Book Spotlight: Ghost Hand (The PSS Chronicles #1) by Ripley Patton

Ghost Hand (The PSS Chronicles #1) by Ripley Patton

Publication Date: November 28th 2012

Genre: Young Adult Paranormal

Pages: 386

Goodreads

 

 

~Summary~

 

Olivia Black just discovered that her ghost hand, a rare birth defect, can do more than light up a room. It can reach into people and pull things out. Things from the darkest depths of the human psyche never meant to exist in this world.

Olivia can pickpocket the soul.

But she can’t control her ability, or the strange items it extracts, and the only thing between Olivia and the men bent on taking the power of her hand is a boy she barely knows and doesn't trust.

Amazon


~About The Author~



Ripley Patton lives in Portland, Oregon with one cat, two teenagers, and a man who wants to live on a boat. She is an award-winning short story writer and author of The PSS Chronicles, a young adult paranormal thriller series.

Ripley doesn't smoke, or drink, or cuss as much as her characters. Her only real vices are writing, eating M&Ms, and watching reality television.


Goodreads / Twitter / Website


So lets just say I got annoyed with myself. I got approved to review this on Netgalley and silly me, being busy with school and what not, I didn't download it! And so I was disappointed in myself! But guess what I just found this morning!! It's FREE on Amazon!!! So, of course I got it and now I can review it!! Freak yeah!!

Yeah, you guess should go check it out!!

Thanks for stopping by!

{Book Blitz: Trailer + Excerpt} Stealing Third by Marta Brown

 

 

Stealing Third by Marta Brown

Publication Date: July 2014

Genre: New Adult Contemporary Romance

Goodreads

 

 

~Summary~

 

For Emily, going to camp, the summer before college starts, means leaving her feuding parents alone for the next eight weeks, and coming back to divorce papers is a risk she can’t take.

But no matter how many meddling phone calls, questionable hair decisions, and possibly illegal hookups she plans, her parents still march her off to Camp Champ totally against her will.

No matter. A few broken rules, and Em will be home free. That is, until she learns Tyler Ford, her baseball coach father’s star player and her drunken party hookup, is at camp, too.

For Tyler, summer is the onramp to the biggest decision of his life: med school or major leagues. Mega hot, possibly underage Emily? A complication he does not need.

But as the summer heats up with strikeouts and stolen bases will Tyler and Emily hit a home run and get what they’re after? Or will they both be thrown a curveball…in the game of love?

 

Amazon / Barnes & Nobles

 

 



 

 

~Excerpt~

Emily

Tyler’s question catches me off guard, since getting in trouble on purpose is all I’ve been trying to do since I arrived at camp, but right now, that’s not why I’m here. Unless giving Tyler hell can get me in trouble.

“Well?” Tyler asks. His breath, minty and cool, rushes over my face, reminding me just how close we are. “If you’re not here to see Todd, then what are you doing here?” His jaw is tense and flexes as he stares at me.

I bite my lip, unsure how to answer now that I’m here and we’re standing so close I can feel the soft fabric of his Henley brush against my slightly sunburned skin.

Tired of all the games we’re playing, I drop my eyes to the ground and fidget with the frayed hem of my jean shorts. “I…I came to see you,” I admit, trying to keep an edge of anger in my voice, but it comes out sounding exactly the way I feel. Vulnerable.

“Why?” he whispers, angling his head so our foreheads almost touch, the space between us so small I worry he can hear my heart thudding in my chest.

I swallow hard. Why am I here?

My mind races with the excuses I used to justify stomping over here—but with his body so close, and his eyes so intense—flirting with Jenny right in front of my face, or teasing me on the dock, or his antics on the field when I could have sworn he was about to kiss me, all seem irrelevant. The truth is—I wanted to see him.

“I came to…uh…wait—” I know why I stomped over here to see him, mad, and jealous, and determined to stop this game we keep playing, but why is he so mad? Because I’m breaking the rules? Or is it because of something else?

Putting a hand on my hip, I pull away so I can see his face, hoping I’ll find an answer there. “Why do you care if I was here to see Todd or not?”

Tyler blinks like the question has thrown him off guard. He steps backwards and rakes his hands through his hair, taking with him the heat from his body, and sending a chill up my arm in its absence. “You should go, Emily.” The intensity in his stare at war with his words.

“Why?” I take a step towards him, wanting to feel his body close to mine again, wishing he’d tell me to stay.

“Emily.” It’s a plea.

I press again. “Tell me? Why would you care if I was here to see Todd?”

Tyler drops his hands to his sides, sucks in a deep breath, and then lets it out in one quick push of air. “Because the idea of him kissing you, or touching you, or even being near you infuriates me,” he says so deep, and quiet, it comes out more like a growl.

My breath catches as I stare into his eyes—and unlike today on the field—this time he doesn’t hesitate.

 

~About The Author~

 

 

Marta Brown grew up in the Pacific Northwest and was a teenager when Doc Martens, Pearl Jam and flannel were the norm and Dylan loved Kelly forever (Beverly Hills, 90210 shout out).

She still lives just outside Seattle, now with her husband and cat, and loves the rain.

When she’s not writing about cute boys, first kisses and the magic and wonder of being seventeen, she’s watching The CW. And she sleeps in. Late.

 

Website / Goodreads / Twitter

 

 

Thanks for stopping by!

Ashley's Review: One Wild Night (Forever Wild #1) by Magan Vernon

One Wild Night (Forever Wild #1) by Magan Vernon

Publication Date: December 2nd 2013

Genre: New Adult Contemporary Romance

Pages: 58

Format: Kindle

Source: Free on Amazon

Read: August 1-2, 2014

Goodreads

 

 

~Summary~

 

One Wild Night can change everything.

Valerie Wilder doesn't do serious relationships. She also doesn't usually wake up in Vegas next to a male stripper....

A male stripper who happens to be her new husband.

A quickie divorce seems like the answer, but the Nevada legal system doesn't think so. When her new husband suggests flying back to Chicago with Valerie she accepts, wondering if one night in Vegas could turn into something much more.

 

 

~My Thoughts~

 

One Wild Night started off funny! I was smiling so hard at the end of chapter one! But as I read the story it kind of went downhill for me. The story was cute, cheesy, and had it's funny moments. Even moments of "You go get it girl!" but what started to bring down the story for me was our main lead, Valerie.

 

I liked her in the beginning but as time went on she constantly reminded us readers that she isn't a size 2. She mentioned this in the first chapter but I brushed it off, as the author is just letting us know she has more of a curvy body. But Valerie reminds us throughout the book that she isn't a stick. So here's my question, does she not have confidence? We don't know. This is just the first in the Forever Wild series.

 

But my question still stands. Hopefully we'll find out in the rest of the series. Or was this just the authors way of reminding us that there's no way for a hot man, with six pack abs, to fall for a curvy women? So I have another question, is she naturally curvy or does she eat too much and needs to lose weight for her health? Because not everyone is born to be a size 2 and naturally curvy women are beautiful! Again, it brings me back to, does she not have any confidence in herself?

 

Throughout the book it does hint that she doesn't have much confidence when it comes to guys because apparently only the hot ones would rather shack up with her then be seen with her in public? Now, I know this is in part the societies fault. But society is cruel to everyone and I was really hoping we would have had a very confident curvy women (sometimes we saw this side in her, but then she would ruin it with a thought that isn't so confidence). Again, I'm hoping to get more of her past throughout the series because I'm really curious and I did enjoy this short story.

 

Overall this is a fun short story with a cute premise and I'm definitely curious on where these two go!   

 

 



 

 

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{Book Blitz: Excerpt & Giveaway} Accession (Sarath Web #1) by Terah Edun

 

 

Accession (Sarath Web #1) by Terah Edun 

Publication Date: August 5, 2014

Genre: Young Adult Paranormal

Goodreads

 

 

~Summary~

 

Sixteen-year-old Katherine Thompson wasn’t trained to rule a coven. That was her sister – perfect, beautiful Rose. But when a mysterious plane crash kills off the heir presumptive of the Sandersville coven she has no choice. After stepping in to fill her sister’s shoes, Katherine realizes she didn’t have a clue – faery wars, depressed trolls and angry unicorns are just the beginning.

 

For centuries, her family has served the high Queens on both sides of the Atlantic but it is a well-known rule that mid-level witches stay away from high-level Queens. But when Katherine’s youngest cousin vanishes without a trace in the Atlanta court and no one wants to investigate, Katherine decides to step into the darkness on her own. She soon discovers that nothing, especially in the Atlanta High Queen’s court, is as it seems.

 

When she accidentally opens a rift in the search for her cousin, Richard LeCross, the Queen’s warlock, decides that Katherine is more trouble than she’s worth. He determines that this mortal, dangerously close to becoming a High Queen, needs to die. But killing Katherine is easier said than done. For a young woman who’s always believed in right versus wrong, she’s about to go head over heels into the dark side.

 

Amazon

 

\

 

~Excerpt~

 

You know the old saying ‘If I tell you, I’ll have to kill you?’ Katherine thought wryly while she waited for her sister and Derrick to do their worst. Well, I have the opposite problem. If I show you my gifts, you’ll be dead. There’s no explaining, no second guessing. Which was why even though she was furious with her older sister, she couldn’t defend herself. Not as a witch. Katherine might not like her sister, but she loved her. Loved her in the way that siblings that fought like cats and dogs, but still hung together against a common enemy did. Since they were rarely on the same side of anything recently, Rose and Katherine had yet to face anything worse than the schoolyard bully they had taken down together when Katherine was in kindergarten and Rose was in second grade. That incident had proved that blood trumped friends, at least in the all-out war over the marbles container, that is.

But now? Now, Rose and I never really see eye-to-eye at all, Katherine thought with a shiver. She must have been desperate to invite me on this stupid escapade. I know I was pretty stupid to accept the invitation. And now I’m going to pay for that. That hope that for once Rose wanted me along for me, as her sister…as a friend.

 

~About The Author~

 

Terah Edun's next YA Fantasy novel, BLADES OF MAGIC - Crown Service Book #1 (set in the Algardis Universe), will release on March 31, 2014. Book Five of Courtlight, SWORN TO DEFIANCE, will release in April 2014.

Her favorite writers include Mercedes Lackey, Tamora Pierce, Kristin Cashore, Robin Hobb and Maria Snyder.

Check out Terah's author website (teedun.com) for more information about her books, find her online @TEdunWrites and subscribe to her newsletter (bit.ly/SubscribetoTerahsNewsletter) to be notified of upcoming releases.Courtlight Series: http://smarturl.it/courtlightseries

Book 1 - Sworn To RaiseBook 2 - Sworn To TransferBook 3 - Sworn To ConflictBook 4 - Sworn To Secrecy (smarturl.it/tenewrelease)Book 5 - Sworn To Defiance (Coming April 25, 2014)Crown Service Series:Book 1 - Blades of Magic (March 31, 2014)

 

 

Website / Twitter / Facebook / Goodreads

 

 

~Giveaway~



a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

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Ashley's Review: Shiver (The Wolves of Mercy Falls #1) by Maggie Stiefvater

Shiver (The Wolves of Mercy Falls #1) by Maggie Stiefvater

Publication Date: June 1st 2010

Genre: Young Adult Paranormal Romance

Pages: 392

Format: Paperback

Source: Bought (used book store)

Read: June 5-16, 2014

Goodreads

 

 

~Summary~

 

the cold.
Grace has spent years watching the wolves in the woods behind her house. One yellow-eyed wolf—her wolf—watches back. He feels deeply familiar to her, but she doesn't know why.

the heat.
Sam has lived two lives. As a wolf, he keeps the silent company of the girl he loves. And then, for a short time each year, he is human, never daring to talk to Grace...until now.

the shiver.
For Grace and Sam, love has always been kept at a distance. But once it's spoken, it cannot be denied. Sam must fight to stay human—and Grace must fight to keep him—even if it means taking on the scars of the past, the fragility of the present, and the impossibility of the future.

 

 

~My Thoughts~

 

I understand why this has so many mix reviews. I too am not 100% satisfied but I'm not 100% disappointed either. I can see why people love and praise this, giving it so much hype. But then I can also see why people don't like it.

 

The sentences are colorfully written making it a beautiful read. But as that style flows throughout the book it kind of made it drag a bit and had me sometimes going back and rereading the paragraphs. It could also make it a bit boring, sometimes I just wished it was written a bit more simple that way I could flow through it easier, let my mind be able to fully let go and get lost in it without having to think. Reading is a way for me to relax, especially after a long day.

 

Shiver did hook me and I was able to get into it, I just didn't want to stop reading! I think having low expectations helped, a lot. The first time I read it, I just couldn't finish it but for some reason I just had to read it again, give it another shot. I'm glad I did because I did enjoy it and now I'm reading Linger, the sequel. Though at the end I don't see why it needed a sequel, I think I would have been more satisfied if the author left this book as a standalone. For once can a paranormal romance be a standalone? Why does everything need to be in a series, especially something that ended like it wasn't going to be a part of one?

 

The plot was interesting, Grace finding out her dream boy is the wolf that saved her. And then them trying to find a cure for his curse before he gets lost in the winter, with one subplot that was small and obvious. But this didn't feel like a strong plot so I understand why people might get bored from it. Plus the little things like, how can Grace love him when she doesn't know him? How could she fall in love with him when he was a wolf? It's a little weird, huh. But nonetheless I enjoyed it, even though I didn't completely understand Grace.

 

And Grace, I didn't really feel like she was a strong character. Just the usual, with parents that are there but not there, you know? The typical Young Adult formula. Though it was cool reading from both Grace's and Sam's point of view, that surely liven things up. I think Grace's character was stronger when she was with Sam.  

 

Overall I'm not 100% satisfied but I can see why it got so much hype. Maybe if I read it when it first came out then I might have loved it more because it was around that time when Twilight was big (not trying to hate but you can tell Twilight fans will love it and it was during that era). Though something struck a cord with me and has me wanting to read the sequel, even though I really wished this ended with Shiver. Mrs. Stiefvater definitely ended it on a good note, all the strings were tied, so why need for a sequel?

 

 

 

 

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{Cover Reveal} Trashy (Take It Off #10) by Cambria Hebert

Trashy (Take It Off #10) by Cambria Hebert

Publication Date: August 29, 2014 

Genre: New Adult Contemporary Romance

Series: Standalone

Goodreads

 

 

~Summary~

 

She’s trying to move on, but the past won’t let her go.
I fell in love once.

It was a big mistake, but the biggest mistake of all was staying with him.

He pushed me around. He cheated and treated me like trash.

I don’t feel sorry for myself, because I let him.

But no more.

I moved out. I'm saving my stripper's salary for an education that will get me somewhere better.

But breaking the chains of a shitty past isn’t easy. He says I owe him. He says we aren’t done. I don’t care what he says anymore.

I do care about Adam.

But my history tells me I’m not the best judge of men. And the fact Adam’s been married four times tells me he probably isn’t a safe choice.

I need safe. I need better. I need out.

If the past is any indication of my future, getting out isn’t going to be easy.

 

 

 

 

~About The Author~

 

 

Cambria Hebert is the author of the young adult paranormal Heven and Hell series, the new adult Death Escorts series, and the new adult 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 

 

 

Website / Facebook / Twitter / Pinterest / Goodreads

 

 

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Ashley's Mini Review: Alienated (Alienated #1) by Melissa Landers

Alienated (Alienated #1) by Melissa Landers

Publication Date: February 4th 2014

Genre: Young Adult Science Fiction

Pages: 344

Format: Hardcover

Source: Library
Read: May 14-31, 2014

Goodreads

 

 

~Summary~

 

Two years ago, the aliens made contact. Now Cara Sweeney is going to be sharing a bathroom with one of them.

Handpicked to host the first-ever L’eihr exchange student, Cara thinks her future is set. Not only does she get a free ride to her dream college, she’ll have inside information about the mysterious L’eihrs that every journalist would kill for. Cara’s blog following is about to skyrocket.

Still, Cara isn’t sure what to think when she meets Aelyx. Humans and L’eihrs have nearly identical DNA, but cold, infuriatingly brilliant Aelyx couldn’t seem more alien. She’s certain about one thing, though: no human boy is this good-looking.

But when Cara's classmates get swept up by anti-L'eihr paranoia, Midtown High School suddenly isn't safe anymore. Threatening notes appear in Cara's locker, and a police officer has to escort her and Aelyx to class.

Cara finds support in the last person she expected. She realizes that Aelyx isn’t just her only friend; she's fallen hard for him. But Aelyx has been hiding the truth about the purpose of his exchange, and its potentially deadly consequences. Soon Cara will be in for the fight of her life—not just for herself and the boy she loves, but for the future of her planet.

 

 

~My Thoughts~

 

I think I would have liked this a lot more if it didn't remind me a little of, Star-Crossed CW original series, with it's alien exchange students. If I read this book before watching that show then I think I would have found this a little bit more original. But no matter, it was refreshing and had me cracking up out loud, like throughout the book! It definitely pulled me in with it's easy reading and fun characters, with it's action and drama. It definitely had me swooning towards the building relationship between Cara and Aelyx. And it had me sitting on the edge as the protestors became more and more violent towards the exchange students and their family host.

 

It's been quite some time since I read it but I sure did enjoy it! One I definitely recommend if you're looking for an alien read in the young adult world! There aren't many and I'm glad to see new authors coming up with amazing storylines for them! 

 

Overall, I was swept away and I can't wait to find out what happens next! Sorry for not going into much detail, like I said it's been awhile but if you're looking for an action packed, laugh out loud, alien romance novel then this is the book for you! The ending will definitely have you craving for more!

 

 

 

 

Thanks for stopping by!