Challenge Completed! Book Review ~ Spark by Rachael Craw

Title: Spark (Spark #1)
Author: Rachael Craw
Publisher: Walker Books Australia
Release Date: July 1st 2014
Source: Purchased

Evie doesn’t have a choice.

One day she’s an ordinary seventeen year old, grieving for her mother. The next, she’s a Shield, the result of a decades-old experiment gone wrong, bound by DNA to defend her best friend from an unknown killer.

The threat could come at home, at school, anywhere. All Evie knows is that it will be a fight to the death.

And then there’s Jamie. irresistible. off-limits.

Goodreads Link

Initially, I simply set out to read a book from cover-to-cover without getting distracted and losing interest as my recent track record has been - but very quickly, all that changed...

Spark is the first book in a YA trilogy about genetically engineered people with superhuman powers and a creepy secret organisation that tries to control everything and everyone associated with it (it has a very cool 'The Tomorrow People' vibe to it).

Evie is an average girl who has just buried her mother and she's trying to adjust to living with her aunt - but right off the bat you know she's sick, you know that weird stuff is about to go down, and it is so, so good.

If you love young dystopian novels like The Maze Runner, The Hunger Games, and Divergent; there are definitely those same crazy institutional overlord vibes going on within the Affinity Project (the bad guys) but Spark is so much more than that - it has fabulous friendships, amazing first loves, and super awesome secrets that hold you to the edge of your seat!

And the writing is so damn good - I saw it all playing out in my head! The author has an incredible talent for painting such lifelike scenes, I actually felt like I was watching a CW show. (Supergirl, The Flash, Supernatural, Legends of Tomorrow, TVD, iZombie, Arrow, etc, etc, etc, I am a CW show fa-na-tic!! and Spark would totally rule as a CW show!!)

Full of twists and turns, mystery, adventure, and forbidden desire - Spark is a roller coaster read and quite easily the best YA book I've read in a very long time. And as an added bonus, I described this book to my fourteen year old and it's now on her tbr pile, and honestly, my nine year old is lining up to read it too and as a parent, any book that will get my kids off their devices is a blessing!

Spark is a heart poundingly good read and completely deserving of a 5 star rating.

Book Review ~ Fake by Beck Nicholas

Title: Fake
Author: Beck Nicholas
Release Date: October, 2014
Publisher: Harlequin TEEN
Source: Won a copy

Seventeen-year-old Kath McKenny has a date to the end-of-term party with her since-forever crush. He publicly messaged her to confirm, but there’s been a recent status update: he’s taking the new girl — giggly, pretty, well-developed Lana Elliot — instead.

After being thoroughly humiliated in front of half the school, best friend Chay talks Kath into revenge: a scheme to create the perfect — and very fake — online guy for Lana. Once she falls for him, they’ll show her what it’s like to get brutally dumped.

Everything is going to plan until Kath starts spending more-than-just-friends time with the other new kid in town — Lana’s dreamy older brother, Sebastian. Kath finds herself getting in deep — in love and drowning in guilt, she tries to put an end to her prank, but it’s taken on an unstoppable momentum of its own, with very real consequences.

As her plotting begins to unravel, so do the people Kath thought she knew:
Her mother has a secret online life.
Her father has a whole new family.
Her best friend is barely recognisable.
Her boyfriend has a disturbing hidden past.
And her enemy is more familiar than she knew.

 
I have to say I was extremely surprised by Fake.
I was expecting another typically immaturely voiced, overly dramatic teenage angst filled read; and while that can be true if only in subject matter, Fake is so much more than that.

It has been written in a way that made me feel for the characters. I connected with them and their story resonated with me. My teenage years may be far behind me but I have teen aged kids in my house a lot and so the drama in Fake definitely felt real and relatable to things I’ve seen and heard happening.

A refreshingly realistic representation of teenagers and the social media monster that is so seemingly innocent and fun – turns bad.
4 ½ stars

Quickie Book Review ~ All Messed Up by Kelly Jamieson

Title: All Messed Up (Windy City Kink #2)
Author: Kelly Jamieson
Release Date: October 7th 2014
Publisher: Samhain Publishing
Source: Received an e-copy for the purpose of an honest review.

 

If he’s a mistake, she’s ready to make him her favorite mistake.

Mallory Hurst has tried to live a life that makes up for past mistakes. But now she faces a huge ethical dilemma. Her pharmaceutical company’s unapproved, off-label use of a medication puts lives at risk, and her protests have fallen on deaf ears.

Hoping a trip home will clear her head, she boards a plane for California. And strikes up a conversation with a handsome stranger.

Joe Mason recently learned that the man he’s called father all his life… isn’t. At least that explains why he never measured up to his older brothers. Flying to meet his biological father for the first time, he meets a sleek, sexy woman who makes him want to mess up her perfect hair.

Shared conversation leads to a shared drink between flights, then when their flight is canceled, a shared bed overnight—where their rush of attraction explodes into a night of much-needed kinky fun.

Yet a night of hot, messy sex won’t fix anything—in fact, blowing off steam could have blown their lives all to hell…

Warning: Contains a hot cop, a neat and tidy executive, dirty talk, kink in an airport, mile-high shenanigans, a little foot fetish fun. And love, of course.

This book started great - a chance meeting, a sizzling attraction, and some naughty but harmless fun. Sounds great right... meh!

I thoroughly enjoyed the first half of this book. A bit flirty and cheeky and some hot risky sex thrown in, I lived vicariously through this couple. But then things start to get messy, complications set in and I got bored. The story slowed down rather than speeding up and the added elements of best friends, crappy boyfriend, and job and father drama just made the story complicated and too much trouble to even be bothered about, meaning I had to drag my way through the last 20%. 

Sometimes less is more... just 2 stars.

Release Day Blitz & Giveaway ~ Seize by Clarissa Wild

Title: SEIZE (Delirious Volume 2)

Author: Clarissa Wild

Release Date: December 30, 2014

   

Blurb

True darkness has only just begun …

She thought she could run, but there´s nowhere to hide. My bad side is coming out to claim what belongs to me. This hunter has found his prey, and he’s hungry for more. She’s mine now, and I’ll do everything in my power to keep her to myself. You think I’m the monster? Think again. When the choices you make decide your fate, the line between good and evil blurs. In order to live, I do what must be done. Freedom is the price she pays for her safety. She wants the truth? I’ll give her the truth. In order to play this game, sacrifices must be made. I will start with her.

This is Volume 2 in the Delirious Series, which contains 3 volumes and a prequel. This book is a full-length novel. These books should be read in order.
WARNING: This book contains very disturbing situations, strong language, drugs and alcohol, dubious consent, and graphic violence.    

Purchase SEIZE Today!

Amazon | iBooks | B&N | Kobo | Google Play

   

Now is a great time to catch up with the series!

(These books should be read in order.)

 

SEEK (Delirious, #0.5)

AMAZON US | AMAZON UK | KOBO | B&N | iBOOKS | GOOGLE PLAY

When illusions come to life, how do you tell what’s real? My life ended when I came back from vacation. Death was at my doorstep. Everything ceased to exist. To protect myself, I pushed the memories away. All I remember is him: Sebastian Brand, my savior. I trust only him. I am obsessed with him. But all I know about him is his name. Stuck in this mental institution, I try not to think about the terrible memories that lurk deep inside me. Sebastian is the only one who can help me forget. I don’t care that they say he doesn't exist, I need Sebastian and I will find him, no matter the cost.
     

SNARE (Delirious, #1)

AMAZON US | AMAZON UK | iBOOKS | B&N | KOBO | GOOGLE PLAY

His secrets will destroy her.

Taken. Humiliated. Used. With his smart mouth, dirty talking, and possessive behavior, Sebastian Brand has me hooked in the most shameless way. I’m obsessed with him. However, now that I’ve escaped the mental hospital, he seeks to control my every move. The overwhelming aloofness in his attitude and the darkness in his mind tells me there is more to this man than sheer dominance. Depravity is his playground and pain is a necessary evil. Keeping me away was his first instinct. Capturing me was his second. Claimed by a man with the exterior of an angel and the mind of a brute, I will do anything to unveil his secrets and face my own demons. A body in exchange for freedom. A heart in exchange for truth. Life is never a given. Only a certain death. 
 

About the Author

Clarissa Wild is the USA Today Bestselling author of FIERCE, a college romance series, but she's best known for the dark Romance novel Mr. X. She is also a writer of erotic romance such as the Blissful Series, The Billionaire's Bet series, the Doing It Series and the Enflamed Series. She is an avid reader and writer of sexy stories about hot men and feisty women. Her other loves include her furry cat friend and learning about different cultures. In her free time she enjoys watching all sorts of movies, reading tons of books and cooking her favorite meals. Check out my sexy books: http://smarturl.it/clarissawildbooks  

Connect with Clarissa

Twitter | Goodreads | Website | Pinterest | Facebook | Mailing List | Fan Club

 

Giveaway!

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Cover Reveal ~ Snake Eyes by Melissa Pearl

Snake Eyes by Melissa Pearl

COVER REVEAL

December 30, 2014

Caitlyn Davis expects her sophomore year at UCLA to be perfect...until she walks into her dorm room to find Special Agent Zoey Kaplan of the FBI waiting for her. In that instant, she knows her idyllic year with new best friends, Nicole and Dale, along with her super hot boyfriend, Eric, is about to fall apart.

Having been forced to work with the FBI months earlier, Caity accidentally gave away her special ability to read people's emotions and know whether they were telling the truth. Now, Kaplan wants Caity to go undercover again for a secret operation that will bring her close to the sadistic Diego Mendez, a man believed to be involved in human trafficking.

Eric Shore is not a man who trusts easily. Having been burned multiple times, it’s hard for him to open up completely, but his love for Caity makes him want to try. Yet, her sudden withdrawal worries him, particularly when she chooses to spend time with her new roommate, Quella Mendez, over him. When Caity’s behavior begins to match that of her wild roommate, Eric wonders if their relationship is as strong as he believed.

As Caity struggles to maintain her relationship and do her job, she finds herself pulled further into a dangerous world that could take away everything she holds dear. Will Eric learn the truth in time to save her? Or will the man with the eyes of a snake destroy their perfect romance?

ADD IT TO YOUR GOODREADS TBR: Snake Eyes on Goodreads

~*~ABOUT MELISSA PEARL~*~

Melissa Pearl was born in Auckland, New Zealand, but has spent much of her life abroad, living in countries such as Jordan, Cyprus and Pakistan... not to mention a nine month road trip around North America with her husband. "Best. Year. Ever!!" She now lives in China with her husband and two sons. She is a trained elementary teacher, but writing is her passion. Since becoming a full time mother she has had the opportunity to pursue this dream and her debut novel hit the internet in November 2011. Since then she has continued to produce a steady stream of books, ranging in genres from Fantasy to Contemporary Romance. She loves the variety and is excited about the books she has coming up in 2015..

My Top Reads of 2014

 I really didn't think I'd read enough good books to make a top ten list this year, but here it is...

My Top 10 Reads of 2014
(in no particular order!)

Sacrificial Muse

She is his muse, and the fates require sacrifice.

San Francisco Detective Sabrina Vaughn is able to shrug off the nine red roses being delivered to her office every day. But when only eight roses arrive on the same day a Berkeley student's mutilated body is found, Sabrina fears that the killer is taunting her. Forced into a partnership with a deceitful reporter who somehow remains one step ahead of her, Sabrina discovers that she's the object of a psychopath's twisted delusion . . . and there may be no escape.

You can read my review here
###

Chained by Night

THE FUTURE OF HIS TRIBE
Leader of the vampire clan MoonBound, Hunter will do what he must to save his people from extinction - or worse, a torturous eternity as vampire slaves and subjects of human experimentation. To keep his enemies at bay, he has agreed to mate a rival clan leader's daughter in return for peace between the clans and an ally in the looming war with the humans.

THE LOVER OF HIS SOUL
But survival comes at a price. First, Hunter must break an ancient curse by successfully negotiating three deadly tests. Then he must resist the searing passions of the gorgeous vampire warrior he despises but is bound to mate. Will Hunter stay true to his word? Or will he risk everything for the woman he really loves: the vampire seductress's identical twin sister?

You can read my review here
###

Being Jade

A tragic death. A family divided. Only truth can set them free.

Banjo Murphy is killed on the night he finally walks away from his wife, Jade, after twenty-five years of her adultery. In the aftermath, Banjo is bewildered to discover he still exists, and in despair he watches Jade collapse into deep depression and his daughters, Lissy and Cassandra, struggle with their unexpected loss.

Lissy is tortured by the mystery surrounding her father’s death. What compelled Banjo to leave the night he died? And why won’t Jade talk about what happened? Despite their volatile relationship, Lissy believes her parents’ love to have been enduring, but sensible

Cassandra sees things differently. When Cassy discovers a sketchbook chronicling Jade’s affairs, the truth of their parents’ relationship begins to unfold and Lissy’s loyalties are divided.

Searching for answers, Lissy contacts Jade’s ex-lovers. And watching from afar, Banjo aches as he discovers what these men meant to Jade – until Lissy’s quest reveals an explosive truth …

You can read my review here
###

Mrs D is Going Without

Lotta Dann was in trouble - her fun drinking habit had slowly morphed into an obsessive hunger for wine. One bottle a night was never quite enough. When she tried to cut down, she found it nearly impossible to have an alcohol-free day.

Everyone around could see her drinking, but no one realised what a serious problem it was. She was high-functioning, fun-loving Lotta, not some messy, hopeless drunk. Only Lotta knew how sick and twisted her thinking about wine had become.

Desperate and miserable, she was falling deeper and deeper into a boozy hellhole and running out of ideas about what she could do to stop it. What's a girl to do when her beloved wine becomes the enemy?

Here's what Lotta did. She stopped drinking and secretly started a blog that charted the highs and lows of learning to live without alcohol. Mrs D was anonymous, honest and, as Lotta would discover, surrounded by people who would help her on her journey, and whom she could help in return.

You can read my review here
###

Lead

As the lead singer of Stage Dive, Jimmy is used to getting whatever he wants, whenever he wants it, whether it's booze, drugs, or women. However, when a PR disaster serves as a wake-up call about his life and lands him in rehab, he finds himself with Lena, a new assistant to keep him out of trouble. 　

Lena's not willing to take any crap from the sexy rocker and is determined to keep their relationship completely professional, despite their sizzling chemistry. But when Jimmy pushes her too far and Lena leaves, he realizes that he may just have lost the best thing that ever happened to him.

You can read my review here
###

Crave The Night

Born and raised to be an emotionless killing machine, Nathan is one of the most lethal Breed vampires in existence. A key member of the Order—an elite group of warriors charged with protecting both mortals and vampires—Nathan executes each mission with flawless precision and a total lack of mercy. Now he must pursue a powerful, hidden enemy. But Nathan’s hard discipline and training are no match for the fierce pull he feels toward a young woman he has no right to desire—a woman of wealth and high social standing who has long been promised to another Breed male, and who may also prove to be the key to rooting out Nathan’s elusive quarry.

Jordana lives a life of glittering privilege as a member of a prominent Breed family in Boston. Surrounded by fine things and fawning admirers, Jordana wants for nothing—until she crosses paths with a dark, intense warrior from the Order and finds herself swept into an impulsive, sizzling kiss that neither of them will forget. As much as she tries to deny her deep feelings for Nathan, Jordana cannot resist the craving to be near him, to break through his forbidding walls and see the man he truly is. But getting close to Nathan will thrust Jordana into a treacherous new world, forcing her to risk all she has and all she knows about herself and her past. And loving this seductive man could be the most dangerous temptation of all.
 
You can read my review here
###

Play

Mal Ericson, drummer for the world famous rock band Stage Dive, needs to clean up his image fast—at least for a little while. Having a good girl on his arm should do the job just fine. Mal doesn’t plan on this temporary fix becoming permanent, but he didn’t count on finding the one right girl.

Anne Rollins never thought she’d ever meet the rock god who plastered her teenage bedroom walls—especially not under these circumstances. Anne has money problems. Big ones. But being paid to play the pretend girlfriend to a wild life-of-the-party drummer couldn’t end well. No matter how hot he is. Or could it?

You can read my review here
###

Awakening

The cold spread like anaesthetic in her veins. Fear resurged, driving deeper into every cell.
"Why would my looking in a mirror help you see me?"
"Because I see through your eyes."

When Zelie Taylor pulls a lost necklace out of the icy waters of the lake, she has no idea what the consequences will be.
At first the pendant is just freezing cold - unnaturally so - but then she hears a voice inside her head and Zelie thinks she must be going mad. She's not. Seventeen-year-old Tamas' soul has been trapped in the silver necklace since 1918. His body is nearby, sleeping, and Zelie must help him awaken.

At first Zelie would like nothing better than for Tamas' moody, enigmatic presence to be out of her life, but after a while she isn't so sure. And what is waiting for Tamas when he does emerge? It seems that the sinister force that trapped him all those years ago has returned and is growing more powerful.

A hundred-year-old mystery steeped in dark magic will make Zelie question everything she thought she knew.

You can read my review here
###

Paris Letters

“How much money does it take to change your life?”

Unfulfilled at her job and unsuccessful in the dating department, Janice MacLeod doodled this question at her desk. Then she decided to make it a challenge.

Over the next few months, with a little math and a lot of determination, she saved up enough to buy two years of freedom in Europe.

But she had only been in Paris for a few days when she met a handsome butcher (with a striking resemblance to Daniel Craig)—and never went home again.

A love story in the vein of Almost French and Lunch in Paris, Paris Letters (February 4) is a joyful romp through the City of Light, and an inspiring look at what can happen when we dare to create the life we want.

Realizing that her Parisian love affair would be forever, MacLeod began her own business on Etsy, creating beautifully-illustrated letters from Paris inspired by artists like Percy Kelly and Beatrix Potter. She now paints and writes full-time, bringing beautiful things to subscribers around the world and reviving the lost art of letter-writing.

You can read my review here
###

Retribution

Her name is Evangeline and she is Nephilim.

Evie belongs to the Brotherhood Irin and together with all the other Nephilim of the world she is protector to humanity, protector against evil. But evil has found its way into the Brotherhood. Someone has murdered her guardian and Marcellus, the New Master makes demands of the warriors that go against all they stand for. Demands Evie just can’t carry out.

Evie uncovers Marcellus’ plan to collect a set of special seals, but when a high-level demon reveals the truth behind the Seals of Hades, Evie know there is no way she can allow the Master of the Irin to get his hands on them. But will keeping the Seals from Marcellus cause her to sacrifice more that she should? Will vengeance for her guardian’s death be enough or will she need more to satisfy her Immortal soul?

You can read my review here
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