White Trash Beautiful

3.75 Stars
By Teresa Mummert

From the back cover: 

“I’m not naive. I know I don’t get the happily ever after. My knight in shining armor took the highway detour around this god forsaken shit hole. I’ve made peace with that. That doesn’t mean I’m going to lay down like a doormat and let every cocky prick in the trailer park have his way with me.”

Cass lives a depressing life in a small trailer park in Eddington, Georgia, with her mother and abusive boyfriend Jackson. She works hard to barely make ends meet. But everything changes when Tucker White, the lead singer in the band Damaged, walks into her diner. He tries to show her that there is more to life than the hand she has been dealt, but Cass soon learns that being with Tucker will come at a high price.

My thoughts: 

Almost a 4 star book. I have read quite a few rock stars falling for “normal” girls lately and this story line was different from those. Cass’s dad left her family when she was young. After her dad left her mom gave up on life and became a drug addict. Her one saving grace was Jackson; he protected her, loved her, and looked out for her.

When he started doing drugs Cass now needed protecting from him but there was no one there to do that for her. The trailer they all lived in belonged to Jackson, so she couldn’t kick him out and she leave because she had her mother to take care of. Her mom was getting high with Jackson on a daily basis and Cass had to financially support them. She didn’t make much money as a waitress at a hole in the wall restaurant.

Enter Tucker, good looking, tattooed, cocky, bad boy with a good heart. While in town for a couple of days they meet at the diner Cass works at. He tries to show her that she needs to stop lying down and accepting her life as it is.

The only issues I had with Cass’s character, is she keeps running from Tucker back to her crappy abusive life even though he Tucker has proved over and over that she can trust him and that he is willing to help her and her mom out. I don’t want to spoil the book but at the climax of the story it was frustrating that Cass walked back into the trailer knowing what would happen if Jackson was home and that Tucker let her.

Overall good book, I look forward to the next one.

One Tiny Lie

4 Stars

K.A. Tucker

Published June 11th 2013 by Atria Books

From the back cover: 

In this follow-up novel to the top-selling Ten Tiny Breaths, Livie Cleary faces a new set of challenges as she navigates freshman year at Princeton, wild parties, and the gorgeous rowing team captain who is everything she doesn’t want in a guy, or so she thinks…

“Make me proud.” These were the last words Livie’s father ever spoke to her. In the seven years since her parents’ tragic death, Livie has done her best to keep this promise through her every choice, word, and action, while looking after her sister with strength and maturity. But with college right around the corner, unexpected challenges will test her resilience—and her heart.

Livie walks into Princeton with a solid plan, and she’s dead set on delivering on it: Rock her classes, set herself up for medical school, and meet a good, respectable guy to marry someday. What isn’t part of her plan are Jell-O shots; a lovable, party animal roommate she can’t say “no” to; and Ashton, the arrogant—and extremely attractive—captain of the men’s rowing team who makes Livie’s usually non-existent temper flare. Worse, he’s best friends and roommates with Connor, who fits Livie’s criteria perfectly.

So why does she keep thinking about Ashton? As Livie finds herself facing mediocre grades, career aspirations she no longer thinks she can handle, and feelings for Ashton that she shouldn’t have, she’s forced to let go of her last promise to her father and, with it, the only identity that she knows.

My Thoughts: 

This is the same story you will read in a thousand different books. Naive girl goes to college, has wild roommate the breaks her in. Falls for bad boy, bad boy loves naive girl but wants to stay away from her because he will hurt her, naive girl starts dating bad boy's BF....in the end naive girl ends up with bad boy... BUT WHAT IS DIFFERENT is that I love K.A. Tuckers writing style. I was laughing out loud and could not put this book down. I read K.A.'s first book Ten Tiny Breaths and fell in love with her writing style, great book :)

Purchase here: http://amzn.com/147674047X

Chosen at Nightfall - Shadow Falls Final Book

5 Stars for Shadow Falls Series

Chosen at Nightfall
C.C. Hunter
http://amzn.com/B009LRWJIE

From the back cover:

Kylie Galen's life hasn't been the same since her world was turned upside-down in Born at Midnight, Shadow Falls #1, and now an epic conclusion to her journey—not to mention a tough choice between two guys!—is brewing in Chosen at Nightfall:

When Kylie Galen left Shadow Falls, she thought it was the hardest decision of her life. Heartbroken and separated from everyone she loves, she has to embrace her abilities and what it means to be a chameleon. But as Kylie's journey comes to a close, she must return to the camp that started it all...and she must finally chose between the two boys who love her. The werewolf who broke her heart when he chose his pack over her, and the half-fae who ran from their intense attraction before they ever really had a chance. For Kylie, everything will finally be revealed and nothing will ever be the same.

My Thoughts: I loved this entire series. While I didn't think Chosen at Nightfall, which is the final book of the series wasn't the best out of the series, I enjoyed it all the same. It tied up all the lose ends and doesn't leave you wondering about anything. Kylie you will be missed!!!

http://gayleforman.tumblr.com/post/33238291274/giveaway

The Iron Knight

The Iron Knight
By: Julie Kagawa
4 Stars

From the back cover...Ash, former prince of the Winter Court, gave up everything. His title, his home, even his vow of loyalty. All for a girl… and all for nothing.

Unless he can earn a soul.

To cold, emotionless faery prince Ash, love was a weakness for mortals and fools. His own love had died a horrible death, killing any gentler feelings the Winter prince might have had. Or so he thought.

Then Meghan Chase—a half human, half fey slip of a girl— smashed through his barricades, binding him to her irrevocably with his oath to be her knight. And when all of Faery nearly fell to the Iron fey, she severed their bond to save his life. Meghan is now the Iron Queen, ruler of a realm where no Winter or Summer fey can survive.

With the (unwelcome) company of his archrival, Summer Court prankster Puck, and the infuriating cait sith Grimalkin, Ash begins a journey he is bound to see through to its end— a quest to find a way to honor his solemn vow to stand by Meghan’s side.

To survive in the Iron realm, Ash must have a soul and a mortal body. But the tests he must face to earn these things are impossible. At least, no one has ever passed to tell the tale.

And then Ash learns something that changes everything. A truth that turns reality upside down, challenges his darkest beliefs and shows him that, sometimes, it takes more than courage to make the ultimate sacrifice.

My Thoughts...While this book was a great ending to a great series, it did not suck me into the story as did the other two books. I didn't object that they story's point of view was written by or told by Ash, but I did miss how much the story lacked Meghan. That is why I fell in love with this series, it was becasue of Ash & Meghan's relationship. While this book was about Ash becoming a human so that he could be with Meghan I missed Ash & Meghan's interactions with each other.

Perfect Chemistry

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Day 21

So my husband has been gone for 21 day. Only 161 more days until he will be home. Ugh. Ugh. Ugh. This week he is Kabul, I am not sure he might be back to Bagram by now. I miss him tons.

The Liar Society

The Liar Society
By Lisa & Laura Roeckel
3.5 Stars

From the back cover...Kate Lowry didn’t think dead best friends could send e-mails. But when she gets an e-mail from Grace, who died mysteriously a year before, she’s not so sure. When the emails continue, Kate is forced to confront her school’s resident druggie, a sketchy administrator, and even her own demons.

As Kate moves closer and closer to the truth, she teams up with a couple of knights-in-(not so)shining armor–the dangerously attractive, bad boy, Liam and her love-struck neighbor, Seth. The three uncover an ancient secret lurking in the halls of their elite private school with the power to destroy them all.

But the truth doesn’t always set you free. Sometimes it’s only the beginning.

My thoughts...the ending bothered me! There are great cliffhangers and then there are not so great ones and this book falls into that catorgy. I need to be left wanting more, but all I felt with this ending was disapointed. Review to come.

Desires of the Dead

Desires of the Dead
By: Kimberly Derting
4.5 Stars

From the back cover...Voilet can sense the echoes of those who've been murdered—and the matching imprint that clings to their killers. Only those closest to her know what she is capable of, but when she discovers the body of a young boy she also draws the attention of the FBI, threatening her entire way of life.

As Violet works to keep her morbid ability a secret, she unwittingly becomes the object of a dangerous obsession. Normally she'd turn to her best friend, Jay, except now that they are officially a couple, the rules of their relationship seem to have changed. And with Jay spending more and more time with his new friend Mike, Violet is left with too much time on her hands as she wonders where things went wrong. But when she fills the void by digging into Mike's tragic family history, she stumbles upon a dark truth that could put everyone in danger.

My thoughts...Wow, could not put this book down. Finished in less then 24 hours. Review to come.

Demon Glass

Demon Glass
By Rachel Hawkins
4.5 Stars

From the back cover...SophieMercer thought she was a witch.

That was the whole reason she was sent to Hex Hall, a reform school for delinquent Prodigium (aka witches, shapeshifters, and fairies). But that was before she discovered the family secret, and that her hot crush, Archer Cross, is an agent for The Eye, a group bent on wiping Prodigium off the face of the earth.

Turns out, Sophie’s a demon, one of only two in the world—the other being her father. What’s worse, she has powers that threaten the lives of everyone she loves. Which is precisely why Sophie decides she must go to London for the Removal, a dangerous procedure that will destroy her powers.

But once Sophie arrives she makes a shocking discovery. Her new friends? They’re demons too. Meaning someone is raising them in secret with creepy plans to use their powers, and probably not for good. Meanwhile, The Eye is set on hunting Sophie down, and they’re using Archer to do it. But it’s not like she has feelings for him anymore. Does she?

My thoughts...Ugh cliffhanger big time, can't wait for the next book. Review to come.

Paranormalcy

Paranormalcy
By Kiersten White
4 Stars

From the back cover...Evie’s always thought of herself as a normal teenager, even though she works for the International Paranormal Containment Agency, her ex-boyfriend is a faerie, she’s falling for a shape-shifter, and she’s the only person who can see through paranormals’ glamours.
But Evie’s about to realize that she may very well be at the center of a dark faerie prophecy promising destruction to all paranormal creatures.
So much for normal.

My thoughts....Review to come.

Shadowspell

Shadowspell
By: Jenna Black
4 Stars

From the back cover...On top of spending most of her time in a bunkerlike safe house and having her dates hijacked by a formidable Fae bodyguard, Faeriewalker Dana Hathaway is in for some more bad news: the Erlking and his pack of murderous minions known as the Wild Hunt have descended upon Avalon. With his homicidal appetite and immortal powers, the Erlking has long been the nightmare of the Fae realm. A fragile treaty with the Faerie Queen, sealed with a mysterious spell, is the one thing that keeps him from hunting unchecked in Avalon, the only place on Earth where humans and Fae live together. Which means Dana’s in trouble, since it’s common knowledge that the Faerie Queen wants her – and her rare Faeriewalker powers – dead. The smoldering, sexy Erlking’s got his sights set on Dana, but does he only seek to kill her, or does he have something much darker in mind?

My thoughts...Loved it, review to come.

Afterlife

Afterlife
By:Claudia Gray
4 Stars

From the back cover... Destiny awaits Bianca and Lucas . . .
Bianca and Lucas have always believed they could endure anything to be together. When a twist of fate not only transforms Bianca into a wraith but also turns Lucas into a vampire—the very creature he spent his life hunting—they are left reeling.

Haunted by his powerful need to kill, Lucas can turn to only one place for help . . . Evernight Academy. Bianca is determined to remain with him. But with the vampire leader of Evernight waging a war against wraiths, her former home has become the most dangerous place she could be, despite the new powers her ghostly transformation has given her.

A battle between wraiths and vampires looms, and Bianca and Lucas face a terrifying new reality. They've overcome every obstacle life has thrown at them, but is their love strong enough to survive the challenges after life?

My review to come...

Contest!

Lauren DeStefano, the author of Wither (read this book if you haven't already), is giving away an ARC of Wither, AND the second book in the series FEVER. Never hurts to enter, you might actually win.

Somber Island

Somber Island
By T.Lynne Tolles

3 Stars

From the back cover....Phoebe MacIntire, who is a servant to her father and sisters in her own house in Scotland in 1855, is an ordinary girl, with no big dreams for the future. She's perfectly happy in her humble life, with her cot in the basement and her little garden in the backyard. But when her father up and sends her to Newfoundland to be the lifelong servant to Lord Jacobs, she finds her life gets turned upside down.

Her journey across the Atlantic to her new home is long, scary and very unpleasant. When she arrives at the manor on a small island, she finds the beautiful place abandoned and only a note waits for her explaining her duties, the strange dietary requirements, and sleeping habits of her new master.

The very first night in her new home she's haunted in her dreams by a woman who clearly does not want her there and a strange blue-eyed man-wolf creature that follows the woman. Her dreams become more and more violent and mysteries start to be uncovered about a woman who was killed in a fire on the island, a creature that preys on anyone that comes to the island and a love story gone wrong that dates back over a hundred and twenty two years.

Join Phoebe as she explores the past, delving into witchcraft, and vampirism to help a brother save another from a life of sadness and misconception, making some amazing and surprising friends along the way.

No review of book from me. It was an okay read.

Where She Went

Where She Went
By Gayle Forman

4.5 Stars

From the back cover...It's been three years since the devastating accident ... three years since Mia walked out of Adam's life forever.

Now living on opposite coasts, Mia is Julliard's rising star and Adam is LA tabloid fodder, thanks to his new rock star status and celebrity girlfriend. When Adam gets stuck in New York by himself, chance brings the couple together again, for one last night. As they explore the city that has become Mia's home, Adam and Mia revisit the past and open their hearts to the future - and each other.

Told from Adam's point of view in the spare, lyrical prose that defined If I Stay, Where She Went explores the devastation of grief, the promise of new hope, and the flame of rekindled romance.

My thoughts….Breathless, this book is just beautiful. I am going to be brief because I feel anything I say will spoil this book. I was a little hesitant with the story being told from Adams point of view, since I had already attached myself to Mia. But listening to Adam broke my heart. I found myself pissed at Mia, how dare she hurt Adam like this?? What is wrong with her, he loves her so much, why is she doing this? she came back to her body because of him?

 Like the first book, I laughed, I cried, every emotion possible I felt it.

Darkest Mercy

Darkest Mercy

Melissa Marr


5 Stars


From the back cover...The Summer King is missing; the Dark Court is bleeding; and a stranger walks the streets of Huntsdale, his presence signifying the deaths of powerful fey.

Aislinn tends to the Summer Court, searching for her absent king and yearning for Seth. Torn between his new queen and his old love, Keenan works from afar to strengthen his court against the coming war. Donia longs for fiery passion even as she coolly readies the Winter Court for battle. And Seth, sworn brother of the Dark King and heir to the High Queen, is about to make a mistake that could cost his life.

Love, despair, and betrayal ignite the Faery Courts, and in the final conflict, some will win . . . and some will lose everything.

The thrilling conclusion to Melissa Marr's New York Times bestselling Wicked Lovely series will leave readers breathless.

My Thoughts…What a perfecting ending to a great series! There was closure for every characters story. I loved how each character was a narrator in this book. If you’re a fan of this series you are going to want to read this book! I am very sad for this series to end, but I think Melissa Marr ended it perfectly.

Angel Burn

Angel Burn

By L.A. Weatherly

4.5 Stars

From the back cover…Willow knows she’s different from other girls, and not just because she loves tinkering with cars. Willow has a gift. She can look into the future and know people’s dreams and hopes, their sorrows and regrets, just by touching them. She has no idea where this power comes from. But the assassin, Alex, does. Gorgeous, mysterious Alex knows more about Willow than Willow herself. He knows that her powers link to dark and dangerous forces, and that he’s one of the few humans left who can fight them. When Alex finds himself falling in love with his sworn enemy, he discovers that nothing is as it seems, least of all good and evil. In the first book in an action-packed, romantic trilogy, L.A. Weatherly sends readers on a thrill-ride of a road trip — and depicts the human race at the brink of a future as catastrophic as it is deceptively beautiful.

My thoughts….Loved it, loved it. This is the first ‘Angel’ book  I have read. I am broadening my paranormal reading.  I have a huge to be read list, and probably over half of the books on my list I can’t remember why I put them on my list or what the book is even about. So when I decided to read this book my first thoughts was the normal perception of Angels, which are beautiful heavenly creatures that look over human’s best interests ….BUT that if the complete opposite for this book. The dimension where the Angels live cannot sustain them anymore. The Angels substance that the Angels feed off is not being created anymore and the closest substance the Angels can find to feed off is human’s energy. Alex is a badass---super sexy, confident, and the best Angel Killer (AK) out there. You are attracted to Alex from the get go if for no other reason than he is a bad boy. But you fall in love with Alex when his walls come down and you see what makes Alex tick. Since Alex was 5 years old he has been trained to be an AK, in one way or another he has lost he entire family at the hands of Angels. He now hunts them with a vengeance. When he gets the order to kill Willow, it is like any other hunt. But when he sees Willow he realizes that she is not full Angel, she is half human as well. Alex can see she isn’t like the Angels he has killed, she doesn’t even know she is part Angel and she doesn’t feed on humans.  Until Alex can figure out what is going on and speak to someone at the CIA that gave the order to kill Willow he just stays in the shadows and watches her.  Alex finds out that the CIA has been compromised by the Angels and it is the Angels themselves that gave the order to kill Willow. Alex is now protecting Willow with his life while he figures out why the Angels want her dead so bad. The more they feel in love with each other the more I feel in love with them. I could have cared less that the Angels were the badguys in this book, they could have been aliens for all that it mattered to me, I loved Alex & Willow and there stories. The action in the book was a plus. I can’t wait for the second book to come out, but since this book is an ARC it is going to be a while before I can get my Alex & Willow fix.

The Goddess Test

The Goddess Test

By Amiee Carter

4.0 Stars

From the backcover…Every girl who has taken the test has died. Now it's Kate's turn. It's always been just Kate and her mom--and now her mother is dying. Her last wish? To move back to her childhood home. So Kate's going to start at a new school with no friends, no other family and the fear her mother won't live past the fall. Then she meets Henry. Dark. Tortured. And mesmerizing. He claims to be Hades, god of the Underworld--and if she accepts his bargain, he'll keep her mother alive while Kate tries to pass seven tests. Kate is sure he's crazy--until she sees him bring a girl back from the dead. Now saving her mother seems crazily possible. If she succeeds, she'll become Henry's future bride, and a goddess.           If she fails...

My thoughts…What a great book! Very different from anything else that I have read or have on my ‘to be read’ list so it was a nice change in from my normal paranormal reads.  Very refreshing to read—a Greek Myth, with a twist. I felt drawn to Kate right away. For the last four year Kate has taken care of her sick mother who has cancer. Kate’s mother seems ready to let go of all her pain and die, but she is holding on for Kate’s sake. She wants Kate to be ready when she dies, she wants to make sure Kate will be okay but after 4 years of the illness Kate is still having a hard time facing the truth of what is to come.  Enter Henry aka Hades. Henry has had 100 years to find a girl that will take the 7 tests and pass them all. If he is unable to do this then he will cease to exist and his successor will take over ruling the Under World. Henry has all but given up but will try one last time…. After a horrible accident happened to a classmate while Kate was with her, Henry offers to bring her classmate back to life if Kate accepts his bargain. Kate agrees without even finding out what she has really agreed to which is to go to Henry’s house/world/dimension and take 7 tests. If she passes she will be Henry’s bride and a goddess.  If she fails she will go back to life as she knew it and will not remember Henry or anything that happened while with Henry and Henry, he will cease to exist.  But so far every girl who has taken the test has been murdered, no failing the test, no going back to life as they know it, but gone for good. Henry’s character is a little harder to figure out. I never really understand how he feels about Kate. At times I feel like he is falling for her and other times I feel like he could care less about her. I get that he is tired of the girls getting murder, that he wants it to stop, that he feel guilty, that it is his fault but I feel that he could of done more to stop  or prevent or figure out who was doing the crime.

Even though most of the story happens at Henry’s house, I love it, it is somewhere I would love to visit, mingle with the different people--- stay a couple of days and explore. Almost every character is connected to person of Greek Mythology and it was interesting trying to figure out who was which Greek God. The book kept you guessing right to the end.

I would recommend this book to those of you who are into YA/paranormal who want a book that is a little different than the current best sellers.

The Vespertine

The Vespertine

by Saundra Mitchell
3 Stars

From the back cover: It’s the summer of 1889, and Amelia van den Broek is new to Baltimore and eager to take in all the pleasures the city has to offer. But her gaiety is interrupted by disturbing, dreamlike visions she has only at sunset—visions that offer glimpses of the future. Soon, friends and strangers alike call on Amelia to hear her prophecies. However, a forbidden romance with Nathaniel, an artist, threatens the new life Amelia is building in Baltimore. This enigmatic young man is keeping secrets of his own—still, Amelia finds herself irrepressibly drawn to him.

When one of her darkest visions comes to pass, Amelia’s world is thrown into chaos. And those around her begin to wonder if she’s not the seer of dark portents, but the cause.

My thoughts…A Victorian era story  meets paranormal, what’s not to like?.  From reading the reviews and the back cover of this book I thought this book was going to be great,  but I did not feel the book lived up to all the hype. I liked it, but I didn’t like it. I was drawn to this book because of its cover, it is beautiful, I also liked the concept of the story. The book was beautiful written, easy to understand and was very detailed, but there was just a lot of open ended starts in this book. I found myself bored waiting for the 'big bang' in the book, the reason why Amelia had these powers or how she got the powers, etc.  I got to a point where I was just skimming through the book looking for the reveal but the part where the book grabbed my attention but it never came. I am not sure if there is going to be a second book---maybe if there is  that book will answer all the questions the first one left unanswered.