Review: Hopeless (Hopeless #1) by Colleen Hoover

Title: Hopeless

Author: Colleen Hoover

Published: 19 December 2012
Publisher: Atria Books
Source: Library
Reviewed: Sapphired Dragon
Rating: **** 

My Review:

I knew after reading about a page and a half that I was love this.  The voice of the novel caught me right from the beginning and kept me committed to the story the whole way through.

As this was a guilty pleasures read, amongst a number of arc and blog tour reads, it took me a bout 4 days to read the first 100 pages sneaking in little bits here and there where i could then when I could finally turn my attention to it yesterday morning, I couldn't go to bed till I had devoured the last page.

Even over the fours days where could only read bits and pieces, I found my mind lingering on the characters and wanting to find out more. Even now nearly 24 hours after finishing it, I still find myself stopping and pondering parts of the novel and the characters.

I loved Sky's voice, I loved her perspective and I loved her fearlessness. However my connection to the character of Holden blew hot and cold there for a while as I didn't necessarily warm up to him right away and there were times where I questioned (just a little) why Sky let him get away with certain things but by the end I think I loved Holder's character as much as I loved Sky's and I am dying to get my hands on Losing Hope in which we get to find out more on Dean's perspective.

This is only my second Colleen Hoover novel so i still wasn't sure what to expect from her writing style which at times threw me a little but was extremely refreshing at the same time. I went in to the story a little bit blind as I didn't know too much about the series other than the general gushing that seems to accompany most Colleen Hoover novels - all well deserved from the two I have read so far I might add :-) I thought the pace was great and literally couldn't (and didn't) put it down for the last quarter of the novel. I did see couple of the plot twists coming but this only added to the impact of the story as a whole rather than detracting from it.

As mentioned, my first thought after finishing this novel was to immediate try and work out how I could get my hands on companion novel Losing Hope. Which for me is always a sign of a story and a world I don't want to leave.

I am so glad I reserved and borrowed this from the library and give it four stars!

Sapphired Dragon xx

About The Book:

Hopeless (Hopeless #1) by Colleen Hooper

Goodreads | Book Depository | Amazon | Booktopia

Sometimes discovering the truth can leave you more hopeless than believing the lies…

That’s what seventeen-year-old Sky realizes after she meets Dean Holder. A guy with a reputation that rivals her own and an uncanny ability to invoke feelings in her she’s never had before. He terrifies her and captivates her all in the span of just one encounter, and something about the way he makes her feel sparks buried memories from a past that she wishes could just stay buried.

Sky struggles to keep him at a distance knowing he’s nothing but trouble, but Holder insists on learning everything about her. After finally caving to his unwavering pursuit, Sky soon finds that Holder isn’t at all who he’s been claiming to be. When the secrets he’s been keeping are finally revealed, every single facet of Sky’s life will change forever.

Blog Tour Stop & Giveaway: A Matter of Time (Angel Sight #3) by Lisa M Basso

Welcome today's stop on the A Matter of Time (Angel Sight #3) by Lisa M Basso Blog Tour presented by Month9Books and hosted by Chapter by Chapter.  Today's stop is a review as well as a chance to enter the great giveaway that is being run throughout this tour.

Review:

I enjoyed this conclusion to the Angel Sight series.

From beginning to end there is a whole lot going on in this book. It starts with Rayna and Kade stuck in Hell an undisclosed time since they first went in but what feels like years to the two as they are continuously tortured and tormented. Perhaps because there is so much happening and to get through, I found I read this very quickly, the second half more so than the first.

The pace moves along quite well and then picks up at the end as the conclusion builds and I found a satisfying tensions and anticipation in the build up.

As per the last two books, I loved the chemistry between Kade and Rayna and the bond between the two and it was nice to revisit characters from previous books as well as the consistency of the characters from one book to the next e.g. Layla. I love Rayna's strength even after everything she has experienced.

I like the way Ms Basso has structured this novel and mentioned before, there is a lot to get through and I think she does this well. I found myself propelled through the novel and the the conclusion before I knew it.

Over all I am glad I was able to read this conclusion and while it leaves itself open for perhaps more stories in this world, I found it a satisfying conclusion.


I give this novel 3 1/2 stars

Sapphired Dragon XX

About A Matter of Time(Angel Sight #3)

Title: A Matter of Time (Angel Sight #3)

Publication date: June 9, 2015

Publisher: Month9Books, LLC.

Author: Lisa M Basso

Rayna entered Hell to save Kade. Kade entered to protect Rayna. Both have failed.

Centuries of Kade’s demons are unearthed when he is brainwashed and used as a Fallen pawn.

In the freezing pits of Hell, Ray is beaten and tortured, pushed to her breaking point. She takes a stand, firing back at her attackers though she’s only begun to understand the true strength of her wings. A strength she will need once she uncovers the evils that await on Earth.

Together they find solace, alone they will fight. 

Chapters Indigo | Amazon | Barnes & Noble |  TBD

ABOUT Lisa M Basso:

Lisa M. Basso was born and raised in San Francisco, California. She is a lover of books, video games, animals, and baking (not baking with animals though). As a child she would crawl into worlds of her own creation and get lost for hours. Her love for YA fiction started with a simple school reading assignment: S.E. Hinton’s The Outsiders. When not reading or writing she can usually be found at home with The Best Boyfriend that Ever Lived ™ and her two darling (and sometimes evil) cats, Kitties A and B.

Author Links:  Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Tumblr

The Giveaway

·        Five (5) winners will receive a digital copy of A Matter of Time by Lisa M. Basso (INT)

 

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M9B Friday Reveal: ALA feature on Jennifer Jenkins and Ciny Pon with Giveaway #M9BFridayReveals

Welcome to this week’s M9B Friday Reveal!

This week, we are featuring

Jennifer Jenkins and Cindy Pon

who will be appearing and signing at ALA!

Be sure to enter the giveaway found at the end of the post!

Four clans have been at war for centuries: the Kodiak, the Raven, the Wolf and the Ram. Through brutal war tactics, the Ram have dominated the region, inflicting death and destruction on their neighbors.

Seventeen-year-old Zo is a Wolf and a Healer who volunteers to infiltrate the Ram as a spy on behalf of the allied clans. She offers herself as a Ram slave, joining the people who are called the “nameless.” Hers is a suicide mission – Zo’s despair after losing her parents in a Ram raid has left her seeking both revenge and an end to her own misery. But after her younger sister follows her into Rams Gate, Zo must find a way to survive her dangerous mission and keep her sister safe.

What she doesn’t expect to find is the friendship of a young Ram whose life she saves, the confusing feelings she develops for a Ram soldier, and an underground nameless insurrection. Zo learns that revenge, loyalty and love are more complicated than she ever imagined in the first installment of this two-book series.

©NicholeV Photography, LLC 2008. http://actions.nicholeV.com. This work is registered and protected under US and international copyright laws. Any violation of this copyright will be diligently prosecuted.

With her degree in History and Secondary Education, Jennifer had every intention of teaching teens to love George Washington and appreciate the finer points of ancient battle stratagem. (Seriously, she’s obsessed with ancient warfare.) However, life had different plans in store when the writing began. As a proud member of Writers Cubed, and a co-founder of the Teen Author Boot Camp, she feels blessed to be able to fulfill both her ambition to work with teens as well as write Young Adult fiction.

Jennifer has three children who are experts at naming her characters, one loving, supportive husband, a dog with little-man syndrome, and three chickens (of whom she is secretly afraid).

Visit her online at jajenkins.com

Connect with the Author: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Pinterest | Instagram

SERPENTINE is a sweeping fantasy set in the ancient Kingdom of Xia and inspired by the rich history of Chinese mythology.

Lush with details from Chinese folklore, SERPENTINE tells the coming of age story of Skybright, a young girl who worries about her growing otherness. As she turns sixteen, Skybright notices troubling changes. By day, she is a companion and handmaid to the youngest daughter of a very wealthy family. But nighttime brings with it a darkness that not even daybreak can quell.

When her plight can no longer be denied, Skybright learns that despite a dark destiny, she must struggle to retain her sense of self – even as she falls in love for the first time.

“Vivid worldbuilding, incendiary romance, heart-pounding action, and characters that will win you over--I highly recommend Serpentine.” Cinda Williams Chima, best-selling author of the Seven Realms and Heir Chronicles fantasy novels

"Serpentine is unique and surprising, with a beautifully-drawn fantasy world that sucked me right in! I love Skybright's transformative power, and how she learns to take charge of it." ~Kristin Cashore, NYT Bestseller of the Graceling Realm Series

"Serpentine's world oozes with lush details and rich lore, and the characters crackle with life. This is one story that you'll want to lose yourself in." ~ Marie Lu, New York Times bestselling author of Legend and The Young Elites

Amazon | B&N |Kobo | TBD | Indiebound | Chapters | BAM

Cindy Pon is the author of Silver Phoenix (Greenwillow, 2009), which was named one of the Top Ten Fantasy and Science Fiction Books for Youth by the American Library Association’s Booklist, and one of 2009′s best Fantasy, Science Fiction and Horror by VOYA. The sequel to Silver Phoenix, titled Fury of the Phoenix, was released in April 2011. Serpentine, the first title in her next Xia duology, will be published by Month9Books in September 2015. She is the co-founder of Diversity in YA with Malinda Lo and on the advisory board of We Need Diverse Books. Cindy is also a Chinese brush painting student of over a decade. Visit her website at www.cindypon.com.

Website • Twitter • Facebook • Goodreads • Tumblr

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Teaser Tuesday #96: Hidden (Avena #1) by Marianne Curley

Welcome to Teaser Tuesdays.

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of A Daily Rhythm. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

1. Grab your current read

2. Open to a random page

3. Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too muchaway! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

4. Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

My current read is Hidden (Avena #1) by Marianne Curley and my two lines are from page 205

I get my legs moving backwards fast. 'I don't know what you're selling, or what your game is, or how you could know..." I draw in a deep breath. 'I don't want any part of it.'

Hidden (Avena #1) by Marianne Curley

Goodreads | Book Depository | Amazon | Booktopia

Ebony has always known that she is different. Her violet eyes mark her out, and her protective parents have kept her in a gorgeous valley, home-schooled, safe from everything—almost as if she’s being hidden. But she’s changing: glowing, getting more and more beautiful, and stronger than anyone knows. Ebony can’t stay hidden for ever, and when she meets complicated, intense Jordan, something explodes inside her—something that can be seen from the heavens; something that changes everything. Ebony is a stolen angel, concealed on Earth. Now the heavens have found her, they want her back.

Fans of Becca Fitzpatrick’s Hush, Hush Saga and L.A. Weatherly’s Angel series will adore Hidden. Full of irresistible romance and breath-taking suspense, this is a sensational start to a brilliant new series. Get ready to be swept away by this spellbinding story of eternal love.

PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT with either the link to your own Teaser Tuesdays post, or share your ‘teasers’ in a comment here (if you don’t have a blog). Thanks!

M9B Friday Reveal: ALA feature on Scott Craven and Donna Galanti with Giveaway #M9BFridayReveals

Welcome to this week’s M9B Friday Reveal!

This week, we are featuring

Scott Craven and Donna Galanti

who will be appearing and signing at ALA!

Be sure to enter the giveaway found at the end of the post!

Stay away from the window, don’t go outside when it’s storming and

whatever you do, do not touch the orb.

Twelve-year-old Joshua Cooper’s grandpa has always warned him about the

dangers of lightning. But Joshua never put much stock in his grandpa’s rumblings as anything more than

the ravings of an old man with a vast imagination. Then one night, when Joshua and his best friend are

home alone during a frightful storm, Joshua learns his grandpa was right. A bolt of lightning strikes his

house and whisks away his best friend—possibly forever.

To get him back, Joshua must travel the Lightning Road to a dark place that

steals children for energy. But getting back home and saving his friend won’t be easy, as Joshua must

face the terrifying Child Collector and fend off ferocious and unnatural beasts intent on destroying

him.

In this world, Joshua possesses powers he never knew he had, and soon,

Joshua’s mission becomes more than a search for his friend. He means to send all the stolen children

home—and doing so becomes the battle of his life.

Amazon | B&N | Kobo | iBooks | BAM | Chapters | IndieBound | TBD

Donna is the author of the Joshua and The Lightning Road series and the

Element Trilogy. She is a contributing editor to International Thriller Writers the Big Thrill magazine and

blogs at www.project-middle-grade-mayhem.blogs..., a cooperative of published middle grade authors.

Visit her at www.donnagalanti.com and www.ElementTrilogy.com. Donna wanted to be a writer ever

since she wrote a murder mystery screenplay at seven and acted it out with the neighborhood kids. She

attended an English school housed in a magical castle, where her wild imagination was held back only by

her itchy uniform (bowler hat and tie included!). There she fell in love with the worlds of C.S. Lewis and

Roald Dahl, and wrote her first fantasy about Dodo birds, wizards, and a flying ship (and has been

writing fantasy ever since). She’s lived in other exotic locations, including her family-owned campground

in New Hampshire and in Hawaii where she served as a U.S. Navy photographer. She now lives with her

family and two crazy cats in an old farmhouse and dreams of returning one day to a

castle.

Author Links:  Website |

 Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Pinterest | Instagram | YouTube

Dead Jed is Shaun of the Dead meets Diary of a Wimpy Kid. Jed's not your

typical junior high geek. He is, to use the politically-correct term, cardiovascularly-challenged. And while

his parents have attempted to shield him from the implications of being 'different' for as long as they

could (Jed was 8 and at a friend's sister's birthday party when he blew his lips off onto the cake in front

of everyone, finally prompting the “Big Talk” from his parents and an emergency SuperGlue repair by his

dad), 7th grade at Pine Hollow Middle School as a target of Robbie the supreme school bully and his

pack of moronic toadies is rapidly becoming unbearable.
From being stuffed in a filled trash can as

“dead meat” and into a trophy case as the bully's “prize,” to literally having his hand pulled off in the

boys' room (Jed's always losing body parts. Luckily, a good stapler and some duct tape and he's back in

the action) and a cigarette put in it and try to frame him for the recent reports of smoking in the school,

Jed's had enough and is ready to plan his revenge. Besides, it's awesome what you can do when you're

already dead!

Amazon | B&N | Kobo | iBooks | BAM | Chapters | IndieBound | TBD

The first part of seventh grade was rough on Jed, but things are looking up

now that Christmas is almost here. As with past Christmases, Jed asks for the one thing he's always

wanted--a dog--and again, his parents tell him they're not ready. But fate has a different plan when Jed

sees a dog get run over by a car. Then, it happens. Jed suddenly has a pet, Tread, a zombie dog bearing

his namesake--a tire tread down his back. Jed may have gained a dog, but he loses his best friend Luke,

who fears the way Jed created his undead pet.

When Jed returns to school, he finds a

mysterious group called the No Zombies Now Network spreading rumors of the dangers the undead

pose to normal people. Forced to disprove Hollywood stereotypes, Jed has his work cut out for him as

stories of a zombie dog begin to circulate. Jed could be expelled if he can't expose the NZN Network as a

fraud. Jed needs help from his kind of girlfriend Anna, especially after he discovers Luke has joined the

shadowy group.

Once again navigating the treacherous waters of middle school, Jed does his

best to stay in one piece. Only this time he'll need even more duct tape and staples than

usual.

Amazon | B&N | Kobo | iBooks | BAM | Chapters | IndieBound | TBD

Proud graduate of Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, have one son who will turn 18 in

March 2013, now a features writer for The Arizona Republic.

Connect with the Author:  Website | Twitter 

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Teaser Tuesday #95: Sister Assassin (Mind Games #1) by Kiersten White

Welcome to Teaser Tuesdays.

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of A Daily Rhythm. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

1. Grab your current read

2. Open to a random page

3. Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too muchaway! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

4. Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

My current read is Sister Assassin by Kiersten White and my two lines are from page 43

I get back in the car and drive towards the single most dangerous place in the world for me right now.  I should be terrified.

Sister Assassin (Mind Games #1) by Kiersten White

Goodreads | Book Depository | Amazon | Booktopia

She never chose her deadly gift but now she’s forced to use it. How far would you go to protect the only family you have left?

Annie is beset by fleeting strange visions and a guilty conscience. Blind and orphaned, she struggles to care for her feisty younger sister Fia, but things look up when both sisters are offered a place at Kessler School for Exceptional Girls.

Born with flawless intuition, Fia immediately knows that something’s wrong, but bites her tongue… until it’s too late. For Fia is the perfect weapon to carry out criminal plans and there are those at Kessler who will do anything to ensure her co-operation.

With Annie trapped in Kessler’s sinister clutches, instincts keep Fia from killing an innocent guy and everything unravels. Is manipulative James the key to the sisters’ freedom or an even darker prison? And how can Fia atone for the blood on her hands?

PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT with either the link to your own Teaser Tuesdays post, or share your ‘teasers’ in a comment here (if you don’t have a blog). Thanks!

M9B Friday Reveal: Cover Reveal - Strange Country Day by Charles Curtis with Giveaway #M9BFridayReveals

Welcome to this week’s M9B Friday Reveal!

This week, we are revealing cover for

Strange Country Day by Charles Curtis

presented by Tantrum Books/Month9Books!

Be sure to enter the giveaway found at the end of the post!

Alexander Graham Ptuiac, the son of an inventor, wants to play for the school’s football team. During tryouts, and under the watchful eye of the team’s coach, he suddenly manifests mysterious superhuman powers. Alexander makes the team, but not before the some ill-intended adults take notice, putting his life in danger.

Alex struggles to suppress and control his strange new abilities, worried about exposing his secret and being kicked off the football team. Then he befriends Dex, a diminutive classmate who can somehow jump as high as ten feet in the air. Seems Alex isn’t the only one at school with a secret.

As the school year unfolds, Alex will find himself the target of bullies, holding hands with his first crush and discovering the shocking truth about himself and his parents.

Strange Country Day by Charles Curtis
Publication Date: August 2015
Publisher: Tantrum Books/Month9Books

Available for Pre-Order:
Amazon | B&N

Charles Curtis is a writer and journalist based in New York City. He has reported and written for publications including NJ.com (where he is currently the site’s sports buzz reporter), The Daily, ESPN.com, ESPN the Magazine, Bleacher Report, TV Guide and Entertainment Weekly. Charles has covered the NFL, MLB, NHL, NBA, golf, tennis and NASCAR. He has also written about television, film and pop culture.
In addition, Curtis has also written, produced and was featured in videos for ESPN.com and The Daily. He has made radio appearances on stations including 92.9 The Ticket in Bangor, Maine, WLIE 540 AM in Long Island and on morning shows across Canada via the CBC.
He can be reached on Twitter: @charlescurtis82.

Connect with the Author: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram

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Swoon Romance YA Wednesdays: Finding Mr. Darcy: High School Edition by Erin Butler Book Blitz with Giveaway #ReadSwoonRepeat

Welcome to this week’s

Swoon Romance YA Wednesdays!

This week features:

Finding Mr. Darcy: High School Edition by Erin Butler!

Be sure to enter the giveaway found at the end of the post!

Sixteen-year-old Liza Johnson takes fangirl to a whole new level of crazy when she decides to take dating advice from her literary hero: Jane Austen.

With the help of her best friends, Liza sheds her ancient-speak and complete Austen wardrobe for something a bit more modern in an attempt at finding her very own Mr. Darcy.

Enter Will, the new kid and Liza's Darcy incarnate. Add her BFF's ex to mix and the sexy Brit who kisses with an accent, and Liza is in trouble.

So, what's a girl to do? Without her mom to go to relationship advice, Liza turns to the only person she can truly trust with matters of the heart via her mother's copy of COMPLETED WORKS OF JANE AUSTEN.

It's too bad Austen's heroines have never played Spin the Bottle or Seven Minutes in Heaven. Liza's determined to find her true Austen-esque happy ending, but if she can't trust herself instead of books, she just might end up in her own tragic love story.

Finding Mr. Darcy: High School Edition
by Erin Butler
Publication Date: September 2014
Publisher: Swoon Romance

Amazon | B&N

Erin Butler is lucky enough to have two jobs she truly loves. As a librarian, she gets to work with books all day long, and as an author, Erin uses her active imagination to write the kinds of books she loves to read. Young Adult and New Adult books are her favorites, but she especially fangirls over a sigh-worthy romance.

She lives in Central New York with her very understanding husband, a stepson, and doggie BFF, Maxie. Preferring to spend her time indoors reading or writing, she’ll only willingly go outside for chocolate and sunshine—in that order.

Erin is the author of BLOOD HEX, a YA paranormal novel, and the forthcoming contemporary romance titles, HOW WE LIVED and FINDING MR. DARCY: HIGH SCHOOL EDITION. You can visit her online at www.erinbutlerbooks.com.

Connect with the Author: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

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