Waiting on Wednesday #80

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking The Spine where you can spotlight an upcoming release that you're eagerly anticipating.

This week I'm waiting on.....  

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
Releases on: May 5th 2015

Add on Goodreads!

 

A thrilling, seductive new series from New York Times bestselling author Sarah J. Maas, blending Beauty and the Beast with faerie lore.

When nineteen-year-old huntress Feyre kills a wolf in the woods, a beast-like creature arrives to demand retribution for it. Dragged to a treacherous magical land she only knows about from legends, Feyre discovers that her captor is not an animal, but Tamlin—one of the lethal, immortal faeries who once ruled their world.

As she dwells on his estate, her feelings for Tamlin transform from icy hostility into a fiery passion that burns through every lie and warning she's been told about the beautiful, dangerous world of the Fae. But an ancient, wicked shadow grows over the faerie lands, and Feyre must find a way to stop it . . . or doom Tamlin—and his world—forever.

Perfect for fans of Kristin Cashore and George R. R. Martin, this first book in a sexy and action-packed new series is impossible to put down!

 

Thoughts:
Not only am I a fairytale lover, but Beauty and Beast is my favorite, so for Sarah J. Maas to blend it with faerie lore, I'm already eager to get my hands on this. Add in that kick-ass cover and Maas's previous work which is amazing and this will be one of my most anticipated books in 2015!

What do you think? Are you interested in reading A Court of Thorns and Roses?

And what are you waiting on this week?

 

Blog Tour: Behind the Stars by Leigh T. Moore- Excerpt & Giveaway

Today the Book Tour for Behind the Stars by Leigh T. Moore stops by thanks to YA Bound Book Tours! Below you'll find an excerpt as well as a tour wide giveaway you can enter :)

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Prentiss Puckett is certain of three things:
-Graduation is two weeks away.
-Summer only gets hotter in south Mississippi.
-She’s getting a job with air-conditioning.

She did not expect to be kidnapped walking to work.
And she never expected to become a hero.

Red Dawn meets LOST in this new action-adventure romance from Amazon bestselling author Leigh Talbert Moore.

Add the series on Goodreads!

Purchase:

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | iTunes

 

 Prentiss

A cramp stabbing my ribs brought me back to the Here and Now. I was late, and last day or not, Dr. Green would fuss.

“My assistants must be punctual,” he’d say. “It’s difficult being the only vet in a farming community.”

I exhaled slowly as a bead of sweat tickled a path down the middle of my back, and I tried to keep the dirt out of my Keds.

Back when the 911 service came through, most of these roads got numbers or real names besides “Shortcut to the Creek” or “Road Where the Broke-down House Used to Be.” But there were still a few like this one, “Old School Road,” that you only knew what to do with if you grew up in our little town of less than a thousand people. It didn’t matter, though. Strangers never stopped in Dabb Creek.

That should’ve been my first warning.

If I hadn’t been so focused on being late, I might’ve paid more attention to the strange man standing on the shoulder looking lost. Bad manners or not, I didn’t have time to give directions or to explain how far it was back to town.

It wasn’t until I was up on him that I realized he was watching me, studying the pace of my feet. Then I saw the body on the ground.

I skipped like a rabbit to the other side of the road, a scream forming in my mouth, but another man sprung up behind me. A rough cloth clamped over my mouth, and in two breaths, everything went dark.

Leigh Talbert Moore is the author of the popular young adult romantic comedy The Truth About Faking, its companion The Truth About Letting Go, and the mature YA/new adult romantic suspense novel Rouge, a Quarter Finalist in the 2013 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award. She is an award-winning journalist and editor, who has also worked in marketing and public relations for many years. Her writing has appeared in newspapers and magazines across the southeast and Midwest U.S., and she runs the popular writing-craft blog That’s Write. A southern ex-pat and beach bum, she currently lives with her husband, two young children, and one grumpy cat in the Midwest.

Visit Leigh:

Blog | Goodreads | Facebook | Amazon Author Page 

 Twitter | Tumblr

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Owl Post #47

Inspired by The Story Siren's In My Mailbox, Owl Post allows us bloggers to showcase the books we've bought, won or received throughout the week and is hosted by Brodie over at Eleusinian Mysteries. We all know that the Owl Post is the fastest way to send and receive mail and they certainly make me happy every time they drop a book off.  

Hello everyone!

Welcome to the first Owl Post of 2015! I hope you all had brilliant Christmases and New Years! I know I did, but I'm ready for another year in 2015 :)

  For Review:

 

From Bloomsbury:

- Not in the Script by Amy Finnegan

This is the 3rd book in the If Only series, a bunch of fun contemporary books written by three different authors. I enjoyed the first two books and I look forward to reading this one!

 

.......Thank you Sonia!

_____________________________________

 

From Simon & Schuster:

- The Evolution of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

I adored The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer and even though the series has concluded, I'm yet to read books two or three--and I'm looking forward to doing so.....starting with this soon!

 

......Thank you Jennifer!

 

I Bought:

 

 - Revenant by Larissa Ione

I'm a massive fan of Ione's Lords of Deliverance and Demonica series and I can't wait to read this latest release--I have high hopes for it!

 

 

And that's me. I didn't actually get any books for Christmas, but that's okay ;)

What have you received lately? I'd love to know!

 

 

 

Book Shelf: Man Made Boy by Jon Skovron

Love can be a real monster.

Sixteen-year-old Boy’s never left home. When you’re the son of Frankenstein’s monster and the Bride, it’s tough to go out in public, unless you want to draw the attention of a torch-wielding mob. And since Boy and his family live in a secret enclave of monsters hidden under Times Square, it’s important they maintain a low profile.

Boy’s only interactions with the world are through the Internet, where he’s a hacker extraordinaire who can hide his hulking body and stitched-together face behind a layer of code. When conflict erupts at home, Boy runs away and embarks on a cross-country road trip with the granddaughters of Jekyll and Hyde, who introduce him to malls and diners, love and heartbreak. But no matter how far Boy runs, he can’t escape his demons—both literal and figurative—until he faces his family once more.

This hilarious, romantic, and wildly imaginative tale redefines what it means to be a monster—and a man.

More info on Goodreads.....


Review:

Man Made Boy by Jon Skovron, is an enigmatic re-imagining of the story that is Frankenstein’s monster and explores romance, friendship and what it truly means to be human in this unique twist on a classic!

Man Made Boy is a fun, imaginative read and I have to say, quite unlike anything I’ve ever read before. Detailing the life and adventures of Boy, the son of Frankenstein and Frankenstein’s Bride, Jon Skovron takes readers on a cross country adventure over the course of months that sees our main character make friends, enemies and a whole lot of decisions that force him to face himself.

Skovron’s writing is nice and detailed, telling Boy’s story well. I will be honest, there is a section in the book, around the middle, where I felt it slumped a little and the story seemed to lag. It was around this point where I found myself disinterested and at times highly frustrated by some of the supporting characters and the decisions they made. That being said, after this brief lag, the story did pick up and continue on nicely.

Featuring a male leading character, there’s no doubt in my mind that Man Made Boy would really appeal to the male population as it has a very "male" feel to it at times, with Boy’s way of thinking that of a typical teenage boy. Yet I think as a reader the blend of adventure and excitement with all the colourful characters from popular stories, (Frankenstein, Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, Medusa etc) showcased in Man Made Boy would win just about anyone.

Boy is quite likable and easy to follow as the protagonist. He takes chances and makes mistakes and really learns a lot throughout the story. There’s an undeniable level of pain to him at times, and it’s quite clear that he is haunted by what he is. Boy’s insecurities and childlike response to the world as he experiences different things for the first time is quite endearing.

Throughout the story Man Made Boy, Skovron introduces us a bunch of unique and unusual individuals with quirky personalities and histories that colour the story. Each adds something different to Boy’s journey, sometimes helping him, sometimes hindering him. I liked seeing so many different people/creatures. There was a wide variety and this certainly made for some interesting reading.

If you’re looking for something light and funny, but also has a softer side with entertaining characters and a decent plot, then Man Made Boy is it.

Rating:
Source: Sent for review by Allen & Unwin (Thank you guys!)
Format: Paperback
Buy it: Bookworld | The Nile | The Book Depository | Amazon
My Recommendation: Fans of books like Cirque du Freak and similar tales will enjoy this.
Cover: I think it's simple but still quite cool
Will I read sequel/continue with series: This is a stand alone novel, but I would rule out reading more by Jon Skovron

Free Ebooks

Hi guys :)

Hope you've all had a good week! And not cap it off I have some fab freebies to share with you!

 

Hope you managed to grab something free :)

Book Shelf: Screwdrivered (Cocktail #3) by Alice Clayton

Readers back for a third round of the bestselling Cocktail series will enjoy a madcap romantic comedy about bodice ripping and chest heaving, fiery passion and love everlasting. Plus a dash of paperwork filing and horseshi—wait, what?

By day, Viv Franklin designs software programs. By night, Vivian’s a secret romance-novel junkie who longs for a knight in shining armor, or a cowboy on a wild stallion, or a strapping firefighter to sweep her off her feet. And she gets to wear the bodice—don’t forget the bodice.

When a phone call brings news that she’s inherited a beautiful old home in Mendocino, California from a long-forgotten aunt, she moves her entire life across the country to embark on what she sees as a great, romance-novel-worthy adventure. But romance novels always have a twist, don’t they?

There’s a cowboy, one that ignites her loins. Because Cowboy Hank is totally loin-ignition worthy. But there’s also a librarian, Clark Barrow. And he calls her Vivian. Can tweed jackets and elbow patches compete with chaps and spurs? You bet your sweet cow pie.

In Screwdrivered, Alice Clayton pits Superman against Clark in a hilarious and hot battle that delights a swooning Viv/Vivian.

Also within this book, an answer to the question of the ages: Why ride a cowboy when you can ride a librarian?

More info on Goodreads......

Review:

Screwdrivered is the saucy third installment in Alice Clayton’s Cocktail series and is another sassy story that, while featuring an new main character in the form of Vivian, Simon’s high school buddy we previously met in Rusty Nailed, features all the wit, sass and laughs typical of an Alice Clayton novel!

Told through the eyes of Vivian "Viv" Franklin, Screwdrivered sees the tattooed, pierced and just down right cheeky app designer’s life take an unexpected turn when a distant aunt dies and Vivian discovers herself the sole beneficiary to her will; inheriting a house, a car, a bunch of animals and a whole new world of trouble. Taking a step away from her own life, Vivian travels to the small country town her aunt called home to find a rundown house, a bunch of new friends and a librarian determined to put a halt to all of her plans, managing to find along the way everything she ever wanted, even if it wasn’t in exactly the package she expected…..

I honestly really loved this book. While I adore Caroline and Simon, it was also really refreshing to delve into the mind of a brand new character and a whole different life. We briefly met Viv in Rusty Nailed and when I learned Screwdrivered would be her story, I was very excited. Alice Clayton certainly doesn’t disappoint either in this heartwarming tale where opposites attract and finding a home is sometimes in the last place you expected or planned.

Vivian was a great main character to follow in this story. She’s bold, funny and independent. She can take care of herself, does what she wants and is not ashamed of who she is. In Screwdrivered, Viv’s life takes a drastic change, but it was so wonderful seeing her adapt and embrace things. The house she inherits literally changes her life and the small town it’s nestled in welcomes Viv with open arms as she finds such a wonder new chapter to her life there.

Alice Clayton includes two very different romance options for Viv in the forms of Hank, a rough and tumble cowboy and Clark, the stuffy and stoic librarian and head of the historical society who needs his feathers ruffled. It’s quite clear to readers from the very beginning where the story is heading in relation to Vivian’s love life and although I would normally not go into too much detail for fear of giving away spoilers, I just need to gush here about Clark. How cute it Clark?!?

It’s a story of opposites attracting with Vivian and Clark, with polite and proper Clark completely the opposite of rough around the edges Vivian, and yet the two work so well. They are so very adorable. There’s fire between them from the moment Clark takes it upon himself to stick his nose into Vivian’s renovation plans and although Clark is the last thing Viv thought she wanted in a man, the too slowly develop a very easy friendship that sees Vivian tease Clark and get him riled up; bringing out a different side to him that makes for some very entertaining reading. Their romance is sweet and develops slowly in a way that leaves you very satisfied as the reader when they eventually get together.

Another brilliant Alice Clayton novel, Screwdrivered will thrill readers with its witty dialogue and character dynamic. Great chemistry makes for some spectacularly entertaining scenes and will in no way disappoint!

Rating:
Source: Sent for review by Simon & Schuster Australia (Thank you Jennifer!)
Format: Paperback
Buy it: Bookworld | The Nile | The Book Depository | Amazon
My Recommendation: Don't miss this is amazing series!
Cover: Very sexy and I love the blue coloring!
Will I read sequel/continue with series: YES!

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year everyone! Thank you for your support and friendship this year. I've had a lot of fun with the blog this year and worked with plenty of amazing authors, publishers, tour coordinators and other bloggers.

Here's to another fabulous year in 2015!

Hugs and kisses from Down Under xx