Monday 6 January 2014

Book Blitz: Lost Without You by Liz Hannah

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Lost Without You (Haven #1)
by Liz Hannah 
Release Date: 12/30/13

Summary from Goodreads:
Grace Young thought she was a survivor - until the day her twin brother died, leaving her parents heartbroken and their relationship with Grace fractured beyond repair. Now all Grace wants is a chance to experience something of a normal life, before it's all too late.


Going to college hundreds of miles from home seems like the right way to embrace her new found freedom, especially after years of homeschooling, but while Grace takes to her classes naturally, it's the other side of college that she's unprepared for.

The parties. The friendships. The boys. Especially one Dean Michaels, the Haven University's star soccer player. Fate throws the pair together, and their friendship starts to turn into something more. But can Grace keep the secrets of her past hidden without hurting those she's come to count on the most?



Buy Links:
(not available yet)


About The Author:
Liz Hannah is currently at university, living in one of the most isolated cities in the world, dreaming of other exotic locations. When she's not writing, she can be found reading, or spending way too much time on Pinterest or Tumblr. Lost Without You is her first novel.

Excerpt:
It’s dark when I wake, except for the glow of the television. There’s no sound, but the movie we started watching earlier is playing; again, I presume, because I’m pretty sure that I’ve seen this part before. I can’t remember what it was about, aside from that it was a nineties adaption of Jane Austen’s Emma, the Californian accents all too uncomfortably familiar.
I blink a couple of times, stretching out. My arm collides with something solid, and I freeze, realizing that I’m not alone on the couch. Glancing upwards, I find myself looking into emerald eyes that seem to be illuminated in the soft light.
Oh, that’s right.
I quickly scramble to sit up, only to pause again the next second, my balance wavering. I’m half on Dean’s lap, and his hands shoot out to my waist to steady me before I fall off. A small wave of dizziness flows through me, and though I’m acutely aware of Dean’s fingers pressing into my side, a sweater the only thing between our skin, I’m glad that he has hold of me.
“Hey.” I take a deep breath in before exhaling. The hand I’ve placed on his shoulder burns like fire, and there’s an intensity building that scares me to death, but I can’t quite bring myself to pull away. In fact, instead of moving away from Dean like I should, I’m acutely aware that we’re so close, his breath tickling the loose strands of hair around my face.
“Hi.” His voice is thick from sleep. He tucks one behind my ear, his fingers hovering over the side of my face for a fraction of a second before pulling away. I want to lean in to his touch.
I shift my gaze away from his. This is not me. I’m not the kind of girl who melts when a guy looks at her. Especially one I still don’t know that well.
Lies, a voice hisses inside my head. You do know this boy, better than you think. Better than you want to know.
“You looked so peaceful; I didn’t want to wake you.” I could feel his words rumble in his chest. My lips turn up in a small smile. He was watching me sleep?
A quick look down at his watch told me it was well after midnight. I don’t even want to know how many texts Rosie’s sent to find out where I am. The thought alone sends a blush across my face.
“I didn’t mean to fall asleep. It’s been a long week.”
Dean nodded. “Midterms are an ass.”
I shift slightly, moving my weight into the dip between his legs, alleviating the pressure on his own, but he didn’t seem to mind. Instinctively, as if he thought I was about to run off, his fingers bunched the edges of my sweater together, holding on to me tighter.
I’m not going anywhere.
“What are you doing for Thanksgiving?”
I look down, at his chest. It rises slowly with his heartbeat, calm and even. How can he be so relaxed? I can feel the tension knotting its way through my own body. The v neck of his sweater dips low, small swirls of hair escaping up. I wonder what it would feel like to run my hand across his chest.
I blink. Question. He’d asked a question.
“Uh, nothing, as of yet. Study? Maybe. What about you?”
My voice sounds as if I just swallowed helium. His he as affected by me as I am of him?
I wouldn’t know. I can’t look him directly in the eye, so I concentrate on a spot on the wall, just below his ear. Brown locks curl around the nape of his neck, and it takes all of my self-control to not stretch out and play with them. What was it about the darkness that made us so bold?
“Come home with me. Have Thanksgiving with my family.”
I straighten up. Hands tighten around my waist, preparing for me to bolt. I don’t give in to my instinct to run. With all the heat that was passing between us, what did going home with him mean?
And why was my brain screaming at me to say yes?

About the Author
Liz Hannah is a New Adult author that calls both Scotland and Australia home. Currently studying at university, when she’s not busy reading or writing, Liz can be found procrastinating from her studies pinning everything on Pinterest or collecting GIFs from Tumblr.


Author Links:


***GIVEAWAY***
International giveaway – one winner will win a New Adult prize pack, consisting of Lost Without You swag, two New Adult titles and a dandelion necklace, as featured in Lost Without You.






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Book Blitz Hosted by:





Thursday 2 January 2014

Half-Bad Launch Party

Hey all!

It's the second day of the new, beautiful year.

I thought I'd recap on an event I attended last November
Early November, a few months after I had started my job at Waterstones (one of the UK's bookstores) in Newcastle, there was the opportunity for one bookseller and a friend to travel - all expenses paid - to London for a launch party of a book, written by upcoming author Sally Green. I hadn't heard of the book, however it looked fantastic and even though I thought I didn't have a chance of winning, I thought I'd enter just in case!
So I entered, and a few days later, I had a phone call.
 I HAD WON!

So the afternoon of Tuesday 19th, I travelled down to London. The sun was setting and the view was beautiful.
I couldn't resist taking photos



Beautiful, right?

So when we got to London, we found our hotel room. Two huge double beds and a bathroom. Absolutely gorgeous.
At 6:30, a private hire car picked me up from outside the hotel, and took us to Shoreditch House, where we took the lift to the top floor, walked past the private gym, restaurant and outdoor heated swimming pool (swanky!, and went through to the "Secret Garden" where we were met by a crowd of happy launch party people, and a hottie male model in a cage.
The male model was very symbolic to the book, I was informed by the lovely Sally Green. In the book, Nathan (model), is placed by white witches inside the cage for two years until they decide his fate. Nathan is the son of a white which, and his Dad just happens to be the baddest black witch EVER. 

Like I mentioned earlier, I hadn't yet read the book, but it already sounded fantastic.
Here's the synopsis:

A stunning, magical debut. An international sensation.
You can't read, can't write, but you heal fast, even for a witch.
You get sick if you stay indoors after dark.
You hate White Witches but love Annalise, who is one.
You've been kept in a cage since you were fourteen.
All you've got to do is escape and find Mercury, the Black Witch who eats boys. And do that before your seventeenth birthday.
Easy. 

In modern-day England, witches live alongside humans: White witches, who are good; Black witches, who are evil; and fifteen-year-old Nathan, who is both. Nathan’s father is the world’s most powerful and cruel Black witch, and his mother is dead. He is hunted from all sides. Trapped in a cage, beaten and handcuffed, Nathan must escape before his sixteenth birthday, at which point he will receive three gifts from his father and come into his own as a witch—or else he will die. But how can Nathan find his father when his every action is tracked, when there is no one safe to trust—not even family, not even the girl he loves?
In the tradition of Patrick Ness and Markus Zusak, Half Bad is a gripping tale of alienation and the indomitable will to survive, a story that will grab hold of you and not let go until the very last page.


Throughout the evening, we were served canapés and delicious cocktails, followed by glasses of chilled wine. Very refreshing, very sophisticated.
Everybody at the party listened to a humbling, heart-warming and inspiring speech from Sally Green, who talked about her journey from being an accountant to a mother to a writer. 



I tried to upload a video of the speech however I'm not sure whether it worked. If it didn't,  take my word that the speech was truly fantastic. 
After receiving many rejections from publishers and companies of her finished manuscript, it was finally purchased Puffin and Viking USA - both of whom are part of the Penguin Group, and created a "snowball effect" with publishers and agents recognising Sally's amazing talent and unique writing style.
The book has not yet been released, however film rights have already been published by 20th Century Fox, with the director of the Twilight franchise, Percy Jackson and the Book Thief. I for one, am very excited about the release of the book AND the movie. 
At the end of her speech, Sally likened the experience to winning the lottery; you play the game, but you never expect to win.

The evening was finished with receiving a proof copy of Half-Bad, which was given by a chained, caged Nathan. 

It was fantastic to meet Sally, and my review of Half-Bad will be up shortly!

All in all, a truly fantastic evening.





Male model chained in a cage!


My friend, myself and the lovely Sally Green


Beautiful cover of Half Bad - my proof copy!































Wednesday 1 January 2014

Happy New Year!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!


Image and video hosting by TinyPic

Image and video hosting by TinyPic


Image and video hosting by TinyPic

2014. A new start. I am turning over a new leaf and this year I am 100% going to keep my New Year Goals. I don't make resolutions because once you break a NYR, you can't make another one until the NEXT year. However if you slip up, with goals you can just start again!
These are mine:
1. Blog at least 3 times a week, and update my facebook page regularly.
2. Eat healthily and exercise EVERY DAY so that I lose weight and kep fit.
3. Go to church every week and help out with fundraising activities.
4. Be nice to EVERYONE.
5. Save money and be better with budgeting so that I don't spend so much.
6. Get into, start, and work hard at Law School.

What are your resolutions/goals?

So as a start to 2014, I thought I would look back on my favourite and least favourite literature of 2013, and look forward to my most anticipated books of 2014! 
I also asked multiple other bloggers and authors their answers to the same questions, so they are all included in this blog post too!

My Top 10 of 2013

1. The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey (YA, Post Apocalyptic, Aliens)
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Why: This book is a high-paced, adventure-packed, ass-kickingly amazing, thrilling and intriguing page-turning piece of literature. The story is told from the viewpoint of 4 different characters. 
Cassie: the "heroine" of the story (heroine is definitely the right word, especially as the book is as addictive as the drug) - her little brother, the boy she was in love with and an alien/silencer that she meets along the way.
Whilst each character was written by the exact same author, the way they talk, act and portray their emotion throughout the book makes it seem as though they really were individual and written by 4 entirely different people. In my opinion, that was one of the features that make this book my top of 2013, possibly even my favourite book ever.
Yancey created a world that I both long to be a part of, and fear more than anything in my life. I have never come across a work of literature as mind-twisting, infectious and down-right aggravating as Yancey's genius novel. 
If you haven't read this yet, you must get it. Buy it, borrow it, steal it. Do whatever you have to in order to read this book.

2. Sentinel by Jennifer Armentrout (YA, Greek Mythology, Forbidden Love)
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Why: Sentinel was the fun-filled, heart-stopping finale to the Covenant series written by my favourite author in the entire world: Jennifer Armentrout. Without her books in my life, I would be an entirely different person. Without Alex (the protagonist of the Covenant series) I would be less inspired, lazier, and lack the desire to be as bad-ass and hard-core as Alex. She is seriously one of the most amazing characters created by anyone. She makes me want to be a better person, which is kind of sad because she isn't real.
Not to mention that Aiden is truly delicious. Tasty, desirable and an all-round, God-like man. Personally not as attractive to me as Daemon Black (the male hottie in the Lux series, also by JLA), but still a beautiful creation of Jennifer's.

3. The Selection by Kiera Cass (YA, Royals, Romance, Gameshow)
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4. Origin by Jennifer Armentrout (YA, Aliens, Forbidden Romance)
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Why: A bad ass hot female protagonist; an undeniably irritating, cocky, and perfect male love interest; a murdering bastard of a back-stabbing ex-best-friend/kind of love interest; triplets; found relatives; betrayal and an all-round intense story of love, loss and discovery. If that doesn't spark your interest in the 4th but not final book of the Lux series, then I don't know what will.
Maybe the knowledge that Daemon Black makes you quiver uncontrollably at the knees and turn to jelly when he says things like "Hey Kitten" or winks - WINKS! - at Katy (gorgeous, flawed and one of my favourite female characters ever). Maybe it's the unusual fact that the aliens are actually attractive and not hell-bent on killing humans or taking over the world. Whatever sparks your interest, you have to read this book in 2014 (and the three previous ones).

5. Goddess by Josephine Angelini (YA, Greek Mythology, Forbidden Romance)
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Why: I love Greek Mythology. This book is similar and yet TOTALLY different to the Covenant series mentioned earlier in my list. Heavenly Hot-Stuff Helen Hamilton is the co-lead in this beautifully written finale to the Starcrossed Trilogy. She is a recently self-discovered Demi-God who somehow managed to fall in love with her not-cousin however she believes that he is in fact her cousin, as she was lied to in the first book *shocker* forbidden love in a YA novel. The fact that the readers know that Helen and Lucas (the love-interest who is also a demi-God) is so hair-pullingly frustrating that I just want to cry. Angelini manages to create loveable, hateable and just insanely gorgeous characters that are Demi-Gods and HUMAN. The third book contains so many twists and turns, and the ending is deliciously unexpected.
This book series changed my life. I read Starcrossed a few years back and it is one of my all-time favourite books. I love Josephine Angelini, and can not WAIT to see what she will come up with next.

6. Fractured by Teri Terry (YA, Dystopian, Sci-Fi)
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7. The Prey by Andrew Fukuda (YA, Vampires, Paranormal, Dystopian)
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8. Branded by Abi Ketner and Missy Kalicicki (YA/NA, Dystopian, Romance, Sci-Fi)
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9. The Matched Series (1,2,3) by Ally Condie (YA, Dystopian, Romance, Revolution)
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10. Ashes and Ice by Rochelle Maya Callen (YA, Fantasy, Paranoral Romance)
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So there it is! My Top 10!

The most disappointing book for me of 2013 was........

Allegiant by Veronica Roth (YA, Dystopian, Revolution, Romance)
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Why: This book made me SO mad! I loved Divergent, and Insurgent was a little bit of a let down, however compared to Allegiant it was amazing. This book made me want to scream. I love Veronica Roth, and her writing was flawless, but the storyline was not what I wanted or expected. I won't tell you anything more in case you haven't read this yet, however all though I was disappointed, I know many people loved this book, so pick it up and give it a shot. Let me know what you think!

My most anticipated books of 2014 are.........

Opposition by Jennifer Armentrout (YA, Aliens, Sci-Fi, Paranormal Romance)
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Release Date: August 5th 2014
In the stunning climax to the bestselling Lux series, Daemon and Katy join forces with an unlikely enemy to ensure the survival of not only their love for each other, but the future of all mankind. Opposition will bring forth a new dawn to the Lux universe, where man must stand with alien to survive, and the future, no matter the outcome, will never be the same.

The One by Kiera Cass (YA, Dystopian, Royals, Romance, Gameshow)
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Release Date: May 6th 2014
The Selection changed the lives of thirty-five girls forever. And now, the time has come for one winner to be chosen.
America never dreamed she would find herself anywhere close to the crown—or to Prince Maxon's heart. But as the competition approaches its end and the threats outside the palace walls grow more vicious, America realizes just how much she stands to lose—and how hard she'll have to fight for the future she wants.
From the very first page of The Selection, this #1 New York Times bestselling series has captured readers' hearts and swept them away on a captivating journey... Now, in The One, Kiera Cass delivers a satisfying and unforgettable conclusion that will keep readers sighing over this electrifying fairy-tale long after the final page is turned.

ANSWERS TO MY QUESTIONS.

From Megan Kaniasty

Top Book of 2013 - Sentinel (Covenant by Jennifer L. Armentrout) because it was the most beautiful ending to a story series that I had ever read. 
Most disappointed book of 2013 - Allegiant (Divergent by Veronica Ross) I can go on forever with how mad I am at this book. Basically (without obvious spoilery reasons) because she built a world for two books then broke what she built and I'm left thinking what was the point in loving that world, it became meaningless, which was a HUGE disappointment.  
Most looking forward to book of 2014 - For me that is a tie between Opposition, the end of the Lux series by Jennifer L. Armentrout, and City of Heavenly Fire, the end of the Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare, because these are my two favorite authors, ending my two favorite series, need I say more? 



From Kendall McCubbin

Q. My top book of 2013 and why
 
A. There's actually two books that made the top spot on my list, but they're both from the same author, so I think it still counts ;) My top books were Origin and Sentinel both by Jennifer L. Armentrout. I'm a huge fan of any Jennifer L. Armentrout book and I always anticipate her next release. Her books just seem to leave me begging for more and her books, Opal and Deity, were also my top books last year too. 
 
You can check out My Top 13 Books of 2013 here: http://bookcrazy123.blogspot.co.uk/2013/12/my-top-13-books-of-2013.html
 
Q. My most disappointing book of 2013 and why
 
A. I don't think I've read a book that's disappointed me this year too be honest. Well, I can only think of one, but I would never name books that I didn't like, because everyone has different opinions and tastes. 
 
Q. The book I'm most looking forward to in 2014
 
A. There are SO many books I'm looking forward to reading in 2014, but the one that springs to mind right now is Tempting Rowan by Micalea Smeltzer. It's the third book in the Trace + Olivia series and it has a tentative release of Spring 2014. It can be read as a standalone as well ;) I've got the pleasure of being allowed to beta read Tempting Rowan and it's amazing so far, but I won't get to beta read the rest of the book for a little while, as Micalea's currently writing the fourth book in her Outsider series, Avenger. I'm looking forward to any book by Jessica Sorensen, Abbi Glines and Jennifer L. Armentrout as well. 
 
Blog: http://bookcrazy123.blogspot.co.uk/
Page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Book-Crazy/464076600289542?ref=hl

From Eilidh McLeod

My top book of 2013 was Sentinel by Jennifer Armentrout.
Why: The Covenant series is a top 3 favourite of mine and Alex is my favourite heroine. The book was the perfect ending to the perfect series, and it was full of laughter, tears and throwing the book off the wall.
Shatter Me was my most disappointing book.
It had so much hype around it so I was excited to start it, and when I read it I was sorely disappointed. The main girl, Juliette, is annoying to me, and is so typical 'I'm going to moan about everything and do hardly anything and let my power/boyfriend do everything' and that just infuriated me. I'm trying to read the rest of the series but I'm just not absorbed.
Book for 2014
CITY OF HEAVENLY FIRE - of course!!
My favourite series ever is coming to a close and it's heartbreaking it is coming to a close. It's over 700 pages which means I'm gonna be crying, screaming and laughing the whole way through. Can't wait!

From Erin Westlund

The best books I read in 2013 were:
 Origin by Jennifer L. Armentrout
I about pulled my hair out after finishing Opal and I couldn't wait to get my hands on Origin. I'm so happy that it lived up to my expectations. Daemon was just as swoon worthy and entertaining as ever..and I was proud of how strong Katy was during that whole mess. ;) I can't wait to read the fifth and final book, Opposition, in 2014!!
 Obsession by JLA
(review: http://mereadalot.net/2013/06/02/book-review-obsession-by-jennifer-l-armentrout/)
A different look at the LUX universe from the Arum's POV. This book is more grown up then the YA LUX books. I really enjoyed Hunter and Serena and they're very steamy scenes. ;)
 Under Different Stars by Amy A. Bartol
This books is about aliens too. Though they are not referred to as aliens. It's a dystopian novel that doesn't take place on Earth (or at least for not very long). Amy Bartol made up a new language or some new SLANG that the Etharians use in conjuction with plain ole english..and they're very interesting. Haha. The slang keeps us on our toes while reading. (I put a glossary together for her book, you can find it with my review here: http://mereadalot.net/2013/12/19/12-days-of-reviews-giveaways-under-different-stars-by-amy-a-bartol/)
 The entire Grab Your Pole series by Jenn Cooksey.
This is supposed to be like a 6 book series. The first 3 books, Shark Bait, The Other Fish in the Sea and Shark Out of Water, are all out now. These books are hilarious. They have an amazing cast of characters and you meet the most awesomesauce little sister ever. ;) These books are filled with tons of 80s and 90s pop culture references and the hottest book boyfriend ever. TRISTAN DANIELS.
 I'm anticipating all of JENNIFER L. ARMENTROUT'S BOOKS that are due out in 2014. Though to be honest, I've already read two of them and they are FREAKING FANTASTIC. You guys will not be let down by JLA in 2014!! Another book I'm looking forward to in 2014 is Victoria Scott's Fire & Flood, which is due out at the end of February! Also, one of my all-time favorite romance authors KRISTEN ASHLEY is supposed to be wrapping up a couple of her series in 2014 and I'm really looking forward to see how she ends these series. I'm also looking forward to the beginning of some series she's announced. :)
I'm also looking forward to any sequels to the Grab Your Pole series that may be released. I really need to know what's going on with Tristan, Cami and Co!
 I wasn't really disappointed by any books in 2013. I loved almost everything I read. 

From Hayley Hemming

My favourite book of 2013? Wow this is hard. I've read so many this year and to chose just one... Okay so I'm gonna go for Dinner with a Vampire: The Dark Heroine by Abigail Gibbs. The blurb is what hooked me from the beginning. That and the cover. Usually I tend to flick through a book first or read the first few lines just to see what it's about but this one I brought because of the blurb alone. When I found out that the author is actually 18 years old I couldn't believe it. Its written in the style of a successful and well established novelist... not an 18 year old. She's a perfect writer. The words flow, the dialogue flows, the descriptions of various parts of the mansion and of the characters themselves draw you in like you are actually there with them. I loved the character of Violet. She is literally thrust into this world that she knows nothing about and I love that she is feisty and fierce and she doesn't stand for any of Kasper's crap... even when he does have her pinned against the wall ready to sink his fangs into her against her will (oh he's a vampire by the way!) And Kasper himself... yeah he's egotistical and rough and moody and can be so so cocky but by the Goddess he's HOT!! (New book husband!) He does have a soft side though and Violet constantly strive to not give into their passion, despite Kasper constantly trying to woo her... I like how right from the off Kasper is known as a Vampire. It sets the scene and the pace perfectly, thrusting you right into their world. The book is full of fast paced action, swoon worthy passion and realistic fight scenes. Abigail wrote this book on wattpad and gained a huge online following due to it and then voila it got published! She's become an inspiration to me after reading this. I want nothing more than to be an author and to know that Abigail did this on wattpad as an online book and got it published is amazing. Abigail's second book, Autumn Rose The Dark Heroine, is released next year and I can't wait to delve into it. My least favourite book of 2013... wow that's a hard one... I'd have to say Fracture by Megan Miranda. Eeek I hate this part... The concept of the book was a good one. Basically the main character, Delaney, almost drowns in a frozen river but she's rescued by her best friend Decker. She recovers in hospital and everyone is amazed that she's survived and she ends up being able to tell when people are going to die... Sounds good right? Well the first, what, 100 pages were okay but then after that the concept got lost and before we knew it the book was over. It was a shame because the author could have done so much more with this book. Spread it out more, make the story longer, make us fall in love with the characters and make a convincing bad guy (I can't even remember his name!) And you didn't get to see their personalities. Okay so you can tell from the off that Decker is in love with Delaney but she could have delved into that more. Show is the moment when he knew and how it affected them... but they didn't. It took me a day to read (it was quite a short book) but as soon as I read it I forgot about it and its such a shame because she could have done much more with the book. Most anticipated of 2014?? Well there's 3! City of Heavenly Fire by Cassandra Clare just because! There is nothing else to say other than I NEED THIS BOOK NOW! Oh and Jace... I have to know what happens to him after the last book left me hanging! Second is Opposition by Jennifer L Armentrout. I need to know what going to happen with Katy and Daemon and the last book left ne dying with feels! Third is Silver Shadows by Richelle Mead. I'm about to read The Fiery Heart and this is the next book and I love them! Seriously I loved her VA books and now I live the Bloodlines series and I have to get a fix of Adrian!

From Whitney Baer

  Best Book of 2013- Come Away with Me by Kristen Proby
It was a romantic, steamy read with lots of Angst. I loved it!!
Most Disappointing- Mine by Katy Evans
I felt the storyline was lacking and towards the end I didn't even want to finish the book. 
Most Anticipated- Indestructible by Angela Graham

From Tatiana Santana
My favorite book of 2013 is Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare.

Most disappointing? I'm not sure!

I'm most looking forward to The Mortal Instruments: City of Heavenly Fire by Cassandra Clare

So there you have it! Mine and several other opinions on the best and most disappointing books of 2013! What were your top books/most disappointing? Leave a comment or message me on my facebook page!

Thanks for reading and have an AMAZING 2014!

Love, me!

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