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Review of Removed

13 May 2014

Synopsis

Duty knows no family. Love has no price. Secrets can cost you everything.

Twenty-year-old Sanaa Griffin is about to get more than she bargained for when she wishes for love, happiness, and excitement on New Year’s Eve. Ripped from the job she always loved, she is reassigned to work for mysterious Mark Sakai and spy on the corrupt leaders of her city. War looms on the horizon, and Sanaa must help Sakai determine the key players and their weak spots before it’s too late.

Mark Sakai has many plans for Sanaa that will take her into a web of lies and danger, and her only protection is to learn to defend herself. But defense training under the watchful eye of Jiro, a strong and enigmatic young man she has a crush on, was not what she expected. Between falling in love with Jiro and the information she is gathering, Sanaa realizes Sakai is holding back secrets about her family and her deceased parents, secrets as to why she was chosen for this job, and learning the truth puts all of humanity in jeopardy.

REMOVED is the first book in a captivating post-apocalyptic series that harnesses the cultures and traditions of Japan and sweeps them into the future between Earth and a faraway land.


Goodreads | Amazon | Amazon UK

Review

Overall, Removed is a fantastic book but it does start off rather slow. It took me several attempts to get into the book but once I got far enough in I was sucked into the storyline. This book has a Japanese twist to it and because of this occasional words and sentences are written in Japanese. It does add to the feel of the book but also pulled me out of the story slightly due to a lack of comprehension.

I loved how unique this book is; it doesn’t quite fit into any genre but is instead something special all of its own. There are some elements of dystopian, sci-fi, romance and even a little suspense but it doesn’t follow set conventions so you can expect to be surprised.

Sanaa is a smart, strong and determined young woman who’s life starts to change when she gets a mysterious new job in the post-apocalyptic world that she lives in. Sanaa is such a fantastic character, she has both physical and emotional strength and holds her own in some really tough situations.

I mentioned that Removed has some romance and it really doesn’t lack in that department. Jiro is a fantastic love interest and he and Sanaa have fantastic chemistry. The plotline of this book was fantastic but I can’t really go into why without giving away too much. Expect surprises and twists that you would never be able to guess at the beginning.

I highly recommend this book and can’t wait to read book 2.

*A copy of this book was received in exchange for an honest review, this has not affected my opinions or rating in any way.*
Try it for yourself! Goodreads | Amazon | Amazon UK
Laura

Hot New Releases - April 23rd - May 6th

7 May 2014
I haven't done a Hot New Releases post for a while because I was on a hiatus. This post would be way to long if I covered the all the time I missed so here are just the last 2 weeks best (in my opinion) titles.

We can only include books that we are aware of! If you have an upcoming release please let us know over email, facebook or twitter for the chance to see it included in the weekly round up. We are also always happy to hear about any free or discounted books :D


Following the death of her uncle, twenty-one-year-old CAITRIONA HAYDEN finds herself in the midst of a trio of quintessential alpha male suitors in 22nd century sovereign America where human females should be seen and not heard.

Theo Pendragon claims her as his ward, ordained to guard her through to a long-awaited destiny unbeknownst to Cait, but finds more than he expected when passion ignites within the dragon for the first time. Always drawn to the pursuit of knowledge rather than the heat of desire, powerful demigod Dante cannot deny everything his future holds in Caitriona. America's monarch, ancient vampire Corrin, has no interest in the frivolity of love, yet marrying Cait could be the answer to his continued survival.

Soon, Cait goes from studying for college exams to choosing a husband knowing the consequences are eternal, the love undying, and the bond timeless.


Goodreads | Amazon | Amazon UK

***
 
 
The Fearless. An army, powered by an incredible new serum that makes each soldier stronger, sharper, faster than their enemies. Intended as a force for good, the serum has a terrible side-effect - anyone who takes it is stripped of all humanity, empathy, love. And as the Fearless sweep through the country, forcing the serum on anyone in their path, society becomes a living nightmare.

Cass remembers the night they passed through her village. Her father was Altered. Her mother died soon after. All Cass has left is her little brother - and when Jory is snatched by the Fearless and taken to their hellish lair, Cass must risk everything to get him back.

Goodreads | Amazon | Amazon UK

***
 
 
 
The first time it happened, it seemed like an impossible miracle. Bills were piling up, adding up to more money than I could ever make. Mom's hospital bills. My baby brother's tuition. My tuition. Rent. Electricity. All of it on my shoulders. And I had just lost my job. There was no hope, no money in my account, no work to be found. And then, just when I thought all hope was lost, I found an envelope in the mail. No return address. My name on the front, my address. Inside was a check, made out to me, in the amount of ten thousand dollars. Enough to pay the bills and leave me some left over to live on until I found a job. Enough to let me focus on classes. There was no name on the check, just "VRI Inc.," and a post office box address for somewhere in the city. No hint of identity or reason for the check or anything. No mention of repayment, interest, nothing…except a single word, on the notes line: "You." Just those three letters.

If you receive a mysterious check, for enough money to erase all your worries, would you cash it?

I did.

The next month, I received another check, again from VRI Incorporated. It too contained a single word: "belong."

A third check, the next month. This time, two words. Four letters. "To me."

The checks kept coming. The notes stopped. Ten thousand dollars, every month. A girl gets used to that, real quick. It let me pay the bills without going into debt. Let me keep my baby brother in school and Mom's hospice care paid for. How do you turn down what seems like free money, when you're desperate? You don't. I didn't.

And then, after a year, there was a knock on my door. A sleek black limousine sat on the curb in front of my house. A driver stood in front of me, and he spoke six words: "It's time to pay your debt."

Would you have gotten in? I did. It turns out $120,000 doesn't come free.
 
 
***
 
 
It’s time.

Evil is running rampant and sweet Anna Whitt is its target. Nobody knows when or how the Dukes will strike, but Anna and her Nephilim allies will do anything necessary to rid the earth of the demons and their oppressive ways.

The stakes are higher than ever, and Anna is determined that the love she feels will be her strength, not a liability. But trying to protect the ones she loves while running for her life and battling demonic forces proves to be perilous—especially as faces are changing and trust is fleeting. When the Duke of Lust sends Anna’s great love, Kaidan Rowe, to work against her, Anna must decide how much she’s prepared to risk.

In the most sensual and fast-paced installment yet, Sweet Reckoning brings all the beloved Neph together one last time to fight for their freedom.
 
 
***
 
 
The up-and-coming matchmaking agency Kinnections is the hottest thing to hit Verily, New York—just like Kennedy Ashe, social director for the service she owns with her two best girlfriends. A coach, consultant, and cheerleader rolled into one super-sizzling package, Kennedy creates dream dates, encourages singles to shine, and never refuses a challenge—not even Nate Ellison Raymond Dunkle, rocket scientist, nerd extraordinaire, and Kennedy’s newest client.

Kennedy vows to work her magic and transform this hot mess in a lab coat with a disastrous relationship track record into the most wanted man on the Verily dating scene. If only she could turn the wand on herself . . .

Though she radiates confidence and sex appeal, Kennedy harbors deep-seated insecurities from a tormented past and lifelong struggle with weight issues. When she realizes she and Nate are cut from the same cloth and might be perfect together, can Kennedy learn to let her heart lead the way? Or will her fears sentence her to the sidelines as Nate finds love—with someone else?
 
 
***
 
 
She’s a high class call girl. He’s taking over his father’s business.

Seven years ago, they fell in love in Paris.

They walked away at the end of the summer, never imagining they’d meet again.

Now he’s her client.


We fell in love the way you jump from a cliff. Hard and fast with a reckless sense of abandon. The six weeks we spent together changed my life, but at seventeen, I was naive. I was a dreamer. A believer.

Now I’m twenty-four and cynical. I don’t believe in love. There’s no place for such emotions as a high class escort. The only things I’m allowed to feel are physical – and that’s why it’s so damn hard when the client of a last minute job turns out to be the man I left in France seven years ago. When he buys me for six weeks at triple my rate, my agent makes it clear I have no choice but to take the job despite our previous relationship. And my heart makes it very clear I have to stay firmly on top of the cliff this time.

Because for six weeks, I once again belong to Aaron Stone.
 
Goodreads | Amazon | Amazon UK

***


Can Sloane and James survive the lies and secrets surrounding them, or will The Program claim them in the end? Find out in this sequel to The Program, which Publishers Weekly called “chilling and suspenseful.”

How do you stop an epidemic?

Sloane and James are on the run after barely surviving the suicide epidemic and The Program. But they’re not out of danger. Huge pieces of their memories are still missing, and although Sloane and James have found their way back to each other, The Program isn’t ready to let them go.

Escaping with a group of troubled rebels, Sloane and James will have to figure out who they can trust, and how to take down The Program. But for as far as they’ve come, there’s still a lot Sloane and James can’t remember. The key to unlocking their past lies with the Treatment—a pill that can bring back forgotten memories, but at a high cost. And there’s only one dose.

Ultimately when the stakes are at their highest, can Sloane and James survive the many lies and secrets surrounding them, or will The Program claim them in the end?


Goodreads | Amazon | Amazon UK

***


Fallen Too Far was Blaire's story. Now it's time for Rush to share his side.

Everyone in Rosemary Beach thinks they know how Rush Finlay and Blaire Wynn fell in love. But Rush is back to tell his side of the story...

Rush has earned every bit of his bad-boy reputation. The three-story beach house, luxury car, and line of girls begging for time between his sheets are the envy of every guy in Rosemary Beach, and Rush handles it all with the laid-back cool of a rock star’s son. All he needs are his best friend, Grant, and his sister, Nan.

Until Blaire Wynn drives into town in her beat-up pickup truck with a pistol under her seat. The Alabama farm girl instantly captures Rush’s attention once he discovers that the angelic beauty is his new stepsister, but he vows to keep his distance. Even if she needs his help. Even if he craves her.

Because Rush knows why Blaire is all alone in the world, forced to ask for help from the father who abandoned her three years ago. And he knows if he gets too close it will destroy Nan, who has a secret connection to Blaire.

He has every reason in the world to stay away from her. Find out why he doesn’t.


Goodreads | Amazon | Amazon UK

***


The Selection changed the lives of thirty-five girls forever. And now, the time has come for one winner to be chosen.

America never dreamed she would find herself anywhere close to the crown—or to Prince Maxon's heart. But as the competition approaches its end and the threats outside the palace walls grow more vicious, America realizes just how much she stands to lose—and how hard she'll have to fight for the future she wants.

From the very first page of The Selection, this #1 New York Times bestselling series has captured readers' hearts and swept them away on a captivating journey... Now, in The One, Kiera Cass delivers a satisfying and unforgettable conclusion that will keep readers sighing over this electrifying fairy-tale long after the final page is turned.


Goodreads | Amazon | Amazon UK (releases June 5th)

***


She’s searching for answers to her past. They’re hunting her to save their future.

World War III has left the world ravaged by nuclear radiation. A lucky few escaped to the Alaskan wilderness. They've survived for the last thirty years by living off the land, being one with nature, and hiding from whoever else might still be out there.

At least, this is what Juneau has been told her entire life.

When Juneau returns from a hunting trip to discover that everyone in her clan has vanished, she sets off to find them. Leaving the boundaries of their land for the very first time, she learns something horrifying: There never was a war. Cities were never destroyed. The world is intact. Everything was a lie.

Now Juneau is adrift in a modern-day world she never knew existed. But while she's trying to find a way to rescue her friends and family, someone else is looking for her. Someone who knows the extraordinary truth about the secrets of her past.


Goodreads | Amazon | Amazon UK

***


He was lost and alone. Then he found her.
And the future seemed more fragile than ever.


As a child, Landon Lucas Maxfield believed his life was perfect and looked forward to a future filled with promise — until tragedy tore his family apart and made him doubt everything he ever believed.

All he wanted was to leave the past behind. When he met Jacqueline Wallace, his desire to be everything she needed came so easy…

As easy as it could be for a man who learned that the soul is breakable and that everything you hoped for could be ripped away in a heartbeat.


Goodreads | Amazon | Amazon UK

***


Twenty-one-year-old Elle Granger’s boyfriend broke up with her like a coward. He moved to another city without so much as a kiss goodbye. Devastated and embarrassed, Elle told her friends the break-up was mutual and hid her heartache working long hours at the library. By night, she self medicated with pot. Weeks later, with her heart and lungs screaming for a break, Elle quits smoking and turns to her friends. But before she can let them in on Jason’s betrayal, her best friend moves to Spain, and her roommates start acting strangely.

Enter sexy library patron Dominic, who sweeps Elle off her feet and into his Maserati. He makes her feel oh so good, and puts effort into coming up with dates that don’t set off her Synaesthesia. Just when Elle starts feeling whole again, Jason returns, determined to reunite. Elle rejects his effusive apologies and reasons for leaving – until she catches Dominic in a devastating lie.

Will his betrayal push her back into her suddenly attentive ex’s arms? Can she trust Jason not to break her heart again? The wrong choice and Elle’s happy ending could go up in smoke. But when your only choices are the devils you know, all you can do is JUST BREATHE.


Goodreads | Amazon | Amazon UK

Review of Best Served Cold

5 May 2014

Synopsis

Sometimes revenge is the only choice

Julia worked for weeks planning the perfect surprise birthday party for her boyfriend, Liam, but that night, she was the one who got the biggest shock. He broke up with her in front of all their friends, humiliating her in the process.

Clearly revenge was in order.

The plan is simple. Make him jealous, win him back, and then crush his heart. Fair is fair. However, there is one little hiccup, and he has curly brown hair and dimples.

Jesse is everything she wants. With him, she could almost forget her bruised heart. Almost. Julia has one choice: let Liam walk away after everything he did, or lose a chance at love in pursuit of payback.


Goodreads | Amazon | Amazon UK

Review

I was intrigued by the premise of this book but figured it would go either of two ways: I would take sick satisfaction in someone getting exactly what they have coming to them or I would cringe at the self-deprecating lengths the heroine would go to exact her revenge.  Turns out, I was wrong.  This isn’t really a story about some irrational woman scorned or really even about getting even.  The emphasis is more so on getting closure and finding what the future has in store for us.  There were some manipulative moves but the fact that the heroine had genuine conversations with each of her “setups” offset the potential awkwardness.  And she never really crosses the line and throws integrity out the window though she certainly considers it. 
 
Now that I’ve covered how the heroine’s antics never made me uncomfortable, I can’t say the same thing for the roommate.  The epilogue is the tie-in to the next book in the series and I honestly don’t know if I would be up for reading it and it left me with a bit of a melancholic outlook after what would have been a happy ending.  There looks to be a whole lot more angst in the next book.
 
Don’t read this book if you are looking solely for sweet revenge as you won’t get it.  What you will get is to enjoy the journey of overcoming an awful experience and moving on to something better.  This was a good book overall but it didn’t strike a profound chord in me just an enjoyable light read.

*A copy of this book was received in exchange for an HONEST review.*

Try it for yourself! Goodreads | Amazon | Amazon UK
 Katie

Review of In Chains

3 May 2014

Synopsis

A romance set in a world where slavery is government run and slaves are fitted with microchips.

Savannah, fleeing a turbulent relationship, seeks solace at her brother’s country farmhouse. It’s there that she meets Kayden; her brother’s slave who's considered less than human. These two damaged souls form an unbreakable bond, one that’s about to be tested, because Kayden is her brother’s property and he will stop at nothing to keep them apart.

Please note this book contains some sexual scenes, violence and strong language.

Goodreads | Amazon | Amazon UK

Review

The premise of this book is really interesting and I loved the idea of a forbidden love story set in a near futuristic / alternate world where slavery of particular groups of people is legal. The idea behind this book had so much potential but unfortunately I found it to be a let down.

The first few pages started fantastically, I love books that throw you straight into the action and In Chains starts with Savannah fleeing from an abusive ex-boyfriend. We also get shown the harsh reality as to how slaves are treated as well as how kind and caring Savannah is.

Unfortunately things go downhill pretty soon after that and the issue isn't so much the plot as the writing style. Savannah knows absolutely nothing about slaves at all and no reason is ever given to as why. Everyone else seemed to know everything which made her lack of knowledge all the more bizarre. It seemed to me that the author couldn't work out how to explain to the reader all the backstory of why some people are slaves etc. so made Savannah completely oblivious simply so everyone would have to explain things to her (and therefore also the reader.)

The romance just felt off. Everything was rushed and Savannah and Kayden's feelings for one another seemed to explode out of nowhere. I couldn't bring myself to believe in their love for one another which made it even harder to accept the stupid things they do in the name of love (after only mere days of knowing one another).

I'm not particularly a fan of insta-love type situations but I can happily deal with them when it feels believable but that wasn't the case here. We were told that they loved one another, but it didn't really feel like that.

This book isn't terrible and some people might like it but it just wasn't for me. The romance was too rushed, the characters behaviours were (for me) unbelievable and things were just far too explained. Great potential, but the story just didn't live up to what it could have been.

Try it for yourself! Goodreads | Amazon | Amazon UK

I'm Baaaaaaaaaack! And with a huge Giveaway!

2 May 2014
Hello all!

So it has been a long time since I properly blogged on here due to illness, University coursework and work commitments (and getting my University dance cheer team to 3rd place at the British national championships - that took so much organising!). I am now partially back mainly with reviews from Katie, Amanda and I and then in a few more weeks I will be back fully and you can expect everything to go back to as it was a few months ago.

I haven't quite finished my 3rd year of University yet as I still have a few exams to be done over the next month+ so posts won't be daily and please bear with me if I do briefly disappear again but it is unlikely that I will need to.

As a little apology over my absence and also as a celebration of my return I am doing a pretty awesome (in my opinion at least) giveaway. In July I am attending a massive signing in Edinburgh which has big name authors such as Abbi Glines, Aleatha Romig, Cora Carmack and many, many more. Enter the giveaway below to win your choice of book by one of the attending authors personalised to you :) Full list of attending authors can be found here and you can choose any print book that is currently available from amazon which I will purchase, get signed and send to you. Two winners! The giveaway will only be open for a week as I need to have time to contact winners and order books before the early July signing so make sure to enter now! :D

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