ARC Review: The Eternity Cure by Julie Kagawa

Title: The Eternity Cure (The Blood of Eden #2)

Author: Julie Kagawa

Rating: 5 of 5 Stars

Blurb: Allison Sekemoto has vowed to rescue her creator, Kanin, who is being held hostage and tortured by the psychotic vampire Sarren. The call of blood leads her back to the beginning—New Covington and the Fringe, and a vampire prince who wants her dead yet may become her wary ally.

Even as Allie faces shocking revelations and heartbreak like she’s never known, a new strain of the Red Lung virus that decimated humanity is rising to threaten human and vampire alike.

My Review: Buzz, buzz, buzz… This book has been generating such a buzz. Well bees, I get it ok? This book was amazing. I get what all the hype is about and yes, I’ve joined the ‘everyone read The Eternity Cure because it’s pure awesomeness’ train.

The Eternity Cure is a novel that is very easy to fall in love with. The novel itself with its plot twists, action, suspense, badassedness and yes, it’s romance make for an all consuming read. So imagine everything you enjoyed in The Immortal Rules with a better story line and amazing character development. I loved how dark this novel is and the development and complexity of the relationships.

As for characters: Alison is amazing. She continues to deal with the struggle of monster vs. humanity and I love how realistic it is. She is strong physically, morally and emotionally and it was awesome to see her prevail when these strengths were tested. Zeke, OMG Zeke! Yep, he’s back. He is such a heart throb and I cannot even describe how ecstatic I was to have him be a part of this novel and getting to know him better. Eden changed him for the better and we find him in full suitor mode. Jackal plays a big part in the storyline and boy was I holding a grudge against him from The Immortal Rules. But that couldn’t last forever I guess. He continues to be self motivated and clearly using Alison, but he’s funny and the suspense of never knowing how trustworthy he is helped keep me on the edge of my seat. Kanin continues to be awesome. In this novel we get to know him in weakness, kindness, anger and strength. And last but not least Stick. Boy did he piss me off. He’s a total tool. Well, he is. The thing though that pissed me off the most about him was Alison’s inability to truly see him for what he is and not who he was.

The Eternity Cure is a complete rollercoaster ride. From laughter and tears, to excitement and suspense. I never knew what to expect and loved every single word of it. This book is definitely one I recommend and 100% worth the buzz.

*I received a free copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Giveaway: Have you entered the ongoing giveaway for The Eternity Cure? If you haven’t, you have until the end of the month to enter this Rafflecopter giveaway. Goodluck!

Book Review: Online Dating Sucks… but it’s how I fell in love

Title: Online Dating Sucks… but it’s how I fell in love

Author: John P Gavin

Rating: 5 of 5 Stars

Blurb: The true story of John – part time nice guy, part time player, and full time advice columnist – as he gives guidance to women on how to find Mr. Right – and inadvertently becomes Mr. Right himself.

John P. Gavin, an advice columnist for a San Francisco area newspaper, spent a year writing about how women can better understand the way men approach Online Dating – and relationships in general – and how to use that knowledge to make their own online experience better.

This is a story of John’s endeavor to explain why the dating sites can be so frustrating – and how to minimize those frustrations. And while the original intent of the column may have been to educate women about men, it ends up working just as well in reverse, as men find out what women are really looking for in a guy – and how to be That Guy. In John’s journey of discovery he finds that successful online dating has as much to do with how we go about it as it does with who we are.

To underscore the point he finds that when he changes how he dates it also changes who he dates – a discovery that will lead him to love.

My Review: Let me be honest, this isn’t the type of book I would normally go for. When John first approached me about reading his novel I was pretty hesitant about it. But in the spirit of being fair I went to amazon found his book and chose the ‘Look Inside’ option. I was surprised when I reached the ending of the preview we are allowed to read. I mean, I finished it all in one sitting and rather enjoyed it. It made me realize that although Online Dating Sucks is not really up my lane it is definitely a book worth reading and so, here I am, having finished the book and sharing my opinions of it.

In this book, Gavin shares with us a year of his life. I love his narrative style and how he alternates from telling us about his personal life to then sharing his column. In truth I absolutely loved reading this book. It is honest, funny, informative and without a doubt interesting. I love how although this is non-fiction, I still found myself swept up in the story- which is no easy feat. After all, there is a reason why I stick to fiction. Gavin is truly a talented writer and I found myself enjoying every minute of this book.

Gavin starts each chapter by telling the reader what is going on in his life. The first chapter depicts the events that led to his divorce and his reemergence into the dating scene. These depictions of his life turn out to be quite a beautiful story of picking up the pieces of his life, starting a new career, learning things about himself, confronting his demons and falling in love. I absolutely loved it. It was entertaining and was the glue that made this book amazing and the column that much more interesting.

Gavin’s column although intended to be online dating advice does so much more than that. It gives great overall relationship advice and an insight into the minds of men. It looks into the complexity of relationships, the different ways male and females think, and how men view commitments and relationships. It’s honest, funny, refreshing and ultimately, a good read.

I a married woman, who has no interest in online dating yet found this book to be an invaluable resource. I would invite anyone to read it. Not only is it great for single people people hoping to get an inside scoop, it is great in helping us better understand the opposite sex and a great read to boot. I absolutely loved getting to know Gavin through his narrations, the happily ever after feel of it all and his candor. This is a book I would definitely recommend.

*I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Blog Tour: Rapunzel Untangled

Title: Rapunzel Untangled

Author: Cindy C. Bennett

Rating: 5 of 5 Stars

Blurb:

Fab Fane Fannigan: Are you saying you live at GOTHEL MANSION???
RG: My mother calls it Gothel Manor, so maybe that’s different?
Fab Fane Flannigan: No, Rapunzel, there’s only one that I know of. It has to be the same. So you live in the tower?
RG: Uh, the tower? I don’t know. Is it a tower?
Fab Fane Flannigan: Yes, it is. I know where it is. Rapunzel, promise me one thing.
RG: Okay.
Fab Fane Flannigan: Don’t Google your house.

Rapunzel is not your average teenager. For one thing, she has a serious illness that keeps her inside the mysterious Gothel Mansion. And for another, her hair is 15 feet long. Not to mention that she’s also the key to ultimately saving the world from certain destruction. But then she meets a boy named Fane, who changes all she has ever known, and she decides to risk everything familiar to find out who she really is. Filled with romance, adventure, and mystery, Rapunzel Untangled is one story you won’t want to put down. Discover the true meaning of love and friendship in this modern twist to the classic fairytale.

My Review: It is rare when I find a blurb that so well captures the essence of the novel while giving such an accurate synopsis as this one does. Rapunzel Untangled takes the original fairytale, flips it on it’s head and does something magical while not losing sight of the classic. I tend to be a pretty emotional reader but was shocked at how much I loved this novel. Seriously, you should see my notes while reading. I love, I love, I love… Every sentence seems to start that way. So prepare yourself for lots of gushing and a pretty good sales pitch (pats self on back) as to why you should go out and pick up a copy of this novel.

I assume everyone knows Rapunzel in some form. Bedtime stories, movies, literarture, cartoons, heresay… Haha the list is endless. Well this novel starts much the way one would expect. You know, evil witch of a woman keeping Rapunzel prisoner in a tower. But then Bennett does something. She makes it a story all her own and it turns into this dark, magical story that leaves you unawares and completely captivated.

The characters were very realistic and I love Bennetts insight and attention to detail. Rapunzel for example is a blissfully innocent character. As the blind is taken from her eyes and she is exposed to the world it is done in a practical, funny way. And there is one of the things on the “I love list”- the humor. It is casual but pure genius. As were the emails shared between Rapunzel and her love interest: Fane. Ok, so back to Rapunzel’s innocence I loved how she starts to see her “mother’s” true colors. How it takes her seeing geniune emotions in someone else for her to realize how fake her mother’s are.

As for villians this book has it in spades and in my mind would rival that of Bane from The Dark Knight Rises.. For those of you who haven’t seen the movie or don’t understand the reference just expect great plot twists and to see the genius of a great villian.

Now, this is going to sound weird but the book is so pretty. Yes I like the cover, and is the first thing that drew me to the novel, but that’s not at all what I’m talking about. The font, the presentation, the beginning of every chapter is like a feast for the eyes. It’s beautiful and it adds to the fairytale feel of it.

So what can you expect from Rapunzel Untangled besides an amazing retelling of a classic fairytale? Romance, friendship, intrigue and to be swept off of your feat with a story that will capture your attention and keep it. It’s different, suspenseful and new while maintaining the essence that is Rapunzel.

*I recieved a free copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review

Now, for a chance to win a copy of this novel and see if all this gushing is about enter the Rafflecopter Giveaway. And don’t forget to visit other blogs participating in the Blog Tour to see interviews, book reviews, guest posts and many more giveaways.

About The Author:
Cindy C Bennett was born and raised in beautiful Salt Lake City, growing up in the shadows of the majestic Rocky Mountains. She and her husband – who happens to be her high-school sweetheart – raised two sons and two daughters. She’s now blessed with two daughters-in-law as well. She developed a love of writing in high school when a teacher introduced her to the joys of escaping reality for ten minutes each day in writing.
When she’s not writing, reading, or answering emails (notice there’s no mention of cleaning, cooking, or anything remotely domestic), she can often be found riding her Harley through the beautiful canyons near her home. (Yes, she rides a Harley.)

Book Review: My Vampire Summer

Title: My Vampire Summer

Author: Elle Casey

Rating: 2 of 5 Stars

Blurb: My Vampire Summer, a novella, the first novella in a series of four … Reserved bookworm Iona Candella and her best friend, wildchild Cheri Blake, are spending the summer before college in a small medieval town in France. Iona plans to spend the time reading 100 books on her Kindle and Cheri plans to spend it interfering in Iona’s book reading/hibernation plan and finding gorgeous French boyfriends to help them pass the time instead. Both of them get more than they bargained for or even imagined. Ancient curses, haunted castle ruins, crypts protected by supernatural serpents. My Vampire Summer is a veritable YA Fantasy banquet, all in a novella-sized package.

My Review: This is not a bad book. Casey is known for capturing the reader’s attention and easily does this in My Vampire Summer. However, I simply feel this book was not for me.

About the book: Iona is the main character, which by the way, I love her name. She goes to vacation in France with her mother the summer after her high school graduation. Her BFF Cheri also comes along and I’m not too sure how I feel about her. She has the best intentions but she is truly rough around the edges in my opinion. Her way of approaching things and her obnoxious attitude tended to grate on my nerves. But then she is such a persistently good friend that I couldn’t stay mad at her for too long. Ahem… I see I got side tracked- Back to my synopsis. Cheri goes to France with the idea of finding herself a summer romance and Iona goes in love with her Kindle and hopes to do nothing more than sit around and meet her goal of reading at least 50 books over the summer. However, it turns out that they get more than they bargained for when a series of events leads to Iona breaking down and entering an alternate reality from her padded cell in a mental institution. Haha… Just kidding. Sort of. Iona finds herself in a situation she’s only read about in novels and yep you guessed it: Vampires. She deals with it by convincing herself that she’s lost her marbles.

I have to say… This novella was not at all what I expected. I have come to find that Casey has a very unique voice and when she writes I instantly recognize her. With My Vampire Summer…. This was not at all the case. Overall this book is about friendship, innocence, love and romance. Not really a bad read. Just not for me. It reminded me a bit (or a lot) of Vampire Kisses. Like the School Library Journal said in its review of Vampire Kisses “All in all, a good read for those who want a vampire love story without the gore.” Well this statement also coincides with My Vampire Summer. I therefore definitely recommend this read to fans of Vampire Kisses, you will love this novella.

My issue with My Vampire Summer is that I found it a little too juvenile for me. It makes me think I may  need to recategorize my genre from YA to mature YA. I feel as if it was intended for a younger audience and I found myself not connecting with the characters. There was however lots of mystery and intrigue. I might read the sequel to give this series another shot and to uncover some of it’s mystery.

*I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Book Review: After the Fall

Title: After the Fall (Clash of the Otherworlds #1)

Author: Elle Casey

Rating: 5 of 5 Stars

Blurb: The Light and Dark Fae have come together, a tenuous peace formed at the urging of the Overworld. Potty-mouthed teen, Jayne Sparks, and her fellow changeling friends find themselves once again in the middle of a maelstrom of conflict, mystery, and magic that they must struggle to not only understand but to overcome. Jayne Sparks Blackthorn hereby cordially invites you to follow her into the Gray…

*Clash of the Otherworlds continues where Elle Casey’s War of the Fae series left off

My Review: I find myself having a tough time reviewing books that come from a series. I feel limited in the sense that it’s harder to not provide spoilers. Like me being particularly emotional in Bella and Edwards wedding from Breaking Dawn and writing something to that effect. For someone who has read Eclipse they are already expecting this. However this will be a total spoiler for those who have only read Twilight or New Moon. Uhum… So I hope you understand my dilemma and my usual hope of not providing spoilers. Which for those of you who are unaware is why I tend to keep reviews about sequels short. However, I’ll admit I can’t help myself on this one. Those of you who have yet to finish reading the War of the Fae series or don’t enjoy **SPOILERS**, stop here. You have been warned.

After the Fall begins where War of the Fae ended. I was pretty much left not knowing what to expect. The Light and Dark Fae have united, Jayne and Ben got married and now they have a war with the Otherworlds to deal with.

In regards to Ben and Jayne, we all know how stubborn and head strong Jayne can be, but I was left feeling hopeful that things would work out between them with their steamy kiss, a few heartfelt promises and overall attitude at the end of New World Order. However, this book highlighted all of their problems and it seems to me that their relationship may not work out. First, Jayne is having a tough time getting over Chase. Then Ben can’t seem to make up his mind as to whether he is a possessive a-hole or a sweetheart. He changes moods as much as you would expect a PMS-ing girl would. The jury is still out on Ben. He needs to pick a side like who do his loyalties lie with? There is such a shroud of mystery around him and I’m honestly not sure if he’s a good or bad guy. But then I remember that Chase sanctioned their union and spirit has blessed it. Surely Chase would never marry her off to a traitor to their race right? Well, I guess we can say I keep going back and forth on this. I think we just need to learn a little more about him before we make up our mind about liking him.

Casey reveals more of Jayne’s heritage and she does in the most unexpected way. Then in regard to the ever hilarious Tim the Pixie, he is dealing with having his wife around and getting to know his son. I absolutely love his character and cannot possibly count the laughs I’ve had on his account. His son Willy is pretty awesome too and is also pretty funny; Especially with his spider nakie stuff. I seriously couldn’t get enough of it.

It turns out that Jayne has more potential that anyone could of ever imagined. Like… How about a major **SPOILER** now? Again, MAJOR SPOILER!!!! Our Jaynie girl can wield all four elements. That was a wowsers moment and the scene was exciting as hell. I’m still grinning like a madman over that amazing action scene.

After the Fall is a pretty intense book. The pace is fast, the action is intense and it is hilariously funny. I truly think that I would have ended up in a mental institution had I read this book in front of anyone outside of my family. I looked absolutely crazy with my wild reactions, burst of laughter and in my general excitement over this book. Good thing my family is used to me turning into a madman when there is a book in my hands… 😉

*I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

Book Review: Call to Arms

Title: Call to Arms War of the Fae #2)

Author: Elle Casey

Rating: 5 of 5 Stars

Blurb: Follow Jayne Sparks, the (still) potty-mouthed seventeen-year-old and newly changed elemental fae and her friends – an incubus, a daemon, a green elf, a water sprite and a pixie – as they struggle to find their places in the Light Fae community of the Green Forest and prepare for the upcoming battle against the Dark Fae.

My Review: So… Many of you may already know that once upon a time I read Call to Arms and gave it a very mean review. Knowing now that was an all emotional reviewer, I read this book for a second time- With an open mind and at a slower pace.

Well I can tell you now, that was a total fail. I started the book and was immediately swept up in the emotion of the book. I didn’t stand a chance. I read this book straight through only stopping for a nap. As in, I had to charge my iPad and decided to get some sleep while that happened. It was the middle of the night after all and the first thing I did after opening my eyes was to reach over and start reading where I left off. Now that I have finished reading Call to Arms I find myself having a lot to say. I hope not to bore you guys and I’m sure you will find a review somewhere in here… Eventually. (Haha…)

First, I want to apologize to Elle Casey. Wow did I do your book an injustice with my angry words and harsh review. I realize now how juvenile and angry I was then… Sometime ago, someone pointed this out to me and thank God for that. Thanks to this person’s honest and wise words I saw the error of my ways and have since continuously asked myself what exactly makes a good review. Yet one thing I have never reverted back to are my overly emotional and mean reviews. I consider myself someone who can admit being wrong- which I totally was.

Back to Call to Arms, I completely fell in love with this book. This book picks up right where The Changelings left off. Jayne has decided to become a changeling and accept the Fae blood that runs through her veins. Call to Ams follows Jayne and her friends integration into Fae society. Jayne continues to have a terrible potty mouth and a sick sense of humor that i just couldn’t get enough of and with the new characters we are treated to in this book, I did some serious LOLing. Jayne is always finding herself in crazy a** situations so the reader is never at a loss for action scenes. There also some hints of romance I hope to see more of in the books to come. The reader is also treated to lots of answers to the questions that arose in The Changelings.

The characters were fun and spunky and once again bring different things to the table. However, I want to specially talk about Becky (whom I kinda bashed in my first review). I think I just didn’t get her the first time around. It wasn’t that Becky’s character was lost, more so that she became a better, stronger person. I think that would happen to anyone who found themselves lost (a runaway and homeless) and finally finds their purpose in life. I think my head was just too far up my a** to see that the first time around. 😉

Call to Arms is truly an amazing sequel and I absolutely loved reading it. I look forward to reading the sequel… Which you should be seeing soon. I know I already mentioned Casey loves her cliff hangers and I’m going crazy to know what happens next.

Book Review + Giveaway: Wrecked

Title: Wrecked

Author: Elle Casey

Rating: 4 of 5 Stars

Blurb: If you liked The Breakfast Club and The Swiss Family Robinson, you’ll love WRECKED! An ill-fated Caribbean cruise and four teenagers: a nerd, a jock, a mouse, and a beauty queen…an island, a treehouse, some nefarious interlopers…life and death…fear and loathing…love and laughter. Follow Jonathan, Kevin, Candi and Sarah as they find their typical high school lives and their worlds totally WRECKED.

My Review: “This shit is bananas. B-A-N-A-N-A-S” Haha, I swear I’m done and just had to get it out of my system. (You’ll understand aft reading the book.) I’ll be honest and say that with the exception of Lord of the Flies that I read in my childhood and just vaguely remember, I haven’t read many stranded-on-an-island type books. But I absolutely love this novel! It has four very dynamic characters. A crazy story line. Lots of action, romance and humor.

For a quick synopsis: two families from opposite sides of the track go on a cruise together for business purposes. Their kids, each have two- a boy and a girl are polar opposites of each other. Their parents make them play nice and they are forced to spend time together. Yet one night amid an extreme storm these four kids end up stranded on an island. They adapt to their surroundings and learn how to survive. However, they have no idea of the danger they are in…

The story is very well set up and is truly a roller coaster of a ride. I absolutely love it! It was funny and I spent most of the book seriously LOLing. Casey follows her theme of keeping he readers laughing. It’s romantic and it is mostly PG-13- until they get it on. Then it is still PG-13 because it is done in it a very classy and non steamy way. 😉 Kind of like: We started kissing, he looks me in the eyes and asks me if I’m sure and then we did it. It’s realistic and follows the natural order of things. After all it is our reality that teens out there are having sex and those that aren’t, there friends are doing it. Wrecked is exciting and keeps you on your toes, never knowing what to expect. The characters are pretty dynamic and undergo a lot of character development. The book ends and almost all of the characters are 180 from the who they started off as.

• Jonathan- is a true nerd and he manages to have an explanation for everything. (I learned a few things from him.) He is confident and honest and a very analytical person.
• Candi- is self conscious and one of those people who doesn’t see herself clearly. She is sweet and can be passive but protects the people she cares about.
• Kevin- is the popular jock who’s really a nice guy.
• Sarah- appears to be the conceited bitch. She pretends to be shallow and at first appears to be the epitome of a bitch. But turns out that she really is a thoughtful and caring person.

Wreck is a fun book to read. I am excited with Casey’s announcement of a sequel coming out. It’s funny and romantic and it’s unpredictable and action packed. Luckily Elle Casey is giving away two ebook copies of this book. You will therefore have an opportunity to see this for yourself. To enter just fill out the form below. The winner will be announced Sunday October 14th. You therefore have until the 13th to enter.

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