Bookish Treasures

I want this now! Will have to try and survive until June :( Though i wasn't expexting the release to be so early so i'm pretty happy :D

A lovely, sweet romance novel that brilliantly deals with marriage falling apart and falling in love again even if the timing isn't very convenient. Simply a beautiful romance.Disclaimer - I am a publicity intern for the publishers of this novel. I honestly think this book is brilliant but feel free to ignore my opinions if you wish.

This review and others can be found on http://www.bookishtreasures.blogspot.com

 

This review was a real struggle for me to write because The Elites is one of those books that is so good it is a struggle to put your thoughts into words.

 

From the moment I first heard about this book I knew that I just had to read it. The cover was amazing and the concept had me hooked. Over time my excitement grew and so did my expectations to the point where I actually didn’t think the book could live up. You know when your expectations are sky high? So much so that you are prepared for disappointment as you know that the chances of the book being as good as you have built it up to be are very slim. The Elites proved that slim chances don’t mean impossible.

 

I don’t normally mention the cover in reviews but just look at that beauty! Not only is it stunning to look at but it also matches the feel of the book perfectly. From the girl who is the perfect silver dressed in her Elite gear, to the jungle background with the rain type effect it is simply perfect. I wish I had this cover as a poster so that I could easily stare at it all day.

 

The Elites draws you in from the very first sentence.

 

“There is a rumour that the Elites don’t bleed.”

 

From the start this book promises action, intrigue and a riveting storyline that will leave you unable to stop reading for even the shortest moment and it really does deliver on those promises. Silver is a kick-ass highly trained fighter, an Elite. However she is also Chinese; a “red”, Part of a race that is looked down upon by all in Neo-Babel. This mixture of Silver being both considered scum and yet also one of the “ruling class” adds a very interesting element to the book.

 

The storyline is great, it has all the typical makings of a YA dystopian novel but with unique aspects that really made it stand out. There isn’t any already published book that this just felt like a retelling of. This book is pretty action packed and there are some very intense moments as Silver discovers what those in charge of Neo-Babel are capable of.

I loved the slight romance in this book and it was refreshing for it to be secondary to the storyline; the book would have felt complete without the romance and what we got just made the book a little extra special.

 

I really enjoyed how this book is told from several points of view. Not only does it give you a greater insight into the story and character motivation but it also means you get the thrill of knowing what is happening when a character doesn’t. Natasha Ngan also has a beautiful writing style; she could probably make a boring storyline into a good book simply from the quality of her writing. Everything is described and explained so vividly that you can picture what is going on clearly.

 

This is the best YA book I have read so far this year and the best dystopian novel  I have read since Divergent (and I have read a lot of dystopia’s since then). I couldn’t recommend this book more. I am highly looking forwards to reading more by Natasha Ngan and seeing what she can bring to future stories.

 

*I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review, this has not affected my opinions or rating in any way*

Having read and loved some of the books in Laury’s Guardian series I was really excited to read another one of her series’. This is a Romeo and Juliet style tale of forbidden love and feuding families with a magical twist.I loved the start of the book as we were instantly thrown into the story. From Jocelyn discovering that there is more to her family than she would have ever guessed to the very end and the final moment, this book never once gets boring. There is action, mystery, magic, romance and even the occasional dash of humour.This book for me is a rare example of when an insta-love style romance works. There was a reason behind their instant attraction and the author also didn’t overdo it. Rather than Jocelyn and Jameson madly professing their love upon meeting one another it is more of a connection that neither of them can ignore. Even with the mystical element behind it I thought their romance seemed very realistic; it was also tender and sweet and a joy to read. I love how Laury Falter’s books often have an element of voodoo to them. That isn’t something you see very often with books and it fits in perfectly with the New Orleans setting. This book has a level of uniqueness that makes it amazing and memorable. I definitely want more from these characters and I plan to read the later books in the series.*I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review, this had not effected my opinions or rating in any way.*

A very good conclusion to this amazing series. Full of excitement and action from start to finish. Review coming soon :)

4.5 starsThis book is amazing! I am going immediately to buy book 2 :)

This review and others can be found at http://www.bookishtreasures.blogspot.com *This review is for Sister Assassin, known in the US as Mind Games*I can hardly find the words to describe how awesome this book is! Unexpected, dark, haunting, kick-ass, amazing. All are words that work, but also don’t quite capture what makes the book as great as it is. Part of what made Sister Assassin so good is its uniqueness; it is just incomparable to any book already out there.Fia was an incredible character; I love strong characters but she was so much more than just that. Her perfect intuition makes her a perfect spy/thief/assassin; she will always walk the route with no guards and in a fight she will always duck at the perfect time. She is unbeatable.  Because of this she is very valuable and unfortunately she has ended up in the wrong hands. She has no control over her life and is so horrified at the things she has been made to do that she is only just holding on to her sanity. Talk about a complex character!Annie is also very interesting. Powerful in her own right yet used as little more than a leash to keep her sister in line and under control. I loved the connection between these two. Annie has the sisterly urge to protect Fia yet she is the blind one, the less powerful one.Both the two main male characters in this book were such enigmas. James is one of the bad guys, yet at the same time he cares for Fia and appears to have some hidden motives. Adam seems to be sweet and caring yet at the same time he is a threat - to Annie, to Fia, and possibly to every girl with powers.  This book almost felt like it was just an introduction for these two, but hopefully we will be seeing them a whole lot more in the next book.The story flickers between present time and flashbacks of the past – namely how Fia and Annie came to be in their current situation. Whilst this does have the possibility of confusing some readers, I found it a great way to gain understanding of what was going on. It kept the story mysterious and allowed the characters secrets to be revealed at the perfect times.From the very start this book drags you straight into the action. I love when books do this as I don’t like it when it feels like the author is just assuming you are an idiot who won’t understand anything so spends the entire first half of the book explaining the background. Whilst it is a little disorientating at first, the threads that create this masterfully woven storyline start to come together quickly and you can thoroughly enjoy and understand the action.Sister Assassin doesn’t have much romance and I found this to be a nice change from all other books that cram in romance no matter what. It does however have the potential for romance and I think this will probably be explored further in later books so fans of a little romance need not despair.In total this is simply an amazing book that should be read by all. If you like the sound of action, mystery and thrills mixed in with a tale about two fragile girls out of their depth in risk and danger then you will love Sister Assassin. I cannot wait to see what the author does with the next book in this series.*This book was recieved from the publisher via netgalley in exchange for an honest review, this has not affected my opinions in any way*

This review and others can be found on http://www.bookishtreasures.blogspot.com

Branded starts by instantly dropping you into the action. The opening grabs your attention and promises to be gripping and engrossing. The book doesn’t let down on the expectations built at the start. I was intrigued by the dystopian world of this book; Crimes are categorised by which of the seven deadly sins they fit under and anyone accused is instantly assumed guilty and thrown into a giant community/prison known as the hole without trial.

Branded is full of action, emotion and thrilling forbidden romance. As the sin Lexi has been deemed guilty of is Lust, life in the hole is incredible risky for her; those branded with Lust are usually the quickest to die. Lexi is such a caring character, even in the dog eat dog world of the Hole she cares more about others who are suffering than herself. On top of her sympathetic nature she is also strong minded and tough. She won’t let herself be beaten down, mentally or physically, and she stays strong despite all that she goes through

The chemistry between Lexi and Cole was palpable and yet a relationship between them would lead to death for both. This adds another layer of tension to a story that will already have you biting your nails. Despite the book being YA, the authors aren’t afraid to show the gory, dark and sometimes sexy moments.

I really loved the world in Branded; it is almost a dictatorship where no one can speak up to defend themselves or others. This allowed for moments where the book really makes you think and feel for the characters. All this is balanced out by fighting, action and romance; think a sort of mixture of The Hunger Games and Divergent.

Reading Branded you would never be able to guess that it is written by two authors. Everything is well written and the writing style remains the same throughout. If you are dystopian fan then this is a must read, especially if you like books that equally balance action with romance. I would definitely recommend this book as it has something for everyone.

*I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review, this has not affected my opinions or rating in any way*

So this book has me torn. Whilst I did enjoy it overall, Elite certainly has its faults. My main issues were all surrounding the believability of the storyline. I can’t go into much detail due to the fact they are all pretty big spoilers so I’m going to be brief.

 

The storyline started off strong but as we started to get into the twists and revelations the plot started to unravel slightly. Once you find out who “The Elect” are it makes absolutely no sense for them to be so powerful in a College that is full of the children of world leaders and other immensely powerful people.

 

The school itself also didn’t make sense, from the people who ran it to the way that all the students acted like they were 13 rather than 18 -22. Oh and they have uniforms.

 

 

It just seemed to me that when the first part of the book was written the author hadn’t yet decided what was going to happen later in the book and she simply never got around to changing the stuff that then didn’t make sense. Throughout this book I felt like I was reading an early draft that hadn’t yet been checked for content issues.

 

Now on to what I liked about this book. I loved the authors writing, she captured the emotion brilliantly and I really felt for Trace. I even teared up slightly at one point. Other than the parts that don’t make sense and could do with being explained or changed I enjoyed the storyline. I liked both the poor farm girl at a school of rich people element and what it later twisted into. The unique plot was a nice refreshing change to read.

 

*I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review, this has not affected my opinions or rating in any way.*

This review and others can be found on http://www.bookishtreasures.blogspot.com

Overall, I really enjoyed Unchained. Though this isn’t my favourite book by Jennifer, her series’ always improve book by book and I think that this series has the potential to be my new favourite. I loved the gritty Urban Fantasy world of the fallen angels and the Nephilim whose duty it is to kill them and their minions.

Lily is pretty much my ideal female main character; she is feisty and tough but still has vulnerable moments that keep her realistic. She is very protective of her friends and loves fiercely. In true JLA fashion the male lead is sexy and powerful and to top it off he is an actual angel – ok a fallen angel. Julian is certainly top book boyfriend material and he has many moments that will make you swoon. The passion between Lily and Julian was scorching and I thought the fact that we couldn’t be fully sure if Julian was trustworthy made things even more exciting.

I love that while this book was dual POV the second perspective was not that of the main love interest. It helped take the focus of the novel to places other than the romance and it allowed Julian’s thoughts and motives to remain secret. Michael is a wonderful character and I wish we had seen more of him in Unchained, I’m pretty sure we will see more of him in book 2 though.

I really liked the elements of mystery and suspense in this book; it is a guessing game for the reader right up until the end. Jennifer L. Armentrout can certainly write a gripping Urban Fantasy novel and I hope that she continues to write more in this genre.

As far as the writing goes, this book is more like Jennifer’s earlier books and you can tell this was written a while ago but that doesn’t mean it is not amazing. The ending was great, no big cliffhanger but it leaves a few things open and unresolved for a sequel. I can’t wait to find out more about Michael and I also hope we get to more of Lily and Julian.

Just wow. Full review coming soon.

4.5 stars

 

There was so much I loved about April Showers; I loved the characters, I loved the romance and I loved the emotion. I also loved the fact it is set in England very close to where I live. If you are British you will enjoy that it captures life so well (onesie references ftw!) and if you aren’t then you will like that the guys have sexy English accents.

 

Both the two guys in this book are amazing; I am utterly torn and cannot decide who I like more out of Isaac and Lukas. With two guys comes two romances and I loved how different they both were. Love is often different and this book showed that rather than giving us two identical romances. One is all consuming lust and love with wild emotions whilst the other is strong friendship becoming something more; a love that is calmer, safer and sweet. Isaac is unbelievably sexy whilst Lukas is charming and funny.

 

There was one aspect of the book that stopped it being perfect was that it has insta-love. Like where the characters have only had one conversation and already they want to be together for ever and if they can’t then their life is over. Anyone who knows me will know that reading a book with insta-love usually makes me want to jump into a vat of boiling oil. I would have preferred the characters to know each other a tiny little longer before being madly in love but it didn’t spoil the book for me. It shows just how good this book was that even though it had insta-love I still loved the book overall.

 

April Showers has emotion, drama and twists without it being too much. There are also lots of light hearted and funny moments; April is a girl you would want to be friends with as she is smart and entertaining. This book showed a little more of University life than most NA books do and that was something I really liked. Rather than only focusing on the romance and nothing else we got to see April dealing with being away from her friends and family for the first proper time.

 

The ending is such a cliff hanger! I need the second book immediately! I didn’t know that April Showers would be the first in a series so a few pages from the end I was thinking “this is a really nice, sweet ending” then BAM! I did not expect that to happen. I am really looking forwards to seeing what happens next, especially as there are a few characters I don’t quite trust and think must be up to no good.

 

I highly recommend this book; it is one of the best contemporary romance novels I have read recently and I have a strong feeling that this authors name will soon be on everyone’s lips. You will love this if you like NA, romance, or just any book with a smart and funny main character.

 

*I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review, this has not affected my opinions or rating in any way*

So utterly heartbreaking. Normally books don't make me cry but i had tears in my eyes for quite a lot of the book and at the end i was crying so hard it was a struggle to see the pages.An absolute must read. Read Taking Chances first even though the heartbreak may then make you relutant to read this.FULL REVIEWMost of you probably know of my love of Taking Chances, the single most beautiful and heartbreaking book I have ever read. Until now. Stealing Harper is part of the story of Taking Chances told from Chase's point of view. Chase whose love for his best friends girl had thousands of readers across the world fall in love with him. If you haven't yet read the first book I recommend reading my review and then immediately buying the book. However, this book is suitable for those who haven't read the first book as i have hidden the spoilers for Taking Chances. This book is beautifully written and oh so sad. Molly McAdams is an incredible writer and has managed to successfully pull off a book that I don't think many people could. The writing is so expressive that you are dragged into the story and feel each characters every emotion. One of the amazing aspects of this book is that it shows the transformation of someone who starts as just a womaniser into someone who is loyal and loving and crazy for one girl. It seemed very realistic and it was great to see this transformation explained. Chase is definitely up there with the most lovable male characters ever. He is possibly my number one favourite. I am not normally the type of person to proclaim a book boyfriend but he makes me want to walk around in a t-shirt that says "Mrs Chase Grayson". He is kind, sweet, romantic and even though he messes up a little at times you can see that he truly cares for Harper. If you are going to read this book then prepare to fall madly in love with the characters and even a little with the author for writing such an incredible book. Also be prepared to be heart broken. I recommend getting a big box of tissues and a feel good movie to watch when you have finished.*Ahead are spoilers for Taking Chances* I thought Taking Chances was sad. This is by far sadder. For the entire book you know what is going to happen, you know Chase is going to die and that is 1000 times more heartbreaking than his sudden death in Taking Chances. Every single time he did something romantic or thought about how much he loved Harper I nearly burst into tears. As it neared his death I just wanted to throw myself into the story and somehow prevent it all from happening. This book will make you love Chase so much more than the first book did. Seeing his thoughts and feelings makes it obvious that he is such a wonderful person which makes his death so much harder. There were several moments were I wasn't sure I could read any more as it was just becoming too much for my heart to handle. I am glad I read it all. It may have been so heart breaking that I may never recover but the story now seems complete. Chase's death scene was the single hardest thing I have ever read and i cried so much into my cats fur it looked like I had given her a bath but it was worth it. It was also worth it just to read more of Molly's amazing writing. You must read this amazing book. You must read ALL of Molly's books. The next to be released is Forgiving Lies and I have already read the start as it was at the end of this book and I need the rest now. I will just re-read this to feed my Molly McAdams addiction until I can get a copy of her next book. *I received an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review. This has not affected my opinions or my rating in any way*

Looking forwards to reading this :)

This review and others can also be found on http://www.bookishtreasures.blogspot.com

 

I had a very bizarre experience reading this book because there is so much that i didn't like but strangely i still really enjoyed the book overall. Dangerous certainly isn’t perfect. There are quite a lot of spelling and grammar mistakes, not to mention the problems I had with the characters, but for some reason I still liked it.

 

One of my biggest problems with this book was the main character. She wasn’t particularly well developed and it almost seemed like she was two different people as her personality was all over the place. Half the time she seemed thoughtful, kind-hearted and caring whilst at other times she was the exact opposite; shallow, spoiled, mean and quite frankly a bitch. I think if these different aspects of her personality had been blended better she may have come across as a deep multi-faceted character, instead I just found her unbelievable.

 

I also truly hated Adrian for a significant part of the book; he comes across as the bad guy for a lot of the book. Not even just misunderstood but truly horrible. He does slightly redeem himself later in the book but he isn’t much of a hero. Michael however I did like. He comes across as the perfect romantic interest, he seems like a nice guy and he gives Ria a chance to show some of the more likeable parts of her personality; the girl who is willing to put aside her prejudices for someone she cares about. This book also contains one of my pet peeves, something that usually makes me hate a book.

 

The best part of this book was probably the premise and the world it is set in; a world almost exactly the same as the one we live in only everyone has elemental magic. I also found the magic disease aspect of the book interesting. The storyline holds incredible potential, there was great action and I loved lots of what happened.

 

Despite all its many issues this book has something very special. On finishing this, despite having other books I should read and zero money, I went straight onto amazon and bought the second book. I also bought and read the third right after finishing the second. This series has me hooked! The later books do improve where the characters are concerned and by the third Ria seems well developed and I really like Adrian. I would say this series is definitely worth reading; each book gets better and better and I can’t wait for the fourth!

3.5 starsThis book is very short as it is the first novella in a “serial”. This means it feels like the first few chapters of a book and that is how it is supposed to be. It was definitely a good start to the story and introduced the world and characters well.Due to the length this book was mainly just an introduction to the story. There was a hint of action and a hint of possible future romance but it was pretty much just introducing the characters. I hope that the next segment of this story fulfils the promises that this book has made. It does seem like all the Debt Collector books together will make an incredible story.I loved the feel of the world in which this story is set. The author calls this genre future- noir which seems to basically be sci-fi with an old fashioned twist. For me this set Delirium apart and made it very unique. I am looking forward to reading more about Lirium and the Debt Collector world.*I received a copy of the book via netgalley in exchange for an honest review, this has not affected my opinions or rating in any day*