Review- Tell-All by Nell Carson

Summary-

In Tell-All, New York City writer Kat Callahan is just finishing an explosive unauthorized biography of Hollywood's 'It' couple, Alex and Victoria Janssen, when they mysteriously disappear along with their 7-year old son, Jeremy. Now Kat's publisher is hot on her heels to finish the book to cash in on the free publicity. Little does Kat know the charming cowboy who's just strolled into her life is actually Alex Janssen's brother, Luke, dead-set on stopping the book. He knows it will reveal a fiercely guarded secret that could destroy the lives of all four Janssens. Now he'll stop at nothing to ensure that doesn't happen.

Review-

Tell-All  by Nell Carson was a cute and short read. The story was fairly simple with not many complications and one in which you just know you're gonna get a happy ending. Sometimes you just need to read one of these books and I enjoyed Tell-All.

New York city writer Kat Callahan is finishing a biography of Hollywood's 'It' couple, Alex and Victoria Janssen when they mysteriously disappear along with their 7-year old son. The biography would get the publishing house all the free publicity they needed and after Kat completed this she could get into the world of publishing to actually get a real book out.

Somehow the Janssen's get to know of this and Luke Janssen, Alex's brother, goes out to live with Kat under a false name to stop the book from coming out. What Luke doesn't expect at all is that he would fall in love with the writer herself.

Kat was a nice character. Learning about her painful past just makes you sympathize with her all the more. Her situation is understandable. Luke was just as good. He wants to do nothing more than to protect his family even if he goes all wrong about it. The romance was slow and extremely sweet. We get to see Kat's vulnerable side and how she and Luke fall for each other.

The writing is well paced and for a comparatively short book Tell-All manages to leave you well satisfied with the outcome. This was a cute read with a little bit of drama. But its mostly about two people falling in love under the most unlikely circumstances.

Janhvi

Waiting On Wednesday #28

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Across A Star-Swept Sea (For Darkness Shows The Stars #2)by Diana Peterfreund

Publication Date- October 15th 2013

Goodreads Summary:

Centuries after wars nearly destroyed civilization, the two islands of New Pacifica stand alone, a terraformed paradise where even the Reduction—the devastating brain disorder that sparked the wars—is a distant memory. Yet on the isle of Galatea, an uprising against the ruling aristocrats has turned deadly. The revolutionaries’ weapon is a drug that damages their enemies’ brains, and the only hope is rescue by a mysterious spy known as the Wild Poppy.

On the neighboring island of Albion, no one suspects that the Wild Poppy is actually famously frivolous aristocrat Persis Blake. The teenager uses her shallow, socialite trappings to hide her true purpose: her gossipy flutternotes are encrypted plans, her pampered sea mink is genetically engineered for spying, and her well-publicized new romance with handsome Galatean medic Justen Helo… is her most dangerous mission ever.

Though Persis is falling for Justen, she can’t risk showing him her true self, especially once she learns he’s hiding far more than simply his disenchantment with his country’s revolution and his undeniable attraction to the silly socialite he’s pretending to love. His darkest secret could plunge both islands into a new dark age, and Persis realizes that when it comes to Justen Helo, she’s not only risking her heart, she’s risking the world she’s sworn to protect.

In this thrilling adventure inspired by The Scarlet Pimpernel, Diana Peterfreund creates an exquisitely rendered world where nothing is as it seems and two teens with very different pasts fight for a future only they dare to imagine.

My review of For Darkness Shows The Stars

That cover and title are gorgeous just like the first book! 

I cannot wait to see what author Diana Peterfreund has in store for us with this one! 

Sarika

Teaser Tuesday #28

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by Miz B of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read

• Open to a random page

• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers! 

                                                       Here's my teaser-

"There was no reason to act like I was okay. Until I knew Blaire was okay, I was never going to be okay. She may not forgive me. Hell she may never look at me again but I needed to know that she was healing. I needed to know something. Anything."

-Never Too Far by Abbi Glines

Summary-

He had held a secret that destroyed her world. 

Everything she had known was no longer true. 

Blaire couldn’t stop loving him but she knew she could never forgive him.
Now, she was back home and learning to live again. Moving on with life… until something happened to send her world spinning once again. 
What do you do when the one person you can never trust again is the one that you need to trust so desperately? 

You lie, hide, avoid, and pray that your sins never find you out.

                                                                 What's your teaser?

                                                                    Janhvi

Review- The Gingerbread House by Nell Carson

Goodreads Summary:

After a tumultuous past, Greta Kendall has focused mainly on her bridal shop, located on the first floor of her beloved Queen Anne Victorian near Aspen. For two years she’s fought to save her house from Stephanie Harwood of Harwood Development, who is intent on razing her home to build a new mall. But now Greta’s running out of time. The town council is about to approve the final plans for the mall.

When Gray Daniels walks into her shop, Greta is immediately attracted to his rugged good looks and midnight blue eyes, until she learns he’s Stephanie Harwood’s fiancé. She’s furious to find they’ve tricked her into a publicity stunt aimed at garnering support for the mall. So now her little war has a new front: Gray Daniels. If only she could also fight her growing attraction to him.

A knock on the door brings a return of old danger, and Greta must now put aside her anguish over the house to discover if she’s at last capable of looking the past in the eye and overcoming it—and if she’s finally free to love again.

REVIEW:

*NOTE: We (The Readdicts) received a copy of The Gingerbread House from author Nell Caron in exchange for an honest review. We thank Nell for the book! 

Author Nell Carson's The Gingerbread House is a very sweet and heartwarming read. 
Greta Kendall and her mom Adele run their family's traditional bridal wear boutique. Greta is fighting to save the only home they've known, popularly known as The Gingerbread House by locals which Stephanie Harwood is keen on demolishing and in it's place, Stephanie wants to construct a mall just to prove herself to her businessman father. 

When Gray Daniels and Great Kendall meet in her shop, sparks immediately fly but it really seems worthless since Gray is there with a single purpose- to fix the wedding gown passed down by the beautiful ladies of his family for his fiancee, Stephanie Harwood. 
Greta was a good woman who stood up for what she believed in and did her best to protect The Gingerbread House. Her past was really terrible and it was so good to see her try  to overcome her fears with the help of those close to her. Her relationship with her mother Adele was wonderful. Their moments together were emotional and simply cute. 
Gray was a kind man who realised he was foolishly in love only with the girl he knew and not the woman she had become. It was so good to see him get out of it and finally find his peace and solace. 
Greta and Gray shared a wonderful relationship full of sparks, ups, downs, ons, offs and everything that basically goes into making a relationship steady and sweet. I did have a little problem getting into the story. I found myself rereading a few lines to know what was going on. 

Nonetheless, author Nell Carson's neat and simple writing, a groovy plot, an unforgivable past, a not so stable present, a bright future, a tender romance and an ample amount of humour make The Gingerbread House a lighthearted and awesome read that's short and sweet with a honeyed ending that left me smiling. 

RATING:

Sarika

Review- Point Of Retreat by Colleen Hoover

Goodreads Summary:

Hardships and heartache brought them together…now it will tear them apart. 

Layken and Will have proved their love can get them through anything; until someone from Will’s past re-emerges, leaving Layken questioning the very foundation on which their relationship was built. Will is forced to face the ultimate challenge…how to prove his love for a girl who refuses to stop ‘carving pumpkins.’

Slammed series:

My review of Slammed (Slammed #1)

REVIEW:

Slammed had me go all 'oh.... wow' and I had the exact same reaction while reading Point Of Retreat. Seriously, these books are so full of fun, laughter, heartbreak and emotion, they make you feel great. Just like Slammed, Point Of Retreat was also an all-rounder- the perfect read.

Point Of Retreat kicks of a year after where Slammed ended. You can read my review of Slammed here. 
Layken and Will have fallen into a nice routine and are now used to having each other around when some unexpected reappearances and basic questions about the foundation of their relationship lead to heartbreak. 
Point Of Retreat is from Will's point of view and the guy's POV is always fresh, raw, uncut, clean and super cool. Will's was no different. This book has only made me appreciate and admire Will even more. This book has truly made Will a swoon-worthy hero. I loved his maturity, his sensibility, the way he treated those who are important to him with care and respect. But above all I loved how much he was into Lake and everything that he did to show her he loves her and prove his dedication to her. 
Some really major events take place in Point Of Retreat and Will was so controlled, calm and cool. His relationships with his brother Caulder, Lake's brother Kel and their new, adorable and hilarious neighbour Kiersten were really smooth and lovely. 
Lake's role is Point Of Retreat was just as significant as Will's. Having read Slammed from her point of view, it was easy to understand why she did certain things in a certain way. I really appreciated how Lake handled all the situations and her love for her brother Kel and Will's brother Caulder was visible. 
Lake's best friend Eddie and her boyfriend Gavin (who is now Will's best friend) were again their adorable selves. In spite of their own personal problems, they again proved their selflessness by constantly sticking with both Lake and Will. I seriously hope against hope the adorable couple get their own story! Please, Colleen!  
Caulder and Kel were superb in this one. It was really nice to see them grow up and yet at times, it was totally heart wrenching to see the two innocents go through so much and yet smile like nothing has happened. Their new neighbour, Kiersten was pure entertainment, she was endearing and her mom, Sherry was very helpful and kind. Will and Caulder's grandparents were such warm, kind-hearted and simply genuine people. They brought a homely and slightly amusing touch to the story. 
One of the best things about Point Of Retreat is that there are many side stories going on save for Lake and Will's. However, each of these stories have been given equal attention, they are all happening and they are all  extremely gripping. 
Author Colleen Hoover again writes in a very simplistic and realistic manner. Her writing is truly superb. The poetry again makes everything so attractive and Will's little diary entries or Lake's mom's little quotes bring a vibrant and fresh tinge to the book. 
I absolutely loved Point Of Retreat. It made me smile, it made me laugh, it made me cry. It was an absolutely serious, simple and superb story. 
The Slammed series has left me speechless, made me me an emotional wreck and I am so glad I read it. Really, these books are simply stunning, they're nothing less than absolutely perfect. 

RATING:

Sarika

Review- Slammed by Colleen Hoover

Goodreads Summary:

Following the unexpected death of her father, 18-year-old Layken is forced to be the rock for both her mother and younger brother. Outwardly, she appears resilient and tenacious, but inwardly, she's losing hope. 
Enter Will Cooper: The attractive, 21-year-old new neighbor with an intriguing passion for slam poetry and a unique sense of humor. Within days of their introduction, Will and Layken form an intense emotional connection, leaving Layken with a renewed sense of hope.
Not long after an intense, heart-stopping first date, they are slammed to the core when a shocking revelation forces their new relationship to a sudden halt. Daily interactions become impossibly painful as they struggle to find a balance between the feelings that pull them together, and the secret that keeps them apart.

REVIEW:

Oh. Hmm... Wow. Slammed has left me... I don't know... awestruck maybe. The book was everything that I thought it would be, in the sense that it had everything I look for in a book and it made me feel everything I like to feel when reading a book; yet there was an indescribably unpredictable aspect to it that made it the perfect read. I can't put into words how enthralling it was to read it. 
I was so totally looking forward to reading Slammed and when I actually got to it, I knew why. It was such an emotional, pleasant and lovely read. It is a super nice and super sad story about love and loss. It is the kind of book that makes your heart melt. It is an adorably messed up read, which I love love love!
Slammed is the story of Layken, whose father passes away due to heart-attack after which Layken, her mother and her littler brother, Kel  move to Michigan. The real reason behind their mother's decision to move is so heart-wrenching. It really moved me to the core.
Layken's family was so close-knit and affectionate. Her mom was tender and caring and Layken's recaps of her dad only showed how great a man he was. Kel was so adorable. His backward days, his talk, his coolness, his curiosity, his 'basagna' (it's what he calls lasagna) and him just being himself was so cuddle-some. He finds a friend in their Michigan neighbour, Caulder, who happens to be the younger brother of Will, Layken's love interest. 
Caulder was also super adorable. The two boys made a great and fun team. 
Layken was an excellent girl. She was going through so much and it was so nice, intelligent and practical of her to put her family first. Her protectiveness towards her brother was simply awe-inspiring. Her new best friend, Eddie (who is a girl, FYI!) and Eddie's boyfriend Gavin were both really superb and selfless  people. 
Will himself was, oh my God, so excellent. He was caring, hard-working and understanding. His devotion to his brother was also clearly visible. How he takes care of his brother after their parent's death was simply stunning and swoon-worthy. 
Layken and Will have a super complicated yet super lovely relationship. The day they meet each other, something just feels right, but things don't work out the way they (or even us readers) would have liked to. Nonetheless, their story was adorable. Their togetherness, albeit messed up, was just so captivating and their chemistry was silent and loud at the same time.  
Author Colleen Hoover's writing is astounding, deep, stunning and simple. It's the kind of easy yet thorough that make you fall in love with the story and the characters. It makes you think that writing and performing poetry is so easy, the inclusion of which was absolutely attractive. The perfectly wow song lyrics by the band, The Avett Brothers at the beginning of every chapter just lit up the whole write-up. 
It is so hard to express in words the indescribable wonder of this book. It was perfect, it was everything, it was soulful and lyrical. 
I absolutely loved Slammed. 

RATING:

Sarika

Feature & Follow Friday #27

Feature and Follow is a weekly meme hosted by Parajunkee's View and Alison Can Read.

Today's question is:

We always talk about books that WE want. Let’s turn it on its head. What books have you given other people lately?

                                                              My answer:

Sarika and I keep on exchanging books. All. The. Time. Hopefully that counts. I also lend quite a few books to a few friends of mine. The last book I gave to Sarika, obviously, was Beautiful Disaster and she loved it. I have to hear about Travis everyday. Not that I mind ;) So yes, I do love giving out books and spreading the love all around :) A few books I recently gave out were The Immortal Rules, Beautiful Creatures and The Darkest Secret.

                                                     What's your answer?

                                              Follow us and we'll follow back!

                                                  Happy Friday everybody! :)

                Janhvi

Review- Dare You To by Katie McGarry

Summary-

"I dare you..." 

If anyone knew the truth about Beth Risk's home life, they'd send her mother to jail and seventeen-year-old Beth who knows where. So she protects her mom at all costs. Until the day her uncle swoops in and forces Beth to choose between her mom's freedom and her own happiness. That's how Beth finds herself living with an aunt who doesn't want her and going to a school that doesn't understand her. At all. Except for the one guy who shouldn't get her, but does.... 

Ryan Stone is the town golden boy, a popular baseball star jock-with secrets he can't tell anyone. Not even the friends he shares everything with, including the constant dares to do crazy things. The craziest? Asking out the Skater girl who couldn't be less interested in him. 

But what begins as a dare becomes an intense attraction neither Ryan nor Beth expected. Suddenly, the boy with the flawless image risks his dreams-and his life-for the girl he loves, and the girl who won't let anyone get too close is daring herself to want it all....

Review-

Dare You To is the second book in the Pushing The Limits series. You can find my review of Pushing The Limits here. This is Beth and Ryan's story. Dare You To was easily my most anticipated read of 2013. I loved Noah and Echo's story and so my expectations of Beth and Ryan's story were high. Dare You To was definitely an amazing read but I somehow felt that it didn't wow me like Pushing The Limits did.

We'd met Beth Risk in Pushing The Limits and she came off as a total bitch. She is still a total bitch in the beginning of Dare You To. It takes time to get used to her and she is hard to relate to. But as and how the story progresses we get to see behind all her layers. The facade she puts up is just a form of defense mechanism. Underneath Beth is a sweet girl who just wants to take care of her mother.

Ryan Stone is the golden boy. It looks like he has it all and that his life couldn't be any more perfect if he tried. But Ryan has secrets of his own. He asks out Beth on a crazy dare. Ryan Stone doesn't lose and he sets out to prove just that. But soon Ryan begins to see the real Beth. They have an intense attraction and as they share their real selves they find that they understand each other more than anyone ever could.

Beth and Ryan's relationship starts out on a dare. But as they get closer they realize they could have so much more. The romance is slow moving but honest. Beth has had a difficult past and an even worse present. She is hesitant with Ryan. Her insecurities of not being good enough get in the way. Ryan with his flawless image suddenly wants to risk it all for Beth. I loved how Ryan got Beth out of her shell. Especially by the end of the book, Beth and Ryan's romance becomes seriously swoon worthy.

We also get to see a lot of Isaiah in this book with Noah and Echo. I felt so sad for Isaiah and all the heart ache he had to face. He came of as an intense, loyal guy with a tint of mystery. I am so looking forward to his happy ending in Crash Into You. The writing style was amazing with Beth and Ryan's point of view. We get to see the story from both the sides and understand the situation. I couldn't connect to Beth and Ryan as fast as I did with Echo and Noah but still it was one of my favorite reads this year.

*Note: This book was provided by Netgalley for an honest review. We thank the publisher and the author.

Janhvi

Waiting On Wednesday #27

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

How My Summer Went Up In Flames by Jennifer Salvato Doktorski

Publication Date: May 7 2013

Summary-

First she lost her heart. Then she lost her mind. And now she’s on a road trip to win back her ex. This debut novel’s packed with drama and romance!

Rosie’s always been impulsive. She didn’t intend to set her cheating ex-boyfriend’s car on fire. And she never thought her attempts to make amends could be considered stalking. So when she’s served with a temporary restraining order on the first day of summer vacation, she’s heartbroken—and furious.

To put distance between Rosie and her ex, Rosie’s parents send her on a cross-country road trip with responsible, reliable neighbor Matty and his two friends. Forget freedom of the road, Rosie wants to hitchhike home and win back her ex. But her determination starts to dwindle with each passing mile. Because Rosie’s spark of anger? It may have just ignited a romance with someone new…

What are you waiting on?

Janhvi

Teaser Tuesday #27

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by Miz B of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read

• Open to a random page

• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers! 

Here's my teaser: 
Of course, by now I'd been branded as an author of Chick-Lit - well, actually, the first book had served to do that - even though I thought of what I wrote as satire. Surely, if a man wrote the same things, they wouldn't call it Dick Lit...would they? And he'd probably get some respect, right? 
-Pursuing The Times by Lauren Baratz-Logsted

Goodreads Summary:

All that popular Chick-Lit author Mercury Lauren wants is to have one of her books reviewed by the New York Times Book Review - just one - and she'll do almost anything to get it. In this contemporary romantic comedy, with a nod toward Pride and Prejudice she crosses swords and hearts with the Editor-in-Chief of the NYTBR in a madcap adventure that takes her from her home in Westport to a yoga retreat to a golf course in Florida. Will she get what she wants and will she finally be happy if she does? Only one thing's for certain: nothing will stop her from Pursuing the Times.

This book was SO hilarious! I just finished it and can't stop laughing!

What's your teaser this Tuesday? 

Sarika

Review- Pushing The Limits by Katie McGarry

Summary-

No one knows what happened the night Echo Emerson went from popular girl with jock boyfriend to gossiped-about outsider with "freaky" scars on her arms. Even Echo can't remember the whole truth of that horrible night. All she knows is that she wants everything to go back to normal.But when Noah Hutchins, the smoking-hot, girl-using loner in the black leather jacket, explodes into her life with his tough attitude and surprising understanding, Echo's world shifts in ways she could never have imagined. They should have nothing in common. And with the secrets they both keep, being together is pretty much impossible.

Yet the crazy attraction between them refuses to go away. And Echo has to ask herself just how far they can push the limits and what she'll risk for the one guy who might teach her how to love again.

Review-

Pushing The Limits was a fabulous read for me. I thoroughly enjoyed all the emotions which coursed through me while I was lost in Echo and Noah's world. There was love, pain , laughter, sadness, anger and so many more things. Its like all of them came together in perfect harmony in this book. Some concepts were ones which I had read in previous books but the way they were delivered made it enjoyable all over again.

Echo Emerson went from being a popular girl to a freak after an incident happened one horrible night. No one knows how she got the scars on her arms and she can't remember it. Echo was a really sweet girl. She has already lost her brother Aires and is going through a hell lot of issues. She just wanted to be loved for who she was without all the baggage looming above her head.

Noah Hutchins is a girl using loner. He prefers to be by himself or with his best friends Beth and Isaiah. On the outside Noah came off as a total jerk. But when you actually got to know him all I could feel was heart breaking sadness for him. Life is so not easy for Noah and he doesn't have the time to look out for anyone but himself.

Echo and Noah are both carrying secrets. When they are thrown together in a number of incidents they finally begin understanding each other. Somehow they get each other through all their pain and worries. I loved Echo and Noah's chemistry. It was dark and sultry and seductive. It was addictive. Some lines may have been a little corny for high school students but there was passion behind them. Noah and Echo were characters with a lot of depth.

Pushing The Limits is a book in dual point of view so we know exactly what is going on in Echo and Noah's head. This makes it an all the more rich experience to read. The writing style was swift and easy and precise. Though the book was around 400 pages long I flew through it. It was that engaging. If you're a fan of contemporary reads with romance in it you should definitely give Pushing The Limits a chance.

Janhvi

Book Spotlight- A Shade Of Vampire by Bella Forrest

I have been hearing absolutely great stuff about Bella Forrest's Young Adult Paranormal Romance A Shade Of Vampire from my fellow bloggers. 
I haven't read the book yet, but I do look forward to it, especially since Janhvi told me how much she liked it.

Read Janhvi's review of A Shade Of Vampire by Bella Forrest

We now move directly onto the informative Book Spotlight post, where we have an interesting expert  from the book. 

A Shade of Vampire

COVER:

SYNOPSIS:

On the evening of Sofia Claremont's seventeenth birthday, she is sucked into a nightmare from which she cannot wake. 

A quiet evening walk along a beach brings her face to face with a dangerous pale creature that craves much more than her blood. 

She is kidnapped to an island where the sun is eternally forbidden to shine. 

An island uncharted by any map and ruled by the most powerful vampire coven on the planet. She wakes here as a slave, a captive in chains. 

Sofia's life takes a thrilling and terrifying turn when she is the one selected out of hundreds of girls to join the harem of Derek Novak, the dark royal Prince. 

Despite his addiction to power and obsessive thirst for her blood, Sofia soon realizes that the safest place on the island is within his quarters, and she must do all within her power to win him over if she is to survive even one more night.

Will she succeed? ...or is she destined to the same fate that all other girls have met at the hands of the Novaks?

EXCERPT FROM A SHADE OF VAMPIRE:

I’d been meandering along the shore for about an hour when I suddenly sensed that I wasn’t alone. Someone was approaching me from behind. My heart leapt. I was so sure it was Ben, that when a stranger showed up beside me, I couldn’t hide my disappointment.

He must have noticed, because a smirk formed on his lips. “Were you expecting someone else, love?”

I eyed him suspiciously, remembering how many times my father had told me not to talk to strangers. I looked him over, taking in his appearance. My eyes widened. I couldn’t find words to describe how fine a man he was. He was almost beautiful. The first thing I took notice of was how his blue eyes were about three shades brighter than any I’d ever seen before. It was such a stark contrast to his pale – almost white – skin and dark hair. Standing beside me, he was easily more than half a foot taller. His height, broad shoulders and lean build reminded me of Ben, but he had a presence that was far more imposing than my best friend’s.

My gaze settled on his face.

I realized that he was inspecting me just as closely as I was him. His eyes on me suddenly made me feel uncomfortably vulnerable. I gave my father’s advice a second thought, but quickly canceled out all notions of heeding to his counsel when I reminded myself that he stopped caring a long time ago.

I straightened to my full height and mustered all the courage I had to keep myself from running away from this stranger.

Big mistake.

The confident smirk didn’t leave his face for even a moment.

“Like what you see?”

“A bit full of yourself, aren’t you?” I scoffed, annoyed by his audacity.

He stepped forward, closer to me, and leaned his head toward mine.

“Don’t I have the right to be?”

He knew he looked good and wasn’t about to act like he didn’t.

“Whatever,” was my oh-so-brilliant comeback.

My shoulders sagged with defeat as I took a step back, unsettled by how close he was now. I rolled my eyes and did a one-eighty, not quite in the mood to play whatever game this stranger was proposing.

I would soon realize that I was about to play his game whether I liked it or not.

He grabbed my arm and turned my body to face him. This motion alone made every single internal alarm I had within me go off in a frenzy.

This man was danger and I knew it. I tried to wriggle away from his touch, but I was no match for his strength.

“Tell me your name,” he commanded.

I was about to refuse, but was horrified to find myself blurting out my name in response.

“Sofia Claremont.”

As soon as I revealed my name, his eyes lit up with a kind of sinister approval. Then he reached for my face and traced his thumb over my jaw line.

“Hello, Sofia Claremont. You’re one stupid girl for taking a walk alone at this time of night. You never know what kind of evil a pretty little thing like you could happen to come by.”

I found myself wondering exactly what kind of evil he was. But I was suddenly overcome by the sensations that were surrounding me. My senses took in everything at once. I heard the waves, felt the sand, smelled the ocean salt, tasted the flavor of cherry and saw the stranger’s manic appearance as he stuck a needle to my neck. The effect was instant. I was barely able to gasp, much less scream. I went from sensing everything to sensing absolutely nothing.

My last conscious thought was that I may never see Ben again.

AUTHOR BIO:

I've been telling stories pretty much since I could talk. Instead of having my parents read me bed-time stories, I would prefer to share with them my own made up tales.

As I grew older, I developed a passion for the fantasy genre.

I’m an avid reader and a hopeless Potterhead.

If you sign up for personal email updates from me here: www.forrestbooks.com ,

you'll be the first to hear about my new releases.

LINKS:

Buy A Shade of Vampire from Amazon:

USA, paperback

USA,eBook 

UK, paperback

UK, eBook 

ADDITIONAL LINKS:

Add on A Shade of Vampire to your Goodreads shelf

Like A Shade Of Vampire on Facebook

Follow @AShadeOfVampire on Twitter

I definitely am curious to know more about Sofia and Derek! 

Sarika

Review- Falling Into Paradise by Kamy Chetty

Summary-

A woman too afraid to commit. A man too hurt to love again. A passion that refuses to be denied. Sophie Redmond knew betrayal, she knew mistrust. She knew everything that was wrong with the world, until Damon Watson charmed his way into her life. The rules she used to shield her heart were broken one by one, as Damon showed her compassion and kindness. When no one else believes in her, he shows her hope. But is hope ever enough?

Damon knew trouble when he saw it. He was the sheriff. He could spot it a mile away and Sophie was trouble with a capital T. What was it about this City Slicker doctor that made him want to forget everything but those whiskey brown eyes and that honey blonde hair spilled against his naked chest. Can Damon put the past behind him and choose to love again? Reader Alert!: Sophie thought sex was a game that could be controlled with rules, but add a playboy who knew every trick in the book, and she couldn't help but throw her rule book away. Caution! Sophie and Damon tend to sizzle on the page as much as they do in bed, so take care to stock up on the ice!

Review-

Falling Into Paradise seemed like a nice contemporary romance. I am always up for reading a romance and I love seeing two completely different people falling for each other while working through all the obstacles thrown their way. Falling Into Paradise looked like it had all the elements which could make it a great read but sadly, it failed to deliver.

Sophie Redmond is a doctor who has moved into town to escape her past. She is too afraid to commit to anything or anybody because of her horrible past. After facing too much betrayal in her life its like she mistrusts every single person she comes across. I just could not get into Sophie's head. Just the way she was made it hard for me to actually like her. As the story progresses we do get to know all of her reasons but I failed to sympathize with her.

Then we have Damon. He is the town Sheriff who acts like anything but it. He is shown of as a player who seems to have slept with more than half the women in town. When he meets Sophie all he wants to do is get her in bed and that's what he does. While both of them agree to have a no strings attached relationship they start getting to know each other. Damon was shown as something else while he came off as something else.

I did not see the point of Sophie and Damon getting together. The romance got over too fast for me. The story focuses more on the mystery of the little boy's death which Sophie and Damon solve together. Just as things started getting a little bit interesting the story moves on to Sophie's past and her family. I thought there were too many things going on at once and it was all just unnecessary. Again when Sophie and Damon came together in the end it felt forced to me.

The writing style seemed nice to me. Though in the beginning Sophie and Damon's banter seemed a bit broken and didn't flow smoothly. I liked Damon's family and some parts of the book were salvable. I would have enjoyed the book more if there was more to Sophie and Damon's characters I guess. There was just too much talk and no action there for me. Falling Into Paradise was an average read.

*Note: This book was provided by the author for an honest review. We thank the author.

Janhvi