Thursday, November 22

Beautiful Redemption by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

Title: Beautiful Redemption (Book 4 of the Beautiful Creatures Series)
Authors: Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl
Pages: 451
Publisher: Little Brown

From the Back of the Book ~

I'd had nightmares about him before.  Before I knew him, or at least knew he was going to be Ethan.  But this wasn't like anything I'd ever seen in any nightmare.

It was real.

Ethan Wate has spent most of his life longing to escape the stiflingly small Southern town of Gatlin.  He never thought he would meet the girl of his dreams, Lena Duchannes, who unveiled a secretive, powerful, and cursed side of Gatlin, hidden in plain sight.  And he never could have expected that he would be forced to leave behind everyone and everything he cares about.  So when Ethan awakes after the chilling events of the Eighteenth Moon, he has only one goal: to find a way to return to Lena and the ones he loves.

Back in Gatlin, Lena is making her own bargains for Ethan's return, vowing to do whatever it takes - even if that means trusting old enemies or risking the lives of the family and friends Ethan left to protest.

Worlds apart, Ethan and Lena must once again work together to rewrite their fate, in this stunning finale to the Beautiful Creatures series.







Let me just start by saying, I loved the first book in this series and could not wait to read the other two books.  However, by the end of the third book I was completely ready to be out of Lena and Ethan's head.  This fourth book was just a chance for resolution to me.  And I feel it did just that.

Of course, in the end of the third book, we all felt that when Ethan jumped off the water tower, things just didn't feel right.  Obviously, it couldn't end like that.  The fourth book takes us through the Otherworld and back again.  It leaves you feeling complete.  I was, however, disappointed because I just didn't feel as involved in the final books.  I wasn't giddy with joy for Lena and Ethan by the end.   I like a book that leaves me happy or shocked.  And this book just didn't.  


Sunday, November 11

Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry

Title:  Pushing the Limits
Author:  Katie McGarry
Pages: 392
Publisher: Harlequin Teen 2012

Connecting with Katie ~
Website: http://www.katielmcgarry.com/
Twitter: @KatieMcGarry
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/katielmcgarry
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4575371.Katie_McGarry

From the Back of the Book ~

So wrong for each other...and yet so right.

No one knows what happened the night Echo Emerson went from popular girl with jock boyfriend to gossiped-about outsider with "freaky" scars on her arms.  Even Echo can't remember the whole truth.  All she knows is that she wants everything to go back to normal.  But when Noah Hutchins, the smoking-hot, girl-using loner in the black leather jacket, explodes into her life with his tough attitude and surprising understanding, Echo's world shifts in ways she could never have imagined.  Now Echo has to ask herself just how far they can push the limits and what she'll risk for the one guy who might teach her how to love again.

 Absolutely heart-hooking!  Pushing the Limits provided a little of everything for all readers but a lot of romance for those like me who just adore a good couple.

Let me start with Echo, which by the way is a fantastic name (for all you LOST fans, you may also remember an Echo, so it may not sound so unique to you) . Echo Emerson is a quasi strong heroine who despite her past is fighting to lead a normal life.  It isn't until her strength, Noah "HOTTIE" Hutchins enters her life that she begins to see that there is a silver lining.  Maybe normal isn't all it's made out to be.  Besides, what defines normal?  Noah has his own battles to fight and with the help of Echo, he might just win....provided he still wants to.  Together, the dynamic couple learn about life and letting go...and how to have the strength to make decisions that might not be part of their ultimate plan.  

Noah Hutchins is definitely at the top of the list as one of the most loveable men.  If only there were guys like him in the real world...and if there were, they lived in small towns like mine.  Boys in books are just so much better!


Sunday, November 4

The Evolution of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

Title: The Evolution of Mara Dyer (Volume 2 of the Mara Dyer trilogy)
Author: Michelle Hodkin
Pages: 527
Publisher: Simon & Schuster 2012

Link Up with Michelle Hodkin~
Blog: http://www.michellehodkin.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MaraDyer
Twitter: https://twitter.com/michellehodkin
Goodreads: Michelle Hodkin, Author

From the Book Cover ~

Mara Dyer once believed she could run from her past.

She can't.

She used to think her problems were all in her head. They aren't.

She couldn't imagine that after everything she's been through, the boy she loves would still be keeping secrets.  She's wrong.

In this gripping sequel to The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer, the truth evolves and choices prove deadly.

What will become of Mara Dyer next?





There are no words to describe the emotions this book put me through.  It was a roller coaster ride from beginning to end.  And believe me, by the end, this is one ride you want to get off.  I'm not going to reveal any secrets, but lets just say the twists and turns Mara and Noah take will leave you biting your nails to short little nubs and saying "Oh my gosh" until the last period.  

Secrets are uncovered.  Lies are revealed.  More questions arise, and yet no answers to previous questions are given.  It's almost frustrating by the end.  And where did the flashbacks from the past come from?  Who is Mara Dyer and Noah Shaw?  For that matter, who are Stella, James, and Jude?  Is anybody who we think they are?  What's real? and what's not?

I don't believe I have ever read a more suspenseful book than this.  Like I said, there are no words that can describe it, you just have to experience it for yourself.  Good luck.

Best Line Ever: "If I were to live a thousand years, I would belong to you for all of them.  If we were to live a thousand lives, I would want to make you mine in each one." ~ Noah Shaw


Saturday, November 3

Madly and the Jackal by M. Leighton

Title: Madly and The Jackal
Author: M. Leighton
Pages: 273
Publisher: M. Leighton Copyright 2012

Where to find Michelle ~
Blog: http://mleightonbooks.blogspot.com
Facebook: M. Leighton Author Page
Twitter: @mleightonbooks
Goodreads: M. Leighton, Author
Email: m.leighton.books@gmail.com

From the Back of the Book ~

How deep does love run?  Deeper than the ocean?  Deeper than memory?  Deeper than magic?

Following their plan to save Atlas, Madly and Jackson return the spirit of Wolfhardt to his prison beneath the sea.  But even the best laid plans couldn't account for the surprises they find.  This time, Lore aren't their only challenges.

Madly is special in ways no one could have guessed and dark forces seek to control her.  They want her power, but first they must weaken her.  They need her beaten.  Vulnerable.  Near death.  And alone.  But that task isn't an easy one with Jackson at her side.  The strongest of their kin, the only way to separate Jackson from Madly is to destroy his love for her, to erase it from his mind.  And his heart.

Is it possible to steal Jackson's love from Madly?  Or is their love the only truly unbreakable thing?





Ok. So, the one thing I can say about this book is HOT! HOT! HOT! In the first book, yes it had some scenes that would make you blush, but in Madly and the Jackal...Oh My Gosh!  I have yet to read any of M. Leighton's adult books, but if they are half as steamy as some of the scenes in this book then I am in.  I believe the first romantic scene actually even made me jealous.  Not only does Jackson have the looks but he's got the moves too.  I am just "madly" about Jackson!  

The story line sticks to the first book really well, and I feel another book coming on soon.  I haven't checked to see when the next book comes out or if she has made plans for another book, but I know I will definitely be reading it.  As you can tell, we have only been through two of the fairy tale creatures that have been set free from Atlas, so I feel we have a long way to go.

All in all, I'm very anxious to read more and hope that anyone reading my review will grab a copy and join this journey with me.