Review- Unraveled by Jen Fredrick

Summary-

Twenty-five-year-old Sgt. Gray Phillips is at a crossroads in his life: stay in the Marine Corps or get out and learn to be a civilian? He’s got forty-five days of leave to make up his mind but the people in his life aren’t making the decision any easier. His dad wants him to get out; his grandfather wants him to stay in. And his growing feelings for Sam Anderson are wreaking havoc with his heart…and his mind. He believes relationships get ruined when a Marine goes on deployment. So now he’s got an even harder decision to make: take a chance on Sam or leave love behind and give his all to the Marines.

Twenty-two year old Samantha Anderson lost her husband to an IED in Afghanistan just two months after their vows. Two years later, Sam is full of regrets—that she didn’t move with her husband to Alaska; that she allowed her friends to drift away; that she hasn’t taken many chances in life. Now, she’s met Gray and taking a risk on this Marine could be her one opportunity to feel alive and in love again. But how can she risk her heart on another military man who could share the same tragic fate as her husband?

Review-

I am a fan of Jen Fredick's Woodlands series. I thoroughly enjoyed Undeclared and Unspoken. So I was pretty excited to get started on Unraveled. I really enjoyed Gray and Samantha's story. I can't say that its my favorite of the series but I still liked it.

Gray is at a crossroads in his life. He's got forty five days of leave to decide if he wants to stay in the Marine Corps or get out. Gray doesn't believe that relationships last in the Corps when on deployment because his last girlfriend cheated on him. But then he meets Sam and things change. I liked Gray. He was a strong guy. Yes, he behaved like a complete jerk at times but he was still a good guy.

Samantha lost her husband to an IED in Afghanistan. She has been mourning his loss for years and regrets not going after what she wanted. Then she meets Gray and even though Sam is determined not to fall for another military man there's no denying the attraction between them. I liked Sam. You can feel her grief but her feelings for Gray are true.

Gray and Sam's relationship starts off as casual. But truthfully, only they can see whats really going on with each other. Sam and Gray's relationship was kinda cliched but I still enjoyed it. Gray sees Sam as more than a widow and Sam understands Gray. This book definitely had a more mature feel to it. Maybe because Gray and Sam had been through such a lot.

The steamy scenes were definitely HOT. Also, we get loads of Bo, Annmarie and Noah. I loved those parts the most. And I am SO curious to know more about Finn. I hope we get his and Adam's book soon. Unraveled was a really good read and it gets a solid four from me.

*Note: A copy of this book was provided by TRSOR Promotions for participating in the blog tour. We thank them.

Waiting on Wednesday #71

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

Far From You by Tess Sharpe

Publication Date: April 8, 2014

Summary-

Sophie Winters nearly died. Twice.

The first time, she's fourteen, and escapes a near-fatal car accident with scars, a bum leg, and an addiction to Oxy that'll take years to kick.

The second time, she's seventeen, and it's no accident. Sophie and her best friend Mina are confronted by a masked man in the woods. Sophie survives, but Mina is not so lucky. When the cops deem Mina's murder a drug deal gone wrong, casting partial blame on Sophie, no one will believe the truth: Sophie has been clean for months, and it was Mina who led her into the woods that night for a meeting shrouded in mystery.

After a forced stint in rehab, Sophie returns home to a chilly new reality. Mina's brother won't speak to her, her parents fear she'll relapse, old friends have become enemies, and Sophie has to learn how to live without her other half. To make matters worse, no one is looking in the right places and Sophie must search for Mina's murderer on her own. But with every step, Sophie comes closer to revealing all: about herself, about Mina and about the secret they shared.

Far From You has a gorgeous cover and it sounds like a dark, intense murder mystery. Haven't read many of those in YA so I'm excited.

What are you waiting on?

Top Ten Tuesday #17

Top Ten Tuesday is a bookish meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

This week's topic is: 

top ten things on our reading wishlist

My list: 

1) Unhappy endings, under which I am also clubbing 2) Betrayal 3) Guilt 4) Pain 5) Suffering-

Yes, you read all those right. I like books that end unhappily.  

6) Death- Because absurd is real.

7) Psychology and history, which further includes 8) Reason - By this, I mean the whole thing about why people do certain things in a certain way. Surely there is some reason behind everything that happens. I want to know that reason. 

9) A new, original and thoroughly absorbing fantasy world- Who doesn't love new worlds? I only wish they were more creative. 

10) A completely incompatible pairing- How about a goblin falling in love with a werewolf? 

What's on your wishlist? Link me up to your posts as I'd love to see it! 

Happy Tuesday and happy reading, everyone! 

Review- Unravel Me by Tahereh Mafi

Goodreads Summary:

tick

tick

tick

tick

tick

it's almost

time for war.

Juliette has escaped to Omega Point. It is a place for people like her—people with gifts—and it is also the headquarters of the rebel resistance.

She's finally free from The Reestablishment, free from their plan to use her as a weapon, and free to love Adam. But Juliette will never be free from her lethal touch.

Or from Warner, who wants Juliette more than she ever thought possible.

In this exhilarating sequel to Shatter Me, Juliette has to make life-changing decisions between what she wants and what she thinks is right. Decisions that might involve choosing between her heart—and Adam's life.

Shatter me Series:

My review of Shatter Me (Shatter Me #1)

My review of Destroy Me (Shatter Me #1.5)

REVIEW:

Shatter Me was insanely good, Destroy Me was insanely better and Unravel Me- oh my God!- Unravel Me is insanely and undoubtedly the best book so far in Tahereh Mafi's Shatter Me series. 

The twists and turns of this book have left me appalled and gratified. There was so much going on and it was just so psychotropic that I found myself screaming WHAT THE F*** at the end of almost every chapter and seeing as there are 73 chapters... Oh damn! I've cursed a hell lot. Oops. 

I knew I was in for a jolty ride with this one. Just when I thought that the shockers couldn't get any more shocking, Tahereh Mafi goes all BOOM!!! and throws something much much more shocking our way.  I could almost picture the author rubbing her palms together and grinning wickedly at readers. Seriously. This book gave me so many shock attacks I am still trying to put the pieces together and process the puzzle. 

In Unravel Me, everything changes. Really. Everything. 

We got to see so many sides of everyone. The sweet and sensible Adam became cool and distant. Warner... Oh God! Warner whose name isn't even- Okay. No spoilers. Just like in Destroy Me, he was impeccable. He was swoon-worthy. Both the boy's relationship with Juliette was simply stunning. Juliette is one kick ass protagonist. She knows how dangerous she is and she wants to protect everyone. She knows what she wants, but she finds herself... Okay, that's it. No spoilers. Speaking of change, the gorgeous and fun Kenji became strict and serious and when not serious, his banter with Adam and Juliette was hilarious and his relation with Adam's younger brother James was so sweet. 

Now onto the writing. Tahereh Mafi's writing is simply beautiful. It's beautiful beautiful beautiful. It's so beautiful that I don't really see any point in highlighting quotes, because if you were to choose the most beautiful lines, you'd end up highlighting the whole damn book. 

Unravel Me is just so so so good that it makes it difficult to get out of the tick tick tick phase and it drives you crazy and leaves you wanting more and oh please! Book #3, come out ASAP. 

RATING:

Review- A Prearranged Love by Anusha Vishnampet

Summary-

A love story with a difference

Spirited and independent Rekha Ramkumar met handsome and cocky Arjun Kalyan on a blind date. He called her shorty and she threatened to dump a drink on his lap. They vowed to never see each other again but fate had the last laugh...

When they are forced to work together on his companys marketing campaign, Rekha sees a new side of Arjun, one that she finds hard to resist. While Arjun is increasingly fascinated by Rekha, having once rejected her, could he convince her that she was The One?

Review-

A Prearranged Love looked like a cute read and it turned out to be exactly that. It was short and sweet and quite realistic. Not everyone has bells ringing in their hearts with the love at first sight thing, some people take time to really get each other and that was exactly Rekha and Arjun's story.

Rekha is spirited and independent. When her mother asks her to meet a prospective groom she agrees to it. She is definitely attracted to the handsome Arjun but then he goes and opens his mouth and ruins it. I liked Rekha. She was fun and bubbly and confident in her own self not willing to take shit from anyone. She was just as confused with love and marriage but she wanted the best for her.

Arjun has other expectations when he agrees to go on a blind date with Rekha. He is a bit thrown off by the tiny fire cracker that is Rekha and blurts out the first inappropriate thing on his mind. After Arjun and Rekha reject each other fate decides to throw them together and they are forced to work with each other. Here Arjun really sees Rekha for who she is.

Rekha and Arjun shared a hilarious relationship. Hilarious for us, not them. They have a love hate relationship and there's no denying the attraction they both feel. I loved seeing Arjun and Rekha together. It was sweet and fun and they somehow always managed to push each other's buttons.

A Prearranged Love makes for an easy and quick read. I enjoyed the few hours I spent with Arjun and Rekha and seeing them come together was a pleasure. I do wish there was an epilogue or a more satisfactory ending though. This was a light romance which will leave you grinning by the end of it.

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

Review- When You Became My Life by Anshul Sharma

Goodreads Summary:

Neevs life is marked with castastrophes after losing his parents and almost everything he owned, he finds refuge with his friend Aadi in Agra. Living with an old friend in a new house, busy with a new job in a new environment revives him, somewhat. And then, life happens. As he bumps into love and tries to keep running away from it, love follows him as Aashi a small-town girl with larger than life aspirations and a novel dream. Neev sets out to fulfil her dream but he has to pay a coast for it. Either love or life. What will he choose to let go? When You Became My Life is a story spun by destiny. It is a story of a young boy who takes it upon himself to defeat all odds and be one with love.

REVIEW:

*NOTE: We (The Readdicts) received a copy When You Became My Life by Anshul Sharma from Srishti Publishers & Distributors in exchange for an honest review. We thank the publishing house for the book! 

I was pretty much looking forward to reading Anshul Sharma's When You Became My Life especially since I figured out it doesn't end happily and that it was a quick and short read. While the ending was really good, the story in itself seemed very stupid honestly and a bit infantile. Don't get me wrong, it is not a bad story as there's no such thing as a bad story but the execution of it wasn't very impressive. 

When You Became My Life might not be the best written book- there were plenty of editorial errors, spelling mistakes and a repetition at one point too. But it sure has a very interesting narrative technique. Neev is telling Sam his story and in Neev's story, his friend, Aadi recounts many of his personal experiences.

 
Neev has had a very sad life so far. With the death of both his parents and no one willing to help him, his friend Aadi invites him to the city of Agra where he has made arrangements for accommodation and a professor's job for Neev. Incidentally, Aadi's sister Aashi is Neev's student and no surprises for guessing that the two fall in love, just like in plenty other books. 

The story was pretty typical but what irked me more was the characters. While Neev seemed like a poor and sweet guy, Aashi and the love between the two seemed a little shallow to me. Yeah, I get that everyone has flaws but at most times, it's about self respect which seemed absent at times. Aadi and his family were a bunch of simple and warm people whom I both liked and disliked. 

Overall, When You Became My Life was an okay read. It wasn't all that good, and for a quick read, it made for a stupid but sad story. I wish I had liked the book, but unfortunately, I didn't.

RATING:

Cover Reveal- Sacrifice by Jennifer Quintenz

Hello, guys! We're excited to help reveal the cover of author Jennifer Quintenz's book, Sacrifice. Without wasting much time, let's get on to the lovely post the author has lined up for you! 

 

 For fans of Braedyn Murphy, the wait is almost over. “Sacrifice,” the third book in the Daughters of Lilith series, will be released on January 31, 2014. 

  "Sacrifice" (Daughters of Lilith: Book 3) 

 Just when Braedyn Murphy thought she understood the danger descending on Puerto Escondido, a new threat arrives. A cult devoted to Lilith has taken up residence in the little town, and when Cassie gets tangled up its intrigue, Braedyn realizes she might have to chose between protecting her friends and stopping Lilith from reclaiming this earth. With her duties to the Guard wearing on her, Braedyn turns to Lucas for solace. Together they wonder if now is the time to claim their one night together—knowing that one night is all they may ever have. Darker forces have their own plans for Braedyn and the Guard. Braedyn knew this fight could be brutal—but how much can one girl be asked to sacrifice in order to save the world? 

 Check out the previous books in the series: 

  Praise for "Thrall" (Daughters of Lilith: Book 1) 

 "Before you even start this review, put down anything you are doing and go read Thrall. It's AMAZING! BREATHTAKING! Engaging and smart, Thrall leaves you speechless!" - Savannah, Books With Bite 

 "The writing style is so smooth, yet gripping. Add some good characters, well-paced story and you have something that I like. No, not like. Love... No surprise that “Thrall” gets full five stars and the highest recommendations I can give." - Linda, The Fantasy Librarian 

 "How do I even begin to put all the crazy, gushy, ramblings in my brain about this book onto paper?!? Where to even begin?....This book is a MUST read!" - Hooked In A Book review on Amazon

  Praise for “Incubus” (Daughters of Lilith: Book 2) 

 "If you like gutsy fantasy of the urban variety this should definitely be on your 'must read' list. Don't let the YA label put you off either, like all the best YA fiction, this can be enjoyed by adults as well. I give it an unreserved 5 stars." - Tahlia, Awesome Indies

"This is one of those books that I have been looking forward to since June of last year... I loved this book and I'm so happy I finally got to read it. I recommend the entire series for the fully developed characters, the impressive mythology, and the fight scenes. I am dreading waiting for the next book." - David, David-Reviews.com 

 "Great reading. LOVE IT. Jennifer Quintenz is a special writer who can be very riveting... Spent several sleepless nights in a crazy rush to see how it ends. Can't wait for the next books." - Terri, review on Amazon  

About the author: 

 Jennifer Quintenz is an award-winning film and television writer, author, and graphic novelist. She has written for Twentieth Television, Intrepid Pictures, and Archaia Studios Press. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband and son. 

  JenniferQuintenz.com 

Jenn on Facebook 

Jenn on Twitter 

Jenn on Goodreads

I must say that I really like the cover and I hope to read the series someday. What do you think? Thank you so much for stopping by, and happy reading!