Whirlwind Giveaway Winner!

Sorry this has taken me so long, but I have the winner for the Whirlwind e-book giveaway:

Nic @Irresistible Reads

Congratulations Nic! I will be emailing you shortly.

Thank you to everyone who entered and please continue to check back for reviews and more contests in the future.

Fanfare Review Blog Tour

Fanfare
Author: Renee Ahdieh
Pages: 240 pgs
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: May 31st 2011
Review Source: Revolution Publishing

Fanfare was a nice breath of fresh air. As Renee's debut novel I was quite impressed by her writing style and fun flare with her characters.

Cris Pereira found herself in a difficult place when her fiance left her for another woman. She did what she could to move on; she went to work, spent time with her friends, lived her life. But deep down she feared being hurt again.

And then one morning she met Tom Abramson, Hollywood's new "it" boy, and things took an unexpected turn. Moving on isn't always easy, but the attention of British rising star usually helps. While Cris prefers to plan things out and stay in control, Tom's more of a take things as they come type of guy. Will these two be able to make things work or are there just too many differences.

One of the things that I really enjoyed about this story was the build up of the relationship between Cris and Tom. They had witty banter and fun together and Renee gave us the slow build up of not only their feelings for each other, but their relationship as they got to explore that together. I found myself really liking both characters and rooting for them, which doesn't always happen for me.

I loved that there wasn't a love triangle for the characters. Not to say that doesn't work, but at times it feels over done. For Cris and Tom it was more about them falling for each other and learning to look past the hardships and pain that life puts in their way. It was strictly a sweet romance which I really enjoyed.

This was a fun, sweet read and a story that I was surprised to have really enjoyed. Renee Ahdieh managed to squeeze my heart with this story and I hope she'll have more up her sleeves. I almost hated to see this come to an end and wanted more for these two characters.

I definitely recommend this story. You can check out more about the author on her blog http://reneeahdieh.blogspot.com/ or follow her on Twitter http://www.twitter.com/rahdieh.

Falling Under by Gwen Hayes

Falling Under
Falling Under 1
Author: Gwen Hayes
Pages: 324 pgs
Genre: YA, Paranormal
Release Date: March 1st 2011
Review Source: Goodreads First Reads

Falling Under is one of those books that just completely takes you by surprise. It's dark and tempting and twisted and completely amazing. Gwen Hayes knew what she was doing with this.

Theia Alderson has led an extremely sheltered life. Not only does moving from London to the States make her feel out of place, but also her very closed off life. She does what her father tells her to do, dresses the way he wants her to, even plays the violin because he expects it.

It isn't until she dreams about a boy, Haden, and then sees him at school the next day that her life begins to change. Each dream gets stranger and stranger, bringing her further into the world of Under and confusing her about who Haden really is. What is he really hiding?

Gwen did an excellent job of building the anticipation of this story, leaving the readers wanting to know more. Theia is one of those characters that you can't help but love because she's so sweet and innocent, never having really experienced much, and watching her realize that she's capable of so much more is great.

Our first glimpse into the world of under made me think of a twisted version of Alice in Wonderland. It's not all fun an games in this world. And Theia's two best friends are her two constants. They add a bit of comic relief to the somewhat tense story line and are there for her when she really needs them. I loved the flow of this story and was sad when I finally reached the end.

The sequel to this book, Dreaming Awake, is sure to be just as jaw dropping and intense as the first. I can't to find out what Gwen has in store for her characters next. For updates on what else Gwen is working on you can check out her website http://www.gwenhayes.com/ or follow her on Twitter http://twitter.com/Gwenhayes.

Divergent by Veronica Roth

Divergent
Divergent 1
Author: Veronica Roth
Pages: 487 pgs
Genre: YA, Dystopian
Release Date: May 3rd 2011
Review Source: Own Copy

This is Veronica Roth's debut novel and what a debut it was! I could not put it down and didn't want it to end. When I reached the last page I found myself flipping back and forth a few times wondering where the rest was at.

Beatrice Prior lives in a time when the country has been divided into five different factions to help maintain a peaceful society. Beatrice not only learns a terrifying secret about herself during the aptitude test, but her choice of factions shocks everyone.

After changing her name to Tris, she decides to give it everything she has in order to make it through her new factions' initiation process. But things won't be as easy she imagined and Tris finds herself tested and every turn, including with a surprising romance. It's a fight to the end for placement and Tris soon discovers whom she can trust when things begin to spiral out of control.

I absolutely fell in love with Tris's voice and Veronica's writing style. There just aren't enough words to explain how this story pulled me in. Tris started off as a shy and quiet character, but had to learn how to fight back. Her naivete was understandable from the faction she had grown up in and she was very much a young girl trying to find her way in the world. But by the end she was tough and brave and I loved watching her growth.

So much took place, I found it difficult to put down, always wanting to know what happened next. The dystopian world that Veronica created was unique and interesting to unfold, I can't wait to see it up on the big screen. And, with the way this first book ended, I'm already anxious for the next in the series.

This is definitely a book that I would highly recommend and I encourage everyone to let the author know if they enjoyed it. She did a phenomenal job. For more information on her and the Divergent series you can check out her blog http://veronicarothbooks.blogspot.com/ or follow her on Twitter
http://twitter.com/veronicaroth.

Friday Finds and New Reads

Friday Finds and New Reads

This is where I talk about new books that really stand out to me or sound unique, and what new books I have to read or will be getting soon.

 

My pick this week doesn't have a cover yet, but I don't think that will detract from the story line. So first off we have Bandia by Talia Vance:

 

Summary: Beauty is pointless when no one’s looking.

Brianna Paxton has been invisible to guys since the eighth grade. She’s pretty enough, it’s just that no one bothers to look. There’s almost nothing that can’t be explained with science, and Brianna has a theory: she’s missing the pheromone that attracts people to one another. Brianna’s theory is shot to hell in one frozen, silver moment, when Blake Williams not only sees her, he recognizes something inside her that she’s been hiding from even herself.

Brianna is a seventh generation descendant of Danu, the legendary Bandia of Celtic myth. Before Brianna fully understands who and what she is, she accidentally binds her soul to Blake. Worse yet, Blake belongs to a tribe of men who have spent the last thousand years hunting Danu’s descendants in the name of protecting humanity.

Brianna grows close to Blake, but she’s not sure she can trust him. Brianna must find a way to reconcile forbidden love and her bloody heritage. The more she understands what being a Bandia means, the less she can trust herself. There is nothing pointless about Brianna. And Blake may be in the most danger of all.

It's no secret that I love anything that explores myths and legends and when I saw that this one was about and ancient Celtic myth I was totally on bored. It sounds intriguing and exciting. Who doesn't love a story about forbidden romance? There are so many new fascinating YA books coming out!


The new reads that I've gotten in are:  

 

Gabriel's Inferno by Sylvain Reynard

Gabriel's Inferno
Gabriels's Inferno 1
Author: Sylvain Reynard
Pages: 513 pgs
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: April 19th 2011
Review Source: Omnific Publishing

This is Sylvain Reynard's debut novel and I was lucky enough to read an unpublished version of this story first. He takes his readers on an intense ride of emotion and longing that will be sure to bring everybody back for more.

Gabriel is a Dante Specialist, a Professor, but he's also held captive by the mistakes of his past. And when he first sees Julianne in his seminar, something about her strikes a chord with him. He manages to strike out at her every turn.

Julianne is quiet and shy, introverted because of the pains of her past. She and Gabriel have a connection that goes beyond their love of Dante and Academia, one that has changed them both thoroughly. The two have to learn to rely on each other and love with abandon, but will the aches of their pasts prove to be too much?

One of the things I enjoy about Sylvain Reynard's writing is that it's very smooth, almost lyrical. You almost feel as though you are there, experiencing everything that the characters are going through. It's a difficult thing to accomplish and SR does it with style.

The growth of the characters throughout the story is beautiful to watch. Julianne becoming more self-assured and Gabriel understanding the power of love. There's still so much for these characters to do and grow into, but just in this first part you get a glimpse of the blossoming under each other. Their affection and attention for one another helps them to heal.

And can I just say that I absolutely love the cover! On goodreads it looks like a beautiful picture, but on the copy that I have, the cover appears to be more of a painting. In true fashion of the paintings that were inspired in Gabriel's Inferno.

For more background on Gabriel's Inferno and the author you can check out his website http://www.sylvainreynard.com/ or follow him on Twitter http://twitter.com/sylvainreynard.

Wither by Lauren DeStefano

Wither
The Chemical Garden Trilogy 1
Author: Lauren DeStefano
Pages: 358 pgs
Genre: YA, Dystopian
Release Date: March 22nd 2011
Review Source: Own Copy

In Lauren DeStefano's debut novel she introduces the world she's created with a bang. It's a unique concept in the dystopian setting and one that I couldn't wait to get my hands on.

Rhine lives in a United States where after experiments to end sickness and diseases saved one generation, it began killing the next. Girls die at age 20 and boys at age 25. And in an attempt to keep the human race going, the men who can afford it take on multiple wives so they can have children.

That is how Rhine ended up in Florida with her new husband Linden. And even though she's been given everything she could possibly want, including safety and stability, all Rhine can think about is how she can get back to her twin brother in New York. But in order to even consider that, she has to gain the trust and favor of her husband over her two sister wives.

First of all, let me just say that I fell in love with the cover for this book. It's absolutely beautiful and what first drew me in to want to read it. And, with that in mind, when I first began reading Wither I wasn't really sure how I felt about it. The premise that Lauren came up with was very intriguing and I knew that it would be a great read, but the more I continued with the story the more uncomfortable I got. It freaked me out that instead of it being the big bad government doing it, the "bad guys" so to speak were individual people in hopes of finding a cure.

And that's when I realized that was the point.

Wither was about an uncomfortable situation forced upon Rhine and we got to see how she dealt with it. I loved that even though she developed a bond with her sister wives and even with Linden, her heart was always with her twin brother and how to return with him. And even though it was obvious that Rhine began to care for Linden, too, she felt a stronger connection with one of the staff boys Gabriel. The development of each of the relationships was done just right.

Lauren complete me sucked me in with the story and I am anxious for the next in the trilogy, Fever. Rhine's voice was strong and unwavering. She knew what she wanted and wasn't going to change her mind in getting it.

The only question I have now is: what else can possibly happen next? It seemed like so much happened in this first part, I can't even fathom what else Lauren will have up her sleeve for the second and third books.

And for more updates on The Chemical Garden series you can check out Lauren's website http://www.laurendestefano.com/ or follow her on Twitter http://twitter.com/laurenDeStefano.