Cover Reveal: Drowned by Nichola Reilly

  Coe is one of the few remaining teenagers on the island of Tides. Deformed and weak, she is constantly reminded that in a world where dry land dwindles at every high tide, she is not welcome. The only bright spot in her harsh and difficult life is the strong, capable Tiam—but love has long ago been forgotten by her society. The only priority is survival.

Until the day their King falls ill, leaving no male heir to take his place. Unrest grows, and for reasons Coe cannot comprehend, she is invited into the privileged circle of royal aides. She soon learns that the dying royal is keeping a secret that will change their world forever.

Is there an escape from the horrific nightmare that their island home has become? Coe must race to find the answers and save the people she cares about, before their world and everything they know is lost to the waters.

Advance Praise for DROWNED:

"A resourceful and smart heroine and a society literally on the edge of survival. Take a deep breath, once you start reading you won't be able to stop!" -Maria Snyder, author of Poison Study


"It's difficult to find a really unique premise in today's crowded literary front, but Cyn Balog has done it in Drowned! This is a world like you've never seen before but with themes and issues that strike surprisingly close to home. A society where you literally earn your safety twice a day when the tide comes in and submerges everything? I admit, I wish I'd thought of it first. A thrilling, brilliant read!" -#1 New York Times bestselling author Aprilynne Pike

 "A gripping and romantic tale featuring a truly original heroine facing seemingly insurmountable odds. I loved it!" -- Morgan Rhodes, NYT Bestselling Author of Fallen Kingdoms.

A very long time ago, I had the absolute pleasure of beta reading this book and I instantly fell in love with the story and the characters.  I begged Nichola (aka Cyn Balog) to publish it because I wanted it so badly to be on my shelves and FINALLY, it is being published and I couldn't be more thrilled.  Seriously you guys, this is so original that it stands out in a sea of YA books (no pun intended) and I urge you to read it.  And that cover? PERFECT. Just how I imagined the world to be.

Drowned is published on 24th June, 2014.  To find out more about Nichola Reilly and her books, please click here to visit her website.

Why I'm No Longer Adding Books To My Shelves

When eBooks were first introduced into the wild, never in a million years did I think that I could get on board.  Quite frankly, I felt insulted.  I have loved libraries my entire life, having been a librarian in school and spending many hours in them as a kid, and a young adult.  I admit to loving the look, feel and smell of printed books, and how each hardback feels like a treasure that I’ve collected. Although I buy a lot of printed books online nowadays (mostly due to price and availability) I love book stores and especially places like Foyles, Waterstones and The Works (UK) where you can buy three paperbacks for £5.  Bargain! 

Slowly I came around to the idea of eBooks when I saw a use for them – travel.  Weight restrictions for luggage have become stricter and stricter over the years and eBooks meant that I could go on holiday and not be weighed down by hefty hardbacks.  Around the same time, I discovered a wonderful site called Netgalley  where publishers uploaded books for avid readers and reviewers.  Both of those ideas led me to the belief that I needed to buy a kindle.  So I did. 

I can’t remember exactly when I read my first eBook but like most things you do for the first time, I do remember that it felt weird.  And then I started to like it.  I started using Netgalley more and more and publishers really got on board with the idea which made the number of books available to read and review increase.  Also, the diversity was wonderful. 

To tell the truth, I’ve been thinking a lot lately about moving over to reading eBooks exclusively and it took a really horrible event to make that happen.  Most of you know that my apartment recently got flooded.  We lost most of our furniture and basically everything at ground level but thankfully the majority of my books were saved as they were high up on shelves.  I’ve never been so relieved in my entire life.  The damage and destruction meant that inevitably we had to move out and do you know how long it took just to move my book collection? TWO FULL DAYS and that’s with two other people helping me at one point.  Do you know how much room those books are taking up now I’ve lost my shelves?  A LOT. 

I think you know where I’m going with this but I’m going to lay it all out for you anyway.  Reading eBooks exclusively makes sense on so many levels...

1.    eBooks are generally speaking, cheaper.
I’m aware that there are exceptions to this rule but still, you can’t buy a paperback for 20p or 49p anymore, not even in a charity shop.  I remember seeing the eBook version of The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt on sale for something ridiculous like 99p at one point whilst the hardback was a lot more expensive.

2.    eBooks are instantaneous. 
No more waiting around for the postman or arranging re-deliveries that you’ve missed because you were at work.  No more getting frustrated when your pre-order for the book you’re desperate to read doesn’t show up on your doorstep on release day.  With eBooks, it’s right there when YOU want to read it.

3.    The only space eBooks take up is hard disc space. 
We’ve all experienced it, that devastating moment when you realise you’ve ran out of shelf space.  And even worse, the moment when you realise you’ve ran out of room to add more shelves.  Then the nagging boyfriend who asks you not to leave books everywhere and asks you just how many of them you’ve actually read.  And what about if you keep your ARC’s because you can’t bear to throw them away? I LOVE the idea of having my entire book collection on one device that I can take with me wherever I go and I can free up some space in my office/library so I can actually use it!

4.    E reading devices have never been better. 
With the introduction of retina displays, electronic text has never been sharper and clearer than it is now.  I’ve seen them in the stores, I’ve played with them and they are BEAUTIFUL.  No more reading with the torch as a tablet (if that’s what you choose to use) has a built in backlight that you can adjust to suit your own needs. 

5.    Novellas are often released in electronic format. 
Don’t you find it annoying when your favourite author releases a novella electronically when you’ve collected the rest of the series in hardback or paperback?  I do.  By having all my books in electronic format, I can avoid this formatting issue.

6.    Covers often change mid series. 
This is a real bug bear of mine but when you read eBooks, suddenly it doesn’t matter anymore as they don’t need to look so pretty on the shelves.

7.    You can still get your books signed. 
Did you know this?  By using Authorgraph, you can request to have your books signed, without ever leaving your living room.  I can save a fortune on trips to London and what if your favourite author is somewhere you can’t get to? NO PROBLEM.

8.    If your e reader gets destroyed, your book collection doesn’t. 
I can only talk about the kindle because that’s all I have experience of but your kindle collection goes with you from device to device.

I’ve given you a lot of pro’s here and a lot of reasons why I’m choosing to read eBooks only from now on but obviously, there are also some cons.  It would cost a small fortune to replace all my hardbacks with the electronic versions and there’s no way I’m going to just get rid of all my books.  I suppose I could sell them but I’d never get back what I paid for them and I’d be sad to see them go.  So I’m proposing to keep the hardbacks I’m most attached to and only buy new books on the kindle from now on unless it’s a series that’s part way through and I have the rest of the books on the shelves. 

The insurance money for the flood has just come through and after everything we’ve been through in the past couple of months, I’m treating myself to an iPad Air.  I can download the kindle app for free and my digital book collection will instantly appear.  With its beautiful retina display, what’s the point in spending all that money and not using it, right? ;)

Out of Action

Depending on how well you know me or if you follow me on Twitter, you might or might not know about the disaster that hit me recently. Basically, we woke up in the early hours of Sunday morning to frying electrics and the entire apartment was flooded in two inches of water. It might not sound like a lot but it's enough to destroy everything and disrupt my life considerably. It's a move out job and the disruption will go on for months. Currently I have no bed tomorrow night and so you can probably see where this is going. The blog is going to be out of action for some time (I have no idea how long) and I'm likely to miss my blogoversary :( I'm going to try and rescue my books tomorrow so wish me luck and thank you for your patience and understanding. I'll be back when I can.

Forever & Always Review

If you want to read the official synopsis, click here to visit Goodreads as I can’t be bothered to copy and paste it all out here as it would take half a page.

This is the first book I’ve read from author, Jasinder Wilder and the first book I’ve read in 2014 thanks to my good friend, fellow book blogger and book twin Emma who sent me this for Christmas.  The synopsis for Forever &  Always really sucked me in and that’s why I chose it as my first read of the year. Basically, two teenagers meet at camp and whilst there’s a mutual attraction and definitely a connection, nothing really happens between them but they decide to become pen pals.  They’re brutally honest through their letters, journaling everything that happens to them and seeking solace in each other when tragedy strikes not once, not twice but multiple times.  In some ways, the story is predictable but I’m okay with that because I WANTED them to be together.  It was the journey that was important.

Forever & Always was an entertaining read although it started as a Young Adult book and ended as a New Adult book which is definitely something new.  I enjoyed Cade and Ever’s journey, how they grew up over the years, and how that was reflected in their letters to each other (talking about first kisses, first love, first everything).  It reminded me a little of a relationship I had with a guy when I was a teenager and we wrote each other all the time, being brutally honest with each other.  Sadly, there was no attraction on my end and he was a bit older so it was only just friendship for me but we’re still friends today, years later.

Anyway, I digress.  I loved the fact that Ever was a twin and I enjoyed reading about the relationship with her sister and how different they were, each striving for their own identity.  The blossoming relationship between Cade and Ever was beautiful to watch at times, especially when they communicated using their shared passion – art.  I’d even go far as to say that at times, Forever & Always had a touch of The Notebook about it which is just one of the best romantic movies ever, so there’s that.

Now for the things that irked me.  Personally, I just don’t think that a fifteen year old would use the word “vapid” let alone know what it means and yes this is a generalised sweeping statement (and there will always be exceptions) but still.  I also didn’t like the way Ever felt the need to explain the hashtag phenomenon to Caden.  I believe this was more for the benefit of the readers perhaps but for me, it didn’t work as it’s common knowledge and I'm sure he would have already known about it. #inmyopinion.

Whilst the book was a cute read, and it was a little longer than it could have been perhaps, it was the ending that really disappointed me.   I won’t go into details for fear of spoiling it for those who want to read the book but I’m not even joking when I tell you that I wrote the ending in my head before it happened and then watched everything play out exactly as I had foreseen.  Also, beware that this book ends on a cliffhanger that’s supposed to shock but like I said, unfortunately it didn't work on me. 

There were also some grammatical errors in the book (which sadly, is becoming more commonplace nowadays) and I really wish I could ignore them but there are professional copy editors out there being paid to do my dream job and I’m the one picking up the errors?  Some of them were so blatant that I’d be surprised if it went through copy edits at all before being printed which is a shame.

Ultimately though, I do think Forever & Always is worth reading, especially if you’re a fan of the author but I wish it had been a standalone as opposed to being part of a trilogy as I’m in no hurry to read the rest of the series. 

Forever & Always was published on 15th December, 2013 and the sequel After Forever was also published on the same day with the third book coming in February.  To find out more about Jasinder Wilder and her books, please click here to visit her website.

Tears of Tess Review

A New Adult Dark Contemporary Romance, not suitable for people sensitive to grief, slavery, and non consensual sex. A story about finding love in the strangest of places, a will of iron that grows from necessity, and forgiveness that may not be enough.

“My life was complete. Happy, content, everything neat and perfect.
Then it all changed.
I was sold.”

Tess Snow has everything she ever wanted: one more semester before a career in property development, a loving boyfriend, and a future dazzling bright with possibility.

For their two year anniversary, Brax surprises Tess with a romantic trip to Mexico. Sandy beaches, delicious cocktails, and soul-connecting sex set the mood for a wonderful holiday. With a full heart, and looking forward to a passion filled week, Tess is on top of the world.

But lusty paradise is shattered.

Kidnapped. Drugged. Stolen. Tess is forced into a world full of darkness and terror.

Captive and alone with no savior, no lover, no faith, no future, Tess evolves from terrified girl to fierce fighter. But no matter her strength, it can’t save her from the horror of being sold.

Can Brax find Tess before she’s broken and ruined, or will Tess’s new owner change her life forever?

Firstly, make sure you’ve read the first line of the synopsis to decide whether or not this is the book for you.  If you’re still with me, I’ll tell you outright that this is a really difficult review to write and I’m going to attempt to tell you why.  Tears of Tess was certainly an entertaining read and I enjoyed every minute of it, so much so that I would sneak away from family over the Christmas holidays just so I could read a little bit more.  So there's that.

BUT (and it’s a pretty big but)

I know I would have enjoyed it far more had I not read Captive in the Dark by C.J. Roberts first.  Captive in the Dark is a far superior book and deals with the same subject matter (human trafficking) albeit in a slightly different way.  It's incredibly written and has become one of my favourite dark stories ever.  Where Captive in the Dark is a dark and disturbing read, Tears of Tess is somewhat lighter and perhaps more suited to a New Adult audience but sadly, it just wasn’t as good and once you’ve tasted chocolate, vanilla just feels a little ordinary (no puns intended). 

With Tears of Tess, I also had an issue with one of the main characters “Q”.  He was definitely a man of contradictions and I couldn’t understand him all the time.  At first, I thought he just liked to be a bit naughty in the bedroom but I will never understand feeling joy or pleasure at hurting another person. Sorry, I just don’t get that part of things and I never will.

All in all, I did enjoy the book and I think I would recommend it to readers who think that Captive in the Dark might be too much for them, although I highly recommend Captive and you would be missing out if you didn’t read it.

Tears of Tess was published on 30th August, 2013 and is currently on sale for 49p.  To find out more about Pepper Winters and her books, please click here to visit her website.

Letterbox Love (#81)

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!)

So, I'm working on the principle of better late than never with this blog post and what a lovely way to kick off the new year!  I'm still working on what my actual New Year's resolutions will be but rest assured there will be a reading/blog related one in there somewhere, that's for sure!  Now, onto the books...

Review Books

Red Rising by Pierce Brown

This is a debut novel and a futuristic one at that.  I requested it from the Amazon Vine Programme because I can't get it out of my head and simply have to read it!

Banished by Liz De Jager

So apparently my blog name was given to the publisher but nothing happened so I requested this from the Amazon Vine Programme instead.  I'm incredibly proud to hold this book in my hands as it's written by a good friend and fellow UK book blogger.  I'm also pretty scared to read and review it for the same reasons but I'm definitely curious and I've been waiting for a long time to read her work!

The Beating of His Wings by Paul Hoffman (Unsolicited)

This is the third book in a series I haven't read so this is one for the library.

Dirty Magic by Jaye Wells (Unsolicited)

Firstly, I love the fact that this is the first book in a new series and not the tenth book of a series I haven't read yet. Secondly, I know the author's name but I've not read any of her books but I just can't get over the fact that it's got werewolves in it and magic agencies.  I'm still a fan of the paranormal genre but it has to be something quite special nowadays or something that has my name written all over it to make me want to read it.  To be honest, I can't see me reading this.

Thank You Publishers!!!

Books Bought

I have not bought any physical books this week and have preferred to spend all my money on digital books.  Damn the kindle sale!

Books Gifted

Hero by Rhonda Byrne

The Magic by Rhonda Byrne

 I'm a huge fan of The Secret by Rhonda Byrne and I wanted these for my collection.  

Thanks mum and dad!

Starry Nights by Daisy Whitney 

I've wanted to read this book for the longest time and I asked Santa for it for Christmas and he kindly delivered. I love the fact that it's set in Paris and has a bit of magic to it.  It reminds me a little of Anna and the French Kiss in that respect and I loved that book.  I also like the fact that this is a standalone book, or at least I believe it is. 

 

UKYABB Secret Santa

I love the fact that my Secret Santa knows me so well and is not only trying to get me organised for 2014 but also wants to help me relax with a meditation CD and inspire my writing through the books...

The Five Minute Writer by Margret Geraghty

Another gift from my UKYABB Secret Santa as they know I'm a writer in training.  I like the idea that this is a book full of exercises to kick start your motivation and inspiration.  Thank you again, Santa!

Forever & Always by Jasinder Wilder

This book came from my UKYABB Secret Santa this Christmas and it's a New Adult book I haven't read.  I have to say that it does sound awesome and I trust this person implicitly as we like the same books so I'm sure I'm going to enjoy this.  Thank you Santa!

EBooks

The Fifth Wave by Rick Yancey (Bought)
I already have a hardback and a paperback of this book and I still haven't read it but when I saw it on sale for kindle, I bought it as sometimes I prefer to read this way.  

Level 2 by Lenore Appelhans (Bought)
I already have a paperback of this and have been meaning to read it for the longest time - again, it was in the kindle sale and often I prefer to read this way so I snapped it up as I cannot resist a bargain!

Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder (Bought)
Magic Study by Maria V. Snyder (Bought)
Fire Study by Maria V. Snyder (Bought)
Storm Glass by Maria V. Snyder (Bought)
Sea Glass by Maria V. Snyder (Bought)
Spy Glass by Maria V. Snyder (Bought)

I have some but not all of this books in paperback and they came on sale over the Christmas period so I snapped them up. 

Divergent by Veronica Roth (Bought)
I've already read and reviewed this but just in case I want to re-read it, I thought I'd snap up the digital version with the new cover while it was on sale. 


Willing Captive by Belle Aurora (Bought)
I'm curious about this book and it's had some fantastic reviews.  I'm interested to know what a willing captive is and how that situation came to be.  

The Runaway Princess by Hester Browne (Bought)
This is a contemporary fairy tale of sorts and any story involving a prince immediately has me interested. 

Forged by Jennifer Rush (Bought)
I loved Altered when it was published this time last year in the US and this is the prequel to the series so of course I had to get it.  It's only available as an ebook though otherwise I would have bought a hard copy for my collection.
 
Enslaved by the Ocean by Bella Jewel (Bought)
A pirate romance story? I'm so there just for the word pirate which screams refreshing to me. 

Fighting Redemption by Kate McCarthy (Bought)
I've heard so many good things about this book that I couldn't wait any longer and I bought it.   I am slightly scared though as this is about a solider fighting in Afghanistan, and the love he left behind.  I've been warned that this book is likely to rip my heart out which makes me nervous.  I'm going to have to find the right time to read this one I think.

Must Love Otters by Eliza Gordon (Bought)
Apparently this is one for fans of Wallbanger by Alice Clayton (which incidentally, I LOVED).  It's supposed to be laugh out loud funny and a good story so I can't wait to dive into this one.  Plus, it was on sale when I bought it, so bonus!

Conversion by S.C. Stephens (Bought)
I cannot resist a vampire romance.  I don't know why but I just can't and every now and then, I'm in the mood for them. 

Beck by Harper Sloan (Bought)
This is book three in the series and whilst I haven't started them yet, I am sure I am going to love them so I bought this to go with the rest. 

A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin (Bought)
I really like Game of Thrones, the television programme but I've never read the book so when I saw this go on sale for 99p, I thought 'why not?!'.

Fracture Me by Tahereh Mafi (Bought)
This is one of my favourite book series and one that is beautifully written.  This is a novella that has been released while we wait for the next book.  

Outlander by Diana Gabaldon (Bought)
I have heard so much about this book and how the TV rights have been sold fairly recently.  Apparently it's a classic book and I'm immensely curious.  This was on sale recently and I took the opportunity to buy it for future reading. 

Sempre Redemption by J.M. Darhower (Bought)
I really enjoyed Sempre and so when I saw that the sequel had come down in price recently, I pounced on it. 

I hope you all had a very bookish Christmas and that you've taken advantage of the kindle sales as much as I have.  Seriously though, sometimes I feel like I really need to get my one click finger in check!  Anyway, as always please share your links below and here's to a fantastic New Year :)

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 Sinner by Maggie Stiefvater. Here's the synopsis:


Sinner follows Cole St. Clair, a pivotal character from the #1 New York Times bestselling Shiver Trilogy. Everybody thinks they know Cole's story. Stardom. Addiction. Downfall. Disappearance. But only a few people know Cole's darkest secret -- his ability to shift into a wolf. One of these people is Isabel. At one point, they may have even loved each other. But that feels like a lifetime ago. Now Cole is back. Back in the spotlight. Back in the danger zone. Back in Isabel's life. Can this sinner be saved?   

You all know that Maggie Stiefvater is one of my favourite YA authors and in fact, Shiver was the first book I read after the Twilight Saga stole my heart.  When the Shiver trilogy ended, EVERYONE wanted to know more about Cole and Isabel's ending as it was pretty much open to interpretation.  Never accuse Maggie of not listening to her fans because she has delivered exactly what we've all wanted in Sinner which is a standalone companion.  Thank you, Maggie!!  The only thing I'm not so happy with is the cover but only because it doesn't match the rest of the books and now they're bringing out brand new covers for the series.

 

Obviously I'm still going to buy it and read it BUT...it would have been really nice if the first edition had matched the other books in some way.  Sinner is published on 1st July, 2014.

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2014!!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Happy New Year everyone!  I hope you had a brilliant night with not too bad of a hangover ;)  I've got really high hopes for this year and I just a feeling that it's going to be great.  I'm starting a new job in January and it's a new start for me.  Hopefully, that means I have more time for reading, writing and blogging in general and by the time you read this, I will have my New Year's resolutions or GOALS written down.  

Thank you for reading my blog, enjoying my reviews and generally commenting on the posts.  I read and appreciate EVERY comment and I hope you'll continue reading the blog into 2014.

Cheers *clink*

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!!!

I hope you're having a wonderful Christmas Day and you've received tons of bookish goodies from Santa!  I hope that in the background you can smell the delicious Christmas dinner cooking away, making your mouth water until you sit down to eat it and revel in not only the taste of the food but also being with friends and loved ones.  THEN, I hope you plant yourself on the couch to watch all the Christmas movies you can find while eating all the chocolates you received today and generally stuffing yourself silly.  Also, there needs to be some kind of alcohol in there too.  

Well, at least that's what I'll be doing ;)

See you in the New Year!!!

Letterbox Love (#80)

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

 Junk Miles by Liz Reinhardt (Unsolicited)

This is book two in the Brenna Blixen series and if I'm honest, I'm not even sure I was sent the first one as I definitely haven't read it.  

Slow Twitch by Liz Reinhardt (Unsolicited)

Book three in the series.  See above.

Darkest Fear by Cate Tiernan (Unsolicited)

So this sounds a little weird - a romantic story where the MC turns into a jaguar.  I've seen mixed reviews for this one and I'm not entirely sure it's for me.  I might try it and see though.

Longbourn by Jo Baker (Unsolicited)

This book is the servant's story from Pride and Prejudice.  Although I love Pride and Prejudice, I'm not sure I want to take precious reading time away from books I really want to read to read this.

Salvage by Keren David (Unsolicited)

To be quite honest, this is not my kind of book at all and sadly I don't have enough time to read books I'm not mad about.  One for the library.

 God's War by Kameron Hurley (Unsolicited)

 Not sure this is a book for me so probably one for the library.

Thank You Publishers!!!

Books Bought

These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner

This book has one of the best covers I've seen this year but it was mainly the plot that drew me in - a YA sci fi with romantic elements? I'm all over this book and am thinking this is probably going to be a Christmas read for me. 

Save With Jamie by Jamie Oliver

Jamie Oliver is my favourite chef and I love his recipes.  I'm always interested in ways to save money, especially where food is concerned and this book was on offer when I bought it.

 

The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey

I still haven't read this yet but I found a hardback that was on sale and snapped it up.

 

The Art of Marriage by Catherine Blyth

I'm always interested in the secret to a long lasting marriage and this book was on sale.

EBooks

Christmas Gluten Free Me by Laura Pope (Bought)
I'm sure you all know by now that I'm gluten intolerant and there aren't a great deal of gluten free Christmas cookbooks available but I found this one that had some great reviews.  I won't necessarily be reviewing it but you never know, I might.

Tears of Tess by Pepper Winters (Bought)
As you might know, I'm fascinated with Stockholm Syndrome and this book explores that.  I've been warned that it's a bit dark but I really enjoyed Captive in the Dark by C.J. Roberts and I see this as a similar book. 

Quintessentially Q by Pepper Winters (Bought)
This is the sequel to the above.


Fifteen Days Without a Head by Dave Cousins (Bought)
I've heard about this book before and how funny it is and so whilst it's currently on sale, I snapped it up. 

Meta by Tom Reynolds (Bought)
I think this sounds really interesting and has had some great reviews.


Be More Chill by Ned Vizzini (Bought)
I do love the sound of this book and obviously the untimely death of the author led me to his work.


Alone by Ned Vizzini (Bought)
If I'm completely honest, this is a little bit of a morbid buy especially in light of the recently untimely death of the author.  This is the last thing he wrote and I'm curious to know what was going on inside his head. 

Over the River and Through the Woods by Lacey Weatherford (Bought)
This is a cute Christmas YA read from Lacey and is perfect for the holiday season.

A Reclusive Heart by R.L. Matthewson (Bought)
I love the sound of this book but I'm disappointed to find out that it's the second book in a series. I'm guessing it can be read as a standalone but now I'm wondering if I shouldn't just read the first book. 


The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman (Bought)
I've never read a Neil Gaiman book but this was on sale and I thought I would give it a go.

The Christmas Cottage by Samantha Chase (Bought)
This is a cheap Christmas read and it sounds cute.

 
No Naughties at Christmas by Tarja Moles (Bought)
No Naughties by Tarja Moles (Bought)
No Naughties Pancakes by Tarja Moles (Bought)

These gluten free cookbooks had great reviews/ratings and so I thought I would give them a go.

200 Gluten Free Recipes by Hamlyn Cookbooks (Bought)
I bought this because of the reviews/ratings.


Heir Untamed by Danielle Bourdon (Free)
Hot royals? I'm so there.


Love and Decay Volume One by Rachel Higginson (Free)
I think this sounds so interesting and I definitely want to read it but I hate that it's serialised and would rather wait for everything to be lumped together in one book.  This is the next best thing as it's episodes 1-6 but I'm pissed off at having to buy separate episodes and sometimes that's enough for me not to read any further.


Salt by Danielle Ellison (Netgalley - For Review)
So I know this author and have actually beta read for her in the past.  I'm immensely curious about this book. 

Where You'll Find Me by Erin Fletcher (Netgalley - For Review)
I really like the sound of a guy living in your garage.  I know that sounds weird but it makes me think of Santa Claus the movie where the girl hides the homeless boy in the basement.  Definitely curious about this one. 

Ruined by Jus Accardo (Netgalley - For Review) 
I LOVE the sound of this book - it has everything I'm interested in and I'm curious to know whether I'll like it.  

Kiss Me at Midnight by Diane Alberts (Netgalley - For Review)
This is a contemporary romance/erotica novel and what I liked about it was it's set around New Year's Eve.  I also like the author. 

The Sunbird by Elizabeth Wein (Netgalley - For Review)
When I requested this book, I thought it was the newest offering from Elizabeth Wein, author of Code Name Verity.  It is - BUT - this is the third book in a fantasy series of hers that I haven't read so sadly, I'm not going to be able to read and review as I don't have the time to invest in the series, especially when I already have books waiting for me that I KNOW I want to read. 

Master of the Opera, Act 3: Phantom Serenade by Jeffe Kennedy (Netgalley - For Review)
The Phantom of the Opera is one of my very favourite stories and this series is based on that story.  I have the first two to read but unlike the above, it's something I am immediately interested in. 

Year of No Sugar by Eve O Schaub (Netgalley - For Review)
This is a really unusual request for me as this is a non-fiction book but I'm immensely curious about the effects of sugar on the body and I wanted to know HOW someone could go a year without sugar and what happened because of it.


Eversea by Natasha Boyd (Netgalley - For Review)
I've only just realised that I already have this on my kindle as I bought it some time ago LOL.  Oops.




I'm not sure yet whether this will be the last Letterbox Love until the new year but I guess it depends on what's happening and where I am next week.  If I can get to a computer and I have the time, then the post will go up but I won't guarantee it at this stage.  Like everyone else, this is a very busy time for me and sometimes your life and your happiness has to come first. 


Having said all that, I do hope that you have a fantastic Christmas and get lots of bookish goodies!  I would love it if you would share the link to your own Letterbox Love post below.  Thank you :)

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 Nil by Lynne Matson. Here's the synopsis:

On the mysterious island of Nil, the rules are set. You have one year. 

Exactly 365 days--to escape, or you die.

Seventeen-year-old Charley doesn’t know the rules. She doesn’t even know where she is. The last thing she remembers is blacking out, and when she wakes up, she’s lying naked in an empty rock field.

Lost and alone, Charley finds no sign of other people until she meets Thad, the gorgeous leader of a clan of teenage refugees. Soon Charley learns that leaving the island is harder than she thought . . . and so is falling in love. With Thad’s time running out, Charley realizes that to save their future, Charley must first save him. 

And on an island rife with dangers, their greatest threat is time.

I love the sound of Nil and even better, author and blogger Lindsay Cummings loved everything about it so I know I will too.  I might even hit the pre order button for this one!

Nil is published on 4th March, 2014 with no news as of yet of a UK release.  

Exquisite Betrayal available now...

 

This interesting book entitled EXQUISITE BETRAYAL by A.M. Hargrove is released today and trust me, this is one you're going to want to read, just for the synopsis alone. 

 

A male Romance Author… a convention in Vegas… a female book blogger… a goal to lose her virginity… what next? Find out when you mix all the above!

Fallon McKinley is headed to Vegas for the Wicked Wenches Romance Con and losing her virginity is only one of her goals. The other is to meet her favorite author of romance novels, R.T. Sinclair. What she doesn’t realize is that the sexy green-eyed god she rams into at the airport is the real R.T. When they keep running into each other, she’s shocked, but excited, because the attraction is irresistible.

Ryland Thomas Sinclair doesn’t want anyone to know his true identity. He’s the author that all women love, but everyone thinks he’s a female. He hides his persona behind the public face of his twin sister, keeping his own a secret. But after meeting the lovely Fallon, his intentions to avoid a relationship come to a screeching halt. She’s put an unwanted kink into his perfectly laid out plans. His unusual reaction surprises him because after a heart-shredding breakup a few years ago, he’s managed to avoid women at all costs.

Resisting Fallon becomes more difficult than he imagines. Soon things are spiraling out of control, until a major miscommunication has Fallon walking out of his home and his life. Will Ryland Thomas succeed in losing the woman he loves? Or can he win her back?

I'm so intrigued by this book and I will be reading it in the near future so look out my review.  In the meantime, you can buy your copy here:

Buy Links:

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1gAOchP

B&N: http://bit.ly/1dEP28l

Smashwords: http://bit.ly/JyBv9u

iTunes: http://bit.ly/1c6VuI8

It is also available on UK sites.

About A.M. Hargrove:

One day, on her way home from work as a sales manager, A. M. Hargrove, realized her life was on fast forward and if she didn't do something soon, it would quickly be too late to write that work of fiction she had been dreaming of her whole life.  So, she rolled down the passenger window of her fabulous (not) company car and tossed out her leather briefcase.  Luckily, the pedestrian in the direct line of fire was a dodge ball pro and had über quick reflexes enabling him to avoid getting bashed in the head.  Feeling a tad guilty about the near miss, A. M. made a speedy turn down a deserted side street before tossing her crummy, outdated piece-of-you-know-what laptop out the window.  She breathed a liberating sigh of relief, picked up her cell phone, called her boss and quit her job.  Grinning, she made another call to her hubs and told him of her new adventure (after making sure his heart was beating properly again).

So began A. M. Hargrove's career as a YA/NA and Adult Romance writer. Her books include the following: Edge of Disaster, Shattered Edge and Kissing Fire (The Edge Series); The Guardians of Vesturon series (Survival, Resurrection, Determinant, reEmergent and Beginnings); Dark Waltz and Tragically Flawed.

Other than being in love with writing about being in love, she loves chocolate, ice cream and coffee and is positive they should be added as part of the USDA food groups. 

Author Links:
 
Blog: http://amhargrove.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Amhargrove1
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AMHargroveAuthor
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5338829.A_M_Hargrove
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/amhargrove1/


GIVEAWAY: 

Win a bracelet, a “She Said Fire” t-shirt & Boom! EP album download, signed copy of Tragically Flawed, & $100 Amazon Gift Card.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Letterbox Love #79

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!)

Massive apologies for not posting last week but I worked seven days in a row and generally had a rough week all round (apart from seeing my parents) and I'm just getting over my SECOND cold in three weeks :(   Now, bear in mind that this is a double post so there are lots of books, especially digital books.

Review Books

Vicious by V.E. Schwab

This is the UK paperback version and I'm quite excited to read this.

The Queen of Dreams

This is a beautiful albeit slightly creepy looking fairy tale book that might just be a little young for me although I do love things like Alice in Wonderland and the Chronicles of Narnia.

Reaver by Larissa Ione

I'll never understand why publishers send me the fifth book in a series I haven't read but there you go.  I'll probably donate this to the library. 

Dream Eyes by Jayne Ann Krentz

This is the second book in a series I haven't read *sigh* and another one for the library.

Thank You Publishers!!!

Books Bought

A Beautiful Wedding by Jamie McGuire

I'm a huge fan of Jamie's and her Beautiful Disaster series so it was just a given that I was going to get this for my collection.  I'm only sorry it's not signed like the rest of my hardbacks but then again, what a great excuse to get her to come back to the UK! :)  I've just sent a UK paperback copy to my sister, all wrapped up for Christmas.

Books Won

Doorways to Extra Time

This is an anthology put together by Spencer Hill Press and features a story from Erica Cameron, author of Sing Sweet Nightingale (which I have on pre-order!) As a massive time travel fan, this is the perfect book for me.

Beautiful Disaster, Walking Disaster, A Beautiful Wedding (UK Paperbacks)

I won this in a UK competition and have since sent my sister A Beautiful Wedding for Christmas (which she doesn't know about so shhh, don't tell her!).  I'm either going to keep the other two or give them away :)

EBooks

Mary Berry's Christmas Collection (Bought)
This was on sale and who doesn't love a great Christmas cook book, especially when it's ridiculously well priced!  Now, if I could just get Save With Jamie for the same price, I'd be happy ;)

A Beautiful Wedding by Jamie McGuire (Bought)
The Beautiful Disaster series is one of my favourite series EVER and so of course I had to get this.  Don't ask why I bought both the hardback and the eBook, it's just something I do sometimes!

Hard As It Gets by Laura Kaye (Bought)
Ex army, a guy with tattoo's - yep, I can't resist this one.

Rumor Has It by Elizabeth Grace (Bought)
This New Adult novel has an interesting plot which makes me want to read it.  Not sure about the celebrity thing (I don't know why that aspect always turns me off) but I like the look of the rest of it. 

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell (Bought)
This book has been storming up the charts and is well loved and respected by bloggers who have read it.  I've never read a book by this author but I definitely want to and this is a good start.  It's due to be published in the UK soon but I just couldn't wait for a review copy.

Bitter Sweet Love by Jennifer L. Armentrout (Bought)
This is a prequel novella to Jennifer's new series The Dark Elements about gargoyles.  Interesting.

Holy Frigging Matrimony by Emma Chase (Bought)
I just read Tangled recently and loved it so I had to get this.  It was good but too short and sounded more like the beginning of a sequel!

The Trouble with Goodbye by Sarra Cannon (Bought)
I'm not sure why I bought this but I think it was on sale. I like the idea that she leaves her boyfriend to follow her dreams of going to an ivy league school and things go tits up.  I'm curious enough to read it and find out what happens.

Lover Undercover by Samanthe Beck (Bought)
I do love stories about twins assuming the other's identity (for whatever reason) and there's a hot undercover detective, what's not to like?!

Extinguish by J. M. Darhower (Bought)
Yes, it's another angel book BUT I love the idea of falling for the devil and THAT is the selling point for me.  I have no idea what this says about me *blush*.

Stinger by Mia Sheridan (Bought)
I didn't realise at the time that this is the third book in the series BUT it can be read as a standalone and I was intrigued by the fact that the male character is part of the adult entertainment industry and I guess it's a secret he keeps from the girl he falls for but presumably, he has to come clean eventually.  

Cage by Harper Sloan (Bought)
It's about hot security guys, right? That's all I need to know.

Temporary Bliss by B.J. Harvey (Bought)
I like the idea of a girl who is anti commitment but then meets someone who turns this idea on it's head for her and makes her question her beliefs.  It's nice to see a female in this role for a change.

Nothing Left to Lose by Kirsty Moseley (Bought)
I have to admit that I like the plot idea but when I found out that it was on Wattpad and had 25 million reads before publication, that immediately has me curious.  

Knight's Mistress by C.C. Gibbs (Bought)
This is another billionaire "I always get what I want and I want you" story which was on sale which is the main reason I bought it. 

Jake Undone by Penelope Ward (Bought)
This is a standalone companion novel to Gemini and features a nursing student and a hot, tattooed bad boy.  You can see why I bought it. 

Break in Two by M.J. Summers (Bought)
I love the fact that this is about a woman who leaves her boyfriend (who trades her in for a younger model) and makes a new start, and then falls for a cowboy.  Okay, there's more to it than that but I want to read it. 

Found in You by Laurelin Page (Bought)
This is the sequel to Fixed in You, which I have but haven't read yet. 

Rock the Beat by Michelle A. Valentine (Bought)
I'm so behind with this series but this was on sale so I snapped it up!

Rule by Jay Crownover (Free) 
Oooh, I like the idea of a pre med student who's a bit of a rebel and of course, there's a love story in there. 

Awakening by Serena Grey (Free)
This is not an original story - innocent girl meets dangerous man and they have a relationship but apparently, the writing is good. 

Stranded by J.C. Valentine (Free)
This is a novella and a start to a new series.  I've heard good things and it was free!

That First Kiss by J.C. Valentine (Free)
This is the second book in the new series and features a hot, mercurial writer and his assistant.  They meet as strangers, sparks fly but then they realise they're going to have to work together. Oops.

Dream of You by Kate Perry (Free)
I love the plot of this book but I don't love that it's book five in the series.  As each book is about a different character, I'm guessing you can probably read this as a standalone.

Faster Harder by Colleen Masters (Free)
I love the idea that this story revolves around the formula one racing scene which is a bit refreshing and different from fighters, military etc.  I'm definitely curious.

Inevitable by Angela Graham (Free) 
I love the idea of this story as it features a single father and there's going to be a lot of cute interactions between the four year old kid and the woman who's just moved in next door.  I suspect this is how she'll get to know the REAL guy living there.  Sounds like a cute story, I just hope it has a happy ending.

Back to Creative Writing School by Bridget Whelan (Free)
What can I say other than this was free and so I thought I'd take a look at it. 


The Coconut Oil Guide (How to stay healthy, lose weight and feel good) by R. Johnson (Free)
Paleo Diet by Jane Burton (Free)
Going Paleo (A quickstart guide) by Amelia Simons (Free)
Ultimate Paleolithic Collection by Amelia Simons (Free)
4 Weeks of Fabulous Paleolithic Breakfasts by Amelia Simons (Free)
4 More Weeks of Fabulous Paleolithic Breakfasts by Amelia Simons (Free)
4 Weeks of Fabulous Paleolithic Lunches by Amelia Simons (Free)
4 Weeks of Fabulous Paleolithic Dinners by Amelia Simons (Free)
Paleo Slow Cooker Soups and Stews by Amelia Simons (Free)
Paleo Slow Cooker by Amelia Simons (Free)

I don't know how many of you know but I have an allergy/intolerance to gluten and I want to sort my diet out properly in the new year as I want to eat healthy and lose weight.  I'm interested in the Paleo diet which is basically a caveman style diet and rather than paying a fortune on books, I found these freebies so I can take a look and decide if it's something I want to do. 

Simply Gluten Free and Dairy Free by Grace Cheetham (Netgalley)
Again, I thought it might be good to check this out and see if there are any good recipes there.  It's an American book though which I didn't realise at the time so the measurements might be slightly different but that's okay.

The Pulse by Shoshanna Evers (Netgalley - For Review)
A post apocalyptic NYC is the main setting in this romance/erotic story and I'm definitely curious but I've seen mixed reviews about it which makes me nervous.

Fighting Love by Abby Niles (Netgalley - For Review)
This is the sequel to Extreme Love which DAMN, is a book I still need to read so I'd better get on that!

Song of the Fireflies by J.A. Redmerski (Netgalley - For Review)
I wasn't a massive fan of J's last book but that's okay, because this is a new series.  The best thing about this book is that it's a standalone and that's refreshing! No more waiting around for a sequel.  It does sound interesting and definitely has potential. 

Knock Out by Michele Mannon (Netgalley - For Review)
There seems to be a lot of fighter books about since the runaway success of Real by Katy Evans but I'm not complaining too much.  I think this sounds interesting and I definitely want to read it. 

Ghost Aria by Jeffe Kennedy (Netgalley - For Review)
This is the second part of the Phantom of the Opera style story. 

Eternal Ever After by A.C. James (Netgalley - For Review)
This is a paranormal romance featuring a vampire and I can't resist a vampire story.


So there you have it.  I'm going to try and post again next week and then I will probably fall a little silent over Christmas and New Year.  It depends on where I am and what's going on but we shall see.  As always, I hope you had a great week for books and please share your links below.

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 Phenomenal X by Michelle A. Valentine. Here's the synopsis:

Good Girl. Notorious Bad-Boy. One Phenomenal Love.

From the mean streets of Detroit rises the newest superstar of professional wrestling, Xavier Cold, better known as Phenomenal X. His muscular physique makes men cower before him and woman lose their minds with desire.

Anna Cortez is fresh out of college and naive to the harsh realities of the real world. Tired of living under the thumb of her conservative family, she defies them when she accepts a job as the assistant to wrestling’s most notorious bad-boy. Phenomenal X has an animalistic nature that even good girl Anna finds hard to resist.

One night forced to share a bed in a sold-out hotel, lines blur between them and they quickly learn that one lustful night changes everything and neither one of them will ever be the same.

Having read and LOVED Real by Katy Evans, I think the newest book from Michelle A. Valentine has basically got my name written all over it.  And did I mention the AWESOME cover?!  I seriously cannot wait to read this book and whilst it has no firm release date as of yet, it's sometime next year and 2014 cannot come soon enough!

Letterbox Love (#78)

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

Walking Disaster (Signed, Limited Edition) by Jamie McGuire

I am a HUGE fan of Jamie's and I'm so, so glad that signed, limited edition hardbacks of her books exist. I will buy a copy of every single one of her books in this format. 

Rebel Spring by Morgan Rhodes

I *loved* Falling Kingdoms with a passion and I have been waiting with baited breath for the sequel.  Unfortunately though, as we have to wait so long between books, I'm scared that I've forgotten a lot of the details so now I'm torn over what to do.  Re-read the first one? Hope for the best?  Sometimes I re-read the final chapters of the first book but I don't think that will help.  I think I will read my review and go from there.

E Books

Driven by K. Bromberg (Bought)
I'm really curious about this book especially when the number one anticipated book for next year is part of this series, according to one Goodreads list I've seen.  Looking at the reviews, it's either you love it or hate it but I'm definitely curious. 

Wethering the Storm by Samantha Towle (Bought)
This is book two in this series and I haven't read book one yet but it was on offer for 99p so I couldn't resist.  I've been told by a friend and fellow blogger that I will love the books and I trust her.

Trouble by Samantha Towle (Bought)
I can't resist a good bad boy and this will be the first book I've read from this author as I think I will probably get round to this one before the others. 

Evolve Series Box Set by S. E. Hall (Bought)
I love a good Southern romance/coming of age tale and whilst this sounds along the same vein as another author whose name escapes me right now since I'm really tired, I definitely want to read these books as it sounds like a story I will like.  Thankfully, this was on offer too. 
 
Falling for the Marine by Samanthe Beck (Bought)
I didn't realise that this is book two in the McCade Brothers series but it looks like it could be read as a standalone and as always, I cannot resist a man in uniform.  I do think it sounds a little bit awesome.

Sleigh Bells in the Snow by Sarah Morgan (Bought)
I love holiday romances, especially when both parties are snowbound and so I just know I'm going to love this one.  I plan to read it soon to get me in the festive spirit.

Officer Off Limits by Tessa Bailey (Bought)
His Risk to Take by Tessa Bailey (Bought)
Protecting What's His by Tessa Bailey (Bought)
Asking for Trouble by Tessa Bailey (Bought)

These are all part of the same series and I just cannot resist men in uniform.  I just can't.  Enough said. 
 
Shattered Hearts Trilogy Box Set by Cassia Leo (Bought)
This was on offer and seemed like a series I might enjoy. 

My Sweetest Escape by Chelsea M. Cameron (Netgalley - For Review)
This is the follow up to My Favorite Mistake and if I'm honest, I cannot remember who Jos is so I'm going to have to scan the first one to figure it out.  I'm not entirely sure about a love interest called Dusty but hey, it worked in Footloose, right?  I'm going to keep an open mind with this one.

Unite by Jamie Campbell (Netgalley - For Review)
I think this is self published but putting everything aside, I prefer to concentrate on the plot and then see if the writing holds up.  I think it sounds really interesting as it's about aliens secretly integrating into society and the fact that the government don't want that to happen. Teenage aliens FTW!

Forever by Karen Ann Hopkins (Netgalley - For Review)
I didn't realise at the time that this is book three in the series and this puts a bit of a spanner in the works.  I'll have to look into the first two books. 

Enders by Lissa Price (Netgalley - For Review)
Ever since reading Starters, I haven't been able to get the book out of my head (no, seriously) and so I'm ecstatic to have the opportunity to read the sequel.

Christmas in Tahoe by Elizabeth Barrett (Netgalley - For Review)
This sounds like a really cute, short Christmas novella with sprinklings of magic and romance.  In other words, perfect for the holiday season. 

Out of Time by Jen McLaughlin (For Review)
I LOVED book one and so of course, I'm dying to read book two!

Some really great books this week (as always) and like always, I just can't decide what to read first!  I'm currently working my way through Sempre by J.M. Darhower which is really good but it's a big book and I'm having to read a bit at a time, when I can.  This is a really busy time of the year for me, and especially this year so I'm just reading when I get time to.  This is also why this post sometimes goes up on Mondays instead of Sundays.   Anyway, as always, I hope you had a great week for books and please share your links below.

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.