Waiting on Wednesday #97

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.....

 

Riders by Veronica Rossi

Releases on: February 6th 2016
Add on Goodreads!

 

For eighteen-year-old Gideon Blake, nothing but death can keep him from achieving his goal of becoming a U.S. Army Ranger. As it turns out, it does.

Recovering from the accident that most definitely killed him, Gideon finds himself with strange new powers and a bizarre cuff he can’t remove. His death has brought to life his real destiny. He has become War, one of the legendary four horsemen of the apocalypse.

Over the coming weeks, he and the other horsemen—Conquest, Famine and Death—are brought together by a beautiful but frustratingly secretive girl to help save humanity from an ancient evil on the emergence.

They fail.

Now—bound, bloodied, and drugged—Gideon is interrogated by the authorities about his role in a battle that has become an international incident. If he stands any chance of saving his friends and the girl he’s fallen for—not to mention all of humankind—he needs to convince the skeptical government officials the world is in imminent danger.

But will anyone believe him?

 

Thoughts:

Oh. My. Gawd!!!! This sounds incredible! Maybe I'm a bit bias as a lover of Veronica Rossi's Under The Never Sky, but I'm so blown away by the sound of this and cannot wait until Riders is released, although Feb next year seems like such a long wait....

  Does Riders sound like something you'd want to read? And what are you waiting on this week?  

   

Book Shelf: Nowhere But Here (Thunder Road #1) by Katie McGarry

An unforgettable new series from acclaimed author Katie McGarry about taking risks, opening your heart and ending up in a place you never imagined possible.

Seventeen-year-old Emily likes her life the way it is: doting parents, good friends, good school in a safe neighborhood. Sure, she's curious about her biological father—the one who chose life in a motorcycle club, the Reign of Terror, over being a parent—but that doesn't mean she wants to be a part of his world. But when a reluctant visit turns to an extended summer vacation among relatives she never knew she had, one thing becomes clear: nothing is what it seems. Not the club, not her secret-keeping father and not Oz, a guy with suck-me-in blue eyes who can help her understand them both.

Oz wants one thing: to join the Reign of Terror. They're the good guys. They protect people. They're…family. And while Emily—the gorgeous and sheltered daughter of the club's most respected member—is in town, he's gonna prove it to her. So when her father asks him to keep her safe from a rival club with a score to settle, Oz knows it's his shot at his dream. What he doesn't count on is that Emily just might turn that dream upside down.

No one wants them to be together. But sometimes the right person is the one you least expect, and the road you fear the most is the one that leads you home.

More info on Goodreads.....

Review:

Fan favourite and bestselling author Katie McGarry is back to prove she’s not just a one trick pony with Nowhere But Here, an incredibly captivating and arresting novel that kicks off a brand new series from this sensational writer and is guaranteed to bewitch readers all the way until the final page!

Securing a fan in me through her Pushing the Limits series, Katie McGarry cements her place as one of my all-time favourite YA writes with Nowhere But Here. Nowhere But Here is told through the back and forth POV’s of seventeen year old Emily, the biological daughter of one of the heads of a motorcycle club called the Reign of Terror and someone who has been protected from her estranged father’s world for her whole life, and Oz, an eighteen year old club hopeful and member of the biker community who finds himself looking after Emily when the prodigal daughter returns, causing a lot of hurt and pain for those Oz loves the most. Rife with secrets and mystery, both teens couldn’t be more different, but neither can deny the attraction that simmers between them in Nowhere But Here, even as Emily’s family history begins to come to light…..

Nowhere But Here is an absolutely delicious novel that I struggled to put down! Katie McGarry hits the nail on the head with stunning chemistry, electricity and fire within this story. As someone who has never read a MC novel before—though I know they’re becoming more and more popular in today’s adult and erotic genre—Nowhere But Here offered me my first real glimpse and taste of the biker community. And I loved what I read! Or at the very least how Katie McGarry wrote it. 

Following two personable and headstrong characters, Nowhere But Here offers a great cast of characters, particularly our leads, Emily and Oz. Both had strong voices and their own individual quirks and personalities. I loved the depth McGarry gave to Oz and all the Reign of Terror members that we met! Oz was sexy, thrilling and dangerous; but he also had honour courage and came to really adore Emily.

Emily on the other hand was a very natural teenage girl whose world was altered drastically as she slowly discovered that almost everything she thought she knew about herself was a lie and that the relationship between her biological father and her mother hadn’t exactly ended the way either of them painted it to. Emily struggled, and fought and had to come to terms with all that she was learning. I enjoyed following her and thought her genuinely a good heroine.   

Nowhere But Here is a YA novel and though McGarry hints at sexual innuendos and makes the occasional sexual comment, she generally keeps things quite clean and it’s the sexual tension and desire expressed by both main characters that heats things up. These are the kinds of attractions and connections I thrive on, and as usual I adored how McGarry developed her romance. 

Katie McGarry has me incredibly excited with this new series! Thunder Road as the series is going to be known is the road on which most of the Reign of Terror members live or grew up on….and I’m very eager to learn all about them! McGarry gives Nowhere But Here so much life, depth and colour that the vivid minor characters—mainly those with affiliations to the biker club—bring so much to the story. Chevy, Violet. Stone, Razor, Olivia, Cyrus, Eli….I could go on and on. I’m thinking that the series is going to following the younger generation of the Reign of Terror, but I still look forward to seeing them all again and again. 

Passionate, emotional and electrically romantic, Nowhere But Here is a fantastic read and a thrilling ride. Hold on to your hats guys, Katie McGarry is about to kick start a brilliant must read new series!

Rating:
Source: Sent for review by HarlequinTEEN Australia (Thank you Miranda!)
Format: Paperback
Buy it: Bookworld | The Nile | The Book Depository | Amazon
My Recommendation: This is a brilliant book and a must read!
Cover: It's actually not that great---I mean it's not bad, but it doesn't blow me away either.
Will I read sequel/continue with series: Yes. I can't wait!

Owl Post #64

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.

 

Hi guys!

 

It's that time again....Owl Post time! Check out the below books I've bought and received lately :)

  For Review:

  From Bloomsbury Australia: - Poppy in the Field by Mary Hooper I've got a copy of the first book in this series Poppy too and it doesn't sound too bad. Maybe I'll get around to it one day.....   - Wild Hearts by Jessica Burkhart I really loved the first three books in this If Only series and I'm SUPER excited to read this fourth installment--I didn't even realized there was more books in the series until I received this in the mail! This is right up there on my TBR list so keep an eye out for my review in the near future.   .....Thank you guys!
_______________________________________   From Scholastic Australia:  - The Sound of Whales by Kerr Thomson Not sure how to wrap my mind around this book but it could be interesting.   .....Thank you guys! __________________________________   From Simon & Schuster: - Extraordinary Means by Robyn Schneider This sounds like a real tear jerker and though I hadn't heard of it before I received my copy it does sound quite good.   .....Thank you guys!     I Bought:

  - Hexed by Kevin Hearne - Hammered by Kevin Hearne - Tricked by Kevin Hearne - Hunted by Kevin Hearne - Trapped by Kevin Hearne - Shattered by Kevin Hearne I've had The Iron Druid Chronicles on my TBR list for such a long time, but with Kevin Hearne attending Sydeny Supernova this weekend I finally decided to buy and read the first book. I very much enjoyed it, so as you can see I went and ordered the rest of the series too :)   And that's me this week! What did the owls bring YOU this week?  

   

Book Blitz: The Heartbeat Thief by A.J. Krafton- Guest Post & Giveaway

Today I'm taking part in the Book Blitz for The Heartbeat Thief by A.J. Krafton thanks to Xpresso Book Tours! I've got a guest post from A.J. Krafton  to share with you all as well as the tour wide giveaway and an e-copy of The Heartbeat Thief  to give away to one lucky follower :)

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Haunted by a crushing fear of death, a young Victorian woman discovers the secret of eternal youth—she must surrender her life to attain it, and steal heartbeats to keep it.

In 1860 Surrey, a young woman has only one occupation: to marry. Senza Fyne is beautiful, intelligent, and lacks neither wealth nor connections. Finding a husband shouldn’t be difficult, not when she has her entire life before her.
But it’s not life that preoccupies her thoughts. It’s death—and that shadowy spectre haunts her every step.

So does Mr. Knell. Heart-thumpingly attractive, obviously eligible—he’d be her perfect match if only he wasn’t so macabre. All his talk about death, all that teasing about knowing how to avoid it…

When her mother arranges a courtship with another man, Senza is desperate for escape from a dull prescripted destiny. Impulsively, she takes Knell up on his offer. He casts a spell that frees her from the cruelty of time and the threat of death—but at a steep price. In order to maintain eternal youth, she must feed on the heartbeats of others.

It’s a little bit Jane Austen, a little bit Edgar Allen Poe, and a whole lot of stealing heartbeats in order to stay young and beautiful forever. From the posh London season to the back alleys of Whitechapel, across the Channel, across the Pond, across the seas of Time…

How far will Senza Fyne go to avoid Death?

Add on Goodreads or purchase on Amazon

Structure: It’s How the Victorian Era Survived

Things were really different way back in the when.

The language, the dress, the entertainment—life for the average Victorian was drastically different than life as we know it in 2015.

Take the ball gown, for instance—call to mind the hourglass waist and the puffy poof of the voluminous skirts. What you see is elegance of the enhanced feminine form. 

But there’s something you don’t see. 

What you don’t see is the structure beneath the dress—the corsets and hoops and cages that cinch the waist, elevate the bosom, and expand the skirts. One may look at a begowned debutante and remark upon her beauty, but what ensures she looks remarkable is actually the unseen structure beneath.

Like a young woman’s clothing, other aspects of Victorian life were also structured—in fact, structure was the prime element.

The Victorian family unit was highly structured: the father was the figurehead, the mother ran the household, and children “knew their place”, usually out of sight of the parents, off in the nursery in the care of their nannies. 

Social obligations and interactions followed strict protocol, from the permissible types of personal touch to the familiarity of the words spoken right down to the directness of a glance. Crime was abhorrent because it went against every social norm imaginable.

The structure of the moral code was the most rigid of all. Modesty was demanded. Sexuality was repressed. People referred to arms and legs as limbs and extremities—because saying the word arm or leg referred to the flesh and was therefore considered provocative. 

Every word, every action was governed by a sense of propriety. Delicate topics were never openly discussed, and even expression of one’s sincerest feelings required the use of metaphors so that direct language could be avoided. Hence, the development of the language of flowers to express emotions. 

Queen Victoria and Prince Albert set forth this heightened sense of morality; they were sensitive to the often-lacking moral values of previous monarchs, and Albert himself had been a child of divorced (and scandalous) parents. The royal family provided the example that would come to structure and define their era, and the country followed dutifully behind.

High morality and low vulgarity was sharply delineated by the gap between the upper and lower classes. Upper society followed tea party protocols and covered nearly every inch of visible skin and wouldn’t dream of speaking one’s mind, whereas crime, prostitution, and child labor ran rampant in the poorer districts.

From where I stand in the present, I wonder if there wasn’t a lot more middle ground than those two extreme classes dictated. After all, even the stern, conservative Queen Victoria had a certain fondness for the nude male form, and enjoyed sketching and viewing it in art form. (Saucy lady :D) 
Likewise, respectability mattered to just about everyone, whether they were high born or working class. A reputation was a precarious position, something that could be ruined by as much as an unintended action or a penchant for speaking out, or for saying unconventional things. Women, mainly, were the victims of such branding.

AJ Krafton is the author of New Adult speculative fiction. Her debut The Heartbeat Thief is due out on Kindle in June 2015. Forthcoming titles include Taking' It Back & Face of the Enemy. She's a proud member of the Infinite Ink Authors. AJ also writes adult spec fic as Ash Krafton.

Visit A.J:

Website | Goodreads | Twitter 

 Facebook

 

 

ENTER TO WIN AN ECOPY: Thanks to author A.J. Krafton and Xpresso Book Tours I have an ecopy of The Heartbeat Thief to give away to ONE (1) lucky follower. To enter simply comment with what format you'd like, making sure you leave an email address to contact you. Giveaway will run from today and end on June 28th with the winner contacted via email and announced on this post afterward.

TOUR WIDE GIVEAWAY: a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

Book Shelf: Surrendering (Regent Vampire Lords #1) by K.L. Kreig

"It’s best if we just keep this casual, Dev.”

To feisty, relationship phobic Kate Martin’s utter surprise, she isn’t automatically dismissed as a crackpot when she finally plucks up courage to walk into a police station, revealing what she’s seen in her dreams. But instead of making a simple statement and returning to her nice, quiet life, she finds herself the center of attention from both a psychotic vampire and the ‘investigative specialist’ who would die in order to protect her.

“You’re anything but casual, Kate. I want you and I always get what I want.”

Young women are disappearing across the country and Devon, Regent Vampire Lord of the Midwest, knows his centuries old archenemy has finally resurfaced. A break in his fruitless search is provided by the discovery of a woman who can not only see the missing in her dreams, but who ends up being his Moira, his Destiny. And she couldn’t have stepped into his world at a more inopportune time, for she is now the prime target for his nemesis.

Protecting her heart would prove to be her biggest challenge.

Devon may be the sexiest, most sinfully erotic man she’s ever met, and he stirs passion in her like no one else before, but he’s an entanglement Kate does not want or need. While it becomes impossible to deny their mutual desire, once the case is solved and the missing women are found, Kate fully intends to return to her boring life, alone.

At least that’s what she thinks.

More info on Goodreads.....


Review:

Surrendering is K.L. Kreig’s debut novel and is the first in her Regent Vampire Lords series. Darkly romantic, simmering and surprising, Surrendering is perfect for fans of J.R. Ward’s Black Dagger Brotherhood and the Midnight Breed series by Lara Adrian!

As someone who highly enjoys a good paranormal romance every now and then, I very much enjoyed Surrendering. Though vampires are something I’ve read numerous times, the world and characters K.L. Kreig has introduced us to are ones I look forward to exploring some more.

Surrendering introduces readers to Devon Fallinsworth, the Regent Vampire and Lord of the Midwest and a man on a mission when it becomes clear that a vampire from his past is behind a string of kidnappings of young women. Furthermore, Dev’s world is forever changed when Kate Martin comes forward, claiming to have information regarding the disappearances. Kate has had dreams for as long as she can remember, but when it becomes impossible to deny her visions have a habit of coming true, the determined dark haired beauty goes to the police, never expecting to find herself in the middle of vampire politics and discovering that she herself is Dev’s long awaited mate.

K.L. Kreig introduces readers to a promising world of vampires in Surrendering. Told through the eyes of Dev and Kate predominately, as well as detective Mike Thatcher and villain Xavier, Surrendering already has me interested in learning about the other characters. I’m already very invested in Mike and Giselle’s potential story and look forward to unwrapping more plotlines in future instalments.

I personally liked both Kate and Dev and thought they went together wonderfully. I liked them as individuals and appreciated what they brought out in each other. There is a bit of instant attraction between them, something enhanced by the knowledge that Kate is Dev’s Moira, his destined mate, but I did like that K. L. Kreig made an effort to force Kate and Dev to get to know each other too.

Other than Dev and Kate, I’m really interested in the other characters as well and that's not even considering the other Regents, Damian and Romaric. I’d love to learn more about Ren, Manny, Giselle and of course Mike, the vampire disliking human detective who is caught up in their world, despite his hate of their kind.

A great start to a promising new paranormal series, I’m looking forward to continuing on with K.L. Kreig’s novels and seeing what she has in store for her characters next!

Rating:
Source: Sent for review by Progressive Edits and the author (Thank you guys!)
Format: Kindle ebook
Buy it: The Book Depository | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
My Recommendation: Fans of Black Dagger Brotherhood and the Midnight Breed series are sure to enjoy this.
Cover: The cover is really beautiful. I think it's stunning.
Will I read sequel/continue with series: Yes, I'm looking forward to reading more.

Book Blitz: Fabled by Vanessa K. Eccles- Excerpt & Giveaway

Hi everyone and welcome to the Book Blitz for Fabled by Vanessa K. Eccles thanks to Xpresso Book Tours! I've got a great except to share with you as well as an ecopy of Fabled to give away. Enjoy!

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Rowena thinks the Grimm’s infamous podcasts are simply another teen fad until she finds herself trapped in a land of nightmarish storybook characters. She tries desperately to flee Mezzanine and return home, but Dresdem, Mezzanine’s wicked monarch, plans to use Rowena’s access to her world to bring dark magic and absolute rule into Georgia and beyond.

But when Rowena’s dear friend Madeline falls into Dresdem’s grasp, her battle with him becomes war, and all hopes of home are temporarily thwarted. With the help of an invisible hero, a beast, and an owl, she sets out to free Madeline from a deadening sleep. But Rowena must become her own hero when she finds herself bound by the kingdom’s darkest family. She must make the ultimate choice – align herself with her enemies or live on the run forever.

Add on Goodreads!

Purchase:

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Smashwords

 

From Fabled....

The dirt shifted beside me, and the end of the tunnel opened. The crevice felt like it plucked me up in a whirlwind. In seconds, I landed on the ground face first on the surface of whatever lay beyond the tunnel. It smelled like nature after a storm. When I opened my eyes, I stared down at my mud-covered hands. The darkness that I once thought would be my tomb was now gone, and two low hanging moons lit the forest where I found myself. Even though I had no idea where I was, the fact that I was out of the hole sent a surge of relief that filled my entire being. I stood up, dusted off all the mud I could, and looked back. Strangely, there was nothing but trees. As I moved closer to the spot where I’d most certainly came from, all I saw was a mirror that reflected the woods. An illusion. I touched its smooth surface, tried to find the end of it but couldn’t. Another dead-end.

Before I could figure out what to do, I heard a voice and spun around to confront it.

“What are you doing here?” I heard a man’s voice growl, but I couldn’t see anyone. I looked around. He sounded like he was only a few feet from me. 

“Where are you?” 

“First, tell me why you’re here?”

“I don’t know why I’m here. I’m lost, I think. I was at a party, and while walking in the woods behind the house, I fell into a hole. Now here I am. I have no idea what happened. Where am I?”

Silence.  

Right square in front of me, he appeared out of thin air. I blinked my eyes in disbelief. He seemed to be about my age and wore his hat cocked to one side with suspenders atop a blue button-up and brown trousers. It reminded me of Dashielle’s costume. I guess he could read the amazement on my face, so he answered the question that my mind was trying to form.

“Invisibility. That’s all.”

Want more? Get your copy of Fabled today!

 

Vanessa K. Eccles graduated Troy University with a degree in English. She currently serves as executive editor of Belle Rêve Literary Journal and is founder of the book blog YA-NASisterhood. When she’s not writing or devouring books, she enjoys the lake life with her Prince Charming and their four dogs.

Visit Vanessa:

Website | Goodreads | Twitter 

Facebook

 

ENTER TO WIN AN ECOPY: Thanks to author Vanessa K. Eccles and Xpresso Book Tours I have an ecopy of Fabled to give away to ONE (1) lucky follower. To enter simply comment with what format you'd like, making sure you leave an email address to contact you. Giveaway will run from today and end on June 26th with the winner contacted via email and announced on this post afterward.

Winner:

Karim--congrats!

Book Shelf: Blue Lily, Lily Blue (The Raven Cycle #3) by Maggie Stiefvater

There is danger in dreaming. But there is even more danger in waking up.

Blue Sargent has found things. For the first time in her life, she has friends she can trust, a group to which she can belong. The Raven Boys have taken her in as one of their own. Their problems have become hers, and her problems have become theirs.

The trick with found things though, is how easily they can be lost.

Friends can betray.
Mothers can disappear.
Visions can mislead.
Certainties can unravel.

More info on Goodreads......


Review:

Blue Lily, Lily Blue is the third installment in Maggie Stiefvater’s one of a kind Raven Boys series and takes readers once more on a startling adventure where you never know what will happen next!

As someone who has read all of Maggie Stiefvater’s work and who has followed her career ever since Lament: The Faerie Queen’s Deception’s release, I can’t say how much I enjoy this series and the uniqueness of it. There’s no doubt in my mind that there is nothing even remotely close to The Raven Boys out there and that it’s storyline is all its own. To even describe the novel is a tad difficult, because to break it down and define it would be to remove some of the magic and wonder surrounding this series.

Blue Lily, Lily Blue continues to follow Blue Sargent, and Aglionby students, Richard Gansey the third, also known as Gansey, Ronan Lynch and Adam Parrish—the Raven Boys, and sees them continue on their quest to find the lost Welsh King Glendower, believed to be sleeping and hidden somewhere close to the ley lines. With Blue’s mother still missing after her disappearance in the last book, Blue Lily, Lily Blue is told in third person and is told through the varying POV’s of Blue, the Raven Boys and other characters who are a part of the series.

As always Maggie Stievater’s writing is spot on, illuminating a very intriguing plotline. If I’m honest I never really know what she’ll do next and where she is going with this series, but there’s no doubt I’ve loved every moment of it so far. Stievater manages to weave together excellent character dynamics with the wonder and magic that drives this series. Exploring Welsh myth as no one has before, Maggie Stievater captivates as her main character Blue joins her friends and family to continue hunting for Glendower as outside forces start to make things harder.

The forbidden romance between Blue and Gansey continues to simmer with both characters yearning so deeply for the other, but knowing they cannot be together. For Blue to kiss her true love would be to kill him, and with Gansey’s destiny already known to her, Blue fears losing him, despite knowing the inevitability of it all. There’s so much desire between these two and whilst it’s a lovely inclusion to the series that doesn’t overpower the rest of the storyline, it’s still so very powerful.

Blue was never in love with Adam, but she cares for Gansey so deeply and can’t seem to stay away from him, even though they both know it would only end in pain. I think they could really fall in love with each other—in fact they’re probably already starting to fall—but Maggie Stiefvater continues to force them apart, much to the torment of her readers.

There’s twists, pain and lots of adventure with Blue Lily, Lily Blue and in true Stiefvater style, Maggie Stiefvater leaves her readers wondering just what will happen next and eagerly anticipating the release of the next novel that is sure to ensnare once more!

Rating:
Source: Sent for review by Scholastic Australia (Thank you Sarah!)
Format: Hardback
Buy it: Bookworld | The Nile | The Book Depository | Amazon
My Recommendation: This is an incredibly unique series and absolutely worth reading!
Cover: Perfect alongside the others so far :)
Will I read sequel/continue with series: Yes!