Blog Tour + ARC Review: Past Imperfect by Alison G. Bailey

Posted in 3 hearts, Blog Tours, Reviews by Lacey

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Title: Past Imperfect
Author: Alison G. Bailey
Release Date: February 15, 2014
Series: Perfect #2 (full reading order below)
Hosted by Wordsmith Publicity

In Present Perfect, Brad Johnson was sexy, cocky, rich and a complete Smurff**ker. He could afford anything he wanted and could charm any girl he set his eyes on. Everything was laid out in front of him, all for the taking except the one thing he craved and needed. A tragic event forces him to reevaluate his life. When he tries to change, will the people in his life let him move on from his past or will they constantly hold him to the life altering mistakes he’s made?

Mabry Darnell is intelligent, ambitious, beautiful, and sassy. Secrets from her past haunt the present causing her to question her actions in order to shield her heart and protect her life.

From the moment Brad and Mabry met, their connection was strong, intense, and electrifying. Both knew they had found the one person who could satisfy what the other ached for. When their pasts collide with their present, will it prevent them from having a future together or will love be strong enough to conquer their demons?

Buy Links:
Amazon US • Amazon UK • Amazon CA • Barnes and Noble • Smashwords

I had a feeling Brad from Present Perfect was going to get his own book, and I’m glad he did! He was a real douchebag in Present Perfect, but he makes a huge 180 after a tragic event and is a completely different person now. I was so excited to see how Alison G. Bailey would make me NOT hate Brad anymore, and wow, I so don’t hate Brad anymore. He’s sexy, he’s charming, he’s in love now, and he’s so, so sweet. His and Mabry’s story is gutting and heart-wrenching, and although I didn’t fall in love with it, it’s definitely worth reading for fans of the first book.

“I’m sorry, Mabry. If I had known you were going to be in my future, I would have been a better man in my past.”

Brad was an epic jerk in Present Perfect, and he continues to be throughout college, until one day his cruelness causes something terrible to happen, and makes him reevaluate the kind of person he is. And for the years since that tragic event to the present, he’s been trying to make up for everything bad he’s done–and though he knows he won’t be able to make up for everything, he’s still going to make sure he never reverts to how he was before ever again.

People have told her I’m a player, that I lie and cheat my way through life and use women. I used to be like that, but I’m not anymore. I’ve worked hard to make amends for the pain I’ve caused and move past the mistakes I’ve made. I wish others would stop trying to pigeonhole me to the past.

Right now, Brad is in love with Mabry, but she’s the one who’s putting the brakes on having a relationship. She wants to keep everything casual, but Brad wants more. It’s heartwarming to see Brad in such a different light–he’s much more mature, but he’s also still got his boyish, cocky personality in him too. But my heart went out to Brad, because what he really wants more than anything is for Mabry to admit she loves him. And OH MY GOSH! I had no idea how loving and sweet and HOT Brad can be! I melted quite a bit because of the things he says. Just–swoon! And seriously, Past Imperfect is one hot read.

“Do you think it’s possible to love someone before you’ve met them? Because I think I’ve loved you my entire life.”
“I do. I’ve been waiting for you my entire life.”

The book is told through both Brad and Mabry’s POVs, and they alternate between the present and the past. We’d have a scene from the present in one chapter and a scene from the past in the next, but to be honest, I wasn’t really a fan of this style. I was bouncing back and forth between the Brad from the past and the Brad in the present that I never really was able to love him. I liked him well enough, but I wasn’t able to fully immerse myself in his story. And I had a hard time liking Mabry as well. She’s had a hard life–her mother committed suicide, and her father checked out after this–but she seemed very weak to me. I wanted her to be stronger, to embrace her love for Brad, and while she does eventually do this, it took longer than I liked.

For fans of Present Perfect, you should read Brad’s story! I liked that we get to see hidden depths to Brad, and him in love is something you definitely shouldn’t miss. I was hoping I’d love the story more, but overall, Past Imperfect was a sweet, emotional romance I enjoyed reading.

Quotes are taken from the arc and are subject to change in the final version.

Reading Order: Perfect series

#1 ~ Present Perfect: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#2 ~ Past Imperfect: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#3 ~ Presently Perfect: Goodreads (Nov. 6, 2014)

Alison was born and raised in Charleston, SC. As a child she used her imagination to write additional scenes to TV shows and movies that she watched. She attended Winthrop University and graduating with a BA in Theater. While at Winthrop she began writing one act plays which she later produced. Throughout the years she continued writing and producing several one act plays, but then life got in the way and she hung up her pen for a while. On the advice of a friend, she started writing again. In January 2013, Alison sat down at her computer and began writing her first novel, Present Perfect.

Alison lives in Charleston, South Carolina with her husband, Jef, and their two furry children (dogs). She’s addicted to Diet Pepsi and anything with sugar.

Blog • Twitter • Facebook

18Feb2014

Review: Present Perfect by Alison G. Bailey

Posted in 3.5 hearts, Reviews by Lacey

Present Perfect by Alison G. Bailey
Series: Perfect #1 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: August 1st 2013
Purchase: Ebook • Paperback

I’ve been unsure about many things in my life except for one thing, that I have always loved him. Every single minute of every single day that I have been on this earth, my heart has belonged to him. It has never been a question, never a doubt. The love had taken on many different forms over the years, but it had always been a constant.

Everyone has their definition of love. There have been countless songs sung about it. A gazillion books, articles, and poems written about it. There are experts on love who will tell you how to get it, keep it, and get over it.

We’re led to believe love is complicated. It’s not the love that’s complicated. It’s all the crap that we attach to it and put in front of it that makes it difficult. If you’re smart, you’ll realize this before it’s too late and simplify.

____________________________________________

Amanda Kelly spent her entire life trying to control every aspect of it, while striving for perfection. Her obsession with being perfect, along with her feelings of worthlessness, consumed her. The one thing she thought was perfect in her life was the bond she shared with her best friend, Noah.

Everything was going according to her life plan until she woke up one day and realized she had fallen in love with him. The one thing she couldn’t control was the affect he had on her. Noah had the power to give her one hundred lifetimes of happiness, which also gave him the power to completely devastate her. He was the one thing in her life that was perfect, but she couldn’t allow herself to have him.

Her life begins to unravel. Events take over and force her to let go of her dreams and desires. She needs to realize that a person cannot control the events in their life, only their reaction to them…but will it be too late for her to save her relationship with her best friend?

Present Perfect is a story of how past events have present consequences and how perfect your present could be if you stopped fighting and just allowed it to happen.

I have so many mixed feelings for this book! I didn’t LOVE it like I expected to, there were parts I hated, some I loved, but overall, reading Present Perfect was one hell of an emotional roller coaster.

What starts as a very promising read soon goes downhill… then uphill… then downhill again. Seriously, I don’t think a book has made me so conflicted with my emotions as Present Perfect did. We have our heroine, Amanda, who is the second child in her family, and always striving to be as perfect as her older sister. But Amanda always, always, always believes that she can’t and won’t ever reach perfection. It was so painful to read about her low self-esteem, her disbelief in herself that I had to put this book down a few times. Amanda’s story is emotionally exhausting to read–I’d go from feeling sorry for her, and then angry at her for her poor decisions, which she makes a lot of.

But the one good, shining beacon in Amanda’s life–and this book–is Noah. Sweet, loyal, caring Noah, who calls Amanda Tweet, and is her best friend.

I’ve been unsure about many things in my life except that I have always loved him. Every single minute of every single day that I have been on this earth, my heart has belonged to him. It has never been a question, never a doubt. The love had taken on many different forms over the years, but it had always been a constant.

Amanda and Noah have been inseparable since they were born. We get to see them throughout the years as they grow up–they’re partners in crime, they’re best friends, they’re everything to each other. But as they enter high school, Amanda and Noah start noticing things about themselves–things they shouldn’t notice if they were only friends.

Amanda, bless her heart, is in love with Noah, but doesn’t believe she’s good enough, perfect enough, for him. I wanted to throttle her so much sometimes, because she puts herself through so much emotional pain. She wants the best for Noah, which she believes is not her, but she gets jealous when he interacts with other girls. Amanda is a very frustrating character, and she becomes even more so as she grows older and sex is added into the equation.

But Noah… he was the perfect friend, perfect love, for Amanda. He stood by her through all the crap she threw his way. He loves Amanda–he has a beautiful, all-consuming love for his best friend.

“You’ve always been my girl and always will be. No one will ever take me away from you, Tweet. You’re my heart and soul and that’s never going to change, no matter what you say.”

But Amanda rejects him again and again, and soon that pure love turns a little tainted. Amanda hurts Noah so much that sometimes those beautiful, precious moments between them, those secret kisses, those happy times, don’t seem to be worth it. And so Noah and Amanda have this back and forth thing going for most of the book, which I didn’t like very much. I wanted more LOVE! More happy moments! But no… Amanda and Noah are hurt again and again, and it’s a long while before they even start reaching a happy ending. And most of the time, I didn’t even know if they were going to have a HEA. It seemed like they wouldn’t, because they’ve just hurt each other too much, and then they’d have this heart-warming moment that would make me smile, and I’d root for their HEA.

So… can you tell I’m kind of a wreck from this book? Even though I didn’t really connect with Amanda or Noah, I hurt so much for them. I was invested in their story, but I just wasn’t invested in them. Does that even make sense? It’s SUCH a conflicting read! I have to give this book 3.5 hearts. 3 hearts overall and an extra .5 for making me feel crazed while reading.

Reading Order: Perfect series

#1 ~ Present Perfect: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#2 ~ Past Imperfect: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#3 ~ Presently Perfect: Goodreads (Nov. 6, 2014)

15Feb2014

Blog Tour + ARC Review, Excerpt & Giveaway: Transcendence by Shay Savage

Posted in 4.5 hearts, Blog Tours, Giveaways, Reviews by Lacey

Welcome to today’s stop on the Transcendence blog tour! I have my review of Transcendence and a fantastic excerpt and giveaway to share with you all!

Title: Transcendence
Author: Shay Savage
Genre: Pre-historical Romance
Release Date: February 2nd 2014

It’s said that women and men are from two different planets when it comes to communication, but how can they overcome the obstacles of prehistoric times when one of them simply doesn’t have the ability to comprehend language?

Ehd’s a caveman living on his own in a harsh wilderness. He’s strong and intelligent, but completely alone. When he finds a beautiful young woman in his pit trap, it’s obvious to him that she is meant to be his mate. He doesn’t know where she came from; she’s wearing some pretty odd clothing, and she makes a lot of noises with her mouth that give him a headache. Still, he’s determined to fulfill his purpose in life – provide for her, protect her, and put a baby in her.

Elizabeth doesn’t know where she is or exactly how she got there. She’s confused and distressed by her predicament, and there’s a caveman hauling her back to his cavehome. She’s not at all interested in Ehd’s primitive advances, and she just can’t seem to get him to listen. No matter what she tries, getting her point across to this primitive, but beautiful, man is a constant – and often hilarious – struggle.

With only each other for company, they must rely on one another to fight the dangers of the wild and prepare for the winter months. As they struggle to coexist, theirs becomes a love story that transcends language and time.

Purchase:
Ebook • Paperback

Oh my gosh!! WOW! Just–wow. I was completely blown away by Transcendence. I loved this book! It was like nothing I’ve ever read before, and I’m still in awe of this story. This is my first time reading Shay Savage, and it definitely won’t be my last. I loved her writing–I’m so impressed with how the author managed to bring a freaking caveman to life in this book, all without much dialogue!

The second I read that blurb, I wanted to read Transcendence so badly. It was so interesting and intriguing, because I’ve never read about cavemen before. I’ve read books where men have caveman tendencies, being all alpha-male, possessive, protective, and mine mine mine, but they were never actually real cavemen. And I have to say that even real live (er–well not live, but you get the idea) cavemen can make good book boyfriends, because I totally fell in love with Ehd! His and Elizabeth’s story was so wonderful to read.

Transcendence is told through a caveman’s, Ehd’s, POV. He’s fairly intelligent for a caveman–he can’t speak or write, but he can communicate and he’s been surviving on his own ever since his tribe was destroyed. But Ehd is getting lonely–he wants companionship, and lo and behold, he finds a young woman, Elizabeth, out in the wilderness. Ehd is so incredibly happy because he’s found his mate. All he wants to do now is protect, feed, and care for his mate, and give her babies. Elizabeth, though, is far from happy. Somehow, this girl from our modern times manages to travel back in time to the prehistoric ages and find herself a mate in a caveman. Through Ehd’s POV, we can tell that Elizabeth is horrified at her predicament, and it’s so, so entertaining to see how she copes with living in the prehistoric era.

This book had it all–a sweeping, heartfelt, beautiful romance, tons of laughs, and a swoony, adorable caveman. This book put me through so many emotions! I laughed my butt off at how much Ehd hated Elizabeth’s chattering, and at their interactions with one another, because they don’t understand each other at all in the beginning. Elizabeth tries to teach Ehd how to talk with her, but all he manages are monosyllables and grunts. But Elizabeth does teach him her name, though since Elizabeth is too much for Ehd to handle, he calls her Beh.

And my heart melted for Ehd, because even though he’s a caveman, and you would think he’d be overly possessive, he’s really the sweetest man ever.

I will provide for her. I will protect her. I will give her anything she wants.

Ehd is fascinated with his new mate–he has no idea where she came from, but now that he’s found her, he won’t let her go. He’s her protector now, and no matter how many headaches her talking causes, he’ll stay with her. I loved loved looooved being inside Ehd’s head. It’s fascinating to go through his thought processes, and since he doesn’t talk, there’s rarely any dialogue. The way Shay Savage portrays Ehd even without dialogue was so impressive. I seriously loved Ehd. I loved that even though he’s a caveman, he’s not so different that we can’t understand him. He’s a man, and he’s got the same traits as other alpha-males, which I found endearing. He’s hilarious sometimes, but at the heart of it all, Ehd is a man who will do anything to protect and care for his mate. And as they spend days, and weeks, and months together, we get to see Ehd falling for his mate. And even though this feeling is foreign to him, he knows he wants Elizabeth to feel the same way about him as he does her.

I want her; I know I do. It is far beyond not wanting to be alone anymore. I want her – only her.
I will do anything to make Beh mine.

I freaking adored Elizabeth! I honestly feel that if I were to somehow end up in prehistoric times, I’d react like Elizabeth does, and that’s why I found her so relatable. She’s absolutely terrified of what this caveman will do to her, but she’ll do anything to survive. And so Elizabeth and Ehd clash all the time. Mostly it’s hilarious to read about, but sometimes it’s heartbreaking to see Elizabeth rejecting Ehd over and over when all he wants is to protect and provide for her. But they really do fall in love. I thought it was beautiful way the way they fall in love, because they can’t really communicate with words, and so their actions define them. They fall in love with each other for who they are, and nothing else.

“Beh…” I pull her close and run the end of my nose over hers. Beh takes a long, deep breath before she settles her head right next to where her hand is splayed across my chest and closes her eyes.
I know the heart beating below Beh’s palm belongs to her.

Transcendence tells a tale of a kind of love that surpasses, transcends, time. It didn’t matter where or when Ehd and Elizabeth came from, because they fell for each other despite all the setbacks that could have made them hate each other. Luckily, we do get answers about Elizabeth’s time traveling, but at the heart of this book is a beautiful love story. I completely fell in love with Transcendence–I highly recommend it! It’s so unique and refreshing, and the beautiful love story will sweep you away.

Quotes are taken from the arc and are subject to change in the final version.

Looking down at my mate, my fingers reach out and brush strands of her beautiful long hair away from her forehead. The softness distracts me from her sorrow, and I pinch a few of the strands between my fingers to hold them out and look more closely. The firelight brings out the slight tinges of red in a few of the strands, but it is the texture that intrigues me the most.

As I look back at her face, I can see she is still frightened. Releasing her hair, I reach up and let the tips of my fingers touch the tear stains on her cheeks. I feel like crying for her—lost and alone out on the steppes. I touch slowly her cheek and jaw before my hand finds her shoulder and the incredibly smooth tunic covering her. Like her hair, I find it fascinating. I have never felt anything as smooth and soft. It’s lightweight, too—as if it were made from strands of a spider’s web.

I stroke her hair again to feel the difference between its softness and the texture of the clothing and find myself again fascinated by how soft and beautiful it is. I know I am very lucky to have found such an attractive mate though I am really just thrilled to have another person with me. As I take a deep breath, I inhale the scent of her hair, and the combination of sweet fruit and possibly some kind of flower confuses me—it is still too early in the season for buds to be blooming. Pulling her close to me, I run my nose from her hairline to her temple.

Definitely fruit.

She tenses again, and I’m reminded that she is sad and frightened about the loss of her people. I look into her eyes and tilt my head to the side, wanting her to know I understand. I touch my nose to her temple again—gently bumping her skin in a show of companionship.

Her tongue darts over her lips, and she makes her rhythmic sounds again. She is not as loud this time, but the noise is strange and unfamiliar to me. I continue to watch her closely until she stops making the sounds and lets out a long breath. She sniffs and turns away from me again but seems to have settled down somewhat.

I lay my head next to hers and strengthen my grip around her body. I keep my eyes open and watch the entrance to the cave until I hear her breathing slowly and regularly with sleep. Only when I’m sure she is no longer awake do I allow myself to do the same.

Shay Savage lives in Cincinnati, Ohio with her husband, two children, and a variety of household pets. She is an accomplished public speaker, and holds the rank of Distinguished Toastmaster from Toastmasters International. When not writing, she enjoys science fiction movies, and loves soccer in any and all forms. During the fall, she coaches her daughter’s soccer team. Though she currently works in the technology field, her school background is in psychology, and she brings a lot of that knowledge into the characters within her stories.

Website • Facebook • Goodreads • Twitter

Prize: 2 Paperback Copies of Transcendence, 5 Ebook Copies of Transcendence, and 2 Ebook Sets of Shay Savage’s Books (Surviving Raine, Otherwise Alone, Otherwise Occupied, Uncockblockable, Otherwise Unharmed, Transcendence.)

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10Feb2014

Review: Ignite Me by Tahereh Mafi

Posted in 6 hearts, Reviews by Lacey

Ignite Me by Tahereh Mafi
Series: Shatter Me #3 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: February 4th 2014
Purchase: Hardcover • Ebook • Paperback

The heart-stopping conclusion to the New York Times bestselling Shatter Me series, which Ransom Riggs, bestselling author of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, called “a thrilling, high-stakes saga of self-discovery and forbidden love”

Juliette now knows she may be the only one who can stop the Reestablishment. But to take them down, she’ll need the help of the one person she never thought she could trust: Warner. And as they work together, Juliette will discover that everything she thought she knew-about Warner, her abilities, and even Adam-was wrong.

In Shatter Me, Tahereh Mafi created a captivating and original story that combined the best of dystopian and paranormal and was praised by Publishers Weekly as “a gripping read from an author who’s not afraid to take risks.” The sequel, Unravel Me, blew readers away with heart-racing twists and turns, and New York Times bestselling author Kami Garcia said it was “dangerous, sexy, romantic, and intense.” Now this final book brings the series to a shocking and climactic end.

I have no idea where to even begin with this review for Ignite Me, besides saying that I freaking LOVED this book so, so much, and it was everything I expected and more. I really can’t say anything about the story without giving away spoilers, but I will try my best ~~to make sure you read this book!!!~~!

Ignite Me continues right where Unravel Me leaves off. Juliette has been shot by Warner’s father and nearly dies, but Warner saves her life. Juliette is very conflicted about Warner–he does save her life, and yet she can’t quite let go of her original hatred of him. But I, of course, have no qualms whatsoever about Warner! I. Love. This. Boy! I’m nearly obsessed with Warner… Aaron… Just swoon! But whether you’re Team Adam or Team Warner, you learn so much more about both of these boys. We see them in a completely different lights, which can be both good and bad. You could stay on whichever team you’re on, or even switch to the other, but either way, you’ll have a heart-pounding, incredible experience reading Ignite Me, because there’s so much more going on than just the love triangle.

I do recommend reading Fracture Me before starting Ignite Me. Adam annoyed the hell out of me in that novella, but we are given some important information regarding Omega Point, the rebels. But even if you don’t read Fracture Me, it doesn’t take away the full reading experience of Ignite Me.

Juliette transforms into a completely different creature in Ignite Me. She was once a scared, timid girl with no idea of her powers, but now, she’s growing into them. She’s learning more about her powers, using her powers more skillfully, and it gives her a confidence she never really had. I loved seeing this new side of Juliette. She becomes someone much more fascinating to read about. We discover more about her powers as she does, and I have to admit that she has a totally badass power. Seriously, with her power of incredible strength, she’s like a freaking Superwoman!

For so many years I lived in constant terror of myself. Doubt had married my fear and moved into my mind, where it built castles and ruled kingdoms and reigned over me, bowing my will to its whispers until I was little more than an acquiescing peon, too terrified to disobey, too terrified to disagree.
I had been shackled, a prisoner in my own mind.
But finally, finally, I have learned to break free.

I literally could not put Ignite Me down. I was hooked from the start. I loved Juliette’s journey into becoming the person she was meant to be, a leader. We never really get to see Juliette shine until now, and I was just SO impressed with this girl!

“Ignite, my love. Ignite.”

This book is gripping, intense, electrifying, and so goooood. My heart was racing at the action scenes, which there are a lot of. My heart was bursting when everyone was working together to defeat The Reestablishment and Warner’s father. It was just so amazing to see everyone together for one final, epic round to fight for their future.

And lord have mercy, the romance. The romance swept me away. I was smiling, laughing, grinning, giggling, swooning so hard because the romance between Juliette and the man she chooses the love and be with forever is breathtakingly beautiful. Juliette really, finally does choose who to be with, and we don’t even have to wait until the very end, which I was so happy about! We get to see so much of Juliette being in love, a beautiful, forever kind of love that has me swooning every time I think about it.

His hands are holding my cheeks, and he pulls back just to look me in the eye and his chest is heaving and he says, “I think,” he says, “my heart is going to explode,” and I wish, more than ever, that I knew how to capture moments like these and revisit them forever.
Because this.
This is everything.

Ignite Me is brilliant. It’s an epic, heart-stopping ending to this incredible series. I love the writing, I love the characters, I love the story–everything. This book just blew me away. If you haven’t read the Shatter Me series yet, you absolutely must. It’s one of my all-time favorite series ever, one I recommend to everyone.

6 hearts!

And now for the slightly spoilery part of my review! I wanted to rave a lot more about Warner and Adam, but I couldn’t do that without spoiling anything, because you already know I’m Team Warner, but if you don’t care about knowing who Juliette ends up with, or you already know, then you can continue reading!

Warner. Warner Warner Warner Warner Warner Warner Warner. I looooooove Warner. Ignite Me only ignited (hehe) my love for him. I loved that as Juliette spends more time with Warner, she sees another side of him as well. It’s a side no one else ever sees or knows. Isn’t that just a little bit beautiful? We know without a doubt that Warner loves Juliette, and he only ever shows his true self to her. But does Juliette love Warner? Or does she still love Adam?

Juliette’s reservations about Warner are slowly blasted away, because even though Warner was seen as some cold, manipulative, unfeeling, cruel person, we learn that he’s really not. There’s always a reason behind everything he does, and even though it doesn’t make him a better person, it does make him someone we can understand better, someone we can love.

Adam, on the other hand, is just so… different. He’s incredible bitter, something I never thought was possible. He has so much hatred festering inside of him, and it truly changes him. I was so impressed with how Tahereh Mafi handled Adam and Juliette. Juliette is different now–she’s not the same girl Adam loved. Adam is not the same boy Juliette loved, and the changes in both of them affect their relationship. We can clearly see how the two of them just weren’t meant for each other, how they brought each other down instead of up.

So all in all, I was definitely happy with the way the romance ended up, and not just because I’m Team Warner. Even if I wasn’t on any team (or if I was Team Kenji) I would still have seen that Adam wasn’t good for Juliette, and vice versa. Warner brought out the most, the best out of Juliette. And holy crap, can I just say, Warner is hot hot hot!!! Chapters 55-58 anyone? Woooh, I was fanning myself so much here. God, I love Warner.

Reading Order: Shatter Me series

#1 ~ Shatter Me: Ebook • Hardcover • Paperback • Goodreads
#1.5 ~ Destroy Me: Ebook • Goodreads
#2 ~ Unravel Me: Ebook • Hardcover • Paperback • Goodreads
#2.5 ~ Fracture Me: My Review • Ebook • Goodreads
#3 ~ Ignite Me: Ebook • Hardcover • Paperback • Goodreads
Unite Me (paperback bundle of Destroy Me & Fracture Me): Paperback • Goodreads

5Feb2014

Blog Tour + Early Review & Giveaway: Lady Thief by A.C. Gaughen

Posted in 5 hearts, Blog Tours, Giveaways, Reviews by Lacey

Click the banner to follow the tour!

Welcome to the official Lady Thief by A.C. Gaughen blog tour! I absolutely adored Scarlet, and I’m so ecstatic to be a part of Lady Thief’s tour! For today’s stop, I review the brilliantly written Lady Thief. Don’t forget to enter the tour-wide giveaway below!

Lady Thief by A.C. Gaughen
Series: Scarlet #2 (full reading order below)
Release Date: February 11th 2014

Scarlet’s true identity has been revealed, but her future is uncertain. Her forced marriage to Lord Gisbourne threatens Robin and Scarlet’s love, and the royal court has come to Nottingham to appoint a new sheriff. The people hope that Prince John will give them a champion, but the prince has different plans . . . involving Scarlet and Lord Gisbourne.

Scarlet must put aside her weapons and boys’ clothing to join the dark and plotting court. She will do anything to outwit the Prince and win a life with Rob, but hidden within the court is a secret no one was supposed to discover. When the truth is revealed, Scarlet will have to pay a steep price.

Featuring a strong girl heroine who will appeal to fans of Grave Mercy and Throne of Glass, this sequel to Scarlet will leave readers breathless for more.

Buy Links:
Amazon • Barnes & Noble • IndieBound

Oh. My. GOD! I honestly didn’t think Lady Thief could meet the high expectations I had after Scarlet, but Lady Thief blew me away! It’s a stunning, incredible sequel to Scarlet. I wholeheartedly loved Lady Thief, with its cast of unforgettable, lovable characters and unique writing. If you loved Scarlet, Lady Thief will not disappoint you! And if you haven’t read Scarlet, you really should–A.C. Gaughen’s Scarlet series is one of my favorite series ever! It’s an action-packed historical fiction, a refreshing fairytale retelling, and a heart-stopping romance all wrapped into one mind-blowing package.

“I love you, Scarlet. Go on, now, before you steal my sanity too,” he said.
“Too?” I questioned.
His grin by the moon were wicked and handsome. “Thief of my heart.”

Lady Thief follows shortly after Scarlet’s ending (and can I just say how THANKFUL I am that A.C. Gaughen wrote a sequel to Scarlet? Because I am so, so happy she did). Scarlet’s true identity as a woman of high class, as Marian of Leaford, is finally out in the open, the love between Scarlet and Rob has blossomed, but things aren’t exactly going well right now. For one thing, Scarlet is married to Lord Gisbourne, who is an evil man. Scarlet had to marry Gisbourne in order to save Rob, who was tortured horribly. Rob is safe now, but he constantly has nightmares in which he harms Scarlet in his sleep. There’s tension brewing between Robin Hood and his Merry Men, but there’s no doubt that all of them, Rob, Scarlet, John, and Much, will stick by each other through thick and thin. I’d missed the four of them, and I loved revisiting the bonds and camaraderie between them again.

Scarlet is once again a total badass in Lady Thief. I adore Scarlet. She’s a fierce, strong, compassionate girl who loves with all her heart, and will protect those she loves with everything she has. In Lady Thief, she always puts those she loves above herself–she’d give her life for them, and she basically does when she agrees to be a proper wife for her husband. Even in the midst of political drama including a cruel, despicable prince, Scarlet never gives up and never goes down without a fight. She fights for the people of her town, and especially for Rob and for their love. I love her for her perseverance, for fighting to have the future she wants with Rob. It’s an incredibly difficult road getting to their happily ever after, but Scarlet doesn’t give up.

And do you know what A.C. Gaughen has done to me? She’s made me fall head over heels in love with Robin Hood. I never gave a crap about the fairy tale Robin Hood before, but then I read about Scarlet’s Rob and it was love at first page. In Lady Thief, he’s a little broken after his torture, and attacking Scarlet in his sleep isn’t helping him get better. Even though the book is in Scarlet’s POV, I could just feel his shame and agony over hurting Scarlet, even unintentionally, because he just loves her so much. He’s such a vivid character, someone I can conjure up in my mind so easily. He’s loyal, compassionate, loving, and he has such a kind heart. He’s a thoroughly good man, and he and Scarlet are absolutely perfect for each other.

“It’s strange,” he said low in my ear. “When night falls my chest is full of fear, but holding you like this, Scar, I can’t help but feel grateful. Joyous. By the light of day, I still cannot fathom that I’m the one you love.”
I turned a little to look at him. “I do love you. I always will.”

Oh my goodness, my heart flutters every single time Rob opens his mouth. He and Scarlet are so much more romantic in Lady Thief, and I was grinning so much! They fight so hard to find a way to annul Scarlet’s marriage to Gisbourne, and they won’t stop until they can finally be together out in the open. They have a captivating, passionate love that made me swoon and sigh. It’s sometimes painful too, because they just have so many obstacles in the way of their happily ever after.

“These schemes may benefit the people, Scarlet, but I fight for you.” His hands squeezed my waist a little bit, and it made my blood run fast. “I will always fight for you.”

The other characters in Lady Thief are just as compelling as Scarlet and Rob. They all have their distinctive personalities, even the evil characters, and they made Lady Thief such a great book to read. There’s never a dull moment, and especially in the second half of the book, I was at the edge of my seat, nearly biting my nails. Things get intense in this book, and I loved every second of it!

Lady Thief is an absolute must read–Scarlet fans, you don’t want to miss this one! This whole series is brilliant–the story is executed perfectly, and the characters are so consuming to read about. I highly, highly recommend the Scarlet series–it’s unputdownable and unforgettable!

Quotes are taken from the arc and are subject to change in the final version.

Reading Order: Scarlet series

#1 ~ Scarlet: Ebook • Hardcover • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ Lady Thief: Ebook • Hardcover • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#3 ~ Lion Heart: My Review • Ebook • Hardcover • Goodreads

Quotes are taken from the ARC and are subject to change.

I am shamelessly addicted to staying up far too late (it feels like stealing time), diet coke (it burns so good), Scotland (stupid country stole my heart and won’t give it back. Interpol has been ineffective for prosecution) and thieves (so I guess I’m not that mad at Scotland).

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