(ARC) Book Review (242): Silence Of The Wolves (Call Of The Wilderness #1) - Hannah Pole

Silence of the Wolves

by Hannah Pole

Publication: 26th June 2013

Publisher: Carina UK

Pages: 251

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Age Appropriate: Adult

Fate is calling… 
After a strange encounter in a dark alley, journalist Tamriel’s life is turned upside down. She’s missing days, developing odd new abilities, and being followed by mysterious Leyth. 
Dark, dangerous – and too gorgeous for his own good –Leyth’s determined to teach Tamriel about her new life – as a werewolf! And just as intent on keeping their relationship strictly business. 
But as their simmering bond grows, Tamriel and Leyth face a bigger challenge; Tam may be their kind’s strongest weapon against the Circle, a deadly group of paranormal creatures gone rogue. That is, if she’s ready to give into her destiny and put up the fight of her life...

My Thoughts.

I absolutely loved this book, I can see author Hannah Pole having an exceptional career if this debut novel is anything to go by.

From reading this book you just get the sense that there's no way that this could be a debut novel, it feels as if this is the work of someone who's been writing for years and has a library of books to their name, that's how well written this was.

As soon as I saw the cover and read the synopsis I was sold, anything paranormal and I'll devour it and this was no exception!

The author's take on all the mythological beings throughout the story was so fresh and different than what I normally read in a book of this genre, which made me love it all the more.

The characters were well written and fleshed out and added to the intriguing storyline.

Tamtriel 'Tam' and Leyth have such great chemistry together that I found myself egging them on throughout, eager for them both to admit their feelings towards one another, and really happy when they finally did.

I'm really excited that there will be a second book based on a different couple, and I hope that there's many more to come, I'm now invested in this world that Hannah has created, and will eagerly await each instalment in this series.

My only complaint is that you can only buy this in ebook form, I would have loved a physical copy for my bookshelf.

Hannah you've definitely found yourself a fan and I look forward to many more books in the future.

I give this 5/5 Stars.

Book Review (241): Another Little Piece - Kate Karyus Quinn

Another Little Piece

by Kate Karyus Quinn

Publication: 11th June 2013
Publisher: HarperTeen
Pages: 419
Genre: Horror/Paranormal
Age Appropriate: Young Adult

The spine-tingling horror of Stephen King meets an eerie mystery worthy of Sara Shepard's Pretty Little Liars series in Kate Karyus Quinn's haunting debut.

On a cool autumn night, Annaliese Rose Gordon stumbled out of the woods and into a high school party. She was screaming. Drenched in blood. Then she vanished.

A year later, Annaliese is found wandering down a road hundreds of miles away. She doesn't know who she is. She doesn't know how she got there. She only knows one thing: She is not the real Annaliese Rose Gordon.

Now Annaliese is haunted by strange visions and broken memories. Memories of a reckless, desperate wish . . . a bloody razor . . . and the faces of other girls who disappeared. Piece by piece, Annaliese's fractured memories come together to reveal a violent, endless cycle that she will never escape—unless she can unlock the twisted secrets of her past.

My Thoughts.

I really don't know what to say in regards to writing this review, this book was one of my most anticipated releases of this year, ever since it first appeared on Goodreads I was captured by the synopsis, intrigued and anxious to get my hands on a copy, unfortunately though as much as I tried to love it, the book left me so disappointed.

I ended up quite confused a lot throughout the book, I understood the basics, Annaliese appears one year later after disappearing, suffering from amnesia but there's one thing she knows and that is that she's not really Annaliese, and then throughout the book we delve into memories that at times had me trying to remember/figure out who's memories we were seeing.

I didn't really connect with any of the characters, I liked the secondary characters more than I did the mains and that didn't really help in caring one way or the other as to what happened to any of them.

What seemed to be such a fantastic premise, seemed to falter in the execution and when normally it will take me a day or two at most to finish a book this one took me five days, I just wanted to see what happens at the end, and even when I finally finished the book I wasn't entirely sure that I understood the ending at all, it was too muddled with a bit too much information incorporated into memories that at times were too hard to 

differentiate  between the separate people.

This would have been such a great book, I could see the potential there unfortunately it just didn't get there, the plotline was such a good idea and I loved the cover, sadly that wasn't enough to redeem this story for me at all. 

I give this 3/5 Stars. 

(ARC) Book Review (240): My Favorite Mistake - Chelsea M. Cameron

My Favorite Mistake (My Favorite Mistake #1)

by Chelsea M. Cameron

Publication: 27th August 2012

Publisher: Harlequin HQN

Pages: 400

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Age Appropriate: New Adult

Two secrets. One bet. Who will break first?

Taylor Caldwell can't decide if she wants to kiss her new college roommate or punch him.

On the one hand, Hunter Zaccadelli is a handsome, blue-eyed bundle of charm. On the other, he's a tattooed, guitar-playing bundle of bad boy. Maybe that's why Taylor's afraid of falling in love with him, or anyone else. She doesn't want to get burned, and even though her other roommates adore him, she wants him gone before it's too late.

Hunter himself has been been burned before, but the fact that Taylor calls him out on his crap and has the sexiest laugh ever make him decide maybe love isn't a lost cause. They make a bet: if she can convince him she truly loves or hates him, he'll leave the apartment--and leave her alone. The problem is, the more time they spend together, the less she hates him, and the more she moves toward love.

But when the man who holds the key to Taylor's fear of giving up her heart resurfaces and threatens to wreck everything, she has to decide: trust Hunter with her greatest secret, or do everything in her power to win that bet and drive him away forever.

My Thoughts...

OMG! This book was so damn good!

This has become one of my favourite books of the year and is definitely in my all time top 10 favourite books of all-time.

And the main reason for that I can narrow down to two words: Hunter Zaccadelli, easily one of my all-time favourite male characters, now if only he wasn't a fictional character.

I've never really been a fan of contemporary romance books, but the synopsis sounded good so I thought why not, I did not expect to be blown away by the brilliance of this novel and the incredible writing.

I was captivated from the very first page, when Taylor opens the front door and finds Hunter waiting on the other side and after some remarks he makes, he gets punched for it, and so begins one of the funniest and romantic books that I've read in a long while.

The chemistry between these two is explosive, you can tell how much Hunter grows to care for Taylor from the sexual innuendos and how much he torments her, it's like going back to kindergarten when you have that boy who is a bully and calls you names but secretly he really likes you.

But they both hide secrets which have affected the people that they are today, both sad, and especially in Hunter's case tragic.

The humour in this is so good, many a times I'd be laughing out loud at something in the book and I'd receive quite a few funny looks, especially the library scene and the emails between Hunter and Taylor.

I've never loved a bad boy more, or wanted some up close and personal time of my own, the song he writes for Taylor is so sweet and he cooks, is in fact a great cook and will make whatever Taylor wants, and there is a definite heart of gold under the tattooed facade.

I just wish that there will be a sequel, or this book from Hunter's pov, o.k just really anything that involves Hunter, I'm totally besotted.

I can't put into words how much I adore this book, a great big thanks to the author Chelsea for writing this piece of brilliance, I strongly recommend that you all check this out, you won't be sorry!

I give this a huge 5/5.

Cover Reveal: Veiled Shadows (The Age Of Alandria #2) - Morgan Wylie

ABOUT VEILED SHADOWS: Shadows linger where light is obstructed, and truth is veiled. Evil is an untreated disease in the once beautiful realm of Alandria. Kaeleigh is faced with a revelation that she must reconcile. She will decide if discovering the truth is worth the unknown consequences to both herself and her friends. Daegan, the Ferrishyn warrior, is conflicted by more than his loyalties, and is confronted with emotions he doesn’t know how to deal with. A choice must be made. A choice… that may cost him more than he ever wanted to give. The Droch-Shúil—enforcers and servants of the ancient darkness—continue to cast their shadow over Alandria seeking those who can be turned to their side. The magic of The Orchids is growing, but not everyone will survive what is to come. Veiled Shadows is the second installment in The Age of Alandria series: the story of the Sol-lumieth’s quest for freedom of self and the power to battle the evil of the Droch-Shúil. ABOUT MORGAN WYLIE: Morgan Wylie has been writing on and off throughout her growing up years, but started seriously working on her first novel in the Spring of 2009. 7 months pregnant with her first child, she didn't start off with a lot of focused writing time. But Morgan had an epiphany, if you will, and the story flashed before her so she began to write. And she’s still writing. Her debut Young Adult fantasy, SILENT ORCHIDS, will be out this summer. LINKS: Twitter: MWylieBooks Blog:www.morganwylie.blogpost.com Web: morganwylie.net Friend Morgan on Facebook or Goodreads

Book Blast & Giveaway: Never Too Far - Thomas Christopher

Never Too Far
by Thomas Christopher
Kindle Edition, 272 pages
Published May 10th 2012 by Kalmaha Press

A harrowing story of love and survival.

In a future of scarce resources, where the possession of gas and diesel is punishable by death, a teenage boy and a pregnant girl must save their impoverished family. They risk their lives on a terrifying journey to sell stolen fuel on the black market.

Mary surprised Joe by knocking his arms away. She was stronger than she looked. Then she swept her legs off the bed and sprang to her feet. She took two steps and turned to face him as if to prove there was nothing wrong with her. But there was definitely something wrong. She wavered a moment. Her already white face turned ghostly. Her eyelids trembled. She seemed to realize she was becoming faint, and what that meant.

“I’m fine,” she said. “You don’t have to go.”

Joe got ready to catch her in case she fell, but somehow she held herself steady.

“It’s okay,” Joe said. “Just sit down. I will go find some food.”

Joe inched toward her. He was afraid to grab her again because she might try to wrench free once more and really fall. When she coughed, her little shoulders jerked and her round stomach jumped. Her head was drooped low and her hair hung down so he couldn’t see her face at all.

“Come on, lay down,” Joe said.

She didn’t move. Joe stepped toward her, but before he could put his arms around her, she tilted forward and rested the crown of her head against his chest. He slid his arms along the sides of her hard belly and around her waist. Then he shifted her toward the bed again. She moved like a bundle of empty sacks in his arms. He set her gently on the bed before he bent down to lift her feet onto the sheets.

After he sat in the chair, Mary asked him, “What if you don’t come back?”

“That’s not going to happen,” Joe said.

“How do you know?”

“I just know. You have to trust me.”

Purchase your copy today!

__________________________________________________________________

Thomas Christopher grew up in Iowa, where he graduated from the University of Northern Iowa. After living in Seattle and Montana, he received his MFA at Western Michigan University. He has published short stories in The Louisville Review, The MacGuffin, Redivider, Small Spiral Notebook, Cooweescoowee, and other places. He was also awarded an Irving S. Gilmore Emerging Artist Grant and was a finalist for the Matthew Clark Prize in Fiction. Currently, he lives in Wisconsin with his wife Jessica and their son Holton.

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Cover Reveal: Finding It (Losing It #3) - Cora Carmack

Finding It (Losing It #3)

by Cora Carmack 

Most girls would kill to spend months traveling around Europe after college graduation with no responsibility, no parents, and no-limit credit cards. Kelsey Summers is no exception. She's having the time of her life...or that's what she keeps telling herself.

It's a lonely business trying to find out who you are, especially when you're afraid you won't like what you discover. No amount of drinking or dancing can chase away Kelsey's loneliness, but maybe Jackson Hunt can. After a few chance meetings, he convinces her to take a journey of adventure instead of alcohol. With each new city and experience, Kelsey's mind becomes a little clearer and her heart a little less hers. Jackson helps her unravel her own dreams and desires. But the more she learns about herself, the more Kelsey realizes how little she knows about Jackson.

Expected publication: October 1st 2013 by William Morrow Paperbacks 

(ARC) Book Review (239): Losing Hope (Hopeless #2) - Colleen Hoover

Losing Hope (Hopeless #2)

by Colleen Hoover

Publication: 8th July 2013 (Ebook) & 15th October 2013 (Paperback)

Publisher: Atria Books

Pages: 320

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Age Appropriate: New Adult

In the follow-up to Colleen Hoover’s #1 New York Times bestseller Hopeless, the charming and irresistible Dean Holder tells the passionate story that has melted thousands of hearts.

In Hopeless, Sky left no secret unearthed, no feeling unshared, and no memory forgotten, but Holder’s past remained a mystery.

Still haunted by the little girl he let walk away, Holder has spent his entire life searching for her in an attempt to finally rid himself of the crushing guilt he has felt for years. But he could not have anticipated that the moment they reconnect, even greater remorse would overwhelm him…

Sometimes in life, if we wish to move forward, we must first dig deep into our past and make amends. In Losing Hope, bestselling author Colleen Hoover reveals what was going on inside Holder’s head during all those hopeless moments—and whether he can gain the peace he desperately needs.

My Thoughts.

Such a heartbreaking, beautifully written novel that will touch everyone, even the coldest of hearts.

Colleen Hoover is a master of this kind of book, a gut-wrenching, emotionally driven story that will send you on a roller-coaster ride of feelings.

I didn't think that anything Colleen wrote would ever be as fantastic as Hopeless was, until I read this book, I was proven completely wrong.

I love the fact that quite a few new adult authors these days are re-writing their books in the POV of the male lead, I enjoy reading the dual aspects and being able to know what both characters are thinking and experiencing at the same time.

I'm a big fan of Holder's character and so when I discovered that this book was being written, well I was extremely happy, even happier now that I've read it and know his inner thoughts and feelings.

This book had me crying so much more than Hopeless ever did, because we experience through Holder the death of his twin sister Leslie 'Les', the kidnapping and disappearance of he and Les' childhood best-friend Hope thirteen years ago (and his subsequent guilt over the years) and then there were the letters he wrote to Les after she died *sob*.

When he meets Sky his world changes and he's finally happy for the first time in a long time, these two make such a good couple, and it's because of that and the fact they are such strong and interesting characters that so many people have grown to love them and their story.

Even after having read Hopeless and knowing what the shocking revelation is, it still hits you like a punch in the gut, the shock not lessened by the different protagonist of either book.

I do recommend tissues whilst reading this, you'll definitely need them.

My only complaint is that there will be no more stories featuring Sky and Holder, I wish that eventually we may get a short story of some sort to let us catch up with these two, and to find out what the future held for them.

Definitely one of my favourite reads of 2013, highly recommended this is a story you don't want to miss!

I give this 5/5 Stars.