Ringer (Summer Series Novella)
Written by C. J Duggan
Published March 18th 2014
Thank you to C. J and The Three Bookateers
They say it’s the quiet ones you have to worry about, and she was quiet, very quiet, when she wasn’t busy despising me with a burning passion. Ringo ‘Ringer’ James has a no strings attached policy.
Love them, leave them, and remain the eternal bachelor.
After a summer in which every one of his mates has succumbed to settling down, or so it seemed, Ringer is on the lookout for a quick exit. Having had enough of the stomach turning love fest witnessed over the past three months, Ringer jumps at the opportunity to help out his mate, Max, by heading to Max’s dad’s property for a working holiday. It’s just what he’s looking for. A remote, dusty homestead in Ballan, with only hard work, a cold beer and a comfy bed to worry about, no women.
Until Miranda Henry.
The privately educated daughter of his boss has returned home from overseas and things are about to get very complicated, very fast. As summer draws to its end, Ringer is about to learn that sometimes attraction defies all logic, and that there really is such a thing as 'enemies with benefits'.
Heartbeat
Written by Elizabeth Scott
Published in Australia March 1st 2014
223 Pages
Thank you to Harlequin Australia
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Emma would give anything to talk to her mother one last time. Tell her about her slipping grades, her anger with her stepfather, and the boy with the bad reputation who might be the only one Emma can be herself with.
But Emma can't tell her mother anything. Because her mother is brain-dead and being kept alive by machines for the baby growing inside her.
Meeting bad-boy Caleb Harrison wouldn't have interested Old Emma. But New Emma, the one who exists in a fog of grief, who no longer cares about school, whose only social outlet is her best friend Olivia, New Emma is startled by the connection she and Caleb forge.
Feeling her own heart beat again wakes Emma from the grief that has grayed her existence. Is there hope for life after death, and maybe, for love?
Maybe Someday
Written by Colleen Hoover
Published March 18th 2014
370 Pages
Thank you to Simon and Schuster Australia
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Written by Colleen Hoover
Published March 18th 2014
370 Pages
Thank you to Simon and Schuster Australia
Add to Goodreads
At twenty two years old, Sydney is enjoying a great life: She's in college, working a steady job, in love with her wonderful boyfriend, Hunter, and rooming with her best friend, Tori. But everything changes when she discovers that Hunter is cheating on her;and she's forced to decide what her next move should be.
Soon, Sydney finds herself captivated by her mysterious and attractive neighbor, Ridge. She can't take her eyes off him or stop listening to the passionate way he plays his guitar every evening out on his balcony. And there's something about Sydney that Ridge can't ignore, either. They soon find themselves needing each other in more ways than one.
A passionate tale of friendship, betrayal, and romance, Maybe Someday will immerse readers in Sydney's tumultuous world from the very first page.
After years of telling my husband how wonderful young adult novels are, I finally convinced him to read one. He's a gamer, not a reader, but I managed to lure him in with the promise of science fiction and a storyline I was certain he couldn't resist. Please welcome the man I lovingly call Professor Birdbrain, and his first ever book review.
Across the Universe (Across The Universe: Book One)
Written by Beth Revis
Published January 2011
398 Pages
Seventeen year old Amy joins her parents as frozen cargo aboard the vast spaceship Godspeed and expects to awaken on a new planet, three hundred years in the future. Never could she have known that her frozen slumber would come to an end fifty years too soon and that she would be thrust into the brave new world of a spaceship that lives by its own rules.
Amy quickly realizes that her awakening was no mere computer malfunction. Someone - one of the few thousand inhabitants of the spaceship , tried to kill her. And if Amy doesn't do something soon, her parents will be next.
Now Amy must race to unlock Godspeed's hidden secrets. But out of her list of murder suspects, there's only one who matters: Elder, the future leader of the ship and the love she could never have seen coming.
Written by A. G Howard
Fantasy, Retelling
Published January 2014
400 Pages
Thank you to Thames and Hudson Australia
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★★★★☆
Alyssa Gardner has been down the rabbit hole and faced the Bandersnatch. She saved the life of Jeb, the guy she loves, and escaped the machinations of the disturbingly seductive Morpheus and the vindictive Queen Red. Now all she has to do is graduate high school and make it through prom so she can attend the prestigious art school in London she's always dreamed of.That would be easier without her mother, freshly released from an asylum, acting overly protective and suspicious. And it would be much simpler if the mysterious Morpheus didn’t show up for school one day to tempt her with another dangerous quest in the dark, challenging Wonderland, where she partly belongs.As prom and graduation creep closer, Alyssa juggles Morpheus’s unsettling presence in her real world with trying to tell Jeb the truth about a past he’s forgotten. Glimpses of Wonderland start to bleed through her art and into her world in very disturbing ways, and Morpheus warns that Queen Red won’t be far behind.If Alyssa stays in the human realm, she could endanger Jeb, her parents, and everyone she loves. But if she steps through the rabbit hole again, she'll face a deadly battle that could cost more than just her head.
It's been only twelve months since Alyssa has returned from Wonderland, her mother has been released from the institution and Jeb and Alyssa are happy and in love. Pity he doesn't remember his time in Wonderland, after following his muse with the promise of keeping her safe. But lately Jeb has been throwing himself into promoting his dark fairy artwork inspired by Alyssa, and determined to make something of his life. But as Jeb begins to pull away, Alyssa' s ties to Wonderland are calling her home and Morpheus is adamant that she now needs to claim her rightful place as queen before it's too late.
But Alyssa can't leave with her relationship with Jeb hanging by a thread. Throwing herself into her new mosaics, the morbid artwork created with blood and gems tell the story of a Wonderland future, a future Jeb knows nothing about. Deciding to confront her greatest fear, Alyssa needs to tell Jeb who she is, and the time they shared in Wonderland before she returns, but it may be too late, as Morpheus enters the mortal world.
Taking on the body of a British exchange student, Morpheus is all anyone can talk of at Pleasance High. With a band of swooning females in his wake, Morpheus is determined to show Alyssa that in order to become Queen and keep her loved ones safe, she must leave Jeb behind, his naivety being a weakness that Alyssa simply cannot allow. But Alyssa's indecision to act brings the inevitable, Wonderland has come to her world.
Kelly's Thoughts
It goes without saying that the Splintered series has the most stunning covers readers are likely to find, but I would expect nothing less from a series so utterly brilliant. Unhinged begins with Alyssa's life carefully being repaired. Her mother is home, Jeb is an incredibly devoted boyfriend and in a matter of days, Alyssa will graduate. But when you're a descendant of Alice from the original children's tale told by Lewis Carroll, you can expect life to throw a few surprises your way.
Author A. G Howard is an incredible storyteller with an amazing imagination. Creating not only an epic fantasy series, but beautifully written and a world in which readers can immerse themselves. Where Alyssa was previously unwavering in her loyalty towards Jeb, in Unhinged we see her darker side wanting to break free and her attraction towards Morpheus becoming too strong to deny. I'm team Morpheus all the way, he's eccentric, charismatic and Jeb is barely noticeable in his shadow. I really don't understand Jeb's character at all, besides being the anchor and love interest in Alyssa's human world. He reminds me of Adam from Tahereh Mafi's Shatter Me series. He's there as an option, but surely his lackluster and self centered personality is no match for the great and powerful Morpheus.
I'm not generally a fan of fantasy novels, but this series is incredible. You don't need to be mad to enjoy Unhinged, but it sure helps.
Grim
Edited by Christine Johnson. Written by Julie Kagawa, Amanda Hocking, Rachel Hawkins, Claudia Grey, Jon Skovron and more
Published February 25th 2014
459 Pages
Thank you to Harlequin Australia
Step into a world of dark and twisted fairytales, with stories by Julie Kagawa, Amanda Hocking and more...
In the days when fairytales were first spun, they weren't the sweet and cheerful stories we tell today. Back then, fairytales were terrifying. They were a warning to the listener to stay out of the night, to keep away from the mystical and ignore the mysterious.
Grim features some of today's best young adult authors, sharing their own, unique retellings of classic fairytales from around the world. These talented writers, many of them New York Times bestsellers or award winners, have put their own spin on these magical worlds...
Prepare to open a treasure box of the unusual and the macabre.
Written by Vanessa Garden
Published March 1st 2014
174 Pages
Thank you to Netgalley and Escape Publishing
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★★★
From the day she was born, Lena has viewed the world through the jagged window of a razor wired fence. The hundred acre property she shares with her mother in the Australian outback may keep her safe from the Y Carrier disease, but it is no longer enough to hold Lena’s interest, and her mother’s increasingly tight grip on her free will is stifling. Just as her curiosity blooms and her courage rises, she meets a boy through the fence, the first boy she has ever laid eyes on. His name is Patrick and he comes with a dangerous yet irresistible invitation of adventure beyond the fence, an invitation to which Lena cannot say no.But Lena’s new found freedom is short lived and she soon discovers that the Y Carrier disease is not the only enemy she faces on the outside. Her new enemies want something Lena has, and they are willing to do anything to get it...
Lena has lived her almost seventeen years behind the fence. With no human interaction, all she has now is her mother, after her cousin Alice was brutally murdered. Lena a can't remember a time where the world was safe from Carriers, the infected population of the country. A Carrier is male, presenting with rash type symptoms. But where males carry the virus, a female contracting the illness will die, so Lena's mother will stop at nothing to keep her safe. But like her cousin Alice, Lena longs to see beyond the fence, so when Patrick approaches from the outside, this may be Lena's one chance to see the world.
Patrick is looking for his father, a man who went hunting only to never return. The seventeen year old boy is now left to provide for five other children alone. With her mother taking to the bottle and locking herself away, Lena and Patrick develop an easy friendship, despite Lena harbouring a secret that may tear the two lonely teens apart.
While defying her mother, she scales the fence in search of Patrick and his home while Lena can't shake but feeling she's being watched. But it seems that there is a civilisation beyond the fence, when the two teens are captured and taken to what seems to be a civilian camp. The camp are preparing for war against an unknown enemy, waiting for an antidote to cure the Carriers the group hold captive. But as the enemy approaches, the desolate West Australian out back warriors will be no match for what they have in store.
Kelly's Thoughts
Carrier started brilliantly, the premise of a teen girl being confined to her home, a rampant virus killing the female population and the mystery of Patrick immersed me within the storyline. But sadly the final few short chapters felt as though the story was verging on the ridiculous. It left me feeling deflated, as though two different books had been merged together. I'm not generally big on criticism, but with a rewritten ending, a longer and more drawn out storyline, this book could easily be a five star read.
I really enjoyed Vanessa Garden's Captivate, and this one has the potential to surpass. I would love to see it further developed. But as is, I can't see too many readers appreciating the ending.
Enmity Enmity Book One
Written by E. J AndrewsExpected Publication April 2014
295 Pages
Thank you to Harlequin Australia
Add to Goodreads
★★★★
Love vs Life.
Good vs Evil.
War vs Warfare.
Which would you choose?
After a solar flare wipes out most of the world’s inhabitants, it leaves behind nothing but a desolate earth and a desperate population. Existence is no longer a certainty. And with factions now fighting for the power to rule, people start to become reckless with their lives. The world has become a dangerous place.Amongst the ensuing chaos, Nate and Hermia, two victims of the new world order, are taken against their will to The Compound. Joined by eight other teenagers all chosen for a specific reason, Nate and Hermia are forced to train as assassins to overthrow the current president and make way for a new leader of the free world. Here, they learn to plan, fight, and most importantly... To survive.Except, despite the casual cruelty of their new existence, both Nate and Hermia, two very strong but very different people, begin to form fragile bonds within the group. But they soon realize their happiness is short lived... Because their training is just the beginning.A war awaits... Regardless of how ready or willing they may be.
Sixty years ago, a solar flare reaped havoc on the Earth and it's inhabitants. Most of the population was decimated, and those left behind still continue in a fierce battle to rule over what remains. Hermia lives alone, a resilient urban warrior in a new society where only the determined survive. But when arriving home to her meager possessions, Hermia is captured and taken to The Compound along with nine other teenagers, including Nate. Nate should have been home on time, a guilty conscious weighs heavily on his mind. He arrives home to a household of slaughtered family members and a message containing nothing more than an address. But justice for his family had led to Nate being taken against his will, joining the other carefully selected teens awaiting further instructions at The Compound.
Darria has amassed the team of ten teens to fight against a group of dangerous activists, simply known as The Cain. Their duty is to take down the current empire, the current President Collins who has vowed to clean up the apocalyptic ravaged streets, with the promise to form a new society and a stronger world while The Cain operate under the guise of fighting for democratic rights. The hand selected group of teens will live within the Compound, each day completing a new challenge aimed to hone their skills at combat. The savage program is overseen by a guard posted to each teen, they are taken to and from training under duress, and silenced if they dare question authority.
The training is intense, emotions are heightened and fear drives the teens together and separates the group into factions. Nate finds solace in the company of Marina, a girl taken against her will. While Hermia finds herself gravitating towards Keeper Chase, keeping their brief rendezvous hidden. But Hermia is quick to push Chase away, her cold exterior hiding her inner turmoil of a past where abandonment has only made her more determined to survive.
But these aren't any ordinary teens. Some have volunteered to join the fight to protect the President, while others just want to return home. But coming together is no coincidence, and it may take answers from The Cain to see what the group are truly fighting for.
Kelly's Thoughts
Enmity was a mix of The Hunger Games, a dash of Divergent and science fiction packaged in an action packed storyline where teens are trained to fight an enemy most couldn't care less about. It follows the story of both Nate and Hermia, told in dual points of view. Both were taken against their will to join eight other teens, some taken and some volunteering to train for a war against a brewing revolution. Nate is deemed as their leader, a young man with an imposing presence that is mourning the loss of his family. Hermia was on the verge of selling her body into a life of prostitution before she was snatched, but she's abrasive and isn't winning friends amongst the other teens. The two couldn't be more different, but the two share a common secret that neither of them knows about the other... Yet.
I really enjoyed it. It was a short, sharp read that sucked me in and kept my attention. The storyline seems to have been inspired by many of the popular dystopian novels that many of us have on our shelves, but merged them into a brilliant little read. My only complaint (which I'm sure will be what lures most readers in) is that I wanted more action, more fighting and less romance. But there's no awkward love triangles in this one, a case of instant love in one case, but rather than having the two points of view merge into one romance, it strays from the usual. It was really refreshing. Take a chance with this one, it'll really surprise you.
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