Book Review (293): Always You - Missy Johnson

Always You

by Missy Johnson

Publication: 17th December 2013

Publisher: Self Published

Pages: 253

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Age Appropriate: New Adult

Buy It: Amazon+Barnes & Noble

I was thrilled when I was offered a graduate teaching position at the prestigious Tennerson Girls Academy. At twenty-three, this would be my first ‘real’ teaching assignment. Working at the elite boarding school, home to the daughters of some of the wealthiest people in the world, was a great opportunity that I would’ve been stupid to pass up. 

One week into my new job, and I suddenly had no idea why I chose high school…I was a seventeen year old boy once, I knew how teenage girls behaved. 

You can’t even imagine the hell of trying to teach thirty, hormonal driven seventeen year olds who have been cooped up, away from any male contact. 

I could handle the whispers every time I entered the room. I could even handle the obvious attempts at gaining my attention. What I couldn’t handle was her… 


Rich bitches and way too many rules. Was it any wonder that I hated school? 

Add to that the lack of male contact, and I was going insane. Like literally. I wasn’t used to this. A year ago I was normal. I had a boyfriend, friends and a loving family. There is nothing normal about me anymore, and nobody here lets me forget that. 

My name is Wrenn, and I’m only here because my aunt took me in after what happened, but my aunt also happens to be the headmistress of this academy…Can you see my problem? 

I’m hated for my lack of money, and I’m hated for who my Aunt is. 

Then he arrived. Dalton Reed. My new history teacher. 

Slowly, he helped me see that even in the worst situations, there is always hope.

My Thoughts.

I loooved this book!

This book was so amazing, easily one of my favourite new adult contemporary romances, what I loved most was the fact that it wasn't your ordinary happily ever after, and because of that it felt so real and different from most others out there.

I've always been intrigued by student/teacher romances, probably a sense of the forbidden that keeps  my curiosity piqued and this is a fantastic one.

When sexy and gorgeous Dalton starts a new job as a History teacher at an all girls school he has no idea what he's getting himself into, with a betting pool going around with the first girl to kiss Dalton to win a thousand dollars he's very popular indeed.

When he sees Wrenn in class he's immediately drawn to her with the feeling that he knows her from somewhere, she's not like the other girls who throw themselves at him and they slowly develop a friendship that turns into a forbidden relationship that neither one nor the other wants to have end.

When Wrenn discovers the secret that Dalton has been hiding ,will it tear them apart for good and end the relationship before it's really even started?

Such a well written story with well developed characters and a great plot, I read this in one sitting such a fast and quick read, I couldn't get through the pages fast enough.

This was the first book of Missy's that I've ever read but it most certainly won't be the last.

Highly recommended!

I give this 5/5 stars.

About Missy Johnson

Missy lives in a small town in Central Victoria with her husband, and her confused pets (a dog who think she’s a cat, a cat who thinks he’s a dog…you get the picture).
When she’s not writing, she can usually be found looking for something to read.

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(ARC) Book Review (292): First Love - James Patterson

First Love

by James Patterson

Publication: 13th January 2014
Publisher: Little, Brown And Company
Pages: 288
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Age Appropriate: Young Adult
Buy It: Amazon+Barnes & Noble+The Book Depository

Axi Moore is a "good girl": She studies hard, stays out of the spotlight, and doesn't tell anyone that what she really wants is to run away from it all. The only person she can tell is her best friend, Robinson--who she also happens to be madly in love with.

When Axi impulsively invites Robinson to come with her on an unplanned cross-country road trip, she breaks the rules for the first time in her life. But the adventure quickly turns from carefree to out-of-control...

A remarkably moving tale with its origins in James Patterson's own past,First Love is testament to the power of first love--and how it can change the rest of your life.

My Thoughts.

*SOB* OMG OMG *SOB* OMG!
So I think both Little, Brown and Kleenex need to get together to promote this book, tissues trust me you'll need them!

How can I put into words how brilliant, heart-breaking. emotionally devastating and amazingly fantastic this book is, I can't unless you experience this book for yourselves you just wont understand, it's so much more than those words, the thought that it's based on a real -life story from James Patterson's life makes it even more meaningful and heartfelt.

Jeez this book made me cry, halfway through is when the tears started, towards the end is when the ugly crying started, and that to me is the work of a fantastic storyteller, one who has you caring about the characters so much that you're left emotionally bereft at the end.

I've never read a James Patterson book before, but after reading First Love that is definitely going to change, this book has rocketed up into my list of all-time favorites, a really great contemporary romance based around a road trip with two best friends Axi and Robinson, who will finally admit their feelings for one another in amidst their hijnks during their time on the road, while realising that sometimes life will take a turn that you would never anticipate.

I don't want to write too much and give the plot away, but all you contemporary romance fans need to pick this book up, it's amazing, a quick and fast read that's never boring and will keep you glued to the pages up till the very end.

Loved it, loved it, loved it!

Highly recommended.

I give this 5/5 stars.

It is no surprise that in January, 2010, The New York Times Magazine featured James Patterson on its cover and hailed him as having "transformed book publishing," and that Time magazine hailed him as "The Man Who Can't Miss." Recently, NBC's Rock Center with Brian Williams profiled Patterson's prolific career, AARP named him one of the "50 Most Influential People Who Make Our Days a Little Brighter," and Variety featured him in a cover story highlighting his adventures in Hollywood.

In 2011, it was estimated that one-in-four of all hardcover suspense/thriller novels sold was written by James Patterson, he is the first author to achieve ten million ebook sales, and he holds the Guinness record for the most #1 New York Times bestsellers of any author. And his success isn't based solely on thrillers like the perennially popular Alex Cross,Women's Murder Club and Michael Bennett series. Patterson is now also the current bestselling author in the young adult and middle grade categories.

He's been called the busiest man in publishing, and that's not just because of his own books. For the past decade, James has been devoting more and more of his time to championing books and reading.

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(ARC) Book Review (291): Into The Still Blue (Under The Never Sky #3) - Veronica Rossi

Into the Still Blue (Under the Never Sky #3)

by Veronica Rossi

Publication: 28th January 2014
Publisher: HarperCollins
Pages: 400
Genre: Dystopian
Age Appropriate: Young Adult
Buy It: Amazon+Barnes & Noble+The Book Depository

The earth-shattering conclusion to Veronica Rossi's "masterpiece" Under the Never Sky trilogy and sequel to the New York Timesbestselling Through the Ever Night (Examiner.com).

Their love and their leadership have been tested. Now it's time for Perry and Aria to unite the Dwellers and the Outsiders in one last desperate attempt to bring balance to their world.

The race to the Still Blue has reached a stalemate. Aria and Perry are determined to find this last safe-haven from the Aether storms before Sable and Hess do-and they are just as determined to stay together.

Meanwhile, time is running out to rescue Cinder, who was abducted by Hess and Sable for his unique abilities. And when Roar returns to camp, he is so furious with Perry that he won't even look at him, and Perry begins to feel like they have already lost.

Out of options, Perry and Aria assemble a team to mount an impossible rescue mission-because Cinder isn't just the key to unlocking the Still Blue and their only hope for survival, he's also their friend. And in a dying world, the bonds between people are what matter most.

In this final book in her stunning Under the Never Sky trilogy, Veronica Rossi raises the stakes to their absolute limit and brings her epic love story to an unforgettable close.

My Thoughts.

Into The Still Blue is the third and the final book in the Under The Never Sky trilogy by Veronica Rossi.

What a truly epic conclusion to this amazing series.

Giving us a finale that should please everybody, entertaining, suspenseful and adventurous, filled with the characters we've grown to love centre stage.

What this series has been striving towards from the very first page of Under The Never Sky comes to a head as Perry and Aria attempt to make it to the Still Blue, away from the Aether filled skies that are destroying The Tides land and edging ever closer to the cave where they've all had to relocate.

With Cinder missing and Roar away dealing with his grief and the group of former dwellers now inhabiting a part of the cave unwilling to associate with the 'savages', it's time for them to come together to defeat the evil Blood-Lord Sable and defeat him once and for all.

I love Perry and Aria's relationship, they are stronger as a couple than apart, and there's nothing that they wouldn't do for one another.

One of the many things I adore about this series is the platonic relationship between Roar and Aria, it's a highlight of these books, I would love perhaps either a novella or book just to give Roar his well deserved happily-ever-after, easily one of if not my favorite character of the series, I loved any scene that he appeared in, and I want more!

As sad as I am to see the end of this series, I couldn't have asked for a more perfect ending, although that's not without the loss of some much loved characters, one in particular that tears at the heart and left me with tears in the eyes.

I look forward to whatever Veronica releases next, she is a definite auto-buy author for me and I await with baited breath her next book.

I can't praise this book/series highly enough, this is one of my all time favorite dystopias.

Definitely check this series out.

I give this 5/5 stars.

bio

Veronica Rossi is the author of post-apocalyptic fiction for young adults. Her debut novel, UNDER THE NEVER SKY, is the first in a trilogy. Released in January 2012, it was deemed one of the Best Books of Year by School Library Journal. The second book in the trilogy, THROUGH THE EVER NIGHT, debuted in January on the NY Times and USA Today Best Seller Lists. The final book in the series, INTO THE STILL BLUE, is expected to release January 2014.

Foreign rights to the UNDER THE NEVER SKY trilogy have sold in over twenty-five territories to date and film rights have been optioned by Warner Bros.

She completed undergraduate studies at UCLA and then went on to study fine art at the California College of the Arts in San Francisco. She lives in Northern California with her husband and two sons. When not writing, she enjoys reading, painting, and counting down the minutes until she can get back to making up stories about imaginary people. 

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Book Review (290): After Eden (After Eden #1) - Helen Douglas

After Eden (After Eden #1)

by Helen Douglas

Publication: 1st January 2014

Publisher: Bloomsbury

Pages: 288

Genre: Science-Fiction/Time-Travel

Age Appropriate: Young Adult

Read the Prologue and the first chapter here.

Eden Anfield loves puzzles, so when mysterious new boy Ryan Westland shows up at her school she's hooked. On the face of it, he's a typical American teenager. So why doesn't he recognise pizza? And how come he hasn't heard of Hitler? What puzzles Eden the most, however, is the interest he's taking in her. 

As Eden starts to fall in love with Ryan, she begins to unravel his secret. Her breakthrough comes one rainy afternoon when she stumbles across a book in Ryan's bedroom - a biography of her best friend - written over fifty years in the future. Confronting Ryan, she discovers that he is there with one unbelievably important purpose ... and she might just have destroyed his only chance of success.

My Thoughts.

After Eden is the first book in the After Eden series by Helen Douglas.

This book is very reminiscent of Twilight, actually very much so, the similarities are astounding, almost the same kind of storyline with a few tweaks here and there to not make it an exact copy, but when you're as big a fan as I am (Twilight is my favourite series) you will definitely notice.

That's not to say that's it's a bad book, on the contrary I did actually enjoy it and finished it in a matter of hours, and I will carry on with the rest of the series although I do feel this book could have been a stand-alone, I don't think you really need to carry on the story when it all seemed to be wrapped up in After Eden.

One difference in this book is the focus on time-travel and astronomy, and the way that one person can make a difference to the fate of any one thing, good or bad.

Thumbs-up for the concept, it was different from what's around at the moment and I quite enjoyed the characters as well, I liked Eden and Ryan as a couple, they fit well together and I was invested in them and had my fingers crossed that it would all work out for them, I also was a fan of the supporting characters, especially Connor and Megan.

If you like a bit of time-travel mixed with a bit of astronomy then pick this up, actually you don't really need to be a fan particularly of any of those things, it's a quick, enjoyable read.

I look forward to the second book.

I give this 3.5/5 stars.

I was born in a small beach town in Cornwall, much like the fictional town of Perran that appears in After Eden. As a child I enjoyed reading, building dens and writing stories of my own. My teenage years were centred around the beach. Summer days were spent swimming and body-boarding. Summer nights meant beach parties with bonfires and barbecues. When it rained, which it did a lot, I read lots of books and dreamed of being a writer.

After leaving school, I lived in many different places including London, California, New York and New Jersey. I’m now back in Cornwall where I live midway between the woods and the beach. When the sky is clear, I can usually be found walking in the woods, hanging out at the beach or looking at the stars.  When the sea mist rolls in or it’s raining, I spend my time reading books, writing and dreaming up my next story.

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Book Highlight & Giveaway: The Forgotten Ones - Laura Howard

Title: The Forgotten Ones
Author: Laura Howard
Genre: New Adult Fantasy
Series: The Danaan Trilogy #1
Published: April 28, 2013

Allison O'Malley's plan is to go to grad school so she can get a good job and take care of her schizophrenic mother. She has carefully closed herself off from everything else, including a relationship with Ethan, who she's been in love with for as long as she can remember.

What is definitely not part of the plan is the return of her long-lost father, who claims he can bring Allison's mother back from the dark place her mind has gone. Allison doesn't trust her father, so why would she believe his stories about a long forgotten Irish people, the Tuatha de Danaan? But truths have a way of revealing themselves. Secrets will eventually surface. And Allison must learn to set aside her plan and work with her father if there is even a small chance it could restore her mother's sanity.

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Laura Howard lives in New Hampshire with her husband and four children. Her obsession with books began at the age of 6 when she got her first library card. Nancy Drew, Sweet Valley High and other girly novels were routinely devoured in single sittings. Books took a backseat to diapers when she had her first child. It wasn’t until the release of a little novel called Twilight, 8 years later, that she rediscovered her love of fiction. Soon after, her own characters began to make themselves known. The Forgotten Ones is her first published novel.

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(ARC) Book Review (289): Uninvited (Uninvited #1) - Sophie Jordan

Uninvited (Uninvited #1)

by Sophie Jordan 

Publication: 28th January 2014

Publisher: HarperTeen

Pages: 384

Genre: Dystopian

Age Appropriate: Young Adult

Buy It: Amazon+Barnes & Noble+The Book Depository

The Scarlet Letter meets Minority Report in bestselling author Sophie Jordan's chilling new novel about a teenage girl who is ostracized when her genetic test proves she's destined to become a murderer.

When Davy Hamilton's tests come back positive for Homicidal Tendency Syndrome (HTS)-aka the kill gene-she loses everything. Her boyfriend ditches her, her parents are scared of her, and she can forget about her bright future at Juilliard. Davy doesn't feel any different, but genes don't lie. One day she will kill someone.

Only Sean, a fellow HTS carrier, can relate to her new life. Davy wants to trust him; maybe he's not as dangerous as he seems. Or maybe Davy is just as deadly.

The first in a two-book series, Uninvited tackles intriguing questions about free will, identity, and human nature. Steeped in New York Times bestselling author Sophie Jordan's trademark mix of gripping action and breathless romance, this suspenseful tale is perfect for fans of James Patterson, Michelle Hodkin, and Lisa McMann.

My Thoughts.

Uninvited is the first book in the Uninvited series by Sophie Jordan.

This book was so amazing, read in just one sitting I could not put it down, so invested I was in this fantastic story and intriguing characters, that Sophie has created and brought to life so well!

I have been desperate to get my hands on a copy of this book ever since it first appeared on Goodreads, eagerly awaiting it's release I was extremely excited to receive a review copy, and to be able to happily say that it well surpassed my expectations.

This is the first Sophie Jordan book that I've ever read, and if this is any indication of how well she writes I will definitely be picking up all of her other books at some point as well.

The concept for Uninvited was what initially drew me in, the idea of a blood test taken to test your DNA for HTS (Homicidal Tendency Syndrome) aka the kill gene, was genius on Sophie's part, then to have a normal everyday music prodigy who dates the most popular boy in school test positive for the gene, well that just made it seem more real, and easier for people to relate to Davy's character.

Made to feel like a social pariah not only by her friends and boyfriend but her family too, Davy has no-one until she gets to know Sean, a fellow carrier whom she would never have thought twice to look at or speak to before she was diagnosed, realising that not all people with the gene are necessarily violent, her days of judging people that way are gone.

When a mass shooting is committed by a group of carriers, the President decides that all people carrying this gene are too dangerous and are to be rounded up and kept in detention camps, leaving her family and made to associate even with the most dangerous of these carriers in the camp, can Davy survive, and toughen up enough to be able to take care of herself  and her friends?

I really loved this book, I eagerly await the next instalment to see what happens with Davy, Sean, Gil and Sabine, I'm invested now and I can't wait to see how the rest of the series unfolds.

A definite favorite read of mine this year, highly recommended.

I give this 5/5 stars.

Sophie Jordan took her adolescent daydreaming one step further and penned her first historical romance in the back of her high school Spanish class. This passion led her to pursue a degree in English and History.

A brief stint in law school taught her that case law was not nearly as interesting as literature - teaching English seemed the natural recourse. After several years teaching high school students to love Antigone, Sophie resigned with the birth of her first child and decided it was time to pursue the long-held dream of writing.

In less than three years, her first book, Once Upon A Wedding Night, a 2006 Romantic Times Reviewers' Choice Nominee for Best First Historical, hit book shelves. Her second novel, Too Wicked To Tame, released in March 2007 with a bang, landing on the USA Today Bestseller's List.

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(ARC) Book Review (288): Her Dark Curiosity (The Madman's Daughter #2) - Megan Shepherd

Her Dark Curiosity (The Madman's Daughter #2)

by Megan Shepherd

Publication: 28th January 2014

Publisher: Balzer+Bray

Pages: 368

Genre: Historical Fiction/Fantasy

Age Appropriate: Young Adult

Buy It: Amazon+Barnes & Noble+The Book Depository

To defeat the darkness, she must first embrace it.

Months have passed since Juliet Moreau returned to civilization after escaping her father's island—and the secrets she left behind. Now, back in London once more, she is rebuilding the life she once knew and trying to forget Dr. Moreau’s horrific legacy—though someone, or something, hasn’t forgotten her.

As people close to Juliet fall victim one by one to a murderer who leaves a macabre calling card of three clawlike slashes, Juliet fears one of her father’s creations may have also escaped the island. She is determined to find the killer before Scotland Yard does, though it means awakening sides of herself she had thought long banished, and facing loves from her past she never expected to see again.

As Juliet strives to stop a killer while searching for a serum to cure her own worsening illness, she finds herself once more in the midst of a world of scandal and danger. Her heart torn in two, past bubbling to the surface, life threatened by an obsessive killer—Juliet will be lucky to escape alive.

With inspiration from Robert Louis Stevenson’s The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, this is a tantalizing mystery about the hidden natures of those we love and how far we’ll go to save them from themselves.

My Thoughts.

Her Dark Curiosity is the second book in The Madman's Daughter trilogy by Megan Shepherd.

Megan has crafted an extremely amazing sequel that easily surpasses her debut novel, and sets the stage to what should be an epic conclusion to this fantastic series.

Everything about this book is well done, from the astoundingly beautiful cover to the engrossing writing, the well-written characters and the carefully thought out and developed plot that will keep you entertained the whole way through.

This won't be a long review, I say that because I don't want to give away any spoilers and in discussing this book I'm afraid I'll do just that, there's just so much I want to write about that happened in this story, but I want people to read this book themselves and discover everything without any warnings beforehand, and trust me, it's all good!

The book opens after the conclusion of the last one, Juliet is back in London, secretly trying to find a cure for her condition now that her drugs aren't working that well anymore, there have been murders occurring by a serial killer nicknamed the "Wolf Of Whitechapel", these murders are all linked and once Juliet figures out just what that is, she then discovers just who it is, it seems someone/something has followed her from the island to London, and the one thing they're after is Juliet!

I can't praise this book enough, it's just fabulous and the fact that it's loosely based on the 'Dr Jekyll And Mr Hyde' story adds another layer to the tale.

For those of you who like books featuring: action/adventure and suspense all put together in a historical setting then this is the series for you.

I'm highly anticipating the third and final book in this series, I'm desperate to know how this will all end.

I give this 5/5 stars.

I’ve been many things, like a professional exchange student, park ranger in Montana, and LOST enthusiast, but what I am now is a writer.

I think it’s fair to say I was born into it. I grew up in the mountains of North Carolina, raised behind the counter of my parents’ independent bookstore, Highland Books in Brevard. Ah, so many free books. But I never thought being a writer could be a real career. After college I thought I’d end up as a foreign service officer somewhere dashing and exotic, like Canada. I studied French, Spanish, German, and Russian and still speak a few of those. Then I joined the Peace Corps and spent two years in Senegal, where I learned a few more languages I’ll never speak again and lived in a mud hut with no electricity or running water. You can probably imagine how that experience went, but if you’re curious, here are the dirty details. 

It wasn't until a chance aquaintance read something I wrote and said, "have you ever considered being a writer?" that something clicked and I realized it was possible. My husband encouraged me, and I quickly fell head-over-heels in love with writing and children's literature in particular. I started out writing articles, which have appeared in Faces, Appleseeds, and Calliope magazines, and stories for younger children. I soon realized I wasn’t sweet enough to write fiction for that age and found myself writing young adult literature instead, which doesn’t require nearly as many tender moments and includes a lot more cursing.

When I'm not writing, I can usually be found horseback riding, day dreaming at coffee shops, or hiking in the beautiful mountains of Western North Carolina. I love to hear from readers, so please drop me a line!

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