Waiting on Wednesday #7

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event that is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine and spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating.

MY PICK FOR THIS WEEK:

Title: Sentinel
Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout
Publisher: Spencer Hill Press
Release Date: November 2nd, 2013
Series: Covenant #5

Synopsis via Goodreads

It's a beautiful day for a war.

As the mortal world slowly slips into chaos of the godly kind, Alexandria Andros must overcome a stunning defeat that has left her shaken and in doubt of their ability to end this war once and for all.

And with all the obstacles between Alex and her happily-ever-after with the swoonworthy Aiden St. Delphi, they must now trust a deadly foe as they travel deep into the Underworld to release one of the most dangerous gods of all time.

In the stunning, action-packed climax to the bestselling Covenant series, Alex must face a terrible choice: the destruction of everything and everyone she holds dear… or the end of herself.

WHY I'M WAITING: 

I feel like I should re-dedicate my blog to pimping out JLA's books. Really. I swear she's a lean-mean-writing-machine. She writes more books in a year than I could even think up a concept for one. The best part? THEY'RE ALL AWESOME BOOKS. I'm certain she has magical powers. There's just no other option.

Anywho, back on topic. I'm waiting on Sentinel.

Okay, not really. I'm more sobbing myself to sleep every night & trying to fill the void with other books. There's not much actual waiting involved. (I'm melodramatic. Sue me.)

Stacking the Shelves #6

Stacking the Shelves is a  weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews where we share books we're adding to our shelves, be they physical or e-copies.

BOUGHT/BORROWED

All of You - Christina Lee

Inbetween - Tara A. Fuller

Shadow and Bone - Leigh Bardugo

Unchained - J. Lynn

Grave Mercy - Robin LaFevers

My Favorite Mistake - Chelsea M. Cameron

Sweet Evil - Wendy Higgins

Of Beast and Beauty - Stacey Jay

One Tiny Lie - K.A. Tucker

Shattered Promises - Jessica Sorensen

VIA NETGALLEY

Endless - Amanda Gray

Broken Beauty - Chloe Adams

Okay. It's official. I have no self-control. I actually should be doing my homework right this second, because I hate putting it off until Sunday--BAHAHAHA! Ah, okay, I tried! The beauty of the internet is that if you knew me in real life you'd realize: That's a total lie. I procrastinate like nobody's business. I NEVER do my homework on Saturdays. That's my bookish time. Somehow I still manage to get shit done. Not sure how, but that's how it usually goes. (Don't be like me!)

Back to bizniz: there's twelve books this week. Count 'em, TWELVE. Not the one or two I thought I'd end up buying or dragging my lazy ass to the library for. Where'd my self-control go, then? Welp, that's an easy question!

Probably the same place my hopes and dreams went. LOL. No. I kid, I kid.

The real answer is that I'm not entirely sure. All I know is, I was checking goodreads, realized a bunch of stuff I'd been waiting months for was coming out, and suddenly I was purchasing it all. I have a problem, guys. Seriously. No credit or debit card is safe with me. The only good thing to come out of this situation is the fact that I'll be comforted by my lack of money with new awesome books.

Totally worth it.

Anywho, enough about me. Did you do a Stacking the Shelves post? Leave me a link in the comments, and I'll stop on by!

Review - Ten Tiny Breaths - K.A. Tucker

Title: Ten Tiny Breaths
Author: K.A. Tucker
Publisher: Atria Books
Release Date: December 9th, 2012
Series: Ten Tiny Breaths #1
Add to Goodreads | Purchase

Synopsis via Goodreads

Kacey Cleary’s whole life imploded four years ago in a drunk-driving accident. Now she’s working hard to bury the pieces left behind—all but one. Her little sister, Livie. Kacey can swallow the constant disapproval from her born-again aunt Darla over her self-destructive lifestyle; she can stop herself from going kick-boxer crazy on Uncle Raymond when he loses the girls’ college funds at a blackjack table. She just needs to keep it together until Livie is no longer a minor, and then they can get the hell out of Grand Rapids, Michigan.

But when Uncle Raymond slides into bed next to Livie one night, Kacey decides it’s time to run. Armed with two bus tickets and dreams of living near the coast, Kacey and Livie start their new lives in a Miami apartment complex, complete with a grumpy landlord, a pervert upstairs, and a neighbor with a stage name perfectly matched to her chosen “profession.” But Kacey’s not worried. She can handle all of them. What she can’t handle is Trent Emerson in apartment 1D.

Kacey doesn’t want to feel. She doesn’t. It’s safer that way. For everyone. But sexy Trent finds a way into her numb heart, reigniting her ability to love again. She starts to believe that maybe she can leave the past where it belongs and start over. Maybe she’s not beyond repair.

But Kacey isn’t the only one who’s broken. Seemingly perfect Trent has an unforgiveable past of his own; one that, when discovered, will shatter Kacey’s newly constructed life and send her back into suffocating darkness.

My rating:

4.5 Stars

Someone please slap me silly for putting this book on the backburner for so long. For real. How did I manage to skip over this book in favor of all the lesser ones that made me want to cry murderous tears? (You ever get that feeling? Where you hate a character so much—who isn’t the villain—that you wish you could just strangle them?)

Ten Tiny Breaths gives the phrase “beautifully broken” a whole new meaning for me. I don’t think I’ve enjoyed a good tortured heroine book in a long time. But that’s exactly what this was, and it was all so perfectly executed. Not once did I wish for the protagonist, Kacey, to get hit by a car and have the story *cough*mercifully*cough* end. And man am I making myself sound like a crazy for willing sudden death upon fictional characters, but it’s been a bad week in terms of finding half-decent books for me, all right?

I think it’s been a year since I’ve found a character that I love this much. Kacey Cleary is one sarcastic, hilarious, all around badass chick. The catch, then? She's got some issues. Some emotionally repressive issiues. When she was 16, she was involved in a car accident. An accident that killed her parents, her best friend, and her boyfriend. Not to mention two of the three drunken guys that caused the accident. Her sister, Livie, is all that she has left. And that accident caused more devastation than anyone thought. It left her numb.

Broke and in a new city, Kacey and Livie find a home in this dingy apartment complex and simply try to survive. There they meet their neighbors. A single mom and her daughter. And a super hot guy who goes by the name of Trent.

Trent and Kacey’s attraction happens fast. Like, really fast. By their second time meeting, before I even really get a sense of who Trent was beyond the fact that he was sexy, had dimples, and blue eyes, he was already up close and personal with Kacey. Despite that, though, it was easy to like him. He played the savior role flawlessly, even though Kacey didn’t really need it. Have I mentioned that she's badass?

One of the best parts about Kacey was how she carried herself. Confident, even though a lot of it was bravado. On the inside, she’d be anxious, and you’d never know it by the strange and amusing things that came out of her mouth. You could tell that she had issues, but the way she dealt with them was all apart of her charm. (Not that I’m saying it was particularly healthy.) She effortlessly pulled off the snarky, tough-chick vibe without being annoying at all.

I came to love the rest of the side characters as much as I did the main ones. There’s little more than half a dozen. Livie. Storm. Mia. Dan. Ben. Tanner. Cain. Nate. If you haven’t read the book, then they’re just names. But if you have, then you know that each character has their own voice and serve as more than plot devices. And damn if I didn’t enjoy the fact that none of them seemed to embrace the stereotypes surrounding them. Storm was smarter and more talented than anyone gave her credit for. Cain wasn’t as sleazy as I—and Kacey—thought he’d be with the type of business he was in. Each of them was unique and interesting, and they all became vital parts of Kacey’s life as she learned to heal from her past.

Another vital part of Kacey’s healing process was her actual romantic relationship with Trent. Or, well, it was more like the catalyst. She fought tooth and nail to not fall for him. Which, I guess, it was pretty hard to do since that man made it his life’s mission to make her happy. To make her laugh and smile. Sounds pretty sappy, but when you learn the real reason behind why…wow. I literally put my Nook down and said into the empty air: “I cannot believe this shit!” Shout out to K.A. Tucker for delivering the best spinning-kick-plot-twist I’ve read in a while.

Their HEA happened so close to the end, I never thought it’d happen. But when it did, there were tears in my eyes. And I learned a very, very valuable lesson: For the love of chocolate sauce and steaming hot coffee, the next time I put a book this good off for more than a week, someone reach through their computer screen and give me a good shaking!

Or just send me an email recommending it. That works, too. ;)

**ARC received via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review**

Stacking the Shelves #5

Stacking the Shelves is a  weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews where we share books we're adding to our shelves, be they physical or e-copies.

BOUGHT/BORROWED

The Sound - Sarah Alderson

Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea - April Genevieve Tucholke

Smash Into You - Shelly Crane

Ruin - Rachel van Dyken

Mangled Hearts - Felicia Tatum

Secret for a Song - S.K. Falls

VIA NETGALLEY

Redemption - C.J. Barry

I thought it'd be a while before I did another Stacking the Shelves post. Two weeks in, I'd still been adjusting to school. Blogging had been put on the backburner. But I just couldn't resist. These lovelies were calling to me.

I'd like to think I was super duper selective this week. At least, that's what I told myself I'd try to be. I thought I'd stick to only getting the books on my most-anticipated shelf. Things I'd waited months for and would die to read. Alas, that was not the case. While I was more selective than usual, all those pretty covers still managed to reel me in.

Anywho, enough about me. Did you do a Stacking the Shelves post? Leave me a link in the comments, and I'll stop on by!

Stacking the Shelves #4

Stacking the Shelves is a  weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews where we share books we're adding to our shelves, be they physical or e-copies.

BOUGHT/BORROWED

Lash - L.G. Castillo

The Truth About You & Me - Amanda Grace

The 5th Wave - Rick Yancey

Obsession - Jennifer L. Armentrout

VIA RAZORBILL (Thank you!)

Earthbound - Aprilynne Pike

Right now, I'm a strange mix of happy and sad because I know that with school starting in two days for me (on a Monday, no less), I'm not going to have as much time as I want to read these pretties. My three AP classes this year (that my over-achieving self thought would be SUCH a great idea to choose) just won't allow for it. So thumbs down to the guy who decided to make school start at least two weeks earlier than usual!

Mini-rant aside, I'm SOOOOOOO excited! I've been trying to get a copy of Obsession for WEEKS now, and I finally have it!!! Let the Jennifer L. Armentrout fest begin! If you've been following me for a while, you'd already know that I LOVE me some JLA. And then there was Earthbound, which came in the mail in at the most perfect time ever! Another thanks to Razorbill for that!

The 5th Wave has been getting some fantastic reviews from some people whose opinions I trust, so I can't wait to start in on that one. Lash and The Truth About You & Me have some pretty frickin' swoony covers, which is like eyecandy (or crack) to a romance addict like me! Plus, it's been a while since I've read an angel story, so I'm super eager to dive into Lash as well.

Anywho, enough about me. Did you do a Stacking the Shelves post? Leave me a link in the comments, and I'll stop on by!

Waiting on Wednesday #4

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event that is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine and spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating.

MY PICK FOR THIS WEEK:

Title: Deception
Author: C.J. Redwine
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Release Date: August 27th, 2013
Series: Defiance #2

Synopsis via Goodreads

Baalboden has been ravaged. The brutal Commander's whereabouts are unknown. And Rachel, grief stricken over her father's death, needs Logan more than ever. With their ragged group of survivors struggling to forge a future, it's up to Logan to become the leader they need—with Rachel by his side. Under constant threat from rival Carrington's army, who is after the device that controls the Cursed One, the group decides to abandon the ruins of their home and take their chances in the Wasteland.



But soon their problems intensify tenfold: someone—possibly inside their ranks—is sabotaging the survivors, picking them off one by one. The chaos and uncertainty of each day puts unbearable strain on Rachel and Logan, and it isn't long before they feel their love splintering. Even worse, as it becomes clear that the Commander will stop at nothing to destroy them, the band of survivors begins to question whether the price of freedom may be too great—and whether, hunted by their enemies and the murderous traitor in their midst, they can make it out of the Wasteland alive.

In this daring sequel to Defiance, with the world they once loved forever destroyed, Rachel and Logan must decide between a life on the run and standing their ground to fight.

WHY I'M WAITING: 

Ooh look at that foggy, mysterious background on the cover! I like how Rachel's hair stands out amongst all that darkness--kind of symbolic, no? Anyway, if this book turns out to be half as good as the previous one, I will be happy. Rachel was such a strong, defiant (if you will) character and that's usually what makes or breaks a series for me. Also, this series is great because I'm not typically one for dystopian novels, but Defiance pushed past my prejudice and forced me to love it.

Stacking the Shelves #2

Stacking the Shelves is a  weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews where we share books we're adding to our shelves, be they physical or e-copies.

BOUGHT/BORROWED

The Immortal Rules - Julie Kagawa

Unteachable - Leah Raeder

VIA NETGALLEY

Bound By Night - Larissa Ione

The Bane - Keary Taylor

Ahhh I'm so excited about this batch! I freaked out when I spotted Bound By Night on NetGalley. Like, I stood up and jumped around and squealed. It's been soooooo long since I've read her Demonica series that you'd think I'd forgotten how addictive her writing is. Nope! Nopenopenope! Plus that swoon-worthy cover. With that leather jacket and those black jeans and that V-neck and those hypnotic eyes...reminds me of that one picture of Ian Somerhalder (whom I continue to unabashedly rave over).

Check it out:

The hand. The space between shirt and jeans. The entire pose, actually. It looks like they modeled the entire thing after this picture. Can't blame 'em, though. *fans self*

Anyway, I've read mostly complimentary things about each book so if you guys don't hear from me in a while it's because I've turned my bedroom into a cave and don't plan on coming out until I've devoured each book. 

Now that that's settled, feel free to tell me what's new on your shelf! Happy reading!

Review - MacRieve - By: Kresley Cole

Title: Macrieve
Author: Kresley Cole
Publisher: Gallery Books
Release Date: July 2nd, 2013
Series: Immortals After Dark #13
Add to Goodreads | Purchase

Synopsis via Goodreads

In this pulse-pounding Immortals After Dark tale, #1 New York Times bestselling author Kresley Cole delves into the darkest mysteries and deepest passions of Clan MacRieve. . .

A Beast In Torment

Uilleam MacRieve believed he’d laid to rest the ghosts of his boyhood. But when a brutal torture revives those ancient agonies and destroys his Lykae instinct, the proud Scot craves the oblivion of death. Until he finds her—a young human so full of spirit and courage that she pulls him back from the brink.

A Beauty In Chains

Seized for the auction block, Chloe Todd is forced to enter a terrifying new world of monsters and lore as a bound slave. When offered up to creatures of the dark, she fears she won’t last the night. Until she’s claimed by him—a tormented immortal with heartbreaking eyes, whose touch sets her blood on fire.

A Full Moon On The Rise

With enemies circling, MacRieve spirits Chloe away to the isolated Highland keep of his youth. But once he takes her to his bed, his sensual mate becomes something more than human, evoking his savage past and testing his sanity. On the cusp of the full moon, can he conquer his worst nightmare to save Chloe . . . from himself?

My rating:

After sorting through a bunch of "meh" YA and New Adult, the release of Kresley Cole's MacRieve was just the non-narcotic boost I needed. I feel like a random, crazy song & dance is in order. Or maybe just a spontaneous combustion or something.

Yes! I give it 5 freaking stars and this book earned every single one of them.

I don't even know where to begin with Will and his mate, Chloe, so let me just start off by mentioning: yes, Chloe definitely is a species that hadn't really been delved into yet, as per Kresley Cole's tweeting about the novel prior to its release. And yes, within 10 or so pages of reading I'd correctly guessed what she'd be.

And now that that's out of the way, onto the best part: Chloe's personality. Chloe was amazing! She's my favorite heroine in the series, I think. From her first appearance to her last, her character was consistent and entertaining. Initially, she was human, but when she got tossed into the Lore she took it all head-on with her stay-positive attitude. She was badass without being too flashy about it. She was tough and hilarious and NEVER backed down without all of the obnoxiousness that comes from being all of those things. From the start, she never took any of Will's shit (and there was A LOT of it), and when things got rough between them--and not in the good, naughty way--she'd fire right back at him. She had a game plan of what she was going to do even as more problems were flying at her that she never strayed from. Everything about her was real, even as the world she'd known wasn't, and I really enjoyed reading about her.

And then we have Will aka Uilleam aka Ooh-lay-umm as Nix called him. He was a mess. A big, dark mess and he knew it. I mean, it was somewhat understandable considering what happened to him in the past and then what happened during his capture & torture. He was this big, broody, broken Lykae who suddenly found his mate, and just when things were looking up...in true KC fashion, everything came crashing down in a big pile of lust, anger, bitterness, past trauma, and prejudice. The romance between him and Chloe happened so quickly (I think he fell for her in all of 24 hours, but it's okay 'cause Chloe's just that awesome) and so when it went awry, it nearly self-destructed. Will had a lot of things he needed to work on before he could be with Chloe (namely his disgust for her species) but when he finally got over it, it was glorious.

The later half or so took an interesting turn. It kind of reminded me of a fairy tale, something like Sleeping Beauty or Snow White. Chloe got sick, and [*this might be a little spoilery, so keep reading at your own risk*] only Will's literal "true love" could save her. If there was no love, then she would have died. Except, this is a KC novel, so instead of true love's kiss saving her, it's true love's third time doing the horizontal tango. After that, it stopped focusing on Will & Chloe's relationship, as they got their HEA a little early.

We get a couple surprises, and if I'm not wrong, I think Munro might be next in line with his HEA looking at how badly things ended for him. Or maybe not, since he'd need a bit of time to wait and see how things go. I know I'm being vague, but I'm trying not to give any spoilers away.

As for cameos from other characters in past books, there weren't many in person. Nix, of course, was there, as was Malkom Slaine. Some were merely mentioned. Others like Regin and Mariketa were only there through overheard cell phone conversations, which was kind of a bummer and a good thing. It left room for Chloe & Will to develop their feelings for one another, but I kinda wanted to know what was going on with everyone else.

As always, KC delivers with this book. Her prose was gripping as she delved deeper with the worldbuilding and introduced new characters and new species of the Lore. It took me about two days to finish this book, since the only time I put it down was when I all but passed out from exhaustion. Chloe & Will fit so well together while still being strong individuals. And while there was more focus on building up the romance and not as much action as we'd usually see in an IAD novel, it's okay because the romance is what I'm here for anyways :)