Review - Truly, Madly, Deeply, You by Cecilia Robert

Title and Author: Truly, Madly, Deeply, You by Cecilia Robert

Publisher: Inkspell Publishing

Publication Date: March 21st, 2012

Paperback/Hardcover: 200

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Summary:

Four days before Valentine’s Day, Liese Hansfeld is determined to shut the door to her house, as well as her heart, for her annual four days of mourning her one true love. Little does she know her best friend Freytag Meier is just as determined to keep her from her ritual. He’s ready to pick the lock to her apartment door and camp in her living room if that’s what it takes.

What Freytag isn’t prepared for is the surge of deep-rooted emotions he feels for Liese, but two things stand in his way: the grief and guilt she still clutches close to her heart, and a man who threatens to snatch Liese from under Frey’s watchful eye. Frey is determined to distract her into forgetting her pain. But is that enough to ease her grief, or help her see he can be more than her best friend?

Review:

I received this book from Inkspell Publishing in exchange if an honest review and I have to say this is a very sweet story.

For the past two years and due to a tragic accident, Liese’s life hasn’t been easy and the days leading up to Valentine’s Day are always the worse for her. Knowing this, her childhood friend, Frey has decided enough is enough. He plans to spend the days before Valentine’s Day with Liese whether she wants it or nor. He can’t stand seeing his friend suffer, especially when he realized things are worse than what he imagined.

At first, Liese and Frey are not aware their feelings for each other have gone beyond friendship but when they do realize it Liese is too afraid to acknowledge her feelings. She’s took afraid of losing yet another person who is so important to her.

I liked Liese. She has gone through a lot but she’s still strong, even though she carries a lot of guilt around. I enjoyed reading about her but I have to confess she sometimes made me feel frustrated, especially because she couldn’t seem to realize how great and sweet Freytag was and that she was really lucky to have him.

Frey really is great. He’s sweet, caring, and romantic, threats Liese incredibly well and was always there for her. He knew he loved her but he was willing to wait until she was ready to look at him as more than just a friend.

The relationship between the two of them developed nicely and was really sweet.

I really enjoyed this book. It is about a great friendship turning into an ever better romance.

The story is well told and beautiful and was able to keep me interested. I only wished this book was a little longer.

If you like Contemporary Romance and are looking for a sweet story, Truly, Madly, Deeply might just be the book for you.

Rating:Worth Your Time a (4 Stars)

Goodreads 

My Book Boyfriend

My Book Boyfriend is a weekly meme, hosted by Missie at The Unread Reader. It is a weekly meme where we talk about a literary crush including stats, a picture of what you imagine he looks like and some quotes from him that make you swoon.  If you are interested in participating please check out the My Book Boyfriend Introduction Page over at Missie's blog The Unread Reader.

This week my book boyfriend is:

Tristan from Anew by Chelsea Fine

 

Stats

Status: Tristan is Gabriel's twin brother and Scarlet's love interes.

Age: 

Height: Tall

Eyes: Supernatural Green

Hair: Dark

More info:  Tristan is very conflited. He has his feelings for Scalet and a curse to deal with, after all!

"She was frozen in place, drawing in one long breath like she was breathing for the first time. When her eyes locked on his, her violent heart nearly stopped.
The eyes staring back at her weren’t brown like Gabriel’s. They were bright green."

Gabriel:  “All these arrows are sharp—and have blood on them.” 

Tristan: “Yes, well, I left my cotton candy arrows at home next to my teddy bear.”

“Calm down, Braveheart." Gabriel searched through the weapons. "I'm trying to find something not quite as fatal as...a scythe? Really?"
Gabriel held the wicked half-moon blade up and looked at Tristan. "What are you, the Grim Reaper?"
"Yes. Yes, Gabriel. I'm the Grim Reaper. You caught me. I drive around in my car full of weapons collecting souls.

“Tristan was silent for a few moments, looking at the leaves before them. "Life isnt about the past and the future. Its about today." He paused. "Its about five minutes from now and two seconds ago. Its moments, you know? Not years. Years arent what define us."

Isn't he just great? 

How's your book boyfriend this week?

Review - Perception by Kim Harrington

Title and Author: Perception (Clarity 02) by Kim Harrington

Publisher: Scholastic Point

Publication Date: March 1st, 2012

Paperback/Hardcover: 288

Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal

Summary:

When you can see things others can't, what do you do when someone's watching you?

Everybody knows about Clarity "Clare" Fern. She's the psychic girl in school, the one who can place her hands on something and see hidden visions from the past.
Only Clare would rather not be a celebrity. She prefers hanging back, observing. Her gift is not a game to her.
But then someone starts playing with her head . . . and heart. Messages and gifts from a secret admirer crop up everywhere Clare turns. Could they be from Gabriel, the gorgeous boy who gets Clare's pulse racing? Or from Justin, Clare's hopeful ex-boyfriend who'd do anything to win her back?
One thing is certain. Clare needs to solve this mystery, and soon. Because the messages are becoming sinister, and a girl in town has suddenly disappeared

Review:

I really liked Clarity so I couldn’t wait to read Perception and it definitely did not disappoint me. The story is definitely intense and gripping and it kept me well entertained.

After the events in Clarity, Clare hopes everything will settle down again but, unfortunately, they don’t.  Her brother is not the same anymore, a girl from school is missing and Clare begins to receive several messages and gifts from a secret admirer. She suspects her ex-boyfriend Justin or her friend Gabriel are behind it but quickly learns that is not the case. As the days go by and everything gets more and more complicated, Clare, once again, finds herself involved in a mystery she needs to solve.

I really like the character in this series. Clare has grown a lot and I think it’s easy to like her. She is aware and maybe even accepting of her abilities in this book and I enjoyed that.

Her relationship with Justin and Gabriel has developed nicely as well. Both guys are great and, even though, I really like Justin and his teasing and witty personality, Gabriel is still my favorite. He’s protective and brave and it was great getting to know him a little bit better in this book.

There’s a love triangle in this book, yes, but it’s very well-written and the fact Clare doesn’t spend her time complaining and thinking she’s not going to be able to survive without one of the guys is refreshing. Clare doesn’t mind being alone and she is well aware of the risk of choosing any of the guys.

Halfway through the story I had a pretty good guess about who the person that was sending Clare those messages and gifts was, but I still had fun trying to find out what that person’s intentions and motivations were.

I really enjoyed Perception. The book is well-written, the characters are interesting and the action and mystery is gripping and will make you want to unravel it.

I really do hope Kim Harrington has plans for at least another book in this series because I still have a lot of questions, especially about Clare’s father. 

If you’re a fan of Young Adult and Paranormal fans with a good and interesting mystery, I think you’ll definitely be able to enjoy this book.

Rating: Between Worth Your Time and Must Read (4 ½ Stars)

Goodreads 

Bookdepository

Review - Forbidden Mind by Kimberly Kinrade

Title and Author: Forbidden Mind by Kimberly Kinrade

Publisher: Evolved Publishing

Publication Date: September 6th, 2011

Paperback/Hardcover: 134

Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal

Summary:

She reads minds.
He controls minds.
Together, they might get out alive.

Sam thinks she's months away from freedom. After spending her life in a secret school, rented out to the rich and powerful as a paranormal spy, she is ready to head to college like any normal eighteen-year-old.
Only Sam isn't normal. She reads minds. And just before her big going-away party, she links to the mind of a young man who changes everything.
Drake wasn't raised as a 'Rent-A-Kid.' He was kidnapped and taken there by force. But his exceptional physical strength and powers of mind control make him very dangerous, especially to Sam.
When they meet, Sam is forced to face the truth of her situation, and to acknowledge that not all is as it seems in her picture-perfect world. For what awaits her on her eighteenth birthday isn't a trip to college, but an unexpected nightmare from which she may not be able to escape.
To survive, they must work together.
But will their powers be enough to save them before it's too late?

Review:

I received this book from the author in exchange of an honest review and Forbidden Mind is a thrilling and fascinating story full of twists that are able to take the reader by surprise.

In the world of Forbidden Mind some people, like Sam, have special, paranormal abilities. Sam can, in fact, read minds. She lived with other kids with abilities at a place they call Rent-A-Kid.

When she’s almost ready to leave, she meets a boy named Drake, though and that boy changes her whole life and everything she believes in.

The main character is Sam and it was easy to understand and connect to her. She’s strong, brave, full of spunk, rational and able to keep calm even at stressful times. She finds herself facing awful circumstances while wishing for a normal life. The author definitely did a good job creating a character that is easy to like and root for.

Drake is a very interesting character as well and he changes Sam’s whole life. The relationship between them was actually surprising and very unique. The bond between the two of them is definitely strong and I enjoyed reading about the way they often leaned on each other for support and even hope.

This book deals with some heavy, dark and serious themes and I think the author did a great job with them. The lack of compassion for other humans is an example of one of those issues.

I enjoyed this book and thought it was very interesting. Forbidden Mind is well written and the characters are easy to like and relate to. I think my only real complain about this book is that it is very short so there’s not much space for development of some details like, for instance, the Rent-A-Kind organization. The author still did a wonderful job with the story.

All in all, Forbidden Mind is a romantic, exciting and also dark story that was able to keep me entertained and curious.

Rating: Worth Your Time (4 Stars)

Goodreads 

Review - Hourglass (Hourglass 01) by Myra McEntire

Title and Author: Hourglass (Hourglass 01) by Myra McEntire

Publisher: Egmont USA

Publication Date: June 14th, 2011

Paperback/Hardcover: 394

Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal

Summary:

One hour to rewrite the past . . .
 
For seventeen-year-old Emerson Cole, life is about seeing what isn’t there: swooning Southern Belles; soldiers long forgotten; a haunting jazz trio that vanishes in an instant. Plagued by phantoms since her parents’ death, she just wants the apparitions to stop so she can be normal. She’s tried everything, but the visions keep coming back.

So when her well-meaning brother brings in a consultant from a secretive organization called the Hourglass, Emerson’s willing to try one last cure. But meeting Michael Weaver may not only change her future, it may change her past.
Who is this dark, mysterious, sympathetic guy, barely older than Emerson herself, who seems to believe every crazy word she says? Why does an electric charge seem to run through the room whenever he’s around? And why is he so insistent that he needs her help to prevent a death that never should have happened?

Review:

I had heard a lot about this book but it took me a while to decide I wanted to read it. I was a little apprehensive about the story but I have to confess it definitely lived up to the hype and Hourglass turned out to be a unique, sweet and interesting book that I really enjoyed.

Emerson is definitely a great main character. She may be a little violent sometimes but she’s also witty and sarcastic. She knows karate and is able to take care of herself.  Plus, she has no edit button! It was easy to like Emerson and enjoy the fact that, even though her past is far from perfect she managed to remain strong.

Now, Michael… I really liked him, even though I might have wanted to be able to smack some sense into him once or twice there. He can be really sweet, loyal and brave, though, and it’s obvious his feelings for Emerson are real.

Other characters like Kaleb also brought a lot to the story. He’s cocky and a smart-ass but there’s also a soft side to him that makes him very likeable.

I think the relationship between Emerson and Michael developed nicely and it felt real, even though there were a few moments of tension and jealously between them.

One thing I wasn’t a big fan of was the fact Emerson almost went completely gaga over Kaleb when he first showed up, even though there was Michael and she obviously had feelings for him. I was afraid an instant love triangle would happen and take over the story but, gladly, it didn’t.

Myra McEntire was able to create and an atmosphere in this book that is great and felt real. Plus, there’s a little bit of everything in this book: humor, romance, mystery, adventure and action.

Hourglass is a well-written book, with good characters and an interesting story. I enjoyed the fact that little hints about what’s really happening are given during the book culminating in several reveals at the end.

I think any Young Adult and Paranormal fan will definitely be able to enjoy this book.

Rating: Worth Your Time (4 Stars)

Goodreads 

Bookdepository

Cruise to Murder Blog Tour

I'm participating in the Cruise to Murder Blog Tour and hosting a little guest post. 

Check the end of the post to know how you can have access to a free copy of The Riddles of Hillgate.

Dating Woes of a Murder Magnet 

Excerpt from Cruise to Murder:

“Hi, ladies. Whatcha doing?”

“Butch!” said Zo.

“I guess I’m too late for the tour.”

Claire took a few steps away from them, to report her finding.

“You live here, and you haven’t been on the tour or know all the history better than the guide?” Zo shook her head.

“You expect too much of me, woman with soft fire hair.”

“Take a look at that.” She pointed down.

“What, did you find a big fighting crab? Oh, wow, Zo, an empty hole! Tourists are soooo easy to entertain.”

“Take a little closer look down at the sand over there.” Claire was finished with her call, and flashed her cell phone’s light down for better vision.

“Okay. I see a lot of dirty sand, big deal, and… What? What is that? Fingers? Aghaaa!” He jumped back and almost fell. “Who are you ladies? Everywhere you go there are bodies! Or, in this case, maybe parts of bodies! You guys are creeping me out!” He continued in a needy, wounded tone, “I will need some kisses all around my face, Zo, for comfort. But,” he continued in a more resolute voice, “I’m not going in any dark corners with either of you!”

Z: Butch is one of the natives whom I was quite fond of in Cruise to Murder. We  seemed to really hit it off, dancing and dining together on the cruise ship.

C: Mom just kept surprising him by being around crime scene after crime scene. It wasn’t totally our fault either, because trouble seems to follow us.

Z: Yeah, it’s not like I think, Today is a lovely day to find a dead man in a cave, especially when I am on vacation!

C: Such is the life of a sleuth, I guess.

Z: Is that what we are, dear?

C: I would say so. We’ve solved three mysteries together, two being The Riddles of Hillgate and Cruise to Murder. We are currently writing about our latest adventure, called Hexes and Xs. So, yes, you can call us sleuths.

Z: Oh, that is so Nancy Drew-ish. I like it. What do you say, we head down to the buffet and get something to eat.

C: Sounds good, but let’s first say thank you to Carla from Library Mosaic. Thank you for having us on your beautiful blog! I want to let your readers know to sign up for a chance to win a $25 Amazon Gift Card at our blog—http://zoeyandclaire.blogspot.com.

Now, if you want to read The Riddles of Hillgate, Zoey and Claire offered a smashwords coupon code for everyone.

The code is: FH88H and you can use it at: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/96546

  

Thank you!

It's Monday, What are you Reading?

 

This weekly meme is hosted by Sheila at One Person's Journey Through a World of Books.

 

 

Read this past week:

Existence - Abbi Glines

Perception - Kim Harrington

Currently Reading: 
Hourglass - Myra McEntire

Upcoming:

Shift - Jeri Smith-Ready

How was your reading week? What are you reading this week and are you enjoying it?

Link Your Reviews

We all want to promote our reviews, don't we? This is a way of letting other people know about them. Just leave a link to your review below.

Go visit the other reviews and let people know what you think about them!

This will is weekly feature posted on Thursdays. :)

Review - Promise Me Eternity by Ian Fox

Title and Author: Promise Me Eternity by Ian Fox

Publisher: Kindle

Publication Date: January 20th, 2011

Paperback/Hardcover: 

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Summary:

Dr. Simon Patterson is a successful and well-respected neurosurgeon at Central Hospital in the town of Medford. Married, though without children, he keeps himself so busy that one day is not much different from another. Until, that is, he saves the life of the powerful mobster Carlo Vucci.
At a dinner in honor of Dr. Patterson, Carlo Vucci introduces him to his alluring wife Christine. Simon is entranced by her beauty.
Three weeks later, Christine shows up at the hospital, complaining of terrible headaches. Dr. Patterson offers to help her, but Christine did not come to see him just because of her headaches. A series of shocking events follow that turn Dr. Patterson’s life into a nightmare. Among other things, he finds himself in court being accused of murder in the first degree …

Review:

I received this book from the author in exchange of an honest review and though this was a very interesting story about mystery, murder and greed.

Dr. Simon Patterson is a respected neurosurgeon who despite being married for 15 years pays little attention to his greedy wife since he’s completely invested in developing an anti-aging vaccine. When he saves the life of a known gangster who offers him a large amount of money his own life changes completely culminating with his wife’s murder and everything indicating he was guilty.

There’s a big cast of characters in this book so it’ll force you to pay attention to what’s happening. One chapter may be about one character and then change to another one so it can be a little complicated to keep track of who you’re reading about sometimes.

This is a great mystery, though. There’s enough suspense to keep the reader interested and wondering what will happen and how the story will end.

There are some great twists in Promise me Eternity that I really enjoyed and, all in all, I really think this is a very good mystery novel that deals with interesting subjects.

I think anyone who likes a good mystery and suspense story will be able to enjoy this one.

Rating: Somewhere Between Readable and Worth Your Time (3 ½ Stars)

Goodreads