tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-73961557254663306102024-03-15T21:10:15.101-04:00 A Walk on Words Daniellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07740407765924725952noreply@blogger.comBlogger255125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7396155725466330610.post-18859978909877140202015-10-18T12:17:00.000-04:002015-10-18T12:17:19.543-04:00Review: Dark Triumph by Robin LaFevers<a href="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1346852168l/9943270.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Dark Triumph (His Fair Assassin, #2)" border="0" height="320" id="coverImage" src="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1346852168l/9943270.jpg" width="217" /></a><b id="docs-internal-guid-93c2ed99-7bbb-ed1f-c39b-c1becbd8fa95" style="font-weight: normal;"></b><br />
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<b id="docs-internal-guid-93c2ed99-7bbb-ed1f-c39b-c1becbd8fa95" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Dark Triumph (His Fair Assassin #2) by Robin LaFevers</span></b></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Steph’s Rating: 4 of 5 Stars</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Overall Rating: 4 of 5 Stars</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Format: eBook</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Publisher: Houghton Mifflin</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Publication Date: April 2nd, 2013</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Pages: 405</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Goodreads Synopsis:</span></div>
<br /><b id="docs-internal-guid-93c2ed99-7bbd-3dad-7b7d-a3232529df71" style="font-weight: normal;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.6285714285714286; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #181818; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">When Sybella arrived at the doorstep of St Mortain half mad with grief and despair the convent were only too happy to offer her refuge - but at a price. The sisters of this convent serve Death, and with Sybella naturally skilled in both the arts of death and seduction, she could become one of their most dangerous weapons.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #181818; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">But her assassin's skills are little comfort when the convent returns her to the life that nearly drove her mad. Her father's rage and brutality are terrifying, and her brother's love is equally monstrous. But when Sybella discovers an unexpected ally she discovers that a daughter of Death may find something other than vengeance to live for...</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Steph’s Review: *minor spoilers*</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Goodness gracious, you would never be able to predict anything about Dark Triumph from what you read in Grave Mercy! This book has utterly blown my mediocre expectations away and I can’t think of a single person who could outright detest this novel (and truly, you would be quite heartless if you did). Whereas Grave Mercy focuses more on introducing the politics and lore of the His Fair Assassin world, Dark Triumph shifts the series into a much more narrow emphasis: the intensely personal journey of Sybella D’Albret, a haunted handmaiden of Death we only caught a few glimpses of in Ismae’s story. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">With sudden new orders from the abbess of St. Mortain, Sybella is ripped from the scheming castle of her abominable father, Alain D’Albret. It is a blessing and a curse; she finally may leave the court that is slowly dragging her back into the abyss of insanity, yet she is also removed from the flexible position best poised to assassinate her father--the chance for sweet revenge that had driven her studies at the convent. Instead she is saddled with a near-impossible task: the rescue and safe escort of D’Albret’s prime prisoner and bartering token against Brittany’s Duchess Anne, the Beast de Waroch. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I saw the sudden spike in ratings for Dark Triumph but I will say that it is the latter third of this book that truly garners the stars. Starting since Grave Mercy, I think Robin LaFevers has a great knack for writing empathetic romance. The craze in a lot of YA books is to slap your female protagonist together with some handsome, broody, antihero of a male character in one swift woosh of love-at-first-sight. Even in lots of adult series with one novel per person, pairings feel like they were made for the sake of creating some “web of love” amongst related characters. One stunning element (and I consider it pretty sad that it’s not the norm) of Dark Triumph is the slow buildup of a seemingly unlikely romance that isn’t particularly physical but strongly founded on emotion and mutual dependence and understanding. It is timed perfectly in contrast to Sybella’s gradual rediscovery of purpose and passion, the steady emergence from the dark, stifling cage of past horrors, abuse, and lack of platonic love she faced in her earlier years. Her growing ability to love once more overrides and almost replaces her subconscious fears and the romance in this novel serves a true purpose to Sybella’s character development rather than just as mere fanservice. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We do spend quite a bit of the book in the dark with regards to the often-alluded to secrets that Sybella keeps. It seems frustrating at first since it seems like a stall for page time but once the shocking “big reveal” is made, this story comes full circle into an impactful epiphany that gives insight into Sybella’s character and how it is tragically intertwined with Beast’s (who may just be the cutest toad around, on a side note ;) ). Also, don’t fret about the action--if you thought Grave Mercy was action-packed, the danger racks up to even higher levels in Dark Triumph giving it a wonderful balance between Sybella’s internal struggle and the exterior precarious situation of Brittany and its young Duchess. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Dark Triumph is an astonishing addition to the His Fair Assassin Trilogy and it definitely is a motivation for me to continue to the final installment and Annith’s story, Mortal Heart. Let’s also remember to give praise to Robin LaFevers for actually rooting this story in real history while giving it a fictional twist. I wholeheartedly recommend this read and this series!</span></div>
</b><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10308541094335483704noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7396155725466330610.post-81533294694072488322015-04-08T11:00:00.000-04:002015-04-08T11:00:12.044-04:00Cover Reveal: Every Last Breath by Jennifer L. Armentrout...Surprise!<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">We are so excited to bring you the Cover Reveal for EVERY LAST BREATH, the hotly anticipated conclusion to the Dark Elements trilogy from #1 <i>New York Times</i> bestselling author Jennifer L. Armentrout!! EVERY LAST BREATH is a Young Adult Paranormal being <a href="http://www.harlequin.com/author.html;jsessionid=764E4A90D8EF202BA1CE7A062ABDAA28?authorid=2874" target="_blank">published by Harlequin Teen</a> and is a part of Jennifer L. Armentrout’s The Dark Elements Series. It is being released on July 28<sup>th</sup>, 2015. Pre-order EVERY LAST BREATH and then be sure to read the first books in this amazing series before its release!</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><b>Every Last Breath</b></span></span></h2>
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<a href="http://www.inkslingerpr.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Every-Last-Breath-Cover.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Every Last Breath - Cover" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-8344" src="http://www.inkslingerpr.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Every-Last-Breath-Cover.jpg" height="400" width="265" /></a></div>
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<b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Every-Last-Breath-Dark-Elements-ebook/dp/B00P5QJ212/ref=pd_sim_kstore_3?ie=UTF8&refRID=1FG79P4GAZGN1NKYS3KN" style="color: #743399;">Amazon</a> ** <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/every-last-breath-jennifer-l-armentrout/1120552292?ean=9780373211142" style="color: #743399;">Barnes and Noble</a> ** <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/every-last-breath/id937153007?mt=11" style="color: #743399;">iBooks</a> ** <a href="http://www.indiebound.org/book/9780373211142" style="color: #743399;">IndieBound</a> ** <a href="https://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/every-last-breath" style="color: #743399;">Kobo</a> ** <a href="http://www.booksamillion.com/p/Every-Last-Breath/Armentrout-Jennifer-L/Q215866096?id=6277733535862" style="color: #743399;">BAM</a></b></h4>
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<b>EVERY LAST BREATH Synopsis:</b>
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<i><b>Some loves will last 'til your dying breath</b> </i></div>
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<i>Every choice has consequences—but seventeen-year-old Layla faces tougher choices than most. Light or darkness. Wickedly sexy demon prince Roth, or Zayne, the gorgeous, protective Warden she never thought could be hers. Hardest of all, Layla has to decide which side of herself to trust.
Layla has a new problem, too. A Lilin—the deadliest of demons—has been unleashed, wreaking havoc on those around her…including her best friend. To keep Sam from a fate much, much worse than death, Layla must strike a deal with the enemy while saving her city—and her race—from destruction.
Torn between two worlds and two different boys, Layla has no certainties, least of all survival, especially when an old bargain comes back to haunt them all. But sometimes, when secrets are everywhere and the truth seems unknowable, you have to listen to your heart, pick a side—and then fight like hell…</i></div>
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<i><b>“Armentrout is a major talent…I just can’t stop reading!”</b>
<b>--New York Times bestselling author Gena Showalter</b>
<b>“Armentrout works her magic with swoon-worthy guys and a twist you never see coming.”</b>
<b>--#1 New York Times bestselling author Abbi Glines on White Hot Kiss</b></i></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">And we have a surprise for you! The first books in the series have been given a new look too!!</span></h3>
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Don't miss the previous titles in <i>The Dark Elements Series</i>-now with new covers! Readers interested in downloading the new cover jackets for their previously purchased Dark Elements Series titles, can download them <a href="https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/47813633/Armentrout_redesign%20printable%20files.zip" target="_blank">HERE</a>!</div>
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For best results when downloading the new cover jackets:</h3>
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<li style="text-align: center;">Print on 8.5x14" (Legal paper)</li>
<li style="text-align: center;">Use landscape or horizontal setting = 8.5" tall x 14" wide</li>
<li style="text-align: center;">Print at 100% scale or "actual size"</li>
<li style="text-align: center;">Print with the image centered on page</li>
<li style="text-align: center;">Fold and trim to fit</li>
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<b>White Hot Kiss </b></div>
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<a href="http://www.inkslingerpr.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/White-Hot-Kiss-New-Cover.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="White Hot Kiss - New Cover" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-8347" src="http://www.inkslingerpr.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/White-Hot-Kiss-New-Cover.jpg" height="400" width="260" /></a></div>
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<b style="color: black; font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0373211104/ref=s9_simh_gw_p14_d0_i1?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=13GYW1QMJSPB108J0YT5&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=1688200382&pf_rd_i=507846" style="color: #743399;">Amazon</a> ** <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/white-hot-kiss-jennifer-l-armentrout/1115476091?ean=9780373211104" style="color: #743399;">Barnes and Noble</a> ** <a href="http://www.booksamillion.com/p/White-Hot-Kiss/Armentrout-Jennifer-L/Q860263369?id=5935970666326" style="color: #743399;">BAM</a> ** <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewMultiRoom?cc=us&fcId=384439976" style="color: #743399;">iBooks</a> ** <a href="http://www.indiebound.org/book/9780373211104" style="color: #743399;">IndieBound</a> ** <a href="http://store.kobobooks.com/en-CA/ebook/white-hot-kiss" style="color: #743399;">Kobo</a> ** <a href="http://www.walmart.com/ip/26583752" style="color: #743399;">Walmart</a></b></div>
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<b style="color: black; font-weight: bold;">WHITE HOT KISS synopsis:</b>
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<i><b style="color: black; font-weight: bold;">One kiss could be the last.
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<i>Seventeen-year-old Layla just wants to be normal. But with a kiss that kills anything with a soul, she's anything but normal. Half demon, half gargoyle, Layla has abilities no one else possesses.
Raised among the Wardens—a race of gargoyles tasked with hunting demons and keeping humanity safe—Layla tries to fit in, but that means hiding her own dark side from those she loves the most. Especially Zayne, the swoon-worthy, incredibly gorgeous and completely off-limits Warden she's crushed on since forever.
Then she meets Roth—a tattooed, sinfully hot demon who claims to know all her secrets. Layla knows she should stay away, but she's not sure she wants to—especially when that whole no-kissing thing isn't an issue, considering Roth has no soul.
But when Layla discovers she's the reason for the violent demon uprising, trusting Roth could not only ruin her chances with Zayne…it could brand her a traitor to her family. Worse yet, it could become a one-way ticket to the end of the world. </i></div>
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<b>Stone Cold Touch</b><i> </i></div>
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<a href="http://www.inkslingerpr.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Stone-Cold-Touch-New-Cover.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Stone Cold Touch - New Cover" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-8348" src="http://www.inkslingerpr.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Stone-Cold-Touch-New-Cover.jpg" height="400" width="260" /></a></div>
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<b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Stone-Cold-Touch-Dark-Elements-ebook/dp/B00IPDVGKW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1394039840&sr=8-1&keywords=Stone+Cold+Touch+jennifer+l.+armentrout">Amazon</a> ** <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/stone-cold-touch/id837638889?mt=11">Barnes and Noble</a> ** <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/stone-cold-touch/id837638889?mt=11">iBooks</a> ** <a href="http://www.indiebound.org/book/9780373211340">IndieBound</a> ** <a href="http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/stone-cold-touch">Kobo</a> ** <a href="http://www.booksamillion.com/p/Stone-Cold-Touch/Armentrout-Jennifer-L/Q511381981?id=5940406721649">BAM</a></b></div>
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<b>STONE COLD TOUCH Synopsis:</b> </div>
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<i><b>Every touch has its price</b> </i></div>
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<i> Layla Shaw is trying to pick up the pieces of her shattered life—no easy task for a seventeen-year-old who’s pretty sure things can’t get worse. Her impossibly gorgeous best friend, Zayne, is forever off-limits thanks to the mysterious powers of her soul-stealing kiss. The Warden clan that has always protected her is suddenly keeping dangerous secrets. And she can barely think about Roth, the wickedly hot demon prince who understood her in ways no one else could.
But sometimes rock bottom is only the beginning. Because suddenly Layla’s powers begin to evolve, and she’s offered a tantalizing taste of what has always been forbidden. Then, when she least expects it, Roth returns, bringing news that could change her world forever. She’s finally getting what she always wanted, but with hell literally breaking loose and the body count adding up, the price may be higher than Layla is willing to pay…</i></div>
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<i> <b>"Constantly entertaining...the narrative sizzles with as much tension as romance."</b>
<b>—Kirkus Reviews on White Hot Kiss</b></i></div>
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<b>Bitter Sweet Love</b> </div>
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<a href="http://www.inkslingerpr.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Bitter-Sweet-Love-New-Cover.jpg"><img alt="Bitter Sweet Love - New Cover" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-8346" src="http://www.inkslingerpr.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Bitter-Sweet-Love-New-Cover.jpg" height="400" width="260" /></a></h2>
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<b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Bitter-Sweet-Love-Dark-Elements-ebook/dp/B00DPAFPQG/ref=pd_sim_kstore_4?ie=UTF8&refRID=0NXD8QYSQC8QSR07APQ4">Amazon</a> ** <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/bitter-sweet-love-jennifer-l-armentrout/1115885029?ean=9781460323670">Barnes and Noble</a> ** <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/bitter-sweet-love/id728976644?mt=11">iBooks</a> ** <a href="http://www.booksamillion.com/p/Bitter-Sweet-Love/Armentrout-Jennifer-L/Q53477197?id=6277733535862">BAM</a> ** <a href="https://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/bitter-sweet-love">Kobo</a></b></div>
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<b>BITTER SWEET LOVE Synopsis:</b> </div>
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<i> <b>In a sizzling prequel novella to her new series</b><b> The Dark Elements, #1 New York Times bestselling author Jennifer L. Armentrout draws readers into the extraordinary, irresistible world of Wardens and demons.</b></i></div>
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<i>Dez wasn't just Jasmine's crush. A gargoyle Warden like Jas, he helped her come to terms with her destiny—fending off demons and maintaining the balance between good and evil. He was her everything…right until the moment he disappeared without a trace. It didn't help that Jas's father had just announced that she and Dez would one day be mated. Hard not to take that personally.
And now he's back, three years older, ten times hotter, ready to pick up exactly where they left off. But Jas isn't taking that risk again. Dez has seven days to meet all her conditions and earn back her trust. Seven days filled with terrifying danger and sweet temptation. Seven days to win her heart—or shatter it all over again…
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<i><b>"With her signature flare for combining humor, romance and action, Armentrout weaves a fast-paced read that will have readers' hearts racing in more ways than one. Like Armentrout's previous heroines, Jasmine is fun and full of attitude, while Dez is as snarky as he is sexy. This is a must read for new and old fans alike!" -RT Book Reviews</b>
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<b>Jennifer L. Armentrout/J.Lynn Bio:</b><br />
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<a href="http://www.inkslingerpr.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Author-Photo3.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Author Photo" class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-8345" src="http://www.inkslingerpr.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Author-Photo3-200x300.jpg" height="300" width="200" /></a>#1 NEW YORK TIMES and USA TODAY Bestselling author Jennifer lives in Martinsburg, West Virginia. All the rumors you’ve heard about her state aren’t true. When she’s not hard at work writing. she spends her time reading, working out, watching really bad zombie movies, pretending to write, and hanging out with her husband and her Jack Russell Loki.
Her dreams of becoming an author started in algebra class, where she spent most of her time writing short stories….which explains her dismal grades in math. Jennifer writes young adult paranormal, science fiction, fantasy, and contemporary romance. She is published with Spencer Hill Press, Entangled Teen and Brazen, Disney/Hyperion and Harlequin Teen. Her book Obsidian has been optioned for a major motion picture and her Covenant Series has been optioned for TV.
She also writes adult and New Adult romance under the name J. Lynn. She is published by Entangled Brazen and HarperCollins. </div>
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<a href="http://www.jenniferarmentrout.com/">Website</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/jlarmentrout" target="_blank">Twitter</a> | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/JenniferLArmentrout" target="_blank">Facebook</a> | <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4476934.Jennifer_L_Armentrout" target="_blank">Jennifer L. Armentrout Goodreads</a> | <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17455817-every-last-breath?ac=1" target="_blank">EVERY LAST BREATH Goodreads</a> | <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17455815-stone-cold-touch?ac=1" target="_blank">STONE COLD TOUCH Goodreads</a> | <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17455585-white-hot-kiss?bf=500&from_search=true" target="_blank">WHITE HOT KISS Goodreads</a> | <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17455811-bitter-sweet-love?ac=1" target="_blank">BITTER SWEET LOVE Goodreads</a></div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10308541094335483704noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7396155725466330610.post-35665115109714994792015-03-18T16:18:00.004-04:002015-03-18T16:18:51.383-04:00Waiting On Wednesday (28): The Rose Society by Marie Lu<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #393939; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Waiting on Wednesday</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"> is a weekly bookish event hosted by <a href="http://breakingthespine.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Breaking the Spine</a>. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">This
is a meme that many book blogs participate in to goggle over highly
anticipated upcoming releases and fabulous covers and authors!</span></span></b></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #393939; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Admittedly, I was quite shocked by the ending of The Young Elites and it does give me a little hesitation on the rest of the series. By no means did I believe the first installment was bad, but I do feel it lives in the shadows of the Legend Series.</span></span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #393939; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"> So far </span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #393939; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">The Young Elites is presenting itself as a trilogy, and I'm looking at The Rose Society be a deciding factor in my rating of Marie Lu's second series. </span></span></div>
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<u><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #393939; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></b></u></div>
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<u><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #393939; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Goodreads Synopsis:</span></span></b></u></div>
<strong></strong><div style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1425733042l/23429332.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="The Rose Society (The Young Elites, #2)" border="0" height="320" id="coverImage" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1425733042l/23429332.jpg" width="217" /></a><span id="freeText6466077077332917424"><br /><em>Once upon a time, a girl had a father, a prince, a society of friends. Then they betrayed her, and she destroyed them all.<br /><br />
Adelina Amouteru’s heart has suffered at the hands of both family and
friends, turning her down the bitter path of revenge. Now known and
feared as the White Wolf, she and her sister flee Kenettra to find other
Young Elites in the hopes of building her own army of allies. Her goal:
to strike down the Inquisition Axis, the white-cloaked soldiers that
murdered her love, the Crown Prince Enzo Valenciano.<br /><br /> But Adelina
is no heroine. Her powers, fed only by fear and hate, have started to
grow beyond her control. She does not trust her newfound Elite friends.
Teren Santoro, leader of the Inquisition, wants her dead. And her former
friends, Raffaele and the Dagger Society, want to stop her thirst for
vengeance. Adelina struggles to cling to the good within her. But how
can someone be good, when her very existence depends on darkness?</em></span></div>
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<span id="freeText6466077077332917424">There were characters I came to know and love in The Young Elites, and by sound from the synopsis, I don't think we will be seeing as much of them as I would like. I hear a lot of room for a span of new characters, whom I feel reluctant yet excited to meet. The first book seemed dark enough; we have an almost anti-heroine protagonist who's qualities are fed even more by dark characteristics. The Rose Society? It sounds deeper than black. Can't wait to see what Marie Lu has in store for us next! The Rose Society is out October 6th, just in time for my birthday!</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10308541094335483704noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7396155725466330610.post-6582709446001391922015-02-28T19:26:00.001-05:002015-02-28T19:26:41.304-05:00Review: The Return by Jennifer L. Armentrout<div style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1412877995l/18809475.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The Return (Titan, #1)" border="0" height="320" id="coverImage" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1412877995l/18809475.jpg" width="213" /></a><b>The Return (Titan #1) by Jennifer L. Armentrout</b></div>
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<b>Steph's Rating: 4.5 Stars</b></div>
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<b>Overall Rating: 4.5 Stars</b></div>
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<b>Format: Paperback</b></div>
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<b>Publisher: Spencer Hill Press</b></div>
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<b>Publication Date: February 16th, 2015</b></div>
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<b>Pages: 335</b></div>
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<b>Goodreads Synopsis:</b></div>
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<i><span id="freeText16634533385037744889">The Fates are cackling their bony asses off…<br /><br />It’s
been a year since Seth made the deal with the gods that pledged his
life to them. And so far, the jobs they’ve given him have been violent
and bloody–which is kind of all right with him. But now Apollo has
something else in mind for Seth. He’s got to play protector while
keeping his hands and fingers off, and for someone who really has a
problem with restraint, this new assignment might be the most
challenging yet.<br /><br />Josie has no idea what this crazy hot guy’s deal
might be, but it’s a good bet that his arrival means the new life she
started after leaving home is about to be thrown into an Olympian-sized
blender turned up to puree. Either Josie is going insane or a nightmare
straight out of ancient myth is gunning for her.<br /><br />But it might be
the unlikely attraction simmering between her and the golden-eyed,
secret-keeping Seth that may prove to be the most dangerous thing of
all.<br /><br />Because history has once again been flipped to repeat.</span> </i><b></b></div>
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<b>Steph's Review:</b><br />
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Back in the days of the Covenant Series, I had a serious love-hate relationship with Seth. Or rather, I was pretty much his fan-club president in Pure and then the anti-Seth club president in all the books after. Our complicated pretty boy has once again made me swing to the other side of extremes and I have now renewed my membership for the Seth (albeit <i>transformed and changed</i> Seth) fan-club.</div>
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More than anything, Seth detests being a lackey to the gods: a servant at their beck and call. The only thing that keeps him in line is memories of the reason why he made this pact in the first place--that this is all penitence for his previously misguided actions that led to a downward spiral of events. This, however, becomes the least of his problems when the Titans released in the fight against Ares forgo the promises they made before the war and threaten to raze the Earth with their deadly powers. After gaining knowledge of the brewing battle, Apollo mysteriously orders Seth to make contact with Josie Bethel, a seemingly mediocre, mortal college student. Little does Seth know, his biggest problem might not be the gods nor the Titans even, but instead the human he has been ordered to protect. </div>
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Overall, I think The Return is a basic plot skeleton of a book, with a huge focus on character development to prep them for whatever Jen has in store for the rest of the series. Obviously, the character who undergoes the biggest alteration is Seth, and the reason for his change is none other than Josie herself. Up until this moment, we've only gotten a glimpse at the exterior layers of Seth's character (and he is so complicated that his layers are probably infinite anyways). He starts off broody and sardonic about his situation as we would expect him to be, but Josie helps him uncover and come to terms with the true heart of the problem that nags at him so much. She is his salvation, his reason for catharsis, and his only one true empathizer as an outsider with fresh eyes into his world. Despite the sudden shift in Josie's world from predictable everyday college life into one in which her head is targeted from every direction, she manages to keep a level head in both her own situation and still be able uncover a personality in Seth that I didn't ever think he'd be fully capable of. This is the kind of Seth I can get on board with. In fact, if it keeps going this way...I might just like him more than Aiden (please don't kill me). </div>
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Jen has definitely added twists into this book that complexes the Covenant world once again, and not in a bad way. It's a new story completely and reading the parent Covenant Series isn't necessary to understand this one, since Jen does give a great background on what you need to know. For those who have read Alex's story, these are all wonderful refreshers of part one told in a different, interesting perspective. At the same time, The Return makes me feel like Covenant never even ended and we were never separated. Old and recognizable faces make significant appearances in the story, and I loved seeing them so much, especially Deacon and Luke. I am wondering though, if Aiden and Alex will ever have cameo's in the series. Jen did say they were strictly not in The Return, but I have no idea if that applies to the rest of the series as well. The Return is a fantastic start to the Titan series (with no evil cliffy at that) and I can't wait to read installment two!</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10308541094335483704noreply@blogger.com27tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7396155725466330610.post-63093668354847339112015-02-21T12:13:00.000-05:002015-02-21T12:13:03.675-05:00Review: The Ruby Circle by Richelle Mead<div style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1409815340l/8709528.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The Ruby Circle (Bloodlines, #6)" border="0" src="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1409815340l/8709528.jpg" height="320" id="coverImage" width="212" /></a><b>The Ruby Circle (Bloodlines #6) by Richelle Mead</b></div>
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<b>Steph's Rating: 3.5 stars</b></div>
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<b>Overall Rating: 3.5 stars</b></div>
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<b>Format: E-book</b></div>
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<b>Publisher: Razorbill</b></div>
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<b>Publication Date: February 10th, 2015</b></div>
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<b>Pages: 348</b></div>
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<b>Goodreads Synopsis: </b></div>
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<i><span id="freeText6882651211847035390">Sydney Sage is an
Alchemist, one of a group of humans who dabble in magic and serve to
bridge the worlds of humans and vampires. They protect vampire
secrets—and human lives.<br /><br />After their secret romance is exposed,
Sydney and Adrian find themselves facing the wrath of both the
Alchemists and the Moroi in this electrifying conclusion to Richelle
Mead’s New York Times bestselling Bloodlines series. When the life of
someone they both love is put on the line, Sydney risks everything to
hunt down a deadly former nemesis. Meanwhile, Adrian becomes enmeshed
in a puzzle that could hold the key to a shocking secret about spirit
magic, a secret that could shake the entire Moroi world.</span></i></div>
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<span id="freeText6882651211847035390"><b>Steph's Review: *Minor Spoilers!*</b></span></div>
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<span id="freeText6882651211847035390">The Ruby Circle is a solid ending to the Bloodlines spin-off series. It was a bit shorter than I expected (in comparison to Vampire Academy's Last Sacrifice at least) but for the most part I think Richelle Mead did a pretty good job of wrapping up Adrian and Sydney's story. That being said, this received a 3.5 from me because I felt some parts were truly phenomenal, while other parts were either rushed or just fluffy additions to the book that wouldn't really have changed the outcome to the series. </span><br />
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<span id="freeText6882651211847035390">The whole center of this story revolves around finding Jill and the whole mouse chase that Adrian and Sydney are led on in order to solve the mystery of her kidnapping. The first few chapters were a bit of a slow start in my opinion, and I had a harder time getting into this book that the previous books in the series. This is largely the fluff of the story and to me it felt like it was a long drawl of things we already heard before: old, recurring problems (relationship problems and Adrian problems!) cast once more in the light again that could have been compressed to leave a bit more room for the engaging final climax and action that definitely can be dropped into the phenomenal bucket. Adrian's POV during this period was a bit on the infuriating side to read. Once you get past the slow start and our characters seem to get their acts together, The Ruby Circle flies off the page is pretty much everything we love about Richelle Mead. There was still a little fluff sprinkled around, but the twists and turns and suspense and shocks that are part of nearly every one of her books make their appearance here as well. </span><br />
<span id="freeText6882651211847035390"><b> </b></span><br />
<span id="freeText6882651211847035390">For those who have missed Rose and Dimitri from VA, the dashing couple take on a more significant role in this book than the previous five. And yes, we do finally get to know the shocker of Dimitri's parentage (fluff, but oh so interesting fluff). I missed their faces and I thought giving them a more prominent role in The Ruby Circle was a good idea on Mead's part because it gave a more satisfying conclusion to the entire VA world rather than only just Adrian and Sydney's chapter. Had it been solely the latter, I'm sure I would have felt like I was still dangling on a precipice, because I would be wondering what the other beloved characters were up to. And speaking of a satisfying ending...the most squeal-worthy portion of The Ruby Circle would definitely have to be that epilogue. Oh. My. Gosh. *winks*. </span><br />
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<span id="freeText6882651211847035390">With the sixth book of Bloodlines and the twelfth in the Vampire Academy World, it is time for me to sigh and close the cover on this series...for now. I felt like there were still several unanswered questions left hanging in the air about the intricacies Richelle created in The Ruby Circle that she could possibly turn into openings for another series. Whether she will act on those or not, I do not know, but I contently await her upcoming books! </span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10308541094335483704noreply@blogger.com169tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7396155725466330610.post-67097745020279657112015-02-16T12:04:00.005-05:002015-02-16T12:04:46.951-05:00Release Day: The Return (Titan Series #1) by Jennifer L. Armentrout<div style="text-align: justify;">
Yes, Happy Release Day! The Return quite literally marks the revamp of the Covenant Series, except this time our shining star of the show is none other than our Apollyon Seth (still a mysterious no last name... :)) I have a love-hate relationship with this boy thanks to all the antics he went through in the previous five books that put my emotions on a rollercoaster, but I will take what I can get if it means being able to say hello to the new and old of the Covenant World. And I mean, The Return is New Adult. New Adult and Seth. New Adult plus Seth equates to...*giggles*</div>
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<b>Goodreads Synopsis: </b></div>
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<a href="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1412877995l/18809475.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="The Return (Titan, #1)" border="0" height="320" id="coverImage" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1412877995l/18809475.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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<i><span id="freeText15066632844159419750">The Fates are cackling their bony asses off…<br /><br />It’s
been a year since Seth made the deal with the gods that pledged his
life to them. And so far, the jobs they’ve given him have been violent
and bloody–which is kind of all right with him. But now Apollo has
something else in mind for Seth. He’s got to play protector while
keeping his hands and fingers off, and for someone who really has a
problem with restraint, this new assignment might be the most
challenging yet.<br /><br />Josie has no idea what this crazy hot guy’s deal
might be, but it’s a good bet that his arrival means the new life she
started after leaving home is about to be thrown into an Olympian-sized
blender turned up to puree. Either Josie is going insane or a nightmare
straight out of ancient myth is gunning for her.<br /><br />But it might be
the unlikely attraction simmering between her and the golden-eyed,
secret-keeping Seth that may prove to be the most dangerous thing of
all.<br /><br />Because history has once again been flipped to repeat.<br /><br />Book 1 in the new adult paranormal TITAN series, spin-off to the best selling COVENANT series.</span> </i></div>
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<b>Goodreads Link</b>: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18809475-the-return">https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18809475-the-return</a><br />
<b>Amazon: </b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Return-A-Titan-Novel/dp/1939392624">http://www.amazon.com/The-Return-A-Titan-Novel/dp/1939392624</a><br />
<b>Barnes & Noble:</b> <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-return-jennifer-l-armentrout/1120667823?ean=9781939392626">http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-return-jennifer-l-armentrout/1120667823?ean=9781939392626</a><br />
<b>Books-A-Million: </b><a href="http://www.booksamillion.com/p/Return/Jennifer-L-Armentrout/9781939392626?id=6241058357508" target="_blank">http://www.booksamillion.com/p/Return/Jennifer-L-Armentrout/9781939392626?id=6241058357508 </a><br />
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A pre-order means you get a special Alex and Aiden bonus scene! All you have to do to receive that tidbit is fill out an online form proving your purchase <a href="http://a.pgtb.me/Tlj1tq" target="_blank">HERE</a>. The deadline to do so is February 18th, so if you haven't already jumped on the opportunity you have a few days to do so. </div>
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There is also a sampler of the first three chapters of The Return that can be viewed on Wattpad <a href="http://www.wattpad.com/102404167-the-return-chapter-1" target="_blank">HERE</a>. </div>
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Happy Reading! </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10308541094335483704noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7396155725466330610.post-42927398949383652382015-02-11T11:38:00.000-05:002015-02-11T11:42:58.497-05:00Waiting on Wednesday (27): A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #393939; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Waiting on Wednesday</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"> is a weekly bookish event hosted by <a href="http://breakingthespine.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Breaking the Spine</a>. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">This
is a meme that many book blogs participate in to goggle over highly
anticipated upcoming releases and fabulous covers and authors!</span></span></b><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #393939; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></b>
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #393939; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></b></div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #393939; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">So I am a HUGE fan of the ever well-written Throne of Glass Series, also by Sarah J. Maas. When </span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #393939; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">I learned about her next upcoming release, <i>A Court of Thorns and Roses, </i>I thought very little of it at the time because I was on the downward spiral from reading<i> Heir of Fire</i>, the third installment of our first lovely fantasy series. I did do a cover reveal for A Court of Thorns and Roses but thought nearly nothing about it afterwards. I don't think I should be blamed for that (as ToG fans will definitely understand), but I later felt idiotic when I learned more about this book and could not believe I didn't pay more attention to it <i>earlier. </i></span></span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #393939; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"></span></span></b></div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #393939; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #393939; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Goodreads Synops</span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #393939; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">is:</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1417961340l/16096824.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="A Court of Thorns and Roses (A Court of Thorns and Roses, #1)" border="0" src="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1417961340l/16096824.jpg" height="320" id="coverImage" width="208" /></a><i><br /><span id="freeText4911497991257556697"><strong>A thrilling, seductive new series from <em>New York Times</em> bestselling author Sarah J. Maas, blending <em>Beauty and the Beast</em> with faerie lore.</strong><br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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!</span></i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i><br /></i></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span id="freeText4911497991257556697">I will read anything Sarah J. Maas writes at this point, but after reading the synopsis initially, I thought it was going to be a lovey-dovey tale about a damsel-like girl with a severe case of Stockholm Syndrome.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span id="freeText4911497991257556697"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span id="freeText4911497991257556697">Until I read the sampler.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span id="freeText4911497991257556697"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span id="freeText4911497991257556697">A mere four chapters. A gift from the gods. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span id="freeText4911497991257556697"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span id="freeText4911497991257556697">I approached that sampler with an "Eh" feeling, and didn't think those chapters could be so pivotal in my pre-opinion of the book.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span id="freeText4911497991257556697"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span id="freeText4911497991257556697">They were. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span id="freeText4911497991257556697">Holy <i>everything</i>. If those were only the first four chapters (and if your read them you would understand they are almost like a "prologue" to what we are expecting next), then just on what scale of incredible, fantastical, and magnificent must the rest of the book be like? What is the rest of the series going to be like? Maybe it was because I wasn't expecting very much in the first place, but wow, did Maas deliver. Regardless, this book is going to be my hot topic for the next few months until release day in May, and probably a long while after. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span id="freeText4911497991257556697"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span id="freeText4911497991257556697">The eSampler of A Court of Thorns and Roses is available as a free Kindle ebook on Amazon that you can find here:</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/goog_224781864"><span id="freeText4911497991257556697"><br /></span></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/A-Court-Thorns-Roses-eSampler-ebook/dp/B00Q4POS9O"><span id="freeText4911497991257556697">http://www.amazon.com/A-Court-Thorns-Roses-eSampler-ebook/dp/B00Q4POS9O</span></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span id="freeText4911497991257556697"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span id="freeText4911497991257556697">I would tell you to read it if you think you can handle the raise of suspense for May 5th, 2015.</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10308541094335483704noreply@blogger.com94tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7396155725466330610.post-84338098869405849542015-02-10T16:28:00.002-05:002015-02-10T16:30:54.479-05:00Release Day: The Ruby Circle by Richelle Mead<div style="text-align: justify;">
A Happy Release Day to The Ruby Circle by Richelle Mead, thus ending our current stories in the VA World! Of course, we have no idea is RM has anything planned for the future using this setting, so we must cross our fingers and simply hope. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
I quickly got myself an ebook of TRC this morning, but no I have not gotten the chance to sit down and crack the cover open quite yet unfortunately. On one angle I have absolutely no desire to read this book yet because it spells a faster end to something perfectly good. On the other angle, I want to claw my way through the pieces of this book without savoring, as if I'd die without immediately turning the next page. We'll see how that feeling develops for the next day as I find my window of opportunity to sit down nice and quiet with the ebook in my lap. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1409815340l/8709528.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The Ruby Circle (Bloodlines, #6)" border="0" src="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1409815340l/8709528.jpg" height="400" id="coverImage" width="265" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b>Goodreads Synopsis:</b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<i><span id="freeText10799148202334831780"><b>The epic conclusion to Richelle Mead's New York Times bestselling Bloodlines series is finally here...</b><br /><br />Sydney
Sage is an Alchemist, one of a group of humans who dabble in magic and
serve to bridge the worlds of humans and vampires. They protect vampire
secrets—and human lives.<br /><br />After their secret romance is exposed,
Sydney and Adrian find themselves facing the wrath of both the
Alchemists and the Moroi in this electrifying conclusion to Richelle
Mead’s New York Times bestselling Bloodlines series. When the life of
someone they both love is put on the line, Sydney risks everything to
hunt down a deadly former nemesis. Meanwhile, Adrian becomes enmeshed
in a puzzle that could hold the key to a shocking secret about spirit
magic, a secret that could shake the entire Moroi world.</span></i></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span id="freeText10799148202334831780">Links:</span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span id="freeText10799148202334831780"><b>Goodreads: </b><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8709528-the-ruby-circle">http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8709528-the-ruby-circle</a></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span id="freeText10799148202334831780">Amazon:</span></b><span id="freeText10799148202334831780"> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Ruby-Circle-Bloodlines-Novel/dp/159514322X">http://www.amazon.com/The-Ruby-Circle-Bloodlines-Novel/dp/159514322X</a></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span id="freeText10799148202334831780"><b>Barnes & Noble</b>: <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-ruby-circle-richelle-mead/1119671499?ean=9781595143228" target="_blank">http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-ruby-circle-richelle-mead/1119671499?ean=9781595143228 </a></span><i><span id="freeText10799148202334831780"> </span></i></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i><span id="freeText10799148202334831780"><br /></span></i></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span id="freeText10799148202334831780">Razorbill has also released the first five chapters as samplers for The Ruby Circle as near-publication incentive. You can view these chapters for free here, and also enter in a contest to win a trip to see Richelle Mead in Dallas, TX and receive an advanced reading copy of her upcoming Fall 2015 novel, <i>Soundless</i>!:</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span id="freeText10799148202334831780"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.therubycircle.com/"><span id="freeText10799148202334831780">http://www.therubycircle.com/</span></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span id="freeText10799148202334831780"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span id="freeText10799148202334831780">Happy Reading to all!</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10308541094335483704noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7396155725466330610.post-18304225594072076892015-01-28T17:28:00.002-05:002015-01-28T17:28:15.319-05:00Waiting On Wednesday (26): The Ruby Circle by Richelle Mead<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #393939; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Waiting on Wednesday</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"> is a weekly bookish event hosted by <a href="http://breakingthespine.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Breaking the Spine</a>. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">This
is a meme that many book blogs participate in to goggle over highly
anticipated upcoming releases and fabulous covers and authors!</span></span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #393939; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #393939; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">I surprise myself when I say I am actually not obsessive over The Ruby Circle's release date. Without a doubt, I do want to read it, but I don't feel that sense of hurry or immediacy to do so that I feel like I have with other releases this year. Perhaps it is because I see the Bloodlines series as a mirror of Vampire Academy, and since I've re-read the latter series so many times, I've ruined part of my excitement for The Ruby Circle. </span></span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #393939; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Perhaps I need a good series read-over to get<b> </b></span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #393939; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">pumped again.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #393939; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #393939; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1409815340l/8709528.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="The Ruby Circle (Bloodlines, #6)" border="0" height="320" id="coverImage" src="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1409815340l/8709528.jpg" width="212" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #393939; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Goodreads Synopsis:</b></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #393939; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><b> </b></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #393939; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><i><span id="freeText4751862766636007817">Sydney Sage is an
Alchemist, one of a group of humans who dabble in magic and serve to
bridge the worlds of humans and vampires. They protect vampire
secrets—and human lives.<br /><br />After their secret romance is exposed,
Sydney and Adrian find themselves facing the wrath of both the
Alchemists and the Moroi in this electrifying conclusion to Richelle
Mead’s New York Times bestselling Bloodlines series. When the life of
someone they both love is put on the line, Sydney risks everything to
hunt down a deadly former nemesis. Meanwhile, Adrian becomes enmeshed
in a puzzle that could hold the key to a shocking secret about spirit
magic, a secret that could shake the entire Moroi world.</span> </i></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #393939; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><i> </i></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #393939; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><i> </i></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #393939; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">I probably joined the fandom of the Vampire Academy around Spirit Bound's release. Mead certainly has taken her creation far with the twelve novels the world will have after TRC, and I will most certainly be sad to see the series end without a concrete promise for the future. Mead has stated before that she considered writing more books set in the VA world, but as of yet we have no conclusive answer for that.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #393939; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #393939; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Can't wait for The Ruby Circle, coming February 10th!</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #393939; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #393939; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Steph </span></span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #393939; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"></span></span></b></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10308541094335483704noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7396155725466330610.post-67679240800557388282015-01-20T16:58:00.001-05:002015-01-20T16:58:21.553-05:00Release Day: Burned (Fever Series #7) by Karen Marie Moning<div style="text-align: justify;">
Here is to the surreal moment when, after the slight bout of waiting's misery, Burned by Karen Marie Moning is in the world for the public taking. Here is to the small eternity that Fever fans endured, only to find themselves emerging from the end of a long, dark, and damp tunnel to find the glorious reward that awaits them. Perhaps like the Unseelie King, fans feel that the constant vigil on the countdown for what feels like a millennia, is but a small price to pay for the eternity we receive in return--that is--the forevermore existence of Burned in our minds. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
I won't be sleeping much this week. I will be stalking my poor postman. I won't be writing those papers with a ticking time limit until the absolute deadline. Reading this highly anticipated novel will be my sole focus (perhaps unfortunately for the rest of the world), until my eyes glide off the last word and page to only glaze over and voraciously await the next installment. I have no qualms with this book. KMM made us wait, but I believe she will deliver. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1407503200l/12444297.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Burned (Fever, #7)" border="0" height="320" id="coverImage" src="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1407503200l/12444297.jpg" width="210" /></a><b><span id="freeText14753072330805721910">Goodreads Synopsis: </span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span id="freeText14753072330805721910"> </span><i><span id="freeText14753072330805721910"> </span></i></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<i><span id="freeText14753072330805721910">It’s easy to walk away from lies. Power is another thing.<br /><br />MacKayla
Lane would do anything to save the home she loves. A gifted sidhe-seer,
she’s already fought and defeated the deadly Sinsar Dubh—an ancient
book of terrible evil—yet its hold on her has never been stronger.<br /><br />When
the wall that protected humans from the seductive, insatiable Fae was
destroyed on Halloween, long-imprisoned immortals ravaged the planet.
Now Dublin is a war zone with factions battling for control. As the city
heats up and the ice left by the Hoar Frost King melts, tempers flare,
passions run red-hot, and dangerous lines get crossed. <br /><br />Seelie
and Unseelie vie for power against nine ancient immortals who have
governed Dublin for millennia; a rival band of sidhe-seers invades the
city, determined to claim it for their own; Mac’s former protégé and
best friend, Dani “Mega” O’Malley, is now her fierce enemy; and even
more urgent, Highland druid Christian MacKeltar has been captured by the
Crimson Hag and is being driven deeper into Unseelie madness with each
passing day. The only one Mac can depend on is the powerful, dangerous
immortal Jericho Barrons, but even their fiery bond is tested by
betrayal.<br /><br />It’s a world where staying alive is a constant
struggle, the line between good and evil gets blurred, and every
alliance comes at a price. In an epic battle against dark forces, Mac
must decide who she can trust, and what her survival is ultimately
worth.</span></i></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span id="freeText14753072330805721910">For those who haven't picked up a Fever book, here is my recurring ode that pleas you to do so. My next post may be a review of this; a torrential outpour </span><span id="freeText14753072330805721910">of my jumbled feelings. Perhaps it will take me weeks to process instead. As soon as my pre-order arrives, I will be diving into my reading retreat. This is an absolute must-read!</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span id="freeText14753072330805721910">Steph </span><i><span id="freeText14753072330805721910"></span> </i></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10308541094335483704noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7396155725466330610.post-12114947704757193852015-01-14T17:23:00.004-05:002015-01-14T17:23:56.026-05:00Waiting on Wednesday (25): The Return by Jennifer L. Armentrout<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #393939; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Waiting on Wednesday</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"> is a weekly bookish event hosted by <a href="http://breakingthespine.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Breaking the Spine</a>. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">This
is a meme that many book blogs participate in to goggle over highly
anticipated upcoming releases and fabulous covers and authors!</span></span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #393939; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #393939; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Haven't done a </span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #393939; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">WoW in a while, but I am literally sitting on my fingers just waiting for this book to come out. I haven't been able to immerse myself in any new series simply because I'm dying for The Return (well, this and Burned by Karen Marie Moning) so badly to console my chronic Post-Covenant Stress Disorder.</span></span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #393939; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #393939; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">I was ecstatic to hear that Jen was going to write a spin-off over lovely Seth...but I can't believe we're finally rolling around to its release day! </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #393939; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #393939; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Goodreads Synopsis:</b></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #393939; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><b> </b></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1412877995l/18809475.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="The Return (Titan, #1)" border="0" height="320" id="coverImage" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1412877995l/18809475.jpg" width="213" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #393939; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><i><span id="freeText13275344680748058339">The Fates are cackling their bony asses off…<br /><br />It’s
been a year since Seth made the deal with the gods that pledged his
life to them. And so far, the jobs they’ve given him have been violent
and bloody–which is kind of all right with him. But now Apollo has
something else in mind for Seth. He’s got to play protector while
keeping his hands and fingers off, and for someone who really has a
problem with restraint, this new assignment might be the most
challenging yet.<br /><br />Josie has no idea what this crazy hot guy’s deal
might be, but it’s a good bet that his arrival means the new life she
started after leaving home is about to be thrown into an Olympian-sized
blender turned up to puree. Either Josie is going insane or a nightmare
straight out of ancient myth is gunning for her.<br /><br />But it might be
the unlikely attraction simmering between her and the golden-eyed,
secret-keeping Seth that may prove to be the most dangerous thing of
all.<br /><br />Because history has once again been flipped to repeat.</span></i></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #393939; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><i><span id="freeText13275344680748058339"> </span></i></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #393939; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><i><span id="freeText13275344680748058339"> </span></i><b> </b></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #393939; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">*Sighs*. I don't know how exactly I'm going to carry this book in public with that slightly misleading cover, but I also don't think I have the constitution to wait until the afternoon everyday to crack the cover. In fact, I'll probably be snuggling in a corner with this book every free waking moment I have no matter my location. </span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #393939; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #393939; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">The early review's of this have been stellar, and I expect no less than the ingenuity and humor that was part of the Covenant Series. I really didn't like Seth until the end of Sentinel, but I am entirely eager to get any dosage of this spin-off medicine. The new Titan Series is going to be New Adult, perhaps meaning steamy times ahead with Seth?</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #393939; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #393939; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Jen posted that those who pre-order The Return--which of course I have--will get a special Alex and Aiden Bonus Scene (This is necessary.) after the release of the book. We've got a few more weeks to go, and thus a few more weeks to snag that little incentive chapter before it is too late! The Return is out on February 17th, a fitting few days after Valentine's Day. Can't wait!</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #393939; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Steph</span></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10308541094335483704noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7396155725466330610.post-77903357616957825392014-11-28T18:23:00.000-05:002014-11-28T18:23:17.244-05:00Review: Stone Cold Touch by Jennifer L. Armentrout<div style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1394121148l/20821525.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Stone Cold Touch (The Dark Elements, #2)" border="0" height="320" id="coverImage" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1394121148l/20821525.jpg" width="208" /></a><b>Stone Cold Touch (The Dark Elements #2) by Jennifer L. Armentrout</b></div>
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<b>Steph's Rating: 4 stars</b></div>
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<b>Overall: 4 stars</b></div>
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<b>Format: Paperback</b></div>
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<b>Publisher: Harlequin Teen</b></div>
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<b>Publication Date: October 21st 2014</b></div>
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<b>Pages: 446</b></div>
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<b>Goodreads Synopsis:</b></div>
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<i>Every touch has its price...</i></div>
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<i><span class="elementTwo" id="freeText6817394313179230514">Layla
Shaw is trying to pick up the pieces of her shattered life—no easy task
for a seventeen-year-old who’s pretty sure things can’t get worse. Her
impossibly gorgeous best friend, Zayne, is forever off-limits thanks to
the mysterious powers of her soul-stealing kiss. The Warden clan that
has always protected her is suddenly keeping dangerous secrets. And she
can barely think about Roth, the wickedly hot demon prince who
understood her in ways no one else could.<br /><br />But sometimes rock
bottom is only the beginning. Because suddenly Layla’s powers begin to
evolve, and she’s offered a tantalizing taste of what has always been
forbidden. Then, when she least expects it, Roth returns, bringing news
that could change her world forever. She’s finally getting what she
always wanted, but with hell literally breaking loose and the body count
adding up, the price may be higher than Layla is willing to pay…</span></i></div>
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<b>Review: </b></div>
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Looking through my blog, you would realize that I am a die-hard fan and addict of Jennifer L. Armentrout. I think I've given pretty much every single book she's written a happy five out of five stars and then go on to make run-on sentences about why you must read her books. I was actually tempted to give this book a 3-3.5 stars, but my more-than-slight bias to JLA might have effected that rating...Okay, so I didn't give her a perfect score this time, but Stone Cold Touch is still undoubtedly an excellent time-passer that might keep you up a little while to finish. </div>
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The biggest reason why I felt like this wasn't a round 5 was because this book seemed like an intermission. It's a perfectly lengthy book (longer than book one, I believe), but I felt like there was lots of fluff for the purpose of pure fanservice rather than content that tied to the plot more. I'm not complaining about fanservice necessarily, since it <i>was </i>interesting to read *wink*, but we don't really learn anything more about Lilith, the Lilin, and how Layla's heritage affects her abilities. There were only a small number of major points I think JLA really wanted to hit with this book, and while achieved, overall I thought Stone Cold Touch was stalling for time and trying to draw out the suspense. </div>
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Some of said "fluff" is devoted towards gearing up the love triangle subplot between Layla, Zayne, and Roth. I thought it was relatively well written out, but it did feel like a ping-pong match at times between Zayne and Roth since the scenes with Layla just kept on jumping back and forth between the two guys. I've been reading around, and I do see that lots of people have been jumping ship to Team Zayne. For what reason? I myself, do not know. To me, Zayne seemed like an entirely different character from the one we got to know in the first book. Yes, he's known Layla for a lot longer than Roth has, but I don't think that is enough of a reason for him to be her significant other. I saw him mostly as an annoying fly buzzing in a growing relationship between Layla and Roth, and while he was sweet throughout the book, I just don't get as good as a vibe from him. (P.S. Roth is just a darling.)</div>
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The big build-up point of this book, of course, was the end. As in the last chapter. Or how about the Very. Last. Page. I actually saw the ending coming a few chapters before, but it's still a killer even when you expect it. The series is only going to be a trilogy, but I think it's safe to say that the end of STC is where the turning point of the story is, and I'm very excited to where Jenn is going to lead this to. Right now though, I see too many unanswered questions and I'm a little worried that the last book is going to end up a bit rushed to fit in all the last minute content. Despite this, I still think this ending is going to be explosive. JLA has once again proven herself to be the queen of throwing wrenches into her stories at the most inopportune times for her readers. The wait for Every Last Breath is going to be excruciatingly difficult, but I cannot wait to see how Layla's story will end!</div>
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<br />
Steph<br />
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10308541094335483704noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7396155725466330610.post-71801128379412894042014-10-25T15:02:00.002-04:002014-10-25T15:02:58.164-04:00A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas Cover!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I never found out if there was an actual "cover reveal" for A Court of Thorns and Roses for blogs, but nonetheless, I ended up finding an interview with SJ Maas and the cover for this book on USA Today! I am a super-fan of her books, so I am eagerly awaiting her next fantasy series! She says it incorporates a mash-up of lots of fairy tails, including Beauty and the Beast. Here is the cover and synopsis, the link to her interview/the original post is below:<br />
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<a href="http://www.gannett-cdn.com/-mm-/216c7700c1d40915f6a75a2539ee1a2026c8a46f/c=356-574-2749-3765&r=537&c=0-0-534-712/local/-/media/USATODAY/None/2014/10/22/635495882187059284-A-Court-of-Thorns-and-Roses.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="635495882187059284-A-Court-of-Thorns-and-Roses" border="0" class="expand-img-vertical" data-mycapture-src="http://www.gannett-cdn.com/media/USATODAY/None/2014/10/22/635495882187059284-A-Court-of-Thorns-and-Roses.jpg" src="http://www.gannett-cdn.com/-mm-/216c7700c1d40915f6a75a2539ee1a2026c8a46f/c=356-574-2749-3765&r=537&c=0-0-534-712/local/-/media/USATODAY/None/2014/10/22/635495882187059284-A-Court-of-Thorns-and-Roses.jpg" height="640" itemprop="url" width="480" /></a></div>
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<b>Synopsis:</b></div>
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<i>When 19-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. </i></div>
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<i> 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 over the faerie lands is growing, and Feyre must
find a way to stop it ... or doom Tamlin—and his world—forever. </i></div>
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<i> Perfect for fans of Kristen Cashore and George R.R. Martin, this first book in a sexy and action-packed new series is impossible to put down!</i><br />
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Um. Kristen Cashore? Geroge R.R. Martin? Yes, please, and thank you! It seems she's carrying on her Fae theme that is present in the Throne of Glass series, but is making it a more central part of the story. Personally, I like how the cover is eerie and wicked looking, but I wish the girl on the cover wasn't so cartooned-looking. It's pretty much the same sentiment as her first series: I think her books can be geared towards older teens and adults too and the covers downplay the seriousness that is actually present in the books.<br />
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<i> </i></div>
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Can't wait for this next year--hopefully it'll help pass the time for the next ToG book as well :)</div>
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<b>Original Post with Interview:</b></div>
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<a href="http://www.usatoday.com/story/happyeverafter/2014/10/24/sarah-j-maas-interview-court-of-thorns-and-roses-cover-reveal/17728463/" target="_blank">http://www.usatoday.com/story/happyeverafter/2014/10/24/sarah-j-maas-interview-court-of-thorns-and-roses-cover-reveal/17728463/<b> </b></a><i><a href="http://www.usatoday.com/story/happyeverafter/2014/10/24/sarah-j-maas-interview-court-of-thorns-and-roses-cover-reveal/17728463/" target="_blank"> </a></i></div>
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Steph</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10308541094335483704noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7396155725466330610.post-26138848399134483322014-10-21T16:27:00.003-04:002014-10-21T16:27:58.132-04:00Release Day: Stone Cold Touch by Jennifer L. Armentrout<div style="text-align: justify;">
Happy Release Day to Stone Cold Touch by Jennifer L. Armentrout! It's no secret Dani and I are extremo fans of her--and this book is definitely one of the books we have been looking forward to the most this year. I can't wait to get some more......Bambi....! I'm ecstatic to get started on this book (AHEM Amazon--whenever your delivery package decides to turn around, preferably in the next ten minutes...), yet at the same time, it's sad to know that after STC, the only book left in this trilogy is Every Last Kiss.</div>
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Regardless, can't wait to get started!</div>
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Here's some Stone Cold Touch quick info:</div>
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<b>Stone Cold Touch by Jennifer L. Armentrout</b></div>
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<a href="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1394110942l/17455815.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Stone Cold Touch (The Dark Elements, #2)" border="0" height="320" id="coverImage" src="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1394110942l/17455815.jpg" width="208" /></a><b></b><b><span id="freeText880393412642289520"><strong>Synopsis: </strong></span></b></div>
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<i><span id="freeText880393412642289520">Every touch has its price</span><span id="freeText880393412642289520"><br /><br />Layla
Shaw is trying to pick up the pieces of her shattered life—no easy task
for a seventeen-year-old who’s pretty sure things can’t get worse. Her
impossibly gorgeous best friend, Zayne, is forever off-limits thanks to
the mysterious powers of her soul-stealing kiss. The Warden clan that
has always protected her is suddenly keeping dangerous secrets. And she
can barely think about Roth, the wickedly hot demon prince who
understood her in ways no one else could.<br /><br />But sometimes rock
bottom is only the beginning. Because suddenly Layla’s powers begin to
evolve, and she’s offered a tantalizing taste of what has always been
forbidden. Then, when she least expects it, Roth returns, bringing news
that could change her world forever. She’s finally getting what she
always wanted, </span></i><i><span id="freeText880393412642289520">but with hell literally breaking loose and the body count
adding up, the price may be higher than Layla is willing to pay…</span></i></div>
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<span id="freeText880393412642289520"><b>Goodreads: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17455815-stone-cold-touch">http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17455815-stone-cold-touch</a></b></span></div>
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=7396155725466330610" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=7396155725466330610" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><span id="freeText880393412642289520"><b>Amazon:<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Stone-Cold-Touch-Dark-Elements/dp/0373211341/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1413923125&sr=8-1&keywords=stone+cold+touch" target="_blank">http://www.amazon.com/Stone-Cold-Touch-Dark-Elements/dp/0373211341/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1413923125&sr=8-1&keywords=stone+cold+touch </a></b></span></div>
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<span id="freeText880393412642289520"><b>B&N:<a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/stone-cold-touch-jennifer-l-armentrout/1118656141?ean=9780373211340http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/stone-cold-touch-jennifer-l-armentrout/1118656141?ean=9780373211340" target="_blank">http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/stone-cold-touch-jennifer-l-armentrout/1118656141?ean=9780373211340</a></b></span></div>
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<span id="freeText880393412642289520"><b>About Jennifer L. Armentrout: </b></span><i><span id="freeText880393412642289520"> </span></i></div>
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<a href="http://www.frickngenius.com/jenniferarmentrout/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/Author-photo-200x300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-36" height="300" src="http://www.frickngenius.com/jenniferarmentrout/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/Author-photo-200x300.jpg" title="Author photo" width="200" /></a><i><span id="freeText880393412642289520"> </span></i></div>
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<i><span id="freeText880393412642289520"># 1 New York Times and International Bestselling author Jennifer
lives in Martinsburg, West Virginia. All the rumors you’ve heard about
her state aren’t true. When she’s not hard at work writing. she spends
her time reading, watching really bad zombie movies, pretending to
write, and hanging out with her husband and her Jack Russell Loki.</span></i></div>
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<i>Her dreams of becoming an author started in algebra class, where she
spent most of her time writing short stories….which explains her dismal
grades in math. Jennifer writes young adult paranormal, science fiction,
fantasy, and contemporary romance. She is published with Spencer Hill
Press, Entangled Teen and Brazen, Disney/Hyperion and Harlequin Teen.
Her book Obsidian has been optioned for a major motion picture and her
Covenant Series has been optioned for TV. Her young adult romantic
suspense novel DON’T LOOK BACK was a 2014 nominated Best in Young Adult
Fiction by YALSA.</i><br />
<br />
<i>
</i><i>She also writes Adult and New Adult contemporary and paranormal
romance under the name J. Lynn. She is published by Entangled Brazen and
HarperCollins.</i><br />
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<i><span id="freeText880393412642289520"> </span></i><b> </b></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10308541094335483704noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7396155725466330610.post-27686735163058113862014-10-09T17:45:00.001-04:002014-10-09T17:47:48.094-04:00Review: The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls<div style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1400930557l/7445.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The Glass Castle" border="0" height="320" id="coverImage" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1400930557l/7445.jpg" width="202" /></a><b>The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls</b></div>
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<b>Steph's Rating: 5 stars</b></div>
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<b>Overall Rating: 5 stars</b></div>
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<b>Format: Paperback</b></div>
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<b>Publisher: Scribner </b></div>
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<b>Publication Date: January 17th, 2006 </b></div>
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<b>Pages: 288</b></div>
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<b>Goodreads Synopsis:</b></div>
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<i><span id="freeText7855005628870306626"><i>The Glass Castle</i>
is a remarkable memoir of resilience and redemption, and a revelatory
look into a family at once deeply dysfunctional and uniquely vibrant.
When sober, Jeannette's brilliant and charismatic father captured his
children's imagination, teaching them physics, geology, and how to
embrace life fearlessly. But when he drank, he was dishonest and
destructive. Her mother was a free spirit who abhorred the idea of
domesticity and didn't want the responsibility of raising a family.<br /><br />The
Walls children learned to take care of themselves. They fed, clothed,
and protected one another, and eventually found their way to New York.
Their parents followed them, choosing to be homeless even as their
children prospered.<br /><br /><i>The Glass Castle</i> is truly astonishing--a memoir permeated by the intense love of a peculiar but loyal family.</span></i><b> </b></div>
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<b>Steph's Review: </b></div>
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I believe this is the first time I've ever reviewed a nonfiction book on this blog. We don't even accept review requests that are nonfiction book, but after reading The Glass Castle, I'm debating changing that<b> </b>to not accepting nonfiction <i>except </i>memoirs. </div>
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If this book were fiction, I don't think it would've been as big of a hit as it was. The writing is phenomenal, but if this were only crafted out of sheer imagination, I don't think I would be able to say it was a particularly notable work.</div>
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But that's the problem. This book is <i>real--</i>a memoir that recounts events in Jeannette Walls's tumultuous childhood and includes both the bad and the good. I read this and I could not believe that anyone could have such an eventful life in so little time, how children so young in numbers were mature beyond even those who had lived a lifetime. The nomadic lifestyle, the questionable schooling, the financial state--or rather, lack of thereof, the safety issues, the bullying, the hunger, the simple joys, the successes the children have even though they faced this in their entire childhood. It definitely fits the, "Perspective, get some", quote. Every single chapter of her life--and there are many, many short and powerful chapters--is a completely different adventure to tell. It seems that the Walls's family has suffered every kind of hardship, but have also found happiness in ways the average person would never experience.</div>
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No matter how well she writes this book, I don't think anyone will truly understand Walls's life except her own family. On the surface, it seems just like a story about a highly dysfunctional family who happens to do everything opposite of what conventional mainstream society says to do. It's a feat to do such a thing, but at the same time, Wall's reveals to us that nothing was as simple as it seemed. Her two parents are both free and nomadic souls and also seem to have no idea what family is yet at the same time, understand what family is more than anyone else. I don't know if it was Walls's intention to paint an ugly picture of her parents (although I hated both her mother and father by the end), but that was what I felt was expressed through her words.</div>
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Her father, Rex, is book-smart and cheeky. He has his moments of brilliance and an undying dream of building The Glass Castle for his family to live in. Fine. Rex Walls's is also an alcoholic, has no idea what street-smarts are, and has absolutely no clue how to take care of his family. Her mother, Mary, doesn't <i>want </i>the responsibility to take care of a family despite having four children. She's selfish, whines, and is more childish than any of her kids. The young siblings have to learn how to fend for themselves and stand on their own two feet. They have to figure out to swim before it's too late.</div>
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Even with this not-present parenting, this family always stuck together throughout the odds. Even when the family fought. when the children were unhappy, they always ended up back together until the tipping point. This story was stupendous--a look into a life that you would not expect when looking at someone for the first time in the face. Inevitably, this memoir is a life-changer. It sends a message to readers that people might have experiences that we could never imagine: quite frankly, to never judge a book by its cover. </div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10308541094335483704noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7396155725466330610.post-15546177277120734342014-10-04T16:55:00.002-04:002014-10-04T16:55:34.046-04:00Review: Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas<div style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1398368877l/20613470.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Heir of Fire (Throne of Glass, #3)" border="0" src="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1398368877l/20613470.jpg" height="320" id="coverImage" width="210" /></a><b>Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas</b></div>
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<b>Steph's Rating: 5 stars</b></div>
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<b>Overall Rating: 5 stars</b></div>
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<b><br /></b>
<b>Publication Date: September 2nd, 2014</b></div>
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<b>Publisher: Bloomsbury Books</b></div>
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<b>Pages: 565</b></div>
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<b>Format: Hardcover </b></div>
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<b><br /></b>
<b>Goodreads Synopsis:</b></div>
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<br />
<i><span id="freeText1542445105372050844">Lost and broken, Celaena
Sardothien’s only thought is to avenge the savage death of her dearest
friend: as the King of Adarlan’s Assassin, she is bound to serve this
tyrant, but he will pay for what he did. Any hope Celaena has of
destroying the king lies in answers to be found in Wendlyn. Sacrificing
his future, Chaol, the Captain of the King’s Guard, has sent Celaena
there to protect her, but her darkest demons lay in that same place. If
she can overcome them, she will be Adarlan’s biggest threat – and his
own toughest enemy. <br /><br />While Celaena learns of her true destiny,
and the eyes of Erilea are on Wendlyn, a brutal and beastly force is
preparing to take to the skies. Will Celaena find the strength not only
to win her own battles, but to fight a war that could pit her loyalties
to her own people against those she has grown to love?</span></i></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span id="freeText1542445105372050844"><b>Steph's Review: *the review itself is for the most part non-spoiler, but the area for my predictions is packed with spoilers for Heir of Fire*</b></span></div>
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<span id="freeText1542445105372050844">What better way to get back into blogging than with a book that also ended with a bang? I think I've read Heir of Fire three or four times over the one month period that it's been out--in other words, I've just been reading some sort of page from this pretty much <i>every day</i>. Still not over it either. The pretty hardcover is <i>still </i>sitting on my nightstand even though I've got other selections I'm reading. The books in this series release pretty far apart from each other so this obsession is really not good seeing as I've got at least another eleven months to go before book four rolls around. </span></div>
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<span id="freeText1542445105372050844"><br /></span></div>
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<span id="freeText1542445105372050844">Celaena has been cast away from Adarlan for her own safety by none other than Chaol Westfall. She's ignoring her duty to the King while she's slumming it in the streets of Wendlyn. She is approached by a menacing Fae warrior, who leads her on orders to the her aunt, and Fae Queen, Maeve. Celaena knows Maeve knows the information that she dearly needs to accomplish solving the mystery of Adarlan's seemingly overnight triumph, but Maeve is withholding that knowledge with a series of conditions. She is sent back to the peaceful demi-Fae town of Mystward, to master her heritage and the magic that has quietly dwelled within her for over ten years. If she proves successful and rediscovers her conscience, she may become the biggest living threat that Adarlan has ever seen. If she fails...everything is over for Terrasen. </span></div>
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<span id="freeText1542445105372050844"><br /></span></div>
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<span id="freeText1542445105372050844">Now,
I've read tons of reviews for this one. Many people give it five start
but then go onto say that it wasn't their favorite book in the series
since Crown of Midnight is still their absolute fave. I too, and giving
it those five big, obnoxious stars but Heir of Fire is my favorite book
within this series so far. I love Crown of Midnight, I do, but I still
felt like Crown of Midnight is a "thriller" book of sorts. It's a roller
coaster that is exciting and something you'll always remember (at least
for me), but once it's over, it's over. Heir of Fire is a much deeper
book because of its fantastic character development. In fact, I think
this entire book is pretty much dedicated into recreating Celaena's character that
will define her for the rest of the series. Heir of Fire is an
intermission of sorts, but at the same time also the bridge that is
going to connect two vastly differing parts of this series--and I love
the new Celaena. HoF also is just a big staging book; its triple
POV/triple setting sets up lots of great subplots that will definitely
become major contributions to the rest of the story.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span id="freeText1542445105372050844">There's a lot of mystery shrouding the whole series, but I'd like to think some of that is made known to us with this novel. Along with Celaena's character development, Maas gives us a lot of flashbacks to Celaena's childhood that tell us why Celaena is how she is. The background is a heartbreaking tale and I have to take back every bad thing I said about Celaena--her arrogance, brattiness, and selfishness--that I said about her when I wrote my first thoughts on Throne of Glass. Troubling times are ahead for her, but as long as she stays on the course that she's paved anew, she is going to reach the goal she seeks.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span id="freeText1542445105372050844">While there is a large focus on Celaena herself, Maas also starts brewing trouble in places Celaena is not even in. Chaol begins to question everything he's ever been trained to know about Adarlan--and also wonders if he's going to follow through with the deal he made with his father to return to his homeland and become the Lord of Anielle whilst giving up his honorable position as Captain of the Guard. Dorian is wondering how much more of his father's dictatorship and oppression he can take, especially when he has two secrets that are imperative to keep hidden from him. Either one of them could ruin him and earn him exile at the least-- and at worst, he'll be digging his own grave if either one is found out. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span id="freeText1542445105372050844">I feel like with every book, Sarah J Maas improves her writing to be ever more meticulous than the preceding installment. Her craft is expanding, and I love absolutely everything about it. Can't wait for the next book and also, her new series, A Court of Thorns and Roses!</span><br />
<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span id="freeText1542445105372050844"></span></i><span id="freeText1542445105372050844"></span><span id="freeText1542445105372050844"><b>From Here on Out, There WILL be spoilers for Heir of Fire. These are my predictions for the book 4 that I wrote a while back after my first round of reading. Read at your own risk!</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span id="freeText1542445105372050844"><b>Link to Predictions: </b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/634886198">https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/634886198</a></span></div>
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<span id="freeText1542445105372050844">******************</span></div>
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<span id="freeText1542445105372050844"><br /></span></div>
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<span id="freeText1542445105372050844">My thoughts and predictions based on what happened in Heir of Fire: If
somehow you didn't get the message earlier, there will be some spoilers
from here on out for HoF!!! <br /><br />1. Manon Blackbeak. <br /><br />I
enjoyed reading her POV. This girl is a badass, and she needs to show
all the other witchies who's boss. She was such an underdog at the start
of the book I feel like (because she chose the "injured" wyvern), but
in the end she showed them she was better than everyone else. <br /><br />So
my prediction for her: I think she will clash with Celaena at first,
(somehow I feel like it might actually be in book 5, I'll get to the why
for that later) but begin to understand that the King is just using
them, and who knows, might not actually keep his end of the bargain. If
Celaena continues to represent the freedom she is so far, I think Manon
and her crew will eventually side with her for the big showdown. <br /><br />2. Chaol:<br /><br />I'm
sorry, I am no longer on board the ship Chaolaena (rd to #4 as to why
:D). I think after Chaol's errr falling out with the King, he will find
Celaena and reconcile what happened between them in CoM. I also think
Chaol isn't going to be as supportive of the growing Terrasen uprising
as we want him to be, since he is still from Adarlan, but in the very
least he isn't going to be fighting for the king. As said in the book,
he'll fight for Dorian (who I hope will eventually side with Celaena)<br /><br />3. Dorian.<br /><br />No.
NO NO NO NO NO NO. I'm terrified that Dorian might end up dead, now
that he's got that stinking collar around his neck. Since Celaena had to
kill the Valg princes (and those collars STILL weren't broken even
then)…I just have a bad feeling. But IF everything goes well and Celaena
and Chaol can save Dorian from his father's clutches, I know Dorian
will be on Celaena's side. <br /><br />4. Rowan Whitethorn<br /><br />My fave
new character. I really wish he and Celaena didn't separate at the end
of HoF, after all Rowan said that Mala thinks they make a good pair. I
totally ship Rowan + Celaena now….but I also feel like this isn't ever
going to happen. Maas made it clear several times in the book that
Celaena / Rowan only felt platonic love for each other and only have the
urge to protect each other because they have the carranam bond. Plus,
Rowan's already lost his mate and it's also been said that mating bonds
go beyond death. A girl can still hope though ;) As long as this book
has MORE ROWAN, I'm satisfied. I wonder if we are still going to have a
little bit of his POV, seeing as the duo is separated now.<br /><br />Now for less explanation predictions:<br /><br />5.
I think Celaena is going to return to Rifthold to find Arobynn at the
Assassin's Keep and demand for the Amulet of Orynth, which he probably
refuses to give her. He probably won't be surprised that she shows up,
and probably already knows her heritage at that. I doubt that he knows
about the Wyrdkeys though. I hope she kills him, and doesn't fall for
any of his sweet talk.<br /><br />--This is the 'why' for Manon's
prediction. If more of the book is going to focus on Celaena's return to
Rifthold, I can't see Manon and crew attacking her yet. Maybe at the
end of the book, or in book 5?<br /><br />6. Maeve is going to come back to
haunt Celaena. Maybe not in the next book, but when the "revolution"
gets bigger, I feel like Celaena is going to be on the verge of victory
to have her plans foiled by that Fae Queen. <br /><br />7. Do I smell and Celaena/Ansel alliance coming? <br /><br />--On that note in general, maybe the Silent Assassins from the prequels? <br /><br />8.
Please let them save Aedion (or have Aedion break himself out). I feel
like if Aedion dies, all of the character development in HoF might crash
into bits and pieces. I need to see a reunion between these two. <br /><br />9.
I think the King might find out about Celaena/Aelin in the next book,
but as much as I want to see him dead, I don't think he will be AT LEAST
until the end of book 5 at the soonest.<br /><br />I'll update with more
predictions as I think of them, and I also feel like these are my
predictions for the overall rest of the series instead of solely book 4
:)
<b> </b></span>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
Steph</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10308541094335483704noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7396155725466330610.post-12014627933999016822014-10-04T16:18:00.001-04:002014-10-04T17:06:34.384-04:00Reviving this Blog…<div style="text-align: justify;">
*Scratches Head* So, we've been away for a while. June - September to be exact--four months. But we're going to fix that. I plan on reviving this blog a little bit because I do miss it. I had always originally planned to take a break over the summer because I was overseas on vacation, but I didn't see this hiatus to go all the way into my school year. Well school has been a huge bummer and the work is piling up on me leaving me almost no time for my own hobbies. I'm still busy, but I want to try seeing if I can do minimal amounts of posts--mainly reviews, over the Fri-Sun weekend days. </div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
First, I'll try just doing reviews of books I've read recently. The poor Goodreads Challenge hasn't been update in a while so it appears as if I'm not going to finish (but I think I will!). This does mean there aren't going to many, if any, Teaser Tuesdays or Waiting on Wednesdays. I probably won't be doing as many blog tours / requested reviews because I simply can't make any kind of time commitment right now because of my own full schedule. There aren't going to be the 15-20 posts per month that used to happen, for now, it'll be more like 5 or 6. If things seem to be working out and my schedule starts clearing out a little bit (things should calm down in November and December sorta-ish-maybe), I can always throw back in some of the lovely extras. </div>
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Can't wait to get back to blogging! I'll take it slow and steady from the start, and we'll see what happens from here!<br />
<br />
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Upcoming reviews I have on my list to-do--this probably sets me up for the rest of this month:</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Opposition by Jennifer L. Armentrout</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
The Help by Kathryn Stockett </div>
</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Steph</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10308541094335483704noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7396155725466330610.post-54654543913872059702014-05-06T18:32:00.001-04:002014-05-06T18:32:50.532-04:00Release Day: The Warrior by Victoria Scott and The One by Kiera Cass!<div style="text-align: justify;">
Two releases marks the end to two fantastic series today! The Warrior is the last installment of the Dante Walker novels, and The One is the last novel to The Selection series. These are definitely both must-reads!</div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b>The Warrior by Victoria Scott</b></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>Goodreads Synopsis:</b><br />
<a href="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1382649861l/18621882.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="The Warrior (Dante Walker, #3)" border="0" height="320" id="coverImage" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1382649861l/18621882.jpg" width="214" /></a><b> </b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<i><span id="freeText2504281860155467208">War between heaven and hell is coming, but Dante Walker makes it look damn good.<br /><br />Dante’s
girlfriend, Charlie, is fated to save the world. And Aspen, the girl
who feels like a sister, is an ordained soldier. In order to help both
fulfill their destiny and win the war, Dante must complete liberator
training at the Hive, rescue Aspen from hell, and uncover a message
hidden on an ancient scroll.<br /><br />Dante is built for battle, but even
he can’t handle the nightmares where spiders crawl from Aspen’s eyes, or
the look on Charlie’s face that foretells of devastation. To make
matters worse, the enemy seizes every opportunity to break inside the
Hive and cripple the liberators. But the day of reckoning is fast
approaching, and to stand victorious, Dante will have to embrace
something inside himself he never has before—faith.</span></i><br />
<i><span id="freeText2504281860155467208"> </span></i></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1380212021l/15844362.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The One (The Selection, #3)" border="0" height="320" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1380212021l/15844362.jpg" width="211" /></a><b>The One by Kiera Cass</b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b>Goodreads Synopsis: </b><br />
<br />
<i><span id="freeText16347025763860859192">The Selection changed the lives of thirty-five girls forever. And now, the time has come for one winner to be chosen.<br /><br />America
never dreamed she would find herself anywhere close to the crown—or to
Prince Maxon's heart. But as the competition approaches its end and the
threats outside the palace walls grow more vicious, America realizes
just how much she stands to lose—and how hard she'll have to fight for
the future she wants.<br /><br />From the very first page of The Selection,
this #1 New York Times bestselling series has captured readers' hearts
and swept them away on a captivating journey... Now, in The One, Kiera
Cass delivers a satisfying and unforgettable conclusion that will keep
readers sighing over this electrifying fairy-tale long after the final
page is turned.</span></i><b> </b><br />
<br />
For those waiting on The One, the first 10 chapters have been unlocked by your fellow readers! If you're waiting around for The One to arrive on your doorstep, you can preview the book with the 10-chapter teaser. You can find the links to these on Kiera Cass's Facebook page!<br />
<br />
Steph</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10308541094335483704noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7396155725466330610.post-34305074517829657502014-04-30T16:42:00.001-04:002014-04-30T16:42:45.912-04:00Waiting On Wednesday (24): Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #393939; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Waiting on Wednesday</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"> is a weekly bookish event hosted by <a href="http://breakingthespine.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Breaking the Spine</a>. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">This
is a meme that many book blogs participate in to goggle over highly
anticipated upcoming releases and fabulous covers and authors!</span></span></b>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #393939; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"></span></span></b><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #393939; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px;"></span></b><div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #393939; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"></span></span></b><div style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #393939; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Heir of Fire isn't even going to be out for a while, but I was recently on Goodreads and found the cover AND synopsis to it. Like, excuse myself for living under a rock regarding this series, but I was surprised. That little tidbit brought back all those lovely Crown of Midnight feels...and I can already feel the onset of re-obsession.</span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1398368877l/20613470.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Heir of Fire (Throne of Glass #3)" border="0" height="320" id="coverImage" src="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1398368877l/20613470.jpg" width="210" /></a><b>Goodreads Synopsis:</b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b> </b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<i><span id="freeText6269783313454328351">Lost and broken, Celaena
Sardothien’s only thought is to avenge the savage death of her dearest
friend: as the King of Adarlan’s Assassin, she is bound to serve this
tyrant, but he will pay for what he did. Any hope Celaena has of
destroying the king lies in answers to be found in Wendlyn. Sacrificing
his future, Chaol, the Captain of the King’s Guard, has sent Celaena
there to protect her, but her darkest demons lay in that same place. If
she can overcome them, she will be Adarlan’s biggest threat – and his
own toughest enemy. <br /><br />While Celaena learns of her true destiny,
and the eyes of Erilea are on Wendlyn, a brutal and beastly force is
preparing to take to the skies. Will Celaena find the strength not only
to win her own battles, but to fight a war that could pit her loyalties
to her own people against those she has grown to love?</span></i><b> </b></div>
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<b><br /></b></div>
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I honestly don't know what to think of the series covers. They look pretty awesome, but I just feel they seem too comic-like for the series. I feel like Celaena on the cover looks like a computer-game character or something of the sort. But don't judge a book by its cover, right? 'Cause this is an awesome read.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
One word, (or rather, name). CHAOL. Thanks to this separation between Chaol and Celaena, where is the romantic story going to go? There better NOT be ANOTHER guy in the mix. Crown of Midnight's ending was just pure <i>evil</i>, and I thought I just got myself to get my mind off of this series for a while. After this lovely synopsis, nope. I'm probably going to be dreaming about the series for all I know. </div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
Another area of concern: this series is going to be 6 books long. I have nothing against 6 books, cause that means more years to enjoy the story, but how much plot is there left? If this series was a trilogy, I think it'd still end fine. I'm seriously wondering what on earth Sarah J. Maas still has left. </div>
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Can't wait for this WOW! </div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #393939; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"></span></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10308541094335483704noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7396155725466330610.post-15114200934641281362014-04-29T16:25:00.000-04:002014-04-29T16:25:03.035-04:00Release Day: Sweet Reckoning by Wendy Higgins<div style="text-align: justify;">
And it is time to see the Sweet Series go! Sweet Reckoning, the final book of the Sweet Trilogy is out today. I'm having a debate with myself as to whether I should give a reread to Sweet Evil and Sweet Peril, since I've still got a few more days to go until Amazon shipping gets to my house. Unfortunately for us, it also happens to be exams week(s) (hence the lack of posts lately--we're trying!) and neither of us have quite a lot of time to spare :/</div>
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<b>Goodreads Synopsis:</b></div>
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<a href="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1381492410l/16007855.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Sweet Reckoning (The Sweet Trilogy, #3)" border="0" height="320" id="coverImage" src="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1381492410l/16007855.jpg" width="212" /></a><i><span id="freeText18198210655139733525">It’s time. <br /><br />Evil
is running rampant and sweet Anna Whitt is its target. Nobody knows
when or how the Dukes will strike, but Anna and her Nephilim allies will
do anything necessary to rid the earth of the demons and their
oppressive ways.<br /><br />The stakes are higher than ever, and Anna is
determined that the love she feels will be her strength, not a
liability. But trying to protect the ones she loves while running for
her life and battling demonic forces proves to be perilous—especially as
faces are changing and trust is fleeting. When the Duke of Lust sends
Anna’s great love, Kaidan Rowe, to work against her, Anna must decide
how much she’s prepared to risk.<br /><br />In the most sensual and
fast-paced installment yet, Sweet Reckoning brings all the beloved Neph
together one last time to fight for their freedom.</span></i><b> </b></div>
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I can almost 100% predict a good happy ending for this series. Can't wait to find out what happens in the series finale (hurry up Amazon!!!). </div>
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Steph </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10308541094335483704noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7396155725466330610.post-68500144231613670612014-04-24T16:46:00.003-04:002014-04-24T16:46:59.345-04:00Review: Foreplay by Sophie Jordan<div style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1367338814l/17254035.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Foreplay (The Ivy Chronicles, #1)" border="0" height="320" id="coverImage" src="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1367338814l/17254035.jpg" width="209" /></a><b>Foreplay by Sophie Jordan</b></div>
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<b>Steph's Rating: 4 stars</b></div>
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<b>Overall Rating: 4 stars</b></div>
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<b>Format: Paperback</b></div>
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<b>Publisher: William Morrow </b></div>
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<b>Publication Date: November 5th, 2013</b></div>
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<b>Pages: 320</b></div>
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<b>Goodreads Synopsis:</b></div>
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<i><span id="freeText15526999619459055303">Pepper has been
hopelessly in love with her best friend’s brother, Hunter, for like
ever. He’s the key to everything she’s always craved: security,
stability, family. But she needs Hunter to notice her as more than just a
friend. Even though she’s kissed exactly one guy, she has just the plan
to go from novice to rock star in the bedroom—take a few pointers from
someone who knows what he’s doing.<br /><br />Her college roommates have the
perfect teacher in mind. But bartender Reece is nothing like the player
Pepper expects. Yes, he’s beyond gorgeous, but he’s also dangerous,
deep—with a troubled past. Soon what started as lessons in attraction
are turning both their worlds around, and showing just what can happen
when you go past foreplay and get to what’s real…</span></i></div>
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<b>Steph's Review: *small spoilers*</b></div>
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This will be a short and sweet review, just like this book. Foreplay is my first novel from Sophie Jordan, and I really enjoyed it! It is a contemporary romance. Not exactly my most favorite of genre's. While this book was full of cheesiness and cliche from the start, it still does have some really smoldering content here that exemplifies NA contemporary romance. I can tell from this that Sophie Jordan isn't some newbie with these hot stories :). </div>
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Pepper grew up with...family problems. Her only escape from them were at her best friends house, where she fell hopelessly in love with her friend's older brother: Hunter. Hunter screams stability and security. Toss in a good face? He's perfect for her. Problem is, Hunter hasn't ever really looked at her, no thanks to Peppers <i>wonderful</i> social skills. Everything that comes out of her mouth sounds like awkward chatter whenever she attempts to "flirt". As a last resort, Pepper's roommates think it's time for a Pepper-makeover. Her makeup artist target is Reece: a quite and stoic bartender who her roommates think can teach Pepper a thing or two about foreplay. </div>
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I guess I liked this book mostly because Pepper isn't a total loony idiot. Sure she's awkward, but that makes the book funny and cute to read first of all. The approach to the romance, while completely unrealistic and staged, was at least written well considering the circumstances. She doesn't just automatically fall in love with Reece even with uhh, their "relationship". It takes a little time to realize that her using Reece to become some seductive harlot to Hunter isn't really the reason she keeps going back. </div>
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I praise the lords that there are no utter douches in this book either; I would just like to toss that out. It is BEYOND hackneyed when the plot twist is when our heroine realizes what a douche Prince Charming always was, and thankfully that is not here. </div>
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So yes, Foreplay is full of cheesy lines and scenes, but even cheesy can be endearing sometimes. I mean, there's a <i>reason </i>they get overused so much in the first place right? Foreplay is one of those novels in that book comfort zone--quick, easy, and sure to please! I recently found out to my delight that <b>Tease</b>, book 2 of The Ivy Chronicles, is going to be out at the end of May and follow the story of one of Pepper's besties, Shaw. I definitely will be reading that one, and I hope it lives up to Foreplay! </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10308541094335483704noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7396155725466330610.post-1225915186344387942014-04-22T16:13:00.003-04:002014-04-22T16:13:22.192-04:00Cover Reveal: Tempting the Bodyguard by J. Lynn (Jennifer L. Amentrout)<div style="text-align: justify;">
Yet another JLA title coming soon--Tempting the Bodyguard with Jen writing as J. Lynn. This is a NA novel and the third installment of the Gamble Brother's Series that will be releasing on May 12th, 2014 through Entangled Brazen imprint! </div>
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And the cover is what you're here for, of course :)</div>
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<a href="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1398134844l/16035968.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Tempting the Bodyguard (Gamble Brothers, #3)" border="0" id="coverImage" src="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1398134844l/16035968.jpg" /></a></div>
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The Gamble Brothers series was never a favorite of mine from Jen's, but Tempting the Bodyguard is racking up some really good ratings and reviews so far. I might come back to this one if it keeps the hype!</div>
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<b>Synopsis:</b></div>
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<span id="freeText11751455724985537414"><i><strong>A sexy category romance from Entangled’s Brazen imprint...</strong></i><br /><em>He can protect her from everyone except himself.</em><br /><br /><i>Alana
Gore is in danger. A take-no-prisoners publicist, her way with people
has made her more than a few enemies over the years, but a creepy
stalker is an entirely different matter. She needs a bodyguard, and the
only man she can ask is not only ridiculously hot, but reputed to have
taste for women that goes beyond adventurous.<br /><br />Chandler Gamble has
one rule: don't protect anyone you want to screw. But with Alana, he's
caught between his job and his increasingly hard libido. On one hand,
Alana needs his help. On the other, Chandler wants nothing more than to
take the hot volcano of a woman in hand. To make her writhe in pleasure,
until she's at his complete mercy.<br /><br />She needs protection. He needs satisfaction. And the moment the line is crossed, all hell will break loose...</i></span></div>
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<span id="freeText11751455724985537414"><b>About Jen </b></span></div>
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<i><a href="http://www.frickngenius.com/jenniferarmentrout/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/Author-photo.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-36" height="300" src="http://www.frickngenius.com/jenniferarmentrout/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/Author-photo-200x300.jpg" title="Author photo" width="200" /></a>
# 1 New York Times and International Bestselling author Jennifer lives
in Martinsburg, West Virginia. All the rumors you’ve heard about her
state aren’t true. When she’s not hard at work writing. she spends her
time reading, working out, watching really bad zombie movies, pretending
to write, and hanging out with her husband and her Jack Russell Loki.</i></div>
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</i><div style="text-align: justify;">
<i>Her dreams of becoming an author started in algebra class, where she
spent most of her time writing short stories….which explains her dismal
grades in math. Jennifer writes young adult paranormal, science fiction,
fantasy, and contemporary romance. She is published with Spencer Hill
Press, Entangled Teen and Brazen, Disney/Hyperion and Harlequin Teen.
Her book Obsidian has been optioned for a major motion picture and her
Covenant Series has been optioned for TV.</i></div>
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</i><div style="text-align: justify;">
<i>She also writes adult and New Adult romance under the name J. Lynn. She is published by Entangled Brazen and HarperCollins.</i></div>
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<span id="freeText11751455724985537414"><i> </i></span><span id="freeText11751455724985537414"><i> </i></span><span id="freeText11751455724985537414"><i><span><span style="font-family: georgia, serif;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></span></i></span></div>
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</i><b><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Where You Can Find Jennifer:</span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Twitter:</span><a href="https://twitter.com/CindiMadsen" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">https://twitter.com/<wbr></wbr>jlarmentrout</span></a></span></div>
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</span><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Facebook: </span><span style="background-color: transparent; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/JenniferLArmentrout" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/<wbr></wbr>JenniferLArmentrout</a></span></div>
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</span><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Website:</span><a href="http://cindimadsen.com/" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></a><a href="http://www.jenniferarmentrout.com/" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><span style="background-color: transparent; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">http://www.jenniferarmentrout.<wbr></wbr>com/</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></div>
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</span><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Entangled website author page: </span><a href="http://www.entangledpublishing.com/category/j-lynn/" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><span style="background-color: transparent; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">http://www.<wbr></wbr>entangledpublishing.com/<wbr></wbr>category/j-lynn/</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10308541094335483704noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7396155725466330610.post-69629440402908119362014-04-15T16:13:00.003-04:002014-04-15T16:13:43.727-04:00Release Day: The Forever Song by Julie Kagawa and Don't Look Back by Jennifer L. Armentrout + Cover Reveal of Talon by JK! <div style="text-align: justify;">
So we have another double release day here, for The Forever Song by Julie Kagawa and Don't Look Back by Jennifer L. Armentrout. I ADORE both of these authors and these are definitely on the April to-read list. In fact, I'm currently rereading the Blood of Eden Series (still on The Immortal Rules right now) in prep for when my Forever Song copy decides to come in from Amazon. I haven't been following Don't Look Back by JLA as much recently, but from what I know about it, it seems to be a lot like <a href="http://awalkonwords.blogspot.com/2013/11/review-sia-by-josh-grayson.html" target="_blank">Sia</a> by Josh Grayson (click for our review of that). Without further adieu, the release day showcase: </div>
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<a href="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1390490674l/17883441.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The Forever Song (Blood of Eden, #3)" border="0" height="320" id="coverImage" src="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1390490674l/17883441.jpg" width="212" /></a><b>The Forever Song by Julia Kagawa</b></div>
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<b>Goodreads Synopsis:</b></div>
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<i><span id="freeText8513083126635218672">VENGEANCE WILL BE HERS <br /><br />Allison Sekemoto once struggled with the question: human or monster? <br /><br />With the death of her love, Zeke, she has her answer. <br /><br />MONSTER <br /><br />Allie
will embrace her cold vampire side to hunt down and end Sarren, the
psychopathic vampire who murdered Zeke. But the trail is bloody and
long, and Sarren has left many surprises for Allie and her
companions—her creator, Kanin, and her blood brother, Jackal. The trail
is leading straight to the one place they must protect at any cost—the
last vampire-free zone on Earth, Eden. And Sarren has one final, brutal
shock in store for Allie. <br /><br />In a ruined world where no life is
sacred and former allies can turn on you in one heartbeat, Allie will
face her darkest days. And if she succeeds, triumph is short-lived in
the face of surviving forever alone.</span></i><b> </b></div>
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<b>Don't Look Back by Jennifer L. Armentrout</b></div>
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<a href="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1380803368l/13418925.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Don't Look Back" border="0" height="320" id="coverImage" src="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1380803368l/13418925.jpg" width="211" /></a><b><br /></b></div>
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<b>Goodreads Synopsis:</b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /><i><span id="freeText5912415668886598671">Samantha is a stranger
in her own life. Until the night she disappeared with her best friend,
Cassie, everyone said Sam had it all-popularity, wealth, and a dream
boyfriend. <br /><br />Sam has resurfaced, but she has no recollection of
who she was or what happened to her that night. As she tries to piece
together her life from before, she realizes it's one she no longer wants
any part of. The old Sam took "mean girl" to a whole new level, and
it's clear she and Cassie were more like best enemies. Sam is pretty
sure that losing her memories is like winning the lottery. She's getting
a second chance at being a better daughter, sister, and friend, and
she's falling hard for Carson Ortiz, a boy who has always looked out for
her-even if the old Sam treated him like trash. <br /><br />But Cassie is
still missing, and the facts about what happened to her that night isn't
just buried deep inside of Sam's memory-someone else knows, someone who
wants to make sure Sam stays quiet. All Sam wants is the truth, and if
she can unlock her clouded memories of that fateful night, she can
finally move on. But what if <em>not</em> remembering is the only thing keeping Sam alive?</span></i></div>
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Squeee I can't wait for either of these!!! </div>
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Besides the releases, the cover reveal for Talon, the first book in Julie Kagawa's next series featuring <i>errr dragons...</i>(awesome!), was exclusively revealed on the MTV website. Here's the cover and link to the original article below!</div>
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<a href="http://www.mtv.com/crop-images/2014/04/15/talon_cover2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" name="MyImage" src="http://www.mtv.com/crop-images/2014/04/15/talon_cover2.jpg" width="276" /></a></div>
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Link: <a href="http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1726193/talon-cover-reveal.jhtml" target="_blank">http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1726193/talon-cover-reveal.jhtml </a></div>
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I think this cover is simple yet classy and has a mysterious edge to it. The gold on red makes it look so regal! Definitely would make me want to pick up the book and see what's going on! This is also the book that Julie has said was her little "secret", because movie rights have already been purchased for it despite it not even being released yet. Again, see the link for the full info. I cannot wait to see this hit shelves in November! </div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10308541094335483704noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7396155725466330610.post-31047198096839910722014-04-09T15:10:00.002-04:002014-04-09T15:10:30.166-04:00Waiting On Wednesday (23): Silver Shadows by Richelle Mead<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #393939; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Waiting on Wednesday</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"> is a weekly bookish event hosted by <a href="http://breakingthespine.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Breaking the Spine</a>. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">This
is a meme that many book blogs participate in to goggle over highly
anticipated upcoming releases and fabulous covers and authors!</span></span></b></div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #393939; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span></b></div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #393939; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"> It </span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #393939; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">feels like it hasn't been too long since The Fiery Heart, but hey! Silver Shadows is out in just three and a half months, which isn't half bad in my opinion! Silver Shadows is going to be the series turnaround point, and I can't wait to see the continuation of Adrian and Sydney's story!</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #393939; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #393939; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Goodreads Synopsis:</b></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #393939; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><b> </b></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1389304070l/8709524.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Silver Shadows (Bloodlines, #5)" border="0" height="320" id="coverImage" src="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1389304070l/8709524.jpg" width="211" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #393939; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><i><span id="freeText17519692452052074343">In The Fiery Heart,
Sydney risked everything to follow her gut, walking a dangerous line to
keep her feelings hidden from the Alchemists.<br /><br />Now in the
aftermath of an event that ripped their world apart, Sydney and Adrian
struggle to pick up the pieces and find their way back to each other.
But first, they have to survive. <br /><br />For Sydney, trapped and
surrounded by adversaries, life becomes a daily struggle to hold on to
her identity and the memories of those she loves. Meanwhile, Adrian
clings to hope in the face of those who tell him Sydney is a lost cause,
but the battle proves daunting as old demons and new temptations begin
to seize hold of him. . . .<br /><br />Their worst fears now a chilling
reality, Sydney and Adrian face their darkest hour in this
heart-pounding fifth installment in the New York Times bestselling
Bloodlines series, where all bets are off.</span></i></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #393939; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><i><span id="freeText17519692452052074343"> </span></i></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #393939; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span id="freeText17519692452052074343">I still feel like the cover is a photoshoppe-mess-galore, but I doubt Razorbill is going to make any changes at this point. I think Silver Shadows is going to be action packed to the core, after the calm-before-the-storm The Fiery Heart. It is the 5th book of the Bloodlines Series, and I hate knowing that after this installment there is only one more book left. Richelle Mead did say that she was thinking about writing another VA World series though, and well, I certainly hope she does.</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #393939; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span id="freeText17519692452052074343"> </span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #393939; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span id="freeText17519692452052074343">Silver Shadows is out on July 29th! Can't wait!</span><span id="freeText17519692452052074343"></span><span id="freeText17519692452052074343"> </span><span id="freeText17519692452052074343"><br /></span></span></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10308541094335483704noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7396155725466330610.post-73869318403289988102014-04-05T20:09:00.000-04:002014-04-05T20:53:25.287-04:00Review: Better Off Friends by Elizabeth Eulberg<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8R4xZUJBeZY/UzG-nj_9xOI/AAAAAAAAAiw/H2iXme-J3hc/s1600/book.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8R4xZUJBeZY/UzG-nj_9xOI/AAAAAAAAAiw/H2iXme-J3hc/s1600/book.jpg" height="320" width="208" /></a></div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Better Off Friends by Elizabeth Eulberg</span></b></div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Dani's rating: 4 stars</span></b></div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Format: <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">Hardcover</span></span></b></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Pages:</b> 279</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Publication Date:</b> February 25, 2014</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Publisher:</b> Point</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Goodreads Synopsis:</b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">For Macallan and Levi, it was friends at first sight. Everyone says guys and girls can't be just friends, but these two are. They hang out after school, share tons of inside jokes, their families are usper close, and Levi even starts dating one of Macallan's friends. They are platonic and happy that way.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Eventually they realize that they're best friends--which wouldn't be so bad if they didn't keep getting in each other's way. Guys won't ask Macallan out because they think she's with Levi, and Levi spends too much time joking around with Macallan, and maybe not enough time with his date. They can't help but wonder...are they more than friends or are htey better off without making it even more complicated?</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">From romantic comedy superstar Elizabeth Eulberg comes a fresh, fun examination of a question for the ages: Can guys and girls ever really be just friends? Or are htey always one fight away from not speaking again--and one kiss away from true love?</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Dani's Review:</b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">After read<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">ing a plethora of insta-love novels, this novel was surprisingly refreshing with its new take on the eternal "Can guys and girls be friends without dating?" question. <i>Better Off Friends</i> is an adorable, heartwarming, and FUN book. It explores the relationship between a boy and a girl who are best friends, but have to overcome some ups and downs because of their gender diffference. When Macallan and Levi first met in 7th grade and bonded through their shared love of the made-up BBC television show "Buggy and Floyd", their friendship seems to be unbreakable. As they move into high school, they face some unexpected problems: What happens when Levi is desperate for some "bro time" and Macallan dates a guy Levi dislikes? Uh oh...Is someone jealous? ;)</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">I loved the alternating POVs between Macallan and Levi because I could really understand what each character was going through, especially when Macallan ran away to spend the summer in Ireland with her grandparents after feeling abandoned by Levi, who was getting closer to his jock friends. Ladies, please do not run away to a far-off country if you feel like you're losing your best friend. There's this thing called talking where you move your mouth to create sound, please try it!</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">I love this quote:</span></span></div>
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<span id="freeText18280816336753989399"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">"Just so we are remembering this correctly: When you kissed me I went home and splashed cold water on my face. When I tried to kiss you, you ran away to Ireland for the summer.</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"> "</span></span></div>
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<span id="freeText18280816336753989399"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Since this novel is a romantic comedy, it was also filled with tons of HUMOR! Elizabeth Eulberg's fantasy BBC show "Buggy and Floyd" apparently uses the punchline "Blimey if I...." as the punchline to every joke in each episode. So, Macallan and Levi constantly stick inside jokes about the show in their conversations that no one else, including their respective boyfriends and girlfriends, understands. Also, at the end of each chapter, there is a commentary from an older Macallan and Levi looking back at their younger selves and laughing at each other! It added a whole new level to the cuteness of this novel.</span></span></div>
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<span id="freeText18280816336753989399"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">I really enjoyed Elizabeth Eulberg's writing style, not because it was especially unique or great, but because it made even the smallest events like going out to eat ice cream FUN. It's like her words have magic fairy dust that make everything hilarious! Oh wait, maybe it's just her awesome dialogue...</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><i>"Why do people always say L-O-L--aren't they supposed to be laughing? have we become that lazy a society?"</i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">I'm not going to answer the "Do they end up dating?" question because duh that would be a spoiler! If you're looking for a light, sugary sweet, and happy pappy read, <i>Better Off Friends</i> is for you! It's not horribly cheesy because of the great writing and humor, but beware, it mirrors typical romantic comedies like When Harry Met Sally. Overall, an adorable book for both teenagers and adults!</span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span id="freeText18280816336753989399"><br /></span></span></span>Daniellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07740407765924725952noreply@blogger.com3