Waiting On Wednesday - 2/19/14

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine

The book I'm waiting for this week is called Seeress (Runes #3) by Ednah Walters because these books are amazing!

Summary: Raine Cooper is certain of two things: her love for Torin St. James and her destiny to be a powerful seeress. But when she starts having premonitions, they are unclear and disturbing. Worse, they involve Torin. Not sure what to do, she keeps quiet.

But when the visions are about her and another man, Raine realizes she needs to talk to someone. Just her luck two new students arrive at her school and they seem to have answers. When with them, her powers are enhanced and her visions become clear. There is only one problem: Torin does not want Raine to have anything to do with the two girls but he won't explain why.
Can their love survive the secrets they are keeping from each other?

Prologue Reveal: Business As Usual by Denise Grover Swank

Business As Usual is the third book in the Off The Subject Series.

                                                                BUSINESS AS USUAL Synopsis:

Lexi Pendergraft has given up on finding love after a disastrous encounter with her last boyfriend. Instead, she focuses on two things: One, setting up a summer program for underprivileged middle-school aged students. And the second, getting to the bottom of her brother Reed’s recent strange behavior. His secret is destroying his relationship with his fiancée Caroline, and Lexi will do anything to help him save it. Especially after he gave up his dream to give Lexi a chance at a semi-normal college experience, something her parents threatened to steal from her after her rape a year ago.

Ben Masterson is determined to make it through his final semester of his senior year at Southern University. After recently losing his full ride scholarship, he’s suffering from sleep deprivation while trying to keep up with his mechanical engineering courses and working three part time jobs. He thinks he’s lucked out getting a job in the university math lab. The only problem is his boss—Reed Pendergraft.

As part of a role in a community theater play, Lexi wears a black wig and feels a confidence she hasn’t experienced in over a year. When she wears it to a bar close to the theater, she doesn’t think Ben, a bartender there, recognizes her. While Ben’s intrigued about what she’s up to, he’s smart enough to stay far away from his overprotective boss’s sister. Until fate forces him to help her, but why won’t she tell him her real identity?

Prologue: Click Here

About Denise Grover Swank:

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Denise Grover Swank was born in Kansas City, Missouri and lived in the area until she was nineteen. Then she became a nomadic gypsy, living in five cities, four states and ten houses over the course of ten years before she moved back to her roots. She speaks English and smattering of Spanish and Chinese which she learned through an intensive Nick Jr. immersion period.  Her hobbies include witty Facebook comments (in own her mind) and dancing in her kitchen with her children. (Quite badly if you believe her offspring.)  Hidden talents include the gift of justification and the ability to drink massive amounts of caffeine and still fall asleep within two minutes. Her lack of the sense of smell allows her to perform many unspeakable tasks.  She has six children and hasn’t lost her sanity. Or so she leads you to believe.

You can find out more about Denise and her other books at: www.denisegroverswank.com.

Pre-Order Links:

Amazon

Kobo

Links:

Blog: http://denisegroverswank.com/blog/

Website: www.denisegroverswank.com

Author Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DeniseGroverSwank

Twitter: https://twitter.com/DeniseMSwank

Novel Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18053586-business-as-usual?ac=1

Author Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4921525.Denise_Grover_Swank

Teaser Tuesday - 2/18/14

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

I'm currently reading These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner. And let me tell you, it is so good so far! Anyways here's a teaser form it!

"It's raining," I say, voice hoarse from sleep. I clear my throat and try again. "It's fine. Straight from the clouds to you."

She frowns, still huddling over and trying to shelter from it. " Straight from the clouds? Is that hygienic?"

I can't help it. It starts out as a snicker, but I'm grinning, and there's a tension inseide me that snaps and releases, and a moment later I'm laughing so hard I can't stop.

She stares across at me, wondering if I've finally cracked. I reach for her hand and wind my fingers through hers, turning them so the rain patters down onto her palm. I trace a circle there with my thumb, smoothing the water into her skin. I want to show her there's nothing to be afraid of.

Then her lips are curving slowly, and she's flopping back to lie down and let the rain hit her upturned face. I look across, drinking in her smile, some part of me noticing I'm still holding her hand, fingers tangled through hers. I notice she's shaking, and for an instant I think she's crying.

Then I realize she's laughing too."

Summary: It's a night like any other on board the Icarus. Then, catastrophe strikes: the massive luxury spaceliner is yanked out of hyperspace and plummets into the nearest planet. Lilac LaRoux and Tarver Merendsen survive. And they seem to be alone. 

Lilac is the daughter of the richest man in the universe. Tarver comes from nothing, a young war hero who learned long ago that girls like Lilac are more trouble than they’re worth. But with only each other to rely on, Lilac and Tarver must work together, making a tortuous journey across the eerie, deserted terrain to seek help. 

Then, against all odds, Lilac and Tarver find a strange blessing in the tragedy that has thrown them into each other’s arms. Without the hope of a future together in their own world, they begin to wonder—would they be better off staying here forever?

Everything changes when they uncover the truth behind the chilling whispers that haunt their every step. Lilac and Tarver may find a way off this planet. But they won’t be the same people who landed on it.

Monday Recs. - 2//17/14

This week's Monday Recommendation is...

The Iron Fey Series by Julie Kagawa. 

  I loved these books and had my fair share of crying in them!

Summary: Meghan Chase has a secret destiny; one she could never have imagined.

Something has always felt slightly off in Meghan's life, ever since her father disappeared before her eyes when she was six. She has never quite fit in at school or at home.

When a dark stranger begins watching her from afar, and her prankster best friend becomes strangely protective of her, Meghan senses that everything she's known is about to change.

But she could never have guessed the truth - that she is the daughter of a mythical faery king and is a pawn in a deadly war. Now Meghan will learn just how far she'll go to save someone she cares about, to stop a mysterious evil, no faery creature dare face; and to find love with a young prince who might rather see her dead than let her touch his icy heart.

If you want to check them out, you can...

Amazon: HERE

Barnes and Noble: HERE

Goodreads: HERE

Review: Mind Games by Kiersten White

Summary: Fia was born with flawless instincts. Her first impulse, her gut feeling, is always exactly right. Her sister, Annie, is blind to the world around her—except when her mind is gripped by strange visions of the future. 

Trapped in a school that uses girls with extraordinary powers as tools for corporate espionage, Annie and Fia are forced to choose over and over between using their abilities in twisted, unthinkable ways…or risking each other’s lives by refusing to obey.

In a stunning departure from her New York Times bestselling Paranormalcy trilogy, Kiersten White delivers a slick, edgy, heartstoppingly intense psychological thriller about two sisters determined to protect each other—no matter the cost.

***

Initial Thoughts: This book was definitely a unique story, even how the chapters were structured was different from any book I've read - alternating POV with one chapter present time, next chapter flashback - but it was purposeful and added to the story and helped a lot with background information. I was also surprised by the characters and how the story turned out in general. It was a very well developed, exciting read!

The Characters: The book alternates between Fia and Annie's POV. I have to say though that I like Fia better than Annie which seems weird because Fia is broken, damaged, and dark but also smart. But Fia wasn't always like this (will explain in Story section). I really, really liked her though and I don't know why. Maybe it was because she was developed so well, but I don't know just that I liked her! Annie is Fia's older sister and she is blind but sees the future. Fia has flawless instincts which so far no one has had before which makes her really coveted. There is also James who is part of this evil company and his dad's the head of it. I still don't know what to make of him. He wants to help bring his father's company down, but there's something about him that still throws me off. And lastly there is Adam. I liked him even though he isn't there a lot in the story but very important!

The Story: Adam is someone Fia meets in the beginning of the book and saves him which just leads to chain reaction of events because she was sent to kill him. And to the point of explaining why Fia is damaged with a dark side is that when she was 12, she and her sister were sent to this school that keeps girls with special powers, and as she got older they would send Fia to do their dirty work - killing, stealing, espionage etc. - and if she didn't they would threaten to kill her sister. So she's done what they want, because she loves her sister. But she's always hated doing wrong. Because of her perfect instincts, doing something wrong makes her feel sick. Fia thinks she's a monster and I couldn't help but like her anyways. 

The story had a lot of action and kept a good pace, as I said, alternating POV but also between past and present. This gave you tons of answers as to how everyone got to where they were, how they met, how they fit into all the secrets etc. It also caused me to be confused with some characters in the sense that it was hard to make out which side some people were on because the characters developed and changed as the story went on - James was one of these people I still don't know what to make of. He seems like a good guy plus he wants to bring his father down, but Fia always felt wrong when she was with him. I don't know if this necessarily meant he was bad or being with him (like having a relationship) was wrong. But I guess that's the beauty of having a next book in a series - you get more answers! 

The Romance: Hmmm, well there isn't really any yet there is. Fia and James like each other, but for different reasons I think. I think James genuinely likes her and Fia likes him in that it feels nice to be around someone who likes her even though they're both monsters in a sense. Their relationship is weird and I don't really know what to make of it because Fia has that sense of wrong with him but around Adam she has a sense of right. I can't wait to read the next book to see how everything plays out - I want answers!

End Thoughts: Great plot, story, and characters. It was unique and really fun to read and I enjoyed it a lot as well! 4.5/5 stars for a great plot and characters and suspense!

Review: Immortals (Runes #2) by Ednah Walters

Summary: Nothing can stop Raine Cooper when she wants something...
Raine finally knows that her gorgeous neighbor, Torin St. James, is a legend straight out of Norse mythology, and that her feelings for him are strong. Torin is crazy about Raine too, breaking the one rule he lives by: Never fall for a mortal. The problem is he no longer remembers her, his memories erased by Norns—Norse destiny deities—to punish her for defying them.

So Raine comes up with a plan...
She will make Torin forget his one rule a second time and fall in love with her all over again. 
But she quickly learns that well-laid plans do not work when dealing with deities and supernatural beings. Desperate, Raine makes choices that could not only tear her and Torin further apart, but lead to the destruction of everything and everyone she loves

***

**If you haven't, you can read my review for the first book Runes (Runes #1) HERE. And this review does contain spoilers about the plot so you have been warned!**

Initial Thoughts:  Give me the last book. That was my first thought when I finished. I mean you can't just drop a huge secret and say "The End"! Cliffhangers, I love them and I hate them... 

The Story: The characters are the same as in the first book but there are huge problems going on. First, something is off about Cora and Raine doesn't know until later in the book but when you read it, you pick up that something is going on. Eirik is having the Jekyl and Hyde thing going on because *spoiler* (highlight to read) he is Loki's grandson  and he sometime loses control and makes other people go crazy and they start fighting and attacking each other. Plus Torin lost his memories and her dad is really sick. Raine is also training to become a Valkyrie. You find out that it's her mom's side that has to do with Norse mythology but her dad knows too which is awesome - I like it when everyone knows what's going on in books. As you can see Raine's life isn't looking too well at the moment. Raine is trying to solve all these problems. She needs to find out what and probably who is causing Eirik to turn dark, she needs to train, help her dad and try to make Torin remember or fall in love with her again. But as Raine's mother said - he may have forgotten but the heart always remembers. And Torin even says that - he knows there's something about Raine he just can't rememeber but slowly he remembers little phrases and stuff about Raine. Plus his friend who he trusts told him his memory was erased so eventually things work out though Torin doesn't get his memories back (yet...) and happily ever after. Kidding, Raine and Torin's relationship works out but there are still so many secrets and problems that need to be solved. In the end some of them are but I told you there was a huge cliffhanger at the end which I can't wait to see more of in the next book!!

End Thoughts: The book was funny, sad, mysterious and really great - so is the series! It was a fun read and I look forward to more! Definitely 5 stars!

Review: Runes by Ednah Walters

Summary: Seventeen-year-old Raine Cooper has enough on her plate dealing with her father’s disappearance, her mother’s erratic behavior and the possibility of her boyfriend relocating. The last thing she needs is Torin St. James—a mysterious new neighbor with a wicked smile and uncanny way of reading her.

Raine is drawn to Torin’s dark sexiness against her better judgment, until he saves her life with weird marks and she realizes he is different. But by healing her, Torin changes something inside Raine. Now she can’t stop thinking about him. Half the time, she’s not sure whether to fall into his arms or run.

Scared, she sets out to find out what Torin is. But the closer she gets to the truth the more she uncovers something sinister about Torin. What Torin is goes back to an ancient mythology and Raine is somehow part of it. Not only are she and her friends in danger, she must choose a side, but the wrong choice will cost Raine her life.

***

**I received a copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review**

Initial Thoughts: Wow I was not expecting this to be so good! I read it on one sitting. I wasn't able to put it down because everything kept me in the book and as soon as I finished I bought the next book and already read that as well! You know a book is really good when you immediately get the next one!

The Characters: Raine, Eirik, Cora, Torin, and a few others are the main characters. I loved how everyone was connected. Raine and Cora have been friends with each other since forever and they both were amazing friends to each other. Raine and Eirik have been friends with each other since they were babies. Torin moves in next door to Raine and that's how they meet. Raine is strong and sweet and she doesn't like to hurt people's feeling (will explain in romance section). Cora is very youthful and energetic and a great friend to Raine and vice versa. She's funny as well and I really like her. Eirik is great - he was funny and playful and caring towards everyone. Torin, he was cocky and funny and maybe my favorite character! They all had different qualities to them and that made them all really well developed characters who were consistent throughout the book!

The Story: Now despite the summary, the book isn't all about Torin! It's about Raine trying to figure out everything that's going on. She starts seeing weird tattoos on people and then students are dying at her school. She remembers people that nobody else remembers. At one time when she was hurt she knew Torin healed her somehow and there's just tons of secret and mystery. Raine definitely knows there is something about Torin and some of his friends but she doesn't know and tries to figure it all out and how she fits in with it all. Not to mention that her dad's been missing but you know that one of her parents has something to do with all the weird things happening and I couldn't figure it out! The plot was quite manipulative and so good. 

The Romance: I'm just going to say that I really hate love triangles in books, but there isn't really one in this book. Let me explain. Raine and Eirik have been friends their whole lives so in the book they start dating. But then comes Torin. Raine and Torin spend time together and such and Raine realizes that she loves Eirik but not in a love-dovey sense - more like a best friend and definitely not like she does Torin. I really like Torin and Raine together and their love felt so tangible! The ending completely killed me! *Spoiler*(highlight to read) Torin's memory gets erased so he doesn't remember anything!

End Thoughts: This book was such a great read and I really love Norse mythology books too! I really hope you guys check it out because it was amazing! 5 stars!