Unforgettable Books: July 2013

Friday, July 26, 2013

Beautiful Cover Reveal: Secret by Brigid Kemmerer

Hi Fellow Readers!

A hard waiting period is occurring in my life.

After becoming enchanted by the novella Breathless by Brigid Kemmerer that introduces the fierce but not the Gabriel-like-headstrong Adam and the first time of experiencing the minds of Quinn's and Nick, I know I am beyond eager to read this book.

Today is a happy day.

Since, finally everyone can see a beautiful cover for Secret by Brigid Kemmerer. I am thrilled that both of Nick's stories have my favorite covers. The one for Secret is absolutely unique and utterly lovely.

Book Info:

Publisher: Kensington Books

Publication Date: January 28, 2014

Add To Goodreads!

First Secret's Synopsis:

Nowhere is safe. Not even home…

Nick Merrick is stretched to the breaking point.

Keep his grades sky-high or he’ll never escape his hometown.

Keep his brother’s business going or the Merricks will be out on the street.

Keep the secret of where he’s going in the evenings from his own twin—or he’ll lose his family.

Keep his mind off the hot, self-assured dancer who’s supposed to be his “girlfriend’s” partner.

Of course there’s also the homicidal freak Quinn has taken to hanging around, and the Elemental Guide counting the hours until he can try again to kill the Merrick brothers. There’s a storm coming. From all sides. And then some.

Nick Merrick, can you keep it together?

The Lovely Cover:

My Thoughts:

I personally never cared for the previous three US covers for the series's books, which had four boys standing in front of a color background with a little cloudy movement. I did adore the Breathless cover because the shade of blue on it was gorgeous.

Now I am ecstatic with the choice to have Secret's cover with both Nick and Quinn. Before a beautiful and majestic tree and stream no less. I like the small bit of red flowers near the left corner. The yellow color of "Secret" creates a sweet contrast to the blue. I just love looking at this cover; it is pleasant to my eyes.

About the author:

Brigid Kemmerer is the author of The Elemental Series, about a family of four brothers who control the elements, and their battle with those who want them dead. Storm, Spark, and Spirit are available now wherever books are sold. To read the novella introducing Nick’s story, be sure to check out Breathless (http://www.brigidkemmerer.com/books/elemental-novellas/breathless/)

available as an e-book only from major e-book retailers. You can learn more about Brigid and the Elemental boys at www.brigidkemmerer.com.

Thanks for reading!

Tuesday, July 23, 2013

Duo Review! The Ivy: Scandal by Lauren Kunze and Rina Onur

Hi Everyone!

I am back from a week with my family to share a review with my closest relative. My sister Rebecca is a fellow reader and writer. We both adore the Ivy series by Lauren Kunze. We decided to do a due review because we both want to share our thoughts about this magnificent series's finale. This amazing idea of a duo review was inspired by duo reviews I read throughout my blogging experience from blogs like The Reader's Den and Vegan YA Nerds.

The Ivy: Scandal by Lauren Kunze and Rina Onur

Publication Date: February 26th, 2013

Publisher: Greenwillow Books

Rachel's Rating: 4.5/5 STARS

Rebecca's Rating: 4/5 STARS

Add To Goodreads!

Our Review:

Rebecca is in sky blue and I am in light green.

I enjoyed the book, and felt like it was a nice ending to the series. I really liked how secondary characters like Dana were utilized more in this book.

Scandal was a wonderful final installment of the Ivy Series. The book caused me to laugh uncontrollably many times. I love how Callie matured from her past mistakes and did not deny her previous blunders. The Ivy Insider mystery was dissected into the story piece by piece splendidly.

My favorite scene was the prologue with Gregory. I expected the story to go in Gregory's direction a bit because of that scene and the note he left for Callie was intriguing.

My favorite? Matt, Callie and Grace at Grace’s protest. Matt, you were so brave. I am proud of you!

My favorite character was Matt-- so much so that I almost thought he was the Ivy Insider (which was proven wrong in the first chapter), I just thought he was a nice, solid character.

Alessandra was the most incredible character in Scandal in my view. She is a girl who struggled and tried to be a good person. Her back-story and regret touched my heart.

I wanted to learn more about how Callie's parents and teachers felt about the accusation that she was the Ivy Insider. It seemed like the older adults would have made an interesting contrast to the administrators who didn't even know Callie, and enemies like Lexi. I also really liked Gregory, so I was disappointed that he was not in the book as much as the other books. Since the book uses multiple perspectives, I believe that could have been an opportunity to write half the book in Callie’s POV and the other half in Gregory's POV. That could have been a nice change in format.

Great idea Rebecca! I still wonder about Gregory feelings and experiences while he was AWOL. He was my favorite character in the other books and I am sad that he did not gleam during my experience of the finale. Additionally, I wish he had a chance to meet Callie’s high school best friend Jessica like the rest of Callie’s group. Another change I would have wished for was Gregory not making another misjudgment base on something he read. Especially from an obviously Lexi controlled Harvard Crimson. After the note debacle in Secret, I would have thought he learned from that mistake.

Comparing to my freshman year: I went through the same experiences that Callie did in developing relationships with people and finding a group of friends -- but not quite as dramatically. I also worked on the school newspaper, but didn't need to go through that COMP process.

I think the dramatic element of the story fit the fact that it was a young adult series. I do believe conflict and dynamics between characters is an important device to drive the story forward. Through authentic dialogue and well-developed characters the author worked with her material well without delving into melodrama. Therefore since the story was driven by conflict and drama and since it's audience was young adults the drama within the story was fine.

True! I am amazed how the dramatic tone of the series made the books authentic. All the rough events Callie and her friends went through kept the book amusing as it explored troubles these new adults face – financially difficulty, infidelity, jealousy, betrayal, media fraud and more. The surface drama leads to each of the character's overall growth and a bond. In the beginning, Callie, Vanessa, Dana, Mimi, OK, Gregory, Matt and Adam were strangers. And in the end they were all together happy. A group I would love to know in reality.

Favorite Quotes:

Jessica to Callie:

"In order to beat Lexi at her own game, you're going to have to start thinking like her. No more Mrs. Innocent California Girl. It's time to bend a few rules, before you get kicked out for violating ones you didn't even break in the first place"

(page 161)

“Meaning that it’s time to forget James Franco and start focusing on you, and your own personal spiritual journey to self-actualization and independence.” (page 77)

And finally our favorite Ivy book:

The second book is my favorite because I like the conflict caused by that note that Callie wrote to Vanessa.

Yes! Secrets was my favorite too. So many amazing scenes like the limerick event, the squash match between Clint and Gregory, and the note events. All my favorite lines linger in Secrets.

Thanks for reading!

AND

Rebecca

Tuesday, July 16, 2013

Blog Tour: Losing Francesca by J. A Huss Guest Post and Review

Hi Everyone!

Today I am happy to participate in the blog tour for Losing Francesca by J.A. Huss. This blog tour is hosted by Xpresso Book Tours. You can find the whole schedule here!

Losing Francesca by J.A. Huss

Publication Date: July 1st, 2013

Rating: 3.5/5 STARS

Add To Goodreads!

Synopsis:

Francesca Sabatini came to America to take in the sights, celebrate her high school graduation, and have fun wasting time before college starts in the fall.

That’s not what happens.

Fresh off the plane and barely on American soil more than a handful of minutes, Francesca’s face is recognized by TSA scanners to be a match for a child who was kidnapped twelve years ago.

Brody Mason remembers the day Fiona Sullivan went missing during a family vacation in Italy and it’s haunted him his whole life. So when Francesca shows up at the Sullivan farm down the road, he’s compelled to figure out if this girl really is his long lost friend.

But Francesca knows she’s not Fiona Sullivan. She knows exactly who she is. At least she thinks she knows – until Brody Mason relentlessly pursues her and she begins to have feelings for him. Maybe being Fiona isn’t so bad?

Reality becomes blurred, secrets are revealed, and life will never be the same when the final questions are answered: Is she Francesca or Fiona? And where does she really belong?

First a bit about J.A. Huss...

J. A. Huss likes to write new adult books that make you think and keep you guessing. Her favorite genre to read is space opera, but since practically no one reads those books, she writes new adult science fiction, paranormal romance, contemporary romance, urban fantasy, and books about Junco (who refuses to be saddled with a label).

She has an undergraduate degree in horses, (yes, really–Thank you, Colorado State University) and a master’s degree in forensic toxicology from the University of Florida. She used to have a job driving around Colorado doing pretty much nothing but shooting the breeze with farmers, but now she just writes, runs the New Adult Addiction and Clean Teen Reads Book Blogs, and runs an online science classroom for homeschoolers.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

Now J.A Huss's Guest Post!

Since I live in Colorado we get a lot of story days, so here’s my top ten things to do on a story Colorado day!

1. Stay in bed!

2. Drink tea

3. Read

4. Make chicken and rice soup in the crock-pot

5. Look out the window – I can see from Pikes Peak to Longs Peak out my back window. That’s about a hundred and twenty miles of mountains.

6. Go for a long drive

7. Write

8. Bake cookies

9. Say a private thank you that my car is getting washed by the rain (I live on a dirt road, it’s a constant struggle!)

10. Watch movies

My Review:

I would definitely recommend diving into Losing Francesca.

Swimming through Losing Francesca by J.A. Huss I encountered a beautiful story that explored losing and gaining, arguments and love.

Losing Francesca is a satisfying story of one girl’s search for her identity. Her identity is broad. Is she beloved daughter of a mysterious malignant man or a foster daughter of a horse loving man?

When I backstroked through this story, I used my master swimming skills and discovered the basic truth. The grand reveal explored a heartbreaking story. I enjoyed exploring the mystery of Fiona and Francesca.

The whole story is one reigning in waters that tide over ones head that results in worry and waters that leave a smooth comfort. It encounters tough decisions from both the present and the past. These decisions leave some people in the deep end. It reflects the truth that what a person wants will not leave everyone in happiness. But Francesca and Brody made the best choice they could see. So did Francesca’s father.

I grew to like each character. Especially Sean. Fiona’s foster brother who cares about Francesca. He is a great older brother who is humorous at times and tenacious. At first, I wish Fiona were tougher. If she were braver she would have fixed her conflict a lot quicker. But I’m glad, instead, Huss choose to allow Fiona grow on her own to be brave enough to choose to live her life on her own devices. My favorite attribute of Francesca is her adorable ideas like the feet pictures.

Thanks for reading!

Friday, July 12, 2013

Cover Reveal: No One's Angel by Kelly Walker

Hi Everyone!

Today I am treating you with the cover for No One's Angel by Kelly Walker. This reveal is hosted by Xpresso Book Tours and the cover was designed by Indie Spice Book Covers. No One's Angel is a New Adult Contemporary Romance that will be released on September 17th, 2013.

Synopsis:

Tess used to spend more hours than she’d care to admit playing her favorite computer game, using the nickname Angel. She could pretend her life was different, and she could pretend Arion was just a friend. But a girl needs more to keep her warm at night than pixels and she traded her virtual heaven for a real life hell. Now she’s on the run from a past she won’t talk about, and the only place she has to go is the doorstep of the friend she’s never actually met.

When Angel disappeared from their nightly games, it nearly destroyed Arion. He threw himself into work and women, but he can’t help knowing the one night stands will never compare to the angel who haunts his dreams. At first, when she shows up soaking wet and scared-shitless on his doorstep, he thinks his prayers have been answered.

But the more Arion tries to keep Angel close, the more her fear drives her away. If they are ever going to have a chance for a future, they’ll first have to deal with the past that hasn’t forgotten her any more than she’s forgotten it, and Arion will have to learn how to let her go.

No One's Angel is a New Adult(NA) Contemporary Romance and is recommended for mature audiences only due to language and sexual content.

Add To Goodreads!

About Kelly Walker:

Kelly Walker was born in Trappe, MD but she now calls Fredericksburg, Virginia home. She has an unhealthy appreciation for chocolate, and a soft spot for rescued animals. Her best lessons on writing came from a lifetime of reading. She loves the fantastical, and the magical, and believes a captivating romance can be the most realistic magic of all. Kelly, her husband and her two children share their home with three dogs who walk her, and two cats who permit her to occasionally share their couch.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

And without further anticipation,

The Cover!

My Thoughts:

My favorite part of this cover is the bright purple that shines the swirly Angel. I like how it shares the best bit of the title. The desperation of Tess is revealed well in the model's face.

Thanks for reading!

Wednesday, July 10, 2013

Blog Tour: Taste the Heat by Rachel Harris - Guest Post!!!!!

Hi Everyone!

I am beyond enthusiastic to welcome Rachel Harris to my blog today for the blog tour for her second published book Taste the Heat. This blog tour is organized by Kelly Simmon of InkSlingerPR.

And with that, welcome Rachel Harris!

Falling in love is a magical thing. It’s kind of like Peter Pan—all you need is a little faith, trust, and pixie dust…or in the case of Jason and Colby from Taste the Heat, faith, trust, and Cajun food.

I loved every minute I spent with these two characters, watching them work for their happy ending. (Since this is a romance, I hope I didn’t spoil the ending for you! Yes, this will leave you with a happy sigh ha!). I developed a huge crush on Jason Landry as I wrote their story, but I think Colby’s character was my favorite to write maybe ever. She made me laugh out loud so many times! Her story also pulled at my heart. I hope you relate to Colby Robicheaux as much as I do. Recently, I sat down with my man (well, I guess he’s her main man), Jason Landry, and asked him what he thought future readers should know about Colby. His list was quite extensive. Luckily, I got him to narrow it down to the top five highlights…and here they are:

Top Five Things Jason Thinks YOU Should Know About Colby

1. The woman can seriously cook. Beignets, Jambalaya, Shrimp Creole, or Pasta, if you name it, the woman kills it. Best get a membership at Jason’s gym, Northshore Combatives, because you’ll need it if you hang around this woman’s kitchen too long.

2. Her fashion sense has much improved. Having bared witness to Colby’s teenage obsession with the movie Clueless and her gruesome flannel stage in the 90s, Jason’s happy to say the woman’s wardrobe has come a long way. But then, he thinks she looks hot in anything.

3. She wants you to think she’s tough, but… As best friend to Colby’s older brother, Jason remembers the starry-eyed girl she once was. Underneath that ‘given up on love’ exterior is a woman who believes in it and wants it.

4. She knows what a loofah is used for. As a man, and the widowed father of a preteen girl, Jason can’t stress the importance of this enough. PMS, bras, makeup, shaving legs? That’s over his head and a total other language. He’s trying, but having Colby around, a woman his daughter adores, to explain it all makes it so much easier.

5. She makes him laugh. Being the captain of the fire department, running his own gym, teaching classes, and being a single dad on top of it all doesn’t leave a lot of time for women or for laughing…and that’s a damn shame. But with Colby back in his life, Jason’s eager to make time for both.

About Taste the Heat:

One sexy fire captain. One Cajun chef. One combustible kitchen…

When chef Colby Robicheaux returned home to New Orleans to save her family restaurant, the last person she expected to reconnect with was her brother’s best friend and her childhood crush. As tempting as a sugar-coated beignet, Jason is one dish she can’t afford to taste. Colby can’t wait to leave the place where her distrust of love and commitment originated and go back to Vegas.

Fire captain Jason Landry isn’t looking for love, either. Disillusioned by his past, he knows he should be focusing on finding the perfect mother for his daughter. But when he first sees Colby, all grown up and gorgeous, he can’t help but be drawn to her. And when she suggests a no-strings-attached fling, Jason can’t say no.

As their relationship grows more intense, Colby finds that Jason isn’t as easy to leave behind as she thought. Could turning up the heat on something real be worth the possibility of getting burned?

About the Author:

Rachel Harris grew up in New Orleans, where she watched soap operas with her grandmother and stayed up late sneak reading her mama’s favorite romance novels. Now a Cajun cowgirl living in Houston, she still stays up way too late reading her favorite romances, only now, she can do so openly. She firmly believes life’s problems can be solved with a hot, powdered-sugar-coated beignet or a thick slice of king cake, and that screaming at strangers for cheap, plastic beads is acceptable behavior in certain situations.

When not typing furiously or flipping pages in an enthralling romance, she homeschools her two beautiful girls and watches reality television with her amazing husband. Taste The Heat is her adult romance debut. She’s the author of MY SUPER SWEET SIXTEENTH CENTURY and A TALE OF TWO CENTURIES. She loves hearing from readers! Find her atwww.RachelHarrisWrites.com.

Website: www.RachelHarrisWrites.com

Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/RachelHarrisYA

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/RachelHarrisYA

Goodreads Author: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5347676.Rachel_Harris

TASTE THE HEAT Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17611022-taste-the-heat?ac=1

Entangled Website: http://www.entangledpublishing.com/

Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/taste-the-heat-rachel-harris/1115688179?ean=9781622660940

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Taste-Games-Novel-Entangled-ebook/dp/B00DFFMYZ6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1371558802&sr=8-1&keywords=taste+the+heat

Thanks for reading!

Blog Tour Schedule (For a book that is a blend of awesome!):

July 7^th

Between Fantasy & Reality
Fantasy Fairy

July 8^th