Bought from Amazon:
Raquel
xoxo
Sunday, July 14, 2013
Stacking the Shelves (13)
Raquel
xoxo
Friday, July 12, 2013
Dirty Little Secret Blog Tour: Review and Favourite Quotes
Synopsis via Goodreads:
From the author of the “real page-turner” (Seventeen) Such a Rush comes an unforgettable new drama that follows friends-turned-lovers as they navigate the passions, heartbreaks, and intrigue of country music fame.
Bailey wasn’t always a wild child and the black sheep of her family. She used to play fiddle and tour the music circuit with her sister, Julie, who sang and played guitar. That ended when country music execs swooped in and signed Julie to a solo deal. Never mind that Julie and Bailey were a duet, or that Bailey was their songwriter. The music scouts wanted only Julie, and their parents were content to sit by and let her fulfill her dreams while Bailey’s were hushed away.
Bailey has tried to numb the pain and disappointment over what could have been. And as Julie’s debut album is set to hit the charts, her parents get fed up with Bailey’s antics and ship her off to granddad’s house in Nashville. Playing fiddle in washed-up tribute groups at the mall, Bailey meets Sam, a handsome and oh-so-persuasive guitarist with his own band. He knows Bailey’s fiddle playing is just the thing his band needs to break into the industry. But this life has broken Bailey’s heart once before. She isn’t sure she’s ready to let Sam take her there again…
Release date: July 16th 2013
Publisher: MTV Books
Purchase: Amazon
About the Author
www.jennifer-echols.com
My Thoughts:
Dirty Little Secret is unlike any other book I have read. We
learn about the nitty, gritty aspects of the music business and what some bands
have to go through. This is my first Jennifer Echols book and I am so happy I
started with this one.
We start off with Bailey employed in the mall, playing her
fiddle, impersonating deceased country stars. She has been in music festivals
with her younger sister, Julie but Julie is the only one who gets signed with a
record deal. Therefore, Bailey is left betrayed and sent to live with her
grandfather. When Bailey meets Sam, there is an instant attraction. They are
opposites of one another but both broken, so they understand each other really
well.
I really liked
Bailey. I thought she was strong in the way she handled herself especially with
her family. I mean, personally, if I lived, eat and breathed music growing up,
I definitely would want to have a career in it no matter what. Bailey is also
fiercely loyal to her sister. She will do anything for her, even though she may
feel hurt or jealous in the process. Sam, on the other hand, will do anything
to get a record deal, anything; he has this persona about him that makes
everyone like him, even with his ‘52 girlfriends’.
For me, the beginning of this book was a little hard to get
into but once I did, I really enjoyed it.
Dirty Little Secret is a must read for anyone who likes to read contemporary
romance based on the music industry. I look forward to my next read by Jennifer
Echols. I am not sure why I waited so long.
My Rating:
4 out of 5 stars
Favourite Quotes:
"If I expected nothing, I was never disappointed. But as he moved toward me, there was a point when our eyes locked. He looked so sincere that in that moment, I believed him. I believed in him. I believed anything he wanted to tell me."
""Let me kiss you just this once," he said. Just this once was a refrain with him. He was the devil in disguise, the handsome but low-down, no-good sneaky guy from a thousand country songstresses' revenge plots."
"You wear your heart on your sleeve."
Wednesday, July 10, 2013
Waiting on Wednesday (18)
Before Jamaica Lane by Samantha Young
"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.
I am looking forward to this book. I loved the first book, On Dublin Street, one of my favourites. I have not had a chance to read Down London Road yet, book #2 in the series but I hope I will soon.
Expected Publication Date: January 7, 2014
Synopsis:
One simple lesson in seduction between two friends can turn into so much more…
Despite her outgoing demeanor, Olivia is painfully insecure around the opposite sex—usually, she can’t get up the nerve to approach guys she’s interested in. But moving to Edinburgh has given her a new start, and, after she develops a crush on a sexy postgrad, she decides it’s time to push past her fears and go after what she wants.
Nate Sawyer is a gorgeous player who never commits, but to his close friends, he’s as loyal as they come. So when Olivia turns to him with her relationship woes, he offers to instruct her in the art of flirting and to help her become more sexually confident.
The friendly education in seduction soon grows into an intense and hot romance. But then Nate’s past and commitment issues rear their ugly heads, and Olivia is left broken-hearted. When Nate realizes he’s made the biggest mistake of his life, he will have to work harder than he ever has before to entice his best friend into falling back in love with him—or he may lose her forever…
Despite her outgoing demeanor, Olivia is painfully insecure around the opposite sex—usually, she can’t get up the nerve to approach guys she’s interested in. But moving to Edinburgh has given her a new start, and, after she develops a crush on a sexy postgrad, she decides it’s time to push past her fears and go after what she wants.
Nate Sawyer is a gorgeous player who never commits, but to his close friends, he’s as loyal as they come. So when Olivia turns to him with her relationship woes, he offers to instruct her in the art of flirting and to help her become more sexually confident.
The friendly education in seduction soon grows into an intense and hot romance. But then Nate’s past and commitment issues rear their ugly heads, and Olivia is left broken-hearted. When Nate realizes he’s made the biggest mistake of his life, he will have to work harder than he ever has before to entice his best friend into falling back in love with him—or he may lose her forever…
I would love to hear from you!
Raquel
xoxo
Tuesday, July 9, 2013
Cover Reveal: Forged in Dreams and Magick by Kat Bastion
Expected release date: September 23, 2013
Genre: Paranormal Romance / Time Travel
Age Group: Adult
Cover designed by: Mooney Designs
Synopsis:
Isobel MacInnes wakes up in present-day California, lunches in medieval Scotland, and by ten days’ end, falls in love with a man and his country, only to lose them in a heart-wrenching twist of fate . . . Found in the arms of her second soul mate . . . Forced to balance the delicate strands of time between two millennia . . . Shocked by revelations rewriting the very foundations of history . . . of everything. Isobel, a rising-star archeology student, is dropped into two ancient worlds without warning . . . or her permission. Her fiery spirit resists the dependency thrust upon her. Amid frustration at her lack of control, she helplessly falls in love. Twice. She struggles to adjust to the unimaginable demands of two leaders of men—a laird in the thirteenth-century Highlands and a Pict chieftain in a more ancient Scotland. Isobel transforms from an academic, hell-bent on obtaining archeological recognition, to a woman striving to care for those she loves, and ultimately . . . into a fearless warrior risking everything to protect them.
About the Author:
Monday, July 8, 2013
Book Blitz: Lost by M. Lathan
Lost by M. Lathan
Series: Hidden, #2
Publication date: June 20th 2013
Genre: YA Paranormal
Book Description:
Three months ago, Christine Grant found herself, her love, and impossible friends, while losing the memories of the biggest piece of her past.Now, her powers are spinning out of control and must be tamed by the woman who saved the world, the same woman Christine is predicted to kill in less than a month.
Wanting to punish catty girls was just the beginning. It’s only a matter of time before she discovers that the world is not as safe from her as she hoped it was.
About the Author:
M. Lathan lives in San Antonio with her husband and mini-schnauzer. She enjoys writing and has a B.S. in Psych and a Masters in Counseling. Her passion is a blend of her two interests – creating new worlds and stocking them with crazy people. She enjoys reading anything with interesting characters and writing in front of a window while asking rhetorical questions … like her idol Carrie Bradshaw.
Excerpt:
Prologue
Fear stole my breath as I plummeted into frigid
water. I flailed my arms and legs, uselessly trying to swim against the
current. The haunting voice of a child sang “The Star-Spangled Banner” as I
sank deeper.
I fought my way to the surface only to be taken
again. The little girl droned, “And the rockets’ red glare,” as water
rushed into my lungs.
I wasn’t alone. A blurry figure struggled near me,
both of us sinking, drowning in red tinted water. Blood. It swirled with the
suffocating blue, an inescapable villain dragging us deeper and deeper.
We were two helpless bodies adrift in a world with
no air or hope, no chance of survival. The white lights glowing beneath us
looked welcoming and safe. The figure gave in. Its lifeless body sank towards
the lights as the little girl sang, “And the home of the brave.”
Chapter One
I woke up, pouring sweat, in Nathan’s bed.
With his eyes closed and mouth open, he rolled away
and yanked the blanket off of me, attending to my needs in his sleep. I
shrugged off the creepy dream of me drowning. Over the last three months, I’d
dreamed plenty of things that hadn’t happened. Nate had held me underwater in
the pool earlier. I was sure that moment had just followed me to sleep. The
odds of it being a vision were low.
It had been almost two months since I stopped
letting myself have them or use any of my powers. They were getting worse as I
used them openly for little things. I would try to move something, and it
wouldn’t just lift. It would slam into the wall before I felt it moving. I
didn’t know mental powers could grow, develop even more than they already were.
They were getting faster, stronger, and wilder, so I was back to suppressing
them like I had at St. Catalina. Life was simpler that way, normal. Or as
normal as living with three magical beings that should be extinct could get.
I closed my eyes to force myself back to sleep, and
an angry snore rattled Nate’s throat. I reached on his nightstand for my phone.
He wouldn’t be able to deny this one. Another series of snores ripped through
the silent pool house just as I pressed record. I laughed, and he opened his
eyes.
“Smile, baby,” I said. He groaned and reached for
the phone.
“What are you doing?”
“Oh, nothing. Just collecting evidence.”
He wrestled my new phone from my hands and held it
out of my reach. “How do I stop the video?”
“Like I’d tell you.”
He grunted and threw the phone to the foot of his
bed. “That thing is too expensive to be so complicated,” he said.
“It’s not complicated. It’s probably just made for
humans and you’re-”
He grabbed me and wedged his fingers under my arms
before I could tease him about the side of him that barks. “I’m what? What am
I, Chris?” I squealed, flopping around in his arms like a dying fish.
“Handsome!” I offered, to end the tickle attack.
“Liar.”
“Smart. Kind. Loving. Sexy!” He relaxed his fingers
and slid them from my armpits to my back. “Which one did it?” I asked.
“Sexy,” he whispered and kissed me. And that was
really all it ever took to kick things off between us. Steamy kisses, roaming
hands.
That was how we’d spent most of our time during our
three-month-old relationship – in my bed, in his bed, in the common areas when
we had the house to ourselves. I kept waiting for this to get old, his lips on
mine, but every kiss felt like the first, and like I’d die if it were the last.
Stacking the Shelves (12)
This week I got books for my kindle. I am very happy with my purchases as I got some great ones.
Bought from Amazon:
Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry
Dare You To (Pushing the Limits #2) by Katie McGarry
Darkness Before Dawn by Claire Contreras
Seducing Cinderella by Gina L. Maxwell
Beneath This Man (This Man #2) by Jodi Ellen Malpas
This week I have been crazy busy. I have been working and also planning a bridal shower for my friend and trying to coordinate everything. It was today and everyone had a lot of fun, whewwww, now I can get back to everything else. I hope everyone has a good week!
Raquel
xoxo
Wednesday, July 3, 2013
Waiting on Wednesday (17)
Alienated by Melissa Landers
"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.
I love the cover of this. I am excited for when it releases. This will definitely be a must read for me next year when it comes out. Also the fact that Jennifer Armentrout rated it 5 stars on Goodreads means I absolutely have to read it :) It is to long till 2014.
Expected Publication Date: February 4, 2014
Synopsis:
Interplanetary relations have never been more exciting! The first in a funny, romantic YA sci-fi series.Two years ago, the aliens made contact. Now Cara Sweeney is going to be sharing a bathroom with one of them.
Handpicked to host the first-ever L’eihr exchange student, Cara thinks her future is set. Not only does she get a free ride to her dream college, she’ll have inside information about the mysterious L’eihrs that every journalist would kill for. Cara’s blog following is about to skyrocket.
Still, Cara isn’t sure what to think when she meets Aelyx. Humans and L’eihrs have nearly identical DNA, but cold, infuriatingly brilliant Aelyx couldn’t seem more alien. She’s certain about one thing, though: no human boy is this good-looking.
But when Cara's classmates get swept up by anti-L'eihr paranoia, Midtown High School suddenly isn't safe anymore. Threatening notes appear in Cara's locker, and a police officer has to escort her and Aelyx to class.
Cara finds support in the last person she expected. She realizes that Aelyx isn’t just her only friend; she's fallen hard for him. But Aelyx has been hiding the truth about the purpose of his exchange, and its potentially deadly consequences. Soon Cara will be in for the fight of her life—not just for herself and the boy she loves, but for the future of her planet.
I would love to hear from you!
Raquel
xoxo
Tuesday, July 2, 2013
Review: Giving You Forever by Ashley Wilcox
Author: Ashley Wilcox
Release Date: June 19, 2013
Source: Received for review from Atomr tours
Synopsis:
From the moment Nolan Pratt walked into Alexa Arnold’s life everything was forever changed. After a year of dating, the ring was on her finger, the house was purchased, and life was heading down Pleasantville Lane. Everything was perfect.
Or so they thought.
With help from his parent’s inheritance, Nolan takes on a new business adventure, utilizing all his free time. What was once their life- carefree with minimal responsibilities, is no more. When Alexa starts to feel the pressure from school, wedding planning, and lack of help from Nolan, exhaustion kicks in and feelings get hurt, testing the strength of their relationship. But, if there is one thing that Nolan will never compromise, it’s Alexa’s happiness. There’s nothing Nolan Pratt won’t do to make sure Alexa is well taken care of, loved, and happy.
When Nolan’s past resurfaces- a past that Alexa didn’t know existed- will it all be too much? Will Nolan’s devotion to Alexa’s happiness cost him their relationship and lose him the only thing that has ever mattered in his life? Or will Nolan discover that his past doesn’t determine his future and he is worth the happiness he doesn’t think he deserves?
My Thoughts:
Giving You Forever is a sensual tale that shows you how love can transform a person. We meet Nolan and Alexa, they have been dating a year and Nolan decides to pop the question and ask Alexa to marry him. This couple goes through their ups and downs in this book but it is clear by the way they act that they are meant for each other. Alexa is sweet, caring, witty and loving, everything Nolan could have wanted in a woman. Nolan is the ideal man; he is attentive, caring, protective, a little possessive and ambitious. He just wants to make Alexa happy; he will do anything that will make that happen. Alexa is a student in her last year of university. She also has to plan a whole wedding by herself because Nolan cannot always be there to help as he is opening his own business, a gym. She is stressed out to the max, especially when Nolan forgets about an appointment they had for the wedding. To make Alexa happy and so that she has help, the couple hire a wedding planner. This is where trouble starts and we learn something major about Nolan’s past.
For me, this book didn’t become entertaining until the last half. The first part is smut, smut and more smut; not that I am complaining, it was steamy but I would of like to have an entertaining storyline with the smut to make it interesting. I found that this book was also really sappy. They said ‘I love you’ really often and it was irritating because you already know they love each other, it was a bit repetitive.
Due to the fact that I didn’t read the first 3 books in the series, I felt a little lost because I didn’t know the history of some of the characters. I felt like I didn’t know much about Alexa, I didn’t know how she got together with Nolan. I felt that we learn more about Nolan than Alexa in this book.
Before reading this book, my advice would be to read the first 3 books so you have some context of who the characters are. I enjoyed this novel. It was addicting, I wanted to know how Nolan and Alexa’s story would end. It was a great ending.
My Rating:
3 out of 5 stars
Raquel
xoxo
Monday, July 1, 2013
Freedom to Read Giveaway Hop
I am giving away a $10 Amazon Gift Card
International giveaway
Enter below...the winner just may be you!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Cover Reveal: Origin by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Title: Origin (Lux #4)
Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout
Publisher: Entangled Publishing
Release Date: August 27, 2013
Synopsis:
Daemon will do anything to get Katy back.After the successful but disastrous raid on Mount Weather, he’s facing the impossible. Katy is gone. Taken. Everything becomes about finding her. Taking out anyone who stands in his way? Done. Burning down the whole world to save her? Gladly. Exposing his alien race to the world? With pleasure.
All Katy can do is survive.
Surrounded by enemies, the only way she can come out of this is to adapt. After all, there are sides of Daedalus that don’t seem entirely crazy, but the group’s goals are frightening and the truths they speak even more disturbing. Who are the real bad guys? Daedalus? Mankind? Or the Luxen?
Together, they can face anything.
But the most dangerous foe has been there all along, and when the truths are exposed and the lies come crumbling down, which side will Daemon and Katy be standing on? And will they even be together?
About the Author:
Her dreams of becoming an author started in algebra class, where she spent most of her time writing short stories….which explains her dismal grades in math. Jennifer writes young adult paranormal, science fiction, fantasy, and contemporary romance. She is published with Spencer Hill Press, Entangled Teen and Brazen, Disney/Hyperion and Harlequin Teen.
She also writes adult and New Adult romance under the name J. Lynn. She is published by Entangled Brazen and HarperCollins.
Sunday, June 30, 2013
In My Mailbox (16) & Stacking the Shelves (11)
Stacking the Shelves by Tynga`s Reviews is about adding books to my shelves I received during the past week whether it is physical or virtual.
Bought from Amazon:
Unravel Me by Tahereh Mafi
Destroy Me by Tahereh Mafi
I love the covers of these books. One of my favourites. I read Shatter Me awhile ago and loved it, because of my blogging schedule I wasn't able to read Destroy Me or Unravel Me but hopefully I will be able to soon. My review of Shatter Me will be posted in the next week or so.
Reason to Breathe #1 by Rebecca Donovan
I have heard so many good things about this book I decided it was time for me to buy it. I am really excited to start reading it. I love the new cover of the book as well.
Leo (A Sign of Love) by Mia Sheridan
I read the book description and it sounded interesting so I decided to buy it.
I am extremely happy with my book purchases this week and eager to start them. The Midsummer's Eve giveaway is over, I will be picking a winner on Sunday or Monday. Thank you to everyone who entered! I will be participating in another giveaway which starts on Tuesday so there will be another chance to win a prize. I hope everyone has a good week!
Raquel
xoxo
Saturday, June 29, 2013
Review: With All My Soul by Rachel Vincent
Author: Rachel Vincent
Release Date: March, 26, 2013
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Pages: 377
Source: Bought ebook from Amazon.com
Synopsis:
What does it mean when your school is voted the most dangerous in America? It's time to kick some hellion butt...
After not really surviving her junior year (does "undead" count as survival?), Kaylee Cavanaugh has vowed to take back her school from the hellions causing all the trouble. She's going to find a way to turn the incarnations of Avarice, Envy and Vanity against one another in order to protect her friends and finish this war, once and forever.
But then she meets Wrath and understands that she's closer to the edge than she's ever been. And when one more person close to her is taken, Kaylee realizes she can't save everyone she loves without risking everything she has....
My Thoughts:
With All My Soul starts off 2 weeks after
the events of Before I Wake; the gang is at Emma’s (body) funeral and still
reeling from everything that happened. Avari lets it be known that he would do
anything to get Kaylee’s soul, ANYTHING.
The world of the soul screamers series is
unique and I absolutely love it. I love how there is a whole world within the
normal human world portraying bean sidhes, reapers and demons. I really enjoyed
the whole series. In my opinion, the story got better and better in each novel.
I have been waiting for With All My Soul for
awhile to be released. I was so excited but when reading it, I found that there
was something missing from this book; something that the other books had and was
lacking a little. I found it to be a little irritating how Avari would always
be a step ahead of Kaylee and the gang. It was like they couldn’t catch a
break, not even a little one and because of that, things got progressively worse.
My favourite thing about this book was the
ingenious plan Kaylee came up with to save herself, and her family and friends.
I had tears in my eyes when everything came together at the end because that is
how GOOD the plan was. I was happy everything worked out the way it did. This
was one of the best plans and the best outcome I could have hoped for. This is
what made the book great.
Another great part was when Nash finds out
what his brother did for him. This was another moment where I was teary eyed,
seeing the brothers get along, finally. There was no anger, no sarcasm, just
brothers having a heart to heart moment. I read that part over and over again because
I could not get enough. I really wanted this to happen in this book and was
very happy when it did.
With All My Soul is a fast paced and
enchanting read that will make you want to stay up all night reading just so
you know what happens next. I am really going to miss Kaylee, Tod, Nash, Sabine
and their family and friends.
My Rating:
4 out of 5 stars
Raquel
xoxo
Wednesday, June 26, 2013
Review, Dream Cast and Giveaway: Shutdown by Heather Anastasiu
Synopsis via Goodreads:
The battle is all but over, and hope seems to be lost. Zoe and her fellow Resistance fighters are on the run, having lost their home, their protection, and their leader. They are outnumbered and outmatched by the powerful corporation that controls the world, and the cruel Chancellor is inches away from completing a scheme that would kill most of humanity. Zoe's only remaining option is to chase the impossible dream of upending the Link system, freeing the world from the hardware that controls their thoughts and emotions, and hope it will trigger a revolution.
The plot requires a nearly impossible mission to infiltrate the dangerous Community, and it is a task that Zoe must unfortunately complete alone. With challenges and surprises at every turn, nothing goes according to plan. Adrien's visions of the future now show two possible outcomes: one in which they succeed, and one in which humanity falls. It all lies in Zoe's hands.
Full of romance, high-adrenaline action and shocking twists, Shutdown is a heart-pounding conclusion to an exciting sci-fi adventure trilogy for young adults.
Full of romance, high-adrenaline action and shocking twists, Shutdown is a heart-pounding conclusion to an exciting sci-fi adventure trilogy for young adults.
The thrilling conclusion to an action-packed sci-fi trilogy.
Release Date: July 2nd 2013
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Purchase: Amazon
About the Author
Heather Anastasiu grew up in Texas and recently moved to Minneapolis with her family. When she's not busy getting lost exploring the new city, she spends most days writing at a café or daydreaming about getting a new tattoo.
SO FAR
My Thoughts:
I found Shutdown to be the best in the Glitch series. It was
fast paced, engaging and addictive. I couldn’t wait to finish this book because
I wanted to know what was going to happen.
We start off with the Rex fighters still reeling from the
major twist that happened in Override. Zoe is trying to bring down Chancellor
Bright and the Link system but things are not always what they seem; I won’t
say much because I don’t want to give anything away from the story. But you
definitely need to read it. I loved the world Heather Anastasiu created. It is
unique yet dangerous, especially if you are a glitcher or Rez fighter. I found
myself completely immerged with this world as it just got better and better
with each book.
I think my favourite thing is the character development
between Zoe and Adrien, throughout the series but mainly in this book. Zoe
changed a lot from when we first see her in Glitch. She didn’t understand
emotions and everything in the outside world was new to her. In each book, she
got stronger and stronger emotionally and through her Telek power. I loved her determination, fierceness,
loyalty and protectiveness in this novel. On the other hand, with Adrien, it
was the opposite; he knew about all about emotions and feelings but had to
learn all over again what they were after what was done to him. I really liked
how Zoe never gave up on him even she may have wanted to.
Shutdown is a gripping novel, full of twists and turns. I am so grateful I was given the opportunity
to read this book.
My Rating:
4 out of 5 stars
Dream Cast:
While reading this series, they were certain people I kept on picturing in my head that would play Zoe, Adrien and Max. So without further ado...
Zoe
I think Lucy Hale would be a perfect Zoe. Every trait I like in Zoe I have seen it in Lucy Hale's work one time or another.
Adrien
Adrien would be played by a younger Jesse Williams. I remember reading in Glitch, Zoe describing Adrien`s skin colour as caramel with blue green eyes. I think he would be perfect as Adrien.
Max
Alexander Ludwig would play a perfect Max. This is the same actor who was Cato in The Hunger Games movie and I see a lot of similarities in these 2 characters.
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