This review and more can be found at The Book Bratz










As the GIF above says, I have all these feels that I didn't have when I started reading. Including millions of unanswered questions, and an almost eight month wait to get the answers. Oh boy.

Did Fire & Flood remind me of The Hunger Games? Yes. There were some things I found similar, but a majority of it wasn't even remotely the same. Which made me happy because I wanted to love this book and guess what!? I do! (I have read enough reviews to see that people are torn) There are similar themes and settings, but every book has to start somewhere and this is totally different.

I have two brothers, one seven and another fifteen. I would easily give my life for either of them. (No matter how much I say I hate them.) I can see Tella's determination to get through The Brimstone Bleed successfully. Though she questions herself throughout, or makes stupid decisions. But she is sixteen, sixteen year olds can make stupid decisions.

The Pandora's reminded me of Pokemon. Only these were animals with genetically altered abilities. Some that were really cute, then some that are really scary. Madox, if he was real I would probably kidnap that poor thing because he was so cute. I worried about him more then the main characters sometimes.

As usual I fell in love with the boy who the main character is lusting after. This time his name is Guy, we are totally going to get married. You know if he was real and all. Guy was very mysterious and I feel we learned the most about him in the last 1/4 of the book.

I don't have much to say about this book. Have you ever loved something so much you have no words for it? Well that is me right now.


RATING: ★★★★★

This review and more can be found at The Book Bratz



Looking for a short, easy, entertaining summer read? Then this book is for you. I whipped through is pretty quickly at the beach and enjoyed every minute of it.

I loved the photography and the story behind it, how it was something she shared with her father before he died of cancer a few months earlier. I just wished there was a few more scenes with her doing the photography.

I didn't like Ben (One of the love interests) there was something about him that wasn't right. He kind of threw himself at her instead of waiting for her, but then I guess in the end there was a reason for it.

***I also don't like how the situation with Ben never got solved. Like Pippa, he stole your pictures for the competition and then used them! Worst of all he won. I wish she would have told the directors on him. Then again there is always the second book for this all the play out. It explains though why he was pushy and tried to get close to her so fast, do I think he has feelings for her? Yes. Do I think that he really cares about them? No.***

Of course I fell in love with Dylan. He wasn't the stereotypical boy. He was kind and sweet. Though I did not see that plot twist coming, actually we do see it coming. You just don't put everything together until the very end.

All in all I really did like this book! I am excited to read the sequal for the upcoming book tour!

Rating: ★★★★★

Similarities between me and Pippa:
We both suffer from panic attacks.
I liked (past tense) someone the same name of the boy she likes.
She doesn't like to break the rules.
Our inner thoughts never shuts up!
She is awkward around people, especially boys.
We are both sixteen

I think this is the most I ever related to a character!

The full review + more can be found at The Book Bratz

I haven't read any New Adult books in a while, and this one seemed interesting enough. With how things were going at the point that I read this book (I read it on 1/7/16) I hadn't been in much of a reading mood and I was hoping that Beyond the Stars would change that. It did! Beyond the stars was sweet, funny, and romantic.

After a unexpected health set back left Jessica from her year abroad in France, Jessica is stuck working as the assistant for Hollywood's bad boy Jack McAlister. Jack is everything you expect from the rich and famous, he is paranoid, condescending, and prickly. But then he has moments of extreme sweetness. When Jessica starts to feel an attraction towards her boss she knows it is wrong, for one he is her boss and two every other girl on the planet wants him. But what could Jessica do? She refuses to let her aunt down, so she continues working for Jack and his revolving door of girls. Even if it is breaking her heart.

The opening scene of Beyond the Stars Jessica is driving to the set of a talk show host with Jack's pet pig on her front seat. Yes, a pig. I think that was the moment I fell in love with this book. Shortly after I met Jack, and I didn't like him. He was rude, condescending of Jessica and was still against the whole idea of having a personal assistant. But eventually the more you got to know Jack, that more you were able to fall in love with him. The part that he plays paramedic when Jessica's scraps her arm *swoon*

I liked Jessica character. She is hard working and a go-getter. Despite the fact that this is the last person she wants to be working for she makes the best of it. Eventually she doesn't even mind it anymore. We all understand that Jack's job as an actor sometimes includes him kissing other people, but rationally someone who is falling in love with that person would of course be upset about that. Especially when they felt like that never would have a chance. I felt bad for Jessica.

I loved the romance in this book. It is a slow burn, and I spent most of the book wanting to push their faces together. In other terms it was torturous. It is a subtle touch here, a hug there, a few steamy thoughts occasionally. Like I said slow burn, but it was painful! It isn't until the last 90% of the book before any major kissing action happens. For a New Adult novel I found Beyond the Stars to be clean. Meaning: There was no sex scenes, or graphic make out scenes. (Which I was slightly disappointed with.) It was implied though.

Overall I really enjoyed Beyond the Stars! Considering the lack of sex and graphic content I would say its a perfect introduction book into the world of New Adult. I would love to read more from Stacy soon!

Note: I received this ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

The full review + more can be found at The Book Bratz

*I apologize in advance if this review makes no sense*

There is a lot of hype surrounding this book. There is a major street team, a big ARC distribution, twitter pages and so much more that shows that this is the book to have in 2016. But I am always scared of that hype, because you expect something excellent then. If so many people love it, it must be a five star book, right? That is wrong. I was not a big fan of Truthwitch.

My biggest problem with this book was that it was so confusing. I understand that the beginnings of fantasy books tend to be confusing because of the world building, but I felt like there was so little world building that I was scrambling to figure out what was happening. But there are things that are left unexplained, are skimmed over. Things that were essential to the plot too. I pushed through it though, because everyone loved this book.

I enjoyed Merik's character. But I didn't like his ways. One minute he was protective over Safi, then he wanted to hand her over to the bad guys, then he wanted to kiss her, then he was locking her in chains. Hot and cold much? I get that he was under stress, but I really expected more from Merik from what everyone was saying. I also wish he stopped being an ass hat sooner and kissed Safi, because Denard did write a pretty steamy kissing scene and I wish we could have had a few more before the story ended. (They kiss in the last 20%)

Now as much as there were things that I didn't like about Truthwitch, there were somethings that I did like about. Safi's impatiences and eagerness to dive into things with out thinking about it reminded me of myself. But she also had a streak of selflessness at the end of the novel that had me a little bewildered.

Truthwitch has me a bundle of emotions that I can't decipher. I liked it. I didn't like it. I want the next book. I don't want to next book. I think my big problem with this book was the hype surrounding it. I tend to struggle with those kinds of book. If I do happen to read the next book, I do wish I have better luck with it then this one.

Note: Thank you to Tor Teen for sending me a finished copy in exchange of an honest review

The full review + more can be found at The Book Bratz

*Trigger Warning: This book does contain discussions about rape as well as a scene in which the main character is raped*

I don't know where to begin with this book. I think any book about something as tough as rape, makes you sit back and think about how to approach it in a review or discussion. Do I ignore it and continue on with my review of characterization, what I liked and disliked or do I acknowledge it? It is a silent battle that I been having for the twenty minutes that I've stared at my computer screen trying to write this review.

When Eden was fourteen years old, her brother's best friend, who was like a brother to her. Entered her bedroom and raped her. Eden, who was scared out of her mind kept this secret hidden for the three/four years this book took place over. Told from freshman, sophomore, junior and senior year we see Eden grow and change, this life altering event shaping who she becomes over those three/four years.

At the opening of The Way I used to Be my heart shattered for Eden. She is fourteen, alone and terrified. She had no one. Though she had friends and family she was scared to tell them what had happened. Freshmen year turns into sophomore and Eden is a different person, new clothes, makeup, hair that is no longer frizzy. She attracts the attention of a senior basketball player Josh. When Eden lies to him and tells him that she is sixteen rather then fourteen, the two peruse a sexual relationship.

Quite quickly the reader watches Eden fall into a dark hole. The once innocent, caring, sweet girl that she was is gone being replaced by someone who is nasty, bitter, and mean. She learned relatively quickly that she had control over her own sexuality, and uses it as a way to cope with her assault. Something she learned from being with Josh. But by her Junior and senior year Josh was no longer part of the picture, having left Eden behind (Or Eden leaving him behind)

Eden is stuck in one part of her life, as the people around her continued to live and move forward. Her relationship with her best friend is failing, she refers to her parents by their first names rather then mom or dad and she chain smokes, drinks and has sex with random boys she meets at parties. Her life is unraveling from something she feel likes she can't share with anyone.

I enjoyed Smith's writing style, and the characters she gave to us. Each person you met was essential to the story in some way, shape or form. The book opens with a brief explanation of Eden's rape. But it isn't until later on that it is elaborated more. Smith's style of writing made her words jump off the page, filling the readers with emotion. During the later talk of rape and Eden's experience I couldn't help but cry for her.

My only complaint is about how the book ended and at some points it felt repetitive. I wish It was more set in stone about what would happen next with her family, friends, and Josh moving forward from what happen. But I like the openness. In my head it all works out for the best.

Nothing I say will give this book as much praise as it deserves. I wasn't something easy to read. The subject will never be easy. But it was raw, heartbreaking and something scary to even think about. If you to read one book in 2016, it should be this one!

The full review + more can be found at The Book Bratz

I must have broke my highlighter function on my kindle because of this book. I at least highlighted 50% of the book. Honestly. I picked this one up because I saw everyone else doing it and for once, I do not regret being a follower. With an upbeat plot, steamy romance, and tons of laugh The Deal was a fun read. One that I recommend to everyone who enjoys New Adult.

“She tries to take a step down the hall, but I tug on her hand and kiss her again, and this time it's not a peck. I kiss her hard, losing myself in her taste and her heat and every damn thing about her. I never expected her. Sometimes people sneak up on you and suddenly you don't know you ever lived without them.”

Hannah left her small town, somewhere she and her family were outcasts for an incident that occurred when she was fifteen. Making a new life for herself in college, majoring in music, making friends. But some of the baggage she left behind home, still follows her around. Hannah doesn't like parties and she is unable to successfully be intimate with a guy. Garret, the star of the schools hockey team thinks he is the shit. He knows he is hot, he knows he can get any girl he wants. But he can't pass his ethics class. Turning on his charm he tries seducing Hannah into being his tutor. When that doesn't work he moves on to badgering her until she says yes.

I love how this book wasn't insta-love. It so easily could have taken the route. I've seen it done plenty of times before. Boy meets girl. They develop feelings in a small time frame. Suddenly that are happily in love. The Deal is slow burn, we get to see Garret and Hannah go from complete strangers, to friends, and then something more then friends.

“Sometimes people sneak up on you and suddenly you don’t know how you ever lived without them.”

I think the romance held a special place for because of what happened in Hannah's past. When she was fifteen, she was raped. Though, she said that she has gotten past it she really hasn't. But Hannah doesn't flinch when a guy is around her, she's been intimate since then. She didn't let it stop her. But at the same time she had other obstacles to accomplish when Garret came into the picture. I also like to acknowledged that when Hannah was drunk, and made a move on Garret, he very kindly told her no because he knew she was intoxicated and wasn't in her right mind.

The humor was my favorite part of this book. I honestly wish I could do a whole post about things said in The Deal. There were so many laugh out loud moments that I would have to go back and read several times to make sure I understood them right. My favorite moment in this book:

“Penises! Sweet Jesus. Penises everywhere. Horror slams into me as I register what I'm seeing. Oh God. I've stumbled onto a penis convention. Big penises and small penises and fat penises and penis-shaped penises. It doesn't matter which direction I move my head because everywhere I look I see penises.”

Overall I am excited to continue on in the Off-Campus series. If this is what book 1 was like I can only imagine what the next books in the series will hold!

The full review + more can be found at The Book Bratz

I don't think I realized what I was getting myself into when I requested this book. Not that it was bad, it was the opposite of bad. But it is complicated. The good kind, but also the kind that is very difficult to explain. Just keep in mind when you read this book that: IT ALL MAKES SENSE IN TIME.

In the first few pages of this book I was reminded of the show, American Pickers. Annie and her father travel around buying artifacts and then reselling them. That is until Annie's father becomes ill with Dementia. Or what they all thought was dementia. Returning to Moonhill, the place of her mother's death is the last thing Annie wants to do, but her father's care wasn't left to her. With no other choice Annie moves to Moonhill, knowing as soon as her father is well enough again she was leaving and never looking back.

A Hold on Me had a very interesting set of characters. They weren't flat, and each played a vital role to how to story would play out. You get introduced to a lot of people at once, but soon it is easy to decipher who is who, and who is actually related to Annie. Chase was one of my favorite characters, for most of the book he remained dark and mysterious, saying and doing strange things that raised eyebrows. But when you get down to the grit of it all your heart breaks for the life he use to have and the demons that he hides.

The paranormal aspect is where is gets tricky. Possessions. Evil spirits. Other dimensions. Genies. Poison rings. Take your pick. There is so much going on, and it is so interesting to read. There was not a dull moment in the book. Esden made sure her readers were full immersed into this world from cover to cover. I won't talk much about the romance because I didn't find there to be much of one. But it was there, just not the main focus of the book. (Though, reading the teaser of book two has me really hopeful for the romance)

In the end, I am content with A Hold on Me, I can't wait until book two (August of 2016) to learn what is going to happen next!

THIS REVIEW AND MORE CAN BE FOUND AT THE BOOK BRATZ!


I wasn't sure what to expect of Storm Siren when I first had it in my hands. It was one of those stories that could be really good, or really bad. In this case. It was very good! Though complex at times Storm Siren leaves your heart pounding on a thrill ride of action and emotion.

I loved Nym. She is stubborn, strong willed, and sarcastic all wrapped into one. Her back story breaks your heart, and shows how she had struggled through the early years of her life. I just wish Nym didn't let people walk all over her. As a slave she has had fourteen owners, and her fifteenth owner, Adora, the latest only sees her as a weapon to stop a war. There were so many times when Adora would say or do something to Nym, that I wished she would have stuck up for herself. Plus, Adora was so set on getting Nym to stay away from Eogan, like it was getting annoying. Eogan is where I get a lot of mixed feelings. There were a lot of things unclear about him, he had three women after him, and he had to train Nym. I felt like there could have been something more between him and Nym if he just opened up. He was hot and cold.

Mary Weber did a beautiful job describing and pulling her readers in the Storm Siren world. I enjoy a book much better when I can picture it clearly and this book is just that. It was easy to see and understand what was going on, what people looked like! I loved it.

The plot was interesting. Between the magic and the war a lot of information is giving to you, and though complex it wasn't confusing as it sometimes could be. Though I wasn't sure about the romance, it wasn't an insta-love thing, it was gradual and sweet. Storm Siren wasn't predictable and managed to surprise me more then one time. The ending of the book is crazy, so much action and important things are revealed. Not everyone is who they seem to be.

Mary Weber also has the fine art of writing agonizing cliffhangers that make me want to cry because the next book in the Storm Siren Series seems so far away! She has a great knack for story telling and I am very excited to see where this series is going to go!