Georgetown Academy: Book Four by Alyssa Embree Schwartz and Jessica Koosed Etting

Title:Georgetown Academy: Book Four
Author:Alyssa Embree Schwartz, Jessica Koosed Etting
Publisher: Coliloquy LLC
Release Date: June 11, 2013
Recieved From: Publicist in return for an honest review

Summary:When the vice president resigns and Ellie and Taryn’s parents emerge as the frontrunners, the girls find themselves back in the spotlight.
Ellie could not care less about becoming the Second Daughter, but she knows how much the opportunity to make history means to her mother – and women everywhere. With her family taking center stage, Ellie must decide whether she can put her feelings for Gabe on hold - again.
Taryn, so used to captivating the hearts and minds of everyone she meets, is unbothered by the increased media scrutiny. But an inopportune screw-up has her beholden to an unlikely – and unfriendly – source for help.
Overnight, Evan has skyrocketed from social pariah to Miss Popular. As she and her reluctant parents adjust to her new lifestyle, the last thing she needs is a front-page scandal.
Brinley can’t stop thinking about her Stowe-bound hook-up…until her father’s intern, Patrick, starts flirting. Is it time to abandon her fling now that she has a more appropriate suitor?
With the second highest office in the land up for grabs, everyone is picking sides. But where does the heart lie when duty, truth, and love collide?

Review:
If you have not read the first three books there will be a couple of spoliers for them so beware.

I really like this series. They are fun, quick reads that give me the little bit of political drama I might be craving. The fourth book is no different.

I seem to connect to a different girl in each book. In this one it was Evan. While I liked the other storylines Evan's storyline was the saddest for me. I felt the most for her situation. Especailly how her parents were against her going out with Hunter all the time. And the other thing...

That being said I liked the vice-presidential race. It was interesting and caused a lot of drama. But I wished there had been more Brinley and Ellie converstaions. I really like thier friendship so I wish there was more of it in this book. But it did make sense for the book.

I personally was happy for the person who won the VP nomination. While I would have been happy regardless, I was excited when the winner was announced. Honestly I was mostly happy that they announced it. I was afraid they were going to make me wait for the next book. But they were nice and they didn't.

Overall a good addition to the series. I can't wait to find out how the winner's daughter's life changes not that she is Second Daughter. But the third book is still my favorite so far.

One by Leigh Ann Kopans

Title: One
Author: Leigh Ann Kopans
Publisher: Self
Release Date: June 11, 2013
Recieved From: Part of blog tour

Synopsis:  When having two powers makes you a Super and having none makes you a Normal, having only one makes you a sad half-superpowered freak.
It makes you a One.
Sixteen-year-old Merrin Grey would love to be able to fly – too bad all she can do is hover.
If she could just land an internship at the Biotech Hub, she might finally figure out how to fix herself. She busts her butt in AP Chem and salivates over the Hub’s research on the manifestation of superpowers, all in hopes of boosting her chances.
Then she meets Elias VanDyne, another One, and all her carefully crafted plans fly out the window. Literally. When the two of them touch, their Ones combine to make them fly, and when they’re not soaring over the Nebraska cornfields, they’re busy falling for each other.
Merrin's mad chemistry skills land her a spot on the Hub's internship short list, but as she gets closer to the life she always wanted, she discovers that the Hub’s purpose is more sinister than it has always seemed. Now it’s up to her to decide if it's more important to fly solo, or to save everything - and everyone - she loves.

Review: I do not read many self-published books but because I knew the publicist I decided to give this one a try.

I am a science geek. Not nearly as big of one as Merrin but a science geek none the less and so I liked the fictional scientific jargon and integration into the story. I liked seeing how the powers came to be and like Merrin I liked understanding them in a deeper way. The fact that there was an explination to the powers was really cool, it made the story more real rather than just having them magically have powers.

For the first half of the book I found Merrin to be kind of annoying, she is so into not being a one anymore. She's just magically so smart and thin though she lives on junk food, stuff like that. Nothing big. But once I got deeper into the story I became a bigger fan of her. Especially when her loyalty was put to the test.

I loved learning more about the Hub and what they were doing. So the last 1/4th of the book was my favorite. Probably a result of the science geek in me. Though I do have to say that the endig of the book seemed a little rushed and I think it would have been better a little more drawn out rather than the rest of the book which was a little too drawn out.

The beginning had a little too much info-dumping but besides that and the draw out first half of the book I really liked it.

But basically if you are looking to self-publish this is the way you should do it. With a quality book and quality cover.

To find out more:

Blog: http://leighannkopans.blogspot.com/

Website: http://www.leighannkopans.com/

Author Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LeighAnnKopansbooks

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/LeighAnnKopans

Novel Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17251203-one

Author Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6439443.LeighAnn_Kopans

You can also win some awesome prizes!

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For Darkness Shows the Stars by Diana Peterfreund

Title: For Darkness Shows the Stars 
Author: Diana Peterfreund 
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Release Date: June 12, 2012
Received: From the library

Summary:  It's been several generations since a genetic experiment gone wrong caused the Reduction, decimating humanity and giving rise to a Luddite nobility who outlawed most technology.
Elliot North has always known her place in this world. Four years ago Elliot refused to run away with her childhood sweetheart, the servant Kai, choosing duty to her family's estate over love. Since then the world has changed: a new class of Post-Reductionists is jumpstarting the wheel of progress, and Elliot's estate is foundering, forcing her to rent land to the mysterious Cloud Fleet, a group of shipbuilders that includes renowned explorer Captain Malakai Wentforth--an almost unrecognizable Kai. And while Elliot wonders if this could be their second chance, Kai seems determined to show Elliot exactly what she gave up when she let him go.
But Elliot soon discovers her old friend carries a secret--one that could change their society . . . or bring it to its knees. And again, she's faced with a choice: cling to what she's been raised to believe, or cast her lot with the only boy she's ever loved, even if she's lost him forever.
Inspired by Jane Austen's persuasion, "For Darkness Shows the Stars" is a breathtaking romance about opening your mind to the future and your heart to the one person you know can break it.

 
Review:  
So I am going  to preface this review by saying I have never read Persuasion. I know, I know, but I say this to bring home the point that this is not a strict retelling or anything like that. For Darkness Shows the Stars was inspired by Persuasion so even if you did not like Persuasion or if like me you had never read it I think you could really like this book!

I read this book in one day. Not one night which is when I normally read, one day I sat on the couch and besides some interruptions of having to do things I was reading this book. I was sucked in by Diana Peterfreund's masterful storytelling and was not let go until a few days after. I even find myself thinking about this book randomly it was so good.

I have read all of Peterfreund's other books including her adult books, and they are all really good. But For Darkness Shows the Stars has to be my favorite. Just the world building and the characters ugh. I don't even know. I just loved it.

Elliot is awesome! She is tough, strong, determined and broken. Sh has had to deal with so many things beyond her years that it takes a while for her to warm up to anyone. Especially when a certain Kai shows back up. I felt for her when she had to deal with him and I loved reading their letters to each other in between the chapters. It slowly opened up more of the story.

I loved the ending of For Darkness Shows the Stars it was awesome and I have to say that even though I adored this book I loved that it was a stand-alone.

I cannot wait for the companion novel Across the Star-Swept Sea but you should definitely check out this amazing book!

Fourth Blogoversary!

Today is my fourth blogoversary! I cannot believe that I have been at this for so long! I know I have had my suck patches where I did not post for a little while but I thank all of you who have stuck by me!

I have met so many friends and have had so many awesome experiences because of blogging and I would not gie them up!

In this next year I hope to get out of my shell at author events and to post more regularily!

To celebrate  years and to thank all of you I am having a giveaway!

1 signed copy of The Diviners by Libba Bray

1 ARC of Nobody by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Unfortunately it is available for U.S. and Canada addresses only

Not that I don't love all of you, I just can't afford to ship all that way!

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Thanks guys! And I hope to have another great year.

Kiss Me Again by Rachel Vail

Title: Kiss Me Again   
Author: Rachel Vail   
Publisher: HarperTeen 
Release Date: December 5, 2012  
Received: For review

Summary:  He closed the distance I'd opened up between us and kissed me lightly on the lips. "Maybe we can just be," Kevin whispered.

Charlie Collins doesn't know what to do about Kevin Lazarus, her crush and, awkwardly, her new stepbrother. Things were complicated enough when their parents were only dating and when Kevin was going out with Charlie's best friend, Tess. Now, post-wedding, Charlie and Kevin are crossing paths and crossing lines, and then they have to eat breakfast . . . together.

If only Charlie could get some time away from Kevin and her annoyingly happy and strange stepfamily, she might be able to deal. Yet first she has to make things right with George, her sort-of boyfriend, and Tess, whose trust she broke. But while Charlie struggles to be the perfect friend and daughter, at the end of the day Kevin is the one waiting for her at home. Would it really be so bad if they kissed again?

The follow-up to If We Kiss, Rachel Vail's addictive story of first kisses and heartbreak, Kiss Me Again at long last answers the question of what happens when a crush so off-limits it has to be a fantasy suddenly becomes something very real. 

 Review:  I read the first book in this series a few years ago and fell in love. So when I found out there was going to be a sequel I was so excited! 

Charlie and Kevin's relationship was so awkward. As it should be, how weird would that situation be? Though I have to say I felt bad for George as it was not really his fault and yet he had to deal with Charlie's moodiness.

Charlie and Tess' relationship was still in shambles from the first book and it was really sad. Reading about Charlie wanting to tell her best friend about her life and to ask her advice but then to have Tess still (understandably) upset at Charlie, was heartbreaking when I thought about how good friends they were in If We Kiss. 

Kevin's sister was probably one of my favorite parts of the book, she is so sweet and odd.

I really liked this book but I wish more would have happened in it. There was not too much plot development and I wish there had been a little more, but I did enjoy it. 

If you haven't read the first book If We Kiss and you  like romantic comedy type movie you should go read it! And then pick up Kiss Me Again.

 

The Lies That Bind (The Liar Society #2) by Lisa and Laura Roecker

Title: The Lies That Bind (The Liar Society #2)
Author: Lisa and Laura Roecker 
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire 
Release Date: November 6, 2012
Received: From Library

Summary:  Just when Kate Lowry thought she had life at elite private school Pemberly Brown figured out, she cracks open a fortune cookie to find a message from her best friend Grace--who's supposed to be dead.

Another Sister Gone

A classmate has gone missing, and Kate soon realizes that the disappearance is tied to the secret societies that rule her private school. Her best friend died for their secrets, and there's no way she'll let them get away with it twice. It's up to quirky outsider Kate to get some answers, but in a school where every answer leads to more questions and nothing's as it seems, who can she trust?

 Review:  If you like books with prep schools, secret societies, or mystery then why aren't you reading this series? No seriously, these books have all three. AND they are done brilliantly so yeah.

I really liked Liar Society which is the first book in the series so I was excited for this next installment and the Roecker sisters did not let me down! 

It had been a while since I had read the first book so it took me a few minutes to get back into the book, but once it got going I was immersed yet again. The Lies That Bind is a great title for this book because I, like Kate never knew who to trust, and was surprised by the ending. I had inklings of what might happen but when it really happened I was not expecting what played out.

Pemberly Brown looks like such a cool place. I mean secret tunnels and secret societies, yes it gets out of hand, but still so cool. 

Kate is so awesome. She is tough, loyal, and a little reckless. She is determined to save another girl from the same fate as her friend, even if it was a girl she did not like very much. No matter what the cost, she keeps trying. She also dyes her hair blue. I wish I had the guts to dye my hair blue!

Basically if you like, mystery, secret societies or just witty books you should pick up this series!