Review: Going Under by S. Walden

Going Under
by: S. Walden
Published on: 3/14/2013
Genre: New Adult

Brooke Wright has only two goals her senior year at Charity Run High School: stay out of trouble and learn to forgive herself for the past. Forgiveness proves elusive, and trouble finds her anyway when she discovers a secret club at school connected to the death of her best friend. She learns that swim team members participate in a “Fantasy Slut League,” scoring points for their sexual acts with unsuspecting girls.

Brooke, wracked with guilt over her friend’s death, decides to infiltrate the league by becoming one of the “unsuspecting girls,” and exact revenge on the boys who stole away her best friend. An unexpected romance complicates her plans, and her dogged pursuit of justice turns her reckless as she underestimates just how far the boys will go to keep their sex club a secret.

My Rating: 5 Coffee Cups!!

Ok, I'm going to start this with the same warning given by the author (which I totally agree with):

*This story is largely focused on the subject of rape, which becomes heartbreaking and gritty—so please be warned that it may serve as a trigger for those who choose to avoid this topic.*

This is one of those books that sticks with you. And I've got to be honest when I first started reading it, I didn't think that would be the case. The main character felt shallow and not very likable and the plot almost had this feeling of being too contrived. But then I continued reading. And wow did this one sneak up on me. You saw where it was going, where it was taking you but I hesitated to follow it right off the bat because, although Brooke seemed overly contrite for her friend's death, I couldn't seem to connect with her right away. Not really. Her relationship with her "best friend" Beth (I use quotations because what she did to her was not a best friend move by any means), her relationship with guys and even her relationship with her mother was very tough to swallow. And because of these things I didn't get sucked in right away.

The book opens with Brooke at the funeral of her long time best friend Beth. They haven't spoken in months and the guilt that plagues Brooke for this eats her alive. They had a terrible falling out, due to a horrible betrayal on Brooke's part. To make matters worse, Beth had confided in Brooke during this time that she had been raped by a guy she went to school with. To complete this unbelievably terrible situation, Beth doesn't die by a random accident or sickness, she commits suicide. I know this may feel as though I'm giving you a lot of information, but none of this is spoilers I promise. This is all revealed in the first 10-ish% of this book. But maybe now you will get a better understanding as to why I didn't immediately warm to Brooke. 

At the beginning of her senior year of high school she has a choice: move with her mother across the country to California or move in with her father a few towns over. She decides that as her own self inflicted punishment she would stay with her dad, who happens to live in the same school district Beth did. She wants to surround herself in her life as a way to not forgive herself. 

 Her first day there she immediately attracts the interest and attention of Cal. Gorgeous, popular, swim team captain, Beth's rapist. And she knew immediately what she felt she needed to do to honor Beth. She needed to draw him out.

“A righteous anger flared in me immediately, and just like that, I discovered a purpose. My purpose. It flooded me instantly, a great wave slamming into my mind and my heart, carrying with it the courage and conviction of my newly formed plan… And I transformed into the predator. He just didn’t know it yet. He thought I was the prey, and I’d let him.” 

Once Brooke (and various friends) starting digging she uncovered a whole club dedicated to the swim club's sexual escapades (some consensual, some not) and the scoring of said acts. It was disgusting, foul and almost beyond comprehension. Fantasy Slut League- or FSL for short- had been going on for years. During her digging she also found other possible assault victims of Cal and his friends and is completely altered by them.

In the midst of her scheming, she meets Ryan. Hot, loner, 6 houses down from her Ryan. He and Cal despise each other. And she knows that for her plan to reel Cal in to succeed she needed to stay far, far away from Ryan. Their attraction and chemistry was hard to be ignored. But it couldn't be helped.

"Ryan chuckled. "You're going to be my trouble this year, aren't you?" he asked softly.
Hell yeah I was."

They had an unstoppable connection and although they each harbored secrets, they were the balm to each others souls. 

This book, once it gets it's hooks in you, doesn't let go until it's finished. The first person POV GUTS you. You feel everything and it stays with you long after your Kindle is powered off. You come to understand that Brooke isn't the horrible person you think her to be as the story unfolds. You realize that she is simply human- flawed, irresponsibly human and with that you find your connection with her. The story is raw, gritty and at times tough to get through. But it does it in such a way that leaves you with only one feeling I can verbalize. WHOA.     

  

  

TGIF: Freebie Friday #9

Free on Amazon Today! (Pick it Up!)

The Descent Series (Books 1-3) by SM Reine

Genre: Urban Fantasy

 Book One: DEATH'S HAND
Elise Kavanagh doesn't want to hunt demons anymore. It's been five years since she killed her last enemy, and life has been quiet since then. She went to college. Got a job, and then lost it. Made a friend or two. Lived a normal life. Now her former partner, a powerful witch named James Faulkner, wants Elise to fight one more time. The daughter of a coven member has been possessed, and Elise is the only exorcist nearby.
Becoming a hero again would mean risking discovery by old enemies. But digging into the case reveals that it might already be too late--bodies are disappearing, demons slither through the night, and the cogs of apocalypse are beginning to turn. Some enemies aren't willing to let the secrets of the past stay dead...

Book Two: THE DARKEST GATE
When Elise Kavanagh retired from demon hunting, she swore it would be permanent. But an attack from a powerful necromancer forced her back into the business, and now she's trying to balance her normal boyfriend and normal job with everything supernatural.

Mr. Black is a demon hunter gone rogue. He's enslaving angels and stealing ethereal artifacts in pursuit of forbidden immortality, and an old grudge drives him to make his final stand in Elise's territory. Destroying her life and killing her friends isn't the goal, but it's a definite perk.

A demonic overlord offers to join against Mr. Black and protect Elise's loved ones. All she needs to do is ally with the demons she's sworn to kill, at the cost of her morals--and maybe her immortal soul. But once she crosses that line, there's no turning back.

Nothing is sacred when Heaven and Hell collide on Earth...

Book Three: DARK UNION
Every fifty years, the most powerful ethereal and infernal beings convene on Earth to resolve conflicts with mediation by kopides--humans born to police relations between Heaven and Hell. They're meeting in Elise Kavanagh's territory this year, and she used to be the greatest kopis in the world. But she's not invited.

An old friend, Lucas McIntyre, asks her to attend the summit in his place. But when she arrives, she discovers that a human faction called The Union has taken charge of the summit, and they're not playing nice. Worse yet, someone has killed a prominent Union member... and now they're demanding blood.

This series gets better and better as it progresses. There are 6 books in the series so far (and I warn you to get the 5th and the 6th book AT THE SAME TIME- I had to wait, wasn't pretty). Trust me, this one is worth picking up. 

GET IT ON AMAZON NOW

Book Blast!! Unbreakable by Elizabeth Norris

 

Unbreakable (Unraveling #2)

by Elizabeth Norris

Published on 4/23/13

Genre: YA Sci-Fi

Four months after Ben disappeared through the portal to his home universe, Janelle believes she’ll never see him again. Her world is still devastated, but life is finally starting to resume some kind of normalcy. Until Interverse Agent Taylor Barclay shows up. Somebody from an alternate universe is running a human trafficking ring, kidnapping people and selling them on different Earths—and Ben is the prime suspect. Now his family has been imprisoned and will be executed if Ben doesn’t turn himself over within five days.
And when Janelle learns that someone she cares about—someone from her own world—has become one of the missing, she knows that she has to help Barclay, regardless of the danger. Now Janelle has five days to track down the real culprit. Five days to locate the missing people before they’re lost forever. Five days to reunite with the boy who stole her heart. But as the clues begin to add up, Janelle realizes that she’s in way over her head—and that she may not have known Ben as well as she thought. Can she uncover the truth before everyone she cares about is killed?

I WANT THIS BOOK. Seriously. I have been waiting (somewhat impatiently) for about a year for this book. Unraveling was awesomely great and the second I finished I wanted the sequel and if you haven't read it yet, I HIGHLY suggest that you do! Which is why when Book Nerd Tours had an opening for their book blast I jumped on it immediately.

Tidbits on the Author:

Elizabeth Norris briefly taught high school English and history before trading the southern California beaches and sunshine for Manhattan’s recent snowpocalyptic winter.

She harbors dangerous addictions to guacamole, red velvet cupcakes, sushi, and Argo Tea, fortunately not all together.

Her first novel, UNRAVELING (Balzer+Bray, April 2012), is the story of one girl’s fight to save her family, her world, and the one boy she never saw coming.

Ways to Stalk Her:

Her Blog 

Facebook 

Goodreads 

Twitter: @liz_norris

 GIVEAWAY FUN!!

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Book Spotlight!! The Morning Star by Tania Penn

The Morning Star (The Morning Star #1)
by: Tania Penn

Published on: January 10th, 2013

Genre: YA Paranormal

Being the daughter of Lucifer keeps seventeen year old Dawn Belial busy. For almost her entire lifetime, she has been trying to think of a way to free her Archangel mother, Michaela, whom her father has held captive for centuries. She's also attending high school - balancing trigonometry, history, and recruiting souls for her father along with her wicked half-sister, Venus.

There has been no time for love until she meets mysterious Gabriel, a British exchange student. As they fall in love against their will, she discovers a startling secret about him, and a shocking connection to her mother that changes everything.


I juuussst missed out on becoming part of this blog tour being put on by Ink Skies Book Blog. This book looks fun and different and the main guy is British, and if you know me at all you know I love me a British love interest ;) I will definitely be picking this one up (and will likely be putting together a review for it once I'm done).

Be like me and add it to your Goodreads TBR shelf: Goodreads 

Tidbits on the Author:

Author of debut young adult novel, The Morning Star. Currently working on the sequel, Equinox, as well as a chick-lit, rom-com, slightly sleazy and funny story with a twist, Catching Frogs. And, because I'm loco in the roco, I've got about 12 more on the back burner. When I'm not writing I can be found kayaking, hiking, ninja-training, traveling, and taking a ferry over to the San Juan Islands to search for the elusive creature known as the "Orca." I also am constantly adding ridiculous wants, needs, must-see's and do's to my ever expanding bucket book. I covet a delicious malbec with a rare steak and make a killer salsa.

Ways to stalk her:

Goodreads 

Her Blog 

Twitter: @twistedtanita  

And because they're always fun- check out the GIVEAWAY below!!

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Blog Tour!! Review: Wide Awake by Shelly Crane

Wide Awake
by Shelly Crane
Published on: 3/22/13
Self Published
Genre: Young Adult/Contemporary Romance

A girl.
A coma.
A life she can't remember.

When Emma Walker wakes up in the hospital with no knowledge of how she got there, she learns that she's been in a coma for six months. Strangers show up and claim to be her parents, but she can't remember them. She can't remember anyone. Not her friends, not even her boyfriend. Even though she can't remember, everyone wants her to just pick up where she left off, but what she learns about the 'old her' makes her start to wish she'd never woken up. Her boyfriend breaks up with the new girl he's dating to be with her, her parents want her to start planning for college, her friends want their leader back, and her physical therapist with the hazel eyes keeps his distance to save his position at the hospital.

Will she ever feel like she recognizes the girl in the mirror?

My Rating: 4 Stars!!
 

First off, I am so so excited to be a part of this blog tour. I love EVERYTHING Shelly Crane puts out. Literally. I think she was one of the first indie authors whose books I got when I first got my Kindle. 

So, now that I've shared with you all of my unwavering love, devotion and admiration for one Shelly Crane, on with my review :)

As the synopsis goes, Emma Walker wakes up in a hospital room surrounded by complete and total strangers. She has no idea how she got there, she doesn't even know her own name. She's been in a coma for about 6 months and is utterly confused and overwhelmed. Being that this is in Emma's POV you go thru this feeling as though you are her. You feel her confusion, her fear and her massive disjointedness (is that a word? If not I'm still going with it lol) from everything and everyone she supposedly loves. Her parents try and remind her of the girl she was and can't seem to get passed the fact that she is not who she used to be. When she speaks with friends and family she realizes the kind of person she really was- shallow, insipid, vain and selfish. She hated that person and never wanted to be her again to the point where she started referring to her prior self in third person as Emmie (as she was called before the accident).

The relationship between Emma and her parents is a tough one. You can see it clearly from both sides. Her parents want her to be the person she was. Not in a malicious kind of way, but more because they can't really comprehend the fact that she doesn't know and can't be that person anymore. But they handle their confusion in a way that isn't healthy. Especially her dad. They pressure and argue and make plans for her behind her back. Emma just wants to be herself, or at least be the person she is growing into. But she desperately wants a relationship with the people who are supposed to love her unconditionally and they are not making it easy.

Now the fun relationship. The relationship between Emma and Mason. He is the only person not trying to tell her what she needs to do, what she's supposed to say, who she's supposed to wake up and be. He has been there for her since day one of her hospitalization. He asks nothing of her except for her to be who she WANTS to be and do what she needs to do to walk again. He's tough, he pushes her but he is there listening to her as well. She doesn't have to be the spoiled "Mean Girl" she was before. She doesn't have to only wear her hair in ponytails and dislike yogurt and hate flowers. To him she is the girl that likes random useless facts and is afraid to look in the mirror. And he accepts that. It doesn't necessarily mean they can have a relationship though, which of course sucks. Despite having a "boyfriend" (a total tool and insane douchebag Andy) she falls hard for Mason. But he is definitely her doctor and a handful of years older than her. They are great together. They support each other -I know it may seem that he does most of the supporting, but he has issues himself that wears on him. His life isn't easy by any means. But she is there for him, understanding and caring not despite all of his baggage, but because of it. But of course nothing can ever be easy... 

"I want to give you back your first kiss, the one that jerk stole from you. And I want it to be something that even a coma can't make you forget."

-Mason

"I needed him. It wasn't a dependency, it wasn't a weakness or a failure, he was an addition to my very soul."

-Emma  

This book takes you on a course of self discovery and love. You're put in Emma's shoes. You want to be loved by her parents. You want to figure out what happened the night of the hit and run accident. You want to be your own person. And man-oh-man do you want you some Mason. I'm not going to lie, the "mystery" was easily solvable and not much of a shocker or twist, but you still are taken through her emotions of the night and how she got to the point that she was at. I don't want to give too much away which is why I'm being somewhat cryptic and vague, but the story is amazing. Be forewarned it is a little bit on the short side (202 pages). That can be a good thing or a bad thing depending on the person, but a lot of awesomeness is crammed into this book!

Links to BUY IT!!

AMAZON

B&N

SMASHWORDS

Tidbits on the Author:

YA author from a small town in Georgia and loves everything about the south. She is wife to a fantastical husband and stay at home mom to two boisterous and mischievous boys who keep her on her toes. They currently reside in everywhere USA as they happily travel all over with her husband's job. She loves to spend time with her family, binge on candy corn, go out to eat at new restaurants, buy paperbacks at little bookstores, site see in the new areas they travel to, listen to music everywhere and also LOVES to read.
Her own books happen by accident and she revels in the writing and imagination process. She doesn't go anywhere without her notepad for fear of an idea creeping up and not being able to write it down immediately, even in the middle of the night, where her best ideas are born.

Ways to Stalk Her:

Goodreads http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4951964.Shelly_Crane 
Blog http://shellycrane.blogspot.com/ 
Facebook Fan Page https://www.facebook.com/shellycranefanpage 
Twitter @AuthShellyCrane

 

Review: Fractured (Caged #5) by Amber Lynn Natusch

Fractured (Caged #5)
by Amber Lynn Natusch
Published on: 3/5/13
Self published
Genre: Urban Fantasy

Returning home after three weeks of captivity in the shadows of her own mind, Ruby discovers the magnitude of the damage her absence left in its wake. With relationships to mend and unsolved mysteries still looming, she has little time to deal with the latest drama at hand: the three disreputable werewolves recently thrust into her life and a missing Scarlet. Ruby must quickly learn to adapt and thrive in her new situation while also treading carefully around it. If not, she will suffer the consequences―and without her genetically built-in safety net present, the ramifications could be epic.

My Rating: 4 1/2 Coffee Cups!!

I cannot stress to you enough how obsessed I am with this frigging series!! I'll be the first to admit that the Werewolf genre can get old, tired and completely overdone. But, nope not this one. Not even close. It's so completely different from the other ones out there and once it gets it's hooks into you IT DOESN'T LET GO. Trust me. 5 books in and I'm still finishing each book in a day's time and then salivating for the next one. Seriously, if I've not coerced you into anything yet with my rantings and ravings, let this one be the one that gets you! The first book Caged is $0.99 on Amazon right now. And just to catch you up a teeny tiny bit, here is the Goodreads blurb about the first book:

I stood in the middle of the room, unmoving – I barely breathed. My life had just become surreal, impossible, and one enormous lie. I needed to go, to run somewhere, anywhere to beat back the reality that was rapidly closing in around me. The image of him was burned into my retina, flashing over and over again like a warning. He was trapped somewhere between human and decidedly not, and I realized that was my new reality. 

I was too.

After the death of her parents, Ruby awakens from a lifetime of shadows and finds herself alone, thrust into a world of lies, deceit, betrayal and the supernatural.

As her quest for truth continues to come up short, she realizes that maybe some questions really are best left unanswered.

When her true identity is finally unveiled, she is forced to choose between two of the mysterious men who continually seem to crop up in her life.

She chooses poorly.

Now abandoned, Ruby must learn to call on the darkness within to survive, or spend a hellish eternity imprisoned because of it.

Now, if you haven't read the first (and want to) and don't really feel like having things spoiled for you, please don't keep reading. It's book 5 in this series so I won't be able to shield you from too much!! 

Ok, onwards.

The end of Scarred and the prologue of Fractured GUTTED me. It had me in tears and left me heartbroken. Oh and the effing Goodreads blurb yup, pretty painful:

I thought about watching from afar, hidden by the nearby trees or headstones, so I could avoid the onslaught of grief I was sure to be bombarded with. It was cowardly, but I was certain that when faced with the totality of my own grief, I would crumble under the weight of any extra. He was always so strong both physically and emotionally – I selfishly wished for his strength in that moment. If I couldn’t be strong, then I would at least be honorable and bear my pain publicly, for all who loved him to see.

It was by my actions that he was about to be put six feet under, and I owed it to him to be there. 

So needless to say I went into this knowing I was going to need a box of Kleenex and possibly a shot of tequila. It didn't help that the author and her fellow author/friend Shannon Morton actually told me I was going to ugly cry at one point in this. After stressing they NEVER cry at books. Fair warning and all that I suppose.

This book picks up about 3 weeks after the end of Scarred. 3 weeks after Sean and Jay's attack. 3 weeks after Matty's death and Scarlet's subsequent emotional breakdown and disappearance. Ruby regains consciousness in the middle of the woods, the last 3 weeks being a complete and total black hole to her with no recollection of how she got there. With the help of three seemingly random werewolves she is taken in, cleaned, fed and taken care of until she can make it back home to New Hampshire. Once there she has no idea what to expect from any of the people she cares about. She first runs into Connor. Can I just segue here and say I love Connor. I've always loved him, even thru his dark period and he doesn't disappoint me here in this book. Ok, back to what I was saying. Her meetings with Connor, Peyta, Alan and finally Sean are harsh. There are definite repercussions to her disappearance that she has to deal with that she would've never thought possible. From all ends. Not to mention she has to deal with Matty's death. The Rev turned him into a crazy wolf, but Ruby remembers and loves him for the man he was before he changed. Her friend, her dance partner, a man who held a part of her heart. It was tough to watch her try and figure out her feelings. 3 weeks may have passed in reality, but to Ruby it was only days ago. 

And then there's Scarlet. She has been pretty much non-existent since she released Ruby from her mental cell in the woods. No one can coax her out, Ruby doesn't hear her, doesn't feel any stirrings of her whatsoever. Which leaves Ruby disturbingly vulnerable. Especially when the three werewolves who found and helped her come knocking at her door asking for her and Connor's help and protection. Which, if you know Connor, you can probably guess how that went over. Not well. At all. The three werewolves- escapees from a pretty dangerous pack in the UK- are desperate. Janner, Alistair and Beckett have committed some fouls, lost people they loved and were given the chance to escape, so they run to the one person they believe can protect them the best, the RB.

  

Enter Sean. Ruby had seen him briefly at Matty's funeral but was in no mental state to talk to him. She was petrified he hated her and blamed her and couldn't deal with another loss on the day they buried Matty. But she couldn't avoid him when he walks into her apartment moments after the rogue werewolves do, demanding explanations and declaring himself as her mate. After some heated discussions and heartfelt admissions he and Ruby are finally back on track. As much as I love Connor, I know that Sean is who Ruby is supposed to be with. He has a monster inside of him that needs to be tamed, just as Ruby does (although not as literally). Ruby balances him and Sean gives her the unconditionally love that she never received when she was younger. He understands and accepts her and all of her screw-ups and never-ending penchant for finding and getting into trouble.

So you have an overprotective Connor (which you find out why exactly that is the case), a relatively damaged Peyta, a Sean that you want to hug and hogtie down so he doesn't change personalities again, an absurdly (and somewhat creepy in that state) happy Ronnie, the three stooges of werewolves, a psycho alpha, a heartbreaking presence that I can't really tell you about, oh and Gavin the man of talking in riddles and planting seeds of distrust. One additional bit of awesomeness- you have the new dynamic of the three werewolves adding to the smart assed hilarity that is Connor and Ruby. 

I loved this book. Even as vague as I am being about it, I just want you to go and read it and then tell me what you think. I need to share in this book with you people!! 

Happy Happy Birthday Abbi Glines!!!

To pretty much THE author that turned me on to the New Adult genre Ms. Abbi Glines I wish a HAPPY-AWESOMELY AMAZING-INCREDIBLY FANTASTIC BIRTHDAY!!! AToMR Tours put together this great idea to shower Abbi with love and I couldn't help but hop on the bandwagon!

So in no particular order I'm going to start posting a few excerpts from my favorite Abbi books!! From my favorite yummy Abbi boys ;)
PS- I'm not usually a post pictures of random hot guys kinda girl (not to say I don't shamelessly ogle the blogs that do do that) but I figured this post called for it ;)

I <3 Dank (Existence series)

“Daylight fades away as I watch you.
Darkness claims the sky and I wish you knew
that nothing you can do can keep me from you.
But I stay out of sight and only whisper to you.
Words I can’t say. Words you don’t need to hear.
Words I can’t keep from tangling my way.
Now, I can’t stand alone.
Now, I am under your influence.
You’ve taken over me and Now, I can’t ignore what I’ve been shown.
You’ve claimed me and I don’t care who knows.
You’ve claimed me and I don’t care if it shows.
I’m weakened and I’m strengthened in your arms.
You’ve claimed me and I need to feel you close.”
 

“You stand wanting more than you could ever understand.
I stand helpless needing to give in to your every command.
Wanting to see you smile has consumed me and tied both my hands.
Nothing I offer could ever be worthy of your love.
It’s a miracle that you saw me and never ran.
I will spend my whole life trying to be the man you think I am.
 

Now, I can’t stand alone. Now, I am under your influence.
You’ve taken over me and Now, I can’t ignore what I’ve been shown.
You’ve claimed me and I don’t care who knows.
You’ve claimed me and I don’t care if it shows.
I’m weakened and I’m strengthened in your arms.
You’ve claimed me and I need to feel you close.”
 

“You hold fire within your gaze.
It mesmerizes everyone you allow into your maze.
I know nothing of your thoughts
but I need to bask within the warmth of your rays.
Nothing you do could ever be wrong.
You’re forever perfect in every way.
 

Now, I can’t stand alone. Now, I am under your influence.
You’ve taken over me and Now, I can’t ignore what I’ve been shown.
You’ve claimed me and I don’t care who knows.
You’ve claimed me and I don’t care if it shows.
I’m weakened and I’m strengthened in your arms.
You’ve claimed me and I need to feel you close.”

I <3 Marcus (Because of Low)

“I don’t think I’m making myself very clear Low,” he’d lowered his voice and the effect made goose bumps break out over my body. “I was only interested in one person at that bar last night. I only came to see one person,” he tucked a strand of hair behind my ear and softly caressed my earlobe before tracing the line of my jaw. “I was there for you.” 

I <3  Rush  (Too Far series)

 I was sunk. I couldn’t fight this. I needed to. If I wanted to save us both pain later I would turn around and go back inside. But damn if I couldn’t find the strength to fight this need. I wanted her. I wanted her so fucking bad I was ready to make this work. Denying myself was one thing but denying Blaire was a whole other issue.

I didn’t think about it. I couldn’t. I just acted on instinct.

I went after her.

Once I was close enough to the Range Rover, I clicked the unlock button. I was touching her tonight. Right now. Right fucking now. And it was the stupidest thing I could do. For both of us but I just didn’t give a shit anymore. I was taking what I wanted. What she wanted.

And last but definitely not least I <3 Beau (Vincent Boys)

 

Ohh and what will likely be my new favorite Abbi Glines book (and brand new excerpt)....

“This is what you want?” I finally asked.

He didn’t reply right away. Instead he stared at me intensely. My heart picked up its pace and I realized it always would around Woods. He somehow connected with it and I couldn’t stop that. I had tried.

“No, and yes. I want what I’ve grown up knowing would be mine. I want to take my rightful place in my family’s business. I’ve worked hard for this. But… I don’t want Angelina.”

His eyes said more than they should. I dropped my gaze and stared at my hands resting in my lap. I had a decision to make. I could continue to push Woods away or I could forgive him. I could be his friend. Nothing more. He’d given me a job when I needed one. I would leave soon. The day would come when I left anyway. Until then, maybe I could share memories and moments with Woods. We could find the happiness in life together. New experiences. His last taste of freedom and my first taste.

Lifting my eyes, I met his steady gaze. He was waiting on something from me. “Can we be friends? Even after everything else? We could just start over,” I suggested.

The muscles in Woods neck moved as he swallowed. I wondered if I’d read him wrong. If he had just been needing closure and nothing more. But his eyes said something different. “I’d like that.”
Smiling I reached out my hand toward him. “Hello, I’m Della Sloane.”

A crooked grin touched Woods’ perfect face and he slipped his hand into mine. “Woods Kerrington. It’s nice to meet you Della.”

His warm touch caused me to shiver and I pulled my hand away and stood up. “I’m going to get a drink. Save me a dance tonight.”

He nodded. “Without a doubt.”

Oh and for a special treat (because, come on, what's a birthday without presents! And man these are some pretty flipping awesome presents) a giveaway!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review: Faster We Burn by Chelsea Cameron

Faster We Burn (Fall and Rise #2)
by Chelsea M. Cameron
Published on: 4/20/13
Self Published
Genre: New Adult/Contemporary Romance

Katie Hallman is done with douchebags. Done with guys who treat her like crap and leave her broken. But then Stryker Grant is there anyway. With his numerous piercings and bleached hair, he’s the polar opposite of all of her past relationships, which makes him the perfect candidate.

At first, Katie just sees him as a physical escape from her previous rocky relationship, and Stryker doesn’t seem to mind just being a distraction from Katie’s problems. But soon he’s getting under her skin, peeling back layers she’d rather keep covered. She tries to make it clear that she doesn’t want a relationship, but keeps breaking her own rules.

Then a tragedy sends Katie into the only arms who are there to catch her, and she’ll realize that she needs him more than she ever thought possible. But is she ready to let herself trust another guy with her already-battered heart? Or will she push him away to protect herself from getting hurt again?

My Rating: 4 1/2 Coffee Cups!!

First off, thank you to the kick-butt, rocks my socks author that is Chelsea Cameron for gifting me with an advanced copy of her book. For all who haven't read it yet, pick up Deeper We Fall the first book in this series. You don't actually have to read it to fully understand what's going on in this book, but it's fun to have a little bit more background on some of the supporting characters.

I read Deeper We Fall and loved it. Loved the main characters Zan and Lottie, loved their story. But I tripped and fell face first in love with Katie and Stryker's story in this book. I kinda loved this book just a little bit more (sorry Zan!). You didn't really know too much about Katie in Deeper We Fall except that she was Lottie's roommate, she was dating a complete and total assface Zack and she has a weird, somewhat unhealthy obsession with pink. Same thing with Stryker. He became Zan's closest friend and was an odd genius-mechanic-musician. They were in the peripheral. So glad they became the main focus. They both have some pretty deep scars, Katie's a little bit more recent, and they dive head first into a purely physical relationship in order to try to escape them for a little while. They make this arrangement pretty much at the very beginning of the book. Katie propositions Stryker after satisfying her curiosity of kissing a guy with a lip ring, and being the complete guy that he is, he definitely doesn't turn her down. 

Katie has been dealing with Zack. He is the picture perfect boyfriend. All American good looks and perfect manners. Amazing except for a dangerous need to control her. About 20% into the book Katie makes the mistake of meeting up with Zack for closure. By the end of the car ride she ends up battered and broken and tossed onto the front stoop of her dorm building like garbage. She's done. She doesn't want to give her heart to another person. She was fooled and reeled in by his charm and professions of love and it made her rethink everything, including who the person is in the mirror. She can't be with another guy, but she can't seem to turn off the voices in her head and the confusion in her soul. So, she reaches out to Stryker for a "distraction".

Stryker is the guy who protected her from Zack's public lashing at a Halloween Party. He is a genius, a musician, a mechanic. He is tatted up, pierced up, and bleached down. He is the polar opposite of Katie's pink loving, Hallmark Card family having, Taylor Swift listening to self. On paper they don't make sense. He's the guy who you don't bring home to mom and dad and Grandpa Jack. But then he sings to her over the phone to get her mind off things, he paints her fingernails and toenails, he distractedly draws on her hand and you can't help but swoon a little bit. Despite this, their relationship is the ultimate push and pull. They don't want the intimacy that is happening between them and they try and fight it desperately. They both have demons to fight and they don't know how to do it and love each other at the same time and- for lack of a better phrase- they're scared shitless to even try. Katie's been thru hell with Zack, she can't open her heart and she's understandably frightened to even try. She's struggling to find her identity. Stryker has only ever loved one person. His sister Trish. And other than her he's never been loved in return. His upbringing has seen to that. He's cut out for one night stands, not relationships. 

They go thru quite a bit of a Tug of Rope game until Katie's world is turned upside down. She's struggling and drowning and the only person who can get thru to her is Stryker. I'll admit it, I cried (damn you Chelsea). It was heartbreaking, but Stryker was perfect. He was everything she needed. He was her support system. Most of all, he wasn't her "physical distraction", he was her best friend. He is not perfect though. He makes mistakes. One mistake in particular....

Their story is not pink and pretty and perfect. Katie is a mess. Stryker is a clusterf*%k. She cusses him out and he takes it. He occasionally acts like a douche and she deals with it. You put these together and they are perfect. They are exactly what the other needs.

PS- Will and Audrey next I wonder?? Hmmmm....

      

Book Blitz!! Hell's Hollow by Summer Stone

 

Hell's Hollow by Summer Stone

 Published on: March 2013

Genre: YA Paranormal

When Seraphina was younger, she healed her best friend's injured hand. Terrified by the inexplicable cure, the girl shunned her. From that day on, Seraphina found herself without friends, a freak and an oddity. And so she obeyed her mother’s rule to refrain from using her innate ability, heeded her mother's warning that its use could land her in the local mental health facility alongside her aunt and grandmother.

But when sixteen-year-old Seraphina finds a mysterious, wounded boy hiding in the hollow in the woods behind her house, she can't hold out against the overpowering urge to help him. She is drawn to him each night, and as they come to know one another, their irresistible attraction blooms.

She longs to uncover his secrets — where he comes from and why he's hiding and how he came to be so wounded — and to share her own, though she knows it's forbidden. And while her healing touch seems to be helping him, it's hurting her. When the symptoms of psychosis — experienced by the women in her bloodline who used their powers — begin to plague Seraphina, she is faced with the unbearable choice of saving her sanity or the boy she’s come to love.

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Excerpts from the book:

“I should go,” he said.
“Why?” I asked. “No one’s even awake.”
“You are,” he said. “And… you should stay away. This is a bad idea.” The worry in his face lit up in the moonlight.
“Don’t be afraid of me,” I said.
“Not of you,” he said, shaking his head, “for you.” And then he backed away.
“Don’t run,” I begged. My mind raced, wondering if somehow he knew about the pull to heal and how dangerous it could be for me to give in to it. “I won’t do anything, I promise.”
“What do you mean?” he asked, looking confused.
I caught myself. “What did you mean — when you said you were afraid for me?”
He looked away. “I’m not someone you should be around.”
“Yeah, you are,” I said softly, wondering if he was really other than what he seemed, and then wondering, too, if he might be a sign of a psychotic break, a figment of my imagination.
“I’m evil,” he said, “like prince of darkness kind of stuff. You should stay away. And… I shouldn’t be here.” He stood to go.
I shivered. “I don’t understand,” I said, moving closer to him even though it made my whole body hurt. “Why shouldn’t you be here? How could you be evil?” My mind started imagining all sorts of horrible things he might have done. I knew nothing about him. He could be the axe murderer for all I knew.
“I never should’ve talked to you,” he said.
“You’re not making any sense,” I said. “Won’t you come back and hang out again?”
“Just… forget you ever met me,” he replied. And then he loped off through the woods.

~~~~~~~

“There’s something I need to do,” I said. “Something I want to try.” Talking to Luke had given me courage. And I was pretty sure I’d figured out what I’d done wrong with the chipmunk — giving it too much of The Hollow’s energy for its little body.
“What is it?” Zach asked. And there was something about him, sitting there in The Hollow in the moonlight, that for a moment I thought I might want to kiss him. I pushed the thought away, knowing he could never feel the same about a freak like me.
“Come over here,” I said, as I moved to my spot beneath the sequoia.
“Sera,” he said, shaking his head. “You’re not supposed to.”
“You’re not supposed to be here, but you are. And I’m afraid that shutting out the healing might end up being the thing that actually makes me crazy. This could help me understand what the right thing to do is — to give in or not. You’d be doing me a favor. Please?”
He crept over to my side of The Hollow. “Are you sure?”
I nodded. “Are you scared?”
 “No,” he said without hesitation.
“It won’t be like with the chipmunk. I know what I did wrong. He was so little. I should have only let a bit of The Hollow go into him. I didn’t remember I needed to control the amount.”
“I’m not afraid,” he said. “I’m only afraid of hurting you.”
My heartbeat sped up. “You can’t,” I replied. “Just sit here beside me and open to the energy I send into your body.”
“If it doesn’t work, don’t be disappointed,” he said, tugging at his jeans.
“It’s okay,” I said, thinking he was the one that was worried it wouldn’t work. “I’m nervous, too. We won’t know until we try.” It had been a long time since I’d healed a human. I imagined roots growing down from my body, intertwining with the roots of the sequoia for strength. “Okay,” I said, “here we go.”
Our eyes met. Heat pulsed between us. I put my hands on his knees — they were solid, he was real. I dropped my shield. At once the power of The Hollow smashed into me along with the pain of Zach’s wounds.
The feeling of damage overwhelmed me. So much damage. The Hollow poured into the deadened, wounded areas. But it was as if they were so starved for healing they pulled me in along with them. And inside there, below the damage raged a raw, rancid pain — as if his initial wounds had been reopened. They burned like nothing I’d ever imagined. It shocked me, like lightning strikes from within. I needed to pull away. It was too much. I couldn’t bear it. I was terrified I’d kill him. But I didn’t know how to pull back, how to make it stop. And there was this magnetism between us that held me to him. I couldn’t let go. I couldn’t breathe. I reared back, pulling The Hollow into myself. Zach’s pain was so huge, I couldn’t hold it. My head felt like it would split open. I lost all sense of my own body as I fell into the raging chasm.

Sounds Like an awesome book to me!! Want to win it? Well get off your butts and enter the giveaway below then! ;)

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Tidbits on the Author:

Summer Stone loves immersing herself in the worlds that live inside her mind. When she's in the real world, she likes kicking back on the beach, exploring new places, reading (of course) and eating rich, gooey chocolate. She loves spending time with her husband and kids, which she does as much as she can. Summer writes young adult and women's fiction, both supernatural and contemporary, realistic and looks forward to sharing her novels with you!

Random Trivia:

Believes chocolate and caramel can solve most problems.

Is terrified of rats... and mice... and anything in the rodent family.

Was a total book nerd in high school... and still is.

Tries hard to be brave.

Can be very determined (aka stubborn.)

Believes in magic.

Collects seashells -- but only when they ask her to 

Ways to stalk her: 

Website: http://summerstonebooks.blogspot.ca/ 

Goodreads Page 

Facebook Page 

Twitter: @SummerStoneBks