Rain's Review: Trust Me I'm Lying by Mary Elizabeth Summer

Trust Me I'm Lying by Mary Elizabeth Summer

Fans of Ally Carter, especially her Heist Society readers, will love this teen mystery/thriller with sarcastic wit, a hint of romance, and Ocean’s Eleven–inspired action.

Julep Dupree tells lies. A lot of them. She’s a con artist, a master of disguise, and a sophomore at Chicago’s swanky St. Agatha High, where her father, an old-school grifter with a weakness for the ponies, sends her to so she can learn to mingle with the upper crust. For extra spending money Julep doesn’t rely on her dad—she runs petty scams for her classmates while dodging the dean of students and maintaining an A+ (okay, A-) average.

But when she comes home one day to a ransacked apartment and her father gone, Julep’s carefully laid plans for an expenses-paid golden ticket to Yale start to unravel. Even with help from St. Agatha’s resident Prince Charming, Tyler Richland, and her loyal hacker sidekick, Sam, Julep struggles to trace her dad’s trail of clues through a maze of creepy stalkers, hit attempts, family secrets, and worse, the threat of foster care. With everything she has at stake, Julep’s in way over her head . . . but that’s not going to stop her from using every trick in the book to find her dad before his mark finds her. Because that would be criminal.
~~~

Review

Trust Me I'm Lying was a very captivating book. It was a mystery with a criminal edge that keeps you awake at night reading. I wasn't able to guess at things that was going to happen (though I can't usually anyways). The characters were OK. I'm not a big fan of love triangles but this one was really understated and I'm not sure that I would call it a love triangle. The romance that did happen was cut but I ffel like it was stuck awkardly in there far to out of proportion to the issue at hand. The action- well I really liked it. There wasn't a ton of guns firing life or death stuff but there was fun stuff like car chases, narrow escapes, and snooping. It was totally up my alley.
Julep was great fun-except for when Tyler was around until she got used to him. It wasn't the the interection that botherd me so much as the self talk that became really repetitive. Other than that she wa a breave, smart, strong female character that gives me a reason to keep reading young adult romances.
Sam and Tyler were both nice of a bit tragically  under developed but I think that that's just me being greedy.For the story they got their job done with no gaping holes in their story or the books plot. They were both really fun to read though I personnaly liked Sam better (shhh....).
The book overall is deffinitly something I would recommend. The language and romance were clean and though some of the action was shocking none of it was inapropriate. Happy reading y'all and pick this up in stores in Oct!
~Rain
~~~
Liberty Bay Books: Trust Me, I'm Lying
Goodreads

Rain's Reviews: City of Glass by Cassandra Clare

City of Glass by Cassandra Clare

City of Glass
To save her mother's life, Clary must travel to the City of Glass, the ancestral home of the Shadowhunters - never mind that entering the city without permission is against the Law, and breaking the Law could mean death. To make things worse, she learns that Jace does not want her there, and Simon has been thrown in prison by the Shadowhunters, who are deeply suspicious of a vampire who can withstand sunlight.

As Clary uncovers more about her family's past, she finds an ally in mysterious Shadowhunter Sebastian. With Valentine mustering the full force of his power to destroy all Shadowhunters forever, their only chance to defeat him is to fight alongside their eternal enemies. But can Downworlders and Shadowhunters put aside their hatred to work together? While Jace realizes exactly how much he's willing to risk for Clary, can she harness her newfound powers to help save the Glass City - whatever the cost?

Love is a mortal sin and the secrets of the past prove deadly as Clary and Jace face down Valentine in the third installment of the New York Timesbestselling series The Mortal Instruments.

~

Review

City of Glass is the third installment of the Mortal Instruments series. I’m no good at sequel reviews but I’m going to try nonetheless.

The book starts out and I already wanted to put it down- not permanently but you know, to cool down. But I stuck with it and it did get better. I think one thing I enjoy about the characters is that they hold Clary accountable for her actions. Jace and Clary finally get some answers to their plethora of questions. Simon is a very large part of this story and you see more of Magnus and Alec. I liked that Cassandra spread around the POVs and you get a lot of little side stories and the main plot from many different viewpoints. This book, though marvelous didn’t leave a large opening for book four so I am anxious to find out what’s next for this series.

~Rain
Goodreads

Rain's Reviews: What We Saw in the Night by Jacquelyn Mitchard

What We Saw in the Night by Jacquelyn Mitchard

Allie Kim suffers from Xeroderma Pigmentosum: a fatal allergy to sunlight that confines her and her two best friends, Rob and Juliet, to the night. When freewheeling Juliet takes up Parkour—the stunt-sport of scaling and leaping off tall buildings—Allie and Rob have no choice but to join her, if only to protect her. Though potentially deadly, Parkour after dark makes Allie feel truly alive, and for the first time equal to the “daytimers.”

On a random summer night, the trio catches a glimpse of what appears to be murder. Allie alone takes it upon herself to investigate, and the truth comes at an unthinkable price. Navigating the shadowy world of specialized XP care, extreme sports, and forbidden love, Allie ultimately uncovers a secret that upends everything she believes about the people she trusts the most.

~~~

What We Saw in the Night was good. It is a mystery-adventure type book told by a 17 yr old girl with XP. I can’t say to be well versed in XP but you do learn a bit about it in the book which I thought was pretty cool.

Allie Kim is a confused teenager that doesn’t really know what to do in her waking hours. She has two best friends Rob and Juliet. She just rolls with the punches and lets life pass her by. But when her life becomes shaken up she decides to take notice. It took a while for me to really like her and though I’ve warmed up to this female lead she isn’t really my fave. Her passive aggressive attitude and utter obsession with Rob really doesn’t make her appealing. When the action starts to heat up you get a hysterical vibe from her and as weird as it sounds I liked that because that’s how any sane person would be.

Rob is a sweet guy who I enjoyed but I don’t think he was developed enough. He is kind of two dimensional, I would have liked to get to know him better. And then there’s Juliet the Great and Terrible. the biggest self absorbed butt face I’ve ever had the misfortune of meeting.

But of course every one loved her and she is a huge part of the story *wink wink*

What We Saw In The Night was written well and if you like mysteries then this will definitely be up your alley. The romance between Allie and Rob went all the way and was hastily thrown in and was entirely unnecessary. However despite that is was still a good read.

What We Saw At Night
Goodreads

Rain's Reviews: Prophecy Girl by Cecily White

Prophecy Girl by Cecily White

Amelie Bennett: Ending the world, one prophecy at a time.

I was born to slay Crossworld demons. 

Big black flappy ones, little green squirmy ones. Unfortunately, the only thing getting slain these days is my social life. With my high school under attack, combat classes intensifying, and Academy instructors dropping right and left, I can barely get my homework done, let alone score a bondmate before prom.

Rains Reviews: Nobody's Secret by Michaela MacColl

Nobody's Secret by Michaela MacColl

One day, fifteen-year-old Emily Dickinson meets a mysterious, handsome young man. Surprisingly, he doesn't seem to know who she or her family is. And even more surprisingly, he playfully refuses to divulge his name. Emily enjoys her secret flirtation with Mr. "Nobody" until he turns up dead in her family's pond. She's stricken with guilt. Only Emily can discover who this enigmatic stranger was before he's condemned to be buried in an anonymous grave. Her investigation takes her deep into town secrets, blossoming romance, and deadly danger. Exquisitely written and meticulously researched, this novel celebrates Emily Dickinson's intellect and spunk in a page-turner of a book that will excite fans of mystery, romance, and poetry alike.~Goodreads
~~~

Review

So I was iffy when I picked up this book. I liked the idea of it. And with the main character being Emily Dickinson was definitely intriguing. But since mysteries don’t always keep my attention and books/movie/shows set in the past have a hard time interesting me so when I say I enjoyed this book you know how hard it was for the author to accomplish that. 

The format of this book was very well done with lines of her relevant poetry strewn about in the story, and the storytelling (it was in third person) was very well done. 

Emily is a peculiar and very intelligent young girl that is much too curious for the times she lived in and the place she grew up. When an acquaintance of hers turns up dead the circumstance is much too convenient and with the lack of caring from the rest of the town it give Emily a sense of duty to find out who this man was and why he died. Though she insisted on sticking her nose where it didn't belong I couldn’t help but cheer her on in her quest for answers. 

The mystery is breath catching, and keeps you anxious for answers. There is a nice balance of answers and questions so there is always a light at the end of the tunnel. 
~Rain
~~~

Teaser

Not one stranger in a thousand would have understood why she wanted a bee to land on her nose. Or would see the humor in her ridiculous parents. Or agree that one could worship God anywhere. p. 50

~~~

Goodreads

Liberty Bay Books: Nobody's Secret

Rain's Reviews: Gated by Amy Christine Parker

Gated by Amy Christine Parker

Do the gates keep the unchosen out or the chosen in?

In Mandrodage Meadows, life seems perfect. The members of this isolated suburban community have thrived under Pioneer, the charismatic leader who saved them from their sad, damaged lives. Lyla Hamilton and her parents are original members of the flock. They moved here following the 9/11 terrorist attacks, looking to escape the evil in the world. Now seventeen, Lyla knows certain facts are not to be questioned:

Pioneer is her leader.

Will is her Intended.

The end of the world is near.

Like Noah before him, Pioneer has been told of the imminent destruction of humanity. He says his chosen must arm themselves to fight off the unchosen people, who will surely seek refuge in the compound's underground fortress--the Silo.

Lyla loves her family and friends, but given the choice, she prefers painting to target practice. And lately she'd rather think about a certain boy outside the compound than plan for married life in the Silo with Will. But with the end of days drawing near, she will have to pick up a gun, take a side, and let everyone know where she stands.

~~~

Review

I have written this review twice.  This is my third time trying to come up with the words to illustrate the depth of this book. So when in doubt I will do what I always do, quote John Green.

“Sometimes, you read a book and it fills you with this weird evangelical zeal, and you become convinced that the shattered world will never be put back together unless and until all living humans read the book.”
― John Green, The Fault in Our Stars

This is how I feel about this book. The world cannot resume rotation, brownies cannot finish baking, nothing in this world can happen until the entire population read this book and take it to heart. I know- weird. 

“This is not a novel to be tossed aside lightly. It should be thrown with great force.”
― Dorothy Parker, The Algonquin Wits

Sometimes you will just want to put the book in the freezer and take a breath and once you've regained your composure you will come back to it and start where you left off. But you can’t! That’s the thing about this book. There is no point in time that you have enough control over any part of your body than do anything but what it takes to complete this story while reading it. 

I feel odd not telling you a lot about the storyline, plot, romance or, anything but I went into this book blind and I think that is the best way to read it. I’ll tell you this- I really enjoyed Lyla, her character, and personality, and thoughts were so human, so intelligent, so real that is gives you a new view on cult members. You hear about cults like People’s Temple, or Heaven’s Gate and as people we automatically, whether subconsciously or not, think that they are incompetent, unintelligent people who don’t know left from right but that’s wrong. And to them we are the stupid ones. 

Gated is this.

“The greatest book is not the one whose message engraves itself on the brain, as a telegraphic message engraves itself on the ticker-tape, but the one whose vital impact opens up other viewpoints, and from writer to reader spreads the fire that is fed by the various essences, until it becomes a vast conflagration leaping from forest to forest.”
― Romain Rolland

~Rain

~~~

Teaser 

"For a brief moment I imagine us linking arms like the characters did in "The Wizard of Oz" when they were preparing to meet the wizard. I'm the Cowardly Lion for sure. I can practically hear my knees knocking together. Will's definitely the Scarecrow with his extra-long arms and legs; Marie, the ruby-lipped Dorothy; and Brian makes a perfect stiffly postured Tin Man. I wish we really were headed down that long hallway in Emerald City, but instead we're making uor way around the stables to the corral." p.100

Goodreads
Liberty Bay Books: Gated
~Prices are the same as Amazon, and I'm an affiliate with this wonderful bookstore, so please take a look :) ~

Blog Tour: Smash Into You by Shelly Crane

Blog tour:

Smash Into You

By Shelly Crane

Synopsis:

Jude has spent the whole twenty one years of his life running. From what, he wasn't quite sure. His mother tried to keep him safe; a low profile, a constant move on the horizon, a week's pay always stashed away. She tried to instill in him that he was special somehow, though would never elaborate. He never felt different. He was so completely normal and vanilla that he wondered if it had all been in her head. But then she was murdered and all he saw was a running silhouette of a man as his mother said three final words to him. Three words that changed his whole being.

Never stop running…

Now he's semi-settled into a big town. The college is huge and easy to blend into. It's been three months since he had to move because 'Biloxi', as he calls the man who killed his mother, found him once more.

Then Marley, an eighteen year old girl who is as infuriating as she is blissfully ignorant of her gorgeousness, smashes into his car with hers. Then smashes into his life as he realizes that whatever it is he has that Biloxi wants, she has it, too. And now, they're after them both.

~~~

Review

Smash Into You is a smashing novel ;). It was just stunning and honest at the same time. But you might not feel like that the whole time you’re reading it. But I’ll get to that later on. Smash Into You was a joy read, don’t get me wrong. But with a jaded Jude who has been running from a nameless murder and has watched his mother die by the hands of this man. And a practical stranger get thrown into this mix by accident? Things seem to only be able to go wrong. Jude has been on the run from man and he has no idea why. Every person Jude becomes close to is at risk. Jude has been living this life on his own since he was fourteen. This life full of anger, guilt, fear, and sadness.Don’t Go and misunderstand me, Jude was a fantastic guy deep down. He was compassionate, loving, and real. Tis life would break even the best of men and Jude is doing the best he knows how to do. This is a story of Jude losing himself and this outer person he puts on. He is breaking his chains and freeing himself from this life that was chosen for him. He learns to take control and fight for what he wants. Jaded Jude really isn’t nearly as bad as he seems ;). And, yeah, you’ll have to take my word on it. Marley is a sweetie pie who has had the worst of luck. I can’t tell you too much about her. Half the fun if figuring out this mystery of a girl. I mean, I absolutely loved it. You are always reading about mysterious guys, and men who have secrets but the girl wants him anyways and I immensely loved the fact the her cards aren’t just laid out on the table in the first chapter. I will say this though, Marley is forgiving, understanding, and so darned nice. The jaded and the jewel set off on a life changing adventure with uncertain terms. This book was bloody fantastic with suspense, mystery, action, forgiveness, and revenge. I didn’t put this down till I was done (@ 3a.m.) The plot and characters were amazing and seamlessly laid out in this spectacular story. Smash Into You drags you into a lively world and you get swept up into this exciting anguish of this life. The romance and hope seems doomed to be a lie. But when determined, humans can change the rotation of the earth.  
~~~

About the Author

Shelly is a NEW YORK TIMES & USA TODAY bestselling YA author from a small town in Georgia and loves everything about the south. She is wife to a fantastical husband and stay at home mom to two boisterous and mischievous boys who keep her on her toes. She loves paperbacks, coffee, and candy corn, and to spend time with her family and friends, go out to eat at new restaurants and site see in the new areas they travel to, listen to music and also LOVES to read.
Her own books happen by accident and she revels in the writing and imagination process. She doesn't go anywhere without her notepad for fear of an idea creeping up and not being able to write it down immediately, even in the middle of the night, where her best ideas are born.

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Rains Reviews: Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

The Shadow Fold, a swathe of impenetrable darkness, crawling with monsters that feast on human flesh, is slowly destroying the once-great nation of Ravka.

Alina, a pale, lonely orphan, discovers a unique power that thrusts her into the lavish world of the kingdom’s magical elite—the Grisha. Could she be the key to unravelling the dark fabric of the Shadow Fold and setting Ravka free?

Rain Reveiw: Mythos (The Descendants #1)

 Mythos by Vrinda Pendred
Just before Stephen died, he left a note.
And the note read: Don’t let them get my children.

Itzel Loveguard has a secret. The stories she can’t seem to stop writing...sometimes they come true. And now she thinks she may have killed her own father.

But she’s not the only one. Her estranged half-brother Oz and his unfailingly charming friend Seth can do things too. And so can the handsome grey-eyed boy, who seems to have stepped right out of Itzy’s dreams and has been travelling to London in search of the mysterious black pulse.

Suddenly Itzy finds herself in a strange new world of magic and mythology. And she and her new friends are all in grave danger…because the Ancients are coming for them.~ Goodreads
~~
So here I am- sitting and after finishing six books in as many days and I still have another day or two to go on my trip back home I end up scrolling through my kindle and remember this one. So I open it up and I’m hooked. The first sentence is, “The grey-eyed boy flew down the M6 at unnatural speeds.” I mean, who can resist that? I know I can’t! So I read, and read, and read, until 5 hours later I am throwing my iPhone across the car in frustration because the book is missing and ending and I have no idea when #2 is coming out.

Vrinda Pendred had managed to ensnare me into this world of abilities and magic. I recently put away a book filled with all new mythologies and fantasy worlds because it was too confusing., and I liked my current views on the magical realm of fiction. But The Descendants managed to pull me into yet another world that I have gladly added to my collection of fantasy universes.

Itzel Loveguard- Itzy- is the heroine. Scratch that. She is the amazing heroine. Itzy has successfully placed herself on my favorite female list. She is strong and powerful, being a descendant of a powerful race with magical abilities will do that to a person. She has common sense (inner squee), and she is brave, which she has to be to deal with psycho ex-girlfriends and evil family members. She had a tendency to be a little too trusting but it hasn't come to bite her in the butt, yet. She has had a bad and relatively lonely childhood but she doesn't let that slow her down in any way. If anything it helps here put the bad things that happen behind her and she can keep moving forward.

Ethan is so freaking marvelous you cannot keep from loving him. And if you can then you are obviously not human (or female). I have been waiting for a good romance and I have found it! But more to the point; Ethan is special. He is more powerful than anyone can fathom, he is controlled, and smart. He has amazing powers that makes the Avengers look like child's play. He is passionate, decisive, and he is thoughtful. He hasn't had the best childhood but all that time alone allowed him to master his powers and shaped him into the leader he is today. Ethan also has a vulnerable side. There are moments in the book when he shows a different side of him that makes him more relate able and that much better.

The book follows quite a few people, Itzy, Osiris, Seth, Vendri, Ethan, and Melody and if you are paying attention the jumping around POVs aren't hard to follow. This book and series is filled with mysteries and questions that leave you chomping at the bit for more. There isn't too much going on at once which is nice because the question that I’m stuck with are large enough by themselves. So much greatness in so little time leaves me with only one question left to ask, “How much longer must we wait in agony until the second book comes out?”

~Rain

"Uh-huh," said Devon, "and I'm from the future. Can't you tell from my fashion sense?"
"I like her, " Seth told Itzy, "She has a better sense of humor than you."
"Great," Itzy mumbled. "Remember to invite me to the wedding."

Goodreads
Amazon
Vrinda Pendred's Website

Release Day Launch: Rain's Review; INCEPTION

INCEPTION by TEAL HAVILAND

ABOUT INCEPTION:

The world is in danger. Mankind is sinking deeper into darkness it cannot understand

Demons are easily capturing souls as they lead men and women down dangerous paths from which there is no return, while Javan, one of the Fallen, seeks an ancient book and the power it promises. If he succeeds, humans — and the world as they know it — will be destroyed.

There is someone who is capable of stopping Javan... 

If she discovers him in time.

Gabrielle is one of the most powerful angels ever created, her job one of the most important. She has come to Earth to learn more about humans and what influences them, and to fight evil she sees growing at an alarming rate. She soon finds herself carelessly distracted with one human in particular, however. Lucas Watkins holds a promise of peace and love for Gabrielle that she never believed she could have again.

Caught between her new mortal ties and ancient immortal responsibilities, Gabrielle must race against what seems to be an ever-quickening clock to learn what she needs to know, uncover Javan’s plan, and find a way to stop him and all who live in Shadows.

Join Gabrielle and her allies in a story of love — past and present — fantastical beings, hidden realms, magic, fate, loss, and the fight of good versus evil in, The Reaping Chronicles.

~~~

Alright so any fans of angels and demons do you like shapeshifters, vampires, and other fantastical creatures? If you said yes to any or all of those then pick up a copy of INCEPTION. This book is a whirlwind of questions and confessions, swoons and heart breaks, and rhymes and riddles.

Gabrielle is the Angel of Karma: sounds pretty cool right?well let's just say the job has it perks. Those perks include some kick-butt powers and abilities and a pretty unusual job description. Gabrielle is the type of girl I could really get used to having as a friend. She is smart, funny, loyal, and a great accountability partner ;).

Lucas, Lucas, Lucas; what to say about Lucas? He is a little complicated, and maybe bi-polar. He could be all happy go lucky one second and then all doom and gloom the next. He can be kind of hard to read but I still enjoyed him. I won’t say too much so I don’t ruin any surprises for you, though i think you’ll figure it out on your lonesome :).

The book is really intriguing, it gets a little repetitive but the things that are repeated are important to remember so I can see the need. The book has a very complex plot with many different characters that are important to the story. The chapters flip flop between different POV’s that include Gabrielle, Javan, and  Lucas, among others. This book is a nice length and takes a few days of intense reading to finish, it been awhile since I have come across a nice and long book ;). The book has quite a few steamy scenes and while more-than-kissing actions are suggested or implied that’s all they are. This book stays within it’s YA rating and the boundaries aren't really pushed thankfully. There is a good bit * read a lot * of forbidden love just to warn you. This is a good read with a heckuva cliffhanger, I recommend it to anyone looking for a mystery of fantastical origins with just enough romance.

~Rain

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ABOUT TEAL HAVILAND:

Teal Haviland lives in Tennessee with her daughter and her four-legged friends. She enjoys photography, travel, reading, music, cooking, daydreaming, writing (of course), and above all spending time with her family and friends.

Teal grew up with a love for anything fantastical or outrageous. After years of dreaming of worlds where fairies, angels, demons, and shape shifters (to name a few) exist, she finally decided to begin writing her stories down. Inception, book one in her series The Reaping Chronicles, is her first published novel.

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