Books: The Cheapest Vacation You Can Buy











Every Saturday I run a feature for the 99 Cent Club, and below are the eBook picks for this week that caught my eye and are currently ONLY 99 Cents on Amazon, with a few on Barnes and Noble as well. I don’t know if these are permanent prices, so please don’t shoot the messenger, and double check pricing before pressing the buy button. Enjoy! (If you could help give these authors some love by spreading the word, that would be epic.)

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No AttachmentsNo Attachments by Tiffany King

** Recommended for ages 17+ due to sexual situations, language and mature subject matter **

Ashton Garrison walked away from a privileged life in order to hide from the one thing she’s not willing to face. She knows she left behind a trail of pain, but in the long run, her betrayal will hurt less than the truth. She now has one goal: Live life to the fullest with no regrets and no attachments. She has high hopes that a move to new surroundings will provide the escape she desires, but what Ashton doesn’t count on is how fate always seems to find a way to screw up any good plan. Sometimes, when love comes knocking, the pull is too strong not to answer. Suddenly, what she thought she wanted to escape from is what Ashton now wants more than anything.

Nathan Lockton has one mission: find his target and complete the task he was hired to do—no attachments and no emotion necessary. He’s done it over and over again. What he thought was a typical lost-and-found job has turned into a life examining moment as Nathan is forced to deal with something he has always ignored–his feelings. Now faced with a decision, Nathan must choose to either follow his heart or complete the job.

Love can come when you least expect it. The question is: If the odds are stacked against you, how far are you willing to go for the one you love?

Find it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

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Destiny Ever ChangingDestiny Ever-Changing by Tasha Ivey

Some are destined for greatness . . . others for pure unadulterated misery.

After catching her boyfriend with another woman, Laura struggles with beginning again, knowing deep down that she is destined to be unhappily out of love for her entire life. Needing some time to recoup and formulate a game plan, she decides to visit her notoriously wise grandmother. But once there, a curveball in the form of a deliciously attractive stranger has her falling again.

Brooks is another story altogether. He is quite content with his life until his father forces him into a business decision that will ruin the rest of his life. As if his relationship with his father isn’t tumultuous enough, his new fiancé is making every waking moment a living hell and loving every manipulative minute of it.

When Laura stumbles upon her mother’s old journal, she opens a door into a long forgotten past. A past that somehow leads both Laura and Brooks into unfamiliar territory and changes everything they ever knew about fate.

Destiny is ever-changing, after all.

Find it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

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FaithFaith by Brei Betzold

Mags is a single mother, running her own business trying to make ends meet.  Drake is an A&R guy for a local indie record company who has been working nonstop for a year.  When both finally take a vacation with family and friends, they are forced to finally admit, at least to themselves, that they have feelings for each other.

When they go home, they find it even more difficult to put the past in the past and maintain a relationship strong enough to face the challenges ahead.  Follow along as they try to make a relationship work while fighting demons of their own, through circumstances not of their making, and with family and friends trying to help.

Find it on Amazon.

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UnbeautifullyUnbeautifully Loved by Emma Grayson 

In three words I can sum up everything I learned about life. Regardless of the shit going on in your life, this fact still remains.

It. Goes. On

Lexie Todd knew these 3 simple words. They were her mantra.  So, after dealing with years of abuse at the hands of her boyfriend and the father of her son, she knows what needs to be done. With help from her best friend Mollie, they go on the run.

After months of being on the run they finally find the perfect town to settle in. Unable to trust and always having her guard up, the last thing Lexie wants is to get involved with Lukas Gunn.

Persistent, annoying, bossy, over protective and extremely hot, Detective Lukas Gunn.

After an incident leaves her vulnerable, Lukas knows there’s something haunting her. He’s determined to find out, wanting to protect her and make her his. But Lexie is determined also. Not wanting to give up her past, she pushes him away. Repeatedly.

But when history repeats itself, will Lexie finally be able to trust those around her to keep her safe? Will Lukas be able to save her? Or will Lexie succumb to only knowing what it’s like to be Unbeautifully Loved?

**Warning**
This book contains the following and is recommended for ages 18 and up.

-Sexual content.
-Abusive subject matter
-Attempted rape
-Language

Find it on Amazon.

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The UpsideThe Upside of Letting Go by Nacole Stayton

Haley Martin decides the only way to let go of her lingering nightmares is to literally move on. Taking a leap of faith she finds herself enrolling at a campus hundreds of miles away from home.

She leaves any thoughts of dating again in Jersey, that is until fate crosses her path with a blue-eyed stud named Kyler King. He is notoriously known for being emotionally unattainable, but his façade is only to hide the burdens he bares every day.

As Kyler and Haley’s physical attraction becomes deeper, the secrets of the past threaten to surface. When Haley’s past collides with the present, will her secrets prove too big of an obstacle hindering their happily ever after, or will letting go be the key that locks their bond forever?

Warning: This book is intended for readers 17+ due to explicit language and sexual encounters.

Find it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

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RootsRoots of Insight by Breeana Puttroff

Quinn Robbins has just returned from spending ten days in Eirentheos, a world she had never known existed. Trying to settle back into her familiar life and establish a relationship with her new boyfriend, Zander, is more of a challenge than she ever dreamed it would be.

Things are just beginning to feel normal again when Thomas shows up in her world, and invites her back to Eirentheos for a royal wedding. She’s excited at the chance to reconnect with the people and places she had begun to fall in love with.

What she doesn’t realize is just how deeply connected with this new world she might become … and just what old secrets might be beginning to unravel.

The second book in the beloved Dusk Gate series reconnects Quinn with the charming princes, and the pristine world of Eirentheos. From a beautiful royal wedding to a dangerous rescue mission, Quinn’s adventures are about to take her life on a course that will change it forever.

Find it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

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For EverFor Ever by C.J. Valles

For Ever starts now.

A faded memory, something I saw behind Ever Casey’s eyes, begins to claw its way to the surface, and fuzzy impressions from my second day at Springview High School make the skin on my arms crawl. My limbs grow cold with fear. Whatever I saw in his mind was indistinct, but unmistakably sinister.

It hadn’t been nothing behind Ever Casey’s eyes. It had been something evil. Something he didn’t want me to see.
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Sixteen-year-old Wren Sullivan doesn’t want to know what other people are thinking about her—because most of the time it sucks. Too bad since that’s what happens every time she looks into someone’s eyes.

When she moves to Portland, Oregon, after her parents’ divorce, she finally encounters someone whose thoughts are off limits. Looking into Ever Casey’s eyes, she finds … nothing. Or is there something he doesn’t want her to see there that will put her and anyone near her in danger?

When For Ever ends, Never begins. Never, the second book in The Ever Series, is coming soon.

Find it on Amazon.

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DiscernDiscern by Samantha Shakespeare

Discern begins when Haley Helms, a 20 year-old college student, is compelled to return home to Boulder, Colorado, after her heart is shattered by love’s betrayal. After a chance meeting with an alluring passenger on the plane ride home, her life will never be the same.

Thrust into a once-believed mythical world, she finds out the stranger on the plane is no ordinary man. Andrew Alexander, an immortal called a Parevite, has spent many centuries, along with the others of his kind, altering much of mankind’s beliefs.

Andrew is hell-bent on winning Haley’s heart, no matter the cost. But will his dark side and catastrophic secret destroy any chance?

Find it on Amazon.

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FallingFalling from Grace by S.L. Naeole

When you wake up in the morning and your eyes take in the first hints of light that shine through your window, the dust motes catching and reflecting the sun’s rays like little diamonds, the shimmering hues of yellow and orangey gold breaking through into your room, the first thing you think about usually isn’t how you’re going to make it through the worst day of your life.

Unfortunately for Grace Shelley, that’s exactly what she’s facing as she ponders what to do now that she’s going to be starting out her last year in high school without her best friend. She’s not exactly the most popular girl in school – well, not the most popular girl in school to like, anyway – and everything seems to be hinting at another status quo year for her until she bumps into a stranger who leaves her stumbling for words and chasing after her heart.

The new guy in school is different. Robert doesn’t care about the rumors he’s heard about her or that no one else seems to see her the same way that he does; he only wants to be her friend. That’s when things get complicated. When Grace learns that he’s not your typical high school boy and that he’s actually a wingless angel who’s looking for someone to trust, she’s thrust into his world where not all angels are meant to protect human beings, and where the changes she brings into his life changes everything in hers.

Find it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

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Still LifeStill Life With Murder by P.B. Ryan

National bestseller Still Life With Murder is the first book of P.B. Ryan’s acclaimed historical mystery series featuring Boston governess Nell Sweeney and opium-smoking former battle surgeon Will Hewitt. Thought to have died during the Civil War, Will is arrested for murder, and Nell must prove his innocence. Originally published by Berkley Prime Crime.

Find it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

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If you could help give these authors some love by spreading the word, that would be epic.



15826934From Goodreads: Fifteen-year-old Izzy Brannick was trained to fight monsters. For centuries, her family has hunted magical creatures. But when Izzy’s older sister vanishes without a trace while on a job, Izzy’s mom decides they need to take a break.

Izzy and her mom move to a new town, but they soon discover it’s not as normal as it appears. A series of hauntings has been plaguing the local high school, and Izzy is determined to prove her worth and investigate. But assuming the guise of an average teenager is easier said than done. For a tough girl who’s always been on her own, it’s strange to suddenly make friends and maybe even have a crush.

Can Izzy trust her new friends to help find the secret behind the hauntings before more people get hurt?

Rachel Hawkins’ delightful spin-off brings the same wit and charm as the New York Times best-selling Hex Hall series. Get ready for more magic, mystery and romance!

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While I enjoyed this novel for the most part, I also found that it wasn’t exactly what I have grown to expect from a Hawkins novel.  It’s not that is wasn’t well written, but rather that it seemed a bit cliché.  The main plotline itself had a very interesting premise, but I figured it out a little less than halfway in, and knowing the ending that far in advance sort of takes the fun out of the story, in my opinion.  Likewise, the idea of a young adult having to mainstream themselves in high school has been done a great deal in books and movies, so I felt that this novel lacked some originality.  Now, I don’t want to sound like I didn’t like the novel, because I did, I just have some personal issues with the plot development and scenarios presented.

The characterization was very well done, though.  I really liked Dex, though he’s about the only one from the Paranormal Management Society that I really liked.  He’s not dreamy, necessarily—in fact, he’s a little sickly, but I like that he’s unusual for a hero, as well as the fact that the story really seems to center around him.  The novel also ends quite well, and it’s not a cliffhanger, which is wonderful because Hawkins just announced last week that there won’t be a sequel for a very long time (maybe not at all).  So, while not all our questions are answered, like where Izzy’s sister really is, the novel ends in what I deem the perfect spot.  Three stars.   

3 stars

Disney Book Group has been extremely gracious in allowing me to read this novel, via Netgalley.


13262783My giveaway for a SIGNED Hardcover of Every Day has just concluded, and I’m excited to say that the winner has been chosen via Rafflecopter.

And the winner is…

Darith Ly

A tweet has already gone out to the winner, and an email will go out later this evening! If I don’t hear from the winner within 48 hours, I will select a new winner using Rafflecopter.

Thanks to everyone who participated, and congratulations to the winner… but don’t despair if you didn’t win this round!

Enter to win my other great giveaways:

Win a SIGNED Paperback of Conjure: Ends May 23

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Win a Recently Released Book of Your Choice: Ends June 1

RRGG May



13425130I recently went to a book festival in my area and I met Lea Nolan, the author of Conjure.  Prior to the event, I’d never heard of this novel, but as Nolan read an excerpt and gave us some backgroud information about her book, I became highly enraptured and had to have it!  So, I picked up a signed copy for myself, and of course, a signed copy for a giveaway, as well.  Good luck!

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From Goodreads: Be careful what you search for…

Emma Guthrie expects this summer to be like any other in the South Carolina Lowcountry–hot and steamy with plenty of beach time alongside her best friend and secret crush, Cooper Beaumont, and Emma’s ever-present twin brother, Jack. But then a mysterious eighteenth-century message in a bottle surfaces, revealing a hidden pirate bounty. Lured by the adventure, the trio discovers the treasure and unwittingly unleashes an ancient Gullah curse that attacks Jack with the wicked flesh-eating Creep and promises to steal Cooper’s soul on his approaching sixteenth birthday.

When a strange girl appears, bent on revenge; demon dogs become a threat; and Jack turns into a walking skeleton; Emma has no choice but to learn hoodoo magic to undo the hex, all before summer—and her friends–are lost forever.

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To enter my giveaway, you must:

-Be 13 years or older (or have parent/guardian permission)

-Agree to HONESTLY REVIEW the novel via a blog (if you have one), or Goodreads, or any other media format you use for book reviews

-Fill in the mandatory question on rafflecopter (extra entries optional)

Click here to go to the Rafflecopter entry form!

This contest is open to USA ENTRANTS ONLY (sorry) and will end at 12:01am EST on May 23nd. Please only enter once. The winner will be announced later on May 23nd, and will receive email notification! Please read my giveaway policy and leave me a comment!



2940011495786_p0_v2_s260x420From Goodreads: King Henry Price is fourteen, he loves everything he’s not supposed to and hates everything he’s supposed to. One day after his usual hour of detention he comes home to find an enigmatic woman named Ceinwyn Dale sitting in his kitchen, telling his parents lies about a special reform school. What she tells King Henry is different, she tells him he’s a mancer, a Geomancer to be exact, that he’s special, one in million maybe. She sure ain’t a fairy giant and King Henry sure as hell ain’t Harry Potter, but why not? Got to be better than the life he’s already got.

King Henry Price is twenty-two, a recent graduate of the Asylum as an Artificer. With the special ability to create lasting items of the Mancy, he’s spurned the Artificer’s Guild and struck out on his own to found an Artificer workshop looking to do things his way. One night, a vampire baroness claiming she’s named Anne Boleyn walks into his shop, telling King Henry he’s going to help her, and she’s not taking ‘no’ for an answer. King Henry is pretty sure the whole name thing is just a joke, but only pretty sure…

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Unfortunately, this novel is just not for me.  I was intrigued by the premise, and I really enjoyed the back and forth nature of the narration, where the narrator tells readers about his life at 14 and then switches to his current life, but the language and humor isn’t my style.

King Henry Price has had a difficult life, and I understand the angst and hatred he carries, but his obsession with sex, the middle finger, and words for certain body parts, both male and female, put me off of the story as a whole. Now, I do think the novel is very well written, and the characterization is also done very well.  In fact, King Henry is probably more true to life than I care to admit, but he also isn’t someone I’d surround myself with in real life, so listening to him cuss and make lude and crude comments throughout was much more than I could handle. Maybe I should have realized this might be the case based on the title, but I really wasn’t thinking “foul mouth” as in lude and crude to the level that this novel takes it.  A little bit of this is always tolerable and can even be funny, but King Henry just takes it over the top and it was too much for me, and I’m sorry to say that I, personally, can only give it one and a half star.

1.5  stars

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



11698723From Goodreads: Reychel thought she was finally free. She was wrong. Everyone saw her gift of prophecy as a blessing, but her gift is uncontrollable. No one alive can teach her to manipulate her unique gift and the answers she needs lie buried within a madman’s journals. She’s thrust in the midst of a brewing war and the only uniting factor for her people is their belief in the Prophet.

Will Reychel learn to control her gift or will she be forced to deliver a false prophecy that could lead her people into a violent war?

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This second novel in the Cloud Prophet Trilogy is much more refined and solid than the first, Anathema.  Jensen has slowed the story down, and the development of the characters takes the forefront, allowing the story to flow together more seamlessly while providing readers with an easily understandable story that is highly enjoyable.

Reychel, a former slave, is now free and in a rival nation, hiding her abilities until the “right time.”  Believed to be the Cloud Prophet, though not entirely sure herself, Reychel must figure out the truth about the prophecy before she claims her heritage.  The main problem is, nothing makes sense, and her abilities seem to be waning, thus, she may be forced to lie to the nation in order to set things in motion, and save those she holds dear, but Reychel struggles with the thought that her lies could end in bloodshed. 

What I really enjoyed about this novel is the mystery surrounding the original Cloud Prophet.  Jensen sheds light on his life and his truths as the story progresses, and as it turns out, nothing is as it seems. I was surprised on many an occasion as I read, and I really enjoyed learning the truth alongside Reychel, even though that truth isn’t necessarily a good one.  And, of course, the mystery behind the betrayals within the castle also spurred me on as I read!  Add in the magical aspects, such as invisible threads leading to portals (which I thought was ingenious), and this story really turns out to be a great read!  This world Jensen has created holds many a mystery, and the magical realm really helped pull me into the story and connect to the characters, who are now very well fleshed out and much more likable.

I really enjoyed seeing Reychel grow into herself in this novel, especially with all the threats that crop up around her.  In the first novel, she seems a bit more sporadic and easily led astray, whereas in this novel she has a much better head on her shoulders, taking matters into her own hands and selflessly attempting to save the world.  She’s a great young heroine, and I’m excited to see where the rest of the story leads in the final novel of the trilogy.  So, if you’ve read the first novel and weren’t sure whether to pick up the next installment for whatever reason, I believe you should definitely give it a go.  The series definitely gets better!  Four stars.

4 stars



16112803From Goodreads: Abe put an end to the threat of the Devourer once and for all.

So why does the world keep getting more dangerous?

Unsettling events pile up one after another: animal corpses appear on the front porch each night, an abandoned graveyard in the North Carolina woods is now home to something unnatural, and wooden men with eerily familiar faces are spotted lurking in the nearby town of Halfway.

Abe finds himself caught in a game set in motion long before the rise of mankind. A game in which even the Devourer was merely a pawn and where losing means the death of every man, woman, and child on earth.

Standing with him are the survivors of Belmont: Anne, Chuck, Leon, and his old squadmate, Henry “The Professor” Monroe. Together they intend to hold the line against the encroaching darkness and prove that there are still things in the light to be feared.

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This second book in the Emergent Earth series is just as good as the first, but this time, the adversary is even more cunning and malevolent.  I have to admit, when I first read the synopsis and saw there would be “wooden men” lurking throughout the story, I was a bit perplexed and couldn’t fathom how the book would play out or how it would even seem feasible.  But, Langolis is an absolutely amazing author and he presents these wooden men in the most sinister of ways, explaining their origin in full, and whisking readers off on a adventure that won’t soon be forgotten.

Abe is back, along with the remaining crew that helped take down the Devourer in the last novel, Bad Radio, and I have to say, I really adore him.  He’s a phenomenal character, fully fleshed out and real, combating a host of supernatural entities set on destroying the world.  Langlois’ vivid imagination, extreme character building, and fast-paced prose will keep readers glued to the pages as the story unfolds, and I absolutely can’t wait for more!  Four stars.   

4 stars

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



Every Saturday I run a feature for the 99 Cent Club, and below are the eBook picks for this week that caught my eye and are (currently) ONLY 99 Cents (On Amazon, with a few on Barnes and Noble as well). I don’t know if these are permanent prices, so please don’t shoot the messenger, and double check pricing before pressing the buy button. Enjoy! (If you could help give these authors some love by spreading the word, that would be epic.)

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16125672Burned Bridges by Marguerite Ashton

Newly sober and dating the man of her dreams, Traci Collins is ready to enjoy the good life, until her new best friend, Olivia Durning, confides a dreadful secret far worse than Traci could imagine.

Sealed by a shared bond, and unaware there is more to the secret than what she was told, Collins feels honor bound to protect her friend when a confrontation between Olivia and her childhood tormentor turns deadly.

A mysterious text forces Traci to question Olivia’s actions and re-examine her loyalties. When the answers to Traci’s questions endanger a life she treasures more than her own, she must decide if friendship has a limit. For a bridge once burnt severs ties forever…

Find it on Amazon.

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personsPersons Missing or Dead by Cliff Black

“Persons Missing or Dead” is a sequel to “Face in The Creek,” and continues the adventures of Daniel Corbin, his daughter, Natasha, and Daniel’s friend, Deputy Sheriff Ezzy Miller.

G Daniel Corbin buys an old Airstream camp trailer to replace one lost in a fire. All he wants is a camp trailer, but what he gets is a search for the trailer’s missing previous owner, which leads to a murder investigation and to more unsolved and even unknown murders over the past eighteen years. Even Daniel’s new lady friend, Shelly, has her troubles with the law.

Find it on Amazon.

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2940015872507_p0_v1_s260x420The Face of Evil by Monisha Pujari

A taut psychological tale, The Face of Evil details the complex, caroming, and escalating relationship between two brothers, one of whom is confronted with the strong possibility of his sibling’s depravity. Expertly crafted, the book will unfailingly capture your attention and bring you to unresolved, deeper questions regarding the nature and eradication of evil. The Face of Evil is an ever-appropriate read, given society’s constant grappling with incomprehensible acts of evil, and our collective inability to rationally process them. A quick, powerful, and commanding read, this book will push you to probe your own feelings with regards to what constitutes evil, and what one does to combat it. Don’t pass this book up – the combination of crisp language, a philosophical edge, and a quickly-paced, dynamic, and gripping narrative makes for an edge-of-your-seat read.

Find it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

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2940016580807_p0_v1_s260x420Come and Talk to Me by June Kramin

Regina was determined to keep the secrets from her past buried. She had her reasons for keeping her distance from men, but Donovan refused to play by her rules.
Giving into her heart and marrying him, Regina finally began to feel whole again. When an injury ultimately claims his life, she moves a few states away to a small town where she couldn’t be reminded of him everywhere she turned.

Trying to live her life in isolation, she wasn’t prepared for what the humble cabin next door would bring her. Reggie is not sure she will be able to overcome the horrible twist fate has thrown her way.

Find it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

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2940044413191_p0_v1_s260x420The Love Game by Emma Hart

His challenge? Make her fall in love with him.
Her challenge? Play the player.
Until life changes the rules of the game.

New Adult Contemporary Romance.

Find it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

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9781455550821_p0_v3_s260x420If You Stay by Courtney Cole

Twenty-four-year-old Pax Tate is an asshole. Seriously. He’s a tattooed, rock-hard bad boy with a tough attitude to match. His mother died when Pax was seven, leaving a hole in his heart filled with an intense guilt that he doesn’t understand. What he does know is that he and his dad were left alone, and they have never been close. Now, he uses drugs and women to cope with the black void in his soul. He pretends that the emptiness isn’t there and this has always worked . . . until he meets Mila.

Sweet, beautiful Mila Hill is the fresh air that Pax has never known in his life. He doesn’t know how to not hurt her, but he quickly realizes that he’d better figure it out because he needs her to breathe. When the memories of his mother’s death resurface to haunt Pax, Mila is there to save him from his overwhelming guilt. Mila restores his broken heart, even as she evokes his powerful, sexual desires. Now for Pax to keep Mila, he needs to work on his issuesand stop being an asshole. But is that enough to make her stay?

Find it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

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GirlGirl Over the Edge by Amy Kinzer

It started with a bad decision and ended with an obsession.

Seventeen-year-old best friends Beckett Smith and Chloe Baker can’t shake their reputations after taking risqué photos at a college party. The pictures are distributed to the North Lake High School student body sending the best friends to the bottom rung of the social ladder right before senior year. When Beckett and Chloe return to school, they find themselves ill prepared for the harassment and bullying that follows.

Beckett has an easier time being reaccepted than Chloe. And she’ll do anything to be part of her old clique and to get a second chance at a relationship with her ex-boyfriend, star running back Kale Fenton. But Beckett’s attempts at a normal senior year are at odds with Chloe’s increasingly anti-social behavior. As Chloe’s life spirals out of control she becomes obsessed with the Aurora Bridge in Seattle, also known as Suicide Bridge, a place known for the jumpers. And after everyone’s abandoned Chloe, Beckett is the only person who can prevent Chloe from making the jump.

Girl Over the Edge is a novel about best friends, damaged relationships, and the help that sometimes comes from unexpected places.

Find it on Amazon.

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13209262Unlovable by Choice Jane Doe

Thirteen year old Jessica thinks she just hit the jackpot. The most popular boy in her middle-school, Eric, just became her boyfriend and now she’s finally in the ‘it’ crowd. At first the relationship is like a dream come true but it quickly turns into a nightmare when Eric becomes abusive, controlling and sexually violates Jessica. Unable to understand how someone could say I love you and the next minute treats you like someone they hate, Jessica gets sucked into the abusive behavior and loses herself completely to it.

Find it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

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2940044378872_p0_v1_s260x420The Curse of Europa by Brian Kayser

Is there life on Europa? You are invited to accompany a crew of eight astronauts on their mission to the Jupiter ice-moon named Europa. Their mission is relatively straight forward, look for evidence of life in a vast ocean, which is trapped beneath a thick blanket of ice. There is one problem though… “The Curse!”

Find it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

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9780615213644_p0_v1_s260x420Mars 185 by David Czaplicki

They were looking for life… and only found death! The first independent settlement is being constructed on Mars. This monumental task is suffering numerous delays and unexplained accidents, finally compelling Calprex, the contractor building Roman, to send Brett Roberts, an ex-employee, to the planet to conduct a thorough investigation. His preliminary findings only deepen the mysteries with the secrets he ultimately uncovers changing mankind forever.

Find it on Amazon.

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If you could help give these authors some love by spreading the word, that would be epic.



16675229From Goodreads: All Schools are the same and Spencer Pendleton expects no less from Greenfield Middle. But Spencer hasn’t met them yet-the Tribe, a group of runaway students who secretly own the school. They live off cafeteria food and wield weapons made out of everyday school supplies. Strangely, no one seems to know they exist, except for Spencer. And the group wants him to join their ranks. All he has to do is pass the initiations…and leave his mother and life behind. Can Spencer go through with it? Better yet, what will happen if he says no?

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This novel started out really funny and I highly enjoyed it, and then it took on a bit of a darker tone, fleshing out the theme of bullying, going from a more humorous tone to a didactic one.  It’s a great middle school novel just the same, though, and I love just how imaginative the author, Clay McLeod Chapman, really is.  As an adult, I never expect to laugh out loud when reading middle grade novels, but this one really had me snickering for a while there, and it drew me right in to the story.  Thus, I was already hooked when the novel went from funny to sinister.

As a kid, I always had this fantasy of living between the walls of places, spying on society, and being self-sufficient, and in a way, this novel really spoke to me on that level.  The Tribe does just this, but their fun antics quickly turn threatening and the more I read, the more I realized just how silly my childhood dream really was.  Mix in some hilarity with the outlandish, and it becomes clear fairly quickly that this really isn’t the lifestyle for me, or anyone, for that matter.  These kids have forsaken society, a place that shunned them and treated them badly, full of cliques and judgment, only to cut themselves off from reality in the sense that they eventually become what they hate.  As I said before, it’s quite edifying with lots of teachable moments, and a great overall theme against bullying.  Overall, I highly recommend it to MG readers, and I think many YA readers would enjoy it as well, especially with the intrigue surrounding the Tribe.  Four stars.

4 stars

Disney Book Group has been extremely gracious in allowing me to read an ARC of this novel, via Netgalley, prior to its official release on May 7, 2013.



9781423161622_p0_v2_s260x420From Goodreads: Riley, a teen orphan boy living in Victorian London, has had the misfortune of being apprenticed to Albert Garrick, an illusionist who has fallen on difficult times and now uses his unique conjuring skills to gain access to victims’ dwellings. On one such escapade, Garrick brings his reluctant apprentice along and urges him to commit his first killing. Riley is saved from having to commit the grisly act when the intended victim turns out to be a scientist from the future, part of the FBI’s Witness Anonymous Relocation Program (WARP) Riley is unwittingly transported via wormhole to modern day London, followed closely by Garrick.

In modern London, Riley is helped by Chevron Savano, a seventeen-year-old FBI agent sent to London as punishment after a disastrous undercover, anti-terrorist operation in Los Angeles. Together Riley and Chevie must evade Garrick, who has been fundamentally altered by his trip through the wormhole. Garrick is now not only evil, but he also possesses all of the scientist’s knowledge. He is determined to track Riley down and use the timekey in Chevie’s possession to make his way back to Victorian London where he can literally change the world.

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This was an interesting time-travel novel that I think MG and YA readers will like, especially if they’re a fan of Eoin Colfer.  I’ve only read one other of Colfer’s books, and while I liked it, and I liked this novel as well, I didn’t fall in love with either.  The characterization is good, and the events are quick and energetic, but the novel itself just never pulled me in to the point where I just couldn’t get enough.

I liked getting to know Riley, but as a character, he almost seemed like a pushover.  And I didn’t care for Chevron much.  She’s a bit of a typical teenage female trying to save face, believing she’s tougher and better than those around her, and her lack of humility and ability to stop and listen to those around her really rubbed me the wrong way.  She does redeem herself throughout the novel, so I did get to the point where I liked her enough, but I never really got beyond that point, and a lack of connections between myself and the characters always makes it difficult for me to fall in love with the novel.

Colfer definitely has a knack for imaginative literature, though, and the situations these young teens find themselves in were interesting and piqued my interest enough to keep me turning the pages, and enough for me to be curious concerning the next installment.  I really liked the idea of a wormhole and sending important witnesses back in time to keep them safe, and the revelation of who Riley really is was great.  I didn’t see it coming, but it made perfect sense and I really enjoyed how Colfer made it all come together.  Overall, this is a pretty good read.  Three stars.

3 stars

Disney Book Group has been extremely gracious in allowing me to read an ARC of this novel, via Netgalley, prior to its official release on May 7, 2013.



It’s that time again! For no other reason than that I like giveaways… we’re onto the TWENTY-FOURTH Recently Released Giveaway Goodness Giveaway!

RRGG May

Many of these novels have recently released. I’ve included my reviews below to help you pick the novel you’d like to win. And honestly, there should be something here for everyone!

Interested? Of course you are! I’m offering ONE lucky winner one of these novels:

This is an INTERNATIONAL giveaway from the book depository, but you need to make sure they send to your country before entering–check here.

To enter you must:

-Be 13 years or older (or have parent/guardian permission)

-Fill in the mandatory question on rafflecopter (extra entries optional)

Click here to go to the Rafflecopter entry form!

This contest is open internationally and will end at 12:01am EST on June 1st. The winner will be announced later on June 1st, and will receive email notification! Please read my giveaway policy and leave me a comment!



Desktop55My Recently Released Giveaway Goodness #23–April–has just concluded, and I’m excited to say that the winner has been chosen via Rafflecopter.

And the winner is…

Carl Scott

Book of Choice:

The Dinner by Herman Koch

A tweet has already gone out to the winner, and an email will go out later this evening! If I don’t hear from Carl within 48 hours, I will select a new winner using Rafflecopter.

Thanks to everyone who participated, and congratulations to the winner… but don’t despair if you didn’t win this round!

Enter to win my other great giveaways:

Win a SIGNED Hardcover of Every Day: Ends May 9

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Win a Recently Released Book of Your Choice: (Ends June 1)

RRGG May



Endure_COVER_finalLargeEndure (The Protector, #4) by M.R. Merrick

Cover by Parajunkee Design

Available June 5th

YA Urban Fantasy

Final book in The Protector Series

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Goodreads:

Synopsis:

Wrapped in darkness and woven with defeat, every action Chase has taken since being exiled from the Circle has been met with a devastating response. Now he’s been burdened with a quest that seems impossible, and he needs to evolve into something more—something greater than he ever thought he could be.

Armed with magic, friendship, and an unbreakable will, Chase must build an army and find a weapon capable of defeating the ultimate evil. But he knows that nothing great comes without sacrifice. Blessed by the very gods who have abandoned him and carrying the fate of all the worlds on his shoulders, Chase Williams is about find out just how much one man can endure.

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 Book 1 – Exiled is FREE!

Amazon | B&N | Kobo

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MRMerrick2-221x300About the author:

M.R. Merrick is a Canadian writer, and author of Exiled, the first installment in The Protector Series. Having never traveled, he adventures to far off lands through his imagination and in between cups of coffee. As a music lover and proud breakfast enthusiast, he’s usually found at the computer, between a pair of headphones and in front of a large bowl of cereal.

M.R. Merrick | Goodreads | Twitter | Facebook



et cetera