Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire

Paperback: 432 pages
Publisher: Simon & Schuster UK (14 Aug 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1471115038
ISBN-13: 978-1471115035

GOOD GIRL
Abby Abernathy doesn't drink or swear and she works hard. Abby believes she has buried her dark past, but when she arrives at college, ger dreams of a new beginning are quickly challenged by the university's walking one-night stand.

BAD BOY
Travis Maddox, sexy, built, and covered in tattoos, is exactly what Abby needs - and wants - to avoid. He spends his nights winning money in a floating fight club, and his days as the notorious college Lothario.

IMMINENT DISASTER?
Intrigued by Abby's resistance to his charms, Travis tricks her into his life with a simple bet. If he loses, he must remain celibate for a month. If Abby loses, she must live in travis's apartment of trh same amount of time.

OR THE START OF SOMETHING BEAUTIFUL?
Either way, TRavis has no idea that he has met his match. Or that this is the start of an obsessive, intense relationship that will lead them both into unimaginable territory.

Cover:  I really like this eye-catching, simple but pretty cover.  Not quite sure of it's relevance, but it's nice.

I have heard a lot about this one.  Both extremely good, and the extremely bad.  There has been a lot of controversy over this book.
And after reading it, I can kind of see both sides.
This was one of the first New Adult books to explode in popularity.  But it's taken me a long time to get to reading it.
New Adult is a genre I discovered last year, and absolutely fell in love with it.  A few stand out authors for me have been J. Lynn, Abbi Glines and Kendall Ryan to name just a few.
This is a difficult one for me to review.
I didn't despise it like some, I'm not moved to write a long rant.
But at the same time, I'm not dying with the need to gush about it either.
What it comes down to is, this book was ok for me.
Were there some parts of the book I loved?  Yes there was.
Were there some parts of the book that disturbed me.  Yes there were some.
Abby and Travis have an intense relationship.  It's pretty dysfunctional.  When they start out as friends, it's great.  But it inevitably leads to more, and that's where their relationship gets a little disturbing.
I feel Travis's possessive attitude was excessive.  Don't get me wrong- I like the male protagonists in my romance books to be strong, and a little cave-man.
My main issue was Abby.  Yes Travis has issues, but I'm closer to forgiving him those, but Abby was irriating.  She's hot, she's cold.  She's indifferent, she's jealous.  She wants Parker, she doesn't want Parker.  She doesn't want Travis, she wants Travis. 
I really just wish she knew her own damn mind.
This book also contained a couple of pet peeves.  And by pet peeves, I mean loathe entirely.
Love triangle.  Other...ummm how shall we say..."partners."
The ending...I'm glad of a HEA, but I didn't feel overly believable.
Over all I enjoyed it, but there have been other NA books I've enjoyed more.  But having said that I would like to read Walking Disaster as I feel I'd enjoy reading from Travis's point of view a lot more than Abby's.
3/5.

My Top 10 Influential Books [EXPLAINED]

I recently uploaded a YouTube video called 'My Top 10 Influential Books TAG' and in the tag you basically just had to list them, you weren't required to explain them.  But then I was requested to actually explain how or why they had influenced me.

 Persuasion by Jane Austen- I read Jane Austen when I was 14.  Her writing just spoke to me.  I was already a history fan, but I fell in love with the Regency period, with Jane's characters and her witty style.  She made me consider reading more classics.

Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen- ^ same as above...duh^

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte- First classic I read.  I fell in love with Jane, with Mr Rochester.  I feel this definitely influenced me.  My taste in books, movies- my eagerness to pick up classics.

Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine- I've always been a reader, but reading this, I was completely absorbed in the story.  I wanted to do nothing but read this.  I have such fond memories of reading it, of re-reading it.  It made me fall in love with reading all over again.

Twilight by Stephanie Meyer- Twilight completely changed what I read.  Before Twilight, I didn't read much YA- but what I did was mostly contemporary.  I was reading adult historicals, romances and classics.  I hadn't read paranormal/vampire romance, and I just fell in love with it.  I found it addictive.  It opened up a whole new genre for me, and I haven't looked back.

Waterfall by Lisa T. Bergren- This was one of those books that I picked up knowing it was my kinda story, but it still managed to knock my socks off.  It has some Christian understones, but it's not heavy in anyway.  I was just glued to it while reading and I just fell in love with the world building, and the characters.  It easily became one of my favourites.

Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery- I had seen various adaptations of Anne of Green Gables over the years, and had loved all of them, but had never picked up the book.  It's such a beautiful children's classic.  It makes you see the world through Anne's eyes, she has such a vibrant imagination, that sometimes gets her into trouble, but you still love, and part of you wants to be her.

The Fault In Our Stars by John Green- This was my first experience of John Green's writing, and I'm sure it's popularity hasn't escaped your notice.  This book made me look at the World slightly differently.  It moved me to tears, which is a rare thing in a book for me.

Written In Red by Anne Bishop- This is a more recent read for me, and this influenced me, because it's such a simple read.  There's just something about it that I can't put my finger on, that has captivated me, almost to the point where I'm obsessed with this book and it's taking over my life.

Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor- This book had me completely obsessed.  The writing of this book it so beautiful and lyrical, it had me entranced.  It made me want to be able to write like that.

So, those are my top 10, I could easily have chosen more.
What are some of your influential reads?  Let me know if the comments below, as I'm always interested!

- Erin

Lines Meet TAG

COVER REVEAL: The Beast by Lindsay Mead

THE SYNOPSIS

Demon possession has swept through Glace's neighboring kingdom, turning humans into Hellhounds. These great, fanged wolves are wild, desperate, and hungry. Only the sworn Hunters have kept them back for five long, bloody years.

At the young age of fifteen, Belle LeClair became a Hunter. She no longer remembers how many hounds she's killed, or how many friends she's buried. Still, Belle leads the hunt till a tragedy forces her deep into the dark kingdom. Her heart will be turned, her loyalty tested— and fate will intervene.

Amid a backdrop of Steampunk inventions and a harsh winter landscape, The Beast is a re-imagining of the infamous love between a beauty and a beast.

THE AUTHOR



Lindsay Mead lives in her home state, Michigan, with a small demon-dog named Suzie Q. She has obsessively made videos for YouTube since 2007 and can't seem to stop. THE BEAST is her debut into the world of writing.

The book is set to release this spring.

Main YouTube Channel: http://bit.ly/1ag5dGm

Website & Blog: http://lindsaymead.blogspot.com/

Twitter: http://twitter.com/Lindsay_Mead

The Beast on Goodreads: http://bit.ly/17WVJ6t

Booking Through Thursday 27/03/14

 

Booking Through Thursday is a weekly meme hosted by Booking Through Thursday and a different question is posted every week.

Why do YOU read fiction? Here’s one person’s answer.

That's definitely an interesting answer, but with fiction, you both know and don't know what you're getting into.
You know it's not 'real' when you start it.  One week, two weeks down the line, someone isn't going to disillusion you with the fact what you just read doesn't actually exist.
Non-fiction is equally readable to me- but I don't want that all the time.  It becomes dry and utilitarian.
I want the swoon worthy heroes of fiction, the action packed fantasy realms of fiction.
I read fiction because to me, it's exciting.

W...W...W...Wednesday 26/03/14

 To play along, just answer the following 3 questions:

• What are you currently reading?

• What did you recently finish reading?

• What do you think you’ll read next?

My current read is The Impossible Knife of Memory by Laurie Halse Anderson.

I recently finished reading Tied With Me by Kristen Proby.

I think I'll read Stolen Songbird by Danielle L Jensen.

Waiting On Wednesday 26/03/14 "The King"

Waiting on Wednesday is all about sharing the books that I'm eagerly waiting to be released.
This week the book I'm waiting on is The King by J.R. Ward, book 12 in The Black Dagger Brotherhood series.
I'm excited for this one, because it's another Wrath and Beth book, my FAVOURITE couple of the entire series.  I can't wait to see more from them.
Released April 3rd.

Teaser Tuesday 25/03/14 "The Impossible Knife of Memory"

 

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
  Share two “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers.

This week I'm currently reading The Impossible Knife of Memory by Laurie Halse Anderson.

The Teaser sentecnes come from page 160.

 

"After we left the quarry, we hung out at the library (Finn scoured the Internet for proof that the fear of heights was a sign of intelligence; I read some new manga) and went to Friendly's for ice cream.  I had one scoop of pumpkin."

 

 

The Witness by Nora Roberts



Paperback: 496 pages

Publisher: Piatkus (23 May 2013)
Language: Unknown
ISBN-10: 074995521X
ISBN-13: 978-0749955212

Daughter of a controlling mother, Elizabeth finally let loose one night, drinking at a nightclub and allowing a strange man's seductive Russian accent lure her to a house on Lake Shore Drive. The events that followed changed her life forever.
Twelve years later, the woman known as Abigail Lowery lives on the outskirts of a small town in the Ozarks. A freelance programmer, she designs sophisticated security systems--and supplements her own security with a fierce dog and an assortment of firearms. She keeps to herself, saying little, revealing nothing. But Abigail's reserve only intrigues police chief Brooks Gleason. Her logical mind, her secretive nature, and her unromantic viewpoints leave him fascinated but frustrated. He suspects that Abigail needs protection from something--and that her elaborate defenses hide a story that must be revealed.
With a quirky, unforgettable heroine and a pulse-pounding plotline, Nora Roberts presents a riveting new read that cements her place as today's most reliably entertaining thriller
author--and will leave people hungering for more.

Cover: The cover is what it is.  It's not my favourite of her book covers, but I don't hate it.

Last year I read Whiskey Beach by Nora Roberts, and thought it was her best book for a while.  I was hoping The Witness would be of the same standard.
I didn't enjoy The Witness as much as Whiskey Beach.
This book was nothing stand out or different.
Elizabeth witnessed a russian mob hit when she was 16, when she tried to prosecute they attacked her safe house.  She's been on the run, changing her identity, keeping tabs on them with her computer hacking skills- ever since.  See what I mean- you've heard that plotline before.
The romance element wasn't bad- but it didn't develop well enough.  It just sort of happened- and considering Elizabeth/Abigail's trust issues didn't come across as very plausible either.
Over all the plot was sound, even if it wasn't stand out.
I did enjoy reading it, but I wasn't wowed.
3/5 stars.

Birthday Unboxing from Books Know Best

Lee's Channel:- https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCntnJbzgCcM_Gl33Q3xzDA

Murder of Crows (The Others #2) by Anne Bishop

Hardcover: 368 pages
Publisher: Roc (4 Mar 2014)

ISBN-13: 978-0451465269

Return to New York Times bestselling author Anne Bishop’s "phenomenal" (Urban Fantasy Investigations) world of the Others — where supernatural entities and humans struggle to co-exist, and one woman has begun to change all the rules…

After winning the trust of the terra indigene residing in the Lakeside Courtyard, Meg Corbyn has had trouble figuring out what it means to live among them. As a human, Meg should be barely tolerated prey, but her abilities as a cassandra sangue make her something more.

The appearance of two addictive drugs has sparked violence between the humans and the Others, resulting in the murder of both species in nearby cities. So when Meg has a dream about blood and black feathers in the snow, Simon Wolfgard — Lakeside’s shape-shifting leader — wonders if their blood prophet dreamed of a past attack or a future threat.

As the urge to speak prophecies strikes Meg more frequently, trouble finds its way inside the Courtyard. Now, the Others and the handful of humans residing there must work together to stop the man bent on reclaiming their blood prophet—and stop the danger that threatens to destroy them all.

Cover:  Love this cover.  I love the design is the same as the first.  Perfect for the character of Meg, and the story.

This was one of my most highly anticipated releases of this year- I read the first bok, Written In Red, in January, and fell in love with it.  It was perfection.  So I couldn't wait to pick up book 2, hence the pre-ordering it and reading it as soon as it arrived.
This fantasy series is so good. 
The 'potential' romance between Meg and Simon is just amazing.  I haven't had that will they? Won't they?  They need to!! The suspense is killing me! feeling and dynamic in a relationship for a while now, and while I'm dying for more to develop, at the same time I'm loving how it's slowly being built up- it's beautiful and frustrating at the same time and I love it.
The dangerous, kinda gruesome shapeshifters that have taken Meg in as their own, are such interesting characters.
Seeing more of the cassandra sangue (the blood prophets) was fantastic, even if some partswere particularly chilling.
My only, slight issue, that is more of a non-issue as it didn't mar my enjoyment of the book, but I wish we actually had more of Meg and Simon's perspectives.  I'm not talking romance-wise, but in general, we see more from the human police man Monty's POV, and the human political side, but more of my favs, Simon and Meg would have been appreciated.  But I also wanted to see more from the Elementals and Simon's little, adorable nephew Sam.
I hate that I now have to wait for the next book, I can't wait!!
Highly recommend this series!  If you haven't already, you need to check it out!
5/5 stars!!!!!!!

Waiting On Wednesday 19/03/14 "Sekret by Lindsay Smith"

Waiting on Wednesday is all about sharing the books that I'm eagerly waiting to be released.

This week, the book I'm waiting on is Sekret by Lindsay Smith.
Released 1st April.
I wasn't sure whether I wanted to read this one at first, but the intriguing cover got to me, and the very mixed early review, and the fact this it's set around the Russian KGB have won me over.


An empty mind is a safe mind.

Yulia's father always taught her to hide her thoughts and control her emotions to survive the harsh realities of Soviet Russia. But when she's captured by the KGB and forced to work as a psychic spy with a mission to undermine the U.S. space program, she's thrust into a world of suspicion, deceit, and horrifying power. Yulia quickly realizes she can trust no one--not her KGB superiors or the other operatives vying for her attention--and must rely on her own wits and skills to survive in this world where no SEKRET can stay hidden for long.

W...W...W...Wednesday 19/03/14

To play along, just answer the following 3 questions:

• What are you currently reading?
• What did you recently finish reading?
• What do you think you’ll read next?

My current read is Be With Me by J. Lynn.

I recently finished reading Must Be Your Love by Bella Andre.

I think the next book I'll read it Tied with Me by Kristen Proby.

Teaser Tuesday 18/03/14 "Be With Me"

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
  Share two “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers.

This week my current read is Be With Me by J. Lynn.

The teaser sentences come from page 198.

Added a little extra- otherwise it would have been something of nothing.

Jase stared at me a moment and then gave a little shake of his head.  My heart stopped and then skipped a beat.  He sat up and said, 'When I saw you for the first time, I thought you were absolutely beautiful.'

The Next Always (Inn BoonsBoro Trilogy #1) by Nora Roberts

Paperback: 352 pages

Publisher: Piatkus (3 May 2012)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 0749955414

 

The historic hotel in Boonsboro has endured war and peace, changing hands, even rumored hauntings. Now it's getting a major facelift from the Montgomery brothers and their eccentric mother. Beckett is the architect of the family, and his social life consists mostly of talking shop over pizza and beer. But there's another project he's got his eye on: the girl he's been waiting to kiss since he was fifteen.

After losing her husband and returning to her hometown, Clare Brewster soon settles into her life as the mother of three young sons while running the town's bookstore. Busy, with little time for romance, Clare is drawn across the street by Beckett's transformation of the old inn, wanting to take a closer look . . . at the building and the man behind it.

With the grand opening inching closer, Beckett's happy to give Clare a private tour - one room at a time. It's no first date, but these stolen moments are the beginning of something new - and open the door to the extraordinary adventure of what comes next . . .


Cover: I liked this cover when I saw it online, but in person it's quite a beautiful cover, and one of the nicest covers for one of her books that I own.


This is one of hers that I've wanted to read for a little while.
It was such a cute, light read.
I wouldn't say it's anything stand out, amazing or different, but it's a good, solid read that I really enjoyed reading.
I rooted for the characters, I liked the town setting, I thought the romance was really sweet.
Overall it was a great, quick read.  A nice, little escapist read.
I look forward to picking up the other two books in the trilogy and seeing how the ghost element is developed.
4/5 stars.

The Rancher's Second Chance by Victoria James

Received for review via NetGalley
Format: Kindle Edition
Publisher: Entangled: Indulgence (10 Mar 2014)
ASIN: B00IHCNO88

Widowed rancher Cole Forrester is all about running his family's ranch and guarding his heart. The last thing he's looking for is love, but when his little sister can't make it home to handle some of her wedding details, he's forced to entertain the event planner, Melanie Simms. Melanie is everything he's not even remotely interested in: she's high-society, complicated, and high maintenance. But when he's stranded with her at his remote cabin in the Colorado mountains, he realizes he's seriously underestimated her. She's hiding something about her past from him, but despite everything, he finds himself falling for the last woman he ever expected, and the first woman to make him want to give his heart and risk everything...

Cover:  Another cutesy, little romantic cover.
This was a contemporary romance novel I picked up totally on a whim.  It was a cute, really quick light read that I read in a day.
I enjoyed it, but I wouldn't say it was totally believable, in that the 'romance' between Mel and Cole could have developed a bit better.
For me, authors like Bella Andre have the edge, but it was still a nice little read, that I do recommend for big, contemporary romance fans.
3/5 stars.

[BLOGTOUR] Deeper by Robin York

Paperback: 400 pages

Publisher: Piatkus (6 Mar 2014)
Language: Unknown
ISBN-10: 0349404194
ISBN-13: 978-0349404196

When Caroline Piasecki's ex-boyfriend posts their sex pictures on the Internet, it destroys her reputation as a nice college girl. Suddenly her once-promising future doesn't look so bright. Caroline tries to make the pictures disappear; hoping time will bury her shame. Then a guy she barely knows rises to her defence and punches her ex to the ground.

West Leavitt is the last person Caroline needs in her life. Everyone knows he's shady. Still, Caroline is drawn to his confidence and swagger - even after promising her dad she'll keep her distance. On late, sleepless nights, Caroline starts wandering into the bakery where West works.

They hang out, they talk, they listen. Though Caroline and West tell each other they're 'just friends,' their feelings intensify until it becomes impossible to pretend. The more complicated her relationship with West gets, the harder Caroline has to struggle to discover what she wants for herself - and the easier it becomes to find the courage she needs to fight back against the people who would judge her.

When all seems lost, sometimes the only place to go is deeper.

Cover: This is an OK cover for me, I don't love it, I don't hate it, but I do think there's very little to scream at readers "Hey come check me out, I'm a hot little read."

I was really interested in checking this NA out because it covers the topic of revenge porn.  This is something I've heard about through the news, facebook, etc, where someone will post explicit pictures of an ex online.
This is what happens to Caroline.  After breaking up with Nate, he puts the pictures up, along with her name, and location.
The horrible comments left on message board get inside Caroline's head, until they follow her around.
West, he has his own problems.  His family life is dysfunctional, but he's managed to get to college in the hopes of changing that, but he still has to support his little sister Frankie, despite being miles away.
Caroline and West try and stay away from each other, it's madness, it couldn't possibly work...but they both want it to, deep down.
Oh the end...just about killed me.  I need a HEA here!!!  I can't wait to get my hands on Harder, because it CAN'T END THAT WAY.  It was sooooo not satisfying.
Some people may find some of the language used, crude or offensive.  I was taken aback at first, but I soon got used to it.  Was all of it totally necessary?  No.  Did it ruin the story for me?  No.  Will it be for everyone?  No.
Overall, Deeper is a strong read that's definitely worth checking out for fans of New Adult romance. The writing was solid, romance sweet and nicely built up and super hot sex thrown into the mix as well.
4/5 stars.


EXCERPT

BEFORE

Sometimes I hate the girl I was back then. It’s like how, when you see a horror movie, you can’t help but feel contempt for the virgin who goes for a walk in the woods after midnight. How can she be so stupid? Doesn’t she know she’s about to get gruesomely hacked to death?

She should know. That’s why it’s so hard to watch. Because you want her to know. You want her to defend herself, and you look down on her for not knowing, even though obviously it’s the guy who hacks her up who’s at fault.

The thing is, the movie makes him seem like a force of nature—unstoppable—so the virgin comes off as a total dumbass for not checking the forecast to see if it calls for serial murder before she skips off into the night.

These days, if someone sent me a text that said nothing but OMG, I wouldn’t wonder if whatever I was about to find out was going to be bad. I’d only wonder how bad, and how long it was going to take me to crawl out of whatever pit I was about to fall in. But in August of my sophomore year at Putnam College, I didn’t worry. I thought maybe Bridget, my best friend and roommate, had gotten distracted before she could finish her train of thought.

I towel-dried my hair and stood up to lob the damp towel into my laundry basket in the closet. Missed. By the time I’d picked it up and put it where it belonged, another message had popped up on my phone, this time with a link.

You need to see this, it said.

And then, immediately after, I’m so sorry.

I clicked the link.

I think part of me knew even then. Because the thing about being a good girl is, you spend your whole life developing a finely honed radar for detecting anything that could potentially cause people to love you less.

Girls like me—or, I guess, girls like the one I was last August—we eat approval. We live for it. So when we do something dumb—or, say, when we do something really monumentally idiotic—we know.

Book Haul/In My Mailbox 14/03/14

Booking Through Thursday 13/03/14

Booking Through Thursday is a weekly meme hosted by Booking Through Thursday and a different question is posted every week.

Another question raised by YA author A.S. King‘s blog post last week which touched on censorship—especially as it pertains to young adult books.
She writes:

If there really is [an ideal] town like this in America, I am happy about that. Really truly happy. But are your teenagers going to stay in that town forever? Don’t you want them to go to college? Or go out in the world and do stuff? And don’t you want them to be prepared for all of these real things that happen all the time in real life? Don’t you want them to know that they will make mistakes? Don’t you want them to learn how to make smarter mistakes?
Fiction can help. I write my books for one reason, whether they are for adults or teens. I write to make readers think. I write to widen perspective. I write to make readers ask questions and then answer the questions or start conversations. And I write sometimes to give voice to the throwaways, of which our society has many, but we usually hide them because we are still uncomfortable with what we see as our own mistakes. Make sure you say that in a whisper. Throwaways.

And so … this, right here, pretty much explains exactly WHY I like reading so much. Yes, it’s fun and entertaining and diverting, and all that, but ultimately, it TEACHES me things. It broadens my horizons and makes me look at ideas and people and life in general in new and interesting ways. Isn’t that what reading and art in general is SUPPOSED to do? How do you feel about this? Do you agree? Disagree? Discuss!

I meant to respond to last week's question but time got away from me and I didn't get to it.  However I did read A.S. King's very interesting and emotive blogpost.
For me, reading primarily, is about escapism.  I like to read a fantasy novel- set in a different world that doesn't exist, and yet I can go to for hours on end.
I like to read a sexy, romance, fall in love with a guy I'll never meet.
Of course there are those books that make me look at the world differently, that change me.  There are those that's opinions differ to mine, and yet make me think.
In the end, reading is for pleasure.