A Little Note

Readers,

Sorry that my blog posts are anything but regular for the last while. It all started with my netbook crashing and being unable to fix it, and me being pure lazy. I didn't want to sit at my computer and write my reviews any longer! After the joy of sitting on my couch or in my bed, sitting at the computer on a chair didn't appeal to me. I've still been reading tons, and Simon & Schuster have still been kind to me by sending ARC's (which I have reviewed) I'm trying harder to get posts and reviews done, regardless of where I have to sit. So be patient, and I'll have my blog back up and functioning. It also came to my attention that a lot of my posts were posted with a white background behind some paragraphs. It never showed up like this on my computer, so I never knew it was happening.  Sorry for this and I hope I know how to fix it!

Thank you for you continued support, and look forward to seeing more from me in the upcoming time!

Book Review: True by Erin McCarthy

Publish Date: May 7th, 2013
Publisher: InterMix - Penguin Group
ISBN: 9781101623152
Pages: 238 ebook pages
Series: None
Source: ARC ebook from NetGalley

NetGalley Synopsis:

A captivating New Adult novel from New York Times bestselling author Erin McCarthy.

When Rory Macintosh’s roommates find out that their studious and shy friend has never been with a guy, they decide that, as an act of kindness they’ll help her lose her virginity by hiring confident, tattooed bad boy Tyler Mann to do the job…unbeknownst to Rory.Tyler knows he’s not good enough for Rory. She’s smart, doctor smart, while he’s barely scraping by at his EMT program, hoping to pull his younger brothers out of the hell their druggy mother has left them in. But he can’t resist taking up her roommates on an opportunity to get to know her better. There’s something about her honesty that keeps him coming back when he knows he shouldn’t…
Torn between common sense and desire, the two find themselves caught up in a passionate relationship. But when Tyler’s broken family threatens to destroy his future, and hers, Rory will need to decide whether to cut her ties to his risky world or follow her heart, no matter what the cost…

My Review:

True was my first Erin McCarthy book, and I was impressed. It was a really great read. I truly enjoyed reading it. Rory is a character you can relate to in certain ways and it was refreshing to read. Her point of view is clear and makes for easy understanding of who she is. She doesn't mess around, she's straight to the point and honest, though why all of a sudden she is so eager to loose her virginity is still a bit of a mystery to me. Is it so she doesn't feel left out? So she can fit in? She's so independent, she doesn't need to do this and that was the one small detail that bothered me in True. It's not until you see that maybe Rory is really ready to step into that new experience that she hasn't bothered to explore yet. She has been kind of a quiet nerd her whole life so far, one who studies and doesn't go out a whole lot.
Tyler is a likable character from the start. We see genuine care towards Rory, even though there's that little secret between him and Rory's roommates. I really liked watching their relationship grow. It was like watching a movie with the best actors/actresses. The picture was clear from start to finish, the characters, the storyline and McCarthy's writing all played a role in that. 
Tyler has 3 brothers, 2 younger and 1 older. While Tyler was with his brothers, it was so honest and pure. It really shaped his character and made him that much more likable. The interactions between Tyler's brothers and their mother was heart breaking, seeing as they were called names, treated terribly and so afraid of her behavior because of drugs. The connection that Rory felt with his brothers and vice-versa made things so much better. It will lift the readers heart to see Tyler, his brothers and Rory form a friendship that will persevere though everything.  
There is quite a bit of sexual content in True, but it's not a YA book, so it's OK. The sex scenes were never too much. I never felt uncomfortable while reading them. There was just enough detail to feel the raw emotions of Rory and Tyler. Through this, we got a better understanding of the importance of sex that Rory felt, and what it means to Rory.
Erin McCarthy is a great writer. Her details, characterization and the plot line were so seamlessly crafted into this truly extraordinary read. You'll want to pick this up whether you're a fan of McCarthy or not; you will be after True.

Book Review: True by Hilary Duff

Publish Date: April 16, 2013
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
ISBN: 978-1-4424-0857-9
Pages: 304
Series: Elixir, #3
Source: ARC from publisher

Goodreads Synopsis:

Following the harrowing events of Elixir and Devoted—and the ceremony that almost killed Sage—Clea faces a new reality: With Sage’s soul in Nico’s body, the love of her life looks an awful lot like her best friend’s boyfriend. Can Clea and Sage really be happy under these circumstances?
Clea wants to try to enjoy their new life together, but Sage is acting different—angry—and she struggles to keep her friends from finding out what has happened to him. Something is clearly haunting Sage, and Clea is losing control. Can she trust her friends with the dangerous truth, or will she have to risk losing Sage to madness?

My Review:

I still find it hard to believe, but Hilary Duff is an author and she wrote this series and pulled off a pretty good trilogy. The Elixir novels were intense, romantic and intriguing. We never knew what would happen next and I enjoyed that. In True, book #3, we finally see the fate of Clea and Sage. Are they finally together for life or did the ceremony from Devoted end Sage's life forever? If you've read Elixir and Devoted then it's crucial that you finish the series and read True.

Sage is alive through Nico's body and this was the hardest part for me. That was Clea's best friends boyfriend who is now dead, but can be seen walking around, but it's not him. It was just hard to wrap my head around that, and be okay with it. 
Sage is now dealing with anger issues from being inside Nicos body, and has become a violent person with episodes here and there and he's forgetting things that have just happened and Clea doesn't know why this is happening. She is determined to bring out the old Sage, her soul mate, the kind hearted Sage we all knew. Can she does this alone? Can she trust her friends to support her and help Sage? The ending of True will have you re-thinking the loyalties of all of the characters in this series and with the back and forth POV's of Clea and Rayna you will see things differently. How does Rayna feel now that her boyfriend has left the earth but his body remains? These are all new issues that will be dealt with in the final conclusion of Hilary Duff's Elixir Series.

Book Review: Devoted by Hilary Duff

Publish Date: October 11, 2011
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
ISBN:9781442408562
Pages:
Series: Elixir, #2
Source: ARC from publisher

From Goodreads:
Clea Raymond believes her soulmate, Sage, is lost forever, and it rips her apart. She is haunted by memories of him being taken away by his enemies. Then strange signs and dreams point to a way she can possibly win him back. To succeed, she’ll have to put her faith in her former best friend Ben—despite the devastating reason he’s lost her trust.

     As Clea and Ben follow a dangerous and mysterious trail across the globe to reach Sage, all their loyalties will be tested. And Clea will face a terrible choice—she can save Sage, but only by betraying the people closest to her. With Sage’s immortal soul in the balance, whatever Clea decides will change her life forever….

My Review:
Where Elixir took us on the beginning of the journey to find Clea's dad, Devoted puts that on the back burner and focuses more on Clea saving Sage's life so they can live happily ever after. Clea is afraid that she has lost Sage and she's willing to do what it takes to get him back. I just wished for more regarding Clea's father. I thought that was a main plot line to the Elixir series, but this novel seemed to take us in another direction. 
I'm glad that I had book 2 to read right after book 1 because there were so many answers that I needed and thankfully got in book 2. We have a clearer understanding of the 2 groups, the Cursed Vengeance and the Saviors, who they really are and what they want. And why and how Sage's body is riddled with the Elixir of life. We meet new characters that at first might seem out of place, but they are crucial to the story. While not all answers are there, and new ones arose, there was a lot happening in Devoted, I was happy that book 3 was waiting for me, and I could just hop from one to the next. 
The ending of Devoted was just insane, and you'll have to read it to see what I'm talking about, but holy cow, what is going to happen now? Devoted should definitely be on your reading list if you've read book 1. 

Book Review: Savor by Megan Duncan and Author Interview!

Publish Date: September 28, 2011
Publisher: Megan Duncan
ISBN: 9781466159211
Pages: ebook, 183
Series: Warm Delicacy. #1
Source: From author for honest review

Goodreads Synopsis:
When Claire Miller turned eighteen all she wanted to do was celebrate her birthday, but after a night on the town with her best friend she awakes to a visitor she never expected. The rulers of her region, a vampire royal family, have chosen her to be turned as their new heir and vampire princess. In a world fueled by the power of blood, Claire quickly discovers the vampire royal family is not what they seem and that she has secrets in her past, she never knew existed.

My Review:
Claire turns 18, goes to donate blood which is the norm when you're governed by vampires. She get's her donor card, and soon realizes that her blood is pure, and she will be reigning over as a princess.
My first thought while reading this, is that Claire is not hesitant at all to become a vampire princess. She totally accepts that she may never see her friends and her mother again and she's fine with that. But then we see that Claire was never really that close to her mother and it makes a bit more sense. But i just couldn't quite comprehend her dropping everything as quickly as she did and starting a new, and very different lifestyle. I think there should have been a little more back story about the relationship Claire has with her mother, or lack of relationship and maybe it would have pieced it together a bit more for me. Claire is not the most up to date with her vampire history either. Admitting that she never paid attention in school. It was hard to imagine her being a princess in the vampire royal family without knowing anything about them. She still believed that vampires had no reflection and they were afraid of garlic, which we soon learn is not the case. I think these two things made me a little apprehensive about the novel at first. I just wished for more background and maybe if Claire was a vampire know-it-all or something, then turned out she was completely wrong abut everything, and faced the horrible truths about the vampire world - but maybe that wouldn't work for the whole series and is clearly not where Megan Duncan wanted the story to go, which is why I'm just a reviewer, not an author.

Once I got passed these minor details, and I accepted that Claire could accept being a vampire princess, I enjoyed Savor. The story line was very interesting, seeing as vampires are the norm and the Rulers, and humans accept them was refreshing to read. Claire is a fun little character, though Robin definitely stood out more to me. She's a fun-loving, kind vampire who would do anything for her friend as we see in her and Claire's developing friendship. Robin knows a lot about the vampire history and is the one who is there for Claire throughout her transformation and gives her the scoop on all the princess duties. We meet Dmitry, a vampire who can literally make you swoon over him . He's a fun, charming vampire with whom Claire immediately falls for, and it's great seeing their relationship develop. Their interactions are easy and he brings out confidence in Claire that she didn't always have.
Near the end of Savor, a lot changes and Megan Duncan reveals that the vampire princess has to go through a ritual that has not been done in ages since it was never deemed necessary, until now. And due to a riot that breaks out and puts the vampire world in danger, this one little notion will change so many things in Claire's new vampire world and I cannot wait to read book #2 to see where things will be headed. 

Author Interview

Hi Megan, thanks so much for coming to my blog and doing an interview with me!

Stellar Book Blog: What inspired you to write Savor?

Megan Duncan: It was actually the main character, Claire. She was the first person that came to mind when I first thought up the series. I wanted to create this realm for a girl, who grew up in a world ruled by Vampires. I didn't want them to live in hiding like they do in most all books. In my mind, Vampires are powerful, and it made sense to me that they would reign over humans; even rule over them as a royal family.

SBB: Why vampires? Have you always wanted to write a vampire story?

MD: Most definitely. I've read tons and tons of Vampire stories and have always wanted to write one, but I held back until I felt I came up with an original idea.

SBB: Describe the Warm Delicacy series in one sentence. Get us hooked!

MD: When vampires rule the world, blood must be shed and when your enemy is immortal; the battle never ends.

SBB: Did you have to do any research for Savor, or is everything straight from your head?

MD: The only research I did was to see if there were any stories like mine out there. My main goal was to create a vampire story that hadn't been told a dozen times over. I wanted, more than anything, for my book to be unique.

SBB: When writing Savor, did you know exactly where your book was headed? Did your characters surprise you in any way and steer you in a different direction?

MD: I started writing Savor on a whim when the idea hit me. I was watching something on TV and the story just popped into my brain, so I grabbed my laptop and started writing. Having only a vague idea of where I wanted to go I just let my characters do their thing, and allowed this new world to grow on its own. It was lots of fun.

SBB: Did you always want to be an author? What would you be if you weren't an author?

MD: Oh yes, I've wanted to be an author since the 4th grade. But, if I weren't, I would want to be a graphic artist. I love the cover design part of being an indie author.

SBB: What do you like most about being a YA author?

MD: I absolutely love hearing back from readers when they tell me how much they love a certain character or story. Getting their feedback really drives me forward and makes what I do all the more rewarding.

SBB: You're a self-published author, was the journey what you thought it would be? Why or why not.

MD: Nope not at all, but I'm still happy I did it. In some ways its harder, and in others it is easier.

SBB: What, if any, are your writing habits? 

MD: My writing habits are strange and tend to change with each book. Since I'm currently writing the next installment in my Dystopia series I am writing at night a lot, mostly in my living room in the dark with either Supernatural on the television or some other scary movie or show.

SBB: Grwoing up, did you read a lot? If so, what were your favourite books?

MD: I read a ton growing up, and my favorite books were by Anne McCaffrey. I love her Dragonriders of Pern series, and Acorna Universe. Simply amazing!

And just for fun, if you could meet anyone, dead or alive, who would it be? 

MD: Anne McCaffrey! Her stories inspired me so much and I'd love to know what inspired her.

Thank you so much for coming to my blog and taking the time out of your busy schedule to answer my questions. I really appreciate  it, and had lots of fun!

Facebook * Twitter * Blog * Goodreads 

Be sure to check out Megan Duncan's Warm Delicacy series if you're looking for a fun twist on your typical vampire story, or if you're just looking for a good read!

Book Review: Elixir by Hilary Duff

Publish Date: October 12, 2010
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's
ISBN: 978-0-8570-7054-8
Pages: 330
Series: Elixir, #1
Source: Bought
Goodreads Synopsis:
Clea Raymond is a talented photojournalist and the daughter of high-profile parents. Usually she's in total control of her camera, but after Clea's father disappears while on a humanitarian mission, eerie, shadowy images of a strange and handsome young man begin to appear in Clea's photos--a man she has never seen in her life. When Clea suddenly encounters this man in person she is stunned--and feels an immediate and powerful connection. As they grow closer, they are drawn deep into the mystery behind her father's disappearance and discover the centuries-old truth behind their intense bond. Torn by a dangerous love triangle and haunted by a powerful secret that holds their fate, together they race against time to unravel their past in order to save their future--and their lives.

My Review:
I had a hard time taking Elixir serious. I kept waiting for that key point - 'Oh right, what was I thinking reading this? Hilary Duff wrote it!' - Maybe I was being completely judgmental  but that's what I was thinking reading this. I kept remembering of the old Hilary Duff - you know, Lizzie McGuire, then pop star - and I thought there's no way she can now be a best-selling author of a YA Paranormal/Fantasy series.(actor-> singer -> author -> what next?) But that key point never happened, I finished the book, and enjoyed every part of it!
Clea keeps seeing this guy show up in her photos. At first, she writes it off as a security measure seeing as her mother is in politics, and is always trying to protect Clea and keep her safe. After multiple dreams featuring this mysterious guy and hours of studying these pictures, Clea finds one where the guy seems to be  floating and Clea knows this is not possible. So she digs deeper and gets some help of her best friend, Ben. Together, they uncover that this is what Clea's dad had been studying (he's missing), and after traveling around the world together, Ben and Clea try to unlock the secrets of this mysterious Elixir of life and find out who keeps appearing in Clea's photos, also trying to piece together the disappearance of her father. When we finally meet the guy in the picture, a character named Sage, things start going in a different direction, Clea is drawn to him in a way no one can understand.
Clea, even though a daughter of a politician and world renowned surgeon, who can travel around the world whenever she wants, and vacations in the hot spots of Paris and so on, is a character that readers can relate to. She's still just a teenager who likes being with her friends and loves dancing and the scene with Ben and her in Rio on the beach is proof of that. Sage is mysterious, and yet endearing and I always felt the need to know more about him. Ben, a young and smart guy is a real sweet and amiable character who will put anything on the line to help and protect Clea. Duff's writing was alright. she put a lot of description is her work and was able to pull readers in. There's a lot of information just left hanging there so book #2 is a must-read!                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   

Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting on Wednesday is a meme hosted by Breaking The Spine to showcase what upcoming books we are anxiously waiting for.

The Rising (Darkness Rising, #3) by Kelley Armstrong

is set it be released April 9th, 2013 by HarperCollins

Things are getting desperate for Maya and her friends. Hunted by the powerful St. Clouds and now a rival Cabal as well, they're quickly running out of places to hide. And with the whole world thinking they died in a helicopter crash, it's not like they can just go to the authorities for help

All they have is the name and number of someone who might be able to give them a few answers. Answers to why they're so valuable, and why their supernatural powers are getting more and more out of control.

But Maya is unprepared for the truths that await her. And now, like it or not, she'll have to face down some demons from her past if she ever hopes to move on with her life. Because Maya can't keep running forever.

Old secrets are revealed and unexpected characters make a surprising return in this stunning conclusion to Kelley Armstrong's New York Timesbestselling Darkness Rising trilogy.

Again, another conclusion that I can't wait to read!