Weekend Reminisces #2

Hey, it's Friday, the start of the weekend.

Sorry, I guess I'm not really telling you any  thing you don't already know.

So... lets focus on what's new this week.

The second semester of the year started this Monday and we are all off to a flying start. Plenty of homework for my children and a busy week of work for both my hubby and me.

What book(s) did I add to my shelf?

Free Me

(The Found Duet #1)

by

Laurelin Paige

Her story started long before she started working at The Sky Launch... 

Screw fairytales. The only reward Gwen Anders got from her rough childhood was a thick skin and hard heart. She’s content with her daily grind managing a top NYC nightclub—Eighty-Eighth Floor. So hers isn’t a happily ever after. She doesn’t believe in those anyway. 

Then she meets J.C. 

The rich, smooth talking playboy is the sexiest thing that Gwen has ever encountered, but she’s not interested in a night-in-shining latex. But when a family tragedy pushes her to the brink, it’s J.C. who’s there to teach her a new method of survival, one based on following primal urges and desires. His no-strings-attached lessons require her to abandon her constant need for control. Her carefully built walls are obliterated. 

Gwen discovers there’s a beautiful world outside her prison. Freedom is exhilarating—and terrifying. When she starts to feel something for J.C., she fears for her heart. Especially as she realizes that he has secrets of his own. Secrets that don't want to set him free. 

* * * * *

What did I finish reading?

A Court of Thorns and Roses

(A Court of Thorns and Roses #1)

by

Sarah J. Maas

A thrilling, seductive new series from New York Times bestselling author Sarah J. Maas, blending Beauty and the Beast with faerie lore.

When nineteen-year-old huntress Feyre kills a wolf in the woods, a beast-like creature arrives to demand retribution for it. Dragged to a treacherous magical land she only knows about from legends, Feyre discovers that her captor is not an animal, but Tamlin—one of the lethal, immortal faeries who once ruled their world.

As she dwells on his estate, her feelings for Tamlin transform from icy hostility into a fiery passion that burns through every lie and warning she's been told about the beautiful, dangerous world of the Fae. But an ancient, wicked shadow grows over the faerie lands, and Feyre must find a way to stop it... or doom Tamlin—and his world—forever.

Perfect for fans of Kristin Cashore and George R. R. Martin, this first book in a sexy and action-packed new series is impossible to put down!

My Tease:

"I'm thinking I might kiss you," he said quietly, intently.

"Then do it." I blushed at my boldness.

But Tamlin only gave that breathy laugh, and leaned in.

His lips brushed mine - testing, soft and warm. He pulled back a little. He was still staring at me, and I stared right back as he kissed me again, harder, but nothing like the way he'd kissed my neck. He withdrew more fully this time and watched me.

"That's it?" I demanded, and he laughed and kissed me fiercely.

* * * * *

What am I currently reading?

A Court of Mist and Fury

(A Court of Thorns and Roses #2)

by

Sarah J. Maas

Feyre survived Amarantha's clutches to return to the Spring Court—but at a steep cost. Though she now has the powers of the High Fae, her heart remains human, and it can't forget the terrible deeds she performed to save Tamlin's people.

Nor has Feyre forgotten her bargain with Rhysand, High Lord of the feared Night Court. As Feyre navigates its dark web of politics, passion, and dazzling power, a greater evil looms—and she might be key to stopping it. But only if she can harness her harrowing gifts, heal her fractured soul, and decide how she wishes to shape her future—and the future of a world cleaved in two.

With more than a million copies sold of her beloved Throne of Glass series, Sarah J. Maas's masterful storytelling brings this second book in her seductive and action-packed series to new heights.

* * * * *

Please feel free to leave a comment below and I will endeavour to return the favour.

Waiting on Wednesday # 87 ~ Torn (A Wicked Saga #2) by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill of Breaking the Spine which spotlights highly anticipated upcoming releases.

This week I'm waiting on:

Torn
(A Wicked Saga #2)
by
Jennifer L. Armentrout

Expected publication: July 19th 2016

Torn between duty and survival, nothing can be the same.

Everything Ivy Morgan thought she knew has been turned on its head. After being betrayed and then nearly killed by the Prince of the Fae, she’s left bruised and devastated—and with an earth-shattering secret that she must keep at all costs. And if the Order finds out her secret, they’ll kill her.

Then there’s Ren Owens, the sexy, tattooed Elite member of the Order who has been sharing Ivy’s bed and claiming her heart. Their chemistry is smoking hot, but Ivy knows that Ren has always valued his duty to the Order above all else—he could never touch her if he knew the truth. That is, if he let her live at all. Yet how can she live with herself if she lies to him?

But as the Fae Prince begins to close in on Ivy, intent on permanently opening the gates to the Otherworld, Ivy is running out of options. If she doesn’t figure out who she can trust—and fast—it’s not only her heart that will be torn apart, but civilization itself.

So, what are you waiting for?

Please leave a comment below with your WoW link!

Weekend Reminisces #1

Hey, it's Friday, the start of the weekend.

Sorry, I guess I'm not really telling you any  thing you don't already know.

So... lets focus on what's new this week.

To start with, I managed to pick up a few books at the discount bookstore ($2 each - what a bargain):

Real

(Real #1)

by

Katy Evans

A fallen boxer.

A woman with a broken dream.

A competition...

He even makes me forget my name. One night was all it took, and I forgot everything and anything except the sexy fighter in the ring who sets my mind ablaze and my body on fire with wanting...

Remington Tate is the strongest, most confusing man I've ever met in my life.

He’s the star of the dangerous underground fighting circuit, and I’m drawn to him as I've never been drawn to anything in my life. I forget who I am, what I want, with just one look from him. When he’s near, I need to remind myself that I am strong—but he is stronger. And now it’s my job to keep his body working like a perfect machine, his taut muscles primed and ready to break the bones of his next opponents...

But the one he’s most threatening to, now, is me.

I want him. I want him without fear. Without reservations.

If only I knew for sure what it is that he wants from me?

And...

Thrown by a Curve

(Play by Play #5)

by

Jaci Burton

She thinks she knows this player—but he has a few surprise moves. 

For Alicia Riley, her job as a sports therapist for the St. Louis Rivers baseball team is a home run—until she becomes the primary therapist for star pitcher, Garrett Scott. Out of the lineup with an injury, he’s short-tempered, hard to handle, and every solid inch, a man.

Right now, the only demand he’s making on Alicia is that she get him ready to pitch in time for opening day. Except the sexual chemistry between them is so charged, Alicia’s tempted to oblige Garrett just about anything. But both their careers are at stake—one bad move and it’s game over for both of them.

Garrett also feels the hot sparks between them, and the way he figures it, what better therapy is there than sex? Now all he has to do is convince the woman with the power to make the call.

* * * * *

Next, I finished reading:

Oblivion

(Lux #1.5)

by

Jennifer L. Armentrout

Experience the epic love story of OBSIDIAN as told by its hero, Daemon Black…

I knew the moment Katy Swartz moved in next door, there was going to be trouble. Lots of it. 

And trouble’s the last thing I need, since I’m not exactly from around here. My people arrived on Earth from Lux, a planet thirteen billion light years away. Plus, if there’s one thing I know, it’s that humans can’t be trusted. We scare them. We can do things they only dream about, and honestly, we make them look weak as hell. ‘Cuz they are. 

But Kat is getting to me in ways no one else has, and I can't stop myself from wanting her—or wanting to use my powers to protect her. She makes me weak, and I’m the strongest of our kind, tasked with protecting us all. So this one simple girl…she can mean the end for us. Because the Luxen have an even bigger enemy—the Arum, and I need to stay on my game. 

Falling for Katy—a human—won't just place her in danger. It could get us all killed, and that’s one thing I’ll never let happen...


My Tease:

“I knew right then I would burn down the whole universe for her if I had to. I would do anything to keep her safe. Kill. Heal. Die. Anything. Because she was my everything.” 

...Daemon

Yeah, Daemon is an all or nothing kind of guy.

* * * * *

And what am I currently reading:

A Court of Thorns and Roses

(A Court of Thorns and Roses #1)

by

Sarah J. Maas

A thrilling, seductive new series from New York Times bestselling author Sarah J. Maas, blending Beauty and the Beast with faerie lore.

When nineteen-year-old huntress Feyre kills a wolf in the woods, a beast-like creature arrives to demand retribution for it. Dragged to a treacherous magical land she only knows about from legends, Feyre discovers that her captor is not an animal, but Tamlin—one of the lethal, immortal faeries who once ruled their world.

As she dwells on his estate, her feelings for Tamlin transform from icy hostility into a fiery passion that burns through every lie and warning she's been told about the beautiful, dangerous world of the Fae. But an ancient, wicked shadow grows over the faerie lands, and Feyre must find a way to stop it... or doom Tamlin—and his world—forever.

Perfect for fans of Kristin Cashore and George R. R. Martin, this first book in a sexy and action-packed new series is impossible to put down! 


I read this book back in early 2015 and loved it. So why am I reading it again? Because I wanted to refresh my memory before starting the next in the series - A Court of Mist and Fury

* * * * *

Please feel free to leave a comment below and I will endeavour to return the favour.

Waiting on Wednesday # 86 ~ Chasing Impossible (Pushing the Limits #5) by Katie McGarry

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill of Breaking the Spine which spotlights highly anticipated upcoming releases.

This week I'm waiting on:

Chasing Impossible
(Pushing the Limits #5)
by
Katie McGarry 

Expected publication: July 1st 2016 

Tough and independent, 17-year-old Abby lets very few people into her inner circle. It’s common knowledge in her Kentucky town that she deals drugs, but not even her closest friends know why. But when a deal goes south and Abby’s suddenly in danger, she finds herself reluctantly forced to lean on daredevil Logan—a boy whose restless spirit matches her own.

Logan has his own reasons for wanting to keep Abby at arms’ length. But he never expected to find in her the one person who might help him face the demons he’s tried so hard to run from.

Together, Abby and Logan will have to make a decision: let their current circumstances weigh them down forever…or fight for the future they both thought was impossible.

Add to Goodreads

So, what are you waiting for?

Please leave a comment below with your WoW link!

My Return

Yep! After a very long 'Time out', I have finally returned to the blogosphere.

Unfortunately though, only in part.

My family and work commitments are still high, and as such, restrict the amount of time I can give to my reading, writing and blogging. It's all good though, and with a little forward planning, I'm hoping to post twice a week.

So, what have I been up to?

As some of you might know, I work as a CRT (Casual Relief Teacher). For the past six weeks I have been working full time, filling in for a teacher who left to move north with her hubby. Although the experience was somewhat challenging, (lots of preparation, grading of papers and writing reports - it's the end of the first semester here in Australia) it was also very enjoyable and gave me an oppurtunity to work a little more closely with both staff and students.

Being the end of the semester, it was also a very challenging time for my son who was preparing to sit for his first set of exams. Naturally, as fully qualified secondary teachers, both my husband and I gave him all the assistance and support he needed with his studies. I'm pleased to say that he did very well and we are extremely proud of his achievements.

Obviously during this busy time, I didn't spend any time blogging, commenting or writing, however, I did manage to read a few books and my thoughts and some fun quotes will be posted in the weeks ahead.

To kick things off, here is a short tease from:

The Power

(Titan #2)

by

Jennifer Armentout

With any great change, there is always strife, and the Covenant University has become the frontline between pure-bloods who want the Breed Order reinstated and the half-bloods who want the right to control their own destinies.

Fate has other plans.

 The violence is escalating and war between the races seems inevitable, and it couldn’t come at a worse time. Hyperion may be out of commission, but Josie and Seth know they have only earned a reprieve.  Seth must get Josie fully prepared, which means controlling her newfound abilities, and they need to find the other demigods before the Titans do.

But the gods are sensing a greater threat. 

Only one thing is more dangerous than a bunch of starved Titans, and that’s an out-of-control Apollyon. The aether in Josie is drawing Seth in deeper, and when lust mixes with love and gives way to power, he knows being close to her is not only dangerous to her, but to everyone around them, but letting her go requires a level of selflessness that just isn’t Seth’s style.

The paths taken in the past are becoming the roads of the future.

Just as chaos breaks out, familiar faces from the past return, complicating the already strained bond between Josie and Seth, and when the danger from the Titans erupts with devastating consequences, the dark allure of power calls to Seth again, but this time Josie might not be able to pull him back.

 And when the struggle between power and love becomes the deadliest battleground, there may be no salvation.


The Tease:

Tears pricked my eyes as I folded my hands over his wrists. I had to prove what he believed wasn't true.

Prove that he was the total of everything he'd done and not just the dark things he was ashamed of, and I would do so, because I loved him and accepted him for who he was, for all his faults. That was what love meant.

Love fostered courage.

Feel free to leave a comment below and I will endeavour to return the favour.

Time Out

As the title of this post suggests, I will be taking a brief 

'Time Out' from blogging.

This hasn't been an easy decision for me to make as I enjoy reading, creating posts and sharing comments with all of you.

However, for the next month and a half, my life is going to be crazy busy with full time work, helping my son through his first set of high school exams, completing a small thesis, and life in general. As we all know, there are only so many hours in the day and it is not always easy to keep up with everything.

Fortunately for me though, I know this busy time will pass. Or at least I hope it will. Fingers crossed.

 I will be returning in July and look forward to continuing to share my love and passion for books with you all then.

In the mean time... 

Happy Blogging!!!! 

Stacking the Shelves #138

Stacking The Shelves is hosted by Tynga’s Reviews. It is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks.


I didn't get around to completing a StS post last week due to time pressures. Hope you all had a great Mother's Day. I did well on the book front, receiving three I couldn't wait to read.

Soldier
(Talon #3)
by
Julie Kagawa 

A fighter dedicated to saving humankind from dragons in strictest secrecy.

That was what Garret Xavier Sebastian thought he was part of as a soldier of the Order of St. George. What he learned from a fiery dragon hatchling twisted all he believed in and set him on a collision course with certain death-but not without a chance to put things right.

Betrayed and on the run again, Ember and rogue dragon Riley discover an unthinkable truth about Talon and St. George. They'll need Garret's skills and insider knowledge of the Order to negotiate an impossible deal-and if they fail, there will be no way to stop all-out war.

Add to Goodreads

I read this immediately and you can see my thoughts on my previous post...  Swoon Thursday.

A Court of Mist and Fury

(A Court of Thorns and Roses #2)

by

Sarah J. Maas 

Feyre survived Amarantha's clutches to return to the Spring Court—but at a steep cost. Though she now has the powers of the High Fae, her heart remains human, and it can't forget the terrible deeds she performed to save Tamlin's people.

Nor has Feyre forgotten her bargain with Rhysand, High Lord of the feared Night Court. As Feyre navigates its dark web of politics, passion, and dazzling power, a greater evil looms—and she might be key to stopping it. But only if she can harness her harrowing gifts, heal her fractured soul, and decide how she wishes to shape her future—and the future of a world cleaved in two.

With more than a million copies sold of her beloved Throne of Glass series, Sarah J. Maas's masterful storytelling brings this second book in her seductive and action-packed series to new heights.

Add to Goodreads

I'm currently reading ACOTAR to refresh my memory. Will be getting to this one next.

And...

Ruined
(Ruined #1)
by
Amy Tintera

Emelina Flores has nothing. Her home in Ruina has been ravaged by war; her parents were killed and her sister was kidnapped. Even though Em is only a useless Ruined - completely lacking any magic - she is determined to get revenge.

Her plan is simple: She will infiltrate the enemy's kingdom, posing as the crown prince's betrothed. She will lead an ambush. She will kill the king and everyone he holds dear, including his son.

The closer Em gets to the prince, though, the more she questions her mission. Her rage-filled heart begins to soften. But with her life - and her family - on the line, love could be Em's deadliest mistake.

Add to Goodreads

So... what goodies did you add to your shelf this week?

Please leave a comment and a link below.