ARC Review: On Every Street by Karina Halle

Title: On Every Street
Published: March 12th, 2013
Author: Karina Halle
Pages: 100+
Rating: 5/5 stars

I was given an ARC of On Every Street by the author for an honest review. This is no way influenced my review. This review is spoiler free.

On Every Street is a prequel to Sins & Needles, but you can read it before or after Sins & Needles. Or you can read it as a standalone, but I strongly suggest reading Sins & Needles simply because it's amazing.

Ellie Watt has never had a stable life. She is the daughter of two con artists who abandoned her long ago, after a drug lord ruined her leg. Now she's out for revenge. She changes her name to Eden White and sets her sights on someone close to Travis, the drug lord. Javier Bernal is beautiful, dangerous, and absolutely irresistible to Ellie. As she finds herself falling for Javier she begins to question if love is stronger than her need for vengeance.

“When I choose Javier as my mark, I never thought my mark would choose me. Because that's what Javier had just done. I wanted to win over his heart so I could get what I wanted. But I had a feeling he was about to get to my heart first.”
Karina Halle's writing is like a drug. Dangerous, destructive, and absolutely addictive. After finishing On Every Street I need another hit. Sometimes knowing how a story is going to end softens the blow a bit, but this was not the case for On Every Street. Although this is a novella, it doesn't read like one. It has as much substance as many full length novels I've read. This book started a war between my head and my heart. I knew I shouldn't fall for Javier, but much like Ellie my heart didn't care.

“I want to do more than survive. I want to live.”

Ellie is a character I already loved. She grew on me when I read Sins & Needles and I liked seeing a different side of her. Her chemistry and attraction to Javier is so strong it's begins to take on a life of it's own, becoming this almost tangible force that has complete control over her. I was reminded of how quickly love can make us forget the path we have laid out in front of ourselves.

“You are all mine, even if you run. I will find you because a soul needs its other half to truly live.”

Javier is so much more than I expected. I have a weak spot for the bad boys[don't we all?], so I knew I would have a Javier crush. I didn't think I would feel so strongly for his character. I was terrified and excited by his fierceness[RAWR!], but what really won me over was his soft side he reserved only for Ellie/Eden. There's something so sexy about a man who can protect you, but when that man can also express his feelings it's like the total package[minus the whole drug cartel business]. Javier is one of the most loveable bad boys I've come across.

“It's funny what love can do to a person. It strips them of everything, even their instincts. It creates a new world for you to adhere to, a new world where you break the rules just to keep the love intact.”
At the end of the book, the very last page, I just stared at the blankness for a minute. I had to digest what I read, and let my raging emotions simmer back to normal. I finished On Every Street with a heart that was a little heavier and eyes that were a lot redder. I am having serious withdrawals from Ellie and Javier already. I can't wait for Shooting Scars, the second book in the series.

-Kait

ARC Review: Dare You To by Katie McGarry

Title: Dare You To [Pushing The Limits #2]
Published: June 7th, 2013
Author: Katie McGarry
Pages: 304
Rating: 4/5 stars
From Goodreads:
Ryan lowers his lips to my ear. "Dance with me, Beth."

"No." I whisper the reply. I hate him and I hate myself for wanting him to touch me again....

"I dare you..."

If anyone knew the truth about Beth Risk's home life, they'd send her mother to jail and seventeen-year-old Beth who knows where. So she protects her mom at all costs. Until the day her uncle swoops in and forces Beth to choose between her mom's freedom and her own happiness. That's how Beth finds herself living with an aunt who doesn't want her and going to a school that doesn't understand her. At all. Except for the one guy who shouldn't get her, but does....

Ryan Stone is the town golden boy, a popular baseball star jock-with secrets he can't tell anyone. Not even the friends he shares everything with, including the constant dares to do crazy things. The craziest? Asking out the Skater girl who couldn't be less interested in him.

But what begins as a dare becomes an intense attraction neither Ryan nor Beth expected. Suddenly, the boy with the flawless image risks his dreams-and his life-for the girl he loves, and the girl who won't let anyone get too close is daring herself to want it all....

-----------------

“I won't let you go." I blink. As if he could stop me.

"You won't let me go."

"No, I won't let you go. You're mine and I don't lose.”
After a run in with the police, while saving her drunk, deadbeat mother, Beth is forced to live with her uncle. To add insult to injury, her uncle has the local jock, Ryan[who was just hitting on her last week] to help her at school. Beth thinks she has Ryan figured out, but she soon realizes that Ryan's life isn't as perfect as she thought.


Pushing the Limits, one of my favorite YA contemporary novels, introduced me to a number of amazing characters. One of those characters was Beth, a tough as nails girl with an I don't give a shit attitude. When I heard that she was getting her own story I was beyond excited. When I got approved for an advanced copy I did my happy dance[which is a pretty tragic sight].

Dare You To picks up some time after Pushing the Limits. It's not necessary to read PTL before starting Beth's story, but I would suggest it because it's an amazing book and it you get a great introduction to the characters. Dare You To is told in alternating point of view, which I know a lot of people have an issue with, but Katie McGarry does an amazing job with it.

“A sliver of hope sneaks past my walls and I slam every opening shut. Emotion is evil. People who make me feel are worse. I take comfort in the stone inside me. If I don't feel, I don't hurt.”

Beth's transformation was amazing. It was truly a caterpillar to a butterfly type of story. She really figures out who she is and who she wants to be, but not without a few stumbles along the way. Learning more about Beth, her upbringing, and everything that happened to her was heartbreaking. I wanted to slap her mom more than once.

“I like you. I. Like. You. I'll admit you're annoying. Sometimes you agitate me to the brink of insanity, but you can throw it back at me like no one else. When you laugh, I want to laugh. When you smile, I want to smile. Hell, I want to be the one to make you smile.”

After reading the synopsis I was confused. I had hoped for a Beth/Isaiah story, so I started this book a little weary. That didn't last long. Ryan is the kind of guy you love fully. After twenty pages I was thinking that maybe Isaiah isn't so right for Beth, then maybe this Ryan guy is the one, and finally RYAN! He absolutely captured my heart with the way he fought for Beth. His own family struggles made me so sad, I just couldn't stand the way his father acted.

“I'd love to kiss her right now. Not the type of kiss that makes her body come alive. The type of kiss that shows her how much I care - the type that involves my soul.”
Overall this book was amazing. I was drawn in to the story and couldn't stop reading it until I was finished. I loved how Noah and Echo were worked into the story in a way that wasn't intrusive to Beth and Ryan, but was still enough for me to know that they were still together. Oh, and there's going to be a third book for Isaiah's story called Crash Into You[that definitely sounds like Isaiah]!

I will definitely be buying this book as soon as it comes out. All you lovers of a good heart wrenching contemporary should pick it up too.


-Kait

Dual Review: Sins & Needles - Karina Halle

YA Vixens DUAL Review

Sins & Needles - Karina Halle

 

Kait's 5 Star Review

Ellie is on the run, again. After screwing over the wrong guy she decides the safest place to hide is under the only name she hasn't used to scam someone, her real name. She heads back to the place she grew up to visit her uncle, and to figure out a plan. Then Ellie runs into Camden McQueen. It's been years since they last spoke, and the last thing Ellie expected was for things to get complicated with him.

“I took the application from him, our fingers brushing against each other. I felt a spark, electricity.

No, literally.

“Ow,” I said, as I snatched my hand and the application away from him.

He grinned sheepishly and shoved his hands in his pockets. “Sorry. I'm a good conductor.”

And that's just the beginning. When Ellie sets her sights on conning Camden things don't go as planned. Camden has her figured out and now he's making her an offer she has to accept. But when Ellie's past comes back to haunt her they have to trust each other to get away alive.

Sins & Needles is an absolutely stunning book. I know a book is good when I get to that last page and I scream “No!”. And I was yelling more than just that one time. The storyline never slowed, and the heat between Ellie and Camden could melt the panties off a prude. My favorite part was the twist that completely blindsided me. I was reading along, enjoying the sexy tension and then BAM! I was hit with the twist. I can hardly explain my love for this book, but I will try.

Karina Halle created characters flawed and fucked up, but she somehow made them loveable too. In a typical novel the male would be the “bad guy”, but this book switches it up. The chemistry, holy balls of fire was there chemistry, between Ellie and Camden had me drooling and panting[quite the image, huh?]. And this isn't the kind of tension and teasing with no pay off, there is pay off. So much amazing pay off... I can get lost just thinking about it again.

“That is what I thought of you, Ellie. Heartless, reckless, selfish, and cruel."
He was back to shooting me when my armor was down. I turned my face away from him, not wanting to let him see the hurt in my eyes. He reached up and put his fingers under my chin, bringing my face forward again, forcing me to look at him.
"Beautiful, sad, wounded, and lost," he continued. "A freak, a work of art, a liar, and a lover."
His gaze was starting to eat away at my insides. Razor-blade butterflies whirled in my heart.
"I hate you, Ellie Watt," he whispered, lips coming closer to mine, "because I still love you after all these years.”

Ellie is the product of her parents, two grifters who care more about the chase than their own daughter. With the life she's lived it's hard not to understand how she could become so jaded. I'm sure there are some who might think the stuff Ellie does is inexcusable, and at some points it was, but I still loved her. I have said it a million times, I am a sucker for a flawed character, and Ellie is so wonderfully flawed.

“That's the trouble with pain, Ellie. If you're lucky, you can wear it for all the world to see. Most people have their pain deep inside, in places no one ever goes. Not until it's too late.”

Camden... I don't even know where to begin with him. From the moment Ellie laid eyes on him in the coffee shop I was sold. I have a things for wounded boys, especially the ones with tattoos. His passion left my breath hitching and my heart trying to break free of my chest. He will go down as one of my all time favorite book boyfriends.

All of this, plus an amazing storyline, make for one of the best books I've read this year. I was shocked more than once, cried more than once, and fell in love completely. And that cliffhanger ending was one of the best/worst. This book earned every one of the five stars. I am not so patiently waiting for the next book in the series. 

-------------------------------------

Beth's  ♥♥♥♥  review 
  

 I'm so glad that a fellow bookish friend of mine gifted this book to me, because she was absolutely RAVING about it. [THANK YOU Megan @ The Book Asylum!!]  I actually  didn't get to it right away, cause I was reading god knows what. Then I met Megan at the Pitch Dark Days tour, and she asked if I read it, and I [ashamed] said that I hadn't started it. So then Kait baught it on her Nook since it's on sale right now. So I figured Let's do a dual review!

Ellie grew up with Con Artist parents, also know as Grifters. As a kid, her parents would use her on their scams. Until the one scam that went wrong... severely hurting Ellie. After that, they went to Ellie's uncle's house and decided to go on the 'straight and narrow'. Soon enough, Ellie's parents left her with her uncle and continued grifting. At 19 she seeks revenge on the man that hurt her so badly. So she heads out on her own cons. After being on the run for so long, At the age of 26, Ellie decides to head back home. When at home she runs into Camden. Well, this is when the story REALLY happens. 

I thoroughly enjoyed this book... However I was NOT prepared for what happened! I thought it was gonna be a sexy story about a con artist who scams a former friend. Hahah! Fooled was I. That's not even a smidgen of the stress that goes on! WOW. just WOW. seriously. I'm not sure I can say wow enough times. I was completely thrown by the occurances in this novel. Just as I thought I knew where it was going... HOLY SHIT. like fall off the bed shock, twists.

The layers to this book are ridiculous, but it works SO well. There are just so many sides to each character. I was in awe of the raw emotion I found in this novel. However, I wasn't really fond of the "Then" chapters. To be honest, I wanted to skip them all together. I just wanted to get back to the story about Ellie and Cam. And.. as every amazing book goes, there is a cliff hanger.  Why must authors make their characters so selfless!? Summer can't come soon enough. I'm dying to know how this is going to play out. 

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I hope you enjoyed our reviews! What did you think about this book?! 

Or... if you haven't read this book, GET TO IT! and tell us what you thought!

Double Review: Shatter Me & Destroy Me by Tahereh Mafi

Since Destroy Me is a novella, and I only have a short review, I decided to create a double review.


Title: Shatter Me
Author: Tahereh Mafi
Pages: 340
Publisher: Harper Collins
Rating: 4 out of 5
From Goodreads:
Juliette hasn’t touched anyone in exactly 264 days.

The last time she did, it was an accident, but The Reestablishment locked her up for murder. No one knows why Juliette’s touch is fatal. As long as she doesn’t hurt anyone else, no one really cares. The world is too busy crumbling to pieces to pay attention to a 17-year-old girl. Diseases are destroying the population, food is hard to find, birds don’t fly anymore, and the clouds are the wrong color.

The Reestablishment said their way was the only way to fix things, so they threw Juliette in a cell. Now so many people are dead that the survivors are whispering war– and The Reestablishment has changed its mind. Maybe Juliette is more than a tortured soul stuffed into a poisonous body. Maybe she’s exactly what they need right now.

Juliette has to make a choice: Be a weapon. Or be a warrior.

------------

“I am unwanted for good reason. My hands can kill people. My hands can destroy everything.”

I've been shying away from the dystopian YA genre for a while now. I just have not been able to get into any of them, nothing seems to hold my attention and I end up being let down. Shatter Me definitely changed that. I dove into this book, and while I was nervous about entering a dystopian land of disappointment, I kept an optimistic mind. What I found was definitely not a disappointment.

“All I ever wanted was to reach out and touch another human being not just with my hands but with my heart.”

The writing style can be considered either poetic or annoying, depending on the reader. I was completely open to the strikethroughs and 2 3 4 sentences that were always repeating repeating repeating. For me, the perfect punctuation and sentence structure isn't as important as the story. Don't get me wrong, when a sentence makes no sense it takes away from the experience, but that's not the case for this book. Tahereh Mafi took a risk, and I think it paid off.


Juliette has been locked up for 264 days. This makes her a little bit of an unstable character. I formed a tight bond with her from the beginning. She's been neglected, unloved, and alone her entire life. She was told from a very early age that she's a monster, and after a terrible accident she begins to believe it's true. She sees herself as a monster, with a curse. Her progression through the book is great.
“It's not what you think.”

At first I wasn't feeling Adam. I wasn't sure what his angle was, but as his plan become more evident I fell for him. His dedication and love for Juliette made me forever Team Adam[no matter how likable Warner becomes].

“Possessive is not a strong enough word for Warner.”

Warner... He's a golden haired, green eyed murderer who is completely obsessed with Juliette. Your circumstances are not to blame for your actions, I just can't see it that way. [See my Destroy Me review below for more about Warner]
“Because we're not the same. I want to be better.” - Juliette's thoughts on being the same as Warner.

Another great thing about this book is the slight twist. I was completely surprised because nothing leading up to the revelation even hinted to it. I love when someone can surprise me. This book, as a whole, surprised me. I was apprehensive about reading Shatter Me, even after meeting Tahereh Mafi[did I not brag about this yet!?], but I am so happy I did.


--------------------------------------

Title: Destroy Me
Author: Tahereh Mafi
Pages:103
Publisher: Harper Collins
Rating: 3 out of 5

From Goodreads:
In Tahereh Mafi’s Shatter Me, Juliette escaped from The Reestablishment by seducing Warner—and then putting a bullet in his shoulder. But as she’ll learn in Destroy Me, Warner is not that easy to get rid of. . .

Back at the base and recovering from his near-fatal wound, Warner must do everything in his power to keep his soldiers in check and suppress any mention of a rebellion in the sector. Still as obsessed with Juliette as ever, his first priority is to find her, bring her back, and dispose of Adam and Kenji, the two traitors who helped her escape. But when Warner’s father, The Supreme Commander of The Reestablishment, arrives to correct his son’s mistakes, it’s clear that he has much different plans for Juliette. Plans Warner simply cannot allow.

---------

No amount of making things sound better will make me love Warner. I'm sorry, I just can't.

So things might not have been what we thought they in Shatter Me, I figured that was coming. Was I softened a teeny bit? Yes. Who wouldn't be? But definitely not enough to make me jump on Team Warner and hope that Juliette will leave Adam. I feel sorry for Warner, sure, but I can't excuse his horrid behavior. Let's be honest, no amount of playing with puppies is going to make Warner a good person.

Some rise about their situations, like Juliette, and stay true and good. Some feed off of it and become something not so good, like Warner. His father's abuse has forever fucked up his head, and his singular love for Juliette is not going to cure him.

Overall, I enjoyed this novella. I enjoyed getting to know Warner better. I found him very interesting, despite my aversion to him.


And just because I can, check out that handwriting! 

-Kait

Review & GIVEAWAY: The Archived by Victoria Schwab

Title: The Archived
Author: Victoria Schwab
Pages: 321
Rating: 5 stars


There's a place few know about. A place where the dead don't rest in coffins, but on shelves. This place is the Archive. There are Librarians to read the Histories[the dead], and Keepers to catch them if they escape. Mackenzie has been trained by her Da to be a Keeper from a very young age. Now, years after Da's death, Mackenzie's family is moving to start fresh after her little brother dies. In a new territory, Mac's skills as a Keeper are tested. More and more Histories are finding their way into the Narrows, and Mac is going to find out the truth. Even if that means going against everything Da taught her.
Let's start with the prologue, which is my favorite part of most of my favorite books. Sorry if that seems confusing, but seriously, the prologue in this book amazing. One of the best I've ever read. Here are the first few lines:

“The Narrows remind me of August nights in the South. They remind me of old rocks and places where the light can't reach. They remind me of smoke-the stale, settled kind-and of storms and damp earth.”

Isn't that amazing? I was so absorbed into the story after just those first few lines. The imagery in this book is amazing. People are shelved after they die, so essentially people become books, or Histories, that can be read. I've never read a book quite like this one, and I appreciate how hard it is to produce something new, something completely fresh when most YA books follow the same formula. This book is about Mackenzie being a Keeper first, then there's the [potential]relationship second. I loved that. This isn't another story where the amazing new world story is overshadowed by some over the top love story. The descriptions throughout are so damn good, I felt like I was right there with Mac. I was chasing the Histories, skulking through the creepy Narrows, and turning the key to meet the bright white light of the Returns.

A lot of my favorite moments were flashbacks between Mackenzie and her Da. She struggled with doing what she thought was right and following what Da trained her to do. Mackenzie was such an awesome heroine. She was tough, compassionate, smart, and flawed. Oh, how I love a flawed character.

Let's talk about guyliner. Yes, guyliner. I loved Wesley. I loved his relaxed, somewhat cocky, attitude. I didn't quite get to the book boyfriend level, but there was something so damn right about him. I just felt really invested in him.

I loved everything about this book. The lone complaint I have is that perhaps it could have been longer, but I don't even know if I actually feel that way. It's not the size of the book, but the contents within the book, right? If that's true[which I think it is] then I guess I really have no complaints.

Some of my favorite quotes:


“Because the only way to truly record a person is not in words, not in still frames, but in bone and skin and memory.”

"It's a shame they do that," he says, thumbing through the pages. "Requirement ruins even the best of books.”

“Mom may be able to power a city, but Dad barely stays lit.”

Bottom line: This book is entertaining, thought provoking, fresh, and completely amazing.


And now to the GIVEAWAY!!!

This giveaway is open for any country that The Book Depository will ship to. If you're not sure if they ship to you, please check by clicking the link above.

To win, just enter the Rafflecopter below! Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review: Dear Cassie by Lisa Burstein

Title: Dear Cassie
Author: Lisa Burstein
Publication Date: 3/5/13
Pages: 352
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
From Goodreads:
What if the last place you should fall in love is the first place that you do?

You’d think getting sent to Turning Pines Wilderness Camp for a month-long rehabilitation “retreat” and being forced to re-live it in this journal would be the worst thing that’s ever happened to me.

You’d be wrong.

There’s the reason I was sent to Turning Pines in the first place: I got arrested. On prom night. With my two best friends, who I haven’t talked to since and probably never will again. And then there’s the real reason I was sent here. The thing I can’t talk about with the guy I can’t even think about.

What if the moment you’ve closed yourself off is the moment you start to break open?

But there’s this guy here. Ben. And the more I swear he won’t—he can’t—the deeper under my skin he’s getting. After the thing that happened, I promised I’d never fall for another boy’s lies.

And yet I can’t help but wonder…what if.
My Thoughts:

I received this advanced copy in return for an honest review. This has not influenced my review in any way.

Dear Cassie was a good story. I didn't read Pretty Amy, the [first]companion book, before but I found that I didn't need to. The book is written as Cassie's “Assessment Diary” at Turning Pines. The events that brought her there are explained well, without feeling like a bunch of info dumping.

Cassie was very easy to like. Her no nonsense attitude reminded me of myself. She was kind of harsh at times, but she felt it necessary to stay guarded.. Cassie was definitely my favorite part of the book, and everything else besides her journey faded into the background.

Pretty much everyone other than Cassie was a secondary character, even Ben, the love interest of the story. I found the weak relationships a little off putting. I usually like a fair amount of romance and friendships. The friendship that Cassie developed with Troyer, one of her cabin mates, spoke volumes. Troyer, who is mute by choice, is the only one that Cassie feels comfortable talking to in her cabin. Nez, the other cabin mate, loves getting under Cassie's skin. They both try to out-bitch each other, which got a little bit annoying. Ben was an okay love interest, considering he wasn't really much of an interest to Cassie. She did whatever she could to push him away[and once I realized why it was kind of understandable]. Ben was relentless in his pursuit of Cassie, but their relationship still fell kind of flat for me. I didn't really feel like Cassie fell in love with Ben at all.

This book made me think about the mistakes I've made and the things that I've kept hidden inside. I definitely enjoyed the journey and progression of Cassie, and it made up the best parts of the book. I felt that the relationships could have been better, and the secondary characters could have been more developed.

Overall, I enjoyed Dear Cassie. I look forward to reading more books by this author, and I would definitely like to read about what happens to Cassie after Turning Pines.

-Kait

Before I Blogged Review: Flat-Out Love by Jessica Park

Title: Flat-Out Love
Author: Jessica Park
Pages: 391
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
From Goodreads:
To college freshman Julie Seagle the emotionally scrambled members of the Watkins family of Boston add up to something that ... well ... doesn't quite add up. Only the funny, gorgeous, smart oldest brother Finn is emotionally available--but only online? Not until Julie forces a buried secret to the surface, eliciting a dramatic confrontation that threatens to tear the fragile Watkins family apart, does she get her answer.






I wrote this before I reviewed on the blog, so don't judge too harshly!


My Thoughts:You can look back now and see how you should have known, but you were focusing on the facts instead of the feeling.

This book was amazing. It was completely different from any other YA novel I've read, which is hard to do now-a-days. I found myself laughing out loud so many times. The facebook statuses were funny and witty. I was apprehensive about the emails & chats at first, but the transitions were seamless.

Flat Finn... I don't even know what to say about him. I started to think of FF as a "him" and not an "it" as the book progressed. I guess that was Celeste rubbing off on me.

Julie was a character I felt like I could relate to. I've often felt like I'm a "fixer", so I could definitely understand her need to help the Watkins family.

I fell in love with Matt, and all of his geeky shirt wearing tendencies. He's the kind of guy I hope I fall in love with someday.

Celeste was awesome. I was so entranced by her. She super smart, quirky, and unlike any other thirteen year old. She carries around Flat Finn like a security blanket and hardly leaves the house except to go to school. Celeste has the most growth in the story, and I found her to be the most interesting character.

Finn... what can I say about him. He's mysterious. That's all I can say without giving away everything.

Bottom line: This book is an original in a world of too many YA copycats. It's a definite must read.

-Kait

Giveaway: The Archived Signed Swag!

CELEBRATE

 the book release of:

THE ARCHIVED 

by Victoria Schwab

with YA Vixens!!!

Now as you may know, I was honored to be picked by Victoria to become a Keeper.  So, being picked.. I decided that Kait and I were going to go ALL out for this. [Vixen Style] So as a keeper, I decided that with the bookmarks I recieved to giveaway, I wanted to take it to the next level. I also decided that Kait didn't have a choice about being inducted as the Keeper's Keeper. Someone needs to keep my crazy ass in line right? :) hehe. However, we're probably more trouble together than alone... haha. 

Kait and I decided to devote an entire day, in our capitol city of Providence Rhode Island. We dubbed this "The Archived: Providence takeover" As we've taken over a few other cities, Providence is our favorite so we thought we'd share some of the fun with you! 

<This is Prospect Park
[Very photographic place for Providence Skyline]
That statuesque guy in the photo here? Roger Williams.
[Roger Williams is the founder of Rhode Island]


 #TheArchived
yes yes y'all. Sidewalk Chalk BOOK GRAFFITI! 
[along with my horrid looking skeleton key]












View from Prospect Park>
[beautiful, isn't it?]

Oh look, there's more book graffiti ;)


The white building in the back, that's the State Capitol and downtown Providence.

 HEY! Look at  the Vixens! :) You know we hold the keys, right?!

 Did I mention we MIGHT have a key obsession!?  Victoria, Thanks for making it worse!!! hehe! <3

Kait:

 Beth:

 Now.... 

For the much anticipated giveaway!!!!

[Have I made you wait long enough yet??]

.....

[maybe a little longer]

....

Jusssssssst Kidding ;)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review: My Heart for Yours by Steph Campbell & Jolene Perry

Title: My Heart for Yours
Author: Steph Campbell & Jolene Perry
Pages: 254
Rating: 4 out of 5
From Goodreads:
A bargain, a trade, a deal to be struck.

A kiss for a kiss.
Your shirt for mine.
Break my heart, I’ll break yours.

Their disastrous split was no different. Tobin’s spent the last year pretending Delia never existed, and Delia’s been in D.C., pretending to be anything but the country girl that she is.

When tragedy brings her back to town, Tobin and Delia realize that time apart hasn't healed either one of them. But staying away from each other is harder than they imagined, especially in small town Louisiana, and old feelings are quickly brought back to the surface.

In the mess they’ve created, is there anything to be salvaged of a love that they both thought would be forever?

--------

“Always a trade. Always a compromise. Until there wasn't anything left to bargain with, because neither of us had any clue what to do.”

Tobin and Delia's relationship was always a trade. A shirt for a shirt, a kiss for a kiss, a heart for a heart. All that changed when Delia's family moved away a year ago. But when Tobin's brother dies, Delia's family comes back to town for the funeral. When Tobin and Delia's lives cross paths again the old feelings of anger, betrayal, and love that have smoldering since their separation burst back into flames.


This is one of those books that was slow to simmer, but when it did heat up I was hooked. I usually hate a lot of flashbacks in books, but these flashbacks read like memories of my own. I felt the hurt and pain both Tobin and Delia were feeling. I was really surprised in the direction the book went toward the end, there was a definite surprise for me. Tobin and Delia were easy to connect with and love. Tobin is the country boy most girls dream about, all fire and passion in a pair of nice fitting jeans. Delia is a prisoner in her own home, living out her father's dreams instead of her own. I felt so bad for her, but kind of irritated because I wanted to her to stand up for herself. When I finally realized what she had been through I felt nothing but pity and love for her.

Some of the things that bothered me weren't huge, but they're little things I look for in a story. Mainly, I felt the absence of secondary characters. There weren't really any friends that I got to know, and I love a lot of complex characters when I read a book. I think that a few issues felt a little unresolved for me. The book could have been a little longer and maybe some conclusions could have been better handled[this also could have helped develop some of the secondary characters]. I didn't feel that sense of completeness when I was done reading. The story just didn't feel over for me.

Overall this was a really good, quick read with great main characters and just enough emotional turmoil to quicken my pulse.

-Kait

Review: Just One Day by Gayle Forman

Title: Just One Day
Author: Gayle Forman
Pages: 368
Rating: 5 out of 5
From Goodreads:
A breathtaking journey toward self-discovery and true love, from the author of If I Stay

When sheltered American good girl Allyson "LuLu" Healey first meets laid-back Dutch actor Willem De Ruiter at an underground performance of Twelfth Night in England, there’s an undeniable spark. After just one day together, that spark bursts into a flame, or so it seems to Allyson, until the following morning, when she wakes up after a whirlwind day in Paris to discover that Willem has left. Over the next year, Allyson embarks on a journey to come to terms with the narrow confines of her life, and through Shakespeare, travel, and a quest for her almost-true-love, to break free of those confines.

Just One Day is the first in a sweepingly romantic duet of novels. Willem’s story—Just One Year—is coming soon!

----------------

Just One Day follows Allyson, who is on a teen trip around Europe. On her last day with the group she meets Willem and decides to go with him to Paris for one day. Though Allyson is outside her comfort zone she goes along with everything Willem throws out, and finds herself falling for him. After the day in Paris she returns to start college, but that one day has changed Allyson. The next year passes and she has to decide what she wants her life to be. 

This is one of those books that makes you think about your life. When I finished that last page I stayed up late[or even later, since I read this from 10pm to 2am] into the night, thinking about what I've done with my life and what I want to do with my life. It made me want to jump on a plane and go to all the places I've ever wanted to visit. Just One Day is both exhilarating and heartbreaking all at once, because with a title like that you know that's all you can expect. 

"It's funny the things you think you're scared of until they're upon you, and then you're not." 

The characters jump off the page immediately. Allyson was real. A predictable girl who doesn't like change, doesn't do anything on a whim, and doesn't take risks. I felt like I could relate to her, and I'm sure many girls can too. Willem was so damn lovable. There was something about him that draws you in, excites you, and makes you fall. The way he compares love to a stain, and how can fall in love but not be in love, made me that much more smitten with him. Even though he's not in the majority of the book I still felt the stain of him the entire time.

The friendships were very realistic as well. We've all had friends that we thought we would be close to forever, but that's not usually the case. People grow up and grow apart all the time, and Allyson's relationship with Melanie, her lifelong bff, is very true to life. Both girls grow and change during their first year in college and gradually drop out of each other's lives, the way most friendships end. In the aftermath of the day we're introduced to Dee, who becomes somewhat of a bff to Allyson, and that relationship resonated with me as well. Dee is the one who really brings Allyson out of her shell and shows her that she can be whatever kind of person she wants to be.

"Stains are even worse when you're the only one who can see them." 

Just One Day shows you how a life can be changed in just one day, one hour, one minute, one moment. That all it takes is one tall, blonde, Dutch guy to spin you around and stain you forever. That sometimes best friends aren't forever. That sometimes Shakespeare has the answer. That sometimes the person we pretend to be is the person we already are. That sometimes the worst thing that has ever happened to you, can also be the best thing that has ever happened to you.

-Kait

Review: Dark Seraphine by KaSonndra Leigh

Title: Dark Seraphine
Author: KaSonndra Leigh
Pages: 230
Rating: 4 out of 5
From Goodreads:
"Mom always says the angels walk among us. She forgot to tell me that sometimes they're not all fluffy and nice."

Seventeen-year-old Caleb Wood has seen people he calls the walkers since he was a baby. It didn't take long for him to realize something…no one can see these strangers but him. They never stuck around or tried to touch him. And they never said a word. That was until one day on the first day of class in his senior year when an incredibly gorgeous girl strolls into his life…and things are never the same again.

Soon Caleb realizes he has stepped into the middle of a growing conflict between two ancient groups. And his ability to see the invisible ones, the half-breeds that want to modify the human race, just might be the only hope both he and the mysterious, but infuriating, Gia, have of making it out alive.

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A huge thank you to KaSonndra Leigh for offering this book in exchange for an honest review.

Caleb has seen “walkers” since before he can remember. They don't speak to him, so he just deals with them as if he's blind to them like everyone else. That all changes when a beautiful walker starts talking to him. He knows nothing about her except that he's the only one who can see or hear her. But when the gorgeous walker girl shows up at his school, sporting the name Gia and a crew of her own, things start to get weird. These creepy men keep popping up and Caleb starts to get crazy strong. The only thing Caleb knows is that he can't control the draw he feels to Gia, and it might just mean the beginning of the end.

I think maybe my head has been clouded by books that all about love and steamy scenes and not so much about the journey. Dark Seraphine was more about the journey, and I liked that. It was also very refreshing to read a book with a male POV. There was a great flow to the book, but I found a couple parts to be a little lack luster compared to the rest of the book.

Caleb deals with all the regular teenage boy stuff and some serious darkeness. He has to juggle school, girls, and his issues at home. I felt so bad about the way his father neglected him, it was so horrible. I didn't quite fall head over heels for him, but I definitely liked him. He was funny and smart, but there was room for growth.

His friends, Kyle and Shani, kind of annoyed me. I can't really even pinpoint the exact reason for it. Maybe it was because they didn't have much of a presence besides sucking face. And Shani came off as super bitchy. Erica was okay. You definitely feel for her when you find out more of her story, but I still felt a little weary of her.

The ending of this book was crazy. It left me wanting Lost Seraphine, the next in the trilogy, NOW! Overall I really liked this book I can't wait to see what will happen to Caleb next

And seriously, this book is only .99! That's a steal. [Price may change]
Buy on Amazon HERE

Review: Choices by Annie Brewer

Title: Choices
Author: Annie Brewer
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
From Goodreads:
Gracie had everything planned when it came to her future. She was set to go to California with her scholarship-jock boyfriend, attend college, get a degree, and maybe sometime later when they were older and successful, they would get married and start a family. But all of that was taken away by the passion of one careless night. A night that changed everything.

After days of sickness it becomes apparent that she’s pregnant, and the choices she must make now will change her life forever. Her senior year will not be filled with making stupid mistakes such as, getting drunk at parties, or worrying about school events. But whether her doctor’s appointment is next week or how to eat and sleep for her baby’s well-being.

This story tells of the experiences an expectant teenage mother goes through as a part of her is shaped by the news of her pregnancy and how true love is not just words but actually being there for that person when they’re most in need, despite the circumstances.

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My Thoughts:Teen pregnancy is a tough subject to handle, but Annie Brewer did a great job with Choices.

Gracie is ready to enjoy what should be the best year of her young life, senior year. She has a cool jock boyfriend who loves her, and a best friend who is always by her side. When she finds out she's pregnant she's forced to make choices she never thought she would. And those choices will change her life forever.

I really enjoyed this story. It was funny, sweet, heartbreaking, and just enough steaminess. The characters were great, and I liked most of them.

Gracie was a naive high school girl. She thought her relationship with Nick was strong, until it was put to the test. She was a character that I felt bad for, but also became annoyed with. I wanted her to stand up for herself and not rely on her friends to jump in.

Nick was a typical high school guy who is pretty self centered. He wasn't a bad guy, just a scared kid who ran when shit got real.

Meg was pretty cool. She was a great best friend. She was always there for Gracie, but wasn't afraid to tell her when she was out of line or being a whiny bitch. I also loved the little side story between Meg and Mason. I love when secondary characters have their own lives too.

Carter was obviously my favorite of the book. He was a sexy, sweet guy and I couldn't get enough of him. I loved how accepting he was of Gracie. I was definitely won over by him.

I only had a couple issues with the book. One was the language. I found that some of the sentences were a little too proper, and I didn't think it sounded like a real conversation, especially between teens. At one point Carter tells Gracie their night together was "fun and enjoyable", it just sounded a little old. The other issue I had was the telling and not showing. I wanted more from the descriptions.
Overall I enjoyed the story and was only distracted a bit by the language.

Annie will be releasing some bonus Carter scenes soon. She's also working on a second companion book that I'm very excited to read.

Like Annie on Facebook HERE
Buy Choices on B&N HERE
Buy Choices on Amazon HERE
-Kait[Vixen1]

Joint Review - Fallen too far by Abbi Glines

Fallen Too Far - Abbi Glines

Kait: 2 stars / Beth: 4 hearts

 

 Kait's Review:
♥♥
I wanted to like this book, I wanted to love Rush, but I didn't. I know I'm the minority here, but this was definitely my least favorite Abbi Glines book.

I have read the Existence and Sea Breeze series and I loved both, but much like The Vincent Boys this book fell short for me. There was a very rushed (pun intended) feeling to it and I just couldn't connect with the characters.

I found Blaire to be a pushover, Rush was a jerk, and everyone else was just background noise. The sex scenes were pretty steamy, but since I didn't care for the characters I didn't really enjoy them.

Toward the end, when Rush actually started showing emotion and saying more than "I need to bury my dick inside you" , I actually felt pity for him. I really just wanted to slap Blaire. She allowed Rush and everyone else push her around and degrade her.and then she just offers up her virginity to some asshole who makes her sleep in a freaking closet.

I think that there was some serious potential for this book, but the lack of character development killed it for me. I will probably read the sequel to see what happens. Who knows, maybe I'll fall for Rush, but I won't hold my breath.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Beth's Review: 
♥♥♥♥
“Everyone always says that love was enough. It wasn't. Not when your soul has been shattered.”

What can I say about this book? Lets see, i'm gonna start off with I loved it and I hated it at the same time! I can't wait for the next book to come out in March. I will also tell you that I was an Abbi Glines virgin before this! I've heard many mixed reviews about this book. This is the first book that my blogmate [Kait] and I have ever partially disagreed on! so that's TWO firsts. ONE book.

When I first started this book, I read 3 pages... and decided on another book cause I didn't like it. Then I went back and said don't let me deceive myself. So I started reading more and more. I fell in love with the main character Blaire. I felt overwhelming sympathy for her and really routed for her. She's fierce and isn't afraid to kick some ass. At the same time, I felt she really should have stood up for herself more. I mean living under the stairs, and being treated like shit? Yeah... Not cool. Being naive was apparently just her style.

Rush was a completely different story. Yes.. being a typical female I was allured to his never-ending doucheness. However, UGH what a pig. I kinda came around to him at the end though. [Shh.] Besides that... As big of a douche as he was, he was still protective of Blaire. I wasn't a fan of the "hoop" earrings, but the tongue ring? Yum. Those steady silver eyes? I think I just fell from being weak in the knees!

All in all, I thought this was a good book. The ending was super packed with drama and yes, I will admit... I cried for probably the last 3 chapters. [Obviously I'm not going to tell you the HUGE secret!] I'm glad that this was my first Abbi Glines book, so I didn't have any expectations of her previous writing to compare it to. I think that the book may have been a little Rushed.[Haha on pun]

The secret that everyone was keeping... Honestly I felt that it was made into WAY more of a bigger deal than necessary.I mean I get it. He fucked up, but there's FAR worse things that could have been done/said in my opinion. There were still a few things that bothered me about their relationship, but other than that I can't wait for the second book. I'm nervous about what it's gonna be about though! So many crazy ideas running through my mind!

Giveaway[INTL]: Kait's Favorite Books of 2012

I am so excited to share my top ten of the year with you guys! I read 101 books this year, one over my goal, so I decided to celebrate with an end of the year list and giveaway.

Just a quick ratings recap of my year:
5 stars: 46
4 stars: 47
3 stars: 4
2 stars: 3
1 star: 1

Wow. That's a lot of five star books. Over this year I have learned a lot about reviewing books, and I know my reviews have gotten much better. While I have read a lot of great books, looking back I think that maybe only 15 or 20 really deserve that fifth star. I think that I will be posting more 4 and 3 star reviews in 2013.

Now, what you have all been waiting for:
THE GIVEAWAY!

Two lucky winners[yes, TWO!] will get to choose any book from my favorites list! I couldn't limit this list to ten books, I felt like I was leaving out too many, so I ended up with 15.
Official Rules:
-Winners can choose any e-book format OR any book from this list that is available on Amazon or The Book Depository[not all are available in hard copy format]
-International winners can choose any book if it's available on The Book Depository & it ships to your country[make sure you check!]
-If TBD does not ship to your country an e-book can be chosen instead.
-If there is a book in a series the winner may choose ANY book in that series.

UPDATE:
The amazingly awesome Colleen Hoover has offered to send out a sign book if anyone picks her books from the list. This includes Slammed, Point of Retreat[the second book to Slammed], or Hopeless. That's right, a SIGNED copy. God, I love this woman. She's so generous and amazing.
My Favorite Books of 2012

15, 14, & 13.

Obsidian, Onyx, & Opal by Jennifer L. Armentrout
-I fell in love with Daemon Black & I never looked back. Every installment of this series gets better and better. I can't wait to see what 2013 brings for the Luxen crew.

12.

Transcend by Christine Fonseca
-Christine Fonseca writes books that read like the most beautiful poetry. I loved every word of this haunting story.

11.

Flat-Out Love by Jessica Park
-Jessica Park is hilarious, witty, and all around awesome. She proves that in Flat-Out Love. I can't wait to read her next book!

10.

UnWholly by Neal Shusterman
-I was anxiously awaiting this book, for about four years[seriously!]. I was not disappointed when I finally got my hands on it.

9.

Every Day by David Levithan
-This was one of the most original novels I've ever read. I'm hoping for a sequel so that I can get back into this fictional world.

8.

Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire
-This was a game changer for me. It was the first e-book I read, my first indie author, and it brought me back to my love of contemporary novels. Who didn't love Travis Maddox in 2012!?

7 & 6.

Reason to Breathe & Barely Breathing by Rebecca Donovan
-This series blew me away. I read both books in one night and cried for hours. The ending of BB has me dying to read Out of Breath, which is due out summer 2013.

5.

The Edge of Never by J.A. Redmerski
-This book came out of nowhere. I didn't expect much from it, but it gave me so much. I haven't written my review yet, but you can count on reading it soon.

4.

The Sea of Tranquility by Katja Millay
-This was one of the most moving, utterly gorgeous books I've ever read. Every one and their mother was recommending it, and after reading it I understood why.

3.

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
-I was terrified to read this book. Teens with cancer? No thanks. After fighting it for months I finally cracked the spine and I'm so glad I did. Hazel and Augustus will be two of my favorite YA characters forever.

2.

Slammed by Colleen Hoover
-This will forever be known as the year I fell in love with Colleen Hoover. There is a moment in life when something changes you, even a little bit. The moment, or book, for me this year was Slammed. I have been shouting about this book from every rooftop.

1.

Hopeless by Colleen Hoover
-I can't explain how much I loved this book. I felt every emotion possible while reading it. I was excited, scared, happy, sad, mad, etc. The best part about this book was the twist. I never saw it coming, and that is so very hard to do. Colleen Hoover is an amazing writer and person, and I expect that she will be on my favorites list in 2013.


To enter just fill out the Rafflecopter below. Good luck to all!

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Dual Review: The Coincidence of Callie and Kayden

*****First ever YA Vixens DUAL REVIEW!!!***

AND a Giveaway!

The Coincidence of Callie and Kayden by Jessica Sorensen

There are those who don’t get luck handed to them on a shiny platter, who end up in the wrong place at the wrong time, who don’t get saved.

Luck was not on Callie’s side the day of her twelfth birthday when everything was stolen from her. After it’s all over, she locks up her feelings and vows never to tell anyone what happened. Six years later her painful past consumes her life and most days it’s a struggle just to breathe.

For as long as Kayden can remember, suffering in silence was the only way to survive life. As long as he did what he was told, everything was okay. One night, after making a terrible mistake, it seems like his life might be over. Luck was on his side, though, when Callie coincidentally is in the right place at the right time and saves him.

Now he can’t stop thinking about the girl he saw at school, but never really knew. When he ends up at the same college as Callie, he does everything he can to try to get to know her. But Callie is reserved and closed off. The more he tries to be part of her life, the more he realizes Callie might need to be saved.
  
[(New Adult Contemporary)**Mature Content** Recommended for ages 17+ due to sexual situations and language.]

So we decided, that since we both read this, that we would do a dual review, but instead of reviews... we're gonna do some questions in the form of reviews! We both have a seperate review for this book, as well on the Facebook page & Goodreads!

We've also decided......

One lucky winner will get:

Ebook copy of  The Coincidence of Callie & Kayden 

from YA Vixens!!!

 Review Questions:

1. In 5 words or less, describe Callie, Kayden, and Seth.

Kait:
Callie – shy, strong, resilient, beautiful
Kayden – deep, sexy, mysterious 
Seth – Hilarious, protective, trustworthy

Beth:
Callie - Broken, Troubled, Brave, Reckless
Kayden - Sexy, Disturbed, Charming, Determined, Addictive
Seth - Quirky, Adorable, Nurturing, Playful


2. What are your favorite quotes from The Coincidence of Callie and Kayden?

Kait:
“I just never wanted to throw them away. Even if they were broken, I still loved them.” - Callie

“I've never felt like this before, with anyone. It's against the rules of surviving.” - Kayden

“I don't know what you're being so cocky about girl,” he says. “Take away that push up bra, fake tan, dyed hair, and fancy clothes, and all you'd be is a slightly overweight girl with a really bad nose job.” - Seth being all protective <3

“In the existence of our lives, there is a single coincidence that brings us together and for a moment, our hearts beat as one.” - Callie

 Beth:

“In the existence of our lives, there is a single coincidence that brings us together and for a moment, our hearts beat as one.”

 “I can do pain. That’s the easy part of life. It’s everything else, happiness, laughter, love, that’s fucking complicated.” 

 “There is something about someone trusting you enough with their secrets that it makes it easier to trust them. It’s like they’re opening their heart and in return yours should open up to them, too.”


 3. What was your Favorite moment?

Kait: The challenge at the carnival.

Beth: There was so many moments that I could have chose to be my favorite, but I think the moment when Callie finally tells Kayden her darkest and deepest kept secret, would have to be my favorite.


4. Was there any one thing you didn't like?

Kait: Callie's inability to stand up for herself. I liked Callie, and hated what she went through, but I always have a hard time with characters who don't stand up for themselves.  

Beth: Hah! Besides the mega cliff hanger of doom!? I really hated what happened to both Callie and Kayden. I hate that Callie kept her secret to herself for so long, letting it basically ruin every relationship she could build with anyone. I would have liked to see Callie show more of her strengths, than being reckless... but that who Callie is. 



5. What do you hope happens in the second book[no spoilers!]?

Kait: I hope that Seth gets a man. And I hope that Kayden and Callie can help heal each other.

Beth: I hope to see a little more of Luke's story and to see Seth quirkier than ever with boy-toy in tote. I also hope to see Callie and Kayden working through and exploring  their darkness' with one another.


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*This book is currently $0.99 on Amazon and Barnes & Noble [price IS subject to change, not guaranteed at this price!!]
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