Red Queen - Victoria Aveyard

Title:  Red Queen (Red Queen Series - Book 1)

Author: Victoria Aveyard

Synopsis from Goodreads:   

The poverty stricken Reds are commoners, living under the rule of the Silvers, elite warriors with god-like powers.

To Mare Barrow, a 17-year-old Red girl from The Stilts, it looks like nothing will ever change.

Mare finds herself working in the Silver Palace, at the centre of

those she hates the most. She quickly discovers that, despite her red blood, she possesses a deadly power of her own. One that threatens to destroy Silver control.

But power is a dangerous game. And in this world divided by blood, who will win?

Five Line Book Review:

I'm going to have to apologize in advanced, because I already know that keeping this review to five sentences is going to be very difficult, so I'm not even going to try.  

The Red Queen started popping up in my newsfeeds and emails a couple months ago, and despite the hype, mentally I was prepared to be disappointed. I was finding it compared to The Selection Series and Graceling, both books (series) I have read, and both of them I started out loving and ended up not very happy with them for different reasons.  Also, with big named publishers, books tend to get a lot of hype and advertisement because of who is backing them.  What I'm trying to say is, I wasn't buying into the hype.  I saw the book on my library's Overdrive Ebooks list and thought it was at least worth a chance.

I.want.to.own.these.books.  ...and book 1 is the only one out.

So, I can see the relationship to The Selection and Graceling, and I would add The Hunger Games in the mix too, because of the arrogant turning their noses on those who provide them basically everything.  The world building was absolutely excellent!  I didn't feel lost or confused about what was going on or why.  I also really enjoyed that none of the characters were perfect, every last one of them had their strengths and flaws making the story feel more believable, and is a bit rare in these dystopian type books - usually at least one of the characters is a little extra special.  I did find that much of the book was predictable; due to foreshadowing I really wasn't surprised by much of the story at all, but I absolutely LOVED reading it through.  If I were to pick a favorite part, I would say it would be the conversations between Mere and Cal and Mere and Maven, the Princes of the kingdom; and how while the book was about the ruling class of super-humans and the normal humans living as a secondary slave class, both sides of the spectrum feel trapped and confined by their lives.  It really plays in the whole "grass is not always greener on the other side" concept, although there truly is a lesser more oppressed side.

The biggest downside of this series....now the wait for book 2 has begun!

Rated:  PG-13; Some Cussing

Genre: Young Adult: Dystopian, Romance

Rating:  5 Stars

The Taking - Kimberly Derting

Title: The Taking

Author: Kimberly Derting

Synopsis from Goodreads:   

A flash of white light . . . and then . . . nothing. 

When sixteen-year-old Kyra Agnew wakes up behind a Dumpster at the Gas ’n’ Sip, she has no memory of how she got there. With a terrible headache and a major case of déjà vu, she heads home only to discover that five years have passed . . . yet she hasn’t aged a day. 

Everything else about Kyra’s old life is different. Her parents are divorced, her boyfriend, Austin, is in college and dating her best friend, and her dad has changed from an uptight neat-freak to a drunken conspiracy theorist who blames her five-year disappearance on little green men. 

Confused and lost, Kyra isn’t sure how to move forward unless she uncovers the truth. With Austin gone, she turns to Tyler, Austin’s annoying kid brother, who is now seventeen and who she has a sudden undeniable attraction to. As Tyler and Kyra retrace her steps from the fateful night of her disappearance, they discover strange phenomena that no one can explain, and they begin to wonder if Kyra’s father is not as crazy as he seems. There are others like her who have been taken . . . and returned. Kyra races to find an explanation and reclaim the life she once had, but what if the life she wants back is not her own?

Five Line Book Review:

I am not one to pick books that have an “alien” feel about it because it’s just not something I’m interested in, however, the idea of waking up and 5 years have passed, dealing with that and the fact that everyone else has aged and moved on while you’re exactly the same as when you left; I just found the premise enticing, thus saying ‘yes’ to The Taking.  I was not disappointed with this book in the slightest, it had the drama I was looking for and just enough of the sci-fi aspect to make a good story without taking it too far ::cough, cough:: ‘out of this world’ for my liking.  I felt like the book may have progressed a little too quickly in the romance part; while 5 years had passed for Taylor and he was acting on a childhood crush, only a few days had passed for Kyra – and after reading about her relationship with Austin, I wasn’t quite ready for Taylor.  Regardless, I was completely sucked into this book from the onset, the characters are captivating and the storytelling was truly excellent; I completely recommend reading this one if you’re into a light sci-fi theme.  I’m already anticipating the next book which is due to release in April (oh the day before my birthday in fact), and discovering more about why these people are being taken – is war coming? an invasion? or is it just basic evolution sped forward because of some weird black hole situation?

Rated: PG-13 - There's cussing  

Genre: Young Adult, Sci-Fi/Romance

Rating:  4 of 5

How To Hook A Bookworm - Cassie Mae

Title: How To Hook a Bookworm

Author: Cassie Mae

Synopsis from Goodreads:   

Getting kissed for a birthday present should not be a big deal. Especially for Brea Mason, who doesn’t think of her best friend, Adam Silver, in any way other than… well, a friend. But after the liplock she can’t seem to get him off her mind. And she has to, because Adam is a senior while she’s stuck in high school for another two years.

Then BAM, the perfect distraction comes along in the form of a new, hot sophomore who actually seems interested in Brea, despite her anti-social personality. And with the stress at home, stress at school, and ignoring the reality of all her friends leaving come June, Brea welcomes the distraction.

But when she sees four fat Fs on her report card, Brea needs a study buddy, and the best candidate is Adam, book nerd and math whiz. So she enlists his help, hoping the birthday kiss was just a fluke. After all, she has a boyfriend now. It should be easy to ignore the butterflies and fizzy feelings that arise with the bookworm… right?

Five Line Book Review:

How to Hook a Bookworm is book 3 in Cassie Mae's How To series, a series I have absolutely adored from the very beginning because the series as a whole is a cute, fun shout out to all of the fandoms out there.  This book was my favorite though, which is surprising since I thought Band Geek would totally take that spot since I, myself, was a band geek.  There was just something about Brea and Adam I fell in love with; perhaps it was the best friend scenario, or the building tension, or just Brea's personal growth in general.  I also am always a bit thankful when a learning disability (no matter the form) is thrown into these books; as my son is dyslexic and struggles with things, test anxiety included, and I really just enjoy writing that includes all types of scenarios; maybe someone who struggles with the same issues will pick up the book and feel like maybe they aren't alone.  I also enjoyed that in all three of the How To books, all of the couples have put the sex issue on the other side of marriage, for reasons that include simply, "because I want to," and because they "stopped making decisions based on how popular they (the decisions) are," something I completely respect!

And, for all the How To fans out there - this book includes a certain wedding that you simply don't want to miss!! 

Rated:  5 Stars

Genre: Young Adult - Romance

Rating:  PG13 - Teenage apropriate talk of sex, mild cussing

Cover Release: Prove Me Wrong by Tessa Marie

 

Prove Me Wrong by Tessa Marie

COVER REVEAL

2/6/15

A single secret changes everything.

With no college ambition—or desire to care—Luke Hannon’s ready to bail on school before senior year even begins. But when he spots the hot new girl reading an upside down map, he changes his mind.

Hailey Saldino desperately wants to start fresh at a school where she's free of the snide remarks and hurtful stares. A place where no one knows her past…or her son, Brady.

Luke wants a no strings attached, physical relationship, until Hailey becomes more than a cute girl in a skirt. Usually his bad boy reputation hooks the ladies but it won't be enough to land a girl like Hailey. Needing a lasting approach, Luke decides to be honest. No lies. No BS. As the connection between them deepens, Luke shares all his shameful secrets.

Afraid to lose one of the few people who’s ever looked at her as something other than a slut, Hailey buries herself in compounding lies. And when Hailey's purposeful deceit blindsides Luke, he must decide if he'll walk away, or accept Hailey and the little man she already loves.

ADD IT TO YOUR GOODREADS TBR PILE: http://bit.ly/1Li0xoF

~*~ABOUT TESSA MARIE~*~

Tessa Marie lives in the same town she grew up in on Long Island, NY with her long time boyfriend and their fish. Her debut novel (NEVER) AGAIN, a NA romance, released in Fall 2013 with Berkley (Penguin) and it’s sequel, (ONCE) AGAIN released Summer 2014 under her real name, Theresa Paolo. She is also the coauthor of the Amazon bestseller KING SIZED BEDS AND HAPPY TRAILS and BEACH SIDE BEDS AND SANDY PATHS, a YA contemporary series. She has a hard time accepting the fact she’s nearing thirty, and uses her characters to relive the best and worst years of her life. She put her love of writing on hold while she received her Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing from Dowling College. When she’s not writing, she’s behind a camera, reading, or can be found on Twitter, Pinterest and Facebook.

Cover Reveal: Burnt Devotion - Rebecca Ethington

Title:  Burnt Devotion

Series: Imdalind Series

Author: Rebecca Ethington
Release Date: March 22, 2015

 Burnt Devotion, Book 5 in the Imdalind Series. Dawn of Ash - the previously announced book five has now been moved to book 6. Yes! An extra book. If you        have been waiting for the next installment of The Imdalind Series this is the book you         have been waiting for!

--

It was supposed to be the final battle, the one to end Edmund’s line, his life, and free the magic Edmund had taken from the world. That was how it was foreseen. The end of the battle that has raged for centuries, unbeknownst to the mortals around them, the battle that would end with Joclyn’s death.

But it did neither.

The battle still reigns, Joclyn still lives, and the sight that was given eight hundred years ago is broken.

And it’s not the only one.

          Sights that were once thought infallible have become nothing more than scattered             glass, with broken pieces shattering into incorrect visages. Sain clings to the magic that                 he knows to be true, but there is something else, something that he is not saying.                              And what he does say is no longer adding up.

Something is wrong.

Ilyan and his people move through the caves, following a sight they hope to be correct, fleeing a battle that should have been the end while the battle within each of them grows with each step.

Ryland fights the monsters his father has infected him with.

Wynifred fights the confusion of who she is.

Dramin fights to live.

Prague may not survive this battle, it may be ripped to shreds… or burned to ashes.

Burnt Devotion is a Clean Young-Adult Paranormal Romance

Language: Mild to Moderate

Violence: Moderate

Sexual Content: Low to None

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1xUq399

Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1yHcrDw

Barnes & Nobles: http://bit.ly/157aTGB

Smashwords: http://bit.ly/1KZoDV6

Rebecca Ethington is a story teller and author from Salt Lake City, Utah. She has been telling stories since she was small. First, with writing crude scripts, and then in stage with years of theatrical performances. Rebecca’s first stint into the world of literary writing, The Imdalind Series, was released in October 2012 and since its release each book has been found in several top 100 lists on Amazon. Rebecca is a mother to two, and wife to her best friend of 14 years. Her days are spent writing, running, and enjoying life with her crazy family.

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/rebeccaethington.author
Website - www.rebeccaethington.com
Twitter - @RebEthington

The International best selling Imdalind Series continues in the highly anticipated fifth installment, Burnt Devotion. Discover the series that USA Today’s Happily Ever After blog called “interesting and intense.”

Branded at a young age by a mysterious mark on her skin, Joclyn’s life has been shrouded with mystery and lies. Abandoned by her father, and forced to keep her deformity a secret. Joclyn lives with a haunting secret that she can’t share with anyone… not even her best friend, Ryland.

But Ryland knows something she doesn’t, and when he finds the mark all of the secrets become dangers that threaten to destroy not only Joclyn’s life, but the fragile thread of a world that she didn’t even know existed.

With over 200,000 copies sold, THE IMDALIND SERIES  is a riveting drama that will quench your thirst for the final saga.

Kiss of Fire (Imdalind #1)

FREE

Amazon: http://amzn.to/13piBuF
B&N: http://bit.ly/1v8q7Rr
Kobo: http://bit.ly/1wSBWAk
iBooks: http://bit.ly/1GJYyGk

Eyes of Ember (Imdalind #2)

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1DZandX
B&N: http://bit.ly/1xBsDXm
Kobo: http://bit.ly/13RxrLP
iBooks: http://bit.ly/1AuMU0a

Scorched Treachery (Imdalind #3)

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1z9oRjg
B&N: http://bit.ly/1x9ii59
Kobo: http://bit.ly/1wSDNW3
iBooks: http://bit.ly/1z9pd9A

Soul of Flame (Imdalind #4)

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1sXigMq
B&N: http://bit.ly/1JEg4OS
Kobo: http://bit.ly/1ALeOmR
iBooks: http://bit.ly/1Cpqtch

These Broken Stars - Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner

Title: These Broken Stars

Author: Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner

Synopsis from Goodreads:   

Luxury spaceliner Icarus suddenly plummets from hyperspace into the nearest planet. Lilac LaRoux and Tarver Merendsen survive -- alone. Lilac is the daughter of the richest man in the universe. Tarver comes from nothing, a cynical war hero. Both journey across the eerie deserted terrain for help. Everything changes when they uncover the truth. 

The Starbound Trilogy: Three worlds. Three love stories. One enemy.

Five Line Book Review:

These Broken Stars was a good adventure of twist and turns, a new planet, and budding love, and I look forward to reading the remainder of The Starbound Triliogy.  At the start of the book I almost felt like I was back on a cruise ship with all the different decks, entertainment options; but I felt the book really took off once Lilac and Tarver landed on the unknown planet.  As for the characters, I really enjoyed Lilac and Tarver’s relationship, it was fun at the beginning with each of them trying to display uninterest and disdane, and then growing into fondness with obvious attraction into something more.  I did love Lilac and Tarver (who doesn't love star crossed lovers...literally), but I think the best aspects of this book were the world building and the story line/emotional roller coaster that the authors took you on.

Rated:  PG 

Genre: Young Adult

Rating:  3.5 Stars - While I did love the world building, the travel time/time between action seemed kind of lengthy

The Law of Moses - Amy Harmon

Title: The Law of Moses

Author: Amy Harmon

Synopsis from Goodreads:   

If I tell you right up front, right in the beginning that I lost him, it will be easier for you to bear. You will know it’s coming, and it will hurt. But you’ll be able to prepare.

Someone found him in a laundry basket at the Quick Wash, wrapped in a towel, a few hours old and close to death. They called him Baby Moses when they shared his story on the ten o’clock news – the little baby left in a basket at a dingy Laundromat, born to a crack addict and expected to have all sorts of problems. I imagined the crack baby, Moses, having a giant crack that ran down his body, like he’d been broken at birth. I knew that wasn’t what the term meant, but the image stuck in my mind. Maybe the fact that he was broken drew me to him from the start.

It all happened before I was born, and by the time I met Moses and my mom told me all about him, the story was old news and nobody wanted anything to do with him. People love babies, even sick babies. Even crack babies. But babies grow up to be kids, and kids grow up to be teenagers. Nobody wants a messed up teenager.

And Moses was messed up. Moses was a law unto himself. But he was also strange and exotic and beautiful. To be with him would change my life in ways I could never have imagined. Maybe I should have stayed away. Maybe I should have listened. My mother warned me. Even Moses warned me. But I didn’t stay away.

And so begins a story of pain and promise, of heartache and healing, of life and death. A story of before and after, of new beginnings and never-endings. But most of all...a love story. 

Five Line Book Review:

I’m a fan of paranormal books, although I usually like to know when I’m reading one, The Law of Moses took me by surprise in that area, and between the way that it is lightly paranormal mixed with real life written so well, and the way the relationship between Moses and Georgia unfolded made this book very difficult to put down.  At first I thought the book was going to take the well worn story line of bad boy, trouble maker chasing after and ultimately winning over the nice, ‘perfect,’ innocent town girl; so I was happy when the story started down a different road all together and was filled with love, heartache,  mystery and suspense.  In this story it was Georgia doing all the initiating, making all the first moves and practically throwing herself at Moses, to which he eventually relents.  The “bad boy” persona of Moses is all drummed up gossip while he’s truly a stand-up guy who just wants to protect those people he actually cares for, and this makes him all the more appealing. Though, what I absolutely loved were the words forming the sentences making the book; this book was like reading one of the paintings Moses was plastering to the wall – very lyrical and colorful, one of those books that is very easy to picture in your imagination.

Rated:  Pg-13; some sensuality a bit of cussing I think…the rest of the book was so entrancing I can’t remember much cussing.  Any and all scenes of intimacy are spoken of emotionally rather than descriptions of the act.

Genre: New Adult 

Rating: 5 Stars - Beautifully Written