Review: Dizzy

Dizzy by Nyrae Dawn and Jolene Perry

   Dylan doesn’t do relationships. He and his older brother watched their dad go through hell and back, so they made a pact years ago—no girl would come between the Gibson boys. But his brother sells out. He's getting married anyway. To the sister of a chick Dylan met at a party, who's probably the angriest girl he's ever met. Unfortunately, she happens to be hot, too.

Ziah’s life is upside down—her safe boyfriend turns out to be not-so-safe, and now her sister is getting married before college is over to the older brother of a spoiled, party boy who drives her crazy. And also makes her heart beat too fast.

There’s no denying the attraction, but there's also no denying how much they irritate each other. When they’re thrown together as forced wedding planners, they find an ally in each other--neither wants this wedding to happen.

But instead of putting a stop to the crazy nuptials they find themselves at fittings and cake testing. And maybe even…a few dates?

Dizzy is a novel about what happens when two people who are determined not to fall in love, maybe do anyway. Maybe. -Goodreads

~~~

Dizzy, dizzy, dizzy. That is exactly what I was after all the back and forth. And I’m not talking about the switching POV’s, which I enjoyed.  I am not talking about the witty banter between the characters in the book that gave the book comedic relief because I didn’t a whole lot of that. No, I am talking about the “do I like her?” argument that could rival the Grinch’s indecision about whether or not to go to the party.

Ziah (awesome name) is forced to endure a wedding she is against while planning it with a beer- spilling- to-cute-for-his-own-good-blue-eyed-egotistical-party-boy whom she can’t stand. Or that’s what she tells herself anyway.

Dylan. The youngest of the Gibson boys is sucked into planning his brother’s wedding that he gets sick just thinking about with said brother, the bride to-be, and the sexy-moody sister of his brothers fiancée whom annoys the crud out of him. Or so he tells himself.

See where I’m going with this? The book was properly named to say the least. The problem is I understand it all. I get the need of the indecisiveness and the arguments they had for staying apart were legit reasons but it was still frustrated. But I guess that just means that means the authors did a great job, huh? I got emotionally involved in the character lives and I was just as spent as they were when the book ended. 

The story was original. It was well written and had well rounded characters and a seamless plot. The authors did a good job and it was definitely a unique idea. If you don’t mind hot-cold relationships with hair pulling out and the sometimes necessary yelling of, “Stop over thinking it and just kiss her already!” then this book is definitely for you ;).  

~~~

Just for fun I decide to press him further and reach across the car, putting my hand high in the inside of his thigh. We swerve, dylan curses and pushes my hand away.

  "Did I distract you?" I tease as I poke his cheek. 

  "Always," he mutters. 

It was worth leaving the bar just for this. 

   "Sigh..." She replies. 

I don't get why girls do that. Why do they say sigh? Why not just, I don't know, sigh?

Review: Wide Awake

Wide Awake - Shelly Crane

\

A girl.
A coma.
A life she can't remember.

When Emma Walker wakes up in the hospital with no knowledge of how she got there, she learns that she's been in a coma for six months. Strangers show up and claim to be her parents, but she can't remember them. She can't remember anyone. Not her friends, not even her boyfriend. Even though she can't remember, everyone wants her to just pick up where she left off, but what she learns about the 'old her' makes her start to wish she'd never woken up. Her boyfriend breaks up with the new girl he's dating to be with her, her parents want her to start planning for college, her friends want their leader back, and her physical therapist with the hazel eyes keeps his distance to save his position at the hospital.

Will she ever feel like she recognizes the girl in the mirror?-Goodreads
~~~

Emma Walker was real, relate able a little blubbery but still lovable. All in all, I really liked her. She had some, "Oma geeze don't do that!" moments but I've read worse and it always worked out (great thing about fiction, right?). She had a good head on her shoulders. And isn't the stereotypical love- sick teenager that so many other YA romance novels had. She wasn't my all time favorite heroine but I still really liked her. 

Mason was so sweet. He got a tad confusing at one point or another. Like I didn't know what box to put him in but looking back I see it made him more lifelike. You can't put real people in stereotypical boxes and expect them to fit and that is how it was with Mason. He was a great guy who was always there and had a caring heart that always puts other people first.

Wide Awake was so good! I got sucked into it and irritated when I had to put it down. Shelly Crane did an awesome job creating an interesting story with great characters and real-life scenarios. The relationships Emma had before her six month coma didn't just snap back into place. She had to work through the confusion, anger, sadness, disappointment, and everything that comes out of life-altering amnesia. It was a well rounded and a very satisfying read.

The book wasn't too sappy and when it did get super sweet there was a reason and I understood the need, which is more than I can say for some books I have read. I don't regret the $4 spent on this eBook. It'll stay on my kindle app and be read many times again. It was a refreshing read that wasn't some walking cliché. Shelly Crane is an amazing author that is going through much and still delivers breathtaking stories!
~~~
"Ahh!" he yelled in frustration and laughed sadly. "I'm trying to the right thing here. I want you to have everything you ever wanted."
"I want you. And then I want to talk about what I might want later. Whatever happens, I'm not worried." I put my hand on his shoulder and he seemed to relax a little. 

"It's not all you've got," he argued in a whisper against my fingers before pulling them away and holding my hand hostage, "you just don't know it yet." He leaned forward and kissed me in an achingly slow fashion.

Check out the book at :Godreads Amazon and Shelly Crane's Website

Wide Awake is LIVE :)

Wide Awake- Shelly Crane

A girl.

A coma.

A life she can't remember.

When Emma Walker wakes up in the hospital with no knowledge of how she got there, she learns that she's been in a coma for six months. Strangers show up and claim to be her parents, but she can't remember them. She can't remember anyone. Not her friends, not even her boyfriend. Even though she can't remember, everyone wants her to just pick up where she left off, but what she learns about the 'old her' makes her start to wish she'd never woken up. Her boyfriend breaks up with the new girl he's dating to be with her, her parents want her to start planning for college, her friends want their leader back, and her physical therapist with the hazel eyes keeps his distance to save his position at the hospital.

Will she ever feel like she recognizes the girl in the mirror?

~~~

Wide Awake By the phenominamazing Shelly Crane is here! You can look at it on goodreads, and buy it on Amazon and Smashwords. She is working on making it live on other sites but right now this is where you can get it! I loved it and the review will be up tomorrow! 'See' ya later!

~Rain

Fate and Fury Blog Tour

Fate and Fury

(The Grey Wolves Series Book 6)

By Quinn Loftis

Synopsis
The last few days have been the darkest of Sally’s life.  After experiencing the joy of finding her mate, she now suffers the pain of losing everything she holds dear. Both the Romanian and Serbian packs have been captured, ripping Sally’s soul mate away from her almost as soon as she had found him. Her best friend and the emotional glue that usually holds Sally together, Jacque Pierce, lies writhing in a restless coma, having been put down by Desdemona’s dark magic. Jennifer Adams, the unshakable one, has revealed to her friends and her mate that she is pregnant, but the Fates have marked her unborn baby for death.  Though she rails against the darkness, deep inside Jen knows that Decebel’s baby must die as payment for her own life, and the knowledge is tearing her soul to pieces. Cypher, King of the Warlocks, has claimed Jacque’s mother as his mate and agreed to help Desdemona open a door that would release a horde of demons from beyond the Veil.    
Though her world is crashing down around her, Sally holds out hope.  The Great Luna is not sitting idly by.  She has commanded the Fey council to call upon the packs—all of them.  And though Cypher looks for a way to open the Veil for Desdemona, he struggles to protect Lilly and the wolves at the same time.  Peri, the ever-courageous High Fae, and a contingent of the remaining females of the Romanian and Serbian packs, push on through the rough Carpathian Mountains. Though they are bound to the human realm, they continue to search for a way to cross over to the land of the Fey. Meanwhile, in reluctant obedience to the Great Luna, the Fey council sends representatives to the far corners of the globe, meeting with the pack Alphas.  The Fey must convince the Alphas of every pack to lay aside their petty territorial squabbles and battles of dominance. If they refuse, both the humans and the supernatural races will fall at Mona’s feet.
Sally holds to a shred of hope. Though Vasile, Decebel, and their pack mates endure the torture of the In-Between, living their worst nightmares over and over, Sally holds. Though she knows that it is only a matter of time before their wolves take over, she holds. Sally knows that if the males die, then so too will their mates who have performed the Blood Rites, including her best friends Jen and Jacque.  Yet she holds. If the males lose themselves to their wolves and turn feral, so too do their mates.  Still she holds. Though Vasile, the strongest Alpha in their history to unite the wolves, is lost beyond the Veil, Sally holds.  Though Decebel, the only other wolf besides Vaile strong enough to unite the packs, suffers beyond the Veil, Sally will hold.  No one is left to unite their race, and defeat Desdemona. Yet Sally still holds.  She holds out hope that the Great Luna will not abandon them, cannot abandon them.  Throughout the centuries, the Great Luna has always provided a gypsy healer to the packs, especially in times of great need. Now Sally is that healer. Sally fears what role she has to play in the defeat of Desdemona, but she will play it.  Though heaven and hell unite against her, she WILL play it.
For too long the supernatural races have lived in separation, warring amongst themselves, allowing trivial power plays and selfish disputes to keep them from uniting. That separation has made them weak. Now, being summoned as a collective force to the same land, will they come?  Will they come in numbers greater than have been seen in centuries? Will they destroy each other and save Mona the trouble, or will they finally unite and fight as one? 
Review:
"Are you attempting an intervention? Is that what this is?" Mona motioned with a finger between them, "Let me save you the trouble King, there is no saving me."
I have to agree with the witch, there is no saving me... from how addicted I am to the Grey Wolves series. Fate and Fury was a knockout! I didn't put it down until I was done with is except for when I was forced to eat. Apparently reading all day and no eating is frowned upon in my house. Who knew?
'She smiled to herself at her thoughts because for a moment she felt her inner-Jen and realized she hadn't had many of those moments lately. Sally likes to think that it was because she no longer needed inner-Jen she was becoming exactly who she needed to be..."
Anyways, the book was told in many POV's but the main one was Sally's. Sally is such a sweet girl with a streak of fierceness that I love. Watching her and Costin's romance was a breath of fresh air. It was unique and not just from the other wolves in the pack but also from other YA Romances out there. Quinn always does a fantasmic job with coming up with unique three dimensional characters and this was no exception. 
The buildup was great but it didn't drag on, thank God. The story was a rollercoaster of emotions and you are so spent by the end of it, it feels like you have experienced all of the hardships, and verbal sparring yourself. The language was kept at a decent level and wasn't as bad as it was in the books that centered on Jen. 
"Jacque looked over at Jen.”Why do you get to cuss?" "Because I am pregnant, and like old people, pregnant people get to do a whole bunch of crazy crap and blame it on their bodies." 
And the romance stayed true to its teen- YA genre- for which I was thankful for. 
Quinn really knows how to keep you on your toes and that is one reason I really enjoy reading her books. I can be really good and figuring out a plot but with Fate and Fury I was grasping at straw the entire time and when her infamous cliff hanger ending showed up I was left with little sanity. 
This book is one of the best in the series and you should not hesitate to buy and read it. It is totally worth the 4$ :)
~ Rain

Author Bio:

Quinn lives in beautiful NW Arkansas with her husband, son, Doberman and cat (who thinks she is a ninja in disguise). She is beyond thankful that she has been blessed to be able to write full time and hopes the readers know how much all of their support means to her. Some of her hobbies include reading, exercising, crochet, and spending time with family and friends. She gives all credit of her success to God because he gave her the creative spirit and vivid imagination it takes to write. 

Links

Website: http://www.quinnloftisbooks.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/QuinnLoftisBooks?fref=ts

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AuthQuinnLoftis

GoodReads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5014564.Quinn_Loftis

Excerpt:
Costin closed his eyes and reached for Sally; his Sally, not the imitation that sat before, him broken and afraid. He didn’t know how long he and his pack mates had been in their own personal hell, but it was getting harder and harder to have moments of clarity like the brief glimpse he was getting now. The only thing that had allowed him to gain this much was the first moment in which he had felt her. It had been like a drink of water in a dry, parched land and it had brought him a minuscule amount of relief and then it was gone. With every moment that he felt the unrelenting torture of watching his mate die, be tortured, raped, ripped apart and taken from him he prayed for one second of his mates’ presence. He knew that he was fighting not only for his life, but for hers as well. It was a fight he refused to lose.
He pushed out with everything in him, reaching through the bond, though thin it was, to draw her to him. He held his breath as he waited for her to answer him. One beat, two beats, his heart pumped in his chest and then, she was there. His brown eyed gypsy and all the gentleness that she possessed.
“Sally mine,” he whispered through cracked lips.

Other Books by Quinn Loftis:

Prince of Wolves (The Grey Wolves Series, Book 1)
Blood Rites (The Grey Wolves Series, Book 2)
Just One Drop (The Grey Wolves Series, Book 3)
Out of the Dark (The Grey Wolves Series, Book 4)
Beyond the Veil (The Grey Wolves Series, Book 5)

Elfin (The Elfin Series, Book 1)

Rafflecopter Giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

1st Place

Autograph copy - Quinn Loftis book of choice from, and a goodie bag

2nd Place

Autograph copy - Quinn Loftis eBook of choice from, and a goodie bag

3rd Place

Goodie bag

THE COLLECTOR countdown

What are your plans for this Saturday? I know mine include lounging around and waiting for The Collector to premiere!! 17 more days, ugh! Go the Victoria Scott's website or Dante Walker's for sneak peaks and the book trailer if you haven't already seen it:) 2 weeks and 3 days ladies what shall we do till then?

Lisa McMann Tour

Lisa Mcmann is on tour!! 

Check out her schedule below and go to her website for more info on her and her books :)

Lisa McMann is the author of the Wake trilogy, the Crash series and a few other series and standalones check her ou on good reads or her website.

SEATTLE AREA:
Tues, March 12, 2013, 4:00pm
Barnes & Noble (Lynnwood)
19401 Alderwood Mall Parkway, Lynnwood, WA 98036
(I am going to try and go to this one)


Mar 17-23, San Francisco. More info to come.

March 20, 2013, 6:30pm
Books Inc. with Jennifer Nielsen
74 Town & Country Village
Palo Alto,California

Tues, March 19, 4:30
The Reading Bug with Jennifer Nielsen
San Carlos, CA

Fri, March 22, 3pm
Hicklebee's with Jennifer Nielsen
San Jose, CA


Saturday, April 20, 2013, 9am-4pm
Houston Teen Book Convention

Sunday, April 21, 2013
LA Times Festival of Books
University of Southern California

Saturday, May 18, 2013
Rochester (NY) Teen Book Festival

Sept 19-21, 2013
Hampton Roads Writers Conference
Virginia Beach, VA

Saturday, October 19
Less Than Three <3 Anti-Bullying Conference
St. Louis, MO

Her website:lisamcmann.com

March TBR Challenge 2013: My Goals

I am getting a bit of a late start But here are my goals:

1.  The Restauraunt at the End of The Universe
2.  Dreamland
3.  Peter and the Sarcatchers
4. Persuasion 
5. Skin
6. Throne of fire

I know this is a peculiar list and so I will continue to read newer releases that pertain  to my blog  but these books have been staring at from my TBR pile for far to long :). I might add a few if I finish before the 30th but this is my core list :).

Rain's Reveiws

How it Rolls by Lila Felix

Despite the odds, Reed Wolfe is making it, by the skin of her teeth. Her dreams and aspirations will have to wait until she can get on her feet. Because right now she’s homeless and churning on a downward spiral. 

Falcon Black is existing. Not living, not thriving, just jutting along a path. But when he finds Reed, he can’t resist the urge to help her, lighten her load. But Falcon tends to go overboard, over the line, crossing boundaries he never thought he would and risking her trust in the process. 

Can she accept his love or will it end up smothering her?

~~~

How it Rolls is the second book in the Love and Skate series. It features Falcon and Reed and it is their story to a happily ever after (more or less).

Falcon was such a swoon worthy sweetie! I really did like him and was quite jealous of Reed on some occasions. He found a girl worth pursuing and did so with all of his ability. Falcon did everything in his power to make happy and keep her that way. He was like the most perfect boyfriend you could have J.

As much as I liked Falcon I could never steal him from Reed. She deserves is a man like that. Coming from her hard life of being in the system and not always being placed with the nicest of peoples she had some trouble adjusting. She had some stupid moments but I guess in the end it just made her more human.  But Falcon being the fantastic guy he was never gave up on her.

Bird boy and Poppy go through a roller coaster ride of ups and downs throughout the book. But the blacks stuck with them and intervened when need be. Yep, I said the entire Black family, you get to follow up on Mr. and Mrs. Black, Nellie and Owen, and you get to see more of Maddox. The end was such a surprise which is saying a lot because I can usually figure out what’s going to happen. It makes my that much more anxious for Down ‘n Derby!

I don’t think How it Rolls will forever be on my Favorite Romance Books Ever shelf but it is still a really good read and something you will regret passing up.

~~~

Quotes

“Did you just call me Poppy?” I laughed at him. “Either you are seeing a girl named Poppy or you just called me a flower”

“It fits you.” He smiled, pleased with himself.

“Calling me by the name of a flower does not fit me. I’m tough and mean and tough…”

“You said tough twice.” He was full on belly laughing now. 

Rain's Reviews

Wait For You

Some things are worth waiting for…

Traveling thousands of miles from home to enter college is the only way nineteen-year-old Avery Morgansten can escape what happened at the Halloween party five years ago—an event that forever changed her life. All she needs to do is make it to her classes on time, make sure the bracelet on her left wrist stays in place, not draw any attention to herself, and maybe—please God—make a few friends, because surely that would be a nice change of pace. The one thing she didn’t need and never planned on was capturing the attention of the one guy who could shatter the precarious future she’s building for herself.

Some things are worth experiencing…

Cameron Hamilton is six feet and three inches of swoon-worthy hotness, complete with a pair of striking blue eyes and a remarkable ability to make her want things she believed were irrevocably stolen from her. She knows she needs to stay away from him, but Cam is freaking everywhere, with his charm, his witty banter, and that damn dimple that’s just so… so lickable. Getting involved with him is dangerous, but when ignoring the simmering tension that sparks whenever they are around each other becomes impossible, he brings out a side of her she never knew existed.

Some things should never be kept quiet…

But when Avery starts receiving threatening emails and phone calls forcing her to face a past she wants silenced, she has no other choice but to acknowledge that someone is refusing to allow her to let go of that night when everything changed. When the devastating truth comes out, will she resurface this time with one less scar? And can Cam be there to help her or will he be dragged down with her?

And some things are worth fighting for…

~~~

I did not like Wait For You. I read mostly YA so when Jennifer L. Armentrout came out with Wait For You in the new adult genre I wanted to read it but wasn't sure what to expect. I have read one or two new adult books before that weren't to inappropriate with the romance. But I did not feel comfortable with some of the scenes in this book. It is definitely a mature book and I had to skip quite a few parts. The characters were OK and it was well written but I do regret my purchase. It was a learning experience for though and I now know to be extra cautious in the new adult genre.

THE COLLECTOR: A DANTE WALKER NOVEL

He makes good girls...bad. 

Dante Walker is flippin’ awesome, and he knows it. His good looks, killer charm, and stellar confidence have made him one of hell’s best—a soul collector. His job is simple: weed through humanity and label those round rears with a big red good or bad stamp. Old Saint Nick gets the good guys, and he gets the fun ones. Bag-and-tag.

Sealing souls is nothing personal. Dante’s an equal-opportunity collector and doesn't want it any other way. But he’ll have to adjust, because Boss Man has given him a new assignment:

Collect Charlie Cooper’s soul within ten days.

Dante doesn't know why Boss Man wants Charlie, nor does he care. This assignment means only one thing to him, and that’s a permanent ticket out of hell. But after Dante meets the quirky Nerd Alert chick he’s come to collect, he realizes this assignment will test his abilities as a collector…and uncover emotions deeply buried. -Synopsis and picture from Goodreads

~~~

I cannot wait for this new book. I have been waiting quite impatiently and I still have 24 days left! Ugh! I have extremely high hopes for this book. It is extremely original and I can't wait to see what Victoria Scot does with this. Dante Walker in the ultimate bad boy and thus my weakness (I love my bad boys). Charlie sounds like such a fun girl and I just canot wait to get to know these characters. The fact that the book is is the male's POV makes it that much more appealing to me. I love to get inside the boys head to see what he's thinking. 

I will be keeping you updated here, on my Twitter, and on Facebook. And make sure to check out Dante's website and Victoria Scott's :) 

~Rain

Cover Reveals

Seeking Havoc 

Down 'n Derby

Cannot wait for these to come out! I love Lila Felix, I have read Emerge, Perchance, Love and Skate, and How it Rolls! I know these will be great :) I don't know when they are coming out yet but I'll be sure to tell you as soon as I do :)

Quinn Loftis

Quinn Loftis the phenomenal author of the Grey Wolves and the Elfin series is ranked 39 in Amazon's "Most Popular Authors of Fantasy & Futuristic Romance" listings. (Congrats Quinn Loftis)

Quinn Loftis is definitely one of my favorite authors. She is so talented and I have read all of her books and have never wanted to put any of them down. Her first series Grey Wolves is currently five books long and she has a sixth coming along in a few weeks :). Her most recent book that is the first of a series is Elfin. Both series' are very original, funny, and exciting. If you haven't checked her out before be sure to do so now! You can check her out at Amazon, Goodreads, and at her website here: Quinn Loftis!

'see' ya'll later!

~Rain