Waiting on Wednesday #46

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine.

This is a perfect way to highlight books that we are waiting patiently to be released... it is also a sure-fire way to watch your TBR pile grow!

With more lives at stake and games in motion, Ellie, Camden and Javier form an uneasy alliance that will take them from the treacherous streets of inner-city Mexico to the wilds of the Honduran jungles in order to find their freedom. But with liberty just on the horizon, the cost might come at their own redemption.

Expected Publication: October 15 2013
Add it to your TBR Pile: Goodreads

Why am I so eagerly awaiting this release you ask?

I want to scream at the top of my lungs and pull my hair out.  This series has continued to surprise and shock me.  I need to know how this will all end... like now.  I have very little patience on good days, but when it comes to this series, what little I do have is all thrown out the window.

What is to become of Ellie, Camden and Javier?  Will I be happy when Ellie and Camden finally get their happily ever after... or will I be distraught if she ends up with Javier?

Thankfully there wasn't a HUGE wait between Shooting Scars and Bold Tricks.  But seriously, October 15th can't come quick enough.

If you haven't started this series yet, now is the perfect time.  Bold Tricks will be the final book in The Artists Trilogy.  Check out my review for the prequel novella, and the other two books in the series by clicking on the book covers below.


What is your Waiting on Wednesday?

Feel free to leave your links below so that I can check them out and if you are a new follower be sure to let me know!

Waiting on Wednesday #45

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine.

This is a perfect way to highlight books that we are waiting patiently to be released... it is also a sure-fire way to watch your TBR pile grow!

Tatum O’Connell:
Some call me a party girl. People see me as happy, full of life, with absolutely no cares in the world. They see what I want them to see. But no one knows me - really knows me. Not even Noah Reese. Mr. Perfect is always watching me, most likely judging every single imperfect thing I do. But, if Noah wants to keep an eye on me, that’s just fine. I definitely don’t mind. I just hope he doesn’t have any plans to save me from my new-found life of self-destruction because in order to save me, he will have to see me…
And I’m never going to let that happen.

Noah Reese:
Perfect. That’s me. That’s the only acceptable way to be, according to my father. Perfect grades. Perfect manners. Perfect athlete. Perfect SAT scores. Perfect college. And recently, I was accepted into the perfect med school. My future has already been mapped out for me and there’s nothing that can change that. Not even Tatum O’Connell. That girl is out of control, yet for some reason, I can’t seem to keep my distance from her. I watch her closely, hoping that one day she’ll let me in, but watching her lead her life down the dangerous path she’s on right now isn’t easy…
I have a feeling I’m about to find myself swept away by the hurricane that is Tatum O’Connell.

Expected Publication: October 2013
Add it to your TBR Pile: Goodreads

Why am I so eagerly awaiting this release you ask?

First, I shall point out the awesomeness of these covers.  They perfectly compliment each other and the stories.  Much love for them.

Now for the story themselves.  Running on Empty and the novella Recovery were so very special.  The characters are the type that will bury themselves in your heart and for long after you will remember them.

So, when I saw that this would be a continued series following some of the side characters... I was so excited.  From the blurb and from the excerpt (you can read the excerpt HERE), you can tell right off the bat that Tatum and Noah's story will have a different feel to it.  They are younger characters, and this makes me even more excited for their story to be told.  They seem to have some mad chemistry, and I have a feeling their banter is going to be a ton of fun.

You can check out the other books in the Mending Hearts series by clicking on the book covers below.


What is your Waiting on Wednesday?

Feel free to leave your links below so that I can check them out and if you are a new follower be sure to let me know!

Review: Untold

Free from bonds, but not each other

It’s time to choose sides… On the surface, Sorry-in-the-Vale is a sleepy English town. But Kami Glass knows the truth. Sorry-in-the-Vale is full of magic. In the old days, the Lynburn family ruled with fear, terrifying the people into submission in order to kill for blood and power. Now the Lynburns are back, and Rob Lynburn is gathering sorcerers so that the town can return to the old ways.

But Rob and his followers aren’t the only sorcerers in town. A decision must be made: pay the blood sacrifice, or fight. For Kami, this means more than just choosing between good and evil. With her link to Jared Lynburn severed, she’s now free to love anyone she chooses. But who should that be?

Title: Untold (The Lynburn Legacy ~ Book 2)
Author: Sarah Rees Brennan | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Website | Blog
Publication Date: August 29 2013
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Length: 336 Pages
Add it to your TBR Pile: Goodreads
Buy It: Amazon US | Amazon UK

Source: Purchased (Kindle Edition)
Cover Love: Love it, the colors, the creepy factor, everything.
Point of View: 3rd person

My Rating: 5 Stars

I love this series and these characters beyond all reason.  A year ago when I read Unspoken, I fell in love.  I fell in love with the setting, the dialogue, the characters, honestly I just fell in love with every single aspect of Unspoken.  I patiently waited for Untold to be released and then I hurriedly jumped right back into the world of Kami, Jared, Ash, Holly, Angela and Rusty.  As soon as I started, I let out a content sigh of relief.  It was great to be back.

“It must be nice,” Holly said tiredly, “to know exactly what you want.”

“Not when you know what you want, and you know you can never have it again,” Jared told her.

If you have read Unspoken, or my review for it, then you will know that it had a pretty heavy duty cliffhanger.  My heart was left broken into two.  And, over the last year Sarah has been releasing little teasers... or should I say evil teasers, to get us ready for Untold's release.  We asked for a kissing scene, and she gave us the absolute wrong people kissing... and so it went.  It has been a year of torture, and I think Sarah enjoyed making us crazy.

So was the torture worth it? Absolutely.  Untold picks up right after Unspoken ended.  We now know that magic has returned to Sorry-in-the-Vale, and there is a war for power upon the horizon.  There are secrets uncovered and even more tales to be figured out.

“I don’t think you’re weak,” Jared said. “I want to guard you because you are important to me.  Because you are –God, this is going to sound so stupid, I can never think of a way to say it –you are precious.   I can never think of how to describe the value you have on me, because all the words for value suggest that you belong to me, and you don’t.”

Kami and Jared.  *sigh*  How much do I love these two?  I can't even put it into words.  I want nothing more than for them to end up together and happy.  Untold is a roller-coaster of emotion when it comes to their relationship.  There are deep and painful lows, as well as high flying happiness.  I cried frustrated tears, I cried happy tears, and I cried sad tears.  There were times I wanted to knock their heads together, and there were times I wanted just hug them both to let them know it was all going to be okay.  Well, I hope it is all going to be okay.  Seeing as how Sarah herself has in the past commented that she never made any promise that Jared and Kami would end up a couple... I guess anything is possible.  But I have faith that somehow, these two will end up with their happily ever after.  I hope.

“I belong to you.  He has no idea what he’s up against.  And that will get him in the end.  I believe that.  Everything’s going to come right for you.”

“And you,” Kami said again.

“If everything’s right for you,” Jared said at last, “everything’s right for me.”

The side characters are also what help make this such an amazing series.  We see a completely different side to Ash in Untold.  He wasn't my favorite character in Unspoken, and after this I can say my heart has warmed to him.  He is such a sad and lonely character.  I didn't really understand that before.

The only character that annoyed me a little was Holly.  I couldn't understand what was driving her for most of the story.  I kinda understand her a bit more at the end, but I still can't forgive her for some of her earlier actions.  There is one scene that I will never be able to read.  Because of an earlier teaser released by Sarah, I knew the scene was going to happen.  But, I actually made a friend at work read it before me on our lunch hour.  I didn't want to miss anything important, but it hurt my heart too much to actually read it.  When you read Untold, you will know exactly what scene I mean.  I still haven't read it.  I've been given a cliff notes version by my friend.

Then there is of course, Angela and Rusty.  Angela is great as always, she continues to prove how good a friend she is to Kami.  And Rusty, what can I say about him?  I love this guy so much.  He plays a larger role in this book, and I loved every single minute of it.  The dialogue in this series, is one of the reasons I love it so much... and Rusty is right up there with Kami when it comes to the quirky back and forth.  I completely lost count at the number of times he made me laugh.

“I know what other people think about me,” Rusty told her.   “‘That Rusty,’ they say.  ‘Charming and handsome,’ they say first, of course – they’re not blind.  Then they add, ‘All the ambition and drive of a chocolate sundae.’”

What about the ending you ask?  Well, it's another cliffhanger.  Not nearly as painful as the one in Unspoken, but one that has left me very much wanting the final book, Unbroken.  As of the time of this review, there is no exact release date planned, we only know that it will be in 2014.  My guess would be around the same time as Unspoken and Untold, which was around August and September.  I know this seems like a long time to wait, but hopefully we will get lots more teasers from Sarah to make it go by at a swifter pace.

However, if they are as evil as last time... maybe we are best just waiting for Unbroken's release.  I shall be off now to crawl into my hole to wait out the next year...

“I never had a single moment like that, I was never lonely a day of my life, until now.  Now I feel like the world is hell, and hell is a place where the souls of the damned can still see heaven.   Because that’s the worst thing of all.  And yet I can’t look away.”

Shine Not Burn: Blog Tour Stop, Review & Giveaway

IT HAPPENED IN VEGAS.

I can't be held responsible. Things that happen there are supposed to stay there, right? Right? Yeeeah. Not so much.

Andie's just days away from tying the knot, but there's just ooooone little glitch. Apparently, she's already married. Or someone with her name is married to a guy out in Oregon of all places, and the courthouse won't issue her a marriage license until it's all cleared up. Tripping her way through cow pies and country songs to meet up with a man who gets around places on horseback is her very last idea of how to have a good time, but if she's going to get married, make partner at the firm, and have two point five kids before she's thirty-five, she needs to get to the bottom of this snafu and fix it quick ... before her fiance finds out and everything she's been working toward goes up in flames.

Title: Shine Not Burn
Author: Elle Casey | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Website
Publication Date: July 01 2013
Publisher: Self-Published
Length: 360 Pages
Add it to your TBR Pile: Goodreads
Buy It: Amazon US | Amazon UK | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

Tour Organized by: Love Between the Sheets

Source: ARC provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
Cover Love: Nice, but I picture Mack bigger
Point of View: Alternating 1st person following Andie and 3rd person following Mack

My Rating: 4 Stars

Junior partner at work, husband, then partner at the firm and finally 2.5 kids.  This has been Andie's life plan since she was fifteen years old.  So far everything has fitted into place perfectly... that is until one night in Vegas.  You know the old saying, 'What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas'.  Everything of course, except for drunken weddings nights that you wake up from remembering nothing about...  That is until you are are applying for a marriage license because you are now engaged, only to find out you are already married.

Awkward.

“Just because a person is obsessed with the idea of something, doesn't make it right or even good for them.”

Andie.  Focused, determined and hilarious.  I understood her as a character.  She took a tough childhood and focused on what she thought it would take for her to have a happy and successful life.  What she didn't realize is that it was sucking all the life out of her.  She was existing but not really living.  What would it take for her to finally understand this?  A sexy cowboy of course...

“I doubted at this point that I'd be able to string a coherent sentence together.  His beauty combined with his slow-talking cowboy sexiness had completely robbed me of any intelligence.”

Mack.  Wow.  He is a hot as hell cowboy and as sweet as can be.  There is just something about a hard working, down to earth, no holds barred cowboy.  From the minute Andie and Mack meet, you can feel their chemistry.  Mack never holds his feelings back.  I love that about him.  And as sweet as he is all the other times, he is a complete alpha in the bedroom, and in the shower, and in an open field... Wow indeed.

“Sexy.  Handsome.  Smart.  Sexy.  Magnetizing.  Compelling.  Muscles.  Good family.  Confident.  Polite.  Sexy.”

I absolutely adored every single interaction between Andie and Mack.  When they first meet in Vegas, the sparks are flying.  Then again when she has to go to Oregon to track him down.  Slowly but surely Mack breaks down Andie's walls.  That life plan she had?  Yeah, that's a thing of the past when she is finally shown what kind of future she could really have.

Shine Not Burn was exactly what I needed right now. It was light-hearted, sexy and a heck of a lot of fun.  There is still plenty of angst as Andie and Mack grow closer to each other, but there was also never a moment that I didn't understand the feelings they were each having.  Meaning, I never felt like throwing my Kindle across the room, which is always a good sign.  I found myself smiling while reading, and at the end we are gifted with a beautiful epilogue.  It was the perfect ending.

“Sometimes, we just have to go where the wind takes us and see where we end up.”

MORE QUOTES FROM SHINE NOT BURN

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Waiting on Wednesday #44

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine.

This is a perfect way to highlight books that we are waiting patiently to be released... it is also a sure-fire way to watch your TBR pile grow!

There’s tortured. And there’s Garth Black.

His life has been a constant carousel of tragedy and disappointment, including his love life. Of course, applying the term “love” to Garth’s conquests is a gross misuse of the word. Some people were made to give and accept love, and others weren’t. Garth Black redefines the “others” category. He’s made a vow that the day he meets a woman who could sucker him into falling in love will be the day he runs away.

Garth’s plan has one flaw. What happens when he’s already fallen hard for a girl before the warning signs and red flags go up? What happens when the love he’s avoided his entire life brings him to his knees? What happens when Garth Black lets the dirtiest four letter word he’s ever known into his dark, lonely life?

This cowboy’s about to find out he can control some things, and he can’t control others. Number one on the what he can’t control list?

Expected Publication: September 16 2013
Add it to your TBR Pile: Goodreads

Why am I so eagerly awaiting this release you ask?

I love this series.  Like honestly love everything about it.  And Garth Black is your favorite rough and tough cowboy that you love to hate... or is that hate to love?  Let's just say it a little mix of both.

I am so looking forward to getting inside Garth's head, I can only imagine it is going to be a dark, twisted and beautifully broken place to be.  And look, there isn't long to wait at all.

Check out my reviews for Lost & Found and Near & Far by clicking on the covers below.


What is your Waiting on Wednesday?

Feel free to leave your links below so that I can check them out and if you are a new follower be sure to let me know!

Review: Origin

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?

Title: Origin (Lux ~ Book 4)
Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Website | Blog
Publication Date: August 27 2013
Publisher: Entangled Teen
Length: 400 Pages
Add it to your TBR Pile: Goodreads
Buy It: Amazon US | Amazon UK

Source: Purchased (Kindle Edition)
Cover Love: Not a fan.  Which is sad because I love all of the other covers in this series.
Point of View: Alternating 1st person between both Katy and Daemon

My Rating: 5 Stars

Opal, the cliffhanger that was heard around the world.  It has been a long and hard eight months, but it is finally here.  We now have Origin in our hot little hands, or in my case on my Kindle.  So why was I so nervous to start it?  Because my heart was ripped out of my chest eight months ago and I was scared that it would happen again.  But I pulled up my big girl panties and dived back into the awesomeness that is Jennifer L. Armentrout's Lux series.

“Did you think you could stop me?  I'll burn the world down to save her.”

First let me just say that it was an absolute joy to finally be inside Daemon's head.  Don't get me wrong... I do and always will love Katy.  She is one bad ass heroine that I have mucho respect for.  But finally, FINALLY, we are able to crawl around inside Daemon's head.  What a glorious place it turned out to be. 

Fierce love and devotion does not even begin to describe the feelings he has for Katy.  We all knew it, even though it did take him three whole books to get the three little words out... but the love he has for her is epic.  I think I fell even more in love with Daemon Black, which before I started Origin I would have said was impossible.  We get to see his compassion, his love for not only Katy, but for that of his family, and the hatred that comes from betrayal.  Yep, you read that right.  Blake's previous betrayal is nothing compared to what goes down in Origin.  I was shocked, and even now thinking about it... wow.  Did not see that coming at all.

“I promise you that this isn't going to be our future, Kitten.  I will give that to you—a normal life."

Her eyes glistened.  "I don’t expect a normal life. I just expect a life with you”

As I said earlier, Katy is bad ass.  There really is no other way to describe her.  She has gradually grown-up as the series has continued on.  She stands up for not only herself but for those that she loves.  You feel her love for Daemon, her fear of what the future holds, and the pain that comes from the thought that her mother is suffering because of her absence.  She is such a strong character.

“I want a years-worth of seconds and minutes with you.  I want a decade's worth of hours, so many that I can't add them up.”

We get to meet some new characters in Origin, but we also get to find out a bit more about some of the old ones.  Most importantly, Luc.  He has always been a mystery to Daemon, but we finally get to find out exactly what he is.  I was like a kid in a candy shop as the story and truth started to unfold.  I was stuck somewhere between jumping up and down, and sitting on the edge of my seat.

There is a fair bit of tragedy in Origin.  Namely the above mentioned betrayal and the results of that betrayal.  Can I just say that I have never been more hyped up while reading the last 20% of a book... ever.  I went from tears of happiness, to mouth wide open shock, to despair in no time at all.  If the end of Opal was the cliffhanger that was heard around the world, then the event that brings upon the catastrophic events at the end of Origin, will forever be known as the betrayal heard around the world.

But, it wasn't all doom and gloom either.  I laughed a lot.  How can you not with Daemon around?  He was his perfectly snarky self.  He is the king of one liners and proved it again and again in Origin.  He has some great banter and even in desperate situations, you find yourself smiling when he is around.  You just know that there is going to be some classic Daemon dialogue.

“Sometimes words were cheap.  They could be powerful, but in those rare occasions like now, words meant nothing.”

I've seen mixed reactions to the ending of Origin.  Some are calling it a cliffhanger, others are saying it isn't.  I for one have to say that I think it ends in a huge cliffhanger.  In fact, I think it pretty much rivals that of the ending of Opal.   Yes, I am serious.  You know how I mentioned my mouth wide open in shock a few sentences ago?  Yeah, it was back and in full force when I reached the final page.  I even had to backtrack a couple of pages and read them again to make sure I read it correctly the first time.

However, as there is one final book left in this series, Opposition, I fully expected a huge cliffhanger.  If there is one thing I know about Jennifer L. Armentrout, it is that she loves to keep us guessing at what is going to happen next.  There is no doubt that I will be reading Opposition as soon as it is released.  We have not even made it out of 2013, and it is already one of my most highly awaited books of 2014.  I need to know what happens next, and I need for Daemon and Katy to finally get their happily every after.

“A certain bone-deep understanding occurred and my hand tightened around the smaller one I held.  It weren't stars we were staring at.  The sky was falling.”

MORE QUOTES FROM ORIGIN

Review: Breakfast at Darcy's

When Darcy McCall loses her beloved Aunt Molly, she doesn't expect any sort of inheritance - let alone a small island.

Located off the west coast of Ireland, Tara hasn't been lived on for years, but according to Molly's will Darcy must stay there for twelve months in order to fully inherit, and she needs to persuade a village full of people to settle there, too. Darcy has to leave behind her independent city life and swap stylish heels for muddy wellies. Between sorting everything from the plumbing to the pub, Darcy meets confident Conor and ever-grumpy Dermot - but who will make her feel really at home?

Title: Breakfast at Darcy's
Author: Ali McNamara | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Website
Publication Date: November 24 2011
Length: Paperback 448 Pages / Audiobook 11 hours 37 minutes
Add it to your TBR Pile: Goodreads
Buy It: Amazon US | Amazon UK | Audible

Source: Purchased (Kindle Edition)
Narrated by: Beth Chalmers
Cover Love: Cute, fits the story.
Point of View: 1st person, following Darcy

My Rating: 4 Stars

Ali McNamara has quickly become one of my favorite chick lit authors.  Her stories never cease to keep me laughing, romanced and entertained.  Thankfully, Breakfast at Darcy's was no exception.

I will admit that I had to warm to Darcy, but this is kind of the point of the story.  At the start, she is a self-absorbed, label obsessed, glory hunter... and I didn't really care for her very much.  That is until she goes to live on Tara, the Irish island that has been left to her in her Aunt Molly's will.  It is on Tara where Darcy truly starts to come into her own.  Taken out of the big city and put in charge of other people's well beings, she quickly becomes a character that you can care and root for.

There is a bit of a love triangle... no wait, don't run away that quickly.  There is Conor, who is handsome, sweet, and has a love of travelling.  Then there is Dermot, who always seems grumpy, uptight and a bit of a know-it-all.  However... I was never in any doubt as to who Darcy would end up with in the end.  I don't think this is meant to be any real secret to be honest.  I was surprised though with a few of the secrets that are uncovered about one of them.  I won't post any spoilers, but I really didn't see that coming.

However, my true love for Breakfast at Darcy's comes from Tara itself.  I have never wanted pack in my job, and go live on an isolated island as much as I do right now.  To say I was jealous of the life that Darcy and the other residents of Tara have been able to live, is an understatement.  I would give pretty much anything to be able to live as simple of a life.  As long as I had a roof over my head, there is electricity and a bit of Internet access so that I can buy by Kindle and Audible books... I would be in heaven.  Absolute heaven.

I do think the only let down to this story would be the ending.  It wasn't really bad, it's just that I would have liked there to be a bit more build up to the happily ever after.  It seemed a bit rushed, however this could be from me not feeling like I was ready to say goodbye to these characters.  I really would love to read more about Darcy, the island's residents, and of Tara itself.

Because I listened to this in Audiobook, I should mention that I have also become a huge fan of Beth Chalmers.  This is not the first Audiobook I have listened to her as the narrator, and I hope it will not be my last.  She does a superb job, and I think she has an amazing talent with the multiple accents that are used in this book.

Vendetta by Autumn Karr and Sienna Lane: Cover Reveal & Giveaway

I am not a good man.

I have lied and cheated and stolen. I've decided between life or death, like it was my due. None of it matters, not anymore. These are not my sins.

I see her raise her hands, the dark metal she's clutching reflecting the moonlight. Her finger trembles as she cocks the gun pointed at me. Her eyes are cold, determined, but I know.

I know her.

My name is Devon Andre and I confess my sin. I am not a good man because this is the woman I love.

She pulls the trigger.

Add to your Goodreads TBR    Expected release December 2013

First things first, that is one awesome cover.  Honestly, wow.

Now, let us talk about that synopsis... it blew me away.  I got honest to goodness chills the first time I read it.  I can't remember the last time a blurb has so successfully pulled me in.

I must have this book as soon as possible.  Make sure and add Vendetta to your TBR folks, I don't think we will want to miss this one.  Is it December yet...

Find Sienna Lane on: Facebook | Goodreads

Find Autumn Karr on: Facebook | Goodreads

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Review: Price of a Kiss

I don't care what my cousin says; I am not the queen of impossible relationships. I mean, just because my last boyfriend tried to kill me and left a bit of a scar on my neck, then forced me to move across the country and legally change my name to Reese Randall to escape him, does not mean-

Oh, who am I kidding? For a freshman in college, I have to have the worst dating track record ever.

It's no wonder love is the last thing on my mind when Mason Lowe enters my life. But the chemistry between us is like bam! Our connection defies logic. And he's just so freaking hot. Being around him makes me feel more alive than I've ever felt before. I even like bickering with him. He could be my soul mate...except for one teeny tiny glitch.

He's a gigolo.

Boy, do I know how to pick them.

Title: Price of a Kiss
Author: Linda Kage | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Website
Publication Date: August 14 2013
Publisher: Self-Published
Length: 373 Pages
Add it to your TBR Pile: Goodreads
Buy It: Amazon US | Amazon UK

Source: Purchased (Kindle Edition)
Cover Love: Perfect, love the colors.
Point of View: 1st person, following Reese

My Rating: 5 Stars

Holy prologue Batman.  Never before has a prologue done such an amazing job of sucking me right into the story.  There was absolutely no way that I was not continuing with this book after THAT beginning.

“Brace yourself for this one, ladies: He had a tattoo.  I know.  I almost spontaneously combusted right then and there.”

Mason.  Holy swoon.  This guy is book boyfriend gold.  I mean that is of course if you are willing to put aside the fact that he sells his body for cash... but other than that, he is perfect.  Your heart will break as you learn more about why it is he has gotten into this profession.  He now feels that he is well and truly stuck.  Honestly, I just wanted to give him a big hug.

“You’re the warm sun that shines when everything else is dark,” he went on, lifting his hands to rest them on the wall on either side of my face.  “A smile and a hug in a roomful of disapproval.  You’re…” Wincing, he pressed his forehead against mine. “You’re everything.”

Reese.  Loved her.  It is rare that I fall completely in love with a female narrator.  But I can say without a doubt that I love Reese.  She made me laugh so many times, I lost count.  I loved being in her head.  Her thoughts about Mason had me laughing till I cried.  I also respect the way she handled her friendship with Mason at the start.  She treated him like he deserved to be treated, like a human being.  She never belittled him or made him feel inferior.  I loved her even more for that.

“Every woman treats me that way, Reese.  I'm not a person to them . I'm just… a good time or something vile to be avoided at all costs.  And then you can along and you… you hugged me.  You are the first person who sees me, Mason, not sex for sale.”

Sadly, this isn't to say I loved every character.  Reese's friend and cousin Eva, I disliked her so much.  In fact, dislike is actually a little too nice of a phrase.  I hated her.  And in my opinion she never redeemed herself for her actions and comments made to and about Mason.  She showed no respect, and had no loyalty either in friendship or family toward Reese in my opinion.  Just didn't care for her at all.

“Eva was right.  I could never deserve you.  You’re too good for me.  You’re out of my reach.  You’re…you’re Reese Randall.”

“You’re wrong.  I’m not.” I wasn’t really Reese Randall, and I certainly wasn’t out of his reach. “All you have to do is stretch out your hand, Mason.” Pressing my palm against my chest, I whispered, “I’m right here.”

And then there is also heartbreak.  I refuse to post spoilers, but I think I am okay to say that there is one part in this book that absolutely broke me.  Honestly. Broke. Me.  I cried my eyes out.  I had to put my Kindle down, sat there with my hand covering my mouth and I was shaking my head no.  I just could not believe what I was reading.  I was in shock.  I was angry.  I was devastated.  *sigh*

Honestly, I can not recommend Price of a Kiss more.  I swear if you just start it you will see right off the bat what I am talking about with the prologue.  You will be sucked in, and you will not be able to put it down.  You will instantly fall in love with both Reese and Mason, you will more than likely cry, you will most definitely laugh and swoon.

“If you love someone enough, you can make them invincible.  Like your feelings for them are so strong they work as a magical shield, protecting them from all harm and pain.”

MORE QUOTES FROM PRICE OF A KISS

Two Roads: Blog Tour Stop, Review & Giveaway

The only person poetry-loving Cali Monroe hates more than herself is Logan Waters, the geeky kid who lives in the dorm building next to hers.

Ever since Cali's parents told her she would amount to nothing, she has felt entirely inadequate. Friendless and alone, she takes on the mean girl role in hopes it will make her feel better--and Logan serves as the perfect target. He infuriates her with his obnoxiously long lashes, his all too perfect dimpled smile, and his complete lack of personality outside of his intelligence. It doesn't hurt that he's part of the reason her brother is dead, either. So Cali hates him, and he returns the favor. Thus, their prank-filled, insult-driven rivalry is born, and torturing Logan quickly becomes the highlight of her life.

But when Cali's parents set them up on a blind date, she begins to realize Logan might not be as boring as she always thought. He shares her love of poetry, takes a sadistic pleasure in making fun of crepes, and he makes her blush when he calls her smile pretty.

And hey, maybe those long lashes of his aren't that obnoxious after all…

Title: Two Roads
Author: L.M. Augustine | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Website | Author Spotlight
Publication Date:
Publisher: Self-Published
Length: 208 Pages
Add it to your TBR Pile: Goodreads
Buy It: Amazon US | Amazon UK

Tour Hosted By: Shh Moms Reading

Source: ARC provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
Cover Love: Absolutely perfect, and I am loving the colors.
Point of View: 1st person, following Cali

My Rating: 5 Stars

Two Roads is L.M. Augustine's second published novel, however this is his first attempt in the New Adult category.  This is everything that a New Adult book should be.  It is full of witty dialogue, angst, and plenty of swoonworthy moments.

“Our rivalry is beautiful because it makes us both forget about everything else.”

Cali.  She is a complex character.  At first I wasn't a huge fan, but I think that is part of the point.  Cali is battling depression that has been brought on by a death of a loved one.  That loved one was her brother Ben, who was also Logan Waters' best friend.  When Logan enters Cali's life again in college, she turns up the mean girl act.  She starts engaging in an all out war of pranks with Logan.  It soon becomes clear that the outward hostility that is shown to Logan is all an act.  Cali is suffering inside, but feels that by picking on Logan, it is the only way for her to escape her own reality.

That is until she is forced to spend some real time with him, and she finds that they are not all that different.  And most importantly, they both share a love of poetry.

“Everything else fades away, and it’s just him in front of me right now, him and me in our own little world.  And I love it.  And I hate it.”

Logan.  oooOOOooohhh how I have fallen in love with Logan Waters.  He is so sweet and caring.  Logan is suffering also, but it is not as evident as it is in Cali.  Which is why she finds herself disliking him so much.  He laughs, he has real friends, he walks around in his geeky t-shirts... Cali despises that outwardly it would appear that Logan is perfectly normal, and that he doesn't miss Ben at all.

“There are not two roads when it comes to you; there is only the road that leads to your love.”

As the story unfolds, more secrets are discovered that help you to understand the deep hurt that both Cali and Logan have been carrying around.  Your heart will ache for them, but then as they slowly start to lower their walls, your heart will be bursting with love.  There are so many wonderful moments and quotes in Two Roads, but my favorite will always be Logan professing his love for Cali.  Talk about a swoonworthy moment.  You knew it was always going to happen, but it truly touched my heart.  *sigh*  He is such a romantic.

“And that's the thing about love; no matter how hard you search, no matter how hard you run, sometimes, just sometimes, true love is right in front of you all along.”

I strongly suggest that you read this book, you will fall in love with Logan and your heart will break for Cali as she tries to rebuild her life after the loss of her brother.  L.M. Augustine has proven he can write Young Adult with Click to Subscribe, and now New Adult with Two Roads.  I can't wait to see what he has in store for us next.

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Waiting on Wednesday #43

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine.

This is a perfect way to highlight books that we are waiting patiently to be released... it is also a sure-fire way to watch your TBR pile grow!

Ashton Taylor. Six foot one, Dark hair, chiseled jaw, riveting hazel eyes, and a body cut in all the right places. He’s a natural. Things just come easy to him. He’s used to getting everything he wants, excelling at everything he does. The grades, the recognition, the beautiful women.

His path was set. A girl, a full scholarship to UCLA, and a bright future. To others, his life seemed perfect. But, things are never what they seem, and life, well, at any moment, something or someone can come along and turn it upside down.

That something…the death of his father.

That someone… Cara Hayward. The girl with the hypnotic eyes, melodic voice, enchanting smile, and lips sent straight from heaven.

The girl who doesn’t want to be seen.

So what happens when a guy who everything comes easy to, meets a girl who doesn’t come easy?

Can he crawl through all the broken glass to find her? Will the girl he discovers deep down be able to see past his perfect exterior?

Together, do they have the power to heal one another? Or, could the very thing that brings them together, be the one thing that tears them apart?

Expected Publication: September 26 2013
Add it to your TBR Pile: Goodreads

Why am I so eagerly awaiting this release you ask?

The number one reason for why I am so eagerly awaiting this release would be because of the author, Beth Michele.  I absolutely adored Love Love, and if she can do that great a job with her debut novel... I know that any book that follows will be just as awesome.

The second reason I am so excited is because Lovely is a male point of view book, that's right... it will be told 100% from Ashton's perspective.  It honestly can not get any better than that.  I just love the male POV, and from what I've learned about Ashton so far, I just know I am going to fall head over heels in book love with him.

Thankfully, there isn't long to wait at all before we get to meet Ashton, so don't forget to add this to your TBR.  You can also check out my review of Love Love by clicking on the cover below.  If you haven't read this book, I must insist that you get right on that.


What is your Waiting on Wednesday?

Feel free to leave your links below so that I can check them out and if you are a new follower be sure to let me know!

Review: Keep Me Still

Scarred by loss, Layla leaves her hometown of Hope Springs, Georgia, hoping to put her painful past behind her and start over in college in California.

When she runs into Landen at freshmen orientation, she has a choice to make. Reinforce those steel walls she's built up around herself or give the only boy who can keep her still a second chance.

Landen’s more than ready to tear down those walls, but this time when they come crashing down, they might bury her.

Title: Keep Me Still
Author: Caisey Quinn | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Website
Publication Date: August 1 2013
Publisher: Self-Published
Length: 278 Pages
Add it to your TBR Pile: Goodreads
Buy It: Amazon US | Amazon UK

Source: Purchased (Kindle Edition)
Cover Love: Lovely.
Point of View: Alternating 1st person between both Layla and Landen

My Rating: 4 Stars

Firstly, I would like to point out that I read the version of Keep Me Still which came with the novella Let You Leave, which is a prequel to the time in which Keep Me Still takes place.  From what I can gather, this special edition version with the novella is only going to be available for a limited time.  Then, the novella will be removed and no longer available for separate purchase.  Why is this important information?  Because, I can honestly not see how somebody would be able to read Keep Me Still... without reading this novella first.  There is so much backstory that is given in Let You Leave.  You get some of the more important moments highlighted in the main novel, but it just wouldn't seem enough. 

“We both have secrets.  I wonder if they'll bind us together or tear us apart?”

It is my opinion that the author should actually combine the novella and novel, making it one larger book.  Rather than removing the novella all together.  It simply follows a natural progression as the story.  I really do not believe that if I had never read Let You Leave, that I would have connected to the characters, or enjoyed Keep Me Still as much as I did.

“This isn’t just my chance to start over like I thought- It’s our chance.”

The build-up of Layla and Landen's relationship fully takes place in that prequel novella.  By the time we get to the timeline of events in Keep Me Still, they have already met, fallen in love, and built their previous relationship.  Without being able to be a part of them meeting, that gradual build-up of trust and being able to watch their relationship grow... I would be afraid that a reader just would not connect to them as a couple. 

Which would be a travesty, because I adored Layla and Landen as a couple.  There are a lot of walls and barriers that they must crash through, but the issues they were facing were real and believable.  Landen is an absolute sweetheart.  You will undoubtably fall in love with him.

And even though this is a New Adult book, there are in fact some pretty steamy scenes.  You will never be able to look at a cherry in the same way after reading this book.  The chemistry between Layla and Landen is intense... a very good kind of intense.

“Not a minute has passed since the first time I laid eyes on you that I haven’t wanted you.  Needed you.  I will always want you.”

I am of course a huge fan of dual point of view books, and this is no exception.  I think this story needs the ability to have you in both Layla's and Landen's head.  There are a lot of secrets kept between the two, there would really be no way of following what was happening to each of them if this wasn't dual POV.

You are probably wondering if this is a standalone?  My answer to that would be no.  Even though it is not listed as a series, there is an epilogue that leaves you are a rather large cliffhanger.  It appears as though there will be a novella, Hold Us Close, which is at the time of this review set to be published in November 2013.  So if you stop reading at the end of Keep Me Still, then it could be classed as a standalone.  But if you keep reading through the epilogue, be ready for a bit of a cliffhanger until you can get your hands on the upcoming novella.

“Suddenly, I have no idea why we’ve been doing this to each other. It’s love. Plain and simple. You love someone, you show it. Every day, up until your last.”