Review: Perfect Scoundrels by Ally Carter

Perfect Scoundrels by Ally Carter

Title: Perfect Scoundrels (Heist Society #3)
Author: Ally Carter
Genre: Contemporary, Crime, Young Adult
Publisher: Orchard Books (7th February 2013)
Blurb:

Kat’s never been afraid of a challenge – but now she faces the impossible . . .

Katarina Bishop’s family of loveable criminal masterminds couldn’t be less like the gorgeous Hale’s high-society relatives. So when Hale unexpectedly inherits his grandmother’s billion-dollar corporation, there’s no place for Kat. Kat won’t give up that easily, though, especially when she gets a tip-off that the will is a fake: an elaborate con to steal the company’s fortune. Only the most audacious plan yet can hope to rescue the situation. But is Kat willing to save her boyfriend’s company, if it means losing the boy?

Rating: ***** (5 stars)
Review:

Having loved the first two books in Ally Carter’s Heist Society series, I have been looking forward to getting my hands on Perfect Scoundrels for a while. I really enjoyed reading Kat’s adventures, but the blurb for this book really got me interested. It seemed like there was the potential that Kat could have a lot to lose in this book.

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Review: Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire

Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire

Title: Beautiful Disaster (Beautiful #1)
Author: Jamie McGuire
Genre: Contemporary, New Adult, Romance
Publiser: Simon & Schuster UK (14th August 2012)
Blurb:

GOOD GIRL

Abby Abernathy doesn’t drink or swear and she works hard. Abby believes she has buried her dark past, but when she arrives at college, her dreams of a new beginning are quickly challeneged by the univeristy’s one-night stand.

BAD BOY

Travis Maddox, sexy, built, and covered in tattoos, is exactly what Abby needs – and wants – to avoid. He spends his nights winning money in a floating fight club, and his days as the notorious college Lothario.

IMMINENT DISASTER?

Intrigued by Abby’s resistance to his charms, Travis tricks her into his life with a simple bet. If he loses, he must remain celibate for a month. If Abby loses, she must live in Travis’s apartment for the same amount of time.

OR THE START OF SOMETHING BEAUTIFUL?

Either way, Travis has no idea that he has met his match. Or that this is the start of an obsessive, intense relationship that will lead them both into unimaginable territory . . .

Rating: **** (4 stars)
Review:

I have to admit that it was the cover which first drew me to this book, then I read the blurb and I was intrigued. It sounded like it had a lot of potential, and then there were the reader quotes on the back of the book compairing it to Twilight and Shades of Grey. . . If that is the kind of book you’re looking for, then I suggest that you look elsewhere.  There are no sparkly vampires, no Native American werewoves, and no BDSM. Beautiful Disaster is a dark, complex, messy story.

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Review: Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl

Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl

Title: Beautiful Creatures (Caster Chronicles #1)
Authors: Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl
Genre: Paranormal Romance, Young Adult
Publisher: Razorbill (4th February 2010)
Blurb:

IN ETHAN WATE’S HOMETOWN THERE LIES THE DARKEST OF SECRETS . . .

THERE IS A GIRL. SLOWLY SHE PULLED THE HOOD FROM HER HEAD . . . GREEN EYES, BLACK HAIR. LENA DUCHANNES.

THERE IS A CRURSE. ON THE SIXTEENTH MOON, OF THE SIXTEENTH YEAR, THE BOOK WILL TAKE WHAT IT’S BEEN PROMISED. AND NO ONE CAN STOP IT.

IN THE END, THERE IS A GRAVE.

LENA AND ETHAN BECOME BOUND TOGETHER BY A DEEP, POWERFUL LOVE. BUT LENA IS CURSED AND, ON HER SIXTEENTH BIRTHDAY, HER FATE WILL BE DECIDED. ETHAN NEVER EVEN SAW IT COMING.

Rating: *** (3 stars)
Review:

Normally when I pick books it is because I either know and like the author, or because I have heard about it on the blogsphere. That was not the case with Beautiful Creatures. Instead I saw the trailer for the film and thought it sounded like the book might be something I would love.

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Women of the Otherworld Challenge: 13 + International Giveaway!!

Each month beginning March 1st, 2012, challenge members will read or re-read the title for that month. In addition, challenge members will either post a review, their reading experience, character castings or anything else related to that title. You have freedom to have fun with your monthly post so be creative! Seeing as this series is 13 novels long, this challenge will last 13 months.

So this is it. The final book, and my final post for this challenge.

13 by Kelley Armstrong (UK cover)

13 (Women of the Otherworld #13)
by Kelley Armstrong
Published: 24th July 2012

13. The breath-taking, explosive finale to the Women of the Otherworld series.

War is coming to the Otherworld. A sinister cult known as The Supernatural Liberation Movement is hell-bent on exposing the truth about supernaturals to the rest of the world. Their violent, ruthless plan has put everyone at risk: from werewolves to vampires, from witches to half-demons.

Savannah Levine – fiery and unpredictable – stands at the heart of the maelstrom. There is a new, dark magic inside her, granting her the power to summon spells of terrifying strength. But whether this magic is a gift or a curse, no one knows.

On the eve of battle, all the major players must come together in a last, desperate fight for survival – Elena and Clay; Adam and Savannah; Paige and Lucas; Jeremy and Jamie; Hope, Eve and more . . . They are fighting for their lives. They are fighting for their loved ones.

They are fighting for the Otherworld.

You can find my 4 out of 5 star review for 13 here.

I had really mixed views about 13 when I first heard about it. I wasn’t totally convinced that I wanted to read it – after all, 13 represented the end of an era for me as well as the end of one of my favourite urban fantasy series.

The Women of the Otherworld series had been such a large part of my reading life since my mid/late-teens that I was somewhat disappointed to discover that there were going to be just 13 books in the series, and that the final three books were going to be Savannah’s arc. As I’m sure you know by now, if you’ve been following these posts, Elena is my favourite character. She started the series, and I was hoping that she would end the series – full circle so to speak, but that kind of already happened in Frostbitten so I’m not too disappointed.

In the end I think 13 provided a good ending to the series, and that Savannah was a good choice to lead the final arc of the series. I’m still a little sad to see the series end, but as I own a copy of all 13 books I have plenty of opportunities to re-read them – opportunities which this challenge offered me, so thank you Moonlight’s Gleam for organising and running this challenge!

>>Giveaway!

As this is my last post for the Women of the Otherworld Reading Challenge I have decided to offer ONE lucky person the chance to win ONE copy of their choice from one of the books listed below (to find out more about the book click on the link and it will take you to its Goodread page). To enter click the link to the Rafflecopter form, but don’t forget to read the rules before entering!

You could win a copy of . . .

RULES

  • To enter this giveaway you must be 18 years or older (this is due to the fact that some of the giveaway prizes are aimed at an adult audience).
  • This competition is open internationally (except where prohibited by law).
  • ONE winner of this giveaway will recieve ONE copy of a book of their choice from the list above.
  • The giveaway opens on 14th March 00:00GMT and closes on 11th April 00:00BST. Any entries recieved outside these dates will not be eligable for entry.
  • Only one entry per person is allowed.
  • The winner will be notified by email within 48 hours of the end of the giveaway.
  • The winner will need to respond to the email within 72 hours of recieving the email or a new winner will be chosen.
  • The Flutterby Room is not responsible for contacting or forwarding prizes to entrants who provide unclear or incomplete information or for entries lost, misdirected, delayed or destroyed.
  • The Flutterby Room is not responsible for any loss or damage of the prize in transit.
  • The Flutterby Room reserves the right to cancel this competition at any time without any prior warning.
  • The Flutterby Room reserves the right to disqualify any entry at any time.

PLEASE DO NOT LEAVE ANY IDENTIFYING DETAILS (SUCH AS FULL NAME, OR EMAIL ADDRESS)  IN THE COMMENT SECTION BELOW. ALL SUCH COMMENTS WILL BE DELETED AS SOON AS THEY ARE NOTICED.

Link to Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck everyone!

Review: Falling to Ash by Karen Mahoney

Falling to Ash by Karen Mahoney

Title: Falling to Ash (Moth #1)
Author: Karen Mahoney
Genre:Urban Fantasy, Young Adult
Publisher: Corgi Books (27th September 2012)
Blurb:

MARIE O’NEAL USED TO HAVE A LIFE, A FAMILY . . . AND A PULSE.

But now, everything’s changed. Marie is dead, and in her place newly-made vampire Moth stalks the streets of Boston, struggling to make sense of a world in which she no longer belongs . . .

Rating: ****(4 stars)
Review:

I first came across the character of Moth in a short story titled ‘Falling to Ash’ in a short story collection/anthology called The Eternal Kiss (you can find my thoughts on the collection here) and I absolutely fell in love with the world and character Karen Mahoney created. So, of course, when I heard that Mahoney was going to write a novel based on that short story I had to get my hands on a copy.

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Review: A Perfect Blood by Kim Harrison

PLEASE BE AWARE THAT THIS REVIEW MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS FOR THE HOLLOWS SERIES AS A PERFECT BLOOD IS THE TENTH BOOK IN THE SERIES.

A Perfect Blood by Kim Harrison (UK cover)

Title: A Perfect Blood (The Hollows 10)
Author: Kim Harrison
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Publisher: HarperVoyager (31st January 2013)
Blurb:

WELCOME TO THE HOLLOWS . . .

Ritually murdered corpses are appearing across Cincinnati, terrifying amalgams of human and other. Pulled into help investigate by the I.S. and the FIB, former witch-turned-day-walking-demon Rachel Morgan soon realizes a horrifying truth: a human hate group is trying to create its own demons to destroy all Inderlanders, and to do so, it needs her blood.

She’s faced vampires, witches, werewolves, demons, and more, but humanity might be her toughest challenge yet.

Rating: ***** (5 stars)
Review:

A Perfect Blood is the tenth book in Kim Harrison’s The Hollows series, and it continues the story of Rachel Morgan, a witch who recently discovered that she’s actually a demon. The Hollows is one of my favourite urban fantasy series, and I have been waiting a while to get my hands on a copy of this book.

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Review: Last Sacrifice by Richelle Mead

PLEASE BE AWARE THAT THIS REVIEW MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS FOR THE VAMPIRE ACADEMY SERIES AS LAST SACRIFICE IS THE FINAL BOOK IN THAT SERIES.

Last Sacrifice by Richelle Mead

Title: Last Sacrifice (Vampire Academy #6)
Author: Richelle Mead
Genre: Paranormal Romance, Young Adult
Publisher: RazorBill (7th December 2010)
Blurb:

IT ALL COMES DOWN TO NOW.

THE QUEEN IS DEAD AND THE MOROI WOULD WILL NEVER BE THE SAME.

Rose Hathaway is awaiting wrongful execution and there exists only one man who can stall this terrible fate. Rose must look to both Dimitri and Adrian, the two great loves of her life, to find him.

With her best friend, Lissa, in a deadly struggle for the royal throne, the girls find themselves forced to reply upon enemies and questioning those they thought they could trust . . .

But what if true freedom means sacrificing the most important thing of all? Each other.

Rating: *** (3 stars)
Review:

Last Sacrifice is the final book in Richelle Mead’s brilliant Vampire Academy series. Having read and enjoyed the other books in this series, I decided it was time to read the final installment. Like my reading of Spirit Bound, I think my reading of this book was influenced by my reading of Bloodlines and The Golden Lily. Last Sacrifice is a brilliant end to the Vampire Academy series, and Richelle Mead does a brilliant job in answering the majority of my questions.

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Review: Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

PLEASE BE AWARE THAT THIS REVIEW MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS FOR THE HUNGER GAMES AS IT IS THE SECOND BOOK IN THE TRILOGY.

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

Title: Catching Fire (The Hunger Games #2)
Author: Suzanne Collins
Genre: Dystopian, Young Adult
Publisher: Scholastic (1st December 2011)
Blurb:

MAY THE ODDS BE EVER IN YOUR FAVOUR

KATNISS EVERDEEN SURVIVED THE HUNGER GAMES. NOW THE CAPITOL WANTS REVENGE.

Against all the odds, Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark are still alive. Katniss should be relieved, but now there are whispers of rebellion against the Capitol – a rebellion Katniss and Peeta may have helped create.

As the nation watches Katniss and Peeta, the stakes are higher than ever. One false move and the consequences will be unimaginable.

Rating: ** (2 stars)
Review:

Having enjoyed The Hunger Games as both a book and a film, I jumped into Catching Fire hoping to recapture the magic. Catching Fire is, after all is said and done, the second book in the trilogy so I wanted to know what happened to the Katniss and Peeta next. To be honest, Catching Fire was not what I expected at all.

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Review: The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

Title: The Fault in Our Stars
Author: John Green
Genre: Contemporary, Young Adult
Publisher: Penguin Books (3rd January 2013)
Blurb:

Despite the tumor-shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal, her final chapter inscribed upon diagnosis. But when a gorgeous plot twist named Augustus Waters suddenly appears at Cancer Kids Support Group, Hazel’s story is about to be completely rewritten.

Rating: ***** (5 stars)
Review:

It took me a while to pick up The Fault in Our Stars, not because of the subject matter. Instead I hesitated to pick the book up because almost as soon as it appeared on the book blogosphere it became THE book to read, and seemed to be universally loved by everyone. I steered clear of the reviews for the most part, but seeing five star after five star review in my inbox made me a little leery. Could a book really be THAT good? Fast forward until the beginning of January, when the hype seemed to have died down, and I came across a copy of the book. I was still somewhat dubious, but I thought why not.

I’m glad I decided to pick up a copy of The Fault in Our Stars. It is honestly one of the most beautifully written books I have read. It made me laugh and it made me cry (literally in both cases), and it also had me reading out sections which I thought were awesome. I can totally see why everyone fell in love with it. I fell in love with it too.

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Review: Falling Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes

Falling Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes

Title: Falling Kingdoms (Falling Kingdoms #1)
Author: Morgan Rhodes
Genre: Sword & Sorcery, Young Adult
Publisher: Penguin Books (3rd January 2013)
Blurb:

IN A LAND WHERE MAGIC HAS BEEN FORGOTTEN AND PEACE HAS REIGNED FOR CENTURIES, UNREST IS SIMMERING.

THREE KINGDOMS BATTLE FOR POWER . . .

A PRINCESS must journey into enemy territory in search of a magic long thought extinct.

A REBEL becomes the leader of a bloody revolution.

A SORCERESS discovers the truth about the supernatural legacy she is destined to wield.

IT’S THE EVE OF WAR.
EACH MUST CHOOSE A SIDE.

KINGDOMS WILL FALL.

Rating: *** (3 stars)
Review:

I’d heard whispers of Falling Kingdoms on Twitter and a couple of book blogs and thought it sounded really interesting. I’m always on the look out for a new High Fantasy book to read, it’s probably my favourite genre – so I’ve read quite a few of them. When I came across a copy of Falling Kingdoms I had to give it a try.

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