Blog Tour Review and Giveaway: Deception by CJ Redwine

Deception by C.J. Redwine

On Shelves NOW!!  (As in Today!)

ARC received from CJ, thank you!

Reviewed by:  Middle Sis Jenn

The Sisters Say:  Gripping, Suspenseful, and Heart-breaking

Baalboden has been ravaged. The brutal Commander's whereabouts are unknown. And Rachel, grief stricken over her father's death, needs Logan more than ever. With their ragged group of survivors struggling to forge a future, it's up to Logan to become the leader they need—with Rachel by his side. Under constant threat from rival Carrington's army, who is after the device that controls the Cursed One, the group decides to abandon the ruins of their home and take their chances in the Wasteland.



But soon their problems intensify tenfold: someone—possibly inside their ranks—is sabotaging the survivors, picking them off one by one. The chaos and uncertainty of each day puts unbearable strain on Rachel and Logan, and it isn't long before they feel their love splintering. Even worse, as it becomes clear that the Commander will stop at nothing to destroy them, the band of survivors begins to question whether the price of freedom may be too great—and whether, hunted by their enemies and the murderous traitor in their midst, they can make it out of the Wasteland alive.

In this daring sequel to Defiance, with the world they once loved forever destroyed, Rachel and Logan must decide between a life on the run and standing their ground to fight

***This is a review of the first half of the book as I just got my copy!

I just love this world!!!!  I was hypnotized by Defiance—a world that seemed futuristic, yet somehow lost in the past; a Commander as evil as the sun is bright; a love that has awoken a purpose; and an unkillable beast that haunts the underground.  CJ’s dystopian world is imaginative and terrifying, and I am captivated more with every turn of the page.

This sequel starts pretty much right where the last book ends, and I like that very little time has passed.  Straight off, we see the animosity and fear that has settled in the hearts of the survivors, and I have enjoyed seeing how everyone reacts to the realization that they are no longer under the Commander’s thumb.  Some of the women are finally starting to shed their old ways, and many of the men are learning that oppression is not the norm.  While I do like seeing deeper into this newfound society, I have noticed that the plot is slower than the first book.  This is because we are getting a more involved look at the characters, but I do wish that there would be some more action to move the growing relationships along.

Rachel is just as broken as she was in the last book, and while I like that this hardens her and makes her a warrior, I do find myself missing that connection between her and Logan.  The love is there, and you can see it; but it is definitely strained.  I feel like they are disconnected, and I just keep waiting for something horrible to happen because they aren’t being straight with each other.  Still, Rachel is a kick a** character, and I am having a blast seeing her stand up to even the strongest of men.

I just love Logan, and he’s not the type I normally fall for.  I tend to like the bad, mysterious guys; and Logan is not that.  He’s sincere and sweet, and he knows nothing about playing the games that bad boys do.  He’s just that sweet guy that knows how to steal your heart.  I love him so hard!

One thing I do miss is the tension and hatred that the Commander instills when he shows up.  I’m a little over 200 pages in, and he has been seen on a horse, like twice.  I want his anger and hatred to fuel the action, and it just isn’t there.  Now, that doesn’t mean there isn’t some good action.  There is a mystery in the group of survivors that needs to be solved or people will die (or continue to die), but it just doesn’t add the suspense and malice that the Commander did in the first book.  I’m definitely ready for a stand off between him and Rachel.

Overall, I’m really liking what I’ve read so far (I’ve read over 200 pages today which is rare for me now), and I’m looking forward to finding out what happens next with the Commander, the Cursed One, and the lovers.  Here’s to hoping that the ending doesn’t crush me since we have to wait another year for the final book!!

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Blog Tour and Giveaway: Spies and Prejudice by Talia Vance

 

Hey everyone!  Today we have the pleasure of hosting the Spies and Prejudice Blog Tour!  We sisters love Talia, and if you haven't read any of her books, you are completely missing out!!!! So, check it out, and don't forget to enter the giveaway at the bottom of the post!!!

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Spies and Prejudice by Talia Vance

ARC received from Egmont USA

Release Date:  6-11-2013

Reviewed by:  Middle Sis Jenn

The Sisters Say:  Flirty, Fun, and Fiery

Oh how I just love Talia Vance!  The first book I read and loved by her was Silver, a paranormal, mythology-based young adult book; so when I saw (months and months ago) that she was writing a contemporary spy novel, I swore to myself I would get a copy as soon as possible.  I am so glad that I kept that promise!  Talia once again blew me away!

This book will truly establish Talia Vance as a versatile and fantastic writer.  Spies and Prejudice is completely different from her debut novel, but it will still grab ahold of your heart strings and give them a nice, tight tug.  I just loved Strawberry Fields—ha, literally laughed out loud at that—who goes by Berry.  She’s strong and confident and doesn’t give a crap about what anybody else thinks.  If a guy gets too obnoxious or handsy, she just rears back and kicks him in his special place—or pepper sprays him, whatever works in that moment.  She’s this awesome tough chick whose witty repartee will leave you fighting to catch your breath.

I loved the spy aspect and the gadgets in this book.  I have only read one other ya spy book (Also Known As), so I’m pretty new to this side of the ya genre, but I will say, I am definitely going to have to read more.  I found myself fascinated by all the James Bond stuff that Mare creates!  It literally had me wanting to go on the internet and buy a bunch of spy toys just so I could feel all tough and duplicitous.  I may have to make my 2 year old’s birthday theme “I Spy” this year just so that I can buy some cool techno gadgets!

So…now for the guys!  Because we all know I read these books for the guys.  Who doesn’t?  There are two guys that line up for Berry’s affections—Tanner and Drew.  Tanner is the arrogant and conceited hottie that just grates on Berry’s nerves (and heart), and I was really drawn to the “Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy love/hate” aspect of their relationship.  It might be cliché, but I love when characters go from hate to love.  It always means there are going to be plenty of laughs followed by plenty of oohhs and ahhhs.  It’s a cliché for a reason, people!!  It works, and Talia wrote it perfectly.  I did wish we could see a little bit more into his background and motivations, so I’m hoping Talia decides to write a follow up to this one with a bit more attention on the beautiful jerk.

Then there’s Drew.  He’s genuine and caring, and he seems to really understand Berry.  She opens up to him when she feels like she can’t to other people.  I liked how Drew played foil to Tanner.  Where Tanner was hard, Drew was soft; where Tanner was delicious, Drew was the understated hottie.  They worked well playing off each other, and I found that it added some drama and tension to the story.  I do wish we could have gotten a bit more info on Drew, too.  I knew he was cute and ripped, but I had a hard time picturing him in my head.  Had there been a bit more description, I think I would have seen him better.

Overall, I really enjoyed the action and mystery in this book.  The characters were so realistic, and Berry’s mistakes, pain, and expectations really resonated within me.  I kind of felt like the ending was bit rushed, but that’s the romantic in me.  I wanted to see a big, passionate, “I love, love, love you,” scene like we get in Pride and Prejudice.  Still, I rushed through the pages, not being able to get enough of Talia’s quirky main character and brooding mystery boy.

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Website: http://taliavance.com/

Blog: http://taliavance.blogspot.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/TaliaVance

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4575398.Talia_Vance

 

Coded Links:

Website/Blog/Twitter/Goodreads

Giveaway:  3 Winners Will Receive a copy of Spies and Prejudice and a T-shirt

2 Winners will Receive a T-shirt



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Blog Tour: The Last Academy Excerpt and Giveaway

Today we have the pleasure of hosting the Blog Tour for The Last Academy by Anne Applegate.  Be sure to check out the blurb and excerpt!  Plus, don't forget to enter the giveaway to win a finished copy of The Last Academy at the bottom of this post!

What is this prep school preparing them for?

Camden Fisher arrives at boarding school haunted by a falling-out with her best friend back home. But the manicured grounds of Lethe Academy are like nothing Cam has ever known. There are gorgeous, preppy boys wielding tennis rackets, and circles of girls with secrets to spare. Only . . . something is not quite right. One of Cam's new friends mysteriously disappears, but the teachers don't seem too concerned. Cam wakes up to strangers in her room, who then melt into the night. She is suddenly plagued by odd memories, and senses there might be something dark and terrible brewing. But what? The answer will leave Cam—and readers—stunned and breathless, in this thrilling debut novel.

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Excerpt

 

That night I dreamed I was swimming in an inky ocean under a sky full of stars.  Flashing red and white lights reflected on the waves.  Sirens droned in the distance, but I felt peaceful.  The perfect night for an end-of-summer pool party, I thought.

 

Then I was back at the chapel with Rachel.  Candlelight flickered through the stained glass and made Rachel look like she was on fire, her skin melting.  She yelled, 'Run!' and laughed at me as her hair began to smolder.  She became a young man with emerald eyes and mocha skin.  Jessie's brother grinned at me and rattled the chapel wall, the muscles in his forearms standing out with the effort.  Stop it!  I tried to say.  Inside the chapel, someone screamed.  I was screaming.

 

And then I was awake and falling out of bed.  Landing knocked the wind out of me.  On the floor, wrapped up in my bedsheets like a freshly caught fish in a net, I tried to catch my breath.  The sun shone through the crack of the curtains of our room, too bright.  Confused, I glanced at Taara's bed, but it was mae and she was gone.

 

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Blog Tour and Giveaway: The Watcher by Lisa Voisin

The Watcher by Lisa Voisin

eARC received from Inkspell Publishing

Release Date:  March 4^th

Reviewed by:  Middle Sis Jenn

Millennia ago, he fell from heaven for her.

Can he face her without falling again?

Fascinated with ancient civilizations, seventeen-year-old Mia Crawford dreams of becoming an archaeologist. She also dreams of wings—soft and silent like snow—and somebody trying to steal them.

When a horrible creature appears out of thin air and attacks her, she knows Michael Fontaine is involved, though he claims to know nothing about it. Secretive and aloof, Michael evokes feelings in Mia that she doesn’t understand. Images of another time and place haunt her. She recognizes them—but not from any textbook.

In search of the truth, Mia discovers a past life of forbidden love, jealousy and revenge that tore an angel from Heaven and sent her to an early grave. Now that her soul has returned, does she have a chance at loving that angel again? Or will an age-old nemesis destroy them both?

Ancient history is only the beginning.

The Watcher follows Mia who finds herself inextricably drawn to Michael, new boy in town.  He’s mysterious and broody, but behind all that, is a guy trying to redeem himself.  Then enter Damiel, serious bad boy with one agenda:  Mia.  What follows is a series of dangerous encounters, stolen kisses, and heartbreaking revelations.

What did I like?

The romance in this book is one of those innocently sweet romances.  It’s one of those romances that makes you go, “Aw.”  Now, that doesn’t mean there aren’t some heated scenes tangled throughout the storyline.  On the contrary, there are a few scenes full of pent-up passion that seems to explode. 

I really liked the minor characters the most in this book, especially Mia’s best friends, Heather and Fiona.  They were fun and you can tell they really cared about Mia, even when they were going through their own problems/relationships.  Mia’s mom was also great.  I especially liked when she told Mia:  “’No, honey.  Men are never angels,” she said sagely.  ‘Besides, it’s the devil in them that we love.’”  Because isn’t that the truth?!?  There’s always something so alluring about the bad guy!

Damiel, the bad boy.  While I wish his character would have been developed more at the beginning, he was a great foil to Michael.  He was strong-willed and hypnotic, and Mia felt herself being drawn to him even though she tried to fight it.  We see straight into Damiel’s past and his desires in the end of the novel, but he was pretty empty at the beginning.  Either way, he was still a great “bad guy.”

What I didn’t like?

I felt like the plot was unoriginal.  It was just too similar to Lauren Kate’s Fallen for me.  There were differences, but there were some major parts of this story that were way too much like Daniel and Luce from Kate’s series. 

This story had potential, but the writing was bland at times.  I felt like there was just too much telling with hardly any showing.  I wanted her world to open up around me as I read, and instead of being pulled into another realm, I was completely aware at all times that I was just reading.  I didn’t get lost in the book like I love doing.  As a result, I had a hard time getting through some of the scenes.

Sadly, I wasn’t a fan of the main characters.  Their actions and words just didn’t seem true enough for me.  Not that it wasn’t the truth for them as characters, but I didn’t see the feelings and emotions that led them to those truths.  It was just like all of a sudden---Bam!---and they love each other, but they can’t be together, but they want to fight for each other, etcetera and so on.  I need to see deeper into their lives and personalities for them to be real for me.

From looking at the reviews, most people really enjoyed this book.  They loved the romance and the action, but for me, it was just okay.  I’m hoping that the next installment will have more showing, and the writing will bring me more into this world.  I’m also really hoping that the storyline will depart from the Fallen similarities into something original and new. 

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Be sure you enter the giveaway!  The paperback and ebook sleeve giveaway is open for US, UK, and Canada.  The ebook giveaway is worldwide.

The sleeve is customizable, and you will have your choice of designs.  You can also get your name sewn into it. 

Here is an example of one design for the ebook sleeve:

 

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Blog Tour and Giveaway: Touch of Death by Kelly Hashway

Hey everyone!  Today we have the pleasure of hosting the Touch of Death Blog Tour!!!  Check out my review below, and be sure to enter the Rafflecopter for the giveaway!

Touch of Death by Kelly Hashway

ARC received from Spencer Hill Press

Release Date:  January 15, 2013

Reviewed by:  Middle Sis Jenn

The Sisters Say:  Intense and Romantic

Jodi Marshall isn’t sure how she went from normal teenager to walking disaster. One minute she’s in her junior year of high school, spending time with her amazing boyfriend and her best friend. The next she’s being stalked by some guy no one seems to know.

After the stranger, Alex, reveals himself, Jodi learns he’s not a normal teenager and neither is she. With a kiss that kills and a touch that brings the dead back to life, Jodi discovers she’s part of a branch of necromancers born under the 13th sign of the zodiac, Ophiuchus. A branch of necromancers that are descendents of Medusa. A branch of necromancers with poisoned blood writhing in their veins.

Jodi’s deadly to the living and even more deadly to the deceased. She has to leave her old, normal life behind before she hurts the people she loves. As if that isn’t difficult enough, Jodi discovers she’s the chosen one who has to save the rest of her kind from perishing at the hands of Hades. If she can’t figure out how to control her power, history will repeat itself, and her race will become extinct.

I was so excited to start reading Touch of Death by Kelly Hashway.  From the blurb, I knew it would have everything I loved:

Mythology—Check

Sexy, mysterious guy—Check

Girl with strange powers—Check

My Fave Greek God, Hades—Check

Throw all these together with Medusa looming overhead, and you have Kelly’s book.

I will admit, it did take me a while to get into the book.  For the first 100 pages, the writing was choppy—simple sentence after simple sentence.  There were times I had to re-read sentences because they didn’t flow well, and that put a real damper on a fun idea.  Add to that that there was an abundance of telling with very little showing, and it made for a rough start.  However, after those initial 100 pages, the writing smoothed out and the romance and suspense took off, leaving me wanting to know what was going to happen next.

My favorite part of the story was how Medusa fit into the plot.  I can’t think of another mythology book out there that focuses on Medusa or her descendants, so this was completely new for me; and I enjoyed seeing a different character in Greek mythology emerge.  While we learn a bit about Medusa’s past and her descendants, there is still plenty to learn in the next book, and I look forward to seeing what happens next.

Jodi was an up and down main character for me.  There were times when I really liked her perseverance and her get-out-of-my-face attitude.  She wasn’t the type of person to back down, and her strength really shows in her actions.  While her attitude and strength were great attributes, I felt like there were times when she was a bit daft.  I mean, how many people have to die right after she sees them for her to start wondering what the heck is going on?  If that were happening to me, I’d definitely start to wonder, “Why me?”  Now, of course, I wouldn’t jump to the conclusion that my blood was poison, but I wouldn’t think that it was all coincidence either.  Jodi seems to not even notice the strangeness of it all until it is pointed out to her.  I’m hoping that she will become more aware and quick-witted in the next book.

And, as always, I must talk about the guy.  Alex—good-looking, mysterious, powerful.  Just the way I like them, and what makes him even better?  I know he’s hiding something.  Why does this make him better, you ask?  I don’t know…but there’s just something sexy about a YA guy with secrets.  You can think I’m weird, go ahead—but if it weren’t so sexy, it wouldn’t be done over and over again.  Am I right?  You bet your butt I am!!!  Alex has his jerky moments, but there are plenty of swoon-worthy ones, too.  Here’s to hoping we can get a few sizzling scenes in book 2 (because I need way more than there were in this one).

Overall, I enjoyed Touch of Death once I got into the story and past the writing flaws.  It was suspenseful and sexy, and I am really interested in how Jodi handles Hades in the future.  Oh, and Hades is hot—so yay!  Hades is by far my favorite Greek God (dark and uber-powerful---yeah!), so I am really looking forward to seeing more of him!!!

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