Thursday, June 30, 2016

Blog Tour: A Season of Fireflies by Rebecca Maizel (Guest Post + Giveaway)


Welcome to Day #9 of the A Season for Fireflies Blog Tour!
To celebrate the release of A Season for Fireflies by Rebecca Maizel (6/28/16), blogs across the web are featuring exclusive content from Rebecca and 10 chances to win a copy of A Season for Fireflies, as well as a chance to win a Summer Reading Prize Pack in the Grand Prize Giveaway!

Guest Post:


Fireflies Characters in Shakespeare
by Rebecca Maizel


Penny: Beatrice in Much Ado About Nothing. Like Beatrice's headstrong nature, Penny is quite proud of her wit and abilities. She also is a romantic at heart. 
Panda: Mercutio from Romeo and Juliet. One of my favorite fictional characters of all time. While Mercutio's end is quite tragic (though Panda's is not), Panda has a depth within him that can be quite sad at times. Like the word mercurial - both Mercutio and Panda can be unpredictable. 
Wes: Probably Claudio in Much Ado About Nothing. He loves Penny fiercely, but is quick to judge (like Claudio did of Hero!) and quick to assume rumors about her. He is flawed, like Claudio is in many ways, but he is very loyal. 
Kylie: Kylie is taller than Hermia (ha! sorry, Hermia) but I think that she's fierce like Hermia in A Midsummer Night's Dream and will stand up to people when she needs to. She's a noble like Hermia and fights against her father to marry the man she loves versus the one he chooses for her - she's STRONG. 
May: May is most like Olivia in Twelfth Night. Both women are not afraid to stand up for what they want, take risks, put on a costume, and protect herself. May is fiesty like Olivia and when she's mad at Penny, she let's it be known!

Tour schedule:

Stop by Parajunkee tomorrow for the last stop of the tour!
June 20th – The Fandom
June 21st — Bookhounds
June 22nd — Daisy Chain Book Reviews
June 23rd  — Mundie Moms
June 24th — Supernatural Snark June 27th — A Dream Within A Dream
June 28th — The Book Cellar
June 29th — PageTurners
June 30th — Bookish
July 1st — Parajunkee

About The Book:

Follow Rebecca: Website | Twitter | Facebook
A captivating contemporary novel about first love, second chances, and the power of memory, by the author of Between Us and the Moon, perfect for fans of Sarah Dessen and Katie Cotugno.

One year ago, Penny Berne was the star of her high school’s theater department, surrounded by a group of misfits and falling in love with her best friend, Wes.

Now her old friends won’t talk to her, her first love, Wes, ignores her, and her best friend is the most popular girl in school. Penny is revered—and hated.

But when a near-fatal lightning strike leaves Penny with no memory of the past year, or how she went from drama nerd to queen bee, Penny realizes she may have the second chance she never expected.…

About the author:



About the Author: Rebecca Maizel hails from Rhode Island, where she teaches high school literature at her alma mater the Wheeler School. She tries not to force her students to read her books, though. Rebecca is the author of several published novels for young adults, and recently achieved an MFA in Writing for Young Adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts. She also enjoys Indian food, her dog Georgie, and running moderately long distances.
Giveaway:
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thursday, June 23, 2016

Bookish Product Review: Authored Adornments Bookish Jewelry (p2)


I'm here today to talk about one of the most amazing Etsy stores that sells stunning book-inspired jewelry and bookmarks - Authoroed Adornments! As you already know, I am extremely lucky to be one of the reps for this store, which means every month I get two of Julie's gorgeous pieces for Instagram features, but because I love Julie and her creations so much, I also want to spotlight her store on the blog! This is the second feature - to see the first one click here.

For the month of May, I picked the Alice in Wonderland inspired necklace in silver, and the gorgeous Raven ring. I'll talk about them in more detail below!

Without further ado, please welcome Authored Adornments!




Alice in Wonderland Necklace 
     Oh how I love Alice in Wonderland inspired stuff - especially beautiful jewelry! Julie's pieces are just heart-stopping. I absolutely love her works and wish I could have the entire collection
This Alice in Wonderland inspired necklace in silver comes with a mini heart pendant and a beautiful ornamental frame. You can also get it in a simple-style version, which looks just as lovely! And like most of Julie's jewelry pieces, it comes in 2 colors - silver and bronze.
You can buy it in 3 different chain lengths, too! The quality of the print is amazing and the glass orb looks so beautiful. This is my favorite Alice merch by far!
This beautiful ring inspired by Edgar Allan Peo's The Raven comes in 3 colors (shiny silver, gunmetal and antique bronze),and because of its unique construction, it's fully adjustable to a perfect fit.

As a huge Poe fan, I just couldn't pass up the opportunity to own a piece of jewelry inspired by one of his amazing works. This ring is so beautiful, guys! And the simple two words (or rather one word split into two glass orbs) give me the feels!!! Such a beautiful, simple yet powerful design. A must have for any Poe enthusiast!!! 
On another note, the ring is very solid and seems super sturdy. It doesn't bend easily, so you can easily do chores while wearing it (I know I do, because I don't want to take it off). I also love the fact that the size is adjustable, so I can even wear it on my thumb if I'm feeling extra fancy. I'm giving this ring two thumbs up! :D  
In addition to an already rich assortment of bracelets, earrings, necklaces, rings and bookmarks, Julie from Authored Adornments also takes requests for specific quotes. She is amazing to work with, so don't hesitate to reach out to her via social media or the Etsy contact form.

Be sure to take advantage of my special rep code to get 10% off your purchase!
CODE: EVIEBOOKISH





About Authored Adornments:


Authored Adornments was started on a whim and has turned into so much more over the last 3 years!

Kyrsten (original owner) started the business when she was working at a little used bookstore in West Seattle. Through ups and downs, holiday rushes and maternity leave, Authored Adornments has served thousands of book-loving customers big and small!

After acquiring some Retail Accounts as big as John Green's website (www.DFTBA.com) and the Seattle Public Library, we hope to expand the jewelry line to reach far across the nation and possibly even overseas throughout 2015.

As Authored Adornments's new owner, Julie (sister to Kyrsten) takes over, new life and excitement will be put into the business! Once goals are met, we will have some Authored Adornments items at a local shop, library or bookstore near you!

Find Authored Adornments online:
 Instagram | Twitter | Etsy 

Friday, June 17, 2016

The Girl From The Savoy by Hazel Gaynor {Book Review, Excerpt, & Giveaway}


 



Genre:
Historical Fiction
Publication.Date:June 7th 2016
Pages:448


My review copy:
I received a copy from Harper Collins Publishers in exchange for an honest review

Where to get:

 Amazon 

                                    


Presenting a dazzling new historical novel … The Girl From The Savoy is as sparkling as champagne and as thrilling as the era itself.

Sometimes life gives you cotton stockings. Sometimes it gives you a Chanel gown …

Dolly Lane is a dreamer; a downtrodden maid who longs to dance on the London stage, but her life has been fractured by the Great War. Memories of the soldier she loved, of secret shame and profound loss, by turns pull her back and spur her on to make a better life.

When she finds employment as a chambermaid at London’s grandest hotel, The Savoy, Dolly takes a step closer to the glittering lives of the Bright Young Things who thrive on champagne, jazz and rebellion. Right now, she must exist on the fringes of power, wealth and glamor—she must remain invisible and unimportant.

But her fortunes take an unexpected turn when she responds to a struggling songwriter’s advertisement for a ‘muse’ and finds herself thrust into London’s exhilarating theatre scene and into the lives of celebrated actress, Loretta May, and her brother, Perry. Loretta and Perry may have the life Dolly aspires to, but they too are searching for something.

Now, at the precipice of the life she has and the one she longs for, the girl from The Savoy must make difficult choices: between two men; between two classes, between everything she knows and everything she dreams of. A brighter future is tantalizingly close—but can a girl like Dolly ever truly leave her past behind?


Lancashire, England
March 1916


In my heart, I always knew he would go; that they would all go, in the end. Now the dreaded day has arrived. Teddy is going to war and there is nothing I can do to prevent it.



Everything is a blur. I don’t remember eating breakfast. I don’t remember laying the fires or doing any of my usual chores. I don’t remember hanging up my apron or putting on my coat and hat. I’m not even sure I closed the door behind me as I set off for the station, but I must have done all these things because somehow I am here, standing on the platform, and he is pressing a bunch of daffodils into my hands. Somehow, he is really leaving.


“I’ll be back before you know it,” he says, brushing a tear from my cheek. “They won’t know what’s hit them when we arrive. Look at us. Tough as old boots!” I glance along the platform. The assembled conscripts look like frightened young boys. Not soldiers. Not tough at all. “I’ll be back for your birthday and I’ll take you to the village dance, just like last year. You’ll hardly notice I’m gone before I’m back.”


I want to believe him, but we all know the truth. Nobody comes back. The thought breaks my heart and I gasp to catch my breath through my tears.


Mam had warned me not to be getting all maudlin and sobbing on his shoulder. “You’re to be strong, Dorothy. Tell him how brave he is and how proud you are. No sniveling and wailing.” And here I am, doing everything she told me not to. I can’t help it. I don’t want to be proud. I don’t want to tell him how brave he is. I want to sink to my knees and wrap my arms around his ankles so that he can’t go anywhere. Not without me.


“We’ll be married in the summer and we’ll have little ’uns running around our feet and everything will be back to normal, Dolly. Just you and me and a quiet simple life. Just like we’ve always wanted.”


I nod and press my cheek to the thick fabric of his coat. A quiet simple life. Just like we’ve always wanted. I try to ignore the voice in my head that whispers to me of more than a quiet simple life, the voice that speaks of rowdy adventures waiting far away from here. “Head full of nonsense.” That’s what our Sarah says. She’s probably right. She usually is.


A loud hiss of steam pierces the subdued quiet of the platform, drowning out the muffled sobs. Doors start to slam as the men step into the carriages. Embraces end. Hands are prized agonizingly apart. It is time to let go.


I reach up onto my tiptoes and our lips meet in a last kiss. It isn’t lingering and passionate as I’ve imagined, but rushed and interrupted by my wretched sobs and the urgency of others telling Teddy to hurry along now. We part too soon and he is walking away from me. I can hardly see his face through the blur of my tears.


The shrill blast of the stationmaster’s whistle makes me jump. Mothers and daughters cling to each other. Wives clutch their children to their chests as they bravely wave their daddy good-bye. Great clouds of smoke billow around us and I cover my mouth with my handkerchief as the pistons yawn into life and begin turning on their cranks. The carriages jolt to attention, and he is going.


I start to move, my feet falling in time with the motion of the train, slow at first, and then a brisk walk. All along the platform, women and children reach out, clinging for all they are worth to prolong the very last touch of a coat sleeve, a fingertip, the last flutter of a white handkerchief. And I am jogging and then running, faster and faster, until I can’t keep up and he is gone.


He is gone.


He is gone.


I slow to a walk and stand among the suffocating smoke as my heart cracks into a thousand shards of helpless despair. Everything has changed. Everything will be different now.


I put my hands in my coat pockets, my fingers finding the piece of folded paper in each. I glance at the hastily scribbled note from Teddy in my right hand: Darling Little Thing, Don’t be sad. When the war is over, I’ll come back to you, back to Mawdesley. With you beside me, this is all the world I will ever need. I glance at the page in my left hand, ripped from the morning paper as I lay the fire in Madam’s bedroom. SOCIETY DARLING AND BRAVE NURSE VIRGINIA CLEMENTS REVEALED AS WEST END STAR LORETTA MAY! I look at her beautiful face and elegant clothes, the perfect image to accompany the glowing report of Cochran’s latest dazzling production and the enchanting new star of his chorus. I stare at the two pieces of paper. The life I know in one hand. The life I dream of in the other.


The church bells chime the hour. Time to go back to the Monday wash and the predictable routines that carve out the hours of a maid-of-all-work like me. Wiping the tears from my eyes, I fold the pages and return them to my pockets. I turn my back on the distant puffs of smoke from Teddy’s train and walk along the platform. The surface is icy and I go cautiously, my footing unsure. I slip a little, steady myself, and keep going. Crossing the tracks, I step onto the frosted grass verge that crunches satisfyingly beneath my boots. On firmer ground, my strides lengthen and I walk faster, and all the while the question nags and nags in my mind: Am I walking away from my future, or walking toward it?


I don’t have an answer. It is not mine to give.


War holds all the answers now.




 


When Dolly Lane’s boyfriend Teddy Cooper went to war, Dolly expected them to marry upon his return. Dolly, a farmer’s daughter from Lancashire had always had her head in the clouds, dreaming of the West End and Broadway stages. In 1923, Dolly after working as a maid in a dreary little place gets one step closer to her dream: she just snatched a position at the very posh Savoy hotel. While hurrying, she crashes into a handsome russet-haired gentleman who drops a pile of music sheets: Perry Clements is an aspiring composer in search of a muse. He is on his way to his weekly tea at the Claridge with his sister Loretta, a famous stage actress, and also Dolly’s idol. That chance meeting in the rain would change both of their lives…

The author's prose is refined and subdued, yet perfectly reflects the era in the vocabulary and the dialogues; the period details are stunning in their accuracy and vividness, as if captured by a a photograph. The author displays such an astonishing knowledge of the artistic world at that time, whether it concerns the movies, the music, or the celebrities. The writing really carries the reader through out the story and makes you feel as if you are part of the 20's for at least a little while. 

There are also plenty of interesting secondary characters who in their own way influence the course of the story. I loved Dolly's side kick at the Savoy. She had personality and was always up for fun and games. All the scenes with the two of them together were splendid. 

There are three different perspectives in the book. Loretta the dancer, Dolly the dreamer and Teddy the boy Dolly was to marry. Each gives a totally different picture of the times they are living in from their points of view. Loretta struggles with her stage presence and the secret the hides. Dolly dreams of being on stage one day and not having to clean other people's room anymore. Teddy, I will leave to the author to describe to you. His story is a special one and any information might give away too much.

 Let me just say, this book is a rare and special one. Miss Gaynor is quickly becoming one of my favorite historical fiction writers. 

Thursday, June 9, 2016

Smoke by Dan Vyleta {Book review & Giveaway}


 



Genre:
Fantasy, Alternate History, YA
Publication.Date:May 24th 2016
Pages:448


My review copy:
I received a copy from Doubleday Books in exchange for an honest review

Where to get:

 Amazon 

                                    


England. A century ago, give or take a few years.

An England where people who are wicked in thought or deed are marked by the Smoke that pours forth from their bodies, a sign of their fallen state. The aristocracy do not smoke, proof of their virtue and right to rule, while the lower classes are drenched in sin and soot. An England utterly strange and utterly real.

An elite boarding school where the sons of the wealthy are groomed to take power as their birthright. Teachers with mysterious ties to warring political factions at the highest levels of government. Three young people who learn everything they’ve been taught is a lie—knowledge that could cost them their lives. A grand estate where secrets lurk in attic rooms and hidden laboratories. A love triangle. A desperate chase. Revolutionaries and secret police. Religious fanatics and cold-hearted scientists. Murder. A London filled with danger and wonder. A tortured relationship between a mother and a daughter, and a mother and a son. Unexpected villains and unexpected heroes. Cool reason versus passion. Rich versus poor. Right versus wrong, though which is which isn’t clear.



T H E  T R I P 
  
They make him wait for his punishment.

It’s laundry day the next morning and, having no choice, Thomas throws the sodden, smelly shirt into the basket, along with the week’s underwear and bedclothes. The Soot stain has faded but not disappeared.

It is no consolation to Thomas that many a schoolboy adds his own stained clothes to the growing pile. Each transgression leaves behind its own type of Soot, and those versed in such matters can determine the severity of your crime just by studying the stain’s density and grit. This is why no classes in Smoke and Ethics are scheduled for laundry day: the master, Dr. Renfrew, spends his morning locked in his office, root- ing through boys’ underclothes. The list of those found guilty of “Unclean Thoughts and Actions” is displayed in a glass cabinet before lunch, so that each schoolboy may learn what punishment has been levied on him. Two days of dining-hall service; three pages that have to be copied from the Sec- ond Book of Smoke; a public apology at school assembly. These, for minor transgressions. More serious offences require individual investigation. The boy in question will be called to the master’s study, to answer for his sins. There is a chair there, upholstered in leather, that is equipped with leather straps. The boys call it the dentist’s chair. No teeth are pulled, but the truth, Dr. Renfrew has been known to say, has to be dug up by the roots. For the most serious violations of Good Order even this procedure is seen to be insufficient. They require the calling of something referred to as a “tribu- nal.” So Thomas has heard. There has been no such case in the weeks since he’s been at school.

In class, Thomas sits distracted and is reprimanded when he cannot recite the four principles of Aristotle’s theory of causation. Another boy recites them with glib relish. He is not asked what the four principles mean, how they are used, or what good they may do; nor who this Aris- totle was whose marble bust stands in the school hallway, near the por- trait of Lord Shrewsbury, the school’s esteemed founder. And in general Thomas has found that the school is more interested in the outward form of things rather than their meaning; that learning is a matter of reciting names or dates or numbers: smartly, loudly, and with great conviction. He has proven, thus far, a very bad student.

At lunch, he hardly eats. He is sitting in the school refectory, which has the shape and general dimensions of a chapel and is dreadfully cold. December winds have pushed the snow into the windows. On the outside they are shrouded in dull white that saps the warmth from every ray of sun. On the inside, they bleed cold water from the edges of their metal frames. On the floor, the puddles refreeze and eat away at the unvarnished wood.

Lunch is a cut of hard gammon half hidden under a ladleful of luke- warm peas. Each bite tastes like mud to Thomas, and twice he bites down on the fork by accident, digging the prongs into his tongue. Halfway through the meal Charlie spots him and joins him at the table. One of the teachers held him up after class. Charlie waits until the skinny little boy on service duty has condemned him to his own piece of leathery gammon with its attendant pile of yellowing peas.

“Anything?” he asks.

Thomas shakes his head. “Nothing. Look at them, though. They are all waiting for it. The pupils, and the teachers, too. All of them, impatient. Yearning for the bloody shoe to drop.”

He speaks resentfully and even as the last word leaves his lips, a wisp of Smoke curls from his nostril, too light and thin to leave behind Soot. Charlie disperses it with a quick wave. He is not worried. Hardly anyone gets through the day without a minor transgression, and there have been days when a teacher could be seen flapping at a thread of Smoke pouring from his tongue. The students tend to like these teachers better. In their imperfection they are closer to their own states of grace.
“They can’t send you home.” Charlie sounds like he believes it. “You’ve only just got here.”
“Maybe.”
“He’ll call you into his office, Renfrew will.” “I suppose so.”


“You’ll have to tell him how it was. No holding back.”

And then Charlie says what’s been on Thomas’s mind all morning. What he hasn’t dared spell out.
“Otherwise he mightn’t let you join the Trip.” Thomas nods and finds his mouth too dry to speak.
The Trip is what everyone has been talking about from the minute he arrived at school. It’s a unique event: there has been nothing like it in the school’s history for close to three decades. Rumour has it that it was Ren- frew who had insisted on the Trip’s revival, and that he has faced fierce opposition, from the teachers, the parents, and from the Board of Gov- ernors itself. It’s hardly surprising. Most decent folk have never been to London. To take a group of schoolboys there is considered extraordinary, almost outlandish. There have been voices suggesting that it will put the whole school in danger. That the boys who go might never return.

Thomas still has trouble finding spit for words. “I want to go” is all he manages before breaking into a dry cough. It does not quite capture what he feels. He needs to see it. The prospect of the Trip is the only thing that’s kept him going these past few weeks. The moment he heard about it was the moment he decided there might be a meaning to his coming to school, a higher purpose. He’d be hard-pressed to say exactly what he expects from their visit to London. A revelation, perhaps. Something that will explain the world to him.

The cough runs its course, exhausts itself in a curse. “That bastard Julius. I could kill the bloody turd.” Charlie’s face is so honest it hurts.

“If you can’t go, Thomas, I won’t—”
Thomas cuts him short because a group of  teachers are passing them. They are speaking animatedly, but drop their voices to a whisper the moment they draw level with the boys. Resentment flickers through Thomas’s features, and is followed by another exhalation of pale, thin Smoke. His tongue shows black for a second, but he swallows the Soot. You do that too often, your windpipe roughens and your tonsils start to darken, along with what’s behind. There is a glass jar in the science class- room with a lung so black it looks dipped in tar.
“Look at them whispering. They are enjoying this! Making me stew in my own fat. Why don’t they just get on with it? Put me in the bloody dock!” But Charlie shakes his head, watches the teachers huddle near the door.
“I don’t think they’re talking about you, Thomas. There is something else going on. I noticed it earlier, when I went to the Porter’s Lodge, to see if I had any mail. Master Foybles was there, talking to Cruikshank, the porter. Making inquiries. They are waiting for something, some sort of delivery. And it’s important. Foybles sounded pretty desperate. He kept on saying, ‘You’ll let me know, won’t you? The minute it arrives.’ As though he were suspecting Cruikshank of hiding it away somewhere. Whatever it is.”

Thomas considers this. “Something they need for the Trip?”

“I don’t know,” says Charlie, thoughtful. “If it is, it better come today. If they have to postpone the Trip, they might end up cancelling it altogether.” He cuts a piece of gammon like it’s wronged him somehow, spilling peas  on all sides. Thomas curses and turns to his own lunch. Leaving food on your plate is against the rules and carries its own punishment, as though it is proof of some invisible type of Smoke.



 

Smoke is everywhere you turn in this world. The rich are able to control their smoke but the poor are covered in soot.This book was different than anything I've ever read. It took me a few tries to really get into this read but once I did, I couldn't put it down.


Smoke is the story of two teenage boys, Thomas and Charlie, in an alternate England where sinful thoughts and deeds are announced to the world around you by smoke pouring from your skin and the dark stains the soot leaves behind. The upper classes have trained themselves to control their smoking in their attempt to look pristine and perfect while the lower classes revel in their smoke and soot, infecting one another with their desires and sinful thoughts. When Thomas and Charlie visit the sinful smog of London on a school trip, both boys witness things that will change their lives and set them on the path to learn the truth about the smoke.

While I absolutely loved this book, I did feel like it dropped a little in the middle. The beginning is fantastic, and I can't even explain how much I adored the ending. But there's about 100 or so pages where I felt my interest waning and I kind of had to push myself through to see where the story went. No reader enjoys this but I felt that the author did a great job of picking the story back up and regaining my interest.

This book has such a unique story line. Smoke is so obvious but also so enticing as to the author's imagination and where he takes the story. I can't imagine a better book and the author delivered suspense and mystery over and over again. This is a definite MUST READ. 

The premise alone will grip you, the writing will hold you and the characters will thrill you!. 





Doubleday Books is offering 2 copies of Smoke for this Giveaway. Enter below. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Thursday, June 2, 2016

Love in B Minor by Elodie Nowodazkij


 



Genre:
Contempary Fiction
Publication.Date:March 15th 2016
Pages:231
Published By:  Elodie Nowodazkij

My review copy:
I received a copy from the author in exchange for an honest review

Where to get:

 Amazon 

                                    


New city. New life. At least, that’s what nineteen-year-old Jen Harrison believes. On the surface, she’s living her dream: dancing in a prestigious dance company in Paris. But her sister’s death and the mistakes she’s tried to bury haunt her. She’s become a pro at hiding who she truly is, and she definitely doesn’t want a guy to derail her, but a one night-stand she can do. Nothing more. She definitely doesn’t plan to see the sexy stranger who made her laugh for the first time in years ever again.

Girls don’t walk away from Lucas Wills. Bad boy turned rock star, he’s got his share of groupies. Always upfront, he doesn’t promise fake tomorrows because love can destroy everything. Been there, done that. His ex not only lied to him, she stomped on his heart, used him to become famous, and almost ruined him. So, waking up alone after a night beyond his wildest imagination with a girl he just met shouldn’t upset him, shouldn’t inspire one of the saddest songs he’s ever written, shouldn’t make him want to chase after her.

When Jen, the one-night stand who got away, auditions to be a dancer in Lucas' next music video, they can’t stop their growing attraction. But Jen’s secrets and his ex could shatter the careers they tried so hard to build and their hearts…they will have to decide what’s more important and if love is worth the fight.




 
It was love at first page for me. I have been a HUGE fan of Elodie's since I read her first book "One, Two, Three (Broken Dreams:Natalya"s Story #1)" Elodie writes with passion and she grabs the reader into her stories very quickly.

Jen and Lucas had one night together and didn't plan on seeing one another ever again. Well, fate works in a funny way because Jen's friend tells her about an audition that happens to be for Lucas' band. The two meet again and Lucas starts feeling something deeper. Never has a one-night stand made him want to spend more time together. But Jen is different somehow and he just can't get this girl out of his head. It might cost him a lot but he doesn't care. He has to see her again.

Jen has a sad story before she meets Lucas which makes her an interesting character to read about. Her back story makes it very easy for the reader to feel for her. Jen is tough outside but inside she is sad and withdrawn. Lucas also has a past he'd rather not talk about. The two characters make for a very good story.

This book was short and sweet but the author still manages to put passion, imagery and feeling into her characters and her writing. Another great read by Elodie.










Wednesday, June 1, 2016

Book Review: Ride Steady by Kristen Ashley

Ride Steady (Chaos, #3)

Genre:
Adult, Romance, Contemporary
Publication.Date  June 30th, 2015
Pages:640
Published By:  Forever
WebsiteKristen Ashley

Ride Steady on Goodreads
My review copy:e-ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review. 

Where to get:


The ride of her life . . .
Once upon a time, Carissa Teodoro believed in happy endings. Money, marriage, motherhood: everything came easy---until she woke up to the ugly truth about her Prince Charming. Now a struggling, single mom and stranded by a flat tire, Carissa's pondering her mistakes when a vaguely familiar knight rides to her rescue on a ton of horsepower.

Climb on and hold tight . . .
In high school, Carson Steele was a bad boy loner who put Carissa on a pedestal where she stayed far beyond his reach. Today, he's the hard-bodied biker known only as Joker, and from the way Carissa's acting, it's clear she's falling fast. While catching her is irresistible, knowing what to do with her is a different story. A good girl like Carissa is the least likely fit with the Chaos Motorcycle Club. Too bad holding back is so damned hard. Now, as Joker's secrets are revealed and an outside threat endangers the club, Joker must decide whether to ride steady with Carissa---or ride away forever . . .

(Goodreads)


"Though, if I ever see your dad, even though I have no idea what he looks like, I won't be responsible for sending him a killing look."
There was a smile in his voice when he returned, "That you can do."
"And if he should later turn up with his car keyed, "I'll say now, it wasn't me."
"Yeah, Carrie," he answered. "It's you. It's always been you. It'll always be you. Fuckin' always."


Kristen Ashley is one of my absolute favorite authors. I have yet to read a book of hers that I do not like, and I can almost always pick up one of her books and be in the exact mood to read it. That fact holds true for Ride Steady, just like it did for Own the Wind and Fire Inside. I absolutely loved this book.

We'd seen Joker a little previously, but in this book we really get to know him. He's stubborn, and takes a while to give in and be with Carissa, but once he does it is so incredibly worth it. He's sweet and protective and I adore this man. Carissa is a kind girl trying to do the best she can for her son while her ex-husband is making life hell. Through it all, though, she was so positive and I enjoyed reading her story along with Joker's.

The romance was fantastic. First of all, Joker and Carissa are all kinds of perfect for each other. At first glance, they don't seem like it--I mean, he's a biker and she was a cheerleader in high school--but when it comes to the things that matter, they are so in sync, it was amazing. Then there's the fact that they can both be so sweet. I LOVED Joker and Carissa together. Not to mention how great Joker was with Carissa's son, Travis. MY HEART.

And it was awesome diving back into the world of Chaos. I loved seeing all the characters again and catching up with the club business. There's a certain feel to these novels that makes it feel so good to dive back in when starting the next one. It's like one big family of the best people and I enjoy it so much.

Kristen Ashley's signature writing style shined again with Ride Steady, and though this book is pretty long it didn't drag at all--especially once Joker and Carissa got together. The story was addictive and beautiful, and I never wanted it to end. Honestly. A whole bunch more of Joker and Carissa would be great. But I'll settle for seeing them in other books in the series.

Overall, Ride Steady was a fabulous addition to the Chaos series! I loved Joker and Carissa's story, and cannot wait until I can dive into the story for the next couple in the lineup--High and Millie :)




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