Ok, ok I know the title makes things seem a little been there done that right? Here’s a New Adult Romance with some major angst and mature subject matter. But lemme tell you Another New Life… it’s different.
Very different, and most definitely refreshing.
Info on the Book:
Miranda Preston is determined to start a new life when she ventures off to college. She wants to experience new things, meet new people, survive her classes, but most importantly, she wants to leave her past where it belongs – in the past.
However, there’s nothing quite like walking into her first day of classes and discovering that her past may not be as far behind her as she thought.
The boy who catches her eye turns out to be someone she’s known her entire life, and with him comes memories that represent the best times of her life – but it’s also tainted by the worst. Determined to keep her secrets her own, she develops a relationship with Troy, but when they get closer and closer what will happen when this past and her secrets threatens to completely tear them apart?
Things Not Found in the Synopsis:
I’m so excited that I found a book for this song!
Like Real People Do
by Hozier
I’m actually really glad I ended saving this song, because I feel like it suits Miranda and Troy’s struggle perfectly. They are so desperately trying to be normal, but there’s so much going on around them that just threatens to break them apart.
Overall Rating: 4.5 Stars ****1/2
Alrighty, so I had the absolute pleasure of beta-reading Another New Life and I have to say I was so incredibly surprised by it! Those who know me, know I absolutely LOVE angst in my books. I NEED it. I thrive off it. So the subject matter touched on in this book completely drew me in right off the bat.
I was reading this story and racing to find out the secret and waiting to find out when everything was going to go south. It had me on the edge of my seat and I think I ripped through the book like race reader (is that even a thing?). Anyways, but what was so ‘surprising’ was just how incredibly real and touching and heart warming and infuriating these characters were. Usually these types of books have a specific recipe that they follow, but this one completely threw it out the window – and I LOVED IT!
This is the story of a girl haunted by her past and the journey of the boy who loved her. It was a story that had you pulling your hair because you couldn’t help but think “This isn’t how fictional Heroes’ are supposed to act! The Heroine shouldn’t be doing this! According to every other book out there this and this should be happening!” and yet it was. This story was gritty. It was messy. It was emotional and heartfelt. It pissed me off as much as it had me rooting for them. Sydney Aaliyah Michelle does an amazing job at creating characters who were flawed as much as they were good.
Oh man, would you look at this. For some reason I’m on a major kick of romances with a southern flair and a hint of mystery/suspense. What can I say: I just can’t seem to get enough of them!
Maggie had her entire life planned out since the age of twelve, looks like the joke was on her. As all of her carefully laid plans begin to fall apart she jumps at the opportunity to get away and spend a carefree summer down south.
When she arrives at Devereux Manor it all seems too good to be true. The home is beautiful, the town is inviting, and the sexy gardener promises to make this a summer she won’t soon forget.
However the more she learns about the elusive Ms. Devereaux she begins to realize that the conveniently placed ad in front of her dorm room may not have been the happy coincidence that it once seemed. Maggie isn’t the only one who Ms. Devereaux has lured to the plantation, and Ms. Devereaux isn’t the only one with secrets to hide.
Well I chose this song because I think they lyrics suit both Maggie and Aaron’s situations, as well as their relationship. They’re both struggling with their pasts and they help each other heal and move on. Love it.
Overall Rating: 4.5 Stars ****1/2
I had the lovely opportunity to beta-read this book and let me tell you… I’m pretty sure I’ve read it like 3 times… and that was before it was even released! I’m so addicted to this book it’s not funny!
My Aaron (aka. the sweet, sexy gardener who has a few secrets that will break your heart):
Maggie:(Yep, I see her looking a little something like this adorable, lovely lady… just with lighter, longer hair :D)
Anywhoooo… Onto the review. Like I said I adored this book. I liked how I was instantly pulled into Maggie’s story from page one when she’s driving in a sh*t car to the unknown and talking to her pet fern, Fred. I liked the mystery surrounding the manor and how that mystery seemed to be woven into everything in the setting. Or maybe it was just me that found that LOL. I always find old plantation homes set in the south to have an air of “suspense” and like it’s holding secrets 😉
But mostly, I ADORED the relationship between Maggie & Aaron. I enjoyed the pace that it developed because it wasn’t painstakingly slow, but it kept me on my toes and wanting it to progress. Aaron’s back story was devastating and the way he’s been treated in this small town is heartbreaking – especially because he’s such a sweetheart.
Long story short, I’m so excited for the next book in the series to come out because I NEED to know more about the manor and the mysterious Ms. Devereaux! Pick up the book ladies (or gentlemen) because it’s such a romantic ride!
Win yourself a copy of this book, by clicking the link!
Closes on May 23, 2014
Tracey Smith’s Author Bio:
I grew up in Southern California, but as a teenager moved with my family to a small town in Arkansas. It was there that I met my husband, who had also recently moved to the state. Fate brought us both to that same small town and into each other’s lives and it is where we remain today raising our two children and living out our happily ever after. As you can probably tell I’m a hopeless romantic.
I began my writing career in 2009 with the publication of my first novel Love’s Fate, which quickly grew into a romantic series. Since that first day that I sat down to write I haven’t been able to stop. Writing is my passion and has become a necessary part of my life. Sometimes there are stories that just beg to be told.
Category: Romantic Mystery/Romantic Suspense. This is not erotica or romantica. This is a romance centered around a murder mystery.
Heat Factor: 3 out of 5 — The sexual tension is high, and the burn is slow. Sex is character-driven, rather than plot-driven.
================================
Love, betrayal and murder in a small town….
Twelve years after her mother’s murder, Shannon Bradford fears she may have helped convict an innocent man.
Even worse, her prominent family may have had something to do with it.
Desperate for answers, she seeks help from the one person least likely to give it. Her best friend and childhood crush, Trace Dawson.
The man she sent to prison.
Serving hard time for murder has left Trace angry and bitter. As far as he’s concerned, digging into the past won’t replace the years he’s lost or erase the hell he’s lived. Now that he’s free, Shannon Bradford tops his list of bad memories. But he never counted on falling in love.Set in a sleepy little town during the dead of winter, this award-winning romance novel is a tale of one woman’s quest for truth and a man’s struggle to forgive.
“MEMORIES flooded my mind, of the quiet riot he was, of the secret crush I’d had on him, and the extraordinary friendship we’d shared so many years ago. As fast as those images came, others replaced them. I was thrust back to the crime scene, back to Mother’s corpse and the shirtless eighteen-year-old roaring obscenities while Sheriff Gray and a deputy dragged him away in handcuffs.” — Within Temptation
Things that aren’t found in the synopsis:
For this book I’m liking…
Dark Paradise
by Lana Del Ray
Gotta love, Lana, right? Anyways, I chose this song because I’m a huge fan of the lyrics and how they could correlate with the book. Also, for some reason this book, just seems to have a retro-ish, southern, glam vibe to me… which may be odd considering our sexy Hero is an ex-con and sooooo not glamorous LOL! However, I totally got the vibe from Shannon with her Queen Anne Victorian style homes and stuff.
Overall Rating: 5 Stars *****
My Shannon:
Like I said, for some reason I can’t stop picturing her with the blond vintage waves, red lipstick and classy attitude.
My Trace:
Can we say:
I know I can LOL. ‘
Give me a sexy, alpha male, emotionally guarded, somewhat douchebag, somewhat loving ex-con any day. Though preferably not with a nickname like “Butcher Boy”… that part would be slightly alarming…
Anywhoo, this book was just… WOW! The author is an award-winning novelist and after reading her work, I can definitely see why. Every single character in this book was incredibly well developed with each of their flaws shining through. I loved – and I mean LOVED – the tension between Trace & Shannon. Chemistry like that… it’s just wild! It was feral, primal, raw, sweet… forbidden… very very forbidden 😉 , but I mean who doesn’t love some candy they can’t have? Not to mention said candy is the convicted killer of your mother… can you say COMPLICATED! Yikes!
As mentioned above, the book is actually a romance centered around a mystery and I believe it’d be very hard to pull something like this off. I mean I’m no expert in the mystery department, but from what I’ve read either the mystery outshines the romance or vice versa. Within Temptation did not fall into either of these categories. This book was a crazy web that had you flipping pages almost faster than you could read them. The mystery kept pace with the romance beautifully and I found I wasn’t reading for just one of the two things, but for both of them. Just when I think I’d have things figured out… but turned out I didn’t know sh*t! My head was reeling, my heart was pounding and my brain’s synapses were firing (yes, they were actually firing! I was thinking! Holy mother of pearl! 😛 ). Everything from the language to the setting had me completely immersed in this story and it was so well written, the entire thing played out like a movie in my head.
Highly, HIGHLY recommended book! An absolutely amazing story and I must say… Y’all should go pick it up!
Excerpt
Trace ripped the front door open, flooding the porch with light. There he stood, an unsettling combination of heaven and hell poured into a tight black T-shirt and jeans that hung below his narrow hips in a way Auntie would’ve deemed vulgar. We stared at each other for half an eternity as Ray Charles crooned, “You Don’t Know Me” from somewhere in the house. “Take a wrong turn?” he asked, ice dancing in his eyes. “I’m sorry.”
His jaw worked. “Four days, two hours, and twenty-three minutes of sorry. You get my messages?”
I nodded in shame. “I just…”
“Got scared.”
My breath escaped in a misty cloud. “I should’ve called.” “You think?” He studied me in angry silence for a time. “Lose the hood.” “What?” “The hood.” He nudged his chin. “Take it off.” He was testing me. His ‘you’re ashamed of me’ look was unmistakable. So I did as he asked. I tugged it down. “Satisfied?”
Trace swung the door all the way open and his arm formed an arch. I studied the man-made entrance with caution, then ducked beneath it and went inside.
He kicked the door shut.
Unbuttoning my coat, I watched him lean against a wall, arms folded. It may have been my imagination, but he seemed to study me with the same lethal aloofness of a cat watching an unsuspecting mouse—right before the pounce. To steady my frayed nerves, I concentrated on the beautiful living room. He was renovating. I smelled paint, and drop cloth draped the floor in the adjacent dining room, which he’d jammed with tools and supplies.
An ornate brass floor lamp stood attached to an extension cord that snaked down the hall to what I assumed was the kitchen. A cute tabletop Christmas tree, complete with tinsel, golden ornaments, and candy canes was propped on a twenty-five-inch TV. The pine floor had been polished to a high gloss. Beige paint with alabaster molding covered the walls. Stylish brass vent and outlet covers complemented the gilded vintage ceiling fan above them. I gestured. “You’ve been busy.” “Yeah. My shrink thought it’d be therapeutic.” “You do good work.” I tore my eyes from his sullen face. “It’s beautiful.” “But a far cry from the fancy digs you’re used to.”
It wasn’t said maliciously. In fact, there’d been a ring of humility in his tone that had almost bordered on apologetic. “My tastes are simplistic,” I said. “I fell in love with a dilapidated Queen Anne Victorian, but I didn’t trust my instincts. I hesitated. Now it’s under contract.” I turned to him and sighed. “Speaking of which, I may have a job for you. The couple buying it needs a good carpenter. Can I give them your number?” He hitched a shoulder. “Uh, yeah. Sure.” “When do you think you’ll be finished here?” “In a few months.” He lifted a brow. “Guess I’ll be needing a real estate agent.” “Look no further.” I tried to smile, but it felt lame. What had happened at the club and my vanishing act screamed in his eyes. “So, do you have a place picked out or….” “Naw.” He paused, then in a serious tone added, “I’m leaving Temptation the second my parole year is up. Sooner if I can get a transfer.”
My smile froze. He’s leaving? “Ah, th-that’s understandable. What, with everything that’s happened.”
“Exactly. There’s really nothin’ keeping me from going, is there?” He paused for a beat, tilted his head, and cocked a brow. “Cholly’s got his own life. Mama and Daddy are gone. Bev’s married, and if Cole ever gets out, I’ve got to find a way to help him—but not here. Not in this town.” Fearing, dreading, I hesitated before asking, “Will you at least stay in West Virginia?” I cleared my suddenly dry throat. “Or will you move away?” “What do you think?” He gave the room a fleeting glance. “Three tenants lived here over the past twelve months. When they heard about what happened, they hauled ass. So selling this shack won’t be easy. Either way, I figure I’ll check out the West Coast. Maybe Washington state.” It felt like he’d reached across the room and punched me in the stomach.
NOOK, KOBI, iTunes & Smashwords will be available at a later time. Once they are up I will email those out as well.
About the Author
Tanya Holmes is a former Romance Writers of America Golden Heart finalist, a recipient of the Maggie Award, the MICA Award, as well as Overall Winner of the Sandy Haddad Award and a two-time finalist and one-time winner of The Emily (Best of the Best). She’s happily married with children and loves reading, writing and a good cup of coffee—but not necessarily in that order. Her debut novel, Within Temptation is due out on May 12, 2014.
Okay, okay. I know. Who hasn’t written a review for Colleen Hoover, right? Well folks, this girl right here.
Though rest assured, I’m about to pop the cherry. Yep, that’s right, it’s going to happen….right now…. with Losing Hope because what better way to pop the cherry than to do it with Holder. *WINK*
Some Info on the Book:
Losing Hope is Holder’s side of the heart wrenching, devastating story that we all read in Hopeless.
Returning home from living with his father, Holder finds himself simultaneously trying to deal with the suicide of his twin sister, Les, and coming face to face with a girl who looks a lot like someone he’d never see again.
What happens when everything he thought he knew, crumbles around him and he’s left rediscovering who he is, who he knows and what really happened to that girl across the street, Hope?
So I’m not gonna lie… I was totally torn between this song and: Like Real People Doby Hozier. If y’all prefer that one… I’m sorry…sort of LOL.
Anyways, I’ve decided to go with this one because… well I’m LOVING the lyrics. Here they are in case you’re curious 🙂
I look into your eyes
Diving into the ocean
I look into your eyes
FallingLike a wall of stars
We are ripe to fallAnd if you are a ghost
I’ll call your name again
And if you are a ghost
I’ll call your name…You, always.
I mean look! They even have to do with stars and ghosts… I felt like I couldn’t really turn them down LOL. I also felt the overall “vibe” of the song suited the book better – for me anyways.
Overall Rating: 5 Stars *****
I know, I know. You’re all shocked, right? A 5 stars review from the wonder that is Mrs. Hoover?! Impossible… not really.
Well the books is pretty… AMAZING! I’ll be honest, I thought I loved Hopeless –truly, I did – but Losing Hope was a fantastic companion to it. I loved seeing inside Holder’s head ( though I’m generally a Hero sympathizer 😉 ). It just made his struggle to come to terms with Les’s death that much more real. Her character itself and her struggle became so much more tangible, through reading Holder’s perspective and she became a true ‘person’ to me, not just someone I heard/ read about.
I know there were a lot of aspects that were a replay of what happened in Hopeless, but I loved it. There was so much going on in that story, I didn’t mind the replay of information from another perspective. With the subject matter and the tolls that it would take a person, while I may have already known the outcomes, I was so immersed it didn’t matter.
The books themselves are extremely character driven and yes, if you aren’t a fan of reading books, where it’s more about the plot and you like being surprised, then reading both this and Hopeless may not be your cup of tea. However as a character driven book… it’s phenomenal! Right from the start, Colleen pulls you into Holder’s head and leaves no emotion spared, no thought unthought, and no heart intact. His actions become that much clearer, while his pain becomes it’s own living breathing thing to accompany the monster that is his guilt.
I’d highly recommend this book (me along with thousands of others) if you want something different from the classic alpha-male story where things manage to magically fall into place. This story is real. It’s flawed and incredibly human.
…. No, not like that. God! Get your heads out of the gutter. What is the matter with you people…
Anyways, as mentioned in my blog tour post, here’s my review for the amazing book
ON MY KNEES
by Meredith Wild
Some Info on the Book:
It’s been five years since Maya Jacobs watched her soul mate, Cameron Bridge, walk out of her life. After he proposed and she was forced to turn him away because of a past that continues to haunt her, the only option left was to throw herself into work and live by the rules of …. well there were no rules.
Now, here she is in New York, a city with more strangers than familiar faces, working for a boss she can’t stand and finding love at the bottom of a bottle instead of in the arms of the man she wants.
When a not-so-chance encounter bring her and Cameron back together, will she finally be able to move past all the pain and hurt she still suffers from, or will it come back to haunt her and prevent her from moving forward?
Why this song, you ask. Well let me tell you… because this entire damn book is a waiting game!
Is happiness going to ensue? No… fine then.
Okay, how about now? No? …Seriously?
Now? Still Nada.
Now?!! WHAT DO YOU MEAN NO! GOD DAMNIT! My life is black abyss.
(<—- I mean this in the best way possible.)
Anyways, other than that I love the vibe. Love the sexy, almost suspenseful bass that leaves you on the edge of your seat. Like your waiting for something (*snorts* I see what I did there..) to happen and you have no idea if it will.
Overall Rating: 4.25 Stars ****1/4
I had the wonderful wonderful opportunity to beta this book, and let me tell you it did not disappoint. I haven’t read the Hacker Series – *GASP* I know how offensive – so this was my first introduction to Ms. Wild and what an introduction it was.
This book is…. angst. No, not ‘angsty’, it is angst. Pure, unadulterated, emotion stringing, frustration inducing, tear activating, hair pulling, book throwing angst.
And I loved every page of it.
I ate that sh*t up like my chubby dog would gobble up a plate of bacon.
This is a story of heartbreak and of a woman who’s issues are so deeply embedded in her consciousness, you have no idea whether she’s going to allow herself to find happiness or be constantly pushing it away with a vengeance. As a reader, sure I got frustrated. I wanted to strangle Maya, bitch slap her, hug her, comfort her, talk encouragement to her – but it’s always easy as a reader to say, “Just be happy”, especially when we were in Cameron’s head and saw how he loved her unconditionally. Like truly unconditionally. I’m not sure I’d be as understanding as him, considering how many secrets she was keeping. Good on’ im. Good on’ im.
Anyways, these two had chemistry that was THROUGH THE ROOF!
Like Holy Crapola. *Fans self* I was invested in them from literally page 1. PAGE 1! Cam was AMAZING. Incredibly sexy, confident, strong – he was this rock in a wild ocean that was always consistent.
I would strongly recommend this book (PS. I want to clearly state I did enjoy Maya as a character. I know it probably seems a bit ambiguous, but she is actually a fun character).
Well I dunno about you guys, but I’m craving cake – and a lot of it. I mean this book has quite the recipe that’s for sure, a sexy older man, a bakery… and delicious fudge cake, that known to be used in the bedroom to spice things up.
About the Book:
Jenny is just a normal girl working at a bakery that in known for making delicious cakes. Whether they’re just eaten or used for naughtier things, the cakes are one of the finest in town.
One day while working the most gorgeous man she’d ever seen walked in. Jenny couldn’t take her eyes off him and she was too busy swooning… until he opened his mouth that was and only arrogant words spilled out.
Despite this, Jenny finds herself attracted to the man – Ernest – and they end up ‘dating’. His dirty mouth, brings out her wild side and she feels like she’s finally able to let loose around him. But maybe Ernest isn’t everything she thought he would be…
Ah, yes the old top 40 song 😉 But this song is upbeat and the book is pretty upbeat. On top of that I felt it kinda went with the whole chasing something impossible type idea.
Overall Rating: 3 Stars ***
I received this book as an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review. I loved the premises of this book. I mean a bakery that makes cake that looks like this:
Can you say “YUM!”
<—- That’s how I would eat that cake LOL.
Anyways, back to my review. For me this novella was too short and there wasn’t enough details about the characters. I really wanted to get to know Ernest a little bit more – outside of the dirty talk and amazing capabilities in bed. 😉
Anyways, it was a fun read. Though I would have liked there to be sexy time instead of just fade to black because Ernest talked so highly of himself I would have liked to see him in action. But with a nickname like “Hazel Eyes” and described to be really sexy can one really go wrong? I’ll leave that up to you to decide.
Well she creates a beautiful story of love, letting go, moving on, and finding yourself even when you’re drowning in the deepest of waters.
I know I haven’t even written a review for her other books Ten Tiny Breaths or Four Seconds to Lose and it’s not from lack of trying let me tell you. Unfortunately, I just haven’t found a song for them yet. Humph.
But one day, I assure you… one day.
Anyways, Info on the Book:
Livie Cleary has always been the ‘stable’ sister. Between the death of her parents and dealing with her self-destructive older sister, Kacey, she’s still managed to get good grades, and be at the top of her game.
However, her father’s last words: make me proud, have left her seeking perfection and an ideal life where everything was apart of the plan.
However, life threw her for a tailspin, when she finds herself facing okay grades, career aspirations she isn’t sure she can handle and a man who has the capability to rub her in all the wrong ways.
What happens when everything she thought she knew about herself is turned upside down and she’s left reeling with emotions and decisions she isn’t sure she can handle?
Oh yes, Daughter. How much I love her. Her album If You Leave is absolutely breathtaking. Anyways, here’s an older song, that I felt like it fit Livie’s situation wonderfully. It’s so sad, and to me it’s about the pressures of everything building up and clouding one’s judgement. How do you guys feel about it?
Overall Rating: 5 Stars *****
*Fans self* Okay first off – the most important thing – Book Boyfriend: Ashton Henley. Wow. What a guy. I quote the reasons for loving him:
“1. I’m brilliant
2. I’m charming
3. I’m hung like a thoroughbred
4. I’ve stopped all philandering
5. I’m highly skilled, as you’ve learned the other night.
P.S. Stop staring at my hands. I know what you want me to do with them.”
And on top of that, he’s a damaged soul ….
SOLD! I want him. (Yes, I’m a sucker for damaged characters. I LIKE THE PAIN!)
And Livie… oh Livie. Not going to lie I was disappointed to hear that this book was going to be about her. I just fell in love with Kacey from TTB and Livie just didn’t strike me as someone I would have LOVED to read about ….
I was so very wrong.
She was fascinating to read about. Her ‘perfection’ was such a stretch and it was tragic and heartbreaking watching her ‘fall from grace’, but yet it was something good. It was journey that took twists and turns and left you hurting, confused, searching and wanting for something I think everyone who is/was ever a new adult trying to find who they were and where exactly they belonged.
If you haven’t read this book yet… pick it up or add it to your TBR list! I was extremely impressed with this book – just as I was with TTB and FStL – and I can’t wait to read Five Seconds to Fall.
Okay, this is my FAVORITE book I’ve ever read. It’s just … WOW. I feel like I just won the emotional jackpot. I’m in absolute awe.
This book touched me on so many levels. The characters had to have been the most beautifully flawed people I’ve ever read about. Great job Katja Millay…. Great job. When I know your characters so well that I can tell when they are lying and when I can tell what they truly want without having to be explicitly told… I just LOVE it.
You ALLmust read this book if you’re a fan of NA/ mature YA.
Some Info on the Book:
I live in a world without magic or miracles. A place where there are no clairvoyants or shapeshifters, no angels or superhuman boys to save you. A place where people die and music disintegrates and things suck. I am pressed so hard against the earth by the weight of reality that some days I wonder how I am still able to lift my feet to walk.
Nastya Kashnikov only wants a few things from life. Keep her past a secret and make the boy who took everything from her pay.
Contrary to Nastya Josh Bennett’s past is no secret. Everyone who he’s loved has been taken away from him and now at seventeen there’s no one left.
What happens when these two lonely souls connect and somehow manage to situate themselves into eachothers lives.
I’ve been trying for soooo long to find a song for this book… I think I’ve finally found it…
Feel Real
by Deptford Goth
EEEP! I’m so excited. I heard this song and went YES! I think this is it! I’ve been so picky about this book, and considering it’s in my Top 5 books… I was shocked to discover none of my favorite songs really fit it. *GASP* I couldn’t help but feel like I’d let myself down. But alas, here we have it… What do you guys think?
Overall Rating: 6 Stars ******
(No, I don’t really run on a six star scale, but for this book I will make an exception).
My Nastya:
She’s pretty badass looking 😉
My Josh Bennett:
I’m sorry… But look at that hair!!! (Yes, I’m one of those girls. I have an obsession with beautiful hair OK. Don’t judge me…) I mean I’m also sold on the fact that man is just goigeous. *WINK*
Anyways, my review of the book. WOW! What an emotionally charged read. The angst I tell you, the angst. However, don’t think that this book is overly angsty, in fact for how angsty it was… it was presented the least angsty way that it could have been (You sick of the word angst yet?) LOL. Both Josh and Nastya try to steer clear of each other, but unfortunately they end up constantly colliding.
This book isn’t for those who want instant gratification. The plot is fairly slow moving – but it 100% needs to be. I would not have been as invested in them as I was if it had somehow turned into a story of ‘insta-love/lust’. Instead Katja made their connection known, but subtle. It was a wonderful awareness that had you hoping, praying and fighting for them. Their story was incredibly real. It was lightly happy, crushingly sad and deeply moving.
Both characters were flawed perfection. They rambled, they stumbled. They loved, they hurt. They tore my heart in half and then stitched it back together – albeit a bit mangled – but together none the less. I desperately wanted them both to find their HEA, but I was terrified that they wouldn’t and my definition of HEA might have been a little different than theirs.
Katja is also the master of simple, impactful sentences. I never knew two words could strike me as hard as she made them. What a beautiful ending to a beautiful book.
I’m sorry, but with a title like He Belongs with Me doesn’t that just scream cat fight to you?
It sure does to me and it probably doesn’t help that the story behind this book is two twins who realize they may or may not be in love with the same guy.
My thoughts exactly.
Info on the book:
Maggie & Clara Ryder are identical twins who couldn’t be more different. Maggie was the golden girl. Daddy’s sweetheart with a prim and proper mentality, whereas Clara was the rebellious sister who has purple hair and a don’t mess with me attitude.
And then there’s Leo. Sexy, brooding, alcoholic, playboy, heir to his grandfather’s fortune & empire. Leo has always been Maggie’s best friend and Clara’s arch nemesis. However, everything changes when one night, a terrible date, tears & and a ‘high’ speed golf cart intertwine and Clara ends up realizing that maybe Leo isn’t entirely who she thought he was.
So begins the catalyst for events that will pit Maggie and Clara against each other in a war over who will win the guy’s heart. And what happens when another sexy stranger comes into town who seems all too familiar?
Yep, what can I say. This book has such a fun & upbeat read and therefore requires a fun, upbeat song.
“So come on make me feel alive.” la-la-la…
Yeah, I’m not so good of a singer, as you can probably tell even by reading it on the internet. Rest assured I’ll stick with blogging.
Overall Rating: 4 Stars ****-
Let me explain first off that I had the wonderful opportunity to beta-read this book and now it’s being PUBLISHED!!! EEEP! I’m so excited for Sarah Darlington!
Anyways, I really enjoyed this book. It was so light and the tension between the characters was a lot of fun. I found myself siding with one of the twins though and therefore got all defensive when it came to the other one.
Keep your hands off b*tch he’s mine!
I guess one can say I fell into the trap of the title LOL.
Anyways, this book has got a wicked love triangle/square that leaves you laughing, frustrated, breathless and flushed (because not only is there one sexy hero, but two! TWO!). Both Maggie and Clara have their strengths and weakness as characters and reading both perspectives was great since you got to know them as people instead of just characters. You learnt about their motivations, flaws and driving forces. Sarah did a wonderful job at creating two protagonists who were twins, yet had such distinct voices you could tell who was talking without being told.
Love interests: Dean & Leo.
Dean was great. I think he truly meant well with everything that happened and I felt bad for him at times, because I thought he deserved better than what he was getting. Anyways, I’m really really with how things turned out for him.
Leo… oh Leo. What a … sweetheart. Wait. Did I just say ‘sweetheart’ when in the synopsis it sounded like he was an alcoholic douchebag? Yes, yes I did. To find out what I’m talking about… well you’ll have to read it.
So buckle up readers and get ready for a ride that’ll get you riled up with drama, catfights and a whole lot sexiness.
That’s right you’ve heard correctly. And it’s not just any circus.
Here there’s no such thing as frightening clowns, bright colors, falling apart tents or worn down rides.
No, this circus is unique. It’s a feast for the senses, where acrobats perfectly catch the light as they spin and fall. Where the drinks are only made of the richest of chocolate and caramel. Where each tent has the potential to outshine and outdo the last.
Here tents are black and white and kept in the highest condition. Here is where fantasy becomes reality andwhere the lines of truth and science begin to blur.
Here is where Dreams can Become Nightmares.
I’d like to introduce you all to Erin Morgenstern’s The Night Circus.
As the title says it’s a circus that opens at nightfall and closes at dawn. From the ground to the sky everything is either black or white with only the bright red from the rêveurs scarves representing any form of color.
It’s a place that is literally woven with magic, that makes it both unbelievable, yet incredibly tangible.
Some Info on the Book:
“The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not.
The black sign, painted in white letters that hangs upon the gates, reads:
Opens at Nightfall
Closes at Dawn
As the sun disappears beyond the horizon, all over the tents small lights begin to flicker, as though the entirety of the circus is covered in particularly bright fireflies. When the tents are all aglow, sparkling against the night sky, the sign appears.
Le Cirque des Rêves
The Circus of Dreams.
Now the circus is open.
Now you may enter.”
-Erin Morgenstern
While that pretty sums up the experience that you would have the pleasure of getting into with this elegant tale, it’s also filled with romance, loss, and begs the question “How far would you go to save the one you love?”
Celia Bowen was just a young girl when her mother committed suicide and she dumped into the care of her neglectful father Prospero the Enchanter aka Hector Bowen. Incidentally, Celia is blessed – or cursed – with a natural talent of breaking things … and putting them back together. Hector sees this a prize that he can use against his competitor.
Unfortunately, his competitor also has a student who calls himself Marco.
When Celia and Marco encounter eachothers beautiful, mind altering creations that play part in the circus, what will happen when they fail to distinguish what is competition and what is a gift?
Yep, that’s right. Evanescence. Can you truly go wrong with a voice like Amy Lee’s and a vibe that’s so overall haunting, romantic and filled with melancholy? Besides, I’ve seen Amy Lee sport the Gothic outfits with the corsets and I can’t help but feel like if anyone where to represent this book… it would be her.
My overall rating for the book: 4 Stars ****- (Probably should be 3.5, but I can’t bring myself to do it)
I really really really want to give it five, just because I LOVE it so much, but I know that wouldn’t be fair. This isn’t a book you read if your expecting a wonderful plot or characters who are deeply developed.
It’s a book you read when you want a truly immersive experience that will leave you dreaming and wanting something that is impossible. The Night Circus is an experience book. It appeals to your senses, not so much your emotions. It creates an entirely new world that is mysterious, whimsical and dark.
However, like I said… the plot… it’s a little weak and at times a little hard to follow – not overly so, but you have to be paying attention. The characters are developed enough to get you through, but their general motivations were a little lacking to me. I don’t know what drove them other than the pressure from their mentors. But other than that… I didn’t have much to go off of. I knew they fell in love – and if I had a guy making the tents that Marco made, Hell yes, I’d probably fall in love without meeting him too – but this being said… it could be a little hard to digest. However, they were still interesting in their own respects and I was invested in them as a couple.
Anyways, overall the circus itself was amazing, and for me, made up the possible pitfalls this book could have fallen into. When I’m rich and famous (because we are all going to be rich and famous right?) I will create The Night Circus.
I know I can LOL. ‘
(<—- I mean this in the best way possible.)
<—- That’s how I would eat that cake LOL.
Keep your hands off b*tch he’s mine!
Tianna's Blog of Books & Music 