A Different Blue

A Different Blue by Amy Harmon

ISBN: 1482658143

Pages: 454

Appearance: 

Summary:

Blue Echohawk doesn't know who she is. She doesn't know her real name or when she was born. Abandoned at two and raised by a drifter, she didn't attend school until she was ten years old. At nineteen, when most kids her age are attending college or moving on with life, she is just a senior in high school. With no mother, no father, no faith, and no future, Blue Echohawk is a difficult student, to say the least. Tough, hard and overtly sexy, she is the complete opposite of the young British teacher who decides he is up for the challenge, and takes the troublemaker under his wing. 
This is the story of a nobody who becomes somebody. It is the story of an unlikely friendship, where hope fosters healing and redemption becomes love. But falling in love can be hard when you don't know who you are. Falling in love with someone who knows exactly who they are and exactly why they can't love you back might be impossible.

Omgawd, omgawd, omgawd! Can we all just stand up, jump around, and scream at how freaking amazing this book is? I finished this book a while book and it just blew my mind that I knew I had to post the review on a significant day. What better way to conclude the first month of 2014 than with this review? Perfect. So without further ado, let's go!

I. Love. Blue. I don't think I can make it any clearer than I already have. She is an amazingly crafted character and I just can't explain how much I love her. She's super tough and badass but beneath that rough exterior is a girl who's lost, broken, and looking for love. When she first walked into Wilson's class I was so excited for everything. I knew from the summary that he was the teacher who took her under his wing, but I didn't expect for him to be so hot. Like not only in looks but his personality is just too perfect. 

Wilson. Guys can't get any more perfect than this. He's almost too perfect. A new teacher fresh out of college, smart enough to graduate high school at age 15 is hit with a problem. Dealing with a rebellious girl named Blue. I can't believe just how patient he is with her! Check below for the quotes and look at the second one, then the third, then the fifth. He urges her to look deep within herself because everyone has a story to tell. He takes all the broken pieces of her and pieced them back together, even if the pieces cut and hurt him.

Okay, pause for a second. I'm not saying that I support teacher student relationships. I'm kinda freaked out by them to be honest. But my defense for this book is that a) Blue graduated before they fell in love and b) They are only 1 year apart. Those two facts contain some spoilers but not a lot. Yes, they do fall in love which has got to be the cutest thing ever! Throughout the entire book, Blue feels a connection toward Wilson. He's always there, always supporting, but every time she wants it to become more, he moves away. This man has some integrity. Even though Blue isn't his student anymore, he still feels that a relationship wouldn't be the best for her. Screw what he wants (whispers: HER), only the best for her. I was seriously in need of oxygen every time Wilson was around Blue. The chemistry they had was like radiating out of my Nook and into the air around me. Blue pulling the recliner underneath the vent so she could hear him play, his history lessons influencing her, e.v.e.r.y.t.h.i.n.g!!

I can't look at history the same way after reading this. Wilson has this passion for literature, passion for stories that it's hard to think history was ever boring after. He paints vivid images of historical battles, brave heroes and heroines, and makes the boring textbook history seem alive. His interpretation of Emily Dickinson's poem: I'm A Nobody was amazing, just amazing (quote 3). I can't, I just can't.

The ending couldn't be more perfect. Blue finds out about her heritage, she finds who she is. She is Blue Echohawk, she is a somebody.

The whole lesson, moral, concept of the story was truly beautiful. I loved the story, I loved the characters and I am so stocking up more Amy Harmon books soon! Super duper highly recommend it! You won't regret it!

(I split the page because it was getting long, but quotes AND and excerpt are below so click and keep reading!)

Enchanted

Enchanted by Alethea Kontis

ISBN: 978-0-544-02218-8

Pages: 305

Appearance: 

Summary:

It isn't easy being the rather overlooked and unhappy youngest sibling to sisters named for the other six days of the week. Sunday’s only comfort is writing stories, although what she writes has a terrible tendency to come true.
When Sunday meets an enchanted frog who asks about her stories, the two become friends. Soon that friendship deepens into something magical. One night Sunday kisses her frog goodbye and leaves, not realizing that her love has transformed him back into Rumbold, the crown prince of Arilland—and a man Sunday’s family despises.
The prince returns to his castle, intent on making Sunday fall in love with him as the man he is, not the frog he was. But Sunday is not so easy to woo. How can she feel such a strange, strong attraction for this prince she barely knows? And what twisted secrets lie hidden in his past - and hers?

Hey guys! Wow, this book actually took me forever to finish because I kept picking up books in between that sucked me in. That's not to say that it wasn't a good book. If you scroll down below, you'll see that it almost scored a 4. Without further ado, let's get into the review!

So first off, I loved the play on fairy tales that the author did to create the beautiful fairy tale world of Sunday Woodcutter. Let me just list a couple: The Frog Prince, Goose Girl, Jack and the Beanstalk, and more. I don't want to give too much away and I don't know all the official titles of the stories. But everything was really wonderfully woven together and made the story a lot more interesting and fun.

The characters all seemed to have their own story which is super great because Sunday's story is the first of seven! That didn't come out right. Let me rephrase that. All the Woodcutter sisters are really well portrayed as characters. Instead of the story being an All About Sunday, it also gives you a sneak peak on each sister's personality, character, and all of that which I thought was really interesting. I honestly cannot wait to pick up the next book and find out more about the sisters because they all have me 100% captivated. 

The sisters aside, the other characters were okay. Not horrible, but not as good as they were. Rumbold is, how do we say it, quite confusing as a character. My mind was probably spinning with his when he first made his transformation back as a human from a frog. The scenes were very confusing and honestly, I ended up skipping a couple chapters because I was just so overwhelmed (hence the 3.8 stars). Other than Rumbold, I wish that Alethea Kontis could have elaborated more on Sorrow, Joy, and Seven's life. They seem so different, but they're related. With the sisters, it was easy, but with the generation before them, the water's a bit murky.

On a scale of one to ten, this book definitely hits the jackpot with the plotline. Like I said before, it weaves several classic fairy tales into one adding romance, creepiness, and a touch of family bond. If that makes sense... :) I honestly, when I found out the whole secret of the kingdom, I was shocked and very intrigued. I would have never thought of what happened as a conclusion so it's a shocker, but a good one.

Now I can't not talk about the main girl can I? Sunday Woodcutter is the youngest of her sisters. Each sister is gifted with a special gift, but Sunday views hers a curse. She loves to write, but whatever she pens out has a tendency to come true. What really drew me to her as a character was that ability. Heck, that's some pretty awesome gift, but also super dangerous at the same time. Imagine everything you wrote to be true. Pretty dang awesome. Other than her cool gift, Sunday is also very compassionate and caring, her loyalty to her family is super strong. She might have her head in the clouds, but her heart is definitely down to earth. 

With that said, sorry for the slightly out of order review. I hoped you guys liked it and I would definitely recommend picking it up. Just a tip, don't pick up any action, thriller, book you've been dying to read while reading this because you can get distracted. But if you do, keep pushing forward because the ending is definitely worth it!

“If you did not indulge in fantasies, how else would you know if you were living an interesting life?”

“Sometimes 'Hmm' is the wisest thing to say.” 

“It can't be 'true' love without the truth.” 

“All of us heal in time. The strongest are born again. We only keep the scars we choose to keep.” 

“Somethings were meant to be and somethings were just meant to be good stories.”

“Gifts, like words, carried with them a great deal of power. They bestowed good fortune just as powerfully as they could curse; the could bind people together or tear them apart.” 

“The curse of an interesting life: there are either very good times or very bad times.” 

3.8 out of 5 stars

Foreverly Obsessed,

Riv

Long Night Moon

Long Night Moon by S.M. Reine

ISBN13: 1230000033854

Pages: 183 (E-book)

Appearance:

Summary:

Something is killing innocent people around Rylie Gresham's town. The police think it's a wild animal, but she has other suspicions. There are new kids at school, and they have a lot in common with her: gold eyes, super strength, and a habit of turning furry. It seems Rylie's not the only werewolf around anymore.
It's up to Rylie and her werewolf-hunting boyfriend, Seth, to stop the killings. But saving lives doesn't come naturally to a monster, and territory battles could risk the life of her sickly aunt--not to mention her own. Rylie has no choice but to stand her ground, protect her home, and stop the murderers before anyone else gets hurt.

Hey guys! Welcome to the third and second to last book in the Seasons of the Moon Quartet! Slowly making my way through the reviews. :) Anyway, I don't have much to say so let's get right into it!

Like All Hallows Moon did with Six Moon Summer, Long Night Moon picks up relatively where the previous book left off. Rylie is somewhat in more control over her wolf. Or that is what she thinks. Suddenly, there are dead people popping up all over the town and it's attracting hunters. Long Night Moon introduces some new wolves which in my opinion was a much needed addition. Welcome Levi and Bekah. They're also wolves, but they're different then the vicious beasts that turned Rylie. They also have the ability to shift on command which means these kids got some mega control over the wolves. Of course, they're new and something's killing people so it places them on the top list of suspects.

Bekah and Levi claim that they're innocent and say that they are here to bring Rylie to a werewolf sanctuary that teaches WW (werewolves) to control their wolf and resist the hunger that comes with being a full time carnivore. Rylie and Seth are wary of them, but they seem innocent enough.

Everything definitely becomes faster paced and more action packed then the last book. You find out that Rylie isn't the only werewolf out there and establishes sort of a "pack like" family for her. Not at the beginning though, but at the end. There is also a lot more drama because people are literally ending up dead pretty much everywhere and it doesn't look very pretty. Out of the three books, this one definitely scores for most action packed. 

There is also a ton of character development in Rylie which I think was needed. The first book she was this angry girl who got turned into a wolf. The second book she was an angry girl over the struggle to control her wolf and establish a relationship with Seth. In this book, you see her wolf instincts really kick in and while she's still this angry girl, there's also a huge part of her that's warring. When you read it, you'll know what I mean.

The ending was I admit, not expected, but it leads very well into the last book of the series. This is definitely not a book to skip because there's a ton of information that is vital to the last book and really concretely establishes the relationship in the story. So I definitely recommend this if you're into the series and if you haven't started, the first book is always a great place to start!

“So what, you assumed you’d show up before the dance and I’d magically be ready to go? I need a warning to get beautiful.” 

“Never talk to them when they’re human, or they’ll trick you. You’ll get confused and sympathetic. That was what his mom always said. She was probably right. Last time he talked to a werewolf, he ended up dating her.”

3 out of 5 stars

Foreverly Obsessed,

Riv

Freaky Friday: Uninvited

Hey guys! This is going to be a super quick post but the Uninvited book trailer just came out today on Youtube! So excited for the book and you can read all about that freak out here.

To put it very bluntly, I am super excited about the book which is coming out in FOUR DAYS. The book trailer did an amazing job in capturing what we know of the story from the synposis and all. All in all, I can't wait. So take a look down below!

I couldn't get Youtube to show the video in the post so click HERE to watch it. Sorry for the super short post, but I wanted to let everyone know and yeah. Oh, this is the first Freaky Friday post of the year! That's all I have! January's almost over and I have three more reviews that are coming! Until next time~~

Uninvited by Sophie Jordan

ISBN: 0062233653

Pages: 384

Appearance:

Foreverly Obsessed,

Riv

The Girl (Guardians #1)

The Girl (Guardians #1) by Lola St. Vil

ISBN: 1479390712

Pages: 313

Appearance: 

Summary:

The prophecy says I will fall in love with team leader and Angel, Marcus Cane. The prophecy also says that our love will cause his mission to fail and end the world.
Whatever.
This human is not worried. Why?
Because I do not intend to fall in love with Marcus.
The truth is I hate him. I hate his warm brown eyes with flecks of gold, his chiseled face and broad shoulders.
I hate how over protective he is just because a few thousand demons are after me.
In fact, I couldn't care less about Marcus or his perfect telekinetic girlfriend.
And when I see him holding her, I don’t die a little inside…

Hey guys! Welcome back :) So first of all, I picked up this book solely because it was free on Amazon. The content of the story seemed a bit too "lovey" for me and I was super reluctant to even start reading. Now that I've finished, the only thing I can say is that I have very mixed emotions concerning this book. With that said, let's get into the review!

Let's go good to bad. I liked this story because of the creative plot and background behind it. St. Vil creates this new "Heaven" and makes new celestial being social ladder that is full of ideas and creativity. Maybe it's me, but I love learning about legends and mythology, even if they're not true (maybe they are), but that was one major component that bought my attention. Secondly, the plot line was admittedly quite interesting. I mean, you've got a prophecy against time, super hot Guardians, evil demons, and St. Vil's version of Satan, who is a woman in this life. Not bad for a story. Also, there were some humor points that made me laugh, so that's always good. 

The characters are what bugged me. Don't get me wrong, I love the twins, Jay, Rio, all the other angels. The two main characters, ugh please stahp it! Emmy Baxter what is wrong with you? The dude's got a girlfriend and a world to save! Yeah he likes you but seriously, what are the chances you'll end up happily ever after? If I hear another charming feature of his described at length I think I will regurgitate my lunch and I love my lunch. Please, for the sake of humanity and the pride of women shut up and move on. You're not a bad person and you had a lot thrown at you at once. But please, please please please I am begging you, shut the heck up!

Marcus, dude make up your freaking mind. Do you want Emmy or Ameana? (I'd choose Ameana.) First off, you have a freaking girlfriend. Ameana, remember her? Yeah, she still exists and as Ice Queen, chilly, and b***** that she can be, you still gave her your Rah (their version of a heart). If you really want Emmy FINE go. Get the guts to break up with your angel girlfriend and dedicate yourself to one girl! One freaking girl please!

Ameana, girl you go! When you nicely threatened Emmy to back off, I was cheering louder than I ever did in the entire book. You are kicka**, gorgeous, and I love you. You are definitely a big bonus to the whole story.

Other angels. Sorry, I should give you names, but I honestly can't remember. I remember Jay, Rio, M (girl twin), and something (boy twin.) I apologize for not remembering, but I don't have my notes with me because my Kindle broke. Anyway, you guys are pretty cool and chill. Rio, man why? Twins, you guys are so cute and amazing. Jay, your humor kept the story going.

Anyway, that's my little freakout over the story. Would I recommend it? Not really, but the majority of the characters are pretty chill and the plot line is interesting. It's just the two main characters that really bug you to your limit. I would give this a 3 out of 5 but Emmy and Marcus just didn't cut it for me. Other than that, it was a passable story.

"Death doesn't eat. Neither does Fate, but Time has been known to nibble."

Great. Angel humor. 

2.8 out of 5 stars

Foreverly Obsessed,

Riv

Waiting on Wednesday: Uninvited

Uninvited by Sophie Jordan

ISBN: 0062233653

Pages: 384

Appearance:

Summary:

The Scarlet Letter meets Minority Report in bestselling author Sophie Jordan's chilling new novel about a teenage girl who is ostracized when her genetic test proves she's destined to become a murderer.

When Davy Hamilton's tests come back positive for Homicidal Tendency Syndrome (HTS)-aka the kill gene-she loses everything. Her boyfriend ditches her, her parents are scared of her, and she can forget about her bright future at Julliard. Davy doesn't feel any different, but genes don't lie. One day she will kill someone.
Only Sean, a fellow HTS carrier, can relate to her new life. Davy wants to trust him; maybe he's not as dangerous as he seems. Or maybe Davy is just as deadly.

Hey guys! I do believe this is my actual Waiting on Wednesday where the book has not been published yet! Yay, go me! Anyway, I first heard of this book through several different book bloggers on the net and they were all pretty excited for the story. I can't blame them, when I finally searched it up on Goodreads, I was hooked in an instant. 

A test to determine if you will become a future murder? That's like uber cool! Well, I guess Davy Hamilton might not necessarily agree with me since her future is essentially ruined, but from my perspective that's really cool. I get how everyone just freaks out once they find out that she's positive for HTS (Homicidal Tendency Syndrome) and they want to get away, but why so soon? Genes don't lie, but it might be in a car accident? Or maybe I'm just too naive.

Another reason I'm literally dying to get my hands on this book: SOPHIE JORDAN! I was so crazily in love with her Firelight series (even though I only read the first book) back in middle school. Like crazily in love. Jacinda and drakons just blew my mind away. Let's say she started me on my dragon  addiction. If you haven't read Firelight I suggest you go NOW and get your hands on it! Dragons that can shift into humans? So freaking amazing!

*Calm down Riv* Moving along, there's also Sean, a fellow HTS carrier. I love good romance in a story and with the whole different plot line it puts a very "deadly" twist on it which I think is going to be pretty fun to read. Now I just feel statistical, but who cares. 

Final thing and then I'll go fangirl in my closet: The cover! Okay, first glance, the girl's pretty, I mean she's floating and staring blindly at the sky. Cool. Second glance, Holy Mother of Snowflakes! Her hair is in the shape of DNA! This just ups my expectations for the whole story. Yes, I'm guilty of judging a book by its cover, aren't you all sick of hearing me say that? The cover's just so pretty and cool and ahhhh! *runs off to fangirl*

That's it for my little spazzing post! 

Uninvited comes out on JANUARY 28 2014

So be sure to check it out on all possible book buying places and I'll talk to y'all later~

Foreverly Obsessed,

Riv

Library Book Haul: January

Hey guys! I haven't done a book in forever so I thought I'd update you guys on some books that are currently on my reading shelf, whether it's an e-book or a library book. Warning ahead of time, I got a lot of books...So let's get into it!

Books: (linked to Goodreads)

E-books: (linked to Amazon)

Yeah, so as you can tell, I have a ton of books to keep me company for the next couple of weeks. If there are any books that you're interested in seeing a review first, let me know in the comments below and I'll be sure to read + review first. If not, I'm going in random order :)

So that's it for this haul, I'll talk to you guys next time~

Foreverly Obsessed,

Riv

Demoness of Waking Dreams

Demoness of Waking Dreams by Stephanie Chong

ISBN: 1848450699

Pages: 400

Appearance:

Summary:

Even ANGELS can be tough... Ex-cop Brendan Clarkson is an angel with an edge. His tough exterior is the perfect camouflage for his job-hunting down the most dangerous criminals on earth. Brendan's a self-reliant and demanding lone wolf, constantly on the brink of clashing with his superiors at the Company of Angels.
Brendan is the perfect angel to track and capture demoness Luciana Rossetti. Luciana's cool, green-eyed beauty masks her true nature: inside, she's a dangerous and malevolent killer. Yet, she sees what most people don't-that beneath the layers of Brendan's rugged shell beats the heart of a passionate lover.
They are perfectly matched. Yin and yang. Angel and demon. Man and woman. But only one of them can win the battle of wills, of strength and of desire.

Hey hey hey! Welcome back to the blog! Today I gots something super special (say that with a French accent) for you all! I have FINALLY finished and reviewed the second book of the Company of Angels series: Demoness of Waking Dreams. Before I go into it and go all crazy on you, be sure to check out my review for the first book in the series, my beloved: Where Demons Fear to Tread. I have to say that while I would choose Where Demons Fear to Tread first any day, Demoness has definitely made it's mark on me and joined my list of favorite books. Now let's go crazy! (till we see the sun~)

I'm going to do a little comparison first between the two books just because. Where Demons Fear to Tread focuses a lot on redemption and finding the way back to God after you've "fallen." It also focuses a ton on love. I mean, my favorite quote from that book: Love. Love is where demons fear to tread. Demoness of Waking Dreams takes a complete different turn. At the end of Demons, I wanted to kill Luciana for everything she did to Julian and Serena, but after finishing Demoness, I wanted nothing more than for her to find her happy ending and peace with Brandon. Demoness focuses on the illusion of beauty and how things are not what they appear to be, in more ways than one.

Luciana is a demoness. She's beautiful, enthralling, and downright evil. After barely escaping from America with her life, she slowly recovers her strength and plots her revenge to take down the hated (in her perspective) Company of Angels, Julian Ascher, and Serena St. Clair. The Company of Angels is not just going to sit there like statues and wait for her attack, so they send Brandon Clarkson after her. For an angel, he's the complete opposite of Serena who is literally pure. He has his own darkness and fights it every night in his nightmares. When he finally tracks down Luciana it's like a blow to the gut. They're connected by their dreams of each other that make them want for something they know they cannot have. Each other.

Omgawds, can we just talk characters for a minute? Luciana, as I said before, she's wickedly beautiful and equally as deadly. Trained in the art poison, she has a special one just for taking down demons and angels. She never expected to feel anything towards an angel, but she's drawn to Brandon who silently but surely stalks her every move. Brandon is like the perfect Mr. Hunk. A policeman killed during duty, he is very persistent and very good at what he does. He expected Luciana to be easy, get the demoness and bring her back to America. He never expected to want her and it's not just lust, there's something deeper that runs between the two of them. All in all, their romance and relationship is definitely 10x the adventure that Julian and Serena's was. Let me rephrase that. Julian was all bent on making Serena his, trying to taint the pureness he saw in her until he unexpectedly fell in love. Brandon wanted to replace the darkness within Luciana with light because he believed she could be good, even while he battled the growing darkness inside. Julian and Serena had a more cutesy romantic relationship while Brandon and Luciana had one heck of a roller coaster.

More on character. Arielle. Remember her? Well, you should if you read the book. She was assigned Julian Ascher before he died and became demon. After she failed, she sent Serena to bring him back to light certain that her pureness would cleanse his darkness. In this book, man you see a complete different side to this girl. Before she was all the wise one, always knowing and caring. This one, she's a spitting ball of fire. Not only does she want Luciana to suffer for the evils she has done, but she's got a little chip on her shoulder involving a certain someone. Nope, not spoiling even though I really want to. I'm just going to say, that this girl came into the book with a lot of surprise so be ready.

The ending. Yes, the ending. It was like a stab in the gut for me. Let me show you:

 

That but multiply it by a million. The feels cannot be contained. I am literally dying over the ending. Somebody please help, I am dying of a broken heart and an overwhelming of feels that couldn't be contained. Another comparison, Demon's ending was beautiful and uplifting. Demoness's ending was beautiful, left a hole in the heart, and was bittersweet to point that you were crying and flooded your room. The copy I have is from the library and I sincerely apologize for wetting the pages. I blew dry them so I think they're good, but I'm sorry. I couldn't help myself. Last thing before I finish things off, this was me for the rest of the day:

Too stuck and surrounded by my feels, I'm sure a real train could hit me and I wouldn't feel a thing. That's not said to discourage you from reading. I have super high hopes for the next book and...wait, I can't spoil. >.< Enough said, this is one heck of a review. You BETTER pick this book up because it is just freaking amazing and beautiful and perfect and heart throbbing and breathtaking and PERFECT. So go, go and pick it up and if you need a hug after finishing, free hugs here all day and all night. See you later lovelies, I'm going to go cry in a corner at the resurface of feels after writing this~

I leave you with quotes:

Don't equate beauty with goodness, even though it may seem angelic. Demons can also take the form of beauty. They like to mimic the divine. And demons are drawn to beauty. They love to defile it. 

Let her have her moment of happiness with that angel. Love has no place among demons, but at least she might know a moment of peace. If only a moment.

You can't save someone who doesn't want to be saved.

The future. Demons don't live for the future. Not the real future. We might be greedy for something we want. But mostly, we are trapped in the past. Or we live for the moment. But if we are swayed by considerations of the future, those considerations have only to do with revenge.

Singing inside La Fenice is like being inside a diamond.

Like being inside a diamond.

Trapped inside something beautiful and glittery, yet hard and lifeless.

I will cross centuries and traverse continents to find you. I will scale mountain ranges and swim oceans to be with you. I will wait. Until the end of time if I must. I will slay dragons to be with you. I will find a way.

5 out of 5 stars

Foreverly Obsessed,

Riv