Invaded by Melissa Landers

Invaded by Melissa Landers
Series: Alienated #2
Publisher: Disney Hyperion
Publication Date: February 3rd 2015
Source: Bought

Cara always knew life on planet L’eihr would be an adjustment. With Aelyx, her L’eihr boyfriend, back on Earth, working to mend the broken alliance between their two planets, Cara is left to fend for herself at a new school, surrounded by hostile alien clones. Even the weird dorm pet hates her.

Things look up when Cara is appointed as human representative to a panel preparing for a human colony on L’eihr. A society melding their two cultures is a place where Cara and Aelyx could one day make a life together. But with L’eihr leaders balking at granting even the most basic freedoms, Cara begins to wonder if she could ever be happy on this planet, even with Aelyx by her side.

Meanwhile, on Earth, Aelyx, finds himself thrown into a full-scale PR campaign to improve human-L’eihr relations. Humans don’t know that their very survival depends on this alliance: only Aelyx’s people have the technology to fix the deadly contamination in the global water supply that human governments are hiding. Yet despite their upper hand, the leaders of his world suddenly seem desperate to get humans on their side, and hardly bat an eye at extremists’ multiple attempts on Aelyx’s life.

The Way clearly needs humans’ help... but with what? And what will they ask for in return?

Ever since I finished reading Alienated last year, I've been dying to get my hands on Invaded! I needed more Cara and Aelyx, and I couldn't wait to find out more about the L'eihrs!

Invaded picks up right after Alienated. Cara and Aelyx are being separated - Aelyx is heading back to Earth to try to settle the peace treaty and Cara is heading to L'eihr to keep the peace. Cara is trying her hardest to make changes to the colony part of L'eihr, but the L'eihr leader is refusing to back down. On Earth, Aelyx is trying his hardest to improve the human and L'eihr relations, but with multiple attempts made on his life, things aren't looking good.

As soon as I picked up Invaded, I was drawn straight back into this world. I absolutely adore the characters that Landers' created for this series. Cara is such a hilarious main character, She has me laughing my head off more than once, and her hilarious blog posts were something I really looked forward to reading. Cara is feeling isolated and alone on L'eihr. Her hopes of living in peace with the L'eihrs are going up in smoke, but Cara has to stay strong because it looks like someone is trying to make sure the alliance doesn't go ahead. Aelyx is also hilarious - but he usually doesn't mean to be. He's so direct because that's the way L'eihrs are, but some of the things he came out with were hilarious. He's determined to do whatever he can to save the alliance so that he can get back to Cara, but there's more than one complication that Aelyx has to fix.

There were quite a few twists in Invaded that left me shocked and dying to find out more. Cara had figured out who was trying to ruin the alliance, and that they weren't what they appeared to be. I really enjoyed the twist surrounding the characters involved and I loved finding out more about them. Aelyx had a betrayal to deal with. Someone he trusted turned on him and was working for the people on L'eihr to ruin the alliance. The L'eihrs were also hiding something for Cara and their own people. Man-made metal contraptions were falling from the sky, and it turned out they were probes. The L'eihrs were covering something up and Cara made it her mission to find out what it is.

The ending was action packed and heart-pounding. I was on the edge of my seat reading it because there was so much going on that I had no idea what was going to happen. 

Overall, Invaded  was a fantastic follow up to Alienated. It was action packed, full of twists and I just couldn't put it down. I really hope there's going to be a 3rd book because there's so much still to be explained and uncovered, and there group threatening to ruin the alliance are still out there so I'm keeping my fingers crossed for another book. I need one!

All Fall Down by Ally Carter

All Fall Down by Ally Carter
Series: Embassy Row #1
Publisher: Orchard Books
Publication Date: February 5th 2015
Source: Orchard Books [Netgalley]

Grace Blakely is absolutely certain of three things:

1. She is not crazy.
2. Her mother was murdered.
3. Someday she is going to find the killer and make him pay.

As certain as Grace is about these facts, nobody else believes her -- so there's no one she can completely trust. Not her grandfather, a powerful ambassador. Not her new friends, who all live on Embassy Row. Not Alexei, the Russian boy next door, who is keeping his eye on Grace for reasons she neither likes nor understands.

Everybody wants Grace to put on a pretty dress and a pretty smile, blocking out all her unpretty thoughts. But they can't control Grace -- no more than Grace can control what she knows or what she needs to do. Her past has come back to hunt her . . . and if she doesn't stop it, Grace isn't the only one who will get hurt. Because on Embassy Row, the countries of the world stand like dominoes, and one wrong move can make them all fall down.

I've been seeing reviews popping up for All Fall Down for a while now, and they've all been extremely positive. So when I was approved for a copy on Netgalley, I couldn't wait to dive into it. I enjoyed All Fall Down, but I didn't love it as much as everyone else did,

All Fall Down follows our main character Grace who has been sent to live with her grandfather on Embassy Row. Her mother died in an 'accident' a few years ago, but Grace knows it wasn't an accident - no matter what they tell her. She saw what happened and she saw the man who did it, and she's determined to make him pay.

I didn't really connect with Grace. I liked her, but I just couldn't connect with her. She's reckless, impulsive, stubborn, determined and she doesn't really listen to anyone - even when they're trying to help her. She's been deemed 'crazy' because of her story of the night her mother died - Grace thinks no one believes her and she wants to prove them wrong. I did feel bad for Grace because no one seemed to want to listen to her side of the story, and they always dismissed it, so I was rooting for her to prove them wrong.

Grace got herself into a lot of trouble and quite a few sticky situations because of her impulsiveness. She didn't think before acting, which caused her to end up places she couldn't explain her way out of and caused her grandfather some grief. She's so determined to find out what really happened the night her mother died, expose the truth and prove to everyone that she's not crazy. Noah, Rosie and Megan all decided they were going to help Grace. Noah is Grace's BFF (as he likes to call himself); Megan is someone Grace used to be friends with when she was younger and Rosie is a few years younger than Grace, but they become friends. All 4 of them work together to try to expose the man that Grace believes killed her mother. 

There's a slight hint of romance between Grace and her Russian next door neighbour, Alexei.I'm glad that Carter never put emphasis on their relationship because Grace had a lot to learn and discover about herself, so a romantic relationship really wouldn't have had a place in All Fall Down.

I ended up guessing the twist at the end, which was slightly disappointing because everything had been building up to that moment, but I'd already guessed it. I thought it was a pretty obvious and predictable twist, but I still enjoyed seeing how everything played out. There's a lot still to discover after the big reveal at the end, so I'm excited for book two to see what's in store for Grace next.

Overall, while I didn't love All Fall Down as much as everyone else seems to, I still really enjoyed it. It was fun, mysterious and the ending left me excited for the next book!

Hero by Samantha Shannon

Hero by Samantha Young
Series: No
Publisher: NAL Trade
Publication Date: January 3rd 2015
Source: NAL Trade [Netgalley]

Alexa Holland’s father was her hero—until her shocking discovery that she and her mother weren’t his only family. Ever since, Alexa has worked to turn her life in a different direction and forge her own identity outside of his terrible secrets,. But when she meets a man who’s as damaged by her father’s mistakes as she is, Alexa must help him.

Caine Carraway wants nothing to do with Alexa’s efforts at redemption, but it’s not so easy to push her away. Determined to make her hate him, he brings her to the edge of her patience and waits for her to walk away. But his actions only draw them together and, despite the odds, they begin an intense and explosive affair.

Only Caine knows he can never be the white knight that Alexa has always longed for. And when they’re on the precipice of danger, he finds he’ll do anything to protect either one of them from being hurt again…

Ever since I was introduced to Samantha Young last year and binge read all of the books from her On Dublin Street series that have been released so far, I've been dying to get my hands on more of her books. So when this one became available on Netgalley, I couldn't stop myself from requesting it.

Hero follows Alexa Holland who believed for years that her father was a hero, until she found out the truth about him and what he'd done. Caine Carraway wants nothing to do with Alexa or the Holland's after what happened to his mother, but Alexa is refusing to let him push her away. Caine is determined to hate her but finds himself drawn to her. 

I love main characters like Alexa Holland. Alexa is stubborn, determined, strong, fiery and a smart-ass. She refuses to back down and is determined to find a way to make Caine hear her out. Alexa has lost her mother; she doesn't speak to her father and her grandfather is the only Holland that knows Alexa exists. She's being kept a secret for her own family. 

Caine Carraway is determined to hate Alexa - and to make her hate him. He has a history with the Holland family and wants nothing to do with her, but he can't help but be drawn to her. He can be a bit of a jackass, but that's only because he's trying to hide his true feelings. He can be sweet and hilarious when he wants to be, but he's also powerful and extremely protective. He can also get insanely jealous which got on my nerves a bit, but it's definitely not the worst case of jealousy I've read about. 

I adored the relationship between Alexa and Caine. Caine offers Alexa a job as his PA (after accidentally getting her fired) he begins to test her by throwing everything at her and having her running around after him. He tries his hardest to make her hate him. There was so much sexual tensions between them it was unbelievable. Caine manages to deny his attraction to Alexa for so long, but there's no denying chemistry like theirs. They had quite a few steamy encounters. 

Both Alexa and Caine have their issues. Alexa hates her mother for staying with her father. She hates her father because of what he did and she has to make sure to keep herself a secret from the rest of her family. It's such a horrible and strange situation for her to be in. Caine still struggles with what happened to his mother and is keeping a lot of secrets about his past that we eventually find out. And I felt so bad for him when he told Alexa about his past. 

Overall, Hero was a steamy, quick read that I flew through and completely adored. I think Hero is definitely my favourite Samantha Young book so far! I can't wait to read more of her books now.

Showcase Sunday #93

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! How has your week been? Mines has been pretty busy. I was working quite a bit this week, but I still managed to get a lot of reading done. I'm still working my way through season 3 of Suits, and my fiance and I have finally finished season 1 of House of Cards! We'll be moving onto season 2 soon.

Book-wise, this week one of my pre-orders showed up early and I was so excited! I also got approved for a book on Netgalley and downloaded one from Edelweiss.

Bought

• physical

Invaded (Alienated #2) by Melissa Landers

Netgalley

Half Wild (Half Bad #2) by Sally Green

Edelweiss

Get Dirty (Don't Get Mad #2) by Gretchen McNeil

What books did you get this week?

January Wrap Up

Hello everyone! How has 2015 been for you so far? Weather-wise, it's been terrible here. For the first two weeks we had 80mph winds and loads of rain, and now we've got snow. The snow isn't too bad, but it's the ice that comes when it melts that's difficult to deal with.

Book-wise, January has been a pretty good reading month. I managed to read 17 books this month - 4 of which were 5* and only one was a 1*. So all in all, a great reading month.

1. When by Victoria Laurie ★★★

2. A Wicked Thing by Rhiannon Thomas ★★★

3. Talon by Julie Kagawa ★★★★

4. Between the Lives by Jessica Shirvington ★★★★

5. Camp Boyfriend by J. K. Rock ★★

6. Ignite by Sara B. Larson ★★★★

7. Never Never by Colleen Hoover and Tarryn Fisher ★★

8. Reborn by Jennifer Rush ★★★★★

9. Camp Payback by J. K. Rock ★★★

10. The Rain by Virginia Bergin ★

11. Picture Perfect by Holly Smale ★★★★

12. A Cold Legacy by Megan Shepherd ★★★

13. Hero by Samantha Young ★★★★★

14. Clipped Wings by Helena Hunting ★★★★

15. All Fall Down by Ally Carter ★★★

16. Rebound by Noelle August ★★★★★

17. The Last Time We Say Goodbye by Cynthia Hand ★★★★★

The best book I read in January has to be The Last Time We Say Goodbye by Cynthia Hand. It's such an emotional and heartbreaking book, it's beautifully written, and Cynthia Hand did a fantastic job with such a sensitive subject.

I'm still in the middle of reading Invaded by Melissa Landers which I doubt I'll get finished today, so it'll be my first read of February. I've decided that I'm not going to do TBR's this year since I never stick to them, but I think Brittany said something about possibly buddy reading Billy and Me by Giovanna Fletcher? So that's one possible read in February!

There are a few new releases in February that I'll be getting to as soon as the come out like: Better When He's Bold by Jay Crownover; The Ruby Circle by Richelle Mead and The Return by Jennifer L. Armentrout.

What was your favourite read in January and what February release are you most looking forward to?

Picture Perfect by Holly Smale

Picture Perfect by Holly Smale
Series: Geek Girl #3
Publisher: Harper Collins
Publication Date: June 5th 2014
Source: Bought

"My name is Harriet Manners, and I'll always be a geek." 

Harriet Manners knows more facts that most. She knows that New York is the most populous city in the United States. She knows that its official motto is "Ever Upward". She knows that 28% of Americans believe we never landed on the moon.

But she knows nothing about modelling in the Big Apple, and how her family will cope with life stateside. Or how to "become a brand", as the models in New York put it. And, even more importantly, what to do when the big romantic gestures aren't coming from your boyfriend...

Does geek girl go too far this time?

The Geek Girl series has to be one of my all time favourite Middle Grade series. I adore Harriet Manners. She's super smart, hilarious and a model - she's just such an amazing main character. Picture Perfect was another fantastic book from Holly Smale that had me laughing out loud at all the hilarious situations Harriet found herself in.

So in Picture Perfect Harriet has been out of modelling for quite a while and is enjoying spending time with her friends again. So when her father drops the news that they'll be moving to New York, Harriet isn't particularly over the moon. But when it seems like her friends can't wait for her to go, Harriet decides to embrace the move. When Wilbur phones and asks Harriet to come for a modelling job, she jumps at the chance. But Harriet gets herself into trouble with the people she loves the most and attracts the attention of a guy who isn't her boyfriend.

Harriet is one of my favourite characters. She's a geek and she embraces it. Harriet is determined to have a fantastic time in New York, but when everything seems to keep going wrong, she decides to go off on her own and have her own New York adventure. She's hilarious, smart and such an interesting character. I adore her.

I adored her adventures in New York - even if they did get her into quite a bit of trouble. Harriet is so determined to have a fantastic time that she goes to any lengths to do it. I loved seeing Harriet and Nick together because they're just so adorable. Harriet allows herself to be influenced by another girl who says she's trying to help Harriet, but Harriet only ends up hurting people and getting herself into even more trouble. 

The ending was adorable and I honestly can't wait for the next installment! I need more Harriet Manners in my life!

Overall, Picture Perfect was another fantastic installment in the Geek Girl series. I was laughing throughout the whole book and it's probably my favourite one so far.

The Rain by Virginia Bergin

The Rain by Virigina Bergin
Series: The Rain #1
Publisher: Macmillan
Publication Date: July 17th 2014
Source: Macmillan [Netgalley]

One minute sixteen-year-old Ruby Morris is having her first proper snog with Caspar McCloud in a hot tub, and the next she's being bundled inside the house, dripping wet, cold and in her underwear. Not cool. As she and Caspar shiver in the kitchen, it starts to rain. They turn on the radio to hear panicked voices -- 'It's in the rain... it's in the rain...'

That was two weeks ago, and now Ruby is totally alone. People weren't prepared for the rain, got caught out in it, didn't realize that you couldn't drink water from the taps either. Even a drip of rain would infect your blood, and eat you from the inside out. Ruby knows she has to get to London to find her dad, but she just doesn't know where to start ...After rescuing all the neighbourhood dogs, Ruby sets off on a journey that will take her the length of the country -- surviving in the only way she knows how.

I'd been dying to read The Rain ever since I heard about it last year, so when it popped up on Netgalley the other week I jumped at the chance to get it. I was really excited for it, but unfortunately, I really didn't enjoy it.

The Rain follows sixteen year old Ruby who was having her first proper snog when her and her friends are quickly shepherded inside. It starts to rain and an emergency broadcast comes over the radio alerting everyone that there's something deadly in the rain.

Honestly, the main let down of this book for me was the main character. Ruby has lost her family and friends to the rain. She's all alone. And what does Ruby think the most important thing to do would be? Dye her hair and put on fake tan instead of trying to survive. I didn't know whether to laugh at her or bang my head against a wall. I was completely at a loss to understand her. No one in their right mind would be more obsessed with their appearance than trying to survive. She also came across as extremely childish. I had a hard time believing she was sixteen most of the time. I also couldn't believe her stupidity. It's a miracle she lived until the end of the book. 

I was actually quite interested in The Rain to begin with. The whole idea that all water is undrinkable because it's been contaminated with this space bug was pretty interesting. It was also super gory when someone did get trapped in the rain or accidentally drank contaminated water. But as soon as Ruby was on her own, I started to get a bit bored. I was getting even more annoyed with Ruby and her reluctance to survive - even when she was offered help! Ruby has no idea if her father is alive and she's decided that she's going to drive to London to find out. So she ends up in a car with Darius Spratt and BBK (a young girl Darius found who doesn't speak). At least Darius had some sense and was trying his hardest to survive and protect himself - which only earned him mocking from Ruby. Honestly, if I were Darius, I would've kicked Ruby to the curb a long time ago considering she was nothing but horrible to him (and only nice when it suited her - which was hardly ever). So they all journeyed off to London. Ruby almost died more than once because she doesn't think about anything. They had a couple of run ins with people who would do anything for uncontaminated water, and eventually ran into the army. Ruby decided she wasn't going with them and left Darius to continue to London to find her father. 

Towards the end I started to fall asleep. In all honesty, I did fall asleep... more than once. It just started to get so boring and Ruby was really grating on my nerves, so I started skimming to get to the end and find out whether she found her dad or not. The ending was terrible. After Ruby going on a huge journey to find her dad, she ends up back where she started. It was completely pointless.

Overall, The Rain was a huge let down for me. I couldn't stand the main character, the storyline was boring and made me fall asleep. I'm not even the slightest bit interested in the second book. I don't think I could stand hearing from Ruby again.