Summer Giveaway Hop (US & INT)

Welcome, guys! We are excited to be a part of the Summer Giveaway Hop hosted by Kathy @ I Am A Reader, Not A Writer and Maryin @ Book Hounds. 

WHAT YOU CAN WIN @ THE READDICTS (WITH GIVEAWAY FORMS)!

Sarika's review of An Ordinary Boy by Brian Centrone

Sarika's review of Tokyo Dare by Anne Van

1) US ONLY- One Paperback copy of:

 An Ordinary Boy by  Brian Centrone, New Adult Contemporary Fiction (LGBT Romance) 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

2) INTERNATIONAL- E-copies of: 

i) An Ordinary Boy by  Brian Centrone 

ii) Tokyo Dare by Anne Van

a Rafflecopter giveaway

*NOTE: For the e-copies giveaway, the first winner will receive a copy of An Ordinary Boy and  the second winner will receive a copy of Tokyo Dare.  

GIVEAWAY RULES:

*Enter by filling out the respective Rafflecopter forms for the giveaway.

*Winners will be emailed and announced on the blog as well.

*Once winners are picked, they will have 48 hours to respond or else we'll be compelled to pick new winners. 

THANK YOU!

We'd like to thank Liz @ Liz D Book Publicity and authors Brian Centrone and Anne Van for helping us with the giveaway by offering these great books to give away! 
Thank you so much for your help and support, guys! 

Good luck to you all! May the odds be ever in your favour! Thank you so much for stopping by! 

Also, don't forget to stop by the other blogs taking part in the hop (you can find the Linky below, at the end of the post).

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Waiting on Wednesday #50

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

Into The Deep by Samantha Young

Publication Date: August 13, 2013

Summary-

Live young. Live hard. Love deep.

Charley Redford was just an ordinary girl until Jake Caplin moved to her small town in Indiana and convinced her she was extraordinary. Almost from day one Jake pulled Charley into the deep and promised he was right there with her. But when a tragic incident darkened Jake’s life he waded out into the shallows and left Charley behind.

Almost four years later Charley thinks she’s moved on. That is until she takes a study year abroad in Edinburgh and bumps into none other than Jake Caplin at a party with his new girlfriend. The bad-boy-turned-good attempts to convince Charley to forgive him, and as her best friend starts spending time with Jake’s, Charley calls a truce, only to find herself tumbling back into a friendship with him.

As they grow closer, the spark between them flares and begins playing havoc with their lives and relationships. When jealousy and longing rear their destructive heads, Charley and Jake struggle to come to grips with what they mean to one another.

And even if they work it out, there is no guarantee Charley will ever trust Jake to lead her back into the deep…

I will read anything by Samantha Young. That's all.

What are you waiting on? :)

Teaser Tuesday #50

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:

But knowing Drew, he'd run.

He's real good at that. Running. 

-Second Chance Boyfriend (Drew + Fable #2) by Monica Murphy

Goodreads Summary:

**Recommended for ages 17+ due to sexual content and language, mature subject matter**

New Adult Contemporary

Lost. That one single word best describes my life at this very moment. I lost the last games of the season and both my team and my coach blame me. I lost the last two months because I drowned in my own despair like a complete loser. And I lost the only girl who ever mattered because I was afraid being with me would destroy her.

But now I realize how truly lost I am without her. She has become my story…and even though she acts like she’s moved on, I know she still thinks about me just as much as I think about her. She’s beautiful, sweet—and so damn vulnerable, all I want to do is help her. Be there for her.

Love her…

If only I could convince Fable to give me a second chance. Then I wouldn’t feel so lost anymore, and neither would she. We could be found together.

Forever.

What's your teaser this Tuesday? 

Review- An Ordinary Boy by Brian Centrone

Goodreads Summary:

Tom Grove’s family is rich, his grandparents are famous, and he’s beautiful. He can have anything he wants, but all Tom really wants is to be an ordinary boy. Like his best friend, Marissa, Tom wants to fit in, make friends and date sexy boys. It would also help if he could be free of his father’s weighty expectations, his mother’s insane demands, and his older brother’s snide remarks.

When Tom begins his first year of college, he believes he’s going to come out and start a new life. But Tom’s plan to come out of the closet and meet hot college boys isn’t exactly foolproof. His new roommate is a straight jock, the gay club at school is made up of outcasts, and the lines between going out to dinner and a date are blurry at best.

If that isn't challenge enough, Tom has to learn how to navigate drunken college parties, the campus social hierarchy, and the attentions of the wrong sort of boys. What begins as a journey to independence turns into a series of mishaps, love, heartache, soul searching, awkward situations and the realization that life is less like an Abercrombie & Fitch catalog and more like the everyday low prices of Wal-Mart.

And to make matters worse, he still has to make it through freshman year.

REVIEW:

*NOTE: We (The Readdicts) received a copy of An Ordinary Boy by Brian Centrone from Liz @ Liz D Publicity & Promotions in exchange for an honest review. We thank Liz and Brian for the book! 

An Ordinary Boy begins with the protagonist Thomas Joseph Grove moving into his school dorm and getting everything arranged with the help of his parents. Tom is looking forward to life at school away from home where he can freely be gay and enjoy being gay. 

The book started out as being very Young Adult to me and then later, when Tom experiences love for the first time, faces the dilemmas of being in a relationship, starts exploring the homosexual world and understanding it's complexities, that's when the book truly becomes New Adult. Really, this is a proper New Adult book with it's share of drama and explicit sex scenes. 
On the one hand, I loved to see Tom grow as a person by getting first hand experience of the rather complex LGBT world. He joins the school's LGBT&F (Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender and Friends) group and realises there are people just like him out there. With help from his fellow group members, Tom finally comes out of the closet and tells his family he's gay during the holidays. The group members were each quite interesting on their own and the sessions/ meetings they had were good to read about. 
Most of the family members take the news of Tom being gay in a very cooperative, diplomatic and encouraging manner. The importance given to family was the best part about the book. I've said it before that a strong family is what's lacking in YA/ NA novels these days so when there is one, it's so refreshing and real. Although some of the family members seemed shallow and self-centered, the rest were fun to have around and I enjoyed reading about the family drama, holidays and celebrations. 
Tom's best friend Marissa was an eccentric girl who was always there for Tom and helped him throughout, even when the poor girl was trying to solve her own problems. My most favourite person, however, was Tom's room mate, Joey. He was a great friend to Tom, a relationship Tom was in dire need of, in my opinion. Joey was super mad at Tom for hiding his sexuality from him especially since Joey had to find it out by walking into something he wish he hadn't. Later, Joey tries to get back to Tom and makes things right between them and I admired him for that. Coincidentally, Marissa and Joey become a couple somewhere along the way and they were adorable together. They helped Tom a lot and it was wonderful to see. 
On the other hand, however, I had some serious problems with Tom's relationships. From the moment his first boyfriend comes into his life, I had an off and negative feeling about him. It was clear Matt wasn't treating Tom the way he deserved to be treated, but I guess that's it about first love. We want to believe everything is right when in reality, it's not. Then comes that one incident Tom experiences with this guy called Dan. Something about Dan screamed Trouble with a capital T and in my eyes, what happened there was clearly a rape. But then again, everyone will have a different way of looking at it. Tom really hurt his fellow group member Darren by ignoring him and I had a feeling he would end up with Isaac, his friend and mentor, but that never happened. 

Most importantly, I couldn't see what each of the guys wanted out of the relationships. This book has taught me that a gay relationship is like any other relationship that comes with problems, those little flowers and gift exchanges and the relationship status updates on Facebook. Tom seemed to want a steady and strong relationship, but honestly, the other guys looked like all they wanted out of any relationship was sex. 
An Ordinary Boy ends on a very lovely note with Tom being at peace with himself and having learned a lifetime of lessons from his overwhelming foray into gay relationships for his future journeys. Author Brian Centrone's writing was very neat and simple and he did a wonderful job of portraying the difficulties, hardships and nuances faced by a young homosexual man who just wants to fit in and enjoy his sexuality. 

In spite of the few issues I had with the book, I really liked reading it in general and overall found it to be a very good book that's had me thinking about it since I finished reading which is a good thing because it only means the book has had an impact, like most LGBT books do, and that's the reason behind the long, long review. All I can conclude is that all readers will look at this book with a different point of view. For me, it was more of a coming-of-age novel that was well done. 

RATING:

Winner: The Right Temptation giveaway

It's time to announce the winner of The Right Temptation by Diane Escalera giveaway for an e-copy of the book. 

The winner is...

Aman @ Enticed By Books

Congratulations, Aman! We're so happy you won! 

The winner has been emailed. 

Whilst you're here, make sure you mark your calendar for August 1 to 7 since we'll be participating in the Summer Giveaway Hop and there'll be some great books to be won! So do stop by! 

Thank you and happy reading! 

Review- Slave To Sensation by Nalini Singh

Summary-

In a world that denies emotions, where the ruling Psy punish any sign of desire, Sascha Duncan must conceal the feelings that brand her as flawed. To reveal them would be to sentence herself to the horror of “rehabilitation”—the complete psychic erasure of everything she ever was…

Both human and animal, Lucas Hunter is a Changeling hungry for the very sensations the Psy disdain. After centuries of uneasy coexistence, these two races are now on the verge of war over the brutal murders of several Changeling women. Lucas is determined to find the Psy killer who butchered his packmate, and Sascha is his ticket into their closely guarded society. But he soon discovers that this ice-cold Psy is very capable of passion—and that the animal in him is fascinated by her. Caught between their conflicting worlds, Lucas and Sascha must remain bound to their identities—or sacrifice everything for a taste of darkest temptation…

Review-

I had always heard great things about Nalini Singh's books. I'd always wanted to read her Psy-Changeling series and her Guild Hunter series and see what the hype was surrounding these books. After finishing Slave To Sensation I can completely see how addicting Nalini Singh's books are. I thoroughly enjoyed losing myself in the Psy-Changeling world.

Slave To Sensation is a book set in the year 2079. There are several different races present on earth with humans like the Psy and Changeling who are basically shape shifters of various kinds. The Psy are a race who are conditioned not to feel emotions. It is known as the silence. And Slave To Sensation is the book where two people from different worlds and races fall in love with each other. I found the whole concept utterly fascinating.

Lucas Hunter is the alpha of the pack in the Dark River territory. After a series of murders are taken place where Changeling women go missing, Lucas and his Pack are determined to find the killer whom they suspect is Psy. So under a guise Lucas makes a deal with Sascha Duncan, the daughter of one of the most powerful Psy in the Council. So begins their story.

I loved Lucas. He was a complete alpha male with all the alpha tendencies of being possessive and protective. He was pulled in by Sascha though she tried being emotion less towards him. His relentless pursuit of what was between them made him all the more sexier. Sascha was just as good. Binded by the Psy rules she thinks she is defective for feeling emotions. But being with Lucas is the only thing that makes her feel sane.

Lucas and Sascha had a dark and irrefutable chemistry. The romance was brilliantly shown. There was a bond which binded Lucas and Sacha together and that with all the specifications of the world made me breeze through the book. We also get to meet the whole Pack and I am super excited to know each one of their stories. Nalini Singh is an awesome author and all fans of paranormal romance and/or urban fantasy should give this series a try.

Read Along: Left From Dhakeshwari by Kunal Sen - Week 1 Discussion Post

Hey guys! Ours is the first stop in the Left From Dhakeshwari Read Along. You can find out all the details of the kick off post and our fellow hosts by going to the link below.

Left From Dhakeshwari Kick Off post

First, a little about the book. Left From Dhakeshwari is actually a collection of nine short stories which are all inter connected with each other. These nine short stories are described as nine tragedies and from what I can tell, each story focuses on a particular theme like urban loneliness, lust, death, sadism, obsession, memories, madness etc. Yeah, tough stuff but that is what makes it so intriguing.

Summary-

 'Left from Dhakeshwari' is a collection of nine interconnected stories dealing with lust and loneliness, death and obsession, memories and madness.

In the first story, 'We Were Writers', we meet a Bengali film actress, who after her brother’s suicide, returns to her small hometown and reflects upon the life she left behind; in ‘Bomb Church’, Aniruddha tries to piece together his mother’s identity after her mysterious departure; the only clues available in the existential whodunit being: a soap-box, a brown shoe and the statements of five witnesses; while the heartrending 'Salt Lake' recounts an unusual affair between a disfigured girl and a mime-artist with scars of his own. 

The other characters in this collection include a runaway teenage-girl, an agoraphobic writer, a masochistic cosmetic surgeon, a ghostess, identical twins and a manic-depressive housewife. And they are all in search, of a time and place they can call their own. That is perhaps why the title itself, denotes both a time and a place: a point of departure and the forbearer of journeys. 

In his first solo book, Kunal Sen infuses his women with souls of poetesses and a seductive melancholy and arms his men with child-like, romantic sadism. 'Left from Dhakeshwari' is written in a style that straddles between the tragic-dramatic and mildly surrealistic, but remains in the end a book about some remarkably original people and their depths and failings.

This is the first week in the read along so, Sarika and I will be talking a little about the first two short stories in the book.

We Were Writers

This short story seems to be dealing with death of a loved one. A quote by Charles de Lint from Into the Green sums it up perfectly- "Death is a tragedy...but only for the living. We who have died go on to other things." Gublu and Riju in this story are dealing with the death of Babla who was Gublu's brother and Riju's best friend. This story seems to have a mix of emotions. There are a ton of unsaid things between Gublu and Riju. There is anger but also acceptance.

Bomb Church

This story seems to deal with obsession from what I can make out. Aniruddha is determined to find out every single detail from every person imaginable connected to his mother. His mother has been missing since his child hood and all he has are a few glimpses of memories with her. Aniruddha's need to find out more about his mother has taken him to great lengths and I think his obsession will lead to his destruction. There is no contentment in his character even by the end of the story.

In General

The stories were okay, but a little hard for me to get into. It took me time and a few minutes to figure out the Tree of Characters before I actually got what I was reading. Though the themes behind each story came through clearly. The writing was really good. I'm quite intrigued to see how all the stories will intertwine. if they do. Or if they just are.

The cover for Left From Dhakeshwari is really different and unique. It depicts a mime artist and I am most looking forward to the story "Salt Lake" which shows an unusual affair between the mime-artist and a girl with a three inch scar on her cheek. I'm all in for a forbidden romance but yeah seeing that these stories are tragedies I have no hope for a happy ending.

Lastly, I don't read many short stories. I have always preferred reading full length novels. Novella's rarely satisfy me and keep me wanting more. But I can see how short stories have a charm of their own. Still, I am firmly for full length novels.

Questions

What did you think of the themes in the book?

How did you find Kunal Sen's writing style?

Do you like the cover?

Do you prefer short stories or full length novels?

Let us know in the comments below :)

And don't forget to stop by the other hosts' posts in the weeks to come.

Happy reading!

Review- Tokyo Dare by Anne Van

Goodreads Summary:

Sixteen-year-old artist, Erin Van Horn, doesn't know an Unagi Roll from a Kaiser Roll. But on a dare from her best friend, Tori Mukigawa, she wins a coveted spot as an exchange student at a prestigious Tokyo high school. Once in the Land of the Rising Sun, Erin struggles to learn the culture and deal with a host family from hell. Papasan, the father, stops speaking to her after she mistakenly "murders" his favorite bonsai tree. The mother, Mamasan, believes Erin’s evil because she's left-handed and their son is an Elvis impersonator who is convinced Erin's the spitting image of Priscilla if only she'd dye her blonde hair black, and become his child bride.

But Erin has a bigger problem than her crazy host family when she faces the ultimate dare from Tori—a to-do list she slipped into her backpack. Racked with guilt for winning the spot that should have gone to her best friend, Erin is determined to complete the list. Simple right? All she has to do is find a rock star boyfriend, (sure, there's one on every street corner), apprentice under a famous Japanese artist, (no problem, they'll be listed in the Tokyo Yellow Pages) and visit Tori's long lost relatives to find out what's hidden in the family closet. So what if the only words she knows in Japanese are, "Excuse me eat pretty idiot.”

How hard can it be?

REVIEW:

*NOTE: We (The Readdicts) received a copy of Tokyo Dare from author Anne Van in exchange for an honest review. We thank Anne for the book! 

I had no idea I'd enjoy Tokyo Dare as much as I did. It was an absolutely fantastic read! There is something very fun about Tokyo. Ever since the protagonist in author Daisy Whitney's When You Were Here (my review) took a trip to Tokyo, I've been more fascinated by the city and author Anne Van's email came to us at the right time when I was actually searching for more books based in Japan. 

The best part about Tokyo Dare, aside from it being set it Asia- which is so refreshing and such a relief to see- was that it wasn't just about the funky city of Tokyo, but it encompassed a lot of interesting information on Japanese culture and tradition, something I love exploring. All I want to do now is go to Tokyo, but reviewing the book is more important at the moment simply so you get an idea of how awesome this book really is! 
Erin and Tori are best friends living in Idaho. Tori has Japanese roots and when she applies for a scholarship to study at the Seda Academy in Tokyo, she asks Erin to apply as well. Erin applies just for fun but then her competitive side strikes and her hard work lands her the scholarship instead of Tori. Tori is happy for her BFF and gives her an "Erin's Japan must-do list" that has a bunch of some absurd and some totally cool stuff on it. 
Have you ever been lost in a foreign country? My travels abroad have always been with family, but I've seen a lot of single tourists with a confused and lost look on their face and I've also had a couple of foreign students as my friends and I could completely understand Erin's confusion, fear, loss and growing love in a new city and it's way of life. 

The moment Erin lands in Tokyo, she is lost. She has no idea what to do, where to go, whom to ask. what to ask and most importantly how to ask. It was so much of fun to read. There were tons of light moments in the book and with Erin's awesome sense of humour and her dashing personality, everything became cheerful and chirpy. She experiences love, eats moving food, is made to clean the toilet by her host family and even falls sick right before her exams. Nothing ever goes in Erin's favour, but she still manages to take it all in good spirit. She was a fab protagonist whose company I enjoyed. 

Let me tell you that the plot of Tokyo Dare is fantastic. There was a point when I doubted the significance of the book, but when I came smack in the middle, a lot of stuff started happening and I found myself actually getting into the story. There were a bunch of side characters who were each amazing in their own way and played a significant role in making Erin's school life in Tokyo fun and full of life and I loved getting to know them all. 

Author Anne Van's writing is really good  and quite simple which actually makes the book easy to read and the last line of every chapter literally kept me at the edge of my seat with the mystery behind it. Overall, I enjoyed reading Tokyo Dare a lot and I hope there's more to come in The Sushi Chronicles because I'd love to read it. 

RATING:

Feature & Follow Friday #49

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

Today's question is:

What do you do with your books after you’re done reading them?

My answer: 

They go straight on my bookshelf. I can always make place for new books! Besides, I love keeping them. 

Follow us and we'll follow back! 

Happy Friday and happy reading, everyone! 

Review- Not Your Average Joe by Nell Carson

Summary-

Reality TV just got real in this Cinderella story about a factory worker and a CEO’s son…

Jennifer Wright is finishing a long shift on the assembly line at Brickman Foods when she meets her newest trainee, Jason Baxter — only that’s not his name and she knows it. She recognises him instantly as Jared Brickman, internationally renowned playboy and son of the CEO of Brickman Foods, working undercover to film the reality show, Joe Average.



Jared is also the father of Jennifer’s son, Chris, although he doesn’t know it. The six years since they dated have been momentous for Jennifer, but it’s clear when they meet again that Jared doesn’t even remember her. Jennifer knew Jared the boy — irresponsible and reckless. Now she has the opportunity to discover Jared the man. She’d like to tell him about his son, but fears his reputation as depicted in celebrity magazines.



Is Jared an infamous heartbreaker, or is he the man she sees now: sweet, shy, and dependable — someone who can be trusted in her son’s life…and maybe even her own?

Review-

Not Your Average Joe is not the first book I've read by Nell Carson. You can find Sarika's review of The Gingerbread House here and my review of Tell-All here. You can always expect Nell Carson to deliver a sweet contemporary romance and that is exactly what I got in Not Your Average Joe.

Jennifer, our heroine is works hard in the assembly line in Brickman Foods. She needs the job and the money to support her son and herself as her parents abandoned her a long time ago when they found out she was pregnant in college. I really liked Jennifer. She was determined to make the best of her situation and to work with what she got. She was sensible and smart.

While working Jennifer meets Jason, her new trainee who is actually the famous play boy Jared Brickman posing for a new reality show called as Joe Average. Jennifer recognizes him the instant she meets him but she fears losing her son if she confesses that Jared is the father. So begins their journey. It is obvious that Jared is attracted to Jennifer, yet there are secrets keeping them apart.

The romance between Jennifer and Jared was sweet. I liked Jennifer but I didn't really like Jared. He was more of a beta hero and failed to be assertive. I thought he was a bit immature and self centered compared to Jennifer and I would have liked to see a bit more depth to him. Yet, I enjoyed all the conversations between Jennifer and Jared.

The story line of Not Your Average Joe is fairly simple but it still manages to pull you in. It makes for a cute and quick read. You get the very predictable happy ending but it still makes for a sweet read. If you're a fan of sweet contemporary romances, Nell Carson's books are it.

*Note: A copy of this book was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review. We thank the author.

Waiting On Wednesday #49

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

The Promise Of Amazing by Robin Constantine

Publication Date: December 31st 2013

Goodreads Summary:

Wren Caswell is average. Ranked in the middle of her class at Sacred Heart, she’s not popular, but not a social misfit. Wren is the quiet, “good” girl who's always done what she's supposed to—only now in her junior year, this passive strategy is backfiring. She wants to change, but doesn’t know how.

Grayson Barrett was the king of St. Gabe’s. Star of the lacrosse team, top of his class, on a fast track to a brilliant future—until he was expelled for being a “term paper pimp.” Now Gray is in a downward spiral and needs to change, but doesn’t know how. 

One fateful night their paths cross when Wren, working at her family’s Arthurian-themed catering hall, performs the Heimlich on Gray as he chokes on a cocktail weenie, saving his life literally and figuratively. What follows is the complicated, awkward, hilarious, and tender tale of two teens shedding their pasts, figuring out who they are—and falling in love.

This book sounds super amazing and promising and that cover is so cuddly cute! 

What are you waiting on this Wednesday?

Teaser Tuesday #49

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-

"Gritting his teeth, he walked deeper into the winter cloaked night, hoping the snow would chill the fire in what should have been the pure, unbroken ice of his heart."

-Caressed by Ice by Nalini Singh

Summary-

As an Arrow, an elite soldier in the Psy Council ranks, Judd Lauren was forced to do terrible things in the name of his people. Now a defector, his dark abilities have made him the most deadly of assassins - cold, pitiless, unfeeling. Until he meets Brenna . . .

Brenna Shane Kincaid was an innocent before she was abducted - and had her mind violated - by a serial killer. Her sense of evil runs so deep, she fears she could become a killer herself. Then the first dead body is found, victim of a familiar madness. Judd is her only hope, yet her sensual changeling side rebels against the inhuman chill of his personality, even as desire explodes between them. Shocking and raw, their passion is a danger that threatens not only their hearts, but their very lives . . .

                                                                          What's your teaser?

Review- Glass Frost by Liz DeJesus

Goodreads Summary:

When joined together, Cinderella's slippers grant the wearer her heart's desire. But whose wish will be granted?


When Cinderella’s glass slipper is stolen, Queen Felicia sends her faithful steward Terrance to the real world to retrieve his love and witch-in-training, Bianca Frost. The power of the glass slipper in the wrong hands could ruin peace in Everafter. Bianca must gather every bit of magic she has learned in the past few weeks to find the slipper and protect her new love. Together, Bianca, Ming, Prince Ferdinand, and Terrance venture deep into the heart of Everafter to seek clues as to who has stolen the slipper and why. Along the way, they uncover what happened to the Seven Dwarves after Snow White married the prince, but also learn the awful risk of tampering with black magic and the high price that must be paid for magical aid, even when used for good.


Bianca and Terrance’s relationship is put to the test. Through the pain of suffering and loss, Bianca must determine if following her gallant boyfriend into his faraway world is in fact her heart's desire.

REVIEW:

*NOTE: We (The Readdicts) received an ARC of Glass Frost from author Liz DeJesus in exchange for an honest review. We thank Liz for the book! 

I absolutely enjoyed reading First Frost by author Liz DeJesus. My review of the book can be read here. Even though the book ended pretty well for me, I knew there was more and I was pretty excited to read the ARC of the second book, Glass Frost, sent to us by the author for which I'd like to thank Liz. 
Glass Frost didn't disappointed at all. It was an enjoyable read packed with action, adventure, magic and romance. But yes, I couldn't help compare the two books and the first book remains my favourite. 
While First Frost was all about an introduction to the magical and not so normal life led by Bianca Frost, descendant of Snow White, Glass Frost was all about stepping more into the fairy tale world. 
The Everafter queen wishes to seek Bianca's  help in order to find Cinderella's missing slipper. One slipper rests safely in the Museum of Magical and Rare Artifacts run by Bianca's family, but one slipper has mysteriously gone missing. From there, Bianca, her best friend Ming, and from Everafter, her boyfriend Terrance and Prince Ferdinand, set out on an adventure that has you on the edge of your seat. This book was action packed and full of exciting undertakings. 
I liked Bianca as a protagonist in First Frost and liked her even more in Glass Frost. She handles dangerous situations very well and is brave and sweet. Her best friend Ming was a blast to have around. I love the loyal and strong friendship between the two where they know each other like the back of their hands. 
Terrance and Prince Ferdinand were utter gentlemen and it was amusing to see them get confused and carried away by the world in Bianca's time. Terrance is a darling and straight out of a fairy tale while the Prince is simple, funny and very kind. 
There was a lot of romance between Bianca and Terrance and it was good to see the two get together and express their feelings. Ming and Prince Ferdinand's romance was there too, but very little. The four were a good gang who took care of all the problems they faced. Bianca's mom Rose and her dad David had their own romantic story going on along with the young lovers. 
I enjoy reading the wonderful relationship Bianca shares with both her parents. A rarity in YA novels these days, it is refreshing and good to see a well-knit familial bond in Liz DeJesus' books.  
The author's writing is simple and very pleasant. It really takes the reader back to the days of Disneyland and fairy tales by the Grimm Brothers and the experience is truly wonderful. 
Though I did not enjoy Glass Frost as much as I enjoyed First Frost, I still liked the book and loved getting a more detailed peek into Everafter. I loved digging more into the many magical creatures and stories we've only heard of before. So overall, this was an action packed and thoroughly enjoyable read. 

RATING: