ARC Review {Author Interview/Giveaway}: Heartbeat by Faith Sullivan

Heartbeat
by Faith Sullivan
Paperback, 214 pages
Expected publication: February 5th 2013 
Amazon | GoodReads
My Review: ♥♥♥♥

Katie and Adam are afraid of love.
She carries the scars of a first kiss gone terribly wrong.
He uproots his life to flee the stinging betrayal of an ex.
When trust is no longer an option, all romance is suspect.
As a young paramedic, Adam rescues people for a living but cannot save himself. Katie, just out of high school, struggles with a tortured home life she cannot escape.
Everything changes when Katie hops into the front seat of Adam's ambulance. Overwhelmed by what they are feeling, neither possess the confidence to make the first move. They walk away from each other, full of regret.
To find her, Adam risks his future. To be with him, Katie sacrifices her security.
Little do they know, what little time they do have, is being measured by a heartbeat that is slowly dying out.

It’s always an honor to be among the first to review a debut novel of an Indie author.  I was pleasantly surprised to be approached. While I assumed from the cover and synopsis, this would be a love story, I wasn't nearly as prepared for the intense emotional impact of this literary journey.

Heartbeat was such the almost perfect soul mate story. I say almost because there were colossal hurdles woven into the scenario. Reminiscent of Romeo and Juliet, the world was totally against these two.  Katie is a sickly recent high school graduate living at home with her granny and father. Adam is a paramedic with emotional baggage. They meet by chance due to a car accident and thus begin their saga. It's not by far a smooth wooing. These two have social issues, villains, and haters.

After the initial meeting is a series of near misses with a lot of longing and fantasizing that'll make you (the reader) swoon. The composition is genius! It's broken down into nice short chapters that had me whipping through and before I knew it I was done. There's alternating points of view so you can get the full spectrum of the two lovebirds. I was a tad disappointed with the transition from infatuation to physical. I expected the piano playing scene to have a theatrical flair considering how the hug blew me away. Overall this was a nicely crafted dramatic romance and bitter sweet novel.

I would definitely recommend to drama fans, New Adult seekers and standalone novel fanatics.  Big Thanks to the author for entrusting me with an honest review.

Great story! What was your inspiration for this story?

To remind all of the jaded single people out there (myself included), that taking a chance on love is worth the risk.

The characters seemed so realistic.  Is there a real life Katie and Adam out there?

Alas, they are only the product of my imagination.

What was the motivation in choosing this particular setting?

The frigid, winter landscape is almost a character in and of itself. I wanted to show through this freezing cold setting that love can penetrate any darkness in the soul. Adam and Katie are loners, but they are able to shine a bit of light into each other's worlds. Through the small town Pennsylvania setting, my goal was to show how confined and limiting such a location can be, until of course you find the right person to share it with. Then that's all you need to feel happy, no matter where you are.

Is there a real medical term for Kate’s condition?

She suffers from Immunodeficiency (or Immune Deficiency).

What was the motivation of having multiple villains?

Since HEARTBEAT is told through alternating points-of-view between Adam and Katie, I wanted each of them to have to face their own villain. Katie has to deal with her controlling father, while Adam is pitted against Chuck, his troublesome co-worker.

Are you a fan of the “Happily Ever After”?

Actually, I'm not. I like to read stories that end well from time to time, but as a writer I tend to gravitate more toward generating an emotional response in the final pages.

Will you continue writing New-Adult novels?  What’s next?

Absolutely. Right now, I'm working on UNEXPECTED, a New Adult contemporary romance set in New York City, circa September 11, 2001.

I like that your bio reveals nothing and you encourage your fans to seek out information via conversation. 

I don't intend to be so mysterious, LOL. I'd rather the writing just speak for itself. Plus I'm not all that interesting. My characters have way more exciting lives than mine.

So here’s a few things  I’m curious to know:

Peanut Butter or Nutella?

I love a generous slice of peanut butter pie.

Coffee or Tea?

I have to have a mug of decaffeinated tea every night.

Facebook or Twitter?

I'm Twitter obsessed. I'd love for you to follow me @_FaithSullivan_

Favorite show on television right now?

There's so many, but right now I'd have to say BEING HUMAN.

Favorite novel?

I'm an admirer on how Beth Revis' likes to throw the reader off guard in her ACROSS THE UNIVERSE trilogy.

Favorite author?

I think Lauren Oliver's ending to DELIRIUM is one of the most gut wrenching chapters I have ever read.

Physical book or e-book?

Either or, I enjoy both.

Favorite Musical artist?

I'm a fan of the gritty authenticity in Pink's voice.

Favorite Song?

I find "Hey Ho" by the Lumineers to be the theme song for HEARTBEAT.

Whose your all-time favorite American Idol?

Hands down, David Cook.

Super Bowl 2013: 49ers or Ravens?

I have no clue when it comes to football...baseball, on the other hand, is a different story.

Favorite APP game?

Unlike Katie in HEARTBEAT, I love Words with Friends.

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ARC Review: The Madman's Daughter by Megan Shepherd

The Madman's Daughter
by Megan Shepherd

Hardcover, 432 pages

Expected publication: January 29th 2013 by Balzer + Bray

Goodreads | Amazon 
My Rating: EPIC

In the darkest places, even love is deadly.
Sixteen-year-old Juliet Moreau has built a life for herself in London—working as a maid, attending church on Sundays, and trying not to think about the scandal that ruined her life. After all, no one ever proved the rumors about her father's gruesome experiments. But when she learns he is alive and continuing his work on a remote tropical island, she is determined to find out if the accusations are true.
Accompanied by her father's handsome young assistant, Montgomery, and an enigmatic castaway, Edward—both of whom she is deeply drawn to—Juliet travels to the island, only to discover the depths of her father's madness: He has experimented on animals so that they resemble, speak, and behave as humans. And worse, one of the creatures has turned violent and is killing the island's inhabitants. Torn between horror and scientific curiosity, Juliet knows she must end her father's dangerous experiments and escape her jungle prison before it's too late. Yet as the island falls into chaos, she discovers the extent of her father's genius—and madness—in her own blood.
Inspired by H. G. Wells's classic The Island of Dr. Moreau, The Madman's Daughter is a dark and breathless Gothic thriller about the secrets we'll do anything to know and the truths we'll go to any lengths to protect.

"To me blood smelled like home..."

I have a love/hate relationship with anything goth-emo-horror.  I love to read it, but hate to be scared or creeped out.  Terrify me and I resent you.  But do nothing and I shall call you "bunny".  See you can't win.

I remember The Island of Dr. Moreau movie when I was little.  My older brothers were obsessed with it and kept it on repeat in the VCR.  While I was usually around when it was playing, I can only remember snippets from covering my eyes.  When I heard this was inspired by that, I knew the meat of the story but the potatoes were still foggy.  So reading about the relationships of the characters in this novel was new and unmarred. Yet I doubted there was much that could get to me at my age.

So with much doubt, I embarked on reading this novel (at my own risk).  It gave me waking nightmares!  I can't get the twitching rabbit out of my head.....GAH!  Even when I said bunny earlier I thought of the one in the book and it made my flesh crawl.  Ewww.  And yet I read this front to back with my morbid curiosity driving me.  I couldn't stop turning the pages no matter how gross or eerie things got.  The ending was more a relief... I felt as if I had escaped the island of Dr. Moreau.   Nonetheless, this was an exciting journey.

The dynamics of the characters was complex.  There was no definite evil person or saint.  At times Juliet was as fragile as a lamb and others where she was as fired up as a wildcat. Dr. Moreau was no cookie cutter villain either.  There was much to each character then first observations.

There were enough elements sure to captivate the adoration of every reader:
♥ romance
♥ suspense
♥ action
♥ mystery
♥ religion cults
♥ murder
♥ monsters

This was also way more mature than your average YA book.  You will find yourself forgetting that the character is only sixteen.

This was definitely retro with an edge of creepy!  The cover fooled me.  It looks like one of those historical fictions with language that will put you to sleep long before the story line catches.  But rest assured, the gore picks up right away.    The narrator's solemn situation and peculiar circumstances keeps you turning. The romance was only dished in hints, then it was right back to crazyville.  Insane & magnificent in it's freakiness!

Even in my dreams I can't escape the mental imagery of this novel which is why I have no choice but to rate it "EPIC"!

GOTHIC THRILLER, INDEED!

I could wax poetic on the many things I loved about this but I'll leave the rest for you to discover on your own.

I look forward to future novels this author has to offer.

*I received an ARC from the publisher for review and honest feedback.

{ARC Review}: Valkyrie Rising by Ingrid Paulson

Valkyrie Rising
by Ingrid Paulson
Hardcover, 352 pages
Expected publication: October 9th 2012 by HarperTeen
GoodReads | Amazon
My Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥

Nothing ever happens in Norway. But at least Ellie knows what to expect when she visits her grandmother: a tranquil fishing village and long, slow summer days. And maybe she’ll finally get out from under the shadow of her way-too-perfect big brother, Graham, while she’s there.
What Ellie doesn’t anticipate is Graham’s infuriating best friend, Tuck, tagging along for the trip. Nor did she imagine boys going missing amid rumors of impossible kidnappings. Least of all does she expect something powerful and ancient to awaken in her and that strange whispers would urge Ellie to claim her place among mythological warriors. Instead of peace and quiet, there’s suddenly a lot for a girl from L.A. to handle on a summer sojourn in Norway! And when Graham vanishes, it’s up to Ellie—and the ever-sarcastic, if undeniably alluring Tuck—to uncover the truth about all the disappearances and thwart the nefarious plan behind them.
Deadly legends, hidden identities, and tentative romance swirl together in one girl’s unexpectedly-epic coming of age.

 

One thing that caught my eye and intrigued my interest about “Valkyrie Rising" was the  symbolism of the cover:  the posture of the girl, her athletic build, the trademark blond hair, the metallic sequins, the position of the mountains eluding to the shaping of the wings, and the guy in the background just beyond the mist standing at her right.  This is a modern play on Norse mythology.  I'm not widely familiar with it all, but I definitely recall the muscular blond females with wings sporting metal bikinis wielding a disk shield and sword.  They were called Valkyries and they were very “Girl Power”.  Sort of reminiscent of Zena, warrior princess, in her hay day before she started kissing Gabby.

 

Norse mythology art and literature always appeared brute and savage to me.  (Granted the only characters that truly strike a cord are Beowulf and Thor.)  The truly unique thing about Valkyrie Rising is the author feminizes the  women and showcases them in a softer light.   In an essence bringing sexy back to Norse mythology.

 

Valkyrie Rising tells the story of the summer Ellie, her brother Graham, and his best friend Tuck visit her grandmother in Norway.  As quiet as the town seems, it harbors many secrets, unsolved mysteries and grudges.  Ellie finds herself way over her head in the middle of it all while discovering her heritage.

 

I enjoyed this story so much.  The sibling dynamics was something I could relate to growing up the only female of four brother; and I found that “shadow living” to be very believable.  The romance was also hot and cute yet wasn't over the top.  I enjoyed the build up.  The plot was unexpected and held many twists. *Gushes* I am a sucker for a good heroine book !  Though I would have liked more kick ass and less ass kicking of the lead female.  While there was much action, there was a very political ending. In spite of my small and very minute complaints, I thoroughly enjoyed this tale.  I look forward to reading about more Valkyries!

 

{ARC Review}: Death Makes the Cut by Janice Hamrick

Death Makes the Cut
by Janice Hamrick
Hardcover, 336 pages
Published July 17th 2012 by Minotaur Books
GoodReads | Amazon
ARC Source: St. Martin's Press
My Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥

The first bell of the new school year hasn’t even rung, and Texas high school teacher Jocelyn Shore is already at the scene of a murder. Friend and fellow teacher Fred Argus has been found dead on campus, and it isn’t long before the annoying, albeit attractive, Austin police detective Colin Gallagher uncovers evidence that Fred might have been selling drugs to students. Shocked by her loss as well as the insinuation that Fred was a dealer who got what he deserved, Jocelyn starts asking the kinds of questions guaranteed to set fellow teachers, administrators, and parents on edge.
With the school serving as the setting for a big-time director’s latest film, her investigation could hardly have come at a worse time. Jocelyn, however, finds clearing her friend’s name far more important than the needs of a pesky movie crew and doesn’t care who knows it. But it’s only when she’s attacked while on set that she realizes someone is determined to make sure the secrets hidden by Fred’s death remain hidden no matter what the cost.
Humor, romance, and murder abound in Janice Hamrick’s follow-up to her Minotaur Books/Mystery Writers of America First Crime Novel Award--winning debut, Death on Tour, and make Death Makes the Cut a charming addition to this outstanding new series.

Death Makes the Cut is book two of the Jocelyn Shore series.  I first discovered this series last year when I came across a copy of Death on Tour on the “NEW” shelf at my local library.  This is a mystery series that offers all the drama like the Sookie Stackhouse mysteries but without the paranormal. Jocelyn is a high school history teacher who can’t help but get mixed up in solving untimely & bazaar murders.  In book one she ran into trouble while vacationing in Egypt.  In Death Makes the Cut she's back home in Texas, yet the mayhem still follows when her friend and colleague is found dead in the tennis shed on school grounds.

I continue to adore the characters.  Jocelyn has a great sense of humor.  The cousin, Kayla also always offer the comic relief.  The other supporting characters introduced in this book were also equally entertaining.  One thing I noticed about this book was everyone looked like a suspect. Seriously, there were so many seemingly guilty parties that I almost believed they were all in cahoots.  I really enjoyed the build up as well as ultimate conclusion.  I was able to figure out the culprit in the last noel rather quickly; yet this one kelp me baffled until the very last second.  This series only gets better and better. 

The romance was a bit disappointing in the beginning considering how the last book ended, yet that quickly changed and morphed into a love triangle that I never even saw coming.  Wow!  Now I am anxiously waiting to see which turn Jocelyn's love life will take.  I sincerely hope the author allows the reader some insight along with solving the case in the next novel.

*I reviewed a free copy of this novel for an honest review.

Tour Stop {Review/Excerpt}: Sierra by Taylor Dean

Sierra
by Taylor Dean
Paperback, 342 pages
Published June 13th 2012 by create space
My Rating: EPIC

Alyssa Fontaine's life, loved ones--everything familiar and dear--are brutally taken from her. Taken captive by two men, she endures a horrific nightmare. A new life is forced upon her and even a new name. Just when it appears that no hope is in sight, she is saved by an unlikely twist of fate. Trapped in the beautiful Sierra Nevada Mountains, life will open its arms to her again and she will embrace it. She will find love such as she never knew existed.

Sierra is a heart-wrenching story of the power of the human spirit to survive amidst impossible circumstances and severe losses. It is a story of survival . . . and hope.

 

This is quiet frankly the best clean romance novel I've ever read in my whole entire life. Finally a “love story” I can recommend to my mom without blushing or her thinking I'm some kind of freak. This was such an emotional read. Sierra tells the story of a woman targeted by madmen on a mission. Her family is brutally taken away and she is held captive in the wilderness. In the mist of her suffering she finds a hero. I was outraged. I was hopeless. I cried along with the main character, Alyssa. I cast the e reader away swearing to not finish this novel. But at last, my curiosity got the best of me. This was such a charming story. Even in the super gushy parts, I hung to every word as if it was oxygen, I needed to see what would happen next. In the end a part of me wished this was a true story and that fairy tale romances like this could actually exist. Yet at the same time, I wouldn't wish the horrors she faced on my worst enemy. I would recommend this to any and everyone. This is a few readers away from an "American classic”!
 

 

Stay strong, Alyssa. Another opportunity for escape will come, you just have to
wait for it. And yet, she wondered if she would live through the next day.
It wasn’t a matter of being lost in the woods, it was a matter of being totally,
and utterly, lost.
“WE HAVE TA find our community today. We’re out of food,” Pa said at lunch
as they ate the last of the granola bars. “I know wur close.”
As they hiked, Adam walked behind her and pushed her every time she
slowed down. They were all slow today. He never walked behind her. The trip
was getting to all of them.
Alyssa felt as though she could simply lie down and die. Her pain, which had
been significant, seemed to have diminished into a dull, anesthetized feeling that
enveloped her. Maybe this is what death feels like—a sluggish, agonizing death,
that is, she thought numbly.
As they hiked down the mountain through a heavily wooded area, a deluge
of rain descended upon them. They did not stop or seek any shelter, they hiked
right through it. The noise of the storm hid the fact that Alyssa sobbed out loud.
The moisture hid her tears. She didn’t even try to rein it in—she just let it out and
was glad for the cover of the storm. Lightning and thunder roared around them
and still they walked. Pa was sure the community was just below them.
Alyssa knew that life—as she knew it—was over.
Her fate was to be with Adam.
The thought set in and her heart sank. She couldn’t remember ever being so
terrified in her entire life.
It soon became obvious they were nowhere near their precious community,
however. Pa cursed and yelled in a fit of temper. They were all hungry and tired.
When they stopped for breaks, Alyssa fell asleep each time, hardly able to hold
herself in an upright position.
That evening as they walked through an area dense with pine trees and
foliage, to their surprise, they came across a cabin in the woods. Pa and Adam
stood in the trees staring at it. It was obviously occupied. Smoke wafted out of
the chimney, the smell of fresh bread was in the air, and the tinkle of music could
be heard if you strained your ear.
As Alyssa's eyes alighted upon the cabin for the first time, she thought
perhaps she was dreaming. It was like seeing a mirage in the desert. It couldn’t
be real—the sight, the sound, the smell. It was . . . charming. She was seeing
things. It must be her imagination. After all, who lived up here in the middle of
nowhere? But if she was seeing things that weren’t really there, then so were
Adam and Pa.
They decided to pay the occupant a visit and cautiously began the walk up to
the door of the cabin. Alyssa suddenly felt like Dorothy along with two cowardly
lions approaching the wizard. The cautious music from the movie played in her
befuddled brain.
Yep, she was losing it.
Puffs of smoke shot out of the chimney and she wondered if Adam would turn
around and run.
Maybe the wizard would grant her deepest wish.
Freedom . . .

This tour stop is courtesy of Reading Addiction Virtual Book Tours!

Tour Stop {Review}: The Broken Destiny by Carlyle Labuschagne

The Broken Destiny (Broken #1)
by Carlyle Labuschagne
Paperback, 358 pages
Published August 13th 2012 by SBPRA
GoodReads | Amazon
My Rating: ♥♥♥♥

Prologue
All my life, I had searched for something, something I thought I ought to be. I felt like I was living someone else’s life, waiting for the awakening of my own. I felt like an empty shell burning for life. That was, until the day I lay dying in the prince’s chambers. I could no longer feel the pain from the tear in my gut. The only sensation left was a hollowed-out feeling that I had made a huge mistake in assuming that taking my own life, would have stopped the ancestors’ spirit from raging out. I had given up. I didn’t want to see myself killing the ones I loved. I was the Chosen one, but I threw it all away for what I thought would save a life. Could you end a life to save a life? I did, and I have regretted it ever since. I realized then that things like me are not meant to exist. What had been missing my whole life? It was I. To find myself, I had to lose myself in the worst possible way. The consequences of my actions became the legend of The Broken.

 

I was on among the original bloggers due to review this novel a few months ago. The tour and release of this novel was delayed. As I reflect on all that I've read, I know that this was with “just cause”. (And thank goodness for that!) If it was majorly flawed in any way, readers would truly have missed out on an intense read. The current synopsis is an excerpt from the novel, yet does this novel no justice.

The Broken Destiny tells the legend of how the “the Chosen one” ultimately became “the Broken”. Ava is a spiritual anonymity 3^rd generation human living on a planet named Poseidon. Among the future diplomats of the last humans, Zulu, and Minoans also populate the planet with three moons. The planet acts as a second home for those who fled Earth before it's global warming destruction. Ava lives in a compound dissected into three schools: agriculture, military, and science; and segregated from the Minoans and Zulu. The Minoans are the original inhabitants of the planet, and have interactions with the Humans. The Zulu are misunderstood, feared, isolated, and avoided. Each human is genetically engineered and no human on the planet has relatives. With Ava's rare spiritual difference and impending 17^th birthday, comes the threat of “the change”. Everyone is pretty much void of emotion and undergo hormone suppression therapy. “The change” changes everything. In this staged utopia nothing is as it seems, a nation's history is fabricated, destinies are secret, magic is brewing, and evil lurks for an opportune time to harness power.

This story is told 1^stperson, from Ava's point of view. In parts I wanted to jump through the pages and shake her uncontrollably. Ava was a compulsive daydreamer. There were many times she checked out and went on epic style mind rants unrelated to current events. Her wondering imagination was confusing at times. Yet her need for approval, acceptance, belonging, love, family, purpose ,freedom, and physical insecurities made her very believable. This endured me and I started to develop a soft spot for our self destructive heroine. She provided a lot of foreshadowing with hints like “I should have known then that...” She had secret journals from her deceased mother detailing genetic experimentation in a quest for the perfect race; and while she though she had the upper hand on the Government, she didn't know half the true story.

The overall plot was like my first day at college. There was so much happening it became a bit overwhelming. But on closer observation, I saw that the structure was not all that different from high school. The same can be said for this storyline. With a little knowledge of theology, you can read between the lines and see a reference or two from biblical doctrine. I found that enlightening. At the same time there was a plethora of highly original masterfully orchestrated content. This novel had strong messages and hidden truths tucked in along the way.

The way the events played out was executed perfectly like a really good dystopian mystery. Every revelation was strategically interrupted. (This became expected after a while) The author wasn't going to give you clues “that” easily.  *lol*

((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((MINOR SPOILER ALERT))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))

The romance is where I subtracted a star. As much as loved this novel....... Umm, as brilliant as this novel was, I had to take a star way. Ava's boy drama was mostly imagined...highly confusing....and grossly unromantic.....ughhh. This is the part that I wanted to slap some sense into her. She had two guys fighting for her: One she meet with less than a minute conversation never seeing his face and the other was a complete jerk. She then convinced herself she was “in love”. Even when the wrinkles started to iron itself out, it still wasn't very convincing to me. Poor Ava never really knew wooing.   I mourn her cursed fate. At one point I found a tear escaped its duck fleeing in haste down my cheek.  Another minor infraction was the censoring in the beginning. The action of battle was mostly concealed due to extracting the narrator or blinding her. I will say, however, this quickly changed at the end.  I like a little romance and guts...so sue me.

 ((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((MINOR SPOILER ALERT OVER))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))

There was a lot of quotable content. This is one of those books that will stick with me for some time. I dare say, this is the longest review I have ever written, and there is so much more I want to say. Geez! What this book lacked in the gushy stuff, it more than made up in other areas... 

 

Some of the highlights:

• Powers/Telepathy
• Muscular Guys
• Friendship
• Black Magic/ Voodoo
• Traitors/Spies
• Ancient sacrifice for prophecy
• Oppressed people
• Futuristic Technology
• Space Travel
• Cliff Hanger Ending
• I can go on and on. This story didn't lack in much.

I would recommend this to everyone.

Note: YA readers please be advised there is mild sexual and suicidal content.

The main message that I learned from this is, “Everything boils down to a choice!” I hope you add this to your TBR pile and choose to read it also!

I look forward to seeing what will become of Ava's broken destiny in the next book. I'm crossing my fingers hoping she will experience more romance building.

My most sincerest gratitude goes to the author for entrusting me with an honest review.

This Tour Stop is courtesy of Carlyle Labuschagne !

Tour Stop: {ARC Review} House of Shadows by Rachel Neumeier

House of Shadows
by Rachel Neumeier
Kindle Edition, 352 pages
Published July 10th 2012 by Orbit
Rating: ♥♥❥

Orphaned, two sisters are left to find their own fortunes.
Sweet and proper, Karah's future seems secure at a glamorous Flower House. She could be pampered for the rest of her life... if she agrees to play their game.
Nemienne, neither sweet nor proper, has fewer choices. Left with no alternative, she accepts a mysterious mage's offer of an apprenticeship. Agreeing means a home and survival, but can Nemienne trust the mage?
With the arrival of a foreign bard into the quiet city, dangerous secrets are unearthed, and both sisters find themselves at the center of a plot that threatens not only to upset their newly found lives, but also to destroy their kingdom.

 

House of Shadows can best be described as a game of chess. The storyline had a slow tempo throughout with strategic moves and actions some expected some completely ingenious. A household of eight sisters undergo a series of unfortunate events when both parents die, a sister's arranged marriage is held in limbo, and they also fall into a pit of unrecoverable poverty. Two sisters of sold into servitude: Nemienne goes as an understudy to a powerful mage and Karah becomes a Keiso at the glamorous Flower House. In this unselfish quest to save their family they inadvertently become intertwined into conspiracies that could destroy everything they hold dear. They've been shielded their whole life. Little do they know their sorcery banned hometown, Lirionne, is plagued with corruption and magic. Where Shadows of teleportation, lead to places unknown and a ruthless king known for his brutality and victories...with a cursed beauty......misguided and destructive whims of a scorn child....illegal and mysterious foreigner neither friend nor foe yet harbors desire for vengeance against the throne.........This is a fantasy lover's delight.
 

This is written in a very subtle (sometimes political) manner. The culture of the people suggests that being civilized over rules all, even when making threats. Thus there are many undercurrents and implications with speech but nothing straightforward. In spite of the constant romanticizing, I wouldn't recommend this for younger YA readers. I giggled uncontrollably when I realized the keiso were the equivalent of working girls. Dignified and more PG-13 but still women of the night. Referred to as the candle light district yet similar to the red light district if you know what I mean.

While it took me longer to read this novel, overall I found it an interesting read. It was definitely much more creatively eventful then any book I've read in a very long time. I do caution however that due to the cadence, readers exercise patience. This didn't read exactly like an epic novel but it was very similar. The only reason I could not offer a higher rating is because I am a fan of action. While this book held my attention, it didn't make my heart race. I was however thoroughly surprised by the ending. That was definitely a slippy ride. Right when you think the book's reached it's conclusion, there's more and it had me holding my breathe. The overall conclusion had many loose ends and cryptic speech to inspire new chapters.

Tour Stop Courtesy of TLC Book Tour!

Tour Stop/ Review: Caterpillar by Kate Oliver

Caterpillar (The Metamorphosis Trilogy #1) by Kate Oliver
Paperback/Ebook, 338 pages
Published April 10th 2012 by MAB Books
Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥

In a small college town in northern California, a lonely young man is working himself to the bone to solve a sixty-year-old problem ... a stranger with a will of iron and eyes the color of ice is searching for someone he can't identify ... and a girl who loves plants is about to grow roots of her own.


When Cara Gallagher's parents are transferred overseas again, she's off to spend her senior year of high school living with her sister, a graduate student at the famed McNair University. Cara, a girl with a passion for science and an indifference to people, hopes this move will be her first step in claiming the independence she craves. Cara has her future planned down to the letter: her college, her major, her career.


Then she saves Will Mallory's life, and both of their futures are completely rewritten.


The last years of Will's life have been spent shifting from one identity to the next, dodging the FBI, and trying desperately to find a way home. But Will's home is forty-four light years away, and to reach it he'll have to outwit the man who's hunting him--and leave behind the only love he's ever known.

Amazon| GoodReads

I did not know what to expect when I picked up this novel.  But I certainly did not expect to be wooed.  No sweeter words have ever been spoken and written as beautifully.  I never dreamed the lifecycle of a caterpillar could be so poetic and yet this book is about so, so much more.  This is a love story about girl meets alien. ….and fall in love…. an alien, with no physical form!  Imagine that!  Cara is from an international dysfunctional political family living her senior year with her college intern sister.  The way the lovebirds journey into discovering LOVE is explored with a sense of innocence and wonder.    I have never found myself saying, “I wish I was the girl in this book”, until now.    Will Mallory….*sigh*….you make my heart flutter!   I didn’t always agree with the actions of Cara.  She was a bit naive and just plain stupid at times.  Yet her humbleness was genuine and believable.   When the plot was intense with action and secrets being revealed, it was super lovey dovey.  That is not at all a complaint.  Perhaps at a different time and place I would grumble about that tad bit, but this is written in matter that would have you craving more.   I have never read an adult book or any book for that matter with the romance scale turned up this high and there not be anything sexually explicit.  I need….no,no,no….I want more of this!

Tour Stop Courtesy of YA Bound Blog Tours!

Tour Stop/ Review: Want by Stephanie Lawton

Want by Stephanie Lawton
Expected publication: June 7th 2012 by InkSpell Publishing
Rating:  ♥♥♥♥♥

Julianne counts the days until she can pack her bags and leave her old-money, tradition-bound Southern town where appearance is everything and secrecy is a way of life. A piano virtuoso, she dreams of attending a prestigious music school in Boston. Failure is not an option, so she enlists the help of New England Conservatory graduate Isaac Laroche.
Julianne can’t understand why Isaac suddenly gave up Boston’s music scene to return to the South. He doesn’t know her life depends on escaping it before she inherits her mother’s madness. Isaac knows he must resist his attraction to a student ten years his junior, but loneliness and jealousy threaten his resolve.
Their indiscretion at a Mardi Gras ball—the pinnacle event for Mobile’s elite—forces their present wants and needs to collide with sins of the past.
Will Julianne accept the help she’s offered and get everything she ever wanted, or will she self-destruct and take Isaac down with her?

As a young girl, I watched my mom watch countless hours of shows and movies on Lifetime.  I’ve come to realize that “depression” is entertaining.  “Hardships” as a whole bring us together thinking with one mind of justice, hugs all around, and Kumbayah.  Yet it is hardships at its singular level that separates.  It separates with secretly and closed lips.  That one individual experiencing it within an isolation of their emotions emits selfishness to thinking they are the only person in the world that has problems.   For the first portion of this book, things were hopeless.  I had more than one emotional episode.  I needed a hero.  I needed to know there’s a sun behind the gray clouds.  I needed to know that I could fit into my high school jeans after losing five pounds.  There’s a reason I prefer Cartoon Network and SYFY to Mom’s beloved Lifetime Network.  I often dive into the world of fiction to escape the hardships of reality so my books if not joyous, should, no must contain a morale, if not Happy Ending.  I was shocked to find out that “Want” contained a lot of hard learned lessons.  The walnut of characters with hard shells took me deeper into the story to see what secrets lie beneath.  Before I knew it I was midway through and with tears in my eyes….deliberating.  I eventually soldiered up and carried on with a certain level of numbness that only trauma could obtain.  In the end I was so glad I finished.  This story truly touched me far more different than any book I have ever read and I cherish the experience.

**Honest Review = Free Copy via Tour Courtesy of Inkspell Publishing **

Tour Stop/Review/Giveaway: Swipe by Evan Angler

Swipe
by Evan Angler

Paperback, 275 pages
Expected publication: May 8th 2012 (first published May 1st 2012)

My rating: ♥ ♥ ♥

Logan Langley is just months away from his thirteenth birthday and the biggest day of his life- the day he will finally be Marked. The Mark lets people get jobs, vote, and even go out to eat or buy concert tickets.
Becoming Marked means becoming free. Or so he is told. Five years ago when Logan's sister went to get her Mark she never came back. Now Logan can't shake the feeling he's being watched...
And then he finds the wire.

When I was in elementary school, I despised Barney in public (only in public, lol) and begged to watch PG-13 movies. When I was in junior high school, I read YA, tried to bribe my parents into allowing me to watch rated-R movies, and snuck around to listen to explicit music.  When I was in high school, I thought I was GROWN and adhered to no man’s rules…until I got caught! Now that I am an adult (just barely) I can see the humor in the way I behaved. 

That being said, even though this is labeled as a “middle grade” book, I have a strong suspicion that fifth graders (I.E. 11-year-old) will be throwing elbows to get hands on this before the intended 13-year-old crowd.  (Of course YA loving adults, such as myself may also take a strong interest.)  Any who, after reading this, I see that it is a very age appropriate book!  Now that is seriously a breath of fresh air! 

This dystopian story had the elements of espionage, oppression, and impending doom.  They weren’t nightmare worthy for me; but enticing all the same.  One thing that really intrigued me about this book is that the world was almost tangible.  In Swipe, turning thirteen is when you become eligible for the rite of passage, getting Marked. (An electronic device implanted in the wrist for security, financial, and identification purposes.)   I recall a few years back where a scientific study tested micro chips in the hand for financial transactions on a select few.  So while reading, it wasn’t too far fetched to imagine the world per the described state in the not too distant future. It gave me chills just thinking about it.

There was a something of a romance (albeit one sided) with love triangle that was really funny at times.  At other times, it sort of got in the way of the flow of things.

I don’t normally read middle grade novels; but from the moment I read the synopsis, I knew I had to check this out.  From cover to cover, I was thoroughly vested in seeing the concision of this tale.  I got a little snagged in a few places, but overall it was a entertaining read.

Terms:
Open to US & Canada residents.
Winner will get one paperback copy. 
Must be at least 13-years-old to enter. 
Winner will be contacted via email. 
Please respond within 48 hours.

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