Review: Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry

Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry

YA/New Adult Romance, Published July 2012

Read August 2012, 384 pp.

❤ Team: Noah

Challenges: Debut Author Challenge

4/5 STARS

Book Blurb:

“I WON’T TELL ANYONE, Echo. I promise.”

Noah tucked a curl behind my ear. It had been so long since someone TOUCHED ME like he did. Why did it have to be Noah Hutchins?

His DARK BROWN EYES shifted to my covered arms. “You didn’t do that—did you? It was done to you?”

No one ever asked that question.

They stared.

They whispered.

They laughed.

BUT THEY NEVER ASKED.

SO WRONG FOR EACH OTHER…AND YET SO RIGHT.

No one knows what happened the night Echo Emerson went from popular girl with jock boyfriend to gossiped-about outsider with “freaky” scars on her arms. Even Echo can’t remember the whole truth of that horrible night. All she knows is that she wants everything to go back to normal.

But when Noah Hutchins, the smoking hot, girl-using loner in the black leather jacket, explodes into her life with his tough attitude and surprising understanding, Echo’s world shifts in ways she could never have imagined. They should have nothing in common. And with the secrets they both keep, being together is pretty much impossible.

Yet the crazy attraction between them refuses to go away. And Echo has to ask herself just how far they can push the limits and what she’ll risk for the one guy who might teach her how to love again.

Thoughts:

This romance is definitely on the borderline of YA and the “New Adult” genre.  While the characters are still in high school, the content still seems quite mature for younger YA readers.  Echo Emerson has problems.  She has survived a very abusive home life and only has a few friends in school.  Noah used to be the popular jock, but now has a few secrets of his own.  While Noah is portrayed to be the bad boy, he really hasn’t done anything wrong, other than defend his younger brothers.  I loved the chemistry between the Noah and Echo and how they truly begin to support one another as friends before anything else.

Can’t wait to read Noah’s friend Beth’s story in Dare You To.  I have a feeling her story is going to be very interesting!

Quotes:

Luke used to give me butterflies.  Noah spawned mutant pterodactyls. (p. 84)

Similar Reads:

• Simone Elkeles – Perfect Chemistry
• Chelsea Fine – Sophie & Carter
• Jessica Sorenson – The Coincidence of Callie & Kayden (Mature – New Adult)
• Jamie McGuire – Beautiful Disaster (Mature – New Adult)

Thanks to NetGalley and HarlequinTEEN for providing me with an e-copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

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Review: All He Ever Needed by Shannon Stacey

All He Ever Needed by Shannon Stacey

Kowalski Family #4

Romance, Published 2012

Read March 2013, 304 pp.

Rating: 3/5

• #1 – Exclusively Yours
• #2 – Undeniably Yours
• #3 – Yours to Keep
• #3.5 – Slow Summer Kisses

Book Blurb:

He won’t stay put for a woman, and she won’t chase after any man…Mitch Kowalski lives out of a suitcase—and he likes it that way.Traveling for work has the added bonus of scaring off women who would otherwise try to tie him down. But when he’s called home to help with the family lodge, he’s intrigued by the new girl in town and her insistence that she doesn’t need a man. If there’s one thing Mitch can’t resist, it’s a challenge.

After a nomadic childhood, Paige Sullivan is finally putting down roots. Determined to stand on her own two feet, she lives by the motto “Men are a luxury, not a necessity.” But when Mr. Tall, Dark and Hot pulls up a stool in her diner and offers her six weeks of naughty fun with a built-in expiration date, she’s tempted to indulge.

They’re the perfect match for a no-strings fling. Until they realize their sexy affair has become anything but casual…

Thoughts:

Shannon Stacey has quickly joined my must read list for contemporary romances.  I love her writing style.  Once you pick up one of her books, you won’t put it down until you’re finished!

I liked both Mitch and Paige’s characters.  The only thing that bothered me was that they both fight against admitting they like each other so much – it’s almost too cliche.  I also didn’t like the fact that it seemed like Mitch had already slept with practically everyone in town and that these women were constantly telling Paige stories about him.  While I understand the workings of a small town, it still seemed weird.

Aside from the two main characters, I was very interested in Mitch’s youngest brother Josh’s character and his relationship with Katie, the daughter of the Kowalski family lodge’s longtime housekeeper.  Looks like we’ll get to read their story in Book 6 – All He Ever Dreamed.  I’m interested to see what happens with the Northern Star Lodge.

Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin for providing me with an e-copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

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Review: The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie

The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley and Narrated by Jayne Entwistle

Flavia de Luce #1

Mystery, Published 2010

Challenges: Mount TBR, Audio Book RC

Shelf Life: 2 years, 10 mos. – bought April 2010

Read March 2013, 10 hrs unabridged

Story: 4/5

Narration: 5/5

Book Blurb:

It is the summer of 1950–and at the once-grand mansion of Buckshaw, young Flavia de Luce, an aspiring chemist with a passion for poison, is intrigued by a series of inexplicable events: A dead bird is found on the doorstep, a postage stamp bizarrely pinned to its beak. Then, hours later, Flavia finds a man lying in the cucumber patch and watches him as he takes his dying breath.

For Flavia, who is both appalled and delighted, life begins in earnest when murder comes to Buckshaw. “I wish I could say I was afraid, but I wasn’t. Quite the contrary. This was by far the most interesting thing that had ever happened to me in my entire life.”

Thoughts:

I loved quirky Flavia.  She is a 10 year old chemist, lover of anything poisons, amateur sleuth, and always looking to get back at her older 2 sisters.  The book is told from Flavia’s POV and she is always sure she sees things the right way.  When a dead black snipe shows up at the back door with a postage stamp stuck through its beak, Flavia is at once intrigued.  Then when a mysterious man shows up to talk to her father in the middle of the night and a dead man shows up in the cucumber patch, she knows something has gone awry.  Flavia takes the reader on a very interesting and usually amusing trip to solve the mysteries surrounding her grand home, Buckshaw.  There are several mysteries that run throughout the book and they are slowly unraveled, leaving plenty of time for Flavia’s character development.

The audio is very well done and I’m looking forward to listening to the next in the series.

Quotes:

Unless some sweetness at the bottom lie,

Who cares for all the crinkling of the pie?

The Art of Cookery, William King

It was as black in the closet as old blood. (First line)

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Review & GIVEAWAY: Princess of the Silver Woods by Jessica Day George

Princess of the Silver Woods by Jessica Day George

Princess #3

YA Fantasy, Published December 2012

Read: December 2012, 336 pp.

Book Blurb: When Petunia, the youngest of King Gregor’s twelve dancing daughters, is invited to visit an elderly friend in the neighboring country of Westfalin, she welcomes the change of scenery.  But in order to reach Westfalin, Petunia must pass through a forest where strange two-legged wolves are rumored to exist.  Wolves intent on redistributing the wealth of the noble citizens who have entered their territory.  But the bandit-wolves prove more rakishly handsome than truly dangerous, and it’s not until Petunia reaches her destination that she realizes the kindly grandmother she been summoned to visit is really an enemy bent on restoring an age-old curse.

The stories of Red Riding Hood and Robin Hood get a twist as Petunia and her many sisters take on bandits, grannies, and the new King Under Stone to end their family curse once and for all.

Giveaway: Enter to win your own hardcover copy of Princess of the Silver Woods by Jessica Day George!! Please leave a comment on this blog post with your email address and you will be entered into the giveaway.  I would LOVE for you to become a follower of the blog as well!  You can find all the links on the right sidebar.  You have until midnight CST on Tuesday, January 1, 2013 to enter.  The winner will be picked randomly next Wednesday, January 3, 2013.  I will post the winner on the blog as well as contact the winner via email and that person will have 48 hours to respond with their address.  The book will be sent to you by the publisher. Only US residents please.

Thoughts:

Interesting take on not only the Robin Hood and Red Riding Hood fairy tales, but also the Twelve Dancing Princesses.  This story follows the youngest of the 12 princesses, Petunia, and how one coach ride across the countryside led her to meeting the two-legged wolves in the forest that would forever change her story’s ending.  I haven’t read the first two in the series, so I was left without a lot of the background information on her sisters and the story of how they first got away from their dancing curse.  However, I found the story easy to follow along and enjoyed meeting all the great characters along the way.  Petunia sure finds herself in lots of pickly situations.!

If you love twists on the traditional fairy tales, don’t miss out on Jessica Day George’s Princess series!

Thanks to NetGalley and Bloomsbury Children’s Books for providing me with an e-copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.  The giveaway has also been provided by the publisher.

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Review: Scarlet by A.C. Gaughen

Scarlet by A.C. Gaughen

YA Fantasy/Fairy-tale Retellings, Published 2012

Challenges: YA Historical Fiction Challenge, Debut Author Challenge

❤ Team: Rob

Read: September 2012, 287 pp.

5/5 ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤❤

Book Blurb:

Many readers know the tale of Robin Hood, but they will be swept away by this new version full of action, secrets, and romance.

Posing as one of Robin Hood’s thieves to avoid the wrath of the evil Thief Taker Lord Gisbourne, Scarlet has kept her identity secret from all of Nottinghamshire. Only the Hood and his band know the truth: the agile thief posing as a whip of a boy is actually a fearless young woman with a secret past. Helping the people of Nottingham outwit the corrupt Sheriff of Nottingham could cost Scarlet her life as Gisbourne closes in.

It’s only her fierce loyalty to Robin—whose quick smiles and sharp temper have the rare power to unsettle her—that keeps Scarlet going and makes this fight worth dying for.

Thoughts:

I loved the twist of the Robin Hood story that Gaughen brings.  Scarlet has secrets – secrets she won’t even tell Rob.  Rob gets Scar to join the Hood when she tried to steal from him.  I loved the relationships between the characters of the Hood.  I do wish Scar had stood up for herself more with John and would’ve loved to have seen more between Scar and Rob.  Scarlet is a likable heroine and brings a fresh take to an old story.  Her backstory was very interesting and could be a book in itself!

It does take a little time in the beginning to get into the vernacular of the story.  At first I found it annoying, but after awhile, I got into Scarlet’s character and didn’t notice it anymore and in fact, it brought a different richness to the story.

A great debut for A.C. Gaughen and I can’t wait to read what she writes next!

If you’ve ever loved the story of Robin Hood, you’re going to love Scarlet! 

Quotes:

No one really knows ’bout me.  I’m Rob’s secret, I’m his informant, I’m his shadow in dark places. -Opening line

Book Trailer:

I purchased my own copy for my shelves.

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Review: Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

YA Fantasy, Published August 2012

Challenges: Big Book Challenge 2012, NetGalley Reading Challenge 2012

❤ Team: Capt. Chaol Westfall

Read September 2012, 404 pp.

4.5/5 ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤

Book Blurb:

When magic has gone from the world, and a vicious king rules from his throne of glass, an assassin comes to the castle. She does not come to kill, but to win her freedom. If she can defeat twenty-three killers, thieves, and warriors in a competition to find the greatest assassin in the land, she will become the King’s Champion and be released from prison.

Her name is Celaena Sardothien.

The Crown Prince will provoke her. The Captain of the Guard will protect her.

And a princess from a foreign land will become the one thing Celaena never thought she’d have again: a friend.

But something evil dwells in the castle–and it’s there to kill. When her competitors start dying, horribly, one by one, Celaena’s fight for freedom becomes a fight for survival–and a desperate quest to root out the source of evil before it destroys her world.

Thoughts:

With comparisons to Game of Thrones, I was very excited to read Throne of Glass.  It is evident that a lot of love has gone into the writing as well as good editing (Maas has been working on this story of 10 years now).  Good editing can go a long way.  As the first in a new high fantasy series, the author does a good job setting up the characters and world as well as the various plot lines.  I thought the story does a good job with having a complete story arc contained within this book and while I still want to know what happens in the uncompleted story arcs, I was satisfied that they were not all left open-ended.

There are a lot of things I loved about this book.  I didn’t know what to expect from a character like Celaena and to find her immediately off the bad as witty and sarcastic with the two main men characters was great.  It definitely made me like her as the heroine.  She has a great rapport with Chaol almost throughout the entire book and I LOVED her letter exchange with Prince Dorian and his response.  I wish they could have kept the letters going throughout the story.  I felt like a lot of their “relationship” was a little forced and I think if they had exchanged more letters, I wouldn’t have felt that way so much.  Celaena’s character, in general, for me seemed to lose this rapport the further into the story we went, but I guess she has a lot on her plate – winning the role of the King’s Assassin, running down the secret passages underneath the old part of the castle, having both Dorian and Chaol sneaking into her chambers in the middle of the night, dressing up for balls, escorting the Princess Nehemia, figuring out why her fellow champions are being murdered – the girl has a lot to do!  The reader follows along more inside her head as well as from various other characters than actual conversations.  I want to hear more from Chaol!!

I can’t wait to read Celaena’s backstory in the novellas and to see where the story continues in book two. 

Quotes:

After a year of slavery in the Salt Mines at Endovier, Celaena Sardothien was accustomed to being escorted everywhere in shackles and at sword-point.

~Opening line

“You like to read?”

She raised an eyebrow.  “Don’t you?”  Not waiting for an answer, she moved farther into the library, the train of her gown sweeping across the floor.  She neared the shelf and looked at the titles.  She recognized none of them.

Grinning, she whirled and moved through the main floor, running a hand across the dusty books.

~p. 55

Book Trailer:

Thanks to NetGalley and Bloomsbury Children’s Books for providing me with an e-copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.  I have also purchased my own hardcover copy for my shelves.

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Review: Victoria Dahl’s Close Enough to Touch

Close Enough to Touch by Victoria Dahl

Contemporary Romance (Adult), Published Aug. 28, 2012

Read August 2012, 384 pp.

3/5 STARS

Book Blurb:

Can a city girl make it in the wild, wild West?

For makeup artist Grace Barrett, Hollywood is less the land of golden opportunity and more the land of difficult
divas, cheating boyfriends and unemployment. So when her great-aunt offers her a free place to stay in Jackson Hole, Grace thinks she’ll spend a little time in the sticks to figure out her life, and then move somewhere exciting to live out her dreams. But it turns out that there are a few more thrills in this small town than Grace was expecting…

Cole Rawlins is a rugged Wyoming cowboy born and bred. Yet he can’t help but be drawn to the fascinating big-city girl who moves in across from him. As they discover a sizzling attraction, it’s Grace who finds herself surprised. Cole’s the only man who’s ever dared to get close enough to see through her tough facade. And his mysterious past only makes him sexier.

They’ll need more than scorching-hot passion to make this opposites-attract affair work. But if they can learn to trust one another enough to reveal their secrets, they just might have a chance at forever.

Thoughts:

I adored Dahl’s Donovan Brothers Brewery series so when I saw Close Enough to Touch, I quickly grabbed a copy to read.  While I didn’t love this book as much as the Donovan Brothers, it was still very entertaining and enjoyable – I just didn’t fall in love with Grace and Cole like I wanted to.  They both carry a lot of baggage and are stubborn about letting people in, especially Grace.  I love the opposites attract aspect, but found it hard to ever really warm up to Grace or her relationship with Cole.  I absolutely loved the setting of Jackson Hole, Wyoming and can’t wait for more from some of the other characters.  I would love to see more from Grace’s crotchety Aunt Rayleen and all the cowboys in her bar.  Overall, I enjoyed this read – which really speaks for Dahl’s impeccable writing because even though I wasn’t loving the characters, I love her wit as well as her ability to not let me put the book down until I was finished. A new must read author for me!

• Check out my review for Victoria Dahl’s Donovan Brothers Brewery trilogy – Good Girls Don’t, Bad Boys Do, & Real Men Will

Thanks to netGalley and Harlequin for providing me with a copy of these books in exchange for my honest review.

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Review: How to Romance a Rake

How to Romance a Rake by Manda Collins

The Ugly Ducklings Trilogy #2

Romance – Historical, Published July 2012

Challenges: Historical Fiction Challenge, NetGalley Reading Challenge

Read September 2012, 352 pp.

4.5/5 ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤

Book #1 – How to Dance with a Duke

Book Blurb:

You can lead a wallflower to the ball, but you can’t make her bloom—unless one daring young bachelor turns up the heat…

What’s a nice girl like Miss Juliet Shelby doing at a place like Lord Deveril’s ballroom? With her shy demeanor, she’s a total stranger to the dance floor and a source of mockery for the ton. So imagine her surprise when Deveril gallantly comes to her defense—and offers to teach her to dance! Juliet can hardly believe the most handsome bachelor in London would notice her, until he takes her in his arms and sets her heart ablaze…

Lord Alec Deveril has never felt such a spark of attraction for an unmarried lady before. Unlike the “fashionable” ladies he’s accustomed to, Juliet possesses a generous spirit, a fiery intelligence—and an explosive secret. Deep in the London underworld, a dear friend has vanished, and Juliet fears the worst. Deveril insists on helping, escorting her through the darkest alleys in town. But he too is hiding a shocking secret—and the only way he can defeat the devil in his past is to seduce the angel in his arms…

Thoughts:

Again, I’m in love with The Ugly Ducklings!  I adored the first in the series – How to Dance with a Duke – a great combination of romance and mystery.  The same is true with book two.  This time it’s duckling Juliet’s turn to find a husband, but she would have never guessed who it would turn out to be.  Her mother has a husband picked out for her, but Juliet cannot stand the sight of him!  But she and her cousins have a few tricks up their sleeves to get around her mother’s match.  When Juliet discovers her dear friend Anna has gone missing and left her baby behind, she knows it has to be foul play.  It is Lord Deveril who comes to her rescue and insists on accompanying her in finding out the truth behind the disappearance.  I love the chemistry between the three cousins and the men in their lives and while the story focuses on Juliet and Lord Deveril, we still get to see glimpses of characters from book one.

Can’t wait for Book 3 – How to Entice an Earl - about Ugly Duckling #3 – Cecily and Juliet’s cousin, Madeline – comes out January 29, 2013.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing me with an e-copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

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Review: The Summer My Life Began

The Summer My Life Began by Shannon Greenland

YA Contemporary Romance, Published May 2012

Read June 2012, 250 pages

3.5/5 STARS

Book Blurb:

A great summer beach read filled with sunshine, cooking, and—of course—romance!

Elizabeth Margaret–better known as Em–has always known what her life would contain: an internship at her father’s firm, a degree from Harvard, and a career as a lawyer. The only problem is, it’s not what she wants. So when she gets the opportunity to get away and spend a month with the aunt she never knew, she jumps at the chance. While there, Em learns that her family has some pretty significant secrets. And then there’s Cade, the laid-back local surfer boy who seems to be everything Em isn’t. Naturally, she can’t resist him, and as their romance blossoms, Em feels that for the first time ever, she is really living life on her own terms.

Thoughts:

This is a fun book to take to the beach (if you do that sort of thing, which I don’t).  Em has to get away from the strictness of living under her parents’ roof before she falls in line and becomes the lawyer they want her to be.  When she arrives at her newly founded Aunt’s house, she soon finds the life she has always wanted.  Em’s passion is cooking, but she has always been too afraid to stand up to her parents and tell them.  Her newly found freedom allows her to cook at her aunt’s B&B.  I loved the setting of Aunt Matilda’s house – I think I want to go on vacation there!  I think Em was craving the same attention from her mother that her aunt then provides and that’s why she clings so closely to her.  I liked Em’s blossoming relationship with Cade, but I wanted more!  I loved Em’s relationship with her cousin too.  They were definitely two peas in a pod!  Overall, a good coming of age story with a little mystery – where has Aunt Matilda been her whole life?

Quotes:

“It’s strange, but I’ve always liked graveyards.”

I looked back.  “Me too.  It’s the —”

“History,” my cousin finished for me.

“Isn’t it amazing the names, the relations, how they died…?” Frederick’s voice trailed off as he pondered the headstones.

And I thought I was the only graveyard freak in the family.

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Publishing for providing me with an e-copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

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Review: Love on the Range by Jessica Nelson

Love on the Range by Jessica Nelson

Harlequin’s Love Inspired Historical Series

Historical Romance, Published April 2012

Challenges: NetGalley Reading Challenge 2012, Christian Historical Fiction Challenge

Read: March 2012, 288 pp.

4/5 STARS

Book Blurb:

The Wild West Awaits…

Any other socialite would view being packed off to a remote Oregon ranch as a punishment. But Gracelyn Riley knows that this is her opportunity to become a real reporter. If she can make her name through an interview with the elusive hero known as Striker, then she’ll never have to depend on anyone ever again.

Rancher Trevor Cruz can’t believe his secret identity is being endangered by an overly chatty city girl. But if there’s one thing he knows, it’s that Gracie’s pretty little snooping nose is bound to get her in trouble. So he’ll use her determination to find “Striker” to keep an eye on her…and stick close by her side.

Could romance be their greatest adventure?

Thoughts:

Gracelyn packs her bags and heads west on a train from Boston to Oregon to get away from the Spanish Influenza and to visit her Uncle Lou.  While she’s there, Gracelyn has a second agenda – to find the notorious Wild West Hero known as Striker and interview him for the papers back east.  When she gets to her uncle’s ranch, she is soon consumed by chores and cooking for the ranch hands.  They are glad to have her, but she hardly has time to roam the countryside to find the elusive Striker.  Trevor, one of her uncle’s most trusted ranch hands finds trouble in Gracelyn’s many questions about Striker, and his concern is not unwarranted because trouble is not far behind her.

This was an enjoyable read – a great, clean romance with a strong heroine.  The story is written in third person and I think I would have enjoyed seeing the story from both Trevor and Gracelyn’s point-of-views.  A wonderful debut and Jessica has become an author I will be looking forward to in the future!

Quotes:

Obsession was the way in which madness lay.

-Opening line from Love on the Range by Jessica Nelson

Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin for providing me with an e-copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

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