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Thursday, September 29, 2016

Book Traveling Thursdays - Freebie - It's back to school time!



#Book Traveling Thursdays is a weekly meme created by Cátia (The Girl Who Read Too Much) and Danielle (Danielle's Book Blog) and hosted on this Goodreads group.

Come join us!


This week's theme is: 

Freebie - It's Back to School Time
"Choose a book set in high school or college."

I had a weak month in BTT department, so I'm trying to make it up to it by choosing another theme from this month for this free week!

My choice for the week is

The Deal
(Off-Campus #1)
by Elle Kennedy

This was my first book by Elle Kennedy and I devoured it!

  
English| Original| Brazilian

 
 French | Italian Polish
                       
So, what do you think about these covers? Have you read this book? Share you opinion bellow.

Release & Review - Iron Cast by Destiny Soria

Title: Iron Cast
Author: Destiny Soria
Publication Date: October 11th, 2016
Category/Genre: Young Adult Historical Fantasy

It’s Boston, 1919, and the Cast Iron club is packed. On stage, hemopaths—whose "afflicted" blood gives them the ability to create illusions through art—captivate their audience. Corinne and Ada have been best friends ever since infamous gangster Johnny Dervish recruited them into his circle. By night they perform for Johnny’s crowds, and by day they con Boston’s elite. When a job goes wrong and Ada is imprisoned, they realize how precarious their position is. After she escapes, two of the Cast Iron’s hires are shot, and Johnny disappears. With the law closing in, Corinne and Ada are forced to hunt for answers, even as betrayal faces them at every turn.


Buy Links: Amazon


2.5 “Interesting twist on magic & witches ” Stars

ARC via NetGalley

Thank you, Amulet Books!


I wanted to love this book. I really did, because LOOK AT THIS COVER! It’s so pretty. So, so pretty.


And then you have 1919 & Boston & witches who aren’t witches because there’s a twist to it, and I’m like yes, please be good. Unfortunately the story simply didn’t hold my attention.

The story started out in the right place with a whole dark and mysterious vibe as Corinne broke into an asylum to free her best friend, Ada, who had been imprisoned there after a job gone wrong. Both Ada and Corinne are hemopaths, people whose abilities allow them to create illusions through art. While Ada creates them with her songs, Corinne uses words and poetries.

While the concept is pretty cool – and once the story gets to it, the visual is impressive – I thought it a bit too long to get to the point where we understand what being a hemopath really means. I’m not saying we should get everything at once, but I needed a clearer picture sooner in order to engage with the story and characters.

That was my main problem with the story: creating that link with the characters that makes me want to follow them until the end. I liked Ava and Corinne, but maybe not enough, and the worse thing is not being able to pinpoint exactly why.

Ava and Corinne’s friendship should’ve been enough to make me instantly connect with them. I love stories about strong bonds between friends, and they definitely had that, especially with the way they used their “magic” (for lack of a better word) to increase and complement each other’s abilities. They were morally gray character (they worked at the Cast Iron Club, but also conned people as a side job), and you know how much I love those. I recently finished another book with a MC who had been a con woman, but unlike Ellie from “Chasing Truth”, Ava and Corinne didn’t impress me. The lack of romance also didn’t help. I was intrigued by the idea of Gabriel & Corinne at first, but then I kind of lost interest, too.

I wished the author had explored the setting and time a little better. I wanted to *feel* like I was in 1919 Boston, but it never happened. Sure there was the whole thing with the Cast Iron club that gave off that vibe, but it wasn’t enough.

Maybe that was the problem I had with this book, it just lacked something (I realize how unhelpful this sounds) to grab me and make me fall in love with the characters and the story. It doesn’t mean that other people will feel the same, of course.
*If you liked this review (or not), if you read the book (or not), come say hello and leave your comments bellow.

Wednesday, September 28, 2016

*Grabby Hands* Blog Tour & Review - Chasing Truth (Eleanor Ames #1) by Julie Cross

Title: Chasing Truth
(Eleanor Ames #1)
Author: Julie Cross
Publication Date: September 27th, 2016
Category/Genre: Young Adult Thriller/Mystery
Publisher: Entangled Teen

At Holden Prep, the rich and powerful rule the school—and they’ll do just about anything to keep their dirty little secrets hidden.

When former con artist Eleanor Ames’s homecoming date commits suicide, she’s positive there’s something more going on. The more questions she asks, though, the more she crosses paths with Miles Beckett. He’s sexy, mysterious, arrogant…and he’s asking all the same questions.

Eleanor might not trust him—she doesn’t even like him—but they can’t keep their hands off of each other. Fighting the infuriating attraction is almost as hard as ignoring the fact that Miles isn’t telling her the truth…and that there’s a good chance he thinks she’s the killer.


Buy Links: Amazon  | B&N | iBooks | Kobo | Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.ca | IndieBound | BAM | TBD

Julie Cross is a NYT and USA Today bestselling author of New Adult and Young Adult fiction, including the Tempest series, a young adult science fiction trilogy which includes Tempest, Vortex, Timestorm (St. Martin’s Press).

She’s also the author of the Letters to Nowhere series, Whatever Life Throws at You, Third Degree, Halfway Perfect, and many more to come!

Julie lives in Central Illinois with her husband and three children. She’s a former gymnast, longtime gymnastics fan, coach, and former Gymnastics Program Director with the YMCA.
She’s a lover of books, devouring several novels a week, especially in the young adult and new adult genres.

Outside of her reading and writing cred, Julie Cross is a committed–but not talented–long distance runner, creator of imaginary beach vacations, Midwest bipolar weather survivor, expired CPR certification card holder, as well as a ponytail and gym shoe addict.

Author LinksWebsite | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

I would
  • Befriend: Ellie
  • Go out on a date & kiss: Miles.
  • Take to a desert island and leave behind: Brent, Dominic and Chantal because rich people are the worst.
  • Travel to Vegas and let Elvis Presley marry us: Miles
If I turned on the TV, I'd find Ellie, Miles and their friends on:
  • Veronica Mars

4.5 “Veronica Mars + Hot Teen Spy” Stars 

ARC via NetGalley

Thank you, Entangled Teen!



This. Freaking. Book. I loved it so much. Which isn’t really a surprise since I knew I’d enjoy the heck out of it from the moment I joined the cover reveal tour. It even made my Top Ten Most Anticipated Releases For The Second Half Of The Year.

How could it not? We have a con artist MC, a sexy, mysterious and arrogant LI and Veronica Mars written all over it. It had to be amazing, and it was.

Our MC, Ellie is phenomenal and I blame my love for this book on her. Ellie, who reminds me of another character I fell head over heels for -- Ella from Paper Princess – is pretty much perfection in the form of a main character. Dude, she’s a freaking former con artist going to a school full of Gossip Girl-type characters and using her abilities to investigate the suicide of her only friend in a Veronica Mars-style. All the cool shows reference (even though they’re not mentioned in the book) makes this story extra special for those of us who are old enough to have followed these shows.

Ellie’s struggle with her new life as a reformed criminal made me instantly like her. The way she still used the skills she was supposed to have left behind to go after the truth behind her friend’s death just increased my love for her. Ellie was smart. The kind of smart that made me feel dumb at times (but not too often because that would’ve been jarring) and she had a great sense of humor (all sarcasm and wit). She was also flawed in a way that makes it impossible for you not to want to hug her and get to know her better. I loved Ellie. Really, really love her. I wanted to be friends with Ellie. I still do.

And then there was Miles. The mysterious neighbor and new student who was on to Ellie. He always ended up catching her when she was doing something suspicious, and being the follow-the-law-at-all-costs soldier he was, he probably couldn’t have imagined falling for a girl like Ellie. But they’re animosity turn into friendship and soon something else because opposites do attract. I can’t say I was surprised at Miles’ little secret (was it even supposed to be a secret?). It was pretty clear from all the clues that he was not the “normal” new guy he wanted Ellie to believe him to be. But knowing the truth didn’t make the story less pleasant to follow for me. On the contrary, I was anxious to see how that plot would develop, and I loved it.

I can’t get too deep into the plot because of spoilers, but I can say I loved the whole investigation aspect. Things made sense in the end and they didn’t come as the kind of surprise that makes you think: “Did the author think this through or was it a last minute decision?” I could see all the ways the story led to that answer, which is always a plus in books like this.

The romance aspect was pretty phenomenal. I loved the whole should-we-or-shouldn’t-we vibe between Ellie and Miles. Loved how she tried to convince herself she didn’t deserve it, and how he tried to stay away from her but couldn’t. Just loved. Loved. Loved.


I’m super curious to see how the author will develop this series because with all the mentions of CIA, FBI, NSA, Secret Service and special schools, I’m more than ready for what Ellie and Miles will find next. It’s guaranteed to be trouble. A lot of it.

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Chapter-by-Chapter-blog-tour-button
*If you liked this review (or not), if you read the book (or not), come say hello and leave your comments bellow.

#T5W - Top 5 Wednesday - Gateway Books to (Angsty) Romance

#T5W or Top 5 Wednesday is a weekly meme created by Lainey & hosted on the Goodreads T5W group. Come join us!

This week's theme is: 
Gateway Books to (Angsty) Romance
Choose books that are good to introduce people to your favorite genre.

My favorite genre is romance, no doubt, and my favorite subgenre is angsty romance -- that kind that rips your heart out and puts it back together piece by piece. These new adult and adult books did that to me.

#It Ends With Us
by Colleen Hoover
(Adult)

#Paper Princess
by Erin Watt
(New Adult)
#Wicked Heart
by Leisa Rayven
(Adult)
#Waking Olivia
by Elizabeth O'Roark
(New Adult)
#Undecided
by Julianna Keyes 
(New Adult)

So, what do you think about these choices? Have you read any of them? Share you opinion bellow.

#WWW Wednesday - September 28th, 2016


#WWW Wednesday is a weekly meme formely hosted by MizB @A Daily Rhythm & now hosted by Sam @Taking on a World of Words.
Come join us!


The Three W’s are:
What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?




 
 
   
 

Have you read any of them? Share you opinion bellow.