Mackenzie 'Max' Miller has a problem. Her parents have arrived in town for a surprise visit, and if they see her dyed hair, tattoos, and piercings, they just might disown her. Even worse, they’re expecting to meet a nice, wholesome boyfriend, not a guy named Mace who has a neck tattoo and plays in a band. All her lies are about to come crashing down around her, but then she meets Cade.
Cade moved to Philadelphia to act and to leave his problems behind in Texas. So far though, he’s kept the problems and had very little opportunity to take the stage. When Max approaches him in a coffee shop with a crazy request to pretend to be her boyfriend, he agrees to play the part. But when Cade plays the role a little too well, they’re forced to keep the ruse going. And the more they fake the relationship, the more real it begins to feel.
Cade is trying to move past his unrequited love for Bliss, his now awkward best friend, and her relationship with Garrick. Garrick plans on proposing, and Cade wants nothing more than to run, and never look back. He has no option than to steer clear of the happy couple.
Max is a wild child, from two prim and proper parents. The redhaired pinup beauty takes her music seriously, her tattoos, and hiding her current unemployed boyfriend from her parents. So while waiting for coffee, her parents surprise her with a visit. Needing to find a nice, clean cut boyfriend in a hurry, Max spots Cade sitting in the cafe and proposes an offer he simply has no interest in refusing.
The two form an instant attraction and the sexual tension is heavy in the air. Cade plays the role of the loving and dutiful boyfriend a little too well. He's scared, scared of feeling too much, too soon, until Bliss is just a memory and he's infatuated with Max.
Max will never be the put together, clean cut replacement for her sister Alex. She's tired of pretending she's someone that she's not. So when Cade breaks down her protective walls, she's terrified. She believes that isn't good enough for him and doesn't want to invest in someone that will ultimately realise she can't be fixed.
Cade doesn't plan on letting this girl get away.
Faking It is the story of Cade from book one in the series, Losing It. Cade is in love with Bliss, the unobtainable former best friend. It isn't until he meets the moody, dark and sexy Max, that he releases that perhaps what he felt for Bliss wasn't love. I fell in love with Max, she's sassy and not afraid to march to the beat of her own drum, except where he parents are concerned. Cade oozes sex appeal, and together, they are a lethal combination of hormones and banter.
I enjoyed it more than the original, Losing It. It had more edge, more tension and more Cade.
Faking It
(Losing It: Book Two)
Written By Cora Carmack
Published 04 / 06 / 2013
304 Pages
Thank you to Netgalley for providing the ARC
Saylor Grayson makes herself sick. Literally.
She ate her first needle when she was seven. Now, at nineteen, she’s been kicked out of college for poisoning herself with laxatives. The shrinks call it Munchausen Syndrome. All Saylor knows is that when she’s ill, her normally distant mother pays attention and the doctors and nurses make her feel special.
Then she meets Drew Dean, the leader of a local support group for those with terminal diseases. When he mistakes her for a new member, Saylor knows she should correct him. But she can’t bring herself to, not after she’s welcomed into a new circle of friends. Friends who, like Drew, all have illnesses ready to claim their independence or their lives
For the first time, Saylor finds out what it feels like to be in love, to have friends who genuinely care about her. But secrets have a way of revealing themselves. What will happen when Saylor’s is out?
Saylor is a beautiful young woman but with a crippling illness, she makes herself ill. She thrives on the attention that emergency hospital visits bring, with medical staff caring for her, and her emotionally distant mother finally interacting with the daughter she so desperately ignores.
Saylor has Munchausen Syndrome and has suffered at her own hands since she was only seven years of age, when her grandmother left without looking back. Saylor despises her mother. She's cold, distant and spends her time refurbishing doll houses for no apparent reason. Her father is an attorney, and lives out of a suitcase. Neither parent provides Saylor with love, affection or stability. So she takes her illness one step further. After her psychologist suggested volunteering, Saylor finds herself working at the hospital. Her goal? To provide herself with more ammunition to further her illness, but providing refreshments to the support groups isn't part of the plan. A means to an end, right?
Saylor meets Drew, the handsome young leader of a support group for young adults with terminal or degenerative diseases. So when he mistakenly thinks she's a new member, her vast knowledge of diseases only fuels her lies. As Drew's disease progresses, Saylor's admiration of his independence and determination morphs into an unrealistic love. A love based on a lie, on her sickening illness, and the sweet and gentle boy that is slowly losing himself to disease.
Can he still love the girl who self harms for attention and lived a lie to experience acceptance, friendship and love? Drew might just change her life.
Secret For A Song is disturbing, it's honest, emotional and beautifully sad, but it's inspiring. Saylor is one of the most disturbed characters in young adult fiction, but your heart will ache with what her life has become. Her father is absent, her mother is emotionally absent, vindictive and her only reliable caregiver was removed from her life. She has no example of a loving or trusting relationship, no friends and the only warmth in her life is that of medical staff, after self harming.
Drew is a beautiful soul. He's slowly being cut down in the prime if his life, by a disease in which he will lose complete motor functions, all before he turns thirty years of age.
Secret For A Song will take you on a journey about death, loathing, love, friendship and healing. Although the ending may leave some readers feeling empty, it's poignant and reflective, it's ugly tears emotional.
A huge fan of spooky stuff and shoes, I enjoy alternately hitting up the outlet malls and historic graveyards in Charleston, SC where I live and imbibe coffee. My husband and two small children seem not to mind when I hastily scribble novel lines on stray limbs in the absence of notepads.
Since no writer’s biography is complete without mention of her menagerie of animals, you should know I have one dog that doubles as a footstool, a second that functions as a vacuum cleaner, and a cat that ensures I never forget that my hands are, first and foremost, for pouring cat food.
Contact her via Her Website Goodreads Facebook or on Twitter
Secret For A Song
Written S.K Falls
Expected Publication: June 2013
Adam is through with love.
He unravels blaming himself for what happened with Katie. His final moments with her echo through his nightmares.
She owns him body and soul.
To dull the pain, Adam invites a string of women into his bed. Fueled by alcohol and desperation, his meaningless hook-ups provide little comfort. When he closes his eyes, it's Katie he sees.
The only one who helps to ease his guilt somewhat is Jada. But as his new ambulance partner, Adam considers her off limits. He doesn't want to get seriously involved with anyone, much less her. Yet he can't stop fantasizing about the feel of her caramel skin against his. Despite his intentions, Adam's bond with Jada deepens as they respond to a series of emotional calls. Their mutual attraction becomes undeniable. But how can he give his heart to Jada when it still belongs to Katie?
available in eBook and Paperback on Amazon
Come What May is the second book in Faith Sullivan's Heartbreak series, a sexy new adult series that explores the reality of relationships and heartbreak.
Random Facts about Faith: She was so much smarter as a teenager, She's a slow reader, She tends to like a book more for its characters rather than its plot, She appreciates people who are genuinely kind and come through when you need them, As a creative person, she's not always fun to live with, but she keeps things interesting.
She misses the days when all she had was a rotary phone that didn't even have an answering machine, She's a child of the 1980s, and a teenager of the 1990s, She loves her dog.
She likes to travel and see new places - when her limited budget allows, She thinks in another lifetime she lived in the UK somewhere by the coast, When she feels an emotion, she feels it deeply. It's a curse. She has an overactive imagination. Writing helps alleviate that problem. Nine times out of ten, she believes a good book trumps reality.
Contact Faith via her Website Amazon Twitter or Goodreads
Valerie always wanted to be the smart girl. The pretty girl. The popular girl.
But not the rape girl.
That’s who she is now. Rape Girl. Because everyone seems to think they know the truth about what happened with Adam that day, and they don’t think Valerie’s telling it.
Before, she had a best friend, a crush, and a close-knit family. After, she has a court case, a support group, and a house full of strangers.
The real truth is, nothing will ever be the same
It should never had happened. She said no, but he didn't listen.
Valerie is having a party, her mother has gone away for the weekend, leaving Valerie and her six year old sister alone in the house. Her sister is put to bed as the party goers start arriving, and soon the binge drinking begins.
After a few drinks, Valerie is slightly tipsy, just in time to see Adam arrive, the boy of Valerie's dreams. After a daring game of spin the bottle, Valerie is far too drunk, vomits, and passes out.
When Valerie wakes to a hangover, her clothing in disarray, and Adam perched too close for comfort, whispering coercion, holding her down. She said no, but he didn't walk away.
A rape test, pending criminal charges, school taunts, lies and malicious friends are a result of Valerie being brave enough to tell someone. She's treated as the instigator, that she's lying to gain popularity, she's a whore, or poor Adam is being victimised. The police don't seemed to believe her, her legal representatives clearly have no interest in trying the case, and her school has allowed Valerie to be bullied, often catering to that of the accused, Adam.
Valerie is strong, she's an inspiration to girls who are victims of sexual abuse. This will not define her.
Rape Girl made me beyond furious at the treatment of Valerie. She was painted by peers and trusted adults as a liar, that she was promiscuous, to stop playing the victim and move on with her life, often giving the impression that she had no right to tell anyone about what happened to her. But for all of the judgmental, so called 'inconvenienced' adults that Valerie should have been able to trust, luckily she had pillars of support. An unlikely friend, a councilor, a cute barista, a victim support group and her loving mother. It was the difference between living... And self destructing.
Rape Girl
Written By Anna Klein
Published 01 / 09 / 2012
126 Pages
The city of New Eden is cleared, but it won’t stay that way forever. The Bane continue to advance in horrific ways that will wipe humanity from the face of the Earth. A storm is coming, one none of them could have dared imagine.
When a group of outsiders come to the city, everyone is on edge. They have too many questions and not enough answers about where they are from or what they want. Just because they are human doesn’t mean they can be trusted.
Eve made a choice, one that could have deadly repercussions. Desperate hearts bring about desperate actions. Now she must make another decision as her world continues to crumble: come to terms with who she really is, or risk her sanity. She thought she had unlocked all the secrets from her past, but there are truths still buried that leave her questioning what is real and what is not
The Bane are dead and New Eden is in the process of being cleared for habitation for the survivors. The Pulse killed off former Bane soldiers, but not without casualties. West may never be the same again, infected by The Bane, a human turned hybrid machine. The technological Bane infection spreads throughout the human body, effecting organs and your humanity.
Eve is the first Bane recipient, an adjustment to save her life as an infant. She has the ability to control The Bane in small numbers... Until now.
With her emotions at an all time high after choosing between Avian and West, Eve spirals into a depressive, angst ridden state. She misses the camp, the trees, the fresh air and changing seasons. Now confined to the hospital quarters at New Eden, without a purpose. How quickly that will change...
With survivors arriving at New Eden, Eve can feel that the group's intentions are sinister. They keep their cards close to their chests and refuse to answer questions. It isn't until Eve is kidnapped and West going along willingly, that she learns that there is also a large population in Seattle. They know all about Eve and plan on using her to save themselves, in exchange for life saving surgery for West to remove the remaining Bane components.
Little does she release, that not only can she save humanity, she also possesses the power to destroy it.
The Bane trilogy is, in one word, AWESOME. Eve is half human, half Bane machine, and some days she struggles to be either. I love her character, she's not only tough and a leader among men, she'll rewrite the young adult science fiction genre. Keary Taylor has created a post apocalyptic world where modern advances in health sciences have lead to mankind being wiped from the earth. It's scary, it's even comical at times, dramatic, heartwarming, but mostly it's bloody brilliant.
The Bane Series will blow your sock clean off.
The Human
(The Eden Trilogy: Book Two)
Written By Keary Taylor
Expected Publication 18 / 06 / 2013
Thank you to Keary for the privilege of an ARC
Destiny has two ways of crushing us… By refusing our wishes… And fulfilling them.
Vie had no idea when she descended into the small town of Newcastle, Wyoming that she’d find herself mesmerized by the mysterious and alluring eyes of one Carter Stone. And Carter believed he knew everyone that lived in his rural town until the day he locked eyes with Vivian Thorne. He couldn’t help but wonder what was different about this girl he had known all of his life.
He was right, Vie was the beautiful young Guardian that had been sent to their world looking for Carter and she did so merged in the vessel of the Thorne girl. Their meeting sparks a passionate romance between the two and soon after they embark on their journey to uncover the secrets of a past that they begin to realize they both shared. Their forbidden connection unleashes a war with disapproving parties and the lovers find themselves on a mission to uncover the truth of their not wholly human existence and their unbreakable bond. Darkness falls as Lucian returns to settle a score with them and their lives take a thrilling and terrifying turn. The only way for Carter to stop Lucian and save the one he holds most dear is to unlock the secrets of his past and unleash the powers within him. What are the chances that two raindrops, flung from the heavens, will merge on a windowpane? Gotta be fate!
Violet is an angel, sent to earth to live the remaining days in Vivian's body. Her mission is to find Carter and guide him towards his destiny, only having one year on earth before her body dies. Vie, with the voice of an angel and the beauty to match, didn't count on waking up in her new body, after having brain surgery, with an instant boyfriend. She feels inexplicably connected to Jeremy, but she has a mission to complete, and pretends to suffer from selective amnesia.
Carter can't explain the sudden pull he feels towards Vivian, but can feel there is something heavenly about the girl who's stolen his heart.
The Dark One Lucian, is hunting Carter, even Vie and fellow guardian angel Gabriel cannot keep him safe, especially not with a guardian traitor in their midst. But when Vivian, the girl who's body had been overcome, starts to resurface, questions will be asked secrets will be discovered, and sacrifices will be made to keep those they love, safe.
Descended was the story of an angel, sent to earth to ultimately guide a teen boy's destiny. The devil himself wants nothing more than to stop the boy, and destroy the guardian angels. The premise sounded interesting, but obviously having read Descended, it was created for a much, much younger audience. If I were a thirteen year old girl, I would have thoroughly enjoyed the simple and semi formal story. The characters are wholesome and don't curse, nothing further than kissing involved with relationships and the dialogue is basic, and Vie plays the part of temperamental, naive and immature teen perfectly.
As an adult, the book was a light fluffy read, but definitely one for the young teens. Girls within the eleven to sixteen age bracket will drink this down and parents will be thankful that it's not just another hormone filled, sexually charged supernatural romance, that Descended has a spiritual
Teen rating (Intended audience)3 star rating from adult perspective
Descended
(Fallen Guardian Saga)
Written By Debra Ann Miller
Published 13 / 10 / 2012
294 Pages
294 Pages
Thank you to Debra for providing me with an eCopy to review
Leia lives on the Island, a world in which children leave their parents to take care of themselves when they are ten years old. Across this Island runs a wall that no one has ever crossed. The Fools living behind it are not amenable to reason – they believe in illusions. That’s what The Book says, the only thing left to the Eastern Islanders by their ancestors.
But when a strange man washes ashore and Leia meets a Fool face to face, her life will never be the same. Is what she and her friends believe about the Island really true?
Or is everyone in their world, in fact, a Fool?
On the island there are no parents, only children, their leader is the eldest at twenty one years of age. Before each child becomes a teen, they leave their parents and homes, never to return. Twins Leia and Luc now call the small island home.
In a dictatorship, the child citizens all adhere to the telling of The Book, featuring light sabers, fathers that abandoned their children, and a history of being able to use The Force. Whispers around the camp is that their leader is keeping secrets... And Leia plans to find out.
It isn't until Leia meets Walt, the mysterious boy from the wrong side of the wall that separates the island, that she releases that something is horribly wrong in their world. With talk of men coming across to the island by boat, the children of the island revolt. It seems there is far more beyond the horizon that any of them could have dreamed of.
The island is a quick story of a dystopian world, in which a group of parentless children are learning to survive, guided by an old Star Wars book that they believe as gospel.
Sounds like a strange concept, but as the story unravels, readers will find themselves marveling in this brilliant, but short novella. I honestly hope that Jen Minkman might consider rewriting The Island and turning it into a full length novel, even a series. The concept is entertaining and I'd love to read more.
The Island
Written By Jen Minkman
Published 01 / 07 / 2013
80 Page novella
80 Page novella
Thank you to Jen Minkman and Netgalley for a review copy
Love and destiny wait for no one.
Skyla Messenger is in the arms of death.
While Skyla awaits the verdict of the faction war, she makes some troubling discoveries. Covenants that were sealed in the past come back to haunt her, and she must make hard decisions that will effect all those around her.
Skyla has returned from war. Both Celestra and the Counts have paid the ultimate sacrifice, with many beloved never to return. Waiting for the alliance to declare the outcome of the brutal conflict fledged in her own name, and her heart torn between Cage, Logan and the impossibly sexy Sector, Marshall. Cage and Ellis are casualties of war, but Logan returns unscathed.
Starting her senior year is torturous, but Skyla knows that life on Paragon is never quite as it seems. Sisters Mia and Melissa are joining the Junior Count cult, persuaded by Holden Kragger and the despicable wench herself, Chloe. Skyla's step mother Lizabeth, when not throwing herself in the vicinity of her favourite Fem, knows what Skyla is, and what she is fated to become, but can she trust the woman that wants to carry the spawn of Satan herself?
Skyla's ethereal birthmother plays by her own rules, not ashamed to throw obstacles Skyla's way and the battle weary counts are already amassing in large numbers. Something is most definitely wrong, Logan is suffering from selective memory loss and seemingly playing nice with Chloe. Is it more than just to gain back the protective hedge that remains securely around her neck?
With Ellis failing to return from the transfer, Logan sneaking around, and visions of a future with all three suitors, Skyla wishes someone would make the decision for her... Can she choose just one?
When a devastating secret is revealed, Skyla will have her choice made for her, it is her destiny after all. But will she survive long enough to graduate, to see who won the fraction war, and for Chloe to get exactly what she deserves, or is she fated to a punishment far worse than death?
Elysian is the eighth and final chapter in the long running Celestra series, that has been drawn out far longer than necessary. Told in two parts, both equally lengthy reads, devoted readers will find the series finale frustrating. Skyla as usual, is indecisive and having Cage, Logan and Marshall dangling throughout almost the entirety of Elysian was annoying, flitting from one to the other at times.
Thank goodness readers are rewarded with a decision, strange as it may be. We also discover who wins the fraction war and what becomes of Chloe. Most of all, I'll miss step father Tad and the Landon family shindigs. Over the series, Tad had me snorting with laughter. The series is no doubt entertaining, but sadly Skyla's weakness for Oliver boys and 'Dudley', just became too overbearing. It felt as though every chapter was devoted to trying to get it on with a different 'boyfriend', only to end up questioning her choices and loving them all.
It IS a finale though... But not the end.
Elysian
(Celestra: Book Eight - Part One & Two)
Written By Addison Moore
Published 30 / 05 / 2013
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