Friday, August 30, 2013

Review: Bully by Penelope Douglas

Title: Bully (Fall Away #1)
Author: Penelope Douglas
Pages: 290 pages
Format acquired: eBook (Kindle)
Publication date: June 17th 2013
Source: Purchased from Amazon
Buy the book: Amazon



My name is Tate. He doesn't call me that, though. He would never refer to me so informally, if he referred to me at all.

We're neighbors, and once, we were best friends. But then, one summer, he turned on me and has made it his mission to screw up my life at every opportunity. I've been humiliated, shut out, and gossiped about all through high school. His pranks and rumors got more sadistic as time wore on, and I made myself sick trying to hide from him. I worried about what was around every corner and behind every door. 

So I left.

I spent a year studying abroad and bathed in the freedom of life without Jared. Now I'm back to finish up high school and get the hell out of here forever. I'm hoping that after a year of breathing room, he's moved on and forgotten all about me. 

But even if he hasn't changed, I have. I'm not interested in avoiding him or turning the other cheek anymore. We're going to go head to head, because neither of us wants to back down.

(Image and summary taken from Goodreads.)

Review:

I've never condoned Bullying but Penelope Douglas makes it look so good! Bully isn't just about hot guys who (emotionally) beat you up, it's about finding your voice and standing up for what you think is right. If only real life bullying scenarios ended like this, everyone would be happy and satisfied. I cannot even properly express how much I love this book, it immediately jumped into my Favorite-Books-of-All-Time list and my mom constantly hounds me about this because I always reread Bully when I'm not up for anything new. I just loved this book, and let me tell you why...

First we have Tatum to Jared but Tate to everyone else. She doesn't really come off strong when you first meet her, she's still vulnerable but slowly getting to the point where she's too pissed off to be scared as well. All she really needed was that one little push to send her over the edge. Even though Tate leaves for France (for a year) at the end of the first chapter, it's only really just the beginning. Ever since that faithful night one year ago, Tate's personality and attitude took a turn... for the badass. Gone was the weary bullied teenaged girl and out came an empowered take-no-shit-from-anyone attitude-d woman with a vengeance. Tate is a woman, hear her roar! She was no longer resigned to the bullying and now she fought back, and that definitely shocked the heck out of Jared. I loved the growth of Tate's character because you really saw how she matured and grew up. I really respect the hell out her too! Even though she lives by herself, she is still such a responsible person because she wants to keep her father proud of her and that makes her all the more awesome.

There's a very obvious tension that flows between Tate and Jared right from the start of them book. It's the type of tension that could either result to them mouthing off the other or tearing each other's clothes off (I'm sure you know which one I was rooting for.) It stems from the question as to why Jared was bullying her in the first place; why he was so interested in not just her dating life but her life in general; and who the heck is Jared, really. It's all very vague but rest assured, the fog will be cleared up by the latter part of the book. It was all very... unexpected.

Jared was an enigma throughout the first part of the book. Tate had a deep connection with him due to the fact that they were childhood friends and even her father cared for him but then one day (when he came back from his summer "vacation"), BOOM. Instant personality change and that's when he started targeting Tate. So we ask, why? All I can really is, you should read it for yourself. I'm going to be honest and say that I didn't particularly like Jared, at the start. Sure, he was really hot and mysterious-like but his complete a-holey ways threw me off. It was when Tate had her monologue that I really saw the change to Jared's personality but was it really a change or did he just have all that hidden somewhere in there? Oh well, as long as we actually got there.

One thing this book has is steam. Lots and lots of steam. The kind you get when you shower with really hot water and it literally fogs up the glass and mirrors, yeah, that kind of steam. I loved the push and pull that happened between Jared and Tate, it made their love/hate relationship all the more fun to read about. But it wasn't all just fun and chasing games between the two, there was a deeper level to their relationship as well. As things started to unravel and secrets were revealed, it just makes you question whether they'll be able to make it through all that unscathed. My heart literally hurt as I was reading about what really happened. It was very painful to read but that's the reality, things like that really do happen. And I was just happy that they had each other to cope. (I tried to be as vague as possible.)

I have never had so much fun with secondary characters more than I did with this book before. Madoc, KC, Tate's dad and even Piper and Nate made the experience so much more memorable. Especially Madoc. That guy is crazy and insanely fun but you can also see that he definitely has a deeper (and darker?) side. I can't wait to read more about him in Until You (Jared's POV) and Rival (Madoc's story). He really gave the book a more humorous perspective that lightened its normally strained vibe.

Penelope Douglas' books are without a doubt going to be my addiction for the next months to come because I will seriously not rest until I've read them all. I've had a taste and I'm definitely coming back for more. I am going to put on my serious hat and tell you that you need to read this book ASAP. Like, stat! It is so goshdarn good that I can't contain all my feels. Bully is the perfect mix of heartaching drama, a beautiful yet undoubtedly hot romance and unexpected humor that I'm sure any reader would enjoy, I know I did. It was beautiful, poignant and 100% satisafying. I can't wait for my next Penelope Douglas hit!

Rating:
.5


Thursday, August 29, 2013

Review: The Impact of You by Kendall Ryan

Title: The Impact of You
Author: Kendall Ryan
Pages: 324 pages
Format acquired: eBook (Kindle)
Publication date: June 7th 2013
Source: Purchased from Amazon
Buy the book: Amazon / Barnes and Noble



Needing an escape from her past, Avery chooses a college where no one knows her. Keeping a low profile was the plan, falling for the intense frat boy, Jase wasn’t. Yet she can’t deny how alive she feels when he’s near. Even as common sense implores her to stay away, her body begs her to get closer.

Jase, numb from his own family drama, has grown bored with weekends fueled by nameless girls and countless bottles when he meets Avery. Helping her cope with her past is better than dealing with the bullshit his own life’s served up. Determined to drive away the painful secret she’s guarding, he appoints himself her life coach, and challenges her to new experiences. Getting close to her and being the one to make her smile are simply perks of the job. 

But when Avery’s past boldly saunters in, refusing to be forgotten, can Jase live with the truth about the girl he’s fallen for?
(Image and summary taken from Goodreads.)

Review:

The Impact of You is one of those cute and feel-good books that you can't help but enjoy. I adored this book; right from the characters to the overall plot. It's not to say that it's a completely new idea, but it was still fresh and definitely fun to read. Kendall Ryan wrote not only a sweet and enjoyable novel, but one a reader will cherish and appeal to. Avery and Jase's journey to recovery and forgiveness was both long and filled with obstacles but they pulled through, but it was all worth it in the end.

The way Avery was first introduced, you would already know that she's got a secret but as to what it is, you'll really have to read on. It was pretty shocking reading that about her because she seemed like such a sweet and innocent girl, but I guess we all have skeletons in our closet. She was a very vulnerable girl that harbored a deep fear of her past, it's just one of those things you know you cannot escape. But there are also times when you know that you just have to let go and try to shove your past into a corner of your mind and not let it dictate how you live anymore, and that's exactly what Avery did, thanks to Jase (more on that later though.) Avery definitely already had the potential to be more and I was glad that she was able to tap into that as well. The fact that she chose to starting living freely is already a step to recovery and just because she chose to do it, doesn't mean that it was actually her fault. She is a really strong girl, between reading about her birthmother and the things that happened to her, she still managed to exist. But now, she is truly living.

Jase is your typical swoony boy; good looking, funny, smart and has awesome chemistry with the protagonist. Yeah, he may be a reformed playboy but so what? The guy has heart. It was great that he took a chance on Avery even though he knew that he would be swimming in unknown waters. Jase was literally Avery's beacon of light in this book, he helped her out in things that even her friends didn't know about but when it mattered the most, she didn't really trust him enough. I felt that though Jase's reaction to Avery's "secret" was appropriate, he needed to cut her some slack and try to understand what she went through and why she couldn't talk about it. I appreciated the insight that his mom gave him because after all, it's all about forgiveness.


If you're looking for a light and fun read after reading something sad and depressing, The Impact of You is the book for you. Kendall Ryan really creates an atmosphere of comfort but also manages to add some drama to the mix.

Rating:




Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Cover Reveal: Four Years Later by Monica Murphy

I love Monica Murphy. That is a fact. I literally live for her books and I painstakingly wait for her new releases. I just friggin' love her and I am so honored to be be unveiling the cover of her new book, Four Years Later (Owen's story.)

Title: Four Years Later (Drew + Fable #4)
Author: Monica Murphy
Publisher: Bantam
Publication date: February 25th 2014
Pre-order the book: Amazon / Barnes and Noble


Guilt. That is all I ever feel when I think about my mom. Now she's back in my life, always wanting something. Having her around makes it so easy for me to fall into those bad habits that get me into trouble. Skipping class, smoking weed, fooling around with girls that mean nothing to me...I'm messing up. The last thing I need is my sister on my case.

So I keep my mom's return a secret. But promising I'll get my grades back up on my own isn't enough. Fable makes me see a tutor. And Chelsea is the smartest girl I've ever met. She's definitely not my type but there's something about her that I'm drawn to. She's sweet, she's shy and she seems completely immune to my usual moves.

Chelsea has her own secrets and she's not talking. Like I have any room to judge. How can I get her to open up to me? And will I ever be able to convince her that what we have could be something real?

About the author:

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Monica Murphy is a native Californian who lives in the foothills below Yosemite. A wife and mother of three, she writes New Adult and contemporary romance for Bantam and Avon. She is the author of One Week Girlfriend and Second Chance Boyfriend.

You can find her here:




Cover Reveal: The Darkest Joy by Marata Eros

We are so fortunate to have been given the chance to reveal the cover of Marata Eros' upcoming New Adult novel, The Darkest Joy. Warning: It may be extremely seductive and dark.

Title: The Darkest Joy
Author: Marata Eros
Publisher: Simon & Schuster - Gallery
Publication date: February 18th 2014
Pre-order the book: Amazon / Barnes and Noble


A sexy and poignant new adult novel from New York Times bestseller Marata Eros, about two lost souls who find each other in the wake of tragedy, only to learn that love may not be enough to heal the wounds of a dark and tortured past...

Twenty year-old Brooke Starr has escaped the aftermath of a brutal tragedy by abandoning her music studies and moving north to take a summer position as a part-time deck hand on a deep-sea fishing boat. When her survivor’s guilt becomes unbearable, Brooke realizes there's only one thing she can do to finally erase the pain.

Deep sea fisherman, Chance Taylor, has just wrapped his guitar set at the local saloon when he sees the silhouette of a young woman in repose, the full moon highlighting her shadow as she plummets from a pier too high for diving... into water too cold to survive. Without thinking, he plunges in after her, saving Brooke from drowning.

As Chance works to save her from her own emotional fragility, Brooke finally begins to learn how to save herself. But when their chemistry begins to consume them, Brooke withdraws. She’s determined to be the master of her own destiny... until the past catches up with her in a cataclysmic plan so dark, so final... it threatens their love and their very lives.

About the author:



Marata Eros is the New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author of dark, romantic new adult novels, including A Terrible Love and its companion novel A Brutal Tenderness. A passionate writer who loves interacting with her readers, Marata lives in South Dakota with her husband.

You can find her here:





Monday, August 26, 2013

The Soul Sisters Turns ONE: A Vlog + a MASSIVE Giveaway!!

Please watch the video below: (authors, publicists, bloggers and local bookstores are mentioned in the video too!)


Because today is our very first birthday, we have a very special giveaway for y'all! Thanks to a lot of generous and lovely authors (and parents), we're going to have a party. Yes! No kidding, check out the prize list below. Also, we have separated the forms into two, International and US only (US peeps can also join the International giveaway.) Thank you! (We will pick one winner per prize.)

-INTERNATIONAL-

Gift certificates

$100 Amazon GC

Signed books

Down London Road by Samantha Young
Gabriel's Inferno / Gabriel's Rapture bundle by Sylvain Reynard
*winner's choice (1)* Crave / One Week Girlfriend by Monica Murphy
On the Island by Tracey Garvis Graves + bookmark
Easy by Tammara Webber
Out of Breath by Rebecca Donovan + eReader strap
 *winner's choice (1)* Slammed / Point of Retreat / This Girl / Hopeless by Colleen Hoover

eBooks

Unbreak Me by Lexi Ryan
Flat-Out Love by Jessica Park
Left Drowning by Jessica Park
Real by Katy Evans
Collide / Pulse bundle by Gail McHugh
Girl with Guitar / Girl on Tour bundle by Caisey Quinn
Keep Me Still by Caisey Quinn
Live For You by Marquita Valentine
Preservation / Reservation / Love Relativity bundle by Rachael Wade + SWAG
Down To You by M. Leighton
Wild Ones by M. Leighton
The Mighty Storm by Samantha Towle

SWAG (signed and unsigned)

(10) *signed* This Man by Jodi Ellen Malpas post cards
SWAG from Jennifer L. Armentrout


-US only-

Books (signed and unsigned)

Beautiful Bastard by Christina Lauren
*signed* Unbreak Me by Lexi Ryan
Walking Disaster by Jamie McGuire
*signed* Connected by Kim Karr
*signed* Faking It by Cora Carmack
*signed* Beside Your Heart / *signed* More Than Rivals / *signed* A Political Affair bundle by Mary Whitney
*signed* Falling Into Us by Jasinda Wilder + SWAG
*signed* Real by Katy Evans
*signed* Fighting For Flight by JB Salsbury
*signed book winner's choice (1)* by Raine Miller + ribbon bookmark
*signed* Good Vibrations by S.L. Scott
*signed* Lost and Found by Nicole Williams


Thank you so, so much to all the authors who donated their books and my parents for the GC!! *FLAILS* It's all in the video. ;) Good luck to y'all!

Thursday, August 22, 2013

Cover Reveal: Mine by Katy Evans

We are so excited to be unveiling the cover of Katy Evans' book, Mine. It is the sequel to her New York Times Bestselling novel, Real! I am a huge fan of Katy Evans so I pretty much fangirled when I saw the cover, which I am in love with! I seriously can't wait to read this book. Lookie here:

Title: Mine (Real, Raw & Ripped #2)
Author: Katy Evans
Publisher: Gallery Books
Publication date:
Pre-order the book: Amazon / Barnes and Noble / iBooks
Pre-order Real (Real, Raw & Ripped #1): Amazon / Barnes and Noble / iBooks
Pre-order Remy (Real, Raw & Ripped #3): Amazon / Barnes and Noble / iBooks


In the international bestseller REAL, the unstoppable bad boy of the Underground fighting circuit finally met his match. Hired to keep him in prime condition, Brooke Dumas unleashed a primal desire in Remington “Riptide” Tate as vital as the air he breathes . . . and now he can’t live without her. 

Brooke never imagined she would end up with the man who is every woman’s dream, but not all dreams end happily ever after, and just when Remington needs her the most, Brooke makes a discovery that forces her away from the ringside. Now with distance and darkness between them, the only thing left is to fight for the love of the man she calls MINE.


Friday, August 16, 2013

Event Recap + Giveaway: Kiera Cass Blogger Forum & Book Signing


The super long line at 10 AM.
Geraldine and I were so fortunate to have been invited to the blogger forum before the Kiera Cass book signing. We were able to get up close and personal with Kiera (and her hubby.) It was also a chance for  us to see our other blogger friends who we do not get to see enough. Me being a super punctual person I got to the forum first and claimed the number one spot... again. Haha!

KIERA CASS HAS ENTERED THE PREMISES.
A couple of things we learned during the Q and A:
  • There will be a novella about Aspen called "The Guard". (Ge and I are strictly Team Maxon 5Life.)
  • If Kiera were to cross-over The Selection with another series it would be Star Wars (as recommended by her husband.) Also, gowns in space!
  • She will be writing a series about a heroine temporarily called 2385725 or 238 for short. From what I remember, it will be about unwanted children that go to an academy and then can be bought afterwards... I'm sure that it's suppose to sound classier than that. Sorry!
  • Team Maxon or Team Aspen? Yes.
  • If she were to be a character in The Selection, it would be Mae. They're both boy crazy.
  • And she had this really deep and long explanation regarding the caste system in her books that you can read more about here.
Keira (yes, we're close) signing my book.
Ge and I looking princess-like with Kiera.
Ge and I photobombing Kiera and Jesselle. Like bosses! :))
(Thanks, Kate, for the photo!)
Me with the lovely Kate from The Bookaholic Blurbs.
Ge eating her pastry with (from the left) Dianne from Oops! I Read A Book Again, Maricar from BLACKPLUME, Dani from Book Whales, Leslie from bibliophilekid, and Jesselle from The Lifelong Bookworm.
Kiera being cute... with her hubby, *tugs ear*
The awesome Chad Dee with JB Roperos. 
Ge and I with Chad and JB. <3 We all look fab!
The Selection PH decked out in their The Elite tees!
With bloggers and The Selection PH.
After the insane fun we had at the forum, the other bloggers, Ge and I made our way to Glorietta where the event was being held. And holy mother of Frisbees! There were over 600 people at the signing and more lining up! It was craaaazy and we were just grateful that we didn't need to trample anyone to get in. Fans can get vicious. *rawr*

The stage for Kiera Cass. Those chairs look comfy...
The other bloggers, Ge and I camped out near the stage. Or should I say "squatting"? LOL
Me with more bloggers! (From top left) Jesselle, Leslie, Dianne, Sab from Sab the Book Eater, Algel from Books and Cozy Afternoon Teas.
Andrea, a fan we met because we were invading her personal space. LOL
Random fans of Kiera I asked if I could take a picture of them. I promise I'm not that creepy.
Kiera answering some questions during the event.
 In the end, it was a tiring but fun day! It's always great seeing my fellow bloggers and meeting new people. Thank you so much to Mr. JB Roperos, Mr. Chad Dee and National Book Store for making this event possible! And to the screaming fangirls who made it so successful.

My signed books! Hee. I got a message from Maxon. *swoons*
And your favorite part, I'm sure...



This is an INTERNATIONAL giveaway and the winner will get a signed copy of The Elite with a message from either Maxon or Aspen. Winner's choice. Good luck and may you be The One.