Dissected Review

Dissected

By Megan Bostic

Summary

Abandoned by her mother at a young age, seventeen-year-old Sydney Warner is always vying for attention. She's a thrill seeker with a penchant for extreme sports and a fascination with death. 

Withdrawn and broody David from English class is the boy of Syd's dreams, but love soon becomes just another extreme sport when Syd finds out that David has cheated on her. Betrayal, loneliness, and a shard of glass set Syd on a course of self-destruction.

Will new friends and her love of the stars be enough to pick Syd up from rock bottom and guide her to the path of forgiveness and redemption?

What I Liked

It is hard for me to say what I liked about this book. It deals with real life hard emotional problems and situations. This isn't my typical read, but I read Megan Bostic's other book Never Eighteen (another not typical read) and I really enjoyed it. Megan is one of those authors that I will read anything she writes because I know that regardless how opposite it is of my usual reads I'm still going to get sucked into her characters issues and life.
I did like Syd as a character, we get to see her rock bottom low and her eventual understanding of herself and her problems. 

Didn't Like

For me there was no personal connection with the character since I've never emotionally been this low nor do I drink and I've never touched drugs, but that still didn't stop me from cruising through the book.

Recommendation 

A good read for those who like troubled, emotional reads.

Information

Other Books

Never Eighteen my review

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Hidden Review

Hidden

By Megg Jensen

Summary

The mystery enshrouding Hutton’s Bridge is as impenetrable as the fog that descended at its borders eighty years ago. Each year, three villagers enter the mist searching for answers. No one ever returns.

Then a dragon falls from the sky to the town square, dead—the first glimpse of an outside world that has become nothing more than a fairy tale to Hutton’s Bridge. Except to Tressa.

Tressa grew up with Granna’s stories of the days before the fog fell. When Granna dies, leaving Tressa without any family, Tressa ventures into the fog herself, vowing to unravel the foul magic holding Hutton’s Bridge captive. 

What she discovers beyond the fog endangers the lives of everyone she loves.

What I Loved

Characters
Tressa: My favorite type of female character, she struggles with what she must do, but when she needs to stand up and do the hardest things she gets it done. She is willing to make sacrifices for the good of her people and willing to sacrifice her happiness and self for the ones she loves. I'm really excited to see what happens to her in the next book, and I wonder what she will be doing next to save her village again.
Fantasy
I love fantasy, I love new and different worlds that are created and this one is confusing at first because the characters we are following don't even know or understand the world they are in. The whole deadly fog is a crazy and kinda scary concept. I'm not sure if I could do what Tressa has to do without crumbling in fear.
Romance
Although the book mainly isn't about romance, it has a wonderful touch of lost loves and romance. It was the perfect amount for this book. 

Didn't Like

This is the first book in a series and now I have to wait for the next one, I wish it was in my hands right now!!

Recommendation

Great read for fantasy, romance and action lovers.

Information

Dragonlands

Hidden

Hunted

<3Books

Carnival of Souls/Secrets Review

Carnival of Secrets 

previously titled Carnival of Souls

By Melissa Marr

Summary

In a city of daimons, rigid class lines separate the powerful from the power-hungry. And at the heart of The City is the carnival, where both murder and pleasure are offered up for sale. Once in a generation, the carnival hosts a deadly competition that allows every daimon a chance to join the ruling elite. Without the competition, Aya and Kaleb would both face bleak futures—if for different reasons. For each of them, fighting to the death is the only way to try to live.

All Mallory knows of The City is that her father—and every other witch there—fled it for a life in exile in the human world. Instead of a typical teenage life full of friends and maybe even a little romance, Mallory scans quiet streets for threats, hides herself away, and trains to be lethal. She knows it's only a matter of time until a daimon finds her and her father, so she readies herself for the inevitable.While Mallory possesses little knowledge of The City, every inhabitant of The City knows of her. There are plans for Mallory, and soon she, too, will be drawn into the decadence and danger that is the carnival.

What I Loved

Characters
I love both the main female characters Mallory and Aya, both are strong, tough and know how to kick some ass. I personally love strong females and I especially love it if they can fight too and they both sure can.
POV
I do love a book that has multiple points of view, I do enjoy getting everyone's feelings, thoughts and insights while the juicy events are happening.
World
Although a little confusing at first, trying to figure out and understand the world of the daimons, but so interesting once I understood it.
Action
Lots of action, fighting, intrigue, backstabbing, betrayal, deals, bonds and all sorts of exciting stuff throughout the entire book. Every page is filled with so much.

Didn't Like

What a cliffhanger! I want more but there isn't anymore yet. 

Recommendation

A must read series for any young adult, fantasy and romance reader.

Information

Untamed City

Carnival of Lies (prequel Fall 2014)

Carnival of Secrets/Souls

Untamed City 2015

NOTE FROM MELISSA:

I can now say that there will finally be a short sequel to Carnival.  It will be in ebook about a year from now, and shortly before that, there will be a prequel short story (“Carnival of Lies”).  Then all three pieces will be released as one volume (called UNTAMED CITY) hereafter.

Until such time, the first book will stay in hardcover, so that when the paperback (UNTAMED CITY) is released in 2015, ALL of the story will be available in one slightly thick volume :)

That short story (“Carnival of Lies”) is already written (& has been since September 2012). It will be published Fall 2014.

The sequel (which I also started in 2012) will be out in (I am told) a smidge over a year from now.  

The Demon's Desire Review

The Demon's Desire

By Kendra Leigh Castle

Summary

He’s as dark and dangerous as the storms he once commanded…and she can’t get him out of her heart.Dru has spent two thousand years fighting to keep the people of Terra Noctem safe. In all that time, she's only opened her heart to one man, with disastrous results. But when her city takes in a group of renegade Fallen, she finds herself drawn to the brooding and tormented Meresin, despite the fact that he seems to be the least redeemable of them all. When his instability hits a breaking point, Meresin’s only chance at survival is a perilous journey into a place from which few ever return. What he never expected was that confronting his demons would mean risking not only his future, but Dru's as well...and that one stubborn vampire might give him back not just hope…but his heart.

What I Loved

Characters

I have always loved all of Kendra's male and female characters. She has a way of creating strong female characters that pair really well with sexy bad boy male characters. Both Dru and Meresin are no different. I enjoyed Dru's controlled and collected personality, while Meresin is complete chaos and a ticking lighting bomb. 

Romance

Hot and sexy as all hell. Lots of romantic tension, sexy characters and an undeniable attraction that is just brilliant.

Story

Angels, demon and vampires oh my. Who doesn't love a good story with these paranormal creatures, mixed with great characters that are meant for each other. The story moves at a very quick pace, never pausing for a second to let you catch your breath and still your racing heart. 

Didn't Like

I forgot this was book 2 in the series, although I have read Renegade Angel, I found myself a little lost at the beginning trying to remember how characters where previously mentioned. I hope this series will be printed, I'm not much of an ebook reader, hence why I haven't read book 1 yet. However I didn't have any issues getting into and thoroughly enjoying every page of the book.

Recommendation 

I love everything by Kendra, for me everything is a must read.

Information 

Hearts of the Fallen

The Demon's Song

The Demon's Desire

Also part of the world:

Vacation with a Vampire

Renegade Angel

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Flicker & Burn Book Trailer

Flicker & Burn

By T.M. Geoglein 

Official Flicker & Burn Book Trailer from T.M. Goeglein. Subscribe to the Cold Fury channel on Vimeo.

This series is awesome! And I can't wait for the final installment!

Read my review of Flicker & Burn along with the character interview between T.M. Geoglein and Doug, Sara Jane's sidekick. 

Flicker & Burn Review & Character Interview

Flicker & Burn
Character Interview & Review

By T.M. Geoglein

Summary

Sara Jane Rispoli is still searching for her missing family, but instead of fighting off a turncoat uncle and crooked cops, this time she finds herself on the run from creepy beings with red, pulsing eyes and pale white skin chasing her through the streets in ice cream trucks; they can only be described as Ice Cream Creatures. They're terrifying and hell bent on killing her, but they're also a link to her family, a clue to where they might be and who has them. While she battles these new pursuers, she's also discovering more about her own cold fury and more about the Chicago Outfit, how the past misdeeds--old murders and vendettas--might just be connected to her present and the disappearance of her family. But connecting the dots is tough and time-consuming and may finally be the undoing of her relationship with the handsome Max--who's now her boyfriend. But for his own safety, Sara Jane may have to end this relationship before it even really starts. Her pursuers who've shown her her mother's amputated finger and the head of the Chicago Outfit who's just whistled her in for a sit-down make a romance unthinkable. The only thing that matters is finding her family and keeping everyone she loves alive.

Character Interview

T.M. Goeglein Talks with Doug Stuffins

In anticipation of my soon to be published YA novel, Flicker & Burn (August 20^th, G.P. Putnam’s Sons/Penguin,) Kristina’s World of Books suggested an interview with my protagonist’s (Sara Jane Rispoli) best friend and partner in the quest to find her missing family, Doug Stuffins.

Doug’s smart, acerbic, and tough, not to mention a walking movie encyclopedia – in other words, the perfect partner for Sara Jane. As always, he had a lot to say about a lot.

TMG: So, Doug…there seems to be considerably less of you these days.

DS: Drug addiction will do that. There’s a reason junkies are so model-runway thin.

TMG: Without being insensitive, do you still…

DS: Have a monkey on my back? Let’s just say I’m not one of those people who enjoy yakking about his problems and inner strength and all of that crap. You want to know what happened to me, read Flicker & Burn. It’s all there in black and white.

TMG: And red.

DS: Good point. The stuff I’m hooked on in the book is a creamy, disgusting red, and…ugh (editor’s note: DS shuddered)…the eyes of those creatures. Blood red. Makes me want to hurl just thinking about them. Not to mention their deathly pale skin.

TMG: Please don’t. These are new shoes. (editor’s note: TMG moved his feet.) So how are you feeling these days?

DS: Physically, meh. Emotionally, a wreck. I’m trying my hardest to help Sara Jane save her family but whoever has them is clever and wicked and violent. I don’t mind having my ass kicked in the name of justice, but these people are…different. Death is in the air, you know?

TMG: Yeah, I do. I wrote it.

DS: Right. Thanks for that.

TMG: You’re welcome.

DS: I was being ironic. You put me…us…Sara Jane and Harry…in some very bad situations. All I can say is that it better, you know, get better in the third book.

TMG: It doesn’t. It gets worse.

DS: Thanks for that. (editor’s note: DS sighed.)  

Thank you T.M. Geoglein and Doug for stopping by with the interview. I enjoyed Flicker & Burn immensely and can't wait to read the final book and see what happens to Sara Jane, her family, Doug and the rest of the characters. 

Review

What I Loved

Information 
In this second book we get a lot more information about Ghiaccio Furioso and the history of GF, more about Sara Jane's family history with the mob. The first book opened up so many questions in Sara Jane's life now in Flicker & Burn we are closer to learning it all.
Story
Lots of things were going on in this book. Sara Jane is still running and hiding, trying to find her family, dealing with the mob, trying not to get killed and all the while managing high school drama.
A Page Turner
Just like the first book I was kept intrigued throughout the entire book. Things were always happen and more information was always being revealed, new twists and turns kept on happening at every moment.
Character
Sara Jane: She is still as awesome as ever! I can't wait to see what happens to her in the final book and how she will manage to save her family and deal with it all. Bring on the next book and more kick ass Sara Jane!
Doug: Not the typical sidekick by any means, but that is what I do enjoy about his character. Loyal to the bone (when not addicted to substances), which is a perfect partner for Sara Jane. I'm interested to see what else he will do in the final book.  

Didn't Like

I missed the action packed book that was book one (we still got a good amount of action, just not as much), but we do get a lot of great information which was very intriguing. 

Recommendation 

A must read series, everyone boy or girl should add this to their reading list

Releases 
August 20, 2013
Amazon / B&N / Book Depository 

Information

Cold Fury Trilogy

Cold Fury my review

Flicker & Burn

Book 3

What would you do to save your family?

<Books

Hearts of Shadow Review

Hearts of Shadow

By Kira Brady

Summary

In this brilliant new novel in the Deadglass series, a fierce young woman’s quest entangles her in an apocalyptic endgame—and unexpected desire…

Grace Mercer’s unmatched wraith-killing ability made her the unofficial defender of a city shattered by supernatural catastrophe. So there’s no way she’ll allow the new regent of Seattle’s most powerful dragon shifter clan to “protect” her from a vicious evil stalking the ruined streets—and keep her from the freedom she’s risked everything to earn. 

Leif’s science-honed instincts tell him Grace is the key to keeping shifters and humans safe. But helping this wary fighter channel her untapped power is burning away the dragon’s sensual self-control and putting a crucial alliance at risk. Soon the only chance Leif and Grace will have to save their world will be a dangerously fragile link that could forever unite their souls…or consume all in a storm of destruction.

What I Loved
Location 
I love it when books are right in my backyard. In Hearts of Shadow it literally is practically in my backyard. Grace takes a trip to Ravensdale along Maple Valley Highway, which I grew up going to Ravensdale to play soccer and grew up in Maple Valley. Love it! But this magical torn Seattle which all sorts of magical creatures is so exciting and intriguing.  

Characters

Grace Mercer: I love female characters that are small and tough. Grace is one kick ass female character that I completely adore and admire. In the first book Hearts of Darkness we briefly got to meet her and I'm so glad she got to have her own book. Grace isn't the swooning type of gal, even when a hunk of a dragon keeps tempting her.
Leif Asgard: Unlike his asshole of a brother, Leif is a dragon to lust after. He actually has morals and is more into science than world domination. I adore Leif's character and I think Grace and him made for some very interesting tension and chemistry.
Paranormal Romance
Perfect amount of sexual tension, romance and bedroom scenes paired with a fantastic amount of story. I love paranormal romance books. The different creatures, the parallel universe, the story and the characters all make for an exciting combination that I can never seem to put down. 

Didn't Like

Nothing. . . I now have to wait for the next book!

Recommendation
A must read series for readers who love paranormal romance, action, and Seattle.

Information

Deadglass Series

Hearts of Fire (prequel aka bonus novella)

Hearts of Darkness my review

Hearts of Shadow

Hearts of Chaos March 2014