Review: Believe by Erin McCarthy

Title: Believe
Series: True Believers #3
Author: Erin McCarthy
Published: January 21, 2014 - Penguin
Format: Galley from NetGalley - Thank you Penguin!

Robin used to be a party girl… until she got black out drunk and woke up in bed with her best friend's boyfriend. Now she's faced with being THAT girl, and couldn't be more disgusted with herself. She can't even tell her friends the reason for her sudden sobriety and she avoids everyone until she meets Phoenix—quiet, tattooed, and different in every way that's good and oh, so bad…

Phoenix is two days out of jail when he meets Robin at his cousin's house, and he knows that he has no business talking to her, but he's drawn to her quiet demeanor, sweet smile, and artistic talent. She doesn't care that he's done time, or that he only has five bucks to his name, and she supports his goal to be a tattoo artist.

But Phoenix knows Robin has a secret, and that it's a naïve dream to believe that his record won't catch up with them at some point. Though neither is prepared for the explosive result when the past collides with the present…

So I recently read Believe by Erin McCarthy, and I loved it. I mean, how could I not? This series seriously kicks ass. Believe has a completely different feel, and I was hooked and read the book as fast as I could.

Review: Blue Lines by Toni Aleo

Title: Blue Lines
Series: Assassins #4
Author: Toni Aleo
Published: December 9, 2013 - Loveswept RandomHouse
Format: Egalley - Thank you Loveswept!

Opposites do more than just attract in Toni Aleo’s latest Nashville Assassins novel about a very bad boy and the good girl he can’t resist.

The instant Piper Allen sees Erik Titov, she wants him—wants his rock-hard body, sure, but the strength and mystery that lies behind that superstar hockey jock demeanor, too. So when he sidles up to her at a bar and slinks his arm around her waist, she’s lost. What follows is the wildest night of her life . . . followed by inevitable heartbreak the next morning. And then, a few weeks later, a very big surprise: two blue lines on a pregnancy test.

Only a check to the head could make Erik fall for a nice girl like Piper. But since their crazy-sexy night together, he’s been trying to forget about her alluring body by falling into bed with every woman in Nashville, and it’s not working. So when Piper shows up at his house with a baby-bomb to drop, it doesn’t take much for Erik to suggest the nuclear option: marriage. While it’s supposed to be all for show, the second they say “I do,” the ice between them starts to melt into sizzling steam.

Well, this book was not only the first I’ve read in the Assassins series, and it was also my first from author Toni Aleo. I had sort of an odd experience with this book. I mostly hated the hero, Erik, for about 99% of the story, but I really enjoyed the story itself. That’s a kind of a weird experience for me. Let me explain.

Review: Come To Me Quietly by AL Jackson

Title: Come To Me Quietly
Series: Closer To You, #1
Author: AL Jackson
Published: January 7, 2013 NAL Trade
Format: EGalley, Penguin, Berkley, NAL - Thank you!

Aleena Moore is content with her life. She has goals and dreams and an easy smile. She also has a secret she holds locked inside.

Jared Holt believes he doesn’t deserve to love or be loved. He destroys everything he touches. Haunted by the mistake that shattered his life, he’s fled from the memory of that pain.

Jared doesn’t know why he’s compelled to return, but finds himself drawn back to the place where it all began. The exact place where it ended. When he runs into his childhood best friend, Aleena’s older brother Christopher, he agrees to share Christopher and Aleena’s apartment while he looks for a place of his own.

Aleena is no longer the little girl Jared remembers from his past and evokes feelings in him he never wanted to feel again. Terrified of destroying her, he fights to keep her away. But her touch is something he can’t resist—the touch that sealed his fate.

Their pasts are intertwined and their futures uncertain. The only truths they know are the secrets they whisper in the night.

Come To Me Quietly by AL Jackson blew me the hell away. I read this book in one day, I couldn’t – no, I wouldn’t put it down. This story was high impact, and every minute of it had me sitting with rapt attention.

Review: The Inheritance Parts 3&4 by Olivia Mayfield

Title: The Inheritance

Series: Part 3 - The Betrayal
Author: Olivia Mayfield
Published: October 29, 2013 - Berkley Intermix
Format: Egalley received for review

Shaken to the core by her latest discovery, Maggie seeks solace in the arms of an eager Andrew, and an evening of consoling turns into a night of reckless passion. Though Maggie’s investigation into Cassandra’s vanishing is meeting with little success, her love life finally seems to be going right. The more she learns about Andrew, the more Maggie begins to believe that she let the wrong guy get away.

But as their relationship turns from a one night stand into a more serious fling, Maggie realizes that Andrew might be hiding secrets of his own—secrets that make her wonder if his seduction hides ulterior motives.

 Title: The Inheritance
Series: Part 4 The Secret
Author: Olivia Mayfield
Published: November 5, 2013 - Berkley Intermix
Format: Egalley received for review

Unsure what side Andrew is on, Maggie decides to avoid him for a few days, continuing her investigation on her own. Unfortunately, talking with the private investigator that her family hired eight years ago doesn’t get her any closer to the truth. Maggie has a feeling that she’s missing something big, something about the party, but the pieces just aren’t falling into place.

To make matters worse, after Maggie catches Bethany and Robert in a compromising position, she’s even more determined to solve the case before the other contestants can. But when Andrew calls, asking to see Maggie one more time so he can come clean, he might be too hard to resist…

This series is really getting interesting – but it’s really hard to review just one installment at a time, so today I bring you parts three and four. It’s really starting to heat up – in all senses of the word.

Review - The Inheritance - Part Two by Olivia Mayfield

Title: The Inheritance
Series: Part Two
Author: Olivia Mayfield

As The Inheritance continues, Maggie realizes that when it comes to her grandfather’s will, no one can be trusted. No matter how tempting their offers are…

The Inheritance, Part II

The Witness

Maggie is wary of the other contestants in her grandfather’s game; even her own brother is acting too strange to be relied on. But after a surprisingly sincere conversation with Andrew about their past, Maggie agrees to his offer to team up in the search for the truth about Cassandra. It’s better to keep him close and find out if he’s as honest as he seems. Plus, maybe time in close quarters will force her to let go of her troublesome crush on him.

But when Maggie gets a call from Cassandra’s old high school friend, who claims to have information about the disappearance that he doesn’t want to share with the others, she decides to keep her rendezvous with him a secret—even from her newfound partner…

I am so glad I’ve been able to pick up this serial series to read! I’ve just finished the second installment of The Inheritance, and already the mystery is shaping up to be something amazing.


In this installment Maggie is still trying to track down what happened to her sister, Cassandra, who went missing years ago. Is she missing or is she dead? No one knows what happened. But now, Maggie’s grandfather has passed away, and he left a bit of a challenge in his will. The first person out of a certain group of people to discover the truth will inherit his entire estate.

Let me tell you – Olivia Mayfield has done a great job with this book. I don’t know who to trust, and I keep changing my suspicions based on different motivations. And now, at the end of book one, someone broke into Maggie’s house and stole her notes on the case.

The book takes place in a small town where everyone knows everyone, and everyone is in everyone’s business – and it completely adds to the whole feel of the story. Everyone knew Cassandra, and the news of her disappearance spread like a wildfire.

I don’t really want to voice my suspicions here, and ruin or lead you in what could possibly even be a wrong direction. But there are several people I really don’t like! But conversely, there are a couple people that I am really warming up to, and I hope they are the “good guys”. Add on top of that that Maggie is having creepy as hell dreams about her sister. Do they hold a clue that her conscious brain isn’t seeing? And then something else happens in this book – another crime! A major crime!!

I can’t wait to get on to book 3 and get to the bottom of this. There are 6 parts altogether, so while I’m still a ways from the end, I’m getting closer!

Previous Posts on Fictional Candy

Interview - Olivia Mayfield

Review - The Inheritance Part One

Find Olivia Mayfield Online

Goodreads

Website

Twitter

Facebook

Review - The Inheritance - Part Two by Olivia Mayfield

Title: The Inheritance
Series: Part Two
Author: Olivia Mayfield

As The Inheritance continues, Maggie realizes that when it comes to her grandfather’s will, no one can be trusted. No matter how tempting their offers are…

The Inheritance, Part II

The Witness

Maggie is wary of the other contestants in her grandfather’s game; even her own brother is acting too strange to be relied on. But after a surprisingly sincere conversation with Andrew about their past, Maggie agrees to his offer to team up in the search for the truth about Cassandra. It’s better to keep him close and find out if he’s as honest as he seems. Plus, maybe time in close quarters will force her to let go of her troublesome crush on him.

But when Maggie gets a call from Cassandra’s old high school friend, who claims to have information about the disappearance that he doesn’t want to share with the others, she decides to keep her rendezvous with him a secret—even from her newfound partner…

I am so glad I’ve been able to pick up this serial series to read! I’ve just finished the second installment of The Inheritance, and already the mystery is shaping up to be something amazing.

Review - The Inheritance, Part One - Olivia Mayfield

Title: The Inheritance
Serial: Part One
Author: Olivia Mayfield
Published: October 15, Berkley InterMix
Format: NetGalley - Thank you Berkley!

Maggie Willings knew that returning home for her estranged grandfather’s funeral would not be easy, but she never expected the reading of his will to be the most difficult part. The four people named in the will—Maggie, her brother Robert, her ex-boyfriend Andrew, and her grandfather’s far-too-young girlfriend Bethany—are given a challenge: find out the truth about what happened to Maggie’s younger sister Cassandra, who vanished over eight years ago, and win the entirety of the estate.

Maggie is thrown by the strange request, reluctant to drag up painful memories of her sister’s disappearance, and bothered by her lingering attraction to Andrew, who wants to team up to solve the mystery. But there are ten million dollars on the line and Maggie has no idea where to start—or who she’ll be able to trust.

So earlier today I posted an interview with the author of this serial, Olivia Mayfield. At the time of the interview I hadn’t begun reading The Inheritance. Of course, that’s changed now. I’ve only had a chance to get to part one so far, but I think if the rest of the series goes like this, then I am in for an awesome story.

The Inheritance begins with Maggie attending the reading of her grandfather’s will. She’s expecting more people, but there are only her and three others: her brother, her ex best friend, and his (ex?) best friend. Each of them get a letter from Maggie’s grandfather. And basically it tells them that whomever solves the mystery of what happened to her younger sister, Cassandra, will inherit his entire multi-million dollar estate. Definitely an interesting twist there!!

As for the characters, I instantly like Maggie. She seems like an intelligent woman. She has a new life now, and she is independent of the chaos and drama that filled the void after Cassandra was gone. But even though you pretend you move on, that’s not always the case.

So far I haven’t really gotten a chance to really get to know the other characters. From what I’ve seen of her brother, Robert, he’s a jerk. Robert’s teenage friend – and Maggie’s ex-boyfriend, Andrew, is also a jerk. Bethany, Maggie’s ex-best friend and seemingly a gold digger since she was Maggie’s grandfather’s girlfriend, is a dumb bitch. I think. We will see how it all shakes out, right?

So drama? Check. Mystery? Oh heck yeah, there is a ton of it. Like seriously – what did happen to Cassandra? In a small town that feels packed with lies, I’m betting this series is going to be one hell of a ride. I already have the next few installments on hand, so thankfully I will be able to read them soon. I definitely want to see what some of the secondary characters who have been introduced are up to. Like perhaps David, the current cop who went to school with the four of them…

Yep! Definitely sounds like a good mystery!

Previous Posts on Fictional Candy

Interview - Olivia Mayfield

Find Olivia Mayfield Online

Goodreads

Website

Twitter

Facebook

Review - The Inheritance, Part One - Olivia Mayfield

Title: The Inheritance
Serial: Part One
Author: Olivia Mayfield
Published: October 15, Berkley InterMix
Format: NetGalley - Thank you Berkley!

Maggie Willings knew that returning home for her estranged grandfather’s funeral would not be easy, but she never expected the reading of his will to be the most difficult part. The four people named in the will—Maggie, her brother Robert, her ex-boyfriend Andrew, and her grandfather’s far-too-young girlfriend Bethany—are given a challenge: find out the truth about what happened to Maggie’s younger sister Cassandra, who vanished over eight years ago, and win the entirety of the estate.

Maggie is thrown by the strange request, reluctant to drag up painful memories of her sister’s disappearance, and bothered by her lingering attraction to Andrew, who wants to team up to solve the mystery. But there are ten million dollars on the line and Maggie has no idea where to start—or who she’ll be able to trust.

So earlier today I posted an interview with the author of this serial, Olivia Mayfield. At the time of the interview I hadn’t begun reading The Inheritance. Of course, that’s changed now. I’ve only had a chance to get to part one so far, but I think if the rest of the series goes like this, then I am in for an awesome story.

Review: Forgotten Sins by Rebecca Zanetti

Title: Forgotten Sins
Series: Sins Brothers #1
Author: Rebecca Zanetti
Published: July 2013, Grand Central Publishing
Format: NetGalley, Thank you NetGalley and Grand Central!

His Secrets Can Destroy Her

From the moment Josie laid eyes on sexy, mysterious Shane Dean, she was in love. Their desire ignited a passionate affair, and within weeks, Shane had slipped a ring on her finger. It seemed her every fantasy was coming true . . . until her new husband disappeared without a trace. Now, two years and one broken heart later, Josie is shocked by the hospital calls: Shane has been found . . . at a crime scene with no memory of how he got there.

Her Love Can Save Him

Shane can't remember the blue-eyed angel at his bedside—or who he even is—but he knows something isn't right. His hearing is razor sharp, his physical strength incredible, and the urge to protect Josie overwhelming. For powerful enemies are hunting him, and Josie is the key to discovering why. As Shane struggles to unravel his past, dangerous new truths come to light. Can he protect the only woman he's ever loved? And can Josie trust a man she thought she knew—one who carries such a deadly secret?

I’ve been hearing so many good things about this book, and now I totally know why. Forgotten Sins by Rebecca Zanetti is just amazing. It’s kind of a military romance with some suspense, a side of kink, and a whole lot of drama. I absolutely loved it!

Josie gets a call to come to the hospital to identify a man, her husband. Seems this man got into some trouble and now he has amnesia. Josie walks into the hospital room, and there he is. Shane. He’s sitting pretty on the bed. The only trouble is he walked out two years ago, and never walked back in. So yeah, Josie is pretty upset.

But she’s a strong woman, and I liked that about her. But she is also very clever, and that is a huge attraction for me. How many women can say they left the hottest, sexiest, most charming man they’ve ever met in their entire existence behind to move on to someone who is a little bit tamer? Perhaps someone who doesn’t light the fires, but instead provides a dull calmness? How many? ZERO. That’s right. Because once you’ve had a man like Shane Dean, all other men on the planet cease to exist. At least that’s how I felt after reading this book.

Shane and Josie had everything in common and yet nothing. They both had troubled childhoods and grew up stronger for it. They both think with their heads, or at least that’s what they tell themselves. They both have it so bad for the other that no one had better stand in the way.

This story was freaking exciting! I mean, there’s only so much I can say without giving it away. Even with amnesia, Shane Dean is still a take charge type of man. Va-va-va-voom baby. I instantly saw what the fuss was about. Josie thinks Shane is larger than life, and I’ve a quick feeling that she might be right. Josie has a bit of strength herself, and doesn’t take any b.s. from anyone – even her soon to be ex-husband with the southern twang that had me whistling Dixie.

Rebecca Zanetti wove an action packed mystery here. I mean first you have the mystery of Shane and his amnesia, but where in the Hell has the gorgeous jerk been for the past two years? And why is he so awesome? Think Bourne Ultimatum meets the Terminator. On top of the complex and drama filled relationship between Josie and Shane, there is also the issue of Shane’s brothers, Matt and Nathan. And then let’s bring in Detective Malloy, who seems to be getting to the bottom of all the things we, as the reader, don’t really want him to! And lastly, but not least, what about Tom, the guy that Josie has been hanging out with since Shane decided to up and leave? Zanetti brings all of these characters to life with vivid clarity, and I was absolutely in awe.

She smiled. “Do it, then.” Air whooshed into her lungs, and she opened her mouth to scream.

His lips crushed hers. He captured her yell in his throat, driving the air back down hers. Then his tongue took hers, mastering it, taking what he wanted. Desire lit him on fire. His cock leapt to life, fighting against his zipper to get loose. To get in her. Now.

He was going to have her. Taster her, tame her, feel her shatter in his arms. Taking the kiss deeper, he explored, seeking answers and relief.

And hey, let’s not forget there is romance in this. Josie and Shane light the page up! The heat and the friction between them reached some very dangerous levels. Shane has a bit… ok, a lot of Dominant man in him, but Josie ain’t no rollover either. Josie knows how to be taken, and I’m not talking about her constant habit of getting kidnapped.

And on top of all that, there is another layer. And that layer is all about Jory, Shane’s brother who was murdered not too long ago. Why was he murdered? Who the hell killed him? It was all so excruciatingly exciting.

Do I recommend this book? Hell yes I do. It kept me on the edge of my seat, curling my toes, and hoping everything would work out the way I wanted it to. The solidarity between the characters drew me in, but the chemistry between Josie and Shane kept me close. And I will definitely be back for the rest of the series, with mother-effin’ bells on, baby.

Find Rebecca Zanetti Online

Website

Facebook

Twitter

Goodreads

Previous Posts On Fictional Candy
Review - Under The Covers

Review: Forgotten Sins by Rebecca Zanetti

Title: Forgotten Sins
Series: Sins Brothers #1
Author: Rebecca Zanetti
Published: July 2013, Grand Central Publishing
Format: NetGalley, Thank you NetGalley and Grand Central!

His Secrets Can Destroy Her

From the moment Josie laid eyes on sexy, mysterious Shane Dean, she was in love. Their desire ignited a passionate affair, and within weeks, Shane had slipped a ring on her finger. It seemed her every fantasy was coming true . . . until her new husband disappeared without a trace. Now, two years and one broken heart later, Josie is shocked by the hospital calls: Shane has been found . . . at a crime scene with no memory of how he got there.

Her Love Can Save Him

Shane can't remember the blue-eyed angel at his bedside—or who he even is—but he knows something isn't right. His hearing is razor sharp, his physical strength incredible, and the urge to protect Josie overwhelming. For powerful enemies are hunting him, and Josie is the key to discovering why. As Shane struggles to unravel his past, dangerous new truths come to light. Can he protect the only woman he's ever loved? And can Josie trust a man she thought she knew—one who carries such a deadly secret?

I’ve been hearing so many good things about this book, and now I totally know why. Forgotten Sins by Rebecca Zanetti is just amazing. It’s kind of a military romance with some suspense, a side of kink, and a whole lot of drama. I absolutely loved it!

Review: Claimed by Stacey Kennedy

Title: Claimed
Series: Club Sin Book One
Author: Stacey Kennedy
Published: Aug 5 2013, Random House, Loveswept
Format: NetGalley Ebook

Presley Flynn is ripe to experience her secret fantasies . . . and Dmitri Pratt wants nothing more than to fulfill them. Once inside the elite Club Sin in Las Vegas, Presley is nervous but excited—and determined to surrender to her every desire. Dmitri is her Master, and his touch is like fire. With each careful, calculated caress, he unleashes her wildest inhibitions, giving her unimagined pleasure.

Presley is different than the other submissives Dmitri has mastered. The BDSM lifestyle is new to her, and so are the games they play at Club Sin. From the start, Presley stirs emotions in Dmitri far beyond the raw purity between a dom and the perfect sub. For the ecstasy they share goes beyond the dungeon, igniting a passion that claims the very depths of the heart.

It’d been a while since I read a Stacey Kennedy book. I don’t really know why, it’s just the way it goes sometimes. Well, now I’ve found a new series I am going to stalk the hell out of : Club Sin. And it all started with a book named Claimed. Three letters: OMG.

Review: The Thing About Weres by Leigh Evans

Title: The Thing About Weres
Series: Mystwalker #2
Author: Leigh Evans
Published: July 30, St. Martins
Format: NetGalley ebook

THE HEART IS A LONELY HUNTER

In the never-ending saga that is my love-hate relationship with Robson Trowbridge, I, half-Were Hedi Peacock, have had a change of heart. Ever since I shoved Trowbridge through the Gates of Merenwyn, I’ve been the leader of the pack—hard to believe, right? The thing is: I’m half-Fae. So even though my Were side is ready to heed the call of the wild, the other part of me is desperate to take flight. And much as it pains me to admit it, life without Trowbridge is really starting to were me down…

I AM WERE, HEAR ME ROAR.

To make matters worse, the wolves of Creemore want my blood—and the North American Council of Weres wants me dead. So I’m just counting the days until Trowbridge returns from the other realm…and comes to my brave rescue…and becomes my alpha mate. Wishful thinking? Of course it is. But given all the mess I’ve been through already, what’s the harm in doing a little bit of daisy-plucking? Besides, Trowbridge owes me bigtime. A girl can dream.

The Thing About Weres… wow, interesting book. There was a lot that happens in this book, and some of it was very hard for me to follow. The Thing About Weres is book two in the Mystwalker series, and I definitely don’t think it is a standalone. Sure, I plodded my way through, and was able to pick up on most things. But there were some definite issues that I felt were probably explained in book one, relationships that had already been established, that just left me floundering in book two. I definitely think I would have liked this book much more if I had that background information.

Review: Mortality by Kellie Sheridan

Title: Mortality
Series: The Hitchhiker Strain, Book 1
Author: Kellie Sheridan
Published: March 2013, Patchwork Press
Format: NetGalley ebook, Thank you Patchwork Press!

After surviving a deadly plague outbreak, sixteen-year-old Savannah thought she had lived through the very worst of human history. There was no way to know that the miracle vaccine would put everyone at risk for a fate worse than un-death.

Now, two very different kinds of infected walk the Earth, intent on nothing but feeding and destroying what little remains of civilization. When the inoculated are bitten, infection means watching on in silent horror as self-control disappears and the idea of feasting on loved ones becomes increasingly hard to ignore.

Starving and forced to live inside of the abandoned high school, all Savannah wants is the chance to fight back. When a strange boy arrives with a plan to set everything right, she gets her chance. Meeting Cole changes everything. Mere survival will never be enough.

It’s no secret (I think…) that I like zombies. I like to read about them, watch them on tv, and plan for when they are here. So when I saw this book on NetGalley, I was all like, “Oh hell yeah, let’s check it out.” And what I found was quite a different zombie book than any I’ve read.

It starts out with Savannah. She’s a teen girl, around sixteen years old. The world has become over-run with the zombs and she lives in the local highschool with a couple hundred survivors. Seems like a pretty good set up, to me.  Although I should mention that there isn't much to go on, I just think a building like that would offer a lot as far as a residence for a large group of people.  A couple recon teams are out, and they need supplies, so they send out four teens to get more. Savannah, Alex, Zack, and Pierce (who is only fourteen…) This seemed a little unlikely to me. There is no one else to go out, and they are going to send the only people left to go get medical supplies? As unlikely as this scenario seems to me, I’m still digging on Savannah. She’s young, independent, and family-less. She also has this inner driven need to do something. She’s the perfect heroine for a zombie novel.  I decide right away that I'm on her side.

And then we meet Zarah, who is also a highschool student, but in a different city. She gets rescued from her highscool by her crush, Liam. They take off on his motorcycle, and they are on their own…for a bit anyway. I’m not really sure how I felt about Zarah. I think I liked her. I don’t feel like I really got to know her as well as Savannah. It felt more like her story was prep for the point when the paths of these two girls crossed.  For a large part of the book, I just got annoyed when it switched to Zarah's story from Savannah's.  However – and I will say this – Zarah’s story became much more interesting in the last third of the book.

Overall, there was not a ton of zombie action in this book. I mean it wasn’t page after page of fighting for your life. There were a few fights, but they didn’t really go into much detail. You have the usual decaying zombies, and then you have something a little more like an evolved type of zombie.  They are faster and stronger, and as it goes on you learn more about them and why they are the way they are.  The story seemed more focused on the relationships of a few people, and Savannah’s journey. While this definitely wasn’t my favorite zombie book, it was pretty good overall. There is the colonization of a group of people to deal with, well… a couple groups of people. You have to try and figure out who is good, and who is bad. Or are they all grey? I liked that, that it wasn’t a clean cut issue. The characters were pretty interesting, and I even found myself drawn to some.

This book does offer something I’ve not seen done in a non-comedic fashion – a look at the brain of a zombie. Yep, you get to see the change from the inside out. This is something I thought was superbly done, and worth the price of admission alone. Sure, you’ve seen in done before in books and movies, and it’s usually got some kind of a fun tone to it. But this is different, and it worked great for me. This was the part of the book I couldn't put down, and its more than likely the part I will continue to remember.

Mortality is number one in a series. I’ve not quite made up my mind if I will continue or not. I like Savannah, and I like some of the people she has teamed up with. I love the apocalypse. I’m interested to see where it goes, so I will probably give it a chance.  The writing was smooth, and the author's voice is unique.  If you are into zombies, I say, “Hey, why the hell not? Give it a try.” Maybe it will work for you, maybe it won’t. But it’s worth a shot (and not a double tap!) 

As I'm gathering links for the bottom part of this post, I'm seeing that there is a 0.5 book in the series, before book one.  I'm thinking that might be a good story, something that will give a little background to Savannah and her friends, before they run for supplies.

Find Kellie Sheridan Online

Goodreads

Twitter

Website

Facebook

Affiliate Links

Review: Mortality by Kellie Sheridan

Title: Mortality
Series: The Hitchhiker Strain, Book 1
Author: Kellie Sheridan
Published: March 2013, Patchwork Press
Format: NetGalley ebook, Thank you Patchwork Press!

After surviving a deadly plague outbreak, sixteen-year-old Savannah thought she had lived through the very worst of human history. There was no way to know that the miracle vaccine would put everyone at risk for a fate worse than un-death.

Now, two very different kinds of infected walk the Earth, intent on nothing but feeding and destroying what little remains of civilization. When the inoculated are bitten, infection means watching on in silent horror as self-control disappears and the idea of feasting on loved ones becomes increasingly hard to ignore.

Starving and forced to live inside of the abandoned high school, all Savannah wants is the chance to fight back. When a strange boy arrives with a plan to set everything right, she gets her chance. Meeting Cole changes everything. Mere survival will never be enough.

It’s no secret (I think…) that I like zombies. I like to read about them, watch them on tv, and plan for when they are here. So when I saw this book on NetGalley, I was all like, “Oh hell yeah, let’s check it out.” And what I found was quite a different zombie book than any I’ve read.

It starts out with Savannah. She’s a teen girl, around sixteen years old. The world has become over-run with the zombs and she lives in the local highschool with a couple hundred survivors. Seems like a pretty good set up, to me.  Although I should mention that there isn't much to go on, I just think a building like that would offer a lot as far as a residence for a large group of people.  A couple recon teams are out, and they need supplies, so they send out four teens to get more. Savannah, Alex, Zack, and Pierce (who is only fourteen…) This seemed a little unlikely to me. There is no one else to go out, and they are going to send the only people left to go get medical supplies? As unlikely as this scenario seems to me, I’m still digging on Savannah. She’s young, independent, and family-less. She also has this inner driven need to do something. She’s the perfect heroine for a zombie novel.  I decide right away that I'm on her side.

And then we meet Zarah, who is also a highschool student, but in a different city. She gets rescued from her highscool by her crush, Liam. They take off on his motorcycle, and they are on their own…for a bit anyway. I’m not really sure how I felt about Zarah. I think I liked her. I don’t feel like I really got to know her as well as Savannah. It felt more like her story was prep for the point when the paths of these two girls crossed.  For a large part of the book, I just got annoyed when it switched to Zarah's story from Savannah's.  However – and I will say this – Zarah’s story became much more interesting in the last third of the book.

Overall, there was not a ton of zombie action in this book. I mean it wasn’t page after page of fighting for your life. There were a few fights, but they didn’t really go into much detail. You have the usual decaying zombies, and then you have something a little more like an evolved type of zombie.  They are faster and stronger, and as it goes on you learn more about them and why they are the way they are.  The story seemed more focused on the relationships of a few people, and Savannah’s journey. While this definitely wasn’t my favorite zombie book, it was pretty good overall. There is the colonization of a group of people to deal with, well… a couple groups of people. You have to try and figure out who is good, and who is bad. Or are they all grey? I liked that, that it wasn’t a clean cut issue. The characters were pretty interesting, and I even found myself drawn to some.

This book does offer something I’ve not seen done in a non-comedic fashion – a look at the brain of a zombie. Yep, you get to see the change from the inside out. This is something I thought was superbly done, and worth the price of admission alone. Sure, you’ve seen in done before in books and movies, and it’s usually got some kind of a fun tone to it. But this is different, and it worked great for me. This was the part of the book I couldn't put down, and its more than likely the part I will continue to remember.

Mortality is number one in a series. I’ve not quite made up my mind if I will continue or not. I like Savannah, and I like some of the people she has teamed up with. I love the apocalypse. I’m interested to see where it goes, so I will probably give it a chance.  The writing was smooth, and the author's voice is unique.  If you are into zombies, I say, “Hey, why the hell not? Give it a try.” Maybe it will work for you, maybe it won’t. But it’s worth a shot (and not a double tap!) 

As I'm gathering links for the bottom part of this post, I'm seeing that there is a 0.5 book in the series, before book one.  I'm thinking that might be a good story, something that will give a little background to Savannah and her friends, before they run for supplies.

Find Kellie Sheridan Online

Goodreads

Twitter

Website

Facebook

Affiliate Links

Review: In The After by Demitria Lunetta

Title: In The After
Series: Not yet, but I am hoping so
Author: Demitria Lunetta
Published: To be released June 25, 2013 - Harper Teen
Format: Ebook received from Edelweiss

They hear the most silent of footsteps.
They are faster than anything you've ever seen.
And They won't stop chasing you...until you are dead.

Amy is watching TV when it happens, when the world is attacked by Them. These vile creatures are rapidly devouring mankind. Most of the population is overtaken, but Amy manages to escape—and even rescue “Baby,” a toddler left behind in the chaos. Marooned in Amy’s house, the girls do everything they can to survive—and avoid Them at all costs.

After years of hiding, they are miraculously rescued and taken to New Hope, a colony of survivors living in a former government research compound. While at first the colony seems like a dream with plenty of food, safety, and shelter, New Hope slowly reveals that it is far from ideal. And Amy soon realizes that unless things change, she’ll lose Baby—and much more.

When I got this book from Edelweiss, I thought it was going to be something different than what it actually was. At first I was a bit disappointed to find out it was aliens, but then after a chapter or two I was completely in awe. I thought, “Hell yeah! Alien Apocalypse!” I hadn’t read one yet, so I was completely on board with this by that point.

Amy is fourteen when the aliens come, and she is home alone watching tv – watching it all unfold on the news. Her mother is a scientist and a bit paranoid about their safety, she’s installed an electrified fence around their house. Her father is a bit green and installed solar panels and a rain water capture system. Even though her parents never come home after the aliens attack, they are still taking care of her, it seems. I think this is terribly lucky for Amy, but I’m glad she has the intelligence to just stay home. She lasts a month before she even has to leave.

Every venture out of the house is dangerous. These aliens are wildly attracted to noise and light, and they are brutal and savage in their attacks. Amy adapts so very well, and that is impressive in itself. On one trip out of the house she finds a toddler in the grocery store. That’s the day she meets Baby and takes her home. The girls form an easy alliance, relying on each other for everything. They become family. They even have their own modified version of sign language. This is something I find incredibly amazing and perfect. With their modified version they escape the possibility that others will know what they are saying to each other.

Eventually, after several years, Amy and Baby are picked up by rescuers and taken to a compound. This is where – ta-daaaaa – Amy meets someone from her past. While I was happy for this, and her this person played an integral part in the story, at first it seemed like it was a little “Ohhhh realllllly?” And a bit convenient. But as the story goes on you find out exactly everything you need to know about this person. It’s safe to say at this point there was never a time where I liked that person. They seemed shady to me, and didn’t really seem to care about Amy in the way that I felt she should. Their actions deemed investigation and their reactions did not feel genuine.

Throughout the story Amy meets a slew of other people. The only one I trust is Baby, but I liked some of the others (like Garrett and Kay). New Hope, the compound, is not everything it appears to be. It’s kind of like the sexy psychopath. Sure, everything looks great on the outside, but peak behind the layers and what you find is pure terror. I don’t see the twists and turns that are coming, and I like that a lot. This book definitely was full of surprises and mystery.

The book is set up in three parts. Part one is my favorite, when Baby and Amy are on the outside, fighting and surviving. Part two started to drag a bit for me, mixing present times with flash forward instances. Part three brings everything back to present…which was the flash forward instances from part two. I think I might have liked the time continuity to stay in one straight line, but I can see why it was written this way.

As far as apocalypse books go, I liked this one a lot. There is an instance where I felt it really kind of flipped in a way I didn’t see coming. I felt like the author had a very unique and awesome idea, and then changed her mind about it and made some choices I felt really distracted from the awesomeness and brought it down a few notches. But even with that, it was still really good. And even better, the ending was left open to a sequel. I did like it enough to be on the lookout for book two!

Follow Demitria Lunetta Online

Website

Goodreads

Facebook - Friend Page
Facebook - Fan Page

Twitter

Affiliate Link

Review: In The After by Demitria Lunetta

Title: In The After
Series: Not yet, but I am hoping so
Author: Demitria Lunetta
Published: To be released June 25, 2013 - Harper Teen
Format: Ebook received from Edelweiss

They hear the most silent of footsteps.
They are faster than anything you've ever seen.
And They won't stop chasing you...until you are dead.

Amy is watching TV when it happens, when the world is attacked by Them. These vile creatures are rapidly devouring mankind. Most of the population is overtaken, but Amy manages to escape—and even rescue “Baby,” a toddler left behind in the chaos. Marooned in Amy’s house, the girls do everything they can to survive—and avoid Them at all costs.

After years of hiding, they are miraculously rescued and taken to New Hope, a colony of survivors living in a former government research compound. While at first the colony seems like a dream with plenty of food, safety, and shelter, New Hope slowly reveals that it is far from ideal. And Amy soon realizes that unless things change, she’ll lose Baby—and much more.

When I got this book from Edelweiss, I thought it was going to be something different than what it actually was. At first I was a bit disappointed to find out it was aliens, but then after a chapter or two I was completely in awe. I thought, “Hell yeah! Alien Apocalypse!” I hadn’t read one yet, so I was completely on board with this by that point.

Amy is fourteen when the aliens come, and she is home alone watching tv – watching it all unfold on the news. Her mother is a scientist and a bit paranoid about their safety, she’s installed an electrified fence around their house. Her father is a bit green and installed solar panels and a rain water capture system. Even though her parents never come home after the aliens attack, they are still taking care of her, it seems. I think this is terribly lucky for Amy, but I’m glad she has the intelligence to just stay home. She lasts a month before she even has to leave.

Every venture out of the house is dangerous. These aliens are wildly attracted to noise and light, and they are brutal and savage in their attacks. Amy adapts so very well, and that is impressive in itself. On one trip out of the house she finds a toddler in the grocery store. That’s the day she meets Baby and takes her home. The girls form an easy alliance, relying on each other for everything. They become family. They even have their own modified version of sign language. This is something I find incredibly amazing and perfect. With their modified version they escape the possibility that others will know what they are saying to each other.

Eventually, after several years, Amy and Baby are picked up by rescuers and taken to a compound. This is where – ta-daaaaa – Amy meets someone from her past. While I was happy for this, and her this person played an integral part in the story, at first it seemed like it was a little “Ohhhh realllllly?” And a bit convenient. But as the story goes on you find out exactly everything you need to know about this person. It’s safe to say at this point there was never a time where I liked that person. They seemed shady to me, and didn’t really seem to care about Amy in the way that I felt she should. Their actions deemed investigation and their reactions did not feel genuine.

Throughout the story Amy meets a slew of other people. The only one I trust is Baby, but I liked some of the others (like Garrett and Kay). New Hope, the compound, is not everything it appears to be. It’s kind of like the sexy psychopath. Sure, everything looks great on the outside, but peak behind the layers and what you find is pure terror. I don’t see the twists and turns that are coming, and I like that a lot. This book definitely was full of surprises and mystery.

The book is set up in three parts. Part one is my favorite, when Baby and Amy are on the outside, fighting and surviving. Part two started to drag a bit for me, mixing present times with flash forward instances. Part three brings everything back to present…which was the flash forward instances from part two. I think I might have liked the time continuity to stay in one straight line, but I can see why it was written this way.

As far as apocalypse books go, I liked this one a lot. There is an instance where I felt it really kind of flipped in a way I didn’t see coming. I felt like the author had a very unique and awesome idea, and then changed her mind about it and made some choices I felt really distracted from the awesomeness and brought it down a few notches. But even with that, it was still really good. And even better, the ending was left open to a sequel. I did like it enough to be on the lookout for book two!

Follow Demitria Lunetta Online

Website

Goodreads

Facebook - Friend Page
Facebook - Fan Page

Twitter

Affiliate Link

Review: Ten Tiny Breaths by KA Tucker

Title: Ten Tiny Breaths
Series: Ten Tiny Breaths #1
Author: KA Tucker
Published: First published December 2012, released again, February 2013 by Atria Books
Format: NetGalley Invite

Kacey Cleary’s whole life imploded four years ago in a drunk-driving accident. Now she’s working hard to bury the pieces left behind—all but one. Her little sister, Livie. Kacey can swallow the constant disapproval from her born-again aunt Darla over her self-destructive lifestyle; she can stop herself from going kick-boxer crazy on Uncle Raymond when he loses the girls’ college funds at a blackjack table. She just needs to keep it together until Livie is no longer a minor, and then they can get the hell out of Grand Rapids, Michigan.

But when Uncle Raymond slides into bed next to Livie one night, Kacey decides it’s time to run. Armed with two bus tickets and dreams of living near the coast, Kacey and Livie start their new lives in a Miami apartment complex, complete with a grumpy landlord, a pervert upstairs, and a neighbor with a stage name perfectly matched to her chosen “profession.” But Kacey’s not worried. She can handle all of them. What she can’t handle is Trent Emerson in apartment 1D.

Kacey doesn’t want to feel. She doesn’t. It’s safer that way. For everyone. But sexy Trent finds a way into her numb heart, reigniting her ability to love again. She starts to believe that maybe she can leave the past where it belongs and start over. Maybe she’s not beyond repair.

But Kacey isn’t the only one who’s broken. Seemingly perfect Trent has an unforgiveable past of his own; one that, when discovered, will shatter Kacey’s newly constructed life and send her back into suffocating darkness.

I’ve absolutely fallen in love love love with this book. I’m not even sure where to start on my review without sounding like I’m having a fan-girl moment.

First, the story. Kacey has gone through something so horrible and heartwrenching, it is a miracle she’s even alive. And now there are only her and her sister, Livie. And while they are under guardianship of their aunt and uncle, things take a big turn for the worse. So they take off for Florida.

Right away I loved how Kacey was so completely protective of her sister. She loves that girl to death, and will do anything to protect her. The move to FL promises to be difficult, but they will stick it out together because they are family, and that’s how it should be. This fierce love they have between each other made this story so special for me.

Just Ten Tiny Breaths, a little coping mechanism taught to Kacey by her mother. It’s such a powerful lesson for her to learn, and I loved it. What a great way to find peace when you feel you are about to spin!

The story itself was fast paced, and I couldn’t put it down. Kacey and Livie meet all of their neighbors, and some of them prove to be the best thing they could ever ask for. I’m talking about Storm and her daughter. Quickly she proves to be a genuine friend and ally. I loved her personality, and how easy she cared for these strangers who found their way into her life. She is every girl’s dream of what a best friend should be. And her daughter is absolute perfection in a five year old package.

And then there is Trent. Trent is beyond wonderful, I crushed on him the entire way through. At one point he had a hero moment, and I was completely melting into a puddle of want all over the place. Tall, dark, handsome, secretive, protective, caring, sensitive, sexy… heck, I could go on and on about this man. But what matters the most is that when Kacey and Trent see each other, the rest of the world disappears. And I loved how just the mere presence of him would leave Kacey, Ms. Control, so completely unhinged.

Kacey herself. The girl has strength she hasn’t even tapped into yet. Her inner monologue had me busting out in laughter at times, I love her smart assed nature. She is understandably a bit distrustful of people, but this group she finds her in breaks away everything for her. For every good thing that happens to her I was silently cheering her on, so happy for her, myself.

But secrets, that’s the name of the game. And everyone has their own skeletons. And when they come out…. man. It is a whirlwind and a hurricane and a tornado. It’s a mess. And my heart broke for everyone involved.

This book made me laugh and it made me cry, even when I promised myself I wouldn’t. I did. I cried bad. Even after it was over, I was crying. I am going to buy this book in print so it can sit so pretty on my bookshelf. The cover is amazing (both covers, actually) but the content inside was so raw and emotional, it was truly a pleasure and a joy reading this beautiful and heartfelt story.

Find KA Tucker Online

Goodreads

Website

Twitter

Facebook

Review: Ten Tiny Breaths by KA Tucker

Title: Ten Tiny Breaths
Series: Ten Tiny Breaths #1
Author: KA Tucker
Published: First published December 2012, released again, February 2013 by Atria Books
Format: NetGalley Invite

Kacey Cleary’s whole life imploded four years ago in a drunk-driving accident. Now she’s working hard to bury the pieces left behind—all but one. Her little sister, Livie. Kacey can swallow the constant disapproval from her born-again aunt Darla over her self-destructive lifestyle; she can stop herself from going kick-boxer crazy on Uncle Raymond when he loses the girls’ college funds at a blackjack table. She just needs to keep it together until Livie is no longer a minor, and then they can get the hell out of Grand Rapids, Michigan.

But when Uncle Raymond slides into bed next to Livie one night, Kacey decides it’s time to run. Armed with two bus tickets and dreams of living near the coast, Kacey and Livie start their new lives in a Miami apartment complex, complete with a grumpy landlord, a pervert upstairs, and a neighbor with a stage name perfectly matched to her chosen “profession.” But Kacey’s not worried. She can handle all of them. What she can’t handle is Trent Emerson in apartment 1D.

Kacey doesn’t want to feel. She doesn’t. It’s safer that way. For everyone. But sexy Trent finds a way into her numb heart, reigniting her ability to love again. She starts to believe that maybe she can leave the past where it belongs and start over. Maybe she’s not beyond repair.

But Kacey isn’t the only one who’s broken. Seemingly perfect Trent has an unforgiveable past of his own; one that, when discovered, will shatter Kacey’s newly constructed life and send her back into suffocating darkness.

I’ve absolutely fallen in love love love with this book. I’m not even sure where to start on my review without sounding like I’m having a fan-girl moment.

First, the story. Kacey has gone through something so horrible and heartwrenching, it is a miracle she’s even alive. And now there are only her and her sister, Livie. And while they are under guardianship of their aunt and uncle, things take a big turn for the worse. So they take off for Florida.

Right away I loved how Kacey was so completely protective of her sister. She loves that girl to death, and will do anything to protect her. The move to FL promises to be difficult, but they will stick it out together because they are family, and that’s how it should be. This fierce love they have between each other made this story so special for me.

Just Ten Tiny Breaths, a little coping mechanism taught to Kacey by her mother. It’s such a powerful lesson for her to learn, and I loved it. What a great way to find peace when you feel you are about to spin!

The story itself was fast paced, and I couldn’t put it down. Kacey and Livie meet all of their neighbors, and some of them prove to be the best thing they could ever ask for. I’m talking about Storm and her daughter. Quickly she proves to be a genuine friend and ally. I loved her personality, and how easy she cared for these strangers who found their way into her life. She is every girl’s dream of what a best friend should be. And her daughter is absolute perfection in a five year old package.

And then there is Trent. Trent is beyond wonderful, I crushed on him the entire way through. At one point he had a hero moment, and I was completely melting into a puddle of want all over the place. Tall, dark, handsome, secretive, protective, caring, sensitive, sexy… heck, I could go on and on about this man. But what matters the most is that when Kacey and Trent see each other, the rest of the world disappears. And I loved how just the mere presence of him would leave Kacey, Ms. Control, so completely unhinged.

Kacey herself. The girl has strength she hasn’t even tapped into yet. Her inner monologue had me busting out in laughter at times, I love her smart assed nature. She is understandably a bit distrustful of people, but this group she finds her in breaks away everything for her. For every good thing that happens to her I was silently cheering her on, so happy for her, myself.

But secrets, that’s the name of the game. And everyone has their own skeletons. And when they come out…. man. It is a whirlwind and a hurricane and a tornado. It’s a mess. And my heart broke for everyone involved.

This book made me laugh and it made me cry, even when I promised myself I wouldn’t. I did. I cried bad. Even after it was over, I was crying. I am going to buy this book in print so it can sit so pretty on my bookshelf. The cover is amazing (both covers, actually) but the content inside was so raw and emotional, it was truly a pleasure and a joy reading this beautiful and heartfelt story.

Find KA Tucker Online

Goodreads

Website

Twitter

Facebook

Review: Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire

Title: Beautiful Disaster
Series: Beautiful #1
Author: Jamie McGuire
Published: 2012 August
Format: Egalley from NetGalley

The new Abby Abernathy is a good girl. She doesn’t drink or swear, and she has the appropriate percentage of cardigans in her wardrobe. Abby believes she has enough distance between her and the darkness of her past, but when she arrives at college with her best friend, her path to a new beginning is quickly challenged by Eastern University's Walking One-Night Stand. 

Travis Maddox, lean, cut, and covered in tattoos, is exactly what Abby needs—and wants—to avoid. He spends his nights winning money in a floating fight ring, and his days as the ultimate college campus charmer. Intrigued by Abby’s resistance to his appeal, Travis tricks her into his daily life with a simple bet. If he loses, he must remain abstinent for a month. If Abby loses, she must live in Travis’s apartment for the same amount of time. Either way, Travis has no idea that he has met his match.

  

I’ve seen SO many good, no excellent, reviews of this book.  Many of them are by friends of mine.  I had high hopes for this book after glancing through them on Goodreads.  I didn’t read any of them in depth on there beforehand, I wanted to go in kind of “clean” about it.  You know what I mean.  So could the hype be true?  Could this book be that good?

Um.  Hell yeah. 

The whole flow of the story was terrific, it very easily grabbed my attention and kept it.  In fact, I started reading this book about 8pm last night and didn’t go to bed until 5am this morning.  I knew I wasn’t going to get a chance to read much today, and I just had to know what was going to happen.  I could not put this book down.  And now I can’t believe I have to wait until next year for book two – which happens to be told in Travis’ point of view.  Brilliant move.  I only have one concern for that, aside from having to wait so long.  I worry that in Travis’ point of view, it might just be too emotional.   I get ahead of myself here.

First, Abby.  I didn’t like Abby for most of the book.  There were definitely times where I felt she redeemed herself a bit.  But overall?  I found her to be a bit manipulative and immature.  There were instances where I thought she was a downright bitch.  But like I said, there were some redeeming scenes.  You know she feels these things for Travis, but the way she handles those feelings just left me with kind of a sour taste. 

Second, Travis.  He is amazing.  He starts off as this smart ass playboy, the bad boy that you know for a fact you have fallen for at least once in your life.  I know I have.  But he grows.  Travis teaches us that men can change, given the right reason.  And for him, that reason was Abby.  But right from the first moment they see each other you know he is in it for the long run.  I do wish he had been a little bit more forthcoming about his feelings for Abby, but that wouldn’t made for much of a story haha.  He is a terrific guy who has a horrible temper, but for all the right reasons.  He makes some big mistakes, and I believe he overpaid for them.  Maybe I am being a little soft on him, I don’t know.  I know that if I was Abby and I was confronted with the magnificent Travis, I wouldn’t have ever given him up. Ever.  Never.  His passion for Abby is what made this book a five star read for me.

Together, as a couple, they were perfect.  And that is when I liked Abby.  When she just let all of the outside world fall to the wayside and focused on what she felt for this wounded and beautiful man.  The passion and the emotions to back it up were there.  These two are definitely meant for each other.

They also have some wonderful friends.  At times I wondered if they were too good, America in particular.  I wanted her to just stay the heck out of it, soemtimes.  But she was being a good friend, and that’s what Abby needed.  There were also some less than savory characters.  All of them together made this story fantastic.

This book will definitely pull on your emotions.  That’s what kept me up til near dawn.  I fell in love with them as they fell in love with each other.  They are both very flawed, but together they are beautiful.  They belong together, most definitely.  There are some very high tension scenes, and some things that will just break your heart over and over.  I am so very glad I read this book.  The next year is going to be an eternity waiting for Travis’ point of view!

By the way, I love the cover.  I think the cover change from the open mouth to the butterfly in a jar was a wise decision.  This new cover is just beautiful and a bit tragic, it fits.

Follow Jamie McGuire Online

Goodreads

Website

Facebook

Twitter

Pinterest