Review #38 - Hausfrau by Jill Alexander Essbaum

Title: Hausfrau
Author: Jill Alexander Essbaum
Published: March 2015
Publisher: Random House
Source: Publicist in exchange for an honest review.

A brief synopsis; (Via Goodreads)

Anna Benz, an American in her late thirties, lives with her Swiss husband, Bruno—a banker—and their three young children in a postcard-perfect suburb of Zürich. Though she leads a comfortable, well-appointed life, Anna is falling apart inside. Adrift and increasingly unable to connect with the emotionally unavailable Bruno or even with her own thoughts and feelings, Anna tries to rouse herself with new experiences: German language classes, Jungian analysis, and a series of sexual affairs she enters with an ease that surprises even her.  
But Anna can’t easily extract herself from these affairs. When she wants to end them, she finds it’s difficult. Tensions escalate, and her lies start to spin out of control. Having crossed a moral threshold, Anna will discover where a woman goes when there is no going back.

Hell In Heels ¦ COVER REVEAL!

Title: Hell in Heels
Author: Alicia Dawn & Hope Daniels
Published: Dec. 12th, 2015
Genres: Adult, Paranormal Romance

A brief synopsis; (Via Goodreads)

Fate was a fickle bitch. Or at least that’s how Zoey Morgan saw it. As a witch old enough to know better, yet too sexy for any man to resist, she was tired of running. From her past. From the pain. But especially from her worst nightmare. Not being able to save her family from the clutches of a great evil. 

Unfortunately, she’d been doing it so long, she wasn’t sure how to stop. 

That was until an ex-military wolf-shifter crossed her path.
But to say Ryan Taylor was a jaded breed of his own would be quite the understatement. It seemed his past, too, was riddled with enough cynicism to make trusting a gal like Zoey a difficult feat. Still, his innate drive to protect an innocent was as intrinsic as the act of breathing, which made leaving her to face her demons alone harder than any covert mission. 

Their fiery mutual attraction didn’t help, and it wasn’t long before the sparks and fur began to fly, all while Zoey’s past continued to hunt her. With no choice left but to combine military with magic, the two work together to take down Zoey’s nemesis, finally, once and for all.

Review #30 - Unspeakable

Title: Unspeakable
Author: Abbie Rushton
Published: 2015
Publisher: Atom

A brief synopsis; (Via Goodreads)

Megan doesn't speak. She hasn't spoken in months.

Pushing away the people she cares about is just a small price to pay. Because there are things locked inside Megan's head - things that are screaming to be heard - that she cannot, must not, let out.

Then Jasmine starts at school: bubbly, beautiful, talkative Jasmine. And for reasons Megan can't quite understand, life starts to look a bit brighter.

Megan would love to speak again, and it seems like Jasmine might be the answer. But if she finds her voice, will she lose everything else?

Review #29 - The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks

Title: The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks
Author: E. Lockhart
Publisher: Hot Key Books
Published: 2008

A brief synopsis; (Via Goodreads)

Fifteen-year-old Frankie Landau-Banks has grown up a lot over the summer. She's no longer daddy's little girl - and almost immediately after starting the new semester at her highly prestigious school, she bags goofy-but-gorgeous Matthew Livingston as her boyfriend. They get along great but then Frankie discovers that Matthew is a member of a boys-only secret society that specialise in 'hilarious' pranks. Which hardly seems fair... especially when Frankie knows she's smarter than any of its members. And to prove this, she's going to teach them a lesson.
Impersonating lead member Alpha by using a fake email account is surprisingly easy, and soon Frankie is setting the boys up with all sorts of ridiculous schemes and sending them on wild goose chase after wild goose chase. Alpha's not prepared to lose face and admit it's not him sending the emails - but the fun can't last forever, and soon Frankie will have to choose between what she think she wants, and the reputation she deserves.

#Review 28 - All the Bright Places

Title: All the Bright Places
Author: Jennifer Niven
Published: 2015
Publisher: Knopf

A brief synopsis; (Via Goodreads)

Theodore Finch is fascinated by death, and he constantly thinks of ways he might kill himself. But each time, something good, no matter how small, stops him. Violet Markey lives for the future, counting the days until graduation, when she can escape her Indiana town and her aching grief in the wake of her sister’s recent death. When Finch and Violet meet on the ledge of the bell tower at school, it’s unclear who saves whom. And when they pair up on a project to discover the “natural wonders” of their state, both Finch and Violet make more important discoveries: It’s only with Violet that Finch can be himself—a weird, funny, live-out-loud guy who’s not such a freak after all. And it’s only with Finch that Violet can forget to count away the days and start living them. But as Violet’s world grows, Finch’s begins to shrink.

Review #27 - I Hate Myselfie

Title: I Hate Myselfie: A Collection of Essays by Shane Dawson
Author: Shane Dawson
Published: March 2015

Publisher: Keywords Press

A brief synopsis; (Via Goodreads)

From his first vlog back in 2008 to his full-length film directorial début Not Cool, Shane Dawson has been an open book when it comes to documenting his life. But behind the music video spoofs, TMI love life details, and outrageous commentary on everything the celebrity and Internet world has the nerve to dish out is a guy who grew up in a financially challenged but loving home in Long Beach, California, and who suffered all the teasing and social limitations that arise when you’re a morbidly obese kid with a pretty face, your mom is your best friend, and you can't get a date to save your life. 

In I Hate Myselfie, Shane steps away from his larger-than-life Internet persona and takes us deep into the experiences of an eccentric and introverted kid, who by observing the strange world around him developed a talent that would inspire millions of fans. Intelligent, hilarious, heartbreaking, and raw, I Hate Myselfie is a collection of eighteen personal essays about how messy life can get when you’re growing up and how rewarding it can feel when the clean-up is (pretty much) done.

Review #26 - Noise

Title: Noise
Author: Brett Garcia Rose
Published: June 2014
Genres: Action, Adventure, Mystery

A brief synopsis; (Via Goodreads)

Lily is the only person Leon ever loved. When she left a suicide note and disappeared into a murky lake ten years ago, she left him alone, drifting through a silent landscape.

Or did she?

A postcard in her handwriting pulls Leon to the winter-cold concrete heart of New York City. What he discovers unleashes a deadly rage that has no sound.

A grisly trail of clues leads to The Bear, the sadistic Russian crime lord who traffics in human flesh. The police—some corrupt, some merely compromised—are of little help. They don’t like Leon’s methods, or the mess he leaves in his wake.

Leon is deaf, but no sane person would ever call him disabled. He survived as a child on the merciless streets of Nigeria. He misses nothing. He feels no remorse. The only direction he’s ever known is forward.

He will not stop until he knows.

Where is Lily?

 Noise, by Brett Garcia Rose, is a thriller/mystery centering on a deaf character's search for his missing sister. It's short, violent, but ultimately it's about love.

Review #25 - Garden

Title: Garden
Author: Jane Yates
Publisher: Autumn Orchard
Published: 2015

A brief synopsis; (Via Goodreads)

Inspired by the classic novel The Secret Garden, Jane Yates introduces us to a steampunk world of bio-domes, robots and mysteries. Garden introduces us eleven-year-old Aberdeen, who is so used to being by herself that all she has to fill her thoughts are stories of mighty dragons and grand castles. Aberdeen's world is soon thrown into disarray however; her parents murdered.

Having no choice, Aberdeen is sent to live with her uncle back on Earth where her fascination into her new surroundings begin to take hold. Untrusting of new people at first, it isn’t long before Aberdeen comes across 3 other children, and taking a risk, befriends them as she tries to adjust to her new home. And yet, along with Maisy, Peter and Lenard, Aberdeen comes across a riddle - a set of clues to reveal the hiding place of a lost manuscript. A manuscript that forces more questions than answers.

Oh, and there’s Frank too, Peter’s robot dog, who completes this special circle of friendship.

Garden is a journey of self-discovery, of trials and friendship. With adventure boundless, Jane Yates follows up her acclaimed Paradox Child trilogy with a new tale for young fans of steampunk and science fiction.

Review #22 - The Fault in Our Stars

Title: The Fault in Our Stars
Author: John Green
Published: 2012
Publisher: Dutton

A brief synopsis; (Via Goodreads)

Despite the tumor-shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal, her final chapter inscribed upon diagnosis. But when a gorgeous plot twist named Augustus Waters suddenly appears at Cancer Kid Support Group, Hazel's story is about to be completely rewritten.

Insightful, bold, irreverent, and raw, The Fault in Our Stars is award-winning author John Green's most ambitious and heartbreaking work yet, brilliantly exploring the funny, thrilling, and tragic business of being alive and in love. 

Kitty Hawk and the Curse of the Yukon Gold - Excerpt!

Title: Kitty Hawk and the Curse of the Yukon Gold (Kitty Hawk Flying Detective Agency #1)
Author: Iain Reading
Published: 2012

A brief synopsis; 

Kitty Hawk and the Curse of the Yukon Gold is the thrilling first installment in a new young adult series of adventure mystery stories by Iain Reading. This first book of the Kitty Hawk Flying Detective Agency Series introduces Kitty Hawk, an intrepid teenage pilot with her own De Havilland Beaver seaplane and a nose for mystery and intrigue. A cross between Amelia Earhart, Nancy Drew and Pippi Longstocking, Kitty is a quirky young heroine with boundless curiosity and a knack for getting herself into all kinds of precarious situations. 

After leaving her home in the western Canadian fishing village of Tofino to spend the summer in Alaska studying humpback whales, Kitty finds herself caught up in an unforgettable adventure involving stolen gold, devious criminals, ghostly shipwrecks, and bone-chilling curses. Kitty's adventure begins with the lingering mystery of a sunken ship called the Clara Nevada. As the plot continues to unfold, this spirited story will have readers anxiously following every twist and turn as they are swept along through the history of the Klondike Gold Rush to a suspenseful final climatic chase across the rugged terrain of Canada's Yukon.

Kitty Hawk and the Curse of the Yukon Gold is a perfect book to fire the imagination of readers of all ages. Filled with fascinating and highly Google-able locations and history this book will inspire anyone to learn and experience more for themselves. 

Review #20 - If I Stay

Title: If I Stay
Author: Gayle Forman
Published: 2009
Publisher: Dutton (Penguin)

A brief synopsis; (via Goodreads)

In the blink of an eye everything changes. Seventeen-year-old Mia has no memory of the accident; she can only recall what happened afterwards, watching her own damaged body being taken from the wreck. Little by little she struggles to put together the pieces- to figure out what she has lost, what she has left, and the very difficult choice she must make. 

Review #19 - Krymzyn ¦ TOUR STOP!

Title: Krymzyn
Author: BC Powell
Published: October 4th, 2014
Genres: Fantasy, New Adult, Science Fiction

A brief synopsis (Via Goodreads)

Chase was twelve the first time he arrived in a strange land where dark, ominous clouds never move, ancient trees violently spring to life during Darkness, and people seem to live without emotion. Doctors tell him they’re hallucinations, but he knows his visits are real. She’s there-Sash-and she’s more real than anyone he’s ever known.

His visits stop but, as years pass, the memories haunt Chase. Without warning, the young man suddenly finds himself again in a world called Krymzyn. Arriving during Darkness, he’s rescued from death by the extraordinary, beautiful, but terrifying young woman he first met when he was twelve.

When Chase is thrust into the war of balance against vile creatures who threaten all who live there, Sash helps him understand his purpose in Krymzyn. A dark secret from the beginning of time reveals he might be able to stay there forever. To prove he belongs in Krymzyn and be with the only woman he can ever love, Chase will have to risk his own life in the ultimate battle.

Review #18 - The Maze Runner

Title: The Maze Runner

Author: James Dashner
Published: 2009
Publisher: Delacorte Press

A brief synopsis; (Via Goodreads)

If you ain’t scared, you ain’t human.
When Thomas wakes up in the lift, the only thing he can remember is his name. He’s surrounded by strangers—boys whose memories are also gone.
Nice to meet ya, shank. Welcome to the Glade.
Outside the towering stone walls that surround the Glade is a limitless, ever-changing maze. It’s the only way out—and no one’s ever made it through alive.
Everything is going to change.
Then a girl arrives. The first girl ever. And the message she delivers is terrifying.
Remember. Survive. Run.

Cover Reveal! Hurricane Butterfly

Title: Hurricane Butterfly
Author: MeChelle Vermeulen
Published: December 2014
Genres: New Adult, Romance

A brief synopsis; (via Goodreads)

Twenty-year-old Sophie Blake, is trying her best to get her life back after a horrific dog attack ten months ago. However, this proves to be more difficult than she anticipated. With the help of her best friend Ben Slone, it seems as if she’s making progress, but the truth is that she can feel herself sinking deeper into a black hole…until a tall dark stranger comes knocking, looking for Ben.

Joshua Roxwell has been drowning his demons with Whiskey and woman in an attempt to deal with his guilt after the tragic death of his sister. When he finds an envelope addressed to Ben Slone, written by his sister before her death, he decides to track him down. Instead of resolving their differences, he meets the one girl who silences his demons…but redemption comes at a price.

This is a story of heartache, friendship and love, with a wicked twist…

 Author links:
https://twitter.com/mvermeulens
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mechelle-Vermeulen/101224060077776

Click 'Read More' for the reveal!!!

Review #17 - Dash & Lily's Book of Dares

Title: Dash & Lily's Book of Dares
Authors: David Levithan and Rachel Cohn
Published: October 2010
Publisher: Random House

A brief synopsis; (via Goodreads)

“I’ve left some clues for you.
If you want them, turn the page.
If you don’t, put the book back on the shelf, please.”

16-year-old Lily has left a red notebook full of challenges on her favourite bookstore shelf, waiting for just the right guy to come along and accept its dares. Dash, in a bad mood during the holidays, happens to be the first guy to pick up the notebook and rise to its challenges. 

But is Dash that right guy? Or are Dash and Lily only destined to trade dares, dreams, and desires in the notebook they pass back and forth at locations across New York? Could their in-person selves possibly connect as well as their notebook versions? Or will they be a comic mismatch of disastrous proportions?

Review #16 - Love Spirits (What Happens in Venice, Book 1) + GUEST Post! ¦ TOUR STOP!

Title: Love Spirits (What Happens in Venice, Book 1)
Author: Diana Cachey
Publisher: CreateSpace
Published: 2014
Genres: Romance, Paranormal

A brief synopsis;

Louisa Mangotti is a gorgeous American lawyer and Interpol expert who, after being offered a job working with the international crime unit in Venice, receives a mysterious postcard from the Venetian Ghosts, the ancient protectors of the Republic. But Louisa assumes her bad-boy ex, Matteo, sent it in a quixotic attempt to gain her attention.

Louisa may have dismissed the ghosts, but the ghosts aren't quite done with her. When the bodies of two glassmakers wash up on Murano Island, the cryptic messages persist. 

Reluctantly, Louisa calls upon Matteo to help decipher the clues. And before she knows it, a flame that was never fully extinguished is rekindled.

Sensing that her sister is in over her head, Barbara Mangotti rushes to the rescue, only to be lured away by two handsome Venetian men. 

With time running out, can the two beauties solve a crime that could threaten the city of Venice itself?

Cover Reveal! Play of Light

Title: Play of Light

Author: Debra Doxer
Published: December 8th, 2014
Genres: Contemporary, New Adult, Romance

This is a stand alone story.

A brief synopsis; (Via Goodreads) 

I lived in paradise, and I loved Spencer Pierce.  

At fourteen, my life was perfect. The beach was my playground, and the boy who stole my heart lived just around the corner. But perfect never lasts. In one horrifying moment, I lost it all. My family was destroyed, and the boy I believed in turned his back on me. Paradise became a nightmare. 

That was five years ago. Everything changed when we moved from our home by the sea. I’ve changed, and I don’t like who I’ve become. I miss the smiling, carefree beach girl who disappeared that terrible night. I want to find her again. I want to face the people we ran from so long ago. Most of all, I have to face Spencer. So I can prove that when he broke my heart, he didn’t break me. 

But when I see him again, Spencer Pierce is no longer the boy from my memories. He’s now a man who could devastate me if I let him. He watches me when he thinks I’m not looking. There’s regret written on his face when he’s near. Each time I see him, my heart aches for what might have been, and I think his does too. How can I convince myself I’m over him when I suspect he never got over me? 

Click Read More for an exclusive excerpt, the cover design and a giveaway!

Review #14 - The Great Gatsby

Title: The Great Gatsby
Author: F. Scott Fitzgerald
Published: 1925
Publisher: Charles Scribner's Sons

A brief synopsis; (Via Goodreads)

The world and his mistress are at Jay Gatsby’s party. But Gatsby stands apart from the crowd, isolated by a secret longing. In between sips of champagne his guests speculate about their mysterious host. Some say he’s a bootlegger. Others swear he was a German spy during the war. They lean in and whisper ‘he killed a man once’. Just where is Gatsby from and what is the obsession that drives him?

Innocence Is A Divine Thing

Years ago, I started an account on 'Fiction Press' and decided to have a go at writing my own 'novel'. I only posted one chapter. Now, three years later, I have decided to revisit it!

Under the 'Read More' tab, you will find the new, improved version. (However, if you really feel like reading the first draft, you can click here.)

Synopsis:

One thing is for certain: I did not kill the king. And another thing: everyone believes I did. I'm totally innocent; I was just caught in the wrong place at the wrong time. Cliché, I know, but believe me, it happens. 

 Except now I'm on the run, my horse pretty much hates me, and winter is fast approaching. I don't think I'll be able to camp out in the forest when the snow sets thick.

{Fantasy Adventure, set in Medieval Britain with Germanic roots} 

Review #13 - The Spectacular Now

Title: The Spectacular Now
Author: Tim Tharp
Publisher: Random House
Published: 2008

A brief synopsis; (Via Goodreads)

In the last months of high school, charismatic eighteen-year-old Sutter Keely lives in the present, staying drunk or high most of the time, but that could change when starts working to boost the self-confidence of a classmate, Aimee.

This is one of those books that I stumbled across as an Indie film, and then found out it was a book, and refused to watch the film until I've read the book.