Hopeless by Colleen Hoover

   Sky Davis is about to be in her last year of high school.  For the first time she will be going to a public

school for her senior year.  Her mom, Karen, insisted on homeschooling her until this year.  Sky has lived a very sheltered, but good, life.  She was home schooled, her mom is against electronics (so she has no phone or television), and her best friend(Six) lives next door.  Six, however, goes to public school and has a reputation with the guys.  And although it has spilled over onto Sky (guilty by association) Sky is nothing like Six when it comes to boys.  She feels nothing when a guy touches her.  It's like everything shuts down.  And for some reason she likes that fact.  But she and Six sometimes wonder why.  Six thinks she might be broken.  Then Sky meets Dean Holder.  He is a dangerous guy according to the rumors circulating about him.  He has a temper that gets out of hand at times.  But the worst thing?  He is the only guy that Sky has ever felt anything for.  She is physically attracted to him and starts to like him too.  At first Holder is very enigmatic.  It seems like he has several sides to him, a regular Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.  One minute he's happy, the next a storm is brewing.  Sky has no idea how to take it, until they decide to tentatively date.  But that is soon disrupted when she wears a bracelet to school that was from her past.  She doesn't remember anything from before she was adopted by Karen 13 years ago.  But Holder knows some things about her past that Sky doesn't remember.  Things that could cause her an endless amount of pain and confusion.  Although he doesn't want her hurting like that, he ends up having to explain that he knew her before she was adopted.  And Sky was best friends with him and his now deceased sister, Lesslie.  Things only get more complicated for Sky, who might not even really be Sky.  All Holder can do is be there for her, no matter what decisions she has to make.

The real reason I enjoy making out with guys is simply because it makes me feel completely and comfortably numb.

As soon as I lay eyes on him, I immediately notice three things:

1) His amazingly perfect white teeth hidden behind that seductively crooked grin.

2) The dimples that form in the crevices between the corners of his lips and cheeks when he smiles.

3) I'm pretty sure I'm having a hot flash.  Or I have butterflies.  Or maybe I'm coming down with a stomach virus.

 Dean Holder feels like he lost Sky so many years ago.  Although his guilt is still there, it is unfounded.  And then he loses his twin sister.  Her death is also a burden to him.  Holder feels like he should have seen something was wrong with his sister, some indication that she would take her own life.  But most of all, he is angry with Lesslie.  For being selfish and leaving just like Sky did.  When he meets Sky so many years later, he isn't even sure that it's her until he sees the bracelet.  It solidifies that this was definitely the girl he had been looking for all this time.  And she was with him.  Unfortunately he just pushes her away for a while, unsure of how to handle everything that is going on, because obviously she doesn't remember anything.  And when she does, it's nothing that even he is prepared for.

*quotes via Colleen Hoover

*image via Colleen Hoover

An Unexpected Hunger by C. Rosa (review)

Character Introduction:
Alexa:  Coming back home from California.  Lifelong dream of being a chef and owning her dad's old restaurant one day.  Left her job as a chef in California because she slept with her boss and his wife found out.  Now she just wants to get away from it all and start over.

Drew:  Alexa's brother who drinks too much and it has caused him some problems at college.  Is currently with Mia, a bartender at The Mug.

Ricky:  Owner of The Mug, Mia's brother, and an old friend from high school to Alexa.  Constantly fights with his dad over money.  It's the only time he ever shows up or calls.  Is a ladies man.  Not one Alexa should get involved with.  Too unpredictable.

Mia:  Sister to Ricky, friend of Alexa's.

Ethan:  A guy Ricky and Alexa went to school with in junior high.  Has an interest in Alexa.  Headed to law school.  Definitely the type Alexa's mother would want her with.

Danny:  The boss that Alexa slept with.  Even though she left to start over again, he just keeps popping into the picture at the worst times.  He can't seem to let Alexa go.  Stalkerish and now separated from his wife.


   I have never read a novel where a relationship was more complicated than this one.  Ricky and Alexa have had a crush on each other for several years.  The only thing is that neither of them knew that fact about the

other.  And Ricky is quite the ladies man.  He can have any woman he wants and he acts like it.  Alexa is the only one who seems mostly immune from his charms.  She is not the type to be swooning at his feet and begging him to take her home.  In fact, it disgusts her how other women act around Ricky.  The two of them dance around each other for a while, not really making a move.  But when Ricky starts trying to get close, Alexa backs away.  She doesn't need to get involved with a guy like him.  It would just be another heartbreak for her.  The only thing is he wants a chance.  And he asks her for it.  But their relationship is a tumultuous one at best.  She has some severe trust issues and Ricky can be very hot and cold.  His mood swings come at break neck speed.  All the while Alexa is trying to make it work with Ricky, she is somewhat babysitting Drew so he doesn't get into anymore trouble, Ethan shows up into the picture wanting some time with Alexa, and Danny won't quit calling.  It's a lot to handle, possibly too much for her and one day Danny shows up at her mom's house.  To me it would be a huge stalker move, but she tolerates it.  In fact, he tells her of a job opening back in California.  With how things are between her and Ricky, she considers taking it.  It could be her only chance.  But moving back there would change her life, again.  Will Ricky and Alexa make it out of this together?  Or will everything tear them apart for good?

*this post is sponsored by Grammarly

*image via C. Rosa

Teaser: An Unexpected Hunger by C. Rosa

                                              About An Unexpected Hunger:

Alexa Stanton has the world on a plate. Five years after graduation, she's following her culinary dreams as sous chef of a popular California restaurant. But one explosive night in the kitchen brings her life crashing down. Ashamed and broke, Alexa retreats home to New Jersey for a fresh start.

Ricky Perry is known for two things: getting kicked out of high school and charming the pants off any woman. He is exactly the kind of guy Alexa swore she would never fall for again. In high school, it took all of Alexa's willpower to avoid him. But this isn’t high school anymore, and Ricky is more appealing than ever.

Ricky sets out to show Alexa that everyone deserves a second chance. Even him. Alexa needs to decide between what’s right for her career and what’s right for her heart. Or maybe Ricky will prove she really can have it all.

About the Author:

C. Rosa lives by the Jersey shore with her husband and their four year old son. In 2008, she received her Bachelor’s Degree in Communications with a concentration in Writing Arts. After taking some time off to start a family, she made the decision to go back to school. In September of 2013, she received her Master’s Degree in Education. Writing has always been a part of her life, but it wasn’t until she became a full time stay at home mom when she decided to finish writing her first novel. Three books later, and she signed her first YA romance with Entranced Publishing, releasing December 2013. In between writing, and not letting the laundry pile too high, she’s also active on her blog, twitter, and Facebook.

Merry Christmas from my family to yours!  Check out www.lego.com to create your very own Lego Christmas Card!!

With the holidays around, and the end of the school semester, things around my house have been a little hectic and will continue to be so for a while.  You may not see quite as many posts as I normally would be doing, but don't worry!  As soon as things calm down it will be back to the old grind stone!!

The Death Collectors Series by Jessica Sorensen

The silence of a heart...the shadow of trees...the blackened lake.  Bones Breaking.  Someone can't breathe.  It hurts...there's so much blood.  A last breath is strangled away.  A red "x" stains it all.  An empty hour glass.  Murder.

 

 Ember Edwards has a very unique gift.  She knows how someone will die just by touching them.  And she occasionally sees the Grim Reaper hanging out around her.  It's more than just a little creepy and with having to stare death in the face so much it wears on Ember quite a bit.  There are down sides to having such a gift.  She found out long ago people were not accepting of it.  Like when her father went missing and she called the police saying that he was going to die.  While she was just trying to stop it, it made her a prime suspect.  They never found his body.
   Two new guys show up at her school and the weird thing is that she can't sense their deaths.  One of them; Cameron, makes her feel like she is coming unraveled when she touches him while the other; Asher keeps her calm.  Ember starts having feelings towards Asher, but is still attracted to Cameron as well.
   While she deals with the two of them, Ember starts learning about Angels of Death, Grim Reapers, and Grim Angels (which are a product of the two plus human blood).  Grim Angels are tortured souls.  Easily depressed because of their "gift" of seeing death, their minds can break because of it and they go insane.  The more that Ember learns, the more she wonders whether she is a Grim Angel.

                          Who are Asher and Cameron really?

   In the second book, Ember is an even more precarious situation.  If her life wasn't threatened enough in the first book, it's even more so now.  She has to come to terms with her blood line and the fact that she may become the very last Grim Angel left.  If so, she must make a choice between good and evil.  But first she must survive the taunting of the Reapers.  They constantly mess with her mind and the whole town is getting crazy possessed by them.  Ember's "gift" has also evolved some and now she can see dead people as well.
  Cameron has found a way into Ember's thoughts and now is her constant companion whether she likes it or not.  He insists that he cares about her and is just trying to help, but Ember has her doubts about that fact.  She misses Asher.  He had to leave at the end of the last book and hasn't been seen since.
   Later in the book Asher suddenly returns.  He can no longer stand by and just watch while Ember is in so much danger.  Ember's own brother tried to kill her because he has given in to his Reaper blood.  Raven, her best friend, is possessed by the most powerful man/Reaper around.  Everyone is out to get Ember but Cameron and Asher.  But can she even trust them?  Her dad always said to never trust anyone.  Maybe he was right.

"Everyone thinks I'm a traitor and Michael made...he made me..." He sucks in a sharp breath  and the words spill out of him. "He made me human again, or at least, stripped me of my wings."
My jaw drops. "Like your mother?"
"Yes," he whispers, shutting his eyes. "I've been banished."  (Asher and Ember)

   This series is a real mind bender!  It's like a thriller/paranormal/romance wrapped all into one!  The thriller side being the mental side of it.  Ember has to deal with a lot of mental hardship as she sees things that she always has to question whether they are real or not.  Then there is death every step of the way.  It tortures her to no extent that she cannot touch anyone without seeing their death every single time she touches them.  Then there is Ember's family.  They seem just as crazy as she is, or worse.  Her mother drinks and does drugs.  Her brother is on depression medicine.  He smokes pot a lot and stays closed up in the attic painting.  Then there was her dad.  He used to steal cars until his disappearance.  Naturally, Asher and Cameron offer her somethings that she didn't think she would ever have.  But a normal life is not one of them.  And in the end, the decisions she makes will shape what happens to humans and Angels for the rest of eternity.
   There are two versions of this series.  There is this version and then there is the adult version.  For the adult version look for Ember-X or Cinder-X.  They are more explicit and romance oriented, while still giving it an air of suspense and danger!



*quotes via Jessica Sorensen (Ember-X and Cinder-X)
*images via Jessica Sorensen

Quotes from The Ravening Series

Been reading The Ravening Series again by Erica Stevens.  Cannot wait for the third book to come out!  Be looking for it!!

"The girls at school had called him the black devil due to his cold demeanor, midnight hair and onyx eyes.  I had never given much thought to the nickname, I'd thought it was silly and that they were absurd for saying it.  Standing in his presence now though I completely understood it, and couldn't shake it from my mind." 
-Ravenous (Book 1)

"There was no way to become used to this.  To become accustomed to the lack of noise in a world that had once been alive and thriving with it.  To do so would mean that I was ok with the reason behind the quiet.  And I was not, nor would I ever be, ok with the death and mayhem that the aliens had unleashed upon us.  Never be ok with the horror, terror, and loss that had unfolded because of them."                -Taken Over (Book 2)

Catharsis by D. Andrew Campbell

   I recently read a rather unique story that is not like any of the other vampire or succubus-type novels that I have ever read.  Our norm for these stories goes along the lines of a girl falling in love with a guy that is a vamp and they aren't supposed to be together because the guy wants to kill her because of her good smelling blood or they are mortal enemies.  Inevitably, everything the girl does is more based on how the boy would feel about it or something to that effect.  Now, I love a good romantic story as well as any other.  But the story told by Andrew Campbell is woven a little differently.  How about a story with a strong heroine in no need of a guy?

   Life for 16-year-old Catarina Perez has just gotten very complicated.  She wakes up in the middle of a bad part of town not remembering what happened.  Oh, and she's covered in blood while there's a dead guy in the alley with her.  Hmm.  Cat's body starts to change.  The light is difficult for her eyes.  She has incredible strength and agility.  And she suddenly wants to eat people.  After almost eating the school nurse, Cat leaves and finds an abandoned warehouse to live in.  She decides she can no longer be around other people.  Fighting within herself about what she is, she does her best to figure out how to turn around her dark gifts for something good.  However, even then, sometimes doing a good thing is something that you have to live with for the rest of your life.  Everything has its consequences.

There may be a dark side to what I'm embracing, but right now its existence is a distant memory.  I am one with the night, and I shall not be stopped.

   I love how Catharsis is so in depth about the struggles that Cat goes through while she tries to figure out where she now fits into the grand scheme of things.  She is utterly alone until she almost kills a dog, but ends up keeping him and calling him Lazzy.  Lazzy is the reason she keeps going at times, even though she is disgusted with herself and what she has to do to survive now.  Drinking blood isn't exactly ideal.  And it seems that the blood of certain people call to her more than others do.  And you see why later on.  That becomes one more problem on her list.  Her becoming "Super Cat" also has its own set of issues that come along with it.  Using her darkness for good means that while she is trying to take down the bad guys, she is still having to hurt people, normal people that do bad things.  Some people do these things for the money, some for the drugs, and some have other reasons. Some of these reasons are what will haunt Cat possibly forever.

This book is very clean and safe for the younger teens to read!!

The Banovic Siblings

The Banovic Siblings (Friends & Liars) by Gillian Felix Publication date: December 03, 2013 Genres: New Adult, Contemporary Synopsis: College boy Kevin Banovic’s casual affair with Savi DaCosta suited him perfectly. Things change when he finds out that Savi is his mom’s high school bestie. When Kevin tries to end their affair, Savi blackmails him. After Kevin rescues Savi’s stepdaughter, L’Wren, from her abusive boyfriend, he can’t stop thinking about her. He must find a way to handle Savi, protect L’Wren, and keep his sanity. Bad girl Adriana Banovic is pleased with herself for getting her nemesis expelled from Westwood Academy. As feelings between her and her latest victim Haze Lyndon escalate, an unexpected rival discovers her secret and threatens to expose her. With emotions on the line, will her new rival beat her at her own game or end up another casualty of Adriana’s wrath? Zax Banovic has it all. Tall and handsome, he’s an academic genius, with a killer smile and a heart of gold. When his best friend gets into trouble, he feels responsible and covers for him. But his best friend is not as honorable and has other plans for Zax. The Banovic Siblings learn that blackmail is a gift that keeps on giving.

   This is the second book in the Family Portrait novel series. If you like shows like the original Melrose Place, Beverly Hills 90210 and Nashville, where the guys and girls are hot and the schemes are hotter, you will like The Banovic Siblings. 

   Purchase Links:
The Banovic Siblings (Family Portrait V.2)
Changes (Family Portrait V.1)

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