Showcase Sunday #86

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 the lack of Showcase Sunday last week. I slept in and by the time I remembered it was about 5pm and I couldn't be bothered by then. So this week I have two weeks worth of books to show you :)

Bought

• physical

Harry Potter by J. K. Rowling

I decided to buy the full new paperback set of the Harry Potter books because Bloomsbury UK had it on offer for only £35 (it should have been £60)! So I just couldn't resist having the pretty box set.

Mortal Heart (His Fair Assassin #3) by Robin LaFevers

The Last Letter From Your Lover by Jojo Moyes

Netgalley

The Shape of My Heart (2B Trilogy #3) by Ann Aguirre

Half Lies (Half Bad #0.5) by Sally Green

Thanks to Penguin & Harlequin!

Edelweiss

The Secrets of Attraction by Robin Constantine

Thing We Know By Heart by Jessi Kirby

Emancipated by M. G. Reyes

The Cost of All Things by Maggie Lehrman

Heat of the Moment (A Moment of Truth #1) by Lauren Barnholdt

Illusionarium by Heather Dixon

Proof of Forever by Lexa Hillyer

Crimson Bound by Rosamund Hodge

Thanks to HarperTeen, Greenwillow Books, Balzer + Bray and Katherine Tegen Books!

Library

A Winter Flame by Milly Johnson

The Christmas Party by Carole Matthews

Calling Mrs Christmas by Carole Matthews

With Love at Christmas by Carole Matthews

A Gift to Remember by Melissa Hill

Gifted

Hush Hush (Hush Hush #1) by Becca Fitzpatrick

The wonderful Brittany over at This is the Story of My (Reading) Life met Becca Fitzpatrick and sent me a signed copy of Hush Hush! Isn't she just the best?

What books did you get this week?

Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins

Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins
Series: Anna and the French Kiss #3
Publisher: Usborne
Publication Date: August 14th 2014
Source: Bought

From the glittering streets of Manhattan to the moonlit rooftops of Paris, falling in love is easy for hopeless dreamer Isla and introspective artist Josh. But as they begin their senior year in France, Isla and Josh are quickly forced to confront the heartbreaking reality that happily-ever-afters aren’t always forever.

Their romantic journey is skillfully intertwined with those of beloved couples Anna and Étienne and Lola and Cricket, whose paths are destined to collide in a sweeping finale certain to please fans old and new.

Isla and the Happily Ever After was one of my most anticipated releases of this year. I absolutely adore Stephanie Perkins books and I couldn't wait to get my hands on Isla!

Honestly, I think Isla is probably my favourite of the series. It follows Isla and Josh (who were both in Anna) during their senior year in France. Isla has been in love with Josh for years, and is convinced he doesn't know who she is. They meet while Isla is high on painkillers in Manhatten, and their relationship grows from there. 

Isla is just so adorable. She's awkward, insecure and extremely relatable. I've felt exactly how Isla felt in this book and that made her so real to me. The fact that I could relate to her just made her even more awesome. Even though there were times when I wanted to knock some sense into her, I still loved her.

I've been dying to get to know Josh more since we met him in Anna. Josh is a complex character. He's an introvert and keeps to himself. But he starts to come out of his shell when he starts hanging around with Isla. He's funny, sweet and I loved seeing him come out of his shell. 

Isla and Josh were such an adorable and awkward couple. Stephanie captured the beginning of a new romance/relationship perfectly and they made my heart hurt with their adorableness. I just wanted to cuddle them both. 

But they both had their problems. Isla's insecurities played a major part in their problems. She's unsure of herself and her future, and she feels like she not good enough for Josh. She's constantly comparing herself to his ex and it causes all sorts of problems. Even though Josh starts to come out of his shell, he's still an introvert and likes his time alone. So he tends to lock himself away and shut everything out. He's also got a habit of not allowing himself to be happy.

The ending of the book made me sob happy tears. Honestly, I'm pretty sure I cried at the end of Anna and Lola, so it was probably a given that the end of Isla would make me sob. It made my heart explode with joy and I finished reading Isla with a huge grin on my face.

Other than Isla & Josh, I loved that we got to revisit Anna, Etienne, Lola and Cricket. Honestly, I was waiting for the moment when they would all appear and it was perfect! Also, there was a moment with Anna & Etienne that had me squealing with joy! So perfect.

Overall, Isla and the Happily Ever After was a fantastic end to an amazing series. I've loved every single second of it and it's going to be one I'll re-read over and over again because it makes me so happy. I honestly can't recommend this series enough, it's amazing.

Creed by Trisha Leaver

Creed by Trisha Leaver & Lindsay Currie
Series: No
Publisher: Flux
Publication Date: November 1st 2014
Source: Publisher [Netgalley]

Three went in. Three came out. None even a shadow of who they once were.

When their car breaks down, Dee, her boyfriend Luke, and his brother Mike walk through a winter storm to take refuge in a nearby town called Purity Springs. When they arrive, the emergency sirens are blaring and the small farming town seems abandoned. With no other shelter, they spend the night in an empty house.

But they soon discover that not everything in Purity Springs is as it seems. When the town's inhabitants suddenly appear the next morning, Dee, Luke, and Mike find themselves at the mercy of the charismatic leader, Elijah Hawkins, who plans to make Dee his new wife. Elijah's son, Joseph, offers to help them escape... but the price of his help may be more than Dee and her friends can bear.

I was really excited to read Creed because it sounded like it was going to be a really creepy thriller. It started off good, but gradually started to go downhill for me. Everything started to feel way too rushed towards the end and it was also slightly too gory for me. 

Creed follows our three main characters Dee, Luke & Mike who have all lied to their parents/guardians about where they'll be for the next three days so that Dee could surprise her boyfriend Luke for his birthday. Their car breaks down so they decide to walk and try to find some help. They come across a deserted town with an emergency siren blaring, decide to go to an abandoned gas station, a grave yard and finally break into someones house. All the while not coming across a single person. Dee has a bad feeling about the place, and she's right to. Creed had all the usual signs of a bad horror movie, and I love a bad horror movie as much as the next person so I honestly thought I was going to enjoy it.

To be fair, I did enjoy the beginning. It did have a creepy and eerie feel to it when they were wandering about an abandoned Purity Springs. I had goosebumps when I was reading that bit because I was convincing myself someone was going to jump out on them and kidnap/try to kill them. So I did feel the creep factor. But as soon as Joseph showed up and dragged Dee back to save his sister, everything got a bit gruesome and honestly, slightly boring. I lost interest in the characters and really didn't care what happened to them anymore. I kept reading though because I couldn't believe that no one had ever heard about what happens in this town before and I wanted to know whether anyone ever would. Elijah Hawkins was a super creep and made my stomach churn. I was hoping that someone would end up killing him because he totally deserved it, if not worse. 

So, like I said, everything towards the end felt extremely rushed to me. Also, this is where most of the unnecessary gore starts to appear and where I started to skim. I was extremely disappointed by the end of the book because I'd really been hoping for a scary and creepy read, but for me, that wasn't Creed. 

Overall, for me, there wasn't really anything stand out about Creed. The characters didn't stand out, the plot was predictable and I found myself getting bored. There are loads of people out there who enjoyed Creed, but it just wasn't for me.

Waiting on Wednesday #97

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:

Wicked by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Series: A Wicked Saga #1

Publication Date: December 8th 2014

Things are about to get Wicked in New Orleans.

Twenty-two year old Ivy Morgan isn’t your average college student. She, and others like her, know humans aren’t the only thing trolling the French Quarter for fun… and for food. Her duty to the Order is her life. After all, four years ago, she lost everything at the hands of the creatures she’d sworn to hunt, tearing her world and her heart apart.

Ren Owens is the last person Ivy expected to enter her rigidly controlled life. He’s six feet and three inches of temptation and swoon-inducing charm. With forest-green eyes and a smile that’s surely left a stream of broken hearts in its wake, he has an uncanny, almost unnatural ability to make her yearn for everything he has to offer. But letting him in is as dangerous as hunting the cold-blooded killers stalking the streets. Losing the boy she loved once before had nearly destroyed her, but the sparking tension that grows between them becomes impossible for Ivy to deny. Deep down, she wants… she needs more than what her duty demands of her, what her past has shaped for her.

But as Ivy grows closer to Ren, she realizes she’s not the only one carrying secrets that could shatter the frail bond between them. There’s something he’s not telling her, and one thing is for certain. She’s no longer sure what is more dangerous to her—the ancient beings threatening to take over the town or the man demanding to lay claim to her heart and her soul.

A new Jennifer L. Armentrout series! A lot of flailing and squealing happened when I found out about this series, and then I read the synopsis and more flailing and squealing ensued. I adore Jennifer L. Armentrout's books, and I'm SUPER excited for Wicked because I know it's going to be awesome!

What are you waiting on this week?

Top Ten Sequels I Can't Wait To Get

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

This weeks topic is:

Top Ten Sequels I Can't Wait To Get

Honestly, cutting this list to only 10 books was extremely hard. I've started so many new series this year and I'm dying for the sequel to them all (well, most of them)! So this week I'm cheating and I have a top 14 for you guys! One of them doesn't have a title and five don't have covers, but I NEED THEM RIGHT NOW. They aren't in any particular order, I was just trying to get books with covers in every group of 4.

1. Hidden Huntress by Danielle L Jensen

This is the follow up to Stolen Songbird which I read earlier this year and absolutely LOVED. The writing was beautiful, the world was amazing and the ending was a killer! I'm dying to get the next book and find out what's going to happen to Cecile & Tristan.

2. The Lone City #2 by Amy Ewing

I read The Jewel not too long ago, but it brought back my love for the dystopian genre because it was such an amazing book! And yet again, what an ending! It was a major "OH MY GOD!" moment and I'm dying for book 2.

3. Unleashed by Sophie Jordan

Uninvited was one of the first books I read this year, and I still remember everything about it! I completely fell in love with Sophie Jordan's extremely dark and cruel world, and I can't wait to see what's in store for Davy and Sean next.

4. Ignite by Sara B. Larson

It's been almost a year since I read Defy and I'm still dying after the slightly heartbreaking ending. I loved Alexa because she was awesome and badass, and I can't wait to see her be even more awesome and badass in Ignite!

5. Invaded by Melissa Landers

I read Alienated at the beginning of this year and I looooooooved it! I loved the world Landers had created, but I especially loved Aelyx. And also Cara. The ending was kind of crazy and I'm dying to see what's going to happen and I can't wait to see L'eihr!

6. Salt & Stone by Victoria Scott

Fire & Flood is one of the best dystopian books I've ever read. Seriously, I loved it. It was such a crazy rollercoaster of a book, and I can't wait to get my hands on Salt & Stone.

7. The Good Girls by Sara Shepard

I MUST KNOW WHO KILLED NOLAN. Seriously, this book is so crazy and full of twist and jaw-dropping moments. I need the sequel.

8. The Untimely Deaths of Alex Wayfare by M. G. Buehrlen 

The first book cut off at a very important moment! I may have screamed a little when I realised the book was finished and I'd have to wait for more. 

9. Half Wild by Sally Green

I absolutely loved Half Bad when I read it earlier this year. Definitely one of the best witch books I've ever read. I can't wait to get back into this world.

10. Get Dirty by Gretchen McNeil

Get Even was such a rollercoaster of twists and emotions for me. I absolutely loved it and the ending was CRAZY. I neeeeeeed Get Dirty so I can find out who's behind everything!

11. P.S. I Still Love You by Jenny Han

I loved To All the Boys I've Loved Before. It was such a sweet and adorable read and I'm really excited to see if anything with happen with Lara Jean and Peter, or whether the new guy is the guy for Lara Jean.

12. Trail of Tears by Josephine Angelini

I loved the world Angelini created in Trial of Fire and I'm really excited to dive back into it and hopefully find out more about Lillian!

13. The Winner's Crime by Marie Rutkoski

The Winner's Curse was FANTASTIC! I can't wait to find out what Rutkoski has in store next (probably more pain)!

14. Charmed by Michelle Krys

I really enjoyed Hexed when I read it earlier this year - a really great witchy book! The ending was a killer and I'm dying to get my hands on Charmed and find out what's going to happen!

So there we go! That's the 14 sequels that I'm dying to get my hands on! There are probably more, but these are the ones I can remember off the top of my head, so I really am dying for these ones!

What sequels are you dying to get your hands on?

Captive by Aimee Carter

Captive by Aimee Carter
Series: The Blackcoat Rebellion #2
Publisher: Harlequin
Publication Date: December 1st 2014 [UK]
Source: Publisher [Netgalley]

For the past two months, Kitty Doe's life has been a lie. Forced to impersonate the Prime Minister's niece, her frustration grows as her trust in her fake fiancé cracks, her real boyfriend is forbidden and the Blackcoats keep her in the dark more than ever.

But in the midst of discovering that her role in the Hart family may not be as coincidental as she thought, she's accused of treason and is forced to face her greatest fear: Elsewhere. A prison where no one can escape.

As one shocking revelation leads to the next, Kitty learns the hard way that she can trust no one, not even the people she thought were on her side. With her back against the wall, Kitty wants to believe she'll do whatever it takes to support the rebellion she believes in—but is she prepared to pay the ultimate price?

I absolutely loved Pawn when I read it last year, so I was super excited for the release of Captive! I had a quick read of the Pawn recap over on Recaptains - just to refresh my memory because I couldn't remember everything that had happened. As soon as I started reading Captive, I was pulled straight back into Kitty's world. I was dying to know what was going to happen after the cliffhanger at the end of Pawn.

I'm not a huge fan of Kitty as a main character. Honestly, she bugs me. She's so naive and constantly ruining everything. She's got a big mouth and needs to learn when to keep it shut. She was causing all sorts of problems for Knox and herself, and ended up putting herself and others in danger. I could have gave her a slap a few times. But there were times when I did like her. She did show her strength a few times throughout the book and she knows how to stand her ground. So even though I'm not a huge fan of hers, she's not all bad.

Captive was packed full of action. Honestly, the action started pretty quickly and so did the twists! I never expected half the stuff that happened in this book - especially what happened to Kitty quite early on in the book. That was a shock! But everything that happened in this book was for a reason. And even though it made me hate Knox for a while, it was totally worth it just for the jaw-dropping twists. 

I loved that we got to explore Elsewhere in Captive. I was quite excited to see what actually went on in the prison, and it was pretty brutal. It's nothing like what I'd expected. There were times when it actually didn't seems so bad, but there were also times that I was left sickened by what I'd read. 

Aimee Carter definitely knows how to throw twists at you, and the end of this book is full of them! It's also full of nail-biting action that had me on the edge of my seat. My heart was racing and I was frantically reading trying to find out what was going to happen.

Yet again, Carter ended on a killer of a cliffhanger! And this one was even more of a killer than the first one! It was a major "Oh my god!" moment and I'm dying to know how it's going to affect Kitty, Knox and the rest of the Blackcoat's, because it's definitely going to have a huge impact on them.

Overall, Captive was a fantastic follow up to Pawn. I think I loved this one even more than the first book and now I'm dying to get my hands on Queen and find out how everything it going to end!

Waiting on Wednesday #96

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:

Suspicion by Alexandra Monir

Series: No

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Publication Date: December 9th 2014

Mysterious. Magnificent. Creepy. Welcome to Rockford Manor.

"There's something hidden in the Maze." Seventeen-year-old Imogen has never forgotten the last words her father said to her seven years ago, before the blazing fire that consumed him, her mother, and the gardens of her family's English country manor.

Haunted by her parents' deaths, Imogen moves to New York City with her new guardians. But when a letter arrives with the news of her cousin's untimely death, revealing that Imogen is now the only heir left to run the estate, she returns to England and warily accepts her role as duchess.

All is not as it seems at Rockford, and Imogen quickly learns that dark secrets lurk behind the mansion's aristocratic exterior, hinting that the spate of deaths in her family were no accident. And at the center of the mystery is Imogen herself--and Sebastian, the childhood friend she has secretly loved for years. Just what has Imogen walked into?

Suspicion has one of the most beautiful covers ever. And an extremely intriguing synopsis. I'm dying to know if there was something going on that led to the death's of Imogen's family and also find out what's in the maze! It definitely sounds like it's going to be a fascinating and creepy read.

What are you waiting on this week?