(ARC) Book Review (387): Scratch - Rhonda Helms

Scratch

by Rhonda Helms

Publication: 30th September 2014

Publisher: Kensington

Pages: 240

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Age Appropriate: New Adult

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

The most painful scars are the ones you never see. In her DJ booth at a Cleveland dance club, Casey feels a sense of connection that's the closest she ever gets to normal. On her college campus, she's reserved, practical-all too aware of the disaster that can result when you trust the wrong person. But inexplicably, Daniel refuses to pay attention to the walls she's put up. Like Casey, he's a senior. In every other way, he's her opposite. Sexy, open, effortlessly charming, Daniel is willing to take chances and show his feelings. For some reason Casey can't fathom, he's intent on drawing her out of her bubble and back into a world that's messy and unpredictable. He doesn't know about the deep scars that pucker her stomach - or the deeper secret behind them. Since the violent night when everything changed, Casey has never let anyone get close enough to hurt her again. Now, she might be tempted to try.

My Thoughts.

Scratch is a compellingly written new adult contemporary romance, that is emotionally heartbreaking, devastating and sure to have you in tears, but it's not all doom and gloom, it's about a girl who finally learns to let go of her guilt and anger that she has held onto since she was thirteen.

Casey is an introvert, the only time she'll leave her apartment is for classes, her deejaying job on the weekends and her weekly dinners with her grandparents, she doesn't really have any friends, emotionally closed off ever since the incident that changed her life all those years ago, she also suffers panic attacks quite regularly as well.

Then one night while on a break at work, Daniel a guy from her Philosophy class starts up a conversation with her, and it's from this moment that she starts to come back to life, with neither unable to stop thinking about the other, they with reluctance from Casey go out a few times, mostly these times out together don't exactly end on a good note but Daniel perseveres, so when the relationship starts to get serious and  Casey still hasn't told Daniel her secret it will start to drive a wedge between them, can she trust Daniel to not look at her with pity once he knows, and how can she possibly move on with her life when she still hasn't let go of the past, of her anger and grief which is slowly killing her inside.

Casey's past made for such a tragic back story, her life was shattered and torn apart at the age of thirteen, and the girl that she was died that day and in her place was a hollow shell of the girl that she used to be, Daniel so easy-going was able to help her live again, and while things were worked out at the end between these two, I would have loved and epilogue just to see where these two end up and where they are in life.

But that's just a tiny thing, all in all I adored this book, I read it in one sitting, I just couldn't put it down, Rhonda has herself a new fan, I will read anything she writes.

A fantastic story, one I'll definitely be re-reading.

I give this 5/5 stars.

Rhonda Helms started writing several years ago. She has a Master's degree in English and a Bachelor's degree in Creative Writing. She also edits for Carina Press (an imprint of Harlequin Publishing) and freelance edits.

When she isn't writing, she likes to do amateur photography, dig her toes into the sand, read for hours at a time, and eat scads of cheese. WAY too much cheese.

Rhonda lives in Northeast Ohio with her family.

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Rhonda lives in Northeast Ohio with her family, dog, and a very loud c

(ARC) Book Review (386): Sins & Needles (The Artists Trilogy #1) - Karina Halle

Sins & Needles (The Artists Trilogy #1)

by Karina Halle 

Publication: 26th August 2014

Publisher: Forever

Pages: 384

Age Appropriate: Adult

Buy It: Goodreads | Amazon US | B&N | KOBO | Audible | Amazon UK

There's a Fine Line Between Sin and Salvation . . . Ellie Watt is a woman on the run. Raised by a pair of thieves who taught her the art of the grift-and pursued by a mobster who fell for her con-she hopes to find refuge at her uncle's farm in quiet Palm Valley, California. Ellie swears she's through with her life of crime. But before she knows it, she's right back in the game when she meets an easy mark who's too good-and too hot-to be true. His name is Camden McQueen. A master tattoo artist and a total inked stud, Camden is nothing like the awkward kid who crushed on Ellie back in high school. Now, as owner of the wildly successful Sins & Needles, he's got tats to kill for, muscles to die for, and money to burn. Ellie can't believe the transformation-and can't resist pulling off one last con. But when Camden catches Ellie red-handed, the tables are turned. The mark becomes the master. And when the ultimate player gets played, you never know who's going to end up on top . . .

My Thoughts.

Sins & Needles is a book that I've wanted to read for a very long time, drawn not only to the very intriguing synopsis but to the cover as well, I was extremely excited to have a chance to read and review this amazing book with that ending that has me desperate to get onto the next book straight away.

This is a contemporary romance that you won't soon forget, featuring a con artist heroine Ellie and a sexy badass tattooist Camden, both damaged and angry, each with issues, former high school friends who share sizzling hot chemistry.

When Ellie attempts to rob Camden and gets caught she's blackmailed into helping him with a problem thatis right up her alley, but Ellie's past is about to catch up to her in a big way and Camden will find himself caught up in the middle.

The flashbacks to Ellie's past show us a greater insight into the history of  her mistake that cost her Camden's friendship, we also get glimpses into her former relationship with Javier and how and why she came to be on the run from him.

There are just so many things to love about this story, great characters, fantastic plot, the writing is so good and the story is just exceptional, this is the first of Karina's books that I've ever read but it certainly won't be the last.

So while I ponder on why it took me so long to pick this book up, I highly recommend that those who like their romances with a bit of action thrown in with characters you won't soon forget to give this a go, you won't be sorry.

I give this 5/5 stars.

With her USA Today Bestselling The Artists Trilogy published by Grand Central Publishing, numerous foreign publication deals, and self-publishing success with her Experiment in Terror series, Vancouver-born Karina Halle is a true example of the term “Hybrid Author.” Though her books showcase her love of all things dark, sexy and edgy, she’s a closet romantic at heart and strives to give her characters a HEA…whenever possible.

Karina holds a screenwriting degree from Vancouver Film School and a Bachelor of Journalism from TRU. Her travel writing, music reviews/interviews and photography have appeared in publications such as Consequence of Sound, Mxdwn and GoNomad Travel Guides. She currently lives on an island on the coast of British Columbia where she’s preparing for the zombie apocalypse with her fiance and rescue pup.

Karina can be contacted in the following ways:

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Book Review (385): The Queen Of The Tearling (The Queen Of The Tearling #1) - Erika Johansen

The Queen of the Tearling (The Queen of the Tearling #1)

by Erika Johansen 

Publication: 8th July 2014

Publisher: Harper

Pages: 434

Genre: Fantasy

Age Appropriate: Adult

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

On her nineteenth birthday, Princess Kelsea Raleigh Glynn, raised in exile, sets out on a perilous journey back to the castle of her birth to ascend her rightful throne. Plain and serious, a girl who loves books and learning, Kelsea bears little resemblance to her mother, the vain and frivolous Queen Elyssa. But though she may be inexperienced and sheltered, Kelsea is not defenseless: Around her neck hangs the Tearling sapphire, a jewel of immense magical power; and accompanying her is the Queen’s Guard, a cadre of brave knights led by the enigmatic and dedicated Lazarus. Kelsea will need them all to survive a cabal of enemies who will use every weapon—from crimson-caped assassins to the darkest blood magic—to prevent her from wearing the crown.

Despite her royal blood, Kelsea feels like nothing so much as an insecure girl, a child called upon to lead a people and a kingdom about which she knows almost nothing. But what she discovers in the capital will change everything, confronting her with horrors she never imagined. An act of singular daring will throw Kelsea’s kingdom into tumult, unleashing the vengeance of the tyrannical ruler of neighboring Mortmesne: the Red Queen, a sorceress possessed of the darkest magic. Now Kelsea will begin to discover whom among the servants, aristocracy, and her own guard she can trust.

But the quest to save her kingdom and meet her destiny has only just begun—a wondrous journey of self-discovery and a trial by fire that will make her a legend…if she can survive.

The Queen of the Tearling introduces readers to a world as fully imagined and terrifying as that of The Hunger Games, with characters as vivid and intriguing as those of The Game of Thrones, and a wholly original heroine. Combining thrilling action and twisting plot turns, it is a magnificent debut from the talented Erika Johansen.

My Thoughts.

I have to admit that this book wasn't on my radar at all until it was announced  that Emma Watson had signed on for the movie adaptation, reading the synopsis had me intrigued, fantasy is a genre that I do enjoy to read but I seldom get a chance to, but I never would have guessed how much I would love this book.

Erika's writing captured me from the very first sentence, and before I knew it I was completely absorbed in the world-building and the well fleshed out characters.

Kelsea a Princess, has been in hiding ever since she was a baby, now that she has turned nineteen she is to return to Tearling to be anointed Queen, of course it's no smooth sailing, instead numerous people will use any means necessary to stop her on her journey, it's from here that we begin to learn just what kind of Queen she will be, whilst trying to fix the mistakes and problems that her long dead Mother and former Queen have left her with, incurring the wrath of the Regent who is also her Uncle and the Red Queen of Mortmesne while trying to right these wrongs.

We are introduced to quite a few new characters but none that catch my eye more than two in particular who will leave you incredibly eager to learn their stories and the secrets they hold, Lazarus (Mace) the Captain of the Queen's Guard who also guarded her Mother, and holds a wealth of information about the identity of Kelsea's Father and the circumstances surrounding her Mothers's death, and last but not least Fetch, we pretty much get no information on him only little tidbits that just aren't enough, I have so many questions about these two and I hope that they will be answered in the next book.

With a plot filled with action, a heroine that has no qualms about standing up for what she believes in and the sometimes humorous way that Kelsea speaks her mind, this has only made me more anxious to get my hands on the next book.

Erika has crafted a world that you will lose yourself in, this was a one sitting read for me, I just couldn't seem to tear my eyes away from this amazing story.

One of my favorite fantasy books of all time.

I give this 5/5 stars.

Erika Johansen was educated at Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania before attending the celebrated Iowa Writers Workshop, where she earned a Master of Fine Arts degree. She later became an attorney. The Queen Of The Tearling – the first book in a trilogy – is her debut. Erika lives in the San Francisco Bay Area of California.

(ARC) Book Review (384): Falling Into Place - Amy Zhang

Falling into Place

by Amy Zhang

Publication: 9th September 2014

Publisher: Greenwillow Books

Pages: 304

Genre: Contemporary

Age Appropriate: Young Adult

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

On the day Liz Emerson tries to die, they had reviewed Newton’s laws of motion in physics class. Then, after school, she put them into practice by running her Mercedes off the road. 

Why? Why did Liz Emerson decide that the world would be better off without her? Why did she give up? Vividly told by an unexpected and surprising narrator, this heartbreaking and nonlinear novel pieces together the short and devastating life of Meridian High’s most popular junior girl. Mass, acceleration, momentum, force—Liz didn’t understand it in physics, and even as her Mercedes hurtles toward the tree, she doesn’t understand it now. How do we impact one another? How do our actions reverberate? What does it mean to be a friend? To love someone? To be a daughter? Or a mother? Is life truly more than cause and effect? Amy Zhang’s haunting and universal story will appeal to fans of Lauren Oliver, Gayle Forman, and Jay Asher.

My Thoughts.

Falling Into Place has received a lot of buzz and hype from publishers and bloggers alike, with books with this this much praise I sometimes become a bit hesitant to pick them up on case I end up disappointed, however in this case I was so enamoured with this story I fell completely in love.

Amy Zhang has created a story that will have you feeling so many different emotions, the effect and impact that bullying has on not only the victim but the instigators themselves, it's always been said that bullies are people who are unhappy with themselves and so pick on other people to make themselves feel better, that is true in this book.

Liz the most popular girl in school is a bully and has destroyed many a schoolmate's lives, we come to find that Liz is just a broken, lonely and insecure girl who comes to feel remorse for all of the people that she hurt, and so instead of asking for help she decides that the world would be better off without her in it and decides to kill herself by crashing her car, but things don't go to plan and Liz doesn't die on impact.

Throughout the book with the stories of her cruelty, her unhappiness, the events leading up to her decision and her plans to take her own life, we go from disliking Liz to feeling sorry for her and wishing that she gets a second chance.

This story had me in tears quite a few times throughout this book, Amy has such a beautiful writing style that had me captivated, that will also have my buying anything that she releases in the future.

One of my favorite contemporary books of the year, this was fabulous.

So highly recommended.

I give this 5/5 stars.

Hello! I’m Amy. I write books. My debut, FALLING INTO PLACE, will be published by Greenwillow/HarperCollins in the fall of 2014. I like laughing and parentheses. I love watching soccer but can’t play it to save my life, and I love playing tennis but don’t like watching it. I hate those little toothpick/dental floss combos. I’ve always wanted to visit Prague. I paper-mached my desk using old book pages. I have a typewriter named Mattie Ann. I write on my walls. I don’t have my driver’s license. I’m scared of failure and eyelash curlers. I have very silly thumbs. The past fascinates me. Books, tea, architecture, words, and pie make me very happy. Let’s go on a quest.

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(ARC) Book Review (383): Dark Blood (Dark #26) - Christine Feehan

Dark Blood (Dark #26)

by Christine Feehan

Publication: 2nd September 2014

Publisher: Berkley

Pages: 432

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Age Appropriate: Adult

Buy It: Order from Amazon.com

                Order from BarnesAndNoble.com 

The fates of a warrior reborn and a seductive Dragonseeker are irrevocably entwined in the new Carpathian novel by #1New York Times bestselling author Christine Feehan, “the queen of paranormal romance” (J. R. Ward).

At long last you are truly back with us…

Zev Hunter was an elite warrior, a dark-blood dealer of death to rogue Lycans who preyed on mankind. He was a loner, never given to personal attachments, and damned fierce at his job. But Zev begins to question his past and his purpose when he awakens in the darkness of the sacred cave of warriors—and is soothed back to consciousness by the sensuously familiar voice of one woman, the woman who has haunted his fantasies for centuries. She was Branislava, member of the Dragonseeker clan…

Mother Earth called the ancients to witness your rebirth…

For this half-mage, half-Carpathian temptress, the ritual of awakening Zev to the council of warriors was the only way to save him. Locked away for his own protection, the time has now come for his rebirth, for his blood to stir with that of the ancient warriors before him. He has been assured by Branislava that their fates are entwined, that their spirits are woven together for eternity and that his new purpose in life is beyond imagining.

Now, with a blood-sworn vow of honor, mercy and endurance, and under the influence of a siren as bewitching as Branislava, Zev begins to wonder what his purpose is, what it means for the future of the Carpathians and what it is about his rebirth that he has to fear…

My Thoughts.

This is one series that I eagerly await with bated breath with each and every new release, as well as the excitement of discovering just which couple we'll be reading about next.

Unfortunately the last six books have been hit and miss for me, I've gone from giving every book five stars to a rating of three, a couple have gotten five but for the most part I've been left disappointed.

I was looking forward to this book, the introduction of Bronnie and Zev in a previous book had me quite excited, the chemistry was definitely there and I had high hopes, so you can imagine my disappointment when Zev turned out to be not what I expected, the main reason I had a problem with him was in the way that Christine wrote the love scenes between him and Bronnie, I realise that he was a dominant personality but forcing someone to their knees to give you a blowjob, not just once either to punish them does not to me constitute a healthy relationship, but the ultimate shocker was having him have sex with her when she's basically unconscious and unable to move regardless of whether he had her consent or not, I was quite shocked that this was a Christine Feehan book, regardless of whether Zev is an Alpha or not, this is not the kind of thing I expect to read about in one of Christine's books, I'm no prude but if I had of wanted to read something like this I can just pick up 50 Shades Of Grey, both Fen and Dimitri are Alphas but we don't see them treating their life-mates this way!

I'm also getting quite bored with the spells that have been prevalent throughout the past few books, I find myself skipping over them, there seems to be too many, I understand that they are a part of the storyline but I could seriously do without them.

There were some things that I liked in this story which helped up my rating and gave it an extra star it otherwise wouldn't have gotten, the camaraderie between Zev, Fen and Dimitri was hilarious, I found myself laughing out loud and rereading some parts that were very amusing.

But the highlight of the book for me was the impromptu dancing out front of Mikhail's house with some of our most beloved characters of the series making an appearance, some who I wish we got to see more of, Julian in particular, I loved his story and character, his sense of humor and the scenes he shares with Gregori are always entertaining, I just wish he had more time in the books.

One mistake that I caught in this book was that in Dark Lycan book twenty-four (page 109) Darius and Tempest had twins, a boy and girl, yet in Dark Blood (page 236) they just have a son, I wouldn't have thought that, that would be something that Christine would forget.

Either way with some new evil characters set to wreak havoc for the foreseeable future I will still continue on buying and reading each future release, I'm invested now after twenty-six books and I have no plans on stopping, I just wish that the series could go back to being as enjoyable as the earlier books were.

I hope that the next book Dark Ghost featuring Andre will be like the books of old and enjoyable enough that I never have to write another review like this again for this series, it kills me to write this because I adore this series.

I give this 3.5/5 stars.

I write every day and have done so since I was old enough to pick up a pen. (I spent a lot of time getting in trouble at school for writing instead of doing the things I was supposed to do.) Once I create my characters, I try very hard to have them react to situations as they really would. Sometimes I have preconceived ideas of what I would like them to do, but they don't mind me, because it would be out of character for them. They take on a life of their own. Sometimes when I throw difficult situations at them in the hopes I'll get a certain reaction and they don't do what I want, I complain bitterly to my husband and he laughs at me. Still, it is important to me to have them be real, not perfect people, so they make mistakes we lesser mortals might make.

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(ARC) Book Review (382): Heir Of Fire (Throne Of Glass #3) - Sarah J. Maas

Heir of Fire (Throne of Glass #3)

by Sarah J. Maas

Publication: 2nd September 2014

Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Children's

Pages: 565

Genre: Fantasy

Age Appropriate: Young Adult

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

Lost and broken, Celaena Sardothien’s only thought is to avenge the savage death of her dearest friend: as the King of Adarlan’s Assassin, she is bound to serve this tyrant, but he will pay for what he did. Any hope Celaena has of destroying the king lies in answers to be found in Wendlyn. Sacrificing his future, Chaol, the Captain of the King’s Guard, has sent Celaena there to protect her, but her darkest demons lay in that same place. If she can overcome them, she will be Adarlan’s biggest threat – and his own toughest enemy. 

While Celaena learns of her true destiny, and the eyes of Erilea are on Wendlyn, a brutal and beastly force is preparing to take to the skies. Will Celaena find the strength not only to win her own battles, but to fight a war that could pit her loyalties to her own people against those she has grown to love?

My Thoughts.

Heir Of Fire is the epic third instalment  in the utterly amazing Throne Of Glass series, featuring everyone's favorite assassin Celaena Sardothien, as she arrives in Wendlyn, a shell of the girl we first met, broken down by her losses of the people she loves and also the betrayal of the ones she trusted most.

This book gave me all the feels I could ever want in a series, as we suffer along with Celaena as she learns to finally let go of all that's holding her back and to finally become and feel worthy of the person that she was destined to be, all this is thanks to Rowan, a fae Prince who is given the task of training her, until she can be deemed worthy enough to cross over into Doranelle to get the answers from the fae Queen Maeve about the Wyrdmarks among other things.

Throughout this book we are also given Pov's of Chaol, Dorian and Manon a Blackbeak witch, I liked that with Celaena away we still got to keep up with what was going on in Adarlan and the rebel forces (led by an unlikely leader) as they plan to take down the King and his evil plans.

I really don't know how I'm going to hold out until next year to read the next book, with so much going on and so many things occurring at the end of the book, I'm desperate to get my hands on a copy, I'm so enthralled with  this world and characters that Sarah has created, this could arguably be the best Fantasy series ever written!

I went through a whole array of feelings reading this that had me at times in tears, joyful, sad and morose as we travel through the amazing writing and world building that makes this series as fantastic as it is, coming in at a good 565 pages this book is huge, but there is no filler here, this book I feel needed to be this long to get us through the build up to what is sure to be one action packed fourth book.

I feel there's nothing that Sarah can do wrong with this series, although I'm still unsure whom I'm hoping to see Celaena end up with, Chaol who I adore or Rowan who took me some time to warm up to but I can see the potential, decisions, decisions.

I can't recommend this book or series enough, the hype is real people, if you haven't read any of these books then you're definitely missing out!

I give this 5/5 stars.

Sarah J. Maas is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Throne of Glass series (Heir of Fire, Book 3, will be out in September 2014). Starting in Spring 2015, her New Adult Fantasy series, A Court of Thorns and Roses, will be published by Bloomsbury as well. 

Sarah lives in Southern California, and over the years, she has developed an unhealthy appreciation for Disney movies and bad pop music. She adores fairy tales and ballet, drinks too much coffee, and watches absolutely rubbish TV shows. When she's not busy writing, she can be found exploring the California coastline with her husband.

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(ARC) Book Review (381): Blackbird (Blackbird Duology #1) - Anna Carey

Blackbird (Blackbird Duology #1)

by Anna Carey 

Publication: 16th September 2014

Publisher: HarperTeen

Pages: 256

Genre: Mystery

Age Appropriate: Young Adult

Buy It: Amazon  |  Barnes and Noble  |  IndieBound

This twisty, breathless cat-and-mouse thrill ride, told in the second person, follows a girl with amnesia in present-day Los Angeles who is being pursued by mysterious and terrifying assailants.

A girl wakes up on the train tracks, a subway car barreling down on her. With only minutes to react, she hunches down and the train speeds over her. She doesn’t remember her name, where she is, or how she got there. She has a tattoo on the inside of her right wrist of a blackbird inside a box, letters and numbers printed just below: FNV02198. There is only one thing she knows for sure: people are trying to kill her. 

On the run for her life, she tries to untangle who she is and what happened to the girl she used to be. Nothing and no one are what they appear to be. But the truth is more disturbing than she ever imagined. 

The Maze Runner series meets Code Name Verity, Blackbird is relentless and action-packed, filled with surprising twists.

My Thoughts.

Blackbird is the first book in an all new duology, an action packed, thrilling mystery that will keep you on the edge of your seat as you make your way through this exciting story and discover the memories and reasons for the heroine's amnesia along with her and the meaning of the blackbird tattoo on her wrist.

Waking up on the train tracks with no memory of how she got there or who she is, she soon finds herself on the run, being tracked and hunted by not only the police but total strangers as well, with the help of a boy Ben that she meets, at the beginning of the book she begins a journey to discover who she was and why total strangers are so intent on killing her.

We're left with a shock twist at the end that left me totally gobsmacked, and has me desperately wanting the next book.

A fast paced and quick read, that while told in second person perspective took some time to get used to, but was thoroughly enjoyable.

I give this 4/5 stars.

Anna Carey is the author of The Eve Trilogy (Eve, Once, Rise) and the forthcoming Blackbird series, which hits shelves September 16th, 2014. She studied creative writing at NYU and has an MFA in fiction from Brooklyn College. She likes miniatures, subway generated wind, flea markets, chalkboard silhouettes, dance-offs, arnold palmers, Chinese finger traps, and top-of-your-lungs car singing. She dislikes pennies, paper receipts, and tunafish. For delayed response times, please contact her through this site. For instant gratification, please find her on twitter. @AnnaCareyBooks

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