Sunday, August 9, 2015

Book Review: Scorched by Jennifer L Armentrout

Scorched (Frigid #2)
By Jennifer L Armentrout 
Release Date: June 16, 2015
Source: Amazon
Sometimes life leaves a mark…

Most days, Andrea doesn’t know whether she wants to kiss Tanner or punch him in the gut. He is seriously hot, with legit bedroom eyes and that firefighter body of his, but he’s a major player, and they can’t get along for more than a handful of minutes. Until now.

Tanner knows he and Andrea have had an epic love/hate relationship for as long as he can remember, but he wants more love than hate from her. He wants her. Now. Tomorrow. But the more he gets to know her, the more it becomes obvious that Andrea has a problem. She’s teetering on the edge and every time he tries to catch her, she slips through his fingers.

Andrea’s life is spiraling out of control, and it doesn’t matter that Tanner wants to save her, because when everything falls apart and she’s speeding toward rock bottom, only she can save herself.

Sometimes life makes you work for that happily ever after…



It's no secret that I am obsessed with everything that Jennifer Armentrout has written, so I couldn't wait to read Scorched. While I haven't read Frigid, the first book in this series, I knew that I had to read this one after my friend Sarah from Words With Sarah raved about it!

Andrea and Tanner have a very interesting relationship. They bicker any time that they're together, but Andrea can't help the attraction she feels for Tanner whenever she's around him. Tanner is hot and he knows it, but his days as a player are over. He's attracted to Andrea in ways he's never been attracted to anyone before, but he isn't so sure if Andrea is ready for a full on relationship, especially when they fall back into their old bickering ways and say things to each other they don't really mean. Andrea's life is spiraling out of control and she tries to tell herself that she's fine. Tanner wants Andrea to face her faults, but can she before it's to late? 

This is JLA. So it shouldn't surprise me that I wanted this book to be longer. The main reason that this is a four star read and not a five star read for me is because I NEEDED it to be longer. Most of the book takes place when Tanner and Andrea go to a cabin with Andrea's best friend and best friend's boyfriend (the couple from Frigid). Their relationship seriously heats up at the cabin and then very little is spent on the aftermath and what happens when Tanner and Andrea are recovering from feelings discovered there. While I loved their time at the cabin and how Tanner and Andrea pushed the boundaries of their relationship, I wanted a bit more of the before and a bit more of the after. 

The cabin, though, was HOT. I loved how Andrea and Tanner seriously didn't know how to act around each other when they did cross that friendship/enemy line. They were so used to bickering and pointing out each other's faults just to get a reaction out of each other that they didn't know how to be friends. But when they were friends, it was hard when they still wanted to help each other, specifically when Tanner wanted to help Andrea pull herself together and face some serious problems she had. It was so heartbreaking how Andrea would push Tanner away when he tried to help her instead of continuing to bicker with her and ignore her bigger problems. You wanted them to be together so badly because you saw how much Tanner truly cared about Andrea, but it was up to Andrea to face her faults and her fears and try to finally fix herself. But facing the truth was definitely a hard thing for Andrea to do. 

Scorched had everything: the romance, the chemistry, the emotion, and the gut wrenching realities of life. There are some light and fun moments, but there are also some seriously emotional moments that make you just want to jump in the book and knock some sense into the characters. Any book that makes me that emotionally invested in the characters is a must read for me. Needless to say, this is another JLA book that knocked it out of the park.

Saturday, August 8, 2015

Stacking the Shelves (156)

Scorched (Frigid #2)
By Jennifer L Armentrout 
Release Date: June 16, 2015
Source: Amazon
Sometimes life leaves a mark…

Most days, Andrea doesn’t know whether she wants to kiss Tanner or punch him in the gut. He is seriously hot, with legit bedroom eyes and that firefighter body of his, but he’s a major player, and they can’t get along for more than a handful of minutes. Until now.

Tanner knows he and Andrea have had an epic love/hate relationship for as long as he can remember, but he wants more love than hate from her. He wants her. Now. Tomorrow. But the more he gets to know her, the more it becomes obvious that Andrea has a problem. She’s teetering on the edge and every time he tries to catch her, she slips through his fingers.

Andrea’s life is spiraling out of control, and it doesn’t matter that Tanner wants to save her, because when everything falls apart and she’s speeding toward rock bottom, only she can save herself.

Sometimes life makes you work for that happily ever after…



It's no secret that I am obsessed with everything that Jennifer Armentrout has written, so I couldn't wait to read Scorched. While I haven't read Frigid, the first book in this series, I knew that I had to read this one after my friend Sarah from Words With Sarah raved about it!

Andrea and Tanner have a very interesting relationship. They bicker any time that they're together, but Andrea can't help the attraction she feels for Tanner whenever she's around him. Tanner is hot and he knows it, but his days as a player are over. He's attracted to Andrea in ways he's never been attracted to anyone before, but he isn't so sure if Andrea is ready for a full on relationship, especially when they fall back into their old bickering ways and say things to each other they don't really mean. Andrea's life is spiraling out of control and she tries to tell herself that she's fine. Tanner wants Andrea to face her faults, but can she before it's to late? 

This is JLA. So it shouldn't surprise me that I wanted this book to be longer. The main reason that this is a four star read and not a five star read for me is because I NEEDED it to be longer. Most of the book takes place when Tanner and Andrea go to a cabin with Andrea's best friend and best friend's boyfriend (the couple from Frigid). Their relationship seriously heats up at the cabin and then very little is spent on the aftermath and what happens when Tanner and Andrea are recovering from feelings discovered there. While I loved their time at the cabin and how Tanner and Andrea pushed the boundaries of their relationship, I wanted a bit more of the before and a bit more of the after. 

The cabin, though, was HOT. I loved how Andrea and Tanner seriously didn't know how to act around each other when they did cross that friendship/enemy line. They were so used to bickering and pointing out each other's faults just to get a reaction out of each other that they didn't know how to be friends. But when they were friends, it was hard when they still wanted to help each other, specifically when Tanner wanted to help Andrea pull herself together and face some serious problems she had. It was so heartbreaking how Andrea would push Tanner away when he tried to help her instead of continuing to bicker with her and ignore her bigger problems. You wanted them to be together so badly because you saw how much Tanner truly cared about Andrea, but it was up to Andrea to face her faults and her fears and try to finally fix herself. But facing the truth was definitely a hard thing for Andrea to do. 

Scorched had everything: the romance, the chemistry, the emotion, and the gut wrenching realities of life. There are some light and fun moments, but there are also some seriously emotional moments that make you just want to jump in the book and knock some sense into the characters. Any book that makes me that emotionally invested in the characters is a must read for me. Needless to say, this is another JLA book that knocked it out of the park.

Stacking the Shelves is a meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews where bloggers share what books they got throughout the week!

From Publisher
Lots of goodies for me this week! Since it is the beginning of the month, I have gotten a lot of books that are coming out either later this month or in September. I am definitely excited for all of these titles and can't wait to read them!

From Amazon

I had an Amazon gift card and went ahead and got Crown of Midnight, the second book in the Throne of Glass series. It's hardback to match my Throne of Glass hardback and they look so beautiful together! I haven't read them yet, but I definitely plan on to soon. I've heard the best things about this series, so I hope they live up to the hype! 

From Family/Friends
 

My birthday was exactly one week ago and I got so may books from my family and friends! I had a great day and felt so so so loved by everyone. Thank you so much for the gifts! The first picture is from my super awesome friend Sarah. She knows me so well! I can't wait to read what she got me (of course, JLA!!). My parents got me the things in the 2nd picture. I had given my mom a wish list and she actually surprised my by getting me three books from my Goodreads Wishlist instead and I couldn't be more excited! Thanks mom!! My brother got me Scoring Wilder which was on my original birthday wish list because it was about soccer, which he loves. I was shocked by all of the books I got and cannot thank everyone enough! 

From my OTSP Secret Sister
This round for OTSP Secret Sister started on my birthday and my secret sister sent me my August gift ASAP and it couldn't be more adorable! I LOVED Bad Romeo and can't believe she sent me Broken Juliet. Since I just named my dog Darcy after Darcy from Pride and Prejudice, the tote bag she got me couldn't me any more perfect. and then the copy of Austenland is amazing as well! I couldn't be more excited for this round and thank you so much to my secret sister!


That's everything for me! What did you all add to your shelves this week? 

Thursday, August 6, 2015

Spotlight + Giveaway: The Heartbreakers by Ali Novak


Message from the Author
Hello all you lovely readers!

First and foremost, I’d like to thank you for taking an interest in my latest YA novel The Heartbreakers. For those of you who don’t know, this story was originally posted on the online reading and writing platform Wattpad, and to date, the rough draft manuscript has been read more than 40 million times. I began working on this project in February of 2012, back when One Direction was starting to gain popularity in the United States. Fan fiction stories about 1D began popping up all over the website, so I decided to go against the grain and write a book about a fictional band instead of the real one, and that’s how the Heartbreakers were born! 

The first band member I created was Oliver Perry, the lead singer. Like most successful, good-looking teen heartthrobs, he can be a bit cocky, but underneath all that confidence, he’s a HUGE softie. Next is JJ Morris, the band’s drummer. I enjoy writing goofball characters, and JJ fits that description to a T—he’s always cracking (oftentimes perverted) jokes. To balance out JJ’s outgoing personality, there’s Alec Williams. He’s the mysterious, reserved bass player for the group, and although he doesn’t talk much, he’s incredibly loyal. And last but not least, we have Xander Jones, who is lead guitarist for the Heartbreakers and everyone’s best friend.  

Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoy my boys’ story!

xoxo,
Ali

About the Novel
The Heartbreakers
By Ali Novak
Release Date: August 4, 2015
Stella will do anything for her sick sister, Cara—even stand in line for an autographed Heartbreakers CD...for four hours. She's totally winning best birthday gift this year. At least she met a cute boy with soft brown hair and gorgeous blue eyes while getting her caffeine fix. Too bad she'll never see him again.
Except, Stella's life has suddenly turned into a cheesy love song. Because Starbucks Boy is Oliver Perry – lead singer for the Heartbreakers. And even after she calls his music crap, Oliver still gives Stella his phone number. And whispers quotes from her favorite Disney movie in her ear. OMG, what is her life?
But how can Stella even think about being with Oliver — dating and laughing and pulling pranks with the band — when her sister could be dying of cancer?
“Do you ever miss it?” I asked, trying to distract myself again. My breathing hitched, and I hoped he hadn’t noticed. 

“Miss what?”

“I don’t know, like, before everything?”

“You mean my anonymity? Sure.” Something in Oliver’s voice sounded off, and I craned my neck to look up at him. He was staring past me, deep in thought, and then a scowl crossed his face. “But I would never go back. Ever,” he added fiercely. 

The skin covering his knuckles turned white as he tightened his fist, and I bit my lip, not sure what to say. I didn’t think he was mad at me, but something had upset him.

“Sorry,” I told him. “I didn’t mean to pry.”

“No worries,” he said, sounding much softer than before. 

But Oliver seemed to be done talking, because he turned his attention back to the movie, and without our conversation, my nerves crept back up. I realized I was holding my breath when he started moving his thumb in small circles on my arm. For some reason I found the sensation calming, and bit by bit, my breathing returned to normal and I nestled down into his side. Just as I finally relaxed and turned my attention to the movie, Oliver chuckled and I felt him shake beneath me. Tilting my head back a few inches, I looked up at him through my lashes. There was a dusting of pink on his cheeks, and his eyes shinned as he laughed. 

He must have felt my gaze, because his eyes snapped down and found mine. His lips slowly parted as he stared down at me, and my whole body flooded with warmth. Someone was shouting something crazy onscreen, but I was too preoccupied with Oliver to turn toward the TV. The way he was looking at me made me want to press my body further up against him, and the thought made me blush. Embarrassed by my own thoughts, I suddenly had the need to look away, to focus on anything but him, but as I turned, Oliver gently grabbed my chin. He held my head in place until I made eye contact, and then, once he knew I was watching, he dipped his head and brushed his lips against mine.

Barnes and Noble: http://bit.ly/1CUnxJn

About the Author
Ali Novak writes contemporary young adult romance and is a recent graduate of the University of Madison Wisconsin's creative writing program. She wrote her first full length novel, My Life with the Walter Boys, at the age of fifteen. Since posting the story online, it has received more than 33 million reads and is now published by Sourcebooks Fire.



Giveaway

Wednesday, August 5, 2015

Waiting on Wednesday (205)

This is a meme hosted by Breaking the Spine where every Wednesday bloggers highlight a book that they are eagerly anticipating the release of! 

Before We Were Strangers
By Renee Carlino 
Release Date: August 18, 2015
To the Green-eyed Lovebird:

We met fifteen years ago, almost to the day, when I moved my stuff into the NYU dorm room next to yours at Senior House.

You called us fast friends. I like to think it was more.

We lived on nothing but the excitement of finding ourselves through music (you were obsessed with Jeff Buckley), photography (I couldn’t stop taking pictures of you), hanging out in Washington Square Park, and all the weird things we did to make money. I learned more about myself that year than any other.

Yet, somehow, it all fell apart. We lost touch the summer after graduation when I went to South America to work for National Geographic. When I came back, you were gone. A part of me still wonders if I pushed you too hard after the wedding…

I didn’t see you again until a month ago. It was a Wednesday. You were rocking back on your heels, balancing on that thick yellow line that runs along the subway platform, waiting for the F train. I didn’t know it was you until it was too late, and then you were gone. Again. You said my name; I saw it on your lips. I tried to will the train to stop, just so I could say hello.

After seeing you, all of the youthful feelings and memories came flooding back to me, and now I’ve spent the better part of a month wondering what your life is like. I might be totally out of my mind, but would you like to get a drink with me and catch up on the last decade and a half?

M

------------------------------

Whoa. Seriously, how unique does this book sound? A guy writing to a girl he had met 15 years ago? What had happened to them during the four years they were friends? And what's going to happen when they finally do reconnect? I can't wait to figure out what happens wit this one! 

Tuesday, August 4, 2015

Top Ten Tuesday: Fairytale Retellings I've Read or Want to Read

 
This is a meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish where each week bloggers share a list of books for the prompt given. So hopefully I'll have a new list to share with you all each week!

This Week's Topic: Top Ten Fairytale Retellings I've Read or Want to Read

Read
1. Of Beast and Beauty by Stacey Jay
2. Cinder by Marissa Meyer
3. Beastly by Alex Flynn
4. Princess of Thorns by Stacey Jay


Want to Read
1. A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J Maas
2. The Wrath and the Dawn by Renee Ahdieh
3. Scarlet by Marissa Meyer


4. Tiger Lily by Jodi Lynn Anderson
5. Second Star by Alyssa B Sheinmel
6. Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge

Sunday, August 2, 2015

Book Review: The Idea of Love by Patti Callahan Henry

The Idea of Love 
By Patti Callahan Henry
Release Date: June 23, 2015
Source: Netgalley
Ella's life has been completely upended. She's young, beautiful, and deeply in love—until her husband dies in a tragic sailing accident while trying save her. Or so she'll have everyone believe. Screenwriter Hunter needs a hit, but crippling writers' block and a serious lack of motivation are getting him nowhere. He's on the look-out for a love story. It doesn't matter who it belongs to. 

When Hunter and Ella meet in Watersend, South Carolina it feels like the perfect match, something close to fate. In Ella, Hunter finds the perfect love story, full of longing and sacrifice. It's the stuff of epic films. In Hunter, Ella finds possibility. It's an opportunity to live out a fantasy – the life she wishes she had because hers is too painful. And more real. Besides. what's a little white lie between strangers? 
But one lie leads to another, and soon Hunter and Ella find themselves caught in a web of deceit. As they try to untangle their lies and reclaim their own lives, they feel something stronger is keeping them together. And so they wonder: can two people come together for all the wrong reasons and still make it right?

It's no secret that romances are my favorite. Why else would I absolutely adore Nicholas Sparks's books? When I read the summary for The Idea of Love, I was hoping for another romance that was sweet and kept me reading all night. Unfortunately, I did not care about the main characters and found it hard to engage with the story at all. 

Ella had thought that she had everything: a loving husband and a great life. Until it's not so great anymore. Ella feels lost and has no idea what to do with herself, but when Ella runs into screenwriter Hunter, Ella is intrigued. Hunter is in the midst of a horrible case of writer's block and is seeking for the inspiration he needs to write the movie that will be his big break. The moment he sees Ella in a cafe in the small town of Watersend, South Carolina, words pour out of Hunter and he can't stop thinking about Ella. The more time the two spend together, the more they start to fall for each other. But both Ella and Hunter are keeping secrets that could ruin what they have before it has even begun. 

I love books about writers, so when Hunter was introduced as a screenwriter of romances, I was so excited. I couldn't wait to see how he found inspiration from Ella and how their romance would play out. Instead of loving his story, though, I found myself annoyed and disconnected from his character. I was not a fan of his past, no matter how much he talked about feeling guilty for what he did. He just seemed like a slimy guy and I did NOT want him to work out with Ella. I wanted that girl to get far away, especially since I wasn't really feeling their "connection" in the first place. 

While I liked Ella, I wasn't a fan of some of the decisions she made. While I understand that she was in a very vulnerable place with her marriage and trying to figure out how to understand her life, she just let others persuade her decisions in a way that I wasn't happy with. I did enjoy her friendship with Mimi and how she started to grow a backbone at work, but I sort of wanted more about her designing life throughout the beginning instead of just near the end when it became a bigger part of the storyline. In the end, I was left unsettled with Ella's character and wasn't on her side as much as I wanted to be. 

Overall, this one missed the mark for me. I wasn't invested in the characters and did not connect with their relationship at all. I did not like Hunter and didn't really care about the outcome of Hunter and Ella's relationship. While the premise sounded promising, The Idea of Love was not the book for me. 



Saturday, August 1, 2015

Stacking the Shelves (155)

Stacking the Shelves is a meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews where bloggers share what books they got throughout the week!

From Publisher

Only one book has come in the mail for me, but that's because I MOVED!!! My sister and I are officially in our new apartment, but I am still having all of my book mail sent to my parent's house. My sister and I were still home until Tuesday, so I got this book in the mail, which I'm super excited for! I know that more packages have come, but I'm getting those later today because IT'S MY BIRTHDAY. That's right, today is my 22nd birthday!!! I can't wait to open up the book mail waiting for me…who doesn't love getting books for their birthday?? Stop by next week to check out everything that's come for me! 


That's it more me! What all did you add to your shelves this week? 

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...