From Goodreads: Two deadly adversaries, one horrific conspiracy against Middle East peace. Disillusioned with the continued killing in the agency, Jordan Kline resigns to take up hotel management studies. Now the General Manager of the Sands Eilat hotel, Jordan enjoys life with his girlfriend Irit in the Red Sea resort town. An ex colleague is taken out on the Arava road, the long desert road leading from the Dead Sea to Eilat. On his way back from Tel Aviv, Jordan witnesses the dying man’s last words. They are words that will push Jordan reluctantly back into the world he had turned his back on. Jordan unravels a deadly conspiracy that threatens to engulf the Middle East in war. He becomes the most hunted man in Israel. Forced to use all his cunning, Jordan must stay one step ahead of men that kill to fulfill their deadly ambitions. The only problem is that Jordan does not know who they are, and time is running out as the historic date of The Taba Convention approaches. The Taba Convention is filled with surprising twists and turns, and interesting insights into the world of hotels interspersed in the suspenseful action. The future of the Middle East is in doubt right up until the climax at the Taba Hilton Hotel in Taba Egypt. The Taba Convention is a political action adventure thriller that will keep you turning the pages faster and faster.

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Ayers blew me away in this action packed thriller dealing with the Middle East.  I’m not always enamored by novels dealing with terrorism and the peace issues in the Middle East, but Ayers’ beautiful prose and sheer writing abilities thread a very unique and pointed story, making me an instant fan.  The vast amount of knowledge Ayers holds, as well as the amount of research he had to do in order to create a convincing piece, is phenomenal, and I highly recommend this to anyone looking for an action packed thriller.

Although there are multiple characters to keep track of through this extensive novel, Ayers presents them all in such a way that I didn’t have any issues, which is a feat in and of itself as I usually become lost quickly when too many characters are present.  I love that the main character, Kline, isn’t the normal killing machine you see in so many political thrillers, but rather a retired, peaceful man running a hotel in Eilat.  This is completely different from many of the books I’ve read along the same topic, and I enjoyed this respite in character.  Kline is not the run of the mile protagonist and I highly enjoyed him and the blossoming love story Ayers also adds to this climactic read.  Four and a half stars.

I received a copy of this novel from the author in exchange for an honest review.

From Goodreads: Graham Douglas doesn’t do romantic relationships, but he was knocked for a loop when he met Emma Pierce on the set of his last film. As they grew closer, he did everything in his power to keep from falling for a girl being pursued by superstar Reid Alexander. Now home in New York, his life is once again under control, until Emma appears and shows him how not over her he is.

Emma Pierce is forsaking an up-and-coming Hollywood career to embark on a life she’s only dreamed of—the life of a regular girl. After spending months burying her feelings for the two night-and-day guys who vied for her heart while filming her last movie, a twist of fate puts her in a coffee shop in the middle of Manhattan with the one she still misses.

Brooke Cameron was a fresh-faced Texas girl when she arrived in LA. Now she’s a beach sitcom star turned conceited heiress on the big screen. Having just survived three months on location with her ex—Hollywood’s reigning golden boy—she’s older and wiser and has set her sights on her close friend Graham. The only thing standing in her way is the girl he can’t forget.

Reid Alexander can sum up his life in one word: boring. Between film projects, there’s little going on outside of interviews, photo shoots, and the premiere of the film he finished last fall. The next-to-last thing he expects is to get a second chance with Emma, the girl who rejected him. The last thing he expects is for his still-bitter-ex to be the one to offer it to him on a platter.

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Webber is a master storyteller, engaging her readers from start to finish as she relays the story of teen celebrities in this sequel to Between the Lines.  This is the second novel of Webber’s that I’ve read, and it’s the second time that I’ve been transported into her characters’ world, making vast connections and figuratively becoming a part of the story.  Webber utilizes a first person, multiple narrator style in her novels, allowing the reader to make deeper connections as he/she sees each situation from all sides.  This allows the reader to make informed decisions about characters, while also increasing the anxiety and tension the reader feels as the story unfolds.  I love having this connection with characters, and though I spent a majority of this novel angry at two of them, I loved every minute of the experience, especially as it all came to a head at the end.

When I read one of Webber’s books, reality falls away and I become enraptured in her fictional worlds. While reading Where You Are, I felt like a fly on the wall, able to see the intricate workings of the whole story from each character’s point of view, while also feeling the tension and passion along with them.  This novel is a great follow up to Between the Lines, picking up exactly where the first novel left off, and the reader is given much more background information about the characters, especially Brooke and Graham, which gives readers much food for thought as the story unfolds.

Although the novel was a rollercoaster ride of emotions for both me and the four characters within in the novel, I will note that I am happily satisfied with the conclusion of this novel.  I am also extremely excited to read the next book in the series, Good For You, which will deviated from the storyline of both Between the Lines and Where You Are, following only one of our beloved characters as he/she moves on (no spoilers).  It is also my understanding that a new character will be introduced, which is intriguing in and of itself!  I’ve read the sneak peek of this third novel, which is thankfully located at the very end of Where You Are (past the acknowledgements) and I’m really looking forward to it.  And, though I don’t necessarily want to see the Graham, Emma, Reid, and Brooke chapter close, I am ready to follow other characters on new adventures, mainly because Webber is just that phenomenal when it comes to writing books and giving them sound, perfect endings.  December can’t come fast enough! Five stars!

I received a copy of this novel from the author in exchange for an honest review.

Check out all the books in this awesome series!

Between the Lines (#1)

Where You Are (#2)

Good For You (#3)

Here Without You (#4)

From Goodreads: Mara Dyer doesn’t think life can get any stranger than waking up in a hospital with no memory of how she got there.

It can.

She believes there must be more to the accident she can’t remember that killed her friends and left her mysteriously unharmed.

There is.

She doesn’t believe that after everything she’s been through, she can fall in love.

She’s wrong.

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I started this blog in late January, and ever since then, this book has been on my radar.  I’ve seen the beautiful cover all over many book blogs, read many wonderful reviews of the book, and all around have coveted it, waiting until I could finally own it and read it for myself.  That day has arrived, and I’m ecstatic to say that all the hype surrounding this book was right on target.  This book is amazing!

Hodkin is a truly talented writer.  She makes this novel fly by with her tight storyline and believable prose.  At 452 pages, it’s is what I’d consider a long novel, but at no point in reading did I want to set it aside or take a break.  This book is impossible to put down, in my opinion, and I was able to read it extremely quickly.  Of course, Hodkin’s characters made me feel like I was in the story, and I’m envious of Mara… I want Noah for myself!!

It’s true…  I am in love.  With Noah.  He is a great character, and I absolutely adore him.  The mystery surrounding him is extremely intriguing, and I loved finding out the truth about him alongside Mara.  Mara is also a really interesting character shrouded in mystery.  The fact that she doesn’t know the truth about the accident that killed her friends is really intriguing, and I love how Hodkin slowly divulges the truth.  I have to admit that I wasn’t expecting the elements of magical realism, but they fit nicely into the story and have me dying for the next installment in the novel already!  Next year can’t come fast enough!  I need more Noah, for sure, and, as the novel’s ending did leave room for interpretation, I’m a little bit worried about where it might go in the next book.  Like I said, I need it now… the wait it killing me!

Hodkin’s debut novel is riveting, and she’s quickly become one of my top ten authors of all time!  Five stars.

From Goodreads: It’s late January at Loon Lake and bodies abound: a woman on snowshoes has been discovered wedged under a wooden bridge on a cross-country ski trail. A day later, Police Chief Lewellyn Ferris interviews a couple who alleges that the wife, a former nun, is being stalked. Meanwhile, Loon Lake is hosting an International Ice Fishing Festival with problems.

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I picked this book up, on a whim, because of the cover.  I didn’t note that it’s the 11^th book in a series, nor did I really read the synopsis.  I’m not going to lie, sometimes I’m moved to buy based on the cover alone. I mean it.  If you can create a beautiful, enticing cover, you’re going to grab my attention, and I’m probably going to buy.  I’m that impulsive.  But, that aside… I found, upon reading the novel, and it doesn’t matter that it’s the 11^th book in a series, it’s a standalone novel, and the story beats out the synopsis any day, anyway.

I enjoyed this mystery novel.  It’s a whodunit style novel with multiple connections among the townsfolk, starting with the disappearance and murder of one of Loon Lake’s own.  Though the plot is seemingly disconnected, moving from the murder of a woman to a family being stalked, everything is interrelated.  Everything is also spiraling out of control with the massive downfall of snow, covering all the killers tracks, as well as an Ice Fishing Festival, spreading the already waning police force even thinner while a killer is on the loose.  This creates much needed suspense within the novel, and though I found some of the novel a tad bit slow, as the story picked up, it became much more interesting and hard to put down.

What I found most interesting about this book, though, is the fact that it really deals with computers and hackers.  Though a woman is killed, and though a family is being stalked, the truth behind it all stems from the internet, where much money can be made through scams and the like.  How they’re all connected, I can’t say, but I highly enjoyed learning about all the computer technology as well as figuring out the murder/stalker mystery.  Though I knew who the murderer was early on in the novel, as most readers probably will, the murderer’s name, location, and motives don’t come out until the climactic end, which helps spur the reader on. 

I did enjoy this novel, though I wasn’t enamored by it.  I don’t think it’s for everyone, though those into computers and mysteries will probably really enjoy this novel.  Three stars.

From Goodreads: In the vine-twisted swamps of Louisiana, the shadows have teeth.

Jack Winter has spent his entire life running from something no one else can see. His childhood is his darkest secret, but after a near fatal accident along a deserted road, the darkness he was sure he’d escaped rears its ugly head… and smiles.

But this time, he isn’t the only one who sees the soulless eyes of his past. This time, his six-year-old daughter Charlie leans into his ear and whispers: “Daddy, I saw it too.”

And then she begins to change.

Faced with reliving the nightmares of his childhood, Jack watches his daughter spiral into the shadows that had nearly consumed him twenty years before.

But Charlie isn’t the only one who’s changing.

Jack never outran the darkness. It’s been with him all along.

And it’s hungrier than ever.
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I have to start off by saying that I am officially creeped out.   Ahlborn has succeeded in writing a horror novel so nerve-wracking, bloody, and schizophrenic that I had to sleep with the lights on.  In fact, I’m still reeling from the ending of this novel.  Just sitting here writing this review, thinking about the situations within the novel… I’ve got chills running up and down my spine.  It’s freaky… the perfect read if you want to psyche yourself out and be scared for days.

Jack Winter is so traumatized by his experiences as a child that, when the symptoms show themselves in his youngest daughter, all he can do is watch as his family’s world is turned upside down and inside out.  While his reactions may seem callous as he sits back and keeps his mouth closed concerning all that is happening around him, it actually makes perfect sense.  He recognizes this evil; an evil he knows cannot be defeated, and its newfound presences causes him to not only relive his trauma from his childhood, but also causes him to shut down and become non-responsive.  I love Ahlborn’s portrayal of Jack, and all the characters, really, as these events are vividly real and life-like, adding to the creep factor within the novel.

I also love Ahlborn’s writing style.  Not only are the prose very beautifully written, but the story flows effortlessly.  I thoroughly enjoyed the back and forth style Ahlborn’s utilizes as she tells of the events in Jack’s present, and then subtly shifts to events in his past, spurring the reader on as more background information is divulged, showing exactly how, and why, Jack is an unresponsive as he is when the evil comes for his daughter.  I loved it!

And the ending?  Oh heavens, the ending… I was not prepared.  My stomach clenched, my eyes bulged, and I was a little bit sick.  But, it works.  In fact, no other ending could fit.  Ahlborn has hit the nail on the head so definitively that there is no room for any other ending.  There never was.  I highly recommend this phenomenal read.  Be prepared to be scared.  Five stars.

From Goodreads: After his mother’s death, sixteen year old Seth Bradley chooses to leave behind his friends, his school, and his entire life within the rusted, broken down space station Ticonderoga. With his sister Jenna in tow, he sets out to join a father he barely knows in the orbital city of Grass Valley, a monument to human achievement floating three hundred miles above the Earth.

He’s never seen the open sky before. Never seen a robot either, until he meets Anne, a strange, quiet shopgirl that no one ever seems too bothered to notice.

Ava Morales is a girl with a mysterious and violent past. The soldiers of the Democratic Republic of Mars sing praises to her name, but to her family she is a terrible secret.

She is considered a terrorist by the Allied Nations of Earth, but to others still, she’s nothing more than a troubled teenager, on her way to becoming a permanent resident of the Grass Valley prison system.

When Grass Valley is caught in the crossfire of an all-out war between Earth and Mars, Seth, Jenna, and Anne must work together to survive as they find themselves trapped in a world that is literally crumbling around them.

Meanwhile Ava unexpectedly finds herself alone and finally free in a chaotic, hostile city torn apart by conspiracy and fear. A city where, maybe, she has a chance to finally live in peace. A city in ruins, lost to the blackness of space.

A city with secrets all its own.

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This is a very interesting concept.  I enjoyed how Campbell set up his debut novel as it is fast paced and shrouded in mystery.  We meet Seth, Jenna, and Ava around the same time, but Ava has something to hide, something big.  The chapters alternate back and forth between the characters as they go their separate ways and the world around them begins to crumble as Grass Valley is attacked by Martians.  Campbell really sets up his novel well, explaining the different space stations and the people that live there; it’s ingenious really, and learning about the characters’ world was vastly interesting. 

While I did really enjoy the premise of the novel, I have to admit that I was a little disappointed that Ava eventually disappears from the story completely, leaving the reader in the dark much too soon.  I have many questions about her, her family background, and her history, yet those still remain unanswered.  Although I learned much about Seth, Jenna, and Anne, and I truly enjoyed their story, I am mystified by Ava’s disappearance and hope she makes a grand appearance in the second volume of this novel, especially as it ends in medias res.  Three stars. 

I received a copy of this novel from the author in exchange for an honest review.

From Goodreads: Ethan Wright is just like any other high school kid that is one day lucky enough to meet the girl of his dreams. Throughout the course of high school the young couple learn to cope with incredibly difficult odds to discover all that matters.

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This is a very interesting love story.  All coming of age stories have trials and triumphs, and it is no different for Ethan and Amanda as they grow into young adults, but this raw look into young love, a love so pure and uncanny, is completely different.  Amanda is very ill, and Ethan’s undying devotion to her is extremely rare among young couples.  I especially enjoyed this reversal of devotion in that it is the male lead character who bends over backwards for the girl.  Most books I read tend to deal with female leads smitten with a male who could care less, and Tanha has created a nice change of pace in his novel. 

I enjoyed following Ethan and Amanda throughout their entire high school career and beyond, glimpsing them through ninth and tenth grade, and really getting to know them as they became juniors and seniors.  Tanha certainly has a way with words, and All That Matters is a beautiful story.  I must admit, the ending, though extremely real, left me somewhat aghast.  I wasn’t expecting it, and it did change my feelings for some of the characters, though, in reality, it is to be completely expected, and I can actually say that this novel truly couldn’t have ended any other way, even though I may not be happy about it.  Three stars.     

From Goodreads: Gemma thought her mind was gone, but she was wrong. And now she is left trying to figure out the truth to what Stephan is planning to do with her and the star, before it’s too late.

But finding out the truth is hard, especially since Gemma doesn’t know who she can trust. There may be only one person who Gemma can turn to for answers, but that means having to go to the one place no one wants to go—The Underworld.

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Well, of course, this novel leaves us with another huge cliffhanger… Sorensen is killing me here… I need the next book, The Vision, like, yesterday! But, that aside, I am happy to say that Sorensen’s prose and story line has improved in this sequel, and I found myself enamored by the novel, in love with most of the characters, and highly interested in everything that was happening to Gemma and her companions.   

The story picks up right where Fallen Star left off, giving the reader the much needed answers to the predicament Gemma faced at the close of Fallen Star.  I was extremely happy with the way Sorensen chose to resolve the cliffhanger from the first novel, and from there Sorensen continues to write a solid piece with much suspense and intrigue.  I feel like there was never any downtime in this novel and, while Gemma was, on occasion, a tab bit annoying, she grows a lot in this novel, standing up for herself more readily, though she’s still a bit weak, literally speaking. 

Her companions, Alex and Laylen also grow in this novel and, though I didn’t note this in the first book, a sort of love triangle seems to have developed.  So, whose side am I on?  I’m honestly not so sure, but I’m thinking Laylen… he’s a pretty hot vampire, to say the least.  Alex, though, is good looking in his own right, yet he’s the quiet brooding type, and while I’m usually a fan of those kinds of guys, he did place Gemma in some serious danger in the previous novel, so… Laylen currently has the upper hand.

What I truly loved about this novel, love triangle aside, is how villainous Sorensen has made the bad guys.  They are truly repulsive, and though I can’t name names, or it’d give away some things from the novel, I will say that Sorensen has mastered the evil character, to a tee.  I recommend this series to anyone looking for a great paranormal read, especially as it gets better with time.  Four stars!

From Goodreads: For eighteen year-old Gemma, life has never been normal. Up until recently, she has been incapable of feeling emotion. And when she’s around Alex, the gorgeous new guy at school, she can feel electricity that makes her skin buzz. Not to mention the monsters that haunt her nightmares have crossed over into real-life. But with Alex seeming to hate her and secrets popping up everywhere, Gemma’s life is turning into a chaotic mess. Things that shouldn’t be real suddenly seem to exist. And as her world falls apart, figuring out the secrets of her past becomes a matter of life and death.

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I was worried when I started the first chapter of this novel; a lot of what was happening seemed cliché and overdone, so I began to mentally prepare myself for an “okay” read.  However, as the story progressed, it began to get better and, having now finished the novel, I must say that both Sorensen’s writing and storyline did improve with time.  The aspects of the novel that I originally found cliché and overdone began to taper off and Sorenson began creating a very original piece with much action, pulling me into the story.

I found Gemma to be an interesting charcter in her own right, having never felt emotions before.  Hence, she is a bit of a mess when we first meet her, confused and jumpy, especially as new emotions keep creeping up on her.  I understand where her low self esteem comes from, based on this sudden ability to feel and not understanding it; however, I like my protagonists to be a little bit stronger than she happens to be.  Gemma tends to lack willpower, which had me yelling at her on more than one occasion and, while she does progress throughout the novel, she never really takes over her own life.  Instead, she allows Alex, a boy she believe hates her, to control everything she does.  For some reason, she cannot resist the urge to be around him, even though she knows he looks down upon her and dislikes her immensely. Though I wasn’t a fan of this disposition, I did enjoy it when Gemma began to push back, demanding answers and attempting to take over her own destiny, especially as the man from her dreams becomes more vivid, and the yellow-eyed figures hunting her in her dreams step into the real world.

Now, aside from the main characters, I really did enjoy the plotline as it progressed.  Sorenson has a very vivid imagination and she really fleshed out her story by creating new worlds and situations.  I enjoyed learning about Gemma’s abilities as well, and her many brushes with death kept me glued to the pages, even though she sometimes got on my nerves.  The ending, of course, was a huge clincher for me as we find out who the man from her dreams really is and everything comes to a head, leaving the reader with a huge cliffhanger.  It’s so huge, in fact, that I went right out and bought the sequel, The Underworld, which is thankfully already out, because I have to know what happens next.  Three and a half stars.

I won a copy of this novel from Goodreads First Reads.

From Goodreads: After their father’s disappearance, Cinder leaves home for a servant job at the castle. But it isn’t long before her sister Ella is brought to the castle herself—the most dangerous place in all the kingdom for both her and Cinder. Cinder and Ella is a Cinderella story like no other and one you’ll never forget.

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While it is true that this Cinderella story is like no other I’ve ever read, I have to admit that I’m a little biased.  This is a really interesting story, but I like my Cinderella story better.  It probably has to do with it being ingrained into my head from a young age, but even so, I found that I wasn’t as captivated by this novel as I wanted to be.  Now, don’t get me wrong, it’s not a boring read, nor is it poorly written.  In fact, Lemon does a great job writing this story, from her prose to her pacing, she does a wonderful job creating a unique storyline and atmosphere for her readers.  And, while I personally didn’t care for most of the characters, save Ella and her knight, I think this was intentional on Lemon’s part. 

Cinder and Ella, while separate entities, complete each other as a whole.  Where Cinder is caring and compassionate, loving everyone and completely gullible, Ella refuses to let people walk all over her; she’s feisty and down to earth, dreaming of a better life.  They really are two parts of the whole, completing Cinderella, but what Lemon has done is remove them and make them two separate characters, which is interesting in and of itself.  Now, Cinder gets on my nerves.  Ella and I have a lot more in common, and Ella is the central character, so I connected with her much more readily that I did with Cinder, but even Ella has her moments when I thought, “wow, that was really mean.”  Obviously, on many occasions I groaned in terms of Cinder as her “nothing bad can ever happen” attitude is annoying, and as the reader, we know better.  The rest of the characters, however, really made me nuts.  The girls’ mother is content on wasting away, having lost her husband, leaving the other two siblings to wreak havoc on the house.  When you read the story, you’ll see what I mean by nuts.  I can’t fathom living in a house like theirs and, on multiple occasions, I wanted to slap them all…  It’s true, this isn’t anything like the Cinderella story that you and I know, and Lemon’s portrayal of the father’s disappearance, the mother giving up hope, and the prince being evil incarnate is a welcome change, though, in the end, I, personally, wasn’t really enchanted by it; the characters rubbed me the wrong way one too many times.  Two stars–mainly because of the characters though, not the writing itself. 

Cedar Fort has been extremely gracious in allowing me to read an ARC of this novel, via Netgalley, prior to its release on November 8, 2011.