Wicked by Jennifer L. Armentrout ~ Review

Wicked (A Wicked Saga #1)
By Jennifer L. Armentrout

Genre: New Adult, Paranormal, Fantasy, Romance
Recommend for: 18+

My rating: 4.8 out of 5 stars


'"Who is it?"
(...) "How would I know? But she kind of looks like that chick from the movie Brave. You know, the one with the really curly red hair."

What. In. The. Hell.

"She's got really pretty blue eyes, though."

Though. Though? As if that somehow made up for the fact that I had frizzy red hair like a Disney character.

"S**t," said Harris. His footsteps thudded down the stairs. "That'll be Ivy Morgan."

Seriously? That's how people know me? They could say I looked like the chick from Brave and they were like oh, that's Ivy?

I needed to dye my hair stat.

Wait, why was this dude watching Disney movies?''


My thoughts on the book:

Before I begin, I want to let it be known that Wicked made me fall head over heels for a guy who watches Disney movies.

And by now you're probably thinking, "Oh, Booknut, who is this fantastic hunk who sounds too good to be true?" Well guys, he's a stunning specimen of manhood that goes by the name of Ren Owens.

And if you want to know more about him, you're in luck - 'cause I'm here with the 'Top 4 Things Fangirls Need to Know About Ren Owens!'

#1: He loves the movie Brave (correction: he's in love with Merida)

'I reached under my pillow, grabbing the iron stake I always kept there. Before he moved, I placed the very pointy end against his throat, right over a very important artery. "Role reversal, b**ch." 

Ren let his arms fall to the mattress as he stared at me through impossibly thick lashes. "That move was really kind of hot." I narrowed my eyes. "You really are Merida." 

"Who in the hell is Merida?" 

One side of his mouth kicked up again. "The chick from the movie Brave with-" 

"The frizzy red hair. Got it. Thanks. I'm seriously going to stab you." 

"She didn't have frizzy hair," he argued. "And besides, she was hot." 

I stared down at him. "You think a Disney character is hot?" 

"Have you seen some of those Disney characters?" 

"She was not hot." 

(...) His brows lifted. "She could kick ass, therefore she was hot. 

(...) "This conversation has taken a weird turn."'

#2: He has a great sense of humour (which is not often appreciated by those around him)

"I belong to the Elite, an organisation within the Order. No one outside of the Elite know about us. We put the secret in Secret Squirrel."

#3: He's a good kisser (NB: It's kind of a requirement for all of Armentrout's boys!)

'Ren cupped my cheek, his hand gentle as he titled my head back, and before my heart could take another beat, he kissed me. 

It was no slow or seductive kiss. 

He claimed my lips as if he were laying claim to my body, to my soul, and every part of me.'  

(Please excuse me while I fangirl)

#4: He blushes when he's embarrassed. 

Which is so, so cute! 

'She took a sip of her tea as she eyed him over the rim of the glass. "Renald Owens." 

"Renald?" Looking at him, I raised both brows. "Your full name is Renald?" 

Was that two splotches of pink I saw blossoming across his cheeks? Ha! He was blushing. "Why do you think I go by Ren?" he replied drily.'

As for the rest of this amazing book, there are so many things I simply loved about it. 

The main one being Tink, Ivy's roommate (a.k.a a magical, flying brownie).

True, Tink isn't Ren. But Tink brings a whole heap of comedy (most of it inappropriate) to Wicked...as well as the following awesome things:

• Harry Potter references:

'Grabbing a scarf off the chair, I threw it at him. 

He caught it, clutching it to his chest as he flew into the air. "You gave Tink a scarf. Tink is free!" he flew out into the hallway like a little cracked-out fairy, screeching, "Tink is freeeee!" 

Ren looked at me. "What in the actual f**k?" 

I sighed. "He's obsessed with Harry Potter. I'm sorry." 

Tink darted back into the room, holding the scarf to his bare chest. "There is no reason to apologise when it comes to Harry Potter." 

"You do remember what happened to Dobby, right?" I said. 

"S**t." Tink's eyes widened and then he dropped the scarf.'

• Vague LOTR references:

'Tink lifted his chin. "Your guardians basically only guard those gates - their positions are virtually useless except for the fact that they hold knowledge of the location, and that makes them only valuable to the fae. One does not simply walk to a gateway and open it."'

• Supernatural references:

"I've been fooled by a Winchester wannabe." He clasped his hands over his chest and swayed before toppling over onto his side. "There is no way to save face. I shall off myself now."

• Tink's army of troll dolls (don't ask)

Overall, I can safely say that Wicked is a brilliant addition to Armentrout's collection of tales and to any bookshelf. So grab your iron stake and get ready for an adventure!

Have you read Wicked or do you plan to? What was your fave quote? 

Let me know below!

Book Blitz ~ Walled by Anne Tibbets

I'm so excited to be a part of the Walled by Anne Tibbets Book Blitz hosted by Xpresso Book Tours!

Book Details

Title: Walled (The Line #2)

Author: Anne Tibbets
Published by: Carina Press (HQN) 

Publication date: December 1st 2014
Genres: Dystopia, New Adult

Synopsis

'Freedom means making brutal choices.

Rebel lovers Naya and Ric have survived one year in hiding, raising Naya’s twins from infants to toddlers in the shadow of the brutal Auberge dictatorship. 

They’re alive, and they’re together, but the city is crumbling around them and the haunting memory of Naya’s dark days on The Line have never fully left them. Living in isolation won’t be an option forever.

When a mysterious revolutionary seeks their help to infiltrate Auberge’s electronic heart and shut it down, it’s an opportunity—it’s risky, yes, but if it works they’ll get out of the city and taste freedom for the first time. Naya needs this. They need this.

Beyond the broken walls of Auberge, Naya and Ric find the paradise they’ve always longed for. But with anarchy reigning and Naya’s children lost amidst the chaos, they’ll need to forfeit their post-apocalyptic Eden…or commit an unspeakable act..'

Purchase from Amazon or B&N today!

Totally Hooked On: Nocte by Courtney Cole

Nocte (The Nocte Trilogy #1) 
By Courtney Cole 

Rating: 5+


'It wasn't the odd sketches of people with their eyes and faces and mouths scratched out, it wasn't the odd and dark poems, it was one phrase.

Put me out of my misery.

Scrawled over and over, filling up two complete pages. I've watched him like a hawk ever since. He smiles now, encouraging me to forget it, like it's just his outlet. He's fine now. 

He's fine.

If I had a journal, I'd scrawl that on the pages, over and over, to make it true.'


Sometimes two halves don't make a whole.

Eighteen year-old Calla Price is one half of the Price twins. Her other half, Finn, is crazy. 

In so many ways they're connected, practically the same person. But the worse Finn gets, the more their connection starts to become more like a noose for Calla. Calla's deep, abiding love for him is the only thing stopping her from telling their parents the whole truth. 

From showing them Finn's private journal and the terrible things scrawled between its pages.

She's his protector, his friend, his conscience. But can she save him from himself? Or will he drag her down with him?

Dare me. Love me. Break me.

Dare DuBray is Calla's lifeline. With him, she feels safer - like she's truly living, truly free for the first time in a long time. Being with him is easy. He as the ability to heal Calla, one day at a time. 

But he also has the ability to destroy her.

You can only run from your past for so long. And as Dare's past starts to catch up with him, Calla will be forced to decide between loving Dare, or saving Finn.

Secrets...everyone's got 'em. 

Laced with bitter truths and terrible secrets, Nocte is an addictive NA blend of thriller and mystery elements. Be prepared for a book that will lure you in, make you question everything, and then turn everything you think you know inside-out! 

A Long Trip Home ~ A Cliché Christmas by Nicole Deese Review

A Cliché Christmas
By Nicole Deese

Rating: 4.8


'Eleven months of the year, I lived in a perpetual state of holly-jolly fanfare. But by the time the first of November rolled around, I was completely Christmased out.

I know I sound like a Scrooge to admit such a travesty, but believe me, when you build a career on Christmas cheer and holiday hype, the warm fuzzies of nostalgia fade faster than Hollywood's latest scandal.

(...) Ironically, December was my only month off.'

 
Hollywood knows her as the 'Holiday Goddess'. Lenox knows her as Georgia Cole. 

Georgia has her December holidays all planned out. 

A remote getaway in the Hawaiian Islands is calling her name and she can hardly wait to take a break from writing clichéd Christmas screenplays. No snow for this girl - bring on the palm trees, sandy beaches and fruity drinks!

The very last place she expects to be for Christmas is Lenox, Oregon.  

But when Georgia's grandmother volunteers her to direct a pageant at Lenox's community theater, Georgia finds herself heading back to her hometown for the first time in seven years. 

He's known as the Lenox Heartbreaker. To Georgia, he's the man she left behind.

Weston James. Once her childhood friend and crush, he's now the one man Georgia can't forgive...or forget.

But he's also the man she has to work with in order to make the pageant a success. 

As the two work side by side, will they be able to overcome the past that divides them? Or will Georgia's fears cause her to miss out on a second chance at love?

Thaw your heart this Christmas with a heartwarming tale that puts true love to the test.

Refreshingly honest and beautifully written, A Cliché Christmas is anything but cliché! Emphasizing the importance of family, love and making memories, it's a book you're going to want to have on your bookshelf these December holidays.


Be prepared to add A Cliche Christmas (and Weston!) to your Christmas list! 

Hauntingly Beautiful ~ Our Song by Jordanna Fraiberg Review

Our Song
By Jordanna Fraiberg

Rating: 4.4


'Their red beaks let out what sounded like a distress call, a discordant, screaming cacophony, as if they were at war with the swaggering hunk of brass. But as they dispersed into the open sky, their squawks became less urgent, blending into a harmonious song they belted out in unison. With their bright green wings, they glided through the clouds as one, singing at a pitch I'd never heard before.

(...) "You know what that is," Nick said, looking up at the sky. "That's the sound of freedom."'


They say near-death experiences change you. But no one ever said 'for the better'.

Olive Bell had a near-fatal car accident. Yet there was nothing near about her experience. Olive died. Her heart stopped beating for almost three full minutes.

But paramedics brought her back to life - forcing her to face a world she's no longer sure she belongs in.

'It felt like I was looking at a tableau frozen in time before the accident. As if a thin layer of gauze had fallen over the entire neighbourhood, enshrouding it from the rest of the world like a cocoon. This must be what a parallel universe is like, I thought. Everything looked the same, but I suddenly felt like it wasn't. Like everything had been taken apart, brick by brick, flower bed by flower bed, and put back together in the wrong order. Like me.'

How can you move on when you're stuck living in yesterday?

Our Song is a story about adapting to change. About second chances. And about realising who you are and accepting what you find.

Olive's world turned upside down after the accident. And the situation only becomes worse as she continues to live in 'Olive World' - the world of yesterday, where she's the perfect daughter, gets good grades, and has an amazing boyfriend who she adores. She doesn't realise that everything has changed.

That she has changed.

Sometimes we as human beings need to take a step back from our lives and gain a different perspective. To re-assess where we stand, who we are, and what we're doing. People tended to suffocate Olive, pressuring her to be the Olive they all knew. The whole Olive. The happy Olive. The Olive who had never experienced true loss or true pain.

Sometimes we need someone to guide us...to show us the way through the darkness and into the light.

Nick is that 'someone' for Olive. He has no expectations of her - he sees the new Olive, and likes her for who she is. Nick gives Olive the chance to view the world as never before - showing her the little things like hidden places, different facets of society, the thrill of adventure, the beauty in the world around us and the magic in the simple moments. 

And Olive in turn begins to see that perhaps the accident wasn't the end for her. That maybe she was given a second chance at life for a reason.

"It's just that, do you ever wonder what if things happened differently? Like, what if we actually died and there was nothing near about it? What if we weren't supposed to come back?" I'd avoided thinking of my accident and the events leading up to it for so long that I'd barely thought about what would have happened if it had all really ended that night.

He was quiet for a second. "All the time."
"Then sometimes I think we must have survived for a reason. But what are we supposed to do with that?"
"Nothing."

Music is a healing force - soothing both mind and heart.

The story also has snippets of a gorgeous song, whose melody I would simply love to hear one day. The lyrics are interwoven through the storyline, bringing our two characters, Nick and Olive, closer together.

'I see your face all over the place
Like a haunting from above
The only way for this to pass
Is to let go of your love.

Your voice is like an angel
I can hear without sound.
My leaden heart starts floating
Whenever you're around.

When I wake I see your face
Even through the fog that leaves no trace
I will hear you long after you're gone
Mingled with the earth your heart beats on.

On the infinite horizon
Where you and I belong
As the silver moon is rising
That's when they'll play our song.

Read more about Olive's journey and pick up a copy of Our Song today!



Booknut's Song Pick: White Lines & Red Lights by Between the Trees

ARC Review ~ Best Kind of Broken by Chelsea Fine

Best Kind of Broken (Finding Fate #1)
By Chelsea Fine

Rating: 4.8 (NA Romance)


'I've made my decision and sure, my heart is broken, but it's the good kind of broken. The kind that leaves you branded, so you never forget, and heals over time, so you can see how far you've come.

It's the best kind of broken.'

As fierce and beautiful as a midnight storm, Best Kind of Broken is the kind of novel you just can't put down.

The story of Pixie & Levi is one that will make you consider that decades-old question: how do we, as humans, begin to heal? And, more importantly, how do we fix what we can't see?

Death is a part of life. So is grief. But you don't have to face it alone.

Best Kind of Broken will have readers captivated by the contrasting yet complementing characters of Pixie & Levi - and their undeniable chemistry - as well as the finesse with which Chelsea Fine has created what can only be described as a work of art. Emotions, layered like colours on a canvas, shine through the story and make it a NA read you don't want to miss.

If you want something bad enough, you have to fight for it.

Can Pixie & Levi find a way to let go of the past? 

To find out, be sure to grab your copy of Best Kind of Broken when it comes out :)

Without Magic or Miracles ~ The Sea of Tranquility by Katja Millay Review

The Sea of Tranquility
By Katja Millay

Rating: 5+

"If we had a telescope, I could show you the Sea of Tranquility." She points up at the sky. "See? Up there on the moon. You can't really tell from here."

"Is that why you have a picture of the moon in your bedroom?" At this point I'm an expert at going along with her tangents.
"You noticed that?"
"It was the only thing on the wall. I thought you were into astronomy."

"I'm not. I keep it there to remind me that it's bullsh**. I thought it sounded like this beautiful, peaceful place. Like where you'd want to go when you die. Quiet and water everywhere. A place that would swallow you up and accept you no matter what. I had this whole image of it."

"Doesn't sound like a bad place to end up."
"It wouldn't be, if it were real."

Like the purest note of a melody, The Sea of Tranquility will pierce your heart and soothe your soul.

The story of Nastya is one that every single person needs to read at least once in their life. To me, it's up there with The Fault In Our Stars, in that its author manages to create such a vivid, and accurate, insight into the human mind and heart. This book is truly a gift - a gift that teaches us that second chances are open to all, love cannot be controlled, and to (forgive the cliche) never judge a book by its cover.

And I think the last one was the one that stuck with me the most. 

So many of us are books. Honestly. We have a wealth of stories within us - filled with intricate emotions. These stories make us who we are. And we choose what our covers look like. Whether we choose to put on the appearance of 'the girl next door', or, 'the bad boy', or even 'the nerdy bookworm'. But all of these are just that - covers.

How often do we let the cover fall? How many times have we honestly opened up and let someone read us - to allow someone else to see who we truly are and what makes us who we are?

Nastya is the perfect example of this.

I think the reason I teared up so much reading this, is because I get Nastya. I think we all do, on different levels, depending on the paths we've travelled in life. 

She feels like someone else. She feels like she needs to be someone else, for everyone else. That the people who love her expect her to help them love her, and to be the 'her' that they love. They fail to see what is right in front of them. They don't see her hurting. They don't look beneath the cover she's wrapped herself in. They let her hide.

It reminded me of the lyrics to a song called Girl Disappearing by Tori Amos:

'With girl disappearing,
What on earth's occurring?
'Cause she's right in front of me.
A girl disappearing
To some secret prison
Behind her eyes,
She whispers:
"Big surprise there was,
No protection by this urban light.
So I'm running to,
A constellation where they can still see you.'

And Josh holds the key to the 'secret prison' that Nastya has locked herself in.

Not because he's 'that guy'. You know the type - the NA/YA hero, who makes the girl feel all swoon-y, and manages to also be tortured and brooding. Josh is perfect for Nastya (and this is the truth), because he's just as complicated as she is. 

He gets her. He gets that her problems can't be solved with the wave of a magic wand. He accepts her problems and all. 

That in itself is a miracle in modern society. In most cases, when people discover that a person has issues - e.g. mental health issues - this discovery sets off a chain reaction. The immediate result: change. 

A change in image. A change in interaction.

Suddenly this person is glued to their issues. They're not 'the girl next door'. They're 'the depressed girl next door', or, 'the boy whose parents are dead', or even 'the girl who goes to therapy.' Small things arise - people treat them like their made of glass, they hesitate to talk about 'sensitive' topics. Basically, they cease to see the person behind the issue.

Josh isn't like that.

True, he finds it hard at first to deal with Nastya. After all - Nastya is Nastya! Those who have read this book know what I mean :)

But when he discovers why she is the way she is, it doesn't change the way he approaches her. He still sees her. Her. He looks beneath the cover...accepting, not judging.

The biggest lesson this book offers? Life ain't a fairytale - so stop expecting one.

This doesn't mean you should start writing sad poetry, or go get a chip on your shoulder.

It means you need to start looking at life realistically.

We need to stop pretending that all our problems will dissolve. That every day will end in fireworks, and begin with rainbows. Instead, we need to appreciate the good moments. We need to take responsibility for our actions, and deal with our issues, rather than avoid them. 

Sometimes we can't save ourselves. Sometimes we need to save each other.

With the most beautiful descriptions - and characters - The Sea of Tranquility should be your next read...or re-read! 

Grab a tub of ice-cream, some of Nastya's peanut butter cookies, and settle back with a book that is sure to change your life in more ways than one :)

Live, Love, Hope ~ All Who Dream by Nicole Deese Review

All Who Dream (Letting Go #3)
By Nicole Deese

Rating: 5


"You can't love me, Angie," he pleaded. "Please don't love me - you deserve a better man."

"I already love a better man. He just can't see that you're one and the same."


My thoughts on the book:

This book turned me into a human sprinkler.

Angie and Jackson's story of redemption is one that will warm your heart to its core and use up your entire supply of Kleenex tissues. All Who Dream is a testimony to hope in the darkest of times, no matter our pasts, or our circumstances.  

So, instead of filling up this review with a bunch of positive adjectives and 'meaningless compliments' (as Jackson would say!), I'm going to share a quote that really connected with me from this book:

'When I was a young girl I believed that romantic love had the power to save. I saw it as the great remedy, the one cure that could fix all wounds and mend all hearts. But I didn't believe that anymore.

Sometimes love was not all we needed.

Sometimes it didn't cure our hurts.

Sometimes it wasn't the eraser of our mistakes.

Love is instead, the bridge that leads the broken to grace, hope, and redemption. Love is the greatest amplifier that God ever gave us. Our strengths are made stronger with it, and our faults are shown mercy because of it.'

How beautiful is that?!

Here is a book that shows us the true meaning of the word 'love'. 

Love isn't the miracle cure that you pop at the end of a tale to give everyone a happy ending. Love can't dissolve the past, and excuse our mistakes. 

Those things we need to do for ourselves - self forgiveness, self healing, contrition, etc. But love can aid us in becoming stronger people. Love can help us to start healing, to start living again. 

Unlike in many NA and YA books, where love is a lovely sandwich spread that is smoothed over everything to make it look prettier.

Angie discovers this and realises that each person needs to make the decision for themselves. Whether that is to forgive themselves, forgive others, or move on. 

We are the most important people in our lives - only we can make the decisions that form the person we can, and wish to, be.

All Who Dream is a deeply insightful and beautiful story, that reveals to readers the beauty in life and its mistakes...and, ultimately, the power of faith and hope.

Maybe Someday by Colleen Hoover ~ ARC Review

Maybe Someday
By Colleen Hoover

Rating: 5


'Me: Don't thank me, Sydney. You shouldn't thank me, because I failed miserably at trying not to fall in love with you.

Sydney: I failed first.'

Music, lyrics and hearts collide in a tale of two people who never meant to fall in love.

Ending up miserable, boyfriend-less, friendless and homeless on her 22nd birthday was not how Sydney Blake pictured her week going. 

But when Ridge Lawson, her guitar-strumming neighbour, offers her a place stay, Sydney accepts. She soon finds herself apart of a motley group of people - forming the unlikeliest of friendships with the roguish Warren, and avoiding the loud rantings of the gorgeous and shrewish Bridgette. 

Ridge is a whole other story.

Unlike her tentative truce with Warren and Bridgette, Sydney's relationship with Ridge flourishes as he presents her with an offer she can't refuse: the chance to write lyrics for one of her fave bands, Sounds of Cedar. 

Ridge is their composer/lyricist, but he's met a writer's block he can't seem to move past. Sydney's lyrics are like a breath of fresh air, opening up new song possibilities and inspiring Ridge to pick up his pen again. She's his muse. And he is the one person she trusts.

But love is a melody that may come out flat.

Because as much as Sydney is attracted to Ridge, and he to her - an attraction that grows steadily by the day - there is just one small problem.

Ridge has a girlfriend. Maggie.

And having been on cheated on, Sydney would never, ever want to hurt someone else the same way she's been hurt. No matter how much Ridge makes her laugh with his pranks, or how beautiful he is when he plays his guitar with his eyes half-closed. 

No matter how deeply she's fallen for him.

Ridge would never hurt Maggie. But by not hurting Maggie, he risks hurting Sydney and watching their friendship slowly crumble.

They're like lyrics and music...but just not meant to be played in the same song.

Coleen Hoover delivers an emotional journey that explores the refrains of the heart...and how sometimes love, just like a tune, can change - rising, falling, clashing and parting in a wave of sweet discord as fate plays out before our eyes.

Maybe not right now. Maybe not tomorrow. But maybe someday.

How Dare You?! HDU by India Lee ~ Review

HDU (HDU #1)
By India Lee

Rating: 5+

'Dear PrettyKitty29,

Hi, my name is Liam Brody. From the looks of your charming website, you've heard of me. Believe it or not, I've heard of you too. I was recently tipped off about your little gossip community. I probably shouldn't call it little. You are one of the busiest gossip communities on the Internet. 

Congratulations. I'm always impressed with people who manage to stay indoors so much. You must have a sufficient amount of Vitamin D.'

Looking for a book that puts A Cinderella Story,Gossip Girl and How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days to shame?!

India Lee's stunning chick lit novel with a celebrity twist is a must-add to your TBR list. 

HDU is a work of art; a winning combination of the daunting world of stardom mixed with the realm of late-night blogging. With brilliantly delivered comedy, refreshingly real characters and an engaging and unpredictable plot, this novel is sure to go far with any reader who happens to be single, female, a lover of donuts, longing for a Princess Diaries-esque moment, or all of the above!

Amanda Nathan is a heroine with a fiery attitude, her blog posts on her site HDU - 'How Dare You?!' - witty and unrelenting as she tears apart the rich and shameless. 

Liam Brody, Hollywood bad boy, is often the target of her scorn - mainly because he's a womaniser, too good-looking, a horrid person...and too good-looking. 

But don't be fooled by this novel's simple blurb. What may seem like your typical YA/NA romance, featuring a guy with brooding expressions and magical eyes that make the heroine want to melt into a puddle of goo on the floor...is actually a hilarious story of a cute guy who's actually not so bad once you get to know him, a girl whose gossiping town will be the death of her, and the story of how they pretended to date so that both of them could achieve their dreams.

Interspersed with blog posts and comments, news headlines, sunglasses, ugly laughs, beautiful moments, sufficient amounts of Vitamin D, and a love that will have you wanting one of your own, HDU will dare youto take chances, make mistakes and follow your dreams wherever they take you. :)