Until We Break by Jamie Howard

Image and blurb from Goodreads:

When Sloane Avery stops to help a stranded driver, she finds more than a broken down car on the side of the road. Luke Evans is faster and sexier than her Maserati, but with her heart still on the mend, she’s not interested in taking him for a test drive. Despite their initial disdain for each other, emotion and passion simmer, complicating their fragile friendship. But when a tragic loss and devastating betrayal send them spiraling, their growing love isn’t enough to save them.

That was five years ago, practically a different lifetime and definitely a different Sloane. Before she’s been hardened by booze, sex, and as much distance as she could get from the past. Now, called home on a family emergency, she’s determined to hold onto her heart the next time she sees Luke.

Except Sloane’s not the only one who’s changed. Luke’s turned his life around. Only the reappearance of Sloane and the reminder of his biggest mistake can put a dent in his plans. Luke is set on fixing what he’s broken. But with her emotions boiling to the surface, Sloane needs to decide if falling in love is life’s greatest gift or its cruelest joke.

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My thoughts:

4 "It didn't like the characters but it took me me on an emotional ride" STARS!

ARC via NetGalley - THANK YOU, ST. MARTIN'S GRIFFIN
So, here's the deal, if you ask me whether I liked this book or not, the answer will be more no than yes. Then why did I rate it 4 stars? Short answer: Because it made me feel.

Long answer:
See, "feeling" is exactly what I'm looking for when I'm reading. And this author managed to do that -- sad, happy, angry. Mostly angry.

Sure some people will only rate a book 4 or 5 stars if they love the characters, if the story makes them happy and all. But that's not me.

Was this the sexiest book I ever read? No (though that's what I was expecting it to be when I read the blurb). Did it make me laugh? Yes. Did it make me cry? Not really, but I sniffed a few times reading it. Did it make me angry? Yes. And that's where it had me. That's why I read it in one day.

Luke and Sloane are not your conventional MC and LI. Not the cute, sexy couple. They're sexy, but they're so messed up they can't ever be considered cute. 

While Sloane starts off as the nice girl (sure she did get on my nerves a couple of times, but nothing compared to the second half of the book), Luke is the troubled boy to extremes. I think he can be an even bigger douchebag than that guy from Beautiful Disaster (I feel like I've been referencing to BD a lot lately. What's up with that?). Anyway... He has sex with anything that moves. And Sloane isn't taking any of that shit. Good for her. Until, you know, she falls for him. Not a spoiler. Everyone knew that's happen.

But Luke's problems are much bigger than they seem. And I enjoyed how the author worked with his family/personal shit to give us a glimpse of why he's that way.

But when I'm finally on the Luke train, he does the unforgivable. Honestly, I had a hard time swallowing that (pun not intended - you'll get it when you read it). It was pretty awful of him. Not even being on his POV helped me fully accept his motives.

Thats when shit hit the fan and the story took a spin. That's also when I thought: oh, shit, this is going to be one of those stories that will make me so damn angry, but I won't be able to stop reading. Oh, well, I was right.

I didn't stop, and the book managed to surprise me by introducing a much more interesting and messed up version of Sloane. While LUke was the king of the first half, Sloane dominated the second part of the book. She was right up there with some of the most famous unlikable characters of the book world. Girlfriend didn't take shit from anyone. I didn't want to look, but I kept watching and following her every move.

And most of all, I didn't want Luke and Sloane together, but their interactions turned even sexier. It was crazy. My feelings were all over the place, but there were feelings! A lot of them.

So, I guess what I'm saying is: you don't have to make me like your characters to like your book. I can hate your MC and your LI, and I'll still rate it a four or even five star (heck, Gone Girl is one my favorite books of all times). All you have to do is make me feel. And Jamie did that, so you go, girl!!!!

Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

Image and blurb from Goodreads:

This is a world divided by blood – red or silver.

The Reds are commoners, ruled by a Silver elite in possession of god-like superpowers. And to Mare Barrow, a seventeen-year-old Red girl from the poverty-stricken Stilts, it seems like nothing will ever change.

That is, until she finds herself working in the Silver Palace. Here, surrounded by the people she hates the most, Mare discovers that, despite her red blood, she possesses a deadly power of her own. One that threatens to destroy the balance of power.

Fearful of Mare’s potential, the Silvers hide her in plain view, declaring her a long-lost Silver princess, now engaged to a Silver prince. Despite knowing that one misstep would mean her death, Mare works silently to help the Red Guard, a militant resistance group, and bring down the Silver regime.

But this is a world of betrayal and lies, and Mare has entered a dangerous dance – Reds against Silvers, prince against prince, and Mare against her own heart .

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My thoughts:

3.5 "I liked it but almost stopped reading" STARS

I enjoyed this story quite a lot, except for two little things:

1. The MC annoyed the heck out of me because she was immature and selfish.

2. The big reveal was so predictable.

Sorry about the spoiler-y reveal, but here it comes:

*SPOILERS*

[ 1) I almost DNFed when Mare got her sister’s hand broken. Really. That was a bitch* move. She clearly influenced and manipulated her little sister’s feelings for Kilorn to help her friend, and she didn’t think of the consequences for a second. At that was a constant. Julian, Lucas, even Cal were victims of Mare’s “I’ll-do-what-I-want-and-I-don’t-care” behavior. She seemed way too immature and selfish, and I wanted to slap some sense into her half the time.

2) I must be reading too many books lately because I saw that twist from miles away. Really. And the whole time I kept hoping, pleading “please, don’t let Maven be the bad guy who’s working with his Mother, please.” As you all saw, my pleading was ineffective. That threw me off because I found it too predictable. How Mare didn’t see that is beyond me. (hide spoiler)]

*END OF SPOILERS*

But oh, well, I’ll read the next one.

A Rainha Vermelha por Victoria Aveyard

Imagem e resumo do Amazon:

O mundo de Mare Barrow é dividido pelo sangue: vermelho ou prateado. Mare e sua família são vermelhos: plebeus, humildes, destinados a servir uma elite prateada cujos poderes sobrenaturais os tornam quase deuses. Mare rouba o que pode para ajudar sua família a sobreviver e não tem esperanças de escapar do vilarejo miserável onde mora. Entretanto, numa reviravolta do destino, ela consegue um emprego no palácio real, onde, em frente ao rei e a toda a nobreza, descobre que tem um poder misterioso… Mas como isso seria possível, se seu sangue é vermelho? Em meio às intrigas dos nobres prateados, as ações da garota vão desencadear uma dança violenta e fatal, que colocará príncipe contra príncipe — e Mare contra seu próprio coração.

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Minha opinião:

3.5 "Gostei, mas quase parei de ler" ESTRELAS.

Infelizmente, não consegui fazer uma review sem spoilers, mas eu gostei desse livro até que bastante, exceto por duas coisinhas: 

1. A protagonista tem uma atitude horrível logo no começo do livro que me irritou MUITO (e quase me fez desistir) e isso virou uma constante. Julian, Lucas, e até Cal foram vítimas da atitude constante da personagem de achar que podia fazer o que bem queria. Ela me passou a impressão de ser uma pessoa muito imatura e mesquinha. E metade do tempo eu queria dar uns tapas na cara dela para ver se ela acordava para a vida.

2. Previsibilidade. Pode ser que eu ande lendo muitos livros ultimamente e isso faça com que o elemento surpresa não seja o mesmo, mas achei a história bem previsível. 

*SPOILERS*

A atitude do início que falei que quase me fez parar de ler foi quando a mesquinharia da Mare fez com que a mão da sua irmã fosse quebrada. Sério. Sério mesmo. Que atitude de m*! Ela claramente influenciou e manipulou os sentimentos da sua irmã mais nova em relação ao Kilorn para ajudar o amigo dela, e ela em momento algum pensou nas consequências.

Sobre a previsibilidade, eu vi aquela "grande reviravolta" de um quilômetro de distância.  Sério mesmo. E todo o tempo eu ficava pensando: por favor, por favor, por favor, não deixa que o Maven seja o "duas caras" que eu sei que ele é. Me surpreenda, por favor! Não deixe o Maven ser o cara que está trabalhando com a mamãe para derrubar tudo. Mas não deu certo. Ele foi exatamente quem eu já sabia que ele seria. Como a Mare não percebeu aquilo é que eu não entendo.

*FIM DOS SPOILERS*

De qualquer jeito, acho que vou ler o próximo.

*Grabby Hands* Release & Review - Against the Wall by Jill Sorenson

Image  and blurb from Goodreads

Title: Against the Wall

Release date:  February 2nd, 2016

Author: Jill Sorenson

Loveswept

About the book:

Fans of Katie McGarry, Simone Elkeles, and Tammara Webber will love Against the Wall! As teenagers, they fell for each other despite the odds. But now that Eric and Meghan are all grown up, they’re reunited by fierce passion and dangerous secrets.
  
Eric Hernandez is the bad boy of every schoolgirl’s fantasies—and every mother’s nightmares. But after serving time for manslaughter, he’s ready to turn his life around. He just needs a chance to prove himself as a professional tattoo artist. The one thing that keeps him going is the memory of the innocent beauty he loved and left behind.
 
Meghan Young’s world isn’t as perfect as it looks. The preacher’s daughter is living a lie, especially now that Eric is back. Tougher, harder, and sexier than ever, he might be the only person she can trust. But there’s no telling what he’ll do to protect her if he learns the truth, and that’s a risk Meghan won’t let him take. And yet, back in the arms of the troubled boy with the artist’s soul, Meghan can’t help surrendering to the man he’s become.
 

Goodreads | Amazon

My thoughts:

4 "Mexican/Spanish sexyness" STARS.

ARC via NetGalley - THANK YOU, LOVESWEPT

This was a pleasant surprise. Sure I'd hoped the book would be good, but it was actually a great and refreshing read.

Refreshing in the sense that the characters and the story (although focused on the romance) were different enough to make it stand out from the rest of the books in the same genre.

Eric is a convicted felon, and while the Meghan (the one he loves) and April (his ex sister-in-law) keep saying it was self defense, Eric doesn't play the victim card. He knows he screwed up and he's ready to pay for it. Watching him struggle to keep control of his anger, look for a job, lower his head to his boss's (sometimes absurd) demands and try to lead a normal life was touching. I was rooting for him. I wanted him to do well. I wanted him to find his HEA.

Meghan dealt with a lot of shit, too. An abusive boyfriend. An overprotective brother. Recriminating parents. And a love for the man who had once rejected her and was now back into her life -- one who'd just gotten out of prison. Girlfriend was living a hard life, but she kept going, and I admired her for that. 

The sexual tension between Meghan and Eric was amazing. The fact that she stated right from the start that Eric was the love of her life hit me hard. I was rooting for them from that moment on... and they had barely talked then. 

There was also a lot of Mexican/Spanish elements, which I thought made the story richer. 

This book was dual-POV, but the voices weren't that distinctive. They weren't bad, but I thought the author could've done more.

The writing is solid, but there's a lot of telling. I mean... A lot! At some point, I started asking myself if this was part of a series and I'd picked up the third or fourth book or whatever, because there was a lot of telling going on. Although this isn't exactly the case, I learned that there was a book with Meghan's brother as the LI and Eric's sister-in-law as the MC, so yeah... 

I'm really happy to have had the chance to read this story!

Merry Christmas ** Feliz Natal

Merry Christmas, my fellow bookworms!

Feliz Natal, meus queridos devoradores de livros!




Image: http://maisumleitor.com/

Unbound - Colours of Love by Kathryn Taylor

Image and blurb from Goodreads:

Grace is young and has led a sheltered life. She hasn't yet taken much of an interest in men. It's only while doing an internship in London, where she meets the alluring Jonathan Huntington, that our sleeping beauty is awoken from her slumber. Jonathan is rich, incredibly attractive, and stems from British royalty - but he is a far cry from Prince Charming. He lures Grace ever deeper into his world of sinister passion, and she is sucked further and further into the maelstrom of her own growing desires. But when Jonathan demands she do the unthinkable to prove her love for him, she realizes just how dangerous her feelings for him are.

Kathryn Taylor has been a writer since childhood - publishing her first story when she was eleven years old. From then on, she knew that she wanted to be a professional author one day. After a few career detours and a happy ending in her personal life, her dream has finally come true: UNBOUND - COLOURS OF LOVE is her first novel.

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My thoughts:

2,5 "Virgin meets CEO" STARS.

ARC via NetGalley - Thank you, Bastei Entertainment
So, yeah, this was another innocent, virgin college student meets hot, mysterious CEO. One would think I’d already gotten my fair share of those, but I keep coming back for more. And that’s why I wanted to read this book, because of its formula.

But I’m sorry to say that the writing wasn’t enough to keep me interested.

The first couple of pages already showed me I’d be coming across A LOT of telling vs showing problems. I kept editing the book in my head, and if I’m doing that, I’m not really paying attention to the story. As an author, you want me to pay attention to the story.

And to be completely honest here, even if I weren’t too busy editing, I’m not so sure I would’ve connected with the MC – Gracie – anyway. I found myself asking “REALLY? I MEAN, REALLY?” way too many times while reading Gracie’s adventures.

She made me smile when she arrived in London and went straight to her boss, assuming he was there to pick her up. It was a good, funny “really?” But then things simply spiraled out of control after that and went into “this can’t be real” territory pretty fast.

I mean, who gets drunk during a business dinner with your boss and his associates/friends, whatever? I mean, who does that? And she’s only been working for the guy for two weeks. It’s so unprofessional that I have a hard time believing anyone in their right mind would do such a thing.

But professional is not a word I can use to describe Gracie. She’s supposed to be this super smart chick that got an internship in Europe and all. You have to be smart to get a chance like that. But then she gets to London and all she thinks about is Jonathan. She doesn’t stop obsessing over the man for a second. I don’t get to see her doing a good job at her REAL job. She shamelessly flirts with him even after he tells her he doesn’t mix business and pleasure. DUDE! You’re getting this great opportunity and all you can think about is getting laid? I mean, really? What about the internship? What about your career?

So… yeah… that was my biggest problem with the book. Gracie. And her lack of common sense. By the way, why was she a virgin? What was the point? If all she was going to think about was sex, why not make her a sexually active woman?

I don’t even know what to say about Jonathan. We didn’t get to know him very well – which leads to the question: “How has Gracie fallen in love with him if we don’t even know him?”. But I truly appreciated his honesty. He was not bullshitting her. He wasn’t promising her anything. He told her time and time again that that was sex. Only sex. She got into that mess fully aware of that. So yay for honesty. He shouldn’t have slept with her anyway, but…

The sex scenes were pretty good. Hot. Intense. 

The book ends with a cliffhanger… so there’s that. I’m not sure I’ll be coming back for more, but we’ll see.

An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir

Image and blurb from Goodreads:

Laia is a slave.

Elias is a soldier.

Neither is free.

Under the Martial Empire, defiance is met with death. Those who do not vow their blood and bodies to the Emperor risk the execution of their loved ones and the destruction of all they hold dear.

It is in this brutal world, inspired by ancient Rome, that Laia lives with her grandparents and older brother. The family ekes out an existence in the Empire’s impoverished backstreets. They do not challenge the Empire. They’ve seen what happens to those who do.

But when Laia’s brother is arrested for treason, Laia is forced to make a decision. In exchange for help from rebels who promise to rescue her brother, she will risk her life to spy for them from within the Empire’s greatest military academy.

There, Laia meets Elias, the school’s finest soldier—and secretly, its most unwilling. Elias wants only to be free of the tyranny he’s being trained to enforce. He and Laia will soon realize that their destinies are intertwined—and that their choices will change the fate of the Empire itself.

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My thoughts:

4.5 "Elias is my book boyfriend" stars This was my first experience with audio book, and although I liked it, I was so into the story that I found myself getting the ebook copy just because I read faster than the narrator. Ha! Anyway, I'm so glad this book is dual-POV, because Elias was my favorite character. OMG how I loved him. He had such a rich backstory and his struggle was real. I rooted for him all the way. Super duper mega team Elias! I wasn't the biggest fan of Laia, though. Sometimes she simply irritated me, but she grew a lot as a character by the end of the book, so I guess the choice to start with a weak Laia was a good one. Something else I really enjoyed was how the author took time to develop side characters like Helene, the Cook and even Marcus. They had flaws (tons of them), but they also had redeeming qualities, like Marcus' relationship with his brother. So, yes, I'm definitely anxious for the sequel. When is it out?

Uma Chama Entre as Cinzas por Sabaa Tahir

Imagem e resumo do Amazon:

Uma história épica e eletrizante sobre liberdade, coragem e esperança Laia é uma escrava. Elias é um soldado. Nenhum dos dois é livre. No Império Marcial, a resposta para o desacato é a morte. Aqueles que não dão o próprio sangue pelo imperador arriscam perder as pessoas que amam e tudo que lhes é mais caro. É neste mundo brutal que Laia vive com os avós e o irmão mais velho. Eles não desafiam o Império, pois já viram o que acontece com quem se atreve a isso. Mas, quando o irmão de Laia é preso acusado de traição, ela é forçada a tomar uma atitude. Em troca da ajuda de rebeldes que prometem resgatar seu irmão, ela vai arriscar a própria vida para agir como espiã dentro da academia militar do Império. Ali, Laia conhece Elias, o melhor soldado da academia — e, secretamente, o mais relutante. O que Elias mais quer é se libertar da tirania que vem sendo treinado para aplicar. Logo ele e Laia percebem que a vida de ambos está interligada — e que suas escolhas podem mudar para sempre o destino do próprio Império.

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Minha opinião:


4.5 "Elias é minha nova paixonite" ESTRELAS.

Minha primeira experiência com áudio livro. Aeeeee! E posso dizer que aprovei dessa experiência, mas como o livro é muito bom e te deixa na beira do sofá (cadeira, cama e afins), não consegui terminar de escutar. Eu fui obrigada a pedir o ebook porque eu leria mais rápido do que os narradores. Ha! De qualquer maneira, eu simplesmente AMEI que esse livro é narrado do ponto de vista do Elias e da Laia, porque OMG, Elias foi meu personagem preferido. E a voz do narrador.... o.O Mas sério mesmo, eu amei o Elias. Ele tem uma história tão rica e seus conflitos internos e externos são reais. Ao menos me tocaram como se fossem verdadeiros. Eu estava na torcida para que tudo o que ele fizesse desse certo. O tempo todo. Time Elias, FTW! Super duper mega time Elias! Agora, para dizer bem a verdade, eu não fui a maior fã da Laia. Ela me irritou muito mais do que me agradou. No começo foi bem difícil. MAS, grande mas, ela cresceu MUITO como personagem na segunda parte do livro, e chegou a ser uma grande personagem no fim. Por isso que entendo a decisão da autora (espero que consciente) de começar como uma Laia mais fraca para ter espaço para desenvolvê-la como personagem. Outra coisa que eu amei? Sabaa Tahir desenvolveu todos os seus personagens secundários: Helene -- eu realmente gostei dela, the Cook -- cheia de histórias e suspense, e até Marcus - um vilão bem desenvolvido. Todos tinham defeitos (muitos defeitos), mas eles também tinham qualidades que os redimiam, como era o caso do relacionamento do Marcus com seu irmão. Por esses e outros motivos, esse livro merece 4.5 estrelas e me deixou extremamente ansiosa para a sequência. Venha livro 2 porque eu te preciso!

*Grabby Hands* Cover Reveal - Almana by Julayn Adams

Title: Almana

Release date:  January 18th, 2016

Author: Julayn Adams

 

About the book:

In the aftermath of World War III, the world has become a dangerous place. The ruthless dictator, Equis, and his army, Armageddon, are quickly taking over major metropolitan areas on the west coast. The end of humanity is eminent. Their one hope lies in the hands of a 17 year old girl, Alexa. When Almana volunteers to leave Heaven to guide Alexa, she never thought that her own destiny would include falling in love with a human. Now, cursed to remain on Earth forever, Almana finds that her task is much more than she bargained for.

Add it to Goodreads

Here's the beautiful cover....

Here....

Just wait on more second....

Anoter....

And finally....

The amazing author who wrote this book:

About the Author:

With a diverse background ranging from preschool teacher and professional princess to diagnostic sonographer, Julayn Adams has discovered a new passion and talent for writing. Originally from Massachusetts, she now resides in Australia with her husband and four children, three of whom she home-schools. With her first work, a children's book illustrated by her youngest son, already released, she is excited to introduce her Young Adult novel, Almana, in January of 2016. Julayn is currently working on the second of this three part series, Vision (Almana #2).

Author Links:

Website│Goodreads│Twitter│Facebook

*Cover Reveal Organized by: YA Bound Book Tours

*Grabby Hands* Cover - The Shadow Queen by C.J. Redwine

Image and blurb from Goodreads

Lorelai Diederich, crown princess and fugitive at large, has one mission: kill the wicked queen who took both the Ravenspire throne and the life of her father. To do that, Lorelai needs to use the one weapon she and Queen Irina have in common—magic. She’ll have to be stronger, faster, and more powerful than Irina, the most dangerous sorceress Ravenspire has ever seen.

In the neighboring kingdom of Eldr, when Prince Kol’s father and older brother are killed by an invading army of magic-wielding ogres, the second-born prince is suddenly given the responsibility of saving his kingdom. To do that, Kol needs magic—and the only way to get it is to make a deal with the queen of Ravenspire, promise to become her personal huntsman…and bring her Lorelai’s heart.

But Lorelai is nothing like Kol expected—beautiful, fierce, and unstoppable—and despite dark magic, Lorelai is drawn in by the passionate and troubled king. Fighting to stay one step ahead of the dragon huntsman—who she likes far more than she should—Lorelai does everything in her power to ruin the wicked queen. But Irina isn’t going down without a fight, and her final move may cost the princess the one thing she still has left to lose.

*****************************************************************

Enemies to lovers + this STUNNING cover = count me in.

When can we put our hands on this baby? February 2016.

Where can we pre-order this? Amazon

I can't wait for this one. What about you?

More than Comics by Eizabeth Briggs

Image and blurb from Goodreads:

Writer Tara McFadden has been friends with artist and drummer Hector Fernandez for years, long before his band became famous on reality TV – yet they’ve never met in person. They finally have a chance to connect offline when they’re both sent to Comic-Con to promote the graphic novel they collaborated on. 

Hector's secretly been in love with Tara for as long as he can remember, and once they meet, she sees him in a new light. All the years of longing lead to an incredible night of passion after one of his concerts, but neither is sure if their online relationship can translate into a real life romance – or if this will ruin their friendship forever. 

Over four crazy days at Comic-Con, Hector and Tara must decide if they want a future together. But when their story seems to be over, it’s up to Hector’s entire band to make sure he and Tara get their happy ending.

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My thoughts:

4 "I want to go to Comic Con" STARS.

ARC via Netgalley - THANK YOU!!

So this was a quick and fun read. Sexy, too.

I'll start by saying that this is the second book in the series, but I wasn't lost within the story. Although I was curious about the previous book -- I love reality TV!!!! -- the way the story between Tara and Hector was told didn't leave me with the feeling that I had to read the first book in other to follow the events of this one. That's a great thing!

Both Tara and Hector get to tell their stories. Although I'm a fan of dual POV, I can't really say I liked this one. There was nothing wrong with the characters, but their voices weren't distinctive at all. There were more than just a few moments when I had to simply stop and go back to identify whose chapter that was. To me, Hector and Tara sounded like the same person.

But voice problem aside, their friends-to-more love story was very sweet. They were good people. You know the kind you look and say: these people deserve to be happy because they're good? Well, Tara and Hector were just like that.

I thought Tara handed the situation with her ex boyfriend properly. There was no cheating or playing games. She didn't use him to make Hector jealous or the other way around. She didn't lead the ex on. I admired her for that.

And Hector also had a great heart. He acted a bit stupid here and then, which was okay because guys can be dense sometimes. *winks* But he respected Tara and was a good friend to her. 

I also liked that the author wrote Hector as a Latino guy without the stereotype, which was really refreshing. P.S.: Tara, I'm with you on men speaking Spanish being sexy. ;-)

As to the setting, I wish we'd gotten to see more of that. Comic-Con is a huge event, and I don't think the book explored it as well. I definitely missed a better sense of place. 

Overall, this was a great read and the author got me excited about the next one, because REALITY TV!!!!

*Grabby Hands* Releases & Excerpt - Thief of Lies by Brenda Drake

Title: Thief of Lies (Library Jumpers, #1)

Release date:  1/5/16

Author: Brenda Drake

About the book:

Gia Kearns would rather fight with boys than kiss them. That is, until Arik, a leather clad hottie in the Boston Athenaeum, suddenly disappears. While examining the book of world libraries he abandoned, Gia unwittingly speaks the key that sucks her and her friends into a photograph and transports them into a Paris library, where Arik and his Sentinels—magical knights charged with protecting humans from the creatures traveling across the gateway books—rescue them from a demonic hound.

Jumping into some of the world's most beautiful libraries would be a dream come true for Gia, if she weren’t busy resisting her heart or dodging an exiled wizard seeking revenge on both the Mystik and human worlds. Add a French flirt obsessed with Arik and a fling with a young wizard, and Gia must choose between her heart and her head, between Arik's world and her own, before both are destroyed.

Look at this beautiful cover:

         A peek at what's inside:

Excerpt:

                 I pressed the screen, and it went dark. “How do we know he’s not being forced to say this?”

                “The password, May Agnes guide you,” Lei replied. “She’s the patron saint of Asile.”

                Agnes? That was the silver woman’s name that formed from my globe. Did the saints have something to do with the Chiavi?

                I faced Ricardo. “How did you know I was here?”

                “The werehounds tracked your scent from a shirt Katy…excuse me, your nana…gave us.”

                “Can your pack help us save Couve?” Arik asked him.

                “They will, but Gia must go with me.” He noticed the protest forming on my lips. “Merlin said no exceptions. I’m to get you to the shelter.”

                From the corridor came yells, scuffles, and the continual wail of the warning siren.

                “I can’t go with you,” I said. “I have to fight with them.”

                “She can’t fight with us,” Lei said, glancing at the door. “She almost killed Kale.”

                I turned to Sinead. “You know what I can do.”

                Sinead gave me a pity smile. “Yes, but you have no control over it. Let Ricardo take you to your father and friends.”

                I thought of Kale lying motionless, near death, and I hated that she was right. As much as I wanted to stay, I might be more hindrance than help. I caved. “Okay,” I said, defeated. Lei flew out of the room with the Laniars on her heels.

                Sinead hugged me, then rushed after them. Arik moved over to me and cupped my face gently in his hands. His eyes held the intensity that always drew me to him.

                I swallowed my breath in anticipation. All the sounds around us went silent.

                He bent and lightly brushed my lips with a kiss. His lips were soft and oh, so tender. Butterflies swooped and curled inside me, and it felt like the ground disappeared from beneath my feet. He pulled back a little and said, “Regardless of the fact that you’re a royal pain in the arse, I fancy you. Listen to Ricardo and don’t do anything rash.”

                He gave me another kiss and rushed out the door. My heart twisted in my chest as he disappeared. I touched my mouth and exhaled. He liked me. It was against the laws, but he told me he fancied me. Maybe we had no future, but we had now.

                “What a sweet display,” Ricardo said, dragging me out of my haze. “I’m not one for rules or laws, but I’d be careful there. The punishment would be much worse for him than you.”

                “Why?” I stared at the door as if I’d see Arik there.

                “He’s a leader. He knows better.” Ricardo headed to the window. “Are you ready to fly?”

                “Did you say fly?”

       And here's where you can order your copy:

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The amazing author who wrote this book:

Author Bio

Brenda Drake, the youngest of three children, grew up an Air Force brat and the continual new kid at school. Her fondest memories growing up is of her eccentric, Irish grandmother’s animated tales, which gave her a strong love for storytelling. So it was only fitting that she would choose to write stories with a bend toward the fantastical. When Brenda’s not writing or doing the social media thing, she’s haunting libraries, bookstores, and coffee shops or reading someplace quiet and not at all exotic (much to her disappointment).

Website: http://www.brenda-drake.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/brendadrake

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Brenda-Drake/171424269657164

For my 4 "Libraries are my favorite places" STARS review, click here.