Cover Fever #14 Saving June & I Was Here

Hello lovelies! Jasprit and I are back with another Cover Fever. We both adore covers so this is a favorite feature of ours. Today we're featuring Saving June by Hannah Harrington, a story both Jasprit and I enjoyed, and I Was Here by Gayle Forman, because the stories sound very similar to me.

Australian Cover                     UK Cover

     

US Cover

  USCover                             UK Cover

    

Rachel: 
The faded out image of the Aussie version of Saving June is pretty but not my favorite. I think I like the crisp contrast of colors with the UK version a little more.  I'm drawn to Harper's (I'm assuming) face.  I'm not really fond of the US version, it feels impersonal and remote for some reason.  I like the US version of I Was Here better than the UK version.  The colors and the scenery are beautiful and it looks like the heroine is about to take a journey, maybe a road trip, to find the answer behind her friend's suicide.

Rachel's Verdict:
Saving June: UK Cover
I Was Here: US Cover

Jasprit: 
I always tend to find myself falling in love with Aussie covers, on occasion I have found myself ordering books from Fishpond, just so that I can get my hands on the Aussie cover. So you can probably tell that I'm going to say the Aussie cover of Saving June is one of my all time favourites, I love the subtle colours on the cover and just how simple the cover looks. I do like the petals, colour and font used on the US cover of Saving June and do much prefer it to the UK cover (I don't like the close up image here at all). For I Was Here I absolutely love the US cover, it has me interested about where there this girl could be off to and where is here? When I first saw the UK cover of I Was Here I was disappointed, I have slowly come to like it a bit more, how the bits of square represent different parts of the story, but I would still prefer to have a US edition on my shelves.

Jasprit's Final Verdict:
Saving June: Aussie cover
I Was Here: US cover

Which books would you like to have on your shelves?

Review: Prisoner of Night and Fog by Anne Blankman

Prisoner of Night and Fog by Anne Blankman
Publisher: Headline 
Publication Date: November 6th 2014
My rating: 4.5 stars.

Gretchen Muller has, as best she can, dealt with the horrors of her family's past. Her father, a senior Nazi officer, died to save the life of their leader, Adolf Hitler. And now Germany has the chance to be great once more. Swept up in the excitement and passion of life in Munich in 1931, seventeen-year-old Gretchen has embraced the life laid out for her by that leader, her 'Uncle Dolf'. But the secrets of the past cannot be silenced forever. When Gretchen receives a letter from an anonymous sender claiming to have more information about her father's death, she becomes swept up in a desperate and dangerous search for the truth. With the full might of the ever-powerful Nazi party on her tail, it is a race that will risk everything she has and change her life forever...

I have always been a fan of history, about learning about history. At school I was all set to pick History as my GCSE level choice, but none of my friends were doing it and everyone was saying religious studies was the safer option, so I decided not to follow my heart and go with what everyone else was choosing; religious studies. Did I get a good grade in religious studies, yes? But did I regret not picking history? Big time. Then when I started work I got to attend first year history lectures because it was my students chosen degree, I was once again fascinated, I think I was more eager than my student at times to go to the workshops and lectures. But I think my biggest reason for my fascination with history in particular the first and Second World War is because my great-grandfather served in the Second World War and my great-great grandfather (which I recently learned about in the first). I was too young to know about this when my great-grandfather was alive, but once in a while I like chatting with my dad about what it was like at the time. (My great-grandfather was missing for 9 years, before he returned home) and only recently we brought back his military stick from India. So I do tend to find myself invested in anything that deals or focuses on either world war.

But I didn’t know why it took me the longest time to pick up Prisoner of Night and Fog, I had heard brilliant things about it, but was finally glad to be able to experience Blankman’s brilliance for myself. I couldn’t remember all the going’s on with Hitler before, but Blankman did an excellent job at bringing it to life once again in this story. She weaved Gretchen’s fictitious story so well in to this book that I firmly believed by the end of it that Gretchen and her family were real.

Gretchen’s family had been taken under uncle Dolf’s wing when Gretchen’s dad had been killed, by putting his life before Hitler. Uncle Dolf did nothing but look out for Gretchen and her family, but when Gretchen bumps into a Jewish man Daniel (someone who she’s been taught to despise and be disgusted by) Gretchen realises that everything she’s listened to by Uncle Dolf and all those around her, maybe more misleading than she could have imagined. I so wanted Gretchen to remove the blinkers that she had worn for such a long time, yes by discovering the truth, it may put Gretchen in more danger not only from Uncle Dolf but also her brother Reinhard, but wasn’t it more important learning what had happened to her father and actually doing what was right?

The scenes Blankman infused in to the story were really fierce, but at times also hard to follow through. Not only did I feel like I was actually there in Munich, Germany, it was horrid at times learning about everything that was happening, and seeing what some of the characters had to go through. Also in most cases, we were never given the full picture, things were covered up or distorted that we had to make our own assumptions. But this didn’t take out the enjoyable factor out of this story at all. But more than that, it had me rooting for Gretchen even more to discover the truth, but also to be able to get out alive whilst she could. I loved how Gretchen was able to find friends in the most unexpected places, most of all I loved the introduction of Daniel’s character. I don’t really want to give too much away, but you really need to experience Daniel and Gretchen’s story for yourself.

Blankman’s writing was absolutely exquisite in Prisoner of Night and Fog, not only did it make me fall in love with some great characters, but it totally brought out the history nerd within me. I can totally see myself digging out my history books which will keep me occupied until the release of Blankman’s next book Conspiracy of Blood and Smoke.

Review: Burned by Karen Marie Moning

Burned (Fever #7) by Karen Marie Moning
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Publication date: January 20th 2015
My rating:  4.5 stars 
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository
 

It’s easy to walk away from lies. Power is another thing.

MacKayla Lane would do anything to save the home she loves. A gifted sidhe-seer, she’s already fought and defeated the deadly Sinsar Dubh—an ancient book of terrible evil—yet its hold on her has never been stronger.

When the wall that protected humans from the seductive, insatiable Fae was destroyed on Halloween, long-imprisoned immortals ravaged the planet. Now Dublin is a war zone with factions battling for control. As the city heats up and the ice left by the Hoar Frost King melts, tempers flare, passions run red-hot, and dangerous lines get crossed.

Seelie and Unseelie vie for power against nine ancient immortals who have governed Dublin for millennia; a rival band of sidhe-seers invades the city, determined to claim it for their own; Mac’s former protégé and best friend, Dani “Mega” O’Malley, is now her fierce enemy; and even more urgent, Highland druid Christian MacKeltar has been captured by the Crimson Hag and is being driven deeper into Unseelie madness with each passing day. The only one Mac can depend on is the powerful, dangerous immortal Jericho Barrons, but even their fiery bond is tested by betrayal.

It’s a world where staying alive is a constant struggle, the line between good and evil gets blurred, and every alliance comes at a price. In an epic battle against dark forces, Mac must decide who she can trust, and what her survival is ultimately worth.

My Thoughts:

I was a little worried picking up Burned for a couple of reasons, but it turns out I had nothing to be worried about because it was AMAZING!!

So why was I worried?  Well first of all Burned was supposed to be the second book in the Dani trilogy and it turned out to be about 70-80% Mac’s POV.  Second, I was worried about Dani’s age, especially since I already picked a ‘ship I’m rooting for (Ryodan, of course!) and that was hardly appropriate considering Dani’s fourteen! Third, the many times the release date got pushed and delayed smacks of an author making some major changes in their original plans, and that usually doesn’t bode well for a story. Fourth, the time in between usually means I’m was going to be fuzzy on past details unless I do a re-read.  Did any of these concerns diminish my enjoyment?  HELL NO!! Trust, Karen Marie Moning delivers and now I’m counting down the days to book eight!

Like I said I was a little disappointed to hear we were getting mostly Mac’s POV instead of Dani in Burned, BUT even though we don’t get as much Dani POV as we thought/wanted, we “see” Dani though Mac’s eyes quite a bit! The other reason I was a little troubled by this change is because I don’t like it when a couple is pretty much settled with their HEA only to have an author create more drama and mess things up, so I was happily surprised that I really enjoyed getting back to Mac and Barrons! Their chemistry is even more combustible *fans self* than it has been in the past. Burned is arguably the hottest book in the series!  The “betrayal” mentioned in the blurb was something we knew about a long time ago, and I can understand why Mac was miffed, but their relationship was never in question, IMO, even so.

As far as Dani’s age problem: Well, I won’t spoil things for you, but I will say KMM has presented another pickle that has me reading every passage where Dani appears with a fine tooth comb, searching for hints and nuances that will give me what I want!! Highlight for Spoiler: Original MEGA back as she was, or maybe a melded Dani 2.0.  I did guess the twist early on, something about a scene tipped me off. I was glad to know that early into the book, though.  Ryodan and Dani continue to be a relationship I’m OBSESSED with and it’s clear that Ryodan is, too.

The push backs of the release date were frustrating, but in the end it didn’t impact the quality of the story for me. I was hooked from page one and it was a thrilling read! I’m surprised by how many revelations we got in Burned because usually KMM is slow in giving them out! Mac finds herself in a unique situation that allows her to discover several juicy tidbits that I’m going to be pondering for a while.  Fuzzy memory wasn’t an issue either for two reasons: there are some reminders as you’re reading Burned that bring key points back, and there’s a glossary at the end of the book that includes key people, places, fae, and objects. That was a big help. I suggest reading it before you dive into Burned.

Last little tidbits:

I HATED Jo in Iced, but I like this new direction the author is taking with her!  I’m definitely on board! As I said, Burned was probably the HOTTEST book of the series, and it wasn’t only because of Mac and Barrons’ relationship. 

Burned just sort of ends, not on a cliffhanger or anything, but the story just kind of stops, so as usual I’m anxious to get my hands on the next book. Feverborn has the release date listed on Goodreads and Amazon as October 2015, and I just checked KMM’s blog and she says she still hoping to release Feverborn this year. I guess we’ll see.

I didn’t summarize the plot because I think I’ve said enough.  If you’re a fan of this series, it’s best to get yourself a copy AND READ IT!  We can gossip/theorize when you finish.

Review: I Was Here by Gayle Forman

I Was Here by Gayle Forman
Publisher: Simon & Schuster UK
Publication Date: January 29th 2015
My rating: 4 stars

This characteristically powerful novel follows eighteen-year-old Cody Reynolds in the months following her best friend's shocking suicide. As Cody numbly searches for answers as to why Meg took her own life, she begins a journey of self-discovery which takes her to a terrifying precipice, and forces her to question not only her relationship with the Meg she thought she knew, but her own understanding of life, love, death and forgiveness. A phenomenally moving story, I Was Here explores the sadly all-too-familiar issue of suicide and self-harm, addressing it in an authentic way with sensitivity and honesty

I was here was a lot different to what I was expecting it to be, Forman’s writing was gorgeous once again, but I think the turn of events in this book took me by surprise.

Cody ends up losing her best friend in the worst possible way she gets an email from Meg saying she’s taking her life. What’s so unexpected about it is that Meg seemed to have it all; a scholarship, a loving family (neither which Cody had), so what would make Meg want to do that? Cody is then put in charge of bringing Meg’s things back from college and what is only meant to be a day trip, Cody finds herself discovering this whole other life of Meg she didn’t know about, the deeper she delves the more dangerous it becomes, but after all the heartache everyone has been through over the loss of Meg, they all need some sort of closure.

If I was in Cody’s shoes and I had just lost my best friend, I too would want to get to the bottom of things. I could understand the way Cody had been feeling, but at times I didn’t get why she did things. I liked her as a character, but at some points I think she just frustrated me, I know she had to get to the bottom of the truth and she hadn’t had the best life herself and now her biggest anchor in life and just left her. But she was constantly angry, people who’d she just met were trying to make the effort with her, but she’d either leave them hanging, no call back, just push them away or the worst run away from them. Maybe this way was her way of coping, but I wanted her to have somebody to turn to, someone she could confide in, not feel as if she had to try and do everything herself.

So when the mysterious Ben made an appearance, I was grateful for it, okay he had a sort of shady background with Meg, but in a lot of ways too helped Cody when no one else was coming through for her. Some readers may say that he seemed full of himself, and a bit of a player, but trust me this guy could be utterly charming when he wanted to be and he did go out for Cody to help any way he could. Which guy would go all the way to Idaho, Nevada with you, and a guy you’ve only met recently without an inkling as to why? Which guy would take in a pair of kittens, so they don’t have to go to the animal shelter and did I mention Ben had a growly voice; you probably know that I can never say no to a hot guy who growls! I kind of guessed which way things would go with Ben and Cody, but I didn’t mind it one bit. Forman really worked the slight romance well into the story, she didn’t make it centre of attention, but you kind of had an inkling that it was slowly building up. And it wasn’t like Meg was ever forgotten, what I think made it longer for the characters to realise each other’s feelings was because of the constant reminder of Meg.

So whilst I wasn’t a huge fan of Cody at times, Ben certainly made up for it, also Forman was able to give us some great secondary characters in Alice, Richard and Harry. I think Richard became one of my favourites, he was a funny guy but I especially adored the scene we got to experience with him and his family. And once again all three characters didn’t know Cody that well or even Meg, but went on to show just how great friends they could be.

With I was here I wasn’t able to guess which way things were going to be, the whole reasoning behind Meg’s death I didn’t see coming at all. It was a horrible discovery, I just wished that Meg’s parents had clued Cody into things before and who knows maybe things would have turned out differently.

I was Here was a different sort of read from Forman for me, but one that I still enjoyed experiencing. It was an achy raw beautiful read at times, but with some great characters coming through when you least expected them to leaving you with some hope that even though things were dire right now they could get better.

Showcase Sunday #65

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.  

Hi all, it's been a while since we shared a book haul post with you, but seriously in that time we received some gems that make me want to throw away my schedule right away and get stuck in with them. 

 (Click on titles for Goodreads link)

Thank you to Simon Pulse, Poppy, St. Martin's Griffin and Random House

See what I mean? Where do I even get started? I was planning on reading Please Remain Calm on release day, but as usual life got in the way, but I'm hoping to finally get some time with it this weekend. And the rest of the books have been super high on my wish list, I've loved Echols Superlatives series, so I'm looking forward to Most Likely to Succeed. I'm super excited about going into Seraphina's world once more in Shadow Scale, I remember Seraphina was one of the first books I actually got when I first started blogging! Summers and Ockler have quickly become some of my favourite authors, so I know I will be devouring The Summer of Chasing Mermaids and All the Rage soon. And Spalding has really surprised me with her previous books and this one sounds super cute. Sarah Maas' A Court of Thorns and Roses needs no introductions, the early reviews I've read have been pretty amazing, so I know I have an excellent read of me here.

Rachel's Haul:

Hi everyone! I've been a little slow about getting around to everyone because I'm on vacation at the beach:

Me getting a close look at tide pools

A gorgeous sunset!

 I'm having a great time and I finished Burned by Karen Marie Moning last night!! I LOVED it and my review will be coming this week.

(Click on cover for Goodreads link)

I bought both the e-Copy and audio version of Burned and I loved going back and forth with both versions. I think I'm going to start the audio version again and listen to it on my commute next week.  As you all know, I'm a huge fan of Laura Florand so I was over the moon to get Once Upon a Rose! I'm told it's more of a cozy and cuddly read with less angst than her prior stories and I can't wait! The Green Mountain series by Marie Force is one of my favorite small town romance series so I'm looking forward to the latest installment. Megan has been kind of a witch in the last books, so it will be interesting to see if I like her in And I Love Her. Lisa Gardner's mysteries are light on romance, and don't always end happily in that department, but they're well-plotted and always keep me guessing!

Which books did you receive and are most excited about? Leave us a link in the comments below.

Review & Giveaway: Silver Thaw by Catherine Anderson

Silver Thaw by Catherine Anderson
Publisher: Signet
Publication date: January 6th 2015
My rating:  3.5 stars 
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository

From the New York Times bestselling author of the Coulter and Harrigan Family novels comes a brand-new contemporary romance series about first love, second chances, and hope reborn…

After years of living in fear of her husband, Amanda Banning has left him and moved to Mystic Creek, Oregon, for a fresh start. But she’s having a tough time providing for herself and her six-year-old daughter. Writing her secret yearnings on slips of paper and sending them into the wind helps her cling to the hope that things will get better…and that she can find happiness again.

Jeb Sterling has no idea that the handwritten messages he finds scattered across his land are the first hints that his life is about to change. Nor does he understand why he feels so compelled to help Amanda Banning and her daughter when a cold snap leaves them temporarily homeless. Maybe he’s inspired by Amanda’s courage or perhaps by her beautiful brown eyes. Either way, the man who once renounced love suddenly finds himself willing to do anything for the pair. Amanda seems to have given up on her dreams, but Jeb refuses to quit until he makes her every wish come true…

My Thoughts:

Silver Thaw was a feel good, sweet romance sure to reaffirm beliefs in a happily-ever-after.  The small town setting of Mystic Creek was a close-knit, loving community that made you feel warmth and a giving human spirit. 

Amanda worked up the courage to leave her abusive husband, Mark, with her seven year-old daughter, Chloe in tow, but a brutal winter storm threatens her already precarious situation.  Amanda barely scrapes by financially, living in a rickety rental house with no car, and very little winter clothes.  She’s trying to keep her spirits up but her life just seems like one blow after another.  As an exercise in therapy, Amanda writes notes on little pieces of pink paper and sends them off into the wind.  These contain messages like:

I wish I could meet a man as kind and wonderful as the heroes in one of the romances I love to read, someone who’d be a fabulous father to my little girl and make both of us feel safe.

I wish I could find secondhand winter boots for my little girl. I can’t afford new ones, and my boss says we’ll soon have deep snow.

Amanda doesn’t realize that her messages are being captured and read by Jeb Sterling, her hunky neighbor.  Jeb wonders at the author of these little pink papers, worries about someone who couldn’t afford a little girl’s winter boots especially with a storm coming.  His protective instincts come roaring to life and Jeb resolves to find out who this woman is.  When a storm comes and knocks out power to most of Mystic Creek, Jeb and others form parties to go out and assist any who are in need of help. When he stumbles upon Amanda and Chloe and sees exactly how dire their situation is, Jeb insists they come to his house for shelter.

Jeb was an answer to Amanda’s first note, a sincere and kind hearted man.  She had major trust issues, which were understandable considering the horrors Mark had put Amanda and her daughter through! I shudder just thinking about it! She‘s scared to fall for another man and possible trap, but Jeb slowly chips away at those feelings by treating Amanda and Chloe with love and tenderness they desperately needed. He’s powerfully attracted to Amanda and senses she’s attracted to him, too, but wisely takes things slow and doesn’t push her. 

Grabbing her tightly, Jeb cherished the brief moment of holding her. Oh, man, I’ve got it bad. If she can never love me back, I’ll have to accept it. But letting her go will half kill me.

Aww…Jeb!

As all the details come out about Amanda’s husband, Jeb realizes the danger they’re all in, because it’s obvious that Mark wouldn’t just allow her to leave and disappear without trying to find them.  It was a tricky situation because Mark cleverly tried to use the laws to gain an advantage.  I read some of this story with a feeling of dread over how this would play out and worried what Mark would try to get his way.  Men like that don’t usually take rejection well.  Thankfully, Amanda and Chloe had Jeb, and his family all pull together to help.  Just being around Jeb and his family strengthened Amanda enough that she regained some of her confidence and was able to stand up for herself, too.

Catherine Anderson wrote a sweet, heartwarming romance filled with loving family and friends, sure to give you the warm and fuzzies by the end.

 

 

Connect with Catherine Anderson:

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Blog Tour: The Mime Order by Samantha Shannon

Hi all today as part of The Mime Order blog tour by Samantha Shannon, I get to share some brilliant things with you. The Mime Order was a book high on my wish list and let me just say it didn't disappoint. Here's a bit about the book.

Publisher: Bloomsbury UK
Publication Date: January 27th 2015
My rating: 4 stars 

Paige Mahoney has escaped the brutal penal colony of Sheol I, but her problems have only just begun: many of the fugitives are still missing and she is the most wanted person in London. As Scion turns its all-seeing eye on Paige, the mime-lords and mime-queens of the city's gangs are invited to a rare meeting of the Unnatural Assembly. Jaxon Hall and his Seven Seals prepare to take centre stage, but there are bitter fault lines running through the clairvoyant community and dark secrets around every corner. Then the Rephaim begin crawling out from the shadows. But where is Warden? Paige must keep moving, from Seven Dials to Grub Street to the secret catacombs of Camden, until the fate of the underworld can be decided. Will Paige know who to trust? The hunt for the dreamwalker is on.

Goodreads | Amazon | The Book Depository

I’d thought that after being thrown into the world of The Bone Season I knew and would be prepared for what Shannon was going to throw our way in The mime Order, but boy was I wrong this complex world full with characters of subterfuge and many intricate layers blew me away. 

It was sort of strange being back in London with no rephaim around, I had become so associated to having their presence there all the time in The Bone Season, especially one in particular, you could sort of say I found myself sort of down coming back to London without them. But it was great being back with the Seven Seals once more and getting to know these characters once again. Despite Paige escaping Nashira, it felt like a rough bump being back home, could she even call it that? What could she do now that she was back? It didn’t feel right going back immediately to the Seven Seals, yes she had friends there, but Paige knew what she had to do, even if no one believed her. 

Paige was really stuck in a rut when she returned, she didn’t really want to go back to being Jaxon Hall’s mollisher, but with so many people after her, she would need the protection of his safety in order to achieve what she wanted to do. I was sort of torn with how I felt with the entire Jaxon situation, I know what Paige felt deep down she knew was the right thing to do, but Jaxon had been there for her when she had no one, he took care of her. Okay she had to do things she didn’t like but at least she was safe. My feelings towards Jaxon were really mixed throughout The Mime Order, he made me mad on occasions, but I couldn’t full on despise him yet. I was grateful that despite feeling all alone, Paige had great friends to turn to in Nick and Eliza, Nick was once again the rock that Paige needed when she needed cover to run her own errands and who no matter what would always have Paige’s back. Whereas Jaxon was a tricky character to pin down, I knew that my faith in Nick and Eliza would never falter. 

Shannon was able to create a fantastic world in The Mime Order, there were constantly things being thrown into disarray, the mistrust of anyone on the streets, there were so many allies, but who could you really trust? And things being brought up a notch, raising the stakes on Paige’s life. Shannon was smart in always keeping you occupied with thoughts on what could happen next. But all these brilliant build ups and tense scenes couldn’t make me forget my longing for one character in particular he was a formidable force to be reckoned with and one that I had fallen for in a massive way in The Bone Season, so of course I was dying for this person to finally make an appearance! let me just say he wasn’t around as much as I’d hoped for, but this guy sure made up for it in these scenes, of course I was constantly swooning! I need more Warden in the next book! . 

Shannon once again gave us a wonderful set of characters, some which had me rooting from them from the beginning, and others who left me baffled. The characters hand in hand with the exquisite world building that Shannon gave us really went on to create an impressive read in The Mime Order. Like I said before there was always something going on, always a constant risk each time Paige went out, despite her life being threatened in numerous ways, I admired Paige’s strength in how she constantly battled on. There was several heart in your mouth moments with you not knowing who will come out on top. But the last few chapters were my favourite, there’s this excellent build up to a tense scrimmage and honesty it was beyond spectacular reading it unfold. The Mime Order was a brilliant read littered with rich descriptions, heart stopping moments and characters who I’ve really become to love, If you haven’t already picked up this series yet, seriously what are you waiting for?

And now for the super special part I have a Scion Guide to share with you of Grub Street. 

This fantastic tour of The Mime Order has been running since the 15th of January, make sure you stop by the other wonderful blogs to check out their great posts too. 

 

Blog Tour: The Body Electric by Beth Revis

Hi all today as part of The Body Electric blog tour hosted by Xpresso Book Tours, I get to share my review of this fascinating book, before that here's what the book is about.

Publisher: Scripturient Books 
Publication date: October 6th 2014
My rating: 3 stars

The future world is at peace. Ella Shepherd has dedicated her life to using her unique gift—the ability to enter people’s dreams and memories using technology developed by her mother—to help others relive their happy memories. But not all is at it seems. Ella starts seeing impossible things—images of her dead father, warnings of who she cannot trust. Her government recruits her to spy on a rebel group, using her ability to experience—and influence—the memories of traitors. But the leader of the rebels claims they used to be in love—even though Ella’s never met him before in her life. Which can only mean one thing… Someone’s altered her memory. Ella’s gift is enough to overthrow a corrupt government or crush a growing rebel group. She is the key to stopping a war she didn’t even know was happening. But if someone else has been inside Ella’s head, she cannot trust her own memories, thoughts, or feelings.

 Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes and Noble 

The Body Electric was a really different read to what I was expecting it to be, it actually made me want to stop and think that all this could actually happen in real life. It was at times quite scary thinking about. Imagine being able to relive one of your favourite memories. It would be brilliant to be taken to this special memory you’ve had especially when you’ve had a crap day, but imagine being able to do this with a person that was special to you, but no longer around anymore. This is what Ella’s mum offers at her Reverie Mental Spa, not only is this a great way of connecting with loved ones, but Ella’s mum hasn’t got long to live herself, she’s suffering from Hebb’s disease and so being able to relive those memories that she shared with her husband is important to her. However not everyone see’s the Reverie Mental Spa this way, there’s a lot of people out there who want to use this to their own advantage, and use it to control other people.

This whole idea of entering in other people’s dreams reminded me a lot of the film Inception, a film which I’ve seen countless times and totally love. Because reliving memories is one thing, but being able to enter someone else’s dreamscape and experiencing it too is scary, especially when you’re able to gleam information from it for your own advantage, or even influence what happens in that dream. Ella soon discovers this is something she is able to do, so she doesn’t want to share this with everyone, she knows what they will do with that information, but she discovers it’s a way she can help her mum when she’s too weak to relive her memories. But soon enough other people discover what can be done and approach Ella to do the same, they say it’s for the greater good, but when Ella finds herself in too deep is there anyone Ella can really trust? 

I enjoyed this concept that Revis presented us with in The Body Electric, delving into people’s memories wasn’t as clear cut as everyone assumed it would be, being in some one’s mind and trying to make sense of everything whilst at the same time trying to remember that this wasn’t real life could be a real struggle. But I really liked Ella as a character, so if I was in her shoes I would probably do the same thing, especially if you’re told that you’ll be helping a lot of people out by doing it. I wish though that Ella thought things through before accepting, I know Ella had people who she couldn’t trust guiding her, and so it would seem like what she was doing was the right thing, but I’d wished she’d listened to somebody else more and earlier on. I really liked Jack, I understood that what he was saying was a lot of take in, but when you’ve actually stepped into his memories and realised he’s actually telling you the truth, don’t you think that you should try and trust him? I may be slightly more based towards Jack because I think he was able to win me over really early. He was a sweet guy, and you could tell that his feelings for Ella were genuine; I just wished that Ella was able to believe this sooner. 

The Body Electric had so many things going on, that it could be a lot to wrap your head around, but I enjoyed the fast pace, the rebellious androids thrown in the mix, the thrill of the chase and the constant questioning of who we could really trust going on in the story. Also throw in a swoony character who had me firmly in his corner, I really ended up enjoying The Body Electric. Revis has created an exceptional story in The Body Electric that I look forward to binge reading more of her work soon.

AUTHOR BIO: Beth Revis is the NY Times bestselling author of the Across the Universe series. The complete trilogy is now available in more than 20 languages. A native of North Carolina, Beth’s most recent book is The Body Electric, which tells the story of what was happening on Earth while the characters of Across the Universe were in space.

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Mini Review: One Mad Night by Julia London

One Mad Night a Novella by Julia London
Publisher: Sourcebooks
Publication date: January 6th 2015
My rating:  3 stars 
Amazon | Barnes & Noble 

A delightful new contemporary romance novella from New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Julia London.
One winter's night a blizzard sweeps across the country, demonstrating that fate can change the course of lives in an instant...and fate has got a sense of humor.
Chelsea Crawford and Ian Rafferty are high profile ad execs in cutthroat competition for a client. When a major winter storm puts New York City on lockdown, the two rivals have to make it through the night together-oh, the many ways in which opposites attract...

My Thoughts:

One Mad Night was a short romance filled with fun, snarky banter and a satisfying conclusion.

Chelsea and Ian are top ad executives pitted against each other to win a prime account.  The cutthroat nature of advertising makes it so they both are at odds, with the higher ups not necessarily leveling with either of them.  Without the competition inherent with their positions Chelsea and Ian would naturally be attracted, they have combustible chemistry, so when the “snowpocalypse” rains down on New York and they’re inadvertently stranded in the office their attraction ignites and it’s impossible for either one to resist the pull. As they get to know each other, the competition for their major account becomes more secondary to their developing feelings. 

Sometimes I want a short story, something I can read and enjoy without committing to a large page count. It’s tough to pull off a satisfying story in a short amount of pages, but I’ve read novellas that have blown me away.  One Mad Night was cute and started off really strong: funny snarky banter, great sexual chemistry. I really enjoyed the overall story.  It was a quick, fun read, but as with a lot of novellas some of the depth of feeling was a little lacking.  I did absolutely adore the way things ended; it was everything I could’ve wished for Ian and Chelsea!