Feature and Follow Friday (#38)

Hosted by Parajunkee and Alison can Read.

Gain new followers and make new friends with the Book Blogger Feature & Follow! or just check out the weekly questions and see what others respond. 

Question: Time for Book Spine Poetry again! Take a picture of your book spines spelling something epic.  

Answer: 

The Treachery of Beautiful Things

Cast In Shadow

Marked

Revelations

Touch the Dark

Deep Kiss of Winter

***I couldn't come up with anything else, the majority of my books are ebooks, so I don't have a lot of hardcover books. But I'm really excited to see what everyone comes up with so please leave me your FF links below and I'll make sure to check them out/follow. Thanks! :)

Review: One Week by Elisabeth Staab

One Week
by Elisabeth Staab
Released Date: Published January 15th 2014 by Elisabeth Staab
Series: HaleStorm #1 
Pages: 242
View/Purchase: Goodreads, Amazon, B&N

HE HAS A LEGACY TO SAVE… 

Michael Hale's company is in jeopardy. In the wake of his father's death and transitioning to CEO, projects are circling the drain and that may cost him everything. Come to find out, the consultant hired to fix things is the "one who got away" many years ago. This time he's playing for keeps, and he intends to win.

SHE SHOULD NEVER SAY NEVER… 

Elise Jackson swore she wouldn't come near Michael Hale again. He sucker punched her professionally, and he broke her heart. Still, a job’s a job, and they can both be adults. But high emotion and late nights working lead to passion neither of them can deny.

They have one week. Can the two of them pull Michael's company out of the fire and heal their old wounds?
(Synopsis taken from Goodreads)

My Review:

One Week was such a good story. I loved the characters and the plot. Stories like this never get old no matter how much one reads them. I have read a lot of stories with similar plot before, but One Week definitely got me hooked. Elisabeth Staab did a good job with the details in the story that made it believable and relatable to some. 

After not seeing each other for many years, Michael Hale wasn't expecting to see his ex intern and the one that got away from him, again. Facing difficulties with his company, he is forced to hire someone from the outside to help him save the company that his father left him after passing away. But seeing Elise again brought him feelings that he denied having long ago when she was working for him. Now working together again, has not only brought him memories from the past, but also his feelings for her. 

Elise swore to never see Michael again, not after he hurt her so much after working for him before. Now she is successful and hired by his company to save the company and the man that hurt her in the past. But she has grown up and now she is determined to do her job and leave before anything happens to them. But their attraction to each other is strong and she can't deny just how much she might need him. 

From the very beginning, I was hooked with the story. It was very well-written and the characters, especially Michael are very likable. I absolutely love his personality, he is charming and knows what he wants. I like the twists in the story and how everything comes well together. Elise is supportive and loyal to the ones she loves, her relationship with her best-friend/roommate shows that. Overall, the author has created a good romance story filled that will get anybody hooked to the very end. I highly recommend it. 

*ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

My Rating:

Waiting on Wednesday (#44)

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is: 

Maybe Someday

by Colleen Hoover

Expected publication: March 18th 2014 by Atria Books

At twenty-two years old, aspiring musician Sydney Blake has a great life: She’s in college, working a steady job, in love with her wonderful boyfriend, Hunter, and rooming with her good friend, Tori. But everything changes when she discovers Hunter cheating on her with Tori—and she is left trying to decide what to do next.

Sydney becomes captivated by her mysterious neighbor, Ridge Lawson. She can’t take her eyes off him or stop listening to the daily guitar playing he does out on his balcony. She can feel the harmony and vibrations in his music. And there’s something about Sydney that Ridge can’t ignore, either: He seems to have finally found his muse. When their inevitable encounter happens, they soon find themselves needing each other in more ways than one…
(Synopsis taken from Goodreads)

                                

***I can't wait to read this book, everything about it sounds like something I would definitely read.
What are you guys waiting to read? 

Freebie Tuesday (Edition #2)

Hi guys! Freebie Tuesday is a new meme that I will be hosting from now on. I know there are probably a lot of memes like this one already, but it doesn't hurt to find out more about authors that some of us haven't heard of before. I will include 2-3 books that are free to download on either kindle or at the apple store in each post (that way it's more accessible to anyone that wants to download them.) I hope everyone finds this post helpful (if anyone is looking for a new book to read).  Enjoy! 

Every Little Piece 

by Kate Ashton

Needing the truth…

I wanted to spend the night before graduation making out with Seth, but one of my best friends had the whole night planned. Lucky for me, we ran into him and his friends playing pool where we made some silly bet over a game, and the losers had to run through town in nothing but their underwear. A year later, I wish more than ever we’d just made out at Raker’s Bluff instead, because maybe the night would’ve turned out differently. Now Seth’s back, the guy who broke my heart, the guy I’m still in love with…I just hope he doesn’t break me all over again.

Desperate for redemption…

No one wants to fess up to having a screwed-up family. When my parents dropped the big divorce bomb on me, I decided to keep it a secret. Just the thought of the pity-stares and pats-on-the-back made me feel sick. I’d tell Haley and my friends another time. Except, I never got the chance. Stuff happened. Stuff that totally sucked and changed our lives forever. Instead of telling my truth, I took the coward’s way out, and I’ve regretted it ever since. But I’m back, determined to tell Haley everything, down to the last gritty detail, if she’ll give me the chance…even if it means losing her forever.

(Synopsis taken from Goodreads) 

        

Fresh Temptation 

by Reeni Austin

Victor Barboza is a man who has everything but a good woman.

Cara Green has a young son, three part-time jobs, and a few extra pounds.

Their worlds collide as Cara serves Victor at an upscale party in Manhattan, upsetting Victor's ex-fiancee, Alexis, in the process. 

Victor pursues Cara, but Cara is not sure of his intentions: Is he using her to make Alexis jealous? Does he just want her for sex? Or is love Victor's true aim?

(Synopsis taken from Goodreads) 

         

Dark Love

by Claudy Conn

One goal consumes Chazma Donnelly: find the dark sorcerer who murdered her parents.

When the trail leads her to Ireland, she takes a job cataloging a private library. But she doesn’t expect to find a manor house that eerily echoes one in her dreams, or an employer whose touch awakens a savage darkness in her.

The attraction between Chaz and Jethro McBain is volatile, but darkness surrounds his aura. Chaz doesn’t trust him, even though it is his voice she hears in her sleep, and his touch that sizzles the blood in her veins.

As Chazma’s investigation widens, a series of local murders shows the killer knows of her obsession.

Will Chaz’s need for revenge take her from the edge of evil into a black pit where she can no longer find herself? Or can she find love in the midst of darkness?

(Synopsis taken from Goodreads) 

***That's it for this first post, make sure to be back every Tuesday for more freebies and also check my first post for more books that you might have missed. Thanks for stopping by! :)***

Review: Knowing Jack by Rachel Curtis

Knowing Jack 
by Rachel Curtis
Released Date: Published January 17th 2014 by Rachel Curtis 
Pages: 165
View/Purchase: Goodreads, Amazon, B&N

I am not a slut, although I’ve been called one often enough. Yeah, I spent three months screwing one of my college professors, but I was crazy about the guy. Then he broke up with me.

I am not a bitch, although people like to say I am. I kept our relationship secret. I’m not responsible for telling the university administrators about it, but a lot of students still blame me for getting their favorite professor fired.

I am not a drama queen, although everyone thinks I am now. When I got a few nasty messages, I just deleted them. When I got the threat, I assumed it was someone being stupid. I still think that’s all it was. My parents worry, though, so they hired me a bodyguard. Now Jack follows me around, intimidating everyone who approaches me and looking obnoxiously hot.

This is what I am. I’m Chloe. I’m a twenty-year-old art history major. Kind of shy, although I pretend not to be. Stubborn enough to stay here for my senior year, even though everyone hates me.

And I’m stuck with Jack.

He calls me “Princess,” but I’m not a princess either.
(Synopsis taken from Goodreads)

My Review:

At first glance, Knowing Jack seemed like a story with great potential. The synopsis drew me in the minute I read it and I was eager to find out more about Jack and Chloe. Needless to say, I was a little disappointed at how it all turned out. 

At the beginning we meet Jack, “the bodyguard”, and his struggles to keep everyone around him happy, including his father. He feels the need to work extra hard to please him for what happened in the past. That along was intriguing to read, we are not told what happened to Jack to make him think the way he does and for his actions. But that doesn't last long before he is hired to protect, Chloe, a twenty-year-old art major student who has been harassed and threatened by her classmates after their favorite professor was fired because of her. 

Now having a bodyguard protecting her all the time got Chloe annoyed, but their relationship developed really fast over the course of the book. It didn't take long for their relationship to evolved, which I would have loved to see. But nevertheless, their moments together were sweet and romantic. Jack is adorable, kind, and a bit possessive (which I loved, it fit the book quite nicely). Chloe's personality is reckless and stubborn, but at the same time she is not a quitter. Both of them fit very well together, yet the ending is quite unexpected. It all ended very fast, and left me with a huge cliffhanger! I'm not sure if the author is going to write a sequel, but if she does, I would love to see more character development and not a fast read. I would recommend this book to those that want, (like I mentioned before), a fast read. If you're looking for something much more deep and in detail, I would pass it on.

*ARC provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*

My Rating:

Feature and Follow Friday (#37)

Hosted by Parajunkee and Alison can Read.

Gain new followers and make new friends with the Book Blogger Feature & Follow! or just check out the weekly questions and see what others respond. 

Question: What books are you looking forward to reading in 2014? 

Answer: 

  

  

   

**I absolutely love ALL the covers of each book, that just make me want to read them even more! There are a lot more books that I'm looking forward to reading this year. 

What is everyone looking forward to reading this year? Let me know or leave me your FF links and I'll make sure to check them out. Let me know if you are a new follower and I will follow back :D**

  

                                                                     

Review: Captivate by Vanessa Garden

Captivate 
by Vanessa Garden 
Released Date: Published January 1st 2014 by Harlequin TEEN
Series: Submerged Sun #1
Pages: 304
View/Purchase: Goodreads, Amazon 

In a glittering underwater world, nothing is as it seems...

For the past twelve months since her parents’ death, seventeen-year-old Miranda Sun has harboured a dark secret — a secret that has strained the close relationship she once shared with her older sister, Lauren. In an effort to repair this broken bond, Miranda’s grandparents whisk the siblings away on a secluded beach holiday. Except before Miranda gets a chance to confess her life-changing secret, she’s dragged underwater by a mysterious stranger while taking a midnight swim.

Awakening days later, Miranda discovers that she’s being held captive in a glittering underwater city by an arrogant young man named Marko...the King of this underwater civilisation.

Nineteen-year-old Marko intends to marry Miranda in order to keep his crown from falling into the sinister clutches of his half-brother, Damir. There’s only one problem. Miranda is desperate to return home to right things with her sister and she wants nothing to do with Marko. Trying to secure her freedom, Miranda quickly forms an alliance with Robbie — Marko’s personal guard. However, she soon discovers that even underwater, people are hiding dangerous secrets...
(Synopsis taken from Goodreads)

My Review:

Vanessa Garden has written such a captivating story that has made it to my favorite's list. From the beginning to the very end, I was intrigued and fascinated by the world she has created. I don't think I've read anything like it and that's what made it an amazing read.

Seventeen-year-old Miranda Sun has been haunted by what happened to her parents twelve months ago, ever since then her relationship with her older sister, Lauren, hasn't been easy. When they are sent to live with their grandparents, both girls make amends and try to make things right. But what Miranda wasn't expecting was to be dragged down, under the ocean, by someone incredibly strong that would mark her fate. Drugged and locked in a room, Miranda doesn't know where she is other than she has to marry Marko, King of Miran, a undersea city. Shocked and confused, Miranda wants nothing to do with the malevolent plan that is going to keep her captive. Her guard and the stranger that brought her to Miran in the first place, Robbie, feels bad for her and they form a tight bond. A bond that would bring unhappiness and danger to the both of them.

Marko's only hope is to safe his kingdom from his evil half-brother, Damir, and the destruction that he would bring to his people. To do so he and along with his sister decide to bring a human girl to Miran in order for them to marry and bear a child to protect the crown. What he wasn't expecting to see is a very stubborn girl that refuses to marry him at all. And it is his duty to make her see the good in what she can do if he marries him. 

There were a lot of things that I loved about this book, it's not only suspenseful, but it's also very romantic. Marin is a fascinating place that makes me want to move there! The relationship between Marko and Miranda isn't the best when they first met, they both are very much stubborn and refuse to see each other's side. But the more time they got to spend together, the more secrets are revealed and a whole new world starts to emerged. Vanessa Garden's story is beautifully written that makes the whole experience a lot more enjoyable to read. The ending was not what I was expecting to read, it left me with a bittersweet feeling. I wanted the story to continue, too bad it didn't. But I can't wait to read what happens next. I highly recommend everyone to give this book a try, you will not regret it. 

*ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

My Rating: 

Waiting on Wednesday (#43)

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is: 

It Felt Like A Kiss

by Sarra Manning

Expected publication: January 30th 2014 by Corgi

Meet Ellie Cohen, one of the most perfect girls in London.

Ellie manages a swank Mayfair gallery, but it’s her life that’s a real work of art. Great job, really good hair, loyal friends, loving family. It’s only her succession of lame duck boyfriends that ruin the picture.

Oh, and the world-famous rock-star father she’s never met, who won’t even acknowledge her existence.

Then Ellie’s perfect life is smashed to pieces when her secret is sold to the highest bidder and her name, face (and pictures of her bottom) are splashed across the tabloids. Suddenly everyone thinks she’s a gold-digging, sex-crazy, famewhore.

Enter David Gold. Charming and handsome David Gold. On paper he’s even more perfect than Ellie, if only he wasn’t her father’s ruthlessly ambitious lawyer whose job is to manage the crisis – and her. He certainly doesn’t think that Ellie’s the innocent party and she doesn’t trust him at all. So why is it that every time they’re alone together, damage limitation is the last thing on their minds? 
(Synopsis taken from Goodreads)

***Haven't read anything from Sarra Manning, but this book sounds very promising :)
What are you guys waiting to read? Let me know and I'll make sure to check it out.

Thanks for stopping by! :)