A New Meme for Me - Top Ten Tuesday

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish.  This week's Top Ten list is:  Top Ten Sequels I Can't Wait To Get My Hands On.

I thought it might be difficult to find 10 sequels.  It seems like I've read a lot of sequels or whole series, but once I went through my list of Goodreads recent reads, I found some that should have sequels coming out in the next little while.

1.  The Destiny of Violet and Luke (The Coincidence #3) by Jessica Sorensen

I read The Coincidence of Callie and Kayden earlier this year, and totally fell in love with both characters.  Even though The Redemption of Callie and Kayden (The Coincidence #2) didn't live up to my expectations, I think I will love to read about Luke, Kayden's best friend, falling in love, in this follow up.

2.  The Liberator (Dante Walker #2) by Victoria Scott

I seriously don't know why I haven't bought this book yet.  I totally loved The Collector (Dante Walker #1) - Dante is such an arrogant jerk that it's funny!  I need to see if he's really changed his ways, now that he's in love with Charlie.

3.  This series is so good!  If you haven't tried it, don't let this cover deter you, give it a shot.  I love all the Merrick boys, and I can't wait to see what happens to Nick in "Secret"!

4.  I just finished reading "Broken Beauty" through Netgalley a while back, and it's the story of Mia, who was brutally raped at a party, and the aftermath of that event.  It was a novella, and seeing "No Way Back" is listed as "Mia's Way #1", I'm thinking that maybe "Broken Beauty is a prequel?  Doesn't really matter, I really want to know what happens to Mia!

5.  Have you read "Shadows" by Paula Weston yet?  If you haven't, go pick it up - it's available in Canada now - and then you'll see why I'm so eager to read "Haze".  Gotta love a good Australian angel story!

6.  I'm not sure what the 3rd in this series will be called, or what the cover will look like, but if it's got Janelle and Ben in it, I'm all over it!

 7.  I loved "Waiting on the Sidelines" so much, and I can't believe that author Ginger Scott is continuing Nolan and Reed's story into college!  And better yet, I have an ARC from Netgalley loaded up ready to go on my Kobo!

8.  This seems like THE most highly anticipated sequel all over the blogiverse, am I right?  Well, I am not immune to Katie McGarry's series, and I'm on pins and needles until this one releases!

9.  "The Edge of Never" was my introduction to the New Adult genre (well, it was the first NA book I liked) and I absolutely fell in love with Camryn and Andrew, so of course I have to see what happens next!

10.  I had trouble coming up with a tenth, so I'm adding this one for my daughter, Ailis.  I borrowed the first book for Ailis from the library, and one day I looked over and she was sitting in her reading chair with tears on her cheeks.  I asked her what was the matter, and she said something like, "I finished this book, and the ending was so happy that it made me cry!"  Oh my gosh, how adorable is that!!!  Now she's just about dying with anticipation for the sequel!

Whew, that was a long post!  Now I just have to wonder if anybody will read it! 

Review: No One's Angel by Kelly Walker

From Goodreads:
CONTENT WARNING: Due to adult sexual situations and language, this novel may not be appropriate for readers under 18. If you are looking for an intense, passionate love so wrong it is right, a story about losing your way but clawing desperately at any chance to find your way back, about hanging on to your last shred of sanity and trusting someone enough to let go of your fears, look no further. No One's Angel's angel is a New Adult (NA) Contemporary Romance about a girl learning to fight back and a boy learning to let go. Tess used to spend more hours than she'd care to admit playing her favorite computer game, using the nickname Angel. She could pretend her life was different, and she could pretend Arion was just a friend. But a girl needs more to keep her warm at night than pixels, and she traded her virtual heaven for a real-life hell. Now she's on the run from a past she won't talk about, and the only place she has to go is the doorstep of the friend she's never actually met. When Angel disappeared from their nightly games, it nearly destroyed Arion. He threw himself into work and women, but he can't help knowing the one-night stands will never compare to the angel who haunts his dreams. At first, when she shows up soaking wet and scared-shitless on his doorstep, he thinks his prayers have been answered. But the more Arion tries to keep Angel close, the more her fear drives her away. If they are ever going to have a chance for a future, they'll first have to deal with the past that hasn't forgotten her any more than she's forgotten it--and Arion will have to learn how to let her go. Read an excerpt: Arion reaches for my hand but catches only air. I freeze. And then I shiver. Without the warmth of the blankets, I remember I'm not wearing anything but his shirt, and given the look he's giving me now, I'm not the only one who's noticed. That expression I can read just fine. "You aren't going anywhere, Angel." I suck in a sharp breath, hearing his words in someone else's voice. But I did. I'm here. I left. My eyes dart around the room like a moth fluttering against a light. My pile of clothes, which should have been by the door, is missing. "Did you take my clothes?" The tightening in my chest makes my words breathless. I try to tell myself not to panic, but that's like telling a dog not to wag its tail. Acknowledging it only makes it worse. I gulp for more air as my head starts to spin. "Would only seem fair. After all, you took mine." His tone is tense, but beneath it I can hear his familiar teasing. I try to tell myself I don't have to be afraid. This is Arion. The one person I trust. I know him. But I don't, and to tell myself otherwise is a lie. If he wants his freaking shirt he can have it. I've got to get out of here. My fingers begin undoing the buttons without me really thinking about it, and then I'm shrugging my shoulders free. His eyes go from warm pools of interest to sexy oceans of desire in the time it takes me to remember I don't even have a bra on. I manage to catch the shirt just before it falls away from my hips, and I quickly wrap it around me, covering myself. I tilt my chin toward him defiantly, daring him to say or do anything even as I want to beg him to let me go. At the same time I want to beg him to pull me close. My emotion is a giant see-saw, and I'm tottering on the edge with him in the middle. If he takes one step toward me, it will tip the balance.

Thank you to NetGalley for letting me read this novel in exchange for an honest review.

It's been a while since I read this book, and I think what happened was I wrote this big long review on Goodreads and it somehow got erased!  That's the first time that's ever happened to me!  So I've learned my lesson, I will write my reviews on my blog first, then copy/paste it to Goodreads.

So back to the book.  There were a lot of things I enjoyed about this book, including the set-up.  I've never read a book where the characters have met and fallen in love/lust online.  Which is odd, because it seems like this is becoming more of the norm these days.  Come to think of it, three of my cousins have married or been engaged to people they've met online, so it's not as far fetched as you might originally think.

Both characters were enjoyable enough, although I think Arion may have been a bit too hot.  I mean, he's a gaming geek.  It would have been more believable if he was skinny and pale, although the author does a good job of explaining his amazing body by describing his eating habits and intense workout schedule.  The chemistry between Angel and Arion was obvious right off the bat, but man was Arion possessive!  No wonder Angel was freaked out, especially after being in an abusive relationship with the man she's running away from.

There were a couple of things that rubbed me the wrong way.  There is a part in the book where Angel gets into trouble, basically attacked by a stranger.  I won't go into details, but Arion is there to save the day, white knight-style.  Anyway, it just struck me as a bit cheesy, and seemed to infer that Angel is so desirable that she can't go anywhere, even a pub, without being in danger.

The ending was wrapped up way too quickly and easily, and also seemed a bit silly to me.  It's one of those endings that are supposed to be suspenseful, but as a reader you just can't believe how stupid the characters are being!  I wanted to scream out loud, "You idiot, don't leave her there!"

So, all in all, an okay read for me, neither dismally bad nor outstandingly good.

My Rating:

K.A. Tucker's FOUR SECONDS TO LOSE Release Day Launch!!!!!

Wow, I am SO excited to be a part of InkSlinger PR's Release Day Launch for K.A. Tucker's new novel, Four Seconds to Lose!  It's my first ever book launch, yay!

ABOUT FOUR SECONDS TO LOSE:

Owning a strip club isn’t the fantasy most guys expect it to be. With long hours, a staff with enough issues to keep a psych ward in business, and the police regularly on his case, twenty-nine year old Cain is starting to second guess his unspoken mission to save the women he employs. And then blond, brown-eyed Charlie Rourke walks through his door, and things get really complicated. Cain abides by a strict “no sleeping with the staff” rule. But being around Charlie challenges Cain’s self-control…and it’s been a long time since any woman has done that.

Twenty-two-year old Charlie Rourke needs a lot of money, really fast, in order to vanish before it’s too late. Taking her clothes off for men makes her stomach curl but Charlie tells herself that at least she’s putting her acting and dancing skills to good use. And though her fellow dancers seem eager to nab their sexy, sophisticated, and genuinely caring boss, she’s not interested. After all, Charlie Rourke doesn’t really exist—and the girl pretending to be her doesn’t need to complicate her life with romance.

Unfortunately, Charlie soon discovers that developing feelings for Cain is inevitable, that those feelings may not be unrequited—but losing him when he finds out what she’s involved with will be more painful than any other sentence awaiting her.

ABOUT K.A. TUCKER:  

Born in small-town Ontario, Kathleen published her first book at the age of six with the help of her elementary school librarian and a box of crayons. She is a voracious reader and the farthest thing from a genre-snob, loving everything from High Fantasy to Chick Lit. Kathleen currently resides in a quaint small town outside of Toronto with her husband, two beautiful girls, and an exhausting brood of four-legged creatures.

Buy Links:

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Four-Seconds-Lose-Novel-ebook/dp/B00BSBVGZI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1378843471&sr=8-1&keywords=Four+Seconds+to+Lose+k.a.tucker

Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/four-seconds-to-lose-ka-tucker/1115379355?ean=9781476740508&itm=1&usri=four+seconds+to+lose+k.a.+tucker

Other Retailers: http://books.simonandschuster.com/Four-Seconds-to-Lose/K-A-Tucker/9781476740492

LINKS:  

Blog: http://www.katucker.blogspot.ca/
Website: http://www.katuckerbooks.com/
Author Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/#!/K.A.Tucker.Author?fref=ts
Twitter: https://twitter.com/kathleenatucker
Author Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4866520.K_A_Tucker
FOUR SECONDS TO LOSE Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17571140-four-seconds-to-lose?ac=1
Atria: http://imprints.simonandschuster.biz/atria

This book sounds fantastic!  I can't wait to read it!  And now, for my very first giveaway on this blog, one entrant will win signed copies of both of K.A. Tucker's previous books, Ten Tiny Breaths and One Tiny Lie.  Giveaway is International!!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review: Snowed Over by Angie Stanton

Goodreads description:  To college student, Katie Brandt, ‘Home for the Holidays’ sounds like hell. When her parents separated, their holiday traditions shattered like a dropped ornament. What could be worse than celebrating Christmas with her suddenly single mom and mom’s new boyfriend?  Alex Walker, an engaged 20-year-old, dreads going home for his own reasons. He has a daunting task ahead of him and wishes he could skip the holidays altogether. So when a friend of a friend needs a ride north, Alex finds that having beautiful Katie seated by his side proves to be just the distraction he needs.  A simple ride home for Christmas turns into a nightmare when light snow rages into a full-scale blizzard. Katie and Alex find themselves stranded, and a vacant cabin becomes a haven from the storm.  Under different circumstances, time alone with Alex would be the ultimate Christmas gift, but Katie knows Alex is engaged and she must hide her growing attraction.  However, Alex harbors a secret that just might change this holiday from the worst Christmas ever, to the best.

This was such a sweet story, perfect for a pre-Christmas read to get in the holiday spirit.  I don't think I've ever actually read a Christmas novella before.  I have to say the experience was quite enjoyable!

Although "Snowed Over" is a contemporary romance, it definitely has its share of action and suspense!  When Katie and Alex were stranded in a blizzard, it brought me back so clearly to two events in my life where I've been cold like that - once I decided to go for a run in -27 degree Celsius weather, and felt like I got frostbite on my cheeks.  Man, did they burn when they started to thaw!  The other time was when my husband dragged me along canoeing the Bowron Lakes.  We had five days of straight rain, and on the fifth day, I swear I was borderline hypothermic by the time we set up camp.  My brain didn't work!  And I couldn't stop shivering!!!

Anyway, back to the book.  I was shivering alongside Katie and Alex, and actually felt relief when they were able to find shelter in the cabin and lucky enough to find matches to light a fire.  Phew!

The conflict felt by the two characters also felt real to me.  Alex is engaged to somebody he has been trying to break up with for ages, and even though he is not in love with his fiancee, he still feels bad about his immediate attraction to Katie.  Katie also feels guilty for reading things into every look and comment Alex sends her way.  Obviously there's a lack of communication going on, but because the two are virtual strangers, the topic of "the fiancee" feels a little too personal.  There's also a bit of added drama in regards to the separation of Katie's parents.  She resents her mom to no end for bringing her out to the middle of nowhere to spend Christmas with "not the boyfriend".

You'll have to read this for yourself to find out how it all pans out, but I will tell you that if you're looking for a quick, romantic read to pass a snowy day, this should definitely fit the bill!

My Rating:

  

Review: Hell Without You by Ranae Rose

Goodreads description: Time changes everything, except what’s meant to be. Seven years is a long time – long enough to transform Clementine from a small-town teenager with a broken heart into a woman ready to take on the world, but not long enough to make her forget about the man she was never supposed to see again. A temporary return to tiny Willow Heights thrusts her back into Donovan’s life and home, unearthing heartbreak and obsession that have stood the test of time. He left seven years ago too, for war and other things Clementine can only imagine. Coming back to the town where he grew up in the shadow of poverty and drug addiction makes no sense, and neither do Clementine’s feelings for him. He could never forgive her for leaving, could he? Even if she had no choice. Now, she has the freedom to choose … and so does he. Every day in Willow Heights makes it clearer: all he ever really wanted was her, and nothing will change that. Not even a taste of the hell that drove them apart in the first place.

Thank you to NetGalley for giving me a review copy of this novel.  

So I'm just going to jump in here, because the synopsis above tells pretty much the whole book right there.  Things I liked:  Um, not much, to tell the truth.  I guess things started out okay, the pace was good, and the characters seemed to have a lot of chemistry.  The naked sleepwalking was different!  But everything started heading downhill from there.

The entire read after the first few chapters was really boring to me.  There were so many words and phrases repeated throughout.  For example, the words "seven years" were used 59 times.  Yeah, really, I think I got it after the first ten, they've been apart for SEVEN YEARS.  How many?  Magic number 7!  No, wait, how many?  Let's hear it again.  SEVEN YEARS.

Total overkill on the descriptions of Donovan - his body, his eyes, his coloring, etc.  I like a hot book boyfriend as much as the next girl, but there are ways to describe him without resorting to the same old, same old.  In contrast, I don't really remember anything about Clementine.  Probably the most interesting thing about her is her name.

Which brings me to their lives while they were apart, for SEVEN YEARS!  We know that Donovan went to Iraq, and that he must have PTSD because of all the naked sleepwalking, but it's cured rather conveniently as long as Clementine sleeps with him.  Really?  I don't know, seems a bit oversimplified to me.  He has one, maybe two friends, and doesn't mention any contact with his siblings.  Seems like he's been pining away for Clementine those whole SEVEN YEARS!  Pretty sad, don't you think?

And Clementine?  In those SEVEN YEARS, she made one friend and earned her graduate degree.  I'm not making light of her degree or anything, but the one friend?  Also pretty sad in my opinion.

What about the sex?  Well, there were two things that bothered me about the sex.  One, they never once discussed any possible relationships with other people during those SEVEN YEARS.  Were they both celibate the entire time?  I highly doubt it.  What about STD's?  No concern.  The other thing that bothered me was the amount of gratuitous sex.  I'm okay with a lot of sex in a book if it's done right, but there needs to be a time and place for everything, and in this book, the timing was usually wrong.  For example, a major traumatic event happens (no spoiler here) and then they go home and have sex.  It seemed not to fit.

The plot dragged a lot, and then everything was wrapped up very conveniently in the end.  A little too conveniently for my taste.  It's too bad - I think with a bit of work, this book could have been a lot better.

My rating:

Review: Escaping Reality by Lisa Renee Jones

Goodreads description:  Infinite possibilities….  Infinite passion….. Infinite danger…. His touch spirals through me, warm and sweet, wicked and hot. I shouldn’t trust him. I shouldn’t tell him my secrets. But how do I not when he is the reason I breathe? He is what I need. At the young age of eighteen, tragedy and a dark secret force Lara to flee all she has known and loves to start a new life. Now years later, with a new identity as Amy, she’s finally dared to believe she is forgotten–even if she cannot forget. But just when she lets down her guard, the ghosts of her past are quick to punish her, forcing her back on the run. On a plane, struggling to face the devastation of losing everything again and starting over, Amy meets Liam Stone, a darkly entrancing recluse billionaire, who is also a brilliant, and famous, prodigy architect. A man who knows what he wants and goes after it. And what he wants is Amy. Refusing to take “no” as an answer, he sweeps her into a passionate affair, pushing her to her erotic limits. He wants to possess her. He makes her want to be possessed. Liam demands everything from her, accepting nothing less. But what if she is too devastated by tragedy to know when he wants more than she should give? And what if there is more to Liam than meets the eyes?

All right, let me tell you about how I came across this book, because I think it's kind of funny!  

I had just opened up an account with NetGalley, and was thinking that I would never get approved for any books, when lo and behold, an email appeared in my inbox, touting three New Adult novels in the "Read Now" category.  Really?!  I didn't even know about the Read Now books!!!  So I booted on over to NetGalley and downloaded all three books then and there.

Out of my three new books, Escaping Reality had the most interesting cover and synopsis, so that's where I started.  The pace in the beginning was great, and the story had me intrigued, but because it was in PDF format, which is a bit more tedious to read on my Kobo, I took a break and read the other two books.  One was okay, and the other was pretty good, but the reason I mention this is because they both had quite a few typos.  

When I came back to Escaping Reality, I noticed that there weren't any typos, which was a refreshing change!  I thought, "Wow, for a first-time author, the writing is very well done!"  (Remember this for later!)  On the other hand, the plot took a weird turn.  It reminded me of a...well, soft-core porn, to be honest.  No plot, just sex.  Here's this woman, Amy, on the run for her life, and she's ready to jump in the sack with a guy she just met on a plane?  I almost gave up reading right then, but then I reread the title - ah, Escaping Reality!  Maybe it's SUPPOSED to be unrealistic!!!  I get it now!  All right, carry on.

Two of the most annoying things now started to become apparent.  First, the repetitive writing.  Oh. My. God.  This is my impersonation of Amy:  "I should not be attracted to this man, but this man makes me feel like no man ever has.  I don't know what it is about this man that makes me feel this way.  What is it about this man?  I wish I could be with this man, but I can't be with this man the way I want to be.  This man this and this man that, ad nauseam!"  Obviously I'm not quoting, but that's how I remember it.  Ugh, reading "this book" was so painful!  

The second most annoying thing?  Amy.  She didn't know her ass from her elbow, and what was she scared of?  Good question!  Nowhere in the 68% of the book I actually read  was there any reason to believe she was in danger.  No near misses, no stalker sightings, no crank calls, nothing!  All the reader knows is that her family is dead, but were they murdered?  Were they in an accident?  Did they just fall off the face of the earth?  Amy had a lot of internal monologue alluding to this incredible danger, but as far as I could tell, it was all talk.  

Oh wait.  I forgot a third annoying thing.  Liam.  Now you know a book is bad when you don't like the female lead, or the male lead.  He was just sooooooo over the top in every way, I almost gagged.  Enough of these young billionaire geniuses, already!  Who are authors basing these guys on?  Bill Gates?  Because he's the only billionaire genius I can think of, but the way every second book features one of them, you'd think they were falling out of the sky! 

Meanwhile, as I was browsing the book aisle at the grocery store, I came across a book with a beautiful cover and an interesting synopsis by... you guessed it!  Lisa Renee Jones!  So she's NOT a first time author!  Well then, how does junk like this get published?  No. Idea.  Then again, I've seen a lot of 5 star reviews for this book, so maybe I'm the idiot.

If you're thinking you might want to read this book,  I'm going to try to change your mind in one paragraph, simply because I care about you.  After 200 some odd pages, this is what happened - and trust me, I'm not spoiling anything.  Amy leaves a party to move to a new city with a new identity.  She meets a guy on the plane.  She has sex with him.  He buys her a cell phone.  They argue about the cell phone.  She brings the cell phone back to the store.  He finds her at the store and they argue some more.  He convinces her to keep the phone.  They go to dinner.  They have sex.  200 frickin' pages of tiny print and THAT'S. ALL. THAT. HAPPENED!!!  So maybe things pick up, but by that point, I really didn't give a shit.  

My rating:  

Waiting on Wednesday

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases in the world of books.

This is my first time participating in a meme of any kind, and of course, my first time participating in "Waiting on Wednesday".  I am such a virgin that I had to look up the word meme, and I still don't really get it!  But here goes, I'll try my best.

I am eagerly anticipating.... Allegiant, by Veronica Roth.

Okay, yeah, I know it's already out, but I don't have a copy yet and I'm not even finished reading Insurgent.  But still, it's the book I'm MOST excited about this week!  How about you?  If you happen to stumble along this blog, you may see that I am a little low on followers (did I mention that I'm new at this?) so please leave me a comment - it would absolutely make my day!!!