Saturday Pages: See Me by Wendy Higgins!!

Starting this week's Saturday Pages I have a new release for this week that I devoured on release day! It was even better since it was released on St Patrick's Day! Thank you Wendy Higgins for writing this sweet book to help us with the wait till Sweet Reckoning!


See Me by Wendy Higgins

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


When I first heard about this story that Wendy Higgins had written, I was quite excited to read it, cause I love anything Ireland and so when she decided to shelve it for a while, I was quite bummed.

Imagine my surprise and happiness when she decided to finally go ahead and self-publish, on St Patrick's Day no less! I got it on my Kindle app as soon as I got a spare moment at work after midnight on the 17th, and started it right then!

See Me can be described as a contemporary romance with a healthy dose of fantasy, maybe magical realism? It is the story of a girl and a boy falling in love in the Emerald Isle, with the added bonus of magic, faeries and the fact that the boy is a Leprechaun!

Robyn has been bethroted to boy in Ireland since she can remember, and despite being a very modern girl she always understood it as her duty. Her family is one of those few given magic by the Fae and there's a lot of responsability that comes with it. She had always allowed herself some romantic dreams, imagining how McKale would be. So when she's told on her flight to Ireland that he's a Leprechaun... well, to say she's got a bad shock is to put it midly. We all imagine tiny men dressed in green that live at the end of the rainbow, and that's image that makes Robyn panic.

But as it happens McKale is not a 3 foot guy but a slightly taller than average human size, which in a funny lil twist is quite frowned upon on the Leprechaun society, so McKale has been quite unhappy with his size all his life. Apparently not even the jolly green men are beyond prejudices.

The romance is very sweet, adorable and cute! It started a bit on the wrong foot and soon enough we learn there's someone else that won't be playing fair for McKale's attention.

I really liked Robyn and Cassandra's interactions, a great sisters relationship, with plenty of banter and loads of support and friendship. And in fact, all the Manson's family interactions are fantastic. The parents are loving and a great example for Robyn to aspire to, and despite the great relationship they have with their parents, the girl still act like teenagers and sneak out on occasion.

I went through the book super fast, it was so much fun, even the moments when the FFG (you'll know what I mean if you read the book) start meddling and threatening Robyn & McKale. There are plenty of heartfelt moments, with fun one, swoony ones and just plain adorable ones!

Very well deserved 4 stars to this one!



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Friday Reads: Landry Park by Bethany Hagen!

For this next Friday Reads entry I have a book I was quite intrigued about, another debut book and one that counts for my Dystopian Reading Challenge 2014!

Landry Park by Bethany Hagen

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Landry Park was one of those books that I was quite looking forward to and that despite liking it well enough, I was disappointed that I didn't love it more.

As a dystopian it had a very interesting setting, with a plausible detonant for the drastic change in society and a very fitting return to Victorian values to showcase better the stratification of the society that came out of it all. I enjoyed the descriptions and the setting of the story, even if the frivolous society sometimes rubbed me the wrong way.

I liked Madeline quite a lot cause didn't want to conform entirely, she wanted to go to college and even though she loved Landry Park and wanted to do her duty, she also wanted to do it on her terms. What she didn't expect was to have everything that she had shaken so badly as she did. I also appreciated that she had many doubts about what road to take and though she wanted to do the right thing, it was a very hard choice to keep in mind when you return to the comfort you've always known.

The rest of the characters were quite interesting, with something more to them than what it seemed at first, the mean girl wasn't exactly as mean and as elite as she seemed at first, same with Madeline's father cause he was understanding, cruel and tyrannical in equal measures. The relationships might have been the one thing in the book that kept on getting on my nerves: all the hot and cold David, the juxtaposed love triangles to call them something, and all the deception going on... simply not my cup of tea.

The brewing revolution, the underlying social issues and the food for thought that Madeline's attitude and choices can provide, that was my favourite part of the book.

I enjoyed this book, I wanted to like it more but for some reason I failed to feel more involved with the characters and feel more for them. I'm giving it 3 to 3.5 stars and I plan to check the sequel, cause I want to see what happens next with the Landrys.



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Friday Reads: The Nightmare Dilemma by Mindee Arnett!!

For the first Friday Reads of the week, I have a book that I was very much looking forward to and that I read almost in one sitting and absolutely enjoyed! Made me laugh, made me root for the characters and broke my heart a little bit! Thank you Mindee Arnett for a great sequel!



The Nightmare Dilemma by Mindee Arnett

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I really enjoyed The Nightmare Affair and thankfully The Nightmare Dilemma was even better!

Dusty, Eli and the rest of the Dream Team and for that matters the rest of the hiding magical society, are still recovering from the consequences of the battle with the evil sorcerer with the black phoenix pet and the break of the Will.

If I had liked Dusty before, I simply adored her in this one. She's got this quirky and sarcastic sense of humour and she's beginning to try and learn to put a filter between her brain and her mouth, but she's still hilarious. She's grown a bit since TNA and she continues to do so in this book but never losing that teeanage feel to her, with her dashes of rebellious attitude.

I liked Eli a lot more in this book than I did on the previous one. He came into his own, wasn't acting too stereoptypical and he even find a place for himself in the magical midst of Arkwell. It was very sweet the way the attraction and friendship mix was done between Eli and Dusty, and pretty heartwrenching too.

The plot mix of political manouvers, general danger and character interactions and relationships was done very well, and I really liked how despite the main plot was resolved and this book is a chapter in itself, you also get the feeling of the unrealized-as-of-now but constant threat that will come forward in the next book.

The Nightmare Dilemma was a great sequel, didn't suffer from the middle book syndrome at all, and progressed the characters development and relationships with a very engaging plot of its own. And as a bonus, no real cliffhanger. The ending leaves you feeling for the unfairness of it all, but doesn't leave you heartbroken without hope. Well deserved 4 stars!



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Xpresso Book Tours: Across The Wire by Stella Telleria!!

Hey there everyone! Today I'm taking part in the Blog Tour for Across The Wire by Stella Telleria, organized by Xpresso Book Tours!

I will be sharing my review, so click HERE for the full tour schedule! But before that, let's get you some more information about the book & author, shall we?


Across the Wire by Stella Telleria
Publication date: November 4th 2013
Genres: Adult, Science Fiction

 Synopsis:
When Mia Mitchell, a hardcore but lonely former Marine, steps into an alley to pull some thugs off an unlucky foreigner, she walks into a fight she expects. What she doesn’t see coming is the foreigner making her a job offer any sane person would refuse. So, she takes it. She thinks she’s headed for some third-world country; instead she’s mysteriously transported to an Earth-like parallel world. That’s a mad left-hook.
Mia discovers a matriarchal dystopia where freedom doesn’t exist and fighting for it means execution. Lethal force bends all to the law; women fear for their families and un-wed men suffer slavery. Mia’s job is to train an underground syndicate of male freedom-fighters for a violent revolution. However, the guys don’t want a pair of X chromosomes showing them the way.

Eben, an escaped slave, is encouraged by Mia to become a leader among the men. But when he turns his quiet determination on her, it spells F.U.B.A.R. for cynical Mia. Their unexpected connection threatens more than her exit strategy; it threatens the power struggle festering with in the syndicate.

Haunted by nightmares and post-traumatic stress, unsure who to trust or how to get home, Mia struggles to stay alive as she realizes all is not what it seems.

Amazon | iTunes | Smashwords | Kobo

 About the author:

All my life I’ve dreamed of stories or have had my nose buried in one. I live in Edmonton, Canada with my husband and my weird sense of humor. Across the Wire is my first novel.

I love old war movies, dystopian fiction, and any story with action, a good plot, and characters I'd get into a fight at the pub for. Not that I'm a brawler or anything. Unless you think that out-of-print book or vintage piece at the thrift shop is going home with you instead of me. Then, my friend, the gloves are off.

Some say if you have your nose buried in a book, you're missing out on life. I say my nose is buried in a book because one life is not enough.

Website | Twitter | Goodreads | Facebook | YouTube

My Review

I got myself this book after taking part in a book blizt for it organized by Xpresso Book Tours. I was very intrigued by the premise and the main character. So when I saw that there was going to be a book tour, I knew I wanted in!

Mia is an ex-Marine, sent back home cause she wasn't deemed fit for active duty. She isn't adapting well to normal life, since she suffers from a clear case of PTSD. She encounters an odd man that asks for her help to train victims of gender oppression, and she finds herself in a parallel universe where men are the oppressed ones and women are the cruel tyrants.

The setting was very much intriguing, even if no details are giving about the way to travel to a parallel universe, aside from the mention of a wormwhole. But the whole absolute matriarchy that reigned in Gaia was a brilliant setting to shake our preconceptions. The way women are abusing their power as men have been and continue to do so (in some places more than others) in our world is a remind for us all, men & women alike, that the solution to our problems is not going to any extreme of the spectrum, since absolute power corrupts absolutely, but to find the happy medium when we all treat each other as equally important and valid human beings.

Stella Telleria builds a world that made me cringe and made me think and ponder, one that felt real and plausible even if extremely unwanted for me. I consider myself a feminist, but I'd never want the tables turned in such a way!

The characters were extremely well crafted and felt so real. Mia, Gavin, Eben and all the rest feel fully fleshed, even the secondary characters that appear only for a moment but that might not be as secondary as you think.

Mia, as war veteran with PSTD felt so real, with her rawness, her numbness as a way to deal with her pain and her flight or fight response... She's a fantastic character that might not seem easy to love, but I was rooting for since page one!

Eben was a different type of survivor, but a fighter nonetheless. After being a slave and barely thinking of surviving each day, he find something to fight for and a purpose in the fight the rebels want to present, and Mia also makes him strive to get over his preconditions and prejudices.

The plot starts in a rather straightforward way, Mia has been brought to train a group of rebels in self-defence and to try and rescue more and more men to give them a choice at freedom, but as the book progresses it comes apparent to Mia and us that there's much that she doesn't know and that her allies/employers/fellow rebels aren't telling her, and that might be much more at stake that she even guessed.

The ending is quite brutal in a way, because war is brutal no matter how good your reasons and intentions are, but it also ends in a note of hope and with a lot of unanswered questions and me hoping that there ARE more books after this one! (Confirmed with the author, she's working on book 2, *phew*!).

Very well deserved 4 to 4.5 stars for this one, tough but brilliant book!

Waiting On Wednesday #34!!

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly feature hosted at Breaking The Spine  that spotlights those can't-wait-to-get-my-hands-on-them books that we are eagerly awaiting!

What book I'm quite impatiently awaiting this week? Frozen by Erin Bowman!

Goodreads Summary:

 "The Heists were only the beginning.

Gray Weathersby escaped from the primitive town of Claysoot expecting to find answers, but what he discovered shook him to the core: A ruthless dictator with absolute power. An army of young soldiers blinded by lies. And a growing rebellion determined to fight back.

Now Gray has joined a team of rebels on a harsh, icy journey in search of allies who can help them set things right. But in a world built on lies, Gray must constantly question whether any ally—or enemy—is truly what they seem…"


Why am I eagerly awaiting Frozen? Well, I quite enjoyed Taken, the first book in the trilogy and the final part of it with the start of a new quest and the possibilities of more world building have me really salivating for this one. I'm a huge fan of dystopian books, and after reading Stolen, the novella from Bree's POV, I'm even more excited for the sequel!

What are you all (im)patiently awaiting this week?

Xpresso Book Tours Blitz & Giveaway: Impossibly Forever by Shane Morgan!

Hello everyone! Today I'm taking part in the Book Blitz organized by Xpresso Book Tours for Impossibly Forever, a New Adult Contemporary Romance duology by Shane Morgan.

Impossibly Forever: The Complete Impossibly Duology
Includes: Impossibly Love & Impossibly True

by Shane Morgan
Publication date: February 24th 2014
Genres: New Adult, Romance

Impossibly Love:
All Moya Douglas wants to do is study hard, maintain her scholarship, and make her mother proud while attending college. She doesn't have time for a boyfriend or going on dates arranged by her best friend. Moya doesn't believe in love. And she has no intention of ever finding it.

Branden McCarthy is determined to change her views.
A selfless romantic who's had his heart broken in the past, Branden is fascinated with Moya's personality and hopes to develop something real with her—a connection so strong it'll open her heart. But just when things start to work between the two, Branden’s secret threatens to get in the way.

Will Moya finally do the impossible and give love a chance with Branden, or will fear keep them apart?

Impossibly True:
Moya is finally listening to her heart.
She’s ready for love and willing to bask in all the joy it brings, but still, she insists on taking things slow. After all, her relationship with Branden isn't the only one that needs a chance.

With his health scare behind him, Branden wants nothing more than to get his life back on track—play hockey again, catch up on school, and get things moving with his girlfriend.

In the middle of strengthening their relationship and sorting out their individual lives, trouble begins to brew, testing the depth of their feelings for each other.

Can Branden and Moya once again overcome their trials and prove that their love is indeed true, or will past ghosts and new temptations drive them apart forever?

Amazon | Barnes & Noble

About the author: SHANE MORGAN is the Amazon Bestselling author of Impossibly Love, and Unresisting. A book fanatic at heart, Shane currently lives in Narragansett, RI. where she spends her days blogging and writing young adult and new adult fiction. Visit her online:

Website | Facebook | Goodreads | Twitter | Blog

And there's also a Blitz wide giveaway you cannot miss!

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Mark This Book Monday: ARC Review of Stolen Songbird by Danielle L Jensen!!

Happy St Patrick's Day! I hope you will be safely celebrating, even if you are not Irish (as I'm not!). I will be celebrating with my friends later this evening, since we're planning to go out and have a pint or two.

For this week's Mark This Book Monday I'm once again having an ARC review of a book that will count for my 2014 Review Pile Reading Challenge. I'm also still doing the happy dance for being auto approved for Strange Chemistry on NetGalley and I wanna say a big thank you once again!

Stolen Songbird by Danielle L. Jensen

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Being auto approved by Strange Chemistry on NetGalley is simply a joy. It seems that whatever I decide to download it's always gonna be a fresh and new take on whatever genre that it is. This is exactly what happened with Stolen Songbird.

I wanted to read it cause the cover caught my attention, and as soon as I read that it was a fantasy novel about trolls, I was sold! I don't know about you, but I don't think I've seen any fantasy story about trolls out there, plenty of faeries and other creatures, but trolls?

And once again, the book didn't disappoint! The only adjustment I had to make was the first image my brain conjures up when the word "troll" is mentioned... Trolls are ugly in most accounts but the image that always pops up for me is the ones from the David the Gnome trolls, and those are rather ugly beasts! And the trolls in this story quite different!

The story starts with Cécile when she's returning home from the town when she had given a small performance of her singing. She's gonna be leaving for the city the next morning to start her singing career with her mother, but halfway to her family's farm, she's kidnapped and taken to the stolen city of Trollus, and sold for her weight in gold to the King to be the bride of the prince of Trollus.

Cécile is a spunky character, she keeps on trying to find a way to escape, she still tries to stand her ground although as a human she is considered an inferior, even if she's married to the prince. She has to find allies and even unlikely friends and ends up forming a truce with the prince, even if at first she isn't really sure what's going on with him. And Cécile discovers that she's so much more than she even knew and she has a power that can help and change things.

Tristan is the very mysterious and confusing prince and heir of Trollus. He was supposed to marry a human to break a curse and free his city, but seems like his plans are quite different. He keeps a very studied façade and is dealing with much more in politics and power struggles than what Cécile knows at first. His attitude towards Cécile is quite awful at first, but little by little they form an alliance that ends up turning into something other.

The plot is quite interesting, full of politics, rebellion, social inequality, magic, trolls, witches and even some hints at the unknown mysterious origin of the trolls and their true nature. Maybe the humans gave them that name, but what are they really?

The development of the romance was full of false starts and deception, and many doubts and misunderstanding between Cécile and Tristan but it ended up progressing nicely from a precarious truce to an unspoken attraction with many doubts to a starcrossed lovers situation.

The ending is sort of a cliffhanger, and it's also quite evil cause they way it leaves the reader waiting to see how things can get fixed and how can Cécile keep her promise... it's gonna be a long wait till the next book for sure! Very well deserved 4 stars!



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Mark This Book Monday: All The Truth That's In Me by Julie Berry!!

Hello everyone! Happy St Patrick's Day!!

To start this week's Mark This Book Monday I'm sharing the review for the first book for Read Discuss Repeat, the virtual book club that Octavia from Read Sleep Repeat started and that I'm a member of. It was a book I had in my TBR list for quite a while, so I was very happy when it was chosen as the book for February!

All the Truth That's In Me by Julie Berry

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


All The Truth That's In Me was the first book of my online book club, Read Discuss Repeat! I was quite pleased when it was chosen in the poll, and even more once I finished it.

This is quite an unusual book, starting with the way it is narrated, in the second person narrative. Also, the story goes back and forth from remembering past events, to talking about the present and relaying the main character feelings and hopes. There are no real references to a date or geographical location, but we especulate to when and where feels right for the story.

When I started the book I wasn't sure if I was going to like it but I got used to the different narrative and found myself feeling so much for Judith, the main character! Her voice was amazing, so caring, intelligent and observant and she always managed to make the best of her situation, even when the people around her didn't seem to see her as a full human being after her return from her ordeal.

We learn things little by little, small revelations here and there from Judith, how she keeps on remembering. I loved to see how she found allies, even some that she thought would be unlikely, and I loved how she kept on looking out for Lucas, the boy she loves and the one she keeps on talking to in her head (for most of the book).

There's a lot of reflection on the human nature, on love and relatinships. Characters are so well developed and you just feel so immersed in the story! I was kinda scared at some point to keep on turning pages cause I was heartbroken and enraged about some of the situations Judith had to go through!

I just felt such a sense of contentment and even fulfillment after finishing the book, this book made me cry in more than one occasion!

A wonderful book, very much worth of 4 to 4.5 stars!



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