Weekly Recap / Stacking the Shelves (55)

*Stacking the Shelves is hosted by Tynga's Reviews

Another big week for me. The weather is getting nicer too which means more outdoor time. (Which means more reading time because the computer doesn't distract me. My phone is acting up so it shuts down when I try to tweet lol) I love summer because it means more family time, more outdoors, and warm weather. I have lived in Massachusetts my whole life, but still hate the cold.

OMG I keep getting all bug eyed in my vlog. I don't know why I kept doing it, but it looks weird. My eyes are itching and burning from allergies so I keep feeling like they are droopy. Maybe I was trying to open them up better lol!! And I know, I'm totally lazy, but I didn't link any of the books. I also didn't include my weekly recap, but I did put my search terms. I hurt my foot, and then got super lazy and didn't get on the computer until late and then I just wanted to throw it together quick. I am such a fail this weekend.

Books Mentioned

Review

• As the World Dies: Untold Tales Volume 3 by Rhiannon Frater 
• Asylum by Madeline Roux
• Blurred (Inbetween #2) by Tara Fuller
• Dire Warning (In Darkness We Must Abide #6) by Rhiannon Frater 
• Don't Bite the Bridesmaid by Tiffany Allee
• Freshman Forty by Christine Duval
• Tarnished by Rhiannon Held 
• Ten Tiny Breaths by K.A Tucker (Audiobook)
• The Planet of Thieves by Dan Krokos
• This Song Could Save Your Life by Leila Sales
• Wallbanger by Alice Clayton (Audiobook)

 Won/Gifted

• Charm & Strange by Stephanie Kuehn

Bought

• Let the Sky Fall by Shannon Messenger

 

 People Mentioned

• Giselle @ Xpresso Book Tours
• Blythe @ Finding Bliss In Books
• Rhiannon Frater

Thank you so much to HarperTeen, Edelweiss, Entangled Publishing, Rhiannon Frater, Giselle, Blythe, Tor Books, Simon Audio, and Macmillan.

Search Terms

• strings by kendall grey - Loved this!!
• lux series summary - Umm I don't know if the series itself has a summary, but each book does.
• adam warner shatter me - Honestly, at this point I am team neither, though in Shatter Me I was team Adam.
• aiden's pov from the covenant series - There are a few Aiden POV's for the Covenant series. Check out JLA's website. She has all the goods and links to such things.
• as the world dies untold tales volume 2 - I loved this!! The characters in the ATWD series are so awesome and I loved getting to know them better. Vol. 3 comes out soon too!!
• audiobook review lightning thief - I reviewed this a few months ago. Maybe more.
• bella andre - I haven't read it, but have heard it's a fantastic series.
• book cover loki’s wolves, by k. k. armstrong - I have a pic of the cover on my review. This book was awesome too!!

That's all I have for you. Sorry for my laziness guys. I will be better next week with my recap and links. You know, all that good stuff. (Do people actually click on the links anyways? Just curious.)

Book Girls Don't Cry - Best and Most Anticipated of 2013

Can you believe it's almost June?!! Half the year?!! Where in the world did the time go? So for this weeks topic we decided to do top 5 books we've read so far this year and top 5 we are anticipating.

Other Book Girls Posts This Week

Jenni

Giselle

• Publisher: Forever (Grand Central Publishing) when I read it, it was self published
• Publication Date: July 2nd, 2013 (paperback) ebook is available now

Purchase: Amazon | B&N 

Twenty-year-old Camryn Bennett had always been one to think out-of-the-box, who knew she wanted something more in life than following the same repetitive patterns and growing old with the same repetitive life story. And she thought that her life was going in the right direction until everything fell apart.

Determined not to dwell on the negative and push forward, Camryn is set to move in with her best friend and plans to start a new job. But after an unexpected night at the hottest club in downtown Raleigh, North Carolina, she makes the ultimate decision to leave the only life she’s ever known, far behind.

With a purse, a cell phone and a small bag with a few necessities, Camryn, with absolutely no direction or purpose boards a Greyhound bus alone and sets out to find herself. What she finds is a guy named Andrew Parrish, someone not so very different from her and who harbors his own dark secrets. But Camryn swore never to let down her walls again. And she vowed never to fall in love.

But with Andrew, Camryn finds herself doing a lot of things she never thought she’d do. He shows her what it’s really like to live out-of-the-box and to give in to her deepest, darkest desires. On their sporadic road-trip he becomes the center of her exciting and daring new life, pulling love and lust and emotion out of her in ways she never imagined possible. But will Andrew’s dark secret push them inseparably together, or tear them completely apart?

Due to sexual content and language, this book is recommended for 17+ – Adult Contemporary Women’s – New Adult Fiction

Guys, this book gave me ALL the feels. I laughed, I cried (the ugly cry at that), and went through every other emotion with the characters. You can see my review here.

• Publisher: Entangled Teen
• Publication date: 4/2/2013

Purchase: Amazon | B&N | The Book Depository

He makes good girls...bad.

Dante Walker is flippin’ awesome, and he knows it. His good looks, killer charm, and stellar confidence have made him one of hell’s best—a soul collector. His job is simple: weed through humanity and label those round rears with a big red good or bad stamp. Old Saint Nick gets the good guys, and he gets the fun ones. Bag-and-tag.

Sealing souls is nothing personal. Dante’s an equal-opportunity collector and doesn't want it any other way. But he’ll have to adjust, because Boss Man has given him a new assignment:

Collect Charlie Cooper’s soul within ten days.

Dante doesn't know why Boss Man wants Charlie, nor does he care. This assignment means only one thing to him, and that’s a permanent ticket out of hell. But after Dante meets the quirky Nerd Alert chick he’s come to collect, he realizes this assignment will test his abilities as a collector…and uncover emotions deeply buried.

This book was so fun and entertaining. Dante was the perfect mix of bad boy and awesome!! See my review here.

• Publisher: Spencer Hill Press
• Publication date: 4/9/2013
• Series: Covenant , #4 

Purchase: Amazon | B&N | The Book Depository

Fate isn’t something to mess with… and now, neither is Alex.

Alex has always feared two things: losing herself in the Awakening and being placed on the Elixir. But love has always been stronger than Fate, and Aiden St. Delphi is willing to make war on the gods—and Alex herself—to bring her back.

The gods have killed thousands and could destroy entire cities in their quest to stop Seth from taking Alex’s power and becoming the all-powerful God Killer. But breaking Alex’s connection to Seth isn’t the only problem. There are a few pesky little loopholes in the whole “an Apollyon can’t be killed” theory, and the only person who might know how to stop the destruction has been dead for centuries.

Finding their way past the barriers that guard the Underworld, searching for one soul among countless millions, and then somehow returning will be hard enough. Alex might be able to keep Seth from becoming the God Killer… or she might become the God Killer herself.

I just love this series and love the characters. I almost feel like I actually know them. I am very invested in this series. My review for this is here.

• Publisher: J. Lynn
• Publication date: 2/25/2013
• Format: eBook 

Purchase: Amazon | B&N | Kobo

Some things are worth waiting for…

Traveling thousands of miles from home to enter college is the only way nineteen-year-old Avery Morgansten can escape what happened at the Halloween party five years ago—an event that forever changed her life. All she needs to do is make it to her classes on time, make sure the bracelet on her left wrist stays in place, not draw any attention to herself, and maybe—please God—make a few friends, because surely that would be a nice change of pace. The one thing she didn’t need and never planned on was capturing the attention of the one guy who could shatter the precarious future she’s building for herself.

Some things are worth experiencing…

Cameron Hamilton is six feet and three inches of swoon-worthy hotness, complete with a pair of striking blue eyes and a remarkable ability to make her want things she believed were irrevocably stolen from her. She knows she needs to stay away from him, but Cam is freaking everywhere, with his charm, his witty banter, and that damn dimple that’s just so… so lickable. Getting involved with him is dangerous, but when ignoring the simmering tension that sparks whenever they are around each other becomes impossible, he brings out a side of her she never knew existed.

Some things should never be kept quiet…

But when Avery starts receiving threatening emails and phone calls forcing her to face a past she wants silenced, she has no other choice but to acknowledge that someone is refusing to allow her to let go of that night when everything changed. When the devastating truth comes out, will she resurface this time with one less scar? And can Cam be there to help her or will he be dragged down with her?

And some things are worth fighting for…

Oh, man. I can't even. I was so sucked into this and Cameron was fabulous. Of course I am a huge NA fan, but this was just amazing! My review is here.

• Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books
• Publication date: 3/19/2013
• Series: Infernal Devices Series , #3 

Purchase: Amazon | B&N | The Book Depository

Danger and betrayal, secrets and enchantment in the breathtaking conclusion to the Infernal Devices trilogy

Tessa Gray should be happy - aren't all brides happy?
Yet as she prepares for her wedding, a net of shadows begins to tighten around the Shadowhunters of the London Institute.
A new demon appears, one linked by blood and secrecy to Mortmain, the man who plans to use his army of pitiless automatons, the Infernal Devices, to destroy the Shadowhunters. Mortmain needs only one last item to complete his plan. He needs Tessa. And Jem and Will, the boys who lay equal claim to Tessa's heart, will do anything to save her.

*This review is spoiler free and is just my overall feelings about the book. I do not give away any details on any of the events that occur in the book. 

I have never been so glad that I listened to a book on audio than this. Even at that I had to take breaks to compose myself. This amazing conclusion to the series had my emotions totally strung out and I loved every minute. See my review here.

I was actually surprised going back through my books how few (for me) books I had rated 5, and a lot that are 5's are actually 4.5's rounded up. Now onto the books I am highly anticipating!!

• Publisher: Spencer Hill Press
• Publish Date: July 30, 2013 ebook only, then November 5, 2013 in paperback

For twenty-one-year-old Sydney, being in love with Kyler isn't anything new. They'd been best friends ever since he pushed her down on the playground and she made him eat a mud pie. Somewhere over the years, she fell for him and fell hard. The big problem with that? Kyler puts the 'man' in man-whore. He's never stayed with a girl longer than a few nights, and with it being their last year in college, Syd doesn't want to risk their friendship by declaring her love.

Kyler has always put Syd on a pedestal that was too high for him to reach. To him, she's perfect and she's everything. But the feelings he has for her, he's always hidden away or focused on any other female. After all, Kyler will always be the poor boy from the wrong side of tracks, and Syd will always be the one girl he can never have.

But when they're stranded together at a posh ski resort due to a massive Nor'easter, there's nothing stopping their red-hot feelings for each other from coming to the surface. Can their friendship survive the attraction? Better yet, can they survive at all? Because as the snow falls, someone is stalking them, and this ski trip may be a life-changer in more ways than one.

Well, it's JLA and I'm a huge fan girl, but besides that it sounds amazing!! I will love anyone who wants to get me an ARC of it at BEA! I've head that there will be some!!

• Publisher: Spencer Hill Press
• Publish Date: November 2nd, 2013

It's a beautiful day for a war. Alex must face a terrible choice between destruction of everything she loves and her own destruction. The final book in the COVENANT series.

AHHHH!!! I swear I will die waiting until this comes out!! I need this like a few months ago when I finished Apollyon!!!

• Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
• Publication date: 9/10/2013

Mac can’t lose another friend. Even if he doesn’t want to be found.

The ripple effect caused by Mac’s best friend Amy’s murder has driven Mac’s new love, Kyle, to leave Hemlock and disappear from her life forever. But Mac knows that Kyle plans to enroll in a rehabilitation camp, where he can live with other werewolves. She refuses to accept his decision, especially since the camps are rumored to be tortuous. So she sets out in search of Kyle with a barely sober Jason—and Amy’s all-seeing ghost—in tow.

Clues lead Mac to find Kyle in a werewolf den in Colorado—but their reunion is cut short by a Tracker raid. Now Mac and Kyle are trapped inside the electric fences of Thornhill, a camp for young werewolves. As she devises an escape plan, Mac uncovers dangerous secrets buried within the walls of Thornhill—and realizes that the risk to the people she loves is greater than ever before.

I loved Hemlock and can't wait to see where the story goes!! I am anxiously awaiting this one!!

• Publisher: Entangled Publishing
• Publication date: 10/1/2013

When eighteen-year-old Hunter Jackson and his half sister, Ashlin, return to their dad’s for the first winter in years, they expect everything to be just like the warmer months they’d spent there as kids. And it is—at first. But Chance, the charismatic and adventurous boy who made their summers epic, is harboring deep secrets. Secrets that are quickly spiraling into something else entirely.

The reason they've never met Chance’s parents or seen his home is becoming clearer. And what the siblings used to think of as Chance's quirks—the outrageous stories, his clinginess, his dangerous impulsiveness—are now warning signs that something is seriously off.

Then Chance's mom turns up with a bullet to the head, and all eyes shift to Chance and his dad. Hunter and Ashlin know Chance is innocent...they just have to prove it. But how can they protect the boy they both love when they can’t trust a word Chance says?

I love Kelley York's writing and have read all of her books. This sounds so good, and I know how well she writes emotion and tough issues and situations. I can't wait to curl up with this and a box of tissues.

• Publisher: Balzer & Bray
• Publication date: 9/17/2013

Josie Byrne's life is spiraling out of control. Her parents are divorcing, her boyfriend Nick has grown distant, and her physics teacher has it in for her. When she's betrayed by the two people she trusts most, Josie thinks things can't get worse.

Until she starts having dreams about a girl named Jo. Every night at the same time—3:59 a.m.

Jo's life is everything Josie wants: she's popular, her parents are happily married, and Nick adores her. It all seems real, but they're just dreams, right? Josie thinks so, until she wakes one night to a shadowy image of herself in the bedroom mirror – Jo.

Josie and Jo realize that they are doppelgängers living in parallel universes that overlap every twelve hours at exactly 3:59. Fascinated by Jo's perfect world, Josie jumps at the chance to jump through the portal and switch places for a day.

But Jo’s world is far from perfect. Not only is Nick not Jo's boyfriend, he hates her. Jo's mom is missing, possibly insane. And at night, shadowy creatures feed on human flesh.

By the end of the day, Josie is desperate to return to her own life. But there’s a problem: Jo has sealed the portal, trapping Josie in this dangerous world. Can she figure out a way home before it’s too late?

From master of suspense Gretchen McNeil comes a riveting and deliciously eerie story about the lives we wish we had – and how they just might kill you.

I'm a sucker for creepy and dude, this sounds so awesomely creepy. I have also really enjoyed Gretchen McNeil's previous two books, so I am really excited for this one!!

So that's what I've got. There are obviously so many more that I am dying to get my hands on, but these were the first to pop into my head as must have now books!! What have been some of your favorites this year? What are you looking forward to?

Blog Tour: Stripped by Brooklyn Skye - Review and Tour Giveaway

Hello my lovelies!! Welcome to my stop on the Stripped Blog Tour! I have my review for you today! For the full tour schedule, click on the banner above to be taken to the tour page.

• Publisher: Self Published
• Publish Date: May 14th, 2013
• Source: eARC provided by YA Bound Blog Tours for review

College freshman Quinn Montgomery will do anything to avoid the mistake her sister made—killing herself over a boy. But when she is forced into nude modeling at a local college to support her family after a bankruptcy, she begins to crack, just enough to let Torrin, the university’s top varsity oarsman, see that the real Quinn is not as feisty and unapproachable as she wants everyone to think. But letting someone in comes at a steep cost and, it turns out, Torrin is connected to Quinn’s family in more ways than she could ever imagine.

Buy Links

My Thoughts

I have been on a contemporary NA kick lately so it was a given that I would want to read this. That tagline totally had me. This book was great and had just what I like in NA novels, which is a broken character who is trying to manage without breaking, is lost, but is able to find the person inside that they didn't know existed. Unlike so many other books in this genre, the love interest is super sweet and awesome, not the douche bad boy. (Though there is one of those too!)

Brooklyn was one of those characters who is not likeable, but that doesn't mean I didn't enjoy her. I felt for her, I sympathized with her to a point, I even cared what happened to her. She is an unlikable character, but she's intended to be that way. It's her armor, her shell. She needs her bitchy attitude, and don't give a shit personality to get through each day. Sometimes I really wanted to jump into the book and tell her to just stop being such a bitch to everyone around her, but that is how she copes with her issues.

Torrin was fabulous! Unfortunately, besides being nice, funny, athletic, artsy, and persistent, we didn't get to know a whole lot about him. I really liked him, so I wish we would have gotten to know him a little bit better. He really was great with Quinn though. He made her see that it's okay to trust people, to break down her walls, let people in who really care. Sadly, he keeps a secret from her (in defense, she's keeping a secret from him too) that is pretty big. I liked the way that he handled it though and it made me like him even more.

This was very predictable to me, but I still was able to really enjoy it. That's a good book when even with an unlikable MC and a predictable storyline, it can still win me over. I just took it for what it was, and let myself enjoy the journey of Quinn discovering herself and not being afraid. It wasn't intensely emotional for me, but I did feel the buzz of them at certain points. Overall I thought this was a great read, and loved that it didn't stick to the normal standard of the virgin girl or the bad boy. I also liked the realness of how the characters are. They are just typical college kids doing what they do. And total bonus points for no insta-love!! I look forward to reading more from this author in the future.

About the Author

Brooklyn Skye is just your average awkward girl who's obsessed with words. She grew up in a small California town where she quickly realized writing was an easy escape from small town life.



Website / Twitter / Goodreads

Tour Giveaway

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This post brought to you by YA Bound Book Tours

Blog Tour: The Summer I Became a Nerd by Leah Rae Miller - Review, Interview, & Giveaway

Hi everyone!! I am so excited to be taking part in the blog tour for The Summer I Became a Nerd. Ever since I first saw the cover and read the synopsis I was looking forward to this book. I have my review and and an interview with the author on my stop today!

• Publisher: Entangled Publishing
• Publication date: 5/21/2013
• Source: eARC provided by the publisher for tour/review

 Purchase: Amazon | B&N | The Book Depository

On the outside, seventeen-year-old Madelyne Summers looks like your typical blond cheerleader—perky, popular, and dating the star quarterback. But inside, Maddie spends more time agonizing over what will happen in the next issue of her favorite comic book than planning pep rallies with her squad. That she’s a nerd hiding in a popular girl's body isn’t just unknown, it's anti-known. And she needs to keep it that way.

Summer is the only time Maddie lets her real self out to play, but when she slips up and the adorkable guy behind the local comic shop’s counter uncovers her secret, she’s busted. Before she can shake a pom-pom, Maddie’s whisked into Logan’s world of comic conventions, live-action role-playing, and first-person-shooter video games. And she loves it. But the more she denies who she really is, the deeper her lies become…and the more she risks losing Logan forever.

 My Thoughts

When I first read the synopsis for this, I was so excited for it!! We all know how judgmental kids are in school so I thought it was cute that she has her inner nerd that she lets out when she thinks no one knows. This book was so fun and great to read, and I loved the romance. It was seriously so cute and sweet. Another thing was how present the parents were. I love when parents are a big part in YA books!

Maddie didn't start off as a very likeable character to me at all, but by the end I totally loved her. She starts off, obviously hiding her love for comic books and all things "nerdy" and is pretty oblivious to things going on around her. How other people feel, what others are dealing with. How petty her need to keep up her appearance as the perfect, popular girl really is. She has worked to mold herself into the perfect high school girl. Cheerleader, pretty, dating the quarterback (even if they don't really like each other and it's all for show), and hangs out with all the right people. Only she thinks that none of them would like her if they knew she loved comic books and video games. She had an embarrassing situation years ago, and refuses to ever let herself be laughed at again. She makes stupid decisions and mistakes, but that is what makes her so real.  When she starts talking to, and then hanging out with Logan, I loved seeing the change in her and how much she developed. That was the Maddie that I came to love by the end. The one that Logan was able to bring out.

Logan was awesome from the first moment he was introduced in the book. He was sweet, charming, geeky, and funny. I loved getting to know him. My favorite thing about him was, what you see is what you get. He lays it all out there. Well, except one thing, which is his true identity on his radio show, but I thought that was so fun, and loved that people loved him so much. If they had known it was really him at first, I don't know that they would have. It kind of reminded me a bit of the Disney Channel Movie Radio Rebel. (which was a cute movie) Anyways, he really brings out the good side of Maddie, even when she resists it. He won't let her be embarrassed or ashamed of who she really is. He is also a super awesome older brother. He dotes on his little sister and what is more swoon worthy than that right?

I also loved how family was so present in this. Logan's mom especially, but Maddie's parents were a big part too. It wasn't just in passing, or they were mentioned here and there. They were part of things. You got to see the family dynamics. It was really important to the story to have the parents be very much a part of it and I am so glad that they were. Logan's mom was among my favorite characters in this book.

If you are looking for a fun, romantic, and entertaining book, this is one you have to pick up. It is very realistic to the way high school is, how kids can be very judgmental, and how the people you care about will be there for you and help you through. I thought that the situations were captured very well, and nothing seemed too easy or convenient. This book was fantastic and I loved it!

Interview

Hi Leah, thanks for doing this interview!!

I know this is a common question, but what gave you the idea for this book?

I wanted to write about something fun, something I love. “Comic books” was the first thing to pop into my head. I also love teenage romantic comedy films and combining those two things sounded like a no-brainer.

Did you have a rough outline of the book before you wrote it, or did you just write it as it came to you?

I didn’t have an outline for the book. I ended up writing a big portion of it before plotting it out. I’m definitely a pantser. I need to have the feel of the characters and the story before I can go too in depth in the plot.


Maddie loves comic books and feels the need to hide it. Why did you choose comic books as her inner nerd thing?

Because comics are awesome! I also felt like it would be a unique thing. Unfortunately, there aren’t a ton of girls Maddie’s age that are into comics.

I was really into comic books at her age too. I wouldn't say as much as her, but I really loved them too!!  Comics are awesome!

The comic book store where Logan works sounds awesome! Is that based off of a real place, or was it all made up?

It is based on a real place that doesn’t exist anymore, unfortunately. When I was little, The Phoenix was a comic shop in Natchitoches and I used to love it! But, much like in the book, it had a hard time being successful.

LARP takes place in this book. What type of research did you have to do for it? Have you taken part in it?

I didn’t need to do any research on LARP because I’ve done my fair share of it. I used to LARP in my early twenties. I played Vampire: The Masquerade and D&D. I have so many good memories from those games!

That sounds really fun. I have never done it, but always wanted to. I think I would get really confused about all the rules and stuff though lol!

Maddie is so worried about people finding out about her hidden self that she becomes very self absorbed. Did you do that intentionally, or did she kind of just go that direction on her own?

She pretty much did that on her own, but I understood why she was that way and went with it, if that makes any sense. I thought being so concerned about keeping a secret could potentially cause a person to lose sight of things around them.

I found Maddie a hard character to like at first. Is she supposed to come across that way? Maybe it's just me lol!

I don’t think it’s just you, at all. It was just hard for her not to be unlikeable at first considering the predicament she’s gotten herself into. I was concerned that it might be a turn off for people, but I’m hoping the development she goes through makes up for that initial feeling of “OMG, sometimes I want to smack her.” 

I totally did have a feeling of wanting to smack her a few times, but by the end of the book I really liked her and who she became.

So even though I had a hard time liking Maddie at first, I thought that she grew tremendously. What she did at the end was pretty amazing. Was it planned that she would do something like that?

That’s another part that kind of just happened organically. It just felt right, ya know?

I think that the cover for this book is awesome!! Did you have any say at all in the final cover?

I could have had a say if I wanted to say anything, lol. But I’m like you, I love this cover and think Heather Howland did a fantastic job!

Random questions

Who is your favorite comic book character?

Jean Grey. If I could have any super powers, I’d pick hers.

Have you ever dressed as a comic book character for Halloween?

I don’t think I’ve done a comic book character. I have done a lot of fictional characters, though.

If you could be in any comic book, which one would you choose?

OMG! Such a hard question! I’d have to go with the X-Men universe. And Jean Grey and I would be BFFs and Professor X would teach me to harness my powers and there’d be witty banter between Wolverine and I andandand… Okay, I’ll stop now 

If you could marry any comic book hero, who would it be?

These questions are killing me! So tough! Okay, hmmm… Bruce Wayne might be nice to be married to, but that might be like marrying a cop. Lots of stress. Gambit would be nice, but ugg, talk about the gambling debt. I can’t pick anyone with a super long life span like Clark Kent or Wolverine because that wouldn’t be fair to them. You know what, looks like I’d just have to be single! I can’t pick just one!

I think I would choose Iron Man, but that could just be because Robert Downey Jr. plays him in the movies and he's pretty swoon worthy!

Okay, that's all I have. Thank you again for taking the time to answer some questions for me!!

I also have the book trailer if you want to watch it!

About the author

 Born and raised in northern Louisiana, Leah Rae Miller still lives there on a windy hill with her husband and kids. She loves comic books, lava lamps, fuzzy socks, and Cherry Coke. She spends most of her days reading things she likes and writing things she hopes other people will like.

Links: Twitter ~ Website

Tour Giveaway

 

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*This book was received from the publisher for an honest review.  

Review: In Darkness We Must Abide Season 1 by Rhiannon Frater

This review is going to be a little different than normal since I have never reviewed a serial before. Each episode will be reviewed separately, but they will be more like mini reviews.

*Episodes 1-3 were gifted to me by Giselle @ Xpresso Reads. Episodes 4 & 5 were provided by the author for an honest review.

* I did not link to each individual episode, but from the link the season 1 you can find them all.

In Darkness We Must Abide is the epic saga of one young woman caught in the dangerous world of the creatures of the night.

Already living in the shadows due to her albinism, Vanora is just a little girl when her older brother inadvertently unleashes a terrible evil from the family crypt that changes their lives forever.

As she grows up in a world where beautiful deadly beings hunt by night, one captures her eye and her heart. Yet, can she trust the mysterious Armando? For there is a powerful entity plotting to claim her when she reaches adulthood in order to fulfill an ancient prophecy, and her enemy has enveloped her in a web of deceit, casting doubt on all she believes to be true. Soon, she will have to fight not only to save those she loves, but also for her very soul.

Rhiannon Frater delivers a chilling adventure once again with this multi-part epic serial with a dynamic cast, old school vampires, bloody action, a smoldering forbidden love, and a terrifying villain set against the backdrop of a modern day vampire war.

** Warning!! Since this is a serial, each new episode review may contain spoilers for the previous episode. I will try to keep them to a minimum, but you have been warned. 

• Publisher: Self Published
• Publish Date: March 6th, 2013
• Source: Gifted from Giselle @ Xpresso Reads

My Thoughts

In this first episode we meet the main character Vanora, and her older siblings Roman and Alisha. Vanora is albino which sets her apart from others. Her brother Roman has been taking care of her since their parents died. He is like a father/brother. He is very dedicated to family.

They have just brought the bodies of long dead family members to their estate to keep in the mausoleum built on the land. Both Alisha and Vanora have a special ability "the sight" which they inherited from their mother, and they know that something is not right with one of the coffins. Sure enough their fears are confirmed when a vampire tries to get into their house.

I was totally creeped out by the whole atmosphere and the feel that I got from reading this. Though not very long, Rhiannon Frater has a way of immersing you in her writing and instantly makes you care what happens to the characters. I quickly became invested in them and needed to know what would happen. I also really loved how the episode starts off with Vanora grown up and away at college, then goes to the events that started everything. I could see it all very clearly in my head, just like watching an episode of one of my favorite shows on TV.

• Publisher: Self Published
• Publish Date: March 21st, 2013
• Source: Gifted from Giselle @ Xpresso Reads

My Thoughts

Just like a TV series, this picks up where the first episode left off. We get a little scene from present time Vanora (who is 20 years old) then it goes back to where the story left off. I love this style a lot since it really makes you get right back into it.

The ending of Episode One was pretty terrifying and left goosebumps on my skin. This one starts off pretty intense too. From the present time clip, you can almost feel the urgency and desperation and then in the past, the situation at hand is pretty scary.

Something absolutely horrifying has happened that is going to change things forever. Alisha and Vanora are still terrified of the vampire that has been trying to get in and have taken measures to ensure their safety, but unfortunately there is no escaping, short of leaving. The vampire is determined to make Alisha his vampire bride and will keep trying to get to her relentlessly.

At the end of this episode, with the help of the staff, and their uncle, Roman is set on making sure family is safe. It will not be easy, but he will make it work. He is strong, and dedicated. Things are going to be much different for all of them, but he knows it can work if they all try hard. More than anything, he wants Vanora to be safe and will stop at nothing to make sure she won't be harmed.

• Publisher: Self Published
• Publish Date: April 11th, 2013
• Source: Gifted from Giselle @ Xpresso Reads

My Thoughts

As the title suggests, we meet Armando DeLeon in this one. I wasn't sure what to think of him, and as the episodes go on, I am really invested in the characters and the story so I totally don't trust what his motives toward the Socolis. Especially since Vanora got a bad feeling from him when she first meets him.

Armando starts to integrate himself into their lives, but Roman being the super protective older brother/father figure doesn't want the vampire around Vanora very much. He becomes a regular in their lives though and is around a lot. Still, though he seems friendly enough, I still didn't quite know what I should think of him. Vanora is smitten with him, but of course she would be. He's an attractive vampire who seems to just ooze charm.

Armando entering into their lives changes things a lot and now they have a whole other set of issues that pop up. We get to see just how protective of Vanora not only her brother and sister are, but Armando too. Though this episode was a little on the slower side (just like not every episode of your favorite show can be amped up), this episode definitely takes you for a loop and leaves you needing the next one right away.

 

• Publisher: Self Published
• Publish Date: April 24th, 2013
• Source: eBook provided by the author for review

My Thoughts

In this one, Vanora is getting ready to turn seventeen, and feeling more alone than ever. With all the new vampires always hanging around, and Roman trying to keep their interaction with her minimal, it really makes her long for the family time that she's used to having.

It seems that the only one who is noticing how left out and alone Vanora feels is Armando, but we also learn a bit more about Armando which still leaves me with a lot of trust issues towards him. He seems to genuinely care about Vanora, but he isn't exactly truthful about his reasons for being around.

Vanora celebrates her birthday away with her relatives and has a great time. It's good for her to be out and about, doing normal things with normal people, and not surrounded by vampires all the time. She did really miss her brother and sister though, and is happy to be go home to celebrate with them also. She needs to get used to being away from them though since she will be going off to college on her own. Along with that, her powers are strengthening. She discovers that she isn't sure whether she can trust Armando or not, no matter how she is starting to feel about him.

• Publisher: Self Published
• Publish Date: May 14th, 2013
• Source: eARC provided by the author for review

My Thoughts

This final episode of the first season totally blew me away!! I have now become incredibly invested in the story and all of the characters, so this one was quite a ride for me. This was fun, entertaining, sexy, terrifying, and also sad. Considering the length of these episodes, that's a lot of feels to go through in just one, but I did.

Vanora has been away with family for the summer, and is excited to return home to her brother and sister. The first person to greet her is none other than Armando, who she hasn't seen since her birthday. Her crush on him hasn't gone away at all, and it's apparent he is attracted to her too. Roman is oblivious to it, but Alisha can see it clearly. Armando is acting weird and she knows that he likes Vanora. He decides to distance himself for a while.

They throw a fabulous Halloween Ball and all the vampires come, including Armando. Things are going good, extremely well actually, until there is a major issue that arises. It was disturbing, terrifying, and had me literally tense and feeling anxious. That' wasn't the real power of this episode though, that was the end. OMG I was seriously falling apart over it. My heart was racing and aching at the same time. It left me feeling fear for some of the characters, and heartbreak for others. I am going to be so impatient waiting for season two of this serial. I need it now!!

Waiting on Wednesday 5-15-13

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine  to share what book you are highly anticipating the release of.

Okay, obviously I am huge JLA fan girl, so now that Obsession has a cover it was a given that it would be my next WoW. OMG guys! I am so excited for this one.

• Publisher: Entangled Publishing (Covet Imprint)
• Publish Date: May 31st, 2013

He’s arrogant, domineering, and... To. Die. For.

Hunter is a ruthless killer. And the Department of Defense has him firmly in their grasp, which usually doesn’t chafe too badly because he gets to kill bad guys. Most of the time he enjoys his job. That is, until he’s saddled with something he’s never had to do before: protect a human from his mortal enemy.

Serena Cross didn’t believe her best friend when she claimed to have seen the son of a powerful senator turn into something... unnatural. Who would? But then she witnesses her friend’s murder at the hands of what can only be an alien, thrusting her into a world that will kill to protect their secret.

Hunter stirs Serena’s temper and her lust despite their differences. Soon he’s doing the unthinkable—breaking the rules he’s lived by, going against the government to keep Serena safe. But are the aliens and the government the biggest threats to Serena’s life…or is it Hunter?

The Lux series is one of my favorite series, so an adult novel set in the same world has me super excited! I have been dying for this since I first heard about it and now that I have seen the cover, I need this in my life! The great thing is, it's only a little over 2 weeks away!!!

What book is on your mind this Wednesday? I love (and hate) adding to my massive TBR list seeing books that everyone else is looking forward to.