Tuesday, July 30, 2013

Waiting on Wednesday #18

Hosted by Breaking the Spine!  
This Week I Am Waiting On...
Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson

Publication Date: September 24th, 2013
Genre: Science Fiction/Dystopia
Amazon/Barnes and Noble
Ten years ago, Calamity came. It was a burst in the sky that gave ordinary men and women extraordinary powers. The awed public started calling them Epics.

 But Epics are no friend of man. With incredible gifts came the desire to rule. And to rule man you must crush his wills.

 Nobody fights the Epics... nobody but the Reckoners. A shadowy group of ordinary humans, they spend their lives studying Epics, finding their weaknesses, and then assassinating them.

 And David wants in. He wants Steelheart—the Epic who is said to be invincible. The Epic who killed David's father. For years, like the Reckoners, David's been studying, and planning—and he has something they need. Not an object, but an experience.

 He's seen Steelheart bleed. And he wants revenge.
Steelheart has been getting awesome reviews, and both my friend, Zoette, and I agree that the synopsis sounds extremely interesting! What do you think? Other W.O.W picks we debated were To All the Boys I've Loved Before, The Eye of Minds, and Pawn. There are so many books we are waiting for! Steelheart wins first place though...

What was your WOW pick this week?
-Emily & Zoette

Monday, July 29, 2013

I'm Back from Summer Camp!

Hello! If any of you saw... the notice below has been up for all of last week:









And now I am back!

So, well, the title says it all! I had a fantastic time at camp. I hiked, swam, creek-walked, and all sorts of other fun stuff! At camp, I got to meet a lot of awesome new people, and I got to bunk with my best friend. AND the weather was pretty nice during the day. How could it not be a blast?


However, after all the fun, I am now exhausted, bug bitten, and scratched. (I somehow managed to trip over a log, but that is a different story...) I cannot convey the relief I felt upon coming home and falling asleep in my own bed. Also, the shower and electric heater were pretty awesome.

Anyways, I am back now! I will start posting regular bookish posts tomorrow...

So, how has everyone been? Has anything interesting happened to you this week???


Tuesday, July 23, 2013

Review: Sisters Red

Sisters Red by Jackson Pearce
Publication Date: June 7th 2010
Genre: YA Urban Fantasy/Paranormal Fiction (???)
Purchase: Amazon/B&N
Scarlett March lives to hunt the Fenris--the werewolves that took her eye when she was defending her sister Rosie from a brutal attack. Armed with a razor-sharp hatchet and blood-red cloak, Scarlett is an expert at luring and slaying the wolves. She's determined to protect other young girls from a grisly death, and her raging heart will not rest until every single wolf is dead.


Rosie March once felt her bond with her sister was unbreakable. Owing Scarlett her life, Rosie hunts ferociously alongside her. But even as more girls' bodies pile up in the city and the Fenris seem to be gaining power, Rosie dreams of a life beyond the wolves. She finds herself drawn to Silas, a young woodsman who is deadly with an ax and Scarlett's only friend--but does loving him mean betraying her sister and all that they've worked for?

Sisters Red was an unexpected mix of the Little Red Riding Hood tale and "Werewolves". I mean, isn't that a really cool idea? And Jackson Pearce pulled the idea off perfectly. I especially loved how there were "clans", "potentials", and other intriguing elements. This book is definitely a must-read for fans of retellings, twists, and all things paranormal.

To me, the characters in Sisters Red were the novel's strongest point. Scarlet and Rosie, the inseparable sisters, were pulled off beautifully. They definitely had a strong bond, but you could see how they also wanted different things. Scarlet's passion was the hunt, while Rosie is starting to realize she wants a little more than just to fight the Fenris (wolves). She wants a semi-normal life... or at least to start up some of her own hobbies and maybe pick up a boyfriend. Both of these girls were strong-willed, just in different ways. In the end, the reader will respect both of them.

Silas, Scarlet's best friend who also happens to know about the Fenris, is also a key character to the story. He tries to help both of the sisters by getting Rosie to start thinking more about what she wanted to do beside the hunt, and helping Scarlet realize what Rosie wanted. I also loved all the action and how the whole book was well paced. In the more action-y scenes, I loved Pearce's descriptions and how strong and independent the girls were. And, there was a certain twist at at the end that wow-ed me.

The setting in the little town was wonderful. Once again, I will state that the writing made the whole book feel vivid. Another thing that caught my eye was the strong prologue and epilogue. They were told in 3rd person, unlike the alternating first person point of view from the sisters in the numbered chapters. And they were woven very differently. They were lyrical, beautiful. Although the prologue did have a "very scary and violent and suspenseful" factor to it. And the epilogue had a sense of an ending and beginning.

Overall, Sisters Red was a pretty rockin' story. The tale was lyrical, a touch gory but only in a PG-13 sort of way, touching, humorous, and original. I cannot wait to read more by Jackson Pearce. Also, as a forewarning, I must inform you that this book was pretty addicting. I read Sisters Red in one sitting. You have been warned.

4.8/5 bookcases

I do believe this has companion novels! Have you read this series? What did you think? If not, do you want to read Sisters Red?

Monday, July 22, 2013

Nomad Book Blitz! Giveaway + Guest Post


Nomad by JL Bryant
Publication Date: July 26th, 2013
Genre: NA time travel dystopian
They took everything: her family, her home, her childhood.

By the age of nineteen, Raven has spent most of her life in the sprawling slums of America, fighting as a rebel against the dictatorship. When the rebellion steals an experimental time-travel device, she travels back five decades to the year 2013. Her plan: assassinate the future dictator when he is still young and vulnerable, long before he comes to power. She must move fast to reshape history, because agents from her own time are on her trail, ready to execute her on sight.


What Not to Wear When Traveling Through Time

Guest post by J.L. Bryan

When the conversation turns to time travel, as it so often does, you’ll hear a lot of blather about the risks and dangers.  Everyone talks about the risk of universe-destroying paradoxes, but little attention is giving to the risk of universe-destroying fashion decisions.

Don’t fear!  We’ve put together this handy guide to what to wear (and not wear!) on your next time-travel escapade.

DON’T wear high heels.  If you’re traveling into the past, you may have to escape Nazis or rabid cavemen.  In the future, watch out for killer cyborgs and radioactive mutants!  Whatever your destination, be prepared to run for your life.  We recommend comfortable, well-worn running shoes, with combat boots as a useful second option.  If you’re attending a formal event in another century, simply pack those high heels in your carry-on luggage.  If you must have high heels, pick the stilettos, as they can double as a handy weapon.

DON’T dress in a silver bodysuit with a clear bubble helmet, especially with antennae on top.  People will mistake you for a 1950s-era space alien rather than a time traveler, leading to a variety of potential problems: quarantine, imprisonment, military attack, being a guest on The Today Show, and other horrific outcomes.  Dress in a low-key fashion, and save the aluminum-foil outfit for another occasion...or, actually, just throw it away.  That silver bodysuit doesn’t go well with your hair.

DON’T wear ankle-length dresses, tight corsets, or other binding clothes.  Again, you may need to fight or flee for survival, so jeans or slacks might be your best bet.  Short skirts are both alluring and provide ample kicking radius, in case you need to kick in a face or two.

DON’T clash with the time and place you’re visiting.  Skinny jeans, for instance, are huge no-no in the Puritan era.  That cute cami top may be both comfortable and casually sexy, but if you wear it in Victorian England, you’ll stick out like a sore thumb from another century...a thumb full of licentiousness and sin.  

Learn before you get burned!  Always study the correct attire and customs of your destination before you travel in time.  For help, contact your local vintage thrift shop and/or Halloween store.  Remember: the right look at the right time is the right way to go.  And you can quote us on that.

If you have additional fashion tips for time travelers, please share in the comments below!


And, now, a giveaway!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Did you guys enjoy this guest post as much as I did???


J.L. Bryan studied English literature at the University of Georgia and at Oxford, with a focus on English Renaissance and Romantic literature. He also studied screenwriting at UCLA. He lives in the metro Atlanta sprawl with his wife Christina, where he spends most of his day servings the toddler and animal community inside his house. He is the author of the Paranormals series and the Songs of Magic series.


JL Bryan's novel Jenny Pox is currently free (Did you read that guys? I just downloaded it...) on KindleSmashwordsAppleSonyKobo, and Nook!    

Author Links:

Saturday, July 20, 2013

Stacking the Shelves #19

Hosted by Tynga's Reviews!

For Review:


(Thanks to Itching for Books Tours)

(Thanks to JL Bryan! Note: I am also participating in a blitz later this week!)


(Thank you Edelweiss and SImon & Schuster)

(Thanks you Rachael!)

I also received Heartbeat by Elizabeth Scott, yes! I am so excited to start reading the book! Sadly, there is not a cover yet, which is why I did not include it above.
 (Thank you to Edelweis and Harlequin Teen)

Bought/Gifted:

Loved it!

Same here. I actually already reviewed it too!

That's my haul! How about yours?
-Emily

Thursday, July 18, 2013

Review: Life After Theft

Life After Theft by Aprilynne Pike

Publication Date: April 30th 2013
Genre: Supernatural Fiction (???)
Purchase: Amazon/Barnes and Noble
Aprilynne Pike, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Wings series, shines in this stand-alone novel that offers a humorous twist on ghosts and is perfect for fans of Ally Carter, Rachel Hawkins, and Kiersten White.

Kimberlee Schaffer may be drop-dead gorgeous . . . but she also dropped dead last year. Now she needs Jeff's help with her unfinished business, and she's not taking no for an answer. When she was alive, Kimberlee wasn't just a mean girl; she was also a complete kleptomaniac. So if Jeff wants to avoid being haunted until graduation, he'll have to help her return all of the stolen items. But Jeff soon discovers that it's much easier to steal something than it is to bring it back.

Paying for your mistakes takes on a whole new meaning in this hauntingly clever twist on The Scarlet Pimpernel.
Life After Theft is only 1.99 on Amazon & B&N as of today!

My mind is officially blown. To set the record clean, I have never been a fan of books with ghosts in them. Only in books such as Harry Potter do I make an exception, and even then Nearly Headless Nick doesn't exactly play an essential part in the story, unlike the ghost, Kimberlee, in Life After Theft. So, needless to say, my expectation weren't incredibly high. And yet, I loved this book entirely too much. I even loved the ghost aspect.

The first thing that I immediately noticed, was that this book was narrated by Jeff. This is refreshing as boys are rarely the main characters in the YA genre. Also, Pike writes in a boy's first person voice expertly. I applaud her for making Jeff so vivid, with a clear personality. He was so sweet and awesome! He is also funny and snarky, which is  plus. The second thing I found refreshing was that Kimberlee, a kleptomaniac ghost. She wasn't a creepy "haunter" or a love interest, which I find is most often the case. No, she was a vibrant character. I also loved the way Pike handled Kimberlee's kleptomania.

Other characters I enjoyed were Sera, Jeff's love interest. She was different. I'm not totally sure what I thought of her, but she had been through a lot. However, I was definitely rooting for her and Jeff to end up together. The plot, of course, was something I find genius. Who's the bad guy? Kimberlee for stealing? Jeff for returning the things, yet damaging property while doing it? The principal for trying to catch Jeff? Also, I loved how the plot(s) resolved. Especially the one with Kimberlee and the stealing, and Sera and "the secret".

I found that Life After Theft was also a very addicting read. Every chance I got, I picked up my e-reader to to continue Jeff and Kimberlee's story. By the way, I loved how the author spelled Kimberlee's name. Sorry, that is off topic. Anyway, I found the pacing and length perfect. Another thing I always try to mention in reviews is the setting. I found the ridiculously posh high school a perfect setting for the characters.

Overall, Life After Theft threw me onto a much needed rollercoaster. One with different twists and refreshing spirals. (I remembered something! Just the other day I noticed the roller coaster metaphors are common in reviews, blurbs, taglines etc. I should come up with a more original one for future reviews.) This original stand-alone is definitely reccomended. Also, stand-alones are rare, so I was delighted to find this one.

4.8/5 bookcases

Little Note: This is different than Pike's other novels. Thankfully, I already had some heads up from various other reviews. I think having this knowledge made the reading experience better. Go in with no expectations!

Feature and Follow #18


Today's discussion is about ideal reading destinations, which is awesome.

Hosted by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read. They are both awesome sites, check them out!

Book Vacay: Where is the best destination reading spot for you? (Where do you like to go to read other then your home) 




Okay, this is weird, but I LOVE reading on planes. Really.

I feel I must defend myself by stating my reasons.

1. I am stuck on a plane! I can read without feeling guilty about not doing blogposts, cleaning my room, etc. Doing those things are not even an option when you are up in the air.

2. Once again, I am stuck on a plane! Probably for at least a few hours... so I can get immersed into my book!

3. A lot of times characters in books are traveling somewhere really cool, and no matter if the place is real or not, I can pretend I am heading there with them. Of course, the book earns bonus points if there are planes involved.

So, where do you like reading? (Other than at home?)

-Emily :)

Wednesday, July 17, 2013

Cover Reveal: Assasin's Rose

Assasin's Rose

Genre: A New Adult Paranormal Fantasy
Series: The Lost Immortals (Book 0.5)
Author: KaSonndra Leigh
Publication Date: TBD
My mother once told me life is a lot like a card game.
She said you can either accept the hand you have been dealt, or you can create a new play, make your own rules, and win the game one card at a time.  

I loved my mother with all my heart. She’s gone now. He took both my parents away from me. I’m talking about the Angel of Chaos, the one who plans to destroy both the human world and mine. 

I can’t let that happen. He and the ones who serve him have already taken so much from me. I do believe it’s time for a little payback. I will have the final say. With my lover by my side, I can conquer anything. 

I will turn the game around...and win.

For I am the assassin; and revenge will be my rose.

Ooh, I love this cover! I would kill for that mask... What do you think?

Links to Fun Stuff:

(Who doesn't like fun things?)

Join thousands of Musical Interlude Fans on the Facebook FanPage: https://www.facebook.com/KaSonndraLeighBooks
Author Website: www.kasonndraleigh.com
Newsletter Signup:  The Seraphine News

-Emily :)

Waiting on Wednesday #17


This Week I am Waiting On...

Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas

Publication Date: August 27th, 2013
Series: Throne of Glass #2
Amazon/B&N
An assassin’s loyalties are always in doubt.
But her heart never wavers.

After a year of hard labor in the Salt Mines of Endovier, eighteen-year-old assassin Celaena Sardothien has won the king's contest to become the new royal assassin. Yet Celaena is far from loyal to the crown – a secret she hides from even her most intimate confidantes.

Keeping up the deadly charade—while pretending to do the king's bidding—will test her in frightening new ways, especially when she's given a task that could jeopardize everything she's come to care for. And there are far more dangerous forces gathering on the horizon -- forces that threaten to destroy her entire world, and will surely force Celaena to make a choice. 

Where do the assassin’s loyalties lie, and who is she most willing to fight for?

The release date is so soon! *squeals* I feel like I need this sequel to Throne of Glass even sooner, though. In fact, this very second would do!

What are you Waiting On this week?
-Emily :)

Monday, July 15, 2013

J.K Rowling's "New" Book

Has everyone heard about J.K. Rowling's The Cuckoos' Calling?  In actuality, this has been released for a few months already, under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith. It was just a couple days ago that she was revealed.

I find how she published this, quietly and with no hype, quite amazing. I bet she had her own little adventure whilst dealing with the novel. She got to hear what people thought, without them comparing the book to the infamous Harry Potter series, or having tons of readers give the book 5 stars just because Rowling wrote the words. The way she quietly published the book could also be a kind of experiment on her part. How would people react to this supposedly debut novel?

And, now, the next question. Are there any more of her books hiding out there? (Probably not, but then no one suspected her to have The Cuckoo's Calling hiding in the shelves of bookstores either.) What do you think? Personally, I doubt it. But wouldn't that be cool? I might start thinking of her as a spy-under cover author.

The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith

Publication Date: April 30th, 2013
Genre: Adult Mystery/Crime
A brilliant debut mystery in a classic vein: Detective Cormoran Strike investigates a supermodel's suicide. After losing his leg to a land mine in Afghanistan, Cormoran Strike is barely scraping by as a private investigator. Strike is down to one client, and creditors are calling. He has also just broken up with his longtime girlfriend and is living in his office.

Then John Bristow walks through his door with an amazing story: His sister, the legendary supermodel Lula Landry, known to her friends as the Cuckoo, famously fell to her death a few months earlier. The police ruled it a suicide, but John refuses to believe that. The case plunges Strike into the world of multimillionaire beauties, rock-star boyfriends, and desperate designers, and it introduces him to every variety of pleasure, enticement, seduction, and delusion known to man.

You may think you know detectives, but you've never met one quite like Strike. You may think you know about the wealthy and famous, but you've never seen them under an investigation like this.

What do think of this new discovery? 

All I know, is that J.K Rowling will go down in history with many achievements and personal stories. The tale of the Cuckoo's Calling will be one many people remember, and perhaps even admire.

Sunday, July 14, 2013

Ultimate Summer Giveaway: Round Three!


So, time for the Ultimate Summer Giveaway which will be going on all Summer...

The details: Every couple of weeks I will post a new book or two and add them to the pile the winners will choose from! How many winners wiil there be? Currently only one, but for every 100 followers via email or 100 via bloglovin, I will add another winner. Here are some more books of many to add to the pile...

Oh, and this is US and International. If you are international, the book will be shipped from the book depository instead of from my shelf though.


THIS WEEKS ADDITIONS ARE...

THE PREVIOUS ADDITIONS

So, what would you like to win? 52 Reasons to Hate my Father, Tiger Lily, Dante's Girl, My Life Undecided, Prophecy, or For Darkness Shows the Stars? 

Good luck!
-Emily :)



a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review: Confessions of an Angry Girl

Confessions of an Angry Girl by Louise Rozett

Publication Date: August 28th, 2012
Amazon/Barnes and Noble
Rose Zarelli, self-proclaimed word geek and angry girl, has some confessions to make…

1. I'm livid all the time. Why? My dad died. My mom barely talks. My brother abandoned us. I think I'm allowed to be irate, don't you?

2. I make people furious regularly. Want an example? I kissed Jamie Forta, a badass guy who might be dating a cheerleader. She is now enraged and out for blood. Mine.

3. High school might as well be Mars. My best friend has been replaced by an alien, and I see red all the time. (Mars is red and "seeing red" means being angry—get it?)

Here are some other vocab words that describe my life: Inadequate. Insufferable. Intolerable.

(Don't know what they mean? Look them up yourself.)

(Sorry. That was rude.)
The Review

I had moderately high expectations for this book after reading the awesome synopsis, and fortunately, those expectations were met. Confessions of an Angry Girl was an emotional and, most of all, vividly realistic read. The story sucked me in and I definitely laughed and cried a few times! (Not at the same time though.) I cannot wait to read Confessions of an Almost Girlfriend.

One thing I loved were the characters. Rose seemed real, with her many faults and realistic voice. Her narrative was entertaining, especially her use of the big words, and her character growth by the end was noticeable and amazingly written.  Her family also was a realistic set of characters. Rose, her brother, and her mother, are all still coping with the dad's death. I found all the turmoil caused by this a big part of the book. Jamie Forta was another reoccurring character in the book. I am still not quite sure what to think of him... he seems to be hiding something. I hope we will find out more in the next book. However, I do hope he is a good guy, just because I am optimistic like that!

Along with the family troubles, there was also a fair share of high school drama. I will not mention each character, as there were lots. However, all of them seemed interesting and memorable from Robert, a guy who has been tailing after Rose since middle school, to Angelo, a laid back student I want to know more about, to Regina, a evil cheerleader. I find "evil cheerleaders" pretty tiresome nowadays in YA books. However, to me Regina was a little more interesting than the rest, although still a smidgen unoriginal. Overall, the high school drama, and Rose's feeling of not fitting in, were pretty well written.

One thing that flat out impressed me was how the cover relates to the book. Yes, in the book she does have a necklace with an "R" charm on it. I also found it cool that the cover creator people (???) cover designers chose to focus the cover on that part of the book. I also enjoyed the fact that there isn't just one big plot, in actuality, there are loads of mini plots circling around. This made the book seem more dimentional. I mean, our lives don't just revolve around one problem, right? Of course not.

Overall, Confessions of an Angry Girl is a worthwhile read. Fans of contemporary will find the characters realistic and the many emotional plots appealing. I was not kidding when I said this book made me laugh and cry. So, what are you waiting for? This book deserves to be read.

4/5 bookcases

Extra Note: I will probably be reviewing the second book later this month. I can't wait! Has anyone else read this series? What did you think?

Saturday, July 13, 2013

Day 6: Book Buying Habits


Okay, I am a little late to the party here! However, these challenges looked really fun and I decided to participate. The questions are just so awesome! If anyone else wants to, they can participate at Good Books and Wine. Don't forget to check out the intro-ish post too!

TOPIC FOR DAY SIX:
Book buying habits

The first thing anyone should know about me is that I always think over my purchases over. (this annoys a lot of peopel who know me. "Just buy them!") Maybe a little bit too hard. I normally shop for books every two or three months, and, when I do, I either shop on Amazon or at Powells.

Whenever I shop on Amazon, I look at the money I had saved first. Then, I calculate about how many books I can buy with the amount of dollars. Then, my handy dandy To-Read list on Goodreads comes and helps me create a LONG list of books I would like, then an ally (friend, family etc.) comes and helps me narrow down the list by looking at the reviews, genre, author and other factors. Finally, I may have a digital cart full of books. And I am always especially happy when a book is on sale because then I get one more book than I calculated!

Another place I often shop is Powells, the BIGGEST bookstore ever known. First, I always sell my used books. And get loads of in-store credit. And, of course, I bring my own wallet to help out. Then, I zoom to the YA section and start a "A" and end in "Z" where I go CRAZY and grab every book in sight that sounds good. By the end, I have to DRAG the basket instead of carrying it. Then, I sit down with an alley, and read all the synopsis and make assumptions about it, as in Powells we don't have access to Goodreads. Then, I make my decision and buy what my little money allows. I always put the ones I didn't buy back in the right place, too.

Another habit? I am drawn to those new hardcovers in the store. I can never buy then though because I feel guilty about paying that 17.99 at the store when I could have been smart and pre-ordered on Amazon for around 11.99. I always pick them up, and then as I am nearing the counter the guilt hots me and I run and put it back. 

Also, I love
  1. Pre-Orders
  2. On Sale Books
I wish I was more of an impulse buyer. That would be awesome and save me hours of my time! The only times I impulse buy is for e-books, and I rarely shop e-books unless I have a giftcard! Last week, I impulsively bought a lot of e-books with one! I found I really like the nook app.

Wow, that felt good to get off my chest. I know my book buying habits/schedules are strange. What do you think? Also, I never get my books signed... I need to start on that! (Do you have to pay for it?)


So, what are your Book Buying Habits?
-Emily :)

Friday, July 12, 2013

Stacking the Shelves #18

STS is, as always, hosted by the wonderful Tynga's Reviews!

MY WEEK

This week I have been SUPER busy. Really. I have Summer Strings Camp every day (I play the violin) and have been taking ballet class every chance I get, and I am in a more advanced level so I am the youngest, by around a year or two, than the twelve girls that are frequently in class. It is more than a little unnerving. 

I did however, get a practically private pointe class with my teacher because no one else showed up on Wednesday. I was exhausted that day as I has Summer Strings, and then THREE ballet classes in a row. So, enough of my rant. Here are the books I received this week:

MY HAUL

 I went e-book crazy... 
thanks to my wonderful aunt for the nook gift card that supplied me with them!



FOR REVIEW


 Visited by Janine Caldwell (For tour)
Ignited by Desni Dantone (Thank you Desni!)
By Blood by Tracy E. Banghart (For tour)

NEW POINTE SHOES

AWESOME GIVEAWAYS


So link your STS's in the comment, I love visiting other book hauls... and I hope you enjoyed this post. (Weren't the Pointe Shoes awesome?)

 -Emily :)

Thursday, July 11, 2013

Review + Giveaway: Losing Francesca

Come check out the rest of The Tour Schedule!

Losing Francesca by J.A. Huss

Publication Date: June 1st, 2013
Amazon/Barnes and Noble
Francesca Sabatini came to America to take in the sights, celebrate her high school graduation, and have fun wasting time before college starts in the fall.

That's not what happens.

Fresh off the plane and barely on American soil more than a handful of minutes, Francesca's face is recognized by TSA scanners to be a match for a child who was kidnapped twelve years ago.

Brody Mason remembers the day Fiona Sullivan went missing during a family vacation in Italy and it's haunted him his whole life. So when Francesca shows up at the Sullivan farm down the road, he's compelled to figure out if this girl really is his long-lost friend.

But Francesca knows she's not Fiona Sullivan. She knows exactly who she is. At least she thinks she knows – until Brody Mason relentlessly pursues her and she begins to have feelings for him. Maybe being Fiona isn't so bad?

Reality becomes blurred, secrets are revealed, and life will never be the same when the final questions are answered: Is she Francesca or Fiona? And where does she really belong?

Review

Losing Francesca literally sucked me in... and didn't let me out until I finished the last page. I loved the characters, mystery, romance, and the originality. (And I cannot let that gorgeous cover go unnoticed) I am so glad I got the chance to read this book, and I will definitely look into more of J.A. Huss's writing.

The characters were one of the main things that sucked me into Francesca's world, her new one and old one. She herself was quite a mystery at first, as the readers are not sure who her dad is, and other key factors of her past. This hidden information intrigued me. Also, I absolutely loved her narration and character development. She is stubborn, but is having a little bit of an identity crisis towards the middle of the book. I also loved Brody. At first, he seemed a little, er, dramatic? However, as I learned more about him, I began to crave the chapters with his narration.

There are tons more characters I loved too. Shaun, Francesca's adoptive brother, was a character I loved. He had his faults, but I loved how he tried to include Francesca into the family. Also, I enjoyed learning about the family Francesca spent her life with before she was recognized as a kidnapped child. They were different and unique, yet had a realistic quality. To me both Shaun and Francesca's childhood family were very vivid.

Now I must mention the plot. The whole time, I was pulled into the mystery of who Francesca really was. And there was an amazing twist at the end. I applaud the author for pulling such a sweet yet intriguing and suspenseful contemporary romance! Also, I loved the multiple settings and detailed yet not over-the-top descriptions. (NormallyI mention pacing and length but I do not have much to say as it was perfect here.) I believe I have said this word before in the review, but I found the story very vivid and as I read I lost sense of the reality around me.

Overall, I found Losing Francesca more than worthy of my time. The book was, simply put, pretty amazing. I would not hesitate to recommend this book to fans of unique contemporaries! Or, really, any book lover out there. And now head down for an amazing giveaway... And put this book on your to-read-as-soon-as-possible imaginary hard drive. And don't deny it, all reader's have that list stored in their brains.


a Rafflecopter giveaway