Blog Tour: Breathe, Annie, Breathe by Miranda Kenneally (Review & Giveaway)

 

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Breathe, Annie, Breathe by Miranda Kenneally 

Release Date: July 15th, 2014

Pages: 306

Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire

Series: Hundred Oaks #5

Review Copy: e-ARC copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Purchase: Amazon | B&N | Kobo | iTunes

Description from Goodreads: 

Annie hates running. No matter how far she jogs, she can’t escape the guilt that if she hadn’t broken up with Kyle, he might still be alive. So to honor his memory, she starts preparing for the marathon he intended to race.

But the training is even more grueling than Annie could have imagined. Despite her coaching, she’s at war with her body, her mind—and her heart. With every mile that athletic Jeremiah cheers her on, she grows more conflicted. She wants to run into his arms…and sprint in the opposite direction. For Annie, opening up to love again may be even more of a challenge than crossing the finish line.

"Breathe, Annie, Breathe is an emotional, heartfelt, and beautiful story about finding yourself after loss and learning to love. It gave me so many feels. Her best book yet." — Jennifer Armentrout, New York Times bestselling author of Wait for You 

I love Miranda Kenneally's books. Catching Jordan is a book that I look back on whenever I need a laugh and Stealing Parker is another book that gives me happy feelings. I've always loved the characters Miranda Kenneally depicts and creates in her stories, and then their situations in the books. Going into Breathe, Annie, Breathe, I expected a book that made me think a bit, touched my heart a bit, and made me laugh a bit. What I got was so much more than that.

Annie is probably my favorite Kenneally MC yet. I loved her strength and determination to fun that race no matter what. Reading this book, I thought a lot about when I used to run for school or cheerleading or whatever. I was never a fan. Annie wasn't either until her boyfriend dies and she makes the decision to run the marathon he'd been training for. And that is such a beautiful thing to do. Starting out with only knowing that about Annie set her off to a great start in my mind and she only rose up in the awesome scale as the book progressed. She wasn't perfect. She had issues to deal with, of course. But she did it. She worked on it, and I admire her so, so much.

Then there's Jere, who--dear goodness--I totally fell for. Head over heels, baby. He was such a unique character with his adrenaline junky ways. And I literally mean it when I say "adrenaline junky." It's his thing. He does dangerous stuff for the thrill, and he gets injured. He has bunches of scars and is always looking for something new to try. I loved how he was dangerous in a way that I've never seen in a book boy before. He's not what I'd call a bad boy. He's a sweet boy. He treats blisters and says encouraging things and is the most wonderful of friends when you need one. The dangerous part comes in with the risk involved with the stuff he chooses to do and I found that so interesting. 

Since I was such a huge fan of Annie from the beginning, I started out sort of hesitant toward Jere. I didn't want him to pop in and mess with Annie or anything. I didn't want to throw the book at a wall. (Especially since I was reading it on my Kindle.) But I warmed up to Jere in no time. That boy is so kind and funny and if he needs a new best friend, I totally volunteer as tribute. So once I realized that Jere was awesome sauce, I started rooting for the couple. And goodness gracious, those two were so great for each other. I could not think of a better match for either of these fabulous people if I tried. 

The writing and storyline of the novel mixed together so well to leave a lasting effect on me. The biggest thing of this story is Annie's internal struggle--both race-involved and life involved and love involved. She's figuring her shiz out. And I FELT this, FELT her story so much. I was right there with Annie throughout this whole story, and I flew through this thing. A day. It took me a day to read this book. It would have been one sitting, but I had to eat dinner. Everything just flowed and the writing was wonderful, and I flat out LOVED this book.

I also enjoyed seeing characters from the previous Hundred Oaks books. It's so fun watching how the stories all tie together. And the title of Breathe, Annie, Breathe? Seriously a favorite of mine. It fits the story so well, and I heart it almost as much as I heart Jere. 

Overall, I am in love with Breathe, Annie, Breathe. This is definitely my favorite Miranda Kenneally novel so far, and Annie's story has a special place in my heart. I adored her and Jere, and it was such a great experience watching their progress throughout the story. I feel so much love right now. 

 

Growing up in Tennessee, Miranda Kenneally dreamed of becoming an Atlanta Brave, a country singer (cliché!), or a UN interpreter. Instead she writes, and works for the State Department in Washington, D.C., where George W. Bush once used her shoulder as an armrest. Miranda loves Twitter, Star Trek and her husband.

Author Links: 

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Review: Landline by Rainbow Rowell

Landline by Rainbow Rowell 
Release Date: July 8th, 2014
Pages: 308
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Review Copy: Review copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review
Purchase: Amazon | B&N

Description from Goodreads:
Georgie McCool knows her marriage is in trouble. That it’s been in trouble for a long time. She still loves her husband, Neal, and Neal still loves her, deeply — but that almost seems besides the point now.

Maybe that was always besides the point.

Two days before they’re supposed to visit Neal’s family in Omaha for Christmas, Georgie tells Neal that she can’t go. She’s a TV writer, and something’s come up on her show; she has to stay in Los Angeles. She knows that Neal will be upset with her — Neal is always a little upset with Georgie — but she doesn’t expect to him to pack up the kids and go home without her.

When her husband and the kids leave for the airport, Georgie wonders if she’s finally done it. If she’s ruined everything.

That night, Georgie discovers a way to communicate with Neal in the past. It’s not time travel, not exactly, but she feels like she’s been given an opportunity to fix her marriage before it starts . . .

Is that what she’s supposed to do?

Or would Georgie and Neal be better off if their marriage never happened?

I think I should start this review by being completely up front with you guys: I totally cried. Not even because of one specific thing. Like, there wasn't one specific moment where something SO SAD happened and I lost it. It's just that this whole entire novel has this tone to it, this seriousness about it that drew me in and wrung me out. I loved it, and I FELT it. And goodness, I'm going to relive it through re-reads again and again. 

Rainbow Rowell established herself as one of my favorite authors with Fangirl, which is kind of an accomplishment because I generally have a rule of having read at least two books by an author (preferably not in the same series, but that part's not a die-hard deal breaker) before I declare them a favorite. But Rainbow Rowell's writing is magic. Her writing is so absolutely enchanting and beautiful, the moment I started in on Landline I was a goner. I was pulled in and pulled under and I still haven't come up for air. I'm completely under her spell, and I never want to break it.

With this being an adult novel, there's a more serious tone to everything. The main character is seriously facing marriage problems, and everything was seriously happening, and it all just struck this cord in me that kind of hurt in the most fascinating way. The characters were so complex and defined, I can honestly say I loved them all. I loved them all and I sympathized with them all. I could see Georgie's side and I could see Neal's side and I wanted things to work out on both ends. Heck, I NEEDED things to work out on both ends. 

The magical phone aspect was woven into the story perfectly. That so easily could have been construed in a way that took away from the feel of the book, from how heavy everything felt. Instead, it gave me the parts I'm pretty sure I most looked forward to throughout the book. I adored those conversations with Neal. But then, I think I just adored NEAL. He's the kind of guy that I realistically could see myself ending up with--hope I end up with. He's not perfect, but he's great. He's so, so great. 

Romance in this book was achieved through sweetness. Phone conversations with Neal. Flashbacks to things that happened before the actual timeline of the story. Stuff like that, all wrapped up in one big package and aimed directly at my heart. Dear goodness, I loved it. I loved everything about this book, romance included.

Overall, Rainbow Rowell has worked her magic yet again with Landline. With her complex characters, consuming story line, and gorgeous writing, she's woven another story that will not only stick in my mind for a good while--but is now one of my all-time favorites. 

 

Blog Tour: The Warrior by Victoria Scott (Review & Giveaway)

 

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The Warrior by Victoria Scott 

Release Date: May 6, 2014

Pagecount: 352

Publisher: Entangled Teen

Series: Dante Walker #3

Source: Publisher in exchange for an honest review

Buy It: Amazon | B&N

Description from Goodreads:

War between heaven and hell is coming, but Dante Walker makes it look damn good.

Dante’s girlfriend, Charlie, is fated to save the world. And Aspen, the girl who feels like a sister, is an ordained soldier. In order to help both fulfill their destiny and win the war, Dante must complete liberator training at the Hive, rescue Aspen from hell, and uncover a message hidden on an ancient scroll.

Dante is built for battle, but even he can’t handle the nightmares where spiders crawl from Aspen’s eyes, or the look on Charlie’s face that foretells of devastation. To make matters worse, the enemy seizes every opportunity to break inside the Hive and cripple the liberators. But the day of reckoning is fast approaching, and to stand victorious, Dante will have to embrace something inside himself he never has before—faith.

It's strange to think it was only a little over a year ago when I was falling for Dante and his story. I've been so into this trilogy and this character, and now his story has come to an end. Lucky for all of us, Victoria Scott has cooked up the best ending we could have asked for to send Dante off with a BANG.

**I'm warning you now, if you haven't read the first two books, things are about to get spoilery up in here. It's kind of hard to review this book without spoiling the first two. I am NOT spoiling this one, though. So if you have yet to read The Warrior, then no worries. You're safe. EVERYONE ELSE, THOUGH. Watch out.**

The Warrior picks up where The Liberator left off. Aspen's in hell, Charlie's soul is in the enemy's hands, and Dante's got swag for days. They're preparing for war, and Dante is all over that. He pretty much wants to do anything to get Aspen back. And thus begins this installment of Dante Walker's story. The plot kicked off pretty much right away and flew straight through to the end. Seriously, this book flew by way faster than I wanted it to. Victoria Scott's writing is just as enthralling as it was in the last two books, and the story she wove was amazing. Plus, I totally cried at one point. Toward the end. Because of reasons.

Dante was still his snarky, arrogant self (like I said, he's still got all that swag), but it was nice to see how he's changed between the first book and this one. Yes, he still possesses his attitude, but he's better about it now. He's not rude with most of the thoughts that pass through his head. He's not perfect now by any means, but he's better, and I love that he's evolved to the point where he ended in the trilogy. I've always loved Dante Walker, but I'm glad to say he's improved. 

Honestly, though, he could have stayed the same and I'd still heart him. I can't help it. ;)

Charlie has turned into this strong, confident person, and I am pretty much in awe of her. She's so resolute now. Still kindhearted and great, but her tough side really pushed through in this book--sort of like the end of The Liberator but...more. Yeah. MORE. And Aspen...I'm not going to go into detail with her, but those dreams, man. Cray cray. In the awesomest way. And all the rest of the characters, I was so glad to slip back into the world they inhabit. Some of them have remained near and dear to my heart, while others I now want to slap/punch/kick because they deserve it. Kraven in particular is a character that I liked before but am legit in love with now. And there's a new character or two, and I enjoyed them. All of the characters (even though some of them make me punchy) were entertaining and awesome, in their own ways.

The romance in this book comes from a few places, the largest portion Dante and Charlie, of course. Those two...goodness, those two. They're just such a great couple. Dante's all attitude and snark and Charlie's all sweetness and caring. Together, they are seriously perfect. I would not change that pairing for the world. And then there's Annabelle and Kraven. I love Kraven, so I was totally on his side the whole time. That is all I'm going to say about that.

I've been trying so hard to pick a favorite book from the trilogy ever since I reached the end of this one. I know The Liberator is my third favorite (I enjoyed it, but definitely not my fav of the series), but I kind of feel like The Collector and The Warrior are tied. I love them both, and they're both my favorite--in different ways. The Collector introduced us to Dante and his world, while The Warrior was a breathtaking, kickass conclusion to one of my favorite trilogies.

Overall, The Warrior was a phenomenal end to the Dante Walker trilogy. There's action, there's sweetness, and there's sure of a heck lot of badassery going down within these pages. This book, and the trilogy as a whole, is definitely a must-read. Pow!

Victoria Scott is a teen fiction writer represented by Sara Crowe of the Harvey-Klinger Literary Agency. She’s the author of the FIRE & FLOOD series published by Scholastic, and the DANTE WALKER trilogy published by Entangled Teen. Her books have been bought and translated in eleven foreign markets including the UK, Turkey, China, Poland, Israel, Germany, Australia, Brazil, Taiwan, New Zealand, and the Netherlands.

Victoria lives in Dallas with her husband and hearts cotton candy something fierce.

Author Links: 

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Review: Don't Look Back by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Don't Look Back by Jennifer L. Armentrout 
Release Date: April 15, 2014
Pagecount: 384
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Source: Publisher in exchange for an honest review
Buy It: Amazon | B&N

Description from Goodreads:
Samantha is a stranger in her own life. Until the night she disappeared with her best friend, Cassie, everyone said Sam had it all-popularity, wealth, and a dream boyfriend.

Sam has resurfaced, but she has no recollection of who she was or what happened to her that night. As she tries to piece together her life from before, she realizes it's one she no longer wants any part of. The old Sam took "mean girl" to a whole new level, and it's clear she and Cassie were more like best enemies. Sam is pretty sure that losing her memories is like winning the lottery. She's getting a second chance at being a better daughter, sister, and friend, and she's falling hard for Carson Ortiz, a boy who has always looked out for her-even if the old Sam treated him like trash.

But Cassie is still missing, and the facts about what happened to her that night isn't just buried deep inside of Sam's memory-someone else knows, someone who wants to make sure Sam stays quiet. All Sam wants is the truth, and if she can unlock her clouded memories of that fateful night, she can finally move on. But what if not remembering is the only thing keeping Sam alive?

We all know by now that I am a freaking HUGE fan of Jennifer L. Armentrout. The LUX series is one of my favorites, and she just writes some of the absolute best stuff to swoon over. Since I've been waiting what feels like forever and a half for this book to finally be released, I've had a lot of time to puzzle over what could be up with this book. It seems so different, but I surely expected it to hold that same JLA sparkle that is in everything she writes. 

Alas, this book told another fantastic story that I positively enjoyed the whole way through.

I liked the MC, Sam. Or, more accurately, I liked who the MC was in this book. I did not like who she used to be, but I like to think of them as two totally separate people because her change was so incredibly drastic. Sam was actually a pretty refreshing character. She was honest and open-minded. She did jump to some conclusions a time or two, but I can't really fault her for that. Not with the situation she was in, and especially not while I was doing the same exact thing. Sam handled everything very realistically and I truly liked her.

Carson was awesome. He was such a good guy, and not in an unrealistically perfect way. He was the kind of nice guy who could be anywhere. You know, if all the nice guys you knew were extraordinarily attractive. But seriously--Carson was realistic. And sweet. And so kind. He was patient and kind, and I loved how he was with Sam. He didn't pressure her into anything, and he gave her time to work through everything she needed to without being all kinds of demanding. He even offered to help. Such a sweetheart. 

The romance built up in the most perfect way. Since this is a JLA book, that's not very surprising, but I needed to say it nonetheless. Carson and Sam's relationship was a nice break from the mystery of everything, and it was always a good way to get some straight-up answers. They made a great couple, and it was sweet to see things working out for them in the midst of all the confusion.

The mystery is woven in such a way that I spent literally the whole book being suspicious of every character. Even the ones I adored, like Scott (who was a fantastic big brother) and Carson. I didn't figure it out until the person was revealed and then everything started clicking into place and I was like OHHHHH. But the suspicion this book caused...it was just the right amount. It was so close to being too much, because I had a hard time trusting people that I wanted to love--like Scott and Carson--but they ended up breaking through my barriers regardless and I was totally a fan. 

Overall, Jennifer L. Armentrout has written the most perfectly nerve-racking suspense that had me on the edge of my seat from beginning to end. I loved the characters, I was taken away by the story, and I couldn't wait to unravel the mystery. Don't Look Back is very different from Jen's other books, but I loved it just as much as all her others. I really hope Jen writes more suspense, because I seriously enjoyed reading this one!

Blog Tour: Twelve Steps by Veronica Bartles (Review & Giveaway)

 

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Twelve Steps by Veronica Bartles 
Release Date: March 25, 2014
Format: eARC
Publisher: Swoon Romance
Source: YA Bound Tours in exchange for an honest review
Buy It: Amazon | B&N

Description from Goodreads: 
Sixteen-year-old Andi is tired of being a second-class sibling to perfect sister Laina. The only thing Andi’s sure she has going for her is her awesome hair. And even that is eclipsed by Laina's perfect everything else.

When Andi’s crush asks her to fix him up with Laina, Andi decides enough is enough, and devises a twelve-step program to wrangle the spotlight away from Laina and get the guy.

Step 1: Admit she’s powerless to change her perfect sister, and accept that her life really, really sucks.

Step 4: Make a list of her good qualities. She MUST have more than just great hair, right?

Step 7: Demand attention for more than just the way she screws things up.

When a stolen kiss from her crush ends in disaster, Andi realizes that her twelve-step program isn’t working. Her prince isn’t as charming as she'd hoped, and the spotlight she’s been trying to steal isn’t the one she wants.

As Laina’s flawless façade begins to crumble, the sisters work together to find a spotlight big enough for both to shine. 

I read this book in one sitting. I mean, it's not like this is an extraordinarily long book or anything, but still. I sat down and I read this whole thing in just a few hours. The biggest reason this is important? I was in the middle of reading Sentinel by Jennifer L. Armentrout at the time. If you know me, you know that reading a different book while I could be reading one of hers is kind of a big deal. But Twelve Steps was so worth it! 

I adore this premise. I'm the third child myself, so I can kind of get where Andi's coming from. Not completely, since I don't have any sisters, but still. The idea of a twelve step program to get past feeling inferior was awesome. My only dilemma is that I wish the twelve steps had more to do with the story. Don't get me wrong--there are twelve steps in this story. But they don't pertain to what was going on as much as I'd hoped. Which isn't a huge deal, since I still very much enjoyed this novel.

Andi was such a lively protagonist. I actually had a great time sticking around inside her head throughout this story. I kind of wished she would stop being so gosh darn stubborn about some certain things...but overall, I was cool with her. She had a personality that I just loved. 

Andi's sister was actually really friendly. I'd imagined her big sister to be terrible to her, since she had sibling issues, but they got along pretty well. I didn't like Laina as much as I liked Andi, but I didn't really have a problem with her, either. Well, except for her complete obliviousness for Jared's feelings. I mean, COME ON. Open your eyes. Her blindness to that reality did get annoying. But still, she wasn't too bad. A great sister, for sure.

Speaking of Jared...yeah, I'm not the biggest fan of him. I started out thinking I might heart him, but nope. He was kind of a jerk to Andi. I'm not okay with that, no matter how conflicted he was over Laina. And Shane...I know he has nothing to do with Andi's romantic relationships, but I must say that he seemed sweet, but I liked him even less than I liked Jared. I actually wanted to slap Shane a couple times. So yeah, I totally prefer Jared and, even though he wasn't great to Andi, I think he and Laina are perfect.

And then there is Dave. I was on his team from the moment we met the guy. Why? Because he was nice. And that little boy was like "that's the girl you told my mom about" and I legit was like AWWWW. He had me from that point on, and he totally deserved it. He was so nice, and sweet, and can I just have him, please? I'm kind of mad at Andi for taking so long to get on the Dave train, officially, but since I like Andi, I'll let it slide. 

Overall, Twelve Steps is all kinds of cute. It's sweet and fun and the perfect story to pick up when you just want to read something to make you feel good and happy. I loved these characters, and their story was just as adorable as the cover suggests. I am definitely looking forward to checking out whatever Veronica Bartles has coming our way next. 

As the second of eight children and the mother of four, Veronica Bartles is no stranger to the ups and downs of sibling relationships. (She was sandwiched between the gorgeous-and-insanely-popular older sister and the too-adorable-for-words younger sister.) She uses this insight to write stories about siblings who mostly love each other, even while they’re driving one another crazy.   When she isn’t writing or getting lost in the pages of her newest favorite book, Veronica enjoys knitting fabulous bags and jewelry out of recycled plastic bags and old VHS tapes, sky diving (though she hasn’t actually tried that yet), and inventing the world’s most delectable cookie recipes.  TWELVE STEPS is Veronica Bartles's first novel.

 

Author Links: 

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Review: White Hot Kiss by Jennifer L. Armentrout

White Hot Kiss by Jennifer L. Armentrout 
Release Date: February 25, 2014
Format: ARC/eARC, 304 pages
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Series: The Dark Elements #1
Source: Print copy won/eARC from NetGalley

Description from Goodreads:
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.

It is not a secret that I heart me some JLA something fierce. Her books are freaking awesome. And yes, White Hot Kiss is a book to add to all of the awesome. The premise is interesting and different, the characters are pretty darn great, and the romance made my heart happy.

The protagonist, Layla, isn't my favorite MC ever, but she's better than most. I don't love her or anything, but she could be funny and I liked the little spark of an attitude she had at times. She definitely has loads of personality, which leads me to believe I'll end up liking her more and more in the next books in the series. She'll grow on me, I'm sure. Zayne is one of the love interests and...well, I'm okay with him. He had his sweet moments. I would certainly not protest if I had a Zayne in my life. But I'm not really on his team, either. It's not really his fault, though. We don't know him very well yet, and this book had Danika around, and my jealousy affected my opinion of him. So we'll see how my feelings for him change as the series goes on. 

And then we have Roth. I AM on his team. I am WAY more than okay with him. The big thing about him is that he's the guy Daemon from the Lux series was based off of. I can totally see that, but I also saw how Roth was his own character. I am quite fond of him already, and I know I'm going to end up head over heels for this boy (I actually think I am already but I'm just in denial) by the time these books are through. In this book, he was my favorite character to be around. He was funny and I love his little comments that he makes, and I want to learn ALL OF THE THINGS about him. He may be a demon, but he's a good guy, too. He is. He is he is he is. 

Now, the actual story and writing work so well. Not very surprising, since this book is by Jennifer Freaking Armentrout. The book starts off in the way that eases us into the story and the world, and we meet the characters (that we later end up hearting very hard). This book flew by pretty quick, and I felt ALL OF THE EMOTIONS in the process. It was a very enjoyable experience. Oh, and of course Jen's writing was kind of perfect. This book HAD ME, y'all. 

As I said, the romance in White Hot Kiss made my heart happy. Very happy. Roth had some rather sweet moments. I loved how he was with Layla--he was amusing, of course, but he wasn't mean to her or rude. And Layla was so innocent...he worked well with that. He didn't act like a demon and take advantage of that and I just really, really love these two as a couple. After reading this book, I definitely like Roth & Layla better as a couple instead of Zayne & Layla. Zayne was fine and all, but...ROTH. We'll see if that changes at some point. 

Overall, White Hot Kiss is yet another fabulously compelling story by Jennifer L. Armentrout with an interesting premise, fantastic characters, and a rather heartbreaking ending that left me wishing extra hard for the next book. If you're a fan of JLA or marvelous paranormal romances, you need to get on this book and this series, ASAP. 

**The print edition of White Hot Kiss has a bonus scene from Roth's POV. It's kind of amazing. And it is ONLY in the print edition! Just thought you should know ;)**

Review: Sempre by J.M. Darhower

Sempre by J.M. Darhower 
Release Date: November 25, 2013
Format: eARC, 258 pages
Publisher: Pocket Star
Series: Forever Series #1
Source: Edelweiss

Description from Goodreads:
This is a story about sacrifice... death... love... freedom. This is a story about forever.

Haven Antonelli and Carmine DeMarco had vastly different childhoods. Haven, a second-generation slave, grew up isolated in the middle of the desert, her days full of hard work and terrifying abuse. Carmine, born into a wealthy Mafia family, lived a life of privilege, never having to answer for anything he did. Both now seventeen, a twist of fate causes their worlds to collide, making them question everything they ever believed.

Entangled in a web of secrets and lies, they learn that while different on the surface, they have more in common than anyone would think. In a world full of chaos, where money and power rule, Haven and Carmine yearn to break free, but a string of events that started before either were born threatens to destroy them instead. Murder and betrayal are a way of life, and nothing comes without a price — especially not freedom.

How much will they have to sacrifice? Can they escape their pasts? And, most of all, what does it mean to be free? Not everything is as it seems, and no one can possibly come out unscathed, but maybe, just maybe, it’ll be worth it in the end. 

Sempre is one of those books I was extremely skeptical of when I started it, but I wanted to give it a try anyway because it looked like it could be cool. That skepticism, however, faded mighty quickly when this book stole all of my reading attention and more than a couple hours of sleep. I swear, this book was so addicting!

First of all, these characters are magnificent. I feel like I know every single one of them and want to be friends will them all. I felt for Haven, Carmine, and Vincent, and want to be best buds with Dominic. Haven was innocent but strong, and I enjoyed watching her change from completely closed off against everything--against hope--to making jokes and being comfortable around people she used to fear. And Carmine... goodness. There was so much to him, and it was great to learn more and more about him throughout the story, and to see him open up just like Haven did. 

The romance in this book made my heart explode. Well. Not really. But I'm pretty sure it wanted to. Because there was so much sweetness, and I felt SO. DARN. HAPPY. For Carmine and Haven. I loved seeing them grow individually along with their relationship. So. Freaking. Cute. GOODNESS.

So much went on in this book. I couldn't even tell you how many times I was surprised, or happy, or downright flabbergasted. The whole thing was awesome, and I really love this book. The story was told in 3rd person POV, moving between Haven, Carmine, and Vincent. The only parts that felt like they dragged a little in comparison to the others were when we were in Vincent's head, but as the book went on, his parts became more and more interesting as we learned more and I started trying to figure it all out.

Oh, and I heart me some Carmine, but Corrado was my favorite character in this book. I am quite fond of that fellow.

Overall, Sempre was utterly addicting. I adored the characters, enjoyed the story, and ended up highlighting the crap out of all the sweet, funny, and outright awesome parts this book is filled with. I plan on jumping into the sequel, Sempre: Redemption as soon as I possibly can swing it. Because, seriously--CORRADO. (And Carmine. And Haven. And ALL OF THE THINGS.)

Blog Tour: Layers by Sigal Ehrlich (Review & Giveaway)

Layers by Sigal Ehrlich 
Release Date: October 10, 2013
Format: Paperback, 299 pages
Series: Stark #1
Source: Author in exchange for an honest review
Buy It: Amazon | B&N

Description from Goodreads:
According to Hayley love is a subject of ridicule, a myth created by hopeless romantics.

When Hayley makes a resolution to declare her loose lifestyle era R.I.P, it’s all good in theory…

That is until she meets Daniel Stark, a well-respected, mid-thirties business man who is known for his short temper, lack of steady relationships as well as his strict preserve of his private life.

Opinionated, sharp tongued Hayley accidentally steps into his office leaving Daniel resolved to put Hayley in her place and have her in his bed.

Both Hayley and Daniel can’t avoid the immediate instigation of the attraction between them.

In a unanimously agreed upon verdict by Hayley and her two best friends, Ian the gay self-absorbed, aspiring model and Natasha the witty, borderline neurotic soul mate, Daniel Stark is to be Hayley’s pure physical attraction, emotions aside era closure.

Will it indeed be a closure, or a beginning to something neither Hayley nor Daniel ever bargained for…

I kind of went into this expecting just another one of those romances with guys who are all business-y and girls who are all kinds of special to them, etc. I expected to enjoy it, but I did not expect to be impressed. I did not expect to LOVE it. 

But I am and I did. 

I started this book just like it was any other, but was easily caught up in the writing and the story of Hayley. I think it helped that the story didn't start off with them meeting--like that would be all we'd read about for the whole entire book. Hayley is distinctly her own person, and that is established quickly. I ended up really liking Hayley, and her attitude. 

Another big plus for this book was that the jealousy wasn't overdone. Yes, they have their instances where they deal with the little green monster, they're only human. They have conversations about past relationships, of course. But none of it is TOO MUCH. I didn't want to punch a wall at jealous stupidity, which happens quite often honestly. But not with this book, which makes me love it even more! Along with the jealousy thing, I really loved how Layers didn't really drag on things. At the beginning of Daniel and Hayley's relationship, they didn't drag out the fact that they were totally lusting over each other. I like that we don't spend forever and a half dealing with little things, and we instead got into what was actually up.

I love Daniel Stark. He wasn't anything near a perfect character, and he was definitely not the nicest character (well, to people that weren't Hayley) but I found that to be endearing. He had his own stuff he had to work through and it was nice to see him try to do that for the sake of what he wanted with Hayley. He really grew on me as the story went on.

I flew through this book and was left making the ultimate gabby hands for the next book, Inner Core, which I will totally be reading in February. Seriously, I have no doubt in my mind. I adored THIS book so much. 

Overall, Layers was a great story that I highly enjoyed from beginning to end. The main character had an attitude I liked, the love interest won me over completely, and the writing pulled me into the story without a problem, not letting go until this chapter of Daniel and Hayley's story was told. I am definitely, without a doubt picking up the next book sometime very soon!

About the Author 

By teen age, Sigal already lived in three different continents where she had the luck to experience and visit varied places, meet unique people, which only helped fuel her overly developed imagination. Currently, Sigal calls Estonia home where she lives with her husband and three kids.

Not exactly sure where they will end up next…

When she is not hiding in her office, writing, she enjoys music, reading and taking care of her little clan.

With a great believe in "don’t wait for things to happen - make them happen," she enjoys anything exciting life has to offer.

Author Links: 

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads 

Giveaway 

THERE ARE TWO GIVEAWAYS!

Giveaway #1: 

(Just on my blog)

Leave a comment on this post about my review, and include your email address. I will pick a winner on February 10th for a digital copy of Layers. Trust me, you want this book. I LOVED IT! 

Giveaway #2: 

(Tour-wide)

a Rafflecopter giveaway