Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along :D! Just do the following:
• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share
doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can
add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers! I did not do a Teaser Tuesday last week, because I was playing catch up on everything :). This week I will be posting teasers from four AMAZING books- one of these I am still currently reading. TRAGIC by J.A. Huss, Nearly Broken by Devon Ashley, Charmed by Cambria Hebert, and Undescribable by Shantel Tessier.
Teaser #1:
She's a blackbird sitting in a tree staring out at the world, daring the wind to come and knock her off the swaying bough.
Teaser #2:
I'm afraid of just about everything he represents. I mean let's be honest, all the best-looking guys cheat. That's a given.
Teaser #1:
I woke up screaming, my hairline drenched with sweat, my hand tingling where it was burning just seconds ago. Nick was on me in seconds, slamming the doors into their hidden pockets with so much force they bounced back at him.
Teaser #2:
“But be honest with me. Did you ever talk to someone about what happened? I mean about what happened before your last day? ” he skirted.
Teaser #1:
I had no intention of staying away from Charming. I fully intended to find out what the hell he was up to. I just promised not to die while doing it.
Teaser #2:
“What are we going to do for nine hours?” “I can think of a few things.” I wagged my eyebrows. “Want to see how my jeans look on the floor?”
Teaser #1:
I can’t get Samantha out of my head. God, that voice. So sweet and gentle, it had taken my breath away when she spoke my name. I have never experienced anything like it before.
Teaser #2:
I've never been one to want someone by just looking at them. I've always tried to stray away from physical contact when it comes to the opposite sex, but with him, it's like my body wants to draw him in.
Have you read any of these books? What did you think of the teasers?
Leave a link to your Teaser Tuesday post in the comments :D!
I am super excited to participate in the Charmed by Cambria Hebert Release Day Blitz, hosted by Giselle at Xpresso Reads & she runs Xpresso Book Tours :D! I was lucky to receive an e-arc of Charmed from Cambria herself, and let me just tell you that it is AMAZING!!! You can read my 5 star review HERE, and enter my own giveaway of a kindle copy of Charmed. Now read an excerpt and enter the giveaway!
Title: Charmed
Author: Cambria Hebert
Series: Death Escorts #2 (you do NOT have to read Recalled to understand Charmed. You can
just read Charmed. Reading Recalled will give you a little more
background info though.)
Publication Date: July 22, 2013
Genre: New Adult Paranormal Romance
Synopsis:
***This is a New Adult book. Due to sexual content and some graphic
language this book is recommended for young adults. Mature readers only.
18+ recommended.***
Life or Death? Not many people would choose
death. But what if death chooses you? What if death doesn’t mean the end
of your life, but the beginning?
For a Death Escort, death is life. Death is your paycheck. Death is your job.
And Charming is the best Escort the Grim Reaper has ever had.
But
when you piss off the Reaper, being the best doesn’t matter. So
Charming is assigned a Target who is practically impossible to kill. He
knows the Reaper hopes he fails—that he’s counting on it. So Charming
vows to prove him wrong. He vows to make the kill.
But someone
else vows to get in his way. Someone with a big mouth, a sugar habit,
and blond hair. Someone who makes his heart start beating again.
And
so Charming is left holding more than one person’s fate in the palm of
his hand. He thought the choice would be easy, that there really wasn’t
a question at all.
He was wrong.
Life or Death?
Add Charmed by Cambria Hebert to your TBR Pile-->Goodreads
Excerpt:
Frankie
Sugar. I needed more of it if I was going to make it through this day. The chocolate croissant and caramel latte I had this morning wasn’t near enough to combat the massive lines, the noise, and disgruntled people that filled the DMV. Whatever in hell made me think that working at the Department of Motor Vehicles, here in Alaska, was a good idea? Maybe it was the good pay. Maybe it was because I got weekends off. Or maybe it was because I had a moment of temporary insanity that unfortunately coincided with me saying, “I accept,” when I got offered this job. Besides the fact that the lines were permanently out the door, the computer systems were temperamental at best, and my boss was a complete broom rider, my stash of chocolate and Sour Patch Kids was empty. That meant someone was going to die today. I glanced back up at the ninety-year-old woman whose head barely cleared the insanely high counters we stood behind and tried to hold on to my patience. “Mrs. Eldridge,” I said extremely loudly. “Like I told you last week, you have to go and get new glasses before I can renew your driver’s license.” “I have new glasses,” she insisted. Lord, save me now. “You got those ten years ago. You need some from this year.” Or decade I finished silently. She shuffled out of the line like a turtle and I took her slowness as a chance to really search beneath my station and chair for a long-lost piece of sugar. Anything. Even a stray jellybean would likely find its way into my blood stream at this point. Of course there was nothing. I briefly considered hiding beneath my desk until five o’clock. My car. I had an emergency stash in my car. I glanced at my watch. I had another hour until I was able to take a fifteen-minute break. A pair of black pumps appeared before me and I inwardly groaned. Just what I needed—a run-in with the witch. But instead of being greeted by her condescending, screechy tone, an icy-cold red can appeared before me. Hallelujah, praise the Lord, it was caffeine and sugar! I snatched the Coke out of her hand and popped the top, taking a large, satisfying chug. The bubbles crowded down my throat, slightly burning, and I took another swallow. “I love you,” I murmured to Lela, the girl who worked right beside me. She laughed. “I know that look when I see it.” Then she straightened and whispered. “Witch alert.” I shot up, my head bumping into the counter on the way. I wanted to shout out in pain, but I clamped my mouth shut, not wanting to draw the attention of my boss, Satan’s assistant. I turned back to my line, my eyes colliding with a broad chest. I looked up, and the can slid out of my hand, hitting the floor with a thud while fizzy liquid poured over my favorite boots. I didn’t even notice. “What the hell are you doing here?” I growled as I looked around for something sharp I could stab him with. A thick brow arched. “So is this where you spend your days? As if the DMV isn’t a horrible enough place to visit without the poor people of Alaska having to tolerate you.” There wasn’t enough sugar on this planet that would save him. I reached out and picked up the black phone. If I couldn’t bludgeon him to death here at my place of employment, then I could at least call the cops. I began dialing, but he reached over and cut the connection. I slammed the phone down on his hand, which was still pressed on the hang-up button. Breath hissed between his teeth and his green eyes shot to mine. “Careful, George, you’re pissing off the wrong man.” “My name isn’t George.” He shrugged, pulling his hand away from the phone. “When you have a man’s name, does it really matter?”
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
Source: e-arc provided by author for my honest opinion/review.
Description from Goodreads:
Life or Death? Not many
people would choose death. But what if death chooses you? What if death
doesn’t mean the end of your life, but the beginning?
For a Death Escort, death is life. Death is your paycheck. Death is your job.
And Charming is the best Escort the Grim Reaper has ever had.
But
when you piss off the Reaper, being the best doesn’t matter. So
Charming is assigned a Target who is practically impossible to kill. He
knows the Reaper hopes he fails—that he’s counting on it. So Charming
vows to prove him wrong. He vows to make the kill.
But someone
else vows to get in his way. Someone with a big mouth, a sugar habit,
and blond hair. Someone who makes his heart start beating again.
And
so Charming is left holding more than one person’s fate in the palm of
his hand. He thought the choice would be easy, that there really wasn’t a
question at all.
He was wrong.
Life or Death?
My Thoughts:
And so just minutes after I lived the moment that defined my
life forever… I also lived the moment that would forever define my
death.
I liked Recalled (the first book in the
escort series), and when I heard that this was going to be a series I
was super excited. I love the new take of the Grim Reaper created by
Cambria Hebert- it is a little creepy, but original :). I will admit
that I did not like Charming in Recalled, because he was portrayed as
the bad guy (which he was). But after reading Charmed I completely feel
in love with his character. There is just so much more to Charming's
character that we did not see in Recalled.
Usually my charm, looks, and money got me to the finish line.
Who
is Charming? Well let me start off by saying that this boy just leaves a
trail of Charm where ever he goes. He uses his charm to get his job
done as a death escort. But under all that charm, brand clothing, and
materialistic life there is a man that lived a rough life, is
protective, is honest, and is caring. At the beginning we get the same
Charming we got in Recalled-egotistical, charming, cocky, and a real
jerk. But getting deeper into Charmed we get to see the true person
Charming really was when he was still alive. And after reading all that
he suffered, and what he sacrificed to become a death escort I fell even
more in love with him. Plus this boy is just oozing sex. Trust me when I
say that I had to fan myself a few times, because he is just intense. I
will admit that I loved Charming more than I loved Dex :). What can I
say? This girl loves her bad boys, and I love that he is a boxer :D!
If I didn’t know what a complete and utter loser he was, I might fall prey to his… well…. his charm. Damn it.
I
was actually excited to read and learn more of Francesca (Frankie) in
Charmed. The little I did read about her in Recalled really made me feel
a connection to her character. Frankie is more spontaneous, daring,
sassy, and more full of life than Piper's character in Recalled. I just
loved that Frankie did not let Charming's charm affect her (it sort of
did) but she did not show it. She played Charming back in his game, and
this I absolutely loved! What happens when the player finally gets
someone who is willing to play him back? These two are just perfect in
teasing each other :D!
Her words struck something inside
me that I hadn’t felt in a long time, and I pushed it back, I didn’t
think about those kinds of things anymore. I didn’t feel.
When
Frankie decides to make it her mission to stop Charming from completing
his next job/kill by messing up his plans, everything in Charming's
life starts to mess up. Ever since he died he shut down his emotions,
because it helps getting the job done. But now that Frankie is injecting
herself in his life, he starts to feel things. He feels emotions that
he does not want to acknowledge or even want, because it is ruining his
job of being a death escort. Will Charming finally surrender to the
things he is feeling and finally start living again, or will he shut
down the feelings and continue doing his job so no one will get hurt?
You are just going to have to read Charmed to find out :D! I really
can't say more without ruining the story to you guys, and trust me when I
say this book is worth the buy and worth to read!
...the only direction I seemed to be going was toward him.
“But when I’m around you, I feel like there might be some hope.”
Frankie
doesn't want to admit or come to terms to what she is feeling towards
Charming. I mean who will want to love a man who kills for a living and
who tried to hurt her friend? When Charming finally accepts the fact
that he is feeling something for Frankie, he wants her to stay away from
him. But the attraction and chemistry between these two is just too
much for their own minds and bodies to handle. They try to stay away
from each other, but their bodies have a mind of their own. I just have
to say that Frankie and Charming relationship is one of my favorites.
These two are just perfect together! But Charming knows that he can not
have a relationship with Frankie, because there is no good that will
come out of it, especially when you work for the Grim Repear. That is
all I can say without ruining the book :).
Butterflies with razorblade wings. That’s how he made me feel. It was the
feeling that plagued me since we had met, the feeling that took me so
long to acknowledge and even longer to identify. It’s exactly what he
did to me.
Charmed was one of the hardest reviews I had
to write so far, because I can't say much without ruining the book. Like
I said before Charmed is a book worth buying and reading :). Cambria
Hebert brought the heat, sizzle, deepth, and intensity in Charmed with
both Charming's and Frankie's characters! Charmed just has everything
that Recalled did not have and so much more. This is definitely going
on my favorite reads for 2013 :D!
***e-arc provided by author for my honest opinion and review
Final Verdict: 5 Stars
Favorite Quotes:
"Sometimes there is beauty in sorrow.” I suddenly felt like I was standing too close to a flame. Heat seared my skin. “You aren’t dead. You just don’t remember how to live.” It’s like he and I were stuck on a carousel—destined to go round and round but never actually getting anywhere. His hand wrapped around mine. His fingers found their way in between mine and curled closed, pressing his palm against mine. If I had thought Charming was changing before, I knew it now. It was almost like night and day. She
caught my wrists and pulled them away from her head. “Why is it
whenever I try to get away from you, I end up in your arms instead?”
About the Author:
Cambria Hebert is a latte
sipping author of the Heven & Hell series, the Death Escorts series,
and the 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
It's Swoon Thursday, hosted by YA Bound. This is a weekly meme, which I will be doing every single Thursday :D! Here is how it works: From the book you’re currently reading, or one you just finished, tell
us what made you SWOON. Shout it out on Twitter with the hashtag
#YABound, post it here in the comments, or grab the adorable button
above and share it on your blog. We want to know!
“I don’t take orders from you.” Damn my breathless voice! “No?” he asked, amused, the corner of his lips tilting slightly. “What will you take from me?” My back hit the nearby brick retaining wall. And I was completely surrounded. One of his hands crawled around to the small of my back and grabbed a handful of the red silk. I didn’t have time to say anything. To declare I couldn’t even stand his presence. I wouldn’t have been able to form a sentence anyway because he yanked me forward and his mouth covered mine. Aggressive. That’s how he kissed. Like he was staking a claim, not only on my lips, but my entire body.
Swoon #2:
He pushed me down in the sand, his body coming over mine and blocking out the stars that glistened like jewels in the night sky above us. “I’m going to kiss you now,” he murmured, already brushing his lips across mine. “Don’t bother to try to fight it. It’s a fight you won’t win.”
Swoon #1:
In one swift motion, he released me, only to thrust his biceps beneath my arms, lifting until our shoulders met and slamming me against the wall, mashing his body into mine. I barely had time to gasp before his lips shoved against mine. His kisses were hungry and rough, almost desperate, and tasted of salt as my tears came between us.
What did you think of the swoons?
Leave me a link to your Swoon Thursday post in the comments below :D!
