Waiting On Wednesday (119) Liv, Forever by Amy Talkington @amytalkington

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Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking The Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we are eagerly anticipating.

Wednesday is my absolute favorite day of the week! It's not always Winds-day (thanks Pooh!) but it's still a great day to share the books that I am super excited about and can't wait to read.

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Expected publication: March 11th 2014 by Soho Teen

Synopsis from Goodreads:

When Liv Bloom lands an art scholarship at Wickham Hall, it’s her ticket out of the foster system. Liv isn’t sure what to make of the school’s weird traditions and rituals, but she couldn’t be happier. For the first time ever, she has her own studio, her own supply of paints. Everything she could want.

Then she meets Malcolm Astor, a legacy student, a fellow artist, and the one person who’s ever been able to melt her defenses. Liv’s only friend at Wickham, fellow scholarship kid Gabe Nichols, warns her not to get involved, but life is finally going Liv’s way, and all she wants to do is enjoy the ride.

But Liv’s bliss is doomed. Weeks after arriving, she is viciously murdered and, in death, she discovers that she’s the latest victim of a dark conspiracy that has claimed many lives. Cursed with the ability to see the many ghosts on Wickham’s campus, Gabe is now Liv’s only link to the world of the living. To Malcolm.

Together, Liv, Gabe, and Malcolm fight to expose the terrible truth that haunts the halls of Wickham. But Liv must fight alone to come to grips with the ultimate star-crossed love.

I'm up for a great paranormal murder mystery, and this one sounds awesome! On a shallow note, I love that cover! This is releasing in less than 2 weeks, so I need to get to reading my arc. Yikes.

What are you waiting on this week? I reply to all comments, and I also return the visit to your WoW, so please make it easy on me and leave a link to your WoW post. Thanks!
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Review: Lady Thief (Scarlet #2) by A.C. Gaughen

Lady Thief (Scarlet, #2)Lady Thief (Scarlet #2) by A.C. Gaughen

Publication Date: February 11, 2014
Page Count: 304
Published by: Walker Childrens
Source: eArc received from publisher in exchange for an honest review

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Scarlet’s true identity has been revealed, but her future is uncertain. Her forced marriage to Lord Gisbourne threatens Robin and Scarlet’s love, and as the royal court descends upon Nottingham for the appointment of a new Sheriff, the people of Nottingham hope that Prince John will appoint their beloved Robin Hood. But Prince John has different plans for Nottingham that revolve around a fateful secret from Scarlet’s past even she isn’t yet aware of. Forced to participate at court alongside her ruthless husband, Scarlet must bide her time and act the part of a noblewoman—a worthy sacrifice if it means helping Robin’s cause and a chance at a future with the man she loves. With a fresh line of intrigue and as much passion as ever, the next chapter in Scarlet’s tale will have readers talking once again.

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Want to know why you should read Lady Thief? Because it's insanely awesome!!!

Scarlet was SO good as a stand alone, and I'm very happy that it was turned into a trilogy. I can't get enough of this story and these characters. Each moment I spend with these books is more exciting than the last.

Scarlet is such a great character. She is so fierce, determined, and extremely loyal. Being strong willed definitely worked in her favor in this book, as a lot of things happen to her. A weaker character would never have survived. She has such a strong sense of right and wrong, and she is always willing to stand up for her beliefs and fight for those she loves.

I love the dashing and charming Robin, and I so badly wanted more moments with him. He really took a back seat in this story as everything is happening to Scarlet. He was so tortured and suffered immensely without Scarlet by his side. They did have a few swoony moments and some stolen kisses along the way, but I still longed for more of these two. When they were apart all I could do was wait anxiously for them to reunite.

Gisbourne played a bigger part this time around, and I came to understand him better while learning more about what made him the way he is. I loved that his character was given more depth, but that still didn't make me like him. We all know Gisbourne is bad, right? Not just bad, but really, really BAD. Knowing this, I kept waiting and wanting him to show the slightest sign of humanity. Compassion? Anything? Gah, I feel like such a dork because I just wanted him to have a moment, just one teensy tiny moment where he showed he had a heart and a soul. What was I thinking?!?

Lady Thief has over the top action with tons of new information coming at you almost rapid fire. This was a terrifically fast paced story with so many twists and turns. There were quite a few surprises for me and a few holy crap moments. There were also happy, euphoric moments interspersed with tons of angst, so be prepared! Scarlet and Robin go through a lot of pain and suffering and it was just so hard to read about.

Overall, Lady Thief was a thrilling sequel with so many shocking surprises and twists. It was packed full of action and danger. My emotions were all over the place because the story had so many ups and downs. Scarlet and Robin have so many obstacles to overcome on the road to happiness, and there are so many things STILL keeping them apart. Oh my, that ending? It just about killed me. Seriously ridiculous and pure evil by the author. I don't know how I'm supposed to wait for the next book!

My rating: 5 of 5 stars
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Waiting On Wednesday (118) Complicit by Stephanie Kuehn @stephkuehn

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Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking The Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we are eagerly anticipating.

Wednesday is my absolute favorite day of the week! It's not always Winds-day (thanks Pooh!) but it's still a great day to share the books that I am super excited about and can't wait to read.

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Expected publication: June 24th 2014 by St. Martin's Griffin

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Two years ago, fifteen-year-old Jamie Henry breathed a sigh of relief when a judge sentenced his older sister to juvenile detention for burning down their neighbor's fancy horse barn. The whole town did. Because Crazy Cate Henry used to be a nice girl. Until she did a lot of bad things. Like drinking. And stealing. And lying. Like playing weird mind games in the woods with other children. Like making sure she always got her way. Or else.

But today Cate got out. And now she’s coming back for Jamie.

Because more than anything, Cate Henry needs her little brother to know this one simple truth: she’s not the crazy one and never has been.

He is.

I really (Really!) loved Charm & Strange because it messed with my mind. Complicit sounds like it will be another disturbing book and I can't wait to read it.

What are you waiting on this week? Be sure to leave a link to your WoW post!
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Review: Heartbeat by Elizabeth Scott

HeartbeatHeartbeat by Elizabeth Scott

Publication Date: January 28, 2014
Page Count: 304
Published by: Harlequin Teen
Source: eArc received from publisher in exchange for an honest review

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Life. Death. And...Love?

Emma would give anything to talk to her mother one last time. Tell her about her slipping grades, her anger with her stepfather, and the boy with the bad reputation who might be the only one Emma can be herself with.

But Emma can't tell her mother anything. Because her mother is brain-dead and being kept alive by machines for the baby growing inside her.

Meeting bad-boy Caleb Harrison wouldn't have interested Old Emma. But New Emma-the one who exists in a fog of grief, who no longer cares about school, whose only social outlet is her best friend Olivia-New Emma is startled by the connection she and Caleb forge.

Feeling her own heart beat again wakes Emma from the grief that has grayed her existence. Is there hope for life after death-and maybe, for love?

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From beginning to end, Heartbeat was such an emotional and heartbreaking story. Emma is dealing with a very difficult situation: her pregnant mother has been declared brain dead after an aneurysm, and her step-father, Dan, has made the decision to keep her body alive and on machines in order to save the baby.

Emma visits her mother in the hospital every day, and every day it gets harder and harder for her to keep her thoughts and feelings to herself. She is trying to mourn her mother's death, but it is impossible when she sees her mother's body every day. She feels that her mother and the baby should be allowed to die, and she is angry at Dan for making such a huge decision without asking her opinion first. Emma is hurt and filled with pain and anger, which causes her to lash out at Dan repeatedly. She is often unreasonable, and blames her step-father for everything. It was SO easy to feel sympathy for Emma, but she isn't a likable character. I don't think she's meant to be likable, and that's okay. I was still able to care about her and her situation.

Emma feels that her life is completely out of control until she lays eyes on Caleb at the hospital. She recognizes something in him, and they make a connection that they both desperately need. Emma can be herself around Caleb, and doesn't have to hide how much she is hurting. They spend time together and share their grief, knowing that they can't heal the other, but they can at least offer support and understanding.

Caleb wasn't at all what I expected, and I found myself really liking him. He has a tragic past, heavy family issues, and terrible, awful parents. I liked that he and Emma were able to make such an unlikely connection. I thought their relationship was beautiful and complex, and they were really able to help each other.

Emma's best friend, Olivia, was awesome and so understanding. She is Emma's link to life 'before', and she tried so hard to be there for Emma and support her no matter what. Emma was really lucky to have such a great friend in her life who cared about her so much.

Even though Dan was made out to be the bad guy, I tended to side with him because I could relate to him more. I could totally understand his reasons for wanting to save the baby - he knows his wife is dead and the baby will be like having a piece of his wife still with him everyday. If there is the chance that the baby can survive, he is willing to do anything to make it happen.

This subject is such a current controversial issue. I can understand the arguments for and against, and whether it is ethical to keep a pregnant woman alive to be an 'incubator'. I do believe the woman's wishes should be taken into account, along with the viability of the fetus. I thought all of these things were handled very well in Heartbeat. I highly recommend this book if you like emotional and realistic stories and don't mind shedding a tear or two.

My rating: 4 of 5 stars
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I am amazed that the timing of this book coincides with 2 similar real life events that have recently concluded. The first is a woman in Texas who had an aneurysm at 14 weeks pregnant. Her husband and family did not want her kept alive in an attempt to save the baby, but the hospital put her on life support against the family's wishes. The hospital even admitted that the unborn child was “distinctly abnormal” and had deformed lower extremities. The husband ended up taking the hospital to court in order to get his wife removed from life support.

The second case also recently ended. A woman in Canada was declared brain dead after an aneurysm at 22 weeks pregnant, but the husband wanted to keep her on life support to save the baby. The baby has now been born and the mother removed from machines and allowed to die. Both cases are interesting and show both sides of the argument of whether or not it is ethical to keep the mother 'alive' in order to save the fetus.
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Waiting On Wednesday (117) The Hunt (Project Paper Doll #2) by Stacey Kade @StaceyKade

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Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking The Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we are eagerly anticipating.

Wednesday is my favorite day of the week because I get to share books that I am super excited about and can't wait to read.

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Expected publication: April 22nd 2014 by Disney-Hyperion

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Ariane Tucker has finally escaped GTX, the research facility that created her. While on the run, Zane Bradshaw is the only person she can trust. He knows who-and what-she is and still wants to be part of her life.
But accepting Zane's help means putting him in danger.
Dr. Jacobs, head of GTX, is not the only one hunting for Ariane. Two rival corporations have their sights set on taking down their competition. Permanently.
To protect Zane and herself, Ariane needs allies. She needs the other hybrids. The hybrids who are way more alien and a lot less human. Can Ariane win them over before they turn on her? Or will she be forced to choose sides, to decide who lives and who dies?

I loved the first book in this series, The Rules. I'm excited about reading The Hunt soon (because I have an eArc!) Have you started reading this series yet?

What are you waiting on this week? Please be sure to leave a link to your WoW post!
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Sunday Updates (42)


Inspired by features from The Sunday Post from Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer and Sunday Summary from Book Twirps.

Am I the only one who gets excited when I get pre-approved for awesome eArcs? Seriously, it makes me so darn happy. Now I just have to fit these in my already overloaded schedule. And read faster.

Received for Review:

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Thanks to Bloomsbury USA Childrens Books
This contemporary sounds really cute! A 16 year old inherits a wedding chapel on the Vegas Strip from her Grandpa, who wants her to run it with the help of the grandson of her family's mortal enemy.

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Thanks to Bloomsbury USA Childrens Books
What's not to love about this one? Two besties, country music, and summertime. Oh, and a cute boy.

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Thanks to St. Martin's Griffin
I've had this one on my tbr since I read Charm & Strange. That was such an awesome book! Complicit sounds like it may be another dark and twisted story.

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Thanks to HarperTeen

Kasie West! Bring it on! I think Kasie West may be an auto-read for me after how awesome The Distance Between Us was. I haven't had the chance to read Pivot Point yet, and Split Second comes out in a couple of days, so I'll have to check those out soon.

On The Blog This Week:

After I posted my review of No One Else Can Have You by Kathleen Hale, I started reading some of the 'reviews' on Goodreads. I had no idea about the love/hate thing going on with this book. It was definitely eye opening, and exactly the reason why I don't read reviews until after I've written my review. I can certainly understand some of the reasons why people DNF'd it, but the quirks and wackiness that made it so different is what I enjoyed.

Waiting On Wednesday (116) Broken Hearts, Fences, and Other Things to Mend by Katie Finn
I have a question for those of you who participate in WoW every week. Do you make a point of replying to comments on your WoW post, and do you visit all of the blogs that comment? More and more I am noticing that other blogs are not doing this. I am going to take this opportunity to throw this out there just to show how wacky I am. There are a certain number of blogs that I have commented on their WoW posts for over 2 years, yet they have never, ever, not even once replied to my comments, AND they have never commented on my WoW posts. Seriously. It got to a point where I was commenting just to be ornery and persistent, thinking my stubbornness would be noticed. And I always leave meaningful comments along with a link to my WoW. But guess what? I'm not doing it anymore. They can all kiss my ass. If that's how they want to be then I don't want them around here. I try to make a point of replying to all comments on my blog because I appreciate anyone who takes the time to visit me, and that is how I will continue to be in the future. I also enjoy visiting other blogs and seeing what everyone has going on.
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Review: No One Else Can Have You by Kathleen Hale @halekathleen

No One Else Can Have YouNo One Else Can Have You by Kathleen Hale

Publication Date: January 7, 2014
Page Count: 380
Published by: HarperTeen
Source: eArc received from publisher in exchange for an honest review

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Small towns are nothing if not friendly. Friendship, Wisconsin (population: 689 688) is no different. Around here, everyone wears a smile. And no one ever locks their doors. Until, that is, high school sweetheart Ruth Fried is found murdered. Strung up like a scarecrow in the middle of a cornfield.

Unfortunately, Friendship’s police are more adept at looking for lost pets than catching killers. So Ruth’s best friend, Kippy Bushman, armed with only her tenacious Midwestern spirit and Ruth’s secret diary (which Ruth’s mother had asked her to read in order to redact any, you know, sex parts), sets out to find the murderer. But in a quiet town like Friendship—where no one is a suspect—anyone could be the killer.

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I've been looking forward to No One Else Can Have You since last summer, and I'm so glad I read it! This book is definitely different - and that's not necessarily a bad thing. No One Else Can Have You is set in a crazy ass small town called Friendship, Wisconsin, where every resident is quirky or different, don'tcha know.

Kippy is our protagonist, and when her best friend, Ruth, is murdered while on her way to Kippy's house, it horrifies and shocks the entire town. When the sheriff immediately arrests a suspect without an investigation, Kippy knows something isn't right and sets out to uncover the truth about Ruth's murder. Kippy gets a bit of help from Ruth's brother, Davey, and the two grow close while trying to uncover the real killer. Kippy goes about her investigation in an unusual way, and some hilarity inevitably ensues, but I loved how tenacious she was about finding her friend's killer. What Kippy was lacking in investigative skills she more than made up for with persistence, and she wasn't about to let the incompetent sheriff get away with railroading an innocent person.

Kippy definitely has a unique voice, but it only took me a little while to get used to her. I liked Kippy and I found her very entertaining. She is really weird and SO socially awkward, but it totally worked for her. She manages to say some of the weirdest and most inappropriate lines I've ever heard. It's almost as if she doesn't have a filter between her brain and her mouth.

The secondary characters were an odd bunch, but I found them extremely likable and full of zeal. Most of them are also majorly dysfunctional with totally over the top behavior. They are quirky and weird and completely unbelievable and totally unrealistic. Yet somehow this all works to make this a ridiculously entertaining read!

This story was so funny at times, and the murder mystery aspect really kept me guessing because there was no clear cut suspect. My one and only complaint with this book is how often the author throws in anecdotes. I thought the constant randomness about things that didn't add to the story took the focus away from the main plot. I found it to be pretty annoying at times.

No One Else Can Have You is one of a kind, and I'd be hard pressed to find another book to compare this to. It was a refreshing read with a terrific plot and wonderful writing. Take a murder mystery, throw in an interesting cast of characters, add a bit of romance, and you get a really great book. You should definitely give this one a chance! I'm glad I had the opportunity to read this, and I am looking forward to reading the sequel in 2015.

My rating: 4 of 5 stars
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Waiting On Wednesday (116) Broken Hearts, Fences, and Other Things to Mend by Katie Finn @katiefinnwrites

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Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking The Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we are eagerly anticipating.

Wednesday is my favorite day of the week because I get to share books that I am super excited about and can't wait to read.

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Hardcover, 352 pages
Expected publication: May 13th 2014 by Feiwel & Friends

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Summer, boys, and friendships gone sour. This new series has everything that perfect beach reads are made of!

Gemma just got dumped and is devastated. She finds herself back in the Hamptons for the summer—which puts her at risk of bumping into Hallie, her former best friend that she wronged five years earlier. Do people hold grudges that long?

When a small case of mistaken identity causes everyone, including Hallie and her dreamy brother Josh, to think she’s someone else, Gemma decides to go along with it.

Gemma's plan is working (she's finding it hard to resist Josh), but she's finding herself in embarrassing situations (how could a bathing suit fall apart like that!?). Is it coincidence or is someone trying to expose her true identity? And how will Josh react if he finds out who she is?

Sounds like a cute and fun summer read! There's no denying why I picked a summertime book as my WoW this week. It snowed again today. Those 7 inches of snow have me dreaming of warmer weather.

What are you waiting on this week? Please be sure to leave me a link to your WoW.
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January Recap and February TBR

I can't believe that January is over already! Where has the month gone? Surprisingly, I'm actually right on track with my Goodreads goal for this year. It averages out to a little over 6 books per month, so I think I can handle that, thank you very much.

I've read a few meh books in the past few months, and that always makes me sad. I'm not big on DNFing books, and they have to be really bad for me to not finish. I'm trying to be more selective with what I read, but somehow I still get stuck with stinkers. I *know* the main reason for this is because I don't read reviews before I read a book. I'm always worried that someone else's thoughts and feelings will sway me to feel the same way about a book. So I try to stay as review-free as possible on books that I know I'm going to read.

Read in January:

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February TBR:

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That's it for another month. Looks like I have some great reading coming up.

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Sunday Updates (41)


Inspired by features from The Sunday Post from Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer and Sunday Summary from Book Twirps.

I had 2 surprise approvals from Simon Pulse this week. Yay, they DO love me! And I still have 3 books from the library that I want to read. I either need to not sleep or I need more hours added to the day. There are just too many books that I want to read! Anyone else have this problem?

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For Review
(Thanks to Disney-Hyperion for the review copy)

I had to request this as soon as it popped up on NetGalley. I thought Nantucket Blue was terrific as a stand alone, but now I can't wait to read this and see how Cricket deals with a whole new set of problems.

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For Review
(Thanks to Simon Pulse for the review copy)

I requested this way back in the middle of November, but my approval just came through this week. It sounds like it will be an emotional book.

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For Review
(Thanks to Simon Pulse for the review copy)

I have been anxiously awaiting approval for this since mid-November. So glad I finally got approved. I'm expecting Magnolia to be awesome. I just hope it lives up to my expectations. *Fingers crossed*

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