Dusty Reads #2 - Timeless by Alexandra Monir


Dusty Reads is a weekly meme hosted by Giselle at Xpresso Reads where we spotlight a book sitting in our TBR pile.

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Timeless by Alexandra Monir

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Synopsis:
When tragedy strikes Michele Windsor’s world, she is forced to uproot her life and move across the country to New York City, to live with the wealthy, aristocratic grandparents she’s never met. In their old Fifth Avenue mansion filled with a century’s worth of family secrets, Michele discovers a diary that hurtles her back in time to the year 1910. There, in the midst of the glamorous Gilded Age, Michele meets the young man with striking blue eyes who has haunted her dreams all her life – a man she always wished was real, but never imagined could actually exist. And she finds herself falling for him, into an otherworldly, time-crossed romance.

Michele is soon leading a double life, struggling to balance her contemporary high school world with her escapes into the past. But when she stumbles upon a terrible discovery, she is propelled on a race through history to save the boy she loves – a quest that will determine the fate of both of their lives.
Review:
There's something about this beautiful tale that had me gripped from the very first page. This isn't a paranormal in the strictest sense. It's a time-travel love story that captures your heart and holds you in until you finish the last page.

Michele grew up with her mother, living a simple life on Venice Beach. She never knew her father or the reason why he left. She knows that her mothers family come from blue blood New York money. But they've made little attempt to be a part of her life. Her friends at school have been by her side since childhood. So it's a tragedy when her mother dies and she's taken to live with her grandparents in New York. People that she has no connection with apart from surname.

Before her mother died and for a long time before Michelle dreams of a boy with dark hair and blue eyes. Not just any boy. This is one she knows she loves, and he's always there waiting for her in her dreams.

After her arrival she gets given the last of her mothers belongings and inside one of the boxes is a strange key. The key acts as a portal to times before and she finally meets her family from the past. Actually the women in particular who have all suffered at the hands of polite society and etiquette rules in one way or another.

But at last she meets Phillip, and their love affair starts to transcend across the hundred years seperating them.

I can't tell you what a fantastically amazing story this is. It isn't just about love, although that's the main reason for Michele to travel back. It's also about Michele finding her family. A family she had little knowledge of. She helps them in many ways but they also help her with a sense of belonging to a real family at last.

This book definitely deserves more credit. It's actually a simply told story but very captivating!
You can reach Alexandra Monir here:

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Review: Angelfire by Courtney Allison Moulton


My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Synopsis:
First there are nightmares.
Every night Ellie is haunted by terrifying dreams of monstrous creatures that are hunting her, killing her.

Then come the memories.
When Ellie meets Will, she feels on the verge of remembering something just beyond her grasp. His attention is intense and romantic, and Ellie feels like her soul has known him for centuries. On her seventeenth birthday, on a dark street at midnight, Will awakens Ellie's power, and she knows that she can fight the creatures that stalk her in the grim darkness. Only Will holds the key to Ellie's memories, whole lifetimes of them, and when she looks at him, she can no longer pretend anything was just a dream.

Now she must hunt.
Ellie has power that no one can match, and her role is to hunt and kill the reapers that prey on human souls. But in order to survive the dangerous and ancient battle of the angels and the Fallen, she must also hunt for the secrets of her past lives and truths that may be too frightening to remember.

Review:
This is a great story if you like sword-wielding, all fighting women. Personally I loved it!
Once Ellie reaches seventeen, everything in her life seems to shift focus. Will introduces himself to her and from that introduction nothing is the same ever again.

From the power of her dreams Ellie begins to realise that she has powers, dark powers which include the instinctive appearance of swords from nowhere, and the ability to heal. Will tells her that he's her Guardian and her duty -as Preliator (warrior) - is to fight the Reapers who come in many guises. Some are human looking, while others are bears or wolf-like. And they are everywhere. Either way whenever Ellie meets them they always seem to have a story to tell of her life. The life before this incarnation. The life of over 5000 years spent fighting evil.

The problem is Ellie doesn't remember much. Only what Will tells her or snippets of dreams. It gets even more frustrating when her social life begins to suffer because of her hunting. One event, her own birthday party, had her flying through a window while fighting a reaper. Much to the surprise and horror of her party guests.

Soon they have to find the Enshi (a sort of - harbinger of doom) and once found they must hide it where none can ever find it again. Its contents are pure evil. And this particular evil wants nothing more than to eat Ellie's soul, literally!

This is a great adventure story, filled with LOL moments and a lot of romance. The fast paced impact will not stop until the last page is turned.

Don't miss Wings of the Wicked (book 2) out February 1st 2012.
You can reach Courtney Allison Moulton here:
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Review: Shift by Jeri Smith-Ready


My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Synopsis:
Aura’s life is anything but easy. Her boyfriend, Logan, died, and his slides between ghost and shade have left her reeling. Aura knows he needs her now more than ever. She loves Logan, but she can’t deny her connection with the totally supportive, totally gorgeous Zachary. And she’s not sure that she wants to.

Logan and Zachary will fight to be the one by her side, but Aura needs them both to uncover the mystery of her past—the mystery of the Shift.

As Aura’s search uncovers new truths, she must decide whom to trust with her secrets…and her heart.
Review:
You have to hand it to Aura, the main character. She really knows how to mess things up with guys. Especially if one is already dead and one has a limited timeframe for being in the country.

This carries on immediately from Shade and is another tearjerker. Much of the novel Aura is very upset, angsty and confused (again).

But she holds on to her morals this time and begins to finally be able to let Logan go. That is after he turns from a shade to a ghost and then something else entirely. In a 17 minute timeframe she not only ruins her moment with Logan but also blurts out the truth of said 17 minutes to Zach.

Zach, I have to say, is a gent, a saint, and all good things. Yes, he gets a mighty bit narked with Aura but he had a valid reason.

In the end we learn more about Zach, the tragic disease of his father that is somehow linked to her mother, and more DMPers than you can shake a stick at.

The cameraderie is still as good. Megan does an awesome job as BFF and a surprise outing with Dylan (Logans youngest brother) turns out not quite as Aura expected.

All in all, another brilliant novel by Smith-Ready. We are still non-the-wiser of a certain Shift but we have another novel out soon which hopefully will explain all!
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Waiting on Wednesday (#2) by Bookworm Blogger


"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.


This Week:



So we've had Need, Captivate and Entice - one of my favourite Paranormal series so far. I loved the different and totally awesome idea of Pixies. Not the little creatures we thought they were. Oh no! These are full size, human looklike (when glamoured) Pixies. Most are bad but some turn out to be good.
Astley is one of the good ones. He's featured in Captivate and Entice.

I really hope that there's love between Zara and Astley at the end.

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Here's the Goodreads synopsis on Endure:
It’s all-out war (and no-holds-barred romance) in the climactic conclusion to Carrie Jones’s bestselling series.

Zara is at the center of an impending apocalypse. True, she’s successfully rescued Nick from Valhalla, but it simply isn’t enough. Evil pixies are ravaging Bedford, and they need much more than one great warrior; they need an army. Zara isn’t sure what her role is anymore. She’s not just fighting for her friends; she’s also a pixie queen. And to align her team of pixies with the humans she loves will be one of her greatest battles yet. Especially since she can’t even reconcile her growing feelings for her pixie king . . .

Unexpected turns, surprising revelations, and one utterly satisfying romantic finale make Endure a thrilling end to this series of bestsellers.
I can't wait to read it.
Zara is the Pixie Queen now and leader of the Shifter humans,
and ordinary humans willing to put their lives on the line.
She is a true hero!

Expected publication:  May 8th 2012 by Bloomsbury USA Children's Books

Join in with Waiting on Wednesday! Grab the button and follow the link!
What book are you waiting for?

Review: Shade by Jeri Smith-Ready


My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Synopsis:
Love ties them together. Death can't tear them apart.
Best. Birthday. Ever. At least, it was supposed to be. With Logan's band playing a critical gig and Aura's plans for an intimate after-party, Aura knows it will be the most memorable night of her boyfriend's life. She never thought it would be his last.
Logan's sudden death leaves Aura devastated. He's gone.
Well, sort of.
Like everyone born after the Shift, Aura can see and hear ghosts. This mysterious ability has always been annoying, and Aura had wanted nothing more than to figure out why the Shift happened so she can undo it. But not with Logan's violet-hued spirit still hanging around. Because dead Logan is almost as real as ever. Almost.
It doesn't help that Aura's new friend Zachary is so understanding—and so very alive. His support means more to Aura than she cares to admit.
As Aura's relationships with the dead and the living grow ever complicated, so do her feelings for Logan and Zachary. Each holds a piece of Aura's heart...and clues to the secret of the Shift.
Review:
Its a rocky, torrid ride for Aura when Logan dies on THE night of a) making superstardom with his band and b) the night she and Logan would finally love under the sheets.
For Aura, a post-Shifter, a world of ghosts is an everyday occurence but for those pre-Shift, its a confusing time to live in. Luckily for Aura, her Aunt runs a legal firm which helps ghosts sue for unlawful death, and then pass over to the other side.
So seeing Logan in his violet ghost state is firstly a shock but not a complete surprise. Aura deals with the stupid events that were Logans last minutes, and then the aftermath and subsequent court case pursued by his parents.

Add to this a hot new boy from bonny Scotland, Zach, who seems to be keeping a whole lot of secrets from her, AND keeping her secrets from other people. Just what is going on?
Aura and Zach find out that they were born one minute apart. He was pre- and she was post-Shift. Actually he was the only baby born in the last minute just as she was the only baby born in the first minute.
A story unfolds of her mothers journey to Ireland and the events of a Winter Solstice at Newgrange which may be connected with the Shift.

Sound confusing so far? Yep. This is a great story with lots of avenues leading off to other areas of importance or relevance. In no way do we ever find out what exactly the Shift was or how it occurred. All we know is that Aura and Zach are involved in a big conspiracy, and certain authorities have been keeping an eye on them both. Lucky for Zach, his father turns out NOT to be the political science teacher that we thought he was.

In the final chapters Aura and Logans relationship changes, and Aura and Zachs alters. Both important in their own way but confusing Aura immensely on which way her heart should go.
I liked Logan hugely although in the end I did get the impression his character was a little too selfish for my liking. He enjoyed the limelight and stardom a little too much. Zach is definitely a better option, and he's alive for one thing. And Aura? I liked her relationship with her friends and the rest of the Keeley clan. I'm not sure I liked her greatly but I did feel sorry for her. Some parts of the book are very devastingly sad and she doesn't bounce back quickly which I liked.

Apart from all the doom and gloom (that's ghosts for you!) this is a wonderful read whoever side you're on!
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Review: A Beautiful Dark by Jocelyn Davies


My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Synopsis:
On the night of Skye's seventeenth birthday, she meets two enigmatic strangers. Complete opposites;like fire and ice;Asher is dark and wild, while Devin is fair and aloof. Their sudden appearance sends Skye's life into a tailspin. She has no idea what they want, or why they seem to follow her every move only that their presence coincides with a flurry of strange events. Soon she begins to doubt not just the identity of the two boys, but also the truth about her own past.

In the dead of a bitingly cold Colorado winter, Skye finds herself coming to terms with the impossible secret that threatens to shatter her world. Torn between Asher, who she can't help falling for, and Devin, who she can't stay away from, the consequences of Skye's choice will reach further than the three of them could ever imagine.
Review:
If you like books about Angels then you'll enjoy this one. If you enjoy stories about love triangles then you'll like it even more.

The story is a little different than the traditional Angels books out there. There's very little talk of fallen angels, god or heavenly beings. Its all about the Order and the Rebellion. Each of the two boys involved in the triangle are from a side, and Skye has to choose which side - after she realises that she's different, special.

The reason why I gave it only 3 was because I didn't really engage with Skye, the lead female. As things progressed her thoughts were always of the boys. Should she trust him, or should she trust the other one. Her romantic feelings were all over the place which I thought was a little too OTT. I'd be more worried about why I blew up the thermostat and why my eyes kept turning silver. And the true story behind the boys arrival - as told by Asher arround a campfire - was actually a little too confusing. I think the author may have overthought the reasons and should have simplified the battle (i'm presuming its a battle between both sides but it isn't really made clear).

The writing was good so credit to the author for her creative skills but as above it wasn't a book that blew me away, just helped pass the time.
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Dusty Reads - Forbidden by Tabitha Suzuma


Dusty Reads is a weekly meme hosted by Giselle at Xpresso Reads where we 
spotlight a book sitting in our TBR pile.

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My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Synopsis:
She is pretty and talented - sweet sixteen and never been kissed. He is seventeen; gorgeous and on the brink of a bright future. And now they have fallen in love. But... they are brother and sister.

Seventeen-year-old Lochan and sixteen-year-old Maya have always felt more like friends than siblings. Together they have stepped in for their alcoholic, wayward mother to take care of their three younger siblings. As defacto parents to the little ones, Lochan and Maya have had to grow up fast. And the stress of their lives—and the way they understand each other so completely—has also also brought them closer than two siblings would ordinarily be. So close, in fact, that they have fallen in love. Their clandestine romance quickly blooms into deep, desperate love. They know their relationship is wrong and cannot possibly continue. And yet, they cannot stop what feels so incredibly right. As the novel careens toward an explosive and shocking finale, only one thing is certain: a love this devastating has no happy ending.

Review:
This is one of my Dusty Reads. I've had the book on my shelf for over a year now. What left it there was the topic of incest. That's pretty gross in itself but I've been intrigued by all the good reviews coming in that I thought I would, at last, give it a try. Without the gross factor.

This book is heartbreaking. Simple as. The writing is beautiful and absolutely captures the feelings and emotions of Lochan and Maya. At sixteen and seventeen they live their lives as adults, looking after the day to day routines of their siblings, looking out for each other, badgering their non-existent mother to pay the bills, sharing housekeeping chores etc. They aren't like brother and sister, they've grown up side by side one another all their lives so are more like best friends or soul mates. This is the emphasise that should be in mind when you read this book.

The ending is a shocker, I almost cried. It's a contemporary YA so not one I would have picked out normally but is definitely one I'll remember.

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