Swoon Thursday (#34): Foreplay by Sophie Jordan

Swoon Thursday is a hot meme hosted by the fabulous ladies at YA Bound!

- From the book you’re currently reading, or one you just finished, tell us what made you SWOON. What got your heart pounding, your skin tingling, and your stomach fluttering

- Try to make the swoon excerpt 140 characters (or less), if you are going to tweet about it. Use the hashtag #YABOUND when tweeting

This week, my swoon is from Foreplay by Sophie Jordan!

"Hey," he said flatly, all hint of a smile gone. My pulse skittered at my neck and I rseisted the urge to press a hand there and steady the wild thrum of my blood. I wouldn't reveal his effect on me. "The peanuts aren't stale."

I might have laughed except there was no levity in his expression. His pale blue eyes fastened on my face. His gingers clung to my arm, burning an imprint through my sleeve.

Then those eyes dropped to my lips.

OhGodOhGodOhGod. He's going to kiss me.

- eARC, 22%

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I'm loving this book so far! It's New Adult contemporary romance, but I love it!

2013 Debut Author Bash with Kelsey Sutton, Author of Some Quiet Place!

Welcome to the 2013 Debut Authors Bash, hosted by YA Reads! Today, I am featuring the lovely Kelsey Sutton, author of Some Quiet Place, and the upcoming Where Silence Gathers!

Here the lady of the day!

Alyssa: Hi, Kelsey! Thank you so much for joining today on my blog!

Kelsey: Thank you so much for having me!

Alyssa: So, Kelsey. Describe your book Some Quiet Place in ten words. GO!

Kelsey: A teenage girl feels no emotions, but sees them personified.

Alyssa: Brilliant! Very good :D Your debut author cherry has been popped! How’s that going for you? :)

Kelsey: Haha yes, it has! It’s going great. The responses to the story have been amazing and it’s still surreal. I wish there were two of me, so I could keep up with everything!

Alyssa: Is there anything about Some Quiet Place that you would change?

Kelsey: Great question. There isn't really anything I would change. The story feels so right and I did painstaking work on every word so that I would have no regrets.

Alyssa: I must say, the prose was beautiful. I LOVE your writing style, Kelsey. What is something that you must have when writing? (Ex. I must have The Piano Guys music playing)

Kelsey: I always need a beverage of some kind, don’t ask me why. If I’m at home I love lighting candles and having instrumental music in the background. And I need, need, need my laptop. I can’t seem to write by hand. My thoughts come too fast and my poor wrist can’t keep up.

Alyssa: I wouldn't mind have a 7UP near me ;) What type of books do you like to read? What are you currently reading?

Kelsey: A couple months ago, I would have said young adult every time. But now I’m beginning to branch out to adult! Right now I’m reading The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman. It’s a strange, beautiful story, and I’m really enjoying it.

Alyssa: You know , I have not read a single Gaiman book O_O What’s your favorite distraction when writing under deadline?

Kelsey: TV. Way too much TV. I follow so many shows that I don’t want to give you the exact number. So let’s just say if you’re wondering what something is about, I can probably tell you.

Alyssa: LOL! I'm like, the complete opposite. I consistently watch ONE show! What’s the largest amount of words you've ever written for the final draft of one of your books?

Kelsey: 110,000. And many of those—understandably—were cut.

Alyssa: That's a lot! Good for you. Which do you prefer - series, or standalones? Companions?

Kelsey: Standalones. There are so many series I love, but honestly it’s nice to have a story end in one volume. Of course I’m a huge fan of companions, seeing as I've written one myself! It’s great to want more of a world and experience it through a different character’s eyes.

Alyssa: What is something different that we can expect in Where Silence Gathers (in comparison to Some Quiet Place)?

Kelsey: Love this. Something drastically different is that my main character feels! She feels so much that sometimes it’s crippling. It was difficult to write from her perspective, actually, because I was so used to Elizabeth’s coldness. There’s a fine balance between reacting too little and reacting too much. I hope Alex’s voice rings true.

Alyssa: Ooo, cool! Alex! Did you intend for the titles to make a sentence?! Some Quiet Place Where Silence Gathers.

Kelsey: Haha, I never thought about it! It was never my intention. But the titles will all have similar structure. And that’s all I’m going to say about that ;)

Alyssa: When can we expect Where Silence Gathers? How about the cover? ARCs? :D

Kelsey: It will be released next summer. I know, that’s so far away. And assuming the timeline is similar to how things worked out for Some Quiet Place, we will see the cover in the early winter months. The ARCs, unfortunately, won’t be for months yet! But I’m ecstatic that people are as excited as I am for both.

Alyssa: Um, YES! I am super thrilled to hopefully have the opportunity of reading Where Silence Gathers early. And that’s all for today! Thank you so much for stopping by my blog, Kelsey!

Kelsey: Again, Alyssa, thank you for having me. This was so fun and I’m touched Some Quiet Place resounded so deeply with you.

Alyssa: Aww, well, you're the mastermind ;)

About the Author:

Kelsey Sutton has done everything from training dogs, making cheeseburgers, selling yellow page ads, and cleaning hotel rooms. Now she divides her time between her college classes and her writing, though she can also sometimes be found pounding out horrible renditions of Beethoven on the piano and trying bizarre drinks at her local coffee shop. Kelsey lives in northern Minnesota with her dog and cat, Lewis and Clark. Visit her on her blog at www.kelseysutton.blogspot.com.

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About the Book:

Some Quiet Place by Kelsey Sutton

Publisher: Flux Books

Publication Date: July 8, 2013

Summary (from Goodreads):

I can’t weep. I can’t fear. I've grown talented at pretending.

Elizabeth Caldwell doesn't feel emotions . . . she sees them. Longing, Shame, and Courage materialize around her classmates. Fury and Resentment appear in her dysfunctional home. They've all given up on Elizabeth because she doesn't succumb to their touch. All, that is, save one—Fear. He’s intrigued by her, as desperate to understand the accident that changed Elizabeth’s life as she is herself.

Elizabeth and Fear both sense that the key to her past is hidden in the dream paintings she hides in the family barn. But a shadowy menace has begun to stalk her, and try as she might, Elizabeth can barely avoid the brutality of her life long enough to uncover the truth about herself. When it matters most, will she be able to rely on Fear to save her?

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Be sure to check out Where Silence Gathers (book two) on Goodreads!

Waiting on Wednesday (#36): White Hot Kiss by Jennifer L. Armentrout

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week, I'm featuring:

White Hot Kiss by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Book One of the Dark Elements trilogy

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

Publication Date: December 31, 2013

Summary (from Goodreads):

One kiss could be the last. 

Seventeen-year-old Layla just wants to be normal. But with a kiss that kills anything with a soul, she's anything but normal. Half demon, half gargoyle, Layla has abilities no one else possesses. 

Raised among the Wardens—a race of gargoyles tasked with hunting demons and keeping humanity safe—Layla tries to fit in, but that means hiding her own dark side from those she loves the most. Especially Zayne, the swoon-worthy, incredibly gorgeous and completely off-limits Warden she's crushed on since forever. 

Then she meets Roth—a tattooed, sinfully hot demon who claims to know all her secrets. Layla knows she should stay away, but she's not sure she wants to—especially when that whole no-kissing thing isn't an issue, considering Roth has no soul. 

But when Layla discovers she's the reason for the violent demon uprising, trusting Roth could not only ruin her chances with Zayne…it could brand her a traitor to her family. Worse yet, it could become a one-way ticket to the end of the world.

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YAY for JLA! Just a few weeks ago, I had Bitter Sweet Love as my WoW choice. You can't go wrong with her books!

Review: The Truth About You & Me by Amanda Grace

The Truth About You & Me by Amanda Grace

Publisher: Flux

Publication Date: September 8, 2013

Rating: 1 star

Source: eARC from NetGalley

Summary (from Goodreads):

Smart girls aren't supposed to do stupid things.

Madelyn Hawkins is super smart. At sixteen, she's so gifted that she can attend college through a special program at her high school. On her first day, she meets Bennet. He's cute, funny, and kind. He understands Madelyn and what she's endured - and missed out on - in order to excel academically and please her parents. Now, for the first time in her life, she's falling in love.

There's only one problem. Bennet is Madelyn's college professor, and he thinks she's eighteen - because she hasn't told him the truth.

The story of their forbidden romance is told in letters that Madelyn writes to Bennet - both a heart-searing ode to their ill-fated love and an apology. 

What I Liked:

Uhhhhh... nothing. Don't give me that look!

What I Did Not Like:

SPOILERS AHEAD! MAJOR SPOILERS! READ AT YOUR OWN RISK! DON'T BLAME ME IF YOU READ MORE THAN YOU WANT TO READ!

The one word I could think of that embodies this book: bulls***.

This book, to me, is a load of bulls***. I hate cursing, and I rarely do it, and Amazon won't let me post my review is I have curse words, so I won't expand the word, but you know what I'm referring to. This book was crap. I seriously cannot believe that people LOVE this book. I respect everyone's opinions, but seriously?!

Let it be known: I am a teenager. I am two years older than Madelyn, but I'm a teenager. Supposedly, I can empathize with Madelyn and her thoughts and actions and decisions and whatnot. SUPPOSEDLY. But not all teens think alike. Not all teens are bats*** crazy. Madelyn is bats*** crazy. Probably the dumbest, stupidest, most idiotic teenager I have ever encountered, fiction OR real.

Let's start by the fact that Madelyn lies about her age to Bennet. Stupid. Stupid stupid stupid. One thing that my mother always told me as a child is that you can never, ever hide the truth - it always pops up, especially when you don't want it to. Madelyn lets Bennet believe she's eighteen. He's like, twenty-six, so he's not exactly old. But he's her professor.

Oh, I should explain that. Madelyn is like, smart, and takes college classes at the age of sixteen, to get ahead. I know all about this. I took a ton of college-level classes in high school. So it's nothing new to me. In that way, I can relate to Madelyn - because we're both really, really smart individuals, who want to go to Ivy League school and major in something difficult (for me, it's environmental engineering).

So, Madelyn lies about her age. She lets Benett believe she's eighteen. They agree to wait until the semester is over to be together. They have sex. He finds out right after they have sex, because he finds a high school flyer that fell out of her backpack. She is disgusted. He doesn't get charged, because neither he or she says anything.

Do you see what's wrong with that?! It's so wrong, to deceive a grown man and put his life and job in danger like that! Are you so effin stupid/dumb/brainless/selfish, that all you can think about is getting some!? You didn't once think about the man's LIFE?!

Again. BULL. S***.

And how about this whole thing about how Madelyn feels like a robot, like she isn't alive, unless she's with Bennet? WHAT?! Look, I get it with the robot thing - when you're working so hard to be the perfect student, the perfect daughter, the perfect everything, it feels like you're on autopilot. Like life is on repeat. I get it. I've been there. I'm there ALL THE TIME. Don't forget that I'm a super-smart girl too, and a teen, and basically I let education come before my social life, my family, etc.

But that's why you find a HOBBY. You find something that will take your mind off education, grades, work, etc. You do do something disgusting and illegal and so effin dumb like lie bout your age and pursue a sexual relationship with a grown man! How dumb is Madelyn?! Pretty dumb. For such an education-smart girl, she is the stupidest piece of s*** I've encountered. And I'm a TEENAGER. I know some idiots. None of them can top this chick.

I found NOTHING romantic about Bennet and Madelyn's relationship. In fact, it seemed like a ton of frustrated lust to me, and then they finally had sex, and then everything blew up in Madelyn's face. I was like, GO BENNET! Leave her in the snow! He didn't. But I totally wish Madelyn could have actually gotten punished somehow, for all her s***.

But seriously. Their relationship seemed like a ton of lust, not love. There was no love on either party's part. Madelyn thought she loved Bennet soooo much, because he understood her, and she felt alive with him, and she could talk to him. Whatever. She's a nerd, frustrated by her nonexistent sexual life, who jumped at the chance of having sex with a "real man".

I hate that one line in the book that's like "I'm letting you go", or something, at the very end. Girl, whatever. He is NOT yours to let go. You ruined him. He had to leave his position at the university. He moved far, far away. You DESTROYED him. You can't let go of him - you didn't deserve to have any hold on him to begin with.

So basically, the nerd girl thinks she's totally in love with a guy who is ten years older than her. She has sex with him - but he thinks she's eighteen, not sixteen. They part ways at the end. What a bulls***, sob story. I'm sorry, but I don't cut anyone slack. Especially not a girl who is very similar to me - what a stupid idiot.

"Smart girls aren't supposed to do stupid things." <- yeah, you're right, Summary. They're not. Madelyn isn't smart at all - she's dumber than a doorknob.

Would I Recommend It:

No. It's a crap "love story". And the ending isn't even good, in terms of the "love". The whole letters to you thing? Stupid. We're seeing them in the perspective of the idiot girl who wrote them. Everything's so la-dee-dah. It's like she doesn't even THINK she didn't anything WRONG.

Rating:

1 star. Bulls***. The end.

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Review: All Our Yesterdays by Cristin Terrill

All Our Yesterdays by Crisitn Terrill

Publisher: Disney Hyperion

Publication Date: September 3, 2013

Rating: 4 stars

Source: ARC sent by the publisher

Summary (from Goodreads):

"You have to kill him." Imprisoned in the heart of a secret military base, Em has nothing except the voice of the boy in the cell next door and the list of instructions she finds taped inside the drain.

Only Em can complete the final instruction. She’s tried everything to prevent the creation of a time machine that will tear the world apart. She holds the proof: a list she has never seen before, written in her own hand. Each failed attempt in the past has led her to the same terrible present—imprisoned and tortured by a sadistic man called the doctor while war rages outside. 

Marina has loved her best friend James since the day he moved next door when they were children. A gorgeous, introverted science prodigy from one of America’s most famous families, James finally seems to be seeing Marina in a new way, too. But on one disastrous night, James’s life crumbles apart, and with it, Marina’s hopes for their future. Now someone is trying to kill him. Marina will protect James, no matter what. Even if it means opening her eyes to a truth so terrible that she may not survive it. At least not as the girl she once was. 

What I Liked:

WOW! What a book! I can't believe I waited two months to read this one. I got it in May, and decided that September was far away, and that I didn't need to worry about September releases yet. Of course, mid-July, I realized that I had more September releases than I had review spots in September, so I took this one with me on a day job, and read for about two hours.

Let me tell you, this book just flies by! I found myself deeply engrossed, and I read this book in on sitting. It's filled with action, high-speed car chases (sort of), MURDER (imagine Stewie saying that, in that episode when he read The Da Vinci Code), and a sweet romance that you know right from the beginning.

Em and Finn need to go back in the past - their past - and stop James. Currently, they're in a prison. Em has failed thirteen times (it might have been fourteen), and has ended up in this prison all of those times. Every time she fails, she leaves instructions for herself in her cell, in a drain grate. This time, when she finds the instructions, she is convinced that she and Finn will succeed. In this present time (which is technically the future), Finn and Em are totally in love.

So, with the help of a guard they found in the past, Finn and Em go back in time. Finn and James and Marina are best friends in the past. Marina is in love with James. Marina hates Finn, because he's annoying and rubs her the wrong way. James's brother is a congressman. In this present time, Em and Finn have to find a way to kill James. Because James did something awful, and whatever it is (you'll find out), they need to stop it. Or they'll end up in the prison. Again.

I love love LOVE the plot of this book! Between Marina/James/Finn, and their blissful ignorance, and Em/Finn, and their quest to stop James... everything is so insane! If you pick up that one little thing, like I did, JUST by reading the synopsis... then your life (a.k.a reading this book) will be a lot easier. If you don't, then you'll just be surprised at some point. But it's really obvious. Look closely at the synopsis and what it says. And the two different stories/times. And the names.

The romance in this book is so sweet. I love watching Marina do the awkward dance around James. She's so in love with him, but he doesn't see it until he needs her comfort, and she's there. I love Em and Finn even more, because they're so genuine, and a beautiful couple. All the times of traveling back in time... and they keep falling in love with each other. Love it!

Terrill's writing style is AMAZING. It totally contributes to the brilliance that it time travel and the time and space continuum. I usually hate time travel books. But this book seems extremely plausible, because it's very scientific. You all know me and my math/science brain. Terrill really did her research, and her writing is gorgeous.

Read this one ASAP! If the cover didn't convince you, I hope this review does!

What I Did Not Like:

I kind of wish there was a bit more about the ending. It's sort of open-ended, which is okay, with series, but not with standalones. Is this a standalone? I've seen no indication otherwise. I hope there would be an epilogue, or something more, but I suppose not. Is it so bad that I want MORE? :)

Would I Recommend It:

Totally! Even if science fiction is not your thing, I think any reader would enjoy this book. I personally dislike most time-travel books (except the Ruby Red trilogy!), but I loved this book.

Rating:

4.5 stars -> rounded down to 4 stars, because I wanted more from the ending. BUT, it's a fitting, good ending, that wraps up everything. I just want more.

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Cover Reveal and Giveaway: Unreap My Heart by Kate Evangelista

Are you ready for another COVER REVEAL?! :D

I LOVE this series - and the cover of the first book, Reaping Me Softly.

Needless to say, I am so excited to read this sequel, and the cover is awesome!

Here it is!

Unreap My Heart by Kate Evangelista

Book Two of the Reaper series 

Publisher: Omnific

Publication Date: September 17, 2013

Official Summary:

Only a villain can save the day.

During his thousand year banishment in the Nethers, Balthazar thought of nothing but taking over the Crossroads from Death.

On the day he puts his plans into action, Balthazar finds the Crossroads on lockdown. Death has been stabbed by Brianne’s Bitterness, a blade that slowly leaches him of his powers. In order to challenge Death for his seat and prevent utter chaos, Balthazar is forced into a mission to find the Redeemer, the only being capable of pulling out the blade from Death’s chest. The only person who can identify the Redeemer is a human girl in the Crossroads whose soul is still attached to her body.

Meeting Arianne Wilson pushes Balthazar’s patience to the limit. In a deal he makes with Death, he must protect Arianne during their journey through the Underverse using all the resources available to him. He soon realizes the one he needs to protect is himself. For as much harm as it inflicts on Balthazar's body, trekking through the Underverse with Arianne is proving more dangerous for his heart and soul.

Can the villain remain a villain when love gets in the way?

Author Website | Goodreads 

The Trailer (for Reaping Me Softly):

The Giveaway:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review: A Wounded Name by Dot Hutchison

A Wounded Name by Dot Hutchison

Publisher: Carolrhoda Lab

Publication Date: September 1, 2013

Rating: 4 stars

Source: eARC from NetGalley

Summary (from Goodreads):

There's a girl who could throw herself head first into life and forge an unbreakable name, an identity that stands on its own without fathers or brothers or lovers who devour and shatter.

I'VE NEVER BEEN THAT GIRL.

Sixteen-year-old Ophelia Castellan will never be just another girl at Elsinore Academy. Seeing ghosts is not a skill prized in future society wives. Even when she takes her pills, the bean sidhe beckon, reminding her of a promise to her dead mother.

Now, in the wake of the Headmaster's sudden death, the whole academy is in turmoil, and Ophelia can no longer ignore the fae. Especially once she starts seeing the Headmaster's ghosts- two of them- on the school grounds.

At the center of her crumbling world is Dane, the Headmaster's grieving son. He, too, understands the power of a promise to a parent- even a dead one. To him, Ophelia is the only person not tainted by deceit and hypocrisy, a mirror of his own broken soul. And to Ophelia, Dane quickly becomes everything. Yet even as she gives more of herself to him, Dane slips away. Consumed by suspicion, rage, and madness, he spirals towards his tragic fate- dragging Ophelia, and the rest of Elsinore, with him.

YOU KNOW HOW THIS STORY ENDS.

Yet even in the face of certain death, Ophelia has a choice to make- and a promise to keep. She is not the girl others want her to be. But in Dot Hutchison's dark and sensuous debut novel, the name "Ophelia" is as deeply, painfully, tragically real as "Hamlet".

What I Liked:

This book is stunning! Immediately after I finished it, I thought to myself, "I can't read anything, after reading this book!" Of course, the book that I read right before this one (The Bitter Kingdom by Rae Carson) was FANTASTIC, and the book that I read right after this one (All Our Yesterdays by Cristin Terrill) was AMAZING. So, I was in good shape.

I read Hamlet in high school, as part of the English curriculum at my school. While I didn't necessarily hate it, I wasn't all that impressed with it. But I did read it, and then re-read it (to study for the test, of course). So, I was pretty familiar with the play. 

This book is pretty spot-on, in terms of how it works with the play. It's told in the perspective of Ophelia though. I always like Ophelia the most, and felt bad for her, in the play. This book exemplifies exactly why I liked her and felt bad for her. Sure, Hamlet was going crazy. But he totally dragged Ophelia down with him.

This story is set in the modern world in a boarding school. The "King" is the Dean, and he is dead. The "Queen" is like, the great hostess or whatever, which is why she felt the need to marry Claudius. Claudius inherited the position of Dean, and Gertrude stayed the hostess of the school.

Hamlet - Dane, as he is called in this book, is the male protagonist of the story, and Ophelia is the female protagonist of the story. In Hutchison's story, there is no doubt that Dane and Ophelia were in love. Whenever he got upset, or angry, or crazy, Ophelia would go after him. Ophelia would lend her comfort to him. Ophelia would let him do anything to her, in order to help him cope with all the insane changes in his life.

Basically, she let him kiss her, touch her, bruise her, drag her off on his motorcycle... to comfort him. I'm not okay with a guy hurting a girl, unstable or not, but I see why she let him. She always let him take the comfort he needed from her, in whatever form. This makes her passive, which I hate, but I understand her reasons.

Hutchison includes fae in this story. Ophelia can see them, see them dancing and singing when the Dean of the school ("King" Hamlet) died, in the graveyard, and so on. Apparently, Ophelia's (and Laertes') mother is fae? And she wants Ophelia to join the fae at the bottom of the lake. That's part of the story as well, but it wasn't in the original play.

We all know how the story ends. And by the end of the story, we're expecting the ending to happen. It's not like the Titanic, where we're all like, HOW COULD HE DIE?! The ending is expected, and fits seamlessly into the story.

If you read nothing else, READ THIS: the writing style of this book is absolutely GORGEOUS. Hutchison weaves a beautiful story with precision and perfection. There was this one line towards the end of the book, at the beginning of Chapter 38 that mentioned "Claudius dripping poison", but referring to Laertes - it was so perfectly placed, and it alluded to the poisoning of the King/Dean. I was so very impressed with the quality and brilliance of Hutchison's writing.

What I Did Not Like:

I already mentioned that I hate masculine violence against women. Dane bruises and hurts Ophelia - unintentionally - many times. While I think this is a necessary aspect of the story (it TOTALLY added to the story, in a good way), some people can't get past that.

One thing that really irked me was the constant switches in speech. One moment, I'm convinced that this is a historical fiction novel. The next moment, we're talking motorcycles and cars and cell phones. That confused me. I mean, Hutchison regressed women's rights (which is fine), but then, we're in the modern world. And then, one minute, all of the characters are talking all fifteenth-century formal, then they're talking modern day. I was confused! Which is it?! 

I also never got a clear understanding of the whole fae deal, and what Ophelia's mother is, and what Ophelia's mother wanted Ophelia to do. The fae aspect was NOT explained well enough for me. It was vague, and usually I can get through vague, but not this time.

Would I Recommend It:

I would (though I've seen otherwise). But make sure you read the "did not like" section first.

Rating:

3.5 stars -> rounded up to 4 stars. I've been a huge fan of Hutchison for quite some time, and I'm happy to say that I liked her debut. Keep writing, lady!

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