Branded: A Sinners Series Book Review

Recently, the Chicks received this book as an ARC to review with my honest opinion.  Branded: A Sinners Series by Abi Ketner and Missy Kalicicki (this review is that of Tiffany’s solely).  The book is about a post-war world where sinners are branded and sent away from civilization to the Hole, a wasteland with few rules, many sinners and guards who abuse status and power.  The story revolves around the beautiful Lexi Hamilton, who is accused of Lust and sent to the Hole and her relationship with her personal guard, Cole.

Will Lexi survive this world where anything goes?  Does Cole turn out to be a friend or foe?  What happened in Lexi’s past that leads her to her peculiar assignment in the Hole?  Will she ever be free in a land of prisoners?

Lexi is portrayed as being strikingly beautiful and she’s sent to a place where people have their humanity stripped.  There’s always a threat; what will happen today to Lexi?  The imagination can run rampant with scenarios but the authors craftily weave a story that walks the line of vulgarity and decency. 

The book is similar in some ways to The Hunger Games but there is much more rated R material.  I wouldn’t call this suitable for a pre-teen audience due to some graphic scenes but it still falls shy of being as explicit as you can expect in a place where anything goes. 

I kept waiting for the Lexi-Cole relationship to match the graphic nature of the Hole but unfortunately, there was just not enough adult material to keep me interested in this book.   I expected a lot more than the will-they-won’t-they, PG rated scenes that Lexi and Cole shared.

This book also falls off in the second half.  It moves too fast and the character development is not fleshed out enough to make it believable.  This feeling is culminated in the last few chapters which go by in a blur with no emotion or feeling.  Don’t get me wrong, the characters show emotion but by that point, I stopped caring.  Maybe if it was separated into two books there would have been more room to tap more into Lexi’s feelings about the twists and turns of her life. 

If you're into Hunger Games with a little more adult themes, this book may appeal to you.  Some other popular dystopian reads are Divergent by Veronica Roth and Delirium by Lauren Oliver and Matched by Ally Condie.

To find out more from these authors including other works and bios, check their website at AbiandMissy.com

Good morning, guys and dolls!  I hope your summer is full of books and literature.

I have been trying to branch out of my historical romance genre so I checked out Amazon Best Sellers in Kindle eBooks yesterday and was able to download 3 free books from the top 20.  They are all over 300 pages, they have at least 4 stars and as of right now 2/3 are still free.

The Korean Word For Butterfly by James Zerndt

From the back cover:

Set against the backdrop of the 2002 World Cup and rising anti-American sentiment due to a deadly  accident involving two young Korean girls and a U.S. tank, The Korean Word For Butterfly is told from three alternating points-of-view:

Billie, the young wanna-be poet looking for adventure with her boyfriend who soon finds herself questioning her decision to travel so far from the comforts of American life;

Moon, the ex K-pop band manager who now works at the English school struggling to maintain his sobriety hopes of getting his family back;

And Yun-ji, a secretary at the school whose new feelings of resentment toward Americans may lead her to do something she never would have imagined possible

The Korean Word For Butterfly is a story about the choices we make and why we make them.

This book is no longer free at the time of posting.  The Kindle Edition is $2.99.  I will write a review of this one to let you all know if it’s worth it but with a 5 star rating I doubt I’ll be disappointed.

Build A Man by Talli Roland

From the back cover:

Slave to the rich and rude, cosmetic surgery receptionist Serenity Holland longs for the day she’s a high-flying tabloid reporter.

When she meets Jeremy Ritchie – the hang-dog man determined to be Britain’s Most Eligible Bachelor by making himself over from head to toe and everything in between – Serenity knows she’s got a story no editor could resist.

With London’s biggest tabloid on board and her very own column tracking Jeremy’s progress from dud to dude, Serenity is determined to be a success.

But when Jeremy’s surgery goes drastically wrong and she’s ordered to cover all its car-crash goriness, Serenity must determine how far she really will go for her dream job.

And finally, I had to get at least 1 historical romance book and so far, this one has not disappointed.  From the first chapter, there’s a raunchy scene and the main characters are introduced just enough to get an idea of their personalities and the plot.  I haven’t been able to put this one down yet.

Her Husband’s Harlot (Mayhem in Mayfair #1) by Grace Callaway 

Synopses:

                                                 Not Quite a Wife… 

After a disastrous wedding night, proper Lady Helena Harteford fears for the fate of her new marriage.  Disguised as a doxy, she tracks her husband down to a bawdy house to reason with him… and instead discovers the thrill of forbidden passion.  An innocent ruse turns into risky deception; how far will this once-wallflower go to win her husband’s love?

Unfit to be a Husband…

Orphaned at an early age, Nicholas Morgan escapes his violent beginnings to become a successful merchant – only to discover he is the legitimate heir of the Marquess of Harteford.  His transition to the ton is rocky and made rockier when he marries above him.  Torn between guilt and lust, he tries to protect his sweet, innocent wife from the demos of this past.  But can he safeguard her from his own raging desires.

There’s more to this synopses but I feel like it’s too much of a spoiler.  I was kinda bummed that I read it so I’ll spare anyone else but feel free to check it out on Amazon to read the rest.

Happy reading!

Tiffany

Collide Review

Collide by Gail McHugh is really one of the best books that I have read this year. I can't get enough of Gavin Blake!!!! Collide is part one of a two part series

Synopsis:

A missed first encounter…

Colliding with a second chance…

On the heels of graduating college and trying to cope with her mother’s death, Emily Cooper moves to New York City for a fresh start.

While harboring secrets of his own, Dillon Parker takes care of Emily through her grief. Knowing he can’t live without her by his side, he’s sweet, thoughtful, and everything Emily has ever wanted in a man.

Until she meets Gavin Blake—a rich and notorious playboy who is dangerously sexy and charming as hell. Emily tries to deny the instant connection she feels, but Mr. Tall, Dark, and Handsome is not inclined to let go so easily. Recovering from his own painful past, Gavin will stop at nothing to win Emily over.

This unexpected encounter compels Emily to question her decisions, forcing her to make a choice that will destroy friendships, shatter hearts, and forever change her life.


Jenny's Review

Holy shit!!!!! OMG!!!!! I can't!!!!!! Gavin Blake is HOT HOT HOT!!!!!! Collide by Gail McHugh has got to be one of my favorite books of the year.

When you read about Emily and Gavin very hot sexual tension, it literally oozes from my kindle. I was hooked. I couldn't put the book down, I had to keep reading. This book is one of the most emotional book I've read in a long time. As a reader, I experienced so many emotions throughout the book, Happy, sad, angry, pissed off, pretty much any emotion you could think of, I felt it.

Emily is moving from Colorado to NY with her boyfriend Dillion after the loss of her mother to cancer.  As much as Dillion would like Emily to move in with him, she decides that it would be best to move in with her best friend Olivia. Upon arriving to NY, Emily gets a job as a waitress, unexpectedly she has to make a delivery to a building and there, she meets Gavin.

The attraction between Emily and Gavin is almost instant. He feels a pull to Emily that he haven't felt before and Emily know that she feels a magnetic pull to Gavin. Although she knows that they are something between them, she knows that nothing can come from it. Gavin is persistent, determine to get to know Emily, so much that he comes to her job and flirts with her.

As faith will have it, the day her boyfriend Dillion ask Emily to come out to meet some of his friends, guess who happens to be there? Gavin. And with that second chance encounter, they are thrown into the same social circle and staying away gets much harder.

I couldn't get enough of the chemistry between Emily and Gavin. It get me engrossed throughout the boek. Also to see how Emily relationship with Dillion progress with Gavin consuming her mind. Uggghhhhh!!!!! I wished I could say more about the book, but I would ruin the book for you and you should fall in love with the book as my as I have on your own.

The book ends with a cliffhanger but not to fear, the second book, Pulse is already out!

Get this book NOW!!!!!

Amazon

Book 1: Collide

Book 2: Pulse

Barnes & Nobles

Book 1: Collide

Book2: Pulse

Best Lines: 

  “Every part of you was made for me. Your lips were made to kiss mine, your eyes were made to wake up to me looking at you in my bed every morning, and your f***ing tongue was made to roll my name off of it. I am more certain of us than I'm certain that I require oxygen to breathe.”

"Your mind and your body are never going to forget the things I'm going to do to you tonight. Every...Single...inch of your body is going to feel me."

Here's to bottle caps,the Yankees, and 'birds', and most of all"...he paused and lowered his voice to a whisper.." and,most of all to a beautiful girl named Molly who refuses to believe the man-the man who loves her more than she'll ever know”  

About the Author:  Gail McHugh

I've always been a lover of writing, but mostly dabbled in creating poetry while raising my three beautiful children. I am grateful my husband of fifteen years has supported me—albeit sometimes kicking and screaming—as I pursue this "hobby" of mine. Without his help, writing would be an impossible endeavor.

In late June 2012, I felt an urgent tug of my pen, and I began writing one of my first novels, Collide. Although I thought it might never see the light of day, it gave me the courage to plunge headfirst onto a path I had never considered before.

Losing It Review

Losing It  by Cora Carmack

So, I actually finished this book last week but with the fourth of July weekend, I was unable to post my review. 

Synopsis: 

  
Virginity.
Bliss Edwards is about to graduate from college and still has hers. Sick of being the only virgin among her friends, she decides the best way to deal with the problem is to lose it as quickly and simply as possible—a one-night stand. But her plan turns out to be anything but simple when she freaks out and leaves a gorgeous guy alone and naked in her bed with an excuse that no one with half a brain would ever believe.
And as if that weren't embarrassing enough, when she arrives for her first class of her last college semester, she recognizes her new theater professor.
She'd left him naked in her bed about eight hours earlier. . . .
 





Losing It was a great read. I love the story of Bliss and Garrick. Their first meeting and potential hookup was a great way to start the book. You could really get the sense of Bliss' angst about still being a virgin and the many mishaps that happen the first night she meets Garrick. Add in the twist that the next day she goes to class and finds out that Garrick is her new theater teacher, and now we are on a roller coaster ride of emotions. 

When you read the book  I could actually feel the longing and pain that Bliss and Garrick feel for each other and knowing that a relationship is out of the question. It was nice to see how they deal with each other and the unexpected twist that shows up with the story. If you are looking for a steamy read, you won't find it here, however you will catch yourself smiling, laughing and rooting for Bliss and Garrick.

The ending was not surprise. You start to figure out just how it would end. I would definitely recommend this book. It have a happy ending and bonus: it's a stand alone. 

I can't wait to meet Cora at the New York Author Signing!!!!!!

Here are the links to purchase the book. 

Amazon: Losing It
B&N: Losing It

About the Author:

Cora Carmack is a twenty-something writer who likes to write about twenty-something characters. She's done a multitude of things in her life-- boring jobs (like working retail), Fun jobs (like working in a theatre), stressful jobs (like teaching), and dream jobs (like writing). She enjoys placing her characters in the most awkward situations possible, and then trying to help them get a boyfriend out of it. Awkward people need love, too. Her first book, LOSING IT, was a New York Times and USA Today bestseller.

Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk Review

Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk Review

Just finished reading Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk by David Sedaris.  It’s a collection of stories done in an Aesop fables style using animals in modern day situations. 

Sedaris tackles topics including alcoholism, racism and bigotry, self-pity and looking for love in all the wrong places.  The tales usually contain humor and some can be a bit graphic but you should be able to find a moral at the end.  The illustrations by Ian Falconer accompanying each tale are to be noted for their hold-no-punches sincerity as they give you a visual foothold to your mental picture of each story. 

Each section is only 3 – 5 pages long and the whole book can be read in a couple of hours should you choose to not put it down after some stories. 

If you’re a fan of Sedaris’ other works, you may want to add this one to round out your collection but Squirrel is definitely darker.  I also feel some of the stories may put off a casual reader for while there are hilarious moments, some of the fables are quite sad and the images accompanying the stories do nothing to alleviate the sorrow but instead are so haunting, the elevate it. 

He does end the book on a high note and the final tale had me cracking up so much that I would recommend borrowing this book from the library just for those few pages.

Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone who loves their humor and doesn’t mind a bit of gore attached.   Be forewarned, this is dark, depressing humor if it exists.   You may be hard pressed to find a point to the cruel violence written of the “animal” world.   If you are able to get through the original Grimm Fairy Tales and Aesop’s Fables, then you’ll enjoy these parables.

To learn more about Sedaris and his works, check out his Wiki page here. 

If you are interested in purchasing this book here are the link:

Amazon: Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk
B&N: Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk

Enjoy!

Tiffany

What I've Been Reading Lately

I hope everyone had a great 4th of July!  Here in NY the weather was perfect for bbq's and the beach.

Right now, I’m into historical romance novels.   The ideas of women during the 1600’s are very interesting to me.  It’s also kinda refreshing compared to some of the paranormal romances I was reading before.  Society was everything if you were a part of the ton and simply being caught alone with a woman holding her hand or (heavan forbid) kissing was scandalous enough that you either had to marry or move away. 

 I’ve been downloading those 2 at a time from Amazon’s Best Sellers ebooks page.  My main criteria for most free ebooks are that they have to be at least 300 pages.  I just finished reading Wallflower by Catherine Gayle (at the time of posting, this one is no longer free but $0.99).  Complete review of this book to follow.

In the meantime, here’s a few of that I have read and would recommend for lighthearted reading:

Scotsmen Prefer Blondes by Sara Ramsey – Cute story with an interesting leading lady and a beleaguered Scottish hottie

Intentions of the Earl by Rose Gordon – This one starts off simple enough but with so many twists at the end it’s hard to keep up but the romantic scenes make up for the convoluted ending.

Midnight Marriage by Lucinda Brant – Interesting story from beginning to end.  If you can get past the language, there is a romantic love story, heroic gentleman and a real treat in the afterward by the author.

Have Fun!

Tiffany

Book Sale!!!!!

One of the authors that will be at the NY Authors Signing on July 27,  Claire Contreras the kindle edition of both of her books,  There is No Light in Darkness and Darkness before Dawn are currently on sale for $.99 in Amazon. That is a steal!!!!!! Both of her books are currently on my TBR list in anticipation for the signing and I've heard the books are amazing. 

Here are a synopsis of both of the books:

 There is No Light in Darkness 
Link for Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/There-No-Light-Darkness-ebook/dp/B00AZNWSS4/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&sr=1-2&qid=1372798252

 *This is book 1 of a two book series. The second book, Darkness Before Dawn, is available now.

Note: This is a romance novel.

Blake Brennan had a difficult introduction to life. She lives in a constant state of paranoia, believing that she is the reason those around her get hurt. Her feelings are tested when her past comes back to haunt her and she must choose whether she wants to continue to live in fear or let her heart love freely.

This is part one of a series and contains sexual content and explicit language.

 Darkness before Dawn
 Link for Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Darkness-Before-Dawn-ebook/dp/B00D3VWA7E/ref=pd_sim_kstore_1
  
Book 2 of the Darkness Series. Book 1 is There is No Light in Darkness.

Is love ever enough?

Faced with obstacles she could have never imagined, Blake is brought to darkness and back by forces in her past she never knew existed.
Desperate to stay connected to the only thing he loves, Cole is forced to revisit his past and align himself with the people who knew about Blake’s disappearance.
Separation has forced both Blake and Cole to learn how to live under the worst circumstances, each of them alone in their own hell.

When they reunite, can they be the same two people they were before darkness swept upon them?
Told in separate points of view, Darkness Before Dawn is the continuation of Blake and Cole’s fight to make it to the light.

Get your copy and let me know what you think. 

Jenny

First post......here we go!!!!!

Ahhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!! This is a new for me. My first blog post. What do you even say???? We'll I should start by saying I'm extremely excited about this new venture. There are so many great books out there and I just want to share love for them. With that being said, I think the best way to start something new is to have a plan. 

I'm going to my first book signing New York Author Signing  on July 27th at the New York Hilton Midtown. There will be about 19 author who will be participating. The reason I'm going is to meet 2 of my favorite authors, Jessica Sorenson and Jasinda Wilder.

So to prepare myself for this great event, I will be reading books from all the authors that will be at the signing. I'm gonna start with Cora Comack's Losing It

Here is a synopsis of the book
 
Virginity.

Bliss Edwards is about to graduate from college and still has hers. Sick of being the only virgin among her friends, she decides the best way to deal with the problem is to lose it as quickly and simply as possible—a one-night stand. But her plan turns out to be anything but simple when she freaks out and leaves a gorgeous guy alone and naked in her bed with an excuse that no one with half a brain would ever believe.

And as if that weren't embarrassing enough, when she arrives for her first class of her last college semester, she recognizes her new theater professor.
She'd left him naked in her bed about eight hours earlier. . . .

This is book 1 of Cora's Losing It series and I've heard a lot of positive things about the book.  Once I finish it, I will give my opinion about it. Can't wait to get some feedback. 

Jenny