Awakening by Karice Bolton

Synopsis:
Alone in snowy, remote Whistler village, Ana tries to build a new life since losing her parents. With a cozy condo, a sweet-faced bulldog and an evening job to leave the days free for the slopes, life slips into a great routine. If only she could shake the guilt for not remembering anything about her parents and banish the night terrors that haunt her every dream.
On a whim, Ana goes out with Athen, a guy she's just met in the Grizzly Pub... The only problem is that she feels like she already knows him. 
Within 48 hours of meeting Athen and his family, Ana's world implodes. She falls for Athen quickly and before she knows it, a past life begins to resurface. As thrilling as the revelations appear at first, she fights against the chilling information that Athen is from the underworld. Soon she begins to struggle as her own supernatural gifts are slowly unveiled, and she realizes that the nightmares she's been having might be premonitions and not dreams at all.
It is up to Ana to decipher between fact and fiction before it is too late, and her new love, Athen, follows in her same fate - one that is lost between two worlds.

My Thoughts:

I loved Awakening. At first, I thought it was going to be a Twilight copycat. I couldn’t have been more wrong. It was nothing like Twilight, which is a good thing. Awakening is about a woman named Ana. She works at Grizzly Pub as a waitress. One night, Athen and his family come into the pub. She is immediately attracted to them but can’t figure out why. The plot was great. It kept me turning pages until the very end. I was definitely surprised by what Athen and his family revealed to Ana. It was interesting to watch Ana’s journey to getting her memories back. I fell in love with Athen, Cyril, and Arie. By the end of the book, I wanted them to be my family. I really liked Arie. She was always very positive, no matter how bad the situation she was in. The ending shocked me. I was devastated. I can’t wait to read the next book in the series and find out what happens to Anna and her newfound family. 

I give Awakening: 5/5.

Want to know more about the author?
Website: http://www.karicebolton.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Karice-Bolton/218230041566833
Twitter: https://twitter.com/karicebolton
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5240334.Karice_Bolton

I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. I was in no way compensated for this review.

Royal Blood by Ellen Schreiber

Synopsis:
Summer break is over, and Raven is hardly eager to be returning to Dullsville High. Not only does school mean daily interaction with preppy pest Trevor Mitchell, but her sleep-filled days and romantic nights with her immortal boyfriend, Alexander, must come to an end. Plus the shock of morning classes isn't the only change in store.

An unexpected letter turns up at Alexander's mansion--announcing his parents will be coming to town. And once they arrive, just about everyone has had a sighting of the macabre couple except Raven. What could be delaying Alexander from introducing Raven to them? Could Alexander be hiding something about his parents' homecoming?

When Raven is finally invited to the most thrilling dinner party of her life, the next turn of events could transform her entire future with Alexander. The sixth book in Ellen Schreiber's bestselling Vampire Kisses series takes an unusual twist in the continuing romance of Raven and Alexander.

My Thoughts:

Royal Blood is my favorite installment in the Vampire Kisses series. I was excited that Raven (and the reader) finally got to meet Alexander’s parents. I really liked Cassandra, Alexander’s mom. She was sophisticated, yet she didn’t look down on Raven for not being a vampire. I didn’t really have any strong feelings about Constantine, Alexander’s dad. At first, I thought he was a jerk. The way he doubted Alexander’s dream of becoming an artist made me mad. However, he redeemed himself in the end. I didn’t like that the author kept hinting at a possible Raven and Trevor relationship in the future. I’m hoping that it doesn’t happen. Hopefully Raven is becoming closer to becoming a vampire. I also hope that Alexander’s parents will come back in the future. I can’t wait to read the next book in the series and find out what happens. 

I give Royal Blood: 4/5.

Want to know more about the author?
Website: http://www.ellenschreiber.com/home.htm
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Ellen-Schreiber/112889228802218?created
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ellenschreiber

I received this book from trading with another blogger. I was in no way compensated for this review.

Nobody But Us by Kristin Halbrook

Synopsis:
Will
Maybe I'm too late. Maybe Zoe's dad stole all her fifteen years and taught her to be scared. I'll undo it. Help her learn to be strong again, and brave. Not that I'm any kind of example, but we can learn together.

When the whole world is after you, sometimes it seems like you can't run fast enough.

Zoe
Maybe it'll take Will years to come to terms with being abandoned. Maybe it'll take forever. I'll stay with him no matter how long it takes to prove that people don't always leave, don't always give up on you.

My Thoughts:

I did not like Nobody But Us. The pacing of the book was excruciatingly slow for me. It seems like it took forever for anything exciting to happen. The author's writing was very inexperienced. The plot didn’t flow well. The book was very disappointing. I was hoping for something much better. The relationship between Will and Zoe was sick and abusive. Within the first few pages, I guessed that Will was going to be like Zoe's dad. However, Zoe was also abusive to Will. The worst part was that they both justified the abuse. They both thought that they did things wrong, so being physically and emotionally abusive to each other was okay. I think that was what bothered me the most about the book. It is NEVER okay to be abusive to a significant other for any reason. I really liked the ending of the book. It was the only part that I had positive feelings for. It didn’t make up for the message that the book sent though. 

I give Nobody But Us: 2/5.


Want to know more about the author?
Website: http://www.kristinhalbrook.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/KristinHalbrook
Twitter: https://twitter.com/kristinhalbrook
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5070015.Kristin_Halbrook

I received this ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. I was in no way compensated for this review.

The Cat Who Came Back for Christmas by Julia Romp

Synopsis:
The heart-warming true story of a little boy and the cat that changed his life.

Julia’s nine-year-old son George was autistic. Quiet and withdrawn, he appeared lost in his own world. Then one day a small black-and-white stray cat appeared in her garden and George’s face lit up.

George bonded with Ben and began to open up to his mother as well. For three happy years, the trio was inseparable and George made remarkable progress. But then disaster struck—Ben went missing and George regressed.

The weeks turned into months, and Christmas was fast approaching, but on December 21, Julia got a call from a family more than fifty miles away, which finally offered a ray of hope . . .

Genuinely touching, The Cat Who Came Back for Christmas is a story about devotion, love, and a holiday miracle.

My Thoughts:

I love books about cats. When I saw the adorable kitten on the cover of the book, I desperately wanted to read it. After finishing the book, I was disappointed. Most of the book was about the author's son. The book was mostly about his struggle with autism and how it affected his mother. The cat, Ben, first shows up about a fourth of the way through the book. He only stays in the book for a little while. Once Ben goes missing, the book becomes about George's autism again. They do talk about the search for Ben for quite a while, but then the author talks about Georges autism again. I did like the parts that talked about Ben. Quite a few of them made me laugh. I really liked when they had the Christmas open house and Ben climbed in the sled. The book was okay, but I would have liked it more if had been more about cats. 

I give The Cat Who Came Back for Christmas: 2/5.

Want to know where to buy the book?

• Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/The-Cat-Came-Back-Christmas/dp/0452298784/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1361330438&sr=8-1&keywords=the+cat+who+came+back+for+christmas
• Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-cat-who-came-back-for-christmas-julia-romp/1110781076?ean=9780452298781

I received this ARC from the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. I was in no way compensated for this review.

A Season of Eden by Jennifer Laurens

Synopsis:
He's my teacher. I shouldn't be alone with him. But I can't help that he's irresistible. 

I let the door silently close at my back. He stared at me, and a taut quiet stretched between us.

"I like hearing you play," I said, moving toward him.

He turned, in sync with my slow approach. He looked up at me but didn't say anything. I rested my clammy hand on the cold, slick body of the baby grand. "May I?"

The muscles in his throat shifted, then he swallowed. "Eden."

My knees weakened, like a soft tickling kiss had just been blown against the backs of them. "Is it okay?" I asked.

His gaze held mine like two hands joined. He understood what I was really asking.

"Let me stay," I said. "Please."

"You're going to get me in trouble," he said.

My Thoughts:

I love books about student/teacher relationships. However, the subject is taboo in today’s society. Therefore, not many people write books about it. When I got the chance to read and review A Season of Eden, I jumped at it. I love the book. I had been hearing people rant and rave about Jennifer Laurens' books for a couple of years and now I know why. She is a fabulous author. The plot kept me interested until the end. I finished A Season of Eden in about two hours. I think the reason why I liked the book so much is that is reminded me what it was like to be a teenager. It brought back memories of first loves, first breakups, and loving someone forbidden. I liked all of the characters. Eden could be a bit insecure at times, which got annoying. Although, I remember being just as insecure at her age. The ending was excruciating. It left off in such an odd way. I think the author was trying to get the reader to draw their own conclusions about what happened. I would love it if the author would write a sequel so that the readers could have a clearer understanding of what happened. Based on A Season of Eden, I will definitely be reading more of Jennifer Laurens' books in the future. 

I give A Season of Eden: 5/5.

Want to know more about the author?
Website: http://www.jenniferlaurens.com/
Blog: http://jenniferlaurens.blogspot.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/intent/user?screen_name=jenniferlaurens
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jenniferlaurensauthor
Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/user/dancewriter
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/758992.Jennifer_Laurens

I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. I was in no way compensated for this review.

Little Orphan Anvil by Joseph Beekman

Synopsis:

A Tale of Magic and Metal...

A tale of an orphaned robot and its journey to help save a realm from the rule of an evil witch. When the Land of Iron and Anvil is brought to ruin by a wicked storm, the robot becomes lost in the wilds of the lands. But after being discovered by a little boy and his dog, the robot is reunited with its creator and together they set off to the Land of Shadows to free a group of orphans from the dark magic of the witch…and save an entire realm from her rule!

My Thoughts:

I really liked Little Orphan Anvil. At 139 pages, it was a short read. The book only took me about an hour to read. The plot was fast paced and fun. There was never a boring moment where I wanted to put the book down. I loved hearing about all of the different lands. The land of Iron and Anvil was my favorite. I didn’t find any spelling, grammar, or punctuation mistakes when I was reading. I liked all of the characters. When I was reading the book, I pictured the robot as the robot from Clannad for some reason. My favorite character was Will. He was extremely wise. He was willing to risk his life for a bunch of children he had never met before. I also liked Ranger. He was devoted to Sonny. The book didn’t end with any loose ends. I’m not sure how there will be a sequel. Never the less, I am excited to dive into it. I recommend Little Orphan Anvil for anyone from 12 to 112. 

I give Little Orphan Anvil: 5/5.

Want to know more about the author?

Twitter: https://twitter.com/mesopawtamia

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/joseph.beekman?fref=ts

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6452232.Joseph_Beekman

I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. I was in no way compensated for this review.

ARC Review: Jane Austen Goes to Hollywood by Abby McDonald

Synopsis:
Hallie and Grace Weston have never exactly seen life eye to eye. So when their father dies and leaves everything to his new wife, forcing the girls to pack up and leave San Francisco for a relative’s house in shiny Beverly Hills, the two sisters take to their changing lot in typically different styles. Shy, responsible Grace manages to make friends with an upbeat, enterprising girl named Palmer but still yearns for her old life — and the maybe-almost-crush she left behind. Meanwhile, drama queen Hallie is throwing herself headlong into life — and love — in L.A., spending every second with gorgeous musician Dakota and warding off the attention of brooding vet Brandon. But is Hallie blinded by the stars in her eyes? And is Grace doomed to forever hug the sidelines?

My Thoughts:

I’m not sure what to say about Jane Austen Goes to Hollywood. I didn’t love it but I didn’t hate it either. The plot was interesting but it didn’t hold my interest enough to read it in one sitting. In fact, it took me about four days to read through the book. It was just your typical Chick Lit novel. Grace falls in love with Theo, but doesn’t get a chance to express her love before she has to move. Her sister, Hallie, falls in love with Dakota, who is in a band called Take Fountain. Dakota has to move to New York to sign a recording contract. He forgets all about Hallie. Drama ensues for both of the sisters. The characters were entertaining, especially Hallie. You would think her drama queen hissy fits would get annoying, but they were actually funny. Jane Austen Goes to Hollywood is supposed to be a modern day take on Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen, which I have never read. Based on this book, I might pick it up on a rainy day when I get bored. 

I give Jane Austen Goes to Hollywood: 3/5.

Want to know more about the author?
Website: http://abbymcdonald.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/abbymcdonald
Tumblr: http://abbymcdonaldbooks.tumblr.com/
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2717365.Abby_McDonald

I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. I was in no way compensated for this review.