Waiting On Wednesday (#127)

You know the story. This is a meme created by Breaking the Spine and every week we pick books we're waiting for. Here are our picks for this week.

We can't wait to read... 

When nineteen-year-old huntress Feyre kills a wolf in the woods, a beast-like creature arrives to demand retribution for it. Dragged to a treacherous magical land she only knows about from legends, Feyre discovers that her captor is not an animal, but Tamlin—one of the lethal, immortal faeries who once ruled their world.

As she dwells on his estate, her feelings for Tamlin transform from icy hostility into a fiery passion that burns through every lie and warning she's been told about the beautiful, dangerous world of the Fae. But an ancient, wicked shadow grows over the faerie lands, and Feyre must find a way to stop it . . . or doom Tamlin—and his world—forever.

Expected publication date: May 5th, 2015

Are you kidding? Beauty and the Beast meets faeries? And MC is nineteen not sixteen? 

Of course we want to read it!

What's on your wishlist this week?

Ricochet (Addicted #1.5) by Krista and Becca Ritchie

Buy the Book: 

Amazon / Barnes and Noble / The Book Depository

Author's:

Website / Twitter / Facebook / Tumblr

My rating: 5 stars

Book sumary:

"As a sex addict, Lily Calloway must do the impossible. Stay celibate for 90 days.

Cravings and fantasies become her new routine, but while Loren Hale recovers from his alcohol addiction, Lily wonders if he’ll realize what a monster she really is. After all, her sexual compulsions begin to rule her life the longer she stays faithful to him.

Progress. That’s what Lily’s striving for. But by trying to become closer to her family—people who aren’t aware of her addiction—she creates larger obstacles. When she spends time with her youngest sister, she learns more about her than she ever imagined and senses an unsettling connection between Daisy and Ryke Meadows.

With Lily and Lo’s dysfunctional relationship teetering and unbalanced, they will need to find a way to reconnect from miles apart. But the inability to “touch” proves to be one of the hardest tests on their road to recovery. Some love brushes the surface. Some love is deeper than skin.

Lily and Lo have three months to discover just how deep their love really goes."

     I picked up Ricochet as soon as I finished with Addicted to You - I got so immersed into the lives of these characters, that I  ignored everything else: buddy reads, reviews, friends, boyfriend... And it was worth it!

      First, I would like to point out one thing. Ricochet is a full-length novel that must be read before Addicted for Now, second book in the series. Don't mind that it is something-point-something. This is not a novella that you can skip and not miss out any important details. I know that it was published after second novel, but I don't think I would be able to enjoy reading Addicted series if the authors haven't decided to write these in between stories and build, lets call it a bridge that connects timeline.

      One thing that is different if you compare it with other two books, is that story is equally focused on all characters although it is told from Lily's point of view. We find out more about Ryke and Daisy, but also about Connor and Rose. I was worried in the beginning that it would turn into Gossip Girl fanfiction - they are all rich kids with too much free time - but it did not. Steam level is much higher than in Addicted to You - snippets to Lily's past were cold-shower-worthy. And there are barely any explicit scenes - Krista and Becca Ritchie know  how to write perfect build-up of tension and emotions.

      I became Ryke's fangirl. Most of the readers are all about Connor, but Ryke is such an intriguing character. I cannot wait to find out more about him and Daisy.

      And, it is official - I got addicted! Big thank you to all ladies who chatted with me on Twitter, Instagram and Goodreads - Siiri @ Little Pieces of Imagination, Amy @ Foxy Blogs, Angela @ Feeding My Addiction Book Reviews, Nick @ Nick's Book Blog, Lisa @ Lost in Literature. 

Happy reading, 

Addicted to You by Krista and Becca Ritchie

Buy the Book:

Amazon / Barnes and Noble / The Book Depository

Author's:

Website / Twitter / Facebook / Tumblr

My rating: 5 stars

Book summary:

"No one would suspect shy Lily Calloway’s biggest secret. While everyone is dancing at college bars, Lily stays in the bathroom. To get laid. Her compulsion leads her to one-night stands, steamy hookups and events she shamefully regrets. The only person who knows her secret happens to have one of his own.

Loren Hale’s best friend is his bottle of bourbon. Lily comes at a close second. For three years, they’ve pretended to be in a real relationship, hiding their addictions from their families. They’ve mastered the art of concealing flasks and random guys that filter in and out of their apartment.

But as they sink beneath the weight of their addictions, they cling harder to their destructive relationship and wonder if a life together, for real, is better than a lie. Strangers and family begin to infiltrate their guarded lives, and with new challenges, they realize they may not just be addicted to alcohol and sex.

Their real vice may be each other."

      I am not a stubborn person. *crickets* Well, sometimes I am not. *more crickets* Okay, I am always subborn. But also I know when to admit that I was wrong. *cri..*  Shut up! I admit it - I. Was. Wrong. Can we move on, please?

     Okay, where was I? Loren Hale and Lily Calloway. That twin sisters who started off as bloggers and turned into brilliant authors. My new adult addiction. Siiri from Little Pieces of Imagination made me read this. But seriously, I cannot believe that Tanja read Addicted to You before me - she is not new adult fan. And she read it before me.
      It took only a little bit over a year for our Estonian friend Siiri to finally persuade me to read Addicted series. Main reason for my reluctance was all the hype and the the fact that I had really bad experiences in the past with new adult recommendations. Only thing that I  can say is that I am glad that I have waited until now because I can binge-read and not go crazy while waiting for a new sequel.

Glass has officially turned into one of those shippers or OTP fangirls.

(however it's called)

Why I loved Addicted to You?

• Original idea. The most usual stereotype of NA novels is a good, overly naive,  girl (who is usually a virgin), and I am not fan of those. So imagine my surprise when I realized that main female character is a sex addict. Yes, I know - addiction is a bad thing, but lets focus here on the part where female sexuality is something that Addicted to You is mostly about. Not the million times seen "I have no luck when it comes to sex, but this one special, alpha male makes me act like a porn star" scenario. Lily is like any other human being - male or female - with sexual and other primal urges we all share. Yes, she has a problem, but her sexual identity is not determined trough her relationship status.
• Angst. Oh, sweet, sweet Aphrodite, this was torture to read sometimes. Not the bad thing - Krista and Becca Ritchie managed to pull you into the roller-coaster called Lo & Lily without all I-love-him-but-I-hate-her issues. (Am I the only one who noticed how we usually hate female characters, but love all the guys in NA novels?)  
• Writing. Just perfect.
• Lily, Lo, Ryke, Connor, Rose... With every new chapter, I change my answer to the question: Who is your favorite character? This is one of those rare books where I love them all.

      Final judgement? Darker read, but still pretty tame considering a topic. Perfect for fans of new adult who want something a little bit different. Definitely only for those over 18. Yes, it has drama and modern fairy tale  feel, but that is something that works perfectly when it comes to Addicted to You.

Happy reading,

The Sunday Post (#38)

Hello all. Well, as some of you know Sundays are always reserved for Sunday Post which is a meme created by lovely Kim @Caffeinated Book Reviews!

Hello darlings. Are you reading for the Christmas? We truly hope that you are and that you'll enjoy it with your family. Also we hope that you're using this holiday season to read some amazing books. Glass' been in that spirit, so she has read Addicted series, and I'm sure that Siiri will approve of this week's blog posts. For Tanja, well she has one more week of classes and then holidays! Finally. After that she will join you all and read as much as she can. So let's see what Glass has for you.

• Inspire by Cora Cormack (release day)
• The Girl in Between by Leakan Zea Kamp 
• Waiting on Wednesday (#126)
• The Mesmerized by Rhiannon Frater (blog tour)
• Maybe Someday by Colleen Hoover
• Maybe Not by Colleen Hoover

• Addicted to You (Addicted #1) by Krista and Becca Ritchie
• Ricochet (Addicted #1.5) by Krista and Becca Ritchie
• Waiting on Wednesday (#127) 
• Running Barefoot by Amy Harmon
• Addicted For Now (Addicted #2) by Krista and Becca Ritchie

Tanja's haul 

Thank you: Text Publishing and Hachetter Children's Books

Glass' haul 

Won (Thank you Foxy Blogs and FMABookReviews) 

Amazon freebies 

Until the next time, 

Maybe Not (Maybe Someday #1.5) by Colleen Hoover

Buy the book:

Amazon / Barnes and Noble

Author's:

Wesite / Twitter / Facebook / Goodreads

Book summary:

"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."
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."

You can also read my review for Maybe Someday, yes the one where I eat my words.

or 

You can read Glass' review for this book, as it makes more sense whatsoever 

         I don't think it ever happened to me that I loved a novella more than the actual book. But here we are experiencing that moment, cause people! This book! It was HILARIOUS! I'll just point out some of the elements I loved here but it's worth reading just because of all the laughter it probably prolongs your life for a year or two.

Short but sweet. Usually when reading novellas I have problem that I miss some information as you cannot put everything into such format. You have to leave things behind. But honestly I'm starting to believe that NA novels would probably work better in this short format, than they do as full novels. If you wonder why, well all unnecessary drama is cut! Yes, believe it or not! There wasn't a single moment when I thought "Don't start all the drama again". It was a bliss.

Male POV. I don't remember when was the last time I got to read a book from male POV that was done like this. It was so good. I believe that was another reason why there wasn't so much drama (I know I sound like a parrot but I LOVE THE LACK OF DRAMA HERE). So yeah, Warren rocks. Also he is one of the guys Glass and I won't fight over. Ha! I'd love him as a friend, and I'll leave all nasty things to Glass.

Laughing your ass off. But really people. There was that moment I believe at 66% of the book when  I just couldn't hold it any longer and I started laughing out loud. They were hilarious. I couldn't do anything else but laugh every time I though about that scene. It's a good thing I was home alone, as I didn't have to pull out the good ol' one

So yeah. Go and read it, when someone like me tells you to read NA - you my friends, go and do it! 

Rating: 5 stars.

Until the next time,

Maybe Someday by Colleen Hoover

Buy the book at 

Amazon / Barnes & Noble / The Book Depository

Author's 

Website / Facebook / Twitter

Book summary:

At twenty-two years old, Sydney has a great life: She's in college, working a steady job, in love with her wonderful boyfriend, Hunter, and rooming with her best friend, Tori. But everything changes when she discovers Hunter's cheating on her--and she is left trying to decide what to do next.
Sydney becomes captivated by Ridge, her mysterious neighbor. She can't take her eyes off him or stop listening to the passionate way he plays his guitar every evening out on his balcony. And there's something about Sydney that Ridge can't ignore, either. When their inevitable encounter happens, they soon find themselves needing each other in more ways than one...

          If you by any chance know me for some time and you just skimmed down and saw my name and rating for the book, yeah welcome back to the start. It's really me and no I wasn't kidnapped by aliens who washed my brain or something, and yes I did enjoy this book. Yup, I said that NA wasn't for me and of course I was wrong. Universe 10..00 - Tanja 0.

          So after my review for Ugly Love, where I oh-so-dramatically claim that I'll not read NA books "for sake of my well being" (yes I'm quoting myself, as I'm cool like that) it's time to say that CoHo did it again. After so many years and Slammed series I enjoyed this book and it surprised me a lot. It all started like something I thought will annoy the hell out of me. We do have a girl and a boy who go through some serious troubles and tough childhood they meet each other and it's how it all starts. BEWARE SPOILER! But just add some cheating (which I always said I hate) and love triangle and well you get this book in a nutshell. YOU CAN LOOK NOW! Add some amazing side characters and hot scenes here and there and VOILA. 

         But the thing is I loved it. I could find explanation for all of it (at least that emotional part of me could, we won't mention the rational one - it just died somewhere in process, which reminds me of my good ol' heart and mind struggle I tend to have) and what's more I could feel all of it. It was a slow building romance which grew on me with every page of the book. I just had to turn page after page and smile, cry and yell with them.

          So yes, I'll just put this on my guilty.. you know what I won't. We only live once and heck I liked this book. Live with it brain!

Rating: 4 stars.

Until the next time,

(Blog Tour) The Mesmerized by Rhiannon Frater

Buy the book: 

Amazon / Barnes ans Noble / Kobo / Smashwords

Author's:

Website / Twitter / Facebook / Goodreads

My rating: 4 stars

Book summary:

"It is silence, not screams of terror, which proclaims the end of the world…

Minji Nordim is vacationing in Las Vegas with her small family when she witnesses the beginning of a terrifying apocalypse. When humanity is transformed into mindless drones by a terrifying supernatural event only Minji appears to be immune.

Thousands die instantly, but the other affected people are drawn to the Nevada desert. Nothing stands in the way of the mesmerized. Not fire, not heights, not rubble. As the bodies pile in the streets and the relentless wave of the mesmerized plods into the deadly desert, Minji is trapped in a burning city attempting to rescue her affected family.
Can one woman save her family and the world?"

      Rhiannon Frater is a a lady who writes the most kick-ass heroines: they are fearless, smart, loyal and strong. True girl power stories. But also, this author is known by her action packed stories about apocalypse and zombies: As the World Dies trilogy is a must read for anyone who claims to be fan of The Walking Dead. 

     Her latest novel, The Mesmerized, follows that same premise - Minji is a wife and a mother of two little girls who find herself in completely crazy situation during family vacation in Las Vegas. What should have been fun times, turns into fight for her husband's and daughters safety. For some unexplainable reason, Minji is the only one not affected by the same thing that turns everyone around her into zombie like state.
      The Mesmerized does start a little bit confusing and you will need to read few chapters before you get captivated by the story, but it only adds up to the general atmosphere of the confusion - Rhiannon Frater makes you walk in the shoes of her main character. You feel what she feels and discover things gradually. Minji is not scientist or special opp, you will not get fancy SF explanations or Mission Impossible fight scenes. Minji's driving force is her mother instinct and love for her family, her only focus is to get them to safety and get her little girl back. That is what makes this book feel real and easy to relate to.

      Who should read The Mesmerized? I believe that it would be a perfect choice for fans of Stephen King and similar authors, as well for anyone whoi would like to read something different from their usual picks.

Happy reading,

Waiting on Wednesday (#126)

You know the story. This is a meme created by Breaking the Spine and every week we pick books we're waiting for. Here are our picks for this week.

We're waiting for....

I left Lunar Manor broken, seeking comfort in the hands of Laurel “the Dragon” Hardy, the editor-in-chief of the Daily Gossip. Okay, I may have used him to ease the pain He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named caused by his confession of loving someone else. On New Year’s Eve! Granted, he was drunk off his ass, but still! I stay with Larry mainly because the dreams are getting worse. Worse enough to wake me in the middle of the night needing the touch of another to save me from losing my mind.

Unfortunately, the handsome bassist of the uber successful indie rock band, Vicious, is never far from my mind. I thought I was rid of him once and for all only to have him show up at my hotel in London. Luka Visraya’s power over me is intense. No matter how far I run, I always end up circling back to him.

If you think my story is just some romance about two lovers getting back together, think again. Little did I know that returning to Luka meant I’d be plunging myself into a world more familiar than I ever thought possible. Trust me when I say I didn’t believe it either when the truth finally came out.

Expected publication: January 12th 2015

We'd love to see your picks so feel free to link them up.

Until the next time,

The Girl In Between by Leakan Zea Kamp

Download for FREE

Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Smashwords

Author's 

Website / Goodreads / Twitter

Book summary:

Bryn Reyes is a real life sleeping beauty. Afflicted with Klein-Levin Syndrome, she suffers episodes of prolonged sleep that steal weeks, and sometimes even months, from her life. But unlike most KLS patients, she doesn’t spend each episode in a catatonic state or wake up with no recollection of the time she’s missed. Instead, Bryn spends half her life in an alternate reality made up of her memories. For Bryn, the past is a place, until one day a boy she’s never met before washes up on the illusory beach of her dreams with no memory of who he is.
But the appearance of this strange boy isn’t the only thing that’s changed. Bryn’s symptoms are worsening, her body weakening as she’s plagued by hallucinations even while awake. Her only hope of finding a cure is to undergo experimental treatment created by a German specialist. But when Dr. Banz reveals that he knows more about her strange symptoms than he originally let on, Bryn learns that the boy in her head might actually be the key to understanding what’s happening to her, and worse, that if she doesn’t find out his identity before it’s too late, they both may not survive.

         It's been over a year now since I've got to read Breathing Ghost, I believe Leakan's first book and I couldn't believe that I had a chance to read such an interesting book. I fell in love with her writing then and I couldn't wait to read her new books. So I have finally got a chance to read The Girl In Between.

        Knowing little about the author, I assumed that I'm going to read something unusual here and I did, in fact. It's a story about Bryn, who suffers from KLS, a thing I didn't know existed until I started this book. It's a real deal people, a real disease when people unexpectedly fall asleep and spend some time sleeping. The same has been happening with Bryn. She would suddenly drift of and sleep for days and of course that influenced her teenage life. She missed a lot of school and what is more a lot of deadlines. But the biggest problem was how the others behaved as if she was a freak. But there is one thing that almost no one knew about and it's what happens while she sleeps. Here we enter a new imaginary world where things don't always go according to the plan.

       It's not only writing and how unusual this book was that made me like it so much. It was also how things seemed real at the same time, there was this background to the story which was really interesting and I cannot wait to read more about it. Besides, I always wondered what happens in human brain while it's in some sort of coma, and like the answer here (well, all but scary parts).

       I won't even start about the romance in this story which was really sweet. Anyhow the only thing that bothered me a bit here, were the moments when there seemed to be too much coincidence for my taste. Still, I cannot wait to read the sequel, The Boy in Her Dreams!

Rating: 4 stars.

Until the next time,

***Thank you Leakan for giving me a review copy of this book. All opinions here are personal!

(Release Day Launch) Inspire by Cora Carmack

 

We are so incredibly excited to be able to bring you the Release Day Launch for Cora Carmack's INSPIRE! INSPIRE is a New Adult Paranormal Romance novel and the first book in her new Muse Series!! Holy canoli, y'all. Go out and get this today!

 

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iTunes | Kobo

About INSPIRE: 

Kalliope lives with one purpose. To inspire. As an immortal muse, she doesn’t have any other choice. It’s part of how she was made. Musicians, artists, actors—they use her to advance their art, and she uses them to survive. She moves from one artist to the next, never staying long enough to get attached. But all she wants is a different life— a normal one. She’s spent thousands of years living lie after lie, and now she’s ready for something real. Sweet, sexy, and steady, Wilder Bell feels more real than anything else in her long existence. And most importantly… he’s not an artist. He doesn’t want her for her ability. But she can’t turn off the way she influences people, not even to save a man she might love. Because in small doses, she can help make something beautiful, but her ability has just as much capacity to destroy as it does to create. The longer she stays, the more obsessed Wilder will become. It’s happened before, and it never turns out well for the mortal. Her presence may inspire genius. But it breeds madness, too. 

 

 Excerpt: 

I can feel Wilder’s breath against my lips. More than that, I can see it. The sun has set and the temperature has dropped, and air fogs between us. There’s something about actually seeing it, like our lips are touching, we are touching, despite the distance between. And as we sway from side to side, my heart gradually begins to pick up speed. The strains of guitar music flowing out from the restaurant are nearly indecipherable over the heavy heartbeat in my ears. But Wilder must hear it. His hands are strong on my body, guiding my movements, and I’m practically clay in his palms. We dance, eyes on eyes, lips nearly on lips, and there is lightning beneath my skin each time his body brushes against mine in a new way. His touch is firm, but gentle, never pushing or pressuring, though I can tell from the dark look in his eyes that he’s just as affected as I am. The music shifts, building to a crescendo, and he spins us. My chest pushes tight against his, and I bite back a gasp. I don’t know if it’s the cold or him or some combination of both, but the tips of my breasts are painfully tight. Just the pressure of my bra is enough to rub them raw. I remember the night at his apartment, the way he’d taken his time learning my body. I think of the heat of his mouth on my skin, and the memory alone is enough to make me shiver and clench. He’s back to being business, grown-up Wilder tonight in his button down and glasses. Only now that I know him, it doesn’t seem like such a stark difference. He is neither the straight-laced man nor the tattooed bad boy. Or perhaps he’s both. Regardless of what he’s wearing, Wilder is caring and loyal and strong and so sexy that I’m having trouble remembering why I shouldn’t push him into the backseat of his SUV and crawl on top of him. 

About Cora Carmack:
Cora Carmack is a twenty-something writer who likes to write about twenty-something characters. She's done a multitude of things in her life-- boring jobs (like working retail), Fun jobs (like working in a theatre), stressful jobs (like teaching), and dream jobs (like writing). She enjoys placing her characters in the most awkward situations possible, and then trying to help them get a boyfriend out of it. Awkward people need love, too. Her first book, LOSING IT, was a New York Times and USA Today bestseller.      

Website ** Twitter ** Facebook ** Author Goodreads ** INSPIRE Goodreads

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The Sunday Post (#37)

Hello all. Well, as some of you know Sundays are always reserved for Sunday Post which is a meme created by lovely Kim @Caffeinated Book Reviews!

Hi all. We hope that you've had a great morning and that you already have your coffee/tea and that you're ready for another day. Also we hope that you're having some snow to add to this holiday season. Sadly, we still haven't got snow but we're eagerly waiting for it. 

For us, it was another busy week. Tanja had to finish her research paper, while Glass enjoyed with her darling and family. This is perfect time to get comfortable with a blanket and a good book. Tanja has only two more weeks of classes and it's time for winter break! We cannot wait. 

But how it is for you. Are you ready for Christmas? 

• Breaking the Rules by Katie McGarry (Book Blitz) 
• The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan  
• Waiting on Wednesday (#125)
• Breeder by K.B. Hoyle (Blog Tour)
• Bookish Problems #18 - Do we have to love every book?
• The Empyrean Key by J.L. Tomlinson

• Inspire by Cora Cormack (release day)
• The Girl in Between by Leakan Zea Kamp 
• Waiting on Wednesday (#126)
• The Mesmerized by Rhiannon Frater (blog tour)
• Maybe Someday by Colleen Hoover
• Maybe Not by Colleen Hoover

Glass' haul 

Thank you Skyscape 

Amazon freebies 

Tanja's haul 

Borrowed from the library 

Until the next time,