Thursday 8 October 2015

Cursed by Jennifer Armentrout Review


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.

PLEASE NOTE THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS!

I know this book was released a while ago, but I am just trying to get through my "to read" pile and this is one I have been meaning to get to for a while.

In Cursed we meet Ember, a girl who died in a tragic car accident with her father but was brought back to life by her younger sister Olivia. Now anything that Ember touches... dies.

Understandably, she has become withdrawn from society because of this and spends most of her time being mother to her younger sister as her own mother is unable to do so. 

Whilst out grocery shopping with Olivia her ex boyfriend -who she has a rather hostile relationship with- comes over to her and after a verbal argument, ends up touching her, causing his death. 

This leads to Ember and her family being taken in by Cromwell. A man who has a gift of his own and houses other children with gifts. 
There she meets Hayden, Cromwell adopted son who also has a gift. Cromwell wants his son to stay away from Ember for his own safety since she can't control her gift. But Hayden is too curious to listen and believes he can help Ember control it. 

Reading Cursed I wasn't as normally excited as I normally get reading a Jennifer Armentrout book. Usually, I can't put it down until its finished. 
She is one author who is really good at finishing all points and not leaving anything unanswered, yet when I finished this book I immediately looked online to see if there was a sequel. I was sure there hadn't been a sequel released and I couldn't find one either yet there seemed to be two things I noticed that were left unanswered. 
1/ They thought the teacher was the one responsible for the crash and her fathers death but he says that he had nothing to do with it. So who was it? 
2/ At the end when Ember is in hospital she vaguely regains consciousness and there is a woman talking to Cromwell dad about her being very important and she cannot be harmed.
It seemed that Jennifer Armentrout intended for there to be a sequel but it hasn't happened yet and I am unsure whether one is planned. (please someone correct me if I am wrong about any of this)


Over all the writing was very good and the plot was interesting. So I am giving this book a rating of 3 out of 5 stars. I would be really interested in a sequel or novella to complete this story 














Wednesday 13 May 2015

Wanted By Kelly Elliott

Spoilers within Review!

Verbally abused by her mother for years, 18-year-old Ellie Johnson always believed she would never be loved or wanted by anyone. She focused all of her attention on her grades and getting into the University of Texas to start a new life away from her mother. 

The last thing Ellie expected was to fall in love with Gunner Mathews, a starting linebacker for the University of Texas football team and not to mention, her brother's best friend. 

Gunner only has two passions in life, football and his grandfather’s ranch, until he falls for his best friends little sister. He will stop at nothing to show Ellie how much he wants her, even if it means he has to move faster than she would like. 

Gunner knows they are meant to be together forever, but Ellie keeps denying her feelings out of fear of being hurt again. Every time he gets close to winning her love, something pushes her away again. Will Ellie ever be able to let go of the past and let him into her heart, and will Gunner be patient enough to wait for her? 

What will it take for them to realize they are all each other have ever WANTED?




I noticed on a Facebook post that this book was now free. The blurb sounded good so I decided to download it. 
I have to admit though that I have given up on it as of Chapter 9.
There were a few things that i didn't like about this book. 
The first being that Jefferson and Ellie and brother and sister, and due to their terrible upbringing by an alcoholic mother they are pretty close siblings.
However, at times I felt like there relationship was just too close for siblings.
Some examples are : 

  1. Jefferson calls Ellie honey. A whole damn lot. 
  2. In one chapter he lifts her hand and kisses it! (yes, kisses it! I'm sure it's the back of the hand as well)
  3. Ellie says (in chapter 3 i think) that Jefferson is "the most handsome man" she had ever seen (girl that's your brother!)

One of the other let downs of the book was that the first few chapters are repetitive as well. You get one chapter from Ellie's point of view. Then you get the same chapter from Gunners point of view. So you are re-reading all the same dialogue again, the only thing that is new is you see what Gunner and Jefferson were doing before coming to save Ellie and you get to hear Gunners feelings. The chapter from his point of view was just not needed i felt. Would have perhaps been good as a bonus scene at the end or on the authors website. 

Another thing that bothered me was that i was on chapter 9 and the book was still on the same afternoon/night. You hadn't even read on to the next day yet, so to me, the book was just going far too slow.

It is constantly shoved down your throat that Jefferson is major protective of his sister and has kicked guys asses before because of the way they have treated Ellie. Ellie tells you this, Ari, Ellies friend tells you this. Then you hear from Gunners POV how many times Jefferson has threatened bodily harm to any of his friends if they try it on with his sister, and has even gone to the extent of not even letting any of them meet his sister. Including Gunner his best friend of 3 years whom he lives with. Then on the first day (as stated the only day I read about in the book) Ellies boyfriend gets caught cheating and she punches him in the face, majorly hurting her hand and Jefferson and Gunner have to take her to hospital. 
Gunner realizes he is head over heels for a gal he has known only a matter of hours, and tells Jefferson he is attracted to his sister and after all the protectiveness crap you have had to read and hear about time and time again, Jefferson is okay with it!! (What the heck!?).
His reason being that Gunner is the only guy he would trust with his sister. Which doesn't explain why he has let the guy meet her in 3 years!

As far as Gunner is concerned you get told many times (again in the same day within the book) that he has an erection at the slightest thing Ellie does. I am sure it was mentioned 6 or 7 times at least that he was turned on because she smiled or ate or blinked! He even has to leave the room on a few occasions because of it.

All in all the only thing i am happy with about this book was that it was free. The book has just been re-edited as of 2015 so i dread to see what the old edited edition was like

I started writing this review with an idea of 3 stars as the rating but after thinking more of the book and the things that bothered me with it. The rating has dropped to 1.5







Sunday 8 February 2015

Hero by Samantha Young

"Caine Carraway in a business suit was gorgeous. Caine Carraway out of a suit was sexy as hell."


What a roller coaster of emotions this book takes you through.
At times I think I was more in love with Caine than Alexa and then other times all I wanted to do was knock some sense into him.

Caine doesn't think her deserves love or happiness due to decisions he has made in his past. The last person he was expecting to change this was Alexa Holland, the girls whose father ruined his life and started him on his journey of being alone.

Samantha writes this book beautifully. The book takes you through every emotion imaginable, pain, hurt, loss, love, laughter, regret, but you never feel overcome by them as there is humor placed at just the correct moments. 

The chemistry between Caine and Alexa is so well written and she was the perfect counter for his dominant male attitude. One of the main things I enjoyed about their relationship was that she pulled him up if he was out of order or crossed the line and the outcomes were very entertaining.

Caine is the first character I have read who I seriously think could over take Braden from On Dublin Street and we all know how much he is adored by Samantha's readers. I still can't decide which one I like best. It would be seriously epic just to sit them two down and see how they interact with one another. 

I have to say though my favorite character was Effie, the elderly neighbor who lives next to Caine. 
She was just hysterical and eccentric. Delivering humor at the right moments. Some of the things she came out with made me laugh out loud.

"Don't," I pleaded. "He told me to my face that he doesn't love me. I don't need false hope from you."
Effie scowled. "No, you need a swift kick up the ass."

If you are a fan of Samantha Young's On Dublin Street series, then you will definitely love Hero this is a book you just don't want to end.




Thursday 5 February 2015

A Shade of Vampire by Bella Forrest

"You will only risk your life trying to escape, Sofia. So let's make this simple.
Don't ever try it again."


I bought this book after seeing it advertised on my facebook page. Not going to lie at first I was worried that it was going to be some odd vampire version of Fifty Shades of Grey. Thankfully, it wasn't. 
I must say I am now completely hooked on this series!

One of my favorite things when reading a book is when the author doesn't fill the first few chapters of the book with a lot of mindless information about the characters, as if they are trying to catch you up with the last so many years of their lives until the moment your reading from. I usually give up pretty fast with books like that.
Bella Forrest, doesn't do this. She gives slight bits of information throughout the book but still not to much that you feel like you can predict the character.

The main characters she gives us in A Shade of Vampire Sofia and Derek. 
Sofia has crossed the boundary and fallen in love with her best friend Ben. She isn't very confident and practically hides in Ben's shadow.
One bad decision to walk to the beach ends up with her being kidnapped and taken to The Shade. 
An Island that his hidden from humans where a coven of vampires reside. Including Prince Derek, newly awoken from hundreds of years of slumber.
The pairing between these two just fits perfectly. I loved the fact that Derek was no force to be reckoned with but at the same time was affectionate and caring. 
He can't understand how Sofia has got his feelings mixed up the way they are, but one thing is for sure. He will protect her at all costs.

Sofia comes out of her shell on the Island, befriending the guards and acting as carer for other human girls that were kidnapped at the same time as her. At the beginning of her time on the Island she realizes that her best chance of survival is to remain in Derek's good graces. He is after all the Prince and strongest vampire on the Island. But spending time with him makes her see he still has a sense of humanity in him, and soon she comes to realize she wants to please him but she genuinely cares for him and how he cares for her.
However, there wouldn't be a story without danger. Lucas, Derek's elder brother was the one that kidnapped Sofia and he wants her for himself. She can't be safe with him around but she can't bare the thought of leaving Derek's side.

I will defiantly be continuing with this series and can't believe it has taken me so long to come across it. It's already at book 10!!!


FIVE STARS!!!







Thursday 22 January 2015

From Gods (Descendant Prophecies Book 1) by Mary Ting


Please note there are slight spoilers in my review

I must admit this book was hard to stick with, but I kept thinking give it more time. However, even up to chapter ten I was considering giving up. 
At the start it just seemed very slow starting and having no direction, as though the author was just writing anything until they got to the more action parts of the book. 
I found some conversations just went on and on and talking about things that were completely irrelevant.
Parts of the book were very poorly written and there seemed to be far too much of so-and-so said, then so-and-so said, and then some responses to conversations made no sense what-so-ever!
The parts of the book where one character was texting another seemed to go on forever and was just dragged out to long. Example :
miss you
miss you too
bye 
bye 
(and that is a short example)

Some things were also very unbelievable. In one scene Skylar goes to buy everyone beer and when she gets asked for ID her thought is : "I forgot i couldn't buy beer because i had never bought one before"
Really? Come on. She randomly forgot she was 18. It would have been more believable if she has said she forgot her fake ID or something. 
In another scene Mason saves Skylar from one of his brothers, asks her to stay in his bed with her so he can protect her and then wakes up in the morning and has no idea why she was there
Fair enough he was drugged but when she says about his brother he remembers instantly. (not something you would forget in a hurry)
The story didn't really hold my attention at all, the ending is left on a big cliff hanger but even that isn't making me consider reading the next book

Two of of five stars for this one!




Saturday 10 January 2015

2015

Hi Guys!

I know I have been MIA for several months now. A lot of things happened, the passing of my papa, then my gran being diagnosed with cancer and passing only months later. 
With the shock of everything I decided to just take some time off. I lost count of the number of times I sat down to read or write and just couldn't find myself getting excitied or involved.
Now that I am feeling better I am hoping that this year I will get everything back on track. 
There have been a few books I have read that I never got around to posting reviews for, but because it has been a while I cannot remember enough of them to give a full detailed review, so I don't think that it would be fair to post a review for these books.
Starting now any book I read I will begin reviewing and I am now able to take requests for reviews again also by contacting me at serenamylesbooks@outlook.com

For now what I would like to do is post a few books that are going to be at the top of my reading list for 2015!

Book number 1: 

Bound By Flames
Jeaniene Frost
Release date :27 Jan 2015



Vlad must battle with a centuries-old enemy whose reach stretches across continents and whose strength equals his own. It isn't like Vlad to feel fear, but he does...for Leila, because his enemy knows she is Vlad’s greatest weakness. As friend and foe alike align against him, Vlad's love for his new bride could be the very thing that dooms them both...
I have loved this series from the start and can't wait for the third installment. 
 Jeaniene Frost wasn't an author I had read before but since reading this series she is one of my favourite authors around. 
I told my friend about this book and she has been hooked on the series ever since as well.


Book number 2: 
Hero By Samantha Young
Release date : 3rd February 2015



Alexa Holland’s father was her hero-until her shocking discovery. Ever since, Alexa has worked to turn her life in a different direction and forge her own identity outside of his terrible secrets. But when she meets a man who’s as damaged by her father’s mistakes as she is, Alexa must help him.
Caine Carraway wants nothing to do with Alexa’s efforts at redemption, but it’s not so easy to push her away. Determined to make her hate him, he brings her to the edge of her patience and waits for her to walk away. But his actions only draw them together and, despite the odds, they begin an intense and all-consuming affair.
Only Caine knows he can never be the white knight that Alexa has always longed for, and when they’re on the precipice of danger, he finds he’ll do anything to protect either one of them from being hurt again . . .


What can I say about Samantha? The first book I ready by Samantha was Moon Spell, which is the first book in her The Tale Of Lunamorte series. That series knocked me off my feet and since then I have read every book she has released. 
With every genre and book she releases she gives you intriguing characters and gripping stories.
I have seen myself buy one her books before even reading what it is about.
From what we know of Hero it seems like Samantha has done it again and I already have this one pre-ordered. 

Book number 3 : 

 Three Brothers By Nicole Williams
Release 20th January 2015

I grew up with three brothers. They weren’t tied to me by blood, but our connection went beyond genetics or bearing the same last name. Our connection was forged the summer I turned thirteen, the summer my mom ended her life and left me in the custody of John Armstrong, a man I’d never met. Packing all I owned in a couple of boxes, I left the familiarity of the big city and headed west to Red Mountain Ranch, set in a lonely valley outside of Jackson Hole.

Nothing was as it seemed at Red Mountain—it didn’t take long for me to figure that out. John was kind to me but distant, as if he was afraid to let anyone get too close. His three teenage sons had their own devices for keeping love as far away as they could. The eldest distracted himself with cheap relationships that had a shelf-life of one night. The middle son threw himself into the rigor of running a ranch, and the third wielded cruelty and mind-games in his quest to keep people from getting close.

Time has gone by, and I’ve spent those years trying to forget the brother I’d fallen for—the biggest mistake of my life.

Finally, I’ve moved on. Finally, I’m back. But what I didn’t realize was that running away from the wrong brother meant I’d also run away from the right one. The one who’d been there for me all along, waiting in his brother’s shadow for the day I either would or could move on.

But a decade is a long time to wait. Has the brother I should have chosen all of those years ago moved on too? Am I about to discover that my biggest mistake wasn’t falling in love with the wrong brother, but failing to return the love of the right one sooner?

Does unrequited love have an expiration date?

I’m about to find out.

This is a new author for me. I haven't read anything of hers before but the cover first drew my attention and the blurb has me intrigued. 
I don't have much more to say on this at the moment, but will post a review when I have finished it.

 I hope you all had a lovely Christmas and New Year and look forward to hearing from you throughout 2015!!