Review: Altered by Jennifer Rush

Title: Altered (Altered #1)
Author: Jennifer Rush
Published: January 1st 2013
Add It: Goodreads
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository

When you can’t trust yourself, who can you believe?

Everything about Anna’s life is a secret. Her father works for the Branch at the helm of its latest project: monitoring and administering treatments to the four genetically altered boys in the lab below their farmhouse. There’s Nick, Cas, Trev . . . and Sam, who’s stolen Anna’s heart. When the Branch decides it’s time to take the boys, Sam stages an escape, killing the agents sent to retrieve them.

Anna is torn between following Sam or staying behind in the safety of her everyday life. But her father pushes her to flee, making Sam promise to keep her away from the Branch, at all costs. There’s just one problem. Sam and the boys don’t remember anything before living in the lab—not even their true identities.

Now on the run, Anna soon discovers that she and Sam are connected in more ways than either of them expected. And if they’re both going to survive, they must piece together the clues of their past before the Branch catches up to them and steals it all away.

Have you ever watched a Bruce Willis movie only wished it was someone hotter and a little younger starring as the main charcter? (No offence to any BW fans, of course.) Well.. Let me tell you something. Multiply the wished hotness factor by four and add two awesome personalities in addition to one hot tempered and one more calculated persona, not to mention the first 1/3 of the movie featuring these four guys shirtless. This is exactly what you're getting out of this book! I didn't know that, but it certainly didn't hurt either, thehhee. I just loved the sound of the synopsis. Overall I liked it, but let's get down to business and discuss it more thoroughly.

' Hope is a waking dream.' I let the words echo in my head. The quote reminded me of that feeling you get when you start to wake from a dream you don't want to leave. That crushing sensation in the center of your chest, like you are losing an important piece of yourself you won't ever get back.

I found myself captivated by the mystery which was one of my favorite parts. The plot literally had non-stop action once it started and that was a blessing as well as the downfall of the book. It was rather nice to see a plot constantly moving and concentrated on solving the unsolvable mystery, but at the same time it didn't let me connect with the characters on the level I would have liked to and I concider myself an emotionally invested reader that envalues the emotional connection above everything else so that was a shame. At some point I even felt like I was watching a round in Call of Duty. Nevertheless, I found myself surprised by some of the reveals which was awesome. As frequent and avid readers we come to expect most of the plot twists at certain point, but the mystery in this one was definitely not a bad thing.

What I enjoyed the most about this book were the dynamics between the boys. I would have loved to see even more of that. There were so many fascinating things about each of them as individuals and put together they made a power fist so strong that they could have taken on anyone. Out of all of them I liked Trev the most. Hmh.. Yeah. If you've read the book, you can probably guess what I'm thinking right now. Anyway, moving on, I hope these relationships will be explored to even bigger depth in the sequel and hopefully that'll let us get more emotionally invested in the story as well.

“I think he’s delirious,” Cas said.
“Don’t die on me,” I ordered.
“I wouldn’t dream of it,” he said right before he passed out.

At first I wanted to give it a 4, because the beginning was really different and I enjoyed the writing style and the characters. Then.. Something shifted in me and I felt like even though I was fascinated by the plot and mystery, the dynamics of the group as well as the personalities of the boys, then due to certain specifics in the polot I didn't connect with Anna emotionally and I felt like I didn't know her. Nevertheless, I really enjoyed it and I will be looking forward to the release date of the sequel. PS. I'm super glad that Jennifer didn't leave a cliffhanger at the end, now I can live in peace for the next year while waiting.

For those of you who're thinking about purchasing a copy, you can read the first four chapters of Altered here.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Meet the author

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Top 3 Bookish Moments of December

December was a really quiet time for me in the sense of books, but I still managed to pick my top three out of the few that stood out for me (in no particular order):

1. I received my copy of Finale by Becca Fitzpatrick, yay! Hush Hush was my first ever angel book and I got pretty much addicted to Patch, to put it mildly *blushes* so yeah.. I'm sad to let him go, but I'm anxious to see what's gonna happen next for Patch and Nora in this final installment of the saga.
2. Opal by Jennifer L. Armentrout came out in December. Wohooo!! I have a paperback on my shelf already (though, now that I think about it, I think I haven't featured it in any of my hauls O_O) and I'm excited to read it. I think I'm gonna read it in May/June though, because there's supposedly a cliffhanger like no other. Can't wait to devour Origin already. Daemon POV, peeps!! Eeek!!!
3. Reading Hopeless by Colleen Hoover and The Sea of Tranquility by Katja Millay. Finishing a year of great reads with these amazing contemporary books couldn't have been any better. I think these two books are must-reads for every book lover out there. Even if we agree to disagree I'm always excited to see what people think of them. 

So yep, these were my sweets of December 2012. I hope I'll post my January one a little earlier, heh. Have a great week, everyone!

Teaser Tuesday #25

This is a weekly bookish meme hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading.

To participate you:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS!
• (Make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!) * Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

My teasers

Hands gripped me, wrestling me to my feet, an arm closing around my neck. I thought it was Dad, trying to save me, but the barrel of the gun rammed against my skull said otherwise.

~ 16% of Altered by Jennifer Rush

Review: Luck of the Draw by Kelley Vitollo

Title: Luck of the Draw (Shamrock Falls #2)
Author: Kelley Vitollo
Published: January 14th 2013
Add It: Goodreads
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Rowan McKinley isn’t looking for one wild night while vacationing in Vegas, but she gets it anyway when she meets professional poker player—and professional ladies’ man—Breck Wilder. Breck’s easygoing charm and lighthearted banter draw in the reserved Rowan, and though she’s always dreamed of the kind of forever love her best friends Sidney and Kade share, she’ll settle for one night with the charismatic player.

After their crazy one-night stand, Breck never expected to see the mysterious redhead again. So when he shows up at a Shamrock Falls B&B looking to get away for a few weeks and Rowan answers the door, he’s floored. Breck’s rolling-stone lifestyle and ill-fated history with women means he’s not interested in anything long-term. But the longer he stays at the B&B, the more he considers dropping the poker face and putting all his cards on the table…for Rowan.

I have read most of Nyrae Dawn’s Young Adult books, but so far I hadn’t tried any of her adult books that she writes under the name of Kelley Vitollo. I saw the synopsis for Luck of the Draw and I instantly knew it was something I wanted to read. I still haven’t read the first book, but since they’re companion novels, I’m sure it’s okay. (Side note: I will read the first one when I have time.) This book was so much fun and so adorable that I read it in mere hours and felt all bubbly inside afterwards.

“You’re not that good looking.” 

“I beg to differ and how many fingers?” Her eyes looked normal, but a little glassy. A smile tilted her lips, but he didn’t think she realized it. No, this woman wanted to be pissed at him, but she couldn’t—which should be his first clue to get the hell out of there. A feisty woman like her would be nothing but trouble. A losing hand, if you will, and Breck didn’t lose anymore. 

“I mean, maybe a seven out of ten.” 

“Nope. Only three fingers out of five. Looks like I’m going to have to carry you.” 

With this, her eyes widened. She didn’t want to be in his arms and he somehow had a feeling it was because she’d enjoyed it there last time too much. 

“No! I was rating you.” 

This time Breck held up ten fingers. “Ten,” she said. 

He winked at her. “That’s more like it. I knew you thought I was sexy.”

The story follows the life of Rowan McKinley in Shamrock Falls. She is surrounded by friends, but hasn’t got a family she can rely on. She dreams about one, though – a life with her future husband and children. At the beginning of the novel Row does something completely out of her element: she has a one night stand with a sexy poker player in Las Vegas. Or so she thinks, because no less than a month Breck Wilder arrives on her doorstep to stay in her Bed and Breakfast for whole six weeks. How can she survive this? She has no idea.

The concept was fun fun fun, but the characters were what really made the story. I liked Rowans stubbornness and even though I don’t have that kind of life experience, I could still relate to her. She takes BS from no one and wants to do everything on her own. I love that independence factor about her. Breck, on the other hand, is really great with people, charming, oh-so-sexy. However, Breck is a player and he has no plans for settling down. The chemistry between them was so enjoyable that I couldn’t help but root for them and sometimes even out loud, lol.

I really, really loved that even though it was an adult book, it felt like a family movie of two adults. I took this book, cuddled with it in front of a fire place, drank hot chocolate and smiled practically the whole way through. It wasn’t all erotica and sex, which seems to be the trend of adult books these days. No, it was a story about two unlikely people meeting their match and trying to deal with their inner issues. It’s a pretty short book with great pacing, enjoyable characters and a meaningful story. If you want an adorable fast read that makes you feel all warm and giggly inside, pick this one up!

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Meet the author

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Hey everyone,

Sorry I haven't replied to any of your comments, I'll look into them tomorrow and try to see what you've all been up to. Today was my last exam at University. Overall I'm happy with my results: I got B in both - analytical and organic chemistry, yay! I'm not sure how it went today, but I have lived and breathed statistics for the past five days so right now I don't care either. I just wanna watch the latest episode of Pretty Littlee Liars and just go to sleep even if the time here is only 5 p.m. Tomorrow, on the other hand, I'm going to do some reading and hopefully get some reviews done. I've read like 100 pages for the past two weeks so I'm eagerly looking forward to devouring every unread book I  have on my shelf. I hope by next week I'll have some decent posts up, but don't expect anything big for this week. Hope you're all having a great week and lots of great books to read! *hugs*

- Siiri

Teaser Tuesday #24

This is a weekly bookish meme hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading.

To participate you:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS!
• (Make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!) * Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

My teasers

Aria raked her nails into his skin. He lost his footing, nearly bringing them both down.
"Hurt me again, I hurt you back harder," he said through clenched teeth.

~ p. 102 of "Under the Never Sky" by Veronica Rossi

Review: My Soul to Save by Rachel Vincent

Title: My Soul to Save (Soul Screamers #2)
Author: Rachel Vincent
Published: December 29th 2009
Add It: Goodreads
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository

When Kaylee Cavanaugh screams, someone dies.

So when teen pop star Eden croaks onstage and Kaylee doesn’t wail, she knows something is dead wrong. She can’t cry for someone who has no soul.

The last thing Kaylee needs right now is to be skipping school, breaking her dad’s ironclad curfew and putting her too-hot-to-be-real boyfriend’s loyalty to the test. But starry-eyed teens are trading their souls: a flickering lifetime of fame and fortune in exchange for eternity in the Netherworld—a consequence they can’t possibly understand.

Kaylee can’t let that happen, even if trying to save their souls means putting her own at risk...

Last week I said that this is probably a series that’ll improve with each book. I still stand by that statement and if it weren’t for some of the annoying things that took place in My Soul to Save, it would have been not just good, but a great read. Unfortunately there were some elements that annoyed the heck out of me so I cannot raise my rating, but before we get onto that part, let's go over the good things, shall we? 

“Sneak out." He shrugged, as if that should have been a no-brainer. But that was easy for him to say. He was dead. What else could they do to him, take away his birthday?

I’m beginning to adjust to Rachel’s writing style which is great, because it’s written in first perspective from Kaylee’s point of view, therefore I can get to know her better and relate to her more. She is one sassy girl who doesn’t take anyone’s BS and confronts everyone. She is always the one to suffer from helping others, but she’s still trying to do everything in her power to help. That’s what good people do, right? Oh, and she is like a magnet for trouble. However, Kaylee always finds a way out of bad situations. With the help of Nash, Tod and Harmony, she’s learning things about herself and watching her adjust to this new world is amusing to say the least.

Plot, as always, moved on quickly. It’s probably one of the best perks of Rachel’s writing that you don’t get bored that easily. Yeah, I may not agree with every twist and turn she puts on the road for her characters, but they’re all necessary when you think about the main picture. I love that these characters are all becoming their own persons and their sarcastic jokes don’t hurt either. In My Soul to Save we get the first real glimpse of the Netherworld and it’s freaking creepy! Netherworlders (is that even a world? I’m not sure how Rachel referred to them…) are somewhat comparable to Laini Taylor’s Chimaera but their society is very similar to the human world which is really interesting. I’m looking forward to exploring that.

As to what I didn’t enjoy.. Umm.. Let’s just say that the whole plot circled around Addison Page. First of all, that girl was just “meh”. Secondly, I could care any less about her when I want to read about our characters’ struggle, not hers. Ok, enough about her. Moving on, god forbid there’s another love triangle being set up. Nash and Kay seem like a great couple who complement each other in every way possible. Correct me if I’m wrong, but what happened at the end of this book seemed a hell of a lot like a love triangle on the way for our heroine. That just.. sucks. Hopefully it’ll not go all Vampire Diaries and be all triangles and squares or anything other love related mathematical object that includes more than two people.

“I see you all the time, but you've never seen me, because Kaylee said if I got too close to you, I'd suffer eternity without my balls."
"Jeez, Tod!" I shouted, my anger threatening to boil over and scald us all.

So, as I said in the first paragraph, this book could have been great, but since the main problem here was with Addison and helping her out of the consequences of her own foolish decisions, I didn’t enjoy it that much. The potential was there, though, and if it wasn’t for the whole book being about her, I probably would have given it 4 stars. I hope the next books (how many are there in total? Novellas excluded, 7? I think so) will give us insight to Kay’s relationship with her father, learning about her abilities and growing as a person. Some major action and sarcasm always get plus points from me. Fingers crossed!

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Meet the author

Website |  Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Book Haul #10

This week I received two paperbacks and got myself a few ebooks that have been on my radar for quite some time now. If you've read any of them, please let me know in the comments down below so I know which books to move up on my TBR list. Thank you! Also, please leave me links to your showcasings so I can visit you back :)

Physical Books

Unearthly (Unearthly #1) by Cynthya Hand

Starcrossed (Starcrossed #1) by Josephine Angelini

Ebooks

Neverfall (Everneath #1.5) by Brodi Ashton

Shadowlands by Kate Brian

The Valentine's Arrengement (Hero of the Holidays #1) by Kelsie Leverich

Life of the Party by Christine Anderson

What did you get this week? Leave your links below and I'll check out your goodies :)

In My Mailbox is a weekly event hosted by The Story Siren and Stacking the Shelves is a weekly event hosted @ Tynga's Reviews.

Review: Beautiful Redemption by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

Title: Beautiful Chaos (The Caster Cronichles #3)
Authors: Kami Garcia, Margaret Stohl
Published: October 18th 2011
Add It: Goodreads
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository 

Is death the end . . . or only the beginning?

Ethan Wate always dreamed of leaving the stifling Southern town of Gatlin. But he never dreamt that finding love with Lena Duchannes would drive him away. Lena is a Caster girl whose supernatural powers unveiled a secretive and cursed side of Gatlin, so powerful it forced him to make a terrible sacrifice.

Now Ethan must find a way to return to Lena - and Gatlin - as she vows to do whatever it takes to get him back. Even if it means trusting old enemies or risking their loved ones' lives. Can Ethan and Lena rewrite their fate and their spellbinding love story in this stunning finale to the Beautiful Creatures series?

It’s official! I finished The Caster Chronicles series before Beautiful Creatures movie hits the big screen. Yay! I’m so happy, because after giving up on the second book my hopes were beyond gone. I really thought I’d be one of the few unlucky ones who came to dislike this series, but hallelujah, boys and girls, the last two completely made up for the second book. YES!

“There are lots of things we choose not to see. Doesn't mean they aren't there, even if we wish they weren't.”   

Plot. Well, it’s hard to talk about anything without spoiling it for those who haven’t read Beautiful Chaos or Beautiful Redemption yet, but what I can tell you is that I loved it! Half of it is from Lena’s POV due to the shocking circumstances that took place in Beautiful Chaos and left us hanging with our mouths open, thinking “no way, there cannot possibly be a cliffhanger like this, right?”. One of the reasons why I loved this book so much was probably Lena’s POV. It was refreshing and different in a lot of ways than Ethan’s and since that boy knows how to get on my nerves, Lena balanced it out with her thoughts and she gave us a completely different insight to the whole story.

The final book can definitely be a hit or a miss, but this one, for me at least, was a hit! Yeah, there were some places where I found myself questioning why didn’t they do those things sooner or why is this even necessary etc, and, yes, there was some eyerolling going on, but in the end it all came down to one thing: redemption. Everyone in this series had to redeem themselves in some way or another. Moreover, I actually shared my first few tears in The Caster Chronicles series. The final chapter was beautiful and happy, yet so full of sadness and heartache. It concluded this saga extremely well.

Characters. What’s cool about The Caster Chronicles is that even if people pass on to the afterlife, we can still read about them and they help our heroes and heroines out in every way possible. Link, Ridley and John – my three favourite characters were all featured in this book one way or another. I feel like I got closer with Lena due to her point of view on things. Other casters who have survived this whole journey are also as lovely as ever. Amma is fantastic as always. Ethan – yeah, you wear out my patience like no other, but I cannot seem to hate you either.You are who you are and at the end of the day, you’re the reason these unlikely relationships work as they do. Good job, mate!

“Maybe there isn't a meaning to life. Maybe there's only a meaning to living.”

This whole book kept me thinking how little time we really have and if there really is such a thing as a destiny written for us to follow or can we create our own future by following our dreams and goals while trying to surpass these insurmountable obstacles. I guess you’ll find out how I feel about that after you read this book for yourself, heh. I’m glad to have finished this series, but kind of sad since it all finally picked up like it was supposed to and now it’s all gone. But, hey! There’s still gonna be a movie to look forward to, yay!

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Meet Kami Garcia

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Tumblr | Goodreads

 

Meet Margaret Stohl

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Tumblr | Goodreads

Book Blitz and Giveaway: Obscura Burning by Suzanne van Rooyen

Title: Obscura Burning
Author: Suzanne van Rooyen
Published: December 7th 2012 (Etopia Press)
Add It: Goodreads
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | OmniLit

The world's going to end in fire…and it's all Kyle's fault.
Kyle Wolfe's world is about to crash and burn. Just weeks away from graduation, a fire kills Kyle's two best friends and leaves him permanently scarred. A fire that Kyle accidentally set the night he cheated on his boyfriend Danny with their female friend, Shira. That same day, a strange new planet, Obscura, appears in the sky. And suddenly Kyle's friends aren't all that dead anymore.
Each time Kyle goes to sleep, he awakens to two different realities. In one, his boyfriend Danny is still alive, but Shira is dead. In the other, it's Shira who's alive...and now they're friends with benefits. Shifting between realities is slowly killing him, and he's not the only one dying. The world is dying with him. He's pretty sure Obscura has something to do with it, but with his parents' marriage imploding and realities shifting each time he closes his eyes, Kyle has problems enough without being the one in charge of saving the world...

It sounds so good! I definitely want to explore what this novel has to offer to us readers. I love the cover and the synopsis, hopefully when I finally read the book, I'll love it as well. Today I get to share an excerpt and a giveaway. Hope you enjoy and good luck to everyone:)
 

 

Excerpt

Closing my eyes, I imagine New Mexico burning, can almost smell it, the pungent pine, fireball mesquite, and smouldering cacti. I should be worried about the damage the UV’s doing to my scars, but after tonight, none of that will matter.

Just when you think it can’t possibly get any hotter or the mercury will explode, the temperature rises just a few more degrees. Today, Coyote’s Luck lies in a simmering mirage, hotter than any hell imaginable.

The crush of mesquite huddling between the tombstones offers little respite from the sun. Sticking to the dappled shade, I thread my way toward Danny’s grave. I’m not alone.

She looks like a ghost with the white sundress fanning around her legs, her long black hair teased by the warm breeze. For a moment, I think it’s one of the ch’iindi made flesh, until she turns at the sound of my step.

Gabriela, her face a teary-eyed frown. She folds her arms and returns her gaze to the grave. When did she get so thin? She was always so voluptuous, a shorter, less saggy version of her mother. Now she looks more like a sixteen-year-old kid, barely there in layers of cotton.

We stand in silence, both just staring at the grave. The rosaries dangle over the stone, tied in knots around the stems of already dead flowers. There’s a white and blue beaded one, the one that was attached to Danny’s bed, the one he’d kiss at night before going to sleep.

“I miss him so much,” Gabriela says eventually.

“So do I.”

“I blame you, you know.” She casts me a sidelong glance.

“Maybe you should.”

She nods and sniffs and fingers one of the blooms turned brown by the heat.

“Dead, all of it.” She tears the petals from the stalk. “Little Maria, now Daniel.” She turns her dark eyes on me, searching for something I wish I could give her.

“This is killing my parents. Daniel was their only son. They’ll never have more children. Once, I had a brother. Now I’m alone. Sister to dead siblings.”

That’s the most Gabriela’s ever said, to me at least. I’m stunned into uncomfortable silence. There’s nothing I can say that’ll make it right. But tonight, maybe there’ll be something I can do.

“I wish I could make it right.” My words sound so pathetic.

She harrumphs and digs her sandaled toe into the dirt. “Nothing can make Daniel dying right.”

“I’m sorry.” There is nothing else I can say without trying to explain the whole confusing story and Gabriela’s not the type to believe in rifts in reality.

“Tell Daniel you’re sorry. He’s the one who died because of you.” She takes a deliberate step away from me, crosses herself, offering prayers in Spanish to the ether.

“I loved him, you know.” Maybe I am to blame, but she makes it sound like I don’t give a crap that he’s dead.

“Obviously not enough.”

Intense - that's all I can say. The idea of this book sounds so awesome. I wouldn't want to trade places with Kyle, though!

 

Giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway  

Meet Suzanne

Suzanne is a freelance writer and author from South Africa. She currently lives in Finland and finds the cold, dark forests nothing if not inspiring. Suzanne is the author of the cyberpunk novel Dragon’s Teeth (Divertir), the YA science fiction novel Obscura Burning (Etopia) and has had several short stories published by Golden Visions Magazine, Space and Time and Niteblade. Niteblade nominated her short story Where dreams are grown for the Pushcart Prize. Her non-fiction articles on travel, music and other topics can be found scattered throughout the Internet. Although she has a Master’s degree in music, Suzanne prefers conjuring strange worlds and creating quirky characters. When not writing you can find her teaching dance to ninth graders or playing in the snow with her shiba inu. Suzanne is represented by Jordy Albert of the Booker Albert Agency.

Website| Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter

Review: My Soul to Take by Rachel Vincent

Title: My Soul to Take (Soul Screamers #1)
Author: Rachel Vincent
Published: August 1st 2009
Add It: Goodreads
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | TBD

She doesn't see dead people. She senses when someone near her is about to die. And when that happens, a force beyond her control compels her to scream bloody murder. Literally.

Kaylee just wants to enjoy having caught the attention of the hottest guy in school. But a normal date is hard to come by when Nash seems to know more about her need to scream than she does. And when classmates start dropping dead for no apparent reason, only Kaylee knows who'll be next.

Okay, so this is another pretty famous series that everyone is raving about. I wasn't a fan of the prequel, I found it lacking character and it was just overall boring until the last third of it when it really picked up. However, I think it benefited that I read it before My Soul to Take, because I understood a hell of a lot more than I would have otherwise. The first book was actually pretty good and I enjoyed it quite a bit.

“The worst memories stick with us, while the nice ones always seem to slip through our fingers.”

Plot. I don't want to spoil anything and since it was such a short read, I can't really tell you that much in specific, but the most fascinating part for me was the mythology and origin of all of these creatures which wasn't enough and you can paint me intrigued, because I want to know more. The plot was full of action, witty remarks, snarky characters and some smexy parts. I think the fact that it all moved so quickly kept me interested to find out what happens next. It was a bit predictable, I figured out some of the key points before Kaylee did, but it didn't bother me that much.

Characters. Kaylee is your typical heroine: she isn't aware of her heritage before someone tells her after some of the unusual things that take place at the beginning of the novel. After that she's trying to cope with it all and do her best to use it for a good cause. What surprised me was that she took the information very well. I don't think I could have been so calm about it. I still admired her calmness, strenght and need to help. That being said, she isn't perfect, because at times she drew conclusions so randomly and they weren't always correct either.

Nash is a good guy and for a change the heroine doesn't want to hook up with a snarky bad boy. No, Nash is loyal, friendly and with a good sense of humor. Oh, and pretty darn attractive! Their relationship took off with a great speed, but what else is there to expect from a Harlequin book. Kaylee's extended family was, at times, a bit chaotic, but I liked them, Sophie excluded. Yeah, her aunt was vain, but she cared about Kaylee. At leas she wasn't all Cruella de Vil on Kay like Sophie. Emma, Kaylee's best friend, brings a positive attitude to the plate in addition to the deaths that make the story mysterious and dark. I loved, loved, loved Kaylee's Dad! He was awesome and his relationship with his brother Brandon was a joy to read about.

“Kaylee, you're adding two and two and coming up with seven.”

In the end it was really good, but I'm sure this series is the kind that keeps getting better and better with every installment and the ratings among my friends in goodreads definitely give me hope that I'll end up not liking, but loving this series. Rachel Vincent has done a great job in portraying teenagers as they are while adding a touch of mythology and suspense to the story. Overall I enjoyed it and I definitely want to read some more.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Meet the author

Website |  Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Tour and Giveaway: Back to You by Priscilla Glenn

EEEEK!! I'm so excited for this. Ugh.. Okay, I need to calm myself down *inhales and brings hands down slowly*. OK, done! Now, now.. A few months ago I read this fabulous novel Back to You by this very talented author Priscilla Glenn. I'm forever grateful for Jenni @ Alluring Reads for recommending it. It was truly uh-mazing! If you want to read my review, you can do it here (no spoilers of course, as always). Oh, you haven't heard of this book? Well, let me introduce it to you then.

Title: Back to You
Author: Priscilla Glenn
Published: October 20th 2012
Add It: Goodreads 
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository 

When Lauren Monroe first laid eyes on Michael Delaney back in high school, she had every reason to stay away from him; within minutes of their first encounter, his volatile actions confirmed his notorious reputation. But Lauren saw something in him that caused her to question his bad-boy persona, and against her better judgment, she took a chance. She had no way of knowing that the unlikely friendship they formed would become so important to her.

Or that it would end so painfully.

Eight years later, when Lauren begins her new job at Learn and Grow Day Care, Michael is the last person she expects to see. Refusing to revisit the hurt and confusion of their past, Lauren vows to keep her distance from him. But staying away from Michael proves to be more difficult than she thought, despite her lingering grief and her instincts for self-preservation.

As Lauren and Michael recall the friendship that changed them forever and the events that tore them apart, will they finally be able to heal? Or will the ghosts of Michael’s past prove to be too much to overcome?

*In a sing-alike voice* I adooored this book! It was sweet like a spoonful of sugar, but at the same time emotional and a little devastating - right up my alley, to tell you the truth.

A Character Profile

Today I get to share a character profile with you and let me tell you - this little angel is one of the best parts of this novel. She is so smart, innocent and adorable that I just wanted to squeeze her into a hug and never let go. Ha.

Name: Erin Delaney

Age: 3 ½

Physical description: “God, she looked so much like him. The eyes were exactly the same, eyes that were so dark they were almost , except hers were large and round with childhood, ringed by a fringe of dark lashes. She had the same full lips, the same dark hair, only hers fell in silky ringlets that brushed the tops of her shoulders. She was gorgeous.”

Quote: “Even though you’re disappointed. You didn’t forget to still love him, did you?”

Best quality: endearing/innocent

Worst quality: can be overly shy

Giveaway

Also, US/Can peeps can participate in this giveaway. (3) Three signed print copies of Back to You. As always, INTL people are also welcome to participate, if you have a US/Can shipping address. GOOD LUCK to everyone!

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Meet Priscilla

Priscilla Glenn lives in New York with her husband and three beautiful children. She has been teaching English Language Arts at the middle and high school levels for the past eleven years. Glenn has written three books, although Back to You is her first published novel. Her guilty pleasures include great books, good wine, anything chocolate, and Robert Pattinson :)

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You can follow the rest of the tour here. Thanks for AToMR Tours for hosting this event.