Review: Anatomy of a Single Girl by Daria Snadowsky

Anatomy of a Single Girl
by Daria Snadowsky

Published by: Delacorte Press
Released on: January 8, 2024
Hardcover
228 Pages
Rating: 5/5








  This would make as a great standalone but goes along with Anatomy of a Boyfriend. Daria has really let her character grow in this novel. I loved it so much more than the first one. I was kind of sad to see that Dominique had to grow such a tough skin to protect her heart.

   Dom is still in college and slowly moving past her horrible breakup. Come summertime, she knows it's best to have fun but when a certain guy comes along and grabs at her attention, she just can't refuse. It's obvious right away that she has learned from her past experience.  I was so ready for this to be her wonderful relationship that she definitely deserves. But in the game of life, the road is never easy and Dom has to dig her feet and and stay strong throughout this amazing summer relationship if things are going to go great for her. Can she do it? Or will she be left broken once again?


Received for review purposes from the author.

Guest Post featuring Samantha Durante + Giveaway

Samantha Durante lives in Westchester County, New York with her husband, Sudeep, and her cat, Gio. Formerly an engineer at Microsoft, Samantha left the world of software in 2010 to pursue her entrepreneurial dreams and a lifelong love of writing. A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania’s Jerome Fisher Program in Management & Technology, Samantha is currently working full time for her company Medley Media Associates as a freelance business writer and communications consultant. The Stitch Trilogy is her debut series. Learn more about Samantha at www.samanthadurante.com.





Guest Post:

“What Just Happened??” Prepping for the Twist by Samantha Durante, Author of Stitch

I LOVE me a good twist.  That moment when everything drops away and you suddenly see the world for how it *really* is - well, there’s nothing quite like it.  Think back to the first time you saw The Sixth Sense, when you found out Bruce Willis was dead.  Or Lost, when you found out everyone on the island was dead (or were they?  I’m still not quite sure what happened!).  Or the first season of American Horror Story, when they revealed that the daughter was dead.  (Hmm, I’m starting to see a pattern here…)  Your jaw drops, your stomach clenches, you can feel the blood pulsing through your temples.  Your world has just been turned upside down… and it was awesome.

I honestly can’t get enough of that feeling.  Whether as a reader, a movie goer, or a TV viewer, a knock-your-socks off twist will always win me over.  BUT, as with anything, there are some caveats - it’s all about the execution.

As a storyteller, how do you find the right balance between acclimating your reader to the upcoming twist without ruining the surprise?  As I discovered while writing Stitch - which includes a large enough twist to actually change the book’s genre - it’s a fine line to walk. 

What I found is that subtly is key.  The clues have to be planted from the very beginning - in Stitch’s case, from the very moment they pick up the book - but they also have to be disguised, so that the reader doesn’t *realize* it’s a clue until it’s too late.

So from a practical standpoint, what does this mean?  How did I actually do this with Stitch?  Here’s my five-step process for prepping your reader for big ole twist-a-roo:

1. Set Expectations.  One thing I was particularly worried about with Stitch is that readers would pick it up expecting one kind of story, then get something completely different and be disappointed.  

So I tried to set expectations from the very beginning, from the first time they looked at the back cover.  I describe the premise of the story - a college girl falls in love with a ghost - but then I very explicitly say, “Except none of this is what’s actually going on,” and go on to talk a bit about a dystopian society.  My hope in doing this was that the reader would get a sense from the outset that there’s more here than meets the eye, and that they would be prepared for some science fiction (thereby deterring anyone who was hoping for the fluffy paranormal romance that this book absolutely does NOT deliver).  If your story will throw readers for a loop - and especially if that loop will fundamentally change the fabric of the book - be upfront about it so that everyone’s on the same page.

2. Create a Bubble.  I started the story by lulling readers into a sense of comfort, bringing them into a world they’re familiar with and introducing a storyline that they’ve probably seen elsewhere.  You get to know the main character, Alessa, and the world she lives in, you see the ghost, you sit next to her as she tries to solve the mystery.  It’s very cozy, very comforting, a deliberate slow burn.  And it’s all leading up to something big.

3. Plant the Deception.  This is where the subtly comes in.  If the clues haven’t been there the whole time, when the twist happens the reader’s just not going to buy it.  At the same time, though, you’ve got to be careful that your foreshadowing doesn’t give it all away.  In Stitch, I used a variety of mechanisms to tip off the reader, but many of these are not recognizable as hints until after you know the twist.  From the setting (is this college campus maybe just a little *too* normal?), to the characters (why does Alessa feel so strongly for this apparition she’s never even traded words with?), to the plot (why do Alessa’s nightmares seem so real?), there many clues that there’s something deeper happening here.  But all the same, these clues could also easily be ignored.  After all, it doesn’t matter how her clothes fit or what she likes to eat or why she doesn’t like the girls she lives with… or does it?

4. Throw in a Red Herring (or Two).  Have you ever played “What’s wrong with this room?”  If you haven’t, go try it now (and trust me, you’ll know when you find it!).  The reason this works SO well is because the viewer is *totally* distracted.  You’re sitting there, looking at this seemingly normal room, searching for something that’s off.  And then you’re still sitting there, starting to get desperate, questioning what obvious thing you MUST be missing, just starting to get frustrated with this whole thing and ready to give up in another second… and then BAM!  This is exactly what I tried to achieve with Stitch.  Just when the story is beginning to drag, I threw in a new potential direction for it to go, which gets the reader excited.  But then Alessa starts making questionable decisions, the whole thing is seeming kind of unrealistic, and the reader is just about to get frustrated and consider putting the damn thing down… Only THEN do you get the twist, when you were least expecting it, which makes it that much better.

5. Close the Loop.  This step is essential, and unfortunately is where a lot of stories fall short.  A twist is only as good as the explanation behind it, and the crazier the twist, the more solid the explanation needs to be.  After all, no one likes to swallow a jagged pill, so it’s essential that the twist can actually be explained with logic, to ease the reader into this brave new world you’ve created.  The Sixth Sense in particular did a great job of this - the minute the wool is pulled from your eyes, you immediately flash back to all the subtle hints that told you what was going on the whole time, and everything fit.

This was a big goal of mine with Stitch, to make sure that there were no plot holes or glaring inconsistencies that just didn’t make sense.  Of course, I didn’t explain *every* little detail (after all, there are two more books in the trilogy to accomplish that in!), but I did make a very concerted effort to answer the reader’s biggest questions and convince them that the story I’d laid out was possible while building trust that I would eventually settle any of their remaining doubts.

A lot of movies in particular forget to take this step, and I really think it’s a shame - no one wants to walk out of a theater feeling duped after investing two hours of their time (and probably 20+ bucks out of their wallet).  By closing the loop, you’re not only giving the reader the satisfaction they deserve, but you’re also letting them know that you know they’re smart, that you appreciate the effort they’ll put into thinking about your story afterward, and that you respect them enough not to waste their time.

As Tim Gunn would say, “Make it work, people!”  And if it doesn’t “work,” your job isn’t done - it’s as simple as that.

Her heart races, her muscles coil, and every impulse in Alessa's body screams at her to run... but yet she's powerless to move.
Still struggling to find her footing after the sudden death of her parents, the last thing college freshman Alessa has the strength to deal with is the inexplicable visceral pull drawing her to a handsome ghostly presence. In between grappling with exams and sorority soirees - and disturbing recurring dreams of being captive in a futuristic prison hell - Alessa is determined to unravel the mystery of the apparition who leaves her breathless. But the terrifying secret she uncovers will find her groping desperately through her nightmares for answers.
Because what Alessa hasn't figured out yet is that she's not really a student, the object of her obsession is no ghost, and her sneaking suspicions that something sinister is lurking behind the walls of her university's idyllic campus are only just scratching the surface...
The opening installment in a twist-laden trilogy, Stitch spans the genres of paranormal romance and dystopian sci-fi to explore the challenges of a society in transition, where morality, vision, and pragmatism collide leaving the average citizen to suffer the results.

Giveaway:

Ebook of Stitch 

Open to everyone

13+

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review: The Indigo Spell by Richelle Mead

The Indigo Spell
by Richelle Mead

Published by: Razorbill
Released on: February 12, 2024
Hardcover
401 Pages
Rating: 5/5









  Oh sweet mother of all bookalicious love!  Mead has put total epicness into The Indigo Spell! This is the third novel in the Bloodlines series and delivers everything that you could ask for.

   In The Golden Lily I was left crushed with the ending and this book certainly makes up for it. We get to see Sydney slowly come out of her protective shell and experience new things (for her anyway). I want to keep things short, as not to spoil anything.

   I was left in shock by some of the decisions that Sydney chose to make along the way. She has decided to go against so much that she believes in. So much that has been taught to her. As she works on her magic skills, struggles to continue keeping the Moroi princess Jill safe, and live her life, Marcus Finch steps into play. Marcus begins teaching her things that have been kept hidden. Things she should've knew about. And we certainly can't forget about dearest Adrian...



Purchased from Amazon.

ARC Giveaway: Wasteland

I have a copy of Wasteland by Susan Kim and Laurence Klavan up for grabs. It's in perfect condition and needs a good home.

Welcome to the Wasteland. Where all the adults are long gone, and now no one lives past the age of nineteen. Susan Kim and Laurence Klavan’s post-apocalyptic debut is the first of a trilogy in which everyone is forced to live under the looming threat of rampant disease and brutal attacks by the Variants —- hermaphroditic outcasts that live on the outskirts of Prin. Esther thinks there’s more to life than toiling at harvesting, gleaning, and excavating, day after day under the relentless sun, just hoping to make it to the next day. But then Caleb, a mysterious stranger, arrives in town, and Esther begins to question who she can trust. As shady pasts unravel into the present and new romances develop, Caleb and Esther realize that they must team together to fight for their lives and for the freedom of Prin.

Rules:

13+

US Only

Winner must respond within 48 hours

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review: Geography Club by Brent Hartinger

Geography Club
by Brent Hartinger

Published by: Harper Tempest
Released on:February 17th, 2004
Paperback
226 Pages
Rating: 4/5









   I was originally asked to review Brent's newest book in this series but he ended up sending me all of them! To me, that's a sweet deal. This book definitely discusses a topic that leaves people in uncomfortable situations and feeling unaccepted. Truth is, they are right. They aren't. And sometimes people are just plain mean.

   We meet Russel who knows deep down inside that he is different from all the other guys in the locker room but he also knows that he has to hide this fact. He certainly doesn't want to raise a red flag and be the school's laughing stock and throw himself out there as a target for bullies. I can't blame him. People are cruel. Kids are cruel. Everyone can be cruel at one time or another.

   When Russel is safe at home and in his room he is allowed the freedom to branch out online and be himself. But when he's chatting with someone claiming to go to the exact same school as him and who's also into the same things, he can't resist. I instantly felt like it was a trap to get him to expose his true identity but alas, I was wrong. What he found that evening on the gazebo shocked me as much as it did Russel. The truth of that night will bring so much more into Russel's life than he could have imagined.


   When Russel finally gets up the courage to tell one of his best friends about his love life, he finds out even more surprises that were totally unexpected. So, with all of them coming together, they create a name that would throw everyone off their trails. The Geography Club is introduced.

    Is it true that they can have a safe place to get together so they can all be open about their sexuality and just be themselves? Or is it too good to be true? Will they all be left exposed?


Received for review purposes from the author.
 

First Kiss (Trailer) Blog Tour by Ann Marie Frohoff + Kindle Fire Giveaway

This is the last stop along the First Kiss Blog Tour, written by Ann Marie Frohoff. I have had the privilege of reading Skid Out (the prequel) and First Kiss. Both incredibly delectable pieces in that fit into a trilogy. I am sharing with you today, the crazy awesome trailer along with a special giveaway. You may now download Skid Out for free at Goodreads. And First Kiss is due to release on June 11, 2013. Be ready guys!

Find out more about the Heavy Influence series

Facebook: Heavy Influence

Twitter: Ann Marie Frohoff

Goodreads: First Kiss (Heavy Influence Trilogy, #1)

Goodreads: Skid Out (Heavy Influence, #0.5)

Website: Ann Marie Frohoff

Amazon: Skid Out - Kindle Edition

It was all about the band, until the girl next door. Her innocence is tempting. A sexually charged coming of age story set in the throes of stardom. 

About an up and coming teenage rocker on the verge of stardom, when the girl next door becomes something more; they're forced to face the harsh realities on his road to fame and the expectations of their friends and family. Sacrifices are made as everything changes as they know it.

Ann Marie ("Annie") Frohoff grew up in sunny Southern California. As a teen and young adult she spent her time frequenting and living in nearly every beachside city up and down the coast.

The first installment in her Heavy Influence Trilogy, FIRST KISS, is tentatively set to release June 11, 2024 — The series is a story about young, reckless love between a rising rock star and his younger muse, spanning 10 years of their tumultuous and passionate relationship. Each book in the Trilogy will come with a soundtrack of original music, of which the lyrics will appear in the pages of the books.

Annie is now settled in the South Bay area of Los Angeles with her family.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review: Glimpse by Carol Lynch Williams

Glimpse

by Carol Lynch Williams

Published by: Simon & Schuster

Released on: June 22, 2024

Hardcover

484 Pages

Rating: 5/5

    I have found myself falling head over heels in love and exceptionally addicted to novels in verse lately. I've had  Glimpse on my wish list for quite some time and finally bought it. The synopsis appealed to me and Carol Lynch Williams has delivered such a powerful, emotional, and incredibly engaging novel.  

   We learn that Hope's life isn't that wonderful but it hasn't been all that bad either. Having her sister Lizzie to connect and bond with over the years has really made a huge impact in her life. Everything was as good as could possibly be until the day that Hope walked into the room, looking at Lizzie holding a gun to her head and about to take her life.

   Instantly, the plot has become enthralling. 

   Lizzie is taken away and committed for her act that she could not perform. Hope has no clue as to what led her to that point. She thought they were so close. They still are. So what happened? What would make Lizzie want to take her own life? She had a secret diary stashed away. Are the answers in there? The doctor believes so but Hope believes it needs to be kept private. Their mother? She's quite a different story.

   It's just their mother who takes care of them. The mother that supports them. The mother who now demands answers as she continues on with her frivolous lifestyle. As Hope slowly starts to wonder what has happened in the past  that must have been covered up, she slowly and unknowingly gets dragged into it all. Talking to the doctor and realizing that she should do the right thing, the thing that might uncover the secrets, the thing that might make Lizzie come back home, is the thing that will lead to the ghastly truth.

Purchased from Amazon.

 

A Shade of Vampire by Bella Forest Promo and Excerpt

On the evening of Sofia Claremont's seventeenth birthday, she is sucked into a nightmare from which she cannot wake.  A quiet evening walk along a beach brings her face to face with a dangerous pale creature that craves much more than her blood. 
She is kidnapped to an island where the sun is eternally forbidden to shine.  An island uncharted by any map and ruled by the most powerful vampire coven on the planet. She wakes here as a slave, a captive in chains. 
Sofia's life takes a thrilling and terrifying turn when she is the one selected out of hundreds of girls to join the harem of Derek Novak, the dark royal Prince. 
Despite his addiction to power and obsessive thirst for her blood, Sofia soon realizes that the safest place on the island is within his quarters, and she must do all within her power to win him over if she is to survive even one more night.
Will she succeed? ...or is she destined to the same fate that all other girls have met at the hands of the Novaks?

Excerpt from A Shade of Vampire

I’d been meandering along the shore for about an hour when I suddenly sensed that I wasn’t alone. Someone was approaching me from behind. My heart leapt. I was so sure it was Ben, that when a stranger showed up beside me, I couldn’t hide my disappointment.

He must have noticed, because a smirk formed on his lips. “Were you expecting someone else, love?”

I eyed him suspiciously, remembering how many times my father had told me not to talk to strangers. I looked him over, taking in his appearance. My eyes widened. I couldn’t find words to describe how fine a man he was. He was almost beautiful. The first thing I took notice of was how his blue eyes were about three shades brighter than any I’d ever seen before. It was such a stark contrast to his pale - almost white - skin and dark hair. Standing beside me, he was easily more than half a foot taller. His height, broad shoulders and lean build reminded me of Ben, but he had a presence that was far more imposing than my best friend’s.

My gaze settled on his face.

I realized that he was inspecting me just as closely as I was him. His eyes on me suddenly made me feel uncomfortably vulnerable. I gave my father’s advice a second thought, but quickly canceled out all notions of heeding to his counsel when I reminded myself that he stopped caring a long time ago.

I straightened to my full height and mustered all the courage I had to keep myself from running away from this stranger.

Big mistake.

The confident smirk didn’t leave his face for even a moment.

“Like what you see?”

“A bit full of yourself, aren’t you?” I scoffed, annoyed by his audacity.

He stepped forward, closer to me, and leaned his head toward mine.

“Don’t I have the right to be?”

He knew he looked good and wasn’t about to act like he didn’t.

“Whatever,” was my oh-so-brilliant comeback.

My shoulders sagged with defeat as I took a step back, unsettled by how close he was now. I rolled my eyes and did a one-eighty, not quite in the mood to play whatever game this stranger was proposing.

I would soon realize that I was about to play his game whether I liked it or not.

He grabbed my arm and turned my body to face him. This motion alone made every single internal alarm I had within me go off in a frenzy.

This man was danger and I knew it. I tried to wriggle away from his touch, but I was no match for his strength.

“Tell me your name,” he commanded.

I was about to refuse, but was horrified to find myself blurting out my name in response.

“Sofia Claremont.”

As soon as I revealed my name, his eyes lit up with a kind of sinister approval. Then he reached for my face and traced his thumb over my jaw line.

“Hello, Sofia Claremont. You’re one stupid girl for taking a walk alone at this time of night. You never know what kind of evil a pretty little thing like you could happen to come by.”

I found myself wondering exactly what kind of evil he was. But I was suddenly overcome by the sensations that were surrounding me. My senses took in everything at once. I heard the waves, felt the sand, smelled the ocean salt, tasted the flavor of cherry and saw the stranger’s manic appearance as he stuck a needle to my neck. The effect was instant. I was barely able to gasp, much less scream. I went from sensing everything to sensing absolutely nothing.

My last conscious thought was that I may never see Ben again.

You can get an exclusive free “sneak preview” of the first 6 chapters by clicking here: http://forrestbooks.com/sneakpeek.html

Purchase 

US Paperback | UK Paperback

Goodreads

About the Author

I've been telling stories pretty much since I could talk. Instead of having my parents read me bed-time stories, I would prefer to share with them my own made up tales.

As I grew older, I developed a passion for the fantasy genre.

I’m an avid reader and a hopeless Potterhead.

If you sign up for personal email updates from me here: www.forrestbooks.com ,

you'll be the first to hear about my new releases.

Giveaway: Pretty Girl 13 by Liz Coley

I have an ARC of Pretty Girl 13 to give away. If interested, please enter below. 

Reminiscent of the Elizabeth Smart case, Pretty Girl-13 is a disturbing and powerful psychological mystery about a girl who must piece together the story of her kidnapping and captivity.

Angie Chapman was thirteen years old when she ventured into the woods alone on a Girl Scouts camping trip. Now she's returned home…only to find that it's three years later and she's sixteen-or at least that's what everyone tells her.

What happened to the past three years of her life?

Angie doesn't know.

But there are people who do — people who could tell Angie every detail of her forgotten time, if only they weren't locked inside her mind. With a tremendous amount of courage, Angie embarks on a journey to discover the fragments of her personality, otherwise known as her "alters." As she unearths more and more about her past, she discovers a terrifying secret and must decide: When you remember things you wish you could forget, do you destroy the parts of yourself that are responsible?

Liz Coley's alarming and fascinating psychological mystery is a disturbing - and ultimately empowering page-turner about accepting our whole selves, and the healing power of courage, hope, and love.

Rules:

13+

US Only

Winner must respond within 48 hours

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Author Interview with Lauren Bjorkman + Giveaway

I am so happy today to bring to you, the author of Miss Fortune Cookie. Be sure to check out the giveaway going on too because it's awesome!

 Lauren Bjorkman spent years sailing on a boat with her family before going to middle school and high school in California. She studied Mandarin in college, traveled to China for her honeymoon, and believes in ghosts. She is the author of two young adult novels, My Invented Life and Miss Fortune Cookie.

1.    Did you ever think of any other names for Erin to name her blog?

No. Usually I spend weeks agonizing over the title AFTER finishing the book. But with Miss Fortune Cookie my process did a one-eighty. Once I got the idea to write a story about a teen advice columnist, the title came to me immediately. Bad puns are a weakness of mine.

2.    Was it ever a possibility for Erin’s friends to find out about her secret  before she revealed her true identity to them?

Since the story follows Erin’s transformation from zero self-confidence to believing in herself, announcing her secret to a large crowd of friends, family, and strangers emphasized how much she’d changed. It was uncharacteristic, and therefore the perfect way to end the novel.

3.    Where did the idea of Miss Fortune Cookie originate from?

Starting point: If you give bad advice, are you responsible when someone takes it?

Evolution 1: Write a story about an advice columnist.

Evolution 2: An advice columnist gives bad advice to her best friend.

Etc., etc., ad nauseum.

After a while, a true story from my life snuck into the manuscript. The first year of HS, my best friend dumped me. I thought it was because I teased her too much. Later we hung out together at school because of a mutual friend. Much later, long after high school ended, she told me the truth. She’d met a new girl that she really liked. She didn’t want to introduce us because she was afraid the new girl would like me better. So she dumped me.

4.    Why fortune cookies?

They’re amusing, and maddening and fun. I always feel a twinge of excitement when I crack one open. In fact, I got a fortune saying that my wildest dreams were about to come true just before an agent offered to represent my first novel. Which made me more superstitious than I already was to begin with!

5.    If you could co-write with any other author, who would you choose and why?

Best. Question. Ever.

I love reading co-authored books with the boy-girl thing going on. But what about an intense friendship between girls? Or a bully vs. bullier story? I’d love to write that with Jennifer Brown, Janet Gurtler, or K.L. Going. They are all so freaking talented. Paging Carolyn Mackler. Are you reading this? Message me!

6.    What's the best piece of writing advice you've ever received?

A successful author for adults took me to the storage locker containing all the drafts of his published and unpublished novels. It was huge. He also showed me some letters where his editor basically kicked his ass. The take home message—work hard at writing, and when you’re done, work harder.

7.    What's your favorite book?

The one I’m completely absorbed in at the moment.

8.    Favorite beverage and food?

I love variety best. That said, I’ll go to ridiculous lengths for a cup of coffee, and might shrivel up and die without chocolate.

9.    Favorite pastime?

Having fun! Baking and eating brownies with my kids, traveling to exotic places, skiing on a powder day, dancing with my husband. Being silly with my friends.

Now, are you ready to win this?

13+

US Only

Winner must respond within 48 hours

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review: Anatomy of a Boyfriend by Daria Snadowsky

Anatomy of a Boyfriend
by Daria Snadowsky

Published by: Ember
Released on: September 23rd, 2008
Paperback
259 Pages
Rating: 3/5









    The idea of Anatomy of a Boyfriend is great. I have found many reviews on this book and apparently, there is some controversy as well. This is truly a great book and I found the thoughts and feelings that the main character felt were quite accurate. The downfall I had was that she was a bit immature. I do understand that she was meant to be perceived as this way. It's just that with all the detail that revolved around sex, I felt that the character shouldn't have been so juvenile.

   Going back to the controversy, I look at it this way, I would much rather have my teenage daughter (or son) reading about sex than actually going out and doing it. Who's with me on this?

   As Dominique is going through her senior year, she never thought that the events that went down would've ever taken place. She has always focused on what was important, unlike her best friend Amy. Amy is a bit of a wild card, throwing caution to the wind. Dom on the other hand has always been much more mellow. At least when it comes to boys.

   When Dom happens to run into Wes, she didn't realize that they would end up boyfriend and girlfriend. She didn't know that she would form a wonderful bond with him. She also didn't know that she could care for someone so much as to give the relationship her all. But as time goes on, it's quite obvious that Dom is putting more effort into the relationship that Wes. Time and again, you see her making excuses for his absence. She's just glad he's there.

   When prom night comes around, they have that special moment that they can cherish forever, but yet again, it seems as though Wes is quite one sided.

College rolls around and they both know that going to different schools won't be easy. Dom better hang on tight because she is definitely going to be having some real life changes.





Received for review purposed by the author.

Giveaway: Generations by Mia Castile

I received this wonderful "share" package the other day from Entwined Publishing. What was inside? Just check out the picture below. Today I want to offer up a giveaway of one copy of Generations along with some of the swag pictured below.

Rules:

13+

Open to everyone

Winner must respond within 48 hours

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review: Zombies Don't Forgive by Rusty Fischer

Zombies Don't Forgive
By Rusty Fischer

Published by: Medallion Press
Released on: April 1st, 2013
384 Pages
Paperback
Rating: 4/5



*Please note, this review was based from an ARC*





   I must say, I loved Zombies Don't Cry so I was very excited for this novel. Taking up were the first book left off, we embark on a new villain. It doesn't start out that way though, so let's start from the beginning.

   Maddy, Stamp, and Dane now have a nice little apartment furnished with zombie accessories. Workout machines so the joints don't get stiff, and a couch. Of course we can't forget the fridge that holds the brains that Maddy has to purchase once a week from some weird, creepy guy. (As if Maddy isn't weird and creepy herself.) For the most part, Maddy and Dane lay low, just hanging around the apartment and exercising at night. Behaving so as to not to cause any suspicion. But that doesn't suit Stamp's lifestyle. He tends to go out clubbing at night. Mixing with the local humans isn't the best of idea's and the others have let him know that they don't much approve of his behavior but they accept it because they trust him. 

  When Stamp finds a girlfriend and suddenly becomes kind of obsessed with her, naturally, Maddy and Dane want to meet her. When she's a no-show, they decide to do some detective work on their own, which leads to far more than they could've imagined. They have always played it safe but this girl is T.R.O.U.B.L.E. Just how far will they go for Stamp, and how far will this new girlfriend push them? Far more than I ever expected!



Received for review purposes from the publisher. 
      

Giveaway: ARC's of Pulse and Fragments

I have a couple of ARC's that I have read and would like to pass along. The books will be a pair, so whoever wins will get both.

Pulse

&

Fragments

Rules:

13+

US Only

Winner must respond within 48 hours

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review: Sever by Lauren DeStefano

Sever
by Lauren DeStefano

Published by: Simon & Schuster
Released on: February 12, 2024
Hardcover
371 Pages
Rating: 5/5









   The Chemical Garden is such a memorable and highly treasured series that has captured my heart from the beginning. In Sever, be prepared to protect your emotions because they will in fact be ripped to shreds. The ending to this series is beyond imaginable and will always leave me wondering what would've happened if things went a little differently. 

  As Rhine has laid in her father-in-laws basement, going through his experiments, she could only think of her brother Rowan and Gabriel. Once she was discovered down there, things aren't the same as before but Linden has still vowed to care for her throughout her shortened life. It's when she is ready to leave the mansion that Linden is willing to help her. Taking her to his uncle's house is where it all begins to happen. 

   Rhine makes quick friends with Reed. Having Vhaughn as an enemy, they both have something in common. Cicily still comes to visit and works to get Linden to help her find Rowan. As events start laying out, so many skeletons come out. Hidden lies are shared and its amazing how many things where tucked away, hidden from them all, And now they have surfaced, leaving things to make a little more sense. 


The unbelievable happens. Surprising deaths, heartbreak, and longing, Sever is packed with the unknown. 


Purchased at Amazon.  

      

Giveaway: House of Night Oracle Cards

I was asked to review these lovely cards and now I don't have much use for them and would like them to go to someone who will. You can find my review of them and what I thought here.

House of Night 

Oracle Cards

Everything in the picture is what is included in the box and what you'll receive. 

Rules:

US Only

13+

Winner must respond within 48 hours

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I've been nominated for Most Creative Blogger- And voting has begun #BBTC

I have been (surprisingly) nominated through the Book Blogger Twitter Con or otherwise known as  #BBTC by someone for Most Creative Blogger. I first want to take the time to thank whoever did this. I am incredibly amazed and humbled by this and wanted to let whoever nominated me know of my great appreciation. 

The voting started on March 1st and I'm not sure when it ends. I would very much  love it if you voted for me. There are many other categories for the Book Blogger Twitter Con so check them out while your there.  All voting has been split up between Parajunkee and The Bookish Brunette. 

If you would like to vote for me, please click here to be directed to the poll.  

I sincerely appreciate anyone who votes and want to show my gratitude. 

Here's to

Love, passionate blogging, happy reading, 

and friends along the way.