Tuesday, August 30, 2016

Review: Broken Prince (The Royals #2) by Erin Watt


Published: July 25, 2016 by Timeout LLC
Genre: Contemporary
Format: ebook
Source: purchased
Goodreads Summary

These Royals will ruin you…

From wharf fights and school brawls to crumbling lives inside glittery mansions, one guy tries to save himself.

Reed Royal has it all—looks, status, money. The girls at his elite prep school line up to date him, the guys want to be him, but Reed never gave a damn about anyone but his family until Ella Harper walked into his life.

What started off as burning resentment and the need to make his father’s new ward suffer turned into something else entirely—keep Ella close. Keep Ella safe. But when one foolish mistake drives her out of Reed’s arms and brings chaos to the Royal household, Reed’s entire world begins to fall apart around him.

Ella doesn’t want him anymore. She says they’ll only destroy each other.

She might be right.

Secrets. Betrayal. Enemies. It’s like nothing Reed has ever dealt with before, and if he’s going to win back his princess, he’ll need to prove himself Royally worthy.


The Good


This series is a train-wreck that I can't stop watching. The characters in this book are all messed up, and not just the usual 'flawed'...they are seriously messed up. The phrase 'broken' describes Reed rather well. I can't help but get sucked in to the crazy chaos in these pages. I've compared it to Gossip Girl in the first one, and I think that still applies. It's a bunch of people who have money to buy them out of almost anything they come up against so they feel the right to do anything.

There's the Royal family who all have one sick problem or another. However, I can't help but root for them and hope everything turns out in their favor. Why do I even like these people? The authors are just that good. I can't stop reading. I devoured these pages.

The Bad


Stupid cliffhanger...stupid bad crazy twist cliffhanger ending.

The Romance


Reed seriously screwed up in Paper Princess. I can't really say much about what happens in the romance department in this one without spoiling everything. There is a lot of back-stabbing, blackmailing, breakups, hookups, and twisted sordid affairs.

Conclusion


I can't stay away. The pages just suck me in and won't let me go. It's a mess with so much wrong morally that I can't even mention a lot of it. It's a bunch of rich and spoiled crazies with drama on 10.





Sunday, August 28, 2016

Sunday Cover Scramble [181]



Let's have some fun! I am going to post covers on here every Sunday that are scrambled up graphically, making it hard to tell what cover it is. I would like your guesses on what cover you think I've posted. I won't answer you until I'm posting the next one to let you know if you are right, allowing others to guess as well. Some will be hard, and others may be easy. Let me know in the comments if you'd like some more hints and I'll offer some more if no one guesses it correctly.


I am pulling covers off the Most Popular Page on Goodreads.









Tuesday, August 23, 2016

Review: Deity (The Covenant #3) by Jennifer L. Armentrout


Published: October 31, 2012 by Spencer Hill Press
Genre: YA, Paranormal Fantasy
Format: ebook
Source: purchased
Goodreads Summary

"History is on repeat, and things didn't go so well the last time. "


Alexandria isn't sure she's going to make it to her eighteenth birthday--to her Awakening. A long-forgotten, fanatical order is out to kill her, and if the Council ever discovers what she did in the Catskills, she's a goner... and so is Aiden.

If that's not freaky enough, whenever Alex and Seth spend time "training"--which really is just Seth's code word for some up-close and personal one-on-one time--she ends up with another mark of the Apollyon, which brings her one step closer to Awakening ahead of schedule. Awesome.

But as her birthday draws near, her entire world shatters with a startling revelation and she's caught between love and Fate. One will do anything to protect her. One has been lying to her since the beginning. Once the gods have revealed themselves, unleashing their wrath, lives will be irrevocably changed... and destroyed.

Those left standing will discover if love is truly greater than Fate...


The Good


I read this in one sitting. Then I came to that ending! UGH Armentrout has a knack of tearing you up with an ending and have you salivating for the next book. I'm going to take a bit of a break on this series though after this one and finish the rest later.

So much happens. I'm loving the mythology that runs rampant through the story and how that aspect is so different from what I've read before. I just love these characters as well. I think it's great that Alex has a hard time really trusting anyone and it makes me suspicious of EVERYONE while reading. Even characters she may not be.

While I did call one of the surprises, I was still surprised by other twists that took place. Just about everyone should have at least one shock, even those that are excellent at predicting what could come. The story is rocketing into new territory by the end of this one. Deity is definitely a book that turns the series on its head.

The Bad


Alex goes through so much in Deity, but her choices have a way of landing her in a bunch of trouble. While I love her, that's definitely an area of her character that I hope to enjoy seeing more growth in through future books.

The Romance


Alex does have two guys vying for her attention, but the truth is I've only felt that one is a viable option. I really liked where this one went in terms of romance. It really moved things along on that front.

Conclusion


Deity is full of twists and surprises. Some you may see coming, but I bet you won't be able to guess them all. There is a good amount of action and intensity. There are truths revealed and some great depths into the characters with more background information revealed. Alex does have a habit of making some wrong choices, and I do hope to see that part of her character grow in the future. The ending is one that will have you yelling at Armentrout for a bit. Recommended.



Sunday, August 21, 2016

Sunday Cover Scramble [180]



Let's have some fun! I am going to post covers on here every Sunday that are scrambled up graphically, making it hard to tell what cover it is. I would like your guesses on what cover you think I've posted. I won't answer you until I'm posting the next one to let you know if you are right, allowing others to guess as well. Some will be hard, and others may be easy. Let me know in the comments if you'd like some more hints and I'll offer some more if no one guesses it correctly.


I am pulling covers off the Most Popular Page on Goodreads.









Tuesday, August 16, 2016

Review: Poison Study (Study #1) by Maria V. Snyder


Published: March 1, 2007 by Mira
Genre: YA, Paranormal Fantasy
Format: ebook
Source: purchased
Goodreads Summary

Choose: A quick death…Or slow poison...

About to be executed for murder, Yelena is offered an extraordinary reprieve. She'll eat the best meals, have rooms in the palace—and risk assassination by anyone trying to kill the Commander of Ixia.

And so Yelena chooses to become a food taster. But the chief of security, leaving nothing to chance, deliberately feeds her Butterfly's Dust—and only by appearing for her daily antidote will she delay an agonizing death from the poison.

As Yelena tries to escape her new dilemma, disasters keep mounting. Rebels plot to seize Ixia and Yelena develops magical powers she can't control. Her life is threatened again and choices must be made. But this time the outcomes aren't so clear...

The Good


Jessica over at A Great Read has been telling me to read this since I started blogging years ago.

I should've listened sooner. So good. OK let's walk through all the points that make this story great. The plot line is about a girl, Yelena, who kills her abuser. Yeah girl! I'm immediately rallying behind her. She is put on death row and about to pay for her crime when the assassin, Valek, offers her the chance to become the food taster of the Commander. Ten points already for being an assassin. And steamy. Then we have the setting of Ixia which is divided by eight districts and govered by generals under the Commander's rule. Magic is not allowed in this world, and only in Sitia can magic run free.

The journey through the story was so entertaining. Yelena trains with Valek to learn poisons and hopefully not die. Meanwhile, she works on self defense with two great side characters Janco and Ari. She runs into people that she shouldn't trust but does, and people she should trust but doesn't. There is mind control, hiding in trees, fire dancing, and an awesome library. Yelena doesn't start out very strong at all, as a character she is weak but smart. However, by the end I wouldn't mess with her.


The Bad


There may have been flaws, but I just didn't see them.


The Romance


Now here we have quite a slow burn romance, and let me say that Valek is a favorite character of mine so I enjoy this pairing quite a lot. However, when the romance happens, it's like YEAH NOW. I was left wondering where on earth that whole middle portion went. Not that I'm complaining too much because of the story there wasn't much romance in it to begin with.

Conclusion


There's a mo bad heroine, hunky assassin, magic, kingdoms, tree jumping, trust issues, and some truly terrible bad guys. I loved reading this story. There was quite a bit of action and the plot was thoroughly entertaining. I came to love the main characters as well as some amazing side characters. Recommended.




Sunday, August 14, 2016

Sunday Cover Scramble [179]



Let's have some fun! I am going to post covers on here every Sunday that are scrambled up graphically, making it hard to tell what cover it is. I would like your guesses on what cover you think I've posted. I won't answer you until I'm posting the next one to let you know if you are right, allowing others to guess as well. Some will be hard, and others may be easy. Let me know in the comments if you'd like some more hints and I'll offer some more if no one guesses it correctly.


I am pulling covers off the Most Popular Page on Goodreads.







Thursday, August 11, 2016

Harry Potter Moment of the Week [112]


This is a meme hosted by Uncorked Thoughts and Lunar Rainbows.The idea is to share a favorite moment, magical item, character, spell, quote, object from the books, films or J.K.Rowling herself! Click the links to the blogs to see how to join up &  upcoming topics.

What shop would be your first stop on your first trip to Hogsmeade in the third year?


I think that I would be all about The Three Broomsticks and grabbing me a mug of Butterbeer especially with how cold it always seems to be when they go. Plus, it seems like the place everyone kind of gathers before heading back to the castle. That doesn't really seem like a 'shop' though. So I know I would want to check out Honeyduke's and Zonko's! Then make a trip to see The Shrieking Shack :D


What shop would you visit?

Tuesday, August 9, 2016

Review: Raven King (The Raven Cycle #4) by Maggie Stiefvater


Published: April 26, 2016 by Scholastic Press
Genre: YA, Paranormal Fantasy
Format: ebook
Source: purchased
Goodreads Summary

The fourth and final installment in the spellbinding series from the irrepressible, #1 New York Times bestselling author Maggie Stiefvater.

All her life, Blue has been warned that she will cause her true love's death. She doesn't believe in true love and never thought this would be a problem, but as her life becomes caught up in the strange and sinister world of the Raven Boys, she's not so sure anymore.

In a starred review for Blue Lily, Lily Blue, Kirkus Reviews declared: "Expect this truly one-of-a-kind series to come to a thundering close."

The Good


My goodness this one is hard to review especially trying to avoid any spoilers so it will be very vague on purpose. OK so I didn't even want to start this series because the blurb in the first one suggests that a character will die and I'm just not alright with main characters dying so I decided not to even put myself through that. I did though. I read it. I will say that this series ended on a note that felt right. It is an amazing journey with some very well developed characters that continue to grow in each installment. This one shows different sides of characters that you think you already know by this point. You don't know though. Not until you've read this one.

I loved how every thread was brought together and we got some great wrap ups. I love how there were still surprises and crazy twists to throw at us. I love how even if you went into this expecting something, it was still a little shocking when it happened. The story moves at a wonderful pace. We get a more in depth look at characters that were just briefly mentioned previously. I was a fan of the addition of Henry especially since there was a lot less of Noah.

Then there's Ronan and how he is so much more open. How he's accepting Blue and they're bonding a bit. Their little moments together were some of my favorites. There's Gansey with his NEED to wake the sleeping King. He has the drive to accomplish something more and then the ability to realize his life is already something more. Adam has a huge character realization for which I was glad. I especially loved seeing him let go of his past hurts. Blue...I don't think there's any way that I would've held it together the way she did.

The Bad


The repetition of certain things, while they were in essence proving a point, got a little on my nerves after a while.

The Romance


There was some great romantic parts in this one. Again, no spoilers, but it was big on romantic love, new beginnings, and life-long friendships.

Conclusion


Raven King is a great conclusion to a magical series. It was full of drama, action, magic, character growth, and mystery. It was everything you expect and everything you couldn't possibly. Definitely recommended.




Sunday, August 7, 2016

Sunday Cover Scramble [178]



Let's have some fun! I am going to post covers on here every Sunday that are scrambled up graphically, making it hard to tell what cover it is. I would like your guesses on what cover you think I've posted. I won't answer you until I'm posting the next one to let you know if you are right, allowing others to guess as well. Some will be hard, and others may be easy. Let me know in the comments if you'd like some more hints and I'll offer some more if no one guesses it correctly.


I am pulling covers off the Most Popular Page on Goodreads.









Thursday, August 4, 2016

Harry Potter Moment of the Week [111]


This is a meme hosted by Uncorked Thoughts and Lunar Rainbows.The idea is to share a favorite moment, magical item, character, spell, quote, object from the books, films or J.K.Rowling herself! Click the links to the blogs to see how to join up &  upcoming topics.

Favorite Prisoner of Azkaban Quote


McGonagall and her sass :D This one is from when Professor Trelawney predicted Harry would die in the next year and then they went to Transfiguration immediately after.


“You look in excellent health to me, Potter, so you will excuse me if I don't let you off homework today. I assure you that if you do die, you need not hand it in.”


What is your favorite quotes?

Tuesday, August 2, 2016

Review: Mixed Feelings (Empathy in the Preternatural PNW #1) by Olivia R. Burton


Published: May 31, 2016 by Peacock Deceiving a Suitcase
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Format: ebook
Source: Sent for honest review
Goodreads Summary

Being a therapist means dealing with other people's problems, but this is getting ridiculous.

Despite being an empath who tastes and feels others' emotions, Gwen Arthur's always managed to stay under the radar and out of the preternatural world. The worst she's had to deal with is a horny werewolf private eye named Mel.

Until now.

It starts with a terrifying visit from the monsters that plagued Gwen's childhood nightmares. They're back and they seem to think she's someone else entirely--someone very powerful. Someone capable of taking on the task they lay at her feet: find a group of kidnapped, magically gifted children before they're killed. Or worse.

She's got her smart mouth, her eerily competent best friend Chloe and, yes, even irritatingly attractive Mel to help her through this assignment. Hopefully that'll be enough, because she's also caught the attention of an invisible, candy-stealing interloper on top of everything else.

It's hard enough helping others sort through emotional turmoil, but now Gwen's got to rescue missing kids, figure out this whole “supernatural” thing, and treat Mel like a person? It's enough to give a girl MIXED FEELINGS.


The Good


Gwen is a great leading character. She's not the in your face amazing heroine here to save the day, she's here for the sugar. She has a lot of flaws and isn't super powerful. However as an empath, she has some skills to offer and she also can't say no to helping save some missing kids. I loved the look at reading people's emotions and how they felt to Gwen. There's plenty of room for growth both in character and in powers and I'm looking forward to that exploration.

Gwen has quite the interesting supporting cast. Best friend Chloe is a bit of an enigma to me, but she was an amazing friend. It is apparent that she's keeping something from us though and I don't know what that is yet. Mel gets a laugh out of riling Gwen up. He is constantly coming on to her and mostly it's because she says it drives her crazy. However, he's there for her in a pinch and is someone she can count on. There is also a mystery character that we haven't met yet that leaves Gwen notes and steals her sugar stash. I'm definitely wondering where that is going to lead. There are some other interesting characters as well that I assume we'll see more of.

Burton is excellent at keeping the pace moving. There is plenty of action along with some fun dialogue that kept me very entertained. The humor throughout was well placed and had me laughing often. I was never bored by this and am ready to move on to the next book in the series. It is filled with fae, demons, vampires, werewolves, and all other chaotic supernaturals.

The Bad


The only small nitpick I have is that Gwen is a therapist and yet doesn't think very therapist-like thoughts. I don't really know how to explain it, but she tells us what she can pick up from people regarding their emotions, but there are no 'ah ha' moments about someone's character that she derives from psychology. For instance, Mel is a lady's man hopping from bed to bed every night and Gwen hasn't once guessed that it's because he had an absent mother or no father's influence. I guess I expected some more therapist lingo in her head.

The Romance


Mel would jump in the sack with Gwen at the slightest implication. Could they be more than a good time in bed? Gwen hasn't given in yet, but only time will tell where their relationship can go. I will say there is plenty of tension there.

Conclusion


Mixed Feelings is fast paced and filled with a mixture of humor, crazy supernaturals, mystery, and action. I enjoyed the main character and how much growth potential she has as well. I loved the blend of different supporting characters and the excitement they offer. All in all, I was very drawn in to their world and look forward to seeing where the story goes from here. Very recommended.