Cover Reveal: Keeper by Surprise by Laurie Larsen

Cover Reveal for Keeper by Surprise by Laurie Larsen, organized by Giselle at Xpresso Reads & she runs Xpresso Book Tours :D! 

 

 Title: Keeper by Surprise

 

Author: Laurie Larsen

 

Series: NA

 

Cover Designed by: Affordable E-Book Covers

 

Expected Publication Date: September 2013

 

Genre: New Adult Romance

 

Synopsis:

College life provides the reprieve Keith Hanson dreamed of while growing up in his father's strict household.  Now, he concentrates on keeping his grades up (just enough to get Dad off his back), and loving his girlfriend Carly.   He never knew life could be this good.  Until a terrible accident leaves his parents killed, and Keith named as guardian over his three siblings.  Although only 20, he's the one now who has to earn money to support the family and take care of the kids.  Including the discipline, something his teenage sister Dana is totally lacking.
Brand new social worker Lisa Carle has a lot to prove to her boss about her ability to do a good job.  But it's hard to focus on professionalism when she's falling in love with the client.  Can the two of them help each other?  And will their budding relationship survive screaming twins, a teenage runaway and an unethical boss?

 

Add Keeper by Surprise by Laurie Larsen to your TBR Pile---> Goodreads 

 

 

Cover Reveal: Scorched Treachery by Rebecca Ethington

Today I am participating in a Cover Reveal of Scorched Treachery by Rebecca Ethington, hosted by Julie at Atomr Tours :D!

Title: Scorched Treachery

Author: Rebecca Ethington

Series: The Imdalind Series #3

Expected Publication Date: July 12, 2013

Genre: Paranormal (with action and romance)

Age Group: YA

Cover Designed by: Okay Creations

Synopsis: 

While Joclyn is trapped in the tormenting hell of Cail’s mind, the battle around her only continues to grow and spread.

*

Edmund has infiltrated the underground hallways of Prague, guiding the massacre that would end the lives of the last of the great magical race. In her attempts to stop him, Wynifred has been captured and her magic restrained. Chained up in the ancient dungeons of Prague, her fate is left in the hands of her father, who has tried to kill her before.
With Ryland’s screams and Sain’s fragmented sights as her only company, Wyn must rely on something that has been hidden deep inside of her for centuries to help them break free.

 *

Ilyan’s whole life has been building up to one purpose. Protect the Silnỳ. He knows what he must do, and he has no doubt in his ability to do so.
But when his father’s magic removes Joclyn’s mind from her body, he is left protecting the shell of the one person he loves. Desperate to find a way to break her free of her prison, he makes a choice. And that one choice changes everything.
Now, Ilyan finds himself bound to Joclyn in a way that he never knew to be possible. They say that blood is thicker than water, but Black Water burns, and Ilyan’s heart may not be strong enough to keep the water pumping through his veins and give the girl he loves back into his brother’s care.
Even if he can, it may not be safe to do so.

Reading order: Kiss of Fire (1), Eyes of Ember (2), Scorched Treachery (3)

 

Add Scorched Treachery by Rebecca Ethington to your TBR pile--->Goodreads

 

Full Cover Wrap:

About the Author:

Rebecca Ethington is a story teller and author from Salt Lake City, Utah. She has been telling stories since she was small. First, with writing crude scripts, and then in stage with years of theatrical performances. Rebecca’s first stint into the world of literary writing, The Imdalind Series, was released in October 2012 and since its release each book has been found in several top 100 lists on Amazon. Rebecca is a mother to two, and wife to her best friend of 14 years. Her days are spent writing, running, and enjoying life with her crazy family.

 

Where to find Rebecca Ethington:

Website (Keep Updated) 

Twitter (Follow)

Goodreads (Add her Books)

Amazon Author Page

Barnes & Noble Author Page

Swoon Thursday #7: Trying to Get Over You & Banished from Grace

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!

This week I will be posting Swoons from Trying to Get Over You by J.D. Rivera and Banished from Grace by Aria Williams.

 Swoon #1:

"If walking you home means I get to spend time with you; I'll take it." Then he kissed my lips and left a trail of tiny kisses all the way to my ear, which he bit, making me close my eyes. He whispered, "Bye."

 

Swoon #2:

After I kissed him back, his kisses became harder, rougher, and his tongue found its way into my mouth. He snaked his arm around my waist and down my butt. He pulled me up, and I had to wrap my legs around him.

 

 Swoon:

 His strides were erratic as he moved toward me, and with one quick turn of the lock, he pulled me inside, sliding his lips onto mine. I met his lips with the same ferocious impact, parting my mouth, tangling his tongue with mine, and sending spikes of fire up my spine. AJ’s hand went behind me, pulling the cord of the blinds closed.

 

What did you think of my swoons? Have you read these books yet?

 

Leave a link to your Swoon Thursday post in the comments below, and if you don't have a blog just leave a swoon in the comments :D!

 

Do you want to read a picture swoon? Then read the teaser pic of Shattered Ties by K.A. Robinson HERE :D! 

 

Cover Reveal: Charmed by Cambria Hebert

Today is the cover reveal of Charmed the second book in the Death Escorts series by Cambria Hebert :D! I am just loving the cover. 

 

Title: Charmed

Author: Cambria Hebert

Series: Death Escorts #2

Expected Publication Date: July 22, 2013

Genre: New Adult Paranormal Romance

Cover Designed:  Regina Wamba

Synopsis:

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?

 

Book Trailer:

 

Full Cover:

 

 

Where to find Cambria Hebert:

Website (Keep Updated) 

Facebook ("Like") 

Twitter (Follow) 

Youtube (Subscribe) 

Goodreads (Add her Books) 

 

Where to Buy Recalled (Death Escorts #1):

Amazon (Ebook & Paperback)

Barnes & Noble (Ebook $2.99 & Paperback)

 

Short Review: The Host by Stephenie Meyer

Title: The Host
Author: Stephenie Meyer
Series: The Host #1
Publication Date: May 6, 2008
Genre: YA/ Sci-Fi/ Romance
Source: Bought

Description from Goodreads: 

Melanie Stryder refuses to fade away. The earth has been invaded by a species that take over the minds of human hosts while leaving their bodies intact. Wanderer, the invading "soul" who has been given Melanie's body, didn't expect to find its former tenant refusing to relinquish possession of her mind.

As Melanie fills Wanderer's thoughts with visions of Jared, a human who still lives in hiding, Wanderer begins to yearn for a man she's never met. Reluctant allies, Wanderer and Melanie set off to search for the man they both love.

Featuring one of the most unusual love triangles in literature, THE HOST is a riveting and unforgettable novel about the persistence of love and the essence of what it means to be human.

My Thoughts:

 

I read Stephanie Meyers Twilight Series and enjoyed the books, but I have to admit that I loved The Host more. 

 

 

I loved all of the characters, especially Melanie/Wanderer and Ian. I also loved Jared, but he was a bit of a jerk most of the time. The love triangle between Jared, Ian, and Melanie/Wanderer was great, because it didn't feel like a love triangle to me. I did not hate it or get tired of it like I usually do with other love triangles in other book series, I believe the reason to this is that Jared loved Melanie and Ian loved Wanda (the host in Melanie's body). I absolutely loved Melanie's and the Wanda's characters. Stephanie Meyer did an amazing job at giving both of these characters their own personality. When I think of Melanie and Wanda, I think that it is sort of like us and our conscious in real life. Overall the characters were freaking amazing.

 

 

The beginning was a little slow for me. There was a lot of description and a few diaglouge. It's a great beginning, because Stephenie explains/describes why the souls came to Earth, and how they live their daily lives. I guess in other words a lot of world building for my own personal taste. Great insight in how Earth has changed, but not too interesting. It starts getting interesting once Melanie/Wanda leave society and go into the desert.

 

Like any other girl I love my swoon moments in books! There are not a lot of swoon moments, but it is not about the quantity in the host, it is about the quality. There are major swoon moments from both Jared and Ian with Melanie and Wanda. What more can a girl ask for? I have to admit that I love both Jared and Ian, because they are both hotties and great guys in their own way. If I had to choose between these two I would probably choose Ian :)!

 

I recommend everyone to read this book! It is still one of my favorite reads, and yes I would probably re-read this book again.  

Final Verdict: 4.5 Stars

The only reason I didn't give this book 5 stars was because the beginning was very slow for me. 

 

About the Author:

I was born in Connecticut in 1973, during a brief blip in my family's otherwise western U.S. existence. We were settled in Phoenix by the time I was four, and I think of myself as a native. The unusual spelling of my name was a gift from my father, Stephen (+ ie = me). Though I have had my name spelled wrong on pretty much everything my entire life long, I must admit that it makes it easier to google myself now.
I filled the "Jan Brady" spot in my family-the second of three girls. Unlike the Brady's, none of my three brothers are steps, and all of them are younger than all the girls. I went to high school in Scottsdale, Arizona, the kind of place where every fall a few girls would come back to school with new noses and there were Porsches in the student lot (for the record, I have my original nose, and never had a car until after I was in my twenties). I was awarded a National Merit Scholarship, and I used it to pay my way to Brigham Young University, in Provo, Utah. I majored in English, but concentrated on literature rather than creative writing, mostly because I didn't consider reading books "work" (as long as I was going to be doing something anyway, I might as well get course credit for it, right?).
 

Where to find Stephenie Meyer:

Website (Keep Updated) 

 

Goodreads (Add her Books) 

 

Where to Buy The Host:

Amazon (Ebook & Paperback) 

 

Barnes & Noble (Ebook & Paperback) 

 

Book Depository (Paperback) 

 

Review: Bound By Prophecy by Melissa Wright

Title: Bound By Prophecy
Author: Melissa Wright
Series: Descendants #1
Publication Date: April 2013
Genre: New Adult Paranormal Romance/ Urban Fantasy
Source: Won a paperback copy from the Author for an honest review.

Description from Goodreads:
Twenty-two-year-old Aern is done watching his brother destroy the only thing that matters. He never wanted to take Morgan’s place among council, never wanted to rule their hidden world. But when the key to the prophecy is found, a young girl named Brianna whom Morgan will destroy, Aern knows he has to take action.
What he really wants, is for things to go back to normal. But now he’s kidnapped a girl, and his brother’s men are after him. His only hope is to join with the Division, but they have plans of their own, and it’s the last thing Aern is willing to do.
Emily just wants her sister back. She doesn't care about the prophecy, or realize what’s at stake. But when she goes after Aern, the truth of the matter uncoils, and Brianna isn't the only one who’s in danger.
Suddenly, they’re at the center of a secret war, and unless they can work together, they’ll both have a sacrifice too big to make.

My Thoughts:

 

They called it a thinning of the blood. Though most of our ancestors' magic had slowly weakened, it still left us the ability to hold sway over humans.

Bound By Prophecy caught my interest from the first few pages I read. From the very beginning there is mystery and action. The story is told from Aern's POV and he and his brother, Morgan, have the ability to "sway" humans. This sort of reminded me of the movie PUSH, because they can sway people to do anything they want just by touching them. I loved reading from Aern's POV and I loved Aern :D! Aern is charming, protective, witty, and a fighter.

For one brief instant, I considered leaving her. Touching her face, dropping her into a coma, and walking away.

When he meets Emily, Brianna's sister, he does not know what to expect from her. Emily hates Aern for kidnapping her sister, and she does not like what he is and what he can do. I loved Emily's character because this girl does not need a boy to fight her battles or defend her from the bad guys.

"Tell them anyone who touches her dies."

Emily and Aern stay together, because they both need each other. Emily needs Aern to find her sister, and Aern needs to protect Emily so Morgan won't use her as leverage to get to Brianna. Throughout the book they start getting closer to each other. Aern starts feeling a pull towards Emily, but he knows that nothing can happen between them. This does not stop his jealous outburst towards other man.

Knowing we had gotten lucky before. It wouldn't happen again. This time, people would die.

There is a battle going on and off throughout the book. The battle and romance are centered on the prophecy that has been passed down to Aern, Morgan, Emily, and Brianna. All four of them have a part to play in the prophecy. All the lives lost, the blood shed, and betrayal are unstoppable and can only be stopped by these four characters.

Bound By Prophecy was a page turner, I could not put this book down once I started it. I will definitely be reading the second book in the series. The only reason I did not give this book a five star review was because the pace slowed down a little, but after those brief pages it picked up again. 

Bound By Prophecy is full of romance, action, mystery, and there are a few twists in the book. Both of the main characters are strong, lovable, and they both stand on equal grounds-one is not seen as less than the other.

Final Verdict: 4 Stars

 Favorite Quotes:

I wished I could say her name. Distract her. Something. But all I could do was offer my hand, tell her with my eyes it would be okay.

"This is so unfair," she said. "You look like The Bourne Identity and I look like Big Trouble in Little China."

 She drew me toward her, gaze dropping as she pressed me back on the pillows to curl against my chest. The motion was tentative, she had done it nonetheless.
I wrapped my arm around her shoulder, "You will both be safe, Emily. I swear by it."-

 My hands braced her there as I pressed my forehead to hers and held her. Just long enough for a silent promise. I would come back to her.

 She slipped her arms around  my back, and we stayed there, unspeaking, as I pressed a kiss to the top of her head.

*I won a copy of the book from the author for an honest review. 

About the Author:

Melissa is the author of the Frey Saga and Bound by Prophecy. She is currently working on book two of the Descendants Series, and when not writing, can be found on Goodreads and Pinterest. Contact her through the web at www.melissa-wright.com

 

Where to find Melissa Wright:

Goodreads (Add To Shelf) 

Website (Keep Updated)

Pinterest (Follow)  

 

Where to Buy Bound By Prophecy:

Amazon (Kindle & Paperback) 

Banres & Noble (Nook & Paperback) 

Book Depository (Paperback) 

Review: Charade by Cambria Hebert

Title: Charade
Author: Cambria Hebert
Series: Heven and Hell #2
Publication Date: May 18, 2012
Genre: YA Paranormal Romance
Source: Copy provided by author 

Description from Goodreads:
Dying at the hands of a psycho was a shock. Having my life returned to me by an angel was incredible. Being named a Supernatural Treasure and being given Sam as my guard was pretty darn awesome. Acquiring a debt for it all - well, I should have seen it coming. Now here we are, fighting demons from hell, caring for a boy that I just don't trust and traveling to faraway places to return a treasure to its rightful place. Nothing is as it seems. Everyone wears a mask, everyone puts on a charade. It's up to us to separate the truth from the lies and reality from fiction. A hard task when my new reality involves fallen angels, witches and dragons...and did I mention hell? Anchoring me down through it all is Sam. Sam who must face tragedies of his own and is put to the test again and again. If we fail in our task, life as we know it - life as you know it - will end. Forever. 

My Thoughts:

 I was not disappointed with the second book in the Heven and Hell Series :D!

*****Spoilers for the first book in the series*****

Heven has been given her life back by the angel, Airis, and has been named a
Supernatural Treasure. That is not all, Sam (a hell hound) has been assigned as her guard against all evil. Now, they both have a mission to go to the Catacombs in Rome and return the Treasure Map, which is an important list of people who are meant to do good things on earth. If this list falls into the hands of a Demon, the lives of the people on the list will end. Both Heven and Sam are determined to get the Treasure Map to Rome, but once they arrive in Rome all Hell breaks lose.

There are three new characters, Gemma, Henry, and Logan in Charade.
Gemma was briefly mentioned in Masquerade- she was the girl that gave Sam the bracelet. I seriously did not expect her to be that young, because when she was mentioned in Masquerade I thought she was way older lol. I won't say a lot about her, because I don't want to spoil the book :).

Logan was mentioned in the last chapter of Masquerade. I could tell that his presence in Sam and Heven's life was going to bring trouble. His actions throughout the whole story just screamed out that he was definitely bad news, and that there was something evil deep inside of him.

Henry is also a new character, and let me just say that I am not a fan at all. I was surprised to find out who he was by the last few chapters, because I was totally not expecting him to be that evil. I knew that he was bad just by his actions throughout the book, but was totally not expecting him to be a demon.

I seriously could not put this book down, because it was just a great read! I loved reading from both Sam's and Heven's point of view, because there are parts within the story that can only be seen through either one of their side. Now, the mystery behind Kimber, Heven's friend, and Logan just kept me reading. There was also the big revelation on why Cole feels a strong Connection with Heven. This totally made my jaw drop to the floor, because I was not expecting this turn in the story.

I would definitely recommend everyone to read this book. If you loved Masquerade then you will love Charade. Plus, the cover is just gorgeous :D!

  Final Verdict: 4 Stars

* A copy was provided by the author for my honest opinion and thoughts about the book.

 

About the Author:

Author. Blogger. Latte Sipper.
Cambria Hebert is the author of the young adult paranormal Heven and Hell series and the Death Escorts 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 Pennsylvania 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

 

Where to find Cambria Hebert:

Cambria Hebert Blog (Stay Updated)

Facebook ("Like")

 Twitter (Follow)

Goodreads  (Add her Books)

 

Where to Buy Charade:

Amazon (Ebook & Paperback)

Barnes & Noble (Ebook & Paperback)

Book Depository (Paperback) 

 

 Heven and Hell Series:

Before (Heven and Hell #0.5)

Masquerade (Heven and Hell #1)

Between (Heven and Hell #1.5)

Charade (Heven and Hell #2)

Bewitched (Heven and Hell #2.5)

Tirade (Heven and Hell #3)

Beneath (Heven and Hell #3.5)

Renegade (Heven and Hell #4)

Review: What Kills Me by Wynne Channing

Title: What Kills Me

Author: Wynne Channing

Series: What Kills Me #1

Publication Date: June 6, 2012
Genre: YA Paranormal Romance
Source:  Won a copy from Blog Tour

Description from Goodreads: 

The fight for survival begins.

An ancient prophecy warns of a girl destined to cause the extinction of the vampire race.

So when 17-year-old Axelia falls into a sacred well filled with blood and emerges a vampire, the immortal empire believes she is this legendary destroyer. Hunted by soldiers and mercenaries, Axelia and her reluctant ally, the vampire bladesmith Lucas, must battle to survive.

How will she convince the empire that she is just an innocent teenager-turned bloodsucker and not a creature of destruction? And if she cannot, can a vampire who is afraid of bugs summon the courage to fight a nation of immortals?

My Thoughts:

This book was just AMAZING! I don't know where to begin in explaining how much I enjoyed reading this book.

Axelia (Zee) was just the normal human girl that gets turned into a vampire. She did not know that vampires even excited. Now she is being hunted down by them, because they believe she is the girl the vampire prophecy said would kill the vampire race. Enter the hundsome boy Lucas, who's father finds Axelia in the woods, and he is not too happy of Axelia barging into his home. Lucas must help Axelia find out more about this vampire prophecy, while fighting off an entire vampire army and vampire bounty hunters, to figure out a way to prove to the vampires that she is not the girl of the prophecy.

I was first intrigued by this book, because of the gorgeous book cover. Then I read the synopsis on goodreads and jumped through all the blogs that participated in the What Kills Me Blog Tour. The reviews sounded great, the author interviews were awesome, and the excerpt/synopsis were intriguing.

I just loved the plot behind the vampire prophecy, and Axelia's role in the whole ordeal. Throughout the story Axelia's powers-comes from her being the girl of the vampire prophecy- keep developing and keep getting stronger. There is action, adventure, death, deception, and romance. What more could I ask for? I loved the relationship between Axelia and Luca, but at times I just wanted to slap some sense into these two lol. Channing keeps you on the edge of your seat with the turn of each page. I seriously could not put this book down, because I wanted to know what would happen next. Now, the last chapter of the book just shocked me :0 (in a good way) :D! I hope there is a second book to What Kills Me, because I want to read more about Axelia and Lucas.

This is a book totally worth reading :D!  

Final Verdict: 5 stars

 

About the Author:

Wynne Channing is an award-winning national newspaper reporter and young adult novelist.

She started writing horror/fantasy tales as a girl. She still has the first novel that she wrote when she was 10. It’s (unintentionally) hilarious.

Wynne loves telling stories and as a journalist, she has interviewed everyone from Daniel Radcliffe and Hugh Jackman to the president of the Maldives and Duchess Sarah Ferguson. The closest she has come to interviewing a vampire is sitting down with True Blood‘s Alexander Skarsgard (he didn’t bite).

She briefly considered calling her debut novel “Well” so then everyone would say: “Well written by Wynne Channing.”

 

Where to find Wynne Channing:

Website (Keep Updated) 

 Goodreads (Add her Books) 

Twitter (Follow) 

 

Where to Buy What Kills Me:

 Amazon (Ebook & Paperback) 

Barnes & Noble (Ebook) 

Smashwords (Ebook)