June 16, 2015

Top Ten Books On My TBR For Summer 2015

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created bThe Broke and the Bookish

Top Ten Books On My TBR For Summer 2015
(in no particular order)
These are the books that I planned to read this summer.

YOUNG ADULT BOOKS
A Million Miles Away by Lara Avery
Emmy & Oliver by Robin Benway
Most Likely to Succeed (Superlatives #3) by Jennifer Echols



ADULT BOOKS
Can You Keep a Secret? by Sophie Kinsella
Magic Bleeds (Kate Daniels #4) by Ilona Andrews 

What books are on your Summer TBR list?
Leave me your links!

June 15, 2015

Review: Hello, I Love You by Katie M. Stout


Title: Hello, I Love You
Author: Katie M. Stout 
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Release date: June 9th 2015
Source: Netgalley
Format: eARC

Rating: 3.5/5

Buy onAmazon | B&N | BookDepository
A teen escapes to a boarding school abroad and falls for a Korean pop star in this fun and fresh romantic novel in the vein of Anna and the French Kiss.

Grace Wilde is running—from the multi-million dollar mansion her record producer father bought, the famous older brother who’s topped the country music charts five years in a row, and the mother who blames her for her brother’s breakdown. Grace escapes to the farthest place from home she can think of, a boarding school in Korea, hoping for a fresh start.

She wants nothing to do with music, but when her roommate Sophie’s twin brother Jason turns out to be the newest Korean pop music superstar, Grace is thrust back into the world of fame. She can't stand Jason, whose celebrity status is only outmatched by his oversized ego, but they form a tenuous alliance for the sake of her friendship with Sophie. As the months go by and Grace adjusts to her new life in Korea, even she can't deny the sparks flying between her and the KPOP idol.

Soon, Grace realizes that her feelings for Jason threaten her promise to herself that she'll leave behind the music industry that destroyed her family. But can Grace ignore her attraction to Jason and her undeniable pull of the music she was born to write? Sweet, fun, and romantic, this young adult novel explores what it means to experience first love and discover who you really are in the process.

I had high expectations when I started reading this book, because I liked that the love interest was a Kpop singer and I´ll be sincere I was really expecting something like Anna and the French Kiss (one can dream, right?) due to the synopsis, but unfortunately the book did not meet my expectations, but it´s not a bad book, it was okay, is just that I expected more.

Grace the main character, is a Country music "princess", because her father owns one of the most famous and powerful record companies of that genre and her older brother is a famous country singer, so she´s accustomed to harassment by paparazzi, people who approach her for her connections or to be famous by association. But something happens in her life that make her flee Nashville and seek refuge in the boarding school for rich kids on an island in South Korea. Once there she quickly becomes friends with her roommate Sophie, whom is Korean, but spent her childhood in the United States so she speaks both languages ​​perfectly, unlike Grace who only speaks English.

And it´s through Sophie that Grace meets Jason, her twin brother and a famous K-pop singer, which is also in the same boarding, and at first they don´t like each other, but because both hang out with Sophie they spend some time together.

Jason is the lead singer and leader of a famous Kpop group, he´s a jerk and rude at first, unlike his bandmates Tae Hwa and Yoon Jae. Tae Hwa does not speak English, so we don´t get to know him very well because he doesn´t interact with Grace, but Yoon Jae is fluent English and he become friend with Grace, I think of the trio, Yoon Jae was my favorite. Jason is a divo at the beginning of the story, but as he gets to know Grace and lose the attitude, his character improves, but he has its moments where he returns to being a jerk, making this a very slow romance.

Overall, I enjoyed reading Hello, I Love You, especially when Grace goes sightseeing and gets to know a little more of South Korea. The main plot is the romance between Grace and Jason, but there is a subplot about what happened in Nashville that made Grace move to another country, which for me at least was predictable because I had already guessed very early in the story, the big reveal.

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? is a meme hosted by Book Journey.
Each week we spotlight the books we are reading, planning on reading or just finished reading.

Click on the image to look description in Goodreads.

Finished reading
 Hello, I Love You by Katie M. Stout (3.5/5)
Silver Shadows (Bloodlines #5) by Richelle Mead - Love it!
Reviews to come.

What I´m going to read next?


What are you reading today? 
Leave me your links!

June 10, 2015

Waiting On Wednesday(176): Legacy of Kings

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

The book I´m waiting this week is

Legacy of Kings (Blood of Gods and Royals #1) by Eleanor Herman
Release date: August 25th 2015
Imagine a time when the gods turn a blind eye to the agony of men, when the last of the hellions roam the plains and evil stirs beyond the edges of the map. A time when cities burn, and in their ashes, empires rise.

Alexander, Macedonia’s sixteen-year-old heir, is on the brink of discovering his fated role in conquering the known world but finds himself drawn to newcomer Katerina, who must navigate the dark secrets of court life while hiding her own mission: kill the Queen. But Kat’s first love, Jacob, will go to unthinkable lengths to win her, even if it means competing for her heart with Hephaestion, a murderer sheltered by the prince. And far across the sea, Zofia, a Persian princess and Alexander’s unmet fiancĂ©e, wants to alter her destiny by seeking the famed and deadly Spirit Eaters.

Weaving fantasy with the salacious and fascinating details of real history, New York Times bestselling author Eleanor Herman reimagines the greatest emperor the world has ever known: Alexander the Great, in the first book of the Blood of Gods and Royals series.

Why I'm Waiting?
What draw me to this book was that it will be a reimagination of the story of Alexander the Great and just for that I want to read it.

What book are you waiting this week?
Leave your WOW links 

June 9, 2015

Top Ten Most Anticipated Releases For the Rest of 2015

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created bThe Broke and the Bookish

Top Ten Most Anticipated Releases For the Rest of 2015
(in no particular order)

For my Freebie post a couple of weeks ago I did Top Ten Most Anticipated Novels For The Second Half of 2015, which is basically the same thing as this Top Ten, so I´m going to choose another 10 books that I most anticipate for the rest of the year.

YOUNG ADULT
Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon
Witch Hunter (The Witch Hunter #1) by Virginia Boecker
Ice Like Fire (Snow Like Ashes #2) by Sara Raasch

Six of Crows (The Dregs #1) by Leigh Bardugo
Soundless by Richelle Mead
The Masked Truth by Kelley Armstrong


ADULT
The Veil (Devil's Isle #1) by Chloe Neill
Menagerie (Menagerie #1) by Rachel Vincent
The Bourbon Kings (The Bourbon Kings #1) by J.R. Ward

What books are you looking forward to read in 2015?
Leave me your links!

June 8, 2015

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? is a meme hosted by Book Journey.
Each week we spotlight the books we are reading, planning on reading or just finished reading.

Click on the image to look description in Goodreads.

Finished reading
Dark Places by Gillian Flynn (4/5 stars) : This book is seriously messed up. I really enjoyed it and I´m looking forward to read more of Gillian books.
Pure Blooded (Jessica McClain #5) by Amanda Carlson: Review to come.

What I´m going to read next?


What are you reading today? 
Leave me your links!

June 3, 2015

Waiting On Wednesday(175): Thicker Than Water

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

The book I´m waiting this week is

Thicker Than Water by Brigid Kemmerer 
Release date: December 29th 2015
On his own

Thomas Bellweather hasn’t been in town long. Just long enough for his newlywed mother to be murdered, and for his new stepdad’s cop colleagues to decide Thomas is the primary suspect.

Not that there’s any evidence. But before Thomas got to Garretts Mill there had just been one other murder in twenty years.

The only person who believes him is Charlotte Rooker, little sister to three cops and, with her soft hands and sweet curves, straight-up dangerous to Thomas. Her best friend was the other murder vic. And she’d like a couple answers.

Answers that could get them both killed, and reveal a truth Thomas would die to keep hidden… 

Why I'm Waiting?
I enjoyed The Elemental series written by Brigid and can´t wait to read more of her books.

What book are you waiting this week?
Leave your WOW links 

June 2, 2015

Review: The Summer of Chasing Mermaids by Sarah Ockler


Title: The Summer of Chasing Mermaids
Author: Sarah Ockler
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Release date: June 2nd 2015
Source: Edelweiss
Format: eARC

Rating: 4/5

Buy onAmazon | B&N | BookDepository
A talented singer loses her ability to speak after a tragic accident, leading her to a postcard-perfect seaside town to find romance.

The youngest of six talented sisters, Elyse d’Abreau was destined for stardom—until a boating accident took everything from her. Now, the most beautiful singer in Tobago can’t sing. She can’t even speak.

Seeking quiet solitude, Elyse accepts a friend’s invitation to Atargatis Cove. Named for the mythical first mermaid, the Oregon seaside town is everything Elyse’s home in the Caribbean isn’t: An ocean too cold for swimming, parties too tame for singing, and people too polite to pry—except for one.

Christian Kane is a notorious playboy—insolent, arrogant, and completely charming. He’s also the only person in Atargatis Cove who doesn’t treat Elyse like a glass statue. He challenges her to express herself, and he admires the way she treats his younger brother Sebastian, who believes Elyse is the legendary mermaid come to life.

When Christian needs a first mate for the Cove’s high-stakes Pirate Regatta, Elyse reluctantly stows her fear of the sea and climbs aboard. The ocean isn’t the only thing making waves, though—swept up in Christian’s seductive tide and entranced by the Cove’s charms, Elyse begins to wonder if a life of solitude isn’t what she needs. But changing course again means facing her past. It means finding her inner voice. And scariest of all, it means opening her heart to a boy who’s best known for breaking them . . .

A summer read with substance. I really enjoyed reading this book.

Elyse d'Abreau was born and raised at Trinidad and Tobago, she´s a girl that until last spring, was a talented singer and was part of a duet with her twin sister Natalie, and everything was looking good, finally her dreams were going to become true, she would finally go on a tour accompanying a famous singer and she was going to record an album, but an accident snatched everything from her. Now Elyse will never sing again, will never speak again....so now she doesn´t know what will become of her life, and because now she´s just a singer without a voice, singing was her life and future, she never planned or saw a different future, but now her dreams are gone and while she mourns the loss of her voice and find a new meaning to her life, she decides to visit her aunt Lemon and her cousin Kirby, they live in Atargatis Cove, Oregon. And it´s there in a place where nobody knows her, nobody knows what she lost, no one meddle with her life, there she will live a summer that never saw coming because there she´ll meet  Christian's the famous playboy of Atargatis Cove,

Christian owns a boat, the same that Elyse been using as a hideout since she arrived to Atargatis Cove and after a while they start to spend time together.

Atargatis Cove is a small, picturesque and quiet town, which has a small marina that in the summer has various festivities, ending with a Pirate Regatta. And Christian end up participating along with Elyse as his first mate.

For most of story there are many references about mermaids and Christian´s younger brother Sebastian, is so sure that this is "the summer" where he will see the famous Atargatis Mermaid and he does several expeditions looking for her and then he meets Elyse and he´s almost certain that she´s a mermaid, because she doesn´t speak and always wears a seashell necklace to cover a scar on her neck.

This is the first book I read of Sarah Ockler and I really enjoyed it. It´s a perfect summer read and although it´s not a light read, it has its funny moments and it isn´t heavily loaded in the drama. The writing is beautiful and poetic, because Elyse writes to communicate with others and almost all her writing are poetic (because supposedly that´s the way she writes).

This book is on the line between Mature Young Adult and New Adult, because there are sex scenes (not very descriptive, but...) and Christian is college student.

June 1, 2015

Review: The Fiery Heart by Richelle Mead


Title: The Fiery Heart (Bloodlines #4)
Author: Richelle Mead 
Publisher: Razorbill
Release date: November 19th 2013

Rating: 5/5

Buy onAmazon | B&N | BookDepository

You can read my review of The Golden Lily - here & The Indigo Spell - here
Sydney Sage is an Alchemist, one of a group of humans who dabble in magic and serve to bridge the wolds of humans and vampires. They protect vampire secrets - and human lives.

In The Indigo Spell, Sydney was torn between the Alchemist way of life and what her heart and gut were telling her to do. And in one breathtaking moment that Richelle Mead fans will never forget, she made a decision that shocked even her...

But the struggle isn't over for Sydney. As she navigates the aftermath of her life-changing decision, she still finds herself pulled in too many directions at once. Her sister Zoe has arrived, and while Sydney longs to grow closer to her, there's still so much she must keep secret. Working with Marcus has changed the way she views the Alchemists, and Sydney must tread a careful path as she harnesses her profound magical ability to undermine the way of life she was raised to defend. Consumed by passion and vengeance, Sydney struggles to keep her secret life under wraps as the threat of exposure — and re-education — looms larger than ever.

Pulses will race throughout this smoldering fourth installment in the New York Times bestselling Bloodlines series, where no secret is safe. 

Warning:  I ramble a lot

Since I "met" Adrian Ivashkov in Frosbite second book from the Vampire Academy series, I've had a great inclination towards his character, I'm impartial when it comes to him and this series, he´s my bias ... Yes, I  know that the female lead is Sydney, but it was not until the end of the previous book and that she finally came to her senses and accept her feelings for Adrian.

And you might wonder... if I say that I'm super fan of this series, why I haven´t read The Fiery Heart sooner? .... well, when I pre-ordered this book from Book Depository, it didn´t arrived immediately (as you know for those who had order books there) and when I finally got it, there were several reviews published and some were commenting that this book ended in a super-mega cliffhanger, so I decided to wait until Silver Shadows come out and one thing led to another and The Ruby Circle I already was published, so now I'll read them almost back to back.

The Fiery Heart, takes place nearly a month after the events in the previous book and Sydney and Adrian are finally are a couple, which would be wonderful, if it were not for the very limited time they have to see each other and due that she's an alchemist and he´s a Moroi, their relationship is taboo, so they must keep it a secret from everyone and pretend when they are with others that everything is normal, the only one that knows about their relationship is Jill, because of the connection to Adrian (she´s shadow kiss). They also need to be more discreet and watch their backs because Sydney´s younger sister and alchemist fellow comes to live with her so she must share her room with her, which makes everything more difficult. Zoe comes with all the normal fears and prejudices of the alchemists, which prompts her to be extra careful and not appear very friendly with Adrian, Jill, Eddie, Angeline and Neil, because the alchemists could punished her if they discovered that she´s being friendly with the Moroi or dhampirs.

The story is told from alternating points of view of Adrian and Sydney, which I loved! because I could finally see how the use of spirit affects Adrian and which is the backwash for when he overuse spirit, how slowly is deteriorating his mental health.

There are several very interesting plots that thanks to the we get to see Rose, Dimitri, Lisa and Christian, and we can take a peek to their lives.

I loved The Fiery Heart!! so far it´s my favorite of the series, the romance was cute, I can see how Sydney is a very good influence on Adrian. Also it has some action scenes (not as many as in Vampire Academy, but  I can't complain). And that ENDING!! ..... it´s super-mega cliffhanger (no!!, why?!), and now that I have Silver Shadows in my hands I don´t have to wait long to read it. This is a book highly satisfactory for fans of the Bloodlines series (but that ending! ...).

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? is a meme hosted by Book Journey.
Each week we spotlight the books we are reading, planning on reading or just finished reading.

Click on the image to look description in Goodreads.

Finished reading
The Summer of Chasing Mermaids by Sarah Ockler (4/5 stars) - I like that the main character is from Tobago and that due to an accident, she´s unable to speak.
The Fiery Heart (Bloodlines #4) by Richelle Mead (5/5 stars) - This series is my bias.
Every Last Word by Tamara Ireland Stone (4.5/5 stars) - I Love it!!,  The main character has Primarily Obsessional OCD and it´s about her struggle with words.

What I´m going to read next?

What are you reading today? 
Leave me your links!