REVIEW: INTO THE STILL BLUE by VERONICA ROSSI

Series: Under the Never Sky #3
Genre: YA Post-Apocalyptic
Publisher: Harper Collins
Publication Date: 1/28/14
Format: eARC
Pages: 400
Source: Publisher
Rating: 5 stars

The earth-shattering conclusion to Veronica Rossi's "masterpiece" Under the Never Sky trilogy and sequel to the New York Times bestselling Through the Ever Night (Examiner.com).

Their love and their leadership have been tested. Now it's time for Perry and Aria to unite the Dwellers and the Outsiders in one last desperate attempt to bring balance to their world.

The race to the Still Blue has reached a stalemate. Aria and Perry are determined to find this last safe-haven from the Aether storms before Sable and Hess do-and they are just as determined to stay together.

Meanwhile, time is running out to rescue Cinder, who was abducted by Hess and Sable for his unique abilities. And when Roar returns to camp, he is so furious with Perry that he won't even look at him, and Perry begins to feel like they have already lost.

Out of options, Perry and Aria assemble a team to mount an impossible rescue mission-because Cinder isn't just the key to unlocking the Still Blue and their only hope for survival, he's also their friend. And in a dying world, the bonds between people are what matter most.

In this final book in her stunning Under the Never Sky trilogy, Veronica Rossi raises the stakes to their absolute limit and brings her epic love story to an unforgettable close.

 

What can I say about this intense ending to a brilliant and gorgeous series? To be honest, all I want to do is just tell everyone to read this series. So I'm going to be brief. I don't feel as if I can say very much about this story, without spoiling it and the first two in the series. But what I can say is, as high as my expectations were, and the threat of disappointment, Into the Still Blue was a perfect ending to the series. I feel very content and happy.

I won't tease with all the possibilities and scenarios. I will say that I felt moments of despair and sadness. Perry and Roar (hands down, one of the best book names ever) gave me a serious case of The Swoons. I felt elation, heart-pounding tension. I ran the gamut of emotions. And in the end, I smiled.

So why should my opinion count? Since I've began the Under the Never Sky series a few years ago, my reading tastes have dramatically changed. I very rarely read anything but contemporary romance. I rarely read young adult. The fact that I still wanted to read this series, that it continued to hold me, thrill me, and have me on the edge, says everything for me.

The Under the Never Sky series, each and every installment, is what I hold up as the benchmark for Young Adult, post-apocalyptic, and honestly, gorgeous storytelling. Give it a try. You will not be sorry.

 

 

Favorite Quotes:

 “Soren,” Roar called. When Soren looked back, Roar flung his knife into the air. The blade spun end over end, heading right for Soren,who yelped and dodged aside. 
  It missed him by a hair, as Roar had surely intended. Roar never missed.
  "Are you insane?"Soren yelled, his face turning red.
  Roar jogged over and calmly picked up his knife, but he sheathed the blade with a vicious thrust. "That's how you do a warning shot."

  Power felt tangible. Its shift unmistakable. Something had just ended, and something had just begun, and every person there sensed it: a change as startling and inevitable as the first drops of rain.


  As they walked back to the cave, a piece of him that had been broken felt whole again. Nothing looked the same or smelled the same, and maybe the world was ending, but he and Roar would walk to that end side by side.

 

  Aria's mind flitted from one thing to another. Falcon Markings that reached shoulder to shoulder. Sandals made of book covers. Opera songs and earthworms and a voice as warm as the afternoon sun. They had one thing in common.
  Perry. Every thought came back to him.


 

Under the Never Sky Series

 

     

 

 

 

Amazon  |  Barnes & Noble

 

 

My Reviews

Under the Never Sky  |  Through the Ever Night

 

 

 

About the author:

Veronica Rossi's debut novel, UNDER THE NEVER SKY, will be published in over twenty-five international markets, starting on January 3rd 2012 in the United States. Film rights to the trilogy have been optioned by Warner Bros.

 

 

 

 

Website  |  Twitter  |  Facebook  |  GoodReads

 

 

 

 

TEASER TUESDAY ~ INTO THE STILL BLUE by VERONICA ROSSI

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along, just do as following:

·Grab your current read
·Open to a random page
·Share two (2) "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page
·Be careful not to include any spoilers so as not to ruin the book for others.

Make sure to share the title and the author so other TT participants can add the book to their TBR piles.


Series: Under the Never Sky #3
Genre: YA Post-Apocalyptic
Publisher: Harper Collins
Publication Date: 1/28/14

The earth-shattering conclusion to Veronica Rossi's "masterpiece" Under the Never Sky trilogy and sequel to the New York Times bestselling Through the Ever Night (Examiner.com).

Their love and their leadership have been tested. Now it's time for Perry and Aria to unite the Dwellers and the Outsiders in one last desperate attempt to bring balance to their world.

The race to the Still Blue has reached a stalemate. Aria and Perry are determined to find this last safe-haven from the Aether storms before Sable and Hess do-and they are just as determined to stay together.

Meanwhile, time is running out to rescue Cinder, who was abducted by Hess and Sable for his unique abilities. And when Roar returns to camp, he is so furious with Perry that he won't even look at him, and Perry begins to feel like they have already lost.

Out of options, Perry and Aria assemble a team to mount an impossible rescue mission-because Cinder isn't just the key to unlocking the Still Blue and their only hope for survival, he's also their friend. And in a dying world, the bonds between people are what matter most.

In this final book in her stunning Under the Never Sky trilogy, Veronica Rossi raises the stakes to their absolute limit and brings her epic love story to an unforgettable close.

    

My  Teasers ~

  "I want to kiss you," he said. Forget pride. He wanted her too much. "Can I?"
  She nodded. "You don't ever have to ask me that again. I'll always say yes."

 

       

COURTNEY REVIEWS: MAYA'S NOTEBOOK by ISABEL ALLENDE

Genre: Realistic Fiction
Publisher: Harper
Publication Date: 4/23/13
Format: ARC
Pages: 387
Source: Received from publisher for review
Rating: 3 stars

Isabel Allende’s latest novel, set in the present day (a new departure for the author), tells the story of a 19-year-old American girl who finds refuge on a remote island off the coast of Chile after falling into a life of drugs, crime, and prostitution. There, in the company of a torture survivor, a lame dog, and other unforgettable characters, Maya Vidal writes her story, which includes pursuit by a gang of assassins, the police, the FBI, and Interpol. In the process, she unveils a terrible family secret, comes to understand the meaning of love and loyalty, and initiates the greatest adventure of her life: the journey into her own soul.

Maya's Notebook is a book that is very rich in characters and setting and story. Though to get the meh stuff out of the way, it does have a very slow progression. I am sometimes one of those "Slam Bam Thank You Ma'am" readers where I need to be hooked pretty quickly and want the story to have a clear arc to the climax and have a happily ever after ending. This is not that. I really enjoyed it, but I honestly had to have a lot of focus to do so.

Maya's story is told through her writing in her journals, but the way she tells the story it doesn't seem like a juvenile journal entry. Maya's story also begins with her being sent to exile to a very Southern island in Chile to live with a friend of her Grandmother's. We don't find out why for an incredibly long time, but in the meantime we do find out the meaning of her life of being raised by her Grandparents Nini and Popo, and her adjustment to life with Manual on this remote island.

I said that the story is very rich in character and setting and story, and that is what helped me really enjoy this book despite its pace and length. Every person that is in this story has a purpose and provides Maya with a lot of life lessons. She spends the latter half of her teenage years as a drug addict on the streets through some incredibly bad decisions, and Allende holds nothing back in the depiction of the horrors of the things that happen to her. Mike O'Kelly, Freddy, Manual, Blanca, Nini, Popo, and Juanito are just a few of the people that I remember most who helped Maya even when she deserved it the least but helped her on her journey to finding herself and dealing with the stuff life threw at her in a mature and grown up way.

The setting and story that goes with Chile is a big part of the story as well, because it is depicted so beautifully. Maya's family is from there originally and fled during the political unrest of the 70's, so figuring out her past as much as her future is a major theme. She guides Manual to face his nightmares, even though their 54 year age difference makes them an unlikely pair, through researching the things that happened while he was held as a prisoner of war.

I do think that Allende is a fantastic writer. She blended all of these different places, time periods, and culture into a truly cohesive story that I am glad to have experienced.

 

A message from author Isabel Allende to readers

 

 

 

Purchase Maya's Notebook at:

Amazon  |  Barnes & Noble  |  Book Depository

 

 

 

About the author:

 Isabel Allende Llona is a Chilean-American novelist. Allende, who writes in the "magic realism" tradition, is considered one of the first successful women novelists in Latin America. She has written novels based in part on her own experiences, often focusing on the experiences of women, weaving myth and realism together. She has lectured and done extensive book tours and has taught literature at several US colleges. She currently resides in California with her husband. Allende adopted U.S. citizenship in 2003.

Connect with Isabel at her website.

 

COVER REVEAL: A LITTLE TOO FAR by LISA DESROCHERS

 

I have another fabulous cover reveal to share with you today! A Little Too Far is the upcoming book from Lisa Desrochers and William Morrow. Check it out!

 

GIVEAWAY: a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

 

 

 

 

 

Series: A Little Too Far #1
Category/Genre: New Adult Contemporary Romance
Publisher: William Morrow/Harper Collins
Publication Date: 9/17/13

Twenty-year-old Lexie Banks just slept with her stepbrother. In her defense, she was on the rebound. But even though she’s always been attracted to Trent, he’s her best friend and her confidant. Which means their mind-blowing sex in a moment of weakness shouldn’t be the only thing she can think about. Lucky for her, she’s leaving for a year abroad in Rome in two days.

But Rome turns out to be no less fraught. Raised a good Catholic, Lexie turns to the Church to confess her sins in hopes of alleviating some of her guilt…and maybe not burning in hell. But she stumbles out of the confessional right into Alessandro Moretti, a young and very easy on the eyes deacon…only eight months away from taking his vows. As Lexie and Alessandro grow closer, she finds herself confiding things in him that she never would have dreamed she could tell anyone but Trent, and when Alessandro’s signals start changing despite his vow of celibacy, she doesn’t know what to think. She’s torn between falling in love with the man she’s known forever and the man sworn to the service of God. And isn’t sure how she can live with herself either way.

 

I trace a finger along the lines of the tattoo over his heart—the kanji symbol for knowledge—as he grasps my thighs and rolls his hips underneath me.

 

GIVEAWAY:

 

 a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

 

 

 

 

About the author:

Lisa Desrochers lives in central California with her husband and two very busy daughters. There is never a time that she can be found without a book in her hand, and she adores stories that take her to new places, and then take her by surprise.

Look for her New Adult novel, A LITTLE TOO FAR , courtesy of HarperCollins Sept 2013, and the first companion, A LITTLE TOO MUCH , in Nov 2013. Also in stores is her YA PERSONAL DEMONS trilogy (Macmillan).

 

Connect with Lisa:

Website  |  Twitter  |  Facebook  |  GoodReads

 

 

REVIEW: RECONSTRUCTING AMELIA by KIMBERLY McCREIGHT

Series: n/a
Genre: Mystery/Thriller
Publisher: Harper Collins
Publication Date: 4/2/13
Format: ARC
Pages: 384
Source: Received from publicist for review.

A stunning debut novel in which a single mother reconstructs her teenaged daughter's life, sifting through her emails, texts, and social media to piece together the shocking truth about the last days of her life.

Litigation lawyer and harried single mother Kate Baron is stunned when her daughter's exclusive private school in Park Slope, Brooklyn, calls with disturbing news: her intelligent, high-achieving fifteen-year-old daughter, Amelia, has been caught cheating.

Kate can't believe that Amelia, an ambitious, levelheaded girl who's never been in trouble would do something like that. But by the time she arrives at Grace Hall, Kate's faced with far more devastating news. Amelia is dead.

Seemingly unable to cope with what she'd done, a despondent Amelia has jumped from the school's roof in an act of "spontaneous" suicide. At least that's the story Grace Hall and the police tell Kate. And overwhelmed as she is by her own guilt and shattered by grief, it is the story that Kate believes until she gets the anonymous text:

She didn't jump.

Sifting through Amelia's emails, text messages, social media postings, and cell phone logs, Kate is determined to learn the heartbreaking truth about why Amelia was on Grace Hall's roof that day-and why she died.

Told in alternating voices, Reconstructing Amelia is a story of secrets and lies, of love and betrayal, of trusted friends and vicious bullies. It's about how well a parent ever really knows a child and how far one mother will go to vindicate the memory of a daughter whose life she could not save.

 

I will just get to it, Reconstructing Amelia was a completely gripping, emotional, and intricate story.

From the moment I first learned of this book, I wanted to read it. When I learned that it had been optioned for film, I was even more excited. I will also say that the subject scared me, too. I am convinced that nothing in life is as frightening as being a parent. Zombies, aliens, serial killers...they're all terrifying, sure. When you have a child, a lot of us spend our time marveling at the miracles, time just trying to make it through the day without screwing up too badly, and the rest of the time convinced we will fail our children. It's scary business. But as a parent, nothing is as terrifying as the thought of losing your child. Reconstructing Amelia is a mother's search for the truth of her daughter's death, while discovering the hidden truths of her daughter's life.

I honestly anticipated Reconstructing Amelia to be a much tougher read than it was. Yes, it was heartbreaking to read Kate learning her daughter had died, even more so with the death being ruled a suicide, and Kate having no clue as to why her daughter would take her own life. It was difficult to see Kate struggling to hold herself together in the aftermath, to simply keep moving and breathing. It was so sad as we (Kate and the reader) start uncovering what Amelia had been struggling with in the days before her death. But with the story's focus being largely on the mystery of Amelia's life in the month or so before her death, and Kate's determination to force the truth out of hiding, this kept the overwhelming sadness of the story back a bit. The mystery of Amelia's life and death was simply fascinating.

I loved the way Reconstructing Amelia unfolded, and found it to be very well done. The story alternated between the present: told through Kate's point-of-view, the past: Amelia's point-of-view of the months leading to her death, and Kate's point-of-view of the past, in the time of her pregnancy with Amelia. The alternating points-of-view helped shed light on Kate and Amelia's lives so beautifully. And it might seem strange for the girl who'd died to have a point-of-view, but I found that it made Amelia's story so much stronger, and helped her not be impetus to a story, but a full part of it. Amelia's story brings up relevant and frightening topics such as bullying, the negative impacts of social media on teens, and secret groups at schools.

Reconstructing Amelia was a story that I could not bear to put down. I wanted justice and truth for Amelia and Kate. I wanted Kate to know that she was a good mother who did her best, despite not having full awareness of her daughter's life. I wanted those who'd hurt Amelia to be found out. I was surprised, really, by the ending and the truth about Amelia's death. It was not what I expected, but truly stunning and sad. Reconstructing Amelia is a story that I will be recommending to many readers, and it is one that I will not forget. I hope the film adaptation does justice to such a remarkable book.
 

 

Purchase Reconstructing Amelia at:

 

  

 

 

 

About the author:

Kimberly McCreight attended Vassar College and graduated cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania Law School. After several years as a litigation associate at some of New York City’s biggest law firms, she left the practice of law to write full-time. Her work has appeared in such publications as Antietam Review, Oxford Magazine and Babble. She lives in Park Slope, Brooklyn, with her husband and two daughters. 

 

Connect with Kimberly at:

Website  |  Twitter  |  Facebook

 

 

REVIEW: RISE (EVE #3) by ANNA CAREY

Series: Eve #3
Category/Genre: Young Adult/Dystopian
Publisher: Harper Collins
Publication Date: 4/2/13
Format: ARC
Pages: 332
Source: Received from publisher for review

How far will you go when you have nothing left to lose?

When she lost her soul mate, Caleb, Eve felt like her world had ended. Trapped in the palace, forced to play the part of the happy, patriotic princess of The New America—and the blushing bride of her father's top adviser—Eve's whole life is a lie. The only thing that keeps her going is Caleb's memory, and the revolution he started.

Now, Eve is taking over where Caleb left off. With the help of Moss, an undercover subversive in the King's court, she plots to take down The New America, beginning with the capital, the City of Sand. Will Eve be able to bring about a new, free world when she's called upon to perform the ultimate act of rebellion—killing her father?

In Rise, Eve must choose who to leave behind, who to save, and who to fight as Anna Carey's epic tale of romance and sacrifice in the chilling dystopia of The New America comes to a stunning conclusion.

I fell in love with this series from the moment I began reading Eve. Everything about the story appealed to me: the characters, led by the incredibly endearing Eve; the history that created this world; the danger, action and adventure; and most of all Anna Carey's incredible writing. And I have to say that throughout the series, Carey has never been afraid to take risks with the story. No one was safe, and I found myself heartbroken more than once.

So having read Eve and Once, I was extremely anxious for Rise. I mean, the ending of Once was so brutal, and I had to know what happened next. Now that I have read Rise, I can say that I did like the story, and Carey's writing is still gorgeous.

In an effort to keep this spoiler free, I'm not going to go into the plot. At all. I can say, though, that the story is surprising, intense, and brutal. And I do applaud Carey for not making the story easy, and for not holding any punches. And though I felt it was authentic to someone of her age and circumstance, I know that some readers have felt Eve was impulsive and reckless. I think they would appreciate her character growth in Rise.

At the conclusion of the series, I can say that I am satisfied. I thought the story was extremely well-paced and well-written. Did everything I want to happen come to pass? I won't say, because if you've read the series, you'll know what I'm talking about. I did feel the ending was extremely abrupt. In fact, I was about to tear my ARC apart looking for missing pages. I didn't like that it just stopped, though I can maybe see why that happened. I will say that I would love if an epilogue had been added. Having said that, I still think Rise was a very satisfactory ending to the Eve Series.


Favorite Quote:

  He'd left so much space in my life. The expansive, hollow feeling seemed impossible to fill with anything else. In the past weeks I felt it in everything I did. It was in the shifting current of my thoughts, the nights now spent alone, the sheets beside me cold. This is where he used to be, I'd think. How can I possibly live with all this empty space?

The Eve Series 

 

(click on cover for GoodReads page)

 

My Reviews of

Eve  |  Once

 

 

Purchase the books at:

Amazon  |  Barnes & Noble  |  Book Depository

 

 

 

Visit Epic Reads' The End is Here Page for all things Eve!

 

 

 

About the author

Anna Carey has been a gift wrapper, face painter, nanny, horrific cocktail waitress, sofa saleswoman and children's book editor. She graduated from New York University and has an MFA in fiction from Brooklyn College. She currently lives in Los Angeles, where she can be found writing, reading, and doodling on the giant chalkboard in her kitchen.

Connect with Anna at:

Website  |  Twitter

 

 

THE END IS HERE: THE EVE SERIES ~ LETTER FROM ANNA CAREY TO HER READERS

 

 

The End of the Eve Series is here, and I am thrilled to be able to share a letter from author Anna Carey to her readers.

 

Visit Epic Reads' The End is Here Page for all things Eve!

 

 

 

Dear Andrea,

            It’s been over three years since I imagined one of the first scenes in Eve—a girl and boy on horseback being chased by a grizzly bear. Since then the series has been written, sold, published in the US and abroad, and now, apparently, THE END IS HERE. Love and thanks for following me this far, for your support for Eve and Once, and for hosting me for one of the last EpicReads events I’ll be doing for the trilogy.

            And now…cue the violin music…

            As you may have noticed, RISE is dedicated to Eve’s readers, but those two lines feel like a cheap imitation of all the gratitude I’m feeling now. When I started writing I wanted to tell the story of an incredibly sheltered, proud girl who was completely certain of the world around her. What happens when she finds out everything she learned is a lie? How can she possibly reconcile her education with what she’s discovering every day? Will she have the courage to leave all she’s ever known?

           I have long believed that strength isn’t something we have or don’t have—it’s something that grows from experience. I never wanted to write someone who wasn’t scared, who never made mistakes or faltered. I wanted to write someone true, someone with real flaws who feels weak and terrified at times, but manages to scrape together all the courage she has to push through.

         Emails and tweets, facebook posts and schools visits and signings and panels—I’ve seen how much Eve’s story has resonated with readers. I’m grateful that people have related to her and that they have loved her as I love her (and all these characters). I’m grateful that they’ve followed her, and the series, as she’s` grown into the strong, confident woman of RISE.

XO
Anna

 

 

 

The Eve Series

(click on cover for GoodReads page)

My Reviews of

Eve | Once

Purchase the books at:

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository

 

 

About the author

Anna Carey has been a gift wrapper, face painter, nanny, horrific cocktail waitress, sofa saleswoman and children's book editor. She graduated from New York University and has an MFA in fiction from Brooklyn College. She currently lives in Los Angeles, where she can be found writing, reading, and doodling on the giant chalkboard in her kitchen.

Connect with Anna at:

Website | Twitter

 

{REVIEW} THROUGH THE EVER NIGHT (UNDER THE NEVER SKY #2) by VERONICA ROSSI

Series: Under the Never Sky #2
Genre: Young Adult Post-Apocalyptic/SciFi
Publisher: Harper Collins
Publication Date: 1/8/13
Format:  Hardcover
Pages: 352
Source: Bought

It's been months since Aria last saw Perry. Months since Perry was named Blood Lord of the Tides, and Aria was charged with an impossible mission. Now, finally, they are about to be reunited. But their reunion is far from perfect. The Tides don't take kindly to Aria, a former Dweller. And with the worsening Aether storms threatening the tribe's precarious existence, Aria begins to fear that leaving Perry behind might be the only way to save them both.

Threatened by false friends, hidden enemies, and powerful temptations, Aria and Perry wonder, Can their love survive through the ever night?

In this second book in her spellbinding Under the Never Sky trilogy, Veronica Rossi combines fantasy and dystopian elements to create a captivating love story as perilous as it is unforgettable.

**Does not contain spoilers for Through the Ever Night, but does contain spoilers for Under the Never Sky.**


Under the Never Sky was one of my favorite books of 2012. The story contains a brutal world with danger around every bend, characters that were fierce and written to heartbreaking perfection, and writing that seemed to grip my heart and my mind and refuse to let go. To say I've been anxiously awaiting Through the Ever Night is an understatement.

This book was intense. Perry is now the Blood Lord of the Tides, and carries an enormous burden. Though he has always put others before himself, that selflessness is taken to a whole new level. Things are getting worse on the Outside. The Aether is less predictable, scorching land and taking down anything in its path. Food and resources are becoming scarce, and other tribes are moving in. At only nineteen, Perry must find a way to keep the Tides safe, despite a lack of good options and dissension among the group. He also needs to rescue his nephew Talon, come to terms with his new status and how he achieved it, as well as his feelings for Aria and how that can throw everything else into turmoil.

Once again, Aria is a heroine I love to love. This girl is practical, honorable, brave and loving. She's now an orphan, an outcast to the Outsiders and Dwellers. She loves Perry, but doesn't want to hurt his fragile position. She wants to rescue Talon. She desperately needs to find the Still Blue. She wants a Home. Her home is Perry.

Now, this review would be a sham if I didn't discuss Roar. I'm just going to say that Roar is one of my favorite characters ever. Staggeringly handsome, devilishly charming, devoted with all his heart to a girl he can no longer have, this poor boy stole me heart. His loyalty to Perry is what true friendship is about. His affection towards Aria is amusing. Roar has some of the best one-liners out there. I love his quips, but oh my, did my heart ever break for him.

One thing I want to mention, and I do not remember if it was explained in UtNS, was the Aether. I won't go into detail because it is fascinating to read in the story, and lengthy to explain, but there is a very logical scientific explanation given for the Aether, and how it led to the Unity. I LOVE when post-apocalyptic worlds make sense.

Through the Ever Night was a brilliant follow-up to Under the Never Sky. Rossi is an enormously gifted author whose words held me bound to the story. I simply could not put it down. I am thoroughly impressed/elated/heartbroken and it goes without saying that I want to cry when I think about how long we must wait for Into the Still Blue.


Favorite Quote:

  "This..."He was going to tell her that this was how they should've come together, days ago in the woods. This was what he'd thought about all winter--what he'd missed. But he couldn't get past the way she felt, or the way the she was looking at him.
  "Yes," she said. "This"
  Perry bent and kissed her lips. She curved against him, her sigh a warm drift against his cheek, and then nothing existed beyond her mouth and her skin and the feel of her body against his.  ~ pg 49 


  Nothing would change the way he felt. Not ignoring his thoughts of her, or being with Kirra. The moment Aria had taken his hand on the roof at Marron's, she'd changed everything. No matter what happened, she'd always be the one.  ~pg 280

 

Under the Never Sky Series

 

My review of Under the Never Sky

You can purchase Through the Ever Night at:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository

TEASER TUESDAY ~ THROUGH THE EVER NIGHT

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along, just do as following:

·Grab your current read
·Open to a random page
·Share two (2) "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page
·Be careful not to include any spoilers so as not to ruin the book for others.

Make sure to share the title and the author so other TT participants can add the book to their TBR piles.



Series: Under the Never Sky #2
Genre: Young Adult Post-Apocalyptic/SciFi
Publisher: Harper Collins
Publication Date: 1/8/13
Format:  Hardcover
Pages: 352
Source: Bought

It's been months since Aria last saw Perry. Months since Perry was named Blood Lord of the Tides, and Aria was charged with an impossible mission. Now, finally, they are about to be reunited. But their reunion is far from perfect. The Tides don't take kindly to Aria, a former Dweller. And with the worsening Aether storms threatening the tribe's precarious existence, Aria begins to fear that leaving Perry behind might be the only way to save them both.

Threatened by false friends, hidden enemies, and powerful temptations, Aria and Perry wonder, Can their love survive through the ever night?

In this second book in her spellbinding Under the Never Sky trilogy, Veronica Rossi combines fantasy and dystopian elements to create a captivating love story as perilous as it is unforgettable.

My Teaser:

 

  When she saw him, her eyes widened in surprise, but her stride didn't slow and neither did his. He shed his things, dropping them where they fell, and sprinted. Next thing he knew, she slammed into his chest, solid and fragrant in his arms.
  Perry held her against him. "I missed you," he whispered in her ear. He couldn't hold her close enough. "I should never have let you go. I missed you so much."  ~pg. 4-5

I love this book! My review will be up tomorrow.

 

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

{REVIEW} TAKING CHANCES by MOLLY McADAMS

Series: Stand alone
Genre: Contemporary New Adult
Publisher: William Morrow
Publication Date: 10/16/12
Format: eARC
Pages: 432
Source: Received from publisher via Edelweiss

Eighteen year old Harper has grown up under her career Marine of a father's thumb. Ready to live life her own way and experience things she's only ever heard of from the jarheads in her father's unit; she's on her way to college at San Diego State University.

Thanks to her new roommate, Harper is introduced to a world of parties, gorgeous guys, family and emotions. Some she wasn't expecting yet, and others she never knew she was missing.

She finds herself being torn in two as she quickly falls in love with her boyfriend Brandon, and her roommate's brother Chase. Covered in tattoos, known for fighting in the Underground and ridiculously muscled...they're exactly what she was always warned to stay away from, but just what she needs. Despite their dangerous looks and histories, both adore and would do anything for Harper, including stepping back if it means she's happy.

Her first year away is turning out to be near perfect, but one weekend of giving in to heated passion will change everything.
 

 

Taking Chances is a story that will reel you in and break your heart. But it also gives you quite the dramatic and unconventional love story.

Harper is a girl who has never experienced a traditional family lifestyle. She grew up on an Army base with her widower father, a distant and overprotective man, and his soldiers, who were like older brothers to her. Harper decides she needs to get away, and goes to college across the country. She is immediately befriended by her roomie Bree, and is introduced to life as a co-ed. This means parties at the house Bree's brother Chase lives in with his buddies. Harper feels an immediate, intense attraction to Chase, but with his womanizing ways, he quickly scares her pff. His roommate Brandon, however, is exactly right for Harper. Brandon is kind, patient, and gorgeous. He and Harper quickly begin a relationship, yet she still harbors feelings for Chase. The triangle soon comes to a head, and the passion that ensues changes the lives of all three forever. What results is heartbreak, shock, pain, love that goes beyond expectation, friendship and family.

To make you understand what makes Taking Chances intense and shocking would require me to spoil the story. And this aspect is what has also made a lot of readers (according to reviews I've read) angry. And I get their feelings, to some extent, but then again, I don't. I feel uncomfortable when readers get angry when characters in books make mistakes, as if that doesn't happen in real life. Harper makes some really, really big mistakes. But she is an eighteen-year old girl with almost no life experience. She's never had anyone teach her how to handle her intense feelings and emotions. She's torn between two very appealing guys, and just doesn't know how to handle it. After a tragedy, Harper decides to make a life, in a unconventional, yet loving way. This seems to have angered readers, as well. To this I say, you don't know. Something very similar to what happens to Harper, happened in my own family. It's horrible. It's painful. And sadly, it's life. No person, especially someone in Harper's situation, should have to endure it. I know this seems vague and odd to people who haven't read Taking Chances. But to those who have, whether you agree with me or not, absolutely know what I'm saying here.

I will say there were a couple of issues I had with the book. For starters, I felt like many of the characters handle some very difficult situations a little too well. It was nice for Harper, and I loved the support she received, but in real life, I feel it would be a bit more dramatic. Also, the plot could used a lot of tightening. There was a secondary plot with an old friend of Harper's that added nothing significant to the plot other than unnecessary drama and length. And really, there was a lot in the last twenty percent that could have been left out, and still given a sweet, thorough ending.

Having said that, I truly enjoyed Taking Chances. I stayed up until 3am reading it, and had to force myself to close my eyes. It was addictive, and so freaking emotional. I was prepared by my cousin for the shock, and I was so glad. I still cried like a baby. I'm still a bit distraught. Taking Chances is a story that I don't think I can possibly forget.


Favorite Quote:

  "If you think acting like you don't exist isn't the hardest thing I've ever done, you're wrong. I hate not talking to you. I hate not bickering like we're an old married couple and I hate not spending every day right next to you. But this is how it has to be. Brandon hates me, and Princess, trust me when I say he has every reason to. So if after everything I've done to you, you'll still even consider being my friend, then it has to be Sundays only."  ~  eARC, 29%


You can purchase Taking Chances at:
Amazon  |  Barnes & Noble  |  Book Depository


About the author:


Grew up in California but now live in the oh-so-amazing state of Texas with my husband and furry daughter. Some of my hobbies include hiking, snowboarding, traveling and long walks on the beach…which roughly translates to being a homebody with the hubby and dishing out movie quotes. When I'm not at work, I can be found hiding out in my bedroom surrounded by my laptop, cell, Kindle and fighting over the TV remote. I have a weakness for crude-humored movies, fried pickles and love curling up in a fluffy comforter during a thunderstorm...or under one in a bathtub if there are tornados. That way I can pretend they aren't really happening.

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