Josie's Haven : May 2012

May 28, 2012

The Souls Mark: Found by Ashley Stoyanoff

Goodreads

The Soul's Mark: FOUND

by Ashley Stoyanoff

YA Paranormal Romance

Published by: Ashley Stoyanoff Books

eBook

My Rating: ♥♥♥♥½

Summary ~ from goodreads~

Anxious to leave her destructive past behind, Amelia Caldwell moves to Willowberg, excited for a fresh start. Once there, she discovers that her birthmark is more than it seems. She has been marked by a vampire's soul. Not only does she hold his soul, but Amelia is also his soul-mate.

After almost a century of searching for his soul-mate, Mitchell Lang fears the worst--he is going to lose Amelia to another man. His heart takes over, and his impulsive decision to take away her free will and to intensify their bond quickly turns her growing love to hate.

When they become trapped in the emotional rollercoaster of their souls' bond, open conflict erupts. Amelia has no intentions of belonging to anyone, not even her soul-mate, and Mitchell refuses to let her go.

While she frantically searches for a way to escape his grasp, Amelia unlocks the painful memories of her past and uncovers a powerful secret. But before she has a chance to explore her new found edge, she finds herself caught in the middle of a deadly game of revenge and is forces to realize that YOU CANNOT RUN FROM DESTINY.

My Review:

Four and a half stars! Ashley Stoyanoff does a wonderful job creating this paranormal romance. It has me question, "Is it a good, or bad thing to have a soul mate?"

Amelia finds her soul mate, embraces destiny, makes life changing decisions and sees things are not all black and white. With her personal tragedies she has endured and tough choices to be made, Amelia grows into a strong female character. Mitchell Lang has spent years trying to find Amelia. He's had many years of struggle trying to connect with his soul-mate. Even though they are destined to be together there is no immediate happy ending. Like all great and strong relationships, both of them have to want to work on accepting and trusting each other. I love how Amelia and Mitchell struggled and argued about their thoughts, feelings and differences and they never gave up.
I really love the characters in this story and I felt a connection to several of them. I wish I had some of them as friends/family. I developed mixed emotions with several characters, this kept me on edge, (which is a good thing). The main characters had back stories, which gave them more depth and gave me an understanding for them. I like the splashes of humor written in with the drama as it unfolded. I really enjoyed the ending. I hope there is another book so I can read more of Amelia's journey with her destiny.
Finding her soul-mate and finding out more about her past is just the beginning.
I look forward to reading more from Ashley.

Here is a link to enter a contest to win a signed autograph book: Contest ends June 1st!
http://www.ashleystoyanoff.com/contest_details.html

To find out more about Ashley Storyanoff

http://www.ashleystoyanoff.com/

https://www.facebook.com/AshleyStoyanoffTheSoulsMark

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5890982.Ashley_Stoyanoff

Taste by Kate Evangelista

Goodreads

Taste
YA Paranormal Romance
by Kate Evangelista
Publisher: Crescent Moon Press
eBook
My Rating: ♥♥♥♥½

Summary ~ from goodreads~

At Barinkoff Academy, there's only one rule: no students on campus after curfew. Phoenix McKay soon finds out why when she is left behind at sunset. A group calling themselves night students threaten to taste her flesh until she is saved by mysterious, alluring boy. With his pale skin, dark eyes and mesmerizing voice, Demitri is both irresistible and impenetrable. He warns her to stay away from his dangerous world of flesh eaters. Unfortunately, the gorgeous and playful Luka has other plans.
When Phoenix is caught between her physical and her emotional attraction, she becomes the keeper of a deadly secret that will rock the foundations of an ancient civilization living beneath Barinkoff Academy. Phoenix doesn't realize until it is too late that the closer she gets to both Demitri and Luka the more she is plunging them all into a centuries old feud.

My Review:

I loved this book and enjoyed the journey reading this story. The first couple of chapters definitely grabbed my attention. I had to know where and how this story was going to play out. I was pleasantly surprised on the development of the paranormal characters. I thought I knew the path the story was leading me, but then the story would take a turn I was not expecting and it kept me in suspense. Kate Evangelista does a great job creating and telling the story.
After Phoenix's mother dies of a incurable disease her relationship with her father becomes strained. She is quick in making major life decisions because of what she has experienced in her life. Phoenix discovers a secret group that comes out only at night and exists under the ground. She is intrigued by her encounter with Demitri and Luka, and wants to know why they are so dangerous to be around. I recommend this book to anyone who wants to read a paranormal romance with a twist on paranormal characters. This story had a good ending that I did not see coming. Can't wait to read more of this world that Kate has created.

http://www.kateevangelista.com/

May 22, 2012

Wuthering Frights by H.P. Mallory

Goodreads

Wuthering Frights (Dulcie O'Neil #4)
18& Up ~Paranormal Romance/Urban Fantasy
by H.P. Mallory
Publisher: HP Mallory
eBook
My Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥

Summary ~ from Barnes & Noble~

A father she never knew existed.
An impossible decision that had to be made.
A lie she must keep to herself at all costs.
And the realization that every choice she makes has consequences.

Fairy and law enforcement agent. Dulcie O'Neil, has just discovered that her father is the Head of the Netherworl, and a double-dealing, illegal potions importer. Worse yet, she's now working for him.

Kinght Vander, Dulcie's boyfriend and Head of the Association of Netherworld Creatures, is on to her father, but, in the process, will he discover Dulcie's secret? and if he does, will it mean his life?

My Review:
H.P. Mallory has never disappointed me. Wuthering Frights is the fourth book in the Dulcie O'Neil Series and I just can't get enough. It has it's twists and turns, mystery, suspense and a romance in crisis. I love Dulcie and Knight and I want the best for them. H.p. tortured me in this book. Poor Dulcie just can't seem to catch a break in her love life. Her and Knight keep running into situations that make this difficult. There was a certain chapter that had me yelling inside and it took a lot of self control not to scream out loud. I just became very mad at the direction the story was taking. It took me completely off guard and the ending was a great cliffhanger! H.P. Mallory does an excellent job drawing me into caring so much about her characters. My emotions are stirred up and I am eagerly waiting for the next book!!
I want the next book now!!

Note:
H.P. is great keeping in touch with her fans on Facebook. Her main characters from the Dulcie O'Neil series have their own Facebook pages and the fun continues while waiting for the next book. She also has weekly "parties" on Facebook with a lot of giveaways. It's a great way to to interact with other fans of H.P. Mallory's books.

H.P. Mallory's website : http://hpmallory.com/

Her Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hpmalloryauthor

http://www.goodreads.com/series/52745-dulcie-o-neil

Check out her other awesome series:

The Jolie Wilkins Series!!

http://www.goodreads.com/series/53027-jolie-wilkins

May 17, 2012

Murder at Honeysuckle Hotel by Rose Pressey

goodreads

Murder at Honeysuckle Hotel
(Trash to Treasure Crafting Mystery #1)
by Rose Pressey
Publisher: Rose Pressey
Pub. Date: April 4, 2012
eBook
My Rating: ♥♥♥♥

Summary: ~from B&N~

It's summertime in Honeysuckle, and everyone is lazing in the shade with a tall glass of lemonade. Everyone except Raelynn Pendleton. she's stuck working at the local store to make the rent while her no-good ex-husband lives it up with a floozy.
When she inherits a Victorian house, Raelynn jumps at the chance to turn her life around. How can she afford the upkeep on such huge place? Simple. She'll run it as a hotel. Problem is, she has no experience and the decor dates back to the Dark Ages. She'll have to use her secret talent for turning junk into treasure or she'll never snag an overnight guest.
But before the new Honeysuckle Hotel even opens for business, Raelyn discovers the body of a young woman in the garden. As a newcomwe in town. Raelyn is blamed for the murder. She's fired from her job, which could mean she'll lose the house. The only eay to save Honeysuckle Hotel is to find the real killer - with or without the Sexy Kent Klein.
One way or another, Honeysuckle will be buzzing.

My Review:

Rose Pressey does a great job creating a story with believable characters. Murder at Honeysuckle Hotel is another wonderful fun book to read by Rose Pressey. The stories that Rose is known to write are fun paranormal mystery/ romances with werewolves, vampires, ghosts and witches. She has created another series, Trash to Treasure Crafting Mystery series that is not a paranormal romance but it is a mystery romance. I will definitely be looking forward reading more of this new series. After her divorce Raelynn is learning to make it on her own. Raelynn is a gril finding herself single again. She is learning to embrace a new life and in doing so becomes a self confident strong woman. She is fortunate to have a wonderful best friend and a gorgeous sexy cop friend. A romance and mystery that I did not want to stop reading. This book has plenty of fun, humor and mystery. I love all of Rose Pressey's books.

Here is a link to Rose Pressey's goodreads and webisite :

Goodreads http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1188608.Rose_Pressey

Website: http://www.rosepressey.com/

May 15, 2012

Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12680907-bitterblue

Bitterblue (Graceling Realm #3)

YA - 14-17 years

by Kristin Cashore

Publisher: Penguin Group (USA) Incorporated

Pub. Date: May 1, 2012

Pages: 576

My Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥

Summary ~ from B& N~

The long awaited companion to New York Times bestsellers Graceling and Fire.

Eight years after Graceling, Bitterblue is now queen of Monsea. But the influence of her father, a violent psychopath with mind-altering abilities, lives on. Her advisors, who have run things since Leck died, believe in a forward-thinking plan. Pardon all who committed terrible acts under Leck's reign, and forget anything bad ever happened. But when Bitterblue begins sneaking outside the castle---disguised and alone---to walk the streets of her own city, she starts realizing that a kingdom has been under the thirty-five-year spell of a madman, and the only way to move forward is to revisit the past.

Two thieves, who only steal what has already been stolen, change her life forever. They hold a key to the truth of Leck's reign. And one of them, with an extreme skill called a Grace that he hasn't yet identified, holds a key to her heart.

My Review:

It was a long wait for Bitterblue. It was worth the wait I was not disappointed. I loved Graceling and Fire. I also loved Bitterblue. Bitterblue's story needed to be told. Bitterblue is not a fighter like Katniss and Fire, but she is a strong female just like them. She knows what she needs to do and does it. She is a thinker, and wants to help her people heal from her fathers cruel, monstrous and abusive reign. She learns that most of the people in her kingdom can not read. She wants to set up schooling requiring everyone to be able to read. Her advisors are not for this, and Bitterblue does not understand why. So she decides she needs to take a tour of her kingdom and the advisors do not see the hurry to do so. Bitterblue sees she is not getting any where with her advisors so she disguises herself and set out to see her kingdom. She ends up wanting to seek the truth of what exactly did her father do during his reign. She feels in order for the kingdom to move forward, everyone needs to face the truth and heal from it. Her advisors feel moving forward and forgetting the past is the better way.

Kristin Cashore does a great job with connecting all three books. I love to read and experience the stories she writes. Graceling and Fire do not need to be read one before the other. Although, I do feel that reading Graceling and Fire before Bitterblue made reading it more enjoyable. There is romance, with several different characters, and a lot of puzzles to solve to explain the mystery of what exactly happened during Lecks reign.There is some strong, disturbing content, that may not be for everyone in Bitterblue. But to understand how monstrous Leck was, it was necessary. Bitterblue is a very strong minded character.Through her good intentions to help her kingdom, by seeking the truth, her people and herself sees she is truly strong enough to be good Queen.

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13608416-kristin-cashore-esampler

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3236307-graceling

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6137154-fire

Kristin Cashore goodreads http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1373880.Kristin_Cashore
her website http://kristincashore.blogspot.com/

Book Review of Illumine by Alivia Anders

http://aliviaanders.blogspot.com/p/illumine.html

Illumine ( Illumine #1)
YA
by Alivia Anders
Publisher: Alivia Anders
Pub. Date: January 7, 2012
eBook
My Rating: ♥♥♥½

Summary~from B&N~

For the past five months Essallie Hanley has been trying to forget about the frightening murder of her boyfriend. Haunted by vivid nightmares and hallucinations of the event she does anything she can to pretend she's like every other normal girl in High School.
Only Essallie is far from normal. Able to conjure blue fire and a shimmering silhouette of wings from her body, she seeks the only known solace left to her name; her first home in Belfast, Maine.
But she soon realizes that her return home is only the beginning of a long and twisted road taking her as far from her humanity as possible, with Kayden, the demon originally summoned to slaughter her, leading the way. Unable to touch her but oddly curious, he joins Essallie in her search to find out just what she is. But neither of them were prepared for the secrets they've begun to unravel, secrets that will change Essallie and everyone around her forever.

My Review:

I love the cover and I fell for the book! Overall, I enjoyed reading Illumine. There's mystery, suspense, romance and it has fun twist and turns. It was a book I found myself not wanting to put it down. At first, I had a difficult time figuring out the characters, especially Essie. I felt the beginning was slow because it did not flow smoothly at first for me. My attention was soon grabbed and as I read the book, it got better.
In the beginning I was not sure if this was a book for me. It did have a detailed gory scene, but it was necessary. This scene gives the reader insight to what the character Essie will be dealing with. Essie's world is quickly turned upside down. Everything she thought was true in her life was a facade. I hope to read more about her past and about her mom and dad. I want to know more details about what took place, to have Essie sent away from living with her brother. I am very glad I read this book. It developed nicely and it had a strong ending. My question I asked myself is, who is good or bad? There is no obvious answer to this question. There is not a clear cut answer to this. I want and need to find out more. I look forward learning more about this supernatural world Essie lives in.

The second book in the Illumine series, Obumbrate will be released on July 7, 2012

http://www.goodreads.com/series/72466-illumine

May 12, 2012

The Chosen Soul Series by Heather Killough-Walden

The Chosen Soul (The Chosen Soul #1)
by Heather Killough-Walden
17& up
Publisher: HRKW
Pub. Date: April 22, 2011
eBook
My Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥

Summary: ~ from B&N~

It was dark and stormy night when the Stranger came to call. Sarah Grey's second child was breached; the twin was going to die.
The Stranger offered help.
Twenty years later, Raven Grey, the second twin born on that fated night, is now an extraordinary beautiful woman. With a gift.
But what is the price to pay for that gift?
If Raven and her brother cannot escape the handsome and powerful elf prince, outwit the dark and dangerous bounty hunter, and defeat the ancient, mighty Death Mage - Raven is sure to learn just what that price is.
And pay dearly.

My Review:

In her book The Chosen Soul, Raven is extremely beautiful and has several men wanting to marry her. She does not have any interest in them at all. This angers them. The three of them decide to capture her and rape her. Her twin brother Loki tries to help her and Raven and Loki are beat up by the men. Raven becomes angry and curses them. Because of what happens next Loki and Raven leave town and through their journey they find out more about themselves. Heather Killough-Walden is one of several authors I keep a eye on. Her books have never disappointed me. She does a wonderful job writing stories I can easily be transported in. Raven is a character who has to go through a lot to find out who she is and who she wants to be. I find that she can seem to be a weak character, but I feel this is necessary for the character to develop. At the end of this book the story did end abruptly for me. I wanted to know more. I was very glad to find out months later that there was a second book written, that I can read more of Ravens journey.

❖❖❖❖

Drake of Tanith (The Chosen Soul #2)
by Heather Killough-Walden
Publisher: HRKW
Pub. Date: December 22, 2011
eBook
My Rating: ♥♥♥♥½

Summary:

Eons ago, the darkly handsome and in famous bounty hunter Drake of Tanith turned his back on his diabolical heritage in favor of freedom from the infernal influences of his kind. But now his indomitable father has delivered the worst kind of ultimatum: He must give up his soul and return to the life he left behind - or he must give up his love.
In the ultimate race against time Drake struggles to save both himself and the woman he cherishes from the razor-sharp clutches of the man he hates. Will he succeed in his battle against assassins, devils, and gods? Or will he lose to the one he despises the only thing he has ever held dear?

My Review:

I like that The Chosen Soul series has me thinking about what is good and what is evil. If good can become evil then evil can become good. Just like Raven and Loki's last name Grey, good and evil can fall into shades of grey. Learning more about Drake and about the different beings in this story was a lot to take in. I had many questions of why and how, but I still enjoyed the story development. Raven is still working on accepting her self and in doing so is becoming stronger. I hope with the third book she will have more self confidence in herself and I will get more answers to what I struggled with understanding. I am very curious how everything will play out and I can't wait to read more.

The Wild Hunt ( The Chosen Soul, #3) is scheduled to be released in October 2012

http://www.goodreads.com/series/77355-the-chosen-soul

May 4, 2012

Legend by Marie Lu

Legend (Legend #1)
by Marie Lu
Ages 12-17
Publisher: Penguin Group
Pub. Date: November 29, 2011
Pages: 336
Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥

Summary ~ from goodreads~

What was once the western United States is now home to the Republic, a nation perpetually at war with its neighbors. Born into an elite family in one of the Republic's wealthiest districts, fifteen-year-old June is a prodigy being groomed for success in the Republic's highest military circles. Born into slums, fifteen-year-old Day is the country's most wanted criminal. But his motives may not be as malicious as they seem.
From very different worlds, June and Day have no reason to cross paths-until the day June's brother, Metias, is murdered and Day becomes the prime suspect. Caught in the ultimate game of cat and mouse, Day is in a race for his family's survival. while June seeks to avenge Metias's death. But in a shocking turn of events, the two uncover the truth of what has really brought them together, and the sinister lengths their country will go to keep secrets.
Full of nonstop action, suspense, and romance, this novel is sure to move readers as much as it thrills.

My Review:

I love this book as much as I love The Hunger Games and Divergent. I was hooked from the very beginning. Constant action, never a dull moment, and suspenseful. I did not want to put this book down. All the characters were written well. It was easy for me to visualize the surroundings the story was written in. I easily grew to care for June, Day and every character affected by the lies and in justice they endured. This is another book I can add to my growing list of dystopian / post-apocalyptic favorites. I am so glad, that I have another book I can recommend to my sixth graders at work. We have had many discussions over The Hunger Games and now after they read Legend we can discuss this one too.

Each chapter alternates between Day and June. I give a thumbs up to Marie Lu for deciding to tell the story in this way. Reading in both point of views gave me a better connection and empathy to both of them. Day and June were both raised and grew up under the same government. June from the wealthy district, and Day from the poor district. Their feelings for their government is different. As the story unfolds they meet and find themselves at odds with each other. Eventually many truths are revealed, difficult choices have to be made and trust is eventually earned. June and Day both where in the dark about different things in their life's. I can't wait to see what June and Day decide to do about what they learn.

Marie Lu's next book to the trilogy of Legend is Prodigy.

January 2013
http://www.marielu.org/
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4342215.Marie_Lu

May 1, 2012

Random Reads #1 ~~ Into the Wild (Warriors #1) by Erin Hunter

http://imlovingbooks.com/

I would like to thank I'm Loving Books for hosting this monthly meme. This is my first time participating. This is a great idea to give all those books that are put on the to read list a chance. For May I had my friend pick a random book out of my Nook library I have not read.

My first book for the Random Reads this month is Into the Wild by Erin Hunter.

Goodreads summary

This book was recommended by Gabriela, over 2 years ago. She was a student in my aftercare program that loved this series. I still keep in touch with her family, so I will be able to tell her I am finally going to read it. She will be very excited.

There are different ways you can pick a random book. Next time I will try using my to-read shelf on my Goodreads

It's easy..

If you're on Goodreads enable sorting to your to-read shelf (you should see numbers next to each book now).
Go to Random.org and type in the Min as 1 and the Max as how many ever books are on your to-read shelf.
Scroll down to the book matching the number Random.org picks.
Link up to your Random Reads post.
Read and enjoy!!!

You can also close your eyes and randomly point at a book on your to-read bookshelf
Place several books on the floor in a circle and spin a bottle.
Have a friend or family member pick one randomly from books you own and still need to read.

I would like to say again, this is a great idea! Happy reading everyone!!

I also would love to hear what everyone is reading please leave a comment and share.

♥ Josie

Happy Release Day to several books!!

So excited today!! There are several books that were released today, May 1st. I wish it was possible to read them all in one week!! These are on the top of my to read list.......