Review: Forever Innocent by Deanna Roy

Forever Innocent by Deanna Roy

"Our baby died on prom night, and nothing was ever the same again."
Corabelle doesn’t feel like any of the other college girls. On what should have been one of the happiest nights of her life, she and her boyfriend Gavin watched a nurse disconnect the ventilator from their seven-day-old baby. During the funeral two days later, Gavin walked out and never returned.
Since then, her life has been a spiral of disasters. The only thing that has helped is her ability to black out whenever the pain gets too hard to bear, a habit that has become an addiction.
When Gavin shows up in her astronomy class four years later, he is hell-bent on getting her back, insisting she forgive him. Corabelle knows she can’t resist the touch that fills the empty ache that has haunted her since he left. But if he learns what she has done, if he follows the trail back through her past, her secrets will destroy their love completely. And once again, she’ll lose the only person who always believed she was innocent.

Publishes in US:  October 1st 2013 by Casey Shay Press
Genre: NA Contemp
Source: Netgalley
Series? Yes.

Buy it:  Amazon IndieBound Book Depository

Author stalk away: ~site ~twitter Facebook or on Google+ or Goodreads.

  4.5!

   Hot and holy emotional as hell. I loved Corabelle and totally could not even imagine what she has been through losing her baby and then other mistakes out of grief and hurt. Gavin is hot, frustrating yet sweet considerate all at the same time, well maybe slightly different times, but I can def understand where his instinct to flee came from while still respecting how he slowly got things together. 

   The parts where they flashed back to being pregnant, then having the baby and losing him broke my heart into pieces. I don't cry very often at books but this one made me cry. I felt their sorrow radiating from the page and I cannot and hope that I am never in a situation to understand that kind of pain and loss. 

    The moments where Corabelle and Gavin are thrown back together are heart pounding. They have this irresistible chemistry but so much history and pain between them. It made for a deliciously satisfying read where my heart was torn to pieces and slowly, oh so slowly put back together. 

    As for Corabelle's addiction, her habit that helps her get through, I have no experience reading about anything like this and it was handled so well. I understand more and more why she did it and why it brought her release. 

   Also, I love the theme of love getting a second chance, and it was well written here!

   The ending was heartbreaking but laced with so much hope. I am so excited for the sequel to come out and I know that I want to get back into their heads and see where the healing and love takes them and how they keep Finn's memory alive. 

Bottom Line: Made me cry and that doesn't happen much AT ALL.

My question to you, my lovely readers:
Have you ever made a fresh start?

Giveaway and Spotlight: Deliverance or Decoy by S.B. Sebrick

The newest in Assassin's Rising series: Deliverance

In her last moments, the Destroyer revealed a great secret in the heart of Levarion’s King, Taleveer. A dark truth no true Battleborn of Levarion can let stand. But now Kaltor walks as any other Battleborn, without his Remnant power to sustain him.
Fractured allegiances, broken oaths and desperate escapes hurl Kaltor back into Levarion’s heart. Family loyalties will burn. True love will turn to stone. Taleveer’s greatest ally surfaces for the former-Remnant’s blood, a foe even the might of the Destroyer could not touch.
Sages, the ultimate bonding of flesh and stone, walk the earth once again.

Decoy S.B. Sebrick: Book One

The last few grueling years of training have served Kaltor well. He’s learned to harness the magic within his body, overcome a stronger opponent, avoid capture, and everything else an assassin-in-training needs to survive.
Or so he thought.
But when those they protect at an excavation site release a demon from the Abyss itself, Kaltor realizes just how poorly prepared they all are for what’s coming. Within a single night, their mining camp of one thousand people plummets to a couple hundred terrified survivors, the majority turned against each other by the demon’s potent abilities. Then he turns towards Shaylis, the largest city in the region, for the next stage of his plan.
In a constant battle of both steel and strategy Kaltor and his friends struggle to delay, deceive and defeat their opponent, who’s spent the last thousand years planning out every detail of her assault to perfection. As the number of casualties mounts and her final plan comes to light, Kaltor is left with only one option. He must draw on the secret power within himself, knowing if his true identity is discovered, his life and the fate of the world, will be changed forever.

  Desolate (Assassin's Rising #4)

Defiant (Assassin's Rising, #3) by S.B. Sebrick

Deluge (Assassin's Rising, #2)  by S.B. Sebrick


Site: sbsebrick.wordpress.com
E-mail: sbsebrick@gmail.com
Facebook Page: S. B. Sebrick
Twitter: S. B. Sebrick
Goodreads: S. B. Sebrick


ebook choice: Deliverance or Decoy by S.B. Sebrick (int)
-Fill out Rafflecopter to enter
-Ends on 10/27/2013 11:59 pm EST
-Make sure to check out and comment on our guest post below for an extra entry
-If you win a review on your blog and/or amazon is appreciated but not required.

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Stacking the Shelves, The Sunday Post Mailbox Memes

Stacking the Shelves is hosted by Tynga's Reviews,  check it out and sign up  here

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer ~ It's a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog, showcase books and things we have received and share news about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead.

What I read:

The Chaos of Stars Source: HarperTeen

White, Kiersten *

The Brokenhearted source: HarperTeen via Edelweiss

Kahaney, Amelia

Resist (Breathe, #2) source: Greenwillow via Edelweiss

Crossan, Sarah

Wild Cards (Wild Cards, #1) Source: Bloomsbury via Netgalley Review

Elkeles, Simone

How to Love Source:  Harper teen, Harpercollins via edelweiss Review

Cotugno, Katie

Where the Stars Still Shine Source:  Bloomsbury via Netgalley  Review

Doller, Trish *

Not a Drop to Drink Source: HarperCollins Childrens (Harper Teen) Review

McGinnis, Mindy *

Last Week on the blog:

• My Sister's Reaper Book Blast: $50 Amazon Gift Car...
• Waiting on Wednesday
• $10 Amazon Giftcard and Waiting on the Sidelines a...

My week: Good, put up halloween decorations, and having another open house for PC, 31, and Mary Kay this weekend.

What are you reading? Any of my books new to you or have you read any of my books? If so, what did you think?
Also, feel free to link up your blog and mailbox post.

Review: Wild Cards by Simone Elkeles

Wild Cards (Wild Cards #1) by Simone Elkeles

After getting kicked out of boarding school, bad boy Derek Fitzpatrick has no choice but to live with his ditzy stepmother while his military dad is deployed. Things quickly go from bad to worse when he finds out she plans to move them back to her childhood home in Illinois. Derek’s counting the days before he can be on his own, and the last thing he needs is to get involved with someone else’s family drama.
Ashtyn Parker knows one thing for certain--people you care about leave without a backward glance. A football scholarship would finally give her the chance to leave. So she pours everything into winning a state championship, until her boyfriend and star quarterback betrays them all by joining their rival team. Ashtyn needs a new game plan, but it requires trusting Derek—someone she barely knows, someone born to break the rules. Is she willing to put her heart on the line to try and win it all?

Publishes in US: October 1st 2013 by Walker Books for Young Readers
Genre: YA Contemp
Source: Bloomsbury via Netgalley
Series? Yes. Wild Cards

Untitled (Wild Cards, #2)

Elkeles, Simone

Buy it: 

Author stalk away: ~site 

 

    This was a fun and tense contemporary romance. I connected with both characters, and the dual narration gave me access to their thoughts, reasoning, and emotions. 

    Ashtyn is amazingly tough in the physical sense since she is a female football player. She has faced so many challenges to do what she began to get her father's attention but ended up falling in love with. She's proved herself to her teammates and they trust her and protect her, accept her as one of theirs. I love the easy but deep friendship she has with the guys, especially Vic, who never failed to make me smile. 

    Derek is a hot cowboy type, who has a lot of pain underneath the surface. He is harboring a lot of guilt in regards to his mom and football, so he quit. After that he couldn't seem to stop getting in trouble, which leaves him following his stepmom from California to a new town--Chicago. It is hard watching him try to fit in, and still keep who he is. 

     The tension and chemistry between Ashtyn and Derek is palable, and I love every minute of it. They are both holding each other at arm's length though which sometimes I just wanted to smack them and tell them to get on with it. 

    I really appreciated the family aspect of this one. While neither side was perfect, there were members that I liked. I appreciated that Derek's dad was a navy man, and even though his absence was hard, he is doing it for a good cause, and even though Derek has issues you can tell that his dad did his part when he was home. I love little Julian, he is such a sincere and well done 

    The ending did feel a little rushed, but I am eagerly awaiting more from these characters.

Bottom Line: Sparks and tension between the main characters kept my attention.

My question to you, my lovely readers:

Do you think girls should be allowed to play football with guys?

My Sister's Reaper Book Blast: $50 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash

My Sister's Reaper by Dorothy Dreyer

Sixteen-year-old Zadie’s first mistake was telling the boy she liked she could bring her dead sister back to life. Her second mistake was actually doing it.

When Zadie accidentally messes with the Reaper’s Rite that should have claimed her sister Mara, things go horribly wrong. Mara isn’t the same anymore—Zadie isn’t even sure she’s completely human, and to top it off, a Reaper is determined to collect Mara’s soul no matter what. Now Zadie must figure out how to defeat her sister’s Reaper, or let Mara die … this time for good.

Amazon * Barnes & Noble * Kobo

Author Dorothy Dreyer

I'm a Philippine-born American living in Germany with my husband and two teens.

I write young adult books that usually have some element of magic or the supernatural in them. I also like to read those kinds of books. Aside from reading, I like movies, chocolate, take-out, coffee, traveling, and having fun with my friends and family. I've also been known to make a pretty sweet cupcake.

I tend to sing sometimes, too, so keep me away from your Karaoke bars.

Website * Twitter * Facebook

Blog Tour Schedule

BookBlast Giveaway

$50 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash

Ends 10/18/13



Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

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Review: How to Love by Katie Cotugno

How to Love by Katie Cotugno

Before: Reena Montero has loved Sawyer LeGrande for as long as she can remember: as natural as breathing, as endless as time. But he’s never seemed to notice that Reena even exists…until one day, impossibly, he does. Reena and Sawyer fall in messy, complicated love. But then Sawyer disappears from their humid Florida town without a word, leaving a devastated—and pregnant—Reena behind.
After: Almost three years have passed, and there’s a new love in Reena’s life: her daughter, Hannah. Reena’s gotten used to being without Sawyer, and she’s finally getting the hang of this strange, unexpected life. But just as swiftly and suddenly as he disappeared, Sawyer turns up again. Reena doesn’t want anything to do with him, though she’d be lying if she said Sawyer’s being back wasn’t stirring something in her. After everything that’s happened, can Reena really let herself love Sawyer LeGrande again?
In this breathtaking debut, Katie Cotugno weaves together the story of one couple falling in love—twice.

Publishes in US: October 1st 2013 by Balzer + Bray
Genre: YA contemp
Source:  Harper teen, Harpercollins via edelweiss
Series? No.

Buy it: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Powell’s.

Author stalk away: ~site ~twitter  ~blog 

    This is a very engrossing book. It is a theme that has been done before but what makes this story special are the characters. 

     The main character, Reena, had a compelling voice. She felt so natural as a character and since she doesn't like the party scene and is more quiet, book smart, and to herself, I def related to her. Her strength isn't found in balls to the wall kick ass, or fiestiness, although you find that some in a sarcastic way, but sometimes she just wins arguments in her head, not aloud, allowing her best friend to save face. She gets herself in a hard spot, with a daughter from the boy she grew up falling in love with who finally found her only to disappear. 

    When the boy, now young man, Sawyer, comes back in town, there is delicious awkwardness. Reena is understandably hurt and holding him at an arm's length. She doesn't know if he will disappear, and since the narration goes from one time (before) to another (after) I know that there is some unresolved feelings. But she does have a whole new life, and even a boyfriend who makes her happy and doesn't judge. Speaking of the time shifts, they are written very well, and flow seamlessly. It never jarred me and I was always able to keep up with what happened before or after.

    I couldn't help but keep Aaron, the current after boyfriend at an arm's length because the synopsis implies that we get to see Sawyer and Reena fall in love again.I didn't want my heart broken falling for him and I didn't want the poor guy to get hurt. But I also just couldn't completely fall for Sawyer either because he really just seemed like a big jerk. I totally understand that he was in pain, that him and his parents had problems, he suffered a loss, but when he came back (which I never really understood why he left so suddenly and no one knew how to get in touch with him, almost seems like plot device.) he was such a jerk to Reena. Though I have to at least give him props for trying when he did return, and that he did come back since he apparently didn't know she was pregnant. 

    By the end though I was beginning to see them as a couple and how they both have the exterior and interior and have a hard time letting their true selves show. I was pulling for them and didn't think that Sawyer was as complete of a jerk by the end, and wanting them to be happy. I think it was fitting, and even though a bit of an open ending, it tied up everything in the story we just don't know what their happy ever after will exactly look like. 

Bottom Line: Great storyline and main character, though I had some issues with the love interest.


My question to you, my lovely readers:

Could you forgive the father of your child if he left and then came back?