Keeping The Castle by Patrice Kindl
Release Date: June 14, 2012
Publisher: Viking
Pages: 224
Buy The Book: Amazon

Seventeen-year-old Althea is the sole support of her entire family, and she must marry well. But there are few wealthy suitors--or suitors of any kind--in their small Yorkshire town of Lesser Hoo. Then, the young and attractive (and very rich) Lord Boring arrives, and Althea sets her plans in motion. There's only one problem; his friend and business manager Mr. Fredericks keeps getting in the way. And, as it turns out, Fredericks has his own set of plans . . . This witty take on the classic Regency--Patrice Kindl's first novel in a decade--is like literary champagne!

I've been on the hunt for a really good YA historical romance book for quite some time now. FINALLY I found it! This book was utterly and completely charming from the first page. I chuckled and smirked the entire way through!

The main character Althea was unique, like-able and one of a kind. I loved her wit, her sense of humor, and her inability to think before she speaks. I loved the whole story, everything from the kooky castle to it's quirky inhabitants! I adored the entire cast of misfit character's in this story. They all added something really special to the story as a whole, and I would not change one thing about it!

There were twists and turns that kept me guessing the entire way through. I love, love, loved the romance! It was sweet, charming and utterly perfect! It was absolutely everything that I wanted it to be. I couldn't put this book down once I started and read straight through into the next day until I had finished it!

There's nothing I can say to do this book justice. It's fun, frothy, and frivolous. Everything I look for in a good historical romance. If your a fan of Jane Austen or the regency period, this book is for you! It's a delightful romp into decades past!

Review: A Midsummer's Nightmare

A Midsummer's Nightmare by Kody Keplinger
Release Date: June 5, 2012
Publisher: Poppy
Age Group: YA
Pages: 304
Format: ARC
Source: Own
Interest: Contemporary
Challenge: 2012 Goodreads  Reading Challenge, 2012 YA Contemporary Challenge
Buy the Book: Amazon

Whitley Johnson's dream summer with her divorced dad has turned into a nightmare. She's just met his new fiancée and her kids. The fiancée's son? Whitley's one-night stand from graduation night. Just freakin' great. Worse, she totally doesn't fit in with her dad's perfect new country-club family. So Whitley acts out. She parties. Hard. So hard she doesn't even notice the good things right under her nose: a sweet little future stepsister who is just about the only person she's ever liked, a best friend (even though Whitley swears she doesn't "do" friends), and a smoking-hot guy who isn't her stepbrother...at least, not yet. It will take all three of them to help Whitley get through her anger and begin to put the pieces of her family together.

From the very first page, A Midsummer's Nightmare is every bit as addicting as a bag of potatoe chips, or episodes of Jersey Shore. In fact, I think Whitley would fit right in, in the Shore House! Although you can totally understand why she behaves she does, after you've read the book!

Whitley's life pretty much sucks. I mean, seriously, if I were this girl, I think I'd have run away or joined the witness protection program! Whitley's parents divorced when she was younger, and she's left with her mother who has a bad attitude about men and her ex. Whitley spends her summer's with her father, drinking and hangout out at the beach, where he treats her more like a wing man than his daughter. But this summer is unlike any other! It's about to change the rest of her life, and it might be more than Whitley can handle!

Before setting off for her last summer with her dad before college, Whitley hooks up with a guy, and has a one-night stand. To her shock, when she arrives at her dad's to spend the summer, she finds out he has not only moved to the suburbs but is engadged to be married to a woman she didn't even know existed! To make matter's worse, Whitley's one night stand just so happens to be her future step brother! Could her summer get ANY worse?

Whitley was such a complex character. For much of the book she has such a bad attitude and is full of anger and teenage angst. At times I wanted to roll my eyes and groan, but later I learned why she acted the way she did. Yes, she curses way too much, she parties way too hard, gets hammered way too often, and does a lot of things with random guys that she will later regret. Yep, she totally would fit in at the Shore House! You can't help but love her, and totally sympathize with her, as she deals with her family troubles, and more serious ones such as cyber bullying.

Whitley was a really strong character that honestly, put up with a lot more crap than I would have! She was strong, and although she didn't always make the best decisions, or behave the way she should have, she handles them as best she can! I loved the supporting character's even more than I loved Whitley. I loved her future stepbrother Nathan, his annoyingly perky and lovable sister Bailey. And especially Harrison, her first ever best friend and fashion guru!

All in all this was an incredible book that was impossible to put down! It's a well written contemporary that also dealt with some serious issues. It was amazing and I can't wait to check out this author's other work.

Waiting On Wednesday (24)

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

The Dead Girl's Detective Agency by Suzy Cox

When Charlotte comes to after being pushed onto the subway tracks, she is informed by a group of teenage girls that she is dead…they all are. Meet the Dead Girls Detective Agency. With the support of these dynamic girls—including fashionable Lorna, who can’t wait to find out if the devil actually wears Prada, and nerdy Nancy, who insists on staying in limbo to help out other girls—Charlotte follows leads and tracks down clues to solve her own murder. With plenty of juicy mysteries and some pretty cute guys, readers are sure to fall in love with this fun and suspenseful page-turner!

Fans of Meg Cabot, Sara Shepard, and Ally Carter will delight in this exciting new paperback original.

I am absolutely dying to read this! I love the cute cover and the story sounds absolutely brilliant! Plus I am fans of all 3 of the amazing authors listed, so that means I am garunteed to like this one! Right?!?!? 

I will be very impatiantly awaiting this one to hit the stores in September. What books are you eagerly antcipating?

Review: For Darkness Shows the Stars

For Darkness Shows the Stars by Diana Peterfreund
Publisher: Balzer & Bray
Release Date: June 12, 2012
Pages: 398
Interest: Dystopian/Sci-fi, YA
Format: ARC
Source: Own
Challenge: 2012 Goodreads Reading Challenge
Buy the Book: Amazon

Generations ago, a genetic experiment gone wrong—the Reduction—decimated humanity, giving rise to a Luddite nobility who outlawed most technology.

Eighteen-year-old Luddite Elliot North has always known her place in this caste system. Four years ago Elliot refused to run away with her childhood sweetheart, the servant Kai, choosing duty to her family’s estate over love. But now the world has changed: a new class of Post-Reductionists is jumpstarting the wheel of progress and threatening Luddite control; Elliot’s estate is floundering; and she’s forced 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 Elliott wonders if this could be their second chance, Kai seems determined to show Elliot exactly what she gave up when she abandoned him.

But Elliot soon discovers her childhood friend carries a secret—-one that could change the society in which they live…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 has 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.

I have been really excited about this book since I heard that it was a retelling of Jane Austen's Persuasion. Who doesn't love Jane Austen? I am always a bit leery of retellings, they have so much potential to be amazing, but sometimes fall short. With For Darkness Shows the Stars there is no need to be worried!

Diana perfectly captured the heart of Persuasion, the character's and the entire mood. She expertly brought the character's into the future with a wonderfully done sci-fi twist. I will say there are some differences between the original ( come on! You can't update a book like that and leave everything the same!) but the author updated the story in a respectful way to the original story that I feel will please fans of Jane Austen and Persuasion.

I really enjoyed Elliot and Kai's character's and the way they interacted with each other.The story is told from Elliot's point of view, as well as secret letters written between Kai and Elliot. I loved their back and forth banter, and competition. Elliot is just as much a dreamer as Kai but feels bound to her responsibilities. Whereas Kai doesn't let fear or duty hold him back from making those dreams become a reailty! The genetically altered humans, animals, crops ,etc was very intriguing and added much to the story.

I devoured this book in 14 hours and could not put it down! I loved the character's, the story, and everything in between the gorgeous cover and the last perfectly written page! I cannot praise this book enough!

Nail Your Books (2)

Hello Lovelies~

Nail Your Books is an original feature that I created to show off off some awesome book related nail ideas! It can be anything from a book inspired design to a really cute matching nail polish. This feature combines my love of both books and nail polish. Some people match their nails to their outfit, I match mine to my books!

This week's edition of Nail Your Books was inspired by For Darkness Shows the Stars by Diana Peterfreund. The story was incredible, and is a modern/sci-fi retelling of Jane Austen's Persuaision. What girl doesn't heart Jane Austen? The cover is totally stunning, so it's of no wonder that this book totally inspired me!

The Supplies

Seche Clear, Crystal Clear Base Coat
Finger Paints in Black Espressionism
Wet N Wild, Fast Dry Nail Color in Party of Five Glitters
Hard Candy nail color in Matte-ly In Love

First start off by applying a good base coat. I like Seche Clear which you can buy at Sally's Beauty Supply. Then apply one coat of Finger Paints nail color in Black Expressionism, also found at Sally's. You can use any black nail polish you have on hand. This one is my favorite because it is a TRUE black and you only need one coat for great coverage! Next apply one coat of Wet N Wild nail color in Party of Five Glitters. Then voila! You can either add a clear top coat, or you can spice things up and add a matte-ifying top coat. It looks great both ways, but I really loved it with one coat of Hard Candy in Matte-ly In Love, which you can pick at your local Wal-Mart!

Clear Top Coat

It's cute and sparkly with just a clear top coat on top. 

Matte Top Coat

This was by far my favorite of the two. It was a nice change up from all the bright and sparkly stuff I do. haha I think next time I try this I'll use a glitter polish with smaller chunks of glitter. I really like Mask-a-rade by Picture Polish. I am pinning away for it, but alas I am a girl on a serious budget!

So what do you think of my book inspired mani? Will you be trying this one out? I'd love to know! So make sure you leave me some comment love and don't forget to stop back by tomorrow for my review on For Darkness Shows the Stars.

Happy Reading!

ebook Steals and Deals

Hello and happy Sunday!

I am back with a few more ebook steals and deals. Most all of the ones from my last post are still on sale. So I won't be repeating those. They did add a few additional ones, which is what I will be featuring this week.

 
 Rememberance by Michelle Madow is now $0.99 cents!!!


The following ebooks are all on sale for $2.99 so make sure you grab a few of these for your ereader before they are gone!

$2.99 each!

And last, the entire My Blood Approves series by Amanda Hocking is on sale! The first book in the series is 99 cents! The second and third books are priced at $2.99 each.


                                                                                   

Amanda Hocking's The Hollow's series is also on sale. You can get the first book in this series, Hollowland for FREE! And the second book Hollowmen for $2.99!

                                                                                  

That's all the new ebook deals I found this week. Most all of last week's are still on sale, so make sure you check that post out so you don't miss anything.

Happy Reading!

XOXO

This Week In Books (2)

Hello everyone and Happy Saturday!!!

This Week In Book's is a weekly feature from Alea of Pop Culture Junkie in which we share all the awesome bookish related items we got "this week"!

YouTube is still giving me a lot of problems. It has officially become my arch nemisis! *scowls* So no vlog this week. Instead just some still's. Thankfully, I had a much smaller week in books. But what I did get was pure awesome!

On a side note, I will be going on vacation starting next week. Eek! I am so pumped! I haven't been on an actual vacation in over 2 years, so it is long over due! I will be gone for just under 2 weeks, so I may or may not schedule out a This Week In Books for next weekend. It is vacation after all! 

My good blogger friend Rebecca loaned me Erasing Time by C.J. Hill which I have been pining for. Eeek! Thanks Rebecca! Make sure you check out her blog HERE She is a total sweet heart!

Lyndsey from Strangemore and I did a little switcher-ooo. She sent me Something Strange and Deadly and also Counting Backwards. Both books I have been stalking. Thanks so much Lyndsey! You can check out her blog HERE

For the first time in several months, I broke my book buying ban. And ohhhh it felt soooo good! haha I'm a girl on a serious budget, but I just could not say no to this one! I purchased Grimm's Complete Fairy Tales the Barnes and Nobel Leather Bound Classics collection. I have to say...it is a beauty!

Even the spine and the back of the book are to die for gorgeous! 

 The illustrations in this book are to die for! They are spread all through out the book. The pages are gilded in gold and are stunning! With over 700 pages in this book, it will keep me entertained for a very long time! I've found myself reading in it every night. Who says your too old for bed time stories?

That's it for me this week! I had a much smaller week but still epic none the less. I'd love to know what you got this week so let me know in the comments or leave me a link to your post. 

Happy Reading!