Macmillan

Review and Giveaway: Lead, by Kylie Scott

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“Break something bad enough. there’s no point trying to fix it.”

Jimmy Jimmy Jimmy………. This man was lost. He was so used to his stupid mom treating him and his brother like crap, as he grew up. He felt no love. He made my heart hurt. Growing up with no one to care for him, he turned to drugs and women to escape life. But too much of something takes it’s toll and he lands himself in rehab. But afterwards, he is determined to put himself back together. So he hired Lena to be his assistant and to keep him on the straight and narrow. He doesn’t want her there, but he needs her there.

Lena had no idea what she was getting herself into, with the megastar. She doesn’t take his crap and gives it just as good as she gets. Pretty soon all that arguing and banter starts creating feelings that she has no where to put them. No matter what they do, they seem to spark whenever they’re close.

Jimmy has no idea how to deal with that. He is used to one night stands and wants nothing to do with relationships. But there’s something about Lena that he needs, but he would never tell her that.

They grow closer, the more time they spend with each other. Soon you see them hanging out and doing little things for each other, and with each other. But he refuses to look at it as more than a casual friendship. Poor Lena looks at it as a growing relationship, but knows that could never be.

After some very explosive scenes, Jimmy pushed her away, instead of dealing with what’s happening between them. But soon he realizes that love is quite possible for him, no matter what he was told as a child.

Jimmy has no idea how to love and be loved. He needs Lena to help him, even if he doesn’t realize it.

EXCERPT:
“Lena, you seen my old black Led Zep shirt?”
“Nope.”
“You sure?” His brows became one dark cranky line. The scratches on his face were healing well, thank goodness. Though it didn’t reduce my desire to throttle his mother on a daily basis.
“Yes. I haven’t seen it.”
Can’t find it anywhere…”
“And this is a surprise, how?” I slipped my hands into my back jean’s pockets. “Jimmy, you own more clothing than Cher, Brittney, and Elvis, put together. Things are bound to go missing.”
“Sure you haven’t seen it?”
“For goodness sake, what do you think, Jimmy? That I stole it to sleep in or something?” I laughed bitterly. Sure as hell, the truth deserved a good mocking. I’d sunk so despicably low.
I hadn’t even meant to steal the stupid thing, but the shirt had been mixed up with my laundry a few days ago. It’d been the first top I laid my hand on after stepping out of the shower, ready to go to bed. Without thought, I’d put it on and it’d been so soft, the scent of him lingering beneath the laundry detergent. Every night since, I’d found myself in it come bedtime. My shame knew no limits. And no, I still hadn’t quit. The words still hadn’t come even close to leaving my mouth.
He frowned. “No.”
“That I have some deep secret longing to feel close to you resulting in my stealing your shirt like some creepy perv?”
“Course I don’t fucking think that,” he replied crankily, reaching up to grip the top of the doorframe. All of his bulging muscles stretched the arms of his white T-shirt in the nicest way. It was all I could do not to start drooling, my heart beat taking up residence somewhere down between my thighs. And who could blame it? Not me. Maybe if I got laid, this would go away and things would return to normal. It’d seemed safer to avoid rubbing up against any men just in case I got carried away and started dating again. This new situation, however, changed everything.
“Well, of course not! That would be crazy.” And wasn’t that the god’s honest truth? Cray-zeee. Lock me up and throw away the key because it wasn’t like I didn’t know better.
“Just can’t figure out where the hell it could be.”
Angels couldn’t have smiled as innocently. They might have tried, but they would have failed, the dirty-mouthed, winged, little liars. “Jimmy, I don’t know where it is. But I’ll look around for it later, okay?”
“Yeah,” he said, and then added as an afterthought, “and stop looking at me weird.”
“I’m not!”


This is the 3rd book in the Stage Dive series. I like the fact that they can be standalone, but to fully enjoy all the characters, you must start from the beginning. You MUST!!

~Melpomene

**** a Rafflecopter giveaway****

Buy:
Lick (A Stage Dive Novel)
Play (A Stage Dive Novel)
Lead: A Stage Dive Novel
Pre-order Ben’s book, Deep (A Stage Dive Novel)

Review: Perfected by Kate Jarvik Birch

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I absolutely loved this book. I love dystopian/apocalyptic stories and went through a phase when that’s all I would read. I’ve read almost every angle that’s been covered. Cyborgs, utopian societies, altered life forms, walled-off cities, rampant viruses, mutant beings, total environmental destruction…I’ve sampled them all. And then along comes this little gem that doesn’t fall into any of those categories and really isn’t very dystopian at all.

Meet Ella, or so she’s been named by her new owners. She’s one of a new breed, humans genetically engineered to be pets. These are the new status symbols for the rich and famous. And Ella comes from the best of the best, Greenwich Kennels, where young girls are taught how to walk, talk, smile, and perform on command for their wealthy owners. When Ella is purchased by Congressman Kimball and his family, she encounters a world she didn’t know existed. The family is both rich and powerful, and Ella is brought home to live in the lap of luxury. All she has to do is entertain young Ruby Kimball and smile prettily for the Congressman and his friends.

But her training didn’t teach her how to deal with her more human emotions. Emotions like sadness when hearing beautiful music, amazement when tasting candy for the first time, and passion when she falls for the Congressman’s son, Penn. She knows she’s been given a good life and lives in fear of being sent back to the kennel for doing something wrong. But beneath all the glamour lies an undercurrent of trouble. What happened to the family’s last pet and why was she returned to the kennel? And then there’s the Congressman’s creepy hands becoming ever more familiar day by day.

The correlations between human pets and animal pets are eerily accurate. Ella has her own special diet and isn’t allowed to eat with her owners. She’s told what to wear, what to do, and where to go. She has a “collar” with her name and address engraved on it. She’s even been microchipped in case she gets lost. And when she misbehaves, she’s put on a chain. She’s not expected to have an opinion, just to please the family.

This was one of those can’t-put-down books for me. Once I started it, I just had to find out what happens to Ella. She’s such a likable character, an innocent at the hands of people who just want a pretty plaything to show off. I loved her innocence and amazement at experiencing things for the first time-a banana split, a butterscotch candy, a midnight swim, a first kiss. Kate Jarvik Burch has crafted an amazingly engaging story that had me from the first page, the first line even. Grab this one, and be prepared for a marathon reading session!

~Thalia

Buy It Now: Perfected (Entangled Teen)

Review: Complicit by Stephanie Kuehn

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20140209-163912.jpgA young single mother dies a violent death. Her two young children witness this horror. With no family members to take them in, they are at the mercy of the courts until an adoptive family is found. Not only is the family willing to adopt both young children, they are also extremely wealthy. And they all live happily ever after…or not.

Things start out well enough for Jamie and his sister Cate when they’re adopted by the Henry family. They fit right in and are soon enrolled in private school, horse-riding lessons, piano lessons, and everything else that being part of a well-off family entails. But as they enter their teenage years, Cate begins to spiral downward in a cycle of drug and alcohol abuse as well as signs of mental illness. Cate’s wild ways catch up with her when she’s sentenced to a juvenile detention facility for burning down a neighborhood horse barn. Jamie’s life without Cate settles into a predictable, safe rhythm. That is, until Cate is released. It starts with threatening phone calls and soon Jamie is seeing Cate everywhere he looks. She’s come back for him, and she’s still crazy. Or is she?

This second novel by Stephanie Kuehn had me flipping pages, or in my case pushing page turn buttons, faster than you can imagine. It’s an intense, on-the-edge of your seat novel that I finished in one day. I kinda thought I had it figured out towards the end but there was still enough suspense at the end to satisfy me. And a big plus for young adult readers is that it’s a fairly safe book with only the hint of sexual tension between teenagers. Grab this one and plan to set everything else aside until you finish it!

~Thalia

Buy it Now: Complicit

Review: That Night by Chevy Stevens

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20140319-213038.jpgWhere to start with this one? Let me begin by saying that all passionate readers have that select group of favorite authors whose newest release is an eagerly anticipated, must-read. Chevy Stevens is one of those authors for me. Anytime she puts out a new story, I just know it’s going to be a good one. This newest selection did not disappoint.

Our protagonist is Toni, a young woman who is being released from prison after a long stint served for the murder of her teenage sister. Everyone, even Toni’s parents, were eventually convinced that she and boyfriend Ryan did indeed murder Nicole. Now seventeen years later, Toni is trying to get her life back on track and find some sense of normalcy, albeit a completely different kind of normal from the one she knew before her incarceration. However, the past has other plans. Enemies and secrets from the past begin to show their ugly heads, threatening to send Toni back to prison. Her only chance to save herself is to find out who is really responsible for her sister’s death.

I enjoyed this story and as a result finished it in a matter of a couple of days. It’s a great honor to read and review this work before it hits the stands. Chevy Stevens has been a favorite author of mine since I discovered Still Missing a few years ago. I will say that this story lacked some of the intensity of her previous stories. It wasn’t as pulse-pounding and page-turning as her earlier works. But, you really can’t go wrong when you pick one of her books off the shelf. You can always rely on a good, compelling story with intriguing characters. Add this one to your list, especially if you’ve enjoyed her other stories!

~Thalia

Buy it Now: That Night

Review: Fire Rising, by Donna Grant

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01fire This is the second in the Dark Kings series. I am super thrilled to read each of these. I love reading about Fae and dragons and even warriors.
Synopsis
Tristan, the newest Dragon King, is having a tough time fitting in. Despite his ability to transform into a proud, strong dragon at will, no one knows where he came from or how he became a Dragon King, including himself. When trouble arises in the form of the mob, Tristan is going to have to put aside his questions and band with the other Dragon Kings to protect Dreagan. As if things weren’t complicated enough, he is about to find something worth fighting for more important than the Dragon Kings…

Sammie Miller, pub owner in Oban, has been scorned by her business partner—and former lover. Used as a front for money laundering with the mob, Sammie is in great danger once she realizes what has happened. Barely escaping, she plans to rest at Dreagan for only a day before going back on the run. When Tristan swears to protect her, Sammie thinks his efforts will be in vain—the mob is too powerful, and it will take more than the average man’s devotion to keep her safe. But the closer she gets to Tristan, and the more he learns his secrets, Sammie can’t deny that having a Dragon King who worships you, body and soul, isn’t such a bad thing…

Sammi is on the run, from the mob, after her partner/ex-lover launders money through her pub. She has no where to go, but to her step sister. But in doing so, it could bring danger to her and her family. Sammi doesn’t wanna do that, but she has no other choice. She has no one else in the world.

Tristan has been a dragon king for two years and he’s still trying to figure out why. He has no memory from before falling out of the sky and landing as a king. He’s been told he has a twin, who’s a warrior, but seeing him, isn’t what he’s ready for.

When Sammi comes to Dreagan searching for help, she meets Tristan and is instantly drawn to him. But she knows she can’t stay there, or else they could be in danger as well. But Tristan isn’t going to let her get away so easily. While trying to help her he starts to feel for her, but doesn’t know how to deal with it. And when he’s close to her, his past creeps up on him. So he’s not sure if this is a good or bad thing. But I like how he’ll protect her, even if he says it’s just because she’s family. He’s afraid to get close, since he’s still struggling with his past.

“Your past doesn’t define you, Tristan. Your actions in the present do.”

This story brings back a few of our warriors and druids and sets us up for some crazy new side stories. Rhi, for instance, I knew she was going to have a bigger role in this. But as to what, I’m still not sure. But I hope we find out her story. I just know it’s a good one!! Balladyn has a story also. I am crossing my fingers for him. Ulrik makes me nervous. Something bad is bound to happen. I just hope the dragons can stop him before it gets too bad.

Bring on the next one!!

~Melpomene

Buy Fire Rising (Dark Kings)

Buy the first book, Darkest Flame (Dark Kings)

Review: The Truth About Alice by Jennifer Mathieu

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20140202-082232.jpgEverybody staring as you walk into the cafeteria. Nobody to sit with. Not-so-subtle whispers as you walk through the hallways. Names scribbled on bathroom walls. If you never experienced any of this in high school, consider yourself lucky. The teasing and bullying can be brutal.

Alice Franklin has always been somewhat lucky. Although not one of the most popular kids, she’s nonetheless always been accepted in the culture of her small town Texas high school. That begins to change after she’s rumored to have slept with two guys at a party. When one of them, Brandon who is also the star quarterback, dies in a car crash, everyone knows it’s because Alice was sending him harassing text messages. The rumor mill goes into full force and Alice is totally, completely on her own. The story is told from four points of view. Elaine is a self-professed popular, cute girl. Kelsie is Alice’s once upon a time best friend before popularity wins out over loyalty. Josh is Brandon’s best friend and was in the car when it crashed. And Kurt is a loner in his own way but somehow finds the courage to reach out to Alice. We don’t hear Alice’s voice until the very end, and what a voice it is!

This debut novel from Jennifer Mathieu is completely mind-blowing. It’s a relentless but honest look into small town and particularly high school dynamics. How do rumors get started? Why don’t people take the time to find out if a rumor is true? To what lengths will someone go to in order to protect their social standing? And what kind of inner strength does it take to survive something like this? There are many lessons to be learned about all of the above from this book. A word of caution: There are numerous scenes involving drinking and some sexual content so proceed with caution, although I think it’s completely appropriate for mature, older teens as the message within is so valuable.

~Thalia

Buy it Now: The Truth About Alice

Review: Darkest Flame(Dark Kings#1) by, Donna Grant

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01dark I am in love with dragons. Seriously in love. Donna Grant has shown me the light. 🙂 I mean, look at that cover!! What’s not to love?? The Dark Kinds is a spin off of the Dark Warrior and Dark Sword series. I enjoyed meeting a few of the Dragon Kings in those books. I’m glad they get their own series.

Kellan has been asleep for over 1200 years and wanted to stay sleeping. He hates humans and all the trouble they cause. But when he is woken up by Denae, in his cave, he is forced to make the decision to save her or let her die. But something about her, captivated him. He wants her, but he doesn’t want to want her.

Denae is MI5 and was on a mission, and was betrayed and is now in at the mercy of the Dragon Kings. While she tries to find out who set her up, she is forced to be around Kellan. She knows he hates her, but she is drawn to him and can’t seem to get him out of her head. It seems that the more she tries to stay away from him, the more they are brought together. She just wants to give them everything she knows so she can leave. But leaving is easier said than done.

Danger is coming from all directions, which forces her to stay and learn secrets that have been kept for thousands of years. Secrets that will bring past friends and new allies, into the picture, and have Denae thrust into a war she never saw coming. They must decide if their love is worth the danger it brings on the rest of the kings and their people. But in the midst of all of this craziness, there was one story line thrown in, that blew me away. I seriously reread the same page 5 times. I wasn’t sure I read correctly. I never saw that coming. But now I’m SUPER excited for the next book!!

I really loved the romance of this story. Kellen truly wanted her, but his hatred of humans was driving him away. Once he let it go, love beyond his wildest imagination was given to him. Now all he had to do, is protect it. And he would do anything, in his powers, to do it.

~Melpomene

Buy Darkest Flame (Dark Kings)

Review: Love Letters to the Dead by Ava Dellaira

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20140422-185107.jpgI was intrigued by this one from the moment I heard about it. The title, the cover, the description…all these things came together in a perfect storm of literary anticipation.

Dear Kurt Cobain…When Laurel is asked to write a letter to a dead person as part of an English assignment, she picks Kurt Cobain. He’s the closest connection she has to her dead sister, May. You see, Laurel is having a hard time moving past the sudden death of her beloved older sister. She’s moved to a new school hoping to get a fresh start. But her memories follow her everywhere. And people are still talking about “that girl who died”. So Laurel digs in and takes her writing assignment to the next level. Not only does she write to Kurt, but also Judy Garland, Janis Joplin, Amelia Earhart, Amy Winehouse, River Phoenix, and Heath Ledger among others. These aren’t just random dead people but instead those she feels some kind of connection to. Throughout the course of the story Laurel writes about starting a new school, making new friends, falling in love, coming to grips with her shattered family, and trying to move past May’s death.

I wondered several times throughout the story why Laurel didn’t just write to her sister instead of this menagerie of famous dead people. Wouldn’t it have been simpler than pouring her heart out to the voice of Mr. Ed? Of course, but then she’d have to confront a plethora of emotions about May and her death. Anger, regret, guilt…you name it and it’s there. So instead she puts her heart and soul into writing to those who can never read her words. And so her letters become a time capsule of her life after May, evidence of her life moving forward after a few stumbles. It’s her journey from being May’s adoring little sister to standing on her own and finding her way in life.

So did the book live up to my expectations? Beyond a doubt! While the characters and story itself are good enough to stand alone, the beauty is in the language of Laurel’s letters. I love stories that are written in a different style such as this one. Laurel’s inner dialogue with herself and what she wishes she could say to May plays out entirely in the form of her letters. The story flows easily from one letter to the next with no break in Laurel’s thinking. The character development is excellent and believable. This first novel from Ava Dellaira shows just how powerful and beautiful words can be if put together the right way. Five stars all the way for me!

~Thalia

Buy it Now: Love Letters to the Dead

Play(Stage Dive #2), by Kylie Scott

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“Life is a song, Anne. Let’s play.”

I was super excited when Play released a week early!! I hurried through my current reread so I could start this one. Of course I couldn’t put it down, so that means I stayed up WAY too late. But I had to finish it!! I needed to know what was happening with Mal. While this is book 2, in the Stage Dive series, it can be read as a standalone. I love series like these.

Synopsis
Mal Ericson, drummer for the world famous rock band Stage Dive, needs to clean up his image fast—at least for a little while. Having a good girl on his arm should do the job just fine. Mal doesn’t plan on this temporary fix becoming permanent, but he didn’t count on finding the one right girl.

Anne Rollins never thought she’d ever meet the rock god who plastered her teenage bedroom walls—especially not under these circumstances. Anne has money problems. Big ones. But being paid to play the pretend girlfriend to a wild life-of-the-party drummer couldn’t end well. No matter how hot he is. Or could it?

Anne has had a crush on Mal, for years. So when she meets him, she is completely shocked at how he acts around her. He teases and pushes her buttons, but he also makes her want to tear off her clothes and jump him. This is a big problem, when decides to move in with her. When he comes up with the fake girlfriend plan, she is hesitant to go along, but she has no choice. Now if only she could tell her heart to stay out of it, everything would be fine.

But of course, that’s not going to happen, is it?

Mal seemed quite high strung and a bit crazy. I was wondering if there wasn’t an underlying cause. I seriously thought he had mental issues. He was so up and down, I was getting whiplash, just like Anne. But eventually you find out the reason behind his happy-go-lucky routine and it broke my heart. He was so sweet and kind and I never wanted him to have to go through what was happening.

I found myself cracking up half the time. I knew there was some serious issues happening, but Mal was so good at keeping the bad tucked away, you couldn’t help but chuckle at him. And while he was joking around, he very serious about Anne. He would do anything for her. I also loved the bold way he spoke to her. If he wanted her, he had a way saying plainly saying it, and yet making it come out kind of funny.

In the end, I was quite happy and sad. He deserved happiness, but I will miss his antics. Hopefully, in the next book, we’ll see a bit more of his goofiness.

~Melpomene

Buy Play (A Stage Dive Novel)

Review: Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac by Gabrielle Zevin

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20140222-090030.jpgGabrielle Zevin’s debut novel, Elsewhere, is one of those once-in-lifetime books that steals your soul and sticks in your head forever and ever. So the bar was set exceptionally high when I decided to add one of her more recent stories to my list of books read.

When sixteen-year-old Naomi falls down and hits her head, the resulting amnesia causes her to examine her life and who she truly wants to be. Waking up in the hospital, she soon discovers that the past four years of her life have disappeared. She has no memory of her popular star athlete boyfriend Ace. Where is her mom and why are they no longer on speaking terms? Who are these people talking to her when she returns to school? Even her house is different from the one she remembers. Of course there’s a love story twist thrown in for interest. James is the mysterious new kid in school who was there when she fell and rode with her to the hospital. And then there’s Will, her quirky best friend who is probably the best character in the book. Lots of decisions to be made by Naomi as she comes to terms with what she remembers, what she wants to forget, and what she wants to change.

So did this one measure up to my admittedly very high expectations? Yes and no. It’s really not fair or compare it to Elsewhere as they’re two completely different kinds of stories. Whereas Elsewhere is a story full of mysticism and the afterlife, Memoirs is more of a true to life, coming of age story. Still, it’s an excellent young adult book with highly likeable characters and enjoyable dialogue written by an outstanding author.

~Thalia

Buy it Now: Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac