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Friday, September 30, 2016

September Book Haul

I am not sure I can really call this months book buying a haul. I only bought two editions of the same book. It has been one of my most anticipated book of the year, but despite this I have yet to finish reading it  over two week later!! I am in a bit of book reading slump, I have just not been reading that many books but have been flying though lots of Wattpad stories - so sorry for so many Wattpad Wrap-ups this month. So anyway the book I bought this month is:

 
 
Of course it has to be Empire of Storms by Sarah J. Maas although I wish I could get the B&N edition (I think it's that one anyway) with the fan (?) art in them they are so lovely.
 
Has anyone finished this book yet? How many editions did you buy? 

Thursday, September 29, 2016

Wattpad Wrap-Up #5

Our Girl is back on the BBC (any other fan's out there?) so I am loving watching the female solider kick butt, so I have recently been doing my best to find some good female led military stories. Meaning that 'military stories with female leads' is our loose theme for todays wrap-up:

 
Military Girlfriend by Midnight_Writer97
 

 
Synopsis From Wattpad
I didn't think you would mean this much to me. I was never suppose to fall so hard for you, but every time you smiled it would make my heart pound and butterflies to erupt in my stomach. I thought it was just a crush, but the more we talked the harder I fell.
 
Mini-Review
This isn't my normal book, this book was pure romance, a lovely romantic story with heart breaking and heart stopping moments. This story follows a young couple as they deal with Jay's military tour. The letter's exchanged during this time were just beautiful and tear jerking. This was a beautifully romantic story and I would give it 3.75 stars.   
 
So What, I'm A Seal by SouthernRose94
 
 
Synopsis From Wattpad
 Abriella "Ace" McKenna was a Navy Seal who lost her arm when she accidentally stepped between her team mate and a sniper. She gets her walking papers, so she decides to head home for a while. Then word comes that her team's been hit hard. Will they fall apart, or time friendship forged in times of war stay strong as steel?
 
Mini- Review
I have to say this book felt quite short but I loved reading about how a injured solider -in this case a SEAL- dealt with being discharged and joining 'normal' life again. The thing that made this story for me has to be the ending of this story so cleverly done (making this a 3 star read), and will leave you wanting to read the sequel, Seals, Don't Lie.
 
Luna? No sir I'm a Marine by NotJustAGirlWithWifi
 
 
Synopsis From Wattpad
 They say i'm the Beauty and he's the Beast, but my life is far from a fairy tale. I thought I had everything figured out, I thought I knew what was real and what was fantasy but this trip has been anything but normal.
-------
"You've dragged me to hell and back but I would do it again if I get to call you mine. We're anything but normal. A marine and a werewolf, not exactly a match made in heaven........or was it?"
 
Mini-Review
I loved this story it was (almost) everything I have been looking for in my recent story searching, the only thing I would have like more of was the interaction between Alex and her old Marine friends. I would have liked to know more about what they got up to on their tours. I loved Alex, she was feisty and strong and I loved that we got to see the 'military side' of her come out through her training sessions. I also enjoyed the use of songs through this book and I hope this something that continues.
 
I loved this book and am giving it 4 stars and I look forward to reading the next instalments in the next book Luna? Sir yes sir.
 

Tuesday, September 27, 2016

Teaser Tuesday #13 - Welcome to Hades

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of 
 
 
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 teaser. 
 
Title:Endangered (Daughter of Hades #1)
Author:
 
 
Today's Teaser
" Hello and welcome to the underworld. My name is Chrys, and I am the daughter of Hades. May I Take your coat?
 
I really wanted to say that to the group of recently deceased that stepped up to my father, begging him not to send them to Tartarus, the place of eternal torment..."
 
 
 
Synopsis from Goodreads
Chrys has been in the Underworld for thousands of years, hidden away by her father, Hades, from all of the other gods. He's afraid that if someone finds out about her, they will destroy her because of the dichotomous power that she holds, the power of life and death. So she has remained in the Palace of Hades all her life, making very few friends and always bored out of her mind.

Huntley would have never guessed that after he died he would wake up with a beautiful girl standing over him. And that she would be the Dark Lord of the Underworld's daughter. Yet, for some reason, she keeps him around as her tutor, as if he knows anything about the world. But Huntley knows that all she really wants is a friend; being trapped in the Underworld can get pretty lonely.

That is, until Chrys decides she wants to run away to the human world after a big fight with her mother Persephone. Chrys claims her father is just over reacting and that nothing bad will come of it. There's no way that the gods will notice she's there for only a couple of days...right?

Sunday, September 25, 2016

Wattpad Wrap-Up #4


Okay so my Wattpad faze is currently taking up all of my reading time so, this does mean I am reading quite a lot of stories from Wattpad so there are more wrap-ups to come. For today I have another three mini-reviews to share with you with a mix of werewolf and gang themes today:


Sold To The Gang Leader by WildHeartsRun_
 
 
Synopsis From Wattpad
Natalie Chambers didn't know about her father's gang, that is until he sold her. What Natalie didn't know is that he sold her to, one of the most dangerous gang leaders around. Carter Grayson.
 
Mini- Review
I enjoyed this story, it has a lovely friendship element between the gang members. Our main character got better and better as the plot progressed and she found her place in this new life, and the action grew in intensity. One issue I did have was Natalie almost laid back reaction to the fact that her dad is part of gang and has just SOLD her!! I would have thought that you would be more blown away and terrified?? Anyway, a great wee story which I hope to continue with once the sequel is completed.    
 
 
Silent Luna by h0p3less-r0m4ntic
 
 
Synopsis From Wattpad
Grace is not your typical werewolf. Being taken at age eight, she endured most torture and pain that any one person should be able to bear. But when one night's chaos allows her to escape, will she really stay free? Not far after getting away she bumps into some more werewolves. Then the biggest and scariest of them claims she is his mate. Trapped by werewolves again? On top of all of her problems she can't even explain herself. She hasn't talked in 9 years and isn't about to open right up to the scary alpha that is making her feel things she has never felt before.
 
Mini-Review
This is defiantly one of the more memorable werewolf stories I have read so far on Wattpad. I loved the way that the writer created Grace, it was really well written the way that Grace's mind set of 'expect the worst' was portrayed. I enjoyed the way that her confidence grew as she became more comfortable around more people, and how she outwardly showed this.
 
This is a lovely story however I wasn't a fan of the way that it ended (not even the alternative ending) because I felt things ended too abruptly for my personal taste. I hope we get a sequel so that we can read of Grace adapting to her new role in the pack - now that she has put her past behind her.
 
This make a nice change to all the stories I have been reading recently with physically strong and confidant female leads. The thing that make this book a 4 star read for me, has to be the way the mental scars of Grace's past are portrayed in this book were so emotional and heart retching, just so wonderfully written.  
 
 
Help Me! by b00kster

 
Synopsis from Wattpad
Riley Thompson has always been the quiet girl in the corner. The girl who never talks to anyone. The girl who has no friends. But what they don't know is that she is also the girl who is abused at home. 
                                          
Then there's Ashton Slade. The boy everyone loves. The boy girls dream of being with. The boy every guy wants to be. But he is also one of the Alpha's five children. He has always dreamed of finding his own mate. Especially when everyone has their own.                            
                                                      
So when he finally meets her? He is excited to get to know her. But what will he do when he finds out about her abusive dad and her heavy past? Add in some rouge attacks, a gang, a creepy stalker, and secrets.
 
Mini-Review
I liked that we got a mix of werewolves packs and gangs - two of my favourite character situations at the moment. However unfortunately I didn't connect too much with the main character, she also didn't seem to have any long term effects from the fact she was abused for two years! (maybe this was more evident because I have read Silent Luna recently, which portrayed the internal emotional effect's of abuse so vividly). 
 
I also -this is probably just a personal preference thing- I would have liked there to me more distinction between the two points of view (POV),  they were both written in the same style and I often had to scroll back to the beginning of the chapter to see who was actually narrating.
 
Overall I enjoyed this story but I think I am going to give it 2.75-3 Stars because I wasn't wowed by it, and I am not sure I will be reading any sequels, (I assume they will appear eventually because I think I was left a bit open ended).      
 
***
 

Have you got any Wattpad recommendations?

Friday, September 23, 2016

October Releases I'm Adding to my TBR

 Not that many new releases next month, but because I have seen sucked in by wattpad in the last few weeks, I have still to read and buy a lot of September's releases. So, I won't be getting around to reading these ones for a while yet but I have added them to my TBR to get to eventually.

 
 
 
Bound by Blood and Sand by Becky Allen
Release Date: 11th October 2016
 
Synopsis From Goodreads
Jae is a slave in a dying desert world.

Once verdant with water from a magical Well, the land is drying up, and no one remembers the magic needed to keep the water flowing. If a new source isn’t found soon, the people will perish. Jae doesn’t mind, in a way. By law, she is bound by a curse to obey every order given her, no matter how vile. At least in death, she’ll be free.

Lord Elan’s family rules the fading realm. He comes to the estate where Jae works, searching for the hidden magic needed to replenish the Well, but it’s Jae who finds it, and she who must wield it. Desperate to save his realm, Elan begs her to use it to locate the Well.

But why would a slave—abused, beaten, and treated as less than human—want to save the system that shackles her? Jae would rather see the world burn.

Though revenge clouds her vision, she agrees to help if the kingdom’s slaves are freed. Then Elan’s father arrives. The ruler’s cruelty knows no limits. He is determined that the class system will not change—and that Jae will remain a slave forever.
 
 
 
Nemesis (#1) by Anna Banks
Buy from Amazon (UK)
Release Date: 4th October (Kindle) 13th October (Hardback)  
 
Synopsis From Goodreads
The princess didn't expect to fall in love--with her nemesis.

Princess Sepora of Serubel is the last Forger in all the five kingdoms. The spectorium she creates provides energy for all, but now her father has found a way to weaponize it, and his intentions to incite war force her to flee from his grasp. She escapes across enemy lines into the kingdom of Theoria, but her plans to hide are thwarted when she is captured and placed in the young king's servitude.

Tarik has just taken over rulership of Theoria, and must now face a new plague sweeping through his kingdom and killing his citizens. The last thing he needs is a troublesome servant vying for his attention. But mistress Sepora will not be ignored. When the two finally meet face-to-face, they form an unlikely bond that complicates life in ways neither of them could have imagined.

Sepora's gift could save Tarik's kingdom from the Quiet Plague. But should she trust her growing feelings for her nemesis, or should she hide her gifts at all costs?
 
 
 
A Study in Scarlet Women (Lady Sherlock #1) by Sherry Thomas
Buy from Amazon (UK)
Release Date: 18th October 2016
 
Synopsis From Goodreads
With her inquisitive mind, Charlotte Holmes has never felt comfortable with the demureness expected of the fairer sex in upper class society.  But even she never thought that she would become a social pariah, an outcast fending for herself on the mean streets of London.

When the city is struck by a trio of unexpected deaths and suspicion falls on her sister and her father, Charlotte is desperate to find the true culprits and clear the family name. She’ll have help from friends new and old—a kind-hearted widow, a police inspector, and a man who has long loved her. But in the end, it will be up to Charlotte, under the assumed name Sherlock Holmes, to challenge society’s expectations and match wits against an unseen mastermind.
 

What books are you looking forward to being released in October?

I have heard a lot about The Lovely Reckless and can't decide if I should add it to my TBR or not, any thoughts?


Thursday, September 22, 2016

Wattpad Wrap-Up #3


I am still on a wattpad run at the moment so I have more free stories to share with you today. These reviews are slightly more positive than in my last wrap-up as I have got my 'good-story-radar' back up and running (wouldn't it awesome to actually have one of these, how many hours could I save?!?). I was also on a bit of werewolf craving so you have been warned:

Alpha's fighter by Paula
 
 
Synopsis from Wattpad
Chloe is different. She isn't like every other girl you see around you. She has a temper, anger issues, and a very over protective side when you touch her best friend Daniele. She had a bad past. Both of them do and when they move away to another town the past just seems to haunt them and new problems appear. With all of that on her mind, she still has to discover her family's well-hidden secret no one knows of besides the chosen ones.

Bryce is an Alpha. He gets handed everything he wants on a silver platter. He has the girls, the looks, the money and most definitely the fame. But he doesn't have one thing. One thing werewolves want the most and can't wait for. A mate. His mate had died a long ago and what will happen when his wolf gets a second chance in loving again?
 
Mini-Review
The greatest thing about this book has to be our main character Chloe, her sass and attitude is amazing:
 
"I just bitch slapped that person waking me up and of course it had to be my best friend Daniele... 'Daniele I would apologize but you know that's not my style or in my dictionary' I stated and she chucked..."
 
Chloe is also a great 'gritty' narrator who keeps things real;
 
"I finally fell off the bed... looking like Anna from Frozen. It's safe to say I look like that every morning of everyday."
 
She also isn't all mouth, she is pretty kick-but and will happily hand you your ass if she needs to. It was also good to see her fight her mate, rather than rolling over and accepting it like so many of lead females in werewolf novels.
 
I loved the mysterious past that Chloe has which we are shown in tantalizingly small bits. Although I did like her mysterious past I would have love to firstly, know more about it and secondly, it would have been amazing to see what would happen when her gang past caught up with her, (hoping for a sequel). Overall, I am going to give this story 3.75 stars.
 
 
Mated to the Werewolf King by Alena
 
 
Synopsis From Wattpad  
Anabelle finds out that she is not the real daughter of the Alpha in her werewolf pack. As the world she knows comes collapsing down, she has to hide from the Demon Lord who is determined to find her. Will the Werewolf King yield to the Demon Lord's ultimatum and give her to the enemy or will she be the cause of a looming war between the two species? More importantly, who is Belle and what does the Demon Lord want with her? 
  Belle's meeting with the Werewolf King does not go very well, she finds him to be an arrogant bastard! Worse still,  he wants nothing to do with her.
 
Mini-Review
This is a rollercoaster of a story with so many surprises and dangers around every corner. Anabelle (Belle) is a great character, she is so emotionally strong as she deals with all the challenges and trials that are thrown her way. Keith (AKA Werewolf King) in my opinion goes though a bit of personality change -or at least a major change in his life priorities - as he accepts Bella and becomes determined to protect her.
 
This story is not just another werewolf romance, the world has more depth and the romance is slightly more complex, with more than a few life threatening experiences thrown in too test our main characters and their commitment to each other. Because of all this I would give this story 4 stars.   
 
Rightfully Ours by simplyaddicting97
 
 
Synopsis From Wattpad
 She's an orphan, she has tattoos, she's a natural red head, and her cooking will most likely hiss at you but she's also the parent of five teenage brothers who follow in her troublesome footsteps, two best friends who stand beside her in a jail cell saying 'that was fun', knows about everything and every kind of being, and has four- wait as of a second ago five PhD's in sciences.
Dr. Madison Lancaster thinks things through to protect everything that's rightfully hers. 

His growl is just as bad as his bite, he's been to war more times than you can count, he has the scars to prove that torture just won't tickle his funny bone anymore, and he's angry but he's also the protector of his pack even though his Alpha is shit, he has two best friends and their teen sister he's been watching over since they first uttered the word 'ouch', he's built a million dollar empire on helping supernatural creatures, and he's a romantic.
Logan Ryder fights to protect everything that's rightfully his.

Just as soon as they had given up on ever finding each other, the mates meet and all hell breaks lose. The teenagers pick fights and get a little jail time, rouges attack looking for a certain red head, a wizard just doesn't get the idea that 'no means no', a slut sucubus, A jolly Judge that likes cookies and milk, a coma or two, a dick Alpha and his ho daughter, a wedding, crazy best friends, super powers, and hell let's throw in the fact that they're born to rule the werewolf kingdom and finish a war because why not?

But hey at least they got a butler and a castle.
Join Madison and Logan who fight for their train of misfits and their people against the scum of the supernatural realm in order to protect what they know as
' Rightfully Ours '
 
Mini-Review
What makes this book so amazing has to be Madison, she is such an inspirational person; is she determined -even as a teenager- to bring up her brother, she has a kind and open hear to adopt and 'heal' her other brothers. She must have also had this amazing ability to balance the emotional support they must have needed as youngsters, and also being able to materially provide for them, all on her own. I loved the relationship between Madison and her brothers, she seems to have managed to get the right balance between acting mum and being the big sister, so that they know to listen and respect her rules but also be open and honest with her. It was great to see all these different sides to her personality in action, from the excited sister who wakes up her brother on their birthday morning, to her protective mum when one of her brother's abusive parents turns up.
 
Although I enjoyed 'watching' the romance blossom and grow between Madison and Logan, it was also great to have the added aspect of the prophesy to add depth to the story, but in my eye it was never the main focus of the plot. So much happens in this story and though I love the family dynamics at the start of the story, I also liked the completely new family dynamic created by the events in this story.      
 
I only have one disappointment with this story, there is one aspect that isn't resolved (and I really hope we get an extra chapter or a sequel which will resolve it). I am being quite vague as the aspect is introduced in the last chapter where this massive metaphorical 'bomb' is dropped, but in the epilogue
it isn't mentioned at all! How could you do this to us!? Unfortunately, this unresolved issue has made me drop it a 4.5 star  read, however if a sequel does ever appear to resolve it, I would happily give this story 4.75 stars, I would highly recommend it.
 
*** 

That's all my mini-reviews for today, have you read anything on Wattpad recently that you would recommend?

 
 

Tuesday, September 20, 2016

Teaser Tuesday #12 - Ageless Darkness

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of 


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 teaser. 


Add on Goodreads
Title: Empire of Storms
Author: Sarah J, Maas

Today's Teaser

"Only a mighty, ageless darkness - and two flickering golden embers at its core. Not embers. Eyes. Simmering with ancient malice. They narrowed in acknowledgement and pleasure."

Sunday, September 18, 2016

Bookaholics Anonymous Book Tag

It has been ages since I have done a book tag and although I haven't been tagged by anyone to do this one I saw it over on Jenn Faughnan blog, and thought I would give it a try.

 
1. What do you like about buying new books?
I love scrolling or browsing through all those books and discovering something that is right-up my street and then taking it home (or waiting impatiently for the postman to bring it) and devour it as fast as I can turn the pages, before adding to my bookcase (so I can stare at the spine for hours on end) and gushing over it.
 
2. How often do you buy new books?
Far too often. I depends on the month but generally every couple of weeks.
 
 
3. Bookstore or online book shopping – which do you prefer?
I am more often a online book shopper, purely because they are generally slightly cheaper and I life an hour away from my closest bookshop. 
 
4. Do you have a favourite bookshop?
I wish I could say that, there was this amazing secret little bookshop that I love hanging out in, but no I visit several chain bookshops to do physical bookshop in my local area.
 Although I do live close-ish to Leakey's bookshop (picture below) I am ashamed to say I rarely go into it!
 
5. Do you preorder books?
Not very often, as I generally am frustrated when it doesn't arrive on the publish date, the only place that I have found actually deliver's on the release date is amazon. However they don't take the money out of my account until they send it and I like to keep a tight reign on bank balance, so the two don't really work together.
 
6. Do you have a monthly book buying limit?
At the beginning of the year I did try this but I quickly went over my limit, so quickly abandoned this idea and more recently I have restricted by finances anyway! 
 
7. Book buying bans – Are they something for you?
I know that I would fail within the first day of a complete book buying ban, so just no.
 
8. How big is your wishlist?
There is a reason that the tag line for this blog is 'Building a TBR mountain, one book recommendation at a time' and that is because my TBR is huge and is NEVER going to end. It just keeps getting bigger and bigger!
 
9. Which three books from your wishlist do you wish to own NOW?
I am going to go for some published books that I keep putting off buying because I want the hardback editions and hardbacks are expensive:

- Heart of Betrayal by Mary E. Pearson
-The Queen of the Tearling by Erika Johansen
-Rebel of the Sands by A. Hamilton

However, if I could time travel I would have:
- Throne of Glass book 6
-A Court of Thorns and Roses book 3
-Blood for Blood book 3
 
10. Tagging?
ANYONE reading this, go and do this tag for you have been tagged.

Friday, September 16, 2016

Wattpad Wrap-Up #2


 I have been on another Wattpad reading faze in the last week! This time I wasn't as 'lucky' with the stories I reviewed in my first wrap-up, so no 5 star recommendation today.

 
The King's Slave (The Nine Realms #1) by AerithSage
 
 
 Synopsis From Wattpad
"Our next is a girl of eighteen summers. She has smooth, unblemished skin and has been schooled in the arts of love and seduction. But most of all, she is untouched." my auctioneer and captor said as he paraded me in front of the men. They eyed their fill of my body but they were forbidden to touch....

"Two hundred gold coins!" a man spoke up. It was he, the man who stared at me with passion and desire in his eyes moments ago. That was quite a sum for a slave! "Two hundred gold coins going once, twice... Sold to the King of Ivaris!" the auctioneer shouted.

There it was. My fate was sealed. I am a love slave and it is just my luck that I am sold to the same cruel king that destroyed my kingdom.

*A story of love, of gods and goddesses, of reincarnation and magic, intrigue and betrayal, of kings and war...*
 
  Mini-Review
I loved the beginning of this story as we get to see how King Seth interacted with his new slave Adrienne. Their interaction's really highlighted just how 'down-to-earth' Adrienne is especially compared to Seth's other concubines who only care about their material possessions. It was lovely to read at there hate for each other slowly begin to fade away, even with the complications and secrets thrown their way.
 
Unfortunately, the thing about this story that has brought my rating down to 3 stars  was I didn't realize this was a reincarnation tale (although it does clearly state this in the synopsis). So when this aspect started to come into play I began to loose interest - as it's a storyline that I never really enjoyed.
 
Overall, I enjoyed this book and would probably recommend it to anyone who like reincarnation fantasy stories.
  
 
Luna? Oh Please I'm a Soldier by midnight_ashes
 
 
 Synopsis From Wattpad
Karliee Kingston is daughter of Alpha Braydon Kingston, and a high rank officer in the marines. She takes great pride in being a soldier and won't let anything stand in her way. She returns home from her deployment for her brothers alpha ceremony as well as wedding to the Kings daughter.

All the greatest alphas from all around the world are coming to this including the Visconti brothers from Persia. All unmated alpha males hope to find their mates. But what happens when  Karliee finds that she is mated to not one but all 10 of the very possessive, dominate Visconti brothers.

Will she end up submitting to them? Will she let them stand in her way and her future? Or will her fire be enough to finally match these brothers that are so used to getting what they want?

 
Mini Review
I really loved the idea of this story, unfortunately despite the sassy title and the way which Karliee is described in the synopsis above, she wasn't as bad-ass as I was expecting. To start with Karliee was feisty and resistant towards her mates (as I was expecting) but once they took her back to their own pack she seem to loose all her fight despite the fact they were still overbearing and controlling. I was expecting a tough and determined main character but found myself disappointed.
 
I was also slightly confused at some points as people would drop into the story and leave with no explanation as to what their role was. The ending felt rushed to me as we jumped months and even years, I got the feeling that the author just wanted to get to a stage which they could do their 'final show-down'. Overall I would give this story 2.5 stars, because I liked the plot idea but I didn't really enjoy in it's current form.
 
***

Although I wasn't a great fan of either of the stories I have reviewed today they did both keep me reading until the end so they must have been doing something right? I also wouldn't ward you way from them completely, if they are something you think you would enjoy then, as always, I would encourage you to check them out yourself and make your own opinions.

 

Thursday, September 15, 2016

Reflections on 2016's Summer Reads

I started back at university this week so, Summer is over! I worked over Summer so I don't think my reading habits will change that much with studying again, but we shall see. However it does give me the chance to reflect on the books I have read in the last three months, (you can see all the book I read in these months in my monthly reading wrap-ups).
 
 I would love to know what your favourite Summer reads were this year.
 
 
New Releases, New Favourites
 
 
Nevernight by Jay Kristoff
 
A Torch Against The Night (An Ember In The Ashes #2) by Sabaa Tahir
 
 
Old Favourites Rediscovered  
 
 
Poker Face (#1) by Jess Sturman Coombs
 
The Puppet Master (Poker Face #2) by Jess Sturman Coombs
 
Ammey McKeaf by Jane Shoup
 
 
No Expectations, Nicely Surprised
 
 
Angelbound (#1) by Christina Bauer
 
ASH (Hive #1) by Jaymin Eve and Leia Stone
 
 
Newly Discovered Romantic Situation
(reverse harem)
 

Finding My Pack (My Pack #1) by Lane Whitt
 
Keeping My Pack (My Pack #2) by Lane Whitt
 
Broken Trouble (Broken Storm #1) by Kristan Billups
 
 
Noticeable Trends
 
1) I read a lot of my books this summer on kindle, now I wish I could say this was intentional because it was easy to carry my kindle while I travelled. But the furthest I travelled this summer was work, so I have no idea why this happened.
 
2) A lot of my books were within the urban fantasy/ paranormal sub genre. I have always considered this genre as my quick fix (almost guilty pleasure) genre that I turn to when I just want to read a quick fun story. So I am wondering if this has been my version of 'Summer reads' since I am not a contemporary romance reader very often?
 
 

Tuesday, September 13, 2016

Top Ten Tuesday #11 - ALL TIME Favorite Books Of The Contemporary Romance Genre

 is an original feature/weekly meme
created at
The Broke and the Bookish

It has been a while since I have done a Top Ten Tuesday but when I saw this weeks topic there was so many options that I decided I should join in this week. If you have been following my blog or any of my social media profiles you will know that I am normally all about the YA Fantasy genre and more recently the Urban Fantasy/ Paranormal genre. Because I have read so many books within these genres I could never have pick my ALL TIME FAVORITES, so today I am going to share with you my favourite contemporary romances, basically because I have less to choose from. So here are my favoured contemporary romances  - which all generally have more than just a romance going on - and they span quite a large age range.
 

The Squad Duology by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

I came across this book first because I read Barnes's Raised by Wolves trilogy and loved her writing, and secondly once I had read the Gallagher Girls series I was looking for more high school spies and this fit the bill. It is a fun filled high school story featuring highly trained cheerleader spies!  
 


Ally Carter

I think most teenage girls have tried a Ally Carter book at some point. Well I am (scarily) almost out of my teenage year and I still love her work and highly anticipate the last book of the Embassy Row series.
 

Blood for Blood Series by Catherine Doyle

This series has featured in so many of my Top Ten Tuesday's this year but, I just love this series. You can see more about these book in my Series Review that I did earlier this year. Not long to wait now for the last book can't wait!!
 

The Sound by Sarah Alderson

I fell in love Sarah Alderson's work years ago when I read the Lila series, and I bought The Sound in the hope that it would be a similar book. I however put on my TBR shelf and kept putting off reading because I realized it was a summer romance book, and I know that generally I am not a great fan of those. However, when I did finally give this book a chance I was completely surprised, be prepared for more murder mystery than fluffy romance.
  

To Mary a Prince by Sophie Page

Always loved this plot line, where the Prince falls in love with a commoner, need I say more?  
 
 

 Kindle Discoveries

 
Broken Trouble (Broken Storm #1) by Kristan Billups
 
Poker Face Duology by Jess Sturman Coombs
 
Heller Series by JD. Nixon
 
Kathleen Turner Series by Tiffany Snow
 
 
***
 

Any contemporary romances your can recommend considering my limited taste within this genre!!??

 

Sunday, September 11, 2016

The Book Blogger Hop #2: Reading Goals

The Book Blogger Hop was originally created by Jennifer from Crazy-For-Book and is now hosted by Ramblings of a Coffee Addicted Writer
 
 
THIS WEEKS PROMPT
 When you set a yearly reading goal, do you set it high to force yourself to meet that goal or do you keep it low and normally go over that goal any way?

MY RESPONSE
Okay so, the only reading goal I ever set is on Goodreads which I generally set at
150 books. In 2013 and 2014 I went over, last year I set my goal at 100 books and decided not to count re-reads and I managed to go over that goal by 20-ish books. This year I am easily going to smash my 100 'new book' goal again as I am about 6 books away from hitting it am we still have quite a number of months to go. So I guess I am a keep it low (although is 100/150 books low??) and normally go over my goal.

What kind of yearly book goals do you normally set??

 

Friday, September 09, 2016

Series Review: Midnight Thief by Livia Blackburne


 

Midnight Thief (Midnight Thief #1) by Livia Blackburne

 
What is This Book About?
 
Kyra grew-up on the streets of Forge and relies on her uncanny ability to scale walls and bypass guards. But when James -the leader of the Assassins Guild- offers Kyra a lucrative job, she may be thief but the idea of working for assassins makes her hesitate. Tristam of Brancel is a young Palace knight who has vowed to take down, the vicious warriors who ride bloodthirsty wildcats who killed his best friend.When a fateful raid throws Kyra and Tristam together, the two enemies realize that their best chance at survival—and vengeance—might be to join forces.
 
 
My Thoughts
 
To be honest with you this review is actually based on a re-read because I never got around to writing my review the first time I read it. When the sequel was released in paperback just the other week I decided I needed to re- read book one, and this time I have written down my thoughts!!
 
One of the main things that made this a 4 star book rather than a 5 star book, was the slow start. I felt as though things took awhile to pick up pace and it wasn't till Kyra and Tristian met 'properly' and started to interact and get to know each other that this started to happen. After this we began to get revelations and twists and turns that I couldn't have predicted - especially the first time I read the book ;).
 
There are quite a few potential love interest's but as the reader you kind of 'know' who Kyra is going to really develop feelings for. Although, nothing much actually happens between the two of them and I guess nothing is set in stone yet, so will just have to keep reading this series to know for sure on this point. I also enjoyed the female friendships that Kyra develops with some of the more secondary characters.  
 
Looking forward to the next book, Kyra's life has been completely changed by the events of this book and I can't wait to see how she copes with her new knowledge and adapts to her new situation. I also intrigued by how some of the guild members are going to react to the events of this book.
 
This is a great foundation book for this series and I highly anticipate the sequels to see how the author develops these characters and expands the world. 
 
 

Daughter of Dusk (Midnight Thief #2) by Livia Blackburne

 
What is This Book About?
 
After the revelations in Midnight Thief Kyra -though she’s formed a tentative alliance with the Palace-  must keep her identity a secret or risk being hunted. Tristam has his own secret which creates a wedge between him and Kyra. But, as tensions rise within Forge’s Council, and vicious Demon Rider attacks continue in surrounding villages, Kyra knows she must do something to save her city. But she walks a dangerous line between opposing armies.
 
My Thoughts

I has similar issues with this book as with the first book in that I felt again that it took awhile for things to get going. I have to admit that the storyline for this book wasn't quite what I was expecting. I guessed that this book was going to be more a self-discovery-adventure for Kyra following the revelations of the first book. Although she does begin to look into her heritage and is slowly beginning to embrace this new side of herself I think there is still a lot for her to learn about her past and ultimately herself.

Although this book focused more on the politics of Forge rather than Kyra's personal story it was an enjoyable book. I wasn't glued to the pages, yet I still look forward to the next instalment in this series, where I hope we get to know more about Kyra's parents and we can see all these budding romances flourish.


 

Tuesday, September 06, 2016

Teaser Tuesday #11 - Ballroom Survival

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of 


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 teaser. 


Add on Goodreads
Title: Daughter of Dusk (A Midnight Thief #2)
Author: Livia Blackburne

Today's Teaser

'She gave what she hoped was a reassuring smile. "If I can survive in a forest of demon cats, I'll survive some time by myself in the ballroom."'

Monday, September 05, 2016

August Book Haul

Fairly controlled book buying month this August for me, some of my highly anticipated releases came out this month so I haven't bought many other books:

 

 
Nevernight (The Nevernight Chronicles #1) by Jay Kristoff
 
Synopsis From Goodreads
Destined to destroy empires, Mia Covere is only ten years old when she is given her first lesson in death.
Six years later, the child raised in shadows takes her first steps towards keeping the promise she made on the day that she lost everything.
But the chance to strike against such powerful enemies will be fleeting, so if she is to have her revenge, Mia must become a weapon without equal. She must prove herself against the deadliest of friends and enemies, and survive the tutelage of murderers, liars and demons at the heart of a murder cult.
The Red Church is no Hogwarts, but Mia is no ordinary student.
The shadows love her. And they drink her fear.
 
Hope and Red by Jon Skovron
Add on Goodreads

IN A FRACTURING EMPIRE SPREAD ACROSS SAVAGE SEAS, TWO PEOPLE FIND A COMMON CAUSE.
HOPE, the lone survivor of a village massacred by the emperor's forces, is secretly trained as a warrior and instrument of vengeance.
RED, an orphan adopted by a notorious matriarch of the criminal underworld, learns to be an expert thief and con artist.

Together they will take down an empire.
 
Poisoned Blade (Court of Fives #2) by Kate Elliott
Add on Goodreads

Jessamy is moving up the ranks of the Fives--the complex athletic contest favored by the lowliest Commoners and the loftiest Patrons in her embattled kingdom. Pitted against far more formidable adversaries, success is Jes's only option, as her prize money is essential to keeping her hidden family alive. She leaps at the chance to tour the countryside and face more competitors, but then a fatal attack on Jes's traveling party puts her at the center of the war that Lord Kalliarkos--the prince she still loves--is fighting against their country's enemies. With a sinister overlord watching her every move and Kal's life on the line, Jes must now become more than a Fives champion.... She must become a warrior.
 
Daughter of Dusk (Midnight Thief #2) by Livia Blackburne
Add on Goodreads

Though she's formed a tentative alliance with the Palace, Kyra must keep her identity a secret or risk being hunted like the rest of her Demon Rider kin. Tristam and the imprisoned assassin James are among the few who know about her heritage, but when Tristam reveals a heartbreaking secret of his own, Kyra's not sure she can trust him. And with James's fate in the hands of the palace, Kyra fears that he will give her away to save himself. Kyra and Tristam fight to save their city from dangerous invaders in this high-fantasy sequel to Livia Blacbkburn'es Midnight Thief.

***

What books did you get this month? Have you read any of my new books yet?


Sunday, September 04, 2016

The Book Blogger Hop #1 : Book Stacks

The Book Blogger Hop was originally created by Jennifer from Crazy-For-Book and is now hosted by Ramblings of a Coffee Addicted Writer
 
 
THIS WEEKS PROMPT   
Do you have books stacked in every room of your house or are you strictly a believer that books belong on bookshelves?

MY RESPONSE
This weeks question is hard, I am a yes to both. I have books in almost every room of the house but they aren't stacked they have to be either in the process of being read, or on a bookcase. I love the look of bookcases so I have no issue with my house being full of them. I am also not a great fan of stacked books, firstly because it makes getting to the book I want to read hard work and also the books themselves are more prone to being damaged.

What is your stance on stacked books?
 

Friday, September 02, 2016

August Reading Wrap-up

Summer holidays are almost over and this last month has been a slow month for reading. It has been busy with work and lots of family visiting (absolute chaos) and also I discovered Wattpad (see my Wattpad Wrap-up here) so I have been reading stories from there, which has taken some of my reading time. So here are the are my reads from this month ( I am also still reading And I Darken which I started back in July, keep getting distracted from it):

 

Fantasy

Haven (Chronicles of Warshard #1) by Katherine Bogle
4 Stars

Contemporary

Resisting the Biker by Cassie Alexandra
3.5 Stars
(Mature Content)
Surviving the Biker by Cassie Alexandra
3 Stars
 (Mature Content)

Urban Fantasy

 

White Raven (Raven #1) by J.L.Weil
4 Stars
Black Crow (Raven #2) by J.L.Weil
3.75 Stars
Lost Wolf (Curse of the Moon #1) by Stacy Claflin
4 Stars
Wolfsbane by Bethany Shay Porteous
3.75 Stars
Biting Cold (Chicagoland Vampires #6) by Chloe Neil
3 Stars
Finding My Pack (My Pack #1) by Lane Whitt
4.75 Stars
Re-Read
Keeping My Pack (My Pack #2) by Lane Whitt
4.5 Stars
(Mature Content)
Re-Read
My Viking Vampire by Krystal Shannon
3 Stars
(Mature Content)
The Golden Pack Alphas by Laurel Cremant
3.25 Stars
(Mature Content)

 

Once again a month filled with urban fantasy book's but the next few month have some amazing sounding fantasy books, so I have a feeling this trend will be changing back to normal soon. So that is it for today, so I would love to know what your favourite book you read in August? It is hard for me to choose as I didn't have any 5 star reads this month, but I am going to go for my re-read of the My Pack series, can't wait for the sequels.