Friday 29 November 2013

For Real Review

 


Two people. One fake relationship. What could go wrong?

When virgin Shannon Travers gets fed up with her friends demanding that she find a boyfriend, she enlists the help of tattooed, mohawk-rocking graphic design student Jett. He’s more than happy to play along with their Fake Relationship, including the Ten Rules of Fake Dating that control-freak Shannon comes up with. Even if he likes to violate them. Repeatedly.

But what happens when Fake Dating starts to feel… not fake anymore? Will Shannon be willing to let go and embrace the first thing in her life that’s ever felt REAL?

Hey you...

Yeah, I mean you...

Do you fancy reading a New Adult Contemporary where the storyline isn’t all about how broken and damaged the characters are? 

You do?

Well, look no further than For Real by Chelsea M. Cameron. This book is such a cute coming of age read told from twenty year old college student Shannon’s point of view.  Shannon is still a virgin, a “situation” her friends desperately want to help her with, much to Shannon’s dismay.  You see, there just hasn’t been anyone that’s interested her and she’s not about to give it up to just anyone.  So when her friends kidnap her phone and won’t let her leave a club without going home with a guy, Shannon is pretty upset and also pretty stuck until the guy she had a chance encounter with earlier appears out of nowhere and comes to her rescue.  Now, hold on a minute.  I’m not suggesting that Shannon throws herself at an almost complete stranger.  She’s a little classier than that.  In fact, Shannon is awkward to the nth degree and often comes out with the dumbest comments at the worst possible time which makes her quite endearing actually.  Not to mention the fact that she hates confrontation and doesn’t stand up to her friends when they’re being out of line. Oh, and she’s a bit of a control freak.  Jett on the other hand is a breath of fresh air from the usual college guy portrayed in New Adult books.  I LOVE the fact that he’s different and not arrogant or pretending to be something he’s not.  He’s just a nice guy who happens to have some interesting tattoos and sometimes experiments with his hair.  GUYS DO THAT and that’s okay.  He’s also pretty nice to Shannon and treats her with the respect she deserves. 

Anyway, so Shannon’s friends keep hounding her to get a boyfriend and lose her virginity and Jett’s roommate keeps nagging him to get a girlfriend so they come up with the perfect solution.  A fake relationship that keeps everyone happy.  They set ground rules (which they both keep breaking) and before long, it’s all feeling a little bit....real.  BUT because it’s a “fake” relationship, there was no pressure on either of them so they could relax around each other and be themselves which I suppose ultimately, is what helped them fall for each other.  It doesn’t hurt that they were attracted to each other from the beginning ;)

I thought For Real was a really sweet story with realistic scenes, especially the more intimate ones and who knew that virgins used safe words ;)  I didn’t like what Shannon’s friends did to her in the beginning which was stupid, reckless and dangerous but they realised afterwards and apologised.  I was slightly concerned with Shannon’s comment to her friends of “I hope I get raped” which yes, was said in anger but it was still enough to get my shackles up.  Also, do twenty year olds really stick their tongues out?  Y’know, besides Miley Cyrus I mean.  That seems a little babyish but then Shannon was a little sheltered so you can just about believe it.

One of the very best things about For Real is that whilst both characters had some family issues, it wasn’t all about that, and they weren’t portrayed as broken/damaged like a lot of other characters in these kinds of books.   I also really enjoyed the ending and there was no cliffhanger!!  I’m not sure whether this book is part of a series or not but it could easily be a standalone and again, I find that refreshing.  Overall, I enjoyed the story and I’m glad I got the chance to read it.  If you want a cute and realistic New Adult read, then this is the book for you and it's currently on sale. BONUS. 

For Real was published on 14th November, 2013.  To find out more about Chelsea M. Cameron and her books, please click here to visit her website.

Wednesday 27 November 2013

Waiting on Wednesday

"Waiting On Wednesday" is a weekly event, originally started by Jill at Breaking the Spine , that highlights upcoming book releases everyone is waiting on...hence the title. This week's pick is The Murder Complex by Lindsay Cummings. Here's the synopsis:

An action-packed, blood-soaked, futuristic debut thriller set in a world where the murder rate is higher than the birthrate. For fans of Moira Young’s Dust Lands series, La Femme Nikita, and the movie Hanna.

Meadow Woodson, a fifteen-year-old girl who has been trained by her father to fight, to kill, and to survive in any situation, lives with her family on a houseboat in Florida. The state is controlled by The Murder Complex, an organization that tracks the population with precision.

The plot starts to thicken when Meadow meets Zephyr James, who is—although he doesn’t know it—one of the MC’s programmed assassins. Is their meeting a coincidence? Destiny? Or part of a terrifying strategy? And will Zephyr keep Meadow from discovering the haunting truth about her family?

Action-packed, blood-soaked, and chilling, this is a dark and compelling debut novel by Lindsay Cummings.


The Murder Complex sounds like a YA version of Minority Report (the Tom Cruise movie) and I'm almost surprised this comparison wasn't made.  Unfortunately, it also sounds a lot like another YA book coming out next year but the name of it escapes me right now, much to my annoyance.  REGARDLESS, I'm definitely curious about the book and despite the potentially violent nature of the story, I'm still hoping for some romance!!  I guess we'll see on 10th June, 2014 when the book is published.

Monday 25 November 2013

Letterbox Love (#77)

As always, Letterbox Love is a weekly feature that I'm hosting on the blog and basically, the idea came out of a discussion with other UK book bloggers about the need to do a weekly meme with more of a British feel to it. Therefore, Letterbox Love was born and the logo was lovingly designed by Dark Readers. Letterbox Love is a way for us to share the books that come through our letterbox, galleys and e books (through our electronic letterbox) and any other bookish goodies that we want to tell you about. Letterbox Love is intended to showcase upcoming books and build up some excitement for them as well as let you know what is available out there. It is not about competing with other bloggers or boasting of any kind (c'mon, we're British and we don't do drama!)

Review Books

 I did not receive any review books this week.

 
Books Bought


The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (The Official Illustrated Movie Companion)
I have a confession to make.  I LOVE collecting these movie companions for YA books turned into movies.  I saw the actual movie at the weekend which was FANTASTIC by the way and so I HAD to get this.  I just had to.


EBooks

Tell Me Why by Sydney Snow (Bought)
This is Sydney Snow AKA Lacey Weatherford's first New Adult offering.  It's had some good reviews and because it's written by Lacey, I'm definitely interested to read it.

Tease by Missy Johnson (Bought)
This is an adult erotica title and I admit, I'm intrigued to read about a male escort who falls for a woman who thinks he sells insurance LOL.

Testament by Katie Ashley (Bought)
I really enjoy Katie's books and this one sounds so different from her normal books.  I'm excited about the romance aspect of it and the fact that it doesn't have a cliffhanger.

The Mighty Storm by Samantha Towle (Bought)
I haven't read any of the books from this series yet but I bought it because it was part of an offer for 99p only that didn't happen and I got charged full price for it.  I only bought this because I wanted to see if the discount would come off and it didn't.  Thankfully, I have now been refunded and can buy the rest of the books on offer.  I just hope the discount comes off this time otherwise it's another lengthy chat with an Amazon official. 

Take a Breath by Jaimie Roberts (Free)
This sounds interesting but in the end, I one clicked because it was free for a short time.  It's a little bit taboo (falling for your mother's boyfriend) but I'm willing to give it the benefit of the doubt.  

In The Blood by Sara Hantz (Won) 
This is a different sort of read for me, a little bit of suspense and mystery with a possible killer.  Doesn't sound like a Lynsey sort of book but I want to take myself out of my comfort zone. 

Exquisite Betrayal by A.M. Hargrove (For Review) 
I *LOVE* the sound of this book - A male romance author writing as a woman, a female book reviewer and a conference in Vegas.  I need to read this STAT.

Just One Year by Gayle Forman (Netgalley - For Review)
I'll admit that I haven't read Just One Day yet and so I can' t read this book until I've done so and having never read one of Gayle's books before, I do so hope they live up to the hype.

Red by Alison Cherry (Netgalley - For Review)
I'm definitely curious about this one but I'm not entirely sure that the premise is for me.  I'll give it a go anyway as I like to support debut authors.

Mistress of the Wind by Michelle Diener (Netgalley - For Review)
I do love the sound of this fairy tale retelling but I almost wish it was a movie instead of a book.  This might be a good fantasy book for Christmas.

The Waking World by Tom Huddleston (Netgalley - For Review)
This is a Young Adult Arthurian fantasy set in the future.  To be honest, I don't know whether I will read it or not but I want to give it a go.

White Space by Ilsa J. Bick (Netgalley - For Review)
I have featured this book on the blog before as part of a Waiting on Wednesday post.  Billed as The Matrix meets Inkheart, how can you not want to read this book after a description like that?  Definitely sounds interesting.


So, I saw Catching Fire at the cinema this weekend and even though I was starting to get sick, I thoroughly enjoyed the film and thought it was even better than the first one.  Now I can't wait for the third one and I have a feeling I'm going to need tissues for that one as it's going to be emotional!  After being sick as a dog all weekend, that's mainly why this post is a day late so apologies for that.  I finally feel well enough to read so I'm getting back to it tonight and hitting the review copies.   What are you reading right now?  As always, I hope you had a great week for books and please share your links below.

Wednesday 20 November 2013

Waiting on Wednesday

"Waiting On Wednesday" is a weekly event, originally started by Jill at Breaking the Spine , that highlights upcoming book releases everyone is waiting on...hence the title. This week's pick is Salvage by Alexandra Duncan. Here's the synopsis:

Ava, a teenage girl living aboard the male-dominated deep space merchant ship Parastrata, faces betrayal, banishment, and death. Taking her fate into her own hands, she flees to the Gyre, a floating continent of garbage and scrap in the Pacific Ocean, in this thrilling, surprising, and thought-provoking debut novel that will appeal to fans of Across the Universe, by Beth Revis, and The Handmaid's Tale, by Margaret Atwood.

Another Sci Fi, another Lynsey book to add to the wishlist.  I LOVE the cover and the synopsis for this book and I've heard that there might just be a dash of romance in there too to satisfy me.  This is a debut novel and one that I'm extremely excited to read. 

Salvage is published on 1st April, 2014 with no news of a UK release at present.  

Tuesday 19 November 2013

Crave Review


Billionaire Archer Bancroft always gets what he wants—and he’s wanted Ivy Emerson, his best friend’s sister, for far too long. Being forbidden and untouchable only makes her more tempting. When a million-dollar bet with his friends throws down a challenge—last bachelor standing takes all—Archer knows he can win. That is, until one enchanted evening with Ivy takes his heart for a ride.

Ivy knows Archer is nothing but bad news: Infuriating, arrogant…and completely intoxicating. But despite her best efforts, she can’t seem to keep away. When a stolen kiss leads to a night of heated passion, Ivy realizes she’s in trouble and in head over heels.

But in the light of day, everything seems clearer and Archer’s not so sure a one-night stand is all he wants. Concocting a plan to keep Ivy by his side, Archer might just be willing to lose this bet…and win the jackpot instead.

CRAVE by Monica Murphy is the first book in the Billionaire Bachelor’s Club series and a cute contemporary adult romance story. I’ll tell you straight - there’s nothing new here, no fresh, new ideas and no original character traits.  Yes it’s all been done before and it’s completely predictable BUT...it’s well written and I am a sucker for these kind of stories and remember -  just because you know the destination doesn’t mean that the journey isn’t going to be enjoyable ;)  I also love the fact that this is part of a series and we get to see each billionaire bachelor fall hard for the girl of their dreams.  I mean, why have one millionaire when you can have three, right? Nope. Not jealous AT ALL.   I do think however it might have been nice to turn this idea on its head and have at least one female billionaire in there.  Just sayin’.

CRAVE is written in dual narrative so we get to see inside both Archer and Ivy’s heads.  Let’s start with Archer.  He’s hot, he’s arrogant, he’s annoying and he doesn’t do relationships.  He’s cock sure that he’s going to win the bet his friend’s have made with him that basically, the last billionaire left standing wins all.  Personally, I don’t know why you’d want to win that bet but that’s just me.  I don’t pretend to know everything about the male ego.  There’s just one little snag in Archer’s plan though, he’s kind of had a thing for his best friend’s little sister since they were kids but she’s completely off limits, something to do with that guy code of ethics that gets thrown around every now and then.  The banter between Archer and Ivy is cute in a who-can-annoy-each-other-the-most kind of fashion and it’s obvious that these two are full of sexual frustration as the tension...Oh, the sweet, sweet tension.

Ivy is not oblivious to it either.  She’s not blind and she’s not stupid.  She knows he’s hot but just lately, the temperature has risen a few notches above boiling point and she’s been looking at him in a whole new light. One night, passion spills over and the attraction between them won’t be denied any longer.  But Archer being Archer has to be a little bit of a jerk every now and then and actually made me say OUT LOUD “Oh, Archer.  What in the hell are you doing?”  Ultimately, it comes down to what he wants more – to win the bet or to win Ivy’s heart.

Predictability is not always a bad thing, sometimes it’s good to know what you’re going to get and I have to say that I really did enjoy this story.  So much so, that I’ve pre-ordered the next two as I have to know what happens with the other billionaire bachelors, particularly Gage (Ivy’s brother) who quite frankly, sounds like a selfish, immature prick and I need to see some girl smash through to his heart and bring him to his knees.  CRAVE is a very sexy read and if you like your romances with plenty of chemistry between the main characters, then this is definitely the book for you.  Now, if only I could put myself in the story and find my very own billionaire bachelor *sigh*.

CRAVE was published on 6th August, 2013.  To find out more about Monica Murphy and her books, please click here to visit her website.

Sunday 17 November 2013

Authors for the Philippines

I'm sure by now you've all heard how Typhoon Haiyan hit the Philippines on 8th November, 2013 and caused mass devastation.   People were killed, homes were lost and the survivors are desperate for food, clean water and shelter.  Author Keris Stainton wanted to help and created AUTHORS FOR PHILIPPINES which is an online auction to help raise money for the Red Cross' Typhoon Haiyan Appeal.  There are A TON of items to bid on and they are all pretty special - a lot of authors, both UK and international are involved and they have donated first editions, signed copies, manuscript critiques and ARC's of unpublished books to name but a few.  Book bloggers like myself have also donated to the cause.  I have donated three signed US hardcovers of SHIVER, LINGER and FOREVER by Maggie Stiefvater and Maggie herself has added to this by donating an audiobook of THE SCORPIO RACES and some limited edition book plates with her own art from THE DREAM THIEVES.  If you're interested, you can bid on this item here and it is currently a bargain.

I would urge you to take a look at the site as there are so many amazing items to bid on for such a worthy cause.  I'm going to scour the site myself this afternoon.  The auction ends on Wednesday 20th November so you only have a few days left to get your bids in.  Good luck!

To find out more about AUTHORS FOR PHILIPPINES and to visit the website, please click here.

Letterbox Love (#76)

As always, Letterbox Love is a weekly feature that I'm hosting on the blog and basically, the idea came out of a discussion with other UK book bloggers about the need to do a weekly meme with more of a British feel to it. Therefore, Letterbox Love was born and the logo was lovingly designed by Dark Readers. Letterbox Love is a way for us to share the books that come through our letterbox, galleys and e books (through our electronic letterbox) and any other bookish goodies that we want to tell you about. Letterbox Love is intended to showcase upcoming books and build up some excitement for them as well as let you know what is available out there. It is not about competing with other bloggers or boasting of any kind (c'mon, we're British and we don't do drama!)

Review Books


Fortune's Pawn by Rachel Bach
I'm really interested in this Space Opera (whatever that term means) and it reminds me a little of THE STARKILLER'S CYCLE which I read online.  I love anything set in space so I'm looking forward to this one!
Roomies by Sara Zarr and Tara Altebrando
I love the sound of this NA novel about two girls who are about to be roommates at university and start emailing each other before the new term begins.  I remember doing something similar when I started university the first time round although not quite like this, obviously.

Thank You Publishers!!!

Books Bought


Entangled by Amy Rose Capetta
Another story set in space, this is a Young Adult novel with a bit of romance, a bit of adventure and a bit of a mission.  Basically, it has my name all over it.

Won


 Touched by Corrine Jackson (signed and personalised)
I *love* TOUCHED and read it a while ago but I was ecstatic to win a signed, personalised paperback.  I actually won it a little while ago but my friend has just sent it to me :)  I must get on with the sequel!

Gifted
 

Revelations by J. A. Souders
This is the sequel to RENEGADE and a signed and personalised copy given to me by one of my best friends from the US.  

Renegade by J. A. Souders
This is a signed, personalised ARC of RENEGADE and whilst I already have the hardcover, it's always special when you get something signed.  This is a story set under water and I definitely want to read it, it's just a question of when it starts calling me from the bookshelves. 

Through Her Eyes by Jennifer Archer
This book was published in 2011 but I've never heard of it.  I do enjoy a good ghost story so I think I will like this one and I trust my friend who obviously thinks that I will enjoy it. 



EBooks

A Little Too Much by Lisa Desrochers (Bought)
This is the sequel to A LITTLE TOO FAR and is Alessandro's story although strangely, it is told from the point of view of Hilary, a character mentioned briefly in the first book.  I'm reading this at the moment.

Gok's Wok by Gok Wan (Bought)
This is obviously a non fiction book and more of a cook book but it had great reviews and at the time of buying, it was 49p. Bargain!

Mine by Katy Evans (Bought)
I've already read, reviewed and loved this book but I had an ARC and wanted a finished copy.  It was on sale and so I one clicked. Simple.

Hot Secrets by Lisa Renee Jones (Free) 
I've seen mixed reviews for this but it was free and I can't resist a story about hot brothers, especially if they're in the FBI and are all protective over a girl.

Sneaking Candy by Lisa Burstein (For Review) 
I've been wanting to read this book for SO LONG and I'm ecstatic to have it on my tablet.  I'm part of the blog tour so look out for my review soon.

For Real by Chelsea M. Cameron (For Review)
Not sure this is an original story with the whole fake dating turns real scenario but I think it will be enjoyable.  I'm looking forward to finding out. 

Remy by Katy Evans (Netgalley - For Review)
I cannot get enough Remy and so I'm jumping up and down at being able to read this!!!  This is the first book in the series that is told from Remy's point of view and I believe it is his account of what happened in REAL.  Cannot wait. 

Wanted by J. Kenner (Netgalley - For Review)
This is an erotic romance and I love a forbidden romance or a guy you must stay away from as it makes the temptation that much more.  I'll give this a go. 

Ruined by Tracy Wolff (Netgalley - For Review)
This is a New Adult novel that's getting some really good reviews on Goodreads.  I'm definitely interested to read this one. 

Roman Holiday 1 Chained by Ruthie Knock (Netgalley - For Review)
I love the sound of this one although I don't really understand the serialised novel concept as I feel it's just ripping people off when they could just write a whole book and be done with it. 


I think I've been quite good with the ebooks this week (again) and like I said, it's getting close to pay day now which affects things ;)  I have just pre-ordered A Beautiful Wedding by Jamie McGuire which is a novella from the Beautiful Disaster series and a book I simply HAVE to read.  What are you reading at the moment?  I hope you had a great week for books and as always, please share your links below.

Friday 15 November 2013

Forest of Whispers Cover Reveal


Raised by an old fortune-teller within the dark veil of the Bavarian Black Forest, Rune has learned two valuable lessons: only take from the forest that which you can use, and never, never look anyone in the eye in the village. For something terrible happened in the forest long ago... and now, the whispers of a long-dead mother with a vengeful secret have come haunting.

Forced to flee all she has ever known, Rune soon learns of a legacy she is bound to--one that is drenched in fear, witchcraft and murder--a birthright that stretches beyond the grave to the trees where Rune is no longer safe
.

FOREST OF WHISPERS is the latest offering from author Jennifer Murgia and I am in love with the creepy tree-like writing on the cover!  I'm always in the mood for a good witchy tale and so I'm adding this to the witch list *coughs*, I mean wish list immediately.  FOREST OF WHISPERS is published on 9th September, 2014 by Spencer Hill Publishing.


Jennifer Murgia has long loved the dark and speculative—and it’s from these dark places that she weaves fantastical stories, often hoping to find truth in them. Her Young Adult Fantasy & Contemporary novels include the upcoming Historical FOREST OF WHISPERS (9/9/14 – Spencer Hill Press), BETWEEN THESE LINES, ANGEL STAR, LEMNISCATE & THE BLISS. She is the co-founder and coordinator of YA FEST and currently resides in Pennsylvania with her husband, her two children, and a very spoiled cat.

To find out more about Jennifer Murgia and her books, please click here to visit her website.  She is also active on Facebook and Twitter.  You can add the book on Goodreads here.

Thursday 14 November 2013

Sneaking Candy Cover Reveal

You know when there's a New Adult book that's not been released yet that you're DYING to read?  Well, SNEAKING CANDY by Lisa Burstein is that book. From the very first time I read the synopsis, I knew I had to read this and today, I'm delighted to reveal the cover and here it is...



All I ever wanted was to make a name for myself as Candice Salinas, creative writing grad student at the University of Miami. Of course, secretly I already have made a name for myself: as Candy Sloane, self-published erotic romance writer. Though thrilled that my books are selling and I have actual fans, if anyone at UM found out, I could lose my scholarship…and the respect of my faculty advisor, grade-A-asshole Professor Dylan.   

 Enter James Walker, super-hot local barista and—surprise!—my student. Even though I know a relationship is totally off-limits, I can’t stop myself from sneaking around with James, taking a few cues from my own erotic writing…if you catch my drift. Candy’s showing her stripes for the first time in my real life, and I’ve never had so much fun. But when the sugar high fades, can my secrets stay under wraps? 

There is so much potential for this book and I'm looking forward to reading how Candice is going to keep it all quiet and just what lengths she will go to!

SNEAKING CANDY is published on 9th December, 2013 and you can add it on Goodreads .  To find out more about Lisa Burstein and her books, please click here to visit her website.  You can also find her on  Facebook and Twitter.

Lisa Burstein Author PhotoLisa Burstein is a tea seller by day and a writer by night.

She received her MFA in Creative Writing from the Inland Northwest Center for Writers at Eastern Washington University. 

Lisa is the author of the YA Novels: PRETTY AMY, DEAR CASSIE, and the NA Novella: THE NEXT FOREVER. SNEAKING CANDY is her first full-length new adult novel.


Wednesday 13 November 2013

Waiting on Wednesday

 

"Waiting On Wednesday" is a weekly event, originally started by Jill at Breaking the Spine , that highlights upcoming book releases everyone is waiting on...hence the title. This week's pick is Fates by Lanie Bross. Here's the synopsis:

What if your destiny was to kill the one you love?

One moment. One foolish desire. One mistake. And Corinthe lost everything.

She fell from her tranquil life in Pyralis Terra and found herself exiled to the human world. Her punishment? To make sure people’s fates unfold according to plan. Now, years later, Corinthe has one last assignment: kill Lucas Kaller. His death will be her ticket home.

But for the first time, Corinthe feels a tingle of doubt. It begins as a lump in her throat, then grows toward her heart, and suddenly she feels like she’s falling all over again—this time for a boy she knows she can never have. Because it is written: one of them must live, and one of them must die.

In a universe where every moment, every second, every fate has already been decided, where does love fit in?

Do I even need to tell you how much I love the sound of this book?  It has my name written all over it and I can see already that I'm going to go broke next year with the amount of amazing books that are being published.  

Fates is published on 11th February, 2014 with no news of a UK release at present. 

Tuesday 12 November 2013

Out of Time Cover Reveal

Remember when I read and reviewed OUT OF LINE (the first book in the series) here and I told you how much I enjoyed the book? That I wanted to see some consequences, dammit and I couldn't wait to read book two? WELL, here is the cover and blurb in all it's glory...


Desperate to keep him...

I've finally gotten everything I ever wanted: love, freedom, happiness, and, most importantly, Finn. Our love is everything I expected it to be and more. We've finally found each other, but the world seems determined to tear us apart. We thought my father was the only obstacle between us, but now it's the military. With Finn’s departure looming, we’re squeezing in every moment together before we run out of time.  

Trying to make every moment count…  

Being Carrie’s bodyguard was one thing. Being her boyfriend is another. Every day she’s mine is a day the sun shines in my life. Yet our time together is running out. Her father will never think a tattooed Marine will be good enough so I’ll do with whatever it takes to be worthy of her love. But the road will take me away from the girl who makes me feel alive--the girl I can't live without.

Time only gets us so far...

So, what do you think?  I CAN'T WAIT!  Because Jen McLaughlin knows how desperate we are to get our hands on this book, she is offering up a special contest.  For ever 200 adds she gets on Goodreads for OUT OF TIME before the release date of 3rd December, 2013, she will reveal 5 pages of the book early!!!  If the book hits 2500 adds before the release, she will release a bonus scene from Finn's POV! So get adding here.

AND for those of you that haven't read the first book OUT OF LINE yet, it is currently ON SALE for 77p in the UK and 99c in the US! BARGAIN!

 Jen McLaughlin is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author. She writes steamy New Adult books for the young and young at heart. Her first release, Out of Line, came out September 2013. She also writes bestselling Contemporary Romance under the pen name Diane Alberts.Since receiving her first contract offer under the pen name Diane Alberts, she has yet to stop writing. She is represented by Louise Fury at The Bent Agency.

Though she lives in the mountains, she really wishes she was surrounded by a hot, sunny beach with crystal clear water. She lives in Northeast Pennsylvania with her four kids, a husband, a schnauzer mutt, a cat, and a Senegal parrot. In the rare moments when she’s not writing, she can usually be found hunched over one knitting project or another. Her goal is to write so many well-crafted romance books that even a non-romance reader will know her name.


To find out more about Jen McLaughlin and her books, please click here to visit her website.  You can also find her on Facebook, Twitter and Goodreads.



 a Rafflecopter giveaway

Monday 11 November 2013

UKYABB Secret Santa

It's THAT time of year again folks, the one where we all start talking about how excited we are that Christmas is coming!  The Coca Cola adverts have just started and John Lewis have recently shown us their Christmas ad, and every year they try to make us cry!  It's also the time that I open up the UK Young Adult Book Blogger Secret Santa or UKYABB Secret Santa for short.   Basically, if you are a UK book blogger who reads and review Young Adult books or even New Adult books, then you are eligible to sign up for the Secret Santa. I set it up for the first time last year in response to UKYA book bloggers who wanted their own version of the 'holiday swap' that takes place internationally every year.  I really enjoyed it last year and due to it's success, IT'S BACK!

If you want to sign up, you can do so here or if you're not sure or have questions, then please check out the FAQ page here.  I haven't given a specific deadline as such but it has to be soon so that we can all get ourselves organised.  I'm thinking I may have to close it at the end of the week so you have until Sunday 17th November to sign up.

Let's make Christmas 2013 another successful year and remember, it's a bit of fun and a chance to get to know other UK bloggers.  It may also be the only surprise gift you get under your tree this year and that makes it more exciting ;)

A Little Too Far Review



Have you ever gone just a little too far?

Lexie Banks has.

Yep. She just had mind-blowing sex with her stepbrother. In her defense, she was on the rebound, and it’s more of a my-dad-happened-to-marry-a-woman-with-a-super-hot-son situation. But still, he’s been her best friend and confidant for the better part of the last few years … and is so off limits. It’s a good thing she’s leaving in two days for a year abroad in Rome.

But even thousands of miles away, Lexie can’t seem to escape trouble. Raised Catholic, she goes to confession in hopes of alleviating some of her guilt … and maybe not burning in hell. Instead, she stumbles out of the confessional and right into Alessandro Moretti, a young and very easy-on-the-eyes deacon … only eight months away from becoming a priest. Lexie and Alessandro grow closer, and when Alessandro’s signals start changing despite his vow of celibacy, she doesn’t know what to think. She’s torn between falling in love with the man she shouldn’t want and the man she can’t have. And she isn’t sure how she can live with herself either way.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again.  It’s as if Lisa Desrochers reached right inside my head and wrote exactly the book I wanted to read in A LITTLE TOO FAR and I thank her from the bottom of my heart for doing so!  A LITTLE TOO FAR is everything that a New Adult book should be - exceptionally well written, well edited, and has a fantastic voice in the main character, Lexie.  It’s a refreshing story about growing up and finding yourself. Oh, and it just so happens to feature a trip to Italy and a hot Italian priest.  And a sexy step brother.  Ahem.

Lexie has been best friends with her step brother since her dad married his mom.  She’s split up with her boyfriend (who’s a complete jerk) and is two days away from a trip of a lifetime to study a semester in Rome when sparks fly between her and her step brother.  And when I say sparks, I mean sex.  It’s all a little taboo (even if they’re not biologically related) but there’s no way in hell that a guy is going to stop Lexie from realising her dreams (GO LEXIE!) and off she goes into the sunset.  Kind of.  As a good, practicing catholic girl, she confesses all her sins as soon as she can and ends up meeting hot deacon and priest in the making Alessandro *swoon* who tries to guide her through her troubles. Aaaand then adds to them when attraction grows between them.  I tell you, this girl can pick a forbidden guy out of a crowded room!   How do you choose between two guys when you probably shouldn’t be with either of them?  But it’s not all about the guys, oh no.  This is a coming of age story, a story of growing up and finding yourself, becoming more independent, discovering yourself and the world. Actually, I’m a little envious as what I wouldn’t do to be in Lexie’s shoes!

Let’s talk about Lexie.  She’s a passionate soul who loves art and helping people, she’s kind but she’s an open book and draws people to her like moths to a naked flame.  Her step brother Trent is the all American guy who strums the guitar and has dreams of being a musician, much to his mother’s disapproval.  He’s the guy that’s always been there for Lexie and they tell each other everything.  Hell, they even have matching tattoos. But we can’t forget about Alessandro, the hot priest in the making *fans self*.  He is a mass of conflict and starts doubting what he wants out of life, especially after meeting Lexie.  There’s a story there but we might have to wait until the next book for it to be fully exposed (no pun intended!).

It’s no secret that I’m a huge fan of Lisa’s writing and her debut foray into the New Adult world does not disappoint.  In fact, I’d go so far as to say that if you’re curious about the New Adult scene or have been disappointed with what you’ve read so far – READ THIS BOOK and see how you feel then. The imagery is beautifully written and to be honest, I was swept away to Rome for the most part of reading.  I was caught up in the romance of being away from home for the first time, and in a city that I know and love.  Of course, we can’t forget about all the forbidden romance as I’m a SUCKER for that kind of thing, too and the subject matter was handled sensitively.  

A LITTLE TOO FAR is the first in a planned series and I can’t wait to find out what happens next.  Let’s just say that I’ve been promised more Alessandro and there’s no way I’m turning that down.  Like ever.

A LITTLE TOO FAR was published on 17th September, 2013.  To find out more about Lisa and her books (which I HIGHLY RECOMMEND), please click here to visit her website.   If you’re interested in taking a virtual tour around some of the places mentioned in the book, then please click here to visit a post I wrote for the blog tour a little while ago.

Letterbox Love (#75)

As always, Letterbox Love is a weekly feature that I'm hosting on the blog and basically, the idea came out of a discussion with other UK book bloggers about the need to do a weekly meme with more of a British feel to it. Therefore, Letterbox Love was born and the logo was lovingly designed by Dark Readers. Letterbox Love is a way for us to share the books that come through our letterbox, galleys and e books (through our electronic letterbox) and any other bookish goodies that we want to tell you about. Letterbox Love is intended to showcase upcoming books and build up some excitement for them as well as let you know what is available out there. It is not about competing with other bloggers or boasting of any kind (c'mon, we're British and we don't do drama!)

Review Books


The Eye of Minds by James Dashner
This is the first book in a new series from James Dashner and incidentally, it sounds a lot like Insignia by S.J. Kincaid, a book I loved.   I'm definitely curious to give this a go although I might start with The Maze Runner. 

Thank You Publishers!!!

Books Bought


More Than This by Patrick Ness
I'd heard a lot about this book and having never read a book by Patrick Ness before, I thought I would start with this one.  I happened to find a first edition, signed copy in Foyles and that was that.  It had to be mine. 
Fearsome Dreamer by Laure Eve 
I love the sound of this book, especially as it involves fantasy and jumping around in your dreams.  I'm really looking forward to reading this and was lucky enough to meet the lady herself at the Veronica Roth signing recently and she signed it for me :)

Sentinel by Jennifer L. Armentrout
This is the fifth and final book in the Covenant series, a series I have actually kept up with because of how much I love it. I've got that desperate-to-read-it-but-I-don't-want-it-to-end feeling about this book and so I'm not sure when I'll get to it.


E Books

Very Bad Things by Ilsa Madden-Mills (Bought)
I love the sound of this New Adult book where a seemingly good girl born to privilege flirts with the idea of being bad.  I also love the fact that the guy she likes doesn't want her.  I have to know more. 

Effortless by S.C. Stephens (Bought) 
Reckless by S.C. Stephens (Bought)
I have no idea what these books are about but I do have the first one and they were on sale so I bought the rest.  I've heard people say great things about the series and I'm curious to find out for myself.


Master of the Opera: Act 1: Passionate Overture by Jeffe Kennedy (Netgalley - For Review)
I had no idea when I requested it that this was a serialised novel and the first part is only approximately 15,000 words.  There is to be another two parts and this really frustrates me because why not just wait and publish it as one book?  I'm tempted not to read it for that reason but The Phantom of the Opera is my favourite story ever and so I might just have to give it a look.

A Little Too Much by Lisa Desrochers (For Review)
This is the second book in Lisa's New Adult series which I LOVE.  Seriously, if you want to read a well written New Adult book, then look no further than A LITTLE TOO FAR which is the first book. 



You can always tell when I'm running out of money because the number of ebooks I buy diminishes!  What I didn't show in this post are the books I got signed this week - DIVERGENT, INSURGENT and ALLEGIANT by Veronica Roth, and THE BONE SEASON by Samantha Shannon.  It's been a surreal week and I can't believe I've met some amazingly talented authors whom I have a lot of respect for.  This week I'm reading A LITTLE TOO MUCH as firstly I really want to find out what happens next and secondly, the blog tour is coming up.  Look for my review of the first book A LITTLE TOO FAR which is coming soon.  What are you reading this week?  As always, I hope you had a great week for books and please share your links below (p.s. CHECK OUT THE MISTER LINKY I FINALLY GOT WORKING!!!)


That time I met Veronica Roth (and Samantha Shannon...and Laure Eve)


I was at work on a busy hospital ward last week when I checked my phone (on my break) and had the best freak out fangirl email from a friend and fellow book blogger which went something along the lines of “OMG VERONICA ROTH IS COMING TO LONDON NEXT WEEK – GET YOUR TICKETS QUICK.”  Well, after I had finished fist pumping the air,  and generally provoking concerned looks from colleagues, I immediately booked my ticket.  It’s at this point that I want to thank Veronica for planning her visit during my week of annual leave because if I couldn’t have come, I would have cried.  For real.

During the week, I noticed that Samantha Shannon (author of THE BONE SEASON) and Laure Eve (author of THE FEARSOME DREAMER) were also attending the event and after asking if they wouldn’t mind signing my books for me, they very kindly agreed.  So basically, I met three authors for the price of one and had the best day ever but I’m skipping right to the end without explaining what happened next, so I shall go back a few steps.

Whenever I come to London, I ALWAYS visit the bookshops as we don’t have a Foyles or a massive Waterstones where I live.  I managed to restrict myself to two books at Foyles (in case you’re wondering, I bought MORE THAN THIS by Patrick Ness as it was a signed, first edition and also FEARSOME DREAMER as I did not receive an ARC and I wanted a finished copy anyway for Laure to sign).   A few days before the event, the venue was changed to The Prince Charles Theatre in Leicester Square as the demand for tickets had been so high.  I had planned to go to Waterstones next and I knew it wasn’t far from the theatre but I decided to check where it was first.  It was 4 30pm (and so I was two hours early) but a queue had already started to form.  Panicking, I decided that I had to join the queue there and then and ended up talking to two lovely ladies called Alice and Daisy who kept me company for the next two hours.


 
Just as a totally random fact, one of the guys from Kingsland Road, the group that had just been ejected from The X Factor UK walked past us.  Anyway, the queue grew and grew and I was very glad that I was near the front, and that it wasn’t raining and especially when they finally opened the doors as I was able to sit three rows from the stage (the first two were reserved for press).  Unfortunately, I knew my friends were arriving late and had to sit at the back but I was in contact with them and arranged to meet them at the end. 

So anyway, we heard from the publisher first and then Veronica entered the room to lots of claps and cheers.  She’s very tall in person and has the straightest, whitest teeth I’ve ever seen!  She’s also a very sweet person and funnier than I thought.  She read an excerpt from ALLEGIANT from her mobile phone and then we had a Q&A session but I was too chicken to put my hand up.



   After that, it was time for the biggest surprise of the night as Veronica introduced a special guest...

None other than SHAILENE WOODLEY  
AKA the lead actress playing Tris in the Divergent movie.



The audience reaction was priceless!!!  Girls were screaming and some were even crying!  Me being me merely raised my eyebrows and said “Well, that’s a surprise!”  They showed us the Divergent trailer in all it’s glory (please...like I haven’t watched that a million times already) and then Veronica did a little Q&A with Shailene.  Shailene reminds me a little of a young Debra Winger (I think it’s the voice) and I suspect that it will only be the older readers of this blog who know who I’m talking about!  Shailene only stayed for about five minutes or so and then she was out of the door being rushed to God knows where.  

After that, the book signing began and we were reminded that there would be no photography with Veronica allowed (I’m not entirely sure it was due to time restraints but whatever) and that we were only allowed to get one book signed.  Now, if I’m being completely honest, I spotted this in the email sent to us before the event and immediately disregarded it for the following reasons:

1.    Veronica has written a TRILOGY.  That’s three whole books and so how am I going to choose which one to get signed and why should I have to?

2.    This is the first time Veronica has visited the UK and all her books have been published.  Of course I’m going to take this opportunity to get ALL my books signed, I don’t know when I’m going to get the chance again.

3.    I paid for my ticket, dragged all the books on the train and then halfway across London and I waited outside for two hours in the queue.  Just try and stop me getting my books signed!

4.    As I told Veronica at the time, I’m not very good at following the rules and it’s all her fault for writing a trilogy and btw – I’m DIVERGENT :P

So, I brought all of my books with me but as I got closer to the front of the signing line, I will admit that I was nervous about getting all the books out, especially as the publishers or officials were trying to keep the line moving by taking the ONE BOOK out of our hand and preparing it for Veronica.  I’ve done signings before and so I already had my post it note with my name on it in the front of the books and my sharpie at the ready but Veronica already had special silver sharpies all organised.  ANYWAY, I explained the situation and Veronica was more than happy to sign my books while I garbled on at her, knowing that I had less than 30 seconds to get out everything that I wanted to say and OMG she recognised me from Twitter as we’ve only been talking for the past 4 years!!!   I only felt a smidgen of guilt for getting all my books signed and I saw some of the faces in the queue who were probably all “How come she is getting ALL her books signed?!”   I want to be sorry but I’m really not.  If there’s one thing I’ve learnt it’s that if you don’t ask, you don’t get and sometimes – you have to break the rules.  Now I have an entire set of US hardbacks that have been signed to me by Veronica and I feel like it’s the best early Christmas present I could have received.





We were instructed to leave by the fire exit and told that we could not come back in.  I knew that I was going to have a long wait outside in the dark and the cold because my friends were right at the back of the theatre.  In the meantime, I had arranged to meet Samantha Shannon and Laure Eve outside so they could sign my books that I had also brought with me.  They were lovely to talk to and I only wish that I’d had more time with them.  I’m ecstatic that I now have a signed and personalised first edition hardback AND a signed ARC of THE BONE SEASON as well as a signed edition of THE FEARSOME DREAMER.  I started reading THE BONE SEASON on the train down and it’s really bloody good, very detailed and so, so interesting so I highly recommend that one, especially if you’re interested in fantasy.

(I love how they look like devil women with glowing eyes lol)

When Samantha and Laure left, I suddenly realised in horror that I had totally forgotten to give Veronica the two big bars of Cadbury’s chocolate that I had bought for her.  Whenever I go to any books signings, especially if the author is from the US, I ALWAYS bring them some Cadbury's chocolate because let’s face it – it’s some of the best chocolate in the entire world (possibly because I swear they put crack cocaine in it).  So you already know I’m not good at rules by now and I ended up going back through the fire exit, back into the theatre.  I explained my predicament to the officials and they let me give Veronica the chocolate.  AND I STILL FORGOT TO TELL HER WHAT I THOUGHT ABOUT THE ENDING so I’m going to say it here in hopes that she may read it.  You never know.  I’m going to try and keep it vague for the people who haven’t read ALLEGIANT yet but just in case, I would probably skip to the next paragraph if that applies to you.  Veronica?  I dig the ending and I could see it coming because I know Tris and I knew she would do a Bruce Willis.  It was the right ending.

When I came back through the fire escape, I asked if I could sit at the front of the theatre in the empty seats because I was waiting for my friends who were right at the back of the queue.  They let me and I told them I would be good! HA!  No, really.  I was.  I made conversation with some officials and I took a couple of photographs.  I may have asked a friend if she would try and get another book signed for me but THAT’S ALL – it was the original UK paperback and so it had to be done and I thought I would really be pushing my luck if I did it myself.  As it is, I came away with my UK hardback of ALLEGIANT because I just couldn’t go back up again.  I may be brazen but even I have my limits.  I tell you what kills me though, I won a US ARC of Divergent eons ago and it’s with a friend in America.  Sadly, she couldn’t get it back to me in time otherwise I would have gotten that signed too.  I might have to see what I can do as far as that’s concerned! It's a real shame that the publishers hadn't organised a blogger event with Veronica but I understand that it was all very short notice and they didn't have time to do so.  Maybe next time?

Anyway, so after the event, me and my friends (fellow book bloggers) went to Pizza Hut to dissect the evening and generally talk about books.  I got the train home and walked through the door at half past midnight. The day may have cost me in terms of time and train tickets, food etc but you know what? IT WAS TOTALLY WORTH IT and I’d do it all again.  I had the best day ever and I want to thank everyone involved for helping it to be that way.   Roll on 2014 for the movie!

Saturday 9 November 2013

Operation Christmas Child


I don't normally do this kind of thing but I felt compelled to tell you all about Operation Christmas Child because when I found out through a friend recently, I really wanted to help.

Operation Christmas Child is the world's largest children's Christmas project, run by the Christian charity Samaritan's Purse.  Basically, gift filled shoe boxes are sent all around the world to disadvantaged and underprivileged children, bringing a bit of joy into their lives.  This has nothing to do with religion or being a Christian (I don't consider myself to be either really) but it has to do with being a good person and wanting to help others. I just wish I could be there to see the smiles on the children's faces!

So, how can you help?  All the instructions are on the website here and it's so easy.  I'd go so far as to say that it's been downright FUN shopping for a little boy and a little girl.  Instead of boring old adult gifts, I've been looking for toys, colouring books, pens and all the things that reminded me of how special my childhood Christmas's were.  For those of you that are thinking you might be too busy to stuff a shoe box, you don't even have to as there's a group of volunteers who will DO IT FOR YOU.   







To find out more information about Operation Christmas Child, please click here to visit the website.  If you're in the United States, I believe it's called "Pack with my Hope" and you can find out more information here. Basically, it doesn't matter if you're in Europe, America or Canada, there is a website for you where you can get involved.  I only hope that you do.


Friday 8 November 2013

Mine Review

 

“I will do anything to make her MINE.” —Remington Tate

In the international bestseller REAL, the unstoppable bad boy of the Underground fighting circuit finally met his match. Hired to keep him in prime condition, Brooke Dumas unleashed a primal desire in Remington “Remy” Tate as vital as the air he breathes . . . and now he can’t live without her.

Brooke never imagined she would end up with the man who is every woman’s dream, but not all dreams end happily ever after, and just when they need each other the most, Brooke is torn away from the ringside. Now with distance and darkness between them, the only thing left is to fight for the love of the man she calls MINE.

If you loved REAL like I loved REAL then MINE by Katy Evans has probably been one of your most highly anticipated releases this year and I’m here to tell you that it certainly does not disappoint.  Obviously it goes without saying that if you haven’t read REAL (review here) then please do not read this review as it may contain spoilers.

Now, let’s do a little recap.  At the end of REAL, we found out that Remy threw the underground championship that he was a dead cert to win because he made a deal with Scorpion – the championship in exchange for Brooke’s sister, Nora.  Only at the time, Brooke didn’t realise this and when Remy was taken to hospital following the fight, she decided that she couldn’t watch him hurt himself anymore and left him.  Then, when he recovered, he managed to coax her back.  Well, actually what really happened is that she decided that she couldn’t be away from him, they talked it out and it’s all back on!  GO REMY!

In MINE, the new season of underground fighting is in full swing (pardon the pun) and Remy is more determined than ever to claim his rightful place as champion this year, especially with Brooke by his side.   At the same time, Brooke is struggling to cope with the knowledge of what transpired when she left Remy and how he coped with their separation.  Also, Scorpion is still on the scene only this time, he’s playing real dirty and this could get Remy into some serious trouble if he doesn’t stay smart about things.  Good thing Remy’s got Brooke who is the only one who calms him but then life throws them a curveball and Brooke is forced to stay away from him.  This may be Remy’s greatest challenge yet.

It’s really difficult to talk about the plot because I really don’t want to give anything away so I can’t possibly discuss the reasons why Brooke can’t be with Remy but it is torture for both of them and let’s just say that Remy isn’t the only one fighting in this book – metaphorically speaking of course.  I love the fact that we see more of the gentle, tender side of Remy and whilst he melted panties in the first book, I suspect he’ll be melting hearts in this one.  Brooke is also much stronger than she was in REAL and I love the fact that she’s just as possessive about her man as he is about her.  These two would do ANYTHING for each other and Remy has finally found someone to love who he is and not what he is.  

MINE is such a worthy sequel but be prepared to have your heart squeezed AGAIN.  Personally, I can see some progression in Katy’s writing and I feel like this book is tighter and more polished.  All in all,  I bloody love this series and I adore the characters like you wouldn’t believe.  I understand in the next book, entitled REMY, we FINALLY get to see inside the lion’s head and I personally cannot wait. 

MINE is published on 5th November, 2013.  To find out more about Katy Evans and her books, please click here to visit her website.




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Thursday 7 November 2013

Real Review


A fallen boxer.
A woman with a broken dream.
A competition…

He even makes me forget my name. One night was all it took, and I forgot everything and anything except the sexy fighter in the ring who sets my mind ablaze and my body on fire with wanting…

Remington Tate is the strongest, most confusing man I’ve ever met in my life.

He’s the star of the dangerous underground fighting circuit, and I’m drawn to him as I’ve never been drawn to anything in my life. I forget who I am, what I want, with just one look from him. When he’s near, I need to remind myself that I am strong–but he is stronger. And now it’s my job to keep his body working like a perfect machine, his taut muscles primed and ready to break the bones of his next opponents . . .

But the one he’s most threatening to, now, is me.

I want him. I want him without fear. Without reservations.

If only I knew for sure what it is that he wants from me?

So there’s contemporary romance books and then there’s SIZZLING HOT contemporary romance books, REAL by Katy Evans being the latter.  Let me tell you that reading this book in a heat wave, as I did, is definitely NOT recommended as my God if I didn’t need a cold shower to begin with, I certainly needed one after!  To say I loved this book would be a massive understatement and it’s become one of my all time favourites in this genre.  At the time of writing this review, I may have already re-read it twice *clears throat*.  I think you can probably guess that this book contains adult content but I still feel the need to point that out to you just in case it’s not your thing.

REAL is told from the perspective of Brooke, a young woman whose Olympic dreams were dashed when she sustained a particularly nasty sports injury and after she picked herself up and dusted herself off, she redirected her interests towards sports rehabilitation.  One night, she is dragged to an underground boxing match by her best friend Melanie, who is desperate to show off her newest crush: Remington “Riptide” Tate.  Feeling out of place and looking oh so demure in her work gear, Brooke really doesn’t want to be there – until she sets eyes on HIM.  And after Melanie screams something suggestive at Remy, he turns and locks eyes with Brooke.  Sparks fly.  But Remy’s on the road a lot so how can he get to know this girl that’s captivated him?  Why, offer her a job of course but does business mix well with pleasure?  And what happens when your badly behaved sister threatens everything you’ve been striving for? You’ll just have to read to find out.

I’m going to be honest and say that when I first heard that the guy was called Remington, I laughed because every time I say it, I immediately think of Pierce Brosnan as Remington Steele.  Thankfully, he was referred to as Remy most of the time and this made it easier for me to accept.

What I like most about this book, besides the fact that the sexual chemistry between the two main characters is OFF THE CHARTS, is that it’s about more than that.  I’m frightened to go into more detail because I don’t really want to spoil it for you but I appreciated the fact that it was about more and that’s what sets the book apart for me.  It makes it more REAL.  Because real people have real problems.  Speaking of the characters, I’m not sure Remy will ever be ‘Brain of Britain’ but who cares, he’s hot as hell and a REAL alpha male.  He’s primal, animalistic, protective and possessive but not in a ‘I’m going to tell you what you can wear’ kind of way, rather a ‘You’re mine and no one else can have you’ kind of way which is HOT, HOT, HOT.  Unsurprisingly, Remy is a bit of a tortured soul who doesn’t come from a great background but I admire his discipline and control with regards to his fitness, and also with Brooke.  He’s not the best communicator in the world but I love how he and Brooke talk to each other through music, which is something that really touched me.

Brooke’s past career means she understands Remy’s discipline and the competitive edge to his personality.  What I liked about Brooke is that she’s definitely got personality but at the same time, she could be you or me and that’s a clever thing for a writer to pull off. 

REAL is a fantastic debut novel that is quite frankly unputdownable and hot as hell.  There are a lot of books out there about alpha males and MMA fighters but trust me when I tell you that this is one of the best, most refreshing books in that category and it comes highly recommended by me.

REAL was published on 28th May, 2013.  To find out more about Katy Evans and her books, please click here to visit her website.

Wednesday 6 November 2013

Waiting on Wednesday

"Waiting On Wednesday" is a weekly event, originally started by Jill at Breaking the Spine , that highlights upcoming book releases everyone is waiting on...hence the title. This week's pick is Avalon by Mindee Arnett. Here's the synopsis:

A ragtag group of teenage mercenaries who crew the spaceship Avalon stumble upon a conspiracy that could threaten the entire galaxy in this fascinating and fast-paced sci-fi adventure from author Mindee Arnett.

Of the various star systems that make up the Confederation, most lie thousands of light-years from First Earth-and out here, no one is free. The agencies that govern the Confederation are as corrupt as the crime bosses who patrol it, and power is held by anyone with enough greed and ruthlessness to claim it. That power is derived from one thing: metatech, the devices that allow people to travel great distances faster than the speed of light.

Jeth Seagrave and his crew of teenage mercenaries have survived in this world by stealing unsecured metatech, and they're damn good at it. Jeth doesn't care about the politics or the law; all he cares about is earning enough money to buy back his parents' ship, Avalon, from his crime-boss employer and getting himself and his sister, Lizzie, the heck out of Dodge. But when Jeth finds himself in possession of information that both the crime bosses and the government are willing to kill for, he is going to have to ask himself how far he'll go to get the freedom he's wanted for so long.
Avalon is the perfect fit for teens new to sci-fi as well as seasoned sci-fi readers looking for more books in the YA space-and a great match for fans of Joss Whedon's cult hit show Firefly.

OMG this book has my name written all over it.  It sounds exciting, it's sci fi, it's set in space, it sounds PERFECT, at least for me and I seriously can't wait to read it.  May have to hit the pre order button for this one.   Thankfully there isn't too much longer to wait for this and I understand that there is a prequel in the form of a short ebook coming in December.  

Avalon is published on 21st January, 2014. 

Monday 4 November 2013

Letterbox Love (#74)

As always, Letterbox Love is a weekly feature that I'm hosting on the blog and basically, the idea came out of a discussion with other UK book bloggers about the need to do a weekly meme with more of a British feel to it. Therefore, Letterbox Love was born and the logo was lovingly designed by Dark Readers. Letterbox Love is a way for us to share the books that come through our letterbox, galleys and e books (through our electronic letterbox) and any other bookish goodies that we want to tell you about. Letterbox Love is intended to showcase upcoming books and build up some excitement for them as well as let you know what is available out there. It is not about competing with other bloggers or boasting of any kind (c'mon, we're British and we don't do drama!)

Review Books

  I did not receive any review books this week.


Books Bought


The Iron King by Julie Kagawa
The Iron Queen by Julie Kagawa
 The Iron Daughter by Julie Kagawa
 The Iron Knight by Julie Kagawa
 The Lost Prince by Julie Kagawa

I've already read and reviewed  The Iron King but I wanted the UK paperback to go with my collection and the rest of the books as I haven't read any more of the series yet.  My mum is a HUGE fan of this series.  I've bought every single book for her and she's read and loved them all.  I've got the newest one right here as part of her Christmas present.  I remember LOVING Ash (incidentally, my mum loves him too) and I want to find out what happens.  If my mum loves these books to death, I know I will too. They were on offer at The Works, my favourite shop in the world - they had a box set for £9.99 but it was out of stock.  The books were 3 for £5 so it didn't really matter anyway.


Vicious by V. E. Schwab
Another highly anticipated book and it's finally in my hands.  I had a problem with my pre-order after waiting patiently, I cancelled it and re-ordered it with another online seller.   I'm so curious about the book, especially as it's Victoria's first adult book and one that I know means a hell of a lot to her, it certainly did when she was writing it.  I have a feeling we might have some movie news about it soon but we'll see.

 Horns by Joe Hill
I've been curious about this book for the longest time and it comes with a glowing recommendation from Melissa Marr, author of Wicked Lovely if memory serves.  Joe Hill is of course the son of Stephen King (something I only found out recently) and can you believe I found the US hardback in Poundland for...you guessed it, £1.  There's no way I could pass that up and if you're interested, there were also copies of The Reckoning by Alma Katsu.  I do kinda feel bad that they are so cheap as I know how much work goes into a book but this is the deal of the century.

Wallbanger by Alice Clayton
This is one of my favourite adult books EVER and yes, I've read and reviewed it already.  I bought the paperback because I have the chance to get it signed by the lady herself next week!

 The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
This is a book I've wanted to read for the longest time but it's never been a price I wanted to pay for it.  It was on offer at The Works and since the movie is coming out, this seemed like the right time to get it. 

 
 
Allegiant by Veronica Roth
This is the US hardback edition of Allegiant and I had to get this for my collection.  I pre-ordered this a hundred years ago from Amazon who then, rather helpfully cancelled my order for me last minute and so I ordered from Abe Books but it was a paperback.  So, I had to put a rush on a hardback as I am meeting Veronica Roth herself on Wednesday!!!!  I've read Allegiant and am about to write my review so get ready! 

E Books

Night Owl by M. Pearce (Bought)
I love the sound of this book because firstly, I AM a night owl and secondly, it's about online writing partners.  I have to read it. 

Crave by Monica Murphy (Bought)
I confess that since I bought it, I've actually read it already.  I really enjoyed it and my review will go up soon.  I love stories about a  girl and her brother's best friend.


Stargazing from Nowhere by Isabel Thomas (Netgalley - For Review)
A blogger who meets her rock star crush after saying negative things about him on the blog? Yep, I have to read that. 

Hopeless For You by Hayden Hill (Netgalley - For Review)
This is a New Adult novel and I like the fact that this is about a guy who is afraid of commitment and a girl who is afraid to love again.  Sold. 

Fearsome by S. A. Wolfe (Netgalley - For Review)
This is another New Adult novel and another that I LOVE the sound of - AND I've just found out that it has brothers and I can't resist brothers.  I may have to read this next.


I think I did rather well on the ebook front this week, don't you?!  As always, I'm at a loss as to what to read next because my choices are too vast.  I have A LOT of awesome books and that fact paralyses me as a reader.  So much so, that sometimes I re-read something I've already read (don't ask me why).   Anyway, I haven't made any decisions yet but I'll let you know.  As always, I hope you've had a great week for books and please share your links below.