Obsession with Books

Loved this! can't wait for #2..Review to come closer to the release date.

More of my reviews @ www.obsessionwithbooks.blogspot.comReview: 3 out of 5 starsReboot is Amy Tintera’s debut novel and was kindly provided to me by Harper Teen/Edelweiss in exchange for my honest review.Seventeen year-old Wren Connolly was dead for 178 minutes after being shot in the chest at the age of twelve before coming back as a Reboot; with limited emotions and enhanced abilities she is now the property of a government agency known as HARC.Wren wasn’t a character I immediately connected with, she was feared by other reboots because of the amount of time she remained dead and had lost part of her humanity as a result; but I think with the life she held as a human it didn’t seem any different, her emotions were lacking but she still ‘felt’, especially with the arrival of newcomer Callum.Callum had only been dead for twenty-two minutes before becoming a reboot so his survival rate was quite low, we are often told about his beaming smile which was completely not the norm, he was adorable and had retained a lot of his humanity and often questioned his orders now he was a reboot, his abilities weren’t as enhanced as the others, he lacked the speed and strength needed for certain tasks so a target had more or less been painted on his head and it was up to Wren to train him, a hard task with that constant smile and his knack for making her feel things she shouldn’t be feeling.The romance was sweet and was definitely a focal point, we get Wren who was quite cold and distant and Callum who was touchy feely with great charm and charisma – they were complete opposites but I felt Wren progressed from the emotionless character we meet in the beginning to someone I quite liked.The plot was interesting and flowed well but there were a few aspects I still questioned; despite the initial information dump, I found parts of the background history were lacking, I needed to know more about the world they were living in, the KDH virus & why it only affects a certain few; we are given tidbits but nothing concrete about their scientific purpose for actually being - I find with sci-fi & dystopians I need more information about how everything came to be to fully grasp the world they are now living in so I hope we get more in the next book.The mystery surrounding HARC and the humans/reboots is something I am keen to also learn more about in the next installment, we see a few things happen to other reboots, including Wren’s only friend, Ever so I am curious to learn more about what is going on.Overall, if you are after a story with character progression, ongoing action, enjoyable writing and an intriguing plot then you would quite enjoy Reboot.Thank-you to Harper Teen for the opportunity to read and review Reboot.

4 1/2 out of 5 stars

More of my reviews @ www.obsessionwithbooks.blogspot.comThank-you to Bloomsbury Publishing Australia for sending me an advance review copy of Dance of Shadows.Dance of Shadows by Yelena Black is hard for me to rate because there are some elements that I enjoyed, such as the dance aspect but others that had me cringing and left me quite frustrated.Fifteen year-old Vanessa Adler is a freshman at the elite NY Ballet Academy where her sister Margaret also attended but she is there for a different purpose, her goal is to not only dance but to find out what happened to Margaret three years prior when she mysteriously disappeared.When Vanessa is chosen to dance the lead in The Firebird, the role her sister was also meant to dance she has no idea of the danger she is in. I was intrigued by the paranormal mystery surrounding the dance and the sinister and ominous presence which played a part, I was quite surprised by the revelation and what was actually happening with the disappearing dancers and the deals they were making with demons, it was an interesting and promising premise but unfortunately the execution fell flat.I wasn’t Vanessa’s biggest fan, she did a number of things I found to be immature and rash but it could also come down to her age or the fact it was written in third person and I couldn't really relate to her; she seemed blasé to what she was told and just came across as weak and naïve. The secondary characters I found to be under-developed and lacking in personality, we also have two love interests, Zeppelin and Justin but I didn’t find either appealing or believable, it just didn’t come together for me and I wasn’t caught up in the romance.The cover of this book is stunning but unfortunately the story didn’t quite match its beauty and I was left feeling really underwhelmed. Dance played a huge part so fans of ballet may enjoy this aspect, the mystery was written ok but I wasn't surprised by the 'twist' and all of the characters were lacklustre and I didn’t connect with them at all; I also needed more imagery and sensory detail but it wasn’t there.Ms Black’s writing was simplistic, the pacing I found to be slow and incosistent, at times I admit to skimming; there was a lot of promise with Dance of Shadows but its delivery just didn’t work out for me.Overall, despite this book being beautifully presented it failed to draw me in and keep me wanting more, the premise was intriguing but the overall delivery I thought could have been refined.

More of my reviews @ www.obsessionwithbooks.blogspot.comSins & Needles by Karina Halle is a book which kept me captivated and wanting more right from the onset, filled with drama, betrayals and a complicated romance; it is a great start to The Artists Trilogy. Ellie Watt is the daughter of Grifters, her childhood was spent being used as a pawn in her parent’s con artist lives but despite being physically hurt by their scheme she continued on living the same grifting lifestyle. After an extremely close call, Ellie decides to ditch her ways and return home where she could be herself and start afresh but with the temptation of rich and tempting Camden McQueen, a blast from her past, the road to a ‘normal’ life wont come easily as she has chosen him to be her next target. Tattoo artist, Camden was such a complex, hardened character who you can’t help but adore but at the same time be afraid of; he is tattooed and smexy but has a childhood history that made your heart ache. The past he shared with Ellie was complicated and full of betrayals and mistrust, I despised her for the way she treated him but that isn’t to say he wasn’t without his own faults. I liked both of our pained and flawed characters, their chemistry was off the charts but the history they shared was heart-breaking and their current lives weren’t too rosy either and as I was reading along I just couldn’t see a way out, forgiveness or a HEA for either; the mob/mafia predicament they were in played a huge role in both of their lives and a future on the run didn’t seem too appealing to me so I am eager to see how it pans out for them in the sequel. There are a few minor secondary characters/thugs we learn about; the main being Javier, the first person Ellie ever loved; he was so persistent in tracking her down and I couldn’t help but wonder the real purpose behind it – love or revenge?? The story is told from Ellie’s past POV (told in third person) as well as present (told in first person) and the transition between them was flawless and meshed the story together perfectly. Karina Halle’s writing was mesmerising! I was literally sucked into this story and didn’t want it to end, that’s not to say it wasn’t without a few minor faults but I was really bummed when I realised book two wasn’t yet available for me to download, it is the type of story where you just need to know the outcome. My only gripes were, I felt Camden’s story was kind of put on the backburner and lacked importance – both of them having mob/mafia links seemed to override one another and the resolution to Camden’s predicament came too conveniently; Ellie also made some obvious mistakes when it came to moving on and changing identity, little things but I felt they were important when it came to taking on an assumed role. Overall, I really enjoyed Sins & Needles and I’m quite excited for the next installment; if you are after a drama-filled, dark and emotional read with intriguing characters then I highly recommend you read this book. The sequel, Shooting Scars has an anticipated May release date.

Review to come.. I really enjoyed this!

My review contains possible spoilers of books 1-3Apollyon is the fourth book in the amazing Covenant series by the uber talented Jennifer L. Armentrout and is probably my favourite out of the series to date – a hard feat considering I have loved them all.JLA's Novella, Elixir (Covenant #3.5) can be read between these books to get an understanding of what happens when Aiden is forced to put Alex on the elixir, something which went completely against his beliefs and causes him a lot of pain and self loathing which shows in this book. {Find the novella for free here}The ending of Deity was heart wrenching, with Alex pulling away from Aiden and connecting with the First - Seth, Aiden was determined to find a way to break their bond but it didn't come without drama and consequences, the first few chapters were especially difficult as it just didn't seem it was possible but with determination we see some great changes.Alex is her ever snarky, self sacrificing, stubborn yet fiercely loyal self but in Apollyon we really start to see her embrace her destiny and to understand the power she holds, I think she has matured drastically since Half-blood – I absolutely adore her as a character.In this action-packed installment we see further plot progression, there is so much going on I was literally flying through the pages; without giving away spoilers - the gods have killed thousands in their quest to stop Seth from draining Alex of her power and killing off the gods. A lot was revealed and I was surprised by a few aspects and shocked by others, the villain was completely unexpected and left me gaping. The journey Alex undertook with Aiden was fraught with danger and despair and not everyone has come out of it unscathed.Seth – ugh! I knew that guy couldn't be trusted, he is power hungry and deceitful and I despise him that little bit more in each book I read! I am so curious to see how it all plays out in Sentinel, he didn't get as much page time in this book which I was quietly relieved about.The romance {sigh} I have cheered for Alex and Aiden's relationship from the very first book and to see their unconditional love and their devotion to one another despite the many obstacles standing in the way now out in the open was so sweet and wonderful, there were so many awww moments; I absolutely adore them together and at least the forbidden love aspect isn't as important as it once was now the world is in utter chaos.The ever-present, reliable secondary characters each played a supportive role to Alex and her plight and showed their devotion and loyalty especially Marcus, Olivia, Lea, Solos, Deacon, and Luke as well as a few surprise visits which was really nice to see (I won't mention by who).I loved reading about each of the gods, I was clueless about who to trust but they each played an important role in the overall story - JLA knows her mythology.The overall story progression has been phenomenal, the creative and wonderfully written story JLA has weaved has left me mesmerised and I'm actually quite sad the series is nearing its end; it has been a roller-coaster ride filled with all of the elements I really find entertaining in a Young Adult novel.Overall, JLA is an auto-buy for me and one of my all time favourite authors – Apollyon gave us the ideal mix of amazing characters, kick-butt action scenes, a beautiful love story, mythological intrigue and twists and turns filled with betrayals and secrets; It had me hooked from the very first to the last page and I literally sighed when I finished it.An exhilarating, captivating 5 star read – I can't wait for Sentinel to see how everything works out with the prophecy.

More of my reviews @ www.obsessionwithbooks.blogspot.comReview: 5 out of 5 starsThis book is not a Young Adult novel; it contains language, sexual, drug and alcohol themes.If You stay is another book in which I became immersed into the story and put real-life on hold. It kept me riveted from the very first page and held my attention throughout.24 year-old Pax Tate lives off his inheritance, he is a {gorgeous} loner with a drug habit who used women when it suited him and treated everyone in a way which made him come across as an ass but things quickly change when he meets Mila Hill, the stranger who saves him from an overdose.23 year-old Artist, Mila was a sweetheart to Pax – caring, devoted and her loyalty was unwavering but she held firm in her beliefs, respected herself and didn’t let him walk all over her but guided him to become a better person. I adored her as a character, her nature was so different to Pax’s but she bought out the best in him and tolerated him at his worst.Pax has locked away a very important memory from his childhood which has left a huge void in his heart and more or less tore his family apart, he knows it relates to his mothers death when he was seven but he hasn’t wanted to dredge up the painful past. I was heart-broken for the person Pax had become, with Mila he came across as a sweetheart but you could also see how vulnerable he was and couldn’t help but wish happiness for them both.Told from alternating POV’s, we get great insight into both of the characters and even though Mila had a few small issues since the death of her parents, she didn’t let Pax’s behaviour slide, she protected herself and her heart well.If You stay is definitely a story about redemption and salvation for Pax in the form of Mila, it was raw, dark and is full of ‘real life’ issues that the author dealt with beautifully such as drug and alcohol abuse, it wasn’t pretty but it was believable.I have read Ms. Cole’s Paradise Diaries series and this book is so very different! It is smexy, romantic and full of heartfelt sweetness – the characters chemistry was off the charts.Overall, a wonderfully written, emotionally engaging story with amazing characters and a really endearing HEA. I can’t wait to read the next book in the series, If You Leave which follows Mila’s older sister Madison.A great start to The Broken Ones series.

Review to come closer to release date.

3 1/2 stars

More of my YA reviews can be found at www.obsessionwithbooks.blogspot.comReview: 4 out of 5 starsThe Holders was kindly provided to me by Strange Chemistry/Angry Robot in exchange for my honest review.17 year old Becca Ingle cares deeply for her 10 year old brother Ryland, who hears voices; she has always protected him from anyone who has wanted to test or institutionalise him, until two men arrive on their doorstep with an explanation for what is happening to Ryland and provide an opportunity for him to attend an academy based in Ireland where he will learn to control what they say is a special ability, for he is what is known as a Holder and is actually hearing people's thoughts.Becca sees the opportunity provided but only agrees Ry can go if she can accompany him despite knowing she will be in the close vicinity of her estranged father who abandoned them as children and now runs the school.Each Holder has a special ability - telepathy, telekinesis, alchemy etc. and teaching Becca about the school and each power is Alex Bray who has the ability to project images on reality, he is also the main love interest.I enjoyed each of the main characters, Becca was full of snark and tended to react before thinking but she was also caring and protective. Alex was a sweetheart but probably too perfect, this guy was ideal - so calm and loveable and complimented Becca well, his past was really quite sad.I initially thought the romance was too insta-love but there was a reason for it which was revealed as the story progressed and made the connection between Alex & Becca all the more believable but in the initial stages I thought it was too much too soon.We get some great secondary characters, some of the Holders such as Mr. Anderson and Mr. Reid provide some welcomed comic relief, Min was a sweet motherly figure and Chloe is a wonderful new best friend to Becca. We learn a bit about the bad guys but don’t really get to see the main villain act out so I’m curious to learn more about him/them in the next installment – Ms. Scott has set the story up nicely and given us enough background information for the next book.My main complaint with The Holders is the predictability, I was able to guess what was going to happen early on in the book, it was just a matter of reading along to see it all play out - it may also have been because a lot is revealed about the book in the synopsis which doesn’t leave a lot to the imagination.The pacing flowed well and Ms. Scott's writing was crisp and enjoyable. With a threat looming, I am intrigued to see what is to come of Becca now certain things have been revealed and with a powerful Holder out to control the human race things are looking to get quite interesting.Overall, a promising start to this new series.Thank-you to Strange Chemistry/Angry Robot for providing me with copy of The Holders to read and review.

Review: 4 1/2 out of 5 starsContains spoilers from the previous booksThe Detective Inspectors is the fourth book in The Doorknob Society saga and was kindly provided to me by the author, MJ Fletcher in exchange for my honest review.I am a huge fan of The Doorknob Society saga and the fantasy world Fletcher has created. It is full of life with amazing characters that I have become truly invested in, ongoing drama, action and a really sweet romance which has been a slow and believable progression.Chloe Masters was more gun ho in this book, she stands up for what she believes in, she is caring and protective of her friends and family and will do anything possible to put a stop to her mother and the First Kind. In this installment we see her leading her friends on a dangerous mission to locate and rescue Edgar Magnus who was kidnapped in the previous book; the Detective Inspectors HVO have been compromised and she is also sought after and more well known because of her Polymorph abilities which she continues to learn more about.The plot flowed well and I liked the change of setting; the many twists and turns we are given truly surprised and shocked me which is usually hard to do when you are four books into a series but I like where the story is going and how Chloe is now embracing her powers and becoming more of a leader. Without giving away any spoilers, I am pleased with the romance and how it has progressed from book one until now – we have a possible three love interests, James Nightshade, Michael Slade and Declan Hardcastle, one I didn’t feel was necessarily needed but I liked that we finally have a clear choice and Chloe is happy.Each of the secondary characters play an important role in this series, a few standout as favourites such as Nightshade, Edgar, Jess and Val but they are each endearing in their own way; we have a few returning baddies which are also written well and their fight is one I am curious to see played out.Mr. Fletcher’s writing holds my attention as does the wonderfully gripping story he has created, there is something new with each book; it is all fresh and unique and brings new mystery and intrigue to the ongoing saga as we continue learning about each of the societies.Overall, The Detective Inspectors is another action-packed and enjoyable read. I am eager to see where Mr. Fletcher will take us on our next journey now the team have been declared outlaws.Books in Order:1. The Doorknob Society2. The Impossible Engineers3. The Mapmakers Union4. The Detective InspectorsThank-you to MJ Fletcher for providing me with a copy of The Detective Inspectors, I am definitely excited to read the next book in this amazing series.

Review: 4 1/2 out of 5 starsContains spoilers from the previous booksThe Detective Inspectors is the fourth book in The Doorknob Society saga and was kindly provided to me by the author, MJ Fletcher in exchange for my honest review.I am a huge fan of The Doorknob Society saga and the fantasy world Fletcher has created. It is full of life with amazing characters that I have become truly invested in, ongoing drama, action and a really sweet romance which has been a slow and believable progression.Chloe Masters was more gun ho in this book, she stands up for what she believes in, she is caring and protective of her friends and family and will do anything possible to put a stop to her mother and the First Kind. In this installment we see her leading her friends on a dangerous mission to locate and rescue Edgar Magnus who was kidnapped in the previous book; the Detective Inspectors HVO have been compromised and she is also sought after and more well known because of her Polymorph abilities which she continues to learn more about.The plot flowed well and I liked the change of setting; the many twists and turns we are given truly surprised and shocked me which is usually hard to do when you are four books into a series but I like where the story is going and how Chloe is now embracing her powers and becoming more of a leader. Without giving away any spoilers, I am pleased with the romance and how it has progressed from book one until now – we have a possible three love interests, James Nightshade, Michael Slade and Declan Hardcastle, one I didn’t feel was necessarily needed but I liked that we finally have a clear choice and Chloe is happy.Each of the secondary characters play an important role in this series, a few standout as favourites such as Nightshade, Edgar, Jess and Val but they are each endearing in their own way; we have a few returning baddies which are also written well and their fight is one I am curious to see played out.Mr. Fletcher’s writing holds my attention as does the wonderfully gripping story he has created, there is something new with each book; it is all fresh and unique and brings new mystery and intrigue to the ongoing saga as we continue learning about each of the societies.Overall, The Detective Inspectors is another action-packed and enjoyable read. I am eager to see where Mr. Fletcher will take us on our next journey now the team have been declared outlaws.Books in Order:1. The Doorknob Society2. The Impossible Engineers3. The Mapmakers Union4. The Detective InspectorsThank-you to MJ Fletcher for providing me with a copy of The Detective Inspectors, I am definitely excited to read the next book in this amazing series.

3 1/2 stars Nameless is the first book I have read by Lili St. Crow and the first two words which popped to mind after reading it was strange and unusual. It was a book which confused me but also mesmerised me, I was intrigued by the creativity and spectacular world created but also wanted and needed more in terms of explanation.Nameless was inspired by the Brothers Grimm story, Snow White which I have always loved but it certainly didn’t depict the story in quite the same way, I really enjoyed the creative spin Ms. St. Crow put on this classic fairy tale.The story follows 16 year-old Camille who was found abandoned and beaten in the snow at the age of 6 by a man known as 'the vulture' , Enrico Vultusino who is the leader of one of the seven most powerful and influential families who rule magical New Haven.Sent to St. Juno's, a pure human charm school and raised as a member of the wealthy Vultusino's, Cami's life is of privilege but she has never felt that she quite belonged. I really liked Cami as a character, she was selfless, self-conscious of her stutter and devoted to those she loves, I adored her thought processes and her actions and reactions were believable.Trying to explain everything is quite difficult because I am still a tad clueless about who is who and what is what, we have Fausts, Families (Vampires), Griffs, Charms and Minotaurs but despite my confusion, I found the story creative, dark and unique and filled with mystery about Cami's traumatic past, questions about why young girls are being stolen from their homes and the reasoning behind it and also fascinated by the strange setting and vivid world. I was surprised by a few outcomes so I am eager to see how certain aspects are followed up, especially now Cami knows where she belongs.The love interest in the book is Nico Vultusino, the rebellious son who will run the Family once Papa Vultusino passes to the Undead; he was so protective towards Cami but I wasn’t quite sure where his feelings really lay – brotherly or more but in the end his actions ended up speaking for themself and I quite liked the outcome.Lili St. Crow's writing is gripping, the plot flowed well and I found the pacing was consistent throughout; each of the secondary characters were likeable, the twist we are given about Tor, a Vultusino groundskeeper I found to be really interesting and definitely not expected, I hope we see more of him in future installments.The A Tale of Beauty and Madness series has great potential, I am really eager to see where Lili St.Crow takes the story in the sequel.Thank-you kindly to Razorbill for providing me with a copy of Nameless.

Review: 3 ½ out of 5 starsWe first meet bad mouthed, troubled Seventeen year-old Beth Risk in Pushing the Limits and I thought Dare You To would actually be Beth and best friend Isaiah’s story but we see her paired with Baseball jock, Ryan Stone.At the beginning of the story we see Beth take the blame for something she didn’t do and has been placed in the custody of her rich uncle Scott who she hasn’t seen in quite a long while; their relationship is tense but he is just what she needs and he is determined to set her on the straight and narrow, starting off by attending school and setting strict rules.Beth drove me bonkers! I don’t think I have come across a more stubborn, defiant and inflexible character in a while; it took me a long while to take to her feisty approach, in saying this, the life she has had to live and her upbringing and past has played a big role in her attitude and her self-doubt but I wish she could have budged just that little bit and respected those she was closest to and herself a lot more than what she did.Ryan Stone doesn’t believe in losing and after he loses a dare from his friends to get Beth’s phone number he is determined to pursue her in his quest to win, you could see from the onset the little game he played with his friends wouldn’t go down well but he didn’t take into account the attraction he would feel towards her. I really liked Ryan as a character, he was protective and supportive and the perfect person to go up against head-strong Beth.This couple couldn’t have been more different, but they both knew pain – for varying reasons and seeing them work up a trust and understanding was really sweet! Ryan helped Beth to heal, she was broken and he needed a bit of support himself. Despite not being Beth’s biggest fan, I did enjoy the interactions and the smexy chemistry between this unlikely duo.I really liked the secondary characters, in particular Lace, I enjoyed watching her friendship with Beth grow. My heart broke for Isaiah and I really enjoyed the progression of the relationship Beth came to have with her Uncle Scott – it was also nice to catch up with Echo and Noah again.A small gripe I had was the way the situation with Ryan's brother was handled, it was a let-down and overplayed - his parents were unbelievable in their thinking and in this day and age it actually made me cringe.I enjoyed Dare You To but I didn’t love it as much as Pushing the Limits, maybe it was because of my feelings towards the infuriating main character who I didn’t have a connection with although I did sympathise with her but other than this I enjoyed this story.Overall, Katie McGarry’s writing is engaging; Despite my issues it's a great addition to the Pushing the Limits series - it had a lot of drama, pain and emotion that kept me entertained, I am definitely eager to read more books by this author.

Review: 3 ½ out 5 starsIndigo Awakening was kindly provided to me by Harlequin Teen and is the first book in The Hunted series by Jordan Dane.Told from multiple POV’s it starts out with 15 year-old Lucas Darby escaping a mental institution and following a girls voice he is hearing in his head; with the only person he can trust being his sister Rayne, he leaves her a message but warns her not to search for him.I was intrigued from the very onset of this book, with the story following a group of ‘Indigo’ children and a fanatical church group known as the Believers after them for their special abilities it was an ongoing drama filled with mystery and action.Rayne was tough but vulnerable, being rescued by an intriguing boy named Gabriel Stewart she depends on his unique powers to aide her in the search for her brother but along the way secrets, conspiracies and the true danger is revealed. Rayne and Gabriel are standout characters for me, I enjoyed the journey they undertook in the hopes of finding the Indigo’s before Mia, Rayne’s older sister and the church did. Indigo Awakening is a fast-paced read, we are given enough back story but without it being overload. The characters are each likeable but I would have liked to have learnt more about each of the abilities, I needed more of an explanation about who was who and why? The villains were also written quite well, I was completely shocked by the ending and the connection of one of the main characters and a villain – I am curious to see how this plays out in the sequel as it certainly wasn’t expected.Unfortunately, with so many POV’s (5+) I found it difficult to connect with them all and at times it got to be quite confusing. My preference is a narrative told from fewer characters without the complexity.Overall, if you are after a well written, action packed mystery then I recommend Indigo Awakening; it is an intriguing story and I am keen to see where the author will take it in the next installment.Thank-you to Harlequin Teen for the opportunity to read and review Indigo Awakening.