It's Vacation Time

 

I just wanted to let you all know that I'll be taking a few days for a family vacation and won't be posting on the blog during that time.  We're taking our first trip to Disney World and I for one can't wait!  All those story book characters come to life?!  I'll be sure to take a lot of pictures and pack as much fun into the trip as possible so I'll have plenty to share with everyone when I get back.  In the meantime, feel free to look around and as always Happy Reading!!!!!!

Review: Inescapable (The Premonition, #1) by Amy A. Bartol

My name is Evie Claremont and this was to be the making of me–my freshman year of college. I’d been hoping that once I’d arrived on Crestwood’s campus, the nightmare that I’ve been having would go away. It hasn’t.
I may be an inexperienced seventeen-year-old, but I’m grounded…sane. I look for rational explanations to even the strangest circumstances. Since meeting sophomore Reed Wellington, however, nothing makes any sense. Whenever he’s near, I feel an attraction to him–a magnetic kind of force pulling me towards him. I know what you’re thinking…that sounds fairly awesome. Yeah, it would be…if he liked me, but Reed acts as if I’m the worst thing that has ever happened to Crestwood…or him. But get this, for some reason every time I turn around he’s there, barging into my life.

What is the secret that he’s keeping from me? I’m hoping that it’s anything but what I suspect: that he’s not exactly normal…and neither am I. So, maybe Crestwood won’t be the making of me, but it could be the breaking of me. I’ve been left to wonder if the dark future my dream is foretelling is…inescapable.

If you're familiar with this blog and my tastes than you're aware that I'm a sucker for a great series.  This series opener by Bartol quickly grabbed my attention and had me flying through the pages wondering how it had taken me so long to find the series as well as her writing.  How it's possible that a book like this has been out there since 2011 and escaped my notice boggled my mind, but in the end I was just glad that I'd finally found it.

I love a good college age story because let's face it, there's something fresh and enticing about students getting a clean slate at a new place with new people and nothing but choices ahead of them.  Freedoms are given and responsibility doubles, but it gives everyone a chance to spread their wings, so to speak and see how they fare on their own in a lot of ways.  Evie is no different than every other college freshman trying to get her bearings and make a place for herself at her new school...except for these nightmares she's having.  And they aren't just normal run of the mill scary dreams.  They recur and cause more than just loss of sleep.  Throw in an attractive upperclassman with instant attraction and of course the attitude that typically follow and we've got ourselves quite an addictive mix.

Evie will have to make her way through more than just introductory classes, but uncovering secrets and questions will be her biggest hurdle right off the bat.  Is she overreacting or is there more to this sophomore heartthrob?  Are her dreams just that?  Or is there some force at work that's trying to warn her of something?  And even if she gets the hint, will she figure it all out in time?  That's basically what Bartol reels you in with...suspense and questions that quickly answer themselves only to be replaced with more to keep you guessing and reading faster.  It's a great combination and one that had me making my way through this first book very quickly only to add the other installments in the series to my library as well in order to avoid having to take breaks from all the fun!

Review: Consume (Devoured, #2) by Shelly Crane

Eli and Clara's story continues as she tries to finish high school. Eli is as over protective as ever and Tate and his group of friends are no help. They wait for the Horde, always looking over their shoulder. But the ever annoying but strangely prophetic bird begins to become more of a chatter box and Eli learns something that could change some things. Not just for him and Clara, but Devourers everywhere.

Then an unexpectedness guest comes forcing Eli to flee with Clara, leaving her temporary family behind. She is thrown into his world of underground 'traitors' and learns much of his past. They meet many new people and creatures along the way to freedom. But when tragedy strikes the two, will Clara see the monster in Eli? Can she handle his strange world and awful past? Will one of them lose their life forever...

I'm jumping right in, much the same way Crane picked up in this sequel where she left off in the opener.  Just a warning, reviews of sequels and any installments that follow a series opener are hard to put together without spoilers, so if you haven't read this series opener yet, just know that it's a series you should get on board with immediately and come back to check out the reviews later, but if you're already finished with the first installment read on. 

Clara of course was ever hopeful that she'd be able to finish off high school and maybe tie a neat bow around everything but with the Horde an ever present threat a lot of that was out of her control.

Eli on the other hand has two priorities...keep Clara safe being the first and most important to him and then of course trying to ensure her happiness.  It's a tough job, but clearly one he wasn't walking away from.  Once these two were forced to flee, his goals start to become harder to maintain, but the action and suspense sure do get your heart pounding.  The new character additions were interesting and certainly threw curve balls into the mix, but who doesn't enjoy it when an author spices things up, right?

I know a lot of readers will be sad to see Crane end Eli and Clara's story after just two books, but at least we have a chance to see some more of them in Enoch's story, Altered.  I for one am really looking forward to getting more from Enoch.  I'm curious to see if he'll surprise us when he's center stage and I'm eager to find out.

Review: Devour (Devoured, #1) by Shelly Crane

Clara has it all. A wrestling star boyfriend, popular friends, all the right school activities...pretty much a perfect life...up until her parents died. Now she lives with the Pastor and his family and though they take good care of her, she feels alone. Then her boyfriend, Tate, starts to show signs of trouble when a new guy, Eli, comes to town. Clara is fascinated with him but hides it until something happens. Eli confesses to her that she gives him something he's never had before...something he needs. Everything is about to change for this normal pretty popular girl in a supernatural way.

I didn't think anything would stand up to the Significance series but Crane thankfully proved not to be a one (series) hit wonder.  The Devoured series quickly became yet another addicting read.  Clara and Eli, oh my goodness!  There are two huge reasons Crane always keeps me coming back for more.  One, her lead characters and the relationships they form.  And two, the fact that there are always more questions and twists and turns with each flip of the page to keep readers entertained and guessing until the very end.  She never allows her readers to become complacent or bored.

Choosing sides is of course a familiar element in Crane's work and readers will feel as though its not just the fictional characters making choices but themselves as well.  That's at least the feeling I got when making my way through this title.  Could you choose sides against your friends and family?  Go against everything you thought you knew to be right?  I could almost hear the disapproval in The Godfather's words, to "never go against the family" but yet unless you're in the shoes and faced with those decisions, it's a tough call to make.

Readers all over the blogosphere are claiming to have been "devoured" by this book and I'm not different.  Crane's given me no choice but to become invested in these characters and the world she created.  There was no question that I was going to move right along to the next installment.

Review: Full Moon (The Crescent, #3) by Jordan Deen

You know her story. You know her painful initiation into the werewolf world and you’ve seen her struggle to find the truth.

Now, Lacey Quinn is ready for the war to be over. Are you?
Lacey has been used, lied to and cheated out of the only thing she ever wanted: independence. Struggling with her newfound knowledge of being pack leader, Alex coming back into her life and the kidnapping of Lily’s mate—Matt—Lacey is faced with one of the biggest decisions of her life: fight or flight. While she knows running from the war will risk many lives, but staying means she would never have the life she wants and quite possibly never know a world without werewolves, witches and war.
Sometimes doing the right thing isn’t always the first or most obvious choice. Lacey Quinn is about to challenge what everyone thinks is the right thing to do. Unfortunately for her, most will not agree with her decision or the painful outcome.

Sometimes, love means death.

Jordan Deen will forever be someone who never ceases to surprise and impress me.  Her Crescent series made me a fan from the first installment and without question kept me interested long after that.  A good amount of time has passed between the sequel and Full Moon's release.  As a fan I fell right back into step feeling that it wasn't difficult to pick up where it left off or that it required any re-reads on my part.  Publishing company changes, new cover art, but Deen's writing style remained consistent, her plot kept up with the action and her characters were as likable as always.

There were lots of new faces this time around but Deen somehow managed to minimize the confusion that inevitably can occur with so many elements in a series as detailed as hers.  But I was left wondering if this was the end of the series to be honest.  There's definitely room for more installments in my opinion and it would of course be my preference, but its unclear.  Her spin off series involving the recently introduced Lune coven is in the works and maybe that's what readers will have to content themselves with and maybe that will work out.  These are all questions I'll be eager to have answered and I'll be checking out the Web constantly hoping for updates.  But if I had my way I'd ask for one more installment centered around the wolves...there's still a few details I'd like to see play out...and I'm just not ready to say goodbye for good to these characters that I've grown so attached to over the years.

Review: Dark Craving (The Watchers, #4.5) by Veronica Wolff

WE'VE FOLLOWED ANNELISE DREW'S JOURNEY AS SHE'S FOUGHT TO SURVIVE THE ISLE OF NIGHT.

NOW IT'S TIME TO HEAR RONAN'S SIDE OF THE STORY.

Tracer Ronan has cared for only one person in his life: Charlotte, his sister. With her death, a consuming desire for revenge and destruction ignited in his heart. But when new recruit Annelise Drew arrives on the island, Ronan finds he craves more than revenge. She is a threat to his mission, his sanity, and his heart. Now Ronan will need every ounce of will and strength to avenge his sister and prove where his true allegiance lies.

Tracer Ronan shares his secrets with no one. But will he survive his darkest cravings?

Shorter reviews for shorter titles and boy do I wish this novella had been longer, because I could not get enough of what Wolff brought to the table.  Wolff did an incredible job of giving Ronan's perspective and life to his side of the story...and what a story it turns out to be.  There was so much information packed into this novella that I just can't imagine how lost readers would be if they failed to pick this one up.  It's not just a side story...it turns out to be THE story.  So if you're a fan of this series, following the series, or just wanting to check something out, you've got to make sure to add this title to your collection.

Yes, Ronan's narration provided some fun additions in the back story department, but there was so much detail throughout that predominantly took place where The Keep left off.  And if readers thought The Keep left us all with a crazy cliffhanger than this one will blow their minds...it did for me.  I thought this novella would help keep me at bay while I waited for the next full installment in the series, but I was wrong!  I want the new books even more so now...so thanks a bunch for that Veronica Wolff!

In My Mailbox (136)

This is a meme that I first heard about from Kristi over at The Story Siren and immediately wanted to jump on board. I'm always picking up new books, because I never tire of reading, but the other thing I like about this meme is that it gives everyone an opportunity to check out what other book fanatics, bloggers, etc... got for themselves. I've gotten great recommendations from this meme and hope that keeps up in the future.

Here's what I got, what did you guys get this week?

  For Review:

 

Eyes of the Woods by Eden Fierce

 

Eris Helgren knew her life was about to end. A daughter of the Priory--a generations-old family who protected their territories from nightwalkers--Eris was strong and independent. But on her birthday, her father would announce her betrothal. A year later, she would be forced to marry.

What Eris didn’t know was that the very beings she hunted were watching her, and that being tamed wasn’t what would kill her after all.

In a land where the woods were forbidden and the laws meant life, Eris will have to make a decision that could bring peace between enemies, or war among friends.

 

Toxic Heart (Mystic City, #2) by Theo Lawrence

 

A city in flames. A trust betrayed. A perfect love destroyed.

Has Aria lost Hunter, her one true love?

Ever since rebellion broke out in Mystic City, pitting the ruling elite against the magic-wielding mystics, Aria has barely seen her boyfriend. Not surprising, since Hunter is the leader of the mystic uprising, and he'll do whatever it takes to win freedom for his people—even if that means using Aria.

But Aria is no one's pawn. She believes she can bring the two warring sides together, save the city, and win back the Hunter she fell in love with.

Before she can play peacemaker, though, Aria will need to find the missing heart of a dead mystic. The heart gives untold powers to whoever possesses it, but finding it means seeking out a fierce enemy whose deepest desire is for Aria to be gone—forever.