Review: Hopeless by Colleen Hoover

 

Author: Colleen Hoover

Series: -

Pages: 391

Genre: New Adult

Publisher: Self

Amazon: Hopeless

Contact Colleen Hoover - Website / Twitter / Facebook

Synopsis. (Goodreads)

Sometimes discovering the truth can leave you more hopeless than believing the lies…

That’s what seventeen-year-old Sky realizes after she meets Dean Holder. A guy with a reputation that rivals her own and an uncanny ability to invoke feelings in her she’s never had before. He terrifies her and captivates her all in the span of just one encounter, and something about the way he makes her feel sparks buried memories from a past that she wishes could just stay buried.

Sky struggles to keep him at a distance knowing he’s nothing but trouble, but Holder insists on learning everything about her. After finally caving to his unwavering pursuit, Sky soon finds that Holder isn’t at all who he’s been claiming to be. When the secrets he’s been keeping are finally revealed, every single facet of Sky’s life will change forever.

Review: 5 out of 5 stars

Hopeless is the first book I have read by author, Colleen Hoover although her Slammed series has been on my radar for quite some time. I have to admit I wasn’t prepared at all for the emotions this book evoked, it was another extremely late night staying up just so I could finish reading it, I was truly captivated by this amazing, thought provoking story.

Seventeen year-old Linden Sky Davis is sarcastic, witty and strong; she lives with her mother Karen in a technology free household and after being home-schooled her whole life is about to start public school, already holding a not so stellar reputation for making out with a lot of boys who don’t make her ‘feel’ she is shocked by her reaction to Dean Holder

Dean Holder {sigh} is a bad boy who isn’t, he is caring, understanding and has experienced grief and loss; he has a temper, can be arrogant and moody but his interactions with Sky and the way he held her together despite his own inner demons made me absolutely gush.

“Dean Holder? Messy brown hair? Smoldering blue eyes? A temper straight out of Fight Club?” Six

The banter between Sky and Holder had me giggling, I loved the dialogue and how they each had to one up the other - I enjoyed their competitive natures. The chemistry between them was scorching hot; I adored watching their relationship progress and see them come together as more than just friends – their first kiss (that wasn’t) was overwhelming and wonderful.

Despite enjoying the romantic aspect, the story is also heart breaking and filled with some gut wrenching secrets as well as a difficult subject matter, I had no idea what to expect; I had a slight inkling about what Sky had endured but how the rest of her life had panned out and the reasoning as to why I was clueless, I liked the element of surprise, especially when it came to her mother, Karen.

Mention should also go to the wonderful side characters; best friend Six was amazing, I’d love to read a story written from her POV & Breckin was a classic.

Colleen Hoover’s writing is mesmerizing, the words she has penned flow beautifully and you are captivated by the gut wrenching tale she is telling but also see the hope. Each piece of the plot came together perfectly, from the very first moment Sky and Holder meet to the very ending, it all fit together nicely to create a stunningly real, passionate and complex story.

Hopeless is an intense, poignant, emotional roller-coaster of a read; the journey Sky and Holder had to take was traumatic and fraught with pain but they did it side-by-side, certainly not without a few misunderstandings but the way he protected her left me swooning and cheering for a HEA.

A few of my favourite quotes:

“The first time you kissed me?" I say. "That moment when your lips touched mine? You stole a piece of my heart that night”

“The moment my lips touch yours, it will be your first kiss. Because if you've never felt anything when someone's kissed you, then no one's ever really kissed you. Not the way I plan on kissing you.”

“The sky is always beautiful.Even when it's dark or rainy or cloudy,it's still beautiful to look at....it'll be there no matter what...and I know it'll always be beautiful.” 

I highly recommend Hopeless, a story about, love, loss, life and hope.

Due to sexual content and heavy subject matter, this book is recommended for ages 17+

2013 New Adult Reading Challenge

 

I am absolutely loving the New Adult genre at the moment so I have signed up for my first challenge of 2013!

The 2013 New Adult Reading Challenge is hosted by Basia's Bookshelf, A Tapestry of Words, Tater’s Tall Tails and Confessions of a Twenty Something Fiction Writer

Sign up HERE

Here are the rules:

The book must feature a protagonist who is past the average age for graduation from high school (18 in most places) and under 30. If they’re exactly 18, you can make the judgment call based on content. (If the majority of it is set in high school, it’s probably YA.)

They don’t have to be contemporaries! Fantasy, dystopian and paranormal fans rejoice, your books count too. As long as the characters fall into the comparative age group on whatever planet or in whatever world, it works.

You don’t have to have a blog to participate, but you must post your reviews somewhere accessible online (like Goodreads).

The Levels:

Just Graduated: Read a minimum of 5 New Adult books

Moving Out: Read a minimum of 10 New Adult books

Living On Your Own: Read a minimum of 20 New Adult books

Fully Independent: Read a minimum of 30 New Adult books

My aim is 'Living On Your Own' but I'd be happy with 'Moving Out'

Some books I hope to read are:

(Clicking on the title will take you to Goodreads)

Slammed (Slammed #1) by Colleen Hoover

Hard to Love by Kendall Ryan

(No cover as yet) Untitled - On Dublin Street #2 by Samantha Young

Façade (Games #2) by Nyrae Dawn

Dare You To (Pushing the Limits #2) by Katie McGarry

(No cover as yet) Frigid by J.Lynn

Thing I Can’t Forget by Miranda Kenneally

Devoured by Emily Snow

Tidal by Emily Snow

If He Had Been With Me by Laura Nowlin

The Secret of Ella and Micha by Jessica Sorensen

Someone to Love by Addison Moore

Ten Tiny Breaths by K.A Tucker

Fallen Too Far by Abbi Glines

 

If there are any New Adult books you can recommend?? I’d love to add them to my list.

Feature & Follow Friday (29th December)

 

Hi everyone!!

Thank-you so much for stopping by..

Feature and Follow Friday is a weekly meme hosted by the wonderful Parajunkee & Alison Can Read

This weeks featured blogs: The Book Asylum and Bookworms Avenue

Question: What book do you think everyone should read? If you could gift the entire population with one book?

I would choose The Sea of Tranquility by Katja Millay which I read recently and adored! The characters, storyline and writing was amazing.

If I could cheat and choose a whole series it would be the Fever series by Karen Marie Moning, I LOVE these books and think they are an absolute must read.

Review: Crash (Crash #1) by Nicole Williams

 

Series: Crash

Pages: 215

Genre: Young Adult

Publisher: Self

Amazon: Crash

Synopsis. (Goodreads)

Southpointe High is the last place Lucy wanted to wind up her senior year of school. Right up until she stumbles into Jude Ryder, a guy whose name has become its own verb, and synonymous with trouble. He's got a rap sheet that runs longer than a senior thesis, has had his name sighed, shouted, and cursed by more women than Lucy dares to ask, and lives at the local boys home where disturbed seems to be the status quo for the residents. Lucy had a stable at best, quirky at worst, upbringing. She lives for wearing the satin down on her ballet shoes, has her sights set on Juilliard, and has been careful to keep trouble out of her life. Up until now.

Jude's everything she needs to stay away from if she wants to separate her past from her future. Staying away, she's about to find out, is the only thing she's incapable of.

For Lucy Larson and Jude Ryder, love's about to become the thing that tears them apart.

Review: 2 ½ out of 5 stars

I have been quite eager to read Crash by Nicole Williams and although it was a book which kept me turning the pages, there were unfortunately too many elements which didn’t mesh well with me.  

When Lucy Larson first glimpsed Jude Ryder on the beach she was immediately attracted to him but things quickly change when Jude opens his mouth and his arrogance shows; Lucy knows all too well he is someone she should steer clear of but for some reason she is drawn to him.

“The name’s Jude Ryder, since I know you’re all but salivating like a rabid dog to know, and I don’t do girlfriends, relationships, flowers or regular phone calls. If that works for you, I think we could work out something special.”  Jude

Jude is smexy, cocky and has a rap sheet pages long; living in a boys home he has no-one to rely on but himself, with his mother abandoning him and his father serving time for murder in prison, he is a hardened, tortured character but quite intrigued by Lucy.

My feelings towards both characters fluctuated over the course of the book, one minute all was rosy and I was really hoping things would work out for them, their chemistry was wonderful and they seemed to mesh well but in the next one or the other would do something completely idiotic – more so Jude with his volatile temperament and anger issues but Lucy and her attitude didn’t serve her too well on occasion as well and I’d be left shaking my head or wanting to smack them upside theirs!

A few plot points were far fetched and things came too easily, I need my books to hold a decent amount of believability for me to fully appreciate it; unfortunately there was a lot happening which didn’t hold true – like Jude and his football achievement as well as the whole Sawyer storyline; there was also something quite serious which took place at the beginning of the book which I felt lacked emotion despite what took place, I would have needed months of counseling! This event seemed to be downplayed.

Nicole Williams has created an angst and drama filled story, her writing is engaging (I love her Eden trilogy) and despite not completely connecting with everything being told, it was a page turner none the less.

I have a copy of book 2, Crush so I will be continuing on with this series in the hopes Jude does find some hope and redemption.

Crash has received a lot of praise from others, so please stop by Goodreads for other reviews.

Review: Charade (Games #1) by Nyrae Dawn

 

Series: Games

Pages: 254

Genre: New Adult

Publisher: Self

Amazon: Charade

Synopsis. (Goodreads)

Nineteen-year-old Cheyenne tries to portray the perfect life to mask the memories of her past. Walking in on her boyfriend with another woman her freshman year in college threatens that picture of perfection.

Twenty-one-year-old Colt never wanted college and never expected to amount to anything, but when his mom's dying wish is for him to get his degree, he has no choice but to pretend it's what he wants too.

Cheyenne needs a fake boyfriend to get back at her ex and Colt needs cash to take care of his mom, so they strike a deal that helps them both. But what if Cheyenne’s past isn’t what she thought? Soon they’re trading one charade for another—losing themselves in each other to forget about their pain. The more they play their game, the more it becomes the only thing they have that feels real.

Both Cheyenne and Colt know life is never easy, but neither of them expect the tragedy that threatens to end their charade and rip them apart forever

Review: 4 out of 5 stars

I am really loving the New Adult genre at the moment and Nyrae Dawn has written an emotional page-turner with Charade, the first book in the Games series which follows the stories of Cheyenne and Colt.

Nineteen-year-old Cheyenne needs a fake boyfriend to get back at her cheating ex and Twenty-one-year-old Colt needs money to help care for his dying mother, so they come to an agreement that will help them both out but what starts off as a game quickly turns into something both of them never expected.

Charade was an emotional tale of love and loss; seeing these two characters come together and fight their personal demons side by side was like being on an emotional roller-coaster but it was also wonderful to watch it all unfold.

Both Cheyenne and Colt have heart-breaking back stories that will leave you emotionally wrecked but also hoping that something good was going to come from their pain and the support they were able to offer one another, they couldn’t have been more different yet so perfect together. I really liked that the romance moved at a believable pace, no declarations of love at first sight which I really appreciated.

The secondary characters were each written well, I am intrigued by Adrian and I adored the interactions between Colt and his mother, it was the sweetest bond but also heart-wrenching to see how her illness was affecting him.

I really like Nyrae Dawn’s style of writing; she never fails to hold my interest. Her characters are so believable and likeable, the dialogue is fun and witty and the story captivating.

The only reason for not rating this book 5 stars was because I felt there was drama overload; everything came together in the end but there was so many obstacles this couple was having to endure that I felt it was at times too much.

Book 2 in the Games series, Façade has an anticipated 2013 release date.

Mature content: language, drug references and sexual situations.

Waiting on Wednesday - Mortality by Kellie Sheridan

Hi everyone, thank-you so much for stopping by my WoW.

I hope you had the most wonderful Christmas! Mine was fantastic but I’m still recovering from the amount of food I ate, I’m now in recovery and relaxation mode.

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly meme, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine which spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

My choice for this weeks WoW is Mortality by Kellie Sheridan, the first book in The Hitchhikers Strain series.

I must admit, I was initially drawn to the cover which I love! Besides this, it sounds pretty amazing.

  Author:  Kellie Sheridan

Series: The Hitchhikers Strain

Publisher: Self

Release Date: March 2013

Pre-order Amazon: N/A

Synopsis. (Goodreads)

After surviving a deadly plague outbreak, sixteen-year-old Savannah thought she had lived through the very worst of human history. There was no way to know that the miracle vaccine would put everyone at risk for a fate worse than un-death.

Now, two very different kinds of infected walk the Earth, intent on nothing but feeding and destroying what little remains of civilization. When the inoculated are bitten, infection means watching on in silent horror as self-control disappears and the idea of feasting on loved ones becomes increasingly hard to ignore.

Starving and forced to live inside of the abandoned high school, all Savannah wants is the chance to fight back. When a strange boy arrives with a plan to set everything right, she gets her chance. Meeting Cole changes everything. Mere survival will never be enough.

What is your WoW this week?

Stacking the Shelves & The Sunday Post

Hi everyone!! thank-you so much for stopping by.. I hope all of your preparations for Christmas are coming along nicely.

The Sunday Post is a meme hosted by Kimba at Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer

and Stacking the Shelves by Tynga at Tynga's Reviews

It's a chance to share what has happened the past week, showcase books and other bookish things we have received and talk about what is coming up on our blog.

(Clicking on the title will take you to Goodreads)

Received for Review:

Indigo Awakening by Jordan Dane
Hooked by Liz Fichera 
Through These Wicked Nights by Pixie Lynn Whitfield

(Thank-you kindly to Harlequin Teen & Pixie)

Puchased:

Fallen too Far by Abbi Glines

Tidal by Emily Snow

Every Day by David Levithan

 

A recap of my week:

I'm on a bit of a go slow on the approach to Christmas, so it was fairly quiet on the blog this week.

Sunday

My bookish Christmas list

Monday

-

Tuesday

-

Wednesday

Review: Opal (Lux #3) by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Thursday

Review: Betrayed (The Guardian Legacy #2) by Ednah Walters

Friday

ARC Review: Wool by Hugh Howey

What did you get this week? Please feel free to leave your

link in the comments.

ARC Review: Wool by Hugh Howey

Author: Hugh Howey

Series: Wool

Pages: 540

Publisher: Random House

Genre: Dystopian

Amazon: Wool

Synopsis. (Goodreads)

This Omnibus Edition collects the five Wool books into a single volume. It is for those who arrived late to the party and who wish to save a dollar or two while picking up the same stories in a single package.

The first Wool story was released as a standalone short in July of 2011. Due to reviewer demand, the rest of the story was released over the next six months. My thanks go out to those reviewers who clamored for more. Without you, none of this would exist. Your demand created this as much as I did.

This is the story of mankind clawing for survival, of mankind on the edge. The world outside has grown unkind, the view of it limited, talk of it forbidden. But there are always those who hope, who dream. These are the dangerous people, the residents who infect others with their optimism. Their punishment is simple. They are given the very thing they profess to want: They are allowed outside.

Review: 4 out 5 stars

Wool by Hugh Howey was kindly provided to me by Netgalley for Random House Publishing Australia and is a book that certainly packs an emotional, powerful punch!

Wool began as a novella and was then expanded into 4 more editions but the plot remains convincing and compelling throughout each of the installments.

Wool 1

Wool 2: Proper Gauge

Wool 3: Casting Off

Wool 4: The Unraveling

Wool 5: The Stranded

Wool’s setting is an uninhabitable dystopian world where survivors live in a giant silo to avoid the destruction and devastation which lies on the surface. Toxic air is the supposed killer, but this aspect is still a mystery as no-one who goes out returns.

Told from multiple POV’s, we got a clearer understanding of the way of life and each of the characters thought processes. Survival was everything to each of them and some would do anything to guarantee it; life is regulated and criminals are sent outside to clean the cameras and sensors so everything can still be viewed from the inside. The rules are daunting, the bleak world created was fresh and unique and left me needing more at the conclusion of each installment; the story was confronting and fraught with danger and darkness and I enjoyed how every adventure tied back to a bigger picture.

Unfortunately, I didn’t find a real connection with a majority of the characters – each were appealing in their own way but I was more interested in the story as a whole and the mystery that I wasn’t completely worried about not connecting with the cast. Juliette and Lukas would have been my favourite characters, both from Casting Off.

Howey’s writing is mesmerizing, I read this in such a short space of time but I was hooked on every word. The ending was emotionally gripping. This book is completely different to what I usually read but I found myself glued to the pages and frantic to get to the next installment once one had finished.

Overall, Wool was a spellbinding, intense and thoroughly enjoyable read that explores hope and humanity; it’s a read I highly recommend.

Thank-you to Random House Publishing for the opportunity to read Wool.

Review: Betrayed (The Guardian Legacy #2) by Ednah Walters

 

Author: Ednah Walters

Series: The Guardian Legacy

Pages: 336

Publisher: Spencer Hill Press

Genre: Young Adult - Paranormal

Amazon: Betrayed

Synopsis. (Goodreads)

Lil isn't just an average teenager. She's one of the Nephilim--the descendants of humans and angels--which gives her some serious psi skills and a mission for redemption. Just when Lil thinks she's found a balance between her normal life with human friends and her training to become a Guardian, she's warned that someone close to her will betray her. When the boy she loves starts acting strangely and one of her human friends acquires a supernatural ability, Lil begins to realize that someone is manipulating the people she loves... and won't stop until she's been lured to the dark side.

REVIEW: 4 ½ out of 5 stars

Betrayed is the second book in The Guardian Legacy series by Ednah Walters and was kindly provided to me by Spencer Hill Press.

I thoroughly enjoyed Awakened, the first book in the series so I was really eager to dive into Betrayed and I am thankful it was everything I had been hoping for.

Lil is trying to juggle her Human/Guardian life as well as she possibly can but is also adapting to her duty as the Chosen One; she has been through a lot but has really grown as a character; she is still kick-butt and amazing but is also caring, strong-willed and innocent which I really liked and in this installment we see her having to deal with many obstacles, including her relationship with Bran Llyr.

Bran begins to push Lil away when he receives an assignment, it was his chance to prove his capabilities and worth but it was at the expense of his relationship with Lil and his friends. I was left heartbroken by his words and behavior, he certainly needed a kick up the you know what at certain times.

Betrayed was such an emotional read on so many levels; Lil and Bran are one of my favourite book couples but there were many secrets, miscommunications and betrayals that I honestly started to doubt the strength of their relationship but in saying this, there were also some pretty sweet moments which would make up for it. It was also difficult seeing Lil deal with her conflicted feelings about her father.

I love to focus on the relationship, but it certainly isn't at the forefront of the story; I think the wonderful tale Ms. Walters has weaved surrounding the nephilim is thoroughly entertaining and written in a way which brings a uniqueness to the who angel/demon lore.

Each of the secondary characters are easy to connect with and play an important role in this book, I especially love the close bond Lil shares with her grandfather but wished they could have been more open and upfront with one another. Sykes is a classic and I quite liked Celeste, a newcomer to the story. The villain was written to perfection, I loved to despise him – he played the part perfectly.

I enjoyed the non-stop heart pounding action which kept the story flowing well, there was a lot happening but never a time where I felt confused or lost and we are given many twists and turns to keep things interesting. Ms Walters writing is really captivating and really keeps you turning the pages.

Betrayed is the perfect sequel to Awakened, it is packed with action, humor, angst, drama and betrayal. I am keen to read the next book in this amazing series, Hunted which has an anticipated April 2013 release.

Thank-you kindly to Spencer Hill Press for providing me with a copy of Betrayed.