Caught Up in You (Caught Up book1)

by Colee Firman

Rating: 5/5

Pages - 299

Publisher: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.

Publication Date: 2014

Summary (via Goodreads)

Life has a way of shaping you into what it wants you to be, regardless of how much you fight it.

Brantley Prescott is damaged. Scarred by a past she can’t forget. Hiding secrets she’s terrified to share. Searching for a future she doesn’t believe she’ll ever find.

Myles Franco is alone. Burdened by mistakes he’ll never live down. Fostering a deep resentment for the opposite sex. Unleashing his wrath on any girl who gets too close.

Brantley has worked behind the bar long enough to recognize Myles for what he is—a douchebag player with nothing on his mind but keeping a steady stream of girls flowing through his bed. With his messy dark hair, sapphire blue eyes, rock-solid body, and endless tattoos he’s impossible to ignore. But that’s exactly what she plans on doing.

After just one run-in with Brantley, Myles is even more determined to stick to the rules he lives by. She’s mouthy, blunt, and doesn’t back down—no matter how hard he pushes her. She could turn out be the one temptation that drags him down the path he’s been trying to avoid. He won’t let that happen.

Both are content living behind the solid walls they’ve built around themselves. Neither is prepared for what happens when their lives collide.

Due to sexual content and graphic language - 17+ recommended.

Review

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for giving me the opportunity to review this book.

Where do I start? I absolutely became obsessed with this book! I have not come across a book that had me so addicted in quite a while - I simply could not pull myself away from it and the moment I finished the first book, I found myself on Amazon buying the sequel.

Caught Up in You tells the story of sassy and independent Brantley as she tries to get control over her life and learn to stand on her own two feet and forget about her troubled past. She is young, smart and incredibly stubborn. 

On the flip side is Miles - brooding, dark and incredibly sexy, but determined to make something of himself despite his mistakes.

Both have a past they want to escape and hide, and both have tempers that flare and, in the most humorous way possible, cause several misunderstandings and dramatic exits! There were moments when reading that I honestly snorted out loud (something I simply do not ever do when reading!).

The author has created a love story that moves away from the old cliché's and predictable storylines of star-crossed lovers and has, instead, literally reinvented the 'boy/girl-next-door' scenario. What is fresh, however, is the way she has done this by using people who are more relatable and have lived lives that feel more real and possible rather than giving the reader characters who cannot be related to. This helps to make the drama, tragedy and romance feel more intense to the reader, pulling you into every page and will have you yelling at the book as you read, determined at points that your eyes must be lying to you.

I cannot recommend this book enough! But, as is mentioned above - this is DEFINATELY not a book for younger readers - 17+

The Kingdom of Oceana

by Mitchell Charles

Rating: 3/5

Pages - 222

Publisher: Butterhorse Media

Publication Date: 2015
ISBN: 978-0-692-50841-1

Summary (via Goodreads)

SURFER SHARK TAMER FIRE WALKER EXPLORER TEENAGER HERO Five Centuries Ago, On the Island Now Called Hawaii, There was a Kingdom Filled with Adventure, Beauty, and Magic. When 16-year-old Prince Ailani and his brother Nahoa trespass on a forbidden burial ground and uncover an ancient tiki mask, they unleash a thousand-year-old curse that threatens to destroy their tropical paradise. As warring factions collide for control of Oceana, it sparks an age-old conflict between rival sorcerers that threatens to erupt-just like Mauna Kea, the towering volcano. With the help of his ancestral spirit animals, his shape shifting sidekick, and a beautiful princess, Prince Ailani must overcome his own insecurities, a lifetime of sibling rivalry, and a plague of cursed sea creatures brought forth by the tiki's spell. Can peace be restored to the kingdom? Can Prince Ailani claim his rightful place as the future king of Oceana? ONLY ONE CAN RULE.

Review

May I start by giving my thanks and appreciation to both the author and to Book Publicity Services who brought my attention to this book.

Who doesn't like a dramatic book that explores sibling rivalry?

I very rarely review books designed for younger readers but I am so glad I made an exception for this book!

The Kingdom of Oceana tells the story of two teenage brothers who both bid and scrap for their parents love and attention. The brothers are close to a certain extent, but also hold resentments towards each other which threaten to destroy their relationship and their entire kingdom.

Mitchell Charles has brought the culture and life of Hawaii to life in his book and has shown a deep respect and understanding towards the history of the island and its people. I really enjoyed the colour, life and amusement that this book had to offer from cover to cover and found myself drawn in to Ailani's story as it unfolded throughout the pages. The characters are well written and you feel like a witness to an intense journey as you read, like you are drawn into the action rather than being separate from it.

One element I found particularly helpful when reading was the additional information provided for any unfamiliar words that related to Hawaiian culture. These helped me to understand not only the story as it unfolded, but also gave me a better appreciation for the society and time the book was written about.

I would recommend this book to anyone, but I do feel it is more aimed at teenagers by the way it is written and the content covered within the book.

All Souls Trilogy

by Deborah Harkness

Rating: 4/5

Publisher: Viking Adult

Publication Date: 2011, 2012, 2014

Summary (via Goodreads)

A Discovery of Witches, Shadow of Night, and The Book of Life, now available in a beautiful boxed set

With more than two million copies sold in the United States, the novels of the number one New York Times–bestselling All Souls Trilogy have landed on all the major bestseller lists, garnered rave reviews, and spellbound legions of loyal fans. Now all three novels are available in an elegantly designed boxed set that’s perfect for fans and newcomers alike. 

Review

It's been a while since I have had a chance to post any reviews of books so may I start by sending my apologies to any authors/publishers that have been kept waiting.

I read this trilogy one after the other, finding myself completely drawn into the world that Deborah Harkness has created. the story follows the dramatic and challenging love story of Diana and Matthew as they rise up to the constant battles that are thrown their way in their magical world which includes witches, vampires, time travel and fighting.

I think the way that Harkness has put the fictional world together within our own has a very unique feel to it somewhere between Harry Potter and The Mortal Instruments (if these had been aimed at adults that is!). She is clever with humour and the historical elements throughout the three books. Being a history nut, I particularly enjoyed her time spinning fun in Book Two (Shadow of Night).

I think of the three books, Book One (A Discovery of Witches) was my favourite just for the interesting and gradual unfolding of not only the main characters, but the love that grows between Diana and Matthew that borders on obsession. Harkness has created believable characters who, despite the magical elements within the stories, the reader can relate to at times, which is one of the main reasons I believe the books are so addictive and successful.

I would recommend this trilogy to any lover of witch folklore and vampire-romance crossovers.

I only wish Harkness would write another book to continue the story of Diana and Matthew as I found myself yearning for more by the time I came to the end of the books.