BOOK REVIEW: SECRET OF THE SEVENS BY LYNN LINDQUIST

Hey All!!!
So we have a review for a very nice story from Lynn Lindquist called Secret of the Sevens. My review is below:

 

In Secret of the Sevens you have a lot of the elements that make up a great story. There's a boarding school, a mystery, and teen angst. The only thing I needed for this to be better is for some supernatural elements to be added! 

Talan Michaels has grown up most of his life in a harsh way. His mom was more focused on getting her next fix than on making sure her kid was fed, and he had to deal with so many hardships. That all stopped when he came to Singer, a boarding school for underprivileged kids - many of them foster kids with no homes. Worried that he may be homeless after graduation, he accepts an invitation to join a super secret society with promises of riches and freedom in his future. Little does he know, this invitation is about so much more, and will change his life.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story. I was sympathetic to the characters and the situation they found themselves in, and watching the teens solve the mystery was pretty interesting and fun. I liked Talan, though he did frustrate me from time to time. And watching him slowly realize his feelings for foster sister Laney felt natural and sweet.

My biggest issue is that I saw a lot of the surprises coming...for example when we discovered who was sending the clues to the Seven's rituals. And at times I found myself skimming. Especially towards the end when I got a bit tired of the clues and games, and was ready to get on to the reveal. All in all, it was a good story, with fun characters, and nice drama.

3 stars!

BOOK REVIEW: THROUGH FIRE & SEA BY NICOLE LUIKEN

Hello All!!!
So I have been sick. Like, sicker than sick. The kind of sick that makes you completely gross to be around and incapable of doing the wonderful things you need to do...like putting up your book reviews!

Today I have my review for Through Fire & Sea by Nicole Luiken!

Through Fire & Sea was very much a fun read. Alternating between the perspectives of Leah and Holly - the same girl, but living on alternate universes - the story takes you between how both girls find their soul-mates (Gideon and Ryan). In Leah's world she's the bastard daughter of a ruling duke, who forces her to take the place of his real daughter with a duchess who just happens to be able to get rid of the country's dragon...for a price. When she meets Gideon sparks fly. For Holly, it's a normal day hanging out with her dad on his boat when she falls in and almost drowns. But when she meets her mysterious rescuer at school the following week she feels inexplicably drawn to him.

Overall, I enjoyed the tale, but had trouble with the back and forth perspectives of the girls. Because they lived in such drastically different worlds, alternating between the two became jarring. I felt like at times I was more happy with Leah's story than Holly's, and vice versa, which made it difficult to truly care about either one of them.

I enjoyed the magic piece of the story, but the solutions to some of the problems faced felt a bit convenient for me. I'd have liked to know how Ryan's mom got busy with the sea god, because we didn't get any info on that, but were given tons of detail on how Gideon's mom got herself knocked up. 

All in all, it was a fun read, with decent characters and a plot that was a bit all over the place. I'd give it 3 stars!

BOOK REVIEW: DRAGONS ARE PEOPLE, TOO BY SARAH NICOLAS

Hey All!!!
Today I'm reviewing a fantastic book by Sarah Nicolas, Dragons Are People, Too!

In DAPT we meet Katherine "Kitty" Lung, who is a super spy operative within a super secret government agency housed in DC. It's Kitty's job to take on various missions through the world for the U.S. She's also responsible for keeping the President's son safe while at school. If you're wondering why some teenage girl is racked with so much responsibility, and how she can be expected to handle it all...it just so happens that Kitty is not only trained to be a lethal fighting machine, she also is part dragon! At her own will, Kitty can change into a full on, non-fire-breathing (only English dragons breath fire) dragon!

But when the dragons cover is blown and the President's son is kidnapped, it's up to Kitty to save both her best friend and her people.

This book was action packed and full of mind-blowing fun. I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know Kitty and all of the people/dragons surrounding her. Kitty's progression from a well trained fighter battling with her emotions, to a girl who can be true to herself was nice to watch. I also enjoyed seeing her figure out how to navigate the difficult waters of freeing the President's son, while trying to barter for her parents (and friends) freedom. 

The characters throughout the book were spot on. Both her parents were fierce and seasoned warriors who had different battle scars. It was nice to see how each one had a different influence on who Kitty was and how she would grow throughout the story. And the plot twist that conveniently got them out of the way so that she could grow as the hero was well done. I also liked how the romance between herself and her partner in crime, Sani, developed. It felt natural and not at all rushed. You'll find no insta-love here!

Overall, this was a great story, with great characters that really drew me in.

4 Stars!!!

COVER REVEAL: PIXELATED BY L.S. MURPHY

Hello All!!!

Coming to the stage we have Pixelated by L.S. Murphy. All book deets are below:

Pixelated

by L.S. Murphy 

Release Date: 06/30/15

Bloomsbury Spark

Summary from Goodreads:

Senior Year. 

Middle of nowhere. 

What's the new girl to do?

For Piper Marks, the answer is simple. She’s determined to have her photography rock the cover of National Geographic someday, and moving to Clarkton, Iowa for her last year of high school is not going to stop her. Even if her usual subjects have changed from bright lights and skyscrapers to fields, cows…and more fields. 

But when photographer at the local paper quits in a huff, she steps into his spot. Her new job keeps Piper busy capturing tackles, and zooming in on first downs and end zone dances, not to mention putting her directly in the path of varsity football star Les Williams IV. Her new friends warn her off, but she can’t resist the pull she feels toward this mysterious country boy. But this small town is keeping a secret, and it’s one that could destroy any chance they have to be together. 

It’s up to Piper to decide what to do with the distorted truth. Can she risk exposing her heart? It might be worth it, 'cause Les is about to change her world from black and white to fully saturated color. 

Praise for Pixelated:
"In Pixelated, L.S. Murphy weaves a complex web of secrets and lies with a ‘will they or won’t they’ romance that kept me turning pages and holding my breath!" ~ Julie Reece, author of The Artisans and Crux

"Beautifully written, with a full spectrum of emotion and complex characters, Pixelated will tug at all your heartstrings. I easily lost myself in the world L.S. Murphy created and couldn't stop reading because I needed to see how the story ended." ~ Kelly Oram, author of Cinder & Ella

"L.S. Murphy brings something for every reader with Pixelated: romance, secrets, mystery, and a main character torn between two choices. Murphy's writing is sharp and steeped in emotions, deftly hooking her readers from the first sentence to the last." ~ Sarah Bromley, author of A Murder Of Magpies 

About the Author

L.S. Murphy obsesses about St. Louis Cardinals baseball, fangirls over her favorite authors, and watches every episode of Doctor Who like it's the first time. When she's not doing those time-consuming things, the former farm-girl turned city slicker turned suburbanite writes sweet romances for teens and adults.

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BOOK BLITZ: FINDING THOR BY KAI STRAND

Hey All!!!

Coming to the stage we have a new addition by Kai Strand, Finding Thor. Book deets are below:

Finding Thor

by Kai Strand 

Release Date: 03/12/15

272 pages

Summary from Goodreads:

Tragedy has left Cara Cassidy broken and the only thing keeping her from giving in completely is her guilt. Until Nik Rock.

Nik stirs up feelings in degrees she has never experienced, and causes her to do things that most assuredly give him the wrong impression – like kiss him before their first date. Somehow, he breaks down the walls around her emotions until she has no choice but to forgive herself and feel again.

But a mysterious, troubled past follows Nik, and Cara may prove to be his weakest link.

When a royal princess shows up looking for Nik, and an international gang arrives looking for missing jewels, Cara lands in mortal danger. Will she be able to save herself? What will happen to her newly repaired psyche if she loses Nik?

Romance, mystery, and high stakes – just another day in high school. 

Buy Links:

Amazon│Barnes & Noble

About the Author

Kai Strand writes fiction for kids and teens. Her debut novel, The Weaver, was an EPIC eBook Finalist. King of Bad soared to the publisher's #1 spot its second month. She is a (very lucky) wife and the mother of four kids. The most common sound in her household is laughter. The second most common is, "Do your dishes!" Kai and her family hike, geocache and canoe in Central Oregon, where they call home.

Kai organized the free, themed, multi-author, short story blog, Lightning Quick Reads. She is available for personal appearances, workshops, and classroom or school visits. Feel free to contact her directly to discuss availability and request references.

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BOOK REVIEW: SHH! BY STACEY NASH

Hey All!!!
I just finished Shh! a NA novel by Stacey Nash. In Shh! we have a lot of ingredients that often make for a fantastic story. A smart and capable heroine, a juicy rumor gone seriously wrong, and an age when everything in life can seem all the more difficult.

Unfortunately, for me Shh! was only an okay read. While I enjoyed the issue the main character, Olivia, dealt with, I often found myself more enamored with her besties. I thoroughly enjoyed Molly and Savannah, but Olivia didn't always do it for me. While she had some fun traits, and did redeem herself in the end of the story, I felt she spent way too much time wallowing.

I'm not saying she didn't have reason to feel sorry for herself. Having an ex breakup with you for nightly masturbating while next to him is a hard rumor to fight. I'm sure most of us would want to wallow. And I do feel the author did a great job of showing the embarrassment that comes with that...but it went on a bit too long for my taste. And, for me, I read books to escape from that sort of thing, not to put myself into those type of feelings.

I also didn't feel Olivia did anything for much of the book - outside of wallow. Here she is, dealing with a huge rumor, having people talking behind her back, and guys treating her like crap, and not until the very end of the book did she think to investigate if it were true or to get some help? I can see how, at first, she most likely thought it was a mean joke, but after the second witness came forward and she recognized it might have some truth to it, it was time for some action...and I didn't feel I got that from her.

Most of this story felt like an internal dialogue from Olivia's point of view on how her life was falling apart, how disappointed her parents would be, and how she was falling for Logan, but was afraid that he would find out about her "disorder". I don't feel that Olive took her life into her own hands until her friends and Logan forced her to do it. And that didn't sit well with me.

Don't get me wrong, the book wasn't all bad. It was a quick and easy read, with a pretty cool topic, and with many interesting characters. I think it will be a great read for many, but just didn't do it for me *shrug*.

Overall, I give Shh! 3 stars!!!

Happy reading and writing!

BOOK REVIEW: RED BY ALYXANDRA HARVEY

Hello All!!!

Today I have a review for the up and coming Paranormal YA from Alyxandra Harvey, Red! You'll find the summary for Red below:

Red

by Alyxandra Harvey 

Release Date: March 2015

Entangled Teen

Summary from Goodreads:

Bad girls burn hot…

Red is the color of Kia Alcott's hair.
It's her temper, which blazes hot and always gets Kia into way too much trouble.
And it's the color of fire. Fires that Kia can start…just by thinking about them.

When her latest “episode” gets her kicked out of school, Kia is shipped off to her grandmother, who works for the wealthy Blackwoods. It's an estate shrouded in secrets, surrounded by rules, and presided over by a family that is far from normal…including the gorgeous and insolent Ethan Blackwood.

Ethan knows far more about the dangers of the forest surrounding the estate than Kia can ever imagine. For this forest has teeth, and Ethan is charged with protecting the outside world from its vicious mysteries.

But inside, even the most vibrant shade of red doesn't stand a chance against the dark secrets of the Blackwood family… 

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When I first saw Red in my inbox as an option to review, I was immediately intrigued. The idea of a girl who has a huge temper being able to start fires with her mind...awesome! Then you add to that the beautiful estate full of secrets aspect and I was completely hooked.

I thoroughly enjoyed being in our main characters head. Kia was strong, willful, and a bit too quick to jump into situations that could end up with her in lots of trouble. I loved her relationship with her grandmother and how it evolved throughout the story. I also enjoyed the friendship she developed with Sloan, who, for me, was pivotal to how much I enjoyed this story.

I also thought the relationship between Kia and Ethan was done very well. It didn't just start with jumping into their super-intense love for one another (no insta-love here!), but felt natural and real to me. And being able to see the story from his viewpoint also made this story jump off the page even more. I loved Ethan's voice and seeing how he struggled with the great sense of duty he had in his life, verses his intense anger towards his father. You definitely saw his growth form being a teenager, into more of a man by the end of the tale.

The twist of the house and what was held within its walls was very cool, and I loved seeing Kia navigate the ins and outs of living in that sort of a situation, while trying to keep her firestarting ability a secret.

Overall, this was a really great read, it was well written, and the suspense was amazing!

I give it 4 stars!!!

About the Author

Alyxandra Harvey lives in a stone Victorian house in Ontario, Canada with a few resident ghosts who are allowed to stay as long as they keep company manners. She loves medieval dresses, used to be able to recite all of The Lady of Shalott by Tennyson, and has been accused, more than once, of being born in the wrong century. She believes this to be mostly true except for the fact that she really likes running water, women’s rights, and ice cream.

Among her favourite books are ‘The Wood Wife’ by Terri Windling, ‘Jane Eyre’ by Charlotte Bronte, and of course, ‘Pride and Prejudice’ by Jane Austen. Elizabeth Bennet is her hero because she’s smart and sassy, and Mr. Darcy is, well, yum.

Aside from the ghosts, she also lives with husband and their dogs. She likes cinnamon lattes, tattoos and books.

Author Links:

Website│Goodreads│Twitter│Facebook

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