ARC Review: The Rose and the Dagger by Renée Ahdieh

Title: The Rose and the Dagger (The Wrath and the Dawn #1)
Author: Renée Ahdieh
Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers
Publication date: April 26th 2016
Pre-order the book: Amazon / Barnes and Noble



I am surrounded on all sides by a desert. A guest, in a prison of sand and sun. My family is here. And I do not know whom I can trust.

In a land on the brink of war, Shahrzad has been torn from the love of her husband Khalid, the Caliph of Khorasan. She once believed him a monster, but his secrets revealed a man tormented by guilt and a powerful curse—one that might keep them apart forever. Reunited with her family, who have taken refuge with enemies of Khalid, and Tariq, her childhood sweetheart, she should be happy. But Tariq now commands forces set on destroying Khalid's empire. Shahrzad is almost a prisoner caught between loyalties to people she loves. But she refuses to be a pawn and devises a plan.

While her father, Jahandar, continues to play with magical forces he doesn't yet understand, Shahrzad tries to uncover powers that may lie dormant within her. With the help of a tattered old carpet and a tempestuous but sage young man, Shahrzad will attempt to break the curse and reunite with her one true love.

(Image and summary taken from Goodreads)

My thoughts:

I thought nothing could compare to the beauty that is The Wrath and the Dawn... but I was wrong. Renée Ahdieh managed to completely outdo herself with The Rose and the Dagger, everything was a thousand times more overwhelming and more amazing and just more. I honestly just sobbed my way through this book and not because it was super sad, but due to the fact that everything was so glorious that I couldn't react any other way. My heart was so full of everything that I just needed to release all those feels (it was either cry or laugh hysterically).

I didn't think it was possible but I fell even more in love with Shahrzad in The Rose and the Dagger, her personality was the same but there were also signs of change in her. She was so brave and so sassy that I was tempted to bow down to her (#queen). But in all seriousness, Shahrzad's journey in this book was so filled with love and selfless, there was never a moment in the book that she every thought about herself, she was either thinking about Khalid, Irsa, Tariq and pretty much everyone else. She had so many difficult decisions to make and being the intelligent girl she was, she was able to navigate properly and find the right path. I really enjoyed all the scenes wherein she was working on getting to know more about herself and her gifts, it was such a treat to read about her experience (also, the carpet!). From the beginning to the end of this book, Shahrzad embodied exactly what she was, a queen.

I don't think there will ever be a couple in YA that will surpass Shahrzad and Khalid's love, in my opinion. This whole series is basically about their passion and longing for each other and you will literally feel it pouring out of the pages. It was so surreal to have experienced such a completely profound love that didn't need words to be expressed; actions really do speak louder than words. Shahrzad and Khalid's love is the type of feeling that would probably give world peace, it's the type that songwriters write about, exactly the type readers love to read about -- it was a complete blast to the senses.

Everyone in The Rose and the Dagger had their own journey, there were multiple points-of-view and they were executed perfectly (again). There were times wherein some scenes would get too much of something and the POV gets shifted in the next scene and I really appreciated that because it was a reprieve from that something and even more than that, it was an opportunity to get to know the characters in the novel. I absolutely loved reading Irsa's POV, her coming of age and finding herself was a beautiful sight to see unfold. All the characters each had a distinct role to play that will surprise anyone and everyone. Speaking of surprises...

I seriously could not take all the twists in this book. Like, give my heart a break, Renée Ahdieh! Everything was so shocking that I had to take moments to myself to absorb and process what the hell just happened (did that seriously really happen?!?!?!). A friend of mine told me to guard my heart and that is also my advice to anyone who is going to devour this book because you are NOT prepared for all the crazy and incredible and gut-wrenching things Renée Ahdieh has in store for you, I kid you not.

I love that The Wrath and the Dawn is a duology because for me, it really says a lot about an author who can control the pace of his/her writing. Reading the books has been such an interactive process because Renée Ahdieh really includes the reader in her writing, she invites whoever is reading to come up with predictions, conclusions and even world-building. It was such a fascinating thing to experience. And can I just say? The end of this book and the series was perfect. Completely and absolutely perfect. You'll know what I mean when you read this phenomenal book.

Just an aside, I remember fangirling about Renée Ahdieh and her awesome, awesome details and food and I can guarantee to you that you will experience all of that and more in this novel. The food. Oh Lord. I was so tempted to munch on the pages because everything looked, smelled and sounded so good! Renée Ahdieh really has a talent for exceptional details and gorgeous writing.

If I could pick out every single star in the sky to give to this book as a rating, I would. And even then, they would not be enough because The Rose and the Dagger is everything anyone could ever want in a book: unbelievably gorgeous writing, a headstrong heroine, minor characters who shine and a stunning and unexpected ending. I just want to thank Renée Ahdieh for gifting the world with her extraordinary duology, it has been such a pleasure and honour to read and I am so freaking glad that I picked it up. Everyone need to experience this stunning series.

Rating:

ARC Review + Giveaway: White Hot Kiss by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Title: White Hot Kiss (The Dark Elements #1)
Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Publication date: February 25th 2014
Source: Received from publisher (Thank you so much, Tashya! <3)
Buy the book: Amazon / Barnes and Noble



One kiss could be the last 

Seventeen-year-old Layla just wants to be normal. But with a kiss that kills anything with a soul, she's anything but normal. Half demon, half gargoyle, Layla has abilities no one else possesses. 

Raised among the Wardens—a race of gargoyles tasked with hunting demons and keeping humanity safe—Layla tries to fit in, but that means hiding her own dark side from those she loves the most. Especially Zayne, the swoon-worthy, incredibly gorgeous and completely off-limits Warden she's crushed on since forever. 

Then she meets Roth—a tattooed, sinfully hot demon who claims to know all her secrets. Layla knows she should stay away, but she's not sure she wants to—especially when that whole no-kissing thing isn't an issue, considering Roth has no soul. 

But when Layla discovers she's the reason for the violent demon uprising, trusting Roth could not only ruin her chances with Zayne…it could brand her a traitor to her family. Worse yet, it could become a one-way ticket to the end of the world.

(Image and summary taken from Goodreads.)

Review:

Holy mother crunching zombie gargoyles. I honestly don't even know where to begin, except to say that this is JLA's best series yet. About half-way throughout the book I was just like: This is officially my favorite of JLA's books, now definitely going need to pee on Roth just to ward (pun pun) any unwanted attention. *looks at DJ* But joking aside, JLA was able to create such an intricate and complex world that could easily suck any reader in because of how well developed it was. The world of the Wardens (guardian gargoyles) and the demons is a tricky and intoxicating place and once you get lost in there, you won't want to get out.

I have to admit that I was pretty iffy about Layla about the beginning because she was kind of a whiny and whole lot of attached to Zayne and eventually, things got pretty ugly. But I think that those scenes were a learning process for Layla, they toughened her up and actually let her reflect on the important things. As the book went on, I learned to appreciate and love Layla and her personality because underneath the insecure hybrid that she is, was a strong and take-no one's-shit type of girl and once she found herself, that was when I started to truly admire her. My feelings toward her started with pity and annoyance and progressed to pride and jealously (hello, she got to do stuff with Roth, who wouldn't be jealous?). Honestly, I still feel pretty bad for Layla because holy crap, all the things she did not know about herself were actually the important bits in her life that really needed to know. There was a lot of confusion of Layla's part as well because when Roth pops up and shows her that demons were not what she thought they were, which meant about 99.9% of what she knew was a lie and her life pretty much skewed to the other side. I loved the way JLA describe and created Layla as a teenaged girl and even as a Warden/demon hybrid because while she may be all magic and cool powers, she was also  a girl who experienced girl feelings and that made her all the more real and relatable.

Now, let's get down to business. I'm sure that you've all heard about the infamous and mysterious Roth and his amazingly badass snake, Bambi. I won't lay everything about him out for you because I want you to be able to go through the whole Roth experience yourself so let me just give you the skinny on our sexy demon. I'm not going to sugar-coat it by telling you that Roth is completely nice because he's not, he's a demon so it's pretty obvious that he's supposed to be sly, cunning and a complete smartass too. His intentions towards Layla are definitely not innocent (yes, please!) but the reason behind why he's trying to convince her to listen to him is pretty selfless too. I absolutely just love the scenes between Layla and Roth, they're comical, fun and hot as Hell but there's also a level of hesitation on both parts because they obviously don't understand what they're feeling for each other, other than the obvious attraction and chemistry between them. It was very entertaining seeing Roth take the reins on their budding relationship because Layla was still pretty hung up on Zayne (don't worry, that didn't last too long). I just love Roth and Layla's dynamic together, they could be sweet and funny but also hot and heavy the next moment. But more than the romance aspect, they were great "friends" (if that's what they were) and their bond was great, they were comfortable with each other and trusted the other enough. Here's how I feel about Roth:

I love Roth, not because he's hot and my ovaries tingle but because he's real. Even though he's this all powerful demon, he has his own fears and indecisions and that makes him all the more appealing to me (and it doesn't hurt that he has a soft side too). But don't get me wrong, he's far from being the perfect guy, he's actually pretty troubled but heck, that only adds to his bad boy-ness. All in all, he's just my favorite JLA guy and that's the truth of it.

Whoo, that was intense... but it's Zayne's turn now. Zayne, Zayne, Zayne. I understand his protectiveness of Layla but there were just some parts when it seeemed like he was just belittling her and not really taking her choices and opinions into consideration. Now, he's a real sweetheart but compared to Roth, he's really... tame and slightly boring. While there may have been a part when Layla thought that she loved him, she also realized it was more brotherly than anything but I think that was also when Zayne realized he loved her more than as a brother... So confusing and too much drama to get into but just know that I'm Team Roth. Ha.

To say that I loved White Hot Kiss would be an understatement, I love unicorns, I love JLA's books and I love Jamie Dornan but what I feel for WHK transcends all that. JLA really set the bar high with her new series and I don't even know how she'll be able to beat this one because WHK is pretty darn close to perfect, for me. If Stone Cold Touch turns out to be better than White Hot Kiss (which is likely because Jennifer L. Armentrout is a genius and can out-write even herself) I'll probably have to add another star to make it a 7-star rating. I'd do it.

White Hot Kiss is the perfect blend of romance, really badass action scenes and classic JLA humor that will leave you wanting more. And while you're all distracted by the awesome dialogue, JLA will swoop in and stun you with super crazy revelations and an even more jaw-dropping ending. You will not see it coming, I mean it. You need to read this book. NEED. Let JLA's magic writing turn you into a JLA fan.

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Review: Arsen by Mia Asher

Title: Arsen
Author: Mia Asher
Publication date: August 23rd 2013
Source: Purchased on Amazon
Buy the book: Amazon / Barnes and Noble



One glance was all it took…

I'm a cheater.
I'm a liar.
My whole life is a mess.

I love a man.
No, I love two men…
I think.

One makes love to me. The other sets me on fire.
One is my rock. The other is my kryptonite.

I'm broken, lost, and disgusted with myself.

But I can't stop. This is my story.
My broken love story.

(Image and summary taken from Goodreads.)

Review:

Oh. My. God. OH. MY. GOD. OHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGOD. CUPCAKESCUPCAKESCUPCAKES. OHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGOD. Yup. That was literally what was going through my head while I was reading Arsen. To sum it up, I was a mess. I'd say that I was a beautiful mess but I'd be lying, I was an ugly wreck. I am being completely honest when I say that I have never felt this many emotions while reading a book till I read Arsen, me reading Arsen is like watching ten women ugly cry, see it now? It took me a couple of days to finally get myself to read this book because I honestly just hate books about cheating, cheating is a hard limit for me but when I kept seeing so much great feedback about Arsen, I decided to take the plunge... and I did not regret it one bit. Deciding to read Arsen was probably one of the best decisions I have ever made in my entire life and I mean that seriously.

Reading about Cathy's infidelity was difficult because I have always thought that when you "fall out of love" with someone, you can just split with them or something but reading this book made me understand how hard that is to do. It's not as easy as snapping your fingers and you'll suddenly be separated, there will always be some kind of emotional connection that will bond the two of you together and that's why I saw why Cathy couldn't leave Ben because through it all, she still loved him. I had to take a number of breaks while reading this book because every time I would turn a page, I could feel my heart chipping away, piece by piece and that really broke me. The magic of this book is not that it can make you feel more than you thought you could, it's that it will connect with you in a level that you never thought could be possible between a reader and a book/character. I don't mean it in a way I was imagining myself as Cathy (I would hate to be her, to choose between two great, depends on how you look at it, guys? Ouch.), it was Mia Asher being able to make you empathize with and understand Cathy, and they weren't all positive feelings either. There were times when you could feel Cathy's self-loathing and that allows the reader to see that she isn't so heartless because she knew what she was doing was wrong, but that sense of guilt still wasn't enough to make her stop herself. I think right from the very get go, we have to remember that Cathy is a human being and that if ever you were in her situation, wouldn't you do the same? (So stop judging her... okay, maybe you can judge her just a bit.) It was interesting seeing how Mia Asher was able to make Cathy both the protagonist and antagonist because it makes her even more relatable and palatable to the readers.

The biggest question in this book is: Which Team are you on? Team "Super-Sweet-But-Has-A-Naughty-College-Sweetheart-Who-Brings-Cupcakes-And-Is-Now-A-Devoted-And-Attentive-Husband" Ben or Team "Arrogant-Cougar-Material-Who-Makes-Women-Within-A-Fifty-Mile-Radius-Drop-Their-Panties" Arsen? I'd say both but we all know how that worked out for Cathy... Mm-hmm, don't eat more than you can handle, guuuurl. But seriously speaking, it was really hard to pick and I understand Cathy's dilemma and all we can really do is blame it on Mia Asher. It's like while you're reading the book, there will be a scene that will make you swoon over Ben but suddenly, another scene will pop out and make you fall in love with Arsen like OH MY GOD. DON'T MAKE ME CHOOSE. PLEASE. It's exactly like that. While you're reading the book, you'll be falling in love with Arsen in the present but when you're reading about Cathy's past and how great of a husband Ben is, you'll fall in love with him too. You really just can't win with those two. And the thing is, both men aren't perfect but they're the type of guys that will appeal to you and make you slowly fall in love with them. I was Anti-Arsen at first but as I read on, I grew to love the guy and well... stuff happens.

This book made me laugh-cry (laughing while crying), classic cry, bawl, wail, sniffle, almost break my phone, and smile. Oh yeah, I need a heart transplant since Mia Asher legit broke my heart. Thanks a lot, Mia.  I have never been so moved while reading a book and I am so glad that I decided to read this book. (Though I am still on the fence on books with cheating in them.) The way Mia Asher wrote the scenes between Cathy and Arsen weren't, in anyway, gross or dirty because you could see how there was a connection between the two and it wasn't just a way to get release and that's why it was so hard to hate Arsen, you can see that he's a pretty decent guy and that it's really not his fault... maybe.

Arsen is a beautiful yet brutally honest novel about infidelity and learning to face the consequences of our decisions, it is a very powerful novel that will speak volumes to so many people that are willing to listen and I suggest that you do. I read Arsen a few days after it came out but I'm only writing my review now, why? Because it was so hard to collect my thoughts, to be able to verbalize what I felt for this book and even now I feel like this review is so insufficient. Arsen is easily in the Top Five of the best books I have ever read. EVER.

All I can really say is that this book will stay with me for a very, very long time. It's not a book that you will easily forget, mostly because it feels as though it's a real person's story being told to you, as a pre-cautionary tale or just something shared, it will really imprint itself into your mind. Mia Asher has created a novel worthy of every praise that it's been given and even more because she has written not just a book but a voice that yearns to be heard and is also listened to. Arsen is exactly what it says it is, a broken love story, broken but not impossible to fix. Throughout the whole book, I was kept on my toes because of all the turns, deadends and swerves that Mias Asher placed in the book, I just kept on guessing because everything was so unexpected. And even to the end, you'll still be kept wondering but once you get to that point, you will get the answers that you were looking for.

If I could, I would give this book a gazillion stars because it deserves all that and more but I've restricted myself to giving up to only six stars but I would give more if I could. I just love this book, okay? I can't even explain it. *le sigh* Just, thank you so much, Mia, for sharing this story with us. Really, thank you.

Rating:

Review: Unteachable by Leah Raeder

Title: Unteachable
Author: Leah Raeder
Publication date: July 27th 2013
Source: Purchased from Amazon
Buy the book: Amazon / Barnes and Noble



I met him at a carnival, of all corny places. The summer I turned eighteen, in that chaos of neon lights and cheap thrills, I met a man so sweet, so beautiful, he seemed to come from another world. We had one night: intense, scary, real. Then I ran, like I always do. Because I didn’t want to be abandoned again.

But I couldn’t run far enough.

I knew him as Evan that night. When I walked into his classroom, he became Mr. Wilke.

My teacher.

I don’t know if what we’re doing is wrong. The rules say one thing; my heart says screw the rules. I can’t let him lose his job. And I can’t lose him.

In the movies, this would have a happy ending. I grow up. I love, I lose, I learn. And I move on. But this is life, and there’s no script. You make it up as you go along.

And you don’t pray for a happy ending. You pray for it to never end.

(Image and summary taken from Goodreads.)

Review:

You know when you find that book that may or may not be your soul-book but you just know that you'll have a special connection with it; that no matter how much other people may dislike it you'll just throw a "eff off" to those haters because you love the book anyway because it was love at first book-sight? Well... that didn't happen to me with Unteachable. I hadn't even heard of the book till my mom told me to read it (there you go, ma, you got a mention!) and even though I had to tilt my head a bit to understand the book cover, reading the summary itself got me plenty interested. (And when I told my mom that I loved it, she told me that she told me so. SMH at you.)

Unteachable was easily one of the very, very best books I have ever read, it's no doubt one of my all-times favorites and if I have kids, I'd let them read it when they're eighteen so that they'd feel inspired too. (Not kidding.) Maybe it's all the years I spent studying in a private Catholic school that had a zero in terms of male faculty that got me really interested in teacher-student relationships but hello, I need some excitement in my life. I literally live vicariously through these characters... and Unteachable was exactly the kind of experience that made my life actually feel exciting. Unteachable is exactly the type of book that you need to read if you're looking for something realistic and in-your-face because trust me, this book is the truth.

Maise O'Malley is as real as you and me, and I mean this literally. She's foul-mouthed (let's face it, we all cuss), she's blunt/frank (she's just more honest than we are), she's *cough*horny*cough* (*nods head empathically*) and she's a high school student, the only thing different between us and her is that she's more open to these things compared to us. Maise is the most real protagonist I have read about in forever for the sole reason that she doesn't pretend to be something she's not (okay, she may have done that but within reason, read the book and you'll see). She faces problems head on and even though there are times when vulnerability strikes, she still holds her chin up to take them on. Maise experiences the same problems that we do except a bit more extreme because her secret relationship and her crazy mother but oh, well... Point in, Maise isn't perfect, she doesn't have superpowers to save the day, she isn't "The One" and she sure as hell isn't the girl who's going to get Mr. Perfect but it's all her "flaws" that make her who she is and while people may expect her to grow into a certain way, well those people are going to be disappointed because Maise listens to no one (except maybe Leah because she wrote the book) and she'll grow and bloom into whatever flower she pleases, hell, she probably won't even turn into a flower, she'll most likely prefer to be a cactus, prickly and filled with fluid. (No pun intended... okay, maybe pun intended.) The sum it all up, I look up to Maise O'Malley even though she may not be someone most mothers would approve of (my mom would totally approve of her as my role model, I'm bring serious), there are just times when we can't always look up to heroines who are perfect and end up with the perfect life, sometimes we need heroines who may not actually be heroines, who may just be a normal girl but manages to show us what it really means to be a person, and that's what Maise did, she showed me the nitty gritty details of life that we might not always like but will always be there no matter what we do. Maise isn't fun or sociable or friendly, she's stubborn, rude and offensive but she's also very quirky, passionate and intelligent and those are the qualities that redeemed her. That turned her into a great a inspiring person; those are the qualities that made her real.

I really liked Evan/Mr. Wilke (I'll call him Mr. Wilke because it just sounds so much more... naughty. *winky face*), he's the type of guy who's not going to give you flowers and chocolates but will treat you like his world revolves around your axis alone. It was obvious that Mr. Wilke also harbored deep feelings for Maise but his morales also dictated him to be more "responsible" but hey, she's eighteen anyway! (That totally rhymed, score for Louisse!) It was interesting reading Mr. Wilke's conflict through Maise's eyes because Maise was confident and knew what she was doing and even though Mr. Wilke tried, feebly, to protest, he really was no match her feminine wiles. I think more than being a love interest, Evan (I give up, Mr. Wilke is too stiff, too long and I'm getting carpal tunnel from typing this so I'll stick with Evan) also acted as a support for Maise. Someone she could lean on, someone who would encourage her to do things when she felt like it was too much of a hassle to do so, he was like a male and more responsible version of herself. Even though they were different in certain aspects, Evan and Maise were alike in other ways as well. They complemented and balanced the other out and that created a great dynamic between the two. (Also, wanted to say that not everything is as it seems when it comes to Evan... he has his secrets too.)

As much as we'd like to believe that Evan and Maise's relationship was filled with butterflies, rainbows and cupcake-pooping unicorns, it wasn't. Their relationship was filled with many obstacles and it wasn't just because their love was technically illegal, it was also because of a druggie classmate, an obsessed friend, a broken past and a crazy as hell mother. They were problems that were definitely not easy to face and let me tell you, those two did not survive unscathed but that's how real relationships are, they aren't perfect and most of the time, you don't even know if a couple will even stay together and that's exactly what Leah Raeder was trying to show us, that most of the time, we have to sacrifice a lot in order to get what we want and sometimes, what we get isn't even what we wanted in the first place.

Unteachable is a exactly the kind of read that shows you how things really are, it won't lie to you and tell you that everything will be okay in life because it won't but things do get better if we try hard enough. Leah Raeder has written an insanely raw and gritty book that may be tough as nail but is also as fragile as a flower emotion wise because Unteachable will make you feel things that may be comfortable, uncomfortable, weird and even alien but it just means that you are letting the book affect you as it should. Unteachable is one of those books out that is just so special that no matter what happens, it will always be one of a kind. Leah Raeder has written a gem that I will always keep close to my heart and rest assured, I will be rereading this book... a lot because I loved this book something fierce. If I could, I'd totally marry this book. Is that legal? But seriously, great job, Leah! Unteachable was... phenomenal? Amazing? Stupendous? Fantabulous? I'm sure that I'll run out of adjectives to describe this book but wow, just wow. I will be eagerly awaiting Leah Raeder's future works. Ea-ger-ly. So don't take too long, Leah!

Rating:

Blog Tour: Review + Giveaway: Into the Deep by Samantha Young

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Title: Into the Deep (Into the Deep #1)
Author: Samantha Young
Pages: 314 pages
Format acquired: Paperback
Publication date: August 8th 2013
Source: Received from the author (Thanks so much, Samantha! <3)
Buy the book: Amazon / Barnes and Noble



Live young. Live hard. Love deep.

Charley Redford was just an ordinary girl until Jake Caplin moved to her small town in Indiana and convinced her she was extraordinary. Almost from day one Jake pulled Charley into the deep and promised he was right there with her. But when a tragic incident darkened Jake’s life he waded out into the shallows and left Charley behind.

Almost four years later Charley thinks she’s moved on. That is until she takes a study year abroad in Edinburgh and bumps into none other than Jake Caplin at a party with his new girlfriend. The bad-boy-turned-good attempts to convince Charley to forgive him, and as her best friend starts spending time with Jake’s, Charley calls a truce, only to find herself tumbling back into a friendship with him.

As they grow closer, the spark between them flares and begins playing havoc with their lives and relationships. When jealousy and longing rear their destructive heads, Charley and Jake struggle to come to grips with what they mean to one another.

And even if they work it out, there is no guarantee Charley will ever trust Jake to lead her back into the deep…

(Image and summary taken from Goodreads)

Review:

I am a huge Samantha Young fan and her books always make my favorites list, and Into the Deep is no exception. I love this book something fierce! Into the Deep brims with Samantha Young's signature wit, snark, angst and steam. There was never a dull moment reading this book and I found myself furiously flipping the pages just to see what would happen next. Charley has to seriously be one of the most exciting and interesting protagonists I have ever read about and that is one of the things that makes Into the Deep so unique from other New Adult novels out there. Also, the alternating scenes between the present day and flashbacks helps the reader understand what happened in the past without feeling like the author is keeping something from you.

Charley, the only girl without superpowers that I can actually call a badass, is probably the most complex and controlled heroine I have ever read about. She's one of those rare women who can pull off the cool and stoic vibe without it feeling forced, but you can also see her vulnerability on the inside especially with all the stuff she went through. When you read the flashback scenes (you'll read about her former relationship with Jake) you'll see this witty and fresh teenaged girl. Her banter with Jake will only make you laugh out loud because not only are they sweet together, they also complement each other's personalities. But when you read the present day scenes, you'll see a distinct change to her. She's still the same snarky, sexy girl but you can also see a hardness to her, it's like she couldn't properly let loose. Once you read about what happened between her and Jake, you'd understand why she turned out that way. It was painful reading what happened to her, and she really didn't deserve any of that. And it was even more painful reading the scenes when she sees Jake with his new girlfriend, Melissa (I say this with so much contempt.) I just wanted to choke Jake and Melissa. But through it all, Charley stayed so strong and so firm, she didn't allow herself to be brought down by emotions. I confess, I totally have a girl crush on her. #TeamCharley

I'm pretty sure that everyone is totally in love with Jake (yeah, he's super swoony) and I love him too, but there were times when I want to cut the guy. I don't know if he was oblivious to the way Charley was feeling or if Charley was that good of an actress but have a care man, that's your ex over there and you're flaunting your new girl? Ouch. Throughout most of the book, you can actually see that Jake was trying to redeem himself and I appreciated the effort. It did show that he still cared what she thought about him, but I did get girl vibes from him sometimes. While Charley was cool and collected, you could see that breaks in Jake's wall of feelings. He was the one who showed more vulnerability and he did try to reach out to her. I was glad that they were able to resolve their issues and continue on as friends, even though there was still some hesitancy in both parts, there were still very cute and happy moments between them. I get why Jake pushed Charley away and did what he did, the fact that they had to go through that at such a young age, anyone would panic. I just wished that he thought about it before acting out because he really broke Charley and that was sad to see. Jake needed to forgive himself before he could face Charley and I guess it was good that he had time to reflect and find help before things got too messy. But through it all, you could see that he genuinely loved Charley, he just didn't know how to tell her because of all the issues and obstacles between them.

One of the things that really made Into the Deep so special are the minor characters, they were all pretty significant and made a big impact on the story as well. Beck and Claudia (Jake and Charley's best friends, respectively) were probably the most confusing couple in the book. They wanted each other, but didn't want each other. It was a constant push and pull between them and I can't wait to find out if anything really does happen between them. Matt, Denver and Rowena weren't as exposed as the others but they were great friends. I love how Matt always seems to get hit upside the head (I hope he doesn't get brain damage) and Rowena is such an insightful person. You could see that she's very keen and wise as well. Melissa... even though she didn't really do much, she still got on my nerves a lot. *eye twitch* And oh. My. Lord. I totally saved him for last. Who is "him" you ask? It's Lowe. Lowe is him. Oh, Loooowe. I am seriously so in love with him. (Excuse me while I fangirl right now.) He is such a great guy and I love that he gives his support to Charley and that he wouldn't hesitate to defend her honor. *swoons* I kinda don't want him to get his own story (no news there yet) because if he does, it'll mean that he'll end up with someone that isn't me... Hear my plea, Samantha! *raises hands in the air* You'll understand what I mean when you read the book. But remember, he's miiiine. *crazy eyes*

Into the Deep is such a great book. Not everyone may have gone through what Jake and Charley have but when you read about their experiences, you'll actually feel a connection with them. Whether it be their sweet moments or when they fight, you'll feel a sense of rightness and content. Samantha Young has created such real and raw characters that have their own issues deep inside, but she makes them so relatable that you can't help but feel what they're feeling. There were times when my heart literally hurt just reading about what happened to Charley. Into the Deep isn't just about two people who were in love with each other and are trying to find their way back into the other's arms, no. It's about so many other things, family issues, friendship and even bullying! This book is so multi-faceted that it will appeal to so many people and will definitely reach out into their hearts.

I'm going to tell you now, if you're looking for a book that will really tug at your heartstrings and will make you want to reread it so many times that your eyesight will start to blur (yes, this has happened to me) then this is the book for you. Samantha Young has gifted us with a book that shines with so many different but beautiful aspects that will make you fall so in love with it that you can't help but want more. Everything was executed perfectly but even then, I still need to know what will happen next. I don't doubt that Out of the Shallows will exceed my expectations, and I seriously can not wait to read it! (See you soon, Lowe. *winks*)

Rating:

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About the author:

Samantha Young is a New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author from Stirlingshire, Scotland. She's been nominated for the Goodreads Choice Award for Best Author and Best Romance for her international bestseller ON DUBLIN STREET. ON DUBLIN STREET is Samantha’s first adult contemporary romance and has sold in twenty-three countries.

For more info on Into the Deep visit the official blog http://intothedeepseries.blogspot.co.uk.

For info on her other books visit www.samanthayoungbooks.com.

You can find her here:

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Blog Tour: ARC Review + Giveaway: Beside Your Heart by Mary Whitney

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Title: Beside Your Heart
Author: Mary Whitney
Format acquired: eARC (PDF)
Publisher: Omnific Publishing
Publication date: June  17th 2013
Source: Received from tour host (Thanks, Literati Literature Lovers and Mary!)
Buy the book: Amazon / Barnes and Noble



Late one night Nicki Johnson plays with emotional fire and Googles her high school love, only to find his name splashed across the British gossip columns. Back in his native England, Adam Kincaid is successful and dating a woman from an aristocratic family like his own. With a career in politics, Nicki’s no slouch, but she knows Adam is living a world away from her life. 

Yet there was a time he was no farther than the next locker. Nicki will never forget their year together in high school—the year of her sister’s death, the year her mother checked out. Adam helped Nicki through suffocating grief, and she led him through a coming of age. Was it just high school, or was it something more?

(Image and summary provided by Literati Literature Lovers.)

Review:

Oh. My. God.

This book... It leaves me completely stunned whenever I think about it. I had to spend a few minutes composing myself after I finished reading it, it left me utterly speechless. But this is where book sudjectivity comes in, while I'm here gushing about how much I loved and worshipped Beside Your Heart, there may be others who will disagree so just a disclaimer, I'm not pressuring you to love this book but if there was ever a book to give a shot at, it's this one.

I have honestly never been a fan of those first love, first heartbreak type of books (eg: The Summer I Turned Pretty) but after reading Beside Your Heart, I am second-guessing my decision to shun those types of books (I normally let Geraldine handle all the mushy stuff.) I don't know if it's because I'm sixteen now and I'm very curious about how first love comes about and knowing that I'll probably never experience it (I study in an all girls school, go figure) that made me so interested in the book or what, but whatever it was, I don't regret signing up for this tour. It's weird but I hardly ever give high rating to tour books and it's even rarer for me to give a 6-star rating (this is my third 6-star rating so far) but I'm going to be honest, I didn't even hesitate when I decided to rate it this way. I just knew in my heart, my mind and my gut that Beside Your Heart deserved it and so now, I flail. *flails*

I try to stay away from angsty books because I get all depressed after reading them but I was totally fine (or not fine) with this one. The way Mary Whitney made the story flow pretty much matched the steady flow of tears streaming down my face. I can't even count the number of times I cried while reading this book, it was just so emotional. My heart ached so much that I found myself continuously clutching my chest to relieve the tightness there. I was so amazed at how invested I was in this book but I wasn't shocked as to why, because no one who has read Beside Your Heart will disagree with what I am saying.

Beside Your Heart is the type of book that will slowly, inconspicuously, grip at your heart strings and gently tug at them. You won't even notice how deep into it you are anymore, you just end up going even deeper. I'm being serious when I tell you that I was sold with this book after reading the first chapter (there was a prologue,) Mary Whitney finds a way to really bring a reader a romance that is both so authentic and dream-like that it's so hard to untangle yourself from it. There was already so much depth right from the very beginning and for those of you who have someone that got away, Beside Your Heart will be a sure hit for you. Oh and by the way, the first chapter to the last (not including the epilogue) is written as a sort of flashback.

Let's talk about the characters now, I didn't think that Nicki (the protag) would be such a complicated character, but she was. Her sister, Lauren, just recently passed away and Nicki was recovering from the accident that killed her sister and injured her mother. Nicki had both physical and emotional scars, and they were big. But she surprised me by not being the type of girl who became withdrawn in herself, Nicki was willing to still be open to others and be social. I think the problem with so many books right now is that when you have a protag that went through a very rough time is that they don't like to talk about it, I personally don't think that will get you anywhere. Sometimes it's okay to lean on others and there's nothing wrong it needing another person's help, and that's how Nicki was. She didn't necessarily depend on her friends and family, but she wasn't opposed to talking to them... at times. She was a strong girl and I very much looked up to her. With our ages being so close to each other, I felt that I really connected with her. But as much as I'd like for a hot English guy to fall for me, I don't see that happening in the near future, so Nicki has that over me.

Every teenage girl's dream is to have a swoony guy with a hot accent fall for her and I am certainly not an exception. Adam Kincaid is the answer to that fantasy, wrapped in a soccer uniform, I might add. Adam is genuinely a sweet guy, and smart too. And very good looking. *blushes* I fell for him more than once in this book and even though he broke my heart, I couldn't help but still love him anyway. He made me laugh, ugly cry and blush. While there are so many swoony and crush-worthy guys in the fictional world, Adam is one of a kind. He's left a tattoo of himself in my heart, body and soul. (Can I please borrow him for prom?) He's not perfect, but that's what makes him so great. You can see how much he cares for his friends and his family. Even though he seems constantly annoyed at his sister, Sylvia, you can see that he truly loves her and means well. And Adam with Nicki? I think those two created a planet of their own.

Adam and Nicki's relationship wasn't perfect. There was a point where it was pretty close, but don't be fooled. Not everything is meant to be that good even in books and I was totally fine with that. All the problems and good times they had with each other made the book all the more realistic. You can actually relate to the characters and you can imagine this happening in real life. There's a possibility of some girl out there experiencing the very same love and hurt. I don't think I can go too deep about their relationship without bursting into tears because I am seriously tearing up as I am typing this right now. *sniffs*

Serendipity. I've heard this word a thousand times when it comes to romance and mushy books and I've never really thought much about it... till now. I won't elaborate on what happens lest I start crying and also end up spoiling the book for you but no matter what people will tell you, this book's ending was perfect. A bit shocking that I would say that since I was about to throw my iPad against the wall after I finished reading Beside Your Heart but after a few moments of pondering, I realized that I wouldn't change anything for the world. Everything was perfect and I appreciated all the effort Mary Whitney put into creating such a beautiful book.

If the 6-stars isn't enough to get you to read it, then I don't know what will. I kid, just read the summary. How can you not want to read this book? Beside Your Heart is one of the very, very best books I have read ever and I will always remember it. You know that a book is good when you start tearing up just thinking about what happened in it (just like Clockwork Princess.) I seriously cannot recommend Beside Your Heart, Mary Whitney has become one of my all time favorite authors and I will now spend the next few days reading the rest of her books. Ciao!

Rating:

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Oh and you can win a Kindle and other cool stuff HERE, too!

About the author:

Even before she graduated from law school, Mary knew she wasn't cut out to be a real lawyer. Drawn to politics, she's spent her career as an organizer, lobbyist, and nonprofit executive. Nothing piques her interest more than a good political scandal or romance, and when she stumbled upon writing, she put the two together. A born Midwesterner, naturalized Texan, and transient resident of Washington, D.C., Mary now lives in Northern California with her two daughters and real lawyer husband.

You can find her here:

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Review: Hopeless by Colleen Hoover

Title: Hopeless
Author: Colleen Hoover
Pages: 486 pages
Format acquired: eBook (Kindle)
Publisher: Atria Books (May 7th 2013)
Published on: December 17th 2012
Source: Purchased from Amazon
Pre-order the book: Amazon / Barnes and Noble



Sometimes discovering the truth can leave you more hopeless than believing the lies…

That’s what seventeen-year-old Sky realizes after she meets Dean Holder. A guy with a reputation that rivals her own and an uncanny ability to invoke feelings in her she’s never had before. He terrifies her and captivates her all in the span of just one encounter, and something about the way he makes her feel sparks buried memories from a past that she wishes could just stay buried.

Sky struggles to keep him at a distance knowing he’s nothing but trouble, but Holder insists on learning everything about her. After finally caving to his unwavering pursuit, Sky soon finds that Holder isn’t at all who he’s been claiming to be. When the secrets he’s been keeping are finally revealed, every single facet of Sky’s life will change forever.

(Image and summary taken from Goodreads)

Review:

If there's one thing I learned growing up, it's to always listen to my mother. And when my mother tells me to read a book (she recommended) when I have the time, she actually means "you better read this book before I disown you". You think I'm kidding? I'm not. So obviously me being the obedient child I am, I read Hopeless as soon as my mom told me to. Add the fact that I absolutely love Colleen Hoover, it didn't take that much convincing for me to read Hopeless. When I say that I love Colleen Hoover, I literally mean, I love her. If she wasn't already married to Tina Reber, I'd totally tweet her everyday until she gave into my creepiness.

Hopeless exceeded my expectations and more. The story, the characters, everything latched onto my heart until all I became was a hopeless little mess. I laughed guffawed, I cried bawled and I felt experienced with the characters. While I was in Colleen Hoover's world, I was no longer Louisse, stalker and blogger extraordinaire, I became Sky, a home-schooled, technologically disabled teen girl. (I , unfortunately, didn't actually get to hook up Holder along the way, that was all in my head. Lucky Sky.) To say that this book was intense would be the biggest understatement of the year. I honestly didn't even see half the book coming, I felt like The Hulk threw a fourteen-wheeler truck at my head when the story started unraveling. If someone were to ever receive an award for the best/most plot twists in a book, it would have to be Colleen Hoover. You won't see anything coming.

Sky is definitely one of the best heroines I have ever read about. She's not your typical witty/snarky prtoag, Sky's is the type of girl who's mastered the art of deadpan. Being inside her mind was both fun and really painful. Sky is such an expressive person... on the inside. On the outside, she seems really closed off and pretty suspicious, most likely because she was raised by only her mom, Karen and no one else. She's been cooped up in her home for the last few years (and yes, she's home-schooled.) Sky is the perfect example of a teenager in the twenty-first century who can live without technology. I repeat, without technology. Nada. Non. El zip-o. I'm sure that you're all pretty suspicious yourselves as to what goes on at the Davis household but I assure you, nothing nefarious. I think that the only time I actually saw Sky get flustered was when she met Holder. You could just tell that a little something-something was going on between them but as I have said, Sky is the type of person who's always calm and collected. She's not the kind of girl who inwardly flails over a guy because of his extreme hotness, which is a relief. There's a consistency to Sky's personality that is really good and the way Colleen Hoover fleshes her out, she really does turn into a real human. A person that you can relate to and appreciate (and squee over Holder with.) Sky definitely has a lot of comical moments, moments where you will find yourself laughing out loud, like, legit LOL-ing. As the book goes on though, you'll definitely see different sides of Sky (no, she does not have a multiple personality disorder.) It was hard seeing such a strong person so vulnerable and I actually felt my chest ache for her. The way Colleen Hoover creates characters that you'll invest yourself in really amazes me. I got attached to every single one of the people in this book, and Sky isn't the only one who fell in love with Holder...

I'm the type of reader who falls in love with practically every fictional guy I read about but with Holder, I didn't just fall for him, I think I imprinted on him too. *cue Twilight music* But joking aside, Holder has to be one of the most complex male characters I have ever read about. He is so invested in Sky's life that you can actually see that he'd literally do anything for her. Most people judge Holder because of his past misbehaviors but I feel like people misunderstood him. He's been through so much, he's lost important people in his life and he just needed an outlet for all that anger. My heart broke for him reading about all the things he went through, all the pain and anguish he felt. You can clearly see that Sky was the only shooting star in his everlasting night, that she was his salvation. Holder treasured Sky and treated her with outmost care, but not too much to be doting. I love their chemistry together, they went so smoothly together that you can see how much they truly belong together. Sky and Holder's moments together never failed to warm my heart.

As I'm typing this, I'm actually recollecting everything that happened in Hopeless and there are literally tears in my eyes right now. Hopeless is easily the best standalone novel I have read (and is currently my favorite of Colleen Hoover's books. I'm still waiting for Losing Hope though.) I can still remember all those intense emotions I felt reading Hopeless, I felt hopeless myself while reading the latter parts of the book. I felt helpless and quite honestly, useless. I wanted so badly to be able to help Sky in her ordeal but I just knew that I couldn't. All I could do was read on and see what would happen next. I worried and worried but I knew that everything would be okay as long as Holder and Sky were together. I don't think Sky would've been able to to make it through without Holder to hold her hand throughout the whole thing, he was her rock and guide. Her very own guardian angel.

The scenes between Sky and Holder are absolutely the sweetest things you'll ever read. They are not only swoon-worthy but will also leave you hot and bothered. They're innocent and yet there's an underlying tension as well. Especially the Firsts! Someone fetch me a glass of cold water please! *swoons* So intense. *dreamy sigh*

I think that Sky had a lot of angels surrounding her though. Her mom, Karen, for one. Her best friend, Six and her Mormon friend, Breckin, too. They were all there for her even though they weren't completely in the know, they grounded her and they were her comfort. They were her "normal" when everything was in complete chaos. And some of them also had the answers she was looking for.

I am so completely amazed as to how Colleen Hoover wrote Hopeless. Even the smallest of details were carefully thought out and perfectly executed, you never would've seen it coming. I'm not sure if you've watched Book of Eli (starring Denzel Washington) but if you have, do you remember that moment when you found out in the end that he was actually blind, and you kept trying to remember his tells from the very beginning of the movie? It was exactly like this. As things will start to unravel in this book, you'll keep wondering how you missed those little details. You will be left speechless once you find out all these hidden facts. You'll realize how everything little thing is actually connected and when you find them, you'll wonder how you didn't see it. Colleen Hoover, you are a genius.

Hopeless was, in my opinion, Colleen Hoover's best book so far. I am so relieved that my mom is a complete Colleen Hoover addict that she bought Hopeless as soon as it was published in the Kindle store. There are moments where you will find yourself laughing and enjoying the book and then suddenly have 360-turn and find yourself crying your eyes out. Hopeless is what other books what to be but probably won't ever become, it's dynamic and powerful. It will rock you to your very core and then some. And the way it ended? It was perfect for me. I cried at the ending, btw. Like, literally at the very last page. I was both relieved and saddened with how it all went down, but I was completely satisfied. I cannot recommend Hopeless to people enough. This book will change you as much as it changed Sky's life. I lived this book and I will live it for many years to come.

Rating:

(This is the second book that ever gotten a 6/5 Star rating from me. It is so well-deserved and I feel honored to be giving this rating to Colleen Hoover and her book. Also, Hopeless is our 100th review on the blog! Yes, I totally planned this. Haha!)