Book Review: Athena the Brain (Goddess Girls #1) by Joan Holub & Suzanne Williams

Athena the Brain (Goddess Girls #1) by Joan Holub & Suzanne Williams

Publication Date: April 6th, 2010

Genre: Middle Grade Fantasy

Pages: 160

Format: Hardcover

Source: Library

Read: November 22nd to 23rd, 2015

~Summary~

Athena has always been above average. She has never quite fit in at Triton Junior High, but who would've guessed that Athena is actually a goddess? Principal Zeus's daughter, to be exact.

When she's summoned to Mount Olympus Academy, Athena thinks she might actually fit in for the first time in her life. But in some ways, school on Mount Olympus is not that different from down on Earth, and Athena is going to have to deal with the baddest mean girl in history: Medusa!

~My Thoughts~

I feel like this book is aimed more towards children instead of middle schoolers. Why I say that is because there isn't much depth to it and the story lines move seriously fast. Starting with the beginning, where we find out that Athena is Zeus' daughter and then the next moment she's at her new school, Mount Olympus Academy. Here a lot of stuff goes down in just a couple of days. 

Like things would happen and as the page count was growing smaller I didn't think things would get resolved but then it would in a few pages later. That happened a lot and that's why I feel like this is more aimed towards reluctant readers because things moved very quickly, too quickly for them to have time to put it down.

Because of this I breezed right through it and yeah, while reading, I did feel a little bit old haha. I enjoyed it, I could get into the story especially when something weird and magical would happened. I loved how if the students didn't cast a spell on a piece of paper before brainstorming ideas, those ideas will come to life and fall down to earth- causing an actual "brainstorm" haha. I thought that was pretty creative. I also liked seeing how things came to be, like Medusa's hair, very interesting.

Overall it had it's moments but since things just moved to quickly I just couldn't get into as much as I would have liked too and it made me feel a bit old. But when I thought of a younger me reading it, I definitely enjoyed it. My older self feels like this should have been longer because it definitely feels like there's going to be a sequel to it cause I don't feel like her story has ended. Will I be reading the next one in the series? Maybe, but I'm not in a rush. Definitely recommend for younger kids and kids that might be hesitant to read.  

Sweet Readings Everybody!

Books for Nothing (54) The Succubus in a Red Dress & Dead Wrong

Books for Nothing is where I’ll be updating you guys on free Kindle reads.

I download tons of Freebies weekly and sometimes I’m too lazy to let you guys know about the tons of books I get on I am a Book Hoarder, so I decided to create this! That way you guys can enjoy the awesomeness too as who doesn’t love the word free!

*Note: If some aren't free they became non-free after I scheduled this post

The Succubus in a Red Dress (The Succubus in a Red Dress #1) by Daniel David Garcia

Publication Date: May 3rd, 2013

Genre: Adult Paranormal Romance

~Summary~

Delilah is only a nerdy coffee clerk in New York City whose biggest problem is trying to find a job that will cover more than her rent, until the day one of her customers collapses after touching her.

Now she has demon hunters and witches chasing after her, and is being tailed by a crazy blonde in a Ferrari who says she wants to be her mentor. Oh, and she just might be a succubus.

Whatever you do, don't say it can't get any worse.

Paranormal romance novella/novel of approximately 46,000 words. 

Amazon / Kobo

Dead Wrong (Blackmoore Sisters Romantic Mystery #1) by Leighann Dobbs

Publication Dates: May 2nd, 2013

Genre: Adult Mystery Romance

~Summary~

There’s more than one secret in the old Blackmoore house. Some have been buried for a long time and some are sitting closer to the surface. Morgan and Fiona Blackmoore enjoy their simple life in the sleepy ocean-side town of Noquitt Maine where they offer herbal remedies and crystal healing for locals and tourists alike.... Until Morgan is accused of killing the town shrew, Prudence Littlefield.

Amazon / Kobo

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Book Spotlight: Doll Parts: Tales of Twisted Love by Azzurra Nox

Doll Parts: Tales of Twisted Love by Azzurra Nox

Publication Date: December 8th, 2015

Genre: New Adult, Contemporary LGBTQ+

~Summary~

A haunting trio of short stories about love, obsession, and secrets. Each short story is titled after a song, The National's Apartment Story, Placebo's Scared of Girls, and Skunk Anansie's Post Orgasmic Chill. 

Apartment Story 
A lonely married woman nostalgically rekindles a friendship with a former lover and the apartment they shared. Dark secrets and mysteries surround the apartment building and its new tenants that delve deep into the woman's psyche and prove to be fatal. 

Scared of Girls 
A glamorous go-go dancer and a failing university student are bound by a dark secret that may change their fates forever. 

Post Orgasmic Chill 
The destinies of a cynical rock star, a groupie, an arrogant DJ, and naïve university student intertwine in a rainy London that serves as the backdrop to their tormented lives. Secrets and lies coincide in this dark tale of love gone wrong. 

Hauntingly spare, beautiful, and twisted, Doll Parts is a disquieting and at times darkly morbid collection of short stories about normal people who suddenly discover their own dark possibilities.

~About the Author~

Born in Catania, Sicily, she has led a nomadic life since birth. She has lived in various European cities and Cuba, and currently resides in the Los Angeles area. Always an avid reader and writer from a young age, she loved entertaining her friends with ghost stories. She loves horror movies, cats, and a good rock show. She dislikes Mondays and chick-flicks. CUT HERE, her debut paranormal urban fantasy was inspired by a nightmare the writer had a few years ago. Some of her favourite authors include Anne Rice, Oscar Wilde, Chuck Palahniuk, and Isabella Santacroce.

Goodreads / Twitter / Website

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ARC Book Review: House of Pawn (House of Royals #2) by Keary Taylor

House of Pawn (House of Royals #2) by Keary Taylor

Publication Date: December 15th, 2015

Genre: New Adult Paranormal

Pages: 202

Format: ebook

Source: Author

Read: November 18 to 23rd, 2015

~Summary~

The town of Silent Bend is about to explode into a war. Alivia swore to take the House from Jasmine after what she did, but it won’t happen without retaliation. The whole town is caught in the crosshairs of their manipulation and the body count is climbing. 

The explanation for Ian’s change is one he just can’t accept. To Alivia, it should fix all their problems, but Ian has become everything he hates most. And Liv accepting her fate and position will test their relationship to the breaking point. 

The threat of the King’s arrival looms just weeks away, and Alivia knows he will kill her as soon as he comes. She’ll need supporters at her side—immortal ones. And that means turning old enemies into loyal subjects… 

~My Thoughts~

Oh my god, what a brilliant sequel! I was totally behind every move Alivia made, she knew what she had to do and did it, without backing down. But I was also behind Ian on him not wanting her to go too far but I also understand that in this world she fell into that she has to go to some pretty dark places if she wants to survive in this world. Alivia is such a badass, ohmigod! Her moves were genius and such a mastermind, just wow!

I was hooked from the very beginning, I was just dying to know what happened next after that twist ending from the first one, House of Royals! All I have to say is Mrs. Taylor writes brilliant endings in this series! Perfect build up from the next books! I'm in awe with how they end and the ending for House of Pawn was just as fabulous! My gosh, I'm sitting on the edge of my seat waiting for the next book!

I was seriously glued to my iPad, it killed me when I had to put it down! Never once I was bored, I was constantly sitting on the edge of my seat! This was such a emotional roller coaster too, my heart was breaking after reading chapter 15th!

Though Alivia got her heartbroken twice by Ian, she held her own and made sure she didn't show any emotions in front of him. She is one strong person and I just absolutely love her! The ending is just that much more heartbreaking! 

I also understand why Ian had to go, he became the one thing he hates and used to hunt. He's going through so much, finding out things no child wants to hear about their parents. I understand why he had to leave to go process what the hell is going on. Though I wished he was more understanding about Alivia. Sometimes he would just irk me because of that.

The only thing I didn't like about this was the potential of other love interests, not after the heart break we just got from Ian, too soon.....just too soon. But I let that slide because I truly couldn't get enough of this book! Seriously, just wow! The first one I wasn't completely head over heels with but once I started reading House of Pawns and watching it develop in such a kickass read, I'm officially on cloud nine with this series! It's such a refreshing read in the vampire world! Haven't read one like it before!  

Overall if you enjoyed the first one House of Royals then buckle down because House of Pawns is a roller coaster ride! You will not be disappointed! I devoured this, I was completely consumed by it and I can't wait till it comes out so I can buy both the first one and this one so they can look pretty on my bookshelf! This is such a twisty story line, that there's just constantly surprise after surprise that I have no idea where all of it is leading to and that is absolutely exciting in my eyes! I'm on my toes waiting for the next one!

*Was given a copy from the author in exchange for my honest review*

Check out my review for House of Royals

Sweet Readings Everybody!

{Book Blast} What You Wish For by Gina Wynn

Never stop wishing...

Publication Date: September 2015

Genre: Women's Fiction

Maggie’s secrets and lies have always lurked in the shadows of her marriage to childhood best friend, Jake, and the magic of wishes and call of destiny from an alternate world seem to offer her the impossible - a second chance, and a new start. The husband she gains is a lonely man, married to Maggie’s alter-ego from his world, and he has always struggled to understand his wife. Will has long wished for his marriage to change and rediscovers what was missing when he spends time with Maggie. Although she is drawn to Will in this alternate world, Maggie must decide where her ‘love’ for Jake stops and ‘in love’ begins, and discover what happens when she shares her biggest secret with the stranger who has loved her since they met. Caught between two men in two different lives, it is essential Maggie learns whether she has the power to call one world ‘home’ without destroying the people she loves. Never stop wishing.

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | All Romance eBooks

Goodreads

~Excerpt~

His mouth twisted into a self-deprecating smile, and he brushed his thumb across my cheek. I almost closed my eyes at the calm his touch brought me. I ached to rest my cheek in his palm, to let him soothe me. His hand fell away, and I mourned the loss of contact, the loss of part of myself to want and wishes. I tensed to prevent myself from splitting, fracturing, dividing right there, and glanced at Will to see if he noticed.

He looked at me, eyes sharp and focused, and the weight of his hand pressed on my thigh through the blankets. “Have you ever done that thing where you drop something, hear it hit the ground, and when you search for it, it’s gone? You might give up after five minutes, or search intermittently for years, but it doesn’t matter. You won’t find it. It’s not there anymore. It’s sort of…gone…beyond what you can see. It’s as if it has slipped through the cracks into somewhere else. Because things don’t just vanish, right? They must go somewhere…so, somewhere else must exist…and, now, you’re here instead of there.”

He narrowed his eyes as if in thought, and I fought the urge to touch the tiny lines where his skin crinkled at the corners, to smooth them away for him.

“I think I dropped something once.” His voice emerged so quietly I barely heard him.

He met my gaze and gave me a lop-sided grin. “To put it more crudely, I’m guessing I’m not the man you went to bed with, and you are definitely not the Maggie I fell asleep next to.”

His words jolted me, and I wrapped my arms over my waist.

“I’m not going crazy.” The last lament of a crazy woman. “This must be a dream. Only a dream. Otherwise, I amcrazy. Only a dream. Please?”

He shook his head, his smile sad. “Is that what you want, Maggie? For me to be a dream? To wake up without me?”

Before I even formed a thought, I shook my head. I didn’t want that.

From the magical land of castles and kings (Okay, it’s England), Gina doesn’t feel as old as she looks, owns three children (aged 2, 5 and 7) who can’t be tamed, and writes in spare – usually stolen – time. She sometimes bakes—not always with quite the desired results, and has found the only solution to keeping the characters in her head quiet is to placate them with lots of other lovely books and worlds.

Website  |  Facebook  | Twitter | Goodreads | Pinterest 

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Netgalley Book Review: Flunked (Fairy Tale Reform School #1) by Jen Calonita

Flunked (Fairy Tale Reform School #1) by Jen Calonita

Publication Date: March 3rd, 2015

Genre: Middle Grade Fantasy

Pages: 256

Format: ebook

Source: Netgalley

Read: November 20th to 22nd, 2015

~Summary~

Would you send a villain to do a hero's job? An exciting new twisted fairy tale series from award-winning author Jen Calonita.

Full of regret, Cinderella's wicked stepmother, Flora, has founded the Fairy Tale Reform School with the mission of turning the wicked and criminally mischievous into upstanding members of Enchantasia.

Impish, sassy 12-year-old Gilly has a history of petty theft and she's not too sorry about it. When she lifts a hair clip, she gets tossed in reform school-for at least three months. But when she meets fellow students Jax and Kayla, she learns there's more to this school than its sweet mission. There's a battle brewing and she starts to wonder: can a villain really change?

       

~My Thoughts~

It actually took me a couple of chapters to get into it for some reason. I don't know why. In the beginning we see that Gilly steals things from royals so she can help provide for her family and thinks she's doing this for good reasons. But then she gets caught for the third time and gets sent to the reform school. At first she hates it and sees Flora up to no good- can the Evil Stepmother truly be good now? So she hopes to find something worth as blackmail to get out of there. Instead she stumbles upon something bigger and needs to be a hero her friends need.

Flunked is a light, fun, and charming story. I was breezing through it and sometimes I was even sitting on the edge of my seat. I absolutely love the school building! The inside is constantly changing, the halls are moving and I truly loved this element, I think this was my favorite part of the book! I also enjoyed the classes that she went to but I was hoping for more magical classes. The classes we saw were a bit boring but I understand why she needs those lessons. I was just expecting more.

Also, I felt like this story was moving fast. Like, she's there one day and the next she's completely comfortable there. That just seems odd. Maybe it was just because I was flowing through it so quickly. It is an easy read after all. Sometimes things were moving seriously fast that I didn't feel any connection to any of the characters. I feel like we learn only little bits of them, just things you can see with your eyes. And I understand why we didn't see much of Gilly's roomie, I saw that coming a mile away.

Overall, I enjoyed it though I think I was hoping for more magic. I don't know, there was magic but I thought maybe Gilly would be learning it and she does but we don't get to see it. Hopefully in the next book. And the little twist at the end was great but I felt like it was too easy for them to defeat the bad guy. But we do know they'll be back, so we'll see how things go down in the next one, Charmed.

*Was given a copy from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review*

Sweet Readings Everybody!

First Chapter First Paragraph Tuesday Intros (2)

Every Tuesday Bibliophile By the Sea hosts First Chapter First Paragraph Tuesday Intros, where we share the first paragraph or (a few) of a book we're reading or thinking about reading soon. Care to join us?

"Sometimes spying on low-level royals can be so boring.

They're easy to spot the minute they leave their precious royal world behind. With their pricy clothes, made-up faces, and clouds of perfume wafting behind them, girls like that stick out like sore thumbs when they get dropped off in town in their flashy carriages.

So far this afternoon, I've tailed this bunch from the Gnome-olia Bakery (where they made fun of the gnome serving them their rhubarb cupcakes) to the Enchanted Evening dress shop (where they scoffed at having dresses spun out of cotton even though there is a silk shortage). Neither shop was a good place for me to steal some loot from them."

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Book Review: Switched (My Sister the Vampire #1) by Sienna Mercer

Switched (My Sister The Vampire #1) by Sienna Mercer

Publication Date: July 24th, 2007

Genre: Middle Grade Paranormal

Pages: 199

Format: Paperback

Source: Library

Read: November 16th to 17th, 2015

~Summary~

When Olivia Abbott moves to town, she's excited to join the cheerleading team and make new friends. Then she meets Ivy Vega. At first, Ivy, pale and dressed all in black, looks like Olivia's opposite. Then the girls look beyond the glittery pink blush and thick black eyeliner to discover they're identical--identical twins!

Olivia and Ivy are brimming with plans to switch places and pull every twin trick in the book. But Olivia soon discovers that she and Ivy aren't exactly the same. Ivy's a vampire. And she's not the only one in town.

~My Thoughts~

Honestly, this might be a short review because I don't have a lot to say about Switched. But what I do have to say is that this was indeed a fun book to read! It was absolutely easy to get lost in this world, I was breezing right through the pages (which is probably why I don't have much to say). I enjoyed reading behind both Ivy and Olivia's point of view, though I do wish we got to know them a little bit more instead of all we saw was what they presented to the outside world. 

I wished we got more in depth about the characters and about the fact that Ivy is a vampire. I thought the vampire aspect was going to be more in the open but instead Ivy made sure to hide it from Olivia, so we didn't get to the vampire part of the book till way way later in the book. But these little problems of mine will be fixed in the sequel and we'll be getting more of the characters and more of the vampire world so I'm thrilled to get my hands on the sequel!

Also, I'm really happy that Ivy didn't get easily swept into the popular clique and followed Charlotte like some airhead. Instead she stood up for herself and her sister. I think that was a great positive scene for younger girls. Ivy's character is definitely a model for younger girls as she works hard towards her dream of making the cheerleading squad even though there's a negative force trying to bring her down.  

Overall, I think this would be a fun read for Middle schoolers and younger, I'm sure even people older then teenagers will enjoy this light read (I'm turning 23 in 1 1/2 weeks). 

Sweet Readings Everybody!

Books for Nothing (53) First World & Snowbound

Books for Nothing is where I’ll be updating you guys on free Kindle reads.

I download tons of Freebies weekly and sometimes I’m too lazy to let you guys know about the tons of books I get on I am a Book Hoarder, so I decided to create this! That way you guys can enjoy the awesomeness too as who doesn’t love the word free!

*Note: If some aren't free they became non-free after I scheduled this post

First World (Walker Saga #1) by Jaymin Eve

Publication Date: July 10th, 2013

Genre: Young Adult Paranormal Romance

~Summary~

A paranormal romance series. 

An epic journey. 

If the Seventine are released, will anyone survive?

Abigail Swish might not love her life, living in gang-ridden New York in 2035 and training to fight and survive with Compound 23. But she is grateful for a few things, especially her no-filter-between-brain-and-mouth best friend Lucy and her escape each night into a dream world far different from her own. 

In fact, sometimes she lives for the fleeting moments she spends at night with the man who fuels every romantic fantasy she’s ever had. But each morning reality returns. She could just cry. But she won’t of course; tears don’t change a damn thing.

Then without any warning, a month before her eighteenth birthday, everything does change. A guardian finds her. He explains, in a strangely familiar accent, that she was stashed on Earth for safekeeping and has been lost to her family ever since. And it is time to return home. To the First World; a land of unimagined beauty. 

Abigail and Lucy find themselves escaping New York, ending up on another planet and traversing through an unforgiving wilderness. Yeah, because that sort of thing just happens every day. Luckily an unexpected saviour arrives; the man from her dream-world. Brace is six-and-a-half feet of gorgeous perfectness, wrapped in an arrogance like no other. Unable to trust his assistance, and unsure which of her instincts to follow - kiss him or punch him in the mouth - Abigail eventually accepts his help to find her family. 

And what a family. Enter Josian, her father; larger than life and apparently not even human. He is Walker, a planet-less race revered as gods, causing mischief and mayhem through-out this star-system. Unfortunately, there is no time for a cosy reunion, since no one explained that by returning to First World her half-Walker genetics would act as a catalyst setting forth a chain of events which could spell disaster for not only her existence but that of all worlds.

First World is book one in the Walker Saga, a seven-book paranormal fantasy series.

Spurn - A Walker Saga Book Two release date set for September 2013.

Amazon / iTunes / Smashwords / Barnes

Snowbound (Firefrost #1) by Brenda L. Harper

Publication Date: November 12th, 2014

Genre: Young Adult Paranormal Romance

~Summary~

Sophie wouldn't call herself the prettiest or most popular girl at brand new Dublin High, but she does have a wickedly sharp tongue and a remarkable talent with paints and canvas. 

Never too far from her sketchpad, she can’t seem to resist trying to capture the enchanting beauty of a new boy at her school – but thinks she’ll surely perish from embarrassment when he catches her in the act. To her surprise, he is impressed with her skill, and even ends up coming over to sit for her. 

With such a perfect muse, Sophie’s artistic skills develop rapidly, and with such a handsome and charming young man interested in her, it seems like she’ll be more than prepared for both the art gallery opening and the Homecoming dance! 

But, while her own life skips along, interrupted only by a terrible recurring stomach flu, her town is undergoing some mysterious changes. Snow in a Texas September is unheard of, a terrible fire takes out the end of her block, and there’s something whispering in the shadows… 

Her friends warn her away from her captivating new love interest, saying he is dark, cold, dangerous – but his touch is too electric to pull away, even when it’s clear that he is not what he seems...perhaps not even human.

Amazon

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