Review + Giveaway: Immortals by Ednah Walters

Click HERE to see what other bloggers thought of this title!

Immortals by Ednah Walters 
Series: Runes #2
Publication date: August 5th 2013
Genre: YA Paranormal Romance

Book Links: Goodreads | Amazon  | B&N

Book Description:

Nothing can stop Raine Cooper when she wants something…
Raine finally knows that her gorgeous neighbor, Torin St. James, is a legend straight out of Norse mythology, and that her feelings for him are strong. Torin is crazy about Raine too, breaking the one rule he lives by: Never fall for a mortal. The problem is he no longer remembers her, his memories erased by Norns—Norse destiny deities—to punish her for defying them.

So Raine comes up with a plan…
She will make Torin forget his one rule a second time and fall in love with her all over again.
But she quickly learns that well-laid plans do not work when dealing with deities and supernatural beings. Desperate, Raine makes choices that could not only tear her and Torin further apart, but lead to the destruction of everything and everyone she loves.

MY REVIEW:

This review is going to be super quick because it’s 6 in the morning and I gotta get to college!

I remember enjoying Runes and I just checked out My Review to see what I thought of it, to refresh my memory!

In Immortals, Torrin has had his memories wiped and can’t remember Lorraine or their relationship. Straight away Raine assumes that every woman Torrin comes into contact with, has some sort of relationship with him.

Which, yeah, you would wonder wouldn’t you? But did she have to go on about it all the time?

Except for that small point I really enjoyed it and would glad read Runes and Immortals again! I would recommend this, once again, to lovers of the Lux series by Jennifer Armentrout and if you love paranormal with some bad ass moves…Immortals is for you!

Giveaway:

Grand prize giveaway

Prizes (open internationally):

–25$ Amazon GC

–an eBook of Immortals

a Rafflecoptor Giveaway

About Author:

Website| Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter

EDNAH WALTERS grew up reading Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys and dreaming of one day writing her own stories. She is a stay-at-home mother of five humans and two American short-hair cats (one of which has ADHD) and a husband. When she is not writing, she’s at the gym doing Zumba or doing things with her family, reading, traveling or online chatting with fans.

Ednah is the author of The Guardian Legacy series, a YA fantasy series about children of the fallen angels, who fight demons and protect mankind. AWAKENED, the prequel was released by Pill Hill Press in September 2010 with rave reviews. BETRAYED, book one in the series was released by her new publisher Spencer Hill Press in June 2012 and HUNTED, the third installment, will be released April 2013. She’s working on the next book in the series, FORGOTTEN.

Ednah also writes New Adult paranormal romance. RUNES is the first book in her new series. She is presently working on book 2, IMMORTALS.

Under the pseudonym E. B. Walters, Ednah writes contemporary romance. SLOW BURN, the first contemporary romance with suspense, was released in April 2011. It is the first book in the Fitzgerald family series. Since then she has published four more books in this series. She’s presently working on book six. You can visit her online at www.ednahwalters.com or www.ebwalters.com.

Review: This is How I Find Her by Sara Polsky

Book Links: Goodreads | Amazon | B&N

This is How I Find Her by Sara Polsky

Publish Date: September 1st 2013

Genre: YA Contemporary

Source: NetGalley

My Rating: 3.0/5.0

Book Description:

Sophie Canon has just started her junior year when her mother tries to kill herself. Sophie has always lived her life in the shadow of her mother’s bipolar disorder, monitoring her medication, rushing home after school to check on her instead of spending time with friends, and keeping her mother’s diagnosis secret from everyone outside their family. But when the overdose lands Sophie’s mother in the hospital, Sophie no longer has to watch over her. She moves in with her aunt, uncle, and cousin, from whom she has been estranged for the past five years. Rolling her suitcase across town to her family’s house is easy. What’s harder is figuring out how to build her own life.

MY REVIEW:

This is How I Find Her starts off with the MC, Sophie finding her Mum on the bathroom floor, overdosed on her medication. At first I thought it was going to be a really cool book and maybe I’d cry. Well, it wasn’t and I didn’t.

I’m not actually sure what it was with this book, but the writing style made Isabelle sound like a child. As if she wasn’t quite an adult yet, a little bit under developed and clueless of the world around her.

It wasn’t even explained why her friends stopped talking to her, until right at the end. In some books that just adds to the mystery and intrigue, but in this particular book, it made the book feel dragged out and dare I say boring?

There’s a small sentence that I wrote down in my notes and that is, “Depression doesn’t mean you’re crazy.” This main character of this book was worried that she might “catch” it from her mother. And that she didn’t want to have the “crazy gene”. Depression doesn’t mean you’re crazy. Need I say more?

The whole novel seemed a tad detached. As if the author didn’t want to put any life into This Is How I Find Her. That may not have been the intent, but that’s how it came across.

Overall, no I wouldn’t read anything by this author again and no, I wouldn’t recommend this book to anyone. But feel free to check it out if it sounds like something you would enjoy! Many people seemed to enjoy it on GR, so maybe it was just me.

About Author:

Website | Goodreads | Twitter

Sara Polsky’s debut YA novel, THIS IS HOW I FIND HER, will be published by Albert Whitman in fall 2013. Her fiction has appeared in Fictitious Force and Behind the Wainscot. She is represented by Suzie Townsend.

Sara also blogs for Curbed, and her articles and essays have appeared in The Christian Science Monitor, The Forward, Poets & Writers, and other publications. She lives in New York City.

Wrap Up post and What’s Up Next!

So, I failed AGAIN at The Sunday Post and StS so I’m going to do that during the week, because I got some AWESOME books this week and really want to show them off!

Books Read This Week:

The Escort by Gina Robinson

What Endures by Katie Lee

Love, Life and Lemons by Magan Vernon

You Are Mine by Janeal Falor

Posts:

Cover Reveal: Panic by J.A Huss + Giveaway

Cover Reveal: The Wicked We Have Done by Sarah Harian

Giveaway: What Endures by Katie Lee

Giveaway & Excerpt: American Girl on Saturn by Nikki Godwin

Upcoming on the Blog:

This is How I Find Her review on Monday

Immortals Review on Tuesday

Love, Life & Lemons Giveaway on Wednesday

A Cover Reveal on Thursday

Another Reveal on Friday

Double StS on Saturday

(I’m going to change my Weekly StS to a two-weekly thing, So every other Saturday I’ll post an STS.)

Another Wrap Up on Sunday!

Life Updates:

• Everything has been so hetic lately! I’ve started college and I love it but I didn’t realise what a strain it was on my time. I go on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday and I’m pooped on a Thursday so i stay in bed most of the day! I barely have time to read, let alone write reviews! I’m trying my hardest to keep everything running smoothly, but I’m going to have to see how things go.

 

Hope everyone has a great week!

Charlie xx

Giveaway& Excerpt: American Girl on Saturn by Nikki Godwin [Book Blitz]

American Girl On Saturn

by Nikki Godwin

Release Date: 08/24/13

Summary from Goodreads:

The summer
after graduation is supposed to be that first real taste of freedom – but not
for eighteen-year-old Chloe Branson. Just as that breeze of freedom is making
its way into her galaxy, her secret-service-agent dad drops a meteor-sized bomb
of bad news on her and her sisters. An attempt has been made on the lives of
Canadian boyband, Spaceships Around Saturn, during their USA tour, and the guys
have to go into hiding ASAP. The only problem? In the midst of the crisis and
media frenzy, their dad volunteered to hide the guys…in their house.Six-year-old Emery is as ecstatic as any self-proclaimed Saturnite would be,
but Chloe and her seventeen-year-old sister Aralie watch their summer plans
crash and burn like a falling star. The SAS guys aren’t happy with the situation,
either. Bad boy Jules picks fights with Aralie about everything from his
Twitter followers to his laundry, and heart-throb Benji can’t escape Emery’s
fangirlisms for more than three minutes.But after the super-cute Milo kisses Chloe during a game of hide-and-seek, she
finally understands what Emery means when she talks about SAS being “out
of this world.” If this is what Saturn feels like, Chloe doesn’t want to
come back to Earth.

EXCERPT:

He reaches toward the tray and grabs the lone Oreo. “Okay, this is my last one for the night,” he says. “Half it with me?”

Seriously? If I wasn’t the envy of every Saturnite in the world just by sitting across the table from him, I’m definitely the envy of them now because the Milo Grayson wants to half his precious Oreo with me. And the thing that sucks the most is that no one knows about it to be jealous of me!

He holds the cookie up and waits for a response.

“Yeah, we can half it,” I say.

I reach across the table for it, but he jerks his arm back. The sleeve of his T-shirt hugs his bicep tightly, and oh how I wish to be that fabric.

“Not so fast,” he says. “Let’s make it interesting.”

Could this be any more interesting? Hello – you’re gorgeous and famous and sharing cookies with me! Any more ‘interest’ and I might burst like a firework.

“If you get the side with the cream, I’ll give you my honest male opinion about your checkout line drama today,” he says. “But if I get the cream side, you have to tell me, honestly, who you think the best looking guy is in Spaceships Around Saturn.”

Oh God. He’s for real. Does he know? He totally knows. He knows I’m lusting for him from behind this glass of milk and tattoo magazine. He knows that his eyes make me melt and that I clearly watch him on Twitter because I know all about amazzzzzing. Now he wants to make me ‘fess up.

“Deal.” I say it before I can chicken out.

I can always lie and say Benji’s name. He’s the fan favorite anyway. Benji Baccarini is Spaceships Around Saturn for so many girls.

He leans forward, positions himself over the table, and holds up that fated Oreo. I push my glass of milk aside because the last thing I want is to knock it over with my quivering nerves. Then I lean toward him, grip the cookie with my fingers, and inhale every scent of his body wash that I can while I twist my half of the Oreo away from his half.

 

About the Author

Nikki Godwin is a Young Adult author from the southern USA.
She is a city girl who can’t live without Mountain Dew, black eyeliner,
Hawthorne Heights, and candles from Bath & Body Works. When not writing,
she’s not-so-secretly internet-stalking her favorite bands. She is slightly
obsessed with rock stars and surfers. She no longer hides her love for One
Direction.

***Author Links***

   

***GIVEAWAY***

1 signed paperback +
swag (US only)

3 e-book copies (INTL)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Blitz
Organized by:

Giveaway: What Endures by Katie Lee [Book Tour]

Or you can copy and paste the following:  Welcome to my stop on the What Endures blog tour hosted by YA Bound Book Tours.  Click HERE to see the full blog tour schedule!

What Endures by Katie Lee

Release Date: August 1^st, 2013

Contemporary New Adult

My Rating:

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon

Book Description:

Jason Kincaid is young, hot and successful.

An All-Star outfielder for the Seattle Mariners, he finally had everything he ever wanted, including a second chance with his high school sweetheart, Megan Williams.

But their hopes for a ‘happily-ever-after’ are dashed by tragedy.

 

A horrific car accident wipes out most of Jason’s memories. Unable to recall anything from the last fifteen years of his life, Jason is suddenly adrift, his once charmed life now in ruins.

 Megan finds herself in the untenable position of having to deal with the fact that the man she’s helping to rebuild his life may look, and even act, like her beloved fiancé, but in reality, isn’t any longer.

 

Trying to protect herself, as well as Jason, Megan fights the attraction between them. . .to no avail. As their potent connection inevitably draws them closer, Megan wonders,

 

With the memories of their relationship gone, can love endure?

 

***GIVEAWAY***

(1) $25 Amazon gift card (INT)

(2) Signed print copies of What Endures (US only)

A RAFFLECOPTOR GIVEAWAY

About Author:

Website| Goodreads| Twitter

Katie Lee has had a lifelong love affair with books. She fell in love with her first book in the second grade and hasn’t looked back since. She first took up writing as a hobby, wanting to craft her own magical adventures, and through the love and encouragement of family and friends, decided to get serious about writing and share her stories with the world.

She currently resides in Maryland in the United States. She works for the government during the day, and her spare time is devoted to writing. She gains inspiration from all sorts of things, but mostly from the fun and adventurous trips she takes when she can.  She loves hearing from her readers so drop her a note!

Cover Reveal: The Wicked We Have Done by Sarah Harian

The Wicked We Have Done by Sarah Harian 
Publication date: March 2014 
Genres: New Adult, Romance

ADD TO GOODREADS!

Book Description:

Evalyn Ibarra never expected to be an accused killer and experimental prison test subject. A year ago, she was a normal college student. Now she’s been sentenced to a month in the compass room—an advanced prison obstacle course designed by the government to execute justice.

If she survives, the world will know she’s innocent.

Locked up with nine notorious and potentially psychotic criminals, Evalyn must fight the prison and dismantle her past to stay alive. But the system prized for accuracy appears to be killing at random.

She doesn’t plan on making friends.

She doesn’t plan on falling in love, either.

About Author:

Website | Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter

Sarah Harian grew up in the foothills of Yosemite and received her B.A. and M.F.A. from Fresno State University. When not writing, she is usually hiking some mountain or another in the Sierras, playing video games with her fiancé, or rough-housing with her dog.

Cover Reveal: Panic by J.A Huss + Giveaway

Panic by J.A. Huss 
(Rook and Ronin #3) 
Publication date: October 24th 2013 
Genres: Contemporary, New Adult

ADD TO GOODREADS!

Book Description:

Rook is chasing her dream—film school and a chance at a life beyond the one she left behind six months ago. But before she can become the girl she wants to be, she must deal with the girl she left behind.

Ronin is also chasing his dream—a family of his own and a life away from erotic modeling. And he too, has a past he’s trying to forget. A past that makes Rook question everything about their life together.

Lies, secrets, and shocking truths will rock the foundation Rook and Ronin have built. Can they put the past behind them and move forward together? Or is this just another too good to be true relationship that will crash and burn in the end?

My Thoughts on the Cover:

Love the colours and font. But don’t like the way it’s been edited. Plus, that guy is very veiny. Ew. But, I’m going to add a promo picture that should get your motor running and mind a’ticking….

On a side note, his hand is quite close to her lady parts. O_O

GIVEAWAY:

$15 Amazon Giftcard plus more prizes!

a Rafflecoptor Giveaway

About Author:

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

J. A. Huss likes to write new adult books that make you think and keep you guessing. Her favorite genre to read is space opera, but since practically no one reads those books, she writes new adult science fiction, paranormal romance, contemporary romance, urban fantasy, and books about Junco (who refuses to be saddled with a label).

She has an undergraduate degree in horses, (yes, really–Thank you, Colorado State University) and a master’s degree in forensic toxicology from the University of Florida. She used to have a job driving around Colorado doing pretty much nothing but shooting the breeze with farmers, but now she just writes, runs the New Adult Addiction and Clean Teen Reads Book Blogs, and runs an online science classroom for homeschoolers.

I’m super excited to read Panic! The tour sign ups are going to be posted at Xpresso Book Tours TODAY, so make sure you check it out!

The Sunday Post [26]

The Sunday Post is hosted by Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer

Books Read This Week:

Calling Me Home by Julie Kibler

Rumour Has It by Jill Mansell

(Two?? Hmm…okaaaay. Reviews have been written and are ready to be posted!)

Books Reviewed:

Easy by Tammara Webber

Other Posts:

Stacking the Shelves [26]

Upcoming on the Blog:

Cover Reveal for Panic by J.A. Huss

Book Blitz for American Girl on Saturn by Nikki Godwin

Review of This Is How I Find Her by Sara Polsky

I’m only doing three mid-week posts because I started college, (yay!) and it’s more tiring than I thought it would be! I’ll still be doing StS & Sunday Posts though 🙂

Hope everyone has a brilliant week!

Charlie xx

Stacking the Shelves {26]

Welcome to my Stacking the Shelves! Hosted by Tyngas from Tynga’s Reviews.

Well, it’s been about two or three weeks, huh? I haven’t really got that many books to show off, but let;s get this show on the road!

Purchased by Me!

1. Rumour Has It by Jill Mansell

Would you be tempted?

Newly single, Tilly Cole impulsively accepts a job offer in a small town as a “Girl Friday.” Fun job, country house, fresh start, why not? But soon she finds herself in a hotbed of gossip, intrigue, and rampant rivalry for the town’s most desirable bachelor-Jack Lucas.

Rumors of Jack’s “love ’em and leave ’em” escapes abound, and Tilly decides to do the mature, sensible thing… avoid Jack at all cost. But the more time Tilly spends with Jack, the more the rumors just don’t make sense. Tilly doesn’t know what to believe… and Jack’s not telling.

***

Just finished this one and the review will be up soon!

2. Colour Blind by Catherine Cookson

Even in the worst days of the recession, the McQueen family remain upbeat. They watch as their neighbours depart for the workhouse, their last pieces of furniture carted off by the bailiffs. But even though there might not be much on the table, the McQueen house constantly echoes with laughter. This is what keeps them strong – when all else fails, you can always laugh.

Like many of the residents of the Fifteen Streets, the McQueens are as blunt as they are big-hearted. They are opinionated, and speak with no holds barred if anyone dare go against social convention. So imagine their shock when Bridget McQueen brings home her African husband..

***

My cousin spotted this for me 🙂

3. Two Penny Rainbows by Anna Jacobs

In 1863, Irish orphans Ismay and Mara are sent to Australia against their will by the authorities. Even worse, they’re separated on arrival. While Ismay is forced to take a job as a maid in the country, Mara must stay in the care of the Catholic mission.

Desperate to be reunited with her sister, Ismay flees. But there is danger in the bush – and when she finds a saviour, he brings with him new problems.

Mara too has run away – and though she finds shelter, it is in a place with its own perils.

Meanwhile their elder sister Keara is looking for them. But the trail is growing cold. Will they find each other again or will their old enemies triumph?

4. Ridge Hill by Anna Jacobs

Preparations are under way for Annie Gibson’s wedding to the wealthy Frederick Hallam, but not everyone is pleased about it. Then the real troubles begin to pile up. Annie’s son is devastated to find out who his real father is, and someone has uncovered the secret Annie fought hard to keep hidden.

For Review:

6. Forvever Innocent by Deanna Roy

“Our baby died on prom night, and nothing was ever the same again.”

Corabelle doesn’t feel like any of the other college girls. On what should have been one of the happiest nights of her life, she and her boyfriend Gavin watched a nurse disconnect the ventilator from their seven-day-old baby. During the funeral two days later, Gavin walked out and never returned.

Since then, her life has been a spiral of disasters. The only thing that has helped is her ability to black out whenever the pain gets too hard to bear, a habit that has become an addiction.

When Gavin shows up in her astronomy class four years later, he is hell-bent on getting her back, insisting she forgive him. Corabelle knows she can’t resist the touch that fills the empty ache that has haunted her since he left. But if he learns what she has done, if he follows the trail back through her past, her secrets will destroy their love completely. And once again, she’ll lose the only person who always believed she was innocent.

***

Story-line sounds great, but isn’t that the same cover as ‘Say When‘?

Thats all for this week! Hope everyone enjoys their books!

Charlie xx

 

Review: Easy by Tammara Webber

Easy by Tammara Webber

Book Links: Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | Book Depository

Publish Date: November 6th 2012

Publisher: Berkley Trade

Genre: New Adult Contemporary Romance

Source: Library!

My Rating: 2.0/5.0

Book Description:

When Jacqueline follows her longtime boyfriend to the college of his choice, the last thing she expects is a breakup two months into sophomore year. After two weeks in shock, she wakes up to her new reality: she’s single, attending a state university instead of a music conservatory, ignored by her former circle of friends, and failing a class for the first time in her life.

Leaving a party alone, Jacqueline is assaulted by her ex’s frat brother. Rescued by a stranger who seems to be in the right place at the right time, she wants nothing more than to forget the attack and that night – but her savior, Lucas, sits on the back row of her econ class, sketching in a notebook and staring at her. Her friends nominate him to be the perfect rebound.

When her attacker turns stalker, Jacqueline has a choice: crumple in defeat or learn to fight back. Lucas remains protective, but he’s hiding secrets of his own. Suddenly appearances are everything, and knowing who to trust is anything but easy.

(This review is quite harsh, so if you’re a fan of this title then look away! I’m not trying to bash the author these are my personal thoughts on the novel.)

MY REVIEW:

Well, that was a disappointing read! After reserving this at my local library back in March, I think, I was super excited to finally READ IT! When will I ever learn?

I literally HATE these types of books. The Two star rating is being generous. This calls for a list. Haven’t made one of these in a while!

•  So whenever Jackie, is around Lucas, she doesn’t really say anything. She smiles and bites her lip and mumbles something. Which is fine, I mean, I get shy too. But then, apparently, this turns into a relationship. They are dating, but don’t really talk. GOD DAMN US TEENAGERS! COMMUNICATION!

•     Jackie asks questions to things she already knows. This bugs the poo out of me.

•       The GAME – PLAYING. The getting together and being all lovey- dovey, but then not speaking for a week. GET A LIFE!! Again, GOD DAMN US TEENAGERS!

•         I don’t believe that there was any spark between Lucas and Jackie. He saved her from attempted rape, which is lovely of him, I’ll admit. After that, all they done was suck face and lie to each other. And stared at each other in class. NO LOVE! NO SPARK!

•      I think Lucas was actually a stalker because he was always around Jackie…I mean…give her space, dude!

If I’m completely honest, I think that most YA books are awful. They don’t teach young adults how to interact with other young adults. They show unhealthy relationships, unrealistic love interests and unreal expectations from life.

Most YA books are like this, admittedly, some are brilliant. But, most suck.

Overall, don’t read it. Read something by J. Lynn instead.  The only reason I rated it two stars was because it made me laugh a few times.

About Author:

Website | Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter

Author of Mature YA/New Adult contemporary novels: Easy, and the Between the Lines series.

I’m a former undergraduate academic advisor, married to my high school sweetheart, mother to three adult children and four very immature cats.