Review: Breakaway (Corrigan Fall Raiders #4) by Cate Cameron

Title: Breakaway (Corrigan Fall Raiders #4)

Author: Cate Cameron

Published: 14 August 2017
Publisher: Entangled Publishing, LLC
Source: Entangled Publishing, LLC via Netgalley in return for an honest review
Reviewed: Sapphired Dragon
Rating: **** 

My Review:

I love this series! I always devour each book in one sitting and i am so glad that Dawn finally got her own book. We had met Dawn before in the previous books, first as Toby's girl friend and then as his ex and it only seemed right that we got to read her story too. Dawn has vowed to never again date a hockey player. After being the other half of a rising hockey star in a town where hockey is everything, Dawn has always wanted to shine for her herself rather than who she was dating and she thinks she has found that with summer newcomer to Corrigan Falls, Logan. However Logan is actually an ex NHL player who had a career ending injury in his first NHL game and is still coming to grips with his new reality without hockey.

I really liked Dawn and her determination to make something of herself under her own steam rather than of the back of who she is dating and she made for an incredibly likeable and strong character who was immensely readable and intriguing to learn more about. Logan was charming and complex and sweet and also compelling to read about as he dealt with his new reality of his life and was finally starting to put the pieces of his life back together. As a couple I felt the chemistry from the start and liked the way their romance unfolded. As always the peripheral characters were all well developed and vibrant and it was nice to check in previous characters of earlier books as well as meet some brand new characters as well.

One of the things I love about this series is the emotional journey they take me on. Ms cameron's writing really connects you to her characters and makes you care what happens with them and follow their steps for better or for worse. This story was no different and left me satisfied at the way the story turned out.

Overall this was another great instalment of an incredibly enjoyable series and author i look forward to reading more of.

Happy to give this book 4 stars.

Sapphired Dragon xx

About The Book:

Breakaway (Corrigan Fall Raiders #4) by Cate Cameron

This Entangled Teen Crush book contains adult language, melt-the-ice kisses, a drool-worthy hockey player, and a fun summer romance that will leave you smiling.

Eighteen-year-old NHL player Logan Balanchuk came to Corrigan Falls to distract himself from his career-ending injury. He doesn’t want to even hear the word “hockey,” so when he meets Dawn, a beautiful, free-spirited girl who goes skinny-dipping instead of watching the draft, he’s intrigued. Neither of them is looking for anything serious, anyway.

Dawn is happy to be a distraction, happy to have an adventurous summer romance with the dashing guy from the big city. She’s busy working three jobs and counting the days until she can move away from her tiny, hockey-obsessed town. Plus, she’s already done her time as a hockey player’s girlfriend—now she wants to live her own life and have her own adventures. But as things heat up with Logan, she realizes they aren’t as no-strings-attached as she thought…  

Purchase: Amazon US  | Barnes and Noble  | Entangled Publishing | Amazon.com.au | 

Review: Diary of a Teenage Jewel Thief by Rosie Somers

Title: Diary of a Teenage Jewel Thief 

Author: Rosie Somers

Published: 8 August 2017
Publisher: Entangled Publishing, LLC
Source: Entangled Publishing, LLC via Netgalley in return for an honest review
Reviewed: Sapphired Dragon
Rating: *** 3/4 

My Review:

I really enjoyed this story. It was sweet and engaging from the very first chapter. 17 year old Mari is from a family with long glorious tradition of jewel thievery and that has been the life she has led so far. After finding out a dangerous rival is out to get them, Mari and her mother head to New York to hide out and Mari has to pretend to be a normal teenager for the first time in her life.

Firstly, I liked this spin on the extraordinary teen hiding out as a regular teenager premise and Mari was a likeable main character. I thought the idea played out well in the story giving a plausible fun and intriguing story line. We got see both the jewel thief side of her in action as well as the regular teen and Ms Somers showed the contrasts well which really helped make mar are more rounded and believeable character.

The pace and flow of this story really hit the mark. I was in the story from the first page and quickly flew through this only putting it down briefly once. Mari's voice was relatable and I cared what happened to her and to Will. I liked the twists and surprises the author threw in and while i picked some of it, I still felt compelled to keep moving threw to the story to see how it all turned out.

Overall the story is great blend of sweet romance, action and adventure with feels a plenty and a satisfying conclusion to leave you smiling.

I really enjoyed this and gave it 3 3/4 stars :-)

Sapphired Dragon xx

About The Book:

Diary of a Teenage Jewel Thief by Rosie Somers

Most sixteen-year-olds shouldn’t know where museums keep their rarest jewels (the basement) and they really shouldn’t know that vans make the worst getaway cars. But for Marisol Flores, a life of jewel thievery is a birthright handed down from generation to generation, even if she didn’t ask for it. So when a rival thief targets Mari and her mother, Mari’s more than happy to flee to the anonymity of bustling New York City.

Blending in is a dream come true for Mari, but keeping her former thieving ways a secret gets way more complicated when handsome Will Campbell sets his sights on her. She can’t help but like his terrible puns and charming grin…but when her past catches up with her, it’s not only her life—and her anonymity—that’s at stake.

Will could be the next target. 

Purchase: Amazon US  | Barnes and Noble  | Book Depository | Amazon.com.au | 

Review: This Raging Light by Estelle Laure

Title: This Raging Light

Author: Estelle Laure

Published: 12 January 2016
Publisher: Hachette Children's Books Australia
Source: Hachette Children's Books Australia via netgalley in exchange for an honest review
Reviewed: Sapphired Dragon
Rating: ****

My Review:

I fell in love with this book from the first page.  From the first line I knew I would not be able to put it down until the last line and even then I kept trying to scroll for more pages on my kindle in the hope that there was more.

I really loved the voice of this book.  Right from the beginning I felt connected so it was easy to relate and feel for Lucille as the story progressed, to understand her feeling of barely keeping her head above water as every thing around her changes and falls apart and I really wanted things to work out for her.

I loved the way the author really captured that awkward crush stage when overnight someone you may have know for ever, you suddenly see  in a different way where you can't actually be in the same room as them and actually be able to speak and you can seem to take that change back no matter what you do and I could feel the growing connection between Lucille and Digby even if I didn't always approve of the way it developed.

This book also caught be by surprise.  I was caught up in the read and the feels and the rhythm of the story when suddenly Ms Laure took the story up a notch and this change of rhythm really adds to the story and suddenly a really good story was a really great story and couldn't ait to see how  it would turn out.

I went through all sorts of emotions whilst reading this book and in dealing with the realness of it.  As a mother, I struggled to fathom how a mother could leave her children like that... but it happens and this breaks my heart. I marvelled at Lucille's bravery as she deals with life and having to be the main care giver for a younger sibling and holding it together while her whole world is falling apart .  Add in a cast of solid supporting characters and Ms Laure has created a story that feels real and fills you up in the way only a good book can.

I adored this book and give it 4 stars.

Sapphired Dragon xx

About The Book:

This Raging Light by Estelle Laure 

 

How is it that you suddenly notice a person? How is it that one day Digby was my best friend's admittedly cute twin brother, and then the next he stole air, gave jitters, twisted my insides up?

Lucille has bigger problems than falling for her best friend's unavailable brother. Her mom has gone, leaving her to look after her sister, Wren. With bills mounting up and appearances to keep, Lucille is raging against her life but holding it together - just.

A stunning debut to devour in one sitting, Laure captures completely the agony and ecstasy of first love.

 

Purchase: Booktopia  | Book Depository | Hachette Children's Australia | Amazon

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   

     

Review: Sound (The Delta Girls #2) by Juliet Madison

Title: Sound (The Delta Girls #2)

Author: Juliet Madison

Published: 13 October 2015
Publisher: Diversion Books
Source: Diversion Books via netgalley in exchange for an honest review
Reviewed: Sapphired Dragon
Rating: ***1/2

My Review:

I really enjoyed this second book in the Delta Girls series. 

Starting about a month or so after the events of book 1, we see this story from  Serena's point of view focusing her aspect of the sisters joint psychic talent , hearing the future. 

When studious Serena is paired up with another set of twins for a Science Presentation, she seizes the opportunity to learn more about the Delta waves that she believes cause her and her sisters abilities as well as well as learning that her abilities separate from her sisters are developing as well.

When she starts hearing voices whilst working on the presentation at the twins house, she realises that they are voices that she has heard in one of her sisters' joint connections and that can not only help the twins with their problem but maybe also find love along the way.

Whilst I did enjoy book one, I felt like the story in this book flowed better.  In book one, I felt like I could almost see the hand of the author moving certain chess pieces around to direct the story in the right direction where as this one, it seemed a lot more subtle this time and the story seem to flow much better on its own.

I love the idea of this series and I love the connection between the sisters and while it felt a little manufactured at the beginning of the series, I feel like the author is now hitting her stride as she slowly fleshes out each sister out more an more each story and I looking forward to each individual story to learn more about each of the sisters.  I also feel like the premise of the joint connections was also developed more in this book and each sister starts to learn about their abilities both together and apart.

I liked the way and the pace that the relationship between Serena and Damon developed and felt they were really sweet together and I also really  liked the dynamics between Serena, Damon and Lara and the way they interacted.

There is also some development in the over all series arc n regards to this sisters father as we find out a little bit more of the mystery but also end up with more questions, I think this arc is shaping up nicely for the rest of the series.

Overall I found this a very sweet and fun read with its own  enjoyable story separate to the overall series arc and I am greatly looking forward to reading the rest of this series. 

 If you enjoy paranormal YA with touch of romance and mystery, then this is for you.

I give this book 3 1/2 stars

Sapphired Dragon xx

About The Book:

Sound (The Delta Girls #2) by Juliet Madison

Goodreads | Book Depository | Booktopia  | Amazon 

Five extraordinary sisters discover that they each have a unique talent, an extra-sensory perception that enables them to see what others can't. It makes them incredible, it puts them in danger, and it brings them closer to learning the secrets that have haunted them their entire lives. These are the Delta Girls.

Serena and her sisters read a private letter their father wrote to their mother, revealing a clue about his disappearance that they never knew about before. But as they struggle to gain further insight through their sensory visions, trying to solve the mystery continues to prove elusive.

The Delta Girls try to move on, balancing their supernatural abilities with the daily trials of being teenagers. Studious Serena teams with the classroom outcast, Lara, and her charming brother, Damon, for a school science project. They end up studying more than they bargained for, though, when strange noises come from rooms in Lara and Damon s house. There are voices, but only Serena, with her special powers, can hear them. This is until the trio experiment with Electronic Voice Phenomena (EVP) and are able to record and hear them on the computer.

Bringing in her extraordinary sisters to help, Serena must figure out who the voices belong to and what they want if she is to have a chance at stopping an impending tragedy before it s too late.

   

     

Review: Ten Things Sloane Hates About Tru by Tera Lyn Childs

Title: Ten Things Sloane Hates About Tru

Author: Tera Lynn Childs

Published: 14 September 2015
Publisher: Entangled Crush
Source: Entangled via Netgalley
Reviewed: Sapphired Dragon
Rating: *** 3/4  

My Review:

What a great start to a new series by Tera Lyn Childs. I really enjoyed this novel.

Sloane and her Mother have moved to Texas after an incident that left Sloane in a whole heap of trouble back in New York. All Sloane wants is to go back to New York and her old life and resents her mother for moving her so far away.

Truman (Tru) is her next door neighbour and according to her mother a bad influence and not someone she want should be friendly with if she ever hopes to get back to new York. However Tru is not what he seems and he has secrets of his own and as Sloanes connection with Tru grows stronger, Sloane starts to question some of her previous assumptions.

Tera Lynn Childs first foray into YA contemporary is in my opinion definitely a success. In this fresh and sweet story, she has created characters that I care about and am interested in and want to know more about.

Whilst the book itself works as a stand alone within itself, Ms Childs also sows the seeds for subsequent books with threads that have been started and flow through the book creating the background tapestry and you just know ( or at least I am hoping) that they will form part of the frame work of subsequent stories in the series.

I loved the way Ms Childs drew both Sloane and Tru. With all her whinging to go back to New York, Sloane could have become very annoying very quickly but Ms Childs was able to balance the whininess with the thought and growth Sloane Makes during the novel.

As the reader, we learn some very big secrets Tru very quickly, which immediately makes him a sympathetic character rather than just the bad influence that Sloane believes him to be. This also helps the story along as we are rooting for the two them from the beginning which makes all the difference. The novel is also split between Sloane and Tru's point of views which also helps to round out the story.

The story itself is reasonably simple, straight forward and flowing. There are some twists but many will guess much of the ending in advance. However this is not so important. at least for me, as I had developed enough feelings for the characters to follow the rest of their journey and will most definitely be reading on in this series. This is however the main reason why I didn't give this story a higher rating.

With great characters and an enjoyable plot, I give this novel 3 3/4 stars.

 

Sapphired Dragon xx

About The Book:

Ten Things Sloane Hates About Tru (Creative Hearts #1) by Tera Lyn Childs


When life gives you a blank canvas, make art.
Sloane Whitaker hates everything about moving to Texas. She hates leaving behind her friends and half her family in New York, starting over senior year at Austin’s NextGen Academy, and having to say she lives in Texas. Most of all, she hates that it’s all her fault. If she wants to earn her way back to the Big Apple, she has to prove she can still be the perfect daughter.
Which means no vandalism art, no trouble at school, and absolutely no Tru Dorsey, her serial screw-up neighbor, who loves nothing more than pushing her buttons.
But from the moment he vaults onto the roof outside her bedroom, there is something about him that makes her want to break every rule. Suddenly it’ s not the ten things she hates about Tru that are at the top of her list. It’s the ten reasons she doesn’t want to be without him.


 Amazon | Book Depository   

Review: Nowhere But Here (Thunder Road #1) by Katie McGarry

Title: Nowhere But Here (Thunder Road #1)

Author: Katie McGarry

Published: 1 June 2015
Publisher: Harlequin Teen Australia
Source: HarlequinTeen Australia in return for an honest review
Reviewed: Sapphired Dragon
Rating: **** 

My Review:

I went into this novel expecting to love it as its Katie McGarry and I love all her novels so I was extremely excited about this new series.  I am so glad I was right. 

This novel has everything you expect from a Katie McGarry novel, real, authentic teenagers dealing with complex situations and/or feelings and a story that always leaves you wanting more.

Main characters Oz and Emily have grown up in totally different worlds but are very similar in their desire to not to venture outside their little piece of the world. Happy to stay with what is comfortable and safe. Then Oz is given the task of protecting Emily whilst she is staying with her father and her father's motorcycle club and all of a sudden both find their blinkered views being challenged in more ways than one as they get to know and to feel more about each other.

I love Ms McGarry's characters, be they main or peripheral as they always seem to have their own distinct voice. Emily, Oz, Eli, Violet, Chevy and Olivia to name a few, all had their own charm that made you want to get to know them and their stories better and the way Ms McGarry wrote the relationships between them be they good or bad really helped you to feel all the emotions that were brewing under the surface of these characters.

At the end of the day, what really drove this story was indeed the story itself. Following Emily's journey as she struggles to reconcile what she has always been told about her family and her past,, with the truths that lie before her that say otherwise and what that means for her future. I also loved the story of Oz and Emily and felt like I could have continued reading more about their story for ever.

I enjoyed this story immensely. As always, with Ms McGarry's books, I finished the story eager to know what comes next and immediately looked the series up on Goodreads to find out what I could about book number 2.

An awesome new series from Katie McGarry, I give this novel 4 stars

Sapphired Dragon xx

About The Book:

Nowhere But Here (Thunder Road #1) by Katie McGarry

Goodreads | Book Depository | Amazon | Booktopia | Harlequin

An unforgettable new series from acclaimed author Katie McGarry about taking risks, opening your heart and ending up in a place you never imagined possible.

Seventeen-year-old Emily likes her life the way it is: doting parents, good friends, good school in a safe neighborhood. Sure, she's curious about her biological father—the one who chose life in a motorcycle club, the Reign of Terror, over being a parent—but that doesn't mean she wants to be a part of his world. But when a reluctant visit turns to an extended summer vacation among relatives she never knew she had, one thing becomes clear: nothing is what it seems. Not the club, not her secret-keeping father and not Oz, a guy with suck-me-in blue eyes who can help her understand them both.

Oz wants one thing: to join the Reign of Terror. They're the good guys. They protect people. They're…family. And while Emily—the gorgeous and sheltered daughter of the club's most respected member—is in town, he's gonna prove it to her. So when her father asks him to keep her safe from a rival club with a score to settle, Oz knows it's his shot at his dream. What he doesn't count on is that Emily just might turn that dream upside down.

No one wants them to be together. But sometimes the right person is the one you least expect, and the road you fear the most is the one that leads you home.

Review: Seeker by Arwen Elys Dayton

Title: Seeker (Seeker #1)

Author: Arwen Elys Dayton
Published: 12 February 2015 by Random House
Source: Random House UK via netgalley in exchange for an honest review
Reviewed: Sapphired Dragon
Rating: *** 1/2

My Review:

I said in my last review that I had been spoiled in the books I have had the privilege to read so far this year and I think that may well be true as I think it has coloured my vision of what I expect of an amazing read. However that being said, Seeker is definitely a good enjoyable read if not as amazing as I hoped it would be.

This book has an awesome premise. Quinn has trained all her life to be come a Seeker, a noble Hero that does legendary deeds or so the stories she has been raised on say. however on finally attaining her goal, she is shattered to find that what she has believed all her life is a lie.

I struggled a bit in the beginning with this novel and it took me a little while to get into the rhythm of the novel. There are a lot of characters and a lot of elements to this novel and whilst it was good to see the the story from the eyes of several of the main characters, there was always some chopping and changing between past and future which broke the story up a little even as it added to information we needed for the story to progress. As I got further into the story, the rhythm got a lot better and I moved through the second half of the tale much faster than the first.

There are a lot of threads that weave throughout this tale and each of the characters has story behind them and in front of them that weaves through and across the others creating conflict and tension and distorting their ideals and their sense of right and wrong and Ms Dayton does this well. Quinn, Shinobu, Joh and Maud are all trying to do the right things but their experiences have given them different ideas of what the right things is and each has to grapple with their own flaws and overcome them to get closer achieve their desires. Ms dayton paints an good picture of these character's inner conflicts, how they react to them and how it shapes what happens throughout the novel. There is also a lot of action in this novel, which also moves the story along nicely.

This novel does feel like a first in a series (which it is). We are given a lot of information and whilst there is a stand alone story in it, you can feel it is also setting up some intriguing arcs for the series. This is not a bad thing, the more I read of this novel the more I want to learn of this world and these characters and how it will all turn out. Whilst I didn't get all I was hoping for with this first instalment, I am reasonably confident I will find it in the remainder of the series.

An overall enjoyable read and a series I will be continuing. I give this story 3 1/2 half stars.

Sapphired Dragon xx

About The Book:

Quin Kincaid has been put through years of brutal training for what she thinks is the noble purpose of becoming a revered ‘Seeker’.

Only when it’s too late does she discover she will be using her new-found knowledge and training to become an assassin. Quin's new role will take her around the globe, from a remote estate in Scotland to a bustling, futuristic Hong Kong where the past she thought she had escaped will finally catch up with her.

Goodreads | Book Depository | Amazon | Booktopia

Stacking The Shelves #24

Welcome to Stacking The Shelves! Stacking the Shelves is hosted by Tynga Reviews and is a meme to share those books, both print and e-book, that have been added to your shelves in the last week/s.

Up until Thursday this week, I wasn't sure there would be a Stacking The Shelves this week as though I was expecting a few books to arrive, the post has been disappointingly bare. On e-book front however, from Thursday, things picked up and I ended up with some really awesome ARCs to read and review.

That being said, my week on the blog has been extremely productive, with two reviews posted and a further 2 scheduled, 4 books read and a post for virtually every day this week which hasn't happened in a while :-)

Review - E-ARCs( Netgalley)

I am review the first book in the below series in 2013 and recently reposted that review here and I bought book 2 in 2014 so I was extremely glad to be approved for book 3 this week by Penguin Teen Australia.

Kin (Tales of Beauty & Madness #3) by Lili St. Crow

Goodreads | Book Depository | Amazon

Ruby deVarre is Rootkin – the granddaughter of the most revered clanmother in all of New Haven.

For Kin, nothing comes before family, and it's about time for Ruby to start thinking about settling down and starting one of her own. But settling down is the farthest thing from wild-child Ruby's mind. All she wants to do is drive fast with her friends and run free through the woods with Hunter and Thorne, two of her favorite boykin. But Ruby knows that if she keeps disobeying her Gran's wishes, she might end up beign Collared – the worst punishment and disgrace in the kin community.

Then Gran announces that they'll be hosting a guest – a handsome boy named Conrad Tiercey from a kin family across the Waste. Ruby accompanies Gran to the train station, and sparks fly immediately. Conrad is gorgeous. Maybe settling down with someone like him wouldn't be so bad . . .

But as Ruby gets to know Conrad more, she starts to realise something's...off. First, he snaps at her for being late. Then, she talks on the phone with a boytoy, and he grabs her arm so hard it bruises. Just when she feels ready to walk away, Conrad apologises – she's so beautiful and he just loves her so much, is all – and Ruby forgives him, chalking it all up to passion. She stays with Conrad, and hides everything from her friends Cami and Ellie, from whom she's becoming increasingly distant.

Then the murders start. First, heartbreakingly, it's Hunter – found dead in the woods, an axe at his side. Then three girls disappear, one by one, all of them with red hair like Ruby's, who eventually turn up dead all over New Haven. And then the villain strikes Gran. She's not dead, but she's been dangerously poisoned and admitted to hospital in a coma.

Weaker than ever and rudderless without her friends, Ruby must find the strength to confront Conrad, whom she now suspects more than ever. But he's got a plan of his own, and his secrets go deeper than she could have ever imagined . . .

Just on the heels of her mesmerising renditions of Snow White and Cinderella, New York Times bestselling author Lili St. Crow completes the Tales of Beauty and Madness trilogy with this enchantingly dark, beautifully suspenseful update of Little Red Riding Hood.

This next e-Arc is actually the first four episodes of a serial and  comes courtesy of Stone Ink Press

The naturals(Eps 1 - 4) by K.C. Neal , Aaron M. Patterson , Robin Parrish , Melody Carlson

Goodreads  | Amazon

A small town full of secrets. A coming darkness. Teens with supernatural abilities. Think you know the story? Think again.

As Summer ends, the students at Silverwood High are getting ready to go back to school and resume their normal, everyday lives. Too bad "normal" is no longer an option. When these teens get their very first tastes of what destiny has in store, will they embrace that destiny... or flee from it? Will they be selfless... or ruthless? Will they master their abilities... or will their abilities master them?

This is their awakening, the first step of an epic journey. But it's only the beginning of something bigger than they could ever imagine.

The sleepy little town of Silverwood is about to wake up.

Review - E-ARC (Edelweiss)

Particularly excited about this one.  I started reading it this morning and I am hooked!

Red Queen (Red Queen Trilogy #1) by Victoria Aveyard

Goodreads | Book Depository | Amazon  

A thrilling new fantasy trilogy for fans of DIVERGENT and THE HUNGER GAMES.

This is a world divided by blood – red or silver.

The poverty-stricken Reds are commoners, living in the shadow of the Silvers, elite warriors with god-like powers.

To Mare Barrow, a 17-year-old Red girl from the Stilts, it looks like nothing will ever change.

Then Mare finds herself working at the Silver palace, in the midst of those she hates the most. She quickly discovers that, despite her red blood, she possesses a deadly power of her own. One that threatens to destroy Silver control.

Review - e-ARC (Blog Tour)

I am taking part in a blog tour for this next book in march.  My post date is 2nd March so don't forget to come back and see what I thought.

Gathering Frost (Once Upon A Curse #1) by Kaitlyn Davis

Goodreads | Amazon  

Will his kiss be enough to revive her frozen heart?

Once Upon A Time meets La Femme Nikita in GATHERING FROST, a dystopian romance from bestselling author Kaitlyn Davis that reimagines the classic fairy tale of Sleeping Beauty.

Jade was only a little girl when the earthquake struck. Before her eyes, half of New York City disappeared, replaced by a village that seemed torn out of a storybook. Horses and carriages. Cobblestone streets. A towering castle. And, above all, a queen with the magical ability to strip emotions away.

Ten years later and Jade has forgotten what it is to feel, to care...even to love. Working as a member of the queen's guard, she spends most of her time on the city wall staring at the crumbling skyscrapers of old New York. But everything changes when the queen's runaway son, Prince Asher, returns. Jade is tasked with an unusual mission--to let the Prince capture her, to make him trust her, and then to betray his secrets to the crown. In return, she'll earn her freedom. But life outside the queen's realm is more than Jade bargained for. Under Asher's relentless taunts, her blood begins to boil. Under his piercing gaze, her heart begins to flutter. And the more her icy soul begins to thaw, the more Jade comes to question everything she's ever known--and, more importantly, whose side she's really on.

So what did you add to your shelves this week?

Review: Crimson Frost by Jennifer Estep

Title: Crimson Frost
Author: Jennifer Estep
Published: December 24 2012 by Kensington Publishing Corp.
Source: Kensington Publishing Corp. via Netgalley
Reviewed: Sapphireddragon
SapphiredDragon Rating: *** 1/2

For a moment, a face flashed before my eyes—the most hideous face I’d ever seen. No matter how hard I tried to forget what had happened, I saw him everywhere I went. It was Loki—the evil god that I’d helped set free against my will.

I should have known that my first official date with Logan Quinn was destined to end in disaster. If we’d gotten into a swordfight, or been ambushed by Reapers, I’d have been more prepared. But getting arrested mid-sip at the local coffee hangout? I didn’t see that one coming.

I’ve been accused of purposely helping the Reapers free Loki from his prison—and the person leading the charge against me is Linus Quinn, Logan’s dad. The worst part is that pretty much everyone at Mythos Academy thinks I’m guilty. If I’m going to get out of this mess alive, I’ll have to do it myself…


Purchase:  Book Depository 

Review: 

Another great edition to the Mythos Academy series and probably the best one so far.  What I like about this series is that they are always quick, fun reads, able to be devoured in a matter of hours. The content was slightly heavier, the stakes slightly higher but still it kept me engrossed from start to finish.

The story line was quite cleverly done and advanced the major plot crossing the books.  I did pick a bit of it well before the conclusion but still found the conclusion a satisfying ending even if my heart had trouble with the cliff hanger at the end.

As usual, the characters were engaging and I liked the new characters that were introduced.  We got to find out a little more about some of the peripheral characters which adds further depth to this already great series.

I am really enjoying this series and this instalment in particular.  It's just a shame i now have to wait till August 2013 for the next instalment: Midnight Frost.

I give this 3 1/2 stars

Sapphired Dragon xx

Netgalley Month January 2012

So in July 2011, my first attempt at NetGalleyMonth, I found out I was pregnant, got morning sickness and was unable to read anything on my ipad without feeling nauseous.  Needless to say July was a bust.  In October, I was so snowed under at work, I didn't even have time to declare myself let alone attempt a netgalley month so again... BUST!

HOWEVER

This time round, armed with my new shiny kindle I received for Christmas, I do declare January 2012 to be Netgalley Month and just as third time is the charm, this time I will succeed!! :)


Emily from Red House Books is hosting January's Netgalley month challenge which involves reading as many netgalley books as possible in the month of January 2012.

So why do I think I will succeed this time when i so epically failed the last two times?  Here is why:

1. Time : This month I have ten days of holidays with not much I have to do but read.  Plus I am 30 weeks pregnant so this is an awesome excuse to take it easy :)
2. Reading Device: I received a shiny new Kindle 3 for Christmas which already I am making use of, complete with a cover with a readng light so I can read at night in bed.
3. A Netgalley TBR list already half a mile long so once again the perfect excuse to get through it (like i need an excuse :P).  These titles include:

• Under The Moon by Natalie J. Damschroder
• New Girl by Paige Harbison
• Slide by Jill Hathaway
• Halflings by Heather Burch
• The Juliet Spell by Douglas Rees
• The Iron Knight by Julie Kagawa

and others which I will add as I go through them :)

So there you have it, three big reasons why January will be an awesome Netgalley Month for me :)

For more information on January is Netgalley Month or to declare yourself check out the official post at Red House Books

Well wish me luck because here I go...

July is NetGalley Month

So my to read and review pile has gotten a little out of control and I have been looking for a wait to peel it back and get some reading and reviewing done.

Now I have found the perfect solution.

Emily from Red House Books has declared July as Netgalley month and is hosting a challenge to read as many netgalley books as possible in the month of July.

Now this is perfect for me given that most books on my to read and review pile do actually come from Netgalley.  There will also be challenges throughout the month and prizes to be won.

Some of the Netgalley books I plan to read in July are:

• Spellbound by Cara Lyn Shultz - Finished 10/7/11
• Cat's Tale:  A Fairy tale retold by Bettie Sharpe
• South of Salem by Janni Nell - Finished 12/7/11
• The Girl in the Garden by Kamala Nair - Started 12/7/11
• The Shadow Wolf by Bonnie Vardak
• Misfit by Jon Skovron
• Luck of the Devil by Patricia Eimer
• Agatha H and the Airship City
• Lord of the Vampires by Gena Showalter
• Out in Blue by Sarah Gilman
• The name of the Star by Maureen Johnson
• Tris & Izzy by Mette Ivie Harrison

and i have others... (see what I mean about a long TBR&R list?).

For more information on July is Netgalley Month or to declare yourself check out the official post at Red House Books

Well wish me luck because here I go...