Friday, December 06, 2013

{Review} {Giveaway} These Broken Stars @AmieKaufman @MeaganSpooner @DisneyHyperion

These Broken Stars (Starbound, #1)
It's a night like any other on board the Icarus. Then, catastrophe strikes: the massive luxury spaceliner is yanked out of hyperspace and plummets into the nearest planet. Lilac LaRoux and Tarver Merendsen survive. And they seem to be alone. 

Lilac is the daughter of the richest man in the universe. Tarver comes from nothing, a young war hero who learned long ago that girls like Lilac are more trouble than they’re worth. But with only each other to rely on, Lilac and Tarver must work together, making a tortuous journey across the eerie, deserted terrain to seek help. 

Then, against all odds, Lilac and Tarver find a strange blessing in the tragedy that has thrown them into each other’s arms. Without the hope of a future together in their own world, they begin to wonder—would they be better off staying here forever?

Everything changes when they uncover the truth behind the chilling whispers that haunt their every step. Lilac and Tarver may find a way off this planet. But they won’t be the same people who landed on it.

--

A timeless love story, THESE BROKEN STARS sets into motion a sweeping science fiction series of companion novels. The Starbound Trilogy: Three worlds. Three love stories. One enemy.




4 Stars
These Broken Stars thrust readers into the world of Turn of the Century Sci-fi which is a great blend!  This book blew me out of the water from the cover to the last page you will be intrigued with the story, the plot, and the characters.  The authors did a great job creating the Icarus and the world they live in. The story will capture the reader with a plot twist of the Titanic meets Lost In Space with a dash of Land of the Lost all rolled into one.  Tarver and Lilac are wonderful characters.  We don't really get to see who these people are until the perils of the story take hold.   I love that although Lilac is a rich girl born of privilege she also has skills up her puffy sleeves.  While Tarver is the dutiful war hero protecting Lilac in the unknown.  

The only issues I really had in this book came from the excesses of Walking that went on in the middle of the book.  The only other thing was the Knowing that they would be rescued.  At each chapter beginning there is a debriefing dialogue.  It really took away from the suspense of them being on the planet.  I think the book would have been better if I wouldn't have known.  

For those who are scared about the romance. Don't worry there is no insta love here and no love triangles! 



"*I received a copy of this book for free to review, this in no way influenced my review, all opinions are 100% honest and my own."
Disclaimer: Thanks to Goodreads and Amazon for the book cover, about the book, and author information.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thursday, December 05, 2013

{Review} {Giveaway} Ashes to Ashes @melissacwalker @harperteen

Ashes to Ashes
If I Stay meets the movie Ghost in this first book in a teen duology about a teenage-girl-turned-ghost who must cling to the echoes of her former life to save the people she left behind.

Ashes to Ashes is author Melissa Walker's sweeping, romantic, and emotionally rich story about the things that torment and tempt us, even from the Great Beyond. This book is perfect for fans of Die for Me andImaginary Girls, and its breathtaking ending will leave readers anxiously awaiting the series conclusion, Dust to Dust.

When Callie's life is cut short by a tragic accident, she expects to find nothingness, or maybe some version of heaven.

Instead, her spirit travels to the Prism, an ethereal plane populated by the ghosts she thought were fictional. Here she meets a striking and mysterious ghost named Thatcher, who is meant to guide her as she learns to haunt and bring peace to the loved ones she left behind.

However, Callie uncovers a dark secret about the spirit world: The angry souls who always populate ghost stories are real, dangerous, and willing to do whatever it takes to stay on Earth, threatening the existence of everyone she ever cared about.

As she fights to save them, Callie will learn that while it may no longer beat, her heart can still love-and break

Biography

I'm a writer and editor (my favorite staff jobs: ELLEgirl Features Editor and Seventeen Prom Editor). All in the name of journalism, I have spent 24 hours with male models and attended an elite finishing school for girls in New Zealand, among other hardships.

My real-girl-meets-the-fashion-world series -- Violet on the Runway, Violet by Design and Violet in Private -- is out now.

Lovestruck Summer -- a teen romance set in Austin, TX -- is out now.

Small Town Sinners -- the story of a girl growing up in an evangelical town who wants to star in her church's Hell House -- is out now.

Unbreak My Heart -- a dual love story about the year that broke Clementine's heart and the summer that healed it -- is out in now.





2 STAR
I was so happy to get this book.  I loved the cover and the synopsis, but when I started to read the story it kind of started to fall apart.  This book is about 100 pages to long and is predictable. The world building of how ghosts live before they move on was interesting but the execution of the story was a fail.  I loved the world of Prism and think that the author could have done an amazing job writing more of that.  I was reading this one with a friend and around 30% in we both figured out where the book was going. We ended up skimming the rest and found out that we were right.  This book had no real bad guys and a half done paranormal plot.  A luke warm love story and a really bad love triangle.  I really didn't care about the characters and the heroine Callie who was supposed to be head over heels about her boyfriend but, as soon as she dies and the ghost guardian comes in she only has eyes for him. Which made me kind of hate Callie. 

"*I received a copy of this book for free to review, this in no way influenced my review, all opinions are 100% honest and my own."
Disclaimer: Thanks to Goodreads and Amazon for the book cover, about the book, and author information.

Update there are now two ARCs up for grabs! Thank HarperCollins!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

{Review} {Giveaway} Everture @brodiashton @harperteen

Evertrue (Everneath, #3)
Now that Nikki has rescued Jack, all she wants is to be with him and graduate high school. But Cole tricked Nikki into feeding off him, and she’s begun the process of turning into an Everliving herself... which means she must feed on a Forfeit soon — or die.

Terrified for her survival, Nikki and Jack begin a desperate attempt to reverse the process using any means possible. Even Cole, who they expected to fight them at every turn, has become an unlikely ally — but how long can it last? Nikki needs to feed on Cole to survive, Cole needs Nikki to gain the throne in the Everneath, Jack needs Nikki because she is everything to him — and together, they must travel back to the Underworld to undo Nikki’s fate and make her mortal once more. But Cole isn’t the only one with plans for Nikki: the Queen has not forgotten Nikki’s treachery, and she wants her destroyed for good. Will Nikki be forced to spend eternity in the Underworld, or does she have what it takes to bring down the Everneath once and for all?

In this stunning conclusion to the Everneath trilogy, Brodi Ashton evokes the resiliency of the human spirit and the indomitable power of true love.

Biography

First-time author Brodi Ashton received a bachelor's degree in journalism from the University of Utah and a master's degree in international relations from the London School of Economics. Brodi has an active following on her blog, which can be found at www.brodisashton.blogspot.com. She lives in Utah with her family.


5 Stars
When this series started. I had seen reviews from DNFs to 5 stars. Well I was happy to say that I was a 5 star. Now at the end of Nikki's journey I have to say that this is by far one of my favorite series. Evertrue takes us on the continuing story of Nikki's goal to destroy the Everneath and save herself. This story ends in such a way to tie up all lose ends and yes you will be happy. But you will also be sad. One person finds redemption and two others live happily everafter.  

In this last installment of the Everneath series we get a closer looks at all the characters. But, mainly we get to see Nikki and Jack individually (no not changing POVs) In the first two books we were told mostly about their relationship but in this one we get to connect with them as people and not just them loving each other.  

"*I received a copy of this book for free to review, this in no way influenced my review, all opinions are 100% honest and my own."
Disclaimer: Thanks to Goodreads and Amazon for the book cover, about the book, and author information.


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Wednesday, December 04, 2013

{Spotlight} A Season Without Rain

A Season without Rain by Joe Schwartz


Title: A Season Without Rain
Author: Joe Schwartz
Genre: Fiction
Length: 348 pages
Release Date: November 2013
ISBN-13: 978-1493513390
Imprint: GMTA Publishing


Book Description

Jacob Miller is angry with himself, the world, and God. Life seems so unfair, so cruel, that he can’t imagine why anyone even tries. After having a nervous breakdown, selling his business, filing for bankruptcy, having a baby, and finding out he owes over twenty grand in taxes, he is hardly happy to be alive.
In the span of a year, Jacob will discover three very important things about life. Things can always be worse. There really is a God. And if you wait long enough anything can change.
A Season Without Rain explores that gray area between poverty and middle class life, the struggling underclass for whom there are no advocates. A powerful story told in a modern, everyday voice that will entrench readers in Jacob Miller’s black world of anger, hate, resentment, lies, and violence.
A Season Without Rain is Joe Schwartz’s first novel. His previous short story collections Joe’s Black T-Shirt, The Games Men Play, and The Veiled Prophet of St. Louis have been acclaimed vulgar as Bukowski and visceral as Carver. Joe lives and works in St. Louis happily writing stories exclusively about the Gateway City.



About the Author
Joe Schwartz
A St. Louis native, I write exclusively about the Gateway City. I prefer the style of fiction deemed transgressive fiction. That is my stories protagonists generally find a solution to their problems through either illicit or illegal means. I personally prefer stories told through a criminal's point-of-view. It is never the crime that fascinates me so much as the motivation to do it and the terrible, almost predictable outcomes to such actions. Just as I have an expectation of writing to be read I believe that it is as important, if not more so, that you as a reader should have the expectation of being entertained as you read. Anything less is such a disappointment.
Life is short. Stories are forever. –Joe
Connect with Joe
https://www.facebook.com/Joesblacktshirt
ttps://www.goodreads.com/author/show/445708.Joe_Schwartz
Links to buy the novel:
Giveaway!!!
 a Rafflecopter giveaway


A Season without Rain's Tour Dates


Wednesday the 4th of December Crossroad Reviews
http://www.crossroadreviews.com  A spotlight with Jessica

Friday the 6th December:  Paperback Hero Aaron
http://paperbackheroaaron.blogspot.com/  Spotlight and Guest post with Aaron

Tuesday the 10th December: The One Saga
www.theonesaga.com  Spotlight and Interview with Matthew

Wednesday 11th December Donna
http://bookloversparadise.blogspot.com Spotlight with Donna

Thursday the 12th December: Adrienne Woods
http://woodsadrienne.wordpress.com Review and spotlight with Adrienne

Tuesday the 17th December:  Indie Author: How To
http://indieauthor-howto.blogspot.com Spotlight and Excerpt with Kisha

Thursday 19th December: Have You Heard Book Review
http://haveyouheardbookreview.blogspot.com/ Spotlight and Guest post with Melanie

Tuesday the 24th December: From the Land of Empyrean
http://empyricaltales.blogspot.com Spotlight and Guest Post with Mark

Thursday the 26st December: The Dragonian Series
http://thedragonianseries.blogspot.com Spotlight with Adrienne

Tuesday the 31st December: Fantasy Ultimate
http://www.fantasy-ultimate.blogspot.com/  Spotlight and Guest post with Grace
 



{Blitz} Submerged @NicoleSometimes


Sorry guys for this being late.  I just got my computer back in working order!  
So I will be giving away 2 ecopies of this book! 
This giveaway has nothing to do with YA Bound Tours. 
Submerged (Outbreak #1)
Release Date: 02/14/13

Summary from Goodreads:
After a mysterious virus makes its way into the United States, the government demands that states seal themselves off from one another and do their best to protect their surviving residents. When the state of Florida is bordered off from the surrounding states, Taylen Fincher, a seventeen-year-old girl with a yearning for her former life finds herself wondering how much of what they’ve been told is true.

When Troum took control of the state, he told the residents that the other states had fallen to the virus and that he wouldn’t allow the same thing to happen to them. But Taylen doesn’t believe it. She insists that there is still life outside of the state, and she is going to do whatever it takes to prove it… but her actions will cost her more than she ever expected.

Troum kidnaps Taylen’s sister, Penelope, in hopes of coaxing her into behaving – into being a submissive resident, much like the others. But Taylen isn’t one to give in that easily.

Eager to rescue her sister, Taylen will set out on an adventure that’ll force her to open her heart to the unexpected and to uncover secrets that will change everything.

SUBMERGED is the first book in a YA dystopian duology.




 photo B6096376-6C81-4465-8935-CE890C777EB9-1855-000001A1E900B890_zps5affbed6.jpg  photo 111AD205-AA04-4F9E-A0F4-C1264C4E9F30-1855-000001A1E8CEB6D7_zps9b730b94.jpg  photo KoboIcon_zps515cdc1a.jpg

About the Author
Nicole Sobon is the author of the Emile Reed Chronicles, Capture, No Place Like Home, and various short stories.
***Author Links***
 photo iconwebsite-32x32_zps1f477f69.png  photo icongoodreads32_zps60f83491.png  photo icontwitter-32x32_zpsae13e2b2.png  photo iconfacebook-32x32_zps64a79d4a.png




Book Blitz Hosted by:
a Rafflecopter giveaway

{WereBack} The Computer Has Returned!

Just wanted to give all of my followers an update!  That the computer was picked up last night and is back in working order!  I really hope I never have to go through that ever again!  Its crazy not having it around.  Ill make sure that I have a back up laptop next year!  

So posts will start to be posted again regularly as of tomorrow!  This month will be full of giveaways per post so make sure you follow and subscribe by email so you know about them

Also if you aren't following me via Facebook and Twitter you need to!  I do a ton of Facebook and Twitter only giveaways!


So make sure to check it out!  

Also our Book Babble spreecast will go as planed for this Sat. and our Read On will be active again next Sat. 

Sunday, December 01, 2013

4Blogoversary {Giveaway} @cjredwine @marimancusi @simonteen @CindaChima @imogenhowson @suzanne_young @lisa_amowitz



Photo: ITS COMING! My site will be 4 years old this Dec. 1st!  So what am I giving away?! Non other than 29 Print ARCS in 4 weeks of giveaways! So make sure you check out the site Dec. 1st for the first weeks post!

Welcome to my 4th Blogoversary Giveaway!
This giveaway will have 4 parts! And each part will feature a Rafflecopter and 7 NEW BOOKS!
All books are ARCs and were sent to me for review by the publisher.


This giveaway is for the USA only unless you cover shipping and all books are of course in print! 

Deception (Defiance, #2)The Enchanter Heir (The Heir Chronicles, #4)Scorched (Scorched, #1)Victoria RebelsA Need So Beautiful (A Need So Beautiful, #1)Linked (Linked #1)Breaking Glass
a Rafflecopter giveaway