Review and Giveaway: The Darkest Part by Trisha Wolfe

Today I have the pleasure of reviewing The Darkest Part by Trisha Wolfe. Also, you get to participate in a great giveaway. I hope you enjoy and I wish you all good luck! x

Title: The Darkes Part (Living Heartwood #1)
Author: Trisha Wolfe
Published: August 6th 2013
Add It: Goodreads
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository

Pressing the boundaries of both the psyche and the heart, Sam and Holden embark on a dangerous journey that will test the limits of love.
Sam Wintry’s life used to be almost perfect. She was engaged to her childhood best friend and high school sweetheart, Tyler Marks, planning an amazing cross-country honeymoon during her college break. But after a hit-and-run leaves her in ruin, she begins seeing Tyler’s fractured, ghostly presence, and her family believes she’s losing her mind. Not until she completes their journey, stopping along the way to scatter Tyler's remains, will Tyler be able cross over. Only...is Sam ready for him to leave her?
When the black sheep of the Marks' family, Holden Marks, returns to check on Tyler's case, Sam convinces him to give her his brother's ashes. Despite their shaky history, she needs him...plus, he owes it to Sam and his brother. What she doesn’t count on is Holden’s relentlessness to go on the trip.
On the road, Holden realizes just how unhinged Sam has become. Dealing with her psychosis forces him to confront his dark past, making it harder to keep secrets hidden that should remain buried. Especially from Sam, the only woman he’s ever loved. And as Sam starts to unravel the truth, she begins to question if the brother she's unwillingly falling for again is in an even darker place than her.

This spring, I got to review Of Silver and Beasts by Trisha Wolfe. Guess what? I loved it! It was a book that sealed the deal for me and I now want to make it my life’s mission to read all of Trisha’s books. LOL. I’m slightly kidding, but the truth is not far from it. I wondered what it’d be like if Trish ever wrote a contemporary novel and now I got the chance to explore it first hand.

As much as I'm doing this trip for Tyler, truth is, I'm doing it for me, too. I'm tired of being scared. Sick of living in fear. I'm doing this to set Tyler free, yes, to help him cross over--but deep down, I know it's about more.

I need to cross over, too.

To the living.

The story. Sam is depressed. Like.. really in a dark place and all that’s keeping her together is her dead boyfriend’s ghost Tyler. Who others say is a hallucination. Sam is sure he’s not and she is determined to bring his soul to peace by going on a road trip to take his ashes everywhere he wanted to travel. Only problem is, she has to go with Holden or not go at all. Why is this a problem? Let’s see.. Holden is Tyler’s brother and when they were younger, Sam was helplessly in love with him until he broke her hear. Now, spending even five minutes in a room with him seems insurmountable.

My thoughts. I found this to be really intriguing; hopeless; dark. I loved the last book I read that featured a road trip and that was The Edge of Never. While The Darkest Part didn’t exactly reach the level of awesomeness that was Camryn and Andrew’s story, I did truly enjoy it. When we met Sam, she was in a really dark place and I didn’t see any way possible for her to feel alive again. Everything she had dreamed about had vanished into thin air and now she has to cope with it all alone. I’m glad Holden was there to support her. Speaking of Holden..

Holden was the heart of the story for me. Even though Tyler is long gone, his presence still lingers and it was great to watch unfinished business between the brothers work itself out and Holden get relief from years of guilt and horrible memories. I believed his story and I felt connected to it. Sam was at times a bit hard to connect to since she didn’t know the  whole story and was catching up to it just as we were while Holden held the missing pieces. The chemistry Holden and Sam had was good and enjoyable. I loved how their story got a realistic ending with a touch of happiness rather than everything being over the top amazing.

At the end of the day I believe this is very suitable for a fall read since it’s dark, edgy and offers a few rays of sunshine with its hope and romantic plotline. I was happy to witness Sam’s victory over darkness and sorrow. She had the possibility to experience two very different loves and I enjoyed reading about both of them. I think this novel is worth a try and I’m happy to have enjoyed it as much as I did. By the way, I saw on Goodreads that it's marked as a part of a series, but I do believe it's a stand-alone. Perhaps there'll be some companion novels in the future.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

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Mini-Reviews: The Wild Ones by M. Leighton and Forgotten by Cat Patrick

Title: The Wild Ones (The Wild Ones #1)
Author: M. Leighton
Published: August 1st 2012
Add It: Goodreads
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository

Passion as hot as midnight in the South and love as wild as the horses they tame." The darling daughter of a champion Thoroughbred breeder, Camille "Cami" Hines has a pedigree that rivals some of her father's best horses. Other than feeling a little suffocated at times, Cami thought she was happy with her boyfriend, her life and her future--until she met Patrick Henley. "Trick" blurs the lines between what Cami wants and what is expected of her--and he just happens to be so sexy she can't keep her hands off him. While they both know that Trick would lose his much needed job on the ranch if anyone finds out, they can't resist the lure of their scorchingly hot encounters. But when Trick stumbles upon a note from his father, it triggers a series of revelations that could ruin what he and Cami have worked so hard to overcome. It turns out there's more to Trick's presence at the ranch than either of them knew, and secrets with the power to tear them apart..

Thanks so much to Valerie from Stuck In Books and the author--M. Leighton for providing me with an e-copy thanks to a giveaway won on Val's blog. I had heard-seen the praise for this book and was glad to finally jump into it. I thought about writing a full review, but I don't see the point since I enjoyed it, but I don't have that much to say in total. The MC-s were both written well, but I'm not a big fan of horses so their common interest in horses didn't.. appeal to me that much? Yep. I liked their relationship and I think the guy MC was great: he was sweet, caring, thoughtful and wicked. I loved him to pieces! I think everything in this novel came to full circle and overall it was a good, short, light read. The female MC was a tad annoying at times, but she had her reasons. I saw the break-up coming from the star what with her dad being against the relationship and there being more obstacles in their way as well, so I just wanted to be over with it, but it went on and on and on.. and on some more! The reunion was sexy though. The best part of this novel was Rusty and Jenna--Cami and Trick's best friends--getting together and I really want to read their novella, however short/long it is. On another note, those covers (even the re-vamped ones) don't appeal to me at all O.o

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

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Title: Forgotten
Author: Cat Patrick
Published: June 1st 2011
Add It: Goodreads
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository

Each night at precisely 4:33 am, while sixteen-year-old London Lane is asleep, her memory of that day is erased. In the morning, all she can "remember" are events from her future. London is used to relying on reminder notes and a trusted friend to get through the day, but things get complicated when a new boy at school enters the picture. Luke Henry is not someone you'd easily forget, yet try as she might, London can't find him in her memories of things to come.

When London starts experiencing disturbing flashbacks, or flash-forwards, as the case may be, she realizes it's time to learn about the past she keeps forgetting-before it destroys her future.

My first ever Cat Patrick book and I must say that what first pulled me into this story was the cover. I think it's the original cover and now there's a new one? Correct me if I'm wrong. I found the synopsis to be compelling and intriguing and couldn't wait to read it. When I read it though, I couldn't grasp the whole idea even by the end of the story. It read like a contemporary and handled different family matters, relationship and subconscious pretty well. I really enjoyed the romance which held the main focus. I enjoyed the MC-s relationship with her mom. I found her best friend to be a bit shallow, but the thing is that most of us can't be all deep and complicated and she was just a typical teenager who liked boys and clothes. What more is there in life at that age when you don't have horrible family relationships or come from povetry etc? Safe to say I understand her. Doesn't mean that I particularly liked her though. I didn't connect with the main character and her memory loss was hard to grasp. If you were to ask me questions about it, I didn't know how to answer, because I still don't get it in full capacity. I didn't see some of the twists coming, some I did. As I said, the romance was cute and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I think Cat Patrick has original ideas and I'll definitely explore something else by her. I hope it was just this particular novel that didn't work that well for me.

Rating: 2 out of 5 stars

Meet the author

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Review: Born at Midnight by C.C. Hunter

Title: Born at Midnight (Born at Midnight #1)
Author: C.C. Hunter
Published: March 29th 2011
Add It: Goodreads
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository | Combined Edition TBD

One night Kylie Galen finds herself at the wrong party, with the wrong people, and it changes her life forever. Her mother ships her off to Shadow Falls—a camp for troubled teens, and within hours of arriving, it becomes painfully clear that her fellow campers aren’t just “troubled.” Here at Shadow Falls, vampires, werewolves, shapeshifters, witches and fairies train side by side—learning to harness their powers, control their magic and live in the normal world.
Kylie’s never felt normal, but surely she doesn’t belong here with a bunch of paranormal freaks either. Or does she? They insist Kylie is one of them, and that she was brought here for a reason. As if life wasn’t complicated enough, enter Derek and Lucas. Derek’s a half-fae who’s determined to be her boyfriend, and Lucas is a smokin’ hot werewolf with whom Kylie shares a secret past. Both Derek and Lucas couldn’t be more different, but they both have a powerful hold on her heart.
Even though Kylie feels deeply uncertain about everything, one thing is becoming painfully clear—Shadow Falls is exactly where she belongs…

Buying the combined edition of the first two books couldn't have worked out better for me. Not only was it a cheap deal via The Book Depository, it was also a pretty kick-a book with enjoyable characters and an awesome world of supernatural beings.

"Our heats want the good to win. We're still afraid, we still make mistakes, but if we listen to what our hearts want, we will find the right way."

The story. The book kicks off with Kylee's dad moving out of their house. We learn that she's a daddy's girl and has recently lost her beloved grandmother. Her mom is described as an ice queen with the personality of a stick. She sends Kylee off to a camp that supposedly deals with troubled teens after her daughter gets caught in a raid at a party where there are drugs and alcohol in possession of teenagers. When she reaches the camp, she realizes it's full of freaks who claim to have supernatural blood in them. Kylee has a tough time navigating between this new world, her family drama, two hot guys and an ex-boyfriend, and searching for herself. Oh, and enter criminal activity among these weird creatures. Sounds like summer is about to be great for our heroine.

My thoughts. I had no idea this'd be so much fun. I have enjoyed very few werewolf books. This one wasn't only wolves though--we have vampires, faeries, wtches and even ghostwhisperers. Everyone kept talking about this awesome cast of characters, fun plot and two very, very great love interest (#teamLucas). Now I know what they were talking about! I enjoyed Kylee's relationship with camp's head Holiday and her roommates Della and Miranda. Kylee's sarcasm and snarky attitude were hilarious and she does everything with her heart in the right place. I liked how she didn't back down from a challenge and took selfless actions in order to provide the safety of her friends. We also get to some development of the side characters which was nice. My favorite relationship was Burnett and Holiday. I have a feeling we'll see more of them in the future. Their chemistry was sizzling and fun!

I liked most of what was going on in this book, but what I didn't enjoy was Kylee's constant 'omg, he's so hot and i want to kiss him' thoughts regarding Derek and Lucas. Also, I bet it's hard to accept one's supernatural roots, but she was more excited about having a tumour than being supernatural. Are you for real? I'd pick being supernatural any day of the week instead of a tumor. If one were to have a tumour, one's brain wouldn't have the pattern of a natural human being. She was unique and none of the other supernaturals couldn't read her pattern nor her mind and that caused a lot of fuss over her inheritance which I think will be revealed as the series progresses as we don't get a clear answer about her supernatural being.

I'm glad I gave this series a try since it turned out to be fun, exciting, surprising and original. I had no idea what I was missing out on. Kylee as a heroine is somewhat frustrating at times with her head between the three guys who want her bad, but you know what? It was still a hilarious adventure and overall Kylee is a strong, selfless main character and I wouldn't mind reading the rest of the series asap. Luckily, thanks to that combined edition, I already own book #2 and now I'm just going to have to wait to pick it out of those paper slips I did to pick my next read randomly. Oh, and it's likely one of those books that is better when you re-read it. I hope you guys liked it or give it a chance when you're in need of a fun, sassy paranormal read.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

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Book Haul #25

This post will start with an apology. I'm sorry for not having been the greates blogger or commenter throughout the past few weeks. It's my final BA year in uni and I have to work harder than ever before. Plus, I have a part-time job, so blog and reading kind of take the third place in my to-do list. I'm slowly getting back to the rhythm of school and work though and I promise I can do better. I'm scheduling posts for next week and I promise to do more reviews, too. Anyhow, this week was amazing for me when it comes to books: I received three books that I've been dying to read and also snagged a few e-copies that came out this week. As always, if you've read any of these, let me know what you thought and don't forget to leave your links down below so I can visit all of you lovelies back!

Physical Copies

Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

Things I Can't Forget (Hundred Oaks #3) by Miranda Kenneally

E-books

I'd Love to Tell You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You (Gallagher Girls #1) by Ally Carter

In the Fields by Willow Aster

The Burning Sky (The Elemental Trilogy #1) by Sherry Thomas

A Little Too Far (A Little Too Far #1) by Lisa Desrochers

Swag

I received a signed bookmark of Ten Tiny Breaths by K.A. Tucker which I won during NA Crush Tourney via I Heart Big Books. Thanks so much, girl! It looks gorgeous:)

Oh, one more thing! I wrote down all my unread paperbacks/hardcovers and I'll pick my next reads randomly from there and guess what? I picked Lola and the Boy Next Door which I am absolutely l-o-v-i-n-g! I didn't have that good luck with Anna's book last summer (which I'm beginning to realize was kind of awesome, too.. I guess my values of reading have changed a little during the course of a year.) and I can't understand how come I waited so long to give Lola's story a try. I can't wait to see what I'll pick next!

Oh and there are a LOT of giveaways to participate in (check either the giveaway tab under the blog title or the top of the sidebar) and only one week left to participate in my favorite one--my birthday giveaway. I wish you all the best of luck!

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 Mod Podge Bookshelf and Stacking the Shelves is a weekly event hosted by Tynga's Reviews.

Review, Giveaway: Out of Line by Jen McLaughlin

Title: Out of Line (Out of Line #1)
Author: Jen Mclaughlin (aka Diane Alberts)
Published: September 1st 2013
Add It: Goodreads
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
*An ARC was provided in exchange for an honest review*

Desperate to break free…
I've spent my entire life under my father’s thumb, but now I'm finally free to make my own choices. When my roommate dragged me to my first college party, I met Finn Coram and my life turned inside out. He knows how to break the rules and is everything I never knew I wanted. A Marine by day and surfer by night, he pushes me away even as our attraction brings us closer. Now I am finally free to do whatever I want. I know what I want. I choose Finn.
Trying to play by the rules...
I always follow orders. My job, my life, depends on it. I thought this job would be easy, all the rules were made crystal clear, but when I met Carrie Wallington, everything got muddy. She's a rule I know I shouldn't break, but damn if I don’t inch closer to the breaking point each time I see her. I’m ready to step out of line. And even worse? I’m living a lie. They say the truth will set you free, but in my case…
The truth will cost me everything.

When I first saw this book as an option for review, I jumped into action and requested immediately. The cover is awesome, the blurb sounded good and what more could I have wished for to allure me in? Exactly! So I hopped on the review tour and was super excited to give this New Adult novel a try. I’m sure you’re all here to see what I thought, so I won’t waste your time any longer, let’s get down to business.

"I was done fighting her. From now on, I would fight for her."

The story. Carrie is a very privileged young woman what with being the daughter of a senator. She has a reputation and an image to live up to and when she sets off to college, it’s the tiny bit of freedom she has been craving for forever. There she meets Finn, a free-spirited marine, and she has the choice—to overcome her issues of trust and have the time of her life with someone who may be the one or sail on a sinking ship to loneliness.

My thoughts. Look, as you gathered from my updates, me and Carrie didn’t get off to a good start. She said something in the first chapter that rubbed me the wrong way and I truly thought she’d be one of those extremely annoying main characters who’d constantly annoy the jazz out of me. Lucky for her, she was able to somewhat redeem herself as the novel progressed. Since we have a dual point of view, we know from early on who Finn is and if you’ve seen and enjoyed Chasing Liberty starring Mandy Moore, you’ll probably want to watch it again sometime by the time you’re finished with this pretty. Just as Mandy's character, Carrie grows tremendously throughout the novel. Same goes for First Daughter starring Katie Holmes.

Finn was a great character to spend time with. He was wicked, smexy, laid-back and fun, but strict when it came to his job. I’d like to make a comment about something related to him: I want to study like that. Any chance Finn would want to do some cramming and reward me whenever I get a correct answer? I’m totally up for that *insert innocent face* Whaaat? Can you blame me? I don’t think so. That was… *ahem* nice *ahem* to read about.

I liked the parts where Finn taught Carrie how to surf the best. Also, the smexy was hot in this book, let’s be honest. When Carrie found out what Finn was hiding from her, I understood her anger and frustration. It was hard to watch it all unravel since we know how Finn truly feels, but Carrie with all her trust issues thanks to her parents had a hard time seeing through all the lies and realizing that Finn did love her. I had a tough time with one thing though: I didn’t understand how much time had passed between certain scenes hence me thinking some things happened faster than they were supposed to happen.

The plot is pretty much predictable from the start and offers nothing new. However, I found it to be a like a great beach vacation read or suitable if you’re having hard time letting go of summer, for instance. The ocean scenes made me want to experience some hot sunshine and nice, cool water for a while longer. I’m more than sure that people will love this book, I just wanted something different in addition to all that we got, because there are lots of similar books out there and it needs to stand out with something. I think people who loved Lengths by Steph Campbell and Liz Reinhardt would find this enjoyable.

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

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Giveaway

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The rest of the tour can be followed by clicking on the tour banner below.

Giveaway: 3:AM Kisses by Addison Moore

Sorry this post went up so late from my usual time, I had a reallllly tough day at uni today and I'm still here. It's almost 7.30 pm and I'm so tired. I'll probably push publish when I'm home in about an hour or so. Tomorrow I'll get to come home early so I can visit all of you back for yesterday's and today's (likely) comments:) I hope you enjoy this post and be sure to participate in the giveaway!

Title: 3:AM Kisses
Author: Addison Moore
Genre: New Adult Contemporary
Published: September 17th 2013
Add it:Goodreads
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Baya Brighton is looking forward to her first year at Whitney Briggs University, new friends, dorm life, and finally being close to her brother again. Love is the last thing on the list, but when Baya meets her brother’s roommate she begins to have thoughts and feelings that make even her blush.

Bryson Edwards has a secret he prefers buried in the past and long forgotten. He prefers loose girls, fast cars, and long nights working at the string of bars his family owns. When his roommate’s sister shows up on the scene, she’s far too innocent and sweet for him but he can’t shake Baya out of his mind and worse, it looks like she’s seeping into his heart as well.

Baya seems determined to show her brother she’s not a little kid and equally determined to use Bryson’s body to prove her point. It’s been made pretty clear that Baya is off limits to Bryson but their undeniable sparks explode into a whole lot more than just a few 3:AM KISSES.

Meet the author

Addison Moore is a New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author who writes contemporary and paranormal romance. Previously she worked as a therapist on a locked psychiatric unit for nearly a decade. She resides on the West Coast with her husband, four wonderful children and two dogs where she eats too much chocolate and stays up way too late. When she's not writing, she's reading.

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Giveaway

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Happy Book Birthday! Giveaways and Fun Facts by Elizabeth Reyes

In honor of her first book release three years ago, September 6th-17th is everything Elizabeth Reyes and several, several blogs are participating in this wonderful event to share some love to this amazing author. I have read all of the books from The Moreno Brothers series by the ever-wonderful Elizabeth Reyes. They're light, steamy, full of good relationship tension and drama and they go by soooo quick. They're perfect for summer, but if you're having tough time letting summer go, I say give them a try and hopefully you'll enjoy them. Elizabeth has written two other series--one about fighters on The 5th Street and one about Fate. I hope that if you ever give these books a go, you'll find them entertaining and sweet. Ok, so since I've only read The Moreno Brothers series, I decided to pick this guest post among all of these topics because I thought that it'd introduce the series to you as well as Elizabeth as a writer. I hope you enjoy!

Title: The Moreno Brothers

Author: Elizabeth Reyes 

Genre: Contemporary romance 

Age Group: Upper YA (Forever Mine and Sweet Sofie), New Adult 

Event organized by: AToMR Tours

Buy Links for the books: Amazon 

Book Description: You can find each book description on Elizabeth's Goodreads page

Fun facts about The Moreno Brothers series by Elizabeth Reyes

• I started writing Forever Mine in the tenth grade. The first seven or so chapters were put away into a drawer for many years. I finally found it one day and decided I needed to finish it.
• The Moreno Brothers was never going to be a five-book series. In fact, originally it wasn't going to be a series at all. I was just writing a love story about a high school senior who had two brothers and several friends who falls hard for the new girl in school. One story only.
• When I finally finished Forever Mine the first time, it was about ten chapters shorter than the final everyone has read. After going back and finishing it, I put it away again because something about the ending just wasn't doing it for me. I pulled it out again two years later and rewrote the ending. During this two-year hiatus, I did take it out and tweak here and there so the whole gang was in my head all the time. But then I sat down finalized the ending. Only then, when it was truly done, did I feel completely depressed because I missed my characters. That was when I decided there had to be more.
• When I decided there would be more, it was The Moreno Brothers for a reason. I was only going to write the stories of the three brothers, until Sofia and Eric's story started to come to me as all my new stories come to me—relentlessly, at night, and when I’m trying to sleep.
• Sweet Sofie was supposed to be a 30-40k word short novella. This was when I found out I'm incapable of writing anything short. Consequently I've always said I was going to write Moreno Brothers’ holiday novellas, but I'm afraid to even start because I'm certain they will turn into full-length novels!
• Romero's story was never supposed to see the light of day. But I tell you once my readers plant the seed the story takes on a life of its own. His story came to me slowly and then just started to snowball and I had to write it. His by far has been the one I was most nervous about putting out there, especially since he is so different from his more proper counterparts in the series.
• I've often mentioned that my muse takes over all the time. This is probably hard to believe, but some of the twists and sudden changes in the plots take me by as much surprise as they do my readers. One perfect example of when my thoughts actually made it into the narrative is when Angel is sitting in his car watching Sarah and the coach talking in the bleachers. Try as he might to stay calm about it he finally starts walking toward them. The very next line after that happens is "He had no idea what he was going to say or do, but even the voice in his head couldn’t stop him." Okay, that voice? That was me! I sat up straight as I often do when the story starts to write itself thinking WTH!? What's he gonna do? LOL
• (Whispers) I actually toyed with idea of having Sofie leave Eric for Brandon. (Dodges tomatoes and eggs from angry Eric loyalists.) But I didn't!! =D Still, I felt Brandon needed his happily ever after, and that's why I'll be giving it to him very soon. Of course, there will be a ton of turmoil, angst, and heart-stopping twists before he gets it. Hey! If he wants it just like all my other guys, he'll have to take it like a man! ;)
• Many have mentioned enjoying reading about these second-generation Morenos. There are still quite a few first-generation stories that haven't been told, but let the record show that the seed has been planted. ;)
• I still crack up when I read certain scenes in Romero, especially the ones with Manny and Max.

Giveaways

One of them is US, one is international. Be sure to participate in the right ones and I wish you all good luck since the prizes are ah-mazing!

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Meet Elizabeth

"I write because I must. It's not a choice or a pastime, it's an unyielding calling and my passion."Elizabeth continues to answer to her calling on a daily basis. Since releasing her debut novel Forever Mine (Moreno Brothers #1) in 2010 she has now published 10* novels total and fast at work on the next. The excitement her Moreno Brothers, 5th Street, and Fate series have garnered have far exceeded her wildest dreams. It is with as much excitement that she'll continue to put out books related to these series as well as introduce brand new ones very soon.

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Review: Everbound by Brodi Ashton

Title: Everbound (Everneath #2)
Author: Brodi Ashton
Published: January 22nd 2013
Add It: Goodreads
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository

Nikki Beckett could only watch as her boyfriend, Jack, sacrificed himself to save her, taking her place in the Tunnels of the Everneath for eternity — a debt that should’ve been hers. She’s living a borrowed life, and she doesn’t know what to do with the guilt. And every night Jack appears in her dreams, lost and confused and wasting away.
Desperate for answers, Nikki turns to Cole, the immortal bad boy who wants to make her his queen — and the one person least likely to help. But his heart has been touched by everything about Nikki, and he agrees to assist her in the only way he can: by taking her to the Everneath himself.
Nikki and Cole descend into the Everneath, only to discover that their journey will be more difficult than they’d anticipated — and more deadly. But Nikki vows to stop at nothing to save Jack — even if it means making an incredible sacrifice of her own.
In this enthralling sequel to Everneath, Brodi Ashton tests the bonds of destiny and explores the lengths we’ll go to for the ones we love.

I waited pretty long before picking this up, didn't I? I had such a bad luck with my previous reads before Everbound and I wanted to read something I knew I'd enjoy. Well, ladies and gents, Ms. Ashton does not disappoint. Everneath's sequel was action-packed from the very first page and didn't stop surprising with its twists and turns until the very last one.

“I waited for you."

"But it's a race. Why did you wait for me?"

"I always wait for you. I'm always waiting for you.”

Everbound takes us into the world of the Everliving and it was such and original take inspired by ancient mythology and different classic authors, but it came to be something I've never seen before. This world Brodi Ashton has created is wonderfully crafted to these tiniest details and I'm so glad I got to be a part of this. All these challenges Nikki faced in the Everneath were well-written. Oh, and our beloved heroine was up to complete every challenge to save her man and even though some of the challenges were so gruelling they almost broke her physically and emotionally, she never gave up. Nikki Beckett has secured her place among my favorite heroines. She's kick-a!!!

What I loved about Everbound was that we got Cole's history and how he became and Everliving, although, I don't know whether to believe that story anymore. When I started this series, I was so sure I was going to love Cole and not feel a thing for Jack. I couldn't have been more wrong. I adored Jack in Everneath and I loved him in Everbound as well. We got more of his and Nikki's history and it was wonderful to read about. I am completely team Jack. No joke! 

And then we have the ending. Ahhh..!!!!! I was so surprised and taken aback by what went down. I think it was a clever way of ending it. It wasn't fully a cliff hanger, more of a set up for book 3, but I can't help but feel anxious and worried. I was convinced that I knew his motives and that he truly cared about her, but now I don't know what to think. If some of you have any theories, mail me on Goodreads. I'd love to chat about it. I didn't want it to be this way and I have no clue what's about to happen next and even though I dislike the situation we and Nikki were left in, I like the feeling of jumping into unknown with Evertrue. 

Overall, Everbound was hard to put down, I kept turning page after page to find out more. If you enjoyed Everneath, you're bound to enjoy its sequel which was crafted with wonderful ideas, well-written plot and well-developed characters. There were twists and turns waiting on every corner and Nikki is a great heroine to spend time with. The ending sets the tone for Evertrue perfectly even if I'm not happy with the way it happened, I knew it was coming at some point. I hope you guys enjoy(ed) this pretty just as much as I did. Read on, lovelies!

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Meet the author

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Giveaway and Guest Post by Katie Lee, author of What Endures

Today, thanks to this promotional blog tour (full schedule here), I have the honour to welcome Ms. Katie Lee to my blog to talk about what you can do in Harbor Bay, Maryland. That's where a part of the action in her debut novel What Endures takes place and it's a fun place to live for sure. I hope that you enjoy this post and it intrigues you to pick up the novel to see these places more closely. Oh, and if you didn't see the teaser from What Endures, I advise you to stop by this post and read it. It was a gooooood excerpt:)

Title:What Endures
Author: Katie Lee
Published: August 1st, 2013
Genre: Contemporary New Adult
Add it: Goodreads
Purchase: Amazon

Jason Kincaid is young, hot and successful.
An All-Star outfielder for the Seattle Mariners, he finally had everything he ever wanted, including a second chance with his high school sweetheart, Megan Williams. But their hopes for a ‘happily-ever-after’ are dashed by tragedy.

A horrific car accident wipes out most of Jason's memories. Unable to recall anything from the last fifteen years of his life, Jason is suddenly adrift, his once charmed life now in ruins. Megan finds herself in the untenable position of having to deal with the fact that the man she’s helping to rebuild his life may look, and even act, like her beloved fiancé, but in reality, isn’t any longer.

Trying to protect herself, as well as Jason, Megan fights the attraction between them. . .to no avail. As their potent connection inevitably draws them closer, Megan wonders,
With the memories of their relationship gone, can love endure? 

DESTINATION GUIDE – HARBOR BAY, MARYLAND

Jolt – Coffee bar. Great coffee, chill atmosphere. Incredible scones. And you’re likely to run into some very cute men!

Delights – Gourmet food store. Amazingly delicious delicacies from around the world and has meals ready-to-serve for those awkward family dinners you don’t want to cook for. Co-owners, Marie Adams and Diana Kincaid, are usually around and odds are, you might find one of their very handsome sons there too.

Harbor Bay City Limits – It’s not really a site but if you’re a baseball fan, this is where you’ll find the huge sign proclaiming that this is Jason Kincaid’s home, although that was more his father’s doing than his. A modest MLB player... who knew?

Kincaid Family Home – If you like those “Home of the Stars” tour, you can do a quick one in Harbor Bay starting at the semi-palatial home of Bruce Kincaid. This is where Jason Kincaid grew up and began playing baseball. Jason might be found here from time to time, depending on how cordial his relationship with his father is at the moment. Speaking of Jason, the best place to find him is –

Jason’s and Megan’s Beach House – It’s a little hard to find because they value their privacy but it’s on the beach and one of the larger houses in the area. Jason and Megan can be found here when they are visiting Harbor Bay and often entertain friends and family there as well. And you might catch one or the other with a video camera, making home movies that might be a bit too revealing!

Baseball Field in the Park – This might seem too vague until you consider that Harbor Bay is still a pretty small town so there’s really only one park with a baseball field. Rumor has it that Bruce Kincaid is lobbying to have the park renamed “Kincaid Public Park.” This park is where Jason began is early training and also where Jason and Megan fell in love. When they are in town, they still hang out there so you just might get a glimpse at the twosome if you time your visit right! (-- Siiri: This is my favorite place since it holds so many great memories for Jason and Megan, plus it seemed gorgeous, so yeah :))

Marina – You get a nice view of the Chesapeake Bay and the gorgeous yachts there. Some of them are even for rent if you have Jason’s bank account! Or you can just rent one of the smaller boats or go on a fishing excursion on the Chesapeake Bay.

Main Street – This is where most of the stores above are located, in addition to a bakery that sells some great cupcakes – perfect for beachside birthday celebrations.

Alley Behind “Delights” – Definitely out of the way but if you locate the little fire escape, you can still see the little set-up Tyler and Megan had when they were in high school. Rumor has it that many heart-to-heart between the two took place here.

Harbor Bay Beach – Straddling a part of the Chesapeake Bay, this small stretch of beach is tranquil and quieter than its cousins on the coast, like Ocean City, MD and Rehoboth Beach, DE. Harbor Bay Beach offers a wide variety of water-based activities including sailing, fishing, and swimming. Or you could just lounge around on the beach and see if you can glimpse some of Harbor Bay’s more famous residents!

Giveaway

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About the Author

Katie Lee has had a lifelong love affair with books. She fell in love with her first book in the second grade and hasn’t looked back since. She first took up writing as a hobby, wanting to craft her own magical adventures, and through the love and encouragement of family and friends, decided to get serious about writing and share her stories with the world.

She currently resides in Maryland in the United States. She works for the government during the day, and her spare time is devoted to writing. She gains inspiration from all sorts of things, but mostly from the fun and adventurous trips she takes when she can. She loves hearing from her readers so drop her a note!

Website | Twitter | Goodreads

Book Blitz and Giveaway: Out of Line by Jen McLaughlin

So this is the week where lots of great New Adult books are being released and, also, Out of Line by Jen McLaughlin is released this week as well. It's on sale throughout the week and you get the chance to win an exclusive prize which I find pretty awesome. Anyhow, here's the blurb and cover and purchasing links and a giveaway down below.

Title: Out of Line (Out of Line #1)
Author: Jen McLaughlin

Published: September 10th 2013

Genre: New Adult Contemporary

Add it: Goodreads

Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Desperate to break free…
I've spent my entire life under my father’s thumb, but now I'm finally free to make my own choices. When my roommate dragged me to my first college party, I met Finn Coram and my life turned inside out. He knows how to break the rules and is everything I never knew I wanted. A Marine by day and surfer by night, he pushes me away even as our attraction brings us closer. Now I am finally free to do whatever I want. I know what I want. I choose Finn.
Trying to play by the rules...
I always follow orders. My job, my life, depends on it. I thought this job would be easy, all the rules were made crystal clear, but when I met Carrie Wallington, everything got muddy. She's a rule I know I shouldn't break, but damn if I don’t inch closer to the breaking point each time I see her. I’m ready to step out of line. And even worse? I’m living a lie. They say the truth will set you free, but in my case…
The truth will cost me everything.

Meet the author

Jen McLaughlin writes steamy New Adult books for the young and young at heart. Her first release, Out of Line, is due out September 2013. She also writes Contemporary Romance under the pen name Diane Alberts. She is a multi-published, bestselling author and is represented by Louise Fury from the L. Perkins Agency. Since receiving her first contract offer under the pen name Diane Alberts, she has yet to stop writing.
Though she lives in the mountains, she really wishes she was surrounded by a hot, sunny beach with crystal clear water. She lives in Northeast Pennsylvania with her four kids, a husband, a schnauzer mutt, a cat, and a Senegal parrot. In the rare moments when she’s not writing, she can usually be found hunched over one knitting project or another. Her goal is too write so many well-crafted romance books that even a non-romance reader will know her name.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

So what do you guys think? Does it have the premise to be awesomesauce? The rating on Goodreads seems pretty decent. I'll be reviewing it on September 23rd and be sure to stop by for my opinion.

Giveaway

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Book Haul #24

It was my birthday last week, but I didn't get any books since my friends and family know I read a lot and they prefer to gift me money instead of books that I may have already read or may already own. So.. I got myself a present with some of the birthdaymoney and ordered a bunch on TBD, but I did it just yesterday so they'll be here sometime in September. However, I did receive a little somthing--my gorgeous US paperback of Just One Day by Gayle Forman--and I purchased a few e-books in addition to one review copy. If you've read any of these, let me know so I can push them up on my tbr list and be sure to leave your links below so I can visit you back. Have a great weekend, lovelies!

Physical copies

Just One Day (Just One Day #1) by Gayle Forman

I was a little sad when I saw that they had changed the original cover design for paperback version, but when I held this pretty in my hands, trust me--it's so incredibly gorgeous. Can't wait to read this book!

E-books

Indelible (The Twixt#1) by Dawn Metcalf (arc from Harlequin Teen)

Of Beast and Beauty by Stacey Jay

All Our Yesterdays (All Our Yesterday #1) by Cristin Terrill

Fire with Fire (Burn for Burn #2) by Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian

Good (Too Good #1) by S. Walden

Broken and Screwed 2 (Broken and Screwed #2) by Tijan

Infraction (Breach #2) by K.I. Lynn

This week's 'thank you' goes to Harlequin Teen and Netgalley.

Oh, and if you haven't yet, take a chance and participate in my birthday giveaway of a book of your choice from my favorite reads. You can find the giveaway here. Good luck!

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 Mod Podge Bookshelf and Stacking the Shelves is a weekly event hosted by Tynga's Reviews.

Review: Breach by K.I. Lynn

Title: Breach (Breach #1)
Author: K.I. Lynn
Published: April 21st 2013
Add It: Goodreads
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Delilah Palmer has control of her life and outward personality, blocking the truth just below the surface. A façade meant to be normal and hide the scars of her childhood. She’s made a good life for herself, became a lawyer, and is free from the tortured past that haunts her daily. Until he comes along and breaks open the cracks.
Nathan Thorne has a past of his own. On the surface he is loved by all, personable, extroverted; everything Delilah isn’t. Hidden beneath is a dark and tormented man that only Delilah has to power to unveil.
Crammed in a small office together they see through each other’s masks, and the draw becomes too much, igniting an explosive relationship. Holloway and Holloway Law has a strict non-fraternization policy, forcing them to conceal their breach. Despite their efforts, separation becomes impossible, deceptions escalate, and Nathan has trouble coping; teetering on the edge of being overtaken by his past demons.
What secrets does he harbor that could keep him from giving in? What keeps him from healing and moving forward? And Delilah, where does she fit into all this turmoil?
Can they accept love and deal with all the trials that come their way when secrets are exposed? Or will they fall through the cracks of their pasts and be consumed by all that haunts them?

Saw this tagged as adult and erotica on Goodreads and it pushed me away. I enojy adult literature, but erotica not so much. I need more in my stories than just steamy scenes. When I stumbled upon a few reviews that claimed to be heartbroken about the main characters, I was instantly intrigued because so many of my Goodreads friends were adding Breach to their shelves. Plus, who can turn away from a pretty cover ;)

The night after we left the club made me face that fact. How I thought and felt about him changed; he wasn't the asshole I thought he was when I first met him. He was a broken man, and it made me wonder--can two broken souls make one whole person?

The story. We have Delilah as our main character. She's suffered from bullying by her own family. Her dad hated her, so did her stepmom and -brother. They caused her emotional scars that she can't seem to heal in any way. Enter Nathan. He created quite a show with his great looks in their office and gets his very own fanclub among the ladies working there. The only one who isn't showing her cleavage or acting like a love-sick fool is Delilah. After a long night at the office, they get the kinky on and so it begins. It's only a matter of time before someone finds out and the both of them lose their jobs, or worse, they get emotionally attached.

My thoughts. The first part of the book was more of an erotic story fulfilling Delilah's fantasies of being man-handled by a rough, intense guy. Don't get me wrong, it was hot, but definitely to rough for my taste. She had bruises and bites all over her. He had them, too. Their kinky was intense! However, after the first half, it became an emotional story. I would have never guessed that I'd cry over this book. At one point it became too much. I enjoyed their chemistry, notes, texts. I liked how Nathan gave Delilah something she'd never had before and healed her emotional wounds. Until.. It all came crushing down.

You see, Nate has his own demons. We know this from the first moment they meet. However, we don't know everything until before something terrible happens. It was hard to breathe when I found out his secret and everything that happened after that.. I was a mess of tears and heartache. For both of them. Do I agree that this is a normal relationship? NO!!!! I hate how physically abusing it was. I didn't like how Nate was mentally abusing with his words when they had sex, but Delilah wasn't put off by it and was rather the opposite of put off, so I guess that's OK? I don't know.. Whatever floats one's boat, right? (Since a lot of you have questioned the extent of mental abuse during those scenes, I'll say that he didn't like bully her, but to me it'd be humilating to hear those words said to me and it didn't feel sexy at all.)They're so broken that it doesn't seem right that two so broken people can make one whole. They do! I was so surprised by how they completed each other. I have a love-hate relationship with Nate. The fact that he was able to build Delilah's confidence, help her with her demons and heal her was beyond amazing, however, what he did was just.. cruel. I hate him for it.

All in all, it was a surprise for me. I had no idea it would turn out like this and how emotionally invested I would get. This book blew me away with its raw hurt and the emotions came to me with a vengeance. I am so looking forward to the sequel. I need to know what happens. It's not even about want anymore, it's about need. As much as I enjoyed this book, I can't give it that many stars stars. I don't agree with the realationship they were in even if it was consensuous. Plus, the erotica part didn't appeal to me that much either, I wish there would have been less of that and more of the emotional journey these two were on. Anyhow, it's definitely worth exploring. I can tell you right off the bat that this isn't for everyone. You will have hate and maybe even love towards this book as did I, but I can guarantee you that you will have emotions. It's just that kind of a book.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Meet the author

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