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Thursday, February 28, 2013

Wait for You Review




Some things are worth waiting for…

Traveling thousands of miles from home to enter college is the only way nineteen-year-old Avery Morgansten can escape what happened at the Halloween party five years ago—an event that forever changed her life. All she needs to do is make it to her classes on time, make sure the bracelet on her left wrist stays in place, not draw any attention to herself, and maybe—please God—make a few friends, because surely that would be a nice change of pace. The one thing she didn’t need and never planned on was capturing the attention of the one guy who could shatter the precarious future she’s building for herself.

Some things are worth experiencing…

Cameron Hamilton is six feet and three inches of swoon-worthy hotness, complete with a pair of striking blue eyes and a remarkable ability to make her want things she believed were irrevocably stolen from her. She knows she needs to stay away from him, but Cam is freaking everywhere, with his charm, his witty banter, and that damn dimple that’s just so… so lickable. Getting involved with him is dangerous, but when ignoring the simmering tension that sparks whenever they are around each other becomes impossible, he brings out a side of her she never knew existed.

Some things should never be kept quiet…

But when Avery starts receiving threatening emails and phone calls forcing her to face a past she wants silenced, she has no other choice but to acknowledge that someone is refusing to allow her to let go of that night when everything changed. When the devastating truth comes out, will she resurface this time with one less scar? And can Cam be there to help her or will he be dragged down with her?

And some things are worth fighting for…


My Review


HOLY MOTHER OF SWOON.. aka JLA has done it again!!



So I've gone back and fourth on the rating for this book 4 then 5 and back again. Why? Because the story line is similar to another currently popular NA book (which I'm not going to name because I like them both). After sleeping on it I decided to go with a five star, its not as dark, its funny, the hot scenes are ERMAGERD hot, and the main character isn't as whiny. It's also out of this world swoonworthy and angsty.

Cover and Writing
I love the cover. I would've bought this book even if it weren't written by JLA. The writing is Jennifer's usual snarky, kickass, and hilarious. My only complaint, is that pick (almost) any scene from this book and it would fit into the Lux series or the Covenant series. The problem with that.. none really. But I just want to see a different heroine from her. But seriously that is a minute complaint.. very tiny.

Main Character
Avery.. what's to say about her.. she was damaged but is healing, or so she thinks. She ran from her problems in Texas, hoping to start a new, trouble free life far away from home. She's not an easy friend to have, because of her reluctance to let her past catch up to her. I can relate to her character.. but there is one scene I would like to smack her to get the truth out. But all unfolds in due time, and Avery finds her way to happiness.

Swoonworthy Points: 8.5
Shame on JLA for.. there's a lot of teasing going on in this book. Excluding the oh-so-sexy 'love' scenes, there is no freaking way you couldn't fall for Cam. Sexy.. check; Funny.. check; Cocky.. check; devoted, sweet, caring, patient, perfect.. CHECK. There isn't a thing I would change about it.

And for Pete's sake Jennifer, what is it with the Cookies?! First Daemon and now Cameron. And I don't care what it stood for, but yes I would totally eat Cameron's cookies ;-) I gain ten pounds just thinking about them.. cookies that is.

If you like Jennifer Armentrout's writing, contemporary romance, or steamy addictive reads then this is the book for you!!



Swoon Thursday




A HAWT meme sponsored by YA Bound. From the book you’re currently reading, or one you just finished, tell us what made you SWOON. What got your heart pounding, your skin tingling, and your stomach fluttering.

Shout it out on Twitter with the hashtag #YABound, post it here in the comments, or grab the adorable button above and share it on your blog! We want to know :-)

Monday, February 25, 2013

True Love Story Tour and Kindle Giveaway







Sparrow Fisher is transforming. No longer dressed up in antiquated clothes and ideals, she is finally trying on her freedom.

Before she moves to New York City, she meets Ian Sterling, a musician Sparrow has dreamed about since she first saw him. The attraction is instant, but their relationship isn't so simple.

Over a five year span, Sparrow and Ian run into each other in unusual places. Each time, Sparrow has to decide if she can trust him, if he feels the same for her, and finally, if love is really enough



Buy it Here on Amazon!



Our Review

Kendra: I was very excited to finally get to read True Love Story after getting a teaser of the first chapter. It is full of drama and angst, but just the right amount of sweetness that keeps the reader hooked. Willow Aster does a wonderful job at writing love and loss, there were scenes of laughter and heartbreaking tears. After seeing the cover, you would expect a dark, tortured main character, which is another reason that makes the characters and story so intriguing. Her and Ian play yin and yang, her being sheltered and naive and him being worldly and experienced but yet they still come together and find common ground in their love for each other. All in all a great new adult read.

Ashley: Like Ken, I was very excited to receive my copy of True Love Story after reading a teaser. The title says it all.. it is as close as it gets to a true love story. It has all the components of a relationship from the thrilling beginning to the bitter end. I was on the edge for this book. I read it, loved most of it, hated some of it. I couldn't relate to Sparrow and her transformation. I feel like she did a complete 180 from the background in which she was raised. Overall, I really liked the story as a whole, because what are books if they don't make you think and feel (I think the feelings that this book conjured up for me was my first love story and its bitter end.)

Swoonworthy Points: 7.5

Ian was so very lovable. He was confident, but not overly cocky. He had to learn how to love and be in a relationship  I have to admit, he was terrible at it. I think that it's hard for two people to carry on such a long distance relationship for such a long time. In the end, love isn't always the glue that holds things together. I love, though, how he poured his heart out over-and-over to Willow. He could be so very thoughtful and heartwarming. Here's a couple swoony teasers for ya:

"My soul is knit to yours. My life is hinged to yours. I move, I breathe, but I don't really live without you."

"My prayer has been that God would somehow let you feel the true scope and depth of the love I have for you. I would sacrifice every earthly thing to make you know that my heart is truly yours."

"With every deep, sighing breath I take, with every heavy beat of my heart. Every time I lay my head on my lonely pillow. Every morning when the sun first breaks through my dreams. I remember. I feel you. I love you. You are in me. In the deepest part of me. Deeper than my memories, my unconscious thoughts. Deeper than my ever-changing emotions. You are in the place right next to where I keep my faith in God (a faith that I won't let go of now, in spite of it being shaken many times, from without and within). You're deep in me...I look back now and I see love growing. Maturing. Gradually. By days. My moments. Firelight hugs. Mountain drives. Teary face kisses. Awful, angry, frustrated silences. Erased with one forgiving smile. Barefoot walks on slippery rocks. Holding on. Breaking down. Opening up. Hurting. Healing. Slowly pulling the callus from one scarred, scared heart."


Summary
Sparrow has the picture perfect life, daughter of a pastor, wonderful boyfriend, and about to embark on a new college adventure across the country in New York City. But enter Ian Sterling, a musical genius about to throw Sparrow's world off its axis. The connection between Sparrow and Ian is instantaneous and relentless, and through out the next 5 yeas, even though their lives' paths wanted to drive them apart, they always seemed to find each other again. True Love Story is just that; a true love story of a couple who falls in love but has to overcome many obstacles and hardships to make their relationship work, and like many love stories, love may not be enough to keep them together.


Giveaway!!


a Rafflecopter giveaway






Check out the other tour stops here!

Saturday, February 23, 2013

Focus Tour and Giveaway






FOCUS Tour Information

Title: Focus (Crescent Chronicles, #2)

Author: Alyssa Rose Ivy

Release date: January 23, 2013

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Age Group: Mature YA/ New Adult

Book links:

Focus (Crescent Chronicles, #2) –




Book links to Flight (Crescent Chronicles, #1) –





FOCUS Description:

Freshman year of college is hard even when you're not tied to the future king of a supernatural society.

Allie dives into college head first with Hailey as her roommate and the city of New Orleans as her backyard. As things within The Society heat up, Allie realizes that whether she’s with Levi or not, she's in far too deep to turn back.

FLIGHT Description:

Sometimes you just have to take flight.

A summer in New Orleans is exactly what Allie needs before starting college. Accepting her dad’s invitation to work at his hotel offers an escape from her ex-boyfriend and the chance to spend the summer with her best friend. Meeting a guy is the last thing on her mind—until she sees Levi.

Unable to resist the infuriating yet alluring Levi, Allie finds herself at the center of a supernatural society and forced to decide between following the path she has always trusted or saving a city that might just save her.


My review

One of my favorite new paranormal romance series! Alyssa Ivy Rose has done a wonderful job of taking a different spin on some of the same ol' paranormal entities we have seen time and time again. Her vivid descriptions of New Orleans and the other various settings through out the Crescent Chronicles is enchanting, she makes me want to call up my travel agent right now and book a trip. We all love to swoon over the tall, dark and handsome mystery men, but Levi takes it up to another level with his perfect balance 

Allie is ready to start her college experience! Although staying in New Orleans and going to Tulane is a far cry from the Princeton plan she had set on only 3 months prior, she knows it is exactly what she has to do to keep her and her loved ones safe. Although her trust with Levi is severely damaged, he is nothing if not persistent, and keeps his presence known to her at all times (LITERALLY!). As much as Allie wants to deny Levi and the attraction between them, her logical side knows that she is his mate, and he truly needs her to be his in order for him to fill the role he is predetermined to. She begins to let her guard down and he is more than ready to come rushing into her heart (and bed...or couch). As Allie is being exposed to more and more of Levi's world, his Paranormal Society, she's beginning to fully grasp how intertwined her position is to Levi's, also how vulnerable she is and how devastated he would be without her. And as much as Levi promises her to always keep her safe, Allie knows she is now fully involved in a very dangerous situation, not only for herself, but her friends, family, and loved ones.

Rose does wonderful work in regards to character development, it is hard not to love all the players in the series. Allie is great, she is head strong and stubborn, but also very smart and logical so she isn't doing any "stupid-girl" rash things that have you screaming "What are you doing?!?" at your book. Levi is so charming and irresistible, but part of what makes him so, is how much he cares for Allie and how relentlessly he pursues her. It is one of those book relationships most girls wish they could find in real life (sorry girls- IT'S FICTION!). I also love Hailey! She is the perfect best friend, she supports Allie and pushes her to do things to make the best college experience possible, and they have the best girl talk (some of my favorite scenes were the conversations between Allie and Hailey) Every girl needs a best friend like her. In Flight, I loved to hate Jared, but we get to see a different side to him in this book and I've definitely come around to loving to love him.

My favorite part of Focus was the "business trip" Levi took Allie on. I liked that we were exposed a fuller of a picture of the Society and got to have Levi in more of an authoritative role (HOT), but what I really liked about it is getting to see a different, more intimate side of Levi and Allie together. When they are at Tulane there always seems to be some sort of distraction but when they are able to get out of their normal grind, they can slow down and spend serious quality time with each other, solidifying their relationship (and the naked time wasn't so bad either!).

For me, the cover was only OK, although much better than Flight's, and so far has been my only dislike of the series. I think that if we got to see Allie in a red gown, or her hand with her ruby ring, it would have been much more insightful as to what we get to experience behind it.

Any one who has a vast experience of paranormal romances, will really like and appreciate this series and the effort Rose went to at not allowing it to follow suit. Although we have seen shifters (warewolves, vampires, witches) all before, she does a very creative job and setting her books apart from the norm. It is a young adult book, although slightly saucier than Flight (in a very good way!)

My Favorite Swoonworthy Quotes:

"'Us.. We are so good together, let's give it another chance.' His voice was low and husky. I closed my eyes, trying to ignore the dull ache inside that made me ant to reach out and touch him. He took advantage, but really I left myself open. His lips met mine as his arm wrapped around my shoulder, turning me toward him. A voice in my head told me to cut him off, but I ignored it. He pushed to deepen the kiss, and I let me resistance fall away. He leaned into me, moving me so I was lying down. I felt his weight shift on top of my, his lips moving to my neck and trailing downward."

"I looked up into the blue-gray eyes that had me at first glance. 'I love you, Levi.' He grinned. 'I love you too, Al.' I leaned up to kiss him, loving how quickly he responded and how incredible it felt. I was right- hat I had with Levi went beyond simple attraction. I'd never find anything even remotely close to it."



Giveaway!!


Alyssa Rose Ivy is a Young Adult and New Adult author who loves to weave stories with romance and a southern setting. Although raised in the New York area, she fell in love with the South after moving to New Orleans for college. After years as a perpetual student, she turned back to her creative side and decided to write. She lives in North Carolina with her husband and two young children, and she can usually be found with a cup of coffee in her hand.






Check out the rest of the tour here.

Friday, February 22, 2013

Descension Blog Tour and Giveaway!!





The Angel
After three years caring for her dying mother, Layla Callaway learns she was adopted under unusual circumstances. Following a cryptic message to seek her birth family in Oregon, Layla uproots her lonely life, quickly finding she descends from witches and wizards. Magic is in her blood, and a handsome family friend is eager to prove it. Through a ring imprinted with her birth parents’ memories, Layla’s enigmatic past comes to light, presenting possibilities and trials more chimerical than her wildest dreams.

The Guardian
Quin’s natural charisma yields plenty of witches, but he longs for the lost witch – the mysterious Layla. He's dreamed about her his entire life, envisioning the day he would lay eyes on her face and aura. When that day arrives, not only is he breathless, he’s confronted with the challenge of a lifetime – an innate need to keep her safe and forever by his side.

The Hunter
Employing fiendish manipulation and manpower, Agro uses the arcane force of others to elevate his supremacy and wealth. Nothing pleases him more than latching on to a mystical vein, and never has there been a more enticing source. The divine witch will be his.

Excerpt

As Aedan neared his friends, he looked up, and his agile steps faltered, forcing him to pause.
Literally breathtaking, the stranger before him was more beautiful than the moon and sun combined. The stars and planets had nothing on her. Her thick, golden hair spiraled past her slender waist, and she wore a pale pink gown that clung elegantly to her svelte body. She moved like fluid, her flawless skin glittering like the surface of a sun-kissed sea. And her aura… it was the most magnificent he’d seen—more colors than he could count swimming with glittering strips of silver, gleefully vibrating, enthusiastically swirling. He had to know her. The sparkling beauty before him was the one thing missing from his blessed life.
As he approached, she turned, looking at him with eyes so blue he could swim in them, drown in them, and he forgot how to breathe as his heart raced. “Hi,” he greeted, unsure how he’d managed it.



Author Information:

I'm a small town girl with big dreams and a wild imagination. I'm addicted to coffee and writing. The combination is my idea of heaven. I read every day, if only to my young son, whom I hope to someday inspire with my passion for writing.

I love hearing from my readers, so feel free to contact me through any of the links below.



Social Media links:



Twitter Handle - @BCBurgessBooks


Purchase links:


Giveaway!!




Other Tour Stops:

Thursday, February 21, 2013

Swoon Thursday




A HAWT meme sponsored by YA Bound. From the book you’re currently reading, or one you just finished, tell us what made you SWOON. What got your heart pounding, your skin tingling, and your stomach fluttering.

Shout it out on Twitter with the hashtag #YABound, post it here in the comments, or grab the adorable button above and share it on your blog! We want to know :-)

The Truth About Letting Go Cover Reveal!

The Truth About Letting Go (The Truth)
Release Date: 02/21/13

Summary from Goodreads:
Ashley
wants to smash everything in her once-perfect life.

Charlotte wants to walk in Ashley's seemingly charmed shoes.

Colt wants to turn Smalltown USA on its ear--with Ashley at his side.

Jordan wants to follow his heart... but Ashley is the one sacrifice he never
expected to make.


Ashley Lockett has always followed the rules. She's always done the right
thing, played it safe, gone to church. And then her ideal life is shattered
when her dad dies suddenly.


Fueled by anger and grief, she vows to do everything opposite of how she lived
before. She rejects safety, rules, faith,


and then she meets Jordan.


Jordan has big dreams, he's had a crush on Ashley for years, and he's a great
kisser. But he's also safe.


Enter Colt. He is not safe,
and he's more than willing to help Ashley fulfill her vow.

A companion to The Truth About Faking (not a sequel; the books can be read out of order), The Truth About Letting Go takes readers back to Shadow Falls, or more specifically Shadow Creek, with Ashley Lockett as she learns about real friendship, love, and letting go.



Get it today on:


Uploaded from the Photobucket iPhone App Uploaded from the Photobucket iPhone App Uploaded from the Photobucket iPhone App 




***Excerpt*** 

I feel Colt laugh, and he looks down into my face. That’s when he seems to realize what I’ve been acutely aware of for the last several minutes—our bodies are pressed together.

“It’s awesome, yeah?” he says. “Adrenaline rush.”

“Yeah,” I breathe. “I guess.”

I’m not sure if he’s going to kiss me until he does. His mouth covers mine, and energy mixes with the alcohol flooding my body. Our tongues slide together, and I grip his shirt so I don’t collapse. 

Every single bit of this is wrong, and there’s no way I’m stopping it. It’s back, that good feeling. The sadness has been pushed out again, and in its place is this rush, this rush of adrenaline like Colt said. 

He pulls back and smiles at me. “We’re going to start dating. Now. You’re my partner in crime.”



Moore
About the Author

Leigh Talbert Moore is a wife and mom by day, a writer by day, a reader by day, a former journalist and editor, a chocoholic, a caffeine addict, a lover of YA and new adult romance (really any great love story), a beach bum, and occasionally she sleeps.

-The Truth About Faking is her debut young adult romance (on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iTunes, and Kobo)
-Rouge is her first New Adult romantic suspense novel (on Amazon).

Leigh loves hearing from readers; stop by and say hello!

Blog * Facebook * Amazon Author page * Goodreads * Twitter * Tumblr





Tuesday, February 19, 2013

Broken Wings Blog Tour and Giveaway!!






Welcome to my stop on the Broken Wings blog tour hosted by YA Bound.  Click HERE to see the full blog tour schedule!

***
Release Date: May 29, 2012
Paperback/e-book
336 pages


Once you’ve seen, you can’t unsee. Everything changes when you’ve looked at the world through . . .

ANGEL EYES

Brielle’s a ballerina who went to the city to chase her dreams and found tragedy instead. She’s come home to shabby little Stratus, Oregon, to live with her grief and her guilt . . . and the incredible, numbing cold she can’t seem to shake.

Jake’s the new guy at school. The boy next door with burning hands and an unbelievable gift that targets him for corruption.

Something more than fate has brought them together. An evil bigger than both of them lurks in the shadows nearby, hiding in plain sight. Two angels stand guard, unsure what’s going to happen. And a beauty brighter than Jake or Brielle has ever seen is calling them to join the battle in a realm where all human choices start.

A realm that only angels and demons—and Brielle—can perceive.


Broken Wings (Angel Eyes Trilogy #2)
Release Date: February 19, 2013
Paperback/e-book
320 pages


Giant angels with metal wings and visible song. A blind demon restored from the pit of darkness. And a girl who has never felt more broken.

Brielle sees the world as it really is: a place where the Celestial exists side by side with human reality. But in the aftermath of a supernatural showdown, her life begins to crumble. Her boyfriend, Jake, is keeping something from her—something important. Her overprotective father has started drinking again. He’s dating a much younger woman who makes Brielle’s skin crawl, and he’s downright hostile toward Jake. Haunting nightmares keep Brielle from sleeping, and flashes of Celestial vision keep her off kilter.

What she doesn’t know is that she’s been targeted. The Prince of Darkness himself has heard of the boy with healing in his hands and of the girl who sees through the Terrestrial Veil. When he plucks the blind demon, Damien, from the fiery chasm and sends him back to Earth with new eyes, the stage is set for a cataclysmic battle of good versus evil.

Then Brielle unearths the truth about her mother’s death and she must question everything she ever thought was true.

Brielle has no choice. She knows evil forces are converging and will soon rain their terror down upon the town of Stratus. She must master the weapons she’s been given. She must fight.

But can she fly with broken wings?


My Thoughts About the Series:

I always enjoy a good Angel book and this series definitely falls into that category. It is more of a Christian Fiction than anything else, but I do love the blooming relationship between Jake and Brielle. I like the first cover but think the second cover could use some work. The writing style was great on both, instead of doing 3rd person because there were several characters that needed a POV, she did several chapters per person. Overall, both were short and delightful reads!

About the Author
Shannon Dittemore has an overactive imagination and a passion for truth. Her lifelong journey to combine the two is responsible for a stint at Portland Bible College, performances with local theater companies, and a focus on youth and young adult ministry. The daughter of one preacher and the wife of another, she spends her days imagining things unseen and chasing her two children around their home in Northern California. Angel Eyes is her first novel.


***GIVEAWAY***
(1) Print copies of Angel Eyes and Broken Wings (US Only)
(5) Print copies of Broken Wings (US only)


a Rafflecopter giveaway


Monday, February 18, 2013

Hereafter Release Day Tour and Giveaway




In Death I could finally see the importance of Life…

After being forced to become a Reaper Council member and being torn away from the one she loves, Rowan Harper must learn to accept her altered Fate as well as her death and move on. A task easier said than done, especially when witnessing those you love suffer in the wake of your death.

When an unlikely alli provides information that could change everything, Rowan sets out on a journey through Purgatory with her beloved by her side and a nonchalant Tracker to learn the true meaning of the word sacrifice. Another task which seems easier said than done, especially with the threat of Purgatory’s ability to corrupt your soul the longer you’re in its grip looming above their heads.


Release Date: 18 February 2013
Genre: Young Paranormal Romance



Excerpt!!


Torment and sin, pain and evil floated through the air in a near suffocating haze. I could feel it surrounding me, brushing up against me, attempting to lure me in deeper and away from the door so I couldn’t escape as though it were alive. I licked my lips and tasted the bitterness of this place on my tongue. Jet’s hand tightened around mine, and I could sense his tension as he glanced at what lie before us. My eyes darted about in wonder, taking in my surroundings.

Purgatory was eerily beautiful, in a gothic sense. It was as if stepping through the door had taken us deep underground without taking any stairs. Cold, dark dirt lay beneath my bare feet, etched with deep ruts and grooves. There was no sky, only more dirt above me, bumpy and full of ridges. I felt as if I’d stepped inside a damp cave long ago forgotten by even the smallest of creatures. White fog bubbled from a crater a few hundred feet away from where Jet and I stood, and danced across the ground hypnotically.

Gripping my hand even tighter, Jet put one foot in front of the other, and we began making our way through the silent darkness that was Purgatory, toward the crater that dipped into the ground. After only a few steps, I noticed something at the cliff-like edge of the crater, something shinny and black that caught the small glint of light available and reflected it.

“What is that?” I asked, pointing, just before I realized what the objects were. “How are there crows down here?”

We’d taken a few steps before Jet shook his head and finally answered me. “Those aren’t crows; those are ravens.”


Giveaway!!



• This is the follow up to:

Touch



Touch (Hereafter #1)

by 
(Novella One In The Reaper Novellas)

Seventeen-year-old Rowan Harper knows her life is forever changed the moment her schizophrenic mother commits suicide. What Rowan doesn’t realize is how much her mother’s choice altered her own fate. It’s not until after meeting Jet, a sapphire-eyed dead boy, Rowan begins to learn of her new destiny as becoming her mother’s replacement for something she never knew existed. 


Plus a bonus short story-Choice- told from Jet’s perspective!

People often say everything happens for a reason. Seventeen-year-old Jet Donavan Mathews is about to find out that statement is not always true. Jet will learn that sometimes there are moments which were never meant to occur, moments where you are left with a choice.

(Touch is a Reaper Novella of approx. 18,115 words and is first in the series.Choice is a Reaper short story of approx. 2,500 words.)

Find it on goodreads: 

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12432571-touch 


***

ChoiceChoice (Hereafter #1.5)

*Choice is now added in with Touch as a bonus short story!*

People often say everything happens for a reason. Seventeen-year-old Jet Donavan Mathews is about to find out that statement is not always true. Jet will learn that sometimes there are moments which were never meant to occur, moments where you are left with a choice.


Find It on Goodread:
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13027757-choice  



AUTHOR BIO:




Jennifer Snyder lives in North Carolina were she spends most of her time writing young adult fiction, reading, and struggling to stay on top of housework. She is an instant coffee lover with an obsession for spiral bound notebooks and smooth writing pens. Jennifer lives with her husband and two children, who endure listening to songs that spur inspiration on repeat and tolerate her love for all paranormal, teenage-targeted TV shows.

CONTACT LINKS:

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