Cover Lust

It's been a while since I've done a cover lust, but here it is....
This weeks feature-ee is:

Immortal City by Scott Speer......


Jackson Godspeed is the hottest young Angel in a city filled with them. He's days away from becoming a full Guardian, and people around the world are already competing for the chance to be watched over by him. Everyone's obsessed with the Angels and the lucky people they protect - everyone except for Madison Montgomery.

Maddy's the one girl in Angel City who doesn't breathlessly follow the Angels on TV and gossip blogs. When she meets Jackson, she doesn't recognize him. But Jackson is instantly captivated by her, and against all odds the two fall in love.

Maddy is swiftly caught up in Jackson's scene, a world of glamour, paparazzi - and murder. A serial killer is on the loose, leaving dead Angels' wings for the police to find on the Walk of Fame. Even the Guardians are powerless to protect themselves in the face of this threat … and this time it's up to Maddy to save Jackson.

Thoughts:
How amazing is this cover?? I admit, I love the idea for the story, even if I've seen it before, but it's the cover that caught me. The guy is uber sexy and that pose....*swoon* Love it!

Waiting on Wednesday #16

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 Last Princess by Galaxy Craze
Released on: May 8th 2012
Add it: On Goodreads.

Happily ever after is a thing of the past.
The year is 2090.
England is a barren land. Food is rationed. Oil has decimated the oceans. The people are restless.
A ruthless revolutionary enacts a plan to destroy the royal family, and in a moment, the king is dead. His heiress, Princess Mary, and her brother, Jamie, have been abducted, and no one knows their fate. Princess Eliza Windsor barely escapes, and finds herself scared and lost in London's dangerous streets.
With a mind for revenge and the safe recovery of her siblings, Eliza joins the enemy forces in disguise. There she is tempted by her first taste of independence -- and true love. Ultimately she must summon her courage and fight to ensure that she does not become... The Last Princess.

Thoughts:
Alright, just give me a moment to wipe the drool off my face and then I'll tell you what I think of this. Hmmmm,....I. Want. It. Now!!! Slanted in a dystopian setting this story sounds soooooo good. I'm only just starting to get into dystopian novels, but throw in a royal family, a princess in hiding and in disguise and a romance and I'm in heaven. Total and compete heaven! The premise of this caught me straight away, the amazing cover added to the excitement and now this is shooting to the top of my Must Have list!


What do you think? Sounds good, huh?

Tell me, what are you waiting on this week?

Book Shelf: Vampire Breed (Kiera Hudson #4) by Tim O'Rourke

Kiera Hudson wakes to find herself imprisoned. Experiencing nightmares and visions, she slowly realises that she has been subjected to a series of sinister tests and operations. Addicted to blood and in pain, Kiera knows that if she is to survive she will need to escape from her cage. But who is the werewolf that secretly visits her during the night and can Kiera trust him? Where are her friends and why hasn’t Potter come to rescue her as he promised? With no word or message from Luke and Potter, she fears that they might be dead.

But with only a chair and a book for comfort in her cage, can Kiera escape? And even if she does, what will she find on the other side of her cell walls.

(Blurb from Goodreads....)


Review:

Catapulting the Keira Hudson series into its fourth book, Vampire Breed does not disappoint with its non-stop action and adrenaline rush that sees Keira and the gang head into a whole new level of danger!

As usual author Tim O’Rourke managed to have me on the edge of my seat with excitement and adventure and his flawless writing and storytelling captivated me from the very first page. Vampire Breed is another amazing book in the series and there’s no shortage of mystery, intrigue and danger as O’Rourke blends together an incredible thriller with just the right amounts of romance and humour to entice you.

The world sure has changed since Vampire Hunt. The events of the previous book have had a drastic impact on the town of Wasp Water and even Keira herself has undergone drastic changes as the sleepy town has been overrun with rogue vampires. The Vampyrus still have their plans to take over the world, but a new level of issues come into play as O’Rourke continues to add to his never ending tangle of mystery and danger.

One of the best things about these books is that you never know what’s going on completely. Tim manages to write in a way that has the story flowing so nicely and yet tells you nothing of where he’s taking it. There’s always another question about someone or something on your mind and you wonder about characters and people as the story unfolds. Revelations come to light that have you thinking, “Oh. No. No way! I did NOT see that coming!” And I love that. I always know I’m in for an incredible ride that’s going to have me captivated the entire way throughout when I pick up a Keira Hudson book.

In this book Keira is finds herself imprisoned in some sought of prison or facility, and you as the reader must follow along with Keira as she attempts to figure out just what has happened to her and how much time as past. As Keira pieces together her most recent months in a string of intriguing and detailed dreams, it becomes clear how much she’s changed since the first book and how much the events since she went to Raged Cove have affected her. Personally, I think she’s become stronger in a lot of ways, whist still retaining her personality traits and everything that makes her her, as well as her ability to “see”, but Keira’s new addiction to blood and situation have left her somewhat sad and broken. And yet she NEVER gives up. As she’s happy to point out, she’s Keira Hudson, and she’s going to find a way outta her current predicament, even if it kills her.

As the novel progresses, our favourite characters find Keira once more and the gang must figure out what to do next. Isidor, Kayla, and Potter return as does Jack Seth and a new Lycanthrope inclusion poises more mystery to the book.
I missed the moments without my Potter, but I was doing cartwheels when he was in the book once more. Okay, okay....so I was doing cartwheels in my head, but whatever....Potter was back! That’s all I cared about. Sean Potter, oh how I love you. In Vampire Breed Potter is forced to take charge due to the tragic events in the previous book that saw him loose two of the people who matter to him most. He’s still hoping to save Luke and taking the lead has Potter even grumpier than ever (don’t worry I still love you!). However it’s not just this that has Potter all bothered, and a series of raw revelations to Keira has him begin to really speak how he feels.

As always to me the moments Keira and Potter shared shone. There’s not a moment of these books I dislike, but the scenes with Potter and Keira are always my fave. I missed Luke a tad in this book, but everything that happened only reinforced my desire to see Keira choose Potter once and for all. Keira and Potter as electric together and they may drive one another mad, but they’re so right doing it. They just work....and I’m hoping that Keira’s ready to acknowledge that once and for all real soon!

With the next book signalling the end for this series, I know to expect nothing less than an explosive ending from Tim O’Rourke! He’s loved putting his characters through the wringer (and secretly I’ve loved seeing him do it) but I think that he’s still got more in store for us, especially considering the ending he leaves Vampire Breed with—I did NOT expect that. At all!

Rating:
Source: Sent by author for review (Thanks so much Tim!)
Format: Kindle ebook
Recommend: Yes!
Recommend borrow or buy: But it
Cover: Amazing! This is my second fave cover in the series after the first book's.
Read sequel/continue with series: YES!

Buy: From Amazon.com

Blog Tour: Bound by Kira Saito Excerpt + Teaser from Book 2

Welcome to the Bound Blog Tour!
Today I'm excited to share with you an excerpt from the book as well as a quick teaser from the second book. They sure make me eager to dive into Bound!
Enjoy!

Excerpt:

.......It had to work. It just had to. After repeating the chant at least six times, it still didn’t work. “Fine you greedy spirits!” I yelled. It was clear that they wanted more blood. In a rage, I drew more blood, this time slashing my palm. I brought my dripping palm up to Ben’s neck and repeated the chant. After a few minutes, I felt a distinct energy. It was a force within me so incredibly strong that I was convinced that I was able to move a mountain if I wanted to or even get Sabrina to stop talking about boys.

“Arelia what are you doing?” Ben’s voice forced me to open my eyes.

“You’re strangling me.”

I realized my hands were gripped a bit too tightly around his neck. I unwrapped them to find that his wound had completely healed, and his fever was gone. “Ben, you’re okay!” I exclaimed. I gave him an enormous hug.

“Of course, I’m okay,” he said. “I’m just sleepy it was a long night. Tell the alligators and ghosts that I’ll see them tomorrow.” He closed his eyes and fell into a deep sleep.

In my excitement, I leapt up, and by sheer impulse gave formerly-shirtless guy a hug. As my body touched his, I could smell him and felt my skin tingle.

Delicious chills overtook my body. He wasn’t wearing any cologne, but he smelt lovely. Warm and familiar mingled with a dash of sadness and danger. I caught myself clinging to him and took a step back in embarrassment. My moment of conquest had quickly passed, and I realized that I was standing next to a swamp, in front of a stranger in a corset and petticoat which basically translated to a bra and underwear. I was horrified.

Formerly-shirtless guy looked at me like the existence of Santa Claus had just been proven before taking off his jacket and wrapping it around me. “You must be cold,” he observed. “Your hand is bleeding.” He ripped a sleeve off of his shirt and covered my palm.

In my state of absolute exhilaration, I had failed to acknowledge the fact that the night had gotten a bit chilly. My entire body was covered in goose bumps, and my hand was leaking blood everywhere. “Why did you follow me?” I wrapped his jacket around me realizing that I was standing in the middle of nowhere with someone who could be a psychopathic, serial killer.

His lips broke out in an amused smile. “Do you think I’m stalking you?” He asked hovering over me. It really sucked being short sometimes. Standing at a measly five foot three inches made me feel as if I lived in a world full of giants. At this moment, formerly-shirtless guy looked like a giant even though he wasn’t freakishly tall or anything, maybe slightly over six feet.

“Well, how else can you explain being here?” I stated what I thought was the obvious. I tried to stand on my toes, hoping to make myself appear taller.



Bound by Kira Saito

Sixteen year old Arelia LaRue lives in New Orleans where the music is loud, voodoo queens inhabit every street corner, and the ghosts are alive and well. Despite her surroundings, all she wants is to help her Grand-mere Bea pay the rent and save up for college.

When her best friend Sabrina convinces her to take a well-paying summer job at the infamous Darkwood plantation, owned by the wealthy LaPlante family, Arelia agrees.

However, at Darkwood strange things start to happen, and gorgeous Lucus LaPlante insists that he needs her help. Soon, the powers that Arelia has been denying all her life, come out to play and she discovers mysteries about herself that she could have never imagined.

Buy it here:
~Amazon
~Smashwords

Find out more on Goodreads!

Author Bio:

Kira is a magic junkie and loves writing YA paranormal romances. Some of her heroes include: Jack the Pumpkin King, Willy Wonka, Larry David, Princess Tiana, the vampire Lestat, Andy and her Maltese Costanza.

Visit Kira:
Website // Goodreads // Twitter //Facebook


AND.....

A sneak peak at Punished book #2 in the Arelia LaRue series!

Chapter 1
....... “Well, I don’t think I’m going to get used to the fact that you’re basically a very old man.”

“Is that the way you see me, as a very old man?” Lucus causally asked as he walked over to the heavy, wooden table and poured himself some absurdly expensive cognac. He studied me intently with his intense, dark eyes as he waited for me to answer.

“I mean you don’t look like Mr. Dumpty or anything, but you’re just wearing a disguise to cover up who you really are,” I reasoned clutching the crystal glass just a bit too tightly while tugging on my hair.

He let out a dry laugh and took a sip of cognac. “Aren’t we all?”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” I raised an eyebrow.

He shook his head and took a step closer. His sharp gaze saw right through me. “If you see me as a very old man, why didn’t you leave? What reason do you have to be here wasting your time?”


I'd like to thank Roxanne Roads and Kira Saito for putting this tour together. Find the complete tour schedule here or head on over to some of today's other stops SupaGurl Books and Livin' Life Through Books for reviews.

This tour was brought to you by Bewitching Book Tours!

In My Mailbox #27

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi over at The Story Siren where can share the books they bought, borrowed or received throughout the week. For more info on just what it is and how to participate, head here.

Welcome to another In My Mailbox!
Here's what I was fortunate to get this week....
(PS. Sorry the pictures are so grainy. I don't know what happened with my camera :S)




I Bought:
So I've been going a little crazy over at Basement Books and I bought a few more this week.

~Blood Magic by Tessa Gratton
~Entice by Carrie Jones
~My Name Is Memory by Ann Brashares
~Chime by Franny Billingsley

I've wanted to read Blood Magic and Chime for a while, so I'm looking forward to starting those two. I've put off reading My Name Is Memory for a while as it reminds me soooo much of Fallen by Lauren Kate and I wasn't a big fan of that series. As for Entice, I read and loved the first two Need books, but I'm scared to read this one. I'm a BIG Nick fan (I know, I suck right?) and I don't like the possibility of Zara falling for Astley, so yes, I've been chicken. Perhaps I'll finally read this one soon.



For Review:
~The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin
~Everneath by Brodi Ashton
~Fracture by Megan Miranda--I've already read and reviewed Fracture and it was brilliant. You can check out my review here!

EEEEEP! Mara. Dyer. The Unbecoming Of. Nuff said! I'm so dying to dive into this I can barely put it into words. I sincerely hope it lives up to my expectations, but considering all the incredible reviews it's been getting I think it will. And Everneath! I'm in book heaven right now! This is one of my most dying to read in 2012 books and it's here. Woo-hoo!
(Thank-you so much to Caroline and the team at Simon & Schuster for these two!! I love you guys!)
Fracture was an incredible read! I've already devoured it and absolutely adored it. I highly recommend for fans of If I Stay and spine tingling thrillers!
(Thank-you so much Bloomsbury Australia for this!)




I Received:
The fabulous Michelle at Novels On The Run was kind enough to send me some signed Vampire Shift bookplates, some of which I'm planning to give away. Michelle and I are big fans of the self published Kiera Hudson series by Tim O'Rourke and when I mentioned how jealous I was that she had some signed goodies she up and offered to share some with me! How much does Michelle rock!?! Be on the lookout for an upcoming giveaway to get yourself and be sure to check out the Kiera Hudson series on Amazon.com. They're the best $0.99 ebook you'll ever read.
THANK-YOU so much to Michelle for these and of course Tim for signing them!

So that was my mailbox this week!

What did you get?

Book Shelf: Fated (Fated #1) by Sarah Alderson

What happens when you discover you aren't who you thought you were? And that the person you love is the person who will betray you? If your fate is already determined, can you fight it?

When Evie Tremain discovers that she’s the last in a long line of Demon slayers and that she’s being hunted by an elite band of assassins –Shapeshifters, Vampires and Mixen demons amongst them – she knows she can’t run. They’ll find her wherever she goes. Instead she must learn to stand and fight.

But when the half-human, half-Shadow Warrior Lucas Gray - is sent to spy on Evie and then ordered to kill her before she can fulfil a dangerous prophecy, their fates become inextricably linked. The war that has raged for one thousand years between humans and demons is about to reach a devastating and inevitable conclusion. Either one or both of them will die before this war ends.

If your life becomes bound to another’s, what will it take to sever it?

(Blurb from Goodreads....)

Review:

Sarah Alderson blew us all away with her debut novel Hunting Lila, and with Fated she proves she’s definitely not a one trick pony! Fated is an exciting read that catapults you into the world of Hunters and Unhumans—a world you won’t want to leave!

I must say I’m a fan of Sarah Alderson. Hunting Lila quickly became an all time fave of mine, so I’d be lying if I didn’t admit I had high hopes for Fated. And it did not disappoint! Alderson creates a vivid world within Fated, blending the supernatural creatures we all love together in a way that’s fresh enough to keep you glued to the pages of the book as you follow main character Evie in her journey of discovering who she really is!

The demons and creatures we meet in Fated are very intriguing, as are the two sides to this “war”. No one is exactly what they appear and there are certainly some revelations to be discovered and some shocks to be found over the course of this book. There’s both good and bad guys, and even I must say I’m not quite sure about the motivations of many of these characters. Alderson blurs the lines of “good” and “evil” and gives her characters a depth and complexity that could make some be either good or bad regardless of their histories or species. And what characters they are too! Alderson’s characters are so fun and all very different. Whether they’re the main characters or one of the vast array of minor/extra characters that litter the pages they’re all engaging to the story.

Evie’s a really grounded heroine to follow. Just an ordinary small town girl, she’s very flawed and she reacts to the changes in her life with a maturity and rationality that make her easily identifiable as a character. I liked that she was afraid. I liked that a lot of the impacts her newfound Hunter status left her feeling somewhat broken and destroyed. It made it so much more brilliant watching her pick the pieces of herself up and take control of her life. Learning to trust her own instincts and feelings in a world where everyone wasn’t what they seemed. Seeing her accept who she was and what it meant for the war was a big moment for her and really shows how much she’s growing already.

And Lucas....aw, what an awesome guy! He’s typical of some YA fiction, but it never lessons his appeal. Half Shadow Warrior, half human, Lucas has always been different in a world of Unhumans. His humanity has always been his weakness, but in Fated it becomes a lot of his strength. I’d be lying if I didn’t admit it was pleasing watching Lucas fight his feelings and struggle with himself. He had to learn to let go of his revenge and developing feelings for Evie certainly helped him put a better perspective on things.

With so much going on for both main characters throughout the book, told in duel perspective, the romance that developed between Evie and Lucas seemed to take a back seat to a lot of other plotlines. And I didn’t really believe that to be a bad thing. It was nice to focus on the growth of each character individually and then see what impact their relationship with each other had in regards to their choices about where their future lays. Their loyalty to each other is a major factor in what they want, but I also didn’t feel their “love” like I wanted too. Their attraction definitely, but it just seemed to me like they didn’t know each other enough to be “in love”. I would have liked to see them spend more time together and hope to see that in the next book.

With more revelations and change of alliances in the last chapters than you’ll know what to do with, Fated has me hanging for the next book. It left me with a few questions and an urge to pick up the next book, like now. Fated will definitely catch you......hook, line and sinker!

Rating:
Source: Sent for review by Simon & Schuster Australia (Thanks so much Caroline!)
Format: Paperback
AU Release Date: Febuary 2012
Expected AU Price: $16.99
Recommend: Yes!
Recommend borrow or buy: Buy it!
Cover: It's awesome--goes perfectly with the book.
Read sequel/continue with series: Umm, let me think.....duh! Yes!

Book Shelf: Fracture by Megan Miranda

Eleven minutes passed before Delaney Maxwell was pulled from the icy waters of a Maine lake by her best friend Decker Phillips. By then her heart had stopped beating. Her brain had stopped working. She was dead. And yet she somehow defied medical precedent to come back seemingly fine-despite the scans that showed significant brain damage. Everyone wants Delaney to be all right, but she knows she's far from normal. Pulled by strange sensations she can't control or explain, Delaney finds herself drawn to the dying. Is her altered brain now predicting death, or causing it?

Then Delaney meets Troy Varga, who recently emerged from a coma with similar abilities. At first she's reassured to find someone who understands the strangeness of her new existence, but Delaney soon discovers that Troy's motives aren't quite what she thought. Is their gift a miracle, a freak of nature-or something much more frightening?

Blurb from Goodreads......


Review:

Megan Miranda’s suspenseful debut will send shivers down your spine and will no doubt have you thinking about that thin line between life and death!

Fracture is an incredibly haunting read that sees Delaney Maxwell navigate the strands of her life after a near death experience leaves her forever altered. Raw intensity flows throughout the story, and a tangle of emotions will have you glued to the pages as the story woven together by Miranda leaves you questioning all that it means to be human. Miranda’s beautiful writing and captivating storytelling combines with an engaging plot to deliver a chilling thriller that will leave you raw and emotionally fulfilled.

Our heroine Delaney should be dead. Her family, her friends and even the doctors who fought to save her life can’t understand how it is that she managed to survive the 11 minutes she spent in an ice cold lake. By all medical means she should be dead.....but she’s not. Somehow, someway she managed to survive without any lasting injuries. She’s a walking miracle, but instead of being able to revel in this, her life is falling apart due to unforseen events brought about by that event under the ice.

Such an easy voice to follow, Delaney finds herself struggling with the enhanced senses she’s developed after her near death experience that allow her to know when someone’s going to die. As her actions become more erratic and her family and close friends begin to doubt her sanity Delaney finds herslef very alone......until she meets Troy Varga and it seems like someone may finally understand her. However, Troy’s not what he seems and Delaney’s about to find out.....

It was truly riveting watching Delaney’s life unravel. Here’s a girl who’s managed to survive something that surely should have killed her, but is somehow alive against all odds and yet whose life is falling apart regardless. In Fracture, Miranda writes in such a realistically manner that you feel Delaney’s pain and anguish. It is impossible to read this book and not be drawn inexplicably into Delaney’s head and heart! As Delaney deals with the emotional scars that her near death experience had brought she begins to question exactly it means to be alive, and in turn human. Haunted and somewhat broken, Delaney’s isolation and pain in the middle of what really should be a miracle is eye opening. It makes you, as the reader, consider what it means to really be alive. And is that as simple as breathing and having a beating heart? Or is it something more entirely?

With a fantastic storyline, realistically believable romance and a vast array of emotions, Fracture is sure to sweep you off your feet and dive straight into your heart. With its inner depth and ability to make you feel, this is one you don’t wanna miss!

Rating:
Source: Sent for review from Bloomsbury Australia (Thank-you so much)
Format: Paperback.
AU Release Date: January 27th.
Expected AU Price: $15.99
Recommend: Yes!
Recommend borrow or buy: Buy it!
Cover: It's stunning and fits the story so well!
Read sequel/continue with series: This is a stand alone, but I'd love to get my hands on more by this author!
Challange: Debut Author Challange