Waiting on Wednesday (92)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that highlights future releases that we are excitedly anticipating.



By Julie Cross
Publication Date: March 25, 2014

Fans of Monica Murphy and Tammara Webber will savor this New Adult novel—a story about coming of age in the heat of the moment—from Julie Cross, the internationally bestselling author of the Tempest trilogy.

I used to be “Isabel Jenkins, child prodigy.” As lame as that sounds, at least it was an identity. But now I’m not sure what I am. I just failed the most important exam of my life—the emotional readiness test required to get into a medical residency program—and it turns out my parents can’t stand each other. Now I’m trying to figure out how to pick up the pieces of my life, and that means re-enrolling as a college freshman, but this time I’m shutting the books and majoring in being eighteen.

But so far, my roommate hates me and I’m not into the party scene. The only good thing about school has been getting to know my insanely hot RA. Marshall Collins makes me wonder about everything I missed while I was growing up too fast. Pretty soon we’re hanging out constantly, but for the first time, I find myself wanting more than a no-strings-attached physical relationship. And the lesson I really need is one Marsh definitely can’t teach me: love. Because I’m going to be alone forever if I don’t learn fast.

Almost Perfect by Brian Katcher

* * * *

You only hurt the ones you love.

Logan Witherspoon recently discovered that his girlfriend of three years cheated on him. But things start to look up when a new student breezes through the halls of his small-town high school. Sage Hendricks befriends Logan at a time when he no longer trusts or believes in people. Sage has been homeschooled for a number of years and her parents have forbidden her to date anyone, but she won’t tell Logan why. One day, Logan acts on his growing feelings for Sage. Moments later, he wishes he never had. Sage finally discloses her big secret: she’s actually a boy. Enraged, frightened, and feeling betrayed, Logan lashes out at Sage and disowns her. But once Logan comes to terms with what happened, he reaches out to Sage in an attempt to understand her situation. But Logan has no idea how rocky the road back to friendship will be.





Review:

It’s been months and Logan is still nursing a broken heart thanks to his 3 year girlfriend that cheated on him.  That is until Sage walks into his first hour Biology class.  Logan and Sage immediately hit it off.  Their mutual attraction is unmistakable; which makes it all the more confusing when Sage continuously fends off Logan’s quiet advances.  Then on New Year’s Day they unexpectedly share their first kiss. Sage is forced to share her secret…the fact that she was born a boy.  Logan is disgusted and runs away.  But their connection is too strong for him to stay away.  Before long they renew their friendship which sends them both on an emotional ride that neither of them are prepared for.

This story is a great lesson in showing us how it’s never easy to read from the POV of a character that hurts someone.  It’s even more difficult when that character is confused and hurting as well.  The entire story is told in the first person from Logan’s POV.  Be prepared for an uncomfortably honest portrayal of a straight young man raised in a small rural town.  A teenage boy whose experiences are too narrow and whose insecurities are too deep to give the total acceptance and celebration that Sage needs.  Logan messes up spectacularly.  Multiple times.  His desire to be friends with Sage makes her feel like she can be accepted for the girl that she truly his.   But the discomfort he feels in his attraction to Sage and his subsequent selfish and cruel actions make Sage truly comprehend the giant hurdles she has ahead of her and makes her wonder if she can even face them.

The only complaint I had with this novel was that Sage’s voice was rather wooden.  When I SAW her through Logan’s eyes, I saw a young vibrant woman full of fear and hope.  But when I heard her speak, it felt as if the author didn’t (or maybe couldn’t) fully encompass the voice of Sage.  I can understand this dilemma though.   Five years after this book was published and we are still fighting to hear the voices of transgender men and women.  I can only imagine how difficult it would be to portray their voice.   In the end, though, that did not stop Sage from being a completely beautiful and engaging character.

It also didn’t diminish the power of the message contained in this story.  That our actions have the power to both negatively and positively impact those around us. We can use the power of our actions to show acceptance and celebrate the diversity around us.  To give others the freedom to be who they are without fear.

Nat

A Peek In The BiblioBin #90

Welcome to our Stacking the Shelves post! Stacking the Shelves (or as we like to call it, A Peek in the BiblioBin) has been created by the lovely ladies at Tynga's Reviews.

Stacking the Shelves is a way for bloggers to share what books they have won, received for review, bought from the bookstore, borrowed from the library or friend, etc.



For Review:

Killer Frost (Mythos Academy #6) by Jennifer Estep

White Hot Kiss (The Dark Elements #1) by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Borrowed:

Winger (Winger #1) by Andrew Smith

Being Sloane Jacobs by Lauren Morrill



Bought:

My Life Next Door (My Life Next Door #1) by Huntley Fitzpatrick

Evertrue (Everneath #3) by Brodi Ashton

* * * * 

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.

I cannot express enough how much I’d been looking forward to February knowing that this final in the series was coming out. I can remember clearly how I felt at the end of Everbound when Nikki made her solemn vow to destroy the Everneath. There was so much emotion, anger and bitterness tangled up in her simple statement which made me feel edgy as to how she would carry it out.

Once again, Cole and the Dead Elvises are nowhere to be seen as Nikki and Jack formulate plans with what combined information they have of the Everneath . They’re still very much in love, their commitment to each other intensified by what they both recently went through. They may have escaped the Everneath but both are undergoing some peculiar changes. Jack’s strength and physical form are becoming more pronounced while Nikki is slowly becoming weaker. It’s not until Cole finally returns that they understand the reason for Nikki’s ailment – because she fed off of Cole three times in the Everneath, she’s turning into an Everling. She has to feed off of him in order to survive. Now she’s royally pissed off!  And worse, Cole and Jack, sworn enemies , are both determined to make sure that no matter what happens, Nikki makes it through unscathed, even if it means she does become an Everling.

What’s great about this series is that Nikki never once stands back to wait for solutions to appear. She’s clearly a force to be reckoned with and doesn’t back down easily. Jack is the stalwart boyfriend who is her partner in this battle. Cole, as usual, is as arrogant and insufferable as ever. So of course, I puffy heart him. Ashton does introduce a nice little twist involving Cole which becomes an advantage to Nikki in her fight against the Everneath.

Nikki is waging war on two fronts – the outside war against the Everneath and her internal conflict regarding her feelings toward Cole. She’s constantly reminding herself about how he had betrayed her by making her think he was her friend when he was apparently manipulating her into serving his ultimate purpose, that of overthrowing the Queen.  At the same time, she’s reduced to feeling sorry for him because of his current predicament. However, this will not prevent her from reaching the ultimate end game. This time around she’s the one who’s doing the manipulating.  Even though she feels a pang of guilt about using him, she resorts to her arsenal of bitterness and betrayal to remind herself why she's doing this.

Evertrue is splendid! I devoured in within a day and a half and went through a mourning period when it was over. There’s really only one way it could end and Nikki stayed true to her conviction and the things she loved most to make it through.  Thank you Brodi Ashton for a wonderful series that introduced me to new mythology and a complicated world below!

~ Bel

Cover Reveal: All Lined Up by Cora Carmack

We're extremely excited to bring you the cover for ALL LINED UP, the first book in Cora Carmack's highly anticipated Rusk University Series! ALL LINED UP is a New Adult Contemporary Romance novel published by William Morrow (an imprint of HarperCollins). It is due to be released on May 13, 2014!!

  ABOUT ALL LINED UP:

In Texas, two things are cherished above all else—football and gossip. My life has always been ruled by both.

 

Dallas Cole loathes football. That's what happens when you spend your whole childhood coming in second to a sport. College is her time to step out of the bleachers, and put the playing field (and the players) in her past.

But life doesn't always go as planned. As if going to the same college as her football star ex wasn’t bad enough, her father, a Texas high school coaching phenom, has decided to make the jump to college ball… as the new head coach at Rusk University. Dallas finds herself in the shadows of her father and football all over again.

Carson McClain is determined to go from second-string quarterback to the starting line-up. He needs the scholarship and the future that football provides. But when a beautiful redhead literally falls into his life, his focus is more than tested. It's obliterated.

Dallas doesn't know Carson is on the team. Carson doesn't know that Dallas is his new coach's daughter.

And neither of them knows how to walk away from the attraction they feel.

“Laughter + heartache + hot sexual tension = the perfect Cora Carmack book.”

—Monica Murphy

Pre-Order Links: Amazon Barnes & Noble iTunes  


About Cora Carmack:
Cora Carmack is a twenty-something writer who likes to write about twenty-something characters. She's done a multitude of things in her life-- boring jobs (like working retail), Fun jobs (like working in a theatre), stressful jobs (like teaching), and dream jobs (like writing). She enjoys placing her characters in the most awkward situations possible, and then trying to help them get a boyfriend out of it. Awkward people need love, too. Her first book, LOSING IT, was a New York Times and USA Today bestseller. Links: Website Twitter Facebook Author Goodreads ALL LINED UP Goodreads

The Unseemly Education of Anne Merchant (The V Trilogy #1) by Joanna Wiebe

* * * * 3/4

So many secrets for such a small island. From the moment Anne Merchant arrives at Cania Christy, a boarding school for the world’s wealthiest teens, the hushed truths of this strange, unfamiliar land begin calling to her—sometimes as lulling drumbeats in the night, sometimes as piercing shrieks.

One by one, unanswered questions rise. No one will tell her why a line is painted across the island or why she is forbidden to cross it. Her every move—even her performance at the school dance—is graded as part of a competition to become valedictorian, a title that brings rewards no one will talk about. And Anne discovers that the parents of her peers surrender million-dollar possessions to enroll their kids in Cania Christy, leaving her to wonder what her lowly funeral director father could have paid to get her in and why.

As a beautiful senior struggles to help Anne make sense of this cloak-and-dagger world without breaking the rules that bind him, she must summon the courage to face the impossible truth—and change it—before she and everyone she loves is destroyed by it.

I came across this title through Stacking The Shelves and saw that many fellow bloggers had picked this book. The title and the cover were far too enticing to pass this over. I have to say that this is one of the creepier reads I’ve had in a while. There were certain things that reminded me of The Deepest Night series  (believe me, that’s a good thing and also one of my favorites) but Joanna Wiebe has created her own fantastic world here.

Anne’s initial start at her new school is anything but smooth. Everyone is bizarre including the students, the administrative staff, the teachers but most of all, the headmaster who takes the creep factor to soaring new heights. So here she is all alone, cut off from any communication with the outside world (no internet or cellphones people!) and utterly confused by her strange surroundings.  I was perplexed as to why her dad would knowingly send her off to what seems like the edge of nowhere. But don’t worry folks, Anne befriends Pilot who likes to go against what’s expected at the school and he becomes her sole support system while she’s there. And of course, there’s the unattainable hot guy who is hot and cold towards her. But his secrets and that of the school are far too intriguing to ignore and she finds herself wrapped up in a life-altering situation.

This a well-written, compelling mystery that only gets creepier the deeper she digs. Anne herself is brave and unapologetic for her inquisitive mind which makes her an awesome heroine. The twist ending is reminiscent of a movie I won’t name right now but I’m pretty sure you’ll know what I’m referring to once you read it. But once I got there, even I have to admit that I was thrown for a loop and the clues were nicely dispersed.

Congrats Joana Wiebe! All the buzz about this book is definitely warranted and I highly recommend it!

~ Bel

Waiting on Wednesday (91)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that highlights future releases that we are excitedly anticipating.



By Bethany Frenette
Publication Date: February 25, 2014

Audrey Whitticomb saved her entire city.

Well, kind of. The superhero Morning Star (who just happens to be Audrey's mom) might have played a small part, and her sidekick, Leon—Audrey's sort-of boyfriend, who is gorgeous... and frustrating—maybe helped, too.

But after two peaceful months, there is a vicious new threat in Minneapolis. Her name is Susannah, and she's a Harrower, a demon hell-bent on destroying people like Morning Star, Leon, and Audrey—the Kin. Like others before her, she seeks the Remnant, a Kin girl who has the power to unleash the inhabitants of the Beneath. But to what end?

Audrey already has a ton on her plate: dealing with her best friend Tink's boy drama, helping her other best friend Gideon figure out his nightmares, and exploring the highs and lows of "dating" Leon. But when she develops a powerful new ability, Audrey seizes on the chance to fight, despite her mother's protests and Leon's pleas.

As Audrey gets closer to figuring out Susannah's motives and tracking down the Remnant, she'll uncover more than she bargained for. The terrible truth is staring Audrey in the face. But knowing the truth and accepting it are very different things.




By Janet Evanovich and Lee Goldberg
Publication Date: February 25, 2013

Janet Evanovich and Lee Goldberg, New York Times bestselling authors of The Heist, return in this action-packed, exciting adventure featuring master con artist Nicolas Fox and die-hard FBI agent Kate O’Hare. And this time around, things go from hot to nuclear when government secrets are on the line.

Internationally renowned thief and con artist Nicolas Fox is famous for running elaborate and daring scams. His greatest con of all: convincing the FBI to team him up with the only person who has ever caught him, and the only woman to ever capture his attention, Special Agent Kate O’Hare. Together they’ll go undercover to swindle and catch the world’s most wanted—and untouchable—criminals.

Their newest target is Carter Grove, a former White House chief of staff and the ruthless leader of a private security agency. Grove has stolen a rare Chinese artifact from the Smithsonian, a crime that will torpedo U.S. relations with China if it ever becomes public. Nick and Kate must work under the radar—and against the clock—to devise a plan to steal the piece back. Confronting Grove’s elite assassins, Nick and Kate rely on the skills of their ragtag crew, including a flamboyant actor, a Geek Squad techie, and a band of AARP-card-carrying mercenaries led by none other than Kate’s dad.

A daring heist and a deadly chase lead Nick and Kate from Washington, D.C., to Shanghai, from the highlands of Scotland to the underbelly of Montreal. But it’ll take more than death threats, trained henchmen, sleepless nights, and the fate of a dynasty’s priceless heirloom to outsmart Fox and O’Hare.