Come See About Me Giveaway Winners!

Hi guys! Thanks to all who joined the giveaway for C.K. Kelly Martin's Come See About Me. And our winners are:

For the singed paperback: 

Aa'Ishah! 

and for the ebook copy:

Marjorie!

Congratulations girls! I sent you an email. Please check it out for further information. 

Review: Onyx (Lux #2) by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Title: Onyx (Lux #2)

Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout

Publication Date: August 14th 2012

Publisher: Entangled Teen

Rating: 5 stars

Being connected to Daemon Black sucks…

Thanks to his alien mojo, Daemon’s determined to prove what he feels for me is more than a product of our bizarro connection. So I’ve sworn him off, even though he’s running more hot than cold these days. But we’ve got bigger problems.

Something worse than the Arum has come to town…

The Department of Defense are here. If they ever find out what Daemon can do and that we're linked, I’m a goner. So is he. And there's this new boy in school who’s got a secret of his own. He knows what’s happened to me and he can help, but to do so, I have to lie to Daemon and stay away from him. Like that's possible. Against all common sense, I'm falling for Daemon. Hard.

But then everything changes…

I’ve seen someone who shouldn’t be alive. And I have to tell Daemon, even though I know he’s never going to stop searching until he gets the truth. What happened to his brother? Who betrayed him? And what does the DOD want from them—from me?

No one is who they seem. And not everyone will survive the lies…

“Air punched out of my lungs. I held her tight, and I knew right then I would burn down the whole universe for her if I had to. I would do anything to keep her safe. Kill. Heal. Die. Anything. Because she was my everything.”

Sweet baby aliens everywhere! Everything in this book is just so f*cking overwhelming, my emotions were all over the place. This book is just so freaking ah-ma-zing! I was shocked by the revelations, amazed by the twists, touched by the characters, swooned by the moments, stunned by the discoveries, broken by the loss. Jennifer L. Armentrout, once again, I applaud you for writing a very captivating, gorgeous, and outstanding sequel that is just so freaking addictive. I'm obsessed, smitten, enamored, and so so in love with this book.

I wouldn't exactly say I enjoyed everything about this book because there are moments that really had me frustrated and annoyed I wanted to scream. So why the 5-star? Talk about smitten, that's me. 'Cause when you're smitten you just don't care, right? Especially when you've been given a really good peace offering so you'll just forget and forgive. Yeah, that’s how it was in Onyx. Because Daemon and Katy finally being together and with those three freaking words being said is one hell of a f*cking peace offering! So all those frustrations and annoying moments? Erased. I'm giving this a five-star rating. I don't care.

Katy. Although she did give me quite a lot of hair-tugging and head-shaking moments here I still love her. She made mistakes; wrong choices, actions and decisions that had caused quite a number of conflicts and had hurt other people's feelings. But what was good was that she learned from it. And she proved it. She was still the strong and kick-ass book blogger heroine we'd first met in Obsidian (although honestly I think she's cooler in Obsidian).

Daemon. This dude had me feel all the possible feelings I could get. And he’d thrown it in all freaking directions that all I could do was absorbed them all at the same time. And it was so ‘effin overwhelming. My heart was always about to burst. Yeah, he did still have his jerk moments but whenever he turns one-eighty and became this sweet, caring and protective Daemon, well I was undone. I exploded, imploded, blasted, and shattered. And I fell in love all over again.

The development between Katy and Daemon’s relationship had me smiling and grinning almost the entire time and even after I finished the book. We saw a greater depth in it, not just the sexual tension (although it was ever present) but something deeper, profounder and really emotional. I was touched and moved and my heart swelled a lot of times over those genuine and honest things Daemon and Katy had admitted to each other.

As for the plot, I say it was very well and cleverly done. Although I had correctly guessed some of it, I was still surprised with how it turned out and how it was delivered. The revelations and twists were both shocking and amazing. There were a lot of happenings that were unexpected and some sacrifice that was utterly heartbreaking. The ending, though wasn’t a cliffhanger, was still a really surprising and unexpected one that made me wish I have the next book already. The dialogues were still great and fun, the banters between Katy and Daemon still made me laugh a lot. Though Daemon calling Blake in different names that starts with letter B was funny at first but soon felt rather annoying.

Onyx is a very engaging and entertaining read. I was devoured and completely captivated by this story. Jennifer L. Armentrout’s writing has this capability of capturing the interest of so many readers and held on to it for as long as she wants. Her characters are very well rounded and were never dull. The interactions between them were funny and amusing. And the story itself always provided something that always had us intrigued and interested. I am definitely and I guess, will always be looking forward for more of her books and especially more about Katy and Daemon. I highly recommend this. 


And just because I feel like teasing, here's a quote from that scene in Deamon's pov!

"She lifted a small hand, running the pads of her fingers down my cheek. I turned into the touch, pressing a kiss against the palm of her hand, and then I found her mouth again. This kiss was different, more intense, and Kat—aw , God—Kat came alive..."

Haha! Read this book now! :) 

Stacking the Shelves (#3)

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews as way to share all the great books you've received throughout the week.

For review:

Taste by Kate Evangelista - I'm excited to read this since the author is a fellow Filipino! Plus, all the reviews I've seen were mostly positive so I really hope this would be a great read. Thank you Kate Evangelista for the review copy. Cursed by Jennifer L. Armentrout - My first physical ARC! This arrived in the post office a month ago but I wasn't able to pick it up because of the non-stop raining and flooding that happened a few weeks ago plus I was a bit busy and yeah, a bit lazy too. Haha! But I was really ecstatic when I saw the package with the Spencer Hill address. Haha! Thank you Spencer Hill Press. You guys rock! :) The Shadow Society by Marie Rutkoski - My first ever Macmillan ARC. Haha! The premise sounds very interesting and I just love the cover. Hope it would be a great read. :)
Gifted:
His 'N' Hers by Mike Gayle, Come Together by Josie Lloyd & Emily Resse, Roommates by Whitney Lyles.  I got these adult chick-lit books from my cousin. Although I still do prefer YA over adult these books do sound like an easy and fun read. 

Inbetween Blog Tour: Review + Guest Post + Giveaway

Hi guys! Today is my stop for Tara Fuller's Inbetween Blog Tour. I'll be sharing a book review, a guest post about the behind the scenes of Inbetween and a giveaway!

Title: Inbetween (Kissed by Death #1)
Author: Tara Fuller
Publication Date: August 28th 2012
Publisher: Entangled Teen

Since the car crash that took her father’s life three years ago, Emma’s life has been a freaky — and unending — lesson in caution. Surviving “accidents” has taken priority over being a normal seventeen-year-old, so Emma spends her days taking pictures of life instead of living it. Falling in love with a boy was never part of the plan. Falling for a reaper who makes her chest ache and her head spin? Not an option. 

 It’s not easy being dead, especially for a reaper in love with a girl fate has put on his list not once, but twice. Finn’s fellow reapers give him hell about spending time with Emma, but Finn couldn’t let her die before, and he’s not about to let her die now. He will protect the girl he loves from the evil he accidentally unleashed, even if it means sacrificing the only thing he has left…his soul.

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository

Review:

I'm not usually into reaper boy-human girl story. I remember reading some but not many. I don’t really have problem with them but I wasn’t really that inclined to pick them up. Still, when I saw the blurb of Inbetween there something about it that had me hooked. I was intrigued and interested and very curious to find out the story of Finn and Emma. So I was really glad when I was able to join a blog tour for this book and got a review copy of it.

The plot line of this book kinda reminded me of some angel books like Fallen and Daughter of Smoke and Bone. The girl being reincarnated as a human who doesn't remember anything from her past life and the guy who knows and remembers everything but torn and guilty from moving back to the girl's new life. Although it wasn't very original I think it still delivered some quite unique stuffs that I find enjoyable and amusing.

Finn was an endearing and interesting character. His guilt and sadness about the things that he did in the past and his love for Emma was so heartbreaking and touching that I wanted to comfort him and hug him. Emma although likable I did find a bit dull. I would love for her to developed more personality, something that would make her character more striking.

The story of Finn and Emma was a very sweet and heartbreaking one. I was curious and intrigued as to why Finn can't go near and reveal himself to Emma and why he feels guilty and responsible for her. I wanted to learn what had really happened in the past. And when I finally learned it I was sad and sympathetic for the two.

However, I think I wasn't completely that invested in their love story. There were moments that I get so fond of it then moments that I just don't quite care. In a story, I love seeing two characters fall in love, how it developed and grew. But in this book, having that part happened in the past, I wasn't able to see more of it. The author did provide flash backs that showed how the two met, moments between them and how the conflict came but I think it wasn't really that enough for me to completely connect and invest in their romance.

The secondary characters were my favorite! Especially Cash (!!!), Anaya, Easton and even Scout. I love that they did make an impression in me and didn't just fade into the background.

Despite all the slight issues I was still satisfied and happy with how things turned out. The ending, I think, was a bit too nice. But it was a happy ending so I guess I should be happy about it. lol! The overall I enjoyed and I do still think that this is a nice and decent read, although not mind blowing but absolutely lovely.

Rating: 3.5 stars

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Guest post

Inbetween: Behind The Scenes

Behind every writer and every book, there is a process. For me that process relies heavily on inspiration. I am inspired by books, movies, music, documentaries, and so much more. So, I’ve decided to share some of the things that inspired the book INBETWEEN.

1. Music is a huge inspiration for me when it comes to writing. From lyrics that fit what my character is feeling to a beat or melody that sets the mood for a scene. Each of my books have a playlist. One of the songs from the INBETWEEN playlist that really inspired Finn was Iris by the Goo Goo Dolls. From the lyrics to the beat, this song was perfect in every way for him.
2. The initial idea for Inbetween actually came from an Edgar Allen Poe quote. When I read this I knew I wanted to write a story where death was keeping two lovers apart. Literally.
   
   
   “The boundaries which divide Life from Death are at best shadowy and vague. Who shall say where the one ends, and where the other begins?”  ~ Edgar Allen Poe


3. Another big inspiration for this book came from a documentary I saw about a little boy who had the reincarnated soul of a World War Two Pilot. That was the story that not only got me very interested in reincarnation for this book but it is also inspired Finn in a lot of ways.


4. Fantasy Cast! I love working with images of actors or models for my characters. Here are the people that inspired Finn, Cash, and Emma.

Xavier Samuel as Finn

Ashley Benson as Emma

Adam Gregory as Cash

Giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

See full tour schedule here. :)

About the Author

Tara Fuller writes novels; some about grim reapers and some about witches. All of course are delightfully full of teen angst and kissing. Tara grew up in a one stop light town in Oklahoma where once upon a time she stayed up with a flash light reading RL Stine novels and only dreamed of becoming a writer. She has a slight obsession with music and a shameless addiction for zombie fiction, Mystery Science Theater, and black and white mochas. Tara no longer lives in a one stop light town. Now she lives with her family in a slightly larger town in North Carolina where they have at least three stoplights.

Waiting on Wednesday (#22)

"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...

Title: Altered (Altered #1)
Author: Jennifer Rush
Expected Publication: January 13th 2012
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Add to Goodreads

When you can’t trust yourself, who can you believe?

Everything about Anna’s life is a secret. Her father works for the Branch at the helm of its latest project: monitoring and administering treatments to the four genetically altered boys in the lab below their farmhouse. There’s Nick, Cas, Trev . . . and Sam, who’s stolen Anna’s heart. When the Branch decides it’s time to take the boys, Sam stages an escape, killing the agents sent to retrieve them.

Anna is torn between following Sam or staying behind in the safety of her everyday life. But her father pushes her to flee, making Sam promise to keep her away from the Branch, at all costs. There’s just one problem. Sam and the boys don’t remember anything before living in the lab—not even their true identities.

Now on the run, Anna soon discovers that she and Sam are connected in more ways than either of them expected. And if they’re both going to survive, they must piece together the clues of their past before the Branch catches up to them and steals it all away.

I think I have fetish for characters that get connected, either naturally or forced by whatever ways. Haha! And come on, four boys? Who wouldn't love that? LOL! And you know what Brigid Kemmerer said about this?

Well, that says a lot coming from the author who wrote just the hottest brothers in the YA world! So of course, this went straight to my tbr! Haha! :D

Review: Silver (Bandia #1) by Talia Vance

Title: Silver (Bandia #1)
Author: Talia Vance
Publication Date: September 8th 2012
Publisher: Flux
Rating: 4.5 stars!

"As I step into the room, a silver flash blurs my vision. Before I can take a breath, the world falls away."

 Brianna has always felt invisible. People stare right past her, including the one boy she can't resist, Blake Williams. But everything changes at a house party where Brianna's charm bracelet slips off and time stands still. In that one frozen, silver moment, Blake not only sees her, he recognizes something deep inside her she's been hiding even from herself.

Discovering she is descended from Danu, the legendary Bandia of Celtic myth, Brianna finds herself questioning the truth of who she is. And when she accidentally binds her soul to Blake, their mutual attraction becomes undeniable.

But Blake has his own secret, one that could prove deadly for them both.

Bound together by forbidden magic, Brianna and Blake find themselves at the heart of an ancient feud that threatens to destroy their lives and their love.>

The first time this book landed on my sight I know it's gonna be a good book. So when I saw this in Netgalley, I requested it right away. But I got declined. So I requested it again. And still I got declined. By this time I was almost so willing to just wait for this book to be released. But then I said just one more time. (I could be really persistent or hardheaded. Ha!) I did a little editing on my bio then requested it for the third time. And fina-freaking-lly, they approved me! 

I'm so happy that all my effort didn't come to waste because this book did not disappoint! This is a very stunning and gorgeous book. It's very rare for me to encounter paranormal books that are influenced by Celtic Myths and Irish folklore so when I read this everything were almost pretty new to me. I really loved the uniqueness and originality of it.

It wasn't the kind of the book that would instantly blew you away, in fact, for the most parts I was a bit confused and puzzled with all the mythological stuffs but through that just brought more curiosity in me. It just made me more intrigued and interested in knowing and figuring out what was going on. It never wavered to hold my interest. And when the revelations and twists came I was absolutely satisfied with the outcome and how everything turned out.

Brianna Paxton is an easy character to like and connect. She's genuine, smart, strong and humble. She's beautiful but no one notice her despite that I didn't see her being so bitter about it. Of course, she always wonders why and there were moments that she feels bad about herself but she wasn't the kind of person who whines and feels angry about it all the time. But Brianna is still a girl and like any other girl she wishes to be notice by the guy she likes, Blake. 

It took me some time to trust Blake. I like him but I wasn't entirely sure if he was being real or honest to Brianna at first. As the story progressed, as more information were thrown I realized that Blake is just torn from doing what his family expects him to do and what he really feels. But I was really glad that when he already has to choose, he chooses Brianna and took the risk of it. And I saw that he was sincere and honest about it. 

The romance between Brianna and Blake is absolutely a winner for me. I love how they got connected, fought it but in the end gave in with it and soon find out that there's more than just the magic that connected them but something from their heart that is much more real, genuine and bigger - love. I can't remember how many times I died from swooning with these two and with all those sweet and steamy moments.

The paranormal and mythology aspect of this book is very intriguing and engaging. I love the story about Danu and Killian and how the curse started. I love exploring the abilities the characters have and how they used it. It was fascinating and very engrossing. 

Overall, this is a very captivating and stunning debut novel. I applaud Talia Vance for writing such a very unique novel with original plot, awesome twists, brilliant characters and gorgeous romance. I highly recommend this. I need Gold now! And more swoon-worthy moments between Brianna and Blake!

*Thank you Flux and Netgalley for providing a review copy of this book.

P.S. Did you know that I read this twice?! I'm not much a fan of re-reading, there are only two novels I've re-read, The Hunger Games and Obsidian. Both I'm really addicted about. So what does that mean? That I'm addicted to Silver? Oh hell yeah! This book has definitely the potential to be one of my most favorite YA series! I just wanted to say that this book is really really good and I want you guys to pick this one up, and so just to encourage you more, I'll share you a quote from one of my favorite scenes (yeah, this is a steamy one):

"The heat of his skin comes through his shirt, and the fabric becomes an intolerable intrusion. He helps me pull the shirt over his head, and it’s my turn to gasp. My fingers slide from his neck to his belly button, forging a tentative path along his stomach. “You know you’re kind of beautiful yourself.”" - (ARC, p236)

If I could quote the whole scene I really would. LOL! So there, I hope that one helped me convince you to read this. :D

Review: The Treachery of Beautiful Things by Ruth Frances Long

Title: The Treachery of Beautiful Things
Author: Ruth Frances Long
Release Date: August 16th 2012
Publisher: Dial Books
Rating: 3.75 stars

A darkly compelling mix of romance, fairy tale, and suspense from a new voice in teen fiction

The trees swallowed her brother whole, and Jenny was there to see it. Now seventeen, she revisits the woods where Tom was taken, resolving to say good-bye at last. Instead, she's lured into the trees, where she finds strange and dangerous creatures who seem to consider her the threat. Among them is Jack, mercurial and magnetic, with secrets of his own. Determined to find her brother, with or without Jack's help, Jenny struggles to navigate a faerie world where stunning beauty masks some of the most treacherous evils, and she's faced with a choice between salvation or sacrifice--and not just her own. (taken from Goodreads)

Those who know me know that faerie-themed books don't usually work for me. I think the only fae series I finished and really liked was the Iron Fey by Julie Kagawa. Maybe because I started with a very good one that I tend to base my expectation on it. Fortunately, The Treachery of Beautiful Things did work for me. Although not as mind blowing as I would have hoped for but still it was a nice and decent read with an engaging plot and characters. I was actually surprised that I ended up liking and enjoying it. 

It didn't start well with me though. I can't seem to get into it during the first parts that I kept on putting it down after a few chapters only to picked it up again because I feel bad about it. The fourth time I picked it up I decided I'll finish it then. And I'm glad I did because as the story progressed it started getting really interesting and I soon find myself pretty invested with the story and its characters. 

Jenny was a character I didn't exactly think would be tough and strong-willed. She appears to be bit too "damsel in distress" especially during the earlier parts. But I'm glad that over the course of the story her character developed and I saw that she could be a independent and strong character too despite being naive sometimes. 

Jack surprises me quite a lot in here too. Clearly, I had the wrong first impressions in most of the things here. I thought Jack would be this too good boring hero who would do anything to save the day. Something that easy and predictable. But I was surprised to find a multi-layered and complex character in him. I love the mysterious side in him and I enjoyed figuring it out. 

There were holes in this book that prevented me from giving it a higher rating. Things that I think were left unexplained or should've been discussed more. Thus making some parts of it a bit confusing and disorienting. Nonetheless, the last parts, I think, was actually pretty good and even touching. The ending was cute, sweet and satisfying although I wish it was explored a little more since I felt like it was dropped a bit too convinient. 

Overall, the plot line was intriguing and engaging and the characters were likable. Just a little bit more explaining in some parts becuase there were moments that I did feel lost. Despite its flaws I think this is a nice and lovely read. It took me a while to get into it but as soon as it started getting really interesting I kept wanting to know what's gonna happen next. I recommend this.

*Thank you Netgalley and Dial Books for providing a review copy of this book.

Guest Post & Giveaway: C.K. Kelly Martin (Author of Come See About Me)

Hi guys!  A few days ago I just finished C.K. Kelly Martin's new-adult novel Come See About Me. And I loved it (see my review here). It was a very poignant and heart warming story that touched me and even taught me lessons. Today, I'm happy to present to you a guest post from her as she shares a very insightful message for us. Aside from that, she kindly offered two lucky person to win a copy of her book! A signed hardcover for the 1st winner and an e-copy for the runner up! Yay! Now go check out the guest post and giveaway below! :D

Guest Post: C.K. Kelly Martin

A few days ago I watched the first few episodes from season 2 of Felicity. If you’ve never seen the show the basic premise is Felicity follows her high school crush (a guy named Ben who she’d barely spoken to at school) to college in New York City where their lives often intersect. By the start of season 2 they’ve actually started to date and Felicity is over the moon about the turn of events. But when Ben finds out she may be in love with him he can’t hack it and cools things off. Felicity pretends that’s no big deal for her – they’ll still hang out, after all. However, one night when they’re supposed to go to an outdoor movie together Ben doesn’t show. Felicity is left sitting alone in a crowd, glancing around trying toscope out Ben’s face and eventually registering how much it sucks that he isn’t coming. Not long after she breaks things off entirely, realizing how the pretence that she can be casual with Ben is hurting her. 

Why am I going into so much detail about a fourteen year old episode of Felicity? Because I personally recognize that sinking feeling Felicity was experiencing in front of the movie screen. The bending yourself out of shape in the hope that eventually your efforts will get you what (or often who) you want but simultaneously feeling kind of sick about it. While you can, of course, get royally screwed up at any age for me personally the early twenties was primetime for that. I think the same is true for a lot of people at whatever period/age they get their first sustained taste of independent living, whether that’s going away to college, moving into your own place, travelling somewhere or whatever. You can really go off the rails (emotionally or otherwise) when you’re not sharing an address with your parents anymore, have no curfew, don’t need approval to bring potential romantic partners home and are no longer forced to share things like your grades with your parents. This is the time in your life when suddenly there’s no one around to rein you in except your friends (who often have a similar experience level to your own). Unprecedented freedom. 

All of this is a big part of the reason why when the editor of my young adult books initially asked me if there was any chance Come See About Me was YA (she hadn’t read it), I was positive that the answer was no. In the novel twenty-year-old Leah’s been experiencing the beginnings of a grown-up life, going to university while living with her boyfriend Bastien (also a college student). When tragedy strikes and Bastien is killed in a car accident sending Leah into free-fall, her parents can’t force her to come home across the country. Legally she’s an adult who demands to be allowed to grieve her boyfriend in the way she chooses. However protective her parents feel, ultimately Leah has to be allowed to stand or fall on her own. 

For a long while there’s more falling than standing. In time things begin to shift and Leah starts reconnecting to life in various ways, including the casual sexual relationship she develops with Liam. There’s a moment in Come See About Me where Leah makes a similar realization (whether ultimately wrong or right) to Felicity’s alone at the movies – that she’s crossed a line that doesn’t feel right. As corny as it sounds, a big part of your development during your late teens and early twenties (particularly that period I mentioned earlier – when you have your first sustained taste of independent living) is about learning how to be true to yourself when there are no boundaries in place except the ones you erect for yourself. It’s the best of times, it’s the worst of times. Losing the person she believes is the love of her life makes this period even more acute for Leah but I think, if you’ve already been through that period, there are elements in Come See About Me you may recognize and if you haven’t yet, you may well encounter some of those things down the road a ways. Just don’t say Felicity and I didn’t warn you.

GIVEAWAY!

There will be two winners for this giveaway: 1 for the signed hardcover and the other for the ebook copy

Giveaway is open international and will end on August 31
To enter, leave a comment and answer the question: What is the name of the girl who followed Ben to New York City in the t.v. series C.K. just recently watched? (You can find the answer on the guest post above)
You can gain extra entries by following the instruction in the Rafflecopter below. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

C.K. Kelly Martin is the author of many young-adult novels, among are I know It's Over, One Lonely Degree, My Teenage Beating Heart, The Lighter Side of Life and Death and Yesterday. And the latest new-adult novel, Come See About Me.

You can find and follow her at:

 www.ckkellymartin.com/, twitter, goodreads, and blog. 

Review: Spark (Elementals #2) by Brigid Kemmerer

Title: Spark (Elementals #2)

Author: Brigid Kemmerer

Release date: August 28th 2012

Publisher: Kensington

Read synopsis: Goodreads

Rating: 4 stars

I was so glad when I found out that it will be Gabriel's story in the second book of this series. He's my favorite among the Merrick brothers and to finally be able to see and learn more of him was just freaking awesome. And I just love how Brigid Kemmerer thoroughly explored Gabriel's characteristics here from being a friend, a brother, a student, a lover and a hero.

What I enjoyed most was seeing the soft and vulnerable sides of Gabriel, the side which he usually hides through his tough facade. Here I was able to understand his reasons behind his impulsive, reckless and ill-tempered behavior. Much more to that was that I saw how much he actually valued his relationship with his family, especially with his twin brother, Nick.

Behind his tough and easy-going exterior was a sensitive boy who had his own frustrations, insecurities, regrets and sadness brought by the extraordinary circumstances their family had. Gabriel struggled to control his element and to prove that it could be used to do good things too. However, things didn't go easy. Beings accused of things he didn't do plus not being entirely trusted by his brothers made it even harder for him. But still he did the right things; save the lives of other people and his loved ones even if it might press him more to the accusations.

Layne was quite the opposite of Gabriel. Quiet, organized, responsible and patient. But what they had the same was the insecurities they had about their selves. Yet they fit each other, what's lacking with the other fills out by the other. Layne was a very genuine character and I love how she cared for his brother and how she didn't put up to any of Gabriel's sh*t during the earlier parts.

I was able to learn more of the other Merrick brothers as well. I was actually touched by Gabriel and Nick's relationship although they'd spent almost the entire time in this book not in so good terms. I was both impressed and sympathetic to Michael especially with the things that he needed to do to keep his family safe and together. So I was really glad that by the end he got himself a girl *wink* *wink* Look out for that! And one more thing, I remember saying in my review in Storm that I didn't like Hunter, but after reading this, I think I'm really liking him! I love the camaraderie he and Gabriel shared here.

I love how Kemmerer captured the very realistic problems and struggles a family could have especially in the circumstances of the Merrick brother. There were moments between the brothers that were very poignant and broke my heart and moments that were uplifting and touching. It was different or rather refreshing and new since on all theses dramas boys were the one involved. It wasn't awkward and I think the author captured just the right ways and emotions and thoughts these guys would have.

If you loved Storm, I'm sure you're gonna love this one even more. Brigid Kemmerer did a very wonderful job in writing an action-packed and thrilling paranormal book but with realistic and authentic teen and family problems with the hottest brothers in the YA world! lol! I had fun reading this! I highly recommend this book. :)

*Thank you Kensington and Netgalley for providing a review copy of this book!

Stacking The Shelves (#2)

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews as way to share all the great books you've received throughout the week.

Ironskin by Tina Connolly The Lost Prince (The Iron Fey: Call of The Forgotten #1) by Julie Kagawa Chasing McCree by J.C. Isabella

Saving Grace by J.M Hill

Come See About Me by C.K. Kelly Martin (Read and reviewed) Losing Lila (Lila #2) by Sarah Alderson
*Thank you HarlequinTeen and Tor Books for the ARCs, YA Bound and J.M. Hill for the review copy of Chasing McCree and Saving Grace

Review: Come See About Me by C.K. Kelly Martin

Title: Come See About Me

Author: C.K. Kelly Martin

Published: June 2012

Publisher: C.K. Kelly Martin

Read synopsis: Goodreads

Rating: 4 stars

Come See About Me was a very well thought and written book about a girl who suffers from a great loss and how she tries to deal with it and picks herself back. I try most of the time to avoid emotional books but for some reason there was something in this book that just pulls me to it. So, even though it wasn’t on my reading schedule for this week I picked it up, squeeze it in and read it. And I’m really glad to find out and say that this book was a very good and lovely read.

First, I have to applaud, the author for writing such a very profound story of loss and overcoming it. She captured the emotions and feelings accurately and realistically making me understand the characters easily. The way she voiced Leah’s thoughts and feelings was so genuine and honest. So although some situations seem quite frustrating I could understand that it was her way of grieving and that her reactions were natural and expected. 

I love how this book effectively showed that the world continues to move on and that no matter how much you resist it, you'll have to go along with it. That life continues even with all those devastating things you had experienced. That through time you'll learn to accept and live with it. Never forgetting though but still continuing to live life.

As much as I love romance I'm glad that the romance here never overshadowed the plot and that as Leah rediscovered herself it wasn't because of a new found love, albeit it did contribute a part on it, but still it was all her. I wouldn't exactly say that this is a love story because clearly this one focuses more in Leah's struggles on finding herself back, rediscovering and realizing things about herself. But still there were sweet and steamy moments that were very well played here that never failed to make me swoon. 

I love how the author wrote the ending. Although it was a little open-ended it leaves you a reassuring feeling that Leah is indeed finally moving on and that everything is going the way it should be. 

This is my first book of this author and after reading this I will definitely be checking out more of her books. This is a very well written book about self-discovery and picking one's self up after a devastating experience. The author captured just the right emotions and just the right way of dealing with it. I highly recommend this.

Waiting on Wednesday (#21)

"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...

Title: The Nightmare Affair
Author: Mindee Arnett
Expected Publication: March 13th 2012
Publisher: Tor Teen

16-year-old Dusty Everhart breaks into houses late at night, but not because she’s a criminal. No, she’s a Nightmare. Literally. Dusty is a magical being who feeds on human dreams.

Being the only Nightmare at Arkwell Academy, a boarding school for magickind, and living in the shadow of her mother’s infamy is hard enough. But when Dusty sneaks into Eli Booker’s house, things get a whole lot more complicated. He’s hot, which means sitting on his chest and invading his dreams couldn’t get much more embarrassing. But it does. Eli is dreaming of a murder. The setting is Arkwell.

And then it comes true.

Now the Dusty has to follow the clues--both within Eli’s dreams and out of them--to stop the killer before more people turn up dead. And before the killer learns what she’s up to and marks her as the next target.

This sounds like a very interesting and fun read at the same time. The premise is very promising and Dusty seems like a very likable character. And after seeing the line "He’s hot, which means sitting on his chest and invading his dreams couldn’t get much more embarrassing." well, I'm sold! LOL! >:D

Review: While It Lasts (Sea Breeze #3) by Abbi Glines

Title: While It Lasts (Sea Breeze #3) 

Author: Abbi Glines

Published: July 31st 2012

Publisher: Abbi Glines

Read synopsis: Goodreads

Rating: 3.5 stars

When I first met Cage in Because of Low he wasn't something that was really likable. Most of the time I was just kinda disgusted and annoyed with him. He was a total man-whore and I didn't really find any reason to like him until the end of the book when I saw how much he loved Low and how honest and accepting he had been. And so I thought maybe there's still hope for this guy to change, I would love to see a story for him. 

And I finally did! I enjoyed it but well, I did have some issues with it. Maybe because I had read so much of Abbi Glines that I can almost predict how things would turn out or end up. Or how his/her characters would react. I was kind of wishing a little something new from her but this one felt the same like all of her other books, plus I thought some parts were left a little unexplained. But overall it was a very easy, fast, fun and sexy read that made me still enjoy most of it. :)

Cage had a tremendous transformation here which was a very fascinating thing to see. Especially with the way he started acting and thinking after meeting Eva was so unlikely to the Cage we first met in Because of Low.  It was very interesting to see the indifferent and arrogant Cage turn into a sweet, caring and faithful guy. However, I think the transformation in him felt so sudden. Of course, I like that he was changing but I didn't see any reason or thing so powerful that might have compelled him to change his ways so suddenly. I understand that he got attracted to Eva like nothing before but I think the change would have been more believable if he had a deeper struggle and confusion in assessing his feelings, I was actually expecting him to fight it especially after seeing how he was in Because of Low. 

Eva. She had a very heartbreaking past that had greatly affected her. She closed herself off to a lot of things and refused to move on. So when she and Cage met well, she was all fierce and harsh. And I like it, I like her ferocity and how she treated him sternly. She seems to be a very challenging character so I thought it would be really fun. However it was just short-lived. Not that she trusted Cage right away but she’d gone soft on him a little too fast. And just like my issue with Cage, her change of heart felt too sudden. I was expecting more resistance and reluctance from her. Like I said I thought this would be fun because I thought Eva would be a great challenge for Cage. I was hoping for the both of them to fight a lot and have funny banters even if their attraction was growing.

Nevertheless, the good that all came from the too fast and sudden changes and transformation in the characters was that it made this book an easy read with less frustrating dramas. Plus, we all get to the sexy parts right away which Abbi Glines is so good at. LOL! The writing was actually smooth and easy but I think the story would have been better if there were more depth especially with how the two dealt their feelings. I just felt like it came too fast and easy. But despite that, I think I enjoyed the overall. 

If you want an easy, fun, fast but sexy and hot read, I guess this one is for you.