Review: Falling For Her Fiancé by Cindi Madsen

Danielle and Wes have been best friends since college, so when Wes needs a date for his sister’s wedding and Dani needs a partner for her company’s retreat, they devise the perfect plan: a fake engagement to get through both events unscathed. Adrenaline-junkie Wes can prove to both his ex and his family that he’s well and truly moved on, and serious-minded Dani can prove to her boss that she’s worthy of the promotion he seems to only want to give to a family-oriented employee.

But amid the fake swoons, fake kisses, and forced proximity, neither expects the very real feelings that develop. There’s nothing more dangerous than falling for your best friend…but what if the landing is worth the fall? ~ Goodreads

Review:I absolutely adored this book!

I love the whole falling in love with your best friend trope but it has to be pulled off in a certain way or I'm just not buying it, especially when you're adding a fake engagement to the mix. I do not enjoy fake engagements.

Cindi Madsen pulled it off.

Falling For Her Fiancé was romantic and sexy. Often this storyline is pulled off with increasingly wacky plot twists but Danielle and Wes are two fabulous characters that I would love to hang out with and were completely believable. They genuinely cared about each others well being and the future of their friendship when they decided they wanted it to become more. They have a real foundation to build a relationship on and they approached it carefully. I just loved how it was about more than sudden lust.
Danielle and Wes steam up the pages without being overly explicit. When stories fade to black for the sex you're usually left with a chaste kiss, not believing in the sexual chemistry at all. Not so with these two! I felt all swoony and happy with this couple.

Rating: 3.5 out of 4 Falling For Her Fiancé is a tried and true trope formula but Cindi Madsen gets it right with great characters, steamy romance and just enough angst to pull on your heartstrings.

Author: website
Publisher: Entangled Publishing (Bliss)
Source: Purchased
Buy the book! Falling for Her Fiance

Waiting on Wednesday: The Outside by Laura Bickle

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Breaking the Spine to spotlight upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

The Outside (The Hallowed Ones, #2)by Laura Bickle

Release date: September 03, 2013
Publisher: Harcourt Children’s Books
Goodreads | Amazon
Author website

After a plague of vampires is unleashed in the world, Katie is kicked out of her Amish community for her refusal to adhere to the new rules of survival. Now in exile, she enters an outside world of unspeakable violence with only her two “English” friends and a horse by her side. Together they seek answers and other survivors—but each sunset brings the threat of vampire attack, and each sunrise the threat of starvation.

And yet through this darkness come the shining ones: luminescent men and women with the power to deflect vampires and survive the night. But can these new people be trusted, and are they even people at all?

In this edge-of-your-seat thriller, it’s up to one Amish girl to save her family, her community, and the boy she loves . . . but what will she be asked to leave behind in return?

I absolutely LOVED The Hallowed Ones. In fact I named it my favorite book of 2012. So it’s no surprise that The Outside – The Hallowed Ones, #2 is one of my most anticipated reads of 2013. And that cover! It’s gorgeous…and ominous. It makes me drool with cover lust and shake in fear of how this will all end.

Stacking the Shelves

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’m calling this week’s edition: Bloggers DO sell books. I don’t need ANY more books but I bought these because of awesome reviews or tweets from around the blogosphere.


Wounded by Jasinda Wilder

War has taken everything from me. My family. My home. My innocence. In a country blasted by war and wracked by economic hardship, a young orphan girl like me has very few options when it comes to survival. Thus, I do what I must to live, to eat, and I try very hard to not consider the cost to my soul. My heart is empty, and my existence brutal.

The one impossibility in my life is love.

And then I meet HIM.

War is hell. It takes a chunk out of a man's very soul to do the kinds of things war demands of you. You live with fear, you live with guilt, and you live with nightmares. If you haven't been through it, there's no understanding it. War leaves no room for love, no room for tenderness or softness. You gotta be hard, closed off, and ready to fight every moment of every day. Lose focus for a split second, and you're dead.

Now the only thing that can save me is HER. ~ Goodreads

The Bookish Brunette wrote such a great review for this one that I had to go download it right away! Sounds intense but beautiful.


Inhale (Just Breathe #1) by Kendall Grey

Strangers in reality, inseparable in dreams…

After years of suffocating under her boss’s scrutiny, whale biologist Zoe Morgan finally lands a job as director of a tagging project in Hervey Bay, Australia. Success Down Under all but guarantees her the promotion of a lifetime, and Zoe won’t let anything—or anyone—stand in her way. Not the whale voices she suddenly hears in her head, not the ex who won’t take no for an answer, and especially not the gorgeous figment of her imagination who keeps saving her from the fiery hell of her dreams.

Gavin Cassidy hasn’t been called to help a human Wyldling in over a year, which is fine by him. Still blaming himself for the death of his partner, he keeps the guilt at bay by indulging in every excess his rock star persona affords. That is, until he’s summoned to protect Zoe from hungry Fyre Elementals and learns his new charge is the key to restoring order in the dying Dreaming. He never expects to fall for the feisty Dr. Morgan…nor does he realize he may have to sacrifice the woman he loves to save an entire country.

*This book contains graphic language, sex, and violence. Not suitable for readers under the age of 18.
**The author will donate all profits from the sale of the JUST BREATHE trilogy to programs that educate people about whales and the challenges they face. ~ Goodreads

Two of my fave bloggers have been talking up this series for awhile now. Smash Attack Reads and The Bookish Babe. When Andrea (The Bookish Babe – @BookishAndrea) tweeted that book #1 - Inhale was a freebie download I snapped it up. It sounds like a great series PLUS the profits from this trilogy go to whale education.


Freak of Nature by Julia Crane

Donate Body to Science. Check.
When seventeen-year-old Kaitlyn checked the box, she never suspected she’d have her life–and her body–stolen from her. She awakens one day in a secret laboratory to discover that her body is now half-robot and is forced to hide her own secret: that she still has human emotions and a human mind. If the scientists who made her find out, they’ll erase what remains of who she was.

Kaitlyn finds an unlikely ally in Lucas, a handsome, brilliant scientist who can’t get over the guilt he feels knowing she was once a vibrant, beautiful young woman. He never expected a science project to affect him the way she does. As he tries to help her rediscover her past, he finds himself falling for the brave girl struggling to find her place and acceptance between the human and computer worlds. ~ Goodreads

I found out about this book on Melissa's Eclectic Bookshelf and her Freak of Nature: Book Blast & $50 Gift Card Giveaway. (Ends 1/27/13). the summary sounds interesting. I was kind of sold once I read “handsome, brilliant scientist” lol


Hopeless by Colleen Hoover

Sometimes discovering the truth can leave you more hopeless than believing the lies…

That’s what seventeen-year-old Sky realizes after she meets Dean Holder. A guy with a reputation that rivals her own and an uncanny ability to invoke feelings in her she’s never had before. He terrifies her and captivates her all in the span of just one encounter, and something about the way he makes her feel sparks buried memories from a past that she wishes could just stay buried.

Sky struggles to keep him at a distance knowing he’s nothing but trouble, but Holder insists on learning everything about her. After finally caving to his unwavering pursuit, Sky soon finds that Holder isn’t at all who he’s been claiming to be. When the secrets he’s been keeping are finally revealed, every single facet of Sky’s life will change forever. ~ Goodreads

Another recommendation from The Bookish Babe. Honestly – about 50% of my Kindle downloads are from reading her reviews. I won’t ever have time to read them all but her enthusiasm is catching.

Do reviews and tweets influence your book purchases? Do you have a favorite blogger that you go to for recommendations?

Review: The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

Mara Dyer doesn’t think life can get any stranger than waking up in a hospital with no memory of how she got there.

It can.

She believes there must be more to the accident she can’t remember that killed her friends and left her mysteriously unharmed.

There is.

She doesn’t believe that after everything she’s been through, she can fall in love.

She’s wrong. ~ Goodreads

Review:This is another very popular book I just didn't connect with. It could be because all I heard going in was how crazy and twisted it was. What's real? What isn't? Is Mara crazy? Maybe it's because I just finished a truly twisty book (Mind Games by Kiersten White) but I didn't feel like there was a big mystery. Mara just needed to regain her memories in my opinion. Then the book took a sudden turn towards the paranormal that pretty much strips away all the psychological build up and gives an easy out. I guessed almost everything from that point on.

I think the biggest problem I had is that both Mara and her love interest Noah felt flat to me. While it wasn't quite insta-love…it turned inexplicably from we're attracted to each other to I love you. And what's with Noah and the "mine" crap? Noah is the hot, brilliant, British, rich boy who's a man whore (yet maybe not) that has finally found a connection with a girl. He's ok when you get to know him but his alpha tendencies turned me off and he’s just too unbelievably perfect.

The writing and plotting felt uneven to me. There were endless descriptions of Mara's day then something big would finally happen only to have Mara or Noah just walk away like ti was nothing. The next page we’re on to a new thing. I felt like I was paying attention to everything for no reason. There seemed to dozens of things going on: an abused dog, a mean girl scenario, visions of dead people, court cases, teachers who throw chalk at their students (?), kidnappings and more yet it at over 400 pages it never really amounts to anything.

Rating: 2.5 out of 4 So….I didn't so much dislike this book as I didn't have any strong feelings either way. It was fine but not the compelling psychological thriller I was expecting although I am glad that I read it.


Update: I read book #2, The Evolution of Mara Dyer and while I did connect with the characters more this time around, I still feel like the author keeps setting up these BIG moments only to drop them in the next chapter.

After almost 1000 pages between the two books I don't feel like we've gotten very far.

Again, I still don't find this series very twisty. It's hard for me to describe this without spoilers so I'll be all cryptic…..the whole premise holding the story together is an unreliable narrator. I don't find Mara unreliable. The story seems very straightforward to me. I guess I’m a party pooper and can’t just let my mind go with it.

Almost everyone loves this series and finds it to be crazy twisty and dark so I definitely think you should all give it a try despite my opinions. Most readers enjoy the second book even more, which is why I gave it a shot. I'm just curious enough to see how she wraps this up in one book so I'll probably read book #3 too.

Author: website | twitter
Source: Gifted
Buy the book! The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer | The Evolution of Mara Dyer (Mara Dyer Trilogy)
* Information and cover reveal for book #3 The Retribution of Mara Dyer. I LOVE this cover. It’s my favorite from the series.

Review: Hooked (Hooked #1) by Liz Fichera

When Native American Fredricka ‘Fred’ Oday is invited to become the only girl on the school’s golf team, she can’t say no. This is an opportunity to shine, win a scholarship and go to university, something no one in her family has done.

But Fred’s presence on the team isn’t exactly welcome — especially not to rich golden boy Ryan Berenger, whose best friend was kicked off the team to make a spot for Fred.

But there’s no denying that things are happening between the girl with the killer swing and the boy with the killer smile...

GET HOOKED ON A GIRL NAMED FRED. ~ Goodreads

Review:
Fred Oday is a Native American girl who lives on the reservation (the Rez) but attends public school. She also has a killer golf swing which comes completely naturally to her, garnering the attention of her varsity high school golf club coach. He has visions of turning his currently losing all boys team into tournament champions with the addition of Fred.

Unfortunately, to make room for Fred someone else has to go and that's Seth. Seth doesn't take the news well and tries to sabotage Fred, often using his best friend and Fred's new team partner Ryan against her. The other boys are angry as well that a girl got on the team without even having to try out. To say that her practices are intense is an understatement.

Fred is under so much pressure and always handles it with grace. Her mother is an alcoholic, her family is poor. Fred's father works at the golf course - he's not a member like the rich white kids and their families. All these things make Fred stand out and separate from everyone else at school and on her team. Not to mention her old, plaid golf bag and worn sneakers instead of golf shoes.

I love how Fred always embraces her heritage and doesn't let being the only girl on the team get her down. No matter how cruel the boys can be. She has a dream for her future and she's grabbing this opportunity in the hopes of a college scholarship.

I thought I would be completely bored or at the very least lost when it came to the golfing but I wasn't. It's such a part of Fred and the way she describes closing her eyes and taking that swing made me excited for her and I actually wanted to read more about the game.

The romance took me awhile to warm up to. It plays out over the course of the book and I'm not sure how I felt about Ryan. He's a rich white kid with a rebellious nature and family problems. My issue with Ryan is how passive he is when it comes to defending Fred at first. He's caught between liking her and his friends who make fun of her for being Native American (and a girl). I do get that this happens. We all like to think we are going to stand up for what's right but I do remember high school and I think Ryan reflects the reality even if it irritated me. I think he redeemed himself but I didn't see why he was worth fighting for. He takes way too long to grow a pair and I kept finding myself disappointed in him.

Seth on the other hand….he goes beyond acceptable or redeemable behavior. In fact I think he should be in jail and it bothered me how much and how long Ryan defended him.

This is Fichera’s debut novel and she is a welcome voice to YA, adding much needed diversity to the genre. Hooked addresses bullying and racism head on. Both the white kids and Fred's Native American friends held deep seated misconceptions and mistrust of each other showing that it isn't just a one sided issue.

Rating 3 out of 4: I really enjoyed reading about Fred, a girl who goes for what she wants, even when it is difficult while still embracing the things that make her who she is. I hoped for more from Ryan on the boyfriend front but I did like the way it eventually played out. Hooked gives a positive twist on the wrong side of the tracks love story with a strong, independent protagonist who believes in herself and isn’t waiting for some boy to save her.

Author: website | twitter
Source: From HarlequinTEEN for my honest review
Buy the book! Release date January 29, 2013 Hooked (Harlequin Teen)

Book Trailer:



Liz visited For What It's Worth a few weeks ago to discuss the inspiration for writing Hooked. You can check it out here.

Tune in Tuesday: Laura Welsh

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.

This week I’m featuring UK singer Laura Welsh. Gorgeous voice! I think in Hallow Drum she sounds a bit like Adele. What do you guys think?

Hallow Drum

Ghosts

Book Blogger Confessions: Calling it quits on blogging.

 

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: We've discussed blogging slumps before but have you ever seriously considered throwing in the towel and quitting blogging? If so, what changed your mind? Did you discuss it with other bloggers?

I almost threw in the towel for good last year. It started because of a reading slump and led to a blogging slump. I had originally started this blog to review books, music, movies and TV, as well as talking about whatever crossed my mind. Slowly, it drifted to books only which was fine at first because that’s what I felt like talking about.

Then I got caught up in the “rules” of blogging. I have never cared about follower numbers or stats but I did feel the pressure to have a new post everyday, improve the quality of my reviews and have original content. I became obsessed with blogging to the point of losing my own voice and ignoring all my hobbies and family.

After all the drama last year with bloggers I felt like our once tight knit community was coming apart at the seams. The jealousy, plagiarism and Twitter frenzies in particular got to me (the author drama doesn’t bug me for some reason – I just ignore it & those authors). Blogging wasn't fun anymore for me.

I did talk to my fellow bloggers about it. Sadly, several of them have since quit but a few are still here with me and I’m so grateful I have them to vent to. (Thanks Pam, Julie, Lena, Carrie, Jen!! You help me keep my sanity!)

I ended up stepping away from the blog for a few months, stopped reading and reassessed if this was something I still wanted to do. The answer is yes. The friends I’ve made these past few years far outweigh any negatives.

The key for me was to give myself permission to get off the hamster wheel of blogging and go back to doing it at my own speed. I post whenever I want – about whatever I want. No rules. If I don’t want to read for a week or review a book then fine. Does that effect my stats/followers or the way publishers view me or my blog? I have no idea. But I don’t really care. If I can’t find a way to enjoy this again then I won’t be doing it at all and it wouldn’t matter anyway.

How about you? Have you ever thought about quitting and how do you things bloggers could help each other through these things? Do you feel like you have enough support or do you feel it's a competitive atmosphere now?

Future Book Blogger Confession topics here

Sunday Ramblings....Stacking the Shelves & weekly wrap-up

This has been a bad week for me. There was a death in my family so I haven't had much time to read or do much of anything really. I did get a few really great books though and hope that I get some time to escape into a fictional world soon.

I've already read Dare You To and Falling For Her Fiancé - both get a thumbs up!

Stacking The Shelves is a meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews! Share the books you have bought, borrowed or received review.

For review:
~ Dare You To (Pushing the Limits #2) by Katy McGarry ~ Goodreads – I liked PtL more but this was still really good.
~ Catherine by April Lindner ~ Goodreads
~ Etiquette & Espionage (Finishing School #1) by Gail Carriger ~ Goodreads

Bought:
~ Falling For Her Fiancé by Cindi Madsen ~ Goodreads – Loved this one! So sweet and romantic!
~ Luck of the Draw (Shamrock Falls #2) by Kelley Vitollo ~ Goodreads – I enjoyed the first book so I can’t wait to read this one.

Wrap-up!Monday – Mind Games by Kiersten White review
Tuesday – Tune in Tuesday: Kate Walsh, Harbour Lights, Birdy
Wednesday – WoW picks: Bronze Gods by A.A. Aguirre, The Glass Republic by Tom Pollock
Thursday – Just One Day by Gayle Forman review
Saturday – Let’s Talk! Hiding those book purchases!

Monday, January 21st - Book Blogger Confessions! Have you ever seriously thought about quitting blogging? Join the discussion tomorrow. Write a post or leave a comment.

Let’s Talk: Books? What books? I didn’t buy any books…

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 hide your book purchases from your significant other/parents/children/pet/old lady down the street? Share some good smuggling stories!

I have to say - I am one lucky lady, my husband not only doesn’t care how many books I buy but he’s an enabler. He bought me wall to wall bookshelves from Ikea (& wants to buy more). He also has a thing for singed stuff so whenever he sees books signed or that are collectables/limited editions he grabs them. He’s the one who found me signed copies of both Catching Fire and Mockingjay.

Now the one thing that has him questioning my book purchases is the .99 kindle deal. After Thanksgiving I bought SO MANY Kindle books in one week. He saw the Visa bill and the first page and a half was…..

.99
.99
2.99
.99
.99
3.99
2.99
.99
etc.….

He wasn’t upset and actually thought someone hacked our credit card lol but he was like…why did you buy so many books? So basically a dozen $20 Amazon purchases are good, overflowing bookshelves, boxes of books on the floor are ok but too many .99 book downloads and that raises red flags!

These days it’s usually me that puts a stop to my book purchases – my hubby wouldn’t mind at all.

Review: Just One Day by Gayle Forman

A breathtaking journey toward self-discovery and true love, from the author of If I Stay

When sheltered American good girl Allyson "LuLu" Healey first meets laid-back Dutch actor Willem De Ruiter at an underground performance of Twelfth Night in England, there’s an undeniable spark. After just one day together, that spark bursts into a flame, or so it seems to Allyson, until the following morning, when she wakes up after a whirlwind day in Paris to discover that Willem has left. Over the next year, Allyson embarks on a journey to come to terms with the narrow confines of her life, and through Shakespeare, travel, and a quest for her almost-true-love, to break free of those confines.

Just One Day is the first in a sweepingly romantic duet of novels. Willem’s story—Just One Year—is coming soon! ~ Goodreads

Review:
Oh how I hate when I don't go all gaga over a book that the entire blogosphere will put at the top of their 2013 Best Book list but I have to be honest and say that even though I liked Just One Day it  was merely an ok read for me.

Allyson is a rule follower, even during her student vacation in Europe. When she meets the free spirited and sexy Shakespearean Dutch actor Willem, she throws caution to the wind and travels throughout the streets of Paris for one day where she really begins to experience life and love.

I didn't fall for Willem right away. I think I was supposed to fall in love as soon as he spoke because of the accent. You may take away my woman card right now - accents don't do anything for me. Gasp! I'm also going to completely ignore all the things that could go wrong taking off from your school group with a guy that you just met in a foreign country. *puts on blinders* I disliked Willem at first. I'm thinking that it's poor etiquette to keep flirting with all your previous hook-ups while touring the city of love with your potential hook-up. I did like that there wasn't insta-love & he certainly has no commitment to Allyson at that point but I found it to be rude.

The day they spend in Paris is sweet and revealing. This was my favorite part. The layers of Allyson and Willem are peeled back slowly and by the end of that day they are different people than who they started out as.

Through a series of events they become separated and Allyson has to go back to the US without ever knowing what happened to Willem and she spends the next year trying to take back control of her life.

The summary states that:

"Over the next year, Allyson embarks on a journey to come to terms with the narrow confines of her life, and through Shakespeare, travel, and a quest for her almost-true-love, to break free of those confines."

But instead of Allyson breaking free I found her to be boring during this period of time - post Willem. Wasting the year pining for him. She keeps wondering what went wrong with a guy she knew for one day. Huh? When she finally comes out of it, it's to find him so I'm not sure how she broke the narrow confines of her life. I guess yeah - she's finally out taking chances and exploring but I would have loved if that year was spent dating and traveling and that's what led her back to Willem in some way. Nit picky….I know but I just wasn't swept away by the whole thing or convinced of Allyson's new independent streak.

It turns out that Willem's year was much more interesting as we see glimpses through Allyson's search for him. That's the story I wanted to read and I felt like I was missing a huge chunk of the plot. I know there will be a companion novel next year from Willem's pov (Just One Year) but I think I would have rather had a longer, alternating pov book now.

I never expected a HEA for them yet for two reasons; #1 - it's Gayle Forman….she always makes you work for it lol and #2 - we know going in that there are two books so it will be continued, but Allyson's story felt incomplete to me. Not in a cliffhanger kind of way but that significant pieces were missing from the story. I'm not explaining that very well but….I had the feeling that someone ripped out pages from my book rather than this story will be continued.

Nevertheless, I would still highly recommend this book. It didn't work for me but the writing is excellent and I believe that 99.9999999% of readers are going to fall in love with Just One Day & Willem. This is just my take on it. For a completely different opinion read my friend Jen’s great review for Just One Day over at YA Romantics.

Author: website | twitter
Source: Borrowed from my BFF Julie (thank you!)
Buy the book! Just One Day

Waiting on Wednesday: Bronze Gods & The Glass Republic

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Breaking the Spine to spotlight upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Bronze Gods (Apparatus Infernum #1)

A.A. Aguirre

April 30th, 2013

Ace

Danger stalks the city of steam and shadows.

Janus Mikani and Celeste Ritsuko work all hours in the Criminal Investigation Division, keeping citizens safe. He’s a charming rogue with an uncanny sixth sense; she’s all logic—and the first female inspector. Between his instincts and her brains, they collar more criminals than any other partnership in the CID.

Then they’re assigned a potentially volatile case where one misstep could end their careers. At first, the search for a missing heiress seems straightforward, but when the girl is found murdered—her body charred to cinders—Mikani and Ritsuko’s modus operandi will be challenged as never before. Before long, it’s clear the bogeyman has stepped out of nightmares to stalk gaslit streets, and it’s up to them to hunt him down. There’s a madman on the loose, weaving blood and magic in an intricate, lethal ritual that could mean the end of everything.

Add to Goodreads

Steampunk has been a hit or miss genre for me but I have complete faith that Ann Aguirre – collaborating with her husband Andres Aguirre, will hit it out of the park. In this interview over at The Nocturnal library, Ann explains how Andres is bringing a gaming perspective to the series as well. Sounds exciting & I LOVE that cover.

The Glass Republic (The Skyscraper Throne #2)

Tom Pollock

August 1, 2013

Jo Fletcher Books

Pen Khan’s life revolves around secrets: the secrets of her three month disappearance from school last winter, and the cause of the scars that mar her cheeks, and most secret of all, her twin sister Parva: her doppelganger in London-Under-Glass, the city behind the mirrors.

Pen’s trying to return to a normal life, but when Parva vanishes, Pen journeys to London-Under-Glass to find her reflected sister, entering a world where scars make you beautiful and criminals will kill you for your face. A world where Pen’s sister has secrets of her own.

Released in July 2013 in the UK by Jo Fletcher and in the US, Fall in 2013 by Flux.
Add to Goodreads

I loved Tom Pollock’s debut novel, The City’s Son (The Skyscraper Throne #1) (my review). Pen was a minor character in that book but went through a horrific experience. I can’t wait to read from her pov and see how Pollock expands his crazy living city.

Tune in Tuesday: Kate Walsh, Harbour Lights, Birdy

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.

Your Song – Kate Walsh: This song is so sweet and soothing to me. Definitely has a YA book vibe going on.



Harbour Lights – A Silent Film: I love the line “I want you to know, That you were my rock never my stepping stone.” I just love that sentiment. All relationships should be that way don’t you think? Otherwise the song is pretty depressing lol



Skinny Love – Birdy: I do still prefer the Bon Iver version but this is very pretty and rounds out my kind of depressing Tune in Tuesday!

ARC Review: Mind Games (Mind Games #1) by Kiersten White

Fia was born with flawless instincts. Her first impulse, her gut feeling, is always exactly right. Her sister, Annie, is blind to the world around her—except when her mind is gripped by strange visions of the future.

Trapped in a school that uses girls with extraordinary powers as tools for corporate espionage, Annie and Fia are forced to choose over and over between using their abilities in twisted, unthinkable ways… or risking each other’s lives by refusing to obey.

In a stunning departure from her New York Times bestselling Paranormalcy trilogy, Kiersten White delivers a slick, edgy, heartstoppingly intense psychological thriller about two sisters determined to protect each other—no matter the cost. ~ Goodreads

Review:
Mind Games is told in the alternating POV's of two orphaned sisters, Fia and Annie, in this tense psychological/super heroes thriller.

This was a hard book for me to get into at first. I love alternating POV's so that wasn't the problem but add in flashbacks and a heroine (Fia) that is almost completely unhinged and I had problems warming up to the story.

Fia is forced to follow her sister Annie to a school that is supposed to help girls with special powers. Annie has the gift of sight, (which is ironic because she's blind). It turns out that it Fia might be the girl the school is really after as the sisters are used as collateral against each other to force Fia to do their bidding based on her unique gift.

The one big drawback is the lack of knowledge for what is facilitating all these actions. Mind Games is less of a mind f*ck and more of a mind puzzle. Each chapter giving one more piece….one more clue. Unfortunately the puzzle pieces are handed to you out of order and sometimes very late in the game so you're often left feeling confused.

Kiersten White takes chances with her writing here. Not everything is successful. She waits to explain character traits and background that would have been better introduced earlier but I felt that the intensity and rawness she was aiming for really came together in the second half of the book. Unfortunately, I think readers might give up early because of the chaotic and scattered plot which would be too bad.

For example, the same nervous ticks that annoyed me about Fia (tap tap tap - and repeated phrases) in the first half of the book had me glued to the pages in the second half once I was given an explanation.

There is a touch of romance but it's played out so well and in a fascinating way that it just adds another layer to the story rather than overpowering the plot line or getting mushy. I ended up loving Fia, although Annie's character felt a little flat this time around. I have a feeling she'll be better developed in the next book from the series so I'm not too worried about it.

At it's core this is a story about the sisters. The things they've sacrificed for each others happiness that didn't have the outcome they had hoped for and trying to decide where do they go from there.
Loyalties are tested, morality is not black and white but a murky shade of grey making for deliciously complex characters.

Rating: 3 out of 4 While it took me a little longer to get hooked, once I was I couldn't let go. I was riveted. 

Author: website | twitter
Publisher: Harper Teen
Source: Amazon Vine program for my honest review
Buy the Book! Mind Games Release date – February 19th, 2013

Random thoughts for the week…..Movies, TV, food, life

I spent the week NOT reading. I’ve decided to have more weeks like this to you know….enjoy life again. Catch up on TV, go out with my husband. But in true neurotic blogger fashion I still feel the need to post about it. So here are few movies & television shows I’ve watched and other fun things.

Movies:

Cabin in the Woods is directed by Joss Whedon, so I was almost guaranteed to love it. I was sure Joss would be able to gently spoof the tried and true teenagers being stupid, having sex in the woods in front of an ax muderer genre. What I hadn’t planned on was how clever, funny and truly creepy and inventive this movie was. Loved it! It’s the best movie I’ve seen in a very long time.

Bonus: Lots of great cameos by big time actors and Buffy alumni!
Fun article: 34 Things We Leanred From 'The Cabin in the Woods' Commentary

Amazon: The Cabin In The Woods [Blu-ray + UltraViolet Digital Copy]


I watched The Decoy Bride on cable because I saw that it starred David Tennant. Here’s the summary:

“When the world's media descend on the remote Scottish island where a Hollywood actress is attempting to get married, a local girl is hired as a decoy bride to put the paparazzi off the scent.”

This is one of those madcap, crazy, mostly unbelievable romcoms. Tennant is alright as a hack author trying to marry his superstar girlfriend. But the real star is Kelly Macdonald as the “decoy” bride. She’s just adorable, sincere and very real. This film won’t change the world or anything but it was cute.

Amazon: The Decoy Bride

Television:

I finally got a chance to watch the last 4 episodes of this seasons The Walking Dead. Wowza! I really liked it! They finally stopped talking so much and things happens! BIG things. Here’s the new poster for the second half of the season starting Sunday, February 10th, 10pm on AMC

Eep! The Governor looks angry….very angry!

A few questions for the next season…..Will Carl EVER take off that damn hat? Will Andrea EVER make better choices when it comes to men? Important questions….


Battlestar Galactica: Blood and Chrome was Syfy’s attempt at a BSG reboot before deciding to take a pass. Currently it can be viewed as webisodes via Machinima.com. It will be shown in it’s entirety on Syfy in February. Each webisode is about 11+ minutes long. It’s a prequel to BSG that follows a young Bill Adama right after he leaves the academy to join the fleet. Luke Pasqualino is great as a young hotshot version of Adama.
View all 9 webisodes here





Food:



This is really random but we just got a Trader Joe's supermarket near my house. A friend of mine told me I had to try the Unexpected Cheddar cheese. Who am I to argue?? Here’s how they describe it: “Trader Joe’s Unexpected Cheddar looks like an aged Cheddar. At first bite, it tastes like an aged Cheddar. And then something, well, unexpected happens. The smooth creaminess of the Cheddar gives way to a tangy flavor and slightly crumbly texture, and it begins to taste like an aged Parmesan. Unexpected indeed!”  OMG….SO good! I can't stop sneaking bites of it.

For those of you who asked to me to keep you posted on my Couch to 5K progress…I’m on week 5!

I’m still having a difficult time with the breathing at times but some runs are worse than others and I do make it through each workout so I’m pleased.

I was really afraid of week 5. I had to run 5 minutes (alternating with 3 minute walks) 3 times. I thought there was NO way that I could do it but I did! It was also really humid out but I was ok. Sunday I have my first 8 minute run. Eep! but I’ve passed the halfway mark – only 4 more weeks left and I should be ready – in theory – to run a 5K. (this is the app I’m using if you’re interested)

Any good music, movie, TV recommendations for me?

Let’s Talk: Animalistic

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: If you could be any animal (real or mythical), what would it be, and why? Get creative here!

It would have to be a wolf/werewolf. A wolf only if I could live on protected land and a werewolf only if I’m a wolf from Kelley Armstrong's wolves from her Women of the Otherworld series.

I always thought of it as a painful transformation and difficult way of life (which I’m sure it would be) but the way Armstrong writes about pack life and the relationship between Clay & Elena is so beautiful that I think it would be worth it. When you read about her shifters running through the woods and chasing each other, you almost feel like you’re there, running through woods. (Goodreads)


The other creature I’m intrigued by is the shape shifting griffin love interest, Dimitri, from Angie Fox’s Demon Slayer series. I can’t say I would want to be one – but maybe married to one?? Dimitri is sexy and extremely loyal plus he can fly! (Goodreads)

I used to think I wanted to be a vampire but maybe I’ve read too many books with the broody/angsty variety. It seems that living 100’s of years makes you cranky so….never mind lol

This question kind of stumped me. What other kind of mythical creatures or real life animals would you want to be?

Guest Post: Liz Fichera–Hooked

Hooked by Liz Fichera was the first story I’ve ever read that had a protagonist who played golf. I thought that would go right over my head but she made it interesting.

Today Liz is here to discuss her debut YA novel and why she chose that sport and the beautiful Gila River Indian Community as the setting for Hooked.

When Native American Fredricka ‘Fred’ Oday is invited to become the only girl on the school’s golf team, she can’t say no. This is an opportunity to shine, win a scholarship and go to university, something no one in her family has done.

But Fred’s presence on the team isn’t exactly welcome — especially not to rich golden boy Ryan Berenger, whose best friend was kicked off the team to make a spot for Fred.

But there’s no denying that things are happening between the girl with the killer swing and the boy with the killer smile...

GET HOOKED ON A GIRL NAMED FRED
Goodreads | Amazon

********

Inspiration Behind HOOKED

By Liz Fichera

Q. What inspired you to write Hooked?

Typically I get story ideas whenever I’m listening to music or reading poetry. I also get lots of story ideas whenever I’m alone in the desert, hiking. With Hooked, the inspiration hit me a little differently.
I was driving down a long stretch of road by my home, alongside the Gila River Indian Community, in Phoenix, Arizona. The idea for Hooked popped into my head like a popcorn kernel. It was frustrating to be driving because I really wanted to concentrate on the story and these images that began to take shape in my head, namely the very clear image of a fearless Gila teenage girl with a golf club in her hand. Yeah, a golf club. Weird, I know, but she was waving her club at me. Like a challenge.

Fortunately I did not swerve off the road. ☺

Why golf? If you’ve ever visited Phoenix, there are golf courses everywhere. It’s an enormous Southwestern state with wide open spaces and, oftentimes, beautiful desert as far as you can see, along with over 20 Native American tribes throughout the state. What you don’t hear about very often, if at all, are Native American golfers, especially girl golfers. I knew that I had to create this story.

I’m a very visual person so as the story began to build in my mind I began to take photos of places I knew that I wanted in my story, bringing the story to life for me. By the time I had written my first draft, the characters were completely real, breathing human beings.

I put together a Behind the Scenes Hooked Inspiration video a while back. It contains photos and one of my most favorite songs, written and performed by a Chicago teen who happened to be one of my Hooked beta readers. I think it captures the essence of the story perfectly.

Here’s the link: YouTube


Bio: Liz Fichera is an American author living in the American Southwest by way of Chicago. She likes to write stories about ordinary teens who do extraordinary things. To learn more, visit http://www.lizfichera.com/

Mini Reviews: Sexy times! Someone to Love, Losing It, Lumberjack in Love, Fix You

I sort of….kind of….went on a Kindle sale book bender. Please people! STOP tweeting those freebie, .99 - $2.99 deals!!! You're killing me!!

Any-hoo - the ones I end up caving on are of the sexy variety. I like to read these types of books between the heavier fantasy, dystopian fare. They're quick reads and leave me happy. I thought I would do a few quick reviews to share my thoughts but not get bogged down dissecting books I'm reading for fun.

FYI: All of these books are steamy and relatively explicit in nature….


Someone to Love by Addison Moore

What happens when two people who don’t believe in love, happen to fall madly into the most beautiful relationship they could ever imagine? A train wreck.
When twenty-year-old Kendall Jordan transfers clear across country to Garrison University, the last thing she’s looking for is a one-night stand. Unfortunately, that’s exactly what, gorgeous, Cruise Elton offers.  ~ Goodreads

The preface almost had me running for the hills. Kendall is a 20 year old virgin who is OBSESSED with sex. And she wants only the best erotic sex…seeing sex in hibiscus flowers, peaches, fig trees, cats in heat….then the "hero" was ordering on her knees. The prose was so over the top I almost stopped right then and there but I know people who loved this book so I carried on.

I'm glad I did because what a sweet story! Nothing like what I was expecting. What seems like a game of cat & mouse between an asshole and his innocent protégé is really a story about opening your heart enough to take a chance on love. Great characters & story! The dialogue is at times a little cheesy but always sincere.


Losing It by Cora Carmack

Virginity.

Bliss Edwards is about to graduate from college and still has hers. Sick of being the only virgin among her friends, she decides the best way to deal with the problem is to lose it as quickly and simply as possible-- a one-night stand. But her plan turns out to be anything but simple when she freaks out and leaves a gorgeous guy alone and naked in her bed with an excuse that no one with half-a-brain would ever believe. And as if if that weren't embarrassing enough, when she arrives for her first class of her last college semester, she recognizes her new theatre professor. She'd left him naked in her bed about 8 hours earlier. ~ Goodreads

This book had me laughing so hard. Bliss is hysterical as she tries to summon up the courage to lose her virginity to the the smart, funny British guy she just met at the local bar.

“Sex.
I was going to have sex.
With a boy.
A hot boy
A hot BRITISH boy.
Or maybe I was going to throw up.
What if I threw up on the hot British boy?
What if I threw up on the hot British boy DURING SEX?”

The plot gets a little overwrought near the end but even so Losing It is a super cute story with very likable characters and is laugh out loud funny.


Lumberjack in Love by Penny Watson (novella)

City slicker Ami Jordan was just dumped by her back-stabbing boyfriend, has no job prospects, and can't find a decent cup of coffee in the entire state of Vermont. The last thing she needs is a sexy, bearded lumberjack complicating her life. Even if he’s smart, talented, and has the hottest ass she’s ever seen. ~ Goodreads

So cute and lots of fun. I love fish out of water stories and it was hilarious watching Ami try to adapt to (& eventually love) country life.

I’m not really a fan of hairy, bearded men but Marcus is a keeper. Sexy as hell, smart and kind to Ami.

This would be a great book to read when it’s all cold and snowy outside.


Fix You (Second Chances #1) by Mari Carr

What if love can’t heal all wounds?

Second Chances, Book 1

After too many years of secretly loving her best friend, Zoey realizes she’s been shortchanging herself. It’s time to take action. This New Year’s Eve heralds the year she’s going to tell Rob the truth. Even if he is on the road, reaching for musical stardom with his band.

Her plan is derailed when she discovers a lump in her breast—and it’s not “nothing to worry about”. How can she ask Rob to take a chance on love when her future is so uncertain? ~ Goodreads

While still a sexy read, Fix You is the most serious of the group. What an incredible friends to lovers story. Told in alternating POV’s with flashbacks to Zoey and Rob’s over 20 year friendship, you really get a sense of the love and respect they have for each other.

Their relationship status changes quickly after Zoey’s cancer diagnoses and I wish we got to explore how that might be weird at first. I mean you walk around almost naked around each other for years (they are roommates) without being attracted and then WHAM you can’t keep your hands off each other. It was completely believable within the context of the story – but I would have liked to read more about it.

Rob….oh Rob. He’s amazing! And even though this is mainly a love story I think Carr did a good job with the her depiction of cancer treatments and the effect on friends and family.
This seems to be a new series and I can’t wait to read the books for the other girls. They aren’t your cookie cutter protagonists. There is an over 40 woman, a divorcee, an overweight woman…in other words – real women!

I hate to even ask this but what great Kindle deals have you found over the holidays? Anything I should be buying?

Book Blogger Confessions: 2013 Blogging resolutions

 

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: Happy 2013! What are your blogging goals for the new year? Are you making any changes or testing out new ideas for reviews or organization? Have you joined any challenges?

I have a few changes/goals in mind for the blog this year but I wouldn’t really call them resolutions. Because then I won’t do them…hehe

• Don’t worry about how many days a week I post. I’ve never been one to look at my follower numbers or stats obsessively but I do feel compelled to post everyday. I’m trying to let that go.
• Learn how to use Evernote. I have links/pictures and post ideas scattered everywhere & I think Evernote can help me keep things organized – hopefully making putting a post together easier. I have downloaded it to my phone/iPad and computer so I can clip things from anywhere I am.
• Master the OMG review. I hate how I ramble when I LOVE a book. I can’t even seem to describe the plot in those reviews which bums me out because I loved the book and I want to share how amazing it is. I get depressed when I read the perfect review somewhere else.
• I would love to interview more authors this year but I really need to come up with better questions.
• Not stress when I don’t read the book that everyone has read. I got over book/cover hype a few years ago but I do still get stressed trying to read *ALL* the books as they come out. I get overwhelmed and freak out, afraid that I missed something. I’m going to go with the flow & read old & new books. Whatever I’m in the mood for.
• Find new blogs. Real life really cut into my blogging time this year and I’ve mostly stuck with the blogs I already know and love. I’d like to find a few newbies and reconnect with bloggers in general.
• Read On the Jellicoe Road, Saving Francesca & The Piper’s Son by Melina Marchetta. These are the number one recommended books & author that people have told me I need to read.

 

I haven’t joined any challenges yet. I’m just awful at them. I do plan on joining Midnyte Reader’s Authors After Dark 2013 Reading Challenge. There’s a wide variety of authors & genres and Pam is a really laid back challenge host so I don’t feel pressured

*Update - I forgot! I did sign up for the Goodreads Reading Challenge. I picked 60 books to read in 2013. Last year I read over 100.

What are the trends you noticed in blogging from 2012 and what do you hope to see for the blogging community in 2013?

It seems that almost anyone who has been doing this for awhile now is overwhelmed. A lot of bloggers are either quitting (makes me so sad) or finding a better balance between family and blogging – which means cutting back on blogging. That’s how I’m feeling and I hope we go back to the days where this was a fun hobby.

I also notice that there is an element of fear with author interactions and in writing reviews which I REALLY hope goes away.

I think we need to keep things in perspective. For every off the rails author (or blogger for that matter) there are another 100 that appreciate their readers and bloggers. They understand what we’re trying to do.

The other thing is our response to these scandals. I’m all for standing up for yourself or calling out bad behavior but it reached feeding frenzy proportions last year and it felt like overkill. One trend I’m seeing is the non-response or at the very least – the acknowledge it and move on response.

The thing I hope to see the most of this year is bloggers supporting other bloggers. So many new bloggers didn’t feel welcomed into the community last year. Blogging has been one of the best things that has happened to me because of the friends I’ve made. I want everyone to feel that way.

Do you have any blogging resolutions this year?

Upcoming Book Blogger Confessions topics here

Let’s Talk: Book Influences

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 reviews often influence your book choices, or are you someone who doesn’t read reviews until after reading the book?

Yes & no. Reviews may get me interested in a book but they are never the only reason I pick up a book. I’m much more influenced by a tweet frenzy which leads to impulse buying. (Not necessarily reading mind you & I’m trying to get better about that)

I do read or skim reviews most of the time before reading any book but it’s not the deciding factor. I have a few friends who know my reading tastes so well that I will read a book if they tell me too – no questions asked.

A tad off topic but….it’s often the negative reviews that influence me the most. I could read 100 OMG BEST BOOK EVER reviews and still not be convinced but one negative review that gives me a clearer picture into the pros and cons of a book will sway me to read it.

I find the OMG reviews – and yes, I do write a few – set my expectations too high and doom the book once I read it.

********

I wanted to let you know about The Cost of Book Blogging survey that In the Midnight Garden is compiling. The results should be fascinating & sobering! The deadline is January 20th. The more bloggers that participate the better the results.

I don’t keep accurate figures on how much I spend but it’s A LOT so I’m really looking forward to hearing what everyone else has to say.