Letterbox Love (36) Birthday Book Haul!

Letterbox Love is a meme hosted by Lynsey @ Narratively Speaking for UK based book bloggers to showcase the books that they’ve received each week.

Thursday marked my 24th birthday and I had so many nice messages from you guys on Twitter! Thank you so much for that, they were coming in all day long! I had a really relaxed day of eating cake, reading my book, and catching up on some TV. I received make-up, PJ's, lovely smelling things from The Body Shop, chocolates, a gorgeous handmade Twiss pen, perfume and books. More books than I was expecting actually! I'm guessing you guys are here for the books so here's what I got for my birthday as well as the books I got for review this week. Needless to say I am feeling very lucky and spoilt! On a side note sorry about the quality of these photos - I took them whilst it was dark and storming outside.

 Birthday Books

Mother, Mother by Koren Zailckas
It's been ages since I read an adult thriller but I really felt like picking one up recently so after reading some good reviews from my blogger friends I bought this with some birthday money. I've been reading it this weekend whilst it's been stormy and I'm loving it!
How to Fall in Love by Cecelia Ahern
This one was a gift from my brother. I used to love Cecelia Ahern and read her books religiously but I haven't read any of her new books in recent years. This ones synopsis really caught my attention and I'm looking forward to rediscovering this author soon.
Kiss Me First by Lottie Moggach
This is another book a little out of my comfort zone but I think it sounds fantastic and I've seen so many good reviews for it! Maybe this will be the year I rediscover my love for adult thrillers?
Vicious by V. E. Schwab
This one has been on my wishlist since it was first released in the US but I've been holding out for the UK edition and was so happy to receive this from my mum and dad. I love Victoria Schwab's YA novels and I can't wait to read this!

Ruby Red by Kerstin Gier
This book has been on my wishlist for ages but there are so many gorgeous editions of it that I wasn't sure which one to get! I was really pleased to receive this edition which has the girl in the dress from the UK cover and the lovely design of the US hardback. Basically it's the best of both from the two covers I was torn between! I've heard great things for this series and can't wait to see what the fuss is about.
Golden by Jessi Kirby
Jessi Kirby is an author I've been meaning to check out for a while. I've read so many rave reviews for Golden and I'm so glad I have a hardback copy - it's absolutely beautiful!
The Impossible Knife of Memory by Laurie Halse Anderson
Laurie is one of my favourite authors from when I was a teen so I was all over this one when I opened it! It's also about PTSD which I've been diagnosed with so I can't wait to see how she handles it. 

For Review

Far From You by Tess Sharpe (Proof Copy)
I was so excited when this came in the post! It sounds like a fantastic YA thriller and has been on my radar for a while now. I'm looking forward to reading and reviewing this soon.
The One Plus One by Jojo Moyes
This book arrived as a total surprise and I couldn't be happier! I've only read one book by the author before and that was the beautiful Me Before You which is actually one of my all time favourite books so I'm really excited to read something new from Jojo.
If You Find Me by Emily Murdoch
This one I've actually already read and reviewed (check out my review here) but it arrived as a surprise along with Far From You from the publishers. This is the new paperback edition and I'm completely in love with this cover! I only had the proof copy until now so I'm so happy to replace it with this beautiful edition.

 From Netgalley 

Netgalley got me again this week! Simon and Schuster UK have recently joined and have been tempting me with their upcoming titles. I just finished reading The Wish List by Jane Costello which I read for my birthday and I absolutely loved it! I just had to snatch up The Time of Our Lives when I saw it on there! The Year of the Rat is one that I've heard exciting things about for months now and it sounds absolutely heartbreaking and beautiful. Then there's the new J.A Redmerski who is one of my favourite NA authors. The publishers emailed me about The Memory Book which sounds right up my street and like another beautiful and moving read. It also has a comparison to Me Before You which completely sold me. I have so many exciting books on my Kindle right now that I'm like a kid in a sweetshop - spoiled for choice and not sure where to begin first!

 As always thank you to the lovely publishing folk for the review copies. If you decided to do a Letterbox Love, Book Haul, IMM, Showcase Sunday, Mailbox Monday or whatever else featuring the books you got this week leave me a link as I’d love to check out your books too! ^_^ 

 Happy reading till next time!

Character Interview With Isaiah From Crash Into You by Katie McGarry PLUS Giveaway!

Katie McGarry is one of my favourite authors and so I'm thrilled to have her back on the blog today! I absolutely loved her most recent novel Crash Into You which you can read my review of here so I'm very excited to have Isaiah on the blog today for a chat. I'm also giving away 3 copies of Crash Into You courtesy of the publishers for any of you who haven't had the chance to check out Isaiah's story yet. But firstly here is Isaiah talking tattoo's, racing and Rachel...

Character Interview With Isaiah

1.) Hi Isaiah, what have you been up to since we last saw you in Dare You To?
Noah and I moved out of my foster parents’ place. As long as I stay out of trouble and they continue to get their monthly checks from the state, my foster parents don’t care where I stay. 

Other than that, I’m still working at the garage and finishing out my senior year.

2.) We’d love to know a bit more about Rachel what is she like?
Rachel’s perfect. Blond hair, blue eyes, and drop dead gorgeous. But what’s amazing about her is the way Rachel sees past what people look like on the outside to see who they really are on the inside. Truth…she’s one in a million. 

3.) What’s your favourite thing about Rachel? 
I love the way she laughs. I love the smile on her face. I love how she blushes and paces the floor when we enter a room alone. But what I really love is how each kiss she gives me is like the first one over and over again. It’s innocent and hot all at the same time. 

Rachel’s like no one else I’ve met. For years, I didn’t think I belonged anywhere and with a brief smile in my direction and a light touch of her hand, each time it’s like being called home. 

4.) How are things with Beth now?
Beth is complicated and so is our relationship. I don’t see that changing. She’s at where she’s at and I’m exactly where I need to be, but we’ll always keep in touch. What else can you expect from family? 

 5.) What do you love about Racing?
When I’m staring down a stretch of road in those brief few seconds before I hit the gas, it’s like I can see every possibility before me. The light turns green, the entire world comes alive, and for six to seven seconds, I absolutely control my destiny. 

There’s not too many times in life anyone can claim that. 

6.) Of all your tattoo’s which is your favourite and why?
The dragon that winds up my arm and goes down my back. There’s one person who believed in me once….one person who thought I was more than a street rat. That tattoo was for him so I’d never forget. 

7.) Where do you see yourself 5 years from now?
Definitely see myself suping up dragsters. My goal is to start my own garage and maybe I’ll be close enough to tucking away seed money in about five years. If life works in my favor, Rachel will still be by my side.

8.) Describe your dream girl 
Rachel Young. There’s no one else for me. 

 Giveaway Rules 

 To enter please fill in the Rafflecopter 

 Open to UK residents only 

 End date: Friday 31st January 2014 

Three winners will be drawn and will be contacted by email with 1 week to reply else another winner will be selected. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review for A Breath of Frost by Alyxandra Harvey

A Breath of Frost by Alyxandra Harvey 
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Release: 2nd January 2014
Genre: Historical Fiction, YA, Paranormal, Witchcraft
Source: Received for review via Netgalley





Goodreads Summary:

"Emma Day and her two cousins, Gretchen and Penelope, are uninterested in their debutante lives. All the boring balls, tiresome curtsying and polite conversation leave much to be desired. Then a girl is found dead, frost clinging to her lifeless body, and the murder is traced to Emma. As their world is turned upside down, Emma discovers more about herself and her cousins, from her connection to the murders to the secrets of her family legacy. Now the girls must embrace their true Lovegrove inheritance in order to stop the chaos, even if that means risking their lives. Dangerously handsome Cormac Fairfax wants to help Emma – but, with secrets of his own to hide, can she trust him?"

Review 
I really enjoyed Alyxandra Harvey’s previous historical novel ‘Haunting Violet’ so when I heard about her latest novel ‘A Breath of Frost’ which is about witches and set in Regency London I figured what’s not to like? And decided to give this book a go. For me this book was very hit and miss. Although it didn’t tick all of the right boxes for what I’m currently looking for in a great read I have no doubt that fans of Alyxandra Harvey and witchcraft will love it.

A Breath of Frost has a lot going on and we’re thrown into the action right away. There’s murder, mystery and magic with debutantes, finishing school and romance. Where this book went wrong for me is that I feel like the author tried to tackle too many topics at once leaving some aspects of the book feeling underdeveloped. I personally loved the story of the Lovegrove’s legacy and the girls discovering their powers during a time when being a powerful and strong woman is not the norm in society. However I was really underwhelmed by the whole murder mystery, I guessed a few of the plot twists and I found myself skimming over those parts of the book. I also felt like the rules regarding the magic were never fully established which I think is crucial when making a paranormal world believable. I would have liked to have understood the magic in this story better.

The highlight of the book for me were definitely our three heroines Emma, Penelope and Gretchen. Although at times they seemed a bit modern and overly British (I lost count of the amount of times they said “bloody”) they each had distinctive and strong personalities and were so much fun to read about.

Overall A Breath of Frost was a decent read that I enjoyed at the time but it didn’t leave a lasting impression on me and I probably won’t be continuing on with this series.

Letterbox Love (35) First Book Haul of the Year!

Letterbox Love is a meme hosted by Lynsey @ Narratively Speaking for UK based book bloggers to showcase the books that they’ve received each week.

Why, hello there Letterbox Lovers! I haven't done one of these things since October. My reason? I'm being really choosy with what I accept for review these days and with the books I actually buy. I've found myself being really picky with the books I read recently - which I don't think is a bad thing - but it does mean that gone are the days of mega book hauls which is kind of sad but I'm actually really enjoying being selective with my reading. It's all about quality over quantity! There are actually only 5 books on my wishlist that are out right now which is kind of crazy. Anyway, I digress. I do have a book haul for you today which consists of all of the books I've acquired so far in January. It's my 24th birthday next Thursday so I might be back with another little haul next week. I'm not sure how often I'll be taking part in Letterbox Love in the future but I will be doing them whenever I have enough books to put together to do a post. Here's my haul for January so far!

 For Review

Looking For JJ by Anne Cassidy
I first read and loved Looking For JJ when I was a teenager and with the anticipated sequel Finding Jennifer Jones finally out next month the publishers have very kindly sent me the first book to re-read and refresh my memory ready for the sequel! I hope I love this just as much the second time around.
The Three by Sarah Lotz (Proof Copy)
This book was a total surprise, I hadn't even heard of it until it landed on my doorstep from the publishers but after reading the synopsis I am SO excited to read this! It sounds so strange and creepy and I HAVE to know what's going on. I have high hopes for this.
Finding Jennifer Jones by Anne Cassidy
This arrived along with Looking For JJ and I plan on reading and reviewing both books back to back soon!
The Accidental Life of Jessie Jefferson by Paige Toon
I've been so excited for this book ever since I heard about it! Paige Toon is a hugely successful writer of women's fiction and this is her first venture into YA revolving around the daughter of Johnny Jefferson from her adult novels Johnny Be Good and Baby Be Mine.
It Felt Like a Kiss by Sarra Manning
This book came as another surprise! I received a proof copy at the end of last year and this week I was sent a gorgeous finished copy. I love Sarra's YA books and have yet to read one of her chick-lit novels so this will be a fantastic place to start. Really looking forward to reading this soon!

e-books

  

Netgalley and Edelweiss have been full of tempting goodies lately which is where I got all of these apart from Making Faces which I bought after reading the synopsis and seeing the Beauty and the Beast comparison. After receiving a new Kindle Paperwhite for Christmas I have been loving reading on my Kindle even more than usual lately and I'm really looking forward to reading these beauties!

As always thank you to the lovely publishing folk for the review copies. If you decided to do a Letterbox Love, Book Haul, IMM, Showcase Sunday, Mailbox Monday or whatever else featuring the books you got this week leave me a link as I’d love to check out your books too! ^_^ 

 Happy reading till next time!

Early Bird Review for Side Effects May Vary by Julie Murphy

Side Effects May Vary by Julie Murphy 
Publisher: Harperteen
Release: 18th March 2014
Genre: Contemporary YA
Source: Received for review via Edelweiss




Goodreads Summary:

"What if you’d been living your life as if you were dying—only to find out that you had your whole future ahead of you?

When sixteen-year-old Alice is diagnosed with leukaemia, her prognosis is grim. To maximize the time she does have, she vows to spend her final months righting wrongs—however she sees fit. She convinces her friend Harvey, whom she knows has always had feelings for her, to help her with a crazy bucket list that’s as much about revenge (humiliating her ex-boyfriend and getting back at her arch nemesis) as it is about hope (doing something unexpectedly kind for a stranger and reliving some childhood memories). But just when Alice’s scores are settled, she goes into remission.

Now Alice is forced to face the consequences of all that she’s said and done, as well as her true feelings for Harvey. But has she done irreparable damage to the people around her, and to the one person who matters most?"

Review
There are an abundance of ‘cancer stories’ offered in Contemporary YA and most of them follow a similar formula with the main character being diagnosed with cancer, going on some sort of life changing journey and then dying at the end of the book. It would be fair to say then that Side Effects May Vary breathes new life into the genre, flipping your typical cancer story on its head, as we’re introduced to Alice a girl who has been living a life of no consequences after being given a grim cancer prognosis. Alice has lived her life as if she’s going to be saying goodbye to it soon only to be told that despite the odds she’s in remission. This isn’t a story about cancer and dying, it’s a story about living, second chances and hope.

The book is told in alternating ‘Now’ and ‘Then’ chapters. ‘Then’ goes back to when Alice is first diagnosed. Like most people in her situation Alice makes a list of all the things that she wants to do with the rest of her time. Alice is an angry and scared individual and that reflects in her list as we see Alice settling scores with an ex-boyfriend and frenemy as well as her wanting to do something memorable for her best friend Harvey and have new experiences like learning how to drive. The ‘Now’ chapters follow Alice in the present where she’s struggling to adjust to this unexpected second chance at life. When Alice was diagnosed she put on this hard exterior to put a barrier between her and those she loves to protect both herself and her family for when she wouldn’t be around anymore. Now Alice is struggling to let those people get close to her again because although the cancer is gone her fear of dying and losing everybody isn’t. Alice was a beautifully flawed character and I loved following her uneasy journey in learning how to live and love again.

As well as Alice’s chapters we also get to read from Alice’s best friend Harvey’s point of view. Harvey and his chapters were actually my favourite thing about this book. It’s not often in books that we get to hear directly from the friends or family of the character with cancer and so to experience Harvey’s thoughts and feelings made this book even more moving. I really connected with Harvey and so many of my highlighted quotes on my Kindle were from his chapters. Harvey’s a genuinely nice guy who wears his heart on his sleeve. He’s actually the complete opposite of Alice and so brings out the very best in her and gets her to drop her protective armour that she wears around everybody else but him which I loved to see.

I actually can’t believe that Side Effects May Vary is Julie Murphy’s debut. You’d think that two tenses and two narratives would be too much for a reader to keep up with but Murphy’s writing is consistent throughout and flows beautifully making the way this story is told work in this books favour to give a rounded and developed story. Julie Murphy’s writing was effortless to read and every so often she’ll turn out a phrase that will catch your breath and hit you in the stomach. Hopeful, moving and beautiful Side Effects May Vary was everything I wanted it to be and more.