Wednesday, August 31, 2016

Review: Red: The Untold Story by Angela M. Hudson + GIVEAWAY! (CLOSED)


Hello, everyone! Today is my stop on the blog tour for Red: The Untold Story by Angela M. Hudson hosted by YA Bound Book Tours! I'm really excited about this book tour and so happy I got the chance to review it for you all! It sounded so interesting to me, even with the whole werewolf/wolf type element which I'm personally not actually a fan of but this one was an exception. Not only is this book gorgeous, but it definitely had surprises waiting for me.

Before I get further into the details about what I thought about this book, be sure to check down below to follow the rest of the blog tour as well as details on where you can purchase the book and enter the GIVEAWAY! Whoot whoot! I hope you guys enjoy!
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Red: The Untold Story by Angela M. Hudson
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Fantasy
Score: ❤❤❤❤
Page Count: 394
Stand Alone
Publisher: Self-Published
Published: July 25th, 2016

A powerful new YA novel by award-winning dark romance author AM Hudson. 

Do not go gentle into the wolf's asylum... 

Once every twenty years, pack alpha Luther takes a new wife. On the day of Selection, Red is chosen. Just as her family always planned. Just as she always planned. Until she met Alex Plain. 

Alex took Red to worlds she never imagined, where the ordinary is seen as magical, and the upright is abstract. With the help of this new friendship, Red begins to see a future for herself outside of the pack. But, unfortunately, Alex Plain came along too late. 

Red is obligated to marry Luther now, and taken to live in the mysterious Ravenswood Mansion, where truth lies and the walls have eyes. What Red learns there about her alpha will ignite some burning questions—ones that, when answered, could undo the entire order of the pack: 

What happened to all the children born there? Why hasn’t this mansion left the seventeenth century? And where are all his previous wives?

Review:
PROS:
1. Right off the bat, I was interested in reading this one not only because it seemed like a retelling of little red riding hood but also because I felt like stepping out of my comfort zone. If you know me, you know I don't read books with vampires, werewolves, or any other creature of the night. They're just not my thing. However, this one sounded rather intriguing so I thought I'd give it a chance. Boy, was I pleasantly surprised by this book for many reasons. Let's start with my favorite reason first, shall we? 

2. Going into this book, I was expecting a less modern setting than the one I got. I was surprised to see that this book is set in modern times, which I found refreshing since it actually was a realistic type setting other than the overdramatic and darker modern day settings most urban fantasy books that I've read have been set in. It was a lighter atmosphere without starting off heavy somehow. I really loved the fact that the characters also didn't have the most depressing background stories ever other than two, whose background stories were both sad but realistic as well.

3. The way this story is told caught me a little by surprise since I was expecting a retelling of little red riding hood. Instead, I was introduced to an entirely new tale which I found really enjoyable. I loved all of the twists that were made for this story to really give little red riding hood a fresh new spin on the classic tale and I found it to be really interesting and it kept me hooked until the very end. The character development of every single character was just great and I was able to connect with all of them, including the big bad wolf himself which was only a sign as to how great the characters really were.


4. The storytelling and pace this book takes was both intriguing and relaxed, fantastical and realistic at the same time and I fell in love with the book as it progressed. I loved how real the setting was for the book, but also how it had an old time feel with Red being trapped in a mansion that seemed to have been left in the 1800's, following her story as she digs deeper into who this mysterious Luther is that she's to marry and what exactly is going on behind closed doors, discovering secrets and lies that can get her harmed or even killed. The book kept me interested in the story because of the unique turns in the story, the unique setting, the realistic views on life and grief, and also took me on an adventure while also teaching some very valuable lessons on life.

 5. I could go on and on about this book from the beautiful cover to the great ending but I'll end with saying that my favorite part about this whole book was that it really focused on the importance of friendships and families, no matter how strange or weird they may seem. I loved that Red never lost sight of what really mattered to her and was quick to set aside her own problems when it came to helping out her friends who were in need, even if she had enough to worry about already. I loved the themes of family and friendship littered throughout the book and I especially loved that the romance element was only a hidden theme, only really taking life towards the last few chapters of the story with hints thrown in here and there.

6. This book deals with grief, facing your mistakes, accepting that life isn't all sunshine and rainbows but also learning to accept that there's still a little bit of magic left even when it seems your own little world is shrouded in pain or hurt. Overall, this book was fun to read, something fresh, realistic in its characters and storytelling, and most importantly added something new and touching to the story of little red riding hood that I fully enjoyed.




The reason I didn't give this book a five-star rating was because I'm just personally not a huge fan of werewolf stories so it was a bit out of my comfort zone at some points when the story delves into the history of Red's family and where her pack comes from as well as the traditions of old. Other than that, I really recommend this one!

You Can Purchase The Book Here:
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About The Author

From the town that brought you Sam Worthington, the city that brought you Heath Ledger, and the country that gave you Chris Hemsworth, comes the AusRom TODAY Author of the Year 2015 and Best Established Author nominee AM Hudson. 

This internationally successful author has captivated fans all over the world since her Dark Secrets series was released in 2011. Known for her character-driven novels and twisted plots, her epic stories will confuse you, draw you in, make you feel something, including a strong desire to slap the protagonist. 

When she's not making people fall in love with her works, she spends time sorting a mountain of laundry for her four sons and drags shoelaces around the house for her Ragdoll cat Pudding to chase. 

Mrs. Hudson loves a good chat about all things bookish, so come find her on Facebook at 'AM Hudson', and she absolutely loves readers that leave reviews. 



Author Links:
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Tuesday, August 30, 2016

August Book Haul & Wrap-Up!


Howdy, everyone! Today I have a kind of small book haul and wrap-up for the month of August! I went a little bit lighter on requesting books for review since it's become a bad habit for me to request EVERYTHING. I also didn't read as much as I would have liked this month but at least I read something, right? 

So, let's get the book haul started! I'm actually still waiting on a few books to come in the mail so I'll be showing those in September's book haul! I'm also currently reading a book that I'll be showing in the wrap-up portion of this post since well, I'm nearly done with it at this moment. Okay, let's see those books!
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Books I Bought:

Sing by Vivi Greene- Amazon- $5

Audiobooks:



And now for all the books I received for review! I'm really excited to review all of these in the next few weeks, but also a little overwhelmed but that's my fault for requesting all the books. I can't help it!! They all sounded so fun and interesting. But hey, at least I have plenty to read in September!
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Review Copies:
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NIKA: A Seychatka Novella by D.H. Gibbs -Review Coming in September
Just Friends by Monica Murphy  -Review Coming in September
Petrified by Olaf Moriarty Solstrand -Review Coming September 5th
Extraordinary October by Diana Wagman -Review Coming October 5th
Kiss Cam by Kiara London -Review Coming October 12th
Heartborn by Terry Maggert -Review Coming in September

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And now for the CD's I bought this month! There are plenty of albums that I want to get my hands on but these are just the ones I could afford to get. I can't make any promises for September though . . .


Daya EP by Daya (Physical Copy) -Target- $5
Summer EP by Cassadee Pope (Physical Copy) -Wal-Mart- $5

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And lastly, here are the books I actually read this month! I have some reviews for a few of these up already so be sure to click the links if you want to learn more about them. There are also some GIVEAWAYS going on for a few of the books as well. Enjoy!

WRAP-UP!

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Red: The Untold Story by Angela M. Hudson -Review Coming August 31st

Manga/Graphic Novels:

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And that's all I have for you this month! As you can gather, I've been rather busy with the books and the TBR . . . Anyhoo, what was your favorite read of the month? Feel free to fangirl/boy over your favorite, this is a fangirling friendly blog. Read on, bookworms! See you in the next chapter!




Monday, August 29, 2016

Review: Tenderfoot by Abby Drinen +GIVEAWAY! (CLOSED)


Hello, my friends! Today is my stop on the blog tour for Tenderfoot by Abby Drinen hosted by YA Bound Book Tours and I'm quite excited about this one. Let's be honest here, I'm always excited about blog tours regardless of the book. I just love reading and review and letting all know about the really cool books that are out there in the world! Plus. it gives me an excuse to talk about books all day long so it's a win-win.

Anyhoo, here are all the details about the book, the author, as well as my review for the book and last but not least, a GIVEAWAY! Whoot whoot! As a short disclaimer, I was sent an e-copy of this book as part of the blog tour in exchange for an honest review. Now without further ado, you may scroll down and read.


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Tenderfoot by Abby Drinen
Rating: PG
Genre: YA Sci-fi
Score: ❤❤❤
Page Count: 378
Book #1 of the Tenderfoot series
Publisher: Enova Press
Published: June 24th, 2016

“No lights, no sound. But my skin knows this isn’t home. Why aren’t I afraid?”

Orphaned teenagers, Linnea, Sammy, Logan, and Daisy, are strangers with almost nothing in common until they’re drawn into the fabric between worlds, crossing over from Earth to a place called Enova. Leaving behind lives filled with pain and loss they find hope in this new place. Until an assassination attempt on their lives changes everything. These four strangers must now band together and unravel the mysteries behind their purpose in Enova if they want to survive.
 

Review:
PROS:
1. Since I'm a lover of all things sci-fi, I jumped at the chance to review this book. It sounded a little bit like a sci-fi version of The Lovely Bones except without all the murder and depressing storyline with more adventure and excitement. I thought it could be a really neat book and I'm currently in a huge sci-fi mood so I thought this book might be one worthy of picking up. And can we just talk about the cover? The wolf emblem is just on point! Okay, here's the review! 

2. I really liked that this book is told in rotating points-of-view from each of the characters. I think it gave more detail and insight as to what was going on in their world as well as told you a little more about the characters. It was neat to learn about the characters and their way of thinking as each one told the next part of the story and made it enjoyable. The characters were also very diverse in their backgrounds which made them more realistic as they each struggled getting used to their new world.

3. The idea of this world called Enova was pretty cool. I love sci-fi because of the different worlds that the characters live in and call home and this book totally has that. I wouldn't want to visit Enova, it kind of seems a little scary, but it was a lot of fun to read about and get to know more about what separates Enova from earth and how the characters ended up there.

CONS:
1. Even though this book was a lot of fun to read, and interesting of course, I didn't really connect with any of the characters. In fact, I personally found most of them annoying but there was some decent character development that kept me reading.

2. Another thing was that while it was entertaining, I found that it was easy for me to put down after reading a couple of chapters here and there throughout the day. It didn't really keep me hooked on what was going on nor did it have a fast enough pace for my personal taste. It was a little slow going at first and a little hard for me to get into once I started reading it. 

Overall, this book is fun, interesting, and unlike a lot of other sci-fi books I've read in the past. I think if you want something quick and easy to follow, try picking this book up and see how you like it! 

You Can Purchase The Book Here:
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About the author:



I share my hunk of Northern California land with my husband, three kids, and a red Rottweiler named Paco. I like to write about realistic characters in unreal worlds. The question I ask myself when I sit down at the keyboard is: how can I make this next scene a whole lot of fun to read?




Author Links:


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Review: The Reader by M.K. Harkins + GIVEAWAY! (CLOSED)


Hello, everyone! Today is my stop on the blog tour for The Reader by M.K. Harkins and I'm SUPER excited about it! Thanks so much to YA Bound Book Tours for hosting and giving me a spot on this tour!

To start off, as always I want to give you guys a quick disclaimer that I was sent an e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review through NetGalley as part of this blog tour. Below is my review of the book, details on where you can get a copy of the book to enjoy for yourself both digitally and a physical copy, and last but not least the GIVEAWAY!! 

Now onto the review! Don't forget to check out the rest of the blog tour stops linked down below and please enter the giveaway for a chance to win a $25 Amazon gift card! Okay bye!

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The Reader by M.K. Harkins
Rating: PG
Genre: Fantasy, Paranormal
Score: 3.5 Stars
Page Count: 260 
Stand Alone
Publisher: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform
Published: August 17, 2016

Hunted, shot, and without her memory, eighteen-year-old Ann Baker wakes in shallow water on a deserted Pacific Northwest island. She is soon approached by two young men claiming to be her friends. Something isn’t right, but when gunshots sound, Ann is left with little choice but to allow Devon and Archer to help her escape. Soon she finds herself in their North Bend mountain compound, where the higher evolved humans claim to be mind-readers. While Ann heals, she realizes they believe her to be one of the last and most powerful of all – The Lost One.

She’s welcomed by most with opened arms, but not everyone is happy about her arrival. A jealous adversary has plans for Ann, which spirals the entire Reader community into chaos. 

As lies, murder, and betrayal threaten to rip apart the once harmonious mountain dwellers, Ann is thrust into making a decision that could save or devastate not only The Readers, but all of mankind. But there’s just one glitch: by doing so it may require her to make the ultimate sacrifice.

Review:
PROS:
So, can we just talk about how darn cool the synopsis sounds? I just loved how being a Reader was something of a race of people instead of just a majority of people who like reading. Seriously, SO COOL. I thought this book sounded so cool and sci-fi which is something I'm currently in the mood to read so this book sounded right up my alley. I'm so excited to have gotten a chance to read this book and review it for you guys so let's get started with the review!

2. I thought the characters were very interesting, especially our main character Ann. The struggles that Ann faces throughout the book is getting used to a new environment unlike anything she's ever seen, not remembering how she even got there in the first place or what happened to her parents and why exactly the people she finds herself surrounded by see her as something of a last hope to save their kind. The other characters such as Devon, Archer, and Lucy were all nice to get to know as they taught Ann more about their way of living and the history behind The Readers and the other groups and why they are so close to going to war with each other. 

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3. Not much happens throughout the book but it was still really interesting to read because of the unique world and the conflict The Readers face against the other groups The Seers and The Jacks. The history of the Readers had many sci-fi elements such as mind reading as well as the other groups which included their special skills of seeing the future, being immortal, and taking over other people's bodies, reminiscent of Invasion Of The Body Snatchers. I would have liked a little more detail as to how the groups came to be but what I got gave me enough information to get the gist of everything without lingering too long on the history or being info-dumpy.

4. The book had a steady pace without being too slow or too fast to keep up with. I think if you're looking for a sci-fi read that isn't too much to wrap your brain around, I would highly recommend this one. There was a little bit of mystery mixed in with a dash of romance, action, secrets and revelations that blended quite well and I think the book has a little something for everyone to enjoy no matter the age or gender. No need to wonder whether it's more so for girls or guys, this one is perfect for both!

CONS:
1. I think the only problem I had with this book was simply that I couldn't connect with any of the characters quite enough. I didn't think Ann was a boring character but she was a little bland and while she had nice character development, some of the choices she made had her taking a couple of steps backward from that development. I also couldn't get on board with the whole "soul-mate" type romance in the book even though it wasn't the main focus which was nice. I'm personally not a fan of sappy or soul-mate romance so I had a bit of a hard time not rolling my eyes at it. Other than that, I think this was a fun read to relax with and I would totally recommend it if you like sci-fi fantasy that isn't too complicated.

2. The ending was a bit rushed which was a little bit of a let down since it had a nice pace throughout the book but really skipped forward a little too fast. I think it could've used a couple of more chapters to come down from the climax and wrap up the book.


You Can Purchase The Book Here:
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About The Author:

MK has always been a voracious reader. After hitting a dry spell of reading material, she decided to write the kind of book she'd like to read. This resulted in the creation of her debut novel, Intentional. (Award for Best Sweet Romance - eFestival of Words- August 2014)

Unintentional, her second book, is based on the life of one of the characters in Intentional. Unintentional was written as a stand-alone book.

Breaking Braydon and Taking Tiffany have both been released. Available on Amazon.

The Reader is MK's latest project, due out 2016.

When she's not writing novels, she likes to spend her free time traveling the world, splashing in mud puddles (She lives in Seattle, what can she say?), watching movies and reading (!)

MK also runs her own business in her current hometown of Mercer Island, Washington.

Author Links:

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