Monday, October 28, 2013

Ketchup Clouds by Annabel Pitcher

***I received an eARC copy of this book from Edelweiss via Little, Brown & Company in exchange for an honest review

Ketchup Clouds
Releases November 12, 2013

Goodreads Description:

Dear Mr. S. Harris, 

Ignore the blob of red in the top left corner. It's jam, not blood, though I don't think I need to tell you the difference. It wasn't your wife's jam the police found on your shoe. . . . 

Zoe has an unconventional pen pal-Mr. Stuart Harris, a Texas Death Row inmate and convicted murderer. But then again, Zoe has an unconventional story to tell. A story about how she fell for two boys, betrayed one of them, and killed the other. 

Hidden away in her backyard shed in the middle of the night with a jam sandwich in one hand and a pen in the other, Zoe gives a voice to her heart and her fears after months of silence. Mr. Harris may never respond to Zoe's letters, but at least somebody will know her story-somebody who knows what it's like to kill a person you love. Only through her unusual confession can Zoe hope to atone for her mistakes that have torn lives apart, and work to put her own life back together again.

Rising literary star Annabel Pitcher pens a captivating second novel, rich with her distinctive balance between humor and heart. Annabel explores the themes of first love, guilt, and grief, introducing a character with a witty voice and true emotional resonance. 

My Thoughts:

When I first saw the synopsis I knew I HAD to read this book. It was such an intriguing story line where a teenage girl confesses murdering someone to a man on death row. I was leery of the book being written in the form of letters mainly but it actually turned out really well. I would highly recommend this book for any reader that loves YA and looking for a quick, gripping read. 

See my full review:

My Rating:
♥♥♥♥


Sunday, October 27, 2013

Seven Day Fiance by Rachel Harris (Blog Tour)

Rachel Harris' SEVEN DAY FIANCE is finally here! 


You can get it in your hands (well, on your ereader) right now! You don't want to miss this fantastic Contemporary Romance from Rachel Harris. Book 2 in the Love and Game Series, SEVEN DAY FIANCE can be read as a standalone. Check out all of the information regarding this fantastic novel and Rachel Harris below! Then, see what we have in store for you on this blog tour stop and enter to win an awesome SEVEN DAY FIANCE Swag Basket!

 

SEVEN DAY FIANCE Synopsis:

Angelle Prejean is in a pickle. Her family is expecting her to come home with a fiancé—a fiancé who doesn’t exist. Well, he exists, but he definitely has no idea Angelle told her mama they were engaged. Tattooed, muscled, and hotter than sin, Cane can reduce Angelle to a hot mess with one look—and leave her heart a mess if she falls for him. But when she ends up winning Cane at a charity bachelor auction, she knows just how to solve her fiancé problem.

Cane Robicheaux is no one’s prince. He doesn’t do relationships and he doesn’t fall in love. When sweet, sultry-voiced Angelle propositions him, he hopes their little game can finally get her out of his head. He doesn’t expect her to break through all his barriers. But even as Angelle burrows deeper into his heart, he knows once their seven days are up, so is their ruse.





My Thoughts:

If you have followed my blog for long you already know that I am a HUGE fan of Rachel Harris and her writing. So when I saw the opportunity to be a part of her blog tour I jumped on the chance. I'm here to tell you that she has done it AGAIN. ♥ She has written a brilliantly, beautiful love story that gave me ALL the feels and made my emotions soar. There was not a single thing that I did not love about this book. 



If you have read TASTE THE HEAT this picks up shortly where we left off with Colby and Jason in the timeline of things, except this story focuses on Colby's yummy brother, Cane, and her crazy shy friend, Angelle. Angelle is very cautious when it comes to men like Cane (you know...the extra hunky "bad boy" types) because of things in her past. When she finds herself needing a fake fiance because of a little lie she told her family, the only person she can turn to for help is Cane. He has a bit of an "infatuation" with Angelle so he agrees to help her out and goes to visit her family as her "fiance". Cane is just as guarded with his emotions from things in his past as Angelle is with hers so he wants to use this short trip to help get past his feelings once and for all. Only problem is when these two are together SPARKS FLY everywhere. 

The first thing I MUST mention about this book is the Christmas auction in which Cane wins "King of Abs". If that opening chapter doesn't draw you into the book I honestly don't know what will. I now want to know HOW CAN I HAVE AN AUCTION just like THAT one?? I imagine it would look something like this:

*YUM*


Sorry I had to get that out of my system...it is a very crucial part of the book. So now I can get down to business. ;-)

I was once again transported by Rachel's writing right into Cajun country. I felt like I was there with Angelle, Cane, and her family the entire time. I would have loved to be at their huge Thanksgiving feast and all of their community activities. I was so immensely wrapped up in this book that I just could not put it down. 

I loved the way that Angelle's personality really shined in this book. In TASTE THE HEAT we didn't see a lot of her and when we did she was very quiet. She starts out very shy and reserved in SEVEN DAY FIANCE but she quickly starts to shed that skin and becomes a much more confident woman. Her character growth was amazing and I was cheering her on from the beginning. She had goals that she wanted to meet for herself and no matter how scared or nervous she got she pushed through. I was glad to see her get a back bone along the way and stand up for what she wanted and needed in her life.



Despite Cane's hard shell persona and trying to act like no woman can ever get into his heart, he finds himself quickly taken with Angelle. I found Cane to be such an amazing man with an immensely huge heart. I really began to understand a lot more about him when I saw why he kept himself so guarded. It was so intriguing to see how he broke pieces from his wall bit by bit while spending time with Angelle. He became very protective over Angelle and I adored him for that. He does screw up a few times and at those moments I wanted to kick him in his shins and say SHAME ON YOU!!! 




But in the end I couldn't have loved Cane more if I tried. (Also I want to be called Angel a million times over because I swear after this book it takes on a WHOLE new meaning ♥)

I loved that I was able to see both points of view from Angelle and Cane. I think it helps me to be more attached to both characters which made me love the book even more. There was plenty of emotion filled moments for me while reading because I felt so deeply connected to both characters. I felt so bad for Angelle in a certain scenario (trust me when you get to it you will know because you will want to kick Cane in the shins too) to the point that my eyes were watery thinking about how bad she must of been hurt in that moment. At the same time I felt extremely bad for Cane because I knew he was making a terrible mistake and just kept yelling DO THE RIGHT THING MAN. It was an emotional war going on inside of me. O_O




I highly HIGHLY recommend this book to anyone and everyone who loves a good book that will warm you heart and put a smile on your face. I can NOT wait to get the next book in this installment about Colby and Cane's sister, Sherry. Now go buy each and everyone of Rachel Harris' books and you can thank me later for pointing you in that direction. ;-)


My Rating:
♥♥♥♥♥





Rachel Harris Bio:

Rachel Harris grew up in New Orleans, where she watched soap operas with her grandmother and stayed up late sneak reading her mama’s favorite romance novels. Now a Cajun cowgirl living in Houston, she still stays up way too late reading her favorite romances, only now, she can do so openly. She firmly believes life’s problems can be solved with a hot, powdered-sugar-coated beignet or a thick slice of king cake, and that screaming at strangers for cheap, plastic beads is acceptable behavior in certain situations.

When not typing furiously or flipping pages in an enthralling romance, she homeschools her two beautiful girls and watches reality television with her amazing husband. Taste The Heat is her adult romance debut. She’s the author of MY SUPER SWEET SIXTEENTH CENTURY and A TALE OF TWO CENTURIES. She loves hearing from readers! 

Find her atwww.RachelHarrisWrites.com.

Buy Links:


Links:


And now for the Giveaway! Go enter to win! 


Friday, October 25, 2013

The Prophecy by Erin Albert Cover Reveal

I'm so excited to be part of Erin's cover reveal today!! I've personally been dying to see what this cover would turn out like since May :-) It came out to be the perfect cover! It's nice and dark which from what I have read is going to represent the book really well. I'm super excited that the Vanguard crest is the main focal point of the cover because it's gorgeous. Let me know what you think about the cover and leave Erin some love. ♥


Meet the Author:

Erin Albert is an author, editor, and fitness trainer.  Since she picked up Morris the Moose Goes to School at age four, she has been infatuated with the written word.  She went on to work as a grammar and writing tutor in college and is still teased by her family and friends for being a member of the "Grammar Police."  In her free time, Erin enjoys acting, running, kickboxing, and, of course, reading and writing. 


Find me online:


Twitter:  @ErinAlbertBooks







The Cover:


Releases November 15, 2013


Blurb:

“Everything must be taken down.”  A rotund man, with beady black eyes, surveyed the town, disdain in his expression.  While he did not appear distinguishable from the other black and purple clad men, he spoke with authority. “The First Ones and their great Prophecy must be honored properly.” He sniffed, his actions indicating the very existence of Medlin and its occupants offended him.
Layla wondered what this man considered a “proper honoring” of the First Ones.  The First Ones…they’d been dead for centuries, and, as far as Layla could tell, hadn’t done much in life except start a never-ending war.  She knew nothing more about them except that she was to thank them for good things, curse them for bad, and celebrate them on this day.
“That’s Elder Werrick, head of the Ecclesiastics,” whispered Samson, glancing back at Grant.  Layla noticed the look that passed between them.
Grant nodded his assent. “Get her out of here, brother.”
Samson tried to steer Layla away, but she held her position to get a closer look at the man whom her family so feared. She knew they had good reason to worry—her black hair and purple eyes marked her as a Fulfillment candidate, one with the potential to bring about the long awaited peace. But she couldn’t quite bring herself to believe Elder Werrick would notice her on the crowded streets, especially with her eye drops and hood. Could he really be responsible for dragging candidates from their homes, forcing them to undergo strenuous, sometimes gruesome, testing for the sake of the Prophecy?  To Layla, he looked like nothing more than a short, fat, unhappy man.  The very notion that he could strike such fear into the hearts of her people seemed almost laughable…almost. As his gaze swept over the crowd, she glimpsed a sinister undertone that made her shiver.
Waving his pudgy arms at the awaiting townspeople, Werrick commanded, “Take it down.” 
Suddenly, his body stilled and his tiny eyes grew wide.  They briefly connected with Layla’s, narrowing with calculation.  The Elder turned to his nearest black clad companion. 
“Do you feel that?” Layla heard Werrick ask. 
The other man looked skeptical.  “Feel what, Elder?”
Werrick leaned in as the two whispered, stealing furtive glances in her direction.  When the Elder’s companion pointed at Layla, Samson grabbed her arm. She heard his breathing change from rhythmic to jagged as he pulled her away from the men.
“We have to go now.” His urgency spurred her into action.
Grant moved to block them from the Elder’s view.  “Get her away from here, Samson.”
The Elder looked up to see everyone staring at him as if frozen. He repeated his demand, “I said take everything down.”
The townspeople, joined by the Elder’s minion, scampered to remove their decorations, anxious to “properly” celebrate the First Ones.  Their flurry of activity concealed Layla as Samson and Grant escorted her away.  Layla scanned the streets, horrified, as the people of Medlin stripped the town’s center barren.  In no time, everything appeared as it always had, devoid of any celebratory adornments.  She looked up at the sky with its gray clouds lingering overhead.  A bad omen…
On the hill, a safe distance away, Layla watched a group of Ecclesiastics erect a monstrous stage where the donkey races should have occurred.  She heard the braying of the angry animals, harnessed and corralled on the orders of the Elder to avoid interfering with the “true” Day of Dawning celebration. Her ire rose.  Who did they think they were coming in and changing everything? 
An icy, phantom finger traced a frigid line down her spine.  After hearing warning after warning from the Mantars her whole life, Layla knew exactly what the Ecclesiastics could do, what they had done to others in the past.  Maybe Samson and Grant had been right.  Maybe she should never have come, especially today.  Layla turned her back on the town, resolved to go home, to safety. 
“Layla!” Samson’s alarmed tone sliced into her, and she swung around toward him. 
To her horror, two Vanguard soldiers forced Samson to the ground.  She knew just how much strength he possessed, yet he couldn’t free himself. Her hands balled up into fists, shaking with their desire to unleash the full force of their fury.
“Run!” Samson screamed before a soldier’s fist smashed into his face. 
His body stilled.  Panic, coupled with indecision, crippled her.  She should run like Samson commanded, but she couldn’t leave him lying there.  To her relief, Grant ambled toward them, his eyes full of rage. 
“Run!” Grant echoed Samson’s warning.
With a final glance at the two boys who’d been as close to her as brothers, Layla fled.  She flew down the hill, swinging her head from side to side in alarm.  Ecclesiastics swarmed throughout the city, making a clear escape route difficult to discern. 
Terror rose within Layla.  Why hadn’t she listened to her family?  She’d been foolish to believe she could sneak around under the ever-watchful eyes of the Ecclesiastics, and that hubris put Samson and Grant in danger as well.  She choked back a sob. 
“Run,” she whispered. 
Willing her feet to move forward, Layla darted toward the back of the baker’s shop, hoping to take a shortcut through the back alleyway.  She swerved to miss a wooden box and stumbled, arms flailing to right herself. Unfamiliar hands reached out to break her fall.  Once stable, Layla looked up to find Elder Werrick staring down at her.  She screamed but no sound came out of her open mouth. 
            “I’ve been looking for you,” he said, a wicked smile on his face.  




Tuesday, October 22, 2013

How To Date A Nerd by Cassie Mae


How To Date A Nerd (How To, #1)


Goodreads Description:

Zoe has a great pair of legs, perky boobs, and wears exactly what she needs to show it all off. She works hard for the easy sleazy ‘you only wish you were me’ reputation, burying who she really is—an all-out nerd.

The only time Zoe gets to be herself is when she hides under her comforter to read X-Men comics, sending jealousy stabs at everyone who attends Comic-Con. Keeping up her popular rep is too important, and she’s so damn insecure to care about the consequences. But when Zoe’s sister takes her car for a ‘crash and burn into a tree’ joyride, her parents get her a replacement. A manual. Something she doesn’t know how to operate, but her next door neighbor Zak sure as heck does.

Zak’s a geek to the core, shunned by everyone in school for playing Dungeons and Dragons at lunch and wearing “Use the Force” t-shirts. And Zoe’s got it bad for the boy. Only Zak doesn’t want Popular Zoe. He wants Geek Zoe.

She has to shove her insecurities and the fear of dropping a few rungs on the social ladder aside to prove to Zak who she really is and who she wants to be… if she can figure it out herself.


My Thoughts:

Ok let me see if I can put into words HOW MUCH I LOVED THIS BOOK!!!! When I discovered this book it was through Goodreads where another blogger had recently got done reading it and posted a review. I read the title, saw the cover and I was hooked. Then when I read the review I knew I HAD to read it.

How To Date A Nerd is about a girl who is a closet nerd all in the name of staying popular. She had a tough couple of years in middle school, being made fun of and picked on, so she gave up her nerdy ways to become “popular Zoe”. Only she couldn’t give up one thing…her MAJOR crush on her nerdy next door neighbor, Zak. When her sister crashes her car and she gets a new stick shift car, she has to go to Zak for help and finds that her feelings run deeper than she ever thought. She doesn’t know how to fight them any longer. But if she acts on it she risks losing her social status. What can Zoe do? Will she risk her social status or lose Zak all together?

Zoe is such a lovable main character, even when I was mad at her for constantly hurting Zak, her story and character growth are such a touching experience. I rooted for her the whole way and just begged her to make the right choices. Zak is the cutest nerd ever! I’m usually such a bad boy lover, but Zak has made it into my heart. He made me smile SO hard during this book with all his “knight in shining armor” ways. He was there for Zoe way more than she ever deserved. They were also just the extremely adorable together. It was so heart-warming to watch their relationship grow like it did and the things that they went through together.

There are a few side characters that also had a role in some of the things Zoe chose to do. She had two “friends” that I never really cared for. The kind that you could just tell if they knew the true Zoe they would have nothing to do with her. There were also a slew of guys that I just wanted to go away and let Zoe be! Liam was one guy though that I grew quite fond of in his short appearance. There was much more to him than meets the eye. Sierra, her sister, also played a big role in the things going on with Zoe. I was glad to see where their sisterly bond went in the end.

I can NOT express to anyone enough how much this book touched my heart. I think everyone goes through a period in their life where they are insecure and lose their way and themselves. Maybe you become a whole new person, like Zoe does, or maybe you just change a few things about yourself to fit in better. Either way, most people can relate to this book. It is a DEFINITE must read. I cannot wait to get my hands on the next installment in this series about Sierra and Liam. I wanted more Liam so I’m glad we will be getting more of him!! 

My Rating:
♥♥♥♥♥


Monday, October 21, 2013

Far Too Tempting by Lauren Blakely Release Day


Lauren Blakely's FAR TOO TEMPTING is having a Book Birthday today! Check out all of the information about FAR TOO TEMPTING below, and then enter the amazing giveaway as we celebrate. You won't want to miss this sexy new Contemporary Romance from Lauren! 

FAR TOO TEMPTING Synopsis:

Jane Black has written the break-up album of the century, earning her a Grammy, a huge legion of new fans, and the pressure to repeat her success. Sure, the heartbreak from her husband’s unconventional abandonment might have been her inspiration, but it hasn’t done her any favors in the dating department. So when Matthew Harrigan, the toughest music journalist out there, asks for an interview, Jane agrees—as long as her personal life is completely off-limits.

British, gorgeous, and way too tempting, Matthew’s the first guy Jane’s been attracted to since her husband. As she spends more time with him and their relationship heats up, though, so does her writer’s block. How can the queen of the break-up pen the perfect follow-up when she’s seriously in love?


Lauren Blakely Bio:

Lauren Blakely writes sexy contemporary romance novels with heat,

heart, and humor, and her books have appeared on the New York Times,

USA Today, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and iBooks bestseller lists. Like
the heroine in FAR TOO TEMPTING, she thinks life should be filled with
family, laughter, and the kind of love that love songs promise. Lauren
lives in California with her husband, children, and dogs. She loves
hearing from readers! Her novels include Caught Up In Us, Pretending
He's Mine, Playing With Her Heart, Trophy Husband, and Far Too
Tempting. On November 21, she'll release the edgy new adult novel THE
THRILL OF IT. She also writes for young adults under the name Daisy Whitney.


Buy Links:


Links:

Entangled Publishing: http://www.entangledpublishing.com/


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Wednesday, October 16, 2013

Taste the Heat by Rachel Harris

***I received an ARC copy of this book from Fresh Fiction via Entangled Publishing in exchange for an honest review

Taste the Heat (Love and Games #1)

Goodreads Description:

One sexy fire captain. One Cajun chef, One combustible kitchen…

When chef Colby Robicheaux returned home to New Orleans to save her family restaurant, the last person she expected to reconnect with was her brother’s best friend and her childhood crush. As tempting as a sugar-coated beignet, Jason is one dish she doesn’t want to taste. Colby is counting down the days till she can leave the place where her distrust of love and commitment originated and go back to Vegas. 

Fire captain Jason Landry isn’t looking for love, either. He knows he should focus on finding the perfect mother for his daughter, but when he first sees Colby, all grown up and gorgeous, he can’t help but be drawn to her. And when she suggests a no-strings-attached fling, Jason doesn’t want to say no. 

As their relationship grows more intense, Colby finds that Jason isn’t as easy to leave behind as she thought. Could turning up the heat on something real be worth the possibility of getting burned?


My Thoughts:

This is honestly one of the best books I have ever read. My emotions were so entwined with everything that Colby and Jason went through. My stomach was literally in knots in some moments because I was so nervous about the outcome of the situation. I can NOT recommend this book enough. Actually I recommend ANY of Rachel Harris' books. GO READ THEM ALL NOW!!!!

See my full review:


My Rating:
♥♥♥♥♥


Fall Into UTopYA featuring Ghost Hold by Ripley Patton

UtopYAfall

The long-awaited second book of The PSS Chronicles is finally HERE! GHOST HOLD by Ripley Patton is now LIVE ON KINDLE, and will be coming out in paperback in late-October. If you've read GHOST HAND, the first book in the series, you know why this is so exciting. If you haven't read it, what are you waiting for? Go grab it now (available on Kindle, Nook, Kobo and in paperback), so you can dive right into the second book as soon as you're done.

Featuring Ghost Hold by Ripley Patton

Here's the blurb for Ghost Hold: 

ripleypatton_ghosthold_ebook_final
 Olivia Black is back. Only this time she's not the one in need of rescue. Samantha James, rich, popular, and an award-winning composer at age seventeen, is the next target on the CAMFers' list. In order to convince Samantha to come with them, Olivia and Passion must pose as cousins, blend into the most affluent high school in Indianapolis, and infiltrate a mysterious cult known as The Hold. Olivia doesn't expect it to be easy, even with the PSS guys backing them up. But what she discovers over the course of the mission will call into question everything she ever believed about her ghost hand, her family, and especially about Marcus, the guy she is undoubtedly falling in love with.  

Steamy Excerpt:

Marcus crossed back to the faucet of the now-full tub and turned it off. He bent over and turned on the jets, which kicked up a lot more steam and a lot more noise. I was starting to melt inside my own clothes, and he must have been too, because when he turned back to me he was slipping his t-shirt over his head. "What are you doing?" I asked, my voice coming out a little strangled. "You and I need to talk," he said, letting the shirt drop to the floor. "Yes," I said, trying not to gawk at his chest and the way the steam swirled into it, his PSS shining back and coloring the mist a soft blue hue. "But can't we do that with our clothes on?" "We need to talk where I'm sure no one can hear us," he said, his hands going to the snap of his jeans. "They don't put bugs in bathrooms because the moisture corrodes them." The snap was undone. The zipper was next. He had on red tartan boxers. "Plus, not many people plot and plan in the john." He slid the jeans down his legs, turned, slipped off the boxers, and stepped into the tub, sinking down into it with an audible moan. I stood there stunned. I had just seen Marcus naked. He'd just stripped to his beautiful bare ass right in front of me as if it were nothing. Yes, we'd been sleeping in a tent together for weeks, and making out, but when one of us changed clothes, the other still looked away. Marcus and I had not gotten naked together. We hadn't even come close, because I always held back. I couldn’t even bring myself to reach my hands inside his shirt. What if my flesh hand accidentally went into his chest and disrupted his PSS? Even worse, what if my ghost hand reached into him and pulled something horrible out? I was pretty sure either of those scenarios would be a serious buzz kill to our intimacy. "Do you have any idea how long it's been since I've had a bath?" he said, almost a purr, laying his head back on the edge of the tub and closing his eyes. "I—no—I haven't had one for like a month," I stammered, looking down at the tile floor, completely flustered. "Olivia," he said softly, and I looked up to find his eyes boring into me, dewy drops captured on those thick dark lashes. "Come here." I crossed obediently to the side of the bath, both relieved and a bit disappointed to find that the burbling of the jets obscured most of what was in it. Except his PSS chest. It glowed and pulsed like some half-submerged, cerulean, underwater treasure. Marcus put his hand out for mine. The invitation was obvious. This was crazy. There was no way we were going to be able to talk, coherently, in a bathtub together. "It's a big tub," he said, nodding at the other end, "and I promise to be good." Yeah, but it wasn't just him I was worried about. If I got in the tub with Marcus, I would be in the tub with Marcus. "But I—" I looked down at myself. I had on my sleeping tank with no bra underneath, my sweatpants, and underwear. "You have no idea how relaxing this is," he said, slipping his hand back into the water and closing his eyes. Either he was taunting me, or giving me a chance to undress without him watching. Probably both. "You bastard," I muttered under my breath. I slipped off my shoes and sweatpants and padding barefoot to the far end of the tub. I was not going in completely naked. I wasn’t that much of a fool. I kept my tank and underwear on and stepped into the hot swirling water. As I slid down into it, jets pounding my butt and back, the wet heat rising up and swallowing all my aches and pains in its pure liquid magic, I couldn't keep the moan from escaping my lips either. And I didn't miss the effect that sound had on my bath mate. One of his lean, muscular legs brushed mine, trembling. And his eyes widened. And his breath came a little faster across the water, far less relaxed then it had been only a moment before. 

What are people saying about Ghost Hold? 

5 Luminous, Vibrant Stars! A Thrilling, Wild Adventure with Danger, Intrigue and Excitement. And A Chilling End Sure To Haunt You! - Hazel G from Craves the Angst Reviews

I can promise you, I will read as many books in this series as Ripley can create because it truly is a stand out series with stand out characters. – Ghost Hand and Ghost both chosen as Indie Book of The Week by Ali at My Guilty Obsession.

Ripley Patton is a master storyteller! She creates a world that is not only harsh and unforgiving but most importantly, unforgettable. Jess from Inside the Pages of a Book 

"BRAVO. A GREAT book! Better even than the first. I abso-fucking-lutely LOVED IT!" – Former librarian and bookseller extraordinaire, Angie Chute


Ripley's author photo

To find out more about Ripley and The PSS Chronicles, be sure to check her out on
 



Tuesday, October 15, 2013

The Social Code by Sadie Hayes

***I received an ARC copy of this book from Fresh Fiction via St Martin's Press in exchange for an honest review

The Social Code (The Start-Up #1)

Goodreads Description:

In a world where anyone can rise to the top, the only rule is... watch your back.

Eighteen-year-old twins Adam and Amelia Dory learned the hard way to rely only on each other, growing up in a small town where they understood the meaning of coming from nothing. But everything changes when both are offered scholarships to Stanford University – and catapulted into the dazzling world of Silicon Valley, where anyone with a good enough idea can skyrocket to fame and fortune in the blink of an eye…

Amelia is almost as pretty as she is smart – almost. A shy girl and genius, she is happiest alone in the computer lab, but her brother has other plans for her talents: A new company that will be the next Silicon Valley hit, and will thrust Amelia into the spotlight whether she likes it or not. Where Amelia’s the brains, Adam’s the ambition – he sees the privileged lifestyle of the Silicon Valley kids and wants a piece of what they have. He especially wants a piece of Lisa Bristol, the stunning daughter of one of the Valley’s biggest tycoons.

As Adam and Amelia begin to hatch their new company, they find themselves going from nothing to the verge of everything seemingly overnight. But no amount of prestige can prepare them for the envy, backstabbing and cool calculation of their new powerful peers.

Welcome to Silicon Valley, where fortune, success – and betrayal – are only a breath away...

My Thoughts:

I went back in forth in some parts of this book about whether I loved it or not, but in all it ended up winning me over. The story was interesting enough and the ending definitely left me wanting more. I think the main thing that threw me off was the point of view and all the alternating characters. However I would still recommend this book because the story was interesting enough that it made the slight issues not matter much in the end. 

See my full review:


My Rating:
♥♥♥♥






Fall Into UTopYA featuring Supernova by Elizabeth Sharp

UtopYAfall 


Blurb:
On Cleo’s first day at St. Aloysius Gonzaga Academy, things get pretty weird pretty fast. After being confronted by a strangely hostile boy, she meets two girls and instantly bonds with them. Before long danger threatens the entire student body, in the form of a soul eating possessor fae. When her brother is savagely beaten and left in a coma, the girls decide to use their fae powers to become superheroes and stop the possessions.
They quickly learn things are a lot more complicated than they had ever imagined. A government plot that had begun when they were infants endangers them all, and a demented former soldier bent on revenge is after them. The line between friend and foe has become so blurry, Cleo has no idea who she can trust. Will their superhero plot help them save the day, or just get them killed?



Buy Links
Paperback Amazon B&N Smashwords


              About the Author:

Elizabeth has a near crippling Facebook addiction, dwarfed only by her need for Dr. Pepper. A self-proclaimed techno geek, she loves cell phones, computers, tablets and all things technological. The internet has to be the greatest invention since the wheel, in her opinion. She lives in a quiet subdivision with her husband, one-year-old son, three cats, and far too many electronics. It’s quite possible she has some raccoon in her DNA, because she loves glitter and anything that sparkles. She enjoys making jewelry and costumes. Halloween is her favorite holiday since it’s the one day of the year that you can be whatever you want. But her first love will always be writing. Otherwise, hearing voices in her head would make her feel schizophrenic.


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