Review: Haven by Kristi Cook

Title: Haven (Winterhaven #1)

Author: Kristi Cook

Publisher: Simon Pulse

Genre: YA, UF, Vampires

Release Date: Feb 22^nd, 2011

Source: RAK

Purchase: TBD | Amazon

Violet McKenna thought she was crazy when she had a vivid vision of her dad’s murder—but when her premonition came true, her life fell apart. Then she found a new school: Winterhaven. There, Violet fits right in. All the students have special “gifts” like her own, and she quickly finds a close group of friends. But Violet’s attraction to an alluring boy becomes problematic when intense visions of his death start to haunt her. In her premonitions, the secret he is unwilling to share begins to reveal itself—and the unbelievable becomes reality. To Violet’s horror, she learns that their destinies are intertwined in a critical—and deadly—way.

Haven was a really decent and interesting read. At first I didn't realize it was about vampires, but was pleasantly surprised when it turned out to be.

Violet McKenna is moving to New York from Atlanta with her step-mother. She had decided to try a boarding school and was drawn to Winterhaven, not knowing what type of school it was. After her first day she realizes that the school isn't what she expected and neither are it's students. She is also drawn to Aidan Gray and soon finds herself in a situation she never thought possible.

The story itself flowed very nicely. And while it still seemed like a few other young adult books I have read in the past, it did have it's own unique twists. Although, right away, I could see where Cook was going with Aidan's character. His character did remind me somewhat of another one of my favorite YA characters in another series, however, there were some differences. 

I did love the supporting characters as well. They gave this story great support. I loved all their "special gifts" and each one of their "gifts" brought something more to the table. I felt a connection to CeCe and the rest of the gang, who reminded me so much of my friends back in high school. Their strengths and weaknesses alike.

Violet's character was a little different for me. While I felt a pang of sympathy for her over her father, it was hard to follow her hot and cold emotions for herself and for Aidan. One minute she's happy with him and the next she's wanting to flee from him.

This is a great read for anyone ages 14 and up, simply for some of the explicit language (however tastefully placed). I also recommend this book to anyone is a fan of paranormal and vampires. 

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In My Mailbox #IMM [21]

Constable & Toop by Gareth P Jones (from Amulet/Abrams)

Goodbye, Rebel Blue by Shelley Coriell (from Amulet/Abrams)

Solstice by P.J. Hoover (from Tor Teen)

Copperhead (Ironskin #2) by Tina Connolly (from Tor Teen)

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Feature & Follow Friday (14)

Follow Friday is a weekly event hosted 

by Parajunkee & Alison Can Read

Q: What is your preferred reading format? Hardcover, eBooks, Paperback, etc.

A: I prefer reading paperback and hardcover. I love the feeling of holding a book in my hands. I used to own a eReader, but my eyes are not the greatest for it anymore.

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Nerd Blast: Disneylanders by Kate Abbott

Welcome to the Disneylanders Book Blast!

In DISNEYLANDERS, 14-year-old Casey Allison, on the brink of starting high school, struggles to find a new identity on her family’s annual summer vacation, but with the help of an outgoing boy she meets while waiting in line, she discovers that Disneyland is the one place where her overprotective parents let her have the freedom to grow up.

Purchase your copy from Amazon for only $11.57!

About the Author:

Disneylanders is Kate Abbott's first novel. She received an MFA in creative writing from UC Riverside, Palm Desert. Kate lives in Northern California with her husband, son, terrier, and tiny parrots.

Visit her at: Website / Goodreads / Twitter

And Now for the Giveaway!

One lucky winner will get this awesome Disney themed gift pack from Kate Abbott, including:
Note card set
Mickey Bookmark
A copy of Disneylanders

Must be 13+ to Enter
US Shipping Only
No PO Boxes

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Waiting on Wednesday #WoW: Frozen by Melissa de la Cruz @MelissadelaCruz

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. It's to spotlight upcoming reads which I can't wait to get my hands on.

This week my book is: 

Frozen by Melissa de la Cruz

Release date: September 17th, 2013

Pre-order your copy today:
Amazon | TBD

Welcome to New Vegas, a city once covered in bling, now blanketed in ice. Like much of the destroyed planet, the place knows only one temperature—freezing. But some things never change. The diamond in the ice desert is still a 24-hour hedonistic playground and nothing keeps the crowds away from the casino floors, never mind the rumors about sinister sorcery in its shadows.

At the heart of this city is Natasha Kestal, a young blackjack dealer looking for a way out. Like many, she's heard of a mythical land simply called “the Blue.” They say it’s a paradise, where the sun still shines and the waters are turquoise. More importantly, it’s a place where Nat won’t be persecuted, even if her darkest secret comes to light.

But passage to the Blue is treacherous, if not impossible, and her only shot is to bet on a ragtag crew of mercenaries led by a cocky runner named Ryan Wesson to take her there. Danger and deceit await on every corner, even as Nat and Wes find themselves inexorably drawn to each other. But can true love survive the lies? Fiery hearts collide in this fantastic tale of the evil men do and the awesome power within us all.

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Cover Reveal: Charmed by Cambria Hebert

Title: Charmed
Series: Death Escorts
Author: Cambria Hebert
Release Date: July 22, 2013
Genre: New Adult Paranormal Romance. ***Note: Due to Sexual content and some language this book is recommended for readers 17+***

Life or Death? Not many people would choose death. But what if death chooses you? What if death doesn’t mean the end of your life, but the beginning?

For a Death Escort, death is life. Death is your paycheck. Death is your job.

And Charming is the best Escort the Grim Reaper has ever had.

But when you piss off the Reaper, being the best doesn’t matter. So Charming is assigned a Target who is practically impossible to kill. He knows the Reaper hopes he fails—that he’s counting on it. So Charming vows to prove him wrong. He vows to make the kill.

But someone else vows to get in his way. Someone with a big mouth, a sugar habit, and blond hair. Someone who makes his heart start beating again.

And so Charming is left holding more than one person’s fate in the palm of his hand. He thought the choice would be easy, that there really wasn’t a question at all.

He was wrong.

Life or Death?

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Review: Carrier of the Mark by Leigh Fallon

Title: Carrier of the Mark (Carrier #1)

Author: Leigh Fallon

Publisher: HarperTeen

Genre: YA, UF, Mythology

Release Date: Oct 4, 2011

Source: RAK

Purchase: TBD | Amazon

When Megan Rosenberg moves to Ireland, everything in her life seems to fall into place. After growing up in America, she's surprised to find herself feeling at home in her new school. She connects with a group of friends, and she is instantly drawn to darkly handsome Adam DeRÍs.

But Megan is about to discover that her feelings for Adam are tied to a fate that was sealed long ago—and that the passion and power that brought them together could be their ultimate destruction.

This was an amazing read! For some reason I have been putting off reading this, maybe because I hadn't had the time, but I never owned a copy until recently. I received it as a R.A.K. and started reading it instantly. I am so glad that I did. I had a hard time putting this one down at bedtime. I found myself pushing the time before I finally had to put the book down and go to sleep.

This has mostly every girls dream. Most of us are drawn to foreign accents and mysterious guys. Adam DeRis is the perfect example. Mysterious, good looking and with an Irish accent to top it off. When Megan Rosenberg moves from the United States to Kinsale, Ireland, she knows that there is something different about Adam but she's not quite sure what yet. She's heard the stories about him and his family and the strange things that happen. But that doesn't bother her, she is still drawn to him. Adam can't quite put his finger on what it is about Megan that he is drawn to either, but he will soon find out.

The story and characters are just amazing, I have always been a fan of all things Irish and this book really drew me in. I recently started to read about Irish folklore and been wanting to study the mythology. So this one really had me intrigued. And now I can't wait for the second book of the series, Shadow of the Mark.

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Waiting on Wednesday #WoW @torteen @KendareBlake

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. It's to spotlight upcoming reads which I can't wait to get my hands on.

This week my book is: 

Antigoddess by Kendare Blake

Release date: September 10th, 2013

Pre-order your copy today:
Amazon | TBD

Old Gods never die…

Or so Athena thought. But then the feathers started sprouting beneath her skin, invading her lungs like a strange cancer, and Hermes showed up with a fever eating away his flesh. So much for living a quiet eternity in perpetual health.

Desperately seeking the cause of their slow, miserable deaths, Athena and Hermes travel the world, gathering allies and discovering enemies both new and old. Their search leads them to Cassandra—an ordinary girl who was once an extraordinary prophetess, protected and loved by a god.

These days, Cassandra doesn’t involve herself in the business of gods—in fact, she doesn’t even know they exist. But she could be the key in a war that is only just beginning.

Because Hera, the queen of the gods, has aligned herself with other of the ancient Olympians, who are killing off rivals in an attempt to prolong their own lives. But these anti-gods have become corrupted in their desperation to survive, horrific caricatures of their former glory. Athena will need every advantage she can get, because immortals don’t just flicker out.

Every one of them dies in their own way. Some choke on feathers. Others become monsters. All of them rage against their last breath.

The Goddess War is about to begin.

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Review: Romeo Redeemed by Stacey Jay

Title: Romeo Redeemed (Juliet Immortal #2)

Author: Stacey Jay

Publisher: Delacorte Books

Genre: YA, Retelling

Release Date: Oct 9, 2012

Source: Random Buzzers

Purchase: TBD | Amazon

Cursed to live out eternity in his rotted corpse, Romeo, known for his ruthless, cutthroat ways, is given the chance to redeem himself by traveling back in time to save the life of Ariel Dragland. Unbeknownst to her, Ariel is important to both the evil Mercenaries and the love-promoting Ambassadors and holds the fate of the world in her hands. Romeo must win her heart and make her believe in love, turning her away from her darker potential before his work is discovered by the Mercenaries. While his seduction begins as yet another lie, it soon becomes his only truth. Romeo vows to protect Ariel from harm, and do whatever it takes to win her heart and soul. But when Ariel is led to believe his love is a deception, she becomes vulnerable to Mercenary manipulation, and her own inner darkness may ultimately rip them apart.

Romeo Redeemed was a pretty decent novel. Not as good as the first in my opinion, but it's still worth a good solid 2 thumbs up. I'm glad that Romeo got a second chance to redeem himself and the ending was much better then the first book with the closure that Romeo and Juliet deserved. 

Ariel pretty much surprised me in this one though. Juliet made it seem that Ariel was a quiet girl that was just too shy and scared. However, Ariel shows her dark and wild side in the second novel. It was a pleasant change. 

Romeo definitely had a softer side, the one we're used to in the Shakespeare novel. Although a few times his darker side would show through, you could still see him change.

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