Book of the Month - May

I've read quite a few books in May but I haven't fallen head over heels for any of them plus I had a couple of DNF books which hardly ever happens to me.

Here's what I read in May:

• Blurred Lines (Love Unexpectedly, #1) by Lauren Layne - 3.5/5
• Wild Crush (Wild Cards, #2) by Simone Elkeles - 2.5/5
• Sleepless in Manhattan (From Manhattan With Love, #1) by Sarah Morgan - 4/5
• Across the Line (In the Zone, #2) by Kate Willoughby - 3.5/5
• Chasing Crazy by Kelly Siskind - 3.5/5
• Mortal Obligation (Dark Betrayal, #1) by Nichole Chase - 3.5/5
• The Natural History of Us (The Fine Art of Pretending, #2) by Rachel Harris - 3/5
• Talon (Talon, #1) by Julie Kagawa - 3/5

Also I DNFed Third Base by Heidi McLaughlin as well as Stacked Up by Sidney Halston.

The book of the month goes to...

Sleepless in Manhattan (From Manhattan with Love, #1) 

by Sarah Morgan

So no five star books this month so I had to go to my only four star book which was a good book and I am looking forward to continuing with the series.

What's your book of the month?

Book Review: Wild Crush (Wild Cards, #2) by Simone Elkeles

(Click image to take you to Goodreads)

Buy: Amazon UK | Amazon US | Book Depository

Format: Kindle

Publishers: NLA Digital LLC

Published: 22nd September 2015

Pages: 304

Genre: YA, Contemporary Romance, Sport Romance

Main Characters: Vic, Monika,
Date Read: 4th May - 6th May 2016

Rating Given:

Synopsis:When the only girl you want is the one you can't have... 
Bad boy Vic Salazar breaks all the rules except one: Don't make a move on your best friend's girl. It’s a Guy Code that Vic lives by. It doesn't matter that he's had a crush on her for years. Monika Fox is off limits. 
Monika has a secret of her own and when a tragedy throws her and Vic together, the only boy she trusts is the one she shouldn’t confide in. Vic. 
As Vic struggles to keep his distance, and Monika struggles with her secrets, will their wild connection violate every rule both vowed never to break—about relationships, about friendship, about love?

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

I'm not a fan of this cover which is quite surprising as it has the aspects in the cover that I normally love but this cover just doesn't work for me. I think what it is that puts me off the cover is the composition of the bodies as it just looks weird. I also don't see these two as Vic and Monika either.

After loving the first book in the Wild Cards series I was very excited to read this one but in the end it was no where near as good as the first one in fact I nearly DNFed it but I held out because it's Simone Elkeles. I did think I was going to enjoy when I first started it but things slowly started to annoy me more and more. It felt far to predictable which I don't always mind but things that happened that would normally 'shock' I guessed would happen in the beginning. I didn't believe in any of the relationships especially Monika's and Vic's as they just didn't seem to gel plus it felt like it was one sided for pretty much most of the book. For me the ending felt rushed with no real closure I was expecting so much to happen yet it felt like it abruptly finished.

I didn't warm to many of the characters but I did like seeing the returning couple from the previous book plus some characters from her Perfect Chemistry series was great. Monika annoyed me the most as she was a bit of a pushover and just plain annoying. There was moments in the beginning where I actually loved Vic as he was sweet and selfless but then that all changed in the second half of the book and after that I couldn't stand him.

Overall, I was so disappointed with this book but it won't stop me reading this series or even any Simone Elkeles books as I know she has done amazing work so I will always hope that she writes another gem.

Book Tag: The Book Courtship Tag

The Reading Pile has taken inspiration from the vloging Book Tag community over to the blogging world. Like her I'm not actually going to tag anyone but you're more than welcome to give it a try like I have just head over to her page and leave a link in her comments or in mine as I'm nosey and love to know what everyone else has done.

Over at The Reading Pile she has done the posts every Thursday and has already done a few so I thought I would go through the ones she has already done and do the ones I like the look of.

My Book Tag post this week is: The Book Courtship

Phase One - Initial Attraction: A book that you bought because of the cover

Hush Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick - From the very first moment I saw this book I fell in love with it and jut had to have it. I'm just glad the story was as stunning as the cover.

Phase Two - First Impression: A book that you got because of the summary

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins - I hated the cover for this book but because of the summery I decided to buy it as it sounded so good. Below is the summery to see for yourselves.

Winning means fame and fortune.
Losing means certain death.
The Hunger Games have begun....

In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, the shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV.

Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen regards it as a death sentence when she steps forward to take her sister's place in the Games. But Katniss has been close to dead before-- and survival, for her, is second nature. Without really meaning to, she becomes a contender. But if she is to win, she will have to start making choices that weigh survival against humanity and life against love. 

Phase Three - Sweet Talk: A book with great writing

Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi - I don't usually take notice of the different writing styles only what I like or dislike in the actual story, that was until I read Shatter Me. Shatter Me has a very unique writing style that jumps off the pages. It's easy to love this book just because of the great writing.

Phase Four - First Date: A first book of a series which made you want to pursue the rest of the series

Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles - I've read so many first in the series books that have made me want to read the rest of the series, so it was hard to choose one. In the end I went for Perfect Chemistry as I haven't used this book in previous book tag posts. I absolutely adored this book that I just had to get the rest and I'm so glad about a fourth book on the horizon.

Phase Five - Late Night Phone Calls: A book that kept you up all night long

Beastly by Alex Flinn - I don't really read books if I'm tired so no book can keep me up all night even if I wanted to, however, Beastly was such a quick and easy book to read that I read it in a day.

Phase Six - Always on my mind: A book that you could not stop thinking about

Come Back To Me by Mila Gray - I absolutely adored this book and it was a book that brought all the feels. For some books I forget what happened and just remember if I loved or hated it but with this book I remember everything about it. Even a year after reading this book I still find myself thinking about it.

Phase Seven - Getting Physical: A book in which you love the way it feels

Talon by Julie Kagawa - I usually love the feel of velvety book covers but there is a lot of those on my shelf so in the end I went for Talon. The reason why I went for this one was because all those scales on the cover is raised so when you run your hand over it feels as though there are scales. I haven't read this book yet but I know that when I do I will be stroking it whilst reading it.

Phase Eight - Meeting the Parents: A book in which you would recommend to your friends and family

 
City of Bones by Cassandra Clare - CoB will always be one I would recommend to everyone I even got my family reading it.

Phase Nine - Thinking About the Future: A book or series that you know you'll reread many times in the future

Suddenly Royal by Nichole Chase - This has to be with out a doubt one of my all time favourite book. I loved every minute of this book and I have already reread it and I know I will be reading this one over and over again. I love this book that much that I could have said this book for every phase in this book tag.

Showcase Sunday #118

Showcase Sunday is a weekly Meme that I am taking part of. This weekly meme is hosted by Vicky over at Book, Biscuits and Tea.

Click images to take you to Goodreads.

I have a few more books that I usually do as it was my 30th Birthday in September so naturally I got a Amazon voucher which I have spent a bit of but I still have some left over. Here's what I received in the month of September!

Paperback Books Recieved

  

 

I received Yours Tonight and Nymphs for review from the publishers. I got the rest for my Birthday.

Kindle Books Bought

  

I've wanted to read all these books since the moment I had heard about them and now I've finally gotten around to buying them thanks to my voucher.

Free Kindle Books

  

I didn't get many free books this month as there wasn't many that I really wanted to give a try this past month.

Kindle Review Books

  

  

 

Looking forward to reading these books in the upcoming months.

What did you receive this month/week?

Waiting on Wednesday - Wild Crush by Simone Elkeles

"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 I can't wait for...

Wild Crush (Wild Cards, #2) by Simone Elkeles

Expected Publication: 22nd September 2015

Synopsis:
When the only girl you want is the one you can't have... 
Bad boy Vic Salazar breaks all the rules except one: Don't make a move on your best friend's girl. It’s a Guy Code that Vic lives by. It doesn't matter that he's had a crush on her for years. Monika Fox is off limits. 
Monika has a secret of her own and when a tragedy throws her and Vic together, the only boy she trusts is the one she shouldn’t confide in. Vic. 
As Vic struggles to keep his distance, and Monika struggles with her secrets, will their wild connection violate every rule both vowed never to break—about relationships, about friendship, about love?

It's been a while since Wild Cards was released I was starting to think there wasn't going to be a book 2  so I'm so excited to finally see it's going to be released in September I just hope the release date isn't pushed back.



What are you waiting on?

Please check out my brand new Facebook page by clicking the link below thanks :)

https://www.facebook.com/katesbooklife1

Top 10 of 2014 - Day 1

 I had so much fun with this last year I had to join the fun again. This meme is hosted by Two Chicks On Books click on the above button to heard over to their blog.

Best Books I’ve Read in 2014 (Doesn’t have to be released in 2014, just a book you’ve read in 2014)



10.

After Math by Denise Grover Swank - This was a brilliant freebie book and I can't wait to read more from this author as well as this series.

9.

Wild Cards by Simone Elkeles - This was one of my early reads of the year and I still remember the feelings I got whilst reading it.

8.

Poison Princess by Kresley Cole - A completely new kind of paranormal/dystopia novel for me and I loved every minute of it.

7.

Switched by Cassie Mae - This book was so funny and different to most of the other new adult books that I have read.

6.

Opposition by Jennifer L. Armentrout - A great end to the Lux series I'm just sad that it has come to an end.

5.

Losing It by Cora Carmack - Another early 2014 read but one that has left a lasting impression, I already want to read it again!

4.

Maybe This Christmas by Sarah Morgan - I loved this book so much that when I had read this book I had already made this list but I had to change it. It was such a sweet book that is perfect for this time of year.

3.

Made For You by Melissa Marr - I loved this book even more than her Wicked Lovely series which I never thought could happen.

2.

Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire - I adored this book and I should also say that Walking Disaster and Beautiful Oblivion are just as good so I just used the first one as I just couldn't pick one favourite over the other.

1.

Come Back To Me by Mila Gray/Suddenly Royal by Nichole Chase - I couldn't pick out of these two books so I had to cheat and go for a joint favourite. They where both amazing so much so I just had to re-read them and I already want to re-read them all over again and I'm sure I will at some point next year.

Showcase Sunday #94

Showcase Sunday is a weekly Meme that I am taking part of. This weekly meme is hosted by Vicky over at Book, Biscuits and Tea.

Click images to take you to Goodreads.

Physical Review Books

 

Received both these books this week only requested Better Than Perfect (which is Wild Cards but with a new name). 

Thanks to Bloomsbury for sending both of these books.

Free Kindle Books

  

 

Kindle Review Books

  

  

What did you receive this week?