Book Review: The Natural History of Us (The Fine Art of Pretending, #2) by Rachel Harris

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Buy: Amazon UK | Amazon US | Book Depository

Format: Kindle

Publishers: Spencer Hill Press

Published: 5th April 2016

Pages: 297

Genre: YA, Contemporary Romance

Main Characters: Peyton, Justin
Date Read: 24th May - 31st May 2016

Rating Given:

Synopsis:One class assignment. One second chance at love. The school player is all in. Now he needs to win back the sweet commitment girl who's forever owned his heart. 
Justin Carter has a secret. He's not the total player Fairfield Academy believes him to be. Not really. In fact, he used to be a one-woman guy...and his feelings for her never went away. Too bad he broke her heart three years ago and made sure to ruin any chance she'd ever forgive him. 
Peyton Williams is a liar. She pretends to be whole, counting down the days until graduation and helping her parents at the family ranch. But the truth is, she's done everything she can to get over Justin, and salvation is just around the corner. With graduation one short month away, she'll soon break free from the painful memories and start her life fresh. Of course, she has to get through working with him on one last assignment first. 
For Justin, nothing ever felt as right as being with Peyton, and now that fate's given him a shot at redemption, he's determined to make the most of it. And for Peyton...well, Justin Carter has always been her kryptonite.

I received a review copy from netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I like the cute feeling for the cover as it matches the story but that's all it is as there's nothing that stands out and a bit plain. I love the font of the title as that's the only part of the cover that does stand out.

I was so excited about reading this book as I had read and adored the first book however this one fell flat as it didn't really capture my attention from the get go. It did take a long while to get going and really the only thing that kept me going was the hope in which something would actually happen. This book went back and forth in time so that we could understand what happened to the two main characters but it did take pretty much most of the book until everything was out in the open. The romance was cute in the past but a bit annoying at times as it all came across as a bit too secretive. Once everything was out in the open I liked this book a lot more than I had done in the beginning although not to the high standards of the previous book. I was a little bit disappointed with the ending as I felt yes it was cute but there wasn't much closure for my liking.

I liked the characters to a point but they all had they're annoying moments. Peyton was a nice enough character but I don't feel as though she was the best character I've ever read about I think that maybe she wasn't developed as much as what she could've been. I wasn't too sure about Justin in the previous book but for the most part he was a likeable character but then there was some moments when I felt like he needed slapping.

Overall, I was disappointed in this book but it wasn't all bad it was just okay.

Excerpt Blitz - A Fine Mess (Over the Top, #2) by Kelly Siskind

BOOK DETAILS

Title: A Fine Mess

Author: Kelly Siskind

Series: Over The Top, #2

On Sale: August 2, 2016

Publisher: Forever

Format: eBook

Price: $3.99 USD 

Synopsis:Some guys should come with a warning label…

Sawyer West is Mr. One-Night Stand. He doesn't do relationships or promises or feelings. He's never cared enough to get involved. Until Lily Roberts. She's sweet and shy and sexy as sin, and resisting her is testing his self-control. She believes Sawyer can be a better man, and for the first time in his life, he wants to be. But change isn't easy, and Sawyer would do anything to protect Lily from his past self. Even break his own heart…

THE OVER THE TOP SERIES

My Perfect Mistake, #1

A Fine Mess, #2

Series page on Goodreads

PREORDER THE BOOK HERE

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

A small-town girl at heart, Kelly moved from the city to open a cheese shop with her husband in Northern Ontario. When she's not neck deep in cheese or out hiking, you can find her, notepad in hand, scribbling down one of the many plot bunnies bouncing around in her head.

She laughs at her own jokes and has been known to eat her feelings-Gummy Bears heal all. She's also an incurable romantic, devouring romance novels into the wee hours of the morning.

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Excerpt:

Sawyer steps close and waits for me to make eye contact. Slowly, I lift my gaze to his gold-flecked brown eyes, but I can’t find my voice. It’s like I don’t know how to talk to him anymore.

He grins. “Hi.”

From my angle it’s easy to see the scar running down his neck, the remnant of a fall he took through a coffee table while wrestling with his brother. I’ve always wanted to touch it, feel the puckered skin under my fingers. I drop my gaze, but it doesn’t help. The cuffs of his gray button-down are rolled to his elbows, roped muscle exposed below. Something else I’d like to touch.

I blink hard. “Hi,” I say to my feet.

“Look at me, Lil.” I rock on my heels, then do as asked. He raises an eyebrow. “How fucking weird is this?”

My giggle surprises me, and I loosen my grip on my wineglass. “Totally weird.”

Thank God for Sawyer’s candid nature.

He sips his drink, probably Scotch, and a sheen of liquid clings to his bottom lip.

Touch that arm. Kiss that scar. Taste those lips. None of these urges are new, but they’re heightened. Magnified. He watches me watching him, his gaze as probing as mine. What is he thinking?

Then the music changes.

A remix of Madonna’s “Holiday” plays, and Sawyer does Sawyer. He tips his head to the right, his shoulders following, then he pushes out his hip and rolls his torso through. The guy does body waves, alternating from side to side, like he’s in an eighties music video.

People stop. People look. People laugh.

I snort, an unattractive sound I make when my laughter takes over. Sawyer says it sounds like a hyena with sleep apnea. When I snort a second time, he dances harder, and I crack up. My belly aches as he gets into it, the entire room watching now.

I suck in a breath, place my empty glass on the table behind me, then clasp his shoulders. “What are you doing?”

He stops dancing. “Making things less weird.”

“Less? What about you channeling Paula Abdul is less weird?”

“Did you laugh?”

I grin.

Then he says, “I’m sorry.”

The music vibrates in my chest, or maybe it’s his proximity. “Sorry about what?”

“Last week, when you called, I was a dick. You caught me by surprise, and I didn’t handle it well. So, I’m sorry.”

His admission pumps through my core like helium, my body nearly weightless. The confession shouldn’t be surprising, not with how he speaks his mind, but it’s been a week of silence. I was losing hope things could return to the way they were, or progress past it. I step closer, so he can hear me over the noise. “Apology accepted, but do I get an explanation?”

He drags his gaze down my body. It’s a thorough perusal—intimate, penetrating—flames sparking along my skin. His eyes linger on me, but he doesn’t speak. He rolls the pinky ring on his left hand the way he does when he’s puzzling something out. An ache travels up my thighs, heat expanding below my ribs. The longer he stays quiet, the more my skin tingles.

Finally, he releases his ring and slides his hand over my lower back. He leans forward and whispers, “I’ve wanted to do very dirty things to you and with you since Aspen, but I care about you too much to act on it. Hence my dickishness and the weirdness.”

Waiting on Wednesday - A Fine Mess by Kelly Siskind

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Here's this week's book that I can't wait for...

A Fine Mess (Over the Top, #2) by Kelly Siskind

Expected Publication: 2nd August 2016

Synopsis:Some guys should come with a warning label . . .
Sawyer West is Mr. One-Night Stand. He doesn't do relationships or promises or feelings. He's never cared enough to get involved. Until Lily Roberts. She's sweet and shy and sexy as sin, and resisting her is testing his self-control. She believes Sawyer can be a better man, and for the first time in his life, he wants to be. But change isn't easy, and Sawyer would do anything to protect Lily from his past self. Even break his own heart . . .

I've read the first one in this series and it was one of the funniest books that I've read this year so obviously I am very excited to read the next one in the Over the Top series. I just hope it's as good as the first one.



What are you waiting on? 

Book Review: Mortal Obligation (Dark Betrayal, #1) by Nichole Chase

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Buy: Amazon UK | Amazon US | Book Depository

Format: Kindle

Publishers: Indie

Published: 1st August 2011

Pages: 192

Genre: YA, Paranormal Romance,

Main Characters: Ree, Paden, Roland
Date Read: 19th May - 24th May 2016

Rating Given:

Synopsis:Ree will face the darkest form of betrayal before the year is out.Seventeen year old Ree McKenna has three goals: get through high school, convince her crush she is more than his best friend’s little sister, and save money for college. Fate, though, has other plans for her. After the untimely death of her older brother, Ree is haunted by dreadful nightmares and terrifying visions. To make matters worse, Ree has started to suspect that something dangerous is stalking her from the shadows. A night full of frightening surprises leaves Ree with unsettling news. Gifted by the gods with unusual powers, she must devote herself to a battle that could very well lead to not only her death, but the demise of everyone she knows and loves. After all, Ree is the only mortal standing between the Earth and utter darkness. Set in Savannah, Ga, Mortal Obligation is the first book of The Dark Betrayal Trilogy.

I've been putting this one off for a while now although I don't know why as I love Nichole Chase's work.

I'm not a huge fan of this cover as although the girl in the cover reminds me of Ree the girl used looks fake she looks as though Photoshop was used a lot here. I do like the rest of the cover with the use of colours makes it stand out plus I like that it looks like the location used in the actual book.

Mortal Obligation is unique in that I haven't read a paranormal book like it which was a nice change but there was other parts of the story that was what every YA book involves. When I first started Mortal Obligation I was hooked and I couldn't wait to see what on earth was going to happen next, however, I felt it dragged a bit in the middle. I felt the romance side of the story was lacking and I didn't quite believe in the feelings plus I am a little sick of love triangles at the minute which this story has. Most of the story was getting to know about the powers that they all have and learning how to use them which I think was the reason why it dragged as it felt repetitive. The last quarter of the book was back to being hooked with some surprises that I never expected and then left open for the rest of the series which I am very much looking forward to reading.

I pretty much liked all of the characters, especially some of the secondary characters. Ree was an okay character as she was a strong person but with her being put on the sidelines it made her (understandably) whiney. Paden was a nice enough character as he was sweet and protective of Ree but he also kept changing his mind about whether he should be with Ree or not. Roland I liked as he came across better than Paden. Out of all the secondary characters Weylin was my favourite as he added much needed humour to the story.

Overall, not my favourite Nichole Chase book but that in no means that it wasn't an enjoyable read as for the most part I enjoyed it, it was just the dragging in the middle that brought it down.

Waiting on Wednesday - Bedmates by Nichole Chase

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Here's this week's book that I can't wait for...

Bedmates (American Royalty, #1) by Nichole Chase

Expected Publication: 4th October 2016

Synopsis:From the bestselling author of Suddenly Royal comes the first in a sparkling new series about America’s favorite royal—the First Daughter.
Everyone makes mistakes, especially in college. But when you’re the daughter of the President of the United States, any little slip up is a huge embarrassment. Maddie McGuire’s latest error in judgment lands her in police custody, giving the press a field day. Agreeing to do community service as penance and to restore her tattered reputation, Maddie never dreams incredibly good looking but extremely annoying vice president’s son, Jake Simmon, will be along for the ride.
Recently returning from Afghanistan with a life-altering injury, Jake is wrestling with his own demons. He doesn’t have the time or patience to deal with the likes of Maddie. They’re like oil and water and every time they’re together, it’s combustible. But there’s a thin line between love and hate, and it’s not long before their fiery arguments give way to infinitely sexier encounters.
When Jake receives devastating news about the last remaining member of his unit, the darkness he’s resisted for so long begins to overwhelm him. Scared to let anyone close, he pushes Maddie away. But she isn’t about to give up on Jake that easily. Maddie’s fallen for him, and she’ll do anything to keep him from the edge as they both discover that love is a battlefield and there are some fights you just can’t lose.

A spin off from one of my favourite series so I am very excited about this one plus that synopsis has pushed me over the edge. I'm not a fan of the cover but hopefully the story will blow it out of the water and I won't care.



What are you waiting on?

Book Review: Chasing Crazy by Kelly Siskind

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Buy: Amazon UK | Amazon US | Book Depository

Format: Kindle

Publishers: Forever Yours

Published: 12th January 2016

Pages: 340

Genre: New Adult, Contemporary Romance,

Main Characters: Nina, Sam
Date Read: 15th May - 17th May 2016

Rating Given:

Synopsis:
Dear Mom & Dad, I dropped out of school. I’m going backpacking. Sorry. Love you both.
At nineteen, Nina has endured two lifetime’s worth of humiliation. Tired of waiting for it to get better, she decides to get going—across the globe to New Zealand. There she soon faces what she most fears: a super sexy guy ready to be Nina’s next mistake.
Once Sam’s life was all about having fun. That was before the accident. Now his friends have bailed and his world is broken. But when a gorgeous girl on his flight looks at him with passion instead of pity, Sam feels his old self coming back to life. 
Now traveling together, Nina and Sam know this isn’t just a fling. They’re falling fast, hard, and deep. More than anything, Sam wants Nina to forget her fears. But to help her do that he must reveal his own painful secret—and risk Nina never seeing him the same way again.

 I received a review copy from netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I like this cover as it is very fitting for the story. I love that it looks romantic and soft as it makes it look cute. I also like the location because even though you can't tell where this place is what you can tell is it looks warm and exotic which with the story set in New Zealand I have a feeling that's a place that is warm and exotic.

I was looking forward to reading this book after reading and loving another written by Kelly Siskind which did kind of live up to my expectations however it wasn't as good. In true Siskind form Chasing Crazy had some hilarious moments as well some heartbreaking moments as well. The romance side of the story was a slow build and yes they where attracted with one another they didn't fall in love straight away which was nice and realistic. Even when they where just friends Nina and Sam where great together as the banter was really funny and then when they where together they were so sweet. What was refreshing with this book was that it was mainly about learning to love yourself quirks and all. The part that really ruined this book for me was the ending, things that happened was random and out of the blue and I just didn't get the other part that happened I felt like it wasn't a real ending.

There was many different sides to all of the characters which some surprised me. Pininfarina or more commonly known as Nina was a great character who was so accident prone it had me in stitches. She was sweet and just wanted to be accepted. Sam was another great character but there was a moment when he annoyed me but apart from that he was there for Nina and tried to get her to accept herself as well as himself. There was some good secondary characters that added something more to the story but then some of the other secondary characters annoyed me.

Overall, it was a very funny read and even though it wasn't as good as the other Siskind book that I've read it's still good enough to get me excited about her other books that are yet to be released.