Bookish Related Stuff {1}

Posted in Book News by Lacey

Hi everyone! I’m a bit bored right now (actually I’m supposed to be studying, ahem, but oh well), so I decided, Why not make a new post? But about what, exactly? Yeah, I’m not really sure either. Well, I guess this post is going to be more of a compilation of random book-related things rather than a typical book review. SO. What should I start off first with…

OH!! If you didn’t already know from a previous post about the incredible Colleen Hoover, Cathy, Shirley and I LOVE her. We absolutely ADORE ~~WIll and Holder~~ her books. And this morning, Cathy told me that Colleen had a new post up on her blog, and OH MY GOD it’s a deleted scene!!!! AAAAHHHHH!!! It’s acutally PRETTY SPOILERY, so if you haven’t read Slammed yet, you probably shouldn’t read it. But for those who have finished Slammed (WOOT YOU ROCK) then go check it out and read it HERE!!! It’s such a heart-wrenching scene, and Colleen does such an amazing job of portraying all the emotions, so I’m pretty sad this didn’t actually turn up in the book.

Yesterday (5/28/13), so many new books were released! But the ones I’m SO FREAKING EXCITED to read are:
(Click the covers to go read the summaries!)

Guys, guys, you seriously have no idea how unbelievably excited I am to read Dare You To. Like, holy mackeral. I’ve been waiting for it since I finished the first book, Pushing the Limits, which is one of my all-time FAVORITE books ever. GOD, I’m just anxiously waiting for my copy to arrive in the mail so I can finally read it! Oh, and The Forever of Ella and Micha is an eagerly awaited sequel, even though I thought the first book, The Secret of Ella and Micha, was only okay and not very impressive. And Spirit is book #3 in the Elemental series, which is a fantastic series about a family of 4 boys with awesome powers, and just really fun to read. I’ve already read Book #1 and #2, so if cute boys and magic powers are your thing, check that series out!

I’m in a huge dilemma. I don’t know what book I’m going to start reading. DUN DUN DUN. But seriously, I have SO many books to read that I don’t know where to start. And it’s killing me! I recently was recommended by a friend a book called Crash, and she LOVED it, so I might start that. Or Prodigy by Marie Lu. GAH I DON’T KNOW WHICH TO CHOOSE THERE’S TOO MANY GOOD ONES!!

And speaking of Crash, the author, Nicole Williams, has a new series, and it sounds like something I would love to read. Lost and Found is the first book, and the second book, Near and Far, just had its cover revealed. Lookie! Both covers so pretty!

And oh my gosh, a dear friend of mine recently wrote a review for an incredible book called Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys, and I just wanted to share it with you because both the review and the book are so heartfelt and amazing! Read her review here!

Susan Ee, author of one of my absolute favorites books ever, just announced that the sequel to Angelfall has a name and description!!!

World After (Penryn & the End of Days, Book 2)

In this sequel to the bestselling fantasy thriller, Angelfall, the survivors of the angel apocalypse begin to scrape back together what’s left of the modern world.

When a group of people capture Penryn’s sister Paige, thinking she’s a monster, the situation ends in a massacre. Paige disappears. Humans are terrified. Mom is heartbroken.

Penryn drives through the streets of San Francisco looking for Paige. Why are the streets so empty? Where is everybody? Her search leads her into the heart of the angels’ secret plans where she catches a glimpse of their motivations, and learns the horrifying extent to which the angels are willing to go.

Meanwhile, Raffe hunts for his wings. Without them, he can’t rejoin the angels, can’t take his rightful place as one of their leaders. When faced with recapturing his wings or helping Penryn survive, which will he choose?

And to wrap this up, here are some upcoming books I’m DYING to read…

❤ Holder ❤ Camden ❤ Four ❤ Noah ❤ Jared ❤ Hector ❤ (LOL sorry I just had to squeeze that in there before I ended things…)

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29May2013

Review: Tangled by Emma Chase

Posted in 5 hearts, Reviews by Lacey

Tangled by Emma Chase
Series: Tangled #1 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: May 20th 2013
Links: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads

Drew Evans is a winner. Handsome and arrogant, he makes multimillion dollar business deals and seduces New York’s most beautiful women with just a smile. He has loyal friends and an indulgent family. So why has he been shuttered in his apartment for seven days, miserable and depressed?

He’ll tell you he has the flu.

But we all know that’s not really true.

Katherine Brooks is brilliant, beautiful and ambitious. She refuses to let anything – or anyone – derail her path to success. When Kate is hired as the new associate at Drew’s father’s investment banking firm, every aspect of the dashing playboy’s life is thrown into a tailspin. The professional competition she brings is unnerving, his attraction to her is distracting, his failure to entice her into his bed is exasperating.

Then, just when Drew is on the cusp of having everything he wants, his overblown confidence threatens to ruin it all. Will he be able untangle his feelings of lust and tenderness, frustration and fulfillment? Will he rise to the most important challenge of his life?

Can Drew Evans win at love?

Tangled is not your mother’s romance novel. It is an outrageous, passionate, witty narrative about a man who knows a lot about women…just not as much as he thinks he knows. As he tells his story, Drew learns the one thing he never wanted in life, is the only thing he can’t live without.

This book. Was. Hilarious. I seriously COULD NOT stop laughing while reading it! And you know what happens when a book makes me laugh out loud constantly? I end up loving everything-the characters, the story, the entire book. Tangled was such a great read. It’s fun, light-hearted, dorky at times, and all told by a male-POV. It’s romance at its finest.

I love Drew Evans. Yep, I just gotta say it. I love Drew Evans. He’s funny, sarcastic, hot, smart, and sexy, so what’s not to love about him? Oh, except… he’s a manwhore. Yup, Drew is a manwhore, and it takes a special woman named Katherine Brooks to change his manwhoring (is that even a word?) ways. At the start of the book, Drew is a mess. Katherine has dumped him, and he doesn’t know what to do with himself anymore. But instead of making it cheesy and sappy, Drew narrates in such a way where he sucks you into the story and you just can’t stop reading-or laughing! And you can’t help but root for Drew and hope he gets his HEA.

It was so entertaining to see Drew slowly falling in love, and freaking out about it. He’s never felt that way before for any woman, and it’s just the funniest thing to see him to falling in love with a woman who takes no crap from him. Their relationship actually starts off as a hate-at-first-sight thing. Enemies to lovers! But when Drew realizes Katherine is IT for him, he goes all out to win the love of his life, and hilarity ensues. Honestly, the things Drew does are insane and would drive anybody crazy. But at the same time, he’s just so sweet and adorable.

I had such a fun time reading this book. It’s a perfect read for romance lovers, although, fair warning, Drew holds nothing back in his narration. He tells it like it is from a man’s POV. And oh my god, it’s freaking hilarious.

Reading Order: Tangled series

#1 ~ Tangled: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#1.5 ~ Holy Frigging Matrimony: My Review • Ebook • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ Twisted: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#3 ~ Tamed: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#4 ~ Tied: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads

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26May2013

Early Review: Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo

Posted in 4 hearts, Reviews by Lacey

Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo
Series: The Grisha #2 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: June 4th 2013
Purchase: Ebook • Hardcover • Paperback

Darkness never dies.

Hunted across the True Sea, haunted by the lives she took on the Fold, Alina must try to make a life with Mal in an unfamiliar land, all while keeping her identity as the Sun Summoner a secret. But she can’t outrun her past or her destiny for long.

The Darkling has emerged from the Shadow Fold with a terrifying new power and a dangerous plan that will test the very boundaries of the natural world. With the help of a notorious privateer, Alina returns to the country she abandoned, determined to fight the forces gathering against Ravka. But as her power grows, Alina slips deeper into the Darkling’s game of forbidden magic, and farther away from Mal. Somehow, she will have to choose between her country, her power, and the love she always thought would guide her–or risk losing everything to the oncoming storm.

It’s been a while since I’ve read a fantasy book. But let me tell you, fantasy is my THING. I know I can always enjoy myself with a fantasy book. Most of the books I read are actually not realistic fiction. And since I had such a hard time choosing a book to read next, I thought, Dude, it’s time for a fantasy book and Siege and Storm it was.

I received an advanced copy of Siege and Storm (which is so exciting) and ended up liking it much more than the first book. Shadow and Bone, the first book in the Grisha series, was a bit of a let down for me. I had expected it to be this amazing epic fantasy story, but to me, it fell a bit flat. I think it was mostly because I saw so much hype about Shadow and Bone that I had too high expectations for it. I still enjoyed reading it though, and would recommend it for big fantasy lovers.

Luckily, Siege and Storm turned out much better than Shadow and Bone. The plot was a lot more exciting and intense, and everything was more serious. The sequel focuses more on the consequences of Alina’s decisions from book one, and how Alina starts to grow, mature, and own up to her role as the powerful Sun Summoner. Oh, and of course, can’t forget how she has to save her world from the evil Darkling.

The Darkling is such an intriguing character, and I still don’t understand why. He’s terrible, evil, and cruel, yet I don’t hate him. And Alina doesn’t either, or at least not entirely, because he’s the only person in the world who understands her and her powers completely. So it kind of sucks that the person who connects with you the most turns out to be the most evil guy in the world. And I think that makes him the perfect villain.

My favorite part of the book is the new character that is introduced-Sturmhond! He’s hilarious, handsome, clever, annoying, and yet just a good guy at heart. He’s probably my favorite character of this series and the reason why I liked Siege and Storm as much as I did. But, ugh, the book started turning into a love square, with a Team Mal, a Team Darkling, and now a Team Sturmhond. I love choosing which team to root for, but when I don’t really think any of the love interests fit with the heroine, it turns out that I don’t really enjoy the book as much as I could. And even though I’m such a sucker for the best friends-to-lovers trope, I’m not a huge fan of Alina and Mal.

My biggest problem with Siege and Storm was the relationship strain between Alina and Mal. And it didn’t help that in some parts of the book, I wanted to throttle Alina. She kept being too indecisive and started keeping too many secrets to herself. If she had open up to Mal, I think a few, if not a lot, of their problems could have been worked out. But I hate it, absolutely hate it when the main characters’ relationship starts going downhill in the second book, especially after there was a (somewhat) happy ending in the first book. Gah, it makes me so angry sometimes when authors do this, because then I think, what was the point of them even having a HEA in the first book!?

I loved all the epic scenes in Siege and Storm, like when the Darkling goes all wacko or Alina becomes a badass and fights. Like the ending? SO. GOOD. And crazy. The book definitely ends with a bang. Hopefully, Leigh Bardugo will give us readers even more epic scenes in book #3, Ruin and Rising. Can’t say I’m dying to read it, but I’m definitely looking forward to it!

Reading Order: The Grisha series

#1 ~ Shadow and Bone: Ebook • Hardcover • Paperback • Goodreads
#2 ~ Siege and Storm: Ebook • Hardcover • Paperback • Goodreads
#3 ~ Ruin and Rising: Ebook • Hardcover • Paperback • Goodreads

21May2013

Review: Sins & Needles by Karina Halle

Posted in 5 hearts, Reviews by Lacey

Sins & Needles by Karina Halle
Series: The Artists Trilogy #1 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: January 25th 2013
Purchase: Ebook • Paperback

There’s a Fine Line Between Sin and Salvation . . .

Ellie Watt is a woman on the run. Raised by a pair of thieves who taught her the art of the grift-and pursued by a mobster who fell for her con-she hopes to find refuge at her uncle’s farm in quiet Palm Valley, California. Ellie swears she’s through with her life of crime. But before she knows it, she’s right back in the game when she meets an easy mark who’s too good-and too hot-to be true.

His name is Camden McQueen. A master tattoo artist and a total inked stud, Camden is nothing like the awkward kid who crushed on Ellie back in high school. Now, as owner of the wildly successful Sins & Needles, he’s got tats to kill for, muscles to die for, and money to burn. Ellie can’t believe the transformation-and can’t resist pulling off one last con. But when Camden catches Ellie red-handed, the tables are turned. The mark becomes the master. And when the ultimate player gets played, you never know who’s going to end up on top . . .

Holy crap. I’m not even sure what I just read. This book. Is. CRAZY. It goes all out, holds nothing back. And I loved it.

Already, from the blurb, you know that this book is going to be very interesting. The main character is a con artist! (Actually, a series I’m a huge fan of, the Curse Workers series, also has characters who are con artists, so go check that out if you’re interested in that kind of thing.) Ellie is a tough chick. All she’s ever known is conning people, having different identities, and being on the run. And you might think, what kind of life is that? Well, the thing is, Ellie’s life is entirely fueled by revenge. So she has no real friends, no real boyfriend, no normal relationships at all. All she wants is revenge on the man who ruined her life. And unfortunately, you can’t have a happy ending if all you have is revenge.

Oh, by the way, this is an ADULT book, so if you’re planning on reading this, beware that there is definitely some mature content in this book!

So. Sins & Needles. This is such an amazing book that I don’t even know where to begin. Well, first off, I guess I should say that it just blew my mind. The story is so unique and intriguing, and I couldn’t stop reading! I was so absorbed in Ellie’s story. She is a fantastic heroine. She’s cool and badass, but underneath it all, you know she has her insecurities and vulnerabilities. She had such a horrible childhood that I couldn’t help but feel sorry for her. But I loved the fact that she grew so much stronger because of her difficult childhood. I thought it would be hard to connect with a character who has little morals, but it was actually easy to like Ellie. She steals, cheats, lies, and cons, but somehow she manages to her way into your heart and make you care for her. Especially since you know that it can’t possibly end well for Ellie and her quest for revenge.

Enter Camden McQueen. (I am so totally in love with his name. It’s. So. Hot.) He’s covered in tattoos (YUM), and once upon a time, was best friends with Ellie in high school and completely in love with her. Now a professional tattoo artist, Camden’s not exactly in love with Ellie anymore. In fact, he kind of hates her guts. But he needs her help with something only she can do. I LOVE Camden. He’s rough, sexy, and sometimes wears glasses! (which I didn’t know I liked in a guy until now lol). He’s hard on Ellie, but only because she was a total bitch to him back in high school and a bit of a bitch to him even now. But oh. my. god. When he is in love, he is the sweetest, most caring guy in the world. Swoon. And when he wants Ellie, he fights for her, and doesn’t let anything get in his way.

Sins & Needles doesn’t exactly have a love triangle, but it kind of does. It’s a bit complicated. One of the people Ellie is on the run from is Javier, her ex-boyfriend, who is also the right-hand man of a powerful drug lord. Yup. The people Ellie gets involved with are crazy. And Javier is certifiably insane, I swear he is. He takes ‘fighting for what he wants’ to a WHOLE other level. Because he wants Ellie back. And not just as in Oh, I still love you Ellie, please come back to me. Nope, Javier is more of a You ran away from me even though you’re mine, so I’m taking you back now kind of man. And he will do ANYTHING to take her back. Javier is mainly the reason why the book was so exciting. There were car chases, shootings, fighting, and tons of other crazy stuff going on, all thanks to Javier.

I don’t quite know what to make of Sins & Needles, since I’ve never read anything like it, but all I know is that I loved every minute of it. This book was SO MUCH FUN. It’s exciting and entertaining, and yet there are deep and heartfelt moments too. So I totally recommend reading this book.

Reading Order: The Artists Trilogy

#0.5 ~ On Every Street: Ebook • Goodreads
#1 ~ Sins & Needles: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#2 ~ Shooting Scars: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#3 ~ Bold Tricks: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads

21May2013

Top Ten Tuesday {2}: Favorite Book Covers Of Books We’ve Read

Posted in Top Ten Tuesday by Lacey

WOOT!! It’s Top Ten Tuesday today, hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. So, this week’s theme is…

Top Ten Favorite Book Covers Of Books We’ve Read

(We kind of cheated and counted a whole series as 1 of the 10 we chose, but oh well!)

Lacey’s choices:

(Because both versions look amazing!)

Shirley’s Choices:

Cathy’s Choices:

So let us know which covers you love from our choices, and your own favorite covers!

	Unlocking the Magic… on Review: A Promise of Fire by A…
	Lucas Middleton on Blog Tour // Review + Excerpt:…
	Van on Blog Tour + Release Day Review…
	Amber Elise @ Du Liv… on Audiobook Review: The Stand-In…
	daisyknox on Release Day Review: Tryst Six…

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Bookish Related Stuff {1}