Bloodlines By: Richelle Mead

The first book in Richelle Mead's brand-new teen fiction series - set in the same world as Vampire Academy.

When alchemist Sydney is ordered into hiding to protect the life of Moroi princess Jill Dragomir, the last place she expects to be sent is a human private school in Palm Springs, California. But at their new school, the drama is only just beginning.

Starting out let me just say that I am a huge fan of the Vampire Academy Series.  If you haven't already read that series read it first then read this book.  She doesn't explain the world or situations that happened in Vampire Academy when mentioned in this book. 

P.S.  MY REVIEW MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS TO VAMPIRE ACADEMY.  READ THAT SERIES NOW BEFORE I GIVE AWAY THE ENDING IN MY REVIEW.  :-)

Sydney is our main character for this story.  She has been put on assignment from the Alchemist council to act as a body guard for Jill.  Off she goes to California to spend all day and all night with a vampire.  Most alchemists would not be able to do this because of an extreme hatred for vampires.  Sydney isn't excited about this assignment but at least she has more experience with being surrounded by vampires and their protectors.

Once set up at a private school she mostly deals with minor issues like keeping Jill out of the sun too much and getting a feeding schedule that everyone can work with.  As she gains more friends in the school she hears about these "Magic" tattoos that give you strength or a euphoric feeling.  Concerned that someone must have alchemist information and is using it on the general public she starts an investigation into these tattoos, all while trying to protect Jill, make friends for the first time in her life and don't forget about the needy Adrian and trying to stay on the good side of Alchemist council members. 

I really liked Sydney in the first series and I am glad that we get to see things from her point of view this time.  She has always been home-schooled so her social skills are a bit lacking so it is fun to watch her experience high school for the first time.  She is also very good at what she does for a living and it shows in every action she takes.  She is very organized and precise in class, with school mates and with Jill and the other vampires.

The other vampires and the guardian are all from Vampire Academy as well and I have to say that I am a HUGE Adrian fan.  I fell in love with him in Vampire Academy and my heart broke along with his in Last Sacrifice.  He is a rich, attractive man that hasn't had to do much of anything because of his familial relations to the royal family.  He has a great sense of humor and he is a true friend.  There is really nothing he wouldn't do to help someone out.  I really liked his relationships with both Sydney and Jill. With Jill it felt like he was a perfect big brother kind of character.  He truly cared for her and always tried to listen to her and help her with what she needed.  With Sydney we got to see more of his sense of humor and spunky-ness.  He was quite the tease and at the same time he would act like a complete baby needing help with the smallest of tasks.

This was a great read and I can't wait for book two of this series to be released.  Note:  This book didn't move as fast as Vampire Academy and that took a little time to get used to.

New Books This Week

Love & Leftovers By: Sarah Tregay

When her widowed father dumps 16-year-old Katy Jessevar in a boarding school in Whitfield, Massachusetts, she has no idea that fate has just opened the door to both her future and her past. Nearly everyone in Whitfield is a witch, as is Katy herself, although she has struggled all her life to hide her unusual talents. Stuck at a boarding school where her fellow studens seem to despise her, Katy soon discovers that Whitfield is the place where her mother commited suicide under mysterious circumstances when Katy was just a small child. With dark forces converging on Whitfield, it’s up to Katy to unravel her family’s many secrets to save the boy she loves and the town itself from destruction.
Release Date: December 27, 2011

Kiss Crush Collide By: Christina Meredith

Leah has the life most high school girls would kill for—popularity, glowing grades, a rich, athletic boyfriend. So why does she feel like she can’t breathe? And why can’t she stop thinking about the boy from the country club? The one who isn’t her boyfriend, the one that her mother would never, ever approve of, the one that her perfect older sisters would never, ever look at twice. The one who is always looking back at her. Irresistible attraction, smoldering glances, the bad boy and the good girl—Kiss Crush Collide has everything that a steamy forbidden romance should, and then some.
Release Date: December 27, 2011

The Demon Lover By: Juliet Dark

Since accepting a teaching position at remote Fairwick College, Callie has experienced the same disturbingly erotic dream every night: A mist enters her bedroom, then takes the shape of a virile, seductive stranger who proceeds to ravish her in the most toe-curling, wholly satisfying ways possible. But Callie soon realizes that her dreams are alarmingly real. She has a demon lover and he will seduce her, pleasure her, and eventually suck the very life from her. Then Callie makes another startling discovery: He’s not the only mythical creature in Fairwick.
Release Date: December 27, 2011

Magic of the Moonlight By: Ellen Schreiber (Full Moon #2)

Celeste has more to worry about than a secret romance with a hot guy from the wrong side of town. Brandon, is a werewolf. With gossip and hostility swirling at school, it’s time to find a cure for his nocturnal condition, and perhaps the one person who can help is his scientist father. But what if a “cure” makes things worse and Brandon becomes a werewolf full time? And with rumors circulating that there are werewolves in Legend’s Run, is it possible that there is another among their classmates? To keep Brandon’s secret safe, Celeste must hide her relationship with him from her best friends, but with the Moonlight Ball approaching, she must make a choice.
Release Date: December 27, 2011

Living Violet By: Jaime Reed

He's persuasive, charming, and way too mysterious. And for Samara Marshall, her co-worker is everything she wants most--and everything she most fears. . . Samara Marshall is determined to make the summer before her senior year the best ever. Her plan: enjoy downtime with friends and work to save up cash for her dream car. Summer romance is not on her to-do list, but uncovering the truth about her flirtatious co-worker, Caleb Baker, is. From the peculiar glow to his eyes to the unfortunate events that befall the girls who pine after him, Samara is the only one to sense danger behind his smile.
Release Date: December 27, 2011

Wishing you a Merry Christmas!  May you have love and peace in your hearts and a pile of books by your bed to read!

Shifting By: Bethany Wiggins

After bouncing from foster home to foster home, Magdalene Mae is transferred to what should be her last foster home in the tiny town of Silver City, New Mexico. Now that she's eighteen and has only a year left in high school, she's determined to stay out of trouble and just be normal. Agreeing to go to the prom with Bridger O'Connell is a good first step. Fitting in has never been her strong suit, but it's not for the reasons most people would expect-it all has to do with the deep secret that she is a shape shifter. But even in her new home danger lurks, waiting in the shadows to pounce. They are the Skinwalkers of Navajo legend, who have traded their souls to become the animal whose skin they wear-and Maggie is their next target.

Magdalene has a secret, she can actually shift shapes to be an animal.  Of course this has caused some problems, she gets caught out late at night with no clothes on.  The foster families she has lived with can't handle her coming home with a police escort and she is on to another new family.  This time it is her social workers relative in New Mexico.  Magdalene quickly falls in love with the older woman who takes her in and treats her like family.  Her secret is also open when it comes to her new mom and together they try to make life normal.  With her life becoming more normal she makes friends and even starts a new job. 

Normal can't last forever and soon she finds out that someone is looking for her and it seems as though they will stop at nothing to get to her.

I liked the characters.  Magdalene is a "broken" girl.  No one has ever really understood her until now and she has had to figure out life all by herself.  She tries hard to stay normal while also trying out her abilities.  At times I found her incredibly reckless and at some times really naive.  She is in danger and still she goes out at night by herself.

Bridger is the popular boy at school and he shouldn't hang out with this new girl that isn't in his social class.  But for some reason he is constantly drawn to her.  I like that he will come by to spend time with her, most of the time they end up weeding the garden, and he is willing to do anything just as long as he is by her.  They do have their rough patches and that is needed in my opinion because honestly what real relationship is 100% perfect from day one. 

This story references a lot of Navajo stories and traditions and it was cool to hear about some of the legends about skin walkers and read some of the superstitions and prayers of the tribe.  I like that there was a definite culture to back up the story instead of making up new legends.

Overall pretty cool book and I would recommend others to read it.

New Books This Week.

Flyaway By: Helen Landalf
Fifteen-year-old Stevie Calhoun is used to taking care of herself. But one night, her mom, who works as an exotic dancer in a downtown Seattle nightclub, never comes home.  That’s the night Stevie’s life turns upside down.  It’s the night that kicks off an extraordinary summer: the summer Stevie has to stay with her annoyingly perfect Aunt Mindy; the summer she learns to care for injured and abandoned birds; the summer she gets to know Alan, the meanest guy in high school.  But most of all, it’s the summer she finds out the truth about Mom.
Release Date: December 19, 2011

A Touch of Power By: Maria V. Snyder

Laying hands upon the injured and dying, Avry absorbs their wounds and diseases into herself. But rather than being honored for her skills, she is hunted. Healers like Avry are accused of spreading the plague that has decimated the Fifteen Realms, leaving the survivors in a state of chaos. Stressed and tired from hiding, Avry is abducted by a band of rogues who value her gift above the golden bounty offered for her capture. Their leader, an enigmatic captor-protector with powers of his own, is unequivocal in his demands: Avry must heal a plague-stricken prince—leader of a campaign against her people.
Release Date December 20, 2011

Still Waters By: Emma Carlson Berne

Hannah can't wait to sneak off for a romantic weekend with her boyfriend, Colin. He’s leaving for college soon, and Hannah wants their trip to the lake house to be one they’ll never forget.  But once Hannah and Colin get there, things start to seem a bit...off. They can't find the town on any map. The house they are staying in looks as if someone's been living there, even though it's been deserted for years. And Colin doesn’t seem quite himself. As he grows more unstable, Hannah worries about Colin’s dark side, and her own safety. Nothing is as perfect as it seems, and what lies beneath may haunt her forever.
Release Date: December 20, 2011

Legacy By: Molly Cochran

When her widowed father dumps 16-year-old Katy in a boarding school in Whitfield, Massachusetts, she has no idea that fate has just opened the door to both her future and her past. Nearly everyone in Whitfield is a witch, as is Katy herself, although she has struggled all her life to hide her unusual talents. Stuck at a boarding school where her fellow studens seem to despise her, Katy soon discovers that Whitfield is the place where her mother commited suicide under mysterious circumstances when Katy was just a small child. With dark forces converging on Whitfield, it’s up to Katy to unravel her family’s many secrets to save the boy she loves and the town itself from destruction.
Release Date: December 20, 2011

New Books this Week....

Existence By: Abbi Glines

What happens when you are stalked by Death? You fall in love with him of course. Seventeen year old Pagan Moore, has seen souls her entire life and she started ignoring them. Until she steps out of her car on the first day of school and sees an incredibly sexy guy lounging on a picnic table, watching her with an amused smirk on his face. Problem is, she knows he's dead. Not only does he not go away, when she ignores him he does something none of the others have ever done; he speaks. What Pagan doesn’t realize is that her appointed time to die is drawing near and the wickedly beautiful soul she is falling in love with is not a soul. He is Death and he is about to break all the rules.
Realase Date: December 13, 2011

Death's Leash By: J.D. Stoube

Death is only a man, but one who has control over all living beings. He chooses who will live or die. He commands the fates and gives the order to cut the thread of life. However, Death isn’t alone. Death summoned the tainted souls of the dead and from them created a race of females. They would be the takers of souls, the guardians of the afterlife, and the harbingers of death. Six remain in the veil between life and death, but step through the threshold when Death calls.  Kali has spent her immortal life avoiding attachment. She hides her true self from all but her sisters. When Death gives her an assignment to hunt a rogue angel, she must confront the one man who places her heart in danger.
Release Date: December 16, 2011

Masquerade By: Cambria Hebert

Everything was so much better Before. I wasn’t haunted by nightmares, my place at school was secure and my face was flawless. Now, I’m a freak and everything has changed. The worst part is that I can’t remember the night I was sentenced to the shadows. The memory has been stolen from me and I just can’t shake the feeling that someone, something is out there -watching.  Just when I think I have my life handled, Sam, with his intimidating golden stare and shiver inducing voice, makes me realize that I don’t know anything. He makes me see that my scars don’t matter. That they never mattered. I can’t help but fall for him, completely unknowing that he knows exactly how I got this way. Not knowing he was involved.
Release Date: December 16, 2011

Fateful By: Claudia Gray

Eighteen-year-old maid Tess Davies is determined to escape the wealthy, troubled family she serves. It’s 1912, and Tess has been trapped in the employ of the Lisles for years, amid painful memories and twisted secrets. But now the Lisle family is headed to America, with Tess in tow. Once the ship they’re sailing on—the RMS Titanic—reaches its destination, Tess plans to strike out and create a new life for herself.

Her single-minded focus shatters when she meets Alec, a handsome first-class passenger who captivates her instantly. But Alec has secrets of his own. He’s in a hurry to leave Europe, and whispers aboard the ship say it’s because of the tragic end of his last affair with the French actress who died so gruesomely and so mysteriously. . . .

Soon Tess will learn just how dark Alec’s past truly is. The danger they face is no ordinary enemy: werewolves exist and are stalking him—and now her, too. Her growing love for Alec will put Tess in mortal peril, and fate will do the same before their journey on the Titanic is over.




OK, so, the first thing I heard about this book was Werewolves on the Titanic.  I was sold! 
Tess, our main girl, is a servant for a distinguished family in England.  When they book passage to America on the Titanic she is ecstatic that she will be able to go as well. Strange things happen to her.... the night before boarding she is out on an errand and comes face to face with a wolf. In the City!  Luckily an attractive, wealty young man comes to her rescue.   The next day while boarding in the first class area she gets a strange feeling that she is being watched.   She is being followed and now she is on the ship with them and she is in the way of what they want.  Although there is a nice perk, the wealthy, attractive young man that saved her in England is on this ship as well and they seem to have a connection.....

I liked the characters.  Tess has goals and she is working very hard to go out on her own. She knows her station in life and is trying to change it.  Alec is constantly afraid for those around him.  He tries so hard to keep people from getting close so he lives a very lonely life with just his dad.  He tried to stay way from Tess for her safety and found that he couldn't, she did need protecting after all.  :-)  He was able to be himself and actually have fun and even the father mentions how much he is changing when he is around Tess. 

I really liked that at the end of the book there is a little history information about this book.  I liked that Claudia Gray wanted to tell a paranormal historical story but she wanted to maintain the story and didn't want to potentially hurt any memories of actual people on the ship.  I loved that she made up a job for one of the characters so that no one could confuse the fact with the fiction. 

This was a great book and I loved that she put a paranormal spin on a historical event.  I thought that she did a great job and I was actually involved in the story for the entire read.

Cold River By: Liz Adair

Mandy Steenburg thinks her doctorate in education has prepared her to run any school district - until she tangles with the moonshine-making, coon-dog-owning denizens of a tiny district in Pacific Northwest timber country. She's determined to make a difference, but the local populace still looks to the former superintendent for leadership. When Mandy lands in the middle of an old feud and someone keeps trying to kill her, instinct tells her to run. And though she has to literally swim through perilous waters, she finds a reason to stay and chance the odds.




I liked this book.  Mandy gets a job for a SMALL school district and thinks that everything is going to be great.  She has her degree, she worked for a large school district in New Mexico so she knows what she's doing.  Right?   I loved how not everything works out perfect. Luckily she finds a place to stay next to the river and out in nature.  Mandy even finds some friends in the locals.  Although she finds that people there aren't accustom to change and try to keep everything the same.  The last acting superintendent still works with her and people still look to him for decisions and how to react.  

Mandy was a smart woman.  I also think she is brave.  She moved to the middle of nowhere, by herself to start life over and that is definitely something I wouldn't be able to do.  She had plenty of opportunities to quit and go home, especially when her life was in danger and she didn't leave.  Of course I like that she seriously thought about it because any real person would weigh the options so that kept her real for me.  I also liked that she worked so hard.  She had a lot of things stacked against her and she worked overtime to figure things out and take on extra responsibilities in the community.  She is a great role model for girls and women alike.

I really liked the supporting characters.  They all had really fun personalities and I could picture them really easily.  One thing that I really liked was I kept guessing who the bad guy was through out the whole book.  Once I would set my mind to pick one person I would read the next few pages and change my mind again.  I liked that, to me, the ending wasn't completely obvious so it made the book a lot more enjoyable. 

Purchase Link
(http://www.amazon.com/Cold-River-Liz-Adair/dp/1599928035/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1322625922&sr=8-1) if my link isn't working correctly.


Want to find out more about Cold River or the Author, Liz Adair?  Check out her website.

New Books This Week....

Clockwork Prince By: Cassandra Clare
Tessa has at last found safety with the Shadowhunters. But that safety proves fleeting when rogue forces in the Clave plot to see her protector, Charlotte,. If Charlotte loses her position, Tessa will be out on the street and easy prey for the mysterious Magister, who wants to use Tessa's powers for his own dark ends.  With the help of the handsome, self-destructive Will and the fiercely devoted Jem, Tessa discovers that the Magister's war on the Shadowhunters is deeply personal. To unravel the secrets of the past, they journeys from Yorkshire to London to a ballroom where Tessa discovers that the truth of her parentage is more sinister than imagined.
Release Date: December 6, 2011

Eternal Starling By: Angela Corbett
Evie Starling has lived a relatively uneventful life hanging out with friends, gossiping about boys, and driving her 1966 Mustang. All of that changes when she moves to Gunnison, Colorado, to start college and meets two mysterious men.  For centuries, Alex Night and Emil Stone have yearned for Evie—but they each have their own reasons for wanting to be with her. When both men claim to be her soul mate and tell her about an unbelievable past, Evie learns that she’s not the person she thought she was. Soon, Evie finds herself in the middle of an age-old battle between the the soul protectors, and the soul destroyers.
Release Date: December 6, 2011

Obsidian By: Jennifer L. Armentrout
When we moved to West Virginia right before my senior year, I’d resigned myself to a whole lot of boring, until I spotted my hot neighbor. Things were looking up. And then he opened his mouth. Daemon is infuriating. Arrogant. Stab-worthy. We do not get along. At all. But when a stranger attacks me and Daemon literally freezes time with a wave of his hand, well, something unexpected happens. The hot alien living next door marks me. You heard me. Alien. Turns out Daemon and his sister have a galaxy of enemies wanting to steal their abilities. The only way I’m getting out of this alive is by sticking close to Daemon until my alien mojo fades. If I don’t kill him first.
Release Date: December 6, 2011

Shattered Dreams By: Ellie James
Trinity wants nothing more than to live a normal life. But Trinity is different, special. She sees visions after it’s already too late. Trinity arrives on her aunt's in New Orleans with virtually no knowledge of her mysterious heritage. She begins settling into life at a new school and even starts making friends. But all too quickly her dreams accelerate; twisted, terrifying visions of a girl locked in a dark room. And when the head cheerleader, Jessica, goes missing, Trinity knows she has no choice but to step forward with what she's seen.  But people believe that Trinity has information about Jessica's disappearance not because of a dream, but because she is involved.
Release Date: December 6, 2011

Meloday Burning By: Whitley Strieber
Beresford doesn’t remember much about his past or how he came to live in the chutes and crawl spaces of the posh high-rise that shares his name. But when rock star and teen sensation Melody McGrath moves to an apartment on the fiftieth floor, he knows he has to be near her. Although she doesn’t realize it, Melody is threatened by more dangerous forces than her manipulative stage mom and the pressures of life in the spotlight. The owner of the glamorous building has been hiding a fatal secret within its walls, and Beresford puts all his plans at risk. Will Beresford and Melody be able to escape with their lives (and love) intact?
Release Date: December 6, 2011

Anew By: Chelsea Fine

Two years ago, Scarlet awoke in the forest alone, afraid, and unable to remember anything. Lost and confused, her life was a mystery...until she met a boy with a familiar voice.  Gabriel Archer has a voice from her past, and Scarlet's determined to remember why. She immerses herself in his life only to discover he has a brother he's kept hidden from her: Tristan Archer.  Upon meeting Tristan, Scarlet's world becomes even more muddled. While she's instinctively drawn to Gabriel, she's impossibly drawn to Tristan--and confused out of her mind. As she tries to piece together her history Scarlet realizes her past...might just be the death of her.
Release Date: December 7, 2011

Shattered Souls By: Mary Lindsey

Lenzi hears voices and has visions - gravestones, floods, a boy with steel gray eyes. Her boyfriend, Zak, can't help, and everything keeps getting louder and more intense. Then Lenzi meets Alden, the boy from her dreams, who reveals that she's a reincarnated Speaker - someone who can talk to and help lost souls - and that he has been her Protector for centuries. Now Lenzi must choose between her life with Zak and the life she is destined to lead with Alden. But time is running out: a malevolent spirit is out to destroy Lenzi, and he will kill her if she doesn't make a decision soon.
Release Date: December 8, 2011

Illuminated By: Erica Orloff

Some loves are not made to last . . . Like Romeo and Juliet, Heloise and Abelard were doomed from the start, and their romance was destined to pass into history. Yet when sixteen-year-old Callie Martin discovers a diary hidden within an antique book, their story,and hers, takes on another life. For the diary leads Callie to the brilliant and handsome August, who is just as mysterious as the secret the diary hides. Their attraction is undeniable. As the two hunt down the truth behind the diary, and that of Heloise and Abelard’s ancient romance. But Callie knows it can’t last, love never does.
Release Date: December 8, 2011

The Breakup Artist By: Shannen Crane Camp

Breaking up with someone is a major pain—-unless you can hire someone else to do it for you! And Amelia demands top dollar for her professional break-up services. Everything's business as usual until David, one of the boys she's been hired to dump, throws her for a loop. Now she must decide if David's intentions are genuine, or if there's something sinister behind his flirting.
Release Date: December 8, 2011

Meridian By: Amber Kizer

Sixteen-year-old Meridian has been surrounded by death ever since she can remember. As a child, insects, mice, and salamanders would burrow into her bedclothes and die. At her elementary school, she was blamed for a classmate’s tragic accident. And on her sixteenth birthday, a car crashes in front of her family home—and Meridian’s body explodes in pain. Before she can fully recover, Meridian is told that she’s a danger to her family and hustled off to her great-aunt’s house in Revelation, Colorado. It’s there that she learns that she is a Fenestra—the half-angel, half-human link between the living and the dead. But Meridian and her sworn protector and love, Tens, face great danger from the Aternocti, a band of dark forces who capture vulnerable souls on the brink of death and cause chaos.

Another book that I really liked...  Meridian is an unusual girl.  Dead things seem to find her wherever she goes.  It started out small like insects and rodents.  As she aged she came to understand the warning signs of death.   When she turns sixteen her parents send her to live with her great aunt in Colorado to learn about what she is.  It turns out that she is half angel and half human and it is her job to help souls to heaven after they die.  She also learns that there are dark angels as well and they are trying to capture souls and kill her kind. 

At her aunts house she meets Tens.  He is her age and has been living with her aunt for a while learning how to be a protector for Meridian.  They have a cute relationship in my mind.  He is adorably cute and he is always trying to do things to help Meridian but at the same time he seems out of his element and kind of awkward.  Who doesn't love a cute/awkward teenage boy as the love interest?  :-) 

Meridian's character has already done a lot of growing up before she turned sixteen.  Dealing with death and pain all the time and trying to not let "normal" people know what she is going through.  She starts out the book very isolated and alone and she has to learn how to deal with people 24/7.   She also has to deal with the personal loss of her family.  For their protection she is unable to speak with her parents or her little brother.  I liked watching her learn to love trust and interact with her aunt and Tens.

This book also has a little bit of action in dealing with the dark angels and town-people.  This book also has a great example of how people react with the unknown and how easily good people can change when fear and faith are brought into their life.  This was a fun book that is a first in what looks like a four part series.

Isle of Night By: Veronica Wolff

When Annelise meets dark and seductive Ronan, he promises her a new life-if she has the courage to chance the unknown. Now, she's whisked away to a mysterious island and pitted against other female recruits to become a Watcher-girls who are partnered with vampires and assist them in their missions. To survive and become a Watcher, Annelise has to beat out every other girl, but she's determined to do so, because to fail doesn't mean dishonor-it means death.



I have had my eye on this book for a while now and couldn't pass up the opportunity to read it this last month.    Annelise is a smart girl.  So smart she decides to graduate early and go straight to college.  She packs up her things and drives to campus to register and get settled.  Once she gets there she is told that her state just passed a new rule that all seniors had to pass a swimming test in order to graduate (she can't swim) so techically she is still a high school student and she can't enroll.  Lost about what to do she walked back to her car only to find that it won't start.  Can't anything go right!!!  This is when she meets Ronan.  He offers her a "scholarship" opportunity at a private school if she will only go with him right then.  With no other alternatives she follows him to a luxurious private jet to wisk her away to her new future.

After a long flight she makes it to the school and the headmaster informs all of them that vampires exist and that all of the girls in attendence are to train on how to be watchers (protector to vampires).  Leaving is not an option, at least not if you are still alive. 

Annelise has a few trials to overcome, one being that her new roommate hates her and tries to make life miserable for her.  She is put into classes about battle stategy and weapons and even has an extra study period all about learning how to swim.

I liked the characters in this story,  there were all of the cliche high school aged characters.  You have the shy girls, popular girls, jocks, nerds and athletes.  With the added drama of people dying and learning combat I always find it interesting that the people involved seem to adjust to life and just move on with each day as though nothing is out of the normal when people are injured constantly and death is very possible.  I guess life just goes on...

This is the first book in a series and it is packed with action and a hit of a romance but nothing is concrete.  The next book is scheduled to release in March of 2012 and will definitely be on my TBR shelf. 

New Books this Week.....

The Merchant's Daughter By: Melanie Dickerson

Annabel, once the daughter of a wealthy merchant, is trapped in indentured servitude to Lord Ranulf, a recluse who is rumored to be both terrifying and beastly. Her circumstances are made even worse by the proximity of Lord Ranulf's bailiff---a revolting man who has made unwelcome advances on Annabel in the past.Believing that life in a nunnery is the best way to escape the escalation of the bailiff's vile behavior and to preserve the faith that sustains her, Annabel is surprised to discover a sense of security and joy in her encounters with Lord Ranulf. As Annabel struggles to confront her feelings, she is involved in a situation that could place Ranulf in grave danger.
Release Date: November 29, 2011

Angel of Darkness By: Cynthia Eden

As an angel of death, Keenan’s job is to collect the souls on his list. He’s carried out his duty for two thousand years and never faltered once. Until he meets Nicole St. James. When the moment of death comes, Keenan hesitates, and instead of taking Nicole, Keenan touches the vampire who’s attacking her.  Cast out of heaven for disobedience, Keenan plummets to earth. Six months later, he finally manages to track Nicole to a bar in Mexico. He’s stunned to discover that the woman he remembers has undergone a dramatic change—she’s become a vampire.
Release Date: November 29, 2011

Beautifully Haunted By: Sherry Soule

Shiloh Ravenwolf isn’t your typical teenager.  Deep down, Shiloh knows she isn’t normal. There’s the gift of Sight (yes, she can see dead people), the magical powers, the demon slaying and let’s not forget her supernatural training with her uber cool mentor Evans at Ravenhurst Manor. When she embarks on a dangerous journey to seek out the town’s insidious origins, the mystery of her family’s past deepens.  To complicate things, she's torn between two hotties, Trent and Drake. And Shiloh must face her biggest challenge yet—and it’s not deciding which crush to take to the prom.
Release Date: November 30, 2011

Catching Jordan By: Miranda Kenneally

What girl doesn't want to be surrounded by gorgeous jocks day in and day out? Jordan Woods isn't just surrounded by hot guys, though - she leads them as the captain and quarterback on her high school football team. They all see her as one of the guys, and that's just fine. As long as she gets her athletic scholarship to a powerhouse university. But now there's a new guy in town who threatens her starring position on the team... and has her suddenly wishing to be seen as more than just a teammate.
Release Date: December 1, 2012

Bad Blood (House of Comarre #3) By: Kristen Painter

Samhain approaches, bringing with it the final melding of the mortal and othernatural worlds. No one knows just how much power the night holds... Violent murders occur in Paradise City as counterfeit comarré are systematically hunted. The police and the Kubai Mata have more than enough trouble to keep themselves occupied. As war erupts at home, Malkolm and Chrysabelle head to New Orleans to recover the Ring of Sorrows. Chrysabelle is forced to make a life and death decision and will realize that her relationship to Malkolm may have fatal consequences.
Release Date: December 1, 2012

The Hedgewitch Queen By: Lilith Saintcrow

Vianne di Rocancheil is a lady waiting at the Court of Arquitaine, where she studies her books, watches for intrigue, and shepherds her foolhardy Princesse through the glittering whirl. Court is a sometimes-unpleasant waltz, especially for the unwary, but Vianne treads its measured steps well.  Unfortunately, the dance has changed. Treachery is afoot in gilded and velvet halls. A sorcerous conspiracy is unleashed, with blood, death, and warfare close behind. Vianne must flee, carrying the Great Seal of Arquitaine with her. This is the one thing the conspirators need to rule, and they won’t rest until they have it. A life of dances, intrigues, and fashion has not prepared Vianne for this.
Release Date: December 1, 2012

Anna and the French Kiss By: Stephanie Perkins

Anna is looking forward to her senior year in Atlanta, where she has a great job, a loyal best friend, and a crush on the verge of becoming more. Which is why she is less than thrilled about being shipped off to boarding school in Paris - until she meets Etienne St. Clair: perfect, Parisian (and English and American, which makes for a swoon-worthy accent), and utterly irresistible. The only problem is that he's taken, and Anna might be, too, if anything comes of her almost-relationship back home.



I have heard from so many people that they loved this book so I went out and bought this one as well as Lola and the Boy Next Door.  I am definitely not disappointed! 

Anna has her senior year all lined up, until her dad surprises her by sending her to a boarding school in Paris.  Now I know what you are thinking it should be perfect right, what girls wouldn't want that..... except she has to quit her job, leave her best friend behind, she may never know what could have happened with her cute co-worker and she doesn't even speak french. 

When she arrives in Paris things aren't all that bad.  She makes friends with some of the other seniors who instantly pull her into their ground and among them is Etienne St. Clair. He is drop dead gorgeous and is extremely nice to her, but he has a girlfriend.  They become fast friends and soon Anna realizes that she may like him more then as a friend....

I like the characters in this story.  Anna is just trying to make sense of her life and being in a new environment and overall she has handled things pretty well.  The teenagers in her group all have to deal with the things that teenagers have to deal with these days, dealing with sickness in the family, a friend in love with another persons boyfriend/girlfriend, dating, what to do after high school, being there for others when you think your world is caving in....  They all had a hard time along the story but ultimately they had someone to rely on, even if it took a while to figure it all out. 

I really liked St. Clair's character.  He was overwhelmed with a lot of things and he was constantly trying to be the guy that everyone liked.  He was nice to everybody around him but didn't really open up to anyone but his small group of friends.  I liked that he wasn't perfect.  He made mistakes and admitted that he didn't have all the answers but he did keep trying and he did accept help from the people he loved/trusted.

This is a great book and I can't wait to read more from this author.

The Juliet Spell By: Douglas Rees

I wanted the role of Juliet more than anything. I studied hard. I gave a great reading for it—even with Bobby checking me out the whole time. I deserved the part.

I didn't get it. So I decided to level the playing field, though I actually might have leveled the whole play. You see, since there aren't any Success in Getting to Be Juliet in Your High School Play spells, I thought I'd cast the next best—a Fame spell. Good idea, right?
Yeah. Instead of bringing me a little fame, it brought me someone a little famous. Shakespeare. Well, Edmund Shakespeare. William's younger brother.
Good thing he's sweet and enthusiastic about helping me with the play...and—ahem—maybe a little bit hot. But he's from the past. Way past. Cars amaze him—cars! And cell phones? Ugh.
Still, there's something about him that's making my eyes go star-crossed....


I love all things Romeo and Juliet.  Which is pretty weird because I hate tragedies.  I am all about the Happy Ever Afters.  Anyway this story starts with Miranda.  Her mother was an actress and preformed in many parts through her career all except Juliet.  When an opportunity comes up to auditions for the part in a Community play she jumps at it.  The audition doesn't immediately go that well so she falls back on a Spell book she purchased and preforms a spell for success.  She finishes the spell, there is a bright light and then an attractive young man is standing in her living room.

It turns out that he is the younger brother of William Shakespeare, Edmund. 

Miranda goes about teaching him about all things 21st century when it is mentioned that they are having open auditions for the play and Edmund in interested in playing a part.  How perfect would it be for him to play Romeo to her Juliet!!!  Of course his audition is amazing and the girls interested in playing Juliet are encouraged to re-audition with him and the chemistry between Edmund and Miranda is perfect, she will play Juliet and he will play Romeo.

Everyone is working hard on the play, there are love interests and fights between friends, a threat to stop the play and a way to keep it going, plus a surprise visit from William Shakespeare himself.  Just when you think that there can't be anymore craziness enter a mad man with a gun and messages through time.

I really liked this story.  Edmund was a great hero for this story.  He was everything that a 1590's something gentleman should be.  He was kind to everyone, gentle with women (too gentle in Miranda's opinion) and helpful at the house with chores.  Miranda was a typical teenage girl.  She was confused about her feelings toward Edmund and unsure of how to approach him for a while.  It was difficult sometimes as I was reading because she would sometimes sound like a man when she thought to herself and some of her dialog was more of what a boy would say. One thing that was annoying is how accepting everyone was about characters from the past suddenly showing up in our time.  No one ever freaked out.  They were just like of, you are Edmund Shakespeare from the 1590's, cool, want something to drink?  Then, oh, so you are William Shakespeare, Play nice with your brother....  Not believable, but it made the story flow nicely without the characters thinking that they were all crazy.




**** SPOILER****


I wasn't completely happy with the ending, I like my Happily Ever After endings and this one didn't end that way.  I understand that the author didn't want to change history so it had to end that way.  I am glad that all characters seemed to be happy with the out come, even if it was a year later that they could move on with life.

New Books this Week....

Unleashed By: Nancy Holder and Debbie Viguie

When Katelyn starts at her new school the only person she knows is the handsome and intriguing Trick Sokolov. She's surprised when popular Cordelia Fenner invites her home, she begins to think her new life might be ok after all.  She realises that the Fenners are harbouring a deep dark secret. Every bone in Katelyn's body tells her that the Fenners are mad, bad and dangerous to know - but how can she give up her only friend, and how can she ignore the way Justin sets her blood on fire with a single look? Katelyn finds herself caught between three major werewolf clans who have been at war with each other for centuries - a war, it seems, that Katelyn is destined to end.
Release Date: November 22, 2011

Head Over Heels By: Jill Shalvis

Free-spirited Chloe lives life on the edge. Unlike her soon-to-be married sisters, she isn't ready to settle into a quiet life running their family's newly renovated inn. But soon her love of trouble—and trouble with love-draws the attention of the very stern, very sexy sheriff who'd like nothing better than to tame her wild ways. Suddenly Chloe can't take a misstep without the sheriff hot on her heels. His rugged swagger and his enigmatic smile are enough to make a girl beg to be handcuffed. For the first time, instead of avoiding the law, Chloe dreams of surrender.
Release Date: November 22, 2011

Broken By: Susan J. Bigelow

In a post-war future world where First Contact has been made, humans are colonizing the stars, and the nations of Earth have been united under a central government, Extrahumans are required by law to belong to the Union. When a young man with visions of the future sets out on a mission to define the course of human history, he encounters a devastated former hero, a fascist dictatorship bent on world domination, and the realities of living in a society where affiliation is everything.  Broken figured she was done with heroics when she lost the ability to fly and fled the confinement of the Extrahuman Union. But then the world started to fall apart around her.
Release Date: November 22, 2011

One Grave at a Time By: Jeaniene Frost

*****  Warning*******  This review is for book 6 in the series.  I strongly suggest you pick up the first books books, in case I give away spoilers.

( From Goodreads.com) Having narrowly averted an (under)world war, Cat Crawfield wants nothing more than a little downtime with her vampire husband, Bones. Unfortunately, her gift from New Orleans' voodoo queen just keeps on giving--leading to a personal favor that sends them into battle once again, this time against a villainous spirit.  Centuries ago, Heinrich Kramer was a witch hunter. Now, every All Hallows Eve, he takes physical form to torture innocent women before burning them alive. This year, however, a determined Cat and Bones must risk all to send him back to the other side of eternity--forever. But how do you kill a killer who's already long dead?

Oh WOW, I love this series!!!!  This book takes place immediately after the last book and goes on for a couple months....  Cat and Bones meet a ghost who was convicted as a witch, tortured and killed for her "crimes".  She wasn't a witch and has been following the ghost of the man that killed her for centuries.  He has gotten strong enough that every year on Halloween he is able to become solid for one night.  On that one night he tortures and kills three women by fire on a stake.  Cat becomes determined to help capture this ghost and stop him from continuing his yearly torture sessions. 

Along the way they meet Tyler, a Medium that helps them summon ghosts and has a crush on all hot men.  I loved the little conversations (spoken and thought) that went between Tyler and Cat.  He has a great personality and helped to liven up the story when it was getting too serious.  We also got to see a lot more of Ian, Denise and Spade.  They join Bones and Kat in trying to "trap" the ghost.  Unfortunately we didn't get to see the guys from Cat's team all that much but the story does introduce a new person at headquarters and it hints at a confrontation for the next book.

This book had a ton of action and fighting, jokes throughout and the love relationship between Cat and Bones.  I love this series, I think I have mentioned that already :-) and I would recommend this urban fantasy series to adult readers that like paranormal or romance. 

Fate Fixed By: Bonnie Erina Wheeler

When Lexie Anderson’s mother suddenly announces she is marrying a Romanian immigrant, Lexie willingly leaves behind her busy life in Connecticut for her penance in “The Moose Capital of the World.” Small town living is strange enough, now Lexie must cope with her overbearing step-family monitoring her every move. They disappear into the woods at night and keep a strange secret locked in their shed. Her once calm mother is now having violent outbursts and Lexie’s little sister is hearing sinister sounds coming from the forest behind their new home. Lexie’s biggest surprise comes when she discovers the boy she has been dreaming about since her accident is living in Maine. Despite Torin’s questionable reputation, Lexie cannot resist the physical and emotional attraction pulsating between them. Animals and people in town are turning up dead and Lexie learns the strange new world she lives in has real life monsters. Just when she decides she wants to be with Torin forever, she must fight to protect her mother and sister from being harmed a formidable evil.


This is Bonnie's First Novel and I think that this was a great debut! Lexie's father died in an automobile accident about a year ago and she can't get over the torture that it was her fault.  Ever since the accident she has been having a reoccurring dream where she runs through the woods toward a boy and just when she gets to him, she dies.  The way she dies is always different but the way she feels as she runs toward the boy stays the same, she wants to get to him and she wants to stay with him. 

When Lexie's mom gets re-married she and her sister gain a new father and three brothers.  Plus she has been informed that they are moving into the middle of no where Maine without her best friend and confidant.  She keeps telling herself that she only has one year until she is eighteen and can move out and go to college.   Two of her new brothers are her age, Alik and Maxim.  That first week they are in their new home (also the week before school starts) she and Alik meet some of the local kids and are instantly friended.  They are even invited to a party to kick off the new school year.  At the party she is having fun and meeting a lot of people when she meets the boy in her dream... there is an instant connection and just as she is getting to know him better her brother Maxim comes to the party furious and making a scene.  Embarrassed she leaves with her brothers and is sure that no one will want to be around them now.  When school starts she is surprised that she still has friends and no body cares about the scene made earlier.  Torin, the guy she likes from her dreams, doesn't attend school with them but her new friend is dating his cousin so she finds ways of getting together with him. 

Strange things start happening around town... specifically peoples pets are disappearing.  The local government thinks that maybe a new predator has moved into the surrounding forests and are encouraging people to not go out.  Eventually a towns person is found dead and the story gets really interesting.

This story is told from multiple points of view..... mostly we get to hear from Lexie and Torin, but we do get a few chapters from a character named Wolf.  I really like seeing the multiple points of view.  Both of them have some major issues in their lives and it was nice to see what each person thought about what was going on.  Lexie is a girl that seemed to have a head on her shoulders.  She was still carrying a lot of guilt about the car accident that killed her father so she was more willing to put others lives and happiness before her own.  She was having a hard time with living in the house with her new brothers and some of the rules and way of living that were drastically changed when they moved to Maine but she didn't fight as much as a typical teenage girl would.    She was also very vulnerable and she really really wanted people to like her and she really wanted friends.  She was constantly wondering if the things that she or her brothers did would make the other kids not like her any longer.... I liked that she wasn't perfect and it made me feel for her more.

Torin had issues all his own.... he was going through some pretty big changes in his life and was worried about things that might happen in the future.  He was very selfless at the beginning, ready to step out of his families life if there was a way to make things easier for everyone..... then he met Lexie.  I am a complete romantic and so I loved that once he met her he realized that he could never leave her, no matter what.  I also liked that he was kind to everyone.  I don't mind a jerk for a hero every once in a while but I really REALLY like the nice guys.  He and his cousins had a great relationship and acted more like brothers and I think that family relationships like that a great to read. 

Alik and Maxim's family kept me guessing for most of the book.  I couldn't really decide who I liked or what I disliked.  I could see good things and bad things about everyone and it helped make excitement in the story a lot better. 

This was definitely a great read and I can't wait for her second book to come out.

New Books this Week...

Shatter Me By: Tahereh Mafi

No one knows why Juliette's touch is fatal. As long as she doesn't hurt anyone else, no one really cares. The world is too busy crumbling to pieces to pay attention to a 17-year-old girl. Diseases are destroying the population, food is hard to find, birds don't fly anymore, and the clouds are the wrong color. The Reestablishment said their way was the only way to fix things, so they threw Juliette in a cell. Now so many people are dead that the survivors are whispering war-- and The Reestablishment has changed its mind. Maybe Juliette is more than a tortured soul stuffed into a poisonous body. Maybe she's exactly what they need right now.
Release Date: November 15, 2011

The Pledge By: Kimberly Derting
Charlaina has always been able to understand the languages of all classes, and she's spent her life trying to hide her secret. The only place she can really be free is the drug-fueled underground clubs where people go to shake off the oppressive rules of the world they live in. It's there that she meets a boy named Max who speaks a language she's never heard before, and her secret is almost exposed.Charlie is intensely attracted to Max, even though she can't be sure where his real loyalties lie. As the emergency drills give way to real crisis and the violence escalates, it becomes clear that Charlie is the key to something much bigger.
Release Date: November 15, 2011

The Space Between By: Brenna Yovanoff

Daphne is the half-demon, half-fallen angel daughter of Lucifer and Lilith. Life for her is an endless expanse of time, until her brother Obie is kidnapped - and Daphne realizes she may be partially responsible. Determined to find him, Daphne travels to Earth, where everything is colder and more terrifying. With the help of the human boy she believes was the last person to see her brother alive, Daphne glimpses into his dreams, discovering clues to Obie's whereabouts. As she delves deeper into her demonic powers, she must navigate the jealousies and alliances of the violent archangels who stand in her way.
Release Date: November 15, 2011

Lightbringer By: K.D. McEntire

The Never is a place of greys, a world a breath beyond our own, layered just past the memories of yesterday and the fleeting present moment. It is here, in this dismal limbo, that ghosts such as Piotr, Lily, and Elle must sort out an existence, both protecting the children called Lost and themselves from the walking darkness that is the army of rotting Walkers.Caught between her duty to her calling as the Lightbringer and her concern for her new ghostly friends, Wendy must walk the line between the two worlds, aiding Piotr in his fight against the Walkers as well as searching out the wandering soul of the one who means the most to her.
Release Date: November 15, 2011

Destined By: Jessie Harrell

When Psyche receives a prophecy gone horribly wrong, she learns that even the most beautiful girl in Greece can have a hideous future. Her fate? Fall in love with the one creature even the gods fear.
As she feels herself slipping closer into the arms of the prophecy, Psyche must choose between the terrifyingly tender touch she feels almost powerless to resist and the one constant she's come to expect out of life: you cannot escape what is destined.
Destined is a fresh and heartachingly romantic retelling of the Cupid & Psyche myth.
Release Date: November 17, 2011

Thank you!!!!

Thank you to everyone who stopped by in the last couple days.  The Blog Hop was incredibly fun for me and I hope all of you had fun as well!! 

Also a Big Congratulations to Jaclynweist, the follower who was chosen by Random.org to win the $25.00 Amazon Gift Card. 




I look forward to posting more of my reviews and hopefully hearing from you guys as well, tell me what you liked about the books you read and maybe give me suggestions on more books to read.
Thanks!
Lynnea

$25.00 Gift Card to a Lucky Winner

Just click on the picture and you will be taken to read the rules and enter for a chance to win a $25.00 gift card to amazon.com (US only).  There is also a book available for international followers. 

Thanks!!!!

http://lalasbooks.blogspot.com/2011/11/november-giveaway-blog-hop.html  (if my link isn't working paste this to your web browser.)