Mini Review: Sweet Peril

Sweet Peril by Wendy Higgins

ISBN: 0062265946

Pages: 371
Source: Nook E-Book

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Summary:

Anna Whitt, the daughter of a guardian angel and a demon, promised herself she’d never do the work of her father—polluting souls. She’d been naive to make such a vow. She’d been naive about a lot of things. 
Haunted by demon whisperers, Anna does whatever she can to survive, even if it means embracing her dark side and earning an unwanted reputation as her school’s party girl. Her life has never looked more bleak. And all the while there’s Kaidan Rowe, son of the Duke of Lust, plaguing her heart and mind.
When an unexpected lost message from the angels surfaces, Anna finds herself traveling the globe with Kopano, son of Wrath, in an attempt to gain support of fellow Nephilim and give them hope for the first time. It soon becomes clear that whatever freedoms Anna and the rest of the Neph are hoping to win will not be gained without a fight. Until then, Anna and Kaidan must put aside the issues between them, overcome the steamiest of temptations yet, and face the ultimate question: is loving someone worth risking their life?

Hey guys, I finally finally am doing my review for the second book in the Sweet Trilogy by Wendy Higgins. If you haven't checked out my review for the first book click here. As far as comparisons go, this was a pretty good second book. :)

In Sweet Peril, Anna and her demon father are planning to overthrow the other demon lords. Enlisting the help of her other Neph friends, Anna goes out on several missions to recruit other Nephs who might not be so happy doing the deeds of corruption that they are forced to do for their parents. This book was definitely more "action" packed than the first as everything gets set into motion. The ending started off a bit slow to my liking and it was a bit hard to get through, but once that obstacle is over, everything definitely picks up speed. In this book, you get to see Anna really grow from being an innocent school girl, to one who pretends to be a wild party girl while secretly planning the demise of evil. That's a lot to handle especially if you have a bunch of demon whisperers breathing down your neck. Add a broken heart to the mix and that is one stressed out girl. But that won't break Anna, she handles everything as best as she can and continues to hold out hope that everything will turn out fine in the end. I loved the character development, the growing romance, as well as the growing tension in the book. I have to admit that I did feel like the book ended a bit abruptly, but I guess that's because it's leading to a huge epic finale in the last book which is coming out on the 29th this month!! I am so so excited to get my hands on it because with that huge build-up in this book, I definitely have high hopes! So definite recommend because there is a lot of growing up in this book. :)

3.5/5 stars

Foreverly Obsessed,

Riv

Written On Her Heart Release Spotlight

ABOUT THE BOOK

Andi Callaway has dreamed of becoming a published author her entire life.

Ford Delaney has always wanted nothing more than to escape his past.

An opportunity of a lifetime. This is what Andi finds when she returns home to Callaway Cove on summer break. A chance to work for her literary idol Ford Delaney is up for grabs, and she’s willing to risk everything—her boyfriend, her best friends, and her education—to get it.

She’s positive this will be the key to reaching her dreams. But the moment she begins working for the reclusive author, Andi realizes there’s more to him than just a name. As attraction builds between Andi and Ford, she begins to discover consequences must come hand-in-hand with something great—which could loosen control over her tightly wound life. And once romantic sparks fly, Andi’s other relationships start to crumble, Ford’s fame comes back to haunt him, and the heat they generate will either forge a powerful, enduring love or threaten everything she holds dear.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Paige Rion is a contemporary romance author. She’s a mother, wife, blogger, hopeless chocoholic, coffee-addicted, wine-lover. Her debut, novel—a new adult romance—Written On Her Heart, is the first in the Callaway Cove series. The next in the series is to be released this summer. She loves connecting with readers on her blog and social media. You can visit her website at http://paigerion.com/

You can also connect with her here:
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Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorpaigeryan

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Prize 1  -  Paige Rion deluxe tote. Your choice of either Paige Rion/WOHH t-shirt or “Team Ford” t-shirt. WOHH mug with quote. A signed bookmark and a mini Paige Rion candy box!

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Prize 3  -  An exclusive WOHH iPhone 4 case. A clear mug with genuine Paige Rion signature. Signed bookmark and mini Paige Rion candy box. (If winner does not have an iPhone 4, they will receive prize 4 and another winner will be drawn).

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Mini Mash-Up: Anonymous + Reflect Me

Anonymous by Holly Hood

ASIN: B00I2HG4DK

Pages: 205
Source: Kindle E-Book

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Summary:

Elle Saunders is a train wreck. Everyone makes mistakes but she made one of the worst. She doesn't want her life back on track she wants to forget. But those plans come to an end when she meets someone else failing at life.
Hart Allen, he's handsome and smooth and knows just the right things to say to keep people at a distance. He wants to save everyone but himself. He spends most his time locked in rehab, and the other half finding ways to go right back when he's not. But when he meets Elle things change, he is determined to help her.
He has no way of knowing that for once he might not be able to talk himself out of his latest mistakes. He has to face them.

This book, let me just say that the feels were really overflowing. The story follows Elle Saunders who is forever guilty with the deed of killing her best friend in a drunk driving accident. She's sent to rehab and wants nothing to do with life anymore. There, she meets Hart Allen who literally forces her to get back on her feet. Despite struggling against him, Elle soon finds herself on the road to recovery. After getting out of rehab, there's a lot of things to address. She can't face Stephanie's (bff) parents, old friends, anybody in fear of judgement and rejection. Then Hart shows up and slaps some sense into her. Not literally of course. What Hart doesn't know is that every minute he spends helping Elle, he's also journeying down that healing path even if he doesn't want to save himself. This story is so beautiful in addressing two broken people holding each others' hands and leading each other down the path to love, redemption, and healing. Definitely recommend!!

3.5/5 stars (ROUND IT TO FOUR)

Reflect Me by K.B. Webb

ISBN: 149273294X
Pages: 292

Source: Kindle E-Book

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Summary:

If you're looking for a story about a sweet, innocent virgin who rides off into the sunset with a reformed bad boy, then you're looking in the wrong place.
Some people don’t get a happily ever after. Molly Scott is one of those people, and she knows it. With the kind of past that she has, and the secrets that she holds, she knows that even if she found Prince Charming, he wouldn’t want her. She refuses to dwell on her less than ideal situation though. This is her life, no point in complaining.
Logan Wade had his life planned out, until all his dreams came crashing down around him. Now, he’s come back to the town he swore he would never see again to start fresh. He has no plans to ever settle down again, that’s how he ended up back here in the first place. 
When Molly and Logan meet, they are forced to rethink the lives they thought they knew and the futures they were so sure they wanted. Suddenly, Molly wonders if there is a better life outside of the hell she has built for herself, and Logan begins to rethink his resistance towards settling down again. 
They say love conquers all, but Molly and Logan are about to find out that sometimes love just isn’t enough.

Oh. My. Freaking. Goodness. This book was so amazing and heartfelt that you all need to go get it now. Okay, let's get started. First off there is a lot of baggage that comes with this book. Molly Scott, our lovely MC, is in an abusive relationship with a SOB whose name I don't care to remember. He's also the father of her adorable baby Lyric who I am hopelessly in love with. (She's so cute!) The book addresses Molly's fears of stepping out of that relationship and follows her on her journey to being whole again after being ripped apart for several years. The story is told from Molly and Logan's perspective which I think gives you a really round view of the story and the characters. Molly sees Logan as a prince, someone so high up that he'd be completely shattered if he got too close. Logan sees Molly as a bird with a broken wing, beautiful and in need to care and love, but once healed, will be able to soar towards the sky. The romance is absolutely adorable, I loved the characters (except that SOB), I loved the story, everything was so cute and touching, it was seriously an amazing read. I also had a huge fangirling moment at the end because it relates to the title and it was like a huge light bulb going off. So yes, go read this, definitely recommend it because it was really good. :)

3.5/5 stars (ROUND IT TO FOUR)

Foreverly Obsessed,

Riv

The Story of Us

The Story of Us by Deb Caletti

ISBN: 1442423463 

Pages: 389

Source: Library

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Summary:

Cricket’s on a self-imposed break from her longtime boyfriend—but she’s picked a bad week to sort out her love life. For one thing, her mother’s romance is taking center stage: After jilting two previous fiancés, her mom is finally marrying Dan Jax, whom Cricket loves. But as wedding attendees arrive for a week of festivities at a guesthouse whose hippie owners have a sweet, sexy son—Ash—complications arise:

Cricket’s future stepsisters make it clear they’re not happy about the marriage. An old friend decides this is the week to declare his love for Cricket. Grandpa chooses to reveal a big secret at a family gathering. Dan’s ex-wife shows up. And even the dogs—Cricket’s old, ill Jupiter and Dan’s young, lively Cruiser—seem to be declaring war.

While Cricket fears that Dan is in danger of becoming ditched husband-to-be number three, she’s also alarmed by her own desires. Because even though her boyfriend looms large in her mind, Ash is right in front of her....

Hello guys! Today I've got my review of my first Deb Caletti book!! As far as firsts go, this one made a pretty good impression on me! :)

Cricket is really anti-change and there are some things going on between her and her boyfriend that she needs some peace and quiet to think things through. However, this week, her mother happens to be getting married to a guy that Cricket loves so she can't exactly focus on her own love life. To add to the mix, the whole family is going to be spending a week together at a beach house to bond as a family, including Dan, her mother's fiance, and his two daughters. There are a lot of trials that they have to go through as a family before the wedding at the end of the week. And honestly, Cricket doesn't know if she's completely up for a weekend of family bonding.

I decided to pick up a Deb Caletti book because I was in some dire need of contemporary, YA contemporary to be exact. Personally, I didn't think that this completely satisfied me in that field, but I still thoroughly enjoyed the book. It was really fun to see how at the beginning, the beach house contained two broken families, but at the end, they've managed to put aside their differences and become one big happy family, well most of them at least. All I can say is that between Cricket's family and Dan Jax's family, they sure do have the ability to create the craziest of dramas. There's never a dull moment for them which definitely made it super fun. 

If you're a dog lover, I think you'll definitely love this book. Each chapter starts off with a letter from Cricket to her boyfriend Janssen (they're kinda in a relationship?) and each letter starts off with a list of things about dogs. You can obviously see how much dogs really mean to her and I will admit that it gets boring after a while because there's only so much you can talk about regarding dogs. But after that list, Cricket recounts the story of her life with Janssen. I've read a lot of reviews about people who just skipped the whole email all together, but I found out that after that long list on dogs, Cricket reveals a lot about herself and about her family. She reveals her fears about the wedding not happening, her frustration at Dan's daughters, and so much more. Among the pages of her emails, you really get to connect with Cricket on a more personal level which I thought was really awesome.

The romance didn't play as big of a part as I had thought it would. I was almost certain that a love triangle would appear between Ash, Cricket, and Janssen. What I didn't anticipate was for Cricket to be so mature. She admitted that she did feel attracted to Ash and even though she and Janssen were taking a break in their relationship, she didn't feel that it was right to "date" Ash. I absolutely applaud Cricket for telling Ash that she was sorting through her relationship problems and that another relationship wasn't the biggest thing on her mind. Sure, it took some time to get to that conclusion, but it's still pretty rare for a character to firmly put her foot down and say no to a pretty damn good looking guy. Instead, the romance focused more on family love. The love that Cricket, Ben, and their mom had with each other and Jupiter. The love that their mom had with Dan Jax. That type of love which is simple in itself, but so complex at the same time.

I would definitely recommend the book if you want a more family based contemporary. This wasn't exactly what I was looking for when I picked it up so it was a bit hard for me to get through. BUT, this book definitely touched me on many levels that I wasn't expecting. With that said, if you're looking for a fluffy contemporary you might want to stay away from this one, but it definitely is a golden story! :)

3.5/5 stars

Foreverly Obsessed,

Riv

Continue to read an excerpt! Pst! It made me cry ;)

Mini Review: Cruel Beauty

Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge

ISBN: 0062224735

Pages: 342

Source: Library

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Summary:

Based on the classic fairy tale Beauty and the Beast, Cruel Beauty is a dazzling love story about our deepest desires and their power to change our destiny.
Since birth, Nyx has been betrothed to the evil ruler of her kingdom-all because of a foolish bargain struck by her father. And since birth, she has been in training to kill him.
With no choice but to fulfill her duty, Nyx resents her family for never trying to save her and hates herself for wanting to escape her fate. Still, on her seventeenth birthday, Nyx abandons everything she's ever known to marry the all-powerful, immortal Ignifex. Her plan? Seduce him, destroy his enchanted castle, and break the nine-hundred-year-old curse he put on her people.
But Ignifex is not at all what Nyx expected. The strangely charming lord beguiles her, and his castle-a shifting maze of magical rooms-enthralls her.
As Nyx searches for a way to free her homeland by uncovering Ignifex's secrets, she finds herself unwillingly drawn to him. Even if she could bring herself to love her sworn enemy, how can she refuse her duty to kill him? With time running out, Nyx must decide what is more important: the future of her kingdom, or the man she was never supposed to love.

 Hello everybody!! Today I've got my little mini review of Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge which is a retelling of short of Beauty and the Beast.

First thing's first, that cover is freaking gorgeous! I think the first thing that drew me to this book was the cover, I mean come on! It's so beautiful! Okay, moving on...I personally did not think this story really followed the story of Beauty and the Beast. I mean it did, but this story reminded a lot more of the Scarletti Curse by Christine Feehan with a evil lord whom our heroine is forced to marry. When we are first introduced to Nyx, we're hit with an array of emotions from our MC. She hates what her father has done, she resents her sister because she doesn't have to go marry the demon lord, and she resents her aunt because she's in love with her dad. I was a bit concerned that we would have a whiny MC, but she quickly proved me wrong. Nyx is definitely a little ball of fire. She's not afraid, correction, she's not that afraid of Ignifex and their arguments and bantering was definitely entertaining. Ignifex has a servant name Shade who in the daytime is a shadow but at night solidifies to look like Ignifex. There's this strange little love triangle that doesn't really develop between Ignifex, Shade, and Nyx. It sort of appears and then disappears? It's a bit confusing. Anyway, one of my biggest problems with this book was how confusing it was. I had to reread the ending/last 1/4 of the book twice to sort of understand what was going on. Right now, I'm still confused as to what exactly happened at the end. I feel like Cruel Beauty has a very interesting and complex story that wasn't really developed to its fullness. There are so many questions that I still have because you only get a small glimpse of the history of Ignifex and how he came to power. Overall, I did enjoy Cruel Beauty, but like I said I have so many questions that were left unanswered. I feel like, since this is a stand alone novel, the "world" could have been written a bit better. With that said, I do recommend it because it's a pretty interesting story and the characters are definitely likable, but be prepared to be a bit confused. :)

If you can't see the link click here

3.5/5 stars

Foreverly Obsessed,

Riv

I ♥ Spring Tag

Hey guys! Since today is Easter I decided to do the I ♥ Spring Book Tag!! This tag was created by Helene Jeppesen and you can find her video here. I wasn't tagged by anyone, but again it's Easter so I thought it was the perfect time to do this tag. So let's get into it!

1. How is Spring where you live?

I live on the East Coast of the USA so spring here is springy. It rains, it's warm, breezy, the such. Sadly, there are also a lot of trees which means there's a ton of pollen in the air. Joyful news for people with allergies...my eyes!! 

2. Most anticipated book release this spring?

Release Day: April 29 2014

Release Day: May 13 2014

3. Show us a book cover that makes you think of Spring.

4. Where are you going to be reading this spring?

In all the usual places, my bed, the couch, my desk, in class. Shhhh!! Sometimes if the weather's good I might even read outside on the porch, but my allergies usually get the best of me. :(

5. Find a cover with a sun on it!

6. What are you favorite spring reads?

I don't have a particular genre that I like to read in the springtime. I do enjoy a good contemporary read on a rainy spring day or a nice fantasy read. Anything really works for me. :)

7. Find a book with many colors.

8. Who do you tag?

I'm going to tag all of you wonderful people so if you're reading I Tag You!! If you do this tag please leave a link to it in the comments I would love to see it!! 

Questions:

1. How is Spring where you live?

2. Most anticipated book release this spring?

3. Show us a book cover that makes you think of Spring.

4. Where are you going to be reading this spring?

5. Find a cover with a sun on it!

6. What are you favorite spring reads?

7. Find a book with many colors.

8. Who do you tag?

I hope you guys enjoyed this little tag post. Have an amazing Easter and if you don't celebrate, then have an amazing beautiful day!!

Foreverly Obsessed,

Riv

The Unseemly Education of Anne Merchant

The Unseemly Education of Anne Merchant by Joanna Wiebe

ISBN: 1939529336

Pages: 272

Source: NetGalley

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Summary:

So many secrets for such a small island. From the moment Anne Merchant arrives at Cania Christy, a boarding school for the world’s wealthiest teens, the hushed truths of this strange, unfamiliar land begin calling to her—sometimes as lulling drumbeats in the night, sometimes as piercing shrieks.
One by one, unanswered questions rise. No one will tell her why a line is painted across the island or why she is forbidden to cross it. Her every move—even her performance at the school dance—is graded as part of a competition to become valedictorian, a title that brings rewards no one will talk about. And Anne discovers that the parents of her peers surrender million-dollar possessions to enroll their kids in Cania Christy, leaving her to wonder what her lowly funeral director father could have paid to get her in… and why.
As a beautiful senior struggles to help Anne make sense of this cloak-and-dagger world without breaking the rules that bind him, she must summon the courage to face the impossible truth—and change it—before she and everyone she loves is destroyed by it.

Hello everybody! Today I bring to you my review of this really haunting and spooky book which I received from the lovely NetGalley for review! 

Anne Merchant arrives at Cania Christy with hopes of creating a new life for herself. No longer will she be known as the daughter of the mortician, she has the opportunity to completely revamp her life. And that's exactly what she's going to do. What she doesn't expect is that the school is full of wealthy teenagers who have one goal in mind: to become the class valedictorian. It's this concept that is literally fought over by every single student in the school, except for a guy named Pilot. Each student has a Guardian and a "strength" of sorts that basically dictates her life. Anne is assigned her Guardian, a creepy man named Teddy who announces that her "strength" is seduction which means that she is being graded on how she seduces people to win the title of valedictorian. Anne freaks out and rejects her strength which brings her to what Teddy calls her "second strength" - find out more about a person/place/thing. 

The first half of this book was confusing as heck. I'll be completely honest with you. There were several times where I felt like putting it down because I had no idea what was going on. The whole concept of the story was definitely interesting, but I felt like the story was going nowhere. But, as always, I kept pushing and thank goodness I did because the second half of the book was amazing, mind blowing, and definitely worth reading. The second half clears up so much of the confusion and so many things are revealed and things just keep getting thrown your way it's freaking awesome. 

The one thing that lacked a bit was the romance. I felt like it was a bit underdeveloped when in comparison to the intricate plot that was taking place. Ben and Anne just seem to have this connection from the start and the relationship goes from there. Throughout the whole story, Ben keeps pushing Anne away only to succumb to the feelings in the end. To me, it all felt weird and I just didn't see them as a couple in my mind. Hopefully in the future books, their relationship will appeal a bit more to me? I did think that their first meeting was definitely interesting and well quirky. ;)

Just a quick warning, there will be some small spoilers in the paragraph, but I have to talk about the really freaking amazingly developed plot. I'll try to keep it low key :) So...the plot. The second half of the book is where things speed up. Cania Christy is not some normal school, it's a special school for special people. I loved how the history of the school was built off of the Faustian Contract (spoiler). Once that's revealed and you are enlightened with the truth, everything makes sense. I understood why students fought for the title of valedictorian, I understood why Anne's father "paid" so much to send her there, everything just makes so much sense. Okay, I'm done, if I keep going I'll ruin even more.

The ending was...how do we say this? A tad bit frustrating. After the epic "battle" scene, Anne meets up again with Teddy and he's just saying a bunch of these things that make no sense whatsoever, but you're so compelled to learn more, you want to learn more but guess what? You don't cause the story ends right there before anything else happens. You learn some interesting incomplete facts and then the story ends. Come on!! I have to say that it's a pretty good cliffhanger because I definitely want to read the second book to see what happens, but to end so abruptly my heart...

So...you guys should definitely read it. The first half might be a bit torturous and confusing and hard to get through, but I promise you guys the ending is definitely worth it so don't give up!!

4 out of 5 stars

Foreverly Obsessed,
Riv