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October 31, 2012

Review: Point of Retreat by Colleen Hoover

Point of Retreat (Slammed, #2)

Title: Point of Retreat (Slammed #2)
Author: Colleen Hoover
Publication date: February 25, 2012
Genre(s): New Adult (Contemporary)
Challenges: Contemporary
Source: Own
Format: Egalley
Pages: 352
Hardships and heartache brought them together…now it will tear them apart. 

Layken and Will have proved their love can get them through anything; until someone from Will’s past re-emerges, leaving Layken questioning the very foundation on which their relationship was built. Will is forced to face the ultimate challenge…how to prove his love for a girl who refuses to stop ‘carving pumpkins.’
*This review might have some spoilers of Slammed* 
Point of Retreat is the sequel to Slammed. I was so excited to pick this up and started it immediately after Slammed. What’s different about Point of Retreat is that it is told from Will’s point of view. I am usually excited yet at the same time wary of such POV changes between books. I always like the love interests to be a bit mysterious, and getting inside their heads removes all that. However I was so pleased with this POV change. Will was such an amazing narrator; I enjoyed looking at everything through his eyes this time; At Layken, at their brothers, at their relationship, and to basically feel his love towards Layken and anyone he cares about. 
Of course them finally ending up together means that trouble WILL be in paradise for this novel to go on. Enter Will’s ex-girlfriend. I honestly did not like her one bit, she was pushy, even though SHE broke up with him, and she didn’t take no for an answer. This causes Layken to re-evaluate their whole relationship and whether they are together just because they have very similar circumstances. I have to say, I was really frustrated with Layken in this book. Her faith in their relationship was so weak and no matter how much Will told her she just didn’t believe in them. I think I enjoyed being around Will way more than Layken. Still throughout all of this, the moments between the two still make your stomach flutter and your heart melt. They honestly are the perfect couple! 
I initially thought this book would just be a filler, the second book in contemporary series that usually always tested the relationship between the two. However I do think what happened was significant in terms of their relationship, which is why I was so invested in it and had my feelings in a jumble because I needed the two to make up! Point of Retreat, while not as good as Slammed, was still an amazing read. Fans of Slammed, pick this book up right now and read it. I can’t wait for the third book in this series to come out!  

Other books by Colleen Hoover:

Review: Decked with Holly by Marni Bates

Decked with Holly
Title: Decked With Holly
Author: Marni Bates
Publisher: K-Teen
Publication date: September 25, 2012
Genre(s): Young Adult (Contemporary)
Challenges: Contemporary, SARC
Source: Publisher
Format: ARC
Pages: 272
Goodreads | Amazon | B&N
Holly Dayton is about to go way out of her comfort zone. . .

Spending Christmas vacation on a cruise with her two cousins from hell isn't Holly's idea of a good time. And when in a moment of seasick-fueled desperation she lurches into an open suite--she's greeted with an eyeful of pepper spray. The culprit? A gorgeous guy calling himself Nick. But when Holly goes to make her exit, she gets the shock of her life: a corridor crammed with screaming teenage fans. Because Nick just happens to be Dominic Wyatt, drummer for ReadySet--one of the hottest bands in America.

Suddenly rumors are swirling, and Holly's face is captured on countless phones and plastered all over the Internet. But the band can't risk a scandal destroying their family-friendly image, so Dominic convinces Holly to be his fake girlfriend--just for two weeks. How bad could it be to be fauxmantically involved with one of the cutest rockstars on the planet? Holly's about to find out. . .
Decked with Holly is another cute read from Marni Bates. In this novel, we've got Holly Dayton, a 17 year old orphan who lives with her grandfather. For christmas, her grandfather decides to take her as well as his other daughter's family on an 8 day cruise to Mexico. Her aunt, along with her two daughters, are typical bullies masked in designer clothes, calorie counting, and makeup. In other words, the cruise is an 8 day vacation in hell. To Holly's delight, and Dominic's misfortune, they get photographed together while she was leaving his room after getting using his bathroom to rid herself of her seasickness. 
This is when the story really moves. Dominic is a member of the band ReadySet. If you've read Awkward by Marni Bates then you'll remember him from there. The tabloids accuse him of hitting this mystery woman (Holly), and in order to kill the rumors he strikes a deal with her to be his fake-girlfriend. From here on out, we all know the direction the novel will take, even the misunderstandings that occur on whether the behavior of the other person is for the cameras or there is some hint of real feelings behind it. Since this novel is told from both Holly and Dominic's POVs you get to see how each one of them really feels and you just want to smack them and tell them to just get on with it and get together already. While the back and forth banter between Dominic and Holly was very cute and resulted in a ton of funny situations, I just hoped we spent more time with them really talking or just any awkward situations to occur because staying in the same suite as your fake-boyfriend or fake-girlfriend HAS to cause some red-face inducing situations right? I also really wanted to know how Dominic did with his new venture of lyric writing. He's also known as the Drummer of ReadySet but he took this vacation to write and relax. I've read the beginning of one of his lyrics and it sounded fun! I hoped that Bates gave us a bit more on what happened with the song he composed and how it was received by his bandmates and management.
The ending of Decked With Holly is predictable, but that's something to expect from a contemporary romance genre. While throughout reading the novel I found myself skipping a few descriptive paragraphs here and there and wanting to read more dialogue between the characters, I really did enjoy it. Decked With Holly, in my opinion, wasn't as enjoyable as Awkward, however it was an overall great novel that I am sure fans of Marni Bates and cute contemporary novels in general wouldn't want to miss out on!
Other books by Marni Bates: 

October 30, 2012

Cover Reveals - The one with the many sequels!


There has been a slew of cover reveals this past October. Many many many cover reveals!! Every single day I would go online and see at least one new cover. Many of those covers, as the title says, are sequels. However this post isn't just for cover reveals of sequels, but also other striking cover reveals of new series or standalones! Bask in their beauty and try let me know which one is your favorite from this whole list! 













October 28, 2012

Blog Tour of Gravity by Melissa West - Review & Favorite quote


Hello and welcome to the next stop on Melissa West's Gravity blog tour. Be sure to check out my review below along with my favorite quote of this novel and the giveaway below sponsored by Entangled Publishing! 


In the future, only one rule will matter: Don’t. Ever. Peek. 
Seventeen-year-old Ari Alexander just broke that rule and saw the last person she expected hovering above her bed — arrogant Jackson Locke, the most popular boy in her school. She expects instant execution or some kind of freak alien punishment, but instead, Jackson issues a challenge: help him, or everyone on Earth will die. 
Ari knows she should report him, but everything about Jackson makes her question what she’s been taught about his kind. And against her instincts, she’s falling for him. But Ari isn’t just any girl, and Jackson wants more than her attention. She’s a military legacy who’s been trained by her father and exposed to war strategies and societal information no one can know — especially an alien spy, like Jackson. Giving Jackson the information he needs will betray her father and her country, but keeping silent will start a war.

----------------------------------------------------------------------



So a quote that I really liked in Gravity? It has girl power written all over it and you all know how much of a feminist I am so here it is!
"My head snaps back, my mouth fills with a metallic taste. I lick away the blood from my bottom lip and try to shake away the throbbing pain. Anger bubbles from my chest and I lunge for him, kicking and swinging, unsure of anything but the force of my movements. I want to beat him. I’m going to beat him. I pull away and he stumbles again, shock written across his face. I fight the urge to spit at him and instead push him further backwards.
“Bring it,” I scream, and then narrowing my eyes and lowering my voice, I whisper, “I’m not afraid of you.” "
Gravity, oh gravity I had such high hopes for you. The synopsis was so intriguing, I am not sure there was any dystopian/Sci-Fi fan who wasn't anticipating this novel. I just need to point out first that I read an early edition and I have heard many changes occurred, most of which I had problems with so keep in mind that many of the issues I will mention have probably been rectified.  
In Gravity we've got two species, the humans, and the Ancients. You really don't know much on how the Ancients arrive or their relationship to humans or why they do things called The Taking (even after I finished the book I really didn't get it). However Ari finds out who her Ancient is and is surprised that it is Jackson, the most popular guy in school and her rival for top seed in school and becoming an operative. I felt Ari was a bit naive and very easily manipulated to give any information one needs even if it betrays her father. I also felt like the world building was a bit weak and while the beginning didn't give much, and that helped in keeping the readers on their toes, I hoped by the end I would have answers to many of my earlier questions.  
However I really loved the last couple of chapters for the novel. The direction Melissa West, while not all that unique, was still one that got me excited for the second book. The whole biological warfare and the struggle between wondering whether the Ancients were good or not and what their world was like was what made me enjoy the novel in the end. I won't really mention the romance because I personally tried my best to ignore it. It was too insta love for me but I'm glad it didn't overshadow the main plot. I do hope a love triangle (gasp!) would emerge in the second book, but not a flimsy one where Jackson still ends up with her, no competition, but one where the other guy might just get her in the end! as the saying goes, all's fair in love and war.  
I do recommend this novel, especially the edited and modified edition for the readers who found the synopsis to be intriguing. Give it a try, I am pretty sure if I read the changed version I would have liked it so much more! I recommend this to fans of The Shadow Society by Marie Rutkoski and Sci-Fi/Futuristic genre lovers! 



Melissa lives in a tiny suburb of Atlanta, GA with her husband and daughter. She pretends to like yoga, actually likes shoes, and could not live without coffee. Her writing heroes include greats like Jane Austen and Madeleine L'Engle.

She holds a B.A. in Communication Studies and an M.S. in Graphic Communication, both from Clemson University. Yeah, her blood runs orange.

GRAVITY is her first book.

Find Melissa on

Website
/Twitter/Facebook/Goodreads



October 26, 2012

Review: Betwixt by Melissa Pearl - Juhina



Betwixt
Title: Betwixt
Author: Melissa Pearl
Publication date: November 5, 2012
Genre(s): Young Adult (Paranormal/Contemporary)
Challenges: SARC
Source: Author
Format: Egalley
Pages: 203
Beautiful, wild-child Nicole Tepper is hit by a car and left for dead. But when she wakes the next morning, Nicole finds herself in bed without a scratch. Perhaps she was more intoxicated than usual, as her mother is giving her the silent treatment and her friends are ignoring her as well.

Things take a turn for the weird when Nicole soon discovers she is actually hovering between life and death. Her body is lying in the forest while her spirit is searching for anyone who can hear her. Unfortunately the only person who can is Dale Finnigan, the guy she publicly humiliated with a sharp-tongued insult that has left him branded.

Desperate, Nicole has no choice but to haunt Dale and convince the freaked-out senior to help her. Will he find her body before it's too late? Or will the guy who tried to kill her with his car, beat him there and finish her off before anyone finds out?
Betwixt is another fantastic novel by Melissa Pearl. I think Melissa Pearl has tackled this sub-genre marvelously. In Betwixt, Nicole was on the receiving end of a hit and run and is thrown down the hill from the impact of the car. When she wakes up she finds out that no one can hear or see her, except for Dale. Dale, the neighbor who she always liked as a friend but couldn't really hang out with because she is at the top of the social ladder and being associated with him is like social suicide. Therefore Nicole has to battle between having someone hear her and find her and basically her body surviving the crash and her immobility in the middle of nowhere. 
This novel was so refreshing. I loved how Melissa Pearl kept this novel as realistically as possible for such a plot. The ending wasn't absurd or out of no where and the mystery of who hit her was actually really well thought out and written. At the beginning I did not like Nicole. She was a typical mean girl who lived by the book of bullies. I did not pity her or care much for her. She was spoilt, careless, an airhead, mean, and just downright infuriating. She thought the whole world loved her but got a reality check when she heard what people were saying about her behind her back. The only person who I liked from the beginning was Dale. Dale is the guy who has always tried to be nice to her but was rewarded the nickname scarface when her friends caught her chatting with him and *gasp* actually enjoying herself. 
However bit by bit Nicole finally sees herself for who she truly was and that caused her to re-evaluate her whole life. I love it when characters develop and you actually see it happening and believing in it because a character you hated at the beginning of the story ends up being your favorite towards the end. I really enjoy Melissa Pearl's novels. Every single one that I have read I delved into its world with its characters and plot. Betwixt was no exception. Melissa Pearl is a gifted storyteller and I urge all YA readers to check out Betwixt or any of her other novels!

Other books by Melissa Pearl:
Forbidden Territory (Mica & Lexy #1)
Golden Blood (Time Spirit Trilogy #1)
Black Blood (Time Spirit Trilogy #2)
Pure Blood (Time Spirit Trilogy #3)

October 24, 2012

Review: The Truth about Faking by Leigh T. Moore - Juhina

The Truth About Faking
Title: The Truth About Faking
Author: Leigh T. Moore
Publication date: September 1, 2012
Genre(s): Young Adult (Contemporary)
Challenges: Debut, Contemporary, SARC
Source: Author
Format: Egalley
Pages: 328
Jason just wants a date with Harley.
Harley just wants a date with Trent.
Trent's still getting over Stephanie.

When Harley and Jason decide to fake date, they uncover a school of deceptions. Trent's got a secret, but so does Jason. And the more time Harley spends secretly kissing her fake boyfriend, the further she gets from her dreams with Trent.

Worst of all, Harley's mom is getting cozy with her hot massage therapy student, and even Harley's Reverend Dad can't fake not being bothered by it. But when the masks finally come off, can everyone handle the real truth?
The Truth about Faking was a cute contemporary. Initially I wasn't the best fan of the main protagonist, Harley, especially with her mind set on Trent. Also, Jason was a bit needy and I didn't like how he wasn't playing it cool with the fake dating. Over time, Harley was more bearable but Jason just got better for me. He finally put his foot down and decided he didn't want to get played, which is when Harley finally sees the good thing in front of her. Towards the end, it definitely got more interesting plot wise.  
Plot wise, I really enjoyed how Leigh portrayed Harley's family life as a normal one with loving parents. We don't usually get that with parents from YA novels. The book mentions once or twice the way her parents look at each other and how much they love each other. These moments were the most memorable for me. Also, Harley's father is a Reverend and her mother is a therapist, so it was great to see how different people ended up together. However Harley's relationship with her mother is strained but it isn't due to childish things and it is explored in this book. 
At the beginning, this novel felt a bit cliched, however the ending was just so out there. I found it to be a bit bizarre but satisfying. Of course the people who should end up together do end up together but it is how they reached there in the end. Leigh wrote a wonderful novel, while I struggled a bit at the beginning, it was a very enjoyable novel overall. I recommend it to contemporary fans, especially fans of Jennifer Echols' The Boys Next Door.