Book Blitz: Polarity of Us

About the Book:
Title: Polarity of Us (A Northern Lights Novel)
Author: K.B. Ladnier
Publication date: December 29th 2017
Genres: New Adult, Paranormal, Romance

Synopsis: 

My name is Daisy Lennox.

Life has been on the fast track to hell for me lately. Between my fiancé cheating on me just weeks before walking down the aisle, and my career as an author going down the drain from lack of inspiration; I’m a hot mess. When it starts to feel like nothing will look up, my best friend Hannah comes to the rescue with a vacation in mind. One that involves leaving the city life of Chicago, for a more secluded one in a small town called White Hemlock in British Columbia, Canada. I thought nothing could bring back my inspiration to write, or my ability to feel so strongly for someone again.

That is, until I met him…

My name is Bastian Urso.

I’m not completely human and my life has been a mess for as long as I can remember. My wife was taken away from me by hunters for being what we are, leaving not only a gaping hole in my heart, but also leaving me to raise our daughter Addylin alone. We left our home in Alaska not long after for this secluded city called White Hemlock for a fresh start. Here, we found the peace we needed to move on with life, Addy being the only thing holding me together. But the pain and bitter loneliness of losing my wife only seemed to get worse with every passing day.

That is, until I met her…

Two people. Two different worlds. More than two hearts at stake. Daisy and Bastian are polar opposites in almost every way, but one; loving each other more than they feel they deserve to.

***This is a standalone novel and is recommended for ages 16+ due to language and some sexual situations***

Goodreads / Amazon

—

EXCERPT:

When he stopped, I walked around him to see where we were. I couldn’t have been more surprised.

A small shack sat next to a pool of water that was steaming. The snow around the water was completely melted away with grass growing around it, making the spot look like it didn’t belong here. The shack looked newly built and only large enough for maybe two people to walk around comfortably without feeling claustrophobic. Behind it all was a backdrop of the mountains.
The place looked magical.
Bastian sauntered over to the pool and dove in. He flipped around in the water a few times then came back up. When he surfaced, he was no longer a bear. He was a very wet, sexy, naked man. The water was only deep enough to barely cover him from the waist down, showing off that glorious V-shape in his hips.
“What do you think?” He asked with his arms raised up.
“Uh…” What did he ask? Oh! The spot. “It’s beautiful. What is this place?”
“It’s one of the spots I camp at when I decide to hunt as a bear. I discovered the hot spring while chasing a moose one day and knew I had to come back. I built the shack in case Addy came with me or if I decided to change back into my human form. I can sleep in the cold as a bear, but just as a human is pushing it.”
“It’s amazing,” I replied, though I was looking at his body while I said it. I honestly wasn’t sure if I was talking about the spring anymore.
He laughed and held out a hand for me. “Yes, it is,” he said, obviously pretending I was talking about the spring. “Now, undress that beautiful body of yours and join me.”

Author Bio:

K.B. Ladnier is from a small city in Southern Mississippi. She has one daughter and three cats who she claims are stealing her soul in only tiny doses so she won't notice. She is a cyborg and spends most of her time hiding from her tiny human so she doesn't have to share her snacks as she reads her favorite books. She hates the beach yet lives only ten minutes away from it and daydreams of mountains and snow. She is married to a hot nerd and loves him dearly even though he hordes cookies and occasionally hides her prosthetic leg from her when she's mad, so he can get a quick escape. She plans to write as long as people continue loving what she does, otherwise she's going to say screw it and do her second dream of owning a coffee shop. Though, she may still do both.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

GIVEAWAY!
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~Cassie

Blog Tour: You Won't Know I'm Gone

About the Book:
Title: You Won’t Know I’m Gone (The Black Angel Chronicles #2)
Author: Kristen Orlando
Published by: Swoon Reads
Publication date: January 16th 2018
Genres: Contemporary, Thriller, Young Adult
Rating: 5/5 stars

Synopsis:

Reagan has to prove herself to an elite group of special agents—and avenge her mother’s death—in the second book in the Black Angel Chronicles from the author of You Don’t Know My Name.
Going rogue in an effort to rescue her kidnapped parents has cost Reagan Hillis her automatic ticket to the Training Academy. But becoming a Black Angel is the only way Reagan will be able to exact revenge on her mother’s merciless killer, Santino Torres.

When Reagan is given a chance to prove that she’s worthy of training to be a Black Angel, she also gets the first chance she’s ever had to be her true self. No aliases. No disguises.

But when her friend Luke joins her at the Black Angels training compound, Reagan finds herself once again torn between the person she was and the person she wants to be. Reagan has to prove that she’s as good as her parents trained her to be, because she’ll never find Torres without the Black Angels’ help.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo

Author Bio:

Writing is one of the great loves of Kristen Orlando’s life and she has been lucky enough to make it her living, first as a television producer, then as a marketer and now as a novelist. Kristen graduated with a B.A. in English literature from Kenyon College. She lives in Columbus, Ohio with the other great love of her life, Michael. You Don’t Know My Name is her debut novel.

Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

Review:

Holy guacamole!!! This was an absolutely fantastic sequel to the equally fantastic You Don't Know My Name!! Kristen Orlando has written yet another amazing story that grips you instantly and never lets you go. The entire books is thrilling and exciting with nonstop action and a story that revolves around revenge. The story hurtles toward an ending that you know can only end badly, but I never expected the conclusion to be so explosive! 

The story picks up right where the first book left off. Reagan, who has lost her automatic acceptance into the Black Angels, must now prove herself in the Training Academy. I loved this aspect of the story because it was here where Reagan was able to fully explore her emotions and depression after her mother died. Along the way, she makes some new friends and when a person returns for her past, it kind of throws her for a loop. 

Reagan is truly a great character to follow and is the perfect MC. This book is all about her figuring out what to do now. She is lost without her mother and feels tremendous grief and responsibility over her death. I was interested to see how she would react to everything that happened following the first book, and she reacted exactly how I expected. Reagan is dead set on revenge, but she also knows that in order to secure her place in the Black Angels she has to set herself on the straight and narrow path...no going rogue, no talking back, and always following orders. But that's definitely not easy for her to do when it goes against everything in her nature. Reagan goes on a very emotional journey as she has to not only build herself back up physically but psychologically. I was hoping that Reagan would choose to go in a different direction than what she did, but her decision ultimately fit with her character. I am interested to see what happens with her character in the future and how her decisions in this book will affect her in the next.

I also loved the addition of her friends, Anusha and Cam. They were very supportive of her and really helped her through her toughest times. I loved them as characters and I hope to see them again in the next book. The action scenes were written brilliantly and this is definitely a major highlight of Kristen Orlando's writing. She makes the action scenes come alive and you feel as if you are right there next to the characters.

I highly recommend checking this book out when it becomes available. Kristen Orlando has delivered yet another action-packed and thrilling story that keeps you at the edge of your seat while reading. I honestly cannot wait until the 3rd book comes out to see where the story goes and all the twists and turns Kristen Orlando will throw our way!

Happy reading :)

GIVEAWAY!

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~Cassie

Waiting on Wednesday #128

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event that is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine and spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating.

Cassie's Waiting On: 

All We Can Do Is Wait by Richard Lawson
Publication Date: February 6th, 2018

Synopsis:

In the hours after a bridge collapse rocks their city, a group of Boston teenagers meet in the waiting room of Massachusetts General Hospital:

Siblings Jason and Alexa have already experienced enough grief for a lifetime, so in this moment of confusion and despair, Alexa hopes that she can look to her brother for support. But a secret Jason has been keeping from his sister threatens to tear the siblings apart…right when they need each other most.

Scott is waiting to hear about his girlfriend, Aimee, who was on a bus with her theater group when the bridge went down. Their relationship has been rocky, but Scott knows that if he can just see Aimee one more time, if she can just make it through this ordeal and he can tell her he loves her, everything will be all right.

And then there’s Skyler, whose sister Kate—the sister who is more like a mother, the sister who is basically Skyler’s everything—was crossing the bridge when it collapsed. As the minutes tick by without a word from the hospital staff, Skyler is left to wonder how she can possibly move through life without the one person who makes her feel strong when she’s at her weakest.


This sounds like a fantastic novel and I've already heard some great things about it.  I always love stories that revolve around strangers coming together and how those interactions impact the characters' futures.  It's a very cool concept that shows how unexpected life can be.  I can't wait to check this one out!

Book Review: Dreamfall (Dreamfall #1)

About the Book:
Title: Dreamfall (Dreamfall #1)
Author: Amy Plum
Pub. Date: May 2, 2017
Publisher: Harper Teen
Pages: 288
Rating: 3/5 stars

Synopsis:

Cata Cordova suffers from such debilitating insomnia that she agreed to take part in an experimental new procedure. She thought things couldn’t get any worse...but she was terribly wrong.

Soon after the experiment begins, there’s a malfunction with the lab equipment, and Cata and six other teen patients are plunged into a shared dreamworld with no memory of how they got there. Even worse, they come to the chilling realization that they are trapped in a place where their worst nightmares have come to life. Hunted by creatures from their darkest imaginations and tormented by secrets they’d rather keep buried, Cata and the others will be forced to band together to face their biggest fears. And if they can’t find a way to defeat their dreams, they will never wake up.

Review:

I'm a huge fan of Amy Plum, so I knew that I was going to check this book out regardless of its rating or reviews. I was pleasantly surprised by the story, but I didn't think it was her best either. Dreamfall is an intriguing read...7 teens who suffer from insomnia undergo a trial to help cure them, but what happens when things go devastatingly wrong?? As intriguing as that summary sounds, it just didn't live up to what I wanted it to. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed the story a lot, but it did seem like the story went in circles at times...and that was what made me lower my rating from 4 stars to just 3. 

The plot is actually pretty simple, and I think it worked in this story because the "nightmare" world that is created after the experiment goes haywire is pretty interesting on its own. I think it's good that Ms. Plum didn't build this super complex world and kept it simple because this book would have been much more confusing. This simplicity makes the book an easy, quick read. However, there were some holes that I am hoping will be explained in future books. And as I said, the plot started getting a bit tedious and went in circles. It almost seemed like we were just re-reading the same scenes just in a different person's nightmare, and nothing was being accomplished. I think this is the biggest flaw of this book...by the end, we were left with even more questions than when we started and nothing was answered. The subjects are still in the same position as they were when the book started, and there was no progress. 

The book is told in the first person perspective, but from 3 different character's POVs. We have Jamie, a med student who I realized we actually never know the gender of (something I found interesting because this is super rare these days but think added a cool element to the story); Cata; and Fergus. Jamie is on the outside watching the experiment take place, while Cata and Fergus are 2 of the subjects in the trial. I liked that Jamie's POV gave us the insight into the science/medical aspect of things (which I loved given that I'm a science/medical nerd), while Cata and Fergus gave us the perspective of 2 people in the experiment itself and how it was affecting them individually. While I was never able to fully connect to any of the characters (maybe because the chapters were short so we never stayed on 1 character that long), they all were very distinctive from each other. I do wish there was more character development with them, but again, maybe this is something that will be further explored in the next book.

Dreamfall is a short read that focuses on what happens when our nightmares become reality. I'm not entirely sure what to classify this book as--dystopian, sci-fi, contemporary-- but if you like Amy Plum, I would definitely give this book a shot! While it wasn't everything I was hoping for, I still enjoyed the story and will read the sequel. I'm interested to see when Ms. Plum takes the story and how she'll expand upon this unique idea she has created!

Happy reading :)

~Cassie

Book Review: Broken Little Melodies

About the Book:
Title: Broken Little Melodies
Author: Jennifer Ann
Pub. Date: June 5, 2017
Publisher: CreateSpace
Pages: 298
Rating: 4.5/5 stars

Synopsis:

Music was her first love. The lanky boy from summer camp with a confident swagger, a beautiful voice, and starlit green eyes was her second.

Although Roman planned to be Isabelle’s last everything, fate proved an orphan running with a wild crowd on the West Coast had no future with a rich New Yorker hiding the scars of an abusive home.

Five years after she broke his heart, fate strikes again when Isabelle’s waitressing job brings her face-to-face with her past. The boy she once gave herself to has not only become a successful rockstar, but the sexiest man she’s ever laid eyes on.

Roman was never one to believe in luck until he’s reunited with the girl he promised to love forever. Time has made Belle even more beautiful than ever, and it’s obvious the fire between them never went out. Refusing to let her slip away again, he makes her an offer that would force her to leave her mediocre band, and question whether the secrets that once divided them as teenagers could destroy them a second time.

Review:

I haven't ever read a book by Jennifer Ann prior to this, but let me tell you...I'm going to start! This book was absolutely amazing and I feel like I've been missing out on a great author all these years! I loved everything about this book (except one tiny thing that made me give this book 4.5 instead of 5 stars). I'm a sucker for rockstar romances and I've only have one book flop for me in that category (which isn't too shabby if you ask me lol). Jennifer Ann crafted such a wonderful and powerful story, and I can't wait to read more from her!

This book follows Roman and Belle. The story is told in a unique way with us first seeing them as kids at a summer camp for musicians. I loved watching them grow together and form that bond that they carried throughout life. The second part of this story though is them finding each other again, and struggling to make things work now that their lives are very different than when they parted ways as teenagers. I loved watching Belle transform from a shy, innocent girl to a strong, confident woman. Her life has not been easy since she and Roman parted ways, but she is trying her best to give herself the life she ultimately wants. Roman was literally and figuratively a rockstar throughout this story. I loved how he was with Belle and the love he has for her shined through the page.

Their romance though was epic yet also a roller-coaster ride. They had just as many highs and they did lows, and I honestly just wanted them to be happy for like 5 minutes. This was the one thing that made me lower my rating...I felt there was a little too much drama in their lives. But it definitely added an emotional and powerful punch to the story. They definitely are one of those couples that no matter what obstacles are in their path, they're going to fight to overcome them and try their best to come out on top. While their story is heartbreaking, it is also very uplifting. And let me tell you...it's definitely a page turner!!

If you like rockstar romances, this book is 100% for you! I loved this book from start to finish and will definitely be checking out more from Jennifer Ann in the future! I highly recommend adding this book to your TBR now.

Happy reading :) 

~Cassie

Waiting on Wednesday #127

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event that is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine and spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating.

Cassie's Waiting On: 

Broken Beautiful Hearts by Kami Garcia
Publication Date: February 6th, 2018

Synopsis:

Before, Peyton was a star soccer player with the perfect boyfriend, Reed. Now, she has a torn knee ligament, a scholarship on the line, and a shattered sense of self. No one believes Reed pushed her, causing her injury, and Peyton just wants to leave the trauma behind. Living with her uncle and twin cousins in their small, football-obsessed town seems like a great escape plan.

There, Peyton meets Owen—high school classmate and local MMA fighter. Though Owen is charming and gentle, Peyton is determined to repress her growing attraction. But when her old and new life collide, Peyton must reclaim the truth of her past in order to save her future. 

I absolutely love Kami Garcia and all of her stories, so it should be no surprise that I'm super excited for her newest novel, Broken Beautiful Hearts!! I'm always a sucker for books that feature MMA fighters, so I can't wait to check this one out next month!

ARC Review: Thunderhead (Arc of a Scythe, #2)

About The Book:

  Title: Thunderhead (Arc of a Scythe, #2)

  Author: Neal Shusterman
  Pub. Date: January 9th, 2018
  Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
  Pages: 512

  Genre: Young Adult, Science Fiction, Dystopia

  Rate: 5/5 stars 

Synopsis :

Rowan and Citra take opposite stances on the morality of the Scythedom, putting them at odds, in the second novel of the chilling New York Times bestselling series from Neal Shusterman, author of the Unwind dystology.

Rowan has gone rogue, and has taken it upon himself to put the Scythedom through a trial by fire. Literally. In the year since Winter Conclave, he has gone off-grid, and has been striking out against corrupt scythes—not only in MidMerica, but across the entire continent. He is a dark folk hero now—“Scythe Lucifer”—a vigilante taking down corrupt scythes in flames.

Citra, now a junior scythe under Scythe Curie, sees the corruption and wants to help change it from the inside out, but is thwarted at every turn, and threatened by the “new order” scythes. Realizing she cannot do this alone—or even with the help of Scythe Curie and Faraday, she does the unthinkable, and risks being “deadish” so she can communicate with the Thunderhead—the only being on earth wise enough to solve the dire problems of a perfect world. But will it help solve those problems, or simply watch as perfection goes into decline?

Review:

"Whoever holds the torch casts the darkest shadow." 

Thunderhead is Neal Shusterman's second installment of the Arc of a Scythe series, which looks at the consequences of an all-perfect world. If you haven't read Scythe yet, I HIGHLY encourage you to do so. Scythe was one of my favorite books I read last year, and Thunderhead sure won't disappoint either.

Thunderhead begins with Rowan on the run, taking on the role of Scythe Lucifer - gleaning and burning any scythe he feels to be using their power in an unjust way. Now Scythe Anastasia, we find out that Citra has an extremely high possibility of changing the world. But how can she do so when she has an anonymous threat on her life? New Order and Old Guard Scythes alike don't know how to take her innovative method of gleaning, in which she lets people choose their own method to die and gives them a month to say goodbyes and get affairs in order.

Usually, I find myself bored and inpatient with second books that just couldn't live up to my expectations after the first installment. Well, I loved Thunderhead more than Scythe - which is so rare when it comes to sequels. And c'mon guys, I know that I'm not the only one who finds second books falling short of the first book quality. Trust me when I say, the characters in Thunderhead transcend their first book selves. You will become so much more invested in their characters. Citra, Rowan, Curie, and Faraday are trying their best to do what they think is right, in spite of their flaws. We also see the Thunderhead taking a bigger role, risking the Separation of Scythe and State Laws in order to "better serve" the world. With action, intrigue, betrayal, and a touch of Rowan and Citra romance, Thunderhead is a sequel which trumps its predecessor. It's also jam-packed with interesting and new dynamic characters that will keep you captivated from page 1.

Not to mention - we see an ending that will have you on the edge of your seat (err.. or book?), and craving for the third book in the series (WHICH HAS NO NAME OR RELEASE DATE YET)! How will we survive?! Have you read Scythe yet? If not, definitely try to pick it up at a library, on amazon, or at your favorite independent book store! I know how us book lovers love bookish gift cards for holiday gifts. Trust me, you will not be disappointed with spending your gift card on this amazing series. But be sure to preorder Thunderhead - you will 100% want to dive right in after finishing Scythe.

- Jocelyn