Sunday, June 30, 2013

Cover Reveal: Origin by Jennifer L Armentrout

All I can say is OH MY GOODNESS!!

Expected Release: 8/27/2013
Daemon will do anything to get Katy back.
After the successful but disastrous raid on Mount Weather, he’s facing the impossible. Katy is gone. Taken. Everything becomes about finding her. Taking out anyone who stands in his way? Done. Burning down the whole world to save her? Gladly. Exposing his alien race to the world? With pleasure.

All Katy can do is survive.

Surrounded by enemies, the only way she can come out of this is to adapt. After all, there are sides of Daedalus that don’t seem entirely crazy, but the group’s goals are frightening and the truths they speak even more disturbing. Who are the real bad guys? Daedalus? Mankind? Or the Luxen?

Together, they can face anything.  

But the most dangerous foe has been there all along, and when the truths are exposed and the lies come crumbling down, which side will Daemon and Katy be standing on? And will they even be together?





ABOUT THE AUTHOR:


# 1 NEW YORK TIMES and USA TODAY Bestselling author Jennifer Armentrout lives in Martinsburg, West Virginia. All the rumors you’ve heard about her state aren’t true. When she’s not hard at work writing. she spends her time reading, working out, watching really bad zombie movies, pretending to write, and hanging out with her husband and her Jack Russell, Loki.

Her dreams of becoming an author started in algebra class, where she spent most of her time writing short stories….which explains her dismal grades in math. Jennifer writes young adult paranormal, science fiction, fantasy, and contemporary romance. She is published with Spencer Hill Press, Entangled Teen and Brazen, Disney/Hyperion and Harlequin Teen.

She also writes adult and New Adult romance under the name J. Lynn. She is published by Entangled Brazen and HarperCollins.
Additional links to Jennifer’s pages:

Review: Falling into Us by Jasinda Wilder

Falling Into Us
Author: Jasinda Wilder
Publication Date: June 21, 2013 
~Synopsis~
THE STORY YOU THOUGHT YOU KNEW...

When Kyle Calloway died, he took a part of Nell with him. She wasn’t the only one left to pick up the pieces, however; Kyle’s death left a gaping hole in the hearts and lives of his parents and his older brother Colton, and ultimately broke the will of the girl he loved.

THE STORY YOU NEVER IMAGINED...

Becca de Rosa is Nell’s best friend. When Kyle died, Nell was so devastated that no one could reach her, not even her best friend Becca. As she tries to help Nell through her grief, Becca’s own life is thrust into turmoil, and everything she knows is changed.

Jason Dorsey asked Nell out the week after her sixteenth birthday, but that date never happened. Instead, he ended up going out with Nell’s best friend, Becca. He had no way of knowing, then, how that one date would send him on a life-long journey with Becca. He had no way of knowing the tragedies and triumphs he would experience, or that in Becca, he might find the love of a lifetime.

THE HEARTACHE YOU’LL NEVER FORGET...

*Due to sexual content, this book is for mature audiences*

~Prelude~
I read Falling into You in April and it quickly became my favorite book. I don't cry easily and that book had tears streaming down my face. When I heard she had a companion novel being released for the series, I started counting down the days. I knew this one was about Nell and Kyle's best friends, Jason and Becca, and I knew it would be epic. However, I LOVED Colton and Nell so I didn't know if this book would be able to give me all the feelings like the first one. It could, and it did.

~Review~
I'm not sure I can fully describe how much I adore Jasinda Wilder. It only took one book to cement her as an all-time favorite author for me and after this book, she is numero uno on my list. No other author has made me cry like Jasinda Wilder! I get emotional while reading but crying is very uncommon. I bawled like a baby in this book.

In Falling Into You, we get a small glimpse of Jason and Becca and how they got together but Falling Into Us is their love story and all about them. Jason originally asked out Nell, Becca’s best friend, but when she flakes on him to be with Kyle, she suggests Jason ask out Becca, who has had a crush on Jason since they were kids. He is reluctant at first because he doesn’t want Becca to think she is second choice but he mans up and asks her anyway. That turns out to be the best decision he ever made.

At 16, Becca and Jason are young but they fall hard for each other and become exactly what the other needs to get through the tough times in their lives. Jason has a rough home life and a shitty father. Having Becca in his life takes his mind off of the constant struggle he has with his dad and the desire to please him even though nothing is ever good enough. He will always be more than enough for Becca. Likewise, Jason makes Becca feel alive and adventurous. When she is with him, she forgets all about the pressure from her parents to be perfect and their strict rules.

“It almost seemed like he was actually seeing me for me, and that was dangerous for my sanity. I almost didn’t want him to want me, because that would mean doing something about it.”

I loved that their first time together was a little awkward and not perfect. This is so true to real life and I loved the way Jasinda portrayed it. They were young and inexperienced and that showed in the writing which was exactly the way it should be.

“And then it was over. The whole thing had lasted less than five minutes, but it was a life-changing earthshaking five minutes.”

When Kyle dies their senior year, they are both devastated but he was Jason’s best friend and he is heartbroken. The only thing that keeps him sane is Becca’s comfort. She has to be the strong one for Jason and Nell and I loved that about her. She could set aside her grief to comfort the 2 people she knew needed it. I think this was the moment that Jason knew Becca was his forever and he would never be able to live without her. I knew this was coming. I knew Kyle died. It’s in the synopsis from the very first book. However, I still cried when the time came and it’s because Jasinda is that good.

“All I knew was I needed Becca to get through this, and I could only hope she’d stay with me, keep loving me through it.”

I loved the transitions through this book and the way we get to follow them through life. They meet at 16, they suffer a tragedy together at 18. They go off to college together and keep their relationship strong. Jason helps Becca find her independence from her parents and they both help each other to build their own futures and not let their parents dictate how they live. Everything seems so perfect! Then they are hit with tragedy again. This time Becca is the one that needs comfort from Jason and he doesn’t disappoint.

“I needed him. I wasn’t afraid of admitting that, not ever. Especially then. I knew he was the only thing that would get me through this crushing sorrow.”

Becca went through a horrible tragedy and I was so afraid that she was going to shut down and push Jason away. Her regression was heart-breaking because she became someone so different from who she really was. My heart broke for Jason because he had to watch her go through all of this with no way to really help her. All he could do was be there for her and help her find her way back to life and living. He pushed her sometimes but he knew it was the only way he could help her heal and in the end, his love overpowered everything. I nearly lost it here and had to leave the gym early before I burst into tears.

“I kissed her, and put all my love into that kiss, all my need. I kissed her to show her how much I missed her. She’d been there physically, but had been absent emotionally. Now she was coming back to me, and I kissed her in welcome.”

Despite everything that Jason and Becca went through, the one constant they both had was each other. They fell so deeply in love that nothing could break them as long as they had each other. They kept their love alive and they helped each other through the bad. Out of all the bad, good things came too and those were the things that counted.

“In these moments, scars were forgotten, nightmares were banished, and fears soothed.”

Falling Into Us was spectacular, heart wrenching and riveting. I would give up food and sleep to finish this book and I nearly did. The writing is so fantastic and the story is beautiful. So many things happened in this book and sometimes that can be overwhelming but that was not the case here. Every aspect of this novel flowed together so well and the transitions were impeccable. I felt like I was right there with Jason and Becca as they navigated the treacherous waters of their lives. I felt like I really knew them because their characters were developed so well. I loved both Jason and Becca and cannot think of a single thing that bothered me about either of them. They stole my heart!

 I LOVED the tie in with Nell and Colton from the first book. These 2 books were woven together so intricately even though Falling into Us was Jason and Becca's story and primarily about them. We were given the opportunity to see Nell’s struggles after Kyle’s death from Becca’s point of view as well as what happened with Nell and Colton after Falling Into You. I felt like there was final closure in their story too.

I think my feelings about this book as well as Jasinda Wilder are pretty clear by now. These books will forever hold a place in my heart and I will never be able to get enough of them. Also, I am a huge music lover and Jasinda incorporates music everywhere throughout these books which makes me love them that much more. I have a few songs of my own that stuck with me while reading this book and you can see them below in my IPOD picks but check out Jasinda’s playlist in the back of the book. I hope you fall as much in love with these books and characters as I did!



~IPOD Picks~
“Bulletproof Weeks” by Matthew Nathanson
“Endlessly” by Greenriver Oridinance
“Falling Slowly” by The Frames
“Near to You” by A Fine Frenzy
"Falling In" by Lifehouse


About Jasinda Wilder
Jasinda Wilder is a Michigan native with a penchant for titillating tales about sexy men and strong women. When she's not writing, she's probably shopping, baking, or reading.

www.jasindawilder.com
Email Jasinda at JasindaWilder@gmail.com
Friend Jasinda on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/#!/jasinda.wi...

The Sunday Post-Issue #2: News Flash! I have a Purchasing Problem




The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimba @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer ~ It's a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog, showcase books and things we have received and share news about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead. 






June 24, 2013-- Cover Reveal: Life, Love, Lemons by Magan Vernon
Book Blitz: All In by Marta Brown
Review: Tangled by Emma Chase

June 25, 2013-- Top Ten Tuesday: Top 2013 Books So Far
Cover Reveal: Jump Zone: Cleo Falls by Wylie Snow
Release Day Launch: Subject to Change by Alessandra Thomas~ Review

June 26, 2013-- Cover Reveal: Strapped by Nina G. Jones
Dual Review: Naked & All In (Blackstone Affair #1 & #2) by Raine Miller

June 27, 2013-- Cover Reveal: Landlocked by Tiffany Daune
Book Blitz: Vigilante Nights by Erin Richards
Blog Tour: Saving Rain by Karen Anne Stewart~ Review

June 28, 2013-- Feature & Follow Friday: Reasons I'm an eBook Junkie!
Cover Reveal: I Breathe You by Lori C. Clark
Book Blitz: The Best is Yet to Come by Renee Peterson

June 29, 2013-- Saturday @ Starbucks: Discussing Genres~ Paranormal Romances & a Vanilla Frappuccino

June 30, 2013-- Book Blitz: We Are Made of Stardust by Mimi Strong
Review: Romancing the RA by Ashelyn Drake
The Sunday Post: Issue #2: News Flash! I have a purchasing problem


A few of my awesome blogging buddies and I have started doing a weekly read-along over the weekend via Twitter. I thought the Sunday post would be a great way to spotlight the other girls reviews.

This week's read-along was Tangled by Emma Chase
Tonya didn't join in this week and Danielle wasn't feeling it so she didn't finish. 
Jessica @ Lovin Los Libros
Wendy @ Book Scents
Check out all of their awesome reviews for this book!


Books I received for Review/Blog Tours
Big thanks to all of the authors for providing these books for review! Also thanks to NetGalley for The Silver Chain & Losing Hope, thanks to Xpresso Book Tours for Fevered Souls and thanks to Kelly @ Inkslinger PR for Taste of Heat.


 


Books I Purchased at Amazon
Seriously, this is getting out of hand. I need an intervention! A couple were free though :-)


Books I Returned
I never return books, but due to a shocking case of plagiarism, I returned Amazingly Broken, which I purchased last week, to Amazon.


July 1, 2013-- Cover Reveal: Finding Her by Cora Carmack
Book Release Blitz: Haven by Laury Falter
Review: Falling Into Us by Jasinda Wilder

July 2, 2013-- Cover Reveal: Girl on Tour by Caisey Quinn
Blog Tour: The Parts I Remember by A.K. Mills~ Review

July 3, 2013-- Cover Reveal: Everything Shattered
Book Blitz: Zombie Incorporated by Jill Elaine Hughes
Arc Review: Deidre's Death by Lizzy Ford

July 4, 2013-- Happy Fourth of July!!

July 5, 2013-- Feature & Follow Friday Blog Hop
Book Blitz: We Are Madness

July 6, 2013-- Arc Review: Darkyn's Mate by Lizzy Ford 

Review: Romancing the R.A. by Ashelyn Drake

Romancing the R.A.
Series: Campus Romance #1
Author: Ashelyn Drake
Publication Date: May 28, 2013

~Synopsis~
Noelle Buckman is looking forward to making a fresh start in college, one that doesn’t involve immature high school boys. The second she steps on campus for freshman orientation, she can sense the possibilities. Especially when she spots Andy, a resident advisor who’s not just hot but also thoughtful enough to open doors for a girl. 

And Andy has his eye on Noelle. Even when her nerves take control and she thinks she comes off as a hillbilly with no direction, Andy can see what she’s really like and he’s more than a little interested.

But orientation is less than two full days and there’s an entire summer between Noelle and Andy. Will her attempt to romance the R.A. be as short-lived as college orientation?


~Prelude~
Romancing the R.A. was this week's #GwB read for the Twitter read-along with Trish @ Between the Lines, Jessica @ Lovin LosLibros, CeCe @ Steaming Mug of Books, Wendy @ Book ScentsDanielle @ What Danielle Did Next and Tonya @lilybloombooks I liked the synopsis when I read it and was excited to start this one and looking forward to it all week. I didn't realize it was so short and more like a novella so I was a little disappointed this week.

~Review~

Romancing the R.A. was a light, fluffy and cute read. However, it was extremely short and not what I was expecting. I was a tad disappointed because of this. It was more like a novella and I prefer more depth to the novels that I read.

Noelle and her best friend, Julia are visiting the Timberland College campus for freshmen orientation at the beginning of the summer. They will be attending in the fall and they are there to get an introduction to the campus and the dorms and meet other incoming freshmen. Noelle meets Andy, a sophomore R.A. who she immediately is attracted to and finds a connection with. They spend some time flirting and getting to know each other a little. She ends up spending the night with him.

"As he turns and walks back to his seat, he meets my gaze, just for a second. And a second is all it takes to do me in. I'm so hot for the R.A."

I want to say that I liked Noelle and Andy but the book was so short that their wasn't much character development and I didn't feel like I really got to know the characters. Andy seemed like a really nice guy and Noelle seemed like she would be a likable character. I found her to be a little clingy considering she only knew him for a few hours but she couldn't stand to be away from him whenever they weren't together. 

She also slept with him after only knowing him for a few hours but she talked a lot about being guarded and not easily trusting guys. That seemed a little contradictory to me. Even though she felt like he was a nice guy and she could trust him, it seems unbelievable that she would give it up that quickly. 

"Am I just a notch in his R.A. belt?"

I do understand that people can meet and have an instant connection but it was a little difficult to grab a hold of in this book. If it was a little longer and had some added depth to the story line and romance, I think I could have really gotten into it and liked it a lot more. Overall, it was a quick, easy, enjoyable read but I would have enjoyed it so much more if it was longer with more character and plot development.



Book Blitz: We Are Made of Stardust by Mimi Strong~ Teaser & Giveaway


I have the book blitz for We are Made of Stardust by Mimi Strong today. The author was super sweet and provided an eBook arc for this book and I can't wait to read it. I have a photo teaser and a giveaway to share with you all!

~Synopsis~

Peaches Monroe, age 22, is the sassy, plus-sized manager of a bookstore in the small town of Beaverdale, Washington.

One Saturday afternoon, she's balancing precariously on a chair, in a bridesmaid dress, when a handsome dark-haired man comes running into the bookstore. He knocks Peaches over, she lands in his muscular arms. They lock gazes, and ...

She recognizes him.

As the sexy vampire heartthrob she watches on TV every week.

Peaches and Dalton Deangelo are completely wrong for each other. He's only in town temporarily, working on an indie movie. She should stay away. He should stay away, too.

But they're drawn to each other. Dalton claims it's because they're made from the same stardust.


We Are Made of Stardust by Mimi Strong  
Publication date: June 28th 2013 
Genre: NA Contemporary Romance





AUTHOR BIO
Mimi Strong writes chick-lit, erotic romance, sex comedy, and new adult contemporary romance. Most of her characters have a strong sense of humor.

Here's what she has to say:

I've always had a lot of sides. Sometimes I'm vulnerable, and sometimes I go after what I want without a single doubt.

My favorite person is my husband. If I can crack him up and see his eyes crinkle at the corners, my day is made. In fact, I love making everyone around me laugh.

I've always enjoyed empowering stories about kick-butt women who don't hold back and the awesome men who are smart enough to love them. Now that I'm writing these stories, I couldn't be happier. I hope you enjoy them too!

LINKS:


a Rafflecopter giveaway




Saturday, June 29, 2013

Saturday @ Starbucks #17: Discussing Genres~ Paranormal Romance & a Vanilla Frappuccino

Saturday @ Starbucks is a weekly feature hosted by Starbucks & Books Obsession.


This week's topic is: 
Most Anticipated Releases for 2013 and Home Brewed Coffee

Drink of the Week: Vanilla Frappuccino
It is super hot here in Seattle this week so I wanted to spotlight a cool and refreshing drink. I love blended frappuccinos, especially in the summertime. I love the creaminess of the beverage, like a shake, with the coffee flavor and of course the caffeine. 


Book Topic: Discussing Paranormal Romances
Recently, I discovered a passion for New Adult novels and that seems to be all I read anymore. I honestly don't think I will ever get tired of them. However, before I discovered the NA Genre, I was reading a lot of paranormal romances, especially YA. Even though NA has become my new passion, I still love to throw in a paranormal every once in a while, especially from a series or author that I love. 

One of the things I like about paranormal romances is the fantasy behind it. A human is always falling in love with a supernatural being or supernaturals from opposing worlds are falling for each other. It is the forbidden romance that makes it so enjoyable. I also love the variety in the Paranormal genre. There are Nephilium, aka Angels & Demons, Vampires & Werewolves, Witches & Mystical creatures, Aliens and Immortals & Deities. I think out of all the sub-categories, Witches & Mystical creatures are my favorite. I love the idea of magic and there is something so romantic in it. My least favorite would be Vampires & Werewolves. I have never really been able to get into  Vampire books much and I have yet to find a Werewolf series that has really captivated me. 

Despite my move away from young adult, paranormal books, I have a few favorite series and I will check out any book by these authors.

Nephilium (Angels & Demons)

Stained Series by Ella James
I was in love with this series from the first book and I have read the entire series twice. I absolutely love Cain and how protective he is of Julia. They are meant to be enemies, but they prove that love prevails.

 Vampires  & Werewolves

Captive Series by Erica Stevens
I'm not really big into Vampires & Werewolves but I did love the Captive series, which is a Vampire/Human series. Vampires rule the world and humans are their blood slaves. Braith is a member of the royal vampire family but he falls hopelessly in love with Aria, his human blood slave.

 Wolves of Mercy Falls by Maggie Stiefvater
This series is the only werewolf series I have read so I don't have anything to compare it to. It is actually kind of sad and has a depressing tone but I do like Grace & Sam.


Witches & Mystical Creatures

Witchling Series by Lizzy Ford
I absolutely love the Witchling series. This is a little bit darker and the magic is treated in a different way that is very unique. I love the way the author focused the first 2 books on Decker and Summer and the second 2 books will be his twin brother, Beck's story.
Aliens

The Lux Series by Jennifer L Armentrout
There really is no contest on this one. Daemon is one of the hottest YA characters out of all categories and the books are absolutely tremendous.

 Immortals & Deities

The Covenant Series by Jennifer L Armentrout
Love the Covenant series and Aiden. The writing is fun and the dialogue is so entertaining.

 The War of Gods Series by Lizzy Ford
This series is all about Immortals on earth from another realm, here to protect humans from the Black God, and his followers, who are all vampires. Each book centers around one of the male gods finding their mate, human women with unique supernatural abilities. It is so fun to see these women soften these men!

 What about you? Do you like YA Paranormal? If so, what are some of your favorites to read?

Next Week: I will be on vacation for the holiday so there will be no Saturday @ Starbucks next week. I'll be back on July 13th with Adult Novels.