Book Crazy

Saturday, 5 October 2013

Review: Spark [Spark 01] by Brooke Cumberland!

Publication date: 6th August 2013

Paperback edition: 289 pages

Source: Kindle

Rating: 5 stars

Synopsis: When your past controls your future, how do you move forward?
Velaney Wills knows about that all too well.
Weak, powerless, and fearing the one person who has hurt her the most…can she overcome the barriers to move forward?
Being saved by a muscled Godsend was never on her agenda, but when firefighter, Eric Reilley comes into her life unexpectedly, everything changes.

Velaney has never felt loved or cared for, and her past prevents her from letting anyone in. Eric manages to break down her walls—despite the repercussions that come for them afterwards.

They have an undeniable spark—something she has never felt before, but will it be enough? Can love overcome all obstacles? Can they save each other to protect their love or will her past shatter everything she never knew she needed…?
Favourite quote: "You would never be just another girl, Velaney. You are the thee girl."

I'm now officially a massive fan of Brooke Cumberland! The synopsis for this book is pretty vague, so when the author came to me about a Book Trailer for Spark I knew I had to read this book first to get more information about it and make her the perfect trailer! What I got from this book blew me away! It was so freaking good! It was actually SO much more than good! Words like phenomenal, amazing, mind blowing come to mind when I think about it! This book has definitely made it onto my favourites list! The plot of this book had so much in it! It was easy to follow though and it had loads of suspense in it as well! I was totally hyped while reading it! The full book was a massive climax and the climax of a book normally comes down as you get to the end of the book, but this book's climax didn't stop at the last page! It left it at a massive cliff-hanger that has me desperate for the next book! The plot also developed brilliantly! I was completely enthralled with it and I suffered a serious book hangover after reading it! The characters were amazing! Velaney was the main character and she was so brave! I never expected her back story to be so horrible, but she was a character that just got up and tried her best regardless of her past! She grew stronger as this book progressed and I just adored her! I connected instantly with her as well and I actually didn't want to stop reading her story! I could honestly have kept reading! Eric was the love interest of Velaney and he made the temperature in my room heat up! Seriously! I need an Eric in my life! Who wouldn't want a sexy, life-saving fire-fighter? Eric was there for Velaney so much and he saved her more times than I can count! As the book progressed I fell even more in love with him! I also loved how protective he was of Velaney! There was a love triangle that was in this book for some of it! The love triangle was between Velaney, Eric and Alex! I loved both guys and I'll admit that I was torn! I adored both guys, but Eric did make me swoon more though! Plus, I loved he connection with Velaney! The ending to this book has left me desperate for the next one! It was quite a cliff-hanger and I didn't really see it coming at all! It was an amazing ending that will leave you gasping and begging for the next book! The cover is also stunning! It blew me away as soon as I saw it! It suits the book, the characters, the scene everything! Big thank you to Brooke for an ARC of Spark!

My Theme Song!

Seabird - Rescue!

Friday, 4 October 2013

Cover Reveal: ARV-3 by Cameo Renae!

June 6, 2014: The beginning of the end. The Apocalypse.

A nuclear fallout wiped out every living thing on the planet, except for a few thousand of us who took shelter in underground bunkers across the globe. Now, after thirteen long years, we were finally able to return to the topside to begin to rebuild.

We thought we were alone. We were never more wrong.

Before the fallout, scientists had worked on creating an anti-radiation vaccine (ARV). The first two attempts failed, but despite the incomplete tests and results, the government approved and distributed the third serum to the masses in an effort to aid those who had no shelter.

It worked, keeping those who remained on the topside alive, but it also altered and mutated them. This new and infectious threat had completely outnumbered us. Now, we not only had to rebuild our planet. We would have to fight for it.

My name is Abigail Park. I’m seventeen, and this is my story.

Author bio:

My family is what keeps my heart beating, and my world a happy place to be.

I love reading great books that whisk me away from reality, even if for a little while. :) Writing is my passion. I love creating new worlds and new characters, and taking wondrous adventures with them.

In My Dreams & Hidden Wings were both recently published through Crushing Hearts and Black Butterfly Publishing. Descent (A Hidden Wings novella) will be released May 15, 2013, and Broken Wings (Book 2 in the Hidden Wings Series) will be released June 1, 2013.

One day I will find my magic wardrobe, and ride away on my magical unicorn... ♥ Until then... I'll keep writing! ;)

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CameoRenaeFanPage
Blog: http://cameorenae.blogspot.com/
Website: http://cameorenae.com
Twitter: @CameoRenae

Blog Tour & Giveaway: Torn [Connections 02] by Kim Karr!

Publication date: 23rd March 2013
Paperback edition: -
Source: Kindle
Rating: 5 stars
Synopsis: She's his...until secrets threaten to tear them apart.

Rock star River Wilde brought Dahlia London back from the brink of hopelessness with his unwavering love and devotion. But their entangled history is about to test the strength of their relationship…Dahlia was certain she had found true love and met her ‘Once in a Lifetime’ when she reconnected with River. But Dahlia’s world comes crashing down when someone from her past resurfaces, and all of River’s carefully hidden secrets are exposed.

River wants to show Dahlia that life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass—it’s about dancing in the rain. But how many times can one broken heart be mended? Will River and Dahlia be able to stay together or will they be torn apart?
Favourite quote: "Dahl, telling the truth is not always black and white. Sometimes it's best to stay in the gray so you don't hurt the people you love."

I had my difficulties with reading the first book in this series, but then I fell completely in love with it and I couldn't wait to read this book! After reading Connected though I had my ARC of Torn waiting for me on my Kindle, so I didn't have to wait at all which is amazing because I don't think I would have survived the wait after the ending to Connected! Torn was amazing! It was full of emotion and heartache and it had everything to make it an amazing sequel! I was drawn right into it and after the ending to Connected it was perfect! I loved how the plot developed! My heart was in my mouth for most of it! I'm sure a lot of other people had the same reaction as well! The plot was also written beautifully and I just couldn't get enough of it! By the end of it I actually wanted more which was pretty awesome! Torn was enough to sort of stop my craving for more Dahlia and River though! Okay, it totally wasn't, but still lol! The characters were again amazing! You didn't have any idea what they were going to do next in this book! Dahlia in this book was stuck in the middle! Old feelings came back which made her have to choose what she wanted to do next! It was up to Dahlia how she dealt with those feelings and I have to say that I loved how she handled the situation! I also loved how much she had grown since the first book! She grew even more in this book and I felt that her heart only really belonged to one person and inside Dahlia knew that and I couldn't have been happier with who she ended up with! River in this book was so sweet! My heart went out to him as he didn't have any idea what to do! He was in such a predicament and he did everything he could to support Dahlia and to be there for her! I completely admired River for that even though he did have difficulty trying to let Dahlia decide what she wanted to do! Dahlia and River's relationship is torn in this book! That's why the title of the book is perfect! Their relationship goes through a lot and you really don't know whether it's going to survive, but then you remember that it's Dahlia and River! Of course their relationship is going to survive! Or is it? ;) I loved that some chapters of this book were written from River's point of view and also some other scenes were written from someone else's point of view as well, but if I tell you who this person is then I might spoil the book for the people that haven't read both books! All I can say though is that it adds so much to the story! I loved having River's point of view in this book and seeing how he was feeling about the situation that was happening! There was also a love triangle in this book and again I can't tell you who it's between or else I could spoil the book for you! I will tell you that I was Team River for the full book! I can't wait to read the next book in this series! I know that this book is the final book in Dahlia and River's story, but I'm hoping they'll make appearances in the rest of the books in this series! I'm also excited to I love, love, love the cover for Torn! It suits the cover for Connected and I'm pretty sure that's the same models on the front as the cover for Connected! Big thank you to Kim for an ARC of Torn and also for having me on her Blog Tour!

Check it out on Goodreads!

Buy it from Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Torn-Connections-2-ebook/dp/B00DGZKTR0/ref=la_B00BZEY9A2_1_1_title_1_kin?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1380832108&sr=1-1
Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/torn-kim-karr/1115718051?ean=9780698145108

Author bio:

I live in Florida with my husband and four kids. I've always had a love for reading books and writing. Being an English major in college, I wanted to teach at the college level but that was not to be. I went on to receive an MBA and became a project manager until quitting to raise my family. I currently work part-time with my husband and full-time embracing one of my biggest passions—writing.

I wear a lot of hats! Writer, book-lover, wife, soccer-mom, taxi driver, and the all around go-to person of the family. However, I always find time to read. One of my favorite family outings use to be taking my kids to the bookstore or the library. Today, my oldest child is in college and my twins are juniors so they no longer go with me on these outings. And although I don't need to go to the actual store anymore because I have the greatest device ever invented—a Kindle, I still do. There's nothing like a paperback. So now my four year old and I make dates out of going to the bookstore--it's time I love and cherish.

I like to believe in soulmates, kindred spirits, true friends, and Happily-Ever-Afters. I love to drink champagne, listen to music, and hopes to always stay young at heart. <3

Website: http://www.authorkimkarr.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorKimKarr
Email: AuthorKimKarr@gmail.com
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6644044.Kim_Karr

Giveaway!

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Thursday, 3 October 2013

Cover Reveal: Don't Look Back [Don't Look Back 01] by Jennifer L. Armentrout!

Samantha is a stranger in her own life. Until the night she disappeared with her best friend, Cassie, everyone said Sam had it all-popularity, wealth, and a dream boyfriend.

Sam has resurfaced, but she has no recollection of who she was or what happened to her that night. As she tries to piece together her life from before, she realizes it’s one she no longer wants any part of. The old Sam took “mean girl” to a whole new level, and it’s clear she and Cassie were more like best enemies. Sam is pretty sure that losing her memories is like winning the lottery. She’s getting a second chance at being a better daughter, sister, and friend, and she’s falling hard for Carson Ortiz, a boy who has always looked out for her-even if the old Sam treated him like trash.

But Cassie is still missing, and the facts about what happened to her that night isn’t just buried deep inside of Sam’s memory-someone else knows, someone who wants to make sure Sam stays quiet. All Sam wants is the truth, and if she can unlock her clouded memories of that fateful night, she can finally move on. But what if not remembering is the only thing keeping Sam alive?

Add it to your TBR list on Goodreads!

Pre-order your copy from Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Dont-Look-Novel-Jennifer-Armentrout/dp/1423175123/ref=la_B004E5J5N0_1_13_title_0_main?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1380749025&sr=1-13

Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/dont-look-back-jennifer-armentrout/1116342742?ean=9781423175124

Author bio:

# 1 NEW YORK TIMES Bestselling author Jennifer lives in Martinsburg, West Virginia. All the rumors you’ve heard about her state aren’t true. When she’s not hard at work writing. she spends her time reading, working out, watching really bad zombie movies, pretending to write, and hanging out with her husband and her Jack Russell Loki.
Her dreams of becoming an author started in algebra class, where she spent most of her time writing short stories….which explains her dismal grades in math. Jennifer writes young adult paranormal, science fiction, fantasy, and contemporary romance. She is published with Spencer Hill Press, Entangled Teen and Brazen, Disney/Hyperion and Harlequin Teen. Her book Obsidian has been optioned for a major motion picture.
She also writes adult and New Adult romance under the name J. Lynn. She is published by Entangled Brazen and HarperCollins.

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Wednesday, 2 October 2013

Blog Tour: Patch Up [Patch Up 01] by Stephanie Witter!

Publication date: 16th September 2013

Paperback edition: -

Source: Kindle

Rating: 5 stars

Synopsis: Skye followed her long time boyfriend to Seattle for their first year of college, but he dumped her after only a week. The relationship brought only pain and destruction in Skye's life, and yet, she can't bring herself to open up and live her life.

"What if I am already broken into pieces?"

She hates to be touched, hiding under her oversized shirts and behind her wild frizzy hair. Even her bubbly roommate can't reach her. And yet ...

"I'm the guy who knows how you can hurt so much that your insides feel like they're cut and bleeding."

The tall, handsome, and tattooed TA in her psychology class changes everything when he literally collides with her and confronts her. For the first time in a long time, she wants to try and open up to this guy whose dark, intense eyes can't hide his own pain despite his dazzling smile getting to her.

However, just when she's starting to live again, her ex-boyfriend comes back, breaking her time and time again, making it all the more complicated.

She wants to fight for herself and for this building thing with the TA, even when he pushes her away, but can two broken people patch each other up?

"I never thought colliding with someone could change lives, but it is possible."

Favourite quote: "Love doesn't conquer all; it's a powerful tool to overcome everything because it means you're not alone."

I'm so, so, so happy that I signed up for this Blog Tour! I hadn't heard of this book until the author asked me if I would like to join the Blog Tour and when I saw the cover I instantly knew I wanted to read the story behind it! This book was a beautiful story about broken characters trying to come to terms with things that have happened to them and finding the strength to move on! I connected with this story so much more than I was expecting too! I really wasn't sure what to expect from it, but what I did get was absolutely phenomenal! The plot of this book was very sad! I couldn't help but feel sorry for the main characters as I learned about what they had both been through and what they had experienced! They had been through things that no-one should ever have to go through and at the beginning of this story they are very broken until they find each other and they start to learn to lean on each other and together they start to learn that hope conquers fear! I thought that the plot was beautifully written and I found myself completely immersed in it! I also loved that the author didn't downplay what the main characters had been through! The characters were amazing! Skye was the main character and she was such a broken character! Right from the first page I saw how sad she was and how scared she was! But I could also see that inside her was a confident, caring person, but it was all about Skye trying to let that side of her out! Skye was a strong character, but she didn't know it! As this book progressed her strength slowly started to come out and I was so happy with how far she came by the end of the book! Duke was the kind of love interest of Skye! I loved Duke! I thought he was a massive support to Skye and he helped her through one of the toughest things that she will go through in her life! He was also pretty damn hot! Duke had also been through something that made him want to help Skye! My heart broke for Duke when I found out what he had been through and the guilt that he carried around! I have to say though that his determination to help Skye was amazing! I loved that he didn't give up on her and he sort of kept pushing her to let him in! Skye and Duke did start off as friends and then their relationship developed! I loved this as they both were very vulnerable characters and it wouldn't have been right if they had just jumped into a relationship! I had no idea that there was going to be a sequel to Patch Up and also a book for other characters in this book! I'm really excited and cannot wait to read both books! The cover for Patch Up is stunning! I pictured Skye looking like the girl on the front as she's described very similarly to her in the book! Big thank you to Stephanie for an ARC of Patch Up and to Eclipse Reviews for having me on the Blog Tour!

Check it out on Goodreads!

Buy it from Barnes and Noble, Amazon UK, Amazon, Smashwords

Author bio:

Stephanie Witter is a French dreamer. She started English at three and fell in love with the language. Always with a book - or two - close by, she soon started reading in English when she couldn't wait to see Harry Potter translated in French. After a while, reading wasn't enough and she started writing young adult and new adult contemporary novels always filled with drama. Now she hopes to translate English novels in her mother tongue as her everyday job. By My Side is her debut novel.

Tuesday, 1 October 2013

Blog Tour & Giveaway: The Rules of Regret by Megan Squires!

Publication date: 1st October 2013
Paperback edition: -
Source: Kindle
Rating: 5 stars
Synopsis: “Life doesn’t come with a blueprint, which makes it hard to have any plans.”

Nineteen-year-old Darby Duncan is finally on her own. Her boyfriend of six years has left for a high-powered summer internship, though in reality he’s been absent for much longer than that. This newfound freedom wasn’t a part of Darby’s plans, but as she’s come to discover, plans only exist on paper, not in reality.

And guys like Torin Westbrook aren’t supposed to exist in reality, either. But he does, with his disheveled curly hair, irresistible dimples, and endearingly quirky habit of reciting quotes from classic movies and ancient thinkers. When Darby meets Torin as a fellow counselor at the survival camp she impulsively applies to, she’s certain his main goal is to turn her world upside-down.

But Darby’s not sure she can adapt to Torin’s ways of viewing his past and the tragedies he's faced. Because she’s had her own share of heartache, too, and as much as she wants to believe that it’s all been for a purpose, her grief hasn’t allowed her to get to that point. Yet the more Darby is around Torin, the more she craves the freedom to break out of her carefully constructed routine and mindset and fall into something new.

She’s just not sure that she should be falling for Torin along the way.

I adored this book! Completely adored it! I wasn't really sure what to expect from it as I only read a rough draft of the synopsis when I started reading it! I like reading a synopsis before starting a book to get a feel for it, but what I got from this book without reading a synopsis was amazing! I thoroughly enjoyed it! The plot of this book started out really cute and innocent and then it got outrageously hot! I loved it! It was also written brilliantly and some of the quotes in it made me smile like crazy! They were so inspirational and so wise! There were also some twist and turns that I didn't see coming in this book! Some twists were good for the main character and some bad! The plot was also about self discovery and about letting go in order to move forward! I haven't read a book quite like this one before or even a book with a similar plot! I fell head over heels in love with everything about this book! The characters were also amazing! Darby was the main character and I adored her! She had such a fresh attitude! She faced a lot of her fears in this book and she also learned so much about herself! Torin was the love interest of Darby and his outlook on life was so unique! He taught Darby so much! In fact I actually think he's going to teach everyone that reads this book something! We might all understand it a different way, but I'm pretty sure you'll come away from this book having learned something and life and the importance of it! Torin wasn't like other male characters in books I read! He was quirky and he had so much wisdom around him! He was such an interesting character and I found myself really intrigued by him! He was also pretty damn hot! There was sort of a love triangle in this book between Darby, Torin and Darby's boyfriend, Lance! I didn't like Lance that must too be honest! I didn't like the way he treated Darby and he was pretty self-centred! I know that this book is a standalone and that actually makes me downright sad! I'm going to miss Darby and also Torin's wonderful wisdom! I'm looking forward to reading more from this author though! I read this book when it didn't have a cover and as I was reading it I started to get an image of what the cover could look like! The cover is even better then I imagined! I can't even put into words how much it suits the story and how stunningly beautiful it is! I definitely need to get myself a copy in paperback! Big thank you to Megan for an ARC of The Rules of Regret and also for having me on her Blog Tour!

Check it out on Goodreads!

Author bio:

Megan Squires lives with her husband and two children just outside of Sacramento, California. A graduate from the University of California, Davis, Megan is now a full-time mother, wife, and dreamer--though her characters don't often give her much opportunity to sleep.

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/MeganSquiresAuthor?fref=ts

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6547282.Megan_Squires

Giveaway!

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Cover Reveal & Giveaway: For Real by Chelsea M. Cameron!

Two people. One fake relationship. What could go wrong?

When virgin Shannon Travers gets fed up with her friends demanding that she find a boyfriend, she enlists the help of tattooed, mohawk-rocking graphic design student Jett. He’s more than happy to play along with their Fake Relationship, including the Ten Rules of Fake Dating that control-freak Shannon comes up with. Even if he likes to violate them. Repeatedly.

But what happens when Fake Dating starts to feel… not fake anymore? Will Shannon be willing to let go and embrace the first thing in her life that’s ever felt REAL?

Add it to your TBR list on Goodreads!

Teaser!

Author bio:

Chelsea M. Cameron is a YA/NA New York Times/USA Today Best Selling author from Maine. Lover of things random and ridiculous, Jane Austen/Charlotte and Emily Bronte Fangirl, red velvet cake enthusiast, obsessive tea drinker, vegetarian, former cheerleader and world's worst video gamer. When not writing, she enjoys watching infomercials, singing in the car and tweeting (this one time, she was tweeted by Neil Gaiman). She has a degree in journalism from the University of Maine, Orono that she promptly abandoned to write about the people in her own head. More often than not, these people turn out to be just as weird as she is.

Her New Adult Contemporary Romance titles include My Favorite Mistake, which has been bought by Harlequin along with a sequel, Deeper We Fall and Faster We Burn (April 20, 2013)

Her Young Adult books include Nocturnal, Nightmare and Neither, the first three books in The Noctalis Chronicles. The fourth and final book, Neverend will be out in 2013. Whisper, the first in The Whisper Trilogy is also available, with the second book in the series, Silence and the final book, Listen coming out in 2014.