Jaime's Review of Stolen Away by Alyxandra Harvey

Stolen Away

Alyxandra Harvey

Hardcover: 278 pages

Publisher: Walker Books For Young Readers (Bloomsbury Childrens)

Source: Hardcover from the Sacramento/San Francisco Book review and a galley from Netgalley

Rating: Liked

From Goodreads.
For seventeen years, Eloise Hart had no idea the world of Faery even existed. Now she has been abducted and trapped in the Rath of Lord Strahan, King of Faery. Strahan was only meant to rule for seven years, as Faery tradition dictates, and then give up his crown to another. But he won't comply, and now chaos threatens both worlds.

The only one who can break his stranglehold on the Faery court is his wife. . . Eloise's aunt Antonia. Using Eloise to lure Antonia, Strahan captures his wife, desperate to end the only threat to his reign. Now Eloise must become the rescuer. Together with her best friends Jo and Devin, she must forge alliances with other Fae, including a gorgeous protector named Lucas, and Strahan's mysterious son, Eldric-who may or may not betray them.

Stolen Away was a cute short read! In my opinion it doesn't come close to some of the other amazing fey novels out there like the Wicked Lovely, Iron Fey, of Wondrous Strange series but it was a good story.

 It’s told in two POV’s the main POV is Eloise and honestly I didn’t care for her parts that much. The POV that I liked and that kept me interested was her best friend Jo’s. Jo had me cracking up with her attempts at using British slang and her arguing with a faery the size of a flower. I also loved that she was fiercely protective of her friends and didn’t care if she looked like an idiot or got dirty defending them. There’s a fair share of swoon worthy guys in this the main 3 being Lucas, Eldric, and Devin but I really didn’t feel an intense attraction to any of them. I guess if I had to choose I’d pick Eldric because he reminded me the most of my fey crushes Ash, Irial, Niall, and Sonny.

The story itself played out pretty well there wasn’t much originality to it there were parts of faery lore that we have seen in other books but like I said it was cute and funny. I also liked that it read fast and it’s a stand alone novel.

Here’s a quick passage and a glimpse into Jo’s mind.

Isadora gave a long-suffering sigh, folded her arms over her chest, and refused to elaborate. Fortunately, Lucas didn’t have any such compunctions.

“Isadora was lady of her ancestral rath,” he explained. “Until she was transformed and could hold it no longer.”

“She was shrunk,” I explained for the others. She glared at me and I shrugged. “Well you were. You said so yourself.”

“By who?” Devin asked. “Evil sorcerer? Troll king? Man, this is just like D&D.”

I snorted “Not quite.”

“What then?”

“A poet.”

Silence.

“A poet?”

I nodded. “Apparently he ‘believed’ her into being wee.”

Devin wiped cookie crumbs off his shirt and sprawled back into his chair. “I told you English class was bad for my health.”

Add it to your Goodreads shelves.

Buy Stolen Away

Jaime's Review of Chosen Ones by Tiffany Truitt

Chosen Ones

Tiffany Truitt

Paperback: 400 pages

Publisher: Entangled Teen

ISBN:16206100000

Source: ARC from the publisher (E-book)

Rating: Loved

From Goodreads.
What if you were mankind’s last chance at survival?

Sixteen-year-old Tess lives in a compound in what was once the Western United States, now decimated after a devastating fourth World War. But long before that, life as we knew it had been irrevocably changed, as women mysteriously lost the ability to bring forth life. Faced with the extinction of the human race, the government began the Council of Creators, meant to search out alternative methods of creating life. The resulting artificial human beings, or Chosen Ones, were extraordinarily beautiful, unbelievably strong, and unabashedly deadly.

Life is bleak, but uncomplicated for Tess as she follows the rigid rules of her dystopian society, until the day she begins work at Templeton, the training facility for newly created Chosen Ones. There, she meets James, a Chosen One whose odd love of music and reading rivals only her own. The attraction between the two is immediate in its intensity—and overwhelming in its danger.

But there is more to the goings-on at Templeton than Tess ever knew, and as the veil is lifted from her eyes, she uncovers a dark underground movement bent not on taking down the Chosen Ones, but the Council itself. Will Tess be able to stand up to those who would oppress her, even if it means giving up the only happiness in her life?

Ok so if you read my review of Partials by Dan Wells you may see some similarities in the synopsis’s and while I was reading Chosen Ones I did find myself thinking about Partials but not for the reasons you’re thinking. I liked Partials but I LOVED  Chosen Ones!!!!! Tiffany wrote a beautiful story with such emotion my heart felt like it was soaring in some areas and breaking in others! She captured everything I was looking for and I can’t wait to read book 2!

Tess is a character that I immediately loved she’s strong and stubborn; she has her flaws but, at her very core she understands things beyond what she even thinks she does. She gets why love can be so wonderful and so dangerous at the same time and, how that one word can either save or ruin your life. Enter James tall, dark ,handsome, and dangerous; everything Tess should stay away from but, she couldn’t he wasn’t like the other Chosen Ones, he was nice, gentle, curious, and caring he was everything he shouldn’t be and Tess and I both found ourselves falling in love with him.

The story itself is really good like I said it’s similar to other dystopians out there but I really loved it. I could imagine the world Tiffany created living in the desolate warehouses eating crappy food and then going to Templeton and wearing beautiful dresses and drinking champagne. I felt afraid of the other chosen ones and disgusted with the council and the creators. Oh and yeah one more thing I bawled and not just some quick tears I was literally red nosed and couldn’t see through my tears at one point. That’s how I know it’s a good book it made me feel!!!!!

The passage I chose is one between Tess and James when they’re trying to figure things out.

He took a seat in front of me, and my knees almost touched his. He glanced at his hands for a long while. Then, with a sigh that spoke of uncertainty, he turned back to me.

“I think maybe we can be friends.”

His words caught me off guard. It sounded more like a question than a firm declaration. I picked at the fabric of my skirt, unable to look up at him. Did he really, truly, want to know who I was?

“Why?” I asked quietly. Was it just to satisfy some bizarre fascination, some need to know the girl who didn’t have a place with her own people? Or did he actually like the small, almost undetectable glimpse of me I had allowed him to see?

“I…would it work if I said I didn’t know? Would you settle for me saying that it’s just something I want? Even if I know it is wrong to ask for it.”

“Yes,” I breathed.

He hesitated before continuing. “I won’t…if you’re worried about…I swear it wouldn’t be like that.”

I looked away, no doubt blushing. I hadn’t exactly thought something of that nature was a possibility. In fact, if I were honest, it was part of what attracted me to him. I knew I could never do anything of that sort with someone like him. And he wouldn’t want to with me. Or would he?

I did find him attractive.

So the release date for this has been moved back to June L but it’s a good thing this book will actually be on the shelves at Barnes & Noble instead of just available on their website! I can’t wait to get my hands on a physical copy! Thanks to the amazing Entangled Publishing team for the Advanced Copy to review you are all amazing!!!!!

Pre-Order Chosen Ones

Add Chosen Ones to your Goodreads.

Pandemonium Comes Out Tomorrow

Hey everyone did you know that Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver comes out tomorrow??? If you're a fan of Delirium you need this book! It was more exciting and heart wrenching than the first!!


Well the cool news? The Harper Audio team has put together a snippet from the audio book if you want a little teaser to tide you over till tomorrow. So here it is!




And make sure to buy Pandemonium!

Cover Reveal Luminosity by Stephanie Thomas

Yay we get to be a part of another cover reveal for an amazing author from Entangled Publishing! LUMINOSITY (Luminosity, #1) by Stephanie Thomas releasing November 2012!!!

Take a look! Isn’t it fabulous????

Here’s the synopsis:

"My name is Beatrice. When I was born, I was blessed with the Sight. I was
immediately removed from my parents and enrolled in the Institution. At
the age of twelve, I had my first true vision, earning my raven’s wings.
And when I turned seventeen, one of my visions came true. Things haven’t
been the same since.

The Institution depends on me to keep the City safe from our enemy, the
Dreamcatchers, but I’m finding it harder to do while keeping a secret from
everyone, including my best friend Gabe. It is a secret that could put us
all in danger. A secret that could kill me and everyone close to me.

But the enemy has been coming to me in my dreams, and I think I’m falling
in love with him. He says they’re coming. He says they’re angry. And I
think I’ve already helped them win."

Paperback Available for Pre-Order from Amazon:





Add to your Goodreads TBR:
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13425149-luminosity

Jaime's Review of Shadows by Jennifer Armentrout

From Goodreads.
The last thing Dawson Black expected was Bethany Williams. As a Luxen, an alien life form on Earth, human girls are…well, fun. But since the Luxen have to keep their true identities a secret, falling for one would be insane. Dangerous. Tempting. Undeniable.

Bethany can’t deny the immediate connection between her and Dawson. And even though boys aren’t a complication she wants, she can’t stay away from him. Still, whenever they lock eyes, she’s drawn in. Captivated. Lured. Loved.

Dawson is keeping a secret that will change her existence...and put her life in jeopardy. But even he can’t stop risking everything for one human girl. Or from a fate that is as unavoidable as love itself.

Holy crap this book was awesome!!!!!!! It also royally sucked L For those of you whom have read Obsidian ya’ll know why. I almost wish I would have read this first. I ended my night curled up in a ball crying myself to sleep after finishing this book! I dreamt of Dawson and Bethany. Daemon snuck in there too ;)

Dawson is everything that Daemon isn’t and falling for him was easy! I’d still have to say I love Daemon more but man it’s hard Dawson came close to stealing me away. This novella was fantastic and it gave us more information about the Luxen and the Arum and also the DOD people whom I really didn’t like.

I loved Bethany too I think that her and Katy would have been good friends! She wasn’t a smart ass like Katy but I think she held her own. I also grew to hate Ash and Andrew even more than I thought I could and; we got to see the bond between Dee, Daemon, and Dawson in a new light since this story was told from Dawson’s POV too and that was really cool!

Seriously guys if you’ve read Obsidian you MUST read this book and if you’re new to the series this is the perfect one to start with!!!!!!

I chose a cute scene between Dawson and Bethany because I needed some cute.

Her eyes narrowed. “Come on, with someone who looks like you, there’s probably a line of girls hoping to take you home.”

“So?” He reached out, tugging on the hem of her jeans. “I’m here with you, aren’t I?”

“Yeah, you are.” She frowned. “Sometimes I wonder why.”

Dawson stared at her for a moment then laughed. She couldn’t be serious. There was no way she didn’t know how pretty she was or how her laugh drew people to her.

Her frown deepened. “Are you laughing at me?”

“Yes,” he replied. He shot forward, moving faster than he should have, and caught her hand. “You can’t tell me you’re surprised that I’m here. I’ve been your shadow since the first day you arrived.”

Buy Shadows!

Add Shadows to your Goodreads.

Jaime's Review of Fever by Lauren Destefano

From Goodreads.
Rhine and Gabriel have escaped the mansion, but danger is never far behind.

Running away brings Rhine and Gabriel right into a trap, in the form of a twisted carnival whose ringmistress keeps watch over a menagerie of girls. Just as Rhine uncovers what plans await her, her fortune turns again. With Gabriel at her side, Rhine travels through an environment as grim as the one she left a year ago - surroundings that mirror her own feelings of fear and hopelessness.

The two are determined to get to Manhattan, to relative safety with Rhine’s twin brother, Rowan. But the road there is long and perilous - and in a world where young women only live to age twenty and young men die at twenty-five, time is precious. Worse still, they can’t seem to elude Rhine’s father-in-law, Vaughn, who is determined to bring Rhine back to the mansion...by any means necessary.

In the sequel to Lauren DeStefano’s harrowing Wither, Rhine must decide if freedom is worth the price - now that she has more to lose than ever.

I wasn’t going to write a review for Fever because I didn’t think I could come up with the right words as to how I was feeling about this book. I’m still not sure about it. I loved Wither a lot and had high hopes for the second book in the series. It’s not that I didn’t like it, because I did but not as much as I hoped. I will read the third book though because I need to see this one to the end. And I have really high hopes for the end!

Because I couldn’t find the right words about how I felt about this one Andye from Reading Teen  understood we chatted about this one a bit and where I couldn’t find the words she did. So with Andye’s permission I’m linking you to her review at Reading Teen she explained how she felt about this second book much better than I ever could have. So check out her review here.

I know a lot of you loved this one so I’m sorry it was just ok for me L I really did love the cover though!

Buy your copy of Fever.

Add  it to your Goodreads shelves.

Thanks to Simon & Schuster and Simon Teen for the Advanced Readers Copy!

Jaime's Review of The Calling by Kelley Armstrong

From the Harper Teen website. http://www.harperteen.com/
A part of the synopsis I changed as not to spoil anything from book 1 if you haven’t read it.
Maya Delaney's paw-print birthmark is the mark of what she truly is……. She can run faster, climb higher, and see better than nearly everyone else. Experiencing intense connections with the animals that roam the woods outside her home, Maya knows it's only a matter of time before she changes even more. And she believes there may be others in her small town with surprising talents.
Now Maya and her friends have been forced to flee from their homes during a forest fire they suspect was deliberately set. Then they're kidnapped, and after a chilling helicopter crash, they find themselves in the Vancouver Island wilderness with nothing but their extraordinary abilities to help them get back home.

The Calling by Kelley Armstrong, the second novel in the Darkness Rising trilogy is as action packed and engaging as the first! A must read if you’re a fan of Mrs. Armstrong’s novels.

The Calling picks up immediately after the first novel ended. After Maya and her friends are kidnapped and their helicopter crashes they stop at nothing to get home to their parents and to unravel the mysteries of their powers. I really like the heroine Maya she is strong and funny but she has flaws that make her more relatable. I also love her best friend Daniel normally I fall for the bad boy and while Rafe is definitely hot, mysterious, and definitely gets my blood boiling; I am really drawn to Daniel he’s sweet and caring and gorgeous!

Maya and her group of friends all have to face their own issues and face loss together while trying to evade the groups that are hunting them. What I enjoyed the most about this book was the small hints and clues that related to Armstrong’s trilogy The Darkest Powers series and a sense that maybe in the third book we’d see a bit of some of our favorite characters from that series. The cover art is beautifully done the model on the cover is exactly what I imagined Maya to look like.

And now a passage from the book that had me cracking up!

When I finally stopped talking, she said, “Are you crazy?”

“Hey!” Sam said.

“No, seriously. You think you’re going to change into a cougar? Maybe in thirty years you’ll start thinking college boys are kinda hot, but that’s the only sort of cougar you can turn into, Maya. Anything else is nuts.”

   If you’re a fan of paranormal YA with mystery and romance The Calling is for you! It comes out April 10^th so make sure to pre order your copy!

Add The Calling to your Goodreads shelves. 

Jaime's Review of The Marked by Inara Scott

From Inara’s website www.inarascott.com
Dancia’s back at Delcroix, but this year, everything’s different. Dancia’s Talented, and her powers have earned her an invitation to join Delcroix’s real raison d’etre –the Program. Dancia’s wanted to use her powers to help people all her life — and now Delcroix is going to give her the training she needs to use her Talent for good. At least…that’s what the school saysshe’ll learn to do with her powers. Her cuter-than-cute boyfriend Cam insists that it’s true, and so do all the other students. But there’s still a little voice inside her head that wonders — if the Program’s so great, why did her almost-only-a-friend- Jack run away rather than join? And why would the school be getting attacked by angry ex-students? Dancia’s a loyal student…and a loyal girlfriend. But if finding out what’s really going on means talking to Jack, well — it’s a risk she just might have to take.

Oh Inara you’ve done it again! I absolutely loved The Marked! There’s a few things I’m mad at you for but I won’t get into it since its spoilery.

 I didn’t even have a blog when I got a review copy of her first book The Candidates I just had my goodreads page thanks Disney Hyperion J I like to think because of that it’s one of the reasons I started blogging! So if you want to check out my first and probably not so great and short review go here!

Back to The Marked though…. I loved the mystery in this book I mean I literally didn’t know who I could trust and even though I started out not wanting Danica to be with Cam in this one I did warm up to him. Man I still missed Jack though and the small pieces of the book that had him in it I savored; even though everyone thinks he’s the bad guy. I don’t he was just put in a crappy situation and I still love him! Inara did introduce some new characters that I absolutely adored too Barrett for one and she even made me like people I didn’t think I ever could. That being said Mr. Judan was not one of those people he still gives me the heebie jeebies! I mean he’s just one scary dude!

I loved seeing Danica grow more comfortable with her abilities and actually stepping in to the kick ass heroine role! I love the fight in her to seek the truth no matter what happens. I also loved seeing the way some people I never expected to see backing her up! I finished this book and I think I tweeted Inara saying I needed #3 now because the ending left me reeling. I need so much moar!!!!!!

I picked a cute passage between Cam and Danica  for my teaser.

Cam shrugged, then grimaced. “I’ve got no real Somatic talent. I figured when I started the Program I would need to work twice as hard to be able to hold my own in a fight.” He squeezed my hand gently. “You should have gone into the house. I was worried.”

Warm honey coated my insides. I slid closer him, though I was careful not to lean on his injured side. “Did you really think I was going to go inside? Just because you said so?”

He chuckled, then touched his ribs with his free hand. “Man, that hurts. No, I didn’t think you would go inside. But I figured it was worth a shot.”

Cam had tried to protect me. I choked up. Usually I was the one protecting other people. I mean, Grandma did her best to take care of me, but she was so fragile herself, it felt like I was the one in charge most of the time. Even when I used my power, it was always to defend someone else. It was just something I did, the way I was.

I loved the feeling that someone was watching out for me.

The Marked comes out April 3^rd so make sure to pre-order your copy!

Add it to your Goodreads shelves. Oh and be sure to check back here where on March 29^th as a part of The Marked blog tour we will have a guest post from my heart Jack!

A huge thanks to Inara Scott for the signed Advanced Readers copy! You are too good to me! 

Also thanks to Disney Hyperion for the E-book from Netgalley!

Cover Reveal Inbetween By Tara Fuller and a Surprise

We have another awesome cover reveal today! INBETWEEN (Kissed by Death, #1) by Tara Fuller releasing August 7, 2012 from Entangled Publishing. We can’t wait to read this one!

Here’s the synopsis:

Since the car crash that took her father’s life three years ago, Emma’s
life has been a freaky—and unending—lesson in caution. Surviving
“accidents” has taken priority over being a normal seventeen-year-old, so
Emma spends her days taking pictures of life instead of living it. Falling
in love with a boy was never part of the plan. Falling for a reaper who
makes her chest ache and her head spin? Not an option.


It’s not easy being dead, especially for a reaper in love with a girl fate
has put on his list not once, but twice. Finn’s fellow reapers give him
hell about spending time with Emma, but Finn couldn't let her die before,
and he’s not about to let her die now. He will protect the girl he loves
from the evil he accidentally unleashed, even if it means sacrificing the
only thing he has left…his soul.

And here’s the gorgeous cover!!!!!!!

Here’s the big surprise a sneak peek from INBETWEEN!

Chapter 1

Finn

Sometimes Emma made me feel so alive, I almost forgot I was dead.

Almost.

I sank down onto the side of her bed, amazed by the blazing wildfire that swept through me whenever Emma was near enough to touch. I took a deep, unneeded breath, and settled down on my side next to her. The mattress didn’t sink. The springs didn’t groan with the weight of an extra body. The distance between us was an impossible void. Inches that might as well have been miles. Miles that left me wanting in so many ways that I ached.

Even the sun couldn’t resist her. Its glowing rays caressed her skin, and stained her hair the satiny color of summer wheat. Before I knew what was happening, my hand followed their lead. Cells ignited. My skin burned, screaming with the agonizing need to touch—

“What do you think you’re doing?”

I jerked my hand away just as Easton melted up from the polished hardwood floor beneath the window. Like an oil slick coming to life, he unfolded his long, shadowy legs until he was just an ink blot against the square of tangerine sunrise behind him. His violet eyes pinned me like a kid caught with his hand in the cookie jar.

Which, I kind of was.

“Nothing,” I lied.

“Yeah, looked like nothing.” He strolled across the room accompanied by a wave of sulfur and smoke, the black serpent tattoo on his neck glinting. “What were you planning to do, recite her poem? I swear to God, if you were still alive I’d confiscate your man card.”

I ignored the barb and scrunched up my nose. “Jesus, Easton. Don’t they have a shower somewhere between here and the afterlife?”

“Screw you. You didn’t just have to tow somebody’s grandpa to Hell.” He brushed something chalky and grey off of his cloak and a shudder worked its way down my spine. God only knows who or what it belonged to. “Besides I wasn’t the one about to feel up a sleeping human.”

“I wasn’t—”

“Save it.” He waved his hand. “We have work to do. I don’t have time for your useless obsession with the human today.”

“Will you please stop calling her that?”

“What?” Easton glanced up from Emma’s vanity, where he’d been inspecting the various lotions and bottles like he was on some alien planet. Then again, Easton had been dead for something like four hundred years, so all of her stuff probably was sort of alien to him.

“The human. You make me sound like a freak. It’s not like we’re a different species for God’s sake. We were humans, too, or don’t you remember that far back?”

“Were. Past tense.”

We could have gone back and forth like that for hours, but the call came. It always did. It started in my bones—a cold so cutting that it sliced through me like a machete. When I looked up, Easton’s jaw was clenched, his muscles taut and ready. He slowly closed his hand around the handle of his scythe that burned black and softly smoked at his side. I flexed my fingers as the icy ribbons of death worked their way through each one of my limbs.

“Can you take this one for me?” I asked. “You’re already going to be there, and I just got back—”

“No,” Easton said. “Hell no. I have my own job to do. I can’t keep covering for your sorry ass. Besides, you’re already on thin ice with Balthazar. Don’t push your luck, Finn. Just keep your nose down, collect your souls, and thank the Almighty that you don’t have my job. Now let’s go.”

“Yeah, but…” My eyes returned to Emma. Sleeping. Perfect. Safe.

“For the love of God. She’ll be fine, you pansy.” Easton clamped a hand over my shoulder and dragged me from the bed.

“How do you know?”

He shrugged. “I don’t.”

With that he vanished, consumed in a flash by the keening wails of the damned. The screams beckoned. Clawed at me from the inside out.

Rule one as a seeker: Death doesn’t wait for anyone.

And it sure as hell wasn’t waiting for me now.

Paperback Available for Pre-Order from Amazon:

Add to your Goodreads TBR:
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13055677-inbetween

Jaime's Review of Perception by Kim Harrington

From Goodreads.
When you can see things others can't, what do you do when someone's watching you?

Everybody knows about Clarity "Clare" Fern. She's the psychic girl in school, the one who can place her hands on something and see hidden visions from the past.

Only Clare would rather not be a celebrity. She prefers hanging back, observing. Her gift is not a game to her.

But then someone starts playing with her head . . . and heart. Messages and gifts from a secret admirer crop up everywhere Clare turns. Could they be from Gabriel, the gorgeous boy who gets Clare's pulse racing? Or from Justin, Clare's hopeful ex-boyfriend who'd do anything to win her back?

One thing is certain. Clare needs to solve this mystery, and soon. Because the messages are becoming sinister, and a girl in town has suddenly disappeared.

I loved Clarity it was a fun who done it with paranormal thrown in and, I adored Clare and the other characters. So when Perception showed up on my door step I first closed my door and proceeded to do a major happy dance. Kim’s writing is so easy to get into I read Clarity in one sitting and I did the same with Perception! I liked it better than Clarity!

What I loved about this book was Clare had to figure out her feelings for Gabriel and Justin and normally I’m not that big of a love triangle fan but I felt the progression in her relationships with both of the boys was very believable. I had my fingers crossed for Gabriel the whole time I mean he’s tall dark and sexy for pete’s sake plus her really cares about Clare in a way I don’t think Justin ever did.

I also loved that there was another mystery for Clare to solve actually there was two but I don’t want to get too spoilery so let’s just say I had an idea what was going to happen in this one but the story kept me on the edge of my seat until the very end! Speaking of the end I cried (yeah I know big surprise right?) but it was an awesome ending and wrapped the story up nicely. The only problem I had with that was I started thinking O_o is this the end are there no more books? Because I need more!!!! I need more of this world!!!!!! Please Scholastic and Kim tell me there’s more!!!!

I chose a passage from the beginning of the book because I was laughing so hard at this image in my head.

Tiffany was a drama queen , so loud squeals and other attention-getting techniques weren’t unusual for her. But this wasn’t a playful scream. This was an open your closet door to find Freddy Krueger, Jason, and Michael Meyers hiding in there scream.

Kendra started screaming, too, while waving her hands in the air in some crazed dance of ick.

I, along with everyone else in the hall, first froze, then rushed over to see what had kicked off this performance. On the floor by Tiffany’s locker was a little red box, like what you’d get with the purchase of some cheap jewelry. It was flipped over and no contents could be seen. Tiffany had one hand over her mouth and was pointing repeatedly at the fallen box with her other.

I reached down and turned it over.

Want to know what was in the box and the reason for Kendra’s ick dance? Pre-order the book! It comes out March 1^st!

Add Perception to your Goodreads shelves.

Thanks to Scholastic for the Advanced Readers Copy for review!

Cover Reveal Finn Finnegan by Darby Karchut

Finn Finnegan

Finn (not bleedin' Finnegan) MacCullen is eager to begin his apprenticeship. He soon discovers the ups and downs of hunting monsters in a suburban neighborhood under the demanding tutelage of the Knight, Gideon Lir. Both master and apprentice are descendents of the Tuatha De Danaan, a magical race of warriors from Ireland. Scattered long ago to the four corners of the world, the De Danaan wage a two thousand year old clandestine battle with their ancient enemy, the Amandán, a breed of goblin-like creatures.

Now with the beasts concentrating their attacks on Finn, he and his master must race to locate the lost Spear of the Tuatha De Danaan, the only weapon that can destroy the Amandán, all the while hiding his true identity from his new friends, Rafe and Savannah, twins whose South African roots may hold a key to Finn's survival. Armed with a bronze dagger, some ancient Celtic magic, and a hair-trigger temper, Finn is about to show his enemies the true meaning of "fighting Irish." 

Add it to your Goodreads shelves.

Title: Finn Finnegan

Author: Darby Karchut

Publisher: Spencer Hill Press (www.SpencerHillPress.com) 

ISBN: 978-1-937053-32-1 

Release Date: March 12, 2013

Formats: Paper, e-book

Genres: Middle Grade/Young Adult, Fantasy

Jaime's Review of Lenobia's Vow by PC Cast and Kristin Cast

From Goodreads.
The second in the enthralling new mini-series of novellas from the #1 bestselling authors of the House of Night, Lenobia's Vow tells the gripping story behind the House of Night's enigmatic riding instructor – and one of Zoey’s closest allies against evil
The House of Night is an international publishing sensation; with almost 12 million books in print, and an incredible 120 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list, the series has taken the world by storm. Now, the excitement continues as the Cast mother-daughter duo shares the back stories of a few of the House of Night's most important – and mysterious – characters. The second of the House of Night Novellas brings us Lenobia, the strong, beautiful horseback riding instructor, who guides Zoey through some of her darkest hours, and has a dark secret buried in her own past...
In a small southern town at the turn of the century, young Lenobia is developing into a beautiful young woman with ideas of her own. But when she is Marked as a fledgling vampyre, her world turns upside down, and she is drawn to the musical streets of New Orleans. There, she learns of the city’s dark underbelly, ruled by powerful black magic. As Lenobia experiences her first love – and loss – and discovers a passion for horses to sustain her, she must come face-to-face with Darkness itself. And she may not escape without scars.

If you’re a House of Night fan Lenobia’s Vow  is a must read. If you haven’t read the series don’t fear you can dive right into this novella without missing a beat. In the second installment of the House of Night novella’s we get to read about the Horse Mistress Lenobia. She is one of my favorite characters in the series so I was really looking forward to getting to know her better.

This story was about Lenobia’s transition from a serving girl, to an imposter, and finally to a fledgling vampire. Most of the story takes place on board a ship travelling to the New World where Lenobia will be married off to a rich plantation owner but, Lenobia falls in love with a charming Quadroon named Martin who is all kinds of hot and sweet! All the while she is being hunted by an evil man who wants her as his own. I really loved hearing the story from Lenobia’s point of view; the parts told from the bad guy Charles I could have done without. I really didn’t feel the need to see into the mind of a madman. I also really enjoyed learning more about her connection to animals and horses in particular. Now if you’ve read the House of Night books you all know how this story will end and I did shed a few tears even though I knew what was coming. I just couldn’t help it I fell for Martin just like Lenobia did.

I’ve selected a passage to share between Martin and Lenobia.

“Cherie, we do not speak of it, but I know you one of the fille de casquette. You promised to a great man. That true, Cherie?”

“It is true. His name is Thinton de Siegne,” she said. “He is a name with no face—no body—no heart.”

“He is a name with land, though, Cherie. I know his name and his land. His plantation, the Houmas, it is like paradise.”

“It is not paradise I want Martin. It is only y—“

“No!” He stopped her, pressing a finger against her lips. “You canot speak it, you. My heart, he is strong, but not strong enough to fight your words.”

So like I said before if you’re a HON fan this is a must read! Also did you know Lenobia's Vow is out in audiobook form? Here's a sample!

Purchase Lenobia’s Vow.

Add it to your Goodreads shelves.

Thank you to the Cast’s for a signed copy to review! I look forward to to the next House Of Night novel and Neferet’s novella!