Book Review (227): Hopeless - Colleen Hoover

Hopeless (Hopeless #1)

by Colleen Hoover

Publication: 7th May 2013

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Australia

Pages: 406

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Age Appropriate: New Adult

Sometimes discovering the truth can leave you more hopeless than believing the lies…

That’s what seventeen-year-old Sky realizes after she meets Dean Holder. A guy with a reputation that rivals her own and an uncanny ability to invoke feelings in her she’s never had before. He terrifies her and captivates her all in the span of just one encounter, and something about the way he makes her feel sparks buried memories from a past that she wishes could just stay buried.

Sky struggles to keep him at a distance knowing he’s nothing but trouble, but Holder insists on learning everything about her. After finally caving to his unwavering pursuit, Sky soon finds that Holder isn’t at all who he’s been claiming to be. When the secrets he’s been keeping are finally revealed, every single facet of Sky’s life will change forever.

My Thoughts.

What an intense and gripping read, full of so much emotion, you'll feel bereft once you turn the final page!

I have to admit that this is the first Colleen Hoover book that I've ever read, I've heard of her before and know of her books but had yet to pick one up before being sent Hopeless to review.

But after reading this book which deserves all the praise and hype that it has and still is receiving, I will definitely be hunting down all of her other books as well, which unsurprisingly  seem to be as popular and loved as Hopeless, and after reading this book and seeing the talent that is Colleen I can see why.

I haven't read too many books in the New Adult genre, but what I have read including this masterpiece here will have me immersing myself in as many books as I can find, while wondering why it's taken so long for this genre to really take off like it has in the last year or so.

Sky and Holder make for one unforgettable couple, it's this plus the fantastic, heartbreaking and shocking plot that raises the bar for other New Adult books being released.

The story of both characters are so emotionally draining that you feel yourself in despair at what Sky especially has had to endure in her life and the tie that she has with Holder is a surprise twist I guess you could say, that really gives this book a life of it's own.

Once started this book will grip you until you lose track of time and whatever's going on around you.

I can't recommend this book enough, definitely pick this up you won't be disappointed!

I give this a hugely well deserved 5/5 Stars.

A Big Thanks To Simon & Schuster Australia For The Review Copy.

Cover Reveal: Pinned Up - C. Michelle.

PINNED UP by C. Michelle

NA Contemporary Romance

Coming soon!

Readers in search of something fresh in the adult contemporary romance department will celebrate the arrival of C. Michelle’s vibrant debut novel, Pinned Up. Full of snappy dialogue, edgy humor, and a lot of heart, this fun look into the world of a modern-day pin-up model is one interesting journey. Are you ready to embark on a wild ride?
Twenty-five-year-old Nina Moretti lives a double life of sorts. She’s a victim advocate during the day and as a side gig, lives out her 1940s fetish as a pin-up model. This arrangement suits her well, as does never having a steady boyfriend. Trust is an issue that was ruined for Nina at a young age and has yet to be recovered. While she may not “do” serious relationships, she has found fulfillment in her work and hanging out with her best friend, Kade—the greatest sidekick any woman could possibly want. All is well in Nina’s hectic, but satisfying life…
That is, until she meets Josh, a stunningly handsome man who has a notorious reputation as a ladies’ man. Living in San Francisco, California, Nina has met her fair share of eligible bachelors. But there is something different about Josh, something that compels her to try and get to know him better. For his part, Josh has always been reluctant to commit to any woman, largely as a way to spite his well-meaning, but rather overbearing mother. Nina, however, sparks his interest in a way that no other woman has before. What are two people, both scared of commitment, supposed to do?
Readers will feel an array of emotions as Nina and Josh do the unthinkable—embark on a relationship together. As they navigate the pitfalls of romantic entanglement, both come to realize that their pasts are intertwined in ways that they could never imagine. Perhaps they have more in common than just their fear of relationships.

A heartfelt novel depicting modern love with a refreshing twist, Pinned Up is a must-read.

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Book Blast & Giveaway: Tragic - J.A Huss.

TRAGIC: Rook and Ronin, #1
By J. A. Huss
New Adult Contemporary Romance
Published May 15, 2013
Science Future Press

Rook Walsh is TRAGIC

Because life so far – just sucks. Some girls get parents. Rook got the foster care system. Some girls get Prince Charming. Rook got an abusive frog. Some girls get lucky…

Rook got a second chance.

And she took it. Because when fate throws you a bone – you grab it with both hands and run.

Antoine Chaput knows the minute he spies Rook in his photography studio that she’s got The Look. The dark and desperate look he must have to land the exclusive TRAGIC media contract.

Rook is paired up with top model, Ronin, and he’s everything her abusive ex-boyfriend wasn’t. Patient, gentle, happy, attentive, and sexy! He knows exactly what to do to make Rook blush for Antoine’s camera.

Rook’s luck changes in an instant and suddenly she’s the darling of the modeling world. It’s a dream job to go with a dream guy and all she has to do is look pretty and follow directions. But there’s always a price to pay – and Rook is about to get the bill.

New Adult Contemporary Romance *Mature Content* Recommended for ages 17+ due to sexual situations and language usage

**Does contain strong language

I gather up all my clothes and stick them in the stackable washer in the closet just off the bedroom. The breeze caresses my naked limbs and gives me the chills, but I enjoy it. The goose bumps travel up my arms and spread out to my whole body. I shiver for a second and then head to the kitchen.

And stop dead in the living room.

Ronin fucking Flynn is sleeping on the couch.

What is he doing here? My eyes track to the front door and I suppose it's my fault, I left it open. There's nothing but a screen door between this apartment and the terrace. My gaze wanders back to the sleeping man. He's lying on his stomach, his one arm tucked underneath him, the other falling over the edge of the cushion, and he's shirtless.

And then I realize I'm naked.

"Shit!"

He stirs and I make a break for the bedroom. It's one thing to let him see me naked half hidden in darkness and quite another to be fully illuminated by the bright morning sunshine. I wrangle the sheet around my body and then head back to the living room, wistfully looking at the washer that contains every single article of clothing I own.

"Ronin!" I say loudly.

Nothing except a half-muffled snore from him. Lord, this man has the most perfectly chiseled and muscular back I've ever seen. Both hands pull up and go under his face, like he's blocking out the sunlight, and this gives me the perfect opportunity to study his flexing biceps. The muscles are thick and hard-looking near his shoulders. They curve down, dip into a little valley, and then climb once again.

I lean down and smell him.

"Why are you sniffing me?" he asks groggily.

"Uh—" Because you smell delicious, the inner Rook says. But luckily the outer Rook says, "I'm checking to see if you're drunk. Why are you sleeping on my couch?"

He peeks up, opening one eye in my direction, squints, and then croaks out some words. "I love your outfit." He grins, winks, and then drops his head back down into his arms.

"Are you leaving?" I ask, frustrated and confused at the same time. "I mean, why are you here?"

"I told you I'd come back with dinner. But when I got here, the lights were on and you were in bed. I only sat down for a second to think up a rational excuse to wake you up, but I guess I fell asleep." He raises his head again, grins sheepishly, and then rolls over on his back, tucks his hands behind his neck, and flashes his perfect body at me as he closes his eyes, probably confident that I'll be checking him out.

I do check him out. It's quite hard not to notice that he's got the perfect six-pack abs and that absolutely adorable fuzzy happy trail you see on a shirtless designer jeans model. Hmmmm… maybe he is that model? "You have no shirt on."

Yes, after all that gawking, I finally manage the obvious.

He opens the one eye to look at me again. "Neither do you."

Purchase your copyAvailable on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Kobo.

J. A. Huss likes to write new adult books that make you think and keep you guessing. Her favorite genre to read is space opera, but since practically no one reads those books, she writes new adult science fiction, paranormal romance, contemporary romance, urban fantasy, and books about Junco (who refuses to be saddled with a label).

She has an undergraduate degree in horses, (yes, really–Thank you, Colorado State University) and a master’s degree in forensic toxicology from the University of Florida. She used to have a job driving around Colorado doing pretty much nothing but shooting the breeze with farmers, but now she just writes, runs the New Adult Addiction and Clean Teen Reads Book Blogs, and runs an online science classroom for homeschoolers.

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Book Review (226): The 5th Wave - Rick Yancey.

The 5th Wave (The Fifth Wave #1)

by Rick Yancey

Publication: 8th May 2013
Publisher: Penguin Australia
Pages: 480
Genre:Science Fiction/Dystopian
Age Appropriate: Young Adult

The Passage meets Ender’s Game in an epic new series from award-winning author Rick Yancey.

After the 1st wave, only darkness remains. After the 2nd, only the lucky escape. And after the 3rd, only the unlucky survive. After the 4th wave, only one rule applies: trust no one.

Now, it’s the dawn of the 5th wave, and on a lonely stretch of highway, Cassie runs from Them. The beings who only look human, who roam the countryside killing anyone they see. Who have scattered Earth’s last survivors. To stay alone is to stay alive, Cassie believes, until she meets Evan Walker. Beguiling and mysterious, Evan Walker may be Cassie’s only hope for rescuing her brother—or even saving herself. But Cassie must choose: between trust and despair, between defiance and surrender, between life and death. To give up or to get up.

My Thoughts...
An exceptionally fantastic read, full of nail-biting tension and action, and would seriously have to be one of the front-runners for book of the year!
What can I say about this book that probably hasn't already been said?
Everybody who has read it knows how good it is, from the fresh and original storyline that will pull you in oblivious to how many hours have passed while you've been sitting there devouring this book, so intriguing, then add in the fantastic characters and you have an outstanding book.
I've never really read an Alien book per-se before, not unless you count Armentrout's Lux series and the irresistable Daemon Black, but that's a romance book this is far from it, yeah there's a tiny bit of romance here that just makes up a smidge of the storyline but mostly it's just Aliens whom have invaded Earth and want to eradicate all humans, no matter what they have to do or pretend to be, the idea of how they plan on getting rid of the remaining humans who were immune to the plague they spread that killed most of the Earth's population is such a great idea, kudos to Yancey for such a great plotline twist.
I really liked the idea of the different character perspectives, this intrigues me especially in a book like this where most of the characters are seperated from each other and we can find out whats happening to each individually instead of having to wait for the lead character Cassie to catch up with everyone and then finding out what has occured in her abscence.
A great heroine to go up against well thought out, but evil enemies, Cassie will fight to take back what is our's, our planet!
I very much look forward to the next book, I need to know what happened to Evan, I will also definitely be in line to buy a ticket once this movie is released.
Highly recommended, believe the hype!
I give this a huge 5/5 Stars.

A big thanks to Tina @ Penguin Australia for this review copy.

Book Blast & Giveaway: Broken Promises - Dawn Pendleton

After three years in Boston attending college, Mallory Wells has come home to Casper, Maine to care for her father, who is dying from cancer. She left Casper without looking back, leaving her small-town life and everyone in it, behind. Including her sexy high school sweetheart.

Luke Bates was devastated when Mallory left him for the city life. He managed to pull himself together and move on, even if only just barely. When Mallory shows up in town, Luke vows to stay away from her at all costs. So why does he keep checking in on her and her father, showing up when he's clearly uninvited? Maybe Luke isn't as 'over her' as he thought.

Amazon † Barnes and Noble

Dawn Pendleton is a New Adult & Young Adult author living in Maine with her husband and pup.

Right now, she's working on two manuscripts simultaneously. It's a difficult task for her, but one she's certain will pay off in the end.

Want to meet Dawn?

She is also one of the featured authors of the New Adult Sleepover Weekend. You can find all the details here.

Website † GoodReads † Twitter † Facebook 

Make sure to check out the blog tour kicking off on Monday, May 13th -- HERE.

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Book Review (225): Lover At Last - J.R Ward

Lover At Last (Black Dagger Brotherhood #11)

by J.R. Ward

Publication: 26th March 2013

Publisher: Piatkus (Hachette Australia)

Pages: 591

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Age Appropriate: Adult

Qhuinn, son of no one, is used to being on his own. Disavowed from his bloodline, shunned by the aristocracy, he has finally found an identity as one of the most brutal fighters in the war against the Lessening Society. But his life is not complete. Even as the prospect of having a family of his own seems to be within reach, he is empty on the inside, his heart given to another....

Blay, after years of unrequited love, has moved on from his feelings for Qhuinn. And it’s about time: The male has found his perfect match in a Chosen female, and they are going to have a young—just as Qhuinn has always wanted for himself. It’s hard to see the new couple together, but building your life around a pipe dream is just a heartbreak waiting to happen. As he’s learned firsthand.

Fate seems to have taken these vampire soldiers in different directions... but as the battle over the race’s throne intensifies, and new players on the scene in Caldwell create mortal danger for the Brotherhood, Qhuinn finally learns the true definition of courage, and two hearts who are meant to be together... finally become one.

My Thoughts...

Finally, J.R Ward or (The Warden as she's known by her fans) has given what all us BDB (Black Dagger Brotherhood) fans have been waiting for, the story of Quinn and Blay or Quay as the fans have named the couple.

And for those unaware, yes the couple is two guys, and as much as I love this series I will admit to being a little hesitant to reading a romance between two males, having never read an m/m romance book before it really wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, and I might possibly in future pick up some more books in this genre.

It also helped that it involved characters that I really love and have been with them as a reader all through their pre-trans days and to where they both are now, two best-friends both in love with each other but also with obstacles in front of them which they need to deal with before they can have their Happily Ever After.

Every fan has been begging for this coupling for such a long time now and they both wholeheartedly deserve it.

Of course we also have appearances from the other Brothers of the Brotherhood, including Zsadist (my absolute favourite) who has a very heart-stopping plane ride with Quinn as the pilot, one of my favourite scenes in the whole book.

There are also a few different sub plots going on throughout this book, the Band Of Brothers make another appearance, the leader Xcor has two things on his mind, the destruction of the BDB and his wishful ascension to take Wrath's place on the throne as King of the vampires and number two: LAYLA,LAYLA,LAYLA.

I can only hope that these two get their own book at some point and their own happy ever after, but with Layla pregnant with Quinn's baby it won't be an easy ride, especially as Xcor is the enemy of the Brotherhood that she lives and is friends with.

I get the sense that there's more to Xcor than meets the eye, and buried deep down within him lies a heart of gold.

I'm also intrigued with the iAm and Trez storyline, I've always been fascinated with these two brothers and hope that they get more page time in the following books.

But this book is primarily about Quinn and Blay and the scene at the end of this book brought a happy tear to the eye.

There's nothing else that I can really say, but I will leave you with the dedication that Ward has written in the front of this book, dedicated to Quinn and Blay, it gets me a bit teary eyed whenever I read it.

Dedicated To: You Both-At The Risk Of Inapproprite Levity. It's About Time- And No One Deserves It More Than The Two Of You.

So with that being said I eagerly await the 12th book by Ward in this series 'The King' another Wrath and Beth book, and they'll be trying for a baby!
I cannot wait, for those of you have never picked up this series, please do, it's amazing and before you know it you'll be addicted and desperate for the year to pass until the next book is released.

I give this an outstanding 5/5 Stars.

A Big Thanks To Alice @ Hachette Australia.

Cover Reveal: Uninvited - Sophie Jordan (YA).

Uninvited (Uninvited #1)

by Sophie Jordan 

You can’t change your DNA…even when it says you’re a murderer.

When Davy tests positive for Homicidal Tendency Syndrome, aka “the kill gene,” she loses everything. Once the perfect high school senior, she is uninvited from her prep school and abandoned by her friends and boyfriend. Even her parents are now afraid of her—although she’s never hurt a fly. Davy doesn’t feel any differently, but genes don’t lie. One day she will kill someone.

Without any say in the matter, Davy is thrown into a special class for HTS carriers. She has no doubt the predictions are right about them, especially Sean, who already bears the “H” tattoo as proof of his violence. Yet when the world turns on the carriers, Sean is the only one she can trust. Maybe he’s not as dangerous as he seems. Or maybe Davy is just as deadly.

Expected publication: March 2014 by HarperTeen