Sunday, March 31, 2019

Stacking the Shelves & Our Sunday Post (32)

Hosted by:  Tynga's Reviews

Hosted by:  Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer


I took a couple years off of blogging.  My daughter has Autism, and life got really difficult.  I had to learn how to adjust, and in the meantime stopped having time for myself.  I really missed reading and blogging, and for quite a while my co-blogger Mikki, kept up the blog all on her own. 

My Nana died a year ago and reading was her passion.  She inspired me as a child, and some of my fondest memories include going to the library and Barnes and Noble with her.  When I first started blogging, she got a goodreads account just so she could read all of my book reviews.  She was so excited and proud of me!  For a year, I couldn't pick up a book or go in a bookstore without feeling so sad because I missed her.  I've decided to carve out time for myself despite how hectic life can be raising a child on the spectrum.  I'm back to reading and blogging again, and making it a priority to carve out me time.  I know my Nana is proud to see me reading and reviewing again.  I imagine her smiling down at me with a happy and proud look on her face.  

Last Week on the Blog:

*Lick by Kylie Scott (Review) 


Purchased:


For Review:




Big Thanks to Harlequin Teen, Gallery Books, Macmillan, and Entangled Teen!



Friday, March 29, 2019

Blog Review: Lick (Stage Dive #1) by Kylie Scott


Lick
Stage Dive #1

By:
Kylie Scott

Published:
Oct. 11, 2013

Publisher:
St. Martin's

Add to: 
Goodreads

Source:
Purchased

Book Summary:

Waking up in Vegas was never meant to be like this. 

Evelyn Thomas's plans for celebrating her twenty-first birthday in Las Vegas were big. Huge. But she sure never meant to wake up on the bathroom floor with a hangover to rival the black plague, a very attractive half-naked tattooed man in her room, and a diamond on her finger large enough to scare King Kong. Now if she could just remember how it all happened. 

One thing is certain, being married to one of the hottest rock stars on the planet is sure to be a wild ride.



Stage Dive Series:



My Review


My Thoughts:

I read Lead, the third book in the Stage Dive Series, and loved it!  So I decided to read the whole series.  Lick, is the first book about the "Stage Dive" rockstars.  It is about guitarist, David, and his leading lady, Evelyn "Ev."  It is told soley from Ev's point of view.  She wakes up the next morning in Vegas with a wicked hangover, and a gorgeous man laying next to her.  She quickly discovers that the man is her husband!  That's right, she drank so much that she doesn't remember her night with David, let alone marrying him.  David is really upset when he learns that Ev doesn't remember their night together.  It meant a lot to him, and he remembers everything.

David tells her that they can do a quick annulment of the marriage, and Ev quickly agrees.  However, when she returns to her home in Portland, she finds herself swamped by the paparazzi.  David is none other than the famous David Ferris, an extremely well-know and wealthy rockstar.  David sends one of his bodyguard 's to see if Ev would like to come to his mansion in L.A. for a couple days to get everything squared away with the annulment, and wait for the paparazzi to die down.  Ev quickly agrees, because she doesn't want to burden her friends and family as she tries to hide out.

Thus we get the beginning of our love story.  Lick was the perfect combination of sweet and sexy.  I enjoyed watching these two get swept away in one another as they fell head over heels in love.  David and Ev had their challenges to contend with.  David had abandonment and trust issue's that caused problems in their relationship.  Plus, in my opinion he really needed to learn how to communicate.  Ev had to deal with groupies, an ex-girlfriend that was horrible, as well as everything that came with being married to a rockstar.

I really loved David and Ev's love story.  It was full of tender touching moments, swoons, and sweetness.  I loved how much David adored Ev, and how she was a strong leading lady.  She was very giving and sweet, but she also stood up for herself. She was very young, so we saw her come more in to her own as the story progressed.






About the Author:

Kylie is a New York Times and USA Today best-selling author. She was voted Australian Romance Writer of the year, 2013, 2014 & 2018, by the Australian Romance Writer’s Association and her books have been translated into eleven different languages. She is a long time fan of romance, rock music, and B-grade horror films. Based in Queensland, Australia with her two children and husband, she reads, writes and never dithers around on the internet. 

Contact her at info@kyliescott.com or: PO Box 13, Fernvale QLD 4306 Australia






Wednesday, March 27, 2019

Book Review: Lead (Stage Dive #3) by Kylie Scott



Lead
Stage Dive #3

By:
Kylie Scott

Publisher:
St. Martin's Griffin

Published:
Nov. 25, 2014

Source:
eARC from Publisher

Book Summary:

Stay up all night with the sexy rockers in Stage Dive, the epic New Adult series from New York Times bestselling author Kylie Scott, author of Lick and Play. 

As the lead singer of Stage Dive, Jimmy is used to getting whatever he wants, whenever he wants it, whether it's booze, drugs, or women. However, when a PR disaster serves as a wake-up call about his life and lands him in rehab, he finds himself with Lena, a new assistant to keep him out of trouble. 

Lena's not willing to take any crap from the sexy rocker and is determined to keep their relationship completely professional, despite their sizzling chemistry. But when Jimmy pushes her too far and Lena leaves, he realizes that he may just have lost the best thing that ever happened to him. 





My Thoughts:


Why haven't I ever read anything written by Kylie Scott before?!!!  I have been wanting to read the Stage Dive series for quite a while now!  I remember hearing a lot of hype over these characters and their stories, but I just never got around to reading them.  Stage Dive has been on my TBR for quite awhile, and you can believe that the rest of the books in the series have become priority reads, after reading Lead!

I love stories about rockstars and romance.  To think of a gorgeous, sexy, and talented rockstar becoming smitten with an ordinary girl is the stuff of many ladies daydreams.  Well, Lead was an excellent read!  Full of swoons, emotional heartfelt moments, grins, and giggles and the much sought after happily ever after!  I highly recommend it if you're in the mood for a great rockstar romance reading escape!!!

Jimmy, the lead singer of Stage Dive, has been sober and off of drugs and alcohol for the last six months, after his brother and the rest of his bandmates gave him an ultimatum, get his act together, or he was out of the group.  

Enter our leading lady, Lena.  She's been working at a temp agency and hasn't had much luck.  When Stage Dive see's her spunk, sass, and strength, they decide she will be the perfect person to live with Jimmy, and make sure that he doesn't fall off of the wagon.  The pay is great, so she decides to take the job.  However, she quickly see's that Jimmy is moody, aloof, and can be a pain in the rear end.  

One day changes the whole dynamic between these two.  Lena and the reader get a glimpse of Jimmy's vulnerability and heart.  From this point on, we are in for a beautiful, and touching love story.  We also see the mood swings and struggle that battling addiction entails.  We learn how even the most painful past and traumatic of scars can begin to heal with unselfish, pure, and unconditional love.  Jimmy and Lena's love story was a slow burn.  We get to see them transition from complete strangers, to the very best of friends, to the awakening of a passionate and all encompassing love.

I enjoyed all of the secondary characters, Ev, David, Mal, Anne, Ben and Lizzy were great additions to Jimmy and Lena's story.  However, honorable mention must go to Mal.  He was hilarious, nosy, and loved pushing both Jimmy and Lena's buttons!  He was such a fun character, which makes me really want to read his story next.  It was great how Anne could check him like no one else!  

I have to say, one of my favorite parts of the story was when Jimmy was trying to "help" Lena get over her crush on him, so that she wouldn't leave the job, because he had grown attached to her.  One of the items on this list was that she had to get out and date.  It was hilarious the way Jimmy tried to control and insinuate himself in every situation!  All boundaries went out the door!  He had me cracking up, and I got so many good laughs out of this story.  I also shed a few tears, and smiled a whole lot!  I highly recommend Lead!  5 Stars!!!





Purchase At:

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBooks | Kobo



About Kylie Scott:

Kylie is a New York Times and USA Today best-selling author. She was voted Australian Romance Writer of the year, 2013, 2014 & 2018, by the Australian Romance Writer’s Association and her books have been translated into eleven different languages. She is a long time fan of romance, rock music, and B-grade horror films. Based in Queensland, Australia with her two children and husband, she reads, writes and never dithers around on the internet. 

Contact her at info@kyliescott.com or: PO Box 13, Fernvale QLD 4306 Australia






Waiting On Wednesday (75)




The Queen of Nothing
The Folk of the Air #3
By: Holly Black
Publisher: Little Brown Books
Release Date: January 7, 2020
Add to Goodreads


Book Synopsis:

The finale to the New York Times bestselling Folk of Air trilogy, that started with The Cruel Prince and The Wicked King, from award-winning author Holly Black. 

After being pronounced Queen of Faerie and then abruptly exiled by the Wicked King Cardan, Jude finds herself unmoored, the queen of nothing. She spends her time with Vivi and Oak, watches her fair share of reality television, and does the odd job or two, including trying to convince a cannibalistic faerie from hunting her own in the mortal world. 

When her twin sister Taryn shows up asking of a favor, Jude jumps at the chance to return to the Faerie world, even if it means facing Cardan, who she loves despite his betrayal. 

When a dark curse is unveiled, Jude must become the first mortal Queen of Faerie and uncover how to break the curse, or risk upsetting the balance of the whole Faerie world.

Why I'm Waiting:

I am in LOVE with The Folk of the Air Series!  Addicted!  I really miss the characters and am dying to see what happens next.  By the way, I just saw the cover and love it!!!  



What are you Waiting On? 


Monday, March 25, 2019

Book Review: The Wicked King (The Folk of the Air #2) by Holly Black


The Wicked King
The Folk of the Air #2

By:
Holly Black

Published:
January 8, 2019

Publisher:
Little Brown 
Books

Source:
Purchased

Add to:
Goodreads


Book Synopsis:

You must be strong enough to strike and strike and strike again without tiring. 

The first lesson is to make yourself strong. 

After the jaw-dropping revelation that Oak is the heir to Faerie, Jude must keep her younger brother safe. To do so, she has bound the wicked king, Cardan, to her, and made herself the power behind the throne. Navigating the constantly shifting political alliances of Faerie would be difficult enough if Cardan were easy to control. But he does everything in his power to humiliate and undermine her even as his fascination with her remains undiminished. 

When it becomes all too clear that someone close to Jude means to betray her, threatening her own life and the lives of everyone she loves, Jude must uncover the traitor and fight her own complicated feelings for Cardan to maintain control as a mortal in a Faerie world.




The Folk of the Air Series:
My Review

My Review



My Thoughts:

Ok, Ms. Black, you have killed me with that ending!!!  When, oh when do I get to read the next book?  I don't think I can wait another year.  You are most definitely a queen of surprises.  This series just keeps getting better!  

I love Jude!  She has a warrior's spirit.  No matter how difficult, painful or challenging things get, she rises to the occasion.  She is so smart and an excellent strategist.  I enjoyed being inside her head, seeing how she would get out of dangerous situations and complex conundrums.  It was awesome watching her outwit, outsmart, and outmaneuver her enemies.  


I also love how Cardin is so much more than he appears or let's others see.  He plays the lazy, overindulgent king so well, and yet he is witty and a master at plotting and planning as well.  The absolute best thing about this book though is that Jude and Cardin have met their match in one another.  They challenge each other, and make such a great team; if only they could trust in each other, and not get in their own way.


The Wicked King had more danger, deceit, manipulation, magic, action, strategy, and romance then it's predecessor, and I loved every moment of it!  What an adventure!  I feel like I was part of all the highs and lows that Jude experienced in Faerieland!  Boy, am I exhausted!  





Purchase At:

Amazon | Barnes and Noble  



About the Author:


Holly Black is the author of bestselling contemporary fantasy books for kids and teens. Some of her titles include The Spiderwick Chronicles (with Tony DiTerlizzi), The Modern Faerie Tale series, the Curse Workers series, Doll Bones, The Coldest Girl in Coldtown, the Magisterium series (with Cassandra Clare) and The Darkest Part of the Forest. She has been a a finalist for an Eisner Award, and the recipient of the Andre Norton Award, the Mythopoeic Award and a Newbery Honor. She currently lives in New England with her husband and son in a house with a secret door.