Monday 30 June 2014

June Recap

Read:







Favourites:


I would definitely recommend this series!



Reviews:

http://jesswatkinsauthor.blogspot.co.uk/2014/06/review-carnelian-by-b-kristin-mcmichael.htmlhttp://jesswatkinsauthor.blogspot.co.uk/2014/06/review-chasing-stars-after-eden-2-by.htmlhttp://jesswatkinsauthor.blogspot.co.uk/2014/06/review-poppy-by-mary-hooper.htmlhttp://jesswatkinsauthor.blogspot.co.uk/2014/06/review-burning-dark-by-adam-christopher.html

http://jesswatkinsauthor.blogspot.co.uk/2014/06/review-take-back-skies-by-lucy-saxon.htmlhttp://jesswatkinsauthor.blogspot.co.uk/2014/06/review-otherbound-by-corrine-duyvis.htmlhttp://jesswatkinsauthor.blogspot.co.uk/2014/06/review-elizabeth-is-missing-by-emma.html




What are your favourite reads of the month?

Book Blitz + Giveaway - One, Two, Three by Elodie Nowodazkij



One, Two, Three… by Elodie Nowodazkij
Publication date: June 26th 2014  

Genres: Contemporary, Romance, Young Adult 

Synopsis:

When seventeen-year-old Natalya’s dreams of being a ballerina are killed in a car accident along with her father, she must choose: shut down—like her mother—or open up to love.

Last year, Natalya was attending the School of Performing Arts in New York City. Last year, she was well on her way to becoming a professional ballerina. Last year, her father was still alive.

But a car crash changed all that—and Natalya can’t stop blaming herself. Now, she goes to a regular high school in New Jersey; lives with her onetime prima ballerina, now alcoholic mother; and has no hope of a dance career.

At her new school, however, sexy soccer player Antonio sees a brighter future for Natalya, or at least a more pleasant present, and his patient charms eventually draw her out of her shell.

But when upsetting secrets come to light and Tonio’s own problems draw her in, Natalya shuts down again, this time turning to alcohol herself.

Can Natalya learn to trust Antonio before she loses him—and destroys herself?



Purchase:


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AUTHOR BIO

Elodie Nowodazkij was raised in a tiny village in France, where she could always be found a book in hand. At nineteen, she moved to the US, where she learned she'd never lose her French accent. She graduated with a bachelor's degree in Modern Language & Linguistics, and later earned master's degrees in German Cultural Studies and European Studies. Unbeknownst to her professors, she sometimes drafted stories in class. Now she lives in Germany with her husband and their cat (who doesn't seem to realize he's not human), and uses her commuting time to write the stories swirling in her head. She's also a serial smiley user.


Author links:














Blitz-wide giveaway

Open to US/CAN
  

Sunday 29 June 2014

My Week in Books (23rd-29th June)

My Week:

 This has been quite a good week for me because I passed my driving test first time!




 Now onto the books...


Read:

The Ace of Skulls (Tales of the Ketty Jay, #4) by Chris Wooding


4.5/5 stars

Brilliant end to the series. Sad it's over - I'm going to miss the characters :(



Take Back the Skies by Lucy Saxon


2/5 stars

Found this one disappointing.
Read my review here.



Graduation Day (The Testing, #3) by Joelle Charbonneau


3.5/5 stars

My least favourite of the series but a good conclusion to the trilogy. 



Currently Reading:

Oblivion by Sasha Dawn



All pics from Goodreads.

Hope you all had a good week!




Saturday 28 June 2014

Review - Carnelian by B. Kristin McMichael



Title: Carnelian (The Chalcedony Chronicles, #1)
Author: B. Kristin McMichael
Pages: 236
Release date: 9th January 2014
Publisher: Lexia Press

Blurb from Goodreads:

Everyone has a past, but for most it isn’t so far in the past as Seth Sangre. His past is literally from thousands of years ago. Seth’s past led him to the present seeking something that might help him save his country from destruction. He has been in the present for over three years now, and he just found exactly what he has been looking for. Mari had dreams of college being a fresh start, one where she would start over and not fall for the good looking player like high school. Unfortunately for her, that’s exactly what ends up falling into her lap on the first day she moves into the dorms. Now she has to hold to her promise to herself not fall for the handsome Seth Sangre. But he doesn’t plan to make it easy for her. Seth has already marked her as his next conquest.

As the semester progresses, Mari learns that Seth might just have a past of his own that’s literally in the past. Suddenly, Mari finds her future along with her past put into question. She’s connected to Seth far more than she ever wanted to be, and maybe he isn’t the player who she thought he was. If Mari can trust her heart enough to follow him, Seth will lead Mari on an adventure of a lifetime-and reveal family secrets she never knew existed.






My Review:

-May contain spoilers-


*I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thanks to YA Bound Book Tours and B. Kristin McMichael*

2.5/5 stars


The last thing Mari expected on her first day of university is for a handsome guy to literally fall into her lap. 
Seth Sangre is a player and has his sights set on making Mari his next conquest. 
Or is there more to Seth than meets the eye?


I started off enjoying this but after a while I lost interest. 
The plot was okay and but slightly too insta-lovey for me. 
I love anything to do with Egypt and thought the fact that Seth, Ty and Dee were time travellers and not paranormal creatures was a nice change but one thing that bugged me (apart from numerous missing or misspelled words) was that when Mari was in ancient Egypt the Egyptians spoke like we do using words like ‘majorly’.

Overall this was an okay read. 

 

Friday 27 June 2014

Blog Tour + Giveaway - Carnelian by B. Kristin McMichael


Find the tour schedule here.



Carnelian (Chalcedony Chronicles #1) by B. Kristin McMichael
Release Date: 02/01/14
200 pages 


Summary from Goodreads: 

Everyone has a past, but for most it isn’t as long ago as Seth Sangre. His past is literally thousands of years ago. Seth’s life led him to the present seeking something that might help him save his country from destruction. He has been in the present for over three years now and just found exactly what he has been looking for. Mari had dreams that college will be a fresh start, one where she would start over and not fall for the good looking player like high school. Unfortunately for her, that’s exactly what ends up falling into her lap on the first day she moves into the dorms. Now she has to hold to her promise to herself and not fall for the handsome Seth. But he doesn’t plan to make it easy for her. Seth has already marked her as his next conquest. As the semester progresses, Mari learns that Seth might just have a life of his own that’s actually from the past.

Suddenly Mari finds her future along with her past put into question. She’s connected to Seth far more than she ever wanted to be and maybe the player isn’t who she thought he was. If Mari can trust her heart enough to follow him, Seth will lead Mari on an adventure of a lifetime and reveal family secrets she never knew existed. 




Buy Links: 



Link to the trailer.




About the Author: 


Originally from Wisconsin, B. Kristin currently resides in Ohio with her husband, two small children, and three cats. When not doing the mom thing of chasing kids, baking cookies, and playing outside, she is using her PhD in biology as a scientist. In her free time she is currently hard at work on multiple novels. Every day is a new writing adventure. She is a fan of all YA/NA fantasy and science fiction.



Author Links: 

   





Tour-wide giveaway




Tour organised by

http://yaboundbooktours.blogspot.co.uk/


Thursday 26 June 2014

Blog Tour - Grishma by Kelly Anne Blout










In the world of Necoh, everyone fears Grishma, a hideous murderous beast responsible for ruining or ending the lives of anyone who dare cross her.


As a young boy, Ryder lived with his family, deep in the caves underneath the Kadin Forest, unaware of the horrors of the world. His simple world was turned upside down one horrible night when Grishma attacked his family, killing his father and kidnapping his mother and younger sister.


From that night on, Ryder devoted his life to killing Grishma. He tracked the monster from Necoh, to our world, and back again. Unfortunately, during his quest, he accidentally transported Brooklyn, a high school junior into his tumultuous world, where she is mistakenly identified as Princess Sophie, the missing princess of Sumner.


Days after Princess Sophie’s return, Grishma plots and manipulates the King into drugging and marrying off his only daughter to Prince Algid of Dratun. Desperate to save Brooklyn, who now believes she is the long lost princess, his mother, and his little sister, Ryder embarks on the deadliest part of his quest.


Will he save Brooklyn? Will she ever regain her memory? What will become of his mother and sister?

Through epic adventure, loss, and love, GRISHMA depicts the strength of the human spirit and the tight bonds formed by the unique creatures of Necoh.














About Kelly Blount


Kelly Anne Blount was born in Madison, WI. After attending university, she moved to Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands to teach elementary school. While living there, she met the love of her life and was married in a beautiful ceremony on the Caribbean Sea.


After returning stateside, Kelly started to pursue another passion, writing. Since writing her debut bestselling young adult fantasy novel, Grishma, she has written the sequel, Ayla, and is currently working on the third book in The Necoh Saga.


Kelly has also written the first book, Impassioned, in her upcoming contemporary romance, Hard Love Series.

When she isn’t writing or serving as an intensive intervention teacher working with children with special needs, Kelly can be found spending time with the love of her life, their furry rescues, and enjoying the beautiful sites of Asheville, North Carolina.




Excerpt:

The tears kept coming as she slowed to a walk. Further and further away from the best friend who had deceived her and the boy who’d broken her heart. She wasn’t sure how much time had passed, but Brooklyn soon became aware that she had no idea where she was. A forest and gently sloping hills surrounded her and it became difficult to navigate her way through the terrain. Her only light was the full moon above.
“Great, I look like a hot mess and I’m probably werewolf or vampire bait,” Brooklyn said, sitting down for a minute to get her bearings. Crickets chirped and the wind rustled in the trees. Then, suddenly, everything went quiet. Chills raced up her spine. She looked around. “Hello?”
She heard a loud snap, followed by several cracks in the distance. Whatever was making that noise was on the move and closing in fast. The smell of rotting fish filled her nose and she gagged. What the hell is going on? Her heart thumped in her chest. She looked for somewhere to hide but the abnormally bright moon made that difficult.
All of a sudden, a figure crashed through the trees and collided with her. She hit the ground and her shoes went flying into the air. Her elbow hit a rock. She tried to sit up, but couldn’t. The wind rushed from her lungs. Panic set in. What just happened? What hit me? Did I break anything? Thoughts bombarded her mind as she attempted to take a breath. She started gasping for air. After a few moments, she sat up and looked around.
“What the hell are you doing here?” a loud angry voice shouted at her. Brooklyn spun around. Her eyes widened and her jaw dropped. Ryder stood before her, with sweat dripping off his brow. His eyes frantically searched the woods behind her.
“Excuse me?” she snapped as she attempted to brush the damp leaves and moss off of her clothes.
“Get up! Hurry!” Ryder commanded in a hushed voice reaching out for Brooklyn’s hand. “We don’t have much time!”
“Huh?” she said.
Ryder grabbed her hand and pulled her up roughly. “Follow me,” he whispered.
Brooklyn hesitated. What was Ryder doing out here in the woods? Why did he want her
to follow him? What was he going to do to her if she didn’t follow him? Another loud crash echoed through the dense, quiet forest.
“Quick! Cover your ears!” Ryder instructed.
“Why?” Brooklyn asked.
“Do it or die!” Ryder snapped at her. No more questions, she covered her ears. A noise like nothing she had ever heard before pierced her eardrums. Tears welled up in her eyes. The shriek left a ringing sensation bouncing around in her head accompanied by a blinding pain.
“What is it?” she barely managed a whisper.
“That’s Grishma,” Ryder said seriously.

Wednesday 25 June 2014

Review - Take Back the Skies by Lucy Saxon



Title: Take Back the Skies
Author: Lucy Saxon
Pages: 496
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing Plc (UK&ANZ)
Release date: 5th June 2014

Blurb from Goodreads:

Catherine Hunter is the daughter of a senior government official on the island of Anglya. She’s one of the privileged – she has luxurious clothes, plenty to eat, and is protected from the Collections which have ravaged families throughout the land. But Catherine longs to escape the confines of her life, before her dad can marry her off to a government brat and trap her forever.
So Catherine becomes Cat, pretends to be a kid escaping the Collections, and stows away on the skyship Stormdancer. As they leave Anglya behind and brave the storms that fill the skies around the islands of Tellus, Cat’s world becomes more turbulent than she could ever have imagined, and dangerous secrets unravel her old life once and for all . . .





My Review:

*I received a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thanks to Bloomsbury Publishing Plc (UK&ANZ) and Lucy Saxon*

2/5 stars


Catherine Hunter, daughter of a government official, runs away from home before her father can marry her off to gain more power.
 Disguising herself as a boy, Catherine, now Cat, stows away on a skyship.
Will Cat be able to escape her government past?


I was looking forward to reading this but I have to say that I was very disappointed.
The writing style seemed very young despite the dark themes. 
The characters were okay but I wasn't gripped at all throughout the book and found it a bit boring. 
The plot was rather predictable and some things that happened seemed way too easy. 
Some things also didn't make sense, for example, why didn't Cat run away earlier if her father was so bad to her?

Overall this was an okay but disappointing read.


Tuesday 24 June 2014

Cover Reveal - Loving Liberty by Belinda Boring

 


Loving Liberty by Belinda Boring
New Adult Contemporary

Liberty Montgomery is many things:
A dutiful daughter. Perfect wife-in-training. Easy to manipulate. Compliant.
But secretly she wants more.

For years, Liberty has dreamed of a life filled with opportunities—a life where she makes the decisions, living by her own rules. Unfortunately, her parents have other plans for her, ones that involve her submission and total obedience. Every attempt to break free from their control is met with threats, leaving her feeling trapped. Just when all seems hopeless, Liberty meets Oliver Nichols. With just two words, be brave, he stirs up her secret longings for more . . . friendship, fun, and independence. He almost has her believing her dreams are possible. However, taking a stand can be terrifying when you've spent your entire life pleasing others.

Are some chances worth taking? What would she risk for freedom?









Purchase:



















About the Author


belindaA homesick Aussie living amongst the cactus and mountains of Arizona, Belinda Boring is a self proclaimed addict of romance and all things swoon worthy. When she's not devouring her latest read, you can find her celebrating her passion for books on her blog The Bookish Snob.

With all that excitement, it wasn’t long before she began writing, pouring her imagination and creativity into the stories she dreams. Whether urban fantasy, paranormal romance or romance in general, Belinda strives to share great plots with heart and characters that you can’t help but connect with. Of course, she wouldn’t be Belinda without adding heroes she hopes will curl your toes.

Surrounded by a supportive cast of family, friends and the man she gives her heart and soul to, Belinda is living the good life.