed my lips. “Other than that I’m gutless and helpless, no.”

     He shook his head. “You want to travel. To unusual and dangerous places. You hid a binder full of National Geographic pages in your locker in high school because you didn’t want your mom to see all the pictures you’d torn out to keep track of the places you wanted to visit.”

     My jaw dropped slightly, and I widened my eyes. What?

     He continued. “You didn’t eat lunch for an entire month senior year, because you saw Stu Levi not eating and found out his single mom was out of work and couldn’t afford to put money on his lunch card. So you put your own money on it. Anonymously.”

     How did . . . ?

    “You love dark chocolate,” he kept going, “Ricky Gervais, and any movie with singing and dancing.” His voice filled the car, and my heartbeat was in my ears. “Except The Wizard of Oz, because the witch freaks you out, right? And you’ve collected almost an entire set of vintage Nancy Drew books. You had the most badges in your troop in Girl Scouts, and you had to quit swimming when you were fourteen because your mom said that your shoulders were getting too muscular and you wouldn’t look feminine. You loved swimming,” he added.

     I wrapped my arms around my stomach, the air turning cold. Tate and Liam didn’t even know all that.

     “I didn’t drool all over you in high school, K.C. I listened to you. I paid attention to you. What the hell do you know about me?”

     And he swung the car door open, climbed out, and slammed it shut, not waiting for an answer.

     I sat there, watching him walk into his house and close the door.

     Then the tears spilled over, and as much as I wanted to prove him wrong, I couldn’t go after him. He didn’t know that I’d watched him, too. He didn’t know that I’d paid attention as well.

     I always saw him.

     “Music centers you,” I whispered to an empty car, staring at his front door. “You listened to your iPod between classes and while you sat on the bleachers before school every morning.” I smiled, letting more tears run down my cheeks and thinking back to him and his black hoodies, looking so dark. “You love popcorn. Almost every kind and flavor but especially with Tabasco sauce,” I said, remembering the times he would come into the theater where I worked. “You hold the door open for women—students, teachers, and even old ladies coming out of Baskin-Robbins. You love movies about natural disasters, but they have to have some comedy in them. Your favorite one is Armageddon.” I swallowed and thought about how little I’d ever seen Jax truly smile. “And while you love computers, it’s not your passion,” I concluded. “You love being outdoors. You love having space.” My whole face hurt, the last words barely audible. “And you deserve someone who makes you happy. I’m just not that person.”

  ______________________________________________________________________________

So who wants more? Don't forget to come back tomorrow when I will be posting my review of FALLING AWAY!

Thank you to NAL Trade for letting me join the tour and providing both an excerpt and giveaway!