Providence by Jamie McGuire...

Series: Providence (Book #1)
Published: November 17th 2010 by Jamie McGuire LLC
Pages: 484
Rating: 5 stars
Age Recommendation: -

Synopsis:

Struggling with her father's death, Nina meets Jared Ryel, presumably by chance. However it soon becomes clear that he knows more about her than even close friends. When her father's former associates begin following her in the dark, Nina learns that her father was not the man she thought he was, but a thief who stole from demons. In searching for the truth behind her father's death, she stumbles upon something she never expected, and something Hell wants, that only she holds the key for. Jared risks everything to keep the women he was born to save, by sharing the secret he was sworn to protect.

Review:

I had very high expectations going into this book after reading and loving "Beautiful Disaster", though I really didn't have much of an idea what this book was about as I decided to buy the first three books in the series on a whim. But I am happy to say I really enjoyed this book.

The plot. I really enjoyed the plot of the book and I thought that it was a really unique storyline. Sure the plot of guardian angels isn't anything new, but the way that the story was written and all of the different ins and outs of this world were like nothing I had ever read before, and I really loved the idea of angel assassins. I also really enjoyed seeing how Nina and Jared's relationship developed throughout the book and seeing the highs and lows of their relationship and really, just how much they loved each other. I thought that the book was paced very well and I thought that there was a lot of suspense and mystery in this book. Something else that I thought was done very well in this book was how Jamie McGuire managed to make a book that was based on such an unrealistic topic and make it seem believable and realistic, overall I thought that it was a very well written book.

The characters. I know from after reading "Beautiful Disaster" that Jamie McGuire has a knack for writting characters and this book was no exception. She had such great attention to detail when it came to writing each and every one of the characters in this book and they all shone for their own reasons.
Nina. I really enjoyed having the book told from Nina's perspective and I think that if it was told from anyone else's POV it wouldn't have had half as much impact as this book had for me. I thought that Nina was a very relatable character and coped very well with the situation she was in and was very open minded to it. I thought that she was very strong willed and always stuck to what she thought was right and would do anything to protect the people she cared about. Thought I thought she did make some poor decisions towards the end of the book in regards top her relationship with Jared, ultimately things turned out the way that they should have and I was so happy for her when it came to the end of the book.
Jared. I really loved Jared in this book. I thought that he was amazingly dedicated to Nina and would do anything for her. I really felt for him with the situation he had been in his whole life and how he had to battle with his feelings on a daily basis until he could finally talk to Nina, but I felt really happy for him as I got to see just how happy Nina made him. I really felt his pain as he was trying to cope with the decision that Nina made about their relationship, but ultimately I really did love Jared's character and I cannot wait to read more about him the next book.

Overall I really did enjoy this book and I was pleasantly surprised, sure I had no idea what to expect when I went into this book because I didn't do my research, but it just goes to show that sometimes by picking up a book by chance, you could just stumble upon a great book. I thought that this was a great first book in the series and I am really excited to see what is in store for Nina, Jared and Claire in the next book.

Burn For Burn by Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian...

Series: Burn For Burn (Book #1)
Published: September 18th 2012 by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Pages: 368
Rating: 5 stars
Age Recommendation: -

Synopsis:

BIG GIRLS DON'T CRY...
THEY GET EVEN.

Lillia has never had any problems dealing with boys who like her. Not until this summer, when one went too far. No way will she let the same thing happen to her little sister.

Kat is tired of the rumours, the insults, the cruel jokes. It all goes back to one person– her ex-best friend– and she's ready to make her pay.

Four years ago, Mary left Jar Island because of a boy. But she's not the same girl anymore. And she's ready to prove it to him.

Three very different girls who want the same thing: sweet, sweet revenge. And they won't stop until they each had a taste.

Review:

I had very high expectations going into this book after reading Jenny Han's "Summer" series and falling in love with it. But I went into this book not really knowing what to expect, especially because I had not read anything from Siobhan Vivian. But I found that I really enjoyed this book.

The plot. I thought that the plot of this book, though not a completely original idea, was like nothing I had ever read before. Something I really loved about the book was the change of POV between the three girls and how it gave me a chance to learn about the girls as the story went along and I was able to see parts of their lives that the others didn't get to see. I thought that the pacing of the book was great and thought that the book was left on a great cliff hanger.

The characters. I thought that that the three main girls were written very well but when it came to the side characters I found that they fell flat for me especially Rennie.
Lillia. I enjoyed Lillia's character and how her revenge was purely based of trying to keep her sister safe because of what she thought Alex did, so I think that that really speaks volumes about her as a person and that she would do anything for her family and the people that she cares about.
Kat. I also really enjoyed Kat's character and I loved seeing the contrast between her and the two other girls in the way that she lives her life and I thought that it brought a really interesting element to the book. I really felt for her with what she had been through in her life and I thought that she was a really interesting character to read about.
Mary. I really felt for Mary and what she had been through with Reeve and to be honest I thought that her revenge was probably the most justified out of the three girls because of the effect that the bullying had on her. I really think that her story was an important element in the book because I thought that it showed the extent that bullying can have on people.

Overall I really enjoyed this book and I cannot wait to see what happens in the next one and I will definitely be pre-ordering my copy very soon.

Things I Can't Forget by Miranda Kenneally...

Series: Hundred Oaks (Book #3)
Published: March 1st 2013 by Sourcebooks Fire
Pages: 320
Rating: 5 stars
Age Recommendation: 15+ (Due to mature content)

Synopsis:

Companion to Catching Jordan and Stealing Parker.

Kate has always been the good girl. Too good, according to some people at school—although they have no idea the guilty secret she carries. But this summer, everything is different…

This summer she’s a counselor at Cumberland Creek summer camp, and she wants to put the past behind her. This summer Matt is back as a counselor too. He’s the first guy she ever kissed, and he’s gone from a geeky songwriter who loved The Hardy Boys to a buff lifeguard who loves to flirt--with her.

Kate used to think the world was black and white, right and wrong. Turns out, life isn’t that easy…

Review:

I had extremely high expectations for this book after reading and loving the first two in the series and this book definitely lived up to and even surpassed those expectations,

The plot. I didn't really know what to expect when it came to the plot because I hadn't read the synopsis because I didn't want to be spoiled in any way. But I knew two things before I even opened this book... the characters would be written amazingly and I would pretty much fall in love with the book right away, and I was correct on both counts. Even though this wasn't centred around anything sport related like the last two books that really didn't bother me and I thought that it was a nice change. I loved seeing all the new and old characters and how they all interacted with each other and I thought that the pacing of the book was great as well as just how the plot of the book developed throughout the book.

The characters. I really loved all of the characters in this book and I thought that they were all written really well.
Kate. I really enjoyed Kate's character. Sure, I didn't really like her at the start of the book because she was so strict in her beliefs (which isn't a bad thing) but I liked seeing how she changed throughout the book as she went through the weeks at camp and when her relationship with Matt started to develop into something more than friendship and how he started to bring her out of her shell and to become more comfortable in herself.
Matt. I really loved Matt's character also and I loved how him and Kate had that connection of their previous camp so they could build on that friendship. I thought that Matt was a really great guy and was so genuine and caring towards Kate and his friends throughout the book.
Parker. I really enjoyed Parker's character in this book and how she let Kate into her life even what happend with her church when her mum left. I loved seeing how her and Will's relationship developed over the course of the book and how she ultimately became a great friend for Kate.

Overall I really did enjoy this book and I thought that it was a great third book in the series and I will be pre-ordering my copy of "Racing Savannah" very soon.

Drink, Slay, Love by Sarah Beth Durst...

Series: -
Published: September 13th 2011 by Margaret K. McElderry Books
Pages: 385
Rating: 2 stars
Age Recommendation: -

Synopsis:

Pearl is a sixteen-year-old vampire... fond of blood, allergic to sunlight, and mostly evil... until the night a sparkly unicorn stabs her through the heart with his horn. Oops.

Her family thinks she was attacked by a vampire hunter (because, obviously, unicorns don't exist), and they're shocked she survived. They're even more shocked when Pearl discovers she can now withstand the sun. But they quickly find a way to make use of her new talent. The Vampire King of New England has chosen Pearl's family to host his feast. If Pearl enrolls in high school, she can make lots of human friends and lure them to the King's feast -- as the entrees.

The only problem? Pearl's starting to feel the twinges of a conscience. How can she serve up her new friends—especially the cute guy who makes her fangs ache—to be slaughtered? Then again, she's definitely dead if she lets down her family. What's a sunlight-loving vamp to do?

Review:

I went into this book thinking that it would be a really fun read. But sadly from what I read of it it just fell flat.

The plot. Now I will admit I only read about 110 pages but I think in that time something should have happened. Sure little things happened here and there but nothing big that really made me want to read more. I thought that the pacing of the book was slow and like I said before there was really nothing interesting enough for me to have to read any more of the book.

The characters. I thought that the characters in this book were really nothing special and i didn't think they were wriitten very well either.
Pearl. Now I have seen from other reviews (and really this is how all of these types of stories go) that she does change throughout the book and ultimately becomes a better person by the end of the book. But from what I was reading at the start of the book she just really was not relatable at all and her character was one of the main reasons I stopped reading, because I find it so I hard to read about characters that aren't relatable or from their POV.
Evan. I found him to be somewhat likable but he definitely didn't make up for all the things that i didn't like about this book and I will say that I did find his character to be annoying at times.

Overall this was a book that I didn't enjoy and it really just fell flat for me. But if I do eventually end up finishing this book I will update my review.

The Indigo Spell by Richelle Mead...

Series: Bloodlines (Book #3)
Published: February 12th 2013 by Razorbill
Pages: 401
Rating: 5 stars
Age Recommendation: -

Synopsis:

In the aftermath of a forbidden moment that rocked Sydney to her core, she finds herself struggling to draw the line between her Alchemist teachings and what her heart is urging her to do. Then she meets alluring, rebellious Marcus Finch--a former Alchemist who escaped against all odds, and is now on the run. Marcus wants to teach Sydney the secrets he claims the Alchemists are hiding from her. But as he pushes her to rebel against the people who raised her, Sydney finds that breaking free is harder than she thought. There is an old and mysterious magic rooted deeply within her. And as she searches for an evil magic user targeting powerful young witches, she realizes that her only hope is to embrace her magical blood--or else she might be next.


Populated with new faces as well as familiar ones, the Bloodlines series explores all the friendship, romance, battles, and betrayals that made the #1 New York Times bestselling Vampire Academy series so addictive—this time in a part-vampire, part-human setting where the stakes are even higher and everyone’s out for blood.

Review:

I had such high expectations for this book after loving "The Golden Lily" and everything else that Richelle Mead has written. After having "The Golden Lily" left on such a cliff hanger I had to see what happened next for Adrian and Sydney, and Richelle Mead didn't dissapoint.

The plot. I LOVED the plot of this book, it has all the elements of a perfect book for me, mystery, romance, plot twists, suspense... This book had it all. The main thing that really stood out to me in this book was the tension between Adrian and Sydney and how I was constantly kept guessing on how far their relationship would go which I loved. I also really loved all the magic that was in the book and seeing Sydney develop her skills, I will admit when I first started reading the book I found the magic scenes to be a bit annoying, but as the book went on I thought they really enhanced the story. And ofcourse it wouldn't be a Richelle Mead book without the susupense, plot twists and ofcourse a great cliff hanger that leaves you enraged that you will have to wait another year for the next book to be released. Well they were all there too. I loved seeing all of the mysterious things that happened in the book and how I was kept guessing for a lot of the book and just when I thought I had it all figured out something else would pop up and I would be completeley blind-sighted. I think this cliff hanger would have to be the best in the series yet! It has set up for such an interesting fourth book and I really cannot wait to see how Sydney deals with the situation she has gotten herself into.

The characters. I loved each and every character in this book. I thought that they were all written flawlessly, but really that was no suprise to me after reading every book Richelle Mead has ever witten I have definitely seen that she has a knack for writting amazing characters.
Sydney. I really loved her character in this book and how I got to see a different side to her. I thought that in the space of this one book she has really come out of her shell and has become her own person. I loved seeing how she finally deceided to do what she wanted to do and even had the strength to go against what she was taught her whole life. I also really enjoyed seeing her relationship with Adrian grow and I really felt for her as she deceided what she was going to do about their relationship. After reading this book I found that I have a new respect for Sydney that I didn't have before as I think she is a character that I have come to really like and enjoy reading about and I cannot wait to see what happens with her story in the next book.
Adrian. I loved Adrian in this book, though that is no suprise to me. I've loved him ever since he showed up in Vampire Academy. I loved all of his one liners and pretty much all the conversations he had with Sydney in this book and he just made the story that much more entertaining to read. I really felt for him in this book and seeing what it did to him when Sydney was choosing how far to take their relationship. But ultimately I found that I saw another side to Adrian in this book and it was a side I really liked. I saw how much he cared for Sydney and just how far he would go to protect her and that he would do anything for her.

Overall I thought that this was an AMAZING book and i think this would have to be the best book in the series so far. I cannot wait to see what happens to this story in the next book I think it is going to be an amazing read, so as soon as it's available for pre-order I will be securing my copy.

Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry...

Series: Pushing the Limits (Book #1)
Published: August 3rd 2012 by Mira Ink
Pages: 416
Rating: 5 stars
Age Recommendation: 15+ (Due to course language & mature content)

Synopsis:

So wrong for each other...and yet so right.
No one knows what happened the night Echo Emerson went from popular girl with jock boyfriend to gossiped-about outsider with "freaky" scars on her arms. Even Echo can't remember the whole truth of that horrible night. All she knows is that she wants everything to go back to normal. But when Noah Hutchins, the smoking-hot, girl-using loner in the black leather jacket, explodes into her life with his tough attitude and surprising understanding, Echo's world shifts in ways she could never have imagined. They should have nothing in common. And with the secrets they both keep, being together is pretty much impossible.Yet the crazy attraction between them refuses to go away. And Echo has to ask herself just how far they can push the limits and what she'll risk for the one guy who might teach her how to love again.

Review:

I will admit when I finally picked up this book to read it I really had forgotten what it was about, so I was going into it blind. I really had no expectations for this book but I did remember seeing all the great reviews on it and likeing the synopsis when I read it and I was blown away by this book.

The plot. I really enjoyed the plot of the book and I managed to finish it fairly quickly. It was a storyline that kept me up at night because I had to see what would happen next in Echo and Noah story. I loved the dual narration within the book and how the chapters were from both Echo and Noah's perspectives because I was able to really see into each of their lives and in turn really sympathize with both of their situations. I thought that this book was a very moving story filled with heart break, romance and an amazing storyline and characters.

The characters. The characters I really loved in this book. They were flawed and had real personalities and their own issues to work through and I loved seeing both Echo and Noah grow throughout the book and ultimatley I have become very attached to both of these characters.
Echo. From the first page of this book I felt for Echo and her situation and the struggles that she went through as she found out fragments of what happened to her that night. I also loved watching how she grew throughout the book and how she changed into a stronger more independant person and I think that has a lot to do with what she found out about that night as well as her relationship with Noah.
Noah. I also really felt for Noah's situation and everything that he went through with his family. I liked seeing how he changed for the better throughout the book with the help of his friends, Echo and Mrs Collins and ultimatley changed his outlook on his situation.

Overall I really fell in love with this book and the characters, it would have to be one of the best books I have read so far this year and I will be pre-ordering the next book in the series very soon even though the book doesn't come out for months I defineitly want to have that book in my hands ASAP.

Cursed by Jennifer L. Armentrout...

Series: -
Published: September 18th 2012 by Spencer Hill Press
Pages: 304
Rating: 5 stars
Age Recommendation: -

Synopsis:

Dying sucks--and high school senior Ember McWilliams knows firsthand. After a fatal car accident, her gifted little sister brought her back. Now anything Ember touches dies. And that, well, really blows.
Ember operates on a no-touch policy with all living things--including boys. When Hayden Cromwell shows up, quoting Oscar Wilde and claiming her curse is a gift, she thinks he's a crazed cutie. But when he tells her he can help control it, she's more than interested. There's just one catch: Ember has to trust Hayden's adopted father, a man she's sure has sinister reasons for collecting children whose abilities even weird her out. However, she's willing to do anything to hold her sister's hand again. And hell, she'd also like to be able to kiss Hayden. Who wouldn't?
But when Ember learns the accident that turned her into a freak may not've been an accident at all, she's not sure who to trust. Someone wanted her dead, and the closer she gets to the truth, the closer she is to losing not only her heart, but her life. For real this time.

Review:

I had super high expectations going into this book because I have read and loved the "Covenant" and the "Lux" series also by Jennifer L. Armentrout and I was really looking foward to see how she would write a stand alone novel, and it was absolutely amazing.

The plot. I really enjoyed the plot of this book and it was like nothing I had ever read before. I loved the idea of people being "gifted" and then someone bringing them all together to live in a house and it was great seeing how they all intereacted with each other and generally just everything that went on in the house. I thought that the plot line was really fast paced and it was a very easy and fast read but filled with a lot of suspense, mystery, plot twists and romance.

The characters. From the first time I picked up a Jennifer L. Armentrout book I knew she had a knack for writing characters and this book was much of the same. All of the characters had really rich personalities and they were all very believeable.
Ember. I really enjoyed reading this story from Ember's POV I really felt for her throughout the book as she felt that he gift was a curse and seeing how she felt like an outsider in the house and not having any means to escape. I loved seeing how she developed in book and became a more confident person by the end of the book and I also really liked seeing how her relationship with Hayden developed.
Hayden. I really enjoyed Hayden's character as well. I thought that though how he found Ember was a little bit creepy, ultimatley he only had her best interests at heart and he would do anything for her. I really felt for him throughout the book and seeing the struggle that he went through trying to stay away from Ember and trying to keep things about himself as well as the things that he knew about the accident from her because he knew what it would do to her and their relationship.

Overall I really did enjoy this book and I wish that it was a series rather than just a stand alone book because I feel that this book would be a great starting point for a series. But even as a stand alone book it was great and one that I would recommend.