Come to the Fair!

You're invited to the fair!

Alluring Reads is a proud sponsor of The Midsummer Dream Fair hosted by author J.L. Bryan, a June event that will bring together some of the top indie authors for a fairy-tale carnival full of books, fantastical creatures, prizes, and snacks! See the tour schedule here!

Feature & Follow (13)

It's almost Friday! You know what that means, it's blog hop time!!!

You are a matchmaker - your goal, hook up two characters from two of your favourite books. Who would it be? How do you think it would go?

If I was to do this I would probably take the opportunity to teach Edward Cullen a lesson.  I would fix him up with Allison Sekemoto from The Immortal Rules.  She was a kick ass character who could hold her own and I would like to watch her put Edward in his place. 

So who would your match be? Link me up!

Spellbound Trilogy Blog Tour Stop

Today I have Nikki Jefford, author of the Spellbound trilogy stopping by the blog as part of her Spellbound Trilogy Blog Tour. Nikki has written up a guest post and included a little excerpt for your reading pleasure.  There will also be an opportunity to enter her great Spellbound themed giveaway at the end so make sure you check that out!

Gray vs. Lee

What’s worse than dealing with an evil twin? A duplicate of yourself, especially when your copy wants the same things as you– including your boyfriend.

Last year, as I began jotting down notes for Spellbound 2: Duplicity, it quickly became clear that throwing two Gray’s together was going to be a hoot. Although they’re the same person, they have separate issues and as the story progressed they became their own unique identities. Halfway through I honestly didn’t know who to root for.

Gray the first now resides in the body of McKinley High’s former socialite Stacey Lee Morehouse. She’s had to adjust to a new body and living with an overly protective father – a man who isn’t her father at all!

Gray the second enters the scene on the anniversary of her death (ten months later). She’s once again stuck in Charlene’s body and returns home to find her mom dating Mr. Morehouse and “Lee” dating Raj. Talk about feeling like the fifth wheel!

Here’s a brief interaction between the two Grays:

Lee’s fashion scan of her double was abruptly interrupted by Mom and Mr. Morehouse’s lip smack. Mr. Morehouse leaned back and grinned. When he noticed the girls staring he cleared his throat. “Uh, Stace, why don’t you show Charlene your room?”

As though she were a twelve-year-old, Lee grumbled to herself. “That’s okay. Raj will be here soon. We can wait in the living room.”

“I’d love to see your room… Stace,” Gray said with a glint in her eye.

Lee pasted a smile over her frown. “Of course,” she sang out. “Please, follow me… Charlene.”

Mom frowned, but Mr. Morehouse was already ushering her into the kitchen with an offer of wine.

Enter to win the SPELLBOUND SWAG PACK (International)

• Evil Eye Amulet and Bracelet: In Duplicity, Gray wears an evil eye pendant, also known as a nazar, to protect herself from a spell that’s causing havoc over the witches and warlocks in her coven. The evil eye (a Turkish amulet) is used for both luck and protection against envy.
• Two Headed Quarter: Two Grays are better than none and two heads are better than one, especially when flipping over who gets to choose which movie to watch with a trick coin. Adrian returns in Duplicity and opens a magic shop.
• Entangled bookmark

The Spellbound Trilogy so far...

Click the covers to add them to your Goodreads.

Read my review of Entangled here.

Read my review of Duplicity here.

Don't miss the cover reveal of book 3, Enchantment, at designer Najla Qamber's review site Unputdownable Books on June 7.

Website / Twitter

Nikki Jefford is a third generation Alaskan who found paradise in the not-so-tropical San Juan Islands where she is, once more, neighbors with Canada. She has a B.A. in journalism from the University of Alaska Anchorage and was a reporter before returning to her first love: fiction.

After a whirlwind romance in France, Nikki married Sebastien in March 2000. They reside with Cosmo the wonder Westie.

This has been a part of the Spellbound Trilogy International Blog Tour. To see the other stops on the tour click here.

 A big thank you to Nikki for a great Guest Post and a wonderful giveaway! Make sure you get your entries in and also be sure to pick up Entangled and Duplicity, both are great reads!

Waiting on Wednesday (16)

The Darkest Minds
by Alexandra Bracken
publication December 18, 2012 by Disney Hyperion

When Ruby woke up on her tenth birthday, something about her had changed. Something frightening enough to make her parents lock her in the garage and call the police. Something that gets her sent to Thurmond, a brutal government “rehabilitation camp.” She might have survived the mysterious disease that’s killed most of America’s children, but she and the others have been cursed with something far worse: frightening abilities they cannot control.

Now sixteen, Ruby has spent nearly half her life desperately trying to hide the fact that she’s outwitted the camp’s sorting system—that she isn’t powerless, or safe. She’s one of the dangerous ones… and everyone knows what happens to them.

When the truth comes out, Ruby barely escapes Thurmond with her life. Now she’s on the run, desperate to find the one safe haven left for kids like her—East River. She joins a group of teens who escaped their own camp, pursued along the way by terrifying bounty hunters. Liam, their brave leader, is falling hard for Ruby. But no matter how much she aches for him, Ruby can’t risk getting close to him. Not after what happened to her parents.

When they arrive at East River, nothing is as it seems, least of all its mysterious leader. But there are other forces at work, people who will stop at nothing to use Ruby in their fight against the government. Before the end, Ruby will be faced with a terrible choice, one that may mean giving up her only chance at a life worth living.

This one had me at dystopian and mysterious disease! I think it sounds like an awesome read with a really smart protagonist. What do you think? As always, click the cover to add it to your Goodreads.

What are you waiting on this Wednesday? Leave a link!

Angel Eyes Blog Tour: Review/Giveaway

TITLE Angel Eyes (Angel Eyes Trilogy #1)
AUTHOR Shannon Dittemore
PUBLICATION May 29, 2012 by Thomas Nelson Fiction
READ May 27, 2012
BUY IT Amazon / The Book Depository

Once you’ve seen, you can’t unsee. Everything changes when you’ve looked at the world through . . .

ANGEL EYES

Brielle’s a ballerina who went to the city to chase her dreams and found tragedy instead. She’s come home to shabby little Stratus, Oregon, to live with her grief and her guilt . . . and the incredible, numbing cold she can’t seem to shake.

Jake’s the new guy at school. The boy next door with burning hands and an unbelievable gift that targets him for corruption.

Something more than fate has brought them together. An evil bigger than both of them lurks in the shadows nearby, hiding in plain sight. Two angels stand guard, unsure what’s going to happen. And a beauty brighter than Jake or Brielle has ever seen is calling them to join the battle in a realm where all human choices start.

A realm that only angels and demons—and Brielle—can perceive.

A copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I have had some great luck with angel books.  I know a lot of people tend to shy away from them because they haven't been so lucky, but when I was asked to join the Angel Eyes blog tour, I didn't even hesitate.  Now, I'm not religious, I won't go into my whole belief system but just know that I am not big on Godly talk and all that jazz.  That being said, I thoroughly enjoyed this novel! I ate it up in one day and have very few complaints.  The love story was sweet, the MC had her head firmly planted on her shoulders and it made me laugh. I was captivated and drawn in with the fresh take on angel lore, though the last 50 pages did feel very dragged out to me.

As I was reading I came to all these conclusions in my head about who Jake was and what purpose he was going to serve in Brielle's life and every one of them was wrong.  This story put a new spin on the typical angel story which I really appreciated.  The characters were relateable and I felt so sad for Brielle.  What she went through when she lived in the city was terrible and the fact that she blamed herself was heart wrenching.  Watching her come back from that dark place made for an enthralling read that I was totally invested in.

When Brielle meets Jake her life starts to look up, she goes from a cold, dark place to feeling warmth and getting back to who she was.  At first Jake totally creeped me out, I thought for sure he was going to be another typical stalker boy, you know, the creepy ones that are way too popular in YA these days.  But he was a pleasant surprise and in the end I really liked him.  The story of his life was interesting to say the least, and as it unfolded it added a profound amount of depth to his character.

Angel Eyes, in case you couldn't tell from the cover, is pretty heavy on the religion.  There is no undertone here, it is the central part of the story and all actions and reactions revolve around it.  This may not be the book for everyone because of that, but I was surprised to find myself really enjoying it.  My one complaint is that the final battle felt completely dragged out, every time I thought it was over, someone else popped up and I would find myself groaning and wishing it would wrap up. 

Overall I thought this was a great read with some fantastic characters.  It is the beginning of a trilogy, so there is a lot more to come. I'll definitely be looking out for the other books in this series as I am excited to see more of Jake & Brielle and find out more about where all the characters come from.

Thomas Nelson Fiction & Shannon Dittemore have offered up an eBook copy of Angel Eyes for giveaway as part of the blog tour. Use the Rafflecopter below to enter. Giveaway is INTERNATIONAL.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This has been part of the Angel Eyes blog tour, brought to you by YA Bound. To see all the other great stops on this tour click here.

Wicked As They Come Review

TITLE Wicked As They Come (Blud #1)
AUTHOR Delilah S. Dawson
PUBLICATION March 27, 2012 by Pocket Books
READ May 24 - 26, 2012
BUY IT Amazon / The Book Depository

Have you ever heard of a Bludman? They’re rather like you and me—only more fabulous, immortal, and mostly indestructible. (They’re also very good kissers.)

Delilah S. Dawson’s darkly tempting debut drops her unsuspecting heroine into a strange faraway land for a romantic adventure that’s part paranormal, part steampunk . . . and completely irresistible.

When Tish Everett forces open the ruby locket she finds at an estate sale, she has no idea that a deliciously rakish Bludman has cast a spell just for her. She wakes up in a surreal world, where Criminy Stain, the dashing proprietor of a magical traveling circus, curiously awaits. At Criminy’s electric touch, Tish glimpses a tantalizing future, but she also foresees her ultimate doom. Before she can decide whether to risk her fate with the charming daredevil, the locket disappears, and with it, her only chance to return home. Tish and Criminy battle roaring sea monsters and thundering bludmares, vengeful ghosts and crooked Coppers in a treacherous race to recover the necklace from the evil Blud-hating Magistrate. But if they succeed, will Tish forsake her fanged suitor and return to her normal life, or will she take a chance on an unpredictable but dangerous destiny with the Bludman she’s coming to love?

A copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I was having an internal struggle while reading this book part of me was thinking "wow this is long!" and a much bigger part was savouring every single word because it is so well written.  The world of Sang and all the haunting creatures that Delilah S. Dawson has created make for an engrossing read that keeps you turning the pages long into the night. 

Everything in Wicked As They Come is so unique from the fresh take on the old vampire to the fanged animals that scour the land.  The steampunk aspect makes for some very interesting contraptions, mechanical servant animals & carriages that run on the winding of a key. There was definitely no shortage of steampunkery here and I will say that this is the first steampunk novel I've read that I actually enjoyed.  I have had no luck with his genre, but this book had me fascinated and longing for more.

The love story here between Leticia and Criminy is fantastic.  Watching Leticia go from Tish, the woman who just got out of an abusive relationship to Lady Leticia, master of her own domain was mesmerising.  There is no insta-love here, Leticia meets Criminy and though she does feel an unnatural pull to him she keeps her wits about her and puts herself first.  I really appreciated that, in so many novels girl meets boy and throws her own way of thinking out the window just to be with a man who makes her feel safe.  She makes him work for her love.

Now Criminy is described in a very sinister, creepy way. He has a mouth full of sharp pointy teeth and his hands are black and scaley like a reptile.  Is it weird that in the end, that didn't bother me at all? At first I was thinking "with those teeth, and those hands? How is she going to let this freak touch her?" But alas, I fell for him, I really did. He was strong, determined and funny! He had a great personality and was a man who took charge when need be.  Not only that, he realised Leticias inner struggle and accepted it in his own patient way. So yeah, I looked past the scaley hands and pointy teeth.

Wicked As They Come was a great read with some hot steamy scenes that left me feeling as if I needed me a cigarette. Though I did have this itching in me while reading it that it felt a little long to me, once reading the very last page and reflecting on all of the events, I wouldn't change a damn thing.  This one is definitely 18+ so kiddo's stay away! If you're looking for a hot read with wonderful steampunk strewn in, then this novel is for you!

Stacking The Shelves (5)

This week I got quite a few review requests AND I had my best mail week yet! Check it out:

For Review:

I got an ebook of Duplicity from the wonderful Nikki Jefford and I also got an ebook of Beautifully Broken from Sherry Soule.  In the mail I got Wicked As They Come from Simon & Schuster so a big thanks to all of them! I also got some fantastic swag in the mail!

The Becoming A Butterfly swag was from Mia Castile and she also included a super sweet thank you note for taking part in her blog tour.  The signed book plate and business cards from Marissa Meyer were an awesome addition to my swag box! A big thanks goes to Marissa & Mia!

You can read my review of Duplicity here.

Enter to win an ebook of Becoming A Butterfly here.

That's my haul for this week, what lovelies did you add to your shelves?

Make sure you link me up so I can visit!

Duplicity Review

TITLE Duplicity (Spellbound #2)
AUTHOR Nikki Jefford
PUBLICATION May 20, 2012
READ May 21 - 22, 2012
BUY IT Amazon / Smashwords

If Graylee Perez thought sharing a body with her twin sister was bad, dealing with a duplicate of herself is two times worse. Gray the second doesn’t seem to get that Lee’s boyfriend, Raj McKenna, is off limits. Then there’s the problem of Adiran Montez. He expects one of the Grays to be his.

Nearly a year later, the council is onto them for past misdeeds; Lee, along with the rest of the coven, has lost control of her powers; and Gray is being stalked by what looks like the Grim Reaper.

If they work together, they may stand a chance of setting things right and making it out alive.

A copy was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.

When Nikki sent me Duplicity I immediately loaded it onto my reader and dug into it.  I read Entangled (the first book in Nikki's Spellbound series) a few months back and it was a 5 star read for me.  I loved the characters and the world building and have been anxiously awaiting Duplicity.  We dive right back in with Graylee Perez (now Stacey Morehouse) & Raj McKenna and are thrown right into another mystery.

The characters remain strong in Duplicity, Graylee is as witty and strong headed as ever.  Once again I found myself laughing out loud at her dialogue and totally connecting with her. There is a lot of Graylee Perez to go around in this novel, we have the Graylee that is in the body of Stacey (known as Lee) and we have the Graylee who is in Charlene's body (known as Gray.) This whole concept did get me confused a few times and I found myself having to re-read passages to get a clear idea of what was going on and who was in the scene.  This predicament created quite the pickle for our dear Raj as he was faced with dealing with a duplicate girlfriend.  In this one I found Raj to have settled down a lot, he didn't really come across as the bad boy that we met in Entangled, though he played the role of the sweet supportive boyfriend perfectly.

Taking Raj's place as the resident bad boy is Adrian Hedrick Montez.  Yes, Adrian is back and in this one I found him to be a much more sympathetic character, I actually felt bad for him sometimes.  Adrian plays a bigger part in this novel but his past still remains a mystery that I am dying to uncover. Mystery remains a bit part of this series and you never know exactly what is going on, it's great to watch the characters on their missions to uncover the truth.

Nikki has created another great story that is easy to lose yourself in.  Though I do feel that the premise of this one was a bit weaker and harder to follow I still loved it.  I definitely recommend Duplicity to anyone looking for an Alluring Read.

Make sure you come back on May 31st when the Spellbound Trilogy Blog Tour stops at Alluring Reads! You can check out all the stops on the tour by clicking the banner.

Feature & Follow (12)

This weeks Feature & Follow is an activity! I love these ones, so here we go!

Activity: Dream cast your current read.

I am currently reading Wicked As They Come by Delilah S. Dawson. I'm only about 100 pages in and we don't really know too many of the characters, and the ones we have met I don't know too much about them. But, I'll wing it! So, right now we know Leticia & her sick grandma, Criminy Stain and Casper.

I chose Natalie Portman for Leticia simply because I think she is a phenomenal actress and she can pull off pretty much anything.  Also, Leticia is a girl who wakes up in an alternate world and she copes really well and adapts, Natalie has played her fair share of roles that take the character out of their comfort zone, so I think she is perfect.

I picked Johnny Depp for Criminy because he is just so very odd. When I read any character who is dark and a little odd I always picture Mr. Depp in my head.

 I chose Helen Mirren for grandma, because well she's awesome.  I think she could be the sick/sweet grandma perfectly.

And last but DEFINITELY not least, I have picked Channing Tatum for Casper. Why? Well, I think he should be in every movie that I watch.... and that's about it.













So what book are you reading right now and who is on your dream cast? Leave a link so I can drop by and see. Happy Friday!!

Becoming A Butterfly Tour Stop

TITLE Becoming A Butterfly (The Butterfly Chronicles #1)
AUTHOR Mia Castile
PUBLICATION May 22, 2012 by Entwined Publishing
READ May 20, 2012
BUY IT Amazon

16 year old Lacey was never the center of attention, unless she was tripping, stammering, or being deposited into a pool by the local popular kids. All she wanted was to fit in, until one night when everything changed.
Jade and Tasha, her two best friends, helped her create an online personality that was everything she wanted to be - and it was only the beginning. In doing so she attracted the attention of Henry, her lifelong crush and next door neighbor. Unfortunately it was Farrah, her online personality and not herself, he was interested in.
She also attracted Chase the brooding, quiet, anti-social new kid of Brownsburg High School, who easily figured out her secret and blackmailed her. They forged a friendship that was both unique and complicated.
Lacey must decide if revealing herself to Henry and her entire school as the cool, charming, and funny Farrah is worth possibly losing him forever, and she finds herself needing to make an even harder decision than she ever thought possible. When did the lines between truth and lies get so blurred?

Becoming a Butterfly is a story about coming of age and finding yourself when you never knew you were lost.

**This is a MATURE YA FICTION SERIES**

A copy was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.

 

Becoming A Butterfly was an awesome surprise to me.  I literally devoured this book, I ate it up in one sitting and it left a stupid grin splayed across my face.  This book, right off the bat, touched me because I felt as if it was written about me.  When I was 13 I had an embarrassing occurrence that this book mirrors quite well.  I won't go into it, but once you read the book I'm sure you will be able to deduce the hairy details.  It's so easy to go online, and become someone your not.  You don't think about the repercussions on those around you, and it feels good to finally be who you want to be.

Lacey was such a wreck, she was clumsy and dare I say, dorky.  The embarrassing things that happened to her were just so heartbreaking and I totally felt for her. What I admired most about her were her ways of handling it.  She got up, dusted herself off and moved on.  Even when people were shouting things at her in the hallways she would come up with a witty retort and she had me laughing out loud.  Her strong relationship with Tasha and Jade was awesome, we saw it go through the peaks and valleys and it felt like a real group of friends.  Yes, they loved each other dearly but they had their disagreements and handled them well.

The love story in Becoming A Butterfly created butterflies in me! I loved Chase, sure he was blackmailing her (in a very light way) but there was always that sexy mystery about him.  His life was something I was so interested in delving into, he had all this money in his family but seeing him on the street or working in his fathers auto shop, you would never know.  Of course there is a love triangle (it's not often these days in YA fiction that there isn't, thanks a lot Twilight!) and this one drove me mad.  I hated Henry, he was a user and a fake.  I really had no need for him and I wanted to smack Lacey every time she even thought his name.  But, in the end that's what kept me reading, my intense longing for the moment that light bulb would go on above her head and she would ride off in the distance with chase on his Honda.

There are some heavy issues touched upon in this novel and I think Mia handled them wonderfully.  I don't want to go into the details as I want it to be as new to you as it was to me reading the novel. But just know that you are going to be reading some tough scenes and this book will break your heart.

Becoming A Butterfly was a great read and I can't wait to read more in the series. I highly recommend this novel to anyone looking for an Alluring Read.

Mia Castile, author of Becoming A Butterfly is stopping by the blog today as part of the Becoming a Butterfly Blog Tour.  For her guest post she has written a letter of motivation to her 16 year old self!

May 24, 2012

Dear 16 year old Mia,

Yo, yo, yo, what’s up? I know things are complicated right now.  You are at a place in your life when you are really beginning to see the world for what it might be and for what it could be. I know you worry about what life will be like one day when you can escape and be on your own, be free, but don’t because I think we’ve done ok. Still, I wanted to tell you a few things that might help us to get here, our happy place, a little faster.

1.    DON’T. STOP. WRITING. *Trust Me*
2.    Appreciate your flannel and take good care of your VHS of My So Called Life, otherwise you will go a long time without Jordan Catalano.
3.    The boy you are lying awake at night dreaming about is out there. You’re not ready to meet him now, but when you are, you will, and it will be amazing. And you will somehow, just know. . .that he’s the one.
4.    BE CREATIVE.
5.    Find a good role model. I hear Drew Barrymore is free.
6.    Don’t be too hard on yourself. It’s ok to make mistakes. Each time you fail it will make the success taste sweeter. Believe in yourself. Admit it when you look pretty, enjoy it when you make someone smile, and don’t forget to tell others when they inspire you.
7.    READ MORE. It gets easier to do the more you do it. It’s OK to read slow, just do it.
8.    You didn’t believe that teacher when she told you that you could do it, so don’t believe her when she tells you that you can’t.
9.    Stay sincere. Your heart is beautiful, and you are worth the friends who appreciate you, fight for you, and confide in you. They are the ones who will be there as you get older. As important as some of your friends are to you now, they won’t be around in five years let alone twenty. It’s the ones who listen when you cry, call boys on three-way calling because you’re nervous, and sit up all night talking that will stick around. The kind of friends that you can go forever without seeing but when you see them again it’s as if no time has passed. Invest in them.
10.    Do NOT learn the Macarena.

I’m sure you probably won’t listen to me because your half my age and I’m a stupid adult, but don’t sell yourself short. The world is still new and fresh and you have so many lessons to learn. Learn them graciously, and take with you their counsel, because one day you might wish you’d seen it sooner. Because before you know it, you will be sitting at a computer and 1 a.m. writing a letter to your 16 year old self telling her all the things you wish you’d known then.

Sincerely,
Mia,

P.S. We’re still Da Bomb!

About the author:

Website / Facebook / Twitter

Mia grew up in a suburb of a medium sized city. There were cold winters, and hot sticky summers. Mia’s favorite seasons were spring and fall. She enjoyed the mild seasons, but also loved the vibrant colors each possessed.

Mia loved music. She didn’t just love it, she sat on the floor in front of her Casio stereo for hours at a time, recording songs off the radio. Then she would listen to those songs absorbing the words as she sat in her room and wrote her poetry.

Mia's letter to herself includes some things I would love to have been told at 16 (especially about taking care of the My So Called Life VHS tapes!) What do you think? What would you like to say to your 16 year old self?




a Rafflecopter giveaway

This is part of the Becoming A Butterfly blog tour. Find the other stops on the tour here.

Waiting on Wednesday (15)

The Program (The Program #1)
by Suzanne Young
to be published April 2013 by Simon Pulse

Sloane knows better than to cry in front of anyone.

With suicide now an international epidemic, one outburst could land her in The Program, the only proven course of treatment. Sloane’s parents have already lost one child; Sloane knows they’ll do anything to keep her alive. She also knows that everyone who’s been through The Program returns as a blank slate. Because their depression is gone—but so are their memories.

Under constant surveillance at home and at school, Sloane puts on a brave face and keeps her feelings buried as deep as she can. The only person Sloane can be herself with is James. He’s promised to keep them both safe and out of treatment, and Sloane knows their love is strong enough to withstand anything. But despite the promises they made to each other, it’s getting harder to hide the truth. They are both growing weaker. Depression is setting in.

And The Program is coming for them.  

I just finished reading The Glimpse by Claire Merle and I loved Delirium by Lauren Oliver, I'm fascinated by the concept of regulating your feelings.  In my mind it is impossible, I'm always either laughing, crying, or supremely pissed off and the idea of having to hide that is something that I love to see played out on the pages.  Also, the MC's name is Sloane! HELLO! Best name EVER!

What are you waiting on this week? Leave a link!

The Glimpse Review

TITLE The Glimpse
AUTHOR Claire Merle
PUBLICATION June 7, 2012 by Faber + Faber
READ May 17 - 19, 2012
BUY IT Amazon / The Book Depository

Once you've seen into the future, can you change your destiny?

In a near future, society is segregated according to whether people are genetically disposed to mental illness. 17-year-old Ana has been living the privileged life of a Pure due to an error in her DNA test. When the authorities find out, she faces banishment from her safe Community, a fate only thwarted by the fact that she has already been promised to Pure-boy Jasper Taurell.

Jasper is from a rich and influential family and despite Ana’s condition, wants to be with her. The authorities grant Ana a tentative reprieve. If she is joined to Jasper before her 18th birthday, she may stay in the Community until her illness manifests. But if Jasper changes his mind, she will be cast out among the Crazies. As Ana’s joining ceremony and her birthday loom closer, she dares to hope she will be saved from the horror of the City and live a ‘normal’ life. But then Jasper disappears.

Led to believe Jasper has been taken by a strange sect the authorities will not intefere with, Ana sneaks out of her well-guarded Community to find him herself. Her search takes her through the underbelly of society and into the pits of the human soul. And as she delves deeper into the mystery of Jasper's abduction she uncovers some devastating truths that destroy everything she has grown up to believe, but she also learns to love as she has never loved before.

A copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Dystopia: A futuristic, imagined universe in which oppressive societal control and the illusion of a perfect society are maintained through corporate, bureaucratic, technological, moral, or totalitarian control. Dystopias, through an exaggerated worst-case scenario, make a criticism about a current trend, societal norm, or political system. -Definition from www.readwritethink.org

I'm not certain that I understand all the contempt going around regarding this novel.  Yes, it refers to people with mental illnesses as "Crazies" and yes, that is not very nice.  But this book is a work of fiction, not only that, it is a work of DYSTOPIAN fiction. I went into The Glimpse expecting a story about a futuristic society that is regulated by a system created by scientists to weed out people who have the potential to become mentally ill.  I also went into The Glimpse expecting our MC and her friends to find a hole in the system and attempt to flip it over on its head, and that's exactly what I got.

The thing I love about dystopians is when we get to watch our characters question everything around them.  They don't just follow blindly like sheep, and it almost always (in my experience) makes for an engrossing read. Ariana Barber was an interesting MC, she was definitely strong willed and she had an immense amount of perseverance.  Though I do feel she was quite quick to believe what other people told her, she always ended up making up her own conclusions and followed her decisions through with an admirable amount of conviction.  She had a lot of people in her life that have lied to her and the reader gets to watch her come out of her shell and question the very foundation on which she was raised.

There were a few parts of the story that I rolled my eyes at for example when the whole boat is watching Ana's missing persons report on TV and no one turned around and realised "hey! that's her, she's standing right beside us!" I mean she had her hair pulled up in a hat, it wasn't exactly an elaborate disguise! Also the random POV switching felt very weird to me, like 30 of the 33 chapters are all from Ana's perspective but there are about 3 random chapters throughout that all of a sudden switch to someone else.  For me, if you are going to have split POV's there has to be a sort of pattern or consistency, not just strewn amuck.

Overall this was an enjoyable read for me and the ending makes me hope that there will be another book in the series.  Everything is wrapped up pretty nicely at the end, but we do get one last act of defiance out of Ariana that sets up for a possible sequel. I recommend The Glimpse to anyone looking for a good dystopian read.

My Super Sweet Sixteenth Century Cover Reveal/Excerpt/Trailer

On the precipice of her sixteenth birthday, the last thing lone wolf Cat Crawford wants is an extravagant gala thrown by her bubbly stepmother 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?

Excerpt

   “I thought I’d teach you a dance from where I come from,” I tell him. “One that’s much easier than that multi-step mess inside.”

     I place my left hand on Lorenzo’s shoulder and slip my right one into his. I pause to listen to the music floating over the tinkling voices and bubbling fountain, and begin counting the three-beat tempo. “One, two, three. One, two, three.”

     I stand still, only my head moving, slowly nodding with my words so he can hear the rhythm.

     When his head begins subtly bobbing with mine, I show him how to add his feet. He takes a tentative step forward with his left while I step back with my right, then we side step, close, and repeat the steps with our other feet, all while I lightly whisper the beat count.

     The breeze picks up, blowing my skirt and skimming my veil across the back of my neck. Chills run down my spine, but the warmth coursing through my veins from being in his arms provides a delicious contradiction.

     Lorenzo continues nervously darting his eyes to our feet, but he is dancing. As he relaxes into the movement, his shoulders rising and falling with the steps, the confidence he always seems to exude creeps back on his face, and he tightens the hold around me. Our faces are kissably close, our lips a hairs breadth away from touching. I stare into the chocolate depths of his eyes and the rest of the ball fades away. The only music guiding our steps is my light whisper and the erratic rhythm of our breathing. Time slows. Lorenzo grins.

     “I think you got it,” I say breathlessly, running my hand along the soft fabric of his shoulder, feeling the rock-hard muscles underneath.

     My body curls inward, pressing against his. The proper form for the waltz is a straight spine and shoulders back, but if there was ever a time to break the rules, this is it.

Trailer

About the author:

Website / Twitter / Facebook / Goodreads

As a teen, I threw raging parties that shook my parents’ walls and created embarrassing fodder for future YA novels.

As an adult, I read and write obsessively, rehash said embarrassing fodder, and dream up characters who become my imaginary friends.

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

MY SUPER SWEET SIXTEENTH CENTURY is my first novel. I did have my own fantabulous Sweet Sixteen in high school. Sadly, it wasn’t televised.

Old vs. New

Quite the change from the old cover to the new one! I like the new one alot better, there is so much more color! Which do you like best? Old or new?

Stacking The Shelves (4)

Hello peoples!!

T'was another great week at Alluring Reads.  I got one book for review and bought two. Here they are:

For Review:

Bought:

A big thank you to Harlequin Teen for Pushing The Limits!  I went to the bookstore to pick up Belles (which is by far the prettiest book I have ever had my hands on) and I saw that they were clearing out the Fever hardcovers for $4.99, couldn't pass up that deal! The softcovers were $11.99 HA!

What new goodies did you get this week? Leave a link! I can't wait to see :)

One Moment Review

TITLE One Moment
AUTHOR Kristina McBride
PUBLICATION June 26, 2012 by EgmontUSA
READ May 15 - 16, 2012
BUY IT Amazon / The Book Depository

This was supposed to be the best summer of Maggie’s life. Now it’s the one she’d do anything to forget.

Maggie Reynolds remembers hanging out at the gorge with her closest friends after a blowout party the night before. She remembers climbing the trail hand in hand with her perfect boyfriend, Joey. She remembers that last kiss, soft, lingering, and meant to reassure her. So why can’t she remember what happened in the moment before they were supposed to dive? Why was she left cowering at the top of the cliff, while Joey floated in the water below—dead?

As Maggie’s memories return in snatches, nothing seems to make sense. Why was Joey acting so strangely at the party? Where did he go after taking her home? And if Joey was keeping these secrets, what else was he hiding?

The latest novel from the author of The Tension of Opposites, One Moment is a mysterious, searing look at how an instant can change everything you believe about the world around you.

A copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

One Moment is the story of a tight knit group of friends.  It focuses on Maggie Reynolds as she copes with the sudden tragic loss of her boyfriend Joey and attempts to piece together what happened on that tragic day and find out who Joey really was.  It was a quick read that is written in a rather fast paced way.  I will say that I had the series of events accurately mapped out in my mind from about the 3rd chapter but I was fully engrossed in the story the whole way.

The life-long friendship that these characters have at first appears to be the type of friendship that everyone longs for. They know each other so well and spend epic nights together having a great time.  As the story wears on it becomes quite apparent that there are some deep dark secrets within the group that will forever change their lives.  Maggie Reynolds serves as our MC and experiencing the series of events through her was almost heartbreaking.  Not only does she suffer a great loss when Joey dies, she is then faced with his deceptions without him there to answer for them.  At times I did find her constant "Joey this", "Joey that" quite tiring and bordering annoying but I understand that she was a young woman who suffered a great loss. I don't want to talk too much about the relationships between the characters because that can give away some key points of the story.

There is a great metaphor within these pages of how a person is made up of little pieces just like a patchwork quilt.  Some pieces are what we love about them and some pieces are the ugliness and imperfections.  When you look at it all together from far away, it's all so beautiful, but when you start dissecting it and looking at each piece on it's own you see the person for who they really are.  I enjoyed that part of the story, and I feel it's a very beautiful metaphor and a way that I had not looked at it before.

If you are looking for a good, quick contemporary read that is touching and heavy on the emotion One Moment is for you.  It's a well written story that although is quite predictable sucks you in from page one. This is a story of love, loss, and changes that we don't see coming.

Waiting on Wednesday (14)

Ten
by Gretchen McNeil
to be published September 18, 2012 by Balzer + Bray

"TEN is a real page turner! Gretchen McNeil knows how to plot a thriller: Her setup is flawless and the suspense kept me on the edge of my seat." (Christopher Pike, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the THIRST series and REMEMBER ME)

And their doom comes swiftly.

It was supposed to be the weekend of their lives—an exclusive house party on Henry Island. Best friends Meg and Minnie each have their reasons for being there (which involve T.J., the school’s most eligible bachelor) and look forward to three glorious days of boys, booze and fun-filled luxury.

But what they expect is definitely not what they get, and what starts out as fun turns dark and twisted after the discovery of a DVD with a sinister message: Vengeance is mine.

Suddenly people are dying, and with a storm raging, the teens are cut off the from the outside world. No electricity, no phones, no internet, and a ferry that isn’t scheduled to return for two days. As the deaths become more violent and the teens turn on each other, can Meg find the killer before more people die? Or is the killer closer to her than she could ever imagine? 

This seems like a horror movie that I would really love so I am so curious to see it in book form.  I think it could make for a read that would keep you on the edge of your seat. Oh, and look at that ominous cover! I'm nervous just looking at it!

So what are you waiting on this week? Leave me a link, I always stop by ;)