AUSTRALIAN BLOG TOUR - REVIEW: Crystal Kingdom (Kanin Chronicles #3) by Amanda Hocking

Crystal Kingdom (Kanin #3)Released: 1 August 2015
Genre: Paranormal, Romance
Publisher: PanMacmillan Australia
Purchase: Amazon l Angus & Robertson l Booktopia l Bookworld l Fishpond

With help from the Trylle clan, Bryn tries to clear her name and discover who was really responsible for the Kanin King's murder.

Then, while she's still trying to make sense of it all, Ridley tracks her down while she's on the run for a crime she didn't commit. He refuses to abandon her, so she finally decides that she wants to be with him and that they do belong together. Together, they return to the Kanin capital and rally other trackers and the King's Guard to defend their kingdom from the villain within. But in the process, Bryn learns a startling truth about her former enemy. Brynn's loyalty is still to her kingdom, but will she be rewarded with a place in the royal guard -- and who will ultimately win her heart?

My Thoughts:

I'd always known that war wouldn't be so black and white, but I'd come to realize that there was a darker shade of grey, where right and wrong came second to simply surviving.

Let me start of by saying that when I first started The Kanin trilogy I was a bit concerned that because I hadn't read The Trylle trilogy I would be a little confused. But for those in the same boat as me, don't fear. I never at any point felt any confusion, so you can go ahead and jump right in. You'll be swept away and captivated by the story just as I was.

I read the three books in this series over a one week period. Sometimes when I binge read a series I end up needing a break and praying for the end. But there were certain events in the previous two books that I was desperate to see played out, so I was eager at every point.

My initial reaction after reading Frostfire was that I didn't like Bryn very much. I found her to be a bit immature and self centred. But boy oh boy, didn't that change over the course of the next two books. By the end of Crystal Kingdom she was such a strong character. Concerned for her friends, family and loved ones, to the point that she puts herself in danger to protect them. Her love for her kingdom was such a wonderful thing to see. 

He had this wonderful, dizzying way of making the whole world disappear for a few minutes, so it was only me and him, and all the rest of my fears and worries fell away. 

I loved Ridley right from the start. He's strong, determined, loyal, protective. He possessed all the qualities that you want your leading man to have. My only complaint is that we didn't get to spend a great deal of time with him. But in saying that, those moments that we did get were pretty darn perfect! I loved seeing his relationship with Bryn bloom and blossom, and he bought out some amazing qualities in Bryn and showed her that you can do a job you love as well as have strong, loving relationships. 

Konstantin was a character that had me intrigued throughout the whole trilogy. Even when he was committing acts that had me questioning if he was good or bad, there was just something about him that I liked. And he did have me guessing right until the very end. And what an ending it was! Complete with tears and all!

I can't not make mention of the supporting characters. There was such a wonderful cast and they really had a chance to shine in Crystal Kingdom. Bryn is surrounded by such a fantastic network of strong kick ass friends. Each played an integral role in the story, and I grew to love each and every one of them.

Crystal Kingdom saw Bryn traverse a whole array of kingdoms. And I loved it. Seeing the differences between how all the kingdoms lived was so wonderful. Amanda Hocking's beautifully vibrant storytelling had me perfectly able to picture all the situations that Bryn found herself in.

After finishing the Kanin trilogy, I'm positive that I'll now being going to check out Amanda Hocking's other work. Friends had raved to me about her writing, and now I'm able to agree!

"There is no such thing as a good war, Bryn." Konstantin said. "Good people will die. Innocent lives will be destroyed."

4/5 Awesome Stars!

About the Author:

Amanda Hocking lives in Minnesota and had never sold a single book before 15 April 2010. She will shortly sell her millionth. Her books have been a self-publishing phenomenon - according to the Observer, Amanda is the most spectacular example of an author striking gold through ebooks. In her own words, Amanda is an Obsessive Tweeter. John Hughes mourner. Unicorn enthusiast. Red Bull addict. Muppets activist. Fraggin Aardvarks guitarist. Author of the USA Today bestselling books the Trylle Trilogy.

Find Amanda:

Website l Twitter l Series Website l Facebook l Instagram

Blog Tour – Crystal Kingdom

      Saturday, August 1 - Diva Booknerd - Review and Q&A

   Sunday, August 2 - Book Nerd Reviews - Review and Giveaway

  Monday, August 3 - Butterfly Elephant – Review

Tuesday, August 4 - Confessions from Romaholics – Review

 Wednesday, August 5 - SassyBookLovers - Review, Q&A & Giveaway

Thursday, August 6 – Fictional Thoughts - Review and Q&A

 Friday, August 7- Behind the Pages - Review

 Saturday, August 8 - Words Read and Written - Q&A

 Monday, August 10 - Aussie Bookworm - Review and Q&A

Tuesday, August 11 – Gobblefunked – Review and Q&A

Thursday, August 13 - The Rest Is Still Unwritten – Review

Friday, August 14 - The Rest Is Still Unwritten - Q&A

 Saturday, August 15 – Fangirl World – Review

 Sunday, August 16 - The Cosy Dragon – Q&A

Tuesday, August 18 - Mystical World of Books - Review and Q&A

Thursday, August 20 - Novels on the Run – Review

 Saturday, August 22 - #LoveBooks - Review and Q&A

 Sunday, August 23 - The Cosy Dragon - Review

 Monday, August 24 - Behind the Pages - Q&A

Wednesday, August 26 - YA Book Addict - Review

 Thursday, August 27 - Read Between the Lines - Review

Saturday, August 29 - Book Nerdigans - Review and Q&A

Monday, August 31 - Oops I Read a Book Again - Review and Q&A 

REVIEW: Never Always Sometimes by Adi Alsaid

Never date your best friend

Always be original

Sometimes rules are meant to be broken 

Best friends Dave and Julia were determined to never be cliché high school kids—the ones who sit at the same lunch table every day, dissecting the drama from homeroom and plotting their campaigns for prom king and queen. They even wrote their own Never List of everything they vowed they'd never, ever do in high school.

Some of the rules have been easy to follow, like #5, never die your hair a color of the rainbow, or #7, never hook up with a teacher. But Dave has a secret: he's broken rule #8, never pine silently after someone for the entirety of high school. It's either that or break rule #10, never date your best friend. Dave has loved Julia for as long as he can remember.

Julia is beautiful, wild and impetuous. So when she suggests they do every Never on the list, Dave is happy to play along. He even dyes his hair an unfortunate shade of green. It starts as a joke, but then a funny thing happens: Dave and Julia discover that by skipping the clichés, they've actually been missing out on high school. And maybe even on love. 

Purchase: Amazon l B&N l Book Depository

**REVIEW CONTAINS POSSIBLE SPOILERS**

My Thoughts:

Love was people creating memories for each other...

I'd always meant to read Adi Alsaid's Let's Get Lost, but for some reason that never happened. When I read the synopsis for Never Always Sometimes I knew that this would be the book to introduce me to this authors writing. And the very first thing that jumped out at me was how beautiful that writing is. I connected with it so easily. It was descriptive and perfectly paced. It was so easy to read and get swept up in the story. I was hooked right from the first page!

Never Always Sometimes is split into three sections and told from the POV of our two main characters Dave and Julia. They've been best friends for years, and early on they compiled a list of things that they would never do in high school. A list of cliches that they would avoid at all costs. The list of Never's. But as high school is coming to an end they decide to make things interesting and actually do everything on the list. From partying at the Kapoor brothers house to dying your hair a colour of the rainbow. Everything is fair game.

I loved both Dave and Julia immediately. I loved their closeness and their banter and their ease. Dave is a romantic. He thinks beautiful, romantic things. He's so sweet and caring. And Julia has such a zest for life. She was infectious! But it wasn't until Julia's POV that I realised how much substance she had. She's not just out to have fun and do crazy things. She's so much deeper than that. She cares much more than she lets on.

He'd been a cliche all four years of high school, in love with his best friend, pining silently.

As Dave and Julia complete each of the never's they begin to question the way they viewed things previously. Not just the relationships and interactions they've had with their classmates, but also their feelings for each other. I absolutely loved this aspect of the story. I loved watching their opinions and presumptions evolve and change. I loved seeing the growth of new relationships and new friendships. 

One of the things on the Never list related to hooking up with a teacher. And it was here that the author lost me for a bit. I found the whole thing a little odd. I don't know about you, but hooking up with a teacher never entered my mind when I was in high school. I mean sure there's been teens who've had a crush on a teacher, but the lengths Julia went to were just a little bizarre for my liking. 

Outside of that I loved everything. Until the ending. Now, don't get me wrong, there's nothing really wrong with it besides it not being what I'd imagined. As readers we picture things in our minds. We have visions of how things will play out. And this ending never entered my head once. I'm sure lots of people will love that the author didn't take things down the predictable route though. I just wish I could be one of them. It did guarantee that I'd be thinking about it long after I'd finished reading it.

Rest assured that I will be reading more from this author in the future. Loved, loved, LOVED his writing!

People were always belittling teenage heartbreak. But heartbreak was heartbreak was heartbreak.

4/5 Wonderfully Written Stars

Thanks so much to Harlequin Teen for providing me with a review copy. 

REVIEW: Forever Lost by Laura Morgan

Cassie Taylor has issues… 

Much like any other young woman who turns to a life filled with escorts, hookers, drug-dealers, and gangsters. 

Enter Leonardo Solomon… 

The hottest guy Cassie has ever seen. 

The only problem is he’s a scary, intimidating, drug-lord who surrounds himself with whores, and personal minions. 

Leo is a man who does what he wants, and gets what he wants, and Cassie soon finds herself desperate for his affection. However, at the same time, his powerful prowess scares her too much to let him in. Cassie has a past that still haunts her, a life left behind, but not forgotten. 

So when Leo tries to lay claim over Cassie, and she refuses him, the game is on…

**Mature Content Warning** Recommended for ages 17+ due to language and sexual content.

Purchase: Amazon l Barnes & Noble

My Thoughts:

When Laura Morgan contacted me regarding a review of one of her books, I was intrigued by them being described as dark. Forever Lost jumped out at me immediately. Drug dealers and gangsters sounded to be perfectly right up my alley, and since I had taken a little detour from my regular YA reads, I decided to continue that and jump right in.

What first grabbed me about Forever Lost was the authors writing. It was easy to read and flowed really well. I liked that I was immediately able to immerse myself into the story and I liked the characters. And very quickly I was reminded that this book was a long way from YA and even the New Adult books that I'd been reading of late. Even as I found the sexual escapades that were occurring a bit out of the blue, I wasn't fazed. To the contrary, I was actually enjoying it.

Unfortunately, at about the halfway point the story took a turn into the realms of the unbelievable. I just found myself unable to picture the events in any way realistic. I have no doubt that bad things happen. That there are men who are as controlling as Victor was. That drug lords and gangsters are a part of our world. But I just couldn't grasp any threads of realism in the twists and turns of the story.

I found Cassie to be a little on the unstable side. The decisions and the choices that she made had me scratching my head in confusion. The events of her past should have made her shy away from the world of drug dealing that she was introduced to, but instead she almost embraced it. Then there were her feelings for the men in her life... She seemed to change her opinions as quickly as the wind. I couldn't really understand her.

To be completely honest, the character who I liked the most was Victor. I don't want to give away what his role is in the story but let's just say that I think he was the character that I was supposed to despise. And I did. But I just found him to be the most consistent out of an unstable bunch of characters. 

So, my star rating... Well the first half of this book was incredibly enjoyable, and I could have easily given it four stars, but unfortunately the second half let it down somewhat for me. I suppose I'm sitting somewhere around the two and a half to three star mark for the first half of the story and the authors writing style.

2.5-3/5 Stars.

Thank you so much to Laura Morgan for providing me with a copy of Forever Lost for review. 

REVIEW: After Ever Happy (After #4) by Anna Todd

It’s never been all rainbows and sunshine for Tessa and Hardin, but each new challenge they’ve faced has only made their passionate bond stronger and stronger. But when a revelation about the past shakes Hardin’s inpenetrable façade to the core—and then Tessa suffers a tragedy—will they stick together again, or be torn apart?

As the shocking truth about each of their families emerges, it’s clear the two lovers are not so different from each other. Tessa is no longer the sweet, simple, good girl she was when she met Hardin—any more than he is the cruel, moody boy she fell so hard for. Tessa understands all the troubling emotions brewing beneath Hardin’s exterior, and she knows she’s the only one who can calm him when he erupts. He needs her. 

But the more layers of his past come to light, the darker he grows, and the harder he pushes Tessa—and everyone else in his life—away. Tessa’s not sure if she really can save him—not without sacrificing herself. She refuses to go down without a fight. But who is she fighting for—Hardin or herself?

My Thoughts:

When you love people, you don't let them destroy you along with themselves, you don't allow them to drag you through the mud. You try to help them, try to save them, but the moment that your love is one sided or selfish, if you keep trying, you are a fool.

So, here we are at the end. What a ride it's been!! A journey of emotions for me. So many emotions. I've only just now turned the last page and already I'm feeling a little melancholy. I'm gonna miss these guys!! 

When I neared the end of After We Fell, I was so happy and satisfied with Hardin and Tessa and the progression they'd made. Hardin had grown and changed so much. I loved him and his determination to be a better person. But then we had that huge bombshell dropped into Hardin's lap and I just knew that things were about to get a whole lot of crazy. If there's one thing that Hardin's an expert at it's self destructing and sabotaging the good in his life. And man, doesn't he do it good this time around!! I really wanted to throttle him. He was at his very self loathing, destructive best.

It's impossible to change people who have their mind set on who they are. You can't support them enough to make for their low expectations, and you can't love them enough to make up for the hate they feel for themselves.

Tessa still managed to frustrate me at almost every turn. There were times when her decision making left me scratching my head. Even up until about eighty percent through the book I wanted to curse at her. But after the events that go down in London, does she deserve the way Hardin treats her? Hell no!!! Sometimes despite loving someone so completely, we get to the point where we say enough's enough. Your heart and your soul can only take so much pain and hurt.

I'm nothing! I'm a fucked-up piece of shit with fucked-up parents and a fucked-up head.

Hardin Scott. Where do I start with him. Frustrating, infuriating, maddening, exasperating... But boy, I love the guy with everything that I have. I cannot express my love for him adequately. I seriously didn't think it was possible to fall in love with him more than I already was, but as I was getting towards the end of After Ever Happy, my heart was so full of him. It was fit to burst. The growth of this man was phenomenal. He is loving, patient, caring and considerate, all while maintaining that Hardin edge. And gosh do I love his dirty words!!!

I have to say that I hadn't cried a great deal throughout these books. Yes there were moments when a got a bit teary, but there was always a million other emotions going on at the same time. But reading the epilogue took me forever. I cried so damn hard!! Happy tears, sad tears, frustrated tears, angry tears. I cried them all. And even now just thinking about it I'm getting a bit emotional.

No two relationships are the same. We can't tell the heart who to love and who not to love. It has a mind of its own. We love who we love and that is that. Relationships and love come in all forms. And even though Tessa and Hardin's relationship was at times volatile and destructive, their love was a constant. Even through all the bad, and there was lots, I never doubted that love. When they were on, it was a beautiful thing to read. 

I'm so grateful to Anna Todd for giving me all the Hessa feels. Thank you for the 2587 pages of insane angst and emotional turmoil. But above all, thank you for giving us, the reader, the chance to take the journey of love with Hardin and Tessa.  

Whatever the hell our souls are made of, they are the same.

5/5 All The Feels Stars!!

A huge thank you to Simon & Schuster Australia for providing me with a review copy. 

REVIEW: All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven

The Fault in Our Stars meets Eleanor and Park in this exhilarating and heart-wrenching love story about a girl who learns to live from a boy who intends to die.
Soon to be a major motion picture starring Elle Fanning!
 
Theodore Finch is fascinated by death, and he constantly thinks of ways he might kill himself. But each time, something good, no matter how small, stops him.
 
Violet Markey lives for the future, counting the days until graduation, when she can escape her Indiana town and her aching grief in the wake of her sister’s recent death.
 
When Finch and Violet meet on the ledge of the bell tower at school, it’s unclear who saves whom. And when they pair up on a project to discover the “natural wonders” of their state, both Finch and Violet make more important discoveries: It’s only with Violet that Finch can be himself—a weird, funny, live-out-loud guy who’s not such a freak after all. And it’s only with Finch that Violet can forget to count away the days and start living them. But as Violet’s world grows, Finch’s begins to shrink.
 
This is an intense, gripping novel perfect for fans of Jay Asher, Rainbow Rowell, John Green, Gayle Forman, and Jenny Downham from a talented new voice in YA, Jennifer Niven.

Includes a PDF Help Line Resource Guide and a Note Read by the Author.

My Thoughts:

For a minute I can feel it: the sense of peace as my mind goes quiet, like I'm already dead. I am weightless and free. Nothing and on one to fear, not even myself.

My heart. My poor aching heart. I cried like I've never cried before while reading a book. Big, ugly crying. Loud and scary sobbing. This is a book. Just a book. At least that's what I kept telling myself. This isn't real. But it is. This story is so real, because its happening every single day, the world over. This story could be happening right next door to where I live right now. It could be happening to someone in my family. 

"The cadence of suffering has begun." - Cesare Pavese

I

am

in

pieces.

When I read a book as amazing as All the Bright Places, the characters become my friends, my family. When they're sad, I'm sad. When they're happy, I'm happy. When they're in pain, I'm in pain. I become so invested in their story that it stays with me long after I've turned the last page. Just a passing comment from another book lover can bring to the surface all of the emotions that a book elicited in me. That's how it is with this book. 

For once, I don't want to be anyone but Theodore Finch, the boy she sees. He understands what it is to be elegant and euphoric and a hundred different people, most of them flawed and stupid, part asshole, part screwup, part freak... A boy who belongs - here in the world, here in his own skin. He is exactly who I want to be and what I want my epitaph to say: The boy Violet Markey loves.

Theodore Finch is witty and incredibly intelligent. His mind is a brilliant place, that at times could also be fast and frantic. But his heart... His heart was a thing of beauty. He cared and he loved and he gave so much. But Finch is bullied and beaten. He's called a freak. His home life is sad. His Dad is an arse and his Mum is so distant. And Finch feels everything so greatly. I cannot put into words how much I loved him. This boy is in my heart for life. 

Just like Finch, Violet Markey knows pain and depression. But she has such strength and wonderful parents. When a chance encounter on the ledge of the school bell tower throws this unlikely pair together for a school project, Violet's eyes are opened to how incredible Finch is. Violet doesn't have an instant attraction to Finch, but he's nothing if not persistent and it's not long before his natural charm wears her down. 

I felt so let down by some of the adults in this book. Finch's family failed so miserably in recognising the signs and behaviour that at times was right under their noses. I wanted to scream at them and shake them and make them see. I wanted them to sit up and pay attention to this boy that desperately needed help.

The thing I realize is that it's not what you take, it's what you leave.

This book. This author. I have never, in all my years of reading, read a book that has affected me as greatly or as deeply as this one. It is beauty. It is love. It is pain. It is sadness. It is grief. It is loss. It is life. It is death. It just simply is. 

This book has been compared to the Fault in Our Stars and Eleanor and Park. Personally, I don't like to compare books because ultimately one is going to come off second best. But sometimes a book comes along that blows all others out of the water. This is that book. Get it, read it, and let it become one of the best books you're most likely to read.

You are all the colors in one. at full brightness.

5/5 Theodore Finch Stars.

I received a review copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Quotes are from an ARC and may have changed at the time of publishing. 

BLOG TOUR - AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: Crossing the Ice (Ice #1) by Jennifer Comeaux

Crossing the Ice (Ice #1)

by Jennifer Comeaux

Release Date: 08/03/14

Narrated by: Emily Stokes

Length: 9 hrs and 5 mins 

Summary from Goodreads:

Falling hard never felt so good.

Pair skaters Courtney and Mark have one shot left at their Olympic dream. They vow not to let anything get in their way, especially not Josh and Stephanie, the wealthy and talented brother and sister team.

The heart doesn’t always listen to reason, though...

The more time Courtney spends with sweet, shy Josh, the harder she falls for him. But they are on opposite sides of the competition, and their futures are headed in opposite directions. Will their friendship blossom into more or are their paths too different to cross?

Add to Goodreads

Buy Links:

Audible│Amazon│Barnes & Noble│Kobo Books│iBooks

My Thoughts:

I've only recently discovered the wonderful thing that is audiobooks. Only a few months back I listened to my first one and was hooked. However I do find that my enjoyment has a lot to do with the narrator. If it's not how I imagined, I can find my mind drifting a little while I'm reading. But I didn't have that problem once with Crossing the Ice. Emily Stokes did a wonderful job of alternating voices so that I was never in doubt over who was speaking. I especially loved Sergei's voice. She also expertly captured each characters different emotions, and it was so easy to be swept away in the story.

I'm not shy in admitting that I have a real thing for bad boys. They're usually a little broken and I find myself really attracted to that. But let me tell you, the shy and quiet type may just be my new thing. I adored the ease with which Josh's cheeks reddened, but I also loved experiencing his comfort and Joy at being with Courtney. Josh was just so, so beautiful, and sweet, and caring, and loving. When a guy treats a girl the way that Josh treated Court, it was impossible not to want to swoon at his feet.

I also really Liked Courtney. She was competitive and dedicated and committed to her dream of getting to the olympics. She was sweet and she loved completely and always tried her hardest to make everyone around her comfortable. 

Although Crossing the Ice is listed as New Adult it had a real YA sweetness about it. But don't get me wrong, while there was no overly descriptive scenes, in fact it was a very clean read, there was lots and lots of kissing. Lots of yummy kissing.

I absolutely loved the competition of the ice skating in this book. There were times I was sitting on the edge of my seat just waiting for the scores to be revealed after a skate. There was tension and joy and plenty of ups and downs.

I didn't realise until after I finished listening to this that it was a spin off of The Edge series. But let me say that it in no way made any difference that I've jumped straight in with this one. But I will definitely be going back and picking up the other series for a read.

I must make mention of one issue with the audiobook, although it is no fault of the authors, in one of the early chapters it kept backtracking and repeating lines over and over, and it got to the point that I just had to skip forward past that chapter. But that was the only issue with my whole listening experience.

Crossing the Ice really snuck up on me and grabbed me. It was sweet, with touches of heat, there was tension to hold my interest and a really beautiful romance. I'm really excited to see what comes next for Court and Josh.

"He's simply adorable. I could put him on a cracker. "

4/5 Sweet Josh Tucker Stars.

About the Author:
Jennifer Comeaux is a tax accountant by day, writer by night. There aren’t any ice rinks near her home in south Louisiana, but she’s a diehard figure skating fan and loves to write stories of romance set in the world of competitive skating. One of her favorite pastimes is travelling to competitions, where she can experience all the glitz and drama that inspire her writing. Jennifer loves to hear from readers! Visit jennifercomeaux.blogspot.com for contact information and to learn more about her books.

Author Links:

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