Review: Bronze Gods (Apparatus Infernum #1) by A.A. Aguirre

Hy Breasil is grimmer than it used to be.

Before the Architect closed the door, there were regular crossings, and a great war decimated both humans and Ferishers. The native fae who refused to treat with the invaders faded; their bodies withered and died, stranding them as hungry, angry spirits that haunt the countryside.

That means there’s always trouble brewing in Dorstaad.

Janus Mikani and Celeste Ritsuko work for the Criminal Investigation Department, keeping citizens safe from things that go bump in the night. He’s a hardboiled cynic with an uncanny sixth sense; she’s determined to justify her promotion as the first female detective in her division. Together, they’re trying to keep a black tide from drowning the city.

But when the second body surfaces, murdered with the same type of infernal device, the entire CID must face the truth. There’s a madman on the loose, twining magic and blood… and only Mikani and Ritsuko can unravel the intricate, lethal conspiracy before the Royale killer completes his macabre plan, unleashing old, forbidden magic on an unsuspecting populace. If the maniac succeeds, it could mean the end of everything. ~ Goodreads

Source: Purchased

Review:
Grimspace (Sirantha Jax #1) was the first Ann Aguirre book that I read. I did not like sci-fi. I now love reading sci-fi.. Then I heard she was writing a YA dystopian – Enclave (Book #1 in the Razorland trilogy). I was desperate to read that book and see what she could do with YA and it’s now one of my all time favorite series. My point is that I think Ann Aguirre can write any genre and knock it out of the park.

I was excited for Bronze Gods because this was Ann's first foray into steampunk (that I'm aware of anyway). In this case, co-authored with her husband Andres who brings very strong world building skills to the table. I’m not a huge fan of steampunk but I had faith that she/they could convince me. As expected, I loved it.

The series opens with the tale of a centuries old feud between the Ferishers (Fey) and humans. While this war seems to be a thing of the past, old wounds are unearthed after the gruesome murder of a daughter belonging to a prominent family. Longtime partners in the Criminal Investigation Division, Janus Mikani and Celeste Ritsuko are brought into solve the murder. They quickly realize that there is more to this case. Old, poweful magic is involved and there may be more victims.

Mikani and Ritsuko are the biggest strength of Bronze Gods.  Their chemistry both smolders and explodes off the page with them barely touching. She is organized and pragmatic while he is messy and relies on magic to solve his cases. They have a strong Mulder & Scully from the X-Files vibe going on. It was so interesting to see their awkward realization that they may be attracted to each other. They’ve been working together for years but have always been in other relationships and unavailable until recently. What I loved though is that the romance while promising to be intense, takes a back seat to the central plot of solving the case.

The murders are terrifying & gruesome with the race to save the next intended victim leaving the reader tense with anticipation.

There are shifting POV’s not only between Mikani & Ritsuko but also between two other characters. At first I couldn’t understand why and honestly wasn’t very interested but it all tied in to the main plot and I ended up very invested in the outcome. The secondary characters were very well developed and added yet another layer to this already intricately woven story.

What surprised me most about this book was that this wasn’t so much steampunk (although there are a few steampunk elements – kind of creepy ones) as it was Urban Fantasy/Noir and they all blended together beautifully. The thing about Bronze Gods is that the world building is always happening – almost without you even noticing – until the pieces all click into place.

Final thoughts: The Aguirre’s have created a fascinating new world that unfolds at an almost languid pace yet you can cut the tension, both sexual and otherwise, with a knife. Fantastic, complex characters with plenty of twists and turns that have me wondering where the heck Apparatus Infernum book #2 - Silver Mirrors will take my beloved Mikani and Ritsuko next.

** There was a fun blog tour for Bronze Gods, hosted by Maja - The Nocturnal Library, You really should check it out. Instead of the typical guest posts/interviews, Ann and Andres shared Mikani and Ritsuko’s notes while investigating the case. Start at the blog tour link then follow along using the links at the end of Maja’s post.

Author: Goodreads | Website | Twitter
Buy the book! Bronze Gods (An Apparatus Infernum Novel)

Waiting on Wednesday: Here Without You (Between the Lines #4) by Tammara Webber

Here With You (Between the Lines #4)

By Tammara Webber
Release date: August 6, 2013

Everyone has secrets.

Some are buried so deep, their existence is forgotten.
But a secret never told can turn into a lie.
And in love, a lie is one thing:

Poison.

Here Without You is the fourth, final book in the Between the Lines series.

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I am SO excited about this book.

SO EXCITED!

Tammara Webber has gained a lot of attention (deservedly so) for the New York Times Bestselling New Adult novel Easy but I fell in love with her writing several years earlier with her YA Between the Lines series.

I was so happy when she announced there would be a 4th book to conclude the storyline. Everything was  wrapped up nicely in book three, Good for You, and yet…there was more story to tell.

There’s a small blurb for the book but on Tammara’s website she says that the storyline will feature Reid, Brooke and Dori. Oh boy am I nervous about this one! Reid has come a long way from the self centered playboy in Between the lines (book #1) and Brooke….I’m not sure I can ever like her but I have a feeling Tammara will find a way to break me down. I also can’t wait to see how Dori is going to fit into all this. I’m sure she’s in for an especially rough ride.

As you might be able to tell, you really need to read the books in order. I’m going to include my review links to the first three books below and they all have purchase links included.

And my oh my…how that cover makes my heart melt.

My reviews for the series: Between the Lines | Where You Are | Good for You

 

Review: Thousand Words by Jennifer Brown

Ashleigh's boyfriend, Kaleb, is about to leave for college, and Ashleigh is worried that he'll forget about her while he's away. So at a legendary end-of-summer pool party, Ashleigh's friends suggest she text him a picture of herself -- sans swimsuit -- to take with him. Before she can talk herself out of it, Ashleigh strides off to the bathroom, snaps a photo in the full-length mirror, and hits "send."

But when Kaleb and Ashleigh go through a bad breakup, Kaleb takes revenge by forwarding the text to his baseball team. Soon the photo has gone viral, attracting the attention of the school board, the local police, and the media. As her friends and family try to distance themselves from the scandal, Ashleigh feels completely alone -- until she meets Mack while serving her court-ordered community service. Not only does Mack offer a fresh chance at friendship, but he's the one person in town who received the text of Ashleigh's photo -- and didn't look.

Acclaimed author Jennifer Brown brings readers a gripping novel about honesty and betrayal, redemption and friendship, attraction and integrity, as Ashleigh finds that while a picture may be worth a thousand words . . . it doesn't always tell the whole story. ~ Goodreads

Source: ARC copy provided by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers for my honest review

Review:
Sexting. This is such a timely topic that brings home all the repercussions of technology and teens in todays world. I can honestly say that I am SO glad that I am not a teenager growing up under the harsh glare of Twitter/Facebook/YouTube and cell phones.  I was already a sensitive kid that got picked on and I don't think I would make it out well adjusted having my life and mistakes played out for my high school - and sometimes the world to see. But I digress…

In Thousand Words, what starts out as a drunken dare to send Ashleigh's boyfriend, Kaleb, a nude picture of herself so he won't forget her when he leaves for college spins into an out of control scenario that ruins Ashleigh's life and Kaleb's future.

Because Ashleigh is under 18 she & Kaleb (who is over 18 yrs old) are accused of distributing child pornography.  Ashleigh receives community service and unless Kaleb can get her to forgive him for sharing the picture and talk the judge into leniency he could become a registered sex offender ruining his chances at ever becoming a teacher and even have restrictions visiting his parents since they live near a school.

There are so many things from this story that touched a nerve with me and had me screaming at the book or taking a long look at the crime vs the punishment. Ashleigh gets community service as punishment. I'm like punishment for what?? It's a picture of herself. Dumb yes but why should she be punished? Isn't it bad enough that she's constantly harassed and all the adults have decided to make an example of her and her family? What about all the other people sending and re-sending the picture?
My blood just boiled at the judgment Ashleigh's classmates and fellow community service group pass on her. The guys constantly proposition her and the girls are jealous that their boyfriends have her naked picture on their cellphones. The thing is, this is the ONLY time Ashleigh has ever done anything like this. Kaleb is a total ass but I couldn't help thinking that labeling him a sexual predator was excessive. 

Told in alternating present and past tense we are able to get a full picture of what led to Ashleigh doing such a dumb thing and Kaleb's equally stupid retaliation after their breakup and the current repercussions for both of them. What's scary is that everything these two say and do is pretty standard in any high school relationship/breakup. This could happen to anyone of of us. All of us have acted on impulse and raw emotion at some point. The thing about the internet is that you can't take it back. Ever.

Ok - so it sounds like I'm raving about the book at this point but….even though it stirred a lot of emotion because of the topic and it made me question things I didn't feel that strong of a connection to any of the characters. I didn't especially like Ashleigh (which is fine - she doesn't need to be perfect) she learns a lesson obviously but still came off self centered and snobby most of the time. I'm not sure what to think of Kaleb. He's portrayed as the perfect boyfriend at first and then seems to go off the rails at some point. Drifting apart is ok but he gets downright ugly about things. Was he always a selfish asshole? I couldn't really tell.  Ashleigh's friends are immature and deserved a lesson or two as well. The one bright spot is the boy she meets at community service, Mack. He kind of anchors the whole story and Ashleigh but I found him so much more interesting that I kept wanting to hear his story instead. Their interactions were the best because he brings out another dimension to Ashleigh and not in a romantic way which I liked.

A few major plot points (like the fate of her father's job - what happens to Kaleb) were brought up and either wrapped up quickly or brushed over. I wish the story stayed a little more focused overall. The intensity level was up & down.

Final thoughts: Interesting and relevant story about teenagers and the consequences of social media. I would recommend it just to get a dialogue going, especially between teenagers and parents but the writing was a little inconsistent and kept the story and message from being as powerful as it could have been IMO.

Author: Goodreads | Website
Buy the book! Thousand Words

Guest post with Jessica Lave–Quiet on the Set

When her screenplay gets accepted to a local LA film festival, 23-year-old Rylie Cates heads to Tinseltown, where she is thrust into the spotlight as her career takes off.

As she struggles to live up to her newfound success, Rylie meets the people who will become her friends, her guides to the city and the movie business, and ultimately, her “LA family.”

Despite her best intentions, deciphering the politics surrounding her new career proves difficult, and she unwittingly makes a few enemies on her path to success.

Confronted by scheming studio executives, philandering movie stars, and the perpetual lure of the bottle, Rylie relies on her new friendships to help her navigate life, love, and business in Hollywood.

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Please join me in welcoming author Jessica Lave to the blog today to discuss her process for developing her stories and characters.

I always love reading about “the behind the scenes” of writing.

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Puzzling Out Plots and Piecing Together Characters

Every writer gets to know the eternal question: where do you get your ideas?  For some, the story starts with a very vivid character that creates the circumstances of the plot. For others, the plot comes together first and the characters are inserted into it and developed around it. Depending on which one comes first, I approach the story development in a different way.

Plot First

If I get an idea for a story before I know any of the characters, I work backwards building characters that would fit into that type of story. With a basic plot in mind, character histories are more limited—by setting, circumstances, even occupation.  For me, having a plot in mind first is like a puzzle where I have the photo on the box to refer to as I fill in the pieces. It’s still difficult to put all those little pieces in the right places, but I have a general idea of where they’re supposed to go, and each one builds on another, making the picture (story) clearer with each piece I add.

Character First

On the other hand, having a character idea come to me first is more of a challenge. It’s like having the same puzzle, but flipped face-down, so I only have the edges to fit together, and no photo to look at while I put the pieces together. Having the character first is tough simply because there are so many possibilities to choose from. There can be any number of settings, backgrounds, and paths that character might follow.

With so many options, building a character’s background and personality is partly personal preference, partly creative liberty on the part of the writer, but it’s logical, too, because the characters and their backgrounds must be believable. Chronology, a character’s intellect, and even birth order may factor into their development.

What’s in a name?

Choosing names is always fun. It’s why television shows make an entire episode out of choosing a name when there’s a baby on the way. It’s because everyone has an opinion about names, especially if it’s a character they like. Can you imagine if James Bond was called “James Secretan” instead, as Fleming had originally planned? I can’t. It just doesn’t fit.

As a writer, choosing a name is extremely important because the name has to fit with the character, with their place in the setting, their history, the rest of their family, and their personality. Even if you have a great character in mind, if the name falls flat, the character may seem flat, too.

How you’ll know my characters

Part of the pleasure of writing is that I can have adventures; I can say and do things I might not normally do, without confronting the risks and dangers that some of those things might pose for me in real life. So, I tend to live vicariously through my characters. They can go on vacations, break into their boss’s office, or head into a militarized zone in the jungle without batting an eye.

My characters also have a tendency to be strong, outspoken, and much more outgoing than their creator. I tend to be very by-the-book, tactful, and quiet, especially around people I don’t know very well, but I like my characters to be a little gutsy and to make friends easily. It opens up more doors for them as the story progresses, and it often makes them more entertaining to read about.

However, while the characters in my books may curse like a bunch of sailors and chat up every person they meet at a party, I also like to maintain a level of introspection and thoughtfulness in them. Extroversion is easy to write, but the conflict and inner turmoil can’t show through without having a character look inward from time to time.

A great plot is nothing without memorable characters to play it out, but great characters don’t just spring up out of thin air—it takes a lot of planning and a lot of time for an author to get to know them and develop them to their full potential.


Author BioBy day, I work in a cubicle tending to an e-commerce website. By night, I blog, I review television shows and films, and occasionally, I settle down long enough to write a novel. I’ve always had a diverse set of interests, which has led me to study everything from ethics to yoga to film, but the one thing that has stayed consistent is my enthusiasm for writing. Writing is my way of bringing all of my interests together—I may not be able to speak six languages, pick the lock on a door, or cook a five-course meal without a recipe, but I can write about a character who can, and that’s the next best thing!

Visit me on my website: www.JessicaLave.com
Follow me on Twitter @jessinsists 
Check out my other books on Goodreads 
Buy Quiet on the Set on Amazon

One of the best YA series you’re not reading: Riders of the Apocalypse by Jackie Morse Kessler

The Riders of the Apocalypse series by Jackie Morse Kessler has been on my mind for a while. It just concluded with the release of the final installment Breath.

For the life of me can’t figure out why you’re all not reading this fabulous series! There was a lot of fanfare when Hunger was released but then the hype sort of died out but the writing continued strong as ever.

This is a YA series that deals with disorders that effect many teenagers today. Anorexia, cutting, bullying and depression but in a way that is action packed, not preachy and even filled with humor. In each book the protagonist is forced to confront their issues by taking over as one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. For example, in Hunger Lisabeth has to deal with solving world hunger while she herself is anorexic.

The only thing I can think of is that people are afraid of *issue* books but I promise this series addresses them in such an intelligent, realistic yet witty way.

I encourage you all to give this series a shot. Below is a brief synopsis for each book with a link to the full length ones on Goodreads.

HUNGERLisabeth Lewis is seventeen, anorexic...
and the new Famine, one of the Horsemen of the Apocalypse.RAGE

Sixteen-year-old self-injurer Melissa Miller exchanges her
razor blade for the sword of War, one of the Horsemen of the Apocalypse.

LOSS

Fifteen-year-old Billy Ballard, the most bullied kid in school, is tricked
into becoming the new Pestilence.

BREATH

When Death himself has given up on life, only eighteen-year-old Xander Atwood can help. But Xander has a secret--one that may be the end of everything.

Source: Jackie Morse Kessler

Full summary descriptions and add to your Goodreads shelf

Need more convincing? A portion on the proceeds from each book are donated these wonderful charities: National Eating Disorders Association, To Write Love on Her Arms, The Alzheimer’s Association.

Links:My review of Rage
Interview with Jackie Morse Kessler

Basia’s Bookshelf reviews from the series: She loves this series as much I do and has written fantastic reviews for Hunger | Loss | Breath

Buy the books!

Buy HUNGER at Amazon, Book Depository | B&N | Indie Bound
Buy RAGE at Amazon | Book Depository | B&N | Indie Bound
Buy LOSS at Amazon | Book Depository | B&N | Indie Bound
Buy Breath at Amazon | Book Depository | B&N | Indie Bound

Desire by Design Blog Tour: Top Ten List of Favorite Music

Desire by Design

He stole her job, and now she's stealing his heart.

Eve Doucette finally almost has it all. She's free from her mistake of an ex-husband and just landed her dream job: project manager for a new City Hall and drafter of the final design. That is, until a handsome architect sweeps into town to commandeer her blueprints.

Famous architect Matt Brison is unsatisfied with his mundane life in Toronto. So when the mayor of Halifax asks him to spearhead his City Hall project, Matt jumps at the opportunity. There's just one problem: the feisty and beautiful project lead, Eve, who isn't exactly thrilled about her new "coworker" hijacking her design.

But when the sparks begin to fly, they both find themselves falling for the colleague they shouldn't want. And before they know it, their already shaky foundation might come crumbling down.

Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | Entangled Publishing

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Top Ten List of Favourite Music by Paula Altenburg:

I really don’t listen to music when I write. I have to have quiet. I do, however, like music to relax to, and here in Atlantic Canada, we have some fantastic artists. These are a few of my favorites:

1.    Ben Caplan and The Casual Smokers - Conduit
2.    Joel Plaskett - A Million Dollars
3.    Dance Theory - A.N.A.F.
4.    Jenn Grant - Eye Of The Tiger cover
5.    Jenn Grant - Dreamer
6.    Mo Kenney - Sucker
7.    Matt Mays - Loveless
8.    The Stanfields - Death and Taxes
9.    Ben Caplan and The Casual Smokers - Beautiful
10.    Carmen Townsend - Start All Over

Tune in Tuesday: Alt-J, Ingrid Michaelson, a-ha

Tune In Tuesday is a weekly feature in which bloggers get to showcase another one of their loves, music! The feature was originally created and hosted by Ginger over at GReads! but can now be found over at Kate’s Tales of Books and Bands.

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This is so weird because when I first started listening to Alt-J it was a love/hate – or I should say hate/love experience but now I’m kind of obsessed with them and can’t stop featuring music by them each week. lol

BTW – they have a great Spotify Sessions if you subscribe.

Alt-J – Something Good



Ingrid Michaelson – This is War The chorus is a bit too pop for me but I love the song and lyrics



a-ha – Take on Me The best part of the Billboard Music Awards is when Morten Harket of a-ha came out to sing Take on me during the Pitbull/Christina Aguilera performance. I loved this song and the video is STILL amazing!

Book Blogger Confessions: Adding a reviewer to your blog

 

Book Blogger Confessions is a meme that posts the 1st and 3rd Monday of every month, where book bloggers "confess" and vent about topics that are unique to us. Feel free to share, vent and offer solutions.

Just keep it respectful - no bashing authors or other bloggers! If you want to participate just grab our button and include it in your post with a link to either Midnyte Reader or For What It's Worth. We will be providing a linky at the end of our posts so people can "hop" to see all the participants answers.

Question: Have you added or considered adding additional reviewers to your blog? Why or why not? If you have, please share how you found the right match when bringing new people to your established blog. Did you encounter any problems?

I have thought of adding another reviewer to help lighten my review load and add genre variety but I’m really picky because it has to be someone I know and trust. I’ve invested over three years building the blog and I don’t want to add someone that may bring drama or reliability issues.

I also like how the blog is mine...all mine....*cackles*... I don't really want to schedule other peoples reviews and I like the spontaneity that comes with blogging by myself. I'm a total fly by the seat of my pants kind of blogger and I rarely even have a weeks worth of posts ready.

I've had guest reviewers in the past and I loved hosting them but they all moved on. That’s the problem with the people I want. They either move on to their own blog, are giving up blogging for good, or review on Goodreads but don’t want the pressure of regular reviewing.

I am interested to hear how other bloggers went through the process if they did add reviewers. It’s scary to me to pick someone I don’t know at all but I’m sure it works out just fine since there are several great blogs that have multiple reviewers.

I’m also interested to hear from followers – if a blogger you love adds a new reviewer how do you feel about that? Do you think it changes the “voice” of the blog or adds to it?

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2013 Book Blogger Confessions topics here

Sunday Ramblings…& a giveaway!

BEA is just around the corner and I have done NOTHING to get ready for it. Other than clear out older books. Which really is something I guess….because I’m really going to need the room for new books!

Anyway…this pretty much sums up my pre-BEA planning and possibly life in general.

Source: someecards.com

Incoming!

For review: (click on cover for more info)

* Thank you to Entangled Publishing, Farrar, Sraus and Giroux and Amazon Prime/Tor Teen, Hayson Manning

Bought:


Wrap-up:

Review:
Wicked as She Wants (blud #2) by Delilah S. Dawson
Crossing the Line by Katy McGarry
The Summer I Became a Nerd by Leah Rae Miller

Tune in Tuesday:
Vampire Weekend, Snow Patrol, The Lumieers, The National

Help a Blogger out:
Non-love triangle series recommendations

Book Blogger Confessions topic reminder for Monday 5/20!

The Lazy Blogger GIVEAWAY!

As I mentioned earlier I’m headed to BEA and I’ve been clearing out my books. Here is one last big ass box of books I’m giving away before I go.

I’m feeling super lazy so just check out the (admittedly crappy) pic for what books are in there (There are ARC’s and finished signed books. It will be a surprise. Sorry…me = tired….but yay free box of books!)

*Update - I'm trying to get the titles listed here in between doing other things. Here are a few of them:

Destined by Aprilynne Pike - Signed
A Touch Mortal by Leah Clifford - Signed
The Girl in the Clockwork Collar By Kady Cross - Signed
The Dark Unwinding by Sharon Cameron ARC - Signed

Taken at Dusk by C.C. Hunter
The International Kissing Club by Ivy Adams
Fathom by Jackosn Pearce
Inside Out by Maria V. Snyder - Signed to me
The Eleventh Plague by Jeff Hirsh - Signed to me

WINNER!! Is Erin!!

Review: The Summer I Became a Nerd by Leah Rae Miller

On the outside, seventeen-year-old Madelyne Summers looks like your typical blond cheerleader—perky, popular, and dating the star quarterback. But inside, Maddie spends more time agonizing over what will happen in the next issue of her favorite comic book than planning pep rallies with her squad. That she’s a nerd hiding in a popular girl's body isn’t just unknown, it's anti-known. And she needs to keep it that way.

Summer is the only time Maddie lets her real self out to play, but when she slips up and the adorkable guy behind the local comic shop’s counter uncovers her secret, she’s busted. Before she can shake a pom-pom, Maddie’s whisked into Logan’s world of comic conventions, live-action role-playing, and first-person-shooter video games. And she loves it. But the more she denies who she really is, the deeper her lies become…and the more she risks losing Logan forever. ~ Goodreads

Source: Provided by Entangled Teen for my honest review

Review:
Can I just write that this is the adorable, feel good book of the summer and be done with it?

I had so much fun reading The Summer I Became a Nerd. I read the whole book in just under 4 hours and *may* have done a little bit of a book nerd happy reader dance.

This book has it all, high school angst, cute boys, secret identities, awesome friendships, VISIBLE PARENTS.

I could write a long review but these days when I have this much fun with a book I just want to leave it at that and not dissect it to death so I will just say I highly recommend The Summer I Became a Nerd. I liked it so much that I’m going to go out and buy a physical copy just so I can fill it with post-it notes for my favorite quotes (of which there were many).

I must confess that I am not a nerd. I don’t read comic books and I don’t play video games so I can not attest to the nerd accuracy of this book lol but I found all the references to be a lot of fun. Also, I understood or could easily grasp all of them despite not knowing the background.

Final thoughts: SUPER CUTE summer read! Go get it!

Author: Goodreads | Website | Twitter
Buy the book! The Summer I Became a Nerd

Help a blogger out! Non - love triangle series recommendations

Source: stock.xching

I know love triangles exist in real life. I was even in a few when I was younger but I just don’t want to read about them anymore and I’m not knocking anyone who does. I’ve read several great series that had them and they didn’t bother me (Carolyn Crane’s awesome Disillusionist trilogy comes to mind)  It’s just that they usually depress me and leave me broken hearted. Plus I would love to see a a relationship with ups & downs evolve over time without throwing in a third wheel.

I’m looking for series recommendations that have romance – minus the love triangle. I’m not too picky on the genre or YA vs Adult (although it’s almost unheard to read YA without one so I would be really happy with a YA series rec!). I would just like it to be a series with one continuing main couple. They can fight, break up, stay together the whole time….I don’t care. Just no third parties please.

There are a few that I can think of that I enjoy (see below) but I would love to find more.

Read – Adult:
Kate Daniels Magic series by Ilona Andrews (Kate & Curran)

Night Huntress series by Jeanine Frost (Cat & Bones)

WVMP Radio Vampire series by Jeri Smith-Ready (Ciara & Shane)

Sirantha Jax series by Ann Aguirre (Sirantha & March)

YA:
Razorland trilogy (Enclave/Outpost/Horde) by Ann Aguirre (Deuce & Fade) I know a lot of people think there’s a triangle here but I really don’t see it that way – and Aguirre has said in interviews that there isn't one so that’s good enough for me.

Divergent trilogy by Veronica Roth (Tris & Four)

Ghost and the Goth trilogy by Stacey Kade

Can anyone help this blogger out???

Review: Crossing the Line (pushing the Limits #1.5) by Katie McGarry

Katie McGarry captivated readers with her “riveting, emotional”* Young Adult debut, Pushing the Limits. In this gripping novella, she tells the story of Lila and Lincoln, who discover that sometimes it’s worth crossing the line for love…

Lila McCormick, Echo's best friend from Pushing the Limits, first met Lincoln Turner when tragedy struck both their lives. But she never expected their surprise encounter would lead to two years of exchanging letters—or that she’d fall for the boy she’s only seen once. Their relationship is a secret, but Lila feels closer to Lincoln than anyone else. Until she finds out that he lied to her about the one thing she depended on him for the most.

Hurting Lila is the last thing Lincoln wanted. For two years, her letters have been the only thing getting him through the day. Admitting his feelings would cross a line he’s never dared breach before. But Lincoln will do whatever it takes to fix his mistakes, earn Lila’s forgiveness—and finally win a chance to be with the girl he loves. ~ Goodreads

Review:

I absolutely love McGarry's Pushing the Limits series so I snapped this novella up right away.
The events take place after Pushing the Limits and before the upcoming Dare You To (Pushing the Limits #2). Unfortunately I had forgotten quite a bit about PtL so I didn't remember Lila or the funeral (for Echo's brother) that led up to meeting Lincoln. Also, I read an ARC of DYT first so there were a few things that were out of order to me. Nothing horrible but enough to make me confused for the first few chapters.

Anyway……Even though this is novella length, the fact that Lila and Lincoln have been writing to each other for just over two years sets up a nice relationship between them so that things don't feel so rushed. They have become best friends and confidants through their letters until they realize that it might might be worth the risk to go for more. 

Both Lincoln and Lila have issues they need to overcome. No surprise there. lol What I like is that they force each other to be better and say what needs to be said instead of using love/sex to make everything right. In fact they take things nice and slow…while still being sexy.

The one thing that didn't work for me was Lila's issue. She's afraid to be alone at home, afraid to go away to college alone. I could really relate to her, as a scaredy cat myself, but she was well beyond that. Barely able to go out her front door alone. While her parents were away on vacation, they left post it notes reminding her how to stay safe all around the house. O_O  That seems like a pretty big thing to me but it was never explained and was resolved a little too easily.

Lincoln and Lila's story definitely could have filled a full length novel to really delve into things. But it was a sweet love story and quite enjoyable.

Final thoughts: I wish I had remembered more from PtL and read this before Dare You To because I was quite confused at first. Things are resolved a little too easily for Lila IMO but hey it's a novella and I just went with it because I liked Lila and Lincoln and I love Katie McGarry's writing - so I'll take what I can get ;-) I don’t think you need to have read Pushing the Limits to understand this novella – you just might not recognize the other characters or get as much out of is as those who did.

Author: Website | Twitter | Goodreads
Source: Purchased
Buy the book! Crossing the Line

Tune in Tuesday

Tune In Tuesday is a weekly feature in which bloggers get to showcase another one of their loves, music! The feature was originally created and hosted by Ginger over at GReads! but can now be found over at Kate’s Tales of Books and Bands.

I’m in a bit of rush getting this post drafted so I’ll just get right to it……

Diane young – Vampire Weekend A little different sound for them. I like it.



Fallen Empires – Snow Patrol I just watched a Snow Patrol concert on TV and remembered how much I loved this song when I saw them live.



Stubborn Love – The Lumineers This song is so pretty.



Sea Of Love – the National This video makes me laugh. I’m seeing them (for the 3rd time) next month! Woo-Hoo!!!



Demons - the National More The National....because why not? I like the lyrics to this song.


What are you guys listening to this week?

Review: Wicked as She Wants (Blud #2) by Delilah S. Dawson

The second book in the darkly tempting Blud series, featuring a vampire princess who embarks upon a dangerous journey to claim what is rightfully hers.

When Blud princess Ahnastasia wakes up, drained and starving in a suitcase, she’s not sure which calls to her more: the sound of music or the scent of blood. The source of both sensations is a handsome and mysterious man named Casper Sterling. Once the most celebrated musician in London, Sangland, he’s fallen on hard times. Now, much to Ahna’s frustration, the debauched and reckless human is her only ticket back home to the snow-rimmed and magical land of Freesia.

Together with Casper’s prickly charge, a scrappy orphan named Keen, they seek passage to Ahna’s homeland, where a power-hungry sorceress named Ravenna holds the royal family in thrall. Traveling from the back alleys of London to the sparkling minarets of Muscovy, Ahna discovers that Freesia holds new perils and dangerous foes. Back in her country, she is forced to choose between the heart she never knew she had and the land that she was born to rule. But with Casper’s help, Ahna may find a way to have it all. ~ Goodreads

Review:
While I enjoyed Wicked as They Come (Blud #1), I thought the leading man of that story, Criminy Stain, was a bit much. Almost too kooky and it was Casper Sterling who caught my attention. He was on the losing end of a love triangle and the brilliant musician has descended into a world of addiction and womanizing as Wicked as She Wants begins.

It's Casper's haunting music that lures the starving vampire Ahnastasia to him. I absolutely loved Casper and Ahna's first interactions. This is definitely not love at first sight…or even lust. Ahna's hungry and she wants Casper's blood. Now. As a former princess who has been trapped and left for dead in a suitcase for several years, she wants to regain her strength and her rightful place in her land of  Fressia. She's all…"I will see your head on a platter!" but he just laughs her off knowing he holds all the cards for the time being. The cards being the blood Ahna so desperately needs. She can spew her haughty princess attitude all she wants but the fact is she has no energy to follow through just yet. Casper agrees to help bring Ahna back to her homeland to reclaim her kingdom with an orphan named Keen tagging along.

Casper doesn't have a whole lot left to live for in his life but Ahna refuses to throw him a pity party and instead forces him to embrace the choices he does have rather than mourn the loss of the ones he doesn't, while Casper and Keen teach Ahna to think of more than herself and how her actions effect others lives. What I loved about this book is that they grew from their adventure but it never once turned into a sap filled love fest. The dialogue is snappy and snarky. The love is there but they stay true to themselves and their personalities at all times. These are not warm, cuddly characters and I loved them for it.

I'm curious to hear how people feel about Anastasia. She was raised as a vampire princess and that she is better than everyone else. She's a vampire and a predator. Ahna embraces that. Servants and humans are there to please her or to be her food. Her attitude does evolve over time but she never fully loses that sense of superiority. She begins to love Casper but that doesn't get in the way of what she feels she has to do to rule her kingdom. I prefer to think of her as a strong woman who accepts her responsibilities and learned to be a better leader because of her experiences with Casper and Keen. She is a different kind of heroine though and I'm sure some people will find her abrasive. Personally, I found it refreshing.

This book is a bit darker than the first in the series. While it still has a few steampunk elements, this installment is more character driven with a paranormal feel.

One thing I was really depressed about was the lack of Casper's POV. We learn a few things through his conversations with Ahna but he just brushes over the details of his past and if you didn't read the first book you wouldn't even know all he's been through.

We also don't learn too much more about the world building this time around. That didn't really bother me because as I've said Wicked as She Wants is a very character driven story. This could be read as a stand alone but if you don't read the books in order I think you're missing out on quite a bit. Easy solution though….read Wicked as They Come first! lol

Final thoughts: Wicked as She Wants is a darker, character driven sequel to Wicked as She Comes. I enjoyed the rough around the edges Casper and his pairing with the haughty Ahna. The snarky dialogue is fast and furious without a lot of unnecessary flowery sentiments which was even funnier when it came from the young orphan Keen. There is a great dynamic between he three of them. The only thing that would have made this book better for me would have been Casper's POV. I absolutely adored Ahna but I felt like this should have been a bit more about his journey as well. Even so - I highly recommend this one. 

Author: website | twitter
Source: Provided by the publisher, Pocket Books, for my honest review
Buy the book! Wicked as She Wants (Blud)

Let’s Talk! Freebies

Let’s Talk is a fun new meme to discuss an little bit of this & a little bit of that (not always bookish) hosted by Smash Attack Reads and A Book Obsession.

This weeks question: Do you take advantage of Freebies? or Do you think Freebies are a good selling tool for authors and publishers?

OMG YES! YES! YES! and please oh please stop tweeting the links to them! lol

I just can’t help myself with those freebies, plus they’re on the Kindle so out of sight….I’m also bad to a lesser degree with the .99 Kindle deals.

I really shouldn’t download even one more book, free or not, considering how much I already have to read but I’ve found a lot of great authors and series that way. There is no way I would have paid full price but I will always take a chance on the freebie. The only downside is that I haven’t had time to read all of them so they’re just stacking up.

I don’t really know how much it benefits authors. On one hand, as I said, I try a lot of books/authors I wouldn’t have otherwise because of the freebie. If I love it then I buy the next book release or continue with a series so that’s a win for the author but they’re not making any money on that particular book. I guess if the freebie/.99 goes over well then it helps the book ranking and gets them more attention thereby selling more books when the price is raised?? I’m guessing that’s the theory or else why do it?

It’s an addiction that I don’t see myself stopping anytime soon and I hope that it benefits authors as well.

Cover reveal: Act Like You Love Me by Cindi Madsen

I’m thrilled to be part of the cover reveal for author Cindi Madsen’s latest book in the Entangled Publishing’s Bliss line. I loved Falling For Her Fiancé (book #1 in the Accidently in Love Series) and I can’t wait to read the companion novel, Act Like You Love Me next!

All’s fair in acting and amore...

Brynn McAdams isn’t the awkward drama geek she was in high school—she’s grown up and confident, or at least she likes to think so. But when her old crush, the impossibly handsome and impossibly unattainable Sawyer Raines, comes back to town to direct her community play, Brynn finds herself determined to be someone other than the girl he doesn’t even recognize. Good thing she’s an excellent actress.

After his bad breakup in NYC, the last thing Sawyer wants is to get involved with another actress. But the glamorous and beautiful Brynn draws him in, even though as her director, he knows she’s off-limits. There’s just something about the woman that feels…familiar. Like home.

As Brynn’s lies start to snowball, she struggles to stop acting and come clean. But what if Sawyer is already falling for the fake Brynn, not the Brynn she truly is?

********

Excerpt:
“Cut, cut cut!” Sawyer stood. “Was that supposed to be more passionate? Because it sucked.”

“This is supposed to be the eighteen hundreds,” Brynn said. “It can’t be too passionate or it would seem inappropriate for the time.”

The next instant Sawyer was charging up the steps to the stage. “I’m not saying it’s got to be a kiss with tongue, I’m saying you’ve got to look at each other like you’re in love so the audience will want it to work out. Our modern audience.” Sawyer shook his head. “Take it again, from before the proposal.”

It was impossible to concentrate with Sawyer standing right there, so close she could hear every shift of his body and feel his gaze on her like a weight. All her lines were swimming together.

Leo knelt, told her she was an angel. She said her line, trying to peer into his soul like she wanted to be with him, and then Leo kissed her. And it was sloppier than usual. She did her best to not jerk back, though it was her first instinct.

“Okay, that was just…” Sawyer moved in front of her. He looked at the playbook, then lowered it by his side and stared into her eyes. The air thickened around them and she could feel every thump of her heart. “What a perfect angel you are, Cecily.” He said it so tenderly, his smile close-lipped but full of joy.

“You dear romantic boy,” she said, all out of instinct because thoughts were getting fuzzy.

He leaned in and kissed her, a soft kiss with his lips barely parted. The pressure of his lips increased for a delicious moment, and then they were gone. A quick, simple kiss, but when his mouth left hers, she felt its absence so strongly that she couldn’t think about anything else for a couple seconds. Her breath was stuck somewhere in her lungs and her lips still tingled, living the sensation over and over again. 

Heat wound through her body, her hands itched to reach out and touch him. And then she remembered she was supposed to. She ran her fingers through his hair and felt the whisper of his breath on her wrist as he exhaled.

“Wow, that was good,” Wendy said from the front, breaking Brynn from her trance.

Brynn stepped back and swallowed, but her throat wasn’t working right. Sawyer’s eyes never left hers, and one corner of his mouth curved up in a smug, self-satisfied way.

“It was all right, I suppose,” Brynn said, working to keep her voice steady. She crossed her arms and shrugged. “For a first-timer, anyway.” That only made Sawyer’s smile grow wider.

Brynn couldn’t help but watch Sawyer as he jumped off the stage. Funny how she’d dreamed of kissing him all the time in high school, but her fantasy wasn’t even close to the real thing. Her heart felt like it’d just been wrung out and shoved back in her.

And her scene with Leo was better. She was sure it had nothing to do with the fact that she closed her eyes and pretended it was Sawyer kissing her again.

Nope. Nothing at all.

Pre-order ACT LIKE YOU LOVE ME:  Goodreads  | Amazon | Barnes & Noble  

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FALLING FOR HER FIANCE: Goodreads | Kobo | iTunes | Amazon | Barnes & Noble  (I loved this book! You can read my review here)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Cindi Madsen sits at her computer every chance she gets, plotting revising, and falling in love with her characters. Sometimes it makes her a crazy person. Without it, she’d be even crazier. She has way too many shoes, but can always find a reason to buy a new pretty pair, especially if they’re sparkly, colorful, or super tall. She loves music, dancing, and wishes summer lasted all year long. She lives in Colorado (where summer is most definitely NOT all year long) with her husband and three children. She is the author of YA novels All the Broken Pieces and Demons of the Sun, bestselling short romance Falling for Her Fiancé and the women's fiction novel Cinderella Screwed Me Over.

Find Cindi on: Twitter | Facebook | Website

Review: The Chocolate Rose (Amour et Chocolat #3) by Laura Florand

Her father’s worst enemy...

Top chef Gabriel Delange never forgave his old nemesis Pierre Manon for all the other chef had cost him.

One stolen rose...

And he most certainly couldn’t stand the sight of his own most famous dessert, the legendary Rose, claimed as Pierre’s own on the cover of his new cookbook.
A substitute victim...

But even Gabriel could hardly go through with a lawsuit when he learned the older chef had just had a stroke. Especially not when Pierre had one very cute daughter willing to be Gabriel’s victim instead.

Jolie Manon...

As a child, Jo had seen her family torn apart by her top chef father’s obsession with his work. She had given years of her own adult life to trying to pull him out of depression, after he lost a star. Now a food writer, she might be fascinated with a chef’s work, but she knew how to guard her heart. She would never allow another chef into her life.

Unless he blackmailed her into it...

Welcome to the heat and sun of Provence, where jasmine and roses climb up old colored walls, where fountains play in ancient stone villages, and where even a beast can prove he is a prince at heart. ~ Goodreads

Review:
I've read a few books by Laura Florand now (The Chocolate Kiss, Turning Up the Heat) and the thing I love most about Florand's writing is that it's more like a immersive experience rather than just reading words off the page. You can taste the food, feel textures, smell flowers. Her writing is very evocative and makes me want to travel the world or eat a giant box of chocolate. (OK - so I always want to eat a box of chocolate but still…)

In The Chocolate Rose, Jolie Manon, a food writer, has co-written a cookbook with her father. He's recovering from a stroke and Jo hopes that this project will give him the motivation he needs to make a comeback. Tiny problem. The picture she used for the cover, a beautiful chocolate rose his restaurant is famous for, is not her father's creation as credited in the book but that of a former employee, top  Gabriel Delange, and he's suing them.

Jo travels to Provence to try to make a deal with Gabriel but instead is captivated by this beast of a man that takes up all the space and air of a room while still spilling his heart and feelings out like an open book.

Gabriel loves big, with everything he has, but hasn't been able to make any of his relationships work because of the hours he dedicates to his restaurant. No woman has been able to handle the late nights and being second to his creations. That is until Jo walks in. She understands his lifestyle and actually likes time alone and early morning walks. The only problem is she's seen how her own egotistical chef of a father led to a broken family and doesn't want that for herself. Gabriel is determined to change her point of view.

The great thing about this story, and something that was very unexpected to me, is that it wasn't about the lawsuit or even very adversarial between Gabriel and Jo. He has hated Jo's father for so long that you would think those feelings would carry over to his daughter but Gabriel sees that her own career aspirations are being kept down in favor of her fathers need for the spotlight. Instead, he seeks ways to build her up and give her credit. The man is definitely an alpha but not at the expense of demeaning Jo in any way.

I mentioned that Gabriel is an alpha. Jo feels completely overwhelmed by him. She compares him to a lion stalking his prey but what's funny is this lion is just a big ole pussy cat. I don't think I've ever read  about a more sensitive alpha. He's always worried about being hurt or saying too much too soon to Jo and scaring her off, which he does, repeatedly, but you just have to love him anyway. His intentions are good even if his delivery is too much.

If you read the Amour et Chocolat series, you might start to see some repetitions of phrases and storylines carrying over. They are basically the same story with new characters but in this case, instead of finding that annoying, I find a certain comfort in it the writing style. I'm also a sucker for anything about chefs and food so….

Final thoughts: For me Laura Florand's writing is comfort food and I enjoy every bite. I like the whirlwind romances and talk of food, flowers and love that this series provides. I also enjoyed seeing characters from the previous books in this series make appearances.

Author: website
Source: Purchased
Buy the book! The Chocolate Rose (Amour et Chocolat, La Vie en Roses)

Tune in Tuesday

Tune In Tuesday is a weekly feature in which bloggers get to showcase another one of their loves, music! The feature was originally created and hosted by Ginger over at GReads! but can now be found over at Kate’s Tales of Books and Bands.



My first pick is to celebrate the release of Jeri Smith-Ready’s novella Bridge. A beautiful story told from Logan’s (a character from her Shade trilogy) POV. He’s a ghost that’s having a hard time moving on and this song is just perfect for him. Makes me weepy though.

Ghost by Charlene Soraia



Now just a few new songs that I’ve been listening to. They’re all a little different than what I usually listen to.

Elephant – Tame Impala: a little odd but I like it.



Can’t Hold Us - Macklemore and Ryan Lewis: Fun elliptical song. They played on the Colbert Report (interview) last week and I really liked them. You probably know them from the song Thrift Shop but a lot of their lyrics touch on social issues like in this performance.



Breezeblocks – alt-J: Hated it – now I like it. It grows on you.



Tessellate – alt-J: This has a bit of a slow start but I love it.

Book Blogger Confessions: Reading Challenges

 

Book Blogger Confessions is a meme that posts the 1st and 3rd Monday of every month, where book bloggers "confess" and vent about topics that are unique to us. Feel free to share, vent and offer solutions.

Just keep it respectful - no bashing authors or other bloggers! If you want to participate just grab our button and include it in your post with a link to either Midnyte Reader or For What It's Worth. We will be providing a linky at the end of our posts so people can "hop" to see all the participants answers.

Question: Reading challenges: Do you host or join in any? What is your success rate on completing them? Do they keep your reading goals on track, put too many restrictions/pressure on you?  What do you think makes for a successful reading challenge?

I’ve joined a few challenges over the years but I fail miserably so I don’t bother anymore. I tried limiting them to just one or two, or thinking that I’m reading all YA so I join a YA challenge and all of a sudden I hate YA lol

After realizing when I feel forced to read a particular genre I rebel, I tried the Goodreads challenge because it’s just a total  # of books and I read 100’s of books so no problemo right? Well that year I didn’t even make it 100 (my goal) when I normally read over 200 books per year.

I don’t even really like accepting books for review anymore. I’ve realized that I’m a mood reader and what I enjoy reading one week can change dramatically the next or even how much I read so I realized I'm just not cut out for a challenge.

I’m not sure what makes a successful challenge but I know I like when there is a link to the main challenge post (if you’re linking up reviews) that’s easy to spot on the challenge hosts blog. A few discussion posts are good too. Sometimes with challenges you feel like you’re reading in a bubble even though there are 100’s of people signed up. I feel like I’m just trying to hit a number of books read rather than enjoying the books from that particular challenge.

If you join a dystopian reading challenge for example, I think it would be fun to have a few dystopian genre discussions. Maybe everyone is already doing that but because I’m reading challenged – challenged I don’t know this!

How about you? Do goals and time frames help you read more or make you shut down (*points at self*)

Stacking the Shelves & a giveaway!

Stacking The Shelves – hosted by Tynga’s Reviews, is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!

I splurged on a few books this week. Not too bad though. Nothing that sends the already overflowing TBR pile spiraling out of control.



Bought:
Spin by Catherine McKenzie ~ Goodreads
Bronze Gods by A.A. Aguirre ~ Goodreads

Review:
Love is a Number by Lee Monroe – Hachette Children’s Books ~ Goodreads
Wicked as She Wants (Blud #2) by Delilah S. Dawson (not pictured – eARC) Read it already & I loved it. Review coming next week! ~ Goodreads

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Giveaway!
Two boxes of ARC’s up for grabs! US ONLYWinner announced 5/12



First winner:
Rift by Andrea Cremer
The Twisted Tragedy of Miss Natalie Stewart by Leanna Renee Heiber
Eve & Adam by Michael Grant & Katherine Applegate

Second winner:
Time Between Us by Tamara Ireland Stone
Pretty Crooked by Elisa Ludwig
Spellcaster by Claudia Gray a Rafflecopter giveaway