Waiting on Wednesday (#97)

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.

Glass' pick

Madeline Usher is doomed.

She has spent her life fighting fate, and she thought she was succeeding. Until she woke up in a coffin.

Ushers die young. Ushers are cursed. Ushers can never leave their house, a house that haunts and is haunted, a house that almost seems to have a mind of its own. Madeline’s life—revealed through short bursts of memory—has hinged around her desperate plan to escape, to save herself and her brother. Her only chance lies in destroying the house.

In the end, can Madeline keep her own sanity and bring the house down?The Fall is a literary psychological thriller, reimagining Edgar Allan Poe’s classic The Fall of the House of Usher.

Expected publication: October 7th, 2014

Tanja's pick

Lost and broken, Celaena Sardothien's only thought is to avenge the savage death of her dearest friend: as the King of Adarlan's Assassin, she is bound to serve this tyrant, but he will pay for what he did. Any hope Celaena has of destroying the king lies in answers to be found in Wendlyn. 

Sacrificing his future, Chaol, the Captain of the King's Guard, has sent Celaena there to protect her, but her darkest demons lay in that same place. If she can overcome them, she will be Adarlan's biggest threat - and his own toughest enemy.

While Celaena learns of her true destiny, and the eyes of Erilea are on Wendlyn, a brutal and beastly force is preparing to take to the skies. Will Celaena find the strength not only to win her own battles, but to fight a war that could pit her loyalties to her own people against those she has grown to love?

Expected publication: 2nd September, 2014

We'd love to see your picks so feel free to link them in comments!

Until the next time,

Road to the trailer: It's a Wonderful Death by Sarah J Schmitt

Hello all. Today I'm bringing you a sneak peak at one Strange Chemistry surprise. They have a new book in plan but before they reveal the cover you first get to see the trailer. Well, soon, first we get to tease you a little bit :) 

Yesterday you could see the first still from the trailer revealed over at YA Yeah Yeah and today I'm bringing you the second one! Here it is

For tomorrow's still go and visit Strange Chemistry! 

But don't forget to be back on Friday when you'll see the trailer reveal!!!

Book summary: 

When RJ's soul is accidentally collected by a distracted Grim Reaper, somebody in the afterlife better figure out a way to send her back from the dead or heads will roll. 
Eventually RJ is presented with two options: she can remain in the Lobby, where souls wait to be processed, until her original lifeline expires; or replay three moments in her life in an effort to make choices that will produce a future deemed worthy of being saved. It sounds like a no brainer. She'll take the walk down memory lane. How hard can changing her future be?
But with each moment, RJ's life begins to unravel. Will she ever find redemption and walk amongst the living again?

Until the next time, 

Promo Spot: Legally Undead by Margo Bond Collins

Buy the book at 

Amazon / Barnes & Noble 

Publishing date: May 27th, 2014

Book summary: 

A reluctant vampire hunter, stalking New York City as only a scorned bride can. Elle Dupree has her life all figured out: first a wedding, then her Ph.D., then swank faculty parties where she’ll serve wine and cheese and introduce people to her husband the lawyer.
 But those plans disintegrate when she walks in on a vampire draining the blood from her fiancé Greg. Horrified, she screams and runs--not away from the vampire, but toward it, brandishing a wooden letter opener.
 As she slams the improvised stake into the vampire’s heart, a team of black-clad men bursts into the apartment. Turning around to face them, Elle discovers that Greg’s body is gone—and her perfect life falls apart.

Excerpt 

We walked all the way to the end of the hall and Deirdre pulled a key out from between her breasts. She caught my look and said, “I don’t want it to be too easy to get to, pet.” Then she turned the key in the lock and opened the door on one of the most horrible scenes I could ever have imagined.Malcolm’s completely naked body hung from chains against the back wall. His knees sagged so that his arms, stretched to their utmost, took most of his weight. His head drooped to one side. His eyes were closed; he didn’t try to see who had entered the room. I wasn’t sure he was even conscious.The bed in the middle of the room was a tangle of sheets and blankets, all smeared with old bloodstains. The carpet under Malcolm’s body was also darkened with blood.Worst of all were the wounds. His entire body was covered in bite marks. Big purple bruises spread out from the worst of them, painful looking quarter-inch puncture wounds, white and ragged around the edges. Several wounds ringed his nipples, another one punctured either side of his bellybutton. There was one particularly livid mark on his neck and what looked like the edges of another one on his inner thigh, though I couldn’t see it well enough to tell how bad it actually was. His wrists had been rubbed raw by the shackles holding him, and underneath the chains he was pale.

About the author 

Margo Bond Collins is the author of a number of novels, including Waking Up Dead, Fairy, Texas, and Legally Undead (forthcoming May 27, 2014). She lives in Texas with her husband, their daughter, and several spoiled pets. She teaches college-level English courses online, though writing fiction is her first love. She enjoys reading urban fantasy and paranormal fiction of any genre and spends most of her free time daydreaming about vampires, ghosts, zombies, werewolves, and other monsters. 

Author's 

Website / Facebook / Twitter

Until the next time

The Break-Up Artist by Philip Siegel

Buy the book:

Amazon / Barnes & Noble / The Book Depository 

Author's:

Website / Twitter / Facebook / Goodreads

Publication date: April 29th, 2014

My rating: 2.5 stars

Book summary:

" Some sixteen-year-olds babysit for extra cash. Some work at the Gap. Becca Williamson breaks up couples. 



After watching her sister get left at the altar, Becca knows the true damage that comes when people utter the dreaded L-word. For just $100 via paypal, she can trick and manipulate any couple into smithereens. With relationship zombies overrunning her school, and treating single girls like second class citizens, business is unfortunately booming. Even her best friend Val has resorted to outright lies to snag a boyfriend.

One night, she receives a mysterious offer to break up the homecoming king and queen, the one zombie couple to rule them all: Steve and Huxley. They are a JFK and Jackie O in training, masters of sweeping faux-mantic gestures, but if Becca can split them up, then school will be safe again for singletons. To succeed, she'll have to plan her most elaborate scheme to date and wiggle her way back into her former BFF Huxley’s life – not to mention start a few rumors, sabotage some cell phones, break into a car, and fend off the inappropriate feelings she’s having about Val’s new boyfriend. All while avoiding a past victim out to expose her true identity.

No one said being the Break-Up Artist was easy."

       I totally blame Zemira for this one. Some of you may know her, but for those who don't - Zemira is Tanja's and my "soul mate" and BFF (you can find her - and her review - on YA Fanatic) and we automatically buy all books she tells us to read. But with The Break-Up Artist something went wrong. She loved it, I didn't.

Why I didn't enjoy The Break-Up Artist?

• Boyfriend drama. Basically, every single female character thinks that their measure of success in life is having a boyfriend. Or a husband. Or boyfriend who will become your husband. Every single thing in their lives is determined with relationship status. Whole plot is about having or not having a boyfriend. Boyfriend, boyfriend, boyfriend... Did I managed to annoy you already with how may times I repeated word boyfriend? Well, now you know how I felt while I had been reading this.
• Becca Williamson. The main character. At first I though this will be one of those rare girls in literature who are not all "fragile flowers" and goodie two shoes. Anti-heroine. Nope. Everything about her is an act. The very thing she fights against is something she wants the most and as soon as one dreamy boy shows interest and start to heavily throw pick up lines - she shows her real face. Petty and superficial girl. 
• Did I catch a train back to nineteenth century? Few things I read made me want to bang my head against the desk or throw Kindle trough the window.
• Snooze. It was boring at some parts and I wanted to just get over with it.

Redeeming point?

• Ending. Friendship wins. Girl starts to think for a change and I liked couple of messages. 
• Got me thinking... Is this the way men or boys really see teenage girls and women in general?  I have few things to add to my lesson plans - special assignments for male students. 

Should you read it? Please, read Zemira's review and at least one other positive review before you make up your mind. I didn't like it, but maybe you will.

Happy reading,

***Copy of this book was provided by publisher, Harlequin Teen, via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.***

Sunday Post (#8)

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!

Last week we told you about the huge floods in our country, Serbia and Croatia. Things are getting a little bit better. People are cleaning everything and life returns back to normal where it is possible. The number of dead is not yet official but it's more than 20. But some areas are still under water. In the meantime we got a huge hot wave and temperatures are around 30 degrees Celsius these days. Let's just hope that at least diseases will bypass us. 

For our blog, things are as usual. We had some interesting reviews this week and of course we have more interesting things ready for the next one. 

• We Were  Liars by E. Lockhart (review)
• Whisper To Me by Christina Lee (review)
• Waiting on Wednesday (#96)
• Played by Liz Fichera (ARC review)
• The Lost by Sarah Beth Durst (ARC review)
• Take Me On by Katie McGarry (joined ARC review)

• The Break-Up Artist by Philip Siegel (review)
• The Wonderful Death by Sarah J. Schmitt (second still reveal)
• Legally Undead by Margo Bond Collins (promo)
• Waiting on Wednesday (#97)
• Biggest Flirts by Jennifer Echols
• The Wonderful Death by Sarah J. Schmitt (trailer reveal)
• Scion by Deb Hanarahan (review)

Glass' haul

Thank you: Balzer & Bray, Katherine Tagen Books, HarperCollins and Wunderland Press

Tanja's haul 

I grabbed these two from the library (both are Serbian translations): 

Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini
(ps. the cover is prettier than it looks like on the pic)

The Magicians' Guild by Trudi Canavan 

Until the next time,  

ARC Review: Take Me On by Katie McGarry

Pre-order book at  

Amazon / Barnes & Noble / The Book Depository

Author's

Website / Facebook / Twitter

Expected publication: May 27th, 2014

Rating: 5 stars.

Book summary:

Champion kickboxer Haley swore she'd never set foot in the ring again after one tragic night. But then the guy she can't stop thinking about accepts a mixed martial arts fight in her honor. Suddenly, Haley has to train West Young. All attitude, West is everything Haley promised herself she'd stay away from. Yet he won't last five seconds in the ring without her help.
West is keeping a big secret from Haley. About who he really is. But helping her-fighting for her-is a shot at redemption. Especially since it's his fault his family is falling apart. He can't change the past, but maybe he can change Haley's future.
Hayley and West have agreed to keep their relationship strictly in the ring. But as an unexpected bond forms between them and attraction mocks their best intentions, they'll face their darkest fears and discover love is worth fighting for.

Tanja: This is yet another book my girl Glass and I got to read together. But this time we had a support in Nick @Nick's Book Blog. She already posted her review and you can check it out here. Now Glass start!

Glass: Fourth book in Pushing The Limits series - and please, Harlequin, don't make it be the last - was so good. So good! I think we were is swooning frenzy whole time we had been reading. Want to know why? Okay here we go.

All the reasons we think Haley is awesome.

Glass: As you probably noticed so far, we love when girls in our novels are strong, smart, when they don't measure their worth with how much boys like them, when they don't let anyone to push them around and when they fight for what they believe in. Haley is one of those.
Tanja: Totally agreed! She is not only strong and capable I like her sympathy and desire to help others. She is also selfless and boy does she knows how to fight!

Why did we lock West in our fictional harem?

Tanja: Even though we both cheered for Abby's story (we still do) Take Me On surprised me on many levels. Mostly it is West whom I didn't expect to be like this. He is one of the characters who in the previous book Crash Into You was not on my all time fave list but boy when you get to meet him. That's another story all together.
Glass: West wasn't my favorite character in previous book, Crash Into You, either. As the matter of fact, I thought he was selfish, I hated the way he sometimes treated his sister Rachel and I had my doubts about Katie writing more books in this series because I wasn't sure how long it could be new and not start to go into circles,but also about new characters - boy, was I wrong. West redeemed himself - he is perfect combination of bad and good boy - tough when he needs to be, a little bit reckless, but when it comes to the girl he likes - sweet and loyal. 

But, absolutely the best female character of all time - Abby!

Glass: From the first time I read about Abby, I wanted to know more. I need to read her story! This girl is bad-ass. Even big, bad boys are careful around her. She walks like she is a queen and everyone around her are her loyal peasants. If they are not, she'll make them regret it. Still, you can see snippets of her true nature from time to time and there is so much more underneath her whole steely exterior.
Tanja: Agreed and I truly loved her in this book. This all is just another reason that I'd love to see her get her story.

Take Me On as a mix of young adult and new adult.

Tanja: Have you seen the movie Never Back Down? At moments this book reminded me of that movie and it's a great thing as it's a move I really like. Well the point of that question is that if you have then you'll notice that the movie is not exactly for kids but then again it carries a really strong message for everyone. The same is with Katie McGarry's books. It is about growing up and finding oneself in this cruel and tough world.
Glass: I'd say that Katie McGarry balances on that fine line between young and new adult. She combines best of both genre - you get amazing and heart-melting love story, but it never goes into the cliches of new adult. Take Me On reminds me a little bit of novels written by Jessica Sorensen. 

Five reasons to read Katie McGarry novels:

1. You will walk all dreamy eyed and overwhelmed with feeling for days after you finish reading.
2. The best first kiss scenes you will ever read in your life.
3. You'll always FEEL everything.
4. Her characters are also well developed and real.
5. Katie McGarry's writing. 

Will there be more sequels?

Glass & Tanja: That would be a million dollars question. Apparently, "publishing gods" are still thinking about fate of our favorite series. Only thing that is sure for now is another novel about Echo and Noah - Breaking the Rules could be described as conclusion to their story and it'll be published in December this year. Lets's hope that there would be at least two more books, because we really want to read Abby's and Ethan's stories.

Until the next time,

ARC Review - The Lost by Sarah Beth Durst

Buy the book:

Amazon / Barnes & Noble / The Book Depository

Connect with the author:

Website / Twitter / Facebook / Goodreads

Publication date: May 27th, 2014.

Book summary:

"Lost your way? 
Your dreams?  
Yourself? 
Welcome to Lost.

It was supposed to be a small escape. A few hours driving before turning around and heading home. But once you arrive in Lost...well, it's a place you really can't leave. Not until you're Found. Only the Missing Man can send you home. And he took one look at Lauren Chase and disappeared.

So Lauren is now trapped in the town where all lost things go-luggage, keys, dreams, lives-where nothing is permanent, where the locals go feral and where the only people who don't want to kill her are a handsome wild man called the Finder and a knife-wielding six-year-old girl. The only road out of town is engulfed by an impassable dust storm, and escape is impossible....

Until Lauren decides nothing-and no one-is going to keep her here anymore."

         There are books that dance on tightrope between reality and imagination and all I can say for this one is - it's quite a dancer. I have no idea which genre to put it in. For me this book was everything I needed without knowing so. It captured me and took me to another world I did not expect to see. 

         Welcome to Lost! One sign, one city which changes everything. Without giving away too much it's a city of lost - dreams, hopes, lives and rebuilding and recreating them. It's a city where Missing Man residence and he is the only one who can send you back. Only Lauren doesn't seem to be in his good graces. She is not alone, though. It's a city full of Lost people, who are expecting to be Found. The trick is that they don't know what they are looking for. Then there is also Claire, a girl who was older than her years gave away and of course Peter aka the Finder who helps people to be found.

         Questions, questions! Well now you all might ask me for a place, or significance of this city and I wouldn't be able to tell you more than you assume. The Lost is all you want it to be, it can be a dream, metaphor, another world or reality you are well aware of. You can see it as a place you want to escape to and find yourself again.

         Final thoughts. To say that The Lost surprised me would be an underestimation. Everything about it was new, unexpected and original -  characters with different lives and ideas, to the world building which took my breath away. But at the same time this book is not for everybody. Those who need to be familiar and grasp the story might be a bit let down, as many things here are left unanswered and there is a veil of mystery still covering it.

         If you like that kind of book and looking for something different and new, then you should go for this story and I'm sure losing yourself for a few hours will be worth it.

My rating: 5 stars.

Happy reading, 

Copy of this book was provided to us by publisher, Mira INK, via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

ARC Review - Played (Hooked, #2) by Liz Fichera

Buy the book:

Amazon / Barnes & Noble

Author's:

Website / Twitter / Facebook / Goodreads

Publication date: May 27th, 2014

My rating:  4 stars

Book summary:

"This Game Is Getting All Too Real

He said: I like to keep under the radar and mostly hang out with my friends from the rez. But when I saved Riley Berenger from falling off a mountain, that rich suburban princess decided to try to save me.

She said: If I can help Sam Tracy win the heart of the girl he can't get over, I'll pay him back for helping me. I promised him I would, no matter what it takes."

      I am so happy that I decided to read this. Last year I read Hooked, story about girl named Fred who plays golf and popular boy Ryan who took his sweet time to finally make his own decisions. I was not the biggest fan, so you can understand my hesitance to pick up a sequel.  But now I am really glad that I did because otherwise I'd miss something worth reading. (Aman won't agree with me about that one, so you can read why she didn't finish it on Enticed by Books - just in case you need "second opinion").

      Girls, meet your next book crush! All of you who read first book, you do remember Sam Tracy? Big guy who only looks scary, but actually is a real sweetheart? Well, this is his story. Played can be described as romantic comedy, a lot like those written by Jeniffer Echols. Thinking about it now, I believe that fans of The Boys Next Door will adore this novel. A boy and a girl who normally wouldn't hang out are forced to spend time together, one of them suggest "evil-mastermind-plan", they do a lot of other things, they bond - we swoon and cheer. Perfect and summery and heart-melting and  adorable.

      With just enough drama. Liz Fichera made a perfect mix of emotions, angst, unexpected twists, misunderstandings, revelations and "goose bumps" moments. With only couple of things that bothered me, but didn't mess up with how much I enjoyed reading this book, Played is a perfect choice for upcoming warm days.

Happy reading,

***Copy of the book was provided by publisher, Harlequin Teen, via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.***

Waiting on Wednesday (#96)

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.

Glass' pick

Fiercely independent Camille "Cami" Camlin gladly moved on from her childhood before it was over. She has held down a job since before she could drive, and moved into her own apartment after her freshman year of college. Now tending bar at The Red Door, Cami doesn’t have time for much else besides work and classes, until a trip to see her boyfriend is cancelled, leaving her with a first weekend off in almost a year.

Trenton Maddox was the king of Eastern State University, dating co-eds before he even graduated high school. His friends wanted to be him, and women wanted to tame him, but after a tragic accident turned his world upside down, Trenton leaves campus to come to grips with the crushing guilt.

Eighteen months later, Trenton is living at home with his widower father, and works full-time at a local tattoo parlor to help with the bills. Just when he thinks his life is returning to normal, he notices Cami sitting alone at a table at The Red.

As the baby sister of four rowdy brothers, Cami believes she’ll have no problem keeping her new friendship with Trenton Maddox strictly platonic. But when a Maddox boy falls in love, he loves forever—even if she is the only reason their already broken family could fall apart.

Expected publication: July 1st, 2014

Tanja's pick

After spending the summer away from each other, Titus and Iolanthe (still disguised as Archer Fairfax) are eager to return to Eton College to resume their training to fight the Bane. Although no longer bound to Titus by a blood oath, Iolanthe is more committed than ever to fulfilling her destiny—especially with the agents of Atlantis quickly closing in.

Soon after arriving at school, though, Titus makes a shocking discovery, one that makes him question everything he previously believed about their mission. Faced with this devastating realization, Iolanthe is forced to come to terms with her new role, while Titus must choose between following his mother's prophecies—and forging a divergent path to an unknowable future.

Expected publication: August 26th, 2014

We'd love to see your picks so feel free to link them in comments!

Until the next time,

ARC Review - Whisper To Me by Christina Lee

Buy the book:

Amazon / Barnes & Noble

Author's:

Website / Twitter / Facebook / Godreads

Publication date: May 20th, 2014

My rating: 4 stars

Book summary: 

"At college, Rachel has a reputation for being a sarcastic flirt with a thing for star athletes. No one at school knows that she’d had her heart ripped to shreds by her high school sweetheart, who’d driven them both off the side of the road on a borrowed motorcycle, and then abandoned her. No one knows the real Rachel Mattson—except one person…

Ever since he helped nurse his sister’s feisty best friend back to health, pierced bass player Kai Nakos has been head over heels in love. But the supposed bad boy can’t risk letting Rachel know the truth—especially now that the two of them are back in their hometown for the summer, together for the first time since the months following that fateful night. Never mind that Rachel’s ex is back, groveling for her forgiveness.

Shaken by her ex’s return, Rachel finds herself turning to the one guy she knows she can trust. Kai is willing to hide his feelings for her, just to have Rachel touch him again. After all, this is only a temporary fling. Until it becomes something more. But maybe it had been more all along."

      My first Christina Lee novel was a such sweet (and hot) experience. Yes, hot. I warn you - this is a "full blooded" new adult romance which means no readers under the age of 18. Other than that, Whisper To Me is a part of the series, it is third book in Between Breaths but it can be read as standalone, you won't miss anything if you haven't read previous stories.

Why I swooned?

• Kai Nakos. Tanja and I are always swooning over the perfect book boyfriends and this boy is so one of them. He's a perfect mix of bad and good boy who fights for the girl he loves. 
• Friends to lovers/best friend's brother storyline. I love this kind of stories. They have a dash star-crossed lovers, but with the happy ending. No insta-love, no fainting and lusting at the first sight. You have two people who know each other well, but still find out about things that surprise them. 
• Epic make out scenes. Oh, boy... Christina Lee is very "verbal" when it comes to those. 

Few things that might bother you

• Typical new adult. If you are not a fan of this genre, it's probably the best to skip it or read it only if you are in mood for it, because Whisper To me has all cliches. 
• Writing. Too repetitive at times and charters tend to think in circles. More telling than showing. Focused on romance and main characters.

Final verdict? 
      Sweet and predictable love story you'll enjoy reading when you feel craving for few hours of mindless fun. Or when your boyfriend/husband drives you crazy and mad and you need fictional boyfriends that will bring back your faith in real-life men.

Happy reading,

***Copy of the book provided by publisher, InterMix/Penguin, via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.***

*Read during Bout of Books read-a-thon.*