Review: The Darkest Part by Trisha Wolfe

Title: The Darkest Part

Author: Trisha Wolfe 

Age:  NA

Genre: Contemporary Romance

SYNOPSIS:

Pressing the boundaries of both the psyche and the heart, Sam and Holden embark on a dangerous journey that will test the limits of love.

Sam Wintry’s life used to be almost perfect. She was engaged to her childhood best friend and high school sweetheart, Tyler Marks, planning an amazing cross-country honeymoon during her college break. But after a hit-and-run leaves her in ruin, she begins seeing Tyler’s fractured, ghostly presence, and her family believes she’s losing her mind. Not until she completes their journey, stopping along the way to scatter Tyler's remains, will Tyler be able cross over. Only...is Sam ready for him to leave her?

When the black sheep of the Marks' family, Holden Marks, returns to check on Tyler's case, Sam convinces him to give her his brother's ashes. Despite their shaky history, she needs him...plus, he owes it to Sam and his brother. What she doesn’t count on is Holden’s relentlessness to go on the trip.

On the road, Holden realizes just how unhinged Sam has become. Dealing with her psychosis forces him to confront his dark past, making it harder to keep secrets hidden that should remain buried. Especially from Sam, the only woman he’s ever loved. And as Sam starts to unravel the truth, she begins to question if the brother she's unwillingly falling for again is in an even darker place than her.

MY THOUGHTS:

4.5 out of 5 stars

I was a little nervous about this one, I have to admit.  Don't get me wrong, I wanted to read it, but I was scared that I'd have issues with it.

And at first, I thought my worries were justified.  There was no way I was going to be able to get through this story.  I was totally crazy about Tyler and my heart was broken for Sam and Holden was just a selfish ass who didn't care about anybody but himself.

Yeah...not so much.

This story rocked my emotional world.

I have been craving a book that made me feel all the feels.  And there have been a few that were close, so very close - but this one was exactly what I had been needing to read.  My heart was shattered in parts, bursting in others.  What I thought I wanted at the beginning was the opposite of what I ended up needing at the end.  There were layers to these characters that you don't see in the synopsis and these layers make this story so much more than what you think you are getting.

Before The Darkest Part, I had never read anything by Trisha Wolfe.  That will change.  I've already added the other upcoming books in this series to my to-read list and I'm excited to get my hands on her previous works.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

From an early age, Trisha Wolfe dreamed up fantasy worlds and characters and was accused of talking to herself. Today, she lives in South Carolina with her family and writes full time, using her fantasy worlds as an excuse to continue talking to herself.

For more information on Trisha Wolfe and her works, please visit: www.trishawolfe.co.

To be the first to hear about new releases and sale events, sign up for Trisha Wolfe's Newsletter: http://bit.ly/1rXTKI7.

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Book Blast and Giveaway: The Other Me by Suzanne van Rooyen

Title: The Other Me
Author: Suzanne van Rooyen
Publisher: Harmony Ink Press
Release Date: 19 Dec, 2013
Length: 216 pages
Genre: YA, LGBT, contemporary

SYNOPSIS:

Fifteen-year-old Treasa Prescott thinks she's an alien. She doesn't fit in with the preppy South African private school crowd and feels claustrophobic in her own skin. Treasa is worried she might spend life as a social pariah when she meets Gabriel du Preez. Gabriel plays the piano better than Beethoven, has a black belt in karate, and would look good wearing a garbage bag. Treasa thinks he's perfect. It might even be love, as long as Gabriel doesn't find out she's a freak.
As Treasa spends time with Gabriel, she realizes she might not love him as much as she wants to be him, and that the reason she feels uncomfortable in her skin might have less to do with extra-terrestrial origins and more to do with being born in the wrong body.
But Gabriel is not the perfect boy Treasa imagines. He harbors dark secrets and self-destructive tendencies. Still, Treasa might be able to accept Gabriel's baggage if he can accept who she longs to be.

BOOK LINKS:

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18809290-the-other-me
Amazon: http://amzn.com/B00HEYFWYY
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-other-me-suzanne-van-rooyen/1117762744?ean=2940148925507
Dreamspinner: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=4427

PRAISE FOR THE OTHER ME:

"The Other Me is a story that will stay with me for a long time. This is what YA should be and Van Rooyen has that uncanny ability to wedge you inside the heads of her characters where you will feel all their pain, love, joy and sorrow. I cannot recommend this book enough if you’re looking for a story that will challenge your preconceptions.” – Nerine, You Gotta Read Reviews

"This book is a great new contemporary read, so different from everything else that's out there, and it is brilliant! Suzanne van Rooyen does a brilliant job of crafting a story that is not only entertaining and engaging, but interesting and unique too.”– Myra, Pieces of Whimsy

"I loved Suzanne Van Rooyen's writing style. It made reading her words so easy. Her characters came across as incredibly real. Add all of that into the uniqueness of the stories subject and The Other Me turned out to be a book that I absolutely loved. So much in fact that I would love to read more of these characters.” – Tracey, YA Book Addict"

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Suzanne is a tattooed story-teller and peanut-butter addict from South Africa. She currently lives in Finland and finds the cold, dark forests nothing if not inspiring. Although she has a Master’s degree in music, Suzanne prefers conjuring strange worlds and creating quirky characters. When not writing you can find her teaching dance and music to middle-schoolers or playing in the snow with her shiba inu. She is rep'd by Jordy Albert of the Booker Albert Agency.

Website – http://suzannevanrooyen.com
Twitter - https://twitter.com/Suzanne_Writer
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/pages/Suzanne-van-Rooyen/304965232847874
Pinterest - http://pinterest.com/SuzanneAuthor/

GIVEAWAY:

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The Offering by Kimberly Derting - Review and Giveaway

   

SYNOPSIS:

True love—and world war—is at stake in the conclusion to The Pledge trilogy, a dark and romantic blend of dystopia and fantasy. Charlie, otherwise known as Queen Charlaina of Ludania, has become comfortable as a leader and a ruler. She’s done admirable work to restore Ludania’s broken communications systems with other Queendoms, and she’s mastered the art of ignoring Sabara, the evil former queen whose Essence is alive within Charlie. Or so she thinks. When the negotiation of a peace agreement with the Queendom of Astonia goes awry, Charlie receives a brutal message that threatens Ludania, and it seems her only option is to sacrifice herself in exchange for Ludanian freedom. But things aren’t always as they seem. Charlie is walking into a trap—one set by Sabara, who is determined to reclaim the Queendoms at any cost.

REVIEW:

My rating:  4 of 5 stars

I was so excited to get a chance to read The Offering!  I have a tendency to start a book series and then forget to go back finish them -- sometimes it is the time between books, sometimes life gets in the way, sometimes I don't want to say goodbye to the characters.  It happens.  But without a doubt, I knew that this was a trilogy that I wanted to see through to the end. 

I was not disappointed.

The Pledge intrigued me.  The Essence held its own and left me in a place that had me needing to know more.  This book, though...the third book...The Offering...HOLY COW!  From the first page, I was blindsided by the emotion.

For real...I almost had to put it down and walk away because THAT DID NOT JUST HAPPEN!

Now, you know I don't do spoilers, so this is where I go vague.  Something happens and things get really real really fast for Charlie.

And this is where my love for the supporting characters comes in.  Max and Eden and Brooklynn and Claude and Xander and Nico and Elena and even Sabara.  They never feel like "just" supporting characters to me.  While this trilogy is Charlie's story to tell, her conflict to resolve, these other characters are woven into the story in a way that makes me want to know just as much about their thoughts and emotions (or lack thereof) as of the Queen's.  In fact, I do have to be a bit honest in saying that my connection to these characters may even lessen my allegiance to Charlie.  I started this trilogy expecting Charlie's story and finished feeling like it was THEIR story.

And the more I think about it, I don't think that is a bad thing.

Ms. Derting writes relationships.  Charlie and Max.  Charlie and Aron and Brooklyn.  Charlie, Eden, Brooklynn.  Max and Xander.  Charlie and Sabara.  Nico and Sabara.  Each one is an integral part to this trilogy and there are others that I left off.  I think they are what really drew me in to her words and world -- yes, this is a dystopian story about a queen learning her way, but the conflicts aren't limited to the obvious.  There is so so so much more.

Gah, I love depth. 

And I love growth.

And I love when I finish a book/series and it just feels right.  That is what happens with The Offering.  It was right.  And I'm happy. 


      

   

 ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Kimberly Derting is the author of the BODY FINDER series, THE PLEDGE trilogy, and THE TAKING (coming April 2014 from HarperTeen). She lives in the Seattle area, with her husband and three children, who often find the outrageous things they say either in the pages of her books or posted on Twitter or Facebook for the entire world to see.  

 GIVEAWAY:

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Review: Season of Second Chances by Brighton Walsh

From Goodreads:

When a storm strands Claire Hanlin in Chicago on Christmas Eve, the last person she expects to come to her rescue is Logan Dawes, the man she almost married two years ago. The chemistry between them is dangerously potent, but with nowhere else to go, Claire accepts Logan's offer to stay with him for the night.

Back in the home they shared, surrounded by reminders of Logan and his young daughter, Claire begins to realize how much she misses the family she almost had. After a few cups of Christmas cheer, she falls right back into her ex's arms-even though she knows it means setting herself up for heartbreak all over again.

The magic of the season has thrown him together with the woman he's never stopped loving, and Logan's not about to pass up this gift. He's not the workaholic he was two years ago-his family comes first. Now all he has to do is prove it to Claire, before the snow stops and she flies out of his life for good.

My rating:  5 stars

I don't know what it is about this blog that makes me spill my guts, but I have another confession to make -- instead of being in the holiday spirit, I have been a bit more of a Grinch.  A Scrooge.  The grumpy foreman elf on the Rudolph Christmas Special.  Bah.  Humbug.   

But acknowledging a problem is the first step, so when I heard about this Contemporary Romance novella from Brighton Walsh, I jumped on the chance to read it.  I reviewed her Plus One a few months ago, and I absolutely love the way she tells a story.

That, and I'm really really excited for her.

So combine all of that with the fact that Season of Second Chances a holiday-centric story and reading this novella was an obvious choice.

And I loved it.

This is a story about, well...fate and second chances.  This wasn't a boy calling a girl up and asking for forgiveness.  Or an unavoidable run-in because of mutual friends.  This was a snowstorm and two canceled flights - neither one of which could Claire or Logan had any control over.  Maybe it is a little bit of the romantic in me coming out, but I am a huge believer in signs.

You don't fight fate.  Because you will lose every time.

Especially when fate brings you Logan.  Gah. 

Brighton Walsh knows her way around good swoon and she does not disappoint with Logan.  Typically I am not one to get all doe-eyed about a doting single dad, but there was something about this one that made me rethink my choices.  Just looking at a bottle of nail polish makes me all fluttery because omg, the cuteness!

I think what I loved most about this novella...besides Logan...was the way the characters all seemed to make sense.  They worked with each other.  The relationships were believable and there was no crazy drama that distracted from the intended path of this story.  This story could happen.

And by the time I finished it, I felt like this:

If you're looking for a fun, sweet, swoony read that will make sure to leave you with a serious case of the warm and fuzzies, I can't recommend Season of Second Chances enough.  You can thank me later.  

Review: Not a Drop to Drink by Mindy McGinnis

From Goodreads:

Regret was for people with nothing to defend, people who had no water.

Lynn knows every threat to her pond: drought, a snowless winter, coyotes, and, most importantly, people looking for a drink. She makes sure anyone who comes near the pond leaves thirsty, or doesn't leave at all.

Confident in her own abilities, Lynn has no use for the world beyond the nearby fields and forest. Having a life means dedicating it to survival, and the constant work of gathering wood and water. Having a pond requires the fortitude to protect it, something Mother taught her well during their quiet hours on the rooftop, rifles in hand.

But wisps of smoke on the horizon mean one thing: strangers. The mysterious footprints by the pond, nighttime threats, and gunshots make it all too clear Lynn has exactly what they want, and they won’t stop until they get it….

With evocative, spare language and incredible drama, danger, and romance, debut author Mindy McGinnis depicts one girl’s journey in a barren world not so different than our own.

My Rating:  4.5 out of 5 stars

I'm just going to jump right on in and put it out there - Lynn is a badass. 

Raised by her mother after being abandoned by her father, Lynn takes care of what is hers.  And while she does wish things were different, the fact of the matter is that things are what they are and the world is not a kind and gentle place.  You do what you have to do to survive.

“Do you want to die like this?" Mother had asked, that night and every night since then.

Lynn's answer never changed. "No."

And Mother's response, their evening prayer. "Then you will have to kill.    

Water is precious and rationed.  And guarded.  To maintain their independence from "city life", Lynn and her mother guard the pond on their land from scavengers - both four-legged and otherwise.  Every day, every minute is a battle to survive...whether Lynn is gathering firewood, or worrying about the snow, or scanning the perimeter for threats.  There was little time for fun, for chit chat, for getting to know your neighbors, much less trust them.

Until something happens that makes it necessary.  

If you've been following my blog, or even my Goodreads account from my pre-blogging days, I make no secret of my disdain for spineless heroines.  I have a 9 year old daughter and the very last thing I want her to read is a book that makes her think that she can't take care of herself. 

Makes. Me. Rage.

And this book had none of that.  

But being tough as nails comes at a price.


Lynn isn't an easy character to get to know.  Emotions are a luxury that she rarely allows and even as a reader, this made me struggle with how I felt about her.  She is sterile and abrasive and cold...and then I realized that Ms. McGinnis is a genius.  I wasn't just a reader at that moment, I was experiencing the story.  That I had to claw and cling to any little bit of information I could get was just a little glimpse into how life in this society works.  Nothing is easily given.

Because things can be easily taken away as one particular moment made sure to remind me.  I may or may not have had to read it a few times and then ask somebody if that really happened. 

And that's all I'm going to say about that because well...because.  
  
You'll know what I'm talking about when you get read it.  Believe me. 

I am completely enthralled by the way Mindy McGinnis tells this story and creates a world that both terrifies me and fascinates me at the same time.  And the characters -- gah.  Not just Lynn, but her mom, and Stebbs, and Eli, and Lucy.  I pulled for the good guys - absorbing the pain of their struggles and their joy during the few precious moments when they allowed themselves to celebrate.  I hated the bad guys.  Hated them hard.  While the descriptions and emotions in this book are relatively bare bones, that doesn't take away from the intensity.  Flowy and frilly and pretty has no place in this book. 

I read this book back in mid-August and I'm still completely wow'd by it.  If forced to describe it in 15 words or less, I say think of a mash-up of Little House in the Prairie and The Hunger Games but it really is more than that.  It is dystopian, but different.  Romantic, but not pushy.   Action packed, most definitely.  Gritty and raw, certainly.   

Worth the read, absolutely.

Book Blast: Entwine by Rebecca Berto

 SYNOPSIS:

Sarah Langham’s life was the epitome of normal until her dad slept with another woman when she was sixteen. It ripped her family apart.

Twenty-two-year-old Sarah has it together, though.

Waiting at the train station to go home from her first day of her first proper job out of university, she spots a man.

He is an enigma to her. She’s drawn to him, with his square jaw; buzz of hair; and his tall, solid frame, seen under the contours of his business suit. And he’s been looking at her, too. Fate pulls them together that night on a whirlwind date, exceeding anything Sarah’s experienced before. He’s even more into her than she’s into him. Finally, she wants to trust a guy for the first time since she was sixteen.

But then they discover something.

Something that meant they were never two strangers at a train station.

And it threatens to tear their future apart before it, really, ever begins.

Recommended for mature readers due to explicit content. | [This book is published in Australian English and includes relative diction.] 

EXCERPT:

The smell of the man next to her, panting and sweating from obviously running to catch the train, didn’t matter. Nor did the fact she was standing for a one-hour train trip in heels. There was little that could matter to her right now—except for when the train suddenly stopped, and the driver announced
a delay.

“We have stopped to attend to an ill passenger on board,” he said. “I don’t know how long the wait will be, but it could be up to forty-five minutes due to peak hour traffic and the patient’s condition. Thank you for your understanding.”

At that time, Sarah heard a deep, yet smooth voice say, “Lucky I don’t plan on being anywhere.”

She knew it was Him before she looked up to meet his eyes. Apart from the fact she was sure it came from somewhere in front of her, or thereabouts, a voice in her head associated it with the man she’d almost profiled to full detail.

Looking up, she saw his face and, for some reason, knowing what his voice sounded like was like tying up a little bow on top of her perfect package.

“It’s not like I have to be anywhere,” Sarah agreed.

For a moment, she matched his gaze, trying to stop from doing anything suggestive. She wanted to lick her lips as they were dry, and she was sure even a little grin would crack them. Only an hour ago she’d had gloss on them from her special first day at work, but now they felt dry and baron.

Oh, how with every moment she stood here, it got worse. Now her head was itchy. If only she could sneak up a fingernail to scratch. Just above and behind her ear. Just a bit. But Sarah couldn’t. Why was a stranger doing this to her?

Sarah held her place, gazing with as much power as he had. She wouldn’t lick her lips. Or scratch her head. And now she was a dry, twitching freak.

Stuff it.

She turned a little, trying to hide her hand, and covered it by fussing with her hair near her ear, and licked away the cracked feeling from her lips. When she looked up, the man was shamelessly staring. She knew that look. There was no mistaking that, for some reason, he was as intrigued by her as she
was him.

“Here,” the man said. He bent and dropped against the railing behind his back, his knees sticking out at the sides, and his huge legs separated in a way that made Sarah want to look away but couldn’t. “Sit here. Your feet must be sore.”

That made Sarah self-conscious, made her unable to move. Had he seen her shoes? Or looked up and down the length of her? The idea thrilled her.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Rebecca Berto writes stories about love and relationships. She gets a thrill when her readers are emotional reading her books, and gets even more of a kick when they tell her so. She's strangely imaginative, spends too much time on her computer, and is certifiably crazy when she works on her fiction.

Rebecca Berto lives in Melbourne, Australia with her boyfriend and their doggy.

Author Links:

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

Amazon      Barnes and Noble

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Book Blast: Six by Rachel Robinson

 This book is on my must read list because I am seriously craving a good Paranormal story.  Craving. It.  So when I was offered the opportunity to promote this book, I was all over it because honestly, the premise fascinates me.  

SYNOPSIS:

Emmalina is an immortal darkling. A half human, half dark witch. Though she was born with all six emotions, she has arrived at her eighteenth birthday and all but one miserable emotion has fled her body.  The mission of the dark witches who control the new, darker world is simple—eradicate weakness. Weakness is summed up in one word. Emotion. Or, the six. Anger, fear, sadness, joy, surprise, and love. The dark witches want her. She wants something else more.
She wants six.

You want to read it too now, don't ya?  :)

EXCERPT:

 
Then, I see the specific memory—the one that haunts me. It is the memory that consumes my being with longing because I have been unable to attach an emotion to it. I feel as if I am in that memory at this moment.

“I’m going to get you Emmalina,” my mother says. I run so fast that my tiny heart is thumping rapidly. Sticky sweat surrounds my face and mats my hair at my hairline. My feet are bare and the gray haze is the lightest I ever remember it being. I look over my shoulder and laugh as I see her running after me. She has her hands stretched out toward me and her brown hair bounces as she runs. It is a dream in slow motion that I get to relive. The moment is perfect. Her smile is electric. Her voice is sweeter than any treat from the old world.

“You can’t catch me, Mommy!” My singsong child’s voice rings back at her. I want her to catch me. I want her hands tickling me. She grabs me and lifts me under my arms, and up over her head. I can touch the sky. I am flying. She spins around in a circle but I do not look around. I look at her smiling face. It is so cheerful, it is so perfect. It holds the same emotion that I feel in this moment.

We are complete. I am not empty.

The emotion rips me from the inside. “I feel joy,” I tell Finn as I throw my head back laughing at the sky. The emotion tears through me more powerful than anything else, filling me with purpose. I am elated, delighted, I feel contentment and relief. Excitement courses through my veins more powerful than dark magic. It is incomparable. I splash the water at my sides and giggle because I want to, not because I think it prudent. I am so happy I remember her—thankful Finn has forced this from me in his own way. I jump toward him and he catches me under my arms.

He lifts me above his head and I feel like I am floating on a cloud in an alternate universe. He spins in one slow circle. I gaze down at him knowing this is what my mother wants for me. I vow to make her sacrifice worth it.

Finn laughs loudly—a hearty, meaningful laugh. We revel in this perfect moment together just Finn and I and our joyful laughter.

I know then that his laugh is the only sound I like more than my own heartbeat. 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Rachel grew up in a small, quiet town full of loud talkers. Her words were always only loud on paper. She has been writing stories and creating characters for as long as she can remember. After living on the west coast for many years she recently moved to Virginia Beach, VA.Escaped is her first Paranormal Romance novel. You can find her over at The Mean Girl Diaries writing non-fiction of the satirical sort.

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Review: Making Faces by Amy Harmon

A few weeks ago, I was on twitter and I saw one of my book friends raving about this book and after asking her about it, she offered to let me borrow it on my Kindle.

I checked out the premise on Goodreads and like I do with all books that I'm interested in, I added it to my TBR list and got excited about it...and then life happened.  And since the book was on my Kindle and not a physical copy taunting me from the bookshelf across from my chair, it unfortunately started slipping into the 'books I'll get to eventually' list.

But then I got the email that said that I only had 3 days left to read it.  Combine that with my YALLFest high and I was in full on book mode.  Forget life, I was going to read and I was going to enjoy myself and that was just the way it was going to be.

From the moment I finished the first page, none of that extra stuff even mattered.

This book owned every single cell in my body.

I've talked about the reading slump that lasted FOREVER, so I'm not going to rehash the ugly...but it was totally worth the pain and suffering if it means that I get to read books like this one.

Making Faces is a book about relationships.  Relationships between family, between friends, with one's self.  With society.  With team.  With country.

With the one you love.  Even from afar.  Or through proxy.

Fern loves Ambrose. 

For the first part of this book, I was totally taken back to the days of writing initials on pieces of paper during class and daydreaming.  And also of the days of watching that certain person hold hands with somebody else.  The hurt that comes with it which can be erased in the blink of an eye with a smile in the hallway.

We've all been there.

Ambrose doesn't love Fern.

And he doesn't really even know she exists until an unfortunate plan backfires and results in a situation where Fern, even though she loves him, kinda wishes he still didn't know she existed.

Still, the seed is planted and it holds on and starts to take root -- but is it too late?  When high school ends, life as Fern and Ambrose know it will change forever. 

(For real, this is such a tough review to write in words because all my reactions were on an emotional level -- think head nods and contented sighs with eyes closed and tears and fist pumps)

Amy Harmon writes a New Adult novel that is different from others that I have read.  It is sweeter.  And innocent.  And yet completely soul searching and deep.  And yes, there was romance but it wasn't in your face...it was slow.  And steady.  And up and down and backwards and all the delicious moments that come with a slow slow slow burn. 

It wasn't just about the romance though, because there was friendship.  I'd be remiss if I didn't talk about how much I absolutely fell in love with Bailey.  The glue in this story.  Fern's cousin, her best friend, her confidante, Ambrose's friend, Ambrose's sounding board.  Bailey is the little voice inside all of us that cheers us on when we need it and smacks us around when we deserve it.  Love him.  I don't think it is possible to NOT love Bailey. 

(Again with the smiles and sighs and feels)

Yes, I know I'm rambling and that this review is all over the place...but that's what I do when I read a book that draws on every emotion possible.  All the thoughts and feels I have over this book take over and need to come out and hopefully you get what I'm trying to say.  You need to read this book.  

Review: All Our Yesterdays by Cristin Terrill

"You have to kill him." Imprisoned in the heart of a secret military base, Em has nothing except the voice of the boy in the cell next door and the list of instructions she finds taped inside the drain.

Only Em can complete the final instruction. She’s tried everything to prevent the creation of a time machine that will tear the world apart. She holds the proof: a list she has never seen before, written in her own hand. Each failed attempt in the past has led her to the same terrible present—imprisoned and tortured by a sadistic man called the doctor while war rages outside.

Marina has loved her best friend James since the day he moved next door when they were children. A gorgeous, introverted science prodigy from one of America’s most famous families, James finally seems to be seeing Marina in a new way, too. But on one disastrous night, James’s life crumbles apart, and with it, Marina’s hopes for their future. Now someone is trying to kill him. Marina will protect James, no matter what. Even if it means opening her eyes to a truth so terrible that she may not survive it. At least not as the girl she once was. All Our Yesterdays is a wrenching, brilliantly plotted story of fierce love, unthinkable sacrifice, and the infinite implications of our every choice.

My Rating:  5 stars

From the moment I saw the cover and read the premise of this book, I wanted it in my hands.  I MAY have thrown a bit of a pity party when I wasn't able to get my hands on an arc...but if asked directly, I will neither confirm nor deny.

I never thought I'd be a big reader of science fiction, and I won't say that I am really because I don't typically search out sci-fi books, but I will read it in the right book and there was something about this one that just needed me to read it.  And I am soooo glad that I did.

When the story opens, it opens full speed.  Em is in a prison cell, but we don't know why.  And she is obsessed with getting a drain open.  But again, we don't know why.  And even when she figures it out, the reader is still left in the dark. 

This was the point where I was so consumed by putting pieces together that I decided I didn't need to sleep.  Nope.  

And there is a boy, and a doctor, and time travel and all kinds of deliciously confusing things going on that kept me on the edge of my seat until the very last page.  Oh and there were a few a-ha! moments that had me reading through my fingers because while I knew they had to happen, I really didn't want them to because of...reasons.   

All Our Yesterdays is told using two POVs but both from the same person...a before (Marina) and after (Em).    Fascinating enough in and of itself as we learn they hows and the whys of their situation, but when the before and after are together in the same moment...gah, it is SO hard to write this without giving away the good stuff!  I don't know...I just felt smart reading it.  

The growth of the characters as shown between their past and present versions was believable.  The plot was well-paced and I absolutely applaud the author for managing to keep all the different moments and memories from getting tangled in one big ball of inter-dimensional chaos.  This book had so many feels...the action, the swoons, the tears, the cringes, the nostalgia...truly, something for every reader.    

And the ending was just...yeah, as it should be.  Vague sentences are vague, but in this case they are also necessary.  Just trust me and read this one.  You can thank me later.
 

Review: Louder Than Love by Jessica Topper

In this powerful debut novel, a young librarian grieves the loss of her husband...and discovers a love that defies classification.

It's been over three years since a train accident made a widow of Katrina Lewis, sending her and her young daughter Abbey back to the suburban town of her youth...the only place that still makes sense. Lauder Lake is the perfect place to hide and heal.

Recluse rocker Adrian "Digger" Graves survived the implosion of his music career, but his muse has long lain dormant. Until Kat hires him to play at her library—not on the basis of his hard rock credentials but rather, because of the obscure kids' TV jingle he wrote years ago. In a case of mistaken identity, Adrian stumbles into the lives of Kat and her comically lovable daughter.

Using tattoos as a timeline, Adrian unfurls his life for Kat. But as the courtship intensifies, it's unclear whose past looms larger: the widow's or the rocker's. Will their demons ever rest, or will they break these soul mates apart?

I'm going to go ahead and get this little tidbit out of the way.  I'm going to put it all out there.  I am embracing my past.

**deep breaths** 


Confession time...I may or may not have had a slight crush on the blue Wiggle back in the day.



Do.  Not.  Judge.

Ok, now that that's out of the way, I can get back to talking about this story and what I liked so much about it  :)

I've read a lot of romance and while I'm almost always entertained and enjoy the stories, I don't always connect with the characters.  I totally connected with Kat.  I get her.  Her reclusive tendencies make total sense to me.  She has been hurt by something completely out of control and she is determined to protect both herself and her daughter.  Makes complete sense.

BUT...I also have a thing for musicians.  They make me swoon and giggle and blush like I'm 13 so I get the draw she feels for Adrian.  And as a writer of children's music, he is obviously safe.

What she doesn't know about Adrian at first, however is that children haven't always been his audience of choice.  He also has ghosts in his past and events that have altered his path in life.

And I think that is what appeals to me so much about this book.  That even with everything that has happened to Kat and to Adrian, the pull between them is so intense that they are forced to take risks.  They can't ignore the chemistry and pretend that they are content with their lives.  They start to live again.

There was a maturity to this book that pulled me in and made me feel.  I didn't have the "awwwww" moments and the "gah, I remember those days".  It was more a book of **fist pumps** and "unfs" and "I want to trace your scars".  It was intensely mature...does that make any sense at all?

I often say that the reason I read so much YA is that as a wife and mother and someone closer to 40 than she cares to admit, I don't want to read about my problems.  But every once in a while, I find a book that reminds me that being a grown up isn't all that bad.

And if there happens to be a guitar thrown in the mix somewhere, all the better.

The Edge of Always by JA Redmerski - Excerpt and Giveaway

Publisher: Forever Romance

Release: November 5, 2013

New Adult Contemporary Novel

Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Goodreads

SYNOPSIS:

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author J. A. Redmerski brings us the second book in her heart-renching series about two 20-somethings who find each other in their darkest moment. Camryn Bennett has never been happier. Five months after meeting on a Greyhound bus, she and her soul mate Andrew Parrish are engaged-and a wedding isn't the only special event in their future. Nervous but excited, Camryn can't wait to begin the rest of her life with Andrew, a man she knows in her heart will love her always. They have so much to look forward to-until tragedy blindsides them. Andrew doesn't understand how this could happen to them. He's trying to move on, and thought Camryn was doing the same. But when Andrew discovers Camryn is secretly harboring a mountain of pain and attempting to numb it in damaging ways, there is nothing he won't do to bring her back to life. Determined to prove that their love can survive anything, Andrew decides to take Camryn on a new journey filled with hope and passion. If only he can convince her to come along for the ride...  

EXCERPT:

Camryn still loves the newer stuff and the Civil Wars more than anything and so that’s usually what we play.

Tonight will be no different.

I love watching her perform them next to me up on stage because she becomes so vibrant and playful and sexy as hell. Not that she isn’t all of those things already, but it’s like another more daring and flirty side of her comes out when she’s singing. And she doesn’t just sing—she puts on a show. I think it’s that little actress she’s always had buried somewhere in herself. She told me she performed in plays at school, and I can definitely see she has the knack for it.

But singing alongside me also seems to make her happy, and that’s why tonight is so important.

“I’m so nervous,” Camryn says next to my ear, having to speak loudly over the music.

I make a pffft sound with my lips. “Oh, please. Since when do you get nervous anymore? We’ve done this dozens of times.”

“I know, but I’m singing in front of your brother this time.”

“He can’t sing for shit, so his opinion is hardly valid.”

She smiles. “Well, I’m not nervous to the point that I don’t want to do it. I guess it’s actually kind of exciting.”

“That’s my girl,” I say and lean in to kiss her lips.

“Those two girls,” Camryn yells to me without looking in their direction, “front table to your left, they’re having sex with you in their heads right now, I swear to God.”

I laugh lightly and shake my head. We’d started picking people in the crowd to sing to lately.

“And that guy standing next to the woman in the purple shirt,” I say, nodding subtly in his direction, “has had your thighs wrapped around his head since you walked on this stage.”

“So it’ll be them tonight then, huh?” she asks.

I nod and say, “Uh-huh.”

“Make sure you give it to them good, baby,” she says, grinning wickedly at me.

“Oh, I will,” I say with the same amount of wicked on my face.

About the Author J.A. Redmerski, New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author lives in North Little Rock, Arkansas with her three children, two cats and a Maltese. She is a lover of television and books that push boundaries and is a huge fan of AMC's The Walking Dead.

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Review: An Incurable Insanity by Simi K. Rao

Her heart fluttered when she heard the sound of the key turn in the lock. She quickly adjusted her maroon silk sari with the yellow border, the one that had caught his eye, and waited eagerly for his footsteps.

One, two, three, four, five, six, seven... Yes, exactly seven steps before he stopped, hesitated for a few moments, then removed his shoes one by one and arranged them neatly side by side on the shoe rack.

She smiled. He had been mindful of taking his shoes off every day now. "I am not used to it, but I will if you want me to. It's probably a good thing to do anyway."

As he settled down, he would pick up the TV remote and, without looking at her, would say in his smooth baritone, "So how did you spend your day, anything interesting?"

Shaan Ahuja found himself bowing to tradition and agreeing to an arranged marriage to the beautiful Ruhi Sharma. He went through the motions but had no intention of carrying through on his vows. His last foray into matters of the heart with an American girl had left him scarred and unwilling to try again. Thoroughly disillusioned and disgruntled he wasted no time in making his intentions clear to Ruhi on their wedding night. But, he was completely unprepared for what his new wife had in mind.

My Rating:  3.5 out of 5 stars

I had originally scheduled my review of An Incurable Insanity to post in a couple of weeks due to the backlog of pending posts I have looming over my head -- but I can't seem to stop thinking about it.  

I'm not sure what to say about it.  And don't automatically assume that it is a bad thing, because in this case, it isn't.  I started it on Saturday, finished it on Sunday and here I am on Wednesday still trying to tie everything up in a pretty little bow and put it away on my "read" shelf.  But it won't go quietly.  

I have been married for 15 years and let me tell you -- it isn't easy.  And I adore my husband.  We got married after dating long distance (well, if you can say 80 miles apart is long distance) for 3 years and living together for 1.5 years, so I feel pretty confident in saying that I knew him pretty well on the day we said "I do."  So I can't even imagine marrying somebody that I didn't know. 

The premise of this book fascinated me. To be in Ruhi's shoes.  To be in Shaan's shoes.  I mean, talk about taking a leap of faith.  Yikes!

I love a good friends to more story - I've mentioned that before - but this was the exact opposite.  A "more to friends", maybe?  

Then throw in the fact that one of the involved parties has absolutely no intention of following through.  That can't be easy. 

And it isn't.  

(side note - this review is not going at all in the direction that I thought it would)

The characters - I found myself really really liking them, though there were quite a few times where I wanted to grab them by the shoulders and shake some sense into them.  Ruhi, in particular.  She came across as a petulant, spoiled brat...but then I took a few steps back and thought about all the "steps" that she missed.  This marriage was her first, her only, relationship.  Marriage, people.  No dating, no flirting, no messy break-ups.  Marriage.  She was completely naive.  And maybe that allowed me to forgive her behavior just a little bit.  Maybe...though she still generated her fair share of "eyerolls".

That being said, there was no shortage of emotion in this book.  There was a little bit of everything.  For every passage that made me want to smack somebody, there was one where I wanted to nod my head and say "see, you're doing it right".  The swoony moments were swoony, and there was just enough humor to lighten moments at the exact right time.  Thank you, Sunshine and that crazy bird of hers.  

Now, I do feel like I need to talk about the writing.  It was beautiful and fluid and flowy -- but it was also a bit...much.  Not all the time, but there were times when I felt like a moment/scene/chapter/dialogue could have been cut in half and had the same impact.  And yet, I don't know what I'd cut.

See what this book has done to me?  

And stepping back and looking at my ramblings, maybe that is the sign of a good story.  One that does grab a hold of the reader and lingers long after the final page is turned.  It makes it a bit easier to overlook.