Stacking the Shelves (#44)

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews, in which bloggers share the books and swag they've received in the past week!

So, what did I get in the week of Sunday, October 20th to Saturday, October 26th?

(all links to Goodreads are provided!)

In the mail:

A hardcover copy of Endless Knight by Kresley Cole

Ahhh, it finally came! I cannot wait to read this book! I loved the first book so much :D

An ARC of The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon

Thank you so much, Paper Lantern Lit! I can't wait to get started on this book. I've heard AMAZING things!

From NetGalley:

Fireblood by Trisha Wolfe

I love Trisha's books! And I'm on the tour for this one, so I'm EXTRA excited!

Fates by Lanie Bross

BEYOND thrilled to read this book - you have no idea how long I've been waiting to get my hands on Fates! 

From Edelweiss:

Servants of the Storm by Delilah S. Dawson

I've never read anything by this author, but I hear her adult work is good too!

Summer of Yesterday by Gaby Triana

Another S&S approval on Edelweiss... sounds good to me!

So! How was your week in books? :)

World Series Giveaway Blitz: Throwing Heat by Jennifer Seasons

Throwing Heat by Jennifer Seasons

Book Two of the Diamonds and Dugouts series

Publisher: Avon Impulse

Publication Date: October 15, 2013

Summary (from Goodreads):

Nightclub manager Leslie Cutter has never been one to back down from a bet. So when Peter Kowalskin, pitcher for the Denver Rush baseball team, bets her that she can't keep her hands off of him, she's not about to let the arrogant, gorgeous playboy win. Especially when the prize could put her business on the map. She's got this in the bag, just so long as she can stay out of his arms … and his bed. 

Peter struck out once before with Leslie, but this bet is sure to be the second chance he's been waiting for. Determined to stoke the passion he knows is there, he'll do anything to win—even if it means playing a little dirty. 

But as things heat up, this combustible pair will have to decide just how much they're willing to wager on one another … and on a future that just might last forever.

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Kobo

Join Jennifer Seasons and @AvonBooks on Sunday, October 27th, at 8:30 EST, to talk about her latest release (Throwing Heat), and the Cardinals/Red Sox game! Baseball, romance, sexy athletes -what's not to love?! Use the hash tag #WorldSeriesLuv to chat along!

The Giveaway:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review: Spinning Gold by Vivi Andrews

Spinning Gold by Vivi Andrews

Publication Date: June 16, 2012

Rating: 4 stars

Source: eARC from NetGalley

***Warning: this is an adult book, and for the eyes of mature readers***

Summary (from Goodreads):

Rumpelstiltskin Revisited: No princes need apply. Forced by a tyrannical prince to spin straw into gold, Juliana finds an unlikely ally in a handsome gold-skinned man trapped inside her enchanted medallion. Drawn to him by a mystical connection, together they must find a way to escape the prince who demands they keep producing gold for him... or die. 

Juliana Ravel will do anything to save her innocent brother from the executioner, but what the supposedly charming prince demands is impossible. Spinning straw into gold? He might as well ask her to fly. Her only hope is a family heirloom - a gold medallion rumored to be the magic prison of one of the fabled golden fae.

Trapped inside the medallion for hundreds of years, Rue isn't fool enough to trust Juliana, but he can’t help but be tempted by the feisty beauty. Even though she is the spitting image of the witch who betrayed and imprisoned him, Rue agrees to help her. For a price. 

Entranced by the exotic, golden-skinned man, Juliana agrees to his terms, believing her worries are at an end. But when the tyrannical prince finds her surrounded by riches, he isn’t about to let her walk away – instead holding her prisoner within the corrupt court. Juliana’s only freedom is her nights with Rue, where their negotiations turn to seduction, and together they construct a desperate plot to escape a life where they must keep spinning gold… or die.

What I Liked:

I absolutely adored this book! I have a thing for retellings - especially fairy tale retellings! This is a Rumpelstiltskin retelling. Rue, or Rumpelstiltskin, is trapped in his own medallion by a Ravel ancestor. Juliana finds herself in a desperate predicament - and unknowingly calls Rue from the medallion to help her. Rue is one of the golden fae, and can spin straw into gold.

Sounds exactly like the story, right? There is a handsome prince who wants to marry Juliana, after the first night of the gold spinning. He wants to marry her for her gold-spinning abilities, though in truth, she has none. Juliana is trapped - and all she wanted to do in the first place was free her imprisoned brother.

This book itself is really short, but the story takes place over several months. Juliana tells the prince that she can only spin straw into gold three times in her life, and all three must be separate nights of the full moon. So, three full moon passed in this book. Three times does Juliana meet Rue.

At first, Rue absolutely loathes Juliana, because he thinks that she is the Ravel that trapped him in his medallion. But he quickly realizes that she is not, as she is much too nice for a Ravel. The two of the them fall in love, and by the third night of a full moon, they decide they can't be without each other. Unfortunately, by then, the prince has decided to marry Juliana.

I love the progression of Rue and Juliana's relationship! The two of them have instant chemistry when they meet, and that chemistry never fades. While they only meet three times in the real world, Rue finds a way to enter Juliana's dreams, and he visits her in her dreams for some nights. And what, um, NICE, dreams they were ;)

Yes, Ms. Andrews definitely turns up the steamy in this book. Rue is... yummy! I want my own golden man.

Basically, I can tell you that this book was awesome - in the world-building, romance, characters, and plot. There IS a very cool plot! There is a revolution, which Juliana joins at the end, to overthrow the prince. But the ending is great!

What I Did Not Like:

There wasn't much that I did not like! I kind of just wish that this book was longer. I knew it would be short when I started the book, but I wanted more interactions between Rue and Juliana. There were several, but I wanted more, you know? This would have been an AMAZING full-length novel!

Would I Recommend It:

If you're looking for a short and sweet romance novel, then totally! It's a really creative retelling, and I have no regrets reading it!

Rating:

4 stars. What a fabulous book!

Author Website | Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Was this review helpful? Please let me know in the comments section!

Swoon Thursday (#39): Fractured by Sarah Fine

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 Fractured by Sarah Fine!

I took his face in my hands. "You win," I whispered, pulling him down, giving him the signal I hoped he'd been looking for.

Malachi stilled as my lips touched his, but only for a moment. Then, like a switch had been flipped, he crushed me to the ground and fisted a hand in my hair. His mouth on mine was merciless, tongue and teeth and total possession, like this had been building inside of him forever, and he'd just been waiting for permission to let it out. He kissed his way down my neck, nipping at my skin, drawing a choked moan from my throat and a low growl from his. It was a boulder rolling downhill. An avalanche. I could not control what I had unleashed... and wasn't sure I wanted to. 

- ARC, page 69

Author Website | Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Check out my review HERE.

Mmmm, Malachi. You all DEFINITELY want to meet him sometime ;)

Blog Tour Guest Post with Hafsah Laziaf, Author of Unbreathable (and GIVEAWAY!)

Welcome to the Unbreathable tour! Today, I'm sharing a guest post by the lovely author herself, Hafsah Laziaf! And don't forget to enter the giveaway at the end of the post!

***Please note that due to me scheduling posts and disliking more than two posts scheduled for one day, my review of Unbreathable will be posted shortly after the tour ends***

Hafsah Laziaf - On Names

Names are a tricky thing. They're so simple, yet so defining. They mean a lot to me. Especially in books, they're an important aspect in terms of world-building and overall enjoyment for me.

Naturally, when I get an email addressed to my name - Hafsah - and not IceyBooks, Icey, Hafash, Hasfah, or something generic, I am ecstatic. And I always make sure to actually *read* that email and respond.

My name is an unusual one. Pronounced 'huff-suh' (like duh), Hafsah is Arabic for lioness or lion cub. While I'm not Arab myself - though I SO wish I was - I love the name.

But it's so difficult to spell and pronounce, so why didn't I go with a pseudonym? This is a question I've asked myself in the past. Something I should have thought of back when I started blogging in 2010. While it crossed my mind back then, I didn't think too much on it. I certainly didn't think I'd be a writer and then an author. But now, to use a pseudonym solely for publishing UNBREATHABLE would mean starting afresh. I considered it, but I'm glad I decided to announce it under my own name and IceyBooks, because the support and response has been amazing.

Would I choose a pseudonym if I had a chance? No. I'm glad I've gone as Hafsah, as who I am, rather than hiding behind a more common name, such as Katie or Anna (no offense to all the Katie's and Anna's out there!). It may be hard to pronounce and hard to spell, but I love when someone takes the time to spell it right and address me when they really don't have to.

In the end, Hafsah is who I am and who I'll be. I wouldn't have it any other way.

About the Author:

Hafsah Laziaf was born on the east coast on a hot summer day in 1993, raised on the west coast and is now stuck in the middle – in Texas – with more books than she can read. She’s the designer behind IceyDesigns and the blogger behind IceyBooks.

UNBREATHABLE is her debut novel.

Website | Blog | Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter

About the Book:

Unbreathable by Hafsah Laziaf

Book One of the Unbreathable series

Publication Date: October 29, 2013

Official Summary:

One hundred and fifty years ago, Earth was destroyed, and the remaining humans fled to the dusty red planet of Jutaire, where the only oxygen is manufactured, food is scarce, and death strikes often. 

When Lissa's father discovers Earth still exists, she accidentally inhales the toxic air of Jutaire, and in one breath, discovers she isn't quite human. 

Her father hangs for his discovery, and Lissa knows the Chancellors will come for her, for she saw the Earth that night too. With nothing to lose, she sets out to expose the truth. It isn't long before she meets Julian, a beautiful boy who can breathe the toxic air like she can - and shows her that the Jute, the original inhabitants of the planet, are more tangled in their lives than she knows.

But the Chancellors are only pawns in a greater game - one where the Jute control everything. Worse, the Jute plan to leave Jutaire for Earth, but to get there, they need her. And they'll stop at nothing until Lissa is in their clutches, even if they kill every human in the process. 

The race for Earth has begun.

The Giveaway:

One copy of Unbreathable (+swag)  and one Ebook of Unbreathable are being given away! PLEASE NOTE that the physical copy is US only. Ebook is open internationally.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Waiting on Wednesday (#43): Fire & Flood by Victoria Scott

"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:

Fire & Flood by Victoria Scott

Book One of the Fire & Flood trilogy

Publisher: Scholastic

Publication Date: February 25, 2014

Summary (from Goodreads):

Tella Holloway is losing it. Her brother is sick, and when a dozen doctors can't determine what's wrong, her parents decide to move to Montana for the fresh air. She's lost her friends, her parents are driving her crazy, her brother is dying—and she's helpless to change anything.

Until she receives mysterious instructions on how to become a Contender in the Brimstone Bleed. It's an epic race across jungle, desert, ocean, and mountain that could win her the prize she desperately desires: the Cure for her brother's illness. But all the Contenders are after the Cure for people they love, and there's no guarantee that Tella (or any of them) will survive the race.

The jungle is terrifying, the clock is ticking, and Tella knows she can't trust the allies she makes. And one big question emerges: Why have so many fallen sick in the first place?

Author Website | Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes and Noble

You all KNOW I love Victoria Scott... so this WoW post was inevitable ;)

Review: The Wicked Wallflower by Maya Rodale

The Wicked Wallflower by Maya Rodale

Book One of the Bad Boys & Wallflowers series

Publisher: Avon Books

Publication Date: October 29, 2013

Rating: 4 stars

Source: eARC from Edelweiss

***Warning: this is an adult book, and for the eyes of mature readers***

Summary (from Goodreads):

Lady Emma Avery has accidentally announced her engagement—to the most eligible man in England. As soon as it's discovered that Emma has never actually met the infamously attractive Duke of Ashbrooke, she'll no longer be a wallflower; she'll be a laughingstock. And then Ashbrooke does something Emma never expected. He plays along with her charade.

A temporary betrothal to the irreproachable Lady Avery could be just the thing to repair Ashbrooke's tattered reputation. Seducing her is simply a bonus. And then Emma does what he never expected: she refuses his advances. It's unprecedented. Inconceivable. Quite damnably alluring.

London's Least Likely to Misbehave has aroused the curiosity—among other things—of London's most notorious rogue. Now nothing will suffice but to uncover Emma's wanton side and prove there's nothing so satisfying as two perfect strangers…being perfectly scandalous together.

What I Liked:

It's been a while since I read this book! I'm writing this review close to the end of October, and I read this book at the very end of July. Yikes!

Anyway, this book was the last historical romance book I've read - I haven't read one since! Not because I don't have any to read, or because I'm sick of the genre... but because I've been swamped with deadlines and release dates and COLLEGE. So, this review might seem kind of scant and vague. It's been a while since I read this book, and I do remember enough of why I liked it, and what I didn't like.

So, Emma and her somewhat dimwitted friends have a plan for Emma: send a letter to the post, announcing Emma's engagement to none other than the magnificently eligible Duke of Ashbrooke, the perfect specimen of a male. That will help her reputation - prove that she is more than a wallflower. Right? Foolproof?

Well, maybe... until Ashbrooke totally rolls with it. I thought that was HILARIOUS. He went with the silly plan, without knowing much about Emma, except that she is London's Least Likely to Misbehave. Good girl Emma and yummy Ashbrooke. Nobody believed that they could be a match! 

It happened! And this book goes through the consequences of that letter getting to the post, and Ashbrooke playing along. Ashbrooke takes Emma to his aunt's house, to participate in the Fortune Games, in which couples compete to win the aunt's inheritance. It should technically go to Ashbrooke, because of the familial relations, but the aunt is HILARIOUS and makes everyone work for it. That's part of the test - for Emma and Ashbrooke to convince Ashbrooke's aunt that they are in love.

 I love the lengths that Ashbrooke went to, to prove to Emma that he truly wanted to marry her, when he came to that decision. It ceased to be about winning the Games and inheritance money, or even convincing society that they are a legitimate match. Ashbrooke is thoughtful and considerate, and I feel like Emma totally does NOT deserve him. She wasn't always nice to him.

Not that I expected her to fall over herself swooning because it's Ashbrooke. Good for her for keeping her composure. But still, she could be a little nicer to the guy that saved her reputation! Because we all know how important reputation and status were in this historical time period.

Anyway, I truly liked the very end of this book - in which Emma had to work hard to get back Ashbrooke. One of the things that I dislike a bit about some historical romance novels is that the male has to be the one that convinces the female to stay together. In this case, Emma had to be the one to go the extra lengths to keep Ashbrooke. Huzzah!

Read this one, if you like historical romance novels. It's a good one!

What I Did Not Like:

Ugh, so, the first part of this book, in which Emma's friends write the letter to the post, to announce the match of Ashbrooke and Emma? Ridiculous! Who does that!? I mean, I know this whole book would not have been possible, without that detail, but seriously?! I wanted to conk Emma's friends on their empty heads. That plan made NO SENSE. 

Also, Emma is a tad bit *too* passive for me. At the very end, she grows a backbone to get Ashbrooke back. But otherwise? Passive. And mean to Ashbrooke. Bad. Ashbrooke is FANTASTIC.

Would I Recommend It:

Yup! I really liked this novel. I feel like one of the problems people have when they read a lot of one type/genre of book is that they find them to be formulaic. I think this book was a refreshing, unique read - definitely not a formulaic historical romance novel. So, I believe that historical romance lovers - seasoned and novices - will like this one.

Rating:

4 stars. An enjoyable historical romance read! I'm so glad I had the opportunity to read this one.

Author Website | Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Was this review helpful? Please let me know in the comments section!