Like This, Try This (3): Halloween Version! Vamps, Demons, Zombies, Oh My!

Happy Tuesday! It's time for my new favorite meme, "Like This, Try This" from Krista over at Nawanda Files! This meme is "designed to introduce YA books that are similar to TV shows, movies and other books!" This week, in the spirit of Halloween, I've decided to do a Halloween theme! Make sure to hope over to Nawanda Files for more info on how to add this weekly meme to your blog!

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On Dublin Street by Samantha Young - Review

Continuing my streak of romance novels, I decided on reading On Dublin Street because I saw it all over the charts on Amazon and I'm a sucker for an Irish accent...


On Dublin Street is the story of Jocelyn, a young American girl who moves to her mother's native Dublin in order to pursue a writing career. Joss is used to keeping everyone at arms length so that she can never be hurt. After losing her entire family long ago, she's given up on having normal relationships and is content on living a life without attachments. Then, when she moves in with a roommate, Ellie, she finds a friend in her and a very sexy and very Irish pest named Braden. He's Ellie's brother and he will do anything to get Jocelyn to come to bed with him.

This was the best book I've read in a while now. I fell in love with Braden and Ellie and I found myself wishing I lived on Dublin street with the gang. It was a story full of romance, passion, hard times and how to turn the horrible times in your life, into happy ones.

The story sort of followed along the lines of Fifty Shades of Grey in that Ellie was extremely messed up and Braden had to pick up the pieces and try and make her whole.That was probably the only similarity between the stories. I think that today, like in when Twilight came out, everyone wants to compare romance stories to Fifty Shades. I don't think that's necessarily fair, but when you read books like Bared to You where the authors are riding Fifty Shade's fame train, you see where people get pissed off and turned off to these books.

If you liked Fifty Shades, pick this book up. Not because it's super similar, but because the story has the same feel good qualities along with the drama and of course, the sexy time. I enjoyed both stories and I am excited to see what more Samantha Young has to offer in the adult, contemporary romance genre.

9 out of 10

Happy Reading :)

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Beautiful Disaster (Beautiful, #1) by Jamie McGuire - Review

I picked up Beautiful Disaster knowing that there was some controversy surrounding the story. While it's labeled as a YA book, many readers and reviewers alike are upset because of the racy content; Sex, violence, gambling and unhealthy relationships fill this book and possibly the minds of the young readers who are drawn to this book. Is it mislabeled or misjudged?


Beautiful Disaster tells the story of Abby Abernathy and bad boy Travis Maddox. After leaving her hometown in Kansas, Abby and her best friend go away to school at Eastern University to start new lives where no one knows of her family and her past. When she thinks that she's finally got a new life established, she quite literally runs into Travis Maddox, Eastern University's bad boy. Their relationship is passionate and tumultuous, but is he worth her image and the careful life she's built for herself?

This was not my favorite book of all time, but I did really enjoy it. I read it all in one day and I have to say that I was really happy after I finished reading the story. I'd seen the book everywhere and while it took me a while to finally pick it up, I'm glad I waited until I was in the mood to start. This was one of those books where if i had started reading it and wasn't ready, I would never have sat down to finish it.

I really liked the characters in this story. While Abby was a little bit messed up, she's still a strong woman with morals and a strong sense of who she wants to be (not  necessarily who she is at the moment or how to get to where she wants to be... she has some issues with that). Travis was the typical douche-bag, who also happens to be a big man-slut. He slept with anyone and everyone and made no apologies for it. Together, they made a very interesting dynamic. You saw Abby and Travis grow together and change because of each other. Abby became more adventurous and less cloistered. She wasn't as scared of the world when she was with Travis and he on the other hand changed completely. He became a one woman man, was sweet, he never pressured Abby and he protected her.

Of course we saw them fall apart, but as you can imagine, there was a happy ending. This was a sort of feel good book that ended with you smiling and feeling all gushing inside. I love when books make me feel that way.

The plot of the story was not as original as I would have liked, but I wasn't bored. It was a lot to happen in one story and the end was a little bit rushed, but other than that, the pacing was pretty spot on.

Now I do understand why there is some controversy over this being a YA book. There is violence and sex in this book and it wouldn't be appropriate for young readers... BUT (and it's a pretty big but) this book was aimed at an older YA audience. It's about a college aged girl who finds love and explores it. College aged young adult readers, in my opinion, are fully equipped to handle the more mature themes in this book. I mean, when I think of what I was doing in college, this could have been a story about me. I went to parties, I had a steady boyfriend and I didn't always make the best choices.

 In regards to young readers picking this book up and reading something inappropriate, all they need to do is read the back of the book and look where they found it. I did not find this book in my local book store in the YA section, I found it in the romance section. I also (as I always have done since I was a kid) read the back of the book and it told me that there was sex and violence in this book and I made the decision that Beautiful Disaster was appropriate for me.

All babbling aside, I truly enjoyed this book. It was interesting and heart warming at parts and I would recommend it to those who like a good romance rife with teen angst, frat parties and motorcycles. It's a fun ride!

8 out of 10

Happy Reading :)

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Waiting on Wednesday (6): Touch of Death (Touch of Death, #1) by KellyHashway

It's time for my 5th go at  Waiting on Wednesday post! As most of you know, W.O.W. is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine that helps bloggers showcase those books that they can't wait to get their hands on! Today is a special edition because it's my birthday AND I'm especially excited about this weeks pick!

This week, I'm showcasing Touch of Death by Kelly Hashway. It looks so super awesome and I cannot wait to read it! Below I've got the synopsis from Goodreads! 

Jodi Marshall isn’t sure how she went from normal teenager to walking disaster. One minute she’s in her junior year of high school, spending time with her amazing boyfriend and her best friend. The next she’s being stalked by some guy no one seems to know.

After the stranger, Alex, reveals himself, Jodi learns he’s not a normal teenager and neither is she. With a kiss that kills and a touch that brings the dead back to life, Jodi discovers she’s part of a branch of necromancers born under the 13th sign of the zodiac, Ophiuchus. A branch of necromancers that are descendents of Medusa. A branch of necromancers with poisoned blood writhing in their veins.

Jodi’s deadly to the living and even more deadly to the deceased. She has to leave her old, normal life behind before she hurts the people she loves. As if that isn’t difficult enough, Jodi discovers she’s the chosen one who has to save the rest of her kind from perishing at the hands of Hades. If she can’t figure out how to control her power, history will repeat itself, and her race will become extinct

What are you waiting on??

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Cover Reveal: Shadow of The Mark (Carrier Trilogy, #2) by Leigh Fallon!

Well fellow bloggers and readers, if you haven't read Carrier of the Mark by Leigh Fallon ye,t you have either been living under a rock or are coo-coo for coco puffs. Carrier was one of my favorite books that I read last year and after  re-reading it a few times , I seem to love it more and more after every read. My friends have all stolen it off of my book shelf and are now with me, anxiously awaiting for book two, Shadow of the Mark!


As if her books weren't cool enough, Leigh herself is a hilarious human being who's story is just as fun as she is, check out her website for more info! If you don't follow her on twitter yet... you're missing out! She cracks me up on a daily basis. (@leigh_fallon). She loves to tweet back!

Not look at that cover, how simply stunning is that  (of course, it has all of my favorite colors... can't you tell)? I received it and couldn't stop the giggly excited girl that was me staring at my computer screen. From everything that I'm seeing (and hearing) this installment of the Carrier Trilogy is set to be darker and I couldn't be more excited.

What is this new book about? Well Leigh is here to tell us:

Life for Megan Rosenberg just got a lot more complicated.

While she evoked the air element and her feelings for Adam intensified, a web of lies, deceit, and betrayal has been spun around her. With the Order tightening its hold, and the reinstatement of the Mark Knights, Megan has more questions than answers as the Marked Ones grow in strength.

New people arouse suspicion, the DeRises start behaving strangely, and Megan begins to unravel a destiny shrouded in mystery. It's a destiny the Order has struggled to hid, and a destiny someone from he past... far in the past, has already laid claim to. 

Alliances will be made, and friends will be lost, as the Order's dark secrets are revealed by the very thing they sought to destroy. 

Whew... I can't wait! Leigh hasn't only given us an awesome cover to behold, but she's also holding a giveaway for an ARC of Shadow of The Mark! Enter below and don't forget to pre-order your copy of SoTM today!!

Happy Reading :)

Pre-Order on Amazon


a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Reflected in You (Crossfire, #2) by Sylvia Day - Review

I've been catching up on some much needed reading, giving my book shelves and Kindle lots of TLC and so I'm hopefully back to blogging full time. Whew! It's been a crazy month and a half but I'm back in a rhythm and much happier to be reading once again. For some reason, I've been drawn to reading romance novels and less strictly YA books. That's not to say I'm not going to be reading and reviewing YA books, but I needed some fluffy books to get me relaxed and reading... and these did the trick! I picked up Reflected in You even though I said I wouldn't be reading another of Syliva Day's books... never say never I guess?


Reflected in You picks up right where Bared to You ended. Gideon and Eva are trying their hardest to get through their issues and get to know each other better in order for their relationship to work. Their whirlwind romance hasn't missed a beat and they are heading full steam ahead into both of their pasts and what could be their futures. When demons from Eva's past come to the present, Eva must come to terms with her fears and the fact that Gideon might turn away when he finds out about her tragic past.

As I stated previously... I really did not enjoy the first book very much. Bared to You was a confusing and sexually charged, 50 Shades of Grey wanna be. Another huge problem that I had with book one was the excessive use of the "c" word as a sexual endearment... not my thing. This being said, I was surprised that I very much enjoyed reading Reflected in You.

For starters, the characters were more developed in this story. While we still don't know what happened to Gideon and why he has so many issues, there were less holes in the plot and much less confusion. Readers learned more about Eva, her family and her past and we were able to understand her issues a little more. Eva also had more guts and self respect in this installment. Instead of being wishy-washy (I love you, no I hate you...etc.) she actually stood her ground and was not easily pushed over. It was refreshing to see her as a stronger female lead.

The plot was also much more exciting! In the first book, we were treated to constant fighting between our leads... and not much else to be honest. There were some cat fights between jealous ex's and some weird kinkery, but the plot really had no meat. I was disappointed to say the least. Reflected in You remedied my complaint and exceeded my expectations. There was more mystery and intrigue and I found myself on the edge of my seat a few times during this read. This book was just plain written better.

Even though the books in the Crossfire series are not the best reads of all time, Reflected in You changed my opinion of these novels and I am anxiously awaiting book 3 in November.

7 out of 10

Happy Reading :)

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Ironskin by Tina Conolly - Review

Well after a long couple weeks of packing up, moving, unpacking and starting a new job... I finally finished a book. I was disappointed with this bookthat I finished. Lately, I've been starting books and then putting them back down, uninterested in the content. I don't know whether it was my stressful personal life or if this Jane Eyre re-telling just wasn't for me but it wasn't my cup of tea.


Ironskin which tells the story of a governess named Jane (of course). After an attack in the great Faerie War has left her visibly scared and disabled, no one will give her employment. That is until she comes upon the house of Dorie and her father Edward. This broken family living on the edge of town in an old fey mansion seems to be just what Jane needs, and she seems to be the answer to their prayers as well. With the challenge of teaching Dorie on her hands, Jane never imagines that this job and these people would challenge her beliefs and her lifestyle.

That's really all I'm going to say about this book. Now I will start by saying that I have never read Jane Eyre so I can't really compare Ironskin to the famous Bronte novel, but I will say that after reading this story, I don't think that I will be picking up the classic tale anytime soon.

I was pretty bored by Ironskin and I think that because of the lack of romance in the novel. Now I know that in the original I was, however, interested in the dynamic between Edward's daughter Dorie and Jane. I could see myself in Jane's position trying to teach an impossible girl about how to act as a normal human girl. For much of the story, I was reminded of reading about Helen Keller  It's a story of a young girl who becomes comfortable with her disabilities and sees no use in speaking or acting according to social norms. Now Dorie's disability is that she has fey powers and must learn to not use them as a crutch. It's Jane's responsibility to teach her to use her hands and to use regular speech and this is no easy task.

I think I was drawn to this book because of the fey aspects and the Victorian/Steampunk themes, but I was ultimately disappointed by the boring plot line and lackluster romance. Had there been more between Jane and Edward I think I would have been more interested but the plot line fell short for me. Again, my opinion has nothing to do with Jane Eyre as I've never read it before, but I could have used a little more action.

6 out of 10

Happy Readinig :)

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Waiting on Wednesday (5): Unbreakable (Unbreakable, #1) by Richard Denney

It's time for my 5th go at  Waiting on Wednesday post! As most of you know, W.O.W. is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine that helps bloggers showcase those books that they can't wait to get their hands on!

When Seventeen-year-old Deon Harbor saves a young boy from being hit by a car with her special ability, she flees her hometown and hides away for six long years. Upon her return, old wounds are reopened and Deon discovers that someone is after her. In a world where having an un-human ability means public execution, one girl will take a stand against it all and fight for her life and the lives of others like her.

After typing all of that up, I realize that I've actually used another one of Denney's books in a recent W.O.W. post. Who is this man whose books intrigue me so? I'm going to have to find out because these books look so wonderful!

What are you guys waiting on?

Happy Reading :)

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Like This, Try This (2): Greeks, Vampires and Assassins!

Happy Tuesday, folks! It's that time again for one of my favorite memes out there, "Like This, Try This" which is hosted by Krista over at Nawada Files! 

Here's the deal, it's a meme "designed to introduce YA books that are similar to TV shows, movies and other books!". I love this idea and I put a lot of thought into this one so I hope you enjoy and pass it along!

Last week, Krista used The Vampire Diaries as well, but it's my favorite show and I couldn't not use it! Also,  as you can probably tell from this week and last weeks posts, I'm a huge Disney move fan so hopefully next week I can break out of the shell and try a movie that's not for little kids!! 

Let me know what you guys think (and make sure to join the fun!)

Happy Reading :)

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