Lost in My Youth

I still can't believe I was lucky enough to get my hands on this ARC. Debut author Elisabeth Grace has proven she deserves to be in the Limelight! And why?? Two words....MASON NASH!

A refreshing take on the NA genre. Ellie, a strong female lead and Mason...oh Mason. The man of my dreams!

Ellie and Mason meet in an unusual way. She has no idea who he is...though she should. Mason's interest is immediately piqued by this...such a refreshing change for him.

As they get to know each other, it becomes apparent they come from two different walks of life...but are they really all that different?

Now Ellie must choose between hiding from the spotlight or being thrust into it. The spotlight has burned her before after all.

This author not only held my interest, but she had me laughing out loud numerous times through this novel! I had more than one odd look from my husband while reading this! Haha! The perfect blend of romance and humour and of course sex....

Pour yourself a glass of wine (leave the bottle within arms reach!) and cozy up....because you won't be able to put this one down!

I am already counting down the days until I can get my hands on this authors next release!

Despite the many recommendations I received for this book, I just didn't enjoy it. Maybe I was expecting too much.

I found Gwen totally unlikable. She was beyond ditzy, and I spent a good portion of the book wondering what all these men see in her. Vulnerability? Possibly. Her rants were entertaining at times, but the constant reply's of "kay" began to annoy me.

And Hawk. What's not to like about a hot commando? I'll tell you. When the only word he knows is "Babe". I seriously wanted to buy this boy a thesaurus.

The story itself was a jumble of commandos, cops and bikers. No one has that many close calls and rescues in such a short period of time but still manages to meet her editorial deadlines.

I might have to try another of this author's books. Considering the large following, I feel I must be missing something. I just don't feel that "something" was in this particular book.

This could have been a 3 star rating for me....but the editing is horrible. I don't mind a few mistakes, but there were errors and holes that were so obviously overlooked that it really started to annoy me. And they carried on from beginning to end.

The story was cute, but not nothing original....smart law student meets bad boy rocker. No surprises, no twists. It is what it is.

I hated Erin with a passion. She was a self centered and judgmental not to mention cold individual. Oh and whiny....REALLY whiny. Loch however was delicious. How he shacked up with Erin is beyond me. Loch could have done soooo much better.

This book was the perfect trip back to your teenage years. Awkward first love, The Smiths and the awesome fads of the 80's.

Eleanor comes from a very dysfunctional home. Her step dad is an addict that keeps the rest of the family in a constant state of fear. All 6 of them live in a tiny run down house....no phone, no cable and only a partition sheet separating the bathroom from the kitchen. Eleanor herself is strange. She has fire red hair and wears extremely odd outfits all the time.

Park is a half Korean, middle class 16 year old. He faces the usual teenage issues with parents but otherwise leads a pretty easy existence.

Needless to say, it was not love at first sight. But slowly, over the course of sharing a seat on the bus everyday, Eleanor and Park realize they need each other. And slowly they forge a relationship despite all the obstacles.

After all, things aren't always what they appear.

A great book to remind us all that it's what's on the inside that counts, to be who you are regardless. You couldn't help but feel sorry for Eleanor...but at the same time she was admirable.

My only real complaint was the ending...I wanted more! What happens next?? It's sweet, but I wanted a glimpse into their future.

I believe everything happens for a reason. This book follows the same philosophy. Sometimes bad things happen in order to make the good things happen.

Kiersten is starting her freshman year. She's recently lost her parents in a tragic accident and has struggled with day to day life ever since. She's a lamb waiting to be slaughtered.

Weston is a wealthy star quaterback. His mom died when he was young and his only brother committed suicide. Now bad luck has once again reared it's ugly head. Why?

It was a fluke meeting, a moment turned into a lifetime. But how long will that lifetime be?

Kiersten and Weston together learn how to live, how to seize the moment, to face your fears and be afraid. And most importantly how to love.

Have a box of kleenex ready for this one....you're going to need it.

DEAR MELANIE HARLOW:

PLEASE WRITE MORE. AND QUICKLY.

SINCERELY,
YOUR NEWEST FAN.

When I was child, I went through a phase where I wanted to be a mobsters wife when I grew up. This book totally spoke to that inner child!

Michigan 1920's..... Prohibition is in full effect. Tiny is 20 years old. Due to her mothers death, Tiny still lives at home to raise her two younger sisters, and help their father run his garage and bootlegging business.

Unfortunately, Tiny's father is taken hostage by the Difiores. A crime family who wants a piece of his business and profits...but Tiny's father ignored the letters and now Tiny must come up with a $10,000 ransom or else her father will lie on the bottom of the river. But Tiny has some help. Enzo Difiore is the son of Angel Difiore, head of the crime family. There is immediate and undeniable chemistry between them...it's impossible to ignore. And Joey Lupo. A relative of Tiny's sister Bridget's deceased husband who has recently allied with the River Gang...the Difiores rivals. Tiny also has a connection with him.

This begins a series of events that keep us on edge through every turn of the page. Speakeasies, bootlegging, well dressed italian men packing the heat....heaven!!

I couldn't put the book down. I encourage everyone to get a piece of the pie and pick it up!

This novel takes you inside the head of 26 year old Celeste Price. She's a stunningly beautiful eighth grade teacher. And she's a pedophile who preyed on two young boys in her classroom.

Celeste is married to a cop (Ford). They are outwardly the perfect couple. Both too beautiful to be real. But this is a farce. The mere sight and smell of Ford makes Celeste sick. Her real interest lies with younger men....much younger...like 14 year old boys. Carefully planned with meticulous detail, Celeste slowly seduces her first victim (Jack).

I've never hated a main character more. Celeste is selfish beyond all words. Everything is about her...with no thought or feeling to anyone else. Even when she is finally caught. The worst part?? The ending....absolutely infuriating but unfortunately it is reality. A sad reminder to us all about the potential danger lurking around the corner.

I felt momentarily sick at giving this book 5 stars purely based on its subject matter. This book is not for the faint of heart. But the book did everything it was supposed to do. It evoked feelings of disgust, disbelief, hatred and heartbreak. We've all heard about women predators (Mary Kay Letourneau) so we know they exist. But women are supposed to have maternal instinct are they not? It's so much more difficult to believe a woman would be capable of such a crime. I applaud the author for having the courage to write a book that is sure to bring strong discussion....and strong opinion.

In my opinion, this book deserved 5 stars purely based on my enjoyment of it. It was certainly not without flaws, but none large enough to distract me for long.

Weaving a tale using both fact and fiction, the author has written a both fun and educational story.

Heather is a 16 year old girl dealing with alopecia. Horrified by losing her hair infront of her peers, Heather decides to seek refuge at her great aunt's in remote part of the country. while out in the moors, Heather becomes disoriented in the fog and mist and soon becomes lost. On the verge of panic, a girl appears out of the fog in outdated clothing. This stranger called Emily, has never heard of Heather's aunt. Emily takes Heather back to the parsonage, which is where she lives with her Father, her aunt Elizabeth, and her siblings: Charlotte, Branwell and Anne. Heather quickly becomes aware that something is amiss....these people have no modern convieniences, they all where outdated clothing and live a life of a century past. Heather believes they are practicing one of those strange religions she's seen on the telly. But soon enough, she learns she has somehow been transported back through time to the year 1833.

Heather is living with none other than the famous Bronte family.

I found the experience of living with the Bronte's completely captivating. Using historical facts, the author gave us an imagined look at the daily lives of the Bronte's and the time period at which they lived. The book still incorporates some of today's teenage issues: drugs, alcohol, love...but in relevance to the era.

My issues with this book. Firstly, the alopecia almost appeared as an afterthought in the story. A way to explain why the character comes to be in Bronte country. Other than losing a few clumps of hair and cutting her long beautiful locks into a pixie cut, it doesn't focus too much on the disease. Heather never loses her hair entirely....she just wears a beanie at all times just in case. Secondly, if you pay close attention, Heather begins to talk like the others. She ceases to use language appropriate to what she is accustomed and instead uses antiquated proper english which is highly unlikely during such a short stay. Like I said previously, neither of these issues ruined the book for me....they just were a fleeting annoyance.

Bottom line: loved it. Plain and simple.

A return to the world of Rosemary, the land of the beautiful people. Men that make you weak at the knees just by glancing your way, and women who turn men into putty with their innocent beauty and perfect orbs. No uglies here folks!

This is Woods story. Under the control of his father, Woods must prove himself worthy to join the Board of the family business. This means doing whatever Daddy says, including marrying Angelina, a girl he detests.

Enter Della Sloane. Della grew up living a nightmare. She comes to Rosemary looking for adventure....and she finds it. With Woods. He is her knight in shining armour.

This story felt very rushed in places to me. Della and Woods had known each other days before they were moving in together...with everything on the line for Woods, I found this a little far-fetched no matter how drool worthy she was. He really didn't know anything about her at this point.

On a positive note, Woods was much more likable once you got to know him then in previous books. It will be interesting to see how their story progresses.

What begins as a letter from a fan, turns to a love story spanning decades.

Beginning during WWI, Elspeth Dunn, a reclusive poet receives fan mail from a Mr. David Graham. One response turns into a steady correspondence between the two sight unseen.

Over time, we find out Elspeth is in fact married, David becomes engaged, but through it all they continue to write. Slowly, they realize they have in fact fallen in love. But with Elspeth's husband Iain away at war, and David volunteering to drive ambulances behind the front lines, it is hard to imagine what the future may hold.

The story is told completely through the writing of letters written between WWI and WWII, and gives us a glimpse of the untold stories of those left behind to continue to live, while those on the frontlines fight.

If you enjoy reading this period in history, you will not be disappointed. It is a sweet story from an uncertain era. Happy Reading!

A great book, reminding me quite a lot of "The Hunger Games". The people are classed into "factions" depending on the quality they most value: selflessness, peace, knowledge, bravery, or honesty. But as we all know....this won't work in the end!

Although very entertaining, I felt some parts were a little over the top and far-fectched. I did like the characters but wish some had a little more depth. I really wanted to connect to Four, but he always seemed fuzzy around the edges.

Overall a terrific book to fill your mind with non-stop action and adventure!

"Merricat, said Connie, would you like a cup of tea? Oh no, said Merricat, you'll poison me. Merricat, said Connie, would you like to go to sleep? Down in the boneyard ten feet deep!"

A classic goth/horror/mystery written by Shirley Jackson. This was not a book of blood and gore, but of mass hysteria, paranoia, and mental illness. A book where 18 year old Merricat is being raised by her older sister Constance who is also looking after their ailing Uncle Julian. Everyone else is dead. Until Cousin Charles comes a calling......

Such a unique story, and very entertaining. You couldn't help but pity the reclusive Constance and the tormented Merricat. Well worth the read!

I found this book extremely odd. Though classed as an Adult book, I found it read and felt more like a YA novel.

The book is written beautifully through the innocent eyes of a child. It takes you back to a time where as a child, you took everything at face value, without question or skepticism.

But on the flipside, the book is very deep....as deep as the ocean. It makes you think about the reality of the world around us. The age old question of how did we got here and where we go when we die are looked upon with new eyes.

It's a very heavy story packed into a small package but entertaining all the same.

This book just wasn't for me.

The first half consisted of the inner workings of technology which I find about as exciting as watching toenails grow.

The second half was just plain ridiculous. Yes, I know it's fiction, but I like my fiction to have some degree of belief. A technically gifted student creates a phone app that tricks boys into "loving" and "lusting" over you. All you have to do is point your phone, click "it's on!" and voila! They are in love with you. What happened to just being yourself? This app sends a terrible message to young ladies!

I found the characters very far-fetched as well. Not one of them seemed like a normal everyday person. They all seemed to have an unlikely quirk or stereotype assigned to them. Girl with speech impediment, computer geeks, cheerleaders, the rich girl, the jock, Michael Jackson wannabe ect....Just too much.

Overall I can see a much younger crowd enjoying this book, but any older readers who enjoy ya might want to steer clear of this one.

What a great mystery! After collecting dust in my TBR pile for a couple of years, I finally picked this pig of a book up. I'm only sorry I hadn't sooner! I loved the story, the mystery, the characters with all their flaws. I'm not going to bother recapping, because clearly most of the world has read this book with just a few of us lagging behind. What I will say, is that the first hundred or so pages I found to be very dry and quite boring. I even considered tossing the book aside. In hindsight, I understand the need for this, as it set up the story quite nicely. My point is...stick with it! Although disturbing in some parts, it was well worth the read!

Emily has arrived in Mullaby after the death of her mother. Her only living relative is her 8ft tall grandfather Vance. Until now, Emily has never known about Vance. Her mother never spoke of the past...and now Emily is about to find out why.

Julia was a troubled teen. But that was 20 years ago. She has come back to Mullaby with a 2 year plan: bring up the value of her dad's barbeque restaurant, sell it for a tidy profit and leave. But nothing is ever what we plan....

Win Coffey is a rather unique boy. He wears a linen suit and a red bowtie on his morning strolls through town, he's extremely handsome, and he does NOT come out at night. None of the Coffey's do. They haven't for centuries.

What I love about Allen's books are the whimsical way she weaves magic into her stories. Wallpaper that changes depending on your mood, ghosts fluttering in the yard at night, bake a cake with the window open and your loved one will find their way home.

If you haven't read one of Sarah Addison Allen's books before you really should. She has such a poetic way of writing that she captures the readers attention and transports them into a seemingly normal small town only to find it anything but. Everything and anything is possible.