Waiting on Wednesday #36

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....  

The Naturals by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Releases on: November 15th 2013
Add on Goodreads

Seventeen-year-old Cassie is a natural at reading people. Piecing together the tiniest details, she can tell you who you are and what you want. But it’s not a skill that she’s ever taken seriously. That is, until the FBI come knocking: they’ve begun a classified program that uses exceptional teenagers to crack infamous cold cases, and they need Cassie.

What Cassie doesn’t realize is that there’s more at risk than a few unsolved homicides— especially when she’s sent to live with a group of teens whose gifts are as unusual as her own.

Sarcastic, privileged Michael has a knack for reading emotions, which he uses to get inside Cassie’s head—and under her skin. Brooding Dean shares Cassie’s gift for profiling, but keeps her at arm’s length.

Soon, it becomes clear that no one in the Naturals program is what they seem. And when a new killer strikes, danger looms closer than Cassie could ever have imagined. Caught in a lethal game of cat and mouse with a killer, the Naturals are going to have to use all of their gifts just to survive.

Thoughts:
I'm pretty darn eager for this one! I'm quite a fan of Jennifer Lynn Barnes. I adore her Raised By Wolves series and I loved Every Other Day, so I'm looking forward to the next great read from her and this just sounds so excellent!


What do you think? Are you adding The Naturals to your TBR list?
And what are you waiting on this week?    

Book Shelf: Eternal Rider (Lords of Deliverance #1) by Larissa Ione

They are here. They ride.
The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.

His name is Ares, and the fate of mankind rests on his powerful shoulders. If he falls to the forces of evil, the world falls too. As one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, he is far stronger than any mortal, but even he cannot fight his destiny forever. Not when his own brother plots against him.

Yet there is one last hope. Gifted in a way other humans can't-or won't-understand, Cara Thornhart is the key to both this Horseman's safety and his doom. But involving Cara will prove treacherous, even beyond the maddening, dangerous desire that seizes them the moment they meet. For staving off eternal darkness could have a staggering cost: Cara's life.

More info on Goodreads.....


Review:

Eternal Rider is the brilliant first installment in Larissa Ione's new Lords of Deliverance series and is a romantic, action packed PNR that will demand your attention from start to finish!

I must say I was quite impressed with this book. I enjoyed Ione's Demonica series and even though it's taken me a while to get around to reading this new spin-off series from her, I've been looking forward to it for a while. And in saying that, I'm thrilled to say that Eternal Rider did not disappoint! I LOVED this book. In fact even though this is only the first installment in the series, I already see big things in it's future and think I may end up loving it more than the Demonica books!

Set in the world of demons and humans we were first shown in Demonica, Larissa Ione introduces us to Ares, Limos, Thantos and Reseph--also known as the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. I was very impressed with how Ione expanded on her already detailed world in Eternal Rider. She takes everything we've learnt about this world and adds to it as we meet the Horsemen. It was all very dark and exciting and I liked Iones version of the Horsemen of the Apocalypse. It was fun and fresh and yet still very entertaining.

The characters in this book were brilliant. In a show of how could a writer she is, Larissa Ione already has me very engrossed in the lives of Ares, Limos, Thantos and Reseph. These four very different characters already intrigue me with their different personalities and inner demons. Honestly, I love them already and it's only the first book!

As the featured couple in this book, I loved both Ares and Cara. Ares, the Horsemen also known as War, was one of those strong, fierce warriors I love and Cara was a really likable heroine. She had her fears in the beginning, but as the novel progressed and she began to learn about this whole new world, she really came into her own and found her inner strength. Together these two were really perfect and I liked the possibilities their romance and relationship means for the other characters. Already I find myself anticipating Limos and Thans books!

There really were so many things I loved about this book. Larissa Ione blended together so many little things to create a book that was just fabulous from start to finish. From the family dynamic between the Horsemen, to Cara and her bond with Hal and even the Ramel demons that were a part of Ares life, Eternal Rider was brilliant.

With characters from Demonica already making appearances and fast, hard hitting storylines involving a far from traditional villain, I foresee The Lords of Deliverance being a very exciting series!

Rating:
Source: I Bought.
Format: Paperback
Buy it: Booktopia // The Nile // The Book Depository
Recommendation: Fans of PRN and Ione's Demonica series will love this one.
Cover: Very much a fan of this cover--it's awesome!
Will I read sequel/continue with series: Yes! Can't wait to read them all!

Book Shelf: Carnival of Souls by Melissa Marr

In a city of daimons, rigid class lines separate the powerful from the power-hungry. And at the heart of The City is the Carnival of Souls, where both murder and pleasure are offered up for sale. Once in a generation, the carnival hosts a deadly competition that allows every daimon a chance to join the ruling elite. Without the competition, Aya and Kaleb would both face bleak futures--if for different reasons. For each of them, fighting to the death is the only way to try to live.

All Mallory knows of The City is that her father--and every other witch there--fled it for a life in exile in the human world. Instead of a typical teenage life full of friends and maybe even a little romance, Mallory scans quiet streets for threats, hides herself away, and trains to be lethal. She knows it's only a matter of time until a daimon finds her and her father, so she readies herself for the inevitable. While Mallory possesses little knowledge of The City, every inhabitant of The City knows of her. There are plans for Mallory, and soon she, too, will be drawn into the decadence and danger that is the Carnival of Souls.

More info on Goodreads.......


Review:

Carnival of Souls is a darkly seductive read that will enthrall you from start to finish. Its Mortal Instruments meets the Demon Trappers in the latest release from one of the queens of Urban Fantasy, Melissa Marr!

I have to be honest here and say that I've never been blown away by Melissa Marr's books. I've read a few of them by now, and I know people seem to adore them-especially her Wicked Lovely series-but I've never been a fan.....until now! Melissa Marr blew my mind with this book and I cannot begin to accurately describe just how much I adored it.

From the very opening chapter, this dark twisted world of pleasure and violence beckoned me. The mysterious and exciting story, so expertly told, mixed beautifully with amazingly dark, but thrilling characters to completely entrap me. Truly, I did not want this book to end!

Melissa Marr's writing is dark and beautiful, incredibly detailing the unique world she has created within Carnival of Souls where witches and daimons dwell and no one is ever what they seem. The world of The City and the actual Carnival of Souls itself is quite alluring. The carnival atmosphere mixes with desperation and despair to create a place so raw and so harsh, that it took my breath away at times.

Awash with danger and pleasure, this story wouldn't be complete without a fantastic cast of characters to capture the reader. Carnival of Soul switches back and forth between the human and daimon worlds and features characters that are simply beguiling. They're so mysterious and so tormented and twisted in their own ways that it's impossible not to find yourself invested in their journey, even so early on. With each one facing their own individual problems and dangers, they all have a different story to tell and it's this that really makes the book. Told in third person, this book introduces us to those that live and fight in The City, Aya, Kaleb, Belias and Zevi as well as Mallory, a supposedly "human" girl who isn't exactly what she thinks she is and her father Adam, who loves her deeply and protects her no matter what, but whose connection to her isn't traditional.

Marr has set up an interesting relationship between the daimons and the witches, where their history is complicated and their present intermingles, forcing the characters into situations that don't really want and into personal connections they're not yet aware of. I must give Melissa Marr props for the way she connects each of the characters to each other--it's spectacular!

The growing relationship between Mallory and Kaleb proves to be a big focus, with Mallory the character the book features around the most, but I have to say, Aya and her plight have become as important to me as Mallory and Kaleb. There's so much going on in this book and so much mystery and uncertainty surrounding the characters that I find myself soaking up every minute of it!

With romance, danger and revelations galore, Melissa Marr's superb storytelling abilities become apparent as she weaves together this very intricate and exciting story in the first installment of her new series beginning with Carnival of Souls!

Rating: 
Source: Sent for review from Harper Collins Australia (Thank you guys!)
Format: Paperback ARC
AU Release Date: Available now!
Buy it: Booktopia // The Nile // The Book Depository
Recommendation: This book will appeal to everyone!
Cover: It's alright--doesn't blow me away though.
Will I read sequel/continue with series: Looking forward to reading more!

Book Shelf: Walking Disaster (Beautiful Disaster #2) by Jamie McGuire

Finally, the highly anticipated follow-up to the New York Times bestseller Beautiful Disaster. Can you love someone too much?

Travis Maddox learned two things from his mother before she died: Love hard. Fight harder.In Walking Disaster, the life of Travis is full of fast women, underground gambling, and violence.

But just when he thinks he is invincible, Abby Abernathy brings him to his knees.Every story has two sides. In Beautiful Disaster, Abby had her say. Now it’s time to see the story through Travis’s eyes.

Find our more on Goodreads......


Review:

Walking Disaster is the sensational 2nd novel from Jamie McGuire and is the book fans have been waiting for--Beautiful Disaster in Travis's POV! And with all the scorching romance, intensity and passion Abby and Travis generate, this book does not disappoint!

To say I was excited when Simon & Schuster offered me the chance to be one of the very few lucky bloggers to get my hands on an ARC of this would be an understatement. Beautiful Disaster was an unexpected favourite of mine last year so I've been eagerly awaiting the publication of this Walking Disaster since hearing McGuire was writing it. Jamie McGuire once more proves what a talented writer she is with this book. Retelling the events of Beautiful Disaster this time through Travis's eyes, we're once more drawn into the raw, intense love story we fell in love with during the first book!

It goes without saying that I love Travis and Abby. Obviously, I already knew these characters heading into this book and I already knew what was going to happen, but Walking Disaster gave me the chance to explore them even more, especially Travis. Now, in no way am I going to give away spoilers--I already made a promise to myself that I wouldn't, but if you've ever wondered about the origins of Abby's not quite traditional nickname or even what happens after the final page of Beautiful Disaster turns, this is the perfect chance to find out!

One of the things that was a standout for me during this book was that McGuire doesn't shy away from the raw, gritty character Travis is. Nor does she change him unexpectedly just to please us, but instead stays very true to the flawed individual we met in Beautiful Disaster as we witness his fears and inner demons first hand. The true goings on inside Travis's head reflect quite accurately his actions.

It's through this honest and authentic insight that I saw his mistakes and his reckless actions through new eyes. I can't quite say this changed the way I think about him. Let's face it...I already loved the guy, but it certainly helped me to understand him better. Seeing the world as he saw it and seeing certain events unfold through his eyes and with his mindset allowed me to see an entirely different side to this story. Writing a book like this was certainly genius on Jamie McGuire's part! This is a chance book lovers dream about--the opportunity to jump into the head of our favourite male leads and McGuire certainly couldn't have done a better job!

Now, I must say I know there is always going to be a lot of debate surrounding this book. It's easy to look at aspects of Abby and Travis's relationship that are unhealthy and intense but in doing so it's easy to miss the really good parts. Yes, together they're insanely passionate and volatile to the point of being obsessive, but there's also something very redeeming about them as a couple too. Here are two individuals, each flawed and broken in their own way and who can be somewhat destructive together, but who also managed to flourish together in unexpected ways.

People make mistakes. It's human nature. It's who we are, but we grow, and we see people grow, becoming better versions of themselves, despite all the obstacles and their self destructive natures and that's when we're seeing something special. That's what Walking Disaster is about at it's core and it's because of this that I think Jamie McGuire has penned her highly anticipated follow up to Beautiful Disaster perfectly!

Rating:
Source: Sent for review by Simon & Schuster (Thank you, so SOOOO much Caroline!)
Format: Paperback ARC
AU Release Date: Available beginning of April!
Buy it: Booktopia // The Nile // The Book Depository
Recommendation: This is a must read for Beautiful Disaster fan!
Cover: Love the cover!.
Will I read sequel/continue with series: I'd read anything Jamie McGuire put out!