Blog Tour: Stupid Girl by Cindy Miles (Review)

I am SUPER excited today to be sharing with you this amazing book!

Title: Stupid Girl (Stupid Girl #1)
Author: Cindy Miles
Publication: May 13th 2014
Genre: NA Romance
Source: Provided by the kind tour host
Goodreads

Only fools fall in love... 

After her senior year of high school leaves behind nothing but heartache, Olivia Beaumont is sure of this: She’s no stupid girl. She sets out for Winston College, promising herself that she will remain focused on her first and only love – astronomy. But all it takes is cocky sophomore Brax Jenkins and an accidental collision with a football, to throw her entire year off course. 

A quick-tempered Southie who escaped the inner city streets of Boston to pitch for Winston, Brax is known to play way more fields than just the baseball diamond. So, when his name is drawn to take part in his fraternity’s hazing dare, Brax eagerly accepts the mission to take Olivia’s virginity. But he doesn’t plan on falling hard for the sweet and sassy Texas girl who sees right through his bad-boy persona. 

As Olivia and Brax battle their feelings for each other, echoes of the past year begin to surface. A boy who once turned Olivia’s whole world upside down reappears, and “harmless” pranks wreak havoc. Pretty soon the aspiring astronomer is on the verge of revealing her most difficult, heartbreaking secret. All the while, Brax must wrestle with the irrevocable dare, and Olivia struggles against all logic as she does the one thing only a stupid girl would do: fall in love.

-- My Rating  --

3/5 Oscars: Liked it

-- My Thoughts --

     I requested to be a part of the tour for this book out of the blue, I didn't know what it was about or how it was going to be. So I had very low expectations and right now, I am feeling confused about my feelings towards it.
     Olivia had the toughest part of her life going through her senior year and now that she has finally moved on to college, she is sure that she can finally pursue her dreams. But all that changes when Brax moves into her life, with his killer smile and killer reputation. He's everything Olivia knows she should never want, but he just might be everything she needs.
     *Plot:The storyline of this book is very familiar to the NA genre, with the whole heart-wrenching subjects of abuse and recovery. This book started off on the same note, and it pretty much never addressed the subject again until the last chapters. I felt like this was a normal contemporary romance without the dark subjects.
     *Characters:The characters were not very like able. Olivia just seemed too naive to be a college girl and she questioned her thoughts and feelings to an unhealthy state. But after a while, she grew and I began to like her. Brax was the typical NA love interest with the bad boy attitude and a heart of gold. Although he really wasn't my favorite NA love interest because he was just too moody and temperamental be good.
     *Romance:The romance was definitely my favorite part. Although their romance started off as interest-at-first-sight, it grew into something that I felt was real. I loved the chemistry between them and the hot scenes were to die for. But I felt like the strain on this relationship was unbelievable at times and most of their problems were not problems to begin with.
     Finally, this book was definitely much more enjoyable than I thought it would be and the ending was satisfying to the 100th degree.  I loved it. Although this will not make it to my list of favorites, it might appeal to a lot of people. After all, it's all a matter of perspective.

-- Purchase Links --

--Amazon

--B&N

-- Author Bio --

National bestselling author Cindy Miles writes edgy romance, ranging from contemporary love stories to sexy paranormals. A native of southern coastal Georgia, she loves reading (naturally), baking swoon-worthy desserts, traveling abroad, yoga, and classic rock. The cover for her upcoming New Adult romance, STUPID GIRL, was featured on USA Today’s Happily Ever After blog. In the novel, a volatile mix of bad boys, sassy smart girls, dark secrets, and red-hot romance add up to one wild ride through college.

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-- Giveaway --

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ARC Review: Black Box by Cassia Leo

Title: Black Box
Author: Cassia Leo
Publication: Jul 31 2014 Random House UK, Transworld Publishers
Genre: NA Contemporary
Source: Provided by the kind publisher...
Goodreads

Three fateful encounters....
♥️ Two heart-breaking tragedies....
♥️ One last chance to get it right.

From New York Times best selling author Cassia Leo, comes an epic love story about rewriting destiny.

Over the course of five years, Mikki and Crush cross paths on three separate occasions. Their first encounter changes Mikki's life forever, but their second meeting leaves them both buried beneath the emotional wreckage of a violent attack. Mikki is left with more questions and grief than she can handle, while Crush is forced to forget the girl who saved his life.

Now nineteen years old, Mikki Gladstone has decided she's tired of the mind-numbing meds. She books a flight to Los Angeles to end her life far away from her loving, though often distant, family.

Twenty-one-year-old Crush has always channeled his blackest thoughts into his music, but he's never had great aspirations. He decides to fly to Los Angeles to record a demo of the only song he's never performed in public; a song he wrote for a girl he doesn't even know: Black Box. He has no expectations of fame and he's never felt like his life had any purpose... until he meets Mikki in Terminal B.

When Mikki and Crush cross paths for the third time in Terminal B, neither has any idea who the other person is; until they slowly piece together their history and realize that fate has more in store for them than just another love story.

-- My Rating --

3/5 Oscars: Liked It

-- My Thoughts --

     I had no idea what to expect when I started this book. The premise sounded unique in the blurb, so I requested it. I have been in quite a reading slump lately, but I flew past this book in only a couple of hours. Hurray!
     Mikki and Crush have had two chance encounters. But when they meet for the third time in Terminal B of the airport, none of them know who the other person is. But it's easy to notice the chemistry between them. And in the course of a couple of nights, their lives will be changed forever.
     First off, I knew that this book would contain a lot of dark subjects. Heart-wrenching ones. But I was never prepared for all the brutal aspects. It felt so real and I could have cried for the characters -both of them- and their pain. I felt like I would never survive so much pain if it had happened to  me. And I admired them for that.
     Then, there are the characters. Mikki was definitely not my favorite person, at first. I didn't like how stubborn and cruel she was. I guess with a past like that, you turn into another person. But  overtime, I grew to like her a lot and admire her bravery. Then, there's Crush; the guy was like a dream come true. The swoon-worthy, sexy, bad-boy and mysterious NA love interest. I fell in love with him (it was so easy to!).
     The romance was not my favorite aspect. I kinda felt like it was insta-love, and I didn't like that. But after time,  I understood the difference. These two people already know each other, even if they didn't know it. And they saved each other. And even though the i-love-you-confession was a bit too soon, it still sounded reasonable, given the circumstances.
     The few ending chapters were the only reason why I didn't give this book a higher rating. They were made to sound sad and mystical and all about how our fates control us. But, it just sounded very unbelievable to me and I didn't feel scared for the characters at all. Aside from that, I liked the note on which this book ended. And even though this is not my favorite NA romance, I will definitely be looking forward to more books from Cassia Leo!

ARC Review: Day 21 by Kass Morgan

Title: Day 21 (The Hundred #2)
Author: Kass Morgan
Publication: September 16th 2014 by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Genre: YA Dystopian
Source: Provided by the kind publisher...
Goodreads

No one has set foot on Earth in centuries -- until now.
It's been 21 days since the hundred landed on Earth. They're the only humans to set foot on the planet in centuries...or so they thought. Facing an unknown enemy, Wells attempts to keep the group together. Clarke strikes out for Mount Weather, in search of other Colonists, while Bellamy is determined to rescue his sister, no matter the cost. And back on the ship, Glass faces an unthinkable choice between the love of her life and life itself.
In this pulse-pounding sequel to Kass Morgan's The 100, secrets are revealed, beliefs are challenged, and relationships are tested. And the hundred will struggle to survive the only way they can -- together.

-- My Rating --

4/5 Oscars: Really liked it

-- My Thoughts --

     I read this book right after reading the first one in the series (see my review here). It was such a cliffhanger ending that I just couldn't wait, fortunately, it was everything I hoped for and much more.
     Clarke and Bellamy are in search of Bellamy's sister, through the wilderness. And Wells is in charge of keeping that earth girl hostage, but he is drawn to her and her mysterious past. Glass is back on the ship, while all the Oxygen supplies are dwindling and no one knows what to do.
     This book does not suffer from the second-book-syndrome that most YA series suffer from nowadays. The second book is usually a disappointment, lacking in so many levels But I am happy to say that Day 21 was much better than the first book in the series.
     First, there is still not a lot of action going on. But there is more than the first book. There's suspense and danger and things at stake. I loved that. It gave the story a whole survival look. Then, there are the characters. We see them develop much more and we notice the changes they have gone through individually.
     Although some of the characters still get on my nerves, but I guess that's what makes them unique. The romance does not take the center stage but it's definitely there. There's so much sizzling chemistry in this book, it had hot and steamy moments that melted my heart. I loved them.
     My favorite character is still Glass, because she has this amazing kindness and loyalty, it's beautiful. She is such a good person, the kind of person we dream of being one day. The kind who puts everyone before herself. And since she is on the ship, her story is very different from the others and it's much more interesting to read.
     I LOVED the ending. Even though it was a bit sad, it was still intriguing and full of possibilities. I am pretty sure that the third book will be just as amazing. There is still so much more to explore!

ARC Review: Frozen by Melissa De La Cruz and Michael Johnston

Title: Frozen (Heart of Dread #1)
Author(s): Melissa De La Cruz, Michael Johnston
Publication: September 17th 2013 by Putnam Juvenile
Genre: YA Dystopian
Source: Provided by the kind publisher...
Goodreads

From New York Times bestselling author Melissa de la Cruz and Michael Johnston comes this remarkable first book in a spellbinding new series about the dawn of a new kind of magic.

Welcome to New Vegas, a city once covered in bling, now blanketed in ice. Like much of the destroyed planet, the place knows only one temperature—freezing. But some things never change. The diamond in the ice desert is still a 24-hour hedonistic playground and nothing keeps the crowds away from the casino floors, never mind the rumors about sinister sorcery in its shadows.

At the heart of this city is Natasha Kestal, a young blackjack dealer looking for a way out. Like many, she's heard of a mythical land simply called “the Blue.” They say it’s a paradise, where the sun still shines and the waters are turquoise. More importantly, it’s a place where Nat won’t be persecuted, even if her darkest secret comes to light.

But passage to the Blue is treacherous, if not impossible, and her only shot is to bet on a ragtag crew of mercenaries led by a cocky runner named Ryan Wesson to take her there. Danger and deceit await on every corner, even as Nat and Wes find themselves inexorably drawn to each other. But can true love survive the lies? Fiery hearts collide in this fantastic tale of the evil men do and the awesome power within us all.

-- My Rating --

3/5 Oscars: Liked it

-- My Thoughts --

     Melissa De La Cruz is a very famous author with her many bestselling series. But I had never tried anything written by her and when this showed up - a collaboration and a dystopian - I knew I had to try reading it. Even though I have been reading a lot of not-so-good reviews about it.
     Nat has been hiding for years, nobody can know that she is not normal. She is not like the others. She has to hide her eyes. But when she finds a stone and a map, and the key to a future in the Blue, she decides to journey to the Blue with the help of a group of vigilantes - Wes, Shakes, and the others. And on the way, they face many obstacles that challenge the true nature of friendship and love.
     I have been reading a lot of reviews about this book. But many of them are not very positive. They say that this is not the usual writing style of Melissa De La Cruz and that this has disappointed them. But since I am a very new reader, I don't know if this differs from her usual, but her writing style captivated me. She breathes life into her characters so that when you read the book, it feels as if you are there, with them, experiencing the same things.
     Nat is a very likable character. She is an average girl- everything about her looks and her attitude is average. But she is special, on the inside. She is a brave. There is not much development considering the other characters, because there are too many to keep track of. I read this book about two weeks ago and right now, I only remember the name of the main characters, the others are just gone. Blank.
     The romance is a very small subplot in the story. It's mostly attraction-at-first-sight. But the romance builds up slowly and I liked that a lot. It has tension and chemistry to spare. I loved Wes and his gorgeous self. Although he wasn't without flaws, he felt real and that is something that is not very present in YA novels these days.
     But there are also flaws with this book. Like, how can elf-like creatures and small-dwarfs come out of the ice-cold climate.  Where they real humans who evolved into elves and dwarfs?  It's just not possible. Also the part about writing being reduced into symbols and numbers. Not believable either. These aspects were never explained and that bothered me.
     The part that I didn't like the most was the ending. It just didn't appeal to me and I know that it ended this way to give more room to the sequel, but still - it just wasn't likable. Overall, this is an interesting read. I liked it.

ARC Review: Oceanborn by Amalie Howard

Title: Oceanborn (The Aquarathi #2)
Author: Amalie Howard
Publication: July 29th 2014 by Harlequin Teen
Genre: YA Paranormal
Source: Provided by the kind publisher...
Goodreads

The coronation is over. 
But the battle has just begun. 


Nerissa Marin has won her crown. But can she keep it? Already, her ties to the human realm are driving a wedge between Nerissa and her people. When word arrives that her part-human prince consort, Lo, has been poisoned, she makes the difficult choice to leave Waterfell and return landside. As the royal courts debate her decision, even more disturbing rumors surface: a plot is rising against her, led by someone she least expects. 

On land, Nerissa learns another shocking truth: �Lo does not remember who she is. As her choice to try to save him threatens her hold on her crown, changing loyalties and uncertainty test her courage in ways she could never have imagined. Nerissa will have one last chance to prove herself as a queen …and save the undersea kingdom she loves.

-- My Rating --

4/5 Oscars: Really liked it

-- My Thoughts --

     I read the first book in this series a long while ago and it was definitely something unique that I have never seen before,, although I was familiar with the author even before she started this series. So I was anxiously waiting for the second book in this series.
     Nerissa has finally descended into her rightful throne but there is still so much more danger in store of her. Especially after she leaves her love, Leo on land to go into the water. I really can't say anything more because I will ruin it for anyone else who has not read this series yet.
     As always, the thing that interests me the most about this series is the plot. It's such a refreshing one. I love reading about aliens, and this was the first book I read about them, but definitely not the last. Aside from that, there is not much going on and this was the same problem I had with the first book. It was going a bit too slow at times and I got bored.
     The romance is also another subplot of this story but it was almost non-existent. I wanted more development in the romance but nothing happened. It almost felt like the first book was repeating itself considering the romance subplot. There is also the development of some of the minor characters that we didn't see much of in the first book. That was definitely a plus. Specially getting to know more about Speio and what kind of person he is.
     There was a little twist going on throughout the book and although I figured it out much sooner, it was still the most interesting thing about this book. And the end was so exhilarating! I LOVED it. I cannot wait for book three!

ARC Review: Trial by Fire by Josephine Angelini

Title: Trial by Fire (The Worldwalker Trilogy #1)
Author: Josephine Angelini
Publication: August 28th 2014 by Macmillan Children's Books
Genre: YA Paranormal Fantasy
Source: provided by the kind publisher...
Goodreads

The exhilaratingly seductive new series from the author of the bestselling Starcrossed series

Love burns. Worlds collide. Magic reigns.

This world is trying to kill Lily Proctor. Her life-threatening allergies keep her from enjoying many of the experiences that other teenagers take for granted...which is why she is determined to enjoy her first (and perhaps only) high-school party. But Lily's life never goes according to plan, and after a humiliating incident in front of half her graduating class Lily wishes she could just disappear.

Suddenly Lily is in a different Salem - one overrun with horrifying creatures and ruled by powerful women called Crucibles. Strongest and cruellest of all the Crucibles is Lillian . . . Lily's identical other self in this alternate universe. This new version of her world is terrifyingly sensual, and Lily is soon overwhelmed by new experiences.

Lily realizes that what makes her weak at home is exactly what makes her extraordinary in New Salem. It also puts her life in danger. Thrown into a world she doesn't understand, Lily is torn between responsibilities she can't hope to shoulder alone, and a love she never expected.

But how can Lily be the saviour of this world when she is literally her own worst enemy?

-- My Rating --

5/5 Oscars: Loved it

-- My Thoughts --

     I heard a lot about Josephine Angelini for a long time so when I found her newest book up for review, I decided to read it. And oh, what a thrill ride it was.
     Lily Proctor's life has never been easy. With her many allergies and her sensitive skin, she is prone to a life that no teenage girl should endure. But all that changes when she is pulled into a different life. When everything she has is counted as a strength, not a weakness. When trust is the most valuable weapon. And when she finds out who she truly  is;  a powerful crucible.
     I haven't read a lot of witch-related books, like, never. I was just not a fan. But all that changed when I read this. I expected just a typical paranormal romance, as it's always expected. But Josephine Angelini passed all my expectations. She created a whole new world inside ours. It was so captivating and unique.
     Her descriptions are wonderful. Detailed and never boring. I could vividly picture the world she created under my eyelids. Then, there's the plot. The plot is complex and multi-layered. This is the second book I read about parallel universes and the subject is still my favorite. It has so much potential. There are so many different aspects to consider. but what I really liked the best about this is that it didn't concentrate on the scientific part that much, it gave room for the plot to develop. Not just be weighed down with issues and scientific authenticity. The whole witch aspect is so well thought-out and original.
     Then, there are the characters. Lily is such an awesome character. She's so kind and insecure and beautifully human. But of course, my favorite character was Rowan. He is such a complex three-dimensional piece of perfection. I absolutely adored every single scene that he was in. There is also Tristan, who has a role in both books. And Lillian, our evil doppelganger; she is the villain of this story, but her own story is really intriguing in itself. You never know her motives, you don't why she is doing this or how does this benefit her in anyway? I was intrigued by her and cannot wait to know more.
     The romance is sizzling hot. I didn't want to pass any second of the hot chemistry between Rowan and Lily. and thankfully, there is not love triangle. I was so happy about that. The ending took me by surprise, it ended really abruptly. Overall, this might be one of my favorite books in 2014. It has the right touch of lore, complexity,and romance. I cannot wait for book two!

FollowerLovin' Giveaway!

As all of you have heard, Google Friend Connect has been shut down for a long while. But since I was stuck with studying for senior year, I couldn't do anything about my followers.  And I wanted to transfer my followers to Bloglovin', an awesome blog reader site! But now, to ALL my lovely followers, I am presenting an AWESOME giveaway!

The giveaway is INTERNATIONAL!

You get two choose two e-books from the list below (so many great titles! and diversity too!):

There is something in here to please everyone! Good luck!

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