Tuesday, November 29, 2011

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. 

Monday, November 28, 2011

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

Friday, November 25, 2011

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.

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

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.

Monday, November 21, 2011

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

Friday, November 18, 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. 

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

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.

Monday, November 14, 2011

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

Saturday, November 12, 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

Thursday, November 10, 2011

$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.)

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

No Holly for Christmas By: Julie N. Ford

Widowed, practically penniless, and banished to an Alabama rural community, ex-socialite- turned social worker Holly Cavanaugh Winter is dreading the approaching holiday season.However, her angst is not due to her husband's untimely death last December 25th,but because of a secret, one she keeps locked deep in her heart, that could reveal itself unless she can find a way to avoid Christmas.

On special assignment for the DA, defense attorney, Brian McAlister has all but given up on relationships when his path unavoidably crosses Holly’s. But love at first sight quickly turns frigid when Holly gets pulled into a manhunt for an accused murderer who now has his sights set on her. With his case unraveling, Brian finds himself tasked with keeping Holly and her two daughters safe, while bringing an assassin, and the powerful man who hired him, to justice.

Ok,.... This is a sequel book about a supporting character from 'The Woman he Married'.  I didn't read book two and still understood everything that happened so it reads great as a stand alone novel.

I really grew to love the characters.  At first Holly was someone that I thought I was going to hate.  She was a socialite before her husband died last year and she seemed really obsessed with the clothes that she wore and her manners to appear as the perfect southern belle.  As I read more and got to see into her thoughts and insecurities I was really moved by her.  She was struggling through life and she used outwards perfection as a coping mechanism.  She is a great mother that truly wants the best for her girls and will do anything she can for them.

Brian, at first, seemed to be a rich, successful attorney, playboy that was ok with using and leaving any girl that came along.  He was still stuck on his college sweetheart and was constantly comparing all women to her and making sure they fell short.  But as with Holly the more I got to see into his thoughts I became to love him.  He was unsure of himself and was constantly second-guessing this feelings for Holly.

There is some action and some fight scenes with Brian (he is a black belt in Karate and it comes in handy).  There is also romance, which in my opinion any good book should have romance.  Julie Ford did a great job of conveying passion but not using smut. (thank you!)   There were times that I was frustrated at Brian and Holly and just wanting to sit them down and tell them that they really do love each other so just move on and kiss already but I know that real love is complicated and there was enough humor in this story that I was soon laughing and forgetting my frustration. 

This is definitely a story that I can share with friends and family.  Great read!!

This book can be purchased on Amazon.



Don't forget to enter for your chance to win a $25.00 gift card in this month's Giveaway Hop.  Click the picture to go to the correct post for rules and information.  There are 188 blogs involved so there are a tun of chances to win something cool! 

In case the link on the picture doesn't work.....

http://lalasbooks.blogspot.com/2011/11/november-giveaway-blog-hop.html

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

November Giveaway Blog Hop

At the bottom of this post, you'll see a list of participating blogs. Just click on each link, check out the prize, and follow the easy instructions to enter. You can enter on each blog, so it's possible to win multiple times.

On this blog, you can win ...


A $25.00 Gift Card from Amazon.com (US Only)

International followers...




a copy of Choker By Elizabeth Wood











To enter, all you need to do is:

1. Become a follower of my blog.  You MUST click on "Join this site" on my follower tab on the right side of the page.

2. Leave a comment on this post and tell me why you'd like to win this prize. Please also leave your email address with the comment so I can notify you if you win. You have until Midnight November 11, 2011 to enter. The Winner will be posted on my blog on the 12th (Saturday) and I will also notify the winner by the email address left in the comment section. Winner will be chosen by Random.org.

That's it! You are now entered. Now please go visit all my friends on the list below.

Monday, November 7, 2011

New Books This Week.....

The Alloy of Law By: Brandon Sanderson
Three hundred years after the events of the Mistborn trilogy, Scadrial is now on the verge of modernity, with railroads to supplement the canals, electric lighting in the streets and the homes of the wealthy, and the first steel-framed skyscrapers racing for the clouds.Kelsier, Vin, Elend, Sazed, Spook, and the rest are now part of history—or religion. Yet even as science and technology are reaching new heights, the old magics of Allomancy and Feruchemy continue to play a role in this reborn world. Out in the frontier lands known as the Roughs, they are crucial tools for the brave men and women attempting to establish order and justice.
Release Date: November 8, 2011


Don't Expect Magic By: Kathy McCullough
Delaney Collins doesn't believe in fairy tales. And why should she? Her mom is dead, her best friend is across the country, and she's stuck in California with "Dr. Hank," her famous life-coach father—a man she barely knows. Happily ever after? Yeah, right.
Then Dr. Hank tells her an outrageous secret: he's a fairy godmother—an f.g.—and he can prove it. And by the way? The f.g. gene is hereditary. Meaning there's a good chance that New Jersey tough girl Delaney is someone's fairy godmother.
Release Date: November 8, 2011




Faking Faith By: Josie Bloss
After a humiliating "sexting" incident involving a hot and popular senior, seventeen-year-old Dylan has become a social outcast—harassed, ignored, and estranged from her two best friends.
When Dylan discovers the blogs of homeschooled fundamentalist Christian girls, she's fascinated by their old-fashioned conversation themes, like practicing submission to one's future husband. Blogging as Faith, her devout alter ego, Dylan befriends Abigail, the group's queen bee. But growing closer to Abigail (and her intriguing older brother) forces Dylan to choose: keep living a lie or come clean and face the consequences.
Release Date: November 8, 2011



Midnight Frost #5 By: Kailin Gow
Who will survive?
As all the creatures of Feyland are forced into a battle that will determine who rules Feyland, a bigger force emerges that threatens all. Love, loyalty, desires, duty, and friendships will be tested. Choices will be made. Some will survive, while others will die. Midnight Frost is the pivotal book in the popular Frost Series about the beautiful, but dangerous world of Feyland and its magical and powerful inhabitants.
Release Date: November 8, 2011





A Love by any Measure By: Killian McKae
August Grayson has secretly dreamt of the girl living on his family’s Irish estate since childhoods spent together in Killarney. Now a proper Lord of the British Empire, he knows that Maeve could never be more than just a distant fantasy. Maeve O’Connor owns nothing in this world but her good name, which proves just enough to win a proposal for a marriage of convenience to a good, Irish lad. Until the wedding, however, she’s in dire straits. Rent on the cottage she and her father share is due, but there simply isn’t the money to pay. Driven to desperation, Maeve hopes Lord Grayson, her childhood-chum-turned-dashing-English-rogue, will prove lenient when she comes seeking clemency. 
Release Date: November 8, 2011 

Friday, November 4, 2011

Overprotected By: Jennifer Laurens

Ashlyn: A lonely society princess living in New York City.
Daddy hired you to be my bodyguard.
Colin: Childhood enemy, now her protector.
Daddy thought I’d be safe. He thought I’d never fall in love. He thought he could keep me forever.
Charles: obsessed with keeping her safe, keeping her his, he hires the one person he knows she could never fall in love with: Colin.
Daddy was wrong....



Ashlyn is sick and tired of her father's overprotective micro-managing of her life.  She must have her bodyguard with her at all times, she is not allowed to have friends that her father hasn't approved of.  Because of Ashlyn's beauty another bodyguard has fallen in love with her and her father dismisses him.  Ashlyn thinks that maybe she can convince her father that maybe she doesn't need a bodyguard, she is almost eighteen, she can handle herself..... no such luck.  Her father goes and hires the one man Ashlyn can't stand.  A childhood acquaintance that used to torment her daily.  All of her memories of him inspire sadness and hate and now he will be with her night and day.

Colin has grown into an attractive man now and that gains attention from some popular girls at school.  When Ashlyn is invited to a birthday party at a downtown club she thinks that maybe having Colin around might not be so bad.  She doesn't want to be babysat at the party so she looses Colin at a bookstore and goes to the club.  This being her first time alone and at a nightclub she is surprised by the atmosphere and slightly overwhelmed.  Colin, after realizing she had disappeared figures she had gone to the party the girls at school were talking about and saves her from herself.  They do dance and there is some hinting at possible feelings beyond just a girl and her bodyguard.

Ashlyn realizes more and more that she may have feelings for Colin but doesn't want her father to fire him so she keeps things quiet.  Her mother on the other hand does no such thing.  She is practically all over Colin and it makes Ashlyn sick.  Her relationships with both parents start to go majorly down hill.  There was a twist in her family relationship that was hinted at but still caught me off guard.  Just when things are at their lowest for Ashlyn tragedy strikes a blow and she must try to save herself.

I loved that Ashlyn slowly became an adult in this book.  She started out as the picture perfect daughter to outsiders always doing exactly what she was told, regardless as how things made her feel.  We get to see her learn about who she is and her personality grows with everything that is thrown at her.  I really liked Colin.  He was cool, level-headed, attractive and loyal to Ashlyn at all times. 

I have wanted to read this book for a while and I am so glad I have had the opportunity.  This was a cute, quick read that I don't mind sharing with friends and family.

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

Dearly, Departed By: Lia Habel

The year is 2195. The place is New Victoria—a high-tech nation modeled on the manners, mores, and fashions of an antique era. A teenager in high society, Nora Dearly is far more interested in military history and her country’s political unrest than in tea parties and debutante balls. But after her beloved parents die, Nora is left at the mercy of her domineering aunt, a social-climbing spendthrift who has squandered the family fortune and now plans to marry her niece off for money. For Nora, no fate could be more horrible—until she’s nearly kidnapped by an army of walking corpses.
But fate is just getting started with Nora. Catapulted from her world of drawing-room civility, she’s suddenly gunning down ravenous zombies alongside mysterious black-clad commandos and confronting “The Laz,” a fatal virus that raises the dead—and hell along with them. Hardly ideal circumstances. Then Nora meets Bram Griswold, a young soldier who is brave, handsome, noble . . . and dead. But as is the case with the rest of his special undead unit, luck and modern science have enabled Bram to hold on to his mind, his manners, and his body parts. And when his bond of trust with Nora turns to tenderness, there’s no turning back. Eventually, they know, the disease will win, separating the star-crossed lovers forever. But until then, beating or not, their hearts will have what they desire.


So, a zombie/romance/action novel set in the future.  What a great idea!!   Now I must admit upfront that I was a bit nervous about a book with possible kissing of a zombie....  This book starts out with Nora, her mother died when she was younger and her father passed away just last year.  She attends a boarding school and when she comes home she finds that her aunt has spent all of her father's money and there isn't much left.  One day while home alone her house is surrounded by zombies.  They are chasing her and she is having to flee to the rooftop while trying to fight back. Just when you think that they are going to catch her she is saved by a military unit with masks on their faces. It turns out that they are zombies as well....

Naturally being surrounded by mostly "undead" dead people is a little hard to put your head around.  She had locked herself into Bram's quarters (he has a lot of locks on his door) and Bram is trying to convince her that she is safe.  Through the closed/locked  door they start to get to know each other and she learns a lot about her father that she thought was dead.  Slowly she gains trust in Bram and slowly leaves the safety of his room to meet the other nice, dead people. 

I don't want to give away too much information but there is a lot of action, a traitor, rescue missions and trying to save the world from an outbreak of "the laz".

I liked that this book was told from multiple points of view.  Most of the time we are in the heads of Nora or Bram as they talk to each other and develop their relationship.  We also get to see into her fathers mind, her best friend and a bad guy.  Seeing the other peoples experiences we can see the whole picture without relying on a he said/she said situation and we get to see more details as well. 

I really liked the supporting characters.  First there is Nora's best friend/brother and school mates.  At the beginning of the story you really care for her best friend but not really anyone else.  Then we meet the other zombies and they are great!  They are a military unit and also a great set of friends.  They banter and play and tease and it is fun to read.  There are also two that are dating each other and it is cute how they speak to or about the other one.   Once things start going really downhill we get to see into Nora's friend's mind and she is such a strong female character.  She sees a bad situation, learns to read signs and tries to save her family and others from threats.

Overall this was a great book and I can't wait to lend it out to others.  Great Job Lia on a wonderful debut novel!!