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Review: Where the Road Takes Me by Jay McLean

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01 where Let me wipe off my tears before I say anything. WOW. This book was a non stop emotional roller coaster. One minute I’m giggling, the next, crying.

Synopsis
Chloe has one plan for the future, and one plan only: the road. She’s made a promise to herself: don’t let anyone in, and don’t let anyone love her. She’s learned the hard way what happens if she breaks her rules. So she’s focused on being invisible and waiting until she can set out on the road—her dream of freedom, at least for a little while.

Blake Hunter is a basketball star who has it all—everything about him looks perfect to those on the other side of his protective walls. He can’t let anyone see the shattered pieces behind the flawless facade or else all his hopes and dreams will disappear.

One dark night throws Chloe and Blake together, changing everything for Blake. For Chloe, nothing changes: she has the road, and she’s focused on it. But when the so-called perfect boy starts to notice the invisible girl, they discover that sometimes with love, no one knows where the road may lead.

Chloe has lost people in her life and she knows how that can destroy a person. So she is determined to stay invisible and not make people love her, or fall in love herself. But what she didn’t plan on was Blake Hunter. No matter what she does or says, Blake is determined to change her mind about leaving.

Blake has everything he could ever want, except love. He lives in a house, but it’s not a home. When he meets Chloe and her family, he realizes that he wants more from his life than just college or the Army. He makes it his personal mission to show her that she is worth loving, even for the short time she is there.

“You’re my unexpectedly phenomenal, Chloe. You’re my red letter day.”

My heart was one big twisted mess. This story was filled with the silliest of scenes that played out so tenderly. The emotions of the characters were so real, I felt the heartache and love. I mean, these kids are 18, so they should be emotional. It was so nice to read a book that portrayed this way.

“Today will live forever in the memory of tomorrow.”

It was a non stop read. I was never bored or felt myself skimming. I needed to read every word, on every page, and absorb them into me. This was my very first Jay McLean book, but I know, for a fact, that this won’t be my last. If she can draw this amount of emotions from me, then she may find herself another super fan. Well done, Jay!!

~Melpomene

Release day-2/10/15
Buy Where the Road Takes Me

Review: Never Never by Colleen Hoover and Tarryn Fisher

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01neverHow odd to be made of flesh, balanced on bone, and filled with a soul you’ve never met.

OH.MY.GOSH. What did I just read??? My mind is still reeling from this experience. Colleen and Tarryn are officially the dynamic duo.

Synopsis
Best friends since they could walk.
In love since the age of fourteen.
Complete strangers since this morning.
He’ll do anything to remember.
She’ll do anything to forget.

Charlie and Silas can’t remember themselves or the people around them. They have no idea what’s going on. But as the days progress they are finding glimpses into their lives that show them that they may not be what they thought they were. They make choices that they hope will soon bring some clarity to their situation, but in the end I was still yelling. I needed them to figure this out.

“I may not remember anything about her, but I would bet her smile was my favorite part of her.”

This book was one twisted roller coaster ride, with the emphasis on twisted. I have never yelled so much while reading a book. But I loved it. I had so many ideas, on where this story was going, but I was way off. And when I finished I just sat back and thought, “Holy crap!! What? Where? How? Who?”

When I first heard that Colleen and Tarryn were writing a book together, I was curious. Colleen is know for her HEA with a hefty dose of angst and Tarryn for her twisted and emotional, makes-you-wanna-throw-your-kindle-against-the-wall kinda books. So when you put them together, hold on to your butts. If I were to read this story, without knowing who wrote it, I never never would’ve guessed it was written by them. But after reading this, I can totally see glimpses of both of them in it. Well done, girls. Now I am waiting on pins and needles, for the next book.

What it really comes down to is: Buy it. Read it. Love it.

~Melpomene

Buy Never Never right NOW!!!

Melpomene’s Top 25 of 2014

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What a year!!!! Seriously!!! I have read so many great books, that trying to pick only 25 nearly gave me an ulcer. Stressful. While many of these weren’t released in 2014, I didn’t read them until this year. But here it is:

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1. Flat-Out Celeste by Jessica Park
2. Archer’s Voice by Mia Sheridan
3. Maybe Someday by Colleen Hoover
4. The Collectors’ Society by Heather Lyons
5. Ugly Love by Colleen Hoover
6. The Deep End of the Sea by Heather Lyons
7. Bright Side by Kim Holden
8. The Law of Moses by Amy Harmon
9. Elicit by Rachel Van Dyken
10. The Bronze Horseman by Paullina Simons

The rest are in no particular order
11. Even the Moon has Scars by Steph Campbell
12. Becoming Calder and Finding Eden by Mia Sheridan Those two go together. They’re a combo pack.
13. Jacked by Tina Reber
14. Hope at Dawn by Stacy Henrie
15. Red at Night by Katie McGarry
16. The King by JR Ward
17. Vain by Fisher Amelie
18. Greed by Fisher Amelie
19. Maybe Not by Colleen Hoover
20. Until the End by Abbi Glines
21. Burying Water by KA Tucker
22. Infinity + One by Amy Harmon
23. Until We Fly by Courtney Cole
24. Hate: A Love Story by Laurel Ulen Curtis
25. Letting Go by Molly McAdams

What are some of yours??

Review: Hate: A Love Story by Laurel Curtis

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“No bottle is big enough for human emotion. Love, hate, anger, happiness, and deep melancholy. Each one exists for a reason. Emotion is real. It’s meant to be released. It’s meant to be lived.”

WOW. This book….WOW. What an emotional roller coaster.

Synopsis
Roses are red,
Violets are blue.
Life can be messy,
And love can be too.

Most people say that it’s not important where you’re going, but instead, how you get there.

Unfortunately for me, the journey to love was absolutely agonizing. Love and Hate wrestled with my life day after day, year after year, and the only way to stop it was to let one of them win.

Which one?

I fought to love harder. But I loathe my love story.

I admit, I knew nothing about this book, except that I liked the cover. But as I immersed myself in this story, I discovered that this was going to be one of the most devastatingly beautiful stories I’ve read this year. And I was right. One minute I was cracking up, and then next I was sobbing into my pillow. The overwhelming feelings of loss and heartache brought me to my knees. This is another of those books that I have no words for. I lived the story. I felt the story. I loved the story.

Whitney is a no nonsense kinda girl, with a quick wit and the gift of banter. She befriends Blane and they start on this epic journey called life. These two together were hilarious. I loved them together. They decided to add another friend to their mix, Franny, and that adds to their dynamic.

She is always there for them, even through loss and devastation. No matter what. She could never imagine her life without them. But soon life decides to change it up and see how she can handle it.

“DON’T LOOK FOR WHAT IF. Embrace what is.”

I feel in love with all the characters in this story. They were your average every day people. Moms and dads loved each other, and loved their children. Even Granny was a blessing. She had a way of being snarky and loving at the same time. Her character brought the funny, when all you wanted to do was sit and rock in a corner.

But unfortunately, no amounts of love can keep the hate and pain away forever. It will still creep in, when you least expect it. You just have to learn how to push it aside and hold on to love with all your might.

~Melpomene

Buy Hate: A Love Story

Review: Maybe Not by Colleen Hoover

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01maybe SURPRISE!!!!! Colleen Hoover has done it again. Well, that’s not really a surprise. The surprise is that she managed to keep this a secret for so long. This book is proof that Colleen can do no wrong.

Synopsis
When Warren has the opportunity to live with a female roommate, he instantly agrees. It could be an exciting change.

Or maybe not.

Especially when that roommate is the cold and seemingly calculating Bridgette. Tensions run high and tempers flare as the two can hardly stand to be in the same room together. But Warren has a theory about Bridgette: anyone who can hate with that much passion should also have the capability to love with that much passion. And he wants to be the one to test this theory.

Will Bridgette find it in herself to warm her heart to Warren and finally learn to love?

Maybe.

Maybe not.

Now, I loved Warren, when I read Maybe Someday. He was the comedy relief that was needed, during that high emotional book. After reading this, I was in love with him. In my heart, I always knew there was more to him than just the goofiness we saw. And I was right. He was all heart, with a smidgen of sass.

Warren was comfortable with his life. He went to school, had a job, and was the manager of the Sounds of Cedar. His life was good. He was content. That is, until Bridgette walked in. That boy was in no way prepared for what she would do to him or how all these feeling about her would change him.

She’s so confusing. She’s so frustrating. She’s so damn unpredictable. She’s nothing I’ve ever wanted in a girl. And absolutely everything I need.

Bridgette is this angry mean girl, on the surface, but once you chisel at her defenses a little, you realize you were totally wrong. She’s just a girl who wants to find her place and be loved, just like everyone else. But she is determined to keep those walls up. She will let no one find a way in. Not even this crazy, smooth talking, roomie.

Every human has a weakness and I think I discovered what hers is. Me.

I went in with thinking that this was going to be non stop hilariousness. Boy was I wrong. I was pleasantly surprised at how much my heartstrings were being tugged on. Don’t get me wrong, the pranks were there. Heck, the very first page had me smiling. But this book was filled with so much more than that. The feels were flying non stop. And I may have even teared up once or twice.

Maybe Not is the perfect combination of comedy and romance, and whole lot of heart.

“The only difference between falling in love and being in love is that your heart already knows how you feel, but your mind is too stubborn to admit it.”

~Melpomene

Buy Maybe Not: A Novella

Get caught up and read Maybe Someday first. You’ll thank me for it.

Review: Talon, by Julie Kagawa

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01talon Okay, let me think for a moment. I liked it. I really did. I didn’t love it though. I liked her Iron Fey series more. But let’s talk about this one.

Synopsis
Long ago, dragons were hunted to near extinction by the Order of St. George, a legendary society of dragon slayers. Hiding in human form and growing their numbers in secret, the dragons of Talon have become strong and cunning, and they’re positioned to take over the world with humans none the wiser.

Ember and Dante Hill are the only sister and brother known to dragonkind. Trained to infiltrate society, Ember wants to live the teen experience and enjoy a summer of freedom before taking her destined place in Talon. But destiny is a matter of perspective, and a rogue dragon will soon challenge everything Ember has been taught. As Ember struggles to accept her future, she and her brother are hunted by the Order of St. George.

Soldier Garret Xavier Sebastian has a mission to seek and destroy all dragons, and Talon’s newest recruits in particular. But he cannot kill unless he is certain he has found his prey: and nothing is certain about Ember Hill. Faced with Ember’s bravery, confidence and all-too-human desires, Garret begins to question everything that the Order has ingrained in him: and what he might be willing to give up to find the truth about dragons.

The story is really about Ember. She is supposed to have the summer off to do have fun before she is thrust full force into what Talon wants her to do. But that’s not exactly what happens.

Long story short, she meets two guys. Her human side is drawn to one, while her dragon side, to the other. That doesn’t seem so bad except that the rouge dragon shows her that what she always told, may not be truth, while the human may be the one thing that can truly destroy her.

How will she choose?

Most of this story I was torn. I didn’t know which guy I want her to go to. But I knew, either one would drastically change her life. Ember has to grow up very fast and make decisions that she isn’t ready to make, but she has no choice.

Garret is on a mission to kill all dragons. That is his only mission. That is who he is. He is sent to this town to find a sleeper dragon. He meets Ember and is immediately drawn to her, but part of him wonders if she is the sleeper. He knows he shouldn’t get close, but sometimes you can’t help it. Then he makes a decision that changes his life forever, but there’s no going back now.

I like the potential love triangle. I’m not sure who is best for Ember though. I’ll have to wait and see in the next book.

While this is mostly a YA book, it does have a scene that pushes it to the NA status. While it’s not bad whatsoever, there’s just a topic that my tween doesn’t need to read or learn about. So I say, this is for a 15/16 yr old. IMO. Well, at least MY kids will be waiting til then. I guess this would a coming of age type of book. You decide when your kids read it.

Talon doesn’t leave us in a cliffhanger, really, but it leaves many unanswered questions and a few lives in the balance. So when Rogue comes out, I will be staying up late reading it.

~Melpomene

Buy Talon (The Talon Saga)

Review: Even the Moon has Scars, by Steph Campbell

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“The stars. They all burn out eventually. But that big guy up there,” he pulls back and points to the moon. “Even he’s got scars, and he’s still keeping on, right? I’ll be okay, Lena. We’re both going to be okay.”

WOW! This is one of those books that make me sit back and think, one night really can change everything. Whether they’re physical or emotional, everyone has scars, just as the title says. How to choose to heal yourself, is what makes the difference.

Synopsis
Two strangers.
Two broken hearts.
One night to set each other free.

Almost dying from an undiagnosed heart condition means every second of your life is a precious gift to be guarded.
Lena Pettitt was born a miracle.
And her parents never let her forget it.
Even if that daily reminder kept her from experiencing the one thing they were trying to protect most–her life.

Gabriel Martinez’s heart has been ripped out.
His pride has been stomped on.
Oh, and he now has an arrest record that’s caused an even bigger rift between him and his DA mother. All for a love that wasn’t really true.

Now he’s exiled to his grandmother’s, working on his late grandpa’s old Corvair, when a shivering girl knocks on the garage door. Lena, left alone for the first time ever, has locked herself out of her house. Gabe knows he could help this girl get back inside her house–but that may mean missing the next train to Boston to pick up the part he’s spent eight weeks tracking down. She can wait for him at his grandmother’s or…

A few hours, an aluminum valve cover, and some strong coffee later, neither Gabe nor Lena can feign disappointment when they race to the station and arrive just as the last train home from Boston is pulling out.

As jaded as he is, Gabe can’t deny the fact that he’s excited to spend the night exploring a city he knows nearly every corner of, with a girl who sees magic in the simplest things.

Lena has been waiting for her tiny world to crack open her entire life. Now that it’s finally happened, she finds the only thing she can focus on is the unexpected tour guide who opens her eyes to possibilities she never imagined.

All they have is this one night, together, under the bright moon in a city full of hidden beauty.
It’s one night that will change how they see the world and the paths their hearts will take forever.

Lena always hated being under her parents microscope and always looked after. She hasn’t been alone, in her entire life. So a night of freedom, seems like heaven to her. Even if it was all an accident.

I totally understood how Lena was feeling, being sheltered all the time. But when Gabe started to take her places, we started to get a glimpse into his life and how broken hearts can come in many forms. His home life was not pleasant, to say the least. My heart was breaking for the things he had heard over and over. No one should have that. This boy was so unsure of himself, that he would just about anything to feel love, even if it meant chasing after one wrong thing after the next.

I am so glad they had this night to explore and learn about each other. They learned how to fill in the cracks of their broken pieces.

This was a very sweet story, with enough emotion to keep me happy. One night changes everything. Love can heal even the deepest of scars. Well done, Steph. Well done.

~Melpomene

Buy Even the Moon Has Scars

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Review: Letting Go, by Molly McAdams

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“Letting go doesn’t mean forgetting. It’s accepting, forgiving, and being emotionally ready to keep moving.”

I’ll admit, I was a bit scared to read this latest Molly McAdams book. She has a habit of throwing us for a devastating loop that we never see coming. And this book had plenty loops. But she has a way of healing us as well, after all the destruction. So this left me quite fulfilled.

Synopsis
Grey and Ben fell in love at thirteen and believed they’d be together forever. But three days before their wedding, the twenty-year-old groom-to-be suddenly died from an unknown heart condition, destroying his would-be-bride’s world. If it hadn’t been for their best friend, Jagger, Grey never would have made it through those last two years to graduation. He’s the only one who understands her pain, the only one who knows what it’s like to force yourself to keep moving when your dreams are shattered. Jagger swears he’ll always be there for her, but no one has ever been able to hold on to him. He’s not the kind of guy to settle down.

It’s true that no one has ever been able to keep Jagger—because he’s only ever belonged to Grey. While everyone else worries over Grey’s fragility, he’s the only one who sees her strength. Yet as much as he wants Grey, he knows her heart will always be with Ben. Still they can’t deny the heat that is growing between them—a passion that soon becomes too hot to handle. But admitting their feelings for each other means they’ve got to face the past. Is being together what Ben would have wanted . . . or a betrayal of his memory that will eventually destroy them both?

Right off the bat you see some destruction. The prologue had my heart racing and breaking. But I just knew that if I held on tight, Molly would take care of my heart and in the end I would be okay.

When your life changes in the blink of an eye, and all the plans you made are thrown out, you will need time to move on. This story is about that. It’s about learning to let go and keep moving. It’s about forgiving others, even when their mistakes have made your life totally upside down.

Grey has suffered for two years trying to move on. She couldn’t have done it without Jagger. He’s been her constant companion since she was a little girl. So without his shoulder to lean on and his strong arms to hold her together, she would’ve fell apart.

Jagger has loved Grey for as long as he can remember. But she has always belonged to Ben, so he stayed back and had to watch. But when his best friend dies suddenly and his girl’s life is sent spiraling, he stays by her and helps her, even though all he wants it to tell her that he loves her. But to tell her too soon would set her back, so he remains her friend and hopes that someday they can be closer.

After two years, Grey finds out how Jagger truly feels and is unable to wrap her mind around that. She has always felt something for him, but she feels like she’s cheating on Ben, if she goes for Jagger. Soon she finds herself unable to deny to pull they have toward each other and they find out if they are strong enough to move on from Ben and move on to each other.

He was my best friend. He was my protector and healer. And I was so in love with him.

Their families and friends prove to have just as much drama as they have, and then some. I was quite happy with all the drama that they brought to the table. Definitely had my heart dropping in a few places.

~Melpomene

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The Collectors’ Society, by Heather Lyons

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01collectWOW!!! A swoon worthy, tear jerking, adventurous fairytale. I found myself wide awake at 1am, because I needed to know what was going to happen. There was no sleep happening for me. This book was so exciting to read. I found myself on the edge of my seat, with such curiosity and nerves.

Synopsis
After years in Wonderland, Alice has returned to England as an adult, desperate to reclaim sanity and control over her life. An enigmatic gentleman with an intriguing job offer too tempting to resist changes her plans for a calm existence, though. Soon, she’s whisked to New York and initiated into the Collectors’ Society, a secret organization whose members confirm that famous stories are anything but straightforward and that what she knows about the world is only a fraction of the truth.

It’s there she discovers villains are afoot—ones who want to shelve the lives of countless beings. Assigned to work with the mysterious and alluring Finn, Alice and the rest of the Collectors’ Society race against a doomsday clock in order to prevent further destruction . . . but will they make it before all their endings are erased?

The relationship between her and Finn was so romantic to watch. He’s this crazy sexy man, who has a hard time trusting people, but finds a way to trust Alice. I loved watching them grow closer. He was her partner and guide through this world and she finds herself learning to trust him, little by little.

“After all that I’ve gone through, after all I’ve lost, I’ve finally found my true north star.”

They set out to save her world, and in the process you find out why it was so hard for her to leave. Let me just say that the White King…..swoon…and I was practically crying throughout all of his scenes. The emotional level was rocketing and I was NOT expecting that.

We are introduced to so many fairy tale characters, I was in love. I have always had a fondness for them. And this is the adult version. It was perfect all the way around.
Seriously, no words are good enough for this review. I am so excited to get this on my shelf.

~Melpomene

Buy The Collectors’ Society

Review and Giveaway: Living with Regret(Rain#3), by Lisa De Jong

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“Sometimes true friends make the best true loves.”

I knew going into this book, that it was going to toy with my emotions, so I was sort of prepared. But yet, not really.

Synopsis
I had my whole life mapped out. Perfect guy. Perfect friends. Everything was exactly the way I wanted it.

That was until that night–the one I can’t remember. It’s all my fault, and now the memories are all I have left of him. Of us.

My guilt drowns me until Sam Shea steps back into my life and helps me to the surface. He slowly opens my heart and crawls deep inside before I even realize what’s happening. I know I don’t deserve him.

While I’m trying to get used to my new life, pieces of that night slowly start to come back to me. Lies and secrets shatter everything I thought I knew.

Maybe I’m not the only one living with regret.

Holy heartache!!! Rachel wakes up, in a hospital bed, with no memory of how she got there. She doesn’t remember the final 24 hours of her “perfect” life before it was turned upside down. The only people that seem to want to help her, without any hidden agendas, are her friends, Kate, who she met in college, and Sam, the next door neighbor. But since Kate’s hours away, Sam’s the only friend she’s got to rely on. They may have lost touch, in the past few years, but he was always there when she needed him. And she needs him now.

Sam hasn’t had the best life, but he always cared for Rachel. He would take away her pain and heartache, if he could. He wants to show her that because she’s a live, she needs to make the most of what she’s been given. She needs to learn to forgive herself and move on. But that is most definitely easier said than done.

Rachel has always cared for Sam, even when she was dating someone else. He was her best friend. But lines are beginning to blur and she’s not sure what to do about that. Little does she know that his feelings run a bit deeper than friendship. But he slowly begins to show her.

“Life doesn’t always give you a second chance, so when it does, seize it, If you don’t, you might always regret it.”

I loved Sam. He was the most caring, patient, swoon worthy guy I’ve read about, in a long time. Some of his lines were so sweet, they made me tear up. He knew the right things to say to Rachel, to help her on the path of forgiveness and discovery.

“There’s no need to run when everything you want is right in front of you.”

I was totally cheering for Sam, but I understood that Rachel needed space to get her head on straight. As she starts to slowly get snapshots from that night, you start to realize that things weren’t always so clear. Just when I thought I understood, some thing else would come out of left field and slam right into me. I wouldn’t call them twists, but more like pieces to a puzzle. You really don’t know what you’re looking at, til all the pieces are in place. But putting those pieces together creates more heartache than the poor girl was ready for.

Life changes quickly with the turn of a key. If it’s the right one, it can unlock something fantastic, but if it’s wrong, it stops you in your tracks.

After much heartache and lots of discovery, Rachel finds out the truth about herself and the many people around her. But most important, she learns that living with regret isn’t living at all.

When you’re lost, the only thing left is to be found.
You can be lost in sadness and found in happiness
Lost in regret but found in forgiveness.
the key to being found comes from within…
No one is going to hand it to you.
…Life isn’t meant to be that easy.

~Melpomene

LWR - RD

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Read the first two books:
When It Rains (Rains Standalone Book 1)

Changing Forever (Rains Standalone Book 2)

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