Forget Tomorrow by Pintip Dunn

                                                     🌟🌟🌟 out of 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟stars

Imagine a world where your destiny has already been decided…by your future self.

It’s Callie’s seventeenth birthday and, like everyone else, she’s eagerly awaiting her vision―a memory sent back in time to sculpt each citizen into the person they’re meant to be. A world-class swimmer. A renowned scientist.

Or in Callie’s case, a criminal.

In her vision, she sees herself murdering her gifted younger sister. Before she can process what it means, Callie is arrested and placed in Limbo―a prison for those destined to break the law. With the help of her childhood crush, Logan, a boy she hasn’t spoken to in five years, she escapes the hellish prison.

But on the run from her future, as well as the government, Callie sets in motion a chain of events that she hopes will change her fate. If not, she must figure out how to protect her sister from the biggest threat of all.

Callie herself.


I thought that the premise of this book seemed interesting and different enough from other dystopian novels that I thought that I would give it a chance. It was mildly disappointing but still an overall enjoyable read. There were points in the book where I wasn't sure what to think. I got really confused because I didn't understand where characters were coming from or how the conclusions that they drew were supposed to change their fates. 

I could feel the chemistry between Logan and Callie although I didn't understand why their romance was such a focus in the book. I had trouble comprehending how with lives on the line along with Callie feeling like becoming a murderer was inescapable the romance was at the forefront of the story for a good portion of the book. If I was in Callie's situation, I don't think that I would be worrying about getting butterflies when my crush is around me. 

The book wasn't horrible, I just feel that it could have been better if not for the confusing choices the characters made, the in your face romance, and the at times confusing plot points. 

Reign of Crowns by Dani Hart

               ⭐⭐⭐ out of ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐stars

Title: Reign of Crowns

Series: Dupree Heights #1

Author: Dani Hart

Genre: Young Adult Dystopian

Release Date: April 6, 2017

Synopsis:

One hundred years ago cyber technology evolved rapidly. Human interaction diminished as the need to leave home became obsolete. Doors closed and cities shut down, causing a tsunami of destruction. Humans were replaced with computers, the homeless rate increased exponentially, and families starved in the abandoned streets. The weak and poor died, the middle working class fell to the lower class, and the wealthy rose above everyone. The world was imploding from the inside out with no reprieve in sight.

My story begins on the fiftieth anniversary of a city raised from the ashes of a revolution and a name forged in the decay of innocent lives. With my heart pulled in two different directions, I am forced to make a choice to either walk in my mother’s footsteps to a scripted future and a perfect life, leaving my first love behind, or complete my father’s unfinished journey of redeeming the Dupree name.

Buy Link:

Amazon - http://amzn.to/2nwbI77

Excerpt:

When Sterling shifted his body to mine, I didn’t flinch or scoot away from him. And when his hand reached for my face, I didn’t refuse it. I needed to know what there was between us. I wanted to know, and when his hand cupped my cheek, I leaned into it, soaking in his soft hands and noting the difference between Gray’s calloused overworked fingertips. And when Sterling’s eyes fixed on mine, pleading for permission, I didn’t say a word. As he inched closer, I closed my eyes and let his lips brush lightly over mine, catching my breath, but I didn’t dare move. An enchantment had fallen over us. I could see it beneath the darkness of my lids, and when his lips brushed lightly over mine again, I could feel it take hold of me. My lips parted slightly as I struggled to breathe through it, giving him the permission he was waiting patiently for to push his lips against mine. Slowly, he kissed my lips, taking care for my guilty heart and my broken promises. My first chance at love had turned into a battle, and if I didn’t choose a side soon, the ground would be soaked with blood and the sky filled with tears.

He kept his hand on my face when he pulled away, watching me as if I would either break or run away. He shook his head, and his deepened dimple appeared when a smile crept onto his face.

“What?” I asked in response.

“You. I can’t figure out if this is real. If you are real. I’m afraid if I blink that you might disappear like an angel taken by the wind. You have freed my heart.”

My words were lost, taken by the same breeze that stole his angel. His hand slid off my cheek. “I’m not a fool to think there haven’t been others that have filled your heart with joy, but I’m asking that you consider me to be one of them.”

His hair had fallen over his lashes, and when he peered up from his lap, my heart cracked open enough to let him sneak in. “I will consider it,” I said softly, holding back tears. What had I just done?

The drive home with Gray by my side was the worst kind of torture to befallen a guilty soul. And worse, he knew something had changed. His shoulders slouched in a way I had never seen before, and the light in his eyes had dulled. The power I had over him had given me a glance into a window I never wanted to enter, and I now understood how that kind of drunken power over people could destroy not only a single person but a whole city.

I wanted to reach out and touch him. I wanted to tell him how sorry I was, but I couldn’t with the driver watching me suspiciously through the rearview mirror. It was as though everyone knew of my treachery, and judgment had been placed.

Book Trailer:

Direct - http://bit.ly/2nw825a

https://www.youtube.com/embed/1-oU3DdoZPc

Author Info:

I'm a...

Mom

Firefighter Wife

Sister

Sister-In-Law

Daughter

Aunt

Friend

Writer

Reader

and so many other things.

I love my life and am so grateful for all of the support and have the courage to live a dream.

Facebook - http://bit.ly/2kj1nIW

Website - http://bit.ly/2jZa62l

Goodreads - http://bit.ly/2kJQHGS

I received an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review. 

I was immediately drawn to the character of Josephine. I loved how the author introduced us to her via reading in the rain. I loved her free spirit and quiet strength. I felt that she would certainly be a force to behold later on in the book. I understand that she was conflicted during the majority of the book regarding the decisions that she was forced to make. However, she did not exactly live up to the picture of her that I started drawing in the beginning. She seemed so indecisive that it bordered on annoying. It also seemed as if she was defending the debutante ideals to those around her even though it was the very thing that she hated. It caused a rift between the already unsteady relationship between Josie and her mother. 

I'm not sure if the author was trying to make it hard for readers to see who in Josie's circle could be trusted but I found it pretty obvious. I didn't find it bothersome though. There enough questions building up in my brain about other hints that were dropped regarding Josephine's father, etc, that made my focus remain elsewhere. I still have some questions about where this book is leading to and I am anxious to find out. I feel that a few bombs were dropped towards the end of the book and I'm not sure why that was. 

Reign of Crowns was different from anything I have read before which was refreshing. The premise of the book was interesting. It reminded me of the book The Selection a bit if anyone needs to understand what genre they are looking at. Young women are made to parade around like the debutantes were in Reign of Crowns in order to marry. It also involves an unrest between the social classes like The Selection does but that is where the similarities end. 

I would have liked to have had more action in the story but I can understand that this book was meant to be the build up into the next one in the series. I'm assuming that fairly big events are going to take place in the next book! I look forward to it!

Roseblood by A. G. Howard

                                                ⭐⭐⭐⭐ out of ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐stars

Rune Germain moves to a boarding school outside of Paris, only to discover that at this opera-house-turned-music-conservatory, phantoms really do exist. RoseBlood is a Phantom of the Opera–inspired retelling in which Rune’s biggest talent—her voice—is also her biggest curse. Fans of Daughter of Smoke and Bone and the Splintered series will find themselves captivated by this pulse-pounding spin on a classic tale.
 
Rune, whose voice has been compared to that of an angel, has a mysterious affliction linked to her talent that leaves her sick and drained at the end of every performance. Convinced creative direction will cure her, her mother ships her off to a French boarding school for the arts, rumored to have a haunted past.
 
Shortly after arriving at RoseBlood conservatory, Rune starts to believe something otherworldly is indeed afoot. The mystery boy she’s seen frequenting the graveyard beside the opera house doesn’t have any classes at the school, and vanishes almost as quickly as he appears. When Rune begins to develop a secret friendship with the elusive Thorn, who dresses in clothing straight out of the 19th century, she realizes that in his presence she feels cured. Thorn may be falling for Rune, but the phantom haunting RoseBlood wants her for a very specific and dangerous purpose. As their love continues to grow, Thorn is faced with an impossible choice: lead Rune to her destruction, or save her and face the wrath of the phantom, the only father he’s ever known.

After reading the Splintered trilogy, I knew that I wanted to read everything that A. G. Howard would write. When I found out that she was going to write a book that pertained to the Phantom of the Opera, I was beyond excited. I've always loved it and I knew that she could do it justice!

This book is very different from the Splintered trilogy. It still has a creepy edge to it that I believe to be classic A. G. Howard. Roseblood isn't as action packed but it packs a punch in a different way.  There is a certain amount of intrigue and mystery surrounding the Phantom, Thorn, and Rune and what will happen as the story goes on.It is difficult at times to figure out the motives behind the actions of the characters and who is on Rune's side during the course of the book. I believe that adds to the tension and makes the book more interesting. 

I loved the twist that A. G. Howard put on the classic story. It gave the story a higher level of danger than it previously had. I feel that it also provided an explanation for why the phantom's voice was so seductive and why Christine both admired and loathed him. This book had the same seductive quality to it as the original.  I feel as if when people sang or played an instrument in the book, I could hear it in my head as if I was really listening to an opera. 

I loved Rune but I have to say that my favorite character was Thorn. His past was devastating to read but it made me want to know everything else that there was to know about him. He was a complicated character who strived to have a strong moral compass but at times faltered. He was put in an impossible situation which led him to have to make an incredibly difficult choice. I could tell that he felt that he not only owed the phantom but also wanted to make him proud because he loved him. I appreciated his soft heart as well as his darkness. 

The Chemist by Stephenie Meyer

                                            🌟🌟🌟🌟 out of 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟stars

Summary:
In this gripping page-turner, an ex-agent on the run from her former employers must take one more case to clear her name and save her life.

She used to work for the U.S. government, but very few people ever knew that. An expert in her field, she was one of the darkest secrets of an agency so clandestine it doesn’t even have a name. And when they decided she was a liability, they came for her without warning.
Now, she rarely stays in the same place or uses the same name for long. They’ve killed the only other person she trusted, but something she knows still poses a threat. They want her dead, and soon.

When her former handler offers her a way out, she realizes it’s her only chance to erase the giant target on her back. But it means taking one last job for her ex-employers. To her horror, the information she acquires only makes her situation more dangerous.

Resolving to meet the threat head-on, she prepares for the toughest fight of her life but finds herself falling for a man who can only complicate her likelihood of survival. As she sees her choices being rapidly whittled down, she must apply her unique talents in ways she never dreamed of.

I was excited to see that Stephenie Meyer wrote another book! I was looking forward to reading this ever since it was announced and it did not disappoint!

It was advertised as a Jason Bourne type of story and I feel that it was just that. I was not sure how Stephenie Meyer would do with this type of story since she typically does not write this type of genre but I was pleasantly surprised! I found the book to be thrilling. It wasn't the type of story wherein action takes place every minute but it still had me on the edge of my seat with the amount of tension that it supplied.

I loved the Juliana, the main character of the story. She was surprisingly refreshing. After reading the blurbs and synopsis of the book, I assumed that she would be another run of the mill CIA operative that can kick everyone's butts. The fact that she wasn't made her more interesting. I loved the fact that she used her intelligence as a weapon rather than fighting skills. The best description of her would be like a clever spider who traps and kills anyone that dares to come close to her web. 

The only things that I didn't enjoy about the book were that it was fairly predictable and that there was intsa-love. I could usually easily guess what was going to happen during parts of the story though this did not make the book terrible by any means. I still enjoyed the story but it would have been nice if it was a bit more out of the box during certain scenes.
There was also insta-love in this book and while I can understand how it could happen that quickly in their situation, all of my reasons for it were debunked by the author during the course of the story. I would have liked to see the romance aspect develop more rather than one of the characters saying that it was love at first sight. There was also another event that took place between the characters that I couldn't understand how someone could get past and love the other person. 

A Million Worlds with You (Firebird #3) by Claudia Gray

                                          🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 out of 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟stars

Summary:
Ever since she used the Firebird, her parent’s invention, to cross through alternate dimensions, Marguerite has been at the center of a cross-dimensional feud. Now she has learned that the evil Triad Corporation plans to destroy hundreds of universes, using their ultimate weapon: another dimension’s Marguerite who is wicked, psychologically twisted, and always one step ahead.

Even though her boyfriend Paul has always been at Marguerite’s side, the Triad’s last attack has left him a changed man, and he may never be the same again. Marguerite alone must stop Triad and prevent the destruction of the multiverse. It’s a battle of the Marguerites . . . and only one can win.
In the epic conclusion to the sweeping series that kicked off with A Thousand Pieces of You, fate and family will be questioned, loves will be won and lost, and the multiverse will be forever changed.


This book was an amazing conclusion to the Firebird trilogy!!! I loved everything about this book! 

I love how I was able to experience the universes again that had been visited in previous books but also have some new ones introduced. I'll admit it made it difficult to keep them all straight but I managed.  It was interesting to see even more sides to each of the characters especially Marguerite. I thought that the author's use of Marguerite's art in each universe in order to explain each of their personalities was so compelling. I love how even though she is breaking apart about what happened to Paul, she is still able to focus on the issue at hand which was saving the universes from evil Triad. She is such a strong character that has changed through sacrifice for the greater good even when she was terrified. I love her!!!

Paul was so different in this book. It was clear that the splintering had changed him and I wanted to heal with throughout the book. I felt so bad for him and heartbroken for Marguerite. There were times when I wanted to reach into the book and shake him but could also understand where he was coming from. He didn't feel like he could control himself or his emotions any longer. The splintering brought his insecurities to the forefront of his mind. 

Wicked Marguerite was involved in a larger portion of this book and can I just say she is sadistic. She had such a sick, twisted mind. I wanted to destroy her even after I learned more about what made her the person that she was. She didn't care about anyone but herself and she was proud of that fact. 

This book began right where the last one left off in the thick of things. I have to say that I think that Claudia Gray is an incredibly talented writer! I would read to certain points in this book and think "can things get any more tense or crazy?!? surely not" but then they would. There was still a fluidity and natural progression to the book regardless of how crazy things got. I actually had to take breaks while I was reading it because I was so emotionally invested. I had to get my breathing back under control and dry my tears. 

I believe that everyone should read this book! It is my favorite of the trilogy! It takes you on a roller coaster thrill ride where you will have no idea what is going to happen when the ride stops.
 

All the Ugly and Wonderful Things: A Novel by Bryn Greenwood

Summary:

A beautiful and provocative love story between two unlikely people and the hard-won relationship that elevates them above the Midwestern meth lab backdrop of their lives.

As the daughter of a drug dealer, Wavy knows not to trust people, not even her own parents. It's safer to keep her mouth shut and stay out of sight. Struggling to raise her little brother, Donal, eight-year-old Wavy is the only responsible adult around. Obsessed with the constellations, she finds peace in the starry night sky above the fields behind her house, until one night her star gazing causes an accident. After witnessing his motorcycle wreck, she forms an unusual friendship with one of her father's thugs, Kellen, a tattooed ex-con with a heart of gold.

By the time Wavy is a teenager, her relationship with Kellen is the only tender thing in a brutal world of addicts and debauchery. When tragedy rips Wavy's family apart, a well-meaning aunt steps in, and what is beautiful to Wavy looks ugly under the scrutiny of the outside world. A powerful novel you won’t soon forget, Bryn Greenwood's All the Ugly and Wonderful Things challenges all we know and believe about love.

There has been a lot of controversy with this book so I was hesitant to read it. It seemed like the people that read it fell into one of two categories: hated it because it promoted pedophilia or loved it because it is a love story. There didn't seem to be an in between with this book. This is the main reason that I decided not to rate it on here because it is about more than how much I enjoyed the plot. Of course, if you came to this blog from goodreads.com, you know that you have to put a rating. Anyway, mainly I want to focus on why I became the middle ground where this book is concerned.

I am able to see both sides of the issue with this novel. Lee me start with what I believe that the author was trying to say with this novel. I believe (and I could be horribly wrong) that the author was attempting to write a story wherein the main characters found love in the most unlikely of places. While this love may have started out innocently it became significantly more as the novel progressed. The characters were able to heal each other and give each other things that no one else could or was willing to. Each of the characters were flawed due to their upbringing and circumstances. They were each treated like garbage by those around them and developed quirks because of it. They were both misunderstood because it was hard for people to comprehend why they were the way that they were. 

While I was able to empathize with each of the main characters, I was uncomfortable with where the book went with the relationship between Wavy and Kellen. This is where I understand the readers who feel that the book is glorifying pedophilia. There is pedophilia in this book. No if, ans, or buts about it. It doesn't matter that Wavy was ok with the intimacy that happened between her and Kellen. There is a term called grooming which is when an adult befriends and establishes an emotional connection with a child, and sometimes the family, to lower the child's inhibitions. I cannot tell you how many children will say that when they were intimate with an adult in the same ways that Wavy is with Kellen in the book that it was because "they loved each other". I understand that I may anger some readers by saying these things but I cannot in good conscience say that what happened between Wavy and Kellen at certain points in the book is ok. 

I don't think that I have ever seen a more fitting title to a novel than this one. I can see the beauty of the love that transcends and the ugly in the world that they both come from as well as the intimacy that happens between them. I want to be clear that I am not saying that I hate the novel. I think that it is well written and the characters are fleshed out very well. I also thought that putting the different points of view in the book besides the main characters provided me, as the reader, with interesting information and background that I wouldn't have otherwise gotten. My problem with the book lies in what I have already mentioned in the above paragraph. Maybe the author wanted readers to feel uncomfortable. Maybe she was trying to tell readers not to live in the box that society and law have created. I have no idea. What I do know is that is you read this book, it will affect you in some way. 

The Crown's Game by Evelyn Skye

                                           🌟🌟🌟🌟 out of 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟stars

Summary:
Vika Andreyeva can summon the snow and turn ash into gold. Nikolai Karimov can see through walls and conjure bridges out of thin air. They are enchanters—the only two in Russia—and with the Ottoman Empire and the Kazakhs threatening, the tsar needs a powerful enchanter by his side.
And so he initiates the Crown’s Game, an ancient duel of magical skill—the greatest test an enchanter will ever know.  The victor becomes the Imperial Enchanter and the tsar’s most respected adviser. The defeated is sentenced to death.
Raised on tiny Ovchinin Island her whole life, Vika is eager for the chance to show off her talent in the grand capital of Saint Petersburg. But can she kill another enchanter—even when his magic calls to her like nothing else ever has?
For Nikolai, an orphan, the Crown’s Game is the chance of a lifetime. But his deadly opponent is a force to be reckoned with—beautiful, whip smart, imaginative—and he can’t stop thinking about her.
And when Pasha, Nikolai’s best friend and heir to the throne, also starts to fall for the mysterious enchantress, Nikolai must defeat the girl they both love . . . or be killed himself.
As long-buried secrets emerge, threatening the future of the empire, it becomes dangerously clear . . . the Crown’s Game is not one to lose.

I was immediately intrigued when I read the above summary of the book when it was first released. The picture that it painted in my mind was one filled with action, romance, and magical forces similar to Harry Potter. I wanted to see if it lived up to the hype that I created in my mind not to mention the cover is beautiful. 

I was worried that it was historical because I don't typically read anything historical in nature no matter what genre it is. That is what stopped me from reading it initially but I'm glad that I pushed through that fear.  

This book captured my interest from the very beginning and did not let go even after I finished it. I was actually upset when it ended and checked a couple of times to make sure the last page was the last page. I wanted more immediately. I'm glad that the next book comes out soon because I have to know what happens next. 

I think what I enjoyed most about the book was the interaction between Vika and Nikolai as well as the conflict each of them must face between achieving their goal and essentially murdering the other one. They feel a certain pull toward each other but they are enemies in a sense. I found that aspect of the book so interesting. Neither of them want to admit weakness where the other is concerned or show any vulnerability. They know that only one of them can survive.

I also LOVED the magic in the book! I am a sucker for any kind of fantasy element in a book. I enjoyed that we got to see both sides of magic as well. There was a element of danger in even the most beautiful of enchantments in the book. 


I'm fairly certain that a few of the secondary characters that were introduced in the book will be brought to the forefront in the next book. I think that the author was hinting at some of them having underlying darkness with them. I have a feeling that there will be some chaos in the next book and I can't wait.