{Top Ten Tuesday} My Top Ten New Adult Books

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created here at The Broke and the Bookish. This feature was created because we are particularly fond of lists here at The Broke and the Bookish. We'd love to share our lists with other bookish folks and would LOVE to see your top ten lists!

I'm trying a new Tuesday Meme this week. I've seen the Top Ten Tuesday lists floating around on the bloggosphere and I always enjoy reading them, so why not join in on the fun. This week's Top Ten Topic is:

Top Ten All Time Favorite Books in the New Adult Genre

(These are in no particular order)

Wait for You by J. Lynn

Be With Me by J. Lynn

Easy by Tammara Webber

Slammed by Colleen Hoover (Actually anything by Colleen Hoover)

Ruin by Rachel Van Dyken

Lucky Number Four by Amanda Jason

 Charade by Nyrae Dawn

Facade by Nyrae Down

 Rule (Not Pictured) by Jay Crownover

Jet by Jay Crownover

Rome by Jay Crownover

 I've only now realized just how far behind I am in reviews. I only listed a couple by each author. J. Lynn, Colleen Hoover, Rachel Van Dyken, Nyrae Dawn, and Jay Crownover have won a fan for life!!!

I'm certain I missed a few since it's hard to choose just a few books, but these will do for today! Happy Top Ten Tuesday everyone! Let me know what your faves are, of any genre in my comments. If you happen to be a new follower, let me know so I can follow you back!

{Book Review} Ruin by Rachel Van Dyken

Title: Ruin
Series: Ruin #1
Author: Rachel Van Dyken
Publication Date: August 11, 2013
Publisher: Self-Published

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Blurb:

I'm not your typical girl. I've been running away from the memories that haunt me for so long that depression has become my only comfort. I was content in the darkness...until Wes Michals offered to be my light.

I didn't know that time wasn't my ally -- that every second that ticked past was one step closer to the end of something that was beginning to mean the end of myself. He tried to warn me. He promised me all he was able to offer--each moment as it came--but it would never be enough.

Sometimes when you think it's the end, it's only the beginning. Wes thought he could save me, but in giving me everything, he ruined me. Because after one kiss, one touch, I couldn't--I wouldn't ever be the same.

And from that moment on, his heartbeat became my own.

All I can say is... Wow! If I knew how moving, how heartbreaking, and, eventually, how awe-inspiring Ruin would be, I would have picked it up on August 11, 2013, the day it released. And honestly, if not for the minor editing issues, the rating would have been FIVE stars. Rachel Van Dyken is quickly becoming one of my favorite New Adult writers. 

Some people are going to call the romance too "insta-lovey," but given the circumstances, I can completely understand why the author went where she did with the story. I started off the book laughing at Kiersten's clumsiness, especially where Wes was involved. If anyone ever doubts that a single girl could embarrass herself in such a horrific manner, I assure you—it is possible.

But trees weren't warm.

And they didn't have one, two , three, four, six. Good Lord, eight? Eight packs? Furthermore, had I actually been feeling said person's eight pack? A, dear God, I was counting. I had touched each muscle. And great, my hand was still firmly placed against the guy's stomach.

Oh, I laughed so hard.

Kiersten, a college freshman, finds herself lost in the chaos of attending college, well, the registration process specifically. People are rude and can't be bothered to answer her questions. The one guy who is willing has quite a reputation. Kiersten's not sure she wants his brand of drama, but she's also having a difficult time avoiding him. 

Wes, college senior filled with snark and billions of bucks, finds himself captivated by the clumsy, sometimes crazy freshman. He's the quarterback of the football team, the RA of Kiersten's dorm, and has an entourage to boot. He is the guy every girl wants, thing is he's all about changing his ways. No more one night stands, no more boozing it up, no more frivolity. His main goal is to finish out his last season on the football field and make it into the big bowl game, until... a beautiful, clumsy freshman runs smack into him. Haunted by his past, he feels the need to save her.

Both Kiersten and Wes are carrying secrets they aren't willing to share with anyone, not even each other. Unfortunately, Wes has more than one traumatic event coloring his past and when he finally comes clean, my feelings gnawed at my gut, literally bringing tears to my eyes. I thoroughly enjoyed Ms. Van Dyken's build to the big reveal. It was slow and torturous, but perfect. Wes' emotions clung to me stronger than Kiersten's. Or, maybe Kiersten's reaction to Wes' situation stuck with me more. 

Either way, the story is phenomenal. Complex and complicated. Heartbreaking and inspiring. A perfect blend of life; the horrific and the sweet.

I thought about inserting a spoilery type quote here, but instead, I'll leave you with my favorite line.

"Maybe it's not in the perfection of life that things make sense, but in the chaos."

Yes, this book is considered a New Adult book, but it is written clean with only slight suggestions made at sexual content. My 13 year old is mature for her age, but I would have no problem with her reading this novel.  

Stacking the Shelves: Book Buying Binge VLOG

Yep... you saw that right! I'm so far behind that I decided to do a VLOG since I went on a book buying binge. Fortunately, books are my single vice when it comes to depression. You know it could be worse, don't even pretend it couldn't be. Hehe.

Books Referenced:

Looking for Alaska by John Green
Splintered and Unhinged by A. G. Howard
Confessions of a Murder Suspect by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro
Confession: The Private School Murders by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro
Archer's Voice by Mia Sheridan
Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge
Angels in the Dark by Lauren Kate
Ignite Me by Tahereh Mafi
Ruin by Rachel Van Dyken ... For ages 18+
Be With Me by J. Lynn (AKA Jennifer L. Armentrout) For ages 18+
Dark Places by Gillian Flynn ... For ages 18 +

Be sure to check out my YouTube Channel for more fun videos!
As YouTube and VLOGing are a relatively new concept to me, there aren't many up right now, but I'll be doing more as the year progresses!

Making a Few Changes

For so long I focused solely on Young Adult books, and it has been nothing but amazing; however, I'm having a hard time keeping up my interest in reviewing JUST YA books. So, much like the seasons change, I've decided to make a change or two. I will continue to review YA books, on occasion, but for the most part, I'm going to stick to reviewing New Adult and Adult books.

What this means for my blog is some books will not be appropriate for readers under the age of 17. This will clearly be marked on any review I write. I don't want to run off my younger followers, because you bet your life there will still be plenty of YA reviews, but after nearly 3 years, my reading tastes have changed, as have some of yours. I'm sure if Kelly M ever has time, school is eating her alive, she'll be glad to post a review or two, and she prefers YA.

So, stick with us during our transformation and lets see how things roll. I'm not going to put an "over 18" warning up, because while some of the books may not be appropriate for the younger crowd, my reviews will remain clean and clearly marked.

Let me know what you think about the changes in the comments. I hope everyone is excited. I just needed to change something so I'm excited about blogging again.

photo credit: aurelio.asiain via photopin cc

{Teaser Tuesday} Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

                                                     

Title: Cruel Beauty
Series: Cruel Beauty Universe
Author: Rosamund Hodge

The blurb for this book is extra long, so I'm just going to refer you to the Goodreads page.

Teaser:

This time the cold that burned through my middle was fear, not anger.

Tomorrow I will marry a monster.

I thought of little else, all the rest of the night.

I'm going to be honest, I bought this book solely based on the cover, I did read the description too. It's outside of my usual reading, but I thought I'd give it a try. It's a retelling of Beauty and the Beast, and I'm enjoying it so far. I'm about 50 pages in or so.

{A Kelly Coffee Review} The Return by Brad Boney

Title: The Return
Author: Brad Boney
Publisher: DreamSpinner Press
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Male/Male Romance
Publication Date: July 5, 2013

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Synopsis: 

Music. Topher Manning rarely thinks about anything else, but his day job as a mechanic doesn't exactly mesh with his rock star ambitions. Unless he can find a way to unlock all the songs in his head, his band will soon be on the fast track to obscurity.

Then the South by Southwest music festival and a broken-down car drop New York critic Stanton Porter into his life. Stanton offers Topher a ticket to the Bruce Springsteen concert, where a hesitant kiss and phantom vibrations from Topher's cell phone kick off a love story that promises to transcend ordinary possibility.

 

 

Okay, so the holiday kind of ate my life and I haven't had much time to read/listen to anything since November. However, today I was called for jury duty selection, which involved sitting around for almost the whole day, giving me a chance to get caught up on some reading. 

As you can see from the publication date, this one has been on my to-read list for a while. So, you may remember my review of Brad Boney's The Nothingness of Ben two years ago. In that review, I praised the building of the love story, the pacing and the dialogue. The Return shows us that it wasn't a fluke. 

The Return takes place in the same world as The Nothingness of Ben and even includes cameos and supporting roles from most of Ben's cast, but they are not (that I can find) listed as part of the same series, and it can be read independently just fine. 

I have had this book bought and downloaded pretty much since the day it came out. But it also came out when I was in the middle of the Wheel of Time books and when I started doing most of my reading via audiobooks on my commute. Today, literally locked in a room with strangers that I wasn't encouraged to engage with and no internet access, was the perfect excuse to get some reading caught up on.

I did not expect to read this whole book today, but I could not put it down. The rhythm and pacing of this book is different than Ben. In fact, I was a little worried when I began reading. While dialogue is one of the author's greatest strengths, some of the dialogue in the beginning of the book is a little choppy and could stand some more narrative interruption. I was also confused by a flashback chapter early in the book, and it took a couple of those chapters to figure out why they were there. 

One of the things the synopsis doesn't warn you about is the fact that this romance is what is usually called a May-December romance, meaning there is a significant age difference between Topher and Stanton. Usually May-December romances aren't my thing, and it was a bit of a surprise, but there's a really good reason for it and I fully embraced it.

Though the first 6-7% of the book was not quite as smooth as I expected, there are ways in which I think that The Return may even surpass Ben. Where Ben crafted a relationship beautifully, showing its evolution and life with a care and development that I think is so often missing from "romance" novels, The Return shows less the development of the relationship and more the emotional journey of two people who are inexplicably drawn together and trying to reconcile those feelings with both past issues and the realities of a relationship between two people with such a significant age difference (Topher is 26 and Stanton is 50). 

Here, it is not just about the relationship, there is the building of a world and a mythology within that world. There are some paranormal elements in this book, but I don't want to say anything else. Seeing it unravel and putting the pieces together myself from the unexpected twist was so much fun, I do not want to spoil, but I will give this teaser:

"Have you ever heard of the I Ching?"

"No. Why?"

"It's a book of Chinese philosophy. It explores the idea that everything happens for a reason, that nothing in the universe is random."

With Ben, there was great sympathy with the couple who seem to make sense but they make real and relatable mistakes with each other. There is something about The Return that evokes less sympathy and more heartbreak. I mourned with these characters, my heart wrenched for them... I cried. There is an innate tragedy in Topher and Stanton's story that takes a while to unravel, but once it does, watching them struggle is really heartbreaking. The resolution is beautiful, leaving you with relief, satisfaction and joy which almost cause happy tears. I blasted through this 350-page book today and all I want is more from Boney. More of this world. More of this mythology. More of these characters. I love them all.

5 stars for both narrative crafting and sheer emotional impact. Next book in this world is due out sometime this year. I'm not waiting six months to read it this time.

{Book Review} Rome by Jay Crownover

Title: Rome
Series: Marked Men #3
Author: Jay Crownover
Publisher: Willow Marrow
Publication Date: January 7, 2014

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Blurb:

Sometimes the wrong choice can be just right . . .

Fun and fearless, Cora Lewis knows how to keep her tattooed "bad boy" friends at the Marked in line. But beneath all that flash and sass is a broken heart. Cora won't let herself get burned again. She's waiting to fall in love with the perfect man—a baggage-free, drama-free guy ready for commitment. Then she meets Rome Archer.

Rome Archer is as far from perfect as a man can be. He's stubborn, rigid, and bossy. And he's returned from his final tour of duty more than a little broken. Rome's used to filling many roles: big brother, doting son, supersoldier—but none of those fit anymore. Now he's just a man trying to figure out what to do with the rest of his life while keeping the dark demons of war and loss at bay. He would have been glad to suffer through it alone, until Cora comes sweeping into his life and becomes a blinding flash of color in a sea of gray. Perfect may not be in the cards, but perfectly imperfect could just last forever . . .

Due to explicit sexual content, not recommended for readers under the age of 17.

Jay Crownover is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors with her sexy, action-packed, tattoo parlor filled with all sorts of broken playboys. Rome, brother to Rule and retired soldier in the Army, isn't in the tattoo business, but spent many years of his life protecting others: Rule & Remy, Shaw, and an entire country's freedoms. He's had a difficult time forgiving himself for not protecting Remy from a terrible car accident that claimed his life, even though Rome was away fighting a war.

When Rome returns home after his tour, he finds himself having trouble fitting in. Everyone has moved on with their lives. Rule has straightened his life out and has taken over the role of protecting Shaw, he's furious with his parents because of a secret they kept from him and Rule, and those nightmares that keep haunting his sleep leave him tired, cranky, and lost. Lucky for him, there's a girl who can handle all of him. The good, bad, and the ugly. Now he only needs to trust her.

Cora continues to be one of my favorite characters in this series. She's all girl with a side of kick ass, and this little pixie with her different colored eyes are just what Rome needs to put a smile back on his face. People should really stop doubting Cora's ability to take care of herself. The girl has some moves!

I'm going to admit to crying more than once during this novel. Jay ratcheted up the action three-fold, threw in several twists I never saw coming, and made me fall in love with this extended family more than I already had. I especially enjoyed learning more about Remy, although the amount of tears shed will never be divulged. I will admit to not being a big fan of an all too common trope being used entirely too often lately, but Jay found a unique way to make it work.

I highly recommend the Marked Men series to anyone looking for a few bad boys slowly finding their ways to the women they love. Rome's book is slightly more intense than Rule or Jet, but so very good.

Reading Order:

Rule (Amazon buy link)

Jet (Amazon buy link)

Rome (Amazon buy link)

{Book Review} Lucky Number Four by Amanda Jason

Title: Lucky Number Four
Author: Amanda Jason
Published by: C.A. Kunz LLC
Publication Date: January 5, 2014
Genre: New Adult

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Blurb:

Pandora Ann Phillips' life is just normal-crazy

Her mom's a psychic, her dad's mom is a snob, her mom's parental units are "too down to earth" and her best friends are newlyweds. Okay, so her best friends being newlyweds isn't really abnormal, but living with them in a cramped two-bedroom apartment definitely is. Sex, sex, sex is totally on their minds. Actually it's not only on their minds, but it's on the kitchen table, couch, on top of the washer...well, you get the picture.

Being a celibate (not by choice, mind you) full-time college student, and an almost full-time barista, Pandora can't afford to lose anymore sleep. So, she seeks out a new place to lay her head. Enter three "drool worthy" male models that are looking for a fourth roommate and they want her...and won't take no for an answer.

Hilarity ensues as Pandora's life turns completely upside down, and she begins to wonder if it will ever be the same again!

Man, I had to scroll up and hide those enigmas on the cover so I could concentrate on my review and ignore the three brutally handsome men's lips smirking at me. Talk about sidetracked. Wowza!

I think I bought into the hype a little too much on this one, not to say it wasn't cute and funny and an all together good read, I just expected so much more from a story of three men and one woman sharing an apartment. I waited for hijinks to ensue, the boys bringing girls home at all hours of the night, heck, even all three of them fighting for her attention, but none of that happened. Not once, and it made me sad.

What did not make me sad is the actual interaction I experiences through multiple characters in the book.

Pandora decides to take a gander at a loft apartment she found advertised in a grocery store, hoping to find somewhere she can study and sleep without the oohs and aahs of sex creeping into every second of her day. Her newly married roommates haven't moved past the honeymoon stage yet, and she's going insane. And seeing her best friend's penis when she wanted a drink late one night gave her the creeps. She needed a new place to live, but being a broke college student didn't leave her with many options, so she chanced the before mentioned apartment.

Once introduced to the three yummy men, they wanted her as their roommate, no one else, so they resorted to bribery and just a little bit of blackmail. By the time she finished talking with Drew, she realized he'd offered Kevin and Julie, her best friends, an apartment in another part of the building and they'd accepted, so she literally had nowhere to live, except with three exceptionally hot men. How her life must suck!

Throughout the book, we catch a glimpse of which of the guys might be interested in her, and honestly, if you look at all the clues, you'll figure it out far before she does.

I'm going to interject something here... I'm getting a little tired of every girl in every book I read thinking she's nothing special. Come on guys, let's write about some girls who have some self-esteem. It's perfectly okay to think you're pretty, actually, it's healthy, because when Dora decides to tell her roommates they only want to hang with her because they've taken her on as a charity case, I wanted to scream. And to have to hear another friend say "you really don't see yourself, do you?" sends me running in another direction.

These are three famous models. They wouldn't hang out with you if they didn't want to. Pandora wasn't their kid sister, or even kid sister's best friend.

SPOILER - HIGHLIGHT THE TEXT IF YOU WANT TO READ THE SPOILER

Once Pandora finds out who her admirer is, it's off for some fun in the sun, but not before some unprotected sex in the bed. This is becoming a trope I'm tired of reading about. Maybe it hits too close to home, I don't know. But getting pregnant out of wedlock was not as fun as these authors make it seem. The guy rarely says "Oh Happy Day" and does the Snoopy dance even when they've been dating for years, much less a couple of months, and the girl, well, I, personally, was a complete mess.

SPOILER OVER

Outside of what I revealed in the spoiler sections, there were definitely some twists and turns I never saw coming, and yes, my eyes teared up once or twice. There was a lot of "tell" and not enough "show" in Lucky Number Four. And while I know what happened to two of the three guys, I'm left wondering about one. He seems to have just disappeared somewhere near the end.

Would I recommend this book to a friend? Absolutely, after a warning that the hype around it has been built up, and if you're looking for a steamy, sexy read, this might not be it. If you're looking for something fun and entertaining... go for it!

Bout of Book Read-a-Than 9.0 Goals

Eeps! Goals, oh my! I'm so bad at these, but here goes!

Time Devoted to Reading

I will be reading everyday, this isn't really a challenge for me as I read each night before bed anyway.

My Goals

I plan on finishing Lucky Number Four by Amanda Jason. I'm really enjoying the story so far. Then who knows what I'll read. I know I will start Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi and possibly Angelfall by Susan Ee, but I'm not really certain. I also plan on participating in as many of the challenges as possible.

Books to Read

Lucky Number Four 
Under the Never Sky
Angelfall

Updates

Who's Doing Bout of Books?

ME! I messed everything up the last time I tried to do Bout of Books, but I've been very careful and I am going to read my rear end off over the next couple of days.

The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda @ On a Book Bender and Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, January 6th and runs through Sunday, January 12th in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure, and the only reading competition is between you and your usual number of books read in a week. There are challenges, giveaways, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books 9.0 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. - From the Bout of Books team

Goals to come!!!

{Waiting on Wednesdays} Maybe Someday by Colleen Hoover

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Title: Maybe Someday

Author: Colleen Hoover

Blurb:

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Colleen Hoover, a passionate tale of friendship, betrayal, and romance—and the enchanting music that inspires one young woman to put her life back together.

At twenty-two years old, aspiring musician Sydney Blake has a great life: She’s in college, working a steady job, in love with her wonderful boyfriend, Hunter, and rooming with her good friend, Tori. But everything changes when she discovers Hunter cheating on her with Tori—and she is left trying to decide what to do next.

Sydney becomes captivated by her mysterious neighbor, Ridge Lawson. She can’t take her eyes off him or stop listening to the daily guitar playing he does out on his balcony. She can feel the harmony and vibrations in his music. And there’s something about Sydney that Ridge can’t ignore, either: He seems to have finally found his muse. When their inevitable encounter happens, they soon find themselves needing each other in more ways than one…

Colleen Hoover has become one of my favorite authors to date. Slammed being my favorite of her books, but she'll remain one of my automatic buy authors forever!!! 

Have you read any of her books? If so, which is your favorite? If not, what are you waiting for?

Happy 2014 from Better Read Than Dead

Well, the New Year is upon us, and I for one couldn't be more excited to put this year behind me and usher in a fresh and joyous new start.

Just before Christmas, my husband lost his job of 22 years and reality is finally starting to set in. I've never been particularly superstitious, but as he lost his job on Friday December 13th, 2013, I may find myself being a little more leery around things involving the number 13, so bring on 2014. Of course, life moves on and we persevere. Our family always has and will always continue to do so.

While 2013 ended in disaster, there are also so many things I'm thankful for. Tried & true friends like Robin, Kelly M, and my girls at Starbooks, especially the Mafia. Brand new friends like Francesca. Series finales such as Goddess by Josephine Angelini, Allegient by Veronica Roth (though I haven't read it yet), and so many others. CATCHING FIRE blew my mind and Jennifer Lawrence continues to entertain me in her movies and interviews. I've discovered some of the best music in years: Fun., Imagine Dragons—Demons being my current personal anthem, Thirty Seconds to Mars new album: LOVE LUST FAITH + DREAMS. And last, but certainly not least, my husband and two daughters. Without them, I couldn't, wouldn't be here.

And each and every single one of my followers for sticking with me!

There are so many things I'm looking forward to in the year to come. New books, new movies, new projects, and new friends! I mean DIVERGENT is coming to the big screen, the final Mortal Instruments book—The City of Heavenly Fire—releases, I personally will be querying for agents and publishers, and with all those things I hope to find new people who share my passions for books, movies, writing, and music. There'll be changes to the blog and amazing reviews to share.

I'm not one for New Year's Resolutions, in reality they're promises begging to be broken. All I wish is to be a better person, more goal oriented and patient, than in the past.

With that... I wish each of you a HAPPY NEW YEAR & may all your dreams come true!

{Book Review} The Iron Traitor by Julie Kagawa

Title: The Iron Traitor
Series: The Iron Fey: Call of the Forgotten
Author: Julie Kagawa
Publisher: HarlequinTeen
Publication Date: October 29, 2013

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Blurb:

In the real world, when you vanish into thin air for a week, people tend to notice.

After his unexpected journey into the lands of the fey, Ethan Chase just wants to get back to normal. Well, as normal as you can be when you see faeries every day of your life. Suddenly the former loner with the bad reputation has someone to try for; his girlfriend, Kenzie. Never mind that he's forbidden to see her again.

But when your name is Ethan Chase and your sister is one of the most powerful faeries in the Nevernever, normal simply isn't to be. For Ethan's nephew, Keirran, is missing, and may be on the verge of doing something unthinkable in the name of saving his own love. Something that will fracture the human and faery worlds forever, and give rise to the dangerous fey known as the Forgotten. As Ethan's and Keirran's fates entwine and Keirran slips further into darkness, Ethan's next choice may decide the fate of them all.

Hmmm, so all I needed was a deep immersion into one of my favorite series to brighten my week. There will be people, especially after The Iron Traitor, who will disagree with me on so many levels I may lose friends, but Keirran may be even hotter than his father, and how I do love me some Ash. But... Keirran is broken in ways Ash never was, so...

One of my favorite things about Fey is the way they can be adapted, sculpted, and completely reinvented by an author to do anything, be anything, AND then be interpreted by the reader to look or sound or, again, be anything. What I love about Julie Kagawa's IRON FEY SERIES is the way she can shift between writing terrifying, monstrous creatures who cause my insides to quiver, then write a breathtakingly heartwarming, and surprisingly human scene the very next paragraph, and everything coheres.

Let's take Keirran as an example. While The Iron Traitor is told from Ethan's POV, I think we can all agree, the CALL OF THE FALLEN is a story about both Ethan and his nephew, Keirran. One human, and one Fey. Throughout the novel, Keirran shifts back and forth between cold, and sometimes sinister, to warm and sorrowful. Granted, Keirran is only half-Fey, he's been raised in the Nevernever, Mag Tuiredh, to be exact. He's born of a Winter Prince (Ash) and half Summer Fey Princess/half human turned Iron Queen (Meghan). A boy who possesses the blood of Winter, Summer, Iron, and human... talk about confusing! And all he really wants, is to save his love Annwyl from Fading. You might think with his extensive bloodline he'd have plenty of family and friends to support him, but you would be mistaken. Aside from his parents, he has a few Iron gadgets, Razor, and Ethan. Fey politics aside, the prophecies revolving around both he and Ethan are enough to keep most Fey far away.

The journey to stop Annwyl from Fading is plagued with trouble from the beginning. Keirran is determined to pay whatever price he must to keep his love alive. Her disappearing from existence is not an option, and how often do teenagers, even those not of this world, make well-formed and sound choices when pushed into a corner? (PLEASE, leave me a comment if you know one. I now have 2 and I'm not sure either of them will ever complete this task when not backed against a wall.) Lucky for Keirran, he has a trusty uncle who will fight with him until the end. Too bad they're both seventeenish.

Ethan, my dear sweet, naive Ethan. When will you learn? So, yeah, Ethan hears his nephew is missing. Meghan and Ash are searching both sides of the Veil for him, and finding nothing. The winds whisper where he's been, but by the time someone can catch him, he disappears again. Ethan gets pulled into the chase when Annwyl shows up begging for his help. Meghan also took time away as the Iron Queen to make a quick house call, hoping Ethan would have heard from Keirran. No such luck. And, well, if Ethan's going, then Kenzie's going too. 

Anyone see how this could go wrong? 

Did I mention Puck? Yep, you'll see him too. Guess what... they're off to see Titania to ask her to reinstate Annwyl into the Summer Court so her Fade will stop. Titania despises Keirran almost as much as she hates humans and Puck.

Even to obtain Queen Titania's consideration, the two humans and Keirran will be given an almost impossible task. A task they should probably think through, consult a few bazillion people, and then just not do, but as lovesick teenagers, they run straight ahead.  It's entirely possible that Keirran doesn't have all the facts associated with Annwyl's exile either. However, I'm going to go on and say... Puck could have hindered them some. Seriously.

Now, the title of this book is ominous in itself. The Iron Traitor? I'm sure you picked up on that, so I'll leave you with that thought, and also a couple of my favorite passages from this book.

"That's quite an offer," he said, lowering his arm. "But I think you're forgetting something."

"Oh? And what is that, boy?"

Keirran dropped to one knee, driving his fist into the wooden floor. There was a blinding  flash of blue-white, and I fliched, turning away, as roars and screams erupted around us. But a second later, they cut out as if someone had flipped a switch. My skin burned with cold, and I opened my eyes with a gasp...

"I don't sell out my family." - page 164

"This was different," I told her. "I wasn't forced to do anything. This was a choice."

"Yes, it was," Kenzie agreed solemnly. "You chose to help a friend. You chose to go along with this request because it was the only way to save his life. To save both their lives." - page 316

And the reason I will insist on reading Faery Tales to my children, and their children:

"But now—" the Lady made a hopeless, weary gesture "—we are all but gone from their minds. Our stories have been sanitized and made into children's tales. The Nevernever still exists on the dreams and fears of mortals, but even it grows smaller with each passing year. For those cut off from the dreamworld, we cannot help but Fade into nothing." - page 339

*While I was fortunate enough to receive an e-ARC from HarlequinTeen via NetGalley, this review is of the finished copy which was purchased by me from Barnes & Noble. All quotes are from finished product.

{Book Review} Music of the Heart by Katie Ashley

Title: Music of the Heart
Series: Runaway Train
Author: Katie Ashley
Publisher: Self-Published
Publication Date: March 24, 2013

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Blurb:

For Abby Renard, the plan was supposed to be simple—join her brothers’ band on the last leg of their summer tour and decide if she’s finally ready for the limelight by becoming its fourth member. Of course, she never imagined stumbling onto the wrong tour bus at Rock Nation would accidentally land her in the bed of Jake Slater, the notorious womanizing lead singer of Runaway Train. When he mistakes her for one of his groupie’s, Abby quickly lets him know she sure as hell isn't in his bed on purpose.

Jake Slater never imagined the angel who fell into his bed would resist his charms by promptly kneeing him in the balls. Of course, the fact she seems like a prissy choir girl makes her anything but his type. So he is more than surprised when after betting Abby she wouldn’t last a week on their tour bus, she is more than willing to prove him wrong. But as Jake’s personal life begins to implode around him, he finds an unlikely ally in Abby. He’s never met a woman he can talk to, joke with, or most importantly make music with.

As the week starts comes to a close, neither Abby nor Jake is ready to let go. Can a sweetheart Country songstress and a bad boy of Rock N Roll actually have a future together?

How about that cover? YUMMY, right? I definitely thought so; however, the saying "don't judge a book by its cover" can go both ways. I'm always looking for a new series centering around a bad boy Rock God and a woman worthy of his unfettered attention. When I found this one on Amazon along with an average rating of 4 stars, I thought I'd found my next obsession. I never like saying I'm wrong, but on occasion, it's a must. And Music of the Heart just wasn't for me. At all.

Sure Jake Slater started out the book being all sexy with all his flirtations and his alpha male ego. His manipulating of Abby to stay on their bus for a week instead of running to her brothers' band where she was supposed to be provided a ton of potential.

Abby was supposed to spend a week touring with her brothers' band, Jacob's Latter - a Christian rock band, so she could decide whether or not she wanted to live her life in the limelight. Instead, she accidentally finds herself on Runaway Train's bus, in Jake Slater's bed to be exact. Jake is the womanizing lead singer of this hard rock band, and Abby landing in his bed would be the beginning of his metamorphosis into an upstanding one-woman man. And now the problems begin.

My first and, by far, largest complaint was the feeling of being preached to. I get Abby grew up in a conservative Christian household, but she spent the first half of the novel preaching to this group of bad boys about how they should treat a woman. How they should act like gentleman, not make sexual innuendos, etc. Essentially her goal was to change these men, make them into something they weren't. And not just Jake, but Rhys and AJ also. Brayden was married and loved his wife and children very much so, in Abby's eyes, he didn't need to change.

Now, I understand the idea of these books is to take a womanizing rock star and win his loyalty, but it's been my experience that most of these women want the guy for who he is. They have no desire to change his personality, only his promiscuous ways. And any woman in her right mind KNOWS better than to try to change a man.

Secondly, nothing about Jake and Abby's relationship was believable. She forgave every mistake, small or large, the minute he said "I'm sorry." Sure, some slip-ups can be forgiven that easily, but bringing another girl on the bus to purposefully hurt someone you love, no. Running after having a heated make out session with the love of your life. No. Ranting at said girl, telling her the only reason she loves you is because you are Jake Fucking Slater and kicking her out of your house when she's there to comfort you. Hell no. But Abby just let everything slide.

My final point is the numerous plot holes. Jacob's Latter, the band Abby was supposed to tour with, played such a small part in the book, I almost wondered why they were even there. Then Garrett, a singer from another band in which Abby sang a duet with, played no part in the book. He was a trope to play at Jake's jealousy, but forgotten within a page or two. For womanizing rock stars, we never see AJ or Rhys in action. In fact, other than Abby, Brayden's wife is the only other female the guys from Runaway Train even converse with. AJ was humorous, and out of all the characters, he was definitely the best written.

Also, one of my biggest pet peeves is repetition, and wow!!! The repetition in this book knows no bounds.

I will not be continuing on with this series, but I've heard great things about Katie's other works and will most likely give one of them a try. I sincerely hate having so little positive things to say about a book, but on the bright side I finished it. Mostly to see if there would be some kind of lesson about trying to change a man and how absolutely wrong that plan could go.

{Survey} Looking for New Features to Liven Up the Blog

I took a break from blogging during November and thankfully I'm starting to miss it again, but going into the first of the year, I want to add some features and I need your help to find out what you would be types of special bookish type features you might be interested in. I'm also going to revamp the blog. I love the gothic feel, but it's too dark and I want to make it easier on everyone's eyes, so be looking forward to a new, fun look also.

This is me this morning! Haha.

So here's a little form to fill out. It's short and sweet. After you fill it out, enter your name in the Rafflecopter for a chance to win a $15 dollar gift certificate.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

{Kelly M Review} Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini

Title: Starcrossed
Series: Starcrossed #1
Author: Josephine Angelini
Genre: YA Mythological
Publisher: HarperTeen

Synopsis:

How do you defy destiny?

Helen Hamilton has spent her entire sixteen years trying to hide how different she is—no easy task on an island as small and sheltered as Nantucket. And it's getting harder. Nightmares of a desperate desert journey have Helen waking parched, only to find her sheets damaged by dirt and dust. At school she's haunted by hallucinations of three women weeping tears of blood . . . and when Helen first crosses paths with Lucas Delos, she has no way of knowing they're destined to play the leading roles in a tragedy the Fates insist on repeating throughout history.

As Helen unlocks the secrets of her ancestry, she realizes that some myths are more than just legend. But even demigod powers might not be enough to defy the forces that are both drawing her and Lucas together—and trying to tear them apart.

I’ve had Starcrossed since the beginning of the year when my cousin bought it for me on my birthday in January. For some reason I never read it. I have a question, why is it always the books that you put off reading that end up making your top 5 book list. Now those who know me, know it is very difficult for me to bump something off my top 5, so it better be effing spectacular.

My 5 are:

1. The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare
2. The Infernal Devices by Cassandra Clare
3. Starcrossed Trilogy by Josephine Angelini
4. Shatter Me series by Tahereh Mafi
5. Mara Dyer Trilogy by Michelle Hodkin

So as you can see it made the 3rd place and it knocked off Bloodlines which is quite a feat since we all know how much I love me some Adrian. See, I am a complete Greek mythology freak, to the point where I literally know everything about it –I blame this on my dad- and I RARELY read anything based on it. The only Greek myth stories I read, including this one, are Covenant Series by Jennifer L. Armentrout and the Fury Trilogy by Elizabeth Miles. I loved Covenant but hated Fury, so it’s really a hit or miss for me but Josephine’s book is just absolutely the best Greek myth book I have ever read, like hands down. The accuracy and then her take on the myth freaking blew my mind.

The way it is written is just absolutely phenomenal, and I was jealous because in my mind I knew I could never be as awesome a writer as she is. She takes the whole Battle of Troy myth and she reworks it but in a way that stays true to the myth itself and making it uniquely her own. There is this cycle that gets repeated every generation because it never gets fulfilled and I will not tell you what it is because it is a major spoiler for the other books, so they people who took part in the Troy battle basically get reborn every single time but it’s not reincarnation if that makes sense? It’s just the roles that get reborn. I really hope I’m making sense but hey if I’m not then that’s a great incentive to go read the book, yeah? It even involves a freaking curse from the Furies!

ANYWAY I must say that Helen (I guess you all know who she represents in the myth) irritated the living hell out of me in the beginning because I really cannot take the ‘poor me’ attitude in any character/person. I don’t care who you are but you will piss me off. Thank sweet baby Jesus she snapped right out of it very quickly and I was able to see her grow so much as a character in the first book already which is extremely rare and I understood why Helen had to be like that way in the beginning so that we could see the strong female heroine she would become. She thinks she is this big freak but she isn’t, she’s really a Scion, now I’m not gonna tell you guys what this is, that way I can leave the spoilers to a minimum, although those who know Greek myth, will know what I’m referring to. She doesn’t know this of course because her mother abandoned her so she is left to find out from the mysterious Delos family.

This is where I introduce the wonderfully, amazing, swoon-worthy, yumminess that is Lucas. I fell in love INSTANTLY PEOPLE, IN-STANT-LY!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 Now this guy is so amazing that he goes against everything, the curse, his House (House of Thebes) and his family to save Helen from himself as well as his family from killing her and simultaneously stop her from killing them even though she doesn’t know why. He is a dark haired blue-eyed guy which is obviously my weakness!

He also has these two cousins, Jason and Hector who are at first very douchy but in the end you love them so much that you just want to be in a triple layer sandwich with them but all of them have to touch you, how that would work is lost on me but I know you guys will get me!

The girl characters are just as amazing really. Jason has a twin, Ariadne (strange name and I think the ‘d’ is silent but who knows) and she is just as bad ass her two brothers and her cousin, Lucas but we don’t see her fighting that much even though you know she can. Helen’s best friend, Claire, is the main source of humour really. I cracked up reading this girl’s lines and she doesn’t take nonsense from anybody!

Honestly people this is one book series that you HAVE to read there is no “ifs”or “mayby’s” there is only “yes I will now!” You guys do not understand the astonishing affect this series had on me. I read all 3 books in 2 days. Granted I had an episode of insomnia again but who cares when you have phenomenal reading material right? If you can get me to love your rendition of a Greek myth then I bow down to your awesomeness. At the end of this book I was like

 and Kristin was like

{Sentinel Blog Tour} Apollyon by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Ah! How many of you are following the Sentinel Tour? Can you believe on Sentinel releases tomorrow? Seriously, like in 24 hours the Covenant Series will be coming to an end. I'm partially excited, but immensely nervous all at the same time. Some of my favorite characters' stories will come to an end, but it won't be goodbye because they'll remain on my bookshelf for me to reread whenever I desire.

I should probably kick my day off now. Better Read Than Dead is pleased to have been assigned Apollyon... which after Deity, actually relieved some of my stress and anxiety. 

How kick ass were Aiden and Alex? And Seth, well Jennifer wrote him perfectly. I slithered behind a pillow a time or two, scared for Alex, um... and a little for myself. Seriously. Eeps, and how 'bout those other deities? Wowza! Talk about some serious trouble brewing.

No reason to lie to any of you, but after Deity my heart slowed and a tiny piece of my soul lingered on the edge of perdition until I read Elixir, which only served as a mild sedative until Apollyon made its way into my tiny, but greedy, hands. You just cannot leave a person hanging like that. A friend borrowed my Deity ARC and she lives hundreds of miles from me - literally, it's a Texas/Mississippi friendship - and I swear I heard the book hit her wall when she finished. 

So, as Apollyon progressed, my heart kicked back into a normal rhythm and maybe Castiel visited and jump-started that tiny piece of my soul. Then when I saw Alex accept her role and the decision click in her eyes, I sang "Amazing Grace" as loud as possible. Heck, the dogs joined in and carried a better tune!!! Truth!

Let's talk a little about the disintegrated love triangle just so I can start some controversy. Not really, but it always does so why not embrace it? Most people don't believe me when I say that I had no team whatsoever until Deity. I didn't. I loved Aiden and Seth equally but for different reasons. 

Seth, until Deity, was your quintessential bad-boy. He smoldered with sex appeal. The longish hair, the tattoos (even though only visible to Alex), his snark, and his womanizing ways. Not to mention an ego the size of a tank. Then in Pure, he began to change his ways and to gain Alex's trust. Mine too, if I'm being honest. There's the really hot pool scene... *stares off into space* But then he ruined everything for me in Deity and not just a little bit, to the point he became completely irredeemable for me. Whether he was being manipulated by Lucien and his band of merry maids or not. HOWEVER, Apollyon might have proven my "completely irredeemable" theory wrong, or at least suggested I might be wrong. I seriously hope I am, but even if I am wrong, I don't believe he's right for Alex. I think too much has happened, he's wronged her in so many ways, and sometimes two people can love each other but be unhealthy for each other. Seth and Alex were conceived to be unhealthy for each other.

So you've probably guessed after that long paragraph about Seth, that I am completely Team Aiden, and you would be right. Instead of rewriting my reasons, I'm going to copy and paste a portion from a chat my co-blogger and I had after we had both read Deity and I made my decision.

I’m a sucker for the underdog. Okay, I know, someone is going to say “Aiden has never been the underdog,” but, in my eyes he is. He’s the Pure who’s not allowed to be with a Half because the powers-that-be say so, he loves Alex because of who she is and not what she can do for him, and he isn’t her fated “other half.” (I love a character who beats out Fate and Destiny.) Seth has sex appeal, his bad-boy edge, and he’s the freakin’ Apollyon. Come on! - For more of this entertaining and enlightening Deity squabble, go HERE!!!

And then you see them together, as lovers and as fighting partners, in Apollyon and how can you want them to be anything other than together. They. Are. Perfect. I'm seriously hoping Jennifer manages to wrap up the no Pure can be with a Half storyline in a way I would approve of. That's right, she must answer to me!!! Just kidding. But, no. Seriously.

Sentinel promises to hold truths both delicious and dreadful. Leave a comment, with your email, telling me what you hope to see happen OR are afraid might happen, and on SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 9TH, I'll give away 2 ebooks of Sentinel.

PS... Unless one of my lovely co-bloggers post, this will be the last post you see from me for quite some time. I am undertaking NaNoWriMo again this year and between it and worrying about my family, something has to be put aside... this time it's the blog guys. Sorry. But I'll probably poke my head in and say hi a couple of times, maybe even share a bit of my WIP... Kelly C is good about getting the Sunday Series up, but Kelly M is busy with college, so she's on hiatus for now. I'll pick a couple of winners on the 9th, stay tuned.