Devil and the Deep Release Day Party

Hey there!

Today is the release day of Devil and the Deep by Megan Tayte, this is the fourth book in the Cerulean series. 

Devil and the Deep (Cerulean #4) by Megan Tayte 

Release Day: September 30, 2015

STORM CLOUDS ARE GATHERING, AND THEY WILL RAIN BLOOD. 

Scarlett is living her happy-ever-after, back in the real world. Only the ‘happy’ part is proving problematic.

For starters, there’s the isolation. Being a Cerulean among humans is fraught with risk, so her time with people can only be fleeting. Which means being with Luke but not being with Luke.

Then there’s her Cerulean light, her power over life and death. Less awesome talent, as it turns out, and more overwhelming responsibility. And it comes with rules – rules that are increasingly difficult to obey.

But what’s really pushing Scarlett to the precipice is something much bigger than herself, than her life in the cove. A force to be reckoned with:

Blood.

When long-buried truths are exposed, will Scarlett keep her head above water – or will she drown in the blood-dimmed tide that is unleashed?
---------------------------------

You can buy Devil and the Deep at: Amazon UK, Amazon, The Book Depository

About the Author:
Once upon a time a little girl told her grandmother that when she grew up she wanted to be a writer. Or a lollipop lady. Or a fairy princess fireman. ‘Write, Megan,’ her grandmother advised. So that’s what she did.

Thirty-odd years later, Megan is a professional writer and published author by day, and an indie novelist by night. Her fiction – young adult romance with soul – recently earned her the SPR’s Independent Woman Author of the Year award.

Megan grew up in the Royal County, a hop, skip and a (very long) jump from Windsor Castle, but these days she makes her home in Robin Hood's county, Nottinghamshire. She lives with her husband, a proud Scot who occasionally kicks back in a kilt; her son, a budding artist with the soul of a palaeontologist; and her baby daughter, a keen pan-and-spoon drummer who sings in her sleep. When she's not writing, you'll find her walking someplace green, reading by the fire, or creating carnage in the kitchen as she pursues her impossible dream: of baking something edible.

You can find Megan at:
http://megantayte.com/
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13478850.Megan_Tayte
https://www.facebook.com/megantayte
https://twitter.com/megantayte
https://plus.google.com/+MeganTayte

----------------------------------

Megan is also running a giveaway for a tote bag so make sure you enter that in the Rafflecopter below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Have a good day!

Sam

My review of I Was Here

I Was Here by Gayle Forman

Release Date: January 29, 2015

Goodreads | Amazon UK | Amazon | The Book Depository

This characteristically powerful novel follows eighteen-year-old Cody Reynolds in the months following her best friend's shocking suicide.

As Cody numbly searches for answers as to why Meg took her own life, she begins a journey of self-discovery which takes her to a terrifying precipice, and forces her to question not only her relationship with the Meg she thought she knew, but her own understanding of life, love, death and forgiveness. 

I Was Here left me feeling underwhelmed. I was expecting a lot more than what this book had to offer especially from the author of such stunning and memorable books like If I Stay and Where She Went. I started reading with high expectations and the thought that this book will leave an impression on me like the previous books had. However after giving the story a good go I could just feel my engagement slipping away and feel the boredom creeping in.

The story is about a girl called Cody who loses her best friend Meg. Meg committed suicide leaving nothing but one last scheduled email and Cody can't figure out why she couldn't see the signs. Therefore she embarks on an investigation to find out what led Meg to take such extreme actions. It all sounds quite interesting and exciting, right? Well for me that wasn't the case. The main character built up the personality of her friend as "one of a kind", "unique", basically someone that you would be lucky to have known, but I didn't really feel any of this coming through. The voice of Cody felt dull and unconvincing. It led to me not being able to engage with her and her memory of Meg.

Overall, I now don't remember clearly what I was expecting from this book, but whatever this was wasn't it. I know this story won't stay in my mind for very long and I would preferably like to forget about it. Gayle Forman is a very good writer and this shows in her previous books including Just One Day and Just One Year, this story just simply was not for me. The characters were not for me. And the whole journey of the novel wasn't for me. 

Rating

Celebrating International Literacy Day

Hey there!

I was approached by Grammarly to join in with their literacy campaign for International Literacy Day. They've provided me with an info graphic containing some very intriguing facts about the topic.

I hope you found those figures as interesting and intriguing as I did. You can check out Grammarly's International Literacy Day post here!

Have a great day!
Sam :)

Book Haul (#106)

Hey,

I hope you've all enjoyed the summer! There's so many great books out and so many more to come so please recommend me any in the comments that I must get my hands on immediately.


These past couple of weeks I have received, bought and borrowed:

Six Of Crows (Six of Crows #1) by Leigh Bardugo - Received - 
Thank you so much to the publisher for sending me an advanced copy of this book! Who didn't love the Grisha trilogy? I was one of many who couldn't resist it's charm and now I can't wait to sink my teeth into this one.
The Heir (The Selection #4) by Kiera Cass - Borrowed -
Surprised that the story didn't stop with The One, but I've already finished this book and it's okay as a follow up story.

Every Last Breath (The Dark Elements #3) by Jennifer L. Armentrout - Bought - 
Yes, yes, yes! Finished it already and couldn't be happier. Look out for my review.
Secret Garden - Artist's Edition by Johanna Basford - Received -
A big thank you to Midas Public Relations for sending me this gorgeous copy! I shall be reviewing soon for you all. 

Queen of Shadows (Throne of Glass #4) by Sarah J. Maas - Received -
All I can say is: YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS PLEAAAAAAAAAASEEEE.
The Cursed Ones (Crusade #1) by Nancy Holder - Bought -
This book was on sale for £1.50 in WHSmiths and I knew I had to snap it up. I love a good book about hunters because it just reminds me of Supernatural and that brings up a whole load of good feels for me!

Leave a link to you Book Haul, Stacking the Shelves, Letterbox Love, In My Mailbox in the comments below so I can check it out!

Have a lovely weekend,
Sam :)

Waiting on Wednesday (165)

Hey,

This week I'm waiting for...

Wild Crush (Wild Cards #2) by Simone Elkeles
Release Date: September 22, 2015

When the only girl you want is the one you can't have... 

Bad boy Vic Salazar breaks all the rules except one: Don't make a move on your best friend's girl. It’s a Guy Code that Vic lives by. It doesn't matter that he's had a crush on her for years. Monika Fox is off limits. 

Monika has a secret of her own and when a tragedy throws her and Vic together, the only boy she trusts is the one she shouldn’t confide in. Vic. 

As Vic struggles to keep his distance, and Monika struggles with her secrets, will their wild connection violate every rule both vowed never to break—about relationships, about friendship, about love?

Simone Elkeles is a staple comtemporary author for me and she never fails to deliver an entertaining and gripping book. I adored Wild Cards, also known as Better Than Perfect in the UK, and I know that she won't let us down with this companion novel in the series!

Leave a link to your WoW post in the comments below so I can check it out!

Have a good week,
Sam :D

Review: Every Last Breath

Every Last Breath (The Dark Elements #3) by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Release Date: July 28, 2015
Goodreads | Amazon UK | Amazon | The Book Depository

Some loves will last ’til your dying breath

Every choice has consequences—but seventeen-year-old Layla faces tougher choices than most. Light or darkness. Wickedly sexy demon prince Roth, or Zayne, the gorgeous, protective Warden she never thought could be hers. Hardest of all, Layla has to decide which side of herself to trust.

Layla has a new problem, too. A Lilin—the deadliest of demons—has been unleashed, wreaking havoc on those around her…including her best friend. To keep Sam from a fate much, much worse than death, Layla must strike a deal with the enemy while saving her city—and her race—from destruction.

Torn between two worlds and two different boys, Layla has no certainties, least of all survival, especially when an old bargain comes back to haunt them all. But sometimes, when secrets are everywhere and the truth seems unknowable, you have to listen to your heart, pick a side—and then fight like hell…

This is the third and final book in The Dark Elements trilogy following up White Hot Kiss and Stone Cold Touch. I must say that I was definitely drawn into this series not only because it's by JLA, but also because the concept is pretty unique. I mean, how many YA paranormal books have you read with gargoyles? Yes, gargoyles! And they basically do heaven's dirty work by getting rid of demons. I absolutely fell in love with the story and the characters, but sadly towards the end, I must admit that I was probably focusing on the romance rather than anything else.

In book one we are presented with Layla who is half demon and half warden (a gargoyle), she has grown up with a warden boy called Zayne and has always had a crush on him. But then she meets Roth who is the sexy demon and Crown Prince of Hell, and her heart is literally torn in two. Okayyyyy, there's a plot that runs through the trilogy about some demon lady who wants to take over the world but is currently stuck in hell or something like that, BUT THE ROMANCE! Don't get me wrong, I adore Jennifer Armentrout and how she never fails to deliver a good story. But this trilogy for me felt more about how far she could push it with a love triangle. There was even a vote online to determine whether Layla should pick Zayne or Roth and the book was written to reflect that vote.

I don't know how to feel. I did love the story and I won't deny that. There is everything you could want in a paranormal such as a good and strong storyline, badass fight scenes with awesome creatures, and some intriguing and entertaining characters to take us on a fun journey. Though in the end, after rating the previous books very highly, I decided to give this book a four out of five rating as I didn't feel that this was the punchy ending to the trilogy I was hoping for. Plenty of elements felt predictable and same-y, and didn't finish with a bang like I was expecting. 

Previous books reviews: White Hot Kiss (#1), Stone Cold Touch (#2)

Rating

4 Falling Books

Waiting on Wednesday (164)

Hey,

This week I'm waiting for...

Ash & Bramble by Sarah Prineas 

Release Date: September 15, 2015

When the glass slipper just doesn’t fit…

The tale of Cinderella has been retold countless times. But what you know is not the true story.

Pin has no recollection of who she is or how she got to the Godmother’s fortress. She only knows that she is a Seamstress, working day in and out to make ball gowns fit for fairy tales. But she longs to forsake her backbreaking servitude and dares to escape with the brave young Shoemaker.

Pin isn’t free for long before she’s captured again and forced to live the new life the Godmother chooses for her—a fairy tale story, complete with a charming prince—instead of finding her own happily ever after.

Sarah Prineas’s bold fairy tale retelling is a dark and captivating world where swords are more fitting than slippers, young shoemakers are just as striking as princes, and a heroine is more than ready to rescue herself before the clock strikes midnight.

Leave a link to your WoW post in the comments below so I can check it out!

Have a good week,
Sam :D

My review of The Declaration

The Declaration (The Declaration #1) by Gemma Malley
Release Date: November 8, 2012 (New edition)
Goodreads | Amazon UK | Amazon | The Book Depository

Anna Covey is a ‘Surplus’. She should not have been born. In a society in which ageing is no longer feared, and death is no longer an inevitability, children are an abomination.

Like all Surpluses, Anna is living in a Surplus Hall and learning how to make amends for the selfish act her parents committed in having her. She is quietly accepting of her fate until, one day, a new inmate arrives. Anna’s life is thrown into chaos. But is she brave enough to believe this mysterious boy?

A tense and utterly compelling story about a society behind a wall, and the way in which two young people seize the chance to break free.

The Declaration is the first book in the startlingly gripping dystopian trilogy. I was hooked from the beginning and I can't believe I hadn't read this sooner! Make sure you read this trilogy if you want to experience a unique dystopia world that is easy to fall into but hard to escape from.

The novel is set in the future in the UK where a drug called 'Longevity' has been created to stop ageing. Since everyone is not ageing, the society can not handle a population growth, which means all of the Surpluses, illegal children born, have to be sent to a Surplus Hall, where they learn to be useful to a world that they shouldn't have been born into. Anna has been living in Surplus Hall since she was young, believing that she was put in there for the selfish act her parent commented in having her. But when a new boy arrives and claims to know her parents and the world outside, she doesn't know whether to believe him or stay away.

The Declaration was an exciting read that I didn't want to put down. The premise was extremely interesting and unique. My dystopian loving friends, this book is very well written with surprises and a cute romance to go with it, and everything you could want in an awesome book. Who wouldn't want to read about two teenagers trying to escape and find the truth in a world full of lies and ruled by a pill that will make you live forever?

At first, I had a hard time trying to connect with the main character, Anna, who wouldn't open her eyes, or mind, to anything that Peter, the new boy at Surplus hall, was trying to tell her. I did feel frustrated at times with her indecisive personality and I really wanted to hit her head with a stick and knock some sense into her. As for Peter, I fell in love with his shy and boyish charm from the beginning! He is lovely character that I would love to meet in real life.  

There were plenty of mysteries to solve and characters to learn about. I could not put the book down once I really got into it. The Declaration ended brilliantly, and I can tell that the sequel, The Resistance, is going to be even better! A series full of action, mystery and romance, how could you possibly resist?

Rating

A review copy was provided by the publisher

Waiting on Wednesday (163)

Hey,

This week I'm waiting for...

Winter (The Lunar Chronicles #4) by Marissa Meyer 

Release Date: November 10, 2015

Princess Winter is admired by the Lunar people for her grace and kindness, and despite the scars that mar her face, her beauty is said to be even more breathtaking than that of her stepmother, Queen Levana.

Winter despises her stepmother, and knows Levana won’t approve of her feelings for her childhood friend–the handsome palace guard, Jacin. But Winter isn’t as weak as Levana believes her to be and she’s been undermining her stepmother’s wishes for years. Together with the cyborg mechanic, Cinder, and her allies, Winter might even have the power to launch a revolution and win a war that’s been raging for far too long.

Can Cinder, Scarlet, Cress, and Winter defeat Levana and find their happily ever afters?

This is the final book in the Lunar Chronicles and I need to tell you all now in case you don't know that... THIS IS ONE OF MY FAVOURITE SERIES EVER! I also featured this book in my Books I'm So Excited For I Can't Even Breathe post. So I'm pretty pumped. It's going to be amazing and if you haven't read the books yet I would strongly recommend that you check them out.

Reviews: Cinder (#1), Scarlet (#2), Cress (#3)

Leave a link to your WoW post in the comments below so I can check it out!

Have a good week,
Sam :D

My review of The Stars Never Rise

The Stars Never Rise (Untitled #1) by Rachel Vincent
Release Date: June 18, 2015
Goodreads | Amazon UK | Amazon | The Book Depository

In the town of New Temperance, souls are in short supply and Nina should be worrying about protecting hers. Yet she’s too busy trying to keep her sister Mellie safe.

When Nina discovers that Mellie is keeping a secret that threatens their existence, she’ll do anything to protect her. Because in New Temperance, sins are prosecuted as crimes by the brutal church.

To keep them both alive, Nina will need to trust Finn, a mysterious fugitive who has already saved her life once. Wanted by the church and hunted by dark forces, Nina knows she needs Finn and his group of rogue friends.

But what do they need from her in return?

I devoured The Stars Never Rise in a matter of hours! I quickly fell into Vincent's writing style that I grew to love in her Soul Screamers series and I simply did not want to put this book down. This book is about demons and how they possess humans and slowly devour their soul set in a world where souls are running out for new lives. This world is also run by The Unified Church who punish and make examples of those who don't fit the rules that they set. To have a world run by religion was a very interesting concept. In no way was this book preaching religion at all, it simply added to the plot of the story, which I loved.

Nina is the protagonist of the story and I found her an enjoyable character to read about. She's another badass female character that just grows on you very quickly. Nina is practically the parent in her family; her dad is no where around and her mother is a drug addict that hardly cares what her two daughters gets up to. Nina has to care for her sister Mellie, but when it comes to light that her sister has heavily gone against the rules set by the church, neither one of the sisters are safe. That is when Finn is introduced. Gah, Finn. 

I'll put it out there now that there is not enough in the book to fully fall in love with the character of Finn but you can see that there is so much potential for him. He and Nina instantly click and they made me laugh more times that I can count. Finn is a complex character with aspects that you unravel quite earlier on in the book but I don't want to ruin anything so I will keep it all hushhush.

I did love the paranormal excitement that The Stars Never Rise had to offer, I only hope that the next book delves into the characters and their relationships a bit more. I'm craving some Finn time. This book could still be perceived as a good start to the series. The Soul Screamers series got better and better with every book so I'm predicting for that to happen here too.

Rating