Blog Tour - Walk the Edge by Katie McGarry + Excerpt

Title: Walk the Edge (Thunder Road #2)

Author: Katie McGarry

Publisher: HarlequinTEEN

Release Date: March 29, 2016

Source: ARC from Publisher

Buy the Book: Amazon / Book Depository / Indigo

One moment of recklessness will change their worlds.

Smart. Responsible. That’s seventeen-year-old Breanna’s role in her large family, and heaven forbid she put a tow out of line. Until one night of shockingly un-Breanna-like behavior puts her into a vicious cyber-bully’s line of fire—and brings fellow senior Thomas “Razor” Turner into her life. 

Razor lives for the Reign of Terror motorcycle club, and good girls like Breanna just don’t belong. But when he learns she’s being blackmailed over a compromising picture of the two of them—a picture that turns one unexpected and beautiful moment into ugliness—he knows it’s time to step outside the rules. 

And so they make a pact: he’ll help her track down her blackmailer, and in return she’ll help him seek answers to the mystery that’s haunted him—one that not even his club brothers have been willing to discuss. But the more time they spend together, the more their feelings grow. And suddenly they’re both walking the edge of discovering who they really are, what they want, and where they’re going from here.

Katie McGarry is without a doubt one of my favourite authors and her books are all among my favourites. Every time I get my hands on a new Katie McGarry book, I can’t help but drop everything to read it. That’s what I did with Walk the Edge and I loved every moment of it.

Breanna has always been the reliable one, the daughter her parents could always count on to take care of her younger siblings now that all her older ones have left home. But she doesn’t just want to be the smart and reliable girl anymore. She wants to stop being invisible and finally be herself. She just never expected that doing so would bring Razor, one of the members of the local motorcycle club, into her life. Razor has always been all about the Reign of Terror motorcycle club. They’ve been there for him since his mother’s death and he would do anything for the club. But when he finds out new information about the night his mother died, Razor starts to doubt everything he’s been told by the people he calls family. The one person who can help him is Breanna, the girl who’s become the victim of a cyberbully because of a picture of the two of them together. Razor will help Breanna with her blackmailing bully if in return she helps him crack the mystery around his mother’s death. But while looking for answers, Razor and Breanna discover they need each other for more than they ever thought.

It’s no secret that Katie McGarry is one of my favourite authors and, as such, has written some of my all-time favourite books. She is, after all, the person who created Isaiah Walker. But that’s not the point right now. The point is that Katie McGarry writes some fantastic stories that are both gripping and captivating and that take you on an emotional ride. For me, there’s nothing quite like diving head first into a new Katie McGarry story. Even though every story is different, I just know going in that this is going to become a favourite. That I won’t be able to stop reading until I’m all the way through, no matter how much I might want to slow down to make the story last longer. That’s exactly how I felt with Walk the Edge. I wanted to read the story so badly, I wanted to know what would happen to these characters I came to love, but I also didn’t want the story to end. I got caught up in this story, flipping the pages (well, technically, clicking the “next page” button) until I had made it the whole way through. And there was so much that I loved about this story.  I loved all the different family dynamics, whether it was Breanna’s actual blood family or Razor’s motorcycle club family. How those family dynamics played in to the greater story. And as with any book written by Katie McGarry, the romance just worked and I bought into it right away. It wasn’t exactly hard to root for Breanna and Razor. And it really wasn’t hard to love them.

Before I even read a single word of Walk the Edge I already wanted to know more about Razor. The whole time I was reading Nowhere But Here last year, I wanted to know more about Razor. There was just something about him that caught my attention. He intrigued me and I just knew that there was a whole lot more to him than what everyone seemed to think. And I was so right. Razor is officially right up there with Isaiah when it comes to my favourite Katie McGarry boys. I loved how much he cared, sometimes to the point of extreme stubbornness. I loved his fierce protectiveness of the people he cared about, his determination to do whatever it took to keep those people safe. And I love who he was and how he was with Breanna. Breanna was such an interesting characters. I was so fascinated by the way her brain worked and the way it affected her life, especially when it came to her family life. So many times while I was reading I wanted to yell at Breanna’s family for the way they treated her. All she wanted was for someone to be there for her as opposed to being the person who’s always there for everyone else or has to wait in line behind all her siblings. So I loved that Breanna got to be herself with Razor and that Razor understood her in a way other people didn’t. They were perfect for each other and I loved reading their story. I only wish I could have kept reading their story forever.

Once again, Katie McGarry blew me away with Walk the Edge. This book is most definitely a new favourite even if it has left me absolutely desperate for more. And I cannot even begin to explain how much I am looking forward to reading Violet and Chevy’s story in the third Thunder Road book.

Excerpt

     Her face is white against her raven hair. Ghost white. I’d bet my left ball she hasn’t breathed since I spoke. Her hand is outstretched toward the busted cell on the ground, but her wide hazel eyes are cemented on me. I turn my head and I’m greeted by the amused faces of my brothers from the Reign of Terror who stand next to their bikes in the parking lot. They’ll be harassing me on this for weeks. Fuck me for trying to be chivalrous.

     “You okay?” It’s a variation of the question I asked a few seconds ago, but this one she seems to understand as her body trembles to life.

     “Um…” she stutters. We’ve been at the same schools since elementary age, otherwise I’d wonder if she was a foreign exchange student with limited English. “I only have twenty dollars.”

     The muscles in the back of my neck tense. “I’m not going to jack you for your money.” 

     She quits breathing again.

     “Nice to know your current bank account status,” I bit. “But I asked you if you were okay.”

     Color returns to her cheeks as I pin her with my gaze. She accused me of trying to rob her. I know it, she knows it, and she’s now informed I’m not the asshole in this scenario.

     “Yes,” she finally answers. “I’m okay. I mean no…I mean…I broke my phone.”

     She did and that sucks for her.

     Her eyes flicker between me and the phone like she wants to retrieve it, yet she’s too paralyzed. Saving us from his torture, I swipe the pieces of the cell and lean against the wall.

     The distance between us relaxes and that gulp of air was audible as she tucks herself tight in the corner fattest from me. This reaction isn’t new. I’ve seen it since I was a child whenever my father or anyone from the Terror entered a room full of civilians. To everyone outside of the club, we’re the evil motorcycle gang bent on blowing the house down.

     People and their hellish nightmare folklore involving us piss me off. I don’t know why I told the guys to give me a minute. I’m late for plans I made with Chevy and some girls, plus I’m on call in case the board chooses to meet sooner rather than later to discuss Detective Jake Barlow.

     But something about how this chick appeared alone and frightened messed me up. It reminded me…The thought stalls and the emotional speed bump causes a flash of pain in my chest. Screw it, her expression reminded me of Mom the last time I saw her—the night she died.

     My mom. I shake my head to expel her ghost. One visit from one bastard trying to use me and I’m being haunted by a past I can’t change. That’s what the detective was salivating over—to use me for info on the club. He’s one of too many who believes our club is the devil’s prodigy.

     What he doesn’t see is that we’re a family—the type of family that comes when called. Obviously not like this girl’s family.

     “Is it yes or no?” It’s damn difficult to shove the battery in now that the frame is bent.

     “Yes or no what?” her long black hair sweeps past her shoulders. She has the type of hair that would have to be pulled up if she rode on the back of my bike. Gotta admit, I like her hair, especially how it shines under the lights of the school’s overhang.

     “If you’re okay.” I survey the mostly empty area to prove a point. “If we leave, you’ll be alone, and I don’t care of that. There’s some real psychos out there.”

Never Always Sometimes by Adi Alsaid

Title: Never Always Sometimes

Author: Adi Alsaid

Publisher: HarlequinTEEN

Release Date: August 4, 2015

Source: From Publisher

Buy the Book: Amazon / Book Depository / Indigo

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.

Last year I really enjoyed Adi Alsaid’s debut, Let’s Get Lost. When I found out the premise for his newest book, Never Always Sometimes, it sounded like something that was totally up my alley. Though, it wasn’t quite what I had hoped it would be, I still found myself highly enjoying Never Always Sometimes.

Before starting high school, best friends Dave and Julia made a pact: they would avoid becoming those clichéd teenagers everyone else in high schools seemed to be. That’s how the Nevers list was born: a list of the ten things they both never to do in high school. Fast-Coward four years and Julia and Dave are close to graduating and have successfully avoided becoming clichés. When Dave finds the Nevers list after having forgotten about it, Julia suggests they complete the list. As they start crossing items of their list, Dave and Julia realize that by wanting to avoid clichés, they’ve missed out on a lot more than just a typical high school experience.

I am an absolute sucker for friendship stories, especially ones that are about friendships between a boy and a girl. It probably has to do with all through high school, and still today for that matter, my best friend is a guy. So whenever I hear of stories that feature that kind of friendship, I am all over them. That’s what initially drew me to Adi Alsaid’s Never Always Sometimes. And when I found out more about the story, I was only that much more interested in reading the book. It sounded like it had the potential to be such a fun story. And it was. While reading, I would often find myself laughing at Julia’s antics or appreciating the sweet friendship moments between Dave and Julia. What I had a little more trouble buying into was the romance. For a while, I was confused about who I was supposed to be rooting for: Dave and Julia or Dave and Gretchen. But by the end of the book, though I wasn’t entirely sold on how it happened, I understood what the author was trying to do. How he was trying to show that sometimes the person you think you should be with isn’t always the person who’s your best match. And that just because you love someone in a romantic way, doesn’t always mean that feeling will be reciprocated in the same way. And at more than one point in the story, there was a whole lot of confused feelings happening for both Dave and Julia.

Maybe it was because the first part of the story was from his perspective, but I felt like I got to know Dave really quickly and I just really got him. I understood how he felt about his best friend. How he would do pretty much anything just to see her happy, even if that at times that meant sacrificing some of his own happiness. But he was happy to do it. And even though I didn’t always agree with some of the decisions he made, I really liked Dave, and I understood his struggle. But because of the way the story was told, I feel like it took a while before I really got to know Julia. for the first half or so of the book, everything I knew about Julia was tainted by Dave’s feelings for her. I only really got to know her through how Dave saw her. So when I got to see this story from her perspective and get first hand information about who she was, I wasn’t sure how I felt about her for a long time. I saw her one way because of how Dave saw her, and then I realized that she was exactly who Dave saw her as, but she was also a completely different person. And though it may have taken me a bit to warm up to her, I really liked Julia. She was her own person and she wasn’t afraid of doing what she wanted, even if others didn’t always understand. But at the same time, she was someone who was constantly seeking the approval of the one person she couldn’t get it from. And that broke my heart at times. The one thing that’s for sure, is that I loved the friendship Dave and Julia had, even if at times it wasn’t easy.

Though it may not have been quite the story I had hoped it would be, I still really enjoyed Adi Alsaid’s Never Always Sometimes. If you’re looking for a story with a good mix of friendship and romance, you may want to check this one out.

Nowhere But Here by Katie McGarry

Title: Nowhere But Here (Thunder Road #1)

Author: Katie McGarry

Publisher: HarlequinTEEN

Release Date: May 26, 2015

Source: ARC from Publisher

Buy the Book: Amazon / Book Depository / Indigo

An unforgettable new series from acclaimed author Katie McGarry about taking risks, opening your heart and ending up in a place you never imagined possible.

Seventeen-year-old Emily likes her life the way it is: doting parents, good friends, good school in a safe neighborhood. Sure, she’s curious about her biological father—the one who chose life in a motorcycle club, the Reign of Terror, over being a parent—but that doesn’t mean she wants to be a part of his world. But when a reluctant visit turns to an extended summer vacation among relatives she never knew she had, one thing becomes clear, nothing is what it seems. Not the club, not her secret-keeping father and not Oz, a guy with suck-me-in blue eyes who can help her understand them both.

Oz wants one thing: to join the Reign of Terror. They’re good guys. They protect people. They’re…family. And while Emily—the gorgeous and sheltered daughter of the club’s most respected member—is in town, he’s gonna prove it to her. So when her father asks him to keep her safe from a rival club with a score to settle, Oz knows it’s his shot at his dream. What he doesn’t count on is that Emily just might turn that dream upside down.

No one wants them to be together. But sometimes the right person is the one you least expect, and the road you fear the most is the one that leads you home.

Over the last few years, Katie McGarry has easily become one of my favourite authors. Anything she writes, I will happily read and it is almost guaranteed to become a favourite book. I was so excited when she announced her new series, and I absolutely loved the first book, Nowhere But Here.

Emily has been perfectly happy with the life she’s led so far. She has good friends, goes to a good school and has parents who take care of her. She’s always wondered about her biological motorcycle club member father, but she has never had a particular desire to see what his world is like. She’s happy sticking to their annual visits and leaving it at that. When Emily is forced to spend her summer vacation with her biological father’s family, she discovers that everything she was told might not have been the truth. Spending time with her relatives and the motorcycle club, Emily ends up with more questions than answer. And the one person willing to give her some answers is Oz, the boy her father has assigned to watch over her. Oz can’t fail when it comes to keeping Emily safe. If he does, he’s never going to become a member of the Reign of Terror, the motorcycle club that is his family. Looking out for Emily shouldn’t be too difficult, except she’s dead set on finding answers to her questions and Oz can only resist her for so long.

I can’t even begin explain how much I love Katie McGarry and her books. Ever since I stayed up way too late reading Pushing the Limits, I’ve been absolutely hooked. Anything she writes, I will read. Literally. When she announced her new Thunder Road series, I immediately wanted to read it. I was intrigued by the idea of a story set in the world of motorcycle clubs. It definitely sounded new and different. So to say I was excited at the idea of reading Nowhere But Here would be a major understatement. When I finally got a copy of the book in my hands, I literally dropped everything and read it right then and there. I couldn’t have put the book down if I had tried. The story drew me in right away. I became curious about everything that was happening, finding out about how everything worked in the motorcycle club, and, you know, the romance that was waiting to happen between Emily and Oz. But I’ll get to them momentarily. The story in Nowhere But Here was just engrossing and it got me even more excited about the Thunder Road series. I’ve already gotten so attached to the characters, and I can’t wait to see what happens to them in the next books.

Oh man. I absolutely loved Emily and Oz. Emily had clearly lived a very sheltered life so it was interesting, and at times even entertaining, to see her dropped into the world of motorcycle clubs. She was so out of her depth, but at the same time she was doing her best to make it seem like she was comfortable in her new environment. And I loved seeing her growth over the course of the story. I loved seeing her find her place with this family she hadn’t known for most of her life because she finally saw that they cared about her, even if they often didn’t show it in the most traditional ways. And I loved that Oz was there to help guide her through it all. Though granted at first, Oz wasn’t exactly excited at the prospect of having to spend his summer basically babysitting Emily. But even when he wasn’t particularly nice to Emily, I already loved Oz. I loved his loyalty to his family and the motorcycle club, I loved that he was ready to do just about anything for the people he cared about. And I loved how much he grew to care about, and love, Emily. And Oz and Emily together? Well they just made me happy. Beyond just Emily and Oz, I loved so many of the other characters in Nowhere But Here. With all of Katie McGarry’s books, the secondary characters are always just as great as the main ones. And as I’ve already said, I’ve already gotten so attached to people like Chevy, Razor and Violet and I can’t wait to read all of their stories. 

I wasn’t surprised in the least when I read Katie McGarry’s Nowhere But Here and completely fell in love with the story and its characters. I loved every single page of this book and I can’t wait to see where McGarry takes the characters and the story next.

COVER REVEAL - Nowhere But Here by Katie McGarry

West Side Story meets Sons of Anarchy?? Yes, please!

Katie McGarry's newest novel, NOWHERE BUT HERE, has a cover and we are thrilled to get to help reveal it to you today. The first novel in her upcoming The Thunder Road Series, NOWHERE BUT HERE is a young adult contemporary romance that will keep you turning the pages long into the night. We have no doubt that when you get done, you're going to wish you were on a motorcycle and had your own cut of leather across your back! Follow along today as pieces of the cover are revealed, and then stop by the HarlequinTeen Page to see the full cover at 7pm EST! And that's not all, of course! We have a few Behind-The-Scenes pictures from the photo shoot itself for you to enjoy as well! Check out the Behind-The-Scenes pictures and then scroll down for our puzzle piece!

        

And here's the first piece to the cover for you!

 

About NOWHERE BUT HERE:

An unforgettable new series from acclaimed author Katie McGarry about taking risks, opening your heart and ending up in a place you never imagined possible

Seventeen-year-old Emily likes her life the way it is: doting parents, good friends, good school in a safe neighborhood. Sure, she’s curious about her biological father—the one who chose life in a motorcycle club, the Reign of Terror, over being a parent—but that doesn’t mean she wants to be a part of his world. But when a reluctant visit turns to an extended summer vacation among relatives she never knew she had, one thing becomes clear: nothing is what it seems. Not the club, not her secret-keeping father and not Oz, a guy with suck-me-in blue eyes who can help her understand them both.

Oz wants one thing: to join the Reign of Terror. They’re the good guys. They protect people. They’re…family. And while Emily—the gorgeous and sheltered daughter of the club’s most respected member—is in town, he’s gonna prove it to her. So when her father asks him to keep her safe from a rival club with a score to settle, Oz knows it’s his shot at his dream. What he doesn’t count on is that Emily just might turn that dream upside down.

No one wants them to be together. But sometimes the right person is the one you least expect, and the road you fear the most is the one that leads you home.

Add it to your Goodreads Now!

Preorder NOWHERE BUT HERE

Amazon ** Kobo ** BAM ** Barnes and Noble ** iBooks ** IndieBound

About Katie McGarry

Katie McGarry was a teenager during the age of grunge and boy bands and remembers those years as the best and worst of her life. She is a lover of music, happy endings, reality television, and is a secret University of Kentucky basketball fan. Katie is the author of full length YA novels, PUSHING THE LIMITS, DARE YOU TO, CRASH INTO YOU, TAKE ME ON, BREAKING THE RULES, and NOWHERE BUT HERE and the e-novellas, CROSSING THE LINE and RED AT NIGHT. Her debut YA novel, PUSHING THE LIMITS was a 2012 Goodreads Choice Finalist for YA Fiction, a RT Magazine's 2012 Reviewer's Choice Awards Nominee for Young Adult Contemporary Novel, a double Rita Finalist, and a 2013 YALSA Top Ten Teen Pick. DARE YOU TO was also a Goodreads Choice Finalist for YA Fiction and won RT Magazine’s Reviewer’s Choice Best Book Award for Young Adult Contemporary fiction in 2013.

Website ** Twitter ** Facebook ** Goodreads ** Pinterest ** Tumbler ** Instagram

Don't miss all of the puzzle piece reveals throughout the day!

 

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2pm EST

Prisoners of Print - Bittersweet Enchantment - BookHounds YA - Tween 2 Teen Book Reviews - All Night Books - Reading Over Sleeping - WOrkS of FiCTioN - Lovin' Los Libros - A Thousand Lives Lived - Bookish Things & More - Avid Reader Musings - Girl meets Books - Reviews by Tammy and Kim - Nose Stuck in a Book - pageturnersblog

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Blog Tour - Stone Cold Touch by Jennifer L. Armentrout - Character Interview & Giveaway

Today I have the pleasure of being part of the blog tour for Jennifer L. Armentrout's latest book, Stone Cold Touch. I am so happy to be taking part because I absolutely LOVED this book. And now I get to have Layla, Zayne and Roth answering a few questions. Be sure to keep reading to the end for your chance to win a signed copy of the book!

Emilie: Roth and Zayne, you’ve recently had to work together a little. How has it been doings something you never thought you would do?

Zayne: I hate working with a demon, but I’d do anything for Layla.

Roth: I’m more open-minded than Stony. He’s obviously a little judgy.

Emilie: Layla, what’s it like having to almost play referee between Roth and Zayne?

Layla: I hate that Roth and Zayne don’t get along because they’re both important to me. I understand why it’s hard for them to like each other, but it’s a constant back and forth between them. It drives me crazy.

Emilie: What’s one thing each of you admires about the others?

Roth: Zayne takes care of Layla. So he can’t be all bad. Mostly, but not all.

Zayne: Roth made a sacrifice for Layla that I wasn’t expecting. I have to admire that about him.

Layla: I admire both guys for different reasons. Roth surprised me because he’s completely different than I expected from a demon and Zayne has always been there for me from the first time that I met him.

Emilie: From what I know, you didn’t really see what happened with the Lilin coming. What do you think is going to happen next?

Roth: Not sure, but even Hell is worried.

Zayne: It can’t be good.

Emilie: To finish off, what would each of you say or do to convince people who haven’t read your story to do so?

Roth: I don’t think I need to convince anyone once they’ve met me.

Zayne: That’s your answer? How do you even stand being around him, Layla?

Layla: *Sigh*

Thank you to Layla, Zayne and Roth for answering these questions and even keeping things civil. Well, for the most part. If you want to get your hands on a signed copy of Stone Cold Touch, just leave a comment below and I will pick a winner from all the comments. US/Canada only. Ends November 11.

About the Book:

Every touch has its price

Layla Shaw is trying to pick up the pieces of her shattered life—no easy task for a seventeen-year-old who’s pretty sure things can’t get worse. Her impossibly gorgeous best friend, Zayne, is forever off-limits thanks to the mysterious powers of her soul-stealing kiss. The Warden clan that has always proctedted her is suddenly keeping dangerous secrets. And she can barely think about Roth, the wickedly hot demon prince who understood her in ways no one else could.

But sometimes rock bottom is only the beginning. Because suddenly Layla’s powers being to evolve, and she’s offered a tantalizing taste of what has always been forbidden. Then, when she least expects it, Roth returns, bringing news that could changer her world forever. She’s finally getting what she always wanted, but will hell literally breaking loose and the body count adding up, the price may be higher than Layla is willing to pay…

About the Author:

#1 NEW YORK TIMES and USA TODAY Bestselling author Jennifer lives in Martinsburg, West Virginia. All the rumors you’ve heard about her state aren’t true. When she’s not hard at work writing, she spends her time reading, working out, watching really bad zombie movies, pretending to write, and hanging out with her husband and her Jack Russell Loki.

Her dreams of becoming an author started in algebra class, where she spent most of her time writing short stories…which explains her dismal grades in math. Jennifer writes young adult paranormal, science fiction, fantasy, and contemporary romance. She is published by Spencer Hill Press, Entangled Teen and Brazen, Disney/Hyperion and Harlequin Teen. Her book Obsidian has been optioned for a major motion picture and her Covenant series has been optioned for TV.

She also write adult and New Adult romance under the name J. Lynn. She is published by Entangled Brazen and HarperCollins.

Stone Cold Touch by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Title: Stone Cold Touch (Dark Elements #2)

Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout

Publisher: HarlequinTEEN

Release Date: October 21, 2014

Source: ARC from Publisher

Buy the Book: Amazon / Book Depository / Indigo

Every touch has its price

Layla Shaw is trying to pick up the pieces of her shattered life—no easy task for a seventeen-year-old who’s pretty sure things can’t get worse. Her impossibly gorgeous best friend, Zayne, is forever off-limits thanks to the mysterious powers of her soul-stealing kiss. The Warden clan that has always protected her is suddenly keeping dangerous secrets. And she can barely think about Roth, the wickedly hot demon prince who understood her in ways no one else could.

But sometimes rock bottom is only the beginning. Because suddenly Layla’s powers begin to evolve, and she’s offered a tantalizing taste of what has always been forbidden. Then, when she least expects it, Roth returns, bringing news that could change her world forever. She’s finally getting what she always wanted, but with hell literally breaking loose and the body count adding up, the price may be higher than Layla is willing to pay…

I don't really know that there's anything new about Jennifer L. Armentrout that I can say. With every book of her's that I read, it just confirms that she's one of my favourite authors. I was really excited about reading Stone Cold Touch when I got a copy at BEA and I'm surprised that I waited this long to finally read it. But I'm SO HAPPY to have finally read it. 

For the last few weeks, Layla has been trying to pick up the pieces of her heart. After everything that happened in the school's old gym, she isn't sure how to go on anymore. Roth was the only person Layla could truly be herself around. With him she could embrace her demon side without feeling ashamed. But now Roth is gone, burning in the fiery pits of Hell. The only person left on Layla's side is Zayne. Her completely off-limits best friend. The person who's always been there for her. But things seem to be changing with Zayne. All of a sudden, he seems to be seeing Layla as more than just a little sister. But that's not the only thing changing around Layla. Her powers are changing, the Wardens are convinced she might be becoming a threat. And when she least expects it, Roth returns.

So. Stone Cold Touch. What can I say, other than I loved it? I'll do my best to say a little more than that, because it's not entirely helpful. Here's the thing about me and series, I have trouble keeping up with them. No matter how much I love them, I can't bring myself to keep up with them. And then when it's the second book in a trilogy, I'm always afraid it's just going to act as filler to tide me over until the last book. But that was far from a problem with Stone Cold Touch. The story picks up shortly after the event of the first book, and as a reader, you're thrown right back into the middle of it. Much like in the first book, the nature of many of the characters made it difficult to know who I could trust, and who was actually telling the truth. Every so often I would think I had caught one of them in a lie, but then something new would be brought to light and I was back to being confused. But confused in a good way. And once again, the ending took me completely by surprise. I kinda figured something big was going to happen. Jennifer L. Armentrout had actually told me as much when I met her at BEA, but I didn't think that was going to be it. Needless to say, I'm excited to see where things are going to go in the final book.

After having read Stone Cold Touch, I still love Layla just as much, if not more, than I did after I finished reading White Hot Kiss. The world just seems to be against her no matter what she does, and I can't help but want better for her. I felt her pain at losing Roth. Hell, I was not a happy person when Roth ended up in the fiery pits in the first book. And I felt her struggle with her feelings for Zayne, wanting more, but always being afraid that it would result in her getting hurt. I just want GOOD stuff to happen to Layla, but at the rate things are going that might not happen for a while. And now here's the thing about Zayne and Roth. Once, again I kept going back and forth between the two. This time around, I definitely got to see a whole lot more of Zayne. Basically, I got to see a whole other side of him and I ABSOLUTELY LOVED it. Meanwhile, Roth was being kind of annoying but kept on doing these little things that made me love him. It's just hard to choose between the two. Which leads me to say that as much as I was doubtful of having readers pick who Layla ends up with in the final book (more info on that here), I can see how it might work because I honestly can't decide on who I want her with. Both boys have their flaws and their merits and I love them both for completely different reasons. And maybe we can just clone Layla so she can be with both boys and no one gets their heart broken. How does that sound?

So yeah, I loved Jennifer L. Armentrout's Stone Cold Touch. Is anyone who knows me actually surprised by that fact? I didn't think so. I was definitely not disappointed by this second installment of the Dark Elements trilogy, and I can't wait to see how it will all end in Every Last Breath.

Let's Get Lost by Adi Alsaid

Title: Let's Get Lost

Author: Adi Alsaid

Publisher: HarlequinTEEN

Release Date: July 29, 2014

Source: ARC from Publisher

Buy the Book: Amazon / Book Depository / Indigo

Five strangers. Countless adventures. One epic way to get lost.

Four teens across the country have only one thing in common: a girl named LEILA. She crashed into their lives in her absurdly red car at the moment they need someone the most.

There’s HUDSON, a small-town mechanic who is willing to throw away his dreams for true love. And BREE, a runaway who seizes every Tuesday—and a few stolen goods along the way. ELLIOT believes in happy endings…until his own life goes off-script. And SONIA worries that when she lost her boyfriend, she also lost the ability to love.

Hudson, Bree, Elliot and Sonia find a friend in Leila. And when Leila leaves them, their lives are forever changed. But it is during Leila’s own 4,268-miles journey that she discovers the most important truth—sometimes, what you need most is right where you started. And maybe the only way to find what you’re looking for is to get lost along the way.

I remember when I first heard about Adi Alsaid’s Let’s Get Lost, I discovered it was a contemporary story with a road trip and I was sold. I knew I needed to read this book. And then it started getting a lot of really good buzz and that only heightened my desire to read this book. Now that I’ve read it, I can honestly say that Let’s Get Lost did not disappoint me. 

Hudson, Bree, Elliot and Sonia all need a friend. In the moment when they need that friend the most, Leila barges into each of their respective life. She helps Hudson that there are different options for his future. When she meets Bree on the road, Leila helps her reconnect with her sister after she ran away. Leila and Elliot go on a quest to help him get his happy ending with the girl he’s in love with. And Leila shows Sonia that just because she lost her boyfriend, she didn’t lose her ability to love and she shouldn’t be scared of loving again. But no one really knows who Leila is. She’s just travelling across the country in the hopes of seeing the Northern Lights in Alaska. Maybe along the way, Leila will also discover what she’s looking for, even if it means getting lost first.

I was very excited to read Adi Alsaid’s debut, Let’s Get Lost. I mean, it’s a contemporary story set in summer and it has a road trip. What’s not to love? As it got closer to the release date, I started seeing the book everywhere (Side note: there was also a legit Let’s Get Lost car at BEA, it was pretty cool). Everyone I knew who was reading it seemed to be loving it and that only made me raise my expectations. So when I started reading, I’ll admit I was a little afraid of what I would find in the pages of the book. But I really shouldn’t have worried. Let’s Get Lost was definitely different, but it was the VERY GOOD kind of different. Reading this book, it almost feels like you’re reading four different short stories that have one common thread: Leila. Each of the sections of the books are very much about the four people Leila meets at different point during her trip. Each of those first four sections could very well stand on their own. They each have a clear start and finish. But they wouldn’t necessarily be the most satisfying of stories because each time you’re left wondering what happens to Leila. And that’s where that final section of the book comes in. That last section ties everything together beautifully. All those questions that I had asked myself, all those details that didn’t really seem like they fit, they were all explained. That’s what really made me love this story, the way all the pieces of the puzzle came together to give you a satisfying ending. And that’s all thanks to Leila.

Leila was a very interesting characters. As much as this is her story, as the reader you don’t really get to really know her until the last 50 or so pages of the book. For most of the story, you get to know Leila through Hudson, Bree, Elliot and Sonia. Every thing I knew about Leila was based on those four people’s observations. In that sense, it painted a very interesting picture. Each of those people saw her differently but their was that common thread: Leila was the person who came into their lives when they all really needed a friend. And as varied as those glimpses of Leila were, I grew to like her a lot. Until I read her story, understood why she was taking this trip, and then  I found myself loving Leila. But I also liked the people she met along the way. Each one was so different. In hindsight, it felt like each one almost represented a different part of Leila. Sonia represented her desire to run away from her life. Sonia was the part of her that was afraid to move forward, while Elliot saw the hope for a happy ending. And Hudson was different, he was afraid of risking it all, something Leila didn’t seem so scared to do. And that’s what brought them together, even if there were some moments when it felt a little unlikely. But I still loved the way all these people came together and fit together.

Adi Alsaid’s Let’s Get Lost was an absolutely fantastic debut. This story was just so different but it completely worked and I loved reading every page of it. I honestly cannot wait to read more from Adi Alsaid.

Take Me On by Katie McGarry

Title: Take Me On (Pushing the Limits #4)

Author: Katie McGarry

Publisher: HarlequinTEEN

Release Date: May 27, 2014

Source: Purchased

Buy the Book: Amazon / Book Depository / Indigo

Acclaimed author Katie McGarry returns with the knockout new story of two high school seniors who are about to learn what winning really means.

Champion kickboxer Haley swore she’d never set foot in the ring again after one tragic night. But then the guy she can’t stop thinking about accepts a mixed martial arts fight in her honor. Suddenly, Haley has fro train West Young. All attitude, West is everything Haley promised herself she’d stay away from. Yet he won’t last five seconds in the ring without her help.

West is keeping a big secret from Haley. About who he really is. But helping her—fighting for her—is a shot at redemption. Especially since it’s his fault his family is falling apart. He can’t change the past, but maybe he can change Haley’s future.

Haley and West have agreed to keep their relationship strictly in the ring. But as an unexpected bond forms between them and attraction mocks their best intentions, they’ll face their darkest fears and discover love is worth fighting for.

It’s no secret that I love Katie McGarry and her books. Actually, I more than love her books, I absolutely ADORE them. So I’ve pretty much been pining for her latest, Take Me On, since I flipped the last page of Crash Into You. Now that I’ve read it, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that I absolutely loved Take Me On. I mean, how could I not?

A year ago, Haley Williams walked away from fighting even though she was a champion kickboxer. It was the only way she could think of to protect the people she cares about. But when West Young walks into her life, Haley finds herself throwing punches once again to protect West, a complete stranger. West has been getting into fights for as long as he can remember. But never has he considered training to be a fighter. Now, West finds himself volunteering to fight for Haley, the girl he’s just met but who he can’t seem to stop thinking about. Haley and West should keep things simple between each other. Neither is in a position to be in a relationship. But the more time they spend together, training, the deeper their feelings for each other get. The big question for Haley and West is whether what they feel for each other worth fighting for?

Oh how I love Katie McGarry and her books. I’ve already said it, but I’ve pretty much been pining for Take Me On since I flipped the last page of Crash Into You. There’s just something about these stories that is incredibly addicting. So when I picked up Take Me On, I made sure I had lots of time on my hand because I knew that I wouldn’t want to stop reading. And I was totally right. The day after I started reading, I was at work and I kept looking at my bag, wishing I could be reading Take Me On instead. Because it was oh so good. As typically happens with Katie McGarry’s books, I was hooked right from the start. It helped that I had already met West in Crash Into You and I was dying to find out more about him. But even if I hadn’t known him, I would have been hooked. I wanted to find out all about these characters and their lives. I wanted to find out why Haley had walked away from fighting. I wanted to see if West’s father would realize how much he was making his son miserable. And of course, I wanted to see West and Haley together. I wanted to see their relationship grow and develop. Because West and Haley needed each other, even though they didn’t alway see it. 

In Crash Into You, I had gotten a glimpse of West Young and I wasn’t sure how I felt about him. But then Take Me On came along and I was all over West. Just like with Rachel in Crash Into You, it didn’t take long for me to realize just how miserable West was because of his parents, especially his dad. West was just in a bad place, he needed to get out. But until he was forced out, he didn’t really know how to get himself out. And really, what West needed was Haley—someone who would get under his skin in ways no one else could. But Haley was also someone who understood West the way no one else did. And much like it didn’t take long for me to fall for West, it took even less time for me to love Haley. I wanted so much for Haley. If I thought West was in a bad place, Haley was in an even worse situation and she had no way out without losing everything and everyone she’s ever cared about. I loved her, but I also wanted her to get her fight back. The whole time I was reading I could tell that she had this urge to fight back against her situation, but she kept on suppressing it. But when she met West, that started to change and I was happy about it. So yes, I LOVED West and Haley. On a different note, I still want to find out more about Ethan, West’s younger brother and Rachel’s twin. Also can Abby have her own story yet? Because I would read that in a heartbeat.

It should come as no surprise whatsoever that I loved Katie McGarry’s Take Me On. From page one, I was hooked and I couldn’t have asked for a better story for West and Haley. If you still haven’t read one of Katie McGarry’s books, you really should get on that. Because I honestly can’t wait to read what she writes next.

Waiting on Wednesday (83)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill of Breaking the Spine where book bloggers devote a post to an upcoming book release they are particularly looking forward to reading.

THIS WEEK'S PICK:
TAKE ME ON BY KATIE MCGARRY

Acclaimed author Katie McGarry returns with the knockout new story of two high school seniors who are about to learn what winning really means.

Champion kick boxer Haley swore she'd never set foot in the ring again after one tragic night. But then the guy she can't stop thinking about accepts a mixed martial arts fight in her honor. Suddenly, Haley has to train West Young. All attitude, West is everything Haley promised herself she'd stay away from. Yet he won't last five seconds in the ring without her help.

West is keeping a big secret from Haley. About who he really is. But helping her--fighting for her--is a shot at redemption. Especially since it's his fault his family is falling apart. He can't change the past, but maybe he can change Haley's future.

Hayley and West have agreed to keep their relationship strictly in the ring. But as an unexpected bond forms between them and attraction mocks their best intentions, they'll face their darkest fears and discover love is worth fighting for.

At some point in the last two years, you've probably seen me fangirling over Katie McGarry and her books at some point or another. So really it shouldn't be that much of a surprise that I am BEYOND excited at the prospect of being able to read her next book, Take Me On. I've loved everything I've read of her's so far, and I can't wait for me. Katie McGarry also has this ability to write characters that feel like real people and every time, without fail, I fall completely in love with them (don't even get me started on Isaiah). I can't wait to have that feeling again.


Take Me On by Katie McGarry will be published May 27, 2014 by HarlequinTEEN.

Cover Reveal - Stone Cold Touch by Jennifer L. Armentrout

It's Time!! The STONE COLD TOUCH cover is here!

We cannot wait to share the cover for Jennifer L. Armentrout's STONE COLD TOUCH with you all! STONE COLD TOUCH is a young adult paranormal romance by Jennifer L. Armentrout and is the second full-length novel in The Dark Elements Series being published by Harlequin Teen. You'll want to add this to your TBR pile ASAP. Check out this amazing cover!    

Isn't it awesome?! You can Pre-order it right now!

**Amazon** **Barnes & Noble** **iTunes** **Kobo**

STONE COLD TOUCH Synopsis: 

Every touch has its price Layla Shaw is trying to pick up the pieces of her shattered life—no easy task for a seventeen-year-old who’s pretty sure things can’t get worse. Her impossibly gorgeous best friend, Zayne, is forever off-limits thanks to the mysterious powers of her soul-stealing kiss. The Warden clan that has always protected her is suddenly keeping dangerous secrets. And she can barely think about Roth, the wickedly hot demon prince who understood her in ways no one else could. But sometimes rock bottom is only the beginning. Because suddenly Layla’s powers begin to evolve, and she’s offered a tantalizing taste of what has always been forbidden. Then, when she least expects it, Roth returns, bringing news that could change her world forever. She’s finally getting what she always wanted, but with hell literally breaking loose and the body count adding up, the price may be higher than Layla is willing to pay… 

"Constantly entertaining...the narrative sizzles with as much tension as romance." —Kirkus Reviews on White Hot Kiss

And...Don't forget to check out the first book in The Dark Elements Series,

WHITE HOT KISS!

ABOUT WHITE HOT KISS:

One kiss could be the last. Seventeen-year-old Layla just wants to be normal. But with a kiss that kills anything with a soul, she's anything but normal. Half demon, half gargoyle, Layla has abilities no one else possesses. Raised among the Wardens—a race of gargoyles tasked with hunting demons and keeping humanity safe—Layla tries to fit in, but that means hiding her own dark side from those she loves the most. Especially Zayne, the swoon-worthy, incredibly gorgeous and completely off-limits Warden she's crushed on since forever. Then she meets Roth—a tattooed, sinfully hot demon who claims to know all her secrets. Layla knows she should stay away, but she's not sure she wants to—especially when that whole no-kissing thing isn't an issue, considering Roth has no soul. But when Layla discovers she's the reason for the violent demon uprising, trusting Roth could not only ruin her chances with Zayne…it could brand her a traitor to her family. Worse yet, it could become a one-way ticket to the end of the world.

**Amazon** **Barnes and Noble** **BAM** **iBooks** **IndieBound** **Kobo** **Walmart**

About Jennifer L. Armentrout:

# 1 NEW YORK TIMES and USA TODAY Bestselling author Jennifer lives in Martinsburg, West Virginia. All the rumors you’ve heard about her state aren’t true. When she’s not hard at work writing. she spends her time reading, working out, watching really bad zombie movies, pretending to write, and hanging out with her husband and her Jack Russell Loki. Her dreams of becoming an author started in algebra class, where she spent most of her time writing short stories….which explains her dismal grades in math. Jennifer writes young adult paranormal, science fiction, fantasy, and contemporary romance. She is published with Spencer Hill Press, Entangled Teen and Brazen, Disney/Hyperion and Harlequin Teen. Her book Obsidian has been optioned for a major motion picture and her Covenant Series has been optioned for TV. She also writes adult and New Adult romance under the name J. Lynn. She is published by Entangled Brazen and HarperCollins.

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