Saturday, August 31, 2013

Book Spotlight: Disassemble & Disrupt (Divided Worlds #2 & #3) by Imran Siddiq

Disassemble (Divided Worlds, #2)
 
Disassemble (Divided Worlds #2) by Imran Siddiq
Publication Date: July 29th 2013
Genre: YA Dystopian
Pages: 261
 
 
~Summary~
 
Connections will be torn

Zachary is a scavenger, and he’ll do anything to survive. With Rosa by his side, nothing will break him.

After the Galilei Research Base is plunged into darkness, an unexpected threat emerges. Where Zachary was the hero before, he will become the enemy. It’s not just about surviving anymore. It’s about saving everyone before they destroy one another, especially Rosa.
 
 
Purchase Link:
 
 
 
 

Disrupt (Divided Worlds, #3)
 
Disrupt (Divided Worlds #3) by Imran Siddiq
Publication Date: July 29th 2013
Genre: YA Dystopian
Pages: 318
 
 
~Summary~
 
Divisions must be shattered


Everything that Zachary lived for has changed. There are no rewards to come from scavenging. Just memories. But even they are not enough to remove thoughts of a worthless life. In the midst of death, a purpose to live appears. It wills Zachary to break the divide that has destroyed many. This fight will be on his terms.
 
 
Purchase Link:
 


 
~About The Author~
 
Imran Siddiq
 
Imran Siddiq may have tried to leave Leicester a few times, but it's become his place to wake up to, freeze when the heating is off, and serve two cats and, most of all, get down to writing.

At the age of 29, during a night in the jungle (of his mind –he is a writer, after all), Imran’s writing bug awakened, and for the last 5 years, he’s been sacrificing every second that he can to writing. A veteran of writing festivals, a constant presence on Twitter, and one who is still able to gobble up all forms of Star Wars and Lord of the Rings, Imran hopes he can bring a smile to others through his stories.

Imran’s preferred genre is YA Sci Fi. He has a tendency to throw a droid into every novel –literally every novel.



Author Links:
 




Thanks for stopping by!

Happy Weekend Everybody!



*Book Spotlights are mainly dedicated to books I have received for review but have yet to get to them*


Friday, August 30, 2013

Knockout Challenge Review: Barbie World (Baby Doll #2) by Heidi Acosta

Barbie World (Baby Doll, #2)
 
Barbie World (Baby Doll #2) by Heidi Acosta
Publication Date: August 14th 2013
Genre: NA Contemporary
Pages: 274
Format: Kindle
Source: Xpresso Book Tours/ Author
 
 
~Summary~
 
“One Night is all it took to change everything between Barbie and me. One night to potentially lose the girl of my dreams forever. How do I prove to her that she can trust me? That all I want to do is protect her carefully guarded heart. I need to prove to her that I want to be a part of her world. But how?”

Dylan lost Barbie once before, now he is determined more than ever to win her heart and trust back. Easier said than done, especially with the new hot guy in town who is in a rock band and is the complete opposite of Dylan.

Barbie has been hurt beyond repair or so she thinks. It would be easier for heart to decide if she didn’t have to protect her little brother. And if Dylan would just put on a shirt! Dylan is not making this easy on her. It helps to have the distraction of the new guy in town cute bad boy Kai. But even though her heart is damaged it still knows what it wants.

When Barbie learns she has a family and with the help of Roxie and Kai, oh and Third and Dylan. They embark on a journey to help bring Barbie closer to a past she never knew existed.
Heidi Acosta brings you the heart felt story of friendship, love and heartbreak in the second book in of the Baby doll series Barbie World.
 
 
~My Thoughts~

*was provided with a copy from the author for an honest review*
 
Honestly, this one felt like a chore for me. I was supposed to write a review for it for the blog tour hosted by Xpresso Book Tours but I just couldn't push myself to finish it in time. Okay, I could have but I didn't want to because this sequel was just bugging the hell out of me.
What I liked:
Pretty much the last part of the book where Barbie went looking for the family she never knew she had around. That's when things started to get interesting. Where she got closure for her and her brother, where she got to see that there are other people out there that care about her, where she finally decided to choose between the two guys (yeah, sadly there's a triangle in here).
What I didn't like:
Like the first 3/4 of the book. Yes, there were moments where I would get swept away and couldn't help but smile. But then those moments would be ripped away from me because Barbie decided to take, like, four hundred steps back. Ugh! >_<
Whenever Dylan and her would get close, him showing her how much he cares for her were great. These moments led to their steamy romance and I would get swept away, a smile would come onto my face and I would think "finally!" But then sadly for some reason Barbie would push him away and this was the pattern for the first  3/4 of this book. It got repetitive. Seriously one of the reasons why the story for me dragged on and on, to the point of why I didn't see a reason for a sequel in the first place. Actually, after reading the first one I was excited to see that there was going to be a sequel. Well after reading this, I was sadden and wished it went the way I thought it would.
Plus, no real character development. I didn't see much change in them as much as I hoped I would. Dylan was just as annoying as he was in the first one. I thought right away he would break up with Katie but sadly he didn't, like seriously?!?! >_< I mean, I do kinda understand why at first, because Barbie and her brother are living with him and his parents. But after a while I wished he did more instead of hiding his feelings pretty much.
Barbie had some change but not till the end. Actually, I still don't see much change in any character. The only character that I think had much change would be her brother and I wish he was more in the story as much as he was in the first one.
Also when we got to see Third and Roxie, I felt like their characters weren't really the same. Though when these two weren't together they were exactly the same, they stayed as the people we fell in love with. Third in his charming, funny, and advising kind of guy way. Roxie and just her unique goth yet pink loving girl, who’s tough on the outside yet vulnerable on the inside. Yet when the author put these two together I was surprised on how their characters came out. Like they're all lovey dovey and then when they get caught Roxie is at third's throat and you can't help but feel bad for him. It just felt all wrong.
This whole book did and sadly this sequel wasn't what I was hoping for so I'm completely disappointed on how it all turned out. Maybe if I wasn’t such a hopeless romantic then maybe I would have enjoyed this so much more. *shrugs* Who knows really.  
 
 
It will make you shrill
 
 
Happy Reading Everybody!
 
 


Thursday, August 29, 2013

{Cover Reveal} Wings of Memory (The Underground Trilogy #2) by Anna Kyss

 
Wings of Memory (The Underground Trilogy #2) by Anna Kyss
Publication Date: September 2013
Genre: Young Adult Urban Fantasy
 
 
~Summary~
 
Kiernan leaves his homeland, hoping to unlock the secrets that could save his people from extinction. But the path to answers is fraught with danger. He never imagines what lay hidden in the Costa Rican rainforest.

Shortly after arriving, Kiernan encounters the human girl that he spent months yearning for. Kiernan must decide between his love for Meghan and his budding loyalty to his brother, Avery. He tries to place his brother first, until faced with an impossible decision.

Kiernan must tap into magic to save his people. The only problem: unleashing his magic involves breaking his vow to his brother. What if the only way to help Avery is to choose Meghan?

Wings of Memory is a young adult, urban fantasy that weaves together supernatural lore, romance, magic, and an interesting take on Mesoamerican history. It is the second novel in The Underground Trilogy.
 
 
~Sequel To~
 
Wings of Shadow
 
Wings of Shadow (The Underground Trilogy #1)
Publication Date: May 24th 2012
Genre: YA Urban Fantasy
Pages: 219
 
 
~Summary~
 
In the struggle for survival...

Meghan's graduation gift is one that any eighteen-year-old would dream of: traveling abroad to England. Her journey turns into more adventure than expected when Meghan meets the mysterious Kiernan and is introduced to a strange society hidden beneath the streets of London.

The fittest win out at the expense of their rivals...

When Meghan's life is threatened, she flees the city and seeks sanctuary in a distant village--a place unseen by human eyes for over one hundred years. Not knowing if anyone can be trusted, Meghan tries to determine who is friend, who is foe... and who has captured her heart. Meanwhile, a battle for survival brews all around her.
 
 
Purchase Links:
 
Amazon


Thanks for stopping by!
 


Wednesday, August 28, 2013

So I’ve been gone and this is why…..


….well, really because of a whom.
 
My first time seeing him in three months
 
Family Day for our graduate was August 15 (so road trip the day before) and since then this is pretty much the reason of why I haven’t really been here lately. Sadly I’m back and no offense to you guys but, I’d rather be with him right now however that’s not possible. Oops, I’m getting a head of myself haha.
Before the trip I scheduled some post that way I wouldn’t leave you guys completely hanging but even then I’ve slowed down quite a bit. And I thank you guys for coming here even though not much new has been put up, you guys are awesome!
So after the long 12 hour trip to San Diego our friends and I had to wait till the next day to see him. We got up early, got ready, and his family learned that us girls tend to take forever (he’s an only, completely an only on his mother’s side of the family so they’re not used to girls getting ready, especially three of them haha). We then get there at a good time, got to see them march in the morning and that’s when the teasing begins. For several times you got to see him but couldn’t touch him and that was a killer for me.
We finally got to be with him at twelve after the Moto run (motivation) and once they were all washed up (really, I wouldn’t have minded the sweat. I just wanted to feel him again and to be able to breathe). The girls and I actually weren’t with his family when they released him, so it took us a while to find him. But thankfully not that long however it felt like it haha.  

Our first embrace, one year and three months on this exact date too

From then on we were able to hang out with him till six. No surprise here but time flew by fast and along with it I got a nasty burn haha. Even with the sunscreen I had on. But of course at the time I didn’t mind, because I was able to be with the love of my life.  We ate lunch there, shopped around, and did some bowling. Though I didn’t, that sunburn was starting to get to me haha. There we were able to have stolen moments and those butterflies in my stomach had me smiling my goofy smile.
 
I just couldn’t stop looking at him, it all felt like a dream. Plus, he changed so much in those three months I just couldn’t believe it haha. He lost thirty pounds and that was a surprise to us all. He was already in such great shape when he got there but I guess the Marines put him in better shape. He’s happy about it and I ain’t complaining haha. He’s all muscle now and I thought he was already all muscle before, well I guess I was wrong cause this is a whole other kind of muscle. But this part of the story you really don’t need to know about.
When time came for him to leave, that was hard. I knew I was going to see him again the next day for graduation but I just didn’t want to let go. Of course our ride back to his great aunt’s house I was tearing up. Along with it, I wanted to get there soon so I could sleep the rest of the hours away so I would be able to see him sooner.
 
 Graduation was on August 16 and I’m surprised by how fast it actually went. I was so happy with that.
 

 
 
 
 

So handsome! <3 

 
 
The ceremony was great but we both thought the band went on a little too long. If you couldn’t sense it we were dying to be together again haha. And him being a squad leader we were able to find him easily.
 
 
 
So the last two weeks I have been living out of a suite case (well, really the last month haha but for other reasons) and glued to his hip in those ten days we were able to have with him before he had to go back for the rest of his training, which we just dropped him off in San Diego yesterday. He’s able to have a phone now but how much they’ll let him use it is beyond me.

And in those ten days I saw how much the Marines had changed him though in a way I didn’t think, completely. I had a fear he would come back completely different, like he would be too serious and not the man I fell in love with. But no, our fear of that didn’t come true. Yes, he’s more mature but he’s also more romantic and he’s still him, completely. I don’t know how to explain it but he is just with a cherry on top because of the romance haha.
 

 
I pretty much lived with him for most of those days and we went out, did a picnic, hit a ball around, went to Jackson, and did Universal Studios. Oh, and went for sushi. I’ve been craving it for forever and we finally went with a couple of friends on his last day here.
 
 

Honestly I did nothing but be with him and being with him is when I’m the happiest, when I’m able to be comfortable to be myself. So I was living in bliss when I was with him. I even missed my first week of fall semester, thankfully I’m doing an internet course haha or I would have been screwed.  
But now it’s back to reality and sadly, at the moment I’m having some hard times and with no job it’s making it harder, so I don’t have much to keep me busy but the worries so I’m feeling lost without him. Feeling lost without the man that makes me feel so alive, a man that helps let me forget the worries when I need to.

I hope during this time I’m able to find more of myself, to show myself that I can do this even though I feel like I can’t live without him. So I hope I’ll be able to get a job and start saving for the things I know will help make a brighter future for me and even for us. I hope to get one so I can tell him the good news about it as he’s been there for me, pushing me when I need to be pushed. I also hope to finish my book for him as he’s my number one supporter. Honestly the life I had before him was no life, but an escape. I’m so glad to have met him and to have had the chance to fall for him. I’m so glad that he fell for me too because he has made my life so much brighter than before.

So babes, I can’t wait to see you again! I’ll always wait for you because I am a better person, because I am finally seeing the real me and all because of you, the greatest thing to have ever happen to me. I love you! <3
 
 
 

 
 
 
Now you know why I’ve been gone from the blogging world, because something better was around. And I'm so proud of him! 
 

Monday, August 26, 2013

{Cover Reveal} Tease (Take It Off #2) by Cambria Hebert

 
Tease (Take It Off #2) by Cambria Hebert
Publication Date: September 16th 2013
Genre: New Adult Contemporary
 
 
~Summary~
 
You can look, but you can't touch...

Harlow is a broke college student. When her tuition assistance is taken away, she is faced with a choice: admit to her mother she couldn't hack it on her own or make a lot of money fast.

So she gets a good-paying job.

As a stripper.

She thought it would be easy, but it turn out being sexy is a lot harder than she thought. When a few mishaps work in her favor, she manages to hang on to her job and catch the eye of the Mad Hatter's best-looking bartender, Cam.

She's also caught the eye of someone who wants to do more than look, someone who's decided she's nothing but a tease.

As the clothes come off, Harlow finds herself caught between list and murder, The only thing she knows for sure is that her new risqué job is a lot more than she bargained for.
 
This can be read as a Standalone
 
 
 
 
~Sequel To~
 
Torch (Take It Off, #1)
 
 
 
~About The Author~
 
 
Cambria Hebert is a latte sipping author of the Heven & Hell series, the Death Escorts series, and the Take It Off series. She loves a caramel latte, hates math and is afraid of chickens (yes, chickens). She went to college for a bachelor’s degree, couldn’t pick a major and ended up with a degree in cosmetology. So rest assured her characters will always have good hair. She currently lives in North Carolina with her husband and children (both human and furry) where she is plotting her next book. You can find out more about Cambria and her work by visiting http://www.cambriahebert.com

“Like” her on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Cambri...
Follow her on Twitter: https://twitter.com/cambriahebert
Pinterest: https://pinterest.com/cambriahebert/p...
Cambria website: http://www.cambriahebert.com
 
 
Thanks for stopping by!
 


{Cover Reveal} After the Fall (Broken Angel #2) by L.G. Castillo

 
After the Fall (Broken Angel #2) by L.G. Castillo
Publication Date: September 15th 2013 
Genre: New Adult Paranormal Romance
 
 
~Summary~
 
 There’s a Spanish proverb that says, “From the thorn and the pain, a flower is born.” Naomi Duran never really understood what that meant until she became an archangel.

Finally reunited with the love of her life, Naomi thought she had everlasting love and happiness in Heaven. Even with the rebellious Lash by her side, she learns that life as an archangel isn’t easy.

When secrets of the past are finally revealed, tempers flare, brother is pitted against brother, and Naomi and Lash face the greatest threat to their relationship: choosing among love, family, or duty.

In the end, can this family of broken angels forgive past mistakes, or will they carry the thorn in their hearts forever, ripping their family apart?
 
 
 
 
~Sequel To~
 
Lash (Broken Angel #1)
 
 
 
~About The Author~
 
L.G. Castillo
 
L.G. (Linda) Castillo wrote her first story when she was ten and has been writing ever since. She took a break from writing fiction and poetry to focus on obtaining her Ph.D. in counseling psychology. She is now a licensed psychologist and currently works as a professor at a Texas university. Although she has published her psychological research in several professional journals and books, her dream has always been to publish a novel. Lash is her debut novel and was written during the 2012 National Novel Writing Month event.
 
Author Links:
 

 
 
Thanks for stopping by!

Sunday, August 18, 2013

{Cover Reveal} Bad Boy Rock Star by Candy J. Starr

 
Bad Boy Rock Star by Candy J. Starr
Publication Date: November 2013 
Genre: New Adult Romance
 
 
~Summary~
 
Hannah Sorrento is a princess, the toughest obstacle she's ever had to face is finding shoes to match her outfit. Then her father disappears and she's been left with nothing more than the money in her purse and a contract for the management of hot, indie rock band, Storm.

She thinks she can use them to get some fast money but the lead singer, Jack Colt, has his own ideas and, from their first meeting, sparks fly.
 
 
~About The Author~
 
Candy J. Starr
 
Candy J. Starr used to be a band manager until she realized that the band she managed was so lacking in charisma that they actually sucked the charisma out of any room they played. “Screw you,” she said, leaving them to wallow in obscurity – totally forgetting that they owed her big bucks for video equipment hire.

Candy has filmed and interviewed some big names in the rock business, and a lot of small ones. She’s seen the dirty little secrets that go on in the back rooms of band venues. She’s seen the ugly side of rock and the very pretty one.

But, of course, everything she writes is fiction.

Author links:
 
 
So this is a bit late because I have been living the last week blissfully with my Marine as he just graduated from boot camp, August 16. We got back home early Saturday morning, like 1am or so, yep that was a long ride haha. Which is why this wasn't up when needed be, I was away from the internet world and it was amazing, being with him once again! 
 
Thanks for stopping by!
 


Summer Songs (30) Soldier

 
 
"I'll get it if you need it,
I'll search if you don't see it,
You're thirsty, I'll be rain,
You get hurt, I'll take your pain.

I know you don't believe it,
But I said it and I still mean it,
When you heard what I told you,
When you get worried I'll be your soldier."
 
"My aim is so true,
I wanna show you,
I'll try forever,
I'm never gonna say "surrender".
 
 
I absolutely love Gavin DeGraw, his songs always hit home for me. I'm surprised I have yet to show case this one and if I have, I'm sorry for showing it again haha.
 
I've got my Marine home and I have dedicated this song to him many times <3
 
 
 
 
Happy Listening Everybody!
 
 
 
 
 

 
Wasting All These Tears- Cassadee Pope
 
 
Happy Sunday!
 
 

Saturday, August 17, 2013

Book Spotlight: The Bane & The Human (The Eden Trilogy #1 & #2) by Keary Taylor

The Bane (The Eden Trilogy, #1)
 
The Bane (The Eden Trilogy #1) by Keary Taylor
Publication Date: March 4th 2013
Genre: YA Dystopian
Pages: 352
 
 
 
~Summary~
 
Before the Evolution there was TorBane: technology that infused human DNA with cybernetic matter. It had the ability to grow new organs and limbs, to heal the world. Until it evolved out of control and spread like the common cold. The machine took over, the soul vanished, and the Bane were born. The Bane won't stop until every last person has been infected. With less than two percent of the human population left, mankind is on the brink of extinction.

Eve knows the stories of the Evolution, the time before she wandered into the colony of Eden, unable to recall anything but her name. But she doesn't need memories to know this world is her reality. This is a world that is quickly losing its humanity, one Bane at a time.

Fighting to keep one of the last remaining human colonies alive, Eve finds herself torn between her dedication to the colony, and the discovery of love. There is Avian and West – one a soldier, one a keeper of secrets. And in the end, Eve will make a choice that will change the future of mankind.

The Bane is The Terminator meets The Walking Dead with a heart-twisting romance.

Previously published as Eden, due to reader demand it has been revamped and rereleased as The Bane: book one in The Eden Trilogy.
 
 
Purchase Link:
 
 
 


 
 
 
The Human (The Eden Trilogy, #2)
 
The Human (The Eden Trilogy #2) by Keary Taylor
Publication Date: June 18th 2013
Genre: YA Dystopian
 
 
~Summary~
 
The city of New Eden is cleared, but it won’t stay that way forever. The Bane continue to advance in horrific ways that will wipe humanity from the face of the Earth. A storm is coming, one none of them could have dared imagine.

When a group of outsiders come to the city, everyone is on edge. They have too many questions and not enough answers about where they are from or what they want. Just because they are human doesn’t mean they can be trusted.

Eve made a choice–one that could have deadly repercussions. Desperate hearts bring about desperate actions. Now she must make another decision as her world continues to crumble: come to terms with who she really is, or risk her sanity. She thought she had unlocked all the secrets from her past, but there are truths still buried that leave her questioning what is real and what is not.



Purchase Link:

Amazon

 

 
 
~About The Author~
 
Keary Taylor
 
Keary Taylor grew up along the foothills of the Rocky Mountains where she started creating imaginary worlds and daring characters who always fell in love. She now resides on a tiny island in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and their two young children. She continues to have an overactive imagination that frequently keeps her up at night. She is the author of THE EDEN TRILOGY, the FALL OF ANGELS trilogy, and WHAT I DIDN'T SAY. To learn more about Keary and her writing process, please visit www.KearyTaylor.com.
 

 

~Teasers~
 
The Bane, Chapter One
 

“Good-bye my friend,” Avian whispered.  His eyes closed with silent words of regret that echoed through the rest of us. 
We all shut our eyes as Avian pressed the device to Tye’s arm.  The back of my throat tightened when I heard the sharp hiss of the cybernetics under his skin short out and die.  Agonizing seconds later, he took his last gasping breath.
Avian set down the one piece of technology that existed in Eden on the wooden table.  I finally opened my eyes again when I heard his suppressed sob.  Bill and Graye bowed out of the medical tent silently, unable to deal with Avian’s grief in addition to their own.
I couldn’t keep my eyes away from Tye.
His body lay limp on the table, one of his legs about to slip off.  His left arm rested at his side, the skin shredded and torn where he had tried to rip it off.  The dirty, bloody wires and metal bones shone from underneath.  His head lolled to one side, staring emptily at me with one still-human eye and one cybernetic one.
I wished Avian would stop sobbing.  I should have tried to comfort him, but what do you say to the man who had just killed his own cousin?
Avian looked up at me from where he stood with his hands braced on the table next to the body.  “Thank you for bringing him back, Eve.”
I bit my lower lip and managed a small nod.  He held my eyes for a long moment, each of us knowing what the other was thinking.  We would never hear Tye’s hesitant laughter again, never urge him to take a break from his post to eat a few bites.  He would never hunt in the woods or go on a raid again.
“I don’t understand,” Avian said quietly.  “They don’t attack at night.  We’re supposed to be safe when it’s dark.”
“I don’t understand either,” I replied.  There were certain rules when it came to the Bane.  Inactivity during the night was one of them.  Night time was the one advantage we had over them.
“Let me help you,” I offered as Avian started picking up the body.  He graciously accepted, his entire frame trembling as we carried what was left of Tye to the furnace.  We couldn’t even bury our fellow men and women in the ground after they were infected – which meant we could never visit their graves.  Even destroyed cybernetics were too dangerous to keep around.  They were melted down and transported away.
Avian collapsed to the ground as we slid the heavy door closed.  Another round of tears consumed him as I lit the fire beneath it.  I sank to the ground next to him, hugging my knees as I watched the flames grow in intensity and consume Tye.
All it had taken was one brief touch from the Bane.  Tye had tried ripping his own arm off before the infection it carried could spread any further.  It was useless.  Less than an hour after being touched, Tye’s eye started changing.  He’d turned on us within three hours and tried to return to the city.  It had taken the entire unit to drag him back to Avian.  Bill had to knock him unconscious so he wouldn’t try to kill us all. 
“Why don’t you go to bed?” I said quietly as I stared at the flames.  “I can take care of things.”
“No,” Avian said as he shook his head, wiping a few tears away with the back of his hand.  “I can handle it.”
“You don’t have to,” I tried to argue, but only half-heartedly. 
“Go home, Eve.  You’ve done your job.”
I stood and walked out of the tent.
Small fires glowed in the darkness, scattered about in the village of tents.  I avoided eye contact and pushed the flap of my own tent aside and stepped into the darkness. My worn-out cot felt more uncomfortable than ever as I collapsed onto it.  I stared up at the blackness above me, my arms resting above my head.  The sound of Sarah’s breathing a few feet away let me know she was still awake.
We lay silently for a few minutes.  Tye’s death would be as hard on Sarah as it was on Avian, brother and sister in painful loss.
“How’s Avian?” she finally spoke.
“I helped him with the furnace but he sent me back,” I forced the words out of my mouth.  All I wanted to do now was sleep.
Sarah was silent again and I knew there would be tears rolling down her pale cheeks.  I understood why she had not come to the farewell.  It killed a little piece of us all whenever we attended one.
I faintly heard her roll away from me before I fell off the cliff of consciousness into the dark.
 
 
 
 
 
~Playlist~
 
The Bane
 


 
The Human

 

 
 
Thanks for stopping by!

Happy Weekend Everybody!



*Book Spotlights are mainly dedicated to books I have received for review but have yet to get to them*

Friday, August 16, 2013

{Blog Tour: Review + Giveaway} All My Life (First Things #1) by Rucy Ban

 
 
All My Life (First Things, #1)
 
All My Life (First Things #1) by Rucy Ban
Publication Date: May 2nd 2013
Genre: New Adult Romance
Pages: 155
Format: PDF
Source: Xpresso Book Tours/ Author
 
 
~Summary~
 
Seventeen-year-old Kari meets Neil Mars. “Neil as in Armstrong and Mars…as in Bruno.” A boy who beats every vampire, werewolf, highlander fantasy Kari has ever had. But she knows she can’t get close to him. Not ever. Because that would mean telling him everything. Coming clean. And Kari can’t bear the idea of changing the way Neil looks at her. Like she’s the only girl in the world. His reverence is something too precious to lose. Perhaps even at the cost of losing him.

But Kari doesn't know why Neil calls her his ‘Angel’ and when she finds out, she realizes what love is all about. Boundless joy, unending longing and a fuckload of heartache.


Purchase Links:

Amazon / Barnes
 
 
~My Thoughts~

*Was provided with a copy in exchange for an honest review*
 
Honestly I felt like the main girl should have been nineteen, not seventeen. Then this story to me would have been more believable. Actually throughout the time I was reading it I forgot what her real age was and felt like I was seeing behind a nineteen year old, with her incident happening two years ago when she was seventeen. I think that would have helped out the plot a whole lot better because the guy she falls for is twenty-three. Yeah a big difference, especially since she's still technically a minor. Yeah, I'm fine with them being six years apart I just wish she was a bit more older to make all this more believable.
Now I'm not saying I disliked the book, I actually enjoyed it for the most part. I liked it quite much, not loved but it was a story I could get into.
What I liked:
The plot: It's completely different and it's dealing with a subject that I'm sure is growing more now with all the technology we have. Kari falls head over heels for a guy during her last years of high school. She falls hard and fast, too fast, and a week later she gives it up to him and he video tapes it, ending in him blackmailing her. Ever since she has sworn off guys and have been giving this creep money for a year to keep him quiet.
I loved how this all went down and I believe the author wrote it well. This part was very believable and I can totally see it happening. I felt bad for Kari as this was also her first time.
Her job: A tattoo parlor shop opens up across her street, right in front of her house. At first she was kind of afraid of it, a great example of don't judge a book by its cover, because she finds wonderful friends within its walls. I loved these guys. Nalini was my favorite, if you guys ever watched Hart of Dixie well this character reminded me of the waitress in the bar. Kooky, crazy dressed, sex talk, funny gall. I loved her, she definitely stood out the most for me and she helps Kari in more ways than one.
Neil: I do absolutely love him and I can see many girls falling for him. He's charming, funny, considerate of others, and he is a "pantie melter" as Nalini would say haha. He was exactly what Kari needed, in my eyes he was showing her that not all hot guys are complete douche bags. Cause they're not, they can be complete sweethearts, I should know haha.
What I disliked:
How quickly Kari fell for Neil: If a guy was blackmailing me with a sex tape then I believe I would have complete trust issues when it comes to guys. Not Kari, pretty much the first hot guy that walks into the store she falls for him. I mean after like five hours of knowing him he was already breaking down the walls around her heart, all because he's a charmer. Yes he's sweet but so was the last guy, y'all know what happened with him. Though yes, we as a reader know from the summary this guy is going to be different but she doesn't, yet she's already falling for him in just a few hours of knowing him. WTF?!?! Girly, you don't love him you're just horny cause you just watched him being an amazing kisser.
How much coffee these guys drink: Okay, maybe lame to you guys but like almost every other page someone was going to get coffee in the back room. Like a lot! To the point where I just started to roll my eyes.
 
Overall, I wished it was longer so her feelings could truly develop the right way. The way one should fall and not in just a few hours. I think that would have helped me enjoy this a whole lot more. In the end I did enjoy their relationship, especially when they got steamy because you could tell he really did care for her. I'm not totally satisfied but I do want to continue this series, I want to see where the author is planning to take this as I feel like this could have been a standalone. But forewarning, the author makes the characters talk about sex a lot and if you’re not comfortable with it, it might get tiring after a while. Actually, it was tiring for me and I’m completely comfortable with it.


.5

Gives you a good haunting



~About The Author~

Rucy Ban

Rucy Ban was born in 1978 and still continues to thrive. Ever since she first met Francine (the protagonist of her favorite novel, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn), Rucy fell in love with the written word. Rucy has a B-school degree in Marketing which she now puts to good use teaching lovable rowdy rogues and negotiating with her equally belligerent adolescent. In her previous avatar, she handled corporate communications for companies. At present, Rucy lives in Sao Paulo, travels often, speaks decent, if not quite fluent, Portuguese and really hates talking about herself in third person.

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Sweet Readings Everybody!