Thursday, March 07, 2013

Review- Rush by Maya Banks

Summary-

Gabe, Jace, and Ash: three of the wealthiest, most powerful men in the country. They’re accustomed to getting anything they want. Anything at all. For Gabe, it’s making one particular fantasy come true with a woman who was forbidden fruit. Now she’s ripe for the picking...

When Gabe Hamilton saw Mia Crestwell walk into the ballroom for his hotel’s grand opening, he knew he was going to hell for what he had planned. After all, Mia is his best friend’s little sister. Except she’s not so little anymore. And Gabe has waited a long time to act on his desires.

Gabe has starred in Mia’s fantasies more than once, ever since she was a teenager with a huge crush on her brother’s best friend. So what if Gabe’s fourteen years older? Mia knows he’s way out of her league, but her attraction has only grown stronger with time. She’s an adult now, and there’s no reason not to act on her most secret desires.

As Gabe pulls her into his provocative world, she realizes there’s a lot she doesn’t know about him or how exacting his demands can be. Their relationship is intense and obsessive, but as they cross the line from secret sexual odyssey to something deeper, their affair runs the risk of being exposed—and vulnerable to a betrayal far more intimate than either expected.

Review-

Rush is the first book I've read by Maya Banks. I'd heard great things about her KGI series and they do seem interesting but then Rush came out and I thought I'd give it a go. My feelings and emotions over this book are totally and completely mixed. I loved some parts while I hated some parts. I apologize in advance if this review seems more like a rant. But it is what it is.

Rush starts off by introducing us to Gabe, Jace and Ash who are three of the wealthiest and powerful men in the country. They have everything one could ever wish for except love and in this book we get to see Gabe's story. Gabe has always desired Jace's sister Mia but their fourteen year old age difference and his friendship with Jace has prevented him from doing anything about it. But now Mia has grown up and after one meeting with her he's ready to risk everything.

In simple words Gabe was an asshole. He was a jerk most of the times except when he actually lets himself feel for a change. Now Mia, she was a sensible person. She's always known Gabe's way out of her league, so when Gabe offers her an arrangement she jumps on to the chance even though she knows its temporary. She wants to get Gabe out of her system to that she can finally move ahead in her life. But she underestimates just how demanding Gabe can be and that's when things start getting complicated.

I admit, there was extremely hot chemistry between Gabe and Mia. You could see how into each other they were. Their relationship was intense and obsessive. The romance was definitely erotic. But then I hated the whole contract thing. Also, there was bondage, spanking and exhibitionism. I haven't read any bdsm books before so this was a whole new thing for me. I could be okay with it but then Gabe goes and does the most stupid possible thing EVER. I so badly wanted to punch him. Multiple times.

Mia was a bit too forgiving but she does make Gabe crawl in the end. Like I said I liked and hated the book in parts. Some things were just too wrong for me to get on board with. What I loved the most in the book though was Mia and Jace's relationship. Jace was the perfect concerned, over protective, over bearing and stubborn brother who loves nothing more than his sister. His love for her made me swoon for him. I am eagerly awaiting for his book Fever. Ash was fun.

Maya Banks has an amazing writing style. It just makes you want to read and read and then read some more. I will definitely be picking up her her KGI series. I have not read much of erotic romance and it is a new genre for me. Maybe that is why I found this book the way I found it. I will still be continuing the series though. For nothing other than to satisfy my morbid curiosity. One thing I can say about the book though, you may love it or hate it but you can't get it out of your head.





Wednesday, March 06, 2013

Waiting On Wednesday #29

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

Down London Road by Samantha Young
Publication Date: May 7 2013


Summary-

Johanna Walker is used to taking charge. But she’s about to meet someone who will make her lose control....

It has always been up to Johanna to care for her family, particularly her younger brother, Cole. With an absent father and a useless mother, she’s been making decisions based on what’s best for Cole for as long as she can remember. She even determines what men to date by how much they can provide for her brother and her, not on whatever sparks may—or may not—fly.

But with Cameron MacCabe, the attraction is undeniable. The sexy new bartender at work gives her butterflies every time she looks at him. And for once, Jo is tempted to put her needs first. Cam is just as obsessed with getting to know Jo, but her walls are too solid to let him get close enough to even try.

Then Cam moves into the flat below Jo’s, and their blistering connection becomes impossible to ignore. Especially since Cam is determined to uncover all of Jo’s secrets …even if it means taking apart her defenses piece by piece.

I LOVED On Dublin Street. You can find my review of it here.
I am super excited for Down London Road! :)
What are you waiting on?

Tuesday, March 05, 2013

Teaser Tuesday #29



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:
"Okay. I'll cut his head off."
"Ignoring the fact that you don't have a weapon to do that, how will you compensate for the fact that he may be a foot taller than you?" 
-Vampire Academy (Vampire Academy #1) by Richelle Mead

Goodreads Summary:

St. Vladimir’s Academy isn’t just any boarding school—it’s a hidden place where vampires are educated in the ways of magic and half-human teens train to protect them. Rose Hathaway is a Dhampir, a bodyguard for her best friend Lissa, a Moroi Vampire Princess. They’ve been on the run, but now they’re being dragged back to St. Vladimir’s—the very place where they’re most in danger...

Rose and Lissa become enmeshed in forbidden romance, the Academy’s ruthless social scene, and unspeakable nighttime rituals. But they must be careful lest the Strigoi—the world’s fiercest and most dangerous vampires—make Lissa one of them forever.


What's your teaser this Tuesday?
Happy reading, everyone! 


Monday, March 04, 2013

Review- The Perfect Guy by Ann Herrick

Goodreads Summary:

Can Rebecca turn her new stepbrother into her new love?

When Rebecca's mother marries Pres's father, Rebecca is sure that living in the same house with the guy of her dreams will have its perks and it will be just a matter of time before Pres sees her as more than a kid sister. Even though her best friend, Celeste, warns her to face reality, Rebecca doesn't listen. She thinks Pres is the perfect guy for her. But Celeste's brother, Josh, has been friends with Pres for years, and Celeste thinks she knows what she's talking about. 

Rebecca's not so sure about her relationship with her new stepfather. She knows he can't replace her real dad, but she thinks she can break through his cool surface by helping him with the school play. 

But things don't go as planned, and as friendships start to change, Rebecca faces surprising truths about herself and her friends. Will she find happiness in her new family and find The Perfect Guy?


REVIEW:

*NOTE: We (The Readdicts) received a copy of The Perfect Guy from author Ann Herrick in exchange for an honest review. We thank Ann for the book! 

The Perfect Guy was an extremely cute and jolly read that I completely relished. It is the kind of story that has a feel good effect that doesn't just come at the end but starts at the beginning, continues throughout and lasts until the very end. 
An absolutely lovely story of two brother and sister duos who also happen to be best friends, 
The Perfect Guy is a perfectly lighthearted and casual read or better yet, it's a short and sweet read that will have you smiling. 
In her head, Rebecca knows who the perfect guy is for her. This guy, Pres, also happens to be her new step brother. Rebecca looks at her mom's marriage to Pres' dad Bill as a way to get closer to Pres. Only Rebecca doesn't know that all along her heart has already been swept away by someone.  
Rebecca was genuine. She was a really sweet girl who was confused about her feelings and watching her got back so many of my own teenage memories. 
Pres was a great guy. He was smart and sweet. He and Rebecca shared a very nice relationship. I loved how they saw each other as good friends, took their parents marriage with good spirit, adjusted well to the newness of it all and enjoyed their new family life. Their relationships with their respective parent and step-parent were also very good. 
Rebecca's best friend Celeste and her big brother Josh who happens to be Pres' best friend were two really adorable people. Celeste was a practical girl who tried to keep her best friend's feet firmly planted on the ground and helped her see how Rebecca was just living in a fantasy land of her own. 
Josh was an absolutely awesome guy. He was kind, protective and really funny. I loved his relationship with his sister and Rebecca. He was just too cute. 
I've always enjoyed books that revolve around plays and in 
The Perfect Guy as well, there is a school play going on which celebrates 350 years of Sandy Cove, the place in which the story takes place. 
Author Ann Herrick has written an absolutely wonderful and enjoyable Young Adult novel. 
 Her writing is smooth and simple. 
It had been a long time since I read a good, clean, simple and sweet YA novel and I'm glad I read The Perfect GuySweet characters and an even sweeter story along with a perfect, practical and happy ending make The Perfect Guy a sugary read that is wonderfully pleasant and leaves you feeling good. 

RATING:




Sunday, March 03, 2013

Review- Salvation by Anne Osterlund

Summary-

Salvador Resendez--Salva to his friends--appears to have it all. His Mexican immigrant family has high expectations, and Salva intends to fulfill them. He's student body president, quarterback of the football team, and has a near-perfect GPA. Everyone loves him.

Especially Beth Courant, AKA the walking disaster area. Dreamy and shy, Beth is used to blending into the background. But she's also smart, and she has serious plans for her future.

Popular guy and bookish girl--the two have almost nothing in common. Until fate throws them together and the attraction is irresistible. Soon Beth is pushing Salva to set his sights higher than ever--because she knows he has more to offer, more than even he realizes.

Then tragedy strikes--and threatens to destroy everything that Salva has worked for. Will Beth's love be enough to save him?

Thoughtful and romantic, this is a beautifully written story about following your heart and fulfilling your potential.

Review-

With its beautiful cover and intriguing summary Salvation seemed to catch my interest the first time I saw it. It was a good read. Some things were the same while some weren't. If you go in without any expectations this book just might surprise you. It was a fairly quick read which you could get over with in a few hours of time.

Salvation is the story of Salva. To his friends he appears to be perfect and he is to a certain extent. He's the student body president, quarterback of the football team. He has a loyal set of friends who want whats best for him. His Mexican immigrant family has high expectations of him and he intends to meet them all.

Beth is dreamy and shy. She's used to blending in the background. But she has high hopes and plans of getting into college and moving ahead in life. Beth was a really sweet girl. She's had a crush on Salva since middle school but he hasn't even noticed she existed. When Salva needs help from Beth in AP English Beth just can't say no to him and so their unexpected friendship begins which soon turns into so much more.

Beth and Salva both were likeable characters. Salva had to face family pressure while Beth suffered from neglect from her alcoholic mother. But when they came together it was really cute. The romance moves at a slightly slow pace but it seems just right for Beth and Salva. I liked all the conversations between Salva and his friends too. It was very realistic and kept me engaged.

The only problem I had with it was that the novel goes from third person's point of view but sometimes the change from Salva to Beth felt broken to me. Also time was fast forwarded and it took me a minute to realize that that had happened. Salvation also deals with issues which I hadn't read in any other YA books. Some of the book was pretty much what you expected but there was one twist which got me in the end. If you're looking for a different YA read you should give Salvation a try.



Janhvi

Saturday, March 02, 2013

Review- 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.


REVIEW:


*NOTE: We (The Readdicts) received a copy of Pursuing The Times from author Lauren Baratz-Logsted in exchange for an honest review. We thank Lauren for the book! 

When author Lauren Baratz-Logsted contacted us about reviewing her romantic comedy, Pursuing The Times, not only was I super excited about the book, but I felt so delighted to just see an email from Lauren sitting in our inbox. I absolutely liked and thoroughly enjoyed reading the author's The Bro-Magnet (my review of which can be read here) and I was sure Pursuing The Times would be just as entertaining. And trust me, it didn't disappoint. Not even a bit. 
Pursuing The Times was so funny that not only did I laugh while reading, but somewhere in the middle of nowhere, when I remembered an incident or a dialogue from the book, I found myself laughing just as hard as I did the first time. 
Mercury Lauren is the author of chick-lit novels and her only aim is to get her book, by any means whatsoever, in the hands of New York Times Book Review Editor-in-Chief Frank D'Arcangelo for a review. Mercury, however has no idea who she insulted at the National Book Awards until her agent and only friend, Angel from The Angelica White Literary Agency informs her later that the very object of her hideous insults is the very man she'd do anything to get hold of. 
Throw in another author Nick who supposedly writes "important" stuff, Mercury's crazy but absolutely cute family comprising of her parents, her brother Ralph, whose comebacks and views on Mercury and her career were too comical and a sweet sister in-law Sheila and you have a joyride at your disposal. 
Mercury was an imperfectly perfect protagonist. She was hilarious in her own ways and her absolutely whacky ways of looking at things made her so entertaining and likeable. She was pure fun and like one of the characters in the book rightly said, she had chutzpah. The lengths she went to in order to get the ARC of her novel, Falling For Prince Charles, in the hands of any well established NYTBR reviewer were oh-my-God-so-hilarious! 
At first, I thought that 
Pursuing The Times started out really slowly or maybe it was just my own reading slump, but once it kicked off, it really was difficult to stay away from reading this highly entertaining and ridiculously smacking book. 
Author Lauren Baratz-Logsted has a way of keeping the reader alert and entertained at the same time with a seriously bang-up plot, absolutely real, genuine and cool characters, nonchalant and smashing dialogue and lastly, the promise of an utterly amusing and awesome journey on which one has a really good time, which in the end, is all that matters- having a good time. 
I loved the craziness and the hideousness of 
Pursuing The Times. It was a funny, sweet, cheerful and playful read that doesn't require the brain to do any work except read and that makes those pretty laughter lines on your face a permanent feature throughout the duration of the book. It was a lightsome and comical read that I was in dire need of after having read a series of dark books. Author Lauren Baratz-Logsted's Pursuing The Times is truly a very great read! 

RATING:


Sarika




Friday, March 01, 2013

Cover Reveal: Where The Stars Still Shine by Trish Doller

Oh my God! Oh my God! It's here! 
The cover for author of Something Like NormalTrish Doller's second book Where The Stars Still Shine has been released! 


Gorgeous, isn't it? I absolutely love it! It's perfect. ♥

SYNOPSIS:

Stolen as a child from her large and loving family, and on the run with her mom for more than ten years, Callie has only the barest idea of what normal life might be like. She’s never had a home, never gone to school, and has gotten most of her meals from laundromat vending machines. Her dreams are haunted by memories she’d like to forget completely. But when Callie’s mom is finally arrested for kidnapping her, and Callie’s real dad whisks her back to what would have been her life, in a small town in Florida, Callie must find a way to leave the past behind. She must learn to be part of a family. And she must believe that love–even with someone who seems an improbable choice–is more than just a possibility.

I loved loved loved Trish's Something Like Normal
For me, it was the best overall read, best debut and best Young Adult novel of 2012. 

I am just so excited for Where The Stars Still Shine, which is slated for a September 24, 2013 (which also happens to be Janhvi's birthday- yay!) release. 
I'm sure it's going to be lovely, it sure as hell sounds great! 
Come here already, September! Pretty please? 

ADDITIONAL LINKS:

Author Trish Doller is absolutely friendly. It's always nice talking to her!
I'm sure she'd love to hear from you. You can get in touch with Trish-


Sarika