Stay With Me by J. Lynn

Stay With Me by J. Lynn
Series: Wait for You #3
Publisher: Harper
Publication Date: September 25th 2014
Source: Bought

At 21, Calla hasn't done a lot of things. She’s never been kissed, never seen the ocean, never gone to an amusement park. But growing up, she witnessed some things no child ever should. She still carries the physical and emotional scars of living with a strung-out mother, Mona—secrets she keeps from everyone, including her close circle of college friends.

But the safe cocoon Calla has carefully built is shattered when she discovers her mom has stolen her college money and run up a huge credit card debt in her name. Now, Calla has to go back to the small town she thought shed left behind and clean up her mom’s mess again. Of course, when she arrives at her mother’s bar, Mona is nowhere to be found. Instead, six feet of hotness named Jackson James is pouring drinks and keeping the place humming.

Sexy and intense, Jax is in Calla’s business from they moment they meet, giving her a job and helping her search for Mona. And the way he looks at her makes it clear he wants to get horizontal . . . and maybe something more. Before Calla can let him get close, though, she’s got to deal with the pain of the past—and some very bad guys out to mess her up if she doesn't give them her mom.

When I heard that Stay With Me was going to be about Calla I was super excited! I was also really excited that we were going to be introduced to a new guy that we hadn't met before! 

Calla is 21 and she's hasn't done much. Her childhood was tough and left her physically and emotionally scarred. She lies to all of her friends about her family because she can't bare having anyone know the truth. But when Calla realises that her mother has stolen her college money and ran a massive debt up in her name, Calla finally decides that it's time to return home and confront her mother. But when Calla arrives at her mothers bar, she's no where to be found. In her place is Jackson James - the hottest guy Calla has ever seen (and that's saying something). Calla and Jax's chemistry is instantaneous and he practically undresses Calla with his eyes. But Calla can't focus on Jax when there are some dangerous guys after her mother. And they've made it pretty clear that Calla will be their target if she doesn't find her mother.

Stay With Me is probably the most intense book of the series so far. The storyline surrounding Calla, her mother and her past was extremely intense and incredibly heartbreaking. I adored Calla when I met her in Be With Me, and I loved her even more in Stay With Me. Even though she could be pretty naive and stupid sometimes, she was also really awesome, strong, determined and bad ass. I loved getting to know more about Calla throughout the book and finding out why she threw up walls between her and her friends.

Jax was incredibly hot. He's definitely my second favourite guy of the series (Cam will always be my favourite). He's intense, sexy, protective, caring, sweet and so freaking hilarious. Jax had my heart as soon as I first met him. I did have my doubts about Jax and there were times I wanted to slap him (and I'm surprised Calla didn't) because he was being stupid and insensitive, but mostly he was adorable. 

Something awful happened to Calla and her family when she was young and it left her physically scarred. Calla's mother turned to drink and drugs and Calla witnessed things no child should ever see. Calla had to build up a defense to stop herself getting upset everytime someone commented on her scars because she feels like she isn't beautiful anymore due to her mother. And now that her mother has screwed her over, Calla is left to deal with her mess again and her life is in danger. An extremely dangerous drug dealer is after Calla's mother and his associates make is very clear that they'll come after Calla if she doesn't find her mother. Jax agrees to help Calla find her mother and they both end up in some very dangerous situations that nearly cost them their lives.

The ending was a tear-jerker and Jennifer L Armentrout always feels the need to kick me in the feels extremely hard. But this was the hardest kick. But the ending was my favourite part of the whole book.

While Stay With Me wasn't my favourite of the series - because honestly nothing will live up to Wait For You because Cam and Avery are on a completely different level - it was another fantastic addition to the Wait For You series. I'm super excited for Fall With Me and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it'll either be Britt & Ollie or Roxy (because she's awesome and there's definitely something to explore with her).

Get Even by Gretchen McNeil

Get Even by Gretchen McNeil
Series: Don't Get Mad #1
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Publication Date: September 16th 2014
Source: Publisher [Edelweiss]

Bree, Olivia, Kitty, and Margot have nothing in common—at least that’s what they’d like the students and administrators of their elite private school to think. The girls have different goals, different friends, and different lives, but they share one very big secret: They’re all members of Don’t Get Mad, a secret society that anonymously takes revenge on the school’s bullies, mean girls, and tyrannical teachers.

When their latest target ends up dead with a blood-soaked “DGM” card in his hands, the girls realize that they’re not as anonymous as they thought—and that someone now wants revenge on them. Soon the clues are piling up, the police are closing in . . . and everyone has something to lose.

Ever since I read Ten last year I've been dying to read another Gretchen McNeil book. As soon as I read the synopsis for Get Even, I was hooked. A group of girls with nothing in common who start a group called Don't Get Mad to help take revenge on bullies for people who can't do anything themselves. But when one of the girls targets turns up dead and all hands are pointing at DGM, the girls realise they have to try and prove DGM's innocence.

As soon as I started reading Get Even I knew I was going to love it. Each of the girls had their own reasons for joining Don't Get Mad and I loved discovering them throughout the book. I really liked all four of the girls - even though we didn't get to know a lot about them all. There was enough information about each of them to keep me interested. All four of the girls were brought together by their desire to help the helpless and I loved them for that reason. 

The main thing I absolutely loved about this book was the mystery - who is the killer? The amount of suspense in this book was unbelievable. There are so many clues and so many suspects that I honestly had no idea who to suspect!  had my main suspect and then something happened completely shocked me and left me wondering who the hell it actually could have been! Gretchen McNeil does suspense so brilliantly that you honestly have no idea who the actual killer is and that's why I love her. 

When I got to the end of Get Even I found myself swiping the screen trying to find more because it was such a cliffhanger of an ending! I just want to know who the killer is! But I'm really excited to see what's going to happen in Get Dirty. Even the title is exciting so I'm pretty sure Get Dirty will be an awesome sequel!

Overall, Get Even is a fantastic mystery full of suspense, twists and so many suspects that you have no idea where to look. Get Even is definitely a book I'll be recommending to everyone and I can't wait for Get Dirty to be released next May!

Waiting on Wednesday #90

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event,  hosted by breaking the spine, that spotlights upcoming
releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is:

Killer Instinct by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Series: The Naturals #2

Publisher: Disney-Hyperion

Publication Date: November 4th 2014

Seventeen-year-old Cassie Hobbes has a gift for profiling people. Her talent has landed her a spot in an elite FBI program for teens with innate crime-solving abilities, and into some harrowing situations. After barely escaping a confrontation with an unbalanced killer obsessed with her mother’s murder, Cassie hopes she and the rest of the team can stick to solving cold cases from a distance.

But when victims of a brutal new serial killer start turning up, the Naturals are pulled into an active case that strikes too close to home: the killer is a perfect copycat of Dean’s incarcerated father—a man he’d do anything to forget. Forced deeper into a murderer’s psyche than ever before, will the Naturals be able to outsmart the enigmatic killer’s brutal mind games before this copycat twists them into his web for good?

I absolutely adored The Naturals even though it creeped me the hell out. The ending of The Naturals was extremely open and there was so much still to be answered so I'm extremely excited for Killer Instinct. I'm kind of hoping that we'll still be getting snippets from the serial killer. Even though they were creepy as hell, I loved them. I can't wait for this one to be released!

What are you waiting on this week?

Top Ten Books On My Fall To-Be-Read list

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

This weeks topic is:

Top Ten Books On My Fall To-Be-Read list

Every single time I do one of these TBR lists I never stick to them. But I'm determined to read all ten books on my Fall TBR list because I'm dying to read every single one of them. I've split my list into two categories: Books that have already been released & Books still to be released.

1. Fire with Fire by Jenny Han & Siobhan Vivian

I've been meaning to get around to this one for a couple of months now, but I definitely need to now since Ashes to Ashes is out!

2. The Queen of the Tearling by Erika Johannson

I got this one for review from Bookbridgr and I'm in a major fantasy mood just now so this one had to be on my TBR.

3. Dark Triumph by Robin LaFevers

I loooooved Grave Mercy and I'm super excited to continue on with this series and find out more about Sybella!

4. Biggest Flirts by Jennifer Echols

I love my cutesy contemporaries and this one just seems like it's going to be a brilliant read.

5. The Infinite Sea by Rick Yancey

I'm super excited/really nervous to read this one. The ending of The 5th Wave killed me and I'm just dying to see what's going to happen.

6. Mortal Heart by Robin LaFevers

I'll be grabbing a copy of this one as soon as it's out because I'm desperate to know more about Annith and I'm sure I'll be dying for it after Dark Triumph.

7. All Broke Down by Cora Carmack

As you guys know, I'm a massive Cora Carmack fan so this is one I'll be downloading and reading on release day!

8. The Retribution of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

I feel like I've been waiting FOREVER for this book. It's been about a year and a half and I just need it already!

9. Stone Cold Touch by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Of course there's a Jennifer L. Armentrout book on this list. There was bound to be. I NEED MORE ROTH.

10. The Blood of Olympus by Rick Riordan

I want this so bad, but I also don't. I'm not ready to say goodbye to Percy. And I'm not ready for the inevitable pain.

So those are the books on my Fall TBR list! Let me know in the comments what books you definitely want to read in Fall.

On the Fence by Kasie West

On the Fence by Kasie West
Series: No
Publisher: HarperTeen
Publication Date: July 1st 2014
Source: Edelweiss

She's a tomboy. He's the boy next door…

Charlie Reynolds can outrun, outscore, and outwit every boy she knows. But when it comes to being a girl, Charlie doesn't know the first thing about anything. So when she starts working at a chichi boutique to pay off a speeding ticket, she finds herself in a strange new world. To cope with the stress of her new reality, Charlie takes to spending nights chatting with her neighbor Braden through the fence between their yards. As she grows to depend on their nightly Fence Chats, she realizes she's got a bigger problem than speeding tickets-she's falling for Braden. She knows what it means to go for the win, but if spilling her secret means losing him for good, the stakes just got too high.

Kasie West has worked her magic yet again. On the Fence is honestly one of the most adorable contemporaries I've ever read. I was addicted from the word go and I just couldn't put this book down.

On the Fence follows our main character Charlie Reynolds. Charlie was caught speeding and given a ticket, and to teach her a lesson her father makes her get a job. Charlie ends up working in a clothing store and she feels completely out of her depth. She starts spending her nights chatting with her neighbour - Braden - through the fence and each of them is getting something out of their chats. And as the nights go on, Charlie starts to realise that she's falling for Braden.

I adored Charlie. She'd grown up without her mother in a house full of boys, and that must have been hard a times. She relies a lot on her dad and he always does his very best to help her. Charlie's a tomboy so when she starts working in the clothing store and becomes a model for a make-up artist, she's terrified that her brothers will make fun of her so she ends up having two different lives. She's kind of naive, but she starts to discover a whole other world when she's working in the store. I did feel really bad for Charlie, but she was awesome.

I really liked Braden. Braden is best friends with Charlie's brothers and he's just such a sweet guy. He's funny, kind and even though he lost his temper quite easily, I still loved him. 

The family aspect of this book was the main thing I loved. I love her close Charlie, her brothers and Braden are. They have their own tight group and they do a lot together. I just adored every family interaction in this book.

Charlie and Braden were so adorable together. Their romance was a slow burn romance. They started off just talking at the fence and getting to know each other, and then Charlie realised she really liked Braden but she was convinced he didn't feel the same way about her. I adored seeing the development of their relationship and Charlie's growing confidence in herself.

Overall, On the Fence was an adorable and cutesy read that I will definitely be picking up again and again every summer. It's just such a perfect summer read and also because it's Kasie West.

Showcase Sunday #82

Showcase Sunday is a weekly meme hosted by Vicky at Books, Biscuits and Tea. This meme allows book bloggers to show off the books they collected over the last week.

Hello everyone! Apologies for not being very acting on the blog for the past 2 weeks. I had an extremely bad cold last week which took everything out of me and I've spent the whole two weeks either working or lying in bed resting. It hasn't been fun but I'm finally starting to feel normal again so it was worth it.

Bookwise I have 4 physical books to show you guys that I got last week, and two kindle novellas that I bought this week. 

Bought

• Physical

Percy Jackson and the Greek Gods by Rick Riordan

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Harry Potter #3) by J. K. Rowling

Dark Triumph (His Fair Assassin #2) by Robin LaFevers

The Infinite Sea (The 5th Wave #2) by Rick Yancey

• Kindle

Until Fountain Bridge (On Dublin Street #1.5) by Samantha Young

Castle Hill (On Dublin Street #2.5) by Samantha Young

What books did you get this week?

The Jewel by Amy Ewing

The Jewel by Amy Ewing
Series: The Lone City #1
Publisher: HarperTeen
Publication Date: 2nd September 2014
Source: Publisher [Edelweiss]

The Jewel means wealth. The Jewel means beauty. The Jewel means royalty. But for girls like Violet, the Jewel means servitude. Not just any kind of servitude. Violet, born and raised in the Marsh, has been trained as a surrogate for the royalty—because in the Jewel the only thing more important than opulence is offspring.

Purchased at the surrogacy auction by the Duchess of the Lake and greeted with a slap to the face, Violet (now known only as #197) quickly learns of the brutal truths that lie beneath the Jewel’s glittering facade: the cruelty, backstabbing, and hidden violence that have become the royal way of life.

Violet must accept the ugly realities of her existence... and try to stay alive. But then a forbidden romance erupts between Violet and a handsome gentleman hired as a companion to the Duchess’s petulant niece. Though his presence makes life in the Jewel a bit brighter, the consequences of their illicit relationship will cost them both more than they bargained for.

I'm going to put my hands up and admit that the first thing that drew me to this book was the cover - I mean, look at it! It's so beautiful and amazing, and I just wanted it so bad. And then I read the synopsis and I wanted it even more.

The Jewel follows our main character Violet Lastings - who is a surrogate. All girls born in The Marsh are tested when they hit puberty to see if they are fit to become surrogates for the royal families in The Jewel. The girls are raised and tested in a holding facility until they are ready to go to auction. Violet is purchased by the Duchess of the Lake and she very quickly learns that everything isn't as it seems in The Jewel. 

I completely fell in love with this book. As soon as I read the first sentence I was hooked and I honestly couldn't put the book down - and I'm not even kidding. It was about 3am when I finished reading The Jewel because no matter how many times I put it down and tried to go to sleep, I always found myself wondering what was going to happen next and have to pick it back up and read a few more chapters. And I eventually just gave in and flew through this book. It's so addicting!

Violet was an extremely interesting character. She's strong and feisty, and even though she gets distracted by the beauty and wealth of The Jewel to begin with, she very quickly comes to her senses and realises that everything isn't what it seems. Although she makes a few mistakes, Violet is an intelligent character and she learns how to play the Duchess to get what she wants. She's also an extremely loyal and even though she falls in love, she doesn't let that distract her from her determination to save her best friend - which makes her awesome!

The main thing I loved about The Jewel were the surrogates Auguries - which are basically like special powers that they have that they're taught to use when they're in their holding facilities. I really loved seeing Violet use her powers and see what she was capable of. She's an extremely strong surrogate because of her powers - which is why the Duchess wanted her.

I actually really liked the romance in The Jewel. It added something extra to the story which could have also caused even more major problems than it actually did. Ash is actually a really sweet character. He treats Violet like a normal person and he really see's her. They hit it off immediately and I was just so happy to actually see someone being friendly to Violet that I didn't mind the romance at all. In fact, it added loads more complications!

I'm also dying to find out more about the Duchess of the Lake. She's a major bitch and I really want to know why she's so horrible to Violet and everyone else. She's got something else going on.

The ending was a HUGE cliffhanger! I was honestly dying when I realised I'd read the last page and there wasn't anymore. My heart was pounding at the end. And then at the very end there was a major reveal and my jaw dropped. I need book 2 so bad!

Overall, I really loved The Jewel. It was intriguing, there was a lot going on and a lot to uncover. I'm pretty sure that The Lone City series is going to be one of my favourites! I highly recommend this one!

Showcase Sunday #81

Showcase Sunday is a weekly meme hosted by Vicky at Books, Biscuits and Tea. This meme allows book bloggers to show off the books they collected over the last week.

Hello everyone! This weeks Showcase Sunday is a pretty small one because I'm still trying to stick to not buying tons of books, and I didn't! I only bought one - which I actually didn't intend on buying and then I saw it and just had to have it. I also got a book from Netgalley and a sneak peek of a book I'm dying to get my hands on!

Bought

Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone (Harry Potter #1) by J. K. Rowling

I couldn't not buy this when I saw it in Waterstones. The covers are even more beautiful in person and I had to have the hardcover edition! I'm going to collect them all in hardcover and I might get the paperback ones as well. I just love them so much and there's a map!

Netgalley

A Little Something Different by Sandy Hall

My True Love Gave to Me: Twelve Holiday Stories by Various

I'd actually picked A Little Something Different up in Waterstones and made myself put it back down, and then I came home and saw it was on Netgalley and I was extremely excited. And then I came across a sneak peek for My True Love Gave to Me which made me jump around, and the two sneak stories are by Stephanie Perkins & Rainbow Rowell! How much more awesome could the sneak peek be?

Massive thank you to Macmillan Children's Books!

What books did you get this week?

Waiting on Wednesday #89

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event,  hosted by breaking the spine, that spotlights upcoming
releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is:

All Broke Down by Cora Carmack

Series: Rusk University #1

Publisher: William Morrow

Publication Date: 28th October 2014

In life, you can't only fight for what you believe in... sometimes you have to fight for what you love.

Dylan fights for lost causes. Probably because she used to be one.

Environmental issues, civil rights, education—you name it, she's probably been involved in a protest. When her latest cause lands her in jail for a few hours, she meets Silas Moore. He's in for a different kind of fighting. And though he's arrogant and not at all her type, she can't help being fascinated with him.

Yet another lost cause.

Football and trouble are the only things that have ever come naturally to Silas. And it's trouble that lands him in a cell next to do-gooder Dylan. He's met girls like her before—fixers, he calls them, desperate to heal the damage and make him into their ideal boyfriend. But he doesn't think he's broken, and he definitely doesn't need a girlfriend trying to change him. Until, that is, his anger issues and rash decisions threaten the only thing he really cares about, his spot on the Rusk University football team.

Dylan might just be the perfect girl to help.

Because Silas Moore needs some fixing after all.

You guys probably already know how much of a HUGE Cora Carmack fan I am, so it's no surprise that I'm dying to get my hands on All Broke Down. I loved All Lined Up, like seriously loved it. It's my favourite book from Cora yet, but I'm pretty sure that this one will blow it out of the water because it's about Silas! The sneak peeks have left me squealing and giggling, and I just need it SO BAD. Can it be October yet? I NEED THIS BOOK.

What are you waiting on this week?

August Wrap Up/September TBR

Hello everyone! August has been a completely awful reading month for me, but that's because it was an extremely busy month! I was off in London for a week and got engaged! I also went to 3 author signings - Sarah J Maas, Diana Gabaldon and Leigh Bardugo & Maureen Johnson - which were amazing! I adore Sarah J Maas even more now, she's so hilarious and just so damn awesome. So I was busy and just not in the mood to read this month which meant I only finished 7 books which is awful for me.

Brittany and I re-read Throne of Glass and Crown of Midnight in preparation for Heir of Fire and I'm so glad we did. The first two were just as amazing the second time around, but Heir of Fire was on a whole other level. It was full of new characters; fantastic journeys; loads more background information and LOTS. OF. PAIN. I honestly haven't cried as much at a book in years as I did when I was reading Heir of Fire. So obviously Heir of Fire by Sarah J Maas was my favourite book of the month.

SEPTEMBER TBR

So, in September I'm hoping to read quite a lot more books than the past couple of months. I'm going to be re-reading The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer and The Maze Runner. Brittany and I are doing 2 buddy reads this month - Far From You by Tess Sharpe and Cursed by Jennifer L. Armentrout. We'll probably end up reading Stay With Me by J. Lynn together as well so that we can fangirl together over it. I also have quite a few review books to get through this month but the two I'm most looking forward to are The Fires of Caulderon by Lindsay Cummings and Illusions of Fate by Kiersten White. 

What was your favourite book of August and what are you most looking forward to reading this month?