Waiting on Wednesday is a book meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine and it features books that we are eagerly awaiting to be released.

Synopsis

When “crazy” runs in your family and your namesake is known for walking into a river with a pocket full of rocks, a girl kind of wants to avoid tempting fate at all costs. For Virginia Nichols, the only way to dodge that bullet is to be perfect at everything: school, student council, life. Too bad it’s all a lie, and underneath the perfection...Virginia is lost. 

Ryder Blackstock knows a thing or two about being born into fate. The talents passed down from his father aren't exactly normal; instead of learning how to throw a fastball, he was taught to hot-wire a car like a pro and pick any pocket in sight. He’s got criminal blood, just like his old man. And as soon as he turns eighteen, he’ll be living life on the run with his dad.

When Ryder and Virginia meet on the beach, it seems they couldn't be more different. Soon they discover they’re both trapped in their lives—Virginia denying her fate, Ryder embracing his. Like the rocks in Virginia Woolf’s pockets, the weight of their destinies will pull them under. But being together brings out pieces of themselves they didn't know existed—pieces that make them want to take fate into their own hands and rewrite their destinies...if it’s not too late.

Review

I loved her Games series and was intrigued by the blurb of this one but in the end I liked it but expected more.  It was not as good as I hoped it would be. It's YA/NA realistic fiction/romance a and I liked the idea of exploring what it's like for a child of a parent with a personality disorder but I felt the story lacked depth and was rather casual.

I found Virginia/Lulu an interesting character - her struggles with her mother's illness and her fears for her own mental health all felt real and easy to understand. This lead to an unhealthy need for control which also seemed realistic. I felt deeply for her struggles between what's right and should be done and her desire to be free, to find who she is, to explore the world - just like any other teenager at the cusp of adulthood.

Her romance with Ryder was sweet and tender but it didn't strike me as outstanding in any way. It was an opposites-attract kind of story and bore the marks of first (teenage) love. 

My main issue with the story was Ryder. He was a typical bad boy from the wrong side of the tracks, convinced that he is destined to be a thief just like his father. I found his certainty in his criminal fate confusing and unrealistic. He was dreaming of becoming a criminal because he thought that was the only thing he was good at. It felt forced and unconvincing. He had a caring older brother, a tight group of friends whom he could rely on, so I really didn't see him as doom or desperate. 

It was his relationship with Virginia that helped him believe more in himself and ultimately act right and recognize the chance he had of being something more than a small-time criminal. Graduating high school and preparing for college and being adult can be scary and confusing, still I felt Ryder was acting rather childishly most of the story. 

On the plus side, I did like a lot his friends and the way Ms Dawn explores the complex relations between them - love and hurt and betrayal and loyalty. I really enjoyed this aspect of the story. 

This is the first book in a new YA/NA series by Nyrae Down and even though I didn't like it as much as I hoped, I'm curious about the rest of the books and very much willing to give them a try. 

Purchase links: Amazon

Here are the titles that made reading such a pleasure during the second half of the year. They are mostly by new-to-me authors who are now an auto-buy for me. It's romance in all its diversity - contemporary, steampunk, paranormal, new adult, comedy, m/m, bikers!

The Year We Fell Down (The Ivy Years #1) by Sarina Bowen. I've been sceptic of New Adult lately and this college story involving a girl with disability and a hot hockey player was a wonderful surprise. So much, that I completed the whole series and other two novel and the novella very much. 

Read my review / Add the book on Goodreads

/ Buy the book on Amazon

I can safely say that Alexis Hall was my biggest and best discovery of the year. I love his style of writing and the stories he tells are so just so powerful and intensely emotional. The true power and beauty of love. This book is bit difficult to read because it's written in heavy slang but once you get the hang of it, it's just mesemerizing! 

An accompanying book, Liberty and Other stories, releases on 5 Jan 2015.

Read my review / Add the book on Goodreads

/ Buy the book on Amazon

Glitterland was published before Prosperity but I| read it after it and I already loved Mr. Hall's style was, this comtemproary m/m romance was a real treat. The characters are so vivid and real and their romance feels authentic and natural. Furthermore, it explores issues of depression and artistic creation and I have a serious soft spot for this. Next book in the series, Waiting for the Flood, comes out in February

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 This was my first romance by an Indian romance and it was an absolutely lovely read. It was cute and fluffy and serious and dramatic like a real Bollywood movie. It takes right  into the heart of Indian culture with its complextity and ambiguity in the modern wolrd.

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I've been hesitant of New Adult lately, but this m/m college romance was a nice surprise. Togther with Sarina Bowen's The Ivy Years, these are the best NA romance I read recently. Woderfully compelx characters involved in a true-to-life story of love and life and the choices we make anf growing up to be the best you can be. 

Next book in the series, Nothing Like Paris, comes out in March 2015.

Waiting on Wednesday is a book meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine and it features books that we are eagerly awaiting to be released.

Synopsis

An up-and-coming MMA fighter wants more than just one night from a woman fleeing her past in Lori’s irresistible new novel.

Heavyweight fighter Denver Lewis plays real nice, but he doesn’t share. That’s why he’s been avoiding top-notch flirt Cherry Peyton. But a man can only resist those lush curves for so long. Their encounter surpasses all his fantasies, bringing out protective urges that Cherry’s about to need more than she knows…

Denver’s combination of pure muscle and unexpected tenderness has been driving Cherry wild. Yet no sooner does she get what she’s been craving than old troubles show up on her doorstep. And this time, Cherry can’t hide behind a carefree façade. Because the man by her side is one who’ll fight like hell to keep her safe…if only she’ll trust him enough to let him…

*** *** ***

Why am I waiting for this? - I've read both the prequel novella and the first novel in this series and though I expected more of Cannon's story (my review) and I rather like the rest of the fighters and I'm curious to read their stories as well.

I've started sharing my #BestReads2014 one by one on Twitter and Facebook and will continue to do so all through December. This was a fantastic year for me in terms of reading and I found some little jems, discovered some amazing author and their stories which brought so much emotion, both joy and tears in my life.

I've divided my best reads of the year in twoposts since they are too many for a single one. The books are listed in chronological order of reading them. I read a lot of romance, some m/m, some New Adult, a little bit of fantasy and it's all reflected here. I hope you will find something you like and give it a try in the New Year.

Read my review / Add the book on Goodreads 

/ Buy the book on Amazon

The Chocolate Temptation (Amour et Chocolat #6) by Laura Florand. I find this series just delicious and Patrick and Sarah's story was no exception. Emotioanlly intense and beautifully written.

Waiting on Wednesday is a book meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine and it features books that we are eagerly awaiting to be released.

Synopsis

Alexa Holland’s father was her hero—until her shocking discovery that she and her mother weren’t his only family. Ever since, Alexa has worked to turn her life in a different direction and forge her own identity outside of his terrible secrets,. But when she meets a man who’s as damaged by her father’s mistakes as she is, Alexa must help him.

Caine Carraway wants nothing to do with Alexa’s efforts at redemption, but it’s not so easy to push her away. Determined to make her hate him, he brings her to the edge of her patience and waits for her to walk away. But his actions only draw them together and, despite the odds, they begin an intense and explosive affair.

Only Caine knows he can never be the white knight that Alexa has always longed for. And when they’re on the precipice of danger, he finds he’ll do anything to protect either one of them from being hurt again…


Why am I waiting for this? - I really like Samantha Young's On Dublin Street series and this enemies-to-lovers story sounds just irresistible. I've read the first two chapters on Ms Young's website and now I can't wait to read more and discover the story of Alexa and Caine. 

Synopsis

What happened in high school stayed in high school. Until now.

Five years ago, Michael Graham betrayed the only person who ever really knew him. Since then, he’s made an art of hiding his sexuality from everyone. Including himself.

So it’s a shock when his past strolls right into the Harkness College locker room, sporting a bag of hockey gear and the same slow smile that had always rendered Graham defenseless. For Graham, there is only one possible reaction: total, debilitating panic. With one loose word, the team’s new left wing could destroy Graham’s life as he knows it.

John Rikker is stuck being the new guy. Again. And it’s worse than usual, because the media has latched onto the story of the only “out” player in Division One hockey. As the satellite trucks line the sidewalk outside the rink, his new teammates are not amused.

And one player in particular looks sick every time he enters the room.

Rikker didn’t exactly expect a warm welcome from Graham. But the guy won’t even meet his eyes. From the looks of it, his former… best friend / boyfriend / whatever isn’t doing so well. He drinks too much and can’t focus during practice.

Either the two loneliest guys on the team will self destruct from all the new pressures in their lives, or they can navigate the pain to find a way back to one another. To say that it won’t be easy is the Understatement of the Year.

This is the third book in the New Adult series, The Ivy Years, by Sarina Bowen. I've read the two previous novels (my review of book 2) and the novella, Blonde Date, and I really enjoyed them all a lot. My personal favourite remains, book 1, The Year We Fell Down (my review). This installment features a m/m romance between two hockey players in college and I found it just as good as the previous books.  was also very good. emotional, intense, a bit ansgty. 

It's an emotional friends-to-lovers sort of story starting back when the characters were teenagers and they meet again 6 years later as team mates in the college hockey team. They story is told in a dual POV and we get both sides to an event that pretty much shaped their lives up to the moment.

I liked both Rikker and Graham a lot, though i may have a tiny bit more love for Rikker. He was outed against his will and was forced in the role of a symbol, flagbearer for gay athletes. Despite being comfortable in the knowledge who he was, he didn't want the publicity and the attention. he just wanted to be a regular gay guy in college, playing hockey. In a way he was doing his own hiding, trying to blend it, avoiding by all means any more drama for himself and his teammates.

Graham was his polar opposite. He was so deep in the closet that he denied even to himself who he was. His hatred for himself and his desires were completely suffocating. His whole life is a form of evasion and he is so focused on playing the role of a straight guy all the time, that he is failing to form his won personality.

I found the inner struggles of the two main characters were deftly presented and I got deeply engaged in their story.

The girl in the story, Bella, was a great supporting character. I like how she was presented as a true friend and generally a nice human being, instead of the evil bitch woman we often see in m/m romance. I felt bad for her and Graham's obliviousness was no excuse for the pain he cause her and all the other people who loved him.

On the negative side, I felt that Graham self-loathing was too much at times. He seemed stuck in the past and couldn't really move forward for a big portion of the story. This also made Rikker seem far too patient with him. He forgave past and present mistakes far too easily. While I sympathize with them both for what they had to go through and very much enjoyed the dynamics of their relationship, how complicated, yet easy it was, I would have loved if they talked more often and more openly with each other.

The ending felt rushed. I would have loved to see more of Rikker and Graham as a couple, how the others saw and accepted them being together. The tentative reconciliation between Rikker and his family we see in the end felt a bit out of place and forced. I didn't really need it and don't think it added anything to the story itself.

The next book in the series will be about Bella and for all her love of hockey playes, I hope she ends up with a cute nerdy guy who knows nothing about sports :)

Synopsis

As the dress-bearer for her mother’s wedding, comic book artist Laney Hudson has a lot more baggage than the bulky garment bag she’s lugging from New York to Hawaii. Laney is determined to prove she’s capable of doing something right, but running chores for her mom’s fairytale nuptials is proving to be a painfully constant reminder of her own lost love.

So when she’s mistaken for the bride and bumped up to first class, Laney figures some stress-free luxury is worth a harmless white lie. Until the flight crew thinks that the man sitting next to her is Laney’s groom, and her little fib turns into a hot mess.

The last thing Noah Ridgewood needs is some dress-obsessed diva landing in his first-class row. En route to his Vegas bachelor party, the straight-laced software designer knows his cold feet have nothing to do with the winter weather.

When a severe storm leaves them grounded in Chicago and they find themselves booked into the last available honeymoon suite, Laney and her in-flight neighbor have little choice but to get better acquainted. Now, as her bridal mission hangs in the balance, perhaps the thing Laney gets right is a second chance at love.

I really enjoyed this book though it turned out to be different from what I expected. Based on the cover I thought it would be a light romantic comedy and while it had its funny times, it was much more serious and thought-provoking. It's not dark or depressing, but there is some sense of sadness, a lot of regret and a wonderful HEA.

I really enjoyed Ms Topper's debut novel, Louder Than Love (my review) and I can see some similarities in the writing here. It's a complex story with well developed characters who undergo profound changes in their lives - real people with real problem, easy to relate to and understand the decisions they make.

On the surface this story shouldn't work for me, he is engaged, they meet under extreme circumstances and are forced to share a room/space, fall in love in matter of 2 days, turn their lives around, still I'm surprised how much I enjoyed it. Ms Topper has given both the characters and their romance some depth and authenticity which made them very appealing. 

Laney is lost, grieving, insecure, a quitter. Noah seems her polar opposite - he is in control of his life, knows who he is and where he is going. As it turns this is pretty much an illusion, a lie he keeps telling himself.

There is subplot, the story of Laney and Allen, which I found very moving and emotional. We see just bits and pieces but they are enough to create a powerful vision of their romance which I absolute loved.

The story goes between present and past and this is where I had some issues. It was confusing, the transitions between Laney's memories and her present day situation were too abrupt sometimes and I needed time to figure out who is talking and when the said events are taking place.

Another weakness for me was the way things with Noah's fiance were handled. The problems there were resolved too neatly and everybody got their HEA, which took away from the realistic aspect of the story. 

I'm already excied about the next book in the series coming in the summer of 2015. It's be about Laney's best friend, Dani, and to my surprise not Noah's army buddy Ben. Ms Topper keeps twisting my expectations with this series! I recommended this read if you are looking for a contemporary romance with a touch of humour, some sadness and nostalgia but ultimately with a lot of passion, love and hope for the future.

Waiting on Wednesday is a book meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine and it features books that we are eagerly awaiting to be released.

Synopsis

For the delight and edification of discerning readers, we present diverse stories concerning the lives, histories, and adventures of the crew of the aethership Shadowless.

Lament! as an upstanding clergyman falls into the villainous clutches of a notorious criminal mastermind.

Question your sanity! as a dissolute governess confronts blasphemies from beyond creation.

Wonder! at the journey of the dashing skycaptain Byron Kae across sapphire oceans, through smog-choked streets, and to the depths of the sky itself.

Gasp! at an entirely true and accurately rendered tale of pirates, cavalrymen, aethermancers, scientists, and a power to unmake the world.

Plus, hitherto unseen extracts from the meticulous and illuminating journals of Mrs. Miranda Lovelace, rogue scientist and first of the aethermancers.

This collection includes:

- Shackle (A Prosperity Story)

- Squamous with a Chance of Rain

- Cloudy Climes and Starless Skies

- Liberty

*** *** ***

Why am I waiting for this book? - Actually, I already have a review copy of this and I'll be reading it very soon. This is a sort of sequel to Prosperity which I loved, with separate stories about all the main characters. I discovered Alexis Hall's books just recently but I'm completely blown away by his writing and can't wait to read more of it. 

Join the celebration of the release of Breaking the Rules, the sequel to Noah and Echo's story from Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry. This is one of my favourite YA romances and I'm excited to meet the older selves of these characters. 

 

 A summer road trip changes everything in this unforgettable new tale from acclaimed author Katie McGarry. For new high school graduate Echo Emerson, a summer road trip out west with her boyfriend means getting away and forgetting what makes her so . . . different. It means seeing cool sights while selling her art at galleries along the way. And most of all, it means almost three months alone with Noah Hutchins, the hot, smart, soul-battered guy who's never judged her. Echo and Noah share everything--except the one thing Echo's just not ready for. But when the source of Echo's constant nightmares comes back into her life, she has to make some tough decisions about what she really wants--even as foster kid Noah's search for his last remaining relatives forces them both to confront some serious truths about life, love, and themselves. Now, with one week left before college orientation, jobs and real life, Echo must decide if Noah's more than the bad-boy fling everyone warned her he'd be. And the last leg of an amazing road trip will turn . . . seriously epic.

 

And don’t forget to read the first books in the Pushing the Limits Series…

PUSHING THE LIMITS

CROSSING THE LINE

DARE YOU TO

CRASH INTO YOU

TAKE ME ON

   

Excerpt

Author's Bio:

 

Katie McGarry was a teenager during the age of grunge and boy bands and remembers those years as the best and worst of her life. She is a lover of music, happy endings, reality television, and is a secret University of Kentucky basketball fan. Katie is the author of full length YA novels, PUSHING THE LIMITS, DARE YOU TO, CRASH INTO YOU, TAKE ME ON, BREAKING THE RULES, and NOWHERE BUT HERE and the e-novellas, CROSSING THE LINE and RED AT NIGHT. Her debut YA novel, PUSHING THE LIMITS was a 2012 Goodreads Choice Finalist for YA Fiction, a RT Magazine's 2012 Reviewer's Choice Awards Nominee for Young Adult Contemporary Novel, a double Rita Finalist, and a 2013 YALSA Top Ten Teen Pick. DARE YOU TO was also a Goodreads Choice Finalist for YA Fiction and won RT Magazine’s Reviewer’s Choice Best Book Award for Young Adult Contemporary fiction in 2013.

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Reading is generally considered an introvert activity, something you do by yourself. You can read on a comfy armchair/coach/bed at home on a hot summer/cool spring/freezing winter day with your food and drink of choice. You can read at the beach, in the mountains, on your way to anywhere. The common thing in all these scenarios is that you are alone and basically don't need company to enjoy yourself. 

With the development of the internet, social media and modern communications in general, the act of reading changed, at least for me. While the act of reading is done on your own, I find it that at least some my enjoyment of a given story comes from the opportunity to discuss it with like-minded people (usually online, since I don't have any RL friends who read the kind of books I read presently). My reading experience has changed and it includes the desire to share my thoughts on the books I read, whether in detailed reviews or just with a quick notes.

I even find myself telling my husband about the books I read and he is not a romance fan at all and further more, since he is not very fluent in English, so I have to retell the books in Bulgarian and find myself in a situation where I need to come up with BG terms for a number of things - the Psy and the changeling of Nalini Singh, the steampunk contraptions from The Kraken King and Prosperity. Sometimes it can be a challenge to discuss even contemporary romance in my native language when I've read the books in English.

After QRM I have started very tentatively joining some literary discussions online. Alexis Hall, I blame you for this with your thought-provoking posts of romance (queer and het), HEA, love and life in general. I don't feel confident enough to comment often, but I absolutely enjoy following these discussions.

Goodreads is my preferred social book site, it's in fact the only one I actively participate in since I don't really have the time for more. It's has its weakness but I have found some amazing people there, made some friends. I try to join in buddy reads but don't always manage to, I participate in some groups (sometimes rather actively) and I keep challenging myself by trying new genres/types of books. I tried the Reading Challenge for the first time this year and I'll fail it spectacularly, since I'm 50 books behind my goal of 200. This is the place where I get most of my book recommendations as well.

I like the me-time that reading gives me, the escape from the routine of the everyday but I very much appreciate also the chance to connect with different people through the books that I read. This is part of the reason behind this blog - to have a place to write about the books I read and lately, about the reading and blogging itself. 

How do you feel about reading? Is it a way to escape the world or a way to connect with other people, a mixture of the two, or something else completely?

Welcome to my stop of the Launch and Blog Tour for Razed by Shiloh Walker. Read a short but sexy excerpt from the story of Keelie and Zane, check my review and enter a Rafflecopter giveaway for some awesome prizes.

Author's links:
Website / Facebook / Twitter / Goodreads

My rating: 4 stars

Giveaway

Waiting on Wednesday is a book meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine and it features books that we are eagerly awaiting to be released.

A summer road trip changes everything in this unforgettable new tale from acclaimed author Katie McGarry

For new high school graduate Echo Emerson, a summer road trip out west with her boyfriend means getting away and forgetting what makes her so... different. It means seeing cool sights while selling her art at galleries along the way. And most of all, it means almost three months alone with Noah Hutchins, the hot, smart, soul-battered guy who’s never judged her. Echo and Noah share everything — except the one thing Echo’s just not ready for.

But when the source of Echo’s constant nightmares comes back into her life, she has to make some tough decisions about what she really wants — even as foster kid Noah’s search for his last remaining relatives forces them both to confront some serious truths about life, love, and themselves.

Now, with one week left before college orientation, jobs and real life, Echo must decide if Noah's more than the bad-boy fling everyone warned her he'd be. And the last leg of an amazing road trip will turn... seriously epic.


Why am I waiting for this? - I like Ms MsGarry's writing and how realistically she presents her characters with all their insecurites, flaws and best features. I'm a big fan this series and Noah and Echo are one of my favourite couples. I'm excited to see them along the road literally (I love stories involving a road trip) and figuratively, as they get together as a couple. 

Everyone’s got secrets. Some are just harder to hide.

With his father’s ponzi scheme assets frozen, Tom Worthington believes finishing college is impossible unless he can pay his own way. After months sleeping in his car and gypsy-cabbing for cash, he’s ready to do just that.

But his new, older-student housing comes with an unapologetically gay roommate. Tom doesn’t ask why Reese Anders has been separated from the rest of the student population. He’s just happy to be sleeping in a bed.

Reese isn’t about to share his brutal story with his gruff new roommate. You’ve seen one homophobic jock, you’ve seen ’em all. He plans to drag every twink on campus into his bed until Tom moves out. But soon it becomes clear Tom isn’t budging.

Tom isn’t going to let some late-night sex noise scare him off, especially when it’s turning him on. But he doesn’t want any drama either. He’ll keep his hands, if not his eyes, to himself. Boundaries have a way of blurring when you start sharing truths, though. And if Tom and Reese cross too many lines, they may need to find out just how far they can bend…before they break.

I've been on an m/m romance streak in my reading lately and as hesitant as I am about New Adult college stories this days, I was intrigued by the blurb of this book and decided to give it a try.

It's my first book by Amy Jo Cousins and I quite like her writing style. It's enganging and emotional without being melodramatic. It's an angsty story with some drama but I found it fitting the college experience and the age of the characters (they are all in their early twenties).

Both Tom and Reese have a lot of baggage, more than the average college student but their portrayal felt realistic and convincing. I felt connected to them, understood their issues and wanted badly things to work out well for both of them.

It's a story of discovering who you are and being comfortable in your own skin, about overcoming pain and trauma. The emotional scars come in different forms for Tom and Reese but they have made both of them distrustful of others, hiding away off campus.

Outwardly Tom and Reese and complete opposites -  Reese is openly gay, flamboyant, dealing with the aftermath of an assault he suffered, while Tom is just trying to figure out who he is while hiding away from everyone and working hard to make it on his own after father pulled a Ponzi scheme and he lost everything he had. 

Their relationship was quite interesting - it was full of tension and issues and fight, yet the feeling between them were real an the attraction was undeniable. It was all about building trust, opening to each other. Yet their love was not enough for them to overcome their issues. They needed outside help and I was glad that they did look for it and got it in the end.

I liked the supporting characters a lot and I feel that Steph and Cash totally deserve a story of their own. Reese's dad was also great. 

Having said all this, I had some minor issues with this story. I hated when Tom kept referring to Reese as "kid" at the beginning.

Another issue I had is related to a particular event in their sexual relationship. At some point things got rocky between Tom and Reese and there was a lot of mistrust and anger between them. I felt that this act was supposed about love and trust , yet its timing when their relationship was its lowest really and they were the most distant from one another didn't fit the characters and the story. 

Overall, it's an emotional, intense story which made me care deeply for the characters and root for their HEA. I'd recommend this book to all fans of New Adult romance who love refreshing stories with some angst, some drama, some laughs and a lot of love and passion

The book in the series, Nothing like Paris, will be about Jack who was quite a villain here and it releases in March 2015.

Pre-order links: Amazon / B & N / Kobo / iBooks