Book Review #25 [Rock Chick Reckoning by Kristen Ashley]

Stella’s the lead singer and lead guitarist of the Blue Moon Gypsies and Stella used to be Mace’s girl. Mace broke up with her though and the loss of him rocked her world. But Stella gets a call, late at night (again) from one of the members of her crazy band. She has to go play clean up (again) and runs into Mace (and a shed load of police) and ends up getting shot.

Mace finds he doesn’t like it much that his ex-girlfriend got shot, right in front of him but it’s worse. A very bad man has thrown down the gauntlet and ALL the Rock Chicks are in the firing line. Stella doesn’t want Mace to be the one to keep her alive but she has no choice… mainly because Mace isn’t giving her one.

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So, I decided to start putting up reviews for other books I read that are far very far from YA world more often. And, I'm starting with this - Rock Chick Reckoning by Kristen Ashley. Let me start by saying this is the SIXTH book in the series not the first. Weird, I know. But, I decided to take my time to read this series and not in order. It's told from multiple POVS, but don't worry you never get confused. At least, I didn't.

[The low down? The Rock Chick series consists of sassy, fiery, STUBBORN women (Rock Chicks)  and their uber SEXY ,annoying, bossy alpha males (Hot Bunch) who get themselves involved in whirlwind adventures with guns, kidnappings, etc..]

Reckoning is Stella and Mace's story. Stella is the leader of a rock band in their hometown. While Mace is one of the private investigators in Nightingale Investigations. Stella is fiery, she's stubborn (-________-) and I gotta say somewhat wishy-washy. There were moments (and I mean MOMENTS!) were I was like "REALLY, STELLA PLEASE PROCEED TO GET YOUR HEAD OUT OF YOU ASS AND OPEN YOUR EYES!"...and then there were moments where I was like "Oh, okay okay. You alright." Because of her, I didn't enjoy this story and I had hoped but there was a light...


You get me? (sidebar: If you read, Kristen Ashley books before, you know where that phrase comes from. XD).
Mace, on the other hand, talk about sexyyyyyy *faints* Whew~ I loved Mace but he wasn't without his faults of course. Mace showed signs of seriously losing his temper a lot, but the reasons are explained. And, I gotta say what he had to go through. Damn. I'm surprised dude can continue living sanely. 


Let's talking about Stella and Mace's relationship. Both are broken, both are frustrating, both are stubborn, both needs a good slap but they fit well like a puzzle and healed one another. I'll be honest not a huge fan of this couple especially Stella she was too stupid sometimes that I just wanted...SFDNVJDVLSDHNGIOHEGN! 


*breathes* But, still I won't make rash judgement and choose them as my fav couple because there's at least 5 more to go. Besides, these two we get a whole barn full of wacked out characters. My favorites so far are: Tex, Luke, Lee, Jet, Vance. And, I'm serious when I say this cast IS FREAKING CRAZY! AND I LOVE IT! Man, if I ever had a chance to hang out with them...esp the boys. *wink wink*


I know this series is filled with TSTL main ladies. (too stupid too live) getting into situations where you find yourself sighing SO MUCH. But, I'll hold back the impatience & ride this wave 'till the end. Until, the next Rock Chick book...

Rock On!

Rating: 3/5

Quote:

"Tex! Stop saying 'fuck' so loud!" screamed Indy

"Fuck" screamed Tex. "Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck!" 

LMAO I love Tex. best ever!

Waiting on Wednesday: The Friday Society by Adrienne Kress

The Friday Society by Adrienne Kress
Publication Release: December 6, 2012

Be your own hero . . .

An action-packed tale of gowns, guys, guns—and the heroines who use them all.

Set in Edwardian London, The Friday Society follows the stories of three very intelligent and talented young women, all of whom are assistants to powerful men: Cora, lab assistant; Michiko, Japanese fight assistant; and Nellie, magician’s assistant. The three young women’s lives become inexorably intertwined after a chance meeting at a ball that ends with the discovery of a murdered mystery man.

It’s up to these three, in their own charming but bold way, to solve the murder—and the crimes they believe may be connected to it—without calling too much attention to themselves.

Tell me, that doesn't interesting? I can't wait for this to come out; trying not to have too much of a high expectation for this...but sometimes it's hard you know? XD

Book Review #24 [Insurgent by Veronica Roth]

One choice can transform you—or it can destroy you. But every choice has consequences, and as unrest surges in the factions all around her, Tris Prior must continue trying to save those she loves—and herself—while grappling with haunting questions of grief and forgiveness, identity and loyalty, politics and love.

Tris's initiation day should have been marked by celebration and victory with her chosen faction; instead, the day ended with unspeakable horrors. War now looms as conflict between the factions and their ideologies grows. And in times of war, sides must be chosen, secrets will emerge, and choices will become even more irrevocable—and even more powerful. Transformed by her own decisions but also by haunting grief and guilt, radical new discoveries, and shifting relationships, Tris must fully embrace her Divergence, even if she does not know what she may lose by doing so.

New York Times bestselling author Veronica Roth's much-anticipated second book of the dystopian Divergent series is another intoxicating thrill ride of a story, rich with hallmark twists, heartbreaks, romance, and powerful insights about human nature.

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 *spoilers from Divergent included; strong felt curse words too* : )
  

Today we'll be discussing the second book in the Divergent series by Veronica Roth. 


you guys. YOU GUYS. THIS BOOK. 


Talk about an emotional ride. We return back with Tris and Four after the disastrous turn-out between Erudite and Dauntless members. After both of Tris' parents died and the death of Will, Tris is dealing with the overwhelming guilt that is gnawing at her. She's facing the cruel fact of how her world is turning out right before her eyes. She's loss. But even so, Tris continues to fight and fight; she continues to search for answers and never give up. Brave and strong but selfless and thoughtful. Dauntless and Abnegation. And, I have to say I absolutely LOVED HER because of that.


Four - in this book - is dealing with being reunited with his estrange father, and we all (those who read Divergent) know how difficult that must be for him. Oh man, we see so many sides to Four, it's amazing. I mean there was this one part with his dad in the cafeteria in front of everyone. HOLY SHIT GUYS I TEARED UP. It was so...sad. ;~~~;  and NOT in a good way. Both Tris and Four kept holding back from one another. Ugh, I just wanted to scream at them to just talk! They had a good amount of arguments in here, that yet again I wanted to scream. Frustrating in a way that I don't want to throw a few punches. It's a good feeling...

The relationship between the two is amazing. It felt so real, just the way they were with each other. They have this quiet magnetism to them. It's not about the physical, well not only. But, more on the emotional level. I have to admit in Divergent, it just felt like they were using each other as a crutch and nothing more. But, it definitely develops into something more in Insurgent. Not only that, but they have both grown (esp Tris) so much that they have officially taken a spot on my hero/heroine fav list. XD


Now, let's talk about the secondary characters. But, my favorite irriating one! PETER! Peter surprised me here, with the "certain" thing he did. I was like WHOA. I totally did not see that coming. Roth does such a good job with keeping you on your toes about these characters. I mean damn it, you don't even know who to trust and YES that includes Tris and Four! 

{Caleb. MOTHERF***ING CALEB. I-I CAN'T. I really can't....}


-_______________- Anyway...

At the very end, I gasped. Quite a shocker, I have to say. I can't wait to see how this information is used.

Insurgent is action-packed, emotional, and the suspense will kill you! If you can, take the time to give this series a chance, it's a joy to read.

Rating: 5/5

Quote:   

"In their enthusiasm for conflict resolution, the Amity have apparently forgotten that meddling creates more conflict," says Tobias (Four). "If we stay here much longer, I am going to punch someone, and it's not going to be pretty."

 Caleb and Susan both raise their eyebrows at him. A few of the Amity at the table next to ours stop talking to stare.

"You heard me," Tobias says to them. They all look away.

LOL I loved that part. 

Waiting on Wednesday: Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo
Published Release: June 5. 2012

Surrounded by enemies, the once-great nation of Ravka has been torn in two by the Shadow Fold, a swath of near impenetrable darkness crawling with monsters who feast on human flesh. Now its fate may rest on the shoulders of one lonely refugee.
Alina Starkov has never been good at anything. But when her regiment is attacked on the Fold and her best friend is brutally injured, Alina reveals a dormant power that saves his life—a power that could be the key to setting her war-ravaged country free. Wrenched from everything she knows, Alina is whisked away to the royal court to be trained as a member of the Grisha, the magical elite led by the mysterious Darkling.
Yet nothing in this lavish world is what it seems. With darkness looming and an entire kingdom depending on her untamed power, Alina will have to confront the secrets of the Grisha…and the secrets of her heart.

DO YOU SEE THIS COVER?! Absolutely beautiful! omg. Besides, that I'm really excited for this book, it comes out on the 5th of June. So close! I'm defintely getting this. XD

p.s I'll start posting more now. Since....TODAY'S MY LAST CLASS!! WHOO~~ Summer vacation has officially started baby. hehehe

[Please Read] Taking a Small Break from Blogging..

I haven't been posting much or rather reading much. Mostly because school is closing to an end and I have two papers to finish plus finals.
I'll be absent for awhile but I'll definitely be back. When finals are over summer vacation starts and I'll be posting more often. And, hopefully I'll get a job. *crosses fingers* I'll still be coming on here and Goodreads reading and commenting on posts, just not making much of my own.

So, anyway I'll see you guys soon! Happy reading : )

Waiting on Wednesday: Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Gaas

Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas
Published Release: August 7, 2012


After serving out a year of hard labor in the salt mines of Endovier for her crimes, 18-year-old assassin Celaena Sardothien is dragged before the Crown Prince. Prince Dorian offers her her freedom on one condition: she must act as his champion in a competition to find a new royal assassin. Her opponents are men—thieves and assassins and warriors from across the empire, each sponsored by a member of the king's council. If she beats her opponents in a series of eliminations, she'll serve the kingdom for three years and then be granted her freedom. Celaena finds her training sessions with the captain of the guard, Westfall, challenging and exhilirating. But she's bored stiff by court life. Things get a little more interesting when the prince starts to show interest in her... but it's the gruff Captain Westfall who seems to understand her best. Then one of the other contestants turns up dead... quickly followed by another. Can Celaena figure out who the killer is before she becomes a victim? As the young assassin investigates, her search leads her to discover a greater destiny than she could possibly have imagined.

I read the first two chapters of this, it totally got me hooked. I can't wait to read the entire thing, hopefully I can get it.

Waiting on Wednesday: Something Strange and Deadly by Susan Dennard

I know today's Thursday but I still wanted to do this. So, here's mine. :)

Something Strange and Deadly by Susan Dennard
Publication Date: July 24, 2012

The years is 1876, and there’s something strange and deadly loose in Philadelphia…

Eleanor Fitt has a lot to worry about. Her brother has gone missing, her family has fallen on hard times, and her mother is determined to marry her off to any rich young man who walks by. But this is nothing compared to what she’s just read in the newspaper—

The Dead are rising in Philadelphia.

And then, in a frightening attack, a zombie delivers a letter to Eleanor…from her brother.

Whoever is controlling the Dead army has taken her brother as well. If Eleanor is going to find him, she’ll have to venture into the lab of the notorious Spirit-Hunters, who protect the city from supernatural forces. But as Eleanor spends more time with the Spirit-Hunters, including their maddeningly stubborn yet handsome inventor, Daniel, the situation becomes dire. And now, not only is her reputation on the line, but her very life may hang in the balance.

You know there's just something about Steampunk books that are just awesome, you know? I'm looking forward to this one.

Book Review #23 [The False Prince by Jennifer A. Nielsen]

In a discontent kingdom, civil war is brewing. To unify the divided people, Conner, a nobleman of the court, devises a cunning plan to find an impersonator of the king's long-lost son and install him as a puppet prince. Four orphans are recruited to compete for the role, including a defiant boy named Sage. Sage knows that Conner's motives are more than questionable, yet his life balances on a sword's point -- he must be chosen to play the prince or he will certainly be killed. But Sage's rivals have their own agendas as well.

As Sage moves from a rundown orphanage to Conner's sumptuous palace, layer upon layer of treachery and deceit unfold, until finally, a truth is revealed that, in the end, may very well prove more dangerous than all of the lies taken together.

An extraordinary adventure filled with danger and action, lies and deadly truths that will have readers clinging to the edge of their seats.

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The False Prince by Jennifer A. Nielsen is a wonderful start to a trilogy.

Most of the books I read typical is from a female POV; at times I read books from a male's POV. Sage has officially come on my list as one of my favorite male heroes. Our main character Sage is witty, clever, the typical underdog and a bit of a rebel. Along with 3 other boys Sage is taken from his orphanage by a cunning man named Connor. Connor devices a plan to make one of the 3 impersonate the falling prince (Prince Jaron) of their land. Now, this alone caught my attention, it's pretty obvious how dangerous that plan is.

It's a battle between Sage and the other candidates to win and convince Connor to choose them as the prince, as the ones who are not picked are killed. There's a lot of lies, backstabbing, and mind games amongst everyone in this book but not so much that it's hard to understand.

The story was smooth and easy to follow. I, absolutely loved Sage's voice. Nielsen did a wonderful job in crafting this character, it was hard not to fall for Sage and root for him. He had a tendency to be a step ahead of everyone sometimes without even trying.

The twist in the end was really good, I honestly didn't see it coming until around the actual reveal. I'm glad this is a trilogy and I can't wait to see what Sage will do next.

Rating: 5/5

Quote:

“Master Graves was incensed and said, as punishment for my disruption, I would have to write my letters an extra ten times that day.
"Ten times the better I'll know them, then." I said. "How strange that you should punish me by ensuring I come out more educated than Roden, who has tried to obey you.”
― Jennifer A. Nielsen, The False Prince

Book Review #22 [Spell bound by Rachel Hawkins]

Just as Sophie Mercer has come to accept her extraordinary magical powers as a demon, the Prodigium Council strips them away. Now Sophie is defenseless, alone, and at the mercy of her sworn enemies—the Brannicks, a family of warrior women who hunt down the Prodigium. Or at least that’s what Sophie thinks, until she makes a surprising discovery. The Brannicks know an epic war is coming, and they believe Sophie is the only one powerful enough to stop the world from ending. But without her magic, Sophie isn’t as confident.

Sophie’s bound for one hell of a ride—can she get her powers back before it’s too late?

---

The final book of the Hex Hall series, I give to you. I'm kind of sad this is ending, I had no idea this was the last book.

Spell bound begins where Demonglass left off. Sophie finds herself in an unknown world all by herself. In this book along with Sophie we learn much much more about her mother's side of the family. It's shocking to say the least and a bit funny concerning what Sophie and her dad are.

Sophie faces a huge responsibility in this book. The war is coming and it's all up to her. But, what makes it even harder is that Sophie has to decide should I stop them? Or should I join them? Anyone would agree when I say when faced with the possibility of gaining power, it's a tempting offer.

All of our characters from Hex Hall and Demonglass make their return, along with a few new ones. We reunite with Archer, Jenna, Cal, Elodie and others as they help Sophie prepare for the war. As a bonus we even get to see a bit more into Archer's past and who he is. I wish it went a bit more. Maybe they'll be a short novella about Archer because I'd love that. I want to know what goes on inside of his head, and how he came to be apart of the Eye.

Now, addressing the MAJOR moment towards the end. I have to say one thing: Was that necessary?
No, I don't think it was. And, it's probably the one thing in the entire book, or the entire series that REALLY bugged me.

Overall, besides that blip on my happy meter; it was a decent ending to a decent series.

Rating: 3/5

Waiting on Wednesday: Dark Frost by Jennifer Estep

Dark Frost by Jennifer Estep
Publication Release: May 29, 2012

I’ve seen so many freaky things since I started attending Mythos Academy last fall. I know I’m supposed to be a fearless warrior, but most of the time, I feel like I’m just waiting for the next Bad, Bad Thing to happen. Like someone trying to kill me—again.

Everyone at Mythos Academy knows me as Gwen Frost, the Gypsy girl who uses her psychometry magic to find lost objects—and who just may be dating Logan Quinn, the hottest guy in school. But I’m also the girl the Reapers of Chaos want dead in the worst way. The Reapers are the baddest of the bad, the people who murdered my mom. So why do they have it in for me?

It turns out my mom hid a powerful artifact called the Helheim Dagger before she died. Now, the Reapers will do anything to get it back. They think I know where the dagger is hidden, but this is one thing I can’t use my magic to find. All I do know is that the Reapers are coming for me—and I’m in for the fight of my life.

I've read the first two, I'm totally invested into this series; can't wait for this to come out. Things start getting much more serious for Gwen and her friends. And, the fight with the Reapers are coming closer....