(ARC) Make Me Sin by J.T. Geissinger

Title: Make Me Sin

Author: J.T. Geissinger
Number of Pages:  400

This title was provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review!

Synopsis:
Chloe Carmichael’s life feels pretty sweet—she’s both maid of honor and florist for her best friend’s A-list wedding, things are getting serious with her boyfriend, and her flower shop is about to get a spread in a national magazine. But it all quickly turns sour whenever the best man, Bad Habit drummer A.J. Edwards, shows his face...his handsome, unforgettable face. A.J. is everything Chloe doesn’t want: tattooed, selfish, and all-around bad news. So why can’t she stop thinking about him?

Goody two-shoes Chloe isn’t exactly A.J.’s type, either, but the chemistry between them is undeniable. A.J. will be the first to say he isn’t a saint, but there’s something he’s not saying—something that would devastate Chloe. The only way he can protect her is to push her away, but the drummer finds he needs her now more than ever. When a wedding-day confrontation reveals secrets they’re both hiding, will Chloe and A.J. ever find their rhythm again
Review:
 I haven't read the first book, so I was a little wary on picking up the second, I was hoping that it would not matter if I read it as a stand a lone, and while in some instances I felt a little left out, it was nothing major.

I fell in love with this book and the characters, all of it, from each steamy moment. The buildup was so intense and real I swear that I felt my face burning from the steam and chemistry that was occurring in the pages.. or rather coming from the circuits of my kindle.

I think what made it so likable was that it was not love at first sight. Sure, it might have been lust at first sight but neither of them wanted that. They snipped and fought with each other as they fought the attraction much like I have done in the past when I was trying to deny an attraction.

The characters were so real, I feel like I could live with their personalities forever, I loved that A.J. had a bad attitude as a defense mechanism, that he was mysterious and you could just tell he was hurting inside. I loved that Chloe was being rebellious and renting out her own apartment even though she didn't have to. These were people I felt like I could text on my phone or call up to see how they were doing, to thwap them on the head and tell them to stop being knuckle heads and just love each other already.

This book was an emotional roller coaster, it had me in tears on minute and laughing the next. My poor husband thought I was going insane but every moment of mental exhaustion and torment the author created with this wonderful book was worth it.

This is definitely a must read and a perfect way to start the love month of February.

Rating:
5 Stars!

Darkness of Light by Stacey Marie Brown

Title: Darkness of Light

Author: Stacey Marie Brown
Number of Pages: 298

This title was provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review!

Synopsis:
Freak. Witch. Crazy. Schizo.

Ember Brycin has been called them all. She’s always known she’s different. No one has ever called her normal, even under the best circumstances. Bizarre and inexplicable things continually happen to her, and having two different colored eyes, strange hair, and an unusual tattoo only contributes to the gossip about her.

When the latest school explosion lands her in a facility for troubled teens, she meets Eli Dragen, who’s hot as hell and darkly mysterious. Their connection is full of passion, danger, and secrets. Secrets that will not only change her life, but what and who she is—leading her down a path she never imagined possible.

Between Light and Dark, Ember finds a world where truth and knowledge are power and no one can be trusted. But her survival depends on finding out the truth about herself. In her pursuit, she is forced between love and destiny and good and evil, even when the differences between them aren’t always clear. At worst, she will incite a war that could destroy both worlds. At best, she will not only lose her heart but her life and everyone she loves. Once the truth is out, however, there will be no going back. And she’ll definitely wish she could.


DARKNESS OF LIGHT is a Mature YA(16+)/New Adult Paranormal Romance.

**Warning: The Darkness Series is not YA, but a NA Series

Review:
Where do I begin with this book... I am actually really disappointed with the amount of cliche's in this book and the labels...

Apparently having two different colored eyes, odd colored hair.. an odd... (My opinion dense) personality makes you a freak.   Let me pause for a second to let you know how much I detest that word. That might have a lot to do with why I was not a fan of the book, to many labels that put my back up against the wall and made me think of high school and how I was labeled as a freak for being different.

 I didn't like that Eli was a jerk but Ember loved him basically because he was hot. I understand that physical attraction is important in a relationship but It wasn't the deciding factor for me before I got married, looks only get you so far in life. As the saying goes A Roses beauty fades but it's thorns last forever.

I hated that she stayed and was attracted to Eli who was abusive, it felt to much like the author was saying. " Hey, it's OK to be abused mentally or physically, as long as you are hot. " I know that was not the point, and I know some people actually think that way but it just didn't work for me.

I think this idea shows a lot of promise and the writing was not horrible, this book  was just not for me.

 I did however love the cover, I loved the contrasting colors and it was the main reason I picked the book up in the first place.

Rating:
2 Stars
(Just not for me)

The Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

iTitle: Red Queen

Author: Victoria Aveyard
Number of Pages: 383 Pages

Synopsis:

This is a world divided by blood – red or silver.

The Reds are commoners, ruled by a Silver elite in possession of god-like superpowers. And to Mare Barrow, a seventeen-year-old Red girl from the poverty-stricken Stilts, it seems like nothing will ever change.

That is, until she finds herself working in the Silver Palace. Here, surrounded by the people she hates the most, Mare discovers that, despite her red blood, she possesses a deadly power of her own. One that threatens to destroy the balance of power.

Fearful of Mare’s potential, the Silvers hide her in plain view, declaring her a long-lost Silver princess, now engaged to a Silver prince. Despite knowing that one misstep would mean her death, Mare works silently to help the Red Guard, a militant resistance group, and bring down the Silver regime.

But this is a world of betrayal and lies, and Mare has entered a dangerous dance – Reds against Silvers, prince against prince, and Mare against her own heart ...

Review:

I hadn't heard much about this book, I have seen it on shelves from time to time and another book always took precedence over it so it was placed further down on my TBR pile. Finally while at Walmart the other day I decided that I had waited enough and picked it up and devoured the book.  I am kicking myself now for waiting so long to read this amazing book.

 I LOVE IT! Seriously, it was so good I recently decided to share how amazing it is by giving it away in a blog hop. 

It only took me three days to finish reading it, and that was just because of long work hours and being a mom.  All I could think about as I went about my day to day activities was this book and what was going to happen next. The plot haunted my every step.  I obsessed over it and what would happen next, the book was just that good.

Anyway, the book is about two different classes of people, The Reds  who are the equivalence of Surfs, and the Silvers or royals with powers and silver blood.

That is until our Main character Mare comes along, a red girl with silver powers.

This book reminded me a lot of The Selection Series and X-men combined, two of my favorite categories because they blended so well.

I thoroughly enjoyed the love aspect in this book, it toes the entire time. The best part kept me on my toes the entire time, and the best part is that looking back, knowing what I know now, I can see every bit of foreshadowing and warning that was so expertly woven into the thick of things.

There was a lot that happened in this book there was a lot of action and emotions packed into the first book. And unlike most books in a series I was  not left unfulfilled or feeling rushed. This book is like Thanksgiving, you eat and eat and eat your fill of it, gorging until you are satisfied and stuffed.  And just like I look forward to my desert  I am excited for the next instalment of the series.

RATING::

5 out of 5 stars!

Once Upon A Time: Red's Untold Tale by Wendy Toliver

Title: Once Upon A Time: Red's Untold Tale

Author:  Wendy Toliver
Number of Pages:  416

Synopsis:

Red is 16 and lives with Granny in a cottage in the village, where boarding up the house and hiding during Wolfstime is a means of survival. Red help's Granny with Granny's baked good business, catering as well as door-to-door sales.

Red has a constant internal battle between her wild side and her strict, overprotective upbringing, and the issue of "control" as she discovers she has a hot temper when the "mean girls" push her too far. ("When we learn to control it, we needn't fear it," Rumpelstiltskin says in the series.) She has flashbacks to her 13th year when she received her cloak and the nickname "Red."

She is plagued by nightmares that she doesn't understand, but the Once Upon a Time fans will recognize them as her wolf side coming out.

Red balances the difficult times with Granny at home and the girls at school with an emerging and satisfying romance with Peter.

Review:
As an avid fan of the television show when I came across this book on my way to get my daughter her  annual grocery shopping book , I knew that it was a must have addition to my shelves. Even the cashier, a fan as well, was surprised and stopped checking my items out so that she could read the synopsis of the book.

The book itself is a work of art, it has such a beautiful smooth feel to it,  It is definitely a plus to having a book in print, that's for sure.

This book reminded me a lot of the movie Red Riding Hood, with the young Amanda Seyfried as the Main character in the movie. The book reminded me so much of this movie that I found myself hunting my movie shelf in order to find it and wound up watching it while I read the book and compared similarities.

The book brings out the strained but loving relationship that Red and Granny have, a relationship I am sure many can relate to.

I was not a fan of the ending of the book. Much like the television show, Red's story just cuts off as if waiting for next weeks episode. Where as it works on the show, it falls short in written format.

Quotes:
"Peter offered his hand for a shake, and when she took it, she rolled it over. "Your fingernails are black."
' His papa's the blacksmith." I said proudly. "Peter gets to be his apprentice someday." I could only dream what it was like to have a father or mother. Or an exciting trade to look forward to learning and taking over once I grew up.

Peter explained politely. "I really do wash my hands ma' am, fact is, most of it's just to stubborn to get off no matter how hard I scrub at it."



RATING::
4 out of 5 stars!

Insanity by Cameron Jace

Title: Insanity

Author: Cameron Jace
Number of Pages: 254

Synopsis:
After accidentally killing everyone in her class, Alice Wonder is now a patient in the Radcliffe Lunatic Asylum. No one doubts her insanity. Only a hookah-smoking professor believes otherwise; that he can prove her sanity by decoding Lewis Carroll's paintings, photographs, and find Wonderland's real whereabouts. Professor Caterpillar persuades the asylum that Alice can save lives and catch the wonderland monsters now reincarnated in modern day criminals. In order to do so, Alice leads a double life: an Oxford university student by day, a mad girl in an asylum by night. The line between sanity and insanity thins when she meets Jack Diamond, an arrogant college student who believes that nonsense is an actual science.

Review:

I came across this book as a part of a tour, I couldn't tell you whose blog it was to save my life, I blame mother hood and insanity, pun intended. But I was immediately drawn to the color and the beauty of this cover. It would definitely qualify as cover lust.

My last blog was titled Wonderland Reviews so I thought that it was a fitting book to read as I got everything settled and organized here.

Not only did I fall in love with the cover, but I fell in love with the entire series, I mean how could I not with the insane asylum, where there is an inmate named Carter Pillar, the wording alone was great. I loved discovering the Wonderlanders in disguise as well as the monsters that Lewis Caroll had locked away and wrote about.

In the first book they are on the hunt for the Cheshire who is killing people, seven young girls in particular During the quest to find and stop the wonderland monster we learn the back story about the Cheshire and why he hates humans. When from his point of view I would be just as bitter and angry with humanity. I love that the villain had a back story that tugged at your heart strings and made you sympathize with the villain.

I really loved the writing, there were so many quotes that I loved and high lighted because they just resonated with me, they stuck with me through my day to day life.

I loved finding out what really happened to put Alice in the institution, did she really kill all those kids? Was it wonder land monsters, is it all in Alice's head.

Quotes:

" I can't go back to yesterday, because I was a different person then."

"The only philosophical problem with accepting the existence of Wonderland is that it means our reality could actually be a figment of our imagination."

"It's as if I have written his name on the inner walls of my heart. AS if I am stained with his soul."

"Whatever we shared is buried somewhere in the abyss of my mind. I just don't know how to swim deep enough and return to the surface with it."

"What is life but a big silly book."

"If you've survived parasites and bacteria until the age of nineteen, you can survive sane people."

"You're caring too much about people Alice, " he says" Take it from me: sane is mundane, insanity is the new black."

" I wonder if evolution wasn't from ape to man but from insane to sane."

"One of the privileges of not knowing who you are is that you can pretend to be anyone you like."

"Questions are the lazy man's way to try to learn, when the only way to learn is not to ask."

"You know what the insane people are, Alice?" The pillar says. " They are just sane people who know to much."

RATING::

5 out of 5 stars!

Young Adult Faeries & Fantasy Giveaway Hop!

I Actually just finished this book about a week ago and let me tell you I loved it!  I figured what better prize then a book this awesome! So I have been saving my review for the end of this HOP.

But the prize is as follows. One lucky winner will receive a copy of the book via Amazon or Print.

Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

(ARC) The Lost Girl by R.L. Stine

Title: The Lost Girl

Author: R.L. Stine
Pages: 261

This title was kindly provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Synopsis:
Generations of children and teens have grown up on R.L. Stine's bestselling and hugely popular horror series, Fear Street and Goosebumps. Now, the Fear Street series is back with a chilling new installment, packed with pure nightmare fodder that will scare Stine's avid fan base of teen readers and adults.

New student Lizzy Palmer is the talk of Shadyside High. Michael and his girlfriend Pepper befriend her, but the closer they get to her, the stranger she seems… and the more attractive she is to Michael. He invites her to join him on a snowmobile race that ends in a tragic accident. Soon, Michael's friends start being murdered, and Pepper becomes convinced that Lizzy is behind the killings. But to her total shock, she and Michael are drawn into a tragic story of an unthinkable betrayal committed over 60 years ago. Frightening and tense in the way that only this master of horror can deliver, The Lost Girl is another terrifying Fear Street novel by the king of juvenile horror. 

Review:
I was so excited to come across this book on NetGalley, as a child I can remember countless times reading these books, watching the movies. Even now I will still watch Goosebumps when it comes on t.v. So it was an easy choice to make, I just kept my fingers crossed that I would be accepted and able to read this ARC, obviously we all know how that turned out.

So, at the start of this book I had a hard time getting into the book. I was actually scared that my hopes were going to be dashed and this would be a book to the add to the did not finish pile. Thankfully I pushed through and boy was I glad I did. Once you get to the ending of the book you will be glad you persevered as well.

This book was a great October Read for me, it raised the goosebumps on my arms and made it so I wanted to sleep with the lights on. I am sure that was the point, to cause nightmares and induce terror, but it is definitely not for a younger generation. I would recommend it for adults and older kids.

Still, It is an awesome read and I Can't wait to catch up on the rest.

Rating:
5 Stars!