Showcase Sunday #24

 

Showcase Sunday is a weekly meme hosted by Vicky at Books, Biscuits and Tea. The aim is to showcase our newest books or book related swag and to see what everyone else received for review, borrowed from libraries, bought in bookshops and downloaded onto eReaders this week.

Hello everyone! I hope you've all had a great week! I've had the week off work and my plan was to tackle a lot of my e-galleys, of course that didn't go quite to plan, I came down with the flu and then found myself busy with a family wedding! But the reading I have been able to sneak in has been great! Here are the lovely books that I received over the last two weeks.

Thank you to Sourcebooks Fire, Penguin UK and Netgalley

If He Had Been with Me  by Laura Nowlin

The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey

My Life After Now by Jessica Verdi

 

Thank you to Random House UK and Little Brown UK

Drowning Instinct by Ilsa J. Bick

Noble Conflict by Malorie Blackman

The Secret of Ella and Micha by Jessica Sorensen

I devoured If He Had Been with Me in one day, it's been a long time since I've found myself so caught up in a book and the emotional mess that I was left in afterwards was so worth it! I will have my review up one day this week. With so many rave reviews for The 5th Wave, I had to go and request a copy, I have high hopes that this will be one novel that will deliver. Drowning Instinct was a book which had been on my wish list forever, so I was lucky enough to receive this gorgeous book through a swap.

Over to Rachel and her book haul for the last two weeks.

Thank you to Kensington Teen, G. Putnam's Sons, NetGalley and Leigh Talbert Moore

Breathless (Elemental #2.5) by Brigid Kemmerer 

The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey

The Truth About Letting Go by Leigh T. Moore

Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare

Undone (Unraveling #1.5) by Elizabeth Norris

I’m excited to read The 5^th Wave because it sounds like an exciting ride, and of course Breathless! I can’t get enough of those Merrick boys. I must admit, I’m terrified to read Clockwork Princess after the last book. I seriously wanted to hurt someone after finishing that book because of yet another painful love triangle! I can’t help myself, though. I want to know how it turns out, and I’ve been seeing 5 star ratings everywhere. I refuse to read one single review until I finish. I’ll laugh, cry, and rant with you all about it later in the month.

That's all the lovelies we received, if you posted a book haul this week, we'd love to have a peek and see what you received too, leave us a link in the comments and we will stop by and check it out! 

Joint Post: Ditched: A Love Story by Robin Mellom

Hello everyone! Today I'm pleased to share with you another joint post with one of my favourite bloggers Donna from Book Passion for Life. Ditched was a book that both of us had sitting on our shelves for ages, so we both decided this would be the perfect opportunity to finally give this book a try. So before our joint post, here's a bit about the book.

Ditched: A Love Story by Robin Mellom
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Publication date: January 10th 2012.
My rating: 3.5 stars

There's a girl. Justina Griffith was never the girl who dreamed of going to prom. Designer dresses and strappy heels? Not her thing. That said, she never expected her best friend, Ian Clark, to ask her. And there's a boy. Ian, who always passed her the baseball bat, handle first. Ian, who knew exactly when she needed red licorice. Ian, who promised her the most amazing night at prom. Then there's a ditch. But when Justina is ditched, figuratively and literally, she must piece together--stain-by-stain on her thrift store dress--exactly how she ended up dateless...with only the help of some opinionated ladies at the 7-Eleven. To get the whole store, Justina will have to face the boy who ditched her. Can losing out at her prom ultimately lead to finding true love?

 

Joint Review

What I enjoyed about this book.
 
Jasprit: I enjoyed that Ditched wasn’t your typical read. I assumed that it would be a cute, light and fluffy read, but it actually had a deeper meaning behind the story. A story of a girl who at times could be annoying, but was trying her utmost hardest to lose this reputation that nearly everyone held of her for so long and have a good time with her prom date Ian. I enjoyed watching Justina’s character development and my opinion of her change too. But mostly what I enjoyed was how this story was told. We were given snippets into Justina’s prom night via the stains or marks she was left with from the unfortunate night. There were some nice pretty pictures starting each chapter off and then we’d get a back story into what each stain represented. I enjoyed guessing what each stain could represent and then learning the back story behind each one.  

Donna: I have to agree with Jasprit on this one. Ditched: A Love Story wasn’t your typical read. I had also assumed it would be a cute read and I had kind of already predicted how the story would go, but once I started reading, I totally had it wrong. The main character; Justina, really had to go through the ringer in order to process her feelings and of course, figure out how one of the best nights of her life goes so wrong. The love interest; Ian, comes across as a jerk to start with but as the book progresses you can see that it’s Justina that has everything mixed up. I really enjoyed how the story was told, it was through flash backs of the night while Justina was telling her story to two random women she meets and although it story dragged at times, it was still enjoyable.

What surprised you the most about this book?
 
Jasprit: Certain characters development over the course of the book. I especially enjoy a story more when I initially make quick assumptions about a particular character, but then as the story progresses, the characters end up taking me by surprise and changing my original assumptions I had completely. This happened to me with quite a few characters in Ditched.

Donna: Definitely the humour and the amount of crazy in this book. Robin Mellon gives our main character a fantastic personality – she’s bold and brave, she’s not afraid to say what she thinks (this isn’t including Ian because come on, all girls get nervous around boys, lol) but she’s a teenage girl that just really wants a fantastic night and because of that, it’s makes her do crazy things. Each character we are introduced comes with another crazy idea and I liked reading about it.

Favourite scene
 
Jasprit: When Justina, the two Mike’s, Serenity and Bliss go to try and track the rest of the party down. This entire scene was like a character building process for Justina. She was forced to spend time with girls who she normally wouldn’t have spent time with and had been judgemental about, but from spending time with them, she learned that they were girls with really helpful ideas and opinions.

Donna: When Justina really learns what Ian feels for her, he turns up to aka rescue her and it’s a really sweet moment in front of a lot of witnesses.

Favourite character
 
Jasprit: Ian, he was a character who we hardly got to see much of in this story, but learning about the things he did or said through other characters definitely helped me to hold his character in high regard. Unlike Justina I wasn’t quick to make bad assumptions about his character, I was patient enough to wait out for the truth, which I’m glad that I did, as it certainly paid off in the end.

Donna: I’d love to say Ian because he was a great love interest but he didn’t really get much of a spotlight, so I’ll go with Justina, because I loved her as a person. She makes mistakes like any normal teenager does and I loved that not everything wasn’t perfect in her world.
Favourite quotes
 
Jasprit: “Ian was the guy who would call to check in on me three days before my period started because he knew I’d be acting erratic, even though I explained it was perfectly normal for a girl to curl up in bed with a hot water bottle. One day, he finally realized I didn’t need his emotional support; I just needed licorice and Motrin. But what I loved most about our friendship was the way he said my name... always dripping with adoration. And annoyance. I had always figured that’s what had drawn Ian to me. My adorably low tolerance for PMS mixed with my annoying all-black wardrobe. It was sexy to him.”
 
“That one”, I said, pointing to a punk Tinker Bell with ripped wings and fishnets and combat boots. She was the spitting image of me. She was supposed to be sweet and beautiful, but she was ripped and torn. 
 
“Ian did look good the day he wore that green shirt, it was true. But it wasn’t the shirt that changed everything. It was the licorice and Motrin. He knew when I most needed help. He always gave me what I needed. Peanut butter cookie. Daisy ring. That crease. It never was the green shirt.”
 
Donna: “All I could think about was throwing something at her— something made of glass. Or spikes. Or a viral disease. They really should invent Herpes In A Jar for moments like these”
 
"It's true. I'm not that girl anymore. And there will be a time when I'll be The Girl. It is all about timing--and one day when I'm not planning it, and organizing it and strangling it, love will become possible. There won't be any more leapfrogging. We'll land in the exact spot at the same precise moment. And I will wait."
 
General thoughts and final rating
 
Jasprit: 3.5 stars. Ditched was more than just a book with a fluffy, sweet cover, it was a novel about a girl on a journey to discover herself, but ultimately just have a good time with her prom date. It was sad that Justina’s prom night didn’t end up being as one that she would remember in the years to come, but did result in her being a better person in the end.

Donna: 3 stars. Ditched: A Love Story was a quirky and fun read, one that really takes you on a journey of self-discovery and first love. I really enjoyed it and although Justina’s night wasn’t what her and us as readers wanted it to be for her, I think she got so much more from that night that she will cherish even more.

Review & Giveaway: Unbreakable by Elizabeth Norris

Unbreakable by Elizabeth Norris
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Publication date: April 23rd 2013
My rating: 4.5 stars

 Four months after Ben disappeared through the portal to his home universe, Janelle believes she’ll never see him again. Her world is still devastated, but life is finally starting to resume some kind of normalcy. Until Interverse Agent Taylor Barclay shows up. Somebody from an alternate universe is running a human trafficking ring, kidnapping people and selling them on different Earths—and Ben is the prime suspect. Now his family has been imprisoned and will be executed if Ben doesn’t turn himself over within five days.

And when Janelle learns that someone she cares about—someone from her own world—has become one of the missing, she knows that she has to help Barclay, regardless of the danger. Now Janelle has five days to track down the real culprit. Five days to locate the missing people before they’re lost forever. Five days to reunite with the boy who stole her heart. But as the clues begin to add up, Janelle realizes that she’s in way over her head—and that she may not have known Ben as well as she thought. Can she uncover the truth before everyone she cares about is killed?

**Spoilers ahead for those who haven’t read the first book, Unraveling.**

Unbreakable was an action packed sequel that will have your heart-pounding, and you furiously turning the pages to see what happens next. Elizabeth Norris knows how to weave a little bit of everything I love into one exciting story!  

The story picks up about four months into the future since Ben and Janelle have parted ways.  Ben left to go back to his family and home after seven long years of separation.  Janelle is left in her universe trying to pick up the pieces in the shattered world that now exists.  She may have adverted Wave Collapse but the earth bears the scars of near destruction.  Adding to the survivor’s anxiety is the growing number of people who seem to disappear.  Janelle is now working for Sturz as a temp/intern in the FBI, and so each time someone goes missing she is along for the investigation.

Even with all there is to do, Janelle has an overwhelming sadness that nearly consumes her at times due to Ben’s absence.  She has no idea if or when she’ll ever see him again.  But everywhere she turns something reminds her of him and emphasizes his void.

There’s always a second where I’m lost in the memory and I feel happy and light.  A giddy smile will overtake my face, and it will almost feel like he was just here. 

Almost.

Then the heaviness of reality sets in, and I remember that I’m alone. That Ben is gone.

And it’s like my heart breaks all over again. *

The last thing she expects is IA Agent Taylor Barclay to show up in her life again.  But he does, and with horrible news.  Ben’s missing and wanted in connection to human trafficking charges, and his family will be executed shortly if he doesn’t turn himself in.  Janelle is sure there is no way Ben could be involved but the evidence is stacked against him.  Taylor wants Janelle to help find Ben and solve this mess.  The stakes are pushed higher when a close friend of Janelle’s goes missing and she is sure this mystery is all connected. 

Talk about a wild ride!  This story had me hanging on for dear life!  Ms. Norris sure has no problem putting her characters (or her readers) through the ringer.  Janelle and Ben go through so much, but sometimes this barely registers because you’re thrown from one dangerous situation to the next so quickly.  I was on the edge of my seat in anxious anticipation in several spots!  Still, when things calm down, I had to wonder if these two were going to come out okay, emotionally and physically.  In Unraveling the romance, even though it wasn’t the main focus of the story, was the thing that touched my heart the most.  So of course I wanted these two to have their happy ending!  There’s a bumpy road but there are swoony moments as well:

My thoughts are scrambled, my blood is tingling, and it feels like my skin is on fire.  We’re just lips, tongue, hands, and skin—two people who have everything and nothing to lose at the same time.*

Janelle our heroine is more level headed than I think I could ever be, and even when she has moments of panic, fear or sadness, she gets a grip and soldiers on through.

If you haven’t picked up Undone, the novella in Ben’s POV, I highly suggest you do.  It’s not very long but it gives some background and understanding to Unbreakable that you wouldn’t have otherwise. I just wanted to wrap Ben up in a tight hug and never let go after finishing it! *sniff*

Unbreakable was a satisfying conclusion, but I am sad to say goodbye to the characters even so.  I guess we might see more of this story, because I read on the back of my ARC that the film rights have been sold to MTV with plans to develop this into a TV series. I could easily see this story coming to life in that way, and I think it’s perfectly suited for that idea. 

*Quotes are taken from an uncorrected proof and may change in the final copy.

A copy was provided by Balzer+Bray in exchange for an honest review.  

As a show of appreciation for all you lovelies, I decided to give away my Advanced Readers Copy of Unbreakable to one lucky reader!  Just fill out the rafflecopter below for a chance to win. The giveaway is INTERNATIONAL.  Good luck and thanks for stopping by! 

Mini reviews: 'Til the World Ends & Double Crossed

'Til the World Ends by Julie Kagawa, Ann Aguirre & Karen Duvall
Publisher: Harlequin Luna
Publication date: Janurary 29th 2013.
My rating: 4 stars

Dawn of Eden by Julie Kagawa Before The Immortal Rules, there was the Red Lung, a relentless virus determined to take out all in its path. For Kylie, the miracle of her survival is also her burden-as a doctor at one of the clinics for the infected, she is forced to witness endless suffering. What's worse, strange things are happening to the remains of the dead, and by the time she befriends Ben Archer, she's beginning to wonder if a global pandemic is the least of her problems....

Review for Dawn of Eden

“Whatever you’ve done, or think you’ve done, it’s over now. You can’t go back and change it. What you do about it, right now, from here on out, that’s the important thing”. 

After reading The Immortal Rules, I made a promise to myself to read all the rest of the books in this fantastic series. So when I heard Kagawa was releasing a novella featuring Kanin, just in time to get you in the mood for The Eternity Cure I knew I had to get a copy. Dawn of Eden is the story based around before the rabids came into existence. The city is already on its last legs with so many people getting hit by the red lung disease that the hospitals are barely coping. That’s where we find our over working nurse Kylie, she’s losing patients all over the place despite her hard work, but she didn’t expect to be dealing with rabids when a guy called Ben brings his best friend in with unexplainable teeth marks. 

What I was expecting by picking up Dawn of Eden was a greater understanding of Kanin’s character. His brief appearance in The Immortal Rules left one yearning for more, his appearance in Dawn of Eden was sort of disappointing, (I actually didn’t even realise it was even him until I finished the scene off!). But the story of Ben and Kylie trying to survive anyway they could had completely won me over that I sort of forgot my initial purpose in reading this book. I enjoyed following Ben and Kylie on their journey of finding a safe place away from the rabids. Of self-discovery and realising that when your life can end in an instant, you should spend each minute to the fullest and as if it’s your last. Kagawa once again created a fast paced story in Dawn of Eden, laced with dread in the pit of your stomach and a sweet romance. Fans of Kanin may be a little disappointed with this instalment, but I think fans of this series like myself will enjoy this teaser before The Eternity Cure hits the shelves. 

Favourite quote: 
“How do you do it?” I blinked. I’d gotten so used to his silence; the question caught me off guard. Strange, thinking I knew a man after only a few of hours with him. His brown eyes on me now, solemn and assessing. “Because you have to” I said, ducking through the back door with him behind me. “Because sometimes that’s the only thing that will get them through, the only thing that keeps them alive”.

Double Crossed: A Spies and Thieves story (Heist Society #2.5) by Ally Carter
Publisher: Disney Hyperion
Publication date: January 22nd 2013
My rating: 3 stars

Macey McHenry—Glamorous society girl or spy-in-training? W.W. Hale V—Heir to an American dynasty or master thief? There are two sides to every coin. Whether these two can work together is a tossup. Born into privilege, Macey and Hale are experts at mingling with the upper class. But even if they’ve never raised an eyebrow at the glitz, neither teenager has ever felt at home with the glamour. When Macey and Hale meet at a society gala, the party takes a dangerous turn. Suddenly they’re at the center of a hostage situation, and it’s up to them to stop the thugs from becoming hostile. Will Macey’s spy skills and Hale’s con-man ways be enough to outsmart a ruthless gang? Or will they have to seek out the ultimate inside girl to help? The worlds of Heist Society and the Gallagher Girls collide in Ally Carter’s fast-paced, high-stakes and tantalizing new story. Get a behind the scenes glimpse as Ally delivers an irresistible thriller that is full of her signature style and savvy twists.

Not being a huge fan of the Gallagher Girls series and a huge fan of the Heist society series. I was a little worried that maybe this book wouldn’t be for me, but I was wrong as Carter produces a brilliant mash up of two different worlds in Double Crossed. 

Macey and Hale find themselves in the wrong place at the wrong time, what was meant to be a friendly auction turns into all the guests being held hostage by a bunch of robbers who will stop at nothing to get what they want. Despite our favourite characters finding themselves in a tight situation, Carter was able to sprinkle the story with humour which resulted in a light hearted, fun and enjoyable read. It was great seeing sets of characters having to be forced to work together in a situation when they didn’t trust one other the least bit. Both Macey and Hale didn’t know what the other had up their sleeve but were able to put their brilliant minds together and find a way to get out of the dire situation. What I enjoyed the most about Double Crossed aside the brilliant pacing and cons was the relationship between Hale and Kat. It was great to have both of them finally to be open about their feelings for one another. 

Double Crossed was a quick story which will be sure to delight fans of Ally Carter’s previous series.

Review: On the Edge by Ilona Andrews

On the Edge by Ilona Andrews
Publisher: Ace
Publication date: September 29th 2009
My rating: 4.5 stars

Rose Drayton lives on the Edge, between the world of the Broken (where people drive cars, shop at Wal-Mart, and magic is a fairy tale) and the Weird (where blueblood aristocrats rule, changelings roam, and the strength of your magic can change your destiny). Only Edgers like Rose can easily travel from one world to the next, but they never truly belong in either.

Rose thought if she practiced her magic, she could build a better life for herself. But things didn’t turn out how she planned, and now she works a minimum wage, off the books job in the Broken just to survive. Then Declan Camarine, a blueblood noble straight out of the deepest part of the Weird, comes into her life, determined to have her (and her power).

But when a terrible danger invades the Edge from the Weird, a flood of creatures hungry for magic, Declan and Rose must work together to destroy them—or they’ll devour the Edge and everyone in it.

On the Edge was a unique gem from the amazing husband and wife writing team, Ilona Andrews.  If you’re looking for a strong female character, clever banter, and romance that builds to a slow burn, look no further. Their Kate Daniels series won me over as a fan, and this story only increased my love of their writing. 

Rose lives in the Edge, a world in between the Broken: our normal world, and the Weird: a world where magic dominates.  She lives with her two younger brothers, having to take over the role of parent since her mother died and her father took off.  Rose makes barely enough money in the Broken to care for their needs, and she struggles to keep her brothers behaving while trying to provide. Behaving takes special restraint when you have magic powers like Rose’s little brothers do.  Rose is also gifted magically, not that this has made much of a difference in her life so far, other than make her a target for unwanted advances.  

Enter Declan, an aristocrat from the Weird. He shows up demanding things of Rose and with his striking green eyes and looks that make any girl go weak in the knees he might be hard to refuse, but Rose is not about to lie down and take anything from him.  Least of all his bossing around!  But there’s something in the Edge killing, and it seems Declan and Rose must work together to defeat the threat. 

This was such a strange and different story, in the very best way.  The magic and world described felt like no other I’ve read about.  Granted, I haven’t read very many Urban Fantasy novels but this was definitely unique to me, yet easy to grasp.  One thing I’ve noticed about Ilona Andrews’ writing is that they do not mire their stories down with endless descriptions that make your eyes glaze over in boredom.  Rather, they give you just enough to set the world up perfectly.  This was the case with On the Edge.

Another area where this story shines is in the smart and witty banter.  Both Rose and Declan are strong characters so when they come together there is a wonderful push and pull between them that will have you cracking up:

“If you touch me, I’ll hit you with this chair,” she ground out. 

“I had no idea you enjoyed rough courtship,” he said with a straight face. “It was never my     particular favorite, but I’ll do my best to play along, provided I’ll get you in the end.”

Rose opened her mouth, but nothing came out. 

 

“Would you like me to be quiet?” he asked. 

“Yes!”

“If you kiss me, I promise to be quiet for a very long time.”

Many exchanges like this had me laughing throughout the story. 

Rose is a wonderfully crafted heroine. There is no frustrating or stupid decision making, no whining that make you grit your teeth. Just a woman that works with what she has and tries to get by.  This woman is not without defenses either, she has some pretty cool powers.  There’s also a sweet side to this story: Rose’s relationship with her younger brothers.  She was so caring always putting their needs ahead of her own.  The boys as well as Rose’s grandmother were well fleshed-out secondary characters that you grow to love. 

This is a first in a series but this story wraps up nicely, and the next one focuses on another secondary character.  I have to say you really can’t go wrong with Ilona Andrews. So far I’ve loved everything they’ve written.