Book Review: Star Wars: Ahsoka by E.K. Johnston!

Star Wars: Ahsoka
Author: E.K. Johnston
Publication Date: October 11,2016
Published: Disney/Lucasfilm Press

My Rating:

Fans have long wondered what happened to Ahsoka after she left the Jedi Order near the end of the Clone Wars and before she reappeared as the mysterious Rebel operative Fulcrum in Rebels. Finally her story will begin to be told.
Following her experiences with the Jedi and the devastation of Order 66, Ahsoka is unsure she can be part of a larger whole ever again. But her desire to fight the evils of the Empire and protect those who need it will lead her right to Bail Organa - and the Rebel Alliance.

Ahsoka is a well written YA novel that gives us some insight into the missing pieces of Ahsoka's life between the end of The Clone Wars series and her appearance on Rebels.

BlogTour: Lucky In Love by Kasie West!

Lucky In Love
Author: Kasie West
Publication Date: July 25th 2017
Published: Scholastic
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance

My Rating:

In this new contemporary from YA star Kasie West, a girl who wins the lottery learns thatmoney can cause more problems than it solves, especially when love comes into the picture. Maddie doesn't believe in luck. She's all about hard work and planning ahead. But one night, on a whim, she buys a lottery ticket. And then, to her astonishment --She wins! In a flash, Maddie's life is unrecognizable. No more stressing about college scholarships. Suddenly, she's talking about renting a yacht. And being in the spotlight at school is fun... until rumors start flying, and random people ask her for loans. Now, Maddie isn't sure who she can trust. Except for Seth Nguyen, her funny, charming coworker at the local zoo. Seth doesn't seem aware of Maddie's big news. And, for some reason, she doesn't want to tell him. But what will happen ifhe learns her secret? With tons of humor and heart, Kasie West delivers a million-dollar tale of winning, losing, and falling in love.

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Money doesn’t buy happiness, but unfortunately it makes the world go around. For Maddie, money isn’t something her family has much of. So, she works at the local zoo, which she loves, and works hard in school, to get scholarships for college. She’s constantly planning, and trying to make sure her life and the life of everyone around her is going in the right direction. On a whim, she buys a lottery ticket on her eighteenth birthday, and she ends up winning. Money isn’t a problem, and college doesn’t have to be defined by scholarships, and her family’s problems will all just go away. Or will it? Money is nice, but it doesn’t fix everything. Maddie, must learn that having it all, doesn’t mean people automatically change. Lucky for Maddie, besides money, she has a great friend and coworker, that is always a text message away to listen to all her problems, but she hasn’t told him about her lottery win. Will her rich status change his view of her?

I liked this story a lot, and I really liked Maddie as a main character. I thought she would become shallow once she won the lotto and everything she was passionate about, would just be past thoughts, but she really surprised me. She kept her job at the zoo, and stayed as humble as she could. I also liked Seth, he’s not the boy next door, but he’s the boy’s next-door brother you wouldn’t give a second glance too, because he’s a nerd. I would date him though, I have a thing for nerds.

There isn’t much I disliked, except Maddie’s friends. I feel as if they weren’t being fair to her and there was no real reason for them to be upset with her. No offense to Kasie West, but I feel as if she just threw in this little friend dispute, just for the sake of it. Also, the ending was predictable, and I dislike when I know the ending, but it’s YA so what more can I expect?

Overall, I love Kasie West, and I will always read her novels. This unfortunately wasn’t one of her best, but I enjoyed reading it. It’s a fun quick summer read, and I’m sure others will enjoy it as well. 3 stars!

I write YA. I eat Junior Mints. Sometimes I go crazy and do both at the same time. Mynov-els are: PIVOT POINT and its sequel SPLIT SECOND. And my contemporary novels: THE DISTANCE  BETWEEN  US, ON  THE  FENCE,  THE  FILL-IN  BOYFRIEND, PS  I  LIKE YOU, and BYYOURSIDE. My agent is the talented and funny Michelle Wolfson.

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Book Review: The Untamed by Sebastian A. Jones!

The Untamed: A Sinner's Prayer (Graphic Novel)
Author:  Sebastian A. Jones, Andrew Cosby (Foreword), Peter Bergting (Illustrator), Darrell May (Illustrator)
Publication Date: October 26, 2014
Published: Stranger Comics

My Rating:

I was given a second chance in death.
Vengeance was offered and I was quick to accept."

A cloaked Stranger slips into the rustic Town of Oasis changing things forever. Ten years it had been since he ran this town with malice and harshness. Even then there was hope for his soul. His wife and daughter were on the verge of turning him from wickedness. But they were murdered, and so was he. He is granted seven days to reap seven souls and gain a chance at revenge. Conflict arises as a young girl (Niobe Ayutami) reminds him of his murdered daughter. She acts as his conscience and become his only hope for salvation.

The Untamed: A Sinner's Prayer is set in the dark fantasy world of Asunda. Asunda was created by Stranger Comics founder and president Sebastian A. Jones over a 20 year period. A true labor of love, Asunda is unlike any other fantasy setting in existence. Developed in coordination with Stranger’s art director, anthropologist Darrell May, Asunda features an honest and oftentimes beautifully violent and savage approach to the medieval sword and sorcery genre, one where the world is exactly that... an entire world, filled with a variety of races which have evolved to suit their environment, not a decades old preconception of what elves and dwarves should be or how they should appear. If you like your fantasy with a touch of Sergio Leone, The Untamed is for you. If you think Clint Eastwood, Toshiro Mifune, or Richard Roundtree would have made bad ass elves, The Untamed is for you. If you want to see a wicked man return from the dead to choose between revenge and redemption... then The Untamed is definitely for you.

I bought this graphic novel at New York Comic Con 2015.

There was also a deal going on where if you bought The Untamed you could get the prequel, Niobe #1 Convention Exclusive, for $10 more. By the time I went they sold out of that exclusive, but there was a signing going on with artist Ashley A. Woods and author Amandla Stenberg. (Amandla played Rue in The Hunger Games and also played Macey Irving on Sleepy Hollow. She is the co-author with Sebastian Jones of the comic book Niobe: She is Life)

Blog Tour: The Wright Boss by K.A. Linde!

 

  A new stand alone office romance from USA Today bestselling author K.A. Linde... I’ve always had one rule: Don’t mix business and pleasure. But then Landon Wright comes home to his family’s construction company with a broken back and a beaten heart and ends up as my new sexy boss. As the office gets heated, I’m thinking about throwing the rulebook out the window. If only there weren’t a million reasons this could never work. We may have shared a single perfect kiss, but I can’t let our intense connection cloud my judgment. Not with everything I’ve worked for on the line. Dating your boss is so very, very wrong…even if he feels so Wright.    

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This is the second Wright brother book. If you haven't read the first, you should stop and go do that. Anyway, this is Landon Wright and Heidi's book. Landon is a professional golfer but because of a back injury, he's basically put on disability. Heidi works for Wright Construction. But after one passionate kiss shared on New Years Eve, Heidi and Landon decide not to pursue anything. Mostly because Landon is still married and Heidi isn't that kind of lady.

That is until Landon leaves his wife, moves back closer to his family and decides to go into construction at his brother's company. Ultimately becoming Heidi's boss. Which is a big no-no with the company policy. But you just can't control that feeling once you get it.

There are stolen kisses and heated glances. But a secret relationship can only go so far until you're found out Landon and Heidi learn. Catastrophe happens of course but you have to read and see how it turns out. 

I really liked this one. But I only gave it 4 stars where as book one was 5 stars for me. i just found something missing in the writing this time around. The attraction between the characters was there but sometimes I just lost that feeling. I wasn't as excited when it came to this story. But I'm still on board for book three.  

  K.A. Linde is the USA Today bestselling author of more than fifteen novels including the Avoiding series and the Record series. She has a Masters degree in political science from the University of Georgia, was the head campaign worker for the 2012 presidential campaign at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and served as the head coach of the Duke University dance team. She loves reading fantasy novels, geeking out over Star Wars, binge-watching Supernatural, and dancing in her spare time. She currently lives in Lubbock, Texas, with her husband and two super adorable puppies.

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Book Review: P.S. I Like You by Kasie West! (@kasiewest)

P.S. I Like You
Author: Kasie West
Publication Date: July 26, 2016
Published: Point

My Rating: 

Signed, sealed, delivered…
While spacing out in chemistry class, Lily scribbles some of her favorite song lyrics onto her desk. The next day, she finds that someone has continued the lyrics on the desk and added a message to her. Intrigue!
Soon, Lily and her anonymous pen pal are exchanging full-on letters—sharing secrets, recommending bands, and opening up to each other. Lily realizes she’s kind of falling for this letter writer. Only, who is he? As Lily attempts to unravel the mystery and juggle school, friends, crushes, and her crazy family, she discovers that matters of the heart can’t always be spelled out…

Who knew true love could be found on a desk in chemistry class? I never took chemistry in high school, but I read this book and it’s really cute.

Blog Tour: Hate 2 Lovers by K. Webster and J.D. Hollyfield!

Hate 2 Lovers

by K. Webster and J.D. Hollyfield 2 Lovers Series #2 (May be read as standalone) Publication Date: April 4, 2017 Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romantic Comedy

Purchase: Amazon | Amazon UK | Barnes & Noble | iBooks | Kobo

She hates him and his big head. He likes her and her big t*ts. She hates him because she somehow ends up naked every time she sees him. He likes her because she somehow ends up naked every time he sees her. She hates him because the big oaf knocked her up with his kid. He likes her because she’s carrying his child. She hates the way he gets inside her head. He likes the way she lets him see glimpses of her heart. Andie: I hate you. Roman: I know…but I’m going to change that. ***This is book two in the series. It is best if you read book one first to fully understand this couple’s story.***

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It’s the start of nothing good. I fired off a storm of raunchy text messages…to the wrong number. And he replied. Him: Show me a picture. Him: Tell me your name. Why does the lure of anonymity have me craving to indulge a stranger? It’s the start of everything right. I received a slew of text messages…when everything in my life was wrong. And she made me laugh again. Her: You’re probably a creeper. Her: Possibly a stalker. Why do I have the overwhelming need to find this stranger who saved me and make her mine? Him: Take a chance with me. Her: This is crazy. Him: I need to see you. Her: What are we doing? Him: We’re about to find out. Her: PHOTO ATTACHED Him: PHOTO ATTACHED

This was really super cute. And written extemely well. You know how sometime when you have dual author books and you can tell? Well, this one you couldn't. They meshed and flowed very well together. Unfortunately, I didn't read the first book, Text 2 Lovers. So I wasn't sure what to expect of this one. But it was so cute and could be read and understood.

Andie and Roman have been sleeping together. And when that happens, sometimes you get pregnant. Of course Andie ends up pregnant. But she's not sure she wants to keep it because she didn't have the best childhood.  Roman is doing everything in his power to prove that him and Andie belong together. He's very possesive of her but not in a crazy way. Just madly and deeply in love with her. He wants to be there for him and his child. 

Basicaly, Roman was the best.

It was funny, engaging, and all the feels came out with this book. I hope that they continue further with this series. And it gives me time to go back to read the first! 

About K. Webster

K Webster is the author of dozens romance books in many different genres including contemporary romance, historical romance, paranormal romance, and erotic romance. When not spending time with her husband of twelve years and two adorable children, she’s active on social media connecting with her readers. Her other passions besides writing include reading and graphic design. K can always be found in front of her computer chasing her next idea and taking action. She looks forward to the day when she will see one of her titles on the big screen. You can easily find K Webster on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and Goodreads! Website: www.authorkwebster.com Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/bllgoP

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About J.D. Hollyfield

Creative designer, mother, wife, writer, part time superhero… J.D. Hollyfield is a creative designer by day and superhero by night. When she is not trying to save the world one happy ending at a time, she enjoys the snuggles of her husband, son and three doxies. With her love for romance, and head full of book boyfriends, she was inspired to test her creative abilities and bring her own story to life. Life in a Rut, Love not Included is her Debut Novel. J.D. Hollyfield lives in the Midwest, and is currently at work on blowing the minds of readers, with the additions of her new books and series, along with her charm, humor and HEA’s.

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Book Review: The Icarus Girl by Helen Oyeyemi!

The Icarus Girl
Author: Helen Oyeyemi
Publication Date: April 11, 2006
Published: Anchor

My Rating: 

Jessamy "Jess" Harrison is eight years old. Sensitive, whimsical, possessed of an extraordinary and powerful imagination, she spends hours writing haiku, reading Shakespeare, or simply hiding in the dark warmth of the airing cupboard. As the child of an English father and a Nigerian mother, Jess just can't shake off the feeling of being alone wherever she goes, and the other kids in her class are wary of her tendency to succumb to terrified fits of screaming. Believing that a change from her English environment might be the perfect antidote to Jess's alarming mood swings, her parents whisk her off to Nigeria for the first time where she meets her mother's family--including her formidable grandfather.

Jess's adjustment to Nigeria is only beginning when she encounters Titiola, or TillyTilly, a ragged little girl her own age. To Jess, it seems that, at last, she has found someone who will understand her. But gradually, TillyTilly's visits become more disturbing, making Jess start to realize that she doesn't know who TillyTilly is at all.
Helen Oyeyemi draws on Nigerian mythology to present a strikingly original variation on a classic literary theme: the existence of "doubles," both real and spiritual, who play havoc with our perceptions and our lives. Lyrical, haunting, and compelling, "The Icarus Girl" is a story of twins and ghosts, of a little girl growing up between cultures and colors. It heralds the arrival of a remarkable new talent.

I am going to start at the beginning to make this easier. I bought this novel (and it is signed by the author) 11 years ago. I still have the receipt in the book from Housing Works. I bought it August 11, 2005.

It has been on my to-be-read piles all this time (along with other books I've had for years.)