Showing posts with label jessica sorensen. Show all posts
Showing posts with label jessica sorensen. Show all posts

Monday, 21 April 2014

April Mini Reviews!







Mini reviews for a couple of NetGalley reads leftover from Review Copy Cleanup!
 
Southbound Surrender
Five days. Fifty square feet. One last shot at love.
Cash Rowland first laid eyes on the tenacious and irresistible Piper Sullivan when they were both seventeen. He falls for her hard and just when he thinks she's doing the same, Piper is torn from his life without warning. She leaves no contact information but only a vague promise of fate. 
Five years later, their paths unexpectedly cross. When he shows up with his eighteen-wheeler unannounced, Cash persuades Piper to head out on the open road to give him one last shot at love. But what should be a routine delivery across six states suddenly becomes an unforgettable journey when they save a woman with a broken past and discover that second chances are only for the lucky ones.
 
Thoughts
I almost didn't finish this one as I disliked the flashback beginning but I perceived as I did like the male narrative- it made a welcome change in New Adult! Cash was a great narrator, his life outlook was so positive and honest it was easy to get swept up with his impulsive decisions! I loved his witty character and how he got Piper to open up so easily. Piper was a more conflicting character and it took me awhile to warm up to her as she was obviously concealing a lot from Cash which made her behaviour through his narrative seem rude and confused.
I loved the supporting cast of Hudson and Big Dave. They were both such big personalities and had great influence over Cash. Hudson was such a supportive friend especially as a lot of Cash's ideas were out side of the box! Big Dave had interesting perspectives on life and dealing with issues but he was a great father to Cash.
 The whole road trip aspect was interesting and filled with different characters and coincidences which made this book stand out.
I loved the characters and Cash's narrative just not a fan of the beginning!
 
Saving Quinton by Jessica Sorensen
Nova Reed can't forget him-Quinton Carter, the boy with the honey-brown eyes who made her realize she deserved more than an empty life. His pain was so similar to her own. But Nova has been coming to terms with her past and healing, while Quinton is out there somewhere, sinking deeper. She's determined to find him and help him . . . before it's too late.
Nova has haunted his dreams for nearly a year-but Quinton never thought a sweet, kind person like her would care enough about a person like him. To Quinton, a dark, dangerous life is exactly what he deserves. And Nova has no place in it. But Nova has followed him to Las Vegas, and now he must do whatever it takes to keep her away, to maintain his self-imposed punishment for the unforgivable things he's done. But there's one flaw in his plan: Nova isn't going anywhere . .

Thoughts
I'm a huge fan of Jessica's Secret series so I was thrilled to get approved for Saving Quinton!
Firstly I highly recommend reading this series in order- I very rarely read series out of order and I wish I had read Breaking Nova first as it (obviously) set the foundations for Quinton.
I was expecting a complicated New Adult romance with Jessica's trademark gritty issues but Saving Quinton is a journey to recovery. Nova and Quinton had an obvious connection and chemistry but the story was based more on Nova trying to reach Quinton and help him. I found the portrayal of drug abuse very harrowing and realistic.  The way Quinton and Tristan lived was awful and the way they, especially Tristan, didn't realise and continued to make such risky decisions was realistic but at times hard to understand, Jessica's characterisation was brilliant as usual, making me love the side characters and their stories almost as much as the main story. I liked the dual point of view as it gave an insight into Quinton's downward spiral and how it had all began. I found his backstory full of misplaced guilt and it really explained how he had fall so far and why no one had made the same efforts as Nova had. I found Nova very dedicated and quite naïve. I admired how she stuck with her plan to help Quinton despite all the obstacles and objections. As for the side characters, I liked Lea from the start. I loved that she accompanied Nova to Las Vegas and tried to help her, I was also so intrigued by her life and her issues. Tristan was hard to like but he grew on me, he was an ugly addict but realistic. I look forward to more of his story.  The pacing and issues made Saving Quinton very easy to read and hard to put down! As always I was left with lots of questions but I look forward to more from the Nova series!

 
Have you read Breaking Nova? Have I spoiled it by skipping ahead to Saving Quinton?
Let me know!
Much Love!
Lettie
Xxx

Thursday, 19 December 2013

The Temptation of Lila and Ethan by Jessica Sorensen.

On the surface, Lila Summers is flawless: good looks, expensive clothes, and a big, beautiful smile. But a dark past and even darker secrets are threatening to bubble over her perfect façade. She'll do anything to keep the emptiness inside hidden-which leads her into situations that always end badly. Whenever she hits bottom, there's only one person who's there to pull her out: Ethan Gregory.
Ethan set the rules a long time ago: he and Lila are just
friends. He doesn't do relationships. Although his tattooed, bad boy exterior is a far cry from Lila's pretty princess image, Ethan can't deny they have a deeper connection than he's used to. If he's not careful, he could be in serious danger of becoming attached-and he's learned the hard way that attachment only leads to heartbreak.
When Lila falls farther than she ever has before, can Ethan continue to help as a friend? Or is he also getting close to falling . . . for her?

Why?
I loved Ella and Micha's story but I found Lila and Ethan so intriguing! I've been waiting for their story for ages!

What I loved:
Lila- Lila was very different than what I expected. Ella sees as a nice, rich girl who is very into appearances and well behaved. However Lila was a much deeper and darker character who was more realistic. There was a lot under her shiny exterior. I admired her loyalty and dedication. I didn't expect her to be quite so complex but I really enjoyed reading her journey from rock bottom to normal. I loved how much her character grew and evolved, she became less materialistic and slowly learnt to let go of unhealthy elements in her life. I loved all her interaction with Ethan whether they were bantering, or arguing they were so fun to read.
Ethan- Ethan was a surprisingly mature and reasonably responsible guy. As Ella finds him annoying her portrayal was a lot different. Ethan was at his core a genuinely nice and caring guy, this was especially clear in how he dealt with Lila. He put so much time, effort and patience in to supporting her, going as far as to make himself uncomfortable for her benefit. I loved learning more about his background, it was interesting to say the least. The way he used a journal to make sense of his feelings really fitted in with his character as well as his drumming skills. I really loved how selfless he become and how he treated Lila.
Plot- As I've mentioned the plot really surprised and impressed me. Lila and Ethan despite financial differences had surprising similar and dark backgrounds which made the character driven plot so much more intriguing and layered than I had expected. I loved getting glimpses of Ella and Micha through Lila and Ethan's perspectives for a change especially in the lead up to their wedding. The character development and growth really made for a rich plot!


What I didn't love as much:
Lila's Parents- They were both absolutely awful selfish people. They created dangerous and destructive situations for their two daughters who could have avoided a lot of hardship if they had be given basic love and attention! Lila's Mum had obviously come from a poorer background which might have accounted for her especially callous perspective of those poorer than her. She was also quite clearly the driving force behind Lila's issues. I was quite intrigued by Lila's aunt who seemed like a decent person!

Rating!

Well worth the wait! I loved the complex and deep characters, the glimpses of Ella and Micha and the relationship between Lila and Ethan.

Don't forget to pre order the free novella of Lila and Ethan as well!

Much Love!
Lettie
Xxx

Thursday, 15 August 2013

New Adult Week Mini Reviews Part 2!

Mini reviews~ Sometimes I love a book but I just can't do a full review or I just back log reviews!

This edition is books I should of reviewed ages ago!
 
  The Coincidence of Callie and Kayden.
There are those who don’t get luck handed to them on a shiny platter, who end up in the wrong place at the wrong time, who don’t get saved.
Luck was not on Callie’s side the day of her twelfth birthday when everything was stolen from her. After it’s all over, she locks up her feelings and vows never to tell anyone what happened. Six years later her painful past consumes her life and most days it’s a struggle just to breathe.
For as long as Kayden can remember, suffering in silence was the only way to survive life. As long as he did what he was told, everything was okay. One night, after making a terrible mistake, it seems like his life might be over. Luck was on his side, though, when Callie coincidentally is in the right place at the right time and saves him.
Now he can’t stop thinking about the girl he saw at school, but never really knew. When he ends up at the same college as Callie, he does everything he can to try to get to know her. But Callie is reserved and closed off. The more he tries to be part of her life, the more he realizes Callie might need to be saved.

After Ella and Micha I was excited to read more of Jessica Sorensen-
Thoughts
The Coincidence of Callie and Kayden has such a unique plot, I liked that they were trying to save each other. Callie and Kayden were two very broken people although Kayden seemed to have hidden it better than Callie. I couldn't believe their families! Kayden's family must have been aware of how volatile the Dad was, his Mum seemed quite pathetic and his brothers didn't seem to think twice about leaving Kayden behind. Callie's brother seemed to lack any empathy and was apparently aware of how horrible Caleb was. No wonder Kayden and Callie ended up as two very broken people!
I loved Seth and Luke. Luke really intrigued me, he was such a good support to Kayden but definitely had his own background which is why he's getting his own story! I loved Seth! I guessed he would be gay as it explained how he got so close to Callie. I really liked how he dealt with Callie so gently but still pushed her out of her shell! I think Luke and Seth made an amazing team for Callie and Kayden.

I loved the uniqueness of the plot and the strength of the characters but I did not enjoy the cliff hanger end!
 
Just For Now
 
Set in the steamy coastal Alabama town of Sea Breeze, an interconnected group of older teens hook up, break up . . . and much, much more.
Preston is one bad boy. And Amanda has harboured a crush on him for forever. When she finally makes her move on him, it does not end well. But still, she can't resist him. Especially now that he seems to be pursuing her, too.
No one wants them to be together. Not Amanda's brother, Marcus, who is on the verge of his marriage to Low, and definitely not any of Preston's buddies. They know way too much about Preston's dark side. Yet the dangerous attraction is there ... and neither Preston nor Amanda are going to deny it.
 

I love the Sea Breeze series so I downloaded and read it straight off the bat way back in November.
 
What I Loved:
Preston- I really liked Preston! I liked him in the other books so I was excited to read his story. He had such a good heart and good intentions! I admired how he dealt with his family situation and how he treated Amanda so well. I don't want to spoil his secret so I will leave it at that!
Jason- When I first heard the next Sea Breeze book would be about Jason I wasn't too interested as I hadn't read Breathe so Jason was an unknown! However I really enjoyed him in Just for Now, I loved how sweet he was and I am so intrigued by his shadow life!
Bromances- Preston was lucky to have such  a good group of friends but the bromances between him and Marcus and him and Rock were so good to read. Although Marcus didn't support Preston and Amanda to begin with he did remain loyal to Preston and knew him well enough to grow to trust him. Rock and Preston was an unexpected bromance, I think even Preston was surprised at how well Rock knew him and his apparent secrets! I loved how Rock went out of the way to help Preston in so many ways, he really helped Preston turn his life around. Both Marcus and Rock were such big parts of Preston's life, he was lucky to have them!
 Marcus and Low- I was so pleased to see more of them and hear how they were getting on!

What I Didn't Love as Much:
Amanda- I think she's the reason I didn't love this one as much as the rest of the series. I just didn't connect with her like I did with Low and Eva. She was just a bit bland to me!
Parents-Preston's mother was obviously just a very mean person! Amanda's Mum was highly judgemental for someone in her situation.

I loved the side cast and Preston just not an Amanda fan!
 
Have read either of these? Or the rest of the series?
Much Love!
Lettie.
Xxx

Monday, 7 January 2013

Monday Round Up

One of my favourite memes hosted by the lovely Shelia over at Book Journey!
 
Back to normal now! No more bank holidays or big family meals :/ But Bout of Books starts today and I still have my temp job so I'll still be busy :)
 
Posts!
Best of 2012!
2012: A Round Up!
Top Ten Tuesday! 2013 Reads!
Challenges 2013
In Between Seasons Blog Tour!
Back To You by Priscilla Glenn Blog Tour!

Challenge Progress!
Genre Variety Challenge- 1/12
2013 New Adult Challenge- 2/20
Not too shabby- keep an eye on my Challenge page for updates!

Read!
 *For some reason I can't upload photos atm :/ but I read The Edge of Never by J.A. Redmerski and The Coincidence of Callie and Kayden by Jessica Sorensen*
 

Two awesome reads to kick start 2013!
 
Reading!
 Still getting in to this one! Hoping to finish it this week :)

What's Next!
 
This comes out today so I will be buying it and devouring it asap! I'm also taking part in Bout of Books so hopefully a lot of other books will be read to!
 
Upcoming Reviews!
 The Edge of Never by J.A. Redmerski- Blog tour comes here on Friday!

Upcoming Posts!
Bout of Books- Should have a goal post, a progress post and a wrap up post! 
 
How has your new year been so far?
Much Love!
Lettie
Xxx

Saturday, 29 December 2012

Stacking The Shelves- eBook edition!

STSmall
What is Stacking The Shelves all about?
Stacking The Shelves is hosted by Tynga all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!

Apparently Christmas = £0.77 books! Which was a little too tempting!
Most of these were sitting on my Amazon eBook wish list so it was easy to notice the price change :)
 

Fallen Too Far by Abbi Glines
My love for the Sea Breeze series is well documented so I'm excited for this new series! I've heard it has a cliff hanger ending so I'm trying to wait until closer to the release date of #2!

A Toast to The Good Times by Steph Campbell and Liz Reinhardt  
I loved Lengths- the first collaboration between Liz Reinhardt and Stephen Campbell so I feel confident I'll love this too!

The Truth About Faking by Leigh Talbert Moore
I've been desperate to try out Leigh Talbert Moore's writing and this book so it's high on the TBR!
 
The Perfect Game by J. Sterling
I sampled this ages ago so I was thrilled that it was on offer! Fingers crossed it's as good as I hope!
 
 The Coincidence of Callie and Kayden by Jessica Sorensen
All the teasers Jessica posted on her blog and my love of Ella and Michael makes me excited to read this one!
 
Dizzy by Nyrae Dawn and Jolene Perry
 I have loved Nyrae Dawn's writing and Jolene Perry's so a collaboration peaked my interest!

Charade by Nyrae Dawn
Another longtime resident of my wish list, I sped through it almost as soon as it was downloaded! Review to come soon and it made my 2012 Top Ten Contemporary Reads !

Have you read any of these? Are they as good as I hope they are?
Much Love!
Lettie
Xxx

Monday, 3 December 2012

November Round Up!

Monthly Feature- rounds up all the books I've read, progress on challenges and reviews my blogging!
It is kind of an expansion (?) of my favourite memes hosted by the lovely Shelia over at Book Journey!
 
Well I spent the majority of November without my laptop! How does one blog effectively without a home computer? The answer is it isn't possible! I spent a lot of time making use of the library but I'm really disappointed that Dell took so long to fix it!

November in numbers!
Total posts= 15
Books read= 5
Reviews Posted= 6
Meme Posts= 3
Promo Posts= 3
Other Posts= 2

What I read in November!
 


I've got a full time Christmas temp job and my best friend is back from Australia so I've been distracted! 
 
What I Reviewed!
Swell by Julie Rieman Duck. Blog Tour!
Loving Summer by Kailin Gow. Blog Tour

The Secret of Ella and Micha by Jessica Sorensen. Blog Tour!
Shallow by Georgia Cates. Blog Tour!
Crash by Nicole Williams.

Not too bad on the reviewing front not as great as I'd hoped though!
 
What I Posted!
Lettie Loves!- A post judging some recent Contemporary covers!
Top Ten Tuesday!- Top Ten Contemporary reads of 2012!
Fab Five Friday!- Highlighting some older contemporary reads!
Blog Tours
6 Seconds of Life - Character analysis post!
Cover Reveal
 
Did I achieve my goals?
To successfully host my feature month!-
Thanks to my Laptop fail I didn't really achieve this one! I did keep my blog tour schedule on the whole but my feature posts suffered as they weren't prewritten.
To make progress on my challenges!-
I count Roar and Liv but it was technically a novella... Again poor progress!
To update my blog pages!-
Success! I updated my Ratings page so it's more accessible and clear! As well as updating my Challenge and Books page.
 
What I hope to achieve in December!
  •  Challenges- One last push for 2012 challenges! I also want to sign up for a couple more for 2013 as I'll have a full year to complete them!
  • Reviews- I want to post at least 6 reviews. At least 4 independent of blog tours. I want reviews of books I personally picked up as well as blog tours promoting books I chose to review.
  • Posts- I want to do a couple of discussion and 'Lettie loves' posts just to mix up my blog content!
 
How was your November?
Excited for December and Christmas?
Much Love!
Lettie
Xxx

 

Tuesday, 20 November 2012

The Secret of Ella and Micha by Jessica Sorensen.


Welcome to the The Secret of Ella and Micha Blog Tour!

Ella and Micha have been best friends since they were kids. But one tragic night shatters their friendship and their lives forever.


Ella used to be a rule-breaker with fiery attitude who wore her heart on her sleeve. But she left everything behind when she went to college and transformed into someone that follows the rules, keeps everything together, and hides all her problems. But now it's summer break and she has nowhere else to go but home.
Ella fears everything she worked so hard to bury might resurface, especially with Micha living right next door. If Micha tries to tempt the old her back, she knows that it will be hard to resist.
Micha is sexy, smart, confident, and can get under Ella’s skin like no one else can. He knows everything about her, including her darkest secrets. And he’s determined to bring his best friend, and the girl he loves back, no matter what it takes.

 
I saw this on Goodreads and then I got an invite to the tour- talk about fate! I loved how unique the plot was and how so many twists were slowly revealed.
 
What I loved: 
  • Ella- I loved her character! She had clearly made a very good attempt to alter her personality but when they collided I loved how they meshed together and she became the better part of 'old' and 'new' Ella. Her fears rationalised her running away but I did question the fact she hadn't contacted anyone from home. I can't really explain how much I loved her but she was a fascinating character to read.
  • Micha- Wow! One of the best guys I've read in awhile- even his name is amazing! This is basically the mini version of why I loved him! I loved how much he loved Ella and stood by her and for her at all times. I liked how Ella didn''t realise how much her disappearance affected him but it was clear to everybody else. I liked how he had ambitions and plans for himself and that his life wasn't perfect either. He seemed like a good son and very well rounded. I loved the bromance between him and Ethan!  
  • Plot- I loved how it was a mixture of  several 'standard' storylines but scrambled slightly to make it more unique mixed up several 'standard' storylines and made it unique
  • Side characters- I absolutely loved Lila and Ethan's side story and relationships with Ella and Micha. I felt sorry for Lila as she realised that she didn't really know Ella and she obviously had a difficult home life. Ella definitely underestimated her  Ethan was such a good friend to Micha and I loved his 'banterous' relationship with Ella. I am looking forward to reading their story!
  • Setting- I liked how it was a rough area but not completely awful. They were good people mixed in with bad! Ella had tried very hard to portray herself as an average girl from an average place so Lila was understandably shocked!

What I didn't love as much:

  • Ella's family- Ella's brother was so harsh, I understand being angry at a funeral but not keeping it on and distancing yourself meanly. Her dad was so out of it, he definitely needed help.
  • Micha's Dad- I had high hopes for this one but he let me down! I can't say more without spoiling it!
  • Micky- I kind of found the whole drag racing  storyline a bit unnecessary but Micky was such a horrible person. He seemed intent on winding anyone and everyone up enough to race him but he wasn't all that great! 
I loved this book! It felt quite unique and was very easy to read!
 
Have you fallen in love with Ella and Micha?
Much Love!
Lettie
Xxx

Tour organised by
 

Monday, 12 November 2012

Monday Round Up!

 
One of my favourite memes hosted by the lovely Shelia over at Book Journey!
 
Well I had a technical fail week! My desktop now shuts itself down randomly and I had to send my laptop off for repair! Luckily I'd pre scheduled the majority of my posts but I'm behind on comments and posts are now backlogged... How typical of both the computers in my house chose the same heavy blog week to break down!
 
Reviews!
Swell by Julie Rieman Duck- My stop on the Blog Tour- Hearts!

Other posts!
Top Ten 2012 Contemporary Reads!- Pretty self explanatory post :)
Cover Reveal- Make It Last by Bethany Lopez

Read!

6 Seconds was so different than my usual read and Just For Now was worth the wait!

Reading!

I love it! So far it is everything I hoped it would be :)

What's Next!
 

Someone requested it at the Library so I need to read it fast!
 

Upcoming Posts!
Cover Comparisons- moved to this week!
 

Upcoming Blog Tours 
This week is a busy blog tour week!
6 Seconds of Life Blog Tour- Stopping here tomorrow!
Loving Summer Blog Tour- Stopping here Thursday!
Saving You, Saving Me Blog Tour- Stopping here Saturday!
 
How has your week been?
Hopefully technology didn't fail you :)
Much Love!
Lettie
Xxxx

Monday, 5 November 2012

Monday Round Up!

One of my favourite memes hosted by the lovely Shelia over at Book Journey!

First week of my feature month has been busy! I went out as a Superhero for Halloween, celebrated Bonfire Night and got a Samsung III courtesy of my generous Grandma who didn't want her free upgrade! I just need to take it to a phone shop and get all my content and contacts etc transferred :)
Blog wise I launched my first feature month and improved my ratings page!

Reviews!
While It Lasts by Abbi Glines- 4 Hearts!

Other posts!
Challenge Update- Self explanatory, a post on where I am with my Challenges!
November Feature- Launch post for my YA and NA Contemporary month!
Cover Reveal- First look at the cover for Rouge by Leigh Talbert Moore

Read!


I really enjoyed Crash- I can see why it has had so much hype! I literally devoured Roar and Liv- I loved their chemistry and the Through The Ever Night teaser left me desperate for more!

 
Reading!
I worked out how to send it to my kindle yay! So far so good :)
 
What's Next!
 
 How gorgeous is the cover of this one? Excited to read it!

Upcoming Reviews!
Swell Blog Tour- Visits this blog on friday!

Upcoming Posts!
Top Ten 2012 Contemporary reads- Check back tomorrow to see my Favourite contemporaries!
Cover Comparisions- Comparision of two very similar contemporary covers!

How has your week been?
Are you enjoying my contemporary month so far?
Much Love!
Lettie
Xxxx

Wednesday, 31 October 2012

November Feature!

 
 
I declare November the month of Contemporary Young Adult and New Adult fiction on Above Average Below Special!

Why?

I've been on a slight contemporary book binge recently and I had a few contemporary blog tours scheduled for November so I thought why not devote a month  to contemporary reviews and features?
 
What will this month include?
 
Blog Tours!

Reviews!
 
 
Features
  • A discussion of genres in Young Adult/New Adult!-  The banner says Young Adult and New Adult but I will be discussing the boundaries and implications of these genres!
  • Cover discussion post!
  • *Possibility* A revamp of my Series vs Stand Alones Discussion post- Revamped to be solely related to contemporary books and will include related series.
  • Top Ten Contemporary Reads of 2012!
  • Friday Fab Five- Five older Contemporaries that remain firm favourites!
 
Are you excited for this feature?
Any Recommendations?
Much love!
Lettie
Xxx