Review: The Sea of Tranquility by Katja Millay

The Sea of Tranquility

By: Katja Millay

Pub. Date: November 13, 2012

Publisher: Atria Books

Pages: 448

Source: Netgalley

I live in a world without magic or miracles. A place where there are no clairvoyants or shapeshifters, no angels or superhuman boys to save you. A place where people die and music disintegrates and things suck. I am pressed so hard against the earth by the weight of reality that some days I wonder how I am still able to lift my feet to walk.

Former piano prodigy Nastya Kashnikov wants two things: to get through high school without anyone learning about her past and to make the boy who took everything from her—her identity, her spirit, her will to live—pay.

Josh Bennett’s story is no secret: every person he loves has been taken from his life until, at seventeen years old, there is no one left. Now all he wants is be left alone and people allow it because when your name is synonymous with death, everyone tends to give you your space.

Everyone except Nastya, the mysterious new girl at school who starts showing up and won’t go away until she’s insinuated herself into every aspect of his life. But the more he gets to know her, the more of an enigma she becomes. As their relationship intensifies and the unanswered questions begin to pile up, he starts to wonder if he will ever learn the secrets she’s been hiding—or if he even wants to.

The Sea of Tranquility is a rich, intense, and brilliantly imagined story about a lonely boy, an emotionally fragile girl, and the miracle of second chances.

The Sea of Tranquility is one of those stories that makes you want to savor every single word, every single page. The writing was just so beautiful and lyrical. This is not one of those stories where something exciting is happening on every other page. It is a very slow, character driven novel, and Katja Millay completely makes it work.

In this story we have two completely broken characters, Nastya Kasnikov and Josh Bennett. Nastya is new to school and does not want to draw any attention to herself, she also doesn't speak. Nobody knows what her story is. Josh on the other hand has grown up in this town, everyone knows his story and everyone leaves him alone, everyone except his best friend, Drew. Every person in Josh's family has died, and he keeps to himself because of his fear of losing anyone else. But when the two of them meet, and start spending time together, neither of them talking, it is what's going to help both of them heal from their traumatic pasts.

I could not help but be swept into the lives of these characters. Nastya and Josh were so perfectly written, and so was the best friend, Drew. Drew came off as this popular, cocky guy, but he is the only one who wouldn't leave Josh alone and the two have been there for each other through everything. Drew ended up being a really good guy and brought some much needed comic relief to the story.

The Sea of Tranquility should not be missed. You will feel every single emotion while reading it, and the ending was perfectly written. I also the cover with the ice cream and the faces. You can get the book as an ebook for now, and in June the hardcover comes out, and I can not wait to get my hands on this beautiful book!  

Review: Hot Ticket by Olivia Cunning

Hot Ticket

(Sinners on Tour # 3)

By: Olivia Cunning

Pub. Date: February 5, 2013

Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca

Pages: 394

Source: Netgalley

There are things in bassist Jace Seymour’s past that he is unwilling to share with anyone. To cover his guilt and anguish, he seeks dominatrix Mistress V (Aggie) to temporarily placate his inner turmoil. Aggie doesn’t have much use for men–besides the power rush she gets when they’re begging for mercy at her feet–but Jace isn’t like her usual clients. His cool defiance and unexpected dominance in the bedroom drives her to distraction and quickly steals her heart. When circumstances threaten Jace’s position in Sinners, Aggie must help him regain his rightful place in the band while showing him that time and love can heal all wounds.

Every so often I get into the mood to read a really good erotic romance. I was searching through the erotic section on Netgalley and the cover for Hot Ticket caught my eye. I read the synopsis and I knew I had to read this book ASAP. I was so excited when I got approved and I started it the very next day. After finishing it in two sittings, I was obsessed with Jace, Aggie and the rest of the Sinners band! Turns out that Hot Ticket is the third in a series, and I can not wait to read the other books in the Sinners on Tour series.

Aggie is a seamstress by day, dancer at a gentleman's club by night and a dominatrix by later on that night! One evening at the club she meets Jace and they make plans for her to use her dominatrixing skills on him.

What can I say about Jace besides WOW. He is an extremely interesting character. First off, Jace is bassist for the very famous rock band, Sinners. That already made me love him. He's tattooed and muscular, but he is also extremely quiet and private. Even his other band mates really don't know much about him. He would rather be an outsider looking in because he doesn't want to be a bother to anyone. Jace also believes that he deserves pain, which is why he goes to Aggie, also known as Mistress V.

The connection between Jace and Aggie was HOT! From their sex scenes to their emotional scenes, they were just a wonderful together. I loved how Aggie helped Jace open up. He deserved so much happiness, but he held on too his pain so tightly, that there were many scenes that I actually cried for him.

I loved the other members of Sinners! They were so much fun and sexy! I loved how they were there for each other and protected each other, but they also made fun of each other. You could tell that they really were best friends.

Hot Ticket is an extremely hot erotic story, but it is also so much more then that. The writing was absolutely fantastic and I can not wait to read Ms. Cunning's other stories! I highly recommend this book! 

Review: Unbroken by Paula Morris

Unbroken

(Ruined # 2)

By: Paula Morris

Pub. Date: February 1, 2013

Publisher: Scholastic Inc.

Pages: 304

Source: ARC

Welcome back to New Orleans.
Where the streets swirl with jazz and beauty.
Where the houses breathe with ghosts.

A year ago, Rebecca Brown escaped death in a New Orleans cemetery. Now she has returned to this haunting city. She is looking forward to seeing Anton Grey, the boy who may or may not have her heart.

But she also meets a ghost: a troubled boy who insists only she can help him. Soon Rebecca finds herself embroiled in another murder mystery from more than a century ago. But as she tries to right wrongs, she finds more questions than answers: Is she putting her friends, and herself, in danger? Can she trust this new ghost? And has she stumbled into something much bigger and more serious than she understands?

Two years ago I read Ruined, the first book in the series, and I fell in love with the characters, the writing, and especially the setting. New Orleans is one of my all time favorite places, so to be able to read a YA ghost story set there made me really happy. I didn’t even know Paula Morris wrote a second book, but I was so happy to find out that she did!

Unbroken takes place one year after the events in Ruined. Rebecca is back home in New York City, and still talks to Anton, the boy she met in New Orleans and can’t wait to see again. She also never stopped thinking about Lisette, a ghost who also happens to be a relative that she helped put to rest last year. When her father has some business to attend to in New Orleans, Rebecca and her best friend Ling end up going with him for the week.

Once there, it was like she never left. Toby, one of the boys she met last year is after her because he believes Rebecca ruined his life and the girls are still as gossipy and annoying as ever. On top of that there is a ghost named Frank who needs help. He needs Rebecca to get a locket, or else he will be forced to roam New Orleans for all eternity. But wait that’s not all! The man who murdered our friendly ghost is also a ghost, and will not allow anyone else to get the locket. If he has to be a ghost forever, so does Frank. 

I really love how Morris’ novels always come together. The writing was fast paced and I loved the ghost story. It wasn’t as exciting as the family curse we saw in Ruined, but it was interesting in its own right.

I thought Unbroken was a nice follow up to Ruined. There was a lot more going on in this one besides the ghost story, but I still would have liked more of the ghost element instead of some of the other plots.  I would also have liked to see more of Anton. He played such a huge part in Ruined, and we hardly saw him in Unbroken. I missed him!

I also loved the secondary characters, especially, Ling and Rebecca’s dad. Both brought a lot to the story because they were so supportive of Rebecca.

Overall, I really enjoyed Unbroken. It makes me want to go back to New Orleans so badly!

Review: A Little Harmless Fantasy by Melissa Schroeder

A Little Harmless Fantasy

(Harmless # 8)

By: Melissa Schroeder

Pub. Date: January 15, 2013

Publisher: Self

Pages: 246

Source: Author

What starts out as simple fantasy among friends, becomes an overwhelming need that none of them can deny.

Maura Dillon has always been someone who lived life on her own terms. From the time she in college she knew she had different needs than most of her friends. But she never thought she would find herself torn between two very sexy men, or that they would want to add her to their relationship.

Zeke and Rory have known each other for years. Their casual relationship has spanned a decade, but now that they are living together things are on a whole other level. Add in their mutual attraction for Maura and things are just getting out of hand.

Rory understands their desires and suggests a week in Hawaii. No rules, no limits, no regrets. But as their nights are filled with unimaginable erotic pleasure, there is someone lurking in the shadows. Someone who wants revenge, and will stop at nothing to succeed.

Warning the book contains the following: Two sexy men who are hot for each other and the heroine, more Hawaiian scenery, a Dom who thinks he can control everything, two lovers who know he can’t, and scenes that push even Harmless Addicts over the edge.

I have been a fan of Melissa Schroeder's erotic romances for years, and her Harmless series is one of my favorite series out there! When I was asked to review A Little Harmless Fantasy I said yes, and started it right away! It did not disappoint and ALHF is a new favorite and a hot m/m/f romance!

Maura is Conner's little sister, who we first met in A Little Harmless Fascination. She used to go out with Zeke, who is now with Rory. When the three of them go to Hawaii they decide to spend the week as a threesome, a threesome participating in BDSM. The sex scenes were hot! Rory and Zeke are both strong men, who also have an amazing way with the ladies.

I really loved the three of them together. Rory had some childhood demons to get through before he can really be in "love", but I think Schroeder did a good job with it. I love that all of her character's have childhood issues to work out. It makes them seem more real.

My favorite in this story was Zeke. He was just so sweet and lovable! As with all of Schroeder's female characters, Maura was strong and independent, who just happened to be submissive. Rory was the Dom in the threesome, and he really wanted to make sure everyone enjoyed themselves in the bedroom. All three of them play a part in their relationship, and that's why this threesome works so well together!

I loved A Little Harmless Fantasy and can not wait for the next Harmless story!

Schroeder wrote a prequel to Fantasy, called Prelude to a Fantasy, about Maura's and Zeke's first sexual encounter! Pick it up now for free!

Review: Hooked by Liz Fichera

Hooked

By: Liz Fichera

Pub. Date: January 31, 2013

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

Pages: 368

Source: Netgalley

Get hooked on a girl named Fred... 

HE said: Fred Oday is a girl? Why is a girl taking my best friends spot on the boy's varsity golf team?

SHE said: Can I seriously do this? Can I join the boys' team? Everyone will hate me - especially Ryan Berenger.

HE said: Coach expects me to partner with Fred on the green? That is crazy bad. Fred's got to go - especially now that I can't get her out of my head. So not happening.

SHE said: Ryan can be nice, when he's not being a jerk. Like the time he carried my golf bag. But the girl from the rez and the spoiled rich boy from the suburbs? So not happening.

But there's no denying that things are happening as the girl with the killer swing takes on the boy with the killer smile...

Fred is the Native American girl who lives in a trailer with her father, brother, and alcoholic mother on the reservation. Ryan is the rich, white kid whose parents ignore him. When Fred joins the all boys golf team at their high school, tensions begin right away between these two. Especially because Fred took Ryan's best friends spot.

I really liked Fred. She was a sweet girl who had to deal with a crappy mother. She loves playing golf, and she hopes that it will lead to a college scholarship, but joining an all boys team gets to her. There were so many times that she wanted to quit, but I am so glad that she never did. I definitely had to warm up to Ryan. You can tell that deep down he was a sweet person, but on the outside he was a jerk, who hangs out with equally, if not worse, jerks.

The two of them are from completely different worlds, but somehow they are going to do what they can to make it work. This kind of story has been told over and over again and I usually don't like reading them anymore, but I enjoyed the little twist that Liz Fichera added with Fred playing golf and having to join the team.

I thought the relationship between Fred and Ryan was very cute. I couldn't help but root for them. I also enjoyed the character growth that both of them experienced. The story was very realistic and relatable.

Overall, Hooked was a cute story. I also love the simplicity of the cover. The black and white photo with the link lettering is perfect!

I am interested to read the synopsis for Played, book two in the series.

Review: Destroy Me by Tahereh Mafi

Destroy Me

(Shatter Me # 1.5)

By: Tahereh Mafi

Pub. Date: October 2, 2012

Publisher: Harper Teen

Pages: 97

Source: Purchased

Perfect for the fans of Shatter Me who are desperately awaiting the release of Unravel Me, this novella-length digital original will bridge the gap between these two novels from the perspective of the villain we all love to hate, Warner, the ruthless leader of Sector 45.

In Tahereh Mafi’s Shatter Me, Juliette escaped from The Reestablishment by seducing Warner—and then putting a bullet in his shoulder. But as she’ll learn in Destroy Me, Warner is not that easy to get rid of. . .

Back at the base and recovering from his near-fatal wound, Warner must do everything in his power to keep his soldiers in check and suppress any mention of a rebellion in the sector. Still as obsessed with Juliette as ever, his first priority is to find her, bring her back, and dispose of Adam and Kenji, the two traitors who helped her escape. But when Warner’s father, The Supreme Commander of The Reestablishment, arrives to correct his son’s mistakes, it’s clear that he has much different plans for Juliette. Plans Warner simply cannot allow.

Set after Shatter Me and before its forthcoming sequel, Unravel Me, Destroy Me is a novella told from the perspective of Warner, the ruthless leader of Sector 45.

I read and reviewed Shatter Me last year and absolutely loved it. I remember wishing that I knew more about the evil man named Warner. Well Tahereh Mafi listened to my wishes, and wrote Destroy Me, a novella in the point of view of Warner! Destroy Me really is perfect for the fans and I thoroughly enjoyed getting into the head of this evil mastermind, who actually isn’t that evil after all.

Destroy Me picks up right after Juliette and Adam escaped and shot Warner in the arm. We see how the escape has affected Warner as a leader, as well as a man in love. We also meet Warner’s dad, and wow, what a douche! It was hard not to feel sympathy for Warner when he was raised by a man like that.

Destroy Me is the perfect way to get me excited to read Unravel Me. I even want to go back and reread Shatter Me! 

Review: The Ambassador's Daughter by Pam Jenoff

The Ambassador's Daughter

By: Pam Jenoff

Pub. Date: January 29, 2013

Publisher: Harlequin MIRA

Pages: 336

Source: Netgalley

Paris, 1919. The world's leaders have gathered to rebuild from the ashes of the Great War. But for one woman, the City of Light harbors dark secrets and dangerous liaisons, for which many could pay dearly.

Brought to the peace conference by her father, a German diplomat, Margot Rosenthal initially resents being trapped in the congested French capital, where she is still looked upon as the enemy. But as she contemplates returning to Berlin and a life with Stefan, the wounded fiancé she hardly knows anymore, she decides that being in Paris is not so bad after all.

Bored and torn between duty and the desire to be free, Margot strikes up unlikely alliances: with Krysia, an accomplished musician with radical acquaintances and  a secret to protect; and with Georg, the handsome, damaged naval officer who gives Margot a job-and also a reason to question everything she thought she knew about where her true loyalties should lie.

Against the backdrop of one of the most significant events of the century, a delicate web of lies obscures the line between the casualties of war and of the heart, making trust a luxury that no one can afford.

When I started The Ambassador's Daughter, I didn't realize that it was a prequel to Pam Jennoff's series, The Kommandant's Girl. Like the idiot I am, while I was still reading, I looked up the other two books and because I did that I got a sense of what was going to happen, and it ended up ruining the rest of story for me!

I love historical stories. There is just something so romantic about a story written during or after a World War, and this one is set in 1919 Paris! I was hooked after seeing the cover! Margot Rosenthal thought she had her life figured out, but when her fiancé comes home from the war disabled, and she has to move to Paris with her dad for a little while, her life starts to unravel. With the help of some unlikely allies, including Krysia and Georg, Margot will decided who she really is meant to be.

While The Ambassador's Daughter is well written, I found some parts to be dragging on and on, and I eventually just ended up skipping some of those parts. I especially loved the parts between Margot and Georg. I thought they had a very interesting connection.

Overall I enjoyed The Ambassador's Daughter. I haven't decided if I want to read The Kommandant's Girl series yet. Though it is set during World War II, which is my favorite time period ever!

Review: Shadowhunters and Downworlders: A Mortal Instruments Reader By: Cassandra Clare

Shadowhunters and Downworlders: A Mortal Instruments Reader

Edited By: Cassandra Clare

Pub. Date: January 29, 2013

Publisher: SmartPop

Pages: 256

Source: Netgalley

Cassandra Clare’s Mortal Instruments series, epic urban fantasy set in a richly imagined world of shadowhunters, vampires, werewolves, fairies, and more, has captured the imaginations and loyalty of hundreds of thousands of YA readers. Originally a trilogy (City of Bones, City of Ashes, City of Glass), the series has extended to six titles, plus a prequel trilogy, the Infernal Devices, and a planned sequel series, the Dark Artifices. A feature film is planned for 2013.

Shadowhunters and Downworlders, edited by Clare (who provides an introduction to the book and to each piece), is a collection of YA authors writing about the series and its world.

Authors Who Contributed:
Holly Black / Kendare Blake / Gwenda Bond / Sarah Rees Brennan / Rachel Caine / Sarah Cross / Kami Garcia / Michelle Hodkin / Kelly Link / Kate Milford / Diana Peterfreund / Sara Ryan / Scott Tracey / Robin Wasserman

Shadowhunters and Downworlders is a series of essays written by some fantastic authors about The Mortal Instrument series. The essays are on a variety of topics and each one was insightful and enjoyable!

This review is going to be a short one because even though I did enjoy all of the essays, there are a few that really stood out, so I will talk a bit about those.

Sharper Than A Seraph Blade

By: Diana Peterfreund

Not only is Diana Peterfreund one of my favorite authors, but her essay is all about Jace, one of my favorite YA "bad" boys. This essay is so insightful into his character and what makes Jace exactly who he is.

Simon Lewis: Jewish, Vampire, Hero

By: Michele Hodkin

Michele Hodkin in complete brilliantness combined Simon's Jewish heritage and his new life of being a vampire. I loved learning about the history of the Jewish faith and how Jews are a lot like vampires.

Brotherly Love: Jace, Clary and the Function of Taboo

By: Kendare Blake

I really enjoyed this one because it deals with the taboo of sibling incest. Kendare Blake wrote about what every single one of us was thinking while we were reading it. I didn't feel so alone when I read this essay!

The Importance of Being Malec

By: Sara Ryan

This was just such a fun and insightful essay about Magnus and Alec and their relationship. These two are one of my favorite characters in TMI and one of my favorite YA couples.

I am a huge fan of both of Clare's Shadowhunter series, TMI and The Infernal Devices and Shadowhunters and Downworlders is a must read for every fan! 

Blog Tour: Review: The Woman From Paris by Santa Montefiore

The Woman From Paris

By: Santa Montefiore

Pub. Date: February 15, 2013

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Pages: 400

Source: Blog Tour

When Lord Frampton dies in a skiing accident, a beautiful young woman named Phaedra appears at his funeral—claiming to be the Lord’s illegitimate daughter. In his will, Lord Frampton has left the priceless Frampton suite of sapphires to this interloper, confirming her claim and outraging his three adult sons and widow. Eventually, however, Phaedra’s sweet nature thaws the frosty relationships. She becomes the daughter that Antoinette Frampton never had and a wise and compassionate granddaughter to the formidable Dowager Lady Frampton. But an attraction grows between Phaedra and the eldest son, David. It seems an impossible love—blocked by their blood connection and by the fury of one family member who is determined to expose Phaedra as a fraud.

Filled with the luscious scenery and enchanting characters her fans adore, Santa Montefiore’s The Woman from Paris is an unforgettable story about family, forgiveness, and the power of love.

The Women From Paris is one of those stories that completely takes you on an amazing journey from page one. The writing is lyrical, the characters are interesting and completely unique, and the story is so captivating you will not be able to put it down. I experienced many emotions while reading it, and it is a book that I will highly recommend!

Phaedra Chancellor arrives at Lord Frampton's funeral, and knowing he has put her in his will, explains to his family that she just met him a few months ago, and she is his daughter. After this revelation, you see how each family member reacts to the news. Some want to get to know her, while others think she is lying. I really loved how she became a member of the family. I wasn't expecting this rich, almost royalty kind of family to be so open and loving. It made me wish that I was a member of the Frampton family too!

The story is told in third person narrative and at first I was confused with the way the author choose to switch different points of views, I ended up loving it. I knew everybody's opinion and thoughts about any given situation and it made me feel that much more connected to the characters.

The ending was completely unexpected, and I loved the way it all came together. I also really loved the cover. It's one of the reasons I agreed to review it. The simplicity of it makes the cover beautiful! The Woman From Paris is a book that I will recommend to my mom and to my friends. I think many types of people can enjoy this story! 

Review: Paper Valentine by Brenna Yovanoff

Paper Valentine

By: Brenna Yovanoff

Pub. Date: January 8, 2013

Publisher: Razorbill

Pages: 368

Source: Netgalley

The city of Ludlow is gripped by the hottest July on record. The asphalt is melting, the birds are dying, petty crime is on the rise, and someone in Hannah Wagnor’s peaceful suburban community is killing girls.

For Hannah, the summer is a complicated one. Her best friend Lillian died six months ago, and Hannah just wants her life to go back to normal. But how can things be normal when Lillian’s ghost is haunting her bedroom, pushing her to investigate the mysterious string of murders? Hannah’s just trying to understand why her friend self-destructed, and where she fits now that Lillian isn’t there to save her a place among the social elite. And she must stop thinking about Finny Boone, the big, enigmatic delinquent whose main hobbies seem to include petty larceny and surprising acts of kindness.

With the entire city in a panic, Hannah soon finds herself drawn into a world of ghost girls and horrifying secrets. She realizes that only by confronting the Valentine Killer will she be able move on with her life—and it’s up to her to put together the pieces before he strikes again.

Paper Valentine is a hauntingly poetic tale of love and death by the New York Times bestselling author of The Replacement and The Space Between.

This is my first book by Brenna Yovanoff, and I was not disappointed. Paper Valentine started off extremely slow for me, but once the story took off, I could not put it down! It had a little bit of everything in it, and I especially loved the ghost story aspect of it!

Hannah is just a normal teenage girl, who just happens to be able to see and talk to her best friend, Lillian, who died sixth months ago. When a murderer begins targeting young women, Lillian convinces Hannah to dig deeper into what is happening in their town. Around the same time, she begins a friendship with bad boy and loner, Finny, who people suspect is the murderer, but Hannah has seen the sweet side of him, and knows he couldn't hurt anyone. That is until Lillian starts to convince her otherwise.

Hannah works at a local photo shop, that is often visited by the local police so she has seen the gruesome pictures of the murders of the young girls. Her curiosity is peeked, and it turns out that when Lillian was alive, she too was obsessed with a murder that happened in the town the year before. Thinking there is a connection,  the two of them try to figure out who the killer is before he can strike again.

I really loved the mystery aspect of the story, and I had no clue who the murderer was going to be. The ending was very creepy, and I was very scared for Hannah.

I also loved the sweet friendship between Hannah and Finny. I felt bad for him and everything he went though. It sucked when the police were blaming him for the murders, but Finny was used to be blamed for everything bad, and it didn't even phase him when he was arrested. Which made me feel even worse for him.

I really enjoyed Paper Valentine. I had no idea where the story was going to go, and I loved that about it. I am looking forward to reading more from this very talented author! 

Promotional Event Excerpt & Giveaway: I Choose You by Bethany Lopez

I Choose You

(Friends and Lovers # 2)

By: Bethany Lopez

Pub. Date: December 27, 2012

Up until now, Nicole's life has been mapped out for her. She'd go to college, marry Jake and become the upstanding minister's wife. When she leaves that life to begin again in a small town in Texas, she finally has the freedom to live as she chooses. There, she meets Kent, a guy whose charm and passion make it hard to stick to her morals.

 

Dodging his father’s fists and protecting his twin sister made Kent into the man he is today. He learned by watching his mother stay by his father’s side that it’s better to keep relationships simple. Then he meets Nicole. Her sweet smile and genuine response to him land like punches to his resolve. After a lifetime of learning to protect his heart, can he finally let down his guard?

  Excerpt:

They hit the trail hard. Nicole used the time to clear her head and to reflect on what Kent had told her about his childhood.

​

They’d led very different lives, and Nicole couldn’t imagine the obstacles he’d dealt with growing up, but she was very impressed with the man he was today.

​

Kent made sure they did some cool down stretches before getting back in the car.

​

He’d worried briefly that Nicole would look at him differently when he’d told her a little about his upbringing, but he was happy that he had. He wasn’t ready to tell her everything yet, but he was comfortable with what he’d told her.

​

He drove her back to her apartment and walked her to the door.

​

“Do you want to come in?” Nicole asked him, her face was flush from exertion and glistened prettily.

​

Kent felt a strong urge to gather her in his arms and take her to her room, kissing and stroking her gloriously toned body along the way. He imagined carrying her into the shower and lathering her up.

​

He shook his head, trying in vain to calm his raging hormones. He felt like a teenager again: unbearably horny and unable to find release. Well… At least not the way he wanted to.

​

“Um, no,” He replied gruffly. “I’d better not. You have to get ready for work and I have some stuff to do at my house. I’ll give you a call later.”

​

He leaned down and gave her a kiss on the forehead, then turned and jogged down the stairs, leaving her there staring off after him, the confusion she felt apparent on her face.

Giveaway:

I have one ecopy of I Choose You to giveaway. To enter, all you have to do is answer the question, "What was your favorite book of 2012" in the comment section. Don't forget your email too! Good luck! 

 

Review: Oxford Whispers by Marion Croslydon

Oxford Whispers

(Oxford Trilogy # 1)

By: Marion Croslydon

Pub. Date: October 8, 2012

Publisher: Carlux Publishing

Pages: 324

Source: Author

Madison LeBon is dead set against the dead.

Her fresh start at Oxford University is a brand new beginning. She finally has a chance to turn the page on her psychic powers and cumbersome voodoo heritage. Snakes, dolls, ghosts, and spirits: Farewell…

Not quite.

When the tragic lovers in a painting—the subject of her first history class—begin to haunt her, she must accept her gift before life imitates art. The lovers warn her against their own nemesis, a Puritan from the English Civil War. Unfortunately, said nemesis is now going all homicidal on Madison.

College becomes more complicated when she falls hard for Rupert Vance, a troubled aristocrat and descendant of one of the characters in the painting. With the spirit of a murderer after her, Madison realizes that her own first love may also be doomed…

I love stories where characters from today’s time period have to solve mysteries from the past, which is why I was very excited to review Oxford Whispers.  Characters in a painting are haunting the main character! I knew this book would be for me. While I did enjoy a lot of aspects to this novel, other parts fell flat for me.

Madison comes from a Louisiana family where the females have all gone crazy because they have the power to associate with the dead. When she leaves all that behind to go to college at Oxford, the last thing she expected was to be swept up into the problems of ghosts. But that is exactly what happened. The subjects of the 1855 William Shakespeare Burton painting, The Wounded Cavalier, who died in the 1650’s are haunting Madison, and one desperately needs help, while the other wants Madison dead.

The story was very interesting to me. I wanted to see how it all came together. I felt that a lot of my questions weren’t answered though, and I finished the book more confused than ever. But I loved finding out other answers and following the mystery along with Madison.

I also didn’t feel connected to the characters. Madison just annoyed me. I enjoyed Rupert’s (the love interest) POV though. I thought he was very complex. 

The setting of Oxford Whispers was what I really enjoyed. Everything was explained beautifully. I felt like I was roaming the old halls with Madison, and driving through the country in Rupert’s car.

Overall, I really did enjoy Oxford Whispers and I am excited to read the second book, where Madison has to solve a Tudor mystery. I love the Tudors!

Review: Effortless by S.C. Stephens

Effortless

(Thoughtless # 2)

By: S.C. Stephens

Pub. Date: January 8, 2013

Publisher: Gallery Books

Pages: 496

Source: ARC from publisher in exchange for an honest review

After being caught in the middle of a love triangle which led to a devastating betrayal, Kiera pledged to learn from the mistakes she’d made. She was determined to never again inflict that kind of pain on anyone, especially the soulful, talented man who held her heart. But life offers new challenges for every relationship, and when Kiera’s love is put to the ultimate test, will it survive? Love is easy . . . trust is hard.

I really enjoyed Thoughtless, the first book in the Thoughtless series. When I received Effortless in the mail, I was super excited and I couldn't wait to get started with it. I loved Effortless even more then the first one. The writing was a lot better, and I loved how much all of the characters grew. Effortless is easily one of my favorite books that I read in 2012!

Kellan and Kiera survived hurting the person that meant the most to them, and now they are in a place where they think they will be ok. But when Kellan's career takes off, and he has to spend months touring, it is hard for the two of them to trust each other. Especially because Kellan used to be a man whore, and Kiera cheated on her boyfriend, who happens to be back in the picture. I really enjoyed that even though they relationship began on lies, there love was able to overcome that. They both feel extremely guilty for what happened, and promised to never go back to their old ways. 

I thought I loved Kellan in Thoughtless, but he is even more amazing in Effortless. I loved the notes he left for Kiera when he left and the Christmas scene nearly broke my heart. He deserves happiness more then anyone, and I think he finally found it by the end. I also liked Kiera a bit more. I thought she was still very immature, but she definitely grew as a character since the first book.

My main issue with Thoughtless was the amount of detail the author added to every single situation, and even though it got a little better in Effortless, the story was a lot longer then I felt it needed to be. That really is my only complaint. The story is absolutely amazing and the characters are just wonderful!

I will be starting the third book, Reckless soon and I can not wait to see how this story is going to end for one of my favorite couples, Kellan and Kiera! This is one of my favorite new adult series out there!