Twisted Luck by Mia Downing or a Contemporary Demon Love Story

Publication Date: April 7, 2017

Book Synopsis

When I told him to go to hell, I never realized it would be a trip for two.
All I wanted was luck—the good kind. I’d lost my job, a jerk hacked my bank account, and I caught my best friend screwing my fiancé. When stood up by my Internet date in a bar, I met the perfect man—tall, dark, and handsome in the most expensive suit. He was out of my league, but I didn’t want forever.
I barely remember the words he whispered under the veil of sin and seduction. I didn’t believe in Satan, God, Heaven or Hell. I thought he was kidding. A figment. A dream.
I was wrong. With one, breathless yes, my fate was sealed.
Businessman by day, demon by night, Leo Weston now owns my soul in exchange for good luck. Time is ticking as he works to secure my mother’s soul, too. Somehow, I have to take him down despite him being so damned gorgeous, glib, and devious. Will my gift of twisted luck be enough to save her and protect my heart? Twisted Luck - Goodreads

My Opinion

3.65/5 Stars

Well! Well! Well, dearies! Twisted Luck was a) a quick read b) funny and c) unique. Although, major WARNING in the sexy-time department!

After finishing this book, you are going to say, "I want more." At least, I did. There is so much more to explore in this book-universe. Being a romance/erotica, the romantic relationship drives the whole story leaving some stuff unexplored to the core.

As a side note: If you are a fan of the CW TV show, Supernatural, this book is no stranger to you. After watching an episode from season 12 of Supernatural, I was able to see it clearly. You know... I was finally able to pinpoint the familiarity I felt while reading Twisted Luck.

Sweet, funny, and cheesy are the first words which come to my mind about this love story. I got attached to the main characters so much. The author did a good job creating our protagonists with complex personalities with a touch of realism. Olivia and Leo are the ones who make this book addicting as chocolate and worth reading.

Speaking of characters, I wanted to see more of Babu and Annie, and Samuel to be more complex like Leo and not purely evil. And... I wonder how many "and's" I can squeeze in such a close proximity to one another?... That's just me. What I felt.

I know this is a romance novel but I want to know more about the demons' system and other small details which seemed brushed off to the side, like:

• the significance of the jingling change in pockets;
• why demons change their human names;
• make the "love" thing to be more believable and a more thorough explanation of why it is unacceptable.

The ending was a little anticlimactic. Or I was too tired to pay attention since it was quite late in the night. The open ending is satisfactory enough; although, it has some unanswered questions and plot holes. We still do not get concrete answers. Some people might be fine with it. I got a feeling that it was done somewhat purposely to leave room for a potential book two. Who knows? The author and the publishing company, obviously. Anyway, I will not complain if we get a second book. With that ending, we... I definitely need one.

Yes, I know! The cover is supper cheese but do not judge a book by its cover. And you're gonna say,"Yeah, right! I hope you are kidding because we all know this is not the case nowadays." Then my response will be, "What are you? The book inquisition?"

Alright! The book presents an interesting aspect. If you like a steamy romance with demons or the TV shows Lucifer  and Supernatural (especially Supernatural) then this is your cup of tea.

This is my sole opinion. ^_^

I would like to say thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Genre: Adult, Paranormal, Urban Fantasy, Romance
Language: heavy
Sexual content: heavy
Violence: moderate
Drugs/Alcohol: moderate to heavy (in the beginning - alcohol)

Melody Obsession of the Week Brought to You by Me Presents Stargate ft. P!nk and Sia Waterfall



Hello-Hello! It is the end of the week and it is time for the Melody Obsession.

Above, you have witnessed my Photoshop Skills. I am rocking the Beginner Style!

And I am some news for you... This baby is going to be the official picture of this section on my blog.

Now, back to the music.

It looks like I am gravitating around Sia lately. Trust me, it's not intentional. Call it fate or brain magic... Ok... I have no idea how to finish that sentence. Darn you bilingual brain.

Brain: LANGUAGE! And be easy on the insults. Did you forget I am your precious?

You are scaring me with that Lord of the Rings reference, brain.

Moving on... Where were we? Oh, right! Music and Sia!

HUMANS... I don't want to speciest (I googled the term just to be sure), so... ORGANISMS, I present to you:

Stargate ft. P!nk

 and Sia

 

Feel free to check out last week's Song here --> Ed Sheeran

Happy listening!

 

Winter TBR Closure Because It's Spring

Hello-Hello, Everybody! It is officially Spring and I am here to bring my Winter wrap-up.

This may or may not come as a shock to you but  - I should definitely know by now - I tend to deviate form my TBR's for no reason. It is like I am doing it on purpose.

What can I say? I am in a constant need to rebel against myself. (More information about that in my post A random post...) When it comes to reading, I try not to force myself to read - all the time hahaha! - books I do not have the desire to read at the moment.

My reading tastes and habits usually match what I am in a mood for or not for at a giving time. As a side note, I am not sure my previous sentence makes sense at all but it made sense in my mind. In the future (consider it a very close future... like further down in my post), you will see that my TBR is just a guide line because I do not want to set boundaries when it comes to reading. Reading should be a fun activity so why force it. DO NOT quote me if you are in a situation when you MUST read a book. If it's a must, it's a must. :D

What I read from my TBR

 Click for my full reviews here --> Illuminae Review Gemina Review 

Click for my full reviews here --> Storm Siren Review Siren's Fury Review 

Click for my full reviews here --> Black Moon Review  

 Full review to come

 Click for my full reviews here --> A Shadow Bright and Burning Review 

 Click for my full reviews here --> Aphrodite Review 

What I did not read or finish to read

It has a slow start. Since it uses Romanian history, I feel a little picky about this book. It is kind of weird when you read a book and you know the end of Lada and Radu from the real history. I already have a mind set about those two: Love Lada, hate Radu! As simple as that. The author does a great job in creating complex personalities for out two protagonists. Also, I am obsessed with things being correct when it comes to Romanian terms and names - especially names - and how they are used so... Sometimes I cringe when things are incorrect. Translation is a tricky thing and the author is trying to not make things confusing for the readers since her major target audience is for clueless (about Romanian history) Americans. (No offense, that is the naked truth. I mean... What really do you -or the majority of you - know about Romania besides Transylvania, vampires, weird reputation in history, and present bad reputation in Europe created by a small group of people?) I am 22% done with this book. I am planning to finish it although I have to push myself a bit. Slow pace. Great build up and descriptions so far. Oh! And hate Ottomans if you have Romanian Blood! Hahaha!

 The series was enjoyable so far... The second book mad me push this book down my general TBR list because reading Gemina and Illuminae created an epic book craving which is not good for a normal less drenaline stimulating novel. Yes, I am planning to read it and finish the series. 

 For this one, even though I received and advanced reader copy, I got spooked by the hype. Other books got in the way and... Yeah. I am going to wait a bit and then give it a try. 

This may come as a shocker since I read almost every single thing written by Stephenie Meyer - except this book and Life and Death; although I am planning to read that one cause... Twilight. I know you cannot force somebody to do what the public wants, however, I wanted her to finish The Host series. I was not in the mood for this book. There was lots of hype from my book entourage. I read 32 pages and I was not that hooked. School and other things got in the way... Thus, I decided to not read this book in the near future.

 

I hope you enjoyed this picture-long post.

Brush aside my saltiness!

Create your own opinions on books!

And you can check out the books' description and  Goodreads links in my Winter TBR Post.

 



Aphrodite by Kaitlin Bevis Where Spoilers Are Inevitable

Aphrodite (Daughters of Zeus #4) - Kaitlin Bevis

 

Being perfect isn’t easy, but Aphrodite is determined to live up to the ideal. So when Poseidon asks her to investigate strange happenings on several cruise ships, she jumps at the chance to prove herself. Demigods are going missing, and no one remembers them having been on board. Aphrodite charms herself into the best room on the ship, prepared to investigate in style. Unfortunately, the room belongs to the one man immune to her charm. Adonis. When Aphrodite realizes that he could be the next target, her investigation gets more complicated. Worse, whoever is responsible for the missing demigods charmed the passengers and armed them with long-forgotten weapons designed to kill gods. When the ship goes dark, Aphrodite and Adonis have to work together to discover who is behind the mayhem before Poseidon decides their ship, and every charmed and armed human on it, are more trouble than they’re worth. Aphrodite

 

 

 

My Opinion

3.60/5 stars

My opinion... My opinion... My opinion... I got into the Daughters of Zeus in March 2016 (Thank you Goodreads) and I was pumped about the series. The first three books center around Persephone and Hades. And boy, oh boy, I fell in love with those two.

We meet Aphrodite in the second book. In the beginning, I got mixed feelings about her and I still have some. Alright! Alright! Those of you who read the Persephone "trilogy" will say that it is understandable. And I could not agree more although I cannot click with her the same way I clicked with Persephone.

I cannot believe I am going to say this about a character... Aphrodite is shallow with a great personality and she is not afraid to tell the hurtful truths. Surprisingly, I liked her more when I was able to read her PoV because... lots of insight in the brain. (I made it sound like a brain dissection >:]).)
 

(Aphrodite from Kaitlin Bevis book/website) 



This book follows up the events of the Iron Queen and the gods go to investigate the "bomb drop" given by Zeus to Hades. Aphrodite volunteers and she becomes the investigator.

I am trying to keep this review as spoiler free as possible and it proves to be a very difficult task...

A good part of the book moves rather slowly. It is a build up for the grad finale which was extremely rich in action. And only for that, I am glad I gave the book another try after a couple of months; although, I wanted more Hades and Persephone. Ha-Ha-Ha!

Spoilers 

I know that the main ship is Aphrodite and Ares but the fact that we do not see how they click it makes me hard to believe in their relationship. Do not cut short my ship, I need feels. Ares and Aphrodite are great characters by themselves and they need more story time. Probably, I am the only person being sympathetic towards Adonis and that is because I had a classmate in 7th and 8th grade called Adonis and he was (and is since he is still alive) beautiful to the eye and a nice person sooo... I have high hopes for him. Ha-Ha-Ha! He does not seem bad. He just took bad decisions.

End of Spoilers

As a warning for those who got addicted to the series, I recommend taking a break after the third book and then read the Aphrodite books. Aphrodite is not Persephone and Kaitlin Bevis does a great job at keeping them distinctive.

I recommend the series if Greek mythology is you cuppa tea or should I say cup of ambrosia?

These books deserve more credit if you ask me.

 

This is my sole opinion. ^_^
 

P.S. I dare you to eat a pomegranate for every single time I used the words click, clicked or clicks  - including now.
  

Link to Goodreads -->Persephone by Kaitlin Bevis 

Link to Author's site -->Kaitlin Bevis

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Greek Mythology Romance
Language: moderate
Sexual content: moderate to heavy
Violence: moderate to heavy
Drugs/Alcohol: moderate to heavy



Melody Obsession of the Week Brought to You by Me Presents Ed Sheeran Shape of You

Hello-Hello! It is the end of the week and it is time for the melody obsession.

Of course you know what is my song pick because... post title.

BUT bear with me before pressing the play button because I have this whole explanation on how and why I chose this song.

Tap-tap-tap... An explanation... Ok. Well... I heard bits and pieces of this song on the radio and I was "Eh! It's alright." Ed Sheeran is a particular artist who, in my opinion, is more lyric focused and I usually like my songs with  more instrumental music. (I will rather listen to him live in a concert because he has a great voice --> YouTube - Ed Sheeran Bloodstream Live) So, I kind of ignored the song until... Until I heard the part "Oh, I! Oh, I! Oh, I!" 

That was the moment! I went to YouTube. I found the song and pressed play a million times. And yes, I fell in love with the "Oh, I! Oh, I! Oh, I!" parts. I wished the song had more "Oh, I! Oh, I! Oh, I!" in it. Ha-Ha-Ha!

Without further ado...

 

Ed Sheeran - Shape of You

 

Play it on repeat!

Feel free to check out the last week melody obsession Loreen Statements and Lilo & Stitch Intro.

 

Bonus:

The acoustic version of

Statements by Loreen

 

Happy listening!

 



The Edge of Everything by Jeff Giles - The book with two sides Contemporary and Fantasy

Book Synopsis

For the perfect love, what would you be willing to lose?
It’s been a shattering year for seventeen-year-old Zoe, who’s still reeling from her father's shockingly sudden death in a caving accident and her neighbors’ mysterious disappearance from their own home. Then on a terrifying sub-zero, blizzardy night in Montana, she and her brother are brutally attacked in a cabin in the woods—only to be rescued by a mysterious bounty hunter they call X.
X is no ordinary bounty hunter. He is from a hell called the Lowlands, sent to claim the soul of Zoe’s evil attacker and others like him. X is forbidden from revealing himself to anyone other than his prey, but he casts aside the Lowlands’ rules for Zoe. As they learn more about their colliding worlds, they begin to question the past, their fate, and their future. The Edge of Everything

 

My Opinion

3.75/5 starts.

This book stays at the edge of Contemporary and Fantasy (Paranormal). It was strange and a page turner. Jeff Giles succeeded to create something fresh and unique.

When the blurb came out about this book, a lot of people - including me - thought this was a contemporary novel. Wrong. Alright, half wrong. It is so much more than that.

You might want to read this book only for its beginning and end. There is so much tension and suspense that you want to grip something tightly. For a second, I got the impression I was reading a thriller/horror novel.

There are two worlds in this book-universe: our world and the Low Lands - kind of like a hell type of dimension. Our main characters are star crossed lovers from these two worlds, Zoe and X respectively. Their life stories are very interesting so I will let the book to tell you more about them.

The good romance loses same of its credibility due to the rushed start. It was like the author knew that they are going to be together and he was not quite sure how to deal with it so it happened quite fast. Don't get me wrong some moments felt real and genuine.

I feel like I am in minority because I preferred X's part of the story even though we still need to learn more about it. Zoe was a weird character and I mixed feelings about her. In one scene I was liking her and in the next I was despising her. She was not too considered and responsible at times. I grew more sympathetic towards her at the end of the book when things started to get resolved - somewhat.

I liked that the parent figure is not brushed off and be there just for show. That mother was involved. I am so glad. Lately, I see in a lot of YA books that the parent is portrayed as a villain or uncaring or dead or simply not there. And, my dear readers, I feel frustrated because it is not a good representation of how the parent-child relationship should be. In a lot of instances, I detected myself thinking, "That is not how my relationship with my parents is."  I am not saying that those instances are not real too... But as I got older, I realized these type of books can send a dangerous messages - directly or indirectly - to the younger audience. And it is not good. It took me a good junk of my life to realize that the adults in my life were also teenagers at some point.  (That is a lot of time of my life since I just reached adulthood. Adulthood such a weird word to say about myself when I do not feel like and adult at all.)

I was intrigued by the other bounty hunters (Banger and Ripper). I never thought I was going to feel sympathetic towards killers. I am telling you. This book is toying with your mind forcing you to see that things are not always black or white.

As a Minor Spoiler - How the heck did those dogs are still alive by the end of this book? Don't get it wrong, I am not complaining. It is just unbelievable among other things. - End Spoiler

Overall, this book was my cup of tea. Although, something was off and I cannot put my finger on it. I am looking forward to the next installment. I recommend this for its story arc which overshadows the annoying parts. In my opinion, it is something unique because it uses things we have read before but in an unexpected combination.

Give this book a try if you feel like it is something you would like to read.

This is my sole opinion. ^_^

 

Feel free to check out my post on The Edge of Everything - Booksplosion Book Pick and the book discussion, The Edge of Everything - Live Show, on polandbananasBOOKS YouTube channel.  

I would like to say thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Paranormal
Language: moderate
Sexual content: moderate
Violence: moderate to heavy
Drugs/Alcohol: mild

A random post because I am in need of expressing my mind and there is a twist

Hello-Hello! How is life? I am quite well or at least this is the answer people want to receive and not the true one. Yes, pleasantries. Futile pleasantries.

In real life, I am procrastinating because I want my brain to wander and do what it wants, hence this random post. I have read so many books lately. I have many reviews to come.

But... I do not know. It is like my brain is rebelling against - Is it me? Or myself? Or I?... Ok, the same brain says --> me.

It is like I have two different "I's" (not eyes, and before you ask, yes I have two eyes) inside of me:

I who is a stubborn and obnoxious child who taps the foot, crosses the arms over the chest and says," I do not want to" like a command;

And  

I who is like the goddess Athena rational, calculated, and intelligent... Oh! And that I is also stubborn. Sometimes she scares me! Hahaha! Then, with a fierce look over the rim of her glasses, she says, "Be reasonable! Think!"

Most of the time is good. But what happens when both rebel?

Well, you get me not doing my book reviews.

I mean... It's not like I am giving myself homework, is it? Is it?

Oh man! Really? How can you call that homework? That is your hobby!

Brain whispering: Keep telling yourself that. But you are not fooling me.

What are you doing here? Get out of this post!

Brain: Aaa... Do you realize that we are one and the same? So, of course, I have to be in this post.

Ok. Ok. Ok. So be it!

Hmmm! "Why am I in a quarrel with myself?" It is March. Spring has begun only not where I live. Apparently, Spring has decided to elope with the Sun after they had some heated meetings in February. (22 degree C in the middle of February that is unacceptable during the winter season.) Now, winter had seen the opportunity and it is snowing cats and dogs with a bucket. Thus, I was left to miss Spring and substitute her with Romance novels set in the 1800's.

Yes, I am a sucker for Romance and I am not ashamed of it. I quite enjoy reading about women and men who rebel against the system and society views.

Brain: Now you see! Spring. Rebel. Get it? 

Hypothetical face palm. Nooo! It is not like we are one and the same.

Brain: Are you sarcastic while using your own words against yourself? That's harsh, girl!

Bye, Brain! I can't deal with you!

Brain: Eyes roll then mimicking mockery

Yeah... I want my Spring and flowers! I miss Romanian Springs. They were so festive with flowers and ancient traditions. Maybe the Sun decided to run away with the Spring because it might have heard US politicians talking about making it to pay taxes... cause skin cancer. It is not like we are alive thanks to the Sun. I need my vitamin D.

Conclusion: The only thing I want to do is to read romance novels while I desperately yearn for Spring to come back into my life.

I mean, Spring is befitting for Romance novels.  

Bain: Just sayin'!

Agree! High five!

Original expression:

Raining cats and dogs (EN).

Plouă cu găleata (RO). --> "Raining with the bucket"? (EN translate)

 

I hoped you enjoyed my thought process and imagine being me everyday!

Wink-wink

Let's hope you understood something from this post.

It made sense in my head.

Laughing out loud! --> LOL

Brain: But The Diabolic was not quite a romance novel

 

Melody Obsession of the Week brought to you by Me presents Loreen and Lilo & Stitch

 

Hello-Hello! Happy Sunday Everyone!

This week I have not one but two songs for you.

My first pick is in the honor the Eurovision even though I found the song before I found out that Loreen entered the competition to qualify for Eurovision. Long story... Hahaha!

The second song is dedicated to my childhood and spring/summer weekend mornings when I was watching Lilo & Stitch at my grandma's house in the countryside.

LOVE YOU, Grandma!

Imi e dor de tine Mica! (This portion is in Romanian)

So without further ado, I present you:

 

Loreen - Statements

And

Lilo & Stitch Intro

 

Do not forget to play the music on repeat!

Happy listening!

Feel free to check out the last week melody obsession Sia Move Your Body.

 



A Twist in Time by Julie McElwain or the second Kendra Donovan book where twists are happening

This post may contain SPOILERS!

You have been warned!

Pub. Date: April 4, 2017

Book Synopsis

Former FBI agent Kendra Donovan’s attempts to return to the twenty-first century have failed, leaving her stuck at Aldridge Castle in 1815. And her problems have just begun: in London, the Duke of Aldridge’s nephew Alec—Kendra’s confidante and lover—has come under suspicion for murdering his former mistress, Lady Dover, who was found viciously stabbed with a stiletto, her face carved up in a bizarre and brutal way.
Lady Dover had plenty of secrets, and her past wasn’t quite what she’d made it out to be. Nor is it entirely in the past—which becomes frighteningly clear when a crime lord emerges from London’s seamy underbelly to threaten Alec. Joining forces with Bow Street Runner Sam Kelly, Kendra must navigate the treacherous nineteenth century while she picks through the strands of Lady Dover’s life.
As the noose tightens around Alec’s neck, Kendra will do anything to save him, including following every twist and turn through London’s glittering ballrooms, where deception is the norm—and any attempt to uncover the truth will get someone killed. A Twist in Time

 

 

 

 My Opinion

4/5 stars.

The second instalment of Kendra Donovan book is going to hit the stores soon. I will try to keep my review as spoiler free as possible. Although, while reading this review, keep in mind that this is the second book in a series thus spoilers are inevitable.

A Twist in Time jumps directly into the action. No more story building and no more major character introduction. Murder. Action. Story begins.
Compared to the first book, this one has a better start. The reader is hooked right away.
The themes past meets future and future woman living in the past continue to be explored by the author.

In this book, there are lots of badass scenes with Kendra. Let me tell you, this woman has guts! No joke! Although, it is very interesting how society perceives them. Yeah, in the society's mind Kendra is only for décor. Sad! I know. Also, throughout the story we read how society's believes influences the individual's believes about itself. But, there is more to the eye. People from high class care more about pretense than their wellbeing.
On the other hand, let's not forget that the nobles are only the minority. So, we get a glimpse to the real ordinary people where the societal standers are not as respected as the minority (the nobles and their close servants) group thinks. "Normal" or "ordinary" humans - whatever you want to call them - care about their everyday life and not some stupid norms.

The battle against women stereotype and women who believe that stereotype is so prominent here. If you are too unique you are an oddity or a freak. Men are portrayed like they want to stay out of womanly conflicts. The author touches the subject indirectly about how men have to be manly and women have to be feminine in the 1800's. Equal but divided. I saw that in the duke when Kendra was having a conflict with the duke's sister. And if you remember from the first book, the duke is the most open minded character in this series. Alec, on the other hand, is a different story. Kendra has a strong influence on him and he gets a modern perspective of life. At some point, he is quite mesmerized about how his mindset has changed because of Kendra.
Kendra is still having a inner struggle if she should return to the future/present time or not. The past continues to terrify her but this time is more about society norms and its way of thinking than the physical benefits of the 21st c. Although there are lost of differences between the 19th c. and 21st c. -obviously, the author does not fail to briefly touch the subject that the past is not, in some ways, different than the present. And believe it or not, I appreciated that aspect because she is right.

The murder in this second book is emotional and intriguing. Our murder victim is a bad person and the controversial question, "Does a bad person deserves justice also?" is toughly explored.
The murderer happens to be in plain sight and it can be anyone even your closest friend. I was not able to figuring out the murder in this one because I was reading during a sleep deprivation period. Hahaha. Probably, I needed a cup of [black] tea. ;)

I consider this book to be a light murder mystery book great for newbies of this genre.

 

This is my sole opinion. ^_^

 

Feel free to check out my review on the first book, A Murder in Time, <--here.

 

I would like to say thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Genre: Adult, Mystery, Historical Fiction, Time Travel
Language: moderate to heavy-ish
Sexual content: moderate to heavy (most of it ties with the murders)
Violence: heavy (it's a murder mystery)
Drugs/Alcohol: moderate

Book Giveaway March 2017

Hello-Hello! I have great news for you guys. And you probably figured that out from the title of this post.

One of the wonderful bloggers I follow hosts a Book Giveaway for A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab (Goodreads link). And... And, I got green light to share the Giveaway on my blog.

The host is none other than Giulia China from Books Crumbles.

You can enter to win a free copy until March 31st, 2017. For more details and how to enter the giveaway, you can click the following link ---> Giveaway Rules

 

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Fiction, Magic

 

If you are fan of V.E. Schwab and you did not get your greedy hands on a copy of the book, this is you chance!

Good Luck!

And Happy Reading!

Book clubs book picks of the month for March - A mashup between Booksplosion and Perustopia

Hello-Hello! Happy Women's Day! I am writing this post from the windy Lake Eire area, USA.

The internet connection fluctuates more than the class curve after a killer o-chem exam.

Let's hope that I will be able to post this post today...

It is the month of March which means that it's time for another book picks.

So without further ado...

 

Booksplosion's Pick

The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon

(Goodreads link)

 

Genre: Young Adult, Fiction, Paranormal, Dystopia, Science Fiction

 

Perustopia's Pick

The Valiant by Lesley Livingston

(Goodreads link)

 

Genre: Young Adult, Historical Fiction, Fantasy

Happy reading!

And feel free to check out the creators' YouTube channels and previous book picks.

I will the links down below. 

 

Booksplosion:

Christine from polandbananasBooks
Jesse from jessethereader
Kat from Katytastic

January: Wayfarer

February:The Edge of Everything

Perustopia:

Sasha from  abookutopia 

 Regan from PeruseProject

January: Ever the Hunted

February: The Alchemist of Loom

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



A Murder in Time by Julie McEwain when FBI becomes famos in the 1800's

Book Synopsis

Beautiful and brilliant, Kendra Donovan is a rising star at the FBI. Yet her path to professional success hits a speed bump during a disastrous raid where half her team is murdered, a mole in the FBI is uncovered and she herself is severely wounded. As soon as she recovers, she goes rogue and travels to England to assassinate the man responsible for the deaths of her teammates.
While fleeing from an unexpected assassin herself, Kendra escapes into a stairwell that promises sanctuary but when she stumbles out again, she is in the same place - Aldrich Castle - but in a different time: 1815, to be exact.
Mistaken for a lady's maid hired to help with weekend guests, Kendra is forced to quickly adapt to the time period until she can figure out how she got there; and, more importantly, how to get back home. However, after the body of a girl is found on the extensive grounds of the county estate, she starts to feel there's some purpose to her bizarre circumstances. Stripped of her twenty-first century tools, Kendra must use her wits alone in order to unmask a cunning madman. A Murder in Time 

 

My Opinion

3.75/5 stars.

I know you usually do not start a conversation with "so" but just stay with me would ya?

So... I got my eyes on this book since last year when it was chosen for mystery/murder book on OverDrive. I borrowed. I kept it for 21 days and did not read it. Classic me. (For those of you who are not familiar or do not know about OverDrive, it is a website - and app - where you can also use your library card to borrow books, audiobooks, movies etc., if your library is affiliated with OverDrive.)

Recently I got my hands on the eBook and trust me when I tell you that I had this baby for months on my Holds list. Yeah, that high was the waiting list for this book.

Anyway, I am glad that my waiting was not in vain and the book did not disappoint. The binning was rather slow in my opinion, except for the prologue - or chapter 1, I do not remember exactly - which was creepy and got me hooked. Yes, the first seven or so chapters where a pain in the bottom to read through. After that, the book got better and better.

The writing was easy to follow and understand. It flowed nicely and every detailed clicked in place.

I was able to connect with main because I would react the same way if I was trapped in time/past. Finally, I encountered someone with real thoughts about time travel. Despite the romance, she knows she does not belong and the potential thought of being trapped in 1815 forever terrifies her. I mean who wouldn't be? Especially a woman. I will go nuts without my life conditions and the ability to be who I want to be despite people's opinions, trends, and fashion. I want my pants, my modern shoes, modern undergarments, present medication... What am I talking about? I want present everything. I mean it is not perfect but it is better than 1815. I know. I know. I know I sound selfish but so would you, trust me. And no amount of love would convince you otherwise because only death is certain in life.

Ok... That's too much of a serious topic for this book review. Ha-ha-ha! Or is it?

Moving on...

The romantic aspect did not captured the whole attention of the book. It was slow burning and realistic. Alec is a very fine future duke if you ask me. Another small detailed, which was under tuned in the book, was the Greek mythology. - Loved it! - If you read the book you would know what I mean.

The author's does a great job of keeping things real and not having the "character protection instinct". My brain was in the full Sherlock Holmes mode and I was able to figure out the murderer because I was paying attention to the details. Although, I was still surprised when it was revealed because there is a twist. But I was still right!!!
 

 

Don't judge me! :))
Now let's move on to the stuff I did not like in the book.
For a main character who is a genetic prodigy from FBI, Kendra is not as calculated and does not show the self-control I was expecting from her. Because she used with the modern times, sometimes she appeared naïve and too confident with a killer on the loose. At some parts, Kendra herself and her actions were accepted rather quickly by the people in the 1800's. She also expects full trust from the people who see her as a stranger. Oh! For a smart person, she did not recognize that she fits the pattern. Either that or she did not care. But that was the feeling I got from the book. I know that Alec points that to her.
Another down was that the author focused on a handful of suspects making it quite easy to guess the killer. At least from my point of view. She was not vague enough. I don't know my previous experience with mystery-detective novel is the Cormoran Strike by Robert Galbraith (books 1-3). So, my comparison range is very limited. SPOILER - I am still amazed that I was able to find the single word which clues who's the main killer :) - END of SPOILER.
Now, there is another character who acted out of character in my opinion. :) Small Spoiler - April is a prostitute business woman. She owns a brothel and she runs it too. But when it comes up to meet with a killer, she does not cover her a-s-s. Really? Woman, you should know better! - End of Spoiler.

I am not an expert in mystery-murder novels. And, in my opinion, this book is a good starter for this genre. Who knows? It might be your cuppa tea! ;) I definitely enjoyed it. 

I know this has been a long post. So, look! Jimmy Fallon dancing bellow!

 

 

This is my sole opinion. ^_^

 

Genre: Adult, Mystery, Historical Fiction, Time Travel
Language: moderate to heavy-ish
Sexual content: heavy (most of it ties with the murders)
Violence: heavy (it's a murder mystery)
Drugs/Alcohol: moderate 

Zenith Part 1 by Sasha Alsberg, Lindsay Cummings or the story which gets a full book in 2017

Book Synopsis

There is darkness sweeping across the stars.
Most know Androma Racella as the Bloody Baroness: a powerful mercenary whose reign of terror stretches across the Mirabel Galaxy. To those aboard her fearsome glass starship the Maurader, she’s just Andi, their captain and protector.
When a routine mission goes awry, the all-girl crew’s resilience is tested as they find themselves in a most unfamiliar place: at the mercy of a sadistic bounty hunter connected to Andi’s past and a harrowing betrayal.
Meanwhile, on the far side of the galaxy, a ruthless ruler waits in the shadows of the planet Xen Ptera, biding her time to exact revenge for the destruction of her people. The final pieces of her deadly plan are about to fall into place, unleashing a plot that will tear Mirabel in two.
Andi and her crew embark on a dangerous, soul-testing journey that could restore order to their ship—or just as easily start a war that will devour worlds. As the Marauder hurtles towards the unknown, and Mirabel hangs in the balance, the only thing certain is that in a galaxy run on lies and illusion, no one can be trusted.
From internet sensation Sasha Alsberg and author Lindsay Cummings comes a new serialized space opera, full of action, fantastical intrigue, and steamy star-crossed romance. ​
For fans of popular sci-fi books and fantasy books for teens such as Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff, Wool by Hugh Howey, Truthwitch by Susan Dennard, and A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas. Zenith Part 1

My Opinion

3/5 starts.

Sasha Alsberg is one of the YouTubers I follow - Abookutopia. She is fun to watch and because of her recommendations and book club, Prustopia, I was able to read good books. Now she paired up with Lindsay Cummings and wrote a book. 

In 2016, Zenith was planned to be released in three parts. The success of the first part got Zenith a publisher and an official release date as a complete book in 2017. So, yeah! This baby is coming out this year again.

I got my hands on this first part from the library and I got excited to be kind of disappointed by the end of the 60 pages. It took me a couple of days to read 60 pages. I mean 60 PAGES for goodness sake :)). Something was off and I cannot pinpoint what.

The overall story was great and promising. Think about it! Space. Pirates. Bounty hunters. Outlaws. Politics. Betrayal. Death. And prison. Yep! Yep! Yep!

Sign me up for this. And because of these, I am going to give the full book a shot. I want to see what edits the final version gets.

My problem with Zenith was the credibility of the story. For a criminal lady, the nickname, Andi, doesn't sell it for me especially when your whole crew uses it. She has to show power, trust and no mercy. I was expecting the nickname to be part of her past when she was a child or innocent... You know... Before becoming the Bloody Baroness. Or to let only the people who are the closest to her to call her Andi. I don't know. That is just me because every single time I read Andi I see a cute girl running in a summer dress singing lalalala from the top of her lungs.

 

Ha-Ha-Ha! Ooops!

This was probably not what the authors intended. My bad. I bet you cannot take that image out of your head >).

I going to wait and see what the whole book is going to bring us. I have high hopes.

 

This is my sole opinion. ^_^

 

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Science Fiction
Language: moderate
Sexual content: mild to moderate
Violence: high
Drugs/Alcohol: none to mild

  

Melody Obsession of the Week brought to you by Me presents Sia Move Your Body

Hello-Hello!

Have you ever been obsessed with a song that you play it on repeat until your parents, friends, and entire family tree look at you like the meme below?

 

 

Yeah! I've been on both sides of the fence. Mostly on the obsessed part but who keeps tabs. Ha-ha-ha!

Shout out to my first year college roommate, now friend, who got me reacting like this (meme below) every single time I heard "Shake it off" by Taylor Swift. And Yes, I need two Hades memes to express my internal frustration because now I freaking sing along every time I hear "Shake it off".
 

 And believe it or not I LOVE - and I feel proud of myself - when I stir the same reaction in people that I love and know.

So, I am hoping to get your brains addicted to some catchy tunes and your next of kin angry with you. It is a win-win situation from what I see... or should I say hear.

 

So without further ado... 

 

 

Sia Move Your Body!

 

 

Happy Music Obsession!