Obsession with Books

Review: 4 ½ out of 5 starsForeplay was such a pleasant surprise, I was a little torn when I first read the synopsis about there being two guys involved but I absolutely loved the way it all played out.Nineteen year-old Pepper was such a relatable character and so easy to like with her kindness, simplicity and honesty and despite her stubbornness to realise what she had right in front of her because of a long lived fantasy I still found her to be the most wonderful heroine.Pepper didn’t have the best childhood and a lot of it was spent with her best friend Lila and her brother Hunter who she is completely in love with and sees as the perfect partner to achieve everything she has always wanted - security, family and stability so when she finds out he has broken up with his long-term girlfriend she has a plan to gather up a little more experience in order to win him over. This is how we come to meet Reece {swoon}, Pepper’s saviour when her car breaks down, bar tender and supposedly a player but there is more to this guy than what she is originally led to believe.I absolutely loved Reece! Smexy, confident, did I say smexy ;) and knows what he wants, the way he was treated by his father was so sad; I came to love the chemistry, sensual ‘training’ moments he spent with Pepper , he was such a loveable, sweet guy that I couldn’t help but adore; the interactions between him and Pepper had me glued to the pages. The romance – one reluctant, the other obviously in denial but from the very first moment these characters met I couldn’t help but hope for something more between them; Hunter was there and was wonderful but he didn’t give me heart flutters like Reece did.The secondary characters were fabulous! Awesome room-mates and a man-whore brother who was great, Foreplay is a great start to the Ivy Chronicles series and I hope to learn more about each of these characters in future installments.This was my first Sophie Jordan book and it definitely won’t be my last; the New Adult genre has been hit or miss with me so it was refreshing to read something that had a small amount of drama without the unnecessary angst and issues. The writing was crisp and engaging with a plot that flowed well and characters that were believable and likeable. Overall, Foreplay is a sexy, sweet, New Adult contemporary filled with heartfelt emotion that ticked all of my boxes, I am definitely eager to read the next book in the Ivy Chronicles, Tease which has an anticipated May 2014 release date.Thank-you kindly to William Morrow for the opportunity to read and review Foreplay.

Review: 3 ½ out of 5 starsThis book is Adult Paranormal Romance - Please be advised that this book is NOT YA friendly, not even in a New Adult category.Thank-you kindly to Entangled Publishing for the opportunity to read and review Unchained by J. Lynn, the first book in her new paranormal/Urban Fantasy series, Nephilim Rising. Unchained is a book that has been on my radar since I first glimpsed the cover and read the synopsis, and despite angel books generally being hit or miss with me I found it to be enjoyable none the less.Our main protagonist is 22 year-old Lily Marks who is a Nephilim, she spends her days/nights guarding the Sanctuary where other Nephilim reside, protects the humans from soul sucking freaks and disposing of the fallen angels who cross her path, except for Julian who has managed to work his way into her life.Lily was an interesting heroine, she was protective of those she cared for, had faith in what she believed in and was kick-butt awesome with a fast trigger temper and a quick wit; there was a loneliness and vulnerability about her that I couldn’t help but sympathise with. I came to admire her for her beliefs and decisions.Julian was just ok for me, I have come to adore JLA’s smexy, snarky heroes and the way he was described certainly ticked all of the boxes but he unfortunately fell flat, when I would read his dialogue for some reason it came across as robotic (that probably doesn’t make sense at all), it didn’t seem to flow or sound natural but that could have been because of his age? Not quite sure. I did enjoy the way he cared for Lily but his stalking was a little creepy.The romance was sweet and slow to build; I liked the forbidden love aspect, the banter between them was amusing and the smexy moments were written very well. I’m curious to see how their relationship will progress.The plot was entertaining with a few surprising twists to keep it all exciting; it mainly follows the search for a traitor within the Sanctuary who has been discovered to be working with the Fallen who are corrupting the Nephilim by turning them into their minions. I found the action-sequences enjoyable and it kept the pacing flowing well. Unfortunately the premise isn’t completely unique and there was a lot of information to take in but it wasn’t overwhelming or confusing in any way and the world-building I found to be convincing.There were quite a few side characters and each played a pivotal role, I really liked Michael; he has me intrigued and the twist we are given about his character has me eager to learn more about him. Nathaniel was a great father figure, I liked learning of his link to a certain Fallen.Overall, I enjoyed Unchained but I wasn’t completely wowed by it as I have been by JLA’s other series. Her writing is wonderful and the many plot twists and turns kept me engrossed, I’m keen to read the next book in the Nephilim Rising series.

Review: 3 ½ out of 5 stars Chaos is the first book in the Kardia Chronicles by Christine O’Neil and was a nice start to the series.Our protagonist is sixteen-year old Maggie Raynard who has the unusual ability to use her fingers as weapons of mass destruction when she is angry; she is a semi-god, a distant descendant from the Greek goddess Aphrodite. Maggie is clueless about her powers and how to control them but knows first-hand the damage she can cause after putting her ex-boyfriend in a coma. Maggie was a character I liked but didn’t love, most of the time she was snarky and came across as spoilt but then she’d show a more compassionate side, especially when it came to her grandmother and friends which I really liked. Maggie writes an advice column she signs She, when responses come from someone titled He she instantly knows its Mac Finnegan who has been a constant annoyance to her since his arrival at school. Mac with his smexy Irish accent and arrogance baffled me; he knows what Maggie is and offers to help her control her powers; he didn’t do it easily and made her work for it but I never knew whether he could be trusted or not because of his hot and cold behaviour and also because he wasn’t overly forthcoming with information about what he was but as the book progressed I liked his personality changes and his protective side. The romance definitely wasn’t at the forefront of the story, it was a slow build-up which I appreciated and a few hopeful moments between the MC’s but there was also a pretty big reveal at the end of the book so I’m curious to see where there relationship can possibly go. I quite liked the witty dialogue between them and their chemistry. The secondary characters were interesting, I liked Maggie’s best friends Libby and Bink, Rafe was a nasty piece of work, Maggie’s mother could have been more helpful with giving her daughter information about what she was and I loved the way Maggie cared for Grandma. I enjoyed Christine O’Neil’s entertaining writing and her take on the mythology which I found refreshingly unique but there was a lot of information I thought was lacking and left me wanting to know more, such as the council and the sisters who sit on it as well as the different types of semi-gods and the Gilded and Golems, the tidbits I read about this I found fascinating. The plot was also slow to progress but despite this I still found myself engrossed in the book. Overall, Chaos is a great start to the series; a nice mix of mythology, high school and family drama and interesting characters. I am keen to see where the author will take us in the next book. Thank-you kindly to Entangled Teen for the opportunity to read and review Chaos.

4 1/2 out of 5 stars - review to come..

Review: 4 out of 5 starsTwo Boys Kissing is the first book I have read by David Levithan and it certainly won’t be my last as I found myself engrossed in his amazing story-telling and the poignant, inspiring tale being told.I have to admit, this book is very different to what I normally read, it is based on a generation of gay men that have died from the Aids virus looking at a group of gay men in the present; comparing you could say what was to what now is.It took me a little while to get used to the narration, I found it completely confusing at times but as the book progressed each voice became unique as the characters told their individual, distinctive stories. The plot and the pacing flowed well and I found myself becoming absorbed in each of the raw, emotional and heartfelt personal experiences.With the chorus of gay men narrating and marvelling at the difference in acceptance now for the teens than what is was for them, it showed the social differences they faced which at times was terribly difficult to read about after knowing what they had to endure – loneliness, beatings, prejudice and being disowned by family and friends, it was an eye opener.Craig, Harry, Ryan, Avery, Cooper, Neil and Peter are the characters we get to know throughout the story, each with different personalities but connected by their sexuality and their personal struggles. I enjoyed and admired each of the characters and the insight we are given into their lives.Two Boys Kissing is a book filled with heart and hope, the subject matters are often taboo and not openly talked about so I commend David Levithan for writing such a exceptional and distinct book, it certainly sends an important message; it was informative and taught me a lot as we learn about the struggles and the need for acceptance constantly faced by teens primarily because of ignorance.David Levithan’s writing is utterly brilliant, his story-telling exceeded my expectations and resonate with you as a reader and despite finding the narrative style complex initially it ended up being an important aspect in the overall story.Overall, Two Boys Kissing is a beautiful, emotive book with stunning prose and wonderful characterization; a highly addictive, compelling read.Thank-you kindly to Text Publishing for the opportunity to read and review Two Boys Kissing.

My gosh another shocker of a cliffhanger!! Review to come..

Review: 4 out of 5 stars I have been curious about Inhuman by Kat Falls since I first glimpsed the amazing cover, and I'm pleased to say this was a fascinating, compelling read that has left me eager to read the next installment. Inhuman follows the story of sixteen year-old Delaney ‘Lane’ Park McEvoy who recently found out her father had been travelling to the forbidden feral zone as a ‘fetch’, someone who retrieves valuables from war ravaged areas; a job both dangerous as it is rewarding. Lane has no idea this is what her father does until she is blackmailed into travelling there herself to recover a lost item or her father will be punished. Delaney was a great character, naïve initially as she has always been protected in her sterile environment but finding out what she was up against didn’t make her squirm or falter, she was gun ho and ready to save her dad which I thought was great and even after a few traumatic experiences she was still determined to succeed, she was kind and compassionate to everyone she came across. The concept was extremely interesting, the world Kat Falls created showed us what had happened after a biological disaster caused by a high profile company turned millions of people into genetic freaks by spreading a ferae naturea virus which resulted in human/animal hybrids causing in some cases a loss of intelligence and humanity, they are now separated and guarded by a large wall which keeps the infected separated. The plot was fast-paced and flowed well with a number of dramatic scenes showing the element of danger the characters had to face. Along the way Lane got to meet many intriguing characters, Rafe who was orphaned as a child and knows Lane’s father extremely well lives in the feral zone himself and knows what Lane is up against and is willing to help out of loyalty to her father. Everson is a committed soldier who has also been quite sheltered in his life and is determined to help find a cure, I'm not sure how I feel about him at this stage, he was just ok for me – we also get to meet many manimals, which were quite odd but I was curious about each of them. The villain was twisted and creepy and left me feeling horrified by his actions. With two smexy male leads we unfortunately also have what seemed to be a love triangle although it wasn’t over the top at all; I was a little bummed about the cliff-hanger ending and who Lane appeared to choose so I’m hoping the sequel gives me the HEA and the answers I am hoping for. The setting and descriptions are vivid and detailed which drew me into the story; I had a clear image in my mind about what was going on and what the manimals, characters and location were like. The world-building is strong and Kat Falls writing is engaging and crisp and despite it being predictable at times, it was also a mesmerising read. Overall, Inhuman was an unexpected surprise but you do need to go in with suspension of belief; filled with action, intrigue and fabulous characters I am definitely excited for the sequel. Thank-you to Scholastic/Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review Inhuman.

Review: 4 out of 5 starsI’m sort of at a loss for words about how to describe this book, it is unlike anything I have read most recently and it bought about a lot of moral and emotional questions about the overall subject matter – the deceased who have returned to life – not reincarnated or in any other form but as they were before they died.The book centres on an elderly couple in their seventies and their 8 year-old son who has returned exactly as he was before his tragic drowning accident fifty years prior. Told in third person narrative with alternating chapters of a select group of people who have returned; I found this to be unique as we relive their thoughts and see the reactions of those they are returning to which didn’t come without a bout of extremely mixed feelings and worldwide commotion.Despite the slow pacing, I found the premise for The Returned to be unique and compelling, the plot follows loved ones who have returned to life, exactly the same way they were before death – age, looks, behaviour and reactions; nothing has changed except for their aging family and friends. You can imagine the many reactions to this unnatural occurrence, everyone was at a loss and the government had to find a way to ‘sort out’ the problem.The author certainly takes us on a thought provoking, intense journey as these long lost loved ones are returning in droves all around the world; there is confusion, anger, joy, chaos and an array of mixed emotions about what should happen to some of them and also the question about what they had actually returned as and why – it was completely unusual. Most of my answers were answered but with a book with this subject matter a lot also sprung to mind and I don’t feel as if we get complete closure about why the dead returned, it was quite subjective.Jason Mott’s writing was engaging, his words flow beautifully and I found myself completely absorbed in the overall story which was creative and at times dark and gritty which made for a thrilling read. The characters were believable in their reactions and with their emotions and each were likable.Overall, a compelling read which raised a lot of questions about society, faith, human nature, morals and emotions.Thank-you kindly to Harlequin Mira for the opportunity to read and review The Returned.

Review: 2 ½ out of 5 starsTorch by Cambria Hebert was a quick and easy read and follows the story of Katie Parks who is a bit of a loner until she meets fire-fighter Holt Arkain who rescues her from her burning house fire.Katie has never allowed herself to form attachments; everyone she has loved has left her so she has learnt never to depend on anyone so when Holt starts showing a keen interest she becomes quite unsure about her feelings. Katie came across as a naïve character and although she was likeable there wasn’t a lot of depth to her as a person.Holt was a dominant hero with a kind, selfless nature, I liked him despite him coming on really strong, he had goals and I liked the way in which he pursued them.Torch has a severe case of insta-love, lust, attraction! I enjoyed the chemistry between this couple but it was pretty much right from the get go unfortunately, there was no slow to build romance which I tend to prefer. Holt offers Katie a roof over her head and to take care of her whilst she is still in the hospital, being a complete stranger I found this aspect a little odd since someone had just tried to kill her.The plot was interesting and flowed well, there was someone out to murder Katie and to be honest throughout the course of the book I had no idea of who it could possibly be since she was more or less always by herself with no friends or family so I was surprised by the outcome.This is my first Cambria Hebert book, the very beginning of the book was chilling and I found the writing to be engaging with witty banter and vivid imagery; I liked the premise of the story, smexy firemen always appeal to me but overall it just didn’t wow me.Thank-you kindly to Cambria Hebert and Netgalley for providing me with a review copy of Torch to read and review.

Review to come.

DNF

Review: 4 ½ out of 5 stars** contains spoilers from the first book **After the ending we were left with in Darkness of Light, I was eager to dive back into the exciting, unique world Stacey Marie Brown has created and I was completely satisfied with how it is all playing out although it has left me even more eager for the next book in the series.At the end of the first book we saw Ember forced to use her abilities to turn Seattle into a pile of rubble which freaked her out and forced her to run from herself, the dark dwellers who want to turn her over to the Unseelie King, the Light Queen and other magical creatures, it was non-stop running for her until she is saved and captured again by Dark Dweller Eli Dragen who gave her his blood in the first book and is now somehow connected to her but also betrayed her.Ember is an independent, courageous and loyal protagonist who at times acts without thinking but has the best of intentions; I easily connected to her and thought her dedication was admirable. Eli is gorgeous, dangerous and evasive but we are slowly beginning to learn more about this mysterious, enigmatic dark dweller and what we have learnt I have found to be quite interesting. We also get reacquainted with a number of characters from the first book and meet a few more who each play a pivotal role in the overall story, Eli’s brother Lorcan continues to irk me and I am still a little unsure of a few characters intentions.Fire in the Darkness is a compelling page-turner that leaves you on the edge of your seat anticipating the characters actions and reactions and more often than not guessing completely wrongly about what they would be. There was a lot happening throughout the book but I felt the pacing was consistent and everything was balanced out well, the plot was action-packed and fascinating as we see Ember learn more about who and what she is, her abilities and how she plans to avoid capture from the Light Queen and Dark King who both want to use her for their own personal gain – a weapon and a pawn. I still at this point have no idea at which direction the story will go, the element of surprise and the unexpected twists and turns has made for a captivating, addictive read,I am not sure where the romance is headed, one moment Ember is lusting after Eli, the next it is Torin, the Queens first Knight and then she has her tongue down Nic’s throat (although he isn’t part of the equation), her inner-monologue seems like she wants Eli but then her reaction to Torin suggest otherwise so I’m still a tad confused about this aspect but Eli is my obvious pick, I don’t trust Torin whatsoever, I feel he has his own motives.There is a lot of sexual tension and innuendo’s between Eli and Ember which made for some smexy, enjoyable moments but their relationship is unusual because of what they are so we see them biting each other’s heads off or throwing snarky remarks at one another a lot of the time, I did enjoy most of the banter between them but wished they would just get over it and get together.The writing flows well and is engaging, Stacey Marie Brown’s story-telling is exciting and the intense action, betrayals, revelations and smexy moments make for a riveting read.Overall, Fire in the Darkness is an entertaining and creative story, fans of Fantasy and Paranormal alike will enjoy the amazing characterisations and wonderful, unique world-building. I am more than excited for the next book in the series.

Review to come

Review: 5 out of 5 stars** Contains spoilers from the first book **Immortals is a book I have been really eager to read; I was a big fan of Runes and the world and characters Ednah Walters had created so I was keen to see how it would all progress, especially after the ending we were left with.After the events of the first book, Raine’s life is in turmoil, her peers think she is a witch, Torin doesn’t remember her thanks to the Norns removing his memories of her - her punishment for defying them and her best-friend is acting really odd so she has a lot of work to do to make things right and to understand what is happening around her.Valkyrie Torin St James is Raine’s smexy next door neighbour and also the person we saw her come to be quite close to in the first book but he no longer remembers who she is despite her knowing tid-bits no one else could have told her about his life, he is confused and infuriating.Our main characters are written beautifully; Raine is a wonderful character who I came to admire, she wasn’t without her faults but she was compassionate and showed her determination and protective side when it came to those she cared about, she went through immense emotional growth throughout this book. Torin is still completely infuriating but such a sweetheart! I love them individually but put them together and the chemistry is amazing. The romance has progressed at a believable pace which I quite liked.We come to find out the importance of not only Raine’s role with the Valkyrie’s but also Eirik’s which I found to be quite interesting, the Norn’s have told her she needs to protect him so throughout the course of the book Raine trains to learn more about her heritage and details of their purpose was slowly revealed as was a surprise villain who was causing a bit of behind the scenes drama; I found the Norse mythology truly fascinating and to be written extremely well. The plot was evenly paced and with a few unexpected twists and turns thrown in, it put a real spin on what I thought was actually going to happen, I liked the element of surprise.The secondary characters are awesome, Eirik is a sweetheart but we see a different side to him in this book, Cora is the supportive friend every girl needs to have but she turned out to be quite the surprise and I adored the parental presence and the love and support they showed to not only Raine but also Eirik. I also came to like Andris in this book, we also meet powerful Valkyrie Lavania who at times I didn't know whether could be trusted or not.I adore Ednah Walter’s writing style; the banter between the characters is entertaining and filled with snark and humour which I loved. We get the perfect balance of romance, action and suspense that kept me wanting more, I was so bummed when real-life interfered with my reading time because I didn’t want to put this book down, every spare moment my nose would be glued to the pages.Overall, a fabulous, kick-butt sequel! Amazing action sequences, norse mythology written extremely well and the best kind of romance and friendships. Ednah Walters is an auto-buy author for me; her story-telling is fabulous.I can’t wait for the next book in the series!

Review: 4 ½ out of 5 starsI absolutely adored Bliss Edwards and Garrick Taylor in Losing It so I was so anxious to read the novella Keeping Her which shows them travelling to London to meet the parents.Bliss and Garrick have had many ups and downs but they are committed and ready to settle down so travelling to the UK was a big step that didn’t come without the nerves and insecurities but the love they had for one another really shone through despite the obstacles they had to face such as a doubtful mother-in-law, a number of awkward moments, a job offer and a lot of distrust and misgivings but I loved the way it was all dealt with.Bliss has really matured and I found myself admiring her, shed make the perfect best-friend and Garrick {swoon} is caring, sweet and oh so smexy! I loved their interactions and the way they supported one another. Things didn’t come easily for them but I adored the way they would work everything out – together.Keeping Her was a great addition to the series, I always enjoy catching up with characters I have loved to see where they are up to. Garrick’s friends Rowland and Graham were wonderful additions to the story and bought us some fun times and humour.Keeping Her is a quick, easy read with a wonderful outcome, beautifully written with dual POV’s and truly entertaining; I’m not usually a fan of novellas but this one was well worth it.My only gripe is I wish it was a full length novel, Bliss and Garrick are fabulous! Losing It should be read before this book.Thank you kindly to William Morrow/Edelweiss for the opportunity to read and review Keeping Her.