Weekly (Kinda) Vlog #2 - Techo Fail, Bellini, Girl You Left Behind, Pete's Dragon Breakdown

An Ounce of Hope (Pound of Flesh #2) by Sophie Jackson

Paperback: 384 pages

• Publisher: Headline Eternal (5 Jan. 2016)
• ISBN-10: 1472224663
• ISBN-13: 978-1472224668

From the fanfic phenom whose debut A Pound of Flesh had over 4.5 million reads, this sequel, An Ounce of Hope, tells the passionate love story of Carter’s best friend, Max.

Max O’Hare can’t seem to let go of his past: his drug habit, the end of his relationship with Lizzie Jordan, the woman he knows he’ll never get over, and the loss of their unborn son.

After successfully completing rehab and learning to explore his deepest fears and dreams through painting, Max meets Grace Brooks. With her innate optimism, and her love of art and photography, Grace appears to be the perfect girl. Yet no one knows where she came from, or why she keeps her past so closely guarded. Over time, Max and Grace gradually allow each other in—but will he ever be able to fully let go of his past? Or will his heart remain closed forever?

Cover:  Another sexy cover.  I like that these covers are not, without being overly revealing.

I read A Pound of Flesh last year, and absolutely loved it.  
So I was really excited for the sequel.
And I did enjoy it, but I don't know if my expectations were too high, but I didn't enjoy it as much as the first book.
It follows different characters.  The male protagonist,Max, we met in A Pound of Flesh, and the female protagonist, Grace, is new.
I just didn't feel any chemistry between them.  As friends maybe, but I didn't feel the sexual attraction that was supposedly there.
I liked both characters back story.  I love Sophie Jackson writes people- we really get to know and understand them.  And she's an author that shows us things, not just telling us.  Her characters definitely have depth.
I still really enjoyed this book, and would definitely still recommend picking it up.
I look forward to more books in this series.
3.5/5 stars.

Read from January 18 to 24, 2016

February 2016 Book Haul | In My Mailbox

W...W...W...Wednesday 24/02/2016

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 Girl You Left Behind by Jojo Moyes

I recently finished reading Before Sunrise by Diana Palmer

I think my next read will be Now That I've Found You by Ciara Geraghty

Teaser Tuesday 23/02/2016 'The Girl You Left Behind'

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 pageShare 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 page 204 of The Girl You Left Behind by Jojo Moyes.





"And now you have to leave.  The words that have been on her lips for the past twenty hours do not come.  She does not want Mo to go just yet.  She does not want to be along with the council-tax people and the final demands and her own uncontrollable thoughts; she feels suddenly grateful that tonight she will have somebody to- a human defence against the date."

Winter (Lunar Chronicles #4) by Marissa Meyer

• Paperback: 832 pages
• Publisher: Puffin (10 Nov. 2015)
• ISBN-10: 014134024X
• ISBN-13: 978-0141340241

Princess Winter is admired by the Lunar people for her grace and kindness, and despite the scars that mar her face, her beauty is said to be even more breathtaking than that of her stepmother, Queen Levana.

Winter despises her stepmother, and knows Levana won’t approve of her feelings for her childhood friend—the handsome palace guard, Jacin. But Winter isn’t as weak as Levana believes her to be and she’s been undermining her stepmother’s wishes for years. Together with the cyborg mechanic, Cinder, and her allies, Winter might even have the power to launch a revolution and win a war that’s been raging for far too long.

Can Cinder, Scarlet, Cress, and Winter defeat Levana and find their happily ever afters?

Cover: When this cover was first released- my initial reaction was that I was not a fan.  I thought in comparison to the others in the series, it looked somewhat tacky and photoshopped.  It has now grown on me but it's definitely grown on me- although it's still not my favourite cover of the series.

I needed to steel myself to get ready to pick this one up, one because of the sheer size of this bad boy, at over 800 pages and two, because of it being the final book in one of my favourite series.  I felt some trepidation along with the 
excitement.
And it was definitely a good conclusion to the series.
I would recommend being 'prepared' to read this one.  It took me two weeks to read- and I did love being back in the Lunar Chronicles world.
With each book you obviously pick up new character's points of view, accounting for the increasingly large books by book.
With this one, you really need to be into reading it, because you need to keep track of who's who and who's where.  You've got people together, separating, meeting up again, splitting into groups, and repeat.
You just have to concentrate on where people are.
Over all, this is a must read for every fan of the Lunar Chronicles, and I think it ended well.
4.5/5 stars.
Read from January 02 to 17, 2016

#FridayReads 19/02/2016 'The Girl You Left Behind'

W...W...W...Wednesday 17/02/2016

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 Before Sunrise by Diana Palmer

I recently finished Accidentally In Love With The Biker by Teri Ann Stanley

I think my next read will be Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

Leo's Chance by Mia Sheridan

• Format: Kindle Edition
• Print Length: 237 pages
• Page Numbers Source ISBN: 1490381716
• ASIN: B00DFTUSB4

A companion (alternate POV) novel to the USA Todaybestselling book, Leo. 

Does everyone deserve a second chance? Even someone who lies and deceives to get it?

Do we all have a second chance coming? Even if we play a part in our own destruction?

How hard would you fight to have a second chance at love? A second chance at life? Another chance to tell your own story?

Every love story has two sides. Evie told hers. This time it's Leo's chance.

THIS IS A POV NOVEL OF LEO (LEO SHOULD BE READ FIRST). New Adult Contemporary Romance: Due to strong language and sexual content, this book is not intended for readers under the age of 18.

Cover:  Another simple cover.

After reading Leo, I immediately wanted to pick up the companion novel, Leo's Chance.  Essentially getting the other side of the story.
And I'm glad I did.  You definitely need to read Leo's POV if you've only read Evie's.
I can understand why the author didn't initially use both points of view in alternating chapters in Leo as it would have 'ruined' the intended big reveal.  This works better.  Even though you are essentially reading the same book twice, so some aspects can be a little repetitive- I still really enjoyed reading it, and would recommend picking up this New Adult duology for fans of the genre.
4/5 stars.

Read from September 21 to 25, 2015

January 2016 Favourites

W...W...W...Wednesday 10/02/2016

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 Bared To You by Sylvia Day

I recently finished reading The Marriage Bargain by Jennifer Probst

I think my next read will be Before Jamaica Lane by Samantha Young

Teaser Tuesday 09/02/2016 'Bared To You'

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 pageShare 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 page 154 of Bared To You by Sylvia Day.




"I quickly clicked through the other links in the digest to find the same picture with similar captions and articles.  Alarmed, I sat back and thought about what this meant.  If one kiss was headline news, what chance would Gideon and I have to make a relationship work?
My hands weren't quite steady as I closed the browser tabs.  I hadn't considered the press coverage, but I should have.  "Damn it."

Easy Melody (Boudreaux #3) by Kristen Proby

• Format: Kindle Edition
• Print Length: 207 pages
• Publisher: Ampersand Publishing, Inc. (10 Nov. 2015)
• ASIN: B0153VNDZY
• Callie Mills never intended to return to New Orleans and the life she left behind more than a decade ago. There was no need to open old wounds when she had the life she’d worked hard for in Denver. But when she’s fired from her awesome job in Colorado and her father dies, she has no choice but to return home to run the derelict bar left to her in the heart of the French Quarter. Callie must not only face bad memories but turn The Odyssey into something she can be proud of.
  
  And who better to help bring in crowds of people than Declan Boudreaux?
  
  Declan is a sought-after musician who knows he’s good at what he does and loves doing it. Known to pack the house, he also loves women and doesn’t expect to be knocked back a step by the beautiful new owner of The Odyssey. Callie is sharp, gorgeous and funny, and makes him yearn for something he never has before… Commitment.
  
  But when Callie’s able to turn the business around with renovations, making it one of the hottest bars in the Quarter, will she sell out and leave her past behind once and for all, or will Declan be able to convince her that’s she’s where she needed to be all along…in his arms.

Cover:  Another cute and romantic cover for this series.  I love them.

I really enjoy Kristen Proby's books- and the Boudreaux series has been particularly enjoyable.  And this third installment is no different.
There are time when you crave a light, fluffy, romantic, cute and quick read.
And that's exactly what I get with this series.
Callie and Declan are wonderful characters, I really liked them.
Callie is forced to move back home because of her father's death, to take over his bar, which Declan plays in.
They're relationship started a little quickly, in my opinion- but it soon slowed down a bit and developed quite nicely.
I really liked Callie- I thought she was a really strong character, she had her vulnerabilities - but I just really enjoyed her character.
This isn't my favourite book from the series, that is still book 2, Easy Charm.
Over all, I really loved reading it.  Easy and fun- and after reading a particular heavy book, this was just what I needed.
4/5 stars.

Read from November 10 to 13, 2015

January 2016 Reading Wrap Up

Me Before You | Movie Trailer Reaction

Waiting On Wednesday 03/02/2016 'Night Study'

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

This week the book that I'm waiting to be released is Night Study by Maria V. Snyder.  

I've yet to read the previous book, but the original Poison Study trilogy I loved, and can easily say is one of my favourites.

Released 25th February.

Ever since being kidnapped from the Illiais Jungle as a child, Yelena Zaltana's has been fraught with peril. But the recent loss of her Soulfinding abilities has endangered her more than ever before. As she desperately searches for a way to reclaim her magic, her enemies are closing in, and neither Ixia nor Sitia are safe for her anymore. Especially since the growing discord between the two countries and the possibility of a war threatens everything Yelena holds dear. 

Valek is determined to protect Yelena, but he's quickly running out of options. The Commander suspects that his loyalties are divided, and he's been keeping secrets from Valek...secrets that put him, Yelena and all their friends in terrible danger. As they uncover the various layers of the Commander's mysterious plans, they realize it's far more sinister that they could have ever imagined.

W...W...W...Wednesday 03/02/2016

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 Marriage Bargain by Jennifer Probst

I recently finished reading Until Friday Night by Abbi Glines

I think my next read will be The Singular & Extraordinary Tale of Mirror & Goliath by Ishbelle Bee

Teaser Tuesday 02/02/2016 'The Marriage Bargain'

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 pageShare 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 page 46 of The Marriage Bargain by Jennifer Probst.

 


"Ah, hell.
Why did he have to be so damned gorgeous?
She snuck a glance at him as she paced.
A vullgar curse rose to her lips but she forced it back down.
Growing up, she used to sneer and call him pretty boy because of his golden hair."

When You're Back (Rosemary Beach #12) by Abbi Glines

• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster UK (30 Jun. 2015)
• ISBN-10: 1471122360
• ISBN-13: 978-1471122361

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Abbi Glines comes the next new adult novel in her beloved Rosemary Beach series, which continues the story of Mase and Reese from When I’m Gone.

The future is bright for Reese Ellis. She has Mase Colt-Manning, the man of her dreams, and a family she didn’t know existed until her long-lost father arrived on her doorstep in Rosemary Beach. After growing up with a cruel mother and abusive stepfather, Reese is eager to get to know the caring and charming man who wants to be a part of her life. Everything is finally falling into place.

While Reese is visiting her new family in Chicago, Mase spends time with his “cousin,” Aida, who has worshipped him since childhood. Though they’re unrelated by blood, Mase and Aida have been raised to think of each other as family. But when Reese returns, she can tell something isn’t quite right with Aida, who clearly resents Reese and excels at manipulative little games. And though Mase is unsuspecting, Reese knows Aida doesn’t love him like a cousin should...

Cover: A cute cover that I neither love or hate.

I really enjoy the Rosemary Beach series- my favourites are still the first ones, Fallen Too Far, Never Too Far, Forever Too Far and Rush Too Far.  Rush and Blaire just can't be beaten for me.
I really enjoyed the first book in Mase and Reece's story- When I'm Gone, so was really looking forward to the conclusion to their story.
And I enjoyed this one too.
I'm a sucker for cheesy romance, and that is exactly what I got.
I do find one element of this series slightly disturbing in it's formulaic approach, and that's how all these young people are spawning, and I don't think it's very believable that all these young couples are reproducing at a somewhat alarming rate.
Other than that- I did really enjoy it, but just not quite as much as the first.
3.5/5 stars.

Read from July 18 to 21, 2015