Fifty Shades of Grey Review

“When literature student Anastasia Steele is drafted to interview the successful young entrepreneur Christian Grey for her campus magazine, she finds him attractive, enigmatic and intimidating. Convinced their meeting went badly, she tries to put Grey out of her mind - until he happens to turn up at the out-of-town hardware store where she works part-time.

The unworldly, innocent Ana is shocked to realize she wants this man, and when he warns her to keep her distance it only makes her more desperate to get close to him. Unable to resist Ana’s quiet beauty, wit, and independent spirit, Grey admits he wants her - but on his own terms.

Shocked yet thrilled by Grey's singular erotic tastes, Ana hesitates. For all the trappings of success – his multinational businesses, his vast wealth, his loving adoptive family – Grey is a man tormented by demons and consumed by the need to control. When the couple embark on a passionate, physical and daring affair, Ana learns more about her own dark desires, as well as the Christian Grey hidden away from public scrutiny.

Can their relationship transcend physical passion? Will Ana find it in herself to submit to the self-indulgent Master? And if she does, will she still love what she finds? Erotic, amusing, and deeply moving, the Fifty Shades Trilogy is a tale that will obsess you, possess you, and stay with you forever”

I am going to start this review with a warning. 
This is a very adult book and one that is aimed at over 18’s.  
This review does contain adult material and you have been warned.

So, I’m guessing that you’ve heard of a little book called Fifty Shades of Grey that’s rocketed its way to the top of both the US and UK fiction charts?  Nowadays of course, it’s infamous and there are even talks of a movie deal with Ian Somerhalder expressing interest (OH DEAR GOD, YES PLEASE) although really, this is not a movie that I’d want to watch in public ;)  By now, I’m sure you know that Fifty Shades is based on Twilight fan fiction and was written by a British TV Executive.  It was originally posted online as “Master of the Universe” and thank God they changed the title!

I first heard about the book back in March when there were some mutterings on Twitter from across the pond.  Oh and it just happens to feature BDSM which may as well have been the 'British Driver's School of Motoring' for all I knew.  You will be pleased to know that after reading the book, I am now quite well educated in BDSM (or at least what it is) and I even know what it stands for!  I’d read another review of Fifty Shades that basically tore it to shreds and so I initially decided against reading it but truth be told, one night I got drunk and was messing around with my kindle (Note: that is NOT a euphemism).  I was checking out the book and the device stalled so I pressed the button again and before I knew it, it said I purchased Fifty Shades.  I took it as fate that I was supposed to read the book ;)

I had no idea what I’d let myself in for and there wasn’t even any naughtiness for the first 80 pages or so.  Could it be that there was an actual STORY there?  Well dear reader, yes there is.  Besides all the hype about the erotica, there is a story, there is romance and there is character development.  There’s even a little humour thrown in for good measure with the flirty e mail exchanges (very Brigid Jones like) and I really didn’t mind the inclusion of Ana’s Inner Goddess who acts out every now and then.  I’m not going to say the book was perfect – there were some overused words and I got a bit sick of seeing “oh my” all the time (which incidentally reminded me of Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz) but I didn’t let that interfere with my enjoyment of the story.

At first, I was embarrassed to tell people that I’d read the book as it was my own little guilty pleasure but now everyone’s reading it so what does it matter?  I’m not ashamed to say that I really liked it and as with Twilight, I quickly devoured all three books in a matter of days.   What I will say though is that if you’re going to read it in public, use an e reader although I tried and failed at that as I was convinced people were looking over my shoulder and questioning my choice of reading material!

I’ve heard Fifty Shades described as “mommy porn” which personally I find somewhat offensive as I am not a mother, nor do I think it is porn.  It’s also been parodied by Saturday Night Live and Ellen, and ripped to shreds by some bloggers and reviewers and yet I find the desperate need to defend this book, just like I did with Twilight.  Basically, if you didn’t like Twilight, what makes you think that you’re going to like something based on Twilight fan fiction?! I heard one blogger call the book tame and quite frankly, I’m not going to question what goes on in her bedroom but I think it’s a very sexy read.  I loved the book and despite his damaged past and his love of “kinkyfuckery”, I am in love with Christian Grey and I defy you all not to fall in love with him too.

Fifty Shades of Grey was published in April 2012.  To find out more about E.L. James, please click here to visit her website.

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 Seeking Crystal by Joss Stirling. Here's the synopsis:

"Sparks will fly . . . Passion will ignite . . .

Crystal Brook has always been the dud Savant in her family; paranormal powers just aren't her thing. Dropping out of school with a clutch of 'E' grades and no future, she lives in the shadow of her high-flying sister Diamond. On a trip to Denver, a chance encounter with the dashing Benedict brothers leaves Diamond head over heels in love and engaged to be married. Crystal, on the other hand, is unimpressed by their charms . . . in fact no boy can annoy her as much as Xav Benedict! Back in Venice, their families assemble for Diamond's wedding and a powerful enemy seizes the opportunity to attack. Crystal and Xav must join forces to save their loved-ones, unlocking a secret that, until now, has lain deeply buried ..."

I LOVE this series.  Seeking Crystal is the third instalment (following Finding Sky and Stealing Phoenix, both of which I have read and reviewed on the blog).  Now it's Xavier's turn to meet his soulmate in the form of Crystal Brook.  I don't care that I know the destination, it's the journey that makes it exciting and I can't wait to read all about Xavier and Crystal's journey towards each other.  If this series were in hardback, that would make my day but I'll settle for the pretty paperbacks for now.  


Seeking Crystal is published on 16th October, 2012. To find out more about Joss Stirling and her books, please click here to visit her website. 

 

Narratively Speaking in TOP TEN UK Teenage Literature Blogs

Just in case you hadn't heard, Narratively Speaking was recently selected by Cision (a global media intelligence provider) to be included in this week's Cision's Top 10 UK Teenage Literature Blogs AND Cision's Top 10 UK Children's Teenage blogs on Twitter.  If you want to check out the official links, they are here and here.

This news makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside and I want to say a big THANK YOU to all my followers for reading my reviews/articles and for all your comments (which I LOVE).

Letterbox Love (#2)

Letterbox Love is a new 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 - see what I did there?!) 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!)

So, without further a do, here's what I got this week...

Review Books

Shine by Jeri Smith Ready (Simon & Schuster)

Changeling by Philippa Gregory (Simon & Schuster)

Thank you publishers!!!

Books Bought

Last Rite by Lisa Desrochers (Paperback)

E-Books
Epic Fail by Claire LaZebnick (Bought)
Immortal Awakening by K.C. Randall (Bought)
A Thief of Nightshade by J.S. Chancellor (Free)


I also have a red card from the Royal Mail telling me that there are two books waiting for me at the post office so I'm going to include those in next week's post. I have no idea whether they are review books or otherwise.

It is my plan to get Mr Linky working on here so you can all link your Letterbox Love posts but in the meantime, I would love you to leave a comment with the link to your post and I will check them out :) Thanks everyone :) 

The Hunt Blog Tour

I'm ecstatic to be part of The Hunt UK blog tour because I finished reading this book a week ago and loved it!  If you missed my review (posted yesterday) click here to read it. Today, I'm going to be giving you Gene's Top Ten Survival Tips for Hepers but before I do, here's a bit more information about the book:

"Don’t Sweat.  Don’t Laugh.  Don’t draw attention to yourself.  And most of all, whatever you do, do not fall in love with one of them.

Gene is different from everyone else around him.  He can’t run with lightning speed, sunlight doesn’t hurt him and he doesn’t have an unquenchable lust for blood.  Gene is a human, and he knows the rules.  Keep the truth a secret.  It’s the only way to stay alive in a world of night—a world where humans are considered a delicacy and hunted for their blood.

When he’s chosen for a once in a lifetime opportunity to hunt the last remaining humans, Gene’s carefully constructed life begins to crumble around him.  He’s thrust into the path of a girl who makes him feel things he never thought possible—and into a ruthless pack of hunters whose suspicions about his true nature are growing. Now that Gene has finally found something worth fighting for, his need to survive is stronger than ever—but is it worth the cost of his humanity? "

Sounds awesome right?  Let me tell you that is CHOCKABLOCK full of tension and will have you rooting for Gene like you wouldn't believe.  Gene is human or a Heper as they are known in the world of The Hunt.  Basically, we've been reduced to a delicacy and the hunters will stop at nothing to get their hands on us. Some of us are living among the enemy, people like Gene who has had to learn the rules in order to survive.  Break one just one time and it's game over.  So without further a do, I'm very pleased to present Gene's Top Ten Survival Tips for Hepers:

Top Ten Survival Tips for Hepers

1. Stay out of the sun. 

If you must venture out during the daytime, go in the dawn hours when sunlight is the weakest. Never wear a watch outdoors in the sun – it can leave a tell-tale tan line on your wrist.

2. Don’t smile, don’t laugh, don’t grin. 

Avoid watching comedy movies, reading comics, listening to jokes. From an early age, learn to scratch your wrist whenever you find something humorous. Do this repeatedly; burn it into your long-term muscle memory so that you eventually do it without conscious effort.

3. Don’t sweat. 

Sweat is a dead giveaway. Because people don’t sweat, not a drop. They remain cool, dry, clean. Only hepers sweat. So don’t do cross-country, football, don’t even play competitive chess. But swimming is fine, because the water hides sweat.

4. Don’t show any emotion. 

Don’t emote surprise, confusion, sadness, despondency. Be careful of frown lines; you might be get away with the occasional frown across your brow, but too many will arouse suspicion. Whatever you do, do not cry. No matter how bad it gets.

5. Don’t forget to shave. 

Every inch of your body - except your head and eyebrows – must be shaved. There cannot be a hint of hair on your arms, chest, legs, even toes. Shave right before you go out at dusk so as to get the closest shave, the smoothest skin. Before you leave the house, scrutinize your body for any shaving nicks. Shaving nicks will kill you.

6. Don’t fall asleep outside.

People can’t fall asleep unless upside down. It’s a physiological impossibility. Falling asleep in class at your desk would be a dead give-away. Never go to sleepovers. Never watch boring movies, or attend long lectures.

7. Don’t wave farewell. 

Never swing your hand side to side with fingers extended upwards. It might feel like a reflex, but you must kill that impulse. It is unnatural. 

8. Never fall in love. 

Whatever you do, do not fall in love with one of them. Because it will weaken your defences, cause you to smile or laugh, to sweat, to show emotion. And most of all, nothing can ever come of it. But your death. You fall in love, you die.

9. Never forget who you are.

10. Burn this list. 

Burn it now. 

Thank you Gene!  The next stop on the tour (tomorrow) is Wondrous Reads so be sure to check it out.  

The Hunt is published on 8th May, 2012 in the US and 10th May, 2012 in the UK.  To find out more about Andrew Fukuda and The Hunt, please click here to visit his website.   Andrew is also active on Facebook and Twitter.

The Hunt Review

“Don’t Sweat.  Don’t Laugh.  Don’t draw attention to yourself.  And most of all, whatever you do, do not fall in love with one of them.

Gene is different from everyone else around him.  He can’t run with lightning speed, sunlight doesn’t hurt him and he doesn’t have an unquenchable lust for blood.  Gene is a human, and he knows the rules.  Keep the truth a secret.  It’s the only way to stay alive in a world of night—a world where humans are considered a delicacy and hunted for their blood.

When he’s chosen for a once in a lifetime opportunity to hunt the last remaining humans, Gene’s carefully constructed life begins to crumble around him.  He’s thrust into the path of a girl who makes him feel things he never thought possible—and into a ruthless pack of hunters whose suspicions about his true nature are growing. Now that Gene has finally found something worth fighting for, his need to survive is stronger than ever—but is it worth the cost of his humanity?”

I have to say that I loved the sound of The Hunt by Andrew Fukuda when I first heard about it but it took me several pages to get into it.  Thankfully, once I had settled into Andrew’s writing style, the characters and the world building, I really enjoyed it.  Enough to still be thinking about it days after reading and enough to buy a finished copy for my collection which I think proves to you how much I liked it.

Often in books, we read about vampires hiding among humans so I love the idea that Andrew flips this on its head and it is now the humans that are hiding amongst vampires.  Interestingly enough the’ V’ word is never once mentioned in the book but it’s obvious from the description of fangs, sleeping upside down and blood lust for humans or ‘Hepers’ as they are referred to that, that’s what we’re dealing with.  Personally, I think that perhaps Andrew did not want the reader to bring their preconceived ideas about vampires to the table as he has he tried to put his own individual stamp on the supernatural creatures with quirky behavioural traits like scratching wrists when something is funny for example.  

One of the good things about the vampires in The Hunt is that they are not hot, romantic or sexy in ANY SHAPE OR FORM.  They are monsters with a blood lust unrivalled by any other vampire I’ve read about, mostly because we’re led to believe that Hepers are in short supply and have been hunted almost to the point of extinction.  I should say at this point that for those of you who are thinking that this book is too scary for you, I don’t read scary books and I loved this one so give it a chance!

With regards to the characters, I’ll be honest and say that I wanted more romance but I understand why this couldn’t happen.  Gene is stilted emotionally from trying to blend in with the bad guys so it was very hard for him to express himself, especially without getting caught and one little slip equals game over.   The things Gene has to do to blend in makes you question whether he really has a life at all but his strong survival instinct wins out.  At least for now.

As you can imagine, The Hunt is one big ball of tension that doesn’t stop building all the way through the book.  I got to the point where I couldn’t put the book down and the ending will have you blowing out a huge breath from your pursed lips.  Andrew set up the next book VERY WELL and I can’t wait to see what happens next.  Seriously.

The Hunt was an excellent dystopian novel and a fantastic read that I Cannot. Stop. Thinking. About.   I dare you to immerse yourself in the world of The Hunt where no-one is safe and there's everything to play for.

The Hunt is published on 10th May, 2012 in the UK and 8th May, 2012 in the US. To find out more about Andrew Fukuda and his books, please click here to visit his website.   I am happy to report that I am taking part in The Hunt UK Blog Tour and so I would love it if you came back tomorrow to check out Gene’s Top Ten Tips for Survival.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster for sending me an ARC.

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 Falling Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes.  Here's the synopsis:

"In a land where magic has been forgotten but peace has reigned for centuries, a deadly unrest is simmering. Three kingdoms grapple for power--brutally transforming their subjects' lives in the process. Amidst betrayals, bargains, and battles, four young people find their fates forever intertwined:

Cleo: A princess raised in luxury must embark on a rough and treacherous journey into enemy territory in search of a magic long thought extinct.

Jonas: Enraged at injustice, a rebel lashes out against the forces of oppression that have kept his country impoverished--and finds himself the leader of a people's revolution centuries in the making.

Lucia: A girl adopted at birth into a royal family discovers the truth about her past--and the supernatural legacy she is destined to wield.

Magnus: Bred for aggression and trained to conquer, a firstborn son begins to realize that the heart can be more lethal than the sword...

The only outcome that's certain is that kingdoms will fall. Who will emerge triumphant when all they know has collapsed?"

WOW, this sounds to me a bit like Game of Thrones YA style and I am all for that!  Throw in some romance and some magic and this shoots to the top of my wish list!  Falling Kingdoms is written by Morgan Rhodes, which is a pseudonym for Michelle Rowan, a prolific writer who has published many books.  I don't know of any UK release but I wouldn't be surprised to see it comes to these shores in the near future.  Falling Kingdoms is published on 11th December, 2012.  To find out more about the book and read the first 30 pages, please click here to visit the website.

Storm (Elementals #1) Review

“Earth, Fire, Air, Water – they have more power than you dream.

Ever since her ex-boyfriend spread those lies about her, Becca Chandler is suddenly getting all the guys—all the ones she doesn't want. Then she saves Chris Merrick from a beating in the school parking lot. Chris is different. Way different: he can control water—just like his brothers can control fire, wind, and earth. They’re powerful. Dangerous. Marked for death.

And now that she knows the truth, so is Becca.

Secrets are hard to keep when your life’s at stake. When Hunter, the mysterious new kid around school, turns up with a talent for being in the wrong place at the right time, Becca thinks she can trust him. But then Hunter goes head-to-head with Chris, and Becca wonders who’s hiding the most dangerous truth of all.

The storm is coming . . .”

So, I only heard about this awesome little book called Storm by Brigid Kemmerer yesterday from my very good friend and fellow book blogger Book Angel Emma and when I found out that it was about four brothers who could wield the elements, I knew it was the book for me!  Thankfully the kindle version is available now and I read it in one sitting.

Basically, Becca is a seemingly normal girl at the centre of the school rumour mill and tries to ignore it but the sneers and comments wound her most of the time.  One dark night, she stumbles upon an altercation in a car park, that is to say that Chris (some guy she barely knows from school) is getting the shit kicked out of him and she feels compelled to help (Yes, I know...it’s the GIRL that comes to the rescue!!).  I’m not sure she really thought about the danger she was putting herself in but kudos to her for being a BAMF.  Unfortunately, she then gets caught up in the trouble that seems to follow the Merrick brothers around and ultimately finds out about their tantalising secret.  She has a connection to Chris but "it’s complicated” made further complicated by the arrival of Hunter aka “the new kid” who shows up out of nowhere but is there more to him than meets the eye?  It’s not a straightforward love triangle but like everything else in this book, it’s real and believable – I mean, Becca and Chris didn’t define their relationship and they don’t even know what’s going on between them half the time.  I have to say that whilst Hunter was cute, I was rooting for Chris the whole way (I’m a sucker for the underdog).

I loved finding out about the Merrick brothers and how each of them was so different to one another.  Michael as the oldest was the disciplinarian and father figure, then there’s the twins Gabriel (the fiery one with all the best one liners) and Nick (the peacekeeper) and last but not least, Chris who is the baby brother.  I’m going to take a stab in the dark here and guess that Brigid grew up with a bolshy band of brothers because the banter was so realistic and Gabriel made me LOL at times.  The good thing about the brothers is that they may be HAWT (OK, well they are to me) but they're also flawed and very real.  Naturally, I now want to see them all paired off and it’s possible that we’ve seen hints between Nick and Becca’s best friend Quinn although that could easily have been harmless banter but only time will tell.    I understand that Spark (the sequel) will focus on Gabriel so THAT should be interesting ;)

The good thing about Storm is that although it features four hot brothers who can control the elements, it actually has a good storyline too.  I *LOVED* the explanation given as to how the elementals came to be and it actually all sounds quite believable.  Of course, with any decent story there has to be conflict and that comes in the form of guides who basically take down anyone making trouble.  The Merrick brothers have got to try and be on their best behaviour but with Gabriel around, that aint ever going to happen ;)

I really enjoyed this book and I love any story with romance and brothers *swoon*, so much so that I’d really like to get the paperback for my book collection.  I’m really looking forward to the sequel (I can’t WAIT to read about Gabriel) and of course reading the prequel and novellas that follow.  Storm was an excellent debut novel, fast paced and full of tension and proves to be an exciting start to a new series that should be on everyone’s list.

Storm is part of a planned trilogy and was published digitally on 24th April, 2012 in both the US and the UK.  The paperback is available now in the US and from June, 2012 in the UK (just in time for my birthday, hoorah!)  Spark (the sequel) is published in August/September, 2012.   Just to let you know that there is a prequel available digitally NOW entitled Elemental but this is included in the digital version of Storm as is the first chapter of Spark.  There will be another novella in August, entitled Fearless, all about Hunter.

To find out more about Brigid and her books, please click here to visit her website.

Cover Reveal: Awry by Chelsea Fine (and giveaway)

I am beyond thrilled and excited to reveal the cover of Awry by Chelsea Fine today on the blog which is of course the sequel to one of my favourite books EVER - Anew aka the book I keep raving on about.  Just in case you've missed my previous posts (heaven forbid) my review of Anew is here and my Literary Boyfriend of the Week is Tristan if you want to know more about him then you can, by clicking here. 

Here's the synopsis for Awry:

"Three curses. Two brothers. One love triangle.

 
Sometimes love is meant to be. But sometimes...love is the death of you.

Seventeen-year-old Scarlet has just died. Only, dying isn't unusual for a girl under a centuries old curse that left her semi-immortal.

This time, though, she comes back to her current life instead of awaking in a new one, and she realizes the curse is changing. Together with the immortal Archer brothers, Scarlet must piece together her life and try to break the curse before her impending death comes again.

Chelsea Fine's much anticipated second book of her paranormal trilogy, The Archers of Avalon, is the story of one girl's trials with heartbreak, romance, and destiny."

OMG how I need this book!!!  Like now!!!  I cannot wait to read it and tell you all about it (as spoiler free as possible of course).  Because I love Anew so much, I'm going to offer my lovely followers the chance to win an digital copy of the book.  All you have to do is leave me a comment with your name and e mail address and WHY you want to read Anew.  Simple!  Let's make it INTERNATIONAL and you have until 14th May to leave a comment before a random winner will be chosen. The winner will be contacted by e mail and will have 48 hours to respond before a new winner is chosen.  Good luck everyone! :)

Letterbox Love (#1)

Letterbox Love is a new 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.  If I'm honest, we also wanted to stay out of the drama surrounding The Story Siren right now too.  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 - see what I did there?!) 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!)

So, without further a do, here's what I got this week...

Review Books

Adorkable by Sarra Manning (Atom)

Clarity by Kim Harrington (Scholastic)

Timepiece by Myra McEntire (Egmont US)

Hunting Lila by Sarah Alderson (Simon & Schuster UK)

Rapture by Lauren Kate (Random House UK)

Thank you publishers!!!

 

Books Bought

The Last Echo by Kimberly Derting (US Hardback)

Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore (UK Hardback)

The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa (US Hardback)

The Selection by Kiera Cass  (US Hardback)

Ascend by Amanda Hocking (US Paperback)

I also got this...

The Hunger Games Official Illustrated Movie Companion

E books
Storm by Brigid Kemmerer (Bought)

Nothing but Time by Angeline Fortin (Bought)
Her Best Friend's Brother by T.J. Dell (Bought)
Where I Belong by Gwendolyn Heasley (Bought)
Before by Dawn Rae Miller (Free prequel to Larkstorm on Amazon)
Elemental by Brigid Kemmerer (Free prequel on Amazon)
The Selection by Kiera Cass (Netgalley courtesy of HarperCollins UK)

I should probably point out at this point, that a lot of my bought books were pre-orders and bought when I had money lol.  I hope I'm showing you  that book bloggers buy A LOT of books and don't just rely on advanced copies.  In fact, if I love a book that I've read in advance, I will buy a finished copy of that book.


It is my plan to get Mr Linky working on here so you can all link your Letterbox Love posts but in the meantime, I would love you to leave a comment with the link to your post and I will check them out :)  Thanks everyone :)

Literary Boyfriend of the Week

I've been meaning to do this for a really long time now and I'm finally getting around to it!  If you know me at all and/or read my reviews, you will know that I have a long list of literary boyfriends added to the list from the books I read.  I felt like they kind of needed showcasing a little and so I decided to start "Literary Boyfriend of the Week" which you may sing in a Harry Hill TV Burp kind of way should you choose to.  For the very first week, I choose Tristan from Anew by Chelsea Fine (and no that is definitely not him on the cover).  I loved this book with a passion and you can see just how much by reading my review here. 

 If you haven't heard me raving about this book (where have you been?!) then here is the synopsis:

"Two years ago, Scarlet awoke in the forest alone, afraid, and unable to remember anything. Lost and confused, her life was a mystery...until she met a boy with a familiar voice.

Gabriel Archer has a voice from her past, and Scarlet's determined to remember why. She immerses herself in his life only to discover he has a brother he's kept hidden from her: Tristan Archer.

Upon meeting Tristan, Scarlet's world becomes even more muddled. While she's instinctively drawn to Gabriel, she's impossibly drawn to Tristan--and confused out of her mind. As she tries to piece together her history Scarlet realizes her past...might just be the death of her."

So yeah, two brothers, a girl and a curse *rubs hands together with glee*.  I'll bet you're curious to know about Tristan, right?  I had someone in mind but the picture is lost on a hard drive somewhere so I'm going to show you what Chelsea thinks he looks like as she posted this on her blog recently...

HELLO! I think we can probably all agree that he is MIGHTY FINE (even without a head) and wow, I just want to reach out and touch him lol.  Now, Tristan has a twin brother Gabriel (OMG DOUBLE the hotness) but Tristan is the only one with a tattoo that Chelsea promised to show us as it plays quite a significant part in the story.  Here it is in all its glory...

I should say at this point that I do not choose my literary boyfriends lightly and in no way is it all about looks. In fact, that comes last for me so let me tell you a little about Tristan and why I chose him this week.  Tristan is a tortured soul and boy does that do something to me.  He is willing to stay away from Scarlet (the main female character) to save her life even if that causes him pain.  He is willing to do ANYTHING to save her and read into that what you will.  I can't say too much because I don't want to spoil it for those who haven't read the book yet but I hope I've whet your appetite enough to read the story.  Some of the scenes are just so romantic and full of angst ridden tension that I EAT FOR BREAKFAST, LUNCH AND DINNER. He's romantic, tough, smart, thoughtful and brave but not without flaws of course which makes him that much more endearing.  Tristan, you are wonderful and deserve your place on the list and as my literary boyfriend of the week.  

Favourite quotes

Tristan is romantic...

“He stood there, drinking her in like he was a thirsty man and she was water in the desert. Because his soul...his foolish and hopeful soul...wanted her just as much as she wanted him."

Tough...

“Gabriel glanced down. “Seriously, Tristan? You drive around with a trunk full of weapons?”
“Of course.”
“Why?”
“Because I’m the family bad guy.”  

Smart and thoughtful...

“Tristan was silent for a few moments, looking at the leaves before them. "Life isnt about the past and the future. Its about today." He paused. "Its about five minutes from now and two seconds ago. Its moments, you know? Not years. Years aren't what define us.”



To find out more about Chelsea Fine and Anew (as well as her other books), please click here to visit her website.

Cover Reveal: Unchained by J. Lynn

For those of you that don't know, one of my favourite YA authors Jennifer L. Armentrout is now also publishing adult novels under the pen name of J. Lynn.  Unchained is her next offering and just in case you haven't heard of it, here is the synopsis:

"Between the pissed off creatures that want demon-hunter Lily Marks dead and the fallen angel who just...wants her, Lily is about ready to trade in forever for a comfy job in a cubicle farm.  The fact that she and Julian are civil to one another is enough to have her thrown out of the Sanctuary, but she can't shake her not-so-angelic stalker or how he brings her dangerously close to ecstasy.  Her forbidden relationship with Julian provides the perfect fuel for suspicion when a traitor is discovered to be working within the Sanctuary. Lily quickly finds herself hunted by well, everyone.  Her only hope is to discover the real traitor before she loses everything--and she'll need Julian's help. That is, if Julian is really there to help her...and not destroy her.

Yeah, being a Nephilim isn't everything it's cracked up to be."

Unchained is published in mass trade size wherever books are sold on October 16, 2012.  Don't forget to check out her other work, a contemporary romance entitled Tempting the Best Man which I reviewed here.  Please note that this is an adult romance, which does contain scenes that could be perceived as naughty, naughty and you should be an adult if reading!  Alternatively of course, you can always check out her Young Adult series, The Covenant (Half-Blood) and Lux Series (Obsidian) under the name Jennifer L. Armentrout.

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 Pushing The Limits by Katie McGarry.  Here's the synopsis:

"What if the last person you should fall in love with is the only one who can save you? 

"I won't tell anyone, Echo. I promise". Noah tucked a curl behind my ear. It had been so long since someone touched me like he did. Why did it have to be Noah Hutchins? His dark brown eyes shifted to my covered arms. "You didn't do that - did you. It was done to you?" No one ever asked that question. They stared. They whispered. They laughed. But they never asked. The room tilted...

No one knows what really happened the night Echo Emerson went from popular girl with jock boyfriend to gossiped-about outsider with "freaky" scars on her arms. Even Echo can't remember the whole truth of the horrible night that changed her life forever. But when Noah Hutchins, the smoking-hot loner in the black leather jacket, explodes into her life with his tough attitude and surprising understanding, Echo's world shifts in ways she could never have imagined. Yet the crazy attraction between them refuses to go away. And now Echo has to ask herself just what she'll risk for the one guy who might teach her how to love again..."


I'm kind of cheating with this pick as although it's not out for a few months, I have already read it and let me tell you, it was one of those OMGILOVEDIT kind of books. Any sort of forbidden or unlikely romance totally floats my boat and I knew I needed this book when I first read the synopsis.  Good job Mira Ink happened to send me an ARC (thank you Mira Ink!).  I really like the UK cover but the US cover does it for me and in case you haven't seen it, here it is...

All I can say is that I'm totally buying a finished copy for my shelves and I highly recommend the book.  Watch out for my review ;) 

Pushing the Limits is published on 31st July, 2012 in the US and 3rd August, 2012 in the UK.  To find out more about the the Katie and her book, please click here to visit her website. 

Insurgent Review

“One choice can transform you—or it can destroy you. But every choice has consequences, and as unrest surges in the factions all around her, Tris Prior must continue trying to save those she loves—and herself—while grappling with haunting questions of grief and forgiveness, identity and loyalty, politics and love.

Tris's initiation day should have been marked by celebration and victory with her chosen faction; instead, the day ended with unspeakable horrors. War now looms as conflict between the factions and their ideologies grows. And in times of war, sides must be chosen, secrets will emerge, and choices will become even more irrevocable—and even more powerful. Transformed by her own decisions but also by haunting grief and guilt, radical new discoveries, and shifting relationships, Tris must fully embrace her Divergence, even if she does not know what she may lose by doing so.

New York Times bestselling author Veronica Roth's much-anticipated second book of the dystopian Divergent series is another intoxicating thrill ride of a story, rich with hallmark twists, heartbreaks, romance, and powerful insights about human nature.”

Flash back to around this time last year when a little known book called Divergent by debut novelist Veronica Roth burst onto the scene.   I remember being one of the first book bloggers in the UK to read it and subsequently, fall in love with it.  Divergent quickly became one of my all time favourite books and Veronica Roth was firmly planted on my radar.   Fast forward to 2012 and the sequel entitled Insurgent by NEW YORK TIMES BEST SELLING AUTHOR Veronica Roth is about to hit bookstores.  Insurgent is undoubtedly one of the most anticipated books of the year and I am here to tell you that it does not disappoint.  In fact, it might even top Divergent.  Yep, you heard that right.

Now, since it had been over a year since I last read Divergent, I decided to re-read the book in order to remember the major plot lines and I’m glad I did.  For those of you who don’t have the time or inclination to re-read it, here’s the run down on what happened.  It goes without saying that if you have not read Divergent, stop right here as there are major spoilers ahead.  You have been warned.

In Divergent, we meet 16 year old Beatrice who is about to take part in the choosing ceremony to decide which faction she will belong to for the rest of her life.  There are five in total – Abnegation (which she was born into), Erudite, Amity, Dauntless and Candor.   She takes an aptitude test in the form of a simulation but her test results were inconclusive and she was deemed a divergent.  This is hushed up as it’s a dangerous title to behold and Beatrice is forced to choose between Abnegation, Dauntless and Erudite – factions that she has an aptitude for.  Beatrice chooses dauntless and her 16 year old brother Caleb chooses Erudite which comes as a surprise to her.  Beatrice reinvents herself as “Tris” and takes to being dauntless like a duck to water.  She is teased by other initiates for her size and lack of strength but she catches on quick and outsmarts her peers which pisses off Peter (a fellow initiate) to no end and he has it in for her.  He tries to hurt her and one of her friends/peers, Al joins in.  Later, he commits suicide as Tris could not forgive him and he is unable to live with the guilt of what he has done.

Tris excels in simulations which puts her in the spotlight and Four (her trainer) suspects she might be divergent and warns her to act more normal.  Four and Tris grow closer and romance slowly blossoms.   He lets Tris into his fear landscape and she finds out how he got his name.  She also finds out his REAL name and where he came from.   Four or Tobias is also divergent and he is the son of Marcus, a prominent council member from Abnegation who abused him when he was a child.

It becomes apparent that the Erudite faction want to overthrow the government (Abnegation) and trick the Dauntless into helping through simulation serum/implants, only the divergents are unaffected.  Tris and Four try to help but Tris’s parents are killed and she is forced to kill her friend and fellow initiate Will.  The final scene sees Four, Tris, Marcus and Caleb escape on a train, headed towards Amity where they hope to find refuge. 

RIGHT *takes a deep breath*, Insurgent literally picks up where Divergent leaves off and that’s why it is important that you remember everything that has happened because there is no recap in the book.  Times are tough and they’re about to get a lot tougher for our heroine and those that follow her.  There’s a lot of death and destruction in Insurgent (as you might gather, given the circumstances therefore I don’t consider this a spoiler) and the stakes are off the charts and I’m not just talking about death.  Death is not the worst thing for Tris, she is Dauntless after all ;) 

In Insurgent, Tris has to face up to her inner demons and yes whilst she is a BAMF from Dauntless AND a divergent, she’s also human and that side of her is more prominent than ever.   There were times when I was screaming at her and times when I cried uncontrollably wept for her.  I did admire how Tris stayed true to herself throughout the book however, no matter what was thrown at her or how much her actions cost her.
 
I’m sure you will be pleased to know that there is no love triangle and this is something that Veronica has commented on before.  Whilst I have nothing against love triangles, it just wouldn’t feel right to have that in the story but there’s still believable conflict between Tris and Tobias that makes their relationship feel very real.   

Insurgent is an exceptional sequel full of power struggles, suffering, lies, betrayal, deception, secrets and heartbreak – it’s all there.   It’s much more emotional than the first book and you may feel hung out to dry once you’ve finished reading but you know what? It’s totally worth it.  I don’t know about you but I think Veronica should name the next book URGENT because I need to read it like NOW!

Insurgent is published on 1st May, 2012.  Thank you to Harper Collins for providing me with an ARC. To find out more about Veronica Roth and her books, please click here to visit her website.

Tempting the Best Man Review

“Madison Daniels has worshiped her brother's best friend since they were kids. Everyone thinks she and Chase Gamble would make the perfect couple, but there are two major flaws in their logic. 1) Chase has sworn off relationships of any kind, and 2) after blurring the line between friends and lovers for one night four years ago, they can't stop bickering.

Forced together for her brother's wedding getaway, Chase and Madison decide to call a truce for the happy couple. Except all bets are off when they're forced to shack up in a tacky 70’s honeymoon suite and survive a multitude of "accidents" as the family tries to prove their "spark" can be used than for more than fighting. That is, if they don't strangle each other first…”

When I found out that one of my favourite YA authors was writing an adult book, I immediately added it to my wish list and started counting down the days.  Tempting the Best Man by J. Lynn AKA Jennifer L. Armentrout is her first adult offering but I’d hazard a guess that it’s not the last and quite rightly so!  The story is surprise, surprise centred around a wedding.  Madison has been in love with her older brother Mitch’s best friend Chase since childhood.  They grew up together and whilst Chase has always been protective of Madison, there’s just some lines that shouldn’t be crossed in his eyes.  But when they both show up for the wedding and due to an unfortunate oversight, are forced to share a room together, sparks fly.  Along the way, there are plenty of mishaps and misunderstandings to provide conflict and character growth and even though you can guess the ending, you’ll still be rooting for them. 

I have to say that I kept picturing Chris Hemsworth in the role of Chase and I suspect that this has something to do with having seen Cabin in the Woods at the cinema lately but hey, works for me baby!  For those of you not fortunate enough to know who this is, here he is.  YOU'RE WELCOME.

Obviously, this book has adult content but it’s not full on erotica and although at some point certain parts of their anatomy are referred to as their "sex” (ugh, pet hate I’m afraid) I can live with it because I loved the story.  Just so you know, in true Jennifer style, she makes it hard for you to pick up the book and read ONLY ONE chapter.  I could not stop reading until I had finished the book and I have to say that I enjoyed every single moment.

Tempting the Best Man is a delicious contemporary romance and a fun read that will compel you to keep reading until the final climax *no pun intended* *not really*

Tempting the Best Man was published on 23rd April, 2012 and is available in digital formats. To find out more about Jennifer L. Armentrout and her books, please click here and enjoy the awesomeness.

Daemon Invasion

Over the last couple of weeks, you may have heard a lot of talk about the upcoming #daemoninvasion and we’re so excited to finally share with you what is going on.

Really excited.

The beautiful and uber cool models, Pepe Toth and Sztella Tziotziosz, who grace the Lux covers, will be joining us in the United States!  You heard right.  They are flying here, from Hungary to spend a few days as Daemon and Katy! While they are here, they will be working with Vania, from VLC Productions (the team behind Cassandra Clare’s The Mortal Instruments, Melissa de La Cruz, Kimberly Derting, Moira Young, Kami Garcia and Margret Stohl, Hillary Duff, Lauren Destefano, and many, many more authors’ book trailers), to film book trailers for the Lux Series *insert screams here*

During the filming in Atlanta, they will be accompanying Jennifer on tour! What does that mean? You get to meet them. In the flesh (only if you're in the US though). They will be participating in the signings and events. At those signings, we’ll be giving away signed posters, photos, and other swag. There will also be meet and greet events you can join in on.  At each signing, there will be advanced copies of Onyx given away!

And to top things off (as if this isn’t enough, but Jennifer doesn't do anything small), there’s something very, very exciting in the works! It involves advanced copies of Opal, water, and a little destination known as the Bahamas *insert MORE screams here and they are louder*

I am not kidding.

This will be epic.

Are you excited? As a huge fan, you have no idea how much I am!!!! This tour is going to be so, so much fun, and how cool is it it that Pepe and Sztella are a part of it. We owe them a huge thank you and a giant welcome making the 16 hour flight to meet the readers of the Lux Series.  You!

For those in the US, here is the Daemon Invasion Signing and Event Schedule:

June 8th
FoxTale Book Shoppe
Woodstock, GA
3:00pm

June 10th
Barnes and Noble
St Johns Town Center
Jacksonville, FL
3:00pm

June 13th
Barnes and Noble
Waterford Lakes Town Center
Orlando, FL
3:00pm

June 14th
Barnes and Noble
The Palladium at City Place
West Palm Beach, FL
4:00pm

There are several #daemoninvasion street teamers out there and if you want to join a team to win exclusive prizes, search down the #daemoninvasion hashtag to join one of the teams!

Don’t forget to visit Jennifer L. Armentrout’s blog here to win a signed set of Half-Blood and Pure in celebration of her adult romance release, Tempting the Best Man, under pen name J. Lynn. It's available digitally for less than a couple of quid.

Obsidian Review

I can't tell you how much I LOVED this book! Oh wait, I can....in my review over on Wastepaperprose.  Click here to take you there and you'd make my day if you left a comment :) 

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 Blood Keeper by Tessa Gratton. Here's the synopsis:

"Paranormal romance fans who are looking to up the ante will be drawn to this tale of horror, fantasy, and romance. For Mab Prowd, the practice of blood magic is as natural as breathing. It's all she's ever known. Growing up on an isolated farm in Kansas with other practitioners may have kept her from making friends her own age, but it has also given her a sense of purpose—she's connected to the land and protective of the magic. And she is able to practice it proudly and happily out in the open with only the crows as her companions. Mab will do anything to keep the ancient practice alive and guard its secrets. But one morning while she is working out a particularly tricky spell she encounters Will, a local boy who is trying to exorcise some mundane personal demons. He experiences Mab's magic in a way his mind cannot comprehend and is all too happy to end their chance meeting. But secrets that were kept from Mab by the earlier generations of blood magicians have come home to roost. And she and Will are drawn back together, time again by this dangerous force looking to break free from the earth and reclaim its own dark power."

I enjoyed Tessa's first book Blood Magic and I believe this is a companion book.  I love anything with magic and I'm happy to accept Tessa's unnatural obsession with all things bloody (I'm a nurse, I can deal with it).  I'm hoping she won't kill off a character I love this time though ;)  Looking forward to reading this. The Blood Keeper is published on 28th August, 2012 in the US and 30th August, 2012 in the UK.