Shelf Candy Saturday [6]

Shelf Candy Saturday is a weekly meme hosted by Five Alarm Books and I chose to do it so I could brighten up my Saturdays! Every Saturday, bloggers get to post a cover that has really caught their eye over the week for everyone else to see. It is a great way to find some new books to be put on your to be read shelf or just admire the wonderful covers that are already there. Judging a book by it's cover has never been so fun. [:

This weeks pick was pretty easy for me. I was once again on goodreads looking around and realized that every time I get on I came across this book. It catches my eye every time and I decided now was the perfect time to feature my weekly eye candy for all of you. So, here we go, this Saturdays Shelf Candy!

First Comes Love

Katie Kacvinsky

Why It's Shelf Candy:
Uhm, lets see. Look at his face. Sex on a stick, I am telling you. I don't know. Honestly every time I see this cover I just like turn into a puddle of swoon goo. I don't know what it is, maybe it is the combination of the cover and synopsis but *sigh* it's hot. You have to admit, there is just something about a close up of an almost kiss. I can't wait to have this one on my shelf so I can stare at this hotness all day long. Also, I mean, look at this gals face. Their skin is flawless and that little bit of stubble on my sex stud? Yes please! Oh and I REALLY love how he is wearing black while she is wearing white. You just know it is going to be a battle of good and evil relationship wise. Now, if you haven't seen this one around don't forget you can click on the cover and check it out. You may just end up falling in love like I did.

What do you guys think? Want to devour this guys mouth like I do? Or does it totally turn you off? Leave your own Shelf Candy Saturday link or just comment below. Please let me know I'm not the only one who wants to jump these bones. ;]

Follow Friday [6]

Follow Friday is something I am very excited to be doing, since you know, I am kinda new and all. [: It is a weekly meme hosted by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read. Every week there is a new question to answer and new bloggers to meet! There is also a different blog featured every week! This weeks featured blog is BookChowDown, so don't forget to head over there and check it out!

Want to get in on all the fun? Head on over to Parajunkee or Alison Can Read and get all the info to do your own Follow Friday and see who you will meet!!

This Weeks Question Is...

Q: What would your prefer: reading your favorite book over and over again until you got sick of it OR reading 100s of mediocre books? And why?

A: Okay, here is how I see it. I'm not going to be here forever, who knows when death [hopefully Tod or Dank, you know, either one] will take me. I wouldn't want to waste my time reading 100 mediocre books while I could re-read my favorite book. The best thing about books is the fact that no matter how many times you read it, there is always something new to learn from it. And why wouldn't I want to spend my days with the characters I love? On with the re-reads!

**** **** **** ****

What about you? Are you a re-reader? Or  are you a read everything I can no matter how not so great it is kinda person? Leave me your own Follow Friday link or just comment below to let me know. [:

Review: Because Of Low by Abbi Glines

Because of Low
Published by: Abbi Glines
Abbi Glines
Release Date: February 14th 2012
( Barnes & Noble / Goodreads )

In my debut novel, Breathe, Sadie may have fallen in love with the teen rock star, Jax Stone, but readers fell head over heels for Marcus Hardy. This is his story… 

Marcus Hardy had hoped to enjoy a year away at college while he put the summer he’d rather forget behind him. But instead, he’s jerked right back to the coastal town of Sea Breeze, Alabama due to a family crisis. His dear ol' dad found himself a girlfriend only a few years older than Marcus. So now his sister needs help dealing with their mother who is mentally falling apart. The only bright spot to returning is the fascinating red head who sleeps over several times a week. The problem is she's sleeping in bed with his new roommate, Cage Watson. 

Willow “Low” Foster needs a place to live. Running to Cage’s apartment every time her sister kicks her out isn’t exactly a long term solution. Juggling her courses at the local community college and a part time job doesn’t produce excess income. But Cage has a new roommate and suddenly sleeping over at her best friend’s apartment isn’t such a bad thing. Not when she gets to see those sexy green eyes of Marcus Hardy’s twinkle when he smiles at her like he wants her there. Even though Cage seems a little territorial where Low is concerned, Marcus finds time to spend with Low without upsetting his roommate. Cage may use his small college baseball star persona to sleep with every hot female in his path but he’s still under the disillusion that when he’s through sowing his wild oats, he’s going to marry Low. Marcus intends to change that assumption for both Cage and Low. Until his carefully laid plans come crashing down with a revelation he never expected. He’ll have to choose between Low or his family. Because once the truth comes out.... there’s no other choice.

-Goodreads

*An eARC was provided to me by the author for review purposes*

Thoughts/Review:

Oh Abbi Glines the words you weave! If any of you know me at all [or stalk my twitter], you know I have read and immensely enjoyed every single book Abbi has written and this one just blew the top off of them all. Not only did she make me fall even more in love with her writing and characters but she transitioned into the world of New Adult flawlessly. I was fanning myself, giggling like a school girl, and swooning all over the place. Don’t let that fool you though folks. You also get a heaping dose of frustrating angst to go with it. Sounds like the perfect mixture does it not? One can never be disappointed when it comes to a Gline piece of genius.

Now, if you have read Breathe [which you should have by now!] you already know Marcus. I was more than ready to see Marcus get his own happy ending since everything with Sadie went to shit for him in Breathe. But nothing could have prepared me for this story.  It consumed me from page one, no joke. Not only do we get to see Marcus’s journey of trying to open up and find love again while juggle a family crisis he could have never seen coming but we get Low’s own story complete with her own set of family drama. See, what I think I enjoyed most about this book was it was told in both Marcus and Low’s point of view. I revel in double narratives like this and it made me so much more emotionally attached to the story being told. Once I picked it up I didn’t put it down until I was done a few hours later. My eyes were glued.

Now I never became super attached to Marcus in Breathe because I knew he was getting this book, so once I started reading I was captivated. It is safe to say I love Marcus more than Jax. [Pst, you get to see Jax in this book.  You didn’t hear it from me…] But what I really think made Marcus pop for me in this book was the fact that Low was introduced. Low is struggling with the worst possible circumstances and she managed to completely capture my heart. I loved everything about Low, even if she was so down on herself.  I adore a character building book and damn it if this wasn’t the best one I have read this year. I ate up seeing Low and Marcus go through their highs and lows together and getting to see each of them really grow into a new phase of themselves.

If their own personal troubles weren’t enough to keep you hooked then the relationship that these two go through will. I guarantee your fist will meet a pillow, or two, possibly three I lost count. There was SO much I wanted to happen and then I got the rug pulled out from underneath me and my heart went plunging on more than one account. I found myself yelling with my headphones in [listening to a heart breaking song no doubt] and someone had to tell me to be quiet. I just, I couldn’t.  The relationship between these two was enough to make my heart explode.  And for that reason right there is why I will ALWAYS run to an Abbi Gline book to feed my hunger for a good romance. Even if I do want to seriously hurt someone half way through. 

When all is said and done Because of Low is an epic tale of love, loss, and the ultimate sacrifice you are willing to take to make it all work. I can’t tell you how much I enjoyed reading this story and falling for a whole new set of characters. Hell I can’t tell you how much I loved Low. I hope I get to see her and Marcus again somewhere in the future. People, Abbi Glines has done it yet again and I have a feeling she will keep us on our toes for many years to come. Falling in love has never been so frustratingly sweet and I am always going to be coming along for the ride. Don’t miss your chance! Pick up Because of Low now!

Rating:

★★★★★

Five Flourishing Stars

[Playboys don't always get the girl]

**** **** **** ****

I was going to wait to post this review, but Because Of Low got released early! The link to Barnes & Noble is above so click your way on over! DO NOT miss out on this one people. Go get your copy of Because of Low today and revel in all that is Marcus Hardy! Happy reading. [:

Waiting On Wednesday [6]

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill over at Breaking The Spine. Each Wednesday we pick a book that we can't wait to get our paws on and share it with the rest of you! Want to play along? Just head over to Jill's site for all the info! This weeks pick may come as no surprise to those of you who know I just finished Obsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout a few days ago. In fact my review is posted just below this. I fell hard for this book so, without further aidu I give you my Waiting on Wednesday pick!

This weeks Waiting On Wednesday pick is...

Onyx 

[Lux #2]

Jennifer L. Armentrout

Release Date: May 15th 2012

Being connected to Daemon Black sucks…

Thanks to his alien mojo, Daemon’s determined to prove what he feels for me is more than a product of our bizarro connection. So I’ve sworn him off, even though he’s running more hot than cold these days. But we’ve got bigger problems.

Something worse than the Arum has come to town.

The Department of Defense is here. If they ever find out what Daemon can do and that we're linked, I’m a goner. So is he. And there's this new boy in school who’s got a secret of his own. He knows what’s happened to me and he can help, but to do so, I have to lie to Daemon and stay away from him. Like that's possible. Against all common sense, I'm falling for Daemon. Hard.

But then everything changes…

I’ve seen someone who shouldn’t be alive. And I have to tell Daemon, even though I know he’s never going to stop searching until he gets the truth. What happened to his brother? Who betrayed him? And what does the DOD want from them—from me?

No one is who they seem. And not everyone will survive the lies…
-Goodreads

Why I Can't Wait

I fell in love with Obsidian, so why would I NOT want this book like YESTERDAY. Daemon is a sexy sexy stud that now wants Katy and she is trying to act like she isn't so very interested in him?! Gah. Sparks are totally going to fly and I want to be there when they do! Not only are these two going to create such a heat I may have to get out of the kitchen [or maybe I will strip some clothes off...] but then I hear Daemons twin may be back?! TWIN PEOPLE. As in looks just like Daemon. I may pass out from too much sexiness. Do I detect a possible love triangle? Or am I just asking a bit too much? Either way, we will have to wait until May to find out for sure and trust me people, I am counting down the days.

**** **** **** ****

I know a lot of you out there are a fan of this series, so I bet you are right there with me on this! What about the rest of you? Leave me your own Waiting on Wednesday pick or just comment below. I would love to see what you are waiting on this week. [:

Review: Obsidian [Lux #1] by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Obsidian
Lux #1
Jennifer L. Armentrout
Released: December 6th 2011 by Entangled Publishing
( Barnes & Noble / Goodreads )

Starting over sucks.

When we moved to West Virginia right before my senior year, I’d pretty much resigned myself to thick accents, dodgy internet access, and a whole lot of boring…. until I spotted my hot neighbor, with his looming height and eerie green eyes. Things were looking up.

And then he opened his mouth.

Daemon is infuriating. Arrogant. Stab-worthy. We do not get along. At all. But when a stranger attacks me and Daemon literally freezes time with a wave of his hand, well, something…unexpected happens.

The hot alien living next door marks me.

You heard me. Alien. Turns out Daemon and his sister have a galaxy of enemies wanting to steal their abilities, and Daemon’s touch has me lit up like the Vegas Strip. The only way I’m getting out of this alive is by sticking close to Daemon until my alien mojo fades.

If I don’t kill him first, that is.
-Goodreads

Thoughts/Review:

For the love of all that is steamy and sexy, what have I gotten myself into?! I wasn’t trying to get wrapped into another bad boy [or maybe I was] but it was inevitable with this book. Who knew aliens could be so hot, or so infuriating? I am the happiest person ever that a few choice friends basically forced me to read this book NOW instead of waiting a few more weeks. I was pissed, coveting, drooling and yelling basically the whole time. This story, the characters, everything got under my skin in the best way possible and I don’t think I can ever look at aliens the same way again.

This story wasted no time what so ever getting my attention and connecting me to the story and our MC Katy. See, Katy is a book blogger [awesome right?] who has had to move to a new state 3 years after her father passed away from cancer. A new start is what her mom wants for them and a new start is exactly what they get. See since Katy is pretty much a recluse [what book blogger isn’t? Or is it just me?] her mom wants her to play nice, make some new friends and get out of the house more often. Luckily for Katy her next door neighbors are her age, but playing nice is easier said than done when it comes to Dee, more accurately her brother Daemon.

If you know me then you know I am such a huge sucker for bad boys. And this book had the best one of them all. Because not only was he a bad boy who could kick anyone’s ass, he is as arrogant as the come. Yes, I know, arrogance is not an admirable quality in a man. But trust me, in Daemon it is. As you should know any good bad boy has layers to him people! As soon as Katy meets him at his front door [shirtless mind you] I knew I would never be the same. There is just something about the way that boy carries himself that just makes me want to slap him in the best way possible.  Daemon is sexy, I will give him that but I wouldn’t have loved him and his arrogance as much if it weren’t for Katy.

Katy is snarky, witty, and is a huge breath of fresh air for the YA genre. She isn’t whiny, she doesn’t complain all the time and when she needs to she takes everything into her own badass hands and takes care of it. One reason I fell in love with this cruel angsty relationship was the fact that Katy didn’t let the intolerable Daemon turn her into an introverted little girl. She stood up to him and that made the sexual tension rise so high it consumed me all the way over here. I adore a book that makes me feel all the angst of a situation and then some *fans self* A little heat is never a bad thing people! I also have to say I am a huge fan of Dee. I love how hard she tried to seem normal before everything is blown sky high and how hard she works at trying to handle Daemon when he is at his worst.

This book took me by surprise and I am proud to say that I am now a Jennifer L. Armentrout fan. Her writing has captivated me and thrown me into another unhealthy crushationship with a bad boy who is bound to break my heart before all is said and done.  Wither you are an existing Armentrout fan or new to her work, DON’T pass this one up. And watch out for the second book Onyx [which I am impatiently waiting for] that comes out in May. This series is going to be the death of me people but I think I am going to like it. As long as Daemon is there. With his shirt off. Dayam.

Rating:

★★★★★

Five Fearsome Stars

[Arrogance never looked so good]

**** **** **** ****

Well. What can I say. You totally can not blame me for falling head over heels in love with this one people. If you don't know what I am talking about then you need to head on over to goodreads or Amazon or Barnes & Noble and check it out. I can't WAIT for May. ;]