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Review: Becoming Calder and Finding Eden, by Mia Sheridan

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When Mia Sheridan first announced she was writing a new book, I was thrilled. When she started writing, she told us that there was so much to say and she would be writing two books and releasing them simultaneously. I couldn’t be happier. Not only were we getting another book, but we were getting TWO! After reading Archer’s Voice, I didn’t think she would be able to come close to Archer, but, boy was I wrong. This is another of those books that I wanna yell, “Just read it!!”

It is so hard to put to words how I am feeling after reading these books. I have never read books like this. The subject matter alone, makes this even more tragic and beautiful. How love can blossom in a time of such destruction and deceit, I will never know.

Synopsis
There is a place in modern day America with no electricity, no plumbing, and no modern conveniences. In this place, there is no room for dreams, no space for self-expression, and no tolerance for ambition.

In this place, there is a boy with the body of a god and the heart of a warrior. He is strong and faithful and serves his family honorably. But he dares to dream of more.

In this place, there is a girl with the face of an angel and a heart full of courage. To her family, she is the vision of obedient perfection. But she dares to want that which she has been told can never be hers.

Eden is brought to Acadia as a little girl, to save them. She is the chosen one. The one the prophecy told of. Calder is the water bearer and one of the many people she will save. As children, their connection was almost instant, but it wouldn’t be allowed to blossom, because she was to be the wife of the “Father” and no one was going to get in his way.

As the years go by, the connection between Calder and Eden is stronger than ever. Eden has been kept away from the other children, but they find times to sneak off and be together and learn more about each other. What starts off as innocent friendship, grows into a fierce love that no man can even think of separating.

“Eden, I vow this. My heart is yours. My life is yours. My body is yours. My art, my dreams. You own each and every part of me.”

I was in a constant state of angst. I was lost in the romance. I was devastated in the crushed dreams. I was downright destroyed at the loss. I was hopeful in the future.

No matter the years or the miles, true love will always finds it’s way.

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This silly, kid-like, review hasn’t even touched 1% of these book’s force. Just go and buy them and you’ll know why I struggled with all the emotions that are running through me. Sometime’s putting words to overwhelming feelings is so much harder than you think.

~Melpomene

Becoming Calder and Finding Eden will both be released on October 5th. Calder is up for pre order now. Finding Eden will be available on release day.

Review: Shame, by Rachel Van Dyken

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“Follow your destiny and know that each step you take will be another footprint in the snow, but make the footprints strong. You want them to lead somewhere. You want the footsteps to have meaning.”

Rachel, Rachel, Rachel!!!! What are you doing to me?!?! The last few books, by Rachel, have left me feeling so emotionally drained and still totally satisfied. This book is most definitely no exception. Another emotionally charged, angst filled, leave-me-on-the-edge-of-my-seat kinda book. Right off the bat, I knew it was going to kill me. I was in a constant state of nervousness. The suspense had me reaching for my chill pills. I had no idea where this book was going to take me. Whew!!

Lisa has a past that she is so ashamed of. She has tried to keep it secret. Only a few of her closest friends knew, and they didn’t even know the full story.

Synopsis

Everything done in darkness, will eventually be brought into the light.

I ran, but all it did was keep me one step ahead of my past. I tried to start over; new name, new identity. But you can’t change your soul.
A fresh start at college was just what I needed. For a while, it worked. I was the party girl, the one that seemed confident, but it was a lie.
When guys kissed me–I felt only pain.
When they touched me–Nothing but fear.

Deep inside, every girl wants to be the beauty in the story, to find someone that will see you as their world.
But the truth? I was the beast. And as much as I wanted redemption, I wasn’t fool enough to think I’d ever get it.
Until he walked into my life.

I wasn’t prepared to fall for someone. My scars were too deep, the wounds too raw. But he offered me peace, he offered me security. I should have known it was just another lie–I should have known that falling in love with my professor was a bad idea.
But I was powerless to stop myself from falling.
And he was powerless to catch me.

Because the darkness finally caught up to me, and as fate would have it, a cruel twist almost bled me dry. But I’m stronger than I knew. I’m stronger than you think.
You think you know my story, but you don’t….after all everyone has Shame in their lives– and I’m no longer afraid to show you mine.

The title of this book is so aptly named. Shame is what Lisa lives with every day. She has done things, in her past, that she can’t change, but she is trying to move on from it. But her past isn’t letting her go so easily. No matter what she does, it won’t let her go.

Tristan is on a mission. He is searching for the truth. But what he finds, is not what he expected. When he meets Lisa he is completely transfixed. But he knows he should stay away, but there’s something about her that pulls him in. But his own secrets keep him from opening up completely.

“It won’t be easy,” I whispered. “Letting you in.”
“It won’t be easy,” She repeated. “Keeping you out.”

Watching these two tiptoe around each other, had the angst level rising. It was like a roller coaster of emotions, for these two. You wanted to root for them, but you knew that when the secrets were told, no one would be left unharmed.

“She could be my poison, and I’d drink from her cup, embracing sweet death if only for another taste.”

Now this book may seem like your typical NA, angst filled book, but I assure you, it isn’t. Right from the very beginning you’ll realize this. Shame deals with emotional bullying and domestic violence that is done in the best way possible. It will leave you reeling, however, I am so glad Rachel wrote about this. This is a subject that is hard to read about, but it does happen more often than we realize. I, for one, am so very glad she wrote about this. Very eye opening.

~Melpomene

Shame (Ruin Series Book 3) will be only 99 cents for the first week of sales, then it jumps up to the regular price of $2.99. So be sure to grab it now!!

Review: As Long As You Love Me, by Ann Aguirre

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01asWOW! I did NOT expect to feel this way, while reading a book. I couldn’t put it down. I was wiping my eyes a few times also. Beautiful NA story the you’re sure to love.

When Lauren left college, to return home, she never told anyone the real reason. Not even her best friend. Watching her struggle with day to day things that never seem to bother us, gave me a glimpse into a world I never knew existed.

Her struggles seemed to affect her living a full life. But when she starts to hang around Rob, he seems to get her and be able to help her. And while he is helping her, she seems to be able to help him realize his full potential and give him the confidence he needs to get his life in order.

The main character, Rob, was so well written. He is NOTHING like your typical hero. In fact, he seriously was twisting my heart. No one treated him like a guy who could do anything. They saw him for what he looked like and not what he can do. His low self esteem had me wishing I could reach in and hug him. It also had me wishing I could reach in and smack a few people as well.

“I’m the one they sleep with before they meet Mr. Right. Anyone who ends up with me, She’ll just be settling.”

See?!?! That boy needs a big hug!!!

But the more they hang out, the more they realize that they’re perfect for each other. I was rooting for them, the whole time. I needed them to move past their struggles and learn how to deal and be confident in each other.

Very well done, Ms. Aguirre!! I am really enjoying this trilogy and can’t wait to read the next book.

~Melpomene

Buy As Long As You Love Me

Grab the first book: I Want It That Way
See my review HERE.

Preorder book 3 The Shape of My Heart
Release date: November 25, 2014

Review: Happenstance 2, by Jamie Mcguire

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“There’s only one you.”

If you haven’t read the first Happenstance, you must go and do that now. I can wait….

Done? Good.

Erin is trying to still work through all of the information she has received, while living with her real parents. Having caring and attentive parents is something she has never had, so it’s hard for her to adjust. She just wants love, not things. But she is slowly growing closer to her real parents, while still battling the bullies at school, who don’t seem to care who she really is.

Weston is still her constant, throughout all of this. He will take one anyone who chooses to cause her trouble. But soon she makes a discovery that may change the way she looks at him and the way she looks at herself. As if her life hasn’t been flipped upside down already.

“She doesn’t need us to fix this for her. We’ll just love her through it.”

This was a nice little story. I can’t to see how she handles this information she has been given, in the next book. Thank God she has loyal parents, who would give her the moon if they could, and her boyfriend, who would wrestle dragons.

~Melpomene

Buy Happenstance: A Novella Series (Part Two)

Get caught up with Happenstance

Review: Amity by Michael Ostow

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19141361Did you grow up scared sleepless after watching Amityville Horror? Did you watch it more than once just because you were fascinated yet slightly traumatized by it? Were you interested enough in the true story to do a little bit of research into what really happened in Amityville? If any of the above questions apply to you, this new book by Michael Ostow is definitely a must-read!

This creepy supernatural story plays off the events retold in Amityville Horror. Two horrific tragedies are at play here, separated by a span of ten years. Gwen and her family are the lucky inhabitants of the Amity house ten years after Connor and his family were in residence. And of course, things didn’t end happily ever after for the original inhabitants.

The chapters easily alternate between the two time periods with everything converging at the end. Demonic possession, ghosts, ancient burial grounds, and good old-fashioned human murder all have a starring role. Great for fans of scary good stories, and safe enough for young adult readers. As long as they don’t mind a few sleepless nights, that is!

~Thalia

Buy It Now: Amity

Review: Eyes of the Woods, by Eden Fierce

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01eyes What a fantastic debut novel, from this young lady!! I was so very excited to read this. In all honesty, I went in with the notion of finding a young adult book for my daughter. I hoped being written by a 15 yr old, it wouldn’t have some of the stuff many other YA books have. I have struggled with finding true YA books without sex or language. I honestly don’t think they exist. But this book blew me away. It had the perfect amount of action. It was the PERFECT amount of sweet romance. It wasn’t overdone and sappy. It was perfectly innocent. I can’t wait for my daughter to read this!

The funny thing is, when I first started it, and she called her dad Father, I was immediately taken in. There’s something sweet about that. I can’t put my finger on it. Perhaps, deep down, I’m old fashioned.

SYNOPSIS
Eris Helgren knew her life was about to end. A daughter of the Priory–a generations-old family who protected their territories from nightwalkers–Eris was strong and independent. But on her birthday, her father would announce her betrothal. A year later, she would be forced to marry.

What Eris didn’t know was that the very beings she hunted were watching her, and that being tamed wasn’t what would kill her after all.

In a land where the woods were forbidden and the laws meant life, Eris will have to make a decision that could bring peace between enemies, or war among friends.

I was drawn to Eris right away. She loved her family very much, but didn’t like some of the rules they had to follow. But being a good daughter, she was forced to go along with them, until something happened that changed the course of her life. She was then forced to make decisions that could change her entire world.

The action was fantastic! My nerves did get the better of me a few times. I was so very curious to what happening, I couldn’t put it down. There were a couple of sad parts that may be hard to read. But as I thought about what these kids watch on TV or video games, they would be used to things much worse.

As the primary book chooser for my kids it is very refreshing to find a true Young Adult book. Many YA books have sex and that is not needed or necessary in any YA books. This is the transition time. From kid books to teen books. We shouldn’t have to worry about warning our kids or blocking certain pages off. You should be able to pick up a YA book and hand it to any 12-15 yr old without having to worry about them reading about sex. This is a book I will be recommending to all of my fellow moms of tweens/teens.

**ADDITION**
I asked my 12 yr old to read this book, as a favor. I knew she’d like it, but telling her to read, instead of asking, always backfires. But I wanted an honest tween opinion.

At 8pm, she comes out of her room and says, “I’m just on chapter 2 and I know I’m going to like it already.”
At 9pm, “Oh my gosh!! I promise I’ll go to bed not too late, but I have to know what’s going to happen!!”
The next morning, “Good morning, Mom. I got to…….Can I finish before I start school, pleeeeease?” (Homeschool)
Half hour later, “Mom!! Can you order me a signed copy? I love this book!! This ranks right up with Edenbrooke.” Edenbrooke is her FAVORITE book.
After lunch, “You know how I’m not a rereader? Well, I REALLY wanna reread this.” 🙂

Her thoughts: “I liked the action.” “I was sad at some parts, and almost cried!” “I am so happy to see a girl who was strong and didn’t need help. Katniss needed help, Eris didn’t she knew what she wanted and went and got it.”

Yep, teens will like this. Way to go, Eden!!! I know your mom is proud of you, but this mom is also. You are an example to this young girls, out there, that they can do anything, no matter their age.

~Melpomene

Buy Eyes of the Woods

Review: Ghosting by Edith Pattou

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20140629-124617-45977646.jpgWhere to begin with this review? First off, it was everything I expected while not being what I expected at the same time. Make sense? When I requested an ARC of this book, I had never heard of Edith Pattou so I wasn’t familiar with her work. The title of the book didn’t mesh with the description, so of course that made me curious enough to give it a try.

So exactly what is the story about? Think “butterfly effect” for the young adult audience. It’s a story about how quickly the world can go wrong, even if you’re young and have your whole life in front of you. Classmates, some friends and some not, thrown together because of a set of circumstances that all come together in one horrible moment. A night of partying, some drinking and drugs thrown in, guns where they shouldn’t be, a teenage prank gone horribly wrong, and nobody is brave enough to stand up for what is right.

My thoughts? In one word, wow. I was a bit thrown off at first because the story is written in free verse, which I wasn’t familiar with in narrative form. But once I got past that initial hurdle, I saw that this style of writing is part of what makes this story so engaging and easy to read. We hear from all of the main characters, almost as if we’ve been invited into their heads to hear their internal conversation. They’re not all likable. In fact, some of them are just plain horrible people. Still, we come to feel their pain and to see them as human as this tragic story unfolds. And this isn’t one of those books that leaves the reader wondering what happens, although those have their place on my bookshelf as well. We end the story with a good feeling of where everyone is, and where everyone is going after that final page. And we’re left thinking if only….

~Thalia

Buy It Now: Ghosting

Review: Stained by Cheryl Rainfield

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20140725-085358-32038195.jpgI’m a sucker for young adult books,especially those with a strong female protagonist. And when a book comes highly recommended from a friend, it’s a must read for me.

Sarah has had a hard life. Although she comes from a solid and loving family, a large port wine stain on her face has made her the subject of stares, giggles, rejection, and teasing for as long as she can remember. She’s created her own little world with a couple of select friends and her passion for reading and writing comic books. Still, she longs for a somewhat normal life where people will look past her appearance. Then everything changes when she becomes the victim of an abduction. As she tries to escape her captor, she finds herself examining her beliefs and drawing upon inner strength she didn’t know that she had.

This is a book about many things. It’s about teasing and bullying, going far beyond the normal teenage stuff. It’s about being strong at heart while still being vulnerable to both words and actions. And it’s about standing up for yourself and others, even when the world around you makes it hard.

This one was a tough read. It doesn’t sugarcoat the horrors that Sarah went through, and the descriptions are pretty graphic. However, it’s not meant to be a rose-colored glasses kind of story. In order to appreciate Sarah’s strength and resilience, you really have to feel her experiences. Still, use caution if choosing this book for younger readers. Although it was a book that I couldn’t put down, it was highly disturbing at times.

~Thalia

Buy It Now: Stained

Cover reveal: Cherish, by Tracey Garvis-Graves

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We are thrilled to share the gorgeous cover for Cherish, by New York Times Bestselling Author Tracey Garvis-Graves. This novella is a companion to Covet.

Cherish AmazonGRSW

Fans of Covet by New York Times bestselling author Tracey Garvis Graves will be delighted by this novella-length sequel.

When Daniel Rush wakes up in the hospital after suffering a gunshot wound to the head, the last person he expects to see at his bedside is his ex-wife Jessica. Their marriage disintegrated after the death of their infant son Gabriel, and Daniel gave Jessie what he thought she wanted: the freedom to start over with someone else. But Daniel never updated his emergency contact information, and Jessie is the one who receives the call with the devastating news.

Daniel was Jessie’s one true love. Together since college, Jessie had dreams of raising a family with Daniel, and growing old together. When Gabriel died, Jessie buried those dreams with her beloved son and shut everyone out, including Daniel.

Daniel faces months of grueling rehabilitation and he’s going to need some help. Jessie is the last person anyone expects to volunteer, but this is her one chance to make amends, giving her and Daniel a shot at getting things right this time.

The road to recovery will be long and arduous. But with Jessie leading the way, Daniel just might be able to get his old life back.

Daniel knows how to covet. But can Jessie help him remember how to cherish?

*Please note that this is a novella-length sequel. Reading Covet before Cherish is highly recommended in order to enhance your reading pleasure.

Release date is October 28, 2014.

Pre-order Cherish (Covet, #1.5)

See where Daniel’s story begins, with Covet

Covet

Read my review HERE
Buy Covet: A Novel

I am quite excited to read more about Daniel. I know there is more to him. And I know he can have a happy life of his own.

~Melpomene

Review: Under the Jeweled Sky by Alison McQueen

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underOh dear…where to start? When I first started this book I feel in love on the first page. I was so intrigued. It was a mystery that I wanted to solve page by page. I wasn’t in a rush, it was one of those warm glows that feels oh so very lovely that you just want to savor it bit by delightful bit! I still felt this way at 30%. If anything, I was even more smitten with this novel. I loved Sophie, the main character, despite her naivety. I loved Jag. I loved India and all of the settings….The Palace. The romance. The women’s quarters. I even loved the mother’s cruelness. Not that I liked her personally, I just liked the elements she brought into this story. The layers she brought forth were yet another mystery for me to be intrigued by and a mystery to solve….

At about 40%…..well…..I realised that all of my love was based on appearances. Oh come on now….don’t act like that….you know we’ve all done this…..don’t lie! Who hasn’t fallen in love from the first moment and imagined it to be all of these wonderful things….and you dig and you dig…and then you realise….well, hell’s bells….this isn’t as mysterious as I had hoped. This isn’t as complex as I had hoped…..sigh….

Now don’t get me wrong….this isn’t a short novel….It’s a nice 400 pages….you should be able to fit a lot into 400 pages! Right? Yet, I felt that this was just a rough draft. It was missing bits I needed. There just was too much missing. Why didn’t Sophie fight? How did she end up where she was? Why did she leave India when she didn’t really have to?

I still loved this book. I am just a bit disappointed in Alison McQueen. I mean, she had everything here before me. She dangled this beautiful setting….these star crossed lovers….this wonderful story right in front of me face! She had me salivating! I mean, I had to wipe the drool off of my face. I had to try to control me glee. I bragged to everyone I could once I reached 30%…….and then….alas…..she broke my heart. It’s like being promised a homemade cheesecake after having a sunday roast……Looking forward to it all week with promises of how lush it will be…then the weekend comes….things get hectic…..and on Sunday you’re handed an instant turkey roast meal with special offer cheesecake flavoured biscuits! Yes, it has enough flavour for you to appreciate it. Yes, you are thankful for it…..yes, it did fill you up…..however….all you can think of is just how much more wonderful it could have been…..

so yea, I’m mad at you Alison McQueen. I KNOW you can do better than this….this was a 800 page novel that you chopped down to 400…..and yes, the shell is there….and yes it’s beautiful….but damnit….I want me meaty bits…..I not only want your words to feed my body…I wanted them to feed my soul as well….

Don’t get me wrong, I loved it from the start…..and I didn’t mind the ending…..I just missed the middle….

Sigh……Maybe next time…..

Until next time….

Urania xx

Review Copy provided by NetGalley for an honest review

Buy it now Under the Jeweled Sky by Alison McQueen