Review: Princess of the Silver Woods (Princess #3) by Jessica Day George

My summary:
Princess Petunia is the youngest of King Gregor's twelve daughters. His daughters who used to dance for the King Under Stone every night. She is one of the few who still loves to dance. Lately she has been having dreams of the Kind Under Stone's sons. Dreams that begin turning into nightmares.

Petunia accepts an invitation to visit a duchess who is a friend of hers and who lives at the edge of the country. She is waylaid by wolves (a band of thieves) on the way to the duchess' estate. She is safe, but finds that all is not as it appears to be.

What I thought:
Loved it! This might be my favorite out of this series. I thought the play off of Little Red Riding Hood was very creative. I felt like the kingdom above and under stone were characterized rather well. The characters all had their own reasons for who they were and the choices they made. Sometimes in these types of stories you know how it's going to end and the way it works out can feel too easy. I thought several times "Here's the easy way out." and then it wouldn't be. Something would happen to frustrate things. The love story was super sweet. An enjoyable read overall.

If you like fairy tale retellings or this author, then this is a must read!

Content: Clean
Genre: YA Fantasy
Publication date: December 11, 2012 by Bloomsbury USA Children's Books
Source: Library
Rating:














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Disclosure: This post contains link(s) to an affiliate program. If you make a purchase of any type using this/these link(s) I receive a small kickback.

Review: Just One Day (Just One Day #1) by Gayle Forman

Goodreads summary:
A breathtaking journey toward self-discovery and true love, from the author of If I Stay.

When sheltered American good girl Allyson "LuLu" Healey first meets laid-back Dutch actor Willem De Ruiter at an underground performance of Twelfth Night in England, there’s an undeniable spark. After just one day together, that spark bursts into a flame, or so it seems to Allyson, until the following morning, when she wakes up after a whirlwind day in Paris to discover that Willem has left. Over the next year, Allyson embarks on a journey to come to terms with the narrow confines of her life, and through Shakespeare, travel, and a quest for her almost-true-love, to break free of those confines.

Just One Day is the first in a sweepingly romantic duet of novels. Willem’s story—Just One Year—is coming soon!

What I thought:
Hmm. What exactly to say about this one? Ever since I read The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith I have looked for a similar story. I loved that one so much and Just One Day had some similarities, but it was also vastly different. I'm going to start with what I didn't like and then end on a positive note.

What I didn't like? Some of the naivety on the part of Allyson and Willem. Sometimes you need to use words. Some of the choices (there is sex), innuendo, gay relationships, and language. The innuendo and language were consistent enough for me to debate on not finishing it. This makes it sounds like there was a lot, but there really wasn't. It was just consistent.

What did I like? The book cover is perfect. I loved the characters! Allyson, who is really growing up and finding out who she is or will be. Willem, who is so perceptive, lonely, but full of life. A lot of their conversations were so full of humor, but could then be so full of heart or sadness the next instance. I loved the traveling! You really feel like you are there with them. (I've got to visit Europe, especially Paris, someday.) I absolutely loved Allyson's friend Dee! He was just full of character. The Shakespeare references and the way they played into the story - just lovely! Then the ending. I'm pretty sure I know who messed with Willem that morning, but I will have to wait and see and I can't say more or else it will spoil things. I couldn't believe she was going to leave without being sure. Now I have to wait a year to see what happens!

I would recommend this to those who like contemporary romance and don't mind the less-than-clean content.

Content: One instance of sex, plenty of innuendo, gay relationships, and quite a bit of language.
Genre: YA Contemporary Romance
Publication date: January 8, 2013 by Dutton Juvenile
Source: Library
Rating:

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Disclosure: This post contains link(s) to an affiliate program. If you make a purchase of any type using this/these link(s) I receive a small kickback.

Leap Into Books Giveaway Hop

I am giving away winner's choice of one book (ebook or hard copy) equal to or less than $10 (US) from Amazon/Book Depository. Here are some suggestions:

The top row are all ebooks/books you can find at Amazon and the bottom row you can find at the Book Depository. Please note that prices may change. The book you want must be $10 or less when you win.

Please note that you must be 13 years old or older. This giveaway is open to US residents only for a hard copy book or ebook from Amazon, but open to international residents if you can download a Kindle ebook or if the Book Depository ships to you. Please ensure that you correctly enter your email since if it is incomplete, another winner will be chosen. You can read my giveaway policy on my policies page. Enter via the Rafflecopter below. Thanks and good luck!

Disclosure: This post contains link(s) to an affiliate program. If you make a purchase of any type using this/these link(s) I receive a small kickback.

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Waiting on Wednesday #2

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

Here are two books coming out early March that I can't wait to read:


MILA 2.0 (MILA 2.0 #1) by Debra Driza
Publication: March 12, 2013

Goodreads summary:
Mila 2.0 is the first book in an electrifying sci-fi thriller series about a teenage girl who discovers that she is an experiment in artificial intelligence.

Mila was never meant to learn the truth about her identity. She was a girl living with her mother in a small Minnesota town. She was supposed to forget her past —that she was built in a secret computer science lab and programmed to do things real people would never do.

Now she has no choice but to run—from the dangerous operatives who want her terminated because she knows too much and from a mysterious group that wants to capture her alive and unlock her advanced technology. However, what Mila’s becoming is beyond anyone’s imagination, including her own, and it just might save her life.

Mila 2.0 is Debra Driza’s bold debut and the first book in a Bourne Identity–style trilogy that combines heart-pounding action with a riveting exploration of what it really means to be human. Fans of I Am Number Four will love Mila for who she is and what she longs to be—and a cliffhanger ending will leave them breathlessly awaiting the sequel.


The Nightmare Affair (The Arkwell Academy #1) by Mindee Arnett
Publication: March 5, 2013

Goodreads summary:
Sixteen-year-old Dusty Everhart breaks into houses late at night, but not because she’s a criminal. No, she’s a Nightmare.

Literally.

Being the only Nightmare at Arkwell Academy, a boarding school for magickind, and living in the shadow of her mother’s infamy, is hard enough. But when Dusty sneaks into Eli Booker’s house, things get a whole lot more complicated. He’s hot, which means sitting on his chest and invading his dreams couldn’t get much more embarrassing. But it does. Eli is dreaming of a murder.

Then Eli’s dream comes true.

Now Dusty has to follow the clues—both within Eli’s dreams and out of them—to stop the killer before more people turn up dead. And before the killer learns what she’s up to and marks her as the next target


Do you want to read these too? Do you have any WOW titles you'd like to share?

Teaser Tuesday #2

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 have two teasers for you today:

“One more thing, Cleo.”

She froze and slowly turned back around. “Yes?”

“I’m assigning a full-time bodyguard to you, one whose main job is to keep my youngest daughter out of any future trouble.”

p. 56, Falling Kingdoms (Falling Kingdoms #1) by Morgan Rhodes, Michelle Rowen

            Congratulations, Godspeed! You have safely arrived at your final destination, the planet circling the binary Centauri system.

“I know what this is,” I say, my stomach sinking.

“We’re communicating with Earth!” Amy cries, excited, leaning forward as the message continues. 

p. 170, Shades of Earth (Across the Universe #3) by Beth Revis

 

What are you reading right now? Do you have a teaser to share?

Weekly Update #2

Welcome to my Weekly Update where I post my blog's schedule for the week.

Tomorrow is Teaser Tuesday hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. I will be sharing snippets from Shades of Earth by Beth Revis and Falling Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes. I have heard really great things about both of these, so I'm super excited to be reading them! Hopefully they will live up to my expectations.

Wednesday is Waiting On Wednesday (WOW) hosted by Breaking the Spine. Find out which books I can't wait to get my hands on.

Thursday I will post reviews of Princess of the Silver Woods by Jessica Day George and Just One Day by Gayle Forman. Did these books live up to my expectations? I will also post at least one Indie review sometime. Did you miss my Indie Author Month post?

Friday I will tell you which ebooks I downloaded this week for Feed Your Reader Friday hosted by I Am A Reader Not A Writer. Did I get any good deals? I also will be part of the Leap Into Books Giveaway Hop that runs from February 28 through March 7th. There's a ton of blogs participating, so come hop along. Totally cheesy, I know. :)

Saturday I will be spotlighting Sarah M. Eden who is one of my favorite authors. She writes historical romance.

Did you miss my reviews of Dark Star by Bethany Frenette, A Cast of Stones by Patrick W. Carr, or A Longtime (and at one point illegal) Crush by Janette Rallison? I also got some great ebooks last week for my Kindle. You can check those out here. Did you have a chance to enter my Monthly Giveaway? You can count a comment each day as another entry.

What does your week look like?

Indie Author Month

I just got an email on Indie Author Month. I didn't realize it was going on and wish I had. I would have loved to participate. I think it's good to support Indie (self-published) authors, especially when they have a book that is well-written and enjoyable. I will be looking through my books to see if I have an Indie book that I can at least review next week. If you would like to take a look at what has been going on, click on the button above or go to: http://alove4lit.blogspot.com/2013/01/indie-author-month-main-page.html. I've included the linky for the giveaways and then the freebies going on below.

 

Giveaways:
Freebies:

Monthly Giveaway - March 2013

Today I am posting my very first giveaway. One winner will receive a $10 gift card to Amazon or Barnes & Noble (winner's choice). Rafflecopter scares me just a little, being my first time, but it is really the easiest way to do this, so that is what I'll be using. This giveaway will run through the rest of February on through the end of March, so plenty of opportunities to enter.

Please note that you must be 13 years old or older. This giveaway is open to US and international residents as long as you can use the Amazon or Barnes & Noble gift card. Please ensure that you correctly enter your email since if it is incomplete or I don't have another way to contact you, another winner will be chosen. You can read my giveaway policy on my policies page. Enter via the Rafflecopter below. Thanks and good luck!

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Feed Your Reader Friday #2

I got some great books this week, again. I was excited to get a new ebook short from Janette Rallison. You can see my post about this here and my review here. I also got Fractured Light, which I have had on my tbr for some time. Here are all the books I got this week:


A Longtime (and at one point Illegal) Crush by Janette Rallison
Adult
$.99
Purchase from Amazon

Goodreads summary:
From the day Elsie’s older brother brought his friend Kye McBride over to their house, Elsie adored him. When she was eight, she secretly blew kisses to him. When she was twelve, she sat on the stairs unnoticed and watched him escort another girl to prom. When she was a senior in high school, she walked into math class and found out he was her new math teacher.

With that much emotion fueling her, things were bound to go wrong. And they did. Elsie not only spent the last two weeks of school avoiding him, she turned avoiding-Kye-at-all-costs into her life-long philosophy.

Now three years have passed and Elsie has come home for her brother’s wedding. She’s got to face Kye-–hopefully without getting crushed again.


Fractured Light by Rachel McClellan
YA Fantasy
$2.99
Purchase from Amazon

Goodreads summary:
I’m dying, I thought. This was unexpected and not at all how I envisioned my death. I was supposed to die gardening in a flowerbed as a hundred-year-old woman, not as a seventeen-year-old trapped in a lake beneath inches of ice.

Llona Reese is used to living on the run. After the Vykens killed her parents, she knew they would eventually come for her too. She can’t take any chances. But when she starts to make friends for the first time in her life, she gets careless and lets her guard down. Big mistake.

As an Aura, Llona can manipulate light and harness its energy. But if she wants to survive, Llona will have to defy the Auran Council and learn to use her power as a weapon against the Vyken whose sole desire is to take her light. Now she’s caught in something even bigger than she can understand, with a power she can’t wield, and no one she can trust, except, just maybe, a mysterious stranger.

In this breathtaking and romantic adventure, Rachel McClellan delivers a truly mesmerizing story that will keep you guessing to the very end.


Kate's Kisses (Sweet Treats Bakery) by Mary Manners
Christian Romance
Free
You can get it here.

Goodreads summary:
Broken dreams…shattered hearts…a special recipe…

Following the tragic, sudden death of her parents, Kate Spencer broke off her engagement from high school sweetheart Logan Daniels, just weeks before their wedding. She chose, instead, to remain in Mount Ridge, Tennessee to raise her younger sisters and help keep the family together. Now, with her sisters grown, she spends her days at family-owned Sweet Treats Bakery, hiding a wounded heart in the sweet confections she creates.

Logan Daniels left town when Kate broke his heart, but now he's come home to claim what he lost four years ago, and he won't stop until he gets what he came for…Kate's kisses.

Short Review: A Longtime (and at one point illegal) Crush by Janette Rallison

Elsie has always had a crush on her big brother's friend, Kye, since the first day she met him when she was eight years old. She followed after him like a little lost puppy until he went away to college. Then in her senior year of high school she walks into her math class to find him at the front as her new math teacher. Things don't quite turn out like she wants. Embarrassed, she avoids him for the next three years, even though every time she comes home for holidays from college, he comes over to hang out with her brother. This time she is coming home for her brother's wedding. She's planning on having as little contact with Kye as she can before going back. However, fate and Kye seem to be against her.

If you need something light, romantic, and funny, then pick this up. It was a really fun and cute read!

Content: Clean
Genre: YA
Publication date: February 14, 2013
Source: Amazon
My Rating:

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Disclosure: This post contains link(s) to an affiliate program. If you make a purchase of any type using this/these link(s) I receive a small kickback.

Review: A Cast of Stones (The Staff and the Sword #1) by Patrick W. Carr

My summary:
Errol has been hiding for the past several years, since he was fourteen, in a barrel of ale. He is the town drunk, but a nice one and willing to do lesser jobs so that he can buy his next drink. He isn't necessarily comfortable with his life. It is just as it is and what he must do to keep the memories away.

Then one day he takes a job, better paying then any he has ever had. He agrees to take a message from the church to the hermit who lives some way out of town. It is a difficult trail to the hermit's home and he is the only one who knows it well enough to get there quickly. He is also too poor for the bandits who sometimes dwell in the area to bother him. The message is supposedly very important, although he doesn't do it for the church who he has no love for. He takes the job for the gold and the ale he will buy with it. Little does he know that this job will set him on a course that will greatly change his life.

Once he delivers his message, after barely surviving the trail, he is found to have some talent. He is coerced to travel with the hermit and some other companions to the capital. No one has ever thought much of him, but as he journeys he finds that he was wrong about himself, most of all.

What I thought:
I loved it! I had heard some good things about it, but hadn't actually read any reviews, so I had no expectations going in. It reminded me a little of Lord of the Rings and Juliet Marillier's Bridei Chronicles.

I love it when authors really make me feel the story. This one had plenty of grit due to the time period and plot. It also had such an interesting group of characters and they each had some depth to them. We learn about the land, its history, government, and people as Errol does. I liked this because it wasn't information overload at the beginning. We're just immersed in the world and the story. I didn't feel like anything was easy. Everything that occurred that was amazing or turned out okay took time, work, and some luck. No one came out unscathed either. I did feel Errol was still a little too naive after a little while, like proclaiming his talent when he shouldn't, but overall I felt he was true to his background and age (19 at the end of the story), as well as never having being outside of his village.  The ending had a good resolution, but also set us up for the next book. I highly recommend it!

Content: Some innuendo.
Genre: YA Fantasy
Publication date: February 1, 2013 by Bethany House Publishers
Source: NetGalley
Rating:




 









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Disclosure: This review is of a book I was given for free by an author or publisher, or through NetGalley or Edelweiss. This in no way influences the opinions shared in my review. You may see my complete policy on the sidebar and on my policies page. This post also contains link(s) to an affiliate program. If you make a purchase of any type using this/these link(s) I receive a small kickback.

Review: Dark Star (Dark Star, #1) by Bethany Frenette

Goodreads summary: Audrey Whitticomb has nothing to fear. Her mother is the superhero Morning Star, the most deadly crime-fighter in the Twin Cities, so it's hard for Audrey not to feel safe. That is, until she's lured into the sweet night air by something human and not human--something with talons and teeth, and a wide, scarlet smile.

Now Audrey knows the truth: her mom doesn't fight crime at night. She fights Harrowers--livid, merciless beings who were trapped Beneath eons ago. Yet some have managed to escape. And they want Audrey dead, just because of who she is: one of the Kin.

To survive, Audrey will need to sharpen the powers she has always had. When she gets close to someone, dark corners of the person's memories become her own, and she sometimes even glimpses the future. If Audrey could only get close to Patrick Tigue, a powerful Harrower masquerading as human, she could use her Knowing to discover the Harrowers' next move. But Leon, her mother's bossy, infuriatingly attractive sidekick, has other ideas. Lately, he won't let Audrey out of his sight.

When an unthinkable betrayal puts Minneapolis in terrible danger, Audrey discovers a wild, untamed power within herself. It may be the key to saving her herself, her family, and her city. Or it may be the force that destroys everything--and everyone--she loves.

What I thought: I was expecting Audrey to have her own super powers (more like her mom's), but she didn't. Her power is more of a spiritual nature and not so much physical. They call it the "Knowing" because she can feel and visualise things about people and their past and future. The story isn't really about her powers and being a super hero. It's more about this whole society and heritage that has been kept from her and how she goes about finding out the truth. Of course, this is at the same time that things are excalating with the Harrowers. I didn't really agree with Audrey's mom, called Morning Star, keeping her in the dark. I would have thought she would have wanted her to be more prepared, but I did see that she was also trying to protect Audrey.

There were some great characters in this story! Audrey is a rather angsty teenager, but she really cares about those around her and is extremely loyal. Tink is one of Audrey's best friends. I loved the explanation behind her nickname. Gideon is the other best friend. He is basically the ideal friend who's a boy and there is no love interest here. They are just best friends. Then there's Leon who is Morning Star's sidekick and is super portective of Audrey, much to her annoyance.

I liked that Audrey realistically froze up and was scared the frist time she saw what her mom was really fighting at night. I did think Audrey jumped into danger a little too easily and some things took her a while to figure out (some things felt a little stretched out to me). At the same time, I understood why she did what she did. The couple of last chapters were the most enjoyable. Overall a quick and enjoyable read.

Content: It was pretty clean if you're okay with some high school innuendo and clubbing (very conservative), and the fighting scenes with the Harrowers.
Genre: YA Paranormal
Publication date: October 23, 2012 by Disney Hyperion
Source: Library
My rating:










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Waiting on Wednesday #1

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

There are a couple of books coming out next week that I pre-ordered and can't wait to get:

Also Known As (AKA) by Robin Benway
Publication: February 26, 2013

Amazon Summary:
Being a 16-year-old safecracker and active-duty daughter of international spies has its moments, good and bad. Pros: Seeing the world one crime-solving adventure at a time. Having parents with super cool jobs. Cons: Never staying in one place long enough to have friends or a boyfriend. But for Maggie Silver, the biggest perk of all has been avoiding high school and the accompanying cliques, bad lunches, and frustratingly simple locker combinations.

Then Maggie and her parents are sent to New York for her first solo assignment, and all of that changes. She'll need to attend a private school, avoid the temptation to hack the school's security system, and befriend one aggravatingly cute Jesse Oliver to gain the essential information she needs to crack the case . . . all while trying not to blow her cover.


Fragments (Partials) by Dan Wells
Publication: February 26, 2013

Amazon's Summary:
Kira Walker has found the cure for RM, but the battle for the survival of humans and Partials is just beginning. Kira has left East Meadow in a desperate search for clues to who she is. That the Partials themselves hold the cure for RM in their blood cannot be a coincidence—it must be part of a larger plan, a plan that involves Kira, a plan that could save both races. Her companions are Afa Demoux, an unhinged drifter and former employee of ParaGen, and Samm and Heron, the Partials who betrayed her and saved her life, the only ones who know her secret. But can she trust them?

Meanwhile, back on Long Island, what's left of humanity is gearing up for war with the Partials, and Marcus knows his only hope is to delay them until Kira returns. But Kira's journey will take her deep into the overgrown wasteland of postapocalyptic America, and Kira and Marcus both will discover that their greatest enemy may be one they didn't even know existed.

The second installment in the pulse-pounding Partials saga is the story of the eleventh hour of humanity's time on Earth, a journey deep into places unknown to discover the means—and even more important, a reason—for our survival.


Do you want to read these too? Do you have any WOW titles you'd like to share?







Disclosure: This post contains link(s) to an affiliate program. If you make a purchase of any type using this/these link(s) I receive a small kickback.

Reviews From This Year Already Posted on Goodreads

I just thought I would post some links to some books I already read and reviewed this year on Goodreads. These are books that I enjoyed reading (I'm not posting the books I didn't really like). Here they are:

Sweet Evil (The Sweet Trilogy, #1) by Wendy Higgins

The Girl of Fire and Thorns (Fire and Thorns, #1) by Rae Carson

Drops of Gold (The Jonquil Brothers Series #2) by Sarah M. Eden

Defiance (Defiance, #1) by C.J. Redwine

Teaser Tuesdays #1

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 have two teasers for you today:

Once again the major studied me. White streaked his short black hair and peppered his mustache.

"Now, why would Chane send you to me?" he asked

"Perhaps because I know the answer to your question," I said.

p. 43, Scent of Magic by Maria V. Snyder (Kindle version)

“I feel sorry for him. Some people—often big boys who’d be happy being farmers or hunter—would learn more outside a school then inside. Sometimes they must feel as though they’re in jail.”

"Maybe that's the way Eliza felt when she left school," said Anne. "She was in Class Seven. But she just wanted to get married and have babies...

p. 162, Before Green Gables by Budge Wilson


What are you reading right now? Do you have a teaser to share?