ARC Review: Snowbound With Mr. Wrong

Title: Snowbound with Mr. Wrong

Author: Barbara White Daille

Release Date: November 7, 2016

Source: eGalley courtesy of publisher

Synopsis: 

Worst. Day. Ever. After Lyssa Barnett’s sister tricks her into reprising her role at Snowflake Valley's annual children's party, she doesn’t think anything can be worse than squeezing into her too-small elf costume. Then tall, dark, and way too handsome Nick Tavlock shows up to play Santa…and an unexpected storm leaves them snowbound in the isolated lodge.

The last thing Nick wants is to spend a cozy Christmas Eve with a trio of kids and the woman who dumped him. But as much as Lyssa frustrates him, he can't stop thinking about her. And soon, he's fighting very un-Santa-like thoughts of kissing a certain sexy Miss Elf under the mistletoe. As Nick starts to fall for Lyssa all over again, he knows it will take nothing short of a miracle to have Lyssa in his arms on Christmas Day.

My Review: 

Snowbound with Mr. Wrong was the perfect Christmas read for the beginning of November to put me in the holiday spirit! This book was extremely cute and entertaining! Even though I believe in waiting till December to start prepping for Christmas/Chanukah, I was perfectly okay with reading this one a little early!

I love cute little romances, especially ones that are under two hundred pages. I think they are the perfect way to escape for a little while and immerse yourself in someone else’s life.

While I enjoyed the overall story and idea of the book, I found it a little lacking at times. The whole premise was that this couple, Lyssa and Nick, are snowed into this cabin in the woods. They are exes and of course they have their problems, but instead of talking them through, they just acted childish.

I also felt like I was missing some vital information. There seemed to be a back story with other characters that was not explained to me and this is the first book in the series. It could be a spin off, but I’m not completely sure.

Though those were some things that irked me, I still found the story enjoyable. I was able to zip through it in about 2 hours during a class break. The romance was also very well done. There are some books that are steamy scene after steamy scene with no real plot, but this was not one of those books. The romance was a focal point, but it wasn’t the only thing going on.

All in all, the story was well-written and very cute. If you are looking for a book to curl up next to a fire, then this is the perfect story for you! 

ARC Review: Fate of Flames

Title: Fate of Flames

Author: Sarah Raughley

Published: November 22, 2016

Version: eGalley from NetGalley

Synopsis: 

Four girls with the power to control the elements and save the world from a terrible evil must come together in the first epic novel in a brand-new series.
When Phantoms—massive beasts made from nightmares and darkness—suddenly appeared and began terrorizing the world, four girls, the Effigies, each gained a unique power to control one of the classical elements: earth, air, fire, and water. Since then, four girls across the world have continually fought against the Phantoms, fulfilling their cosmic duty. And when one Effigy dies, another girl gains her power as a replacement.
But now, with technologies in place to protect the world’s major cities from Phantom attacks, the Effigies have stopped defending humanity and, instead, have become international celebrities, with their heroic feats ranked, televised, and talked about in online fandoms.
Until the day that New York City’s protection against the Phantoms fails, a man seems to be able to control them by sheer force of will, and Maia, a high school student, unexpectedly becomes the Fire Effigy.
Now Maia has been thrown into battle with three girls who want nothing to do with one another. But with the first human villain that the girls have ever faced, and an army of Phantoms preparing for attack, there isn’t much time for the Effigies to learn how to work together.
Can the girls take control of their destinies before the world is destroyed forever?

My review:

I was so excited for this book. The description sounded amazing and I couldn’t wait to get my hands on it and that excitement lasted for about the first 50 pages of the book.

After those first 50 pages, I started to get bored with the story. It seemed to be drawn out and I just wasn’t enjoying it. I tried so hard to enjoy it, but finishing it was a chore for me. I did finish it, but I just wasn’t satisfied. I am not sure what it was that made it seem so hard to finish, but the story just didn’t appeal.

I believe one of the things stopping me from fully enjoying it was the story line. The characters kept jumping from location to location and it was too much. It was hard for me to remember where they were in each scene and the descriptions just weren’t there.

The writing was sub-par, which I touched a bit above with the descriptions. The writing seemed rushed and it was hard to picture the details in my head. That’s not saying that the entire book was bad and the details were lacking, because it wasn’t. I just had a hard time picturing the story at certain moments, while others were so descriptive and I could picture them perfectly. There were definitely times that I was loving the story and the descriptions, but the parts that were just eh for me out-weighed the good.

Maia was an eh character. She was thrust into the world of Effigies and I wanted her to just have a freaking back-bone. She wasn’t completely meek and quiet, but her thoughts made her seem like she had so much more back-bone then she did. I wasn’t expecting her to become an instant hero, I just wanted her to have some freaking personality. Her character seemed very bland and basic, besides being a superhuman. That was a little different about her.

Overall, this was just an eh book. I have no better way to describe it. It was hard for me to stay interested in and I just wasn’t connecting with the story and the characters. 

ARC Review: Spindle

Title: Spindle Author: Shonna Slayton

Published: October 4, 2016

Source: Netgalley 

Synopsis:

Set during the Industrial Revolution, Sleeping Beauty's happily ever after isn't the end of the story...
In a world where fairies lurk and curses linger, love can bleed like the prick of a finger.
Briar Rose knows her life will never be a fairy tale. She’s raising her siblings on her own, her wages at the spinning mill have been cut, and the boy she thought she had a future with has eyes for someone else. Most days it feels like her best friend, Henry Prince, is the only one in her corner…though with his endless flirty jokes, how can she ever take him seriously?
When a mysterious peddler offers her a “magic” spindle that could make her more money, sneaking it into the mill seems worth the risk. But then one by one, her fellow spinner girls come down with the mysterious sleeping sickness—and Briar’s not immune.
If Briar wants to save the girls—and herself—she’ll have to start believing in fairy tales…and in the power of a prince’s kiss.

My Review: 

Spindle is a retelling of the classic Sleeping beauty but with a twist, Aurora was real and it is now years later and set during the Industrial Revolution.

This book was interesting. The writing was good and the story was told well, it was just very hard to get into. I found myself losing focus and interest throughout the book because nothing was happening. It was not filled with action and adventure like I would’ve hoped.

Instead, it was filled with the same cycle of working at the mill, being with her roommates and then going home to take care of her siblings on the weekend.

There were a few times that broke the monotony of the story, but it was mostly the same throughout.

Briar annoyed me. She was either pining away for Wheeler, the one who got away, or stressing over the mill and her family. I get that she is 17 years old with a lot of responsibility on her shoulders, but make a damn decision on what you want to do instead of just thinking about it over and over again. I cannot stand when people don’t make a decision and just wallow instead.

Other than her wallowing, Briar was a really strong character. She took on responsibility for three young children when her parents passed away and has been doing everything to keep them safe since then. That takes a lot and I wish that was more of her character instead of a wishy washy teenager.

All in all, this book was good. The writing was interesting even though the spin of the story didn’t appeal to me. I wish Briar was a little stronger than she was, but hey, she was a 17 year old during the Industrial Revolution, there wasn’t much she could do. 

ARC Review: Glitter

Title: Glitter
Author: Aprilynne Pike
Version: Netgalley ePub
Published: October 25, 2016

Synopsis:

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Aprilynne Pike comes a truly original new novel—Breaking Bad meets Marie Antoinette in a near-future world where the residents of Versailles live like it’s the eighteenth century and an almost-queen turns to drug dealing to save her own life.

Outside the palace of Versailles, it’s modern day. Inside, the people dress, eat, and act like it’s the eighteenth century—with the added bonus of technology to make court life lavish, privileged, and frivolous. The palace has every indulgence, but for one pretty young thing, it’s about to become a very beautiful prison.
When Danica witnesses an act of murder by the young king, her mother makes a cruel power play . . . blackmailing the king into making Dani his queen. When she turns eighteen, Dani will marry the most ruthless and dangerous man of the court. She has six months to escape her terrifying destiny. Six months to raise enough money to disappear into the real world beyond the palace gates.
Her ticket out? Glitter. A drug so powerful that a tiny pinch mixed into a pot of rouge or lip gloss can make the wearer hopelessly addicted. Addicted to a drug Dani can sell for more money than she ever dreamed.
But in Versailles, secrets are impossible to keep. And the most dangerous secret—falling for a drug dealer outside the palace walls—is one risk she has to take.

My Review:

DNF: 35%

I was very intrigued by the new world that Glitter presented, that was until I actually started reading it.

I loved Aprilynne Pike’s writing and have read all of her previous books, but I just couldn’t get into this book.

The more I read, the less interested I became. The writing was excellent and so was the plot and world building, but I just couldn’t get into the story. I wish I could, because the concept was so interesting and I would’ve loved to see how the story progressed. I just couldn’t.

This might be a book I pick up at a different point in my life when I have more time to sit down and read, but as of right now, it is going in the DNF pile.

ARC Review: Nashville by Heart

Title: Nashville by Heart:

Author: Tina Ann Forkner

Released: July 5, 2016 

Version: eGalley from NetGalley

Synopsis:

Small town girl Gillian Heart moved to Nashville to get a record deal—not end up on some playboy’s arm. That’s why she tells herself she can’t get too personal with sexy music agent, Will Adams. Will makes her heart flutter, but he’s also broken plenty of hearts in this city.

Will thinks Gillian has what it takes to make it in Nashville, but he can’t help being wildly attracted to her in a way that has little to do with music. She inspires him to change his ways, but he’s still wary about mixing business with pleasure. He did that once before and got burned.

But neither Will nor Gillian can deny the spark between them. As things heat up, Gillian dares to imagine a life with Will—even though she knows he’s not a forever kind of guy. And then Will makes a move—bringing back memories of the father who abandoned her—that makes her question him and her whole life in Nashville.Can Gillian get over the disappointments of the past and find her place in Nashville, and with Will?

My Review: 

This was such a cute book. If that is what you need in your life at this moment, then this book is perfect. If you want something a bit more in-depth than that, you won’t find it in Nashville by Heart. Nashville by Heart is all about a 25 year old girl named Gillian trying to make it big in Nashville. But of course, she finds love but might have to give it up if she wants to have a real shot at making it big. 

The plot was exceptionally fast paced. The story just seemed to zoom by and it never stopped. One second she was happy in Nashville, the next she was crying to her momma in her hometown. I might have a slight case of whiplash as a result of her decisions. Gillian is trying to make it big on her own. 

She wants nothing to do with her rock star father who abandoned her and instead wants to use her skill to make it big. I commend her for that, I really do. But she was so naïve and stubborn that I wanted to smack her. Getting your foot in the door with your father’s name can only help you, not hurt. I wish that she didn’t act so much like a child. I would’ve enjoyed the book more if she grew up a little. Honestly, I really did enjoy the book. It just isn’t a book that you can look to hard at to expect it to teach you a life lesson. This books purpose is to make the reader happy by giving them a good love story, and it successfully did that. This book is perfect for a quick read out on the beach or sitting by the pool!

ARC Review: Stealing Snow

Title: Stealing Snow

Author: Danielle Paige 

Published: September 20, 2016

Format: eGalley from Netgalley 

Synopsis:

Seventeen-year-old Snow has spent the majority of her life within the walls of the Whittaker Institute, a high security mental hospital in upstate New York. Deep down, she knows she's not crazy and doesn't belong there. When she meets a mysterious, handsome new orderly and dreams about a strange twisted tree she realizes she must escape and figure out who she really is.
Using her trusting friend Bale as a distraction, Snow breaks free and races into the nearby woods. Suddenly, everything isn't what it seems, the line between reality and fantasy begins to blur, and she finds herself in icy Algid--her true home--with witches, thieves, and a strangely alluring boy named Kai, none of whom she's sure she can trust. As secret after secret is revealed, Snow discovers that she is on the run from a royal lineage she's destined to inherit, a father more powerful and ruthless than she could have imagined, and choices of the heart that could change the fate of everything...including Snow's return to the world she once knew.
This breathtaking first volume begins the story of how Snow becomes a villain, a queen, and ultimately a hero.

My feelings about Stealing Snow are hard to put into words. My initial reaction was to love the book and not think into any of the inaccuracies I noticed and the things I didn’t like… Then I started thinking and talking to other readers. One review that made me rethink things was Carrie’s review over on Paper Bindings.

Don’t get me wrong, I really did enjoy Stealing Snow but there were just some things that got under my skin now that I am thinking back on the book.

The world building just wasn’t all there. I was able to picture certain things that were very descriptive and then other things were not. Some scenes were so vivid in my mind and then the following would be lacking in description and suddenly jump to another time and I would be lost in a sea of words that didn’t make sense, so that made the book a little hard to understand.

SNOW WAS SO ANNOYING. Okay, I get it, she is in a mental institution where she has been drugged since she was a small child, so there are going to be some issues in her thinking process and her people skills, but there were so many problems with Snow.

*Spoilers Ahead*

She said she loves Bale, but she gave no other reason than he talked to her. The only interaction you see is a fight between the two where he breaks her arm because she kissed him. What the hell? That just seems abusive to me. You are given no other reason to like Bale! HE HURT YOU! Get over him Snow and move on!

Also, this love for Bale wasn’t very strong because she started to like TWO, I repeat TWO, other boys. That she had just met. Like seriously hun, that should not be happening!

So those flaws in her character really bugged me. I wanted to smack her every time she almost kissed one of them.

Other than that, I did like the story. It had a very unique world and I did enjoy the story, which is why I didn’t think too much into it. I also love Danielle Paige and I wanted to give her the benefit of the doubt. I hope that some of those errors are fixed in the finished copy though, because there were typos in the book and formatting errors that made me want to scream.

*End Spoilers*

So yeah… If you are looking for a book to take your mind off of things and don’t mind wish-washy characters, then I would read Stealing Snow! I read the book in about a total of 4 hours and it was a very easy read! 

ARC Review: Turbulent Intentions

Title: Turbulent Intentions

Author: Melody Anne

Published: August 9, 2016

Version: eGalley from Netgalley

Synopsis: 

The Armstrong brothers are wealthy, wild-at-heart bad boys—until their father’s will demands they prove themselves and marry in order to inherit their fortune.
Eldest brother Cooper channels his reckless spirit into becoming CEO of his own airline. The only thing better than the adrenaline rush of flying is his one-night stand with a stunning stranger. At first he doesn’t recognize the fiery barista he clashes with years later at an airport coffee shop. But when Stormy Halifax turns up as his new house sitter, Cooper knows she’s his Cinderella. And he doesn’t just want her in his mansion. He wants her back in his bed.
Stormy can’t believe she’s living under Cooper’s roof. Gorgeous and arrogant, he’s convinced she’ll surrender again—and he’s right. But just as Stormy is succumbing to a world of pleasure, her trust is shattered. And the biggest challenge Cooper has ever faced will be proving he wants Stormy, now and forever, for all the right reasons.
Turbulent Intentions was originally published as Below the Radar - The Billionaire Aviators. This edition has been completely edited and revised, including significant plot changes.

My review:

First off: THIS BOOK MADE ME SHED SOME TEARS.

Now that I’ve gotten that out of the way, let’s continue. I enjoyed Turbulent Intentions a lot, obviously since it made me cry, but it took the book a long time to get to that point.

The first 50 pages of Turbulent Intentions were soooo slow. I found it hard to be interested in what Melody Anne was writing and the dialogue was very boring and just generic. There wasn’t a lot of depth to the beginning of the story and it took a little too long to develop into something interesting.

Now, from page 51 on, I was in love with this book. Hence why I stayed up until 2 am finishing and paid for staying up so late with a migraine and major neck and shoulder pain, but it was worth it. Once I passed that initial hurdle of the first 50 pages, I was going for the finish. The dialogue and writing got so much better the further I went and I needed this story to break up all the fantasy I’ve been reading lately.

Stormy was not one to shy away from a fight. She was strong and independent and I loved her. Except the few times she was a coward and she shouldn’t have been. Whenever she had those cowardly moments, I wanted to smack her and wake her the hell up.

I want to add that the book kind of jumped around. There was no clear passing of time and it was very hard to follow along. No matter how hard I focused, I couldn’t tell the passing of time in the story. I believe that something like 3 or 4 months passed and there was no indication of it. Maybe less time, maybe more, but it was so hard to tell. I wish that was a little clearer.

All in all, I really did enjoy this book. Hell, I was shedding some tears in the last 50 pages. Just get passed those first 50 pages if you are struggling and I swear it will pick up. It was a great read and the break that I needed from fantasy. 

Follow my blog on BlogLovin 

Review: Don't Tempt Me

Title: Don't Tempt Me
Author: Lori Foster
Released: July 26, 2016
Synopsis:

Love comes along when it's least wanted 
Jason Guthrie has no time for entanglements—between helping out his widowed brother and teenage nephew and getting his hometown back on its feet, his days are spoken for. But his nights are another story… And when his lovely new neighbor, Honor Brown, reluctantly accepts his help in remodeling her house, Jason finds himself wishing his handyman skills could knock down the defenses she keeps building around herself.

Martial arts teacher Sullivan Dean knows real danger when he sees it—even when it takes the form of the gorgeous blonde helping her friend move in across the street. After putting his wayward past behind him to focus on teaching control to troubled kids, Sullivan has learned to avoid party girls like Lexie Perkins. But Sullivan can't seem to keep his hands off the real woman behind that flirty charm—or keep his heart from landing at her feet…

My Review:

Don’t Tempt Me was kind of a mess. First off, it had 4 different point of views, Jason, Honor, Lexie, and Sullivan, and no real way to tell whenever it was switching POV’s. I needed to know who was talking, and it was very hard to follow along. Second, the writing seemed rushed and a bit illogical. Lori Foster was trying to fit two different stories into one and it didn’t seem so well planned out. Now, bear with me, the copy I had was an early release copy, so a lot of these problems could be fixed, but they bugged me a lot whenever I was reading.

Honor was a mess of emotions. She refused to let anyone help her and felt that if anyone did, it was her being weak. GIRL! You can accept help without being a weakling, I promise. She was a very stubborn character, but had a fire in her that was badass when she let it show, but that was very rare. I loved who Honor was in her heart, I just think that she had a lot of problems that didn’t seem to be solved or get better. I also don’t like problem characters who suddenly get better, it just annoys me. Especially emotions.

Jason was a rock. He was always there willing to lend a hand and help in any way he could. His whole family was that way and it was adorable. I loved seeing things from Jason’s POV because he gave Honor the time and space she needed to let go of some of her problems. I really enjoyed Jason’s character because he is someone I would want to have in my life. He is a good wholesome person who just wanted to help others and build things with his hands. And he was damn good at it.

Lexie and Sullivan will be put together. Their story seemed forced because it didn’t get that much time to be developed. Both of their characters were good at heart, but it was hard for them to show it outside of their walls. They both cared deeply for the loved ones in their lives and it was nice to see people without any ulterior motives. They just wanted the best for those in their lives and care.

Honestly, this book was cute. But the ending was a mess of too much emotion and tears and that annoyed me. I don’t know why, but it did. Usually I’m all for those kinds of endings, but it just didn’t seem to fit. Don’t Tempt Me is a cute little summer read that is perfect for a day in the sun. 

 

Review: Test Drive

                                                       Title: Test Drive

Author: Marie Harte

Released: June 7, 2016

Synopsis: 

GET TO KNOW THE BODY SHOP BAD BOYS
Johnny, Foley, Sam, and Lou are the rough and tumble mechanics of Webster's Garage. These reformed bad boys are used to living fast, but it's the women in their lives who take them from zero to sixty in a heartbeat.
JOHNNY
Johnny Devlin's a charmer with a checkered past. He has had his eye on scorching-hot bartender Lara Valley for ages, but she's rejected him more than once. That doesn't mean he won't come to her aid when some dirtbag mauls her. When she asks him on a date as a no-strings-attached thank you, he can't say no. And then he's saying nothing but hell, yes.
Praise for Marie Harte's McCauley Brothers series:
"Packed with sass, sensuality and heartwarming emotion...an absolute delight!"-Romance Junkies for What to Do with a Bad Boy
"Funny, addicting, and full of hot sex scenes."-Booklist for How to Handle a Heartbreaker"

My Review:
I could not read this book fast enough! I loved Test Ride so freaking much. It was just the right balance of funny, sweet, and sexy. The writing was so well done that I couldn’t wait to get to the end to see how everything turned out, but I was also a little sad at the end because the story was over!

So, as I said above, the writing and the story were really good. The story was full of good-natured humor between best friends that you only get after knowing someone for a long time. I love these types of books. They make me so happy because I am just chuckling at friends who are acting ridiculous. There honestly was never a dull moment in this story. It was nice to read a story and just feel good while reading it without becoming too sad while reading.

Lara was freaking awesome and reminded me so much of myself. She was a nice person who always wanted to help out and was so freaking busy that she had barely any free time, aka me. She was also tough as nails and didn’t take anybody’s crap, especially Johnny’s. It was great. I honestly loved reading from her point of view because she was a great person who just wanted to better herself and her family’s lives. She is really someone that anyone would want in their life.

Johnny is nothing like you would expect him to be. You were expecting this playboy with a “who cares” attitude but what you really got was a dedicated person, who is smart and intelligent as well as being hot as hell. Johnny was not what I was expecting him to be, his character kept surprising me throughout the story and I loved seeing what would come next from his character. I would let him fix my car anytime.

All in all, this book is definitely worth the read. It was great to see the unexpected traits come out in the different characters and I loved reading about their interactions with their friends. Though, there were moments when I felt like I was missing out on some joke and that was because this is a spin-off series from Marie Harte’s other books the McCauley Brothers Series. You don’t have to read them first, but if you want to know a little more about some of the other characters, it wouldn’t

hurt.

Review: Forgetting August

 

Title: Forgetting August
Author: J.L. Berg
Released: April 5, 2016

Synopsis:

She can forgive, but can she forget?
Some days, Everly still thinks she sees him. In the food court at the mall, or in a car speeding past as the light changes. It only lasts a second, but when it happens, she slips back to a time when she was ruled-and nearly ruined-by August Kincaid. And it doesn't matter that she's moved on, that she's about to marry another man. In those moments the only thing she can do to regain control is take a deep breath and remind herself that August can't hurt her-because he's in a coma. Except that he's not anymore.
August is awake. With no memories, he sets out to solve the mystery of his lost life. He unearths a photograph of a beautiful redhead named Everly and knows instinctively that she's the key. But when he finds her, the August she describes is more monster than man.

Tortured by the thought of having hurt her, August wants only to become the man Everly deserves. As the new August emerges, Everly glimpses the person she first fell in love with. But can she trust that this August is real? When the final secret of their shared past is revealed, one of them will make a choice that changes their future forever . . .

My Review:

Forgetting August was something else. I was not sure if I wanted to finish it once I began reading it, though I was happy that I did. The story held my interest even though the characters frustrated and annoyed the heck out of me, which sometimes makes the best type of stories.
One thing about the story that I did not enjoy was the fact that it confused me. The story seemed to just jump into the action without explaining much. There seemed to be details that were left out that left me wanting to know more. As the story progressed, somethings were discovered, but not much. The one question I had was why was August in a coma. It was never actually discussed. It was mentioned once or twice in passing, but as one sentence and not discussed more, as if the reader should already have the information when starting the book.
Other than a frustrating lack of detail, the story was really good. I was interested in the book and maybe that lack of detail made me continue reading. I really want the sequel though, because there was a terrible cliffhanger!! Grr those damn cliffhangers that leave you wanting more. I read the story quickly, about one day in total, and it was an easy read.
Everly was a runner. She liked to avoid things and that frustrated me to no end. I hate people who avoid things and can't face them head on. All I wanted to do throughout the whole story was shake her. She kept making decisions that pissed me off and I wanted to wake her up. She did grow as the story progressed. She became more confident and less scared, which made her a little better. In the end, she did make the best decisions for herself at the end and I was proud of her.
August was starting fresh. He could not remember anything and he was just trying to find his place in the world again. I felt so sorry for him. He had no one in the world anymore and had no memory to even try and make things better. He also pissed me off. Honestly all the characters in this book frustrated me to no end. I wanted to make August feel better, but I didn't know how. He also grew, but in a different way. He grew away from the person he used to be. And it made me love him so much more. Until the plot twist came up and ruined everything. But that's all I'll say.
I did enjoy Forgetting August. It was a good story and it talked about important issues and accepting yourself for who you are and moving on in life. J.L. Berg did not shy away from the hard topics and confronted them head on. There is meaning behind this story and I can't wait to see where it goes as the story progresses. I cannot wait for the sequel, even though I have a bit of a wait.