Page 207 of 423

Item: Thunderstruck
Rating: 3.5
Author: Jen

TOP TEN TUESDAY – What’s On Our Fall TBR

September 19, 2017 / Jen / 14 Comments

Top Ten Tuesday.13

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish
This week is – What’s On Our Fall TBR. And they are….

(Jen’s Choice – Review)

1. Shattered Stars (Broken Skies #3) by Theresa Kay (Releases 10/26)
Goodreads
It’s THE FINAL BOOK!! I was extremely lucky and got to Beta Read Shattered Stars, and you guys…..it was a breathtaking and stunning conclusion! It was everything I ever could have wanted. If you haven’t checked out this series yet, I highly recommend you do! You can read my review of the first book here.

2. An Ex for Christmas by Lauren Layne (Releases 11/07)
Amazon * Goodreads
I love, love, love Lauren Layne books! And this one sounds beyond adorable, plus it’s a friends to lovers story. I can’t wait to read it!

(Jen’s Choice – Review)

3. Haven by Mary Lindsey (Releases 11/07)
Amazon * Goodreads
It says “Ancient magic and modern society collide in a sexy, spellbinding romance” oh my gosh, that sounds fabulous! I’m in!

4. Run Away With Me (Come Back to Me #3) by Mila Gray (Releases 11/28)
Amazon * Goodreads
This author’s writing makes me so emotional, and her characters always captures my heart. Each book I’ve read by her always ends up on my favorites list, so I’m excited that she is releasing another book!

(Jen’s Choice)

(Jen’s Choice – Review)

5. The Dead List by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Amazon * Goodreads

I’ve never picked up a scary book right before Halloween. And that’s because I am the hugest baby. Seriously. But JLA is one of my favorite authors ever, so this year I’ve decided to be brave and finally read this book. Here’s hoping I don’t end up sleeping with every single light on in our house haha!

6. #Nerd (Hashtag #1) by Cambria Hebert (Releases 11/07)
Amazon * Goodreads

All of my friends love this series, so I’m finally diving into this book this weekend. What better way to start off fall?!

(Chelsea’s Choice)

7. An Enchantment of Ravens by Margaret Rogerson (Releases 9/26)
Amazon * Goodreads

I’ve heard great things from my friends and I’m super excited to try it myself!

8. Here We Are Now by Jasmine Warga (Releases 11/07)
Amazon * Goodreads

I fell head over heals for her previous release, My Heart and Other Black Holes. So I can’t wait to read this book!

(Anna’s Choice)

9. The Satanic Mill by Otfried Preußler
Amazon * Goodreads

I mean, a school in which you learn BLACK MAGIC? Have you met me???

10. Inkheart (Inkworld #1) by Cornelia Funke
Amazon * Goodreads

I’ve already read the French translation of this fantastic trilogy some years ago, and I cannot wait to go through the original in German!

So these are What’s On Our Fall TBR. Do you have any of them on your fall tbr too? Or have you already read them? And if so, will we love them?

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BLOGIVERSARY + GIVEAWAY – Our Most Tortured BBFs

September 18, 2017 / Jen / 10 Comments

blogiversary_most tortured

Today is the last day of our Blogiversary celebration! We hope that you have loved going through our lists of book boyfriends and favorite heroines! If you missed one, they are our Fiercest BBFs, Kindest BBFs, Favorite Heroines, Darkest BBFs. So for today, we are going to talk about Our Most Tortured BBFs. These men completely enrapture our hearts, we ache for them as the story progresses and we can’t stop thinking about them long after we have closed the book. We hope you’ll want to meet all of our favorites too! And we’re wishing you lots of luck on our giveaway…..they’re 6 books that we loved! Enjoy! And thank you for celebrating with us!

most-tortured_chelsea

Josh from The Hating Game by Sally Thorne
* Review * Amazon * Goodreads *

“I’ve never had someone try to do this before.”
“What, break your skull open? I’ll use a hammer if I have to.”
“Get to know me. And I never thought it would be you.”
“Do you want me to stop?”
I almost can’t hear his reply, it’s so quiet. “No.”

Josh, even though his dialogue with Lucy is mostly hilarious, is so heartbreakingly sad on the inside that it kills me. I just love him so much-he adores Lucy, but has so much fun convincing her otherwise. This is naturally one of my favorite books ever.

Somebody Nobody’ (Can’t say name, even though it’s obvious) from Tell Me Three Things by Julie Buxbaum
* Amazon * Goodreads *

SN: you know what I think about sometimes?
Me: What?
SN: you know that piece of hair that always falls into your eyes—the not-quite-a-bang piece? I want to be able to tuck it behind your ear. I want to be able to do that. I want to meet you when I feel comfortable enough with you to do that.

I LOVED THIS BOOK. I loved this book beyond words. SN just…he just…ugh. He was so adorable, trying to help the main character out. I promise-you can’t be disappointed by this guy.

Most-tortured_jen

Declan from Letters to the Lost by Brigid Kemmerer
* Review * Amazon * Goodreads *

Sometimes I think fate conspires against us. Or maybe fate conspires with us.

Declan was dark, his own worst enemy, and he was so tortured from his past. Especially since he placed the blame of an event on his own shoulders. Not only was his home life troubling, but he was an outcast at school. Yet he had this ability to radiate power, and he was sexy as hell. So Declan easily broke my heart, while also making me fall for him. And when he was completely honest in his letters to Juliet, he took my breath away with his words. It was so different than how he acted around so many others.

Sean from Shag Lake by Susan McEachern
* Review * Amazon * Goodreads *

But when she walked into the backyard this evening, I actually went weak in the knees. I had that moment when the world suddenly stopped turning and everyone at the party faded away into a blurry background, leaving just the two of us. I could barely breathe.
Get her out of your head , Eastman. She’s still off-limits.
I can’t offer her a future, and she deserves nothing less.

Sean was *starts wiping tears from eyes because he was so beautifully perfect* someone I fell completely in love with. He was loyal, seductive, protective, playful and ever so sexy. Yet because of something that I can’t say, he keeps the happiness he wants not within reach. Which completely broke my heart for him.

Rob from In the Woods (Dublin Murder Squad #1) by Tana French
* Review * Amazon * Goodreads *

So I’ll only say this : rarely did I feel that the character’s personality – whether they’re likeable or not – was so besides the point as when reading this book. Is Rob a jerk? Maybe, but I don’t care, he’s real, all of them are real to me. I care so much, oh my god, do I care for him still.

Luca from Vendetta (Blood for Blood #1) by Catherine Doyle
* Review * Amazon * Goodreads *

The books aren’t that great, admittedly, but I’d follow him anywhere, so there’s that.

Misha from Falling Kingdoms (Falling Kingdoms #1) by Morgan Rhodes
* Amazon * Goodreads *

I’m actually not a huge fan of tortured boys, but I ADORED Magnus from Falling Kingdoms! He’s the perfect balance between sassy, devious, and tortured! I like to think of him as an antihero.

Giveaway:

*There will be 6 winners, and prizes will be sent via Amazon Kindle. The first winner drawn will get to chose which book they want first, and so on. Prizes are ebooks of Adorkable, Illuminae, Six of Crows, The Fill-In Boyfriend, Adorkable, Good Girl & Broken Skies.*

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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BLOGIVERSARY + GIVEAWAY – Our Darkest BBFs

September 15, 2017 / Jen / 15 Comments

the darkest

Today we’re talking about our Darkest BBFs. These men take our breath away, even with all of the darkness within them! If you haven’t met all of them yet, we hope you will! And don’t forget about our wonderful giveaway below!
PS If you missed out on our previous blogiversary posts, they were Fiercest BBFs, Kindest BBFs, and Favorite Heroines.

darkest_jen

Misha from Punk 57 by Penelope Douglas
* Review * Amazon * Goodreads *

I part my lips, running them over the lip ring and savoring the feel as he groans and digs his fingers into my thighs. I tighten my legs around him, needing to feel him.
“Bitch,” he whispers.
“Loser.”

Misha is brutal to Ryen. He’s hurtful, mean and viscous to her with his words. The scenes and situations between the two of them would leave my mouth open. But Ryen has this sexuality that is subtle and insanely addicting. He came off not only confident but intoxicating too. Whether it was the looks he would give, or the words he would choose to use, he always left me wanting more. And Ryen couldn’t help but be pulled in again and again, no matter how bad Misha hurt her. The scenes between the two of them were beyond sexy, and so, so, so good!

Talis from The Scorpion Rules (Prisoners of Peace #1) by Erin Bow
* Review * Amazon * Goodreads *

Yes, he’s a villain, so what.

Ricardo from The Sound of Things Falling by Juan Gabriel Vásquez
* Amazon * Goodreads *

Darkling from Shadow and Bone (The Grisha Trilogy #1) by Leigh Bardugo
* Amazon * Goodeads *

Um. Darkling. I don’t even need to explain it.. but incase anyone needs a reminder, go read the table scene in Ruin and Rising…

darkest_chelsea

Misha/Masen from Punk 57 by Penelope Douglas
* Review * Amazon * Goodreads *

Ryen. The beautiful, perfect girl who’s so different from all the others. I run my hand over my forehead and through my hair, my throat tightening into a knot and my eyes burning. Fuck. I put the pen to the paper and scrawl what my goddamn heart can only whisper. I miss you every day, I write. You’re my favorite place.

Oh Masen Masen Masen…or Misha? Lol. Doesn’t matter. This. Boy. Is a TOTAL. Prick. Oh Gahd I love him so.

Declan from Letters to the Lost by Brigid Kemmerer
* Amazon * Goodreads *

I need her. More than anything right now. I need her. And because of everything between us, I can’t have her.

Declan was just…wonderful. Scarred, emotional, and-Err. This sounds a bit messed up of me to be excited about his problems. But if loving Declan is wrong, I don’t WANT to be right! 😛asdf

Giveaway:

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BOOK REVIEW – Thunderstruck by Brenda Drake

September 14, 2017 / Jen / 6 Comments

Thunderstruck by Brenda Drake
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
Stevie Moon is famous...at least to the subscribers on her comic review vlog. At school, she’s as plain as the gray painted walls in the cafeteria. So when Blake, the hot new guy at school, shows an interest in her, she knows trouble when she sees it. Been there. And never doing it again.

As the son of the god Thor, Blake Foster's been given an important mission—to recover the Norse god Heimdall’s sacred and powerful horn before someone uses it to herald in the destruction of the entire universe. But while Blake is great in a fight, the battlefield that is a high school’s social scene is another matter.

Blake knows his only choice is to team up with the adorable Stevie, but she's not willing to give him even the time of day. He'll need to woo the girl and find the horn if he hopes to win this war. Who better to tackle Stevie's defenses than the demi-god of thunder?

Review:

Thunderstruck was such a cute story. It revolved around Norse Mythology and the pages were filled with friendship, drama, first love and some mystery. I quickly read it in two sittings and I found myself smiling a lot. While it had a younger vibe and a few adorable yet cheesy moments, I enjoyed Thunderstruck and it’s characters!

He wanted to get lost in her. Forget he was from another world. A world where she could never go. A world he no longer wanted to return to without her.

Blake, the son of Thor, was my favorite out of all of the characters. He was to recover a horn, and bring it back home. But Blake found himself distracted by Stevie, a girl who goes to the same school as him. And while I thought the son of a god would be charming and charismatic, it didn’t always work out that way lol. He was soooooooo out of his element on Earth. He was awkward at times, used too proper of English, and he didn’t understand slang (the Netflix comment was my fave rofl!). There were moments that I was laughing yet also cringing for him. But thankfully Stevie was able to see past all of that, just like I was able to.

He just didn’t seem like he belonged on this planet, which was a weird thing to think, but it kept playing in her head.
Really, Stevie. You’re not living in a comic.

Stevie was an adorable girl who had a vlog and loved cosplay. And I assumed her and Blake would easily end up together, that’s not exactly how it went down. It all became convoluted when Blake wasn’t sure who had the horn. And because of that, he ended up hanging around another girl a lot. Her name was Grace, and I was not a fan. So a love triangle formed. And there was definitely a lot of drama. I’m one of those that loves drama (I use to watch soaps back in the day), so I was a happy girl.

Kyle was leaning against his passenger side door. “Now, wasn’t that sweet? Kill a troll, hack up its body and dump it in the bay, then kiss a cute girl. All in one night.”
“What do you want, now?” Blake rounded the hood to the driver’s side. “Don’t you have someone else you can bother?”

Another character that helped cause a lot of drama was Kyle. He was Blake’s brother and in the beginning I wasn’t too sure where his loyalty resided. I kept getting annoyed at myself because Kyle came across as someone who I shouldn’t necessarily like. Yet I did. He was the annoying brother who would never go away. Heaven help me for liking him lol.

“Why me?” Her words were as silent as a feather falling from a dove. When she looked back up the moonlight touched her face, her cheeks flushed and her dark eyes glistened with tears held back. And he didn’t care that he told her his feelings, because they made her look like that— beautiful.

Now underneath it all, was Norse Mythology. And maybe this is more my issue than anyone else’s, but I’m clueless about Norse Mythology. So when a character’s name would appear, I didn’t understand who they were. It’d say if they were related, but I would have loved to have a little bit of a backstory on who was who. Thankfully I was reading on my kindle, so I would highlight the name and read more about them on the Wikipedia pop-up box. But I do wish some of that info was within the actual story so I’d know who we were meeting or who they were dressing up as.

This time he turned his back. Because he would do anything to save her, even betray her.

The creatures, characters, mystery, and action made this book such a quick, fun read! I was completely entertained, and the story went by too fast. I’m always bummed when I devour a story too quickly. Ohhh one more thing before I go, while it’s a YA book, I felt like it would be a great step for those ready to leave MG and step into YA.

PS This is SO random but Trevon (Stevie’s best friend’s boyfriend) reminded me so much of Murray, Dionne’s boyfriend, from Clueless for some reason. So I was always smiling when he was gracing the pages.

*ARC kindly provided by Entangled:Crave via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*

TOP TEN TUESDAY – Books We Loved Before We Started Writing Reviews

September 12, 2017 / Jen / 6 Comments

Top Ten Tuesday.13

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish
This week is – Books We Loved Before We Started Writing Reviews. And they are….

(Jen’s Choice)

1. Half-Blood (Covenant #1) by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Amazon * Goodreads
Greek mythology, forbidden love, a kick-ass heroine and a male that made my heart beat faster all made me fall madly in love with this series! I ♥ JLA and it always bothers me that I don’t have any reviews for this fabulous series. Someday I hope to go back and re-read it!

2. True of Blood (Witch Fairy #1) by Bonnie Lamer
Amazon * Goodreads
This book made me realize that book boyfriends really do exist and it got me back into reading. Not only was it sooooo easy to devour but the story-line was adorable and there were some scenes that melted my heart. I still think about this series all the time, and it’s another that I want to re-read someday.

(Jen’s Choice)

(Chelsea’s Choice)

3. The Upheaval (The Survivor Chronicles #1) by Erica Stevens
Amazon * Goodreads
I read this book in a matter of hours. It was so fast paced and I had to know what happened next. But then it ended on a cliffhanger that nearly killed me. So I waited until all the books released and then I forgot to finish this series *smacks forehead*. How could I forget that, especially when I can remember every single detail from The Upheaval?! I’m so glad I did this post because now I can finish this series!

4. Yours to Keep (Kowalski Family #3) by Shannon Stacey
Amazon * Goodreads
By far one of the sweetest contemporaries I’ve ever read-and I’ve read a lot of contemporaries since then!

(Chelsea’s Choice)

5. Deep in the Heart by Sharon Sala
Amazon * Goodreads

My very first ‘adult’ romance book…it hooked me from beginning to end. So sweet, fun, and sexy!

6. Beautiful Disaster (Beautiful #1) by Jamie McGuire
Amazon * Goodreads

So bad its good…I’ll never regret loving this book, no matter what other people think.

(Anna’s Choice)

7. Royal Assassin (Farseer Trilogy #2) by Robin Hobb
Amazon * Goodreads

THIS SECOND BOOK is when I fell in love with my beloved Fitz – I still remember the first time I read it and felt SO MUCH for his tortured soul <33

8. The Count of Monte Cristo. Alexandre Dumas by Rob Nudds
Amazon * Goodreads

By far my favorite French classic but I could have recommended you any one of Dumas’ novels : please don’t be shy and try them, they’re fantastic!

(Anna’s Choice)

9. His Dark Materials (His Dark Materials #1-3) by Philip Pullman
Amazon * Goodreads

Ahhhh such an enchanting trilogy! I absolutely LOVE Orphée’s tale so I couldn’t help but enjoy the way Pullman used it 🙂 This said, I will never get past the ending. N E V E R.

10. W, or the Memory of Childhood by Georges Perec
Amazon * Goodreads

Another favorite French novel of mine. Again, try theeeeeem! You won’t be disappointed!

So these are the Books We Loved Before We Started Writing Reviews. Have you read any of these books or do you have them on your tbr? If not, then what books did you love before you started writing reviews?

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