Rivals and Retribution (13 to Life #5) by Shannon Delany

Rivals and Retribution by Shannon Delany
Published: 7th August 2012
By: St. Martin's Griffen
Source: The Book Depository

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

SPOILERS

The 13 to Life series started of amazingly well for me and I was completely enamoured with this original werewolf story. But, books 4 and 5 were a complete let down. I felt book 4, Destiny and Deception, was just a long drawn out lead up to this one. Peter is a completely different character from the beginning after taking the cure, and not in a good way, the timing is all over the place, and just as things start to pick up, it ends on a cliff hanger.

Rivals and Retribution opens where Destiny and Deception left off, with a rescue mission by the Rusakova's to rescue Jessie. Even at Jessie's kidnapping, Pietr didn't seem to be able to build up any heat or passion. Thankfully, fear for Jessie's life is enough to make Pietr's wolf overcome the cure, but my joy at that didn't last very long, as he immediately imprints with Marlaena, alpha of a rival pack who arrived in Junction in the last book, and is a really unappealing character.

The Pietr who appeared in the first three books of this series was hot, passionate, caring, tough, protective and all those things that I love in my book crushes, but this guy disappeared at the end of book 3 and unfortunately, never makes a reappearance.

Again, the timing in this book was all over the place and at times, it felt rushed. At one point, Alexei is struggling to find the new cure and doesn't know if he's going to have it in time to save Pietr, then within a couple of pages, he's on his way home from the laboratory with enough of the cure for everyone. It was just really off.

The last chapter was really annoying. Jessie wakes up after a few hours of sleep and thinks the whole book series has just been a dream!!!! WTF! She eventually realises it wasn't but this was just ridiculous.

I feel as if Shannon had completely lost interest in this series for the last two books. If she'd stopped after book 3, this would have been an amazing series, but unfortunately, that wasn't to be. With the result that I'll be reluctant to pick up anything by this author again.

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The Shadow Society by Marie Rutkoski

The Shadow Society by Marie Rutkoski
Published: 16th October 2012
By: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)
Source: Netgalley

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I began the Shadow Society with some hesitation having seen bloggers, whose opinions I've really grown to appreciate, hadn't been very happy with it. I was aware of the clichéd "new guy at school that girl can't stop obsessing over", but I felt that was something that wouldn't bother me, I'd be fine with that. Maybe low expectations paid off again, but this book was really for me. I was completely engrossed in it.

Darcy was abandoned outside a fire station when she was just five years old and has no recollections of her life before then. She has went from foster home to foster home her whole life, and is only now, settled enough with her foster mother to still going to the same school for the second year in a row.

She notices Conn on the first morning back to school, hard not to when there's a complete stranger staring at you like they hate you. Over the next few days, he starts trying to get to know her, and volunteers to be her partner for a science project. But his actions contradict the look in his eyes and he cringes at her touch. But as he seems to be warming up to her more, she realises that she's starting to like him too. And she kisses him. Suddenly, he's slapped handcuffs on her and all hell breaks loose. Darcy's life is torn apart again as she discovers that she's not human, she's a shade, and she's from an alter world.

Darcy has always had a difficult life in the foster care system and there's always seemed to be something a little off about her. But things get so much worse for her when she's arrested by Conn, who's a member of the IIB and taken to the alter world where everyone hates her and looks at her with disgust, and they just want to lock her up for the rest of her life.

Darcy is a strong willed character. It's tough and must be really scary, she has no one. Yet, she fights back against both systems that seem to just want to take her freedom away, the humans of the IIB and her own kind, the shades of the Shadow Society. She doesn't care about their war, she doesn't want to be on either side, she just wants to do what's right.

And while Conn does appear to be the bad guy, I liked him from the start. He's young, but tough, and excellent at his job. He listens to his gut and goes with what he believes in.

Darcy's friends are wonderful. Jims, Lily and Raphael, they're not present for most of the book but enough for me to get to like them and see how good they are. And while it was a tad on the unbelievable side, I still enjoyed the part they play in the ending of this book and the impact they have.

Overall, I was mostly happy with the world building, I would have liked some more information on exactly how the alter world was created. The split in worlds was caused by the Great Chicago Fire, but how, and why? And the people who live in the alter, how do they come to be there, are they people from the original world? The people in the alter world are aware of the original world, but not vice versa. This lack of knowledge didn't impact on my enjoyment of the story but it did leave me extremely curious.

The Shadow Society is a stand alone book, something I haven't read for quite a while. I'm happy about that in one way, no long wait for a sequel, but still slightly sad, as it would have been nice to have some more time with Conn and Darcy.

“There can be second chances. But maybe it's also true that things can never be the same, and that you have to decide whether the second chance lives up to the first.”

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Stacking the Shelves

Stacking The Shelves is all about the books we are adding to our shelves each week, (and filling our kindle) sharing with you our excitement for our newest titles and maybe have you discover a new book in the process! Hosted by Tynga over at Tynga's Reviews

Hi everyone, hope you're all well and enjoying your weekend. I'm enjoying being back to blogging with my new relaxed attitude and having some fun with my challenges. With keeping requests and purchases to a minimum, this is what I've gotten over the last two weeks.

You can click on the book title for more information.

For review:

  

The Nightmare Affair  by Mindee Arnett (blog tour)

My Wolf's Bane by Veronice Blade (blog tour)

Night School Legacy by C. J. Daugherty (Atom)

Won:

Falling Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes (won from the lovely Sam over at Realm of Ficton)

I'm looking forward to seeing what you guys all got too, so leave me your links so I can drop by.

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Perception by Lee Strauss

Perception by Lee Strauss
Published: 12th September 2012
By: ESB Publishing
Source: Amazon

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A book with a blue cover for my January challenge. That's what I was looking for when I discovered Perception on my kindle, and that's about how much I knew about it too, that it had a blue cover. But I thought I'd give it a go anyway, and I'm just so glad that I did, that I found this gem hidden away on my kindle, maybe never to be discovered. I've so many books on my kindle I know I'll never get to read them all. That's the reason why I'm participating in these challenges, to try get through some of the books I already own and only request/buy ones that I'm waiting on or that sound like something I'd really enjoy.

Lee Strauss was an author I'd never heard of, but on finishing this book, I discovered that it's a pen name of Elle Strauss, whom I have come across and have more of her books on my kindle. I'll be more inclined to get around to picking those ones up now.

So, Perception is a sci-fi, with some mystery and romance too. Zoe is a GAP, a genetically modified person who lives longer than a normal person, never gets sick, is extremely beautiful, you get the gist, superior in every way. GAP's are extremely wealthy and live in gated communities, a kind of utopia, away from the naturals, who live on the "outside."

Noah is a natural, and like his father before him, leads protests the GAPs and the unfairness that they can lead such better, superior lives because they can afford it. To undergo genetic modification costs €750,000 per person, so obviously, it's the minority who can afford it.

But when Zoe's brother Liam goes missing, and Zoe doesn't feel as though she can trust anyone. Liam's chip is gone, and even the police appear cagey. The only person she thinks might be able to help her is Noah Brody, the maids son, and he hates GAPs. But Zoe needs to find him.

She ventures to the outside, LA, a place she's never been before, with fear and trepidation. She finds the building where Noah was protesting, and spots him at a church not too far away. Disguised as a natural, she tries to get some information about her brother from Noah and his friend Dexter. It doesn't take Noah long to figure out who she really is, and to her surprise, he agrees to help her.

Such a great read, this book was everything I enjoy. The main characters were really great, though for the first few pages I didn't think I was going to like Zoe. She thought a lot of herself and felt she was better than anyone who wasn't a GAP. But when her brother goes missing, she comes back to earth with a bump. Noah, on first impressions, seems quite grouchy and hard done by. But when you get to know him, you realise he's only like that around the GAPs. But as these two warm up to each other, it's impossible not to fall in love with them. Both of them, especially Zoe, change their way of thinking completely, and as they fall for each other, it's just fantastic. Before Zoe gets to know Noah, she doesn't find him attractive at all, but everytime she meets him, she feels like he's getting better looking each time. I really enjoyed how this romance was written.

I didn't actually read the blurb of this book until after I'd finished the book, but it mentions "exploring the clash between faith and science," if I had read this beforehand, I might have thought it had a lot of religious undertones, so just to let you know, it doesn't.

I wouldn't hesitate in recommending this book. It's only 99c on Amazon and so worth it.

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Crimson Frost by Jennifer Estep

Crimson Frost by Jennifer Estep
Published: 24th December 2012
By: K-Teen
Source: Netgalley

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Crimson Frost in the fourth book in the Mythos Academy series. Gwen Frost attended regular high school until her mother died and she was thrown into the magical world that is Mythos Academy. Isolated at first, she soon makes friends with Daphne, Carson, Oliver and Logan. At the beginning of this book, Gwen is on her first official date with Logan, the hot spartan, when the Protectorate enter the coffee shop and she's arrested for freeing Loki from prison.

For some reason, I found myself not enjoying Gwen's character in this book, and even Logan's presence couldn't seem to ignite this for me. Disappointly, having enjoyed the first three books in the series immensely, I was bored and had to force myself to continue.

We meet Logan's dad Linus, who is head of the Protectorate and Gwen's main accuser. He seems dead set on taking Gwen from Logan's life and won't listen to reason. He makes no secret of the fact that he isn't happy with Logan's choice of girlfriend.

Another new character, Alexei, is assigned to be Gwen's guard while she's awaiting trial. He takes his position very seriously, shadowing Gwen but not interacting with her at all, so we get to see very little of his personality, but from the little we do see at the end of the book, I think he'll be an enjoyable character in the future and I look forward to getting to know him better in the next book, Midnight Frost.

My main solace in this book came from the mystery of the reaper in the midst of the Protectorate. Other than this suspense keeping me going, I'm not sure I would have found it in me to continue.

I didn't find Gwen to be the brightest spark and in this one, and the last book, Dark Frost, I felt she did some stupid things. While I can't dis her bravery or how much she cares for her friends, she's starting to wear on me.

While this has been my least favourite of the Mythos books, the ending did provide some light at the end of the tunnel so I will still be picking up the next book in this series.

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Undeadly by Michelle Vail

Undeadly by Michele Vail
Published: 20th November 2012
By: Harlequin Teen
Source: Netgalley

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I've read a lot of mixed reviews of this book, most of the negative ones seemed to have a similar quarrel, Molly. So, needless to say, I went into this with extremely low expectations. And lo and behold, I really enjoyed it.

Molly is a reaper in training, and even with making the mistake of bringing her "almost" boyfriend back to life missing some of his soul, she's still picked out by Anubis to be given special powers and sent to Nekyia Academy, where she can train to be Anubis' champion.

I did like Molly. A lot of reviews claimed her to be too immature but I thought she was okay for a 16 year old. I would find in a lot of YA novels that the main character comes across quite mature for their age. So, I was able to enjoy Molly's voice. I could have done without the diary entries though, and after the first couple, I stopped reading them.

I also liked Rick and felt it a pity that we got to see so little of the real him. He felt quite promising. And the way things turned out for him was just so sad.

Rath, the hot bad boy who I couldn't not enjoy. He was probably my favourite. His interactions with Molly entertained me and I'm interested in seeing if any romance between the two of them in future books.

While I was intrigued by the world that Michelle created, I did find it a lot to take in. I still don't really know the different parts of the soul and the different kinds of people who deal with each. And with reading on my kindle, I wasn't going to keep flipping back to remind myself like I might have done with a paperback.

I was quite annoyed about the way Molly reacted to her dad after the "bombshell" was dropped. And while I've never been in her situation, and I don't normally like to judge actions unless I've lived them myself, I just felt she went overboard and didn't see the bigger picture here. This could have been one of the reasons that other readers would have thought her to be immature.

This was a book I had been highly anticipating so when the negative reviews started flowing, I was really disappointed. I started reading with a lot of trepidation and hesitation but was happy that, after a small amount of info dumping, I found myself really enjoying it. I'm now really looking forward to the next instalment.

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Whispers at Moonrise by C.C. Hunter

Whispers at Moonrise by C.C. Hunter
Published: 2nd October 2012
By: St. Martin's Griffin
Source: Bought from The Book Depository

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

May contain spoilers

Whispers at Moonrise is the fourth book in the Shadow Falls series. And with only one more book planned in the series, I know I'm going to be deeply saddened to leave this world which I've really enjoyed spending time in.

Kylie is living at Shadow Falls, a camp for supernaturals. But Kylie isn't like the other kids at camp, she's not a vampire, or werewolf, or shifter, or fae. She's a chameleon, which means she has the DNA for many different types of supernatural. Not many chameleons exist and very little is known about them, so Kylie feels like a freak. She hasn't yet learned to control her changes so she's never sure what she's going to be at any one time. She's also a ghost whisperer which means she sees spirits and helps them to solve their problems so they can cross over. And if all that doesn't make her weird enough, she's also the first half blood protector. She gains amazing strength and speed when someone else is in danger but she can't protect herself in dangerous situations.

Kylie has two amazing, hot guys vying for her attention. Derek who's fae and Lucas, a werewolf. When she appears to have made her choice, a whole new can of worms opens up and she's left miserable.

She has two brilliant best friends, Miranda who's a witch and Della, a vampire, who she also shares a cabin with. The trio really care for and look out for each other.

Kylie has an extremely close relationship with the camp leader, Holiday, a fae. Burnett is another camp leader, a vampire, who is crazy about Holiday. Kylie has been trying to get them together for a long time as she's sure Holiday feels the same but won't give in because she's been hurt before.

But being a chameleon, so unusual and so powerful, brings with it it's own danger for Kylie. She's on the radar of a gang run by Mario, also a chameleon, who previously kidnapped her and wanted her to marry his grandson. He is ruthless, killing his own grandson when he tried to protect Kylie.

And the FRU, kind of like the supernatural FBI, want to carry out tests/experiments on her, the same experiments that led to the death of her grandmother. Her grandfather wants to take her away to live with him so he can protect her and teach her what she needs to know to survive as a chameleon. She doesn't want to leave Shadow Falls as it feels like her home, the only place she belongs.

Whispers at Moonrise is a brilliant instalment in the Shadow Falls series, maybe the best one yet. A killer is on the loose. Having already killed three girls, Holiday is next on his list. And with only the help of one of the dead girls, Kylie must try to find out who the killer is before time runs out. She's also dealing with her own problems of being on Mario's hitlist, trying to figure out more about being a chameleon and not feel like such a freak and, deal with the fact that she and Lucas are spending very little time together, the reason being, that the pack doesn't approve of her.

From the very first book, this series reeled me in and has kept me riveted since. And now, with only one more to go, Chosen at Nightfall will be a bittersweet read. I can't wait to have it in my hands yet I don't want this series to come to an end.

You can read an excerpt here

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Mini Review: Point of Retreat by Colleen Hoover

Point of Retreat by Colleen Hoover
Published: 18th September 2012
By: Simon & Schuster
Source: Netgalley

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

An amazing sequel to Slammed. And while I didn't enjoy this one quite as much as the first one, it's still very much deserving of 5 stars.

Just when things seem to working out for Lake and Will, Will's ex-girlfriend arrives on the scene and messes things up. I get so frustrated when ex-girlfriends show up in books.

And then, what I feel is possibly one of the worst things that can happen to someone, happens to Lake. One bad thing after another, the poor girl doesn't seem to be able to catch a break.

The characters are as fantastic as they were in Slammed and come together even more in this boo, like they're a family. There are some new characters, new neighbours of Will and Lake. Kristen and her mom Sherry. Who'd have thought that an eleven year old girl could be so enjoyable. She really surprised me.

Point of Retreat is dramatic, emotional and tragic. We get to enjoy some more poetry, not to the same extent as the first book, but it still plays it's very important part.

I found this to be a very enjoyable series so far. I'm really looking forward to the third book and finding out the direction that the author is going to take this series in.

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Slammed by Colleen Hoover

Slammed by Colleen Hoover
Published: 18th September 2012
By: Simon & Schuster
Source: Netgalley

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

It's been a few months since Layken's dad died and they can no longer afford to stay living on their ranch in Texas. So Layken, her mom and her brother Kel, who's 9, move to Michigan, a move that Layken is really not happy with.

As soon as Kel steps out of the u-haul, he has made a friend. A boy named Caulder who lives directly across the street from them. And within minutes, Layken meets his very hot older brother, Will.

Over the next few days, they really hit it off, and even go on their first date. But come Monday morning, they're both devastated when they realise that they can't be together.

This is an amazing book that filled me with so many emotions. I was laughing out loud, crying heartbreaking tears and tears of joy. This was a book that really tugged the heart strings in so many different directions. This kind of book is not what I would usually read, but having read some amazing reviews, once I picked it up, I just couldn't put it down.

A part of this that I really enjoyed, which actually surprised me, was the slam poetry. Before beginning this book I had envisioned myself skimming over the poetry sections. But they were well written and I loved the part they played in the book.

Lake and Will were both amazing characters that I don't think anyone could but like and feel for. The secondary characters play a significant part in this book, especially both younger brothers and Lake's mother. Eddie (a girl), who quickly becomes Lake's best friend was another great addition. She's had her own hardships in life, but yet she remains perky and upbeat and is always looking out for Lake. The relationship she has with Gavin is sweet and endearing.

Read it!!! That's the best advice I can give. Point of Retreat, book 2 in this series is up next for me. And from the blurb, I'm expecting another ride on an emotional rollercoaster.

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Teaser Tuesday

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. You know the rules: grab your current read, open to a random page and share a two sentence teaser with us (no spoilers!). Be sure to tell us about the book, so we can add it to our TBR list!

This week my teaser comes from Phoebe Pope and the Year of Four by Nya Jade.

Professor Yori spoke blandly, seemingly resigned to the suggested course of action. "I'll arrange a meeting for the lunch hour, but right now" - Professor Yuri raised a hand to Phoebe, who had been forgotten in the exchange - "Cadet Pope should be escorted back to her dorm. And if you'll excuse me, I've got the shaper parent of both our missing Hyphas to call."

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Stacking the Shelves #24

Stacking The Shelves is all about the books we are adding to our shelves each week, (and filling our kindle) sharing with you our excitement for our newest titles and maybe have you discover a new book in the process! Hosted by Tynga over at Tynga's Reviews

Hi all. Hope you're all keeping well and enjoyed the holidays. I'm glad to be back and I'm feeling a lot more relaxed which is the way I hope to stay. I plan to cut down a lot on the amount of books I take for review and to read a lot more books just for myself, some of which I'll write reviews for and some I won't. 

I took a step into the adult world near the end of last year, reading The Mercy Thompson series and The Charley Davidson series, and while I enjoyed these immensely, I still think I'll be quite fussy about what adult books I pick up, but you may see some adult titles popping up on the blog, not just purely YA anymore. Still no erotica though.

For fun, and in an effort to clear some of my tbr, I'm taking part in some challenges this year. In the tabs above, you can see my own challenge that I've set, the ABC challenge, so I hope to read at least 50 books off my tbr with this, no review books allowed. And I'm taking part in the Dystopian Challenge and the Contemp and Chick Lit Challenge with The Young Adult Book Club. And Never Too Old for Y.A. Books are having a yearly challenge with a new fun challenge every month. January's challenge is to read 4 books with blue covers, so we'll see how I go. No pressure though.

Now onto my new books. I'm only including books that I received since I've come back to blogging in this STS. I got a lot of books as Christmas pressies and also picked up a lot of freebies from my wishlist over the Christmas and it's just too much so I'm not including those. So, since the beginning of January, I received:-

For review

  

Hidden Gates by D.T. Dyllin (Edelweiss)

Phoebe Pope and the Year of Four by Nya Jade (Blog Tour with Xpresso Book Tours)

Dare You To by Katie McGarry (Netgalley)

Bought

Blood-Kissed Sky by J.A. London (4.5 of 5 stars, review to come soon)

So, leave me your links so I can visit and see what goodies you received this week. Thank you for stopping by.

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Severed (Fated #2) by Sarah J. Alderson

Severed by Sarah Alderson
Self Published
Source: Copy from the Author

My rating: 3.5 stars

Even though I couldn't put this book down while I was reading it, continuing on with trepidation at times, as to what was coming next, I feel the cliffhanger just took all the goodness out of it and left me with a bad taste in my mouth.

I found the first half to be ticking over with nothing too exciting going on but I just enjoyed being back in this world with Evie and Lucas. After the battle at the end of Fated in which the brotherhood were wiped out, they are on the run and head to Lucas' sister's apartment in LA. Finding themselves not welcome there, and with no where else to go, they set out to find a group of rogue hunters who've been killing unhumans and who them hope will help them find the rest of the prophecy, and introducing us to an awesome new character, Cyrus. A larger than life hunter who likes the girls and collects notches on his bedpost.

At the opening of this book, I felt that both characters appeared quite different than I remembered them from Fated. Evie appeared very meek and timid while Lucas came across as standoffish. I know they had been through a lot with the fight but I would have expected them to pull together more, whereas for a time, I thought they were coming apart. They do both thankfully, get back to their old selves.

The character who probably stood out the most for me in this book had to be Cyrus, the rogue hunter. He had a smart ass mouth, a deep hatred of unhumans and a liking for the ladies, constantly making snide remarks to Lucas and coming onto Evie. At first, I actually found him quite annoying but very quickly found myself really warming towards him. Especially when he proved how chivalrous and heroic he could really be.

Overall, this was an enjoyable read with interesting well written characters and world building that I couldn't fault. But the cliffhanger......for me this overshadowed everything. So be warned.

My review of Fated

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Touch of Death by Kelly Hashway

Touch of Death by Kelly Hashway
Published: 15th January 2013
By: Spencer Hill Press
Source: Copy from Publishers

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Unfortunately, the word that comes to mind to describe this book is "disappointing". Not that it was the worst, my expectations may have just been too high. This is a book I had been highly anticipating and early reviews I'd seen had been quite promising.

This book felt like it had two distinct halves. Before Jodi discovered what she was and was still living among the humans, and after she discovered she was ophi and went to live among her own kind. Besides Jodi, Alex is the only constant character in the book. And we get to know very little about him in the first half as he acts just like a weird stalker. But, even in the second half, I didn't feel his character developed any depth or that I managed to build up any real connection with him. Neither can I say I felt much of a connection with Jodi. The characters felt mostly to be one dimensional and tedious.

Also, there were a few things about this that bothered me, and a few that verged on the ridiculous. One being the ease with which Jodi managed to sever her relationship with her mother. I would have expected more tears, sleepless nights, a bout of depression etc. And no one has ever held both the statues hands before....in all those years...come on!!

Then there's Jodi's relationships, and yes, she had two in this short book. But neither of them captured my attention, there was no fire, no passion, just blandness.

The whole book had a kind of rushed feel to it. It was an easy read but I felt like a lot had been left out or not explained thoroughly enough. It was also quite predictable and nothing took me by surprise.

I couldn't say with any conviction that I will continue on with this series but I'll see how I feel when the time comes. Never say never!

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Spotlight: Taken at Dusk by C.C. Hunter

Taken at Dusk by C.C. Hunter
Published: 10th April 2012
By: St. Martin's Press

My rating: 4.5 stars

Step into Shadow Falls, a camp for teens with supernatural powers. Here friendship thrives, love takes you by surprise, and our hearts possess the greatest magic of all.

Kylie Galen wants the truth so badly she can taste it. The truth about who her real family is, the truth about which boy she’s meant to be with—and the truth about what her emerging powers mean. But she’s about to discover that some secrets can change your life forever…and not always for the better.

Just when she and Lucas are finally getting close, she learns that his pack has forbidden them from being together. Was it a mistake to pick him over Derek? And it’s not just romance troubling Kylie. An amnesia-stricken ghost is haunting her, delivering the frightful warning, someone lives and someone dies. As Kylie races to unravel the mystery and protect those she loves, she finally unlocks the truth about her supernatural identity, which is far different—and more astonishing—than she ever imagined.

Teaser Quotes

"I'm in love with you, Kylie." He looked almost embarrassed by the admission. He jumped up, took one step away, then swung around and faced her again. "I don't expect you to say it back and I don't think this will change your mind about anything. But you deserved to know. And I needed to tell you because.....I've never felt this way before-for anyone."

"But I have to go. Thank you, Kylie Galen. Thank you for being my friend. Thank you for teaching me to think beyond myself. Thank you for everything."

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Teaser Tuesday

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. You know the rules: grab your current read, open to a random page and share a two sentence teaser with us (no spoilers!). Be sure to tell us about the book, so we can add it to our TBR list!

This week my teaser comes from Awake at Dawn by C.C. Hunter

She shook her head. "Well, maybe I don't want anyone who'd run off with someone else."
He arched an eyebrow. "It's the 'maybe' in your answer that worries me more than the confusion you're feeling right now." He leaned his forehead down to hers. "Please don't break my heart, Kylie."

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My Most Anticipated Books of 2013

In no particular order, here are some of the books that I can't wait to get my hands on this year.

Angel of Mercy (Cambion #3) by Shannon Dermott

The Goddess Inheritance by Aimee Carter

Requiem by Lauren Oliver

The Nightmare Affair by Mindee Arnett

Frost Burned by Patricia Briggs

Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare

The Eternity Cure by Julie Kagawa

Unbreakable by Elizabeth Norris

The Pirate's Wish by Cassandra Rose Clare

Fall of Night by Rachel Caine

And there's more. If you're interested in seeing my full list you can do it here.

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My Top 10 Books of 2012

In no particular order....

The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater

Unspoken by Sarah Rees Brennan

Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry

Waiting for Mercy by Shannon Dermott

Unravelling by Elizabeth Norris

Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers

The Vampire of Highgate by Asa Bailey

Deadly Hemlock by Kathleen Peacock

The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa

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ABC Challenge 2013

In an effort to put a dent in my tbr this year, I've decided to set myself a challenge. I'm going to read a book beginning with each letter of the alphabet each week. Example; week 1 letter A, week 2 letter B etc. When I finish with book names, I will move onto author names, first or surname, I don't want to make it too difficult, the main aim is to clear some of my ever growing list of books to read. So for this reason, I'm going to skip the letters Q, X and Z. If a book starts with "the", I will go with the letter of the second word. 

These will be books from my tbr but not books that I have for review. Sometimes I may write a review for these books, but sometimes not, I won't be putting myself under pressure. So, while wishing myself good luck, I'm going to look for a book starting with the letter A so I can begin.

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Happy 2013!!

Well, I've had a fantastic break, almost a month. What better day to start back than the first day of the new year. So I take today to just wish you all a wonderful 2013.

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