THE WEEKLY REWIND at THE BOOKISH BABE, #23

THE WEEKLY REWIND is a weekly post in which I recap the bookish awesomeness from the past week, and post a book haul. Warning: I tend to ramble in my vlogs. Sometimes I get excited about things and I flail. Enjoy.

Book Haul

For Review

• Blood Song (Blood #2) by Tamara Rose Blodgett
• Sugar Rush by Rachel Astor
• Losing It  by Cora Carmack

Bought:

• Exhale (Just Breathe #2) by Kendall Grey
• Redemption (Penton Legacy #1) by Susannah Sandlin
• Wander Dust (The Seraphina Parrish Trilogy #1) by Michelle Warren

Awesome People

• Kendall Grey
• Tamara Rose Blodgett
• Cora Carmack

 

Search Terms That Led to This Blog

• "chris hemsworth" - 43 PEOPLE FOUND MY BLOG USING THIS TERM! *faints* Here you go!
• "down to you by m. leighton" Lots of folks were searching for this. There were FOUR variations of this term. The Davenports are here to please.
• "most sexy books like sexy summer" - ?????
• "a fractured light review" - Loved that book. Here's my review.

 

 

This Week's Posts

Reviews - Going Under (Going Under #1); Ceaseless (Existence Trilogy #3) by Abbi Glines; The Devil's Metal (Devils #1) by Karina Halle; Valkyrie Rising by Ingrid Paulson; My Boyfriend Merlin (My Merlin #1) by Priya Ardis; Diary of a One Night by Alexandrea Weis

 

Memes- Teaser Tuesday (Ceaseless) ; WoW (Losing It),

 

Giveaways-

• Going Under Blog Tour Giveaway (Books and Shirts!)
• The Devil's Metal Giveaway (Book and Shirt!)
• Down to You Special Feature (ecopy of The Wild Ones)
• My Merlin Blog Tour Giveaway
   

Thanks for stopping by. Leave a comment, and I'll come check out your blog. Have a great week!

FRISKY FALL SATURDAYS, #17 {DIARY OF A ONE NIGHT STAND by ALEXANDREA WEIS}

Summer is over, but just because the temperature is dropping, doesn't mean we have to stop reading scorching hot books! Frisky Fall Saturdays is our new weekly post created by The Autumn Review, The Bookish Babe, Hackaroo's Reviews, and Sim-Sational-Books. Feel free to join in. (let us know so we can add a link to your post) As those leaves start piling up in the yard, ignore them and pick up a sexy book!

**The books featured on FRISKY FALL SATURDAYS are for adults. If you are under 18 years of age, or do not like smexy books, please stop here. **


Series: Stand-alone
Publisher: World Castle Publishing
Publication Date: Aug. 1, 2012
Format: ebook (Kindle)
Pages: 266
Source: Received from author for review.

Resilient and practical, Kara Barton has continually strived to live a respectable life. She went to college, embarked on a promising career as an attorney, married a great guy, and always appeared to be the perfect wife and mother. But all is not what it seems, and the troubling past Kara has been running from her entire life is about to catch up with her. Urged on by her insecurities about growing older, and desperately wanting to feel one more night of passion, Kara agrees to share a tryst in a hotel room with a sexy business associate, Scott Ellsworth. But Scott wants more than one night together, and Kara quickly discovers it is impossible to resist him. Soon Kara finds herself transformed into the kind of woman she vowed never to become, and the secure world she has struggled all her life to build begins to fall apart. Kara Barton is about to find out how a one-night stand can change everything.

 

I've had a really hard time pinning down my feelings for Diary of a One Night Stand. On one hand, I can appreciate the story for what it is: a compelling look at one woman's journey through the breakdown of her marriage. On the other, the story at times felt like it was glorifying infidelity.

I think one of the reasons I struggled with Diary is because the story begins with the one night stand. Not the build-up of the relationship. Not the years of marital strife. This made it hard for me to even like Kara because I didn't get to know her, her husband or their struggles before she's hopping into bed with another man. A man who is very seductive and hard to resist, but just came off like such a sleaze that I didn't honestly see the appeal. And there lies another struggle for me because it forced me to remember: Sometimes a person can become so unhappy that they don't make great decisions. But honestly, I did feel as if a lot of the story was spent trying to make the husband look bad so it would be okay to continue the affair. I will say, though, the author doesn't give Kara an easy out, but I did worry that she would. There are consequences to the choices she makes. For much of the relationship, Kara makes ridiculously selfish decisions. She basically lets Scott buy her and her daughter's affection. Eventually, Kara learns that Scott isn't the man he portrays himself to be, and maybe the grass isn't always greener in your lover's yard. (Was that cheesy or what?)

Diary of a One Night Stand was nicely written. Despite the rough start I had with it, I did end up liking it. There were some very steamy moments that definitely left me with a kind of understanding as to why Kara was tempted. The plot went in a way that I did not expect, and it tied up in a nice way. Let's just say, I don't ever want to follow in Kara's footsteps.


Favorite Quote:

  "He slowly moved toward her, letting his eyes wander over every inch of her body. He took another gulp of champagne. When he pulled the bottle away, Kara watched as the liquid glistened against his lips. She leaned forward and tasted the champagne on him." (ebook, 3%)



You can purchase Diary of a One Night Stand at:
Amazon  |  Barnes & Noble  |  Book Depository
.

{BLOG TOUR} MY MERLIN SERIES by PRIYA ARDIS

Welcome to The Bookish Babe's stop on the My Merlin Series Blog Tour! The tour is being hosted by AToMR Book Tours. You can find the complete tour schedule here. My stop includes a review of My Boyfriend Merlin (book one) and giveaway.


Series: My Merlin #1
Publisher: Ink Lion Books
Publication Date: Dec 1, 2011
Format: Paperback
Pages: 305
Source: Received from author for review.

If you can't trust your boyfriend, who can you trust?

In this modern Arthurian, 17-year-old nice girl Arriane, aka Ryan, DuLac just found out her badass biker boyfriend, Matt, is a little older than he was letting on. By a few eons.

In fact, he is really Merlin--the Merlin, King Arthur's Merlin, the greatest wizard who ever lived. But Ryan's not impressed. Tired of being a relationship loser, she'd rather kick his legendary behind.

Sure, the world has been crazy ever since the sword and the stone fell out of the sky like a meteor. But despite gruesome gargoyles, a new world of magic, and the guy driving her crazy, Ryan knows that family is everything. Will Merlin sacrifice hers to save the world? Will she be able to stop him?

 

My Boyfriend Merlin had a very cool premise, centered around magic, mystery and Merlin. Yes, that Merlin. When the Sword in the Stone reappears, Merlin, or Matt as he's known these days, sets out to guide a group of candidates to discover which is the heir to Excalibur. One of the candidates is Ryan, his ex-girlfriend. Ryan, who never knew magic existed, is a little upset about Matt's true identity. To top that, when she's taken to wizard school, she must also contend with a contentious face from Matt's past, and will end up not only learning to use magic, but discovering her own heart.

I found My Boyfriend Merlin to be a clever and fun story. Anyone who is a fan of, or new to, Arthurian legend will surely enjoy it. You have wizards, a touch of Greek myth, gargoyles... even royalty. I really enjoyed the characters. Ryan was sweet, smart, and realistically written. Matt, Van and the rest of the kids at the school were fun, snarky, and exciting. The romantic aspect of My Boyfriend Merlin was surprising. I didn't really expect one of the boys to be a viable candidate for Ryan's heart, but he was and that made the story all the more interesting.

I did like My Boyfriend Merlin, though, I found myself losing focus throughout the middle of the story. And though I think this is a story most would enjoy, I feel it would be a great fit for the "younger" YA readers. Because of this, I will be donating my review copy to Val at Stuck in Books' classroom. My Boyfriend Merlin lives on!

Full of magic and adventure, My Boyfriend Merlin will take you on an exciting journey.


Favorite Quote:

  "His words caused a warm flush. 'You really think Matt would do that? For me?'
   Vane stiffened. 'Do I look like I want to be involved in your teen love saga? Ask someone who cares.
   'Did you recently turn into a jerk or have you been one since birth?' I retorted.
   'Since birth.' With a quick twist of the boot heel, he turned back toward the festival. 'But enough flirting. Let's get this started.' " (pg. 189)


You can purchase My Boyfriend Merlin at:
Amazon  |  Barnes & Noble  |  Book Depository


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{REVIEW} VALKYRIE RISING by INGRID PAULSON

Series:
Publisher: Harper Teen
Publication Date: Oct. 9, 2012
Format: ARC
Pages: 352
Source: Received from publisher for review.

Nothing ever happens in Norway. But at least Ellie knows what to expect when she visits her grandmother: a tranquil fishing village and long, slow summer days. And maybe she’ll finally get out from under the shadow of her way-too-perfect big brother, Graham, while she’s there.

What Ellie doesn’t anticipate is Graham’s infuriating best friend, Tuck, tagging along for the trip. Nor did she imagine boys going missing amid rumors of impossible kidnappings. Least of all does she expect something powerful and ancient to awaken in her and that strange whispers would urge Ellie to claim her place among mythological warriors. Instead of peace and quiet, there’s suddenly a lot for a girl from L.A. to handle on a summer sojourn in Norway! And when Graham vanishes, it’s up to Ellie—and the ever-sarcastic, if undeniably alluring Tuck—to uncover the truth about all the disappearances and thwart the nefarious plan behind them.

Deadly legends, hidden identities, and tentative romance swirl together in one girl’s unexpectedly-epic coming of age.

You know what's hard about writing reviews? Trying to write a review for a book that didn't elicit in either direction. Valkyrie Rising wasn't a bad book; I found the story to be a bit interesting at times. But I also can't say that it is a great book, either. I just found myself simply not caring about the story or the characters. So basically, I feel as if I'm grasping for something to say.

I'm certain part of the problem is that I'm discovering that I'm just not into Valkyries. And to this you're probably thinking "Well, Andrea, why did you pick up a book titled 'Valkyrie Rising'?" I decided to read Valkyrie Rising because it was sent to me by a publicist (Thanks to Harper Teen!)  and I gave it a shot to see if maybe I do like Valkyries, but hadn't found the right book yet.

Another reason I didn't connect to the book was that I felt the author used a lot of telling instead of showing. For example, at one point Ellie gains the ability to hear voices. But instead of "showing" the effect it had on her brain by making me feel as if I were experiencing it with her, the ability is simply told:

"Just when I thought things couldn't get any weirder, a strange voice sounded in my head, one that was me and wasn't me. Like it came from a new part of my consciousness I hadn't had the chance to meet yet."

Those lines didn't make me feel anything. I just know that "Oh, I new ability popped up at an awfully handy time." Which leads me to my next gripe. I am not a fan of stories in which the characters just magically develop abilities whenever it's convenient. Ellie randomly develops the ability to understand the language, she suddenly can hear thoughts, can fight when she's never been trained. I get that this helps keep the pace moving quickly, but I like for my characters to work for a payoff.

So what did I like about Valkyrie Rising? I liked the setting. The author painted a lovely picture of Norway, a location I've not experienced in books. Also, Tuck. If not for Tuck, I don't know that I would have enjoyed the story at all. He was funny, charming, adventurous, and charismatic. I loved the effect he had on Ellie. He made every scene he was in better, and I missed him when he was off scene.

Valkyrie Rising was an "okay" book for me. I didn't love it; I didn't hate it. I'm sure that there are a lot of readers who will love the characters, the mythology, the story and will have a fantastic time reading it.


Favorite Quote:

  " 'We should call the police,' Tuck said.
   'And tell them what, exactly?' I asked. 'That we think Valkyries kidnapped my brother? And attacked my grandmother? Maybe we should interrogate all the other fictional creatures, starting with the Easter Bunny?' I knew I wasn't being helpful, but my frustration was screaming for an out.
  'Leave the Easter Bunny out of it,' Tuck murmured. 'I know that dude has an alibi.' " (eARC, pg 168)

You can pre-order Valkyrie Rising at:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository

{SPECIAL FEATURE} DOWN TO YOU by M. LEIGHTON

I have a special treat today! As you may have noticed around the blogosphere, author M. Leighton recently released her latest book, Down to You. I have had the pleasure of reading this yummy book (my review) and can say for certain, it's too hot to miss! In celebration of the new release, I have an ecopy of Michelle's New York Times Best-Seller, The Wild Ones (my review). And get this...THE WILD ONES WAS RECENTLY PICKED UP BY BERKLEY (AN IMPRINT OF PENGUIN) AND IS NOW GOING TO BE A SERIES!! *takes a deep breath* I love Michelle, hardcore, and am so happy for her. I'm going to calm down before I hyperventilate, so enjoy taking a look at Down to You, which I'm also expecting great things from, then enter to win The Wild Ones.


Publisher: M. Leighton Books
Publication Date: Sept 23, 2012
Genre: New Adult/Adult Contemporary Romance

The scorching tale of one girl, two brothers and a love triangle…that’s not.

Olivia Townsend is nothing special. She’s just a girl working her way through college so she can return home to help her father run his business. She’s determined not to be the second woman in his life to abandon him, even if it means putting her own life on hold. To Olivia, it’s clear what she must do. Plain and simple. Black and white.

But clear becomes complicated when she meets Cash and Nash Davenport. They’re brothers. Twins.
Cash is everything she’s always wanted in a guy. He’s a dangerous, sexy bad boy who wants her in his bed at any cost. He turns her insides to mush and, with just one kiss, makes her forget why he’s no good for her.

Nash is everything she’s ever needed in a guy. He’s successful, responsible and intensely passionate. But he’s taken. Very taken, by none other than Marissa, Liv’s rich, beautiful cousin. That doesn’t stop Olivia from melting every time he looks at her, though. With just one touch, he makes her forget why they can never be together.

Black and white turns to shades of gray when Olivia discovers the boys are hiding something, something that should make her run as far and as fast as she can. But it’s too late to run. Olivia’s already involved. And in love. With both of them.

Both brothers make her heart tremble. Both brothers set her body on fire.

She wants them both.

And they want her.

How will she ever choose between them?

 

Purchase Down to You at:
Amazon  |  Barnes & Noble


And now take a look at what's up for grabs.

Passion as hot as midnight in the South and love as wild as the horses they tame.

Camille “Cami” Hines is the darling daughter of the South’s champion thoroughbred breeder, Jack Hines. She has a pedigree that rivals some of her father’s best horses. Other than feeling a little suffocated at times, Cami thought she was pretty happy with her boyfriend, her life and her future.

But that was before she met Patrick Henley.

“Trick” blurs the lines between what Cami wants and what is expected of her. He’s considered the “help,” which is forbidden fruit as far as her father is concerned, not to mention that Trick would be fired if he ever laid a hand on her. And Trick needs his job. Desperately. His family depends on him.

The heart wants what the heart wants, though, and Trick and Cami are drawn to each other despite the obstacles. At least the ones they know of.

When Trick stumbles upon a note from his father, it triggers a series of revelations that could ruin what he and Cami have worked so hard to overcome. It turns out there’s more to Trick’s presence at the ranch than either of them knew, secrets that could tear them apart.

Now enter your very own copy of The Wild Ones. Good Luck!

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{REVIEW} THE DEVIL'S METAL (DEVILS #1) by KARINA HALLE

Series: Devils #1
Publisher: Metal Blonde Books
Publication Date: Sept. 21, 2012
Format: ebook (Kindle)
Pages:
Source: Received from author for review.

It’s the summer of 1974 and 21-year old Dawn Emerson has only three things she wants to do: compete one last time in the Ellensburg Rodeo, win back her ex-boyfriend Ryan, and become the best damn music journalist at Central Washington University. But all her plans are left in the dust when she’s contacted by Creem magazine to go on the road with one of her favorite groups, the up-and-coming metal band, Hybrid.

At first the assignment reads like a dream come true. Not only will Dawn land some much-needed credibility as a female music journalist, but she’ll finally get to experience life from the other side of the stage, and maybe crack the drunken, enigmatic code that is guitarist Sage Knightly. Instead, Dawn finds herself on an aging tour bus filled with ego-maniacs, band politics and a whole lot of sex, drugs and rock n’ roll. When monsters start showing up in dressing rooms and some of Sage’s groupies become increasingly strange and dangerous, Dawn discovers the band is not only going places – they’re going straight to Hell.

And Dawn has a backstage pass.

***

The Devil's Metal is the first book in a two-part New Adult Horror/Paranormal Romance and very (very!) loosely based on the author's exploits as a music journalist. Hell comes in different forms.

 

A Twisted Tale of Sex, Drugs, and Rock and Roll

Aspiring music journalist Dawn Emerson is offered a once in a lifetime opportunity: Tour with her favorite band, Hybrid. Wanting to earn a credible reputation, Dawn strives to get her story, but stay above the scandalous adventures the band has behind the scenes. The lure of drugs and seduction is hard to resist, particularly when it's offered by your idols. Day by day, Dawn becomes closer to the band, and even begins to join them in the fun. But soon enough, the demons come out to play, and people begin to die. Turns out, someone made a dangerous deal to secure Hybrid's place in the music industry, and it's time to pay up.

The best way I can describe The Devil's Metal is... Almost Famous with demons. Sounds incredibly strange, yes? Much like that iconic movie, you have a young protagonist (but in this case, older and female) touring with her favorite band, in an effort to get the "big" story, and make a name for herself as a music journalist. Because I consider Almost Famous one of the best movies ever, and because I'm obsessed with music, this story held automatic appeal for me. If The Devil's Metal had been simply that story, I would have been fine with that.

But, this isn't simply that story. This is also the story of a band that paid a steep price for success. A price that is now being collected. Karina Halle is fantastic at delivering the creepy. I'm a huge fan of all her books, surprising since I don't typically read or watch horror. But I find her style works for me. It's scary enough to give me the heebie-jeebies, but not so much that I'm tempted to sleep with a steak knife under my pillow.

I tend to like my books with a contemporary setting. I usually find myself annoyed by the constant references that are meant to remind me of the specific time in which the story is set. The exception are books set in the 1990s (THE BEST!!) and 1980s. The 1970s are my hard limit. This era is doable; any further back and I'm done. The fact that The Devil's Metal is set in the 1970s means that you  get tragic fashion and decor, but rad music. Due to the very thorough inclusion of the era's lingo, trends, and pop culture, Karina Halle gives the reader an authentic look at at that place in time.And truly, from a rock history stand point, the story is fascinating.

From beginning to end, I found The Devil's Metal to be a very good book. The story had a fairly solid resolution. The Prologue, however, delivered another big dose of WTF, and you better believe that I'll be on board for book two.

The Devil's Metal is another solid, unique story from the very gifted Karina Halle.



Favorite Quotes:

"During that show I forgot all about the talk I had with Robbie earlier, or the unexpected sass I delivered to Sage. I was just a fan, always a fan, a worshipper who talked to God in her head but fell to her knees at church." (eARC, 31%)

  "He patted the top of my head gently with his hand, his expression melancholic. 'Are you here? Right now? There are different ways to run away and I know them all. Whatever you run from will always find you.' " (eARC, 36%)



You can purchase The Devil's Metal at:
Amazon  |  Smashwords 

Giveaway

Karina Halle is offering one lucky winner:

• A print copy of The Devil's Metal
• A Hybrid v-neck shirt

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

 

 

WAITING ON WEDNESDAY {LOSING IT}

Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's WoW selection is...

 

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 if that weren't embarrassing enough, when she arrives for her first class of her last college semester, she recognizes her new theatre professor. She'd left him naked in her bed about 8 hours earlier.

Expected Publication Date: October 16, 2012

Yep. Every single thing about this book appeals to me. I'm dying to read Losing It. Luckily, I have an eARC for the blog tour and won't have to wait long!

So what are you waiting on this week?