Waiting on Wednesday (#76)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Morning swooners!

This week pre-publication "can't wait to read" selection is:

Sublime by Christina Lauren

Expected Release Date: October 14, 2014

Links: Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Goodreads

Synopsis:

Love is beautiful, dangerous, scary, sublime.

From the moment she sees Colin, Lucy knows she’s meant for him. But their love is no ordinary love; Lucy is a ghost, and Colin can only physically be with her when he’s standing on the brink of his own death.

Willing to give anything for their stolen moments together, Colin pushes his daredevil tendencies to the extreme time and again. But as he becomes obsessed with testing the limits between his world and that of the dead, Lucy begins to wonder if she’s meant to be his guardian—or his destruction.

If you're a reader of this blog, you know we love Christina Lauren. We read anything and everything they write so it no big surprise that we're super excited about their first YA book. If you haven't read their books yet, I say get started on it!

What are you "Waiting on?"

Blog Tour Stop: Review + Giveaway: Finding Mr. Darcy: High School Edition

Finding Mr Darcy: High School Edition
Author: Erin Butler
Release Date: September 16, 2014
Publisher: Swoon Romance
Source: YA Bound Book Tours
Review by: Nahomi

Sixteen-year-old Liza Johnson takes fangirl to a whole new level of crazy when she decides to take dating advice from her literary hero: Jane Austen.

With the help of her best friends, Liza sheds her ancient-speak and complete Austen wardrobe for something a bit more modern in an attempt at finding her very own Mr. Darcy.

Enter Will, the new kid and Liza's Darcy incarnate. Add her BFF's ex to mix and the sexy Brit who kisses with an accent, and Liza is in trouble.

So, what's a girl to do? Without her mom to go to relationship advice, Liza turns to the only person she can truly trust with matters of the heart via her mother's copy of COMPLETED WORKS OF JANE AUSTEN.

It's too bad Austen's heroines have never played Spin the Bottle or Seven Minutes in Heaven. Liza's determined to find her true Austen-esque happy ending, but if she can't trust herself instead of books, she just might end up in her own tragic love story.

3 stars out of 5 stars

I am a fan of Jane Austen; so naturally I jumped at the opportunity to read this book. I thought the story was cute, and had a modern twist on Pride and Prejudice. The story flowed seamlessly from beginning to end, the pacing was steady and kept me moving right along with the story.

Eliza is a bit of a flake. She doesn't really know what she wants and is having a hard time deciding who she wants to be with. Although she is a nice character she comes off as a little silly and very self centered. Janie is much like Eliza, but she likes to dye her hair and acts rebellious. Will and Ryan are the main love interest and neither really had the swoon factor for me.

There was a love square I would call it going on throughout the story which had me confused for most of the book. There are some very touching scenes in the book which warmed me up to the story, and the trip to England was fun to read about and imagine. All in all the story was good but not really my cup of tea.

You can follow the rest of the blog tour here.

a Rafflecopter giveaway
About the Author:

Erin Butler is lucky enough to have two jobs she truly loves. As a librarian, she gets to work with books all day long, and as an author, Erin uses her active imagination to write the kinds of books she enjoys reading. Young Adult and New Adult books are her favorites, but she especially loves the ones with kissing scenes.

Erin lives in Central New York with her very understanding husband, a stepson, and doggie BFF, Maxie. She prefers to spend her time indoors reading and writing, but will venture out for chocolate and sunshine. She is the author of BLOOD HEX, a YA paranormal, HOW WE LIVED, a contemporary New Adult novel, and FINDING MR. DARCY: HIGH SCHOOL EDITION, a contemporary YA.
      Author Links: Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

Blog Tour hosted by: YA Bound Book Tours

Cover Reveal: Wicked by Jennifer L. Armentrout

 
Wicked ( A Wicked Saga, #1)
 by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Release date: December 8, 2014
Links: Amazon / Goodreads

Synopsis:
 Things are about to get Wicked in New Orleans. Twenty-two year old Ivy Morgan isn’t your average college student. She, and others like her, know humans aren’t the only thing trolling the French Quarter for fun… and for food. Her duty to the Order is her life. After all, four years ago, she lost everything at the hands of the creatures she’d sworn to hunt, tearing her world and her heart apart. 

 Ren Owens is the last person Ivy expected to enter her rigidly controlled life. He’s six feet and three inches of temptation and swoon-inducing charm. With forest-green eyes and a smile that’s surely left a stream of broken hearts in its wake, he has an uncanny, almost unnatural ability to make her yearn for everything he has to offer. But letting him in is as dangerous as hunting the cold-blooded killers stalking the streets. Losing the boy she loved once before had nearly destroyed her, but the sparking tension that grows between them becomes impossible for Ivy to deny. Deep down, she wants… she needs more than what her duty demands of her, what her past has shaped for her. 

 But as Ivy grows closer to Ren, she realizes she’s not the only one carrying secrets that could shatter the frail bond between them. There’s something he’s not telling her, and one thing is for certain. She’s no longer sure what is more dangerous to her—the ancient beings threatening to take over the town or the man demanding to lay claim to her heart and her soul.

About the author:

#1 NEW YORK TIMES and USA TODAY Bestselling author Jennifer lives in Martinsburg, West Virginia. All the rumors you've heard about her state aren't true. When she's not hard at work, she spends her time reading, working out, watching really bad zombie movies, pretending to write, and hanging out with her husband and her Jack Russell Loki.

Her dream of becoming an author started in algebra class,where she spent most of her time writing short stories...which explains her dismal grades in math.

Jennifer writes young adult paranormal, science fiction, fantasy, and contemporary romance. She is published with Spencer Hill Press, Entangled Teen and Brazen, Disney/Hyperion and Harlequin Teen. Her book Obsidian has been optioned for a major motion picture and her Covenant series has been optioned for TV.

She also writes adult and New Adult romance under the name J. Lynn. She is published by Entangled Brazen and HarperCollins.

Author Links: 

Website / Twitter / Facebook / Goodreads

Cover Reveal Organized by: InkSlinger PR

Quotes (#74)

Morning Lovelies,

No lie, that is legit me this morning. Like, I can't even function. Maybe some quotes will help me get in a groove.

"I am different, not less." - Temple Grandin

"Chaos often breeds life, when order breeds habit." - Henry Adams

"I want to know everything about you, so I tell you everything about myself." - Amy Hempel

"Even if you are on the right track, you’ll get run over if you just sit there." - Will Rogers

"As human beings, we have a natural compulsion to fill empty spaces." - Will Shortz

"Adventure is worthwhile in itself." - Amelia Earhart

"Nobody has ever measured, not even poets, how much the heart can hold." - Zelda Fitzgerald

That's from me. I hope you all have a great week. Hopefully I can make it out of bed today.

Favorite Friday (#4) - Unearthly by Cynthia Hand

Have a favorite book? Series? One that you've just read or are currently reading? Favorite Friday is a weekly meme hosted by Books and Swoons where we spotlight some of our Favorite Reads. Everyone is welcome to join. Just enter your information on the linky or leave us a comment!

In the beginning, there's a boy standing in the trees... Clara Gardner has recently learned that she's part angel. Having angel blood run through her veins not only makes her smarter, stronger, and faster than humans (a word, she realizes, that no longer applies to her), but it means she has a purpose, something she was put on this earth to do. Figuring out what that is, though, isn't easy. Her visions of a raging forest fire and an alluring stranger lead her to a new school in a new town. When she meets Christian, who turns out to be the boy of her dreams (literally), everything seems to fall into place and out of place at the same time. Because there's another guy, Tucker, who appeals to Clara's less angelic side. As Clara tries to find her way in a world she no longer understands, she encounters unseen dangers and choices she never thought she'd have to make between honesty and deceit, love and duty, good and evil. When the fire from her vision finally ignites, will Clara be ready to face her destiny? Unearthly is a moving tale of love and fate, and the struggle between following the rules and following your heart.

Unearthly is one of my favorite books ever! Definitely in my top five all time favorite books. I really love Cynthia Hand's writing and I'll pretty much read anything she writes. This book is about first love and coming of age with all the wonderful and not so wonderful things they entails. 

About the author:

I'm the New York Times bestselling (sheesh, I will never get used to saying that) author of the Unearthly trilogy with HarperTeen. My other great love besides writing is teaching, and I've spent the past six years teaching courses in creative writing at Pepperdine University. This summer my family and I moved back to Boise, Idaho, where I am working on two new novels. See my Books page for information about my books.

Author's links: Website / Twitter / Facebook / Goodreads

I hope you can join us in sharing and talking about some of your favorite reads. Book talk always make me happy. 

What is one of your favorite reads?

Review: The Vault of Dreamers by Caragh M. O'Brien

The Vault of Dreamers
(The Vault of Dreamers #1)
Author: Caragh M O'Brien
Release Date: September 16, 2014
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
Source: BEA 2014
Review by: Jenn

The Forge School is the most prestigious arts school in the country. The secret to its success: every moment of the students’ lives is televised as part of the insanely popular Forge Show, and the students’ schedules include twelve hours of induced sleep meant to enhance creativity. But when first year film student Rosie Sinclair skips her sleeping pill, she discovers there is something off about Forge. In fact, she suspects that there are sinister things going on deep below the reaches of the cameras. What’s worse, she starts to notice that the edges of her consciousness do not feel quite right. And soon, she unearths the ghastly secret that the Forge School is hiding—and what it truly means to dream there.
From the author of the Birthmarked trilogy comes a fast-paced, psychologically thrilling novel about what happens when your dreams are not your own.

2.5 stars out of 5 stars

I've been dying to start this book since I got back from BEA this past June. However, other responsibilties delayed me in starting it. And once I finally started it? I was completely hooked. I was so curious about The Forge School and how everything worked.

Rosie was an interesting enough character but I honestly couldn't see what made her so unique and special to have been in The Forge School to begin with. I also couldn't see what really prompted her to skip her sleeping pill and to go wandering about the school. I could see how she was curious in the middle of the book, but in the beginning? Not so much.

I will not give away plot spoilers but I will say that I quickly became exasperated with Rosie. When she discovers some secrets about The Forge School and an important player behind the scene, I just couldn't believe how she chose to just blurt everything that she knew without thinking of the consequences. I also feel like she became a different person towards the second of book because I couldn't understand her motivations at that point.

My other complaints with the book was Rosie's love interest, Linus. I found him to be more of convenient plot device than an actual love interest. I didn't find anything romantic about their relationship.

I'm disappointed with how this book turned out to be. I was really hooked and I couldn't read fast enough but then I hit a point in the book that I just stalled and couldn't pick it up. There were so many questions and not enough answers were being provided. I finished because I was just fed up with the book staring at me and wanting to know how it ended but it was a struggled. I think the last 30 or so pages, I skimmed most of it. I only learn that there would be a second book when I went on Caragh's Goodreads page and saw that she's writing a sequel. I was not expecting for there to be a second book and I think that also added to my disappointment. I was even confused with the ending and have no idea what really happened. I just hope some other reader does like it and maybe will tell me what I just can't understand.

Waiting on Wednesday (#75)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Morning swooners!

This week pre-publication "can't wait to read" selection is:

Black Ice by Becca Fitzpatrick

Expected Release Date: October 7, 2014

Links: Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Goodreads

Synopsis:

Sometimes danger is hard to see... until it’s too late. 

Britt Pfeiffer has trained to backpack the Teton Range, but she isn't prepared when her ex-boyfriend, who still haunts her every thought, wants to join her. Before Britt can explore her feelings for Calvin, an unexpected blizzard forces her to seek shelter in a remote cabin, accepting the hospitality of its two very handsome occupants—but these men are fugitives, and they take her hostage. 

In exchange for her life, Britt agrees to guide the men off the mountain. As they set off, Britt knows she must stay alive long enough for Calvin to find her. The task is made even more complicated when Britt finds chilling evidence of a series of murders that have taken place there... and in uncovering this, she may become the killer’s next target. 

But nothing is as it seems in the mountains, and everyone is keeping secrets, including Mason, one of her kidnappers. His kindness is confusing Britt. Is he an enemy? Or an ally? 

I stumbled across a teaser of this book and immediately added it to my TBR pile. It sounds really good! What are you waiting on this Wednesday?

Review: Sweet Peril by Wendy Higgins

Sweet Peril (Sweet Trilogy #2)
Author: Wendy Higgins
Release Date: April 30, 2013
Publisher: HarperTeen
Source: Personal Copy
Review by: Nahomi

Anna Whitt, the daughter of a guardian angel and a demon, promised herself she’d never do the work of her father—polluting souls. She’d been naive to make such a vow. She’d been naive about a lot of things.

Haunted by demon whisperers, Anna does whatever she can to survive, even if it means embracing her dark side and earning an unwanted reputation as her school’s party girl. Her life has never looked more bleak. And all the while there’s Kaidan Rowe, son of the Duke of Lust, plaguing her heart and mind.

When an unexpected lost message from the angels surfaces, Anna finds herself traveling the globe with Kopano, son of Wrath, in an attempt to gain support of fellow Nephilim and give them hope for the first time. It soon becomes clear that whatever freedoms Anna and the rest of the Neph are hoping to win will not be gained without a fight. Until then, Anna and Kaidan must put aside the issues between them, overcome the steamiest of temptations yet, and face the ultimate question: is loving someone worth risking their life?

4 stars out of 5 stars

       Okay, So I had been procrastinating on reading Sweet Peril because I was afraid I would be disappointed with the story. Luckily that wasn't the case. Sweet Peril is the continuation of Anna's story in her quest to build an alliance in order to fight the dukes and gain freedom for herself and the rest of the Nephs. Basically what this means, is that she travels a lot and there is a lot of great descriptions of the different destinations she gets to travel to. The thing is that after a while I found myself speed-reading through said descriptions, just so I could get to the action part, and to Kaiden.

I already knew he wasn't a big part of Sweet Peril because Anna and him aren't supposed to be seeing each other, but I really missed his sense of humor throughout the majority of the story. I really enjoyed seeing how Ginger and Anna's relationship progressed as well as Anna's relationship with Belial. There was definitely more Kopano throughout the story and I was really upset at how Anna handled the situation with him. Anna was reacting to being hurt by Kaiden and used Kope in order to try and forget Kai. It was wrong on so many levels that even Anna was ashamed for acting the way she did.

All in all the plot kind of sagged in the middle but when the pace finally picked up towards the end there was a lot of suspense and heart ache going on. I was so happy when Anna and Kaiden where finally able to get together. Apart from the speed-reading through some of the excessive details I really enjoyed Sweet Peril.

Quotes (#73)

Morning,
gif = me on most days, although no, never mind what I was going to say... This is a very special week for us here at Books and Swoons because it's Jennifer's Birthday week!!! I want to take the time today to say,

and 

and just because it's Rob

so, Happy Birthday Week to you my wonderful friend! Today our quotes is going to be a little different in honor of my dear friend, here is a poem I found for her. Swooners, hope your week is awesome!

Through Thick and Thin

I could skip a heartbeat, and I would survive,
I could be in a car crash, and still be alive.
The clouds could fall out of the sky,
The oceans could disappear, and all turn dry.

These things in life are all bad I know,
but there's far worse things,
just thought you should know.

Life would not be the same without someone like you,
You're there when I need you to help me through.
Through the good times and through the bad,
Be them happy, or be them sad.

I don't have to be with you, to know you're there,
We don't have to see each other, to know that we care.
We could be apart for years upon end,
and still remain the best of friends.

Life goes on, and people change,
And through it all, our friendship shall remain the same.
That's such as a life, and how things come to be.
Just thought you should know,
HOW MUCH YOU MEAN TO ME.

Source: http://www.familyfriendpoems.com/poem/through-thick-and-thin#ixzz3CiCFiTOb
Family Friend Poems 

2014 Debut Author Bash: Katie Delahanty - Interview

In Bloom (Brightside #1) by Katie Delahanty

Release Date: February 10, 2014

Publisher: Entangled Embrace

Links: Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Goodreads / iTunes

My name is Olivia Bloom and I. Am. Free.
I left for LA with everything I owned piled into my old Volkswagen and dreams of becoming a costume designer. Little did I know I’d wind up designing for a lingerie company—yeah, not sure how I landed this gig—and taken under the wing of two young Hollywood insiders. The fashion shows and parties were great, but life really got exciting when the seriously hottest lead singer of my favorite band started to fall for me. How does someone like me, an ordinary girl from Pittsburgh, wind up in the arms of the world’s sexiest rock star—surrounded by celebrities, fashion, and music—and not be eaten alive? Berkeley is everything I've ever dreamed of in a boyfriend, but the paparazzi, the tabloids, the rumors, it's all getting a bit too crazy. My life has become every girl’s dream come true, if only I don’t blink and lose it all…

I'm so excited to have Olivia and Berkeley here today for their first interview as a couple. Thank you both for being here. 

Olivia:
How are you handling all of the media coverage since you started dating Berkeley? 
Can I crawl under a rock and hide? I always hated being the center of attention, but this is like being the center of the world! I don’t know how real celebrities handle it. I’m definitely not star material…I’ll leave that to Berkeley.

What is your favorite thing about living here in California?
Honestly? The weather. I love being able to bike to the beach in the middle of January. And also the food. There are so many unique restaurants to try, it’s easy to pretend you’re dining in a faraway, exotic city instead of your own backyard.

Up to this point what do you consider your greatest achievement?
Having lingerie that I helped design sold at Nordstrom. I know I didn’t do it alone, but six months ago I never could have dreamed I’d be saying that. Life is funny sometimes…so many unexpected twists! I really feel like I’m on the right path. Maybe someday I’ll have my name on a label…

What is the most difficult part of dating someone as famous as Berkeley?
We rarely get to be alone. There are always people around, and they all need his attention. Sometimes I feel like I’m in the way… But when we do get a moment together, I remember it’s totally worth it.

What is your favorite thing about being a lingerie designer? I love the fantasy of it all—imagining how the girl who is wearing it wants to feel, what story she’s trying to tell.

Berkeley:
What is next for Berkeley & the Brightside, can we expect more touring or a new album soon? We’re actually going to take a little break. We’ve been touring the world relentlessly for the last two years and I think there might be mutiny if I ask the guys to get on one more plane. Hopefully we’ll be back in the studio in a couple months to start the new album, and we’re going to be working on a movie soundtrack soon, too.

What is your idea of perfect happiness?
Having balance—being comfortable at home, surrounded by family and friends and feeling successful at work—but staying hungry, not getting complacent. I’m happiest when a project I’ve been working on starts to come together.

What is your greatest fear?
Missing an opportunity.

What inspires you when you are writing a song?
Everything—it could be an article I read, or a conversation I overheard at the grocery store, or the way the light is hitting my balcony in the morning. I don’t know where inspiration comes from, but I always consider it a gift. Sometimes I’m writing and the music or words are coming faster than I can comprehend them, it’s like they’re flowing through me, and I consider myself lucky that they chose me to tell their story.

Are you working on new material?
Always. Not a day goes by that I don’t jot down lyrics in my composition book.

Both:

Do you find it difficult to manage your career and relationship?
Both: YES!
Liv: It’s so new… we’re still figuring it out.
Berkeley: I travel so much, it’s never easy, but I’m hoping Liv will agree to tag along on my next adventure…

What is the most difficult aspect of being in a relationship with each other?
Berkeley: The outside forces that keep pulling us in different directions. The band, my publicist and her crazy schemes…
Liv: And don’t forget my mom and her crazy prophecies!

Are there any quirks or habits you have had to get used to since you started dating?
Berkeley: Liv probably has to get used to me staring at her all the time because I still can’t believe she’s real, and I keep checking to make sure she hasn’t disappeared…and I’ve had to get used to her singing. She’s an eternal botcher of lyrics.
Liv: I am not!
Berkeley: What do you think the words to “Headshot” are again?
Liv: ‘’You wanna take it up, go ahead and make it up/ You better hold me when you’re done”
Berkeley: Or “You wanna break it up, go ahead and break it up/ You better hope you’re really done”…
Liv: Noooo.
Berkeley: I think I should know… I wrote them. 
Liv: No comment. And Berkeley doesn’t have quirks, he just has ex-girlfriends. 

What are your plans for the future as a couple? 
Berkeley: We have to plead the fifth on that for now...Shar’s orders…but we hope to make an announcement soon…

Thanks again for taking the time out of your busy schedules to talk to us we look forward to seeing more of the two of you around. 


About the Author:

Katie is a fashion designer turned novelist. She graduated with a BA in Communication Studies from UCLA and a Professional Designation in Fashion Design from FIDM. It never occurred to her that she was a writer until an economic crisis induced career shift from lingerie designer to ecommerce webmistress led her to start the company blog. Not being an expert in lingerie, she decided to write the blog as a fictional serial starring a girl named Olivia Bloom who worked for the lingerie line. And that’s when Katie fell in love with storytelling. She hasn’t looked back since. Katie lives in Los Angeles with her husband

Author Links: Website / Facebook / Twitter 

You can follow the rest of the Debut Bash tour by clicking here.

Blog Tour organized by: YA Reads Blog Tours