Review of Covet by Melissa Darnell

Title/Author: Covet (The Clann #2) by Melissa Darnell
Publisher/Date published: HarlequinTeen, September 25th 2012
How I got this book: received it from the publisher through NetGalley

Goodreads summary: Dangerous to be together. Painful to be apart.
Savannah Colbert knows she broke up with Tristan Coleman for the right reasons. Most of all, to keep from killing him with her new vampire abilities. But try telling her heart. Now, lost in a sea of hostile Clann faces, Sav tries to come to terms with what she's becoming and what that means for her future. And that someone is doing their best to bully her into making a terrible mistake.

Tristan can't believe Sav won't even talk to him. If being apart is her decision, fine. Just don't expect him to honor it. But even as he prepares to fight for the girl he loves, forces beyond their control take them both in directions neither could have foreseen or prepared for.

A reckoning is coming… and not everyone will survive.

Guys, I really liked the first book in this series, Crave, when I read it last year. The vampire lore is pretty cool and I loved that for once the girl was actually the paranormal creature. Well, ok, technically Tristan has his magic as well, but still.

So I was pretty excited to read Covet, but I'm sad to say it disappointed me somewhat. At almost 500 pages, it's pretty big for a YA novel. And with Crave that wasn't a problem, but in Covet I felt that the plot just dragged on for a huge part without actually making any progress.

Don't get me wrong, I did enjoy Covet, it just could have done with some trimming and a little more excitement instead of just a lot of teenage angst. I like angst, but 300 pages of it before something actually happens is a little much for me.

I did like that Savannah takes responsibility for her relationship with Tristan and the consequences it could have. She breaks it off because she believes it endangers the people she cares about and I can respect that. Never mind that the people who would pose a danger to her loved ones are a bunch of idiots with REALLY oldfashioned views on things. I could understand Tristan's reaction, but I thought his opinion that they should just be together and then they'd have to approve eventually was a bit, well, underthinking it. I also liked that Savannah starts exploring her Clann side and her abilities!

Though I pretty much never make this comparison, some parts reminded me of the Twilight series, and not in a good way. The returning solution of Tristan to just turn him into a vampire even though there was a real chance it would kill him and the massive amount of angst annoyed me somewhat.

Towards the end things got exciting again and there was a pretty big plot twist I hadn't fully seen coming, so yay! The ending left me excited to read the final book in the series and while Covet itself suffered from second book syndrome, it was still enjoyable and I'm wondering what Melissa Darnell will throw at Tristan and Savannah in the final part of this series!

My rating: 3 stars

Review of A Touch Mortal by Leah Clifford

Title/Author: A Touch Mortal (A Touch Trilogy #1) by Leah Clifford
Publisher/Date published: Greenwillow Books, February 22nd 2011
How I got this book: bought it

Goodreads summary:Eden didn't expect Az.

Not his saunter down the beach toward her. Not his unbelievable pick up line. Not the instant, undeniable connection. And not his wings.

Yeah.

So long happily-ever-after.

Now trapped between life and death, cursed to spread chaos with her every touch, Eden could be the key in the eternal struggle between heaven and hell. All because she gave her heart to one of the Fallen, an angel cast out of heaven.

She may lose everything she ever had. She may be betrayed by those she loves most. But Eden will not be a pawn in anyone else's game. Her heart is her own.

And that's only the beginning of the end.

I'm not really sure what I'd been expecting, but it wasn't anything so dark as A Touch Mortal turned out to be! Not that that is a bad thing, it was just slightly unexpected.

Angel YA used to be a hit or miss for me, with more misses than hits to be honest. It just gets preachy easily, you know? But A Touch Mortal falls squarly in the middle with things I very much liked and things I had issues with.

I had a hard time connecting to Eden. Her emotions were all over the place, she went from suicidal to blissfully happy and back, there wasn't really anything in between. I did admire her strength in the later part of the novel though, I hadn't thought her capable of it when I first met her. She's a leader, and though she doesn't always make the right choices and is a little careless with her safety, I do like her spirit.

I think part of the problem was that I had a hard time getting into the lovestory and since it's pretty much the catalyst for what happens in the book, which made it a little bit more difficult to fully get into the story. I actually liked Gabriel more than both of the love interests: Az and Adam, too bad Eden could go guy-spotting with him.

I really liked the angel-lore with wings only being given when an angel is 'on probation' so to speak, with them having a different meaning than just being beautiful and actually being a punishment. I would have liked to find out more about what exactly makes a person a Sider and why they have Touch they need to spread and everything. There has to be a reason right? I hope things will get somewhat clearer in the next two books.

Far darker than most YA, A Touch Mortal is an interesting take on angel-lore and while I had to work a little harder to get into the story, I'm also excited to see what will happen next for Eden and her friends and see if I will fall for Luke as well!

My rating: 3 stars

Daisy Update (34)

Hi guys!

I didn't look anywhere near as cute as that kitty, but I've been sick this past week. Well, ever since Tuesday night. Stupid flu. I even stayed home from work and I NEVER stay home from work. I think in three years of internships I've called in sick 2 days over a year apart. But this time I was running a fever, and it's kind of a no-no going in to work at a hospital with a fever. By Friday night I felt a little better, but I've still been mostly stuck under a blanket on the couch.

So there's not a lot to tell other than that I haven't been commenting because my brain isn't ready to make conversation yet (do you know how long it took me to write that sentence? It's kinda embarassing). But I'll get back on track this week!

Oh, one exciting bit of news: I submitted my letter of application for a residency as a GP today and now I have ALL KINDS OF STRESS.

Hope you had a better week than I did!

Review of Pivot Point by Kasie West

Title/Author: Pivot Point (Pivot Point #1) by Kasie West
Publisher/Date published: HarperTeen, February 12th 2013
How I got this book: received it from the publisher as an egalley

Goodreads summary: Knowing the outcome doesn’t always make a choice easier...

Addison Coleman’s life is one big “What if?” As a Searcher, whenever Addie is faced with a choice, she can look into the future and see both outcomes. It’s the ultimate insurance plan against disaster. Or so she thought. When Addie’s parents ambush her with the news of their divorce, she has to pick who she wants to live with — her father, who is leaving the paranormal compound to live among the “Norms,” or her mother, who is staying in the life Addie has always known. Addie loves her life just as it is, so her answer should be easy. One Search six weeks into the future proves it’s not.

In one potential future, Addie is adjusting to life outside the Compound as the new girl in a Norm high school where she meets Trevor, a cute, sensitive artist who understands her. In the other path, Addie is being pursued by the hottest guy in school — but she never wanted to be a quarterback’s girlfriend. When Addie’s father is asked to consult on a murder in the Compound, she’s unwittingly drawn into a dangerous game that threatens everything she holds dear. With love and loss in both lives, it all comes down to which reality she’s willing to live through... and who she can’t live without.

Guys, I'm the kind of girl who always plays out different scenarios in her head before making a big decision. I'm the master of the 'what if'. And I pretty much never get it right ;)
So a book centered around a girl who can actually SEE what would happen when faced having to choose between two paths has me ALL KINDS OF EXCITED! And I loved how Pivot Point explores the dilemma that comes with this ability!

Addie was a girl I could easily relate to. She's not easily impressed with people and I loved the friendship bond between her and Laila. These girls are true friends and Laila isn't just a random sidekick added for comic relieve or something. I loved all the different abilities everyone in the Compound has and that they're all mind powers and there's actual training going on to teach them how to use said powers.
I also really loved that Addie likes to read. With all the advanced technoly in the Compound, she's one of the only ones still reading books and graphic novels and I like that. I'm also a big fan of her way of making friends, by threathening someone with a zombie attack for insulting Charles Dickens.

The chapters switch between the two paths Addie can take: going with her dad or staying with her mom. And about halfway through I was starting to get this ominous feeling that I knew where it was headed and who Addie was going to have to choose between (yeah, I'm sorta cryptic, but it would be a HUGE spoiler). And I was right and it was DEVASTATING! Seriously!
I loved seeing Addie go through both storylines and I never once got confused about where we were in the story, so major brownie points to Kasie West for that, cause I don't think anyone could have pulled it off.

And most of all: I was so IN the story alongside Addie! I fell in love with her, was heartbroken with her, was angry, sad and betrayed and just wanted to give her a hug. I loved how invested in the story I was and how it was such an easy read! I didn't want to stop reading and lost some sleep over it. It was awesome.

And I wouldn't be me if I didn't mention the boys: Duke and Trevor. At first I switched alliances with every chapter, cause both guys were swoony, but I settled about halfway through, though I'm not saying which of them has totally stolen my heart which his amazingness, though I am gonna say that as usual I've fallen for the good guy.

The ending left me wishing for the sequel because I need to know what happens next! Because it was heartbreaking and I do understand Addie's choice and would have done the same probably, but GAH! It ripped my heart out!
Pivot Point is a strong debut for Kasie West and fans of paranormal romance should definitely pick it up!

My rating: 5 stars

Review of Frostbite by Richelle Mead

Title/Author: Frostbite (Vampire Academy #2) by Richelle Mead
Publisher/Date published: Razorbill, 2008
How I got this book: own it

Goodreads summary: Rose loves Dimitri, Dimitri might love Tasha, and Mason would die to be with Rose...

It’s winter break at St. Vladimir’s, but Rose is feeling anything but festive. A massive Strigoi attack has put the school on high alert, and now the Academy’s crawling with Guardians — including Rose’s hard-hitting mother, Janine Hathaway. And if hand-to-hand combat with her mom wasn’t bad enough, Rose’s tutor Dimitri has his eye on someone else, her friend Mason’s got a huge crush on her, and Rose keeps getting stuck in Lissa’s head while she’s making out with her boyfriend, Christian! The Strigoi are closing in, and the Academy’s not taking any risks... This year, St. Vlad’s annual holiday ski trip is mandatory.

But the glittering winter landscape and the posh Idaho resort only create the illusion of safety. When three friends run away in an offensive move against the deadly Strigoi, Rose must join forces with Christian to rescue them. But heroism rarely comes without a price...

***POSSIBLE SPOILERS FOR THE FIRST BOOK IN THE SERIES***

So recently some of my Twitter buddies have been RAVING about Vampire Academy and convinced me to get my act together and continue with the series, and I still can't figure out why I hadn't sooner, because I loved the first boook! And *sigh* Dimitri! Seriously, as if I needed another reason than that man to pick up Frostbite.

And just because I remembered totally swooning at the ending of Vampire Academy and wanting to refresh my memory, I reread the last couple of chapters. They were as good as I remembered.

I love that because of all the worldbuilding having been established in the first book, Frostbite could focus more on expanding on that and just getting to know the characters better and just being full of good stuff.
Rose is my girl. She might not make all the right decisions, but seriously, I'm not gonna pretend I made all the right decisions when it came to guys when I was 16. There's some stuff you have to learn by making those mistakes and well, I liked that Rose realised it and wanted to make it right.
And I still find myself smiling everytime she kicks someone's butt. This girl has got bravery down and I love her loyalty to her friends and sense of responsibility.

And Dimitri... I wanted to strangle him and hug him and just *sigh*. That guy is just swoonworthy. He's wormed his way into my heart and he's just ONE OF THE BEST GUYS IN YA! There, I said it. He's just as hard on Rose as he is on himself, but he's fair and a decent guy.

I also kinda loved meeting Adrian, despite his intoxicated state most of the time, he seems like an okay guy and because I've seen people tweet while reading this series, I'm wondering to see what his influence will be and what I'll think of him later on.

As to the big event towards the end of Frostbite, pretty much all I have to say is: YOU DUMBASSES! Seriously? Can you say suicide mission? So I get that they want to do something, but REALLY? This seemed like the best idea? REALLY??

***SPOILER, LIGHT UP TO READ
I am pretty sad that Mason died though... Poor guy... I really liked him... Mead better not start murdering off all my favourite characters!
END OF SPOILER***

So yeah, I'm kinda obsessed with this world and if I hadn't been swimming in review books I would just read all the books back to back most likely. The moments between Dimitri and Rose made me cry, but basically I'm in love with all the relationships in the book, not in the least the one between Rose and Lissa. I could really relate to Rose's pain when she couldn't share as much with Lissa anymore because of Lissa spending a lot of time with Christian.

I just love this series and I'm itching to continue their story with Shadow Kiss!

My rating: 5 stars

Review of The Lady Risks All by Stephanie Laurens

Title/Author: The Lady Risks All by Stephanie Laurens

Publisher/Date published: Avon, September 25th 2012

How I got this book: received it from the publisher as an egalley

Goodreads summary: Neville Roscoe, notorious and enigmatic, lives resolutely outside society, bound only by his own code of honor - until challenged by his desire for the one woman he cannot have.

Miranda Clifford is a lady imprisoned by rigid respectability - until tempted by a passion beyond her power to deny.

Flung together in peril, through danger and intrigue, they discover a love impossible to ignore ... or keep

Guys, I'm a bit torn about this book. On one hand it seemed to take me FOREVER to finish this book and on the other hand it brought ALL THE EMOTIONS. I'm still trying to figure out which had the upper hand.

I liked that Miranda isn't overly worried about being 29 and not having snared a husband as of yet. I mean, her aunt obviously is, but Miranda doesn't spend her days wondering when someone will come and take her to the altar. She's much more busy taking care of her brother, who she's realising is managing pretty well on his own. Until he gets kidnapped.

Enter Neville Roscoe, who used to be Lord Julian Delbraith but has given up his respectability to save his family from ruin, and is now London's gambling king. They team up to save Miranda's brother and well, OF COURSE feeling start developing between them.

So far, so good. I was kinda rolling my eyes at the 'Delbraith curse' with all the men in the family turning to gambling. I mean, are you kidding me? That's just badly controlled impulses by bored men with a lot of money to squander, not a curse. But oh well, it plays nicely into all the intrigue.
Both Miranda and Roscoe are nice characters and I actually believed they got to know each other before calling it love. I felt the connection, so I was happy.

But. Here comes the but.

Events were unrolling and I could see it coming to and end, aside from the fact that I still had about 300 pages left to go.
Yeah...

Everything just happened SO SLOWLY. The plot crawled along at a snail's pace and NOTHING aside from Miranda and Roscoe going to bed with each other every night and them conversing with Roscoe's family happened for PAGES AND PAGES. And while I like to see a little doubt and uncertainty and heartbreak, the internal analysis of everything by both of them got a little like a broken record at some times.

And of course there were the big scenes in which there was HEARTBREAK and fighting and tension and ALL OF THOSE GOOD THINGS and I had TEARS in my eyes and couldn't answer the boyfriend coherently when he asked me a question. And for those moments I kept reading, but I felt like a rather big portion of it could have been skipped and it would have been a much smoother read for me.

So there were parts that I LOVED and parts that had me going 'yeah, yada-yada, when are we getting to the good stuff again?'.. But because it also had a lot of moments that made me connect to the story and the characters, I still enjoyed it.

My rating: 3 stars

Daisy Update (33) and Book Haul (10)

Hi guys!!

So I didn't post last week because I was sitting on my parents' couch zombielike on Saturday and was busy watching a parade on Sunday and then defrosting. But I'm back!

My 24-hour shift was pretty ok, I had time to eat (which is a BIG DEAL) and hang out with the nursing staff, which was nice. The ER was kinda quiet and almost all the patients were behaving, so yay!

My night shift week was ok as well right up until the last night, which was HORRIBLE! I took over the shift and my colleague working the evening shift said I had only one thing left to do he hadn't gotten around to. Which was true, except for the MILLION of things I got called for after that... I went to bed at 2AM and got a call for a consult about 10 minutes later. Yeah, that was kinda a huge disappointment. Then I had to get another patient to the intensive care and in the morning we had another emergency and it was just AWFUL!

And probably the worst part was that when I was lying in my own bed at home, trying to catch up on some sleep, the hospital sent a call to my cellphone cause some idiot thought I was still on call, AAAH! And I seriously can't figure out what went wrong!

Anyway, I somewhat recovered after that and worked 5 days this week instead of 4 because 2 of my colleagues had a week off and I had promised to come in an extra day so everything could run a bit more smoothly. I covered one of our nursing floors and I kinda love that. I mean, you get to know all the patients and can more easily follow up on everything.

My nights were mostly uneventful, other than the night shift I did on Tuesday. On Friday I was ready to crash, I'd been falling a bit off all day and was just SO tired. So I did the little old lady thing and went to sleep at 9.30PM instead of going to a birthday party. And I felt so much better yesterday after over 10 hours of sleep!

Yesterday the boyfriend and I went out for a late Valentine's Day dinner and had sushi for the first time ever. Guys, it was SO GOOD! Seriously! I don't know why we haven't tried this before! I was even working the chopsticks, although trying this first with mushrooms isn't the easiest way to go, but we made it work :)

Today we're having dinner with one of the boyfriend's friends and his girlfriend, which is always nice :) And I'm applying to get into the specialty of my choice: GP, which is insanely scary and exciting and just AAAH!

Book Haul

Egalleys for review
-The Boyfriend App by Katie Sise: this sounds SO CUTE!
-How Zoe Made Her Dreams (Mostly) Come True by Katie Strohmeyer: it sounds like the perfect summer read and I've heard good things about Smart Girls Get What They Want.
-Arclight by Josin L. McQuein: sounds CREEPY and exciting!
-Undercurrent by Paul E. Blackwell: a male protoganist and memory loss, I'm SO IN!
-The Breeders by Katie French: got this for a blog tour, sounds really interesting!
-Belle Epoque by Elizabeth Ross: this is on my most wanted debut of 2013 list! Many thanks to Elizabeth Ross for the egalley!
-The River of No Return by Bee Ridgway: TIME TRAVEL! YES!
-A Touch of Scarlet by Eve Marie Mont: seriously, who wouldn't want to step into a favourite novel??
-Gameboard of the Gods by Richelle Mead: AAH! NEW SERIES BY RICHELLE MEAD! It sounds EPIC!
-A Touch Menacing by Leah Clifford
-Stormbringers by Philippa Gregory: I LOVE Philippa Gregory, I haven't read the first book in this series yet, but I bought it and I have no doubt I'll love it as well! I am kinda bummed by the cover change though, now my books won't match...
-Afterglow by Karsten Knight: I still need to read Embers and Echoes, but as Wildefire left us with a HUGE cliffhanger, I'll be glad to read these back to back :)
-Just Like Fate by Cat Patrick and Suzanne Young: I still haven't read anything by either of these authors (though I own their books), but I've heard amazing things and this sounds really good!
-With This Kiss, part one, two and three by Eloisa James: I love Eloisa James, these novellas sounds wonderful!

Gifted
From one of my best blogging buddies, the wonderful Alex @ A Girl, Books and Other Things I got two books:
-The Giver by Lois Lowry
-Daughter of the Forest by Juliet Marillier
Thank you so much! I'm really excited to finally own both of them as I've heard many amazing things about these books!

Bought
-Etiquette & Espionage by Gail Carriger
-Asunder by Jodi Meadows: AAAH! It's so gorgeous and I can't wait to dive back into this world!
-The Archived by Victoria Schwab: I LOVED, LOVED, LOVED The Near Witch, so I'm beyond excitement to read this one!
-Everbound by Brodi Ashton: Everneath nearly killed me with that ending, I NEED to know what happens next!
-Shadow of Night by Deborah Harkness: already read, but wanted a finished copy :)
-Red Glove by Holly Black: I'm REALLY glad I waited this long to buy these books, cause I would have been heartbroken at the change in covers otherwise... Love this series!
-Prodigy by Marie Lu: still need to read Legend, but already bought this one because of all the excitement over it
-One Good Earl Deserves a Lover by Sarah MacLean: YES! LOVE SARAH MACLEAN'S BOOKS!
-Slated by Teri Terry: caught my attention because it's been re-published this year, sounds really good!
-Unravel Me by Tahereh Mafi: YAY! This seems to be the week of exciting sequels coming in the mail! I hear chapter 62 is especially exciting...


Link me up to your book haul post and I'll be sure to leave a comment!

Review of Hysteria by Megan Miranda

Title/Author: Hysteria by Megan Miranda
Publisher/Date published: Bloomsbury Publishing Plc (UK & ANZ), February 14th 2013
How I got this book: received it from the publisher through NetGalley

Goodreads summary: Mallory's life is falling apart.

Her boyfriend was stabbed. He bled to death in her kitchen. Mallory was the one who stabbed him. But she can't remember what happened that night. She only remembers the fear...

When Mallory's parents send her away to a boarding school, she thinks she can escape the gossip and the threats. But someone, or something, has followed her. There's the hand that touches her shoulder when she's drifting off to sleep. A voice whispering her name. And everyone knows what happened. So when a pupil is found dead, Mallory's name is on their lips.

Her past can be forgotten but it's never gone. Can Mallory live with that?

So guys, I'm not really much of a mystery kinda girl, but I will always pick up Megan Miranda's books because she brings the creepy and the excitement! I pretty much loved Fractured and was all flailing hands when I got approved for Hysteria!

Hysteria was a bit different from what I'd expected, from the summary I'd gathered it would be about Mallory discovering what happened that night. But it wasn't. It's more about dealing with the aftermath than the actual event. Megan Miranda made me connect to Mallory when I was a bit hesitant to. I mean, she killed a boy. And it's the uncertainty about how it exactly happened that kept me wondering, but 'what if', what if she didn't do it in self-defense? How can I like this girl when I don't fully trust her? So I went back and forth and Mallory is a bit all over the place and I LIKED that. It's not natural to be ok when you've ended a life, even if you didn't mean to.

I loved seeing all the past events unroll and seeing the whole tragedy for what it was and how teen romances can screw up a life. It was so interesting to work things about alongside Mallory, seeing things she hadn't realized before.
But I think that most of all I loved seeing the friendship between Mallory and Colleen. So often in YA novels I wonder how the characters can call themselves friends, but Mallory and Colleen were the real deal. There for each other, fighting but always making it right, just knowing each other through and through. Bonds like these are rare and should be cherished.

There was a definite creep factor and a couple of girls just kept me repeating 'witches be CRAZY', except, you know, with the word that isn't exactly PG. I mean seriously? There's something WRONG with some of the people that went to the boarding school Mallory got shipped off to.

One thing I couldn't fully figure out, so if any of you have read it, please tell me if I missed something here:
***SPOILER, LIGHT UP TO READ***
The hand on Mallory's shoulder: it was there, cause Reid saw it, but was it a paranormal thing or did Dylan do it? Because it never really said and I'm stuck on this. Help?
***END OF SPOILER***

I liked that there was a little romance, even though it definitely wasn't easy. And I really liked Reid, though I thought it was a bit weird that he didn't really seem to care that Mallory had killed someone, even if he believed it to be in self defense. I mean, it's got to be kinda weird right? Knowing that? If I knew a guy had done that I don't think my first thought upon seeing him would be to start something with him.

I was going to say 'the last couple of chapters', but who am I kidding? It's lucky that I'm working the night shift and had all this time to spare during the day, cause I just tore through this book in virtually no time at all! I was so in the story, it was wonderful! Megan Miranda has an amazing voice and though I think I loved Fractured more, Hysteria was a wonderful read and I will definitely be picking up her next release!

My rating: 4,5 stars

Review of What's Left of Me by Kat Zhang

Title/Author: What's Left of Me (The Hybrid Chronicles #1) by Kat Zhang
Publisher/Date published: HarperCollins, September 18th 2012
How I got this book: received it from the publisher as an egalley

Goodreads summary: I should not exist. But I do.

Eva and Addie started out the same way as everyone else — two souls woven together in one body, taking turns controlling their movements as they learned how to walk, how to sing, how to dance. But as they grew, so did the worried whispers. Why aren’t they settling? Why isn’t one of them fading? The doctors ran tests, the neighbors shied away, and their parents begged for more time. Finally Addie was pronounced healthy and Eva was declared gone. Except, she wasn’t...

For the past three years, Eva has clung to the remnants of her life. Only Addie knows she’s still there, trapped inside their body. Then one day, they discover there may be a way for Eva to move again. The risks are unimaginable-hybrids are considered a threat to society, so if they are caught, Addie and Eva will be locked away with the others. And yet... for a chance to smile, to twirl, to speak, Eva will do anything.

In What's Left of Me Kat Zhang introduces us to a really interesting concept: people being born with two souls in one body, where the norm is that after a couple of years, one of the souls vanishes and the dominant one takes over. A sort of natural selection. But what if the soul doesn't vanish? Eva didn't vanish and she and Addie are still together. Eva is the 'recessive' soul, Addie controls their body. It was pretty awesome how Kat Zhang managed to make Eva a lively character, even when for the most part she couldn't actually DO much of anything. She was a vibrant personality without much of a voice heard by anyone other than Addie.

And while I felt like I knew Eva, I never felt the same way about Addie. Which is kinda weird, cause most of Eva's life and thoughts revolve around Addie. I sometimes didn't very much like Addie and I'm not even really sure why. I get that she was grasping for control of their situation, but sometimes I wanted to shake her really badly.
This may be out of context for those not having read the book, I don't want to give anything away, but I felt really bad for them and the whole situation with their parents and their brother, and if I'd been them I'd have felt SO betrayed. I know it was an impossible choice, but seriously, I felt like her parents should have done something.

The institution is REALLY CREEPY. Seriously, it's kinda scary what people can do under the name of 'helping' people. It was sort of like the creepy experiments that went on during World War II. And while I felt like I should have been on the edge of my seat reading about it and not being able to stop myself turning the pages, I wasn't. I was kinda sitting and waiting for them to actually DO something.

So I'm kinda in the middle out this book. I thought the concept was really cool and original and I did like reading it, but I never felt that connection that makes me want to READ until I just can't read no more, you know?
Though I will probably pick up the second book because I do think hybrids are pretty interesting.

My rating: 3 stars

The Boys of Summer Book Blitz!

The Boys of Summer by C.J. Duggan (Summer Series, #1) - New Adult Contemporary Romance
Publication date: December 17th 2012


Summary: "It seemed only natural to nickname them the ‘Onslow Boys’. Every time they swaggered in the front door of the Onslow Hotel after a hard week’s work, their laughter was loud and genuine as they settled onto their bar stools. I peeked through the restaurant partition, a flimsy divider between my world and theirs. I couldn’t help but smile whenever I saw them, saw him ... Toby Morrison.

Quiet seventeen-year-old Tess doesn’t relish the thought of a summertime job. She wants nothing more than to forget the past haunts of high school and have fun with her best friends before the dreaded Year Twelve begins.
To Tess, summer is when everything happens: riding bikes down to the lake, watching the fireworks at the Onslow Show and water bomb fights at the sweltering Sunday markets.

How did she let her friends talk her into working?

After first-shift disasters, rude, wealthy tourists and a taunting ex-boyfriend, Tess is convinced nothing good can come of working her summer away. However, Tess finds unlikely allies in a group of locals dubbed ‘The Onslow Boys’, who are old enough to drive cars, drink beer and not worry about curfews. Tess’s summer of working expands her world with a series of first times with new friends, forbidden love and heartbreaking chaos.

All with the one boy she has never been able to forget.

It will be a summer she will always remember."

Warning: sexual references, and occasional course language.

Goodreads

Purchase:
--Barnes &Noble
--Amazon (ebook)
--Amazon (Paperback)
--iTunes

AUTHOR BIO
C.J. Duggan
C.J Duggan is an Australian author who lives with her husband in a rural border town of New South Wales, Australia.
The Boys of Summer is Book One in her Mature Young Adult Romance Series.
For more on C.J and ‘The Summer Series’, visit www.cjdugganbooks.com

Author Links:
Website: http://www.cjdugganbooks.com/
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5779034.C_J_Duggan
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cj.duggan.1
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CJ_Duggan

EXCERPT

“Don’t you dare.” I grabbed his arm, pulling him backwards. His eyes darted to where
my hand rested on him. I didn’t move my hand, I couldn’t physically bring myself to break
the contact; all of a sudden there were no smiles, no jokes, just him and me and our space on
the couch. I could only hear the music and be aware of the heat of his skin and the rapid rise
and fall of my chest in this moment.
The only thing that snapped me out of my daze was Toby’s words which seemed low
and raspy.
“Is Adam your boyfriend?” His gaze flicked over my face as he waited for my answer.
My mouth gaped open; I couldn’t hide the fact I was dumbfounded by the question.
I blinked quickly and took my hand from his arm. I struggled to construct a legible
sentence.
“Oh – um, no, we’re just friends, it’s not like that.”
His stony expression didn’t falter, didn’t reveal any kind of emotion. He was so hard to
read, and I wanted to read him so badly. He gave a small nod and handed me the CD cover.
“Better go and make sure these guys aren’t cheating.” And without another word, he got up
and headed towards the pool table.

Review of Demonglass by Rachel Hawkins

Title/Author: Demonglass (Hex Hall #2) by Rachel Hawkins
Publisher/Date published: Hyperion, January 1st 2011
How I got this book: bought it

Goodreads summary: Sophie Mercer thought she was a witch.

That was the whole reason she was sent to Hex Hall, a reform school for delinquent Prodigium (aka witches, shapeshifters, and fairies). But that was before she discovered the family secret, and that her hot crush, Archer Cross, is an agent for The Eye, a group bent on wiping Prodigium off the face of the earth.

Turns out, Sophie’s a demon, one of only two in the world — the other being her father. What’s worse, she has powers that threaten the lives of everyone she loves. Which is precisely why Sophie decides she must go to London for the Removal, a dangerous procedure that will destroy her powers.

But once Sophie arrives she makes a shocking discovery. Her new friends? They’re demons too. Meaning someone is raising them in secret with creepy plans to use their powers, and probably not for good. Meanwhile, The Eye is set on hunting Sophie down, and they’re using Archer to do it. But it’s not like she has feelings for him anymore. Does she?

***WARNING: POSSIBLE SPOILERS FOR THE FIRST BOOK IN THE SERIES***

Guys, do you remember how much I loved Hex Hall??? Cause I totally did. So I immediately ordered the other books in the sequel and once Demonglass came in the mail I knew it had to be my next read!

And I totally loved Demonglass as well! It's been about a month since I finished Hex Hall and I immediately felt connected to Sophie again, I love it when that happens! She has such a ME sense of humor, I loved it! And I thought she was dealing with everything going on pretty well, I don't know if I would have reacted the same way to a parent who'd been absent for pretty much all my life showing up and wanting to spend summer break with me. Or with my crush being The Enemy. Sometimes I got a bit annoyed at Sophie's friends and family because they were chastising her about the whole Archer thing, but seriously, she's 17, LAY OFF! You're not supposed to make all the right choices when you're 17, that's the whole point of growing up, you get to learn what's right and wrong.
Ahum, end of that rant.

So this time Sophie and Jenna go to England to spend the summer there, it was nice to have a change of scenery, even though I did really come to love Hecate. And Cal, Cal the sexy groundskeeper/healer went with them! And while he is undeniably the 'better choice', I'm still team Archer, that boy is just *sigh*. I don't blame Sophie for having a crush on him.

Without wanting to give anything away, I have to say that Demonglass is filled with political intrigue and family bonding, exploring friendships, learning to control powers and some seriously heartbreaking parts! The ending leaves me REALLY glad that Spell Bound is already on its way here because HOLY CRAP I don't know how I would have lasted an entire YEAR between those books! Demonglass absolutely did not suffer from second book syndrome and I'm just in love with this series and Rachel Hawkins' writing!

My rating: 5 stars

Review of My Scandalous Viscount by Gaelen Foley

Title/Author: My Scandalous Viscount (The Inferno Club #5) by Gaelen Foley
Publisher/Date published: Avon, September 25th 2012
How I got this book: received it from the publisher as an egalley

Goodreads summary: Meet the courageous men of the Inferno Club as they face their greatest challenge yet: marriage!

Sebastian, Viscount Beauchamp, lives by a code of honor, and now honor dictates he must marry Miss Carissa Portland. He has no regrets over stealing a kiss from the adorable little busybody - a fitting punishment for putting her delectable nose where it didn't belong. But now, caught in a compromising situation, he knows he must make her his bride. He's faced danger before - but nothing like this!

Carissa is not a gossip - she's a "lady of information." And all she was trying to do was warn the rakehell Beauchamp away from an irate husband. But even she can't flaunt Society, and while her head tells her that Beau's a notorious scoundrel, her heart - and her body - are captivated by his dangerous charm. But when Carissa next goes snooping, the secrets she uncovers about the Inferno Club may prove even more hazardous than falling in love with her own husband.

I went into My Scandalous Viscount feeling all excited for two reason, one being that it sounded like there would be epic heartbreak and tension and the second that it's a historical romance, and I was craving a good historical romance. I'm kinda sad to say it didn't really live up to my expectations.

With Beau and Carissa already having been sniffing each other out for a while, I'd been expecting somewhat more sexual tension between them. And while it was there for a couple of pages in the beginning, after that it was pretty much over, at least in my opinion. They get engaged, married and well, it was kind of un-exciting. Beau falls for Carissa and she falls back in love with him and the two are just stupid enough not to admit this to the other. I was pretty annoyed that Carissa continued to doubt his sincerity when he gave her the most awesome wedding gifts EVER. I mean, seriously, they showed a lot of consideration and affection.

Carissa fell just short of the category too-stupid-to-live, she has a little more sense than that, but she was just one of those girls that you couldn't get to but out of something, and while I sort of got that she wanted to be involved, I still thought she should have left it to the professionals. That's what they're for.
Anyway, I mostly liked Beau, though I felt a bit of female indignation at the 'I'm your husband and therefore you must obey me' attitude he had going on at one point. Cavemen are not attractive in my opinion.

Gaelen Foley has an engaging writing style, but I just found myself rolling my eyes at the characters at times. The beginning was really promising, but the tension was just gone for me after they got married, which was pretty early on in the story. It might be time for me to give up on this series...

My rating: 2 stars

Daisy Update (32) and Book Haul (9)

So this was a mostly uneventful week. FINALLY!
Well, other than that Monday had me running around trying to keep all the patients on the nursing floor I was working at alive. Other than that I had it mostly under control somewhat. And there seemed to be a daily delivery of books, all my pre-orders always seem to come in at the same time, which was nice to come home to :)

On Saturday I went over to see the house one of my friends bought and it needs a lot of work, but it's going to be beautiful! They have a garden and everything, it's so great! I'm so happy for them :D And it's about a 5-10 minute walk from where I live, so we'll be drinking LOTS OF TEA together! :) Both of our boyfriends are frequently busy in the evenings, so we'll keep each other company :)

While you're reading this, I'm actually working, it's time for another 24-hour shift and this week I'll be working the night shift *sigh*. Oh well, maybe I'll actually catch some sleep.

I hope you're having a more relaxing Sunday than I am!

Book Haul

Egalleys for Review
-Hidden by Marianne Curley: Angel YA can go either REALLY good or really bad... I'm hoping this will fall in the first category, cause it sounds awesome :)
-Infatuate by Aimee Agresti
-Reboot by Amy Tintera: getting rebooted when you die and serving as a soldier I AM ALL KINDS OF EXCITED!
-September Girls by Bennett Madison: yay mermaids!
-You Look Different in Real Life by Jennifer Castle: I can't be the only one who wonders what ever happened to those child-stars from the movies/TV series you loved right??
-Towering by Alex Flinn: a Rapunzel retelling, need I say more?
-The School for Good and Evil by Soman Chainani: I think this will be my second school crush, after Hogwarts.
-Another Little Piece by Kate Karyus Quinn: it sounds really creepy and exciting!
-Born of Illusion by Teri Brown
-Parallel by Lauren Miller: I'm one of those people always wondering: WHAT IF? So this sounds like my kind of book.
-Night School by C.J. Daughterty: guys, there is a boarding school that's not entirely normal, of course I'm IN!
-Weather Witch by Shannon Delaney
-Nantucket Blue by Leila Howland: it sounds like a wonderful summer read!
-Transparent by Natalie Whipple

SO much HarperTeen epicness! I couldn't resist all the shiny copies on Edelweiss...

Bought
-Prophecy by Ellen Oh: already read and really enjoyed it, my review.
-Nobody by Jennifer Lynn Barnes: TEEN ASSASSINS!
-Boundless by Cynthia Hand: AAAH!! The final book in the series! I'm both over the moon excited and REALLY scared to start this! Jamie told me I'll need tissues...
-Level 2 by Lenore Appelhans: YAY! Finally! I've heard great things about it and Lenore is awesome!
-Demonglass by Rachel Hawkins: I know I'm SO late jumping on this bandwagon, but I completely fell in love with Hex Hall and am DYING to read this one!!
-Through the Ever Night by Veronica Rossi: I'll need some undisturbed reading time for this, cause I'm counting on not wanting to put it down!
-The Golden Lily by Richelle Mead: I'm such a little book hoarder, I haven't even read more than book 1 in the Vampire Academy series and am already collecting this series...
-Just One Day by Gayle Forman: SO EXCITED!
-Changeling by Philippa Gregory: I LOVE Philippa Gregory's books!

Gifted
-Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly: as a late Christmas present from my brother, he's awesome and buys me books :)
-Handmade Mexican doll from Alex @ A Girl, Books and Other Things who is all kinds of sweet! I absolutely love it!! Thank you!

Link me up to your book haul and I'll be sure to check it out once I get home!

Review of Prophecy by Ellen Oh

Title/Author: Prophecy (The Dragon King Chronicles #1) by Ellen Oh
Publisher/Date published: HarperTeen, January 2nd 2013
How I got this book: received it from the publisher as an egalley and bought a shiny finished copy

Goodreads summary: The greatest warrior in all of the Seven Kingdoms... is a girl with yellow eyes.

Kira’s the only female in the king’s army, and the prince’s bodyguard. She’s a demon slayer and an outcast, hated by nearly everyone in her home city of Hansong. And, she’s their only hope...

Murdered kings and discovered traitors point to a demon invasion, sending Kira on the run with the young prince. He may be the savior predicted in the Dragon King Prophecy, but the missing treasure of myth may be the true key. With only the guidance of the cryptic prophecy, Kira must battle demon soldiers, evil shaman, and the Demon Lord himself to find what was once lost and raise a prince into a king.

As soon as I read the summary for Prophecy by Ellen Oh, I knew I had to read it! I mean, a new fantasy series with demons and dragon kings and a kickass female warrior? Be still my heart!

Sometimes books keep being compared to other much-loved books and this isn't always fair in my opinion. Because while Prophecy for me was a great start in what I have no doubt will be an epic series, going in expecting it to be the next Graceling is going to leave you a bit disappointed.
Don't get me wrong, I really, really enjoyed it and think there's some amazing worldbuilding, but it doesn't rank in my all-time favourites, like Graceling does.

But focusing on the story: Ellen Oh has created a world in which demons are a very real threat and Kira is the only one who can literally sniff them out. Which is pretty cool. Aside from the fact that pretty much EVERYONE in the kingdom is scared of her and because of that hating on her, it really showed what happens when people don't understand something. Angry mobs are really scary to me and Ellen Oh showed the power of just such a mob on more than one occasion.

I liked Kira, though sometimes I would get so frustrated with her! I get that she doesn't really trust people, but she's also constantly shoving the ones who want to get to know her and be her friend away. I mean, to have someone like Kira guarding your book sounds like the perfect situation, but I don't know if I could be friends with her. I do admire how she puts the well-being of other before her own and I really liked her tiger spirit!

I kinda loved that Ellen Oh didn't write a traditional fantasy which usually has a more European-like setting, I'm really loving the Asian influences and how it adds another dimension to the genre. I would have liked to see a bit more of a difference in culture between the seven kingdoms (and seriously I have to ask: why are there pretty much always SEVEN kingdoms/realms??? Is it somehow a significant number??), the customs seemed pretty similar to me. I mean, sure a lot of things are the same in Holland and Belgium, but we each have are own culture, so I expect this from kingdoms in fantasy novels as well.

Of course there's an journey spanning a big part of the world Kira lives in, I really liked that we're shown different places and discovering more about the mythology of the world Ellen Oh has created and seeing some of it in live action. And because Kira is a young woman, though she may not always realise this herself, there are some boys to contend with. There is the unwanted betrothed, who, though I'm a bit sceptic of his motives, I actually kinda liked. His actions may not speak in his favour in the bigger picture, but I do believe he genuinely cares for Kira and of course his teasing can be seen as a sign of affection (some boys don't know how to express themselves, ok?)...
Then there's the other boy who is showing definite promise and who has deep, dark secrets of his own, which allow him to relate to Kira's...
Ah the agony of an expected love triangle!
1
Prophecy is the promising start of a new series that brings something to the genre I'd like to see more of! Though I got frustrated by the characters at times, the writing was engaging enough for me to keep turning pages. There are high stakes, loss, WATER DRAGONS (seriously, how cool is that?) and also friendship and a beautiful world to explore! I'm really looking forward to finding out what else Ellen Oh has in store for these characters!

My rating: 4 stars