Review: The Pact by Karina Halle

Title: The Pact
Author: Karina Halle
Publisher: Metal Blonde Books
Publication date: December 28th 2014
Buy the book: Amazon / Barnes and Noble



It all started with a pinky swear…

Linden McGregor is tall, rugged, and gunslinger handsome; a helicopter pilot with a Scottish brogue and charm to spare. He’s also one of Stephanie Robson’s best friends and has fit into that box for as long as she’s known him.

Beautiful, funny and an ambitious businesswoman (with one hell of an ass), Stephanie Robson is one of Linden McGregor’s best friends and has fit into that box for as long as he’s known her.

But some relationships can’t be boxed, can’t be classified, can’t be tamed.

Back in their mid-twenties and tired of the competitive hit-or-miss dating scene of San Francisco, Steph and Linden made a pact to marry each other if neither one of them are in a serious relationship by the time they hit thirty.

It sounds like fun and games but as the years to thirty tick past and lovers come and go out of their lives, the pact becomes larger than life.
Sex is inevitable. Friendships are tested. Hearts are on the line.

The pact is about to change everything. 

(Image and summary taken from Goodreads.)

Review:

If there is one thing I know in life, it's that Karina Halle can literally write in any genre. Paranormal, Contemporary, Suspense, Horror, and everything in between. You want it, she'll write it and yes, she'll write it well - extremely well. So well that I have yet to read a book of hers that I didn't enjoy (I loved every book of hers that I have read). And The Pact is no exception. I am going to be honest and say that I wasn't too keen on reading this book because I was tired of reading Contemporary Romances since so many of them have similar plots and they all just end up blending together, but I thank that Lord that He made me decide to read The Pact because ho-lee mother freaking helicopter jumper, this book was so damn good. I swear. It's like the best of Karina Halle mixed into one insanely hot and tension-filled book. I am shivering with delight right now.

Karina Halle truly took the time to carefully form her characters. Especially her two main characters, Linden and Stephanie, which is why it was so fun and interesting to read certain parts in each other their points of view. I feel like The Pact wouldn't have been as impactful had she written the book in only Linden's or Stephanie's point of view, it just needed to be both of theirs. And I loved every single moment I spent in their minds. Even when the times got rough, it was still such a pleasurable experience for me and I could not get enough.

I can't say that I connected with one person more than the other because both Linden and Stephanie have different aspects to them that when you put together, create a complete set. They really just completed and fit each other. One of the things I really liked about the The Pact was the way their relationship progressed, it wasn't an insta-I'm in love with my best friend kind of thing but more like a mutual attraction. And then from then you can see their friendship grow into something more like camaraderie and brother-/sisterhood than anything perverse or unreal. I loved how honest Linden and Steph's relationship was, their dependency on each other can be mistaken as something more but only they know the truth. Honestly, I am literally trying to hold down my feels right now but it is so hard because I am bursting with them. There were so many parts in the book wherein I just wanted to cry and cry out in frustration. Linden and Steph's love was a slow burn, it traveled and covered every base as much as it could and when it finally finally reached where it was meant to go, it was a glorious revelation for the both of them. It was an amazing experience reading about Steph and Linden's love, it's imperfections was what made it so much more beautiful to me. The rawness of their emotions and blatant hope for more made my heart ache way too many times. Karina Halle was able to truly portray and materialize the saying "True love waits," because there was definitely a lot of waiting but in the end, it was worth it. I cannot even properly express what The Pact did to me. I am a literal glass case of emotion right now.

It wasn't just their love that won me over, it was the way Steph and Linden's dynamic worked. Their quips and banter made their relationship so fun and entertaining but they definitely also had their dark moments. Their journey from just friends to something more was a really crazy. There were a lot of downs and just enough ups that they made up for those downs. But other than Steph and Linden's lovely and scandalous relationship that made me love the book so dearly, I also really liked the characters that Karina Halle threw into the mix, each other them added personality and shine to the book that made it so great to read. Even the distasteful people *cough*Nadine*cough* made the book more exciting. Each person had their part and they played their role very well.

Karina Halle isn't the type of author who pussyfoots by writing books that will make you tear up or blush, no, she is the type of author who takes a crowbar and will literally smash your heart into pieces and also manage to make you hyperventilate from all the steam that happens in her books. She will take everything from you but will also give everything she can in return, Karina Halle does everything with her very best and she gives it her all. I am so happy that sense was knocked into me because if I hadn't decided to pick up The Pact, I just know that I'd regret it forever. Scorching hot and heart achingly beautiful, The Pact will make you burn in the most deliciously painful way possible. So if you're looking for a refreshing, extremely sexy and heart wrenching read that will make you work for it, The Pact is for you.

 Rating:

.5

{Review + Giveaway} The Queen of the Tearling by Erika Johansen

Title: The Queen of the Tearling (The Queen of the Tearling #1)

Author: Erika Johansen

Publisher: Harper

Publication date: July 8th 2014

Buy the book (locally): Fully Booked

(internationally): Amazon / Barnes and Noble

On her nineteenth birthday, Princess Kelsea Raleigh Glynn, raised in exile, sets out on a perilous journey back to the castle of her birth to ascend her rightful throne. Plain and serious, a girl who loves books and learning, Kelsea bears little resemblance to her mother, the vain and frivolous Queen Elyssa. But though she may be inexperienced and sheltered, Kelsea is not defenseless: Around her neck hangs the Tearling sapphire, a jewel of immense magical power; and accompanying her is the Queen’s Guard, a cadre of brave knights led by the enigmatic and dedicated Lazarus. Kelsea will need them all to survive a cabal of enemies who will use every weapon—from crimson-caped assassins to the darkest blood magic—to prevent her from wearing the crown.

Despite her royal blood, Kelsea feels like nothing so much as an insecure girl, a child called upon to lead a people and a kingdom about which she knows almost nothing. But what she discovers in the capital will change everything, confronting her with horrors she never imagined. An act of singular daring will throw Kelsea’s kingdom into tumult, unleashing the vengeance of the tyrannical ruler of neighboring Mortmesne: the Red Queen, a sorceress possessed of the darkest magic. Now Kelsea will begin to discover whom among the servants, aristocracy, and her own guard she can trust.

But the quest to save her kingdom and meet her destiny has only just begun—a wondrous journey of self-discovery and a trial by fire that will make her a legend…if she can survive.

The Queen of the Tearling introduces readers to a world as fully imagined and terrifying as that of The Hunger Games, with characters as vivid and intriguing as those of The Game of Thrones, and a wholly original heroine. Combining thrilling action and twisting plot turns, it is a magnificent debut from the talented Erika Johansen.

(Image and summary taken from Goodreads.)

Review:

I was honestly a bit apprehensive in regards to reading The Queen of the Tearling because of the mixed reviews I saw, but as an opportunity came up for me to review it, I decided to throw caution to the wind and read it. After finishing all 400-plus pages, I realized that the novel was one of those “acquired taste” kind of books; because I did enjoy reading it (in all its weird but oddly appealing entirety). When I got over the obscure and slightly confusing world building (I sort of just forgot about it after a while), I was able to truly appreciate the complexity and diversity of the characters, the interesting plot and the great writing (Erika Johansen has got some beautiful words).

As I have mentioned above, one of the things that truly struck me was Erika Johansen’s writing. At first glance, it seems like your normal third-person point of view but as you delve deeper into the story, you see subtle shifts in her writing. The way she incorporates words and lines that make the text more captivating and enthralling. I was especially impressed when Erika Johansen was able to switch to different points of view so effortlessly and smoothly. I have read a number of novels wherein the characters have the same tone making it hard to differentiate between the alternating POVs or the author uses too many POVs which ends up with me being confused, but Erika Johansen used only significant POVs that may seem unimportant at the start but are given greater role as the story progresses. Each POV switch allows the reader to truly get to know the characters better and also see the story with a broader scope.

The character development in The Queen of the Tearling was also very good. The reader is given the chance to really connect with each character, even I found myself invested in most of the characters. I loved reading about the Queen’s Guard, each member had their own story to tell and I look forward to hearing more of them as the series goes on. (They are all so mysterious and so badass! Makes me want my own set of guards. Oh, and did I mention that they’re all good looking? I don’t even care how old they are, I’d take them, lol. Total groupie over here!) However, in the numerous characters I met, there were four that really got me all kinds of excited and intrigued: The Fetch, who reminds me of The Darkling (from the Grisha trilogy) but less evil but no less mysterious; The Red Queen, who is one crazy but interesting bitch; Cardinal Anders, who is a God’s man with insanely questionable intentions; and the dark thing, who is exactly that but where did it come from, what is its purpose, and so many more questions! But really, I commend Erika Johansen for being able to really build up each character and give them all a significant role. (Really liked the direction she took with Javel, the Gate Guard.)

If there is one person that surprised me the most, it would have to be the protagonist, Kelsea Raleigh. Having been sheltered and kept hidden for all of her life and then suddenly taken and then made into the queen would have made anyone pause but Kelsea took everything into stride. I never thought that she would be as fierce as she turned out to be. Even though she had bouts of insecurities at times, her confidence and rule as the Queen of the Tearling never wavered. She was very diplomatic and strategic and her command for respect made me respect her as well. She turned out to be a better queen that I expected her to be, than everyone expected her to be. Kelsea was definitely a force to be reckoned with and she stunned me. The decisions she made were tough and I really admire her for being so brave. I’d absolutely bow down to her. I am really looking forward to seeing how much more she can grow in the coming books.

Okay, time for the things I didn’t like about The Queen of the Tearling. First off, I wasn’t impressed by the fact that everyone seemed to be commenting on how plain Kelsea was. I really didn’t understand why people had to constantly mention it but I’m hoping that it’ll pass in the next books. And the other thing I didn’t particularly appreciated about the book was the world building and the general theme of the story. I felt that there were times wherein the story strayed from Fantasy and went into some other world or something. I wasn’t even sure if it was Fantasy in the first place because it was also Post-Apocalyptic or Dystopian or Historical or something. I was very confused but the farther I got into the story, the less it mattered, I literally just went with it. (It was better to go with the flow than stress about the structure.)

Another bit about the book that really got to me (in a good/bad way) was the fact that there was no romance, in Kelsea’s part (which was what really mattered anyway). While it gave the her more space to grow independently, I would’ve liked at least a kiss or a look from someone. (Totally Team Pen here, lol.) Hopefully we’ll get more in the next books! Also, I’m sure you’ve noticed that I keep mentioning the next books; well, it’s because there were a lot of things left unresolved in The Queen of the Tearling. I seriously have so many questions right now and I’m hoping that they’ll get answered in the sequels. So. Many. Questions. But I am happy to say that The Queen of the Tearling ended in a satisfying way, for me at least.

The Queen of the Tearling is a gem of a debut novel that shines with an exciting cast of charactesr, a great story line and gorgeous writing I would absolutely recommend it to anyone who is looking for some pure Fantasy with an extra crazy world building thrown into the mix, and a bunch of other really awesome things. I really enjoyed The Queen of the Tearling and I am seriously looking forward to the sequel. (Interesting enough, this book was my last read of 2014 so I ended the year with a good read. Yay!)

Rating:

 

To start 2015 off, we're giving away this gorgeous copy of The Queen of the Tearling by Erika Johansen. I hope that whoever wins this will enjoy the book as much as I did. (And the Queen's Guard, heehee.)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Queen of the Tearling by Erika Johansen is available in Fully Booked.

Just wanted to say a quick thank you to the amazing people at Fully Booked (Trish, Angel and co.) who made this all possible. You all ROCK.

{Scavenger Hunt} Relish by Kate Evangelista

Hi, guys!

Welcome to The Soul Sisters and we're happy to have you her. We're hoping that you are enjoying the Scavenger Hunt so far and that the pages of the first chapter of Relish are keeping you satisfied. We're excited to give to the next page of chapter one. Enjoy!

~Page 4~

I reached up to check my patch. Its velvety hardness a small comfort amidst the numbness. Like I’d predicted the morning I’d gotten on a plane home, I spent the rest of the holidays on my mother’s couch feeling sorry for myself. From time to time she would make her disgusting brown tea and forced me to guzzle the stuff down. I didn’t protest since sleep usually followed. When she asked me what had happened, I told her I signed an NDA that prevented me from talking about it. The resulting creased forehead and concerned gaze almost guilt-tripped me into forgetting about the potential lawsuit and confessing everything. Good thing Mom never felt the need to press when I clearly didn’t want to talk. I loved her so much for that.

            Instead, when she wasn’t making tea, she cooked comfort food—mac ‘n cheese with bacon bits. I must have consumed my body weight in processed-cheese-covered noodles and mint chocolate chip ice cream. She asked if my state of pathetic depression had to do with a guy. I nodded and she left it at that. Did I mention how much I loved my mother?

            Waiting for my laptop to boot, I frowned at how slow it took. I may have to buy a new one since the processor of the current one couldn’t handle the workload anymore. Sad since the little silver trooper had been with me since freshman year. But, alas, some relationships end.

            Gah. My dream put me in a funky mood.

Stepping away from my desk, I shuffled to the kitchen and hit the button on the coffeemaker. The money I’d made for the promo shots for Vicious burned a hole in my bank account. Some opportunity working for one of the most popular indie bands out there turned out to be. I might as well put what I’d earned to good use. I hadn’t even touched the shopping spree debit card the band’s manager and their lead vocalist had given me for Christmas. If I could avoid shopping, I generally did, like a trip to the dentist. I gave in to missing Yana and Phoenix. Along with Deidra, the maid assigned to take care of me, they came close to what I’d consider best friends during my time at Lunar Manor.

~Next Page~

More about Relish:

Placeholder from Goodreads.

Title: Relish (Vicious Feast #2)

Author: Kate Evangelista

Publisher: Crescent Moon Press

Publication date: January 12th 2015

I left Lunar Manor broken, seeking comfort in the hands of Laurel “the Dragon” Hardy, the editor-in-chief of the Daily Gossip. Okay, I may have used him to ease the pain He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named caused by his confession of loving someone else. On New Year’s Eve! Granted, he was drunk off his ass, but still! I stay with Larry mainly because the dreams are getting worse. Worse enough to wake me in the middle of the night needing the touch of another to save me from losing my mind.

Unfortunately, the handsome bassist of the uber successful indie rock band, Vicious, is never far from my mind. I thought I was rid of him once and for all only to have him show up at my hotel in London. Luka Visraya’s power over me is intense. No matter how far I run, I always end up circling back to him.

If you think my story is just some romance about two lovers getting back together, think again. Little did I know that returning to Luka meant I’d be plunging myself into a world more familiar than I ever thought possible. Trust me when I say I didn’t believe it either when the truth finally came out.

About the author:

When Kate Evangelista was told she had a knack for writing stories, she did the next best thing: entered medical school. After realizing she wasn't going to be the next Doogie Howser, M.D., Kate wandered into the Literature department and never looked back. Today, she is a graduate of De La Salle University - Manila with a Bachelor of Arts in Literature. She taught high school English for three years and was an essay consultant for two. Currently she writes full-time and is based in the Philippines.

You can find her here:

Twitter / Website / Facebook / Goodreads / Tumblr / Wattpad / Instagram

*A big thanks for Kate for letting us join the scavenger hunt! Woohoo! (Seriously cannot wait to read Relish.)

Review: In Bloom by Katie Delahanty

Title: In Bloom (The Brightside #1)
Author: Katie Delahanty
Publisher: Entangled Publishing (Embrace)
Publication date: February 10th 2014
Buy the book: Amazon / Barnes and Noble



My name is Olivia Bloom and I. Am. Free.

I left for LA with everything I owned piled into my old Volkswagen and dreams of becoming a costume designer. Little did I know I’d wind up designing for a lingerie company—yeah, not sure how I landed this gig—and taken under the wing of two young Hollywood insiders. The fashion shows and parties were great, but life really got exciting when the seriously hottest lead singer of my favorite band started to fall for me.　

How does someone like me, an ordinary girl from Pittsburgh, wind up in the arms of the world’s sexiest rock star—surrounded by celebrities, fashion, and music—and not be eaten alive? Berkeley is everything I've ever dreamed of in a boyfriend, but the paparazzi, the tabloids, the rumors, it's all getting a bit too crazy. My life has become every girl’s dream come true, if only I don’t blink and lose it all…

(Cover photo and summary taken form Goodreads.)

Review:

I am trying to think of a proper way to form my thoughts because I am literally this ball of mush and feelings right now. Even though In Bloom managed to get me out of my blogging funk, I am having a really hard time putting my thoughts together because of all the adore I have for this book.

Olivia "Liv" Bloom was a great and fun character to see through, her thoughts and reactions to things never failed to make me smile. I love how genuine she was as a character and I could tell that Katie Delahanty had fun writing from Liv's perspective because the flow of her thoughts and her mini-internal monologues were very smooth and well constructed (and her wit definitely had me laughing). Liv is the kind of person who prefers to blend in and just watch from a distance but when her friends decided to give her a makeover and push her into the spotlight, she gets a different kind of attention albeit short-lived; but I did feel like it wasn't because of that transformation that helped her become more confident, I think it was because of the attention Berkeley gave her. Like a flower just waiting for someone's attention for it to finally bloom, and that's what Olivia did, she bloomed.

Um... can I please have my own Berkeley? Because I need seven of him, one for every day of the week, seriously. Berkeley is one of the most refreshing male protagonists I have ever read about. In a sea of alpha-male rock stars, he is one of the only compassionate and genuinely nice guys out there. Even though he exudes rock star vibes, he didn't have the normal characteristics of the average rock star you normally see in other books, which is why I loved him so much. I am not going to elaborate but oh my word, that thing he did? Swooniest thing ever.

In Bloom isn't without its faults, there were times when the story would start to lean towards the cliche love story but Katie Delahanty was still able to make it her own. And I definitely appreciated the conflict in this story, it added drama and I found myself getting teary-eyed and heart-achey when I was reading Liv's feelings on the issue. Arrgh, so many feels. Oh and an added bonus for anyone who isn't into explicit love scenes. I really commend Katie Delahanty for being able to give a steamy and sexy story without going too far. (You won't be embarrassed to read this book in front of your parents or grandparents, lol.)

Even though the story focused on Liv and her journey through life and also her relationship with Berkeley, I still noted the minor characters of the book. They gave In Bloom an extra umph that made it more exciting and entertaining. The occupants of the Vicente had me smiling every time they had scenes in the book; Liv's friends, Parker and Blair, made me wish that I had friends like them. They were supportive but also knew when to push Liv to be more courageous, they were amazing. And Willis with his Betty! Omg, just lol-ing right now. Liv's psychic mom had me smiling as well, her predictions and bits of advice were crazy but insanely entertaining. I also really liked the tweets at the beginning of every chapter, they were fun and added something new and unique to the story.

In Bloom isn't about the perfect Hollywood dream nor is it a love story about getting everything you could have ever wanted, it's about real people who go through problems and managing to overcome those obstacles together. It's about trust, love and everything in between. This book makes me want to throw flower petals everywhere and look for my own Berkeley. #foreveralone I honestly cannot recommend this book enough. You need this book. Need.

 Rating:

.5

Event Recap: Marie Lu Bloggers' Forum + Book Signing

I cannot even tell you how much I looked forward to the Marie Lu event. Not even enough, seriously. After a ridiculously hell-ish week in school, only getting the magic email in my inbox and the thought of meeting the Marie Lu got me through it all. By Saturday, I absolutely could not contain my excitement, I legit almost peed myself because I was that excited to meet her. Fortunately, I was able to hold in all bodily fluids (thank you, Lord). And when Sunday finally came, it was glorious.

They don't just look pretty, they smell good too.

Upon arriving at an undisclosed venue, I was met with the cheers of my fellow book bloggers and the sight of a lovely Marie Lu book display. Of course, seeing the pretty books piled together only added to my excitement and all that was really left was the wait. Luckily, I had the amazingly crazy companionship of my blogger friends and the wait didn't seem as long. And finally, the guest of honor arrived with a special introduction from our ever fabulous host, Chad Dee.

Marie and Chad looking very sharp
(from the back row, lol).

And with that, the forum quickly began. And here are a few things we learned from the interview:

• If anyone had asked Marie who she was most like in the books, she'd have told you Day pre-Legend and June post-Champion.
• Marie is least like June because June is very left-brained while Marie is more in touch with her creative side. Also, in the scene wherein June goes into a very deep discussion about paper clips and their elements, Marie had to read a whole Wikipedia page about paper clips for about an hour or so just for that dialogue.
• Between Day and June, June is more of the rebel because she chose to sacrifice and change her whole life (instead of choosing to live the sheltered and luxurious life she did) for Day and the cause.
• Marie used to work in the video game industry at Disney and yes, princess games and also Prince Caspian (yum!) were involved. She chose that route instead of attending law school. (That is also where she met her Elector Primo. #kilig) She also thanks her experience in the video game industry for the very cinematic and badass action scenes in her book.
• Marie actually doesn't know what happens after Champion but she is very optimistic. *hint hint*
• Marie turned in the first 100 pages of the original draft of The Young Elites and her editor strongly disliked *cough*hated*cough* it but Marie asked for a second chance because she could not imagine a life wherein she could not write a Fantasy novel.
• The original protagonist of The Young Elites was a goody two shoes guy with Clark Kent tendencies aka he loved everyone. Adelina was originally the villain of the original novel and since Marie enjoyed writing her the most, she decided to rewrite The Young Elites in Adelina's perspective.
• Marie grew up reading a lot of Science Fiction and Fantasy so she knows that she will definitely be staying between those two genres.
• Marie can only write while listening to music with either no lyrics or sung in a different language but anything she can understand messes with her train of thought. Also, she loves writing in trains even though she has only done it once.
• Before she writes any of her books, Marie draws her characters to properly get a visual and characterization from them.

Marie answering some questions.

Well, that's it! And now, onto the fun part: the book signing.

Marie signing this very shiny book.

Marie drawing on my copy of Prodigy.

Marie drawing on my copy of The Young Elites

Celine's (Two Ends of a Bookshelf) doodled copy of The Young Elites.
(Yes, that is indeed Adelina and Enzo smooching.)

Marie and I complementing each other's prettiness. Lol.
Srsly tho.

The Hardest Selfie Ever 8.0! Holy crap, we've done that many? Also,
welcome to the family Sab (Sab the Book Eater)!

And after all that fun, we took our last shot of the day.

Group photo! Whoot.

I then ate at Chili's with my #TeamActiveRomance baes.

Then off to the public signing we went!

Marie Lu's stage. Very comfy looking couches over there.

Honestly, it was very difficult getting into the book signing itself because by the time we got there, there were over 700+ people in attendance, and the crowd just kept growing. I was amazed at how they were able to fit that many people in their store. But seriously, looking at that crowd.

A bit of the crowd from above.

A bit of the crowd from the side.

People waiting by the doors for Marie Lu to arrive.

Fans cosplaying as Marie Lu's characters! They look awesome.

I seriously look up to all the people who waited for Marie Lu. The earliest bird in attendance arrived at 9:30 AM the day before, that is so crazy but admirable at the same time. #dedication I wish that I had gotten more photos from the book signing but I just couldn't, I tried to penetrate the crowd but they were tight. Lol. Here are the last of the pictures I took:

More book displays! The pretties.

Met Kevin (Tomebound) and Selva (Cuckoo For Books)!

I seriously had so much fun but by the time I left for good, I was exhausted. The walking, the wait and the heat killed me but meeting Marie Lu and seeing my blogger friends was worth all those things. I had an amazing time and it was a pleasure to meet Marie Lu, seriously.

My signed copies of Marie Lu's books.
Let us happy cry and fangirl together.

As always, there are so many people to thank and I will do my best to get everyone. The biggest thanks goes to National Book Store, their team (Sir Chad, Sir JB, Sir Louie, Miss Loraine, Miss Malou and everyone else I may have missed, thank you so much) and to Marie Lu for agreeing to come to the Philippines (please bring your hubby next time, lol). Thanks to Kai (Amaterasu Reads), Kate (The Bookaholic Blurbs) and Jesselle (The Lifelong Bookworm) for the pictures! A big smoochy thank you to my #TeamActiveRomance babes, I love you all. Seriously. And last but never the least, my parents for supporting me and for everything and God for blessing me and also for everything. Thank You.

For more Marie Lu love, check out Marie's message to her Filipino fans:

And gorgeous Champion-inspired nails done by Nicole (The Twins Read), feel free to talk Nicole and her awesome nail creations at

Instagram / Twitter / Tumblr :

Also, be sure to watch our Facebook page (link here) because we will be doing a Marie Lu giveaway soon. Thanks for reading, y'all! Have a great week! :)

Recaps to check out:

A Legendary Sunday: Marie Lu in Manila!