Obsession with Books

Review: 3 ½ out of 5 starsThe beautiful cover of Ink is what initially attracted me to this fantasy novel; the mythology and Japanese setting were also quite appealing so I was more than eager to delve into Amanda Sun’s intriguing world.Sixteen year-old Katie Greene has had to move to Shizuoka, Japan to live with her aunt Diane after the death of her mother; things are tough and the transition hasn’t been too easy on her with many cultural and language barriers in the way.Katie’s actions at time were predictable and quite unbelievable; she rushed in to things without thinking, her curiosity seemed to get the better of her at times and to me in the initial stages she came across as an obsessed stalker. In saying this, I also felt quite sorry for her, she was more or less alone in a strange place and having to adapt and fend for herself, she was trying to find the light in what seems to be a difficult situation and for this I liked her.The plot was mysterious and evenly paced, from the onset of Ink, you could tell there was something unusual going on; Katie could see printed images move and whenever bad boy, mysterious and broody Yuu Tomohiro was around things became even more strange. Once Katie became a part of his world, she discovered things that were unbelievable and put her life and her heart at risk.The romance: I feel Katie came on a little too strong in the initial stages, despite not knowing Tomohiro, except of his dangerous reputation, she continually pursued him which I felt was too much, she was drawn to him despite his nastiness and evasiveness but I couldn’t see the reasoning behind wanting to follow someone who had supposedly beaten someone within an inch of their life, supposedly cheated on his girlfriend and made the other girl pregnant and had mafia links – I would have run the opposite way therefor didn’t see the early attraction. As the story progressed, so too did my opinion of Katie and Tomohiro being together; I came to love the dialogue between them and the way in which they supported one another.For the secondary characters, I quite liked Katie’s new friends, Yuki and Tanaka who were fun and supportive and Aunt Diane was the sort of aunty you would want - hip and cool; I liked the relationship they came to share.I was immersed in Amanda Sun’s detailed and intricate world, the setting was vibrant and really drew you into her storytelling, the smallest descriptions of the food, places, drawings, characters and even cherry blossoms were vivid and beautifully written; you were drawn into the story. The Japanese mythology was all new for me and I found myself really enjoying it all; it is very different to other YA Fantasy novels I have read which I really appreciated.What I didn’t like: Unfortunately, we have a number of YA clichés which I was able to overlook because of my overall enjoyment of the book but they were there none the less - bad boy/good girl who can’t be together due to one or the other being in danger, insta-love/attraction, a mysterious unknown power, a love triangle with a ‘good guy’, perfect best friends and deceased parents. They seem to be typical in YA these days so I think I am becoming immune to them now.Overall, I enjoyed Amada Sun’s descriptive writing and the details she gave about the Japanese culture; it was a gripping story and despite my few issues one I quite liked.

Review: 5 out of 5 starsThis book is Adult Contemporary Romance - Please be advised that this book is not YA friendly, not even in a New Adult category.Obsession takes place in the same world as the Lux series; this is the adult version and was great to see the story from the Luxen’s ‘evil’ counter-parts, the Arum.Selena Cross, a high-school guidance counsellor thought her best friend Mel was going crazy when she told her she had witnessed the senators sons turn into glowing light bulbs but it quickly became a part of Selena’s reality when she witnessed her friend blown up right in front of her own eyes; the drama which then came to follow became her worst nightmare as she was hunted for any information she could possibly know about what had happened.Hunter, working for the Department of Defense is an Arum – a race bred to kill and has certainly changed my opinion of what I have always believed of them from reading the Lux series. He is certainly not a ‘nice’ man; he is a snarky, arrogant, smexy alpha who is protective despite what he is. I loved the interactions between him and Selena, she didn’t seem to have a filter and he found her feisty temper quite humorous so the banter between them had me giggling on numerous occasions.The plot was fast-paced and seeing Selena and Hunter trying to work through the Luxen, Human and Arum politics & the information about Project Eagle, Daedalus and the powerful Senator was interesting and action-packed – it was nice to get a different perspective and to see things from an Arums POV.The secondary characters were each interesting to read about, it was nice to see a few characters from the Lux series make a re-appearance. I am quite curious about Hunter’s brothers.I absolutely loved everything about this book! JLA never fails to disappoint with her wonderfully, detailed writing, true to life characters that you can help but adore and sweet yet complicated romance.My fingers are crossed there will be more books written in the world of the Arum – I need more.

Review: 3 ½ out of 5 starsImagine being invisible! It would be pretty cool so I was intrigued by the premise of Transparent. It was a light and easy read that I found myself really engrossed in.When an anti-radiation drug was created wide spread genetic mutations occurred and people obtained unnatural abilities, our main heroine Fiona McLean is the only known person to be born with the gift (or curse) of invisibility. She has no idea at all what she looks like which has caused her to feel isolated and alone. She is also used as a pawn in her crime lord fathers illegal trading and used to mainly spy, hurt and steal when the need arises.Fiona was a likeable character with normal teen angst and fears so when an opportunity came to flee her father’s reigns in Vegas with her mother in the hopes of leading a normal life, she ran with it but she never truly believed she would ever be free and was always waiting for her father to arrive to make them return home so she could do his bidding. Being free gave her an opportunity to attend school, make new friends and potentially have a boyfriend – things she never thought possible.Transparent is written well and the overall concept is interesting, the world-building was simplistic and easily understood and I found the plot to be fascinating and fun despite a few minor inconsistencies; Fiona was on the run from her father but it didn’t make sense she would need to hide because she was invisible; I also would have like more information about the abilities and differing mob syndicates. There were a lot of characters in this book but they each had their own unique personality traits; Fiona’s father played the perfect villain – his ability of charming/persuasion by releasing a pheromone was pretty neat, I adored best friend Bea and her family dynamic; her brothers were lots of fun, I also came to really like brothers Seth and Brady Mitchell as well as Fiona’s own brother Miles. Older brother Grant on the other hand was shady and I never knew whether he could be trusted, his brute actions never quite endeared him to me.Speaking of Seth and Brady, these guys were Fiona’s love interests; I found her to be a little fickle with her feelings towards these guys – one minute she was crushing on Brady the next it was Seth, I got confused who she really liked so I never really appreciated the romance, I felt it was more something new for her so she went with it. Romance definitely wasn’t at the forefront of the story though.One small thing that grated on my nerves was Fiona’s treatment of her mother, she knew what her father could do with his ability but when her mother upped and left with her she never trusted her to form her own thoughts and actions and treated her poorly because of it – it was a tense relationship that I didn’t find was truly warranted, there was no trust or communication.Overall, Transparent was a light, enjoyable read and I love that it’s a standalone so everything is nicely wrapped up at the end. There were a few twists and turns I never saw coming and great characters to keep the story entertaining. I would definitely read more books by Natalie Whipple; Transparent is a great debut novel.Thank-you to Harper Teen and Edelweiss for providing me with a copy of Transparent to read and review.

Reviews: 4 out 5 StarsHow great is that synopsis! I have wanted to read Truly, Madly, Deadly by Hannah Jayne since I first heard about it, it was a creepy, intense book that kept me riveted (and a little freaked) throughout wanting to unravel the mystery surrounding the main character Sawyer Dodd.Sawyer has recently lost her boyfriend Kevin Anderson in a car accident, everyone is sensitive about her loss not knowing the physical abuse she endured whilst in the relationship; when a note appears in her locker with the accident newspaper clipping which only read ‘You’re welcome’, alarm bells ring out. Sawyer was a smart, likeable heroine, she didn’t sit back and just let things go, admittedly she was a bit hesitant about who to confide in but at least she took her concerns to the authorities and didn’t just sit on it all. She was also a loyal friend and her actions towards her family, love interest, crush and strange occurrences were all believable.The murder, mystery plot had me guessing from the very beginning who was behind unusual events surrounding Sawyer – it had the creep factor and I had a few suspects pinned down but I was very wrong.We get a small amount of romance in the book which I would have liked to have seen further developed; the love interest was sweet but Sawyer was wary of everyone around her. It definitely wasn’t at the forefront of the story.I enjoyed Hannah Jayne’s writing and the tension she captured through the actions and dialogue of the characters. It was a gripping read I found entertaining and enjoyable.Overall, I was engrossed in Truly, Madly, Deadly; there is a sinister vibe that gives you the chills and an ending I didn’t see coming! I will definitely read more books by Hannah Jayne.Thank-you to Sourcebooks for the opportunity to read and review Truly, Madly, Deadly.

Reviews: 4 ½ out 5 StarsCindi Madsen first came to my attention when I stumbled across her Young Adult novel, All the Broken Pieces. I didn’t realise Act Like You Love Me was a part of a series but it didn’t feel like a second book to me and I don’t think I missed out on anything by not reading the first book, Falling for her Fiancé although I will be grabbing a copy sometime very soon.From the onset, I found myself really liking our main heroine Brynn McAdams, a lover of drama and working with her brother in her parents bait shop; her quirky habits were endearing and notions about true romance really sweet; but her school years were tough and as a result she is quite wary.When her high school crush and the boy who shattered her heart, Sawyer Dodd returns to town to renovate his parents old home and take over directing the local production he never expected to meet and slowly fall for Brynn; he has no idea they went to school together and believes certain things about her that just aren’t true and she doesn’t fix up the lies, she goes with the flow to save her heart and to not remember her humiliating senior years of school knowing he is only in town for a few short weeks. I really loved reading about Sawyer, he was smart and charming and I appreciated the way he trusted Brynn despite her evasiveness; they had some really cute moments together.Madsen’s engaging writing and believable dialogue captured me instantly; I loved the chemistry and banter between Brynn and Sawyer and the way their romance developed. You could see from the onset of the book Sawyer had been hurt so when Brynn’s revelation came out it really hit a sore spot and caused a great deal of pain; I liked the way everything was dealt with and how the characters came together.The plot is humorous and fun with a great cast of characters, it is a light-hearted read that kept me engrossed from the first to the very last page; you couldn’t help but hope for love and a HEA for this wonderful pair.Overall, a really cute, entertaining and quirky read. I highly recommend Act Like You Love Me to all fans of contemporary romance and adorable relationships.Thank-you kindly to Entangled Bliss for the opportunity to read and review Act Like You Love Me.

Reviews: 5 out 5 StarsI literally did a happy dance when I received a copy of Goddess in the post from Pan Macmillan Australia. When I first read Starcrossed, I completely fell in love with the characters and the mythology, Dreamless broke my heart on so many levels but my adoration for the series just grew and Goddess just blew me away and threw the series onto my favourites list, it was perfection.After the events of Dreamless, the gods have been unleashed and want to start a war so are causing havoc as a result but Helen is not only having to deal with them, the furies have spoken through the Oracle telling them there is a tyrant amongst them but working out who it could be is proving difficult although all fingers are pointing to Orion.Helen is made of pure awesome! I adore her strength, determination and selflessness, she has progressed so much since Starcrossed and her devotion to those she is closest to is unwavering. She makes mistakes along the way but she faces her responsibilities and takes ownership of the role she should be playing. In Goddess, we see her gain new powers but with it comes a slip in her control and she does begin to falter causing those closest to her to question her restraint and purpose.I don’t want to reveal too much about this book but it was epically amazing! It is a complex plot filled with action, betrayal, deceit and mythology that would have to hands down be the best I have read. It was fast-paced and kept me flipping the pages needing to know what was going to happen next and war doesn’t come without loss so this aspect was especially edge of the seat, heart-pounding, knee wobbling tension! There were twists and turns aplenty that left me gaping.The world-building has evolved and I am glad we got to put all the pieces of the puzzle together to see the part and the purpose each of the characters played. I was glad to see snippets of the past through Helen to see why things happened as they did, slowly bit by bit the history of the original war was revealed and why it was being re-enacted all over again.Despite not enjoying love-triangles, the romance is written well; Ms. Angelini knows how to write smexy boys and both Lucas and Orion were equally appealing, it was almost impossible to decide who she should be with because they both had such remarkable qualities. I was heart-broken in the previous books by the fact we all knew the truth about Lucas and Helen’s relationship but they were left in the dark under the false pretence they were cousins, I was anxiously awaiting to find out how it would all be revealed; I had picked a side early on and had my fingers tightly crossed that they would get a HEA.The characters have endured so much together but they remain strong despite the many obstacles thrown their way. The gods are also written beautifully and are depicted just the way I imagine each of them. I especially loved the role Hector played, he has always been a favourite character of mine and Daphne surprised me, the ongoing presence of the Delos family and the roles they each play has been wonderful. In this book we see loyalties divided but the overall resolution was satisfying.Josephine Angelini’s detailed writing, Nantucket Island and underworld setting, wonderfully crafted characters and amazing storyline is creative, unique and brilliant. I find her storytelling mesmerising and I am definitely eager to read more books written by her – I can definitely see the possibility of a spin-off series.Overall, a fabulous, breathtaking conclusion to the Starcrossed series, I am saddened to see it come it an end but I’m satisfied with how it all played out.Thank-you kindly to Pan Macmillan Australia for the opportunity to read and review an ARC of Goddess.

Reviews: 3 ½ out of 5 StarsFaking It is the second book in the Losing It series by Cora Carmack and is Mackenzie ‘Max’ Miller and Cade Winston’s story.Cade was Bliss’s best friend from Losing It who also fell in love with her, he is reeling from a broken heart until he meets tattooed, confident Max in a coffee shop who asks for his help to play her fake boyfriend whilst her uber conservative parents are in town – in saying this she already has a boyfriend but he doesn’t fit in with who they would want her with hence her on the spot plan to use Cade.I loved smexy, golden boy Cade, he was an absolute sweetheart but angry girl Max not so much unfortunately; she started off as a strong character but as the book progressed she came across weaker and weaker; her persona completely changed which really threw me off. The relationship was sweet and the chemistry hot, both of these characters were complete opposites but similar in the sense that they both have emotional baggage; together they were able to work through it and came to form a trust and bond that drew them closer. I liked watching the progression but not so much the denial on Max’s part on how she truly felt, she didn’t feel worthy of Cade and pushed him away constantly.The story is told from both characters POV which I always like, it was an insight into how different their lives really were and the pain both were experiencing. What let Faking It down for me was it was quite predictable, the romance and relationship was typical new adult with nothing that stood out amongst the other books in the genre – the only difference I felt was this time we have a good boy/bad girl (who isn’t really bad per se) rather than the usual misunderstood bad boy/good girl scenario. It wasn’t unique unfortunately.In saying this, I did like Faking It, it has a storyline I always find myself enjoying; Ms Carmack’s writing is entertaining, I really like the humour and dialogue she writes and despite not connecting fully with Max, I really liked Cade. It was also nice to get snippets of Bliss and Garrick from the first book and to see how their relationship has progressed.Overall, Faking It is a quick easy read and despite not enjoying it as much as the first book in the series it was enjoyable none the less. I am looking forward to the next book in the series, Finding It which is Kelsey’s story, the snippet we get at the ending of this book sounds quite intriguing.

Reviews: 5 out 5 StarsThis review contains possible spoilers from book one, Shadows.What an amazing sequel in this gripping Angel/Demon series by Paula Weston! As soon as I finished Shadows, I started on Haze and literally devoured it in one sitting I adored it that much.In book one, Gaby Winters learnt she was part of the Rephaim, offspring of the fallen angels and her memory was wiped a year prior by someone not yet known. They have also worked out that if she is alive that her twin, Jude could also be out there somewhere in a similar situation to her own.Gaby is such a likeable character, she’s snarky, stubborn, resilient and brave; she also shows a more vulnerable side in this book which threw me back a bit, she voiced her fears and despite the fact she was still learning tidbits of her past she faced everything head on.Rafa is still evasive and mysterious, he is reckless and cocky which I have come to love about him, he is also extremely protective of Gaby and I’m still curious about what happened between them pre memory wipe; their chemistry is intense and I love the banter and spark between them.The angel mythology is interesting and still refreshingly unique, and the plot has progressed although the mystery at the heart of the book is still there keeping me hooked and wanting to know what has happened or will happen; and I love how Gaby is starting to embrace what she is and hasn’t chosen a side – outcasts or the sanctuary; she is looking out for herself and pursuing her search for Jude and her missing memories which I appreciate.We are still learning about the secondary characters, I adore Maggie’s strength and support and Jason is wonderful but still a bit of a mystery, he seems to leak bits and pieces of what he knows according to circumstance, I’m unsure if he has a personal agenda but it feels that way. Ez is a sweetheart as is Daisy; Mya and Taya grate on my nerves!Paul Weston is certainly going to be an auto-buy author for me, her writing is detailed and mesmerising, you are drawn into the story she has created and the world-building just gets better and better.Overall, Haze is an impressive sequel, filled with some kick-butt action-scenes, perfect characterisations and a mesmerising storyline that gets better and better, I’m more than eager to get hold of the next book in this amazing series.

4 1/2 out of 5

Review: 3 ½ out of 5 starsRevival is Jena Leigh’s debut novel and is a wonderful start to the Variant’s series.Our main protagonist is sixteen-year-old Alexandra Parker who is at the bottom of the social ladder after catching her boyfriend in the arms of another girl and reacted in a way not of the norm – she somehow managed to fry everything in the room. Finding out the reasoning behind her unusual reaction was quite interesting because prior to this she had no idea at all she was a Variant, someone with special abilities.I really liked Alex, she was a thinker who didn’t rush into things which I appreciated, she was loyal and caring and despite her predicament and what she had been through didn’t seem to dwell on it all too much. With a mysterious and action-packed plot, the pacing flowed well and kept me entertained and flicking through the pages. The genetic experimentation and the different abilities had me curious and kept me wanting to learn more and seeing Alex learn the truth of her past and what she is was both scary and fascinating, also not knowing who to trust whilst running from a hit man with a creepy ability and a government agency kept up the intrigue.With an interesting cast of characters you can’t help but be drawn into the lives and emotions of each of them. I especially liked moody and complex Declan, a Jumper (able to teleport from one location to another) who was smexy, sarcastic and at times infuriating, Kenzie (telepath) & Cassie were wonderful friends and Nate (telekinetic) and Brian were sweethearts. Each of the variants were likeable and the villain a surprise.The romance was there but definitely not a focal point, both Declan and Nate liked Alex but didn’t really act on anything and Alex seemed to still hold feelings for her ex-boyfriend so I am keen to see further progression in the next book; I did like the chemistry and banter between Declan and Alex more than Nate and ex Connor.Despite my enjoyment, I did have a few minor gripes; the first being the lack of sensory details when it came to the characters reactions – I wanted to feel more emotion from them, the easy resolutions and lack of sensation I felt was missing eg. When Alex was rescued by Declan and moved into the Grayson’s house, she barely blinked an eye and just adapted, each of the characters despite their predicaments didn’t seem to respond as they should – cry, scream, get mad; everything just came too easily, I can get past it because I didn’t mind the way it all transpired but it was missing for me none the less. Also, the story is told from multiple POV's, I don’t mind a hand full of characters but we get more or less all of the characters viewpoints which I felt was too much and too confusing.Overall, Revival is written very well and is a great start to The Variant series, with an interesting cast of characters and exciting storyline, I am eager to get hold of the next installment. Thank-you kindly to author, Jena Leigh for providing me with a copy of Revival.

Reviews: 3 1/2 out of 5 StarsI was initially drawn to Find Me from the wonderful cover and intriguing synopsis, I love a good thriller/mystery and this seemed to be just the type of book I needed at this moment.Computer hacker Wick Tate is a foster child living with her sister after the death of her mother and imprisonment of her criminal father. Now on the run after escaping prison, Wick fears his return and never really settles with her foster family despite their efforts to include and accept her.Wick was witty and sarcastic and someone I felt quite sorry for; she was a loner with a past that was really quite sad and never really trusted anyone, I loved how caring she was towards her sister Lily and vice versa, she was a likeable character despite her wariness.When Tessa Waye, Wick’s former friends diary lands on her doorstep with the words ‘Find Me’ written inside, she decides to investigate her death and comes to the realisation she was actually murdered rather than what was a believed suicide and with her superior hacking skills slowly draws out not only the person who left her the diary but also the killer and realises she may be in over her head when this person sets their sights on her sister.Find Me was such a thrilling story that was mysterious, dark and had a sinister feel that kept me on the edge of my seat wanting to know what was going to happen next and guessing who the person was behind Tessa's death; I made a few guesstimates but oh boy was I wrong! the pacing for me was initially slow but around the half way mark it gained momentum and kept me riveted, the action sequences at the end really kept me flipping through the pages.Helping Wick is Griff, a fellow hacker who I quite liked but we don’t really find out too much about him and his attraction to Wick; it’s just sort of there as was their new relationship but it’s definitely not at the forefront of the story.Unfortunately for me there were a number of things which were difficult to believe or grasp such as the police involvement and their treatment of Wick, based on past history I wouldn’t have had faith in them as well, but I was also confused as to why she didn’t entrust an adult be it her foster parents or a teacher not only with Tessa’s diary but also with the work her father and his cronies were involving her with; I know it was difficult for her to rely on others but what she was doing and the trouble it could bring just didn’t sit right with me.I did like Ms. Bernards detailed writing style which flowed well and kept me engaged and despite the few small issues I had with it, it was an enjoyable and entertaining read - the twist we are given was definitely not what I was expecting.Overall, Find Me was filled with suspense, intrigue and likeable characters. It was a page turner which kept me wanting more.Thank-you kindly to Harper Teen for the opportunity to read and review Find Me.

Review: 5 out of 5 stars Tremble by Jus Accardo is the third book in the Denazen series and is an amazing addition to this incredible story – it was a book which left me gaping on many occasions, there was betrayal, heartbreak, kick-butt action sequences and a sweet yet heart-wrenching romance. It is difficult writing this review without revealing spoilers from the previous books so proceed with caution. We know Kale is now unwillingly a part of the Denazen corporation and what he has been through there is devastating; the one person he has come to love is now a believed enemy and seeing him no longer recognise Dez was really difficult, his lethal abilities are now truly enhanced also as a result of a newly created drug. Despite the changes in Kale, I still adore him, there is an innocence and kindness about him that I have come to really love.Dez was as stubborn, snarky and determined as ever but there is also vulnerability and real concern for those she is closest to, her future at this stage is looking quite uncertain but I have loved her character progression, she has really matured and come to be quite the lovable heroine. Plot-wise, Tremble was action-packed and entertaining; the search to find the other Sixes who are slowly dropping off one by one and the constant avoidance of Denazen kept me thoroughly immersed in the story as did Dez’s task of trying to get Kale to remember who she was and which team he belonged on – not an easy task when she was also having to watch her own back with him. Revisiting the cast of characters we have come to know and love is always a pleasure – I still despise Jade, I am liking Alex more and more, loving Brandt and the bad guys are pure evil! Kiernan is an utter #$!@ for what she has done to her sister and Cross’s agenda is twisted! In this installment you couldn’t really tell who could be trusted or not. There are so many sacrifices, lies, and twists in Tremble that broke my heart, made me mad and left me emotionally drained; more questions are left unanswered and a few revelations were bewildering so I am really eager to get hold of the next installment. Jus Accardo’s writing flows perfectly, the action scenes, rediscovery of a beautiful romance and intriguing storyline kept me flipping through the pages needing to know what was going to happen. This is definitely one of my favourite series and Jus Accardo is certainly on my auto-buy list. Overall, I adore Dez and Kale and can’t help but hope for happiness and a Denazen free existence for them both – Tremble was an amazing addition to this series, filled with intense action scenes, fantastic world-building, unexpected twists and a wonderful cast of characters, it’s a series I can’t recommend highly enough.

Review: 2 ½ out of 5 starsOk, maybe it is me but this is the second NA book I have read within the past two weeks that has been substandard and didn't meet my expectations which are admittedly high; thankfully I had success with one title in between but I’m starting to feel a tad disheartened. The story itself wasn't bad; there were just certain aspects which grated on my nerves.The story follows twenty year-old over-achiever Shaw Landon who is from a family of privilege that have high expectations of her, she is sweet, strong and self-reliant and has always felt more a part of best friend Remy Archer’s family than her own, he took her under his wing when she was bullied at school and she remained a fixture in the family even after he was killed in an accident more or less holding them all together but having a personal pain of her own in the fact she was secretly in love with Remy’s twin brother, Rule.Tattooed and pierced hottie, Rule thinks Shaw is out of his league, a conformist and too pure for him he doesn’t exactly respect or treat her right even though she has been a part of his family for so long but after a drunken incident on her birthday, his whole perspective towards her and their relationship changes and he starts to see her as more than his brothers girl. Seeing Rule and Shaw come together was an exciting build-up, add in a persistent stalker ex-boyfriend and parents who disapproved it made for an interesting read but in saying that, the miscommunications and Shaw’s seeming lack of self-respect just put a dampener on it all and made her out to be a desperado going after someone who treated women like they were indispensable, Rule messed up continually and had a big chip on his shoulder but Shaw always believed him worthy – I just couldn't see her reasoning after the way he had always disrespected her.I love a troubled and tortured hero as much as the next person but does having family and personal dramas make someone turn into a mean, arrogant and distant whore-man? I’m not a fan of this in books – Rule was good-looking and successful in his tattoo business, he blames himself for his brothers death and anguishes as a result but this lead to him being outwardly uncaring, he messed up a lot in this book but Shaw continually supported him.What I did like was Rule slowly learning to reciprocate Shaw’s feelings and work through his own, these characters were imperfect and I appreciated that Shaw was able to accept everything about him, she knew him inside out and loved him unconditionally despite his many many faults. I enjoyed the epilogue – I always like a nice HEA.The secondary characters were each entertaining; Adyn was interesting and a great support as was Rule’s brother Rome until he decided to turn into a stubborn mule but the parents on both sides were horrible! Who would try to force their daughter to be with someone just for social standing, ugh! And Rule’s mother blaming him for his twins’ death and pushing him away was abhorrent especially after her own little revelation; she was a real piece of work – with issues!Rule had a lot of drama, struggles and pure raw emotion and feeling but there was that little something missing that just didn't leave me excited, maybe it was the characters, maybe my mood; I just wasn't wowed – I felt I was being told what was happening rather than it being shown and resolutions seemed rushed.Despite my gripes, this book did have an interesting storyline and was written well; I was just left underwhelmed and wanting more.This book has received a lot of praise, so please check out Goodreads for more reviews.

Review: 4 ½ out of 5 starsUndeclared Is Jen Frederick’s debut novel and a wonderful addition to the New Adult genre with an amazing cast of characters, an intriguing storyline and just enough drama to keep me completely entertained and needing more; it was a book I read in one sitting and left me wanting the next book in the Woodlands series now.19 year-old Grace Sullivan spent four years in high school writing to a marine as part of a school assignment and in that time came to fall in love with this stranger but when his deployment ends the communication stops and she is left bewildered and heart-broken.23 year-old Noah Jackson has hopes and aspirations, he knows what he wants out of life and after what he did to Grace he is determined to make things right. I loved his reasons for not contacting her straight out of the marines, yes he took an easy way out and I initially thought it was due to an injury etc. but it was nothing like that. He had a purpose but his thoughts and his heart had always belonged to Grace.I absolutely loved these characters; Grace was a sweetheart and with a broken heart and the surprise reappearance of Noah came a little snark and attitude which she was entitled to but I adored Noah’s persistence and the way he wore her down; she was so stubborn and reminded me so much of myself in many ways which is why I felt such a connection to her and who doesn’t love a man who opens car doors, encourages you and pretty much worships the ground you walk on! He was possessive and bossy but he can boss me around anytime!I loved that the friendship/relationship was initially built up over 4 years, reading Noah’s letters to Grace gave us great insight about the person he was, after a difficult childhood his determination and sheer will with his career as a marine, his studies and his fighting - sometimes illegally all showed how unwavering his dedication was, all to build his dream of a secure future. I came to actually enjoy the training and methodical fight scenes which is really not the norm for me, it gave the overall story a bit of angst and they were written really well.The secondary characters are each perfect; I loved cousin Lana, I’m intrigued by brother Josh and Noah’s woodlands friends were each fun to read about, especially Bo also a former marine who I really want to get to know, his wit, sarcasm and support has me gushing and I think he is going to give Noah great competition in the swoon department – his negativity about Grace and Noah’s relationship did make me mad but he had his reasoning, his bond with Noah was amazing, I loved the dialogue between them.I have my fingers crossed the next book in the series will be Bo and Lana’s story – I would love to see these two together.You would not know Undeclared is Jen Frederick’s debut novel, her writing flows beautifully; the fun times and banter is written extremely well as are the smexy moments between Noah and Grace. Admittedly, there were a few small cliches but nothing at all which annoyed me or was overdone. I really liked how the miscommunications and bits of drama were handled.Overall, a thoroughly engrossing read! I loved this book and can’t wait to read the next installment in the Woodlands series, the characters, storyline and gushing romance were all wonderfully written and Jen Frederick’s writing is extremely engaging - she is definitely an author to remember and this is a book I'm more than happy to add to my favourites list!Thank-you kindly to Jen Frederick for providing me with a copy of Undeclared in exchange for my honest review.

Review: 2 1/2 out of 5 starsI am a big fan of Erin McCarthy’s adult series, ‘Fast Track’ so I was more than eager to read True, her entry title into the New Adult genre.True follows the story of 20 year-old Rory Macintosh who is extremely intelligent with hopes of going to med school to be a coroner, she is honest and logical and comes across as a down to earth, good girl but she is also seeking experiences that everyone else was already talking about such as smex.When Rory’s dorm mates Kylie and Jessica find out she has never been with a guy, they with good intentions set out to hook her up with bad boy, smexy, tattooed Tyler Mann.I was really put-off by this arrangement, purely for the fact that Tyler happened to be Jessica’s bed buddy – this just didn’t sit well with me at all, maybe I’m an old prude but potentially sharing a bed partner with someone my closest friend has recently been with just gives me the eeks.Despite this aspect, Tyler wasn’t as bad as what we are led to believe, he was actually quite smart and noble with hopes of becoming an EMT to support his brothers; I liked his dedication and admired the fact he was working hard to achieve something not only for himself but also for his family since his drug addicted mother wasn’t doing it. His home life was really tough.I didn’t mind the characters but I was dismayed by the reactions to a few incidents – Rory was blasé and seemed to just walk away from certain issues instead of confronting them – a good example was when she found out her friends had offered Tyler money to sleep with her, she went along with it rather than admit she knew what they had done, it made her seem weak whereas I would have been up in arms my closest friends would chose to do this, its insulting.Another gripe I had was the dialogue – it seemed stilted and forced and didn’t flow well; I at times found myself cringing and would be embarrassed for these characters. It just came across as OTT.I really wanted to love this book but unfortunately there was nothing unique and a few issues seemed to be created just to add additional angst and drama, it was too convenient. In saying this, there were a few aspects I did enjoy – Rory & Tyler’s aspirations, Rory’s father’s true to life reactions and the way the characters each supported one another.At the end of this book we do get to read a snippet from the next book in the series which will be Jessica and Riley, Tyler’s brothers story – it has left me intrigued so I will be adding this to my TBR pile; I am still holding hope.

More of my reviews can be found at www.obsessionwithbooks.blogspot.comReview: 4 1/2 out of 5 stars Imaginable is the second book in the Intangible series and was kindly provided to me by the author in exchange for my honest review. I thoroughly enjoyed diving back into the supernatural world J. Meyers has created and revisiting the characters that I grew to like and appreciate from the first book, twins Sera and Luke Raine. We learn in book one that Luke is a seer and has visions of what is going to happen in the future and Sera is a healer. Both of the twins understand more about their abilities now and we see further character progression in Imaginable but with knowledge of what they can do also come with consequences and puts them in greater danger with others seeking to use them for their own nefarious purposes. They can handle themselves well but at times both of them seemed to rush head first into things without fully thinking things through which at times drove me batty! The plot was fast paced and action-packed, poor Sera couldn’t really catch a break and seemed to be the twin everyone wanted; her ability is one which is sought-after by seemingly every supernatural creature so her safety in this book was a focus for a few other characters; Fey still takes her role extremely seriously and Jonas played the protector role well, I absolutely adore this smexy, tortured, extremely loyal vampire; I liked that we get to see the POV’s from Luke, Sera, Fey and Jonas. The secondary cast of characters are wonderful, I was a big fan of a Fey/Luke relationship in the first book and things have progressed which I really liked; I also love the interaction between Jonas and Sera, the banter and dialogue between all of them is written really well. We also meet a few new characters, I can honestly say I am now a fan of Thorn; I loved his wit and honesty. I was once again pulled into this captivating story, Ms Meyers writing was entertaining and had me engrossed from the very first page, she has a delightful way with words and I adored the vivid imagery, especially of the realms and the creatures which inhabited them such as gnomes, goblins and shadows which proved to be the real threat. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed Imaginable, the detailed and creative world Meyers has crafted is mesmerising and I am eager to see what is to come of the prophecy and the new breed of Vampire/Human hybrid in the next installment, I am also eager to see more progression with the romance aspect.