Review: Broken Course by Aly Martinez

SYNOPSIS:

Seven years ago, my life changed forever. One accident and the person I saw in the mirror no longer resembled the woman I used to be. I was lost and confused inside my own body. I felt alone and disconnected from the world, carrying the incredible weight of guilt and loss that wasn't even mine to harbor.

Then fate led me to Leo James. He taught me that crazy could be perfectly normal and it shouldn't hurt to breathe. Don't get me wrong. Leo isn't perfect. He has his own cross to bear, and the truth is, that might be why I fell for him in the first place. But despite everything he does for me, learning to forgive myself is infinitely harder than overlooking the flaws of another.

Now, the secrets and lies of our past have begun to dictate our future—threatening to ruin us before we get the chance to try. Perhaps we were cursed from the start. Or maybe, just maybe, the remnants of our fractured lives will fit together to form one whole, where love isn’t questioned and being happy is…well, easy.

Can a second broken soul be enough to fill the voids of my own? Or will such scarred pasts prove too much for our love alone to overcome?

 
MY THOUGHTS:

5 out of 5 stars

Before I get officially started with my review, I need to put this out there:

Dear Aly Martinez...my birthday is in February and I want Leo.  Or Christmas.  Christmas would also work.  Or tomorrow.  I have no issue with tomorrow.  You just let me know when.
 

I'm not even joking.  It is like when you were creating Leo, you crawled inside my head and picked every single one of my weaknesses.  I'm pretty sure you have ruined me for any other contemporary romance heroes.  Dark, dirty and flawed...I mean, hellllllo Leo.

Ahem.  So back to the review of the story.

There MAY have been a bit of trepidation on my part going into this story...you see, I have a tendency to hold grudges longer than is probably healthy and I loathed Sarah in Changing Course.  And yes, I know that Stolen Course sheds light on her situation, but still.  I haven't hated a character like I hate Sarah since reading Gone Girl.  There may have been a few WTFs uttered when finishing Among the Echoes.  Okay, so maybe more than a few.

BUT...I love Aly and I have faith in Aly and then Celeste from The Book Hookup tweeted me about Leo and I knew I couldn't put it off any longer.

My plan was to simply pretend Sarah was somebody else.

Y'all...this may be my favorite book of the series.  If you haven't read the first books in this series, I'm not going to rehash what brings Sarah and Leo together, but once they are together their chemistry is undeniable.  But it isn't just the intense attaction between Sarah and Leo that makes their relationship work, it is the fact that they are both broken.  Yes, I say "are" because what the two of them had experienced in their separate lives are events nobody could ever let go.  The scars are long.  The scars are deep.  And the scars are permanent.

That being said, that doesn't mean that Sarah and Leo have to let the scars define them.

And I think that is what I love most about this book.  Aly Martinez doesn't write a story that erases the past simply because the future happens.  She writes a story that allows a future in that happens because of the past.  What Sarah did and what Leo experienced doesn't just go away because they are in love.  Actually, their emotions bring everything closer to the surface and it isn't sunshine and rainbows.

I loved this story.  It had everything I look for -- intensity, emotions, unf, humor and an ending that fits the characters.  This whole series and Beyond the Echoes have a permanent place on my Kindle because I know I will be rereading them...I refuse to say goodbye to these characters.  And I can't read what Aly Martinez gives us next.

Review: Twelve by T. M. Franklin

SYNOPSIS:

Ava Michaels is gifted, powerful, and — whether she likes it or not — part of a plot to take over the world.

It’s only been a few months since Ava Michaels discovered she has ties to an ancient people living in the shadows of the human world, despite their superior gifts and abilities. A select few don’t like hiding, however, and think it’s time to take control.

Now Ava’s caught up in a conspiracy in the works before she was even born. In fact, her birth was an integral part of the plan. She’s one of the Twelve, the most powerful Race ever created, and they were created for a purpose.

Turns out, Ava doesn’t like being told what to do.

All she wants is to start a new life with her boyfriend, Caleb Foster, but before they can even think about that, they must join forces with former enemies, seek out some powerful new friends, and figure out what exactly the Twelve, and their power-hungry leader, are up to.

Then, they have to find a way to stop them.

MY THOUGHTS:

4 out of 5 stars

I have wanted to read this book for over a year now.  Since the moment I finished the The Guardians, the second book in the trilogy. 
  
I hate waiting.  I really really hate waiting.  But when the moment comes when you can finally get the rest of the story, you realize that the wait was worth it.  

Ava and Caleb have quite a task in front of them.  On a broader scale, they are out to bring the Guardians and the Council together for the good of their people.  On a more personal scale, Ava is still continuing the process of figuring out who she is.  Not only is she not human, she is more than just Race.  

She is one of the twelve.  

One of twelve children of Elias Borre, a man determined to bring the Race to power, whatever the cost.  While Ava is quite determined to reject her biological father's wishes and plans, he does have one card up his sleeve that makes her choice to fight him a bit of a conundrum.  

If she doesn't join him, well...it won't end well.

Like the other two books in the series, Twelve had my attention from the beginning and I didn't want to put it down.  It was fast-paced and exciting, new characters introduced and adventure at every turn, but without feeling frantic or like the author was trying to cram everything in before the end.  It made sense and the pace just added to the excitement that culminated in a resolution that left me completely satisfied (and a little sad that it was time to say goodbye.  Sigh.  I hate goodbyes).

All in all, I found Twelve to be a solid ending to a solid series.  I look forward to reading more from T. M. Franklin and she has a solid spot on my authors to watch list.  

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

T.M. Franklin started out her career writing nonfiction in a television newsroom. Graduating with a BA in Communications specializing in broadcast journalism and production, she worked for nine years as a major market television news producer, and garnered two regional Emmy Awards, before she resigned to be a full-time mom and part-time freelance writer. Her first published novel, MORE, was born out of a challenge to write a novel in thirty days issued during National Novel Writing month. MORE was well received, selected as a finalist in the 2013 Kindle Book Review Best Indie Book Awards, and won the Suspense/Thriller division of the Blogger Book Fair Reader’s Choice Awards.   In addition to MORE and its sequels, The Guardians and TWELVE, Franklin has penned the Amazon best-selling short stories, Window and A Piece of Cake. Her new YA romance How to Get Ainsley Bishop to Fall in Love with You is Franklin’s first love story without traditionally recognized paranormal or fantasy elements. Although . . . T. M. is the first to argue that love is the best kind of magic.

Twitter * Facebook * Website

Pinterest *Google+ * LinkedIn

  

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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:

 a Rafflecopter giveaway

Cover Reveal: Sunrise by Mike Mullin

Many months ago, I made a comment on FB about how I was looking for something to read and a long lost friend suggested Ashfall and Ashen Winter -- I loved them both.  Mike Mullin introduced me to a whole new world and gave me back my friend.  So to say that I have a soft spot for him is an understatement.

Anywhoo, a few weeks I saw there was a sign up to take part in the cover reveal for the third and final book in the series, Sunrise.  For real, I was on that like white on rice.  Promoting his books through my blog is the least I can do for him considering all that he has unknowingly done for me.

So yeah.  Read his books.  And when this one comes out, read it too.  You never know who might come back into your life because of his words.

  

Synopsis:

The Yellowstone supervolcano nearly wiped out the human race. Now, almost a year after the eruption, the survivors seem determined to finish the job. Communities wage war on each other, gangs of cannibals roam the countryside, and what little government survived the eruption has collapsed completely. The ham radio has gone silent. Sickness, cold, and starvation are the survivors' constant companions.

When it becomes apparent that their home is no longer safe and adults are not facing the stark realities, Alex and Darla must create a community that can survive the ongoing disaster, an almost impossible task requiring even more guts and more smarts than ever — and unthinkable sacrifice. If they fail . . . they, their loved ones, and the few remaining survivors will perish.

This epic finale has the heart of Ashfall, the action of Ashen Winter, and a depth all its own, examining questions of responsibility and bravery, civilization and society, illuminated by the story of an unshakable love that transcends a post-apocalyptic world and even life itself.

About the Author:

Mike holds a black belt in Songahm Taekwondo. He lives in Indianapolis with his wife and her three cats. Ashen Winter is his second novel. His debut, Ashfall, was named one of the top five young adult novels of 2011 by National Public Radio, a Best Teen Book of 2011 by Kirkus Reviews, and a New Voices selection by the American Booksellers Association.

Website        Twitter      Facebook      Booklikes 

 

Fun Links About Sunrise:

 Booklikes:                   Goodreads:                   Pre-Order on Amazon: 

a Rafflecopter giveaway