February 2015 Book Haul/In My Mailbox

The Pride of Jared MacKade by Nora Roberts [MacKade Brothers #2]

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Mills & Boon (1 Mar 2013)
• ISBN-10: 0263904555
• ISBN-13: 978-0263904550
• FOR JARED, WOULD IT BE COLD PRIDE—OR A WARM BRIDE?
  Jared MacKade was used to getting his way—especially when it came to women—but he was getting exactly nowhere with Savannah Morningstar.
  The lady was drop-dead gorgeous, and she had a drop-dead attitude that was wreaking havoc with his pride. And when a MacKade’s pride got stepped on, there was bound to be hell to pay…

Cover:  Another really sweet cover, that I really like.

I was in a bit of a reading slump, and so was craving some simple, contemporary romance. 

I read The Return of Rafe MacKade and really enjoyed it, so decided to pick up the second book straight away.

I enjoyed this one too. Savannah was one tough, sassy lady.  I loved her character.

Jared was a lawyer, who had a failed marriage behind him.

They were an unlikely pair, but I really liked them together.

Jared was a bit annoying, not trusting Savannah, having double standards.

But he redeemed himself eventually.

Another sweet little read.  Perfect for when I don't know what to read.

3.5/5 stars.

W...W...W...Wednesday 25/02/15

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'm currently reading The Liar by Nora Roberts

I recently finished reading Prick by Sabrina Paige

I think my next read will be Mending Michael by J.P. Grider

Waiting On Wednesday 25/02/15 'Vision In Silver'

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 Vision In Silver by Anne Bishop.  My most anticipated release of this year.  The Others is one of my favourite series, and I'm dying to get back into this series.
Released 3rd March.

The Others freed the  cassandra sangue  to protect the blood prophets from exploitation, not realizing their actions would have dire consequences. Now the fragile seers are in greater danger than ever before—both from their own weaknesses and from those who seek to control their divinations for wicked purposes. In desperate need of answers, Simon Wolfgard, a shape-shifter leader among the Others, has no choice but to enlist blood prophet Meg Corbyn’s help, regardless of the risks she faces by aiding him.

Meg is still deep in the throes of her addiction to the euphoria she feels when she cuts and speaks prophecy. She knows each slice of her blade tempts death. But Others and humans alike need answers, and her visions may be Simon’s only hope of ending the conflict.

For the shadows of war are deepening across the Atlantik, and the prejudice of a fanatic faction is threatening to bring the battle right to Meg and Simon’s doorstep… 

Teaser Tuesday 24/02/15 'The Liar'

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 the 20% kindle mark of The Liar by Nora Roberts.





v "A massage, an energizing facial and coming home to find her little girl bubbling over with happiness, those went a long way toward lifting Shelby's mood.  But the biggest lift had been unburdening herself to her grandmother.  She'd told her everything- about finding the safe-deposit box and what was in it, the private detective, the spreadsheet she's created, and her need to find a paying job as soon as she could."

Pretty Little Liars by Sara Shepard

Received for review
Paperback: 272 pages
Publisher: Atom (4 Nov 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1907410716
ISBN-13: 978-1907410710

• In the exclusive Philadelphia suburb of Rosewood, Alison is the Queen Bee of her elite seventh grade hive. BFs Aria, Hanna, Spencer, and Emily vie for her attention, even as each of them hides a hideous secret only Alison knows. So when Alison goes missing after a slumber party, never to be seen again, each girl is heartbroken, but also a little relieved. Now it is three years later, and though the four girls have grown apart, they are each still hiding something. Artsy Aria is carrying on an affair with one of her teachers, fashionista Hanna shoplifts to accessorize her trendy outfits, blue-blood Spencer is sleeping with her older sister’s boyfriend, while straight-A Emily is trying to ignore her attraction to a new female classmate. When the girls begin receiving threatening text messages and emails that from someone known only as "A," they must confront the fact that against all odds, it appears Alison is back. Could Alison still be alive? And if so, why is she so determined to uncover all their dirty little secrets?
• Cover: Obviously the tv show cover.  I don't mind it, but I love the original brightly coloured covers, with the dolls on.

Ohhh what a scandalous read!  

I don't know why, but all of a sudden, I just felt pulled towards picking this book up.

I'm so glad that I did!

The secrets, the scandal, the bitchiness...loved it.

I loved that the chapters alternated at random between each of the girls, so that you didn't know whose point of view you'd be reading next.

I think my favourite of the 'Liars' has to be Aria so far, I found her to be the most likeable, followed by Spencer as I felt her plotlines were the most juicy.  Emily's felt like the most serious topic covered, that of sexuality, and Hanna...I haven't taken to her yet.  I felt she was the whiniest of the group.

This is definitely a guilty pleasure read.

Book 1 was setting up a lot for the future books, this one really just introduced us to each of the girls, brought up some of their secrets, introduced the mysterious 'A', and you just know the secrets are going to start to be spilled in the next books.

Over all I really enjoyed this, and definitely recommend.

4/5 stars.

Fifty Shades of Grey Movie - Youtube Review

Fifty Shades of Grey - Movie Thoughts

It's what everyone is talking about.
The movie adaptation of Fifty Shades of Grey.
I read and reviewed all three books, back on the blog in 2012.
Fifty Shades of Grey, Fifty Shades Darker and Fifty Shades Freed.
And I made no apologies for loving them.  For some reason, I found them utterly compelling and couldn't put them down.










So I was VERY interested in the movie.
How would they adapt it?  What rating would it be?  How explicit would it be? What would they cut?  What would they keep?  Who would play who?

It was a long wait for the movie.  I do feel that it could have been released much sooner.
But.
I have to say I loved the movie.  I've seen it twice now, and I feel it was really well done.
There were some parts that were a little cringe.  Dialogue mostly, that for some reason didn't come across as serious as it should.  But I forgave it.
I loved the chemistry between Dakota Johnson and Jamie Dornan as Ana and Christian.

I know some people were dubious about Jamie playing Christian but I really loved him.  Thought he could play the serious CEO, as well as the sexy Dom and playful man being unlocked by Ana.


I thought that Dakota Johnson was the perfect Ana.  She looked as I imagined Ana to look.

I thought the sex scenes were very well done.
Ok- they were damn hot.  I said it.



I loved little nuances, like seeing Christian wait for Ana's answer- which you don't get in the books as they're in Ana's perspective.



Over all, I loved the movie.  Am glad they made. Am dying for the sequel already because, just like it did in the books, that ending is evil!!!!!
If you're old enough, and are debating whether to watch it or not- I say go for it.  I was not disappointed in the least.

Forever His Baby by Morgana Phoenix

• Format: Kindle Edition
• File Size: 1959 KB
• Print Length: 244 pages
• ASIN: B00RDTFWMM
• Two brothers. One impossible choice
  
  From the moment her suspicions are confirmed, Lily knows she’s screwed. What the hell is a nineteen year old with no future going to do with a baby? She can barely take care of herself. She needs help.
  
  In walks Sloan McClain, the only man Lily has ever truly wanted — and the brother of the boy whose baby she’s carrying. While Lily expects a great number of outcomes when she tells Sloan her news, him proposing marriage and asking her to keep the baby is not one of them, especially not when she has every intention of giving the baby a better future by giving it the home she can’t.
  
  Having spent the majority of his life protecting his brother from the bone-breaking fists of their father, Sloan is no stranger to hardship, loss and abandonment. He has learned long ago never to rely on anyone to take care of what was his, and that baby is his. He isn’t about to let Lily give away his family, nor can he allow that child to destroy the future he has built for Cole. His only option: marry the mother and claim the baby as his.
  
  But no secret ever stays hidden forever.

Cover:  Really cute, sweet cover.

I stumbled across this book on Goodreads and thought I'd give it a try. I normally avoid one girl, two brothers, stories.  Purely because I dislike love triangles.  But this one was interesting, because while Cole is Lily's best friend, there's no attraction, chemistry or romantic feelings between them.  They made a pact that if they finished school still virgins, they would lose it to each other.  Of course this had an unforeseen result.

Lily has always loved Sloan, but he acts as if he can't stand her.

But really, he loves her too.

The baby brings the two of them together.

I really enjoyed this book.

The connection between Sloan and Lily was smoking.

Definitely unlike any other New Adult novel I've read, so I really liked it for that.

I liked the plot, I liked the romance.

But I think it lost it's way a little towards the end.

The big reveal was so quickly and easily overcome that it fell a little flat.

But I cold forgive that.

But the epilogue suddenly had a strange BDSM aspect appear between Lily and Sloan that had not been present for the rest of the book.  BAMN!!  It was suddenly just there.  There were parts that showed Sloan as an alpha male/dominant type character, but not to the level that was seen in the last chapter.  I felt it jarred with the rest of the book, which was a shame.

3.5/5 stars.

Read from January 06 to 07, 2015

The Bronze Horseman by Paullina Simons #BronzeBuddyRead

W...W...W...Wednesday 11/02/15

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 Unbeautifully by Madeline Sheehan

I recently finished reading Undeniable by Madeline Sheehan

I think my next read will be...wait for it...Unattainable by Madeline Sheehan

Teaser Tuesday 10/02/2015 'Undeniable'

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

This week my current read is Undeniable by Madeline Sheehan.
Teaser comes from the 20% (page 70)




"If I needed anymore proof that the Hell's Horsemen were into some seriously illegal shit- other than their alliance with my father- all I had to do was take one look at their clubhouse.  Smack dab in the middle of the Montana hills, down a barely there dirt road, enclosed with an electric fence topped with razor wire, sat their whitewashed warehouse, massive at around 30,000 square feet, with their insignia painted huge on the front building."

The Exile: An Outlander Graphic Novel by Diana Gabaldon and Hoang Nguyen

• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: Del Rey Books (1 Sep 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0345505387
• ISBN-13: 978-0345505385

Diana Gabaldon’s brilliant storytelling has captivated millions of readers in her bestselling and award-winning Outlander saga. Now, in her first-ever graphic novel, Gabaldon gives readers a fresh look at the events of the original Outlander: Jamie Fraser’s side of the story, gorgeously rendered by artist Hoang Nguyen.
 
After too long an absence, Jamie Fraser is coming home to Scotland—but not without great trepidation. Though his beloved godfather, Murtagh, promised Jamie’s late parents he’d watch over their brash son, making good on that vow will be no easy task. There’s already a fat bounty on the young exile’s head, courtesy of Captain Black Jack Randall, the sadistic British officer who’s crossed paths—and swords—with Jamie in the past. And in the court of the mighty MacKenzie clan, Jamie is a pawn in the power struggle between his uncles: aging chieftain Colum, who demands his nephew’s loyalty—or his life—and Dougal, war chieftain of Clan MacKenzie, who’d sooner see Jamie put to the sword than anointed Colum’s heir.

And then there is Claire Randall—mysterious, beautiful, and strong-willed, who appears in Jamie’s life to stir his  compassion . . . and arouse his desire. 
 
But even as Jamie’s heart draws him to Claire, Murtagh is certain she’s been sent by the Old Ones, and Captain Randall accuses her of being a spy. Claire clearly has something to hide, though Jamie can’t believe she could pose him any danger. Still, he knows she is torn between two choices—a life with him, and whatever it is that draws her thoughts so often elsewhere. 
    
Step into the captivating, passionate, and suspenseful world of The Exile, and experience the storytelling magic of Diana Gabaldon as never before.

Cover:  A beautiful, stunning hardback cover.

Outlander is taking over my life.
I'm actually obsessed with it.
I read the first book, Cross Stitch a few weeks ago- and loved it.
Then I started watching the TV show- in love with it.  
And then I found myself reaching for the graphic novel.
As soon as I saw that it was Outlander from Jamie's point of view- I knew I was going to read it.
And I loved it.
It's not the whole of the first book- I would say it ends at about the halfway point of the actual novel.
But for me, it was worth it.
There was subtle differences, and the different POV's meant that you got more all round knowledge of what is going on, then rather just through Claire's perspective.
The art was enjoyable.  Not completely stand out, but it did definitely add something.
I highly recommend it for fans of Outlander, but people should definitely know that it is not the entire first book re-told.  But I definitely hope that a second graphic novel will be released.  Fingers crossed.
4.5/5 stars.

Read on November 11, 2014

January 2015 Reading Wrap Up

W...W...W...Wednesday 04/02/15

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?

This week my current read is The Bronze Horseman by Paullina Simons.

I recently finished reading Maybe Someday by Colleen Hoover.

I think my next read will be Hero by Samantha Young.

Teaser Tuesday 03/02/2015 'The Bronze Horseman'

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 The Bronze Horseman by Paullina Simons, for a Buddy Read.

Teaser comes from page 237.

"A few days later Tatiana and Dasha counted what was left of their provisions, most of which Tatiana had purchased with Alexander's help on the first day of the war.  

Their ephemeral first day of war.

That day seemed so far away, as if it belonged in another life, in another time."

The Land of Stories: A Grimm Warning by Chris Colfer

• Hardcover: 480 pages
• Publisher: Little, Brown Young Readers (8 July 2014)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 034912437X
• ISBN-13: 978-0349124377

Conner Bailey thinks his fairy-tale adventures are behind him--until he discovers a mysterious clue left by the famous Brothers Grimm. With help from his classmate Bree and the outlandish Mother Goose, Conner sets off on a mission across Europe to crack a two-hundred-year-old code.

Meanwhile, Alex Bailey is training to become the next Fairy Godmother...but her attempts at granting wishes never go as planned. Will she ever be truly ready to lead the Fairy Council?

When all signs point to disaster for the Land of Stories, Conner and Alex must join forces with their friends and enemies to save the day. But nothing can prepare them for the coming battle...or for the secret that will change the twins' lives forever.

The third book in the bestselling Land of Stories series puts the twins to the test as they must bring two worlds together!

Cover:  Another stunningly beautiful cover.  I love the covers to this series so much.

I love The Land of Stories series.
It's my favourite middle grade series, and one of my favourite series period.
Just when I think Chris Colfer couldn't possibly do it again.  He gives us another fantastic story of Alex and Conner, twins that explore life and adventure in the magical Land of Stories.
I loved that this one included the Brothers Grimm in a most ingenius way.
This series has me hooked, and if you haven't already, I highly recommend you check it out.  It's one of those series that anyone of any age can enjoy!

5/5 stars.

Read from November 30 to December 06, 2014