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Review: Me Before You by Jojo Moyes

"Hello...it's me!" 

Have you guys heard Adele's new single, like YAS! It's so good! Just had to get that out in the open. So, this past week I had the wonderful pleasure of reading Me Before You by Jojo Moyes! It was a roller coaster of a book; I laughed, and I cried tremendously! 

Me Before You by Jojo Moyes

They had nothing in common until love gave them everything to lose . . . 

Louisa Clark is an ordinary girl living an exceedingly ordinary life—steady boyfriend, close family—who has barely been farther afield than their tiny village. She takes a badly needed job working for ex–Master of the Universe Will Traynor, who is wheelchair bound after an accident. Will has always lived a huge life—big deals, extreme sports, worldwide travel—and now he’s pretty sure he cannot live the way he is. 

Will is acerbic, moody, bossy—but Lou refuses to treat him with kid gloves, and soon his happiness means more to her than she expected. When she learns that Will has shocking plans of his own, she sets out to show him that life is still worth living.

My Thoughts:

*****5 STARS*****

Penguin Books sent me this novel in exchange for an honest review! First things first, I'd like to thank Penguin Books once again for sending me this book! As I write this review I'm lying in bed-- a bed I needed asstiance getting into-- with my arms and legs propped on pillows to help me stay in a comfortable position. You see, when I was two years old I was diagnosed with Spinal Muscular Atrophy Type II resulting in me spending the rest of my life in a wheelchair. Let me just explain that medical jargon to you a little bit. SMA  causes acute muscle weakness and scoliosis (a curvature of the spine). 

I knew going into this novel it was going to be an emotional read, but it was a little more emotional for me because I understood Will Trayner on a more personal level. This book tore my heart out in the best way possible. 

Me Before You follows Lousia Clark, a normal twenty six year old young woman living an exceedingly unextrodinrary life (at least in her eyes). She has a boyfriend Patrick whose more concerned about his exercise regime and how to cook chicken breast for dinner every night (low fat content)! Lou lives with her lovable mother and father and sister and her nephew Thomas and her aging grandfather. Lou's family gave me a lot of laughs with how down to earth they were! I would love to sit down and have a cup of tea with the Clark family anyday! Lousia helps support her family finically by working at a local bakery. When the bakery closes unexpectedly Lou is forced to search for another job. That search leads her straight to Will Trayners doorstep. 

Will Trayner seemed to have had it all; weatlth, power, a beautiful girlfriend, a job, a life... When a horrific accident one rainy day leaves Will paralyzed his entire life slips away. In an instant everything has changed for Will Trayner. Life as he knew it would never be the same. There would be no more rock climbing, bungee jumping, or hiking. The accident left Will paralyzed, trapped in his own mind and body unable to move or care for himself anymore. He now required 24/7 care.

After years spent in a wheelchair Will became extremely depressed. He spent years trapped in a body that now betrayed him with only the ability to think about everything he had lost. He couldn't enjoy getting up and out of bed to read the morning paper and drink a cup of coffee that he had brewed without having someone help him do so. The simple freedoms he once enjoyed are now gone, a thing of the past.

Will had chose to end his life in six months with the help of an assisted suicide facility called Dignitas despite his family's best efforts to persuade him otherwise. They believed Will should continue to live his life the best he could. But it was the only choice Will had left that he could make for himself. 

Upon Lou coming to work for the Trayner family she had no knowledge of Will's plans to end his life. Will and Lou were polar opposites and didn't quite like each other all that much when things first started out. But as Will and Lou became comfortable with one another she learned of his plans to end his life and set out on a mission to show him that life could still be worth living even if it had to be lived a bit differently. 

The love that grew between Will and Lou was a rare kind. It was an honest kind of love. A love that will stay with me forever. 

This book...wow. I'm crying writing this review right now just FYI for you guys. I understood Will's reasoning for wanting to end his life more than I can form words to express at the moment. It's hard having to sit in a chair day in and day out and watch everyone else around you live a life you wish you could live. It had to have been even harder to have lived that life and then have it taken from you. I commend Lou for everything she did to persuade Will to change his mind and for loving him unconditionally! 

This book is so beautifully raw and well written and so god damn emotional. Jojo Moyes wrote an amazing book that I will recommend until the end of time. Thank you for writing something so brutally honest and real. 

Top Ten Tuesday: Favorite Quotes From Books I Loved

Top Ten Quotes I Loved 

So I saw this on a friends book blog (www.aimees23.wordpress.com) and thought it would be fun to do on mine as well. These are my top ten favorite quotes from books I've read in the past year or two!

"I am lost and yet somehow found. I am afraid and yet somehow comforted. I am drifting and yet... somehow home." - Burying Water by K.A. Tucker

"That's the thing about pain, it demands to be felt." - The Fault In Our Stars by John Green 

"The world is not a wish granting factory." - The Fault In Our Stars by John Green

"I realize now that dying is easy. Living is hard." - If I Stay by Gayle Forman 

"May the odds be ever in your favor." - The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

"Fear doesn't shut you down, it wakes you up." - Divergent by Veronica Roth

"I'm in love with cities I've never been too and people I've never met."  - Paper Towns by John Green

"Maybe all the strings inside him broke." - Paper Towns by John Green

"Sometimes you make choices in life and sometimes the choices make you." - If I Stay by Gayle Forman

"If I Stay. If I leave. It's up to me." -If I Stay by Gayle Forman

Review: Surviving Ice by K.A. Tucker

Oh my god! I did NOT want this series to EVER END. Can we please have more books in this series, please! I loved it that freaking much! I've raved about K.A. Tucker's Burying Water series for months now and will probably continue to rave about for many more months to come. This entire series was simply freaking fantastic and the fourth and final book in the series was just as good as the others! Each of these books; Burying Water, Becoming Rain, Chasing River, Surviving Ice can be read as stand alone novels or together as a series (which I recommend reading them together since the characters all somehow intertwine together!).

Surviving Ice by K.A. Tucker 
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Books A Million 

Ivy Lee, a talented tattoo artist who spent the early part of her twenties on the move, is looking for a place to call home. She thinks she might have finally found it working in her uncle’s tattoo shop in San Francisco. But all that changes when a robbery turns deadly, compelling her to pack up her things yet again.

When they need the best, they call him. That’s why Sebastian Rik

er is back in California, cleaning up the mess made after a tattoo shop owner who resorted to blackmail and got himself shot. But it’s impossible to get the answers he needs from a dead body, leaving him to look elsewhere. Namely, to the twenty-something-year-old niece who believes this was a random attack. Who needs to keep believing that until Sebastian finds what he’s searching for.

Ivy has one foot out of San Francisco when a chance encounter with a stranger stalls her departure. She’s always been drawn to intense men, so it’s no wonder that she now finds a reason to stay after all, quickly intoxicated by his dark smile, his intimidating strength, and his quiet control.

That is, until Ivy discovers that their encounter was no accident—and that their attraction could be her undoing.

My Thoughts:
*****Five Stars*****

This series finished with a bang and did not disappoint me at all! It was actually really bittersweet to read this final novel because I wasn't ready to let these characters go just yet.  I've fallen in love with every single character Tucker has created from Burying Water to Surviving Ice. She has a way of creating believable, lovable, strong, independent male and female leads for her books that I can't help but admire.

Surviving Ice follows Ivy, whom we met briefly in Bury Water and again in Chasing River; a tough as nails kick ass tattoo artist who goes wherever the wind decides to take her. I was really excited to learn more about Ivy in this book. There's a lot more to her than just her snarky sarcastic shell and we got to see her blossom more and more. I loved her no nonsense attitude and sheer willpower to do whatever she wanted. Even though she put up a tough girl act for everyone she was still human and vulnerable, especially when tragedy strikes her Uncle.

Sebastian Riker is a twenty eight year old assassin for hire; he works for a private government security firm ridding the world of evils. He knows how to work quickly and diligently. He goes unnoticed and gets the job done, trusting his superiors to make sure his targets are deserving of the punishment he hands out. When a case is forced upon him he finds himself in San Fransisco watching a beautiful young tattoo artist pick up the pieces after her Uncle's senseless murder. Sebastian is tasked with finding incriminating evidence against his government security firm before the truth gets leaked to the public.

Along the way he finds himself falling for Ivy in ways he never expected to fall for someone. She's his target after all...he can't fall in love with someone he may have to kill, can he? Two lost souls come together in this spellbinding conclusion to K.A. Tucker's romantic suspense series.

It was a pleasure to read each and every single one of these novels. I'll carry these characters with me forever. If you haven't already you should check out all of the books in this amazing, intoxicating series. You won't regret it!

The Big Gamble: Review

A few months ago I created my bookstagram account over on Instagram and in doing so I've found some amazing books to read and made some amazing friends! (You know who you are! ;) I actually follow the author of this newly released self published novel, The Big Gamble! For weeks I've seen little snippets of M. Andrews debut novel on her Instagram account that made me have to read this book and I wasn't disappointed!

The Big Gamble (Book 1 in the Gambling on Love Series) by M. Andrews:

Two years ago Brooke McCoy had it all. A successful writing career, a gorgeous fiancé and a beautiful New York penthouse apartment that overlooked Central Park. She was on top of the world. But that all came crashing down when she received a phone call that changed her life forever. 

After losing her fiancé Jake to an aneurysm, Brooke was still struggling with moving on. The overwhelming feeling of emptiness only growing bigger with her still living in the home she once shared with Jake. Ready to start afresh, Brooke decides to move to Seattle away from the only family she has left for a change of scenery, hoping this will be the change she needs to finally let go of her past and start living again. 

Brian Gamble is a cocky, womanizing cop from Seattle. After being burned by love once before, Brian now enjoys the sweeter things in life like blondes, redheads, and brunettes. Winning them over with his jaw droopingly good looks and charm, only to leave them in the wind the moment the condom hits the trash. But as much as he tries to deny it he wants more, and all the women in the world can’t fill the void that his ex left in his heart. 

But one fateful night Brooke and Brian’s worlds collide, sparking a hot game of cat and mouse leading them to question their theories on love. Can two people broken by love, find happiness again? And what happens when love becomes the ultimate gamble?

My Thoughts:

****4 1/2 Stars****

First off, I'd just like to congratulate M. Andrews on her novels release! This book just came out on October 27th!! Congratulations! It took me two days to read this wonderful Lyle book and now I am left waiting for book two which is due out sometime this winter! 

Brain Gamble... Oh my! He was definitely a charmer that's for sure! Plus, he was a cop so that adds to the swoon factor right there! I really liked how he had a lot more to him than just his job and his looks. Brian was a very sweet, kind character as the story went on and I commend M. ANDREWS FOR CREATING SUCH A WONDERFUL MALE CHARACTER. Woah there caps lock where did you come from! Ha! Guess my keyboard agreed! 

Brooke! I really liked Brooke from beginning towns throughout this novel. She had a very unique story. Brooke lost her fiancé Jake early on and the pain she carried with her was eveident on the pages. She was broken and lost without the love of her life so she decided to take a leap of faith and start over somewhere completely new! Cue Office Brian Gamble as the hot next door neighbor! 

In this novel these two people find each right when they need too, to find themselves again. This book made me laugh and swoon so much! I literally cracked up on the tacos and tequila chapter! (You have no idea what I am talking about, but you will, if you read this little gem of a novel!) 

This was a quick read that I didn't want to be end. M. Andrews has a solid debut on her hands! I can't wait to learn more about Lucky in the next book! If you're looking for a great read about true love and finding yourself with someone you love them this read is for you! 

A Paper Town for a Paper Girl: Review

What's up fellow bookworms and bookdragons alike!? I'm back with another review for you! I'm a little too excited that last sentence rhymed! Okay, anyway I recently just finished reading Paper Towns by John Green and figured it was about time I get my butt in gear and post my review. This is the second book that I've had the pleasure of reading by the superb Mr. Green, the first being The Fault In Our Stars! It was a pleasure to have my heart broken by Augustus Waters. While Paper Towns didn't leave me sobbing in a ball on the floor with tissues strewn about the room it did leave me with some feels!

Paper Towns by John Green
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Books A Million

When Margo Roth Spiegelman beckons Quentin Jacobsen in the middle of the night—dressed like a ninja and plotting an ingenious campaign of revenge—he follows her. Margo’s always planned extravagantly, and, until now, she’s always planned solo. After a lifetime of loving Margo from afar, things are finally looking up for Q . . . until day breaks and she has vanished. Always an enigma, Margo has now become a mystery. But there are clues. And they’re for Q.

Printz Medalist John Green returns with the trademark brilliant wit and heart-stopping emotional honesty that have inspired a new generation of readers.

My Thoughts:
****4 Stars****

After reading TFIOS by John Green I knew I had to give some of his other works a try as well, and I'm glad that I did. This wasn't as good as TFIOS, but it was still a great little story full of mystery, hilarious moments (king of peeing in the car champion), and friendship! John Green has a way of creating such witty, philosophical teenagers and I love it, I love how unique each character was in this novel. Especially Margo, and Quentin.

Margo and Quentin grew up living across the street from one another and due to that they formed a small friendship/bond between them, but as the years passed they both drifted apart, until one night Margo climbed into Quentin's bedroom window demanding that he help her complete a few hilarious tasks. Margo was a mystery, literally, for most of the novel. She was just a girl walking around disguised as what everyone thought she should be. Quentin was just a really lovable little dorky boy next door.

Once the night of the living ninja's was over Quentin was left wondering if things between him and Margo could possibly change, but the next day at school Margo wasn't there, or the next day, or the next after that. Margo Roth Spiegelman had seemingly vanished into thin air, only this wasn't the first time Margo had disappeared. Margo had been vanishing for years and returning with wild stories of all of her adventures, but she always left clues of her destination for people to find so they'd know she was alright. This time Margo left clues for Quentin...

Quentin embarks on a journey with his two best friends to search for the elusive Margo Roth Spiegelman and learns that everything he thought he knew about Margo was a lie because, "Margo was not a miracle. She was not an adventure. She was not a fine and precious thing. She was a girl." - John Green

All in all I thought this book was really good. It had a lot of funny moments in it, that I actually found myself laughing out loud at. It also made me yearn for a group of friends that I could take a road trip with. It made me want to get out and experience the world like Margo wanted to do. There were only a few minor things I thought could have been improved upon; like how much the word 'prom' was used. It was used A LOT. I mean I'm not against prom (okay, maybe I am a little. high school sucked for me okay?!) I thought we should have gotten the chance to know Margo a bit better, and her reasoning for wanting to get of her town/life.

If you're into mysteries and humor this book is for you!

Chasing River by K.A. Tucker

Back again with another review! See, I told you all I'd get better about posting and I am! So yay me! It took me forever to find the time to finally sit down and read Chasing River, which is the third book in K.A. Tuckers Burying Water Series! Once I did finally have the time I devoured this book in two nights. And by that I mean two nights of me up reading until 2am! Don't you just love it when you get so lost in a book that you completely lose track of time? It makes reading all the more magical.

Chasing River by K.A. Tucker
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Books A Million 

 A suspense-driven New Adult romance novel from the USA TODAY bestselling author of Ten Tiny Breaths and Burying Water.

Armed with two years’ worth of savings and the need to experience life outside the bubble of her Oregon small town, twenty-five-year old Amber Welles is prepared for anything. Except dying in Dublin. Had it not been for the bravery of a stranger, she might have. But he takes off before she has the chance to offer her gratitude.
Twenty-four-year-old River Delaney is rattled. No one was supposed to get hurt. But then that American tourist showed up. He couldn’t let her die, but he also can’t be identified at the scene—so, he fled. Back to his everyday life of running his family’s pub. Only, everyday life is getting more and more complicated, thanks to his brother, Aengus, and his criminal associations. When the American girl tracks River down, he quickly realizes how much he likes her, how wrong she is for him. And how dangerous it is to have her around. Pushing her away would be the smart move.
Maybe it’s because he saved her life, or maybe it’s because he’s completely different from everything she’s left behind, but Amber finds herself chasing after River Delaney. Amber isn’t the kind of girl to chase after anyone.
And River isn’t the kind of guy she’d want to catch.

My Thoughts:
****4 Stars****

As I am sure you can already tell by now, K.A. Tucker has quickly become one of my favorite authors on this earth and I will never stop obsessing over her work. It's safe to say that I will buy every book by Tucker within due time!

In this third book, we follow Jesse Welles, twin sister Amber as she embarks on her cross country journey searching for life outside of her small hometown of Sisters, Oregon. It was definitely nice to get to know Amber Welles a bit more in this novel. Tucker has done an exceptional job creating Jesse and Amber's characters. They are both so different from one another. Amber is more black and white, she knows the difference between right and wrong and where she wants her life to go, she's prided herself on doing the right thing her entire life, while Jesse is the complete opposite, he lives life in screaming color and has had his fair share of misfortunes.

This novel started off with a unbelievable bang, literally. Amber arrives in Ireland and finds herself unexpectedly in harms way, cue in River Delaney the charming, sexy, pub owner to the rescue. River finds himself risking his life for a girl he doesn't even know to protect her and to protect his brother. After his daring rescue River leaves Amber to pick up the pieces without even so much as telling her his name. After nearly dying Amber yearns to find the man that saved her life and thank him, and she does find him eventually, but she also seems to find herself too in finding River. These two characters have an instant attraction to one another that only grows throughout the story, despite the obstacles thrown their way.

This story was action packed from beginning to end, but yet still had those calmer still moments that worked well together. K.A. Tucker must have done a lot of research for this book and it definitely paid off big time. She did a wonderful job of painting the scenery and the Irish culture with her words. I found myself reading the story in my head with a slight Irish accent during River's chapters and loved that so much.

I've already per-ordered Surviving Ice, the fourth book in this heart stopping series and can't wait to read it on October 27th. If you haven't already check out K.A. Tucker's books, you won't be disappointed! I promise! 

Becoming Rain... A Review!

I'm back! Yes, with another review! It's been about three weeks since I finished Becoming Rain by the lovely wonderful K.A. Tucker and I must say I loved this book as much as Burying Water! For those of you who don't know Becoming Rain is the second book in Tuckers Burying Water Series, it's a suspenseful new adult romance novel that will leave you absolutely begging for more! It took me two days to finish this book! I literally couldn't put it down!

Becoming Rain by K.A. Tucker
Amazon  | Barnes & Noble | Books A Million

A suspense-driven New Adult romance novel from the USA TODAY bestselling author of Ten Tiny Breaths and Burying Water.

Luke Boone doesn't know exactly what his uncle Rust is involved in but he wants in on it—the cars, the money, the women. And it looks like he's finally getting his wish. When Rust hands him the managerial keys to the garage, they come with a second set—one that opens up the door to tons of cash and opportunity. Though it's not exactly legal, Luke's never been one to worry about that sort of thing. Especially when it puts him behind the wheel of a Porsche 911 and onto the radar of gorgeous socialite named Rain.

Clara Bertelli is at the top of her game—at only twenty-six years old, she's one of the most successful undercover officers in the Washington, DC, major crime unit, and she's just been handed a case that could catapult her career and expose one of the West coast's most notorious car theft rings. But, in order to do it, she'll need to go deep undercover as Rain Martines. Her target? The twenty-four-year-old nephew of a key player who appears ready to follow in his uncle's footsteps.

As Clara drifts deeper into the luxurious lifestyle of Rain, and further into the arms of her very attractive and charming target, the lines between right and wrong start to blur, making her wonder if she'll be able to leave it all behind. Or if she'll even want to.

My Thoughts:
*****5 Stars*****
 This series just gets better and better in my opinion. It's fast paced and keeps you on the edge of your seat the entire time. The way the stories intertwine with one another are freaking amazing. I've fallen in love with the world Tucker has built in her novels and wish I could pack up my stuff and move there! It amazes me how up until now I had never even heard of this magical author! Her work is simply amazing.

In this second book we get a closer look at Jesse's best friend/roommate Luke Boone. In Burying Water Luke was portrayed as the womanizing rich boy who only cared about materialistic things in the beginning, but we quickly learned in that novel that he does have a pure heart and how he ultimately does the right things in the end.

I was extremely excited to get to learn more about Luke in Becoming Rain. I knew there was a lot more to him that what we were led to believe and boy I wasn't wrong. Luke is just as lovable as Jesse. He's grown up having everything handed to him on a silver platter so to speak by his Uncle Rust, and while that's all good and fine Luke wants more. Which is why he is so thrilled to accept the keys to his Uncle's garage when he hands them over. But accepting those keys comes another set of keys, keys that will send Luke's life into an epic tailspin. Keys that that will turn his perfect world upside down...Luke was an extremely likable and lovable character. Tucker has such a way with building believable male leads it's astonishing.

Cue undercover police officer Clara Bertelli aka Rain Martines, a beautiful twenty six year old at the top of her game looking to land her dream job with the FBI. It's her job to infiltrate her way into Luke's life. She has to gain his trust to find out if he knows anything about his Uncle Rust's side business stealing cars. Clara has lived a simple life, she hasn't had the privilege of having everything handed to her like Luke had, she's worked hard to build her life and succeed at her career, but this assignment might just shatter her world into a million pieces. Clara takes on a new identity as Rain Martines, a wealthy young socialite still trying to find her way in the world and into Luke Boone's life.

Tucker really raised the stakes with this second installment! Burying Water set the bar pretty high, but this one tops it! I'll say it now and forever, I highly recommend this series! If your looking for something with true love, high stakes, danger, and emotion this is the perfect series for you!

Burying Water by K.A. Tucker: My New Favorite Author

Gosh, it's been forever since I've posted a review. I promise I will get better at this. Im still getting the hang of writing non spoiler filled reviews! Here recently I've had a lot of health issues so I haven't had the time or desire to do much of anything other than sleep. But I'm mending the corner and getting some new posts written up for you! 

A wonderful friend I made on Instagram @cecereads actually sent me my next read, Burying Water by K.A. Tucker. You should definitely go check out her lovely bookstagram account over on Instagram and give her a follow! Burying Water has become one of my favorite reads for 2015! This is the first book in a series of new adult romantic suspense novels by K.A. Tucker. 

Burying Water by K.A. Tucker
Amazon  | Barnes & Noble |Books A Million

The top-selling, beloved indie author of Ten Tiny Breaths returns with a new romance about a young woman who loses her memory—and the man who knows that the only way to protect her is to stay away.

Left for dead in the fields of rural Oregon, a young woman defies all odds and survives—but she awakens with no idea who she is, or what happened to her. Refusing to answer to “Jane Doe” for another day, the woman renames herself “Water” for the tiny, hidden marking on her body—the only clue to her past. Taken in by old Ginny Fitzgerald, a crotchety but kind lady living on a nearby horse farm, Water slowly begins building a new life. But as she attempts to piece together the fleeting slivers of her memory, more questions emerge: Who is the next-door neighbor, quietly toiling under the hood of his Barracuda? Why won’t Ginny let him step foot on her property? And why does Water feel she recognizes him?
Twenty-four-year-old Jesse Welles doesn’t know how long it will be before Water gets her memory back. For her sake, Jesse hopes the answer is never. He knows that she’ll stay so much safer—and happier—that way. And that’s why, as hard as it is, he needs to keep his distance. Because getting too close could flood her with realities better left buried.

The trouble is, water always seems to find its way to the surface.

My Thoughts: 

***** FIVE STARS *****

Oh my god. This book is just wow. Like holy freaking wow! This is the first book by K.A. Tucker that I have had the pleasure of reading and it was sooooo freaking good guys! It was romantic, suspenseful and literally had me flipping through the pages quickly. It's a very intense book to read, but I loved every second of it! 

It's been about three weeks since I finished this book and it's honestly taken me this long to write my review because I feel like I don't have the ability to write a review that would even begin to express how much I loved it! K.A. Tucker didn't write your typical love story in Burying Water, she went above and beyond. She wrote about real life and  real love and the lengths you'll go too to protect the ones that you love and the sacrifices that you have to make to do so. 

Burying Water follows the story of Jesse Welles; a twenty four year old gear head with a golden heart and Alexandria Petrov; a twenty two year old young woman trying to escape the life she's found herself lost in with her abusive Russian mobster husband. Their lives come crashing together after Jesse's small act of kindness on a deserted road one stormy night. 

From the very first page this book had me hooked. I'm one of those people that if the writing style and I don't click I usually don't finish a book. So I was happy when I opened the book up to the first chapter and clicked with the writing. Tucker's writing style is very believable and very unique! I loved this book with all of my heart and soul. I cried and yelled and never wanted this story to end! The writing was spectacular and the story was gut wrenching, but so beautifully written. 

K.A. Tucker makes you fall in love with her characters in the way that she writes for them. That's exactly what I did too. I fell hard for Jesse Welles! Seriously, he's mine! ;) Okay, fine! He's Alex's! When can share, right? 

Jesse has a way of capturing your heart from the very first page. He's just this really relatable kind of character that's totally swoon worthy. Even though Jesse has had a troubled past you can tell that he's still a genuine person who wants nothing more than to do good and stay out of trouble. Normally when I'm reading a book I intend to like the female leads and I did love Alex, but I found myself for the first time in awhile loving the male lead as well! So kudos to Tucker for writing a believable male lead that I now want to marry. #fictionalboysarebetter

We first meet Alex in the hospital. She's been beaten, raped, and left for dead. But she has no memory of it. She has no memory of anything; including who she is. I'm kind of glad she didn't remember any of it though as far as the attack. I instantly felt for Alex, I mean how could you not! It was heartbreaking to feel her loneliness and her frustration of not knowing her own identity! But what I liked most about her was her strength. I mean it took a hell a woman to overcome everything she's been put through. Like Jesse says in the book, "He was given an angel and he tried to break her wings. But shes’s strong. Resilient." 

This is probably one of my worst written reviews and I apologize tremendously. I may go back and rewrite this review another day because this book deserves a well written review. Seriously though, I highly recommend this book!! You won't be disappointed. You'll find yourself rooting for Jesse and Alex all the way to the very end! I wish this book was being made into a movie because it would be one hell of a story on the big screen! 

Ugly Love... A Review

So, I am an avid Instagram user. I love to post pictures of all my lovely books and look at other peoples pictures of books! I literally could look at pictures of books for hours. I've said the word books a lot already in this post, who cares!  Here lately I've seen the book Ugly Love popping up quite a lot, so I decided to jump on the band wagon and read the dang thing! It's been forever since I've stayed up all night reading a book, but that's exactly what I did after purchasing Ugly Love on my nook.

Ugly Love by Colleen Hoover 
Amazon  | Barnes & Noble | Books A Million

When Tate Collins meets airline pilot Miles Archer, she knows it isn’t love at first sight. They wouldn’t even go so far as to consider themselves friends. The only thing Tate and Miles have in common is an undeniable mutual attraction. Once their desires are out in the open, they realize they have the perfect set-up. He doesn’t want love, she doesn’t have time for love, so that just leaves the sex. Their arrangement could be surprisingly seamless, as long as Tate can stick to the only two rules Miles has for her.

Never ask about the past.
Don’t expect a future.

They think they can handle it, but realize almost immediately they can’t handle it at all.

Hearts get infiltrated.
Promises get broken.
Rules get shattered.
Love gets ugly.

My Thoughts 

Rating- 3 Stars ***

I've got a lot of mixed feelings towards this novel. I liked it don't get me wrong, but after reading about how amazing Colleen Hoover books are I couldn't help but feel a bit let down for some reason. Miles Archer was a very complex character, with all of his brooding and mystery. I thought his character was very fleshed out and he had a good backstory. The only problem I had with Miles was they way his chapters were written.

I. 

Just.

Couldn't. 

Get. 

Into. 

This. 

And. 

Didn't.

See.

The.

Point.

See, it gets rather annoying. I'm guessing the author wrote his chapters like this for dramatic effect, but I really didn't think she needed too. That's my personal opinion. Now moving on to Tate. I really wanted to like Tate and for the most part I did. I just wish the author would have given her more of a spine and added more details to her character. She reminded me a lot of a paper doll. There was nothing that really made me connect to here character at all and when I read a novel I like to connect with the characters. As I am sure other readers do as well. 

This however was a steamy read if ya know what I mean! **wink wink** I loved the romantic/physical scenes in this novel. They weren't so raunchy that I cringed and tossed the book across the room, but sweet and well thought out. It didn't feel awkward to read them. 

All in all I did enjoy Ugly Love, I feel like the biggest reason I didn't enjoy this novel as much as I had hope was because of the writing style. So, I will probably give Colleen Hoover another chance in the future! 

Sharp Objects Review

It's been forever since I've posted a book review for you all, and for that I am incredibly sorry! It seems I'm always starting off my posts like this. I really need to change that! July has been a wonderful, crazy, fantastic month for me. I finally got to fulfill one of my dreams and see Taylor Swift live in concert on her 1989 World Tour and it will forever be the highlight of my young life. It was a beautiful show, beautiful crowd and all around truly magical experience! Girl knows how to put on a damn good show! Okay, I'm done fangirling!

But, seriously if you get the chance go to one of her shows you'll have a fantastic time! 

Now, let's get down to business! Last month I read my very first Gillian Flynn novel and it left me with a serious book hangover. I haven't been able to shake Dark Places from my mind! The Day family will forever hold a special place in my heart, except for Ben. I'm not even going to start talking about Ben because we will be here until Christmas talking about how much I hate that little shit! Ugh. Okay then, moving on! 

Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn
Amazon  | Barnes & Noble | Books A Million

WICKED above her hipbone, GIRL across her heart 
Words are like a road map to reporter Camille Preaker’s troubled past. Fresh from a brief stay at a psych hospital, Camille’s first assignment from the second-rate daily paper where she works brings her reluctantly back to her hometown to cover the murders of two preteen girls.

NASTY on her kneecap, BABYDOLL on her leg 
Since she left town eight years ago, Camille has hardly spoken to her neurotic, hypochondriac mother or to the half-sister she barely knows: a beautiful thirteen-year-old with an eerie grip on the town. Now, installed again in her family’s Victorian mansion, Camille is haunted by the childhood tragedy she has spent her whole life trying to cut from her memory.

HARMFUL on her wrist, WHORE on her ankle 
As Camille works to uncover the truth about these violent crimes, she finds herself identifying with the young victims—a bit too strongly. Clues keep leading to dead ends, forcing Camille to unravel the psychological puzzle of her own past to get at the story. Dogged by her own demons, Camille will have to confront what happened to her years before if she wants to survive this homecoming.

With its taut, crafted writing, Sharp Objects is addictive, haunting, and unforgettable.

My Thoughts
Rating: 3-4 Stars

On Saturday I went with my parents to visit my brother in another state and brought Sharp Objects along as my road trip read and I was not disappointed. I finished this in one day, reading on the way there and on the way home, total of six to seven hours I’ll say. Gillian Flynn is fast becoming one of my favorite authors. Her stories are so twisted and dark and unexpected that I can't put her books down and Sharp Object's was no exception.

Camille Preaker, the story's main protagonist is a thirty something journalist from Chicago with a haunting troubling past of her own. Like most journalist's Camille had to go where the story
took her, in this case all the way back to her home town of Wind Gap, Missouri. Estranged from her mother and stepfather and thirteen year old half sister, Camille is forced to get to know everyone once again during her hellish homecoming all the while trying to hide her own demons and get to the bottom of one of Wind Gap's biggest mysterious.

Gillian Flynn's novels are well crafted thought out master pieces in my humble opinion. Her novels center around females who have all the disturbing issues. It really stops and makes you realize that women are just as capable of becoming monsters and commit acts of crime just as easily as a man could. Sharp Objects is a must read for anyone who loves a good psychological thriller that keeps you guessing until the very last page.

Dark Places

What's up fellow book addicts and book lovers? It's been quite a while since I've posted anything on this blog, and for that I am truly sorry! Last night, I finished reading Dark Places by Gillian Flynn, and let me just say, it left me an emotional wreck. I had planned on writing my review last night when I finished reading, but ended up needing the night to thoroughly process all of my feelings for this book, because I had A LOT OF FEELINGS! I never expected to be this emotionally rattled by this book, but it happened.

I'm going to post two little reviews for this, one without spoilers and one with spoilers! So, without further ado, let's dive right on into the darkness!

Dark Places by Gillian Flynn
Amazon  | Barnes & Noble | Books A Million

Libby Day was seven when her mother and two sisters were murdered in “The Satan Sacrifice of Kinnakee, Kansas.” She survived—and famously testified that her fifteen-year-old brother, Ben, was the killer. Twenty-five years later, the Kill Club—a secret society obsessed with notorious crimes—locates Libby and pumps her for details. They hope to discover proof that may free Ben. Libby hopes to turn a profit off her tragic history: She’ll reconnect with the players from that night and report her findings to the club—for a fee. As Libby’s search takes her from shabby Missouri strip clubs to abandoned Oklahoma tourist towns, the unimaginable truth emerges, and Libby finds herself right back where she started—on the run from a killer.

My Thoughts: No Spoilers
Rating: 4-5 Stars

Okay, so, this is the first Gillian Flynn novel I have ever had the privilege of reading, and I must say I was not disappointed. This was a very taut, fast paced, psychological thriller that kept me guessing until the very end. I've read some reviews where readers have found the characters in the novel unlikable or they couldn't really connect to them some what.

That was not the case for me. I connected with each character from the very beginning. Libby, the main protagonist throughout the novel is a very traumatized young woman. Her defenses against everyone and everything is to shut down, and ignore them after the hell she's been through. I related to Libby from the very first page. Her whit and dark sense of humor reminded me a lot of myself which made me connect with her even more, and made me want to learn her story.

If you're looking for an amazing light easy read, this is your go to book. Gillian Flynn surprised me countless times throughout the book. Her writing is flawless and she adds a sense of mystery and suspense with each chapter. I HIGHLY recommend this book! 

My Thoughts: Spoilers Included

This book gutted me, and left me with a serious book hangover. After finding out what really happened of the night of January 3, 1985 I felt so angry, heartbroken, and sad for the Day family. They seemed like such a normal family, I mean they had their fair share of problems, but what family doesn't? The Day's had little money, they lived a seemingly poor life. No new clothes, hardly any food in their home. I have so many feelings for each character in this novel that I would like to take a minute and talk about each one.

Patty, was a mother to four children, Libby, Ben, Debby, Michelle, struggling to make ends meet on her broken down families farm. She had no money, no husband, well she had an ex husband Runner, but he was a drug addict and lowlife that I wanted to punch in the face several times. Her farm was being ceased, and her son was in serious trouble, for supposedly molesting a middle school girl named, Krissy. She was frazzled, and frantic during most of her chapters in the book, trying to find Ben before the police did and try and figure out how to come up with the money to save her home and provide for her family. I really felt for this woman, she had a lot on her plate and honestly didn't know how to handle half the situations life put her in I think. She was desperate for money, and wanted to save her children from living a horrible life, so she hired someone to kill her so her kids would receive her life insurance policy. Only, things didn't go according to plan on that night, and her daughter Debby ended up waking in the middle of the night to find her mother stabbed in the kitchen, forcing the man that was hired to kill Debby too, because she saw his face.

Libby, was the youngest of the Day clan and the main protagonist throughout the novel. When she was seven she "saw" her brother Ben murder her entire family on January 3, 1985, except she didn't see anything, she heard it, but still the police coerced her into testifying that her fifteen year old brother Ben had committed the crimes, ultimately putting him in jail. Twenty or twenty five years later Libby is an emotional wreck, unable to properly function because of the events of that night. She hides in her home and does as little as possible just barely making it by, much like her mother. She's running out of money, the money she got from donors and book profits after the murders is now gone. A guy named Lyle offers her money to look into what really happened to her family on that night, and so she does. I loved Libby, honestly, I did. Her sarcasm and dark sense of humor made me connect with her because I'm the same way.

Ben, was the oldest sibling, and the main suspect in his families murder. He was convicted and sentenced to life in prison for crimes he didn't commit. Ben was an odd kid, a loner, a freak. He had dark thoughts, but never acted on any of them until his girlfriend Diondra and her friend Trey made him murder a cow as a sacrifice to Satan. He let himself become so closed off from the world that when put in situations he didn't know how to respond, which pissed me off. He was your typical teenaged boy, he defied his mom, wanted sex, and did drugs. He was very influenced by the people around him, always giving in to peer pressure. He needed some damn will power, something!

He stood by and watched his girlfriend Diondra kill his little sister Michelle, strangle her because she knew about him getting Diondra pregnant. He did nothing, he didn't stop her, and for that I hated him by the end of the book. He was a follower and did whatever Diondra told him too, and she loved it. I wanted to feel for Ben, and I did, until i found out he let his pregnant cranked up crazy girlfriend murder his little sister. Sure, Michelle was a little blackmailer and a nosy kid, but did she deserve to be killed, no!

Ben heard his mother being shot, and his sister being hacked to pieces, but did nothing. By the end of the novel, all the sympathy I had for him vanished and turned to hatred. He may not have killed his family, but he didn't try and stop it either. He was a coward, and yeah I know he was just kid, but still. It was obvious by the end of the book, he did feel guilty for never being able to stand up to anyone and letting it happen, it was why he protected Diondra and went to jail for a crime he didn't commit.

The police in this novel were a freaking joke. All the evidence gathered from the murder scene was pushed aside or looked over. The signs were there that Ben hadn't killed everyone. Someone else was involved. But, everyone involved/working on the case wanted to make a name for themselves and brushed him over and the evidence.

This book was twisted, but in the best possible way.

The Blessed and The Cursed

Hello fellow book lovers! The month of May kept me quite busy! Sadly, I only had time to read one book. (Cries in a corner). I know, it's terrible. I've vowed to do better in June though. So, wish me luck! While I didn't get to read much this month, it sure didn't stop me from buying more books. I'm slowly but surely filling up my new book shelf. At my credit cards expense of course!

One thing I did take the time to do this month, was create a tumblr account or a booklr account as some would call it. Basically, everything I post on here will be posted on there as well. You can check that out here: www.girlathome2332.tumblr.com I'm not sure which website I like best, blogspot or tumblr. For now, I'll be running both!

I've decided to do a monthly wrap up post, so I will introduce you guys to all the new books I've gotten in my next post. So, let's dig into the intriguing world of Sara Shepard's The Heiresses!

The Heiresses by Sara Shepard
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Books A Million

You know the Saybrooks. Everyone does. Perhaps you’ve read a profile of them in People or have seen their pictures in the society pages of Vogue. Perhaps while walking along that choice block on Fifth Avenue, you’ve been tempted to enter the ornate limestone building with their family name etched into the pediment above the door.

The only thing more flawless than a Saybrook’s diamond solitaire is the family behind the jewelry empire. Beauties, entrepreneurs, debutantes, and style mavens, they are the epitome of New York City’s high society. But being a Saybrook comes at a price—they are heirs not only to a dizzying fortune but also to a decades-old family curse.

Tragedy strikes the prominent family yet again when thirty-four-year-old Poppy, the most exquisite Saybrook of them all, flings herself from the window of her TriBeCa office. Everyone is shocked that a woman who had it all would end her own life. Then her cousins receive an ominous threat: one heiress down, four to go.

Was it suicide... or murder? In the aftermath of the tragedy, the remaining heiresses—Corinne, the perfectionist; Rowan, the workaholic; Aster, the hedonist; and Natasha, the enigma—wrestle with feelings of sadness, guilt, and, most of all, fear. Now they must uncover the truth about their family before they lose the only thing money can’t buy: their lives.

My Thoughts: ****

The Heiresses center's around the prominent Saybrook family. A family full of secrets, who's Danielle's father?; Regrets, how did Corrine get that scar?; Lies, cheating husbands; and a deadly curse. For years the Saybrooks have been haunted by death. Someone in their family has died or had a tragic 'accident.'  But, were they really accidents? No, they weren't. 

Being a fan of Sara Shepard's other novel series, Pretty Little Liars and The Lying Game I had to give this little gem a shot and it did not disappoint. I'll admit it took me about 70 pages to really get into the world and get to know the characters. I know a lot people have reviewed this book and stopped after the 70 page mark, because they just couldn't relate to the rich characters, and their lifestyle, but if you keep going I promise it gets pretty exciting.

I gave this book four stars, because once I got into it, I couldn't put it down. Stories about the rich and the famous have always been a guilty pleasure of mine. This book is perfect for fans of Gossip Girl (I miss Chuck Bass), or anyone who want's a up close look into the world of the elite. It's not meant to be a Pulitzer prize winning novel, but it's not something I would toss into the bargain bin at Big Lot's either. It's a light fun read, that will definitely keep you guessing until the very end. Speaking of the ending, I found it to be quite a cliffhanger! Oh, how I love to hate those!

I felt the characters in this novel could have been developed a bit more, which I'm sure will happen in the upcoming novels in this series. Sara Shepard tweeted that there will be 18 books to this series (Yay!), and yes I will buy them all just to learn more about these characters and their stories! 

Have you read The Heiresses? What did you think? Let me know in the comments below! Don't forget to follow me over on Instagram: @girlathome23 and on Twitter: @girlathome23 :)

Coming Soon: Paper Towns Review
 

Would You Rather?

Would You Rather...?

Hey guys! So, I am currently in the middle of reading The Heiresses by the lovely Sara Shepard. It’s full of scandal, secrets, money and lies, oh my! Since I am not finished with that I thought I would take a few minutes and play a little game of ‘would you rather’ with you guys! I’d love to know what your answers to these questions would be so please let me know in the comments below. I borrowed the questions for this game off of www.epicreads.com :)

Would you rather drop your favorite book into the toilet or watch it fall into a wood chipper?

Well that’s a tough choice... If my favorite book fell into a toilet I think I would have a harder time recovering from that. I mean a toilet is so dirty, icky, and stinky. Sure, I could fish the book out with a pair of rubber gloves and tongs, but it would NEVER be the same. I mean there is no recovering from that. At least if it fell into a wood chipper, it would be quick and painless.

Would you rather read only 1 book a year but remember everything or read 100 books a year but remember nothing?

Another tough one! I always end up reading way too fast. When I was in elementary school I would get called on to read out loud and be scolded for reading so fast. So, I think for me I would rather read one book and be able to absorb every single detail about it. That’s the whole point of reading, right? Being able to immerse yourself into a different world and become someone else. If I am going to be someone else I want to know everything I can about that person.

Would you rather read only the first page of a book or read only the last page?

This one is pretty easy for me; I would rather read the last page. We all tend to do it. We’re there just minding our own business reading and then our eyes wonder to the bottom of the page and we read a huge spoiler! Or when you’re browsing for books at the store and you’re flipping through the pages and you end up on the last page and read the entire thing! Even though you read the final page you still don’t know the entire story!

Would you rather get locked in a library or get locked in a bookstore?

Would getting locked in either of these places really be a bad thing? Nope. But, for the sake of things let’s be logical with this one. If I had to pick which I do I would rather get locked in a bookstore, because most bookstores nowadays have food courts, and coffee stations. At least my local Barnes & Nobel does. So if I’m gonna be trapped I want some stuff to munch on. I’m not worried about getting in trouble either because if I get locked in a bookstore, then their security needs some serious work. What’s the worst that could happen? I read a few books, eat a few snacks.... They’d be lucky if a bookworm got locked in their store! ;)

Would you rather drop your book into the lake or accidently set it on fire?

Drop it in the lake for sure! If I drop it in the lake I can still save it! That’s what the sun is for right? To save books dropped into large masses of water?!

Would you rather read a book with a cliffhanger ending or a book with a heartbreaking ending?

I’d much rather read a book with a cliffhanger ending vs. a heartbreaking one! At least if there’s a cliffhanger it means there will be another book, in most cases. While I love a good heartbreaking novel, thanks John Green, I would much rather no there is still more to come for the characters.

Would you rather have the book’s ending spoiled or never know what happens?

Hmm. Well, for me I would rather never know what happens for the sake of not wanting the book’s ending to be ruined before I get to read it, even if that means I have to wait years to know what happens in it.

Would you rather read only one genre forever or never repeat the same genre after you’ve read it once?

I’m a very selective reader, so I usually don’t branch too much out of my comfort zone. I tend to already stay within a single genre, which I know is terrible, because I should try new things! I swear I’m trying! But, me being me I would rather read only one genre that interests me for forever!

Would you rather read a book where the main character is killed off or read a book where the love interest is killed off?

Damn, these questions are so hard to answer. I would prefer that both the main character and the love interest lived, but if I had to choose, I would pick the love interest dying! I’m so sorry Four! Don’t hate me. I feel like when I am reading a book losing the main character would be worse than losing the love interest. You spend the entire book getting to know the main protagonist and you root for them and want them to succeed in whatever they do. Losing their beau would be painful, yes. But, it would be easier to get through.

How would you guys answer some of these tough questions? What are you currently reading? Let me know in the comments below! Don’t forget to check out my bookstagram over on Instagram! Follow me on twitter as well! Reviews coming soon!

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