Jaime's Review of Anathema by Megg Jensen

Reychel is a slave girl surrounded by magic, lies and manipulation. Her best friend disappears in the middle of the night leaving Reychel to face her fifteenth birthday, the day her master burns his brand into the back of her bald head, alone. She's sheltered from the outside world and doesn't have any hope for escape, but when people desperate for freedom ask for her help can Reychel learn to believe in herself? Excerpt from Goodreads.

Jaime's review...

I love a good fantasy story and that is what Megg Jensen has delivered. Its a story about magic and how those in power control the people who wield it. It's also about love and who to trust with it.

I enjoyed the fantasy world Megg has created (while the world outside is something Reychel hasn't seen)  I would have liked to known a bit more about it before the story started maybe a map or a prologue. I wanted to know how these different factions in the book came to be. I'm hoping to learn more about it in the second book.

The MC Reychel is a strong heroine and even when she doesn't know why she's so special she stands up for what is right. Mark the main love interest is caring and strong I really enjoyed their connection. Also well written were the secondary cast of people there were a few whom I really grew to care about, some I hated instantly, and some I grew to hate over time. There were some awesome twists and turns, things that I didn't see coming! When they did I was like "What OMG I did not see that one coming" Good job with that Megg because those don't happen to me that often. I am really looking forward to Oubliette the next book in the trilogy ( coming out this summer) because there was definitely a cliffhanger at the end of Anathema. So if you want to slip into a different world a world of magic, love, treachery, and perseverance I suggest you add Anathema to your kindle or nook or buy the paperback.


http://www.amazon.com/Anathema-Cloud-Prophet-Trilogy-ebook/dp/B004MDLN66/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1303679786&sr=8-2

http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Anathema/Megg-Jensen/e/2940012078469/?itm=1&USRI=megg+jensen

Jaime's review of Shift by Jeri Smith-Ready

Aura’s life is anything but easy. Her boyfriend, Logan, died, and his slides between ghost and shade have left her reeling. Aura knows he needs her now more than ever. She loves Logan, but she can’t deny her connection with the totally supportive, totally gorgeous Zachary. And she’s not sure that she wants to.
Logan and Zachary will fight to be the one by her side, but Aura needs them both to uncover the mystery of her past—the mystery of the Shift.
As Aura’s search uncovers new truths, she must decide whom to trust with her secrets…and her heart. Excerpt from goodreads.

Jaime's review...

Let me start by saying this book was awesome and I hope I do it justice.

I loved Shade and the world Jeri created with the pre and post shifters so I couldn't wait to read Shift and I was not disappointed! Picking up Shift was like coming home. Shift picks up a couple of months after Shade ended and digs right back into the story. There are some amazing moments of steamy passion, mixed with action scenes that have you gripping the sides of your chair, as well as some utterly heartbreaking moments that will leave you with a pile of Kleenex next to you.

The connection I felt with these characters was just so real I could feel Aura's anguish over having to chose between Logan and Zachary and I also felt their pain with decisions they had to make. I also enjoyed getting to know Dylan (Logan's little brother) more I loved the scenes with him and Aura his awkwardness made me laugh and his desire to protect Aura was heartwarming. I really loved seeing the growth in other characters as well like Mickey and Siobhan. Of course there were the baddies from the DMP who were up to no good like usual.

The story unfolds so effortlessly between the love triangle which has become even more complicated with the addition of a few other people and the story about Aura and Zachary researching the shift and why it happened. There are some interesting discoveries and some disturbing clues that they find by the end of the book. You'll want to grab a copy of Shine and read it so you can find out what happens too bad we have to wait a year to read the conclusion which I know will be epic! Shift comes out May 3rd so remember to put it on your to buy list. Go to bookstores, order it from Amazon I don't care how you buy the book but BUY IT you will not be disappointed.  I don't normally rate reviews on the blog but this definitely deserves an off the charts 5 stars!

I received this copy of Shift from Jeri Smith-Ready for review it does not reflect on my review in any way.

http://www.amazon.com/Shift-Shade-Book-Jeri-Smith-Ready/dp/1416994084/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1303416665&sr=8-1

http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Shift/Jeri-Smith-Ready/e/9781416994084/?itm=5&USRI=jeri+smith-ready

http://www.borders.com/online/store/TitleDetail?sku=1416994084

Jaime's adventures at the Romantic Times Book Expo and Teen Day

Jaime's Review of Sleight by Jennifer Sommersby

Her mom is dead.
Ghosts follow her around.
Her best friend is an elephant.
And she’s about to meet the biggest game changer of all: a boy. With a secret.

When circus-dwelling Gemma Flannery learns she will be attending public school for the first time in her seventeen years, little does she know that fitting in with her 12th-grade classmates will be the least of her concerns. A pro at hiding her knack for seeing the dead (“shades”), Gemma is grieving the recent suicide of her mentally ill mother, a process eased by the introduction of her first real love interest, the charming and painfully handsome Henry Dmitri, who is harboring his own collection of dangerous secrets. Together, they will be presented with a frightening challenge: to assume their roles as heirs to a 3000-year-old magical text, the AVRAKEDAVRA, a book the über-rich, sleight-of-being master Lucian Dmitri would do anything to get his hands on. As each terrifying layer in her new reality melts away, Gemma unearths truths that her quiet, nomadic life with the Cinzio Traveling Players is not at all what she’d always cherished. Gemma and Henry must rely on each other to stop Lucian’s diabolical plotting that will bring the world to its tired, scab-riddled knees, and are sent on the flight of their young lives, to save themselves, their families, and the world from the darkest kind of destruction.

Let the chase begin.


Jaime's review...

I received an advance copy of Sleight to review from the author Jennifer Sommersby and was very excited to dig into this book. I love stories that have magic in them and I also love the circus setting.

In a nutshell Gemma is grieving her mother's death when her whole life us upended. She soon comes to learn that her travelling circus life will stop that she has to attend a real high school and deal with all that comes with it. She is a very strong character and isn't afraid to get her hands dirty if she has to but, she is reluctant to deal with the ghosts (or "Shades" as they're called in the book) or her destiny to save the world.

Enter Henri Dmitri gorgeous and smart. Gemma and he are instantly drawn towards each other although everyone else wants to keep them apart. They must figure out their strange connection and why Henry's dad Lucien wants them dead over a book called the AVARA-K. Their story of love and loss will have you reading late into the night.

I loved this book! Gemma's character reminded me of myself when I was younger. I did have a bit of a hard time with Henri at first he is just too nice but, throughout the book I found myself falling in love with him just like Gemma. There's also a boy named Ash who I really really like. Jenn I think I'll keep Ash for myself. I loved the characters in this book Marlene, Ted, Junie, Ash, Gemma, Henri, and uncle Irwin he was an awesome uncle who made me laugh. I also liked how the circus was used as a main part of this first book seeing as we'll be headed somewhere else for book 2. Jenn's writing is so easy to read you just melt into the story and you actually feel for all the characters. I could smell the circus, taste the Jack Daniels, and feel their genuine pain. I am anxiously waiting for book 2. So if you like a good love story with twists, turns, and magic go buy this book! Thank you again Jenn for the Advance copy!

http://www.amazon.com/Sleight-Book-One-AVRA-K-ebook/dp/B004TNI9VG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&s=books&qid=1302207361&sr=8-1

Awesome news from an amazing author!!! Victoria Schwab's new book.

I figured since the blog has been quiet for a bit I'd wake it up with some amazing news!! On twitter earlier today miss Victoria Schwab announced her new book deal! Here's her blog info so you can read it and tell her congrats! http://veschwab.wordpress.com/

Also I wanted to let everyone know her book The Near Witch will be released August 2, 2011 by Hyperion Books. So go add it on goodreads and pre-order it. I'll post links under the Cover since I wanted to give it some love.

Here's an excerpt from goodreads...

The Near Witch is only an old story told to frighten children.

If the wind calls at night, you must not listen. The wind is lonely, and always looking for company.

And there are no strangers in the town of Near.
These are the truths that Lexi has heard all her life.
But when an actual stranger—a boy who seems to fade like smoke—appears outside her home on the moor at night, she knows that at least one of these sayings is no longer true.
The next night, the children of Near start disappearing from their beds, and the mysterious boy falls under suspicion. Still, he insists on helping Lexi search for them. Something tells her she can trust him.
As the hunt for the children intensifies, so does Lexi’s need to know—about the witch that just might be more than a bedtime story, about the wind that seems to speak through the walls at night, and about the history of this nameless boy.
Part fairy tale, part love story, Victoria Schwab’s debut novel is entirely original yet achingly familiar: a song you heard long ago, a whisper carried by the wind, and a dream you won’t soon forget.

So again Congrats Victoria on the new deal and also The Near Witch coming out in August!!! Also we love comments :)

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6931344-the-near-witch
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10929432-the-archived

purchase links...
http://www.amazon.com/Near-Witch-Victoria-Schwab/dp/1423137876/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1301523257&sr=8-1

http://search.barnesandnoble.com/The-Near-Witch/Victoria-Schwab/e/9781423137870/?itm=1&USRI=victoria+schwab

Jaime's Review of Meant to Be by Tiffany King

Krista Miller feels like she has lived her entire life in a glass box with her every emotion on display. She can’t help feeling like a defect as her sensitivities have made her socially inept and without any real friends; the one exception being the boy that visits her each night in her dreams.

Krista’s emotions are put to the test when a move to California triggers a devastating change to her fantasy world. The nightly comfort that the boy provides has now become a recurring nightmare as he is taken from her by an unseen force.

Struggling to appear normal, Krista enrolls in a new school and finds it to be nothing like she thought. Her new life is sent spiraling out of control from a strange connection with a boy, Mark, who claims to know all her secrets.

As Krista begins to explore the emotions that Mark evokes in her, secrets from their past about their shared connection threatens to separate them just when they have found each other. Excerpt from Goodreads.

Jaime's review...

Krista has always been different her intense emotions have set her apart from everyone even her parents. The only time she feels at peace is when shes sleeping because, in her dreams he's there. The same boy that has always been in her dreams, she can't see his face but she loves him and feels his love for her. When her father dies Krista and her mom move to Santa Cruz, California a place that Krista has always felt drawn to. When they arrive Krista feels completely at home even at her new school where she finally has a friend Sam they share a bond like no one could imagine. Then Krista finally meets the boy from her dreams and their connection is instant and intense. Now they have to figure out why they're connected and what it means.

First off let me say I have an intense love for Santa Cruz and I love to read about places I've been. I can picture the beach and the rides so vividly. I spent many a spring break there when I was younger.

What I loved about this book was it was a completely original take on a subject that most of us already know. I won't say more as there would spoilers involved. All I can say is when you think you've got things figured Tiffany throws you for a loop and you end thinking no way! I loved the connection between the characters and their individuality as well. I could have devoured this book in one setting if I hadn't started it so late. Also Tiffany left the ending open for a sequel I would love to read more about Krista, Sam and the rest of the group. Fingers crossed for more. So go get this book it's a wonderful read.

Thank you Tiffany for choosing me as one of the lucky bloggers to get this for early review.

Here's a link to purchase Meant to Be   http://www.amazon.com/Meant-to-Be-ebook/dp/B004SCS6V6/ref=sr_1_5?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1300395873&sr=1-5

Jaime's Review of The Sapphire Talisman by Brenda Pandos

With the local vampire coven decimated, Julia and Nicholas try to begin a somewhat normal life together. Bound by secrecy from a shape shifter determined to see Julia's world-saving prediction come to fruition, Julia isn't allowed to tell Nicholas the leader survived, ransacking her happiness with guilt. When Alora returns, bent on revenge, the reunion forces Nicholas and Julia to choose what they are willing to live and die for. Excerpt from Goodreads.

Jaime's review...

Ok where to start without spoiling anything as always I loved the settings in the book seeing as I know exactly where they are and Brenda even threw a little bit of Los Angeles in this one which I am very familiar with also.

The Sapphire Talisman picks up pretty much where Emerald ended. The Vampires are gone and Julia and Nicholas think they can live a normal life now. What Nicholas doesn't know is Julia has a secret she's keeping to try and protect him. She's taken over as the protector in this book switching up their roles even though Nicholas doesn't know it.

There are returns of characters from the first book but I won't say whom as to ruin the plot. Also there are some dramatic character changes not everyone ends up okay in this one but there are reasons for everything. I genuinely have fallen in love with Nicholas and Julia's brother Luke. I like the real connections and relationships she has with her friends they remind me a lot of some of my own.
So enough gushing about how much I lived these books go buy The Emerald Talisman and The Sapphire Talisman so you're ready to read The Onyx Talisman when it comes out.