Waiting on Wednesday (101)

Hey,

This week I'm waiting for...

Black Ice by Becca Fitzpatrick

Release Date: October 7, 2014

Sometimes danger is hard to see... until it’s too late. 

Britt Pfeiffer has trained to backpack the Teton Range, but she isn't prepared when her ex-boyfriend, who still haunts her every thought, wants to join her. Before Britt can explore her feelings for Calvin, an unexpected blizzard forces her to seek shelter in a remote cabin, accepting the hospitality of its two very handsome occupants—but these men are fugitives, and they take her hostage. 

In exchange for her life, Britt agrees to guide the men off the mountain. As they set off, Britt knows she must stay alive long enough for Calvin to find her. The task is made even more complicated when Britt finds chilling evidence of a series of murders that have taken place there... and in uncovering this, she may become the killer’s next target. 

But nothing is as it seems in the mountains, and everyone is keeping secrets, including Mason, one of her kidnappers. His kindness is confusing Britt. Is he an enemy? Or an ally? 

The ending to the Hush, Hush saga left me slightly disappoint, but I did it immensely love the first book. I know that Fitzpatrick won't be letting us down with this one. It is a story about backpacking, and I haven't read one of those stories in a longggg time. AND DAYUM THE COVER IS BEAUTIFULLLL! Loving the tag line: Danger is hard to resist. 

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 Boundless

Boundless (Unearthly #3) by Cynthia Hand
Release Date: January 22, 2013
Goodreads | Amazon UK | Amazon | The Book Depository

The past few years have held more surprises than part-angel Clara Gardner could ever have anticipated. Yet from the dizzying highs of first love, to the agonizing low of losing someone close to her, the one thing she can no longer deny is that she was never meant to live a normal life.

Since discovering the special role she plays among the other angel-bloods, Clara has been determined to protect Tucker Avery from the evil that follows her . . . even if it means breaking both their hearts. Leaving town seems like the best option, so she’s headed back to California - and so is Christian Prescott, the irresistible boy from the vision that started her on this journey in the first place.

As Clara makes her way in a world that is frighteningly new, she discovers that the fallen angel who attacked her is watching her every move. And he’s not the only one. . . . With the battle against the Black Wings looming, Clara knows she must finally fulfill her destiny. But it won’t come without sacrifices and betrayal.

A YA paranormal romance series designed to grip hearts and show the meaning of true strength, love, and friendship... But obviously without some badass angel action from both hell and heaven, of course.

From the early pages of Unearthly, I was hooked. I was hooked on the whole idea of this world full of angels; some half angel, some a quarter angel, some with blood from the fallen angels, living amongst humans, with all kinds of other concepts that simply makes this series stand out over other paranormal books. It's very easy to get lost in the idea of an angel who get snippets of the future, a "vision", and this is like their purpose from God that they must fulfill. Oh how I adore the imagination of authors.

One of the big discussions in this trilogy is "Team Tucker" or "Team Christian". Tucker is a cute guy who works on a farm and likes to be that typical southern hardworking cowboy. Clara and Tucker are a sweet couple; however, she is an angle and he is human. It is not natural and it is not meant to be, is it? But there's Christian, who is an angel (and also veryvery lovely and understanding and lovable and such a sweetie pie) who moved in town who has been envisioning Clara for the past year. He obviously feels like there's a certain connection and fate that they have to fulfill. I genuinely love both boys and I kept switching sides throughout this book as I could not pick. Even the ending didn't leave me completely okay. I needed more information! Maybe an epilogue after the epilogue would have been good.

The plot in this book was so gripping and incorporates good and evil perfectly. We get to explore a different kind of setting as the characters are now in college, while Clara also takes lessons from a certain someone to explore the extent of her powers and reach her full potential in order to fill her "purpose". She is basically upgrading herself to a kickass angel.

The relationships in this book are also heartwarming. There's Clara's relationship with her best friend Angela, who is definitely not the easiest person to get on with; but Clara never gives up and is determined to stay by her side no matter what. It is part of Clara's character to be supportive of those around her and she also shows this with her brother Jeffrey. I love the fact that he is your idea of a typical younger brother. It made some moments in the book very funny to read about when he sprinkled his charm a bit.

Boundless offers an open-ending that will leave you to your imagination; while also offering a certain kind of closure. It feels great to have been on such an amazing and heart-warming journey with these characters who pushed me into reading YA books. Prepare yourself for one of the most captivating angel stories that you'll ever come across. Cynthia Hand has set the bar for others and herself. I'm intrigued to find out more about her future books.

Rating

Cover Reveal: Heir of Fire

Hey,

I'm here today because I've just seen the cover for Heir of Fire, the third book in the Thrown of Glass series and it is so brilliant I couldn't NOT share it for those of you who may not have seen yet.

Heir of Fire (Thrown of Glass #3) by Sarah J. Maas

Release Date: September 2, 2014

Lost and broken, Celaena Sardothien's only thought is to avenge the savage death of her dearest friend: as the King of Adarlan's Assassin, she is bound to serve this tyrant, but he will pay for what he did. Any hope Celaena has of destroying the king lies in answers to be found in Wendlyn. 

Sacrificing his future, Chaol, the Captain of the King's Guard, has sent Celaena there to protect her, but her darkest demons lay in that same place. If she can overcome them, she will be Adarlan's biggest threat - and his own toughest enemy. 

While Celaena learns of her true destiny, and the eyes of Erilea are on Wendlyn, a brutal and beastly force is preparing to take to the skies. Will Celaena find the strength not only to win her own battles, but to fight a war that could pit her loyalties to her own people against those she has grown to love? 

The left is the US cover and the right is the UK cover. I love both!

Enjoy your books,

Sam

Check out my reviews of:

Throne of Glass (Throne of Glass #1)

Crown of Midnight (Throne of Glass #2)

Waiting on Wednesday (100)

Hey,

WELCOME TO MY 100TH WAITING ON WEDNESDAY POST! WOOOO!

This week I'm looking forward to...

Stone Cold Touch (The Dark Elements #2) by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Release Date: October 28, 2014

Every touch has its price

Layla Shaw is trying to pick up the pieces of her shattered life—no easy task for a seventeen-year-old who’s pretty sure things can’t get worse. Her impossibly gorgeous best friend, Zayne, is forever off-limits thanks to the mysterious powers of her soul-stealing kiss. The Warden clan that has always protected her is suddenly keeping dangerous secrets. And she can barely think about Roth, the wickedly hot demon prince who understood her in ways no one else could.

But sometimes rock bottom is only the beginning. Because suddenly Layla’s powers begin to evolve, and she’s offered a tantalizing taste of what has always been forbidden. Then, when she least expects it, Roth returns, bringing news that could change her world forever. She’s finally getting what she always wanted, but with hell literally breaking loose and the body count adding up, the price may be higher than Layla is willing to pay…

I LURVEDDD WHITE HOT KISS SOOOOOOO MUCH!! The characters, the plot, the romance, the paranormal elements. I loved it all! Please, all heaven above, please let this book to be released early!

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

Have a good week,
Sam :D

Let's Talk: If I Stay Trailer

Hey,

Welcome to another "Let's Talk!" post. Today I shall be discussing the newly released If I Stay trailer. 

I cannot stop watching this trailer. It's haunting, heart-warming, romantic and utterly perfect! I've cried countless times and have spammed up my Instagram with short clips from this irresistible story. 

If you have been living under a rock and have never heard of If I Stay by Gayle Forman, I highly recommend you get your butt over to a bookshop and purchase the book ASAP because it will make you cry and laugh and feel all emotions possible. JUST GO OKAY.

In a nice brief summary: it's about a girl who is in a car crash with her family and is in a coma. While she in a coma, people visit her and relieves memories and is drawn between following her family or holding on to life and waking up. 

CHLOE GRACE MORETZ IS PERFECT. Yep, she's Mia. From what I've heard, Chloe had to learn a bit of the cello in order to fulfill the role and that... that's just amazing. I can't wait to see the entire film and also cry at how beautiful she is and how well she portrays Mia!

And JAMIE BLACKLEY! Gah, I wasn't sure at first, but honestly they are exactly how I pictured Mia and Adam. And the acting. Omg, the acting is brilliant. All of Jamie's lines as Adam felt so real and believable and utterly perfect. I WISHED HE WAS SAYING THEM ALL TO ME. DON'T PRETEND YOU DIDN'T WANT THAT TOO.

I like the use of the voice over and that amazing cello playing at the beginning; it really set the scene perfectly and brought a beautiful sense of urgency. But I honestly couldn't stop myself from crying or my heart from racing at a dangerous rate when "Say Something" by A Great Big World began playing. No. I couldn't handle it at all. THE SONG JUST FITS SO PERFECTLY I COULDN'T EVEN BREATHE.

The lines used in the trailer also gave me complete CHILLS and FEELS and the "OMG I'M DYING OF EMOTIONS" kind of feeling. I'm sure you felt them too. Examples:

"Sometimes you make choices in life and sometimes choices make you."

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"The you you are now is the same you I was in love with yesterday and the same you I'll be in love with tomorrow."

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"Here's the secret, baby: if you live; if you die; it's all up to you."

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"I can't lose her."

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"I'm still here. And I'm still crazy in love with you. Please stay."

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I don't do them justice simply writing them out, go and watch the trailer already! And after watching the trailer about ten times in a row and having a five minute cool down... I still wanted to watch it again and cry a bit more. I need this film, right now. I can't stand the wait.

I'm afraid that this film will not get as much recognition as The Fault in Our Stars is getting. Don't get me wrong, I am excited for both of them and I don't honestly know how I will be able to afford all the tissues for both of these movies because they look absolutely heart-wrenching and amazing. But I just hope people will not brand this as another TFiOS and dismiss it. I really hope both movies are a huge, HUGE success.

I can't believe it. I know plenty of us in the bookish community are feeling so lucky that more incredible YA books that have been our favourites for such a long time are finally being brought to the big screen! With exquisite actors that look so promising and just like we imagined them. 

I have both June 20th (TFiOS) and August 22nd (If I Stay) marked out on my calender. I am so, so desperate to see these movies and I don't think my friends understand my hype so please join in with me and show me that this is completely normal.

What do you think of the If I Stay trailer? Will you be watching the movie when it's out? What do you think of the actors? Let me know in the comments!

Much love,
Sam :)

My review of Otherbound

Otherbound by Corinne Duyvis
Release Date: June 17, 2014
Goodreads | Amazon UK | Amazon | The Book Depository

Amara is never alone. Not when she's protecting the cursed princess she unwillingly serves. Not when they're fleeing across dunes and islands and seas to stay alive. Not when she's punished, ordered around, or neglected.

She can't be alone, because a boy from another world experiences all that alongside her, looking through her eyes.

Nolan longs for a life uninterrupted. Every time he blinks, he's yanked from his Arizona town into Amara's mind, a world away, which makes even simple things like hobbies and homework impossible. He's spent years as a powerless observer of Amara's life. Amara has no idea . . . until he learns to control her, and they communicate for the first time. Amara is terrified. Then, she's furious.

All Amara and Nolan want is to be free of each other. But Nolan's breakthrough has dangerous consequences. Now, they'll have to work together to survive--and discover the truth about their connection.

A riveting and brilliantly mixed contemporary and fantasy novel that has a fantastically unique concept told from an equally unique cast of characters. Otherbound is told as a dual point of view and we get explore the thoughts of both of our main characters who live in very,VERY different worlds. 

When Nolan closes his eyes - or even blinks -  he is transported into the mind of Amara; a self-healing and magic-using girl with duties to protect a cursed princess. Having this almost second life doesn't make it easy for Nolan to do every day activities or live a normal life in general. While he looks through Amara's eyes he can't do anything: only watch. Until one day, he learns to control her and Amara finally realises that there is someone else inside her, and neither Nolan or Amara know why this is happening.

At first, the concept may be hard to wrap your head around, and once you're in Amara's world your mind may explode. It's a world of magic and curses and secrets! Amara has to look after the cursed princess Cilla who can be be hurt so easily and bleed to death; which is one of the curses that have been put on her. 

I liked Nolan and I found that he was an interesting to read about and I really enjoyed his relationship with his sister Pat. You can easily see that he wishes he could help her and pay her more attention, but not being mentally present all of the time makes it quite hard to be a good big brother. I also really liked Maart who is a servant who travels with Amara and Cilla. He was just very easy to get on with because of his adventurous personality and easy-going humor. I know that a lot of other people also enjoyed his character.

On the other hand, I found it extremely hard to like Cilla. She just didn't radiate any qualities or traits that drew me in. The relationship with Amara, which occurs later in the novel with plenty of build up, didn't really feel authentic. The switching of POVs didn't give enough time to get to know the characters a bit better, and it didn't seem like Amara and Cilla had moments where they bonded at all so I didn't understand how they made a connection.

Throughout the story we learn more and more about Amara's world and the magic that is used and how they use it. There are so many secrets and crazy fantasy elements that will keep you reading until you can find out more; I loved the suspense and buildup! And there was plenty of action and thrilling battle scenes along the way.

Otherbound offers an open-ending, however it is a standalone novel and therefore anything beyond that is up to your imagination. I loved the concept, main characters and the mixture of contemporary and fantasy! Get ready for your mind to be blown and transported into a fantasy world filled with danger and limitless possibilities. This debut author is talented and, I'm sure, has much more to give in the future!

Rating

A review copy was provided by the publisher

Book Haul (#81)

Hey,

Hope you have all had a fabulous week! I haven't been really been doing much. I've just been watching the If I Stay trailer OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN. I believe, I'm almost on my 50th time. And look out for my "Let's Talk" post about the If I Stay trailer on Tuesdayyyyy!

Moving on, this week I received and won:

Divine Vices (Divine Vices #1) by Melissa Parkin - Received -
Thank you, Melissa! This is a YA paranormal romance and it sounds absolutely brilliant! I adore this genre and I can't wait to see what this book has to offer.
Getting By (A Knight's Tale #1)  by Claudia Y. Burgoa - Received -
This is a new adult contemporary romance and it's the first in a four-book series. I shall dive into this soon as I will be posting an excerpt and hosting a giveaway for the book in the upcoming weeks.

The Winner's Curse (The Winner's Trilogy #1) by Marie Rutkoski - Won -
I won this from Goodreads' First Reads scheme. I FEEL SO BLESSED. I've been wanting to read this after all the hype and the positive reviews that have been flooding everywhere. Hopefully, I'll have some time for it soon.

Leave a link to your Book Haul/In My Mailbox/Stacking the Shelves/Letterbox Love/Showcase Sunday in the comments so I can check it out!

Enjoy your books,
Sam :)

Posts you may be interested in...
Review: Cress by Marissa Meyer
Review: Fragile Line by Brooklyn Skye
Let's Talk: Divergent Movie
Cover Reveal and Giveaway: Mortal Enchantments
Waiting on Wednesday: Take Me On by Katie McGarry
Weekly Favourites
Book Haul (#80)

Get Ready For Summer Giveaway

Hey,

It's almost summer! And I know I haven't done a giveaway in so, so, SO long. Therefore, it's definitely time for one, and especially as we are all looking for a good book to go out and read in the sun, right?

This giveaway is open internationally as long as The Book Depository ships to you. There will be one winner who may pick one book from the selection below. If they are not yet available, they will be pre-ordered.

Cinder by Marissa Meyer

Scarlet by Marissa Meyer

Cress by Marissa Meyer

White Hot Kiss by Jennifer L. Armentrout

A Midsummer's Nightmare by Kody Keplinger

Purity by Jackson Pearce

To All the Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han

Splintered by A. G. Howard

Unhinged by A. G Howard

Open Road Summer by Emery Lord

#Scandal by Sarah Ockler

Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge

The Geography of You and Me by Jennifer E. Smith

The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith

This is What Happy Looks Like by Jennifer E. Smith

What I Thought Was True by Huntley Fitzpatrick
My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick
Wait For You by J. Lynn

A Breath of Frost by Alyxandra Harvey
Stung by Bethany Wiggins
Cured by Bethany Wiggins

Simply enter by filling in the Rafflecopter form below:

**Giveaway Closed**
Winner: Ashleigh
She picked Cruel Beauty.
Thank you all for entering!

Enjoy your weekend and good luck!
Sam :)

My review of Fragile Line

Fragile Line by Brooklyn Skye
Release Date: April 21, 2014
Goodreads | Amazon UK | Amazon | 

It can happen in a flash. One minute she’s kissing her boyfriend, the next she’s lost in the woods. Sixteen-year-old Ellie Cox is losing time. It started out small…forgetting a drive home or a conversation with a friend. But her blackouts are getting worse, more difficult to disguise as forgetfulness. When Ellie goes missing for three days, waking up in the apartment of a mysterious guy—a guy who is definitely not her boyfriend, her life starts to spiral out of control. 

Perched on the edge of insanity, with horrific memories of her childhood leaking in, Ellie struggles to put together the pieces of what she’s lost—starting with the name haunting her, Gwen. Heartbreakingly beautiful, this poignant story follows one girl’s harrowing journey to finding out who she really is.

The concept of the book really drew me in: a girl who slowly loses more and more of her memories and one day she wakes up next to a complete stranger and she has no recollection of how she got there. I couldn't possibly say no! However, Fragile Line isn't the easiest book to wrap your head around, and at one point I was even thinking, "SHE'S AN ALIEN THIS IS DEFINITELY NOT A CONTEMPORARY! HER BODY IS BEING TAKEN OVER BY ALIENS THAT IS THE ONLY POSSIBLE ANSWER."

The book begins following Ellie through school and interacting with her boyfriend, Shane. It's a great opening to draw you into the concept and storyline. But then the hardcore shizz begins to appear as we realise that Ellie has blackouts and can't remember events or what she's done during that time. According to everyone else, she's gone missing for days and she's cheating on her boyfriend, but how? *Not aliens, I'm sorry*

Ellie is not a strong or particularly captivating character to read about and most of the time I found it hard to like her. However, you come to realise that this is part of the plot; she is meant to be weak, and through the second half of the book our questions are answered and it really feels like the story is moving at a faster pace. It honestly felt really mental (all the events in the book), but it does happen in reality and I'm glad that the author explored different issues such as adoption, drugs, etc.

Fragile Line is a book that may not be for everyone, but it will hold your attention once you really get into the plot. I felt like there was a lot more it could of given and the pace at the beginning could of been a bit fast. It's a very unique contemporary and the concept is like nothing I've ever come across before; therefore, it may be worth you picking up if you also feel the same way. But overall, it's a fast and short read that has a lot of potential.

Rating

A review copy was provided by the publisher

Let's Talk: Divergent Movie

Hey,

Welcome to another "Let's Talk" post! Today I shall be discussing the newly released Divergent movie!

Divergent is a dystopian/science-fiction book turned movie this April starring Shailene Woodley, who is slowly and steadily rising to fame, and Theo James as the main characters Tris and Four. It is based in a world where all citizens live inside an enclosed city that separates everyone into five different factions according to their dominant trait: Candor (honesty), Erudite (intelligence), Amity (loving and peaceful), Abnegation (selflessness), Dauntless (bravery). It is a story that makes you come to realise who you truly are and where you belong.

I posted "Let's Talk: Divergent Movie Trailer" back in December and I expressed my delights and fears about how the movie looked and how it made me feel. Looking back at all the things I was moaning about... Mmm, I feel bad. 

I had fears about Shailene Woodley. OH MY... why? She was an absolutely brilliant Tris! She portrayed the daring character extremely well and was honestly perfect. I couldn't wish for a better protagonist in this franchise. Not to mention, her performance in The Fault in Our Stars (from the trailer) looks STUNNING. Everyone is calling her the next Jennifer Lawrence. 

I also had a little moan about Theo James because he seemed "too old" for the role. Ah dear, someone please slap me. HE WAS HAWT AS HELL. And I kid you not, most of the females in the cinema were praising the lord when he took his shirt off. 

I liked how he portrayed Four. He wasn't exactly how I pictured the book character, but he did bring something different to the role that I liked. A stubborn and protective exterior with a loving and funny personality underneath. Well done, Theo! You have gained yourself a loving fan. And damn, he is something to marvel at, isn't he?

The only thing that I feel let down on is the development of the romance. In the film it seems like there could be more build-up... maybe. In the book, it came about as more natural. ANDDD, at the end I wanted more gushy and romantic words spoken, please.

I liked the choices for the supporting cast. Will, Christina and Peter were all great! And I found myself quickly attached to them. And Kate Winslet as Jeanine? AHHHH, this was one cast choice that I had no doubt was going to be brilliant! And guess what? SHE WASSSS!!

Thank God they have all signed on for the next two movies! I cannot wait to see more of the story translated onto the big screens. Also, I couldn't bring myself up to reading Allegiant after all the spoilers I came across... so I just read the summary on Wikipedia... I'M SORRY. But now I'm more excited for the story than ever!

And for all those that have yet to hear the news; producers have decided to split Allegiant up into two parts. Yep, we've got the whole Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows / Twilight Breaking Dawn / Hunger Games: Mockingjay situaion. But, I don't mind too much as the franchise will be dragged out for another year (2014-2017).

Leave a comment below telling me whether you will be watching the film, and if you have, what did you think of it? 

Much love to you all,
Sam :D

Waiting on Wednesday (99)

Hey,

This week I'm waiting for...

Take Me On (Pushing the Limits #4) by Katie McGarry

Release Date: May 20, 2014

Champion kickboxer Haley swore she'd never set foot in the ring again after one tragic night. But then the guy she can't stop thinking about accepts a mixed martial arts fight in her honor. Suddenly, Haley has to train West Young. All attitude, West is everything Haley promised herself she'd stay away from. Yet he won't last five seconds in the ring without her help.

West is keeping a big secret from Haley. About who he really is. But helping her-fighting for her-is a shot at redemption. Especially since it's his fault his family is falling apart. He can't change the past, but maybe he can change Haley's future.

Hayley and West have agreed to keep their relationship strictly in the ring. But as an unexpected bond forms between them and attraction mocks their best intentions, they'll face their darkest fears and discover love is worth fighting for.

I'm not gaga for this cover overall, but I am crazy for that gorgeous guy right there. WESTWESTWEST WHY YOU SUCH A HOTTIE HMMMMM?

Anyway..... I am looking forward to this so bad because I am crazy in love with Katie McGarry and any story should could ever write. I will read it. NOTHING. And I mean NOTHING can get it my way. If you want some amazing contemporary books check out the rest of her series: Pushing the Limits, Dare You To, Crash Into You

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

Have a good week,
Sam :D