#FridayReads 30/01/15 #BronzeBuddyRead

Waiting On Wednesday 28/01/2015

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

This week, it's not a book I'm waiting on, but a movie.
And I'm sure you can guess what it is.
Fifty Shades of Grey.
I really enjoyed the books, and am very intrigued to see how they pull it off.
Released Valentine's Day.

W...W...W...Wednesday 28/01/2015

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 Maybe Someday by Colleen Hoover

 

I recently finished reading Falling for Jillian by Kristen Proby

My next read will be The Bronze Horseman by Paulline Simons

Teaser Tuesday 27/01/2015

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 teaser.

This week's teaser comes from Maybe Someday by Colleen Hoover.

Page 19.

 

 

 

 

"I'm mindlessly tapping my feet and singing along to his music with my made-up lyrics when he stops playing mid-song.  He never stops mid-song.  So naturally, I glance in his direction.  He's leaning forward, staring right at me.  He holds up his index finger, as if to say, Hold on,  and he sats his guitar beside him and runs into his apartment.  "What the hell is he doing?"

A Million Dirty Secrets: Part 1 by C.L. Parker

• Paperback: 368 pages
• Publisher: Hodder Paperbacks (29 Aug 2013)
• ISBN-10: 1444780506
• ISBN-13: 978-1444780505

For fans of Fifty Shades of Grey and Bared to You comes a wickedly erotic new novel of innocence, desire, and unbridled pleasure.
 
Delaine Talbot has a secret. When a matter of life and death threatens to tear apart her family, Delaine makes the ultimate sacrifice. She auctions herself off at Chicago’s most exclusive erotic club. Now she belongs to Noah Crawford, a wealthy mogul who introduces her to a seductive feast of the senses, awakening desires she only dreamed about.  
 
Noah doesn’t know why Delaine sold her body for a cool two mil. But it’s the perfect business arrangement. The inexperienced beauty will learn to satisfy his every sensual need, yet never touch his heart. Almost immediately their relationship generates heat—in more ways than one. When they fight, they take no prisoners. When they love, they show no mercy. When they’re together, they never want to leave each other’s arms. But soon, their intense, physical bond will take an unexpected turn—evolving into something neither has bargained for: the promise of a lasting love.

Cover:  A pretty simple cover.

I had no idea what to read.  So I picked up A Million Dirty Secrets thinking it would be a quick, easy read.  And it was.
It's being compared to Fifty Shades and Pretty Woman.  
I think it would like to think it's like that, but unfortunately it didn't quite reach that level.
I did enjoy the story, but some of the writing really irritated me.  I think the author tried to inject a little too much humour, and it just came off as silly and immature.
E.g, 'The wonder peen' and 'Double agent cooch'.
I did you not.
I thought Ana in Fifty Shades referring to her 'Inner Goddess' got irritating.
Not as much as this though.  Come on, who would say that?!?!  No one, that's who.
Also, there were so many pop culture references, trying to compare itself to them, Pretty Woman, Indiana Jones, etc, etc.
But, something kept me reading.
The cliff hanger ending would definitely make me want to pick up the conclusion, because I do definitely want to see how it ends.
2/5 stars.

Read from November 16 to 18, 2014

January Book Haul & In My Mailbox

[BLOGTOUR] The Mime Order by Samantha Shannon

Hardcover: 528 pages

• Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing (27 Jan. 2015)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1408857391
• ISBN-13: 978-1408857397

 Paige Mahoney has escaped the brutal prison camp of Sheol I, but her problems have only just begun: many of the survivors are missing and she is the most wanted person in London...

As Scion turns its all-seeing eye on the dreamwalker, the mime-lords and mime-queens of the city's gangs are invited to a rare meeting of the Unnatural Assembly. Jaxon Hall and his Seven Seals prepare to take centre stage, but there are bitter fault lines running through the clairvoyant community and dark secrets around every corner. Then the Rephaim begin crawling out from the shadows. But where is Warden? Paige must keep moving, from Seven Dials to Grub Street to the secret catacombs of Camden, until the fate of the underworld can be decided.

I read The Bone Season in 2013 and really enjoyed it, so I am thoroughly looking forward to delving back into the world Samantha Shannon has created.

I decided that I didn't want to spoil the series for anyone that has yet to read it, so have decided instead of reviewing book 2, I would give my reasons as to why I think you should give this series a go!

1.  A unique and complex world, set in a futuristic and paranormal London.  Those with 'gifts' such as clairvoyance, are hunted down.

2. Beautiful writing; “Knowledge is dangerous. Once you know something, you can't get rid of it. You have to carry it. Always.”

3. A tough but likeable heroine in Paige.  You you like your Katniess Everdeen's and Tris Prior's, you'll love her.

4. Beginnings of a romance, but it is in no way the focus of the story.

5. Over all, a compelling, intriguing and complex adult read.

Be sure to check out the other stops on the tour!!

Waiting On Wednesday 21/01/2015

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

 

 

This week the book I'm waiting to be released is I'll Meet You there by Heather Demetrios.
Released February 3rd.

If seventeen-year-old Skylar Evans were a typical Creek View girl, her future would involve a double-wide trailer, a baby on her hip, and the graveyard shift at Taco Bell. But after graduation, the only thing standing between straightedge Skylar and art school are three minimum-wage months of summer. Skylar can taste the freedom—that is, until her mother loses her job and everything starts coming apart. Torn between her dreams and the people she loves, Skylar realizes everything she’s ever worked for is on the line.

Nineteen-year-old Josh Mitchell had a different ticket out of Creek View: the Marines. But after his leg is blown off in Afghanistan, he returns home, a shell of the cocksure boy he used to be. What brings Skylar and Josh together is working at the Paradise—a quirky motel off California’s dusty Highway 99. Despite their differences, their shared isolation turns into an unexpected friendship and soon, something deeper.

W....W...W...Wednesday 21/01/2015

 

 

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?

I recently finished reading The Man To Be Reckoned With by Tara Pammi

I'm currently reading an ARC of A Crown of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

I think my next read will be Maybe Someday by Colleen Hoover.

Teaser Tuesday 20/01/2015 'A Court of Thorns and Roses'

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 teaser.

 This week's teaser comes from A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas, page 81.

"I was halfway through the gardens, heading toward outcropping of buildings I'd spied the day before, when Tamlin said from behind me, "No trip wires today?" I froze midstep and looked over a shoulder.  He was standing a few feet away.  How had he crept up so silently on the gravel?  Faerie stealth, no doubt."

Losing It by Cora Carmack

Paperback: 288 pages
Publisher: Ebury Press (Fiction) (28 Mar 2013)
Language: Unknown
ISBN-13: 978-0091953386

Love. Romance. Sex. There's a first time for everything...

As far as Bliss Edwards can tell, she's the last virgin standing, certainly amongst her friends. And she's determined to deal with the 'problem' as quickly and simply as possible.

But her plan for a no-strings one night stand turns out to be anything but simple. Especially when she arrives for her first class and recognises her hot new British professor.

She'd left him naked in her bed just 8 hours earlier...

Cover:  I like this re-jigged cover more than the originial, self-published cover.  Only a slight change, but I feel it just looks that little bit better.  It's not really how I picture the characters though.

As you guys are probably fully aware by now, I'm totally in love with the New Adult genre, and this is one that has done the rounds on Goodreads, so have wanted to pick up for a while, as I've heard a lot of good things about it.

Bliss is a virgin, doesn't want to be, but can't seem to turn her mind off enough to have sex.  Her friend decides to drag her out to bar so she can find the right guy for the job.  She does.  In Garrick.  They hit it off and the attraction and chemistry is instant.  But she freaks out and bails on him.  Only to find out he'll be her new theatre teacher.

I loved Garrick.  Hot.  British.  Literary buff.  And just plain buff actually.  Totally swoon worthy love interest.  I loved that the epilogue was in his POV, but I would have liked to have more of his POV, as I LOVE contemporary romance novels with alternating, dual perspectives.
I liked Bliss, and a lot of the time, her thoughts were scarily similar to my own.  I did find her insecurites were a tad much at times, and how with regards to her friend Cade, she didn't seem to know her own mind- which is very frustrating.
I flew through it, and thoroughly enjoyed it.  Not the best New Adult novel I've read, but certainly not the worst.
4/5 stars.

Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins

Hardcover: 384 pages
Publisher: E P Dutton & Co Inc (29 Sep 2011)
ISBN-10: 0525423281
ISBN-13: 978-0525423287
Budding designer Lola Nolan doesn’t believe in fashion...she believes in costume. The more expressive the outfit—more sparkly, more fun, more wild—the better. But even though Lola’s style is outrageous, she’s a devoted daughter and friend with some big plans for the future. And everything is pretty perfect (right down to her hot rocker boyfriend) until the dreaded Bell twins, Calliope and Cricket, return to the neighborhood.

When Cricket—a gifted inventor—steps out from his twin sister’s shadow and back into Lola’s life, she must finally reconcile a lifetime of feelings for the boy next door.


Cover:  I love the original covers for this series.  Cheesy, cute and romantic.  My favourite type of cover.

I really enjoyed Anna and The French Kiss, and held off reading Lola until closer to the time of Isla's release.
And I have to say I was somewhat disappointed by it.
I didn't connect with Lola.  I found her very immature and childish.
I didn't feel any kind of connection between her and Cricket.
After the delight of Anna and St Clair this one just didn't compete.
Definitely disappointed.
2.5/5 stars.

What I Got For Christmas 2014: Book Edition

Booking Through Thursday 15/01/14

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

If you were going to write a book, what kind of book would it be? (And if you’re an author already, what kind of book would you LIKE to write that you haven’t written yet?)

I don't claim to be a writer, but if I were to write something, I'd like to write a young adult/new adult, contemporary romance novel.  With lots of sass and sizzle.

Waiting On Wednesday 14/01/2015 'Love,Lucy'

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 Love, Lucy by April Lindner.

I've read Jane by April Linder which was a contemporary retelling of Jane Eyre and absolutely loved it, and am looking forward to checking out Love, Lucy which is a contemporary retelling of A Room With a View by E.M. Forster.

Released 27th January

While backpacking through Florence, Italy, during the summer before she heads off to college, Lucy Sommersworth finds herself falling in love with the culture, the architecture, the food...and Jesse Palladino, a handsome street musician. After a whirlwind romance, Lucy returns home, determined to move on from her "vacation flirtation." But just because summer is over doesn't mean Lucy and Jesse are over, too. 

In this coming-of-age romance, April Lindner perfectly captures the highs and lows of a summer love that might just be meant to last beyond the season.

W...W...W...Wednesday 14/01/15

 

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 Holding Strong by Lori Foster

 

I recently finished reading Prentending With The Playboy by Tracey Livesay

I think my next read will be Falling For Jillian by Kristen Proby

 

 

Teaser Tuesday 13/01/14 'Holding Strong'

 

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 teaser.

This week my current read is Holding Strong by Lori Foster.
Teaser comes from the Kindle mark 14%





"I need you to always be honest with me, Cherry, no matter what."  It irked her, this persistence that she might not be truthful.  "I'm not a liar."
"No.  But there are layers of honesty." Firm, he tilted his head to stare into her eyes.  "I have to have one hundred percent."

Breathe With Me (With Me In Seattle #7) by Kristen Proby

• Format: Kindle Edition
• File Size: 476 KB
• Print Length: 280 pages
• Page Numbers Source ISBN: 1633500004
• ASIN: B00KYA9VYM
• Sometimes you meet the right person at the wrong time…
  
  Mark Williams has loved Meredith since he was seventeen. A successful man with a strong family, he’s worked hard to move on from Meredith breaking his heart all those years ago. When his path crosses with the only woman he’s ever loved again years later, Mark knows there is nothing he won’t do to keep her in his life. But when the going gets tough, will Meredith stick around or will he lose her again?
  
  …But true love has a way of finding its way back.
  
  Meredith Summers is a dancer. One of the first things she learned in following her dreams is that timing is everything. She has spent the past ten years following her dream touring with mega-stars while trying to forget the high school sweetheart she left behind. Now she’s back in Seattle, running a successful dance studio with her best friend Jax and determined to move on from her gypsy past. Until the day she sees Mark Williams and time stands still. It’s as if no time has passed at all when Meredith finds herself in Mark’s arms again. The chemistry, the bonds and the love are as strong as ever and hearing Mark whisper breathe with me in her ear is a balm to her wounded soul. But will she grab onto this second chance at love, or is the timing all wrong for them again?
  
  Don't miss catching up with the Montgomery and Williams clans in this latest installment of the With Me In Seattle Series from New York Times bestselling author, Kristen Proby.
  
  “There were days that I would have exchanged a year of my life to just touch you one more time.” –Mark Williams
• COVER: Another, sexy, romantic cover that I love.  I love all the covers to this series.

I really love this series.

As with all series, there are some books that I enjoyed more than others.

And I did enjoy this one.

Mark and Meredith, M and M, were teenage sweathearts.  But, Meredith broke it off to go to New York to study dance.

But they never forgot each other.

And then they meet again, and those feelings resurface.

I really loved Meredith and Mark, and found myself rooting for them.

Not my favourite of the series, but I did really enjoy it.

It was a great addition to the series.

3.5/5 stars.

Read from January 05 to 06, 2015

The Best Kind of Broken by Chelsea Fine

Received for review via NetGalley
Format: Kindle Edition
File Size: 483 KB
Print Length: 400 pages
Publisher: Piatkus (4 Mar 2014)
ASIN: B00GYXE3HI

New Adult Romance

Pixie and Levi haven't spoken in nearly a year when they find themselves working―and living―at the same inn in the middle of nowhere. Once upon a time, they were childhood friends. But that was before everything went to hell. And now things are... awkward.

All they want to do is avoid each other, and their past, for as long as possible. But now that they're forced to share a bathroom, and therefore a shower, keeping their distance from one another becomes less difficult than keeping their hands off each other. Welcome to the hallway of awkward tension and sexual frustration, folks. Get comfy. It’s going to be a long summer.

Cover:  A typical, New Adult, cutesy, romantic cover.  I like it.

I read Sophie and Carter by Chelsea Fine a coupke of years ago now, and really loved it.
So when I saw this was available for review on NetGalley, I jumped at the chance to read it.
I did enjoy it, but for me, didn't live up to Sophie and Carter.
Levi and Pixie have been friends for years, they were just beginning to be something more when tragedy struck.  They've drifted apart, the attraction is still there, but their guilt keeps them away from each other.
I liked the over all premise of the book, but I just didn't feel the 'chemistry' between the two.  It didn't sizzle for me.
I was glad they resolved it and had their HEA, but I just didn't feel it, like I have with books such as Rule by Jay Crownover or The Secret of Ella and Micha by Jessica Sorensen.
I did like that we had both characters perspectives, that's a touch I do really enjoy in New Adult romance.
I am really looking forward to Daren's story, Perfect Kind of Trouble.
4/5 stars.

My Top 14 Books of 2014

Booking Through Thursday 08/01/15

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

Do you ever weed out unwanted books from your library? And if so, what do you do with them?

No.  I'm terrible.  Even if I know I won't read something, or I have read it and didn't particularly enjoy it, I find it very hard to part with.
I bond with them and can't let go.
It is something I am trying to work on so I can have my shelves full of the books I love, and therefore give me that much more space.

W...W...W...Wednesday 17/01/15

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?

I recently finished reading Breathe With Me by Kristen Proby

My current read is Forever His Baby by Morgana Phoenix

I think my next read will be Forever With Me by Kirsten Proby

Teaser Tuesday 06/01/14 'Breathe 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 teaser.

This week, my current read is Breathe With Me by Kristen Proby.
Teaser comes from the 86% mark.





"You wanna talk about what the hell crawled up your ass and died before or after class?" Jax asks as he leans against my desk and crosses his arms over his chest.  Little girls are filing in for their after school ballet class, challinging and laughing, excited for  class. 
"I'm fine." I reply with a sigh."

New Moon Graphic Novel Volume 1 by Stephanie Meyer and Young Kim

• Hardcover: 176 pages
• Publisher: Atom (30 April 2013)
• Language: Unknown
• ISBN-10: 0349001499
• ISBN-13: 978-0349001494
• 
  
• 
  
• The graphic novel adaptation of Stephanie Meyer's international phenomenon, The Twilight Saga, continues with the first instalment ofNew Moon: The Graphic Novel! Number one New York Times bestselling illustrator Young Kim returns to further render the star-crossed relationship of Edward and Bella and the new challenges that threaten to tear them apart...

Cover: A beautiful representation of the artwork through the graphic novel.

I am still a Twilight fan.  I may not be as obsessed with the series as I used to be, but I'm definitely still a fan of the series.  And I loved the Twilight graphic novels.
New Moon was not my favourite book of the series, so I didn't enjoy this one as much as the Twilight one, obviously.
But the artwork was still beautiful.  Stunning actually.
I do feel the splitting them into 'volumes' is a bit of a money spinner, as this was so short.  It could easily have just been put into one book.
I do look forward to eventually picking up volume two, at some point.
4/5 stars.

December 2014 Reading Wrap Up

Breathe (Sea Breeze #1) by Abbi Glines

• Hardcover: 333 pages
• Publisher: Simon Pulse (4 Jun 2013)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1442488700
• ISBN-13: 978-1442488700

In the shore town of Sea Breeze, Sadie discovers that fame is nothing in the face of passion. A steamy read from bestselling author Abbi Glines.

Sadie White's summer job is at the beach, but she won't be working as a lifeguard. Since her mom is pregnant and refuses to work, Sadie will be taking over as a domestic servant for a wealthy family on a nearby island.

When the family arrives at their summer getaway, Sadie is surprised to learn that the owner of the house is Jax Stone, one of the hottest teen rockers in the world. If Sadie were normal; if she hadn't spent her life raising her mother and taking care of the house, maybe she'd be excited about working for a rock star. But she's not.

Even though Sadie isn't impressed by Jax's fame, he is drawn to her. Everything about Sadie fascinates Jax, but he fights his attraction: Relationships never work in his world, and as badly as he wants Sadie, he believes she deserves more. Yet as the summer stretches on, Jax's passion leaves him breathless, and Sadie feels like the only source of oxygen.

Can their love overcome the disparity in their lifestyles? One breath at a time, they're going to find out.

Cover:  I really like this cute, fun, cheesy cover.

I've been collecting the Sea Breeze books for ages, but was yet to read them.  
Finally I got round to picking up the first book, Breathe.  And I really enjoyed it.
I didn't love it as much as the Too Far series, which I think will always be my favourites of Abbi's books.
Breathe was a fast paced, cute contemporary read.
Sadie was a sweet character, and I really felt for her.  Her home life has meant she has been unable to really form attachments to people, and the first person or guy, that she has any interest in, would happen to be a famous rockstar.  Complicated much.
Jax supposedly has the dream life- famous rock god, fans clambering after his every move- but somewhere along the way he's lost himself, and with Sadie- he feels like 'him' again, instead of his stage persona.
The 'romance' expect moved a little too fast for me.  They suddenly loved each other, but in actuality they spend very little time together.  I felt I wanted more of them just hanging out and speaking to each other.
I found myself thinking that I was reading a Twilight fanfic- there are A LOT of similarities when you break it down.
-Sweet girl moved to quiet town, feels isolated and different
-Likes a guy totally wrong for her, warned away and said guy tries to stay away
-Male BFF wants more, but girl can't because she feels for the wrong guy
-Guy leaves to try and protect girl from his crazy life
-Girl has accident, guy realises he can't stay away
-Happy ending

More or less.
But I did like it, but just not as much as the Too Far trilogy.  
It's cute and fluffy, but I've definitely read NA and YA romances that I've preferred.
3.5/5 stars.

Read from October 31 to November 02, 2014