Waiting on Wednesday (39)

Buongiornio, le mie rose! There's your Italian for the day. I'm not sure when you'll ever have the need to say, "Good day, my roses," in Italian, but hey, if you do, now you know! Anyway, today is Wednesday, which means it's time for the weekly meme Waiting on Wednesdays hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine. It's also the day after Christmas and the last Waiting on Wednesday of 2012!


Goddess (Starcrossed, #3)
Josephine Angelini
Publisher: Harper Teen
Release Date: May 28, 2013
After accidentally unleashing the gods from their captivity on Olympus, Helen must find a way to re-imprison them without starting a devastating war. But the gods are angry, and their thirst for blood already has a body count.
To make matters worse, the Oracle reveals that a diabolical Tyrant is lurking among them, which drives a wedge between the once-solid group of friends. As the gods use the Scions against one another, Lucas’s life hangs in the balance. Still unsure whether she loves him or Orion, Helen is forced to make a terrifying decision, for war is coming to her shores.
In Josephine Angelini’s compelling conclusion to the masterfully woven Starcrossed trilogy, a goddess must rise above it all to change a destiny that’s been written in the stars. With worlds built just as fast as they crumble, love and war collide in an all-out battle that will leave no question unanswered and no heart untouched.

 I am really, really excited for this one. I enjoyed the first two books immensely, and while I'm sad that the trilogy is concluding I can't wait to see how everything ties together. Also, check out the covers. I can't wait to get my hands on this book.

Team Orion or Team Lucas? I'm not sure. Lucas had my heart wholly in the first book, but then he got all weird and creepy in the second book and Orion showed up and was so sweet! I wonder what Josie is going to do with that.

Lovelovelove,
signature
What are you waiting on this Wednesday?
Link me up! :)

Magic Monday (39)

Happy Magic Monday, darlings! Today I have a very exciting pick. It's a really highly anticipated title, and for good reason! It's thrilling and fantastic.

The Madness Underneath (Shades of London, #2)
Maureen Johnson
Publisher: Putnam Juvenile
Release Date: February 26, 2013
This was not good, not good at all. The glasses clearly hadn't fallen off a shelf—they were in the middle of the room. The X was shaky, like the hand that had drawn it could barely hold the chalk.

I, personally, think that that is a fabulous excerpt right there. I could be biased since I chose it and all. But don't you think that it is so fabulously creepy?

You all know what to do from here. Read my Giveaways page, fill out the form, keep being awesome. xx

This week's tweet: !


Good luck! :)

Lovelovelove,
signature

Covermance! (48)

The Uprising (The Forsaken, #2)
Lisa M. Stasse
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Release Date: August 6, 2013
In this dystopian sequel to The Forsaken, Alenna has survived the brutality of life on the wheel—and now she’s going back for more.
Alenna escaped. It was expected that she would die on the wheel, the island where would-be criminals are sent as directed by the UNA—the totalitarian supercountry that was once the United States, Mexico, and Canada. But Alenna and her boyfriend, Liam, made it to safety. Except safety, they will soon learn, is relative.
In order to bring down the UNA, they must first gain control of the wheel. If the mission succeeds, the wheel will become a base of revolution. But between betrayals, a new Monk leading a more organized army of Drones, and the discovery of a previously unknown contingent, Alenna, Liam, and their allies might be in over their heads. One thing Alenna knows for sure: There will be a reckoning. And not everyone she loves will make it out alive.
PREORDER THE UPRISING!
    ❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦

Born of Illusion (The Ghost Club, #1)
Teri Brown
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Release Date: June 11, 2013
Anna Van Housen is thirteen the first time she breaks her mother out of jail. By sixteen she’s street smart and savvy, assisting her mother, the renowned medium Marguerite Van Housen, in her stage show and séances, and easily navigating the underground world of magicians, mediums and mentalists in 1920’s New York City. Handcuffs and sleight of hand illusions have never been much of a challenge for Anna. The real trick is keeping her true gifts secret from her opportunistic mother, who will stop at nothing to gain her ambition of becoming the most famous medium who ever lived. But when a strange, serious young man moves into the flat downstairs, introducing her to a secret society that studies people with gifts like hers, he threatens to reveal the secrets Anna has fought so hard to keep, forcing her to face the truth about her past. Could the stories her mother has told her really be true? Could she really be the illegitimate daughter of the greatest magician of all?
Born of Illusion is the first book in a new series. Each book in the series will introduce a new historical figure, whose legend is shrouded in magic, along with the young woman whose fate is irrevocably tied to his. The through line in each of the books will be The Ghost Club, the real life secret society that was founded in 1862 by the likes of Charles Dickens, Sir Conan Doyle, and W. B. Yeats to advance mankind’s knowledge of the paranormal. The first three books in the series will deal with Houdini, Aleister Crowley and Rasputin.
 PREORDER BORN OF ILLUSION!
    
❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦
Star Cursed (The Cahill Witch Chronicles, #2)
Jessica Spotswood
Publisher: Putnam Juvenile
Release Date: June 18, 2013
With the Brotherhood persecuting witches like never before, a divided Sisterhood desperately needs Cate to come into her Prophesied powers. And after Cate's friend Sachi is arrested for using magic, a war-thirsty Sister offers to help her find answers—if Cate is willing to endanger everyone she loves.
Cate doesn't want to be a weapon, and she doesn't want to involve her friends and Finn in the Sisterhood's schemes. But when Maura and Tess join the Sisterhood, Maura makes it clear that she'll do whatever it takes to lead the witches to victory. Even if it means sacrifices. Even if it means overthrowing Cate. Even if it means all-out war.
In the highly anticipated sequel to Born Wicked, the Cahill Witch Chronicles continue Cate, Maura and Tess's quest to find love, protect family, and explore their magic against all odds in an alternate history of New England.
  PREORDER STAR CURSED!
    
❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦
Lovelovelove,
signature

Greta and the Goblin King: REVIEW

Greta and the Goblin King (Mylena Chronicles, #1)
Chloe Jacobs
Publisher: Entangled Teen
Release Date: November 13, 2012
Source: Publisher
Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository
While trying to save her brother from a witch’s fire four years ago, Greta was thrown in herself, falling through a portal to Mylena, a dangerous world where humans are the enemy and every ogre, ghoul, and goblin has a dark side that comes out with the eclipse.
To survive, Greta has hidden her humanity and taken the job of bounty hunter—and she’s good at what she does. So good, she’s caught the attention of Mylena’s young goblin king, the darkly enticing Isaac, who invades her dreams and undermines her will to escape.
But Greta’s not the only one looking to get out of Mylena. An ancient evil knows she’s the key to opening the portal, and with the next eclipse mere days away, every bloodthirsty creature in the realm is after her—including Isaac. If Greta fails, she and the lost boys of Mylena will die. If she succeeds, no world will be safe from what follows her back...
❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦

CATCHALL
I did not expect to enjoy Greta and the Goblin King as much as I did. Despite my opinion that the title is too long, it does have a certain ring to it. It was a wonderful winter read, and I loved curling up with it and a mug of warm tea. It was literally the best possible book to do so with, and thoroughly enjoyable besides. It was fun and memorable, and it was definitely a hard book for me to let go of.

THE HEROINE
GRETA
Greta was an extremely awesome heroine. Seriously. In a world with no other humans that she knows of, she's worked hard to find her place and blend in. But as it turns out, it isn't going to be that easy for Greta. She's brave and when faced with danger, she doesn't run away from it. She also knows what she is capable of and doesn't go chasing after everything that chases her. I had a bit of a difficult time connecting to her at first because she puts on a good facade, but underneath that she is very human just a girl.

THE LOVE INTERESTS
ISAAC
Isaac is the goblin king, and he's arrogant and sexy as hell. He definitely has a very confident air, but it works on him. He knows what he wants and he'll do anything for Greta. Isaac also has an awesome sense of humor and often makes Greta laugh as much as he frustrates her. We also get the sense that he never really wanted to be king, but as that is now his role he's stepped into it and he is a strong and caring leader.
WYATT
Wyatt is the leader of the human boys who Greta meets and starts to care for. When he came across so many young boys, he felt he had no choice but to take them in despite his own young age. He cares for them like his own siblings and clearly has a good heart. He's a sweet character, even though he isn't very compelling.

THE PLOT
I loved Greta and the Goblin King. It's definitely a sort of modern fantasy. It took place in the world of Mylena, where all of the creatures there are slaves to the eclipse and it is perpetually winter. Greta cannot forget about her home, and she doesn't want to accept that it is gone forever. Her entire life is her hunting and searching for a way back home.

But somewhere in the middle of all this, she met Isaac. Isaac, who she didn't realize was the goblin king. And somehow, they formed a connection. He won't let her go easily, but she is determined to run from him.

Greta has made her life as being one of the best bounty hunters, and that's definitely not a common theme in YA. That entire aspect was interesting and it also was reflected in the way Greta has learned to handle things. Mylena is a dangerous place for humans.

The pacing is really nice. It moves fairly quickly and kept me very, very interested. I definitely constantly wanted to know more. I never was bored, because there aren't pages of annoying info that leads nowhere. Everything that happened fit in somewhere. The characters had very interesting relationships with each other, too.

It's a sweet romance, but there's so much more to it than that. It's also about family, and the girl with the power to save Mylena from itself.

THE ROMANCE
I majorly enjoyed the romance here. Greta and Isaac have a connection, and I don't just mean the romantic kinds. He can walk in her dreams, and she hates that. So she tries to deny any feelings between them as a result of no more than that. Isaac, though, knows that it is more than that and he is determined to prove it to her no matter what. I loved the way you can see Greta's feelings for him evolve. It is also implied that Wyatt is falling for her, and Greta definitely considers him as a possibility. But she can't seem to forget about Isaac despite herself.

THE WRITING
I love Chloe's writing. I love that she writes in third person! I felt like I was really a part of the story and it helped me to get a better insight to more of the story. Greta's way of telling things is definitely biased and yet we still get a deeper insight into things the way it is written. New fantasy worlds can also be hard to picture, but Chloe was careful to give us enough description so that we could. She also did not subject us to info dumps and instead gave us the information much more gradually.

THE ENDING
The ending was really, really nice. It wasn't some sort of huge cliffhanger, which I especially liked. It closed everything perfectly and left me wanting more without cheating! It was definitely a very happy ending, too. It also felt very thought out and not rushed. Additionally, it wasn't all good. There were some sadder parts, but they were overall made up for.

WRAPUP
I did love Greta and the Goblin King, and feel that it is one of the most fun books I've read in a while. I would definitely recommend this to fans of the Entangled Teen pubbed books in general. If you're looking for a sexy romance with a new fantasy world to fall in love with, then this one is definitely for you too! I will certainly be reading the next book in the Mylena Chronicles.

FINE.

****FINAL RATING:  4.25 RED ROSES****
tinytinytinytiny

Timeless: BLOG TOUR, GUEST POST, and GIVEAWAY

Hi, darlings! Thanks for stopping by today! On this fine Friday I am honored to host the fabulous Michelle Madow on her blog tour for TIMELESS, the final book of the Transcend Time series. In case you're wondering, I absolutely loved this series.

Timeless (Transcend Time, #3)
Michelle Madow
Publisher: Dreamscape Publishing
Release Date: November 14, 2012
IT'S A RACE AGAINST TIME.
In Remembrance, Lizzie and Drew changed the course of fate so they could be together.
In Vengeance, Chelsea set fate back on its original, deadly path.
Now, strange things keep happening to Lizzie. Things that are omens of darkness to come. A curse has doomed her to die an early death, just as she did in her past life. To make things worse, even if she can figure out who cast the curse, it's irreversible. There's only one option left for her to save herself. It's crazier than anything she's heard yet, and to do it, she'll need Drew and Chelsea's help.
Because to make things right, they must go back to when it all began…
❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦

Remembrance (Transcend Time, #1)
Michelle Madow
Publisher: Dreamscape Publishing
Release Date: July 27, 2011
Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository | My Review
Lizzie Davenport has been reincarnated from Regency Era, England ... but she doesn't know it yet.
Then Drew Carmichael transfers into Lizzie's high school at the beginning of the year, and she feels a connection to him, almost like she knows him. She can't stop thinking about him, but whenever she tries talking with him about the mysteries behind her feelings, he makes it clear that he wants nothing to do with her. Reaching him is even more difficult because she has a boyfriend, Jeremy, who has started to become full of himself after being elected co-captain of the varsity soccer team, and her flirtatious best friend Chelsea starts dating Drew soon after his arrival. So why can't she get him out of her mind?
Even though Lizzie knows she should let go of her fascination with Drew, fighting fate isn't going to be easy.
❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦
Vengeance (Transcend Time, #2)
Michelle Madow
Publisher: Dreamscape Publishing
Release Date: December 8, 2011
How far would you go to get revenge?
When Chelsea Givens discovered that her ex-boyfriend Drew dumped her to be with her former best friend Lizzie, she'd never felt so betrayed in her life. Then her new friend Shannon tells her she can help set things right. Chelsea's willing to listen, but what Shannon wants her to believe -- that she shared a past life with Drew -- is impossible. And what she wants her to do to get him back … well, it's downright crazy.
Could Shannon be telling the truth? And if she is, what lengths will Chelsea go if it means making Lizzie pay?
Find out in Vengeance, the second part of the Transcend Time Saga.
*Vengeance is the short story that bridges the events in Remembrance and the final novel in the Saga.
❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦
Praise for TIMELESS

"The combination of time travel, magic, and love makes Timeless an unforgettable page turner!"
For Those About to Read

"Timeless had great twists, particularly towards the end. For something inspired by a Taylor Swift song, Michelle has come up with a great series!"
Addiction to Words Reviews

"Just when I think I know what to expect, Michelle throws me a curveball! It was spectacular. And marvelous. And a little bit daring, which is what makes Timeless stand out so much!"
Sparkles and Lightning (That's me! xx)

Praise for REMEMBRANCE

"If you were to take a dash of Romeo and Juliet, a handful of Pride and Prejudice, and a pinch of a Disney fairytale, you'd probably come up with Remembrance!"
Gilbert & Gomez

"I enjoyed everything about Remembrance. The dialogue was fantastic, the pace moved perfectly, the romance was charming, and the story was brilliant!"
Shortie Says
❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦
About Michelle
Michelle Madow was inspired to write Remembrance after seeing Taylor Swift's "Love Story" music video while a junior at Rollins College in Winter Park, FL. The song and video gave her the story idea about a high school girl reincarnated from Regency Era, England. She handed in the first chapter as a homework assignment for class, and when her teacher and classmates wanted her to continue writing, she decided to go for it. By the end of the school year, her first novel was completed!
Michelle graduated from the Park School of Baltimore in 2005, where she always took two English classes each semester. She graduated from Rollins College in 2010, cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in English. At Rollins she was a member of the National Society of Collegiate Scholars, and a member of the International English Honor Society Sigma Tau Delta.
She received the Charles Hyde Pratt Award for Excellence in Creative Writing in 2010.
For more information on Michelle and her books, please visit www.michellemadow.com.
Michelle lives in Florida, where she is hard at work writing more novels for young adults.
❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦
 And now it's time for me to hand my blog over to Michelle, who has written a fabulous guest post for my blog tour stop! I'm very excited to share it with you, so without any further ado, here it is!
Lizzie’s Top Ten Favorite Love Stories

I’m so happy to be here today talking about Lizzie’s top ten favorite love stories! Romance is Lizzie’s favorite genre to read or watch, so this is a perfect top ten for her!

1) Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen – Lizzie and Mr. Darcy (Book, the BBC miniseries, and the 2005 movie)
This is Lizzie’s favorite love story of all time, because it’s the one she relates to the most. She saw the movie in middle school and fell in love with it, but didn’t read the book until it was assigned for her AP English class at the start of her junior year. She fell in love with the book. Realizing that a lot from the book was left out of the movie, she watched the BBC miniseries, since it is much more detailed. She loved that, too!

2) Twilight by Stephenie Meyer – Edward and Bella (book series)
Lizzie read the first Twilight book in 2005 when it came out, and she was hooked! She loves the romance between Bella and Edward, and is 100% Team Edward. But while she loves the books, she wasn’t a big fan of the movies.

3) The Iron Fey by Julie Kagawa – Meghan and Ash (book series)
This is also one of Lizzie’s favorite book series. She enjoyed the first one, but for her the love story between Meghan and Ash bloomed in the second book of the series, The Iron Daughter. This series has an amazing love story with some heartbreaking moments!

4) Titanic – Jack and Rose (movie)
Because the love story in Titanic is heartbreaking and intense. It’s too bad Jack has to die at the end!

5) Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare – Clary and Jace (book series)
The love between Clary and Jace is so intense in this book, because it’s forbidden and yet the reader is rooting for them anyway! Hopefully the movie will be a good representation of the book. Luckily, Lizzie discovered this series over the summer, so she was able to read them straight through.

6) Moulin Rouge – Christian and Satine (movie)
Lizzie and Chelsea watch this movie together all the time when they have sleepovers. The music is wonderful, as is the love story. If only Satine didn’t die at the end!

7) Downton Abbey – Mary and Matthew (TV series)
Lizzie loves this television series, and watched it in a marathon over the summer. The love story between Mary and Matthew takes a long time to grow, but they eventually get past all their troubles to be together. Lizzie’s favorite episode is the Christmas special, when Matthew finally proposes to Mary, and she says yes.

8) The Vampire Diaries – Elena and Damon (TV series)
Lizzie has read the original four books, but she prefers the television series. She wishes Elena would let things happen with Damon, though, instead of continuously pining for Stefan. (And vampire Elena ROCKS.)

9) William and Kate (Real Life Love Story)
No one said this top ten list had to be fiction! Lizzie adores William and Kate’s love story, and loved watching the royal wedding on TV. It’s a fairy tale come to life.

10) The OC – Ryan and Marissa AND Seth and Summer (TV series)
Lizzie and Drew have been watching the DVD’s of The OC together, and Lizzie is loving it! She especially loves the first episode, when Ryan and Marissa first meet.

Thank you, Annabelle, for having me on Sparkles and Lightning for the Timeless blog tour!
Fabulous, yes? I love it! I totally love all of these love stories too. Okaaay, I'm not gonna lie, I'm not a fan of one of them. But tons of people are. I won't say which one it is, but to be honest, you guys can probably guess…anyway! It doesn't matter, because this post is about Lizzie's favorites! And yes, I honestly feel like I've gotten to know her a lot better through this. Really.
❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦
Well, now it's the moment that you've all been waiting for! Michelle has generously offered up some fantastic prizes for a giveaway, and I'm pretty sure you're going to love them! There's a picture on the Rafflecopter widget!


So, aren't you guys excited? I wish all of you the absolute very best of luck, because seriously, these prizes are fantastic. Signed copies of these books would be a lovely addition to any book lover's collection! And I don't know about you, but I experience instant lust when gazing upon that mask. It's beyond gorgeous.

Hope you enjoyed today's post! Let me know what you think in the comments!

Lovelovelove,
signature

Released Souls: COVER REVEAL

Today, darlings, I've got a pretty little cover reveal planned! This series in general always seems to have gorgeous covers, but this latest one is truly beautiful. It's a little bit different from the others but still matches, which I love.

Released Souls (Witch Avenue, #3)
Karice Bolton
Release Date: January 2013
Triss and Logan’s love is becoming stronger by the day as they harness the powers between them, but will that make them blind to the evil they’re facing?
After uncovering startling information about her family, Triss is determined to right the wrongs of her ancestors. Triss and Logan uncover who has infiltrated the covens across the globe, and they realize the plans of the dark side are far more sinister than they’d ever imagined.
As the power of this hidden world is exposed, Triss learns her role in the covens. With Logan, Dace and Bakula’s assistance, Triss is now able to fully realize the abilities her ancestors have given her.
It won’t be long until the dark forces regain their strength, especially as their leader, Eben, continues his quest for a power that can never be revoked. Triss must stop him before it is too late.
❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦
 ❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦
About Karice
Karice Bolton is a paranormal romance/urban fantasy author living in the Pacific Northwest. All three books in The Watchers Trilogy are available now, Awakening, Legions, and Cataclysm. Lonely Souls, which is the first book in her new series Witch Avenue, was released in June 2012!
Karice married the love of her life who she met in high school, and she still can't get over how cute and funny he is. They have two English Bulldogs that are the cutest bullies in the world, and they use their cuteness to get what they want. Karice loves the snow and gravitates towards the stuff as often as possible! She enjoys skiing and tries really hard to snowboard, but often makes a nice little area to sit while everyone zips by on their board. She enjoys writing, and she also loves to read just about anything with print.

A thousand hugs and kisses to all of you! Thank you so much for reading. A comment would probably make my day… ;) xx

Lovelovelove,
signature

Touch of Death: REVIEW

Touch of Death (Touch of Death, #1)
Kelly Hashway
Publisher: Spencer Hill Press
Release Date: January 25, 2013
Source: Publisher
Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository
Jodi Marshall isn’t sure how she went from normal teenager to walking disaster. One minute she’s in her junior year of high school, spending time with her amazing boyfriend and her best friend. The next she’s being stalked by some guy no one seems to know.
After the stranger, Alex, reveals himself, Jodi learns he’s not a normal teenager and neither is she. With a kiss that kills and a touch that brings the dead back to life, Jodi discovers she’s part of a branch of necromancers born under the 13th sign of the zodiac, Ophiuchus. A branch of necromancers that are descendents of Medusa. A branch of necromancers with poisoned blood writhing in their veins.
Jodi’s deadly to the living and even more deadly to the deceased. She has to leave her old, normal life behind before she hurts the people she loves. As if that isn’t difficult enough, Jodi discovers she’s the chosen one who has to save the rest of her kind from perishing at the hands of Hades. If she can’t figure out how to control her power, history will repeat itself, and her race will become extinct.
❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦

CATCHALL
I absolutely adored Touch of Death. A hot paranormal romance with memorable characters and a truly unique plot, it is definitely a book that will stay with me for a long time. I honestly could not put it down and basically ran out sharing it with everyone within reach. It was an awesome book, and deserves a lot of praise if you ask me.

THE HEROINE
JODI
Jodi is determined, powerful, and brave. At first, she seems like any normal high school girl. I loved that, and she was extremely relatable. She gets completely confused when strange things start to happen to dead animals around her, but she has no reason to believe that she is responsible. I also love that while she's smart and doesn't make stupid choices, she makes mistakes just like the rest of us.

THE LOVE INTEREST
ALEX
Alex is a fabulous romantic lead. At first, I really wasn't sure how to feel about him, since he is very mysterious and closed-off at first. But as we got to know him better, I got to see the sweetheart behind his tough facade. Raised throughout his life as he was by uncaring parents, it is a pleasant surprise that he turned out so wonderful.

THE PLOT
What I loved most about this book perhaps is the fact that the plot is original. Very much so. Greek mythology has obviously been explored before, but never in quite this way. I'd honestly never heard of the thirteenth sign of the zodiac, so that was really, really cool too. I loved the way Medusa is a central figure in the story as well.

Jodi is living a normal life until she discovers she's being stalked. After that, weird things start to happen to the dead in her presence. Particularly, she notices, when they touch her blood.

There was one death in the book that I have a difficult time being okay with. I know it was meant to show the seriousness and graveness of the situation, but I still somehow thought it was unnecessary. I get why it was put in, but I still really don't like it.

The pacing was fabulous. After reading too many books were it is erratic or simply doesn't exist at all, it was nice to read a book that moves quickly but steadily.

Overall, very lovely. It was honestly impossible not to love.

THE ROMANCE
At the beginning of the book Joci actually has a boyfriend who is not Alex and named Matt, but I chose not to mention him in this review and I will not mention their romance after this as it gets spoilery. I love the way the relationship forms between Alex and Jodi. It seems at first like there are thousands of factors vying to keep them apart, and it looks like they'll never get together. But love has a way of getting around these things.

THE WRITING
I adore Kelly's writing. I really and truly do. The story is told in first person from Jodi's point of view, and it is really awesome to see things through her eyes. Moreover, Kelly give Jodi an intelligent voice with thoughtful insights and doesn't try to hard to make her sound young. Everything obviously comes very naturally and isn't forced, which is awesome.

THE ENDING
I loved, loved, loved this ending, because it was completely an totally unexpected in the best way. I honestly did not see one of the major events coming at all, but it ended up working perfectly. There are certainly some people who I think we'll be seeing again despite their fate at the end of this book. It left it very open to more, but didn't drag things on either.

WRAPUP
Touch of Death was a phenomenal and truly a breath of fresh air in a genre where many books are beginning to sound the same. Jodi's world became mine, and I honestly was kept enthralled. I would definitely recommend this to fans of Jennifer Armentrout as well as anyone who is looking for a read that has real heroes and heroines. I will most definitely be joining Kelly's fan club and continuing this series.

FINE.

*****FINAL RATING:  4.70 RED ROSES*****
tinytinytinytinytiny

It's Annabelle's 1/2 Birthday and her blog has been kidnapped by Aliens.

Hi! And welcome to Annabelle's blog! If you haven't me before. I'm the official Birthday Alien! I hijack blogs!!!
I"m also know as Inky from Book Haven Extraordinaire. Some of you may know me..if not...HI!!!  I'm here to celebrate one awesome girl and her blog!! It's Annabelle's 1/2 Birthday and she let me come hijack her!!! HAPPY HALF-BIRTHDAY ANNA! Let's get this party started!!
LET'S GET THIS PARTY STARTED!!
It's a Fiesta! A Partei! A Festa! A Partido! A Ctpaha! A Pihak! A PAAAAAARTY!

*throws confetti*
*shake those maracas*
*clap your hands!*
*grab your microphones* 
*share...your rainbows?* 
Okay all you party people! It's time for the THINGS WE LOVE ABOUT ANNA game!
SHE READS. (Smart, HAWT, cookie!)
I'm seriously, what is there NOT to like in a girl who reads?
SHE'LL *FANGIRL* WITH YOU
Fangirling? Check! If you can fangirl. You can be a blogger. ;)
SHE'S ALWAYS READY TO HELP 
Seriously! She makes Gift Guides, answers random questions,reviews books for authors/publishers and buys people books. What's not to like about that?
SHE APPRECIATES HUMOR
You gotta laugh. It's a part of life. I have provided some. 
SHE UNDERSTANDS HOOK & SHERLOCK LOVE
She does! The two bestest shows ever. Once Upon a Time and Sherlock. These claims are justified by the two following men. *get your swoon ready* Hoook, Sherlock and Fangirling have come!

annabellehalfbdaybanner_zps88006310
SHE'S GOT STYLE!!
Oh yes. The Anna flair! Makes her who she is!! Which is being a totally sparkly person!


   and lastly but not leastly...
SHE'S 17.5 TODAY!!
And since this is the REAL reason we are here, lets end with some final party GIFS!


YAYA! Best Half-Birthday EVER right?! Haha. I know. I went a bit GIF crazy...but.....
annabellehalfbdaybanner
MAKE SURE YOU ALL WISH ANNA A VERY HAPPY HALF-BIRTHDAY! Haha! Here's another 6 months! *cheers* XX,


Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)