Holly & Liz read Insurgent by Vernoica Roth

One of the highly anticipated books of 2012, Insurgent came out Tuesday. Yes, we read it in 2 days. It was that good.

Insurgent is the second in a trilogy of book by Vernoica Roth. Dystopian society, young adult, a smoking hot boy, and no love triangles. What?! Yes, Vernoica Roth actually writes a fantastic YA book without there being a love triangle. One more reason that I think she's astounding. The other is that she's 23. Yeah. Liz and I both feel inadequate.

So a little back story on Divergent, the first in the series. Chicago, in the not so distant future, is sanctioned off into "factions". They are as follows:
Abnegation: The Selfless
Erudite: The Intelligent
Amity: The Peaceful
Candor: The Honest
Dauntless: The Brave
On every kids 16th birthday they take an aptitude test. This test, full of simulations, determines what faction they belong in. Up until this point, the kids are brought up in the faction that their parents are in. They have the choice to change if they choose. Beatrice, or Tris, the heroine of our story does just that.

Now, I won't kid you. If I were sixteen in Chicago, and I was going for my aptitude test, I'd like to say that I'd want to be Dauntless. They are pretty bad ass. But that would be lying, and while I wouldn't be able to lie about that, not because I would be Candor, I'm just too chicken to jump off buildings or on to moving trains. Therefore, I'm pretty sure, I would be Amity.

Back to Tris, see, Tris was brought up Abnegation. If you think in terms of color, Abnegation would be grey. Bland. Boring. When she goes for her test, Tris doesn't just factor in to one faction like most kids, she factors into three of them! Which is highly unusual. In this case she has her choice. Abnegation, Dauntless, or Erudite. She chooses the polar opposite of what she was raised, Dauntless. It's a pretty bad ass move. But that's not all. Tris, an oddity of sorts, is what's called a "Divergent". And she's not the only one.

Back to the story- the short version- Once moved into your new factions headquarters, training starts. Dauntless is gun happy. The train to fight, to shoot, to kill. They fight each other, they fight others. They are a violent group. But Tris fits in with them. Friends are made as well as enemies. And that is where she meets, *dreamy sigh* Four. Now, from here on out, when I say Four's name, it will be in all caps. One, because he deserves that kind of recognition. And two, because I can't help but shout it like I was warning golfers of a stray golf ball.

FOUR has secrets of his own and he and Tris form a bond. Fast forwarding some, a serum has been developed that controls the Dauntless. They awake one night, guns ready, to ambush the Abnegation headquarters. They don't know what they are doing. They are being mind controlled. So off they go, one by one, shooting and killing. Tris, however, is not affected by the serum. Because she's Divergent, remember? Anywho, she is able to bring FOUR out of his coma, so to speak, and off they go to try and stop their faction. People die to save Tris, Tris kills a good friend of hers, and in the end, she is somewhat safe with FOUR and her brother.

Moving on to Insurgent.

It's no secret that Liz and I get a little crazy and stupid when we chat about books. This was no exception. So to save you from reading our chat, I'll just give you the gist of it. And there are no spoilers in this. Just for the sake of I want everyone to have the same dopey, happy grin I had when I read the last page. It's worth it.

Insurgent picks up right where Divergent left off. Tris is a "girl on the run". After the aftermath of the slaughter, she and FOUR as well as a few others are deciding that to do next. Or better yet, where to go. And obviously, the Dauntless and the Erudites are after them. And after overhearing Marcus, FOUR or Tobias- as that's his real name- father say something interesting to a woman in Amity about information that started the attack, Tris is determined to find it. Now to back up some, FOUR has some pretty chill inducing quotes from the book. Indulge us while we "swoon" over him for a moment.

"Nothing else is all right." His whisper tickles my cheek. "But we are."

Sigh. Dreamy.

"I'll be your family now," he says.
"I love you," I say.
I said that once, before I went to Erudite headquarters, but he was asleep then. I don't know why I didn't say it when he could hear it. Maybe I was afraid to trust him with something so personal as my devotion. Or afraid that I did not know what it was to love someone. But now I think the scary thing was not saying it before it was almost too late. Not saying it before it was almost too late for me.
I am his, and he is mine, and it has been that way all along.
He stares at me. I wait with my hands clutching his arms for stability as he considers his response.
He frowns at me. "Say it again."
"Tobias," I say, "I love you."
His skin is slippery with water and he smells like sweat and my shirt sticks to his arms when he slides them around me. He presses his face to my neck and kisses me right above the collarbone, kisses my cheek, kisses my lips.
"I love you, too," he says.

Now, Tris gets on my nerves A LOT in this book. So much so that I was reminded after biting every fingernail I had, why I like contemporary romance books so much. They aren't this adrenaline pumping, heart stopping, OMG what's going to happen next kind of books. At one point talking with Liz, I compared Tris to Edward Cullen. I mean really? Don't be the martyr. Don't do things because YOU think you're saving everyone a lot of heartache. But unlike Bella Swan, FOUR doesn't just stand back and stare out a window for months upon months (kudos to you Veronica Roth). He actually acts and does something to help Tris. Because he love knows no bounds. And in the end, you realize that maybe Tris was thinking smart. She did qualify to be an Erudite after all and they are the smart ones. Well, kind of. They are the ones wanting to start this war. And for what? Oh now isn't that the kicker in this book. FINALLY at the end, you're told what the big secret is and it's a doozie! Liz and I finished this book within thirty minutes of one another. And even though we are miles apart, our smiles were evident. I think I reread the last page a few times just to make sure I understood and that my happy reaction was justifiable.

Yes, there is more death in this book. Old enemies, are still old enemies but they make redeeming choices. In book one, it's said, "Faction before Blood". Yeah, well, don't that hold true in Insurgent. And when these books are made into movies, they won't be for the faint of heart. And speaking of movies...Liz and I spent a good part of our chat talking about who we would cast as FOUR because honestly, who cares about the rest right?

We narrowed our search down to a few candidates.

Grey Damon

Thomas Dekker

Dean Geyer

The top two choices come down to these two.

Penn Badgley

or

Ian Harding

You can tell, we've given this a lot of thought.

Did you read Insurgent? What were your thoughts about the book? Did you hate Peter a little less when it was over? Would you have done the same thing in Caleb's shoes? Did you yell at Tris like we did?

Sometime next year we'll have the final chapter of this trilogy. I can't wait. Until then, Deadlocked, the latest Sookie book came out the same day as Insurgent. I'm now immersed in the world of Bon Temps. And there have been no Eric sightings as of yet. *sigh*

Interview with Alicia Leppert

Today is my big day! The day I get to interview Alicia Leppert, author of Emerald City. And when I've mentioned in past posts that she's awesome it was a gross understatement. She's amazing. The most down to Earth author I've had the pleasure to speak with.

If we had been face to face, this is how I imagine our interview would have went.

But alas, we were on opposite sides of a computer screen, or in my case, my iphone.

So here it is! My first author interview!

How long did it take you to write Emerald City?

It took me about three years to write, but for the first two or more years I was writing very sporadically. There would be months at a time that I wouldn't write at all. It wasn't until four or five months before my deadline that I began seriously writing daily.

What gave you the idea for Emerald City?

There wasn't really one thing that gave me the idea. Once I decided I was going to start writing a book, like- really doing it- I knew right away that I wanted to write about a girl who struggled with depression, and I wanted to write a love story. I tried several attempts just with those two ideas, and they all bombed spectacularly. Then one night I got really frustrated and sat brainstorming ideas. For the first time I started thinking about incorporating a fantasy element into my story, since lately that's what I had been reading, and that's when I had my light bulb moment. I knew what I was going to write my book about, and after that it just sort of unfolded.

Totally good to know. I myself have been sitting on the same book for almost a year.  A years worth of planning, a month worth of writing (for NANO) and now, it's just collecting dust on my hard drive. *Sigh* I'll get to it.

What was your query process like?

Uh...I actually had no query process. I was already in contact with someone at Cedar Fort when I began writing Emerald City. She read the first chapter and fell in love with it, and when I was halfway through writing it, they signed me. I was incredibly fortunate to not have to go through the dreaded query process.

I'd say. It makes me sick to think about sending letters out. Then again, I'm not going to be sending anything if I don't sweep my story. You know, because of the dust bunnies.

Any advice you'd give aspiring authors?

Actually, I was told this by the aforementioned contact at Cedar Fort. She said the biggest thing for aspiring authors, when trying to get published, is to know the guidelines laid out by the publishers they are sending their queries to. If it's apparent they haven't taken the time to check the website and see what the publishers want, they won't bother reading their manuscript.

Good to know. And great advice!

Edward or Jacob?

I love Jacob, but Edward will always hold a special place in my heart. (Yes, I totally just admitted that.)

It's okay. I'm Team Edward all the way. But...I'll have to say, Carlisle does it for me too.

Bill or Eric?

Feel free to laugh, but I had to Google those names to see who they were! I have never seen True Blood, and I've never read The Vampire Diaries (or watched the show) either. To be honest, after Twilight, I couldn't bring myself to get into any other vampir sagas. Twilight was it for this girl.

GASP! I'm totally team Eric. Bill is...whiney. Like you, I've never watched nor read, The Vampire Diaries. But if I could recommend another vampire series with a leading man, that in my opinion, gives Edward a run for his money, it would be The Chicagoland Vampire series. Ethan...yummy!

And that's it ladies and gentlemen. I could have asked her a million in one questions, and maybe another time I will. If, of course, Alicia agrees.

Thank you a million times over to Alicia for taking the time to sit down with me and answer a few questions. And for also including me in my first ever blog tour. Thank you to Cedar Fort for allowing me to read Emerald City via NetGalley. It was truly an honor.

If you'd like to read my review of Emerald City, you can find it here. If you'd like to follow Alicia's blog tour, you can check out the other great blogs talking with her, here. And don't forget, pick up your copy of Emerald City either from Amazon or Barnes and Noble on April 10th.

In the meantime, here are a few other links for you to check out. Don't forget, you can follow me on twitter at @hollygeauxlitly

Author Website: aliciakleppert.com   

Author Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/alicialeppert

Author Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Emerald-City/173223922777769

Author GoodReads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12582784-emerald-city

Pre-Order on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Emerald-City-Alicia-K-Leppert/dp/1599558645/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1315870734&sr=8-7  

Publisher Blog http://www.cedarfortbooks.com/

Publisher Facebook https://www.facebook.com/cedarfortbooks

Publisher Twitter http://twitter.com/#!/cedarfortbooks

Publisher GoodReads http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/4202252-cedar-fort

 

 

Anew (The Archers of Avalon #1) by Chelsea Fine

4 of 5 stars

I came across this book via another friend adding it to her "to be read" list on Goodreads. Once I read the blurb-

Two years ago, Scarlet awoke in the forest alone, afraid, and unable to remember anything. Lost and confused, her life was a mystery...until she met a boy with a familiar voice.

Gabriel Archer has a voice from her past, and Scarlet's determined to remember why. She immerses herself in his life only to discover he has a brother he's kept hidden from her: Tristan Archer.

Upon meeting Tristan, Scarlet's world becomes even more muddled. While she's instinctively drawn to Gabriel, she's impossibly drawn to Tristan--and confused out of her mind. As she tries to piece together her history Scarlet realizes her past...might just be the death of her.

I wanted to read it. Then said friend, Michelle, sent me a message saying, "Hi Holly, If you go to the authors blog today only you can request a free copy for review: http://www.chelseafinebooks.com/"

Um...duh. Like I'm going to pass up a free book. So I went to the website and requested a copy of the book. Let me say that authors that do this are pretty extrordinary. I mean, you're giving me a copy of your book to read? How awesome is that! And not only that, Chelsea is soooo sweet! She emailed me a copy with in like twenty minutes of requesting one, and she was so friendly that I instantly wanted to be friends with her. That's normal right? I hope so.

Here's the inital review I gave Anew on Goodreads.

What?! It ends there!!!! A better review to come after I've picked my jaw up from the floor.

Once I was able to put into words what I thought about the jaw dropping ending, this is what I said.

There's Scarlett. She has no memory of her life except for the last two years. Weird, right? Then there is Scarlett's best friend, Heather. Heather is your typical BFF. She's a girls girl. The story starts off at the annual kissing festival in their hometown of Avalon, Georgia. Here the girls meet Gabriel. A fine speciman of a man. Instant attraction between him and Scarlett and before you know it, BAM! they're a couple. It's really cute how they are and how Heather is convinced he's into all sorts of trouble, like he's a mobster. Unknown to the girls, who they're actually seeing is Tristan; Gabriel's twin brother. DUN DUN DUN

Tristan from the get go puts on this front like he can't stand Scarlett. But really, it pains him to be near her and away from her. All because of a curse. A curse meant to kill Scarlett but Tristan took the arrow for her (kind of) and now, all three of them are cursed. Oh yeah, I didn't mention that in previous lives they all know each other? Maybe I shouldn't say too much more on that.

Although, to cure them all, they must find the fountain of youth. The pure water from the fountain is the only thing, short of Tristan dying, that can save the trio. Problem? Where's the fountain?

A quirky cast of friends and brothers leave you asking so many more questions when you're done with the book, and after you've picked your jaw up from the floor. Yes, Ms. Fine does an outstanding job of leaving one hell of a cliffhanger. But like I said, I'm left wondering so much. What really was the connection between Tristan and Scarlett? What happened in her previous life for their connection to be so much stronger this go round? And why, or HOW does she "know"? And Chelsea, I think you know what I mean when I ask that.

If you're looking for the start of an exciting new series, one that in the first book leaves you bugged eyed, then pick up Anew. Not only because the author is a super gal, but because the book is pretty good.

Talking Books with Liz...Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver

I have this friend. Her name is Liz. We both love books. A lot of the times we love, or hate, the same books. But without fail, if we've read the same book, we always discuss them. Always. So today, in the middle of one of our chats about, what else, books I had an idea. What if we talked about the books on my blog? Like a reoccuring segment, so to speak. Liz is irresistable to my southern charm (she lives in New Jersey) so of course she said yes.

Most of the time, this is how our chats begin.

(days before Holly has finished whatever book we're both reading at the same time)
Liz jumps on gchat- "I'm done with so and so book."
Holly- "I still have like 200 pages to go."
Liz- "I don't like how it ended."
Holly- "Well, so and so better show up but I'm thinking (insert weird twist my mind comes up with."
Liz- "I won't spoil it for you.
        Hurry up."

And like that, I'm on a mission to finish whatever book so that I can either A) share Liz's opinion or B) gush about how much I loved how it turned out and how I'm on pins and needles for the next one.

The scenario I just played out for you is pretty much exactly how our conversation regarding Pandemonium, the second in the Delirium trilogy by Lauren Oliver, went.

Before I can talk about Pandemonium, I feel I must give a little back story into Delirium. Here is the blurb that will tell you more on it.

Before scientists found the cure, people thought love was a good thing. They didn’t understand that once love -- the deliria -- blooms in your blood, there is no escaping its hold. Things are different now. Scientists are able to eradicate love, and the government demands that all citizens receive the cure upon turning eighteen. Lena Holoway has always looked forward to the day when she’ll be cured. A life without love is a life without pain: safe, measured, predictable, and happy.

But with ninety-five days left until her treatment, Lena does the unthinkable: She falls in love.

Before I give you my take on this, yes, this is a dystopian society book. Dystopian meaning it deals with a "what if" type of situation. What if this happened in the future. Much like The Hunger Games.

My review- 5 stars

Dystopian books are hit or miss with me. I loved Divergent, I wasn't that keen on Matched. I decided to give Delirium a go anyways. I'm really glad I did. This was a great read. Maybe it was because this "society" seemed more real to me, the characters seemed more real. Unlike in Matched where they were told everything they could or couldn't do, down to what time they ate, what they ate, and how they dressed, Delirium still gives you that sense that these kids have freedom (and that's said loosly) before they are cured.

My first thought, upon reading the first page of this book was the old saying, "Love conquers all". Well, by the end of the book I was still thinking that. Not only that, but "love makes the world go round" or how about another- "All you need is love".

Being able to have a front row seat and watch Lena and Alex get to know one another, learn about the so called order of the world around them and ultimately fall in love was wonderful. Lauren Oliver captured so many great moments and feelings within this book that with the end of each chapter I was on the edge of my seat, just knowing that their time would be up and they would be caught. Of course, the last 10 pages or so fall into that category of- no one in the house talk to me, this is too good for me to put down.

When I got to the end, my heart was aching but at the same time, I wanted to rejoice. There is no doubt in my mind, that by the time this series is over with, Lena will find her true happiness with all that she is searching for and most importantly, her true love.

Liz's review- 5 stars (no review)

Now that you know a little more regarding what the series is about, let's dive into Pandemonium.

Summary via Goodreads-

I’m pushing aside the memory of my nightmare,
pushing aside thoughts of Alex,
pushing aside thoughts of Hana and my old school,
push,
push,
push,
like Raven taught me to do.
The old life is dead.
But the old Lena is dead too.
I buried her.
I left her beyond a fence,
behind a wall of smoke and flame.
Lauren Oliver delivers an electrifying follow-up to her acclaimed New York Times bestseller, Delirium. This riveting, brilliant novel crackles with the fire of fierce defiance, forbidden romance, and the sparks of a revolution about to ignite.

And here is my official review via Goodreads-
3 1/2 stars but since Goodreads doesn't allow for 1/2 stars, I gave it 4.

I'll admit, I was a little lost at first. The whole now vs then alternating chapters threw me at first. But then...I liked them. I liked that it didn't pick up right where Delirum left off. You get what Lena's doing now, with what has happened to her thrown in.



Alex. Oh Alex. Where is he? Do we find out? I'll admit, I accepted his fate from the get go. I went the whole book reassuring myself that it was okay if he died. He carried Lena to freedom. That was the point. Of course, they were supposed to go into the Wilds together, but eh, sometimes love sucks.


Where the first book was about embracing love and realizing that it's not a disease, this second book is more about acepting others, in my opinion. Between Lena accepting what has happened and who has been behind everything, to Julian (our new love interest) accepting that maybe everything he has been told has been a lie and that there is life outside of the borders. A life that isn't so bad.



Yes, there is a new love interest and it's easy to fall in love with Julian. Much like Lena from Delirium, he is learning to love. He even quoted a song from "before" as he called it that I used in my review of Delirium; "All you need is love." Yes Julian, I still firmly believe that but with love comes heartache and sorrow. Something I'm sure someone will be seeing in book three.



There were parts I liked, and things I didn't feel added up. There were routes I wished Lauren Oliver would have taken rather than the ones she did. Requim is the final instament in the trilogy and the only thing I can say is that it ought to be interesting given the cliffhanger we were left with.

Now that you have that, let's pick it apart with Liz.

Liz's review- 3 1/2 stars but again since Goodreads has this no 1/2 stars thing, she gave it 3.

***WARNING***

IF YOU DON'T WANT TO BE SPOILED, DO NOT READ ANY FURTHER. ALSO, IF YOU HAVEN'T READ THE LASTEST IN THE CHICAGOLAND VAMPIRES SERIES, BLACK DAGGER BROTHERHOOD, OR DIVERGENT STOP NOW! IF YOU HAVE NO INTENTIONS OF READING ANY OF THE ABOVE MENTIONED BOOKS, PROCEED.

As soon as I finished Pandemonium I paged Liz via twitter where we moved our conversation to Gchat.

Liz-  soooooooo

Holly- I had a feeling Alex would show up. Book three ought to be interesting.

Liz- Yeah, you knew he was coming back. First impressions? TOTALLY disappointed in the love triangle. And I so knew that lady was her mother.

Holly- What I don't get is why he says, don't believe her, after Julian asks her to stay with him forever. It's not Lena's fault she thought he was dead. And as for the love triangle, I really hoped it wouldn't be there. Maybe have her do the resistance in his honor or something. And ditto about her mom.

Liz- my feeling? book 3 will be her trying to make it up to Alex, feeling mega guilty and Julian dying of cancer/seizures at the end BOOM - HEA, the end.

Holly- LOL True.

Liz- I didn't like Lena at all, for this super tough resistance fighter she was woefully stupid at times.

Holly- Julian will feel like the third wheel when he realizes who Alex is. So Edward, Bella & Jacob .

Liz-  I mean she NEVER had the gun in her hand when she needed it - ugh and the rescue was like REALLY? I can totally suspend belief at times but that was crazy.

Holly- There were times I didn't like Raven either but she redeemed herself at the end.

Liz- I can see why she'd hook onto Julian but really? she didn't even try and find out what happened to Alex.

Holly- I agree. And I think that's going to be his issue in book 3.

Liz- Of course I'll read Requiem though. Alex should be pissed.

Holly- What kills me is how fast raven & tack got to her at the end. It took her over 6 hours on foot. What did they do get some sleep & then hop in the truck to rescue them?

Liz- Yes! Exactly, they waltzed in, they waltzed right back out. I mean come on! The whole ending was just no no no no.

You know the thing about her introducing Julian, I don't even mind that because I could totally see how Lena would fall for him, she's young and scared and the world is in chaos but then to bring back Alex just for a plot device?

Holly- I totally agree. I had already accepted thd fact that he had died. A whole book to think on it and then bam! He's back. It would have been fine without Julian but now I want her to help him. I want him to help lead the resistance. And you know her mom will be back. And I'm hoping she runs into the cured Hana. I'd like to see that interaction.

Liz- Make him bitter and all, at least twist it so maybe he had the procedure or memory loss of something.

Holly- Yes. If he had to come back I was hoping he'd be cured & she'd have to work to break him of it.

Liz- Yeah, or they messed up his cure and she has to cure him, SOMETHING! I hate how she'll have to justify her actions and being with Julian.

Holly- Yup.

Liz- I thought Alex was Julian's brother for a little bit and then I thought maybe her mom was in there somewhere with the 'cureds' undercover.

Holly- I did too but after he told the ages I knew it didn't add up. Then whenRraven showed up & shot Mr. Fineman I thought maybe she knew them personally.

Liz- Exactly. Did you read the Hana short story?

Holly- No. I had forgotten too much with Delirium. Lol I had to reread my review before I started this one.

All we can hope for is that Insurgent doesn't follow with a sophomore slump. I'd hate for anything to happen to Four.

Liz- OMG! I would cry!

Holly- I'm really excited for Chicagoland. Eeep!! I know there will be issues with the "new" Ethan but I'm prepared for them.

Liz- all i can say is she better give us some hot, sweaty makeup sex in the next one or I am FLOUNCIN! I'm talking about Merit/Ethan btw..although I'd go for her and Jonah too, just saying.

Holly- Noooooo!!! Lol

Liz- :) :) :) I lurve Jonah.

Holly- And don't forget Sookie In may :/

Liz- meh, I want Lover Reborn!!!!!!!!!!!

Holly- Omg. I know but a part of me wants him to stay single for Welsie. Of course that's not possible lol.

Liz- Lots of Lassiter in this one too. I like!

Holly- That is true! I love him!

Liz-  I want him to mate - knock him on his smarmy ass. Oh and loads of John Matthew too!

Holly- Sigh. John Matthew. I read that she might not reveal that he is Darius.

Liz- And eeesh..No'One..I don't know.

Holly- I feel the same way.

As you can see, Liz and I get off track very easily. Then again, lots of new books coming out this year to look forward to.

Now, do you agree with Liz and I's assesment? Were we too harsh? Too opinionated? We really don't mean to be ugly, and honestly, Lauren Oliver should take it as a huge compliment that we invest this much into her characters. Although, we both agree that other avenues could have been taken to really throw the reader off its rocker. Of course, Liz and I aren't best selling authors so what do we know?

I'm hoping Liz will join me on a regular basis to talk books. I'm currently reading Everneath by Brodi Ashton and Liz has already read it. Look for our next review together soon. Until then...would you like to see Liz review books? While we have similar tastes in books, she does have her own niche that she likes.

Grave Refrain by Sarah M. Glover

 

Grave Refrain

By: Sarah Glover

4 of 5 stars

Here is what the back cover of the book says about Grave Refrain.

Andrew Hayes, a brilliant but troubled guitarist in an up-and-coming band, has been haunted since childhood by the presence of his muse. One night during a performance in San Francisco he spots her-- but she vanishes before he can catch her. Desperate to find her, he accepts a curious offer to stay in the city, moving into a dilapidated Victorian undergoing renovations that stir up far more than dust. Andrew's life soon becomes even more chaotic with the arrival of martini-swilling ghosts and a troupe of flesh-and-blood stoner spiritualists bringing bad tidings from the Great Beyond.

The dark side of his obsession creates visions both thrilling and menacing. As he struggles to solve the mysteries threatening the woman he loves, Andrew discovers his life is repeating a refrain more deadly than he ever imagined.

Here's what Holly says.

There's Andrew and his friends, Simon and Christian. The trio make up a band called The Lost Boys. One night a legendary music producer, Neil St. John, offers them the chance to go state side (the boys have been playing pubs in London) to San Fran and live in an old Victorian house he is renovating. The boys could use a break so they agree.

Did I mention the house is haunted? Oh, yeah, it is. By these two...

Nicholas & Noreen Chamberlain, inspired by Dashiell Hammett's, The Thin Man. A fictitious detective team known for their witty banter and love for a good martini.

See, Nick and Nora are both dead, but they can't be together. Even in the afterlife, something is holding them back from spending all of eternity together.

More on that later.


Regardless, Andrew and his friends take up residence in the house and before you know it, Nick and Nora aren't the only two they are sharing it with.



Enter, Emily, Zoey and Margot. They are in need of a place to live as well since the lease on their apartment is up. Zoey has to have good light for her art work, Margot just wants enough room to be comfortable, and Emily likes the charm of good house. Just so happens that the house the boys live in is more like a duplex and soon, the girls move in.

But see, it's so much more complicated than that. For Andrew's whole life he's been plagued by his "muse". Most everyone thought, or thinks, he has lost his mind. That he's imagined this woman and she doesn't exist. Whatever the case, The Lost Boys don't care because she has been the drive behind some of their best songs.

Imagine Andrew's surprise when he sees this muse, in the flesh and blood, at one of his shows. You'd think it's be all sunshine and roses. Wrong! He comes across a little too harsh and Emily flees the club convinced he hates her. Little does she know, he lives in the flat below her.

Awkward...

But the boys do their best to welcome the ladies by throwing a dinner party. Instant attraction, like lovers spanning across several lifetimes, for Andrew and Emily. Their connection is undeniable. They both feel this pull to one another like they've known each other forever. And Andrew, right from the get go is very protective of his muse. Especially when it comes to a certain college professor of Emily's, who is like scum.

Dr. Vandin.

Even the name sends chills down my spine.

Forgetting the bad doctor for a second, let's focus back on those martini drinking ghosts. See, they need some help and it seems only Andrew and Emily can help them. They need to be reunited. They truly can't be at peace until they are back together.

And this is where the story picks up. Emily is determined to reunite the lost lovers. Andrew...not so much. He just wants to spend time with Emily. And he gets his wish as they all load up and held up the coast to find Nick. Yeap! They have Nora's ashes, they just need to find Nick's.

I won't go any further with the details of the story, for fear that I'll spoil it all for you, but know that Vandin isn't the only thing these young lovers fear. There is so much more waiting for them on their journey.

With a group of people who have become a family of sorts, and with the help of some spiritualistic ghost hunting stoners and their van,

RIP- Big Doobie

You are missed.

Andrew and Emily face much more than they ever bargained for. But two questions remain. One, will true love- an all encompassing, fire breathing, passionate love- be enough to stand the test of time? That is, if they don't run out of it before it's too late.

And two, what was his answer?! Will poor Herschel get the help he needs?

Sarah is a dear friend of mine and I'm very happy for her book release! Today, February 14, you can order Grave Refrain from either Amazon or Omnific Publishing. If you love a love story that takes you on a roller coaster ride down the coast of California with an electric cast of supporting characters and throws a mystery in- not to mention a few surprise twists- then you'll love Grave Refrain.

And forgive me while I gloat...

Why yes, that is a handwritten note in the front of my book!

Thank you Sarah for sending me an advanced copy! I enjoyed it very much!!

What's this again! I'm mentioned in the acknowledgements?!

Actually, it says,

"The Muselets who supported this story from the very beginning."

The Lost Boys, forever it will be, has their own group of fangirls. The Muselets. I'm so very proud to be one of these women, and more importantly, I'm very lucky to consider them friends, and sisters.

Thank you, thank you, thank you Sarah for sending me an advanced copy of the book! I enjoyed every minute of it!

Holly

Hallowed by Cynthia Hand

5 of 5 stars

First off, let me tell you what the synopsis of this book says. PS- this is the follow up to Unearthly. You'll want to read it before you read this one.

For months part-angel Clara Gardner trained to face the raging forest fire from her visions and rescue the alluring and mysterious Christian Prescott from the blaze. But nothing could prepare her for the fateful decisions she would be forced to make that day, or the startling revelation that her purpose—the task she was put on earth to accomplish—is not as straightforward as she thought.

Now, torn between her increasingly complicated feelings for Christian and her love for her boyfriend, Tucker, Clara struggles to make sense of what she was supposed to do the day of the fire. And, as she is drawn further into the world of part angels and the growing conflict between White Wings and Black Wings, Clara learns of the terrifying new reality that she must face: Someone close to her will die in a matter of months. With her future uncertain, the only thing Clara knows for sure is that the fire was just the beginning.

Described by Richelle Mead as “utterly captivating,” Unearthly received outstanding reviews, garnered accolades from New York Times bestselling authors, and was named an Indie Next Pick. In this heart-wrenching sequel, Cynthia Hand expertly captures the all-consuming joy of first love—and the agony of loss. This beautifully woven tale will appeal to fans of Lauren Kate, Becca Fitzpatrick, and Aprilynne Pike.

Now, let's move on to Holly's take. Beware...*spoiler alert*

Here were my updates as I read the book.
---"Oh!!!! Christian. You're breaking my heart. I need tucker to do something horrible. I need Clara to choose you!" 
---"This is getting ugly. And by ugly I mean my tear stained face."

And for realz, I totally cried. So here is the review I did on Goodreads. It's totally incoherent and makes no sense if you haven't read the book. So I'm sorry for any rambling, but this is what Hallowed did to me.

Sobs.

Now that the crying has commenced, I think it's time to review this little beauty.

WOW. This series just keeps getting better and better. So,we left off in Unearthly with Clara not fulfilling her purpose and her brother coming out of the woods looking guilty as sin. Oh and then there was the case of the two boys. Tucker and Christian. In Hallowed we pick up right where we left off. Only this time, Clara is having a different vision, one that still involves Christian. So to keep her relationship on the up with Tucker, she tries to pass Christian off. That is until Angela forms "Angel Club" and they are forced together. I'm sure the whole mind reading/in each others heads things doesn't help much. But then, Christian tells her he is seeing the vision too. It's a cemetery, that much we know, oh and Tucker isn't there, but Christian is being Clara's rock. Naturally, we think it's Tucker that's going to do. It's not.

It's her mom. (and cue the crying)

This book gives you a deeper look into the world and the other lives of the angels. There's Clara's mom and her revolving lives she's lead. Teachers at the school who are looking out for Clara and Jeffery, and Angela and Christian. Oh, and then of course the black wing who just won't go away. And did I mention Clara's dad? Oh yeah. He's here and daddy is a full blooded angel. Which makes Clara and Jeffery, more angel than they thought.

This book is heartbreaking and will have you crying in several spots. It explains left open questions from the first book (who did start the fire Billy Joel?- I was so right in that aspect) and you even find out about Jeffery's purpose? What? Totally forgot that kid was going to have one too? Yeah, well he did and it wasn't fulfilled and now he's a man on the run.

And then...oh man. Then you totally switch teams. Where in book one you might have been Team Tucker, book two leaves you screaming in earnest for Christian.

I can't wait to see where book 3 takes us. I'm guessing college with the three amigos? Maybe a little Jeffery searching, that is, if he hasn't joined the black wings by then.

My advice? Pick up both of these books if you haven't already. They are wonderful reads!!!

Emerald City by Alicia K. Leppert

First off, I received this book (my first one at that) from Net Galley. I don't know why, but I felt really important to be given the chance to read a book that's not yet to be released until April 10th. Like I was going to know this all important secret before the rest of the world. So if you will, indulge me for a moment while I live on this high.

To be honest, what first drew me to the book was the cover and the title.

4 of 5 stars

I mean, the cover looked all dark and mysterious and the title instantly made me think of Wizard of Oz. Then I read the blurb that was on Net Galley-

One city of 600,000 people.

One broken girl.

One mysterious boy.

One fateful night,

Two worlds collide.  

I thought, how in the world is this related to the Wizard of Oz. It didn't matter, I wanted to read it. And fast. Quite frankly, it doesn't have anything to do with the Wizard of Oz. That was just my own ignorance shining through. Thank goodness I had a coworker who told me that Seattle, or Washington more like it, is called the Emerald State.

Okay, I get it. That made more sense when I read this blurb on the authors website.

Olivia Tate is a broken shell of a girl haunted by the tragic events that fill her past. She has closed herself off from the world, each day grasping at something—anything—to live for. Convinced there will never be a way out, she seeks solace in the depths of her medicine cabinet. When she wakes up days later in the hospital she is introduced to Jude, the quiet stranger responsible for saving her life. She never could have guessed then that her mysterious rescuer would end up saving her life a second time, while simultaneously turning her world upside down. A modern-day romance with a twist, Emerald City has a little bit of something for everyone!

I went into this book not really knowing what it was about. Obviously (see my Wizard of Oz moment from above) but I came out absolutely LOVING this book. Mrs. Leppert is right when she says that this mysterious rescuer turns Olivia's world upside down. Oh and the twist on the romance? Yeah, wouldn't have expected what it was from the tiny summary above.

Now, on to my take on this book.

Olivia is depressed. There is no way to sugar coat her life. It sucks and it's monotonous. She has the same routine every day. Find the will to get up, shower, eat, go to work, come home, avoid sleep- when that doesn't work, do her damnest to get through her nightmares. Why the nightmares? Why the depression? Sister has had it rough! Her dad was living a double life and choose the "other" family over her and her mom. Her mom struggled to make ends meet and support Olivia as a single mother. When it all became too much, her mom killed herself in the bathroom, for Olivia to find. Six months later, still reeling from the hand that life has dealt her, she decides to take the pain away herself by od'ing on pills. She's unsuccessful. See, there's this mysterious neighbor by the name of Jude who comes to her rescue.

And this is where the fluttery romance begins. Jude, after explaining to the doctors, that is was an accident that Olivia tried to kill herself, makes it his mission to keep his eye on Olivia. Convenient to keep a watch out for her when he lives right across the street. Just so happens, he shows up everywhere. On her doorstep when she can't sleep. At her job when her shift is over. And before you know it, Jude not only has taken up residence in Olivia's life but he's now in her heart. And if his could beat...(dun dun dun) she'd be in his too.

Hey Jude (go ahead and sing it. You know you want to) is "mysterious" and  totally had my cheeks aching. He's sweet and adorable and I won't say swoony because I really don't like that word, but he's just...yeah. He's pretty awesome. Along the way, you pick up clues as to what Jude really is. I won't spoil the secret, but halfway through the book, you have a pretty good idea that he's something else. Something other worldly.

This book was truly wonderful because it shows hope and promise when you've reached your limit that you can go on. You can find happiness if you allow yourself. Yeah, life sucks sometimes, but if you can pick yourself up and do right by yourself, then maybe you can be given a second chance. And love. Oh love. Who wouldn't want a second chance at life when you have someone to love to share it with?

Thank you NetGalley and Cedar Fort Publishers for allowing me to read this gem before it's released. I feel honored and humbled at the opportunity. And if you can get your hands on this April 10th, I suggest you do. I don't think you'll be disappointed.

Across the Universe by Beth Revis

The whole time I read this book, I had this as the soundtrack in my head.

Original I know, but considering the author begins the book with an exerpt from the song, I'm sure you'll have it stuck in your head too.

5 of 5 stars

Across the Universe starts off with Amy and her parents living on Earth as we know it. Her parents have been choosen to participate in a project that will freeze their bodies for 300 years so that they can be one of the firsts to inhabit a new planet. People from all over the world, based on their expertise, are choosen for this mission. Amy is nonessential meaning, she's just kind of along for the ride.

Now, in the first chapter, I was hooked. You get the whole scene played out as Amy watches her mother become frozen, and when it's supposed to be her turn, her father steps up to give her the choice to stay behind or go with them. Either way, he wont' know her outcome until he wakes up on this new planet. Well, Amy decides to go. As she's being frozen she over hears the men saying they won't arrive for three hundred and one years. Naturally this freaks Amy out. And this was my first, uh oh moment.

Every other chapter is from Amy while the others are from Elder. A man living upon Godspeed, the ship sailing the skies from about 250 years into the future. Well, Amy's future. Elder is supposed to be the next leader of the ship. A ship built on lies and crazy systems. But when Amy is woken up, fifty years too soon, she and Elder have to find out who is trying to unfreeze the "Earthlings" before her parents end up dead. Like, really dead.

The saying, Don't drink the water, holds true on this vessel. Drugs and nutrients are filtered through the water to keep everyone complacent and normal. Well, the sad thing is, those they keep in the hospitals ward are really the normal ones.

This book had several twists and turns. Some I had figured out from the very beginning and some I never saw coming. Overall, I really enjoyed this book and look forward to the second in the series.

Spellbound by Cara Lynn Shultz

4 of 5 stars

I'm a sucker for reading reviews before I actually read a book. I need to know what other people thought before I dive into something. One thing I saw with Spellbound, and other books recently, is that they are being compared to Twilight. Now, I'll admit there are a few I've read that read like a fanfic it was so bad I wondered if the author hadn't just did a cut and paste of character names. But when I come across a story that I don't feel has any symbolance to Twilight, I get discouraged. Spellbound is one of those books. Yes, there is boy meets girl. Boy is "bad" and is not good for girl. A secret is being withheld and they aren't right for one another. Okay, so who says that Stefanie Meyer has the monopoly of writing that kind of storyline? She doesn't, and many authors did it before her and many will do it after.

This book is about Emma and Brenden and an age old love story. Rich man falls for poor girl. They marry, have children, woman is murdered because she's not of nobility. And every generation the cycle repeats. And this is how Emma and Brenden find one another. In order to stay together, they must break the spell.

It's a good book in that there are twists and turns every where. When it ended, I thought, this was a nice little ending but...what happened to...?

There will be a second book and I wonder if we'll find out what happened to the "murderer" that was after Emma.



I've read and reviewed, Get a Clue by Jill Shalvis

5 of 5 stars

So far I haven't read a Jill Shalvis book that I didn't like. I've liked them so much, that I'm going to go out and get every book she's written that I haven't read. What I love about her books is that there is a good story, a zany cast of characters, humor, and plenty of sexy times. It's not overly done, like in some books, but provides the perfect balance with every story.

In this book, Breanne is left at the alter- for the third time. Not letting a good honeymoon go to waste, she treks it up to the mountains to enjoy the week alone. Or so she thought. Cooper's quit his job and at the insistance of his brother, takes a week vacation to a ski resort in the mountains. Things become interesting when Breanne walks into HER honeymoon suite, browsing the goodies left by the staff (a one pink vibrator left for her disposal, and firmly grasped in her hand) when she hears water running from her shower. Who should be there? But Cooper himself. Seems the hotel overbooked THEIR room. And both being hard headed and stubborn, neither wants to give up the room but neither can leave the resort because of an impending storm.

But this is where the story gets good. Not only do we have a case of two lonely people locked in a house with each other, we also have them locked in with a killer! The hotel manager ends up dead and the only people who could have done it (excluding Cooper and Breanne because they were a little indisposed *ahem ahem*) are Shelly- the cook, Dante- the butler, Latinva- the maid, or Patrick- the handy man. Or is there another person in the house?

Totally worth the read if you like a good sexy romance with a little bit of a mystery thrown in.

I've read & now I've reviewed... Paranormalcy by Kiersten White

3 of 5 stars

I had really high hopes for this book after seeing so many great things about it. Sadly? It didn't live up to the hype I had built up for it in my head.

So we start with Evie. And yeah, I'll admit, I like the name for reasons totally unrelated to this book. She's a 16 year old employee for the ICPC which is pretty much, a paranormal center that tracks or in Evie's case, bags and tags, paranormals. She's sent out to bring back vampires, werewolves, hags (seriously...creepy) and give them a place to work and live so that they are not a danger to humans. In the meantime, there is this fairy who happens to be her ex-boyfriend and a mermaid that is her best friend. Let's back up to the ex-boyfriend. Even though he's described as that, I never got the feel that they were ever boyfriend/girlfriend. Maybe it's because he had a higher purpose for Evie or maybe because she never really talked about things that they did together other than that when he touched her or talked to her she was filled with this warmth. And with that being said, it brings me to my biggest problem with this book. It's all about Evie. Which is okay. She's the heroine; it's her story to tell, I just wanted more from the others. And don't get me started on how she named every single "sigh" that came out of her mentor/caregiver Raquel's mouth. It kind of distracted me from the overall story.

Moving on, we meet Lend. As in Lend me your ear and I'll sing you a song. Actually, more like, Lend me your face and I'll duplicate it for you. He's captured by Evie of all people and brought to the center but he won't answer any questions about who he is or how he got in the center. Until, paranormals begin showing up dead and the person resposible comes for Evie. This is where the book really starts to pick up. Of course, it was right at that half way point and even then, it all felt a little anti-climatic. Until the end of the book when, like most prom nights, things just get weird. Literally. It all happens at the prom.

Here's my problem. There is a sequel. I have it open on my Nook but I'm not chomping at the bit to read it. I think my biggest set back is that the last three books I've read were adult contemporary and now that I'm back in YA PR, I'm having trouble really loving anything I read. But then again, that's just my problem.

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