Cover Reveal: Wait For You by J. Lynn

Holy daimon babies today I have the privilege of doing a cover reveal for one of my favourite authors, and one of the books I've REALLY been looking forward to this year:

WAIT FOR YOU by the amazing Jennifer L. Armentrout (writing as J. Lynn)

If you guys don't already know, I'm like obsessed with JLA's stuff, especially the Covenant series. I have the biggest crush on Aiden St Delphi and Deity (Covenant #3) was one of my 3 favourite books of 2012.

This is actually my first ever cover reveal for my blog so I'm super excited that I get to do one for a book I've been so eagerly anticipating!!!

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What do early readers have to say about WAIT FOR YOU? 

“J. Lynn creates a wonderful cast of characters that will make you laugh, swoon, and cry. Cam stole my heart.” – Cora Carmack, NYTimes and USA TODAY Bestselling Author of LOSING IT 

“For the love of all that is Cameron without a shirt on! Wait for You will have you laughing out loud, fanning yourself and anxiously waiting to know what will happen next.” – Molly McAdams, NYTimes and USA TODAY Bestselling Author of FROM ASHES and TAKING CHANCES

“I don't think I have ever read a NA Contemporary novel with as much depth as this one. It really moved me and by the end I was just speechless over how inspirational and uplifting it was as well as being sexy and cute and funny and emotional.” - K Books 

“Wait For You is uniquely different from anything else J. Lynn's written but it might possibly be her best work yet.” – Jenuine Cupcakes 

“For all of you in love with Aiden and Daemon, PREPARE YOURSELVES! Your heart will have to expand a little more for Cam.” Total Bookaholic 

“For the love of all things CAM, this book deserves more than 5 stars.” – Mundie Moms

“I cannot even begin to explain how much I adored this perfectly crafted contemporary.” – Shortie Says

Excited? Ready to see the cover for WAIT FOR YOU?

ERMAGHERD IT'S SO HOT. I LOVE I LOVE <3

Synopsis:

"Some things are worth waiting for…

Traveling thousands of miles from home to enter college is the only way nineteen-year-old Avery Morgansten can escape what happened at the Halloween party five years ago—an event that forever changed her life. All she needs to do is make it to her classes on time, make sure the bracelet on her left wrist stays in place, not draw any attention to herself, and maybe—please God—make a few friends, because surely that would be a nice change of pace. The one thing she didn’t need and never planned on was capturing the attention of the one guy who could shatter the precarious future she’s building for herself.

Some things are worth experiencing… 

Cameron Hamilton is six feet and three inches of swoon-worthy hotness, complete with a pair of striking blue eyes and a remarkable ability to make her want things she believed were irrevocably stolen from her. She knows she needs to stay away from him, but Cam is freaking everywhere, with his charm, his witty banter, and that damn dimple that’s just so… so lickable. Getting involved with him is dangerous, but when ignoring the simmering tension that sparks whenever they are around each other becomes impossible, he brings out a side of her she never knew existed.

Some things should never be kept quiet… 

But when Avery starts receiving threatening emails and phone calls forcing her to face a past she wants silenced, she’s has no other choice but to acknowledge that someone is refusing to allow her to let go of that night when everything changed. When the devastating truth comes out, will she resurface this time with one less scar? And can Cam be there to help her or will he be dragged down with her?

And some things are worth fighting for…"

Gah how smoking HOT is that cover?! UNF! And I absolutely love that synopsis. J's already posted her ideal Cam and WOAH *swoons* that's how I'll picture him in the future (check out her website for said hottie :P).

Wait for You released early, so what are y'all waiting for? GET TO IT!

WAIT FOR YOU is available now!

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

About J. Lynn/Jennifer L. Armentrout

 

J. Lynn, also known as Jennifer L. Armentrout, is the USA TODAY Bestselling author of the adult romance Gamble Brothers’ series, the young adult Lux Series and award winning Covenant Series. She pretty much writes everything—contemporary, paranormal, and fantasy. All of her books have one thing in common no matter the name or genre: kissing… and stuff. When she’s not busy writing, which is never, she’s usually hanging out with dog Loki, watching reruns of The Walking Dead, or procrastinating on the Internet. You can find out more about Jennifer by visiting the following websites:


Twitter: https://twitter.com/JLArmentrout

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/JenniferLArmentrout

Website: http://www.jenniferarmentrout.com/

Stacking the Shelves #6

Stacking the Shelves is hosted by Tynga’s Reviews and every week bloggers post about books they’ve added to their bookshelves! This includes books bought through a physical store, online store, eBooks, books borrowed from the library/a friend and gifts.

Just a small haul this week as I'm expecting stuff in the mail next week or the week after :P

From NetGalley:

 

• Losing It (Losing It #1) by Cora Carmack (Contemporary/New Adult) - I have been hearing SO MUCH about Losing It and I was so sad when it was released in the US as ebook only. So when I saw this on NetGalley I HAD to request it :D I gave it 4/5, was an extremely enjoyable read. My review for it will be up soon in accordance with the paperback release date!
• The Rules (Project Paper Doll #1) by Stacey Kade (Sci-fi) - the concept of this seemed interesting and I'm trying to read more dystopians along with contemporaries this year.

Thanks to Random House UK/Ebury Publishing and Disney-Hyperion for these galleys!

I also FINALLY did my review of Something Like Normal by Trish Doller :)

And that's it for this week. 

On another note, yesterday I literally stacked my shelves - I rearranged my whole bookshelf so it finally looks halfway decent :P

I seriously need a new bookshelf (or two) as it's overflowing - I've lent out about 8 books that belong on that top shelf which is why there's space there lol.

Harlequin Summit is this coming Wednesday and I can't wait to meet all the Aussie book bloggers :)

What did you guys receive this week?

Review: Something Like Normal by Trish Doller

Date Read: January 28 2013

Release Date: June 19^th 2012

Publisher: Bloomsbury

Source: Bought

Genre: Contemporary

My rating: 

Synopsis:
“When Travis returns home from a stint in Afghanistan, his parents are splitting up, his brother’s stolen his girlfriend and his car, and he’s haunted by nightmares of his best friend’s death. It’s not until Travis runs into Harper, a girl he’s had a rocky relationship with since middle school, that life actually starts looking up. And as he and Harper see more of each other, he begins to pick his way through the minefield of family problems and post-traumatic stress to the possibility of a life that might resemble normal again. Travis’s dry sense of humor, and incredible sense of honor, make him an irresistible and eminently lovable hero.”

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“But my imagination wraps itself in this quilt of horror whenever I sleep.”

It’s not often that I read books from a male perspective. Maybe I’m not reading enough books but I think most first person young adult novels are from a female’s point of view? The only first person male POV YA’s I’ve read are Point of Retreat by Colleen Hoover and Julie Kagawa’s The Iron Knight. Those two were essentially from a series that were originally from a female POV too. Thus I was really interested in Something Like Normal as it’s told completely from 19-year-old Travis’ point of view. The challenge for writing from the POV of a guy is not being overly emotional yet at the same time displaying just enough feelings to show what they’re really experiencing deep inside. And Trish pulled that off extremely well!

Travis comes home after a year in Afghanistan to find that his life as he knew it, no longer exists. His family is falling apart, his brother stole his car and girlfriend (actually Paige, that skank is no real loss in my opinion), and friends just aren’t the same after a year away at war seeing things only a soldier does.

“He’s enveloped in a cloud of dust. The bomb, hidden in the case of a tree, sprays him with shrapnel.”

At first I wasn’t sure I liked Travis’ voice. His feelings seemed rather detached at first but then I realised he just wasn’t emotional (unlike me and my feels LOL) and he had other things to deal with. I eventually fell in love with how real Travis’ voice was. Trish doesn’t hold back on the military talk or the military experience for that matter. Through Travis’ nightmares, we see the traumatic experience he had in watching his best friend die and the repercussions this has on him psychologically. The memories and descriptions were so raw and unflinching they brought tears to my eyes.

“The world seems to slow around me. I can hear my friends laughing and talking, but I don’t know what they’re saying, and the only thing in focus is that man. The side of his turban is ripped open, the side of his exposed head caked with blood.”

As a person, I thought Travis was a bit of a, and excuse my language, dick. However, I loved how he didn’t make excuses for his actions. He’s messed up and he needed outlets and he made mistakes. But he wasn’t a bad person – deep down he needed to get away from the stifling town and expectations of his father and he just couldn’t catch a break no matter where he went.

Then along comes Harper. I’m sort of meh about her. She was funny and something different (normal?) in Travis’ world where the only thing he looked forward to, was being deployed again. Harper was definitely sweet but from Travis’ POV I thought the romance was a bit flat at times. It sort of just happened and lacked the intensity I was after. But still, there were moments of passion and I liked their relationship – Harper was what Travis needed.

“She shivers in a way that has nothing to do with the temperature, and it pleases me in a way I can’t even explain.”

I thought the pace was perfect. Full of impact yet still managing to be mellow with the events occurring throughout the book, Travis’ challenge of facing his demons was very realistic! Written extremely well, this was such an enjoyable take on the contemporary genre. I laughed, teared up, and smiled at this bittersweet slice of life.

 “I don’t know if my life will ever be completely normal again, but something like normal is a good start.”

Stacking the Shelves #5

Stacking the Shelves is hosted by Tynga’s Reviews and every week bloggers post about books they’ve added to their bookshelves! This includes books bought through a physical store, online store, eBooks, books borrowed from the library/a friend and gifts.

My Internet finally got fixed yay! This weeks's STS is a combination of last week's + this week's haul since my Internet last week was abysmal. So it's a BIG one :)

I also just got back from a weekend away with 19 other friends in the Blue Mountains :) we rented this gorgeous house and chilled in it for the weekend. It was a great way to relax, chat to some people I'd never really got to known (we all belong to the same society in uni but as I'm a 3rd year uni student, there were some 2nd years I wasn't close to) and catch up with those I did know. 2.5 days filled with table tennis, mah jong, poker and drinking! Twas awesome :D

For the week ending 10th February (last week) my bank account gave to me:

• Someone Else's Life by Katie Dale (Contemporary) - looked interesting so I decided to buy it and see how it is. I'm halfway through it at the moment and it's quite decent.
• Opal (Lux #3) by Jennifer L. Armentrout (Paranormal) - I've actually already read this. I bought the ebook when I realised my bookstore wouldn't be getting it in as the copy I ordered was having shipment issues from the USA. Since I'm so impatient I just read the ebook first and decided to buy the physical copy later (much later lol). My review of Opal can be found here

And this week I got a TONNE of books:

• The Indigo Spell (Bloodlines #3) by Richelle Mead (Paranormal) - WOOT got the physical copy on the day of it's release. What an amazing book :D A part of me wishes I'd read the physical copy first because it feels so good to hold it while another part of me is so happy I was approved for the NG and got to read it before heaps of other people. Anyway my review for TIS is here
• Blood-Kissed Sky (Darkness Before Dawn Trilogy #2) by J.A. London (Paranormal) - I quite enjoyed Darkness Before Dawn (book 1) and have been looking for BKS for AGES so when I finally found it: MUST GET!
• The Goddess Test (The Goddess Test #1) by Aimee Carter (Paranormal/Fantasy) - I'd been meaning to read this for so long but all the mixed reviews had me hesitant. Then the beautiful Shirley @ Shiirleyy's Bookshelf sent a copy to me as a gift <3 THANK YOU SHIRLEY <33333333
• Flawed by Kate Avelynn (Contemporary/New Adult) - I have heard STARK RAVING MAD reviews about this book since it was released as an ARC all the way to it's official release. I've been after the physical copy since I first heard about it so this was another must get!
• Deity (Covenant #3) by Jennifer L. Armentrout (Fantasy) - Oh my sweet GOODNESS. FINALLY. I'd ordered this in from my bookstore a whole month prior to the release in November 2012 but they kept having issues with their shipment. I eventually got the ebook and read and finished it. So now I finally got the physical copy. I haven't written my review of it yet because I wanted the physical copy before I did so :P (also gives me an excuse to re-read it, I'VE RE-READ CHAPTER 22 COUNTLESS TIMES <3)
• Legend (Legend #1) and Prodigy (Legend #2) by Marie Lu (Dystopian) - heard awesome things about this 2012 debut and been meaning to check it out for ages. I sort of regret not getting the hardbacks as I've seen how beautiful they look on the inside.
• The Edge of Never (The Edge of Never #1) by J.A. Redmerski (Contemporary/New Adult) - I just found that this is a series when I looked it up on GR to link here o-o... got recommended this book and got the ebook but it was way too long to read on my iPad mini so I got the physical copy. I've heard amazing things about this too!
• Unravel Me (Shatter Me #2) by Tahereh Mafi (Dystopian/Sci-Fi) - sodjfl;okfjnbdkfjao;fnslfsdlfnskdlfsd OH MY FREAKING GOD I FINALLY HAVE IT. ERMAGHERD!!!
• The Duke and I (Bridgertons #1) by Julia Quinn (Adult Romance) - heard great things about this series so I bought it to see if I can handle the adult romance genre lol.
• The Summer I Turned Pretty (Summer #1) by Jenny Han (Contemporary) - Lisa @ Badass Bookie recommended this to me and so many other book bloggers say the Summer series is absolute love.
• Splintered by A.G. Howard (Paranormal/Fantasy) - been seeing this around and I wanted to check out a fairytale retelling. Also saw a lot of hype around it's release. ANDDDD IT'S SO GORGEOUS. The jacket is beautiful, the actual book without the jacket is lovely... AND THE INSIDE IS SO PRETTY; THE WRITING IS PURPLE AND EACH CHAPTER TITLE THING HAS ALL THESE FLOWERS. Even if I don't like it, I'd be happy to just look and touch it @_@
• Angel (Angel #1) by L.A. Weatherly (Paranormal) - not pictured coz I forgot I received this too. Been telling myself to read this for ages so I finally bought it.

Lotsa books <3 what did you receive this week?

Review: Boundless (Unearthly #3) by Cynthia Hand

Date Read: January 29 – 30 2013

Release Date: February 1^st 2013

Publisher: HarperCollins Australia

Source: Bought

Genre: Paranormal

My rating:  (Not enough stars)

Synopsis:
“The past few years held more surprises than part-angel Clara Gardner ever could have anticipated. Yet through the dizzying high of first love to the agonizing low of losing someone close to her, the one thing she could no longer deny was that she was never meant to have a normal life.

Since discovering the special role she plays among the other angel-bloods, Clara has been determined to protect Tucker Avery from the evil that follows her . . . even if it means breaking both their hearts. Leaving town seemed like the best option, so she’s headed back to California—and so is Christian Prescott, the irresistible boy from the vision that started her on this journey in the first place.

As Clara makes her way in a world that is frighteningly new, she discovers that the fallen angel who attacked her is watching her every move. And he’s not the only one. . . . With the battle against the Black Wings looming, Clara knows she must finally fulfil her destiny. But it won’t come without sacrifices and betrayal.

In the riveting finale of the Unearthly series, Clara must choose her fate once and for all.”

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“… How much I think about him, how I dream about him, how even after all this time apart my heart still aches to see him, touch him, hear his voice.”

One of the most epic finales I’ve ever read, this is one ending I’ll never forget. The feels? Ohgod ALL OF THEM. I legit UGLY cried at one point in the novel – the kind where I was sobbing so loudly, soaking my pillows and my face was all splotchy and scrunched up and my chest was heaving from the pain of it all… I felt so much love, heartbreak, happiness, sadness, hope and despair my emotions were just all over the place. But what makes a really good series final is that feeling of completeness and satisfaction you get that it’s over – the bittersweet aftertaste once you reach the last page and also the whole world of possibilities that the author has left open for the characters too. I felt all of that with Boundless!

I can’t get over how amazing Cynthia’s writing is. If possible it’s improved even more since Unearthly and Hallowed. Her writing just has this way of sucking you in… into her abyss of beautiful words and descriptions. Everything was just phrased so eloquently I felt like I was reading poetry. When an author can SHOW rather than tell, it makes the whole reading experience so much more enjoyable. I get so frustrated with writing that gives me information dumps.

“It smells so good here, like wet cement and fresh-cut grass, the aroma of bacon and pancakes wafting between the homes, garden roses and magnolia trees, the smells of my life before.”

The plot was an interesting one and I was intrigued with how Cynthia would tie in the Black Wings, Clara’s purpose and this ‘battle’ with said dark angels. A battle definitely ensued and I really liked the way it played out over the course of the book. It wasn’t a huge climax but rather everything built up and unravelled slowly but with so much power. I think Cynthia handled the extent of Clara’s abilities and fit those with what she was faced with in a very reasonable manner. Despite being what she is, Clara is only 18 and can only do so much and I liked how she didn’t suddenly have the powers of the archangels; her powers took time to hone and they were believable!

I enjoyed reading about most of the supporting characters here like Angela who I saw a different side to, and I really liked getting to knowing Michael more. I was a bit disappointed with Phen though. He was shrouded in mystery and when I finally met him it felt so anticlimactic. He was introduced as another angel with not much background and I thought it was a bit rushed and too vague. But my favourite supporting character had to be Samjeeza! His profile had been built up over the past books and there was obviously history between him and Maggie, but their story is finally revealed in Boundless and I revelled in it! Such a bittersweet tale, I could really feel Samjeeza’s sorrow.

“Samjeeza flinches. It is more than he expected. I feel him start to tremble under my hand.”

Although Maggie was essentially a supporting character in Unearthly and Hallowed, she makes another appearance in Boundless. I think it’s amazing how her presence managed to emanate throughout Boundless despite her physical absence. Wendy @ The Midnight Garden in her review of Boundless comments “I've also rarely seen parental love depicted in such a warm and loving way” and I couldn’t have phrased that better which is why I quoted her. Clara and Maggie’s relationship is one full of so much love and support, but in Boundless it’s not just Maggie giving Clara advice as the mother – there’s daughter to mother wisdom too! That kind of bond is so beautiful and timeless I wanted to grab a piece for myself.

“We think of happiness as something we can take. But usually it comes from being content with what we have, and accepting ourselves.”

Clara has grown so much since Unearthly. When I first met her, I thought she was slightly whiny but this understandable, faced with a purpose and no idea how to achieve it. Not only is she stronger physically in Boundless, but she’s stronger mentally and emotionally. There’s a newfound confidence to her in the way she goes about things. She’s sure of herself and her decisions – they may not always be the best but she knows what she wants. I loved that take-charge fire to her attitude! We also see a lot more of Christian in Boundless and he really grew on me – I’d already decided that I didn’t care who Clara ended up with but I ended up having a soft spot for Christian regardless. He was so supportive and just this constant in Clara’s life – the stability she needed amongst all the angel madness (the irony I know as he’s part of it too but he understood her in a way that no one else could when she was alone).

“He’s waiting. He’s still waiting. He’s given up everything for me. His entire life. His future. Everything, because he wants to keep me safe.”

So this begs the question: Tucker Avery or Christian Prescott? GAH I don’t even know how I’m going to write out this paragraph. The romance was SUBLIME. Heart-wrenching, heart-breaking, heart-SHATTERING. Beautiful, bittersweet, hopeless, hopeful and in the end just so full of love no matter what happened I was left breathless. One loves her from a distance but she can’t have him – or can she? One is right in front of her but she doesn’t have feelings for him – or does she? I was knocked around by these two amazing boys so many times I nearly forgot my bias by the end. The romance was essentially what made me ugly cry haha. And god was it written in the most stunning way. No amount of adjectives will explain my feels. I HOPE YOU GUYS ARE AS HAPPY WITH WHO SHE ENDS UP WITH AS I WAS!

“I give him my whole heart through my lips. I love him. I open up my mind and show him how much I love him.”

I really felt the integrity of the trilogy when I got to the end. Cynthia maintained a cyclic structure that came full circle by the last page and this style gave it such a completed feel I really knew I’d reached the end of Clara’s story.  And yet I still knew that even though one part of Clara’s life had been completed, there was a lot more waiting for her in the future – that her purpose was not yet over.

“My home is you.”

Waiting on Wednesday #3

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly blog occurrence hosted by Breaking the Spine and showcases anticipated releases.

I actually haven't done WoW in a while as I've been swamped with work and Internet problems (it's FINALLY getting fixed this weekend!!!)

But with the ARCs for this upcoming book having gone out, the blog tour stops announced and book 3 of the series being one of my top 2 favourite books of 2012, I thought I HAD to do a WoW for...

Apollyon (Covenant #4) by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Release Date: April 9th 2013
Publisher: Spencer Hill Press

Goodreads synopsis: "Fate isn’t something to mess with… and now, neither is Alex.
Alex has always feared two things: losing herself in the Awakening and being placed on the Elixir. But love has always been stronger than Fate, and Aiden St. Delphi is willing to make war on the gods—and Alex herself—to bring her back.

The gods have killed thousands and could destroy entire cities in their quest to stop Seth from taking Alex’s power and becoming the all-powerful God Killer. But breaking Alex’s connection to Seth isn’t the only problem. There are a few pesky little loopholes in the whole “an Apollyon can’t be killed” theory, and the only person who might know how to stop the destruction has been dead for centuries.

Finding their way past the barriers that guard the Underworld, searching for one soul among countless millions, and then somehow returning will be hard enough. Alex might be able to keep Seth from becoming the God Killer… or she might become the God Killer herself."

I was also re-reading chapter 22 of Deity (YES IT'S MY FAVOURITE CHAPTER, IF YOU'VE READ IT YOU KNOW WHY) last night and UNFFFFFF Aiden St. Delphi <3 if you haven't checked out the Covenant series yet... WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR? 

Celebrating 1 Month of Blogging Giveaway

Celebrating my first month of blogging with an author interview + GIVEAWAY (OPEN INTERNATIONALLY)

I can't believe it's already been one month since I officially made this a book blog and gained my first follower!

A Little History
You'll notice that my archive actually begins in 2008 - until the end of 2012, all the posts are actually from my personal blog which I've exported and imported around. I've changed blog providers a bunch of times. Since those blog posts hold a lot of memories and personal growth for me I didn't want to delete them. Posting reviews to my blog started end of 2012 but actual "official" book blogging was January 12th :D

A special thanks goes out to Saz @ Saz101 for promoting my blog and Shirley @ Shiirleyy's Bookshelf  for being my first follower <3 without your help, encouragement and support I would have never had the confidence and energy to kick this blog off! SO THANK YOU GUYS SO MUCH <3 Seriously I feel so blessed to have been welcomes like that into the book blogging community.

In just a few short weeks I've participated in quite a few memes (Stacking the Shelves @ Tynga's Reviews, Waiting on Wednesday @ Breaking the Spine and Feature & Follow Hop @ Parajunkee and Alison Can Read) which have also really helped me gain followers and introduced me to many awesome blogs!

So as a huge thank you to all my followers and readers I'm hosting my FIRST EVER GIVEAWAY *throws confetti*

One of my favourite authors and the first author to follow me on Twitter, Rachel Harris, 2012 debut author of My Super Sweet Sixteenth Century, has so kindly agreed to help me with my giveaway!

About Rachel Harris
"As a teen, Rachel Harris threw raging parties that shook her parents’ walls and created embarrassing fodder for future YA novels.

As an adult, she reads and writes obsessively, rehashes said embarrassing fodder, and dreams up characters who become her own grown up version of imaginary friends.

When she's not typing furiously or flipping pages in an enthralling romance, you can find her homeschooling her two beautiful princesses, hanging out with her amazing husband, or taking a hot bubble bath…next to a pile of chocolate.

MY SUPER SWEET SIXTEENTH CENTURY is her debut novel. She didhave her own fantabulous Sweet Sixteen in high school. Sadly, it wasn't televised."

Goodreads synopsis of MSSSC: "On the precipice of her sixteenth birthday, the last thing lone wolf Cat Crawford wants is an extravagant gala thrown by her bubbly stepmother-to-be and well-meaning father. So even though Cat knows the family’s trip to Florence, Italy, is a peace offering, she embraces the magical city and all it offers. But when her curiosity leads her to an unusual gypsy tent, she exits . . . right into Renaissance Firenze.
Thrust into the sixteenth century armed with only a backpack full of contraband future items, Cat joins up with her ancestors, the sweet Alessandra and protective Cipriano, and soon falls for the gorgeous aspiring artist Lorenzo. But when the much-older Niccolo starts sniffing around, Cat realizes that an unwanted birthday party is nothing compared to an unwanted suitor full of creeptastic amore.

Can she find her way back to modern times before her Italian adventure turns into an Italian forever?"

I was also able to get Rachel to do my first ever author interview!

Author Interview

Art plays a big part in MSSSC, do you have a favourite artist or artistic movement?

I’m a big appreciator of art. Personally, I can’t draw a straight line to save my life, much less anything more artistic than that, but I appreciate and love people who can!

Art appreciation is actually one of my favorite subjects to teach my girls in our homeshool because we just get out huge books filled with the artwork of the masters and simply talk about it. How it makes us feel, why we think they focused on that particular aspect or used those colors. I love the art of the Renaissance—it’s one of my favorite things about that time, and it’s why I featured it so much in the book—but I also love Mary Cassatt and Claude Monet.

I see that Cat is quite into fashion and even in Renaissance Italy she got a wide variety of pretty dresses; what other time periods had clothing that appeals to you?

In reading, I love losing myself in the clothing descriptions in a good Regency novel. But I also love looking over how fashion changed just in the twentieth century. Each decade had its own unique vision and style. I’ve drawn to fashion imagery of the 1920’s and 1950s in particular. And, come on, the 1980s and early 90s? It may not go down as style that should ever be repeated—my personal pictures from that time are downright scary—but it was certainly fun ;)

Do we hear word of Lorenzo in A Tale of Two Centuries? And if not, can you tell us if he lived a long and happy life?

Hmm, what can I say that won’t be spoilerific? You do see Lorenzo on the page, and you do learn a little more about him and his life, yes. (He he)

Cat takes a photo with Alessandra back in Renaissance Italy. Does it exist in the present?

Yes it does. This actually comes up in book two, but I wrote that into My Super Sweet Sixteenth Century because I wanted readers to know Cat was able to take some of her experience back home with her. Since she loves photography, it would be important for her.

Even though Niccolo is an "unwanted suitor" and he's creepy, does he have genuine feelings for Cat?

Here’s an insider secret: In the first draft of the book, he wasn’t creepy.

~shocker~

I thought it would be interesting just to have him be older, but to have the tension be from how much things have changed since then, and for Cat to be forced into a situation with a much older but pretty decent guy in the midst of relationship expectations that are so different from her own time.

But when I went back through during editing, I decided to have more fun with it. So, to answer your question, original Niccolo, yes. The new version, I’m still deciding (snickers). Actually, my daughter wants me to write another book from Niccolo’s perspective!

---

Thank you Rachel for your awesome answers and time <3

You can read my (gushing) review of My Super Sweet Sixteenth Century here.

Now onto the giveaway!

I will gift the winner:

• A copy of Rachel's My Super Sweet Sixteenth Century - as long as the Book Depository ships to your country (check here) 

but that's not all... Rachel will also be sending the winner

• Signed bookplate for My Super Sweet Sixteenth Century
• Signed bookmarks AND
• My Super Sweet Sixteenth Century trading cards

Eeeep thanks to Rachel for all this swag, you're so awesome!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review: Fallen Too Far (Fallen Too Far #1) by Abbi Glines

Date Read: December 27 - 30 2012

Release Date: December 14th 2012

Publisher: Self-published

Source: Bought

Genre: Contemporary

My rating: 

Synopsis: 
"To want what you’re not supposed to have…

She is only nineteen.

She is his new stepfather’s daughter.

She is still naïve and innocent due to spending the last three years taking care of her sick mother.

But for twenty-four year old Rush Finlay, she is the only thing that has ever been off limits. His famous father’s guilt money, his mother’s desperation to win his love, and his charm are the three reasons he has never been told no.

Blaire Wynn left her small farmhouse in Alabama, after her mother passed away, to move in with her father and his new wife in their sprawling beach house along the Florida gulf coast. She isn’t prepared for the lifestyle change and she knows she’ll never fit into this world. Then there is her sexy stepbrother who her father leaves her with for the summer while he runs off to Paris with his wife. Rush is as spoiled as he is gorgeous. He is also getting under her skin. She knows he is anything but good for her and that he’ll never be faithful to anyone. He is jaded and has secrets Blaire knows she may never uncover but even knowing all of that…

Blaire just may have fallen too far."

---

"I had fallen too far."

Having previously read Abbi's other books I wasn't sure I'd like Fallen Too Far. I gave Breathe (Sea Breeze #1) 3 stars, Just For Now (Sea Breeze #4) and The Vincent Boys 4 stars each. They were generally enjoyable but I found that each was very predictable: innocent good girl falls for the bad boy but because of reasons they can't be together, the reason gets resolved and it's happily ever after.

While reminiscent of the good-girl-falls-for-bad-boy plot, Fallen Too Far was anything but predictable.

One of the reasons I gave Breathe a lower rating was due to the poor writing. I found that Abbi's sentences were too short and simplistic. But woah has she improved! Although I still found many sentences to be too short, there was a depth to them that I found lacking in her earlier works. That was a huge factor in making me like the book more and I finished it much faster as I wasn't frustrated with the writing.

Of course we still have innocent, good girl Blaire who falls for the bad boy, Rush, but seriously who won't fall for this silver eyed wonder? He's insanely hot with his toned body, messy hair and tattoos. Oh and he's a sex god.

"Those eyes of his were incredible. The thick black lashes that framed them almost looked like eyeliner."

"Sweet" Blaire isn't actually all that innocent - "I can handle a gun. Very well." - with the way she confidently points her gun *grins* What I liked about Blaire was that she only turned to Rush as a last resort - left homeless after selling the house to pay for her late mother's medical bills, Blaire is pretty much self-sufficient and doesn't like people doing things for her. I  could really relate to her independence.

Kudos to Abbi for no insta-love! In fact it was more like insta-aversion which I loved. It just added more fuel to the fire hehe. But ohmygoodness there was so much sexual tension between Blaire and Rush!!! Abbi never disappoints with her steamy scenes and the amount of times I blushed and went O_O was too many to count.

"His tongue came out and took a quick swipe at the tender skin on my neck then he trailed kisses along my jawline until his mouth hovered over mine."

"Rush slipped his hand down to caress my knee and then ran it up the inside of my thigh."

And guiiiiseee? That's the more innocent stuff LOL.

What made Fallen Too Far so damn amazing was that it wasn't just Blaire and Rush being attracted to each other and that they eventually get over their differences and ride off into the sunset. No. From the very beginning Rush established that he has dark secrets that could ruin Blaire. And every time either of them get too close, this secret looms above them. It was so bloody suspenseful but the pace was so perfect that not once did I get impatient and flick to the end. Rather, every page just added to the anticipation and dread of what the secret could be. The best thing? YOU WILL NEVER GUESS WHAT IT IS!!! The plot twist was simply brilliant. I never suspected what it was, and it was done in a way that was so plausible I couldn't find any plot holes. It's mind blowing yet I was like "oh my god that makes perfect sense". Well played Abbi, well played.

That plot twist ripped me apart, and I seriously felt ALLLLLL the feels. Get your tissues ready!

"Everyone always said that love was enough. It wasn't. Not when your soul was shattered"

Stacking the Shelves #4

Stacking the Shelves is hosted by Tynga’s Reviews and every week bloggers post about books they’ve added to their bookshelves! This includes books bought through a physical store, online store, eBooks, books borrowed from the library/a friend and gifts.

Gah my Internet went down on Friday due to severe rain and thunderstorms in Sydney L I called up my ISP today and they said it wouldn’t be back up till tomorrow so I’ve had limited/no access to the Internet all weekend. I’ve been relying on tethering my phone which only has 250MB of data LOL. So other than my Indigo Spell review, I haven’t been able to post this week sorry (except for this STS which I’m using my phone data for).

On a side note I went to see Swedish House Mafia’s (they’re 3 house music DJs) Sydney leg of their One Last Tour at Sydney Showground last night… and let me say it was ONE OF THE BEST NIGHTS OF MY LIFE! Such an amazing rave with all their awesomest songs – they opened with Greyhound (my favourite song by them) and closed with a mashup remix of Save the World and Don’t You Worry Child. It’s so sad that it was the last time I’d ever see them perform as 3, and yet I was so thrilled I got to be there to experience it.

Anyway…

For the week ending 3^rd February 2013 my bank account gave to me:

• Boundless (Unearthly #3) by Cynthia Hand (Paranormal) – the epic finale to the Unearthly trilogy! I was lucky enough that the bookstore I preordered from got it in on Tuesday, 3 days before the Aussie release. I finished it in 1 sitting (I was so dead for work the next day LOL) and it was one of THE best series finales EVER! Review for it will be up soon I promise (granted my Internet is back up!)
• Unravelling (Unravelling #1) by Elizabeth Norris (Paranormal/Sci-Fi) – so I was a little shocked myself that I hadn’t heard of this until @runswithundead told me and showed me the UK cover of the sequel (it’s so gorgeous ermagherd). This was really amazing, the concept was so original and the writing was stellar! I loved the characters and the plot was so thrilling and full of suspense. I may or may not do a review of this.

E-books:

 

• Daimon (Covenant # 0.5) by Jennifer L. Armentrout (Paranormal/Fantasy) – the prequel to Half-Blood! Covenant is one of my favourite series :D I actually like it more than Lux
• Falling in Between (Falling #1) by Devon Ashley (Paranormal) – I’ve really wanted to read Devon’s books as she’s a blogger turned author

I also received these NetGalleys:

 

• The Sweetest Dark by Shana Abé (Paranormal) – I thought the plot looked interesting :D
• The Sea of Tranquillity by Katja Millay (Contemporary) – Shiirleyy’s Bookshelf did an amazing review of this and it looks really good

Thanks to Random House and Atria Books for these eGalleys <3