Nearly Broken

We’d both gone missing at one point, but Claire had one thing I didn’t. Someone to notice. So why was I the one still here and she the one still gone? 

Nineteen year old Megan Smith has spent the past year working in a small town diner in the middle of nowhere. Life is quiet, simple, safe. Then comes the news that her look-a-like has gone missing. 

Claire.

Still damaged both physically and mentally, Megan's not looking to be noticed. Wherever she goes from here, it's a road she needs to take alone. But when Nickolas Ellis takes the job as the new nightshift cook, it scares her how easily her defenses crumble down, down, down for him. But there are secrets she can't bear to share with just anyone, unspeakable acts that continue to haunt, and when the similarities of Claire’s abduction couples with the fear of an unwanted visitor in town, the urge to run before it all happens again intensifies, threatening the only happiness Megan's ever found.

Title: Nearly Broken
Author: Devon Ashley
Release Date: June 4th 2013
Rating: 4 Stars

Review:
When they said this book was dark, they meant it. I don't think anything could have prepared me for the morbid life Megan has had to go through. This book discusses very traumatic circumstances that is not recommended for feint hearted. 

When left with the choice to stand and fight against your darkest fears, will you stay and face them, or continue to hide and run? Megan has to choose and if you decide to read this book you will get to be right there with her. 

Megan is finally safe. She is happy, in this small nowhere town. Where her past surely wont find her. She has escaped the nightmare of her kidnapping. But just when she starts to feel comfortable, letting down her guard down to the new night cook Nickolas, she is mistaken for another girl, Claire. A girl that looks exactly like Megan, who has gone missing as well, but this girl has someone to notice she is gone, she has someone to care what happened to her, so why hasn't she turned up. 

A man comes to the small town and Megan's carefully patched together world comes crashing down. She has to choose between keeping her secrets and confronting her demons, or releasing her burden to be free.

Remember this story may not be for everyone. Be sure this type of mature content is right for you! If you do choose to read it I hope you enjoy it. I look forward to the sequel!!

Recommended reads based off of Nearly Broken:
Easy and The Coincidence of Callie and Kayden

Random Acts of Crazy

Goodreads Summary:
I never intended to pick up a naked hitchhiker wearing nothing but a guitar. A guitar. Really. I don't collect guys like that (don't ask what kind of guys I do collect), but when you spot a blonde, tanned, sculpted man with a gorgeous smile and his thumb poking up and practically begging you to stop – you stop.

And I definitely never thought I'd be staring into the bright blue eyes of Trevor Connor, the lead singer for Random Acts of Crazy, an indie rock star I followed like the slobbering fileshare fangirl I am. How he came to be nude and lost six hundred miles from home is quite the tale, but how we fell in love is even more unreal.

Because someone like Trevor Connor, headed to Harvard Law next year, isn't supposed to want someone like me, a rural Ohio chick majoring in Boredom at Convenience Store University who is all curves and frizzy blonde hair and manners so unpolished they have sharp edges that make you bleed.

But he did.

When his best friend, Joe Ross, the bass player for Random Acts of Crazy and a man who makes Calvin Klein models look like Shrek, drove eleven hours through the night to rescue him, though, it got real complicated. It's one thing to like two different guys and be torn.

What do you do, though, when maybe – just maybe – you don't have to choose?

As my Aunt Josie says sometimes, "It's always complicated."

Title: Random Acts of Crazy
Author: Julia Kent
Release Date: May 21st 2013
Rating: 3 Stars

Review:
This book is for  mature audience only. There is sexual content and inappropriate language for young readers. 18+

While this isn't the typical book I would pick up, when I had the opportunity to review it, I jumped at it, my own random act of crazy. Darla picks up a hitchhiker whose wearing nothing but  his guitar, a spiked dog collar and a straw cowboy hat. She somehow finds reasoning in picking him up, and she soon finds out that he is Trevor Conner, the guy she follows online with a fiery passion as he is in the lead singer in the band Random Acts of Crazy an online indie rock sensation. 

Joe comes to Trevor's rescue. Joe is of course the lead guitarist. And I cannot understand why Darla falls for him immediately but she does even after the time she just spent with Trevor. Now this is where the plot took a twist into Savages (the movie) territory. Darla may not have to choose between the lead and the bass guitarist. She may just be able to have both. 

I can see why Joe and Trevor are attracted to Darla. All three are stuck living a life they feel trapped in. Joe and Trevor see Darla as this carefree spirit with a curvy body that sings to their souls. Now I know everyone knows the saying 'Bros before hoes' but whoever said that apparently didn't think about sharing because that is exactly what they decide to do. 

I personally would have liked the book a lot better if it had just been a love triangle (I can't believe I just said that, I have never wanted a love triangle before) but for this story I think it would have worked better for my tastes than what actually happened. Major plot twist, that I wasn't expecting but after thinking about it their were clues leading up to that point. I just don't believe you would expect any story to take that kind of turn, so that is why I was caught off guard. 

Anyways, I find that this was an enjoyable read. It had a lot of lighthearted comedy, that will make you giggle. There was some very steamy romance. A major plot twist. And there will be a sequel so if you find yourself enjoying Random Acts of Crazy, the ride doesn't stop here!

Recommended reads based off of Random Acts of Crazy:
Such a Rush and Pushing the Limits

Riding On Air

Goodreads Summary:

For readers of Jenny Downham, John Greene and Maureen McCarthy, a poignant young adult romance about following your dreams and realising what really matters.

What can you do when your own hands are the enemy? Hold on tight, for as long as it takes.

Melissa has secrets. Sure it’s pretty obvious she has Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis, but no one knows how bad it is or how many pills she takes for the pain. She’s determined to make her horse Jinx into a champion and she dreams that her childhood friend William will one day see her, rather than her condition.

So when William asks her out and Jinx is shortlisted for selection in an elite training program, it seems Melissa’s dreams have come true. But when her secrets are exposed, all those dreams come crashing down around her. Can William ever forgive her? And can she learn about letting go in time to truly ride on air when it matters most?

Title: Riding On Air

Author: Maggie Gilbert

Publisher: Escape Publishing

Release Date: April 1st 2013

Rating: 2 Stars

Review:

This story fell way short for me. I have to say it was okay, nothing special about it, it was just a story. Boring and drawn out. This would have been a great idea for a short story, but it was unevenly paced and just so downright simple. No complexity. The only things I really did enjoy were how factual it was about horses, something I very much enjoy and the setting of being around horses. 

I picked this up with the expectations of getting to live in the horse world, and I got that but it fell so flat, too flat for me to even say I liked it. I can only describe it as ehh...okay...I guess. I would not recommend it, unless you were just dying to read it. There is no complexity to the story. Yes our main character Melissa has JRA which would be devastating for someone who just wanted to ride and couldn't hold the reigns. 

I felt this book could have been promising. I could have had more interesting and compelling plot twists. Instead it ended exactly the same boring way it started. I was hoping this would be the kind of story that would have more to it than meets the eye, so if you do decide to read this don't make the same mistake I did. She has JRA and she always will, it isn't going to miraculously get better or find a way for her to be able to use her hands. 

Another piece of the disappointment was the insta-love quality. So Melissa has been in love with William for forever. She has admired her older brothers best friend from afar. Now all of a sudden he is showing interest in her and telling her he has had feelings for her for forever even though bombshell looking babes throw themselves at him all the time. Apparently he couldn't go after her till she was 16 because he would have looked like a perv to her brothers because he is 18. This part seemed ludicrous to me since they have always been two years apart, but I don't want to nitpick. 

One other thing I enjoyed was her step-mother Jenny. She was a nice and positive step-mother something that isn't always portrayed as so. Which was unexpected. I just wish there could be more of those unexpected characters twists. Minus all the self-consciousness and just grow a pair, get out there and make shit happen. Instead of all these random, I am not good enough for him moments. I want a story I read to be more than that! And I don't think that is unfair or unrealistic of me. 

Reads that won't make you disappointed or upset:

My Life Next Door and Such a Rush

Evercrossed

Goodreads Summary: 
It’s been a year since Ivy’s boyfriend, Tristan, died. They’ve both moved on—Tristan to the other side of the afterlife, and Ivy to sweet, dependable Will. Now Ivy’s heading to Cape Cod, hoping to leave the horror of last summer behind. She wants nothing more than to lie on the beach, sip lemonade, and hang out with her friends. 

But then a car crash ends Ivy’s life. 

As she floats to the beyond, looking down on the life she’s left behind, Tristan breathes life back into her with a passionate kiss. She wakes up in the hospital, surrounded by Will and her family, but all she can think about is the love that she lost. 

But memories aren’t all that’s come back from the past. And this time, Ivy’s not sure love will be enough to save her.

Title: Evercrossed (Kissed by an Angel #4)
Author: Elizabeth Chandler
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Release Date: March 8th 2011
Rating: 5 Stars

In my head all I can really think is Oh Mother Trucker! I honestly enjoyed the book but it leaves you on the mother of all cliff hangers. Of course we are introduced to the characters we have known before, Ivy, Will, and Beth. They are on a summer vacation in Cape Cod working for Beth's Aunt. There is a brief glimpse of Tristan as a super angel, and of course our Lovely Lacey makes a few appearances. With all that said there are some new characters also. Like Kelsey, Beth's party hardy cousin, who has a personality similar to Suzanne (who is vacationing in Europe) which they point out in the book. Kelsey is very blunt and her character is very modern. She is supposedly a super athlete with a body like Serena Williams. Her best friend Dayhna is a good girl pushed to do bad things with Kelsey, I thought her character was going to be more important because she was discussed a lot in the first half of the book however her character slowly deteriorated. There is also a new man figure an amnesiac that washed up on shore mysteriously the same night that Ivy and Beth get into a fatal car accident where Ivy actually dies. Guy (the temporary name for the amnesiac because he cannot remember who he is) has very similar characteristics to Tristan which is what pulls Ivy to him and also pulls her away from Will. Oh sweet Will, how I wanted you to be the one. It became clear a short way into the book that they were a couple that just ran the bases, without any real sincerity behind it. Will of course was sincere with his feelings but Ivy just could not open her heart enough, which then caused Will to become kind of a dink and really made me shake my head in disappointment. 

This book is filled with many ups and downs, taking you on a spin that if your weak hearted you might not be able to handle (*consult your physician if necessary). I have to tell you right now I feel broken hearted. There is a common theme to this book that Gregory has somehow made his way back to get revenge, so I am slowly waiting for this to happen, while Beth and Will are being overprotective parents to Ivy. I do not know what it is, maybe it's Chandlers writing, but I always feel like Will is about to go off an start dating someone else. Every time Ivy sees Will he is going off or coming back from hanging out with mainly Beth and Dayhna. I do not know why but I just feel like he is, maybe it is Ivy and I am just shadowing her but man she handles things way better than I would have been able to.

So in summary I Loved the book, Chandler impresses me with her writing yet again and has me flipping the pages and before you know it the short 288 page book is over with. I am however so disappointed that I had to wait any time at all on that mother of a cliff hanger. A whole year came and went before the Everlasting came out and that is just wrong. So now that they are both out I feel confidant telling you to go read these two books now! The Kissed by an Angel series is AMAZING!

Recommended reads based off of Evercrossed:
Blue is for Nightmares and Book of Shadows

Keeper of the Lost Souls

Goodreads Summary:

Bryn McCaskey is young, naïve, and can talk to ghosts...

Like her mother and grandmother, Bryn comes from a breed of witches called The Keepers of the Lost Souls. Their main purpose is to guard those spirits who are permanently or temporarily grounded in the world of the living. Handling supernatural creatures is something which comes naturally to Bryn, however, dealing with people is a whole different story.

As her 18th birthday approaches it's time for her to take on her first assignment. Bryn is forced to confront her inability to communicate with others in an effort to save the one soul that can mean the difference between life and death for mankind.

Johnny Shaw is a lost soul with a personal vendetta against witches...

A vendetta he has carried on even after death. As much as he hate's them he must join forces with a keeper witch, in order to stop a century old threat. When fate brings them together, not only will they be forced to learn how to work as a team, but they will have to depend on each other to stop an evil witch carrying a six hundred year grudge!

Title: Keeper of the Lost Souls
Author: Kristy Centeno
Publisher: Limitless Publishing
Release Date: July 8th
Rating: 4 Stars

Review:
This is an intriguing story about a girl who was just turned 18 and now has 23 ghost charges to look after, one with a a grudge against witches. Understanding this can be a rough situation, as Bryn is a witch and Johnny Shaw, number 23, hates them for what they have done to his family. The only way they can possibly unite is because they find they have a common enemy. The evil witch that plans to unleash a terrible evil on the world.

I enjoyed Centeno's take on witches. I haven't read a book dealing with witches in a while so it is always nice to read a new authors take on the mystical world. I found her writing witty and fun. We got to know the characters as the story went on and not in the boring info dump kind of way, they characters really grew throughout the novel.

Bryn is an awesome character. She was not a popular girl in high school, she was viewed as weird and a loser, but she holds nothing against any of those people. She truly is just a nice person. She has the support of her mother and grandmother, which always seems common in witch related stories the trait of being a witch transfers through the generations.

Johnny and Bryn have a wonderful connection, when Johnny isn't damming her to hell, a perfect example of opposites attract. There is romance in this story, but in no way is it forced or just thrown into the story. I really thought it worked and was a great fun to read.

The good...
Strong writing and witty banter
Great character development
Fun and interesting story

The downfall...
There was a bit of a drag period after she got her charges, before it picked up again into the action.

A really fun read. I look forward to more of Johnny and Bryn!

Recommended reads based off of Keeper of the Lost Souls:
Hex Hall Series and The Secret Circle

Anomaly

Goodreads Summary:
Thalli has fifteen minutes and twenty-three seconds left to live. The toxic gas that will complete her annihilation is invading her bloodstream. But she is not afraid.

Thalli is different than others in The State. She feels things. She asks questions. And in the State, this is not tolerated. The Ten scientists who survived the nuclear war that destroyed the world above believe that emotion was at the core of what went wrong—and they have genetically removed it from the citizens they have since created. Thalli has kept her malformation secret from those who have monitored her for most of her life, but when she receives an ancient piece of music to record as her community’s assigned musician, she can no longer keep her emotions secreted away.

Seen as a threat to the harmony of her Pod, Thalli is taken to the Scientists for immediate annihilation. But before that can happen, Berk—her former Pod mate who is being groomed as a Scientist—steps in and persuades the Scientists to keep Thalli alive as a test subject.

The more time she spends in the Scientist’s Pod, the clearer it becomes that things are not as simple as she was programmed to believe. She hears stories of a Designer—stories that fill her mind with more questions: Who can she trust? What is this emotion called love? And what if she isn’t just an anomaly, but part of a greater design?

Title: Anomaly
Author: Krista Mcgee
Publisher: Thomas Nelson Publishers
Release Date: July 9th
Rating: 4 Stars

Review:
A great sci-fi dystopian combo. I had a great time reading this story. I know you are probably thinking about Delirium and how it sounds similar, and it is...but Anomaly is still a story of it's own. While I am not a religious person, and tend to lean more towards science, I still enjoyed this book with it's Christianity basis. 

The way the society was described was really fascinating. It is always my favorite part about Dystopian novels, is how the world is the way it is and why it is that way. Anomaly really did an excellent job creating this world underground, were people have lived without feeling since the earth is no longer habitable. 

When Thalli's anomaly is discovered, she can feel and no one else can, she becomes a test subject as to what went wrong and why she can feel. This is when she meets an old man who introduces her to Christianity and the plot thickens as we get the idea of a designer aka god. 

The good...
A very interesting society with a thrilling story line. 
Great plot and strong characters.
Great set up point for the next novel.

The downfalls...
The idea of religion is kind of sprung on you without any warning in the description which may not be appealing to some people.
The start of the novel takes place during the climax, which draws for a thrilling beginning but takes away a lot of the surprise of the ending.

Anomaly is a part of a series, this is just the beginning of what is sure to be a fun and exciting trilogy. I can't wait to read what is next!

Recommended reads based off of Anomaly:
Delirium and Under the Never Sky

The Year of the Great Seventh

Goodreads Summary:
Sophie has always felt out of step — an outsider, even amongst friends in her high school with all the hype about celebrity culture. Her life in L.A. seems to have been already written for her, but when her junior year starts, it all takes a drastic turn. When she crosses paths with the school's heartthrob, Nate Werner, they fall for each other in a way neither can understand. What they don’t know is that by giving in to their desires, they are unlocking an ancient Egyptian prophecy that threatens to return Earth to the dark ages.

To undo the curse, Nate and Sophie embark on an adventure that takes them across the country. But their quest is not only to save the world as they know it. It is also a fight for their very survival. Behind the scenes, there are those that are counting on them to fail.

Title: The Year of the Great Seventh

Author: Teresa Orts

Publisher: Drayton Press

Release Date: July 6th 2013

Rating: 3.5 Stars

Review:

So, in the beginning you are going to get the setting for a rather generic begining of a relationship. Also you will get a lot of tell vs. show. However, once the plot gets rolling, so does your heartbeat and you are sucked in to this ya-fantasy. Orts gives us a very interesting story outline...Egyptian Prophecy...oh yes, I think so. It really is an exciting ride, although when I first heard of the story I thought for sure it would be taking place in Egypt, and it actually does not, it takes place in Los Angeles and New York. I found myself many times so wrapped into the story, I could actually picture myself on the streets of New York.

 

So as Nate and Sophie are on the hunt for clues to save Nate's life, we are drawn in more and more as hints are dropped, and you have to make sense of. While this is a fantasy story it has a strong sense of realistic fiction as well a mystery all in one. All elements combine forcing you to keep the book in your hands until you are finished.  

 

So to the Positives...

A very intersting story line that draws you in and has you begging for more.

A cleverly laid out plot that allows the reader to try and piece the mystery together along with Sophie and Nate.

Descriptive quality

Quirky and inteligent characters

 

The dowfalls...

The beginning is slow and drags on, couped with teen angst for the first few chapters

A little too much telling whats going on rather than letting the reader experience it

 

I am very excited for the sequel. Since we already know our characters we wont have the beginning character building that caused the beginning to drag on a little long, so it should dive right in to some more heart-pumping action. I hope you write fast Orts!

 

 

Recommended reads based off of The Year of the Great Seventh:

Tiger's Curse and Banished from Grace