Review of Bridesmaid Lotto by Rachel Astor

Description:

McMaster the Disaster series, Book 1

Josephine McMaster is pretty and smart, but very much a klutzy mess. Finally, at 26, she may have actually lost the dreaded ‘McMaster the Disaster’ nickname that has followed her around her whole life.

Josie’s quite content to be single, much to her mother’s disappointment. So when a bizarre contest is announced where a socialite is holding a lottery to pick her bridesmaids (and rake in a little extra cash), she can’t roll her eyes fast enough, even if it does mean meeting Jake Hall, her one and only movie star crush. Obviously, Josie doesn’t enter the bridesmaid lottery, so you can imagine her surprise when her picture pops up among the winners, thanks to Mom. With a little prodding -- okay bribing -- Josie agrees to participate.

The wedding turns into the event of the year, and Josie finds herself in the middle of a paparazzi feeding frenzy, which gets even crazier after Jake Hall takes a special interest in her.

Can Josie handle the pressure in the spotlight? Is it possible she might really have a chance with Jake Hall? And if she’s busy worrying about all that, how in the heck is she going to keep ‘McMaster the Disaster’ from showing up in front of the entire world?

 

Review:

 I picked this book up for several reasons.  One, it was free on Amazon and two, it had a cute cover.  I am a sucker for contemporary romance stories and this one looked like the perfect read for me.

I liked the idea of a bridesmaid lotto.  It was an original concept in a usually unoriginal market.  However, the story fell flat.  I wished I could have said it rocked, but it was missing something.  

The character development was great for Mattie and I loved his part.  Calla was very one dimensional as well as was Jake.  He should have had more oomph.  The mother was great though and I enjoyed how uptight she was.

Overall, I still thought it was worth the free read.  It was interesting enough and even though it was predictable, I wanted to follow through with the story.

This is the first book in the series, check out the sequel Gamble on Engagement next!  I give this book three glittery stars:)

Get it for free on Amazon right now! 

Indie Author Spotlight: Kira Saito

Description:

Sixteen year old Arelia LaRue lives in New Orleans where the music is loud, voodoo queens inhabit every street corner, and the ghosts are alive and well. Despite her surroundings, all she wants is to help her Grand-mere Bea pay the rent and save up for college.
When her best friend Sabrina convinces her to take a well-paying summer job at the infamous Darkwood plantation, owned by the wealthy LaPlante family, Arelia agrees.
However, at Darkwood strange things start to happen, and gorgeous Lucus LaPlante insists that he needs her help. Soon, the powers that Arelia has been denying all her life, come out to play and she discovers mysteries about herself that she could have never imagined.

YA Paranormal Romance

Description:

Down in New Orleans, Arelia Larue’s once ordinary life has quickly transformed into something truly extraordinary.
As her ability to communicate and work with Les Mysteries (spirits) grows, so does her attraction for Darkwood’s secretive owner Lucus LaPlante.
However, Arelia soon discovers that Darkwood’s shiny and seemingly extravagant exterior holds secrets that may put her very soul at risk.
In the intoxicating world of New Orleans voodoo/hoodoo, expect the unexpected.
Come along for the ride!

  












Description:

Book #3 in the Arelia Larue series.
Down in New Orleans, Arelia LaRue's once ordinary life has been transformed into something truly odd.
As she ventures further into the word of Les Mysteries she realizes that nothing is ever as simple as it appears.
Faced with challenges that threaten her very sanity, Arelia must decide if fighting for what is right is truly worth the risk.
In the intoxicating world of New Orleans Hoodoo/Voodoo expect the unexpected!


About the Author:
 
Kira is a magic junkie and loves writing YA paranormal romances. Some of her heroes include: Jack the Pumpkin King, Willy Wonka, Larry David, Princess Jasmine, the vampire Lestat, Andy and her Maltese Costanza. 

http://kirasaito.blogspot.com 

 

Cover reveal of Don't Tell by Mercy Amare

Description:

I could be surrounded by a million people, but I would still feel alone. I smile on the outside, but inside I feel like I’m slowly dying. I cry out for help, but nobody sees me, at least not the real me. They see a façade, a mask that I put on to hide the pain.

I pretend that I’m normal, but really, what is normal? Maybe what I’m feeling is normal. The hurt, the disappointment, the loneliness… it could be all just be a part of life. Maybe I will never know what normal is.

I put on long sleeves and makeup to hide the bruises, but they only mask the outside. What happens when I can’t carry my burden alone any longer? What would happen if I told somebody the truth?

Don't Tell is a YA Contemporary Romance about love, forgivness and hope.  Coming Fall 2012.

How to reach author:

Blog: http://mercyamare.blogspot.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/MercyAmare

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Mercy-Amare/466953106650292

Stacking the Shelves #4

Stacking the Shelves is a meme hosted by Tynga at Tynga's Reviews, that features books I've received/purchased/borrowed during the current week. 


Received for review:

Bought:

Free on Amazon:

Won:

It was a busy week for books!  They all look great huh?  What did you stack you shelves with this week?

Review of The Dream Slayer by Jill Cooper

Description:

When your dreams come true, sometimes you get more than you bargained for...

Natalie Johnson has always dreamed she’s someone else; calm, beautiful, in control. A chosen warrior with a maniacal arch nemesis and a dreamy boyfriend, the type that can make your knees melt and your heart quiver.

Real life is much different. She’s tormented by a bully and endures the sharp tongue of her father, but finds solace in her dreams.

When her bully ends up dead, de ja vu from a dream hits her hard as everything around her begins to fall apart.

Whatever killed Sarah in her dreams is now in reality, hunting her from the shadows. And it wants her dead.

Somehow as the lines between reality and nightmare blur, Natalie must discover hidden strength to pull her friends and family back from the brink of madness.

 

Review:

I actually won this book on a blog contest.  This book was pretty original.  I liked how the author used the dreams to merge with reality.  The first half of the book was really entertaining.

I got a little confused in the second half of the book.  She was having two realities and a dream world at one point.  Also, the narration switched to multiple people without any distinctions between them.  

If you like demons, this book is everything you could want.  It was very reminiscent of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, only in dreams.  Natalie and her sidekicks are likeable characters.  The relationship between Nat and Tristan is sweet.

Overall, this was a good debut for the author.  This story is a YA paranormal read.  I give it three glittery stars! 

 Buy it here on Amazon 

Buy it here at Barnes and Noble 

 

Review of Cursed Secrets by Lisa Logue

Description:

Ten years ago, Lia’s life had been normal, until she witnessed a murder. Since then she’s been plagued by reliving that horrible night in a dream. But that wasn't the worst of her problems. A force had awakened inside her, unleashing something so frightening, she couldn't bear being close to anyone.

Until she met Christian.

Intrigued by her power and the strange connection between them, Christian is determined to find out what makes her tick. Struggling to keep his urges under control, he vows to stand by her. But as her past is revealed, he uncovers secrets that shake him to the core, forcing a decision that could lead to her death.


Review:

I wasn't sure what to expect going into this book.  I got it as a promotional freebie on Amazon last week.  I think having low expectations, I was really surprised at the quality of the story.

The mystery surrounding this book was excellent!  I enjoyed trying to unravel the story and had a hard time putting it down.  It wasn't until about 60% of the book was finished that the story unraveled and I was able to slow my pace.

Lia's life isn't what it seems.  She is hiding a dangerous secret.  People suspect there is something different about her and steer clear.  That is, until she meets the hot guy from class, Christian.  He seems hellbent on becoming her friend.

As Christian probes further into Lia's past, the more interesting Lia gets.  Her story isn't so simple and her past is about to catch up with her.

The only downside to this book was that the last 40% of the book was to set you up for a sequel.  The mystery is solved, but the story really takes on a new form then.  There isn't much closure at the end of the book.

Other than that, this book was very well written.  I liked the characters mostly and the story was interesting.  Christian's character was a little shaky sometimes, but the depth of Lia made up for it.  Overall, I would recommend this New Adult read.  I give it four glittery stars!

Buy it here on Amazon

Wishlist Wednesday #6

Wishlist Wednesday is a book blog hop where we will post about one book per week that has been on our wishlist for some time, or just added (it's entirely up to you), that we can't wait to get off the wishlist and onto our wonderful shelves.  This meme is hosted by Pen to Paper.

Title: Onyx
Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout
Release Date: August 14, 2012

Description:

Being connected to Daemon Black sucks…

Daemon’s determined to prove what he feels for me is more than a product of our bizarre connection. I’ve sworn him off even though he’s running more hot than cold these days. But against all common sense, I’m falling for him. Hard.

Our relationship issues aren’t out biggest problem…

The Department of Defense is here. If they ever find out what Daemon can do and that we’re linked, I’m a goner. So is he. And when a new boy shows up a school with a secret of his own, things get complicated fast. I need to choose between my own instincts and Daemon’s.

But then everything changes…

I’ve seen someone who shouldn’t be alive. Daemon’s never going to stop searching until gets the truth. What happened to his brother? Who betrayed him? And what does the DOD want from them—from me?

No one is who they seem. And not everyone will survive the lies.

This book looks bleepin' awesome right?  The first book in the series, Obsidian was swoon worthy.  What do you wish for this Wednesday?  

Review of Pack of Lies (Red Ridge Pack) by Sara Dailey and Staci Weber

Description:

The last thing Allison Wright ever expected when she moved to Red Ridge, New Mexico was to come muzzle to muzzle with the wolf of her dreams.

Seventeen-year-old Allison Wright is convinced she’s losing her mind. Uncontrollable mood swings, hot flashes, and the urge to punch anyone who gets in her way are suddenly becoming everyday occurrences. Before her erratic behavior gets out of hand, Allison’s mother finally comes clean about her dark secret. Mom is a werewolf, and soon Allison and her brother Aiden will suffer the same fate. When Allison reaches her breaking point, the family leaves their life in Texas to move to Red Ridge, New Mexico where they rejoin the pack that Allison’s mother left behind almost 20 years ago.

Unfortunately, not everyone in Red Ridge is thrilled about Allison’s arrival, especially when she attracts the attention of the very handsome, very taken, soon-to-be alpha, Cade Walker. Little does Allison know, her mere presence is causing a rift in a once unified pack. Not only has Cade been forbidden from being with Allison by his father, the pack’s alpha, Cade’s girlfriend, Kendall Stuart, will stop at nothing to get Allison out of the picture. Well on her way to becoming the next alpha’s mate, Kendall expects to rule the pack by Cade’s side even if it means teaming up with a rogue werewolf with an agenda of his own. Determined to get rid of Allison permanently, when Kendall and the rogue join forces, all hell breaks loose and no one in the pack is safe, especially not Cade and his true mate.

Review:

For those of you who don't know me, I adore werewolf and true mate stuff.  This book was no exception.  I sOoo loved this book.  I started it and couldn't put it down.

I loved Allison and her fighting ways:)  She was tough, yet vulnerable.  Going from social butterfly to hated pariah seemingly overnight, had to be tough.  I would have reacted the same way.

Then she fought with her brother and their parents decide it is time to air out the laundry.  They were werewolves and were going to live in a pack in another state.  

Then that was where Kendall and Cade came in.  Cade was super dreamy *sigh* and Kendall felt the need to mark her territory.  She wants to be the pack's female alpha and will stop at nothing to get her way, fate be damned.
  
The author did a three way narration and while I enjoyed it, the story could have lived without Kendall's P.O.V..  She was necessary to the story, but not in an official capacity.

I absolutely thought that this book was a score.  I found it through a blog review and am so glad I picked it up.  If you love YA werewolf stories, then this book is a must.  I can't wait to see what happens in book 2 after all the lies were revealed. 


Buy it here at Amazon


Buy it here at Barnes and Noble

Guest Post by Jessica Penot, Author of The Twilight Saint

Post-Apocalyptic Visions

The Twilight Saint is like nothing I’ve ever written before.  It is set thousands of years in the future.   The world as we know it was destroyed thousands of years ago.  The moon was shattered and genetic engineering has left the world filled with strange creatures.  The world is a ruined shell torn apart by war and violence.   Nothing of the world as we know it has been left behind and those that wander this landscape don’t even know that the world was ever different.   

As I contemplated the release of my post-apocalyptic epic, I couldn’t help but contemplate my other post-apocalyptic favorites.  Here are a few visions of the world after extinction level events that made me crazy for the genre.

1.        The  Road:   Cormac McCarthy’s brilliant story about a father and son trying to survive in a brutally violent landscape is both brutal and touching.

2.       The Passage:   The story of one girl’s journey through the apocalypse and into a devastated future is as beautiful as it is tragic.

3.       Hunger Games:   Everyone who ever reads these books says the same thing.  They say they can’t put them down.   These are some of the best post-apocalyptic books ever written.

The Twilight Saint is different from these visions of ruined futures because it is set so far in the future, but it is held together by the same ideas.  The idea that the world as we know it has ended and the survivors must survive in a hostile landscape.  The landscape in The Twilight Saint is violent in brutal, but there is hope and in the post-apocalyptic world, that is all there is to keep people going. The hope is different in every novel, but in my novel there is hope that people can stop fighting and one person can bring people together in a way that will stop the violence. 

   

You can learn about my tragic vision of the future in my book, The Twilight Saint.

Bio:

I am a therapist and writer who lives in Alabama with my three corgis, children, husband, and other strange creatures. My short stories have been published in numerous literary magazines and anthologies including CSM, Summer Gothic, Bound By Blood, and Outer Darkness. I have ghost story columns in theValley Planet and White Cat Magazine where I share my love for ghost stories that send shivers down your spine and keep you up at night.   I also share my passion for all things ghostly and haunted at my blog, ghost stories and haunted places.

I am currently working on my next Haunted America Book for History Press, Haunted South Alabama.  Follow me at my blog to learn about the ghost stories I am chasing and collecting for this fascinating addition to Haunted America.  I'm also working on the next book in my Circe series.  The demon is awake and waiting for my new heroine in the swamps of Southern Alabama.  Click Here to Follow My Blog!
You can contact me at   jessica.penot@gmail.com

The Twilight Saint on Amazon

Review of Kindred by J.A. Redmerski

Description:

Isaac Mayfair is hiding a dark secret. And just when Adria Dawson thinks the worst of her life among the werewolf world is over, she learns the secret that can rip her and Isaac’s love apart. Adria must come to terms with what the truth means for her. What it means for her life and how much time she has left to live it. She must choose between two different fates, neither of which can offer life as a certainty.

As if Isaac’s betrayal isn’t enough, Adria learns that there are things out there older and more powerful than werewolves could ever be. An archaic entity known only to few as the Praverian, unlike anything Adria has ever known or heard of.

As Adria struggles with her own fateful dilemmas, she must also try to find out why the Praverian is so interested in her and do everything in her power to stay out of its way.

Due to adult content, this book is recommended for 17+.

Review:

I absolutely loved the first book in this series, Mayfair Moon.  This is the sequel and it makes Mayfair Moon look dull.  OMG I adored this book!  I am still left in awe of what an awesome book Kindred was.

I love Adria and Isaac.  Isaac is such a swoon worthy character and I am always rooting for him.  I think Adria is such a human character.  She tries to be strong, but fate sometimes has other plans.  I felt for these two as the pages turned.

The action in this book was amazing.  I couldn't figure out what was going to happen and I found myself completely immersed in the author's world.  She did a great job making you feel like you were there.

I was really surprised when the author switched the point of view from Adrian to Isaac near the end.  I have to admit that I usually hate when an author does that.  This transition managed to shift seamlessly and gave you insight into Isaac.  

All of the loose ends still remained at the end of the book, but they were tied up in such a way that sets you up for the final installment in the trilogy.  There was a lot going on in this second book and I can't wait to see how everything pans out in the end.

I will be sitting on the edge of my seat waiting for the final book to come out.  This book was extremely well written and I highly recommend it to upper YA paranormal fantasy/ werewolf fans.  I give this read five glittery stars! 

 

Stacking the Shelves #3

Stacking the Shelves is a meme hosted by Tynga at Tynga's Reviews, that features books I've received/purchased/borrowed during the current week. 

Received for review:

 



Bought:

Won:

From Library: 

Look for my reviews later in the coming weeks:)  What did you stack the shelves with this week?

Review of ReVamped by Ada Adams

Description:

A simple mission turned deadly.

Nineteen-year-old vampire Dawn has led a sheltered life within the confines of her father’s presidential headquarters. Upon being sent on a mission to revamp four goofy misfits into guardians of a peaceful little town of Angel Creek, Dawn believes that all her dreams have finally come true. What starts off as a simple task, turns into something unexpected, changing Dawn’s life forever and leading the action-loving, thrill-seeking vampire teen on a path of mystery, danger and intrigue.

When a human girl is kidnapped by a group of rogue vamps, Dawn discovers that there is more going on in Angel Creek than meets the eye. And it all connects to Ethan, the cute newcomer who seems too perfect to be true, Sebastian, the mysterious vampire with a turbulent past, and even Dawn herself. Dawn must not only succeed in revamping the troubled recruits, but must also prevent the vampire race from being overtaken by a malevolent villain who has a strange and obsessive fascination with her. As threat escalates, romance blooms, and ghosts from her past begin to surface, Dawn is sure of only one thing: her life will never be the same.

Review:

This book was about vampires and super humans.  Need I say more for it to be fabulous?

I loved, loved, loved the characters in this book.  Dawn was such a strong female lead.  She wavered at one point, showing her humanity but still remained strong throughout the book.  The three girls were very diverse and I liked that.

Okay, so on to boys.  Hot, super sexy, but without any real romance.  The two lead guys were dreamy and Dawn immersed herself in a love triangle without a lot of waffling.  She chose in the end and I was happy with the choice.

The plot was very entertaining and I enjoyed the read.  The pace was smooth and I finished the book in record time.  There were definitely a lot of twisty turns and surprises.

The author made an excellent debut with ReVamped and I can't wait to read the sequel ReAwakened, which will be out this fall.  If you love YA, New Adult vampire books than you will love this one.  I give this stellar debut four glittery stars!

Buy it now on Amazon! 

Buy it here at Barnes and Noble