Cold Feet at Christmas

Title: Cold Feet at Christmas
Author: Debbie Johnson
Genre: Adult contemporary
Rating: 4/5
Cover: 10/10

I was given an ARC copy of this book by the publisher via netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

On the last day of Christmas, my true love gave to me.... a dishevelled, frozen bride?
It wasn't in Rob's plans - hell, it wasn't anywhere even near Leah's plans. But when she finds her groom "playing hide-the-sausage" with one of the bridesmaids, she does the only thing any sane woman would do: she did a runner. Only she forgot her wedding was going to take place in a castle in Scotland, with a whole lot of nothing going on around it.
So by the time the car broke down, it was Leah, the snow and the sheep, alone on Christmas Eve.

Seriously a comedy delight. Leah is a hilarious character, and her resilience as a person was really endearing - that a person that had been hurt as much as she had by life could still shrug it all off (I can quite easily see her dancing around to Taylor Swift's Shake it Off) and crack a joke was amazing. The fact that she has no filter whatsoever certainly made for an entertaining read - the comment about the Italian sandwich had me fighting for air through giggles for nearly a full minute. And the whole debacle at the end with the fancy dress honestly had me in absolute stitches, because for some reason I pictured Leah as Billie Piper in that scene, with the cockney accent. A slutty Rose for Christmas, please! But shh, don't tell the Doctor ;)
As for Rob, this was a little harder. Sure, he's hot, and he redeems himself, but he was also a grade-A asshole to Leah for long there, I was almost hoping she'd go for Marco, to be honest. Serve that patronising idiot right for taking her for granted; his push-pull routine got old really quick, and really, I get the guilt, I do, but that's no excuse for how he treated her. So, I guess you could say I had some trouble connecting to the main guy. Luckily, Leah's antics pretty much outshone any negative effects of Rob's moodiness, but still.

A solid 4/5, maybe a 4.5/5, for the hilarious character, good plot and great world building! This is a definite read for the holiday season. Cold Feet for Christmas comes out November 6th.

Famous in Love

Title: Famous in Love
Author: Rebecca Serle
Genre: YA contemporary
Rating: 5/5
Cover: 10/10

I was given an ARC of this novel by the publisher via netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is a 100% spoiler-free review.

It's hard to explain my feelings when I finished this book. It was part smugness because my wild guess turned out to be right, and part absolute despair, because let me tell you about the ending. It hurts. Like a picket being thrust into my heart. The first thing I did was rush to the computer, and frantically tweet Rebecca Serle, asking if there was going to be a sequel. But I was too nervous to wait for a reply, so I went fishing, and found out that (thank all the gods above and below) there will two more books. I went into the story assuming that there would be, but because there was no name to the series and #1 by the book on goodreads, I had to be absolutely certain, or I might burst into tears.
Crisis averted, though. There's still hope.
Now let me tell you about the story.

I loved Paige. Really, really loved her. Throughout the entire thing, she was so relatable. Usually, with stories about love triangles (that's not a spoiler, it's in the blurb), I get annoyed at the girl flip-flopping between guys, because to me, it's usually so obvious who she's supposed to be with. Here, though, Serle did such a superb job in the placing of characters, it never once felt strained or fake or stupid. It probably helped that once she actively admitted her feelings for Jordan, she kind of put the stuff with Rainer on hold. It was the right, honourable thing to do, I think, and only fair to all three of them. And it was great to see her grow as a character from the shy, scared girl at the beginning to the strong, sure woman she is by the end. Though I might not agree with her decision at the end (and judging by the prologue, neither does she), I definitely respect it. I think there could have been a better way to handle things, and that that was a piss-poor reason to make the decision she did, but the girl has guts, and I respect her wanting to be there like someone who was there for her when she needed it.
Rainer... what to say? He starts out like a dream, but I don't know. There's this one line that he says even before Jordan shows up that niggles at me. I think he really likes Paige, and I could see them being a great couple, but I just don't know...
And then there's Jordan. At first he was such a haughty prick, I kept wondering whether Paige was attracted to him, or if he just made her really nervous because he was so closed off. But then his whole backstory came up, and... ah, I don't know a thing anymore. He's fiercely loyal, and yet some things he said to Paige about Rainer don't seem to fit. It makes me wonder.
It also doesn't help that, even though I know who Paige wishes she had picked, I'm not certain on August. I think I know, but it was quite vague, since they're intrinsically different characters, even though Paige said whatever happened to one did to the other.

So, anyway. You should read this, you really should. It's funny, it's cute, and it's hot. It's also sad, tugs at your heart and can get quite serious at times. Basically, it's amazing. And, even better, to tide you over once you're done, there's two little extra tidbits already out there. Serle actually wrote Locked and has published it as an e-novella under the pseudonym of Parker Witter, so guess what I'm off to read next! But even before that, there's a free story on Wattpad, The Three of Us, that tells the story of August, Ed and Noah before the crash. So. If you're in any way unsure, and my ramblings haven't convinced you, here's the link to The Three of Us, and here's the link to Locked. And if you like those, then definitely give Famous in Love a chance - you won't regret it! (and if you want, you can come cry with me about the ending on twitter. Please do.)

Heir of Fire

Title: Heir of Fire (Throne of Glass #3)
Author: Sarah J Maas
Genre: YA, Fantasy
Rating: 5/5
Cover: 8/10

Warning: contains minor spoilers.

I don't have the words to explain this book, truly don't.

Celaena has always been one of my favourite characters because she's so very real. She grieves and feels pain and almost crumbles under it. But she doesn't, because she keeps on fighting, and that is something I admire a great deal.

And in this book, this was even more obvious than in the others; struggling to come to terms with Nehemia's death, she's lost and adrift, having left her friends behind (most notably Dorian, who, bless his soul, stand behind her no matter what - he better not be dead or else...). But then, enter Rowan.

You know, a friend a long time ago told me this theory she'd found somewhere that everyone had three soulmates in the world. The thing is, most people associate that word with romantic love (and believe me when I say, I would not be sad to see Rowan as king of Terrasen... just saying), but it is so much more than just that. They get each other in a way that is really something else. They have entire conversations without speaking a word, because they know each other so well. And I get it, it probably will never to lead to anything else, because of his fallen mate all those years ago, but I think that so far beyond that, he is what she needed, she is what he needed - they complete each other, and their scenes together were so perfectly written and described, it really was something else to behold. I can't wait to see these two get together and unleash themselves on the world.

Though Aedion (who is not dead, btw, I refuse to believe he'd be dead... plus he was in the vision of the future she saw, so there has to be a - pretty strong - chance that he'll live, right?) will not be impressed that someone else got swear the blood oath before him haha.

*rubs hands together* when can I get the next one? :)

Need more of Celaena & co? Check out my very spoiler-filled GIF review here.

Ignite Me

Title: Ignite Me (Shatter Me #3)
Author: Tahereh Mafi
Genre: Dystopia, YA
Rating: 5/5
Cover: 10/10

Five stars aren't quite enough to describe this book. Even Adam's bitchiness was perfect. My one issue with it is this: it's YA! Oh the potential for smut! With my two beautiful babies, too. My heart still cries over what could have been.
But in a way like this fit them perfectly too. I didn't mind so much not getting to see that softer, more intimate side of them together because Mafi wrote it in a way that it didn't need to go into explicit details to show that softer side. And it was utterly, entirely, completely beautiful. 
And now I'm not quite sure what to do with myself. I'm just sitting here in stunned silence, thinking maybe I need to go back and read chapter 55, cause chapter 62 doesn't hold a candle to it. And I want more. I want to see them grow old together, bickering the entire way just because he loves to see her when he's mad at him. I want to see his relationship with James grow. Hell, I even want to see him and Adam grow closer.
I want it so much and it hurts so damn much because I know there isn't more.
Juliette was perfect in this book. The darkness I always knew was there finally broke through, and boy did I enjoy her putting Adam in his place. Jealousy because your ex is moving on is fine, but it turned into something much, much uglier, and if she'd given into her, she would have become just another victim of male oppression, always trying to be someone she's not because otherwise her boyfriend would go ballistic on her. No. And Warner, he brings out her strength. He pushes her to be only herself, to not be ashamed of who she is; and in turn, she makes him a better man. Not because she doesn't accept him the way he is and wants to change him, but because her love gives him the strength to do the right thing. And watching them bring out the best in each other out was mesmerising. Though the two stubborn mules were frustrating at times, his love for her shone through every single action of his, and that's why the ending was perfect...
... and yet not nearly enough.
But for this one, I clap and I bow to you, Tahereh. Perfect ending to a beautifully crafted series.

Thief Blurb

It's been a while coming, but the blurb for Tarryn Fisher's third and final book in The Opportunist trilogy, Thief, is finally here:

Now that we've been assure Caleb will fight for Olivia, let's get down to the good stuff: word on the street is that Thief will be released some time next week, so keep your eyes peeled for it. Ms Fisher has been dropping hints left, right and centre, telling everyone to get their re-reads done now. So, if you need to refresh your memory, now's the time to do it.

For any of you new to The Opportunist, you can read my review of the first book of the same name here.

Dusk

Title: Dusk 
Author: Eve Edwards
Genre: YA
Rating: 4.5/5
Cover: 9/10

I was a bit weary going into Dusk, because I assumed that, being a war novel, it could be a little too heavy for light reading. I'm happy to say that, while it captured the despair and sadness of war, as well as the danger and fear, Dusk still managed to be a fun, entertaining read that just flowed extremely well.

Helen is interesting in that she is very matter-of-fact in stating what she sees as her 'shortcomings' that would make her not be the perfect woman to her father. The mystery of why her sister isn't with her, or why she doesn't mention her sister more in the start intrigues us, as does the fact that, at first, it doesn't seem like the book focuses on a romance; it isn't until a few pages in that she finally mentions Sebastian. 

The interesting thing is that Sebastian mentions her almost instantly. This idea that his love for her is more on the forefront of his mind is echoed in the end of the book, when Helen runs and Sebastian goes after her.

Of course, like any good period romance, the requisite interfering family makes an appearance, trying to split up the couple. However, my favourite part of Dusk was the ending. Although it's open-ended, it doesn't have too big of a cliffhanger, and therefore isn't torture; but it's still enough of one to make sure I'll read Dawn when it comes out. I'd definitely recommend Dusk to anyone looking for a short, sweet book that ends with the promise of happiness.

Gameboard of the Gods

Title: Gameboard of the Gods (Age of X #1)
Author: Richelle Mead
Genre: adult
Rating: 5/5
Cover: 8/10 (not sure what/how it links to the story, but the swirls are pretty)


I know I shouldn't; I mean, you'd think that after ten adult books and nine young adult books, I'd be used to it. An yet, this woman's ability to captivate me with her stories never ceases to amaze me. And honestly? I'm hoping it never, ever does. Because, boy do I love the crazy rides her increasingly crazy main girls take me on.

To those of you familiar with Richelle's other works, the only way I can describe Mae (and I won't even try to spell her surname. I'm still trying to tackle Danila's. One crazy name at a time, please) is like, quite literally, a grown up version of Rose if Dimitri had stayed Strigoi, and Rose hadn't broken up with Adrian. Now, that was never a future that appealed to me, because in Rose's case, Dimitri was in the picture, and really, there's just no question when it comes to those two. But with Mae, I was happily surprised.  The similarities between Jason and Adrian can be quite astonishing for those who know what to look for, but at the same time, they're intrinsically different. Still, it was quite a shock to find myself yelling in my mind for them to just get it on already. Of all the books to make me reconsider my feelings on indulging, vice-imbibing, asshole-inclined, superior-minded, arrogant pricks, this was not the one I expected. But it did. And god help me, I fell head over heels in love with Jason. The jury's still out for Adrian, though.
Even more interestingly, is Tessa. The best way I can describe her, if we're still going with the Richelle Mead book examples, is as a bizarre cross between Sydney and a pinch of Rose. And yet something else too, because she's endearing - and while I love both leading ladies mentioned above, neither can be called endearing.
So what's the book about, and what makes it so amazing, you may ask? Join those three characters above, add in some crazy magic/god action, sexual tension thick enough to give even Georgina and Seth a run for their money, politics that are actually, bizarrely, quite intriguing, a dystopian-like country, and top it off with the trademark Mead snark and fabulous dialogue, and you have your answer. And if that doesn't sell you on reading this, then you should just read it because it's a Richelle Mead book, and I've come to learn that that basically means it'll blow your mind.
One thing that was, at first, a bit of the shock, is the third person narration that I wasn't used to with Mead's stories. However, once the book gets going (around page 2, as usual), it only ever stood out again whenever I had to stop reading, and then got back to it. Otherwise, in the flow of the narrative, the story lends itself quite well to third person, and it actually helps to keep the tension up, and kept me curious about the backgrounds of Mae and Jason, making me want to read on even more.
Also, to any budding YA readers out there who want to read more RM stuff, but are weary of the adult content, this is a pretty safe place to start. Leave Dark Swan and especially leave the Georgina Kincaid books alone until you can deal with explicit scenes; Gameboard of the Gods is really quite tame considering the usual amount of debauchery I've come to associate with adult books, although I suspect that might change in the next book. No swearing either, so safe enough.
Otherwise, definitely worth a read to any lovers of Richelle Mead, and/or good supernatural books. With a hint of dystopia to boot ;)

Reckless

Title: Reckless (Thoughtless #3)
Author: S. C. Stephens
Genre: Adult
Rating: 5/5
Cover: 10/10


To those of you just starting: deep breaths, grab your tissues, a box of chocolates, and never despair... or maybe do. I'm not telling :P

Oh, wow... where do I even start? I'm aware I need to keep the spoilers away from here, lest I be murdered by an enraged Heather (hi, hun! *waves*), so bear with me ;)

I wasn't quite sure what to expect from Reckless. I was so happy for Stephens for having gotten herself a contract with a major publishing house, but I was a bit miffed that the release date was pushed back because of it. Gotta say, though. Totally worth the wait.
Kellan and Kiera's story grabbed me from the first, and Effortless was just... I read that book twice, one in the tail of the other. I literally finished it the first time, turned to the beginning and started again, that's how bloody great it was. And Reckless... hell, if I didn't have a teetering pile of unread books balancing precariously on my nightstand, I'd be very tempted to do the same. What. A. Ride.
There are good books, there are great books, and then there are those books that make you say 'to hell with life, I need to read this shit!'. I stayed up way too late (Kellan does that to me, what can a girl say?), almost forgot to eat, and thoroughly neglected all homework sent my way. I even read while walking home from the bus. Not even kidding. First time I've actually done that, and I don't even want to know how nuts I seemed these last two days, smiling like a moron throughout the day, giggling out of the blue and then almost sobbing the next moment. I'd forgotten what an emotional mess these books always left me. Thoughtless broke me into a thousand tiny pieces, only to glue me back together at the end; still, it was so painful, I've yet to go back an re-read it - unlike Effortless which, like I mentioned before, got a twofer. But even Effortless, with all it's awesome, romantic mush, still exhausted me emotionally. And Reckless was no different. The ups and downs with Kellan and Kiera are from cloud nine to hell and back again in the span of one chapter.
I loved seeing more of Denny. I really didn't like him in Thoughtless, but he's grown on me, and I love the fact that, unrealistic as that is, he was able to look over what my babies had done to him, and still be good friends with both of them. I am glad he read Kiera's book and finally apologised, though. He had more than his fair share of blame in what happened, and my main problem with him was how self-righteous he acted.
I really liked Kiera in this book. In fact, the only person I disliked was Sienna (I even loved - yes, LOVED - Griffin in this book. I guess miracles do happen), and that's self explanatory, really. I never trusted that backstabbing bitch, and I was just itching for someone - Kiera, preferably, though I'd be fine if it were Kellan - to bitchslap the bejeesus out of her.

The reality of this being the end hasn't quite sunk in yet, and I'm still wandering the house, smiling maniacally because that ending was as perfect as could be, considering *shrugs*.

Hopeless

Title: Hopeless
Author: Colleen Hoover
Genre: YA
Rating: 5/5
Cover: 7/10

I just finished it, so forgive me if this comes out more rambling and sobbing than reviewing decently.

Hopeless... wow. Colleen Hoover has once again blown me away completely. I didn't even know what my heart was doing half the time I was reading this book, it was just such a huge roller-coaster of emotions.

Holder, what can I say about Dean Holder that doesn't sound cheesy and infatuated? Because, to be honest, that's exactly how I feel about him. Though, I remember when I first started reading the book, I just thought he'd be the bad boy she fell for - and we all know I have a weakness for bad boys, so it's a moot point, I guess - but OH MY GOD he was so much more than that. Holder is everything that makes girls read romance books and sigh, silently wishing boys in real life were like that. He's not perfect, not by any stretch of imagination, but he loves Sky so much, so purely and so entirely, that pretty soon you stop seeing him as a bad boy we all love to kind of fear, and he becomes The Guy. You know. The one you'd marry if he ever crossed your path. The one you'd jump on and would never, ever let go. He's broken, but he still loves her passionately, and that made me love him more than his bad boy side ever could have.
As for Sky herself... well. I cried so much when I realised, about 100 pages before she did what had happened, that I had to put the book down, or run the risk of showing up with red, puffy eyes in all of the New Years pictures. There's something so horrible, so absolutely inhuman about what happened to her, and yet she somehow still found the strength to keep going. That made me love her. It's rare that in a book I love both sides of the couple; usually I fall madly in love with the guy, and accept the girl as either worthy of his love, or as a lucky bitch who doesn't deserve him, but end up having to deal with it because they're fictional. With Sky, though, I fell utterly in love with her, just as much as I fell for Holder (though in a different way, thanks). Both of them are so broken, so alone and so lost in the world, and yet, they refuse to give up. I honestly don't know. Lesslie might have taken the selfish way out, but it's also the easiest one; and the fact that doing that never even occurred to Sky just made me love her even more. When I grow up, I want to be just like her.

Only down point in the book, is that I wish we'd gotten to see more of Six; she sounds like a right character, and I would have loved to know her more.

Foolish Games

Title: Foolish Games
Author: Leah Spiegel
Genre: YA
Rating: 5/5
Cover: 3/10

Joie Hall just wanted to get away from her mother. Now that high school is over, Joie's mom seemed to take far too much interest in what Joie's plans for the future would be - which would be frustrating enough if she actually knew what she wanted to do. Since she has no idea, Joie jumps at the chance to spend the summer with her two best friends, following a band, even though the idea of being a groupie holds zilch attraction for her. Even so, she agrees to drive Riley and Lizzie across the country for The Grimm Brothers Band's summer tour.
When Lizzie hooks up with the bassist, Warren, Joie finds herself stuck in an extremely awkward elevator ride with the two lovebirds and the lead singer, J. T. Hawkins - a ride that would change her life forever.  When Hawkins makes a snide remark about her to Warren, he sparks a flame of resentment that ends up spilling out the next day, when Riley asks for her help reviewing the concert for the band's official website. In a moment of driving despair, the full email with Joie's bitter words gets sent to the website.
That review started a verbal and cyber war between Hawkins and Joie that would drag in everyone they know, as they battle it out to find out who can be more stubborn, and come up with the wittier comeback.
Worst of all, it put Joie and her friends in the spotlight of a deranged, psychotic stalker of the band, hell-bent on destroying Hawkins... no matter the cost in collateral damage.

I could not put Foolish Games down. For such a good book, I was most pleasantly surprised at the low Kindle price, and pounced on it; only to find myself now, mere hours after starting it, feeling adrift and lost now that I've been kicked back into the real world. Joie's world is compelling, with heart-thumping, grip-your-chair-in-anxiety action and suspense, and a love story to make any fan of a good romance fall in head over heels. Most definitely recommended!

Barely Breathing

Title: Barely Breathing (The Breathing Series #2)
Author: Rebecca Donovan
Genre: YA
Rating: 500/5
Cover: 7/10

Okay, first of all, this book, and the one before it, Reason to Breathe... they are not for the faint of heart. Especially not Reason to Breathe. Yes, it's YA. Look out for f-bombs, and if you have problems with physical abuse, then go look somewhere else. Realise I said physical, not sexual. Big difference here. Now we're over the nitty-gritty stuff, let's get down to the good bit...

Holy wow. I'm still trembling a little. That's what these books do to me.
While Reason to Breathe was intense on an entirely different level - and a most disturbing one, too - Barely Breathing has left me so emotionally exhausted, it's like I was the one wrecking my life one little decision at a time. And the thing is, I can't even blame Emma. Her life has been hell, and the poor girl has never been able to trust anyone, not ever. So now that she has to, she balks. And while she's incredibly mature with most things, she's still just a seventeen year old girl trying to figure out her life. So yeah, while I yelled, cursed and screamed a lot in frustration at some of the stuff she pulled, I can see where she was coming from.
The best thing about these books is how utterly real they feel. Like in one moment, you're crying your eyes out, and in the next, you just can't stop giggling. I'm sure more than one person on the Metro thought I was delusional today, I couldn't keep that goofy grin off my face at times. I'm used to it by now, though. And that's what life is like, really - ups and downs, the goods and the bads, and then the horribles.
I'd say more, but from here, it's likely to spiral into gushing and/or moaning about the wait for the next one, so I'll take my leave by saying: READ IT! (or them, rather)