Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day everyone! May your day be full of love, friendship and happiness!

I'm at the moment too busy with dance related stuff to blog or to even read much, but will be back posting -and reading like grazy :)- next week.

Waiting on Wednesday: Dare You To

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event that is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine and spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating. 

 Dying for this one this week:

"I dare you..." 
If anyone knew the truth about Beth Risk's home life, they'd send her mother to jail and seventeen-year-old Beth who knows where. So she protects her mom at all costs. Until the day her uncle swoops in and forces Beth to choose between her mom's freedom and her own happiness. That's how Beth finds herself living with an aunt who doesn't want her and going to a school that doesn't understand her. At all. Except for the one guy who shouldn't get her, but does.... 
Ryan Stone is the town golden boy, a popular baseball star jock-with secrets he can't tell anyone. Not even the friends he shares everything with, including the constant dares to do crazy things. The craziest? Asking out the Skater girl who couldn't be less interested in him. 
But what begins as a dare becomes an intense attraction neither Ryan nor Beth expected. Suddenly, the boy with the flawless image risks his dreams-and his life-for the girl he loves, and the girl who won't let anyone get too close is daring herself to want it all....

Expected Release:  May 28, 2013

Published By: Harlequin Teen

Hardcover 304 pages

Why I am Waiting

1. What I need to know is what I have to do to get my hands on a copy of this like yesterday?!  Seriously!!!
2.  I have to know if Katie can create something to rival Noah and Echo's story.  Seeing I loved them so much it's going to be hard to top.
3. The writing in Pushing the Limits was beautiful and smooth.  I'm looking forward to more of the amazing writing that just pours off the pages and into my soul. (cheesy I know but oh so true)

What are you waiting on?  LINK ME UP!!!!

**REVIEW** Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry

No one knows what happened the night Echo Emerson went from popular girl with jock boyfriend to gossiped-about outsider with "freaky" scars on her arms. Even Echo can't remember the whole truth of that horrible night. All she knows is that she wants everything to go back to normal.But when Noah Hutchins, the smoking-hot, girl-using loner in the black leather jacket, explodes into her life with his tough attitude and surprising understanding, Echo's world shifts in ways she could never have imagined. They should have nothing in common. And with the secrets they both keep, being together is pretty much impossible.
Yet the crazy attraction between them refuses to go away. And Echo has to ask herself just how far they can push the limits and what she'll risk for the one guy who might teach her how to love again.

Release Date:  July 31, 2012

Published By: Harlequin Teen

Review Copy:  Hardcover, 392 pages

*purchased

Trailer

Review

  This one lived up to every single bit of hype there was out there.  I am however glad that I didn't read it while it was buzzing.  What am I saying...  I should have never have put this one off!  Seriously it blew every moment of hype right out o the water and then just kept on pushing on and became better than I had expected.  Told from both Echo's and Noah's point of view this book packs a serious emotional punch that had me hanging on every word.

  The story of Echo and Noah is anything but easy.  These two have had a seriously rough go at things and their lives show no sign of letting up.  Noah who has been through several foster homes after the loss of his parents wants nothing more than to have his family, his brothers back in his life.  Echo lost a piece of herself two years ago when she almost lost her life but she can remember what happened but she wants to so life can go back to normal.  They were destined to make a beautifully broken pair.  Thing is neither one of them seen what was coming at them and just how much they could help each other.  Echo could be the answer for Noah and Noah may be able to fill the black holes Echo has from her past but they are going to have to fight for it.

  I loved Echo.  She really was hurting and withdrawn from everyone and everything she used to know but who could blame her.  The scars from her past haunted her every day if that weren't bad enough she couldn't even remember what caused them.  Within the first few chapters she makes a move and tries to get her old, normal life back but it was not easy.  Heck rather than Lila her friends have been anything but supportive and all but abandoned her a pushed her into social isolation more than she withdrew.  I had a few moments where I thought she was weak but honestly they didn't last long because she was weak, she was hurt emotionally and that's not something you can easily deal with.  This girl literally struggled and fought to get herself back and I admired every scar she carried on the inside and out because they made her a stronger person.

  Noah just blew me away.  He did have the stereotypical icy exterior and bad boy attitude but when you read from his point of view you knew there was more.  Noah stopped caring because there was no one there to care about him and the times he tried to do right things just blew up and backfired on him.  Losing his parents and being separated from his brothers couldn't have been easy but there should have been someone there to help make it better but there wasn't.  Thing is underneath all the snark and cold on the outside Noah cared about people.  He didn't think people deserved to be hurt and had a big heart.  Like every time he called Echo baby I could help the flutters in my stomach for just how sweet he was.  Noah is the kind of guy that just reading about makes your heart skip a beat and your temperature rises just a little (or a lot).

  Pushing the Limits deals with so many hard and dark situations and is much more than just a love story.  This is about letting go, learning to love again, how to trust your heart, yourself and let someone in.  The writing is phenomenal and flows perfectly.  Personally I was hooked from the start and though it was tied up I wasn't ready for it to end.  McGarry has shown her talent and gone above and beyond with this one.  I'm not sure if she will be able to top Echo and Noah's story in Dare Me To but I am looking forward to finding out.

Quotes

Our table became eerily silent as the most beautiful girl at school openly defied the most popular girl at school.  A lull fell over the cafeteria as the student body prepared to watch the showdown in progress. -Echo

The stubble on his face moved as he smiled.  Noah had muscles, looks and trouble stalking him.  Somehow he made jeans and a T-shirt look dangerous.  Not that I was into girl-using stoners.  Yet, I took another peek at him while sipping my drink. -Echo

"I know crazy when I see it."  The moment the words flew out of my mouth I regretted them.  Sometimes when you see the line, you think it's a good idea to cross it-until you do. -Noah

We'd read about sirens in English this fall; Greek mythology bullshit about women so beautiful, their voices so enchanting, that men did anything for them.  Turned out that mythology crap was real because every time I saw her, I lost my mind. -Noah

She held perfectly still, keeping her hand on mine, her head resting on my shoulder.  I nuzzled into the warmth of her silky curls, tightening my hold on her.  Echo was becoming essential, like air.  -Noah

**REVIEW** Shadowlands by Kate Brian

Rory Miller had one chance to fight back and she took it. Rory survived… and the serial killer who attacked her escaped. Now that the infamous Steven Nell is on the loose, Rory must enter the witness protection with her father and sister, Darcy, leaving their friends and family without so much as a goodbye. 
Starting over in a new town with only each other is unimaginable for Rory and Darcy. They were inseparable as children, but now they can barely stand each other. As the sisters settle in to Juniper Landing, a picturesque vacation island, it seems like their new home may be just the fresh start they need. They fall in with a group of beautiful, carefree teens and spend their days surfing, partying on the beach, and hiking into endless sunsets. But just as they’re starting to feel safe again, one of their new friends goes missing. Is it a coincidence? Or is the nightmare beginning all over again?

Release Date: January 8, 2013

Published By: Hyperion

Review Copy: ARC
*Provided by publisher

Review

  You know I'm really not sure how to go about this review.  Did I enjoy the book? Yes.  Do I fully understand what went down? Maybe.  You know when you have this feeling that what is going on is more than it appears?  Well that's how I felt almost all of this book.  The fact that no one else felt this or would listen to Rory made me want to shake them.  That's basically all I can say without giving the entire ending and basically the book away.  

  The story itself did pull me in.  Rory was your average girl, not so popular but mostly content with the way things were going.  Minus the crush she had on her older sisters ex boyfriend.  Then life turns into chaos, Rory is attacked and gets away.  That however is just the beginning because Rory's attacker is a serial killer and has never missed his mark.  The FBI decides the best course of action is to send Rory, her dad and her sister away and make them part of the witness protection program.  Problem was they did it in broad daylight right from the house...  Yup, big hole for me because seriously how many people were there watching?  Then after some minor blips the family makes it
 to their destination.  This is where everything that was supposed to go right, 
seems to go wrong.  Though I had issues with these things it kind of turned out to be a part of Brian's cleverly structured writing.

  Rory doesn't strive to be the center of attention and is actually just more comfortable being herself than trying to impress others.  When the islanders seem to take to her faster than her sister she tries to step out of the spotlight because that just isn't her.   Though now that I have had time to reflect maybe I liked her because there was nothing spectacular about her.  She wasn't the gorgeous girl that didn't think she was, she didn't realize out of the blue she had some special power but in all her glorious normality I found a character that I didn't exactly connect with but could appreciate.

  There are actually quite a few other characters that play important parts though out this one but to avoid a ridiculously long chunk of the review being on them I will give you a quick break down.   Darcy, Rory's older sister is the girl that is used to getting what she wants and being the one in the spotlight.  Though she drove me mostly because she just wouldn't listen to Rory but at the same time it's hard to listen to someone that never really spoke up before then.  Tristan and Joaquim are the love interests.  Well Tristan is the love interest and Joaquim is the guy that wants Rory but she seems to think he is far to arrogant for her.  I will admit I did kind of like Joaquim and well... Him in general I guess.  The entire time I wanted Rory to com around with him but then she just wouldn't have been her.

  Okay so I have to fess up now.  The story pulled me, the characters interested me and 90% of the time I thought knew what was going on.  I didn't.  I had no freaking clue because everything kept moving, kept me questioning.  At one point I wondered if her sister was in on it.   When I finished the book I thought it through and then went back and read the last few chapters again because honestly I thought I had missed something.  I hadn't but was relieved to find out that this was not a stand alone like I had thought (I need to look into these things first) because if it wasn't I may not have felt the same or been as calm about the ending.

  If you want something that will stay with you, haunt you this is the read for you.  Through thrills, chills and maybe a few moments that I myself wanted to  hide, I didn't want to put this one down.  I'm in dire need of some sort of clue as to where this is going and while I wait I will be looking into more of this authors novels.

Quotes

My blood turned to ice.  Fourteen girls.  He'd murdered fourteen girls.  And I was supposed to be next.  I was number fifteen.

Messenger stared her down. "Not my style.  Now I suggest you all start packing.  You're leaving here in fifteen minutes.  No photos, no personal items or IDs.  Nothing that connects you in any way to this life."

Every time I saw Tristan, it was like I was surprised all over again by how gorgeous he was-his blond hair grazing those insane cheekbones, his deep tan, his strong-looking arms.

I leaned both hands into the desk, struggling to get a hold of myself.  Clearly, I was on edge if an old lady and. Bird could take this much out of me.

**REVIEW** Shattered Souls by Mary Lindsay

A thrilling debut story of death, love, destiny, and danger
Lenzi hears voices and has visions - gravestones, floods, a boy with steel gray eyes. Her boyfriend, Zak, can't help, and everything keeps getting louder and more intense. Then Lenzi meets Alden, the boy from her dreams, who reveals that she's a reincarnated Speaker - someone who can talk to and help lost souls - and that he has been her Protector for centuries.
Now Lenzi must choose between her life with Zak and the life she is destined to lead with Alden. But time is running out: a malevolent spirit is out to destroy Lenzi, and he will kill her if she doesn't make a decision soon.

Release Date: December 11, 2011

Published By: Philomel/Penguin 

Review Copy: Hardcover, 336 pages

Review

  With such a pretty cover and enticing description how could anyone pass this read up?  I certainly couldn't the real question is though: how did I manage to let it sit on my shelf this long?  To be honest after reading this one, I am shocked that it did.  Mary Lindsay did something wonderful and fresh with this one.  Actually scratch that.  She did many wonderful things with Shattered Souls and it's much deeper than a pretty cover.

  We are walked into the world of Lenzi, the girl that hears voices and believes she is just as crazy as her father was.  The only thing in her life that makes her feel normal is her boyfriend Zak but even that is becoming less effective.  The voices are getting louder, more persistent and well they are in short driving Lenzi crazy.  When Alden walks into her world and tells her that she isn't crazy it seems to good to be true and it kind of is for Lenzi.  Not being crazy means being the go to girl for souls that have unfinished business.  She can't deny that what he says makes sense but she does question if she wants to do this.

  I really felt for Lenzi.  Not that she is a sad or pitiful person but there is no way life was easy growing up with a schizophrenic father.  She was strong though, she didn't let people get to her and when the time came she stepped up.  Lenzi was terrified when she heard what she was really born to do and kind of scared that Alden may be crazy as well but after hearing voices and feeling a little more crazy each day, wouldn't you be willing to try something to make it go away?  

  The romance had me worried for a couple chapters.  Zak was the boyfriend but when he became drunk and tries something when Lenzi was at her Dad's grave I kind of immediately hoped he wasn't her only option.  Then Alden comes in and I worried about a love triangle...  Then Mary Lindsay did the original, she had Lenzi make a decision and stick with it.  She picked one guy and decided that she would only be with him and it wasn't fair to be with the other when the feeling just wasn't quite there.

  I am really looking forward to more of Mary Lindsay's creativity.  With an impressive story and characters that are growing there is so much potential for more and I want more.  This is a wonderful debut novel but will leave you hungry for more.  Especially when it comes to more Alden.

Quotes

Some part of me- the wise part- knew I should jerk my hand back and get away from this boy as fast as possible.  The crazy part of me wanted to grab his other hand and never let go.

I almost laughed out loud.  If she only knew!  A reincarnated, soul-sharing lunatic.  Ghost boy-every mother's dream.

I was going to protest being called Rose, but didn't.  Somehow the lines were getting blurry-either that, or it just didn't matter anymore.  What did matter was what Race had said.

**REVIEW** Altered by Jennifer Rush

When you can’t trust yourself, who can you believe?
Everything about Anna’s life is a secret. Her father works for the Branch at the helm of its latest project: monitoring and administering treatments to the four genetically altered boys in the lab below their farmhouse. There’s Nick, Cas, Trev . . . and Sam, who’s stolen Anna’s heart. When the Branch decides it’s time to take the boys, Sam stages an escape, killing the agents sent to retrieve them. 
Anna is torn between following Sam or staying behind in the safety of her everyday life. But her father pushes her to flee, making Sam promise to keep her away from the Branch, at all costs. There’s just one problem. Sam and the boys don’t remember anything before living in the lab—not even their true identities.
Now on the run, Anna soon discovers that she and Sam are connected in more ways than either of them expected. And if they’re both going to survive, they must piece together the clues of their past before the Branch catches up to them and steals it all away.

Release Date: January 1, 2013

Published By:  Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Review Copy: ARC, 323 pages

*Received through ARC swap

Review

  So my confession on this book is that I wanted it before I even red the description.  The guy on the cover was seriously calling to me.  Then I read the description and there was an undeniable burning desire to have this book in my possession.  What I didn't realize until I read it was the significance of the shadows of the tree until I read it.  Prior to reading it didn't make sense but once read it just wouldn't make sense not to have it on there.    Though I will admit it wasn't exactly what I expected, it undeniably pulled me in!!  There were twists galore and enough action and tension to keep me right attached to this one from start to finish.

  The boys made me want my own group of Sam, Cas, Nick and Trev.  Not just because they were seriously attractive but they each held their own unique attraction.  This is also a chunk of the appeal for the story.  Though the story is well written and easy to read through, it's the boys that make it.  One little detail didn't escape me though and even if I did see it coming I was still shocked that I was right.  Truth be told this little twist seriously disappointed me and I wished, wished that I had been wrong.  I'm not sure how many other people seen it coming but it could be easily lost within the other twists and stops that are pulled out as the story progresses.  With the boys being altered to be something more and not remembering anything prior to their time at the lab there is a lot to be discovered.

  I liked Anna for the most part.  She was so torn between what she was told was right and what she thought was right.  Totally get the problem, if you are raised one way but your conscience pulls you another way what way do you follow?  In the end I was glad it was her heart and conscience that pulled through but was there ever really any doubt with Sam dangling in the mix?  Not really but I did worry she was going to be stuck in the "Daddy's perfect Princess" role for awhile.  This girl also came to some harsh and sad realizations throughout the novel and I felt for her.  It's like being told your entire life the sky is green only to step outside and see it is really blue.  Her growth and determination did make her a worthy character in the end.

  There is much to be said about each of the boys so I will have to cut it short and give you the best of each one.  We will start with Sam.  He was the only one Anna hadn't really figured out but he was also the object of her affection. The only thing that was really clear with him was that he was the leader of the pack and truth be told I was not all that sold on him.  His tattoo kind of got me but the other guys held more of a draw when it came down to it.  Cas was kind of the class clown.  He was about making Anna smile and eating everything in site, though he never gains an ounce.  Oh ya he is one of those guys!  Trev was the one Anna felt closest to and I will admit I was a wee bit infatuated with him myself but that wore off as the book.  Nick is my crush.  Those of you that have read this book are going WTF.  I know he is a little moody and pessimistic but hey he has me hooked and I think that there is way more to him than what we saw.

  Biggest confusion for me came in the romance of this one.  Not that I didn't love the Anna/Sam thing but there was way more than sexual tension going on.  Sam made it out that he had used Anna where it seemed clear he felt for her but the confusing part came later.  As sad as it makes me I can't even share it with you because it will ruin the surprise but Sam loved someone else.  Who it was made it hard for me to get over the possibility of his feelings for Anna.  It just seemed so jaded after the big surprise and was kind of surprised that Anna didn't act differently after the news.  In fact when they found out there wasn't even any waves made, things between them just continued as if nothing had ever happened or been found out.

  From start to finish the action and non stop thrill of this book had me hooked.  There is absolutely no denying that I was addicted and wanted more and someone please tell me that there is more!  Jennifer Rush did a bang up job of creating believable characters that are easy to enjoy and even easier to fall in love with.  The constant twists and turns make every page, every chapter more exciting and more enticing.  There are so many ways that this could have gone but to me Mrs. Rush picked all the best ways.  Pick this one up when you are in the mood for something fast paced.

Quotes

For some reason everything I said and did around Sam felt weightier.  As if merely his presence could shake my soul, make me feel.  He savored every detail I gave him, as if I were his last link to the real world.  I guess in some ways I was.

On my way down to the lab, I grabbed the new tube of tennis balls I'd bought for Cas.  I swear that boy had ADD, though his unwavering attention when food was present indicated he had some focus skills.

It wasn't fair that he could look so good after going so long without a shower.  He just had that perfect kind of wavy, bordering-on-curly hair that looked presentably even when unwashed.  Silently I wondered if he was dying without his organic shampoo.  I hoped so.

"God.  You're so annoying!'  I said between bursts of laughter.
"But charming." He fell into step with me.  "Let it be known if you're ever in need of a good make-out session, I happen to be available Tuesday nights."

My hands walked up his biceps as his fingers threaded through my hair, sending ribbons of heat down my skull.  He pressed into me as if he couldn't get close enough, and I pressed back.  Because I wasn't close enough.  Because I had spent the last several years of my life wishing I could be closer.

**REVIEW** Meridian by Amber Kizer

Half-human, half-angel, Meridian Sozu has a dark responsibility.
Sixteen-year-old Meridian has been surrounded by death ever since she can remember. As a child, insects, mice, and salamanders would burrow into her bedclothes and die. At her elementary school, she was blamed for a classmate’s tragic accident. And on her sixteenth birthday, a car crashes in front of her family home—and Meridian’s body explodes in pain. 
Before she can fully recover, Meridian is told that she’s a danger to her family and hustled off to her great-aunt’s house in Revelation, Colorado. It’s there that she learns that she is a Fenestra—the half-angel, half-human link between the living and the dead. But Meridian and her sworn protector and love, Tens, face great danger from the Aternocti, a band of dark forces who capture vulnerable souls on the brink of death and cause chaos.

Release Date: August 11, 2009

Published By:  Delacorte Books for Young Readers

Review Copy: Hardcover, 320 pages

*purchased 

Review

  So this cover totally reminded me of Miranda from Ghost Whisperer for some reason.  So seeing I love the show I figured I would at least enjoy the book.  Yes I let my inner self decide to purchase a book based on its cover.  This is me are you really surprised?  What I did end up getting with this cover was a deliciously, addictive and smoothly written read.  Honestly I was sucked right into its unique story, fantastic characters and a wonderfully crafted world.

  The story as I said just a sentence ago is unique but it's unique in so many ways.  Yes I was hooked by the cover and was bound to buy this read but one word had me worried: Angel.  Though the fact that it mentions she has always been surrounded by death cancelled that out.  The girl has honestly always been surrounded by death, starting with ants when her parents brought her home.  This only got worse as she got older, the animals got larger and the more of an outcast Meridian became.  When she turns 16 everything changes and Meridian becomes a part of a world she never knew existed, the world that makes her feel more normal and like she belongs.

  There really isn't anything that I didn't like about Meridian.  She was dealt a kind of crappy hand but she deals with it.  Her entire life people (even her parents) looked at her strange and yet when her brother comes along she does nothing but try and make him feel normal, even when she realizes that he is normal she doesn't hold it against him but continues to love him.  When thrust into an unknown world with people she has never gotten more than a card and a quilt from, she adapts.  Well she asks a lot of questions that seem to go unanswered but she doesn't give up.  There were moments that she seemed to accept things a little too easily but really when things have died around you or come to you to die for 16 years I guess you have an open mind.

  Auntie and Tens were also essential to this story.  Auntie because she is a  Fenestra herself and only has so much time to teach Meridian the things she needs to know to protect herself and help others.  She also explains that they are simply a window for the dead, a way for them to move on past this life.  When you meet Auntie you meet Tens and well I kind of fell a little for him.  Tens role isn't given up right away.  Actually it's awhile before it is really outlined but you get a vibe, a feel for who he is and who is supposed to be in the story.  Tens seems to dislike Meridian for whatever reason for awhile but he does what he is told by Auntie and helps Meridian to learn. 

  The one and only thing that ate away at me a little was the neat way people appeared when they were needed without a real reason.  Very small thing but it bugged at me and really it was closer to the end and it  took me a moment to clue into who the people really were.  Rather than this one minor thing I really enjoyed every moment.  I loved the growth of the characters, the way the world was built and the reasons behind everything.  This was a good start to a series and I look forward to reading more of  Amber Kizer's smooth and exciting writing.

Quotes

"I don't mean I'm gorgeous, but you avoid me.  It's not contagious."  I stopped, temporarily flummoxed by the idea.  "Oh my God, is it contagious?"  The shock in my voice must have distressed Tens, because he came and sat next to me.

If this was my first dead person, it was also my first corpse by a Christmas tree.  The tree sparkled with lights, and candy canes hung from every branch. There was a scent in the air I couldn't place, and I wondered if the dead smelled that quickly.

"What's God-fearing look like?" I asked Tens."Probably not SpongeBob," he answered with a smile and a nod at my pj's before grabbing an apple and leaving the kitchen.

"I know how to shoot.  I've hunted for years.  A gun is more efficient than a bow and arrow, especially when you're hungry.  Would I pull the trigger to protect you?  Absolutely.  Would I let you pull the trigger to protect me? Hell, yes...."