Most of you who follow or visit my blog on occasion know that I have a little girl. She's almost 4 years old and thankfully she's already catching on to my love of reading. She's all about books, which is awesome. So when Samantha from JKScommunications contacted me about possibly reviewing a children's book. I jumped on it. I can't tell you how excited Aubrey was to actually be getting a book in the mail for her!
And look at how cute it was packaged! Thank you! She was ecstatic. (side note, yes her hair was a hot mess, we got this days before her hair apt. lol)
Not only was the packaging adorable, the whole book was too. It's hard to do a written review on a little kids books, so I took some pictures. Bronte & Frank go to Moscow is a whole lot more than just a book. It's full of activities and even a cd. I have not actually played the cd for her yet, only because I keep forgetting to put it in my car. I listened to it, and its sweet. There are sounds from Russia, and Bronte talks in her little girl voice, I know that when I finally do put it on for her, I'll have to listen to it for days on end. lol.
While I loved the convenience of the spiral binding, she was more interested in frank the bear, and how cold he must be. lol. I'll be honest, in the near future, my family will probably not be visiting Russia. With that being said, we both still enjoyed this book. The illustrations are so cute.
Another great thing about this book, is the educational stuff towards the end. There are maps, stickers, language guides. It's really neat! You sure get your bang for the buck with this and I'm not being corny, really. From what I saw, when I was looking into it a bit, there will be more books, visiting other places. This mom will for sure keep up with the collection.
With Aubrey being as young as she is, she might not have gotten as much out of it as some older children would, as far as understanding goes, but she loved the pictures, and enjoyed the story while I read it to her. It definitely gets a huge thumbs up from us! :o)
Hey everyone! I'm so excited to be doing this cover reveal today, for a number of reason. One, the author is super sweet. She emailed me a while back, and actually addressed me by name. Imagine that! You know, sometimes thats rare. I usually get "Hey there great blogger" <-- not kidding. Another reason I'm excited.. well it's contemporary, and I'm all on that these days! Plus the description sounds awesome.
Last and most important, (not really), but this cover! I just saw this for the first time today. I had assumed it would have jelly beans, duh, but wow. It's raining jelly beans! I don't like jelly beans much. They are too chewy and taste like nothing after the first few seconds. I recently found sweet tart jelly beans and those are the shizz. If that was me, and it was raining that particular brand of beans, I would not look so suave holding my umbrella.. Oh no.. I would be on my knees, face turned to the sky and mouth wide open like a freaking baby bird! No shame.
Description
A
total meltdown. The whole school watching. Now Poppy’s an
ex-straight-A with no Plan B.
When
Poppy Johnson throws away a full scholarship to Columbia, she can
only blame the jelly beans. The yucky green ones? Midnight cram
sessions and Saturday’s spent studying. The delicious red? The
family legacy: Columbia, and a future in finance. Except now it’s
starting to look like Poppy’s jelly bean theory is wrong. School
has been her life until, but maybe it’s time to start living
now.
Poppy has thirty
days to try a new life. No school, no studying. Just jumping into
every possible world. Thirty days to find her passion, her path, and
maybe even love. The Jelly Bean Crisis is officially on.
I'm not just here to tell you about my preferences in candy though. Doesn't that description sound fun? It is scheduled to release on August 1st, 2012. I don't know about everyone else, but I'll be for sure checking this one out!
Allison
Sekemoto survives in the Fringe, the outermost circle of a vampire
city. By day, she and her crew scavenge for food. By night, any one
of them could be eaten. Some
days, all that drives Allie is her hatred of them.The
vampires who keep humans as blood cattle. Until the night Allie
herself is attacked—and given the ultimate choice. Die… or become
one of the monsters. Faced
with her own mortality, Allie becomes what she despises most. To
survive, she must learn the rules of being immortal, including the
most important: go long enough without human blood, and you will go
mad. Then
Allie is forced to flee into the unknown, outside her city walls.
There she joins a ragged band of humans who are seeking a legend—a
possible cure to the disease that killed off most of humankind and
created the rabids, the mindless creatures who threaten humans and
vampires alike. But
it isn't easy to pass for human. Especially not around Zeke, who
might see past the monster inside her. And Allie soon must decide
what—and who—is worth dying for
I was so scared to read this one. I have a deep love for the Iron Fey series. I knew this would be nothing like that, so I was afraid I wouldn’t like it. All that worry was for nothing though. I learned that Kagawa doesn’t have to write about fey for me to like her stuff. She could probably write about boiling water, and it would still be magical.
I loved everything about The Immortal Rules. It was gripping, dark, and so well written. Allie is a kick ass character. In her position, I would have made the same choices. My favorite thing about her, is how she tries to hold on to her humanity. It’s one of her best qualities.
This whole world is scary as all heck! The rabids *shudders*. Love how they were described. I was terrified. Hubby kept looking over and I must have been making faces, because I had to tell him how scary those things were.
The supporting Characters are great. I don’t want to get to into them, for fear of spoiling. There is a little romance. I stress the word little, because it’s there through out, but it’s not the main focus. Which I loved. There were also some characters I loved to hate and a couple that grew on me.
I don’t know what else to say without going all fan-girl-rambling. This will go down as the worst review I have ever written, because even after a whole week of sitting on my thoughts, I still can’t give coherent reasons for loving The Immortal Rules.
So I’ll leave off by saying I would recommend this to everyone, already a fan or not. It’s an awesome story, and I cannot freaking wait until the next one. Thank you so much to Harlequin and NetGalley, I think I may have peed myself a little when I got approved.
Seventeen
year old Katelyn Richards is a stronger person than anyone will ever
know, and that is just the way she wants it. Behind her normal facade
lies the reality of a broken home life. Thanks to her abusive mother,
a string of deadbeat stepfathers, and an unsympathetic system,
Katelyn has learned that the only one she can count on is herself.
Her life’s mission has become to shield her nine year old brother,
Kevin, and to give him the future that they both wish for. A life
with no more abuse, no worries about where their next meal will come
from, and no more wondering if they will have a roof over their
heads.
When
her mother moves them again, this time to a small town in Montana,
Katelyn’s resolve is shaken when she meets Max, a cute boy from her
new school, who gets a glimpse into her real world. Max slowly
manages to break through Katelyn’s wall of distrust, stirring up
feelings she never saw coming. Now with her world more complicated
than she ever intended, Katelyn struggles with the decision to follow
her heart into the arms of the first boy she has ever loved. A
decision that could risk the promise she made to protect Kevin, and
to give them the ‘someday soon’ that is so close within their
grasp
“When I was younger, I always thought of life like chapters in a book. I never knew what each turn of the page would bring, but always hoped for something better and happier.”-Katelyn
That is how Wishing for Someday Soon opens. It only took two sentences for me to know I would love this book. I feel like I need to give a little background info about myself in order to write this review how I want to.
Growing up in my house was not pleasant. My childhood was no where near as severe as Katelyn and Kevin’s. Where they dealt with physical abuse, and a mother who was obviously sick in the head; we dealt more with verbal abuse and neglect, with parents who put their booze, drugs, and partying first. Guys, I talk about it sometimes. I mention various stories in comments on blogs. I feel a little shaky actually discussing it here on my book blog honestly. Joking around and telling funny drunken stories are one thing, but none of what I mention in this review will be funny. I still have a distant relationship with my parents and so does my younger brother. It’s a strained one though. It’s like a cracked sheet of hovering glass between us, one wrong move and it shatters all over again. It’s a relationship I maintain, for the simple purpose that it’s less drama than the alternative. I know, this is supposed to be a review of a book, not a life dumping confession. I just wanted you all to get a feel of exactly why this book touched me so much.
“The only thing she and I have in common, except for the obvious mother-daughter thing, was a deep love of reading”- Katelyn <---- THIS. I want to bottle this up, I have never in my life come across a quote that describes my mother-daughter relationship so well. We will never see eye to eye on, well anything really, but my love of reading stems from her.
Katelyn’s mother makes mine look like a saint. She has some serious issues. Her verbal abuse of Katelyn was painful to read. The physical was too, but the verbal is what brought up the worst for me. Some of the things she said... I have had heard the same words thrown my way for no apparent reason. Unlike Katelyn’s mother, mine was always drunk when this happened, but at the end of the day, there is never a good excuse. So when Katelyn says she prefers the verbal abuse, that it’s not all bad... wow, I burst into tears. Because I know how bad that is… so I can’t imagine welcoming that over something else. I seriously hurt's my heart to think about it.
So many things, little things, reminded me of growing up. Katelyn has to wait hand and foot on her mother. Clean, cook, take care of her brother, empty the ashtray. *sigh* Did I mention how hard this book was for me to read? I wanted to put it down at points, I could barely see the words, but I couldn’t. I had to keep reading.
Semi settled into a trailer park, Katelyn continues on, taking care of her brother, trying not to get attached to anyone knowing it’s only a matter of time before they up and leave again. It doesn’t work out for her though, because in steps Max. Gosh I loved Max and his family. Hell, practically the whole town. The support system Katelyn and Kevin have needed all their lives. Some would say it’s unrealistic how everyone steps up and is so kind to help, but guys, I’ve witnessed this first hand. Don’t be grossed out now, but my mother would only buy me feminine supplies when she was feeling generous. I was told to roll up paper towels. My friend’s mom across the street would buy me a box every month and have it waiting for me. Its little things like this I’m forever grateful for. It doesn’t seem like much, but it meant the world to me. So watching everyone step up to lend a helping hand to these two kids, * more tears and funny looks from my husband*
This story is so beautiful yet so sad. Regardless of what your background is, Wishing for Someday Soon will break your heart and then put it back together. Of all the books I’ve read, none have ever hit me as personally as this one. So perfectly written and authentic. Katelyn’s thoughts = my thoughts. Her struggle with her mother. “I hate her, I hate her, I hate her… but she’s my mother” I still to this day struggle. I look at my own daughter and I feel my love well up, and know that how I feel, was never how she felt. It’s hard, so very hard. You’re in between what you do feel and what you should and shouldn’t feel. Katelyn was so real to me, because at times, she was me. The only difference now is that I’m not wishing anymore. I already have my someday. I hope that others will find theirs as well.
I cannot stress enough how much I loved this book. My cheeks are wet with tears just writing this. I’m going to leave you with a few quotes. I don’t usually drop quotes at the bottom of my reviews, but I highlighted so many that I wanted to share.
“Each book I read opened up a whole new world for me. It didn’t matter that we were poor, had no food or no place to sleep. If the story was good enough, I could completely submerge myself into the pages, letting the outside world fade away.”-Katelyn
“I made sure to scoop up a dozen packages of Top O’ Ramen soup for Kevin and me. At twenty cents a package, it was a cheap staple item for us”-Katelyn
“I think it’s ironic how people that want children so badly are denied, but those that should have never been able to reproduce have no problem doing it”-Katelyn
In my debut novel, Breathe, Sadie may have fallen in love with the teen rock star, Jax Stone, but readers fell head over heels for Marcus Hardy. This is his story…
Marcus Hardy had hoped to enjoy a year away at college while he put the summer he’d rather forget behind him. But instead, he’s jerked right back to the coastal town of Sea Breeze, Alabama due to a family crisis. His dear ol' dad found himself a girlfriend only a few years older than Marcus. So now his sister needs help dealing with their mother who is mentally falling apart. The only bright spot to returning is the fascinating red head who sleeps over several times a week. The problem is she's sleeping in bed with his new roommate, Cage Watson.
Willow “Low” Foster needs a place to live. Running to Cage’s apartment every time her sister kicks her out isn’t exactly a long term solution. Juggling her courses at the local community college and a part time job doesn’t produce excess income. But Cage has a new roommate and suddenly sleeping over at her best friend’s apartment isn’t such a bad thing. Not when she gets to see those sexy green eyes of Marcus Hardy’s twinkle when he smiles at her like he wants her there. Even though Cage seems a little territorial where Low is concerned, Marcus finds time to spend with Low without upsetting his roommate. Cage may use his small college baseball star persona to sleep with every hot female in his path but he’s still under the disillusion that when he’s through sowing his wild oats, he’s going to marry Low. Marcus intends to change that assumption for both Cage and Low. Until his carefully laid plans come crashing down with a revelation he never expected. He’ll have to choose between Low or his family. Because once the truth comes out.... there’s no other choice.
Because of Low... I want to try dying my hair red again. For real. Also I should start running on a treadmill so my legs can start looking a quarter as good as hers. (that is likely never to happen) lol
It’s no secret I have recently become a huge Abbi Glines fan. There is just something about her stories that I adore. Because of Low is a companion to Breathe. You don’t have to read Breathe before hand, but I suggest it. It was nice revisiting with characters from the first book, and I feel you will get a better understanding of Marcus having that background info.
I’ll be honest; I wasn’t one of the girls who fell for Marcus back in Breathe. I liked him well enough, he was a great friend to Sadie. I never envisioned him as being sexy. In Because of Low, you get to see a whole different side of him. He was no longer just Sadie’s friend, he was “Boy I’d like to hump someday”. It’s not just that he was hot. Yes, he’s described as being sexy, attractive, ect.. But that’s not what makes him humpable. <-- is that a word? Lol Anyway, I’ll get to why soon.
Low (real name Willow) Gosh I felt for this girl. Her family is F’d up. I have a soft spot for characters with screwed up families. I love Low, she’s the kind of female character you want to hang out with in real life.
Cage, I’m not going to say too much about him. For much of the book I wasn’t sure I liked him at all. My final conclusion is that I do. I would probably never get with him though, unless he wrapped it up multiple times because that boy gets around!
Enough with the character break downs, let’s get into the juicy bits! What makes Mr. Marcus humpable… the SEXYTIMES. Hands down. Holy hell, can Abbi write a smoking hot love scene. There were a few of them. When I say they were hot… I’m talking panty changing, but done in such a way that your aren’t embarrassed to read it. It’s klassy, with a K! This is what makes Marcus attractive to me. An author can describe until they are blue in the face how studly a character looks, his muscles, his hair, his piercing eyes.. But if you don’t back it up with some proof, it just doesn’t do it for me. Marcus is the full package. He's the all around nice guy you take home, but the hottie who also melts all your clothes off.
That’s not what truly sold this book for me though! Can we say DRAMA! Omg.. How can I explain this… We will go with watching the Titanic Movie for the first time. This is what I would compare it to. Hear me out.. In Titanic.. You pretty much know what’s going to happen. *Titanic Spoiler Alert* Big boat hits Iceberg, sinks, people die.
No one dies in Because of Low, but you know shit is going down! Very early on, I pretty much had it figured out. I think this is done purposely. I felt so morbid because through-out the book, so many close calls. I was sitting on my couch chewing my nails. “omg, is it gonna happen now?” Nope, Damnit.. “how about now?” NO? really? I can’t say what actually goes down, that would be spoiling. Just know that the suspense will kill you, and it will be so worth it.
I think it’s safe to say I loved Because Of Low. I highly recommend it. If I’m not mistaken, it’s only 99 cents right now, so you should jump on that if you can. Not sure how long that price will last.
Kate
Winters has won immortality. But if she wants a life with Henry in
the Underworld, she'll have to fight for it.Becoming
immortal wasn't supposed to be the easy part. Though Kate is about to
be crowned Queen of the Underworld, she's as isolated as ever. And
despite her growing love for Henry, ruler of the Underworld, he's
becoming ever more distant and secretive. Then, in the midst of
Kate's coronation, Henry is abducted by the only being powerful
enough to kill him: the King of the Titans. As the other gods prepare
for a war that could end them all, it is up to Kate to save Henry
from the depths of Tartarus. But in order to navigate the endless
caverns of the Underworld, Kate must enlist the help of the one
person whom she would really rather not meet. Henry's first wife,
Persephone.
I’m going to come right out and say, I’m a little tossed on Goddess Interrupted. I liked it, but I didn’t like it as much as The Goddess Test. I found this one easy to put down. I would have finished it and reviewed sooner, had I not had this issue.
Kate was a little annoying to me in Goddess Interrupted. She was just too whiny. For much of the book, all she talks and thinks about is whether Henry loves her or not. Even when she was with James or Ava, the break in action would stop, so that they could discuss Kate’s insecurities. This drove me nuts.
However, I still like Kate’s Character. I felt she was stronger in book one, and I hope that in the next book she will be back to herself.
What I loved about Goddess Interrupted was the action, the descriptions of the Underworld and Persephone surprisingly. I wasn’t expecting to like her much. She is flawed, she’s not perfect. That’s what I liked about her most. Her character being added to the mix was enough to help me overlook some of the stuff I didn’t like as much.
Holy Moly to the ending! A bit of a cliff hanger, but a good one. I kind of predicted it, the foreshadowing is there, but I was still surprised if that makes sense. If not for Kate’s hopefully temporary whininess, this sequel would have been perfect for me. Regardless, I’m still going to be chomping at the bit for book 3. I need to know what happens!
Hey everyone! I'm very excited to be a part of this cover reveal today, because I totally dig it. I love her hair. I once tried to die my hair that color, it didn't work out so well. By the end, it was fried and the color of a coke can. In fact, you could say it looked redder than that blood stuff on the tombstone. I think that's what that is. I'm mostly concerned about her pretty dress. I was pooped on by a seagull, so glad I was not wearing black.
In all seriousness though, I adore this cover, and the book sound pretty good, so I'll definitely be checking it out. :o)
About the book!
At Barinkoff Academy, there's only one rule: no students on campus after curfew. Phoenix McKay soon finds out why when she is left behind at sunset. A group calling themselves night students threaten to taste her flesh until she is saved by a mysterious, alluring boy. With his pale skin, dark eyes, and mesmerizing voice, Demitri is both irresistible and impenetrable. He warns her to stay away from his dangerous world of flesh eaters. Unfortunately, the gorgeous and playful Luka has other plans.
When Phoenix is caught between her physical and her emotional attraction, she becomes the keeper of a deadly secret that will rock the foundations of an ancient civilization living beneath Barinkoff Academy. Phoenix doesn’t realize until it is too late that the closer she gets to both Demitri and Luka the more she is plunging them all into a centuries old feud.
I sat up and followed Calixta’s gaze upward. I rubbed my eyes. I didn’t know what I was seeing at first. A statue? My brain refused to snap together coherent thoughts. I didn’t realize I’d fallen so close to one of the garden benches until I stared up at the boy that sat on one. He was strikingly beautiful. His tumble of blonde hair curled just above his sculpted cheekbones. He wore a silk shirt and a loosened cravat, like he’d become bored while dressing and decided to leave himself in disarray. His ivory skin and frozen position was what had me mistaking him for something carved from marble by Michelangelo. Then he sighed—a lonely, breathy proof of life. If I had to imagine what Lucifer looked like before he fell from heaven, the boy on the bench would certainly fulfill that image. My brain told me I had to look away, but I couldn’t.
“Luka,” Calixta said again, her voice unsure, almost nervous. It no longer contained the steel and bite she had threatened me with, which made me wonder who the boy was.
He leaned on his hands and crossed his legs, all the while keeping his eyes fixed on the night sky. His movements spoke of elegance and control. I’d encountered many people with breeding before, but his took on the air of arrogance and self-assuredness of someone used to getting what he wanted when he wanted it.
I only realized I’d been holding my breath when my lungs protested. I exhaled. My heart sputtered and restarted with a vengeance. Luka tore his gaze away from the stars and settled it on me. I’d expected pitch-black irises, like the other Night Students, but blue ice stared back at me.
“Human,” he whispered.
He reached out, and with a finger, followed an invisible trail down my cheek. I stiffened. His touch, cooler than Demitri’s, caused warm sparks to blossom on my face. He lifted his finger to his lips and licked its tip. He might as well have licked me from the way my body shivered.
Luka’s curious gaze held mine. “Leave us,” he said, but not to me.
“But—” Calixta protested like a spoiled child.
He spoke in a language I hadn’t heard before, remaining calm yet firm. The words had a rolling cadence I couldn’t quite follow, like rumbling thunder in the distance. They contained a harsh sensuality. The consonants were hard and the vowels were long and lilting.
Footsteps retreated behind me.
Luka reached out again.
It took me a minute to realize he wanted to help me up. I hesitated. He smiled. I smiled back timidly and took his hand, completely dazzled. Even with my uniform soaked from melted snow, I didn’t feel cold—all my attention was on him and the way his callused hand felt on mine. Without moving much from his seated position, he helped me stand.
“What’s your name?” he asked. He had a voice like a familiar lullaby. It filled my heart to the brim with comfort.
I swallowed and tried to stop gawking. “Phoenix.”
“The bird that rose from the ashes.” Luka bent his head and kissed the back of my hand. “It’s a pleasure meeting you.”
My cheeks warmed. My head reeled, not knowing what to think. I couldn’t understand why I felt drawn to him. And the strange connection frightened me.
From behind, someone gripped my arms and yanked me away before I could sort out the feelings Luka inspired in me. I found myself behind a towering figure yet again. Recognizing the blue-black silk for hair tied at the nape, relief washed over me. Calixta hadn’t come back to finish me off.
Demitri’s large hand wrapped around my wrist. Unlike the night before, no calm existed in his demeanor. He trembled like a junky in need of a fix. The coiled power in his tense muscles vibrated into me.
“What are you doing here?” Demitri asked.
I didn’t know he’d spoken to me until I saw his expressionless profile. I sighed.
“Phoenix.”
I flinched. The ruthless way he said my name punched all the air out of me. “You owe me answers,” I said with as much bravado as I could muster.
“I owe you nothing.” He glared. “In fact, you owe me your life.”
“I don’t think so.”
Ignoring my indignation, he faced Luka, who’d remained seated on the bench during my exchange with Demitri. “Why is she with you, Luka?”
“I wasn’t going to taste her, if that’s what you’re implying,” Luka said. “Although, she is simply delicious. I wouldn’t mind if you left us alone.”
There it was again. Taste. The word that kept coming up between these Night Students and I was connected to it in an increasingly uncomfortable way. To taste meant to sample, but what? My flesh? They had to be joking because the alternative wasn’t funny.
“The sins of the father …” Demitri left his sentence unfinished.
Luka’s smile shifted into a snarl. “Obey my command.” His chin lifted. “Kneel.”
Demitri’s stance went rigid. His grip tightened around my wrist.
Okay, weird just got weirder. Why would Luka want Demitri to kneel before him? I thought back to Eli and the others bowing to Demitri when he questioned them, but they didn’t kneel. Seriously? Were they all living on a different planet or something?
“Kneel.” Luka’s detestable smirk made his features sinister rather than angelic. The real Lucifer: a fallen angel.
Without letting go of my wrist, Demitri knelt down on one knee and bowed his head, his free hand flat at the center of his chest. “Your command has been obeyed,” he said formally.
Luka nodded once.
Demitri stood up and pulled me toward the school without telling me where we were going. Not having the time to thank Luka for saving me from Calixta, I risked a glance back. Luka smiled at me. His smile spoke of whispers, secrets, and promises to be shared on a later date.
Now for the trailer! ( I did not make this btw. I felt the need to mention that since you all know I make trailers for my blog. )
I have not done one of these in a while. I have been mostly getting e-books for my kindle. I did get a few things this week though, so I figured it was time to put on some makeup and do a vlog. I'll put that at the bottom below the list. :)
Gifted On the Islandby Tracey Garvis-Graves (signed) Thank you so much Tracey!
Hey Everyone! It's here! The Trailer you have all been waiting for. When I reviewed Fifty Shades a few weeks ago, I was not expecting trailer requests. I have never had so many requests to do a trailer as I did for this book. That makes my inner nerd dance in circles guys, cause I love that you all love my work. :o)
This was not an easy trailer to do, just for the simple fact its an erotic book, and there is only so much YouTube will let me get away with. I wouldn't be surprised if it still gets flagged by a hater, but I think I kept it clean enough to dispute, should that happen. For the record.. all sims are clothed.. just positioned cleverly.
I hope you all like it... Special thanks to Andrea, Autumn and Jess for encouraging me the whole way. I have been making them look at screen shots all week. lol.
The Genius and the Muse is a contemporary romance due out in May of 2012. Be sure to check it out!
SYNOPSIS
"Kate Mitchell knew what she wanted: to finish her degree from Foothill Art Institute and break into the art world on her own terms. Just when she thinks she has it all figured out, new insight into a mysterious photograph by her artistic idol will lead her on a journey through the past.
A photograph. A painting. Lost dreams and secret pain. One clue leads to another, and Kate learns that pieces of the past might leave marks on her own future, leading to a love she never could have predicted.
One portrait may hold the answers, but learning its secrets will challenge everything Kate thought she knew about love, art, and life. A single picture can tell more than one story. And in the end, a young artist will discover that every real love story is a unique work of art."
Sadie White's summer job isn't going to be on the beach life-guarding or working at rental booths like most kids her age. With her single mother's increasing pregnancy and refusal to work, Sadie has to take over her mother's job as a domestic servant for one of the wealthy summer families on a nearby island.
When the family arrives at their summer getaway, Sadie is surprised to learn that the owner of the house is Jax Stone, one of the hottest teen rockers in the world. If Sadie hadn't spent her life raising her mother and taking care of the house she might have been normal enough to be excited about working for a rock star.
Even though Sadie isn't impressed by Jax's fame, he is drawn to her. Everything about Sadie fascinates Jax but he fights his attraction. Relationship's never work in his world and as badly as he wants Sadie, he believes she deserves more. By the end of the summer, Jax discovers he can't breathe without Sadie
Oh Breathe. I loved this book guys. I mean, how could I not. What girl doesn’t dream about falling in love with a rock star? I sure did… and still do, but don’t tell my husband. Lol.
Lead Singer of Framing Hanley. [Rock Star I would boink]
There is something so sweet about Sadie’s Character. I seriously felt for this girl. Her mother is a kunt. <--- See, I didn’t use the C word. It’s a K. Anyway, I wanted to string this woman up and murder her, post birth of course. Sadies mother is pregnant because she can’t keep her legs closed and stay away from dead beat men. Unfortunately Sadie has to be the one to suffer for this, and support them all. If there is anything in life I have experience with, it’s crap family members, so Sadie and I. We were peeps.
Jax Stone, oh my did I love him. He is everything you want in a teen heart throb. He’s got a little angst, but what musician doesn’t. But guess what! He’s a nice guy. I’m beginning to see this trend in Abbi Glines books. Nice guys, and I love it. As fun as it is to read about the stand-offish bad boy, it gets old. Give me a nice guy any day.
The supporting character’s, are also great. Glines does a wonderful job with Characterization. Just about every character in this story took a small piece of my heart. It’s okay though, I’m not bitter. I know I’ll never get those little pieces back. As long as Abbi keeps writing these books, I’ll consider us even.
Breathe left me with a smile on my face. I loved it, and now I know why it’s one of Andrea’s favorites. I finished Because of Low as well, I’ll be writing that review next. I have to say, Abbi Glines is now an Author who will be on my “Always Buy Immediately” List. I just can’t get enough of her stuff.
What happens when you're stalked by Death? You fall in love with him, of course.
Pagan Moore doesn't cheat Death, but instead, falls in love with him.
Seventeen year old Pagan Moore has seen souls her entire life. Once she realized the strangers she often saw walking through walls were not visible to anyone else, she started ignoring them. If she didn't let them know she could see them, then they left her alone. Until she stepped out of her car the first day of school and saw an incredibly sexy guy lounging on a picnic table, watching her with an amused smirk on his face. Problem is, she knows he's dead.
Not only does he not go away when she ignores him, but he does something none of the others have ever done. He speaks. Pagan is fascinated by the soul. What she doesn't realize is that her appointed time to die is drawing near and the wickedly beautiful soul she is falling in love with is not a soul at all.
He is Death and he's about to break all the rules _____________________________________________________________________________
I have had Existence on my “To Read” list for a while. You see, I first heard of Abbi Glines through Andrea. She’s a huge fan of her work and well, I’m a huge fan of Andrea, so I immediately added the titles to my goodreads list.
Until recently, I hadn’t gone out of my way to read any of them though. I recently got a kindle, so I bought Breathe and Because of Low. Watching Andrea, Jess, and Autumn tweet about them had me jealous I hadn't read them yet. They still sat on the back burner though, so when Autumn tweeted me a trailer contest for Existence, I couldn’t resist popping my Abbi cherry with that one. I hadn't purchased that one yet, so Autumn let me borrow her kindle version of this.
As much as I hate doing Trailer contests, I can never stop myself because I do love doing them. One thing I promised myself after last time was to read the book first. Because I like to add details that only someone who has read it, will understand. Plus, who wants to put all that work into a book that blows?
See, i guess he's sexy in a Dank kinda way. lol
Existence did not blow guys! It was really good. I find I’m a little burnt out on the paranormal stuff, and really anything that isn't contemporary lately, so I was a little unsure how I would feel about this one. Sometimes reading paranormals, I feel like I’m reading the same books over and over again. I didn’t feel that way with Existence. I enjoyed the story. It was different.
Pagan was great, I loved her. Dank, though I loved him for her, I couldn’t quite find him as attractive as I wanted to. This has nothing to do with how he’s described. Everything about him is sexy… but that name.. Ooh, that name. lol. When I hear the word dank... I think of a dark wet smelly place. Silly, I know, I’m sure Dank smelled great.
screen shot blooper. Someone got fisted. lol
I love how Abbi Incorporates music into her writing. Now, I just finished Breathe and I loved it. Breathe also has music in it. You can actually buy Dank's song on ITunes. I’ll admit, I didn’t love it when I first heard it... but it has since grown on me. The lyrics are gorgeous, and when you read the book, it’s just so perfect. Check it out!
I have to say though, my favorite part of Existence is the ending. I can’t say a thing about it. No spoilers here, but it will make you need book two. Which happens to be out now, so this weekend I’ll be buying that for sure.
I’m so glad that Glines had this trailer contest, because it made me read her stuff sooner. I’m already a huge fan, reading Because of Low right now, and adoring it. What I have learned in the past few weeks, is Abbi’s books are much like potato chips. You can’t eat just one. I can assure you, I’ll be emptying the bowl quickly and anxiously waiting for anything she puts out there.
I know I put this on a previous post, but I'll drop the trailer below in case anyone missed it. :)
For as long as she can remember, 17-year-old Alexis Forbes can hear the thoughts of others. Most recently, she is disturbed by the dark, unfamiliar voice of a frightening killer: callous, cunning, charismatic…and dead.
She hears his every sinister thought. But she can’t tell anyone. No one would believe her. Alexis is suddenly being haunted by a terrifying past she doesn’t remember, and a ghost with a serious score to settle. Even Chance, the gorgeous new guy she’s falling for, has his own ghostly secret. He’s definitely not like any guy she’s ever met. Alexis soon discovers she has a connection to the dead and it runs much deeper than she could ever imagine. And if the sociopathic entity has his way, she’ll finally be sentenced to the fate she escaped thirteen years ago.
EXCERPT
I retreated to the serenity of the courtyard. Stepping out onto the stone pavers, the stagnant smell of the brick building’s stale, recycled air was replaced by the fresh scent of turning foliage, blooming mums, pansies, and the faded mulch bedding the outdoor garden. With each step forward, the sun’s rays surrounded me, the thick branches of the old oak no longer providing me with shade.
Summer sat on the same picnic table smoking a cigarette. Her Doc Martins rested on the seat. Instead of fishnets, she had on a pair of black tights ripped at the knees. Her tight black T-shirt said, “Don’t F*!# with me!” I guessed students could wear profanity to school as long as the word wasn’t actually spelled out. Either that or no one noticed Summer’s attire, or cared.
‘Last puff or I’ll be late to stupid Algebra, where I’ll undoubtedly be picked on, and all for learning something I’ll never use anyway…man, school sucks.’ Summer threw the butt onto the ground and dismounted from the table. She squished the cigarette under her boot and looked up. She sighed, noticing me standing in front of her, staring. She plucked the flattened butt off the ground and disposed of it in the dumpster.
“What do you want?” Summer rolled her tongue ring around in her mouth. “Are you like obsessed with me or something? How did you find me anyway?” She looked over at the dumpster blocking the view of her and her smoking habit. The school frowned upon students smoking. Immediate suspension was the penalty. Not that Summer appeared to care. At least she did her best to hide it.
I lowered my shoulders, still pinned up next to my ears after the influx of voices in the lunchroom. It was nice to hear only Summer’s voice. “I’m sorry it looks like I’m always staring at you. I just…”
“Hear my thoughts,” Summer finished. “Can you hear what I’m thinking right now?” From the scowl on her face, I figured nothing positive. Not that I expected anything else.
“It doesn’t work that way.” I covered my mouth with my hand. I only trusted Brooke with my ability. I certainly wasn’t going to tell the school Goth I could hear people’s thoughts.
“You can remove your hand.” Summer relaxed her stance. “You’re like me. You’re different. I already know.”
“How are you different?” I appraised her outfit. “Other than the obvious.”
Summer climbed back on the table. “That’s not something I’m about to share with you.”
