Elevator Heat by B.D. Rowe Review

Title: Elevator Heat

Author: B.D. Rowe

Published: December 17, 2013

Format Read/Pages: eBook/128

How I Acquired It: NetGalley

Date Finished: January 16, 2014

Find at: Amazon | Goodreads

*This book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Twenty-year-old Maddie has had a crush on Colin, her studly internship supervisor, for three long months. She struggles focusing on her work, and always finds herself gazing at his wavy brown hair, his chiseled cheekbones, his kissable lips. 

Little does she know, however, that he has feelings for her, too.

The problem is no matter how much time they spend together in the office, neither one can ever make the first move.

That is, until they both step into the old, rickety elevator late one Friday night. And things start to get a little steamy...

~

If you have read any of my previous reviews, you may have come across one that I did for Rowe’s Crashing Into You. I will admit it was not a glowing review in the slightest, but it is truly how I felt about that story. I requested this via NetGalley without realizing that it was the same author and I am glad I was unaware, as I probably would have skipped over this title had I known. My second venture into Rowe’s writing was much more pleasant than the first and I am glad I got to give it another chance.

Elevator Heat was a lighthearted, less steamy than I would have liked but fun all the same, read. I enjoyed both of the main characters; they had some pretty good chemistry and were not annoying in the slightest. Some of the scenes were funny and I found myself laughing, but in the best way. One thing I have some to realize is that the Rowe uses car accidents quite a lot in both the works already published. I don’t know why this is, but I can see it getting a bit old if it continues.

Overall, reading Elevator Heat was enjoyable. I sort of with that this was the full length novel and not Crashing Into You. I would have loved to see this story fleshed out a bit and I think it had some great potential to go somewhere.

3 Stars

Becoming Alpha by Aileen Erin

Title: Becoming Alpha

Author: Aileen Erin

Published: December 17, 2013

Series?: Alpha Girl #1

Format Read/Pages: eBook/267

How I Acquired It: NetGalley
Date Finished: December 23, 2013

Find at: Amazon | B&N | Goodreads

*This book was provided for free in exchange for an honest review.

Tessa McCaide has a unique talent for getting into trouble. Then again, it isn’t easy for a girl with visions to ignore what she sees. Luckily Tessa and her family are leaving California and moving halfway across the country, giving her the perfect opportunity to leave her reputation as “Freaky Tessa” behind.

But Tessa doesn’t realize that kissing the wrong guy in her new Texas town could land her in far more trouble than she ever imagined. Like being forced to attend St. Ailbe’s Academy, a secret boarding school for werewolves.

Even if the wrong guy did accidentally turn her into one of “them” and doom her to attending the weirdest high school ever, Tessa can’t help her growing attraction to the mysterious Dastien Laurent.

When vampires attack St. Alibe’s and her visions pinpoint an enemy in their midst, Tessa realizes that boy drama and her newfound canine tendencies might just be the least of her problems.

~

This review was hard to start. It wasn’t because I did not like the book, I did enjoy it, but there was no wow factor to it. For me, this story was something that I have read in many different forms, but all have the main aspects in common. Becoming Alpha introduces us to a young girl that has problems before meeting a boy that changes her life in a drastic way.

Erin created interesting characters, I actually enjoyed Tessa and the relationship she had with her family. The close bond she has with her brother makes sense in the way that he is always trying to look out for her and shield her from things that will set off her ability. I am pretty sure this is one of the first characters that I have read about that has the ability to see memories through touch, or at least the first in a long while.

Tessa’s interactions with Dastien annoyed me at times. They just felt really generic and clichéd. His actions after infecting her also really made me mad. He knew what he had done, so why didn’t he take her to Dawson right away instead of letting her deal with all the people that will shun her for associating with him.

As the rest of the story unfolds it adds some elements that could have been interesting if they were expanded upon more. I am curious to see how her heritage plays a part in the next book in the series, so I might tune in for that. Overall, it wasn’t a bad read; it had a lot of potential that I think needed to be a bit more developed to make it a great story. 

3 Stars

Books in this series:

1. Becoming Alpha
2. Avoiding Alpha (expected pub. May 2014)

Blog Tour - The Death of Ink by M.M. John Review and Giveaway

Title: The Death of Ink

Author: M.M. John

Published: January 30, 2014

Series: The Death of Ink #1

Format Read/Pages: ebook/246

How I Acquired It: Itching for Books

Date Finished: January 19, 2014

Find it at: Amazon | Goodreads

Paige Langley’s life has always revolved around good grades and escaping her less than ideal home life…but once she meets Devon Connors, her life drastically changes.

Although, they share an instant attraction, Devon’s concealing a dark past. And an even darker secret…there’s a dead girl haunting him nightly.

Resolute to win the school’s writing contest, Paige will do just about anything to achieve her goals. So after she finds a binder containing information on a past murder and the illegal activities of the students, she believes the stories are fictional and the perfect way to win the contest.

But the owner of the manuscript, Devon Connors, has other plans. To keep Paige from exposing his secrets, Devon befriends her and even offers to help her write a winning story for the contest.

The chemistry between Paige and Devon is undeniable, but Paige doesn’t know if she can trust him. The deeper she digs into the dark underbelly of their high school, the more she realizes that some secrets are better left buried.

~

This story was a slow start, but it sure builds the suspense. There are a lot of intersecting elements that can be found in The Death of Ink, which in the end leave us a bit confused but wanting more. John weaves a very intricate story that keeps you engrossed and wanting to find out just what is really going on.

I enjoyed both of the main characters, they each brought something interesting to the mix and it worked well together. Paige is striving to make a name for herself as the winner of a writing contest, if only to fund her other expeditions in life, as well as, to get out of the shadow of her last name. A name that is associated with deadbeats and teen pregnancies. Devon is trying to deal with the fact that a dead girl visits him in the middle of the night and convince his family that things are getting better for him. Both of these high school seniors are struggling to go about their day to day lives and make the most of it all, and along the way they find solace in each other.

I must say that the ending was very abrupt and left me wondering what had just happened, I can only home that John plans to explain further in the next installment.

3 Stars

About the Author

College student by day, clandestine writer by night, M. M. John lives in a Florida town full of ghosts, mysteries and secrets. The Death of Ink is her first novel.

mmjohnbooks.wordpress.com 

Make sure to check out all the stops on The Death of Ink tour! 

The full schedule is available at Itching for Books.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thank you to Shane at IFB and M.M. John for the chance to participate in this tour!

Crashing into You by B.D. Rowe

Title: Crashing into You

Author: B.D. Rowe

Published: October 1, 2013

Format Read/Pages: eBook/212

How I Acquired It: NetGalley
Date Finished: December 26, 2013

Find it at: Amazon | B&N | Goodreads 

Bookish college sophomore Sydney Baker wants Evan Taylor with every ounce of her being. The hottest stud on campus, Evan is six foot four, ripped, stacked with muscles. He's even easy to talk to.

There's just one problem: he's her roommate Melanie's boyfriend.

But when Melanie tragically dies after a night of wild partying, Sydney and Evan turn to each other in a time of intense grief. And it doesn't take long for their close friendship to blossom into something more.

Unfortunately for Sydney, secrets from the past soon put her relationship with Evan to the test. Especially when a sexy blonde freshman makes her way into Evan's life, and tries to rip away everything Sydney holds close to her heart.

~

This book made me sooooo mad. I was on the verge of ripping my hair out while reading this. Sydney has to be the most unlucky person to ever be written into this world. So unlucky, that it starts to be very unbelievable. I am not going to get into too much detail, because then it would spoil the whole story, but I will outline some of my greater frustrations.

How do you not check on your roommate, who has been sleeping in the bed above you, for DAYS!?!?!? Taking one little glance at a foot sticking out of the covers is not the same as checking on a person when they are sick. I had mono my freshman year of college and was stuck in bed for almost two weeks straight. Everyday my roommate made sure that I was okay and would ask if I needed anything while she was out, that is what people do. Okay, so you didn’t check on her, fine. But when the room started to smell wouldn’t you think something was really wrong? Or try and find the source of said smell? The idiocy this girl possessed made me question how she got into college in the first place.

The relationship between Syd and Evan left me feeling unsettled. I understand that traumatic experiences pull people together, but I don’t know if I could be in a relationship with a boy if I had a hand (although unintentional) in killing his girlfriend. Or, if I found out that he was one of the main reasons that she drank so much in the first place and that he had been lying to me about it for months.

Crashing into You was not an enjoyable read in the slightest. The story was not the most horrible thing I have ever read, but for all this to happen to one person seems really improbable. The absurdity of it all was what really turned me off and I think that if things were less dramatic that it all would have been easier to swallow. 

2 Stars

Blog Tour - Psycho Inside Me by Bonnie R. Paulson Review & Giveaway

Title: Psycho Inside Me

Author: Bonnie R. Paulson

Published: November 30, 2013

Format Read/Pages: eBook/171

How I Acquired It: Itching For Books

Date Finished: January 11, 2014

Purchase at: Amazon | B&N

I killed my first victim at thirteen years old – my age, not his. He was going to rape me, him and a couple of his friends. And so, I killed him. And then… I killed again. And again.

At seventeen, I’m killing four to six times a year – maybe more. Don’t stress out. I only go after the pedophiles and rapists. There are more out there than I could cover in a lifetime.

Saying I did this on my own would be selfish. Enforcing justice holds a glory all its own. But now, my lifelong friend and backup, Deegan, has been arrested. I have to decide if I want to give myself up and take his place or leave him with all the damning evidence. I don’t want to stop killing. But if I let him take the fall, I can’t kill anymore. And I need to keep doing that.

But the worst part of it all? I love him.

~

Can we just acknowledge that blurb and how catching it really is? As soon as I had read it I knew that I needed to read Psycho Inside Me. It enraptured me and there was no way I could not find out what happens to Deegan and how this all came to be. Bonnie R. Paulson captivated me with a very intriguing premise and kept me interested all the way through.

Something that I really enjoyed was that we jump right into the story; it starts when Cassie, our main character, is thirteen years old and makes her first kill. Within the first ten pages we have the first kill and a promise of more. It starts out fast paced and never lets up. The writing style, I feel, fit when Cassie was young. It was a little all over the place and reminded me of the thoughts and interactions of a young teenager. I would have liked to see it grow right alongside her, but it pretty much stays the same throughout the book, this does not detract from the story though.

While I really liked Cassie, there were times she made me want to pull out my own hair! You would think that after the second killing, where Deegan saves her ass, she would realize that she should just include him in the beginning and save everyone the trouble of having to guess whether or not he will make it to her in time. Their relationship was fitting for this type of situation, even though his insistence that they not be together is what gets them in trouble in the long run.

The story was one that captivated me all the way through and had me on the edge of my seat for the last few chapters. I feel as though the outcome was perfect and was believable in the sense that it really could have turned out that way.

This was a nice fast paced and short read with one of the most original ideas that I have come across in a long while. It was a highly enjoyable, dark and gritty story that shows what can happen when children are forced to grow up too fast. Paulson has written a number of other books and I will definitely be checking some of them out!

4 Stars

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

There are people who know a lot about a little, we’ll call them experts. Then there are people, like Bonnie, who don’t specialize, but rather gather information like pebbles in their pockets and drop them like Hansel & Gretel in the stories they write.

The question is, do you want to follow them back?

Certified as a Radiologic Technologist, Bonnie prefers a touch of medical in her storylines. Don’t be surprised if romance somehow runs through a hospital or comes in contact with a paramedic. It’s just how she rolls. And you know there's nothing more romantic than an 18 gauge needle poking your vein!

She and her Hubs delight in dirt biking, snowboarding, fishing, cooking, eating, spending time together and more with their adorable children.

www.bonnierpaulson.com | twitter.com/bonnierpaulson | facebook.com/bonpaulson

Make sure to check out all the stops on the Psycho Inside Me tour! The full schedule is available at Itching for Books.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thank you to Shane at IFB and Bonnie R. Paulson for the chance to participate in this tour!

Blog Tour - Lingering Echoes by Erica Kiefer Review and Giveaway

Title: Lingering Echoes

Author: Erica Kiefer

Published: November 16, 2013

Format Read/Pages: eBook/278

How I Acquired It: Itching for Books

Date Finished: January 11, 2014

Purchase at: Amazon | B&N 

She's broken with guilt.
He harbors a chilling past.
It's safer if they keep their distance...
But, the echoes that linger connect them.

Returning to Hidden Pines is the last thing Allie Collins wants to do during her final summer before college. For her, the family cabin she spent her youthful summers in, now holds a dark memory that has haunted her every day for the last year.

While struggling to forget her past, Allie runs into Damien, a local rebel with secrets of his own. He's dark, dangerous and he keeps showing up when Allie least expects him to. She has every reason not to trust him. So why does she find herself opening up to him in a way she hasn't been able to with anyone?

As pieces of Damien’s identity emerge, answers to a rumored mystery begin to unfold. By the time Allie unearths the secrets of Damien’s past, she realizes just how intricately they are connected. Now she is caught in a dangerous battle that threatens her life and those she loves.

~

When I first started reading this story I didn’t think I was going to like it half as much as I did. It was tough to get into but once the story really started to develop it had my attention and did not let go. Erica Kiefer created a beautiful setting for Lingering Echoes and an amazing story to go along with it.

I really think the reason I ended up liking the story so much was because of the place that it was set in. Hidden Pines is the picturesque vacation on a lake spot, the sort which I often frequented as a child. Reading some of the descriptions of places in town and around the lake made it that much easier to picture what I thought Hidden Pines would look like. It almost became its own character in the fact that there was so much history and story behind that one place, for both of our characters, that the book would not have been the same without it. Kiefer provides us with beautiful imagery and makes it easy to picture every scene as if you are there.

I really felt for Allie in the fact that her family thought it would be best to drag her back to the scene of such heartbreak for her. At first it seemed as though they did not have her best interest at heart and were really doing things that they thought would push her to get over what happened, for their sakes and not hers. As things progressed it does seem to be the right idea, but only because it pushes her closer to Damian, who happens to be the one person that can really understand what she is going through.

Towards the end of the story, which is told mostly through Allie, we get to a part entitled ‘Damian’s Story’ as soon as I saw that I let out a huge sigh. I saw this going one of two ways, it not working with the story and completely disrupting the flow of it or being just what we needed to really understand Damian and what happened to him. I am glad to say that it turned out to be the latter. I thought that it fit right into the overall telling and did not feel out of place at all. Kiefer did a great job of melding the two different voices.

I ended up really enjoying the sad, but heartfelt tale that is presented in Lingering Echoes. It tells what the real life consequences of some of our actions can be and how our decisions not only affect us, but those around us. More often than not, they are felt by those that we love. This story also offers a chance at redemption and shows how two people, jaded from their experiences, can help each other heal from their pasts. 

4 Stars

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Erica Kiefer was born on Christmas Eve in Southern California to an American father whose ancestors arrived from Europe during colonial times and a Thai mother who moved to the US during high school. Adding to her rich and varied heritage, Erica grew up living abroad in Asia, including Taiwan, Fiji, Thailand and Indonesia. She gained a great respect for the beautiful mosaic of cultures found in various parts of the world. After graduating from International School Bangkok, she attended Brigham Young University in Utah, where she earned a degree in Recreation Therapy. Her career as a Recreation Therapist has allowed her to work with at-risk youth since 2007

Erica made the best decision of her life by marrying her husband in 2005 and is currently a mother of three, one of whom awaits her in heaven. Erica also loves singing, reading, writing, and satisfying her sweet-tooth with chocolate-chip cookies. Playing collegiate rugby was one of the most memorable experiences of her life, thus far.

ericakieferbooks.com | twitter.com/ericarockkiefer | facebook.com/ericakieferauthor

Be sure to check out the other stops on the Lingering Echoes tour! The full schedule is available at Itching for Books.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thank you to Shane at IFB and Erica Kiefer for the chance to participate in this tour!

Blog Tour - Heart Breaths by K.K. Hendin Review & Giveaway

Title: Heart Breaths

Author: K.K. Hendin

Published: November 5, 2013

Format Read/Pages: eBook/265

How I Acquired It: Itching for Books

Date Finished: January 5, 2014
Purchase at: Amazon | B&N

***Heart Breaths will be available for $0.99 on Amazon for this week only!!

After a tragedy nearly ripped 21 year old Madeline Darlington-Gray’s life in half, she's spent the past three years trying to put the pieces back together. But pieces never just fit back together, and when she's betrayed by those she trusts, everything crumbles. Shoving everything she owns into the trunk of her car, Maddie drives south, trying to run from her past.

Eno, North Carolina seems like the perfect place to hide. Working at a local café is light years from Maddie's Manhattan existence and for the first time in a while, she's finding her family. There's Grandma, the café owner; Samantha, the hairstylist next door with plans to make Maddie's life unsuck and Noie, the three year old girl who's stolen Maddie's heart.

And then there’s Gabriel Mendez, Noie’s single dad. He’s intrigued Maddie since the first time she met him, and while he has his own secrets, he wants more from her than just friendship. But the past never stays past, and all too soon, Maddie realizes she can't hide from hers. If she can't put the pieces of her shattered life together this time, she'll have no hope for a future.

A future she desperately wants.

~

I really, really, really loved this story. It hit me right in the feels and left me with more emotions than I ever like to have. I seem to be reading a lot of stories about loss and they all manage to make me feel for the characters as though they are real people. Hendin accomplished that and then some with Heart Breaths.

The fact that the single parent in this story is the father was something that I really appreciated. It seems that not many authors, these days at least, have fathers as the main parent, especially as a single parent. I feel as though it brought a whole new set of challenges that are not always seen, especially since Noie comes with challenges of her own. The relationship between Noie and Gabe was perfect and it made me feel as though they are the best father/daughter duo a person can ask for. Maddie seamlessly fits into the equation upon being introduced to the two of them and it just seemed natural for her to be there. 

The heartbreaking reality that is Maddie’s life is something no young woman should have to go through at that age. Given her circumstances and the reasons that drove her to flee her home, she really finds a place that she is able to let her guard down and start to find a new way to live. With the help of some kick ass friends and people that genuinely love her, she found something and someone to live for again. Watching her journey unfold made reading the story easy and had me setting a fast pace to see what new daily adventures she was embarking on along the road to happiness.

The one and only gripe I have about this story was the abrupt ending!! I feel as though I got no closure with the characters and I would have loved to see how they all turned out. Other than that, I cannot express how much I loved this story. I will definitely be on the lookout for any more stories that Hendin puts out. 

4.5 Stars

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

KK Hendin's real life ambition is to become a pink fluffy unicorn who dances with rainbows. But the schooling for that is all sorts of complicated, so until that gets sorted out, she'll just write. Preferably things with angst and love. And things that require chocolate.

kkhendinwrites.blogspot.com | twitter.com/kkhendin

Make sure to check out the other stops on K.K. Hendin's Heart Breaths tour. The full schedule is available at Itching for Books!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thank you Shane at IFB and K.K. Hendin for a chance to participate in this great tour!

Blog Tour - Me After You by Mindy Hayes Review & Giveaway

Title: Me After You

Author: Mindy Hayes

Published: November 18, 2013
Series: Willowhaven #1

Format Read/Pages: eBook/290

How I Acquired It: Itching for Books

Date Finished: January 4, 2014
Purchase at: Amazon | B&N

Widowed at twenty-five, Sawyer Hartwell has no choice but to return to her hometown. Broke and alone, the intention was to heal and find herself again, but how can she heal in a place filled with so much sorrow and memories she yearns to forget?

Dean Preston has regretted leaving Willowhaven since the day he rode off on his motorcycle six years ago, destroying the only love he had ever known. Returning too late, he's found small comfort in a new life with Lily, but with Sawyer back he's not sure of anything anymore.

The time has come for Sawyer and Dean to face the past, to learn from their mistakes. The road to healing is paved with old wounds, each one threatening to tear them down completely. Carrying their own scars close to their hearts, they must both confront what's gone before or lose their second chance.

The measure of who we are is what we survive. Who we become is up to us.

~

This is an emotion driven story, about a young woman and her struggle to move on after multiple heartbreaks in her young life. It is a story about finding something to live for, when nothing seems worth it. Me After You had me engrossed from the first few pages and took me on a rollercoaster ride of emotions to the very end.

The beginning really caught my attention; it was very abrupt and set the tone for the rest of the story. The opening has us at the funeral of Sawyer’s husband who has been murdered.  I had so many questions after the first few paragraphs, and I was extremely happy to not be left hanging and to receive all my answers. I was a little mad at Hayes for making me really like the dead husband, Grayson. Through well placed and timed flashbacks we get to see how he and Sawyer meet and how their relationship progresses. I knew that I liked him when he asked her out for “coffee or hot chocolate,” as a non-coffee drinker I find it is nice to see that others don’t assume everyone drinks coffee.

Most of the characters that Hayes introduces are likable enough, though they are not without their flaws. I felt strongly for Sawyer and I can’t imagine all the heartbreak she has had to go through in her 25 years, first with Dean and then with Grayson. I really think that she was written in a realistic fashion of a grieving young wife and that, to me, made the story infinitely better. I did not care for our main characters best friends. They both rubbed me the wrong way and if I found out my best friend lied to me, even to protect me, about something as important as what Alix lied to Sawyer about, there would have been hell to pay.

Dean was tough for me to get behind; he made some terrible choices, both by leaving Sawyer and then some when she returns. As the story progressed I found it a bit easier to understand his reasoning for leaving, but I will probably never understand him not telling her that he has still wants her right away. I just kept thinking to myself, ‘You know you want her, so tell her!!’

Overall, I really enjoyed the story. In some parts it felt a little slow and repetitive, but it was worth it in the end. Hayes really delivers a sweet, yet heartbreaking tale. I would be interested in seeing what else she has to offer us. 

3.5 Stars

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Mindy Hayes grew up in San Diego, California exploring her interest for singing and playing the piano. She first discovered her passion for reading when she had to take her first flight alone to South Carolina to visit her then fiancé. Mindy's love for writing followed shortly after. She and her husband have now been married for six years and live in Summerville, South Carolina.

www.mindyhayes.com | facebook.com/hayes.mindy | twitter.com/haymindywrites

To visit the other stops on Mindy Hayes' Me After You tour check out the tour schedule at Itching for Books. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thank You to Shane at IFB and Mindy Hayes for a chance to participate in this tour!

Blog Tour Review - A Deal with Benefits by Susanna Carr

                                                  
   Title: A Deal with Benefits

Author: Susanna Carr

Published: December 17, 2013 

Format Read/Pages: PB/185

How I Acquired It: Itching for Books

Date Finished: December 28, 2013

Thank you to Shane at Itching for books and Susanna Carr for including me in this tour!

Thirty days and thirty nights!

Ashley Jones has been sitting in Sebastian Cruz's office. For hours. Behind the imposing wooden doors sits the man who stole her family's island home. And she wants it back.

But the fight is knocked from her when Ashley recognizes him as the man she knows intimately; the man who betrayed her after their blissful night together.

Sebastian has no intention of giving the island back, but he does want Ashley. He agrees to her deal, but has a few sub-clauses of his own. Specifically, a month at his beck and call; and in his bed!

~

This was a surprisingly good read. I have not read many Harlequin romance novels before, but when thinking of them I always pictured cheesy romance, not something that I would actually enjoy. Susanna Carr delivers a light, sweet read in A Deal with Benefits.

I actually enjoyed both main characters. There were some times where I got a bit annoyed with each of them, overall they were likable characters. Sebastian seemed a bit heartless at times and did not pick up on things that probably should have been apparent to him. There is no way that he should have missed how disheartening it was for Ashley to be referred to as his mistress. Once he realized the negative feelings that came with being called that, he looked like an idiot for not seeing it to begin with.

While I thought that the story was a bit rushed in places, it was still pretty well paced. I would have liked to actually spend more time with Sebastian and Ashley, I feel as though we only got a few days with them when it seemed in the beginning we would be getting the better part of a month. Overall, it was an enjoyable read and a great first real introduction to Harlequin romances. 

3.5 Stars

About the Author: 

Susanna Carr has been an avid romance reader since she read her first Harlequin at the age of 10. She has written sexy contemporary romances for several publishers and her work has been honored with awards for contemporary and sensual romance.

Susanna Carr lives in the Pacific Northwest with her family. When she isn’t writing, Susanna enjoys reading romance and connecting with readers online.

www.susannacarr.com | twitter.com/SusannaCarr | facebook.com/pages/Susanna-Carr/242944799620

To visit the other stops on Susanna Carr's A Deal with Benefits Tour check out the tour schedule at Itching for Books.

Full Blooded by Amanda Carlson

Title: Full Blooded

Author: Amanda Carlson

Published: September 1, 2012

Series?: Jessica McClain #1

Format Read/Pages: eBook/259

How I Acquired It: NetGalley
Date Finished: December 17, 2013

Born the only female in an all male race, Jessica McClain isn’t just different—she’s feared.

After living under the radar for the last twenty-six years, Jessica is thrust unexpectedly into her first change, a full ten years late. She wakes up and finds she’s in the middle of a storm. Now that she’s become the only female full-blooded werewolf in town, the supernatural world is already clamoring to take a bite out of her and her new Pack must rise up and protect her.

But not everyone is on board. The werewolf Rights of Laws is missing text and the superstitious werewolves think that Jessica means an end to their race. It doesn’t help when Jessica begins to realize she’s more. She can change partway and hold her form, and speak directly to her wolf. But the biggest complication by far is that her alpha father can't control her like he can the rest of his wolves.

When a mercenary who’s been hired by the vampires shows up to extract information about the newly turned werewolf only days after her change, they find themselves smack in the middle of a war and there's no choice but to run together. When it’s up to Jessica to negotiate her release against her father’s direct orders, she chooses to take an offer for help instead. In exchange, Jessica must now swear an oath she may end up repaying with her life.

~

I am a sucker for urban fantasy. I try and limit myself on how many I read at any given time so I do not tire myself of them. Full Blooded was one of the best UF stories I have read in a long while. I really, really enjoyed it.

Carlson created characters that were well developed and fit together. Jess was a really likable character, while it would have been easy to create a female werewolf that came off as too tough or too dependent; there was a good balance between vulnerability and strength. Normal clichés were avoided by having Jess be the daughter of the pack alpha, where as many authors would have had her as the mate. To me, this gives a whole new range of conflicts and problems, that move away from the usual, you are my mate, no other man may look at you, type stuff.

The world that was fleshed out was a very interesting one in the fact that it introduced us to many different types of supernatural without being overwhelming in any sense. There was mention of a number of different groups, while some were not explored in any depth, it left possibilities open for the future. We got to meet quite a few different supernaturals, but I never felt that I was being bombarded with names and descriptions and had an easy time keeping them all separated. I also really enjoyed the dichotomy between Jess and her wolf. It was handled in a very believable way; most boys go through puberty with their wolves giving them time to make the necessary adjustments, it would definitely be harder to develop a working relationship with another being, which happens to be in your head, later on in your adult life. There was a balance between the two that worked in the story and I would be interested in seeing how that develops.

The story that Amanda Carlson gave us was a great way to start a series. Interesting characters, fast paced action, and budding romance will definitely have me reading farther into this adventure. 

4 Stars

Current Releases in the Jessica McClain Series:

1. Full Blooded
2. Hot Blooded
3. Cold Blooded
4. Red Blooded *to be released 2014 

Sia by Josh Grayson

Title: Sia

Author: Josh Grayson

Published: November 20, 2013

Format Read/Pages: eBook/306

How I Acquired It: NetGalley

Date Finished: December 16, 2013

Forgetting was only the beginning. When seventeen-year-old Sia wakes up on a park bench, she has no idea who or where she is. Yet after a week of being homeless, she’s reunited with her family. At school, she’s powerful and popular. At home, she’s wealthy beyond her dreams. But she quickly realizes her perfect life is a lie. Her family is falling apart and her friends are snobby, cruel and plastic. Worse still, she discovers she was the cruelest one. Mortified by her past, she embarks on a journey of redemption and falls for Kyle, the “geek” she once tormented. Yet all the time she wonders if, when her memories return, she’ll become the bully she was before…and if she’ll lose Kyle.

~

To be honest, I had a lot of problems with Sai. The story is a bit overdone and unbelievable at times, but most of it I was able to get over, some not so much.

My first problem with it happened on page seven and made me really debate putting it down and not continuing. When Sia see herself for the first time to try and jog her memory this is expressed;

                “I am pleased to see I am an attractive girl.”

Really?! You have no memory!!! Does it really matter if you are attractive, if I was in a position where I was living on the streets I wouldn’t mind being as unattractive as possible, as to not call attention to myself. But in all reality, it really bothered me that she cared what she looked like.

Another thing that annoyed me was the fact that she didn’t find the nearest police station to try and find out if anyone was looking for her. She was wearing expensive exercise clothing, more than likely she is missed by someone. This all could have been taken care of a lot sooner if she just used her head and made the logical decision to look for information about herself.

The interactions between the girls made me feel as though Grayson did not have a real grasp on young female dynamics. It makes some of the conversations seem stiffer and laughable at times. I also feel as though he took every rich girl/kid stereotype and threw them all together to create the characters he had in Sia’s former friend group. I really highly doubt that all well off young adult are that haughty and unbearable to be around.

The overall story makes me want to believe something like this can happen, but I don’t think that it would have come at such ease for the characters. Something that I really appreciated about the story was that it showcased a great organization, The American Red Cross and Grayson depicted it in a way that I could actually see it operating.

As this is Grayson’s debut, I would be interested in seeing how he develops as a writer in the future and what else he has to offer the literary world. 

3 Stars

Escaping Reality by Lisa Renee Jones

Title: Escaping Reality

Author: Lisa Renee Jones

Published: July 22, 2013

Series?: The Secret Life of Amy Bensen #1

Format Read/Pages: eBook/250

How Acquired It: NetGalley

Date Finished: December 11, 2013

Infinite possibilities….

Infinite passion…..

Infinite danger….

His touch spirals through me, warm and sweet, wicked and hot. I shouldn’t trust him. I shouldn’t tell him my secrets. But how do I not when he is the reason I breathe? He is what I need.

At the young age of eighteen, tragedy and a dark secret force Lara to flee all she has known and loves to start a new life. Now years later, with a new identity as Amy, she’s finally dared to believe she is forgotten–even if she cannot forget. But just when she lets down her guard, the ghosts of her past are quick to punish her, forcing her back on the run.

On a plane, struggling to face the devastation of losing everything again and starting over, Amy meets Liam Stone, a darkly entrancing recluse billionaire, who is also a brilliant, and famous, prodigy architect. A man who knows what he wants and goes after it. And what he wants is Amy. Refusing to take “no” as an answer, he sweeps her into a passionate affair, pushing her to her erotic limits. He wants to possess her. He makes her want to be possessed. Liam demands everything from her, accepting nothing less. But what if she is too devastated by tragedy to know when he wants more than she should give? And what if there is more to Liam than meets the eyes?

~

To be honest, I have no idea why I liked this book so much. I remember thinking to myself while reading that it was going to be hard to write a review because there really isn’t all that much development that happens, but I enjoyed it none the less.

The beginning was very captivating for me and left me with a ton of unanswered questions (as the story continued that seemed to be a common thing), like who was after Amy and what was the reason she was running from them. I honestly think one of the most appealing things about this story, for me, was how uninformative it was. That might sound weird, but it made me feel closer to Amy because she was just as in the dark as I was. So, when she discovered the few details that she did, it was like I could join in on the excitement of uncovering a clue to her past.

The relationship Amy and Liam have is a very odd one. She lets him take control over her affairs after only knowing him for a small number of hours. I think this may be because she is used to her “Guardian Angel” giving her direction on where to live and what to do, so it is natural for her to follow commands from a dominant male. Liam is a very alpha male character and is not afraid to show his controlling nature. Jared, Amy’s neighbor who we know very little about, really seems to bring out the worst in Liam as he is also a dominant male figure in her close proximity.

Something that made me laugh at the absurdity of it was their inability to use their brains when it came to unprotected sex. Not a good idea, but it happens. That does not mean that there are not further protection methods that would keep you from getting pregnant, there is no way a woman in her twenties has not heard of Plan B, also known as, the morning after pill. Now, if we continue with the other book(s) in the series we will likely have to deal with a pregnancy.  

While most of the book felt like filler with no real plot development I still found the story to be an enjoyable, fast read. I will more than likely continue on to the next book, if only just to see Liam’s reaction to Amy leaving. 

3.5 Stars

Control by Lydia Kang

Title: Control

Author: Lydia Kang

Published: December 26, 2013

Series?: Control #1

Format Read/Pages: eBook/400

How I Acquired It: Penguin’s First to Read

Date Finished: December 19, 2013

*An ARC was provided by Penguin for an honest review. 

When a crash kills their father and leaves them orphaned, Zel knows she needs to protect her sister, Dyl. But before Zel has a plan, Dyl is taken by strangers using bizarre sensory weapons, and Zel finds herself in a safe house for teens who aren’t like any she’s ever seen before—teens who shouldn't even exist. Using broken-down technology, her new friends’ peculiar gifts, and her own grit, Zel must find a way to get her sister back from the kidnappers who think a powerful secret is encoded in Dyl’s DNA.

A spiraling, intense, romantic story set in 2150—in a world of automatic cars, nightclubs with auditory ecstasy drugs, and guys with four arms—this is about the human genetic “mistakes” that society wants to forget, and the way that outcasts can turn out to be heroes.

~

I was extremely excited when I was chosen by Penguin for an advance reader copy of Control. I had read a lot about it and it was a highly anticipated to-read for me. I was not disappointed and found an engaging and thoroughly thought out world within the pages. The story concept and technology introduced kept me questioning what it would be like to live there and how it would all shape a person in that day and age.

First, I must say, I really liked all the characters. I feel that they complimented each other in a way that made me eager to read the next interaction between them all. I would have liked to see more interaction between Zelia and Dylia before she was taken, but I understand to have the story we needed the catalyst of Dyl being taken for thing to get moving. One character that I did not really care for and not because it was expected because of who he is and what he did, was their father. I feel as though he was not fleshed out in a way that would make the choices, good and bad, he made have as much impact as they did. On the other hand, I really enjoyed Cy, but it may be because I am a sucker for ink. His story was one that really made sense as things went on and once we know his importance, the choices he makes at the end made even more of an impact and reaffirmed his need to take care of those he loves.

Some of the twists throughout the story were predictable, but they were combatted by the ones that came out of nowhere and left my mouth gaping. The truth about their father was, in my opinion, a bit obvious; I just could not fathom the extent of his involvement in the mutation of the children, especially that he would go as far as to do it to his own child. I also knew early on that it was Zel, not Dyl that was special. In some ways I wish this was not the case because I think it would have been just as good of a story to see a girl who has no extra power or special genes, fighting these extraordinarily gifted individuals to save her sister. But, as it was, I still loved what was written. The ending though, surprised me greatly when we find out who has been helping the other side.

An aspect of the story that I didn’t really care for, but was able to overlook, was the shared horror that Ana and Dyl went through. It just seemed like it was unnecessary to have that type of trauma happening to young teenage girls, Dyl was only thirteen. I understand that it was used as a way to incite hatred for Micah, but I feel as though it could have been done in a more tactful way.

I have seen some reviewers saying that they thought the middle was a little slow in places and I will have to agree, but it wasn’t so bad that I needed to stop reading or thought I would not get through it. The ending in comparison was very faced paced, but I found that the details in some places were a bit much and I found myself skipping through to get to the action and find out how everything played out.

Lydia Kang has provided a great first entry into an intricately woven new series. I will be looking forward to continuing on in this futuristic world with Zel and the others to see how life shapes up for them in a place where they are not accepted or understood. 

4 Stars 

Shadow Embraced by Cheree Smith

Title: Shadow Embraced

Author: Cheree Smith

Published: April 24, 2013

Series?: Haven #1

Format Read/Pages: ebook/234 pgs. 

How/When I Acquired It: NetGalley/April 2013
Date Finished: Dec. 6, 2013

No escape.

Those words haunt Scar's dreams. She thinks the creature that terrorises her while asleep isn't real, but when she's abducted and taken to a reform school meant to contain creatures too dangerous to function in society, she starts to wonder whether she isn't some monster.

She turns to an underground fight club full of vampires, werewolves and witches established by the students to control her urges, and who is she kidding, she loves to fight.

When fighters begin to disappear, turning Scar into the prime suspect, she must race to prove her innocence before her true nature is exposed.

The only problem is that she's not entirely sure she's innocent.

~

I really wanted to like this book. To be honest I did not go in with high expectations and I am glad I didn’t. The beginning started off with a bang, so that made me think that things were looking up, but ultimately I was disappointed.

The characters were one dimensional and there was not much development to be had with them. I don’t even think Scarlett, our main character, made any major developments, that in reality, she needed. Something early on that really bothered me was the fact that after she was taken she did not even think to ask about her parents and if they knew where she is or if she is okay.

I feel like when she gets to school we meet a lot of minor characters that really play no part in the actually story. The relationship she has with Daemon was laughable; it actually made me cringe at times to read it. I also start all my first dates with the guy attacking me in a way to “find out about me”. And don’t forget the kiss to make it all better and rip a shirt for good measure.

Getting into the whole supernatural fight club aspect if the book, I thought it was a weak way to connect all the victims to Scar. It was a bit unbelievable how she got contracted into this underground fighting ring. There was no choice, she had to accept her position in this club or “suffer the consequences”.

Something that I wish was explored more or better explained was the Romanian background that gave the characters their supernatural abilities. In all, the story was just disappointing and was not well edited, making it an even harder read. I will not be reading further into the series. 

1.5 Stars