Friday, January 31, 2014

Blog Tour: Review: Forever, Jack by Natasha Boyd + Giveaways (INT)

Hi and welcome to my stop on the Eversea and Forever Jack Blog Tour. Below you'll find my review for Forever Jack!
I love this series. It's one of my favorite in the new adult genre as you will read below.
Enjoy!
Oh, and don't forget to enter the two giveaways below. Awesome prizes! :D
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Title: Forever, Jack
Author: Natasha Boyd
Series: Eversea #2
Publication: November 25th 2013 by NPRB
Genre: New Adult
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Cover Rating: 5/5
Overall Rating: 5/5


Review copy provided in exchange for an honest review.

 
A feisty small-town girl and the Hollywood star who broke her heart

An all-consuming love threatened by fame

One last chance at FOREVER

Keri Ann Butler's life changed on the night she met movie star, Jack Eversea. She thought she knew a Jack that was very different to the man adored by fans the world over. In the wake of his betrayal and abandonment, Keri Ann has had to pick up and move forward with the life she was supposed to live and has put off far too long.

Suddenly Jack is back, and his explanations for why he left seem more and more plausible, and his declarations more seductive. But being Jack's latest tabloid accessory isn't on Keri Ann's career agenda, no matter how much she is attracted to him. And how can she can ever trust him again?

Jack knows he let the only 'real' thing that ever happened to him slip through his fingers. And his hands have been tied to try and stop it. Until Now.

Jack is now fighting to save his relationship with Keri Ann, even as his crazy life threatens to tear them apart. Again. The question is, can he convince her she can have it all? And have him? Forever?







I am so so so glad I got the chance to read Forever, Jack. It was sooooo good! I even liked it better than the first book, Eversea, and I really enjoyed that one so that says a lot. I'm not sure what it was about this book that made me totally love it. Right from the start my eyes were glued to my Kindle screen and I just couldn't stop reading. I almost read two days straight I think so I had it finished in no time. That's fast, even for me. So that's proof of how absolutely amazing Natasha Boyd is at writing. 

Forever, Jack doesn't start where Eversea ended right away. There are months and months that went by where Keri Ann has been working on her art and gettng into SCAD. Basically, she has been trying to move on from Jack and finding out what she really wants to do. Until Jack returns to Butler Cove and turns her world upside down again.

So I loved the way this book started. Can't go wrong with a prologue in Jack's point of view, right? It was really good. And I loved all the other Jack chapters in his point of view too as I did Keri Ann's chapters. I'm also impressed by the way these two characters really have their own voice. I'm not sure if it will make any sense to anyone, but sometimes when there's more than one character with a point of view they seem to have the same voice. With Keri Ann and Jack it's so different and I loved it.

The story was so romantic and I felt myself so rooting for Keri Ann and Jack even to the point of biting my nails. I just wanted them to be together. I also just wanted to lock Jazz and Joey together in a room. They have got to get together! Maybe in a book of their own? *hint hint*
Anyway... This book was just perfection. Everything I wanted in a new adult book and I must say this has got to be one of my favorite reads in this genre of the year!

Natasha Boyd's writing also has got to be mentioned. It blew me away. I can't remember being this impressed with an author's writing for a while and I also can't remember if I enjoyed it this much in Eversea. She can really write beautifully and I loved every word that I read. 

And I absolutely loved the mentions of Harry Potter, Christian Grey and Gideon Cross. I seriously laughed my ass off at those parts. Brilliant!

Romantic, a love that you're rooting for and some drama, Forever Jack was one wonderful read. I really enjoyed reading it and I just want to applaud Natasha Boyd for writing such a truly amazing book that was even better than the first one. Bravo!




Favorite Quotes:
"This..." he continued and began bunching up my dress in his fist and drawing it up my thigh, "what we have... is extra-sensory overload... where everthing else is a silent fucking movie."
"It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities," I quoted.
"Oh my God, are you quoting Harry Potter at me?" Jack laughed, rolling me onto my back.
"Well, you are a self-professed book and moved nerd. I'm just a book-nerd."
"Well, I'll be. It looks like Christian Grey just arrived," Mrs. Weaton sniffed.
Jazz almost snorted on her champagne, and I giggled.
"What, you don't think an old gal like me enjoys a saucy book?"
"Not at all," I said, seriously. Jack had eclipsed every single book boyfriend I'd ever had from Darcy to...
"Christian Grey?" Jazz asked haughtily. "Me-thinks more Gideon Cross. That man can wear a suit."



About The Author:

Natasha Boyd is a writer with a background in marketing and public relations. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Psychology, and lives in the coastal Carolina Lowcountry, complete with Spanish moss, alligators and mosquitoes the size of tiny birds. She has a husband, two sons and a cat named Tuna. Eversea is her first full-length novel.




--My Giveaway--
Prize:
One (1) ebook copy of either Eversea (Eversea #1) or Forever Jack (Eversea #2) by Natasha Boyd!
a Rafflecopter giveaway



--Tour Wide Giveaway--
Prizes:
--4 Kindles (Open wherever Amazon ships)
--2x signer copies of both book 1 & 2 + sea turtle pendant (Open INTL)

a Rafflecopter giveaway




Blog tour was organized by - 





Feature & Follow #50

Feature & Follow is a weekly meme hosted on friday by Parajunkee & Alison Can Read to gain new followers and make new friends!

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This week's activity:
Time for Book Spine Poetry again! Take a picture of your book spines spelling out something epic.


I'm really bad at book spine poetry so please bear with me... :3



Tempestuous
Teardrop
Unhinged
Every Day
Under the Never Sky
These Broken Stars
Stolen Away





I would love to see your book spine poem!
Leave me links to your FF post!

GFC
bloglovin


Best of the Bunch ~ January 2014

Best of the Bunch is a monthly meme hosted by Always Lost in Stories on the last day of every month. The aim of this meme is to share the best book that we have read in that month and give it our Best of the Bunch award.
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Books read in January:

House of Bathory by Linda Lafferty ~ 5 stars ~ My Review!
Bitter Sweet Love (The Dark Elements #0.5) by Jennifer L. Armentrout ~ 2 stars
Layla's Gale (Elemental Myths #1) by Nicole Pouchet ~ 4 stars ~ Review to come closer to release date!


Ceiba's Grace (Elemental Myths #0.5) by Nicole Pouchet ~ 4 stars ~ My Review!
The Fault in Our Stars by John Green ~ 5 stars ~ My Review!
Priestess of the Nile (The Gods of Egypt #1) by Veronica Scott ~ 3 stars ~ My Review!


Looking for Alaska by John Green ~ 3 stars
Shadow Kiss: A Graphic Novel (Vampire Academy: The Graphic Novel #3) by Richelle Mead ~ 5 stars
The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson and the Olympians #1) by Rick Riordan ~ 3 stars


War of the Gods by Justine Borrego, Juan Borrego and Marco Borrego ~ 3 stars ~ My Review!
Blood Reunited (Blood Vine #3) by Amber Belldene ~ 5 stars ~ My Review!
Enshadowed (Nevermore #2) by Kelly Creagh ~ 5 stars


Love Lessons (Heavenly Bites #2) by Christine S. Feldman ~ 4 stars ~ My Review!
Playing Cupid (Heavenly Bites #3) by Christine S. Feldman ~ 5 stars ~ My Review!





And the Best of the Bunch winner of January 2014 is...




The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
Kindle Edition, 337 pages
Published January 10th 2012 by Dutton Books
Diagnosed with Stage IV thyroid cancer at 13, Hazel was prepared to die until, at 14, a medical miracle shrunk the tumours in her lungs... for now.

Two years post-miracle, sixteen-year-old Hazel is post-everything else, too; post-high school, post-friends and post-normalcy. And even though she could live for a long time (whatever that means), Hazel lives tethered to an oxygen tank, the tumours tenuously kept at bay with a constant chemical assault.

Enter Augustus Waters. A match made at cancer kid support group, Augustus is gorgeous, in remission, and shockingly to her, interested in Hazel. Being with Augustus is both an unexpected destination and a long-needed journey, pushing Hazel to re-examine how sickness and health, life and death, will define her and the legacy that everyone leaves behind.



I don't think this came as a surprise. It was by far the best book I've read in January. My friend Em surprised me by gifting it to me for my Kindle because she knew the libraries have a never ending waiting list for this one. Thans again, girl! :D




~Honorable mentions go to:

House of Bathory by Linda Lafferty
This was the first book I read in January and it was a hit right away. I loved it and it was probably the second best book I read this month!

Layla's Gale by Nicole Pouchet 
This (together with Ceiba's Grace) was a really good book that I enjoyed immensely. I'm so glad the author asked me to review it!

Blood Reunited by Amber Belldene
God, I loved this book. I can't believe it's the end already. But it was ended perfectly. Yay!

Enshadowed by Kelly Creagh
My god. How badly I want the third book in this series now! Enshadowed was amazing. Just as good as Nevermore! 





What was the best book you read this month?
Leave me links to your Best of the Bunch post if you participate in it.


Thursday, January 30, 2014

Review: Be with Me by J. Lynn

Title: Be with Me
Author: J. Lynn
Series: Wait for You #2
Publication: February 4th 2014 by HarperCollins
Genre: New Adult
Cover Rating: 5/5
Overall Rating: 5/5

Review copy provided by publisher in exchange for an honest review.


Teresa Hamilton is having a rough year—she’s in love with her big brother’s best friend, but he hasn’t spoken to her since they shared a truly amazing, mind-blowing, change-your-life kiss. She got out of a terrible relationship. And now an injury is threatening to end her dance career for good. It’s time for Plan B – college. And maybe a chance to convince Jase that what they have together is real.

Jase Winstead has a huge secret that he’s not telling anyone. Especially not his best friend’s incredibly beautiful sister. Even though he and Teresa shared the hottest kiss of his life, he knows that his responsibilities must take priority. He certainly doesn’t have time for a relationship. But it doesn’t help that all he can think about kissing the one girl who could ruin everything for him.

As they’re thrown together more and more, Jase and Tess can’t keep denying their feelings for each other. But a familiar danger looms and tragedy strikes. As the campus recovers, the star-crossed couple must decide what they’re willing to risk to be together, and what they’re willing to lose if they’re not…




I'm going to jump right in and say that I loved Be with Me. I actually think it's the best in the series so far. It was even better than Wait for You and Trust in Me combined. Yes, I might be fangirling a little too hard. How does Jennifer L. Armentrout keep doing this?

I just loved both Teresa and Jase so much. Especially together were they perfection. Sure Jase pissed me off a little. Okay, a lot... but I didn't seem to care because, well, he's Jase. I was crushing badly on him while reading. But anyway, he and Teresa (or Tess as Jase calls her) had something very special. I enjoyed reading about their relationship that was finally happening. The book was also full of hilarious moments. I lost count of how many times I laughed out loud with it.

Of course it wasn't all romance and hot scenes. Although those scenes were so so great. There was also some drama with Teresa's roommate Deb that I think was done nicely to give it some excitement. Bonus points for JLA!

And as a little extra we had some appearances of Cam and Avery that hinted at some exciting stuff that's been happening to them. Also I loved the mystery around Jase's "little brother" Jack. Though I already guessed what was going on with that back in Wait for You but even so I really liked this twist.

Yet another amazing by written by J. Lynn (Jennifer L. Armentrout) that I loved. The woman is like a writing robot. She keeps going and writing fantastic books. Be with Me is definitely a favorite of mine now and I can't wait to read the next one! Bring it on! 




Favorite Quotes:
"You think my ass is cute?"
He pulled away, laughing. "Baby, your ass is like my own personal holy ground."
Sinewy muscles in his arms flexed as he lifted Jack out of the driver's seat, holding him into the air above his head. He spun arond in a circle, laughing deeply as Jack shrieked and flailed.
Ovaries go boom.
No matter how irritated I was with him or how badly I wanted to karate kick him between the legs, when he laughed, it was like the sun was shining in my eyes.



About The Author:

# 1 NEW YORK TIMES and USA TODAY Bestselling author Jennifer lives in Martinsburg, West Virginia. All the rumors you’ve heard about her state aren’t true. When she’s not hard at work writing. she spends her time reading, working out, watching really bad zombie movies, pretending to write, and hanging out with her husband and her Jack Russell Loki.
Her dreams of becoming an author started in algebra class, where she spent most of her time writing short stories….which explains her dismal grades in math. Jennifer writes young adult paranormal, science fiction, fantasy, and contemporary romance. She is published with Spencer Hill Press, Entangled Teen and Brazen, Disney/Hyperion and Harlequin Teen. Her book Obsidian has been optioned for a major motion picture and her Covenant Series has been optioned for TV.
She also writes adult and New Adult romance under the name J. Lynn. She is published by Entangled Brazen and HarperCollins.


Wednesday, January 29, 2014

Waiting On Wednesday: Curses and Smoke: A Novel of Pompeii by Vicky Alvear Shecter

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking The Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.
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Curses and Smoke: A Novel of Pompeii by Vicky Alvear Shecter
Hardcover, 336 pages
Expected publication: May 27th 2014 by Arthur A. Levine Books
When your world blows apart, what will you hold onto?

TAG is a medical slave, doomed to spend his life healing his master's injured gladiators. But his warrior's heart yearns to fight in the gladiator ring himself and earn enough money to win his freedom.

LUCIA is the daughter of Tag's owner, doomed by her father's greed to marry a much older Roman man. But she loves studying the natural world around her home in Pompeii, and lately she's been noticing some odd occurrences in the landscape: small lakes disappearing; a sulfurous smell in the air. . . .

When the two childhood friends reconnect, each with their own longings, they fall passionately in love. But as they plot their escape from the city, a patrician fighter reveals his own plans for them -- to Lucia's father, who imprisons Tag as punishment. Then an earthquake shakes Pompeii, in the first sign of the chaos to come. Will they be able to find each other again before the volcano destroys their whole world?


I can't wait to get my hands on this book. It sounds absolutely amazing and I love how it's set in Pompeii. I never before actually seen a book like this around and look at that gorgeous cover! <3




What's your WOW pick of the week?
Leave me links to your post in the comment section!


Tuesday, January 28, 2014

Top Ten Tuesday: Worlds I'd Never Want To Live In

Top Ten Tuesdays is a meme hosted by The Broke and Bookish that features a new topic each week where we have to put down our top ten of it.
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This week's topic:
Top Ten Worlds I'd Never Want To Live In


~In no particular order~




Divergent by Veronica Roth
None of the factions in this book seem particulary pleasant so no thank you!

Pawn by Aimee Carter
Getting asigned a number by how well you did on a test would really suck to say the least.


Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi
This seems also like a very unpleasant world to be living in. I really wouldn't want to.

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
No explanation needed here I think. 


Delirium by Lauren Oliver
A world where love is a disease? I pass, thank you!

The Host by Stephenie Meyer
I'd love to be in a world where Ian O'Shea lives but I'd probably one of those people who got invaded by the Souls so yeah no.


Darkfever by Karen Marie Moning
As much as I love this series I wouldn't want to live in this world that's inhabited by the fae. They scare the crap out of me. I'd be dead so fast.

Nevermore by Kelly Creagh
Talk about creepy. I'd probably shit my pants living in this world. Especially the one where Varen got trapped. And those Nocs... brrrr!


Not a Drop to Drink by Mindy McGinnis
The title explains itself. And the scary thing is, this could actually happen one day...

Wither by Lauren DeStefano
If I'd live in this world (pre-cure) then I'd already be dead because girls on live until they're 20. Pretty sad...




What's your top ten?
Leave me links to your posts!