Popcorn Love

Title: Popcorn Love
Author: K. L. Hughes
Genre: Contemporary NA
Rating: 5/5
Cover: 10/10

A prominent figure amongst New York City’s fashion elite, Elena Vega is a successful businesswoman and single mother to an adorable three-year-old son, Lucas. Her love life, however, is lacking, as those closest to her keep pointing out.At the persistent urging of her closest friend, Elena reluctantly agrees to a string of blind dates if she can find a suitable babysitter for Lucas.Enter Allison Sawyer, a free-spirited senior at New York University.Elena is intrigued by Allison’s ability to push her out of her element, and the young woman’s instant and easy connection with a normally shy Lucas quickly earns Allison the job.After each blind date, Elena returns home to complain to Allison about her lacking suitors. As they bond, Elena begins to realize that the person possessing all the qualities she most desires might just be the woman who has been in front of her the entire time.The vast difference between the two women’s social statuses, however, may be an obstacle not easily overcome.

***

It's always rewarding and exciting when you're in a fandom with fanfic writers that are so amazing, their AUs get picked up and published. This method of finding new authors has given us some of the biggest names of current literature (although I hold judgment on the quality of that writing in some cases. I'm sure you all know what I'm talking about). Cassandra Clare's wildly popular The Mortal Instruments started out as (and this is still weird for me to think about if I'm honest) Draco/Ginny Harry Potter fanfiction.

I'm lucky to be in a fandom where the writers are so talented, it wasn't one AU that got picked to be published -- but three. And Popcorn Love is the first of those three to hit the shelves.

The thing about this story is that it's cute. So, so cute. And so well executed. All the characters, no matter how small their appearance, are fully fleshed out. There were no shallow characters, and the plot moves along wonderfully.

Allison and Elena are delightfully shy while also being incredibly confident - in other words, they're brilliantly human. They are flawed, and we can't help but root for them as they fumble their way to love.

Having read it in its' original version, with the original names, there were quite a few chuckles that came from reading the new names (although, Swan Queen fans, look out for an easter egg when Allison is playing the guitar! You'll know it when you see it).

Definitely recommend it to anyone wanting some nice, easy fluff to read. Perfect holiday read, or back to school de-stress read!

And dare I hope for a sequel? (I'm probably just being greedy...)

A Court of Thorns and Roses

Title: A Court of Thorns and Roses
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Genre: Fantasy
Rating: 3/5
Cover: 8/10

A thrilling, seductive new series from New York Timesbestselling author Sarah J. Maas, blending Beauty and the Beast with faerie lore.
When nineteen-year-old huntress Feyre kills a wolf in the woods, a beast-like creature arrives to demand retribution for it. Dragged to a treacherous magical land she only knows about from legends, Feyre discovers that her captor is not an animal, but Tamlin—one of the lethal, immortal faeries who once ruled their world.
As she dwells on his estate, her feelings for Tamlin transform from icy hostility into a fiery passion that burns through every lie and warning she's been told about the beautiful, dangerous world of the Fae. But an ancient, wicked shadow grows over the faerie lands, and Feyre must find a way to stop it . . . or doom Tamlin—and his world—forever.
Perfect for fans of Kristin Cashore and George R. R. Martin, this first book in a sexy and action-packed new series is impossible to put down!

Oh, boy.
Where to even start. First of all, I love Beauty & the Beast, it's my favourite fairytale, and I generally quite enjoy the retellings of it; in fact, fairytale retellings are my crack. I love reading them, I love analysing them, and I love comparing how different they are to the tales I grew up with. So, I was pretty excited for ACOTAR.
I mean, a Beauty & the Beast retelling by one of my favourite authors, and the book had been getting rave reviews? It was like a dream come true. But somewhere along the way, something went horribly, terribly wrong.
Don't get me wrong, the last ¼ of the book was actually pretty amazing. But until I got there, the story dragged by, filled stuff that could be seen as necessary filler background if it had actually been used to develop the romance. Instead, one day Feyre wakes up, essentially trapped in this house, and decides that the guy who can turn into a lion and who had scared her witless, to the point where she flinched away from him, no longer scared her, and actually, he's really quite handsome.
Now, okay, I know the nature of the fairytale involves some rather questionable romance aspects, but it really says something when a Disney movie, that cannot be longer than an hour and a half manages to make romance more believable than a 400 pages book. But I'm going to keep that rant for the feminist review, so suffice it to say, I didn't buy what Maas was selling.

And maybe it was just that, even though the book was in first person, it felt like it would have benefitted from being in third. I lost count of the amount of times I was jarred out of the narrative by Feyre thinking 'I', when I'd been pretty sure it would be a 'he/she'. It's possible that's just me being used to Maas' books being in third person, but I felt like that was maybe not the best decision in the world.
And then there were the characters. I loved Lucien so much, and, like I mentioned before, did not buy the Tamlin-is-an-awesome-guy routine. Feyre was a good, solid narrator at most times, although she did have her annoying moments.
But, the characters that most intrigued me was also the one we saw less of?! I wanted to get to know Rhys. I wanted to sink my teeth into his character, find out of what made him tic; we sort of almost got there in Feyre's cell, but there are still so many questions left. What was that look he gave Feyre at the end? Why did he protect her? What's his angle? I NEED TO KNOW! And Nesta, she was awesome, and I'd love to have seen so much more of her.

The most amusing thing for me was solving Amarantha's riddle in seconds. I'm thinking either my Ravenclaw-ness is rearing its' head, or that riddle was way too easy!

All in all, a fun book that kept me entertained. Despite my misgivings with it, it had a solid plot and interesting characters, plus awesome world building.

Spotlight Wednesdays: Foolish Games

Info:
Title: Foolish Games
Author: Leah Spiegel
Genre: NA contemporary
Rating: 5/5

Why you should read it

It's funny how some books just stick with you, you know? And no matter what, someone will say something, years later, and you'll think of that book again.

I think for me, Foolish Games did that because Joie reminded me so much of myself. She's the geeky girl that takes her kindle to concerts and reads if she's not interested in the band. And while I've never actually done that (because I only actually pay money to go see stuff I actually like), it's the kind of thing I could definitely see me doing if I were ever in her position.
And, because you're all readers too, I'm sure that her character will resonate with you guys too.

Besides, I spent over half the book shaking with laughter. The kindle scene results in the reason I can never listen to Aerosmith's Love in an Elevator again without sighing wistfully. And for all you lovers of slow burn relationships, this one is definitely for you - Hawkins and Joie most definitely do not hit it off instantly, and hilarity ensues from their ever escalating antics.

Handy hint and tip, though: don't bother with books #2 & #3. I found them to be severely lacking, especially when compared to how amazing Foolish Games is. And it doesn't end on a cliffhanger, so I prefer to see it as a standalone.

Release Day Blitz: Enforce

Welcome to the Release Day Blitz for Rachel Van Dyken's Enforce! If you're a fan of her stuff, you're probably ready Elite - and probably fell in love. This is his side of the story - and I'm so excited to read it!

There’s two sides to every story...

And ours?

Isn't pretty...

Then again, what's pretty about the mafia?

Trace Rooks, that’s what.

But she only wants one of us, and I'll kill him before I let him have her.

The only problem?

We're cousins. And she may just be our long lost enemy.

Whoever said college was hard, clearly didn't attend Eagle Elite University.

Welcome to hell also known as the Mafia where blood is thicker than life, and to keep yours? Well, keep your friends close, and your enemies?

Even closer...

 iTunes     Barnes & Noble    KOBO     Smashwords

      

Enforce/Nixon by Rachel Van Dyken from Becca the Bibliophile on Vimeo.

In case you're interested, but want to start at the beginning...

Rachel Van Dyken is the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today Bestselling author of regency and contemporary romances. When she's not writing you can find her drinking coffee at Starbucks and plotting her next book while watching The Bachelor.

She keeps her home in Idaho with her Husband and their snoring Boxer, Sir Winston Churchill. She loves to hear from readers! You can follow her writing journey at www.rachelvandykenauthor.com

NEWSLETTER   FACEBOOK   TWITTER  GOODREADS  AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE

And here's a fun review, brought to you by the author :)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Release Day Blitz: Wicked

Welcome to the Release Week Blitz for Jennifer L. Armentrout's new novel, Wicked! You can check out my reviews to two of her other books here and here, to see if her stuff interests you! Wicked sounds really interesting though, so I definitely recommend getting yourself a copy - I know I will be! Plus, look at that gorgeous cover! Wicked is a New Adult Paranormal Romance and the first book in Jennifer’s Wicked Trilogy!

Amazon ** Barnesand Noble ** iBooks

WICKED Synopsis:

Things are about to get Wicked in New Orleans.

Twenty-two year old Ivy Morgan isn’t your average college student. She, and others like her, know humans aren’t the only thing trolling the French Quarter for fun… and for food. Her duty to the Order is her life. After all, four years ago, she lost everything at the hands of the creatures she’d sworn to hunt, tearing her world and her heart apart.

Ren Owens is the last person Ivy expected to enter her rigidly controlled life. He’s six feet and three inches of temptation and swoon-inducing charm. With forest-green eyes and a smile that’s surely left a stream of broken hearts in its wake, he has an uncanny, almost unnatural ability to make her yearn for everything he has to offer. But letting him in is as dangerous as hunting the cold-blooded killers stalking the streets. Losing the boy she loved once before had nearly destroyed her, but the sparking tension that grows between them becomes impossible for Ivy to deny. Deep down, she wants… she needs more than what her duty demands of her, what her past has shaped for her.

But as Ivy grows closer to Ren, she realizes she’s not the only one carrying secrets that could shatter the frail bond between them. There’s something he’s not telling her, and one thing is for certain. She’s no longer sure what is more dangerous to her—the ancient beings threatening to take over the town or the man demanding to lay claim to her heart and her soul.

Excerpt: 

It was him. Green Eyes. Ren. That was his name. Now I remembered. I started to step forward, but he beat me to it. Moving as quickly as a damn snake striking, he caught my wrists. He didn’t yank my arms to my sides. All he did was hold my fists away from his face.

A lopsided grin appeared on those full lips. “Can’t say I’m entirely surprised you took a swing at me.”

“Then I guess this won’t surprise you either.” Leaning back, I shifted my weight onto my left leg, but again, Ren outmaneuvered me with a quickness that was sort of embarrassing.

He stepped into what would’ve been a fantastic kick and forced me back against the wall. Then there was nowhere to go, no space whatsoever. My back was against the building, and the entire length of his hard body was pressed against mine.

Son of a bitch.

As if he could read my mind, that grin spread and the dimples played peekaboo. “Now I think we can have a conversation without me ending up bloody.”

I blew out an aggravated breath. “I wouldn’t bet on that not happening.”

 He chuckled, and the sound rumbled through me. I couldn’t even remember being this close to a guy since . . . since Shaun. “Look, I’m sorry for snatching you off the street like a kidnapper, but you were about to make yet another huge mistake.”

His apology was lost on me. “Make another mistake?”

“Yeah, like the one last night that ended with you getting shot.” He dipped his chin, and the yellow glow of the light attached to the wall above us glanced off his broad cheekbones. “I know what you were about to do.”

 “I didn’t make a mistake last night. I was doing my job,” I spat. “And I doubt your job includes grabbing chicks off the street.”

 “That would be a hell of a lot more entertaining, but the moment you thought you could engage that fae last night, you made a mistake. And you were about to do it again, you little ass.”

“Little ass?” I sputtered. “You grabbed me off the street like a serial killer!”

“And I’ve apologized for that even though you should be thanking me. I just saved your life, sweetness.”

Floored, all I could do was stare at him for a moment. “You’re insane.”

“I’m a lot of things, but today I’m your fucking saving grace.”

 

About Jennifer L. Armentrout:

# 1 NEW YORK TIMES and USA TODAY Bestselling author Jennifer lives in Martinsburg, West Virginia. All the rumors you’ve heard about her state aren’t true. When she’s not hard at work writing. she spends her time reading, working out, watching really bad zombie movies, pretending to write, and hanging out with her husband and her Jack Russell Loki.

Her dreams of becoming an author started in algebra class, where she spent most of her time writing short stories….which explains her dismal grades in math. Jennifer writes young adult paranormal, science fiction, fantasy, and contemporary romance. She is published with Spencer Hill Press, Entangled Teen and Brazen, Disney/Hyperion and Harlequin Teen. Her book Obsidian has been optioned for a major motion picture and her Covenant Series has been optioned for TV.

She also writes adult and New Adult romance under the name J. Lynn. She is published by Entangled Brazen and HarperCollins.

Website ** Facebook ** Twitter ** Novel Goodreads ** Author Goodreads

Fallen Fourth Down

Title: Fallen Fourth Down (Fallen Crest High #4)
Author: Tijan
Genre: YA contemporary
Rating: 4.5/5
Cover: 10/10

These books. Honestly, they keep on surprising me by how fast I get through them.

Mason was on top form here, I have to say. I kept screaming at Sam to tell him, but I could also see her reasoning. And yet this man... he never even hesitates. He loves her so much, and he gave me so many feels, I just. I need a Mason moment *deep breaths*
Logan, what can I say? He's never been quite so awesome as Mason, and I finally figured out why - his mood swings give me some serious whiplash. He goes from joking to I-will-kill-you mode in 1 New York second, and it seriously does my head. Also, he was a bit of an ass to Sam. And he never did answer her; I don't care what he told Mason, of course he'd say something that wouldn't break them apart, but I'm not quite sold on it yet. And I really like Kris, and didn't appreciate how he treated her.
Heather, though. I cannot wait to see more of her! That chick is crazy and she's awesome. I'm so glad Sam finally has a decent friend.
As for Sam herself, well. This book was a little bit of a tough one to like her in. She kept going on about how she's going to stand on her own two feet, and yet she didn't have the spine to tell her boyfriend this massive secret. I do absolutely applaud how she dealt with Jackson though. I was worried for a second there we'd have a love triangle - less worried about Marissa, which just goes to show how much I trust Mason. I don't trust the guys very easily, and I dare say the last book I reviewed, Pieces of You, only cemented that mistrust. And yet... not even a flicker of doubt or fear that he'd stray. Well done, Mase. You have officially entered the ranks of my book husbands. They would never ever cheat. Take a seat please - and that I'd have to scream at my kindle like a madwoman. Thankfully, it wasn't needed. A 4.5/5 for Sam's behaviour, though. Also, seriously, overreaction much with the whole Marissa/hall incident? Jeez. He had it under control, I don't see why she freaked so much. As for her assertion that she's going to stand beside Mason, well we'll see about that, I guess. I really hope that she does.

Breakdown

Title: Breakdown
Author: Amanda Lance
Genre: YA/NA
Rating: 3.5/5
Cover: 9/10

This is part of the Review Blitz for Breakdown - all info about where to buy the book, etc is below my review.

Let me just start by saying that I'm a sucker for bad boys, and so for me, William was just... *sighs* not to mention his name. So many of my favourite characters are Wills, that name has a special place in my heart already, and he didn't disappoint.

However, that said, I will say that while the plot and characters were good, the editing of this book left so much to be desired, it was actually painful to read at times. Things like verb conjugations, typos and the narrative perspective would shift out of the blue, ruining the overall novel, which is a shame, because it really could have been to good. Also, I felt a slight laziness from Ms Lance in continuously referring to Lottie's co-workers as 'the manager', 'the illegals' and 'my fellow counter girl'. I felt like an extra layer could have so easily been added there by simply giving them names, and the fact that they didn't have any actually started seriously pissing me off, because if also effectively made them so one dimensional, it was painful.

That said, I really enjoyed the relationship between Lottie and Will. Their banter was fresh, and even though her backstory felt slightly like it was decided on last minute, it worked. It worked for her character, and it worked for their relationship.

Overall, a good book with interesting characters and a decent plot. If the grammatical mishaps and lack of names for people won't bother you, definitely give it a go!

Breakdown by Amanda Lance REVIEW BLITZ October 6-10 2014

BUY IT ON AMAZON: http://bit.ly/BreakdownAm
BUY IT ON BARNES AND NOBLE: http://bit.ly/BreakdownBN
BUY IT AT KOBO: http://bit.ly/BreakdownKo
BUY IT ON ITUNES: http://bit.ly/BreakdownITunes

Charlotte Ferro is about to jump.
Yet nothing ruins a perfectly good suicide attempt worse than a handsome do-gooder. After William O’Reilly convinces her to take one last ride with him, Charlotte finds herself forgetting about her own problems and enjoying a world of which she never dreamed.

Now addicted to the rush of fast cars and cool criminals, Charlotte finds herself leaning less towards the ledge and more toward the arms of her savior. But with reasons of his own for keeping Charlotte safe from herself, William is reluctant to involve her in his criminal undertakings. Will his career choice keep them apart? Will Charlotte’s painful past?

~*~ABOUT THE AUTHOR~*~

A native of New Jersey and lifelong nerd, Amanda Lance recently completed her Master in Liberal Arts at Thomas Edison State College after her BA in English Literature and AFA in creative writing. As an avid reader of all genres, some of her favourite authors include Hemingway, Marquis de Sade, Stevenson, Bukowski and Radcliffe.

When she isn’t writing or reading, Amanda can found indulging in film noir or hiking with her other half and their extremely spoiled dog. She is obsessively working on her next book and trying to tame her caffeine addiction.

Ravensong

Title: Ravensong
Author: M. L. Hamilton
Genre: Contemporary YA/NA
Rating: 4/5
Cover: 5/10

First things first, and I'd like to know what the hell this book is doing on 'adult' shelves. There is not a dot in Ravensong that is adult. Not a single drop of ink. So I went expecting what most adult books have, and halfway through realised that I'd been mislead. Nevertheless, I was already roped in, so hey-ho. But if you're putting off reading it right now because you're in the mood for YA, pick it up; it's YA all right.

Now on the stuff that matters...
Ravensong was a tricky one to rate. The book started out So. Darn. Good. And it kept on being good, right up until about 75% in. Then things just got weird. And I'm not necessarily saying that weird is bad, but this weird was definitely confusing enough I can feel a headache building.
It kept jumping from memories to present without any indication of what was what, changing from one memory to the other with the same marking as though it were changing POV, and it took me a few lines to figure out if what I was reading was a memory, or a new development. And, while I found all those memories fascinating, and loved the chance to get to know Josh better, they were really just sort of... put there, kind of randomly, far - and long - enough to the end of the book that I worried we'd be stuck with memories and never find out how things turned out in the present. Since the book starts with a memory, I guess putting the others closer to the beginning of the book would have made more sense. Also, while Josh was almost 4D, there was so much depth to him, I felt a lack of depth regarding some of the other characters, most notably Elena and Julian.
All that considered, and the truly great plot, I decided a 3.5 rating would be about good, and just rounded it up to 4. To sum it up: an interesting read, and definitely worth your time.