Review: A Midsummer's Nightmare by Kody Keplinger

Title: A Midsummer's Nightmare

Author: Kody Keplinger

Published: June 5th 2012

Publisher: Poppy

Read synopsis: Goodreads

Rating: 3.75 stars

What's so good about Kody Keplinger's writing was that even though they could be pretty formulaic she always managed to write something very authentic and realistic - the characters and the issues around them - in a thorough but really refreshing way. And in A Midsummer's Nightmare she really did a great job nailing those issues - family and teenage issues - and voicing the character that was having them. It was really relatable and very insightful.

Whitely's characters wasn't something that was easy to like. She was sarcastic and cynic and most of the time she was angry. However it was her situation that was so easy to understand. So as the story progressed, as I get more of what she's dealing through I started to really connect with her and like her character. 

It was amazing how she learned and developed throughout the story. She experienced a lot of things, both good and bad that made her realized her mistakes and her parents’ mistakes as well. She kept running away with her problems by partying, getting drunk and hooking up. But as soon as she saw the consequences of it and how it didn't do any good for her she realized that she needed to face them. I was glad when she finally decided to confront her dad and told him how he'd hurt her. 

Nathan was such a unique character. He was a cross between a jock, a nerd and a very sweet and caring guy! His character speaks that you could be anything you want and that not just a single thing could define you. While Whitely wasn't so easy to like Nathan was a character that was really easy to love. He was cares a lot to his mother and sister and even to Whitely and was patient and really understanding too. 

I loved other characters as well like Bailey, Nathan's mom and Harrison. They were all very supportive and genuine characters and I loved how they contributed to Whitely's development.

Another thing that made me so happy was the small reappearance of Wesley and Bianca! And they're still together for almost a year and still getting stronger! Eepp! I so really loved them in The Duff that's why I was so ecstatic to find them here even though it was just a small part. 

I still like The Duff more but still I really enjoyed this one. Aside from Kody's realistic writing she was also really good with writing a good romance - sweet and hot - which I absolutely enjoyed here. Like her other books this provides a great amount of entertainment for me but also lessons and insights from a lot of things. This was a wonderful read. I recommend this. :)

Review: Pushing The Limit by Katie McGarry

Title: Pushing The Limit

Author: Katie McGarry

Release Date: July 30th 2012

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

Read synopsis: Goodreads

Rating: 4 stars

The moment I saw the blurb of this book I realized this was definitely my kind of book! I love pairings that were completely opposite but always found and share a connection between them. It really never failed to entertain and amaze me. Although I did have some qualms before I started it, they soon disappeared as I found myself being devoured by Echo and Noah's story in a short period of time. 

This was an intense and emotional read that made me really ache for the characters yet it also had some humorous and swooning moments that made me love them more and enjoy the story thoroughly. Echo and Noah were both broken characters struggling to put their lives back to normal after having such a devastating and awful experience.

Both character definitely had my heart out after learning what happened in their past lives. It was emotionally gripping and very raw. The characters problems and struggles were realistic and that made it easier to connect and understand them. Echo struggled on remembering what happened to her that caused her to have that awful-looking scar on her arm. And to top with that she also had to deal with his very controlling father. Noah's, on the other hand, tried to bring back his family together after being taken apart after losing their parents. 

What happened to Echo was really terrible and disturbing and I wouldn't even be able to imagine what I have to endure if I was the one carrying that emotional baggage. However it was Noah and his brother's story that had me really touched and moved. I just discovered that I have really soft spots when it comes to baby brothers (I cried with Kel in Slammed, with Caulder in Point of Retreat and now with Jacob and Tyler.) I was touched seeing how Noah internally struggled on choosing which was the best for his brothers and for him as well. His character was so much more and deeper than what he always tried to show. And that made him a very interesting and endearing character. 

Another favorite character of mine was Miss Collins. I never thought I would describe a middle-age woman a kick-ass! But Miss Collins indeed was! I love how she handled both Echo and Noah and her contributions on making the two realized what they have to do and make the right decisions. 

This was a really great read. It was a heartwarming and touching story with good amount of sweet and hot romance. I was hooked and I definitely look forward for more of Katie McGarry's book. I recommend this. 

Thank you Harlequin Teen and Netgalley for providing an advance readers copy of this book!

Cover Reveal: Triangles by Kimberly Ann Miller

Title:Triangles
Author: Kimberly Ann Miller
Publisher: Spencer Hill Press
Release Date: June 18, 2013

A cruise ship. A beautiful island. Two sexy guys. What could possibly go wrong?

In the Bermuda Triangle--a lot.

Hoping to leave behind the reminders of her crappy life--her father's death years ago, her mother's medical problems, and the loser who's practically stalking her--seventeen-year-old Autumn Taylor hops on a ship with her sister for a little distraction. When she wakes up in the Bermuda Triangle, she fears she's gone nuts for more than one reason: that loser's suddenly claiming they're a happy couple... a hot guy is wrapping his arms around her and saying "Happy Anniversary"... and suddenly, she's full of bruises, losing her hair, and getting IV medication. Autumn visits the ship's doctor, hoping for a pill or a shot to make the craziness go away. Instead, she's warned that one of these "alternate realities" could become permanent. She just has to ask herself one question--how the hell is she going to get out of this mess?

You can find Kimberly Ann Miller at kimberlyannmiller.com, Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr and Goodreads.

Review: Unraveling by Elizabeth Norris

Title: Unraveling

Author: Elizabeth Norris

Published: April 24th 2012

Publisher: Balzar + Bray

Read synopsis: Goodreads

Rating: 3.5 stars

Okay. I'm probably leaning a bit on the minority side. Not that I didn't like the book it was just that, with all those glowing reviews I kind of expected this book to blow my mind. Which I realized was not a very good move. Because it did not. Although there were parts that I did enjoy and had me quite impressed I was a bit sad that I wasn't completely captivated by the story.  

With all the FBI investigations, bio-terrorism and pseudoscience talks, dead bodies from radiation and parallel universe this book had so much remind me of the TV series, Fringe. This made me more excited because I love that series yet it also lessen my surprise when twists and revelations came. There were revelations that still managed to surprise me a little and had me curious but the overall feel was actually just fine and still kept me pretty entertained.

Janelle was an impressive and remarkable character. She was smart, tough, brave and independent. Even though I can say that I was impressed by her curiosity and braveness to conduct her own investigation sometimes I feel like it was getting borderline nosy. Or maybe it's just me because without her being too curious I guess the story wouldn't be really interesting and engaging. 

There were still things that I really like about her like the way she took responsibility in their family and her relationship with his brother, father and Alex. There were a lot of things thrown to her but she took and faced it bravely and for that I respect her character.

I like Ben and I find him really intriguing although sometimes I find him a bit awkward too. He's character was the kind that was so easy to like because he was good, caring and all and I do really like him but for some reason it was not in a swooning and gushing way. I could still say though that his chemistry with Janelle was really good and well, they could actually make some pretty hot scenes too.

I had some conflicting emotions with the romance. Not that I hate it but for the most part I was a just a bit unconcerned about it then suddenly I would grew a little fond of it. I struggled a bit to keep my connection from it. And sometimes I don't know what I should really feel for them if I should be happy or sad or whatever. 

The ending was the one I really loved and it was really beautiful. It was sad and sweet at the same time. If I were Janelle at that time I might have drowned myself into depression but I was impressed that despite all those things that happened Janelle tried to see the good things and took that chance she was given to live again.

"But I'm alive.

I'm alive.

More alive than I was before any of this happened.

Life is a fragile thing. Apparanly the whole world is fragile too.

But it'll beat on.

Because it has to."

Although the story wasn't really utterly original I still find some of the ideas and concepts really cool and very entertaining. And to tell you the truth I actually loved it too, if it hadn't just came a bit predictable for me and a little exhausting I would have really loved the story more. This book definitely has a lot of potential and even though it didn't blow my mind it was still a really good and entertaining read. I would still love to recommend this to you. 

Cover Reveal: All The Broken Pieces by Cindi Madsen

Hi guys! So I got the chance to be part of this big cover reveal of Cindi Madsen's upcoming young-adult novel, All the Broken Pieces, this December! Yay! Check out the cover and blurb below.

All the Broken Pieces  

by Cindi Madsen

December 11th 2012

Entangled Publishing

What if your life wasn’t your own?

Liv comes out of a coma with no memory of her past and two distinct, warring voices inside her head. Nothing, not even her reflection, seems familiar. As she stumbles through her junior year, the voices get louder, insisting she please the popular group while simultaneously despising them. But when Liv starts hanging around with Spencer, whose own mysterious past also has him on the fringe, life feels complete for the first time in, well, as long as she can remember. 

Liv knows the details of the car accident that put her in the coma, but as the voices invade her dreams, and her dreams start feeling like memories, she and Spencer seek out answers. Yet the deeper they dig, the less things make sense. Can Liv rebuild the pieces of her broken past, when it means questioning not just who she is, but what she is?

All the Broken Pieces, by Cindi Madsen is available for pre-order on: 

 Amazon | Barnes & Noble 

 You can also follow and find Cindi Masen at cindimadsen.com, Facebook, Twitter and Goodreads.

Review: The Vincent Brothers (The Vincent Boys #2) by Abbi Glines

Title: The Vincent Brothers (The Vincent Boys #2)

Author: Abbi Glines

Publsihed: June 5th 2012

Publisher: Abbi Glines

Read synopsis: Goodreads

Rating: 4.5 stars

My conclusion after finishing this book: My most favorite of all Abbi Glines books!!! I loved this! I love Sawyer, I love Lana, I love Beau and Ash, I love the ending. In short I love every-freaking-thing. I laughed, cried, swooned and swooned and swooned and yeah, definitely swooned. 

Abbi Glines books gives off this feeling that get me this sh*t-eating grin on my face that never got off even after I finished the book and had me giddy the entire time. And yes, The Vincent Brothers did just that or I guess, even more. 

Sawyer's character didn't really strike me anything when I first met him in The Vincent Boys, in fact I thought he was boring and dull. BUT, six months later I realized I was so so wrong. This boy was never a bore and this time his character did actually strike me. Hard. And boy did I fell in love.

Sawyer definitely took me by surprise by a lot of things. First, of course, by this sexy and flirty side of him; then him being so sweet and caring to someone other than Ash; and there was also this jerk side of him which really annoyed me. I love how his character changed and developed throughout the entire story and as he realized that he could get over his heartbreak over Ash and care and fall in love to someone who's not her. 

Lana was a very strong and sweet girl. And I just simply adore her. She was so nice and understanding that you would definitely be angry when someone hurt her. With all she'd been through it was hard not to have this protective feeling over her, even from Sawyer. But I was glad that she was the one who punch some sense to him. I also loved the idea of her getting out of her shell and did herself a make over. She was never oblivious of her beauty and charm yet she remained so nice and down to earth. 

This was the book that made me least frustrated and worried when it came with the dramas and conflicts from all the books of Abbi Glines I've read. That's probably why this became my most favorite. It was surprisingly easy and it covered every aspect it should have covered without getting too dramatic. 

So to conclude, this was a very enjoyable, sweet and steamy read. I had so much fun reading this. I loved Sawyer and Lana's chemistry and of course, those sweet, swoon-worthy, hot and steamy moments between them that I am sure most of you will enjoy. Abbi Glines offered a very wonderful epilogue too that left me utterly satisfied with this series. I highly recommend this! Read this! :)

Waiting on Wednesday (#18)

"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly event hosted by Jill from Breaking the Spine, that spotlight upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating. This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" is..

The Archived

by Victoria Schwab

January 22nd 2013

Imagine a place where the dead rest on shelves like books. 

Each body has a story to tell, a life seen in pictures that only Librarians can read. The dead are called Histories, and the vast realm in which they rest is the Archive.

Da first brought Mackenzie Bishop here four years ago, when she was twelve years old, frightened but determined to prove herself. Now Da is dead, and Mac has grown into what he once was, a ruthless Keeper, tasked with stopping often-violent Histories from waking up and getting out. Because of her job, she lies to the people she loves, and she knows fear for what it is: a useful tool for staying alive. 

Being a Keeper isn't just dangerous—it's a constant reminder of those Mac has lost. Da's death was hard enough, but now her little brother is gone too. Mac starts to wonder about the boundary between living and dying, sleeping and waking. In the Archive, the dead must never be disturbed. And yet, someone is deliberately altering Histories, erasing essential chapters. Unless Mac can piece together what remains, the Archive itself might crumble and fall. 

In this haunting, richly imagined novel, Victoria Schwab reveals the thin lines between past and present, love and pain, trust and deceit, unbearable loss and hard-won redemption.


-The cover was beautiful enough to make want to add this on my tbr but then I read the blurb and boy, did it  kick my ass and sent me plummeting down high up from the sky?! A beautiful cover + kick-ass plot = straight to my tbr! I can't wait to read this and I really hope the inside lives up to its cover and awesome plot. :)

Review: Easy by Tammara Webber

Title: Easy

Author: Tammara Webber

Published: May 25th 2012

Publsiher: Tammara Webber

Ready synopsis: Goodreads

Rating: 3.75 stars

Reading the blurb I knew and expected that this would definitely be an enjoyable contemporary romance with, of course, lots of hot and steamy stuffs. What surprised me was that it involved more than just the romance but also a sensitive and tricky subject, the subject of rape. I was impressed by how Tammara Webber handled that topic very well in a not so stressing or too dramatic way but never failing to convey the important and essential aspects about it.

Lucas/Landon and Jacqueline were both interesting and fascinating characters. Jacqueline was a very relatable character. I love how easy I connected with her and understand her actions and decisions. She was brave and strong-willed. Lucas was a very endearing guy! I like how Webber made his character seem so mysterious even when she was actually revealing us a lot of different sides of him. He was a complete package guy, he have almost all you could have wish for a guy but despite that he had a very awful past that definitely made me ache for him.

Jacqueline and Lucas's chemistry were shooting from all over the place and you wouldn't be able to deny how good and hot they were together. However, I wasn't able to see the emotional connection between the two right away. Although, there were those hot and steamy stuff that I, of course, enjoyed, for some reason I didn't feel the emotional connection right away but more of the physical. And it actually took me a little while to finally see that they indeed share a deeper one. But once I saw it, I also become more connected with the story and I appreciated it even more.

I love the e-mail exchanges and banters! And I think Landon took my heart first but well, they [Lucas and Landon] both eventually equally shared my heart. lol! Erin was my favorite character here! I adore this girl, her loyalty and her total-girl power! She was what every girl would wish for a best friend. 

I appreciated the empowerment this book gave to the victims of rape. I was very impressed by how Tammara Webber handled it and showed that there's something they could do about it. I loved how Erin and Jacqueline went to take self-defense class, I loved how Erin's sorority supported their victimized sister - that speech their president made was a kick-ass! And I loved the way they keep telling that it was never the victims fault. 

Overall, this book was a very fascinating and enjoying read! With heart-pounding twists, amazing and interesting characters, sweet and hot scenes and wonderful empowering messages, this book was absolutely a great read! I recommend this. :)

Review: Point of Retreat (Slammed #2) by Colleen Hoover

Title: Point of Retreat (Slammed #2) 

Author: Colleen Hoover

Published: February 25th 2012

Publisher: Colleen Hoover

Read synopsis: Goodreads

Rating: 4 stars

I was so surprised by how much I enjoyed this more than Slammed. I didn't read this right away after I finished Slammed because when I read the blurb I thought it would be more dramatic and frustrating. But boy, was I wrong! Because it was actually a hell lot of fun! Although, yes, there were those stressing and dramatic parts, but I also did get a lot of laughs in this one. Which I wasn't really expecting at all. I was really glad I didn't put off this book for a long while. I butterflying enjoyed it!

Reading this in Will's POV made us see his and Lake's relationship in a different angle. Which was also a big treat since I love guy's pov and it's freaking Will! I was happy and greatly entertained to get on his mind and see a lot of different sides of him. His journal entries were one of my favorite parts of this book, it was sweet and funny. Also, I really enjoyed seeing him slipped away a little from his control and restrains especially when it comes to Lake. 

And just as any other relationships, theirs came with obstacles and hindrances they must overcome. Although I did get so stressed out and frustrated by it I understand that what had happened had contributed a lot for the development of their relationship. I'm not entirely happy with Lake's reaction but once she finally explained it I realized that what they were going through was necessary for them to grew and understand their relationship even deeper and to proved that their love wasn't just brought because of their same tragic situation. 

And just like in Slammed, Will never failed to mesmerized me by his poetry. I wasn't just touched, I f*cking butterflying fell in love. I can't even tell you how much I loved that slam poetry he did to prove his love to Lake without gushing! I loved loved loved it to the highest level! Other things I enjoyed so much in this book was Kiersten! She could be my new freaking best friend. I adore this girl and I laughed so hard with her humor and wittiness. And that poetry she pulled off on the last part, I can line that up on my most favorite poems I read from this story! Yeah, Butterfly You! LOL! Kel and Caulder still managed to entertain me and touched me. They were just the cutest baby brothers ever! Can I have them?

This book definitely captivated me! I laughed, swoon, loved and teared up a bit! Colleen Hoover did another great job and I'm so happy to be able to read this wonderful story! I had so much fun reading this and I recommend this. :)

Review: Sempre (Forever) by J.M. Darhower

Title: Sempre (Forever)

Author: J.M. Darhower

Published: January 30th 2012

Publisher: J.M. Darhower

Read synopsis: Goodreads

Rating: 5 stars!

This was a very compelling and captivating book and I was very much stunned by it. After reading this I know I'll have a hell of a time writing a review for this one. This book went very much deeper that I had expected. And I was definitely astounded by how much it stirred up intense emotions from me and brought so many thought provoking issues on my mind. This was the kind of book that will haunt you for days and will forever be ingrained in your mind. Reading this was such a very wonderful experience for me, I was touched, enthralled, thrilled and amazed beyond words. 

Sempre was an exceptionally written book that tells the story of people who lived beyond the worlds of human-trafficking and the Mafia. It was a story of sacrifice, acceptance, choices and love. Haven and Carmine were two people who grew up in complete opposite worlds but thrown together to find freedom, love and meaning in their life through each other. 

Haven was a very remarkable character. She was innocent and vulnerable but even with all those awful things she experienced in her life she remained to be a very kind, understanding and warm person. And this girl just touched me and moved me to the highest level in so so many ways. I can't even imagine all those things she had to endure but I was greatly impressed by this girl. She was strong and intelligent in her own way, she maybe innocent when it comes to the basic things about life but she had deeper and greater perspective than anyone else when it comes to life and death. She had ugly scars physically and emotionally but despite all that she was a very glowing character, her raw beauty was pouring imposingly that you wouldn't be able to help but love and appreciate her character.

Carmine was, well, simply said he was a jerk. Until he met Haven. Seeing someone important to you die right under your nose in such a very young age would definitely make you a mess and that's what had happened to Carmine. I may not be a fan of his jerky side but I can totally understand it. Despite living privileged life, he was just a broken kid, haunted and consumed by the guilt and remorse from the death of her mother. But when he met Haven he started taking and seeing things a lot differently. They found a connection from each other that helped them share their feelings, regrets and griefs. I was awed by how his character grew and changed upon meeting Haven. He wasn't your perfect guy, he made mistakes and was definitely flawed in many ways but you can see the honesty and the realness of his character especially when it comes to his feelings for Haven.

I love how this two find each other and was able to give that very thing they had long needed to be in their lives. Their relationship wasn't easy and was forced with obstacle from being in a family of a Mafia. They were forced to make decisions and sacrifices to save one another. Sacrifices that may take away their choices in life or will put them into something they have been eagerly avoiding. But what this book was saying was that real love makes every sacrifices worth it.

I was impressed by how J.M. Darhower made this book so purposeful, not just to provide entertainment from readers but also to enlighten them about the subject of slavery/human-trafficking in our society. Reading this had my eyes opened on such subject where I didn't realize was still happening in our world. This book provide awareness for everyone about things that were usually unknown to us and things that should have taken some actions.

I had so many conflicted emotions while reading this and at some point I find myself even loving those people who were on the 'bad' side. Which just proved how compelling and striking this book was but I was glad that the author remained very realistic when it comes to the outcome of the actions taken in the story. I was also impressed that Darhower was never afraid to kill her characters! Although most of them were just minor but boy, almost all her characters were pretty striking so when they die it was just as striking too.

I have so many thing I still wanted to say about this book but if I don't stop now this might become a novella. So to conclude, this was very superb and powerful novel. I cannot fathom how much this book has stunned me and saying this was an amazing read was just an understatement. But I tell you, this book is a must read and I really wanted you guys to have the same wonderful experience I had from reading this. I highly recommend this! :D