Review: Sins & Needles (The Artists Trilogy #1) by Karina Halle

Sins & Needles by Karina Halle

Author: Karina Halle

Series: The Artists Trilogy

Pages: 438

Genre: Adult Contemporary

Publisher: Metal Blonde Books

Amazon: Sins & Needles (kindle - 0.99c until March 1)

Synopsis. (Goodreads)

Ellie Watt is used to starting over. The daughter of a grifting team, Ellie spent her childhood being used as a pawn in her parents' latest scam. Now she’s much older, wiser and ready to give her con artist life a rest. But returning to the dry desert town of Palm Valley, California means one more temptation than she bargained for – Camden McQueen. Once known as the high school weirdo, Camden is bigger and badder than the boy he used to be and a talented tattoo artist with his own thriving business. Ellie’s counting on Camden still being in love with her but what she’s not counting on is how easily unrequited love can turn into obsession over time. When Camden discovers Ellie’s plan to con him, he makes her a deal she doesn’t dare refuse, but her freedom comes with a price and it’s one that takes both Ellie and Camden down a dangerous road.

Review: 4 out of 5 stars

This book is Adult Contemporary Romance - Please be advised that this book is not YA friendly, not even in a New Adult category.

Sins & Needles by Karina Halle is a book which kept me captivated and wanting more right from the onset, filled with drama, betrayals and a complicated romance; it is a great start to The Artists Trilogy.

Ellie Watt is the daughter of Grifters, her childhood was spent being used as a pawn in her parent’s con artist lives but despite being physically hurt by their scheme she continued on living the same grifting lifestyle. After an extremely close call, Ellie decides to ditch her ways and return home where she could be herself and start afresh but with the temptation of rich and enticing Camden McQueen, a blast from her past, the road to a ‘normal’ life wont come easily as she has chosen him to be her next target.

Tattoo artist, Camden was such a complex, hardened character who you can’t help but adore but at the same time be afraid of; he is tattooed and smexy but has a childhood history that made your heart ache. The past he shared with Ellie was complicated and full of betrayals and mistrust, I despised her for the way she treated him but that isn’t to say he wasn’t without his own faults.

I liked both of our pained and flawed characters, their chemistry was off the charts but the history they shared was heart-breaking and their current lives weren’t too rosy either and as I was reading along I just couldn’t see a way out, forgiveness or a HEA for either; the mob/mafia predicament they were in played a huge role in both of their lives and a future on the run didn’t seem too appealing to me so I am eager to see how it pans out for them in the sequel.

There are a few minor secondary characters/thugs we learn about; the main being Javier, the first person Ellie ever loved; he was so persistent in tracking her down and I couldn’t help but wonder the real purpose behind it – love or revenge??

The story is told from Ellie’s past POV (told in third person) as well as present (told in first person) and the transition between them was flawless and meshed the story together perfectly. Karina Halle’s writing was mesmerising! I was literally sucked into this story and didn’t want it to end, that’s not to say it wasn’t without a few minor faults but I was really bummed when I realised book two wasn’t yet available for me to download, it is the type of story where you just need to know the outcome.

My only gripes were, I felt Camden’s story was kind of put on the backburner and lacked importance – both of them having mob/mafia links seemed to override one another and the resolution to Camden’s predicament came too conveniently; Ellie also made some obvious mistakes when it came to moving on and changing identity, little things but I felt they were important when it came to taking on an assumed role.

Overall, I really enjoyed Sins & Needles and I’m quite excited for the next installment; if you are after a drama-filled, dark and emotional read with intriguing characters then I highly recommend you read this book. The sequel, Shooting Scars has an anticipated May release date.

Excerpt: The Holders (Holders #1) by Julianna Scott

I am pleased to be able to share with you today a steamy excerpt from Julianna Scott's Young Adult novel,The Holders which is the first book in the Holders series.

My Review

Contact Juliana: Twitter – Website – Goodreads – Strange Chemistry - Amazon - Facebook

Series: Holders

Pages: 320

Genre: Young Adult

Publisher: Strange Chemistry

Amazon Pre-order: The Holders

Release Date: 5^th March 2013

Synopsis

17-year-old Becca spent her whole life protecting her brother from, well, everything. The abandonment of their father, the so called 'experts' who insist that voices in his head are unnatural and must be dealt with, and the constant threat of being taken away to some hospital and studied like an animal. When two representatives appear claiming to have the answers to Ryland's perceived problem, Becca doesn't buy it for one second. That is until they seem to know things about Ryland and about Becca and Ryland's family, that forces Becca to concede that there may be more to these people than meets the eye. Though still highly skeptical, Becca agrees to do what's best for Ryland.

What they find at St. Brigid's is a world beyond their imagination. Little by little they piece together the information of their family's heritage, their estranged Father, and the legend of the Holder race that decrees Ryland is the one they've been waiting for. However, they are all--especially Becca--in for a surprise that will change what they thought they knew about themselves and their kind.

She meets Alex, a Holder who is fiercely loyal to their race, and for some reason, Becca and Ryland. There's an attraction between Becca and Alex that can't be denied, but her true nature seems destined to keep them apart. However, certain destinies may not be as clear cut as everyone has always believed them to be.

Becca is lost, but found at the same time. Can she bring herself to leave Ryland now that he's settled and can clearly see his future? Will she be able to put the the feelings she has for Alex aside and head back to the US? And can Becca and Ryland ever forgive their father for what he's done?

Excerpt:

“Oh yeah," I said, "it was rough. People constantly coming in to check on me, and then there was this guy who would not go away…”

I peeked over at him with a grin, to find him shooting me a wry glance. “Sounds awful.”

“Oh, it was!” I bit back a giggle. “I swear he was with me twenty-four seven, poor guy must have no life at all.”

“Must have been hell. You had to spend all that time staring at him, was he at least good looking?”

“Ah,” I shrugged, no longer able to contain my smile, “he’s all right.”

“Just all right?” he growled through his grin, grabbing me around the waist and dragging me with a shriek up onto his lap.

The next moment his mouth took hold of mine as both of his hands wound into my hair. My eyes fluttered as his lips worked their way down, nipping at my chin before blazing a tingling trail to my collarbone, then climbed back up the side of my neck, ending at his favorite spot just under my ear. The noises coming out of my mouth as my head lolled back were entirely involuntary and not exactly graceful, but given Alex’s reactions to them, they were exactly what he wanted to hear. I slid my hands down his back then slowly up his sides, relishing the moan that rumbled in his chest. Just as my fingers reached the buttons on his shirt, he let out a long breath and rested his forehead on my shoulder.

“We should stop,” he said with a hoarseness that made me shiver.

“No, I don’t think we should.”

He looked up at me with a grin. “We are in public, after all.”

“Then let’s go somewhere private,” I whispered, bending forward and kissing his neck as he’d done mine. As my lips teased the hollow of his throat, his chest begin to heave under me and suddenly his hands were grabbing at my back, fisting my shirt, pulling me closer.

About the Author:

Julianna was born In Pittsburgh, Pensylvainia, and spent the majority of her educational career convinced she would be a musican. However, after recieving her music degree from Edinboro University of Pennsylvania, she realized that she'd been born in the wrong era for her dreams of singing jazz to adoring fans clad in zoot-suits and flapper dresses to come true, and began to wonder if her true calling might be elsewhere.

While Julianna had always excelled in writing throughout school, she'd never considered it a career possibility until about three years ago, when she'd gotten her first story idea and decided to go for it. She grabbed her laptop, started typing away, and has never looked back.

She lives in the Chicago area with her husband and two daughters. The author lives in Chicago, IL.

Giveaway:

** Continental US and Canada only

Brand new American girl doll modeled and accessorized after The Holders main character, Becca

A signed final copy of The holders

A collectable bookmark set

A handmade bracelet

Custom lip gloss

Themed button

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Waiting on Wednesday #WoW - The Chaos of Stars by Kiersten White

 

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

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 The Chaos of Stars by Kiersten White, I really enjoyed Kiersten's Paranormalcy and Mind Games series and I love books about mythology so I'm eager to read this.

Series: Standalone

Pages: 352

Genre: Young Adult

Publisher: Harper Teen

Release Date: 10^TH September 2013

Amazon Pre-order: The Chaos of the Stars

Synopsis. (Goodreads)

Isadora’s family is seriously screwed up.

Of course, as the human daughter of Egyptian gods, that pretty much comes with the territory. She’s also stuck with parents who barely notice her, and a house full of relatives who can’t be bothered to remember her name. After all, they are going to be around forever—and she’s a mere mortal.

Isadora’s sick of living a life where she’s only worthy of a passing glance, and when she has the chance to move to San Diego with her brother, she jumps on it. But Isadora’s quickly finding that a “normal” life comes with plenty of its own epic complications—and that there’s no such thing as a clean break when it comes to family. Much as she wants to leave her past behind, she can’t shake the ominous dreams that foretell destruction for her entire family. When it turns out there may be truth in her nightmares, Isadora has to decide whether she can abandon her divine heritage after all.

What is your WoW for this week?

Review: Dance of Shadows by Yelena Black

Author: Yelena Black

Series: Dance of Shadows

Pages: 447

Genre: Young Adult - Paranormal

Publisher: Bloomsbury Australia

Amazon: Danceof Shadows

Synopsis. (Goodreads)

Dancing with someone is an act of trust. Elegant and intimate; you're close enough to kiss, close enough to feel your partner's heartbeat. But for Vanessa, dance is deadly – and she must be very careful who she trusts . . .

Vanessa Adler attends an elite ballet school – the same one her older sister, Margaret, attended before she disappeared. Vanessa feels she can never live up to her sister's shining reputation. But Vanessa, with her glorious red hair and fair skin, has a kind of power when she dances – she loses herself in the music, breathes different air, and the world around her turns to flames . . . 

Soon she attracts the attention of three men: gorgeous Zep, mysterious Justin, and the great, enigmatic choreographer Josef Zhalkovsky. When Josef asks Vanessa to dance the lead in the Firebird, she has little idea of the danger that lies ahead – and the burning forces about to be unleashed . 

Review: 2 out of 5 stars

Thank-you to Bloomsbury Publishing Australia for sending me an advance review copy of Dance of Shadows.

Dance of Shadows by Yelena Black is hard for me to rate because there are some elements that I enjoyed, such as the dance aspect but others that had me cringing and left me quite frustrated.

Fifteen year-old Vanessa Adler is a freshman at the elite NY Ballet Academy where her sister Margaret also attended but she is there for a different purpose, her goal is to not only dance but to find out what happened to Margaret three years prior when she mysteriously disappeared.

When Vanessa is chosen to dance the lead in The Firebird, the role her sister was also meant to dance she has no idea of the danger she is in. I was intrigued by the paranormal mystery surrounding the dance and the sinister and ominous presence which played a part, I was quite surprised by the revelation and what was actually happening with the disappearing dancers and the deals they were making with demons, it was an interesting and promising premise but unfortunately the execution fell flat.

I wasn’t Vanessa’s biggest fan, she did a number of things I found to be immature and rash but it could also come down to her age or the fact it was written in third person and I couldn't really relate to her; she seemed blasé to what she was told and just came across as weak and naïve. The secondary characters I found to be under-developed and lacking in personality, we also have two love interests, Zeppelin and Justin but I didn’t find either appealing or believable, it just didn’t come together for me and I wasn’t caught up in the romance.

The cover of this book is stunning but unfortunately the story didn’t quite match its beauty and I was left feeling really underwhelmed. Dance played a huge part so fans of ballet may enjoy this aspect, the mystery was written ok but I wasn't surprised by the 'twist' and all of the characters were lacklustre and I didn’t connect with them at all; I also needed more imagery and sensory detail but it wasn’t there.

Ms Black’s writing was simplistic, the pacing I found to be slow and incosistent, at times I admit to skimming; there was a lot of promise with Dance of Shadows but its delivery just didn’t work out for me.

Overall, despite this book being beautifully presented it failed to draw me in and keep me wanting more, the premise was intriguing but the overall delivery I thought could have been refined. 

Review + Giveaway - Touch of Power (Healer #1) by Maria V. Snyder

Author: Maria V. Snyder
Series: Healer / Avry of Kazan
Pages: 39
Genre: Young Adult / Fantasy
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Amazon: Touch of Power – (Kindle)

Synopsis. (Goodreads)

Laying hands upon the injured and dying, Avry of Kazan assumes their wounds and diseases into herself. But rather than being honored for her skills, she is hunted. Healers like Avry are accused of spreading the plague that has decimated the Territories, leaving the survivors in a state of chaos.

Stressed and tired from hiding, Avry is abducted by a band of rogues who, shockingly, value her gift above the golden bounty offered for her capture. Their leader, an enigmatic captor-protector with powers of his own, is unequivocal in his demands: Avry must heal a plague-stricken prince—leader of a campaign against her people. As they traverse the daunting Nine Mountains, beset by mercenaries and magical dangers, Avry must decide who is worth healing and what is worth dying for. Because the price of peace may well be her life.

Review: 4 out of 5 stars

Touch of Power is the very first book I have read by Maria V. Snyder and certainly won’t be my last; I devoured this book and was so thankful I had the sequel, Scent of Magic ready and waiting to be read just so I could continue on with the story.

20 year-old Avry of Kazan is a Healer and is able to take into herself injury, diseases and ailments of others, but it doesn’t come without pain and sacrifice. Healers like Avry are accused of spreading the plague which is destroying the Fifteen Realms so she flees from execution with the help of a group of rogues’ who value her ability and wish to use it to heal a Prince in exchange for her freedom. I loved Avry as a character; she wasn't without her flaws but I adored her for her strength and her ability to actually stand up for herself and make her own choices.

Kerrick of Alga is the leader of the band of rogues, he was such a mysterious character and got on my nerves initially but he was a great love interest, he was stoic, protective and loyal; I enjoyed the slow building progression of the relationship he had with Avry, it didn't feel forced or fake but came quite naturally.

The plot is filled with intense action scenes and is full of drama, adventure and mystery that keeps you entertained and yearning for more; I love books about magic and enjoyed the way it was used and described in Touch of Power. I also liked learning about the death & peace lilies, very interesting and creative.

I found the secondary characters to be real stand-outs, I had an immediate connection to each of them; the banter and dialogue made for a really entertaining read and I found the bad guys were written to perfection, there seemed to be someone after Avry at every turn all wanting to use her for their own political purpose.

Ms. Snyder’s storytelling and writing is flawless, I loved the imaginative and mesmerizing world she has weaved; the vivid detail of the fantasy setting and the well-developed, likable characters kept me entertained throughout.

Overall, Touch of Power is a great start to the Healer series; it is fraught with danger as they travel through the lands, has a really enjoyable romance and wonderful action scenes; I am definitely eager to get started on the sequel!

A very BIG thank-you to Mandee from Vegan YA Nerds for sharing with me her copy of Touch of Power xx

Giveaway

Morey Media/Harlequin Teen are kindly offering one (1) x copy of Touch of Power and Scent of Magic by Maria V. Snyder to a resident of Australia/NZ.

To enter, complete the rafflecopter form below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

ARC Review: Mila 2.0 by Debra Driza

 

Author: Debra Driza

Series: Mila 2.0

Pages: 480

Publisher: Katherine Tegan Books

Amazon Pre-order: Mila 2.0

Release Date: 13^th March 2013

Synopsis. (Goodreads)

Mila 2.0 is the first book in an electrifying sci-fi thriller series about a teenage girl who discovers that she is an experiment in artificial intelligence.

Mila was never meant to learn the truth about her identity. She was a girl living with her mother in a small Minnesota town. She was supposed to forget her past —that she was built in a secret computer science lab and programmed to do things real people would never do.

Now she has no choice but to run—from the dangerous operatives who want her terminated because she knows too much and from a mysterious group that wants to capture her alive and unlock her advanced technology. However, what Mila’s becoming is beyond anyone’s imagination, including her own, and it just might save her life.

Mila 2.0 is Debra Driza’s bold debut and the first book in a Bourne Identity–style trilogy that combines heart-pounding action with a riveting exploration of what it really means to be human. Fans of I Am Number Four will love Mila for who she is and what she longs to be—and a cliffhanger ending will leave them breathlessly awaiting the sequel.

Review: 3 ½ out of 5 stars

The gorgeous eye-catching cover of Mila 2.0 is what initially captured my attention of this book and the intriguing synopsis had me sold; I have only recently started to embrace the Sci-Fi genre and Debra Driza’s action-packed debut certainly kept me entertained from the beginning through to the end but also left me with a number of unanswered questions.

Sixteen year-old Mila believed she was a human living in a small town with her ‘mother’ after the death of her ‘father’ and was never meant to find out that she was an android, built in a science lab and kept hidden to avoid not only the person who helped create her but another group intent on using her for her abilities.

Mila was a really sweet likeable character, I adored her devotion, vulnerability and loyalty, and you wouldn’t have guessed she was a machine based on her emotions and feelings; she really grew in strength as the story progressed both in personality and physically but it took me a while to fully understand her and the reasoning behind why everything had been kept so hidden; I think there is a lot of information we are yet to find out.

The plot was quite intriguing; Mila was created as a military experiment in artificial intelligence and has been programmed to do the unimaginable and the group behind the experiment were brutal in their teachings and with the plans they had for her. The story was written well, the ongoing action and the information we are being fed kept the pacing consistent although at times I found it was information overload, scenes were being drawn out and sensory details seemed at times to be missing, it was enjoyable none the less but as the first book in the series, it didn’t truly wow me.

I liked the secondary characters but we don’t really learn a lot about each of them, I wanted to know more about Hunter especially but he didn’t play a huge role and I feel there is still a lot we haven’t yet found out about him. Lucas was wonderful but also quite mysterious and Mila 3.0 and the bad guys were each written well but needed to be further developed.

I would have loved more romance and initially I thought there would be an opportunity between Hunter/Mila but unfortunately nothing really progressed, although he seemed to play heavily in her thoughts there was no real outcome and he was absent for a majority of the book.

The ending was heart wrenching and I still have a number of unanswered questions so I am definitely eager to see how the story progresses in the sequel.

Overall, Mila 2.0 is filled with conspiracies, violence, intense action scenes and hopefully the possibility of a budding romance; it left me satisfied yet eager to learn more.

Thank-you kindly to Harper Collins Children, for the opportunity to read and review Mila 2.0.

Cover reveal: Unknown - An Elements Trilogy Novel by Melissa Pearl

I am pleased to be able to reveal the beautiful cover for Melissa Pearl’s Young Adult Fantasy novel, Unknown which is the first book in The Elements Trilogy.

Contact Melissa Pearl: Website – Blog – Twitter – Goodreads

Book Description: Darkness is covering the land. As the city of Mezrah grows with power and greed, the rest of the world can only stand by and wait for their inevitable destruction. The only hope against this growing power is an ancient prophecy that people have stopped believing in.

Then a star begins to fall.

Princess Kyla of Taramon stopped believing in the power of light the day her father died. Trapped in a city she does not care for, under the watchful glare of her mother, the queen, she struggles to accept her fate.

Then a star begins to fall.

Jethro has loved Kyla for as long as he can remember. Learning that she was to marry his cousin drove a wedge between him and the feisty princess. Watching her from a distance is a torture he is unable to free himself from.

Then a star begins to fall, sparking an ember of hope and sending two seekers on a trecherous journey into the unknown.

About Melissa Pearl: Melissa was born in Auckland, New Zealand, but has spent much of her life abroad, living in countries such as Jordan, Cyprus and Pakistan... not to mention a nine month road trip around North America with her husband. "Best. Year. Ever!!" She now lives in China with her husband and two sons. She is a trained elementary teacher, but writing is her passion. Since becoming a full time mother she has had the opportunity to pursue this dream and her debut novel hit the internet in November, 2011. Since then she has produced three more books with her fifth novel, Betwixt, due out in November 2012.

"I am passionate about writing. It stirs a fire in my soul that I never knew I had. I want to be the best writer I can possibly be and transport my readers into another world where they can laugh, cry and fall in love."

Unknown has an anticipated release date of June 2013

Young Adult Author Spotlight - OPAL by Kristina Wojtaszek

I am pleased to be able to welcome Kristina Wojtaszek, YA/Fantasy author of OPAL to Obsession with Books.

Goodreads : Website : Twitter

Author: Kristina Wojtaszek

Pages: Novella – 112

Publisher: World Weaver Press

Release date: 18^th December 2012

Amazon: Opal

About Opal: White as snow, stained with blood, her talons black as ebony… In this retwisting of the classic Snow White tale, the daughter of an owl is forced into human shape by a wizard who’s come to guide her from her wintry tundra home down to the colorful world of men and Fae, and the father she’s never known. She struggles with her human shape and grieves for her dead mother — a mother whose past she must unravel if men and Fae are to live peacefully together.

Trapped in a Fae-made spell, Androw waits for the one who can free him. A boy raised to be king, he sought refuge from his abusive father in the Fae tales his mother spun. And when it was too much to bear, he ran away, dragging his anger and guilt with him, pursuing shadowy trails deep within the Dark Woods of the Fae, seeking the truth in tales, and salvation in the eyes of a snowy hare. But many years have passed since the snowy hare turned to woman and the woman winged away on the winds of a winter storm leaving Androw prisoner behind walls of his own making—a prison that will hold him forever unless the daughter of an owl can save him.

Opal is available in trade paperback via Amazon, and digital edition via Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, OmniLit, and other online retailers. You can also find Opal on Goodreads.

About the Author:

Kristina Wojtaszek grew up as a woodland sprite and mermaid, playing around the shores of Lake Michigan. At any given time she could be found with live snakes tangled in her hair and worn out shoes filled with sand. She earned a bachelor’s degree in Wildlife Management as an excuse to spend her days lost in the woods with a book in hand. She currently resides in the high desert country of Wyoming with her husband and two small children. She is fascinated by fairy tales and fantasy and her favorite haunts are libraries and cemeteries. Follow her @KristinaWojtasz  or on her blog, Twice Upon a Time.

World Weaver Press is a publisher of fantasy, paranormal, science fiction, and more, dedicated to producing quality novels, novellas, collections, and anthologies. As a small press, World Weaver seeks to produce books that engage the mind and ensnare the story-loving soul.

Praise for Opal:

“A fairy tale within a fairy tale within a fairy tale — the narratives fit together like interlocking pieces of a puzzle, beautifully told.”

— Zachary Petit, Editor, Writer’s Digest

“Twists and turns and surprises that kept me up well into the night. Fantasy and fairy tale lovers will eat this up and be left wanting more!”

— Kate Wolford, Editor and Publisher, Enchanted Conversation