It's Monday, What Are You Reading? (40)

This is a fun weekly meme hosted by Sheila at Book Journey.


Books I read last week:
Heavenly by Jennifer Laurens
Sun Kissed by Catherine Anderson



The book I’m reading now:
Everlasting:
Sailing aboard her father’s trade ship is all seventeen-year-old Camille Rowen has ever wanted. But as a girl of society in 1855 San Francisco, her future is set: marry a man she doesn’t love, or condemn herself and her father to poverty.

On her final voyage before the wedding, the stormy arms of the Tasman Sea claim her father, and a terrible family secret is revealed. A secret intertwined with a fabled map, the mother Camille has long believed dead, and an ancient stone that wields a dangerous—and alluring—magic.

The only person Camille can depend on is Oscar, a handsome young sailor whom she is undeniably drawn to. Torn between trusting her instincts and keeping her promises to her father, Camille embarks on a perilous quest into the Australian wilderness to find the enchanted stone. As she and Oscar elude murderous bushrangers and unravel Camille’s father’s lies, they come closer to making the ultimate decision of who—and what—matters most.


Books that spark my interest this week:
Sins of the Heart by Eve Silver
Rapture by Jacquelyn Frank
Knock Out by Catherine Coulter

In My Mailbox (45)

In My Mailbox is hosted by The Story Siren.




Here to Stay by Catherine Anderson
Secrets and Shadows by Shannon Delany
Angelfire by Courtney Allison Moulton
Desires of the Dead by Kimberly Derting

Heavenly by Jennifer Laurens

Heavenly:
I met someone who changed everything. Matthias. My autistic sister's guardian angel. Honest. Inspiring. Funny. Hot. And immortal. That was the problem. What could I do? I did what any other girl would do-I fell in love with him. Zoe's sister darts in front of cars. Her brother's a pothead. Her parents are so overwhelmed; they don't see Zoe lost in her broken life. Zoe escapes the only way she knows how: partying. Matthias, a guardian sent from Heaven, watches over Zoe's autistic sister. After Zoe is convinced he's legit, angel and lost girl come together in a love that changes destiny. But Heaven on Earth can't last forever.



Jennifer Laurens wrote an incredible story that deals with some pretty harsh subject matter; from addictions to living with an autistic child. This book was an emotional roller coaster and I enjoyed every minute of it. In fact I stayed up all night to finish it! Jennifer's writing kept me turning pages, with a fast paced plot and a bittersweet ending, this book is one that will stay in my memory for a long while.

Zoe is a strong, independent young woman and many times she puts her family's wishes above her own, showing her soul deep love for them. In the beginning, I had trouble getting through Zoe's selfish inner dialogue, but that soon began to change after she met Matthias and began to see the world around her is much larger than she believed. Caring for an autistic sister, Abria, has made Zoe bitter about her life, no matter how much she loves her sister, she dreams of having an easier life. Then a stranger appears when Abria goes missing bringing her back to Zoe. At first Zoe is skeptical of Matthias' reasons for being around her sister, until she looks deep within her heart and believes he is who he says he is, a guardian angel. Things start changing quickly for Zoe and her family. She is more conscious of the stress her parents are under, and finding out just how bad her brothers addiction has become is devastating. Zoe matures as she takes on more responsibility and her relationship with Matthias grows from friendship to romantic involvement. When the truth comes out about her drinking, Zoe feels a weight has been lifted from her shoulders because she can finally tell her parents the truth about her feelings -- how living with Abria sometimes makes her feel ignored and unappreciated. The family dynamics take on a huge change as they rebuild their trust in one another. An incident at a party has a life changing effect on Zoe and Matthias, quickly followed by an event even more devastating for her family.

On My Wishlist (40)

On My Wishlist is a fun weekly event hosted by Book Chick City and runs every Saturday. It's where we list all the books we desperately want but haven't actually bought yet. They can be old, new or forthcoming. It's also an event that you can join in with too - Mr Linky is always at the ready for you to link your own 'On My Wishlist' post. If you want to know more click here.



Penitence by Jennifer Laurens:
Seeing good and evil spirits is a gift Zoe guards with her life.

Despite her guardian angel's disappearance, Zoe forces herself to accept that she still has a purpose-but how does she carry the weight of her brother's drug abuse, the hardship of living with an autistic sister, and a best friend who's obsessed with a guy who only wants Zoe?

She's never felt more alone.

When a mysterious spirit appears, Zoe thinks she has a new guardian angel. Instead, her brother's addiction worsens, her parents are on the brink of separation, and her best friend tries to kill her. The spirit she thinks is her new guardian isn't there to protect her: he's out to destroy her family and seize Zoe's soul. . . for Hell.

Will Matthias' return mean that he is Zoe's guardian angel again? Or is their love the reason the jaws of Hell now gape open?



The Art of Seducing a Naked Werewolf by Molly Harper:
Baring It All

Generations of werewolves have been secretly residing in a secluded valley a stone’s throw from Grundy, Alaska. So when a snooping Outsider comes to Grundy to investigate rumors of lycanthropic shenanigans in the area, the valley’s pack alpha, Maggie Graham, resolves to chase him away, even if doing so takes a quick bite on the butt. What a pity that researcher Nick Thatcher turns out to be so drool-worthy, and that his kisses make Maggie want to sit up and beg. Maggie just can’t seem to convince Nick to leave . . . and even worse, she can’t convince herself to stay away from him. Cross-species dating is problem enough for a harried alpha female, but on top of that, a rival group of werewolves is trying to move into the valley. With interpack war threatening, Maggie can’t afford to be distracted. Combining romance and a career can be tough for anyone; for a werewolf in love with a human, it may be disastrous. . . .



Vanish by Sophie Jordan:
To save the life of the boy she loves, Jacinda did the unthinkable: She betrayed the most closely-guarded secret of her kind. Now she must return to the protection of her pride knowing she might never see Will again—and worse, that because his mind has been shaded, Will’s memories of that fateful night and why she had to flee are gone.


Back home, Jacinda is greeted with hostility and must work to prove her loyalty for both her sake and her family’s. Among the few who will even talk to her are Cassian, the pride’s heir apparent who has always wanted her, and her sister, Tamra, who has been forever changed by a twist of fate. Jacinda knows that she should forget Will and move on—that if he managed to remember and keep his promise to find her, it would only endanger them both. Yet she clings to the hope that someday they will be together again. When the chance arrives to follow her heart, will she risk everything for love?

Sun Kissed by Catherine Anderson

Sun Kissed:
When Samantha Harrigan attends the local rodeo, she doesn’t expect to wind up in jail. But that’s precisely what happens when she tries to stop a drunkard from abusing his horse. At least she isn’t alone. Tucker Coulter, a handsome local veterinarian, comes to her defense—and is arrested too.
The charges are dropped, but Sam’s troubles have only started. Her champion quarter horses are falling ill and the culprit is poison. As the insurance beneficiary, Sam is the prime suspect. Unswayed by the rumors floating around town, Tucker offers to help prove her innocence. Sam, though, is uneasy about accepting his assistance—and about the way he makes her feel. If only she could believe in him the way he seems to believe in her...

Catherine Anderson is one of those incredible romance writers that has you coming back for more. This is only my second time reading one of her books, and I will definitely be looking forward to picking up those others I have sitting on my shelf. Catherine gives her characters honest emotions that pull you ever deeper into the story she has created. I felt every tear and heard every laugh the characters experienced in this book. The book's pace flowed smoothly keeping me interested and with just a hint of danger for added tension. Catherine has a hearty respect for friends and family and it truly shows in her writing -- giving her books a more intimate feel and creating an indulgence for her work.

Escaping her marriage to her abusive husband left Samantha with deep emotional scars, some so deep even her own family knows nothing about them. Trust comes hard for her but after meeting Tucker she begins to feel like a woman again. Tucker is determined to get past the walls she has erected around her heart, for years he has searched for the perfect woman, and he knows immediately that Samantha is that woman. When things start going wrong at her stables, and her horses become sick, Samantha trusts Tucker to save her horses -- but continuously fights the feelings of attraction he stirs in her. Their relationship changes as they work closely to save the horses that are more like an extension of her family than simply animals. Their romance is sweet and builds quickly as the story progresses. Although it is obvious as to who is behind the poisoning of the horses, there is still the mystery of just how it is being accomplished. After ferreting out who the perpetrator is and the reasoning behind the betrayal, Samantha's ex-husband returns for one last showdown -- and this time, he plans to see her dead.

Friday 56...Visions of Magic (47)

The book today: Visions of Magic by Regan Hastings

The name had always had a sort of funeral feel to it, in Shea's mind.

The Rules:

* Grab the book nearest you. Right now.
* Turn to page 56.
* Find the fifth sentence.
* Post that sentence (plus one or two others if you like) along with these instructions on your blog or (if you do not have your own blog) in the comments section of this blog.
* Post a link along with your post back to this blog.
* Don’t dig for your favorite book, the coolest, the most intellectual. Use the CLOSEST.

Theme Thursday (1)

Theme Thursdays is a fun weekly event hosted by Reading Between Pages that will be open from one Thursday to the next. Anyone can participate in it. The rules are simple:

• A theme will be posted each week (on Thursday’s)
• Select a conversation/snippet/sentence from the current book you are reading
• Mention the author and the title of the book along with your post
• It is important that the theme is conveyed in the sentence (you don’t necessarily need to have the word)
  Ex: If the theme is KISS; your sentence can have “They kissed so gently” or “Their lips touched each other” or “The smooch was so passionate”

This will give us a wonderful opportunity to explore and understand different writing styles and descriptive approaches adopted by authors.

This week’s theme is – TOUCH (any body contact)

Jace bent his face toward my ear. I closed my eyes as he sniffed the length of my neck, trailing the tip of his tongue along my skin as he came back up. I shivered and gasped, and he responded with a moan as he pressed his hips against mine, nipping the flesh at the base of my neck.

Stray by Rachel Vincent

Future Favorites (30)

Future Favorites is an awesome blog feature over at Electrifying Reviews. I post about a book that is yet-to-be-released and that I can't wait to read!

So Silver Bright by Lisa Mantchev:
Release date: September 13, 2011 by Feiwel & Friends

Things are never easy for Beatrice Shakespeare Smith. Something's happened to the Théâtre Illuminata, putting the only home she's ever known in limbo. Her mother's sanity is fraying under the strain, her father has vanished and an angry goddess is out for revenge. Bertie is caught between her duties and her dreams, just as her heart is torn between Ariel and Nate. But hope glimmers in a Distant Castle, and if Bertie can put on the performance of her life, maybe she can win the magical boon that may save them all.

My Book Boyfriend (6)

My Book Boyfriend is a weekly meme hosted by Missie of The Unread Reader, in which we swoon over boys in books!
(I--as in me, Amy--don't like to use commercial photos, I like to use the authors' descriptions and my imagination.)



Adam Hauptman
Book: Moon Called by Patricia Briggs
Series: Mercy Thompson

This Alpha werewolf is not one to be messed with. Five-ten, a hundred and eighty pounds, Slavic coloring: dusky skin, dark hair, wide cheekbones, and a narrow but sensual mouth. Rich chocolate brown eyes that turn golden, a sign that his wolf is close to the surface. Adam is fair and unbiased when it comes to ruling his pack, he takes in those wolves that others might disregard or simply kill. He is the ultimate protector when it comes to his daughter, and although he would rather shelter the woman he loves, he has confidence in her resourcefulness and need to take care of herself--but he will always be there when she needs him . The power he carries makes him irresistible to both human and werewolf alike.

Quotes:

Adam didn't look away from me, though he flinched subtly at the sound of Shawn's voice. His blazing gold eyes held mine, somehow hot and icy at the same time. I should have looked away--but it didn't seem like a dominance contest. It felt like he was using my eyes to pull himself up from wherever the drugs had forced him. I tried not to blink and break the spell.

"I try," he said with false modesty. Then his eyes darkened and he reached across the table and ran his thumb over my bottom lip. He watched me as he licked the caramel from his skin.