Book Blogger Hop and Contest Reminders

It's Friday, and you know what that means....it's time to do the Book Blogger Hop! I'm hoping that I'll find even more great blogs than I have in the past few weeks, there are so many great ones out there, I can't wait to check them out.  I missed last week since I was on vacation so I'm hoping to make up for lost time, wish me luck!

Also don't forget to enter the contests while you still have time:

The Vintage Veronica contest information can be found by clicking here and the contest ends Tuesday, June 8, 2010.

The Beth Fantaskey contest information can be found by clicking here and the contest ends Tuesday, June 15, 2010.

The Spirit Bound contest information can be found by clicking here and the contest ends Monday, June 21, 2010.

For my previous contest winners, your books/prizes were mailed out and should be on their way to you as we speak so enjoy and thanks for your patience!  Good luck everybody and happy reading as always!

In My Mailbox (10)

This is a meme that I first heard about from Kristi over at The Story Siren and immediately wanted to jump on board.

Every week we’ll post about what books we have received (whether they’re bought/borrowed, etc… you get the idea). Everyone participating will try and visit other lists to comment and possibly pine for the new arrivals everyone’s talking about. I’ve learned that it’s a great idea to really try and stop by at least two or three lists because I’m constantly finding out about new books that I’ve later added to my TBR list.

So this week I got some really great books and after two crazy weekends I'm just looking forward to spending the weekend diving into a couple of these reads!

    

Moonlight by Rachel Hawthorne

Full Moon by Rachel Hawthorne

Dark of the Moon by Rachel Hawthorne

(Can anyone tell that I'm hooked on this series, lol!)

    

Wind Warrior by Cynthia Roberts (signed and a special thanks to Tasha over at A Trillion Books)

Perchance to Dream by Lisa Mantchev (thanks to YA Books Central)

Magic Under Glass by Jaclyn Dolamore (thanks to Jillian over at Random Ramblings)

      

Everlasting by Angie Frazier

The Prophecy by Dawn Miller

Swoon at your own risk by Sydney Salter

Aries Rising by Bonnie Hearn Hill

So as you can see I went a little crazy with the books these past two weeks and I think I'm going to have to try my best to resist buying anymore for a while, or at least until I make some headway with the ones I have, lol!

What did you guys get this week?  Any recommendations for me?

Review: Full Moon (Dark Guardian, #2) by Rachel Hawthorne

I may be promised to another...but thoughts of Rafe consume me. I don't know how much longer I can resist.
Lindsey is wild and reckless, a natural rebel—maybe because her entire life was laid out for her even before she was born. Her parents are among the most powerful members of the Dark Guardians, an ancient tribe of werewolves, and they arranged Lindsey's betrothal to Connor long ago. The next full moon is coming all too soon, and then her commitment to Connor will be final—no turning back. She should be happy...so why can't she stop thinking about gorgeous, brooding Rafe?


When a dangerous threat on the pack escalates, so do tensions between Connor and Rafe. A fight over Lindsey is imminent, but will it be to the death?


Can I just say....love triangle anyone? Wow, talk about being torn between two guys....poor Lindsey! Full Moon, the second installment in the Dark Guardian's series by Rachel Hawthorne picks up right where Moonlight left off and we're immediately thrown back into the action and romance that I came to love about this series. Lindsey's transformation is coming up and a girl needs a guy to get through it, but not just any guy...her one true mate, and wolves mate for life...no pressure on making the right choice huh? Yikes!

So is Lindsey going to go with her constant friend over the years and current boyfriend, Connor or will Rafe pique her interest with his bad boy ways? You guys have to read this book, it's just so good. I've seen and read stories with love triangles before and usually I've got no sympathy for the girl or guy who's in the middle, because who hasn't dreamed about having two people fighting for their attentions right? But not so much in this case, I actually felt for Lindsey and was feeling just awful for her, I mean this was not just about choosing a guy to go to a dance with or have a romantic dinner, we're talking FOREVER here and if you choose wrong, there's no turning back and nothing you can do about it, ouch!

Rachel Hawthorne's writing is compelling and you'll find yourself flying through the pages and having no trouble finishing this one in no time at all. I've read the first and now the second book of this series in two days, yep you heard me, it's been a book a day. It's a great read for a rainy day or one where you just want to be entertained by a book and nothing else. Full Moon will keep you guessing, make you miserable for the main characters and the struggles they're going through and at the same time you might just find your heart breaking over events that take place one minute and the next you could be overjoyed...I guess it all depends on who you're rooting for in the end.

Most of you know by now that I love a good series because I never have to say goodbye to the characters I've grown to love and can't get enough of, and the Dark Guardian's series is no exception. Hawthorne might move on to focus on other characters more fully with each new book, but she doesn't leave behind our old favorites. All the characters are brought back into this installment and I was glad.

This series has everything I'm usually looking for; romance, action and intrigue and enough suspense that I had to keep turning the pages in order to find out what happened next....and did I mention romance? There's no way to resist the characters Hawthorne's created and the story she's spinning, and to be honest you won't want to.

So if you haven't given this series a try I totally recommend it.

I gave Full Moon (Dark Guardian, #2) 3 shamrocks, lots of fun to be had with this read.

2010 Summer Romance Challenge

I found this great reading challenge over at Book Chick City and I'm super excited to start participating....I've got my list together and I'm ready to go, if you guys haven't heard about this challenge, I'll take care of that, check it out and join in on the fun!

Carolyn has created this challenge and here's what she says:

"As you probably know, I'm more of a Horror/Urban Fantasy chick than one for all that lovey-dovey stuff. But that's what I thought before actually reading it! Now I have dipped my toes into the romance genre, I am loving it! So, to celebrate this new found love of ROMANCE, I have decided to host a short reading challenge: 2010 Summer Romance Challenge! From 1st June ~ 30th Sept. This is a challenge for myself, but would love for you to join in! 

There are many sub-genres under the 'romance' genre and I have listed them below (on her blog).  I hope you will join me in what I hope will be a summer of love and discovery! Hehe! Button and guidelines below (again these can be found on her blog)."

So here's the skinny on the challenge (taken from Book Chick City):

Timeline: 1st June 2010~ 30th Sept 2010. Only books started on June 1st count towards this challenge.

Details:

1. Anyone can join. You don't need a blog to participate.

2. 4 months, 8 books - that's doable, right? Or if you want to push yourself further double it to 16!!

3. Any book format counts.

5. The books you choose can crossover into other challenges you have on the go.

6. If you decide to participate in this challenge with me, please use the link I have set up on the website with the button to post on your sidebar, this way others can find their way back to the original post and join in the fun. Also, be sure to create a post telling others with a link back to Carolyn's original post so others can join in.

8. You can link your reviews at the designated spot on Book Chick City's site to be entered into the prize draw at the end of the challenge. Prize/s will be chosen at the end of the challenge.

So go join the challenge guys and enjoy reading the books, posting your reviews, and entering yourself in a chance to win what I'm sure will amount to a great prize!

You can check out my progress here to see how I'm doing throughout the summer!

Happy Reading!

My Name is Memory by Ann Brashares

This is a book I've been anxiously awaiting and yesterday it finally hit the shelves....if you haven't heard anything about it, I'm going to change that, lol!  Take a look at the summary and a quick peek at this great trailer for the book...I'm not always a fan of these trailers but this one really did have me wanting to crack open the spine of this one even more!

What do you guys think?

My Name is Memory by Ann Brashares

Daniel has spent centuries falling in love with the same girl. Life after life, crossing continents and dynasties, he and Sophia (despite her changing name and form) have been drawn together-and he remembers it all. Daniel has "the memory", the ability to recall past lives and recognize souls of those he's previously known. It is a gift and a curse. For all the times that he and Sophia have been drawn together throughout history, they have also been torn painfully, fatally, apart. A love always too short.

Interwoven through Sophia and Daniel's unfolding present day relationship are glimpses of their expansive history together. From 552 Asia Minor to 1918 England and 1972 Virginia, the two souls share a long and sometimes torturous path of seeking each other time and time again. But just when young Sophia (now "Lucy" in the present) finally begins to awaken to the secret of their shared past, to understand the true reason for the strength of their attraction, the mysterious force that has always torn them apart reappears. Ultimately, they must come to understand what stands in the way of their love if they are ever to spend a lifetime together.

Review: Moonlight (Dark Guardian, #1) by Rachel Hawthorne

I see him and know what this turmoil inside of me means: He's the one. My forever.

Kayla is the nature lover, the all-American beauty who can't understand why she's so drawn to distant, brooding Lucas. Adopted as a young child, she has no way of knowing that she's inherited a terrifying—and thrilling—gene that will change her life forever.

Lucas is dangerous, gorgeous...and a werewolf. As leader of the Dark Guardians, shape-shifters who gather deep within the state park, he has sworn to protect his pack. But when Lucas finds his true soul mate, his love could put them all in harm's way.

As Lucas and Kayla struggle with their feelings for each other, a greater danger lurks: Humans have discovered the Dark Guardians and are planning their destruction. Kayla must choose between the life she knows and the love she feels certain is her destiny.


I can't remember how I came upon this series, but what I do know is that I'm so glad I did! Moonlight is the first in the Dark Guardian series and once again I've found myself a new series that I already can't get enough of.

As a fan of the paranormal genre, I'm always excited when I find a book within that genre that has a new twist to the old storyline. The Dark Guardians' series has taken the old tales of werewolves and produced a new and unique spin on the characters.

Rachel Hawthorne created a story out of her very realistic world and had me believing instantly! Her main characters, Kayla and Lucas were great. Brave and compelling Kayla meshed very well with the dark and brooding Lucas. Their story was romantic, yet frustrating, moving and yet so much fun. I loved it all!
With werewolves being a reality and some ill intent humans after them for their own nefarious purposes, readers will be on edge to see if Kayla and Lucas will be able to defeat them and remain safe or if their in deeper water than they thought. Will their romance and feelings be enough to keep them strong for the fight ahead, or will it all be just too much for Kayla to handle with the other revelations she's faced with?

I've always been a fast reader but I was able to really fly through this book, it took only one day for me to finish and after I was done I wanted to jump right into the next installment. There's a little bit of everything in this series; romance, adventure, action and suspense, plenty of description and depth to keep you interested and wanting to come back for more. I really had fun with this one and already ordered the second installment, Full Moon, because I just can't stand not knowing what will happen next, I'm hooked yet again! I'm really looking forward to see where Hawthorne and her Dark Guardians' series takes me next!

I gave Moonlight (Dark Guardian, #1) 3 shamrocks!!!

Contest Winners!!!!

Winners, winners, everywhere!!!  With two of my contests coming to an end it's time to announce the winners.............

The winner of a signed copy of The Pace by Shelena Shorts is Lindsay F!!!

The winner of a signed copy of Angel Star and swag is Jamie!!!

Congrats to the winners, I'll be emailing you shortly to get your information and then I'll be sending out the prizes from these contests and my 1st giveaway contest winners! (I wanted to mail them all out at once and save me a trip to the post office, thanks for your patience!)