New Release Review: Off the Ice by Julie Cross

Off the Ice by Julie Cross (Feb. 28, 2017)
Length: 320 pages
Genre: Young Adult Romance
Publisher: Entangled Teen
Source: I received a free copy from the publisher. This did NOT affect my honest review.
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
My Rating:

Goodreads Summary: All is fair in love and hockey… Claire O’Connor is back in Juniper Falls, but that doesn’t mean she wants to be. One semester off, that’s what she promised herself. Just long enough to take care of her father and keep the family business—a hockey bar beside the ice rink—afloat. After that, she’s getting the hell out. Again. Enter Tate Tanley. What happened between them the night before she left town resurfaces the second they lay eyes on each other. But the guy she remembers has been replaced by a total hottie. When Tate is unexpectedly called in to take over for the hockey team’s star goalie, suddenly he’s in the spotlight and on his way to becoming just another egotistical varsity hockey player. And Claire’s sworn off Juniper Falls hockey players for good. It’s the absolute worst time to fall in love. For Tate and Claire, hockey isn’t just a game. And they both might not survive a body check to the heart.

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My Review

Off the Ice in Three Words: Love. Life. Hockey.

The lovely writing in Off the Ice will be sure to give the reader the same tingly love feelings that the two main characters are feeling. It may not be the best book I have ever read, but it's a strong young adult romance novel and shouldn't get lost in the fray.

The setting is a small town in one of the northern states that value hockey above all else. You will be able to smell the ice and feel the cold while reading Off the Ice, but that isn't even the best part. Meeting Tate Tanley is a definite highlight. Like Claire I may have fallen a little in love with him myself. He struggles with having a less than savory father and the responsibility of being the new star goalie on varsity. Claire isn't having the best time either. Her father recently underwent brain surgery and is having a tough recovery. She has left college and is back in Juniper Falls where she reconnects with her best friend's brother, who has totally grown up and who she starts to see in a new light. Both must dig deep inside themselves and see what the truly want and live life, luckily they have each other for company. This romance will give you feels. It isn't easy all the time, but it felt real and it will make you smile.

Off the Ice is filled with love, friendship, challenges, realness, truth, and hockey. This is a great sports romance that I am sure many will enjoy reading. I would give another book by this author a try. I will say that I feel like this is more of a book for older teens because of some mature content.

The Final Verdict: Just like the main character Tate Tanley, it's sweet and tough. Give it a try.

ARC Review: Gemina by Kaufman & Kristoff

Gemina (#2) by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff (Oct. 18, 2016)
659 pages
Genre: Young Adult Science Fiction
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
Source: I received an ARC at BEA. A big huge thanks to the publisher!
Purchase: Barnes & Noble | Amazon | The Book Depository
My Rating:

Goodreads Summary: Moving to a space station at the edge of the galaxy was always going to be the death of Hanna’s social life. Nobody said it might actually get her killed.

The sci-fi saga that began with the breakout bestseller Illuminae continues on board the Jump Station Heimdall, where two new characters will confront the next wave of the BeiTech assault.

Hanna is the station captain’s pampered daughter; Nik the reluctant member of a notorious crime family. But while the pair are struggling with the realities of life aboard the galaxy’s most boring space station, little do they know that Kady Grant and the Hypatia are headed right toward Heimdall, carrying news of the Kerenza invasion.

When an elite BeiTech strike team invades the station, Hanna and Nik are thrown together to defend their home. But alien predators are picking off the station residents one by one, and a malfunction in the station’s wormhole means the space-time continuum might be ripped in two before dinner. Soon Hanna and Nik aren’t just fighting for their own survival; the fate of everyone on the Hypatia—and possibly the known universe—is in their hands.

But relax. They’ve totally got this. They hope.

Once again told through a compelling dossier of emails, IMs, classified files, transcripts, and schematics, Gemina raises the stakes of the Illuminae Files, hurling readers into an enthralling new story that will leave them breathless.

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My Review

OH. MY. GOD. Gemina was just as good as Illuminea. It was just as epic. It was just as amazing. 

I honestly don't know how to review this book without revealing too much. I will say that the unique formatting worked so well again and was a lot of fun to read. The new characters are just as interesting and charming as the ones from the first book. There is a lot of action, some horror, a little bit of romance, and some great surprises! I felt like the basic plot of the book was a little too similar to the first book, but that is my only complaint. So here is a look at my reading progress from goodreads. 

The Verdict: This book gave me all the feels. Go forth and read it! You don't have to wait long anymore. Gemina hits shelves tomorrow!

Clean Sweep ARC Challenge Sign-up

Hosted by Kimberly @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer & Kristin @ Addicted to Happily Ever After

The minute I saw Kimberly post this challenge on her blog I just knew I had to participate. I have a small pile of ARCs I would like to read so when I come home from BEA I will have more of a fresh slate. I also would love to get my netgalley review rating up again. Fingers crossed! My goal is to read at least 5 ARCs. That may not seem like a lot, but I feel like it is still a challenge but also attainable.

NetGalley ARCs

Some Physical ARCs

  

Other e-ARCs

ARC for Blog Tour

ARC Review: Reign of Shadows

Reign of Shadows (#1) by Sophie Jordan (Feb. 9 2016)
304 pages
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy
Publisher: Harper Teen
Source: I received an ARC from the publisher. This did not affect my honest review. Thanks Harper!
Purchase: Barnes and Noble | Amazon
My Rating:

Goodreads Summary: Seventeen years ago, an eclipse cloaked the kingdom of Relhok in perpetual darkness. In the chaos, an evil chancellor murdered the king and queen and seized their throne. Luna, Relhok’s lost princess, has been hiding in a tower ever since. Luna’s survival depends on the world believing she is dead.

But that doesn’t stop Luna from wanting more. When she meets Fowler, a mysterious archer braving the woods outside her tower, Luna is drawn to him despite the risk. When the tower is attacked, Luna and Fowler escape together. But this world of darkness is more treacherous than Luna ever realized.

With every threat stacked against them, Luna and Fowler find solace in each other. But with secrets still unspoken between them, falling in love might be their most dangerous journey yet.

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My Review

I really had no idea what to expect when I started reading Reign of Shadows. I barely even glanced at the synopsis before reading because that beautiful cover was what initially grabbed my attention. With that being said, Reign of Shadows was a darkly delightful read. I refuse to have any spoilers in my review so I apologize if some of my opinions don't seem very detailed.

From the terrifying creatures that only come out in the dark (that just so happens to be most of the hours of the day) to the bats that should never be eaten, Reign of Shadows is filled to the brim with striking details of the dangerous world that Luna and Fowler live in. A world I would never want to live in, but one I can't help but be captivated by. 

Luna is a wonderful character that you should meet. She is strong, surprising, and real. When she is forced to leave her tower she is both distraught and brave. There was nothing about her that I disliked. I can also guarantee that you will want to meet the troubled young man that goes by the name of Fowler. He keeps to himself and stays disconnected from others, until he meets Luna of course. These two have their ups and downs and I enjoyed every minute of their togetherness. There is also an abundance of other minor characters Luna and Fowler encounter on their journey, and none are too pleasing, yet all are extremely intriguing. 

Grab a copy of this book and sink into its pages. Once I started I couldn't stop. When I finally found the time I ended up sitting down and reading this book in one sitting. I loved every aspect that Reign of Shadows had to offer. From the first page I wanted to get to know the world and the characters that Sophie Jordan created. There are twists and turns and swoony moments. What more could you want?

Reign of Shadows ends with a bang, and I can't help but wish the next book was out already. I really can't wait to see where the next book takes us. I think this is going to be a bumpy and interesting ride.

Stacking The Shelves (2)

Hosted by Tynga at Tynga's Reviews

Stacking The Shelves is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!

I don't normally receive or ask for too many ARCs, but I did get a few over the past couple of weeks so I figured I would share them with you! I am very thankful to the publishers and I can't wait to read these beauties.

The Physical ARCs

A huge thank you to Swoon Reads and HarperTeen!

The E-ARCs

Another big thanks to HMH Books for Young Readers and Jolly Fish Press!!

Review: We All Looked Up by Tommy Wallach

We All Looked Up by Tommy Wallach (March 24, 2015)
384 pages
Genre: Young Adult
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Source: I received a free ARC at ALA Midwinter. This did not affect my honest review. Thanks Simon & Schuster!
Purchase: Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository | Amazon
My Rating:

Goodreads Summary: Four high school seniors put their hopes, hearts, and humanity on the line as an asteroid hurtles toward Earth in this contemporary novel.

They always say that high school is the best time of your life.

Peter, the star basketball player at his school, is worried “they” might actually be right. Meanwhile Eliza can’t wait to escape Seattle—and her reputation—and perfect-on-paper Anita wonders if admission to Princeton is worth the price of abandoning her real dreams. Andy, for his part, doesn’t understand all the fuss about college and career—the future can wait.

Or can it? Because it turns out the future is hurtling through space with the potential to wipe out life on Earth. As these four seniors—along with the rest of the planet—wait to see what damage an asteroid will cause, they must abandon all thoughts of the future and decide how they’re going to spend what remains of the present.

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MY REVIEW

I had the hardest time getting through this book. In all honesty I can't pinpoint exactly why I had such a hard time getting into the story. Sure it was a little slow at first but that usually wouldn't affect my reading all that much. I think it was my own personal life that truly affected my reading and enjoyment of We All Looked Up. I was in a weird reading funk when I started this book AND I was also having a very stressful week. This type of heavier book probably shouldn't have been my reading choice at the time, but it was. I am sad to say that I can't go back in time and fix my mistake. Without further ado, here is my somewhat coherent but probably not very helpful review of We All Looked Up.

We All Looked Up had its boring moments, its spectacular moments, and its so-so moments. I did enjoy the book overall no matter how this review may come off.

We All Looked Up is a deeper book. It focuses on the idea of living in the moment. We see the characters try to figure out how they want to spend their final hours alive rather than trying to just survive the upcoming possible apocalypse. It started off slower for me but ended strong. I never did end up connecting with the characters in any deep way though, making this type of story harder for me to appreciate. When I finally finished reading the book I had to ask myself one question... Was it profound? Given the synopsis and the type of book I took this to be I thought that this was a very important question to ask myself after I finished reading. Sadly, I can't seem to answer the question. I can't make up my mind. Maybe that means it didn't have that big of an impact on me. I don't know.

Do I recommend that you give this book a read? Sure. I feel like I can't really be all that objective here. If you are curious about the book then I suggest you go ahead and give it a go. Once again I apologize for this very wishy washy review. I hope that if you choose to read We All Looked Up and love it.

Mini Review: The Time Tutor by: Bee Ridgway & The River of No Return is Now Available in Paperback!

The River of No Return by Bee Ridgway is now out in paperback! I loved this novel when I first read it last year and I plan to read it again soon. You can find my five star review here. If you have yet to check out The River of No Return I strongly suggest that you give it a chance.

In the mean time, I was lucky enough to receive an eARC of The Time Tutor novella, a prequel to The River of No Return, in celebration of the paperback release. I am excited to share with you what I thought of the novella below.

The Time Tutor by: Bee Ridgway (2014)
90 pages
Genre: Fiction/Time Travel
Source: I received a free ARC from netgalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review. Thanks!
Purchase: Barnes and Noble | Amazon

Goodreads Summary: When Alva receives an invitation from a man offering his services as a Time Tutor, she doesn’t know what to think: Is he a time traveler or a charlatan? And does it really matter, when he is so devilishly attractive? The Time Tutor is a fast-paced romantic prequel to Bee Ridgway’s acclaimed novel, The River of No Return.

My Review:  I'm going to be completely honest, I don't usually read novellas. I'm not sure why exactly, but they just don't usually appeal to me. I decided to give this one a try since I enjoyed the novel it is based off of so much, and it didn't disappoint. I think it may have even stirred up a future desire in me to start reading novellas. It's not like they would take away a lot of my time, and if I'm a fan of the books the novella is about then I'm not sure why I wouldn't enjoy the them. Okay, now lets focus specifically on The Time Tutor. It added more history and background to Ridgway's world in The River of No Return that I think fans will really enjoy. The Time Tutor was a lot of fun. The characters were interesting and the fast-paced plot line was perfect for a novella. The Time Tutor is worth checking out if you liked The River of No Return. The only thing I would warn you about is that when I first started reading The Time Tutor it was a tad confusing at first because I had trouble remember everything from The River of No Return since I hadn't read it in a while, but once I did a quick refresher I had no problems.

Review: Eat, Brains, Love by: Jeff Hart

Eat, Brains, Love by: Jeff Hart (Oct. 1, 2013)

352 pages

Genre: YA/Horror/Comedy
Publisher: Harper Teen

Source: I won a free ARC of this book from Sara over at Medusa’s Library. This in no way affected my honest review. Thanks Sara!

Purchase: Barnes and Noble | Amazon | The Book Depository

Goodreads Summary: Two teenage zombies search for brains, love, and answers in this surprisingly romantic and laugh-out-loud funny debut novel with guts.

Jake Stephens was always an average, fly-under-the-radar guy. The kind of guy who would never catch the attention of an insanely popular girl like Amanda Blake-or a psychic teenage government agent like Cass. But one day during lunch, Jake's whole life changed. He and Amanda suddenly locked eyes across the cafeteria, and at the exact same instant, they turned into zombies and devoured half their senior class.

Now Jake definitely has Amanda's attention-as well as Cass's, since she's been sent on a top-secret mission to hunt them down. As Jake and Amanda deal with the existential guilt of eating their best friends, Cass struggles with a growing psychic dilemma of her own-one that will lead the three of them on an epic journey across the country and make them question what it means to truly be alive. Or undead.

Eat, Brains, Love is a heartwarming and bloody blend of romance, deadpan humor, and suspense that fans of Isaac Marion's Warm Bodies will devour. With its irresistibly dry and authentic teen voice, as well as a zombie apocalypse worthy of AMC's The Walking Dead, this irreverent paperback original will leave readers dying for the sequel that's coming in Summer 2014.

My Review

Now is the perfect time to read Eat, Brains, Love, a funny, no ex that, hilarious teen novel about the life of two newly turned teenage zombies and the agency out to get them. It is definitely original and definitely worth reading. 

I refuse to put spoilers in this review because I want people to read it and give it a chance all on their own. With that being said, there are several things I can’t discuss because of this so hang in there if the review seems a little vague.

Why this non-zombie blogger devoured Eat, Brains, Love:

• Considering Eat, Brains, Love is a book about zombies it is scarily realistic at times. 

• I love that the author wasn't afraid to have the main characters actually use real curse words when they were in horrible situations. 

• The characters were pretty relateable and very interesting. Getting inside the head of a teenage boy with hormones who just so happens to also be a zombie and feels bad for eating his classmates is definitely unique. Jake was a hoot and I loved his POV. As readers we also get the story from Cass’s POV, a very interesting and likable female lead who happens to be hunting Jake down as part of a secret government agency. There is also a handful of minor characters that are all just as interesting and all just as intense as the main ones.

• It’s extremely funny. If my copy wasn't an ARC I would share so many amazing quotes with you, but I'm really not supposed to since it is an ARC copy.

• It’s got the right amount of gore for all you zombie fans out there. There is also one scene that was so creepy it turned my blood cold.

• There isn't a huge info dump. Who doesn't love that?

A few things that didn't impress me:

• There is going to be a sequel and I wasn’t warned about this in advance. (I know it states this in the synopsis I gave you earlier from groodreads but I don't always read those thoroughly or pay attention with they start mentioning "this book is like this movie/book/show etc.") This frustrates me beyond belief. Don't get me wrong, I’m going to read the next book, but I little warning would have been nice so I knew what to expect when the book came to a close. So I guess this isn't really anything with the actual book that bothered me but oh well.

• There are a couple of small stereotypes that I can’t go into without spoiling the book, but lets just say they were annoying.

• The romance wasn’t all that great. This was disappointing because the word love is even in the title. Luckily I think the next book will be even better with the romance aspect of the novel. In the end, this in no way kept me from really liking this book.

Bottom Line: Read it. You won’t find a better time to read a Zombie novel than right now. Eat, Brains, Love was an enjoyable read that was hard for me to put down. 

**I won a free ARC of this book from Sara over at Medusa’s Library. This in no way affected my honest review. Thanks Sara!

Always Watching by: Chevy Stevens

Always Watching by: Chevy Stevens (2013) 

352 pages

Genre: Mystery/Thriller
Publisher: St. Martin's Press

Source: I received a free ARC copy from St. Martin's Press for my honest review.

Purchase: Barnes and Noble | The Book Depository | Amazon

Goodreads Summary: She helps people put their demons to rest.

But she has a few of her own…

In the lockdown ward of a psychiatric hospital, Dr. Nadine Lavoie is in her element. She has the tools to help people, and she has the desire—healing broken families is what she lives for. But Nadine doesn’t want to look too closely at her own past because there are whole chunks of her life that are black holes. It takes all her willpower to tamp down her recurrent claustrophobia, and her daughter, Lisa, is a runaway who has been on the streets for seven years.

When a distraught woman, Heather Simeon, is brought into the Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit after a suicide attempt, Nadine gently coaxes her story out of her—and learns of some troubling parallels with her own life. Digging deeper, Nadine is forced to confront her traumatic childhood, and the damage that began when she and her brother were brought by their mother to a remote commune on Vancouver Island. What happened to Nadine? Why was their family destroyed? And why does the name Aaron Quinn, the group’s leader, bring complex feelings of terror to Nadine even today?

And then, the unthinkable happens, and Nadine realizes that danger is closer to home than she ever imagined. She has no choice but to face what terrifies her the most…and fight back.

Sometimes you can leave the past, but you can never escape.

Told with the trademark powerful storytelling that has had critics praising her work as “Gripping” (Kirkus), “Jaw-dropping” (Publishers Weekly) and “Crackling with suspense” (People magazine), ALWAYS WATCHING shows why Chevy Stevens is one of the most mesmerizing new talents of our day.

My Review

Always Watching was a nice change of pace from the romance and young adult books I have been reading recently. Before reading Always Watching I hadn't read any other books by this author, including the two previous books that I think Dr. Nadine Lavoie, the main character in Always Watching, plays some role in. This didn't affect my reading experience at all. This book was not hard to follow and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I even want to go back and read the previous two books that she has written! 

Dr. Nadine Lavoie leads an interesting yet hard life. I never once was uninterested in her even though she is quite older than me, sometimes I don’t enjoy books featuring a much older main character, but I really did like Nadine. She is strong and full of love. She possibly has the strongest resolve of any main character that I have ever encountered.

Always Watching is very strongly/well written, with a perfect mix of scenes from the past and present. The whole story flowed well. I will warn you that there are some very tough subjects and detailed scenes that will have your skin crawling. It didn’t make me enjoy this book any less but it was at times hard to read about. I can’t say exactly what because I don’t want to give anything away, but I just wanted to give you a warning about the ick factor  There were a few times when the tears wanted to come out when reading. So although I would say this book is depressing, it also has its uplifting moments. It really makes you stop and think about how you are choosing to live your life.

Basically, Always Watching is a very well written book with a great plot line, some interesting twists, many shocking moments, and a great main character. 

I recommend this book to people who love a psychiatrist as the main character in their stories, a good mystery, and a killer ending. Always Watching may have a few slower moments but it was a really good read and I'm glad I took the time to sit back and dive deep into Dr. Lavoie's life.

**Thanks again to St. Martin's Press for giving me a free ARC copy of Always Watching. This in no way impacted my honest review.