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Ice Kissed by Amanda Hocking

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Ice Kissed by Amanda Hocking
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Summary:  

Bryn Aven has always longed to be a part of her Kanin world. 　Though she has no social status because she’s a half-breed, she refuses to give up on her dream of serving the kingdom she loves. It’s a dream that brings her to a whole new realm…the glittering palace of the Skojare.


The Skojare people need protection from the same brutal rival who’s been threatening the Kanin.　 And being half Skojare herself, it’sa chance for Bryn to learn more about her heritage. 　Her boss Ridley Dresden is overseeing her mission and wants to help.　 He’s always been her most trusted friend—but as their undeniable attraction heats up, it’s a distraction she can’t afford. 　She’s about to discover that the Skojare world is full of secrets, and as she’s drawn in deeper, she doesn’t know who to trust. And matters worse, as she gets closer to Ridley, she can’t even trust her own heart.

First of all, look at the beautiful cover!! Gorgeous!

It was exciting to see this on Netgalley after reading Frostfire, the first in the Kanin Chronicles by Amanda Hocking. Since I am a fan of Amanda Hocking, and the Trylle Trilogy, I jumped right at the chance to dive into this series which is taken from that story.

It was fun getting to know the troll world again, especially other tribes and the worlds they live in. Frostfire was a lot of world building, which was so interesting and fun... but Ice Kissed really kicked the story in gear!

Brynn grows a lot in this book. She gets to know her heritage and all that comes with it. There is kidnapping, murder, royal conspiracies, attraction, lust, deceit, forbidden love, and prejudices. Some friends from the Trylle series make an appearance which are a welcoming and a fun treat.

As far as other characters, only a few have stuck with me. Of course Ridley is one I can't forget. He is the swoon-worthy one, so far but I am just waiting for Amanda to throw in another one somewhere. I kinda thought Kennet might be someone of interest, but that changed quite quickly.

Just when I thought I knew where this was going, the ending just completely threw me completely out of the water!! It's what makes Hocking such a great writer, she knows how to keep a reader interested and wanting more! I definitely want more and more! I am enchanted with the world of the Trolls!



**Thanks to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read the ARC of Iced Kissed.**



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Numbers Game Book Blast Giveaway!

 


Numbers Game by Rebecca Rode

Treena is nervous for Rating Day. A single number will brand her forever—a valuable citizen, or a pathetic waste of space. Her top-Rated boyfriend is confident their scores will coincide so they can attend the academy together. But when the big day arrives, her true number shocks everyone.

To get her life—and boyfriend—back, she must go undercover and expose a military spy. Doesn’t sound too hard, except that someone wants her dead. And then there’s Vance, the mysterious soldier with a haunted past and beautiful brown eyes. Together, they discover a dark numbers conspiracy, one that shatters the nation’s future. Treena must join up with Vance if she is to survive the dangerous game of numbers—and the terrible war that rages within her heart.

Amazon

Excerpt

“Your Rating is wrong,” Vance said. “Their precious Rating system says absolutely nothing about you and what you’re capable of.”

I shook my head. “So far, everything I’ve done has proven my number absolutely correct.”

“Treena.” His tone softened. “I don’t know why you that happened to you. But I do know one thing.” He stopped on the step below me, and I whirled to face him. We were the same height now, and his expression was fierce. “You are the most loyal, the most determined, and the most fascinating girl I’ve ever met. No number could ever describe you.”

The deadness inside cracked, and the pain came flooding back. I felt like a five-year-old again. Falling, grasping for a handhold, for something to save me. “It doesn’t matter now. Tali’s dead.”

He gave me a long look. Then he sat down, right on the steps, easing me down next to him. I lay my head on his shoulder and let him pull me close. The warmth of his embrace felt completely and utterly right. For a long moment, I allowed myself to forget about the past few days. There was no empress, no punishment mode, and no mission. There was just us. The world was cool and dark, and his touch sent my heart pumping as if it had just awakened from hibernation.

“Dying isn’t the worst thing to happen to someone,” he continued thoughtfully. “Anyone coward can die. The hardest thing is being left behind, trying to make sense of a world without them.”

I tilted my head back and allowed myself to look up into Vance’s eyes. They were dark, pulling, as if absorbing all the light that entered, saving it for some future purpose. His eyebrows were choppy, untrimmed, and his lips chapped. But somehow, it worked. It was simply . . . him. No surgeries, no tallies of volunteer hours and checklists. Vance just took life one day at a time, keeping his family safe, trying to put the pieces of himself back together. I could see it, the pain in his heart. It was something we shared now.

A warm feeling spread through my chest until I thought it would burst. This was who he really was. The tumultuous battle within him seemed to have trickled away, leaving one gallant, vulnerable boy. A boy who was looking at me as if I were something precious—who looked at me, instead of at my Rating. His eyes flitted between mine, his confidence replaced with uncertainty.

“It feels good to finally choose sides, doesn’t it?”

“Whose side are you on, then?”

His chin was just above mine, and he lowered it until our eyes were level. Then his hand tilted my chin upward toward his. His fingers brushed the side of my face, cradling it gently in his firm hand. I felt his breath on my face, felt the battle within him as well as I felt it in myself. But something pulled me toward him.

“Yours,” he said. He closed the distance between us, slowly, then paused.

And our lips met.

Praise for the Book

“Gripping, from beginning to end . . . a tale as action-packed as Divergent yet as introspective as The Giver. . . . Sure to be an instant classic in the genre.” –R.J. Craddock, author of The Children of Cain series

“Fluent and engaging . . . brimming with fabulous characters and intrigue that will keep you flipping pages. Can’t wait to read the next book in this series!” –Adrienne Monson, author of the Blood Inheritance trilogy

“Had me hooked from the first page to the last . . . Thoroughly enjoyable. I highly recommend!” -Randy Roberts, BoredShorts TV (Kid History/Kid Snippets)

Author Rebecca Rode

REBECCA RODE is an award-winning author and journalist. She is the author of the inspirational book, How to Have Peace When You’re Falling to Pieces, and writes for Deseret News, KSL.com, FamilyShare, and Provo Daily Herald. However, her true love is writing for teenagers. She enjoys playing with her four children, traveling, reading, and martial arts, and she has a ridiculous addiction to her husband’s chocolate-banana shakes.

Website * Facebook * Twitter * Blog

$50 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash

Ends 4/9/15

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

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Solstice by Jane Redd

Solstice by Jane Redd
My rating: 3 of 5 stars



Summary:

Four ways to get Banished from the last surviving city on earth are: 1. Cut out your emotion tracker, 2. Join a religious cult, 3. Create a rebellion against the Legislature, 4. Fall in love.

Jezebel James does all four.

Jez is on the fast-track to becoming a brilliant scientist, with one goal—to save her city from total extinction. Her caretakers have entrusted her with a secret plan to stop the rain from flooding the rest of the earth and start civilization anew. But the more Jez learns about the price of a fresh beginning, the more she realizes that carrying out the plan will lead to few survivors, and among the dead will be those she cares about the most.

I was given this book to read for an honest review and to be honest, I had a hard time finishing it. It was difficult to get into it and I couldn't really understand what was going on and not sure I really do now. I would put it down, taking a break from it for a while, and when I picked it up again it seemed to make a little more sense but I think I just got too impatient. I felt like I really wanted it to end so I could end my confusion, but it ended as a big cliffhanger!! UGH!

The writing was great, I liked the characters but it just didn't click for me. I was really frustrated with not being able to keep up with Jez (the main character) and her feelings. Reuben was my favorite person in the whole book and wished he was in the story more.

Taking everything into consideration, the most I could give this was 3 stars. I hope the next book will have at least some of the answers to most of the questions I have because this just seemed way too confusing! Do you get the idea that I was a little confused?

Excerpt:

Jezebel, you must not laugh. 
My caretaker had warned me about this day. Of course, I didn't believe her at the time.

Jezebel, don't let them see your tears.
I hadn't cried for years, and even when I was a child, it was in the dark haven of my bedroom.  My heart beat harder with each second that passed while I waited for Sol to some into the classroom.  The other student were already scrolling through the previous day's assignments on their desk consoles, oblivious to the warmth that had spread to my cheeks as I waited.  Their pale faces, dull eyes, and blue and gray clothing matched the endless rain outside.


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Learning to Spy (Behind the Stars) #2 by Leigh Talbert Moore

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Learning to Spy by Leigh Talbert Moore
My rating: 4 of 5 stars



Summary: Book #2 in a new mini-series by Amazon Bestselling Author Leigh Talbert Moore.

Alone in her mission, Prentiss has to figure out a new approach if she plans to escape the prison camp alive. She does not expect to find an ally among her captors.

Strategies change and secrets are revealed in "Learning to Spy," Book #2 in the Behind the Stars series.

Red Dawn meets LOST in this New Adult action-adventure romance.   

Now I am getting the hang of the whole mini-series thing! It didn't hurt either that I was able to read "Captive" first, then jump right into "Learning to Spy". And I mean it flowed right into each other as if it were the ending of an episode from a t.v. show into the next weeks episode, without missing a beat.

As for the memories Prentiss keeps having, I'm beginning to see what kind of world she lived in before her kidnapping and what the social ladder was like. She is also establishing the relationships she has with others who are in the camp with her but also with others who are not there but yet an important part of the story. I do feel like this slows down the flow, but being a mini-series, it allows more time to be spent there.

I saw more predictability in this installment, but I was not disappointed in the way things went for Prentiss. There were some twists and turns that caught me off guard, but not as intense as the first installment. Overall I am enjoying this new way of reading, and with each part I am drawn further and further into this world and wanting more and more of Prentiss and her life.

Thanks to E-books for Review by Inspired Kathy for giving me this book in exchange for an honest review!



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Captive (Behind the Stars) #1 by Leigh Talbert Moore

Photo by Goodreads

Captive by Leigh Talbert Moore
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Summary:

Prentiss Puckett is certain of three things:

-Graduation is two weeks away.
-Summer only gets hotter in south Mississippi.
-She’s getting a job with air-conditioning.

She did not expect to be kidnapped walking to work.
And she never expected to become a hero.

Red Dawn meets L O S T in this new action-adventure romance from Amazon bestselling author Leigh Talbert Moore.

The cover was what talked me into reading this. To be honest, the description or summary I was given was so vague, I had no clue what I was getting myself into. I just figured it would be a great thriller/mystery so I was in!

Captive.. was nothing like I thought it would be. At first I was confused about what exactly was going on. I knew she was kidnapped, but I had a hard time deciphering which was dreaming or which was real until I caught on. It took me a while to really get into it because of the memories she kept having. I struggled at first because I just wanted on with the story (I am not the most patient person) but after a few chapters I realized how important these memories were in the larger picture.

This is my first mini-series so I didn't know what to expect. I read it all in one sitting only because it was a short quick read, which was good because I was able to jump right into the next part of the series.

Like a few of Moore's other books I have read, Captive's characters were memorable and kept me curious to each of their fates. As this first part in this new mini-series ends, I ended up with so many questions! I look forward to the next installment to fill my need to know the answers and to see what will happen to these characters I have grown found of.

Thanks to E-Books for Review by Inspired Kathy for the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review!

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Cinder & Ella by Kelly Oram

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Cinder & Ella by Kelly Oram
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Summary:  It’s been almost a year since eighteen-year-old Ella Rodriguez was in a car accident that left her crippled, scarred, and without a mother. After a very difficult recovery, she’s been uprooted across the country and forced into the custody of a father that abandoned her when she was a young child. If Ella wants to escape her father’s home and her awful new stepfamily, she must convince her doctors that she’s capable, both physically and emotionally, of living on her own. The problem is, she’s not ready yet. The only way she can think of to start healing is by reconnecting with the one person left in the world who’s ever meant anything to her—her anonymous Internet best friend, Cinder.
…
Hollywood sensation Brian Oliver has a reputation for being trouble. There’s major buzz around his performance in his upcoming film The Druid Prince, but his management team says he won’t make the transition from teen heartthrob to serious A-list actor unless he can prove he’s left his wild days behind and become a mature adult. In order to douse the flames on Brian’s bad-boy reputation, his management stages a fake engagement for him to his co-star Kaylee. Brian isn’t thrilled with the arrangement—or his fake fiancée—but decides he’ll suffer through it if it means he’ll get an Oscar nomination. Then a surprise email from an old Internet friend changes everything.

It starts out like this: 

"The Problem with Fairy tales is that most of them begin with a tragedy. I understand the reasoning behind it. No one likes a pampered heroine."

It is 3:00 in the morning and I just finished reading Cinder & Ella. I just had to come post my review before I exploded with no one else to tell about this book! I have to admit this is my first Kelly Oram book and I was a little skeptical about it at first. But I was offered the chance to read it for review so I jumped on it!

This is NOTHING I thought it would be... Not even close. I kinda thought it would be a cheesy adaptation of Cinderella. But I was completely wrong! Sure the story of Cinderella was mentioned, but believe me, this was far more than a fairytale.

I fell in love with the Characters immediately with Cinder as my favorite (of course). A part of me is fascinated with young Hollywood and the lives they must lead, so Cinder was intriguing and his personality fit so perfectly with someone who was Hollywood. I'm not sure what kind of research Oram must have done on burn victims, but she did a great job bringing in Ella's life. Ella was a very believable character, with what life had thrown at her, she was all too human. That is a very important element for me in my reading. I need Characters who I can relate to and bring in not only emotions, but realistic elements to the story. The other, secondary characters, were fantastic! They all left enough of an impression that I will be thinking of them long from now as well as Cinder and Ella.

Of course I am a sucker for "fairytale endings" so this one worked out wonderfully. I didn't know how it would get to that point, but I knew there had to be that ending which I loved and wished for more!

Thanks to E-books for Review for the opportunity to get read this novel in exchange for an honest review.

This was a clean read and I recommend to anyone over 14.


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We Were Liars by E. Lockhart

We Were Liars by E. Lockhart
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Summary:  

A beautiful and distinguished family.

A private island.
A brilliant, damaged girl; a passionate, political boy.
A group of four friends—the Liars—whose friendship turns destructive.
A revolution. An accident. A secret.
Lies upon lies.
True love.
The truth.

We Were Liars is a modern, sophisticated suspense novel from National Book Award finalist and Printz Award honoree E. Lockhart.

Read it.
And if anyone asks you how it ends, just LIE.

I had heard so many things praising this book before it was even published. I am now beginning to rethink the general public's view of what is good. Is it the ending? The middle? Or is it how traumatic we can feel about a book?

As for this one, I would tell you that I enjoyed the writing. It was beautifully put together with words, but I also felt something very "off" about the story from the beginning. Things just didn't feel O.K. and as I went on through the book, I ended up putting it down and waiting a few days to keep reading because of those feelings that would come from my gut. I could never put my finger on it, or figure out what was really going on. So the breaks gave my brain time to recover and try to figure out what was so eery about it.

The ending was a gobsmack across the face! I wanted to throw it across the room and maybe even burn it. I am sure that is what the writer was looking for, but not me! I don't like books that leave me feeling kicked in the stomach or thrown off a bridge. Maybe it's just where I am in my life, but gut-wrenching trauma is not what I want to escape to. I have lived enough of that in my personal life, I would rather read something less emotional. So, if you enjoy the kind of book that throws you completely over an emotional cliff.... this one is for you!!!

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