Review: Real by Katy Evans

Real by Katy Evans

Real by Katy Evans
Series: Real #1 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: April 8th 2013
Links: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads

A fallen boxer.
A woman with a broken dream.
A competition…

He even makes me forget my name. One night was all it took, and I forgot everything and anything except the sexy fighter in the ring who sets my mind ablaze and my body on fire with wanting…

Remington Tate is the strongest, most confusing man I’ve ever met in my life.

He’s the star of the dangerous underground fighting circuit, and I’m drawn to him as I’ve never been drawn to anything in my life. I forget who I am, what I want, with just one look from him. When he’s near, I need to remind myself that I am strong–but he is stronger. And now it’s my job to keep his body working like a perfect machine, his taut muscles primed and ready to break the bones of his next opponents . . .

But the one he’s most threatening to, now, is me.

I want him. I want him without fear. Without reservations.

If only I knew for sure what it is that he wants from me?

I was a bit wary going into Real, because I wasn’t sure I’d like it very much, despite the outrageous amount of love for it. But oh my goodness, I did! I really enjoyed it! It was better than I’d expected, and I wish I’d read it sooner. A fighter romance, with an intense book boyfriend I totally fell in love with, Real was one emotional roller coaster to read.

Brooke was honestly a great heroine. I never had a problem with her, and to be honest, if I were in her shoes, I would have NO idea how to deal with Remington Tate and his advances. I’d probably just melt into a puddle of goo, or just faint dead. In any case, she was an interesting change in heroines. She was a former track runner, but her dreams were ruined when she got seriously injured. Now she helps athletes with their bodies.

The moment Brooke and Remy meet, it’s instant lust at first sight. They connect on a powerfully physical way, and the emotional part slowly becomes a part of them. Besides the incredible lust Brooke and Remy have for each other, I loved that the book wasn’t predictable. I had no idea what would happen one moment, and I’d be wonderfully surprised. There are quite a few plot twists as well, and they’re so incredibly well done! So filled with angst (my favorite thing ever to read!), my heart was hurting so much, and I was desperately wishing for Remy and Brooke’s HEA.

This book was scorching. Remy is intensely raw and masculine and… *phew* oh man. I’m not even sure I can do justice to describing the way he comes off the pages. He’s built for power and strength as a fighter, so don’t even get me started on the delicious body this man has. Lickable abs indeed. (And I just love the model on the cover–I think it’s a pretty perfect image of Remy!). The tension–sexual tension–is completely off the charts! Remy is an intensely physical man, and when he sets his sights on Brooke… wow. It did get to be a bit much at times, but I totally loved Remy, so who cares? He’s insanely possessive and protective of Brooke, and he’s got such a way with words, I was swooning so hard!

“You’ll leave me the second it gets too steep, and you’ll leave me with nothing–when I want you like I’ve never wanted anything in life. You’re all I think about, dream about. I get high and low and it’s all about you now, it’s not even about me anymore. I can’t sleep, can’t think, can’t concentrate worth shit anymore and it’s all because I want to be the fucking ‘one’ for you and as soon as you realize what I am, all I’ll be is a fucking mistake!”

Remington Tate has got some things haunting him though. It was something I never expected, and so different from anything I’ve ever read, so even his secrets were an even more refreshing change than Remy already was.

And because of this book, I’ve fallen madly in love with the song Iris. *swoon*

“I don’t want to be yours. I want to be your fucking REAL.”

4 hearts! Maybe a 4.5 at some parts, but overall, I’d definitely recommend this book. It was a perfect romance!

4 hearts
lacey


Reading Order: Real series

Real by Katy Evans Mine by Katy Evans Remy by Katy Evans
Rogue by Katy Evans Ripped by Katy Evans Legend by Katy Evans

#1 ~ Real: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ Mine: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#3 ~ Remy: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#4 ~ Rogue: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#5 ~ Ripped: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#6 ~ Legend: My Review • EbookPaperback • AudibleGoodreads


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Book News, Weekly Recap & Upcoming Releases! {7}

Cover Reveals!!

★ The cover for Soul Screamers Vol. 4 by Rachel Vincent is here! Isn’t it gorgeous?? AND it has a never-before-seen novella called LAST REQUEST!

Soul Screamers Volume 4 by Rachel Vincent

★ Here’s the cover for Castle Hill (On Dublin Street #2.5) by Samantha Young! SO excited for it! This series is one of my favorites 🙂

Castle Hill by Samantha Young

★ Jennifer L. Armentrout has a new book coming out April 15th 2014! It’s called Don’t Look Back.

Dont Look Back by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Samantha is a stranger in her own life. Until the night she disappeared with her best friend, Cassie, everyone said Sam had it all-popularity, wealth, and a dream boyfriend.

Sam has resurfaced, but she has no recollection of who she was or what happened to her that night. As she tries to piece together her life from before, she realizes it’s one she no longer wants any part of. The old Sam took “mean girl” to a whole new level, and it’s clear she and Cassie were more like best enemies. Sam is pretty sure that losing her memories is like winning the lottery. She’s getting a second chance at being a better daughter, sister, and friend, and she’s falling hard for Carson Ortiz, a boy who has always looked out for her-even if the old Sam treated him like trash.

But Cassie is still missing, and the facts about what happened to her that night isn’t just buried deep inside of Sam’s memory-someone else knows, someone who wants to make sure Sam stays quiet. All Sam wants is the truth, and if she can unlock her clouded memories of that fateful night, she can finally move on. But what if not remembering is the only thing keeping Sam alive?

★ Have you seen the cover reveal for Ashes to Ashes (Experiment in Terror #8) by Karina Halle?

Ashes to Ashes by Karina Halle

It’s been two months since Perry Palomino and Dex Foray’s relationship reached a new turning point, two months since Perry started a new life in Seattle, and two months since their Experiment in Terror show took on a new partner, ex-Wine Babe Rebecca Sims, and found a new level of success. But whenever there is light in their lives, the madness still has a way of coming back in.

When the team is sent back to the stormy Oregon coast to investigate a haunted school, Perry wants to use the opportunity to reconnect with her family and reintroduce Dex into their lives. Only Perry’s not the only one who’s reaching out – her grandmother Pippa has started appearing to her with disturbing warnings and Perry’s presence at the school has ignited a chilling new wave of supernatural phenomenon. Once used a century ago as a sanatorium to house children dying of tuberculosis, the school’s past residents are slowly coming back to life and with one thing on their mind. They want someone to play with, someone to join them. Forever.

Even when dead, some children get whatever they want.

And they want Perry.

Snippets!!

★ OH MY GOD it’s a City of Heavenly Fire snippet!

“Clary,” Jocelyn said. “I want you to meet Tessa Gray.”

Clary and Tessa MEET!! AHHHH!!!

Plus, something funny from Cassandra Clare’s tumblr:

“I love you,” Will said. “I love you desperately. I have never felt for another the way I feel for you. My love for you is as eternal as the sea, and like the rocks against which the waves are dashed, again and again, it shall remain unyielding. In you I have found my own heart’s heart, which I had thought previously only to find in dreams. Never could I have encompassed a better partner, a finer friend, a more beauteous companion. Allow me just once to kiss your sweet lips.”

Jem looked up from the fire, where he was petting Church. Church had fallen asleep and all his fur was sticking up. “I do wish you would cease reading to me from Gothic novels,” he said. “They give me the pip.”

“Love is a noble emotion!” Will cried, waving his arms about with such energy that the book he was reading slid from his lap. His hair was sticking up like Church’s fur, or a bit as if he had been electrocuted.

“Quite,” said Jem, and rolled over onto his back, smiling up at Will from his place by the fire. Church twitched and snuffled, curling up against his shoulder. “Now read me something with a fight scene in it, won’t you?”

★ Snippets from Jennifer L. Armentrout!

Sentinel (Covenant #5) from her Facebook:

“Don’t make a pass at Hera,” Hades remarked, moving along. “Zeus doesn’t take kindly to another man making a move on his wife.”

That was absolutely ridiculous if you took into consideration the fact Zeus couldn’t keep it in his pants.

“Stop staring,” Aiden murmured in my ear, and when I still didn’t look away, he reached around and turned my cheek. “I thought Ixion was located in the lowest part of Tartarus?”

I made a face. Only he would know who Ixion was. Aiden had to have been such a goody two shoes in school—the kind of kid who’d raised his hand with the answer to every question. Dork. I loved him.

“We took a shortcut, so we’re several levels down.” Hades stopped his horse and swung on large leg down. We’d hit a dead end consisting of dark, slick-looking boulders. “There is another portion of Tartarus that isn’t spoken of in myths.”

Seth dismounted with the grace of a feline. “And that’s where we’re heading?”

“Yes. We’re going into the Tombs of Tartarus.”

“The Tombs of Tartarus?” Aiden repeated, sliding his arm off my waist.

Ha! Something he didn’t know. I cast him a look over my shoulder, and then slid off the horse. I stumbled a step when my feet landed. The ground was oddly… soft and buoyant.

Hades snorted. “It amazes me that you’re an Apollyon with all your agility.”

My mouth opened to fire back, but I squinted. Something was up with the ground. I took a step and my feet sank about an inch in. Aware that Aiden had landed behind me, I bent down and ran my hand over the pale pink ground. It felt like…

I jerked my hand back and looked up, horrified. “The ground feels like skin!”

A slow smile crept onto Hades’ face. “Zeus got bored with the whole rock and eagle bit.”

Rock and eagle bit…? Then it hit me. “Prometheus?”

“You’re standing on him,” Hades remarked.

My stomach turned. “Oh gods, I think I’m going to vomit.”

“Perfect,” the god said.

Trust in Me (Wait for You #1.5) from her blog:

“Tomorrow night? Oh! The astronomy assignment. Yeah, it works for me.”

“Good.” I backed away, knowing I needed to get my ass to class. “See you then.”

Shortcake turned and then pivoted back to me. “Cam?”

The knot pulsed in my chest. “Yeah?”

She fiddled with her bracelet as her gaze flicked away before settling back on me. “What were you doing in the Den? Don’t you normally have class, like right now?”

I smiled as I held her gaze. “Yeah, I normally have class right now, but I wanted to see you.”

Shock splashed over her face, and then I saw the smile light up her eyes before it even hit her lips. Feeling that knot do a funny, twisting thing, I pivoted around before I grabbed her and kissed her.

Because I was really close to doing that.

I made it across the street before a low whistle caught my attention. Looking toward the left, I saw Jase standing under a tree, cell phone in hand. Damn. He must’ve hightailed his ass from West Campus.

“Skipping class without me?” he asked as I made my way over to him, his eyes obscured by the aviator shades he was wearing. Very few people could pull off those sunglasses without looking like a douche. I was not one of them.

I shrugged as my attention drifted beyond Jase’s shoulder, across the street, catching one last glimpse of Shortcake disappearing through the doors of Knutti Hall.

Jase sighed. “You’re obsessed.”

“Huh?”

He nodded toward Knutti. “I don’t think you’ve ever skipped a class to hang out with a girl before.”

I frowned. “How do you know I skipped a class to hang out with Avery?”

His brows rose above the sunglasses. “I’m not stupid.”

“That’s up for debate.”

Jase flipped me off. “Well, let’s see. Class let out early, so I came over here just in time to see you walking along like a good little boy. I called your name. You waved at me and kept going—or staring at her.”

My brows lifted as I wheeled around, heading for the doors. “That was you yelling my name?”

“Exactly,” he said, sighing. He looked at me, and all I saw was my face in his sunglasses. “Has she agreed to go out with you yet?”

“Nope.”

Jase shook his head. “Man, you are so fucked when it comes to this girl.

★ You can read a short excerpt of Reviving Izabel (In the Company of Killers #2) by J.A. Redmerski here.

★ This isn’t a snippet, but a deleted scene from Ilona Andrews! You can read it here. LOVE Kate and Curran!

Other News!!

★ OH MY LORD. It’s NALINI SINGH!! And we finally have the title and blurb for Psy/Changeling #13! I’m DYING to read it! AH Vasic!

SHIELD OF WINTER by Nalini Singh

Coming June 2014

“The alpha author of paranormal romance” (Booklist) draws us back into her extraordinary Psy-Changeling world, a world torn between violence and peace, passion and ice…

Assassin. Soldier. Arrow. That is who Vasic is, who he will always be. His soul drenched in blood, his conscience heavy with the weight of all he’s done, he exists in the shadows, far from the hope his people can almost touch—if only they do not first drown in the murderous insanity of a lethal contagion. To stop the wave of death, Vasic must complete the simplest and most difficult mission of his life.

For if the Psy race is to survive, the empaths must wake…

Having rebuilt her life after medical “treatment” that violated her mind and sought to stifle her abilities, Ivy should have run from the black-clad Arrow with eyes of winter frost. But Ivy Jane has never done what she should. Now, she’ll fight for her people, and for this Arrow who stands as her living shield, yet believes he is beyond redemption. But as the world turns to screaming crimson, even Ivy’s fierce will may not be enough to save Vasic from the cold darkness…

★ Julie Kagawa (one of my favorite authors ever!) has a new series coming out about DRAGONS!

INTRODUCING TALON—A NEW DRAGON SERIES FROM
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR JULIE KAGAWA

Dragons and Warriors Face Off in a Modern-Day Battle

New York, NY, October 2, 2013New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author Julie Kagawa today unveiled TALON, her new highly anticipated series from Harlequin TEEN. The Young Adult series, which has already been picked up by Universal Pictures, features dragons battling an ancient order of dragon slayers in a contemporary setting. TALON, the first book in the similarly named series, will be published on October 28, 2014.

The series revolves around dragons with the ability to disguise themselves as humans and an order of warriors sworn to eradicate them. The dragons of TALON and the Order of St. George have been at war with each other for centuries. The fabled creatures, whose existence is unknown by the general public, are determined to rule the world. Their foes, a legendary society of dragon slayers, are equally bent on driving the fabled beasts into extinction. However, when a young dragon and a hardened slayer unknowingly befriend each other, it has severe repercussions for both organizations.

★ Cora Carmack (author of Losing It) is writing a new series! It’s called the Rusk University series, and the first book is called All Lined Up. Read all about it on her blog. Here’s a little tease:

Two things in Texas are cherished above all else—football and gossip. My life has always been ruled by both.

★ Some info from Katy Evans, author of Real (I’ll be posting my review of it soon!), about the Real, Raw & Ripped series:

In REAL, we meet Brooke and Remington, and we watch them fall in love.

In MINE, we watch them struggle to be together, despite everything. This is the book where I peeled back the layers, and where Brooke really steps up to fight as hard as Remington does.

In REMY, we watch a lot of it from Remington’s POV, and we also pick up where MINE leaves off, and we get to see Remy and Brooke like never before.  This is the perfect and total and complete glimpse into the mystery that is Remington – and to the life ahead of them.

Weekly Recap

Reviewed on the blog this week:

Posts on the blog:

Don’t forget to check out the giveaways listed on the blog on the right!

Cover Reveals on the blog:

Finding Cinderella by Colleen Hoover

Upcoming New Releases:

Emerald Green by Kerstin Gier House of Hades by Rick Riordan Convicted by Aleatha Romig Death, and the Girl He Loves (Darklight #3) by Darynda Jones Close to You by Stacia Kane Resist by Sarah Crossan Just One Year by Gayle Forman The Brokenhearted by Amelia Kahaney The Eye of Minds by James Dashner Time After Time by Tamara Ireland Stone

Joint Review: Untold by Sarah Rees Brennan

Untold by Sarah Rees Brennan

Untold by Sarah Rees Brennan
Series: The Lynburn Legacy #2 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: September 24th 2013
Purchase: Ebook • Hardcover • Paperback

Free from bonds, but not each other

It’s time to choose sides… On the surface, Sorry-in-the-Vale is a sleepy English town. But Kami Glass knows the truth. Sorry-in-the-Vale is full of magic. In the old days, the Lynburn family ruled with fear, terrifying the people into submission in order to kill for blood and power. Now the Lynburns are back, and Rob Lynburn is gathering sorcerers so that the town can return to the old ways.

But Rob and his followers aren’t the only sorcerers in town. A decision must be made: pay the blood sacrifice, or fight. For Kami, this means more than just choosing between good and evil. With her link to Jared Lynburn severed, she’s now free to love anyone she chooses. But who should that be?

Lacey here.

I have an intense love/hate relationship with Sarah Rees Brennan. On one hand, she’s created one of my absolute favorite series of all time. On the other… DO YOU KNOW HOW AGONIZING EACH BOOK IN THE AFOREMENTIONED SERIES IS TO READ??? Reading Unspoken and Untold was basically torture, but of the very best kind (is there even a good kind of torture?). I’ve become so sucked into the series’s world and characters that I can’t. stop. reading. But my heart can’t take any more angst! *goes off into the corner and cries*

So. Untold. Welp, all I can say is that I wholeheartedly LOVED it, despite the emotional pain/angst going on. I don’t know how these characters–moreover, Sarah Rees Brennan–do it. They made me fall even more in love with them than I already was after Unspoken. And god, the FEELS. I went from smiling like a lunatic one second to being completely horrified the next, and then I went from being pissed off to laughing my ass off. I just can’t handle all these feels, and yet I want MORE!

Kami is the most fantastic heroine EVER. I love her. Totally adore her. Mostly because she makes me laugh all the time, but also because she’s pretty unique. Yes, she’s the type of girl to go headlong into trouble to save everyone she loves, but the way she talks and acts is just so endearing (and funny). But oh my gosh, in the beginning of the book, I just felt so bad for her. Because Jared completely broke her heart at the end of Unspoken. And that is just… unacceptable. THESE TWO HAVE TO BE TOGETHER. They’re perfect for one another. But, Kami doesn’t exactly become all mopey because of Jared…

“Been chatting much with Jared?”
“We often have special moments where I come into a room and he immediately leaves,” Kami said. “I treasure those times.”

The entire book is basically this hilarious. GOD I love this series.

And Jared. This boy… I have so much love and anger for him. I love him, I really do, but I was just so frustrated with why he had to close Kami off. Jared doesn’t think highly of himself, at all. He thinks he doesn’t deserve love, when in fact, he does. He may not be loving and kind, but he’s loyal and fierce and passionate, and just… *swoon*. I just love this boy so much. And OH MY, the things he says and does later on in the book… *fans self*

The Lynburn Legacy series has THE BEST secondary characters ever. I seriously adore Angela and Rusty. These two siblings are the funniest characters I’ve ever read. And oh my gosh, I can’t even describe the magnitude of how much I love Rusty. He makes me laugh every timeand I totally wish he was real so I could have him all to myself.

One of the funniest parts of the book is with Kami’s father (who I love too!):

“Let me tell you about customs, James,” said Lillian. “I am not accustomed to being summoned to someone else’s home. You’re very fortunate that I came.”
“I am indeed blessed,” Dad told her. “I am also, by the way, called Jon.”
Lillian looked faintly surprised. “Are you?”
“Really?” Dad asked. “Really? I was the only Asian guy who went to our school. I kind of stood out. While you are an identical twin, and I still managed to know your name.”

But life’s not all laughter and sunshine in Sorry-in-the-Vale. Things do take a darker and more dangerous turn for these lovable characters. They have to fight against the evil sorcerers, and people do end up getting hurt. At times, it’s as if there’s no hope at all for the good guys, but they never give up.

I love this series so freaking much. It has the best characters I’ve ever read. Kami and Jared and Rusty and even Kami’s dad have wormed their way into my heart. I don’t think I can ever get enough of them.

5 hearts! And I want the next book NOW. *grabby hands*

5-hearts

lacey

Shirley here.

I don’t know where to begin. I mean. I tried mentally preparing myself before reading this book since, as we all know, Sarah Rees Brennan is a monster and enjoys hearing, seeing, and tasting our pain (as disturbing as that sounds, it’s true okay).

But even with all the mental preparation, I WAS NOT AT ALL PREPARED. NOT EVEN 1%. OHMYJESUS HOW DO I EVEN BEGIN TO EXPLAIN. Also, this review will have 200% more CAPS that any other review you will ever see by me on this blog. Which is saying a lot.

Sarah Rees writes in a way that draws the reader into the story and makes you feel as if you were a citizen in Sorry-in-the-Vale whilst all this commotion was happening. Uh, therefore you also feel like you’re third-wheeling in all of the Jami scenes (HINT HINT). BUT you also feel badass because you’re right next to them as they’re being badass so.

This book actually didn’t make me change my feelings on any of the characters! I just loved them all more and more. Except for Holly and Ash. Holly just bugs me and Ash just like. I can’t. Holly’s childlike reactions and actions annoyed me to no end. Sure I understand that she was afraid but come on giirl, step it up! And Ash. I understand why people love him, but like Holly, he just seems so needy and dependent on others. BUT I lovED JARED 10000000000000X more. Lacey is a witness in seeing my love for Jared, I literally went insane. I don’t even know how to clearly express my overwhelming love towards him. He’s a little frustrating, with pushing Kami back, and not self-confident in the slightest (except during the scene with Rusty where he gets a liiiitttllee bit cocky). But throughout the books he always downgrades himself =(

I’ve always had a neutral feeling with Kami, but I felt more sympathetic towards her in the book. (But I also got annoyed too, but let’s be real, when is there a book where you don’t get annoyed with the main character). It was pretty annoying when she would always assume things about Jared, but then again, I guess it was because as the reader, I knew more of what was going on than she did. (AYE DRAMATIC IRONY).

Of course RUSTY was just amazing and so was KAMI’S DAD. I feel like Rusty is going to be the type of father Kami’s dad is. SO CHILL AND FUN FAVORITE CHARACTERS. Truthfully as I’m writing this review I feel like everyone’s a favorite character hahaha. Do I even have to mention Angela? She was still off being bad-ass; the usual.

Before I leave I would like to gift you guys a special Jami scene that is close to my heart. *sobs* This scene made me cry violently and also increased my love of Jared. so.

“I don’t think you’re weak,” Jared said. “I want to guard you because you are important to me. Because you are – God, this is going to sound so stupid, I can never think of a way to say it – you are precious. I can never think of how to describe the value you have to me, because all the words for value suggest that you belong to me, and you don’t.”

Cue the screaming fangirls fangirl (i.e. me).

If you haven’t gone into the dark realm that is the Lynburn Legacy series, I suggest you PROCEED EAGERLY BUT WITH CAUTION.

6 HEARTS AND I WANT THE NEXT BOOK TO COME OUT BUT I ALSO DON’T BECAUSE IT’S THE LAST ONE NOOOO.

6-hearts

shirley

And now we leave you with one more thing…

Series Order: The Lynburn Legacy series

Unspoken by Sarah Rees Brennan Untold by Sarah Rees Brennan Unmade by Sarah Rees Brennan

#1 ~ Unspoken: Ebook • Hardcover • Paperback • Goodreads
#2 ~ Untold: Ebook • Hardcover • Paperback • Goodreads
#3 ~ Unmade: Ebook • Hardcover • Goodreads

Cover Reveal: Whispers and Wishes by Hollie Westring

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Whispers and Wishes by Hollie Westring
Release Date: November 7th 2013

Eliza Monroe has been traveling the United States for three years, immersing herself in the towns she visits as she searches for the mother she’s never known. She hopes returning to her grandmother’s inn in Sage Springs, Mo., will provide the break she needs to evaluate her lonely life.

What Eliza isn’t expecting is to have two men enter the picture, not making her decision to stay or leave any easier. One has been her foundation, while the other is as comfortable as she is hopping from city to city. Throw in a kooky grandmother, a cheerful best friend, a sarcastic guest, a town where residents and spirits interact like neighbors, and Eliza has little time to contemplate her future.

Friendships grow, webs are spun and lies are revealed before Eliza comes to terms with what she wants in life and learns what’s really important.

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Whispers and Wishes Facebook Cover

about the author

DSC04689Hollie Westring hails from Kansas City, Mo. She used to be a journalist, which probably explains her extreme dislike of the serial comma and her preference for AP style.

After realizing the hours of journalists were not productive to any type of social or family life, she settled into a job at a publishing syndicate. She worked with comics, astrology columns, word puzzles and feature columns for six years. Although she enjoyed her time there, Hollie decided to leave the nine-to-five world and join the twenty-four/seven world of motherhood. Now she edits from home.

When not writing, editing or reading, Hollie can be found baking cookies or watching more than her fair share of crime TV. She’s a loyal Royals and Chiefs fan.

Twitter | Website | Facebook

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Cover Reveal & Giveaway: The Almost Girl by Amalie Howard

Seventeen-year-old Riven is as tough as they come. Coming from a world ravaged by a devastating android war, she has to be. There’s no room for softness, no room for emotion, no room for mistakes. A Legion General, she is the right hand of the young Prince of Neospes, a parallel universe to Earth. In Neospes, she has everything: rank, responsibility and respect. But when Prince Cale sends her away to find his long-lost brother, Caden, who has been spirited back to modern day Earth, Riven finds herself in uncharted territory.

Thrown out of her comfort zone but with the mindset of a soldier, Riven has to learn how to be a girl in a realm that is the opposite of what she knows. Riven isn’t prepared for the beauty of a world that is unlike her own in so many ways. Nor is she prepared to feel something more than indifference for the very target she seeks. Caden is nothing like Cale, but he makes something in her come alive, igniting a spark deep down that goes against every cell in her body. For the first time in her life, Riven isn’t sure about her purpose, about her calling. Torn between duty and desire, she must decide whether Caden is simply a target or whether he is something more.

Faced with hideous reanimated Vector soldiers from her own world with agendas of their own, as well as an unexpected reunion with a sister who despises her, it is a race against time to bring Caden back to Neospes. But things aren’t always as they seem, and Riven will have to search for truth. Family betrayals and royal coups are only the tip of the iceberg. Will Riven be able to find the strength to defy her very nature? Or will she become the monstrous soldier she was designed to be?

Add to Goodreads

Pre-order THE ALMOST GIRL TODAY!

Amazon † BN

 
 

We’re at an impasse, staring at each other with stubborn fury. I’m not above using force to get my way but Shae’s just taken out two Vectors. Alone. I’m not about to make any rash and stupid decisions about her combat skills or apparent exhaustion. The silence hangs between us like an impenetrable wall as we stare at each other across the five feet that could well be an abyss between us. After a few tense minutes, Shae clears her throat.

“Do you remember that day? When I left?” Shae asks and I give the barest of nods. It’s a day that etched into my memory so deeply that I couldn’t forget it if I tried. “I wanted to take you with me but you wouldn’t go,” she says. Her laugh is empty. “You remember what you called me?”

Defector.

She doesn’t have to say it; we both know what I said.

“That was the day I realized that you were your father’s daughter. He robbed you of anything close to love,” Shae says. “You chose to stay with him out of fear for him than out of love for me. He owned you then, and he owns you now.”

“I am nothing like him,” I grit out. “No one owns me.”

“He used to say that I could never be a killer because I was too emotional. Said I loved too much. How can someone love too much? He said I was too much like mom. Soft. I proved him wrong even though I died a little bit inside every time I took a life.” At Shae’s words, my eyes feel like there’s sand behind them, and a boulder settles in the pit of my stomach. “But he was right about you, wasn’t he? The stone cold sister? The one who wouldn’t be torn by emotion, the one who kills without feeling a thing? Servant to the monarchy… obeying orders without question… He’s made you into their killing machine. So what? You’re going to kill me now, Riven?”

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Seventeen Magazine Summer Club author Amalie Howard grew up on a small Caribbean island where she spent most of her childhood with her nose buried in a book or being a tomboy running around barefoot, shimmying up mango trees and dreaming of adventure. 22 countries, surfing with sharks and several tattoos later, she has traded in bungee jumping in China for writing the adventures she imagines instead. She isn’t entirely convinced which takes more guts. She currently resides in New York with her husband and three children.

She is the author of The Aquarathi series from Harlequin TEEN (Waterfell and Oceanborn), The Almost Girl from Strange Chemistry, Alpha Goddess from Sky Pony Press, and Bloodspell from Langdon Street Press. She is represented by the Liza Royce Agency. Visit her at www.amaliehoward.comor on Twitter (@AmalieHoward).

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Other books by Amalie Howard

Bloodspell by Amalie Howardaebda-waterfellAlpha Goddess by Amalie Howard