From the shelf: After You

Title: After You
Author: Jojo Moyes
Genre: Realistic Fiction, Romance, Chick-Lit
Date read: January 20-24, 2016
Dawn Rates: ★★★★ (4/5)

Summary (cr: goodreads)

11 hours, 6 minutes

How do you move on after losing the person you loved? How do you build a life worth living?

Louisa Clark is no longer just an ordinary girl living an ordinary life. After the transformative six months spent with Will Traynor, she is struggling without him. When an extraordinary accident forces Lou to return home to her family, she can’t help but feel she’s right back where she started.

Her body heals, but Lou herself knows that she needs to be kick-started back to life. Which is how she ends up in a church basement with the members of the Moving On support group, who share insights, laughter, frustrations, and terrible cookies. They will also lead her to the strong, capable Sam Fielding—the paramedic, whose business is life and death, and the one man who might be able to understand her. Then a figure from Will’s past appears and hijacks all her plans, propelling her into a very different future. . . .

For Lou Clark, life after Will Traynor means learning to fall in love again, with all the risks that brings. But here Jojo Moyes gives us two families, as real as our own, whose joys and sorrows will touch you deeply, and where both changes and surprises await.

After You is quintessential Jojo Moyes—a novel that will make you laugh, cry, and rejoice at being back in the world she creates. Here she does what few novelists can do—revisits beloved characters and takes them to places neither they nor we ever expected.

My Review: (also in goodreads)

Lookback: Me Before You

This is 18 months after the events in "Me Before You". I was one of those fans waiting for a sequel but at the same time I dreaded it. I have a lot of disappointments in sequels. But just like Lou, I needed the closure. I wanted to move on from Will Traynor's selfish decision to move on. Yes, I was that bitter. Luckily, Jojo Moyes announced that she is doing the aftermath sequel and here we are. This was the most real way I could think of on how Lou would cope up with Will's death. I know that some might judge her for being that way since she has known Will for just a short time, but for me it doesn't matter how long they have known each other...what they had was real and because of that decision, it was a sad love story. It was a big 'Might have been'. I don't blame Will though. He just wanted to escape from the life he had after having the life he supposed he had. The downside from that decision is the chance to have his happy ever after. This is a story about how people around Will did cope up with the aftermath of them all. How Lou tried to move on with her life just as she promised and how she failed to do so. She was like a shell of herself and because of that a reminder of Will came to remind her that she should move on with her life. I loved how this became a sort of closure to that part of her life. I think I also had my closure when I read the last page. For me what happened at the last scene was telling us that life is full of possibilities and that the future is bright ahead, its just that we needed that closure.

Till the next read...

From the Shelf: Semi-Charmed (Harper Hall Investigations # 1)

Title: Semi-Charmed (Harper Hall Investigations # 1)

Author: Isabel Jordan

Genre: YA, Fantasy, Paranormal, Romance
Date read: September 21, 2015
Dawn Rates: ★★★★★ (5/5)

Summary (cr: goodreads)

Psychic and paranormal PI Harper Hall isn’t that surprised when her business partner skips town. Really, she can’t help but feel it’s her own fault for trusting a guy named Romeo in the first place. 

But if Harper wants to consult for the police on a high profile case, she’ll need a new partner-- preferably one with some supernatural skills of his own. Enter Noah Riddick, a slayer left jobless by the legalization of vampirism. 

Riddick’s dark secrets and shady past have forced him into exile from human society--an exile he was completely comfortable with until gorgeous and exasperating Harper waltzed into his life. Now, all too aware of how…unlifelike his life has truly been, he agrees to partner with her (as if saying no to Harper Hall was ever really an option). 

Fighting vampires, making immortal enemies, engaging in semi-sadistic interrogation techniques, staging daring rescues…it’s all in a day’s work for this paranormal odd couple. But falling in love? Well…that’s a little trickier. Even for the Semi-Charmed Harper Hall. 

My Review: (also in goodreads)

I definitely enjoyed this novel which showcased a Buffy-ish character. In their world, Psychics and Vampire slayers work together on assignments to get rid of supernatural. After everything fell apart as Harper's partner decided to travel around...squander money and leave the PI business alone with Harper, Harper still did PI work and does night jobs. When Noah Riddick waltzed into her then boring world while she was busily trying to survive, that is where the fun starts. I loved how Harper was not the conventional character: she has wit and she can kick ass. I loved their chemistry and there were times in which I wanted to laugh out loud and swoon at Noah. I could see that this series has potential and I would definitely read the second book.

Till the next read...

Author Spotlight: Suzie Tullet's "The Trouble with Words" Blog Tour

Hi readers and bibliophiles alike, I am grateful to be given a chance to host Suzie Tullet's book blog tour for her upcoming book "The Trouble with Words" today. I also have been given the opportunity to have an ARC of the book. Thanks Suzie!

Brought to you by:

Suzie Tullett is an author of contemporary humorous fiction and romantic comedy. As well as The Trouble with Words, her novels include Going Underground and Little White Lies and Butterflies, which was short-listed for The Guardian's 2013 Not the Booker Prize. She has a Masters Degree in Television & Radio Scriptwriting and worked as a scriptwriter before becoming a full-time novelist. And when she's not tapping away on the computer creating her own literary masterpiece, she usually has her head in someone else's.

Reach her at:

Website: http://suzietullett.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/suzietullett

Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/pages/Suzie-Tullett-Author/221204154583599?fref=ts

Title: The Trouble with Words

Author: Suzie Tullet

Genre: Romance, Chick-Lit

Date read: September 25, 2015

Dawn Rates: ★★★★ (4/5)

Summary (cr: goodreads)

Promises are easy to make but hard to keep. 

Having long made a promise to her husband, young widow Annabel has no intentions of breaking it. What she does plan to do, though, is have a baby. Not the easiest of tasks for a woman with a deceased other half, and having explored all her options, her only choice is to take the unconventional route. Setting out to find her own donor, Annabel meets Dan. Single, fun-loving and definitely not looking for commitment, this unruly blonde, blue-eyed man seems perfect for the job. 

Dan wants nothing more than to find his dream woman. But with a mother intent on sabotaging his every relationship, he can't help but think he's destined to remain single. Of course, he knows his mother doesn't really want him all for herself, why else would she keep insisting he meet Maeve? Why else would she insist Dan promise to find himself a wife before she meets her maker? 

Forced to negotiate matters of love, life and death, Annabel and Dan seem the answer to each other's prayers. But will they really be able to keep the promises they made? And is having a baby really the answer?

My Review: (also in goodreads)

It's always an honor to receive a book from the author asking you to give an honest review about it. It means they value your review and your ability to review without any pretense. Therefore, I'm going to give this an honest review:

This book has been a breeze to read. It is one of those books I could read just to pass the time while on a long bus ride. This is about second chances. Annabel and Dan badly need their chances to have their happy ending. Annabel who always have been hung up with the death of her husband finally had the balls to try to move on. Although there were times she think that it would betray her promise to her husband, she is in the part of her life where she wants to desperately want a baby. So desperate that being a single mom would be okay despite her sister and best friend's effort to stop her. Dan is someone who I think wants to have his happy ever after without his mother breathing down his neck and partnering him up with her friend's daughter. An unfortunate circumstance might befall him but when a great devastation comes, there's always hope in the end and I think that is what Annabel would symbolize for Dan. Its nice to see that both of them would get their second chances and that they compliment each other. The future may be uncertain but at least they took the chance.

October 1, 2015

September 21 - October 11, 2015

Follow "The Trouble with Words" Book Tour:

Blog Tour

21/09/2015 Krysten Lindsay Hager blog http://www.krystenlindsay.com/blog

22/09/2015 ChickLit Club Connect http://www.connect.chicklitclub.com

23/09/2015 Writing Pearls http://writingpearls.com

24/09/2015 The Pen & Muse http://thepenmuse.net

25/09/2015 BringTheBestsideOut https://bringthebestsideout.wordpress.com/

26/09/2015 Tea, Books, Crannies and Nooks http://hikarulibrary.blogspot.com/

28/09/2015 Comet Babes Books http://cometbabesbooks.blogspot.com/

29/09/2015 BB's Book Reviews & Promotions http://bbsbookreviews.com

Release Day Blitz 01/10/2015

BringTheBestsideOut https://bringthebestsideout.wordpress.com/

Books With Wine And Chocolate http://bookswithwineandchocolate.blogspot.com

Comet Babes Books http://cometbabesbooks.blogspot.com/

Portobello Book Blog https://portobellobookblog.wordpress.com/

Writing Pearls http://writingpearls.com

Cup of tea with that book, please https://cupofteawiththatbookplease.wordpress.com/

Bookish Bits http://bookishbits.blogspot.co.uk/

An Accidental Blog http://paulita-ponderings.blogspot.com/

Tea, Books, Crannies and Nooks http://hikarulibrary.blogspot.com/

01/10/2015 Just Contemporary Romance http://justcontemporaryromance.com/

02/10/2015 Books4u http://nikkis-books4u.blogspot.co.uk

03/10/2015 Spoonful of happy endings http://spoonfulofhappyendings.blogspot.com

05/10/2015 Portobello Book Blog https://portobellobookblog.wordpress.com/

06/10/2015 Bookish Bits http://bookishbits.blogspot.co.uk/

06/10/2015 Jera's Jamboree http://www.jerasjamboree.co.uk/

07/10/2015 Books With Wine And Chocolate http://bookswithwineandchocolate.blogspot.com

07/10/2015 Chick Lit Central http://www.chicklitcentral.com

08/10/2015 An Accidental Blog http://paulita-ponderings.blogspot.com/

09/10/2015 Reviewed The Book http://www.reviewedthebook.co.uk/

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11/10/2015 Brook Cottage Books www.brookcottagebooks.blogspot.com

Thank you for following The Trouble with Words Book Tour!

Till the next read...

From the Shelf: The Apprentice (The Black Mage #2)

Title: The Apprentice (The Black Mage #2)

Author: Rachel E. Carter

Genre: YA, Fantasy, Paranormal, Romance
Date read: September 16, 2015
Dawn Rates: ★★★★★ (5/5)

Summary (cr: goodreads)

She survived a trial year at the Academy, but that was just the easy part…

Now sixteen-year-old Ryiah is an apprentice in Combat, her school’s most notorious faction of magic. When she finishes she will be a mage, but in order to do so she has to survive four years with a training master she hates and her old nemesis, Priscilla. To make matters worse the unwanted attraction Ry feels for her sometimes-friend-sometimes-rival Prince Darren is at an all time high –even though he is betrothed to the very girl she can’t stand.

Really, the only bright spot to Ryiah’s new life is the time she spends with her friends, including an older apprentice named Ian, who she finds herself thinking about quite often.

Just when things start to get comfortable they take a turn for the worse. An apprentice is killed in a rebel attack and several mages end up dead. Unwittingly, the apprentices find themselves in the midst of a budding unrest between Jerar and its northern neighbor, Caltoth. For Ryiah the impending conflict means many things, but as her apprenticeship draws to a close she finds her biggest problem at home.

Unfortunately for her, Darren’s not going anywhere.

My Review: (also in goodreads)

Black Mage series: First Year

The adventure continues...

The last cliffhanger was the reason for my conflicted feelings. One was that I was happy Ryiah defied the rules and became the 6th black mage apprentice for that year and other because it ended so soon. It ended tastefully but it was the reason I wanted more. Well, come on....that's why its called a cliffhanger right?

Their second year came in with Ryiah being frenemies with Darren. Darren, the non-heir who was once her love interest and now resigned to being her frenemy due to the fact that he was betrothed to Priscilla. Their year passes by both smoothly and rocky at the same time. There was one part where Ryiah officially got together with Ian (yep, that guy from the solstice ball) who became her friend then her love interest. But even though I know she has feelings for Ian, I can't help thinking of her using him as a way to get back at Darren. I mean, Ian is such a good friend and would do anything for her but her heart was not wholly into it and because of that I wanted to strangle her. Seriously, Ryiah was just using a good person to get back at Darren....someone who isn't sure is for her.

There were many complications in this second novel. Number one is their mentor Byron who has this annoying prejudice against females rising up to their true potential. Really that annoyed me so much I wanted to gather all my powers and blast him to smithereens. Ella and Alex are now in such good terms...amen to that. I loved the battle at Ferren's Keep and love Commander Nyx. I just hope I could see her more in the third book. I also wish that Commander Nyx would kill Darren's older brother...but that is just wishful thinking of course. 

Just when I thought I saw it all in the first book, the second installment in the series hooked me in. There were too many sub-plots and twists that this was an ultimate page turner. I wanted more! Especially because of that cliffhanger. And of course my favorite scene at the end (or was that a chapter?). That was such an amazing twist that it had me grinning all throughout. The Black Mage was such a tease.

My favorite line?

Pine, cloves and cinnamon.

Home.

How could I have forgotten?

Darren was home.

I can't wait for the third book.

Till the next read...

Book Review Request: The Last Knight (Pendragon #1)

Title: The Last Knight (Pendragon #1)

Author: Nicola S. Dorrington

Genre: YA, Fantasy, Paranormal, Romance
Date read: September 8, 2015
Dawn Rates: ★★★★ (4/5)

Summary (cr: goodreads)

Like any teenage girl, Cara Page dreams of the future, the difference is, every day those dreams come true. 

Now she's dreaming of a boy, and a future that can't be real. Because if it is, then everything she thought was myth and legend is actually true, and there is an evil coming that will tear the country apart. 

Lance Filwer is a boy with secrets of his own, and a past full of mistakes he can't undo. Cara is his second chance, his chance to succeed where he failed before - if only she'll trust him enough to let him help her. 

Cara needs to know what's happening, but the answer lies in a long forgotten past, and an ancient legend. To find it Cara will have to travel into the depths of Wales, and the heart of ancient Britain. 

With Wraiths, creatures from the darkest of myths, dogging her every move, Cara knows it's only a matter of time before they catch up with her. And myth or not, they will kill her. 

Her only hope is Lance, and the birth right she must claim, if she is to prevent the future she has foreseen.

My Review: (also in goodreads)

It's always an honor to receive a book from the author asking you to give an honest review about it. It means they value your review and your ability to review without any pretense. Therefore, I'm going to give this an honest review:

The cover for this book for me would not gain a reader;s interest and I must say, I judged too prematurely because I did love the content and that's all that matters. The story was kind of slow at first: introducing Cara Page, an ordinary teenager who frequently visit her mother at a mental institution and loves with her father fearing that she would follow her mother becoming mad. She has this weird gift of looking into the future and that  damages her reputation at school when she eerily predicts her former boyfriend's sister's death. Now she is an outcast, a loner not until she and Lance cross paths. He works part time at the mental institution her mother is at and 'coincidentally' the new guy at school. That is where the fun starts. That is where the story becomes fast paced and interesting. There were too many questions and that made this novel a page turner. Not to mention Wyn and Percy's antics. When they said that they were going to meet someone who'll explain everything...one character pops...and yep, it was him. I'm not going to spoil anymore as I will assure everyone that this is a fun read. 

The novel has the right blend of legend, its characters, the medieval references, humor and everything in between. The fact that the author knows the King Arthur legends is a plus. The story is fast paced that I thought it would be a one novel story not until what happened in the end. Such a cliffhanger and a devastation at the same time. I will definitely read the next book...I want more. My wish is that this series would hit the local bookstores, it deserves attention...and it would look pretty in my bookshelf.

Till the next read...

Book Review Request: First Year (The Black Mage #1)

Title: First Year (The Black Mage #1)

Author: Rachel E. Carter

Genre: YA, Fantasy, Paranormal, Romance
Date read: September 9, 2015
Dawn Rates: ★★★★ (4/5)

Summary (cr: goodreads)

Before the age of seventeen, the young men and women of Jerar are given a choice-follow tradition, or pursue a trial year in one of the realm's three war schools to study as a soldier, knight or mage...

For 15-year-old Ryiah, the choice has always been easy. Become a warrior and leave the boring confines of her lowborn life behind. Set to enroll in the School of Knighthood on the eve of her next birthday, plans suddenly shift when her twin brother discovers powers. Hoping that hers will soon follow, she enrolls with Alex at the Academy instead -the realm's most notorious war school for those with magic. 

Yet when she arrives, Ry finds herself competing against friend and foe for one of the exalted apprenticeships. Every "first-year" is given a trial year to prove their worth -and no amount of hard work and drive will guarantee them a spot. It seems like everyone is rooting for her to fail -and first and foremost among them Prince Darren, the school prodigy who has done nothing but make life miserable since she arrived. 

When an accidental encounter leads Ryiah and Darren to an unlikely friendship, she is convinced nothing good will come of it. But the lines become blurred when she begins to improve -and soon she is a key competitor for the faction of Combat... Still, nothing is ever as it seems -and when the world comes crashing down around her, Ry is forced to place faith in the one thing she can believe in -herself. Will it be enough?

My Review: (also in goodreads)

It's always an honor to receive a book from the author asking you to give an honest review about it. It means they value your review and your ability to review without any pretense. Therefore, I'm going to give this an honest review:

This is a review long overdue. I received this copy from the David Estes R&R group and I am too ashamed to have to read this only now. But I am glad, I am glad because I found a gem in this. The story begins with Ryiah and her twin brother Alex off to the Academy to train in becoming a mage. Alex who has his heart set on becoming a restoration mage already knows that he has magic within him, in which his sister Ryiah is still struggling with her magic. She is already panicking since she wants to be a Combat mage. And just when she found her magic she finds that hers is an unpredictable sort. Her life at the academy wasn't all rainbows and butterflies, while she was living her dream, her stay was tough: Darren, the non-heir prince not liking her and treating her as a lowborn trash, Priscilla who is out to make her life miserable and not to mention her very difficult training life. The only consolation aside from having her twin brother with her is gaining a new friend in Eve, a highborn who isn't good terms with the non-heir prince. Having to train for one of the five spots as the Black Mage's apprentice may be a long shot but she is fighting to win that spot.

This book is the mix of young adult romance, magic and adventure and that academy plot rolled into one. Having that kind of adventure while at school or at camp (*ahem* Harry Potter and Percy Jackson) is pretty cool. It makes boring school life a bit more interesting. Ryiah is an interesting character. She is stubborn, headstrong and independent as well as unpredictable. If she wants something she will work hard for it with all her might and that makes her a relatable character. What I liked is the relationship between Darren and her. Though I think that the boy she met at the solstice ball will be a recognizable character in the next book. I liked how the book ended, it wasn't dragging and it didn't have that excess plot...it ended just the way it did, like you would be asking for more. I can't believe that this would be the author's debut series, I liked it and I am now a fan. This series has potential. I will be happily devouring the sequel. I hope though that this would be available in the local bookstores from where I'm from. 

Till the next read...

From the shelf: The Raven (The Raven #1)

Title: The Prince (The Raven #1)
Author: Sylvain Reynard
Genre: Romance, Adult fiction, Paranormal
Date read: April 5-9, 2015
Dawn Rates: ★★★★ (4/5)

Summary (cr: goodreads)

From the New York Times bestselling author of the Gabriel Series comes a dark, sensual tale of romance in a city shrouded in mystery…

Raven Wood spends her days at Florence’s Uffizi Gallery restoring fine works of Renaissance art. But an innocent walk home after an evening with friends changes her life forever. When she intervenes in the senseless beating of a homeless man, his attackers turn on her, dragging her into an alley. Raven is only semi-conscious when their assault is interrupted by a cacophony of growls followed by her attacker’s screams. Mercifully, she blacks out, but not before catching a glimpse of a shadowy figure who whispers to her…

Cassita vulneratus

When Raven awakes, she is inexplicably changed. She returns to the Uffizi, but no one recognizes her and more disturbingly, she discovers that she’s been absent an entire week. With no recollection of the events leading up to her disappearance, Raven also learns that her absence coincides with one of the largest robberies in Uffizi history – the theft of a set of priceless Botticelli illustrations. When the baffled police force identifies her as its prime suspect, Raven is desperate to clear her name. She seeks out one of Florence’s wealthiest and elusive men in an attempt to uncover the truth about her disappearance. Their encounter leads Raven to a dark underworld whose inhabitants kill to keep their secrets…

My Review: (also in goodreads)

A new series from Sylvain Reynard which seems like a familiar friend. The story centers around two new characters (and finally exploring the supernatural) but the familiar feel is there because of the Emersons as the side story. The book happens 2 years after the events of the novella 'The Prince'. William York, Gabriel's prime suspect in the disapperance of his Botticelli paintings, is a vampire (well, vampyre) price ruling over Florence for centuries. He s patrolling the city for ferals and for creatures (human and supernatural alike) who would want to take over his city when he meets a woman in the midst of danger. That's where their story starts. Once again, the author wrote in a poetic way making references to mythologies and ancient history. I loved Dante and Beatrice being portrayed metaphorically by Gabriel and Julianne and I think I would come to like Cupid, Zephyr and Psyche. I sort of have a bias for vampires in the supernatural world despote them being aristocratic, cunning and sort of cannibalistic. It was fairly obvious that there would be a sequel considering the biggest cliffhanger at the end.

Till the next read...