Top Ten Tuesday {17}: Books I Read In 2013

top ten tuesday banner

It’s Top Ten Tuesday, hosted by The Broke and the Bookish! This week’s theme is…

Top Ten Books I Read In 2013

Okay, um, do you know how hard today’s Top Ten Tuesday topic is? IT FREAKING IS. I don’t even know how I’ll only fit 10 of my top reads of 2013. So… I cheated a little.

Losing Hope by Colleen Hoover Finding Cinderella by Colleen Hoover This Girl by Colleen Hoover

1. Losing Hope (Hopeless #2), Finding Cinderella (Hopeless #2.5), This Girl (Slammed #3) by Colleen Hoover
My reviews: Losing Hope | Finding Cinderella | This Girl

Colleen Hoover is literally my favorite author of all time, and with every single one of her books I end up loving with my whole heart!

Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell

2. Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell

The most adorable book I’ve ever read! E&P is and forever will be one of my all-time favorite books!

One Good Earl Deserves a Lover by Sarah MacLean No Good Duke Goes Unpunished by Sarah MacLean

3. One Good Earl Deserves a Lover (The Rules of Scoundrels #2), No Good Duke Goes Unpunished (#3) by Sarah MacLean
My reviews: One Good Earl Deserves a Lover | No Good Duke Goes Unpunished

This is the BEST historical romance series I’ve ever read! LOVE Cross and Temple!

Bully by Penelope Douglas Until You by Penelope Douglas

4. Bully (Fall Away #1), Until You (#1.5) by Penelope Douglas
My reviews: Bully | Until You

Two words: Jared. Trent. ❤

Wallbanger by Alice Clayton

5. Wallbanger (Cocktail #1) Alice Clayton

This is the funniest book I’ve ever read. Seriously, it made my sides hurt from laughing and giggling.

Addicted to You by Krista Ritchie & Becca Ritchie Ricochet by Krista Ritchie & Becca Ritchie Addicted for Now by Krista Ritchie & Becca Ritchie

6. Addicted to You (Addicted #1), Ricochet (#1.5), Addicted for Now (#2) by Krista & Becca Ritchie
My reviews: Addicted to You | Addicted for Now

So freaking ADDICTING!! And the characters are just too amazing. Love everything about this series!

Dare You To by Katie McGarry Crash Into You by Katie McGarry

7. Dare You To (Pushing the Limits #2), Crash Into You (#3) by Katie McGarry
My reviews: Dare You To | Crash Into You

My favorite YA contemporary romance series ever! You can’t go wrong with Katie McGarry

Unspoken by Sarah Rees Brennan Untold by Sarah Rees Brennan

8. Unspoken (The Lynburn Legacy #1), Untold (#2) by Sarah Rees Brennan

Hilarious and awesome and badass pretty much sums up this series and these characters.

The Bitter Kingdom by Rae Carson

9. The Bitter Kingdom (Fire and Thorns #3) by Rae Carson
My Review

The most incredible conclusion to my favorite fantasy series ever.

Beautiful Stranger by Christina Lauren Beautiful Player by Christina Lauren

10. Beautiful Stranger (Beautiful Bastard #2), Beautiful Player (Beautiful Bastard #3) by Christina Lauren
My review: Beautiful Player

Ack, I just love Max and Will! Their stories are sooo good.

So what are your favorites of 2013?

lacey

Book News, Weekly Recap & Upcoming Releases! {9}

Cover Reveals!!

★ The third and final book of the Something Strange and Deadly series by Susan Dennard, Strange and Ever After, has a cover!

Strange and Ever After by Susan Dennard

In the conclusion to the trilogy that Publishers Weekly called “a roaring—and addictive—gothic world,” Eleanor Fitt must control her growing power, face her feelings for Daniel, and confront the evil necromancer Marcus…all before it’s too late.

He took her brother, he took her mother, and now, Marcus has taken her good friend Jie. With more determination than ever to bring this sinister man to justice, Eleanor heads to the hot desert streets of nineteenth-century Egypt in hopes of ending this nightmare. But in addition to her increasingly tense relationships with Daniel, Joseph, and her demon, Oliver, Eleanor must also deal with her former friend, Allison, who has curiously entangled herself in Eleanor’s mission.

With the rising dead chomping at her every move and Jie’s life hanging in the balance, Eleanor is convinced that her black magic will see her through to the bitter end. But there will be a price. Though she and the Spirit Hunters have weathered every battle thus far, there will be consequences to suffer this time—the effects of which will be irreversible. And when it’s over, only some will be able to live a strange and ever after.

Susan Dennard will leave readers breathless and forever changed in the concluding pages of this riveting ride.

★ It’s the cover for The Destiny of Violet and Luke by Jessica Sorensen! This is the third book in The Coincidence series.

The Destiny of Violet and Luke by Jessica Sorensen

Luke Price’s life has always been about order, control, and acting tough on the outside. He uses meaningless relationships as a distraction and a way to tune out the twisted memories of his childhood. He secretly wishes that one day he could find that one perfect person, but deep down he doesn’t believe that perfection really exists.

Violet Hayes has had a rough life, surrounded by drugs, neglect, and irresponsible parents. She thought she could escape that kind of life when she went to college, but her past catches up with her. To protect herself from getting hurt, she acts tough and keeps her distance from everyone. But then she meets Luke. The two of them clash, yet they can’t seem to stay away from each other. The more they get to know one another, the more they realize just how similar their lives are, and that maybe the perfection they’ve always been looking for lies in each other.

★ Amy Plum (author of Die for Me) is has a new book coming out May 6th 2014 called After the End! You can read about what she says about her new book here.

After the End by Amy Plum

“She’s searching for answers to her past. They’re hunting her to save their future.”

World War III has left the world ravaged by nuclear radiation. A lucky few escaped to the Alaskan wilderness. They’ve survived for the last thirty years by living off the land, being one with nature, and hiding from whoever else might still be out there.

At least, this is what Juneau has been told her entire life.

When Juneau returns from a hunting trip to discover that everyone in her clan has vanished, she sets off to find them. Leaving the boundaries of their land for the very first time, she learns something horrifying: There never was a war. Cities were never destroyed. The world is intact. Everything was a lie.

Now Juneau is adrift in a modern-day world she never knew existed. But while she’s trying to find a way to rescue her friends and family, someone else is looking for her. Someone who knows the extraordinary truth about the secrets of her past.

★ Here’s the back cover of The Iron Traitor (The Iron Fey: Call of the Forgotten #2) by Julie Kagawa! This is another great book from Julie, and you can read my review of it here.

Iron Traitor back copy

In the Fields by Willow Aster has a new cover!

In the Fields by Willow Aster

1971 — In the tiny, backward town of Tulma, Tennessee, optimistic, bookish Caroline Carson unwittingly finds herself in the middle of a forbidden romance. Severely neglected by her family and forced to flee Tulma to protect her secrets, Caroline’s young life comes crashing down around her. She finds refuge in a new town, but the past always has a way of stretching around time and stirring up trouble.

When a new love comes into her life, she has to decide if she can give her heart to someone else, or if she will always be tied to someone she can’t have.

Snippets!!

★ It’s a Wild Child (The Wild Ones #1.5) snippet from M. Leighton!

Wild Child teaser4

★ A Magic Breaks (Kate Daniels #7) snippet from Ilona Andrews’ blog:

“A vampire!” Derek shouted.The window above us and to the left broke. Shards of glass and wood cascaded to the floor.  A vampire fell into the room, its mind a hot spark in front of me.  It landed on all fours, old, gaunt, and inhuman.  A sharp bone crest protruded from its back.  Another one.

The vamp shot forward and stopped.

“I’m still… a Master of the Dead,” Ghastek said from a blanket on the floor.  “Kill it before I lose consciousness.”

★ Abbi Glines put up a teaser for Take A Chance, which is Harlow and Grant’s book! You can read it here. I’m SO excited to read it, because I think they’ll be the best couple yet in the Rosemary Beach series 🙂

★ Another Trust in Me (Wait for You #1.5) by Jennifer L. Armentrout teaser from her blog:

I let go as she shook her head and was in the process of heading upstairs to wake up Jase’s lazy ass when Teresa came in the front door.

“Cam!” She let out a high-pitched squeal when she saw me in the foyer and dropped her book bag. The pint-sized terror took one step and launched herself at me.

Laughing, I caught her before she knocked me down. “Well, hello to you.”

“When did you get here?” she asked once I sat her down.

“This morning.”

She smacked my arm. “You should’ve texted me! I would’ve skipped my afternoon classes and come home early.”

“I heard that!” yelled Mom from the kitchen.

Teresa rolled her eyes, and I laughed. Somewhere in the last two years or so, she’d grown up from a gangly child into a stunning young woman. And every time I saw her, I wanted to pull a paper sack over her head. Everywhere she went, guys looked, and they really looked.

She had inherited the dark hair and blue eyes from Dad, but she had Mom’s delicate features. Her beauty and small frame were really misleading, because she had also developed mom’s snappy, quick wit. When she and Mom got going, no one was safe.

“I’m going to skip dance tonight,” she said, tugging the tie from her hair. It seemed to have grown overnight, falling well past her shoulders.

“You don’t have to do that,” I told her. “I’ll be here all weekend.”

“Yeah, but I never get to see you!” She pouted, giving me the look that probably got her a lot of things. “You’re too busy and too cool to hang out with your sister anymore.”

“Exactly,” I said, grinning.

She smacked my arm hard. “Jerk.”

Facing the stairs, I saw Jase come down before Teresa did. He was as quiet as a freaking ninja and he came to a stop at the bottom, his hair damp and clothing unwrinkled. He hadn’t made a sound, but Teresa stiffened in front of me. Her eyes, so like mine, widened a fraction of an inch.

My gaze narrowed on her.

Teresa whipped around with the elegance of a dancer, and I cringed when she shrieked, “Jase!”

The pensive look that had been on Jase’s face from the moment I picked him up vanished like a bad nightmare. He came down on the landing a second before my sister threw herself at the guy, greeting him in the same way she’d done with me. His eyes were only on her, and while I completely trusted Jase, even he wasn’t immune to her.

I also didn’t like it when he wrapped his arms around her, keeping them both from tumbling backward.

“Cam didn’t tell me you were here!” she cried, clinging to him like a little monkey. “You’re staying here the whole weekend, too?”

Jase smiled down at the top of Teresa’s head—the head that was currently plastered against his chest. “Yeah, I’m here until Cam heads back.”

I knew in that exact moment, Teresa would be bowing out on dance not only tonight, but also the rest of the weekend. I sighed.

Teresa said something that only Jase could hear and his smile spread in a way that had me taking deep, even breaths. Then he looked up, his gaze meeting mine. He shot me a helpless look, and I rolled my eyes, strolling forward.

“Okay.” I grabbed her arms, physically lifting her away from Jase. “I think you can let him go now. He probably wants to breathe at some point.”

Jase laughed as Teresa shot me a look that promised death and dismemberment and yanked her arms free. I stepped back, just in case she was going to try to hit me again. My sister had muscles.

★ REAL by Katy Evans fans! Are you excited for the release of MINE? You can read some excerpts of it here and here!

★ Samantha Towle has a teaser on her blog of her upcoming new adult book, Trouble!

“Men you knew, Mia,” he says. “Not me. And surprisingly, I can compromise. Not all the time, so don’t go getting used to it.” He grins. “But I just don’t want to spend the next however long disagreeing with you over this when I know I’m gonna end up giving into you anyway.”

“Because?”

Taking a step back, his arms fold over his broad chest. “Because you’re a hard girl to say no to.”

Oh. Okay then.

I suddenly feel lightheaded.

And light-hearted.

“So are you going to take this win and get back in the car?” He sweeps a hand in the direction of the Mustang. “Or are you going to stand here all day chewing over it?”

I bite the smile that’s forcing its way onto my lips. “Well, I’m not one to gloat.” I throw him a smug grin as I walk past him, destination Mustang.

He’s quiet behind me. I only know he’s following from the crunch of the gravel under his feet.

“Did you know you swing your ass when you walk?”

What?

I stop, shocked that he’s just said that about my ass. And also a little turned on hearing him talk about my ass.

Turned on. Again.

Jesus.

I didn’t actually know that I swing my ass when I walk, but that’s beside the point. I scowl at him over my shoulder. “And your point is?”

“No point. Just an observation.” He holds his hands up in surrender, and his eyes crinkle from the smile on his face. “It’s kinda cute is all.”

“Cute?” I frown, ignoring the pull I feel for him in my lower half. “I’m not cute.”

“I never said you were cute. I said your ass-swinging was cute.”

★ Plus, a teaser from Jessica Sorensen for The Temptation of Lila and Ethan (The Secret #3).

Lila and Ethan teaser3

Other News!!

Finding Cinderella (Hopeless #2.5) by Colleen Hoover is FREE and LIVE NOW! Read my review of it here. It’s absolutely beautiful, and if you haven’t read it yet, YOU SHOULD RIGHT NOW!

★ CALLING ALL COLLEEN HOOVER FANS! If you HAVE read Finding Cinderella, do you wish there could be more Daniel and Six? Well, Colleen said she MIGHT write more, but only if Atria Indie Authors can get 15,000 likes by Monday. So go and like!!

From Colleen’s Facebook:

WANT MORE????
I can honestly say I’ve never been this flooded with requests for more story as I have been for Daniel and Six. And honestly, it was so much fun writing them. So…I have a deal I’d like to make with you.
Because I love Atria so much and they were so awesome to publish FINDING CINDERELLA for free, I’d like to show them the support they deserve. If we can get their page to 15,000 likes before this tour kicks off on Monday, I’ll give you more Daniel and Six later in 2014. Can’t say how much I’ll promise, because until I get to them again I don’t really know if their story will call for a few free chapters or another novella or a whole book. So if you want more Daniel and Six (With some Sky and Holder) in whatever form I can get it to you, go here and like Atria Indie Authors. Then tell your friends to like it. And your enemies. And share this status.

Here’s the post she wrote, and you can like Atria Indie Authors here!

★ So Katy Evans (author of Real) was working on writing the sequel Raw, but had to change the series order, and here’s what she said:

Dear Readers,

Melanie’s hero, in RAW, turned out a very jealous alpha who did not appreciate the love triangle I had set up for his and Melanie’s book – at all. He wants a redo. Therefore, while I have no choice but to succumb to his wishes (he’s a handful, alright), Gallery Books and I have switched the dates so that RIPPED releases after REMY, and I have time to work on RAW – which will close the series in the Underground, with a sexy as hell financier who makes all the fights happen, and Melanie – who’s a little more than he bargained for when she goes visit Brooke and Remy. I can’t wait to share both RIPPED and RAW with you!!! I am as in love with both of these stories as I am with all 3 of THE Brooke and Remy ones. I love sharing this series with you!

Love,

Katy

Castle Hill (On Dublin Street #2.5) by Samantha Young has a blurb!

Castle Hill by Samantha Young

Braden Carmichael never imagined he’d fall as hard and as fast as he did for Jocelyn Butler. He also could not have anticipated how difficult it would be to convince her to give in to love. But now that he has her, he’s never letting go. He’s got it all planned—the passionate proposal, the dream wedding, the sexy Hawaiian honeymoon—even the perfect family they’ll start.

After trying to flee from her painful past, Joss is finally allowing herself to embrace the future. But when things start moving faster than she anticipated, she finds herself panicking over something Braden can’t understand. After everything they’ve been through, Joss is sure that their love can survive even her worst fears. But, this time, she may push Braden too far—and risk losing everything all over again…

★ Jessica Sorensen is writing a new book! It’s called Forget Me Not and comes out in 2014.

Forget Me Not by Jessica Sorensen

***Official blurb coming soon***
***Coming in 2014, a dark thriller***

My name is London Asherford. I know what I look like. I know what I’m supposed to do everyday. Just like I know where I live and who my family is. What I don’t know is who I am. I lost my memories and my identity five years ago and I can’t remember anything before that.
Sometimes I wish I could. Remember who I used to be. What I liked. What I didn’t like.

But sometimes I’m glad I can’t remember. Especially late at night when I’m lost in my dreams because it feels like I might have done something terrible. Like hurt somebody.

Or maybe even taken a life.

★ Nalini Singh fans! She has a new story up on her blog called Christmas in the Kitchen, and you can read it here! It’s an adorable short story about the DarkRiver leopards, and takes place before Bonds of Justice.

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:

Upcoming New Releases:

Allegiant by Veronica Roth The Temptation of Lila and Ethan by Jessica Sorensen Trust in Me by J. Lynn Wild Child by M. Leighton Making Faces by Amy Harmon Off Chance by Sawyer Bennett Theirs to Keep by Maya Banks Running in Place by L.B. Simmons Black and Blue by Gena Showalter

Joint Review: Finding Cinderella by Colleen Hoover

Finding Cinderella by Colleen Hoover

Finding Cinderella by Colleen Hoover
Series: Hopeless #2.5, but can be read as a standalone (full reading order below)
Publication Date: October 14th 2013
Purchase: Ebook (FREE!) • Paperback

A chance encounter in the dark leads eighteen-year-old Daniel and the girl who stumbles across him to profess their love for each other. But this love comes with conditions: they agree it will only last one hour and it will only be make-believe.

When their hour is up and the girl rushes off like Cinderella, Daniel tries to convince himself that what happened between them only seemed perfect because they were pretending it was perfect. Moments like that with girls like her don’t happen outside of fairytales.

One year and one bad relationship later, his disbelief in insta-love is stripped away the day he meets Six: a girl with a strange name and an even stranger personality. Daniel soon realizes the way he pretended to feel about Cinderella and the way he really feels about Six may not be so different after all. Especially when the two loves of his life end up being one in the same.

Unfortunately for Daniel, finding Cinderella doesn’t guarantee their happily ever after…it only further threatens it.

Shirley here.

I was absolutely beyond excited for this novella to come out! When Colleen Hoover posted that there was an early release (ahem, 3 DAYS EARLIER) I absolutely FREAKED. OUT. I already knew I was going to fall in love with the book, because COME ON, IT’S COLLEEN HOOVER.

Hands down, this book definitely ranks first in my list of happy novellas (the list is quite short to be honest). I fell in love with Daniel and his CHARISMATIC and humorous personality in Losing Hope, so I was just so excited for an entire novella in his POV! As Colleen said, you definitely don’t have to read the other books, Hopeless and Losing Hope, to read this book (SO READ IT), but if you did read them, you get better background information and you understand the other characters more!

From the very beginning of this, I fell in looovvveeee with Daniel. The scene where he tells “Cinderella” that he loves her; even though he doesn’t mean it (but he really wants to), was SO. CUTE. To be honest when Holder showed up in the novella, and said that Six was off-limits to Daniel I was so ANNOYED. Don’t get me wrong, I love Holder, but I was so annoyed with how protective he was. Sigh. But of course, Daniel and Six just snuck around him 🙂

Their relationship iS SO ADORABLE. It’s literally the epitome of the relationship that I want…*sighs heavily* Their cute little banters, and how they share the same type of humor, AND OF COURSE, how quickly they fell in love. I was honestly just cheesin’ the entire time I was reading.

Daniel’s family is so freaking hilarious. REVERSE PSYCHOLOGY. The dad reminds me of Kami’s dad from Unspoken by Sarah Rees Brennan, which is always a good thing because her dad is freaking awesome.

Of course, I ended up crying in the end. NOT because it was sad or anything, but because it ended way to fast for my liking, and because it was such a good and happy ending 🙂 Not going to lie I also screamed when it ended because I was NOT EXPECTING IT TO END THERE BUT IT DID. Okay, before I ramble on some more, be sure to buy it for your e-reader on Amazon! It’s FREEEE 😉

5 DAMN HEARTS.

5-hearts

shirley

Lacey here.

Oh my goodness. Another Colleen Hoover book. Well, novella, to be exact. But still. I’VE GOTTEN MY COLLEEN HOOVER FIX!! I’ve been in withdrawal since Losing Hope came out. But *sniffles* her next book comes out freaking March freaking 2014.

Okay, enough about that. Let’s talk about the most hilarious, adorable boy ever–Daniel! AH I just love this boy. I butterflying love him. (See what I did there?) GOSH DARN IT COLLEEN, IS IT EVEN POSSIBLE FOR YOU TO CREATE A CHARACTER I WON’T FALL IN LOVE WITH??? Because I fell head over heels in love with Daniel and his dorkiness. I already loved him in Losing Hope, but my god, after reading his book, I am thoroughly slain by him. He completely stole my heart (and the spotlight–sorry Holder! I’ll always love you though), and I am so happy he gets his story.

I honestly could not stop smiling throughout the whole book. Daniel made me laugh and giggle so hard, and I was so smitten with him. He’s loud and obnoxious and over-the-top, but it’s in the best way possible. You just can’t not laugh because of Daniel. You can’t! And he’s the most wonderful guy ever. It may seem that he’s frivolous and doesn’t really take anything seriously, but for certain things, he gives his whole heart, like, ahem… for his Cinderella!

So, Six and Daniel? The perfect couple ever. She’s an incredible complement to Daniel’s silliness, because she’s pretty silly herself. Sparks fly everywhere between the two of them, and watching Daniel fall in love is so delightful. I was grinning ear to ear every time Six and Daniel are together. They are adorable!

We get to meet Daniel’s family as well, who is the. best. They are all just like Daniel, aka they’ll make you laugh until your sides hurt. (My absolute favorite scene was about Daniel and the 30-minute showers. COMEDY GOLD.)

Finding Cinderella can be read as a standalone, but I think it’s better to read Hopeless and Losing Hope first, so you have a better gist of the characters. If you haven’t read any books by Colleen Hoover what the heck is wrong with you you should! Her writing is beautiful, and she creates characters who you will care for and love. And of course, Finding Cinderella is another one of her perfect books. Sigh.

5 hearts (duh).

5-hearts

lacey

Reading Order: Hopeless series

Hopeless by Colleen Hoover Losing Hope by Colleen Hoover Finding Cinderella by Colleen Hoover

#1 ~ Hopeless: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#2 ~ Losing Hope: Lacey’s Review • Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#2.5 ~ Finding Cinderella: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads

Book News, Weekly Recap & Upcoming Releases! {8}

Cover Reveals!!

★ The cover for Sweet Reckoning (The Sweet Trilogy #3) by Wendy Higgins is finally here! I love that all the covers match!

Sweet Reckoning by Wendy Higgins

It’s time.

Evil is running rampant and sweet Anna Whitt is its target. Nobody knows when or how the Dukes will strike, but Anna and her Nephilim allies will do anything necessary to rid the earth of the demons and their oppressive ways.

The stakes are higher than ever, and Anna is determined that the love she feels will be her strength, not a liability. But trying to protect the ones she loves while running for her life and battling demonic forces proves to be perilous—especially as faces are changing and trust is fleeting. When the Duke of Lust sends Anna’s great love, Kaidan Rowe, to work against her, Anna must decide how much she’s prepared to risk.

In the most sensual and fast-paced installment yet, Sweet Reckoning brings all the beloved Neph together one last time to fight for their freedom.

★ And here’s the cover for Landlines by Rainbow Rowell, one of my absolute favorite authors ever!! I adored Eleanor & Park, so I can’t wait for this book!

Landline by Rainbow Rowell

Georgie McCool knows her marriage is in trouble. That it’s been in trouble for a long time. She still loves her husband, Neal, and Neal still loves her, deeply — but that almost seems besides the point now.

Maybe that was always besides the point.

Two days before they’re supposed to visit Neal’s family in Omaha for Christmas, Georgie tells Neal that she can’t go. She’s a TV writer, and something’s come up on her show; she has to stay in Los Angeles. She knows that Neal will be upset with her — Neal is always a little upset with Georgie — but she doesn’t expect to him to pack up the kids and go home without her.

When her husband and the kids leave for the airport, Georgie wonders if she’s finally done it. If she’s ruined everything.

That night, Georgie discovers a way to communicate with Neal in the past. It’s not time travel, not exactly, but she feels like she’s been given an opportunity to fix her marriage before it starts . . .

Is that what she’s supposed to do?

Or would Georgie and Neal be better off if their marriage never happened?

★ It’s the cover for the third book of the Runaway Train series (that I still need to read) by Katie Ashley! Strings of My Heart will be Rhys’s book.

Strings of the Heart by Katie Ashley

Snippets!!

★ Another City of Heavenly Fire snippet!

The way Magnus’ breath had sounded, rattling in his chest, before he’d said his father’s name.

★ Colleen Hoover shared with us on her Facebook this special scene she wrote way back, in Eddie’s POV:

Pink Balloons

Prologue:

I pull the collar of my shirt up to my eyes and wipe them again. I know how much Miss Irene hates it when I do that. She says it stretches the collars of my tops and ruins the shirts. I don’t want to ruin all the nice shirts she bought me, so I’ve been trying not to cry as much as I used to. I quickly glance up at her, hoping she didn’t notice, but she just smiles and squeezes my hand.

“Now Olivia, you knew when you came to stay with me that this was only temporary. I’m getting too old to keep foster children and I hadn’t planned on taking any more at all before you came along.“ She bends down and puts her arms around me. I automatically tense up like I do every time she hugs me. I’ve been here three months and, although I’m still not used to it, I’ve received more hugs in these three months than I have in my entire ten years.

“I knew it was only until they could find me somewhere else to live again, Miss Irene. I was just…I was hoping you would change your mind.” I sit down on the bed behind me and fold my hands in my lap. The fingernail polish on my thumb is already starting to chip. When Miss Irene painted them last weekend, I couldn’t decide which color to choose, there were so many. She told me that sometimes the best choice is when you choose all the choices. So that’s what I chose. All of them. Each one of my nails is painted a different color, just like a rainbow.

Except now that rainbow is chipping.

“Olivia,” she says, lowering her voice. She sits beside me on the bed and lifts her hand to my chin, pulling my focus to hers. “I’ve been completely honest with you since the moment we met, haven’t I? I’m moving in with my daughter now so she can help take care of me. I’m getting too old to take care of myself, much less you.“

I nod and try to appear understanding. She has been honest with me, I just didn’t expect to…love her. I try to turn away from her but she places her palm against my cheek and refocuses my attention back in her direction.

“Remember, Olivia, you need to be strong.” She lays her hand over my heart, looks me in the eyes and says, “You need to be strong in here.” She moves her hand up to my temple and taps it. “And especially in here. Your happiness isn’t determined by where or who you live with. Happiness comes from within you, and only you can control that. No one else.”

I squeeze my eyes shut as soon as I feel the tears building. Her arms go around me again, and I melt into her. “I’m scared,” I cry into her shirt. “I’m so scared. What if they don’t like me? What if they don’t want to keep me? What if I just keep getting moved from family to family like I have been all year?”

She continues to hug me and strokes her hand across my hair. The feel of her hands against my head instantly comforts me. I’ve never felt as secure in my whole life as I do when she strokes my hair. I wish my mother would have done that. I don’t ever remember her touching my hair. If I ever have kids, I’m going to make sure I stroke their hair every single day of their life.

“Oh, Olivia,” she says, squeezing me tighter. Her voice cracks when she says my name, so I instinctively pull back and look up at her. She’s crying, too. I’ve never seen her cry before. Her expression softens and she smiles at me, then pulls out the collar of her own shirt and wipes her tears away. It makes me giggle, seeing her do the very thing that she tells me not to do. When she realizes what she just did, she laughs, too.

“You see? “ she says, smiling. “That right there is why I don’t worry about you. The fact that you find the positive in every situation. That right there is why you shouldn’t worry about you, either.” She takes my hands in hers and brings her face down level to mine. “You have been dealt a very tough hand in life, Olivia King. A very tough hand. But you know what? Instead of spending the rest of your life complaining about the hand you were dealt, you are the type of person who will spend the rest of your life feeling lucky that you were even dealt a hand. And that, my dear, is what makes you so special.”

Sometimes the things Miss. Irene says don’t make a whole lot of sense to me, but I try to remember them anyway. For some reason, everything she says seems important, so I repeat her words in the back of my mind.

“I’m going to miss you so much, Olivia. So, so much. But as much as I’ll miss you, I’m not going to worry about you. I know for a fact that you’ll be just fine.” She stands and picks up my suitcase. She holds out her hand, gesturing her head toward the bedroom door, indicating it’s time to leave.

I don’t know why I believe her, but I do. No matter what happens or where I go from here, I’m going to be just fine. I know I will.

Miss Irene said so.

★ Another Trust in Me (Wait for You #1.5) by Jennifer L. Armentrout teaser from her blog:

I kissed her, pressing my lips to hers, working at the seam of her mouth until she opened, allowing me in. The taste of her skin had sparked a fire deep inside me, but the feel of her warm mouth ignited a blazing fire. I couldn’t get enough of her lips, of her kisses or the soft, breathy sounds she was making.

I groaned as I slid my hand out from underneath her, guiding her onto her back. Her body immediately stiffened, and I knew I needed to tone it down. The last thing I wanted was to scare her.

God, that was the last thing.

Cupping her cheek, I softly kissed her until her body relaxed under mine and then, shocking the hell out of me, her small hand ended up under my shirt, pressing against the bare skin of my abs.

It was like being branded.

Heat roared through my veins as my body jerked on reflex. Air punched from my lungs. She wanted to touch me? Holy hell, she could touch me. I pulled back, reached down and yanked my shirt over my head.

Avery’s mouth parted as her gaze moved over my chest, the tattoo, and then down. It was like a touch, but better. My body was burning to feel hers.

I tugged the comforter down and planted my hands on either side of her head, tangling them in her hair. There was a primal part that took over when her hands flattened over the lower part of my stomach. My entire body tightened.

I dropped my forehead to hers. “You have no idea what you do to me.”

★ Plus, some teasers from Jessica Sorensen for The Temptation of Lila and Ethan (The Secret #3)

Lila and Ethan teaser1

Lila and Ethan teaser2

Other News!!

★ The Fault in Our Stars movie is set for June 2014!! It’s just a couple of months away!! AH! You can read the article about it here.

★ Remember, Finding Cinderella (Hopeless #2.5) by Colleen Hoover is FREE and up for pre-order as an ebook on Amazon NOW! And it’s LIVE early on Kobo! I’ve already read it and it is AH-MA-ZING.

★ K.A. Tucker, author of the Ten Tiny Breaths series, will be having a fourth book! It’s called Five Ways to Fall, and it’s Ben’s story!

★ So I’ve JUST finished reading Bully (Fall Away #1) by Penelope Douglas (SO GOOD–review to come!) and here’s some info about the other books in the series:

***Jax’s book NOW has a title!! Nothing else yet. I will deal with Madoc’s and Jax’s covers and blurbs after Until You.
BULLY (Fall Away #1) → released June 2013 features Jared/Tate
UNTIL YOU (Fall Away #1.5) → release date December 16, 2013 is BULLY from Jared’s pov, BUT there will be lots of added material and the ending goes beyond the ending of BULLY.
RIVAL (Fall Away #2) → release date later summer 2014 features Madoc and Fallon with Jared/Tate/Jax as strong side characters
MISBEHAVED (Fall Away #3) → release date winter 2014/2015 is Jax’s story with Jared/Tate/Madoc/Fallon as strong side characters. This story will most likely take place in New Orleans.

★ Here’s what Jessica Sorensen has to say about The Coincidence series:

Hello lovely people! I have some news for C&K fans, especially for fans of Seth. I’m going to be writing Seth and Greyson’s story… I don’t have a date for it yet, but it’ll be sometime in 2014 🙂

★ It’s the blurb for The Ever After of Ella and Micha (The Secret #3.5) by Jessica Sorensen!

The day Ella has waited for is just around the corner. It’s the day she’ll marry Micha, the love of her life, the light that guided her out of the darkness. It looks like it will be the perfect Christmas-until an unexpected package arrives with a harsh reminder of Ella’s past. Suddenly Ella doesn’t feel as confident about her future. Can she really have a “happily-ever-after” if she’s never even seen one?

Micha will stand by Ella no matter what she’s going through-though he worries that she might leave him standing at the altar again. When he’s offered a once-in-a-lifetime chance to tour with his favorite bands for three months, Micha knows he can’t leave Ella behind. But can he ask her to uproot her life to join him on the road?

Now Ella and Micha must find a way to balance their fears, their dreams, and their love . . . if they ever want to hear wedding bells.

★ A still from the upcoming Vampire Academy movie! It’s Lissa and Christian! Source.

Vampire Academy movie - Christian and Lissa

Weekly Recap

Reviewed on the blog this week:

Blog Tours:

Posts on the blog:

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

Cover Reveals on the blog:

Upcoming New Releases:

Just One Year by Gayle Forman Finding Cinderella by Colleen Hoover Seven Day Fiancé by Rachel Harris Consumed by Emily Snow Across a Star-Swept Sea by Diana Peterfreund Finding it by Cora Carmack Bold Tricks by Karina Halle The Fall of the Hotel Dumort by Cassandra Clare Revealed by P.C. Cast Artistic image of muscular sexy man body Beat of the Heart (Runaway Train #2) by Katie Ashley

Waiting on Wednesday {11}

Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting on Wednesday, hosted by Breaking the Spine, is a weekly meme where we showcase upcoming new releases we’re excited to get our hands on!

Finding Cinderella by Colleen Hoover

Finding Cinderella by Colleen Hoover
Publication Date: October 14th 2013

A chance encounter in the dark leads eighteen-year-old Daniel and the girl who stumbles across him to profess their love for each other. But this love comes with conditions: they agree it will only last one hour and it will only be make-believe.

When their hour is up and the girl rushes off like Cinderella, Daniel tries to convince himself that what happened between them only seemed perfect because they were pretending it was perfect. Moments like that with girls like her don’t happen outside of fairytales.

One year and one bad relationship later, his disbelief in insta-love is stripped away the day he meets Six: a girl with a strange name and an even stranger personality. Daniel soon realizes the way he pretended to feel about Cinderella and the way he really feels about Six may not be so different after all. Especially when the two loves of his life end up being one in the same.

Unfortunately for Daniel, finding Cinderella doesn’t guarantee their happily ever after…it only further threatens it.


It’s another COLLEEN HOOVER BOOK!!!! AAAHHHHHH!!!!

God. I just love this woman and all her books.

Finding Cinderella is technically a novella, but who even cares? I know I’ll love it just as much as the rest of her books, even if I’ll wish it was longer…

And oh gosh, I’m just bursting with joy that Daniel’s getting his story. I love this boy to death after reading Losing Hope. He was SO funny, and I know I’m going to swoon so hard for him after reading Finding Cinderella.

PLUS, this novella is going to be FREE! You can preorder it now from Amazon. GAH! Can’t wait to read it!

lacey